First Day at the House Of Bells.

[vneef_healer]

V'Neef Lelani Alia is nervous, although she is doing her very best not to show it. She's never been so far away from home before, and she knows that her performance here will be judged by many critical eyes.

But, her bags are unpacked now and she has no excuse to dawdle any further in her room. Someone is supposed to meet her soon, a guide, if the sand in the hourglass is any indication...

Comments

[pheliskougra]

The door opens without warning, a tall, pale-skinned woman followed by a girl about Alia's age. That girl's copper-tan and red hair clearly marks her as a Fire Aspect of average breeding. behind the two, trail a few servants carrying luggage.

"Alia." The tall woman nods. "I am Sparkling Iris, your Amah, or seneschal, or governess. This dorm is under my responsibility." She steps aside and indicates the red-haired girl. "This is Cathak Nihen Fajah, she will be your roommate." the servants are already quickly setting up the other girl's things around the other bed and the other closet and shelves.

"Get acquainted, I will be waiting for you outside at next bell." And Iris departs with the servants.

[vneef_healer]

Alia inclines her head slightly, giving her new governess the respect she is due as an elder responsible for the well being of this dorm.

Alia wishes briefly, as she turns to her greet her new roommate, that the briars twining around her head would settle down a bit so they would look less disheveled. (YOU try styling your hair when you've got thorny vines twining through your hair.)

"I am V'Neef Lelani Alia," Alia begins, inclining her head in greeting. "It is good to meet you, Fajah."

[pheliskougra]

The other girl nods, seeming a bit uncomfortable in her robes. No wonder, they are at least a size too big, probably bought so she can 'grow into' them.

Fajah has a wiry build and a narrow face, not exactly attractive even if her hair is done correctly in short braids tied with golden ribbons. Her hands are a bit too rough for a Dynast, and she does not seem exactly confortable in the presence of a 'proper' Dragon-Blood like Alia. "It's... nice to meet you too." One could think the girl is scared of the place, the people...

[vneef_healer]

Alia picks up on Fajah's discomfort,as her mother taught her how to read people from the time she could toddle. (And it's an important skill for a healer to have.)

She leans forward and whispers conspiratorially. "I've never been so far from home before, but people expect me to know what I'm doing anyway." Hopefully, that little confession will put her roommate more at ease. It's best that they're not too awkward around each other, right?

[pheliskougra]

the girl blinks, blinks... and smiles a bit. "I.. I don't know what I'm doing here. Really."

"But mother and father say I have to do it." She slumps down, sitting on the bed.

[vneef_healer]

Alia sits down next to her roommate. "You've got time to find what you're good at," she reassures Fajah. "The House of Bells gives its students a grounding in all kinds of general things before you study more specialized areas."

[pheliskougra]

"I'm good at riding a horse and sticking a spear or arrows in things." A shrug. "They say that's not enough and I need to learn more and all kinds of different."

By now Alia must have noticed the other girl's accented High Realm.

[vneef_healer]

Alia has noticed the accented High Realm, yes. Which leads her to suspect that Fajah is what the Dynasts euphemistically refer to as a 'Lost Egg'. That is, the illegitimate offspring of a Dragon Blooded that has beaten the odds and Exalted.

"That you need to learn more than that, many different kinds of things," she corrects Fajah gently. Children are often vicious little bastards when it comes to dealing with people who are perceived as 'different' and Dragon Blooded children are no exception.

"We should be able to help each other," she adds with a smile. "I can manage not to disgrace myself with bow and spear and horse, but I wouldn't say I'm GOOD at it. I AM good at book learning though, and Charms."

Admittedly, Fajah's likely to be getting a LOT more help than she'll be giving Alia in return.

[pheliskougra]

"Would you, really?" She asks in a mix of awe and disbelief.

Who knows? The Fire-aspect might have a few tricks to teach.

[vneef_healer]

Alia nods. "Really," she says with a broad smile.

[pheliskougra]

Fajah is about to add something, when the hour bells start to ring, reminding them of what the Amah said... jumping to her feet, the southerner girl sheds her traveling robes, revealing a set of comfortable and fashionable tunic and trousers, with boots.

Time to rush out to meet the 'boss'.

[vneef_healer]

Alia is dressed similarly, albeit in a tunic and trousers that complement her unusual skin and hair colors.

She follows her roommate through the door, closing the door to their dorm behind her. It would be bad form to be late at the very start of her stay here!

[infinitest]

Fajah moves with quick and silent steps... not overly graceful, not in the way a properly educated Dynast would, but with feline, almost predatory grace.

Along the way, they meet with the other girls from this year's class, and finally arrive at the front where Amah Iris is waiting, along with two other chaperons. She gives the girls a curt nod, and the trio organizes them into lines and rows, before starting a tour of the facilities.

The House Of Bells main compound is a vast walled area, the southernmost hexagon serving as residence for teachers and other administrative personnel, the central one being a large park, and the other five housing the classes divided by year.

Each Year-Compound is a school into itself, containing the dorms for male and female students, exercise yards, classrooms, refectories, Immaculate Shrines and so on, including a guardhouse where a Scale of Imperial Legion Foot lives to watch over the students.

Beyond the walls, leagues of open land are available for field exercises later on.

[vneef_healer]

Alia is careful to comport herself as a proper Dynast while she commits the layout to memory, her mind automatically assessing the best routes between places and what would be the best places for an ambush.

She's also keeping a subtle and reassuring eye on Fajah, just in case.

[infinitest]

So far, Fajah managed to disappear in the background, watching and listening, until they are back to the dorms. Amah Iris lets them know dinner will be served at sunset, and they are without obligations until then.

[vneef_healer]

Disappearing into the background is a useful skill to have. Once they're no longer in the public eye, Alia allows the proper Dynast facade to drop a little.

She smiles at Fajah. "Thus far, I don't think any of the other girls in our year will give us too much trouble. No telling with the boys, of course," she adds with a sniff.

Alia checks the small pots of flowers and herbs arranged on the bookshelves in her half of the room, testing the dryness of the soil with a finger. Good, they don't need water right now.

A brief summons of one of the house servants results in a pot of tea and two cups. "We should have time to relax and plan a bit before dinner."

[infinitest]

A bit awkward, she will accept the tea: her side of the room is decorated in draping silks, and a small fine ebony statue of a horde in mid-gallop was set on a shelf near the bed. "Plan?"

[vneef_healer]

Alia sips her tea for a moment, then answers. "We were discussing helping each other, earlier. It will be impossible to set a schedule until we know what the House will require of us, but..."

There's no reason they can't brainstorm, right?

[infinitest]

"Hm. I know how to use a spear... bow and arrow... ride a horse..." Well, those are interesting talents for the House of Bells. "I'm not much good with... book stuff."

She takes a sip of tea, and sighs.

[vneef_healer]

"Luckily, I'm good at book stuff," Alia replies. She ponders a polite way to bring up Fajah's accented high realm.

"I hate to be impolite, but I've gotten the...impression that High Realm is not your favored language?"

[infinitest]

Fajah blushes, and clears her throat. "I was born and raised in the South..." Ah right, a perfect explanation.

[vneef_healer]

Alia nods in acceptance of that explanation. She doesn't really CARE about the why, so that's as good an explanation as any.

"Then I think the first issue we ought to tackle would be your accent. Regrettably, there are those who look down on any not born and raised on the Isle."

Alia frowns, "As if the Dragons would choose someone who wasn't suitable." Clearly, Alia does not approve of that closed mindset.

[infinitest]

"The monks at the temple said things like that: the blood of Dragons chooses us, and it's up to us to show our worth." She nods. "Still..."

[vneef_healer]

"We've time yet to show our worth," Alia says with a soft smile, resting one hand gently on Fajah's for a moment.

"It is good that you are skilled with sword and bow and horse, as I am....lacking in those areas," Alia admits with a blush. "I have the skill to heal those who fall in battle, but for me to do so I MUST be able to reach them and strike down or drive off the enemy that threatens them."

[infinitest]

"I prefer the spear, actually... more reach." Fajah smiles a bit. "Even better from horseback. If you think I can... I could try to help you?" A bit hesitant, but, relaxing some as well.

[vneef_healer]

"Please," Alia replies with a faint blush. (It might look a little odd with her greenish skin tone, but what can you do?)

"The spear might be better for me, actually," she ponders. Reach is a good thing when your enemies are all likely to be stronger than you!

[infinitest]

"We can practice, then. After classes." Fajah is still a little bit unsure, but willing to take the risk.

[vneef_healer]

Alia nods in agreement. "That sounds like a good place to start, at least until we have our schedule."

It will be sunset soon, which means dinner. Afterward, maybe they can work on 'book' things until it's time to sleep?

[infinitest]

Oh, yes.

Alia will find out Fajah's education is not as lacking as she makes it sound, but indeed... she'll have to put extra effort to pick up.

But this is a good start.