Post by Varga on Nov 14, 2021 19:18:08 GMT
Glint shifted on the sofa, looking around the richly decorated ante-room. He's seen more opulent rooms in his time, and sat on fluffier sofas. It felt strange to be in the same situation, but this time having his own agenda for a meeting, rather than one dictated by a boss. Negotiating others' interests seemed easier… safer. Although, all things considered, it was one luxury he hadn't missed.
Phillip walked in through another door with an air of a man too preoccupied to take a full breath, and all but threw a pile of papers on his desk. Glint rose quickly to greet the council secretary with a pleasant smile that at this point was as natural to him as breathing.
"Phillip, thank you for your time. I know you must be very busy…"
"Just as usual, Glint, just as usual," the man nodded and gestured to the sofa, himself taking a chair next to it, and pouring them drinks from a decanter. "So, how can I help you today? Are there any other monsters we should be vary of?" He asked jokingly, but with a hint of apprehension.
The wizard caught onto the strand that the secretary so thoughtlessly dropped with an enthusiasm of a young kitten chasing a ball of yarn.
"I trust that manticore hint proved useful then?" Glint said pointedly.
Phillip shifted in his chair, another glance at the genasi telling him where the conversation was going, and that he'd unwittingly allowed it.
"Ah, yes, quite." He coughed uncomfortably, his smile fading. "It was dispatched quite quickly from what I've heard."
Sighing at the silence that followed, Phillip continued begrudgingly: "If there's anything I can do to thank you for bringing it to our attention-"
"Nonsense, it was my civic duty," Glint raised his hand just to signal that he was, in fact, asking for something. The secretary was looking at him expectantly. All niceties out of the way, Glint moved to the point: "I'd like to inquire about… well, educational programs in Daring Heights."
"Aren't you part of one?" Phillip inquired sarcastically, sipping his drink.
"I had someone slightly younger in mind," he responded with a chuckle. "You see, we've come across a bunch of particularly gifted kids the other day. You know the kobold community, up north, near the Castle Gate?"
The secretary gave Glint a puzzled look, as if half-suspecting it was still a prelude to the actual query the wizard had. The man nodded almost cautiously.
"Of course. What was your business there?"
Glint waved him off.
"Oh, it was nothing. I was hoping for an unusual find in the biological field, which did not amount to anything in the end." He placed his drink on the coffee table between them and leaned forward to emphasize the crux of the matter he was pursuing. "However, we did come across three kids. Two goblins and a kobold: Tutti, Biscuit, and Plink. Very promising young chaps. Plink is very young and I would say excessively brave for his age and size. Tutti can assemble quite complex mechanisms - traps, and remotely activated levers. And Biscuit is an incredibly gifted sorcerer – he performs cantrips like they're party tricks, without even thinking twice." He flicked his fingers. "And he might even be capable of some transmutation spells, like booming voice. This is clearly above what any kid should be capable of."
Phillip gave this inspired speech a careful consideration.
"Are they orphans?"
"Thankfully, not. All have parents. Lovely families. We've had a lovely barbecue with them the other week."
"In that case I'm not quite sure what you expect the city to do," Phillip gestured defensively. "They seem to be well provided for. What exactly are you asking for?"
Glint shifted back on the sofa, the fire on his head a bit darker.
"To recognize that you've got an opportunity here. An opportunity that can become a problem if you do nothing," he said with a seriousness that made Phillip put down his drink and frown. "We don't have that much time. In a couple of years these kids will be young adults searching their way in the world. And, while I'm only a humble academic and wouldn't know the details of such situations," he said, covering a lie with a humble smile. "It only stands to reason that there are always people in search of talent. If it's not us providing them opportunities to apply themselves, or guidance as to how their abilities can be applied, there will be others who'd be interested in them and their abilities, for… various purposes," he said, teeth clenching a bit. "And there are few things more dangerous than talent without direction."
Phillip's brow furrowed. The conversation he had already dismissed was turning out to be more than he bargained for.
"So, what exactly are you suggesting?"
"You tell me," Glint flexed his fingers. "Daring Heights is a large city, I'm sure these kids aren't the only ones with talents. Perhaps there is some sort of… program that highlights the future possibilities for them? They were very excited to hear that traveling performers exist, I'm sure the information on a wizarding college or the Order of the Crimson Fist will blow their minds."
"There's nothing of the sort that I'm aware of," Phillip shrugged. "We've had our hands full with adults after the reconstruction, apart from the schools, we hadn't had the time for something… more child-oriented. Although I'm sure that the city would be very interested in establishing something of the sort," he said with finality.
Glint nodded grimly, accepting his fate.
"In which case, I hope a small letter of support to the Academy won't be too much of a bother?" He said, stretching his lips in another polite smile.
Phillip gave him a skeptical glance.
"Will it do? I mean, there won't be any funds attached…"
"I'm sure the bursar can write it off to wider impacts and community engagement. They're a creative bunch," Glint waved with forced levity.
That levity was squashed decisively by the rest of his week being divided between work and going through the Nine Hells of Bureaucracy, leaving Glint completely drained and in desperate need of some rest. He'd heard about a new relaxation parlor in the city, and decided it was high time to pay it a visit…
Phillip walked in through another door with an air of a man too preoccupied to take a full breath, and all but threw a pile of papers on his desk. Glint rose quickly to greet the council secretary with a pleasant smile that at this point was as natural to him as breathing.
"Phillip, thank you for your time. I know you must be very busy…"
"Just as usual, Glint, just as usual," the man nodded and gestured to the sofa, himself taking a chair next to it, and pouring them drinks from a decanter. "So, how can I help you today? Are there any other monsters we should be vary of?" He asked jokingly, but with a hint of apprehension.
The wizard caught onto the strand that the secretary so thoughtlessly dropped with an enthusiasm of a young kitten chasing a ball of yarn.
"I trust that manticore hint proved useful then?" Glint said pointedly.
Phillip shifted in his chair, another glance at the genasi telling him where the conversation was going, and that he'd unwittingly allowed it.
"Ah, yes, quite." He coughed uncomfortably, his smile fading. "It was dispatched quite quickly from what I've heard."
Sighing at the silence that followed, Phillip continued begrudgingly: "If there's anything I can do to thank you for bringing it to our attention-"
"Nonsense, it was my civic duty," Glint raised his hand just to signal that he was, in fact, asking for something. The secretary was looking at him expectantly. All niceties out of the way, Glint moved to the point: "I'd like to inquire about… well, educational programs in Daring Heights."
"Aren't you part of one?" Phillip inquired sarcastically, sipping his drink.
"I had someone slightly younger in mind," he responded with a chuckle. "You see, we've come across a bunch of particularly gifted kids the other day. You know the kobold community, up north, near the Castle Gate?"
The secretary gave Glint a puzzled look, as if half-suspecting it was still a prelude to the actual query the wizard had. The man nodded almost cautiously.
"Of course. What was your business there?"
Glint waved him off.
"Oh, it was nothing. I was hoping for an unusual find in the biological field, which did not amount to anything in the end." He placed his drink on the coffee table between them and leaned forward to emphasize the crux of the matter he was pursuing. "However, we did come across three kids. Two goblins and a kobold: Tutti, Biscuit, and Plink. Very promising young chaps. Plink is very young and I would say excessively brave for his age and size. Tutti can assemble quite complex mechanisms - traps, and remotely activated levers. And Biscuit is an incredibly gifted sorcerer – he performs cantrips like they're party tricks, without even thinking twice." He flicked his fingers. "And he might even be capable of some transmutation spells, like booming voice. This is clearly above what any kid should be capable of."
Phillip gave this inspired speech a careful consideration.
"Are they orphans?"
"Thankfully, not. All have parents. Lovely families. We've had a lovely barbecue with them the other week."
"In that case I'm not quite sure what you expect the city to do," Phillip gestured defensively. "They seem to be well provided for. What exactly are you asking for?"
Glint shifted back on the sofa, the fire on his head a bit darker.
"To recognize that you've got an opportunity here. An opportunity that can become a problem if you do nothing," he said with a seriousness that made Phillip put down his drink and frown. "We don't have that much time. In a couple of years these kids will be young adults searching their way in the world. And, while I'm only a humble academic and wouldn't know the details of such situations," he said, covering a lie with a humble smile. "It only stands to reason that there are always people in search of talent. If it's not us providing them opportunities to apply themselves, or guidance as to how their abilities can be applied, there will be others who'd be interested in them and their abilities, for… various purposes," he said, teeth clenching a bit. "And there are few things more dangerous than talent without direction."
Phillip's brow furrowed. The conversation he had already dismissed was turning out to be more than he bargained for.
"So, what exactly are you suggesting?"
"You tell me," Glint flexed his fingers. "Daring Heights is a large city, I'm sure these kids aren't the only ones with talents. Perhaps there is some sort of… program that highlights the future possibilities for them? They were very excited to hear that traveling performers exist, I'm sure the information on a wizarding college or the Order of the Crimson Fist will blow their minds."
"There's nothing of the sort that I'm aware of," Phillip shrugged. "We've had our hands full with adults after the reconstruction, apart from the schools, we hadn't had the time for something… more child-oriented. Although I'm sure that the city would be very interested in establishing something of the sort," he said with finality.
Glint nodded grimly, accepting his fate.
"In which case, I hope a small letter of support to the Academy won't be too much of a bother?" He said, stretching his lips in another polite smile.
Phillip gave him a skeptical glance.
"Will it do? I mean, there won't be any funds attached…"
"I'm sure the bursar can write it off to wider impacts and community engagement. They're a creative bunch," Glint waved with forced levity.
That levity was squashed decisively by the rest of his week being divided between work and going through the Nine Hells of Bureaucracy, leaving Glint completely drained and in desperate need of some rest. He'd heard about a new relaxation parlor in the city, and decided it was high time to pay it a visit…
