[PRP] Library Mice {Joachim&Hera}

[Ephebe]

Hera had been spending a lot of time at the library; it was truly fascinating what books on plants and potions it contained.

Lately however, her aim was not potions and plants as such, but rather recipes for hair treatments, conditioners, shampoo and such, both for creeple and those used in minis grooming. Pelagion had asked for some and although it was not a commission as such, she still liked to think it was the first step in her career.

Which was why she was pulling out all the stops and had been pouring over the books here, making notes and transcribing recipes - she'd have to try them out before giving any to him, of course, and definitely not on her own hair, but she'd cross that bridge when she got to it. For now she was on the mission of eliminating recipes that sounded unlikely to work or even downright dangerous; why someone thought a conditioner made out of extremely poisonous plants would ever be a good idea was out of her understanding.

Still, it was tedious work and she was beginning to ponder if it was not time for a little break.

hanging gallow

OvO

 

[stella cinere]

Despite its size and rather labyrinth design of rows and rows of books the library had a depressing amount of books on various compositions and anything musical for that matter. There were a few good books, most concerning with the various uses of singing to lure human males away but less on instrumental music. Joachim pinched the bridge of his nose as Merel squeaked in a rather disapproving tone.

“Yes yes, I know we have been here before and yes I realize the solution is not here. You don’t have to point it out every time.” The deadpan glare of the reaper turned from the books as he gracefully made his way to one of the larger chairs near a table. With ease he sat down, crossing one leg over as he impatiently tapped his foot. There had to be something he could find, some sort of idea but so far nothing was coming to mind.

The worse solution was he having to go to town and going into the bookstore in search of better material, and that was the worse case scenario. Nothing was more annoying than dealing the crowds, the bustling of others, and or the occasional run into someone who may have a vague idea who he was. Unfortunately, being so tall, even taller in heels, with long red copper hair made him stand out like a sore thumb.

He let out an annoyed sigh as Merel made her way to the top of his head, happily claiming her domain. A few other mice started to skitter their way around his feet, some braving the chair only to receive a darken glare not only from the reaper but the black mouse herself.

Ephebe

<3

 

[Ephebe]

Before she could truly decide on whether or not to take a small break, her attention was distracted by the sight of several mice skittering about the feet of a boil. Those... were quite cute, she thought. For a moment she got lost in time just watching them move to and fro, before shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. Right, it was definitely time for a break. Just a small one though, so she'd stay in the library.

And she was quite curious about the boil with the mice, now. He looked rather like a reaper, she thought, and had exceedingly nice hair. Not as nice as her own, of course, but still - very nice.

Rising from her spot, she left behind her notes to move closer to the red-haired boil. "Hello," her eyes were going from the mice to the boil when she finally noticed that he even had one on his head! "Are these your familiars?"

hanging gallow

 

[stella cinere]

He would have no choice in the end; going to town seemed to be like the only sort of solution he could come up with. It of course caused him to wrinkle his nose in annoyance, as the tapping of his foot grew even more erratic. The other moving bodies, the faces, the horrible fact that he loomed above a good chunk of the crowd. The smells, the constant following of mice as they trailed behind him. There was also the annoyance of mice that did not belong to him, brown mice, how unacceptable.

Joachim was easily lost in his thoughts, the rhythm of his foot not helping his cause at all. It wasn’t until the black mouse pulled on his hair squeaking in a loud defiant voice.

It was a squeak of disapproval of being called a familiar. How dare she!

“Oh, please forgive me. I was lost in my own thoughts I didn’t notice you there. No no, these are not my familiars; my skills lie in music and being able to control specific animals with it. I am what you would call, a pied piper.” Merel on the other simply squeaked at the ghoul and buried herself into the red hair. “I profusely apologize as well for Merel’s behavior. She has a mind of her own and a rather nasty habit of being rude to new guest.”

Ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

Hera was not well-learned in the art of mice-speak and so she simply tilted her head slightly to the side at the black mouse's squeak.

At the boil's explanation she became somewhat more enthused though, clasping her hands in front of herself, "I see! How marvellous - I vaguely remember reading about something of the sort. Are you a fellow Reaper then?" His type of music sounded rather like magic, but he did not look particularly demon-esque which left Reaper as the main suspect.

Getting tired of standing around, she took a seat nearby and waved a dismissive hand, "no, no reason to apologize - I understand, having a companion myself." Gracefully she gestured back the table she'd previously occupied where a sleeping Atlas could be seen on top of her notes. "He finds all this research quite dull, I'm afraid."

hanging gallow

 

[stella cinere]

“Yes, are you a reaper as well?” He had long learned never to guess what others were at the school, he had made plenty of mistakes at the get go. Joachim himself was a reaper but there was some faint lingering of demon heritage in his family. Hence the forever looks of never sleeping.

There was a red tinge on his cheeks when he had realized he had never offered her to sit down, it was so un-gentleman like of him, “I apologize I should have offered you a seat, and no worries I am afraid my companion’s as well aren’t fond of researching either. Usually it results in lost sheets of written music being shoved into a place I can’t find.”

Getting to his feet he gave her a short bow. “Before I am any ruder, my name is Joachim von Helmar, and it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

"Yes, a druid; my magic tends more towards potion and nature."

She waved a hand dismissively, not too bothered about not being offered a seat - he seemed like a polite boil otherwise, so it was surely nothing to hold against him.

"Ha! Please, don't say that too loudly - you might give Atlas ideas," she gave him a languid, conspiratorial wink, a smile on her lips. She could quite imagine the mouse carting off the competitor to her boil's attention. "They can be quite possessive creatures, yes?"

At his bow, her smile widened and she inclined her head in greeting; "I am Hera Mantodae, newly arrived at school and I assure you the pleasure is mine."

hanging gallow

 

[stella cinere]

Taking a seat again, the reaper smoothed out his coat before giving a simple nod to the ghoul. “Is that what you are doing research on? Various potions and plants?” Not that he had meant to pry in what she was doing at the library in the first place.

Joachim gave a soft chuckle, one that looked rather odd in comparison to his usual melancholic expression on his face. “Quite possessive indeed, though I must admit I don’t think I would trade her for anything else no matter how much trouble she seems to make for me. Not that I would tell her that, it would only give her a larger head than she already has.” There was as muffled squeak to be heard somewhere in the vancity of the long orange locks of hair, the reaper merely pretended not to notice.

Mustering to at least turn the corner of his mouth into something that resembled a faint smile, or at least something not entirely a frown Joachim nodded. “Well Hera, how do you like attending school here if I may ask?”

Ephebe

Sorry for delay