Introduction

"Good morning." The woman said as she stepped into the office. "Please, have a seat."

She had slipped into the room silently, without warning; the door she entered through made no noise. Her voice caught you off guard, it was melodic in nature, but seemed to possess a taint of power. Even though you had tried to remain composed, the sudden intrusion caused you to jump slightly.

It had only been a few minutes since the young man had ushered you into the office, but it was just enough time to become accustomed to it. The room looked and felt lived in, as if someone spent a considerable amount of time here.

The young man had also suggested that you sit while you wait, but you remained standing to be respectful of the office's owner.

And here she was, Elvish most certainly, her pointed ears and her sharp, angular features made that a dead give away. Her skin was white, not inhumanly pure white, but very pale with a warm rose glow. This was offset by a long straight slope of raven black hair that hung off of her head, dangling back in forth just under the small of her back.

Not just Elvish, but High Elvish you surmised. You had always prided yourself on your powers of observation, they had become so tuned that they were more like a reflex now. Unfortunately that meant that it now took a conscious effort to not use them. Everything you encountered was visually inspected, mentally compared, and then cataloged in your mind.

"Thank you." You replied, stepping to one of the chairs that sat directly in front of the large, dark wooden desk that dominated this side of the office.

You looked back up at her just as she circled the desk, your eyes immediately making contact with hers. You felt yourself immediately being drawn into her dark brown eyes which flickered like candle flames in a breeze. You found yourself at her mercy, unable to look away. The longer you stared, the colder you felt, like you were out in the cold, unprotected.

She looked down at the desk and you felt something lurch back into place, like your spirit slipping back into your body. With the eye contact broken you felt a cold shiver run down your spine. She seemed not to notice any of this, her eyes looking over the surface of the desk and the papers that were accumulated there.

With a slight exasperated exhale of breath, she took her seat behind the desk. She disregarded the papers on her desk and the tasks that they probably represented. Following her lead, you took your seat as well, feeling a bit more at ease to him something tangible beneath you. Like the weight of your body in the seat proved that you were still among the living.

"Let me start by saying that this interview is nothing more than a formality." She said, her eyes studying you again, only this time you made it a point to look at something other than her eyes. Her mouth, her nose, her hair, anything but her eyes. "The letter of recommendation that preceded you proved that you were more than adequate for this position."

"It's not often that the Mansion seeks a scribe, these positions rarely vacate." She arched her fingers together as she spoke. "And we don't take the process of selecting a new scribe as a simple exercise. It takes a certain type of person to do this work."

"I'm very grateful to even be considered for this position." You replied, honestly meaning it. What she was telling you was not anything you didn't already know. "I am aware-"