Welcome to Gaia! ::

~[aureae lachrymae]~:
After leading the two students into the library, Seccina nodded farewell to them both and turned to leave. Just as she did so, her eye caught on a particularly intriguing volume on the properties of Elderberry Wine and other herbal beverages.

She glided over to the beautifully gilded work and carefully opened it at a nearby table, turning up the lamp near by and began to read it with great intent. She sighed happily at a passing memory the contents of this particular book brought to her thoughts.

JayceeMendaci:
The quiet tranquility of the library was shredded by a loud huffing and wheezing. An old man staggered out from behind a row of bookshelves, his face a cherry red and pouring sweat. In his short arms are preposterous number of books, stacked above his shaven crown. He seemed about to fall over with every step, wobbling and losing his balance constantly. In a sidelong movement that almost sent him and his mountain of books to the floor, he reached the nearest table and dropped the stack of books with a resounding thud.

His thick white beard was pulled aside by a cheery smile as his sooty grey sleeved arm rose to mop up the sweat. He addressed Seccina, sending his arms into the air, and speaking in a voice that was a bit too loud for the library "Ah finally someone besides that horrid old hag. What brings you here my daughter?". Even his reference to the librarian as "horrid" was done in a cheerful fashion. The books on the table though, had a much darker tone, with titles such as "Horrors of the night" and "Common Curses"

~[aureae lachrymae]~:
Seccina stared a bit warily at the newcomer and cocked her head slightly. "I haven't been called daughter in....well in too many years to count." She said a bit airily. "I was on my way out into the commons when i came across this book," she said, sliding the volume over towards the old man. "I've not met you yet. I'm Professor Seccina Kaeline, I teach Herbology." And she looked at him with an expectancy lighting her face. She couldn't help but have a small smile creep into her features as she recalled his reference to the anonymous librarian. She'd never met the woman before, but a vision of her was forming itself vaguely in her mind's eye and it was amusing.

JayceeMendaci:
The old man invited himself onto a chair next to Seccina's, still wiping sweat from his brow "Whew, these things are heavy. And of course you're a daughter. We're all God's children y'know.". His tone was almost that of a father scolding his child in a genial manner. As Seccina spoke, he nodded slowly, his hazel brown eyes filling with dissaproval as he read the title of the book she slid over. Making no comment on it however, his smile returned once she gave her name "The good lord has blessed me in meeting you miss Kaelie, and my name is Richard.".

He stopped for a moment, thoughtfully stroking his beard "Oh yesh, I'm also the professor of the Blessings'n'Curses class". A loud laugh erupted from him, and his eyes twinkled with merriment "I hope ta teach more blessings than curses though". "So tell me about yourself little one, what do you teach in herbology? I always said, if the good lord didn't show me what plants 'e wanted me usin', than he didn't want me usin' 'em". The old man settled back in his chair, apparently still amused at whatever had caused him to laugh earlier.

~[aureae lachrymae]~:
Seccina was a bit unnerved by the man's response to her findings, but nonetheless, she tried to be polite. "Um, sir, Richard, it's very nice to meet you. My name is Mz. Kaeline, however." She said, a bit abashed at correcting him. She'd never heard of his class before, but nonetheless was interested. "Well, obviously, i teach what plants are safe and what plants are harmful to the body; which ones will assist in healing and how to prepare them. There are some other facets to it, but in general, that explains my purpose." She smiled kindly at the old man. he was definately different, and she welcomed any chance to familarize herself with those around her.

"What might you be looking into today?" She asked, eyeing his choices apprehensively.

JayceeMendaci:
A noisy sigh escaped from the old man as he spoke "As you wish my sister, Kaeline be your title then.". As Seccina explained what she taught, Richard nodded approvingly "So you've bin gifted with healin'. Here, I have somethin' for yah then". Carefully reaching down to his wide belt, he unhooked one of the medals from it "This here is a medal of Saint Rita, she's one of the patron saints of healin'. Might help yah someday". The golden medal spun around on it's chain, clinking lightly as he set it in front of Seccina.

"Ah, I was lookin' at all the books I could lay mah hands on. See, these priests 'ere, they tell their people that all things they dun understand is bad. So all sorts 'o things is burnt 'cause of their ignorance. This 'ere library 'as all those books, and to truely follow God, you must know what belongs to the devil, aye?" the old man quickly explained in anwer to her query. "My usual readin' is the daily office of the church, so don't worry yourself over it. That, an' I was thinkin' what text I'd use for my class". As he spoke, his hands flew wildy to illustrate his words, causing him to sweat even more. It was amazing that such an old man could be so active, and his voice never dropped below a half shout

~[aureae lachrymae]~:

Seccina made a small laugh at the old man's antics and touched the medal softly. She'd never been one for the church, but the man's kindness made that tiny disk of medal precious to her. She couldn't help it; she was softhearted by nature and his enthusiastic explanation of everything made her warm up to him soon enough.

She knew what he was about. She had fought that battle and lost against those who would destroy and defame all that was unfamiliar to them. She was sure that everyone at this academy could relate to that particular trait of mankind. She sighed a sad sigh and caught herself before it extended too long.

She really was intrigued about his research, wondering if she might somehow relate it to her on craft. "So, Richard, what is on the books for your first lesson?" She could hardly wait for him to explain just so she could watch his frantic motions as he spoke.

((Hey, i gotta go! Sorry! I hope to talk to you tomorrow, i've a class, you know! Hope to see one of your characters there!))

JayceeMendaci:
Richard Howell's thick curly beard did little to cover his massive smile as Seccina took his medal. Each medal served as a focal point for external energies, and the stronger the belief, the more energy could flow through it. As his hands flew over his head in describing how people's ignorance destroyed their faith, he had to stop, wiping off the sweat that was beading on his forehead once more.

Taking a deep breath after explaining his choice of books, the old man worried she might think him faithless. He sincerely hoped that her little sigh hadn't been in dissapointment, but he couldn't help it. It didn't matter what the world thought, only that he was doing the right thing. He had been called a heretic more than once, for attempting to learn of satan's snares, but burying your head in a monastary was contrary to his life's teachings. And so, Richard was the kind of person who "let his light shine forth".

The young woman's voice was very musical, and tempted him to ask her if she could sing. Starting a choir would be a wonderful idea, perhaps he would make it a part of his class. His smile grew even wider as he realized she had been asking about it "Oh, I was thinkin' of takin' this 'ere book" One hand flung out sideways, while the other pushed the pile of books aside, pulling one from the bottom of the stack.

"This 'ere "Curses o' the Lands" book looks to be perfect for me.". Lifting the book up and smacking it heavily with his free hand, Richard beamed "It shows perfec'ly 'ow God'n'Satan work." Dropping the book back onto the table so he could express himself more clearly, the old man's voice steadily rose as he carried through his speech. "See 'ere, God, 'elps 'is children by strengthenen' their relationships with otha things. The followers 'o the dark one gain power by dividin' things apart.".

Here Richard stopped for a breath and to mop up his sweat again "And this 'ere book 'as two things right off. A blessin' and a curse.". Wildly holding out both hands to emphasize his two, he then dropped nearly to the floor, and his voice took a slightly fonder, if not quieter tone "Kiddies always do like learnin' things they can use right off, and I figure that I'll get 'em interested right off". Springing up on his last line, he thrust his hands into the air and his bright eyes shone as he waited her response.

((Okie, I probably should try and sleep too. Nice RPing with you, and sadly, I don't think either of my characters will be. We shall see.))

~[aureae lachrymae]~:
Seccina was right in the middle of a great chiming laugh when all of the sudden it choked to a hault. "The Kids!!!!!!" She said, much louder than she was intending. "Oh, dear me! I forgot all about it!!!" With an apologetic look, she grabbed her book and tore out of the library as fast as dignity could allow, dropping to a dead run as soon as she hit the quad. Her light movements, scarely making a sound as she headed for the VAL building in a hasty attempt to ready the classroom for her first class....((See inside the castle))

JayceeMendaci:
"She must 'ave 'ad 'er own kiddies to attend to." the old man mused to himself. It had surprised him greatly when she dashed off in the middle of his explanation. Richard shrugged, and turning back to his books, whispered a phrase in latin. Bending down to pick them up, he lifted them effortlessly. A pleased smile grew beneath his beard and he raised his eyes to the ceiling "Thank you, God".

His eyes widened and smiled dropped as a shuffling noise was heard around the corner. Richard Howell may have been old, but he could still sprint like a child, and he made good use of that ability. By the time The Librarian reached the spot where she thought she had heard yelling, there was no one in sight. Only a table with two chairs, and a book on the herbal properties of alchoholic beverages. With a grunt, the old woman snatched the book to file it away properly, muttering to herself as she went.

wolfiso:
Stepping into the library Mackenzie had to adjust her hearing. With all the books and shelving every echo was muffled. It was like when you step inside a building with few windows after having been outside for a while and your eyes take a moment to adjust to the light level. The musty smell of dusty pages and the quiet shuffling of the librarians slippers and a gentle clomping as someone ran. She walked slowly forward closing her sightless eyes and stepping very deliberetely to create echoes for her to map what she could. She now had a vague idea of the entryway and bookshelves off to either side, and in front of them. As well as assorted tables and chairs. From somewhere in the library, off to her left, she heard a very soft cracking noise. The glue in a book's binding had finally given way. She pulled out her shard and set it down on the table. "Well," she said looking back at Jaycee, "where do we begin?"

JayceeMendaci:
Slowing down to match pace with Mackenzie, Jaycee's boots whispered across the floor. Even as a little boy he had loved libraries, they seemed like places of refuge from the outside world. And he always was quiet inside them, as a symbol of his respect for the refuge they game him. But Mackenzie seemed quite the opposite, her footsteps were louder than they had been. "I'm still not sure how she sees, if she's blind" his mind stated. He would have to ask her someday, when it wouldn't offend her.

Mackenzie's strange blank stare refocused Jaycee. "Oh, well..." he thought for a moment before continuing "I suppose we should find the section on minerals. Their uses and meanings. Once we know that, we could easily say why it's in our shards". Intent on making good his statement, he sent his discerning gaze about in a calculated series of glances "But it doesn't look like it's in this section. Wait, one moment...". A small card posted on the doors they had come through caught his eye. Striding over, he inspected it. A few escapee strands of hair strayed into his face, and he absently brushed them aside, as he spoke "It's an index of sections. There's a section on earth magic, think it'd be there?".

As he continued reading the sections, he wondered what knowledge was in each one. What kind of things he could learn. And after a glance at Mackenzie's shard, his mind focused on his own. The perfectly smooth stone was in his pocket, he could almost feel it pulsing with a life of it's own. "Mmm, I think that would be the most relavent one on this list. Shall we go down there? It's on the second floor, and I think we're on the fifth right now.". Her sightless graphite eyes continued to stare through him, forcing him to shake his head slightly. It was hard to meet someone's gaze when they couldn't see you. Instead his dark eyes slid to her shard, anylizing it. Perhaps he could tell her what it looked like, but he'd have to use non visual terms...

((So, what's it look like? Or should I make it up on my own...))

--

"Richad 'owell... Professor Richard 'owell the old man spoke softly to himself. He could speak as properly as anyone else, but he enjoyed slipping back into his native accent sometimes. He liked the sound of that title. And the soft suede chair underneath him. He had intentionally picked the most overstuffed one he could find. And of course, what was a good chair without some light? Dragging it into one of the warm rays of sun piercing the library walls, he had left most of his pile of books on a table nearby. After narrowly escaping that old witch who patrolled the library he needed to relax. Opening the book, something to do with lifelong curses, he leaned as far back into the chair as he could, his old body sighing with pleasure. He was glad God had sent him here. The warm sun, the soft chair, the book providing shade, all combined into a pleasant warm feeling, and soon he was fast asleep.

If anyone had come to the fourth floor, an odd sight would have presented itself to them. An old man in a cleric's robes, sprawled out in a chair, snoring softly. A book covered his face, draped like some strange wig, and his large stomach rose and fell in time with his snores.

wolfiso:
((Go ahead and describe it for me. I haven't had anything in mind.))

Mackenzie followed Jaycee's voice to the wall, and the raised discrepency she heard. She cocked her head and hummed a little. She'd reverted to taking quieter steps. "Is there a map?" She asked. Trying to map out the library by sound would take forever, especially if there were five floors. Plus the librarian wouldn't be happy with her making so much noise. I hope she's nice. Mackenzie remembered a cranky old monk once who'd gotten very angry with her and banned her from the library. Rae had snuck her in once or twice and sat her down with books but she'd always had to be careful to keep her head down. Hopefully this librarian wouldn't do anything that drastic.

JayceeMendaci:
((Okay))

"No, no map. But I think we could get down using those stairs" As he spoke, dark eyes traced over the four stairwells that wound up the corners of the library. "After that, we'll have to look through the section. Or... Jaycee's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the little elf. She stared off into space with those haunting silver eyes, past him towards the wall, as if she weren't looking, but listening. "She can't possibly know everything through hearing, but she probably does have excellent hearing, like after you close your eyes for a long time.." his mind whispered. "Or, could you find a librarian? I can't see any because of all these bookshelves. But that would probably be much faster than wondering around looking for the right book...".

"That was stupid, you just asked a blind girl to find something you can't" laughed his mind. Intuition was something that Jaycee never had held much faith in, but sometimes he acted on it, and whenever he did, his logical mind belittled him. Shrugging off his own mental comments, his dark eyes focused on Mackenzie's clouded ones. "I'll see if I was stupid, or right in just a moment" he thought as he waited for her reply.

Many people would find him crazy, if they ever knew how he thought. Luckily, his mind was his own. The one place where no one could know anything without his permission. So what he talked with himself. It wasn't really himself, it was the different parts of him. Usually, his logical self conversing with his imaginative side. Being intellectual as he was, his mind, or his logic always had the upper hand in conversations, and threw a fit when it didn't. An amused smile spread over Jaycee's face as he wondered if he was sane. He had never talked to himself inside like this before... "Before Will died". His smile faded, and his attention returned to the small blind elf. "Best to think of other things..."

wolfiso:
Mackenzie held her breath for a moment. Stilling the movement of air made things quieter, easier to hear her surroundings. A faint shuffle came from off to her left. If it was the librarian they hadn't moved far since she and Jaycee had entered. "There's someone over there." She said turning to their left (north I think). "I don't know if it's the librarian. I heard two people when we came in."

((Might your professor know where to go?))

JayceeMendaci:
((I originally had him run, just to get out of the way of these two. I'll edit the post after he ran accordingly. But yes, he'd know. I think.))

A single dark brown eyebrow arched as the elf spoke. "So she does have good hearing.... "Well, let's go see who it is. It can't hurt if it's not the librarian, and if it is, we'll have found what we're looking for. Here, I'll get your shard and you lead the way... I have no idea where this person is". Making good his word, Jaycee quickly stepped over to the table and his long fingers closed about the small silvery stone. As he turned it over in his hand, a flash of color from it's depths surprised him. "Odd...". Small golden motes of dust trailed in the air after him as his royal blue yukata flowed through the air back towards the elf. With a slight bow, he held out his hand with her shard "And here you go... Shall we shog?"

Labradorite is known as a power stone and is great for strengthing intuition. It has a base color of silvery grey and has an iridescence of blue, green, yellow, or pink which changes according to the angle of light. This iridescence that flashes in the light is known to symbolize a flash of revelation, a light in the darkness.