Closed Playing a Card in a Delicate Game

[Coren]

Coren gave a nod as jaerith told him his name, he didn't really remember anybody of that name. No knowledge about the man he could use in this confrontation to get the upper hand. “I do not mind at all, besides, even if I did had a problem it is very unlikely you would take note of it anyway.” coren deadpanned as the man sat down in front of him. Trying to look not to uncomfortable as the man focused his stare at him. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, this was nothing to be anxious about, he hadn't done anything wrong and the icewatch where just being a bunch of paranoid biggots who had it out for him and other mages. “I'm living in the savintar warrens at the moment. Thanks to obvious reasons I'm not really accepted in my hold anymore. And I can do without people throwing dirty looks at me in my own home to be honest. As for work, I'm one of the three librarians in the library of Avanthal. I help with keeping the books in order and help with the paperwork there.” Coren replied in a polite tone though he was slightly annoyed at the fodder questions they where asking hem. They both knew that that wasn't why they called mages here. “You can go check it with both felix and gensini. Now do you need any other information about my daily life or can we get to the point of this interrogation? If there is one at all.”

[Sliver]

Sliver shook her head at Jaerith when he asked her if their prior encounter was going to make this problem. Perhaps if they had known each other a little better she would have excused herself, but the Mage was still a point of mystery to the wolverine, so there seemed no real reason for removing herself from the interrogation. She decided to remain standing, her back straight against the wall, head tilted so that shadows crossed her face, making her expression a little less discernible to Coren as she observed the proceedings. She knew very little about these questioning techniques, but if there was anywhere to start it was with easily answered questions about regular activities. She nodded slowly as Jaerith began, observing the mage. He fidgeted, but it seemed more because of the banal nature of the questions than because of any hint of lies. This setting and the reason for him being here were obviously annoying him, yet Sliver realized his voice always seemed to have an apathetic monotone, in fact the only time she remembered him straying from this was when he had lobbed the stone into that drunkard's shoulder and the sound of utter satisfaction that left his mouth just as she turned the corner. She took this information and stored it away, gazing almost sullenly at the mage as she tried to hide her feelings about his abrupt and rather rude response. Regardless of how inconvenient or biased this process was, it would do no good to be rude to those questioning you, and she hoped he would have the sense to be a bit more polite as they went on, somehow knowing that may not be the case.

[Valkyrie]

OOCNot much for Sliver to do at the moment but I will have something for you shortly

Jaerith shot a glance at Sliver, he was a little taken aback at Coren’s icy words though his only outward sign was a tightening of the jaw. He returned his gaze to Coren and drummed his fingers on the table for a few moments as he thought. If Coren wanted him to just get to the meat of the issue, well then he would.

“Would you please explain what magics you know and what you are capable of? Your abilities must be quite advanced if your own family turned you away.” Jaerith asked and ceased drumming his fingers. While Coren was speaking the female guard that had initially led Coren to the room quietly knocked on the door and opened it. Jaerith gestured to her and she leaned towards him while he whispered a few words into her ear.

The women left and returned a few moments later with a piece of parchment and a long, slender charcoal stick wrapped in cloth. Jaerith accepted the items and the women left wordlessly. He wrote a few words and then turned it over in front of him before returning his gaze to Coren.

[Coren]

Coren saw the subtle tightening of the man's jaw, his behavior had annoyed him, coren honestly didn't know if that was good or bad, on one hand an annoyed man would want to get him out of here as quickly as possible which might prevent him from questioning some things that shouldn't be questioned. On the other hand that man had the authority to throw him into jail to let him cool of if he didn't cooperate. But then again, if he just continued being the nice guy and answered all their questions they would either see it as deception even if it wasn't there which might earn him jailtime anyway, or probe deep enough they could find out about his... projects. He contained the sigh he wanted to let out, but didn't notice his shoulders slumping a little bit. This was going to be one bloody tightrope act. “I practice the arts of projection, shielding and glyphing. I am competent in all three of those disciplines. The first two disciplines do exactly what their names tell you and glyphing is the storing, directing and influencing of magic through the means of symbols and glyph's. It was what I was doing before you two came in.” Coren answered in a displeased tone. “Also I would like it if you kept my family out of this, I rather not be reminded that I'm related to a group of bigots.” Coren spat out the last part. He kept silent as the same guard that had led him inside came back in. Got some orders from jaerith and returned a few moments later with a pencil and paper for the guard. Coren raised an eyebrow at the rather puzzeling order. Why did he just do that? “So,” Coren asked after that had happened. “Do you mind enlightening me what that was all about?” Coren just asked to get it of his chest, he didn't really expect to get an answer to his question.

[Sliver]

Sliver would never cease to be confused with Coren. On the one hand he seemed so calm and nearly apathetic to the world around him, yet was so touchy on topics like his family. She wondered if it had to do with being a Vantha, despite his anger at them, Vantha were born into and around families, to be constantly reminded of what he didn't have by just walking down any street in the city...the wolverine tried to imagine how unbearable that might sometimes be. She still winced at his short responses. Perhaps being too agreeable was a bad sign for a mage in questioning, but Sliver felt as if the mage was overcompensating for his nervousness at this exchange, resulting in the apparent impoliteness. The whole procedure was making her tense and uncomfortable. She was very aware of how she didn't belong and wasn't of much use. Sliver shook her head a little bit to clear the nagging thoughts out, retaining her composure and posture. That was not how an Icewatch Guard should think, so she stopped the train immediately.

[Valkyrie]

“No.” Jaerith said simply to Coren’s inquiry. He felt no desire to explain himself just yet, perhaps later. The man he was dealing with was clearly intelligent and Jaerith had no intention of letting him think he had the measure of the situation. Jaerith turned to look thoughtfully at Sliver for a moment before turning back to Coren. He had a few things he needed to find out and he doubted his wolverine companion would appreciate the method he had chosen.

“I would like a slight demonstration of your power Coren, just to make sure you aren’t talking up your own abilities. Three magicks is a lot for one person to know, I’d like to know that you actually know them and aren’t just trying to seem impressive. Perhaps we could start with a demonstration in shielding? I think the best way to demonstrate that is to see if you can shield yourself from Sliver.” Jaerith said with a languid hand gesture. He turned to Sliver with raised eyebrows.

“Sliver, when Coren has indicated he is ready, would you mind trying to punch him in the arm? I should think a knowledgeable shielder could protect his arm, don’t you?” He asked Sliver lightly. His tone of voice was more fitting of two children about to collaborate on cleaning a room rather than a delicate investigation.

“Take all the time you need to prepare and let us know when you are ready, Coren. Don’t rush, I wouldn’t want you to get flustered, for Sliver’s sake.” Jaerith said as he turned back to Coren and chuckled dryly.

[Coren]

Coren slightly narrowed his eyes in irritation as his question was rebuffed, he had seen it coming, but getting his curiosity rebuffed was always annoying. He guessed he had time enough to figure out what was going on behind his back anyway, as long as he kept an eye on it at least. At the mans assumption that every decent shielder could protect himself from every attack was quite grating, but it was a mistake he didn't bother to correct, let the man wallow in the ignorance of his own wrong assumptions, he deserved it if he acted as if both sliver and himself where beneath him. Coren didn't bother with a reply and just closed his eyes beneath the hood and took a deep breath, he honestly didn't want to look like a fool if he half assed his shield and Sliver punched straight through it. He guessed the man in front of him would never live that down. He carefully began to expel djed out of his right hand and began to carefully wrap the djed around his right arm, smoothing it out so he got an even spread of it on all parts of his arm. He double checked his work before he began to task the shield, keeping out blunt force was what this shield had to do this time. He firmly imprinted his will on the djed of the shield and opened his eyes again. Having decided that he didn't need to task his shield with another instruction, it was just a demonstration anyway. “Well My shield is ready, it is formed on my right arm.” Coren responded in his usual polite tone. “So would you please get this over with sliver? I honestly don't enjoy being beaten on, even if I won't feel it.” oocSliver you still haven't updated your CS your xp count total says 26 (20+6) but your total is still 22. Just mentioning it.

[Sliver]

The Kelvic was torn. On the one hand this was her duty and her job to obey her superiors and follow her orders. There was a dangerous Mage terrorizing innocents and it could not stand. On the flip side, all Jaerith seemed to be doing was perpetuating the notion that the Mage was beneath him. Sure Coren was being snippy and rude, but she could blame that behavior entirely on this event right here. She didn't care how she was treated, and perhaps it was all a show, but the wolverine was utterly confused. She stepped toward Coren waiting until he said he was ready. She didn't see anything,but when she pulled back her fist and threw it rather hard into Coren's arm, the blow seemed to be stopped just above his skin. Coren's arm moved a bit from the force of the blow, but she saw no reaction that would indicate he had taken any physical injury. She inclined her head, perhaps in way of apology or just to signal she was finished, then backed up next to Jaerith, glancing at him to see if the demonstration had satisfied his wishes.

[Valkyrie]

Jaerith watched quietly as Sliver approached Coren and her punch glanced off. His eyes swirled blue and green together to denote a reflective emotion. He knew that Sliver was no weakling and Coren seemed hardly phased by the blow. He was a strong mage, no doubt about it. Not the strongest in the city certainly but he knew what he was doing, clearly.

“Thank you Coren. One more demonstration and then we can move on. I’m sorry you find this so repugnant but it will be over soon. I ask all mages to demonstrate their skill. I don’t need anyone hanging magics over my head that they can’t actually perform.” Jaerith said sternly though he left out that what worried him the most was the magics people hid. Those were the thoughts that gnawed at him long after each interrogation finished.

“Sliver, please hold out your hand. Coren, would you mind using a projected limb to place your glyph drawings on Sliver’s hand? I promise that we will return them to you.” Jaerith said and nodded for the demonstration to commence. The annoyance evident in Coren’s voice and the confusion in Sliver’s eyes began to irritate him. What did they think an investigation was going to be? A lovely cider party? Jaerith enjoyed his job in the Icewatch but occasionally he had to perform tasks like these. Tasks that made people dislike him. But that’s the way it was. He placed keeping the city safe as a higher priority then people liking him.

Jaerith looked down to jot a few notes on his paper before looking up at Coren and Sliver again. He focused his gaze on Sliver and raised an eyebrow when he caught her eye. “While we are waiting on Coren, Sliver I understand you brought Coren to the barracks not long ago for brawling. Would you explain the situation you found there?”

[Sliver]

Sliver saw Jaerith's eyes flit to a few different shades of blue and green, swirling in thought. He glanced at her and she almost sensed annoyance, but shook the feeling off, she had done nothing wrong, nor would she question his orders, so it certainly couldn't be that. The Kelvic glanced up, remembering vaguely the papers that Coren had put away when they had entered, and she extended a hand for them, curious of what she would find. She always had found the glyphs that so many mages drew in Sahova to be so much more beautiful than regular writing, regardless of whether or not they were just as illegible to her. Then Jaerith's voice extended a question to her and she perked up, dark mahogany gaze meeting her superiors aquamarine ones. "Linnel and I were on patrol on one of the dock routes when we heard raised voices coming from the direction of one of the taverns. We ran to where we heard the noises issuing from, but came after the initial blow had been struck. Coren had used magic to hurl a rock at the man's shoulder. Linnel took both of the men, who were severely inebriated by that time, to the Healing Center, and I escorted Coren back to the barracks where we then met you. It seems that the two men instigated hostilities and the Mage responded with violent action, and it was not their first offense." Sliver recounted it just as she knew it had happened. None of the individuals amassed in that alley had been in the right, the violence that Coren had displayed was just the kind of thing that perpetuated drunkards like that hating Mages, yet those men's biases and foul language were the catalyst to summoning Coren's anger. She hoped her words had seemed as unbiased as possible. Her hand was still extended for the parchment of the mage's as her deep brown eyes flitted from Jaerith back to Coren.