[Salvio tips his head to see the L, when she points it out. He catches the tail end of its shape, before it fades from sight.]
It-- No, I have not. Uh, that is, I have not--made particular study of the, um. The code. It is but one theory, as I say, and my interest--my skill, what, little there is, it is not, uh--not to do with code.
[He sneaks a glance at Tessa, with wishy-washy hope.]
[ She smiles apologetically, shaking her head no. ]
I think if I tried, I'd just end up confusing myself. It's still pretty interesting, though. And I'm sure you could get somebody to sit and copy some of this out to give to a... code breaker, I guess they're called.
[Salvio is already nodding, rapidly, before she's even finished that thought. Yes, of course. Yes, it was a stupid question. Yes, he really knew better than to hope for that coincidence to be at all true.]
Yes. Yes, I thought-- ah, we are of. Similar mind, then. [Too weird? Okay, whatever, just keep it moving--] I had thought to contact the, um. Scoutmaster. To see if there might be someone with that specialty, that she is aware of.
[Beleth Ashara, the money-waster. Salvio looks down at the Compendium, which is rapidly spilling out another line of encoded text, obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV.]
[ Okay, dude, she gets it. You agree with her. That's cool. Don't pull a muscle in your neck, okay? ]
Yeah? Is there some sort of story there, or you just being protective over the book?
[ Forces Division for life, yo. She doesn't know what goes on in the other divisions, really. She just picked Forces because it seems focused on the tasks she could do.
She follows his gaze down to the book. Hey, these words are repeating. Too bad she doesn't even know where to start. Why are the capital letters at the end? Is this backwards? What could be said that's just two words repeated over and over? Weird. ]
Well. It is a rare book. To be sure. But the scoutmaster would not--of course, she would not willfully or, you know, willingly, purposefully--harm it, or.
[He frowns, and then covers that frown by rubbing his fingers briskly over his upper lip, working that disguise.]
It is not a story. The scoutmaster is a fine leader of her, her assigned members of the Inquisition, they do fine work under her, she is fairly organized by all accounts. And she is... generous, with resources. By the books, I mean, this is from the ledgers, and-- I have no grudge, of course. No complaint. Merely a... caution.
Anyways, it hardly matters. If the code were deemed to benefit the Inquisition--if there was some merit, to be found, in the breaking of it, or some--knowledge, that it conceals, for as of now, we can only guess--well, then, of course, the Compendium would be entrusted. To the Scouts. For--research.
[ She lifts her eyebrows, but doesn't interject. She can see how someone making a lot of requests for resources from him would be a strain. Sort of one of those "Oh, it's you again," deals like back when she was a waitress and the same people were constantly beckoning her over for more drinks, more Sweet 'n Low, another napkin for Little Jimmy because he drew all over his with ketchup. Yeeeeah, it'd be obnoxious. ]
Right. It'll be in good hands. They wouldn't be scouts if they couldn't do all that sneaky stuff well. And you do wanna know what the book's really saying, don't you? I know I'm curious as all get out.
[Salvio looks back at the Compendium. Upon its pages, a sketch of a tower is flying by, lines whipping up a structure of a size that would be staggering to behold in reality. Pointed spires at the top, like a crown. A moonlit night--and then it is gone, fading away, replaced by a jumble of letters. He runs a thumb along the bottom of the page, reverently.]
Yes. I will admit to-- curiosity. It is a marvel, if nothing else. To learn more of it--well, that would be significant. For the Inquisition. Deeply significant.
[ She honestly can't think of another person who would look down at a book this way, not to mention the way he's practically fondling the page. He's exactly the right person to have control of it. ]
It's gotta be important if it's all in code, yeah. Will you let me know what you find out, if the scouts take a look 'n at?
Yeah, totally. I'll send you really bad doodles of me doing my job as a status update. Little Tessa sweeping. Little Tessa taking inventory. It'll be so impressive.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Salvio tips his head to see the L, when she points it out. He catches the tail end of its shape, before it fades from sight.]
It-- No, I have not. Uh, that is, I have not--made particular study of the, um. The code. It is but one theory, as I say, and my interest--my skill, what, little there is, it is not, uh--not to do with code.
[He sneaks a glance at Tessa, with wishy-washy hope.]
I don't suppose that you....?
no subject
I think if I tried, I'd just end up confusing myself. It's still pretty interesting, though. And I'm sure you could get somebody to sit and copy some of this out to give to a... code breaker, I guess they're called.
no subject
Yes. Yes, I thought-- ah, we are of. Similar mind, then. [Too weird? Okay, whatever, just keep it moving--] I had thought to contact the, um. Scoutmaster. To see if there might be someone with that specialty, that she is aware of.
[Beleth Ashara, the money-waster. Salvio looks down at the Compendium, which is rapidly spilling out another line of encoded text, obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV obeqiJ oriV.]
If I can trust in her. That is.
no subject
Yeah? Is there some sort of story there, or you just being protective over the book?
[ Forces Division for life, yo. She doesn't know what goes on in the other divisions, really. She just picked Forces because it seems focused on the tasks she could do.
She follows his gaze down to the book. Hey, these words are repeating. Too bad she doesn't even know where to start. Why are the capital letters at the end? Is this backwards? What could be said that's just two words repeated over and over? Weird. ]
no subject
[He frowns, and then covers that frown by rubbing his fingers briskly over his upper lip, working that disguise.]
It is not a story. The scoutmaster is a fine leader of her, her assigned members of the Inquisition, they do fine work under her, she is fairly organized by all accounts. And she is... generous, with resources. By the books, I mean, this is from the ledgers, and-- I have no grudge, of course. No complaint. Merely a... caution.
Anyways, it hardly matters. If the code were deemed to benefit the Inquisition--if there was some merit, to be found, in the breaking of it, or some--knowledge, that it conceals, for as of now, we can only guess--well, then, of course, the Compendium would be entrusted. To the Scouts. For--research.
no subject
Right. It'll be in good hands. They wouldn't be scouts if they couldn't do all that sneaky stuff well. And you do wanna know what the book's really saying, don't you? I know I'm curious as all get out.
no subject
[Salvio looks back at the Compendium. Upon its pages, a sketch of a tower is flying by, lines whipping up a structure of a size that would be staggering to behold in reality. Pointed spires at the top, like a crown. A moonlit night--and then it is gone, fading away, replaced by a jumble of letters. He runs a thumb along the bottom of the page, reverently.]
Yes. I will admit to-- curiosity. It is a marvel, if nothing else. To learn more of it--well, that would be significant. For the Inquisition. Deeply significant.
no subject
It's gotta be important if it's all in code, yeah. Will you let me know what you find out, if the scouts take a look 'n at?
no subject
[Yeah, there we go.]
And you, um. You will take one of the books? To, to experiment with?
no subject
[ Wow, first? That perks her up a bit. ]
Yeah, totally. I'll send you really bad doodles of me doing my job as a status update. Little Tessa sweeping. Little Tessa taking inventory. It'll be so impressive.