Completed Home Sweet Home (Arvan)

[Tsaba]

1st Summer 513

Tsaba glanced up from the piece of paper in her hand to the number on the door. 183. Okay then. It had been a few bodies since she'd dealt with an actual locked door, but she deftly got it open and strode into the middle of the room.

Hmm. Perhaps she should've specified on her application that she was a nuit.

She could already imagine the embalming fluid stains left on the white sheets as her body began to break down. It would soak into the mattress as well, the mattress she didn't need. But then again, she'd hardly ever be lying on the bed, so maybe it would be fine. Kind of a waste of space, though. The little desk in the corner... yes, she would get some use out of that. The storage was good. The rug, though, was going to have the same problem as the bed if she let her body go too much. And in Zeltiva, the supply of bodies was probably going to be more limited than she was used to. She bundled the sheets and rug together and dumped them on the bed; they could be a 'later' problem. For now, she laid her meager possessions out on the tiny desk, selected her writing tools and embalming fluid to tuck into her belt, and headed out into the hall. If she was paying more attention to where she was going instead of planning in her mind, she probably wouldn't have run right into the young man going past.

"Oh! Sorry! I, uh, I didn't see you."

[Arvan]

Arvan walked slowly toward the building made solely by brick and stone. His backpack, which is light since he didn't posses much, hang upon his right shoulder. It was the first day of summer and the air was still. Vast blue sky linger peacefully above him, teasing him playfully to spread his black-feathered wings and wander at her blueish dome as raven. Arvan loved to do so. While breeze of the spring still flew to give people comfort, it was getting hot already for Arvan. Soon he realized that he wouldn't need his long shirt anymore and would be wiser to find some comforting one. Normally he wouldn't bother for clothing at all, but in the society he need to follow the rules.

He was so grateful when he reached the shade of the building. It was one of the living quarter that provided by the university for student. The stony building didn't luxurious at any rate. The floor was jagged at some places and the glass window and it's treshold worn out of the weather, but for Arvan that's more than enough. The living quarter might be old, but he realized that the place was extremely tidy. No spider web at the ceiling, no extreme amount of dust at the hall, no unnecessary mark at the wall, window, and doors. The officer at the administrative section has warned him that his warden would be some sort of perfectionist woman that wouldn't tolerate any untidiness under her eyes. Now he believed that officer and felt little bit terrified.

Because he has only his right eye to see the numer of the rooms, he checked it very carefully in order not to missed his room. He was in front of 182 when someone bumped him. As a reflect, he jumped backward a little. Every cell in his body tickled as some rushed heartbeat make him self awareness to react.

"Oh! Sorry! I, uh, I didn't see you."

A women stood in front of him. A strands of blonde could be seen at her silvery white hair. She dressed like normal women but something feels not fit from her. Naturally, Arvan tilted his head a little towards his left to as if his raven form would do when seeing something. The women looked uneasy but he smiled.

"No it's alright, I should've look you. I'm just not paying much attention, I am sorry."

As he said the words, he gazed swiftly at her. He could feel that she was no ordinary human. If she was human anyway. He noticed the darker area around her eyes that make a contrast on her palid white face, give her sullen and gloomy appearance. She didn't even gave him a surprised look like normally women do they bumped at stranger. Her blue eyes that followed him didn't shine like it should. It is cold, not freezingly cold, but cold enough to make you goosebumped. But as far as he could tell, she was live but seems like she lack some essence from live itself.

"So, you're a student here? Er... Miss?"

[Tsaba]

"Tsaba. Just Tsaba. And yes, I'm studying here. I just moved to Zeltiva." Tsaba gestured unnecessarily towards the room she'd just emerged from. The man she'd bumped into seemed easily startled; she felt a little guilty for running into him. And he seemed to lack vision in one eye. She pulled djed into her own vision and glimpsed the blank spot over part of the man's face before it occurred to her that she was invading his privacy. She blinked, cutting the channel of djed to her eyes. His aura as a whole looked... a little incongruous with her memory of humans, but that was probably more to her lack of skill than anything unusual on his part. It was only a glimpse, and maybe she'd just forgotten what human auras looked like. Still, if she had enough time and somewhere to sit and rest a bit later, she wouldn't mind having a deeper look. Maybe she'd even be able to see exactly what was wrong with his eye.

It had been awhile since she'd been around a lot of humans, and she wasn't really up-to-date on their behavior, but she was pretty sure that a wide-eyed, startled stare wasn't normal. "Um, are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" That would just be a perfect first day; injuring a fellow student.

Or worse, a teacher!

"So, uh, do you study here?"

[Arvan]

"Tsaba. Just Tsaba..."

He found it hard to pronounce her name after all. And he didn't sure if he hear it clear enough. It really sounds like 'Thaba' or might 'Shaba' for him. Afterall he spent his 6 years in the region of Sylira, mainly at woodlands. Back then with his pack, they rarely has contact with other people. Even after he moved to Zeltiva he didn't know many people. But he never heard such a strange name as her name. May be 'Thaba' or 'Shaba' was foreigner after all.

"...And yes, I'm studying here. I just moved to Zeltiva."

She pointed her room, no the door to her room. Like other door it stood firm without any scratch on it, one more proof of the tidy warden. Smithed little steel plate nailed to the door. 183. She returned her gaze at him. She was smiling, however he felt that she also observing him intensely. For a brief moment he even sure that she gave him even a sharper look that pierce him. That was not the piercing look someone would give to their prey. It's more like she has observed through him. Through his body and soul.

"Um, are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, no. I'm fine" He retracted himself to a bit more relaxed. He felt little bit stupid though. He really needed to stop being insecure every time he got involved with other people. In this city, especially in this student living quarter one wouldn't be likely to get attacked. He tried to managed a smile that apparently convincing. "Welcome to Zeltiva Shaba. You can call me Arvan. And yes, I'm a student and this is also my first season here."

Arvan watched as the women chuckled and seems to be laughing at him. The laugh it self made much difference to her face. The cold piercing gaze molten to a kind one. It also soften her whole appearance and somehow made her more live, and more... humanic? He didn't know. Like a kind glow of an ember, warm but fading away. Arvan let his smile widen.

"I beg your pardon, I know I don't get your name correctly"

[Tsaba]

Tsaba waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I don't think my father really considered that it might be difficult for people who don't speak any of the Old Tongue. I'm pleased to meet you, Arvan. What are you studying here, if I may ask?"

There was definitely something a little weird about Arvan. Tsaba hoped it wasn't her doing something wrong. It probably was. After so long talking mostly to other dead people... people who considered her a child, she reminded herself, and so were willing to put up with certain things. By human standards, she'd be pretty old by now. And Arvan was... what, somewhere between a child and middle-aged? She used to be better at this. A lot younger than her current body, anyway. "I was, uh, going to look for the library. I'm still learning my way around campus. Care to join me?"

[Arvan]

"It doesn't matter. I don't think my father really considered that it might be difficult for people who don't speak any of the Old Tongue. I'm pleased to meet you, Arvan. What are you studying here, if I may ask?"

Old tongue? He surely didn't ever catch any kinds of certain Old Tongue at the wildland. In fact the only tongue he know was Common. But again, perhaps it's his lack of interaction with other people that make him didn't know much about the world. May be Old tongue was just a common tongue in other region.

"Well uh, I am studying Magical Theories as well as Crafting this season. How about you?"

He decided not to bother himself with further consideration. They both came to study after all. And who knows? may be they would be a good friend. It was his first day at the University and he wanted it to be great. To be friend with other wasn't bad at all. Socialize, get people to know you was Dirk's advise. And he would do that. Just don't get attached too much he reminded himself.

"Sure! I'd like too. Just give me a second to find my room."

[Tsaba]

"Magic and Earth Sciences. I'm not very experienced at either, so I'm starting from the basics for everything. How about you? Do you have much experience?" She'd been told that magic was a pretty popular thing to study, which made sense to her -- it described pretty much all of Sahova, after all. So it was no surprise that even this easily-startled young man had an interest. She hoped he could handle it. Scratch that; she hoped she could handle it. People who suddenly abandoned their nice cosy wizard home surrounded by teachers in order to study with short-lived foreigners with no real support were probably exactly the right amount of impulsive to overgive themselves into madness.

"What's your room number? Maybe I can help," she offered. Probably best to be friendly to her neighbours.

[Arvan]

"No. I don't have any experience, both in Crafting and Magic. All of this kind of formal studies is my first time after all"

It's indeed an irony. His father always told him that academics is 'not worth a Kelvic time'. May be it's wasn't right but it's also wasn't wrong. Back then his pack didn't need any scholar degree to be able to survive. Nature was the teacher, an iron handed teacher that didn't care much about its students.They must followed it's fast pace in order to get food, water, and to be able to live. Punishment usually occurs as death sentences. Only the fittest that would survive.

"What about you? You're also a student out there?"

A sudden thought hit him, right after he finished his sentence. Many people came to Zeltiva to study, not only apprentices looking for guidance, but also fellow mage as well as masters. The woman might be a student for a kind of magical disciple, but who knows? Perhaps she is a master for certain other? May be she could help him. Well, lets find out later

"Must not be around here, It's 192" He accepted her offer and both they walked through the tidy hall. Unfortunately, his room was at the second level at the living quarter, at the row above Tsaba's room. It's seems comfortable enough for him, especially for the fact that it has a window that opened towards the city. After he put his light bag at the table, he turned toward his new friend.

'Shall we go now?"

[Tsaba]

"Really? Your first formal studies? Where are you from?" Tsaba sometimes felt like her life had been nothing but formal study. It had also been too monotonous and too reminscient of past losses to really learn anything. Maybe someday she'd return to Sahova and make proper use of their facilities. "I'm guessing your not from Zeltiva or you wouldn't be staying here. Somewhere without much schooling. Sunberth, perhaps? I grew up in Sunberth. you know, a long time ago."

The library shouldn't be too hard to find, she figured. It was probably a big, central building. She smiled at the sight of fresh grass as they exited the dorms. It sort of reminded her of the plant laboratories where she'd take notes for some of the other researchers. And she'd always like that because it reminded her of mainland grass. "Do you have a favourite magic discipline? I'm hoping to pick up some Glyphing, but the only thing I have any experience with is Auristics..."

[Arvan]

They walked the pavement that linked each building at the university. Cloudless blue sky and the glowing sunlight bid their welcome once they got out the stony building. Gentle breeze danced joyfully at the grass and Tsaba's hair. Silvery white with stands of golden hair swaying around with the wind. She didn't bother at all, It seems like she enjoyed it. The Wright Memorial Library was large and long building that occupying a wing of the university. It's not his first time to find his way through the university though. He used to be at the library, skimming tomes and magical theory books that might help him thruogh his classes this season.

"Really? Your first formal studies? Where are you from?" She asked him "I'm guessing your not from Zeltiva or you wouldn't be staying here. Somewhere without much schooling. Sunberth, perhaps? I grew up in Sunberth. you know, a long time ago."

That was always a rather hard question that he couldn't manage to reply without lying. Where exactly it is? He can't be sure at all. After all this year, he still didn't have any place that belong to him. It was lucky indeed if someone didn't asked him, but of course this kind of questions were always a general question to be asked to someone. Then, the best answer that could flew from his mouth without any lie was only

"Away."

She surely wouldn't be satisfied with his answer, he could say it from the puzzled look she gave to him. But she didn't ask him any further question. He just hoped that she might be understand that he prefer to keep that topic as a privacy. Not because he didn't want, but because he can't. He also note a strange words at her sentences but he tried to ignore it.

"Do you have a favourite magic discipline? I'm hoping to pick up some Glyphing, but the only thing I have any experience with is Auristics..."

"I was planning to learn Glyphing indeed, but it seems a hard way" He laughed a bit. "So you're a witch then?"