Seeking Something

[Jenni Twilight]

x

-- Fall 2nd, 513 AV --

Jenni had wanted to join the Seekers for a while. She knew about the organization, and what they did... and something seemed to just... work with her. They were built on information, and research, using Eyris' gift to learn more. She loved history and research, which fit perfectly with them. That's what brought her here, today, to the Bharani Library. She'd heard that one could register here to become a Novitate, and join the order. However, she wasn't quite sure what happened after that. Most of the people she spoke to seemed pretty closed-mouthed about the initiation, but for personal reasons, or general secretiveness, she didn't know. Whatever it was, she'd find out soon enough.

She made her way into the library, nodding to the Shinya guards at the doors. She'd been inside once or twice, but generally used other libraries, as she'd technically not 'contributed' to the Library, so couldn't check out any of their books. However, despite it being a known sight, the Twilight was still amazed at the appearance. It was filled with Skyglass decorations, glittering just as the entrance had, giving it a magnificent feeling. There were shelves all around, covered with books, mostly, but also maps, and some other random odds and ends. She wished she could access all the knowledge the Library held, and hopefully that would be something she could do, after she'd joined the seekers.

Walking up to the front desk, she waited until someone approached before saying, slightly shyly "I'd like to join the Seekers please, if possible." It was an awkward, and slightly blunt thing to say, and she hoped she wasn't coming by as rude. Still, what else could she say? The morpher had spent quite a bit of her walk here thinking on that topic, but had given up trying to say something tactful. She just couldn't do that sort of thing.

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

x

[Elysium]

Wendel sat amongst a sea of paperwork, frantically sorting to and fro from stack to stack. Ever since he’d fouled up with the Konti woman just a season ago, he was assigned to the front desk. Which was bad. Those with the afternoon shift always cleaned up after him with a sneer. The man was horribly scattered, bearing no system of organization, no rhyme or reason to the stacks of intakes, applications and book licenses.

”Excuse me?” He looked up at the young woman as one mountain in particular cascaded over into his lap. Frantic, he began to pick it all up and relocate it. ”Yes, yes,” he said placatingly, eyes wild. ”You want to join.” Protocol, protocol. She needed an application, then an interview, which was usually sorted out rather quickly. He shifted through the various heaps in front of him, finally pulling out a single sheet from the unmitigated disaster.

”Here,” he said, thrusting it toward her with all the grace of an olidosapux. ”Fill this out and I’ll be back shortly.” And like that, he toddled off some gleaming, skyglass hallway, leaving her no further instruction. Oh, and he forgot to give her anything to write with.

The application was a simple form of personal information. First and last name, date of birth, current age, relevant skills, personal recommendations and why she wanted to be a Seeker in the first place. All in all, it was terribly boring. But such was the process all scholars adored. Mundane details first, points of interest later.

After a long while, he reappeared, looking somewhat winded. His untidy black hair was more unkempt, even. ”Once you hand that in, someone will have you in for a brief interview, Ms…” He let the sentence trail off, allowing her to provide the rest.

”Oh!”

He scrambled around the desk, offering her a quill.

[Jenni Twilight]

x

Jenni watched the disorganized man with more than a little amusement. When he started thrusting papers at her and even babbling a little, it was hard not to resist the temptation to raise an eyebrow. When he left, however, she glanced down at the form, to read it over. Name...age... personal recommendation... why she wanted to be a seeker. Relatively simple questions, but to the point and organized. Much more organized than the man at the front desk, to be sure.

She reached forward instinctively for a quill... then stopped. He hadn't given her anything to write with. Sighing, she mentally began planning out the answers, to save time later. She didn't actually have any personal recommendations... but she hoped that wasn't a problem, and skipped on to the last, more interesting question. Why she wanted to be a seeker. Really... she loved knowledge and research, and figuring things out... and books... and history... and all that basic scholarly stuff. It was quite a simple question, once she put a little thought into it.

Soon enough, the clerk came running back, seemingly out of breath. "Twilight" she added to the hanging questions, before smothering a grin when he grabbed her a quill. She hadn't been able to find any before, and this one had been hidden in quite an awkward spot. She took it, thanking the man, before quickly beginning to write down information.

- Jenni Twilight
- Fall 17th, 495AV
- 17
- Research, Copying, Writing and Anthropology skills
- No personal recommendations
- I'd like to be a seeker simply because I love information and knowledge. History in particular is a favorite of mine, but I adore books and just researching in general. Being a Seeker would allow me to flesh out these skills, and aid in my search for information in general. Being enthusiastic about the subject, I would also be quite an aid to the Seekers, helping the group as a whole learn more...

And so it went. After a few chimes of scribbling in her loopy hand, the Twilight handed the form to the clerk with a simple "Done." Now that the form was done... time for the interview. Who knew what would happen there...

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

x

[Elysium]

Wendel nodded vigorously, nearly ripping the paper as he clumsily snatched it from her hand. ”Sorry,” he murmured, as if by reflex, before he went tottering off again, down the hallway. Meanwhile, passerby gave Jenni a sympathetic look, as if they felt bad that the young girl was forced to put up with Wendel’s fumbling behavior. One mistake on the desk was all it took to keep him there forever, much to the malcontent of the rest of the library.

After a chime or so, he returned, smoothing a hand over his hair nervously. ”Ah, Jennifer, right?” With one sweaty hand, he gestured toward the back of the library. ”Come with me.” He turned unceremoniously and walked back from whence he came, obviously expecting her to follow. They passed through the gleaming, snowy-white corridors of Bharani, easily dodging patrons on the other side thanks to the astronomical amount of space. Before long, they paused before an office, the door thrown open to reveal a thin, middle-aged man.

”Come on in,” he said, gesturing with one hand. As Jenni passed the threshold, she’d find herself before a relatively tidy desk. The man in question sported a mop of curly hair and small, twinkling eyes, hidden beneath a pair of glasses. He held her application in one hand.

”Please, sit.” The chair before the desk was more an armchair than anything. It was huge and far more comfortable in appearance than the chair he claimed as his own. ”My name is Sayeo and I’ll be interviewing you today.” He held her paper back and squinted at it through his spectacles. ”You must be… Jenni Twilight?”

He nodded to himself, as if having answered his own question. ”It’s a pleasure to meet a member of the esteemed Twilight House. Now then, Jenni.” He had the bearing of a kind old uncle. ”What makes you so inclined to give up such a life of decadence in exchange for that of a Seeker?” And though he said it kindly, it was obvious he was quite serious.

Whoops!Sorry that it took so long.

[Jenni Twilight]

x

Wendel was a little… odd, to say the least. His clumsy and awkward movements were a little funny, though Jenni wasn’t about to openly laugh at the man. Still, she felt a little… smug, if you had to pick a word. She tried not to let it show, however, instead letting the man practically waddle off with her application. She waited a few minutes, leaning on the desk, attempting to avoid looking at the few people around her. She was here to become a Seeker, and wasn’t in the mood for most other social interaction. Sure, she could deal with that… but it wasn’t at the top of her list.

Soon enough, the secretary came back, looking as awkward as ever. He addressed her by her full name, which caused the Twilight to wince slightly. Though she was perfectly fine with the name, she was more used to Jenni. But… had she even written her full name on the application? No… she’d written ‘Jenni’, if she could remember correctly. That was probably a fault on her part, but apparently this man had heard of her before… which wasn’t saying much. She was a Twilight… most of her family was well known, though her a little less so.

She was led to a neat-looking office, with a small desk, and another man behind it. This one looked a lot more sure of himself than Wendel –though the comparison didn’t say much. He invited the morpher come in and sit, which she accepted with a nod. This was probably the interview part. The man was quite bright looking, with a pair of glasses… a sure sign of a scholar, in her book. Few people ruined their eyesight enough to need them. She nodded again as the man –Sayeo- introduced himself her interviewer for today. Did that mean she would be getting more interviews? Probably not, since it was just a saying….

For the third time she gave a nod at the correct use of her name, though added a quick “Yep” to this one. She wouldn’t be called ‘Jennifer’ for the rest of the interview… good. When the compliment about her family came around, Jenni smiled, and stated “Thank you” at a normal tone, though she was tempted to mutter. Her family name followed her around everywhere, and she’d grown used to comments about it, be they positive or negative… though usually the former. Despite the events before the Day of Discord, the Twilights had regained their honor, in a sense.

Finally the questions came around, and she settled herself more easily into the chair provided. She wasn’t entirely sure what she would say if the basic question about why she wanted to join the Seekers came around again, but this one was a little more specific. After a moment of thought, she came up with a reply. “Well, to me, ‘decedance’ as you put it isn’t worth it if you don’t learn, if you don’t bother using your advantage for anything. I’d like to be able to use my advantage to use, discovering and collecting new knowledge… through books, or other means.” She gave a small smile at the conclusion, thinking of the various ways of obtaining new information. One, which she dearly hoped to obtain within the next two seasons… was Lykata. Eyris’ gnosis mark, and the sign of a true Seeker. You couldn’t move up the ranks without acceptance from the goddess of knowledge, the organization’s ‘patron’ goddess, if you wanted to put it that way.
OOCNo problem

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

x

[Elysium]

”A very pragmatic answer,” he said, setting her application down gently. ”I wouldn’t be too nervous – the interview is more or less a formality. In the end, the one who either accepts or denies you will be the Goddess, Eyris. Which leads me to the next question. What do you know of the Seekers? Are you aware of the specifics, such as ranks and organization?” He steepled his fingers together, still smiling.

As if to elaborate, he leaned back in his chair. ”You see, we don’t worship knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but rather, we live to preserve it.” Sayeo tapped a single foot about the ground, a soft staccato in the background. ”Information itself is grand, but we’ve always believed there is a use to it, that it is a vessel onward toward something greater. Knowledge leads to wisdom, as it were, and wisdom is the purest, most practical application of information there is. The ability to take what you know and use it to infer more… Well that is what we do. That is the gift Eyris grants us.”

He leaned forward and picked up a small wooden box, faded by time. ”Through touch, I can read the chavi of this box. I can glean who crafted it, what they intended by crafting it, what their disposition was at the time, even what kind of person they once were. But the real question is, why?” She set the object down. ”We’re no antiquities society, holing up in our musty old library, ferreting all we know away into a vault. We’re not archaeologists, obsessed with the past.” The man drummed one hand upon the desk.

”The Seekers acquire knowledge to keep it safe, but also so it might be used. Our saving grace in the Valterrian was that some could recall what their parents once taught them. Our only request of the average patron is that they contribute in some way, so that others might benefit from that wisdom, too.” He smiled.

”Here, you will learn of these things and more. But scholars are scholars and they might instead, teach at Alluvion.” He gave her a penetrating look.

[Jenni Twilight]

x

Jenni listened to Sayeo with interest, and was about to answer his question, when the man continued. He explained their view on knowledge, one that was quite unique in her mind compared to the views of others. Not information just to have the information, but to collect it... learn from it, and use it. She agreed completely with using it for other things, practical things, giving the knowledge a purpose. It was a slightly complicated concept... but she understood.

The man described Eyris' gift, something she did know of... though the 'Chavi' thing slightly confused her. He posed a 'why' question, causing the woman to glance up with even more interest than before. She'd been listening intently during the entire explanation, soaking up all that Sayeo said, but why, that was her favorite question. She could think of many times that Nosumo complains about her constantly using that word. Why this, why that. A small grin touched her lips, and she leaned forward. The answer was put off with examples, but... it was coming.

Yes, back to the practical usage. The whole concept of it all: gather knowledge to be used. The man continued with a little more description, before directly addressing her. He brought up being a teacher... which she thought was an odd thing to do, but it made sense. Teachers simply passed on knowledge, kept it safe... but they didn't use it.

She smiled, before coming up with a slightly cryptic answer of her own. "Well, I've always been interested in history. But... when I looked at what I could do, work wise, in history... I realized there were few jobs. Most... was as a teacher, to pass on my knowledge. I found that a little silly, really. Why bother to learn it, if all you're going to do is teach others, and do nothing more? It is nearly a waste of valuable information, when you could be using it for more practical, useful, helpful things..." She paused, hoping to create some kind of dramatic tension... if that was possible in this conversation. She leaned on her arms, elbows resting firmly on her thighs.

By complete accident, the statement brought her back to her reasons for being a Seeker... that again. "Which is what has brought me here - so I can, as you say, gather knowledge and use it. Learn from our past, so we can protect our future, and make it better for everyone. Think about it... if we know what caused the Valterrian, we can use that knowledge to prevent it from ever happening again, right?" She smiled at the man before her, realizing she'd gone off on a little tangent. When she'd first become interesting in history, her family had doubted her choice, wanting to know the practicality. After some thought, she'd come up with that, and threw it at anyone who wondered why she wasted her time with research. No one wanted another Valterrian... and though there was nothing to show of a new one (though the recent Djed storm had been unnerving), it was always good to be prepared.

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

x

[Elysium]

Sayeo smiled broadly. ”Perhaps.” He set his palms flat against the paper before him. ”Regardless of whether or not that is even possible, we’ve created this library to endure. All that we’d known before was lost in the cataclysm. This time, we plan to again, fill the world with knowledge and keep that knowledge safe, much like you’ve said. We will use it protect our future, whatever the cost.” His eyes twinkled, a bit. ”Not what you expected, eh?”

He looked down at the paper. ”I think you’ve shown more than enough of what it takes to succeed here. If your intellect matches your spirit, you’ll go far.” He took the application and set it aside. ”Now then. Would you like a little tour? I can show you precisely what you’ll need to know. And tell me: when would you like to begin? There are no set dates for joining. You can start anytime you like.”

The man slid out of her chair with ease and stretched. It was obvious he was as thin as a whipcord beneath those flowing white robes. ”Let’s be off. I can show you where to get your uniform, introduce you to a few of my colleagues and some of the other novitiates you’ll be working with. Now are you staying here, or will you be remaining at home? Many opt to move here simply because of the early scheduling. You’ll get easier hours after you’ve been marked, I assure you.”

Assuming she followed, he led her out the door and down the hall into the man room. ”Here, you’ve no doubt been before,” he began, gesturing upward. Loft after loft of shelving ringed the walls, all the way up to the domed ceiling. ”You’ll learn the sections of the library proper in your training. Non-magical literature is on floor one through four. Anything four and up is strictly arcane. Come on,” he gestured for her to follow.

They passed by the front desk. Sayeo gave a little wave to Wendel, who smiled nervously in reply. ”Poor Wendel,” he said conspiratorially, as they entered the opposing hallway. ”He had a bit of a muck up with a Konti who was in possession of some ah,” he coughed, ”delicate information. At least, she was at the time. Led her straight to one of our savants without even notifying them up front. As I understand, the woman was quite the beauty. But unfortunately for him, (and everyone else) it got him stuck at the front desk for the last season and a half.”

They came out into another main area, however this wing was far different. There were staircases on either side that led up the stories, much in the same way as the first, however there were no lofts. Whatever was in store for them, it was hidden from sight by the smooth, marbled walls. ”These are the quarters, though we’ll be going down. Laundry is done there, as you might imagine, as well as the bathchambers.”

[Jenni Twilight]

x

Jenni felt an immense wave of satisfaction when Sayeo agreed that she was well suited for the library. When he mentioned intellect, she had to resist the urge to grin. She was smart... not as smart as some people, but certainly up there... she wasn't the average person, after all. Though that was probably boasting, she was confident in her own abilities, though didn't try to exaggerate... but she was intelligent.

"A tour would be nice" she replied, glancing around. The library was huge, and she'd seen so little of it. "I'd like to begin as soon as possible, if that's not a problem... the sooner the better." She gave a shrug and a small smile. Vaguely she felt like this wasn't quite it, some people had mentioned more than just this when joining the Seekers... but also no one had quite explained what happened next. Until then, she decided to just listen to the tour and follow Sayeo.

"I think I'll stay at home," the Twilight stated, in answer to the next inquiry. She didn't mind waking early... or in the middle of any of the rests, for that matter. She preferred the day hours to the night, the earlier the better... and she often ended up waking at odd times between rests to read, or get some solitude. So she was probably going to be fine with the strange hours implied.

The floor explanation was interesting... four floors of non-magical books... and everything up magical? "How many floors are there, then?" she asked, since it could be anything from one more... to ten. The building was at least five floors though, if there had to be any magical books at all. When the attention was brought back to Wendel, she gave the odd man a polite smile, though listened to the story... and she almost grinned... then winced. She didn't like the thought of being stuck there for a season... it sounded positively boring. And annoying. If she was in between people she would probably be able to read a book, though...

The area with the quarters looked simple and nice... though it was just the entrance. Like everywhere there were staircases curving up, and the walls were quite beautiful, being made of marble. Most of the entire library had quite amazing architecture, with skyglass domes and marble walls... the Seekers had certainly put a lot of effort into their home. She made an understanding noise and nodded, before searching for stairs that led down... as Sayeo had mentioned they were going that way.

Common - Nari/Crook - NPC - Writing - Reading

x

[Elysium]

As they descended the curving staircase, Sayeo replied. ”There are six floors, three wings. The middle wing is the library proper, the east wing (where we currently reside) is home to the quarters and the west wing is for the offices, lecture halls and classrooms. Living arrangements go upward by rank, in a logical sort of fashion. The first few floors are for novitiates and neophytes. The next two are for savants, the fifth for disciples and the topmost is for the Champion of Eyris, though there is no such person living today.” He winked. ”Well, that we know of, anyway.”

The stairway ended into a very simple stone chamber. There were halls leading from either side, hollowed out every few feet to make room for various statues of Eyris. ”This way,” he said, gesturing for her to follow. Sayeo disappeared to the right, into the tight corridor. While perfectly formed, it was a bit claustrophobic. But shortly, they emerged into an altogether larger area, dominated by pools and washbasins.

He moved to the side, where a pile of snowy white robes sat. ”Here you are,” he murmured, rifling through a pile before emerging with the article in hand. ”You may have to make some adjustments, but this is the smallest size we have.” He made to hand it off before grinning. ”Now, here comes the fun part. Up the stairs we go!”

As they walked, he continued to speak animatedly. ”The library has precious few magical books and even fewer magical artifacts. The fourth floor handles the basics: books on anatomy for Morphers, primers on magecraft and alchemy, you get the idea. The fifth is home to more sensitive pieces of information, though there are few. And the sixth is home to all magical artifacts. It is generally off-limits to all but savants or higher.” They were quickly ascending the staircase. ”It isn’t very crowded up that way. But boy, it certainly is interesting.”

Before long, they were back where they started. ”Now, I’m going to show you around the common room. Perhaps you’ll change your mind about living at home. Come on,” he said softly.

If she were to move on with him, she’d soon find herself ascending the stair going up. They emerged in a central room, with the option to continue up if they liked. The stairs seemed to cut up through the heart of each common area, with door all about, leading to the various personal rooms. ”Novitiates generally go two to a room, though there are a few personal quarters for the more private individual.”

There were cream-colored chairs and divans scattered throughout the room. Fire crackled merrily from within the central hearth. In the corner, a small pale girl with freckles and large green eyes looked up from the book she was reading. ”Hail, Sayeo.” She called out. ”Hail, Madeline.” He replied in kind. ”Madeline, this is our new Novitiate, Jenni Twilight.” She surveyed the girl, before breaking into a sunny smile. She was neither plain nor overly pretty – her features rested comfortably in between.

”Hail, Jenni. It’s nice to meet you.” She didn’t seem phased by her surname. The girl unfolded her thin legs and rose, moving to greet her.