In Pursuit of Agrozoa - Sirius Longfellow, Teacher of Battle Magic (4/4/2 Sheikah) [Blonde Panther] Reward: TBD - Clarence Clearwater, Academy Headmaster (2/5/2 Hylian) [Squishy] Reward: TBD Sirius winced as he bent down to clip Rover's leash to his collar for their morning walk. That... did not bode well for the rest of the day. Normally, he could manage with his leg, but today, it was already acting up. Fortunately, he had no classes to teach today, only having to head to the Academy to grade resit exams and perform research- both of which could be done while sitting behind a desk. Sighing and hobbling back to his kitchen for his breakfast sandwich, he decided he'd walk Rover to the Academy and eat during that walk. When, halfway through that walk, however, he had to crouch in order to clean up after the dog, he groaned. This was ridiculous, he decided. His leg hadn't been this bad since... That accursed battle in the city of Impa. It had been well over a month ago that he and Silas had been sent out to the magically suspended city below the surface of the ocean, to see if they could help with the chaos there. To their horror, they had discovered bizarre, electricity-based creatures that influenced the minds of their victims by latching onto them and sending foreign electrical signals into their brains. Even more to their horror, they had fought off an immense lizard-like creature that had gobbled up people like Rover gobbled up his kibble, and that had not only almost devoured the populace of the city but also torn it even further apart than the tremors and the water already had. He had overtaxed himself greatly during that battle, and had been teaching while sitting most of the time since. Still, that battle was part of the reason why he insisted on going to the academy today. He had brought back a sample of one of the electric monsters, for the explicit purpose of studying its composition and hopefully finding out what its origins were. If he could learn more about the monsters that had left Impa in such a deplorable state, perhaps he could find a way to counteract it or at least somehow help the survivors. The situation had been more than dire... When he arrived at the Academy, he almost immediately ran into exactly the man he had been hoping to see. Stopping, and nodding politely in acknowledgement, he greeted him. "Headmaster Clearwater," he said, "Good morning. Did you receive a copy of my report regarding the situation in Impa?"
If there was one thing Clarence had learned during his tenure as the Academy's headmaster, it was that sleep was, most definitely, a myth. He had been up far past sundown to check reports and correspondence, and had risen again when the sky was still dusky, watching the sunlight slowly creep over his desk as the sun rose over Castle Town. It was a busy time of year. After signing off the last of a stack of tests and neatly stacking them with others, Clarence shifted in his seat, reaching for a pile of letters his secretary had dropped off before. He flipped through the envelopes, mostly messages from the Academy's sponsors, though there were one or two envelopes with official seals. Reports from official investigators, most likely. With everything that had been going on in the kingdom lately, it came as no surprise that the Academy poured nearly all her resources into supporting her scholars investigating these events- or even send out one of her own into the fray. But, first things first. It was time for a short break, the man decided when he caught himself vacantly staring at the envelope. It would not do to push on with such important matters with a muddled mind. Clarence glanced at a dainty porcelain cup, still half-filled, perched on what had to be the only part of his desk free of any paper. He touched his fingers to it. Cold. As expected. The Hylian sighed and stood, feeling his back crack from the movement. He had been sitting here for too long anyway. A little trip to the kitchen was perhaps not a very bad idea. At this hour of the day, the Academy was a bit more lively than when Clarence had first gotten up. Teachers were miling about the Academy grounds, on their way to their offices or classes, or catching up with one another. The first few, early students were also starting to drop in, still barely awake. The Hylian nodded to a few, bidding them a good morning as he continued on his way. But then he suddenly halted, surprised at hearing someone calling out to him. "Professor Longfellow? Can I help you?" Clarence gaped at the other man for a second, mind racing to recall the report Sirius spoke of. It was, most likely, hidden somewhere amongst the towers of paperwork scattered about his office. Although, he could vaguely remember... "A-ah, yes! Ahem... Yes, I do recall." The blonde surpressed a shudder. He certainly did remember the chilling accounts of what had transpired beneath the waves. "It was a rather dreadful business, wasn't it? Those creatures did not sound... very pleasant." Frankly put, the whole ordeal had sounded like a true nightmare. A nightmare professor Longfellow had fought and lived through.
It was much to Sirius's relief that the academy's headmaster had not only received a report but, in his hectic day-to-day work, had also had the time to read it, and even remembered the key points of it this early in the morning. He would never say it out loud or allow the inner smirk with which he thought it to show on his face, but Headmaster Clearwater's complete and total mess of an office was well-known; the polar opposite of his own, and this while he was the one with a large burly and clumsy dog trotting around his chambers. He nodded his head, shutting his eyes. "Indeed. I shudder to think how long they had terrorized the people before Silas and I arrived and found that... thing." The memory of Sir Nihil, long-dead and possessed by one of the things -which was how they had learnt of their abilities- still sent shivers down his back. "I can only be grateful we ourselves did not fall prey to them. I am not one for idle boasting, but... the situation may not have ended as well as it did had either of us, or General Onox, been lost." For a moment, Sirius hesitated, but then he heard a girl's voice behind him. "Good morning, Professor Longfellow!" He turned to greet the girl -one of his students- and realised this was not something to discuss in the hallways. "I actually wish to speak to you about the matter in more... detail. But we shouldn't do that here." He glanced around. "It's quite sensitive information I'm not comfortable discussing out in the open... and I must shamefully admit that my leg is particularly bad today."
Clarence looked to the side, down the hallway that would eventually lead to the kitchens. So much for his break. Still, duty called, and he was not so cruel to keep the Sheikah waiting. Although he knew the man did not like pity, Clarence had no intention of pushing his staff beyond their limits, physically or mentally. Besides, it was unlikely the kitchens would run out of tea soon. He turned back to Sirius, nodding and willing himself to smile. "Of course. We can discuss this in my office." As they made their way back, making small talk, the blonde couldn't help but wonder what the professor wanted to discuss. Did it have something to do with the reports that had arrived this morning? As the Sheikah had networks of their own, it would be little surprise if Sirius had already recieved the same information. Or perhaps he had furthered his research into the strange creature he had brought back. What remained of it, at least. The door of his office shut behind them with a click, and Clarence took his place behind his desk, moving stacks of paper out of the way for his guest. "So... What can I do for you, professor Longfellow?" He wrapped his hands around the half-empty cup, quietly wishing it were still warm.
Sirius sat down, trying to be discreet when he let out a relieved breath. "Rover, down," he muttered, the dog obeying as it lay down next to the chair, somehow maneuvering its body between two stacks of papers without toppling them and putting its head onto its front paws, presumably nodding off. Sirius watched it for a second to make sure, and then turned to his superior. "I know how busy you are," he said, "so I shan't waste too much of your time. I wish to consult with our academic partners in Zora's Domain." He was making poor progress on the remains he had brought back. "I've determined that the creatures show similarities to the gelatinous, shapeless variants of Chu Jellies," he explained, "But I am no marine biologist, so I cannot determine to what extent they are the same and how they differ- if they are a spontaneous mutation or created by artificial means." He had to know that before he could perform any further research on countermeasures against their evolution or creation. "I don't think the academy itself has any experts in this field, but Zora are accustomed to life in the water and as such they might be naturally more attuned to these sort of projects." And the creatures were not his only concern. "I also want to ask them about Impa's current situation. We can't force these people to live below the surface for much longer, Clarence. I've been there. It's a maddening place to be, and with the instability of the town itself, we could be seconds away from a second crisis. Again, Zora scholars may be more familiar with methods of mass evacuation." He briefly considered mentioning that he could have asked some of his... clandestine sources, but he would rather not involve them with the Academy... it would create a debt.
"Ah, yes. Actually, I got word from Zora's Domain this morning." Clarence said as he retrieved the sealed envelope from the pile. "I have to admit I haven't yet had the time to read it, however." He slipped a nail under the seal and peeled it off, unfolding the letter. A pair of gold spectacles were moved to the end of his nose to help him read the sprawling script. It was not bad news, per se... More like no news. Research had been slow, as no one had ever quite encountered creatures like these. Even the Zora, more familiar with what lurked below the waves seemed at a loss. For now there was only guesswork as to where they came from and what they might be. "It seems they are not making a lot of progress, either. Though they have started investigating what remains of the... lizard." Clarence was glad that the description of the creature was brief. From the Sheikah's reports, as well as several soldiers and citiziens, it had appeared to be the source of the other creatures and had burst up from below the streets to devour all surviving inhabitants. Yet it remained unclear exactly what it was, and where it had come from. They were working in the dark here, and the blonde didn't like it one bit. A spell either worked out as planned or not, and did not have countless of lives depending on the outcome. And neither was there an entirely blank slate to work from. Usually there was at least something to start from when doing research. And then there was the fact people were still trapped in the town itself. "Yes... A rescue effort has been set up, but resources are stretched thin. Both the Royal Army and the local Zora population are doing whatever they can, but they can only move so many people at once..." Yet there were still too many people trapped below. Clarence quieted down. As much as water was a familiar and comforting element to him, he knew what a terrifying force it could be. Especially if it was pressing in on all sides. Clarence handed the letter to Sirius, waiting for the man to read it.
Sirius took the letter from his superior, excusing himself with a silent nod as he directed his eyes downward to read it. There was very little news from the bayfront, sadly. They'd captured a few live specimens of the creatures, and kept them isolated in cages with very, very fine mesh that they couldn't slip through. However, the danger the creatures posed, along with the natural nervousness many Zoras had around electricity, made them difficult to study. Worse yet, no notable progress had been made in the evacuation of Impa's people. As he put the letter down, he pinched his forehead, frustrated. "I'm ready to believe Ganon is somehow involved in the very existence of these things, and not just their presence in Impa specifically. Naturally occurring phenomena are never this hard to study." He weaved his fingers, resting his chin against them. "This is frustrating. Do we have any experts on mass evacuation, or experts in water in general, that are not yet at the site?"
