[The Sunken Conundrum] Pursuit of Knowledge (Open)

[Seidaku]

Time stamp: 25th day of spring, 511 A.V.

Seidaku stared up at the rippling wall of water before him. No matter how many times he visited the Sunken Conundrum, it never got any easier... or less awkward. He had opted to leave his cloak at home this after a particularly embarassing experience a few months ago when he had managed to wrap said cloak around his head thoroughly enough that he had needed assistance unwrapping himself.

Blowing out one last breath, he stepped to the doorway and pushed through the surface of the water, floating slightly even so. He felt the slight ripple in his skin - curious but not unpleasant - as his gills flowed into being.

Best to get it over with as quickly as possible, he thought as he took a deep breath through his gills... and had to fight down a stab of panic as he was unable to do so.

"Every time," he muttered in breathless irritation as he awkwardly pulled his shirt from beneath his belt. Taking a deep breath that lifted him gently in the water, he nodded to himself, "Better."

Once he was finally settled and able to function, Seidaku took a moment to appreciate the scope of the library before him. Even masked by the presence of so much water, the scents of binding glue and old paper permeated the 'air'. The library was made even more grand by the absence of any other collections of the written word. In almost three decades of living in Alvadas, he could count the number of times he had seen more than a dozen books in one place outside of the Conundrum on both hands.

Flashing a smile of greeting at the severe faced librarian sitting behind her counter, Seidaku flailed his arms and legs more or less in rhythm and swam in a beeline toward where he knew any books that would interest him would be located.

Drifting slowly down an aisle, his eyes lit up as they passed across a most promising title, "Substance and Silence: Collected Essays on the Interaction of Mizahar and the Void".

"Yes, this will do nicely," he whispered, floating on his back and immediately losing any interest in the world around him.

[Yanessavhanet]

A library was certainly not a place Vhanet would normally find interesting, but the library of Alvadas had was turning out to be the exception. First there was the water, a very interesting way to get around. She'd never really gone swimming back in Ahnatep, but she was managing so far. Not having to worry about drowning definitely helped.

Then had been the meeting with the librarian. Thanks to Ionu's mark she had know that the woman had two marks. Vhanet had tried to strike up a conversation with her, but the woman clearly had no desire to talk with anyone. So Vhanet had given up and continued on her original purpose, to find books relating to the creation of poisons.

Not knowing where to really go to find the information she sought Vhanet had taken to just wandering at random, it often seemed the best way to find something in Alvadas, and while she hadn't found her target she had found something else that caught her attention.

It was a very average looking man, engrossed in his reading of a book. Not terribly interesting in itself, but she was getting a little hungry. Carefully she swam towards the man, doing her best to look appealing in her movements despite her awkwardness in the water. When the man did not immediately respond to her approach she cleared her throat softly and asked, "Pardon me, might I inquire on what book you are reading?"

[Seidaku]

A fact that bears further analysis is that, regardless of the amount of personal Djed brought to bear, it is simply impossible for one to open a portal while isolated in the Void. Therefore, it stands to reason that -

"Pardon me, might I inquire on what book you are reading?"

Seidaku pulled himself up out of his book with a slight jerk, peering around himself and not terribly surprised to note that he had managed to turn himself about while reading and was not quite upside down.

Flailing about himself in an attempt to get re-oriented with the rest of the library, Seidaku had only managed to set himself lazily spinning by the time he asked, "I'm sorry... what?"

[Yanessavhanet]

It was a struggle for Vhanet to not laugh at the man's flailing, especially as he started himself spinning, but she couldn't stop a smile from slipping through. Turning it into a sweet little smile she asked again, "I wondered if you might let me know what you are reading. You appeared to be very taken by it, and I wondered what would be that captivating?"

She watched him for a few more moments, laughing in her mind at his lazy spinning, and then hesitantly offered, "Would you like help?" carefully swimming a little closer to him and holding out a small hand in offer of assistance.

Such an oblivious fool would be too easy to eat. Vhanet would have to figure out what other kind of game she could play with him first before luring him off to some secluded corner.

[Seidaku]

The next time his slow spin brought the golden skinned woman into view, Seidaku reached out and eagerly grasped the offered hand with a murmur of thanks, using it to orient himself more or less upright and facing her.

Pushing his hair back out of his face and into a close approximation of order, he coughed nervously and said, "What I was reading? Oh... yes. Quite fascinating, really."

"It is a collection of essays regarding the nature, structure, and denizens of the Void," he said, his words gaining momentum as he warmed to the topic, "Specifically, how they relate to and interact with the more material world."

"Of course," he added with a dry chuckle, "Many of them are only theory and conjecture, given the obvious risks that go along with attempts at prolonged direct study. However, the essay I was currently reading was an intriguing bit of conjecture regarding the impossibility of creating gateways out of the Void, even by the most experienced of mages. Naturally, that makes it an ideal location to dispose of something unpleasant, but it raises several interesting questions at the same time."

(OOC: Left to his own devices, Seidaku will continue on in this vein for a while. Figured I would let you get a word in edgewise though, so to speak )

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet had never been one to play around with magic, other than her mark of course, and so she didn't really follow what the man was talking about. It did give her an interesting idea for a game to play with him though.

"You are a practitioner of magic too?" she interrupted what was starting to sound like a long monologue with a smile, "I am happy to meet a fellow practitioner of the art."

As she spoke she slowly moved her free hand underneath her cloak, shifting and letting it open up slowly, as if pushed by the movement of the water, to reveal her wet and body hugging blouse beneath. The game had been picked by her, despite her general lack of knowledge of magic, she wanted to see if she could seduce this man while pretending to be a mage. That should provide enough entertainment before her meal.

[Seidaku]

The torrent of words dried up into a look of confusion, "A fellow practitioner of the arts? What... oh, you mean you're a mage? Oh, delightful. I am by no means a master, but I have some small ability with Voiding, as I am sure you have already surmised."

Seidaku pushed his hair back again in an idle gesture, oblivious to the display in front of him, "I fear I am a bit of a specialist, though. I always intend to branch out and explore, but I can never seem to find the time. What is your area of expertise, Miss..."

His face twisted in concentration for a moment as he tried to recall the woman's name. After several seconds though, he blinked in surprise and exclaimed, "I never introduced myself. How dreadful of me."

With a small but awkward bow that left him struggling to right himself again, he said, "My name is Seidaku."

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet had figured that as soon as she had claimed to be a mage that the man would ask what kind she was, and so she had been thinking on what her response would be. She supposed it was actually true, with her being able to control illusions now, but where was the fun in telling the truth?

"I am happy to meet you," Vhanet said with a smile, "You may call me Vhanet, and I am a manipulator of wind," Vhanet finished with a little giggle as she offered her hand to Seidaku again to help him steady himself.

It was a little frustrating that Seidaku hadn't seemed to pay much attention to her display. Was there something in the air of Alvadas that smothered the lust of human men? Dinvidus was the only one who had shown interest, and while it had been lots of fun it hadn't been a full game finishing with the hunt. She would have to try a more direct approach.

"Maybe it would be better to talk in the air?" Vhanet said with a smile to Seidaku, "That way we will not be awkward in our movement, and maybe we could give the other a viewing of our magic?"

[Seidaku]

"I am happy to meet you," Vhanet said with a smile, "You may call me Vhanet, and I am a manipulator of wind," Vhanet finished with a little giggle as she offered her hand to Seidaku again to help him steady himself.

Seidaku once again took the offered hand and used Vhanet's assistance to pull himself back to a position facing her. "Thank you," he said with a small smile, "And it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Maybe it would be better to talk in the air?" Vhanet said with a smile to Seidaku, "That way we will not be awkward in our movement, and maybe we could give the other a viewing of our magic?"

At the mention of leaving the library, and the tome that he was still less than halfway through, Seidaku's fingers tightened slightly on the binding of the book and he glanced down reluctantly. Of course, he thought, suddenly brightening, As much as I would like to finish it, the book will be here tomorrow. A chance to finally witness a display of one of the other magical Disciplines is much less common.

Nodding in agreement with himself, Seidaku looked up at Vhanet and said, "That would be delightful. I have always wanted to learn of Reimancy, but it is so far divorced from my own studies that I have never made time for it."

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet watched Seidaku's response to her offer, seeing his reluctant look down at the book. It appeared he was a man married to his craft, and so it seemed her deception was on the right track. Perhaps she could draw his attention after all.

"Come then," Vhanet said with a bright smile, making a little showing of reluctance as she withdrew her arm from Seidaku.

Turning around carefully in the water she made sure to swim down and away from Seidaku. While this was the way back towards the entrance, it would also give the man a view of her legs that had been hidden by her skirt before. Perhaps he wouldn't pay much attention to such a display, but Vhanet wasn't above giving it a try anyways. One way or another she would find his weakness.

As Vhanet swam her way back to the entrance she turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at Seidaku, "Tell me, how long have you worked in the art of Voiding? I know little of the detail of Voiding, but it can be fraught with danger, no?"

Of course, the fraught with danger was but a guess, but what she had heard was that the practicing of magic was very dangerous, regardless of the type done.