"It's a pleasure to meet you, Oliver." The words were quiet but warmly sincere; he enjoyed meeting new people, even under the lingering shadow of loss from those friends who had died during LongNight. The young man seemed a little lost amid the maze of shelves in the Atheneum's main area, which was normal for newcomers to the large building, so Jigano was happy to lead him to the cozier quarters of the Guildhall itself. He stole a glance over his shoulder as they exited the stairs, smile returning at the expression on Oliver's face, and the compliment that came a moment later.
"Thank you. Many others have helped to make it what it is today," he admitted with a return of that brief sadness for so many who had gone lost or missing over the seasons. "Hopefully you'll meet some of them soon, if you haven't already. Samuel Wordsworth the bookmaker and Amalia Chandrakant, the Shield of Safrin and owner of Devas bakery, are currently members here. Caiside was as well but... he died during LongNight." His voice softened on the last name, grief still lingering near the surface, but it no longer paralyzed him. He walked further into the room, heading for the fireplace and gesturing for Oliver to join him as he stoked up the fire and poured water from the barrel into the pot, setting it on the hob to heat up. "Can I offer you tea? Sam makes excellent herbal varieties and we have a good selection. I can recommend the apple tea in particular if you like a rich flavor with a bit of sweetness, or fresh water if tea isn't to your liking." The stores were a little thin after LongNight, and Amalia hadn't been by to replenish the pastries and snacks yet, but Jigano prided the guild on being able to offer comfort to those who came seeking knowledge.
He settled into one of the comfortably shabby, overstuffed chairs next to the fire to keep an eye on the heating water, and turned his attention back to Oliver with a smile. "Have you had a chance to talk to any of the other guilds yet?"
"Thank you. Many others have helped to make it what it is today," he admitted with a return of that brief sadness for so many who had gone lost or missing over the seasons. "Hopefully you'll meet some of them soon, if you haven't already. Samuel Wordsworth the bookmaker and Amalia Chandrakant, the Shield of Safrin and owner of Devas bakery, are currently members here. Caiside was as well but... he died during LongNight." His voice softened on the last name, grief still lingering near the surface, but it no longer paralyzed him. He walked further into the room, heading for the fireplace and gesturing for Oliver to join him as he stoked up the fire and poured water from the barrel into the pot, setting it on the hob to heat up. "Can I offer you tea? Sam makes excellent herbal varieties and we have a good selection. I can recommend the apple tea in particular if you like a rich flavor with a bit of sweetness, or fresh water if tea isn't to your liking." The stores were a little thin after LongNight, and Amalia hadn't been by to replenish the pastries and snacks yet, but Jigano prided the guild on being able to offer comfort to those who came seeking knowledge.
He settled into one of the comfortably shabby, overstuffed chairs next to the fire to keep an eye on the heating water, and turned his attention back to Oliver with a smile. "Have you had a chance to talk to any of the other guilds yet?"
