Flashback [Student Dorms] Bunk buddy?

[Fallon]

1st Summer 511 AV

It was warm, the salty air crisp with the hum of crickets upon the wind. Such was the way of Zeltiva, even the student living quarters were suffocated in the heat. Enough so that it brushed upon the consciousness of Fallon that perhaps it was indeed a good idea to remove her coat. The summer would continued as it was meant to go on after all, and begrudgingly she would have to except it would only get warmer. It came as a scrape, heavy woods grinding against the other as the door to a new life was opened up before her and the old was closed firmly behind. It was over, it was done, papers were sorted and organised, her mind forced out of that mindset of a survivor and back to that of a scholar. The handle gave a groan, a rebel of movement from being moved.

There was a key pressed tightly in one hand, the fluent scrawl attached to it by a string, whilst the other carried the burdens of her backpack and the crumpled remains of her letter of welcome. Literature was her focus of study, an area that seemed a world away from where she was looking previously. A world now that seemed almost a life time away - a foggy dream and distant memory. And that was where it would stay.

Fallon nervously peeked her head through, the streams of morning light catching the dust a glow in the air. Her shoulder pressed against the wood surface, her head peering in to view with a sheepish expression. For a moment there was silence, her eyes set on drifting over the worn furniture of the room, a wince almost at the seeming absence existence from within. She could not complain though, it meant there was less for her to worry about on the social level - or at least for the meanwhile. Bed and desk beckoned her, both empty for the moment but no doubt it would soon be filled with notes and tomes.

She pressed the door open further, her eyes turning towards the central window before continuing round to the rest of the room. It was the second of each piece that surprised her, the thoughts of sharing niggling in the back of her mind. How long would it be before she was forced to grace the presence of a roommate? Would they be good, bad, quiet, private? Or maybe loud and boisterous? There was a wince at the thought, or at least until she continued her press in to the room. Latch clicking she gave a full turn this time; green orbs sucked in the light, the gloved hand quickly darting up to remove the thin layer of sweat that accumulated itself around her collar. So soon in the day, the wince fell into a grimace as gentle steps filled the silence.

Lowering her bag down, Fallon finally slid herself across to the left of the room, and promptly focused on wriggling free of her coat. Settling into places was no easy task, a constant thought of movement caused the mind to fall into a niche where things must always be ready to go - even if the set time of stay was set for the entire season or more. How easy it would be to hitch up her things and to run for the door, to not look back and to keep on going.

What a great time to start having second thoughts, she pinched her brow with annoyance, a whistling exhale escaping, Just take it one day at a time. Just one day.

[Annalisa Marin]

The halls were relatively quiet as Anna lugged her way through the Student Dorm, bag slung over her shoulder. She didn't exactly look the picture of perfect health, or rather looked like she had been dragged through a tornado. Dark circles adorned her eyes, the faint stains of sweat were splotched here or there on her shirt and her dark hair was matted and clumped. There was a pounding inside her skull that just wouldn't stop, a throbbing that seemed like her brain was bashing itself against her skull.

The student felt like she had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep and the very most, no doubt she looked it as well. Her stomach let out the occasional audible growl as it demanded to be fed, but really she couldn't give less of a petch. With any luck she'd get there before her new roommate did and be able to get some rest, maybe even take the time to try and get a bath.

Her mind flashed to only a few bells before sunrise, with her out upon a beach and in the midst of a particularly grueling training session regarding reimancy. The flames had danced so beautifully, but they still took time to properly control. The bells had flickered away and soon she had found herself with only a couple of bells rest. Thus how she appeared now, the tired and sweating woman that dragged herself through the University. Anna really hoped her roommate wasn't there, as her foul feeling likely would reflect in her mood.

The woman pulled her new key from her pocket and moved to unlock the door, finding that it was actually already unlocked with a sullen expression. Which meant her new roommate was likely already inside and this was going to be rather fun. With her hand on the door she remembered the time she had woken up hung over from too much Kelp Beer, her arm around her journal which had possessed rather too much vomit to be readable any more. Now she doubted it would be that bad, but hopefully whoever was in there wouldn't hold it against her.

The door swung wide and Anna entered, her grey eyes falling upon the occupant with a tired glance. She was pale skinned, possessed of a lovely mane of hair that seemed to mix light and dark here or there. She was shorter than Anna, though she would have actually been surprised if the other woman could have matched her height. She was rather unremarkable as far as Anna could tell.

The reimancer let her bag fall to the floor with and audible thunk and yawned rather widely, giving the woman slightly apologetic look. It was hardly the best first impression she had made, but hey, it was certainly unique as far as things went. The tall woman gave her a tired smile after the yawn subsided and moved forward a bit, figuring it best to introduce herself. They would be sharing the same room for a little while.

"So, your my new roommate I take it? Seems like the University just loves jumping me around from one ta the next. Rather indecisive lot, I can tell ya that." She offered with a slight smirk.

Her accent still possessed traces of her old heavy Zeltivan style of colloquial speech, but her lessons with Velia had ironed out most of the flaws in her inflections. They slipped through here or there as odd little quirks, a 'ya' instead of you, or a 'ta' instead of to. Hopefully her new roommate wasn't overly language critical, or this could start off badly right off the bat.

Anna extended her hand to the woman, the prominent initiation scars on her palms the sign of her suffering for her magic. Usually only fellow Reimancers understood the meaning, not that it bothered Anna over much except for the College having required a sanity check up when they found out. That had been a little irritating.

"My name is Annalisa Marin, Student of Glyphing at the College. Pleased ta be making your acquaintance, miss...?" Anna said, leaving space for Fallon to fill in the blanks with a similar introduction.

[Fallon]

When the door clattered open Fallon froze, her entire form forced into a hunch a moment of panic sweeping across her face. Even her fingers splayed open, one reaching round behind her out of reflex for something - anything - whilst the other went forward. Indeed the younger had jumped, the sudden unexpected noise startling her. She gave a blink, nervous and sheepish, before uncurling herself and returning to a slightly more relaxed stance to the extremely tall woman. There was the incline of the head, the green orbs searching and studying. There was the dark hair that fell in knots and tangles, the tired expression resting upon her features, but every time her thoughts drifted back to her height.

Fallon had a theory about tall people - not that she would openly speak it -, that with such height and extended proportions that they moved with some form of natural grace. Head held high, the long broad strides that sent them gliding down whatever they were walking across. Whereas the shorter would be forced into quicker steps to catch up. And with her no doubt feeling small in comparison, she could not help but let the thoughts of such theory dwell within.

There was a chew of the lip, followed by a flinch as the woman's bag fell to the floor. For a moment it seemed as if she was weighing up on how she was to react, lost upon mannerisms and etiquette. Fallon gave a nod, "Yea, I'm the roommate. Maybe they just like tryin' to play match up." Unlike the other woman, Fallon for the most part was lacking a definite accent. Odd twangs and dialects came out here and there, but for the most part it was all over the place. When the hand was offered in shake however there was a long hard pause.

She reserved herself for a moment, that block on remembering on how to interact ensnaring her. The scars did not go unmissed, if anything it left her pondering and questioning the exact nature of such scars. Time would no doubt answer that one. But for the moment iIt was her own hands that gave a writhe in their gloves, before she reached out and accepted it. Firm and strong, she at least tried to give such a shake to Annalisa.

"Fallon. Fallon Skylar. Or just Fallon. Whatever you prefer," she managed to answer, if not with a moment of hesitation between her words, "Student of literature, words and their manipulation." She forced a smile, her lips curling as she placed a brave face to this new person. Withdrawing she returned to the left and to her own backpack before hoisting it up, "Glyphing? What's that? Is it the little squiggle thing?" Her entire brow creased, her palm pressing into her forehead, "I mean, I guess it's obviously more than just that. Which side you taking anyway?"

Her hand gave a gesture to the room and then snapped away - ready to make a move upon a simple knowledge of preference. Clicking she gave only a pivot round, her shoulders rising as she tried to keep up appearances, "Zeltiva born and bred by any chance?"

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna could tell that the shorter girl was apprehensive, her actions and mannerisms betraying her to the tall woman. Anna didn't particularly mind, figuring it was probably her height as that was normally what most people called attention to at first. The reimancer didn't mind at all really, in fact she took great pride in the fact she towered over people as it added to her bearing in her own mind. It made one petching first impression as well, though whether it was a good one was up in the air and depended on the individual.

The woman grasped Fallon's hand firmly in her own, taking in the name of her new roommate and pondering it. Fallon, it was an odd sounding name but then again Annalisa was hardly a common name either. She had met quite a number of people with odd sounding names in her time in the University, enough to where one had to wonder exactly what their parents were called.

"Well then Fallon, feel free ta call me Anna if ya like. Much less of a mouthful than the name my folks gave me. As for Glyphing, yeah its that squiggle thing but it does more than just look funny. Its... complicated really, interesting but complicated." Anna said, shrugging slightly.

She was wary of giving too much information away to her new roommate, the College frowned upon outsiders being given knowledge taught to students. Besides it wasn't as though this Fallon had seemed particularly interested in the mention of the arcane art. Best to start off on a need to know basis, she had just met this girl after all and one never knew what people were like. Anna's first impression was that Fallon was more cautious than she, and at least a little bit jumpy.

"Ya already seemed ta be nice and settled on the left, so I'll take the right one. This is a nicer room than I've had in the past, had ta share a bunk bed with a few people before." Anna said, picking up her bag and setting it down next to the bed.

The tall woman sat down on it and wrenched off her boots, tossing them aside as she freed her aching feet. Anna sighed and laid back on her bed, flexing and curling her toes in the cool air of the room. Her grey eyes settled lazily on Fallon to answer her next question, a slight smirk on her lips as she answered.

"Was my accent really so obvious? Yep, Zeltivan born, raised, and now educated. My family has some pretty deep roots here. What about ya? Where're ya from, can't place it based on yer accent." Anna inquired, cocking her head curiously.

The tall woman propped herself up on her elbow and turned her whole body to better regard Fallon, her head still throbbing. Anna squeezed her temples for a moment in an effort to get some kind of relief, though sadly that did seem to work so well. Really she shouldn't have been practicing so rigorously, especially with reimancy. It felt so good though, like to an extreme degree that almost seemed unreal.

"Sorry about my appeared, by the way. Was... getting in a bit 'o early morning exercise. Got a little more intense than normal, I promise I normally clean up nicer than this." The tall woman said with a wink.

Anna rather liked some blonde in her women, idly she wondered if she was indeed more blonde than not. Might be something to explore, if this girl was into such thing of course. For her part Anna simply yawned a bit, and thought of another thing to ask her.

"So, what is literature like? Never taken it myself." She inquired.

[Fallon]

"Anna, right," there was only a quick testing of the name before her words were once more she sucked them back into silence. No, there was no need for words as the other was talking - she had to keep up some form of etiquette she felt. With quick nods in understanding she returned to lowering her bag on the left side and her steady unpacking. Not that there was an awful lot to sort. She wriggled out her journal and placed it gently down on the floor, the vial of ink shortly following after it - the quill nib was still lost somewhere within the dark recesses of the backpack. She paused however to answer Anna's question.

"Where? Oh, here and there. I don't have definite roots if that's what yeh-" she gave a loud cough at that point her gloved fingers rubbing at her throat, "You're asking. I'm a child of the region though that much is certain." Wriggling her fingers she moved her attention to the other contents, and wriggled the kukri free from its side strap. The attached belt was quickly looped over the top of the bed post, Suppose you could call it a mixture of Sylirian, Nykan... well, whatever your fancy is." There was a nonchalant shrug, before she pivoted round to properly face the woman.

Hand falling into her chin, Fallon returned the regarding look. She most definitely looked tired, that much was apparent with the way she lazed upon the bed with that somewhat sombre look. Or more correctly that of a hangover. The girl raised a brow, then broke a grin, "Sure, morning exercise. No offence but you look like you were crawling into a barrel of something strong and alcoholic. And for a long time too. Would have marked it that you were out drinking more than you could," her head tilted to one side with thought, "I'll take your word on cleaning up nicer though. Seem like the sort who'd look pretty good."

Shrugging, she continued her gentle rummaging through her bag pausing only to look upon the glass orb in the light, and then settling it down upon the floor. There was a pause, a long moment of pondering upon her face as she thought, "Literature. Kind of bookish. I mean you have to do a lot of reading, then analysis of that reading. Then work out what the author was trying to get across." Her fingers moved to her shirt cuffs before she began rolling them up to reveal the pale skin beneath, "I mean, some of it was written a few years ago, so it helps in giving perspective as to how things were different to now." Fallon stretched, bringing herself to rise and click, the fabric straining almost under the movement, "Plus, literature holds all sorts of information. Just have to look long and hard enough to find it. And when you do, well you get the idea. Just praying to the gods I don't have to explain why the curtains are blue or somethin'."

There was a muffled thud when her shoulders met the bed, a pause from unpacking for the moment. Although it was cool for the moment, even she knew as the season progressed it would only grow warmer. Heat would ensnare the senses, and cause the mind to struggle beneath its heavy weight. Releasing a sigh she looked up to Anna once more, "Hey, if you're a local that means you know where things are, right? Hope you don't mind if I scratch your mind on where stuff is in the future right?"

And there was a long pause, "Wait, earlier you said the University likes to jump you about with different roommates. So... this isn't your first season being a student? How long you been learning squiggles then?"

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna's brow wrinkled slightly as she regarded Fallon's answer, it was rather frustratingly vague and more than a little evasive. She wasn't one to peer into ones personal affairs, perhaps the girl had a good reason to conceal her origins though Anna couldn't imagine why. The woman allowed the flicker of annoyance pass over her face and then vanish, dismissing it as she was given a more mixed origin. Nyka and Syliras, didn't exactly narrow things down but it was a start in getting an idea for her new companion's temperament.

Anna giggled slightly as Fallon insinuated a bit of an alcoholic binge, while the tall woman would have honestly loved to have indulged a little it seemed unwise when there was work to do. Perhaps if the opportunity presented itself this season she would see if Fallon wouldn't be averse to a few stiff Kelp Beers. After all, one shouldn't be in Zeltiva without trying it once or twice.

At her explanation of Literature Anna groaned a bit, it sounded perfectly dull honestly as it didn't involve deciphering arcane secrets. The tall woman had enough of such things in Magic Theory and her basic Glyphing classes. She loved learning but it was just that the University was so petching restrictive of exactly how one could learn. Her learning of reimancy had been frowned upon, no matter how much it improved her Glyphing or her understanding of magic. It just seemed like they were holding her back with all this jargon.

"The curtains are blue? News to me." The woman quipped, grinning slightly.

Anna pondered the next series of questions, thinking over Fallon's predicament. Judging from the question Anna was willing to bet the girl hadn't been long in the city, meaning that someone might just need to show her around. Being the kind and courteous roommate she was, with obviously no motives other than selfless assistance, it seemed only right to help her out. Who knew where things could lead?

"Sure. If ya want I could show ya around the highlights of the place, maybe get a drink or two in ya. Could be some fun after hour stuff." She said, chuckling a bit.

"As for my time learning squiggles, I've been here for about a year. The thing about the Magic program is that the first few seasons is a lot of theory, with the practical stuff only coming along later on. I'll have ya know my squiggles are rather pretty." She said, shrugging though there was the slightest edge of annoyance in her referring to University policy regarding magic.

They were so petching restrictive, gods it burned her that she was only so recently getting into Glyphing after she past the shyke theory courses. She wanted to be able to change things, to show the entire world that she was someone and have her name echo through the ages. Anonymity was her greatest fear, to never be known for anything and to be forgotten. It seemed like that was what the University was trying to force onto her.

"Any place in particular ya were wondering about? I can take ya most anywhere in the city, even a few places outside of it if adventure suits your fancy." She inquired, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

[Fallon]

"Sounds like a good plan," Fallon blinked, then broke in a broad grin. It was a step in the right direction, and that much she was pleased for. With the definite sense of change on the horizon, the girl propped herself up. The thoughts of drinking were always ones that were greatly accepted - it eased the mind of pains, clouding it beneath a thick layer of comfort and fog when other such things were unable to. Now, if only she could find out what the local poison was, maybe she could acquire some for a late night binge whilst hunched over her work.

Her head cocked to one side with thought, her brow frowning deeply. A year was a young time to study, it made her wonder on how much longer Anna was going to be stuck at the University learning or if her education would ever truly come to some form of a close. Gloved hands rubbed at her jaw, her face twisting in her focus before easing. It was true that no one ever actually stopped learning, even if one was a supposed master in their field there was still plenty to research into. She could almost feel her mark prickle in agreement to her trail of thought.

"An entire year, gods above that's a long time," Fallon remarked, "Must be a lot of hoops to jump through. And I bet your squiggles are lovely, full of pure grace and artistic flare to boot." There was a tease, before she returned to clearing her throat. The humour was drawn back, the tones reduced down behind a sheepish chuckle as she listened to the older native, "Still, sounds like you're pretty passionate about it. More so as you've stuck to it for so long. Kind of amazing really, never be able to stick to it for so long myself.""

Shrugging she took to sitting herself up attentively, resisting the urge to allow the mind to dip into a state of laze and rest. There was a count, her eyes narrowing as she thought carefully, "Need to get supplies for class, most of my stuff got ruined or lost on the way here so I need to replace it. Plus need to do maintenance, don't want to break anything else. But... well I'm flexible." She clapped her hands together, and then gave an open gesture to Anna "Come on, you're the local, I'm a visitor. If there was anywhere in Zeltiva you would throw me where would it be?" Fallon stopped at that point, "I mean, not right now of course. You look kind of beat still, so well, no rush. Great way to start the new season though right?"

Fallon scratched at her shaggy mane of hair, then focused on brushing it back with her fingers. That was another thing she would have to get sorted and tamed, the straggly ends were in some definite need of grooming - she rather begrudgingly admitted to herself, "Adventure though. Adventure sounds good. So much to see, so much to learn, just not a lot of time to see it. Nice to have an extra noggin' along to help think it out." She began at that point a low hum as she thought.