what's this

Ah, but that required Oliver to know who exactly he could fully trust. Sure, there were a few people he felt extremely comfortable around, but what if he found out they were merely using him? It was conflicting and Oliver believed Jigano most likely wouldn't be able to help him, so he'd just have to figure it all out himself. Still, he was grateful for the advice Jigano gave to him as it was still a start. "Yeah....yeah I'll try to do that. I know a lot of it is just people telling me that I'm making bad assumptions or something like that." PLENTY of people had done that to him, which was shown through how he spoke. He had an air of annoyance, but also seemed exhausted. Like he had been told it so many times that he simply believed everyone would have a problem with what he did or said. Oliver knew by now that the gods didn't like the abandoned, so at least now he understood why his prior prayers were ignored. His anger stemmed from the fact that they responded to some abandoned individuals, but not to him. But Oliver knew he needed to be positive, he had already ruined his first meeting with Jigano. Might as well try to prevent it from going even further south. At the suggestion of Ludo, Oliver couldn't help but shake his head. There was no anger towards Ludo, there was fear. Ludo was someone Oliver knew was important and he didn't rue its existence, nor did he despise the god. Rather, he was afraid of what Ludo could do to him. "Unfortunately, I don't think it's in my best interest to go to Ludo....Ludo maybe nice to you, but I've been warned that Ludo could take away the very little memories I have earned here." He was worried, that much was clear. He didn't want to lose the only thing he had to think about at night, the very few memories he had managed to collect. "Don't think I don't appreciate Ludo, but I have so much to lose...and I was told that if I seek them out for anything regarding my memories, it may be quick to simply yank everything I have away. I will still leave offerings, but I don't believe it will want to give me the ability of being attuned, at least not without a price." OLIVER i saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and i could do anything i wanted

"Do you think you're making bad assumptions?" Jigano asked him curiously. The combination of being new to a particularly lethal world and not having many memories of his old one to guide him put Oliver in a particularly vulnerable place. Combined with what seemed to be late-teenage rebellion and resentment towards voices of authority it could be a dangerous cocktail... but luck could offset that. If it was the right kind of luck.

He listened to what Oliver had to say of Ludo thoughtfully, tilting his head to the side as the younger man spoke. When he finished the bard hummed to himself for a moment, considering his reply. "The only memories I'm aware of that it's taken are Remi's," he said slowly. "And those weren't taken on a whim. It was a punishment, specifically, for Remi doing something that cost Ludo dearly. It caused a lot of pain initially... but because of it, Remi was able to find and fall in love with his current husband." He shrugged lightly. "I don't mean to belittle the difficulties Remi went through because of it; it caused a lot problems for him. But it is not something the masked god does lightly or without provocation. I've found Safrin to be far more touchy and likely to punish because of a wrong word or a stray thought," he added with a faint grimace of remembered agony for the torture she had inflicted on him so recently.

"Who has been telling you such terrible things about Ludo?" Jigano asked gently, holding back his concern at the lies that were being spread about the spirit guide. Gods of death were usually painted in such unflattering lights by those who feared the end of their mortal coil, but it wounded the bard to hear such slander against a god he couldn't help but feel protective of after learning its history. "None of the gods will simply give a mage such a gift. Not like they would an Accepted, as Sunjata used to be. Any of them would welcome such as him, I think, as would the Voice. But for an Abandoned? There will be a price no matter who you ask."

His eyebrows creased and a frown formed on his lips as Oliver began to think. His foot tapped anxiously as he tried to mull over everything he had ever said or thought since coming here...which wasn't much, really. He'd barely even been here for an entire season. "I mean...I think everyone makes bad assumptions. It's something we do without realizing it...some people simply let it get to their heads. Like, I don't know. I know people get so mad at me for assuming stuff and they yell at me and make me feel so inferior. That's totally how you'll get me into wanting to learn more." He could reflect back on particular conversations. Remi and Sunjata were not rude to him when he asked questions or made particular assumptions about the world they lived in, nor had a couple of other individuals. Those people were nice to him and explained themselves. Others, however, made Oliver feel bad. They got upset with him and accused him of making horrible statements. "I don't know. I do think I make a ton of mistakes, I'll admit that, but I don't like being accused of stuff or belittled. Help me learn, don't make me feel stupid." His voice was shar as though he were annoyed by this sentiment. All Oliver wanted was to feel respected, like it was safe for him to ask questions and to learn from them. However, the more people got upset with him, the more wary he was of even speaking up in the first place. Despite Jigano trying to reassure Oliver that Ludo had only taken memories once, Oliver still remembered his conversation. "Okay...this is a time where I made a bad assumption. I have learned that I was wrong...but I was talking with Phoebe and I said that I wanted to go see Ludo about regaining my memories...because there wasn't anything left for me to lose. Phoebe said I shouldn't take it lightly and Ludo could just as easily take away the little memories I have earned here or make me be incapable of remembering anything...that Ludo is tricky." Oliver looked away, incapable of looking Jigano in the eyes in this moment. He was filled with embarrassment, realizing he had messed up yet again. Then...a thought dawned on him. "Could I give up my magic to become attuned? Give up any magic I ever had...surely, they'd be able to grant that." OLIVER i saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and i could do anything i wanted

Jigano nodded as Oliver explained himself, and his lips quirked into a smile at the end of it. "I won't yell," he promised, "not unless you're about to step on a landshark or something like that. I do want you to learn more, though, and to question your assumptions at first, as much as you can, until you have a chance to become more comfortable in this world." Remi would probably laugh at him for saying that; Jigano knew he had a reputation for being stuck in his ways and it wasn't unearned, but that only made him more determined to make sure others didn't make the same mistakes that he had...

Ah, there it was again. That condescending impulse that Remi and Amalia had both pointed out to him. He was going to have to try and watch it with Oliver lest he push another potential friend away.

"A willingness to learn is already more than many people bring," the bard assured him with his wry smile back in place. "That's all this guild asks for, and everyone in it will do their best to help you without accusing you." Question? Well, yes. Wanting to be sure he thought things through and wasn't taking all answers on blind faith? Absolutely. But accusing him or belittling him? That went against what Jigano wanted, even if he slipped up and let his age and experience lead him into thinking he knew more than others.

He listened carefully to how Oliver described his source of information on Ludo, and held back the sigh of frustration at how Phoebe had generalized things. Still, he nodded some agreement to it. "I don't think that Ludo can return memories that were lost before you arrived on this world," he said slowly. "So in that, she may be right. And it can be playful and mischievous, but it's also the most honorable of the old gods, I think. It is far less vain than Safrin, and it once showed a great deal of favor and affection towards an Abandoned girl named Maea, who was once a member of this Guild before illness took her from us." Not dead, necessarily, but certainly unable to continue any duties to any guild. "I have never known Safrin to be as open towards any mage, Natural or Outlander," he added after a moment's thought. "Not until after they became a hybrid of mage and Attuned, at least."

Oliver's thought was a good one, but Jigano only shook his head with a sad smile. "Were that so, then the gods would have burned the magic from every Abandoned within the Hollowed Grounds generations ago. As far as I know, they have never been able to answer such a prayer. The best they can do is to give a mage the abilities of an Attuned as an expression of their blessing upon them."

Jigano constantly made sure to reassure Oliver of worries. Whether it be out right denying them or clarifying so he can understand the truth. It's nice to hear him back it up with more than just a simple statement, with reasoning behind what he says. It makes it feel more believable. "I couldn't even imagine you yelling, Jigano. I will try to learn and I guess just be as nice to others as I can. I'll try to hold back my assumptions? Not mention them as much?" The last part was hard as he was clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words, unsure of how exactly to say what he wanted to say.But hey, at least he was becoming more comfortable with the world. Then again, it was hard not to when it's all he really knew. Good thing he couldn't remember any of his past because...ouch would that be hard to change from. "Thank you...so far you have been nothing but kind and I thank you for that. It's really nice to let you hear me out than to have you upset and saying that I'm calling you a ghastly beast or some bullshit like that." Now that was an absolute exaggeration, as shown by him putting on a very posh, English accent when he said 'ghastly beast'. It was not something he heard here, so maybe it was a bit of a memory from his own world. Or maybe it was something from his own imagination. Still, his tone is very lighthearted, a drastic change from when he was on the verge of breaking down entirely. However, his happiness drops when he finds out that Ludo really isn't going to be able to help him. "Damn...well, I guess I'll just have to keep waiting." It was clear that Oliver was now trying his very best to be optimistic. It wasn't Ludo's fault that it couldn't help him to remember his memories. He couldn't hold a grudge or anything like that. "I do want to try to leave my judgement for when I actually meet them...I think that might be the best way to show them my favor, for me to not just immediately discredit them. I hope you wont be upset by that." In other words, he'd still show respect to Safrin and honestly refused to believe Jigano's harsh words about the goddess. If he accepted them then surely it'd only end in more pain for him. "Then...if the gods cant take it away, how on earth did I get it in the first place? Did the Voice choose to give it to me? Did it just randomly happen? Why am I an abandoned?" OLIVER i saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and i could do anything i wanted

"That's because you don't know me well yet," he admitted ruefully. "But I do try not to. And it's not that your assumptions are bad or that you shouldn't say them, but be ready to adjust or change them if you learn something new." That was always the trick with assumptions, after all. Not letting them get so ingrained that you couldn't let go of them. Jigano had become set in his ways, but Oliver was young enough to have a more flexible mind and not be caught in the same trap that mired the older lorekeeper.

"I've been a stuffy old ass," he corrected Oliver with a crooked grin. "But you're kind to say so." He chuckled at the younger man's teasing accent, even if he couldn't place where it was from. It was clearly meant as a joke, though, and he gave Oliver a wink. "Besides, I thought you wanted to turn into a beast - even a ghastly one?"

The humor faded as talk of the gods gave the conversation a more serious tone, and he nodded sympathetically at Oliver's decision to wait. "They may return in time, as you find things or do things that are familiar," he offered, though there was no guarantee. "But give Ludo your respect and offerings of items that hold memories or meaning to you, and hopefully it will go well for you when you do eventually go to them." He paused, then added thoughtfully: "They seem particularly fond of cats." Ludo would not particularly care about Oliver's favor - or lack thereof - but a lack of respect would only end badly for the young man, no matter which god he sought out.

The next question was more existential, and the bard sipped his tea as he gave it serious thought. "As far as I know - and others may know more by now - the Voice's portals are not a conscious operation on her end. It's like a spell that she set to run, that now moves without her oversight. But things are not just random, no. People seem to come through with some connection to their past, and they find themselves in a body on Caido that is most similar to what they possessed before. It's not a perfect fit all the time, but vampires tend to come through as Ascended, witches and sorcerers arrive as Abandoned, and shapeshifters become Attuned." He shrugged slightly. "It may be that you had magic in your previous world, and that translated here to Caido as well. But you could be one of those who was put into a body completely different from what you had before, too. Without your memories it's hard to say."

The blonde nods and smiles faintly. "Don't worry, normally I'm better about learning from mistakes. It's just...different with some special cases. I don't know how to really explain it, unfortunately."{/b} Maybe it was the fact that every time he gained trust in the gods, he felt betrayed once more. Still, he\'d try his very best to not let them totally change him, morph his entire life into a miserable existence. [b}"I wouldn't sell yourself so short...I mean, yeah, I haven't really known you for too long, but you seem great." Jigano didn't seem to be the sort to yell without a solid reason, though, a couple of things the man said would come off as a shock. "I don't think I'd be a very good ghastly beast. Could you see me being a gigantic, ferocious lion? I'd probably be more like....I don't know, a cheetah?" Oliver had honestly never seen any of the big cats in person. All he knew about them came from books he read, with illustrations of the creatures. From what he could remember, a cheetah was the smallest of the big cats. They always looked very pretty and elegant to him, meanwhile the tiger or the lion always looked powerful and strong, but that's a tangent for another day. Jigano still seems to be under the belief that Oliver has a possible future with Ludo. "Well, I don't really have anything with deep emotional value or memories. I mean, I came here with just clothes. Would it like a drawing of a cat? Or is a toy cat a bit more fitting." Ah yes, that was certainly standing in his way. Those who had been here for longer would most likely have a better chance with Ludo. Same thing goes for many of the other gods as they had access to more things to offer. Still, Oliver wouldn't let that get in his way. There was a hope, for sure. Put into...a body? What? "I'm sorry...but are you suggesting that this body is new? And that I wasn't in this body beforehand? I mean...I have tattoos that I know I got back before..." Oliver was very clearly confused, unable to process much of the information given to him. "I couldn't tell you if I had magic before, I'm really not sure. I don't have memories of magic, but also don't have memories of a lot of things." OLIVER i saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and i could do anything i wanted

Jigano smiled and bowed his head graciously at Oliver's kind words, a murmured 'thank you' passing his lips before they moved on to lighter things. He chuckled at the mention of a lion, though, arching a brow at the young man with a grin. "Gentle, kindly Remi has a lion shift," he pointed out, his relationship with the alchemist having come a long a way in the past year. "Sometimes the shapes a soul takes aren't always what you'd expect. Killian, another previous member of the guild, had a cheetah shape," he added, his voice taking on a wistful hint of nostalgia. "He was always moving, always tapping his fingers or feet, never still. Swift as sunlight in either form. But who knows what yours would take? Until it happens, it's anyone's guess. It's not something we choose... at least, not among the Attuned I've spoken with." Often it was something that arose more from 'need' than 'want,' with no way to predict what shift would come next.

The advice he gave on Ludo was because he knew that god best of the three old gods who regularly answered prayers. His prayers to Safrin had ended in pain, and he had never prayed to Frey, only knew of them from Safrin's book and second-hand descriptions. So he offered Oliver the best that he could give, and left the young man to do what he pleased with what he had learned. "A toy cat, definitely," he suggested with a smile before letting the topic drop.

He knew that Oliver's memories were scrambled, but he seemed very certain about some things, so it didn't hurt to check. "You may have tattoos and even scars from your previous form, but it's true. From what we've seen, those that come through the portal are often different than they were before, even if it's not outwardly obvious. The fact that you have magic now when you didn't before would be proof enough of that, but it's the same for all Outlanders... though the ones who were previously different races and now find themselves in human bodies are the most obviously changed."

There's a playful eyeroll when Jigano mentions Remi. "Yes, but have you seen him? He's tall! And muscular. And then there's me, very short and clearly not muscular." Honestly, pretty much all the men here save for a couple were super muscular. Like, what the heck. Did the Voice just hand select tons and tons of muscular men? Oliver could only really name a couple of men who weren't muscular, but when they weren't muscular they were freaking tall as hell. "So...the form tends to relate to us? Like a personality trait or how we behave?" Well, Oliver would think it'd be easy to guess his, except for the fact he wasn't sure how real his personality was. How much of it was similar to the old him and how much of it was due to his new world? Marking away the toy cat idea, Oliver would make sure to see if he could either make one or trade for one. Then again, the first option would most likely be personal and therefore earn a response from Ludo. Oh well, he had time to wait. Jigano's explanation did far little to help. There were too many things that didn't add up. "Wait, hold up. So you're saying this body, the one I'm currently in, is not the one that I was in before? Like, I looked different, I wasn't this?" His eyes and voice were reflections of his stress. Everything he thought he knew had been thrown out the toilet. "But I remember being short. I remember....having to dye my hair to make it blonde. I remember getting these exact tattoos. So did the Voice just happen to find a random shell and put me in it? One that also had dyed blonde hair and identical tattoos?" None of it made sense. This body felt so real to him, save for the magic portion. It felt like it belonged in all of his memories. What did this all mean? OLIVER i saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and i could do anything i wanted

"He's not that tall," the even taller man demurred. "And when I first met him last Leafchange, he wasn't nearly as muscular, either. It's the sort of thing that changes over time, and Caido tends not to reward idleness. Muscle is something you'll likely put on as well as you find a trade to pursue." Almost all of them had, men and women alike, though some - like Jigano - wore it in lean muscle mass rather than Remi's impressive thews.

"Usually, but not always," the bard tried to explain. "At least from what I've seen and those I've spoken to. Those who were shapeshifters or animal-souled on their previous worlds become Attuned here... unless they also had magic, in which case they might become Abandoned, but not both. But there are exceptions, especially among those who had neither magic nor alternate forms before. You'd think they'd arrive here as Accepted, but they seem to have the most variation in what happens when they pass through the portal." It was puzzling, but perhaps it gave them an edge in surviving this harsh world. "It seems more related to physical abilities and traits - or magical ones - than personality." 'Seemed' being the operative word, since even that pattern had plenty of flaws.

"I said it was a possibility," he corrected gently. "That you could be in a different body, and the addition of magic makes it more likely... but I don't know for sure. You could be one of the exceptions. But what sort of dye did you use?" Jigano asked after a moment's pause at the sudden flood of information. "And how did you get the tattoos? Were they applied with quills? Needles? Sorcery? Or something else?"

oliver

Okay. Maybe Remi isn't that tall compared to Jigano, but to Oliver? The dude is pretty tall. Any guy above 5'9 is tall in Oliver's book. "Hopefully, because right now I look like...I don't know, a stick drawing? I really need to put on some muscle because...damn am I weak." Obviously, Oliver is joking around a bit, clearly comfortable with making fun of himself in this context. Oliver has seen how physically fit many of the other people are here and he has learned from LongNight and Deepfrost just how important it is to be able to fight. So most likely, Oliver would begin intense training himself..hopefully. If it doesn't procrastinate or become too afraid of being squashed like an ant.

The attuned part made sense, as did what you were before relating to what you are now. Like how Remi used to be able to shift into one animal in his own world. It makes sense that he is an attuned here. That much Oliver could completely understand. What was causing him to stress out and become overwhelmed is the concept of this body that he's currently in not being the same body as before. It's a foreign idea and it makes Oliver feel uncomfortable, almost as though he no longer wants to be in this body. It's even more obvious by how stiff he becomes, his body becoming rigid. "So your attuned shift is based on your body? So like, a tall or big person may become a lion, but someone small like me could become, I don't know, a cat?" Yeah, Oliver knew he was tiny as hell, both in size and in height. It wasn't a good thing, but he was embracing it at this point. Now, if this wasn't his actual body, he might be a little bit mad that the new body isn't any taller than he used to be.

Jigano tried to explain it a bit more, but it still came off as hard to understand. A frown formed on Oliver's face as he shook his head. "I don't know if I had magic, I don't know if I didn't have magic. I do know that magic existed, I remembered having to interact with it very rarely...I cant remember specifics, but I know there were people who resisted the magic...said we could live without it." He frowned even more as he spoke, his voice coming out slow and methodical. He had to think carefully to actually come up with anything to say. This was stuff that hurt him the most to think about, mostly due to all the gaping holes in his memory. It felt like...he was missing a piece of the puzzle. Maybe if he found that one piece, everything would click together and all of the missing holes would be filled up.

This problem persisted with answering his next few questions. "So...I don't remember the profession's name, but it someone who makes like tonics and potions and stuff. I'd go to him in order to get the hair dye. And the tattoo...it's kinda like the magic thing?" Oliver lets out a loud groan of anger and leans back, clearly frustrated with himself. "I don't...I know I got it and I know it hurt at this point. I remember the long process and the sounds that came with it. I had to go to a shop for it. There were multiple shops that I could go to, it's also where I got my piercing. But, I don't remember the thing that did it. It's just...not in my memories? Like, I know it's supposed to be there, but I cant get it to come out." How else was he supposed to explain this sensation? A feeling of you knowing it's there, but no matter how hard you try, you cant figure out what the damn thing is.

don't worry, be purple

Jigano merely raised a brow at Oliver's self-deprecation, especially since it looked to be unearned. The joke was far weaker than the young man, especially given that the bard had been far scrawnier and weaker when he had first arrived than Oliver looked to be now, but he saw no need to belabor that point, especially when the conversation was moving on.

And he had other things to worry about, like how badly he had explained things such that Oliver drew entirely the wrong point from what he'd been saying. "No, not really," he corrected gently. "A shapeshifter on another world tends to become an Attuned here. A mage on another world becomes an Abandoned here. A vampire on another world becomes an Ascended here. That's what I mean by physical similarities. But it doesn't always hold true. It's a general pattern, not an absolute law, and as with all patterns there are anomalies and exceptions. Attuned shifts don't seem to follow much rhyme or reason, not physical, and not personality-wise. One of the gentlest men I know can become a lion. One of the fiercest warriors I've met turned into a hummingbird. It's impossible to predict what an Attuned shift will be."

He grew silent after he asked his questions, wondering what memories might be stirred up. He sipped his second cup of tea and listened to Oliver's musing. It sounded like no place he had heard of from any other Outlander, so at least it likely wasn't Helovia or Northhaven. Other than that he couldn't place it. "A chemist? Or alchemist?" he suggested quietly for the profession of the hair-dyer. As for having multiple tattoo shops, that seemed strange to the bard, but it also sounded like they were running into a wall for the day, so he simply nodded. "It sounds like you can remember quite a bit, though. Things might be vague, but there are a lot more clues in what you've said than others with scrambled memories have had. With time and patience if you keep tugging on those threads you might unravel more details." He smiled encouragingly, finishing his cup and setting it aside.

"Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

oliver

In all honesty, he still felt extremely confused. He got the part of someone being attuned most likely being a shapeshifter before and all that stuff, but the whole 'this isn't your body' thing is where Oliver was hung up on. Still, Oliver was under the belief that at this point, Jigano most likely wouldn't be able to explain it any better, seeing as he was now extremely stressed about the whole thing. He kind of felt like....he wasn't part of his body anymore. It felt so weird and foreign, to be inside a thing that apparently may not even be him. It may not be the person he saw in his memories. Or maybe it is. Maybe he just misunderstood. Whatever it was: Oliver felt like he couldn't ask Jigano for clarification. Already he felt stupid and Jigano had tried to explain it to no avail.

Looks like he'd just have to find someone else who could hopefully explain it to him. No way was he going to the Voice, though. He had heard enough to lack trust with her, at least, he didn't necessarily feel safe going alone to see her.

Attempting to hide away his distress, Oliver simply tried to act happy. Jigano was a nice person, totally, but he was currently freaking out inside, something he was hopefully hiding well. "It probably was an alchemist...yeah, that word sounds familiar. I know those were...in smaller supply? There was one main shop and then tiny little vendors who sold them in the markets, but not in any fancy shops. Just out on blankets or on tables and stuff." There's a nod as he attempts to explain the small snippets of memories he had. "I mean...I've made a lot of progress. I wasn't nearly this good when I first arrived. Hell, I still don't even know my last name." Was it a joke? Not sure anymore.

Yes. He did have other questions. He wanted to understand this whole body thing. He wanted to know so much more...but already he had been a nuisance. Jigano was so wonderful and kind, putting up with his idiotic questions and at least two breakdowns. It's embarrassing that Oliver, a grown man, let out all of his problems onto some stranger who didn't ask for it.

"I can't think of anything off the top of my head, so no real questions right now." And he also didn't even drink all of his tea! What a fantastic house guest he was. A dude who came in, had two freakouts, didn't drink all of the tea, and still couldn't understand the concept of the damn body switchup. He was wasting Jigano's time, surely. No need to so spend anymore of it.

don't worry, be purple

Jigano had been forced to the realization that the body he had now wasn't his own when he'd first arrived, locked into his human disguise and unable to take his true form. It was one he had grown up hiding and rarely used, but he had always known he could shift back into it if he ever wanted to. On Caido, though, he was human, and it had taken him quite some time to come to terms with that. Perhaps Oliver would adapt faster, since it sounded like he had been human before and was still such... or perhaps he was one of those who hadn't changed. He had said it was a possibility that Oliver was in a new body, since he had magic now, but not that it was a certainty.

"Remi is also an alchemist," the bard suggested helpfully with a small smile for his manticore... friend? "I suspect he can help you with dye if you need it. If not him, then perhaps Evie. She's an apothecary and knows the plants of Caido well. She might know which ones produce dyes of the shades you seek." Jiao probably would, too, but so long as the border between the Hollowed Grounds and Greatwood was closed he wouldn't send Oliver into forbidden territory and Delah's wrath.

"Perhaps you didn't have one," he mused. "There are some who don't. But if you do, it will hopefully come with time as more of your memories return." It was a good sign that some had already come back. He might yet regain all of them someday, even if patience didn't seem to be his strong suit. Some things couldn't be rushed without breaking them, though, and it was a lesson he could only learn for himself, not simply be told by others.

He had some notes to pull together for Fiat Lux, and some blueprints he'd found tucked into an old folio for fair booths from past generations, including one for the Silver Lore. He needed to copy them out in fresh ink and decide what to do for the festival this year to advertise the Guild's continued presence, so while he didn't mean to hurry Oliver on his way, he did still have work to do. "Why don't you take some time to think over what we've talked about today, and you can come back in a few days to ask any more questions you might have thought of? If you're still determined to see Safrin I'll tell you what I know of her, as well." His smile was crooked as he stood to offer the young man his hand in a shake. "It's a biased account, I'm afraid, but I'll try to stick to the facts as I know them. But either way it was good meeting you today. I look forward to seeing you around, Oliver."