Vane: Autor's Visit

[gorgonfondness]

"Meribia isn't very far from Vane, a decent commute," Mia answers as she pries Scorpius's small hand out of her hair. "As for the sort of job, that's kind of up to you but most of the work I can get for you easily is related to the library."

They've stepped inside a hallway of the Magic Guild Mansion, an oxymoron of ancient arcane history and new paint. Just in front of them and to their left is a guard standing by a door.

"Good evening, Majesty Mia," he greets with a bow. "Have you brought another visitor to the Magic Guild?"

"I have," she replies with a nod. "This is my friend Autor. He'll be staying here in the Magic Guild Mansion for a while."

"Autooooooow," Scorpius coos before jamming his teething ring back into his mouth.

Mia then turns to Autor and explains, "These are my quarters. We'll have to go downstairs to get to where you'll stay. By the way, would you prefer one of our private guestrooms or would you like to see the dormitories?"

Comments

[herr_bookman]

He places a hand on his head. "I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better or worse," he says, chuckling. "A bar at the end of the universe or a restaurant on the moon."

I wish, he thinks, with a tremulous smile, that I could be as calm as Lemia. Or even Lohen--oh.

The thought of the Knight sobers him right up. He drops his hands to his sides and stares at the road.

"All right," he says quietly, once he looks up. "I'm ready. My apologies for the inconvenience."

[gorgonfondness]

"Autor?" she calls again.

What in the world got him to switch so fast?

She reaches for his hand but lets him decide whether he wants to take it.

"Here, let's go eat. You might feel better with some food in your stomach."

[herr_bookman]

It doesn't even occur to Autor that she's holding her hand out for him to take. He straightens his blazer and pats down his hair, instead.

"So," he says. Time to concentrate on anything and everything that won't remind him of a frie--a man, flinching. "Since we appear to be on the moon, how are we even breathing? Where do you grow your food? How did you manage to farm everything? Do you have poetry about the Eart--er, the Blue Star like we have of Lunar?"

[gorgonfondness]

Mia lets her hand drop. All in its own time if at all.

"We don't have a scientific explanation but there are legends. It's believed that the Goddess Althena transformed this place into a world of life when the Blue Star became uninhabitable. It's as livable as the Blue Star used to be. And we do have poetry about the Blue Star."

The walk is short and hopefully comforting to Autor, the lights of the restaurant coming into view and, once they reach the door, the soft sounds of dinner conversation.

[herr_bookman]

Autor nods at her answers, and holds the door open for her. He tries to think of more questions for her, but it seems his well has dried out with his mouth. As he curls around the table, his best defense turns in on itself.

What did I say, exactly? What was my tone? I know what my intent was, but how much did I tell him? He was terrified for a moment, completely terrified. I couldn't have rattled him more if I tried! But I did try... so what did I say?

His thoughts have crowded out everything--to the extent where when he's handed a menu, he has to focus to make out the lettering. The panic draws him back to the present. If he can't read Lunarian, he can't work in Vane.

Luckily, he can. "Barrel snake steak tips braised in truffle sauce and served over Iluk greens?" he says, blinking. "That sounds awful."

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh, they've got barrel snakes in?" Mia inquires as she inspects her own menu. "I tend to prefer grog snakes myself but that does sound good."

She glances just over the top of her menu.

"Don't mind the names so much. I've had food from your home before and trust me when I say a lot of it does taste similar."

She puts her menu face up on the table and points out an option with her finger.

"Their blue gunfoot steak is really good. It's similar to flank steak from a cow."

Except for the part that it comes from a gunfoot.

And has its own built-in truffles.

[herr_bookman]

Autor's mouth twists. He's not going to eat much right now, so he may as well pick something at random. He is a little annoyed that he didn't think to bring tea leaves from the Bar.

"Everything seems to have truffles," he remarks, gesturing to the menu. "From the Cave of Trial, I assume?"

Then he changes the topic abruptly. "How much does a room in the dormitories cost?"

[gorgonfondness]

There's a nod. "It'd be good to start getting used to it and seafood from Meribia."

Mia thinks it over.

"I'll have to check the records. It's usually included in tuition but we do have it itemized."

Their server returns with their drinks about here and waits to take their order.

[herr_bookman]

"I've never had seafood," Autor says. He orders something which he thinks approximates eggs and toast.

Her mention of tuition has the gears turning. I could go to school here, and learn magic theory. But would I age, if the Story--

He straightens, abruptly. The Story. It gasped, and jerked into life again. How could he have forgotten that? Am I growing older, then? How strange! ...I have so much work to do.

"I'd like that," he says to his dinner companion eventually. "And I'd love to see if I'm able to study magic theory as well. Thank you again for this opportunity."

[gorgonfondness]

He'll probably end up surprised when their food does arrive.

"Oh? You should try some, then. We're close to some of the best seafood sources in the world."

Mia makes her order, which is the aforementioned blue gunfoot steak, and asks their waiter if he could please send along a message to Lady Jessica to meet them after dinner. This has her occupied enough to miss his start.

"Certainly. You should take the opportunity to explore your surroundings and try new things."

[herr_bookman]

"Masters Kyle and Mel teach the sword, do they not?" he says, tilting his head. "I've been interested in duels--"

"Then get better and meet me again." Lohengrin's steady voice floods Autor's ears as pain arcs up his shoulder.

No, he thinks, biting his lip. Not the sword. I would have learned it for you, but you won't want to fight me again, will you? There's no point in learning anymore.

He sips his water, drowning. "Do they still spar together?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Master Mel does but I don't know if Kyle would," Mia muses. "But to be honest, I've never seen Master Mel use a sword. He used to carry a double-headed axe in each hand, though he only carries one now."

She shakes her head a little with a laugh.

"I would think they spar even more now that Kyle is Master Mel's son-in-law."

[herr_bookman]

"Hm," Autor says, running his finger along the rim of his glass, "the book didn't mention that. I suppose it stopped updating after a while?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Every book has to end somewhere," she answers as their food arrives.

Autor's plate looks like it's got a nice little pile of orange-pink eggs, almost like a mini-croquembouche.

A mini-croquembouche of giga ant eggs.

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks rapidly, of course. He's not sure why he expected scrambled chicken eggs; they are eating on the moon, after all.

Remembering Mia's words of encouragement from before, he scoops a small, experimental spoonful into his mouth.

"Hrrk," he says, grimacing. Each of the slimy eggs pop on his tongue, ejecting the foulest and most sour liquid he's ever had. Karkat would be pleased.

Experimentation, he concludes, is sometimes foolish.

[gorgonfondness]

"No good?" Mia asks with a sympathetic wince.

She's never had giga ant eggs before. From the look of Autor's face, she's not about to start.

"Would you like to share my steak?"

[herr_bookman]

"They're terrible," he manages to croak after finishing his third glass of water. "But I'll eat them." One bite at a time, over a course of a week. "There's no sense in wasting food."

[gorgonfondness]

"No, please don't feel obligated," she insists. "I'm sure we can find someone who likes them. There's no sense in punishing yourself."

[herr_bookman]

"Do you happen to know anyone who would like them?" he asks, trying not to think of trolls. "It's not a punishment, per se. I'm just not of a mind to waste things I've ordered."

He sniffs, and doggedly takes another bite. It goes down easier, strangely enough.

[gorgonfondness]

"Not off the top of my head but..."

She trails off as Autor continues to eat. Why is she still surprised about him being stubborn?

Her own part of the meal is finished soon and a beastwoman in white robes walks up to them.

"Hey Mia, whacha need?" Jessica greets.

"Evening, Jess. I've a friend who could use a helping hand in the healing department."

".....he must be sick if he's eating giga ant eggs willingly."

[herr_bookman]

If Autor wasn't sick before, he will be soon. He manages a small nod at Jessica, whose face he recognizes from the book.

Half done. Damn.

"Giga ant?" he says, a little surprised. "Ugh. No wonder."

Setting his fork down, he turns to the two women. "I don't mean to impose, but I've a rather nasty set of bite wounds. If there's anything you can do, I'd appreciate it."

[gorgonfondness]

"What bit you?" the priestess asks. "Anything poisonous?"

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, no, not at all," Autor says, and then tilts his head. "I was bitten by Monster Book of Monsters, which is just as it sounds.

"This is the third time it has sunken its teeth into me, so I'm fairly certain I would have keeled over by now if it were poisonous."

[gorgonfondness]

Jessica nods and looks him over. "This should be easy enough. But wow, I didn't know you bookworms had it so rough."

She gives Mia an aside glance at that. The Guildmaster shrugs sheepishly at her friend.

That done, Jess gets back to work. She clasps her hands together and closes her eyes in concentration, her mouth moving while whispering the spell.

No, the prayer.

She finishes with a slightly more audible, "I ask this in the name of the Goddess."

And just like that, Autor's back in peak physical condition.

[herr_bookman]

Autor sucks a breath in through his teeth. His peak condition has never been very peak, but the puncture wounds on his hand have closed, his leg is no longer stiff, and apparently there was a great deal of unaccounted for tension in his shoulders.

He feels light. Dizzy. It might be the giga ant eggs, but he's choosing to believe otherwise.

"That," he says, blinking, "is a very useful incantation. How might I repay you?"