[Wright Memorial Library]Can You Read Me?(Samantha)

[Matthaus]

Matthaus didn’t like the look on her face, now that he thought about he decided this had been a poorly thought out idea anyway. It had too many variables and honestly, what the heck was going on with her eyes? One chime they were one color and the next another. He wondered if this were that ‘overgiving’ thing he had been warned about. But how the heck would he know? He hadn’t actually listened to his instructor. Rather than say anything productive he found himself being spiteful and childish yet again, “No, I’m not done.” He stayed silent after that both in sulking and the fact that he was wondering precisely what he was going to do. He just wanted to learn about how this stuff worked. Stubbornly refusing to answer he grabbed another book and followed the woman’s example, skimming over the words while obviously not paying attention. Although he did catch the way the writing style was different from the beginning than it was at the end but he really wasn’t paying enough attention to catalogue that as important. Instead he slammed the set the book on the table and look at the woman squarely. “I have a disease. Pneumonia or something.” he waved his hand, “Nothing more…or we could exchange information and you can tell me why your eyes change color. You have some kind of magic?” She wanted to play a game and so could he, plus he really did need to study this stuff properly and with a focused mind because the thought of already having physical damage due to magic made him annoyed. It was bad enough things where the way they were and he looked as he did. Beginning to drum his fingers on the table he now watched her as close as she had probably watched him.

[Samantha Slate]

“No, I’m not done.” Samantha was taken aback by his spitefulness. She watched in a slightly stunned silence as he snatched a book from the table and began leafing through it in an almost violent imitation of her own tactic. The mage could not decide whether to be offended or amused; the boy had an endearing charm about him, that was certain. Or maybe it was just her. After only a few moments, the boy slammed his book down on the table hard enough to surprise Samantha and make her flinch. When he looked up at her, he locked eyes with her, “I have a disease. Pneumonia or something.” he waved his hand, “Nothing more…or we could exchange information and you can tell me why your eyes change color. You have some kind of magic?” She could have laughed aloud at how the boy treated her. Here she was, a woman of almost thirty years, and this child was talking to her like an equal. If she had any care for what people thought of her, she would have angrily reprimanded the insolent child. Instead, she forced a stern expression onto her face and said, "Young man, you oughtn't treat your elders so." Though her manner and tone were stern, the twinkle in her eye and slight curling upward of her lips proved otherwise. If the boy had known anything about the Vantha, he would also have realized this from the blue-green hue of her eyes which indicated her good humor. The required admonishment given, the mage leaned back in her chair comfortably and began in a lecturing tone, "It isn't magic. It's something my mother's people were born with," Samantha cringed a bit at the revealing of a private detail of her life, but there wasn't much for it if she wanted to satisfy her curiosity. She would have to give a little here, and there was no getting around it. "The color of my eyes reflects what I'm feeling. Now, do you plan to keep your end of the bargain?" By the end, she was smiling with unaccustomed warmth at the boy. Samantha had no idea why she was even bothering with him, but she had no intention of letting him get away without telling her now. She had told him what he wanted to know, and it was his turn now.

[Matthaus]

He wasn’t sure whether the woman was scolding him or not, she seemed to find something he said funny and he mulled it over for a few seconds. Confusion clouding his features before he realized it didn’t matter. She didn’t even look that old and…who was he kidding? He probably couldn’t retain any of this information anyhow. He was struggling just to stay focused and he was one hundred percent sure if she hadn’t engaged in conversation with him he would be snoring on the table. “Your mother had color changing eyes?” but mostly he caught on the reflecting part. That would come in handy and sounded really, really familiar. Why did it sound familiar? Something in the back of his mind… Matthaus shrugged it off and stared at the woman curious now and almost forgetting his original purpose. He hadn’t expected her to give away the answer so quickly and he never had actually expected to have to keep his end of the bargain. He had had most people were as closely guarded as he was. His lips pressed into a tight line, nearly disappearing as he contemplated his options. “You are not adverse to magic then?” he swallowed, he really should shut up, “Because that is what I was doing.” Shutting up now. “Except mine isn’t natural magic like your eyes.” Right now. “I kept my end.” He felt the need to reinforce that, to prove he kept his word even if not entirely. It irked him that he felt the need to keep it anyhow. Sighing loudly he stood abruptly. “I didn’t really need the book. At least not to read." But he was still too tired to actually leave so instead of doing something productive Matthaus stood looking quiet idiotic and wondering if disguise counted as a type of forgery. To copy something had to be a forgery but it was only a forgery it they using it for unsavory purposes? Right? Like stealing a painting or something. Maybe. What was he thinking about again? Gods he was tired.

[Samantha Slate]

The mage blinked in surprise as the boy admitted to using magic. It was a common enough thing to meet mages in Zeltiva, but openly admitting to practicing an art to a total stranger was very unusual. This was a mere boy she was looking at, yet he apparently had enough self-discipline to actively practice magic! Though Samantha herself had begun learning at a fairly young age, she was still older than this boy when she began. Even then, she was certain that her father had manipulated her into focusing so single-mindedly on it. It was probably why she enjoyed crafting shields so; he most likely instilled the feeling within her. Feeling herself quickly growing angry, Samantha focused her attention back on the boy. He had been using magic? How? What kind was he using that would be subtle enough to have no noticeable reactions in the physical world? Was it Hypnotism? In alarm, Samantha stiffened and stood up as the boy did, "What were you doing, boy?" She asked in a voice suddenly grown colder than ice. Her eyes were a cool gray now, and she tried to loom over him, "Be honest." It occurred to her that the boy was most possibly overgiven. The first signs that one's abilities were giving out was exhaustion. Besides that, the boy's dilated pupils indicated that his chosen discipline was one of only a few. She looked into his eyes with her cold gaze in an attempt to see if he had any kind of bleeding in them that might indicate a Hypnotist's overgiving, but found none. Either he had only just begun to grow weak or he was not a Hypnotist. At this point, she was too wary to discount either possibility. Depending on how honest the boy was, she contemplated ways to help him. If he were indeed not doing anything harmful to her, which she did find unlikely, she would find a place for him to rest and recover his wits. On the other hand, if she learned that he had been trying to affect her, the mage would find a suitable way to repay him. It angered her that she had been duped into trusting this little brat. How could she have been so foolish? Despite all of her reservations, she had to be impressed with the boy. Someone who could learn the self-discipline required at such an age had to be an exceptional individual.

[Matthaus]

Matthaus’ own eyes stared at the woman hard. What was she? Some kind of guard force for Zeltiva? He was sure magic wasn’t unknown here, he had seen people discussing it for school. Then again he had never really given much thought to how people would react and nor had he really ever practice his…skill. Rather he had ignored it. Gods only know what type of information could be pulled from him if anyone in Ravok had found out. A slither of fear crept up his spine but he schooled his features, allowing only what tiredness he could not stop but otherwise forcing himself to think of nothing. “I think I’ve over stayed my welcome. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your book.” Her tone made him nervous but he doubted he could outrun her either. Not right now, he’d be likely to fall over as soon as take a step. His lips thinned and his fingers drummed on the table, it was a standoff in his mind and he knew he was in over his head. He could try and leave but if she chose to follow he could end up in trouble and that would be bad for a lot of reasons. However, he wasn’t about to blurt out anything else that was personal. He really was getting tired of standing and sitting but sit he did, interlocking his fingers on the table and trying to keep what he hoped was a cool expression. “If you’re thinking I did something to your persons or lied to you, you’re wrong. I don’t need magic to do that, anyone can lie. But if you know about magic’s you know using it makes you tired. I’m tired. But I think we’ve shared enough secrets, don’t you?” he raised his brows, “Unless you tell people of eyes your all the time though you don’t strike me as the chatty type.” “I’m not going to give my disciple but I will give my name and you can decide what you’d like to do. My name is Aaron.” He held out his hand to shake across the table and hoped he hadn’t gotten himself in trouble. Again.

[Samantha Slate]

The mage eyed Aaron's hand for a moment before shaking it hesitantly, "A pleasure...I am Samantha." Samantha told him cooly. She saw nothing wrong with giving him her first name. It was a fairly common one after all. Her last name was the one she would want to keep concealed. The woman's eyes had not changed from their cold, gray shade as she eyed Aaron. She was reasonably certain that he was a Hypnotist, but had not discounted the possibility of Auristic training. "I do not want to 'do' anything, young man," She said in a harsh tone, "You'll be staying right here until I decide you can go." The more she spoke, the angrier her voice became. It infuriated her that she had almost come to like the boy, when he had surely been manipulating her the whole time. She wanted to take her book and beat him upside the head with it, yet restrained herself. Samantha could not afford to be charged by the Wave Guards with assault on a child. With some effort, she forced herself to calm down and regard Aaron logically. Despite her calm expression, the lines of her face were hard and her eyes were a dark, murderous red. It pacified her somewhat that she would most certainly know if he were doing magic again. Aaron looked so close to fainting that he surely could not do anything else without hurting himself. She considered focusing in on his aura, but decided against it. Samantha had already done more reading on him than she was comfortable with and had no urge to spend the rest of the day in bed as she recovered from the effort. It was bad enough that she already felt a little tired. "Now, you might as well get some rest while I study," The mage said in a tone that sounded very much like an order. She wanted to get a chance to think about the things he had told her and get a handle on the situation. Still, the mage doubted he would actually take her up on the offer. It was never safe to sleep in the company of strangers. Samantha forced a friendly smile in Aaron's direction before looking down at her book. The mage knew that the gesture was in vain, and she was sure that Aaron knew it, too. Her blood-red eye color and cold demeanor were certain giveaways that she was very angry with him. She still could not shake her liking of the boy; he was intelligent and clearly gifted. Such things were admirable to Samantha, and she wanted to learn a little more about him at least before allowing him to go.

[Matthaus]

“A pleasure? It doesn’t look like you find this a pleasure.” he gazed at her closely, “But it is…always socially polite to meet new people.” Samantha was turning out to be a real thorn in his side. He hadn’t actually expected her to make him stay but at least she hadn’t called him to be hauled out. And whether she meant any harm or not he couldn’t be sure, her eyes looked like murder. Murder and blood. Matthaus turned his gaze to the table quickly, his hands reaching for a book and gripping it tightly. He would try reasoning with her again because all he wanted to do was go somewhere and sleep, actually he could just go to sleep at this table. If he was lucky she wouldn’t look so much like she wanted to gouge his eyes out when he woke up. But no. He gazed at her again. She obviously wanted something from him or thought he wanted something from her. Fine. Two could play this game. Flipping open the book he stared at the writing dully trying to sum up his thoughts. If he copied everything in this text it wasn’t forgery, it was taking notes but if he turned those notes in it was plagiarism. But if he copied the book and then stole the real one the fake one was called a forgery. Right? He should have just gotten a book on the stuff and called it a day. Glancing up he noticed her smile and flinched involuntarily. She was stiff and honestly he could not really deal with this. Maybe he could just talk to her until she got bored or he could use her anger with him. Although what precisely he had done he couldn’t really say. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to stay. Not when I cause you so much discontent. If I just leave I’m sure we’d be much happier. Don’t you agree, Samantha?” He hoped using her name would have some kind of pull. That she would soften because he was trying to be respectful and childlike and…the book slipped out of his finger and he fumbled for it, surprised when he let out a yawn.

[Samantha Slate]

“A pleasure? It doesn’t look like you find this a pleasure.” he replied, examining her closely, “But it is…always socially polite to meet new people.” Samantha couldn't help herself, she chuckled at Aaron's obvious difficulty at formulating thoughts. She was still angry, but his utter helplessness was just so funny to her that she couldn't help but laugh. He looked almost as if he were about to take her up on her offer to take a nap but, to her disappointment, he just reached for the book and stared dully at the pages. It was clear to the mage that he wanted very much to get away from her. He was at least as secretive as she herself was, and Samantha was sure Aaron had something to hide. She really could not stay too angry with the boy, though; the mage almost thought he was working some kind of Hypnotism on her to make her forgive him. That thought was quickly dismissed however; if he were, she would not even notice it. It confused her. Why did she like the boy so much? He was intelligent and clearly gifted, as he spoke with a tact that was not normal for a boy of his age. The mage thought it over, and could come up with no logical reason for her fondness. She admired his maturity certainly, but that was no reason for her to actually like him. Most times, Samantha would go out of her way to avoid children. She had never liked them, but Aaron seemed different. Aaron looked up at her and flinched away from her gaze. It was only then that she realized that she had not dropped her stiff and composed facade. Her eyes had faded to a reddish-green, but the rest of her body communicated hostility towards the boy. The mage allowed her body to relax as she listened to Aaron's next words, “I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to stay. Not when I cause you so much discontent. If I just leave I’m sure we’d be much happier. Don’t you agree, Samantha?” As he said it, Aaron dropped the book and scrambled to regain his grip on it. The boy let out a loud yawn as the book fell to the floor with a thud. Samantha smiled then, a genuine smile. She wanted very much to know what fascinated her about this boy, and if he were to leave she had all ideas that she would never see him again. "It doesn't bother me, Aaron." The woman replied with a hint of warmth in her tone for the first time during the whole conversation, "I don't think you could leave, even if you wanted to." At that, her smile became a little more like a smirk. "You'd probably faint just from standing up." It was true, too. She was certain of it. "You should sleep." Now, her tone took on a bit of firmness, "If you don't, you'll be stuck here all night with me. Either way, you're getting rest before you leave this table." It surprised Samantha that she actually felt a little concern about his welfare. Her actions were mostly due to her desire to know more about the boy, but the concern was definitely a factor too. That both intrigued and disturbed her, and she was not even sure why.

[Matthaus]

Indignant he thought about standing but that would be…well, it would be stupid and it would prove nothing but her point. And that he was a stubborn child. But at least she no longer looked like she wanted to reach across the table and strangle him, at least not yet. Still he shook his head, feeling cross, tired and slightly amused. “And I do want to. Very much. However, you Samantha, would rather I trust a complete stranger and sleep at a table in a city I know nothing of?” There was a bit of annoyance in that, a lot actually. He realized he had given away more information and he really did just want to take her advice but he also didn’t want to wake up not knowing where he was. Could you even kidnap a child who didn’t have a guardian? He should invest in one or else no one would know he was kidnapped…and now he was just thinking nonsense. “So how about you can walk me home, if you’re worried, that way you can make sure I don’t fall over as you so kindly put it.” He was grasping at straws now. Desperate to escape and sleep or at the very least be near something that didn’t require thought. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that sentence came out right. Almost sounding pleading he looked her square in the eye knowing he would regret this. “I’d like it if we met again…when I more conscious, you can come to the art studio here and look for me.” Take it back. Do it now. But he didn't. Instead he pinched his arm to give him more wakefulness and wondered when the last time was that he had a good soup. Matthaus had played all his cards, pretty soon he was going to trip up and give his name too. Or had he already done that?

[Samantha Slate]

“And I do want to. Very much. However, you Samantha, would rather I trust a complete stranger and sleep at a table in a city I know nothing of?” Aaron told her with a shake of his head. He seemed a little amused by her offer, but more irritated than not. It was clear that the mage was getting on his nerves, and it made Samantha smile a bit at him. About time she returned the favor for all the trouble he caused her. “So how about you can walk me home, if you’re worried, that way you can make sure I don’t fall over as you so kindly put it.” That interested Samantha; if she knew which room in the University living quarters he spent his time in, she could be certain that he could be found again. Samantha nodded approvingly at the boy's words. They showed caution and care; she would never sleep in a public place, either. Aaron's only mistake was allowing Samantha to know where his home was located. Then again, she couldn't think of what else he could do under the circumstances. She rose to her feet as Aaron spoke once more, “I’d like it if we met again…when I more conscious, you can come to the art studio here and look for me.” Samantha smirked at that. It had been in her plans to do, anyway. She offered the boy a hand to help him get to his feet as she answered, "Very well, I'll accompany you." Her expression was almost friendly, but she was still wary of any hidden skills the boy might have. He had surprised her once, and the mage certainly didn't want that happening again. Samantha considered her position with a wry smile; here she was, helping a stranger return to his home for no real purpose other than curiosity. It was a little boy, no less! She really did need to be more careful in the future. For now however, she decided to simply see where this would take her. Risks like this were just a part of life, and she supposed that it wouldn't be too dangerous for her to follow this child home. After all, he could have hurt her at any point in the last several minutes if he'd actually been able to. She stood over him with her hand extended, waiting to see if he would allow her to assist him.