Flashback Intake Examination

[Adnaj]

Spring 06th, 507 AV

Adnaj had, thus far, found Zeltiva to be a captivating city. Back at Sahova, research meant slow, quiet and isolated study. On the bustling streets of the Old Quarter, however, the excitement was palpable. Research, here, seemed to be exciting and newsworthy. There was a certain enthusiasm, within the University culture, for sharing data and making one's academic achievements known. Adnaj enjoyed this attitude. He respected this approach to intellectual pursuit.

As he explored the campus, he took special interest in the Infirmary. With great amusement he watched the nervous medical students scurrying from one class to another. For one singular moment he came across some twisted humor in the short amount of time in which living creatures had to cram all of this pathology and physiology into their living brain tissue. Hardly a cynic and certainly lacking any malice, the thought passed quickly. Adnaj moved onward to enjoy the beauty across the rest of the campus.

Determined as he was to eventually make it onto the faculty of Zeltiva University, he was momentarily content to witness this dedication toward the intricacies of anything other than horrific weaponry. Still, there was one big problem.

What next? Here stood a stranger in a large city. Adnaj had no connections and didn't even know the layout of Zeltiva. The biggest hurdle, of course, would be the obvious fact that he was a Nuit. His thin, pale and quickly balding body was within the last few months of its usefulness and this was apparent. There was no way to hide the fact that he was a Nuit. He knew that no one was going to be in too much of a hurry to help such an individual. The first step to opening his health clinic would be to secure a living space from which to operate. He had enough food to last a few weeks (until he could start making some kind of living as a rudimentary healer.) He only lacked the security and the warmth of a roof over his head.

After getting a feel for the aesthetics of the city, it was time to rest. He checked himself into the World's End Grotto and unpacked his things. He would rest up and then head down to the docks in order to ferret out some interesting news and potential work.

[Ricky Maze]

Today was a little bit of everywhere day for Ricky and Odis, already the two were heading home to take their nap for the day. Yet they didn't really feel like being indoors so soon, not when the day had only embraced the sun's peak in the bell it stood in. So instead the two decided they would rest at the docks, the way Ricky saw it he could help out with the sailors and maybe earn a bit of spare change. Not much to be earned honestly since he wasn't an "official" sailor so to speak, but to Ricky the title would mean little to him compared to others. Sailing was a gift, an art, that was born in the blood, you can teach a man to sail but true sailor's needed only the time for themselves to learn. Of course had he been able to overcome the respectable fear the ocean gave he would already be out there, seeing the world in all its exoctic glory as they would arrive from one coast to another. It was an idea Ricky was rather fond of as he could only imagine what the other cities were like. Maybe someday he would get the chance, to finally see it all with his own eyes. Yet today was just to be another ordinary day for these two, as they came upon the docks to find a spot free of the busy bustle that covered the docks. They made their way to the less busy and less cramped section to where Ricky and Odis would sit at the docks edge, watching out to the horizon as the breeze actually blew in from behind. The wind seem to be in favor today as in the distance a ship was sailing off, resulting in the return of Ricky's curiosities that filled his head. There was plently of the world he wanted to know, as he knew there was only so little knowledge he really had. He has had a share of experiences in Zeltiva alone, yet the experiences the world provided was bound to be more bountiful for such a fisherman such as Ricky. He would enjoy the sounds of the water as the ocean tides would gently roll in, while Odis would lay next to his master and regain his stamina. The dog was no doubt exhausted from their run around, even if he was a bundle of energy he could only exert so much. Ricky would pet Odis as he took in the scene, breathing in deep as he would close his eyes. Relaxing as the smell of the salt would overwhelm his nostrils, the breeze gently massaging his back and neck, the sounds of the gentle waves as they continued their cycle. Yes it was all relaxing to Ricky, to be in this type of environment. He could be here all day had he not responsibilities to keep. No he would only relax here and feel the ocean as it greeted the city with each splash the tides would make, he would enjoy this moment for as long as he could before heading home to call it a day.

[Adnaj]

As Adnaj relaxed along the pier, he saw something which mildly worried him. Not enough to ruin his afternoon but enough to cause a slight wrinkle in his brow. It was a dog. Dogs were unpredictable. Some of them loved Adnaj and some of them growled like he was a prowler in the night. Sometimes his decaying Nuit body was just enough to confuse or interest or even threaten a dog to the point of drawing attention to himself.

It's not that he disliked dogs, its just that he had to be careful around them. He had to be careful and he couldn't really have an idea of how to handle them until they had already noticed him.

For the moment, however, Adnaj decided to just continue watching the various other people about the pier. He would simply mind his own business, keep a low profile and let the dog do what it would. 7 times out of 10 then the owner actually apologized for the pet and chalked it up to an aggressive behavior...And 2 of the other 3 times, the dog didn't even care.

Adnaj eyed up the dog and its owner as they grew closer. It wasn't an unfriendly stare, it was a wary one. An impartial stranger might read it as a certain discomfort around animals. Wariness aside, the dog seemed friendly enough. It certainly didn't seem as though it wasn't bred for combat or guarding. The breed wasn't right. Yeah, this was definitely a more friendly dog. Adnaj's guard began to drop a bit. Adnaj really needed to find a way to calm down in tough situations like this. Situations where he was surrounded by hordes of the living.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky was too caught up with taking in the area around him to recognize that someone was there, but then again this was a busy place to he at during this time of day. However when Odis let a low bark out to snap Ricky's attention, the fisherman found hus furry companion looking to an individual....with food. "Oh petch." Ricky whispered to himself as he looked back to Odis, "Don't ya even dare!" He told the dog, which was now smiling. Odis scrambled to his feet as Ricky tried to stop him, reaching for Odis as the dog scurried over to this stranger. "Petch ya Odis, get back 'ere." He exclaimed as he hurried to get up, giving chase to the dog to keep him under control. Odis wasn't a mean or terrifying dog but he was still one that was bound to scare people, a rambunctious mutt with high amounts of energy to exert when excited can overwhelm an individual. When Odis would reach the stranger he would be panting of course becausr that's what tired out dogs do, but he would also wish to curiously sniff this man to learn more about him. It was during this process Ricky would finally catch up to the dog, keeping him in check while apologizing to the stranger. "Beggin yer pardon lad, he's just a curious fella." He would give a sincere friendly look when he spoke, then shift to a more authoritive posture when gazing at his dog. "Odis, back!" He commanded to the dog, which only looked to Ricky with curious eyes. "Hmm?" He would whine to his master, as in a questionable "do I have to" manner. "Sit." Ricky pointed next to himself as the dog licked his muzzle, sniffing as he did so obediantly. Ricky looked back to the stranger once more, with a humble sincere expression as he hoped Odis' excitement didn't startle the man. "I really do apologize, sometimes he gets the better of me. Good dog though, he really is." He looked to Odis with a smile, then returned it to the man. "Names Ricky by the way."

[Adnaj]

"Oh that's fine," Adnaj returned a reserved but polite smile. "I enjoy having a good dog around," he looked down at Odis with a friendly expression, "I just have to get settled to that curiosity that they all have when meeting new people."

Now that the encounter with the dog had begun, Adnaj visibly relaxed. He sat back in his chair, his posture was less rigid and his eyes were less wary. "I'm Adnaj," he returned an introduction to Ricky.

"Feel free to join me," Adnaj used a leg to slide a chair away from the table and in Ricky's direction. "I'm just sitting down to catch some fresh air." Adnaj was new in Zeltiva. He didn't know anyone in this town. This made him quite grateful over the chance encounter. He recognized his luck in finding himself amidst friendly conversation with someone from this city. Toward the dual purposes of developing some kind of connection to this city and towards the goal of interacting with and learning from the living, he decided to make the most of this fortunate situation and get to know the man.

[Ricky Maze]

"Ah, well thank ya kindly sir." He politely took the chair and sat next to the man, looking to Odis who now seemed highly curious of Adnaj. He was indeed rather a curious fellow, a sort of recognizable feature he had was the circles under his eyes. Ricky had only encountered a teoublesome fellow like that once, but this one seemed different from that man. Odis reacted differently as well, so that was a good sign indeed. As Ricky waited for Adnaj to chew his food, he felt it appropriate to ask Adnaj a few questions. "So what brings ya here exactly? Ye don't look the type to hang around here usually." He pointed out and felt rather dumb for doing so, Ricky was always good at stating the obvious when it came to starting conversations. "I mean what are ya here in Zeltiva for? Come for the University or somethin?" A better question more suited for this type of conversation, as it would pinpoint Adnaj's directive as far as goals were. Maybe now the conversation would start well, and grow into something interesting hopefully. Odis laid next to his master and started his rest, as the two would no doubt begin to converse.

[Adnaj]

"I came to Zeltiva to learn from the greatest minds in the University," Adnaj replied. "I haven't made my way into the institution yet," he admitted, "but eventually I would like to join the faculty. I have spent a long time in study and I feel as though there is much that I could gift to these impressionable young minds."

He sat back, in his chair, in sort of a proud way. It wasn't cocky and it wasn't self-indulgent but Adnaj was proud of his academic pursuit of the healing arts. He hadn't meant to seem self involved but it excited him to talk about healthcare.

"But that is way off into the future. For now, I'm simply focused on opening a clinic...Oh," Adnaj suddenly exclaimed. "Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm a healer," he flashed a quick hint of a smile at this revelation.

"I just arrived here, though, Adnaj told him. "I was really quite surprised by the immense size of this city. I guess I half expected the entire city to be part of the University. Outside of gaining the appropriate funds, the hardest part, so far, has been simply finding a suitable part of town for my clinic."

He knew that he had started to prattle on, too much, about his own motivations and interests. He wanted to spin the conversation, back, to a less egocentric topic.

"So Ricky, how about yourself? What has brought you to this city? What do you and your loyal friend, here, do?" Adnaj asked. "Oh, what is his name, by the way?" Adnaj asked as he flashed a second smile down toward Odis.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky listened closely with a curious look in his eyes, somewhat impressed at how planned out Adnaj's goals were. They were indeed things that would take time to devote if he was serious, but Zeltiva was no doubt a great place for the man to begin. Ricky admired and respected such an ambitious dream, for he had no such grand plans in life. He was just a simple fisherman. "So Ricky, how about yourself? What has brought you to this city? What do you and your loyal friend, here, do?" Adnaj had asked, along with what Odis' name was. Ricky gave a friendly chuckle before his reply. "This here be my close friend Odis. Been with me since I first started manhood really." Ricky really wasn't sure what starting manhood was really, but considering he's been living and working since eighteen that seemed considerable enough. Ricky took a couple of chimes to think of how he could make his relatively boring life a more interesting one. "As for me I'm a fisherman really, I usually hang around the docks to haul in the best quality of fish in the sea." He stated with a hint of enthusiasm, though he wasn't entirely sure that sounded very interesting. It was a matter of perspective really, Adnaj could probably think the same of his pursuits for all Ricky knew. It was a difficult picture to grasp though, the idea of running one's own clinic was hard NOT to find simple. "Other then that though we just wander about the town for a bit, maybe see what some of the local shops are selling. I'm kept fairly busy with Odis though, the pup is quite an energetic one." He gave humble smile as he looked to the dog, Odis was relaxing next to his master now and regaining his energy once more. Though he may be panting now as they enjoyed the cool feel of the breeze, Ricky knew that Odis would later wish to go for another great walk.

[Adnaj]

"A fisherman?" Adnaj asked with genuine interest. "So, Ricky, then you must know this town pretty well. Any idea where I might be able to find a roof over my head? Interesting as it has been, over the last year, finding temporary shelter in a variety of strange places, I'd like to see if I could fine some permanent residence. The World's End Grotto has been nice for these last few months but I'm really looking to get of their soon. Do you know of any affordable housing in Zeltiva? I've been quite surprised to how hard it is to come by a reliable bed for a new resident in town."

He smiled awkwardly and shifted around in his chair. "See, I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't exactly accomplished much toward my goal of starting my clinic."

This was true, it had been a strange, tiring yet entertaining year for Adnaj. It had taken him quite a while to become comfortable enough around humans to move into the Grotto. In fact, everything that led to that point was his attempt to understand how life worked among the living.

Before he could think about planning a clinic he simply worked on not being exposed as a Nuit. This was nearly an exercise in uselessness but he learned the convenient lesson that being discovered and being disruptive were two different things. He was quite happy to find out that people weren't particularly comfortable around a Nuit but if he didn't care to bother anyone no one ever seemed to bother him. It provided a certain feeling of safety to his day-to-day life. Once he stopped being so afraid and became more comfortable as a Nuit in Zeltiva (and once he learned enough about Zeltiva to carry himself with some degree of normalcy) he decided to move into the World's End Grotto. He had been there for a few months now.

"You know, its funny. When I first read about the University," he mused. "I imagined that I would have this beautiful, scenic bungalow in the neighborhood of the University. I pictured myself right across the street from the campus and rubbing elbows with the sharpest minds of the Infirmary. How little, I understood of this culture or your concept of regional economy," Adnaj chuckled as he let slip a little more of his history than perhaps he should have.

[Ricky Maze]

A rather curious question to be asked really, yet one that didn't really bother Ricky at all when he thought for an answer. 'If he's rentin a room then that must mean he needs to save his funds.' He thought about it hard for a minute, wondering just how long this man has been working at his dream. It must indeed be difficult to be where he was and make little progress, yet when he heard the last comment Adnaj made Ricky truly began to wonder a bit about this man. "Beggin yer pardon for changin the subject, but yer a curious sort." He pointed out bluntly, he didn't want to seem rude to Adnaj but there was just a curiosity he had to settle. "Ye don't have to answer if ya don't wanna, as I can agree it would be rather nosey of me; but ye seem more...different then a human." He insinuated in the most humble manner he could, hoping that Adnaj wouldn't take any offense to it. Odis snorted after wards like he already knew the answer, knowing the dog and his canine sense of smell he probably already did. However even if Ricky had an incline he wanted to be sure it was correct, better to know it for a fact then assume it as what could be.