Antonio had been enraptured during the trip to Delos and spoke very little. Made by Poiseden for Leto, one of Zeus many lovers, to give birth to Artemis and Apollo on it was almost, but not quite, a sacred experience for him. It wasn’t a unique experience, though. Ever since he was young he had read the amazing stories of Greek gods and heroes. Very nearly the whole of Greece was an almost, but not quite, sacred experience for him. Once he was on Delos, though, he tried to focus on what was happening now, and not what had happened in the past.
He was dressed much as any boy in Greece his age might have been dressed. It was only his halting command of the local Greek, and his Venetian accent, that gave him away as anything else. He spent his time before he was first approached by the elder magus watching and listening, so it was his first words were: “Thank you?” He had been watching the other potential apprentices and saw that giving four tokens to one potential was unusual. He wasn’t sure about the old man, but it was the young boy’s instinct to vacillate, so it would have been a miracle if he had been sure.
Argus looks back at the boy and sighs "The didn't explain how this part works, did they? I'm a Bonisagus magi, which means we have first choice on apprentices, you may as well come along. I've selected you, and I already spoke with Prometheus about it, he has a couple of other interests to choose between, so you are settled. From here we'll go to my sanctum in Epidauros, I'll open your gift, and we set to training, and assisting. I have an idea you will make a great magus, all my other apprentices have."
Antonio looked a little annoyed. “It was explained to me.” He didn’t sound petulant, but he felt it. He had been looking forward to talking to all the magi, and even the other potential apprentices, before he Delos. He was still looking forward to it, and he wasn’t prepared to give it up without a fight. With as much dignity as he could muster he tried to weasel out of leaving right away. “It was my understanding that, regardless of your right to supercede the rights of others to choose apprentices from amongst those gathered, potential apprentices are presented to the Tribunal. It seems, to my mind, a sensible way of introducing the apprentices, who may one day become magi, to the gathered magi. The interviews that are being conducted would seem a precursor to such by allowing future magi to interact with magi who, potentially, share their interests, and may one day collaborate based on a positive conversation today.” Antonio smiled throughout, trying to put his best foot forward with the man who would teach him — regardless of the fact that Antonio was trying to cajole him.
Argus stops and considers what the boy has said and shrugs "makes sense I guess. just make sure nobody else tries to snatch you up, I'll see you at dinner." and leaves the room
Antonio sighed with relief, but he was soon eyeing the other apprentices, and the magi, with glee. It was a slight disappointment that there were no girls his age there, but the prospect of speaking to wizards was exciting enough.
He now made a point of engaging every maga and magus in at least some conversation. He had years of experience with tutors, and he felt he knew by now what to ask to engage them — of course, these being magic folk he felt discretion was better if they weren’t amenable. He questioned them about their main area of study, what drew them to it, how well their studies progressed, what books had been written about it, and so on. The depth of his questioning being a product of his great curiosity of their studies as much as a sincere interest in learning about them as people. He knew little about the various groups that these people divided themselves into, so he decided to search for the only one he knew by name: Prometheus, presumably also a wizard of Bonisagus.
in the course of conversation it comes up that there are other apprentices his age (girls even) but they are at a different event where their parens are being recognized for a successful first 7 years of training. jack is 12 and has a tremere parens, Sable is a young woman studying under a bonisagus and is 14, Valda is a verdituous apprentice at age 17, and Fai is a castrati who is being taught by a bonisagus at age 15,
I am quite interested in them Kyrie Prometheus. Miletos is only a few mili from Didymos and I grew up on stories about the oracles there.
To: Mendes
There is not much to tell Kyrie Mendes. I can see and sense them since I was a babe, but they say my yiayia took precautions as I was born on a Saturday. So they pretty much left me alone except for basilikos, who I was told in Polyaigos was a type faerie and not a spirit.
To: Daedalus & Urbanus
My family has been making clothes for generations! While we are not rich, we do take pride in the quality of our work!
They say my pappous was not happy when the guild told our family that clothiers were no longer allowed to repair clothes. I do not understand it either! What would a cloth-repairer know about the proper lie of clothes?
My goneis work on all kinds of cloth, but I like silk. My mitera made me this kamision and chlamys when she heard that I was to enter apprenticeship. It is made well, yes?
Antonio, curious about Argus, decided to ask his colleague, Prometheus, about him. “I am given to understand and accept that I will be Argus’ apprentice.” Antonio smiled wryly. “From how he spoke I assume that you are he are colleagues. I hope it is not a bother, but I am hoping that you could tell me of him. I spoke with him briefly after he thrust four tokens into my hands, and then only slightly less briefly afterward before he left. What is his focus as a wizard? What is he like as a person?”
Antonio Zoccarato — Xene
Antonio wasn’t sure where the actual apprentices, who were closer to his age than those assembled, were, so he decided to stay where he was. As for which of the potential apprentices to approach he chose one of the oldest looking.
“Ciao Bella,” Antonio said as he approached, making an ever so slight bow to accompany his greeting. “It is good to see God’s fine work here. Please, call me Antonio. I take it you are also a potential apprentice? Were the magi that have approached you were more personable than the one that approached me?”
Xene is wearing a long, dark-colored, light wool robe-like garment with a hood covering her head and her hair, except a few unruly brown curls seen at her neck.
"Chow bella?" She looks at you quizzically, then something dawns on her and her face becomes quite red.
"He noticed me," she thinks with elation then more sedately, "I will have to repent for these impure thoughts."
Purposefully looking towards the floor. "Yes, A-antonio," she continues clearly uncomfortable with the informality of using his first name, her Classical Greek not quite as polished as yours, "God's fine work is everywhere, all around us... even in this place of the Pagan Olympians. I saw you at Polyaigos but I believe I have found my parens... or he has found me, so I am now an apprentice, I think?" She smiles a warm but shy smile, "definitely more personable than yours, he loves to talk about law and ethics. Did you meet Minos at Polyaigos?"
Antonio’s face breaks into a smile when he sees how red the girl became. He didn’t know this girl too well, but she looked almost like a nun with the clothes she was wearing. He wondered if she was a nun, or if she had only grown up in a convent. Either way, he thought, she is not likely to have had many encounters with men. “I haven’t had the pleasure of his company yet, but he sounds fascinating. At the very least, he sounds fascinating compared to what I know about mine. He is a badger given human form. I imagine once he is back in his den he will be comfortable enough to talk, but until then I will have to find other people to talk to.” As Antonio talked he very slowly drew closer.
“Mine's name is Argus, from Epidaurus, the birthplace of Asclepius. Should it prove equal to its name I may yet become a physician.” Antonio smiled wanly. He had dreamed of the famed University of Salerno, but he could only wonder what waited for him in Epidaurus. “I wonder what a magus interested in law and ethics does in this magical society, though. I do hope whatever it is proves half as interesting as you are. I would like that you wrote me about your studies. If the Badger proves just as dour in his den as out they might be my only respite.”
She saw him move closer, how could she not while watching his feet, but she was stuck to the spot. Xene's heart started beating in a way she had never experienced before and as Antonio told her how interesting she was she seemed to stand taller and looked up, right into his eyes, almost... almost as if she were reaching out for him without raising her arms. His face became her whole vision. He stopped speaking and for a moment she could not think of what he said... until the words came out even before she thought them, "Yes.. yes, we should write. I must... find Minos, I believe he wanted me to find him before supper... excuse me... I must find... I must find Minos..." and as she found it difficult to tear herself away, turning towards the exit, she dropped her prayer rope and kneeled down to collect it before quickly finding somewhere to hide.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner...."
As she whispered the prayer and ticked the beads her heart slowed, a calm came over her and she felt at peace for the first time in this Pagan place.
For those who have not been claimed-
Eleni is offered 1 token from mendes, 3 from urbanus, and 6 from Daedalus
Xene is offered 3 tokens from mendes and 2 from minos
Constantine is offered 2 each from urbanus and 2 from artemis
you are to return any tokens from a potential parens that you do not chose.
Prometheus tells Antonio "he does research into healing and the human body, I'm not sure what breakthrough he is currently pursuing, but he well known for his longevity rituals."
After the experiences of the day, Xene is unsure she can face Mendes again... but she must so she very sheepishly approaches Mendes to return his three tokens.
He nods with a tilted head "I am sorry for your decision, you promised to be such the challenge."
for whomever asked, Phoebe is brooding, angry, and a bully. On a good day. She did not have many friends at the covenant, and winds up apprenticed to Megehia. She was also blatantly gifted and had a very difficult childhood.
Constantine returns Urbanus' tokens. "I am grateful for the offer, but I do not think my sense of aesthetics is as developed as you would desire in an apprentice."
For a moment Eleni seems crestfallen, but then shakes it off. She approaches Menes first.
"Kyrie Menes, I thank you for your interest in me as a prospective apprentice. May we meet again." She then hands over the token that Menes gave her.
Eleni then approaches Urbanus. "Kyrie Urbanus, I enjoyed our discussion on clothing aesthetics and I thank you for your interest in me as a prospective apprentice. Perhaps one day I will have the honor to make clothes for you. " She then returns the three tokens she got from him.
She finally goes to Daedalus. "I suppose I will now be called Eleni kori tou Daedalus." she says with a smile. "I will study and work hard to be worthy of your tutelage."
once all of the apprentices have been assigned the group proceeds to the dining hall. The young mages who had held their parma separate, leaving the young apprentices to be without parma until they arrive at the dining hall and their new masters extend their parma over them instead before joining in the feast. All the mages of the tribunal- or at least those attending, plus their apprentices are there.
Constantine is quiet, unless anyone engages him in conversation. He makes a concerted effort to remember the names and faces of everyone present, as well as their conversational topics. He focuses on his food as he listens to conversations around the table, his plate a picture of orderly organization, his eating almost obsessively delicate and fastidious.