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Harper's Tale - Wednesday, October 02, 2002, 10:56 PM
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The Flying Mug
A few shades too bright for the lighting to ever be called quite dim, the interior of the Flying Mug reveals upon closer inspection the marks of a much-frequented bar. Although the tables all match and the chairs are of a set, one or seven chairs have a wobbly leg, a few tabletops have big gashes across them, and each surface has an intricate pattern of turn-old mug rings. A well stocked, well polished and well maintained bar stretches across the expanse of the wall, facing the series of shuttered windows looking out on the courtyard. The bar stools are better maintained than the chairs, with low backs. And they spin, too! An intricate 'mural' covers the ceiling and there's a 'note' on the wall.
High in the rafters are thirty-two firelizards.
You see Bartender Lem here.
Giador and Hynolonie are here.
Obvious exits:
Dining Hall     Great Hall
You stand in the rather rambunctious Flying Mug.

Liesana makes her usual post-class appearance in the Mug considerably more laden with message hides and writing utensils than is her wont. Plus, the quiet slide into a corner table with no greeting for Lem beyond a quiet hand-flick is somewhat out of character as well. Liesana is apparently puzzling over something, if the flurry of messages being written out is any indication.

Hynolonie watches Liesana's appearance and begins a puzzling of her own, wrinkling her nose as she makes her way over, watching intently as she goes. She pauses, a handspan away from Liesana's body and peering over her shoulder at her hides, knowing she'll figure out Lonie's there sooner or later, and just maybe she'll get a peek at what absorbs Liesana's attention so completely.

Giador has disconnected.

An interesting collection of messages, these missives Liesana's so hurriedly composing. The subject bodies are written in one of the higher-level written codes, but the name-identifiers are in plain writing, so an enterprising eavesdropper could see that they're to many different people, 'though mostly Harpers. Hence the code. Tolia in Southern, a Journeyman Adrois at Fort, her old Law mentor Teraille, the Fort Hall records-keeper... the list goes on. How intriguing. "Lonie, read over my shoulder all you like," the master notes dryly, figuring the presence behind her to have pretty decent odds of being her mentee, since other folks would just sit down across from her, or whisper in her ear, or do /something/. "You won't have learned this code yet. We don't teach it 'till you make rank."

The housekeeper arrives to cart Giador off to bed.

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose as she studies the written language. "Don't underestimate my powers with the written word, Liesana." She smiles and walks around taking a seat across from her and looking over the text infront of her. "I've been studying words since I was 4... I think I'd make an excellent code creater and breaker if Harper ever needed one." She falls silent then, her lips still moving as she studies the words. "Had a productive meeting today? or are you teaching an advanced class on codes?"

Liesana simply smiles, and continues to write apparent nonsense words without pause, her speech somewhat slower and more deliberate than normal as she splits her concentration between talking and recalling code keys. "I agree. This, however, is archivists's code. Made up by people have /also/ spent inordinate amounts of time playing with words. And the cipher is individually keyed. But I suppose you could call it a productive meeting. Or a productive /introduction/. And a puzzling one, to be most precise."

Hynolonie raises an eyebrow, casting a glance in Liesana's direction. "Wow.. you mean.. for once, there was a harper meeting that wasn't boring long and uninteresting?" She grins cheekily and shrugs a little. Perhaps she was spending to much time with Benjer lately. she wrinkles her nose and leans back in her chair. "And.. since you are writing in code, I can naturally assume that you probably aren't allowed to talk about it, even though I am a trustworthy individual and can carry a secret to my grave." She smiles and adverts her eyes from the page and sighs a little. "And.. for the first time, i'm simply going to not be nosy. I'm tired of it."

"Mmm, wasn't a meeting persay, it was the arrival of a new Journeyman down from the Fort Hall." explains Liesana, giving what information she feels she can. She finishes one letter and places it aside to be stamped and sealed. "His orders were in Oriana's hand, but there's something that he's hiding about himself. Something beyond simple personal secrets and similar business. If he's going to be living in the same Hall areas as me, I want to know what." She scans over the code, and apparently finds it good. "Hence, the letters. And that, my dear mentee, is that." Or at least all she's planning to say. "But tired of being nosy...?"

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "Curiosity leads to questions. Questions lead to strange looks.. strange looks lead to more questions and in the end, I feel like some sort of oddball dimglow that no one wants to be around. I managed to make Synte think I was a strange enough wherry that he declared me.. too young and walked away. I seem to scare people off with my questions and I think I'll give it a rest for a while." She sighs.

Liesana looks up over the edge of her coded message hide, amber eyes calmly seeking to lock onto Lonie's. "Curiosity leads to questions. Questions lead to answers. Answers lead to /knowledge/." she counters, glancing down again to trace her finger along one row of code blocks, lips pursed in concentration. "From what I've seen, mentee-mine, it's not your questions that scare people, it's your way of asking them. Have you ever seen a herding canine work a flock of ovines?" In the master's herder-bred brain, there's apparently a reason behind the sudden non sequitor.

Hynolonie nods and peeks at Liesana again. "yes.. Yes I have." She presses her lips together. "I also find that my questions usually take place before their time for normal girls my age and therefore are not answered because i am simply not ready for them." She sighs for a moment before looking at Liesana again, her eyes locking on the harper. She was going to make a point, Lonie knows it. She braces herself for it.. because she generally doesn't like Liesana's points the first time around. "Please.. tell me what I am doing wrong."

Liesana's point isn't exactly a marrow-blasting one this time. In fact, it's fairly mild as her points go. "I once read a quote that I rather liked." she offers, setting aside letter number two onto her To Be Sealed pile. "'The truth is a beautiful and dangerous thing, and should therefore be treated with caution.' I believe it boils down to 'be careful what you ask for', in one interpretation. You do have a point that you're fairly precocious in your questions. But you're also an adult now, and you deserve adult answers. But! The way to get those answers is /not/ to stare down your quarry or chivvy them with cold logic. We aren't herding canines. What I'd suggest is to make the hard questions easier to swallow. It's not what you ask, it's how you ask it, if I might bastardize a phrase."

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose and sighs. "Perhaps you ought to develope a class in question asking. It will likely be slightly different than your interrogation class, but will be likely just as suitable for the courtroom." She nods and leans forward a bit. "I would be your most apt student. I am... so tired of not having answers and being shunned for asking questions, but I don't know the first thing about practical applications of beating around the bush." She sighs and shakes her head. "Perhaps later.. when you have time?"

Liesana smiles. "I suppose I have time now," she grants. "Although... come to think of it, that /would/ probably make excellent material for my Advanced Law group. No reason you can't attend that class, just because you're hetting private tutoring, no? But... I'll let you decide. Just let me seal these letters, mmm? Pulling her belt knife, she cuts neat little blobs from a piece of harper blue sealing wax, and begins working them between her fingers to soften them, Pern having a distressing lack of handy candles.

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "With my current state of ineptitude, Perhaps I ought to opt for both private tutalage and class room study. Gah.. Liesana.. anything to get out of this awkward stage called my childhood. It seems to be plaguing me through adulthood as well." She wrinkles her nose. Normally, she wouldn't disclose this insecurity to just anyone, but it was Liesana, her mentor, her closest friend and her constant confident, and someone she knew.. no matter what happened the night before, they would never be in a position to hate each other in the morning.

Liesana offers a dry smile. "If someone could concoct a cure for growing pains, they'd be wealthier than all the Lords of Telgar," she quips whimsically, finishing with the first blob of wax and tying the first scroll with a length of blue ribbon pulled from her pocket. The wax is pressed into place, and she pats at her pockets looking for "Now where did I put that dratted seal... Bah, ought to put it on a chain around my... neck." The pause caused by a Liesana realizing she's done just that, and pulling the aforementioned seal out from amongst her cleavage. "Ah. There. Well, why don't we get a start then. Now, when you;re just having a conversation with someone, no information-gathering planned atall, how do you act?" she asks, applying the seal and leaving the famous harp sigil pressed into place.

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "I.. just tend to be quiet. With everyone but Alain, I really don't have anything to say unless a question pops to mind.. and i'm off again, gathering information with out really even realizing it." She sighs, and smirks a little as Liesana pulls the seal out. Hmmm.. "Now.. what would be the purpose of hiding that in there?" she grins mischeviously. "See? Questions." She sighs and huffs. "Its always questions with me. They just sort of pour out of my mouth like spillage from a dam."

The seal is on a cord! Liesana is not Lis, after all. She favours her mentee with a bit of a smirk. "Because that's one particular area that shan't have anyone looking at it, without my invitation?" she replies with a wink, before sealing the next message. Three more to go, and she's back to playing with the sealing wax, staining her fingertips a pretty shade of blue. "Well, when you ask the questions, have you tried asking them in a way that invites the other person to ask questions of /you/? Mutual interrogation, if you will."

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "how does one do that? I mean, I try and be open and I am open for mutual questions, but.. I don't know. no one takes me up on it.. unless it becomes some sort of debate about one thing or another inwhich someone feels like they've been proven wrong by the end of the conversation... or aleast verbally roughed up a bit." She sighs. Yes.. exaggeration, but.. it felt true.

Liesana ponders this for a moment, taking the opportunity to finish with the final three message hides. After that, she organizes the five into a neat demi-pyramid on the tabletop in front of her, still thinking. How does one explain something one does unconsciously? "Lonie..." she ventures at last. "I'm trying to remember. Have you ever taken any philosophy classes?"

Hynolonie shakes her head and peers up at her. "No. They aren't required, and while I could study all fields.. I do prefer a bit of independent further study in the archives to classroom interaction." She nods and smiles. Unfortunately, she just wasn't a people person. "What's the new guy's name, anyway?" She grins at Liesana, that question resurfacing in her thoughts. "I will figure that much out by myself if you don't tell me, since it is rather easy, so you might as well tell me."

"Journeyman Rook, recently walked the tables up at Fort. Wears clothing far more fancy than a simple new journeyman can afford, and has good taste in fabric and cut, as well." Liesana reports. "Since you'll likely be meeting him soon enough. Well, if you'd been to a philosophy class you'd see that the trick of it is mostly in asking questions in a way that triggers other questions. The tone is kept somewhat abstract, situations are given in hypotheticals... in many ways, it's the antithesis of the cross-exam and court law, which is why it /may/ be the better model for you to emulate when simply trying to hold a conversation."

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose and leans forward. "Liesana. You've known me for turns.. and have been my mentor for about as long. Why haven't you suggested a philosophy class before?" She raises an eyebrow and smiles a little. "Yes Ma'am. I will go to the first class I can find.. even if the only ones being taught are 15 turns old." Wasn't she sweet, willing to sit with kids and everything. "Hmm.. Well dressed? Perhaps I aught to introduce him to Alain.. or don't you think he'd go for that kind of thing?"

Liesana raises an eyebrow right back, and signals to a drudge to come over and take an order. Firelizards are speedy messangers, but hers require bribes. "Well," she drawls, with a twinkle in her eye. "You never asked for my help, on this particular problem." She winks, and then gives a little shake of her head. "Mmm... no. I'm not ruling it out entirely, mind, but generally you can tell, or I can at least. No, this is an entirely different sort of well dressed, and it's distinctly at odds with the image he's trying to present. Hence these." A wave of her hands at the pristine pile of message hides.

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "Sounds dreadfully intriguing. Perhaps I ought to practice my noncombative ways of being inquisitive with him in the near future." She grins mischeviously. "I promise to neither probe him or shout at him, corner him verbally or get emotional about any of it." She nods affirmatively and sighs to herself. "Worse comes to worse, I'll have a new person to study, and he'll just have to live with that."

Liesana gives a devious smile. "I think that would be an excellent idea, mentee-mine," she agrees solemnly. "On the condition that you report back to me with your findings... But don't be afraid to be a little emotional. Humanity is good, too. Don't end up like that little healer friend of Alain's. Marawyn or something, gone off to ride dragons now, I heard..." She trails off as a drudge returns with a large plate of meat scraps, and sets about summoning her firelizard fair, now effectively blocked from the world.

Hynolonie wrinkles her nose. "She goes by Wyn now.. and believe it our not, when I was extremely unhappy with you.. as documented by my letter, she was your staunchest supporter." She raises both eyes and grins a little. "Anyway, Yes. all information shall be relayed directly to you.. with overwhelming detail as always. If I try to be emotionless, I likely will turn out only somewhat emotional, and that would likely be an improvement upon my normal means of communication." SHe grins and stands. "I.. think i'll crash in the dorms tonight, in case you're curious. I have to go now.. and report in before they lock down for the night."

Liesana lifts an eyebrow from amidst a forest of firelizard wings, looking somewhat surprised. "Really now? Well I suppose the girl is logical, if nothing else." she sums up, silenced by the hungry shriek of her bronze. You want messages, you give food first. A nod is given, triggering more squawks from the five as their perch moves, so she stills and simply vocalizes instead. "Sounds a plan, Lonie. If they ask questions, just send them on to me, as usual."

Hynolonie grins and bows low. "As always. Good night, Liesana."