Leo, Valeros and Kyra are ready to move on to the market?
"The Market it is. A hotbead of gossip no doubt."
Kyra keeps her eye out for pickpockets or anyone else taking undue interest in the party.
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Leo puts his hands up in placation when the conversation grows heated. "Now, now..," he says softly trying to add calm.
After the conclusions, Leo merely nods in agreement and continues following Anri attentively.
At Anri's gesture of yield, the adrenaline began leaving Leo and his face began to hurt more than it did moments ago. He instinctively raised a hand to his face and pain forked over his face at the now tender spots.
Leo snapped out of his pain reverie when Anri began moving moving once more. He offered his hand to help her up. She accepted and, with a weary, wicked grin said, "Ok. Now I know you. Now we can study."
Her hand reminded Leo of training with his twin sister, Tasha. There was a similar roughness that indicated that the hand often grasped a weapon. Toughened parts, like his own, that had been through countless calluses to end up hardened for regular use. His fingertips, though, beheld something else. His fingertips felt the back of her hand and felt a lithe softness. The softness did not imply lack of strength, quite the opposite was true. The softness likely resembled her elven heritage. As he helped her up, something panged inside of him. A warmness...a longing..something indescribable to Leo.
Anri went to get something...a book, he subconsciously recognized. She then began talking while opening the book. He couldn't understand her words though. They were muted, as if they were both underwater. ..What?.., he thought to himself. He couldn't seem to focus on her...on what she was saying. He tried sorting through what was happening and it hit him like a snowball to the face. He liked her.
Just as suddenly his mind unhazed and his face grew hot. He unconsciously grabbed his own book from its leather thong at his side and presented it. His mother, the well known Venture Captain Honor Whiteveil, appeared in his mind with her teachings of Arshea. He blushed even harder, consciously avoiding Anri's eyes.
You leave, and, after a while you have made it from the lodge, past the trees and gardens of the outskirts, and into the town itself, up towards the center, and into the Homeshore District.
It takes you a bit of time to get to the marketplace, going through the crowds, and, as it is later in the day and the various shopkeepers are busier with their tasks and the people with their shopping, they will not respond as much to you as had it been a bit earlier in the day.
The markets here are buzzing with activity.
Some peruse at their whims, pointing out odds and ends, while others move with focused purpose to exact stalls and prepare to haggle.
While it seems impossible to find anyone here, an obvious path of disgruntled citizens winds its way around stalls and storefronts.
This is going to be hell-- how to find a Halfling in such a crazy crowd of longshanks-- oh, well, there he is!
You can easily recognize lodge chef Miro Loamgarden haggling with a merchant right near the entrance you just used, and he seems to trying to buy a very large quantity of tubers.
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A Week Ago (Day 1)
At Anri's gesture of yield, the adrenaline began leaving Leo and his face began to hurt more than it did moments ago. He instinctively raised a hand to his face and pain forked over his face at the now tender spots.
Leo snapped out of his pain reverie when Anri began moving moving once more. He offered his hand to help her up. She accepted and, with a weary, wicked grin said, "Ok. Now I know you. Now we can study."Her hand reminded Leo of training with his twin sister, Tasha. There was a similar roughness that indicated that the hand often grasped a weapon. Toughened parts, like his own, that had been through countless calluses to end up hardened for regular use. His fingertips, though, beheld something else. His fingertips felt the back of her hand and felt a lithe softness. The softness did not imply lack of strength, quite the opposite was true. The softness likely resembled her elven heritage. As he helped her up, something panged inside of him. A warmness...a longing..something indescribable to Leo.
Anri went to get something...a book, he subconsciously recognized. She then began talking while opening the book. He couldn't understand her words though. They were muted, as if they were both underwater. ..What?.., he thought to himself. He couldn't seem to focus on her...on what she was saying. He tried sorting through what was happening and it hit him like a snowball to the face. He liked her.
Just as suddenly his mind unhazed and his face grew hot. He unconsciously grabbed his own book from its leather thong at his side and presented it. His mother, the well known Venture Captain Honor Whiteveil, appeared in his mind with her teachings of Arshea. He blushed even harder, consciously avoiding Anri's eyes.
Anri, enjoying the full cornucopia of life, prides herself on not missing opportunities, yearns to live fully, with all energies of her being. The facets she typically shows others, are as related to her intellectualism or her competitive spirit, shying away from demonstrating to strangers her capacity to be caring or even vulnerable, if only because she considers most folks she meets below the level of responsibility to accept her as such.
But Lamashtu works in mysterious ways!
As Anri's three-eyed gaze settles upon the boy in a way she hadn't looked at him earlier, as she begins surrendering her (considerable) higher-brain functioning so as to begin "thinking" in different ways, she lunges forward a third time...
A Couple Days Ago (Day 6)
Anri wakes up and realizes she had forgotten to track time, wandering if not quite lost, and now coming to surface. There was work to do, and, having satisfied the urges of the temple, she left thirsty those of the mind.
Her bloodstream re-routes to committing itself back to her demanding neurological nerve, as Anri hopes to shift the focus of the relationship now to the joy of intellectual companionship. She barters again: "Now, which of my Incantations draws your interest?" and begins sharing with him all that she has been able to record in her study of wizardry, entering a third phase of their connection.
In the Present (Day 8)
"Can we help carry that?" Anri offers, reaching out two hands "I think the meat will be ready to pull out of the marinate soon - what additional spices were you able to procure?" If the chef hands her the tubers, she passes it off to another in the group - perhaps Valeros - while she attempts to render herself - and her team- once again at the halfling's disposal.
Leaving out the part about "why" they all came, curious to see if anything strange happens, or, waiting for another in her team to broach the subject.
"Carry what?! There are no tubers!"
Miro barely looks up.
"Oh, you! Ah, yes... but without tubers, the meat will not suffice."
Miro seems quite upset at the quality and lack of quantity of roots and such that he wants.
Otherwise, nothing particular is going on.
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"Miro?" Leo inquires softly as he follows Anri's lead. "Do you know where Zatqualmish is?"
Leo had a bit more trouble focusing on the intellectual pursuits. But, after some time his brain reengaged and he remembered that is what they were going to do before...
He looked around for his spellbook and found it in a random corner. "Well," Leo began quietly, "I do believe there are spells that I do not have already in here."
"Magical signature, expansive cold, wind, minor polymorph, false vigor, and decoys." Leo finishes the list, clearly impressed.
"Squash? No, I want tubers and-- oh. Zatqualmish?!"
Miro steps away from the vendor.
"If he thinks I am leaving, he'll give me a better price.
Well, I do not know where Zatqualmish is.
And I must say that the Gnome always orders a meal an hour after breakfast.
Fresh coffee and jam pastries. Every morning.
But, today, he didn’t place that order - which usually happens only when he plans to travel because “jam disagrees with a nervous belly”!"
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Leo had a bit more trouble focusing on the intellectual pursuits. But, after some time his brain reengaged and he remembered that is what they were going to do before...
He looked around for his spellbook and found it in a random corner. "Well," Leo began quietly, "I do believe there are spells that I do not have already in here.""Magical signature, expansive cold, wind, minor polymorph, false vigor, and decoys." Leo finishes the list, clearly impressed.
"No:" Anri corrects Leo "Monosyllabic Identity Signature..." emphasizing to indicate his small victory of partial correctness "...Localized Negative Feedback Cryokinetic Release, Diminutive Deoxyribonucleic Intracorporeal Reconfiguration, Pre-Mortem Envigorization Horizon, and Poly-Psychodelia Simulacra Phenomenon!" chuckling at the young wizard's simpleness.
Anri teaches Leo the requested knowledge, frustrated at his attempts to expedite what is supposed to be a slow and absorbing process, and intervenes to make sure it is done properly. She points to where he seems to leave off an entire side of one half of an important equation. She corrects what appears to be a syntactical error he employs to seemingly prevent spilling into a second quarter-page. When he pronounces a several-syllable word with slightly incorrect intonation, she verbalizes the correction slowly, having him repeat it several times. Halfway through Sigil she stops him completely, asking his patience, while she gathers her diagrams, incense, chalk and gums, and begins from absolute square one about how this spell is inscribed, endeavoring to even explain the contextual discipline in which the genesis of the simple cantrip was conceived, as well as each known iteration, as well as a few of her own original iterations, before putting a fine point on what was about to be an actual mis-undertanding on his behalf.
All in all, stretching a projected 80 minutes into an entire day, dealing with anticipated impatience with a stern but warm demeanor.
All the while impressed that he actually seems to be learning everything with an enviable ease and nonchalance...
In the Present (Day 8)
Anri opens her mouth to speak, but hearing the human and dwarf do so, refrains from wanting to overwhelm the flighty chef, who after all, is engaged in a complex negotiation over tubers, thus directing half of his attention away from the line of questioning.
Instead she holds her question in her mind, waiting to see if it is anticipated in the halfling's response...
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Despite Anri's incessant need for perfectionism, Leo seems patient. It seems he has endured such perfectionism before. He still records the spells into his book in hist shorthand style. He seems adept at the 'smile and nod' toward instruction.
After a while though Leo begins getting impatient. While she delves into the arcane to a respectable specificity, it is unnecessary. Not even father would draw out instruction this much. 'Specificity is built upon basic understanding', he would say. Though, uncle Grunder would probably appreciate Anri's excessive depth.
"Look Anri," Leo says finally. "Working magic is not dependent the words you use and how you pronounce them. It is dependent on up here," he says as he pokes himself in his head. "The irony is in the fact that your methods aid you in enacting the spell properly because it affects how you interact with the magic. Such specificity is not required."
Leo then opens his spellbook and flips to the different pages. "This notation may look half-hearted to you, but it is all of the information that I need." He thinks for a moment before continuing, "It is like when you work with someone who knows you very well. You may not verbalize every word, but the entire point is communicated regardless. In the same way these pages don't explain everything in the detail that I understand them. I merely remember, or firmly grasp the unincluded information. Magic depends on your force of will, which is why we those of us that practice magic tend to have more resilient minds."
Leo continues, practically repeating his lessons from his father, "The person using the magic is like a lens to a light. Those who have an innate talent for magic, via blood or some other way, have fixed lenses in fixed places. They force magic through the fixed lens to create x effect. Whereas those of us who study can shape the lenses and placements to create an effect that is specifically needed for the moment. That's what my dad says at least."
As Tanithil keeps an eye on the crowd-- he sees nothing out of the ordinary, no one eyeing them or going after your pockets.
Though a little girl does ask her mother where she can get a cape like Kyra's.
"It all blue blue blue, with beautiful stars!"
MIro tells Leo: "He does travel pretty often, but I think it is only on specific missions for the Venture-captain."
Turning to Ironfist, he adds:
"He certainly has not said anything about going anywhere soon, and I am positive the Venture-captain would not have sent him, nor let him go, anywhere until after the meeting is done and catalogued and all the notes filed!
Not for a few weeks."
He rubs his chin, which is quite well shaven.
"If I may add, Zatqualmish is quite a... reserved person? Shy? Oh, come on, we all know he is a coward who does everything he can to avoid conflict.
So I believe it is highly unlikely that he would do anything that could cause blowback to himself, like his leaving the lodge just before he is needed for such a meeting.
No, no. no, I am sure he was most likely coerced into whatever mess he’s in."
Turning to Anri, Miro says: "In case you are wondering, I do not know where Zatqualmish might have gone, but-- I know the market and town quite well, and can point out the few individuals who might have the information I imagine you seek."
Miro goes on and points you towards three likely sources of information, who will turn out to be: ink vendor Orin Blackfingers, construction worker Bia Blazebane, and local gang leader Neesquix.
Kyra will talk shop with Orin.
With Bia she will just try to appeal to his good side.
Orin Blackfingers is a male gnome shopkeeper who is busy fussing over his stall of quills and inks, moving jars back and forth and making minute adjustments to his display to ensure all his products line up in neat right angles.
He greets Kyra: "Oh, yes ma'am, how may I help you and-- no, please, do not touch that! --be of service?"
Kyra starts talking about scribing lore and Mr. Blackfingers gets very excited, and shows all the great things he has that suit all the needs: |"Do you want to purchase this fine writing set? Only one gold."
If Kyra purchases-- or not... she steers the conversation towards her quarry, and Orin explains that "yes, a gnome indeed ran through the markets in an unheeding rush only a few hours ago! He did not even stop here. Pfff... He was heading for the district of condemned alchemical and blacksmithing workshops known as the Crafters’ Quarters. They do not sell as good ink as I do."
Kyra then is pointed towards Bia Blazebane, a female dwarf, who is obviously a shift supervisor.
She is resting with her construction crew, who are enjoying their lunch break.
They are very hot, and wiping their foreheads.
Bia looks at Kyra with an amused smile-- "Honey, if you wanna appeal to mah' good side, start with , cheatin' with mah' emotions ain't gonna do you no good here!"
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Kyra offers a shy smile.
"Heh. I'm looking for a gnome named Zatqualmish. Have you perhapse seen him around here? We are very worried about him."
"That's better!", says Bia, impressed by the Kelishite's consistent demeanor.
"I like Zatty! He normally brings me a nice cold drink and we chat. I'm hopin' he'll ask me out, but I might be a bit too much woman for him?"
She finishes her meal and jumps down-- her bulging muscles rippling under her light leather jerkin.
"Her, gimme a hand, will 'ya? So we can get this done and I don't lose time while gabbing away,.."
She starts picking some timber up to be used with the scaffolding, looking at you--while her crew rests.
"Thanks, you're quite a hunk, ain't you... and nice tanned skin. From the South? Got time for a drink after work?" She smiles at Ironfist.
Wiping her hands, she turns back to Kyra: "I saw your friend-- hey, he is your friend, right? You're not after him for something bad are you?
Well, anyhow-- he might call on me if he's in trouble, and I could save him!
So, I saw him, harried and frantic, entering an old building in the Crafters’ Quarters, Morgan’s, a long-since abandoned potion shop. Maybe he wants to buy a Love Potion?"
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Despite Anri's incessant need for perfectionism, Leo seems patient. It seems he has endured such perfectionism before. He still records the spells into his book in hist shorthand style. He seems adept at the 'smile and nod' toward instruction.
After a while though Leo begins getting impatient. While she delves into the arcane to a respectable specificity, it is unnecessary. Not even father would draw out instruction this much. 'Specificity is built upon basic understanding', he would say. Though, uncle Grunder would probably appreciate Anri's excessive depth."Look Anri," Leo says finally. "Working magic is not dependent the words you use and how you pronounce them. It is dependent on up here," he says as he pokes himself in his head. "The irony is in the fact that your methods aid you in enacting the spell properly because it affects how you interact with the magic. Such specificity is not required."
Leo then opens his spellbook and flips to the different pages. "This notation may look half-hearted to you, but it is all of the information that I need." He thinks for a moment before continuing, "It is like when you work with someone who knows you very well. You may not verbalize every word, but the entire point is communicated regardless. In the same way these pages don't explain everything in the detail that I understand them. I merely remember, or firmly grasp the unincluded information. Magic depends on your force of will, which is why we those of us that practice magic tend to have more resilient minds."
Leo continues, practically repeating his lessons from his father, "The person using the magic is like a lens to a light. Those who have an innate talent for magic, via blood or some other way, have fixed lenses in fixed places. They force magic through the fixed lens to create x effect. Whereas those of us who study can shape the lenses and placements to create an effect that is specifically needed for the moment. That's what my dad says at least."
Leo can tell that, while her ears are listening while he talks, her face gives obvious tell that her disagreement increases with each sentence.
Working backwards "I agree with your dad." wanting to begin the conflict at a neutral meeting ground "And the analogy is sound." She pauses to collect, order, and share her thoughts.
"I suppose it would be difficult for me to convince anyone that something would be missing when there is a lack of understanding of even the context in which both objects - the 'missing' one and the 'present' one - are both situated within. One could at best 'feel the lack', perhaps brush up against it, but be signaled little more about the nature of the missing object than the fact that it is simply not present" The forest, now, a tree:
"Your magic suits your purposes. A very direct approach. Simple, even. Matching, might I add, your very temperament. I believe that we have some agreement here. Your 'lens'. So, while I will concede that, in taking a shortcut, you are able to produce a result, I will also point out that too, in avoiding the long way around, you will miss subtle nuances which, in accordance with your approach, may be seen as nothing more than additional fetters inhibiting a direct, simple understanding of each signature."
"How then to convince you that what you cut out, blow past, and ignore, is a worthwhile journey worth taking?" answering her own question now "...Well, tautologically perhaps, by inviting you on the very journey you foreswear, so that, rather than being told what wonder awaits a deep and thorough study, you can experience it for yourself." as if it were self-evident "But, I think we both know that you are not going to do that." and circling back to that neutral meeting ground "And frankly, that is quite alright, because, as your father says, the lens is yours to wield as you like..."
...
In the Present (Day 8)
Anri smiles brightly as Miro answers the question she was holding in her mind. Turns out he is quite at ease managing several tasks at once. Not quite unlike managing a kitchen, she supposes.
Deciding now to pay the gangster Neesquix a visit, Anri decides that the "currency" she will "pay" him with will be approximated by the following equation: Fear = Respect. At least, that is how the highway gangs from her childhood town graduated their pecking order.
"WHO's in charge here?" she spits, relaxing her face somewhat, for as it turns out, her 'resting face' is actually somewhat of a churlish snarl (she is often told)...
As Anri walks up she sees a slender and small Goblin adjusting his prosthetic leg, near an alleyway, as a taller, more muscular Goblin holds an umbrella out to cover the boss’s head from the sun.
As Anri spits out her question, the taller Goblin smiles and points to the smaller one.
The smaller one sighs, and shakes his head:
"Of course she knows I'm in charge. She's tryin' to rattle us down is all."
The little male Goblin turns to Anri:
"Hi, I'm Neesquix, the leader of the local Ash Callers gang. Part of the Cinders Confederation. How can we help you? We don't do killings."
"But we love fire!" says the big one.
Anri sees a little business card sticking out of his pocket-- maybe stealing that would impress him?
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Valeros waits with the others and just watches the banter between the group and Miro. He is mostly sniffing the air around them for some good food. As a soldier he is always hungry. When told by Miro about others in the market that may know a thing or two Valeros goes over to them in turn and tries to get to the bottom of things.
Valeros walks with Kyra and inject flattering comments about his stall and his goods as Kyra does the main talking.
He then rushes over to help Bia with moving the timber...
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At that Leo cheerily slides his simple leather book across to Anri. With another smile he says, "I'm gonna get us something to eat," and begins scrawling arcane symbols in the air above the table. The process is a bit lengthy, but finally food appears on the table. A veritable feast for about six people. He then scrawls symbols above two cups and they get filled with water.
He then smiles again at Anri wryly, "I may not be a wizened master, but I get by."
Leo continues following Anri. He stand behind her as she puts on an adorable a mean face for Neesquix. He has to put his hand over his mouth to contain the chuckle.
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Tanithil walks up to the goblins smiling. "Nice to meet you Neesquix, I am Tanithil. We are looking for a gnome named Zatqualmish that came this way earlier today. Its good to know you are part of the Cinders Confederation, I may have need of some of your services in the future. We should have a chat later." While talking with the goblins he will try to lift the card.
Valeros is very polite with Orin, and it seems that flattery works well--
"Oh, my warrior friend! For you, I will sell twelve inkpens for the price of thirteen! Great deal!"
--but seeing all the workers eating distracts Valeros, and he is not able to concentrate enough and move the timber.
The hefty Dwarf maiden shakes her head: "All that good muscle going to waste!"
Meanwhile, as Anri is looking around, trying to see who that was who was chuckling--
--Tanithil craftily lifts the card off of Neesquix without him seeing this, and shows it to him.
The Goblin is quite impressed and smiles, sharing some information, even if he does not to seem to validate Tanithil's Underworld credentials - "Some dilettante, I see!:
Nevertheless, Tanithil turns to tell you all what he just learnt--
--when Valeros runs up to tells you that Orin just told him--
--thus, at the same time both say:
"Though the Gnome scribe came to the market alone, it seems that when he got to Morgan’s, he was joined by a number of slowly moving humanoid figures who followed his every command and who occasionally twitched as sparks flew from bits of metal in their flesh!"
Ironfist knows that people are either fibbing, or else the do things up here in Numeria that aren't of this world...
He grumbles: "I'll put bits of metal in your flesh! See if you twitch and spark, then!"
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Leo narrows his eyes as Anri explains and nods slowly. When she is finished a smile tweaks his lips and he stays silent. After a few moments though he speaks simply, "Oh, yes! I acknowledge that my shortcut limits possible minute changes to the lens, as it were. But the extra focus required to augment the lenses further I expend in my martial practice and duties to Nethys and other Pathfinders. I don't hold any illusion that I will be some supreme master of the arcane, though maybe I guess..." He trails off for a moment and then returns with a beaming smile and a wink, "I will be me, or at least that is what my mom tells me I should be."
At that Leo cheerily slides his simple leather book across to Anri. With another smile he says, "I'm gonna get us something to eat," and begins scrawling arcane symbols in the air above the table. The process is a bit lengthy, but finally food appears on the table. A veritable feast for about six people. He then scrawls symbols above two cups and they get filled with water.He then smiles again at Anri wryly, "I may not be a wizened master, but I get by."
Leo continues following Anri. He stand behind her as she puts on an adorable a mean face for Neesquix. He has to put his hand over his mouth to contain the chuckle.
"Well, I'm not your mother, but..." Anri trails the sentence off, as the subject of natural mothership is touchy for her. Redirecting to "Strange as it might be, I believe some are born at odds with the world they live in - freakish - may be a word that could be used, and that The Mother watches over us, her freakish children, by way of allowing the world to Reveal it's Essential Cruelty..." looking for signs of continued attention, Anri usually loses people by now when she talks of her chaotic evil goddess "...and that undertaking great Pain to Understand, is how we deepen our knowledge towards Bitter Survival..." knashing her teeth at the pronunciation of those two words, of that concept "...Transforming that Pain into mere Scars on our Bellies!" Arriving at her point.
She shades her eyes a bit, teasing now "And now What would you Know about That?" Poking him three times with her finger, as if to punctuate the three breaths of the sentence.
When Leo conjures the food, she eats, and drinks "Dunno why we've been working so hard in the kitchen this week when you can just do this! Hardly seems fair." Eventually, she grows sleepy, and before passing out the night (it was indeed a long day of Instruction and Philosophy!) she points to his leather book, and says mid-yawn "Six. We'll do six. tomorrow..." before succumbing to exhaustion.
...
In the Present (Day 8)
Anri sneers at Leo's chuckle. Cuts him a look. Just because...
"Sparks, bits of metal, flesh, hmm..."
She wonders about one of her favorite incantive flourishes - Shocking Grasp - what level of interaction it might have with the description of these creatures, and whether she should take 10 minutes to prepare a different spell in it's stead...
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While dining Leo responds to Anri with a smile, "Nethys insists that we use magic when we can." Admittedly this food is pretty bland.
He consolidates the food as Anri retires for the evening and uses a simple spell to to absently clean up. Hmm...Lamashtu, how curious, he thinks as he cleans. Mother would disapprove...ish. But father would be curious as well. How did she get into it I wonder? Time will tell I suppose...
Leo tidies the rest of the room a bit before retiring for the evening as well. He falls asleep and sleeps happily.
Leo gives Anri warm and mocking smile.
Anri and Tanithil do not have much of an idea of how these creatures could be made, but they have heard of technic zombies:
"Living creatures reduced to zombie-like complacency using implanted electronics."
Leo smiles, but has nothing to add.
When first described.
"Sounds like undead but I don't understand the metal and sparks part. I believe our next stop is the old potion shop. Thank you for your help."
Once more info has been brought to light.
"Implanted Electronics? And how Zombie-like will they be? Can they be saved?"
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Anri wakes early, having slept well, nearly blasting out of bed, she makes haste to join Miro Loamgarden putting the final preparations into motion for Bean Stew, wanting to be "done" with her culinary duties, eagerly anticipating the night study she and Leo have planned. Having memorized the vast summary of arcana from his modest leather strapbook, she spends the day narrowing the selection to an even trade; she taught him six spells, she will request instruction in six spells in return.
Later.
Bounding back with the pure elation of a child.
"Insectoid Physiologicks Endoskeletal Enhancement and Linear Transentient Necrosis Circuit"
Pulling back out her diagrams, incense, chalk and gums "We can start with those."
As Leo teaches, Anri does her best to comprehend his shorthand, but then augments with her own additional methods, taking a bit longer than perhaps is the standard amount of time. She is starting with easier spells, and building up to higher complexity, and as such, is attempting to set up a strong foundation upon which she can stand, later.
"Directional Combustive Energy Sustainment and Ocular Subspectrum Infravision"
Using the scrawlings from the first two spells, she draws up an auxiliary equation, but is unable to successfully use it to reconcile it in a such a way that it satisfies the system. Leo tries to explain it to her in his way, but to no avail. "I need to understand it in my own way. And this is me being told 'no' which I choose to interpret as 'not now'" Accepting the setback. "It may be reaching, but I'd like to see if I can construct out of this misunderstanding a scaffold to bridge towards my last two selections:"
"Auto-Dilation of Base Reference to Temporal Frame and Ectoplasmic Implement Superposition"
This time, she lets Leo explain first, and tries it "his" way, suppressing her urge to document each and every minute step along the way. She "wings" it:
Blushing as the final lessons result in resounding successes, Anri simultaneously grows angry, knowing that Leo will use this as "proof" that his method is superior, proving her "wrong" as regards their earlier conflict of philosophy. She looks towards the heavens and curses Lamashtu...
...
In the Present (Day 8)
Anri conceals her excitement at the prospect of bearing witness to the fusion of man and machine. Assuming she could keep her mind intact, she would definitely be interested in learning how to spawn or splice such creatures - or become one! Perhaps she will catch some rats tonight, and, if they are able to learn anything worthwhile, conduct her own experiments with salvaged parts...
"To the Potion Shop?" Seconding Kyra's proposal.
You all make your way to the place that was indicated to you, and, after asking directions to a three-legged centaur, who asks you for a copper piece - Does anyone oblige him? - you arrive at your destination.
The miraculously attached sign creaking above the barred door reads “Morgan’s,” the only thing making this squat building distinguishable from the other warehouses crumbling around it.
A firmly nailed placard states that the proprietor can now be found at the outskirts of town if needed.
The few sooty windows near the ceiling are more for ventilation than passing perusal and are an unlikely point of entry.
The street leads to two big doors.
Kyra gives the poor centaur a copper.
"May you all be as fast as a slow Centaur!"
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Anri nods - Or right! - she manages to contain her contrary excitement, drawing her polearm, and whirling it with grace from a right-handed grip to a left-handed grip.
She sticks to Investigating the area for additional clues, trying to anticipate what may be to come of this strange development.