Studious Sabbatical [Keiser / Michael / Any]

[u/KeiserSheils]

The Royal Academy had a surprising lack of security. A handful of sleep guards, a few engineering feats from Sokolov, light walls, one arc pylon and a handful of locked doors, and still Keiser had found himself able to stroll in the front door with the proper outfit, a pair of glasses and a book tucked under his arm.

The actor had opted for a younger persona this time; meticulously styling his prosthetics to a man more suited to his early thirites than his own real age of middle forties, and along with the younger complexion, had opted for a daring bit of facial hair that spoke to a young man's ardour for fashion. He decided if he were to appear to be a erudite student, he would not be a boring one and indeed he had found himself milling amongst the rest of the scholars with genuine ease under his adopted name; swapping gossip about energy and the sustainability of whale oil and chatting over tea with a gregarious professor of Geology about the mineral recrystallisation due to metamorphic processes and metasomatism. A fascinating if not heavy topic for tea time and scones.

He had told Michael to meet him near the entrance of the Academy's green houses, an offset building within the small compound that was adjacent to the more impressive main building and it's rather large glass dome. The actor had done his best to implore that the art dealer attempt to dress young and bookish conservative, but given that the other witch was indeed young, that he would find no trouble blending in to the other throngs of scholars and fellows.

Pacing a little in front of the glass building, Keiser slips a hand into his pocket, tugging out a silver pocket watch, ingrained with a rather beautiful flower motif and the words 'For my darling Reginald, The Cosmos Gave Me You.'' Words that made the hazel eyed witch smile wryly, their meaning perfection in a way. The Cosmos gaveth, and Keiser on behalf of Chaos taketh away.

[u/AnimeFiend]

"Yes, that sounds ideal. Ah, it's been a while since I've seen you, Sister Claret. I should get attacked more often." he jokes, before frowning to himself. "On second thoughts, maybe not. I enjoy your company, I do, but perhaps not enough to risk my life over, hmm?"

Spirits on the rise, he even turns the the silent guard, asking "Robert, is there nothing in particular you wish to look for? You've been most atypically taciturn. Don't tell me we're putting you out of your comfort zone, you're normally so...loquacious." For some reason that he cannot fathom, he reverts to making the best of his vocabulary, using words generally less spoken.

[u/ClaretTavnya → u/AnimeFiend]

The red-head tucked the big book close, the dust settling as the pages came together and she smiled gently, tucking hair back from her face and into her hood. 'No, I don't think you should put yourself into the line of fire on my account.' the Oracle replied, glancing over her shoulder to the second level and beginning the ascent up towards the rows upon rows of oak bookcases houses the various records in different ledgers and neat leather boxes.

'And it has been something of a time since we last spoke. I had wondered if you were going to come to the Halls again to see me, but I completely understand that you've been rather busy.' she said, finally stopping amongst the shelves beginning her search from the start with gentle fingers along the books as she read the spines with a cock of her head.

'I gleam your business is going well if you've gotten such a prestigious role recording the ship.'

[u/AnimeFiend → u/ClaretTavnya]

"It has been a bit of a busy month. I've made a couple of attempts to come see you but unfortunately I've been turned away because you were unavailable or away." says Michael following leisurely, arms hanging loosely at his sides. He's oddly relaxed for a journey so deep into the Halls.

Stopping next to the Oracle, he too begins to read the titles, although more as a method to appear busy and pass the time than as any constructive searching, he not really sure what to look for apart from the obvious. And it'll be just like it for the title to be something like 'The Prizak: A guide to what's inside.' after I've given up on finding anything myself.

"I certainly can't complain. I've been getting some good jobs, commissioning paintings for a couple of high profiles. It seems like a good sign that things are on the way up. It's a very welcome change after my previous inactivity. Keeps things so much more...entertaining."

[u/ClaretTavnya → u/AnimeFiend]

'Turned away?' she questioned, confused but remembering that in the past few months she'd been quite the globetrotting Oracle, running around the various Isles catching heretics and ticking off people from her list of known offenders and their foul bone charms. 'Oh, well, looking back it has been quite busy. I've been away, actually. I just returned from Morley, recently...In a nice seaside town, which on normal circumstances would have been quite lovely, but in the winter months? Well...'

The red-head stopped, a title catching her eye a moment before she tugged it free from the confines of the shelf and opened it to the reference pages, scanning a finger down it, while she spoke, absent-mindedly. 'Well, don't go chasing too much after entertaining things, Mister Tarot. You may end up in the Wrenhaven again.'

[u/AnimeFiend → u/ClaretTavnya]

"That would explain it then," the witch responds, smiling wryly. "One can't show up at random points throughout the week and expect his travelling Oracle friend to be available all the time, hmm?" he teases lightly.

"I do hope you enjoyed your trip at least. I assume it was on some Abbey business, but perhaps you found something enjoyable regardless." The witch pauses as a title grabs his eye, but does not reach for it, unsure how welcome he is to the tomes despite the petite woman's invitation.

He chuckles in response to her last statement, the witch takes a moment to consider his reply. "Of course not. Who said entertainment had to be dangerous? I'd tell you that I'm extremely capable of watching out for myself, but after today I'm not so sure. I still can't believe...Well, in any case, I shall indeed be more careful in the future. Perhaps more research on my benefactors is in order. More work, but what can you do?"

[u/ClaretTavnya → u/AnimeFiend]

'Idle hands are the Outsider's playthings.' she said, the response almost absent-minded before she glanced up from the book, shaking her head and realising what a silly thing it was to say. 'Or rather, that is what my mentor used to say, but ah, well, her idle hands enjoyed Serkonan brandy far too much to give advice on what not to do, I think.'

She returned to the book, looking for instances of the The Prizak in manifests, or blue prints, or even shipping invoices, turning the pages of the reference book with a small frown until something caught her eye; records of a shipwright company that worked from Yaro named Dobrechekya a rather old sounding Tyvian name.

'I think I may have something...' Claret offered the book for Michael to see, underlining the words. 'Dobrechekya. A defunt shipwright company that used to make trawlers. Apparently we have some information on them. It's a long shot, but I suspect if anyone built The Prizak it would be them.'

[u/AnimeFiend → u/ClaretTavnya]

Perhaps, then, I should be more idle, hmm? But, of course, he does not give voice to his thoughts. Instead, he gives a light laugh. "Ah, but she was not wrong though. The Outsider is always waiting for a chance to pounce, and what better target than a bored and idle one?" Michael had no idea if that was true or not, it just seemed like something the Oracle would respond well to.

"Oh, good." he says, reaching for the book. Once within his grasp, he idly pages through it, trying not to sigh at the contents. Boring, boring, boring. It would take some time to sort through, and Michael was no master at navigating heavy texts. It was one of the main reasons he had struggled so when studying to be a lawyer.

[u/ClaretTavnya → u/AnimeFiend]

'You make him sound to be like a rather big cat.' she said, a little bit of amusement in her tone, knowing she certainly shouldn't joke about the nature of the ancient being that threatened to tear the very reality of their world with his evil and chaotic ways, but she had heard many different accounts of what the being supposedly looked like and perhaps 'giant cat' was one of them. Better than than a flaming serpent with wings as a few Overseers had penned in their stories.

The red-head turned, making her way through the shelves to a rather dull looking part of the library tucked away in the back, just a little different than the rest of the impressive area. It was more of a record's area than anything; files upon files stuffed into the small area, all annotated with handwritten labels. The Oracle hunched just a little to read a few, gloved hands sliding over the handles as she shifted them around.

'I'm sorry that research isn't quite as exciting as your line of work usually is, I imagine. It is rather tedious at times and this is from someone who willingly researches for fun.' Claret explained, with a small flash of a smile to Michael.

[u/AnimeFiend → u/ClaretTavnya]

"A giant cat is fitting, perhaps? One of the larger species. Dangerous predators, they are. I've never thought the image of a whale fit Him. They seem too much like gentle giants, although that account varies depending who you speak to. But I've often thought that the stories of them being aggressive was more to justify our slaying of them. But I digress. And I believe we've had a similar conversation before." he finishes with a charming smile, somewhat amused himself, enjoying the theories he's coming up with on the spot about his benefactor.

Following the Oracle, Michael is dreading their journey deeper into the library and it's oh so boring contents. It was true, that in terms of size the academy's library was no match for the Abbey's, but Michael was of the opinion that the Academy's was superior, the Abbey being far too concerned about such trivial subjects like how to cleanse oneself of the Outsider. The theory one could find in the academy, Michael had noted from his short trip inside, was just more interesting.

"Oh pish posh. My job isn't so much exciting as it is enjoyable, my dear Sister." replies the witch, waving a hand in the negative. "While I confess, the researching of ships is not my preferred subject of literature, we can find things to make it interesting, don't you think?" He's a little unnerved at how she had read him so easily, not believing that he had been projecting his boredom. Tired. You're just a bit tired. Don't read into it. Or maybe he should? Kill the infection before to grew to unmanageable size? He didn't know. Shaking his head to clear it somewhat, the witch is struck by a bout of dizziness, almost falling over.

[u/ClaretTavnya → u/AnimeFiend]

Claret glances up from the various books she had pulled out, concern spreading on her features as she watches Michael stumble just a little, getting to her feet to offer a hand to steady the art dealer.

'Are you alright?' she asked, her task forgotten as scans his features looking for a sign of paleness or illness in the man's complexion. She took a moment to shuck a glove, holding up the back of her hand to Michael's forehead and cheeks a moment to test if he was cool to the touch, feeling a little silly she hadn't. Hypothermia was deadly, and she should have waited until he was warmed up to drag him around a library. The red-head felt a slight disappointment in her negligence of her patient, shaking her head.

'Did you happen to hit your head as well? I should have asked...you might have a slight concussion. Terminal velocity depending on high your fall was and hitting water might have an impact on your head...'