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 Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:12 pm
His Yiruian heritage was exceptionally easy to pick out, not something that the lady found pertinent. Imisus made sense, considering its Eastern ports, though her eyelids lifted attentively at the mention of Gadu. "Trisica?" Was he affiliated with the Council, then? That could work out well, she supposed, given the Fellowship and Council's recent agreement between their Grand Magus and Dean.
A light scoff parted Lady Estratus' lips. The way he worded that almost made it seem like he was already resigned to not gaining the position. "I see. For naught but a farmer in Imisus, you've quite a talent for picking up useful skills." And a talent for finding his way into lofty positions. For most of Panymium's commonwealth, literacy was in the minority of skill sets. Not only that but he understood Ardenian, at least to a baseline degree, and his spelling was impeccable. Studying at Trisica was no easy task either, the Council's only university by only few methods. Most commonly it favored those rich in blood or gold, which Jin Ho certainly was neither and with him wearing no sign of faith there was little chance he gained entry via the church. That left only two things the man could have been accepted for, one of which he appeared to know nothing of until attention was called to it, which left only his wits. Somehow or another this man proved himself to the Council by studiousness alone and that said a great deal to Lady Estratus without having to hear the details of his university background. Further still, back to the brush, Jin Ho now found himself in the possession of an item many would covet due to its nature. Jin Ho was, indeed, quite accomplished in his talent for gaining his footholds in life.
"There are still some waiting to meet with me and prove their own worth, Mister Kyon, but of all those who've arrived yet you are the first to carry such a thing with you." Lady Estratus stood still but her head turned, hair falling over her shoulder as her eyes took in the craftsmanship of the brush.
Finally.
Sloane's hand flattened intently against the wooden table, features shifting instantly to neutrality. He paused for just a moment, only long enough to see if his lady would speak so he would not interrupt, and then lifted his head to lock eyes with Jin Ho. "You don't know the weight you carry, do you?" he spoke succinctly, with the barest hint of accusation, but his features were calm, eyes searching, "The weight of a life."
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Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2013 1:36 pm
”Yes, My Lady,” he confirmed, however he held little affiliation with the Council and in fact had made it a point to leave home to pursue his own interests rather than joining them, much to his father’s annoyance. While he enjoyed the opportunities that came from being well educated it wasn’t the life he had picked for himself. His father placed him on a high pedestal, requiring him to work hard and become a scholar rather than work for his keep like the boy had always wanted. Instead, his own twin was sold off so that he could afford a comfortable living and tutoring – something he had always felt extreme hatred for.
With another quick bow he thanked Lady Estratus for her compliment but held his tongue for the time being, at least until the brush was brought back into question, his own head turning to look as well. ”It has only been in my possession for a mere few days. A man gave it to me; I hardly thought odd of it for one reason or another. I’d never been in this area before and mistook it for Northern hospitality.”
For that brief moment he had nearly forgotten about Sloane’s presence.
Jin Ho’s brows furrowed, meeting Sloane’s eyes for a brief moment in attempts to maybe search and understand but a Plague’s eyes were so much different than a human’s, he saw nothing but hatred. ”As stated I had absolutely no idea… Had I known I would have been more cautious. I shall do what is in my power to care for it.”
The decision needed little time to be made; he wasn’t about to pawn it off like that strange man had now that he knew what it was. There was no telling what could set it off, what could trigger something within it and there was no way he could allow that to happen without someone to properly care for the creature that would emerge. Jin Ho had little idea of just how he could raise another living thing but if it was possible he would do anything.
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Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:44 am
A dull sound of amusement passed from Lady Estratus at the thought of passing along a plagued item being an act of Northern hospitality. Jin Ho Kyon was certainly unfamiliar with Shyregoed if pawning off tainted objects as gifts was considered a norm, the absurdity of the scenario managing to tickle a bit of the woman's humor but it showed very little; barely a glimmer in her eye and then it was gone, soon replaced with a serious eye upon her plague.
Sloane hardly blinked while the man explained himself. His face was as blank as his grimm's until Jin Ho mentioned being more cautious and one corner of his mouth lifted in disgust to reveal a few sharp teeth. The next statement dipped the room into silence, the sword's expression softening while the Adviser turned back to Jin Ho. Both contemplated his words in their own way, rolling them over in their minds as if tasting wine and detecting all of its subtle nuances. Lady Estratus' fingers thrummed after nearly a minute, announcing the silence's end.
"You would keep it but knew not what it was till a moment ago," she reiterated for him, as if to illustrate the absurdity of the situation. This time it was Sloane's turn to scoff. His fingers curled into a fist and his metal covered knuckles knocked roughly against the table as he adjusted his legs. "Have you any experience with the living plague? You studied at Trisica, I can only imagine you've picked up even the barest of knowledge in Plagueology. Alignments and the like?" her eyes traveled to the brush, sitting plainly with no intent to harm. "How would you care for it? You must know that in this state the item could still be dangerous. In fact," Lady Estratus unrolled the parchment he'd written on and looked it over again before holding it out top to bottom toward Jin Ho, "I believe you've written with pure putesco."
In stark contrast to his intimidating demeanor thus far, the Infitialis suddenly sputtered. His hand raised, claws spread, and covered one side of his face while his expression contorted harshly. A terribly wide smile cracked his features, open mouthed and frightening, as he hunched over the table. Laughter shook his shoulders, the type of roaring laughter that was so hard your eyes welled up and your stomach hurt because you couldn't stop. It reverberated through the room and almost sounded like they were surrounded by it. Sloane didn't notice his grimm's scathing glare while his eyes were clenched shut but after nearly a minute he calmed to a few quick hums and sighs, a handful of quiet chuckles remaining in his chest.
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Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:29 am
The Lady’s way of reiterating made Jin Ho’s head drop just a bit, brows furrowed and he knew he was cornered. ”I-I’m afraid not, My Lady. Sir Sloane is the first I’ve encountered in person.” He did, however, straighten up just a little, quietly clearing his throat while trying to gain his ground once more but the more she spoke the lower his spirits became and it was her last statement and Sloane’s sudden uproar that he was certain he had failed. Eyes widening, he could only stare in disbelief as the intimidating figure somehow became more so.
With his face still downward cast, Jin Ho did pass a glance toward his work with a pained expression. He could have been the death of someone, of several, all thanks to his ignorance. ”I-I apologize deeply, My Lady,” he stammered, closing his eyes beneath tightly knit brows. Unable to meet her gaze, even if it was now planted angrily on her ward, he felt a deep shame over how little he paid attention to these details. ”I have studied just a little bit on Plagues on my own time when not focusing on academics. I know of alignments, their abilities and how to recognize them, but as stated before I have had little experience with caring for them. Perhaps the brush is better off in someone else’s care if I had been able to make such a hazardous mistake.”
The man didn’t want to lose the brush, to give it away. In fact it was a bit exciting but she was right; Jin Ho knew little on how to care for them – though there was always room for study. However, given the way this meeting was going there perhaps was little chance that he could even remotely support such a creature. He might have to go back to Imisus, go back and tend to his family and their garden, find work and support himself. He didn’t want to join the Council, he cared little for science and personally felt that his forte was with magic, but it seemed like it might be his only shot at succeeding anymore.
”I would work my hardest to make sure that they were comfortable and content, but I am just a young man with no name. I would not wish for them to be unhappy with this world.”
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:25 am
Lady Estratus' glare did not soften while it was set upon Sloane, even as Jin Ho spoke, but as soon as her gaze averted she was quick to return to her neutral demeanor. Her lips tightened at the man's suggestion to give it away. Sage's eyes fell upon the brush as she slowly folded the parchment up once more and she took a steady breath, ready to address such matters, but then he continued and her motions paused halfway through. He was not worried for the status involved with keeping these items, the commodity of the plagued shoulder pet, he was far more interested in the creature's well being while it was still an inanimate object, while it could not think or feel or perceive.
The Adviser's movements slowed as she resumed folding the page. Both arms dropped to her sides once she was finished and she tilted her head toward the brush with great consideration. At her side, the Infitialis had picked up on the same sentiment from the man but it was immediately twisted; surely he was just going on a pity parade to earn points but he knew Jin Ho had completely bungled this, surely there was no way--
"There was a time when such studies were unheard of. Information on alignments, anything about the living plagues learned only from personal experience," her chin raised as she caught Jin Ho's eye again, if he looked, "I am a grimm from that age. I know the burden of having such a thing cast upon you." Sloane winced, sneering as he looked away toward the fire. "However, I am no Plague Doctor. I carry no privilege in judging whether you are 'worthy' to be cursed with this item. Already, you are more informed than many grimms and hold the desire to bear this task while countless more would eagerly refuse."
Her knight's posture stiffened the more she spoke. Lady Estratus' voice was calm but the particular words she chose carried both a scathing heat for him and sympathetic tones for their guest. The pit in his stomach grew when she gave pause and, after several anxious moments, he turned his head just enough to look at her from the corner of his eye. Her head was bowed, eyes closed, and one gloved hand wrapped around her mouth and chin. In that moment his heart wailed, mourning the fact he could no longer read her as he could while a Servos. She was locked so tightly away, all he could do was speculate but without being able to confirm with certainty his theories always turned sour.
One finger lightly tapped her cheek before she separated her fingers enough to speak. "If you were to return to Gadu, I suggest contacting Trisica and resuming your studies there. They provide courses for new grimms, such as yourself, and their courses in magical theory are quite extensive." Sloane did his best to keep quiet but a heavy sigh of relief left him, one hand making its way over his heart. "Though," without lifting his gaze his eyes opened in near horror, swirls transfixed upon the table, "it would be a shame for the Fellowship to lose so willing a grimm, unless you were interested in taking up studies in Dorwick or Edgecrest. They are much closer to your home than here but still quite a distance from Gadu." Her brows furrowed and her gaze drifted to the floor, "Not to mention you've come all this way. That's an admirable amount of dedication to travel under with only the possibility of a maybe." Sloane felt absolutely sick but the only expression he could muster was disgust, misplaced as he refused to look at either human. Lady Estratus' fingers tapped gently against her face as she fell silent once more, taking several moments for her hand to fall away and her eyes to meet Jin Ho's. "I would have to say, Mister Kyon; in light of all this, you are more than qualified." Sloane's claws went rigid against the table and his armor, the wood scraping beneath their points.
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Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:59 am
His own posture had done the opposite of Sloane’s; while the Plague was relaxing, nearly relishing the idea that Jin Ho was likely to not be accepted, the man’s had become more stiff, nearly fearful. He honestly had no intention to return to Imisus, not as long as he could help it, and the idea of having to search for employment here in the north where everything was distant and cold, well… for lack of a better term it was rather chilling to think about.
When The Lady continued, Jin Ho had the opposite reaction once more. He looked up, eager to meet Sage’s eye from confirmation, and while he did his best to mute his expression he couldn’t help but give a relieved, awed smile. ”You honor me, My Lady…” he said, offering another habitual bow. He hadn’t passed another glance to Sloane at all, the sound of his claws against the table more than telling and honestly he didn’t need that extra fear in him, not while things seemed positive. ”I have completed my studies for the time being, I am only interested in serving.” The to-be mage, however, did look to the brush, his brows turning upward despite the rest of his expression softening. He had no idea that such a thing had come into his possession but it seemed to work in his favor.
In all honesty, while he had no idea what would be done about housing and he hadn’t even exactly been accepted yet, the excitement was all too real and encompassing. He was qualified, she had said it, and even if this job wasn’t awarded to him there was still the prospect of making it elsewhere, nearly anywhere.
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:11 pm
Seated at the table, the Infitialis turned his gaze away from the man as soon as he spoke of honor. His swirls directed back to the brush, inspecting its curves, its details, and he felt more calm. Sloane's hand relaxed and his claws returned to a neutral position. The table was marred from his anger but it was old and already had seen its fair share of abuse. A light fist was made instead, this time staving off the immediate response of internalized rage. He sat calmly though with no less of a pout in his posture despite it refusing to show on his face.
He had been ready to serve, as well. He was always ready to serve. From day one, truly, he had done nothing but yet here he sat, seemingly ungrateful.
"I see," Lady Estratus murmured, holding herself tall, "In the event of your hire, room and board will be provided for you. You hold no previous affiliation with the Fellowship of Mages--" she quirked a brow momentarily to confirm, the pause lasting only a brief moment, "--and so you would enter its ranks as an Augur. Your duties as Augur are separate from your duties to me. The role of an Augur within the Fellowship is one of will; an Augur must work physically to earn their keep and expand their knowledge to be useful. For your magic, you would seek out a mentor. There are some who offer group lessons, even these bases offer the foundation in magic to everyone, but an apprenticeship must be undertaken if you intend to further yourself."
Here she paused. Sloane lowered his head and offered his lady a sidelong glance. She was looking at the brush. "Assistance in handling the brush will also be provided upon request. I would ask that any new information regarding it be reported directly to me." The knight's brow furrowed. "This is the case with all plagues here, item or living, though there are very few in these walls. You would do well to familiarize yourself with them as much as possible to learn more of this burden you choose to bear," Lady Estratus' eyes narrowed and she inclined her head while lowering her voice with calm warning, "as well as what not to do."
Sloane scoffed and leaned back. He took a deep breath and released it with a low grumble. The fire was getting a bit low and this caused his frown to deepen. With no warning, though thankfully no intimidation intended, the towering Infitialis rose to his feet and set about prodding the fire, rearranging it, and adding a few sticks. They were low on proper fire wood and would need to set a group out to gather more.
Lady Estratus paid her plague no mind, her attention not leaving the applicant in front of her. "What would you say to those terms? Beyond the task of a scribe, what would you aim to accomplish in the Fellowship?" her brows raised, softening her expression from its previous tenseness, "How familiar are you with the beliefs and structure of the mages?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:24 pm
Any movement the Infitialis made, no matter how subtle, was caught by Jin Ho despite his best efforts to give his undivided attention to Lady Estratus, but he did his best to keep his eyes forward and appear at his most attentive. Had she not spoken up it would have been more difficult, but with her voice to focus on he stared politely. Jin Ho knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy job, nor would it be an easy task. There were many duties being strung out before him, Lady Estratus rolling them out as if they had been a practiced speech that could only be recited with the dullest of tones. Instructions spoken so often that she didn’t have to think twice before each syllable spilled from her lips.
Lodging was one of his questions and thankfully she had listed that off near immediately, putting his mind in ease as he wasn’t to spend money elsewhere. Work was no problem, he didn’t mind earning his keep as he would have at home had other, less appreciated choices been made, and even before she mentioned it he was eager to find a tutor – someone to help him further his studies and advance his magics.
With Sloane standing, Jin Ho’s eyes momentarily wandered away to follow, and then back to his brush that sat alone on the table. He hadn’t meant for that beat to be missed, but he looked back to Sage calmly.
”Sadly, where I was homed did not have much in regards to your beliefs and structures, but I am most eager to learn. I wish to make a name for myself among your ranks, and…” Another pass toward his brush, ”I hope to make a decent Grimm. I may not know as much about taking care of one, I promise you that I will research thoroughly.”
Jin Ho offered another bow, his arm pressed against his stomach.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:49 am
There was no motion, expression, or sound of acknowledgement from the Fellowship's Adviser as Jin Ho spoke. She stood at firm attention, expression empty save for her eyes which were fiercely on point. Even as he bowed she merely followed him with her eyes, remaining silent for a few moments.
"Good," she stated flatly before turning back to the table. Lady Estratus approached where Sloane had been seated and nudged the chair further out with her heel.
The parchment Jin Ho wrote on was laid out beside a pile of other papers, though she made no attempt to flatten it back out when the top and bottom corners attempted to roll toward the middle. Her gloved fingers traced over the scratches Sloane's claws added to the table's surface and, for a moment, Sage appeared lost in thought. Her knight simply stayed knelt before the fire, back turned specifically toward Jin Ho while making no attempts to look at his lady.
A few other pages were pulled from the pile, which she took a moment to sort through. There were other examples of penmanship from numerous candidates but only four others from the pile were taken. Sage collected the larger pile together, tapped the bottoms of the pages to the table to make them all level, then set it neatly back down. In the clear space on the table she arranged the sheets and spread them out neatly, scrutinizing them all. Each of them had their own unique scrawl but they had all been tasked with writing the same exact message. Even the ones who said they brought their samples were told to do so in her presence and it was often those who were not up to par with what they brought.
"Putesco aside," Lady Estratus began without looking up, "You're a top candidate." There were several reasons for her offering him more strict consideration but, for this purpose, he was one of the best writers even in their small percentile. Beyond that, there was the matter of him wanting to join the Fellowship, wanting to learn and already undergoing training in the healing arts -- a very useful skill, one he was naturally adept at thanks to the placement of his aperture -- and still was the fact he was an eager and willing grimm to a yet-born plague. If she were to hire anyone else, they would be useful; Jin Ho Kyon was an asset.
Slowly, precisely, Lady Estratus reached for each individual page and returned them to the pile. Jin Ho's sample was last, resting atop. She rested both palms flat on the table and leaned forward, her eyes still inspecting the gashes in the wood. "What would you say to starting this coming week?" The fire popped as one of the logs collapsed. Sloane stared, swirls opened wide beneath firmly twisted brows.
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:00 am
It was Jin Ho’s turn to remain silent, listening attentively as he lifted himself back up into a full stand. He watched Sage make her way to the table, her silent observations of the damage Sloane called, her regal way of just moving in general being hard not to take in. With her naturally flat speech it was hard to tell if that had been an affirmation, a compliment or merely a placeholder in conversation. With the pause in talking it made it that much more difficult to figure out, but the man held a straight face, keeping his gaze as professional as possible.
In all honesty, her fierce beauty hadn’t gone unnoticed.
”You do me great honor,” he said, fighting off another bow in his anxious state. He hadn’t come all this way for nothing, he stood a chance and his nerves were in a good way, a positive ache running through his system. Eventually he settled with his arms held behind his back, bent at the elbow and crossed at the wrists. Her next words came as an immediate surprise just as it had with Sloane and Jin Ho’s expression faltered. ”I-I would say that I will work my hardest to serve you, ma’am. I would gratefully accept.”
Another bubble of excitement grew in the pit of his stomach, the man’s heart pounding as he examined Sage’s face for confirmation. Of course, Jin Ho didn’t want to ruin his chances by appearing all too eager, but in reality that’s exactly what was happening. He didn’t exactly come with the most confidence that he would be chosen; in some ways his actions were in spite of his father, but he really had wished to make a place for himself within the Fellowship and now that it was standing at his feet he could barely control himself, fighting every fiber of his being to tone down his joy. ”Anything you ask of me, I shall do.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:33 am
The Infitialis rose to his feet slowly, his armor barely clinking with the motion. His eyes didn't leave his grimm for a second, even as Jin Ho stuttered his words with the clumsiness of an eager child. She did not return his attention. While Jin Ho spoke she still stared at the table, only raising her gaze to the man when he finished.
Her face was still blank. It was always blank.
"What of the others?" Sloane lifted his chin. He looked down his nose to the assortment of papers, a slight cringe raising one side of his mouth. "There are some who gave word of their interest but are yet to arrive."
In his current state, such worry for the convenience and fairness of others was uncharacteristic and she was well aware of this fact. That was not always the case, it never used to be, and even some days now there were glimpses of his compassion that ghosted through but they were few and far between. No, he was not genuinely concerned for those other applicants -- something about this man, about her hiring anyone for this position, put him ill at ease and he desired only to drag it out for as long as possible. She knew that, too.
Finally she looked upon him. Her eyes bore into his for several silent moments that seemed far longer than they truly were. Lady Estratus looked to the pile of parchment and placed her hand upon it, then thumbed through the pages at its side. The parchment crinkled loudly in protest but remained neatly in place. "I've seen enough," her voice was low, candid. Lady Estratus parted ways with the table and approached Jin Ho, her own arms tucked behind her back in much the same way. Sloane's eyes narrowed, cringe growing harsher with each step. When she stood before him, she held out one hand and looked him straight in the eye. "I believe we've reached an agreement. You'll be shown your quarters and become familiar with these Northern Bases. Welcome to the Fellowship, Augur Kyon, grimm and scribe."
Sloane's fingers clenched at the joints, a few knuckles popping beneath his armor, before curling into fists. He turned back to the fire, hiding the scowl seated firmly on his face. If this man did not take good care of his brush, did not serve Lady Estratus well, if he stepped out of line... Sloane clenched his teeth tightly, a small trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. If Jin Ho Kyon was not already a pious man, he ought to pray.
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