[ It's after a brief, dubious glance around the Seneschal's office that Athessa lets herself in. Had to make sure that manky old Skull wasn't around. ]
Seneschal, [ Far less familiar than her usual greeting. ] I've got a manuscript from the Sister for you, it's about uh...the establishment and upkeep of beehives. And since she's ill and bored, she's looking to read some of the newer scholarly papers we have and some books, too. Any recommendations?
[ She sets the manuscript on the desk, tucking the library book she's meant to return for Sawbones under her arm. ]
[Salvio surfaces from a deep sea of forms, blinking rapidly as his eyes refocus from page to person.]
Oh? Oh--yes. I see. Very-- very good, I-- um, your pardon-- [He casts about, then finds the little cloth that he was looking for, right beside his elbow. Quickly he takes it in hand and wipes the worst of the ink stains from his fingers, and reaches for the manuscript.] Very good. Thank you, Sulahnan. Um, the-- yes, I have some items that I have set aside. I will fetch them.
[But first, he has to take a moment to beam down at the manuscript. Very good.]
[Having looked up in brief surprise at the laughter, Salvio looks back at the manuscript. Ah.]
I see. Well. I can call you-- er, that is, yes, of course I can, but I prefer, um-- It is not important. The-- papers, for Sister Sara. I have collected some. A moment, please, if you do not-- mind? You may sit, if you like.
[There are chairs about, and only some of them stacked with papers and folios and files. Salvio gestures to them all at large before he turns toward a cupboard behind his desk.]
Well it's not lung fever yet, [ She does sit, after carefully moving a stack of papers and folios in its exact arrangement to an adjacent surface. She drapes one leg over the arm of the chair and tucks her other underneath herself, in true bisexual disaster fashion. ] And if she'll stop toddling down the halls wearing a blanket like some aging King, we might keep it that way. She agreed to bed-rest in exchange for me getting her stuff to read.
I'll probably take her some orange marmalade to drink in hot water, too. If I can find some.
[He looks down at the folio he is crushing to himself, and forces himself to relax his grip on it, and transfer it to the desk. Then he goes back to look for more. The title of the one he'd first selected is picked out in plain black script on the cover page: NOTTES ON THE INSECKTS OF NEVARRA.]
[And presumably this means that she is safe to continue to speak to, so, Salvio continues to rummage around and add more pamphlets and folios and slim cheaply-bound books upon the pile of the desk. He produces about ten, and on the eleventh, pauses, and looks down at the one he's holding, then puts it back into the cupboard, and closes the door.
Hmmm...nah, I don't think they would, actually. She knows the stuff I'm getting her from the library, but everything from you is like a little surprise.
[Is that the word for it? Sort of. It gets at what he means, at least.]
They're only papers. Pamphlets. I would not want to--oversell them. And I do not know the, um, well, we've had conversations, but that is not to say that I am, entirely, wholly informed as to the-- to her tastes. The sister's, that is.
Well. I. Yes, that is-- That is a fair point. It is just that I-- do not wish to presume, or offend, or--
[And then abruptly he turns around and opens the cupboard again and gets out a slim volume, hand-bound. Its cover proclaims its title: BUTTERFLIES OF THE FREE MARCHES. Just as abruptly, he adds it to the stack and pushes it all closer to Athessa, then takes a step back.
There.]
You may distribute them to the sister as-- as you see fit. I will not interfere or, um. Yes. Just--as you will.
[ The push is just enough to rock her back on her heels, but not enough to make her lose balance. It's mostly a show, anyway, like oof look at all this reading material but it's all in good fun. Athessa smiles and bobs her head in acknowledgement. ]
Thank you, Seneschal. I'm sure the Sister will appreciate your choices.
[ At that she actually does leave, because the longer she stays here the more likely it is that Sister Sara will be toddling off through the halls again. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action; etc
Seneschal, [ Far less familiar than her usual greeting. ] I've got a manuscript from the Sister for you, it's about uh...the establishment and upkeep of beehives. And since she's ill and bored, she's looking to read some of the newer scholarly papers we have and some books, too. Any recommendations?
[ She sets the manuscript on the desk, tucking the library book she's meant to return for Sawbones under her arm. ]
no subject
Oh? Oh--yes. I see. Very-- very good, I-- um, your pardon-- [He casts about, then finds the little cloth that he was looking for, right beside his elbow. Quickly he takes it in hand and wipes the worst of the ink stains from his fingers, and reaches for the manuscript.] Very good. Thank you, Sulahnan. Um, the-- yes, I have some items that I have set aside. I will fetch them.
[But first, he has to take a moment to beam down at the manuscript. Very good.]
Have you read this?
no subject
Oh, you're serious. No, I haven't read it.
[ She's only had it for barely a half-hour, not enough time for her to read anything more involved than a note. ]
And you can just call me Athessa, ya know.
no subject
I see. Well. I can call you-- er, that is, yes, of course I can, but I prefer, um-- It is not important. The-- papers, for Sister Sara. I have collected some. A moment, please, if you do not-- mind? You may sit, if you like.
[There are chairs about, and only some of them stacked with papers and folios and files. Salvio gestures to them all at large before he turns toward a cupboard behind his desk.]
Is the sister-- quite unwell?
no subject
I'll probably take her some orange marmalade to drink in hot water, too. If I can find some.
no subject
[Maker. Salvio clutches close the folio he had just extracted from the cupboard.]
If she is-- Where is she walking to? When she--walks?
no subject
[ She gestures blithely with the book she still holds. ]
I intercepted her on her way to return this one and get more, so I took her back to her room and told her to let me handle it.
no subject
[He looks down at the folio he is crushing to himself, and forces himself to relax his grip on it, and transfer it to the desk. Then he goes back to look for more. The title of the one he'd first selected is picked out in plain black script on the cover page: NOTTES ON THE INSECKTS OF NEVARRA.]
Have you... suffered from the grippe, yourself?
no subject
[ She cranes her neck and leans, trying to get a better look at the folio, but only gets as far as NOTTES ON THE INS- ]
Glad of it, too, seems fucking miserable.
no subject
[And presumably this means that she is safe to continue to speak to, so, Salvio continues to rummage around and add more pamphlets and folios and slim cheaply-bound books upon the pile of the desk. He produces about ten, and on the eleventh, pauses, and looks down at the one he's holding, then puts it back into the cupboard, and closes the door.
Then he considers the stack once more.]
Does that... seem adequate?
no subject
I'll be back for more if it isn't. I still have to get regular book-books from the library, anyway.
no subject
[He turns around to close the cupboard, quickly.]
Has the sister given you a-- a list, of requests? For the library?
no subject
[ She looks up as she rattles off the titles and authors, as if reading them off the ceiling. ]
So basically the whole library.
no subject
[Salvio looks at the stack of folios. He rubs the fingertips of his right hand together, a compulsive movement.]
Um. Present the books to her first, if you will. I think they may be more... more interesting to her.
no subject
no subject
[Is that the word for it? Sort of. It gets at what he means, at least.]
They're only papers. Pamphlets. I would not want to--oversell them. And I do not know the, um, well, we've had conversations, but that is not to say that I am, entirely, wholly informed as to the-- to her tastes. The sister's, that is.
no subject
no subject
[And then abruptly he turns around and opens the cupboard again and gets out a slim volume, hand-bound. Its cover proclaims its title: BUTTERFLIES OF THE FREE MARCHES. Just as abruptly, he adds it to the stack and pushes it all closer to Athessa, then takes a step back.
There.]
You may distribute them to the sister as-- as you see fit. I will not interfere or, um. Yes. Just--as you will.
And thank you.
no subject
Thank you, Seneschal. I'm sure the Sister will appreciate your choices.
[ At that she actually does leave, because the longer she stays here the more likely it is that Sister Sara will be toddling off through the halls again. ]