Open Zann's Alley/Backyard The Scholarship

[Kaii Nashirou]

(OOC: A thread primarily focused on Kaii and Darragh exploring the local library as per Kaii's promise.)

Libraries and college buildings were places Kaii visited often in the past, despite lack of legal status do to so. It wasn't the forbidden knowledge that brought him here, he simply liked to learn and as a positivist, Kaii could not understand exactly why those places are closed to most of society, restricted only to those of class or rich. it was a shame really, he for instance would never learn his craft were it not for the fact he actually had a title of a Baron, even if only on paper. And with that? Now beasts like Morgan or Piper would not get to enjoy their days. Providing opportunity of education for the masses was in his mind a great thing to do. Not only morally lifting beasts from the dread of the unknown, also practically providing more inventions to the society, talented beasts to bloom and use their newfound skills in all aspects. In all ways it was beneficial.

And that was precisely why Kaii was now sitting at the bench near the largest library in Bully Harbour. He was awaiting Darragh here. The two had a close-knit friendship, but also both were scholars. The fox was seeking the answers through science, while the stoat was doing so with words and emotions behind them. As one well-read beast, Kaii understood well how poetry can shape the understanding to those not inclined scientifically. He saw many times how metaphors and hidden meanings make others see the world in a ways they couldn't before, the whole spiel was in ensuring that they know that, unlike science, there are a lot of ways to see the world through that perspective.

It was a sad thing that Darr, despite his honest will and efforts, never got to see the riches of any library. Kaii was right in promising him that time in the hold to get him into one, that was least he could do for his friend to sate their need for understanding. Expanding young poet's horizons and giving them a good insight into what was never seen by them was not just working well with Kaii's ideology and belief in organicism, it also was right.

Kaii after all promised that. His promises were always solid as steel. Even if he did not want to help the poet as genuinely as he did, he was obliged to.

And there was also a matter of the visions the poet had. A mystery that Kaii was adamant he could solve with the knowledge behind the walls he was now looking at.

There was just a need for the poet to come, as per Kaii request from the last time the saw one another, and meet with him here.

@Darragh Harper

 

[Darragh Harper]

Has the search for a book ever driven you a bit mad? You’ll be conversing with somebeast more educated than clever, and on their tongue they’ll offer a scandalously short snippet of one of the book’s more famous quotations. You’ll tell them, that’s far too inspired a line to come from a soggy-brained half-wit like yourself, who dropped out of Length so hard they call you Too Short. You’ll receive a shrug. Oh, they’ll say, it was in a book I had to read for Vulpine Literature class.

You knock out a few of the daft fox’s teeth (they’re half-rotted from all that nasty sugar stuff students put in their tea anyway), and storm off to find a bookshop. There are terribly few of those even in the nicer parts of the Trenches (and you’re not allowed to shop anywhere fancier). Books get banned, books can burn, books have a strange magic to them that make avid readers seem a bit peculiar by association. Political violence is on the rise in the Imperium (yes…again), and books that challenge narrow views are now being targeted by more than just the censors of the MinoNice. As a result, the bookshops that remain open are the ones that sell safe, pulpy pap. Cheap entertainment for the masses, or practical guides for housekeeping, or dull reference material on identifying rare bees. Nothing with artistic yearning.

Slouch into the ramshackle old bookshop. There are dangerously tall stacks of books making every aisle a squeeze. You’re slim and agile, but those aren’t universally applied traits to book-lovers, and getting to the shopkeeper’s little alcove involves getting hip-checked by a fox who must have attended the university at Width, instead. Tap your footpaw as you wait for a ragged she-weasel carrying all she owns in a sack to stop haggling over the price of a quarter-gilder romance novel. Her thumb’s over the title, but you can make out an illustration of a waspishly-proportioned stoat jill in a billowing dress running away from a castle on a hill.

The shopkeeper shrugs when you ask about poetry books. He’s having difficulty making eye contact with you, his gaze is wandering up and down like you’re a particularly tasty looking fishstick. He isn’t sure he keeps many of those, poetry isn’t as popular as distressed damsels (particularly if they’re being pursued by dangerous damsels that own castles), but he has catalogues of inventory you can look through. You suspect he wants to keep you here, within ogling range, for as long as possible. A fair tradeoff you suppose, and you can break jaws as well as turn the heads of jills and jacks alike while you do it.

None of these titles jumps out at you. In desperation, you repeat the quotation out loud,

“I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darklin’ in the eternal space…”

And the plump tod, arms quivering under the load of books on crypto-entomology, perks up his ears. Oh, I’ve heard that one, I think. He gives you a name that matches nothing in the catalogues.

The verses and their elusive author spin around in your head. The rest of the poem has to exist somewhere, not just in half-remembered snatches from inattentive university students. You wander the streets, thumbs in your pockets, dejected. You spend the coin you saved for the book on a meal and booze, and get into a brawl at the Bilge to take your mind off the whole thing. Morning comes, as do hunger and headaches, but the poem still sits there, like a splinter you cannot pluck from your mind.

At least up until today, this had been the typical experience for Darragh Harper. There was a whole world of written words, held just out of reach by tight security, or frustrating obscurity. It had taken a voyage to the far end of the world to bridge a gap the young stoat had experienced all his life between the mysterious, cloistered world of the gentry and his own humble circumstances. In the depths of the hold of the storied old warship Golden Hide, he had formed a bond with a fox both frighteningly brilliant, and unhesitatingly kind.

Kaii Nashirou was a gentletod with an unrivaled scientific curiosity. Darragh had mistaken his arcane-looking tools and mathematical scribblings for dark magic at first. In a sense, the poet had been correct. It was a kind of magic, not the inscrutable illusions of a fairground sideshow, but a magic that did for the head what the magic of poetry did for the heart. Having made a truly historic discovery in science together, Darragh and Kaii had also discovered in each other a mutual love of finding things out, and the tod had promised to use his noble credentials to grant Darragh access to a treasure trove that all the gold in the MinoCom’s vaults couldn’t match for value. The Library.

One part of their mission at the Library today was to find out whether the Wolf Idol the crew of the Hide had retrieved from their recent expedition to Urk had been written about before. It was composed of the newly-discovered metal (tentatively named Urkanium…) but what cultural or historical importance it had to the cannibal shrews of that island was unknown to them. The voyage had been commanded by Talinn Ryalor, the Minister of Innovation, but what sources the old fox had about the Idol were most likely secret, and now that he was no longer captain of the Hide, what little access they had had to him before had dwindled even further.

Darragh knew also that Kaii was curious about his visions, for lack of a better word for them. The world sometimes seemed to reveal itself to the poet, as though strong emotions or powerful forces from the past still echoed in the places where great tragedies or momentous events had once occurred. Yet Darragh’s historical education was virtually nil, only existing in legends and vague generalisations. He had no idea if he ever actually saw the past as it was, or if it was all the product of an over-active imagination. Darragh’s worst fear about his visions was that he would be condemned as mentally ill, and thrown into some kind of madhouse to rot. He trusted Kaii wouldn’t let that happen to him, though. It would be just between them.

The section Darragh most looked forward to exploring though was poetry. He imagined the aisle must stretch on forever, all the way back in time to when the first humble reed-pen touched… well, whatever they used for paper back in Ancient Times. Darragh near enough was skipping as he made his way to where he had agreed to meet Kaii. He was wearing his nice (if admittedly a bit over-the-top) clothes that he’d washed since the disaster at the Opera Theatre. He had foregone the perfume though - the bottle had been expensive, but it was tiny, and the stoat had really only wanted it to entice jills anyway.

Darragh cleared his throat as he approached Kaii, and doffed his blue crushed-velvet cap with exaggerated grace.

“Good day, my fine gentletod! I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be waitin' for the company of a first-rate erudite scholar,” Darragh said with a cheeky grin on his face. “Unfortunately, you’ll have to make do with a second-rate rhyme-scribbler like me.”

Darragh chuckled, and replaced his cap. He regarded the fox, thinking back to when he’d recently seen Kaii in the midst of a quite unexpected battle, his expression becoming more serious.

“Are you doin’ alright? There’s been a lot more adventure back on shore than I was expectin’, m’self.”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii shook his head with a modest smile at the introduction Darragh gave to him. "Humility proofs you are nothing but top-grade though. Only a fool thinks of themselves as a master." He stood up and moved to shake paws only to be stopped by the sudden seriousness that was bestowed upon his friend. The question loaded, but honest.

Kaii too became solemn. There were a lot of things to be said about Opera Fiasco as some newspapers called it. But aside from it, there was also a matter Kaii was not allowed to share even with his closest friends. One that was between him and the beasts far more powerful. He wasn't a pawn in their game, but still it weighted on him heavily.

Dispelling that notion, Kaii struggled. He was not a beast to lie. Especially not to his friends. He could say half-truths to those he didn't hold in such high regard or jest when the situation called for it. He would however not lie to a beast that he had forged a bond with over not just their shared passion nor struggles, but also over the common understanding. Even if they had differed in some regards, there was respect for it.

As such, Kaii choose the best option here. Silence all that could break the other promise he had made. "I did recover physically and mentally it was tiresome, but in no way something that would break me. I've been through much worse and well... back when I could still call myself a Baron with no shame, I was taught to expect such entertainment at the parties made for nobility."

That was as good of a truth as Kaii could say. Fortunately it was impossible to say through his flat baritone that he was hiding something. With that Kaii could now allow himself to smile again knowing that the upcoming visit to the library would be a blast for both beasts. Finally he gave that pawshake to Darr and led him towards the main entrance. Walking with confidence of a noble, of someone who knew they deserved to be there, the fox leisurely continued speaking, this time with more exquisite gesticulation and putting on the accent his family cultivated ever since they came from Fyador.

"Mr. Harper, I would like to know your personal experience with the events at the opera. I believe thyself are not being on velvet with the events that occurred here." He spoke in a way that someone on the position of a baron would. Not exaggerated, but one that spoke definitely of growing up among the upper echelons of society that had time and care to spare for such frivolities like using idioms and full formal words that normally would be only written.

This was however necessary, because just after walking through the main entrance, Kaii and Darragh were stopped by one fox. Wearing formal clothes but also visibly armed, they were the first line of defence, ensuring that common beasts would not get too smart. However, he did bow to the two coming bachelors before asking with adequate reverence. "Pardon me gentlebeasts. I am simply obliged to ask who is coming to visit and check for your credentials."

Kaii reacted with almost disinterest, showing the ring he wore with his family coat of arms etched onto it. "We are here for private reasons that call for sufficient secrecy. Should you insist on validating my claim, go inside and seek for my family's genealogical tree." Kaii said and simply walked around the guard with Darragh. He didn't exactly like this spiel, behaving as if you've owned the place. But while he could legitimise himself, getting the stoat in would be cumbersome to say the least should any actual process of checking who they were started.

They were not followed, Kaii leisurely continued talking to Darr, as if nothing had happened. "Albeit, I am also curious about how did you get into this scenario yourself. I was assured you were not coming to the Opera that night." With that said they finally emerged from the corridor and into the main hall of the library. Each wall was covered in books or rolled papers. The space between had three floors of bookshelves and separated areas for reading, ones with plush sofas and armchairs. It was a paradise for a beast interested in all literary matters or written words.

And Kaii gave a small grin to Darragh, followed with a wink. He completed his promise.

 

[Darragh Harper]

Darragh trotted nervously beside Kaii, looking to the tall fox for guidance. Something had changed in Kaii’s voice and demeanour, and Darragh realised he must be getting into character, the Baron Nashirou! Who did that make him? The poet scrambled for his own cover story. What had been the pseudonym that sleazy no-good dogfox at the Opera gave him, shortly before the explosion? Sir Darrence Parker. It would do, for lack of anything better. Darragh wondered what had happened to that fox - he was fairly sure the flamboyant dramatist had been working with the Vulpinists, the way he’d whooped and danced in the chaos. Darragh hoped somebeast had run him through.

“Ahem, hem. Qu-aah-te, indeed. I’m ohh-nl-ehh in taah-wn for a few days, bef-aww I must return to my grand estate in the c-aah-ntr-ehh.” Darragh attempted, straining his jaw to wrangle his Tookumberry lilt into the formal Vulpinsulan accent, with its rounded Os and clipped tones. It sounded… a little ridiculous, and the young stoat had to cover his muzzle with a paw to stifle a bout of the giggles.

His humorous mood evaporated when they were confronted by the guard, however. Darragh wisely kept his mouth shut as Kaii brushed off the guard with a wave of his signet ring. The poet gawked, then remembered Sir Darrence would not be impressed by such a trivial thing. Stick his nose up in the air, the stoat all but pranced past the guard, holding one paw up with his wrist loose, as though he were about to declare something profound, the other resting on his hip. His tail was a give-away to his nerves though, it was poofed right up to the black tip. Mercifully, the guard had already been cowed into polite submission.

“Ah, yes, so you’re right,” Darragh agreed, his affected accent slipping for a moment. “Y’see everybeast was so busy after the voyage, I just… put off askin’ about gettin’ an invite. I wasn’t even sure who would be goin’ ‘cept Minister Ryalor. To be honest, I was on the verge of bein' arrested at the door for gatecrashin', erm, among other things. Oh… stars!”

Darragh stopped to stare in wonder. The vast hall they had entered… there were books everywhere! This must be the home of some God of Wisdom! The walls were shelves from floor almost to ceiling, and Darragh could see there were even ladders that rolled around on railings to reach the top. He reached up and took the hat off his head, as though they had entered a sacred temple. “Well, there’s an eye-opener and no mistake…”

Hopping from one footpaw to the other, the stoat eagerly looked to Kaii, then at each shelf, as if he was waiting for permission to dig into a feast. Only… where should he begin? It felt like it would take a lifetime just to read the title of every book the Library had, let alone their contents. A stern looking bespectacled pine marten passed them by, pushing along a trolley laden with yet more books. The glance the Librarian gave Darragh instantly made the stoat stop hopping, straighten his back, and remember his false-posh accent.

“I say, how droll,” snooted Sir Darrence in earshot of the marten, his eyes drooping in an expression of boredom. “Hhhwhere ought we begin our s-ahh-ch, L-aww-d Nashi-reww?”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii rolled his eyes at the accented question Darragh did. It was more of a mocking gesture, one very much in role for bored noblebeast. At least his natural expression was one of emotionless, unmoving muzzle. Perfect to act out being a beast above it all. But the question was valid. The Stoat was promised to see all the poetry books he wanted to. Kaii wished to resolve the case of Darragh's visions first. Those of course clashed, but the first required the two, the latter could give Kaii some time to read-up on art of seduction between catching up on what was know about transfers of thermal and non-thermal energies.

"Dear Friend, I believe we should first resolve the matter we came here for regarding the historical events and their validity. Then, as I too have things to focus on myself, we may give ourselves to the joys of reading and learning." Kaii offered before looking around for the nearest librarian. It was the very same marten that passed them just a second ago. They would have to do, a noble after all wouldn't usually bother to waste time on seeking assistance. They requested it.

"Librarian." Kaii spoke authoritatively, causing for the poor marten to turn on the spot and offer a bow. They definitely were not pleased, which pained Kaii dearly. Was the act worth it if it went against his own morals? Kaii had to decide now and ultimately, while keeping the same look, he mellowed internally. "Please, inform us where we can find published diaries of The Golden Hide captains, any writings of sailors, collections of letters or collected stories from this vessel. You need not to bring us those, simply tell us where to find them."

The librarian took a moment to think, they were still not too happy, but at least their mood didn't sour more as Kaii asked for instructions, not outright servitude. The marten finally responded with a slightly dry voice. "My Lords. I apologize but I am unaware of exact places you can find most of these. I can only humbly suggest you should examine the section dedicated to the navy, that being fifth and sixth shelf in the fourth row at second floor." They've explained while awaiting presumably a request to lead the two 'nobles' to the place mentioned, already stepping aside from the cart.

But Kaii surprised them by just not doing so. Instead he simply stated his thanks with a nod and started navigating between the shelves, hoping that Darragh will follow suit again. The marten did let out a small sigh of relief as they've returned to their duties. The fox in the meanwhile shown the Stoat that they were familiar with this place by getting to the mentioned shelf in a matter of minute. Finally, standing under the massive shelf, by the rolling ladder that they would have to use, Kaii ensured there was no beast anyplace close before he spoke quietly, but in his natural way of speech.

"Ok Darr. Let us resolve the more serious matter first, then we can enjoy our time here. Please, go up and seek for anything you can think of yourself that would be related to your visions. I will be taking them from you and then we can visit one of the lounges and skim through them. Does that sound adequate to you?" The marble fox asked, already knowing however how long it may potentially take. They could not however ask for help that easily, part of them being here relied on secrecy after all.

 

[Darragh Harper]

Darragh nodded, peeking around one last time for any suspicious librarians or patrons. Nothing but sound-deadening books and motes of dust in the light, it seemed. Darragh pattered up the ladder with the practiced ease of a sailor, remembering the librarian had told them to look at the fifth and sixth shelves on the fourth row. He tilted his head sideways, whiskers twitching. Some books had titles on their spines, others were blank.

“A Historie of Markan’s Imperial Navie, Compleat with Illustrations and Technical Diagrammes,” Darragh read aloud. “Greenhawk: The First Modern Warship and How She Foundered. The Battle of Merith’s Cove: An Analysis of Catastrophe… Aha, I’m gettin’ close! An Accounting of all Shipboard Fyres aboard the Golden Hide. The Indiscretions of Captain Jeshal ‘the Ironclaw’… isn’t that the old geezer they’ve given command of the Blackship? Let’s see… A Study of Failing Upwards, with Special Case Study Anithias A. Freedom…”

Darragh paused, his brow furrowing. He wasn’t sure reading the titles was going to help him all that much. His visions didn’t come with names, or technical diagrams. They were more like moving oil paintings, impressions of moments and faces, and always deep emotions. He cast his mind back to the vision he had experienced the first day he had come on board the Hide… former captains standing or pacing around the same cabin they had all inhabited at one time or another.

The poet closed his eyes, and tried to tap into his intuition, as he brushed his paw over the books. Could he sense any connection with these dusty volumes? That wasn’t really how it worked for him, though. He was no seer, not like the old vixens he knew, with their crystals and paw-reading and painted cards. He had no third eye… only a prickle of his neck-fur that he sometimes got right before experiencing something strange.

His pawpads traced over a bumpy, ridged book-spine that felt different to the others. Darragh opened his eyes. The book had no title on the spine, so naturally he would have ignored it had he been only looking. It was a thick volume, and the stoat’s spine curved back under the weight as he pulled it from the shelf. The pages seemed to stick a bit as he opened the front cover, and to his surprise, a couple of pieces of yellowed paper fell out.

“Catch-!” Darragh called in alarm, as the pages fluttered down towards Kaii. He gave his friend an apologetic look, both for dropping loose pages, and making a loud noise. Turning back to the book, he read the title in a subdued voice, though as he read, his tone became more intrigued. “A Collection of Anecdotes, Introspections, and Recollections Both Amusing and Tragick Gather’d from the Gallant Officers and Hardy Sailors that Loyally Serv’d aboard His Majestie’s Imperial Warship the Golden Hide.”

Darragh tucked the book under his arm, and started back down the ladder. He presented the book to Kaii. “I think this one’s a promisin’ start. I’m probably goin’ to have better luck with stories than dates and names.”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii stood at the bottom of the ladder and himself was looking at the books and his friend from a distance. Listening to the titles Darr read made him kind of happy inside. It was nice that even tiny matters in this day an age were thoroughly written down and explored for the sake of future generations. He contemplated the idea of reading through them himself, just to sate his curiosity of what was the past of the ship he served on. After all, to Kaii, knowing past was important to avoid the mistakes in the future.

Darragh's call broke him out of the thinking and made him instantly react. Looking up he noticed the pages and moved to catch each of them before they got to the floor. The marble fox had a general theory that reaction times were proportional to the intelligence. At least that was his observation he had. Also it was more related to the type of intelligence he excelled at. Definitely he would be worse off if it was related to the social intelligence.

As all the pages were gathered, Darragh read out the title of the book. "I do think that may be what we are looking for indeed!" Kaii confirmed and stepped aside to let the poet to get down the ladder without ending on his shoulders. Soon after, as the stoat had touched the ground, the fox took a good look at what he had in his paws. "I presume that it will be easier for you, though it is not exactly scientific to not operate on solid data, we have to work with that can give the results. If you say this is the best option, I trust your judgement." Kaii said and turned around. spotting that there were now beasts in the same alley as they were. He was glad that his usual tone and mannerisms were typically sufficient to not cause suspicion. Darr could get a pass for having an accent, it was just a matter of keeping the aloofness.

"Come with me then, we ought to find a quiet spot for reading through this bulky tome." Kaii, turned on his paws and walked towards one of the places meant for reading. The issue of course was that there were other beasts that wouldn't enjoy having to listen them two talk. He also didn't want to keep up the act this whole time so he needed a new idea, or rather a room. With that in mind, Kaii sharply turned just before the reading area and walked towards the place where the smaller rooms were.

Those were always busy, and as such it took a moment to find one that was free. After all, other beasts liked quiet peacefulness too. Once however they got to finally sit down and were very alone with this book, Kaii finally got himself more relaxed. "Alright. Finally we can talk normally. Go on Darr, tell me whatever catches your eye or whatever you should find important."