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[arcanegrasp]

Elias is often out and about, but he's always glad to hear out anyone who needs to speak with him. Visit him in his home within the lighthouse, catch him out in the bustling city streets, or leave him a letter! He'll get back to you as soon as he can.

((OOC: Gonna get a proper code for this later, don't worry about the format now!!))

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[arcanegrasp]

It takes little time for the door to be opened, and for all the formalities Shen Qingqiu has prepared, it seems his "prospective employer" didn't think to have himself quite so well-kept.

His clothes and the back of his hair alike bear scattered forest debris, the odd stick and leaf sticking out of his person, try as he might to have clearly dusted off the front of his person beforehand. Even disheveled as he might be, though, the smile on his face is as bright as ever, radiating nothing short of delight.

"Ah! Shen Qingqiu, I take it? You're right on time, please come in!" He steps aside, urging him in with gusto. It looks like, at some point, he's attempted to tidy the inside, at least - though that doesn't stop the room from being positively littered with stacks of books and assorted tools. "Make yourself at home! I'll need just a moment more to finish stowing away some samples I'd taken this morning, and we'll be able to get right into your interview."

[xiaoxiuya]

Honestly, Elias's appearance is a bit of a relief. Shen Qingqiu is very fluent in several different dialects of Nerd, and mystical creatures are genuinely a simple interest of his. Keeping his cover should be simplicity itself.

"Thank you for having me," he says modestly. Before Elias can turn away he holds out the box, saying, "Ah, this is for you. A gift for my host."

Inside are four pastries from Max's bakery, suitable for eating with tea or whatever else Dr. Coldwood would like to do with them.

[arcanegrasp]

The gift gives Elias distinct pause, but he lights up at the offer, taking a peek inside. There's never a bad time for something bready and sugary, and he looks entirely pleased. "Oh--- this is lovely! You didn't have to do all that, but I certainly do appreciate it. Surely you'll share one while we talk, won't you?"

As soon as Shen Qingqiu's inside, Elias closes the door softly, sets the box aside on his cluttered dining table, before he sets to work. Namely, with tea - he's been experimenting with a few strange floral blends from Paradesium, and he's mostly certain that he's figured out exactly which flowers had some rather unsavory effects. He chatters all the while, however, even as he gives his guest free reign to settle into the wide, open space.

"So! I'll be entirely honest with you, I haven't done this sort of thing in years," Elias prattles, idle but upbeat. "Not to mention that hiring a sailing crew is entirely different from hiring on fellow researchers! I hope you'll pardon me as I figure it out piece by piece. Oh, as an unrelated note, you haven't got any allergies to be aware of, do you?"

Would anyone know they were allergic to Paradesium's flowers? Possibly not. He's not really thinking that far ahead, however, oops.

[xiaoxiuya]

"It would be my pleasure," Shen Qingqiu says demurely. He follows Elias inside and takes a seat out of the way, watching with polite interest as Elias prepares the tea.

"No, no allergies," he says with a friendly smile. "And I'm resistant to most natural poisons, so please, don't concern yourself." To him the tea smells like something strange and exotic, like tropical flowers. He can make a good guess about where it came from. "Are you an experimental researcher, then? Looking for new medicines or useful compounds?"

[arcanegrasp]

"Oh! Well, not... precisely?" Elias' smile, for all its cheer, turns a bit embarrassed. "Experimental, absolutely, but I've got no primary focus on any particular medicines or compounds. I've been cataloguing the natural world of the island for some time now as a focus of sorts, and when I find something I think may be of use, I tinker briefly, yes, but for the most part, I ship it off to those with more know-how than I do in those specific regards."

Bringing the tea over as it slowly steeps, he moves some of the dining table's clutter aside, before gesturing for Shen Qingqiu to take a seat.

"This is just a pet project of mine! The flowers from Paradesium are incredibly aromatic, so I thought they'd make for a robust addition to tea. I'm not so immune to natural toxins, but I do believe, through process of elimination over time, this should be a combination that's entirely safe for consumption! The flavor is yet to be seen, however, so don't worry about offending me if you need extra sugar."

[xiaoxiuya]

"That's still an important first step!" Shen Qingqiu gamely insists. He takes a sip of his tea without grimacing, although he does subtly reach for the sugar spoon immediately afterwards. "How are we to find anything useful down there if we don't even know what we have? Of course, just venturing into the cavern carries its own risks. That's where I hope my skills might come in handy."

[arcanegrasp]

"Oh, risks in spades! Goodness, it teems with just as much danger as it does life, but it wouldn't be a jungle without it, would it?" Elias jokes, and after a sip of his own is taken, he scrunches his nose, less subtly going for the sugar without ever having noticed Shen Qingqiu do the same. "Predators of many shapes and sizes, emotivores, toxic flora and fauna, strange creatures with hallucinogenic properties... it's truly derailed my more in-depth studies of the surface of the island, to say the least!"

[xiaoxiuya]

"I doubt anyone could blame you for being distracted," Shen Qingqiu says with a grin. He clears his throat and adds, "I will admit to being quite fascinated myself. I've made a few trips down there to sight-see and gather fruit, but without a proper scientific background I'm somewhat at a loss for recording the things I see. I can take the information I read in two or three old tomes and condense it down into a lecture for the edification of others, but writing those books in the first place is its own particular skill."

[arcanegrasp]

"As you'd mentioned! Honestly, I can't begin to tell you how sorely needed such a thing is," Elias gives a chuckle, cracking a small, embarrassed grin with it. "When the wyvern emerged from below, I'd submitted a report for it to the paper, and because my findings--- of which I condensed heavily beforehand, might I add--- were too long, apparently, they saw fit to omit highly vital information and incite people to take up arms. Such an ordeal in a deathless place would have had nothing short of catastrophic results, had it succeeded! And, hopefully, with a proper wordsmith, it won't happen again. Additionally, you mentioned being skilled in combat, am I recalling right?"

[xiaoxiuya]

"I am," Shen Qingqiu confirms. "In the previous world I inhabited before coming here, I held the rank of 'peak lord' within Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. It's a role that comes with many powers and responsibilities that are somewhat difficult to condense down for people who lack the same cultural background as I do, but you might think of it as a cross between the headmaster of a school, a mystical researcher, and a professional adventurer. When Cang Qiong was invaded by belligerent demons, it was my responsibility to rally the disciples in its defense, via both negotiation and direct combat. Likewise when the countryside around our mountain was troubled by curses or mysterious deaths, I was among those both willing and capable of investigating -- although I must admit, the demons I am used to facing were of quite a different nature than we have to deal with here."

He grimaces, taking another sip of the strange tea. "They were more vulnerable to being punched in the face, for one thing."