RP:The 2IC
This is a Mage's Guild RP.
This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.
Background
Jolie chooses the successor to her role as head of the newly formed Necromancer's Guild.
The Hanging Corpse Tavern
Jolie was seated on the counter of her bar, cross-legged and quite beamish of mien, holding a stout timber staff in one hand and a bottle of absinthe in the other. “It’s strange,” she said to Steadman, who was barely paying any mind to her ramblings as usual while he wiped the glasses and refreshed the nutbowls. “I honestly never saw myself in this sort of role. Took me by surprise, I can tell you.”
Steadman muttered, “Neverendingly, as it happens,” which earned him a sharp poke with the staff once he was in range of it.
Jolie said, “You’re just jealous, aren’t you.”
Steadman’s one eye rolled, and he skulked off toward the cellar before Jolie could elaborate further.
Leifong silently replaces Steadman as he meanders off to the cellar, materializing behind the bar and stalking up to the woman's back. "Jealous of what?" He whispers in her ear, poised to avoid her swirling fists should she not take kindly to being sneaked up on.
Jolie canted her new staff back over her shoulder, aiming to thunk the priest on his too-close cowled head with it. “The fact that I am now a Magister Templi in the Mage’s Guild,” she replied, a little pompously. The necromancer left that conversational carrot dangling while she took another swig of absinthe.
Nemisis walks into the Hanging Corpse scratching his head. A small dip of the head was given to those present before taking a seat at the stool. Looking at Steadman he said, "Food, anything. Just give us food."
Steadman was just emerging from the cellar, on hearing Jolie had found a new conversation partner. He'd say nothing to Nemisis before heading to the kitchens. Hopefully there was some actual food out there.
Jolie offered Nemisis a grin, "I didn’t get to thank you properly for your .. donation. Most kind. Thanks."
Leifong lifts a hand up to catch the swung staff just before it would have made solid contact with his shrouded face, and should he be able will tilt the staff down and examine it with a practiced eye. "Laymen are always so impressed by airy titles. I assume you're quite pleased with it." At which point he abandons his study of the wooden artifact, which was quite more impressive to him than the 'magister templi' bit that Jolie'd just thrown about. "So what now? Shall you be absconding with Vailkrin's youth to some mystical hollow in the woods and imparting them with secrets they are undeserving to possess? Or does your new job position mostly include drinking and tossing the word around for weighty effect?"
Nemisis turns his inquisitve eyes towards Jolie and smiled saying, "You asked, we provided. Was that enough or do you require more?"
Jolie winked at Nemisis, "You know me. I can never get enough." Before swivelling a rather less cheery look to Leifong, "You really are a pissy little man, you know that? I shan't tell you the news now."
Leifong shrugs, slowly stalking out from around the bar to take a standing position in triangular orientation to the others. "Oh you'll tell me, sooner or later." he says idly as he casts a curious glance to Nemisis.
Jolie shook her head. "No. I won't." She pinched her forefinger and thumb together, raised them to her lips, made a little twisty motion and mimed throwing an object over her shoulder.
Nemisis blinked before saying, "Hmmm..." The draconian scratched his head and looked over toward the backroom searching for Steadman. His foot was tapping impatiently before groaning.
Jolie noted Nemisis' discomfort and frowned toward the kitchen. "Steady! Move your arse with that food, will you?"
The command obviously had some galvanising effect on the barman, who burst through the newly-repaired kitchen doors with a large platter, which he'd thunk down on Nemi's table before casting a singular and evil glare toward his employer.
Jolie said to Nemisis, "Get you a drink, pet?"
Leifong bides his tongue, watching quietly from behind the low drawn hem of his shadowy robes.
Jolie said to Leifong, "Stop sulking."
Nemisis without showing any type of manners or discipline, savagely picked up the food with his hand and began to chow down. Swiveling around in his seat he somehow muffles out the sound of a generic 'thank you'. With food in both hands, they took turns filled the mouth whenever it seems empty. However those two eyes of his were locked onto Leifong, staring with curiousity and the staff he held. The man obviously caught part of the conversation of a secret.
Nemisis nodded rather calmly to Jolie's offer of a drink while at the same time sighing. The situation looked quite weird seeing how his eyes remained glued to the other inhabitant, though the reaction had nothing to do with him.
Jolie waved a hand toward Steadman. "Fetch him an ale. On the house." Shortly after, the tankard was delivered with an equal amount of good grace.
Jolie said to her Guild staff, "Pay no mind to Mister Mysterious there. He's jealous, too." The staff was tilted toward her ear, "What's that?" she asked, blinking.
The staff’s wooden end nodded briefly, as though it was indeed speaking quietly in her ear.
Jolie turned her face toward it. "Yes, dreadful shame. He'd be rather good at it, I think. Plus, he'd get to learn that new spell." The staff again approached her ear, and she nodded, gravely, "Oh I agree. Not if he's going to be sulky."
Nemisis did a quick swivel around to snatch some more food off his plate. The contents seem to be disappearing quickly. Making full use of his appendages, his tail unravels from around his waist and holds the glass of ale while he stares and munches
Leifong wasn't sulking, not exactly. He was just far more intrigued by the ravenous munching and swallowing of the man sitting at the bar. His eyes were locked, an expression reciprocated, though he did not hold a staff in his hands. That, he'd left with Jolie, as it was hers. The sounds of gestation were sickening, truly, and if he had a stomach left the priest might have voided it of it's contents. But it was also... alluring. He hadn't had felt the sensations of chewing, swallowing, digesting, ripping with his teeth, in some time now. And though he'd embraced his new state of existence, felt superior because of it, he couldn't take his eyes away from this impressive display of barbarism.
Jolie turned a decidedly pointed stare toward Leifong, before shifting her gaze to Nemisis. "Tad peckish, are we?"
Leifong said to Jolie, "I see you've invented yourself a friend. About time."
Jolie and her staff turned back to Leifong, "Stop being so rude. You're spoiling our surprise."
Leifong said to Jolie, "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn't realize speaking normally was considered rude. Shall I bow and prostrate myself?"
Leifong makes an immense sweeping motion with his arms as he dips low in a clearly sarcastic bow.
Jolie thought about it. "No," she replied, after that pause. "Just be nice, for a change. I have a surprise for you. But not if you're going to keep being petulant at… “ She blinked at the bow. "Well.. if you insist. But really, it's not necessary."
Leifong said to Jolie, "Oh, I assure you. On the inside I’m bursting with gratitude and grinning ear to ear."
Jolie seemed marginally mollified by that. Though her eyes narrowed a little. "Alright. The good news I have for you... is..." she let the tension build, even if only in her own mind, "... I need a second in command, in the new Guild sector Tiphareth just approved. And you're it." She would add, with a very droll look, "Unless you're too sulky today to appreciate such an offer."
Nemisis did one last swivel before downing the rest of his food. He was also intrigued at Leifong for some odd reason and if he had a free hand, would be scratching away his head. Eyeing the man from head to toe, observing meticulously at each detail every one of his senses gave him, he just sat and thought exactly what this guyw was about. One eye left the undead however to look at Jolie. By this time, he was gulping down his ale, mouth refusing to surrender it until it was drank dry. With a clank place on the bar table he said the woman, "Ahhhhh....Thanks for the food. We injected ourselves with something new. It made us dreadfully hungry.....Been like this for the past twelve hours now. It will come handy in the future most likely though....especially for entertainment purposes. However we are curious to see exactly how other people would handle such situation if a dose was applied." He went scratch his head but froze. It was dirty, not his hair but his hand. The demi never messes with his do. Swiveling around again, he looked for a napkin in which he wiped his hands before returning to his past state. Twiddling his fingers, he then proceeding on the scratching.
Jolie said to Nemisis, "Don't even think about coming at me with one of your blasted needles, Nemi. But if it's test subjects you're after, I might be able to provide a few."
Nemisis burst into a fit out laughter at Jolie's comment before jokingly saying, "What's wrong? Afraid of needles? Just joking, but if you do have a few test subjects we will be happy to....test things on them. However, please inform them that the results can range from excruciating pain to immeasurable pleasure."
Leifong actually was grinning on the inside at this, offerings of new power were truly the easiest way into that twisted black space where his heart had once been. "And I suppose it comes with some equally 'impressive' title." Really, this was polite for him. "Though I do hope to properly convey my gratitude, not that my appointment to the position should come as a surprise." Hubris incarnate, though not incorrect. "And... what sort of injection?" He asks to the other, his full attention suddenly back on Nemisis. Experiments of this sort were an area of great interest for Leifong.
Jolie blinked. "In..form them. Yes, well. I could. I suppose.." She didn't look terribly genuine about that.
Leifong casts Jolie a glance. She already owed him a new test subject.
Jolie stretched her staff out and tried to poke Leifong with it. "You don't get the title until you earn it. And you're welcome." She sniffed, "After all that fuss." She too turned to Nemisis then, interested in his reply.
Nemisis blinked at Leifong before saying, "Well we cross pollinated a plant that could be considered a relaxer and another that has healing properties. However, the result appeared to only improve in the side effects....one which was hunger. We isolated the gene and magnified it. We injected ourselves with about ten milligrams of it.....Pretty strong stuff."
Leifong said to Nemesis, “I'd like to procure a sample for use in my experimentation. In return i'm willing to offer you full access to my observational notes on the subject or subjects which receive the injection.
Nemisis swiveled the thought in his head briefly at the offer and scratched his head a tick before deciding, "Okay. That sounds fair." Reaching into his lab coat he pulled out a small vial of yellow liquid before handing it over to the man, "Have fun."
Nemisis gave 1 yellow liquid to Leifong.
Jolie eyed the priest. "You so much as slip me a drop of that, I'll cast an eternal maggot infestation curse on you."
Jolie said aside to Nemisis, "That’s much worse than it sounds. Much worse."
Jolie 's staff dipped it's wooden end, as though in complete agreement.
Nemisis said to Jolie, "No, what we are making will be much worst than this *chuckles*"
Jolie blinked slowly. "I doubt it. But if it is, I can always come up with another curse."
Leifong takes the vial gingerly between two long, thin, near skeletal fingers and moves to quickly hide it within his robes. As if she'd read his mind, the woman threatens repercussions for it's use on her, and though he outwardly denies it, "In what world do you see me wasting the opportunity for further discovery for your sake? Childish." internally, he was a bit disappointed, for the possible applications of its introduction to her system had been the first thoughts to cross his mind.
Jolie just eyed him a bit more. "I have to get going." She gained her feet, clutching the staff closely, as though Leifong might sully it by mere virtue of his gaze. "I'm awaiting the Charter papers, from the Guild. Told the Eldermage I'd have them back in one week. Meantime, try not to .... explode, or anything, Leifong. This really is a wonderful opportunity."
Jolie looked as though she almost meant the part about not exploding.
Nemisis said to Jolie, "You must teach us some of these curses one day."
Jolie said to Nemisis, "I'd be glad to. Those which aren't restricted to the Guild, anyway. Some are quite amusing." She grinned, and headed toward the door."
Leifong , having gotten what he wanted from the situation and with his main interest in the place departing, seems to disintegrate into the shadows, as though evaporating.
Nemisis said to Jolie, "That is a deal."