42nd of Spring, 514 AV
The Cosmos Centre
The Cosmos Centre
Once she was through the gates, she let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. I petching hate guards.
She was still traipsing down the pathway that lead away from the city’s entrance when another awe inspiring sight almost caused her to lose her balance. It was a building with much the same style as the gates she had just passed through. It was elegantly carved with elaborate taste in majestic flavours. It was as if one of the gods had a paint brush and had used it to stroke paint over the surface. She admired it with her mouth open, taking in all the details as if they were the well needed rest she craved.
She didn’t know what the building held inside, but there wasn’t much use in assuming and carrying on. Move, she commanded to herself, taking a step forward and through the doors.
Upon entering the building of which she knew not the name, she saw how bland it was. The furnishings that were scattered about the floor weren’t very inspirational, not like the outside had been. The walls were painted a pallid beige and although a few paintings were nailed here and there, it wasn’t much to look at.
Vinn was immediately thrown into a despondent mood. She had hoped to emerge from a world of confusion into one of valuable insight and imagination. She had gotten several ideas of what she could paint or draw upon observing the gates only moment ago. Yet as she stood in the middle of the room, inhaling the scent and dragging her line of sight over the various pots of plants, nothing struck her as exceptional.
Without giving it much thought, she proceeded to walk across the linoleum tile beneath her feet. Several desks made of white material were positioned to the right, each one with a secretary sitting politely behind it. Both the desks and the women were boring as well, she noticed. The desks were white and although they appeared to be carved from a master, they held no heart or courage. It looked just like someone had rushed through without a care in the world, as if they had a deadline they were sure to miss if not hastened like so. As for the secretaries, they each wore glasses either on the bridge of their nose or hanging by a chain, resting on their bosoms. Their hair was scraped back into a bun and their attire was prominent, yet too ordinary.
Vinn sighed and rolled her eyes, daring to approach one of the desks with a smile she had to plaster onto her face with iron fingers.
“Hello,” she said, a snarl threatening to explode into her voice and a smirk daring to latch onto her upper lip.
“Hello,” the secretary responded, leaning closer to her. Vinn leant back, trying to create space between the two. She hated being deprived of her personal space. She hated being able to feel the breath of her converser on her face, especially when it stunk of rank odours.
“What can I be of service for you today?” she asked all too perky.
“I would like to rent a room,” Vinn said, running a few fingers through her bangs. “Preferably a cheap one.”
The lady instantly went to work, turning to the side after snatching a piece of paper. She grasped her quill in between her index finger and thumb and dipped it into a vile of stark black ink.
“We have a few options for you,” she said, jotting something down. “Are you thinking about taking some classes at the academy while you’re here?”
Vinn had to take a moment for herself. Did she want to take some classes while she was here? What classes where there? Would she have time to get some information about them and then decide?
“There’s no worry if you’re not sure. You can always decide later. For now, however, I will recommend you stay at the Solar Wind Apartments.”
What the petch kind of name is that? she thought, but instead she simply said, “How much is the cheapest room?”
“Nine kina per season.”
Vinn nodded her head. She could do that. It wasn’t too much out of her pocket, but wait, did she say Kina? She didn’t have Kina. She had mizas. What was the difference?
“I don’t have that currency,” she mentioned, hopefully before it was too late.
“What do you have?” she asked.
“I have mizas.”
“I can easily transfer all your mizas into kina. One miza is equal to one kina. It shouldn’t take me long at all,” she said.
Vinn was hesitant at first, dragging her hand to one of the pockets in her backpack, the pocket that held all her currency. She wasn’t trusting of anyone or anything, but how else would she cross the culture gap if she couldn’t exchange her mizas for kina?
“Alright,” she said, unzipping the pocket and taking out all her coins. “Make it quick.”
The woman nodded, turned around and went about with her business. Meanwhile, Vinn took in her surroundings once more.
She was still traipsing down the pathway that lead away from the city’s entrance when another awe inspiring sight almost caused her to lose her balance. It was a building with much the same style as the gates she had just passed through. It was elegantly carved with elaborate taste in majestic flavours. It was as if one of the gods had a paint brush and had used it to stroke paint over the surface. She admired it with her mouth open, taking in all the details as if they were the well needed rest she craved.
She didn’t know what the building held inside, but there wasn’t much use in assuming and carrying on. Move, she commanded to herself, taking a step forward and through the doors.
Upon entering the building of which she knew not the name, she saw how bland it was. The furnishings that were scattered about the floor weren’t very inspirational, not like the outside had been. The walls were painted a pallid beige and although a few paintings were nailed here and there, it wasn’t much to look at.
Vinn was immediately thrown into a despondent mood. She had hoped to emerge from a world of confusion into one of valuable insight and imagination. She had gotten several ideas of what she could paint or draw upon observing the gates only moment ago. Yet as she stood in the middle of the room, inhaling the scent and dragging her line of sight over the various pots of plants, nothing struck her as exceptional.
Without giving it much thought, she proceeded to walk across the linoleum tile beneath her feet. Several desks made of white material were positioned to the right, each one with a secretary sitting politely behind it. Both the desks and the women were boring as well, she noticed. The desks were white and although they appeared to be carved from a master, they held no heart or courage. It looked just like someone had rushed through without a care in the world, as if they had a deadline they were sure to miss if not hastened like so. As for the secretaries, they each wore glasses either on the bridge of their nose or hanging by a chain, resting on their bosoms. Their hair was scraped back into a bun and their attire was prominent, yet too ordinary.
Vinn sighed and rolled her eyes, daring to approach one of the desks with a smile she had to plaster onto her face with iron fingers.
“Hello,” she said, a snarl threatening to explode into her voice and a smirk daring to latch onto her upper lip.
“Hello,” the secretary responded, leaning closer to her. Vinn leant back, trying to create space between the two. She hated being deprived of her personal space. She hated being able to feel the breath of her converser on her face, especially when it stunk of rank odours.
“What can I be of service for you today?” she asked all too perky.
“I would like to rent a room,” Vinn said, running a few fingers through her bangs. “Preferably a cheap one.”
The lady instantly went to work, turning to the side after snatching a piece of paper. She grasped her quill in between her index finger and thumb and dipped it into a vile of stark black ink.
“We have a few options for you,” she said, jotting something down. “Are you thinking about taking some classes at the academy while you’re here?”
Vinn had to take a moment for herself. Did she want to take some classes while she was here? What classes where there? Would she have time to get some information about them and then decide?
“There’s no worry if you’re not sure. You can always decide later. For now, however, I will recommend you stay at the Solar Wind Apartments.”
What the petch kind of name is that? she thought, but instead she simply said, “How much is the cheapest room?”
“Nine kina per season.”
Vinn nodded her head. She could do that. It wasn’t too much out of her pocket, but wait, did she say Kina? She didn’t have Kina. She had mizas. What was the difference?
“I don’t have that currency,” she mentioned, hopefully before it was too late.
“What do you have?” she asked.
“I have mizas.”
“I can easily transfer all your mizas into kina. One miza is equal to one kina. It shouldn’t take me long at all,” she said.
Vinn was hesitant at first, dragging her hand to one of the pockets in her backpack, the pocket that held all her currency. She wasn’t trusting of anyone or anything, but how else would she cross the culture gap if she couldn’t exchange her mizas for kina?
“Alright,” she said, unzipping the pocket and taking out all her coins. “Make it quick.”
The woman nodded, turned around and went about with her business. Meanwhile, Vinn took in her surroundings once more.
