[ It's hard to tell with humans. Most of the ones she's had personal experience with haven't been all too bright, to the point where she'd believed it to be a failing across the species.
But never mind that, they're here to crack puzzles. Or pretend like they've cracked puzzles in exchange for some coin. Shura finishes her work and they swap places, Yoruichi stretching out one hand to mutter a few words under her breath. Typical magic mumbo jumbo, nothing to see here, though that doesn't stop their attendant from continuing his suspicious squints all the same.
It doesn't take all too long before she's stepping back and gesturing for Shura to take the main stage again. ]
It's all yours.
[ And then maybe they can start the actual translation and puzzling out bits. ]
[ Dang, is there? Does that mean they can go home now and get drinks in victory? (Probably not.)
The acolyte huffs indignantly, insisting that whatever note may have been written in the margins certainly wasn't from them and could they please take their jobs a little more seriously? To which Yoruichi replies with a dismissive wave of her hand: ]
Relax, it'll get done.
[ But how.... the words are at least stuck to the page for the time being, none of them jiggling or shifting around like before. But they're still written in a foreign language, one she's never seen before. Hmm. ]
See any patterns, or words that repeat multiple times?
[That'd be gr8, getting paid for finding the Temple's mistakes.]
What a pain, none of this makes sense. Mister, you better make sure we get paid for this.
[Harassing their watchdog is much more fun than staring at the text in front of her. But the rent had to get paid somehow, and if giving herself a headache working through this text was how it happened, then so be it.]
Hnn, patterns... Yeah. Maybe. A bread recipe should talk about flour and dough a lot, right? Maybe that's what I'm seeing repeatin' here. Mix flour, knead dough.
[The acolyte opens his mouth to retort, but he backs down. Shura is actually looking at the text now, trying to decipher the strange words.]
I think... ah, this is hard. Ask me again in a minute.
[It will take time, but Shura will start to figure out a few things.]
This is something for Thesa, pretty sure. Some kinda prayer, maybe?
[ As Shura works so does Yoruichi, the both of them finally simmering down enough for the acolyte to breathe a sigh of relief, hands finally retreating into the folds of his robes instead of held halfway in the air, ready to dart forward at a second's notice.
The room falls into silence, interrupted by the occasional cough and the scratch of pen against paper as they pick apart the words—or try to. ]
Thesa? Could be. Most of this looks similar to other religious texts I've seen.
[ Whether or not its a prayer they're looking at remains an unknown though. ]
There seems to be something about mercy. Thesa being merciful?
[ Sounds like the description for every other god she's heard of, tbh. ]
[The acolyte will just have to pretend not to be hearing the possible blasphemies Shura's dropping as she will.]
Whoever made that note had an opinion on it, apparently. But after that--I think that's guided by her light?
[So maybe not a prayer, but maybe not far from it. Shura purses her lips, presses a finger to her temple to gently massage it, but keeps going. Time was the essence, and they were making some headway.]
[ Yoruichi hasn't gotten to the scrawled note yet and she immediately looks over, interest piqued. Religious texts or prayers or whatever this thing is are all fine and dandy, but it's the people's opinions on it that really matter to her.
Besides, it's a nice break from otherwise grueling linguistic challenges. ]
What's it say? Does it call Thesa a good-for-nothing lazybones?
[ As far as insults go it's quite mild, but that doesn't stop the acolyte from gasping audibly in his corner. ]
[The poor acolyte. Two openly blasphemous women was not what he was prepared for today. Could he even trust their translation? It might come out horribly wrong! He probably didn't do anything to deserve this.]
Mm, dunno. Maybe. It's got the same word twice, it looks like. Might just be a correction.
[It doesn't match up with anything else in the text, though.]
[ He probably did nothing to deserve this but there's an important lesson to be learned here nonetheless: life ain't fair and sometimes you just gotta deal with it.
Yoruichi slides on over to press her nose into the pages of the book they've been assigned. The runes still jitter on the page but she pushes past it to stare at the word in between. ]
Poison from poison? [ Give her a sec. ] Looks like they're implying Thesa wasn't as good and pure as she was supposed to be.
[ Another gasp from the acolyte; she shoots him a glare. ]
Hey, I'm translating what's on the paper. Very few people, and gods, are as perfect as the stories make them out to be.
[ What they giveth they can also take with ease. Best not to do anything that might incur a god's wrath. While Shura's picking at one bit, Yoruichi stares at another. ]
Seems like you're right though. This bit [ and she points towards a sentence ] says something about by her blessing? Only living by her blessing?
[ It's probably their penance for being so sacrilegious in the first place. Thesa is watching. 👀
Or maybe not, since Shura has a point. Surely she would have reached down to smite someone what with all the partying and sinning occuring in her lands down below. She's not a fool, she's taken a walk through the Red Light District. ]
She must not care then. Or perhaps [ and here her gaze slides towards the acolyte in the corner ] Thesa herself isn't as pure as everyone believes her to be and her interests lie elsewhere.
[ "Poison begets poison" after all. But at present, they have nothing more to back up this claim than a hasty note scrawled in the margin. ]
[ Hey, if they get kicked out too early, it just means they can get a drink sooner and later and blame it on some novice unable to do his job. ]
It's likely, though dragons seem more of a Wyver thing.
[ Maybe they fought over dragons? Who knows. Maybe if they keep reading, they'll get a better idea of what all is going on. Of course, that would required the runes to stay still on the page - they're already starting to wobble around with more fervor than before. Better get a move on then.
Silence descends again as she replaces word with different word, rearranges some of the phrases on her paper. Eventually, she brushes away pencil shavings from the paper she's been scribbling on. ]
We've got most of this paragraph translated now, if you want to take a look.
[ This last bit she says to their concerned watcher, who immediately springs forward to grab hold of their translation. ]
[Shura doesn't trust most, if any, of the history that's been given to her. But she's feeling relatively confident about the translation they've managed to pull out.]
Hey, don't look so scared~ I don't get anything for making this up, y'know.
[The acolyte just shoots her a scowl before looking over the paper. These women--they might not be worth the silver they're paying them, even if their translation was accurate. But after taking a look at it, he nods. It's... not bad. Probably. He hoped to Thesa that it was at least mostly correct.]
[ Jokes on him for assuming they wouldn't be able to pull this off. Never underestimate women, that's the lesson to be learned here. Anyway, now that their work's done—
Yoruichi holds out one hand expectantly. ]
So now that you approve, where's our payment?
[ She's pretty sure they'd been promised money of some sort and she's absolutely ready to capitalize on that fact. Surprisingly, despite the fact that he's spent an entire afternoon with him, those bold behavior continues to shock the poor boy and he mutters something about a priest waiting outside with the requisite funds. ]
[ A drink, eh? She perks right up at that, their scowling supervisor gone completely forgotten in the face of something way more exciting than translating dusty books. ]
You don't even need to ask.
[ Which is a definite yes, in case the grin on her face and the gleam in her eyes aren't completely obvious. Off they go to get drinks and have a great time! Ah wait, before they go -- she turns to the poor acolyte once last time to say: ]
If you find any good recipe books, give us a call!
[ Their bakery dreams are gonna be reality one day.... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
But never mind that, they're here to crack puzzles. Or pretend like they've cracked puzzles in exchange for some coin. Shura finishes her work and they swap places, Yoruichi stretching out one hand to mutter a few words under her breath. Typical magic mumbo jumbo, nothing to see here, though that doesn't stop their attendant from continuing his suspicious squints all the same.
It doesn't take all too long before she's stepping back and gesturing for Shura to take the main stage again. ]
It's all yours.
[ And then maybe they can start the actual translation and puzzling out bits. ]
no subject
This better worth all the trouble we're goin' through.
[Time to settle down and crack open this stupid tome. Maybe it'd be worth it if she could get even just a little bit sorted out...
But hey, what's this note in the margin?]
Eh, someone's already gone through and scribbled in here. Sure this is what we need ta work on, mister?
no subject
The acolyte huffs indignantly, insisting that whatever note may have been written in the margins certainly wasn't from them and could they please take their jobs a little more seriously? To which Yoruichi replies with a dismissive wave of her hand: ]
Relax, it'll get done.
[ But how.... the words are at least stuck to the page for the time being, none of them jiggling or shifting around like before. But they're still written in a foreign language, one she's never seen before. Hmm. ]
See any patterns, or words that repeat multiple times?
no subject
What a pain, none of this makes sense. Mister, you better make sure we get paid for this.
[Harassing their watchdog is much more fun than staring at the text in front of her. But the rent had to get paid somehow, and if giving herself a headache working through this text was how it happened, then so be it.]
Hnn, patterns... Yeah. Maybe. A bread recipe should talk about flour and dough a lot, right? Maybe that's what I'm seeing repeatin' here. Mix flour, knead dough.
[The acolyte opens his mouth to retort, but he backs down. Shura is actually looking at the text now, trying to decipher the strange words.]
I think... ah, this is hard. Ask me again in a minute.
[It will take time, but Shura will start to figure out a few things.]
This is something for Thesa, pretty sure. Some kinda prayer, maybe?
no subject
The room falls into silence, interrupted by the occasional cough and the scratch of pen against paper as they pick apart the words—or try to. ]
Thesa? Could be. Most of this looks similar to other religious texts I've seen.
[ Whether or not its a prayer they're looking at remains an unknown though. ]
There seems to be something about mercy. Thesa being merciful?
[ Sounds like the description for every other god she's heard of, tbh. ]
no subject
[The acolyte will just have to pretend not to be hearing the possible blasphemies Shura's dropping as she will.]
Whoever made that note had an opinion on it, apparently. But after that--I think that's guided by her light?
[So maybe not a prayer, but maybe not far from it. Shura purses her lips, presses a finger to her temple to gently massage it, but keeps going. Time was the essence, and they were making some headway.]
no subject
[ Yoruichi hasn't gotten to the scrawled note yet and she immediately looks over, interest piqued. Religious texts or prayers or whatever this thing is are all fine and dandy, but it's the people's opinions on it that really matter to her.
Besides, it's a nice break from otherwise grueling linguistic challenges. ]
What's it say? Does it call Thesa a good-for-nothing lazybones?
[ As far as insults go it's quite mild, but that doesn't stop the acolyte from gasping audibly in his corner. ]
no subject
[The poor acolyte. Two openly blasphemous women was not what he was prepared for today. Could he even trust their translation? It might come out horribly wrong! He probably didn't do anything to deserve this.]
Mm, dunno. Maybe. It's got the same word twice, it looks like. Might just be a correction.
[It doesn't match up with anything else in the text, though.]
Poison? Urgh, I could be wrong.
no subject
Yoruichi slides on over to press her nose into the pages of the book they've been assigned. The runes still jitter on the page but she pushes past it to stare at the word in between. ]
Poison from poison? [ Give her a sec. ] Looks like they're implying Thesa wasn't as good and pure as she was supposed to be.
[ Another gasp from the acolyte; she shoots him a glare. ]
Hey, I'm translating what's on the paper. Very few people, and gods, are as perfect as the stories make them out to be.
no subject
Wonder who got mad enough to do that.
[No point in lingering much longer on that, not when the runes are still wibbling around.]
Mmm, maybe that's--owe out lives? Makes sense...
no subject
[ What they giveth they can also take with ease. Best not to do anything that might incur a god's wrath. While Shura's picking at one bit, Yoruichi stares at another. ]
Seems like you're right though. This bit [ and she points towards a sentence ] says something about by her blessing? Only living by her blessing?
[ That sure is some religious piety. ]
no subject
Mm, that's a pain~ If we piss her off, we're all dead.
[And pissing gods off tended to be pretty easy...]
'Specially being omnipotent and omnipresent. Ain't easy goin' without sin in a place like this.
no subject
Or maybe not, since Shura has a point. Surely she would have reached down to smite someone what with all the partying and sinning occuring in her lands down below. She's not a fool, she's taken a walk through the Red Light District. ]
She must not care then. Or perhaps [ and here her gaze slides towards the acolyte in the corner ] Thesa herself isn't as pure as everyone believes her to be and her interests lie elsewhere.
[ "Poison begets poison" after all. But at present, they have nothing more to back up this claim than a hasty note scrawled in the margin. ]
See anything else interesting?
no subject
Aaah~ It's too early to be having a crisis like that, you know?
[The acolyte is fuming and turning red and they're going to get kicked out before the text becomes unreadable.]
Mm--here, here's something about vengeance, I think. Swift vengeance on noble beasts... like the dragons or somethin'?
no subject
It's likely, though dragons seem more of a Wyver thing.
[ Maybe they fought over dragons? Who knows. Maybe if they keep reading, they'll get a better idea of what all is going on. Of course, that would required the runes to stay still on the page - they're already starting to wobble around with more fervor than before. Better get a move on then.
Silence descends again as she replaces word with different word, rearranges some of the phrases on her paper. Eventually, she brushes away pencil shavings from the paper she's been scribbling on. ]
We've got most of this paragraph translated now, if you want to take a look.
[ This last bit she says to their concerned watcher, who immediately springs forward to grab hold of their translation. ]
no subject
Hey, don't look so scared~ I don't get anything for making this up, y'know.
[The acolyte just shoots her a scowl before looking over the paper. These women--they might not be worth the silver they're paying them, even if their translation was accurate. But after taking a look at it, he nods. It's... not bad. Probably. He hoped to Thesa that it was at least mostly correct.]
Toldya~
no subject
Yoruichi holds out one hand expectantly. ]
So now that you approve, where's our payment?
[ She's pretty sure they'd been promised money of some sort and she's absolutely ready to capitalize on that fact. Surprisingly, despite the fact that he's spent an entire afternoon with him, those bold behavior continues to shock the poor boy and he mutters something about a priest waiting outside with the requisite funds. ]
no subject
[Ouch, did that strike a little close? Something flickers over his face, and his face turns stone cold. Leave, please.]
Fine~ This place is boring, anyway.
[Shura looks to Yoruichi as she rises from her seat, cocking her head to the side.]
Wanna get somethin' to drink? Sitting here all day's made me thirsty!
no subject
You don't even need to ask.
[ Which is a definite yes, in case the grin on her face and the gleam in her eyes aren't completely obvious. Off they go to get drinks and have a great time! Ah wait, before they go -- she turns to the poor acolyte once last time to say: ]
If you find any good recipe books, give us a call!
[ Their bakery dreams are gonna be reality one day.... ]