Alignment of Interest [for Isidor Durant heirtothedragonsfire]

[auspex_caelo]

By now Stratos quite expects to find the forum desk unattended. He doesn’t bother to be annoyed. Wherever he is and whether or not he knows it, Felix is doing his job. That’s what matters. Besides, his little brother needs friends. It’s in his nature. Friends from other realms are hardly ideal, but they’re all he’s likely to get in the foreseeable future. Stratos accepts that.

At least they’re all mortal so far.

He stands by the table, hood around his shoulders and expression unreadable while he flips through the log book. One has to use that term advisedly, given the proportion of scribbles, doodles and indecipherable shorthand contained within. Deliberate carelessness. He allows himself a sigh.

Without anything particularly interesting in the recent entries, he keeps an eye out for any forum-goers who might approach.

Comments

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Unlike her brother, Isidor lacks the convenience of being able to summon her own portal to hop back and forth to and from the Nexus. So she's resolved to make every trip count. For now there is more than enough to investigate. High on her list of curiosities is the mention of mysterious 'portal border controls' or one being manned by several people. It's difficult to tell. What isn't difficult to notice is that trying to regulate portal use is clearly not something done much here.

The only show of trepidation is in her slow steps as she examines different portals from a safe distance, though that could equally be discounted as caution. Not entirely incorrectly, either.

That's when she spots the stranger by a table. The only small glimmer of organisation in this section of the Nexus. Sights set, she puts on a sweet smile and approaches the man. "Hello."

[auspex_caelo]

The book is closed as he looks up. He takes in the young woman's dress for a bare moment before he inclines his head politely. Her apparel suggests she's from Earth, but the cut is better than typical - as is her poise.

"Good morning," he says pleasantly. "I am Tribune Stratos Caelus, of the Imperial Legion. May I help you, miss?"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

It's a safe bet to mimic greetings, so she also sticks to a polite bowing of her head. The introduction also makes smiling easier. Name, rank and affiliation. There's a pleasant familiarity to that approach.

"Nice to meet you, Tribune Caelus." She's not certain if that's the right form of address, but it's a fair shot at it. "I'm Isidor Durant, Patron of Viatorus Durant. My brother, Viatorus, has been in the Nexus for a while, but I've only come here recently. Samus Aran said you might be able to give me a few answers, a few ideas."

[auspex_caelo]

The term 'Patron' makes him assume for a moment that she's referring to an artist; when she says he's her brother, he has to revise that guess.

"A pleasure to meet you... Patron? Forgive me if I misuse your title. I believe I've heard your brother's name mentioned before. And I am well acquainted with Hunter Aran." That Samus would point this woman his way gives him all the more reason to be curious. "What type of questions did you have in mind?"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"Isidor is fine." She smiles and takes a breath before she gets down to business. "My brother is a mage, and he found the Nexus by reworking a spell. For... political reasons we can't keep that spell entirely secret, although we're doing our best to be careful of who has access to it. Miss Aran helped us work on personal security for my brother, and when I explained that I was looking for ways to control who came in and out of the Nexus from my world, she mentioned you."

[auspex_caelo]

Stratos listens carefully, his mouth drawing in rueful sympathy when she says they can't keep the spell a secret. He understands all too well the scale of difficulties that immediately presents. When she's finished, he nods.

"Then I am happy to assist. But no doubt a more private venue would be preferable for this discussion." He'll have to upgrade to a full-blown office at this rate. "May I invite you to take a drink with me?"

He assumes, since she's new, she won't have a preferred meeting place herself. All going well, Isidor will have the chance to pick her own ground next time.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"You may." Some of the most important work is done with over a drink, and it might help deal with trying to navigate the Nexus. She folds her hands in front of her, waiting for him to indicate which direction to go. "Is it alright to leave no one at the desk?"

[auspex_caelo]

"Entirely, but excuse me a moment while I make the necessary arrangements." He takes the log book through the spell-woven door behind the desk, returning without it a couple of minutes later. A palm raised to the door produces a small flash, apparently sealing the wards.

When he rejoins her, he bows and leads the way toward the Commercial District, and a small inn he knows. It's snug and wood-paneled, the kind of place where you have to find your way up a couple of twisting stairs and double back to find a free table. Every booth is tucked into an odd nook or cranny; outside the Nexus, the poor view of other patrons might force Stratos to employ a countermeasure. But he has found the upstairs table with a nearby window and an unobtrusive view of the front door.

He invites her to sit first, giving her the choice of watching the door or watching the approach to their table. Questions can wait until everyone is satisfied with the arrangements. "I hope this is comfortable for you."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Waiting is easy enough. There's nothing at the desk to distract her. Really, the more interesting thing is the small show of magic and how confidently he navigated the Nexus. She's happy to stay quiet and make notes for now.

There's no mistaking her awkwardness in a place like this. It's an experience, quaint, and she'll persist in keeping a hold of her pleasant smile. She can handle new surroundings. Resisting the urge to flinch when the inn's patrons risk bumping into her is the hard part.

A split second is dedicated to deciding where to sit and then she chooses to keep an eye on who might come close to their table. She takes her seat with a small bow of her head, a bright smile and a word of thanks. "You've picked a good table. Do you come here often?"

[auspex_caelo]

"On occasion," he replies, settling into the opposite seat. Yeah, he's been here twice before at most. "Thus far I've found it a good venue for quiet conversation. And I can recommend the ginger and orange, if you favor teas." Alcohol for soldiers, tea for mages. Battle-mages drink what they please; still, which she prefers might tell him something about her.

His steel armor doesn't seem to stop him getting comfortable. He nods politely to the waitress who drops off their menus, a nearly-silent woman in loose black clothing. The largest part of the menu is devoted to beverages hot and cold: the proprietors are apparently used to customers nursing their orders.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"Flavoursome," she comments with a quirk of her lips. "That sounds lovely."

Casting an eye over the menu for future reference, she soon sets it down again. Today she will follow his suggestion, since it's not alien and taking advice is an easy way to inject some trust into a relationship.

Carefully curbing her eagerness, she stays quiet, waiting for Stratos to instigate the next part of the conversation. She doesn't want to waste her time, but she can afford to invest some patience into security matters. Besides, she wouldn't mind taking time to see if she's found a like-minded member of the Nexus. Worryingly, most others seem to favour utopoian attitudes and ideas.

[auspex_caelo]

He inclines his head slightly, and when the waitress returns in due course she'll be taking an order for two orange teas. He stands by his recommendations; also, being able to get things like oranges is a luxury he's missed in the northern provinces.

"If I may, I'd like to begin by asking a few questions," he says. "I quite understand if there are matters you'd prefer to discuss, but I'm sure you will appreciate that my suggestions will be all the better if I have a clear picture of your situation."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

The waitress gets little more than a glance as Isidor gives her order, then all eyes are on Stratos. Servants are something she's more than used to, and ignoring them is a habit. It needs to be, when they're moving around you so often.

She smiles at the man across from her and nods, folding her hands and remaining attentive. "Of course. Ask as much as you need to."

[auspex_caelo]

"First, I'd like to know about the... place of magic and mages, in your world. And specifically your family's position." He smiles slightly. "Mages are quite common in my realm, or at least they are compared with other worlds."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

That line of questioning raises a carefully shaped eyebrow. Nevertheless, she nods, taps one finger, and considers where best to start from. "Magic is common in my world, but hidden. Small acts are easily disguised for those who don't know of it, and there are plenty of people like that. Mages aren't common. We have our circles, our networks, but the world at large doesn't know about us. We are a fiction, a fairy tale."

She takes a moment before continuing. "My family is part of one of the largest, most influential bloodlines in magical history. We're scholars. Researchers. And we do that well. We know the value of knowledge, and we know it has to be protected. Which is why I am talking to you today."

[auspex_caelo]

“And I take that as no small compliment.” He inclines his head to her. “This certainly presents an interesting situation, quite unlike my own world. May I ask why you keep yourselves so hidden? It seems peculiar from my perspective, but you must have reason to be so careful. After all, the effort of remaining hidden must cut deeply into your research time.” A slight smile, to show he’s joking.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Isidor smiles in turn, taking a deep breath and shifting her weight before she answers. "The short version? Status quo. A long time ago, people decided that magic was either non-existent or damning. They came out on top in the events that followed, and staying hidden gives us more of an advantage than fighting for recognition ever would."

Here, she tilts her head at him, curious, and still smiling. "Have you ever had witch hunts in your world?"