The Other Arrival From Fort
[ MurderTP Main ]
Location: The Main Ballroom of the Istan Harper Hall
Persons: Masters Jueann and Liesana, Journeymen Mimi and
Rook
Jueann walks out of the Harper Office into the Ballroom.
Jueann nods to Liesana and the rest, "Afternoon. Am I interrupting?"
"And I see you took my classes on cross-exam tactics to heart, hmm, Mimsy?" drawls Liesana to Mimi with a bit of a wink. "Do let the poor fellow get a word in edgewise, eh? But indeed, Rook, you rather dodged my question about Fort's ways, and the necessity for taking the odd Journeyman as a mentee.." Tired of standing and doing nothing, the young master opts to sit and do nothing instead, shaking her head at Jueann. "Not at all."
Rook is, of course, well used to the curiosity of Harpers, but Mimi's sudden flurry of questions leaves him trying to answer all of them at once, which leaves him answering none. He finally closes his mouth and looks to Jueann as an avenue of escape. "Master Jueann, good afternoon." Save me? And, back to the others, "Most Masters at Fort mentor both Journeyman and Apprentices, though more apprentices of course. But it is for the Master to choose his mentors. They serve at his or her behest, of course. Many Journeyman are never mentored, but more than a few are... depending on their talents... their nature... what a Master might think they need."
Mimi has a habit on doing that to people doesn't she? A small tinge of pink rises in her cheeks and she takes Liesana's place leaning against a pillar, rolling her ankle around as she listens. "Interesting." A wave goes to the entering Master, "Hey Master Jue." She decides to pick one of her questions to ask, "So what's your specialty?" And suppresses the urge to add another four or five questions to that.
Jueann blinks as she comes out of the office onto this scene, going over to where Liesana is sitting, she makes herself comfortable. Hmmm... "What's this about mentors? And Fort? Has anyone seen Poirot lately? He left me a note that he wanted to speak to me sometime in the future."
"Interesting," is Liesana's sole pronouncement on the Fortian way of doing things. She considers Rook for a long moment, lightly tapping her fingertips together as a quiet cascade of reason-chains rattle through her head. "Interesting. So many journeymen do not have mentors." she paraphrases. "And yet when scuttlebutt told you I'd named you as one of my mentees, you seemed sure enough of the reasonableness of the situation to seek out confirmation. May I ask why you think you'd need a keeper?" she inquires, canting her head and staring at him before Jueann's question interrupts her gaze. "Poirot? Hmm? Oh. Can't say that I have... I think he might be avoiding me, though."
Rook shakes his head, "I have not seen Master Poirot." A safe, polite topic for the moment. And then, back to Mimi, "I seem to specialize in misassumptions." Again, avoidance, but polite and charming avoidance, n'est pas? To Liesana, "Unused to all the nuances of these Istan Halls, I merely sought out more information. It is what Harpers should do, yes?" And, so as not to avoid all their questions, "And I do not believe I do need a keeper, Master Liesana. I was more interested in finding out why you thought I might want one."
Mimi wrinkles her nose up ever so slightly, barely noticeable unless you were watching for it at the mention of Poirot,"Haven't seen 'im." Rook's answer ears a small smile, and she feels it is of no importance to prod further. "So anyways. Why would you want to come to Ista?"
Jueann sighs with relief as the fastidious master isn't around. Paranoid, isn't she? She leans back to listen to the conversation around her. Liesana and Mimi are doing a pretty good job interrogating this journeyman, so she just sits back and enjoy the roasting.
"In matters of keepers," drawls Liesana with twinkling eyes. "I'm sure that Master Jueann can assure you I'd make a horrible one. I'm rather more inclined to follow the spirit of the rules rather than the letter, after all. Still..." she muses, winking at Mimi before turning back to Rook. "I have had a lot of marking piling up lately." A passing apprentice who cheerfully interjects "'Cause she's been off having a snog!" is squelched with a call of "Essay, two scrolls, by the restday!" and she returns to serenely to conversation.
Rooks spins slowly on the spit, a donair not quite done. It is to Mimi he turns first, this time. "Now why do you assume I wanted to come to Ista, Journeyman Mimi?" And, for all who are there, "Or is it Ista's practice to allow new Journeymen to choose their own assignments?" It is his turn to question them, then, and add a bit more spice to the buffet of questions, though the passing apprentices do a much better job. He glances at Liesana and then risks a grin to Jueann. "Tis true?" Whether he asks about the reputation for bending the rules, or the rumors of snoggings, is not so clear.
Mimi is about to make a comment on journeymen assingments, but is stopped by the little apprentice wandering by and whips around to Liesana,"It's that guard boy, isn't it?" she declares with a large scheming smile. Oh, she knew it.
Liesana lifts her eyebrows at Mimi, and snorts softly. "It's taken you this long to figure out?" she asks. "Honestly, your information-gathering skills are slipping, m'dear, particularly since I've been keeping no secrets about this." she teases, before giving Rook a slight nod. "Tis. I'd ask for your assistance, but you might not be amenable to the task, if the positively exasperated letter I got from Fort the other day is any indication."
Jueann blinks, "huh? Ohh for the most part, We have a lot vacancies and if someone wants that post, we won't stand in his or her's way." turning to Liesana, "What letter?"
Rook has the grace to redden, a bit, though it is but a faint blush up along the sides of his neck. He raises his chin with just a hint of defiance. Standing there, as Harpers stand for an exam -- straight, tall, feet apart, arms loose, head up -- Rook struggles against the onrushing tidal wave of Troublesome_things_he_has_done_in_the_Past. "I would hope", he says, carefully weighing his words, "That you would all put more worth to my actions than you will to any words from Fort." And, to prove his point, "I would be delighted to help you out in any way I can. Master Liesana."
Mimi's face also reddens, but for very different reasons. "Well, my attention has lately been focused on things other than your love life, Liesana," she informs the older harper matter-of-factly. A blink towards Rook, then back to Lies,"What letter?" she echos Jueann.
Liesana, now that she's prompted an unscripted reaction from both of the young Journeymen, promptly switches to favour discretion rather than disclosure. "A private communique." she informs both Jueann and Mimi. "A few personal curiosities I put to a friend of mine at the Hall there." Along the lines of 'Who is Rook, why is he here, and what the shell is he playing at'? "They were answered in... sufficient detail for me. And if you're delighted, Rook, consider yourself in the keeping of a rather dubious mentor. I've got a stack of papers in my inbox, and we'll discuss them and you later on, eh?"
Jueann ahhs softly and chuckles softly, "Beware of Liesana's sling shot. I hear she's pretty good with it."
"Eh." Rook offers a sort of stunned affirmation and then backs out with a bow to the lot of them. "If you'll all excuse me then, I have a few .. things that require my attention." Not the least of which is finding Lies' informants at Fort and stopping them. "Fair advice, Master Jueann. Mimi? Congradulations on your recent promotion, a pleasure to meet you." And then he is gone -- escaped! Haha!
Rook strides to the Great Hall.
Mimi snickers,"A mentee of Liesana's. Hope you like archives," she warns, and nods,"Thanks," as he leaves. "Well, he seems nice enough, at least."
"Oh, I was thinking of keeping him more as a legal attache, but if Archives duty irritates him more, perhaps I'll put him there," grants Liesana philosophically. Just what was in that letter? Her altogether-too-demure tone hints that the young master shan't be telling, as she sits on her bench and fiddles with the end of her braid.
Liesana has disconnected.
Jueann stretches, "Well I was heading up to my rooms for some medicine that jaqui gave me. If you'll excuse me?"
Mimi nods, to the people abandoning her,"No problem. See you 'round," and Mimi edges over to the rehearsal hall to do something or other,"I've got some dancing delinquents to tutor."
Jueann smiles and nods to Mimi as she heads up, "Ohh By the way, congratulation on the promotion, well deserved."
Mimi waves,"Thanks!" and slips away with a wide grin.
