@mer.aisava; video

[secretarialhand]

[When the video feed turns on, it shows a pale young elven man with an extremely calm demeanor, sitting at a desk made of heavy, dark wood, and anyone who's been to Gramarye Magic Research will recognize that wallpaper. His hands are folded neatly in front of himself, and he's dressed in a simple blue tunic, pierced ears lifted, alert and attentive.

Lifting his chin slightly, he pins the camera with a serious expression.]

Our name is Csevet Aisava, and we have recently been placed in charge of administrative tasks at Gramarye Magic Research.

[A pause.]

It is clear that whoever preceded us in this position was far more invested in research than paperwork. We would like to request that any in the employ of the Research Center please turn in copies of all necessary receipts and reports since...

[Another pause, and he lifts a hand to shift a paper into better view.]

...January first.

They may be left at our desk, or submitted by mail or electronically.

[That last word sounds awkward, as if he's only said it a handful of times in his life and doesn't entirely understand what it means. Csevet hates not entirely understanding things, and there's an undercurrent of that as well, his ears pulling back against his head a little.]

Our thanks.

Comments

[ video | un: trickster ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki feels a brief pang of loss. It's been almost a year since Victor left and Loki had liked him. And this new one . . . Loki still isn't fond of elves, but that has mostly tempered over time.]

Simply for the record?

video | un: d.pavus

[tevinteraltus]

You want me to recreate notes from the past 6 months?

[ He chuckles, a deep and throaty sound, though he isn't really trying to be painfully attractive. Sometimes it just happens. ]

I'll be sure to get right on that.

[permavideo]

[secretarialhand]

[One pale brow lifts as he regards the man on the other end. He's seen him around, knows his name is Loki, and has heard bits of gossip here and there about him. Interesting. He clears his throat slightly.]

We have been hired to ensure that this place doesn't crumble into bankruptcy, and such records would certainly aid such an endeavor.

[He tilts his head slightly, ears lifting a touch curiously.]

permavideo

[secretarialhand]

[Csevet's ears flatten just a little, and he lets out the smallest sigh.]

We take that to mean you haven't kept them.

[It's said in a particularly bland, mild tone of voice. A slight pause while he rearranges himself in the seat, leaning in, lifting his fingers to press against his mouth. Well. Dorian certainly is as charming as he's heard.]

We were lead to believe that with magic, anything is possible in this place.

permavideo

[tevinteraltus]

And you would be correct in your assumption. I've kept what I needed for my personal records, of course, but they're no business of yours, nor the company's.

[ Oh, it's possible he's more charming than he's heard, but he's also an obstinate ass sometimes. Had you also heard that? Pity. ]

Magic is a gift unlike any other, it's true, but it isn't miraculous. While I do know a method in which time could be reversed and I could retrieve these records you seek, the cost is far too great to satisfy a secretarial curiosity. It may well be in your best interests to simply report your predecessor had poor organizational skills and that, going forward, you will strive for a bit more tidiness. Wouldn't you agree?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Victor's job then. Loki tamps down the feeling of irritation. ]

Receipts are easy to provide.

voice; @waltz

[enveloped]

Taking them to task are we? You're a far braver soul than us.

We haven't begun to take stock of our predecessor's filing cabinets yet.

[secretarialhand]

[Curious. Csevet can see the hint of irritation about the man's expression, and he cocks his head slightly. It can't be that Loki wished to have this position, can it?]

That is a relief to hear, as from what we have been told by most others, receipts are impossible to come by.

[He can't help the way his ears lift a bit in obvious curiosity. One can only hope this man can't read elven body language.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Hmm. ]

Other than a few, most here are methodical in their work.

[ They enjoy knowledge, after all. To spread and gain knowledge, good note-taking and upkeep is necessary to move forward. ]

[secretarialhand]

[Csevet makes a soft noise of disapproval in his throat, squaring his shoulders and tilting his head a little, eyes narrowing a bit as he tries to read this man. Sadly, with all the small, round ears these humans have, the body language is just a little less transparent.]

Far from a secretarial curiosity, though we imagine it in poor taste to speak of it as such to the secretary himself, we are endeavoring to make sure that this place has not sunken into bankruptcy this past year. Records have simply not been kept and the state of affairs is...

[A pause.]

It is unbecoming of us to complain. We do apologize.

[secretarialhand]

Reports, thankfully, were less of a problem to retrieve than receipts. Less mundane, we suppose, and those who work here seem very involved in their studies. It is quite admirable to watch.

[For all that it's a bit flattering, it's also quite genuine.]

We were told that part of why we were hired is due to our familiarity with magic but lack of talent with it. Less of a distraction, we are told, from those mundane things, though we would hardly call them mundane.

permavideo

[secretarialhand]

Ah!

[Csevet brightens, visibly, losing just a bit of his calm demeanor, ears lifting.]

Mer Waltz, it is pleasant to hear from you. We must admit, we are fond of putting our mind to a difficult task. May we ask which job you have been assigned here?

[dothelokimotion]

[ That is odd. ]

Do you not have magic then?

[enveloped]

The pleasure is ours, Mer Aisava.

We are the new public representative to the government of Riverview. It should keep us busy.

But not too busy for lessons with you.

[secretarialhand]

Where we come from, magic is not a thing to be had but a thing to be done. There are those that have an aptitude for it, and they train at the Mazan'theileian. While we find magic admirable, we were never inclined to pursue it and did not have the talent for it.

[secretarialhand]

[The tips of his ears go slightly pink at that, and he gives a faint hint of a smile.]

That seems quite the fitting job for a man as eloquent as you.

[And charming, though he sees fit to leave that out for now.]

We should hope not. It would, after all, still be a pleasure to speak our native tongue with someone else.

[dothelokimotion]

[ The principle hasn't changed much then. Loki purses his lips. ]

But you know how it works?

[secretarialhand]

To some extent. We are no maza and could never claim to be, but we know as much as any layman.

[Which is to say, not very much. Just enough to not be unnerved by it, or disbelieve it.]

We hear that you are quite a powerful maza.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Not good enough to keep yourself from Thanos, but Loki ruthlessly buries it. Instead he gives a curt nod. ]

I have been studying magic for scores of years. Some power is to be expected.

[secretarialhand]

[Ah, still irritated. Something certainly lies beneath the surface, though Csevet could not hope to ascertain what it is from just Loki's expression.]

To be sure.

[A pause, slightly uncertain this time.]

We also hear that you have been on this moon for some time, and at the Gramarye for just as long?

[dothelokimotion]

A little over a year by mortal standards. I have been with Gramarye since the beginning.

[secretarialhand]

Mortal? If it is not impolite to ask, does that mean you are not mortal?

[That is certainly intriguing!]

[dothelokimotion]

[ A beat. ]

I am not. At least not in the sense of many here with short-lived lifespans.

video; @chronicler

[scholiast]

(Lucretia's username isn't chronicler for nothing. After carefully watching the video she reaches for a stack of papers on her desk, licking her thumb and rifling through them. Several sheaves are extracted from there. It takes her close to twenty minutes to find the rest of the receipts and reports owed because she keeps getting distracted by her own work, pausing here and there to read something over, reaching for a book to look up a reference... before she shakes her head and closes it, returning to the task at hand.

Finally she has quite a sizable stack ready for presentation. She reaches to turn on her on video feed as she tries to force a paperclip to hold all of the papers together. It just doesn't seem big enough. How could she possibly have so many things saved to hand over?)

And where exactly is your desk found, Csevet Aisava?

[secretarialhand]

[For a long few moments, he's quiet, uncertain how to respond.]

We apologize, we are not certain whether we should congratulate you on your luck or empathize with your plight.

[It's quiet, a little more genuine, and less light and teasing. Then he brushes that off and exhales, lifting his brows.]

Were we to have questions about where things are and who the best people to connect with are, would we be able to rely on you for advice? We are not accustomed to being wrong-footed.