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Bibliophiles Unite!

Started by Zero, January 28, 2016, 07:49:39 AM

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Zero

"I was a very obedient child. My brother Conrad was the wild one. He was always trying to get me in trouble, but I am glad he did. Even a very obedient child needs to do something a little wrong now and then." Keiran was generally a stickler for rules, but it was exciting to bend them a little from time to time! Like right now, as they entered the once locked room.

Immediately he was looking around, stomach doing little flip flops as his eyes widened as he took in the shelves of books that were supposed to be off-limits.

There was so much here to study! Why was no one allowed to study these? That they could be very dangerous didn't really register right away. The thrill of so much knowledge at his fingertips where others were not allowed to search had him practically bouncing on his toes like a child in a candy shop.

"This is extraordinary! I wonder why these are kept locked away like this? They cannot be that dangerous. Can they?" It was hard to imagine knowledge being bad, but he knew in the back of his mind that some things were forbidden for a reason.

DragonSong

"I know some of them have detailed explanations of some pretty powerful spells and potions," she said with a shrug, moving further into the room. "I've never really wanted to look for those though." She had enough problems with her magic.

Giving him a quick smile, she moved toward the first shelf and let her eyes skim the titles. "Everything is alphabetized, so..." A, D, H, P... Lyssa was at the other end of the room by the time she called. "Here! S, there must be something on sea serpents here..."

Zero

"I can see how it might be wise to keep such books out of the wrong hands." Yes, not everyone held good intentions, and even good intentions could produce quite disastrous results. Just looking couldn't hurt, though, surely...

Keiran sighed softly, casting a longing look over the shelves before forcing himself to turn away from the temptation and walked to Lyssa when she called. Best that he resign himself to the fact that those books were not meant for him. He turned his attention to the books in the section that Lyssa was looking through. "Let us hope so. It would be a shame to have risked rebuking for naught."

DragonSong

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was for naught," Lyssa said with a smile, adding under her breath, "Mostly because I'm not fancy enough to talk that way."

Turning her attention back to the books, she murmured absently, "This is the most excitement I'm likely to get all week. Definitely worth it."

Zero

"Hmm?" Had she said something else? Keiran came up beside Lyssa, giving a soft chuckle as he ran his fingers over the spines of a few of the books. "We must both live such dull lives to have this be the highlight of our week."

At least he found this far more exciting than having tea or lunch with this person or that person whom he couldn't politely refuse.

DragonSong

She chuckled softly, stepping aside to give him room to properly look at the selection of books. "See, I'd expect this to be exciting for me. I mean, I'm a librarian. Dull sorta comes with the territory. But you..." She shook her head, giving a wistful little sigh. "It must be so fascinating to go to your college. I can't even imagine all the things you must be learning."

Zero

"Yes, I suppose there is much to learn at my college." Keiran loved to study, but he was well aware that his interests were dull. His older brother reminded him constantly.

"Did you never consider attending one of the colleges? There are many mage academies in the city, and all around Serendipity." He tilted his head and gave Lyssa a sidelong look. Nothing that the librarian had done or said indicated she held any magical power of her own, but being born with a gift wasn't strictly required. Some with no birth ability did gain some skill through hard work, study, and determination alone.

DragonSong

"Oh." She sighed, biting her bottom lip. "Well...I have thought about it. But- it's so expensive, and what with how odd my gift is, I told my parents not to bother-" She snapped her mouth closed, realizing she'd revealed a little more than she'd intended.

A quick smile and a wave of her hand in the hopes to cover it up. "Never mind. I'm sorry, I should be helping you look for your sea serpent book, not complaining."

Zero

"Nonsense, you are free to complain. I am curious what odd gift you possess." Keiran had turned from the books, momentarily losing interest in them and taking a great deal of interest in Lyssa.

"Having an odd gift would seem all the more reason to go. I know that Kia's Garden can be quite expensive, but there are other schools that cost considerably less. There are also scholarships for students with unique potential." To Keiran she seemed a bright young woman that would do well in such a learning environment and so there was no reason that she shouldn't be allowed entry to one of the academies.

DragonSong

Lyssa blinked at him, then offered a small smile. "I suppose you're right," she said after a moment. "But it's just that- I've been trying to figure out my magic since I was a teenager, and I can't find anything. Maybe one of the colleges would offer better insight, but I didn't want my parents to waste the money if it couldn't."

She bit her lip, glancing away, then looked back at him with bright, excited eyes. "Do you want- could I show you?"

Zero

Well that seemed a poor excuse to him. So what if the colleges couldn't figure out her magic? That still would have left her with all the wisdom and knowledge the scholars, libraries, and tutors could provide her with. If they couldn't help with her specific gift they still could have taught her so very much that had nothing to do with whatever natural talent had been bestowed up on her.

Of course he didn't say any of that, because Lyssa tempted him with a demonstration of her abilities. That was at least as exciting as any book. "I would love to see. You have made me so curious."

DragonSong

She flushed a bit and shrugged. "Well, It's really not much. I hope I didn't give you too high expectations."

Fishing a scrap of parchment and the rather nice pen that had been a present form her mother out of a pocket in her skirt, she crossed to the table and leaned over it. She thought for a moment, then scrawled the word, "rose" in large, looping letters.

A small glow lit around the parchment, then the letters wriggled and shifted, rising up into the air and suddenly forming a blood red bloom that settled back down onto the table.

Lyssa cupped the flower in her hands and turned to Keiran, shrugging and offering a small, almost nervous sort of smile.

Zero

"I am certain I will not be disappointed." Keiran tried to assure her with a gentle, encouraging smile as he followed her to the table to watch intently as she wrote a simple word onto the parchment. When the letters began to glow and rise off the page his blue eyes widened with wonder. He had never seen such a thing.

When she turned with the flower in hand he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch the bloom experimentally. "How marvelous!" He exclaimed softly as the rose was very real and he still wasn't sure he could believe what he had just witnessed.

"I have never seen anything like what you have just done." Keiran looked up at her with absolute awe. After all, how many people could create something out of nothing but a word on paper?

DragonSong

Lyssa blushed and grinned, ducking her eyes in a pleased sort of embarrassment. "It's just...I don't really do much, actually, it's not all that special," she mumbled, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

She shrugged, offering the rose for him to hold. "As far as I can tell, it's not a very common ability. But it's the only magic I can do, so..." She shrugged again, biting at her bottom lip.

Zero

"Not special?" Keiran asked incredulously as he took the flower, still being very careful with it. After all, it seemed quite real but he didn't know how fragile the magic might actually be. "Lyssa, this is extraordinary. I have never met someone who could do this. You should absolutely be a student at one of the colleges!"

Even if it was the only magic she could do, the research that could be conducted! Not to mention the sheer magnitude and implication of what could be done with such a gift. "What else can you create in this fashion?"

DragonSong

Her blush deepened and she rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. "Oh. Um, well... Everything I've tried so far," she said after a moment, eyes flicking down and then back up to his face. "How long the conjures- oh, that's what I call them- last sorta depends, but as far as I can tell...I've been able to summon just about anything."

Hurriedly, Lyssa glanced back at the paper and started to roll the parchment up, tucking the pen away in the pocket of her skirt. "Living things don't last as long, but I have a little carving of a wolf I summoned when I was fourteen. Still hasn't vanished."

Zero

It would have been impossible for Keiran not to be working over all the possibilities and applications Lyssa's gift could warrant. A slightly thoughtful frown tugged at his lips. The unassuming librarian had quite a lot of potential, but the gift was a bit unusual and definitely something that could be abused in the wrong hands.

He still thought attending one of the mage colleges would be a good idea for her.

"That is truly impressive." The minuscule frown had vanished, face once more assuming that neutral but pleasant expression so common to him. "How unexpected to find someone so delightfully gifted in such an unlikely place."

Keiran extended his hand back out, offering the magically conjured rose back to her. "If you are worried about the cost to your parents I would suggest applying for the scholarships, or for a sponsorship. Some wealthy families will pay for the tuition of very gifted students in exchange for the student's agreement to enter that family's service for a time after they've left the academy."

DragonSong

"A sponsorship?" Lyssa took the rose almost absently, running her fingers over the petals. "You know, I hadn't really considered that... It just seemed so unlikely, like with the scholarships..."

She trailed off, then lifted her eyes and smiled at him. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything to try." She found herself suddenly buzzing with a bit of excitement. "Thank you for your advice. And your time."

Her cheeks darkened with a bit of a blush. "I've never had a patron show such interest before."

Zero

"I have taken as much of your time as you have mine, more of it, since I am the one seeking your time and not the other way around. You are welcome for the advice, but I am curious why you are so convinced that you would be unlikely to receive a scholarship or sponsorship." Keiran could imagine a lot of families that might jump to sponsor Lyssa in exchange for basically making her an indentured servant after her schooling was finished. The margin for abuse of both her and her ability was truly staggering.

"If I could offer more advice? Be very careful before accepting a sponsorship, the contract is legally binding and you will not want to enter such an agreement with the wrong people." She seemed too sweet a girl to see misused.

DragonSong

Her blush deepened and she dropped her eyes. "I suppose I just always felt that I was too...unextraordinary. People only want to pay for someone who could be great, you know?"

Her brows drew together slightly as he warned her to be careful of accepting help from "the wrong people". She looked up at him, twirling the rose between her fingers absently. "I...I think I understand. Once again, thank you."

She was quiet for a moment, then ventured slowly, "If- if I can ask... Why have you shown such an interest? Offered such help?" It wasn't as though they were particularly friends, though she did certainly find his company pleasing.

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