Book Business

[alpha_squad_leader]

Characters: Victor Borkowski and Lieuen
Date: Starts Oct 25, goes on various other days
Location: Starts in Lieuen's office, may go to other locations
Situation: Victor and his cohorts have amassed enough juulan to get the mysterious book he and some others found under the turtle's shell translated. So Victor sets up some meetings with Lieuen to get the job done.
Warnings/Rating: None planned.

Comments

[hazelwood]

Lieuen smiles, back to the wide and gracious persona he so favours. "Physical comfort can be attained with but a few changes to the body," he says, quite willing to speak of the kedan abilities, They are, after all, natural to he.

[alpha_squad_leader]

"Okay," Victor replies, rubbing the back of his neck. Once the heaters arrive, he'll take off some of the winter gear. "I wasn't sure if that's how your shapeshifting worked."

[hazelwood]

"Curious. You have encountered shapeshifters that could not truly reshap themselves?" Lieuen asks it in passing as he steps down off the desk once more, carefully clearing away the gems and trinkets on his desk to make space for the book.

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor nods, unbuttoning his coat. "There were some that could only change appearances and others that shifted through different means or only into specific things. There are all kinds of different abilities where I come from and even people with similar powers may not have them end up working the same way."

[hazelwood]

"How strange," is a reflection and he takes out a journal, making a note of this information. Lieuen is a purveyor of many things more than mere mercantile pursuits and these details shall serve him well.

"We kedan are rather more consistent than that, I must say. It creates some stability within the race and allows us to teach our offspring how best to thrive."

[alpha_squad_leader]

"It makes sense since the kedan are one species with one source of power," Victor remarks as he takes out the bag containing the book and his own notes.

"So you guys teach shapeshifting in kedan schools here or is it just something for families to teach in house?" he's a little curious.

[hazelwood]

"We teach and learn it much like talking," he explains jovially, holding his hands out for the book. "I myself mastered three forms before my first word. My parents were quite distraught that I may choose only to speak in shapes because of it."

[alpha_squad_leader]

Victor pauses to give a quiet little laugh before moving to take a seat and carefully hand over the book. "Well, that does seem like it would be reason to be distraught."

[hazelwood]

The tome is heavy in his hands, but not impossibly so. He lays it on the table and carefully opens it to where they left off, pausing a moment to peruse the page before. "Do you?" he comments offhand, distracted by the knowledge these pages promise to him. "Curious. Speaking as a more limited race, how do your non verbal kin convey their thoughts?"

[alpha_squad_leader]

"I just imagine parents might be a little concerned if their kid couldn't communicate the same way they and the majority of other kids would," Victor explains. "Well those that don't have any special powers or technology have sign language. It's a language made of various hand gestures."

[hazelwood]

"Ah, indeed." Another curiosity of these Foreigners, who do so obsess over communication and the written word. Rarely has he seen a group as hungry for knowledge as he and Milyn are. "And do you know this sign language? I would be quite interested in learning it."

Lieuen begins in on the book as he speaks, scanning first over the page and then starting to read it in-depth, ready to pick up any of his reference materials in order to sort out troubling points.

[alpha_squad_leader]

"No, I'm sorry. There might be some others here that know it but I haven't asked around," Victor replies. He is curious about if anyone on the turtle knows sign language now himself.

He gets his notes ready to start writing as well.

[hazelwood]

"I would be most willing to pay for such lessons," Lieuen comments as he begins and there is promise of some wealth in such an education. Pity Victor lacks it, for he may have brokered a discount for this translation, but Lieuen shall not speak further to that. It is, after all, in his best interests to continue in a vein that sees his revenues rise.

The base profiles are easily run through once more, his familiarity with these particular words still strong in his mind from their last session. Lizardlike Qi, feathery Julyt, hulking Bysaliat, strange Ropsrch, and strikingly normal Achavielle in comparison. Briefly, he wonders what each were like, but he continues into the new material in search of what answers it may hold.

One hour passes as he works, and then another. Coal-stoked heating pans are brought in and exchanged for his guest's comfort. Food and beverages are similarly made available, set upon a table at the side, and all the while Lieuen focuses intently on the tome.

They are nearing their third hour before he leans back, stretching his neck upwards in such a way that sounds a dozen or more cracks. "Interesting," he murmurs, turning the book slowly towards Victor.

"This portion addresses Achavielle primarily," he explains, showing the first page of the section to be a series of profile sketches of the woman. "There is reference to her being the Ashwood -- ah, alas, the title itself has been struck from each mention, though I was able to make out its honourary prefix with some effort." He turns the page, displaying anatomical sketches of the subject, quite detailed and unabashed. "It appears she volunteered to provide this project with a baseline of sorts to measure the other subjects by. Her history is simple enough, though has been heavily censored. She served in the old military and fought in many, many campaigns under the generals that came before Ironwood and Alderwood, though she served under he as well. She was fit and a mere six hundred years old when she undertook this responsibility, but little remarkable distinguishes. I presume this is why she bears such value as a baseline." Lieuen turns another page carefully, then pushes the tome gently towards Victor. "Do you have questions of particular section from what I have just explained?"

[alpha_squad_leader]

"If I hear anyone knows, I'll ask them to come talk to you," Victor remarks. Of course he can't promise anyone that may offer lessons will offer them for free. He might even encourage them to charge.

As the hour passes, Victor remains quiet. While waiting for Lieuen to translate pages, Victor checks through some of his own work related notes to pass the time. Just notes on places he's worked in the city and little summaries of the jobs done. The coal heaters are very much appreciated and let Victor shed a layer or two of winter gear.

The cracking draws the mutant's attention upwards and he closes the notes he's working on to focus on taking new ones on the translation. He looks curiously at what Lieuen shows him, quickly taking notes on it all. He makes sure to write down all of it, adding a note to try to find out more about the Ashwood title if possible. "So she was just exceptionally average?" he murmurs. "No, I think I've got everything about this one."