All Drysi got was a blank stare as Vincent processed the girl’s antics and eventual explanation. The older boy looked between the direction to Bombellas’ office, the paperwork, at the floor, then back towards Drysi. One could almost see the spreadsheet that was his mind connecting information, and the sign that it had finished was a raising of his eyebrows and a simple, “Ah.”
“If I had to guess, I would say that Master Flynn was simply cautioning you about hardliners in the Order. You are of the Third Circle, so unless you misappropriate funds for a project or try to bypass regulations Chief Bombellas is unlikely to single you out. In Master Flynn’s case, the Fifth Circle, and in particular those on the frontiers, are a subject the Chief wants stricter regulations for. It’s not the most common type of form we file, but I have seen a fair number of after action reports from all corners held over for extensive scrutiny,” Vincent spoke as he set about placing his books and records in various, predetermined spots on his desk. “It’d make sense that Master Flynn feels cautious in regards to the Second Circle. He’s one of the first of our Order to operate in a new theater, so it’d make sense that the Chief has been strict on overseeing his actions.”
He looked up, thinking.
“Though I’d also suggest you be on your best behavior. It’s unlikely that she’ll single you out due to being Master Flynn’s apprentice, but you might still have extra oversight due to your theater of operation. Document everything.”
[The Keep] Walking to Skye
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
This had been a trip of many firsts, and this was probably the first time Drysi might have acknowledged a drawback in serving under Ruarc Flynn. While she had not necessarily been the starlet of an apprentice, a scandalous first recruit from a new world to the druids, she also had not felt the gravity of Mr. Flynn’s reputation on her shoulders. Everyone had been very fair and welcoming. The Ard Rhys treated her as a regular apprentice. Engleby was like a kind grandfather she had never known, and Brennan was like an aunt. Her own Chief had shown no preference or bias one way or another, despite casually listing out all the reasons why her Master was a bit of a pot-stirrer. Bombellas wouldn’t care either, or at least she hoped, but by virtue of serving in the same field as her Master, she was at a disadvantage.
And that was strangely thrilling. Maybe it was, finally, that she shared a burden with him, and could say it without doubt. This eagerness showed in an amused, gleeful grin, pendulating full swing from her anxiety.
“Is that all?” scoffed Drysi, “Documentin’ things is my whole job! Paperwork? Feh. This will be simple. Hell, I bet I could just do Master Flynn’s paperwork for him. I–”
Gideon shifted on her shoulders, his eyes looking at her from the edge of her vision, and she began to back-pedal in her words, “-- have no clue how any of this works. Quite honestly, doon’t really know what I’m claimin’, since I’ve been here a couple days and this big ol’ office seems like there’s more particulars than there are stones in Carneath. I got pretty handwrittin’, tho’.”
Just to prove it, she tugged her quill out of her bag and summoned a sticky note that flitted out after it. With a quick flourish, she wrote on it, and with a peppery flick, offered it to Vincent.
On it was his name, with a little heart over the ‘i’, in her practiced, controlled flourish. “I use m’roommate’s desk as a filin’ cabinet, goot bouta hundred or so of these markin’ special little files. Pretty sure she doon’t mind too much.”
And that was strangely thrilling. Maybe it was, finally, that she shared a burden with him, and could say it without doubt. This eagerness showed in an amused, gleeful grin, pendulating full swing from her anxiety.
“Is that all?” scoffed Drysi, “Documentin’ things is my whole job! Paperwork? Feh. This will be simple. Hell, I bet I could just do Master Flynn’s paperwork for him. I–”
Gideon shifted on her shoulders, his eyes looking at her from the edge of her vision, and she began to back-pedal in her words, “-- have no clue how any of this works. Quite honestly, doon’t really know what I’m claimin’, since I’ve been here a couple days and this big ol’ office seems like there’s more particulars than there are stones in Carneath. I got pretty handwrittin’, tho’.”
Just to prove it, she tugged her quill out of her bag and summoned a sticky note that flitted out after it. With a quick flourish, she wrote on it, and with a peppery flick, offered it to Vincent.
On it was his name, with a little heart over the ‘i’, in her practiced, controlled flourish. “I use m’roommate’s desk as a filin’ cabinet, goot bouta hundred or so of these markin’ special little files. Pretty sure she doon’t mind too much.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“And, your roommate doesn’t mind that you have commandeered her desk?” Vincent regarded the sticky note, and Drysi’s display, with mild curiosity. Beyond the cubicle the sound of the main door opening echoed across the cavernous office space, accompanied by booted footsteps walking towards Bombellas’ door.
“Regardless, you should be well set for the Thirds. Send a text if you are unsure of which form to file. It’s more convenient than needing to file the Incorrect Document forms. Should the Thirds not be the right Circle for you, then you could also do well here in the thrilling world of the Somatics.”
“Regardless, you should be well set for the Thirds. Send a text if you are unsure of which form to file. It’s more convenient than needing to file the Incorrect Document forms. Should the Thirds not be the right Circle for you, then you could also do well here in the thrilling world of the Somatics.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
"Willoo? She's m'girlfriend, not t'mention she's not usin' most of the drawers anyway," dismissed Drysi with a casual wave of her hand, while making a cautious check of the doorway, before heaving away at the sound of someone entering the office. She was in a better place, but she was also still in there.
"Fookin' 'ell, I juss' need a moment to slip out," she grumbled, before turning back to Vincent, gathering herself, "I could see m'self as a Somatic, I was a scribe 'fore I was a druid. Wasn't a particularly pleasant line a'work, but I do love a good paper. Mum and Da run a paper store, and I've got my mother's papyromantic blood in me veins, but…"
She blinked, her eyes flickering, "My place is at my Master's side. I am the one who will arm him for what's t'come. Can't do that with an ink or quill, not for what cursed monsters he is yet t'face. There's a wolf he needs to slay, and he can only do it with my spell."
The triclops tapped her head.
"It's up here, somewhere, and only Chief Mastrogiacomo can make it happen."
"Fookin' 'ell, I juss' need a moment to slip out," she grumbled, before turning back to Vincent, gathering herself, "I could see m'self as a Somatic, I was a scribe 'fore I was a druid. Wasn't a particularly pleasant line a'work, but I do love a good paper. Mum and Da run a paper store, and I've got my mother's papyromantic blood in me veins, but…"
She blinked, her eyes flickering, "My place is at my Master's side. I am the one who will arm him for what's t'come. Can't do that with an ink or quill, not for what cursed monsters he is yet t'face. There's a wolf he needs to slay, and he can only do it with my spell."
The triclops tapped her head.
"It's up here, somewhere, and only Chief Mastrogiacomo can make it happen."
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“You live with your girlfriend? At a boarding school?” Vincent asked, his tone cautious. His eyes looked Drysi up and down, and she got the impression that he was considering whether or not to file a report. After a few moments however he seemed to dismiss the matter. The boots sounded like they were leaving the Chief’s office at a brisk pace. “Grandiose rationale and heroic deeds all boil down to the same paperwork; just different quantities. That said, yes, the Second Circle doesn’t exactly lend itself to heroic, now…”
“Keeper Williamson! What in the world are these expense reports?! Did you fill them out with your eyes closed?!” Chief Bombellas’ voice shouted from her office.
"Ach! Come on! Ah filed those exactly the same way Ah filed all me other expense reports!" a thick Scottish brogue called back.
“You can't just mark everything as miscellaneous expenses! We’ve required DZ-283’s for the better part of a year to justify miscellaneous expenses. Expenses related to combat require official after-action reports attached. Expenses related to non-druid work-related activities require that work's pay-stubs. Expenses related to personal, work-related expenses require dated receipts. And do you honestly expect us to reimburse you for drinking at a bar?!”
“T’was gathrin information! Proper business like, aye?”
The boots reached the door and quickly exited.
“You got in a bar fight and broke a stool! That’s hardly… Keeper Williamson?! Ugh! That lout!”
Vincent was pinching his brow.
“That’s going to be fun to file,” Vincent sighed.
“Keeper Williamson! What in the world are these expense reports?! Did you fill them out with your eyes closed?!” Chief Bombellas’ voice shouted from her office.
"Ach! Come on! Ah filed those exactly the same way Ah filed all me other expense reports!" a thick Scottish brogue called back.
“You can't just mark everything as miscellaneous expenses! We’ve required DZ-283’s for the better part of a year to justify miscellaneous expenses. Expenses related to combat require official after-action reports attached. Expenses related to non-druid work-related activities require that work's pay-stubs. Expenses related to personal, work-related expenses require dated receipts. And do you honestly expect us to reimburse you for drinking at a bar?!”
“T’was gathrin information! Proper business like, aye?”
The boots reached the door and quickly exited.
“You got in a bar fight and broke a stool! That’s hardly… Keeper Williamson?! Ugh! That lout!”
Vincent was pinching his brow.
“That’s going to be fun to file,” Vincent sighed.
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
"And I forgot who I was talkin' too," groaned Drysi, answering Vincent's flat reception of her great mission. At the very least, he had dropped that consternated look on his face with the boarding school comment. It was easy for her to forget that they were still in school.
So, in pursuit of that relief, she pressed on, "You know, tha' Third Circle values a certain degree of innovation that m'mind feels at home with. From what I can see here, you Seconds all try t'figure out how to fit the world inside this tightly shaped box."
As if seeking the relevance, she held out her hands, and a pair of forms answered them. A standard expense form, DZ-280, and an administrative remarks form, DZ-283.
"Before I was a druid, I was a scribe, an inscriptionist," explained Drysi as Gideon slithered over her shoulders and down into her bag, "Inscription magic is like rune's posh, useless cousin, not quite practical in a wide degree of circumstances. That is, unless you've a case like thissun."
Coiling, Gideon presented Drysi's inkwell from her bag and the triclops took to marking the form. She continued, "Weak spells can be pressed t'paper, and instructions can be explicitly written. For example, a bloke, let's say a Keeper, who's keen on dropping off the paperwork and making the work some else's problem… Inscribe a simple Bind Object spell… tied to a tracking spell… which drives a Levitation spell."
The work took a couple of minutes, and, once finished, she set the forms on the desk with an effusion of wicked giggling. She looked back at Vincent with a wide, sharp-toothed grin. Then, she demonstrated the purpose of her work, by beginning to write on the form. She filled out a few fields, but left it half-finished.
When she tried to walk away from the unfinished document, it got up from the table to follow her.
"Say Mr. Willumson botches his paperwork," explained Drysi, "he can't just walk away anymore. Not till he finishes it. Correctly."
Snatching the form out of the air, she skipped back to the desk, and finished the form. Again, she stepped away, but the form followed again. This prompted her to return swiftly, and write something pithy on the DZ-283. Now, with the two documents filled and stacked, Drysi walked away the last time, the paper as still as paper should be.
The Third Circle druid spun about in evil delight, with her successful proof of concept, "What do you think? I could draw up the plans for a little press that you could pump these out with. Stamp a form, and now it becomes a little enforcer. Follows blokes around til they fill it out right."
So, in pursuit of that relief, she pressed on, "You know, tha' Third Circle values a certain degree of innovation that m'mind feels at home with. From what I can see here, you Seconds all try t'figure out how to fit the world inside this tightly shaped box."
As if seeking the relevance, she held out her hands, and a pair of forms answered them. A standard expense form, DZ-280, and an administrative remarks form, DZ-283.
"Before I was a druid, I was a scribe, an inscriptionist," explained Drysi as Gideon slithered over her shoulders and down into her bag, "Inscription magic is like rune's posh, useless cousin, not quite practical in a wide degree of circumstances. That is, unless you've a case like thissun."
Coiling, Gideon presented Drysi's inkwell from her bag and the triclops took to marking the form. She continued, "Weak spells can be pressed t'paper, and instructions can be explicitly written. For example, a bloke, let's say a Keeper, who's keen on dropping off the paperwork and making the work some else's problem… Inscribe a simple Bind Object spell… tied to a tracking spell… which drives a Levitation spell."
The work took a couple of minutes, and, once finished, she set the forms on the desk with an effusion of wicked giggling. She looked back at Vincent with a wide, sharp-toothed grin. Then, she demonstrated the purpose of her work, by beginning to write on the form. She filled out a few fields, but left it half-finished.
When she tried to walk away from the unfinished document, it got up from the table to follow her.
"Say Mr. Willumson botches his paperwork," explained Drysi, "he can't just walk away anymore. Not till he finishes it. Correctly."
Snatching the form out of the air, she skipped back to the desk, and finished the form. Again, she stepped away, but the form followed again. This prompted her to return swiftly, and write something pithy on the DZ-283. Now, with the two documents filled and stacked, Drysi walked away the last time, the paper as still as paper should be.
The Third Circle druid spun about in evil delight, with her successful proof of concept, "What do you think? I could draw up the plans for a little press that you could pump these out with. Stamp a form, and now it becomes a little enforcer. Follows blokes around til they fill it out right."
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“I fear our halls would resemble that scene out of Fantasia. A never ending trail of paperwork parading along the halls,” Vincent went on with his usual level tone. He had sat his work down and opened a drawer to deftly pluck at a number of sheets. By the time he was done he had a neat stack of documents that he handed to Drysi. “There you will P-24, for spell patenting; P-162, for formulaic patenting related to the concurrent spell patenting; DM-744, for demonstrations carried out for potential products; DT-23A, for proposed alteration to existing Order documentation; DT-23B-3, for proposed alteration to existing Second Circle documentation; Y-85, for submitting a proposal for Chief Bombellas’ consideration; and D-3, for improper use of official Second Circle documentation.”
He adjusted his glasses with one hand while holding the paperwork in the other, stoic as always.
“Good flare for presentation, by the way, but there is no form for that.”
He adjusted his glasses with one hand while holding the paperwork in the other, stoic as always.
“Good flare for presentation, by the way, but there is no form for that.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
At first, Drysi was irritated with Vincent for his trademark deadpan, but as the forms began to pile up, she began to fidget. After the first three forms she had looked troubled, by the last one, she was quietly, and obediently holding her hands out for the stack. Having listened thoroughly, she realized that not only had Vincent sucked the fun out of everything he touched, but she had overstepped herself. Much like when she had walked into the Keeper’s world, she had found herself out of her depth in the Somatic’s world.
“Oh.”
It was all she really could say, as she quietly pulled a chair from the other desk and dutifully work on filling out all of the forms. She didn’t say much else, choosing instead to carefully read and write what information was required.
Gideon slithered from her pack onto the table and turned to look at Vincent and Desdemona.
”I’m afraid she gets like this when assigned a task,” he informed Des, before turn to face an eye at the triclops, ”Tell me if she should move. She’s not going to get up unless–...”
The apprentice stood, and picked up the forms she had used as a demonstration. Then, she reached past Vincent to grab a folder from his desk, before returning to her seat.
”--unless she needs something.”
At that Drysi continued to fill in fields, focusing on nothing else until her task was complete.
“Oh.”
It was all she really could say, as she quietly pulled a chair from the other desk and dutifully work on filling out all of the forms. She didn’t say much else, choosing instead to carefully read and write what information was required.
Gideon slithered from her pack onto the table and turned to look at Vincent and Desdemona.
”I’m afraid she gets like this when assigned a task,” he informed Des, before turn to face an eye at the triclops, ”Tell me if she should move. She’s not going to get up unless–...”
The apprentice stood, and picked up the forms she had used as a demonstration. Then, she reached past Vincent to grab a folder from his desk, before returning to her seat.
”--unless she needs something.”
At that Drysi continued to fill in fields, focusing on nothing else until her task was complete.
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“I admire the dedication, but you do not need to fill that out right now, Drysi,” Vincent’s voice remained even, but there was a mildly apologetic feel to it. Reaching up to scratch the back of his head, the older teen gave Des a quick look. “It’s the weekend, shoo, go enjoy yourself. If nothing else you can use it as an opportunity to try out the delivery system we use for such things once you have returned home.”
”He feels guilty now,” Des said to Gideon. ”He’s not good with people; sorry about that. He really did like the display though.”
”He feels guilty now,” Des said to Gideon. ”He’s not good with people; sorry about that. He really did like the display though.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
"I'm almost done," murmured Drysi, waving off Vincent, very clearly not almost done. She had managed to finish two of the forms, and was obsessively comparing the two, before beginning to work on the third, "I cn' finish this up, and hand them back t'you."
"I don't think he minds terribly, Drysi," clarified Gideon, sliding over one of the forms before being gently brushed away by his druid.
"I'm not done, Gid," insisted Drysi.
Gideon imposed again a few more times over the paperwork, and each time the triclops slid him back. They looked like they were arguing back and forth, especially as Drysi began to shift to the other side of the desk. Gideon followed her over and she shifted to the opposite side. This happened several more times, before the snake was taken up and placed in Vincent's arms.
The snake watched his druid sit back down, free to focus on her work. He turned one of his eyes back up at Vincent, and spoke to the Somatic's familiar, "It's not his fault, Drysi isn't that great with people either. The last thing she worked on, she spent six or seven hours on it, straight, after work; if she hadn't been starving, I would not have been able to convince her to go to dinner. Even then, she went back to it the first chance she got, and collapsed not long after that."
"I don't think he minds terribly, Drysi," clarified Gideon, sliding over one of the forms before being gently brushed away by his druid.
"I'm not done, Gid," insisted Drysi.
Gideon imposed again a few more times over the paperwork, and each time the triclops slid him back. They looked like they were arguing back and forth, especially as Drysi began to shift to the other side of the desk. Gideon followed her over and she shifted to the opposite side. This happened several more times, before the snake was taken up and placed in Vincent's arms.
The snake watched his druid sit back down, free to focus on her work. He turned one of his eyes back up at Vincent, and spoke to the Somatic's familiar, "It's not his fault, Drysi isn't that great with people either. The last thing she worked on, she spent six or seven hours on it, straight, after work; if she hadn't been starving, I would not have been able to convince her to go to dinner. Even then, she went back to it the first chance she got, and collapsed not long after that."