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Like Salt and Pepper

Started by Zero, May 08, 2014, 07:43:31 AM

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Zero

"Fascinating." Tatsu commented dryly at Pepper's eloquent translation for his benefit - not that he'd needed a translation. Indeed, he knew all that he needed to know about this place and the people in it.

"Well, my opinion hardly matters. Do what you will, or do nothing, it makes no difference to me." Turning his pale eyes down to Pepper he sighed softly. "I do need to amend my advice from before, I fear potential alone, in this instance, might actually not be enough. You have my sympathy child, good luck reaching your potential in such a hostile position."

Casting a look between them again he shook his head and turned to the wall again. He had come down into this strange place from it and over it was how he intended to leave.

Rhindeer

Pepper's shoulders drooped at that encouraging statement and she visibly deflated. For a while there, she'd thought maybe she actually had a chance here...he'd actually managed to bolster her confidence! Because it was nice getting complimented by someone you know, but to get that from a total stranger somehow felt more honest?

"Oh...okay...um, thanks," she said with a sigh as he began to walk away, and Cain placed a hand on her shoulder and began to turn her away.

Looked like it was going to be a miserable rest of the day!
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

It only took seconds for Tatsu to be over the wall and gone. Finding a new place to relax would be impossible, there was far too much on his mind now.

A few days later Pepper would find a package resting on her bed upon returning from class. Inside the box were two large, well-tended, and very old books, one was on the subject of elemental magic, the second on natural magic. A simple note card was resting on top.

Miss Pepper,

I hope you find the knowledge in these tomes to some advantage. I assure you the libraries to which you have access do not have either of these volumes, as they are very old and very rare, so do handle them with care, please. Consider them an apology for my negativity some days past. You can be great with time and the proper nurturing - this I believe beyond a doubt - I only question the discouraging environment to which you are subjected. My advice would be to seek better instructors, but this is not my place to decide for you.

Until we meet again,

- The Guardian

Rhindeer

Pepper took those tomes to heart.

She hid them in her room, as though afraid they might be taken from her, and studied them in private. She might book learning tedious most days, because the writing was so droll and she wasn't a fast reader, but these books were special. They were outside knowledge given to her by someone who seemed a great, worldly teacher--and reading them was the least she could do when she couldn't say "thank you" in person.

Besides, he actually believed in her. He was a stranger, and yet he believed in her, and had defended her against bullies. She owed him that much, for taking her seriously and then going to the trouble of delivering these books to her. It wasn't often she got gifts, anyway, and so she cherished them all the more.

And so life continued as normal as she to her studies and did her course work--and then her secret course work. These books made sense and were rather interesting, delving into subjects she liked, and maybe...maybe they'd be the key to not petrifying libraries!

She didn't think she'd ever see the mysterious man again.

But weeks later, late into the morning, that was exactly what happened.

Pepper was out and about, on a simple courier job to deliver a scroll to a healer's home a few blocks from the college. Of course, Pepper couldn't make a simple job of it! It wasn't often she got time to herself, and so instead of taking the simple route, she took the longer one through the busy marketplace. Funny how she felt she could get more peace and privacy among a crowd like this! In the quiet college halls, she always felt watched even when she was alone.

And it was while she was maneuvering around people so she could get over to a vendor selling cheap bracelets that she bumped into a familiar tall man wearing familiar shining armor with enough force to jostle her floppy hat right off her head and nearly fumble the scroll she was carrying.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

Delivering the two books to Miss Pepper had been the very last thing Tatsu had done before leaving Serendipity. The next few weeks were spent in Essyrn, making a delivery to a very well-paying client that had requested he find them a specific artifact. While there he had managed to pick up a few pieces to bring home with him as well. The rest of the time not conducting business was simply spent relaxing in the arid climate as a guest of the wealthy merchant prince that had contracted his services.

As always, he found himself restless before long. Despite the offer of continued hospitality, Tatsu left the oasis and returned to Serendipity, feeling refreshed and having put the young mage he'd become acquainted with (if you could really call it that) to the back of his mind.

How surprising it was then, when as he browsed the marketplace in Arca, that a near blinding presence bumped, quite forcefully, into him. Pale blue eyes regarded Pepper in mild surprise for but a moment before he reached a hand out to gently steady her by the arm. She'd run into him hard enough to knock her hat off!

"Miss Pepper, what a surprise to see you. Are you alright? You should be more careful, you could hurt yourself." The bump of course hadn't so much as phased or moved him, but his face was a mask of soft concern for her.

Rhindeer

At first, Pepper didn't recognize the man. She was too alarmed that she'd lost her hat, and worried over the scroll's condition, to notice him at first! But then she felt his hand on her arm, steadying her before she could lose her footing, and once both feet were firmly on the ground, she whipped around to look at him--and, of course, had to look up when she found herself staring at his chest.

She had a hundred apologies on her tongue, for she was used to angry reactions and always prepared for those, but her eyes widened for a different reason when they settled on his face, and recognition lit up in them.

"You!" she blurted out in a gasp, which came out a lot ruder than intended! But it was at this awkward moment that she realized that, while he knew her name--after all, Cain had shouted it!--she had never learned his. "Ah! Sorry! I mean, Guardian! Whoa, I...wow, okay, sorry, I'm kinda failin' all over the place here, I didn't really expect to see ya again! Not that I didn't want to! I'm just sayin', I didn't expect...I thought I'd be more prepared and--shit, I dunno what I'm sayin', I guess I'm tryin' to say--"

She sucked in a deep breath and decided that, maybe, it was best if she just started over.

"Hi!"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

As soon as Pepper had turned he'd let her go, seeing as she no longer seemed in danger of falling over. Tatsu regarded her with raised brows, amusement clear in his pale eyes as she stammered about with her words. He hadn't meant to give her such a disorienting surprise, but really, she'd surprised him almost as much - he just hid it better.

When she finally managed to squeak out a simple 'hi', he chuckled softly and knelt down, picking up her fallen hat, taking a moment to dust it off slightly, before offering it to her with a gentle smirk while still down on one knee. "Hello again, Miss Pepper."

Rhindeer

Still clearly flustered, and blushing a bit because she knew she was making a sputtering ass of herself, Pepper took the hat and plopped it back onto her head--somewhat hoping the wide brim would hide her as she tugged it down by the edges.

Guuuuh, she liked that he called her Miss. It was so...so polite! Chivalrous! Like she was someone important! No one else called her Miss. They called her a lot of other things, though.

"Hi!" she said, automatically, and then gripped the edges of her hat a bit tighter. "Oh. Uh. I already said that, huh? Whoops. Anyway, uh, nice seein' ya! Didn't think I'd see ya again, really--not that I didn't want to! I wanted to thank ya for the books! I've been readin' 'em and stuff, they're really good and--oh. Uh. Awkward question, but what's your name? Before I forget to ask again."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

It was impossible to hide an expression of mild bemusement as Tatsu watched her for a moment before rising back to his feet. He honestly did not know why she was so flustered by his mere presence. There was no need for blushing, hiding beneath one's hat, or stumbling over her speech. Bumping into someone on accident did not warrant more than momentarily embarrassment, did it?

Her fumbling words did not seem to have much impact on him, save to make him smile faintly before he bowed graciously. "Forgive my rudeness at not introducing myself. Tatsu Drake, at your service, Miss Pepper. I am so glad to hear you liked your gift. It was not easy making such a difficult selection from my library. There were a great many books that I thought might be of some use."

He straightened from the bow slowly, looking down at her curiously. "Might I inquire where you were going in such a hurry as to run into someone? I hope I have not caused you to be overly delayed."

Rhindeer

"Oh, well, I ain't goin' nowhere important," Pepper said, then glanced down at the scroll she held tucked under her arm. "I mean, it's important, sure! I gotta deliver this to some healer guy by noon. But it's not like I gotta do it now, ya know? Just soon. So I was just sorta...uh...kinda tryin' to be quick about checkin' out the market?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Ain't often I get to check it out, just...don't tell no one I was sorta slackin', yeah?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

Tatsu tsked softly, though his expression was still one of amusement. "Putting off your responsibilities? For shame, Miss Pepper," He immediately held up a hand to hold off any objections, "My lips are sealed, Miss Pepper. It is not my business. Far be it for me to hamper your small pursuits."

Although he was curious if she wasn't permitted to leave the academy whenever she wished. It was supposed to be a school, not a prison. Ah, but he reminded himself yet again that it wasn't his business. "It was a pleasant surprise to see you again, Miss Pepper. I should let you be about your business now. If you need to deliver that scroll soon then I am wasting your leisure time."

Rhindeer

"Oh! You're not wastin' it!" Pepper said quickly. A bit too quickly, perhaps. She cleared her throat and straightened her hat.

"Ain't no rule sayin' ya can't come along. It's pretty borin' doin' this all alone--that is, if ya ain't busy or nothin'! Like, uh, thought maybe I'd ask ya some questions about them books or...whatever. If ya ain't busy! Ya don't have to! Just, if you're bored."

She scuffed the ground with the toe of her boot, eyes shifting away. Argh. She hated feeling this awkward, but truth be told, she really admired him.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

Tatsu arched a brow at Pepper's swift protest to the idea that he was wasting her time. He very much would have liked to be in her head at that moment. Her behavior was so curious, it would be quite intriguing to be privy to her thoughts. Ah, but her thoughts were his own and it wasn't his concern.

"As eloquent as that delightful string of words was, let me clarify. Are you asking if I would like to accompany you, Miss Pepper? A very wordy invitation if so, and an invitation I would be happy to accept." He smiled and offered Pepper his arm like a proper gentleman might offer a lady.

Rhindeer

Pepper stared at his offered arm, and her face flushed hotter, embarrassed at her own fumbling words--and at how gentlemanly he was. It wasn't something she was used to at all, people acting all gentlemanly at her. She was more used to being treated as a gofer, a student, or a former criminal. This kind of thing right here was like something out of some story about knights and ladies, and she weren't no lady.

"Yeeeeah..." she finally said when she got her words back, expression sheepish as she slid her eyes away. "Um, yeah. That, uh, that's what I was tryin' to say." And she laid her hand on his arm. "Ya sure you're okay comin' along? Ya ain't too busy doin'...whatever it is ya do?" A pause. "What do ya do, anyway? When ya ain't helpin' out scrappy students?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

"Not too busy at all. I just returned from Essyrn, in fact, so I was simply enjoying the market for a few hours. I am an antiquities dealer. Mostly I focus on acquiring and selling rare magical pieces. Very lucrative business, I might add. Sometimes items end up in my personal collection, often books." The books that Tatsu had gifted to her had come from his personal library. It was hard to part with them, because books were one of his greatest treasures, but her enjoyment only validated his decision to share them with her.

"I know you are a student, but have you considered what you might do beyond that? I am led to believe that many of the college students become employed by the colleges themselves." He really didn't know a great deal about the schools, in truth. The topic had never concerned him before he'd met Pepper.

Rhindeer

"Uhhh...yeah. Ya'd be pretty correct there. Pretty much everyone winds up workin' for the college. Unless they're mama's little rich kid, like Arianne. Then they get bailed out and can go off to do whatever and rub it in everyone's face."

Nope. Pepper wasn't bitter at all! Realizing the acidity of her words, she winced and switched gears.

"That ain't to say it's a bad thing, workin' for the college. Don't get me wrong. Weren't for the college, I'd probably have had my neck in a noose years ago, or be down by a hand. They saved me, really. I owe 'em. Just kinda frustratin' that just like everywhere else, it's the people with the money that get the good stuff. I'll be in my grave and I'll still be workin' off my debt! So, uh, to answer your question, I'll still be workin' for the college probably, yeah."

She shrugged. Wasn't much to do about that. "Maybe if I get real good, I can do somethin' like what ya do. Not really sure what I'll be doin'. I've been playin' with my magic more, and I think it's somethin' to do with earth?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

Tatsu arched a brow at Pepper curiously, mulling over what she said about the college. It sounded to him that the college was basically intent on making indentured servants out of its students. Barely a step up from slaves, in his mind, but he supposed most of them were willing to spend their lives serving the colleges. Especially the poor ones, as Pepper had pointed out. At least they had food and shelter, which was better than nothing.

"It is unfair for some to have so much while others have so little." He agreed with her on that much, at least. Even if he couldn't truly understand her frustrations. After all, he had just told her that he had a well-paying business. Tatsu had never known the troubles of being poor or cast out. In the colony everyone was taken care of and no one went without. It wasn't until he had come to live among humans that he learned of poverty and the luxuries and pains that money could cause.

"Yes, I did sense your affinity for that element. You really will be quite powerful once you have mastered your abilities. It is one of the reasons I gave you the books that I did. Although I have others that might also be useful to you. Perhaps after you have finished studying with the first two I will lend you more." He led her over to the stall she'd been headed for before bumping into him. It was full of cheap trinkets. "Ah, here we are. Was this what you were interested in?"

Rhindeer

"Really? Shit, that'd be amazin'! It might be a while, of course. I'm only like..." Pepper furrowed her brows. "A third done with the first book...?" She grimaced, shrugging her shoulders. "Ain't that quick a reader. And there's a lotta big words. Like legerdemain. But it's really good!"

And as frustrating as it was to have to keep looking those words up to understand what the hell was being said, it was kind of a fun challenge, too. It made her feel like she was accomplishing something.

"Like, I feel like I'm really learnin' some--huh?" She was about to chatter on (part of her felt like she had to really, really show her appreciation and work extra hard to make sure he saw it in case he didn't realize how grateful she was because, well, wasn't like she got gifts often!), but then she noticed what Tatsu pointed out.  It took a moment for her to remember she'd been headed there in the first place.

She looked down at the wares spread over the table, and shifted awkwardly. "Uhhhm...well, was just gonna look. I guess. To kill some time. Not really interested, just...it looked shiny."

Uh, yeah. She was totally interested.

Once a thief, always a thief, though she'd resisted the urge to do more than just touch for a few years now.

Mostly.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Zero

It certainly wasn't that Tatsu wasn't listening to her enthusiastic response to his offer of providing her with more books, quite the contrary, but he wanted to redirect her attention back to her previous course of the day. He didn't want to disrupt her free time unnecessarily. Indeed, his own pale eyes were drawn to the "shiny" jewelry laid across the table. A faint smile played across his lips at her lukewarm attitude towards them.

He picked up one of the pieces with his free arm and brought it up to inspect with with a very scrutinizing eye. "Perhaps for the best your interest is lacking. These are not of very high quality. Not only are the gems of inferior cut and clarity, but the metalworking is of sub-par crafting as well."

Of course most of the peasantry would not understand that the cheap baubles were truly lackluster. He doubted very many of them had seen real jewels of an exceptional standard. The vendor was glaring at him, but that was to be expected when you criticized someone's product, he supposed. Tatsu sighed and set the bracelet back down.

"Miss Pepper, do you have time to join me for mid-morning tea?" The question might have seemed random, but it was far from that. "The shop that sells my antiquities is in a nicer part of the city, and I have many items there that you might find interesting." Not only the books, but he had many beautiful pieces of art that she could admire, including jewelry.

Rhindeer

"Yeah!" Pepper said, without so much as a pause for thought. Yes, she did want to join him! Anything to stall going back, anything to take advantage of being outside the college, and besides...she was curious about his shop. She liked the books he'd sent her, and this talk of "items she might find interesting" had her curiosity piqued.

Besides, she liked tea.

Made her feel all fancy, since she'd never had it back when she was a street rat. And it always made her feel all energetic!

"I mean, uh...yeah. If it ain't a problem or nothin'? I don't wanna like burden ya or anythin', but like...I like tea. And interestin' stuff. Interestin' stuff's...of interest." And she gave a little nod at that, still feeling a little ridiculous and fumbly with her words, but she couldn't help it! She looked up to him.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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