Closed Life and Death

[Mienskil Ostovik]

In truth, Mienskil was not toally satisfied with the description he gave the nuit, as it was a very bare-bones and superficial description of the art. At least she seemed to be understanding, nodding with confirmation with everything he said as he said it. There were many intricacies that he had left out, so much about his craft that he wanted to share in all its detail (that he knew at least), but now wasn't the time. The nuit's continued curiosity fed a growing sense of satisfaction in the Magecrafter, to whom the knowledge of another individual interested in his practice was a rare but pleasant occasion. "Personal magic," he answered quite simply, elaborating slightly but not to the extent where he would explain each discipline. "Things like reimancy and auristics, the latter of which I'm hoping to use in an item I'm creating. World magics won't work since those require resources and technique as opposed to internal djed, but anything to do with the self can be taught to an item." Of course, he was assuming that the nuit already knew about the disciplines of magic, but this was Sahova after all. If a simple student from Zeltiva could know the basic purpose of each disciplinr, then surely a nuit of Sahova would know too. However, his faith in the nuits of Sahova faltered somewhat as she repeated her initial question. Mienskil was the sort to remember most of what was relevant, makin a habit of commiting things to memory, and while he wasn't making their current conversation a priority it was present enough that he remembered wht was said. Curiously looking at her, he answered anyway. "Lab 37B, a recently opened common area in the Gug Andjak. Where do you work?" While he loved the attention she was giving his craft, he thought it rude to not ask what hers was. Besides, if she knew a personal magic discipline that he didn't he may be able to tap into that knowledge himself.

[Orinei]

The more Mienskil talked about his work, the more intrigued Orinei became, though her expression shifted little from its original indifference. Her interest was present only in her voice; her eyes, though slightly hollow just by virtue of their deadened state, were flicking around the room, landing in turn on Mienskil, the form she had left half-filled out, the other wizards milling about the office…they never set on one thing for long.

When he posed the question about her work, though, she hesitated. It wasn’t that she wasn’t proud of her work: quite the contrary. Anyone asking her about her embalming work was more than a point of pride for her; after all, it was the most important thing a Nuit could know, at least in her opinion. Had another Nuit asked her, she would have had no trouble responding immediately and proudly. But when pulsers asked her—well, that was a bit different. Most humans were indifferent, or even disdainful, of the craft of embalming, thinking it frivolous. Of course, she didn’t care about what a meek, human apprentice might think, but a wizard? A wizard working on a complicated-sounding craft she’d never heard of? Her pride was shaken thinking about what he might think of something like embalming. Ever proud, though, Orinei pressed on.

“I’m an embalming apprentice,” she finally said, pursing her lips slightly. “I work in the Palsa Hydrasa.” Chances were he’d never visited the place and probably wouldn’t need to, so she decided to leave out the specifics. “I’ve been working on a bit of Animation lately, though.”

[Mienskil Ostovik]

"Embalming?" Mienskil repeated, trying the unfamiliar word out on his lips. He knew vaguely what it was, but he'd never had any personal experience with it since he was alive and all, and he'd never paid a visit to any cemetaries. It was something to do with making sure xorpses were preserved for as long as possible, so he thought. He never saw the point in it, but if she were a nuit (which she was) then the purpose and benefit were obvious. No doubt it was a skill they relied upon frequently, maybe it was a discipline even considered respectable among the undead. Regardless, it was simply another area of focus, no less legitimate than anything else in Mienskil's mind. Though he hd to admit, a good deal less impressive by some standards. "I imagine the nuit here are very grateful for your work then," Mienskil replied smiling, turning back to finish writing out his form which he'd put off for long enough. While he scratched the quill away at the paper, he kept talking, the easy multitasking coming naturally to him. "I've not heard of nor been to the Palsa Hydrasa, though I assume it is somewhere that bodies are preserved." The statement was phrased as a question, but if she did not seek to answer then he would not press the matter. After all, it was of no consequence to him. Yet, said a small voice in his mind. At the random morbid thought, the magecrafter shuddered, pushing all relevant thoughts outside his mind instantly. Finishing the form and utting it in the appropriate slot, Mienskil turned back to the nuit and smiled. "Animation sounds to be a useful discipline, maybe we can exchange knowledge sometime." Then, in a sudden and probably unique act of politeness and companoinship, he offered his hand. "I'm Mienskil Ostovik by the way, pleasure to meet you." This time he knew to antocipate the coldness of her hand so he wouldn't potentiall offend her like he might have the Archwizard. Whether ot not she would return the shake was out of his control, though it would make things a good deal more awkwaard if she left him hanging.

[Orinei]

His lack of familiarity with the embalming craft did not surprise her. During her time on Sahova she’d realized fairly quickly that the humans had little interest in her craft—not that she’d expected them to. She was perfectly happy keeping to herself among the undead and the truly dead. A human wouldn’t understand the strange bond she felt with the corpses of Sahova; they brought her a strange sort of peace. They didn’t challenge her, talk back, and they wouldn’t dream of telling her secrets. It was simply easier to make them as beautiful as she could rather than having to truly relate to them.

“Yes, the Palsa Hydrasa is where we keep the bodies,” she nodded, reiterating his thought. In a way, it amused her that he hadn’t even heard of the place—he will, though, she thought. Someday. Few humans came to Sahova at all compared to Nuits, and even fewer left with hearts still beating. It was simple: the odds of him staying alive (as a human, at least) were against him. Orinei recognized that, wondering how long her new acquaintance—does this count as a friend?—was going to stay alive. Though she’d never admit it, she found humans (at their best—she certainly disliked the useless ones) rather endearing in their ways. So...lively.

His friendly gesture—the handshake—caught her slightly off-guard. This was a bit odd; she couldn’t recall anyone attempting to shake her hand on Sahova thus far. Humans seemed distasteful of the coolness of her Nuit skin, and higher-ranking Nuits had no desire to make friends. Is that what he’s doing? Trying to be my…friend? It was a bit of a strange concept. All the same, but rather hesitantly, she extended her own finely manicured hand to briefly clasp his. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious about the temperature of her skin.

“Orinei Achora,” she said, withdrawing her hand. She checked a box with her own hand, signing it with a flourish and placing it in its designated box. “And yes, perhaps we could chat about our work sometime.”

She still wasn’t quite sure what to make of this one. She’d pegged him as a strange bird from the beginning, simply because he was human, but an accomplished wizard—but the friendly gesture had confused (and amused) her.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Unlike most Nuit, this one seemed to take good care of her body. Mienskil could see why most didn't - they were all temporary hosts anyway, so why bother keeping one in good order if it could be swapped for another at any time? Maintenance, as he thought of it, was a very mortal and living thing. Yet here was a Nuit who maintained herself, if only superficially. She might not have needed to feed herself or sleep, but by making sure that her body was clean and well-kept she was performing rituals that were leaning a good deal more toward the living than the dead. Even her manner seemed fresher than the ancient undead. It was interesting to observe, and Mienskil began to think that maybe she would be more readily interested in working with him. Though her hand was cold, Mienskil knew to anticipte the temperature and managed to hold it comfortably. It was different to be sure, but it felt like a hand if a very chilly, and she seemed just as animate as any living person. He smiled as she introduced herself, holding onto her hand a short tick longer when she tried to pull it away, showing that he didn't mind the change in sensation. "Orinei," he repeated. "That's a graceful name." Nodding in agreement, Mienskil smiled. "Indeed we should. If ever you find some free time, come down to Lab 37B and I'll be happy to talk with you. Until then." With that, he nodded again, this time in farewell as he left the Synch office and headed back for his lab. OOCSorry for the short post, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. We can pick up nother in the Spring. In the meantime, do you wanna post again or shall I submit for grading?

[Fallacy]

XP Award! Name:Meinskil XP Award: Teaching- 1 Lore: Explaining the basic concepts of Magecraft Orieni the Embalmer Notes: Name:Orieni XP Award: Interrogation- 2 Observation- 1 Lore: Lab 37B New to Socializing Meinskil the Magecrafter Notes: Any questions or concerns about the rewards gained please send a PM