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I Am Job
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:23 pm
by Sivan
5 Frost 120
Necessity, they said, was the mother of invention. Well, Sivan hadn't invented anything since arriving in Kalzasi, but he had been motivated to get things done because he wasn't just on his own in terms of taking care of himself, but he was now, somehow, responsible for others as well. IX, at least, was stable. Having Sivan in the role of their former master was an anchor, though Sivan didn't really feel comfortable as any creature's master. And yet here they were. IX was stable, but the fae amnesiac was another matter entirely. Healthy now, but still frail, the danger of any repercussions from nearly freezing to death were gone. But no memory had really returned, only nightmarish visions and confusion. A curse, maybe. But that really wasn't Sivan's bailiwick. Perhaps he could find a teacher who could help him with that. He didn't really want to curse anyone, but curse-breaking would be useful.
But the merchant whose caravan they had rode in with had taken pity on him and introduced him to someone who spoke Rivach, who introduced him to someone who spoke Mythrasi, and Sivan had managed to secure a ramshackle cottage near the Plaza of Jeweled Arches. Its roof must have been emerald or peridot at some point, but there was little in the way of paint left and that was faded. Verdigris had spread its patina over brass fittings and blended into the remains of the paint. Sivan thought it was pretty in a ruined sort of way, but he was more concerned with the leaks in the roof and, well, IX had decided to 'rest' for a while, so was a useless lump in the corner with a chipped pot to catch leaks. Rust would be annoying to deal with, after all.
Sivan promised the fae that as soon as spring came, there could be plants. To be entirely honest, Sivan liked green things too. He was a shoe made for the city, but not being able to hear the buzz of nature spirits put him out of sorts as well. He was usually out of sorts in some way, but he did try to keep an even keel so as not to go ballistic as many of his mother's people were inclined to do. Thankfully, the fae napped a lot too, nearly hibernating, which gave him time to do things required for living. He didn't know why both fae and automaton were hibernating, but, well, he was dealing with it. The house was not yet a home, but it was shelter, and that was enough.
As soon as he was able, he cleaned up properly and presented himself.
Coming into Jacun's Alchemical Goods, he inhaled. There was a complex bouquet of things going on, mostly covered by lavender incense. It was neat and tidy for all the seeming bric-a-brac on display for sale. He could read the numbers, at least, and recognized a few words here and there. He steeled himself for trying to communicate in broken Common if need be. There was no better way to learn it, he supposed, than to be forced to, but he would like to make a good impression on Master Jacun if he was going to become his apprentice.
Sighting a dark head at a desk in the corner, he made his careful way over. Not clumsy, he didn't want his first impression to be that of a bull in a china shop.
"Master Jacun?" he asked gently, not wanting to startle him out of his work or, worse, annoy him. The honorific was a Hytori one. His master had claimed to be an old friend of Jacun, had bade him travel to Kalzasi to apprentice there when he knew that he was dying. Sivan even had a letter of introduction to hand over, though he had done the dead the honor of not breaking the seal to read it. He didn't know if it was written in Mythrasi. In any case, he started in Mythrasi, would switch to Rivach if that didn't work. And, as a last resort, he would use Common. He wished IX was more functional; he had always been an able and willing translator. Sivan just hated communicating in a language he didn't know. People always thought he was stupid.
"I am Sivan, and I have a letter for you."
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:26 pm
by Mirage
When Sivan approached Jacun lifted his head and smiled a welcoming smile at the man. On the desk before him was a series of herbs, grasses, and flowers which Jacun was taking, one at a time, and grinding into a fine powder in bowl.
"A letter?" he asked in perfect Mythrasi, looking at the sealed envelop with curiosity, "Strange, that shouldn't have arrived today."
Extending a hand Jacun would accept the letter, setting his mixing bowl aside and using a small blade to cut the seal and reveal the contents inside. After reading a few lines Jacun's smile faded somewhat.
"Sef'hesfal a'le nir, Ale'fira." He said softly. He continued reading, his smile slipping further and further until it was gone completely. When he had read the last line Jacun sighed, setting the letter aside and rubbing the bridge of his nose. Nearly a minuted passed before Jacun finally looked up, a weak smile replacing the frown as he looked at Sivan, "I take it you are Sivan then?"
The alchemist began mixing his herbs once more, a bit slower now but he kept his eyes on the other man, "I can probably guess why you are here, but for the sake of formalities why don't you tell me your business with me?"
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:59 pm
by Sivan
Sivan was visually relieved to hear his father tongue spoken back to him so fluently, though a line of tension ran across his shoulders still. He wasn't used to shouldering the burden of other people. A Hytori ought to be more aloof, perhaps, but there were ever two natures at war within him.
"I am Sivan," he agreed. "Len'Myren in Sil'fanor. Sunrunner in Dalquia. I do not know what they will call me in Kalzasi. Probably rude words until I learn to speak their language better." He sighed, trying to relax. Trying to release the negativity he could never quite shake.
"When my master fell ill, I had achieved a level of proficiency in artificing that he was preparing to teach me alchemy, but then we were distracted. We were in the Free Cities and he knew I had no desire to return to Sol'Valen, and mentioned that you might be willing to take on an apprentice. If not, I would be willing to work here for you, in whatever capacity is necessary. I have inherited his Awoken, though it seems to have decided it needs a nap. We also came across a Fae'ethalan with some sort of magical amnesia, so I will need to look into curse-breaking as well. But... I would like to learn alchemy. He thought it was what I would be best suited for."
He ran his hand through his hair. Not pure gold, he was prone to tarnish.
"I have an unfortunate tendency to speak my mind, but I work hard and I will prove myself trustworthy. As I mentioned, I am proficient in artificing, but also clockwork, and reading magical energies. These skills could also be put to use for you. I can commune with celestial and natural spirits, but I avoid the infernal and eldritch terrors. I will not make an exception to that rule for you, though, so you should know that now.
"I will learn the common tongue, but in the meantime, I can do figures. And I can copy out in Mythrasi and Rivach, of course." He paused, unsure if he should keep extolling anything that might pass for a virtue or wait for a more specific question so he could give a more specific answer.
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:34 am
by Mirage
The Alchemist listened intently as Siven spoke, nodding in the right place and looking him over with a sharp eye. He paused to study a few places on Sivan's body, eyes flicking to follow something just at the outline of the man's form before returning to catch Sivan's eye once more.
"You have quite the pedigree." Jacun smiled, looking down at the mixture that he was still grinding steadily, "And quite the skill set for one so young."
He was about to continue, but the sound of heavy boots cut off the Alchemist's words. From the backroom a tall Ork stepped out, thin curving tusks and near ebony skin, the orkhan was dressed in an expensive suit and overcoat. In his hand, he held a wide-brimmed black cap which he now placed on his head, hiding the dark hair braided down his back.
"I will be off then, Jacun." His voice was deep and commanding. Catching sight of Sivan he paused, adjusting the cuff of one sleeve as he looked Sivan up and down with interest, "Forgive me, I did not mean to interrupt."
Jacun waved a dismissive gesture, answering in fluent Ecitharese to match the Ork"It is fine. I should be thanking you for the visit. You brought me such a favorable gift, and I regret that I was not able to help you anymore."
The Ork snorted, "You helped me quite a bit. I will be sure to stop by that shop you suggested. Before I go, have you any more news on my request?"
"Unfortunately, no." The Alchemist said with a shake of his head, "I am not sure why he came here, but I have my attendants searching for any word on his intentions."
The ork seemed to accept this answer, and nodded to the Alchemist and Sivan.
"Thank you in any case, Jacun." he said in common. Then he tipped his hat to Sivan, "And good luck to you. Mind you stay away from a man with one eye. He is quite unpleasant to those of your kind." With that the Ork left, closing the door of the shop behind him as he went.
Jacun waved a hand at the door before turning his attention back to Sivan, once more talking in Mythrasi, "As fortune would have it, I am in need of an extra set of hands. Several events have to lead to an excess of commissions, and having an apprentice would go quite a ways toward lessening the burden. When can you start?"
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 2:21 pm
by Sivan
His first impression was to downplay his pedigree. His father was a nobody. His mother was not a nobody, but neither was hers some storied lineage. She had been a diplomat and was now working within the government of her people, but she was not a fancy lady. He wanted to assert that he was twenty-four this year, and not so very young. In fact, he rather wanted to be farther along than he was. Magic was the only thing he had ever been good at, and so he had to be better than good at it. He didn't know this man Jacun, but if he came highly regarded from his former master, then that was the best he had to go on and he would accept it if he was accepted.
The decent start to the impromptu interview was then interrupted by an ork, and Sivan fell silent, his lips forming a thin line. He didn't understand a thing they said to each other, not really, but when the ork spoke to him, he nodded tersely in response. It was how he dealt with most strangers: let them say their peace, let them move along, don't worry about it ever again. Of course, it didn't help that he apparently had a terrible case of resting bitch face. Internally yelling at himself for probably making a bad impression only made it worse, though he tried to relax a little and nod again when it seemed the ork was taking his leave.
His smile looked more like a twitch.
"I can start now," he almost blurted, suddenly relieved. That relief also relieved him of his ornery mien, at least for the moment. "I brought my tools in case. I — thank you." He didn't know whether he ought to style the bright-eyed man master or if he was the sort of magus who required a more formal investiture. Either way, Sivan felt lighter for some of his burdens being released. A master alchemist would have a plan for his training. He would not just be winging it as he went anymore.
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 12:11 pm
by Mirage
The Alchemist smiled as if he understood. Standing he walked around his desk, motioning with his head for Sivan to follow. They passed through the 2nd room and then through a door in the back, stepping into a large and fully stocked Alchemy Lab. Plants of different types and varieties hung from the ceiling and were lined on shelves on the walls. Vials of different concoctions and mixtures, some glowing. Long counters held various types of glassware, burners, and mixers. The table at the center had the most complicated of the alchemical tools.
Stopping beside a desk stacked with papers near the door Jacun waved a hand at his lab, "Welcome to my lab. I will show you how to prepare some of the most common requests I receive, and we will go from there." He nodded at the desk, "You can have this space for your personal use."
Moving further into the Lab Jacun pointed out two more doors, one to the right and one at the back that opened into a staircase.
"The cellar is downstairs. I have another lab down there for light-sensitive projects, and for cultivating certain types of plants and mushrooms." He then pointed toward the door, through which sunlight could be seen, "Through there is my personal greenhouse. I grow a number of herbs and other plants for various purposes."
Jacun looked back at Sivan with a smile, "Let's start back with the basics and work our way up. Ingredient preparation. Are you ready to get started?"
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:32 pm
by Sivan
The sudden largesse, hoped for but not assured, had him following Jacun around like a puppy. He would always bristle thinking about someone having any sort of authority over him, but he had always been adrift between two elven societies, and having someone to offer structure, a path to follow, was immensely clarifying for him. Of course, he didn't think about such things because self-awareness was upsetting.
During the tour, he did ask questions—tentative at first, and then with more frequency when it didn't seem to bother Jacun. He would memorize the answers in case he was quizzed, knowing that his old master's reputation had probably scored him this opportunity, but only his diligence and excellence would keep it. He asked after the glassware and what lay inside some of it. Names were important to him as a summoner, even if they only hinted at the Names of things. When he was given space of his own, he immediately unslung his rucksack, took out his artificing tools, and set the kit down to the side, claiming the space. It would be more difficult to evict him once he had moved into it, after all.
Sivan had the lay of the land, at least, though he planned to at least check out the darkroom and the greenhouse before he was done for the day.
When Jacun declared it was time to begin, Sivan returned his smile, albeit with his own guarded variety. Doffing his coat and laying over the back of his chair, he nodded and began to roll up his sleeves. Jacun would not be able to complain that his moody apprentice wasn't keen to work and keen to learn.
"Ingredient preparation," he agreed. "I am ready."
Re: I Am Job
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:01 pm
by Mirage
Sivan
Lores
Business: Cold Interview
Letter of Recommendation
Jacun's Orientation
Negotiation: Name Dropping
Networking: Making Oneself Available
Alchemy: Basic Ingredient Preparation
Basic Equipment Names
Loot: +1 Job! Apprentice to Jacun the Alchemist!
Injuries: N/A
Points 8
Comments: Hello and congrats! Sivan is officially an apprentice to Jacun the Alchemist. Please let me know if you have any questions 
