H130, Day 191, 7 AP (Gl'Fnak, Hadrian)

[Stix]

After five full days of waiting, Hadrian and Gl'Fnak both find themselves at the entryway to the Society's library, waiting to pick up their orders. Both men stand beneath a small awning, a lone grace to keep them out of the Lower Ward's driving, acrid rain.

A porter answers the knock -- a stout middle-aged human in dusk-colored robes. "Yes, sirs?"

[exile]

Hadrian stood quietly beneath the shelter of the awning listening to the rain splash and sizzle across the pitted cobblestones of the lower ward. With idle curiously he turned his gaze onto the oddly attired cipher that likewise huddled in against the weather. Was that an illithid on his head?

“Evening, cutter,” the aasimar remarked, offering a friendly nod, before turning back to his own thoughts. A few moments later, the sound of deadbolt being drawn back pulled Hadrian’s attention back around to where a clerk of some sort now stood outlined in the doorframe.

“I’m here to pick up an order, please,” was all that he said.

[Stix]

"Ah, of course. Your name, basher?" The porter offers the Bleaker a disinterested, hoping-to-pawn-this-onto-someone-else look.

[TheGratefulNed]

exile said:

“Evening, cutter,” the aasimar remarked, offering a friendly nod, before turning back to his own thoughts. A few moments later, the sound of deadbolt being drawn back pulled Hadrian’s attention back around to where a clerk of some sort now stood outlined in the doorframe.

Gl'Fnak stands near to the building, dripping oily rain onto the doorstep. He is thoughtlessly twirling two brilliantly hued feathers between his fingertips, they go from a bluish-purple at the bottom into a light green, yellow, orange and bright red at the tops. Returning the handsome aasimar's friendly acknowledging nod and greeting, the Cipher simply replies, "hiya."

exile said:

“I’m here to pick up an order, please,” was all that he said.

When the door is answered, he adds after Hadrian's words, "likewise." Then directing his words back to the other rain-soaked spellslinger, "returning for info not at hand during the open bazaar?"

admin said:

"Ah, of course. Your name, basher?" The porter offers the Bleaker a disinterested, hoping-to-pawn-this-onto-someone-else look.

"Gl'Fnak," he says. Holding up the two phoenix feathers the tiefling adds, "with the balance of my payment."

[exile]

thegratefulned said:

When the door is answered, he adds after Hadrian's words, "likewise." Then directing his words back to the other rain-soaked spellslinger, "returning for info not at hand during the open bazaar?"

“Information?” Hadrian replied. “I suppose I’m here for some of that as well, yes. Yourself?” The aasimar was not one to typically engage in small talk, but something about this particular cipher was intriguing.

admin said:

"Ah, of course. Your name, basher?" The porter offers the Bleaker a disinterested, hoping-to-pawn-this-onto-someone-else look.

“Er, Hadrian,” he says. “It should be under Hadrian.” Like most Bleakers, Hadrian had long dispensed with a last name. After all, there was little point in identifying oneself with a lineage that one was only included in by virtue of happenstance.

[TheGratefulNed]

"Finding something these are good for," he says, indicating the colorful feathers. "What piqued your interests?"

[exile]

“Something much more mundane, cutter,” Hadrian laughed. “The Society’s membership is steep in the extreme. I’m looking for some sort of less formal collaboration for the time being.”

As he spoke, the aasimar’s gaze strayed away from the cipher and settled on their attendant. “A contact, perhaps? Maybe even a sponsor?”

[Stix]

Without another word, the porter signals for the two to wait and retreats into the mages' sanctum.

After a short wait, a bespectacled middle-aged woman in the attire of a court aide answers the door once again. "Good evening, sirs." She turns to the Bleaker. "Hadrian, yes? I'm afraid there was some confusion with your order. You see, the fair was assembled to distribute knowledge of cantrips and those spells of the first and second houses only. The Society offers to reimburse you or to supply you with a single third-house spell of your choice. Apologies."

[exile]

“I see,” Hadrian replies. “Very well, I suppose I will accept greater magic weapon in that event. While we are on the subject though, how would one such as myself go about otherwise procuring spells from the middle and upper houses? Can I perhaps call upon the society in the future for assistance?”

(ooc: I think I more or less have to take this spell for the sake of continuity since I’ve already cast it at a later date.)

[Stix]

"While we are otherwise a private society, you are welcome to request intercession on your behalf from a member, if you are currently ineligible for membership yourself." Her thin smile and look of unease suggest that it's a polite way of saying "too poor."

"I hear the library calling to me, sirs. Good day to you." She promptly closes the door.

[TheGratefulNed]

Gl'Fnak sticks one green-metal shod hoof between the door and jamb as the woman tries to close it. He clears his throat to draw her attention and arches his multiply-pierced eyebrow at her expectantly, but says nothing.

[Stix]

"Ah!" the woman calls out sharply in surprise as the door stops hard against Gl'Fnak's hoof.

A dimly-illuminated onlooker watches from down the hall as the door swings open again. "Oh my, sir, I apologize. The phoenix feather request was yours, I trust." She holds out the burnished scroll case, accepting it in exchange for the feathers.

After handing it over, she closes the door with the same lack of ceremony, anxious to get back to her studies.

(Not to beat anybody over the head with it -- I think one or both of you has probably picked up on the hint -- but my intent with this scene was to open the possibility of a working relationship between Gl'Fnak and Hadrian. I'd like to encourage more PC-to-PC mentoring whenever possible; it's profitable to both parties, and it earns more XP. If it's not something that either character would do, however, don't compromise on my account.)

[TheGratefulNed]

The ashen-skinned tiefling remits the balance of his payment in exchange for the scroll case and withdraws his hoof.

He removes the contents of the tube and examines them while addressing Hadrian, "looking for other spells these cutters won't supply?" He shifts his gaze momentarily up to meet the Bleaker's before continuing the appraisal of his bartered info.

((I got the hint, was just waiting for the business-at-hand to be finished first. ))

[exile]

(Yeah sorry, I picked up on it too but these last couple weeks have been busy and draining for a variety of reasons. I’ll try to get back to a normal frequency of posting and take on bigger projects again.)

“Friendly cutters, aren’t they?” Hadrian observes dryly, wringing his hands together absently before the closed door. After a moment his gaze strays over to the cipher at his side. Nodding in regard to the man’s question, he responds:

“I’m always looking for spells, cutter; never been too proud to learn a thing or two from someone in the know. If you’re of a mind to, I’d be only too pleased to work out an exchange that suits us both. But no, nothing in particular tonight. I’m mostly looking for another head to come wigwag with when my own brainbox can’t see its way around a problem. Forgive me, cutter, but you look familiar. My memory isn’t always good for names but you have the sort of face I don’t think I’d soon forget. I'm Hadrian.”

Hadrian extends a hand out to the cipher.

[TheGratefulNed]

Gl'Fnak chuckles lightly and nods in response. "I've a respectable repertoire myself and for the right deal could make available to you spell research resources."

After allowing a short moment for that to sink into Hadrian's brainbox, the Cipher continues, his toothy grin broadening, "my countenance isn't an easy one to forget. Gl'Fnak," he replies, grasping the Bleaker's forearm in greeting.

((Hopefully should be a little more regularly on again, got a god deal of our stuff moved in and arranged))

[exile]

(Not a problem, glad to have you back.)

“Pleased to make your acquaintance again, cutter,” Hadrian replies. “You’ve certainly piqued my interest. What say we get out of the rain and find a nice dry pub to talk things over, hey? I’m in the market for spells of the second and third house at the moment, and I’m willing to trade fer them.”

The aasimar’s eyes dart about the lonely, washed out streets of this particular corner of the Lower Ward in search of a promising alehouse.

Absently he adds: “And if you’re sincere about researching new formulae yourself, I’m sure there’ll come a time when I’ll be glad to know it.”

[TheGratefulNed]

Nodding at the aasimar's suggestion, Gl'Fnak inquires, "intent on staying on this side of the city to find that pub?"

((Again, sorry about taking so long in here. I'll get you a list of spells that Gl'Fnak is willing to trade/sell once I find my original character sheet and get them all updated to 3rd ed))

[exile]

Hadrian smiles amicably. "I've all the hours in the day if you can think of somewhere better. What did you have in mind, cutter?"

(No worries, I understand)

[TheGratefulNed]

"There're a coupla places 'round here I bang around on occasion. But they're not fans of your 'kind,'" he replies with a wry smile and a wink. "Been to the Open Shell before? Bertram's a true blood and the bub's always good."

[exile]

“Just once,” Hadrian smiled. “On a poorly thought out hunch. Lets pay a visit to the Shell then, hey? I could do with a walk.” The grey skies and spitting rain didn’t seem to suppress the Bleaker’s mood, indeed he appeared to be in high spirits.

(OOC: New thread?)