First Day Internship

[vneef_healer]

The kata of the Earth Dragon is slowly, painfully, mastered over the course of the next few days.

Today though, today is different. For the first time, the first year students are splitting up to receive more specialized training. Alia bid Fajah good luck a few minutes ago, and made her way to the infirmary of the House of Bells.

The infirmary is a large, sparsely decorated area, the floors rough tile for ease of cleaning as opposed to wood or stone. Beds line one wall of the brightly lit area, and lanterns enclosed by water filled glass globes hang from the ceiling.

The pungent smells of herbs, roots, and medicines fills the air.

Alia is in her element, although she's surprised at just how few of her classmates are here with her. Time passes, and Alia represses the urge to go poking through all the herbs and medicines she doesn't recognize and oh she always wanted one of those, and.....

Eventually, she DOES start to wonder what happened to their instructor. Is there a serious accident somewhere that's being attended to?

Comments

[vneef_healer]

"It wouldn't hurt to have another sparring partner," Alia allows with a smile, "Although I fear you may be disappointed if I do not fare better with the kata of the wood dragon!" she adds with a chuckle.

"My roommate and I usually spar in the courtyard of Flowers in the evening, if you'd care to join us?" It gives her a 'chaperone' just in case AND it furthers her plans of introducing Fajah to people! Fear her cunning.

[infinitest]

"I'd be deeply honored to." Hm, a very formal young man, but hen again, he is a Mnemon. "Would you mind if I accompany you to the refectory?"

[vneef_healer]

Mnemon does tend to formality, it's true.

"Not at all," Alia replies with a smile. Phase one of her plan, complete!

Two such notables in each other's company WILL be grist for the rumor and gossip mill, probably within an hour. (Nothing like a semi-closed community for gossip.)

[infinitest]

Rumor, gossip and envy, likely.

Jusai is pleasant company, making polite small talk about the school, family, listening attentively to Alia's replies.

By the entrance, they indeed meet Fajah, still wet-haired after a bath, wearing a comfortable layered silk kimono.

[vneef_healer]

Alia smiles brightly at the sight of her roommate. (And friend, even if she hasn't SAID as much yet.)

"Fajah! I was hoping to find you here." She gestures toward Jusai. "This is Mnemon Caras Jusai, he's offered to join our sparring in the evenings. Jusai, this is Cathak Nihen Fajah, my roomate."

She grins. "Fajah has a greater gift for tactics than I do, and she generally beats me rather soundly in spars."

What? It's true!

[infinitest]

The girl takes a moment to recover from surprise and bow to the young man.

Then, she needs to try to form a reply to Alia's praise, but then it might be past her social skills.

Fortunately, Jusai is gracious enough to invite the two inside before the bell sounds: that way they can find good seats, maybe near a window to enjoy the light breeze.

[vneef_healer]

Fajah manages some kind of reply, possibly a bit awkward but sincere.

Jusai's graciousness is noted and taken advantage of. A table near a breezy window is claimed and the trio takes their seats.

(If they're the recipients of any envious glares, they pay them no mind. Fajah's likely still too shocked to notice and Alia is more or less accustomed to envy from others by now.)

Alia is keen on finding out what Fajah's been up to, but she's aware that Fajah may still be a bit off balance. Oh well, she can handle the conversational heavy lifting while Fajah recovers. She nudges the pot of spicy tea that Fajah likes subtly toward her roommate.

"You'll never guess who showed up in the infirmary this morning," Alia starts with an excited smile. "The Headmaster of the Heptagram and THE foremost researcher in Medicine in Creation, Ragara Bagwhei."

[infinitest]

Fajah was having more general battle-command classes, strategy, troop disposition, nothing special.

And she has no idea who Bagwhei is, but nods and sounds politely impressed.

Jusai is a bit more knowledgeable, and more actually impressed. He mentions having a cousin studying at the Heptagram.

[vneef_healer]

It may not be special, but it will come in very handy one of these days.

"Mother's youngest sister is also studying at the Heptagram, as it happens," she replies in response to Jusai's mention of his cousin. "Last I'd heard, she was doing very well."

"I prefer alchemy to Sorcery, personally. I may study sorcery one of these days, but I've got a lot of other things to learn first!"

And then the food arrives. Between bites, Alia will inquire about Jusai's classes and share some details of the patients she saw today. (But not the gross bits, because they're eating.)

[infinitest]

The two listen attentively, offering comments here and there, Jusai more often than Fajah.

[vneef_healer]

Eventually, mealtime draws to a close and the group prepares to head out. "I need to drop a few things off in the dormitory before we spar," she explains. "Would you care to meet us in the courtyard of flowers in, say, half an hour?"

[infinitest]

"I'd be honored to." The tall boy offers a bow to the two girls, smiling, and takes his leave for now.

[vneef_healer]

"Interesting," Alia notes as she starts walking toward their room. "I'd seen his name before, but I'd never met him."

[infinitest]

Fajah lets out a breath she did not realize she was holding. "He is... impressive." The revelation that a high-bred Dynast can be a nice person, and handsome too, was... well, it shook her.

[vneef_healer]

At least it was a pleasant realization?

"He is," Alia agrees. "I can see why he's on Mother and Grandmother's list."

[infinitest]

"List?" Fajah raises a brow, never having heard of 'lists'...

[vneef_healer]

"Of possible husbands for me," Alia explains. "There are many among the important families eager to gift a scion of their line to V'Neef for the sake of an alliance."

Arranged marriage is a fact of life for Dynasts.

[infinitest]

"Ah." Yes, she knows the arranged marriage part, but was not aware some people have whole lists of candidates.

Herself, is likely to end with a Patrician.

[vneef_healer]

Alia smiles at Fajah. "Not something to worry too much about at the moment, of course." She's only 14, after all.

Maybe, maybe not. Who knows what the future holds?

Alia finishes putting things away. "Ready to spar?" she asks with a grin. She likes sparring with Fajah, even if she loses more often than not.

[infinitest]

The other girl, even if still puzzled by the concept of marriage lists, gives a nod, ready to follow.

The Mnemon boy is at the courtyard, dressed in a simple but elegant gi, and waiting.

Fajah does a double-take, and her jaw almost drops... well, it does drop a bit.

[vneef_healer]

Alia may "accidentally" bump into Fajah in an attempt to jar her out of the jaw dropping.

She nods in greeting to the Mnemon boy and starts the set of stretches that are drilled into every Dynast shortly after they learn to walk.

[infinitest]

Fajah is jarred out of the jaw-dropping, but then Jusai steps forward to properly greet them and the honey-hued eyes of the Fire Aspect meet with the slate-gray eyes of the Earth Aspect...

...

...

...

Right, yes, greeting, and stretches. Those are good!

[vneef_healer]

Alia is amused by that interplay, but does her best not to let it show. What, it's cute!

If nothing else, the stretches will give all of them time to settle. Eventually though, they will reach the end of the warmup.

"Would you care to spar first?" she asks Jusai.

[infinitest]

Jusai nods, with a polite smile. "I'd be honored." It is a welcome distraction, at the moment.

He eases himself into a ready stance...

[vneef_healer]

Alia also moves into a ready stance. Normally, she wouldn't attack first, but this IS a spar.

She moves her leg in the sweep of Dance of Falling Stones, hoping to take Jusai off of his feet...