S
SurpySoup
Guest
Original poster
Time was flying as Jade tried to occupy his mind. But it wasn't flying fast enough. Soon, hunger was distracting him enough to make him grumble and leave his library sanctuary. He went to the kitchen in time for lunch, enjoyed it sitting at the end of one of the long tables of the dining hall. Everyone was chatty and in such high spirits, he felt like a dark cloud down on the end. His eyes remained focused on nothing in particular, staring off into space. He ate quickly, absently, and stopped only once he realized there was nothing left in his bowl or on his plate. He brought the dishes back to the kitchen and washed them himself, anything to keep busy.
Then a thought occurred to him once he left the kitchens. He found himself making his way to the workshops, where Wysterion was probably making the final touches on his machines and getting ready to transport them. He peeked into where the male Sylvari was working earlier, only to find the darker Sylvari intensely focused on his work. Jade didn't want to distract him at such a critical moment, so he hung back. He even went back to the library, he hung so far back. He was glad for the other thoughts in his mind, as it sometimes got quite lonely in there. He needed to apologize to Wysterion. Being Soundless didn't mean he needed to make an ass out of himself. He merely collected the books he was reading through before leaving again. There was going to be a sort of demonstration contest soon, he knew that much. Wysterion's contraptions would be going against two others for selection. Whoever won would have their inventions brought on the expedition and he was sure other awards were tacked on with that.
He clutched the four thick books he was carrying close to his chest, slightly hunched at the weight. He looked like a regular bookworm, and a Norn passing in the halls picked up on that. He grinned from ear to ear, and Jade could already hear the beginnings of the rumbling laugh.
"Jade! So glad to see our little tomewurm out of the library! Looks like you can't keep away from work for too long, though!"
He was loud and rough as he slapped Jade on the back. It almost made the green Sylvari drop all of his books, but thankfully he was able to keep a tight grip on them. Jade just glared up at the Norn as he apparently decided wherever he was previously going was no where near as interesting as wherever Jade was off to!
"Brandish. What are you doing? Don't you have some students to be beating up? The expedition is creeping ever closer."
The old Norn laughed again, draping his big arm over Jade's shoulders. "Oh, pah! They're all taking a break, as you should be! Where are you off to, anyway? I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you outside of your book-lined lair."
Jade lowered his gaze as he walked. "The ballista demonstrations. A... An acquaintance is demonstrating his work and I would like to see the result."
"Acquaintance? I find it difficult to believe that little hard-as-bark Jade has actually spoken with someone other than himself in the heat of research," Old Man Brandish smirked, leaning in a little closer to Jade. "What's gotten into you?"
Jade attempted to shrug the Norn's arm from his shoulders, but failed miserably. He was no match for the old, seasoned warrior. He merely sighed in resignation and held on to his books. "Old memories. Bad ones. Triggered by this other Sylvari because, while I am Soundless, I can still feel subtle shifts in the Dream and such. He resonates... with familiarity. Pain. Suffering. More than I have endured, and I feel obligated to reach out to a fellow Sylvari."
Brandish lifted a bushy brow--the only hair on his head besides the thick mowhawk and huge beard--and his smile faded only a little. "You've never felt that before. There are plenty of other Sylvari here--even in the library--and you've never made much of an effort to speak with them."
"I know." Jade sighed. "Maybe I should."
"Having doubts about being Soundless?" Brandish chuckled, nudging Jade with his hip as they walked. "Gets lonely when you have no one to talk to."
Jade chewed his lip. "I had one of the mesmer students delve into my mind earlier. What was uncovered was... Unpleasant."
Brandish nodded, then pat Jade soundly on the back again. "I'm sure it was. Minds are the darkest things we have, and you've made a profession out of dealing with them. Either way, be careful on the trip. Make some discoveries and kill some Dredge for me while you're gone."
"You aren't going?" Jade asked, surprised. Brandish shook his head. "Where are you off to, then?"
"Visiting the Vigil. They've asked for some assistance in training some recruits on battle tactics. Meeting up with their young upstarts and going camping."
Jade blinked, his brow-ridges lifting slightly. Then he laughed, as Brandish did, and shook his head. "Well, good luck to them. I'm sure you'll give them hell."
"As I should!" Brandish boomed. Then he turned to go the way he had been going when he spotted Jade, and left the Sylvari to his thoughts again.
Jade was silent the rest of the walk to the arena the ballistas would be tested in. Spectators entered on an upper level, into stadium seating so everyone could see the entirety of what was going on. There was a nice, thick force field separating the seats from the field, one of the Priory's proud inventions. He took a seat by himself, setting his books around him for easy access. He'd do more studying until the competition began. He resisted the urge to look for Wysterion while he waited, and instead buried his nose in the books he'd brought.
Then a thought occurred to him once he left the kitchens. He found himself making his way to the workshops, where Wysterion was probably making the final touches on his machines and getting ready to transport them. He peeked into where the male Sylvari was working earlier, only to find the darker Sylvari intensely focused on his work. Jade didn't want to distract him at such a critical moment, so he hung back. He even went back to the library, he hung so far back. He was glad for the other thoughts in his mind, as it sometimes got quite lonely in there. He needed to apologize to Wysterion. Being Soundless didn't mean he needed to make an ass out of himself. He merely collected the books he was reading through before leaving again. There was going to be a sort of demonstration contest soon, he knew that much. Wysterion's contraptions would be going against two others for selection. Whoever won would have their inventions brought on the expedition and he was sure other awards were tacked on with that.
He clutched the four thick books he was carrying close to his chest, slightly hunched at the weight. He looked like a regular bookworm, and a Norn passing in the halls picked up on that. He grinned from ear to ear, and Jade could already hear the beginnings of the rumbling laugh.
"Jade! So glad to see our little tomewurm out of the library! Looks like you can't keep away from work for too long, though!"
He was loud and rough as he slapped Jade on the back. It almost made the green Sylvari drop all of his books, but thankfully he was able to keep a tight grip on them. Jade just glared up at the Norn as he apparently decided wherever he was previously going was no where near as interesting as wherever Jade was off to!
"Brandish. What are you doing? Don't you have some students to be beating up? The expedition is creeping ever closer."
The old Norn laughed again, draping his big arm over Jade's shoulders. "Oh, pah! They're all taking a break, as you should be! Where are you off to, anyway? I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you outside of your book-lined lair."
Jade lowered his gaze as he walked. "The ballista demonstrations. A... An acquaintance is demonstrating his work and I would like to see the result."
"Acquaintance? I find it difficult to believe that little hard-as-bark Jade has actually spoken with someone other than himself in the heat of research," Old Man Brandish smirked, leaning in a little closer to Jade. "What's gotten into you?"
Jade attempted to shrug the Norn's arm from his shoulders, but failed miserably. He was no match for the old, seasoned warrior. He merely sighed in resignation and held on to his books. "Old memories. Bad ones. Triggered by this other Sylvari because, while I am Soundless, I can still feel subtle shifts in the Dream and such. He resonates... with familiarity. Pain. Suffering. More than I have endured, and I feel obligated to reach out to a fellow Sylvari."
Brandish lifted a bushy brow--the only hair on his head besides the thick mowhawk and huge beard--and his smile faded only a little. "You've never felt that before. There are plenty of other Sylvari here--even in the library--and you've never made much of an effort to speak with them."
"I know." Jade sighed. "Maybe I should."
"Having doubts about being Soundless?" Brandish chuckled, nudging Jade with his hip as they walked. "Gets lonely when you have no one to talk to."
Jade chewed his lip. "I had one of the mesmer students delve into my mind earlier. What was uncovered was... Unpleasant."
Brandish nodded, then pat Jade soundly on the back again. "I'm sure it was. Minds are the darkest things we have, and you've made a profession out of dealing with them. Either way, be careful on the trip. Make some discoveries and kill some Dredge for me while you're gone."
"You aren't going?" Jade asked, surprised. Brandish shook his head. "Where are you off to, then?"
"Visiting the Vigil. They've asked for some assistance in training some recruits on battle tactics. Meeting up with their young upstarts and going camping."
Jade blinked, his brow-ridges lifting slightly. Then he laughed, as Brandish did, and shook his head. "Well, good luck to them. I'm sure you'll give them hell."
"As I should!" Brandish boomed. Then he turned to go the way he had been going when he spotted Jade, and left the Sylvari to his thoughts again.
Jade was silent the rest of the walk to the arena the ballistas would be tested in. Spectators entered on an upper level, into stadium seating so everyone could see the entirety of what was going on. There was a nice, thick force field separating the seats from the field, one of the Priory's proud inventions. He took a seat by himself, setting his books around him for easy access. He'd do more studying until the competition began. He resisted the urge to look for Wysterion while he waited, and instead buried his nose in the books he'd brought.