Closed Fount of Stupid, Filter of Smart (Isolde)

[Matthew]

He almost instantly leaned in as she immediately stuttered, not even blinking as he came close for the apparent punishment. Only her wide-eyed look of silent apologies caused him to pause, and he arched a single eyebrow high, silently telling her that she had just wasted her one warning. He carefully studied her dark and muted eyes as the wheels turned in her head, only slowly leaning back to his normal position after she had offered him a very careful response. As she stepped back and stuck out her hand, he found his lip twitching with the smallest smile of amusement. The fact that his threat had been so very effective was funny to him, for some reason. He hoped he was around when the Nuit actually found someone who desperately wanted her, or was in love with her. That would likely be a show that he would pay to see. Chuckling in his head but his lips a straight line, he gave her a small nod and stretched out his hand to firmly shake. "Partners it is." He was quick and simple with the motion, making sure not to let his fingers linger like he normally would do. "Best behavior? I'll do what I can. Perhaps it would be better if you just paid me the Mizas for a night. Then I wouldn't have this to use against you." He shot her a brief smile, another display of humor tossed over his shoulder as he turned and walked out the door. He would only need a few minor cleaning supplies for the place. The Herald's Arms was where he went, going into the back to request a simple wooden bucket and a few dusting cloths, as well as any old mop and broom they had laying around. He managed to secure a few under oath that he would bring them back that night. This would have to do until he had enough wages to buy some of his own cleaning supplies for the place. Filling the bucket with some water, he lugged all of the equipment over to the abandoned labs. He quietly entered once more, happy to find that no one was there still. Comforted by being alone, he quickly set about his task, dusting free a little space to set his equipment before getting started. He found an odd sort of peace in cleaning, and went about it at a slow and methodical pace. First there was the sweeping, which knocked down cobwebs and gathered little piles of dust and other random dirt. He made sure to seperate all of the random notes into a pile, planning on going through them later. After he had knocked dust from the walls, corners, and counters, he combined all the little piles into one and knocked it out the door. Next, the countertops were given a small sprinkling of water, enough to get them just a bit damp. Wiping down all the random shelves and abandoned equipment, he had to deal with a few spiders here and there before actually touching the wet counters. He wiped them down, having to scrub in a few places to remove particularly stubborn patches of dirt and dust. Then, water was drizzled all over the flooring, and the mop was used to shine up the dusted wood. All in all, after quite a bit of time, he had managed to brighten up the place quite a bit. He would need to purchase some candles, but perhaps that could wait until he found out just how much space they were going to need to light. They shouldn't be too expensive, in any case. Crossing his arms, he surveyed his work, only to eventually find something wrong with it. The harlot would be found nitpicking about his cleaning, finding little messes here and there and taking care of them before finding more to clean. He would be busying himself when the Nuit eventually came back, hopefully with news on where they should take their learning process next.

[Isolde Seibold]

"Best behavior? I'll do what I can. Perhaps it would be better if you just paid me the Mizas for a night. Then I wouldn't have this to use against you."

Gods. Curse that boyish grin. The Nuit could nearly be heard muttering as she followed the harlot out the door, shaking her head when they split up to go in separate directions on separate tasks.

First, she headed to the Bazaar. Thank the gods that there weren't that many people around... though still enough to darken her light mood, a bit. She never liked to be part of a crowd. Probably the problem with her being a part of one was that she never actually was a part of it. She was different from everyone else. She stuck out. People gave her nasty looks. Sometimes they would even insult her, or shove her, or otherwise try to demean her. It was early enough that there weren't too many people around to recognize what she was. Still. By the time she got to the laboratory, she was struggling with a lot of different emotions.

It was a quick visit to the Dra-Kalinor. The Nuit left with some disheartening news --that Dev was not really going to be of any help to herself and Matthew-- and also with a hopeful new glimmer of possibility --that the two might be able to make their own doorway.

Her next stop was Undeniable Interests. Mr. Ariva was there even at this time of morning, and he spent a few chimes complaining loudly to her in greeting for taking the day off, for being the laziest employee he'd ever had, for making him work his old, aching body down to the bone... but his mood soon lightened considerably when she asked to make a purchase. "At least you've got the sense to come bearing Mizas~" the old man grumbled. He allowed her to rummage around the store for her own book, saying he wasn't going to wait on someone who actually knew where everything was, and went back to his inspection of some unknown doodad on the front desk.

When Isolde left the little shop, it was with a dusty book in hand, crisp, well-inked pages wrapped in dark green leather with a simple, black title-- Alchemy, Creation. The Nuit hadn't originally been certain that this was the right book for what she needed... but after having asked her boss he had reassured her it would fit her needs. Especially since the later chapters included a walk-through of the process of creating a personalized doorway for oneself, complete with pictures and instructions in excruciating detail.

The young-seeming woman's pockets were lighter by 15 GM, which Mr. Ariva had claimed included an 'employee's discount', even though Isolde knew that most introductory magic books went for anywhere from 15 to 20 GM. Still, she hadn't said anything about it, not wanting in invoke Dominac Ariva's short temper. And besides, handing over the Mizas had felt kinda good.

Isolde had read plenty of books in her day. She had known a person who had lived in Mithryn, a middle-aged, quiet man named Douglass, who had been the Outpost's version of a scholar. Her old friend had compiled his own mini library over the course of his life, his small house cramped with tomes over which Isolde had pored, listening to the kind gentleman blather on about the most obscure, interesting topics, amazed that his greying head could contain such knowledge. It was he who had gotten her interested in teaching the kids, in trying to show the generation below her that there was more to life than simple farming, and that reading wasn't a chore that should be lazily learned and quickly forgotten.

But, for all the reading Isolde had done back then... she had never owned a book of her own. Her family hadn't had any books. Any stories she'd heard as a child had all been word of mouth, come straight from her father's imagination or else from her grandfather's before him.

So to own her first book, here and now. It gave her a warm feeling. She cuddled the leather-bound parcel close to her heart, smiling to herself as she made the walk back to the Inner Sanctum.

As soon as she stepped into the place the change was obvious. Matthew had been cleaning. And she was impressed. It looked like the whole place had been done, the cobwebs knocked from the corners, the counter tops lightly polished, the random papers stacked into a neat pile. "Gods," she said in a voice that was almost reverent, crossing the room, blue eyes bright. She set her book gently next to Matthew's D-wire, and then turned to face him, admiring the work he'd done.

Her words were still carefully formed when she spoke to him. She wasn't going to slip up and stutter. No siree. "Okay. So, uh, there's some good news and... there's some bad news. Bad news first. Dev isn't interested in helping us get started. In fact, I'm pretty certain he didn't want us even to attempt Alchemy at all. He says that it's not something for amateurs to attempt on their own. Or those simply looking for a hobby. I tried to explain my own intentions--" She broke off, grimacing when she shrugged, her shoulder automatically complaining. Her left arm was especially tender after having knocked that shelf into pieces, earlier. "He didn't seem too enthused by the attempt. However, he did offer a sort of project. He wasn't willing to simply supply us with a ring, and there wasn't one at my workplace. But he did say we could make one for ourselves."

The Nuit scooped the book up from the table, cradling it in the crook of her arm for a moment before holding it out for Matthew to take. "The good news is that I did find a book that should tell us all we need to get started. And in the back there's a lot of diagrams on the proper setup of the doorway, the glyphs needed, the keystones, and even a chapter devoted completely to the creation of a ring. I don't know what you think is best... but I think making one ourselves is our only viable option."

After she'd handed her partner the book, Isolde looked around again, noticing that there were no candles in place. Still too dark for her liking. She set her knapsack down on the table and then used both hands to go rummaging through the various pockets of her clothing, digging through layer after layer. Over time she placed a various selection of candle stubs on the table, some nearly burned all the way down, others a bit taller with longer wicks. She'd started saving these a while back, using them to attempt to practice fire Reimancy, and had never been able to even light a single one. Wind, unfortunately, was her forte... she could only hope that fire would come next. At least now this collection of burned candles would come in handy. This place could be lit by these for a short while, until one of the two could get their hands on a better supply.

They just needed to designate an appropriate space, perhaps in a corner or on one of the tabletops, and then Isolde would set up as many --or all-- of the short candles as needed.

"You cleaned this place up pretty well," she said, almost stammering on the last word out of habit, biting her lip to keep from doing it. Jeez. "Is there anything that I can do?"

Receipt-15 GM

[Matthew]

Matthew absentmindedly waved his hand in the air, dismissing her first tidbit of bad news. He was distracted, scrubbing away at a little patch of black stuff that he had found. It was only coming up speck by speck, making him wonder what it was exactly. Whatever the case, it had annoyed him, so here he was. "He is right. We are likely to blow ourselves up. However, I like to think we are two careful individuals who will take every precaution possible. And if we do blow up, well, that is our faults. We are dabbling in things we don't understand, after all." He was aware of the dangers, and okay with them. He spoke rather casually about blowing himself up. They could start simple though. He was fairly sure that there had to be some sort of beginner sort of things that they could try that would barely give them anything of use at all, but still be practice. The mention of a book caused the harlot to glance up from his little project, and bright eyes sparkled a bit at the tome that was held out for him. He took it, opening it and flipping to the location that she had mentioned, intelligent eyes scanning through the diagrams. "This is perfect. Whatever you paid, let me know what half is, and I can reimburse you. Or if you have a skill you wish to learn that I might know, I can repay you in training." His voice was distant, his eyes carefully flicking over the pictures and words that the book contained. He was delighted that she had found such a valuable resource. For the most basic of the basics, this would do nicely. "We can find a ring off of some barrel scraps down near the harbor, perhaps. That would give us a medium-sized metal ring of sorts, I believe. If we needed something bigger, we could certainly get a few of the rings and have them molded together. The sections for the keystones and the cups... well, we will either need to find a blacksmith or metal worker to do some modifications, or go learn how to make the modifications ourselves. If we are careful, we could actually mold together a very proper looking ring of a somewhat nice size for experimentation." Not even noticing that she was setting out candles, he slowly walked over to a corner table he had picked. It was shoved up against the corner of the wall, but it was large enough for them each to take one of the exposed sides and stand there comfortably. Plenty of room for both to work, too. Jolted out of his reading by her question, he glanced up at her, searching her eyes a bit before shrugging his broad shoulders. "Not really. Most of the work is done, I am just nitpicking now. I was going to search through those notes for any sort of hints we could use in our little quest, but now that we have the book, it might be best to focus on using it." He set the book gently down on the corner table he had chosen, the surface of the little area notably glistening. He had focused on their workspace quite a bit, it seemed. Flipping through the book, he checked out some other parts of it, silent as he read. After a minute or two he spoke, words a bit quiet. "We could start with something simple... changing the color of a flower, perhaps." He stared at the book for a moment longer, then tugged his head up, blue gaze searching out Isolde again. "But, you are right. The ring, first. What should our plan be there? If you are free today, we can get started on it right now." His voice was all business, but there was just a hint of excitement behind it. His reasons for wanting to learn weren't near as personal as hers. His were almost shallow, compared. But still. He hadn't worked on an intellectual project with another person in quite some time. This brought back good memories, and he was already growing slightly attached to Isolde when it came to the idea of working on Alchemy with her. She was a good contrast to him, or so he thought.

[Isolde Seibold]

"This is perfect. Whatever you paid, let me know what half is, and I can reimburse you. Or if you have a skill you wish to learn that I might know, I can repay you in training."

"I paid 15 GM," the Nuit said automatically, tone absent, finding herself almost as absorbed by Matthew's entrancement with the book as he was himself. She trailed after him as he wandered over to a corner table, and noticed how very polished the surface was compared to the others. Cupped in her hands were the various candle stubs. She almost felt bad setting them down on such a fantastically clean tabletop... but did so regardless, arranging them as necessary, mostly setting them up in the corners where they'd be out of the way. She immediately disregarded his offer of monetary payment, instead asking hesitantly, "Skills?" What sort of skills was the harlot offering? She felt herself drift a bit further away from him in order to reach her knapsack, from which she brought a flint and steel. If she couldn't light the candles with Reimancy, she'd have to use these, instead.

Isolde set to lighting the candles in a practiced way, hands steady even in the dark. One spark, two, and the first was lit. From there, she simply used that candle to start lighting the rest. Now the table began to shine with warm golden illumination, almost reflecting brightly enough to make it seem like it was being lit from within.

Gods. When Matthew cleaned something, he really cleaned it.

"The notes might still be useful," she said, transferring brilliant flame to the last candle, careful not to tip the one in her hand too far and spill wax. "There might be some handy secret hidden within the scribbles that a fellow Alchemist learned from experience, not out of some beginner's book. Some unique technique or advancement. I think they're still worth looking into." As if to accentuate her point, the Nuit set down the candle and reached for the ordered pile of notes, neatly plucking a sheet off the top. After quickly glancing over it, her mouth quirked wryly and she said, "Though there's no guarantee that any of these actually coincide with our interests." She set the paper down, separate from the 'unread' pile. "That one was Summoning."

Hmm. The Nuit idly touched a fingertip to the brief page of notes she'd just skimmed, the gesture thoughtful. She wondered if people would come back looking for what they'd left here, or if they'd left it for a reason, or out of negligence. If not --and if Matthew didn't want any of it-- she might as well take the stack of forgotten notes with her. Perhaps some other day she'd find a use for such tidbits.

"We could start with something simple... changing the color of a flower, perhaps. But, you are right. The ring, first. What should our plan be there? If you are free today, we can get started on it right now."

"I'm free." She reached out and spun the book so that both of them could see it, leaning over the counter. A chair. She should bring over a chair. She swatted that buzzing thought away for the moment, then continued, flipping carefully through the pages to the chapter on the creation of a doorway. Or maybe, more aptly, a Doorway. "Well. We should start here. We need to read this to figure out exactly what we'll need. I like your idea with the barrels, though. I'm certain a ring like that will come in useful. You already pretty much laid that process out for us. Find a ring --or rings-- and then contact a blacksmith to make the proper modifications. Though eventually we'll need to create for ourselves --or find someone to create for us-- a more sturdy, steadier Doorway. One that isn't just slapped together. The magic will be safer that way. Much less likely to go kaboom." It wouldn't be wise to do anything more than just the most basic Alchemical transmutations with a prototype ring like the one Matthew had just described. They'd eventually need something that was one piece. Something designed specifically for what they had in mind, not just hobbled together.

"The keystones..." She trailed off, thinking back, eyes distant, brow furrowed. Recalling what little the Burned Man had imparted on the topic. "I'm pretty certain we could find appropriate stones out in the Bronze Woods. I have paint already, so adding the proper glyphs to those should not be too hard. Not with instructions from the book. And the founts and filters to be used could be literally any object. So we shouldn't have too much trouble in that aspect."

For a moment the Nuit paused, taking a deep breath. Trying to get her voice to refrain from betraying the quiver of anticipation she felt, a quiver that was slowly and steadily growing. Maybe she was picking it up from Matthew, feeding off his own concealed excitement... or, more likely, this rush was naturally spawned. The feeling was like that flash of goosebumps one got just knowing something great was going to happen. Except in this case, great-bad or great-good was still to be determined. Perhaps all the Nuit would end up accomplishing with this research would be her blowing her own face off. But maybe, just maybe--

Maybe she'd get what she wanted most.
A way out.

Isolde's breath hitched, and she continued to swallow down that unfamiliar sense of absolute elation. As casually as she could she said, hoping not to sound too breathless, "I'm ready to get started when you are."

[Matthew]

He nodded, eyes not quite on her, but his attention pretty much centered. She spoke quickly and intelligently, and the lack of a stutter really helped him understand her. That, and it definitely helped her sound just a tad more confident. More assertive, like she knew what she was talking about. After giving her an ample amount of time to speak her thoughts and pausing at the end to make sure she was actually finished, he nodded. "We'll knock out a few birds with one stone. I know that a lot of the metal in Syliras is salvaged and sent to be melted down for reusing. Perhaps we can manage to get a few pieces of scrap if we bother someone who is transporting the discarded pieces to the nearest metalworker. If we could find the ring, and then a few little metal cups... everything could be melted together to create something rather sturdy." He pointed at the image of the ring, and then pushed the book up, clearing a small space on the table in front of him. He shrugged off the shoulder pack that had been largely forgotten until now, shuffling around inside of it until he produced a quill and a corked bottle of ink. Walking over to the little pile of notes, he found one that was impossible to read, and flipped it over to use the blank side. "If we take the metal ring, something like this..." He stepped back to their table and set down the piece of paper, uncorking the ink and dipping his quill in it. Then, in a tiny space, he slowly sketched out a rough drawing of the barrel rings he had mentioned earlier. "...they will likely be rusted, but if we soak them in vinegar, they will be as good as new." Apparently the harlot was just full of little cleaning tricks and tips. "Then, we find some metal bowls, like..." He trailed off again, scribbling a quick sketch of metal bowls for her to examine. "...this. While in the book, it looks like the..." Matthew paused, flipping through the book a few pages until he found the details of the founts and filters. "...modular slots are normally supposed to be actual slots that you plug in, I am sure having ones built into the ring will work. It only makes it so we HAVE to use however many modular slots that we mold in. So, in the end, our ring will look like- well, if we add small grooves to tuck the keystones into..." Another couple of quick sketches, and the product was displayed. "Since we are working with pieces of metal that are already in a solid shape, then everything should actually look quite spiffy if the metalworker molds our pieces together correctly. It will be small, and we won't be able to modify it, but it should work for basic things. Until we actually have a handle on what to do. Step by step, even if they are very small steps." This was working out well, in his mind. He enjoyed organization, and they seemed to be going about this in a very methodical and cautious sort of way. His eyes glittered brightly, and he was so caught up in his own excitement at the intellectual adventure that he didn't even notice the strained tone to Isolde's words. Instead, he merely stared at the book a bit longer, and then nodded to himself. Gathering up the quill and ink, he quickly cleaned and corked the objects, and then stowed them away in his bag. Slinging it back over his shoulder, he quickly took the little drawing he had made, waving it around in the air a little to try and dry it. "Let's gather the stones first so that the slots for them can be properly crafted into the ring? Then we will try to find some metal scraps for use, and talk to a metalworker on just how expensive it will be to get everything melted together. So, out to the Bronze Woods, then a quick jog back to town." Offering the Nuit a soft smile, the harlot then headed for the door, opening it to allow her out before soon following after. Her mention of the notes and her question on the skills he could teach went completely forgotten, the harlot obviously much too focused on their new project.

[Perplexity]

Riddled With Rewards Matthew Experience Skill XP Earned Hypnotism + 1 EXP Rhetoric + 1 EXP Observation +2 EXP Socialization +3 EXP Intimidation +1 EXP Organization +1 EXP Alchemy +1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • The Avarice of Clarity: Assumption of Brilliance • Hypnotism Spell: Sensual Suggestion • Isolde: Pity or Disgust? • Alchemic Principle: The Acceleration of Djed • Alchemic Principle: Doorways Isolde Experience Skill XP Earned Observation + 2 EXP Socialization + 3 EXP Persuasion + 1 EXP Rhetoric + 2 EXP Alchemy +1 EXP Lores • Lore Earned • A Graceful Entrance • Socks, Sex and Scandal! • Alchemic Principle: The Acceleration of Djed • Social Superiority: S-s-s-stop Stammering • Alchemic Principle: Doorways Notes : Oh dear! The two aspiring alchemists begin their nefarious plot together! • | Note: The Second Tier, where the Inner Sanctum is located, is in the section of Syliras where normal citizens are not allowed to travel unaccompanied. You must be escorted by a Knight. Keep this in mind for future threads.