PM to join [The Dynasty Library] Encounters (Jed)

[Verena Lorak]

Encounters
13th of Summer, 514 A.V.

It was late afternoon when Verena first arrived at the library. The last time she went there was at least a season ago and frankly, she had missed the sight of leather bindings and old papers. Bookshelves towered over her and the Lorak strode toward the stairs. Payne Paille, the librarian, greeted her warmly. She used to come frequently enough to be acquainted with the man. He had helped her find the knowledges that she sought.

A man had been brought to her the previous day. He was a traveler who happened to be passing through Kenash. His wife had came with a carriage, crying and begging for help. Everyone had rushed out of the clinic, dumbstruck by the whole ordeal. After frantically trying to explain everything, the young woman passed out in Hallan's arms. Verena had barely regarded her and walked over to the cart and on it was an unconscious young man. The first thing she noticed was the gangrene allover his fingers and toes. His skin had blackened and dried.

When they had succeeded in moving him into the healing room, the young man - whose name was Zarton - had woken up and started talking to no one. His eyes were glazed over and Verena would guess that he was trapped in his own mind. His wife, Annette, said that this had been going on for at least a week - she had thought him to be possessed. Mere two bells later, he was taken over by a mild seizure. Verena was forced to watch him the whole day, only getting three bells of sleep at most. As she was leaving the Mortal Solace, Zarton was in a middle of vomiting fit. Other than that, his condition was oddly stable and he was in no danger of dying - yet. If Verena couldn't figure out something soon, he might die of dehydration.

He had a most curious disease, something Verena had never encountered before. A head trauma would be able to cause his seizures and vomiting, but it still didn't explain his gangrene. Annette had said that both symptoms had occurred close in time, so there's a big chance they were connected. And that means, Verena had no idea what was wrong with Zarton. To be honest, she couldn't even properly treat gangrene. She knew the treatment was either surgery or amputation, but she didn't have the skills to do that.

So there the doctor was, running her fingers across book bindings as her eyes read through their titles. She had hoped one of the books would offer a solution, or at least describe a similar disease. As of now, Verena was entirely clueless.

The only books that showed promise were the Divine Almanac of Healers and the Daktari manuscript - all of which described and pictured some disturbing illnesses. There was no guarantee that she would find her answers, but it was better than doing nothing. Convinced that it was the best she could get, Verena chose a desk in a corner, mostly hidden from view. She hated it when she was interrupted during reading.

After dumping the thick books on the desk, Verena slid easily into the wooden chair and added her own journal to the pile. Taking the book outside the library was not allowed and that meant she would have to write all of her findings down in her own book.

She ran her fingers over the cover of the Almanac. It was so worn that she could barely read the golden writing on top of it. The paper crackled as she opened it, disturbing a layer of dusts. It would seem that this book hadn't been read for some time. With no time to waste, Verena leaped to the illness section. Unfortunately, one of the first image she saw was of a child with thick black masses and sores on his neck. Another disease she had never seen before.

A rare sigh slipped through Verena's lips. This was going to be long day indeed.

[Jed Radacke]

It wasn't necessarily unusual to find Jed in the library, but it was odd. The man's long stride brought him into the cool library, a small sanctuary from the heat of summer. The blue eyed Radacke didn't seem to fit in the scholarly establishment. His family was well known for being rough, they weren't one of the families known for their posh attitudes or delicate manors. Jed had rolled his sleeves up to his elbow, revealing odd scars and hints of the inking his family was famous for having far too much of. He smelled of wood and stains, evident in the faint brown marks on his fingers where he couldn't seem keep the strong liquid off his skin. He dressed elegantly enough, his fashion considerably lessened since he worked in the clothes. The man that had entered the library was often mistaken for a freeborn, his hard face and nonchalant attitude towards his appearance did not seem much like a member of a dynasty. This look was what put Jed out of place in the library. Filled with well-groomed dynasty members and high-end freeborns, no one had spent their life building their muscles through unconventional means. He simply didn't belong, and it was painfully obvious in glare delivered to him by the Paille behind the counter. Jed cleared his throat, nodding to the man. He made enough eye contact to be polite but continued walking, eager to be out of the man's irritating stare and to the reason he came. Entertainment.

It seemed unlikely, given his occupation and reputation, for Jed to find comfort in the library and yet he did. The dusty smell of books was a soft scent he hadn't had the honor of inhaling in what he thought of as far too long. Today he wasn't searching for anything in particular, he simply needed a break from work. Maybe a fiction novel, if he could find one, or another impossibly large encyclopedia on wood would work for him. He just wanted something to distract his mind. Jed wound his way through the aisles of books, skimming the titles of the bound text to look for a subject that would interest him. He didn't actually know his way around the library. He had easily gone an entire year without setting a sight on the building. He knew that he could find more controversial subjects upstairs. Magic and Gods, interesting things that people in Kenash rarely took seriously. This naturally aroused Jed's curiosity. Maybe he would venture up the crimson stairs, maybe he wouldn't.

Alvadian Weaponry. The title flashed before his eyes, and Jed stopped, placing a single digit on the spine of the book. He took a brief interest in it, knowing it would remind him of his father in some way, but hesitating. He was less interested in the actually subject than how it related to him. And so he dropped his hand and kept walking, eyes flitting between the titles, not thinking much about their contents or subjects.

But as Jed skimmed the titles of the books, he realized how truly lost he was. Not that he couldn't find the exit, that was easy, but he couldn't navigate through the sea of subjects. It just so happened that Jed's blue orbs flicked through medical books, a subject that bore him to no end. Running a hand over his beard, Jed glanced around. He wasn't one to ask for help, despite the obvious fact that he needed it. But maybe he could do so subtly, he wasn't objecting to a friendly conversation. Although it was hard to find people so far back in the library, most of the subjects in the recesses of the building were professional and specified. They didn't interest the general public, nor did they interest Jed for that matter. But they had interested one girl, who hunched over her own text, copying down notes. The chair that sat across from her at the table was empty, neatly tucked under the matching wood surface. Perfect.

His boots were soft on the muted red carpet below them as Jed advanced. He tapped a knuckle on the table twice as he rounded the corner, to catch the woman's attention. With one quick move, Jed slid the chair from under the table, landing his rump on the seat and facing the woman. A light grin rested on his face as he rested his arms on the table, assuming a relaxed position. He could immediately tell she was a Dynasty woman, her hair was too perfect and her fashion was too accurate. But the book she read was odd. He had only a glimpse of the old book, but the image on it was gruesome enough. Not something he would expect a Dynasty lady to be reading, let alone taking notes on. "Sorry if I am intruding, but I couldn't pass up a chance to introduce myself to you. I wasn't looking for anything in particular today, but I do believe I've found it." Jed let his grin deepened and he sent a wink towards the beauty across from him before sticking his hand out. "My name is Jed Radacke, may I bother you for yours?"

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Thoughts

[Verena Lorak]

When the Lorak was interrupted, she was absently sketching a hand. Her charcoal scraped across the journal in jerky moves. It barely resembled a hand at all. Verena had neer been a particularly good artist. She was better at copying illustrations rather than creating one of out her mind. The young woman knew what a hand looked like perfectly, she had studied its anatomy for years, yet Verena couldn't put down the curves of fingers, the hollowness of the knuckles onto paper.

The drawing was supposed to be a slight diversion from the frustration taking root in her mind.

Verena almost didn't notice the tapping, her mind pushing it away. Yet, she caught the flash of color in the corner of her eyes. A figure sat in front of her and for a moment, she tried to recall if she had agreed to meet anyone in the library. She was quite sure she did not. Her mind kept grinding its gears, trying to

She looked up from the book slowly, even when she was tempted to ignore the voice entirely. Zorane would chastise her if he knew, telling her that it was rude to dismiss someone like so. Her dark violet eyes rested on the man who introduced himself as a Radacke. He certainly had a harsh edge to him that most of the slaver family have, despite that, he looked merely a few years older than her. She didn't recognize him.

"You are already bothering me," the young woman muttered under her breath. One would expect to hear such sentence in a sharp tone, but not from her. It simply sounded matter of factly. "Verena Lorak." She shook his hand once, her eyes flicking toward the book.

As soon as they pulled away their hands, Verena turned back to the job at hand. She tapped the book with annoyance. At least Verena had gone through more than a dozen diseases and not one of them resembled anything that she had seen on her patient. If she was a pure Vantha, her eyes would have glowed with annoyance.

[Jed Radacke]

"You are already bothering me." The words weakened Jed's smile but raised his eyebrows. He wasn't used to such harsh words especially from a Dynasty Lady as she revealed directly after. Although Verena had said it in such a soft way, in a tone that was almost indistinguishable of her complaining of heat. He was ready to try and get his first blush out of her, using the oldest trick in the book. All he had to do was turn her hand and kiss her knuckles once she shook his. But Jed didn't, instead he let her hand slip out of his, deciding he wouldn't push her. It didn't take Verena long to return to what she was doing, ready to ignore him. But Jed was not satisfied. She was so indifferent to him, of all people, and yet she was interested in such a boring genre of literature. Jed was quickly tied into her odd but mysterious aura.

"I apologize," Jed was a bit taken aback but he kept his tone as light as possible. "However, it would be a privelage if I was allowed to borrow a bit of your time?" The Radacke inquired. He previous mission to get simple directions or reading suggestions from the woman was forgotten. All he wanted to do now was get a smile from her to watch her cheeks flush with color. What would he have to do to loosen this girl up? "I don't know if you can honestly expect a man to cease talking to you." He continued, the light grin that danced across his bearded lips was an easy expression. "I've met many interesting ladies, however I've never been caught in eyes like yours. I can only guess that Semele herself was the one to place the amethysts."

Jed tried to catch her eye again, resting his elbows on the edge of the table. He allowed his torso to lean forward slightly, showing interest, however he was careful of leaning too far forward. All would be lost if he bothered her too much. It seemed that he would need to find a balance with Verena. Flattery was his first go with any woman. He was sure there wasn't one soul that didn't enjoy a good compliment. Although Jed though he would need another approach. The girl was so odd and yet intriguing, he knew he would regret it if he didn't find a way to have a conversation with her.

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Thoughts

[Verena Lorak]

Verena was a little disappointed when her front reply didn’t scare the Radacke away. Most Dynasty men would be offended by her retort and sulk away. She was already frustrated by the lack of information the almanac had and Verena wasn’t sure if she could stand socializing. Unlike most people, Verena had to use the extra effort to properly socialize. It was hard for her to understand the mood of interactions. Over the years, it had became easier, but still uncomfortable. She still needed to remind herself to keep a proper amount of eye contact - not too little, but not too much.

However, as usual, anyone who didn’t outright shun her for her manners intrigued Verena. And she was constantly reminded that not a lot of such individuals existed. Now that she thought about it, it was perhaps another reason why she didn’t have that many acquaintances.

At least, the man in front of her looked intelligent enough - not one of the rich fools who clambered around the city making a mess. He didn’t dress extravagantly, but rather practically - Verena had always wondered why Dynasty men were completely obsessed with coats and suits. Practicality was her thing.

”I don’t know if you can honestly expect a man to cease talking to you.” With that simple statement , Verena could guess what sort of man Jed. Incidentally, she had dealt with the sort quite a few times. ”I’ve met many interesting ladies, however I’ve never been caught in eyes like yours. I can only guess that Semele herself was the one to place the amethysts.”

She blinked rather self-consciously. It was a compliment. Her eyes. Her half inheritance from her father. It didn’t shift or change like most of her kin. “Thank you,” she muttered softly, her voice almost indistinguishable.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what to else say in reply. During other times, Verena might remember to smile or respond properly, but she was to irked to bother with social norms. “Can I help you with anything?” added Verena calmly. It seemed like a fair question. She was not quite sure where Jed was going with this. Unconsciously, she broke off their eye contact again, her gaze wandering among the scrawling on the book.

As he leaned forward, Verena decided that Jed wasn’t about to leave her alone quite so easily. Actually, he reminded her a lot of Rowan, who liked to stride into her clinic unannounced just to chat. She started to thumb the pages unconsciously, wondering what she should do next. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to be courteous and be likable, but she just wasn’t sure how.

[Jed Radacke]

When Verena looked back up at him to accept his compliment, his grin returned. Jed had always harbored a soft spot for the odd ones. Maybe it was becuase he was just a tad bit odd himself. Coming from a family of brutes who would never deny a competition, be it at a social gathering or in the ring. But Jed didn't quite fit with his family. He'd always thought a little more and cared a little deeper, it simply wasn't he Radacke way. Jed strives to fill his families reputation, to make Mica look on him with pride instead of mild annoyance. But he just didn't fit quite as well as he should have. And this was why Jed found Verena immediately interesting. While his own oddities where subtle and not noticable to those outside of his family, Verena was so blunt with her own anomalies. She studying medicine for Ivak's sake! Jed had yet to meet a Dynast Lady who took a serious profession, and took that profession seriously.

"The Lorak's do take medicine a bit more seriously, don't they?" Jed ignored her question. He didn't want to take the risk that Verena would actually help him, then he wouldn't get to talk to her. Jed ran a hand through his hair, feeling the dust that seemed to settle on him. The closest he got to proper, was wearing a shirt. And Jed didn't expect to be impressing anyone in the library. But, Jed had been wrong. The furniture maker didn't worry about his appearance though, he already looked dirty, so there was nothing he could to about it.

"It's a bit of a gruesome profession, don't you think?" It didn't take Jed long to realize his conversation skills were shyke. He was used to endless compliments towards a woman, that's all it usually took to bring them back to the plantation. But Jed didn't have that in mind for Verena. He was actually interested in her, what she had to say. He wanted to know why she chose to do medicine, or why she was so ... normal. He actually wanted to have a conversation ... odd."Well, I mean, you obviously don't think it gruesome, otherwise you wouldn't be diving into such a book ..."

Jed let his mouth snap shut, waiting for her to reply instead. It was clear he didn't get out enough, he had numerous ways to embarrass himself in an attempt to simply have a chat.
oocAgh! Sorry its so short! Conversation threads don't usually get incredibly long responses out of me ... Although I am enjoying it!

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Thoughts

[Verena Lorak]

“It’s a bit of a gruesome profession, don’t you think?” Gruesome? That was not a word she would probably use to describe her work, though she could certainly understand how most Kenashians might think that way. Verena had seen too many Dynasty women fainting at the sight of blood and men turning green after a quick glance at a ripped flesh. The healer could still remember the first time she had seen such a thing.

Verena was young, not even ten years old. She had always liked to disappear, to slip away from the loud building she called her home and explore the Whitesnake Plantation. There was a party on that, and parties had always the little girl away more than anything else. She left without notice, deciding to head to that low building everyone seemed to avoid – the slave house.

It did not take long for her to arrive and spot an open door. The curious child peered in, only to be taken aback by the scene. A young woman was crouching on the floor, his torso exposed with a man holding up a whip behind her. The flesh on the slave’s back was torn and bloody. So mangled that it was hardly identifiable. Still, the man kept whipping. Verena could not remember the rest of the event in detail, but everyone told her that she had screamed and rushed inside. The whipping stopped because of the interruption. It was a good thing that the man had immediately recognized her as the daughter of Calamur Lorak and dragged her back to the main house. His hands were still bloody as he held her, painting her skin with red. After that, Verena had remained unresponsive for a week until her older brother managed to coax a few words out of her.

After she got older, Verena knew she had reacted so violently because of Rak’keli’s mark. Violence had never sat well with her, yet she could stomach the sight of mangled bodies.

“Well, I mean, you obviously don’t think it gruesome, otherwise you wouldn’t be diving into such a book ...”

“I do not find easing other’s pain as gruesome,” Verena stated. “Someone has to do it, lest everyone will die much more quickly.”

[Dravite]

Verena Lorak

XP Award:

• Observation: 2
• Intelligence: 1
• Drawing: 1
• Socialisation: 3
• Logic: 1

Lore:

• Payne Paille: A kind man
• Medicine: Symptoms of a seizure
• Medicine: There is no cure gangrene
• Drawing: Working with charcoal
• Kenash: Most dynasty women faint at the sight of blood
• Verena Lorak: Not easily discouraged

Penalties:
None.

Loot:
None.

Notes: Hello, Verena. There are a few things you need to fix before I will grade anymore of your threads.

Ledgers need updating ASAP. Make living expenses clear, Example:

[SE] Winter 514 | -135 GM |
[SE] Spring 515 | -45 GM |
[SE] Summer 515 | -45 GM |

Also I didn’t see any books or paper listed in your possessions, if Verena is going to draw in future she will need to purchase one or both and have it clearly listed. Now that the important bits are out of the way, I wanted to mention how well written I found your thread to be which made it a pleasure to read. I look forward to reading more of your threads in the near future. Let me know if you think I have missed anything here and be sure to edit your grading request!

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