"I am most generous. Sometimes conflict can develop out of generosity. For example, I gave Eskil a very powerful Arcane Connection to myself as her gift from me, for extending me Hermetic courtesy. My copy of The Analects of Tytalus, it's tradition in my House that each apprentice copies it for themselves from their master's copy. Eskil never had the chance to do so." She smiles warmly at Fiona. "Are we going to dance around, or are we going to be direct. My gift gave you the excuse to come see me, and so now, you can find out all about Eskil's 'evil' mater." She smiles at describing as herself evil. "Of course, having been invited into one of my cabals, you know something of what I'm about. If I were evil, I would never have been involved in that particular ritual[1].
[1] Realize we haven't done it, but it's more perfunctory than anything. It just needs to be performed, it's not particularly mystical to Fiona's mind, and it may only be done out of a sense of superstition, than actual utility.
"You'd have to ask Azura. I have observed her for years, and she takes no joy or sense of love in what she does. At least my sister, father and mother do. I choose to walk a different path. I will not follow the joyless path of Azura."
((Perhaps I have a modern understanding, but Rabbi's don't typically try and force the unwilling to be observant. So, he has little choice except to be an example, or take her back to Phoenix and try her for her violation of the Law. Which would shame Ra'am. That's where I'm coming from.))
(( The second is flat out not an option, not only because it would shame Ra'am, but because it would shame Abigail. Pinchas knows very well that he cannot force her to do anything, you are correct. ))
Which is kind of what she's counting on... She is the baby who got away with everything. And she continues to get away with quite abut. But she also gives back...
No, she was 16 when apprenticed to Korving which was in 1222? So, she is in her 20's. Her decision to have a baby with Praxiteles was calculated for advantage with her House and also her womanly desires. And while it probably happened way back when I wouldn't have put the two together if Abogail were less than 18, for some obvious modern issues.
"But Azura is not here. You are. I am asking you what you think. You said she does so to assuage her guilt: I'd like to know what you think she has to feel guilty about."
(( There is a reason he's asking: he doesn't think Abigail fully understands the implications of Azura's choices, and by extension her own, in the matter of sex and children. He reads Abigail as defensive about it, and believes her resistance may come from the fact that she on some level feels guilty about her choices. He'd like to figure out if that's the case, because the point is that she does not need to feel guilty, or at least not nearly as much as she might think. Like I said, the results of my research on the matter were somewhat startling. ))
"I have guilt over other things, not sex.". ((Yeah the hang ups about virginity and sex are primarily Christian)). I'm not prepared to discuss it with you. she then clams up and refuses to talk.
Korvin arrives at Brenner's 'classroom' late in the afternoon. He looks in and sees Fiona reciting a part of the Iliad to Brenner. She stumbles over a phrase and seems exasperated. That is enough Fiona Brenner says. Tomorrow we will read about Odysseus confrontation with Thersites. Korvin nods to Brenner and smiles at Fiona as she rolls her eyes.
I've not seen you look this tired after a night of fun. Brenner is a hard master Korvin smiles. May I walk you back to your cottage. I have something to ask you.
A cloud of dust and falling leaves along with a great loud woofing heralds Donner's entrance into the grounds of Mons Electi. He joyfully bounds from tower to hut, guard post to home, often sticking as much of his head or face into whatever door or window he can fit it in and huffing and puffing his wet nose for several second while Alexei follows and helplessly scolds and tries commanding the dog.
"Heel Donner! Heel! No don't stick your head in the windows and doors! Bad dog! Bad dog! Donner!" he races after the giant dog and grabs onto its ear trying to bring him under control but the dog just thinks it's a game and flings him off. Suddenly he lowers his head and sniffs around and makes an excited bark and tears down the trail towards a cottage owned by a certain giant blooded maga.
Outside of Fiona's cottage a monstrous barking noise can be heard approaching as well as the splintering a of a wooden fence before some scratching is at the door. There's a brief poof of air as Alexei reappears.
"Donner! Blast you, calm down!"
((Perfectly fine if anyone else gets involved, he's making enough of a racket))
Abagail finds Korvin in his lab pouring over notes written by someone else. He looks up at her knock outside the sanctum marker. His eyes widen for a moment at her appearance but then recover to examine the man with her. Abagail. Korvin stands and straightens his robes. i did not expect you back for a while longer. Is there anything wrong? How is the baby? Korvin has concern in his voice.
"Fine, fine. Well taken care of. I told you I'd come back as quickly as I could, apparently you didn't believe me." She smiles at Korvin, but then her face grows serious, "My father has sent a rabbi back with me, wishing to enforce his right under the fosterage contract. I, personally, don't wish this, and so I am telling you about it now. We need to find a comfortable spot for him." It looks like she has more to say, but she quickly follows, "He's just outside waiting to be introduced."
Assuming Korvin assents, Abigail introduces Korvin to Pinhas. Pinhas will note that she seems meeker in Korvin's presence.
Korvin nods his permission to enter but continues with the conversation with Abagail for the moment.
As quickly as you could seems to be quicker than I thought. Korvin laughs at this. It is good you are back. Well. Boy or girl?
To Pinhus-
Korvin nods at the introduction. Is is a pleasure to meet you. We will find a place for you. Let me know if you have any restrictions as to where you could stay. Korvin pauses as he has thought of something else. I will notify Mordecai* that we will need more kosher food. How should you be addressed?
*Abagail came with a cook/butcher for kosher food.
Pinchas' Latin is accented and somewhat rough, but serviceable. "Pinchas is fine. Rabbi or Rav if you wish to be formal. I don't require much in the way of accommodation -- a bed, a desk, and decent light for reading is all. Although... " Pinchas looks consideringly at Abigail, thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. "Never mind, we can build an eruv if it comes to that."
"Mordecai is the cook for kashrut food? Yes, I will definitely need to speak to him. Can probably make his jobs lot easier, I happen to be a trained shochet. Are there other Jews in the covenant, or in the nearby area?"
Fiona smiles. [color=blue]"I don't know if 'evil' is the word I would use to describe the way she seems to feel...but I can't think of a better word. Although I won't speak ill of my sodales, since I know very little about your relationship. Only that you are Stultus's mater and were Tranquillina's domina for a time before she was claimed by Tria. I'm hoping that she's dramatically over-reacting to your presence.
"But your arrival has proven interesting, at least to me. I notice you've been focused primarily on Tranquillina since you've been here. And while I'm sure Stultus may appreciate not having to weather the storm, I get the feeling that Tranquillina doesn't appreciate your attention. I wonder why that is? I'm assuming that it's a Tytalus thing, that you're provoking her to make her stronger. And I don't know that she's reacting in the way you hoped."
[color=blue]"I'm also assuming that this has something to do with the coming storm?" Fiona grins. [color=blue]"And I also wonder when I'm going to meet my Tytalus godmother, who's going to try to make me stronger."
Fiona fidgets a little bit to get more comfortable in the chair. [color=blue]"But you wanted to be direct, so here goes: Why are you here, and what does Tranquillina have to do to get you to leave her alone?"
[color=blue]"Of course, Korvin." Fiona smiles as she walks with him him, waiting until they get out of earshot of the professor before she softly says, [color=blue]"Perhaps we should put your theory to the test. Have a long, hard night of fun and see how tired I look."
She looks down gives him a bawdy wink, but waits until they get back to her dining room and offers him a drink. [color=blue]"What would you like to ask me?" she says with a hint of a playful smile.
Korvin has a look like it had never occurred to him that there might be other Jews living at Mons Electi. Ahh, No. He came with Abagail from Phoenix as part of the apprentice agreement. A nice man. Quite a butcher I hear tell. Korvin gestures to the door. Lets walk to Henri's office and see what we have available. Many rooms are inside but there are cottages outside if you prefer.
I am finished with my work for the day...He smiles. But business before a long night of pleasure. I am here for my apprentice, Abagail. She read In Flux Veritas and was quite taken with it. We had a discussion about what she had learned and what she thought of the work. Here theories on the Art when beyond what I could answer. Korvin is silent for a bit as he looks at his drink. I really think she could be good at Muto and I do not want to hold her back. She gets a gleam in her eye when she discusses it. Korvin takes a small sip of his drink. I would like to propose that we exchange apprentices for an upcoming season. I will teach Sheelagh the art of Creo if you will teach Abagail the art of Muto.
"Stultus knows not to interfere with this, because it would make me cross and it would not serve his purposes to get in my way on this particular matter. My relationship with Stultus is a formalized agreement that we will always be there to challenge the other. Now, he could certainly interfere with what I'm doing with Eskil, but such conflict would make things worse for him, not necessarily challenge me. I think he recognizes this."
"If you'd like me to challenge you, that can be arranged." Her smile is warm and genuine, but also a bit cold and calculating at the same time.
"Dear child, Eskil needs to leave herself alone. She has created a phantasm of me which haunts her far worse than anything I could actually do. I'm sure she's explained so much to you, but it's a product of an elaborate fantasy. Has she told you that she has an Arcane Connection to me, that she's fixing? And in case you think it's my gift to her, let me disabuse you of that. It is something she thinks she gained by outsmarting me, by trying to play a game with me. Whenever she feels she needs to play a game with me, I play along, until I find a point where I can demonstrate the game is unnecessary and beat her at it. She thinks that Tria claimed her, and I suppose she might think that, but I allowed Tria to be claimed. Do you honestly think a Tytalus master would allow an apprentice to have enough contact with another magus?"
))