She was almost a different creature entirely from the hissing, muddy, bloody mess he'd found beside the spire. Clean was a good look for anyone, of course, but considering how they'd met he was even more impressed to see it on her. The eyepatch was impossible to miss, as was the scar, and he wanted to wince at the remnants of her misadventurous arrival on Caido, and ask why she hadn't allowed such injuries to be healed. But... that was her own business, and none of his. They didn't know each other well enough for him to pry into such matters - or at least, so the memory of Remi chided him - so instead he merely smiled at her offered books and edged past her to unlock the door and push it inwards. "I had hoped they might give you some much-needed mental entertainment," he admitted with a chuckle. "Thank you for returning them. Come, it is my guild's business to ask and answer questions, and there is much I will do in exchange for books."
With a grin he led the way down the shallow spiral of stone stairs and into the guildhall beneath the Atheneum, with its large central table of petrified wood and the chandelier of mirrors above it, reflecting light throughout the room. Bookshelves lined the walls, interrupted by four doors, two on each side of the hall, and on the far end was a large fireplace with clever doors of cutout metal and fine chain netting keeping sparks from the hearth. There were chairs along the table, and several more comfortably overstuffed ones in front of the fireplace, which was currently safely banked. In spite of Longheat's signature temperatures, the underground hall was comfortably cool in comparison, well-insulated from the world above. The ceiling was high enough to prevent it from feeling too claustrophobic, luckily, and Jigano gesture for Melinoe to join him by the fireplace as he set his books upon the table and went to stoke up the embers to make tea.
"How did we get here,"he repeated, his voice giving the question a wry lilt. There was a question for a priest or a philosopher! Luckily he was a bit of both, but in the current context he chuckled and bowed gallantly for Mel to take a seat before he did as well. "I don't mean to make fun, but its both a simple question and a complicated one. For the answer to make sense, there are other questions that need asking first. In your time convalescing, what have you learned of this world? It's gods, and its last few hundred years of history?"
This was not the first time he had this conversation, nor would it be the last, he knew. It bothered him not at all, though, patient and relaxed as he waited for his guest to let him know where and how to begin filling in the blanks around what she already knew.
With a grin he led the way down the shallow spiral of stone stairs and into the guildhall beneath the Atheneum, with its large central table of petrified wood and the chandelier of mirrors above it, reflecting light throughout the room. Bookshelves lined the walls, interrupted by four doors, two on each side of the hall, and on the far end was a large fireplace with clever doors of cutout metal and fine chain netting keeping sparks from the hearth. There were chairs along the table, and several more comfortably overstuffed ones in front of the fireplace, which was currently safely banked. In spite of Longheat's signature temperatures, the underground hall was comfortably cool in comparison, well-insulated from the world above. The ceiling was high enough to prevent it from feeling too claustrophobic, luckily, and Jigano gesture for Melinoe to join him by the fireplace as he set his books upon the table and went to stoke up the embers to make tea.
"How did we get here,"he repeated, his voice giving the question a wry lilt. There was a question for a priest or a philosopher! Luckily he was a bit of both, but in the current context he chuckled and bowed gallantly for Mel to take a seat before he did as well. "I don't mean to make fun, but its both a simple question and a complicated one. For the answer to make sense, there are other questions that need asking first. In your time convalescing, what have you learned of this world? It's gods, and its last few hundred years of history?"
This was not the first time he had this conversation, nor would it be the last, he knew. It bothered him not at all, though, patient and relaxed as he waited for his guest to let him know where and how to begin filling in the blanks around what she already knew.
