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Date & Time: February 15th, 3312, afternoon
Location: The library
Characters: Nathaniel Howe (

noble_nate) and Martin (

septim)
Summary: Nathaniel goes looking for some information
Warnings: None

It had taken Nathaniel a while to find the library, not really knowing his way around the place yet. That was something he resolved to fix soon; he was the type of person that needed to be completely aware of his surroundings before he felt completely comfortable. Not that he expected he'd ever feel completely comfortable here.

After talking with Martin during training the other day, he'd found that they both shared a similar love of knowledge. He'd gathered that they were from different worlds, something Nathaniel was still trying to get his head around, but that they had a common goal in wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. Maybe if they shared what little information they'd both gathered, they might have a chance.

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"I can't say I see much of a flaw in their plan," Martin crosses his arms, deep in thought. "If we have to choose between fighting or death, many of us will choose the former. The human instinct to survive is a powerful thing." The Initiative is anything but stupid. They've dealt them hands all to their benefit. A masterstroke, really. Martin is impressed.

"Maybe," Nathaniel allows. "But the chances for revolt seem fairly high. What's to stop us from turning our weapons on them? Not that I plan to, mind you, but it seems to me like there are a lot of angry people here right now."

"We revolt against a deposed monarchy and then...what, exactly?" It isn't that Martin's giving up. Rather, he's careful and composed. "I doubt they'll show us the way back home after we overthrow them. The outside world is hostile to this rebellion and thus us. We would get no help."

"You seem awfully calm about all of this." There's no rancor in the statement, it's more of an observation than anything else. "You say you've no intention of fighting for them...what's your solution to all of this?" Again, it's an honest question. Nathaniel's genuinely interested in hearing suggestions.

"I'm used to these sort of political issues," ever so vague, Martin's fingers trace the silver crest of a leather-bound book, unlike the rest. "Learn more. Keep smiling, being helpful. That way, no one will suspect me of anything." Who would suspect a bookworm of something nefarious? No one, if Martin plays his cards right.

Edited 2012-02-21 18:56 (UTC)

"So you are looking for a way out." That's definitely reassuring. "I don't know much about magic...if this is a summons like you think, are there ways to possibly reverse it?"

"Absolutely." His tone is reassuring, full of steel. "All summons are bound by the laws of its pact. If I can find out what those are, what reagents were used to transport all of us from our realms into here, I should be able to figure out how to reverse it." Conjuration isn't his favorite school of magic, his bad past with the daedric cult giving him a healthy wariness of summoning daedra and spirits. But, if such measures were necessary to find the way home, for himself and others, so be it.

The more Nathaniel talks to Martin, the more he's coming to respect the other man. Nathaniel has a great love of trying to make sense of things, and Martin's conviction that there's a chance they could get out of here is bolstering.

"It might be worth trying to pool everyone's recollections of where they were right before they were brought here. See if there's some sort of common denominator.

"That's an excellent idea." Considering people here were (likely) picked for their skills, perhaps there is a common denominator. His own arrival at this realm still bothers Martin, but he isn't sure telling everyone he died in a blazing glory would be the best course. "I'll write down all the responses, see if I can find something in common."

Nathaniel nods, satisfied. "You seem like the type of person who likes to research things," he smiles at Martin. "I tend to be more comfortable with action, but I'll help in any way I can."

"Ah, thank you," Martin says, slightly embarrassed, scratching the side of his head in a sheepish gesture. "I don't enjoy fighting, unless I must."

Nathaniel nods his understanding. "I'm used to fighting, it's what Wardens do." He smiles wryly. "And it seems as if I go looking for fights more often than not."

"While fights come to me," Martin sighs, exasperated. "I wish I were used to fighting as you are." I wish I didn't feel as if I'm drifting from one war into another.

Nathaniel shrugs. "Fighting's not necessarily all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you're going into the fight blindly." He grimaces a little. "It's one thing to fight for a cause you believe in, or at least understand, it's something else entirely to fight someone else's battle."

He's going around in circles, he knows, but he can't help himself. The thing that irritates him and unsettles him the most about this place is how much there is that is unknown. The people...the places...everything is unfamiliar, and to someone like Nathaniel, who functions best when he has a firm grasp of any situation he's in, this place has barely more appeal than the dark maws of the Void.

Edited 2012-02-23 17:52 (UTC)

"No, it isn't." Martin utters each word as if their admittance is a personal affront. "Sometimes it's necessary, but..."

I wish I could spare everyone, and myself, the pain of war. An emperor who disliked fighting might be a hypocrisy, but the Oblivion Crisis took with it any desire to wage wars of conquest. The Blades wouldn't be happy if they knew these were his thought, but Martin never had any intentions to become another Uriel V.

This is a soul-sucking conversation. Martin raises and lowers his shoulders, exhaling to shake himself away from his reverie. "I'm sorry, I've digressed. Would you like me to show you where Anders is?"

Edited 2012-02-24 03:53 (UTC)

Nathaniel feels a bit bad for being so grim when talking to Martin, but he can't quite help himself. Being grim and serious is in his nature.

He forces himself to smile. "If you could tell me where he is, I'd appreciate it." He still wasn't allowing himself to get his hopes up; it was possible that Martin was wrong, that this wasn't his Anders. But of course he had to see for himself.

That smile was insincere. Martin isn't in a position to tell Nathaniel that, nor does he care to call him out for a pleasantry, as grating as they are.

Martin rises, tucking some papers into the dragon-plated, leather-bound grimoire, and putting a couple of notebooks on top of it. Once that's done, he picks up the stack. "There are two places where you're most likely to find him: a cafe outside the hold, and his room. We should probably check the cafe first." Martin purses his lips into an amused smile. "They allow cats inside."

Edited 2012-02-24 04:59 (UTC)

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