PM to join Never a Dull Moment (Marlay, Beatrice)

[Mienskil Ostovik]

3rd of Spring Mienskil was one who always worked hard regardless of his condition or peripheral circumstances. To him, the purpose of his life was very driven and focused - people were nice, most of them at least, and while talking to them was indeed enjoyable that was not what he'd dedicated himself to doing for the rest of his days. This made him an outcast amidst his own kind, in Zeltiva especially, but here he fit right in. No one bothering him, no one looking at him strangely (at least not for the same reasons), just a generous man who expected results - and by the gods Mashaen would get them. Today, however, there was nothing. No ring of the hammer throughout the lab, no rhythmic pattern, no transferring of djed from one item to another. No magic. Just, nothing. The eternal worker had stopped working. That was not entirely true though. Mienskil had just set aside the day for something other than the continuous process of Magecraft. As much as he willed himself forward, forever productive and improving, his safety was as of just as high priority as his work. After all, one could not continue to work if they were physically incapable of doing so, say if the djed that Mienskil had been so carelessly transferring happened to manifest on his person in undesirable ways. Any number of things could go wrong, and while his method was sound his preparation needed some work. So long he had been exposing himself to the unpurposed djed that would be drawn from a reagent to a target, and had not until recently given the potential adverse consequences any thought. That had to change. Thanks to one of the books Thomas had picked out for him, not only was Mienskil now aware of the latent dangerous of having the base djed brush against his own so much, but now he had a way to combat it. Taking some of his requested chalk - enchanted to be useful for glyphs and easier to use than paint - he began marking his barrier around his workplace, renewing it as the final line of defense should his switches and other safeguards fail. His signature style was in every glyph, the angular and straightforward shapes an unconscious representation of his interpretation of safety, with each one connected by a solid line so it would be visually sealed, which in Mienskil's mind meant that it was magically sealed as well. The trouble would come later when he had to draw switches for his reagents, which would be sealed in separate barriers and their djed drawn along the switches to the pedestal. Miro had given the Magecrafter a brief overview of how they were used and what for, but that was a long time ago when he first arrived and there was no demonstration just rushing through it would be a bad idea however, for he had no idea what would happen if a switch broke or whatever else could happen. Fortunately, a book from the library seemed to be able to contain some glyphing notes - in Nader-Canoch of course, but thankfully Mienskil had been brushing up in his conjugation and formatting thanks to another book Thomas had also picked out for him. It wouldn't be easy the first time though, which was why he had set aside all day for it. Sighing, Mienskil closed his first barrier, scanning his eyes over all of it to make sure that it was indeed sealed. That done, he walked back over to the section of the worktable that had been devoted to his studies, the glyphing book already open to the page concerning switches. Putting a finger to the beginning of the line, he began to read, committing each and every word to memory for future use. He'd need to know this inside and out before he trusted himself to be able to do it well.

[Marlay]

She tapped into shielding, allowing the djed energy to flow around her. It was like gelatinous water that seemed to hold its own shape and consistency. Forming it around her body took a very long time, and she was deep in the process of having it flow just the right way around her body. Even though it was a misshapen and potentially incorrect in some areas she felt it suited her needs just fine. She was so close to be able to make shields with different functions but for now this would do. Its only ability and primary function was to block djed.

This blobbity glop seemed to take hold and form and firm itself as the shield was now fitted with a purpose. It began to fade soon after becoming invisible to those that were not of equal or greater level then the caster.

She was a seventh step mage, 6 floors away from the top. It at least made her feel important considering the inhospitable surroundings of chains and leather straps. Her laboratory was in fact a horribly cruel place, the only creativity resulted in the death of another. Just eyes; it was hard to describe but watching life bleed from the eyes until nothing was left was hard on her. It was slowly but surely mentally warping her, she was becoming stronger in a sense that she was detaching herself from emotion.

No longer a bumbling little zeltivian wizard, she was becoming stone cold un-phased by death. It only resonated the truth, that she would need to become immortal sooner then later. Frail thing life was, she would surpass it eventually.

Before the very notion of walking around seemed like a bad idea, but Marlay was new and needed to become familiar with her surroundings. She was an apprentice now, she had proven to be useful to a degree even if master witsle was unquestionably harsh on her.

She heard a sigh as she was walking, intrigued and curious by nature Marlay was quick to pursue what she heard.

It was like First Contact, to see another person that had life pulse through there veins. He seemed concentrated on his studies and she was going to just leave him be, until she got a look at what he was actually attempting to accomplish.

She was just hanging off in the doorway watching him work, as she readjusted her spectacles.

As she watched him work, it made her yearn for better days. But she had dealt her own cards and played her own hand which for lack of better words against herself. He was a creator, and she could sense this. Deep in studies, deep in practice to create new and wondrous things. It made her reflect upon herself, only withering away and death awaited those that she touched.

Marlay liked his attention to detail, as Mienkal hit the books like a pro. He had an artistic side, part of her wished this for herself.

But she chose what she chose and she could not turn back now.

Though there was a tug at her to say something, she did not want to interrupt his studious studies. She did not want to be scorned, and yelled at.

But this, it was nice though distant.

[Beatrice]

Alone like always, Beatrice was walking around and searched for a person. She only knew his name: Mienskil. Wandering and wandering for years now to find somebody who could offer for her something. She hoped a better future now or the boredom would kill her. But she used to it, she used for the disappointment. All she wanted a master or somebody who could teach her who could she help to. While she was searching she could peep other's lab. Nothing...After some minutes she reached her destination. A woman was watching to that lab while Mienskil was reading. Beatrice didn't brother about Marlay. Without saying hello to her, she knocked and stepped in the lab. She was staring at the man with bored eyes and was looking how he was reading. Without thinking she would bother him she introduced. "Hello, my name is Beatrice. I'm looking for Mienskil Ostovik or Ostovek? Someone named like that. Are you the one I'm looking for?" Remembering for names was a hard job for her. Names wasn't important for her. It was only a "title" which helped her to find him. She looked around the lab. It was just a usual lab where she used to do magecrafting. She sighed and looked back to Marlay who was watching him. "Oh yeah and I guess hello to you too... Why are you peeping like that? Isn't that quite disturbing?" She always forgot the manners. Beatrice didn't care about that either. What was in her rotten heart it was in her rotten lips. She didn't like to play herself she was honest. Then without waiting for any inviting she turned around back and walked to the book that Mienskil was reading. She looked into it. She found it a bit interesting and was thinking if the man was able to do these. Glyphing. She didn't know about that a lot. She again looked around if she could see some of the inventions that Mienskil made.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Footsteps clicking loudly on the stone floors brought Mienskil’s attention to something in the hall. Turning, he saw a woman walk into his lab as if she owned the place, disregarding any potential privacy that he may have desired. In truth, exploration of others’ labs was something the Magecrafter hoped to encourage as it would be a catalyst for more collaboration, but there was something in the visitor’s gait and stance as she looked about the room that seemed to imply that she wasn’t all that interested. “May I help you?” Mienskil asked curiously. While he could handle difficult people, there was something about a lack of interest that would douse his enthusiasm, as if the lack of energy would sap his own. There was a distinct lack of purpose in her eyes as she looked at him and spat out her question. He looked at her strangely from his position over his book, answering, “Yes, I am Ostovik. Do you need me for something?” Not just a tad rude, but scatterbrained as well. Without even answering his own question, the visitor turned back and drew attention to someone else at the open door to his lab. So, he’d received another visitor. A bit baffled, caught unprepared by the series of events as he was expecting to devote his time to his studies, Mienskil regarded the stranger at the entrance with as much curiosity as he had the intruding visitor. Then he smiled and beckoned her in. “There’s not much going on, but feel free to observe if you so wish. Just trying to prepare myself a safe workplace for the future.” When he leaned down to resume reading, Mienskil found that the first visitor he’d noticed was already looking into the book, her eyes scanning the words for a brief moment. “May I... help you?” he repeated, a bit more tentative and confused.

[Marlay]

The woman blew past her, and her shield rippled like water as she brushed past it. It wobbled and bobbled warped and swayed till it faded away again.

When Beatrice snapped her retort at the little magi, she was caught off guard and stunned as her words stabbed into her like a sword. She had this look of grim-ness written on her face as if she was a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. She only had one tactic, fumble around with her spectacles haphazardly trying to control them in her hands as she was frantically losing control as she was looking for an answer that would sufficiently fulfill her inquiry and barricade herself from personal embarassement.

Ahem...

She took a moment to clear her throat and breath to help calm her rattled nerves.

I was merely observing his craftsmanship with glyphing and shielding.

When she was invited in she nodded, to Mienkal.

She was in her zone of comfort now, index finger of coolness simply pushed her spectacles forward. She began going over not the book, but his designs. He had lots of potential with glyphing, she liked his abilities and what he displayed. But the problem with his interpretation of safety, was that it is what he thought was safe. Not exactly what actually was, some switches could use a tweak here and there. To fortify the strength of the glyph, after all what good was the switch if it failed in the moment of a catastrophic disaster. Always check your glyphs, especially if you intend to place your life in them.

Thank you for your invitation, I think this squiggle here and that line over there could use reinforcement.

Her finger pointed to one of the runic marks he made.

I don't know if you have read your book in depth, but I notice that the lines seem to be made here and there. When you make a Glyph you want to focus on the craftsmanship of it first, if you only put your eyes on its desired outcome you potentially put your well being in great jeapordy.

Her finger then moved to point out a thinning line of chalk in one of the various glyphs he made that went to one of his runic switches.

[Beatrice]

She was just listening to them. She saw that Ostovik works hard and knew something which she didn't. She thought she shouldn't touch or do anything at the moment she could just use that May I help you? question. "Hmm... Not bad... You are a magecrafter aren't you? I'm looking for somebody who could teach me and have some interesting inventions where I could help. I have experience in it and I know a little malediction..." She told her purpose of her coming. Malediction. It went into the trash... Magecrafting may hold some hope for her. Beatrice needed somebody now who had some ambition and worked hard and could offer new and new things for her. Ostovik was a perfect choice for that. She left the book there and just looked at the lab. It was good enough for her. She didn't need special place only a lab where she could assist. But she didn't forget about Marlay. She did know about magic too. It didn't suprise her in this city. She didn't left Marlay from her 'warm' attitude. "... And who are you? And what are you good at? I saw you did a little shielding and you are not bad at glyphing." Her good manners.. she didn't leave it outside. She never did. She couldn't ask or talk in a kind way. She tries but it always ended up in a bad way. She didn't know what to say she only waited for the awsner which could change her life a bit.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Mienskil's eyes followed the spectacled woman's finger over to his glyphs as she started pointing out potential deficiencies in his barrier. He had yet to draw the switches, which he would learn more about in the book, but he'd been reliably drawing barriers for a while now and never thought that there would be things fundamentally wrong with it. Leaving the book for a second, he wandered over to where she was point at his glyphs, taking into account her advice and her instruction on glyphs. However, her words were very vague, much more so than Miro's, and while she seemed comfortable in directing him she offered little embellishment or supplementary details as to why. "I have only just started reading the book," Mienskil answered, hoping that would explain his lack of familiarity with glyphing. "However, why would craftsmanship have any affect on the outcome of the glyph's performance? I have read nor heard nothing about artistry in glyphing, only the subjective difference between each user." It was merely an investigative curiosity, though it wasn't until he spoke that he realized the it could be seen as potentially defensive. His was not the kind to be prideful about method or knowledge though, after all being one of a workshop meant that there was always someone else who knew something he didn't. "You sound as if you have been doing this for a while," Mienskil probed, both trying to feel out this woman's background and appease whatever upset he might have caused. "May I ask where your experience comes from?" Her healthy skin color and breathing meant that she was obviously alive, a pulser, though she was still full enough to have been a recent arrival. Wondering where she had come from, Mienskil's attention returned to the paler woman's words, who was obviously a Nuit. The undead's questions were both confusing and interesting, their intention unclear. "Yes I am a Magecrafter," He answered. "Instated as wizard of this lab early last season. I've not been as productive as I would have liked due to my acclimatizing of this new system and how the craft works here, but I should soon be crafting new things for the higher ups here on the citadel." At the mention of Malediction, Mienskil cocked his head. He himself harbored no particular interest nor detest for the world magic, but it was curious that one person practiced both. "I myself don't have much need for Malediction though I assume we could achieve a good many things by combining the two sciences... if you are so inclined of course."

[Marlay]

The craftsmanship of the glyph is very important, that is you have to think of a glyph as a channel in which djed or a magic spell passes through. Should there be a break in the formation you could easily spill djed out of the glyph and contaminate what you are working with. With full spells its more then a nuisance its a dangerous affair. A strongly made glyph one that has had every attention to detail taken into consideration, can hold considerably more magic energy. Should your glyph falter in its containment of said energies it could possibly erupt into a catastrophic explosion. And the better you become at your profession as a Magecrafter the more you will be relying on the glyphs to harness supernatural power.

For example as you said runic variations differ from person to person, its like writing. Take penmanship for example, you have good and bad. But ultimately the goal is to put words on paper to convey a meaning. The difference with glyphing is if you forget to dot your lower case i, you can blow yourself up.

I guess what im trying to say is that this line while its not incomplete, is a pathway to carelessness. Someday you might make your sigil with a line so weak it cannot channel the magic.

Marlay took no offense to Mienkal asking questions, in fact she was appreciative of his curiosity and his willingness to listen and take constructive critique. She was just afraid that she might have overstepped her boundaries, but she had dodged the Nuit and changed the subject entirely. So she in that only note, there was a sigh of relief.

Mienkal seemed to backtrack with his statements but she was not offended, well at least until he asked her where she came from. It was a difficult thing to express, how could she tell them she was an outcast of Zeltiva? It was this awful feeling that gnawed at the pit of her stomach.

Well, I studied Shielding and Glyphing at Zeltiva. But was ultimately thrown out of the school when I was found out to be a Leecher. They don't like those sorts in the magic academies.

There was something about how she said it, that was sad. You could tell that it was a painful memory being cast out of the wizard circles.

She turned her attention to Beatrice, she could not really make her out. It was like half compliment, half something else. She did not know how to take it. But she decided to go about it with a grain of salt, she wasn't sure of the nuit. But the nuit had never openly attacked her either.

I am Marlay, I am apprentice of Master Witstle, in Lab 7-G.
I am near competent In glyphing, shielding and leeching.

And who are you?

What are you good at ?

[Beatrice]

Beatrice didn't pay attention their chat. Not even tried to join in it. She was just exploring the lab and was checking if it would be a good idea to stay here and help him. She was thinking hardly when Mienskil came up with the idea of combine Malediction and Magecrafting. More and more interesting, she abandoned malediction for a long time now but why not doing the same. She liked his idea. He turned to Mienskil and raised her hand. "Deal! I'm willing to help you as long as you can show me great products." She didn't wait for him. She grabbed his hand and shook it then let it go. Beatrice turned around to Marlay now. She really didn't like her. She sighed and had no choice she needed to show some nice expression from her. Not to mention she knew something that Beatrice didn't. Maybe a good relantionship could solve things. However she couldn't keep her sarcastic speech ways. It was her essence she couldn't help it. She raised her hand to her too and introduced herself to Marlay. She was thinking if she should tell them if she is a nuit. It wouldn't be unusual anyhow she told them. "I am Beatrice, a nuit who was working with malediction for a time then changed my way to magecrafting. That's why I'm here I want to be his assistant. I hope this fullfilled your desires..." She was waiting now for the handshake. She was curious what will Marlay react.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Mienskil's brow furrowed in confusion. "But, this is a barrier," he stated. "No magic is supposed to be channeling through it, the glyphs are supposed to stop djed from escaping." This woman must know a good deal more about glyphing than he did, for not only were her instructions concise and confident but she was also using descriptions that he did not understand. Perhaps, after he was finished with his book, he could come to this woman for further tutoring. "I'm aware of the special dangers of my craft, but the explosions will be of my Magecraft, not of my glyphs. Believe me, I would not have entered such a dangerous science if I were not prepared to meet my end at any time. I thought my old style of glyphing had decreased the risk, but I was severely mistaken. Which is why I am learning now." A lot of what she said was confirming what he had already suspected and the tidbits he had recalled from his time in Zeltiva. "I'll be sure to put more thought into conveying meaning into my glyphs next time. That is, in essence, what you are saying right?" After rubbing out the runes that the woman had pointed to, Mienskil picked up the chalk again and began to rework them, focusing on the angled symbols as much as its connection with the next ones this time. While he worked, the visitor spat out her one-line explanation that satisfied as her background. So she too was of Zeltiva, another magician who had studied Shielding as he did. Briefly. It was not surprising that they did not recognize each other though, the Magecrafter was awfully absorbed in his work to the point of social isolation, and guessing by this magician's behaviour she was at least somewhat similar. Her sad tone went ignored by the wizard on the ground, who completed one of his runes by marking it with as triangular side before continuing on to the next one to fill the gap. It was her past to deal with, and her emotions to settle. Perhaps it was callous, actually it probably was, but Mienskil had set aside everything for his work and so expecting other wizards to be at least similar. That was, after all, what made them wizards correct? Magic was too dangerous to be taken up by the common folk, and so when one decided to dabble in these arts and sciences they were resigning themselves to that purpose. So Mienskil believed, and so he disregarded the woman's troubled mind. The last sharp scratch had been made with the chalk in Mienskil's hand, completing the circular barrier once again. Replacing the tool on his worktable, he returned his attention to the Nuit who had entered his lab quite abruptly. Her acceptance of his offer came as a sudden announcement, and before he could react his hand was grabbed and shook like a dog with a toy. Wide-eyed, the Magecrafter analyzed her sentence and found that the Nuit - Beatrice - was actually the one offering him help. The plural "great products" meant that she was planning on sticking around for a while, something that he hadn't suggested. Just who was this woman? Leaving his two visitors to their own conversation and devices, Mienskil slinked away and back to his book, replacing his finger on the page and following with both eye and digit the words on the page, soaking it all in. The purpose of each glyph, some interpretations of them, some example glyphs. Once he read over the summary of a switch, something that could combine and separate djedic affects, his mind began to wonder about how that could possibly be relevant to Magecraft. Perhaps unifying the djed of some reagents? What good would that do? Maybe some experimenting was called for...