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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:48 pm
 Music, Make Me A Dancer Having arrived on campus early — that is, over a week before the semester opened — Dmitri took the time, after settling into his dorm, to explore the area. On the first day, that meant wandering the halls and the upper levels, the outer courtyards, and any classrooms open to visitation, though he was careful to avoid anywhere students weren’t welcome to wander freely. On the second day, he scheduled a ride into one of the nearby towns and sampled the dining, as well as asking about for advice on the usual: ‘must see’ places, recommended leisure opportunities, and where to best cover the necessities in terms of purchases for school supplies and dorm life. On the third day, he confirmed his class schedule, located the relevant classrooms, and purchased textbooks. He also found out that he would be having a roommate, eventually. When she would show up was his guess as good as anyone else’s. He didn’t concern himself with it, however, but made sure to leave space and keep his things decidedly on ‘his’ side of the room. On the evening of the fourth day, after an afternoon jog around campus and a shower to wash up, he pulled on a set of loose, clean sweatpants and socks, and set up with his laptop on his bunk. Though he had called home, as per his parents’ request, the evening he had arrived, email suited him more as a narrative updating tool when he wasn’t feeling up to a lengthy conversation filled with phone juggling while trying to scribble down possible chord progressions. It was also his primary means of keeping in contact with several of his friends from the academy who hadn’t followed him to Grendel, and one childhood contact of his who had passed over academy entirely in favor of a more hands-on education and still lived in Snowgarden. After sending the last of five messages, checking his inbox, and making his bed in the aftermath, he settled into the chair he had set beside his music stand, and lifted his case, preparing for his evening session of practice.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:18 pm
Tyas sighed and rolled her eyes as her mother rubbed at an imaginary smudge on her cheek. “Moooom, I’m not a little baby anymore. C’mon.” She huffed and shoved her mom’s hand away with one hand and hefted up her luggage with the other.
“I know, I know...but you’ll always be my baby girl, hm?”
Tya squinted at the older fey and sighed as she looked away. “I suppose so.” She took a moment, standing in a rare moment of silence (when around her mom), and glanced around the campus. Sitting in front of her stood the dorm rooms she’d be spending most of her life in for a while to come. The instant the daydreams had been allowed into Below, Tyas had been on her mother, begging her to let her go to one of the universities. She’d always had a certain interest in the inhabitants below but also knew that they had a wonderful school that taught dancing. Ever since she’d been a little girl, wings not strong enough to even hold her above the ground for more than few seconds, Tyas wanted to be a dancer.
When her mother nudged her, Tya blinked and glanced towards her. “Mind wandering again?” Her mother’s smile was infectious and, even though she wanted to pout, Tya found herself returning the smile. “Well, come on then, let’s get your stuff to your dorm. Do you know if you have a roommate yet or not?”
“Mhmm. I don’t know who it is yet. I’m excited! I hope they’re nice.” Tya gathered up her other belongings, that she’d sat on the ground next to her, and moved off into the building. It took some mild exploring, and digging around in pockets for crumpled papers, before the duo finally found their way to Tyas’ dorm room.
“Now are you sure you have your schedule?”
“Yes, mom. It’s right…” Tya frowned as she fumbled with some papers stuffed into her laptop bag. “...here.” She grinned as she pulled the small pile out and held it up. Thought it had seen better days, it would do Tyas for now. She could copy her schedule down, later, onto something a bit more cheerful than the dull print out she’d received back home.
“Now you’ll be sure to call me, yes?”
“Yes, mom,” Tya said as she pushed open the dorm room door. “And email and write and anything else you might want me...to...d...Hello!” Her train of thought shifted from placating her mother to greeting her roommate. Who was...a guy. Her attention flitted back to her mother quickly. Noticing the slight pinch to the older fey’s face, Tya turned her full attention back to her mother. “I’ll be fine mother. I promise.” At the same time, she moved, shooing her mother out of the door and into the hallway. “I’ll call you later tonight and maybe we can meet up tomorrow, for breakfast, before you head back home.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes for a moment, looking past her daughter and into the dorm room. At the promise of a final meetup before heading home, though, she glanced back to her daughter. “Alright, then. If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
“Call me if you need anything. Anything, Tyas. Ok?”
“Ok.” Tya grinned, waved bye to her mother and turned to head back into her dorm. She left her luggage lying just inside the door and headed over to the bed that, obviously, was hers and plopped down with a huff. “Sorry about that. She’s a bit overbearing but she means well. My name’s Tyas!” The last bit was said on a huge grin.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:45 pm
To be fair, Dmitri ought to have expected his company.
True, he had not known when his purported roommate would arrive, but he had been told that he’d have one, and that was reason enough to remain presentable at all times to whatever extent possible. Unfortunately, the several days of peace and quiet absent of interruption had set him into a rhythm. He had grown comfortable with the space being his own, and despite leaving half of the room empty, it had begun to feel like his.
Hence, his present state: shirtless, barely dry, one leg tucked beneath the other which hung loose over his chair as he played the way he felt — i.e., as though no one was listening. It was likely thanks in part to that that he hadn’t heard his roommate approach to begin with, leaving him only to freeze to an embarrassing stop mid note as the door opened.
And stare.
Hello, indeed.
Mind still half on his music, the transition process from that to impromptu social interaction was messy, like being derailed from an expected track and tossed into the woods only to realize upon impact that the woods was, in fact, an ocean. As the facts did trickle in — that he was no longer alone, that he was in the presence of not only company, but two fey women, the younger of which he expected was his roommate, and that he was barely dressed — slow heat creeped up his chest, to throat, into his face, and out towards his eartips.
When his daze lifted enough to prevent movement, he stood. Opened his mouth. Hesitated. Frowned. And then tucked his violin away. There were a good many things he could have — and perhaps ought to have — said: ‘I am sorry, miss and ma’am, I should have been prepared for company…’ ‘Hello to you also, apologies for my state. My name is Dmitri, and it’s a pleasure to meet you…’ ‘Oh, good evening, you’ll have to forgive me forgetting I’d be sharing this room. I’ve been here for several days already. Did you have a nice trip?’
Instead, nothing came out initially. He set his violin carefully away into its case, opened a drawer, and tugged a shirt on. By the time he’d pulled it flat into place and drawn his fingers through his hair to straighten it, the older woman — presumed mother, aunt, or much older sister of his newest company — had left. Leaving him with…
“Tyas,” he said. He eyed her.
So, very, colorful.
Since schools of the Below had only comparatively recently opened to the Daydream races, Dmitri had read of them in history and sociology texts, but had never roomed with one before, and while his people came in a variety of colors themselves — and he in particular often received the comment that he was ‘bright’ as compared to his fellows — he had never seen a fey quite so brilliant to the eye as his new company. Even her hair came in streaks, and the soft, feathery nature of the antennae from her head—that meant she was a…lunar fey?
Realizing he had been staring, and not speaking, for likely far too long to be polite, Dmitri diverted his gaze.
“Dmitri,” he said. And then—what? Was it customary for fey to shake hands in greeting? Or was something else polite? He couldn’t recall, and besides that, he still felt as though he had been caught sitting about in his underwear, despite being now fully covered. What to talk about seemed to leave him at a loss, much more so than generally. So, after another moment’s hesitation, he ‘finished’ his greeting with a small nod.
And nothing else.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:26 am
Tyas tilted her head at her roommate’s greeting. It was short but didn’t sound at all dismissing. At least not to her. What did she know of the customs of those in below (other than the few things she’d read). She stretched out her wings and glanced around the dorm room. His side was filled with personal things and hers was yet to be touched. At least, she thought, he was kind enough to leave her space. When her eyes roamed back over to his side, they caught sight of the case next to his chair.
Her eyebrows raised as she glanced back up to him. “You play? Please tell me that’s a violin. I love that instrument. Can’t play it worth a crap but it makes such beautiful music in the right hands. I love dancing to it.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:38 am
Dmitri blinked, and then — after following her gaze to his instrument and back — he relaxed a touch, nodding. This, at least, was a comfortably familiar subject.
“It is,” he said. “I came to study music here, to major in it and…hopefully to write and perform it one day. Or teach it. What have you come to study?”
The mention of dancing admittedly sparked immediate interest—for what was not to appreciate, in a fellow interpreter of music? Of course, dancing was a much more physical form, but so far as Dmi was concerned, the two were inseparably connected. After a fleeting glance to her wings, instantly curious when they flit with movement, he turned his attention to safer things: like her luggage.
“Would you…like any help unpacking? Or would you prefer that I stay out of your way. I have been about campus, also, so if you need help finding anything…”
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:43 am
Tya grinned at the confirmation that the instrument was indeed a violin. When he asked about her, her grin softened into a small smile before she answered. “Dance. I’ve always been fascinated by it. I took lessons when I was younger but the last couple of years I wasn’t able to do anything officially. I still practiced...but the school I ended up in didn’t have dance as a subject.” Tya shrugged. “It’s why I came here. I’d heard and read about the universities here and I thought it’d be a great opportunity. A new place, doing what I love...nothing could be better.”
She glanced towards her luggage when he mentioned unpacking it and for the first time since arriving, Tya’s face turned into a grimace as she wrinkled her nose up. “I’m actually starving. I can unpack later.” She looked back to him, eyebrow raising. “Anywhere in particular that you’d suggest?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 11:52 am
“They serve food on campus,” Dmi said after a moment. “If you are in a special hurry, that is most convenient, and there is some that is quite good, but…my favorite so far involves catching a ride just off site. They serve all manner of things, but I was recommended there by several sources before trying it myself, and I have yet to be disappointed. I could give you directions…?” he offered. “Or I can tell you where the nearest place within the university is. That should only be a short walk.”
The mention of food reminded Dmitri’s stomach that he, too, had yet to eat, and would benefit from a meal, particularly after his run — which always left him hungry. It seemed presumptuous to offer to go with her, however, when they had only just met and the idea wasn’t put directly on the table. She likely wanted some time to herself to settle in, and he wouldn’t push his company on her. After all, he could slip out himself to get a bite as soon as she left.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 11:57 am
Tya grinned at the recommendation and pushed herself up off of the bed. “It’s settled then, I’ll try the place off campus. I need to explore the area some anyway.” As she moved towards the door, she hesitated, frowning as she turned back around to face Dmi. “One problem, though… I have no clue where I’m going.” She bit her bottom lip before speaking again. “Would you want to go with me and show me the way? It’d be my treat.” She gave him a sheepish grin as she tucked her hands behind her back and waited for an answer.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:07 pm
Dmitri blinked. He opened his mouth to say that he’d be happy to give her instruction — he could even write it down — but then, she was offering, and he didn’t want it to sound like a refusal, which might be equally rude. Before he could make up his mind, his stomach gave a soft, but insistent rumble, spurning a pinch of heat in his cheeks—likely, thankfully, unnoticeable thanks to the tone of his natural complexion. He nodded.
“If you are sure,” he said, “I would be happy to accompany you. It will mean, though, that you’ll have to wait for me to…” He glanced down fleetingly at himself, and then moved even as he spoke to fetch some proper clothes from his closet, “…change. It’ll only be a moment.”
To be fair, Dmi did make as quick work of it as he could. Unfortunately, the process for him tended to involve a frustrating period of mixing and matching, discarding certain ideas and trying another. Because he had company waiting, though, he did his best to minimize his typical routine and condense it to the bare necessities. It wasn’t as though he was going on a date after all.
But, as someone somewhere had said once upon a time, “Dressing well is a form of good manners.”
And Dmi believed it.
When he emerged from the bathroom dressed — in what would just have to do for the evening — he looked at least substantially less like he had just walked out of the shower. He shot his company a reserved smile. “Have you been to any of the local places in the area?” he asked, figuring that the best way to keep the mood relaxed would be to maintain a conversation.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:17 pm
Tyas nodded as she moved back away from the door, dragging along some of her luggage. She figured it’d be best to unpack a few things while she waited for Dmitri to get ready. It wasn’t long before he emerged and Tya had managed to get almost halfway through her first piece of luggage. With him ready now and her stomach growling, Tya abandoned her unpacking and moved towards the door. When she opened it and he asked a question, she paused. “Mmm, not really. Just a local hotel with my mother. We ate there. I’ve only been here for a couple of days.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:48 pm
The air was brisk with evening when they stepped out, not fully chilly yet, but cool enough to make Dmitri’s long jeans and lightweight jacket comfortable. Now that the first day of classes was approaching at a rapid clip, more students were mulling about, and the transport system into town was seeing more use. Still, it was far from full, leaving plenty of room for he and his company to climb on.
“I’m especially fond of several of the local places,” Dmi said conversationally. “And the public transit to and from campus is more convenient than I expected. I think I’ve eaten off-campus at least once each day since arriving, and I came close to a week before you made it.”
When their ride stopped at the proper exit, Dmi notched his head, motioning his company off to follow with him as they moved down the steps and onto the quiet local street. Like any university town, the scene still involved a number of young faces, but — being off-campus — native residents, too, of all sorts tended to their businesses and affairs, many of which revolving around the business brought to them by student traffic. The walk from the drop-off point was short, and soon they were standing under a large, ‘old-fashioned’ wooden painted sign which read The Lemon Grove, an engraving of a lively looking tree, presumably lemon, beside it. Though the menu did span a great number of things, they tended to specialize in pastas and bread dishes, with a hearty supply of fey-friendly vegetarian dishes, for those less inclined to red meats.
Dmitri opened the door, holding it for her to step through. “Do you know anyone else who has come to study here? Or was your trip alone? It must have been quite the decision, to come so far from a different world to study in the Below. Grendel’s record must have impressed you.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:54 pm
“It did,” Tya said as she smiled at Dmi and moved inside of the building. Instantly her senses were filled with wonderful smells and she couldn’t help but let herself relax. She turned to Dmi and waited for him to follow her in. “As I said before, I wanted to dance. Ever since I was a little girl. There were school in Above that I could have gone to but they were likely just as far from home as Below is. So I figured why not experience something new.” She gave him a small shrug. “I came down with just my mom and as far as I know, none of my friends from Above have followed me.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:08 pm
A fey dancing must be a sight to behold, Dmitri thought without comment. Though he knew there was no shortage of tension between the Below and the races from Above, and while he had been taught basic history as much as any other young student in their time, Dmitri’s mothers and father had been relatively open minded, so far as such things were concerned, and besides that, Tyas herself had a naturally disarming personality that exuded genuine positivity. He found it difficult to distrust her, and felt more relaxed than he might have expected in her presence.
After they were sat, he gave a brief spot of attention to the menu, but not as much as he might usually, choosing instead to select the first new thing that looked appealing and leaving his choice at that so as to focus on his company. It seemed rude, for one, to waste too much attention on a slip of paper when in the presence of a new acquaintance, and she was easily distracting.
He wondered if her coloration was common among fey in its brightness and variety, or if she was especially so, even amidst her own people. That, though, seemed too personal — and strictly racial — of a question, so he stuck to safer territory.
“It’s a brave thing, to set out on your own without company. I am sure, though, that you will have no difficulty making yourself at home. You…seem as though adapting comes easily to you.” He realized as he said it that it had been over a year since he had been out to eat alone with anyone aside from family, and the creeping heat of abashment toed the low line of his neck, but he adjusted his collar and settled for sipping from his water instead of commenting. It seemed unnecessary, after all.
This was not a date.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:23 pm
Tyas took a moment longer than Dmi to choose what she wanted. Not because she didn’t want to talk to him but because there were so many options. She hadn’t really expected to see too many vegetarian options while living in Below but this place, at least, exceeded her expectations. The vast amount of options meant that she would be coming back here often enough (as long as what she ordered this time was good). Finally she placed her order and set her menu aside so as to be able to carry on a conversation. If dessert was an option later, they could decide then.
As there conversation carried on, Tyas smiled. It was nice to be out with someone other than her family. And at least here, her mother wasn’t able to just pop in randomly wherever she was. When Dmi mentioned her being brave, she tilted her head and wondered. Brave? Was she brave for following her dreams? If so, then she guessed she was. Really, she just wanted to get away from it all. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “Are you from around here? Or a town away from the university?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:38 pm
“I am not,” Dmi said. “I was raised in Snowgarden by my mothers and father, attended academy here in the Below, and then, after graduation, prepared to study here. It is…warmer, than it is in Snowgarden, but with a great deal more to do, I think. Though I love my hometown, transportation is often treacherous, particularly in the cold season. Attending academy also prepared me to some extent for the different climate and…company. I had several friends from my town who attended with me, but none have followed me to Grendel. So in that sense, I suppose…I am in the same carriage as you.”
Thinking of home and the persons he had left behind there lead — as it often did — to thoughts of one of his closest friends, Rastien, who had only barely passed academy, and immediately abandoned academics afterward in favor of a vocational profession upon graduation. He now worked as a digital assistant at a crystal-tech computers and hardware store near to home, and Dmitri—well, suffice to say, their lives had taken different paths. He tucked the thought away for the moment.
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