JENNA: * Following that day, Kalaani's visits become somewhat more sporadic, and occasionally she even misses her weekly appointments. Apparently the church is intent on keeping her quite busy. She stops by when she can, however, and makes tea when she stops by, occasionally bringing other food whether or not Mackenzie wants it.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie seems much more content to have her visits less and less frequent, whatever the cause may be, though it does strike him as peculiar. However, he never once questions it -- heavens forbid he come off as concerned -- and uses the quiet time to catch up on the work that's been piling up. At the start of the next month, Winter shortly around the bend, he takes his quarterly trip to Juno to visit the Academy and some acquaintances. It's about the closest thing to being social he does, though it's admittedly more for checking up on things than to make friendly conversation. It's a particularly blustery morning when he arrives, the cold wind sweeping down Juno's broad streets. On days like this, most folk consider it best to stay indoors, but Mack seems mostly unaffected by the weather as he stalks down one of the side streets.

JENNA: * It's as he's making his way down this street that a familiar voice can be heard, bouncing back and forth between the buildings near the city's edge. "Oh no -- oh /please/ -- not /today/ --" Her distress is evident, but it's difficult to say where her voice is coming from with the side alleys and open windows up and down the street. There's also a rustling of paper, and a few sheets blow by, carried by the wind from who knows where.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie pauses for a moment, clearly recognizing the voice, yet hopeful that his infallable memory might somehow be deceived. Catching one of the flying papers when it aims to strike him in the face, he gives it a wary, sideways glare and is depressed to recognize it for what it is: a church tract. "Bloody--" He squeezes his fist around it, crumpling the paper, and tosses it aside as he continues to walk, the girl's voice continuing to echo around as though surrounding him on all sides. His bad luck only gets worse, however, when he turns the next corner and finds her shimmying up the trunk of a tree by the edge of the city, in a most unsafe manner. "What--"

JENNA: * Kalaani does not notice him at all, heaving herself up to the nearest branch with very little heed to the damage to her robes, let alone the way they're kicking around in the wind. She bites her lip, catching her balance, then scampers up another branch, her goal clearly a few of said papers that have been caught higher in the tree. One of them, far out on the branch she's managed to clamber onto, flutters dangerously in the wind, and she pushes away from the trunk to pursue it, though she does lower herself onto the branch before doing so. She creeps along, hand outstretched, but her fingers barely brush the page when the wind rips it away. She utters another cry of protest and half-lunges after it, apparently not having noticed how close the branch is to hanging over empty air.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie arches an eyebrow at the behavior, but it quickly turns to shock, and an appalled expression. "Are you insane? Get down from there!" He starts marching toward her, momentarily forgetting that he would probably be better served heading in the opposite direction. "Girl! ... Kalaani!"

JENNA: * Though his first hails make no clear impression, she starts at the sound of her name, wobbling dangerously on the branch. "B-but I need to --" She attempts to gesture toward the other papers, caught higher in the tree, but this results in another dangerous wobble, and she catches herself quickly, scooting back toward the trunk of the tree. Once there, she pulls herself upright, but a particularly nasty gust of wind whips her robes around her legs, tangling momentarily, and she's forced to cling to the trunk for support.

JUSTIN: "Would you forget about your damned papers? Nobody wants them anyway." Mackenzie practically growls, stepping up to the tree and reaching up a hand forcefully, motioning for her to head groundward. "Now get down from that ridiculous perch before you fall to an early grave, you stupid acolyte. Do they not teach you to think at the church?"

JENNA: * Kalaani has the good grace to look embarrassed, and she slowly attempts to descend, apparently realizing the danger now that her only goal is to get back to the ground. She does fairly well until the last branch, at which point the wind catches her again, and she loses her balanced, tumbling to the ground with a yelp.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's eyes go slightly wide, even if the girl is no longer in serious danger of falling over the city's edge. That fact doesn't seem to compute, what with the situation being as it is. His body lunges without waiting for an order to do so, and he catches the falling girl solidly in his arms, not even stumbling under the additional weight. "Mother of Odin--" He crouches, setting the young woman down onto the hard dirt patch surrounding the greying tree. "I should have left you to your own devices, and done myself a favor, you know that?!"

JENNA: "S-sorry." Kalaani seems somewhat stunned by the fall, pausing to gather her legs underneath her before realizing that she was saved from a few extra scrapes and bruises by none other than the sage. She blinks up at him, trying not to look too puzzled, and manages a small smile. "Thank you," she says, getting carefully to her feet.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie only seems more angered by her gratitude, and he straightens himself quickly, straightening his coat and cloak. "Don't /thank/ me, just be grateful I had a momentary lapse in /intelligence/. Though hardly one as dumbfounding as yours." He reaches up and sharply snatches a stray pamphlet from one of the lower tree branches, then thrusts it at her. "Next time, carry them in a satchel." With that, he turns and starts back toward the street with clipped steps.

JENNA: * Kalaani takes the paper with some measure of embarrassment, then hurriedly trots after him. In spite of his pace, it doesn't take her long to catch up, and she glances at him sideways with open curiosity. "I.. I'm surprised to see you in the city -- I didn't think you ever came here," she offers, folding the pamphlet and tucking it away inside her robes. She's already lost the rest, so there's really not much point in continuing her current task.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie turns her an agitated glance, idly fixing his shirt with leather-gloved hands. "That's an assumption, and a poor one. I come when I need to." He doesn't bother to go into detail, or point out that he used to live in the city, among other facts. It certainly isn't any of her business or concern. He turns another street corner and keeps walking as though she's no longer there -- mainly because he expects her to continue along the path she was on.

JENNA: * She doesn't seem inclined to do so, however, keeping pace with him as he goes and looking at him again, still curious. "Are you visiting friends or family?" she asks after another few minutes, unsure whether either would be the case, given his generally antisocial nature. "My family is in Einbech, and I can't afford the airship, so I don't get to see them very often."

JUSTIN: "I didn't ask where your family lives." Mackenzie says, half under his breath, but loud enough for her to hear -- on purpose, of course. He fully intends to ignore her question, and attempts to gain some distance between them by picking up his speed even more. Any faster and he's bound to look ridiculous, but he hopes she'll take the hint.

JENNA: * Kalaani keeps after him stubbornly, in spite of soreness from the adventure with the tree and clear knowledge that he doesn't want her to. She doesn't speak again, in spite of a nagging need to apologize, instead concentrating her energy on keeping up with the man -- and keeping an eye out for anyone from the church.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie shakes his head in annoyance, but if she wants to keep silent, he's not going to provoke her with words of his own. She clearly means to follow him no matter what. His route takes him away from the edge of the city and toward one of the main streets -- Book Street, to be precise. Aptly named, as it holds more than one book store along its way. He makes for one of the shops immediately, not paying the others so much as a glance, and lets himself in the front door with a jangle of the overhead bells.

JENNA: * Inside the store, an older man looks up from where he's looking over a stack of books, and his face breaks into a smile. "Mackenzie! I wasn't expecting you for another week." He steps toward the stairs and his living quarters on the second floor, when he catches sight of Kalaani and pauses.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie gives his head a short shake and turns to close the door, also pausing to give the young woman a long glare. "I had to rearrange my schedule, due to constant interruptions over the last few months." Turning back around, he sheds his coat and starts toward the other, older-looking man. "I trust it's not an inconvenience? If not today, it will have to wait another month at least." He doesn't seem to notice Armand Hester's hesitation at the sight of Kalaani -- or perhaps just doesn't feel like explaining her.

JENNA: "Oh, of course not. You see how busy I am." A grin crosses Hester's face, and he glances toward Kalaani again. "Can I help you, miss?" he asks, and she blinks, then shakes her head, waving a hand to indicate she's with Mack. Hester blinks, and he turns his gaze toward Mack again. "Have you hired an assistant, Mackenzie?" he asks mildly.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie frowns noticably, eyes closing as he tugs his gloves from his hands. "No, I haven't had an assistant in years. This," he turns to indicate the girl with obvious disinterest, "is the interruption I was referring to." Stuffing his gloves into his pocket, he folds the coat over his arm and starts up the stairs.

JENNA: "I see," Hester remarks, though he clearly does not. He doubts he'll get anything further out of Mackenzie, however, and inclines his head toward Kalaani. "Well, I trust you'll be joining us for tea, then?" he says, and the girl nods, bobbing in her customary curtsey. "I'd be honored," she says cheerfully, following the two.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's steps falter briefly, a look of unhappy surprise on his face, and he grips at the handrail tightly to keep himself steady. He takes in a deep breath and let's it out as a quiet hiss, redoubling his speed up the stairs before he tries to hurt anyone. Even he has enough manners not to tell someone who they can and can't invite into their own home -- if only barely.

JENNA: "I'd be happy to make the tea, sir," Kalaani volunteers as they reach the top of the steps, and Hester looks back at her in surprise. "Really! I suppose, if you wish. Mackenzie and I can spend the time catching up." He glances at Mack, trying not to smile, as he can tell the man disapproves of her strongly. "The kitchen is that way," he says, gesturing up the hall.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie seats himself in the living area, crossing one leg over the other knee and staring sourly at the coffee table. He'd like to object, but at the very least Kalaani's tea is one of her few positive aspects, though he's still not sure how she does it. "Don't encourage her, Armand, or she'll insist on bringing you soup every day."

JENNA: "I can think of worse things than having a young lady bring me soup every day," Hester says drily, seating himself nearby, but he doesn't press the matter any more than that. "I take it everything I sent got through intact?" His eyes brighten as he turns toward more scholarly information. "How is the translation proceeding?"

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie straightens his shirt absently before leaning back into his seat and resting against the armrest. "Intact, yes. Though translation is going slower than I would like. Constant distractions as of late." He sends Kalaani a very brief sideways glance, then sighs and readjusts his position. "I've recently acquired some new texts from Morroc that I am hoping will warm me up for the task."

JENNA: "New texts?" Hester remarks. "Then you found someone to make the trip after all?" He glances back toward the kitchen, where the faint sound of singing can be heard. "Who did you send?" he asks, turning back to Mack.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie tries not to look too agitated by the noise from the kitchen, as it brings back unwelcome memories of his short battle will illness. Recomposing himself mentally, he does his best to block out the noise. "The same pair who delivered those pages from the Book. I'm not sure if I overestimated their abilities by calling on them again, but they got what I sent them for." He rubs at his eyes, the thought of the man and his demon girlfriend not exactly pleasant, either.

JENNA: "Really? They seemed quite competent to me -- I was hoping you'd find them fit for work." He glances up as Kalaani finally returns, a tea tray in hand. She sets this down on the low table and serves the two men before retreating to a chair with a cup for herself. Hester thanks her, and she smiles and inclines her head.

JUSTIN: "Fit is a bit of a stretch." Mackenzie watches the exchange between the other two with clear disapproval, but he shakes his head and doesn't bother to say anything. Reaching down for his cup, he lifts it up to blow some of the steam away before testing it. "What troubles me is their utter lack of any scholarly knowledge. They don't understand the things they fetch, nor do they appreciate them. If I didn't have work to do on a daily basis, I would be eager to do the hunting myself." He sets his cup back down to cool for a moment, straightening his shirt again. "And the girl has the manners of an orc."

JENNA: * Hester nearly snorts into his tea, looking at Mack with some surprise. "Really? I found her to be charming, in her own way. She was at least quite civil to me." He pauses, resting his tea briefly on his knee. "I suppose there isn't much help for the lack of scholarly knowledge, though. The young man, at least, seemed willing to learn, but I don't think the girl can even read."

JUSTIN: "That doesn't surprise me," Mackenzie says with the slightest hint of contempt. "The reading part, that is. But whatever 'charm' she might have, it certainly isn't in her personality. I can imagine there's only one reason that boy follows her around like a lost puppy." He takes his cup again and sips, relaxing slightly into the cushions as the hot liquid warms him.

JENNA: * Hester tuts him, sipping his tea again, and Kalaani looks frankly alarmed at the assessment, but she doesn't say anything. "Well, whatever their defects, at least they do the job well. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that many pages from the Book all in one place." Kalaani glances between the two of them, hesitating. "The book.." she begins hesitantly. "Do you mean.. the Book of Ymir?"

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie turns a sharp stare at Kalaani, almost having forgotten she was there in her silence. "Yes. But it's nothing you should be concerned about." He has no desire to discuss something of that sort with the likes of her. He immediately turns back to his tea, sipping at it, and ignoring her again. "Whatever their defects, bad business sense is among them. If anything, at least they're willing to accept whatever I offer them as payment. It is a small consolation, but I suppose it's better than nothing."

JENNA: "I doubt they have any more use for large amounts of money than you do, Mackenzie," Hester says with a brief smile. He then turns to Kalaani, who is fidgeting as if she wants to say something more. "Why do you ask, miss?" he says, and she hesitates a moment, glancing sideways at Mack. "I.. I think we have one in my church. A page of the Book, that is."

JUSTIN: "Of course you do," Mackenzie says, almost snapping at her. He wishes she'd have kept her mouth shut -- he really doesn't like the reminder. "Now, tell me what good it does me if it is in the possession of the church and not me? I can't study something that I don't have, and the Church has already refused every attempt I've made to make them see reason, so it might as well be at the bottom of the ocean."

JENNA: * Kalaani opens her mouth to speak again, but she subsides when Hester speaks before she can. "I doubt she meant any harm, Mackenzie. They won't let me see it either, godless heathen that I am." He takes a long sip of his tea, seeming almost amused by the situation. "It's a pity, really. They'd get far more out of it if they knew what it said."

JUSTIN: "I could care less what they get out of it -- I'm more concerned about my own research." He takes another sip of his tea, then sets it down on the table before leaning back and rubbing at his forehead with a sniff of disdain. "For all the trouble they've given me over the years, one would think they'd pay me back. But I suppose common decency would be asking too much of a circus run by imbeciles."

JENNA: * Hester glances at Kalaani and is somewhat surprised to see her unaffected by this stream of venom. He reassesses how long she's been exposed to the man. "We can only keep trying, I suppose," he answers comfortably, then decides to try changing the subject. "Unfortunately, I haven't had anything of note -- besides the pages -- cross my counter in quite some time."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie nods his head slightly, readjusting his position to fold his hands in his lap while he leans on the armrest. "Thankfully, I have enough to keep me busy for at least another three or four months. If something does happen to fall into your lap, I can take a look during my next visit." He reaches for his cup and sips at what little remains of the liquid. "I trust business is as good as it has been for the last several decades, or you would have moved from the capital by now."

JENNA: "Oh, business is as good as it ever was in books. In a city of scholars, you can't hope for better." He grins almost rogueishly, finishing his tea and setting the cup down on the table. Kalaani gets to her feet automatically to fill it, but he waves her off with a brief smile.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie downs the last of his tea and likewise sets the cup down, eyeing Kalaani strangely before he sits back again. Why someone would come to someone else's house and then act like their maid is beyond him. "I might look through some of your books before I leave the city, just in case. Sometimes an item that seems insignificant can be of use, one never knows."

JENNA: * Having determined that neither man wants more tea, Kalaani sets about gathering the cups and the service to return them to the kitchen. Hester watches her go with some bemusement -- redoubled when she returns and bobs her polite curtsey again. "Thank you for letting me stay," she says with a smile, which he returns, saying it was his pleasure, after all. "I have to get back to my rounds now," she says apologetically, then bobs again and leaves them with a quiet wave of farewell.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie doesn't turn to see her leave until she's already disappeared down the stairs below the level of the floor, at which point he gives a tired glare at nothing. "I'm still not convinced she isn't the Church's idea of a sick joke. Odin knows they have it out for me." He returns his attention back to Armand, wishing he needed his glasses just as an excuse to polish them.

JENNA: "I'll grant you she's odd, even for their stock, but she seems uncommonly polite." He glances at Mack sideways, trying not to appear too amused. "Did she really bring you soup every day?" he asks, plainly interested. It's difficult to imagine the kind of stoicism it would take to put up with Mack daily if he happened to be at his most hostile.

JUSTIN: "Give or take," Mackenzie says cautiously, eyeing the other man with suspicion. It's clear he doesn't find fault with the child, so this can only be leading in one direction. "She discovered I was ill, and that was the end of it. I didn't have the strength to fend her off, so I was forced to abide her presence for weeks."

JENNA: "To be frank, Mackenzie, I'm surprised she lasted that long." It's clear he's equally amused at Mack's plight, though. "I thought you prided yourself on chasing away acolytes -- usually in tears." He folds his hands in his lap, glancing at Mack with an eyebrow arched. "She must have a remarkable will, don't you think?"

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie favors the man with a very dry, unamused stare. "Or she's remarkably stupid," he says just above a mutter. "I'd thought they'd finally given up before she arrived. Perhaps they were just taking their time to find the right weapon to strike me with. If she isn't mentally challenged, then it's possible they trained her just for this purpose. Or maybe she's not an acolyte at all, but a hired actress." He sounds almost serious, to the point it causes him a brief moment of worry. Is it possible he's starting to lose his mind over the matter?

JENNA: "Oh, hardly. Do you really think the church would even think of something that convoluted?" He shakes his head briefly, smiling again. "She does make good tea, you have to grant her that." He looks for a moment as though he's going to ask what's in it, but he thinks better of it and shakes his head.

JUSTIN: "At least." Mackenzie rubs at his forehead, feeling a headache forming in the wake of Kalaani's presence -- even if she wasn't directly involved in all the discussion about her. "But if her visits get any more frequent, she is going to be a daily distraction. It is a wonder she hasn't set a tent outside the front gate, for gods' sake." He looks momentarily exasperated and perplexed. "For the life of me, I cannot divine a reason why she persists. She visits more often than her duty even dictates!"

JENNA: "Perhaps she's lonely." Hester neglects to mention his suspicion that she might think Mack is lonely. "Or, who knows, perhaps she thinks it's her heavenly duty to reform you, but it doesn't seem that way." He gets to his feet, grinning suddenly. "If she was there only to do her duties, you probably would have teleported her off a cliff by now."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie straightens in his seat, a somewhat distracted frown on his face. "Mm. Not if she doesn't throw herself off of one, first." He gets to his feet as well, straightening his shirt for the third time since arriving. "If she's lonely for good company, I should redirect her to you. Clearly you take no issue with her."

JENNA: * Hester grins. "Perhaps you should. I wouldn't mind having that tea every day." He starts from the room, dusting his clothes off absently. "But let's go see if any of my books tickle your fancy today. I believe I ran across a rather peculiar one about Jawaii -- I always thought the place fairly useless, but there may be more to it than I suspected."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie drapes his coat over his arm again and follows after his host, nodding absently as he attempts to push any thoughts of Kalaani to the back of his mind. "Useless, perhaps. But I was alive when Jawaii was just an island, not a resort. It's entirely possible there could be something underneath all the garbage."

JENNA: "Which is why the book caught my eye." He walks steadily down the stairs, somewhat eager, but unable to move with any particular speed. "I set it aside, thinking to read it for myself ..." He reaches the bottom of the steps and walks over to his desk, seating himself and sorting through a small stack of books set just out of view.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie crosses the room to the desk, standing on the other side with arms folded loosely while he waits. "If you intend to read it, you can have it sent by carrier when you're finished. If I get ahold of it, it is unlikely you'll see it again before my next visit to the city."

JENNA: "Oh, that's quite all right." He digs the book out and sets it on the desk. "I have several books to go through before I have time for it, anyway." He turns and gets to his feet again. "If I find anything else of interest, I'll send it along by courier. I can't think of any others offhand. Feel free to browse if you have the time, of course."

JUSTIN: "If that's the case, then I wouldn't mind looking it over. I've run rather dry on leads lately." Mackenzie picks up the book and looks it over, noting the relative lack of wear on the leather binding for its age. "It hasn't seen much use, not that I'm surprised. Nobody is interested in a resort island for anything other than honeymooning." He tucks the book under his arm and turns to look around the store. Not the largest book shop in the city, but it's the only one that specializes in hard-to-find or unknown books -- the ones usually of greater worth. "I'll take a look around before I leave."

JENNA: "Of course." Hester seats himself again, smiling wanly. "You'll pardon me if I don't make the rounds. My back isn't what it used to be." He doesn't wait for a response, settling into his seat and opening one of the other books on his pile.

JUSTIN: "Of course," Mackenzie echoes, disappearing into the rows of bookshelves. His back would probably be dust by now if he was as aged as he should be. "I can see you're very busy, in anycase." He tugs a random, unlabeled book from a top shelf and flips through it idly before replacing it.

JENNA: * Hester only grins, turning to his book without a word. He remains contentedly seated as Mackenzie makes his way around, and only one or two customers arrive before the man leaves. They are both regulars, and they buy a couple of books before they go -- not a bad day, all in all.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie stays for a couple more hours -- longer than he intends, but perhaps he's worried he'll step out the door to find Kalaani waiting for him in the shadows. By the time he says his goodbyes and makes his exit, the sun is already on its way west, and his fears are put to rest when there is no sign of the young churchgirl. Tugging his coat tighter around him and fixing his gloves, he gets a good grip on his new book and makes for home.