The Caretaker (Koh & Hadrian)

[Hadrian]

"Do you think I put up with you, Koh?" he asked, curious if the Dhani was lumping himself in with those others he spoke of.

In fact, his thirst for knowledge had set him apart from others in many ways. Most often, it made him feel lonely. The more he learned, the more he realized he didn't know anything, but the more he learned, the fewer people could relate to him in more than a limited sense. He found he had go be a specific person for different people: a prize student to his professors, a cunning verbal duelist to Isikais, a caretaker to Koh. Sometimes he wondered if identity was a fractal thing.

[Koh]

Koh thought to himself for a moment and shrugged, "Honestly. Ya. I feel like I am one of the people whom you put up with in a way. First off you give me food as you would a homeless man, you made purchases on my behalf as though I were cripple though of course there is method behind such, most people not exactly being friendly with one like myself, and I can't even hold much a candle to your knowledge, leaving me feeling as though I can't converse with you properly." he took a breath after this, having said a fair mouthful before starting again, "This of course all being after I crushed your body into a tree and became reason for you to leave the safety of the city twice. Then again." he pauses for a moment, scratching his head with a slightly pleased attitude, "Whether or not you see it that way or not, I feel happy that you do put up with me. It's really nice having a friend again around here."

[Hadrian]

"Huh. I hadn't thought of it like that," he said.

So much for putting himself in other people's shoes like Professor Rochlas demanded of him. Well, the professor was the expert; Hadrian was only a student.

"The way I see it, you did sort of scare the hells out of me when we met, but you are interesting to talk to, and I think you are a good person from what I can tell. I hope someday you won't think of it in terms of someone putting up with the other."

[Koh]

Koh gave out a slight laugh, "Perhaps. I'm just glad to have a friend none the less." he says as he turns around and returns to examining the pages of another book. He was curious as to what lay within the bindings, what information and what knowledge, but as with the previous ones, the information within was a bit over his head. He returned the book and tried another. Again a failed attempt as he returned it and turned back to Hadrian, "So. Is it a difficult thing for you to live here?"

[Hadrian]

"No, not really," he said. "I got this place when I came to attend the University almost four years ago, so it's been home for a while now. It's close to campus, fairly central... I like it."

He wondered whether it would be best to sell the place if he decided to leave Zeltiva, or if he should rent it out, or stay... So much to decide once he graduated and it was coming so quickly.

"You must like Zeltiva if you've stayed here despite the climate."

[Koh]

Koh's face suddenly displayed a great calm to it, his voice slowed as he spoke his reply, "Honestly. Ya. I like it here because of some things that happened here before. But besides that I like the scene. The sun lighting the vast waters, the people going about their daily lives with a fair happiness to them. It's really quite relaxing." His eyes caught Hadrians then, another question popped into his head, "What's it like? Being a student here I mean."

[Hadrian]

"Oh, it keeps you busy," he said nonchalantly, though his eyes lit up at the thought of it still even after all these years. "If you find something you really love to study, then all the hard work is more than worth it... And the people in town are nice to students. They bring in money and prestige. Except when there's a food shortage, and then they grumble and joke about making student stew..."

He shrugged and grinned.

"So you're not the first person to threaten to eat me, Koh. But... I feel like I get to talk about things that interest me with people who are also interested in them everyday. I wonder how I will react to graduation when I don't necessarily have that anymore."

[Koh]

"Sounds like an interesting stew," Koh replied in a neutral tone, "Honestly however, I've a preference to animal meat." With that he gave Hadrian a smile, hinting to a Dhani's willingness to eat humans, and possibly providing another hint as to having done so in practice himself. However at the same time he kept a small tone of humor in it as it was spoke.

Slowly he made hsi way over to the table, "Extra chair for company?" he said looking at the chairs at the table, both seeming to have been used, perhaps even recently.

[Hadrian]

"Your physiology is probably geared more toward the carnivorous," he mused. "Because there's a human element to you, you can survive on an omnivorous diet, but... not a preference. There are many humans who prefer meat to anything else too, even though I have heard several healers say that red meat is not so healthy for a human."

He paused. "Sorry, I can't turn my mind off most of the time... I try to pick apart everything to make sense of it. It's a little embarrassing."

He looked at the extra chair, nodded.

"Feel free to sit down if you like, or shift forms if that would make you more comfortable. My friend Isikais sometimes crashes on a chair at night when he's not spending the night with his artist girlfriend. He's kind of a squatter."

It was a strange way to live to Hadrian's mind who had always had a home; either a room of his own when he moved out of the nursery or this home of his own.

[Koh]

"Is perfectly fine." he said as he took a seat at the table, "Just don't expect me to understand a word you just said." He said this jokingly, shrugging as he spoke. His head remained turned towards Hadrian however, "Who's Isikais exactly?" His eyes were locked on with a curious intent, wanting to know a bit more of Hadrian's friends.