Already some cool kids were planning to indulge in the city’s night life. The folly of youth. Meanwhile, the tour continued into a building full of laboratories, where there was little of interest that they were allowed to see.
Josh came back to Ilmardan and Kaldonia. “Turns out Humuk is too shy to go to clubs. Still figuring himself out, I think.” Kaldonia laughed quietly.
It was hard not to want an escape of some kind, a daydream to distract from the dreary reality around them. The place looked even less interesting than the average high school – more like an office space of buzzing lights and clicking keys.
They came into another courtyard, this one adjacent to a cafeteria and featuring a heavy mechanized gate which would be used for access by utility vehicles in off hours. It had a smattering of graffiti and a mostly occluded view of people walking by out on the street.
Ms. Selber sorted the large pack of freshmen into two concentric rings for some awkward ice breaking games. Everyone had to say their name and answer a specified question to the closest person in the other circle, rotate, introduce themselves and answer a different question for the next.
Kaldonia was with Ilmardan for the question of “What’s your major?”
this is still open to two more players. “urban fantasy,” setting is a generic high fantasy world which reached the modern era, at college you can major in accounting or alchemy.
–
“Illusion Magic. I suppose I’ve always had a thing for hiding behind a facade, trying to make people see me and see the world in different ways. If I’m being unkind to myself, I guess I’m slightly ashamed of who I am and where I come from, or if I’m trying to be funny I like to mess with people and run them round in circles. I like the drama and dynamism of it I suppose. I grew up watching Grey Hans of Fastwater, Illusionist PI, and those sorts of shows. And I guess there’s something about me that just wants to keep one step ahead of the crushing mundanity of the world….
Funny, isn’t it, how I want to be this mysterious, unknowable master deciever, but I can’t help sharing my inmost thoughts with people I’ve just met? Maybe I should have enrolled at the Faculty of Paradox Studies instead!
And what are you here to study, then?”
“Aww,” she said in sympathy to his self-deprecation, “I’m just majoring in liberal arts. I’ve never had a moment of magic insight, but I’m hoping Magic 81 will awaken something in me. I’m going to take as much Creative Writing as they have in the course catalogue. Oh!”
She was bumped for the rotation, which put Humuk in front of Ilmardan. You two waited for the question, which shortly came. What’s the farthest place from here that you’ve ever been?
“My name is Humuk Dugum. In high school ball our team got to compete in Rizayabad. Pretty cool, but they beat our ass.”
Rizayabad eh? Never been myself, but I’ve tried the food. There’s a little Rizayan deli not far from where I grew up. Not sure it was all that authentic, though. Maybe the food is their secret weapon in sports, eh?
As for me, well, a couple of years back the family took one of the passenger Vingilots to Outer Selmantan for a week. I got to ride the Enkaali on the beach and we saw the Monument of Harmony up close. But it’s a police state now, so I doubt it’s quite as welcoming as I remember anymore.
“Outer Selmantan were rugged. The Crushers. Glad we didn’t ge–”
He was interrupted.by the rotation and smiled his big ol’ teeth at Ilmardan. Next was a chubby and nervous human lady with glasses and puffy black hair. She was swimming in a giant grey jumper with WWGCA’s branding. The question, If you could do any kind of job or learn any kind of skill that was outside of your natural talents, what would it be?
Nervous let Ilmardan introduce himself and answer first.
“I’m not sure about a job – I’ve kind of been trying to avoid those for the last few decades – but I’d definitely like to be better with my hands. Gemcutting, jewelsmithing, that sort of thing I suppose. Quite a cachet among Elvenkind, being able to craft wondrous and beautiful things. But I guess I’ve never had the patience or flair for that.
What about yourself, madam…?”
“I’m Tesha Amaiach, and if I could do something different… Body magic is so romantic and exciting to watch. I’d like to be able to do that. Heh. Never happening.” True enough. Body magic was mostly practiced by rock hard martial artists; some people aren’t cut out for that line.
The circle moved again. Next question, What’s the weirdest thing you did or that happened to you this summer? A halfling mature student stood now before Ilmardan. What drives the middle aged to come take courses at school, hobnob with impertinent children?
“Loomis Dissoluble. I don’t do weird. How about you?”
Ilmardan thought about all the fun things he had got up to with Firinthol Tolendor over the summer months. He decided none of them were suitable for the current audience, particularly not since it consisted of this dour and unimaginative specimen. Besides, the halfling probably hadn’t even heard of Sapphire Joy Honey and scintillation beads.
“I came here to a foreign country to study illusion magic with this crowd. I’d say that’s pretty weird where I’m from”.
(lolol je suis amused)
“Illusions, huh? Do we really need more of that?”
The circle moved, the next question, do you have siblings, and what birth order do you have? Ilmardan was in front of another sporty character like Humuk, but smaller. Still as tall as Ilmardan and much more powerfully built. The donkey ears and mohawk gave it away – a silenus. He had a winning smile, if a bit large-toothed, and thick eyelashes. He was wearing a sportball jersey and shorts, socks pulled high over his calves.
“Div Spachi. And you are?” He held out a muscly hand.
Ilmardan Erenath, Illusionist for hire. Only child, as far as I’m aware! We elves don’t tend to have large families, though I’ve heard that your people very much do. Or is that just a myth? I take it you’ve met Humuk over there? I expect you’ll have plenty of athletics-related things to talk about. Pleasant enough for an Orc.
“Just because we love a lot doesn’t mean children come of it. It’s about the usual. I’m a second child. My older brother is built more like Humuk, A touch of chaos in all that… I had to get good at dodging. I love this! You know we enjoy life in the Wild, but to meet illusionists, and orks, and all kinds of people… It’s the best!”
Interrupted the good time boy for another rotation. Ilmardan stood face to face with an elf who looked like he could be a cousin, but with his black hair in a short human style, dressed on the crisp end of human gangster styles in a stiff new denim jacket, cursive tattoo on his neck. His arms were folded. Not as genial as the rest. The question, what is your ideal romantic partner like?
” -___- “
Ilmardan wondered whether to address the other elf in a dialect of elvish, as would have been expected back home, or stick to the human tongue as seemed to be the custom here. Difficult to tell really – he didn’t seem terribly forthcoming, which could indicate the kind of dismissive aloofness elves were often prone to, but he doubted a committed eltharin supremacist would deign to dress in human styles. Perhaps he was just a withdrawn and sullen kind of character? Perhaps he was just having a bad day? Ilmardan decided that perhaps a bit of gentle flattery might put him at ease.
“So good to meet another elf in these parts! I’ve missed proper sharp-eared company ever since I arrived, and they told me this city was founded by elves too – seems we’re somewhat in the minority everywhere these days. But I doubt that’s going to be too much of a problem, given how capable we all tend to be. Ilmardan Erenath here, Illusionist by inclination, though I doubt I could conjure anything quite as impressive as that stylish garb you’ve chosen there. Haven’t quite got the hang of human fashions yet, if the looks I get are anything to go by.
What was the question? Oh yes, ideal romantic partners. Well, it’s achingly predictable, and perhaps a touch narcissistic, but I do have a thing for red-haired elf boys with magical ambitions. I’m guessing you’re familiar with Torallien Sethanai from the Silverwands? Or maybe mage pop isn’t your thing? Anyway, boys like that I suppose. I’m shallow, what can I say?”
He was giving the kind of look that can make one trail off or change the subject, just withering. What was his problem?
“Didn’t know the Erenath’s were collaborators. Makes sense, outside the city where we got the worst of it.”
Ah, that was the problem. Was this guy actually a secret royalist, plotting terrorism to restore elven rule to the city? Or just a mouthy student radical, of a well-known type? Elves being true immortals and very slow-breeding, the families all knew of each other in the region, at least through tales, so his awareness of Erenaths was not surprising. Ilmardan could conjure a few dozen surnames this man could possess – families known to have been important to the city at various times over the last few thousand years, most represented now in the city’s elf ghetto. It was his understanding they weren’t as poor as some minorities, but were much reduced in prosperity by the colonizers.
Suddenly, the circle rotated again, leaving Ilmardan in front of a less rude rando…
(see the new post when it comes up for the next place to reply)