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O'WILLIAMS 'MANOR' - AFTERNOON
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Elizabeth is sitting in her kitchen, sipping at tea. She has slowly improved her house into something livable over the months - having gotten her hands dirty a lot more lately after losing her magic. But at the same time, it's hard to deny the physical energy she's gotten instead. She has been musing about just how much her magic weighted her down, or did the stray magic itself make her younger? She shrugs, straightening her casual-by-Sarn-elite-standards dress, continuing reading the novel she's in the middle of.
Teis: "First impressions first impressions first impressions. . ." Teis mutters to herself as she approaches the doors to Elizabeth's estate. She's gone to the effort of dressing up herself, including make up. Walking in her shoes across town is annoying, but doable. In her hands she nervously clutches a box, wrapped with an easy to pull away bow. She was told to bring a gift. Teis takes a deep breath in, stopping at the door of the manor. With a slow exhale to prepare herself, she knocks on the door.
Elizabeth perks up in slight surprise: "Hmm?" She gets up, straightening her dress again as she steps to the door, opening it: "Yes?" The skunk looks just a degree or two too classy for the relatively meager wooden shack she's in, although months in Respite has had her loosen up in some ways - she's definitely forgo'd bothering with makeup herself.
Teis does her best to curb her usual, awkward mannerisms. "Good afternoon, Lady Catherine. I'm Amaryteis Boquet." Teis internally flinches. "I'm new to Respite, so please, accept this token of my greetings." Teis presents the box to Elizabeth. It contains a selection of Respite's fanciest chocolates, flowers, and a bottle of perfume.
Elizabeth takes the box in slight confusion, then sets it on a side table behind her: "Greetings... it is nice to see someone with manners down here, but... what gives me the honor?"
Teis: "For the sake of brevity. Loremaster Aurelius informed me that your knowledge and expertise is unparalleled." Teis plays Aurelius' words up a bit. "I would be honoured to be privy to such a mind."
Elizabeth steps aside, letting Teis in: "Please, come in, let us discuss this inside." She's not paranoid, just... wary, maybe. "You will have to narrow down, though. Knowledge and expertise of what?"
Narrator: With a gracious nod, Teis delicately enters Elizabeth's manor. Once safely inside, Teis reaches into her handbag, pulling out a purple shoulder patch, embroidered with gold stitching for it's border, a golden chimera in the middle and lastly, the text; Sapere Aude.
Elizabeth sits down onto her chair, motioning the meager couch that has seen better decades. Though she's not physically old anymore, old habits die hard. She looks at the shoulder patch curiously: "Hmm? What are you proposing?"
Teis takes a seat on the couch. Suddenly, she feels overdressed. She studies Elizabeth's reaction, trying to find meaning in it where there perhaps is none. With the patch still extended, Teis continues. "Loremaster Aurelius told me that you're a magi, like myself. I have little reason to doubt his words." Teis pauses, considering her words briefly. "This is the symbol of The Arcane Academy of Kiroth, situated in Sarn. I am a student of theirs. However, as Sarn is a continent away. . .I find myself mentored only by books. I would very much enjoy you as my tutor during my stay in Respite." Teis cuts to the first of her two requests.
Elizabeth is about to lift her hand to give her usual 'yes, I have magic' of runes around her paw, but with a small inward sigh reminds herself that's no longer an option. "I... I know a lot about magic, yes. Haven't done any teaching, though." She looks at Teis, thinking: "I imagine you are not unfamiliar with magic yourself, then?"
Teis nods, reaching into her handbag once more. She pulls out one of her family's trademark mana crystals, an orange glow emanating from it. It's one of the crystals containing Tarbin's cursed energies. This is both an answer to Elizabeth's question as well as a potential a segway into her next request.
Elizabeth looks at the crystal for a moment, noting the magic she used to be able to feel and now only catching the faintest hum of power from the crystal. "I think that answers, that, then. What is your goal with these?"
Teis: "While not related to my schoolwork. . .This contains the fractured energy of a Yurettan curse." Teis probably immediately gives Tarbin away with that statement. "A curse that I am trying to break."
Elizabeth looks at the crystal for an intense moment before shaking her head: "Curse-breaking is not easy, even for an experienced mage." She looks at Teis: "Are you sure you are up for this task?"
Teis: "Truthfully? Muffins no. But please, to anyone else, I never said that." Teis replies. "It took everything I had plus more just to get 8 of these meagre crystals through brute force. If I'm to beat this curse, I'm going to need to be smarter. Which is why I'm asking for you to take me on as your student, Lady Catherine. So I may be smarter."
Elizabeth looks aside: "Well, I do have a lack of income and severe surplus of time in my hands... very well." She then sighs slightly and looks back up at Teis: "Just... one thing you need to know. If I say something is too dangerous to try... it really is. I've hurt so much, lost too much, to..." She pauses and gathers herself: "...I think you get the idea."
Teis nods, pulling back the crystal and the patch to squarely stuff them away in her handbag. She smiles, obviously happy, though keeping it restrained. "I understand, Lady Catherine." Does she?
Elizabeth considers the younger lady, then nods with a small smile: "I imagine we will see. I can appreciate the willingness to learn, at least."
Teis: "Sapere Aude." Teis enthusiastically responds. She has willingness to learn out the muffins! "My school's motto. It means Dare to be Wise."
Elizabeth winks: "A good motto." She pauses for a moment, considering what she just agreed into: "When and where shall we begin?"
Teis tilts her head, briefly in thought. Eventually, "Well. . .I suppose that would be up to you, Lady Catherine. Though I guess I should take the time to fill you in on where I'm at and what I'm working on."
Elizabeth smiles: "That would certainly help me understand, yes. Care for tea while you tell me?"
Narrator: Tea isn't particularly Teis' thing, though she doesn't want to be rude. First impressions! "I would love some." Teis agrees, with a smile.
Elizabeth gets up to prepare for a simple pot of tea: "So, tell me about these projects of yours..." The two end up talking about a loose plan of teaching Teis what Elizabeth knows, more or less.