Oblivscere | Shakuntala | Ch2 Motive | Open
lead-gold-hearted:
Admittedly, Tala had been curious about Ecaterina as well. She hadn’t approached her earlier - not out of anxiety, or anything of that sort, of course, but out of a lack of time. Tala hadn’t found any time nor materials to perform proper experiments here, and she was using most of her time in attempts to stay in her room and do as much research on potions and materials she already had. The killings hadn’t phased her; she hadn’t known the ones who had died, so she couldn’t find herself caring too much.
She peeked up over her book, and slid her mask back up and over her mouth. Appears she had been hiding it with her book, and her mask had been removed for the time being. She doesn’t seem particularly bothered by it, though, as if the mask is only a formality.
“Hm?”
She pulls a bookmark from an earlier section of the book and places it where she was, shutting the book and resting it against her legs. She tilts her head, slightly, at Ecaterina’s bow, and her eyes crinkle at the edges to show she’s smiling.
“I don’t believe we have.”
Tala stands, setting her plush and book to the side, and offers Ecaterina a curtsy of her own. She adjusts her hat, and hums, softly.
“My name is Shakuntala Jayashankar. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
“I extend my sincerest apologies if you wished to speak to me earlier. My studies have kept me as occupied as possible in this situation… As expected, I suppose.“
Ecaterina shook her head slowly and gave another big smile. “I figured it was something like that. I also was rather nervous because of our situation so I spent most of my free time knitting and sewing, but without access to my room I’m stuck wandering around now. So, I finally decided to come and say hello.
Might I ask what your SHSL title is? I myself am not certain what my title is, but I enjoy sewing and knitting and other crafts, and I dress for the job I want, not the job I have.” She flourished her own handmade cloak and dress, and beamed. “I am just curious what sort of studying a lady like yourself might be doing, especially with so beautiful a book in your hands.”
Ecaterina clasped her hands together in front of her now, her facial features relaxing into a less pronounced but still present smile, her eyes darting back and forth, unable to stay still it seemed, though they sparkled with obvious interest.
“That’s understandable. I myself am not particularly talented in sewing, and I suppose we’re now in the same boat what with being locked out of our dormitories.”
Tala smiles, and offers the girl another curtsy.
“I am the SHSL Alchemist. My talent is most used in street performances - I perform under the stage name of Aphovae. I use my alchemy in said performances; that’s how I gained my talent.”
She tilts her head, a little, at Ecaterina’s mention of her book. She looks down at it, and reaches down to hoist it into her arms. She seems the tiniest bit strained by the effort, but she flips open the book to a random page. Looking closer, it appears the novel is written in old English. What a… peculiar language to be reading in. She flips the pages a little bit, humming, until she reaches one about basic transmutation - lead into gold.
“This is what I specialize in - Transmutation, or, specifically, turning lead into precious gold. Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She smiles, sweetly, under her mask, and trails a gloved finger along the lines of characters and runes. She eventually settles on a paragraph located next to an illustration of an alchemical circle, and she scans it quickly.
“This book is older than both you and I. I’m not particularly sure where it comes from in the first place, or when; but the information it has an ancient alchemy is nearly unrivaled by any other book I’ve read. If I were to ever find a tome with more information than this, I would be—“
She stops, and clicks her tongue, closing the book and setting it back down.
“Well. Let’s just say I wouldn’t have to keep performing street shows, hm?"
