Arva Carin, Dean of Students (sign up OOC open to all)

[Macureus]

http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=197519


Arva Carin, Ph.D., Dean of Students stood with her usual plaster smile and greeted the students. The President of Arod University gave her this job, but she didn't have to like it. So many foreigners and infidels. She made a polite curtsy to each student, which hid her personal mistrust of several of them. The New Macurean was one thing. They were her brethren, albeit godless. But an Edomite, a Cookish infidel, and a Roman who belonged to the Mormon Church. She'd heard of those. They went around and tried to convert people. And the Edomites went around naked most of the time, or at least the Free Congress ones did.

Despite this, the Dean put on her party smile and treated them all with respect. She had to fake it. Besides, they could surprise her yet.

"Greetings, students from abroad. This is the inaugural year of the Program. Welcome to Old Macureus and to Arod University. We hope that you enjoy your stay here and get along with everyone. This is no doubt a difficult time for some of you. I have provided some food, drink, brochures on the University, the laws, customs. First, let's go to the Round Table Chamber for a quick lunch and a chance to introduce yourselves to each other."

"Any questions, students?"

I just hope that you don't ask any stupid ones.

[New Edom]

Carlotta moss wore red high heeled ankle high boots, thrusting up her hips and showing off a saucy bottom swaying in a floaty miniskirt that came so high up her thighs it was dangerously close to revealing the style of her panties, her hugging a sumptuous bosom, dark hair floating around her slender neck. This was her concession to being dressed. She sat down and crossed her slim legs and raised a hand. "What are the modesty laws here?"

[Macureus]

The Dean had to laugh at that. They were naked savages, after all. But they seemed very intelligent and well-mannered naked savages. A bit of a paradox, but it would do.

"No nudity. That's the main one. Other than that, use common sense. No underwear as outer garments. No bikinis in class. You can swim in them, though. I hope that clears that issue up," she laughed.

[New Macureus]

Alar Darin saw his chance. A bit of a chance to mess with these theocratic feminist types.

"So, will the boys be allowed to pursue the same courses of study as the girls, or are we restricted to certain more socially acceptable majors?"

He grinned as he wondered what the Dean would say about that.

[Macureus]

The dean saw the mischief in the students eyes and knew what he was up to.He was trying to get her goat. Little did he know it was not that easy. She had been here many years to fall for that joke again.

"Yes, you can apply for any classes that are not part of the training and education of our clergy, which dominates the highest levels of government. In all other ways, women and men are basically equal, other than divorce. In divorce, the custody usually goes to the mother, for reasons of emotional security and greater nurturing. So men naturally have to give up more money to make it easier for the mothers to focus on the child's welfare. Aside from that, the sexes are equal. The rumors to the contrary are just that. Rumors."

Once in her first year here was enough to know what was up with that. Students knew well the nation's rule on that matter. The exchange students was sent a list of forbidden subjects to males. They were all about theology and religion, nothing more. Everything else was open to men as well as women. Well, except for law, because the legal system and the religion were the same thing.

[New Edom]

"Oh darn it," said Carlotta, grinning at the New Macurean student, "I was looking forward to walking to class over the supine backs of the male students." she nodded to the dean. "Thanks, that does clear that up." Carlotta fully believed that clothing was an influence on sexual temptation, but she kind of liked that; naked with everyone else was just naked; some were more attractive than others, but it was so normal, especially in places like Sixington or Fineberg or Raith Immel you barely noticed. Here she was intensely aware of what she wore, and it was interesting and kind of naughty. What she was most excited about though was being at school again, a chance to get her degree. While she felt a bit guilty for leaving again, she was never going to complete school if she stayed in New Edom; her university had been closed down due to the civil war, and she'd be 30 and sharpening pencils for someone if she didn't get her BA in science at the very least. "What about the dormitory rules--are they segregated by gender? Will I have to join a sorority?"

[Macureus]

Arva (the dean) saw some promise in the Edomite girl. At least, she knew the priorities of men. She just wished that men had even less of a role than they do now, but that another story.

"Unfortunately, they are not segregated. If I had my way, they would be though! Men should not be housed with women who are higher than them," Arva let slip before she could stop herself.

"Sorry, what I meant was that, no they are not segregated here. We try to make it as equal as possible," Arva gritted out, "but we do not allow females and males to share rooms. It is frowned on in our nation to have sex outside of marriage, but not illegal."

"Any other questions I can answer for you?" she put back on her plastered smile and tried to not let slip her opinion of the male race again.

[New Edom]

"Yes, what do you mean by 'higher than them?' Are you talking about aristocracy or something?" asked Carlotta a little anxiously, wondering if there was a caste system at this place. "And share rooms, that wasn't what I meant, Madame Dean, I have no intention of breaking any of this University's rules." she smiled. "Anyway our teachings are that it is clothing that creates a sense of shame, and therefore of lust that accompanies it, which is provoked by curiousity about the opposite gender. But my gosh, you see naked men everywhere in New Edom--well at amusement parks, restaurants, golf courses, farms, zoos, movie theatres, roller skating rinks, parks--you name it and there they are, dangling away," she said with a friendly laugh. "And of course it goes both ways too. Anyway I know what you mean. Oh and one more thing--Christian chapel? Is there one?"

[The Cookish States]

Carla wore a tight black skirt, very short that showed off the bottom of a tribal tattoo the went from her mid-thigh up to her right hip. Her white button-up shirt rode up a little and showed a little midriff. She pulled it down a bit to show less skin. The Edomite chick asked questions on modesty while she was dressed up like she'd just come off work at her corner in Fineberg. Carla gave a quiet little snort..

Then, it's a wonder they managed to get clothes on an Edomite at all.

She rolled her eyes a bit, she had to learn how to control that. This was a good college, she didn't need to have any problems. She'd given up on looking for a boyfriend like she had in Mount Angel, it seemed a little...slutty was too strong a word. But now her mind was wandering, she had to ask a question..

"Two question. Are roommates assigned, or can we choose?"

"Secondly, is marijuana legal here...or should I get rid of this?"

Carla fingered her purse a bit while she asked the question...

[Macureus]

"No, just that women have spiritual gifts and understanding that men lack. That is why women have custody of children most of the time, as well as being the sole judges, priestesses, and members of the higher councils of government. They can be civil servants, but not policymakers. Our political system is based on the gift of foresight or prognostication. Men lack that gift. Women have it.

"As for Christian chapel, this is a theocracy, so only the state religion has special status. However, a special convocation hall has been set aside for religious minorities to meet. This was done especially for the growing number of Christians. They are the largest religious minority in our society. Does that answer your questions. I apologize for creating confusion over the gender issues," Arva answered with a mostly honest statement.

[Macureus]

"You can choose your roommates. They are not assigned. However, as noted, you must choose from your own sex. If you do not choose a roommate in a reasonable amount of time, one will be chosen for you. This is to ensure that everyone has a room.

"As for that," Arva seized the joint,"mere possession of this is an offense punishable by public caning and mandatory rehab. Do not let me catch you with this again. Let me make this clear. Alcohol, tobacco, and all other narcotics are absolutely banned in Macureus."

"Now, if there are no further questions, please come with me," Arva began leading the tour with the Grand Common Hall.

At that point, the students were divided into groups and led by upperclassperson guides to various useful campus facilities, which they would each see in turn.

[The Cookish States]

Carla stopped from rolling her eyes as she gave the woman her pot. She had a bowl stashed in her shoe, so it was whatever. She sat down and started taking notes while the woman continued to talk..

Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuc

Co-ed rooms, we can choose roomates.
No pot, cigs, or alcohol.

She looked up, and noticed only one girl in the room. Jokingly she said to the whole room..

"So. Anyone wanna bunk with me? I can always tutor in language arts and stuff, if that's a perk for you."

She smiled her big white smile and started wondering when they'd get their rooms. She wanted to get into some jeans. This whole skirt and formal slut chic was making Carla sick. In Spanish, she mumbled with he smile still showing a bit...

"Dio mi. Quiero fumar."

She wondered how big the university was and asked...

"How many students attend the university? And, do they speak English or Spanish or what? I'm sorry, normally know more about the places I travel to, but this was on such short notice..."

[Late Roman Empire]

"Hey, what about religious literature? Can I pass it out?" Junius Proculus finally spoke up and asked his student guide.

He was a Mormon. It was his sacred duty, after all, to spread the Gospel as taught by the Prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and other great Latter-Day Saints.

[Macureus]

Hillary looked aghast at the foreign exchange student. Did he really just ask that? Mentally she half expected them to be kinda what would she call it... not all there in the head, but really!

"That would be a major NO!" was all she said as she lead him to his dorm room.

Hillary did as best as she could at being nice, but all the same he was male and a Roman after all. She thought this over for a few minutes, and then figured she would try not to let the dean's dislike and her mother's bitterness over the divorce get to her. For that matter, she had to admit that some of it was her own sadness to see how hostile her father had become to her mother and how much he resented the laws, even said so in private.

He had become a kind of religious and political dissident, but not the violent kind, just a cynic. That had bothered her, because she thought that her father misunderstood the big picture. She was particularly sad about the idea that he was probably not alone among the men. She feared a growing movement of men who might eventually challenge the system, because they would be wrong. The establishment wasn't perfect, but there was no need for radical change.

The fear with Mormons was that they would appeal to such men, among other movement.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. There are some personal things at work there, having to do with my family. I believe in this way of life, even if isn't perfect. Hillary Ladin, by the way. I said my first name, but not my last. I was named after Hillary Clinton, one of my mother's heroes, which is why my given name isn't Macurean. Men take their wives' last names here. As you can guess, a lot of men resent this system, but we are trying to preserve it for the sake of its spiritual wisdom. The Dean is a bit of a sexist at times and it rubs off on us. We are not usually that extreme in the whole matriarchy thing as her," she bowed a second time.

[Macureus]

Carla stopped from rolling her eyes as she gave the woman her pot. She had a bowl stashed in her shoe, so it was whatever. She sat down and started taking notes while the woman continued to talk..

Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuck this place
Fuc

Co-ed rooms, we can choose roomates.
No pot, cigs, or alcohol.

She looked up, and noticed only one girl in the room. Jokingly she said to the whole room..

"So. Anyone wanna bunk with me? I can always tutor in language arts and stuff, if that's a perk for you."

She smiled her big white smile and started wondering when they'd get their rooms. She wanted to get into some jeans. This whole skirt and formal slut chic was making Carla sick. In Spanish, she mumbled with he smile still showing a bit...

"Dio mi. Quiero fumar."

She wondered how big the university was and asked...

"How many students attend the university? And, do they speak English or Spanish or what? I'm sorry, normally know more about the places I travel to, but this was on such short notice..."

"Well, to answer your first query, I think that we can find some roommates who could use Spanish. Macurean, English, Polish, and Greek are the top four languages. The latter two because of our ties to United Valik. We have about 6,000 students from across the country, of both sexes. I am sorry about the short notice, but I am glad that you chose to visit us.

"As it happens, I speak some Spanish myself. Sorry if this place seems a bit strict at times. Macureans, Old and New, can tend toward puritanical extremes. Here, it's a lot of morality, probably too much. There it's not enough morality or any religion. They're utterly godless there and proud of it. They don't even allow people to talk about feelings without reporting them for psych reviews, from what I've heard.

"Basically, ours is the Old Order, their is the new. We're golden girl, they are the black sheep/rebel, the revolutionaries. It's one end of the spectrum or another.

"My name is Usa Elan, by the way," the male student guide introduced himself.

[New Edom]

"I'll be your roomate, Carla, Should warn you, I sometimes get up really early." said Carlotta cheerfully. "Carlotta Moss, I'm from Lookinghaven. Go Eagles!" she said, flapping her fingers with a grin. "I am interested to see what the dorms are like." she whispered to Carla, "How many Macureans does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None--everything that is in Macurea is already screwed." she said aloud, "That's awesome, Hillary, nice to meet you--who's Hillary Clinton? Isn't she one of the characters in Star Wars?" she also smiled and waved her fingers at Usa, flashing a little of her teeth but curious--what kind of men were in this place?

[The Cookish States]

"I'll be your roomate, Carla, Should warn you, I sometimes get up really early." said Carlotta cheerfully. "Carlotta Moss, I'm from Lookinghaven. Go Eagles!" she said, flapping her fingers with a grin. "I am interested to see what the dorms are like." she whispered to Carla, "How many Macureans does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None--everything that is in Macurea is already screwed." she said aloud, "That's awesome, Hillary, nice to meet you--who's Hillary Clinton? Isn't she one of the characters in Star Wars?" she also smiled and waved her fingers at Usa, flashing a little of her teeth but curious--what kind of men were in this place?

The Edomite girl moved over and Carla was glad to finally have someone to socially involve herself. She suddenly realized the Dean spoke some Spanish, and she'd just said she wanted a smoke, as bad an offense in this country as announcing to a room full of Cookish citizens that "I could really go for some meth."

She laughed about it, and relayed the story to Carlotta.

"You wake up early though? Guess for me it depends what the previous night was like. I mean, if I was at a clu...er-up all night studying, I'm not waking up at 5 just to give my latin ass some breakfast. And babe, I'm guessin' the guys here are gonna be total prudes. Hell, they probably think we're sluts because they can see our ankles."

She scratched at the diamond stud in her ear and couldn't wait til she got to her dorm.

"I've got my nostril here pierced, my upper lip here.."

She pointed to the locations..

"Two in each ear, a belly button ring, oh! And a tattoo I can't really show you yet. You have anything like that?"

She wondered when the Dean was going to let them go to their dorms..

[Late Roman Empire]

Hillary looked aghast at the foreign exchange student. Did he really just ask that? Mentally she half expected them to be kinda what would she call it... not all there in the head, but really!

"That would be a major NO!" was all she said as she lead him to his dorm room.

Hillary did as best as she could at being nice, but all the same he was male and a Roman after all. She thought this over for a few minutes, and then figured she would try not to let the dean's dislike and her mother's bitterness over the divorce get to her. For that matter, she had to admit that some of it was her own sadness to see how hostile her father had become to her mother and how much he resented the laws, even said so in private.

He had become a kind of religious and political dissident, but not the violent kind, just a cynic. That had bothered her, because she thought that her father misunderstood the big picture. She was particularly sad about the idea that he was probably not alone among the men. She feared a growing movement of men who might eventually challenge the system, because they would be wrong. The establishment wasn't perfect, but there was no need for radical change.

The fear with Mormons was that they would appeal to such men, among other movement.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. There are some personal things at work there, having to do with my family. I believe in this way of life, even if isn't perfect. Hillary Ladin, by the way. I said my first name, but not my last. I was named after Hillary Clinton, one of my mother's heroes, which is why my given name isn't Macurean. Men take their wives' last names here. As you can guess, a lot of men resent this system, but we are trying to preserve it for the sake of its spiritual wisdom. The Dean is a bit of a sexist at times and it rubs off on us. We are not usually that extreme in the whole matriarchy thing as her," she bowed a second time.

"That is good to know. I'd rather not have to be stepped on as Carlotta joked about. There was some worry about that issue. So, I will be careful about the literature. Doesn't mean that I am going to hide my faith, however. I trust that I can still keep my Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, etc. though. As to drinking or drugs, that is against my faith anyway. Interesting to know that your regime doesn't try to stamp out dissent completely. That's reassuring.

"Apology accepted. My faith teaches that we are supposed to forgive people, no matter what they do to us. Glad to hear that you're not as extreme as the Dean, though," Junius smiled at Hillary.

[New Edom]

"I don't have any piercings or anything like that; I was raised in the Apostolic Church and I'm not supposed to get tattoos, piercings, body modifications or anything like that. It's not a big deal though. It's funny," said Carlotta, "But after TurtleShroom I can handle anything. That place is nuts, man, I shit you not. Like you have to wear pretty much a gown all the time. Any woman who doesn't have a hairy upper lip, buck teeth and thick glasses is like a sex goddess to them though, the hypocrites. You can't swear, you can't drink, you can't do the dew, you can't have sex before marriage--and they treat their students like children until you graduate, so you get paddled on the butt if you break any rules there. I got arrested and confined just for wearing shorts and a t shirt. And they form angry mobs at the drop of a hat."

[Macureus]

Arva Carin overheard the other two girls talk and decided that she might want to keep a eye on the Cookish girl. Something told her that girl would be up to no good.

"Okay girls, here is Hillary again to show you two to your room. You can both share one if that is okay with each other, if not just let Hillary know and she will show you to different rooms. You have both arrived well in advance, so there are still plenty of rooms left. Just bear in mind that rooms will be filling up quickly the next two weeks before the Fall Term starts."

"Thank you Hillary for helping out. you are a wonderful helper." Arva said to Hillary who just came back in from leading the "Roman" to his room. She just hoped he didn't cause problems by leaving out literature for others to see. Oh well, she would just have to have the clean-up staff be on the look out and toss any they found.

Arva still had more students to greet before Term started.

"Keep your cool Arva keep your cool," she told herself.

[Gehenna Tartarus]

Amy Johnson was amused at being in Macureus for no other reason than they seemed to have a thing against men. Coming from a nation of male dominance, it was kind of a refreshing change. Not that she had anything against men, unless it was her body, she really not no problem with them, other than the one she had punched that got suspended from school, of course. But it was certainly an interesting place, if she ignored all of that religious rubbish they seemed to like going on about. There were Tartarians that followed a religion, even if the Empire no longer allowed public worship, but she was not one of them. She believed that there might be something out there, all powerful and such, but she had not seen any proof of it, so she was not going to waste her time reading a book that was written by someone trying to tell everyone how they should live.

She had been listening casually to the conversation happening around her, while she took the time to look at her fellow students, at least the other foreign ones. It was a crazy bunch. A girl who was barely dressed, a guy who was spouting on about being a Mormon and a couple of others, not to mention the Dean and whoever Hillary was. Still the people might not seem that interesting but she had heard good things about the school.

And one of the good things about the school was that they allowed co-sharing of rooms, if only she had a guy to share with. The lack of alcohol was not really a surprise, in all the universities they tried to instil a ban on anything more than watered beer, but that had not stopped people getting drunk and doing crazy things over campus. It was one of the reasons her father had mentioned going to a university out of the nation. And how she had found herself in Macureus.

Amy was five foot seven, slim but not anorexic, had pert breasts that were neither too big nor too small. Her dark blonde hair was styled in a bob that came down to the middle of her neck. She was wearing a t-shirt, with the symphonic rock band Travesty on the front, and a pair of cropped jeans, that ended mid-calf. She carried a bag that had a picture of Chad, from her favourite band, on it and a pair of pumps.

[The Cookish States]

"I don't have any piercings or anything like that; I was raised in the Apostolic Church and I'm not supposed to get tattoos, piercings, body modifications or anything like that. It's not a big deal though. It's funny," said Carlotta, "But after TurtleShroom I can handle anything. That place is nuts, man, I shit you not. Like you have to wear pretty much a gown all the time. Any woman who doesn't have a hairy upper lip, buck teeth and thick glasses is like a sex goddess to them though, the hypocrites. You can't swear, you can't drink, you can't do the dew, you can't have sex before marriage--and they treat their students like children until you graduate, so you get paddled on the butt if you break any rules there. I got arrested and confined just for wearing shorts and a t shirt. And they form angry mobs at the drop of a hat."

"Jesus. That's terrible. Worst part about here for me, other than the marijuana bans is they don't allow alcohol."

Carla walked with Carlotta to their dorms, and decided to tell a joke.

"Heard something a while back. How is Edomite beer like sex in a canoe?"

Carla gave a five second pause and threw the punchline out..

"Fuckin' pretty close to water."

She laughed a little, everyone here was a bit prudish. It made her a little uncomfortable. She wasn't like a slut, not looking for a guy to hook up with, but she did enjoy male company. That Roman was a little...No. No. Carla smiled to herself, she wouldn't involve herself with a guy that'd make her the first wife of like four.

[Macureus]

"Amy Johnson?" Arva personally greeted the Tartarian, who seemed a bit shy.

"Dr. Arva Carin, Dean of Students. If you wish, I will show you around personally. If you will follow me. I must admit that I've never met a Tartarian before. What is it like in Tartarus? I hear that you have an Empress. That sounds nice. What is she like?"

"You seem a studious girl, which is always good. Contrary to what our New Macurean brothers and sisters think, we can actually read and write here," Arva joked, as she started to lead Amy on her part of the tour.

[Wielkilas]

Sölälatherö took in the campus with great curiosity, walking at a very relaxed pace. Her pale green eyes examining every last blade of grass and every individual that she caught sight of. She had only been to the mainland of Wielkilas twice in her entire life and then, she had only stayed in port while her parents had gone to sell at the fish auctions and pickup supplies unavailable on the island. It had been very curious visiting the small airport the mainland city boasted, but it been something else altogether when she had stepped off the plane in Broków. She had been completely overwhelmed be the sheer size of the airport and the vast throngs of people that swarmed through its buildings. She had never seen so many people in one place before, coming from a town of one thousand souls.

She had changed planes four times on the way over, it was the cheapest flight she could find after all, and had been very glad to finally hear the pilot announce her final stop. She approached the dean Carin, not because she recognized the woman, but because she looked like she might be someone important the way others around her age were walking up to her and seemingly leaving on her command. Sölälatherö easily shifted a large, worn olive duffle bag over slender but strong shoulders and thought back to the thee days leading up to her departure for Macureus. The crew of the fishing boat she worked on had taken her to the local tavern each of those nights and plied her with booze and raucous conversation until the wee hours of the morning. But the thing that had touched her most about the prolonged going away party had been entire crew taking her to the tattoo parlor on the last night and honoring her with a traditional warrior’s tattoo. She did not know if she would ever be able to repay the kindness, but she would try her hardest to do so.

Sölälatherö now stood before the dean and the other girl still standing by her. She was a tall, slender, and towheaded young woman of nineteen. Her facial features were fine and soft with fair skin and ruddy cheeks. And though she was slender, she was far from lacking in strength, her time working on fishing boats having seen to that. Her attire was simple and practical and consisted of loose fitting jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt that was a size too large, and a pair of well used hiking boots. The ensemble helped to hide her more feminine attributes, while perhaps not as impressive others’, where nothing to scoff at. She also wore a silver stud in her nostril, and one in the upper tip of each of the tapered and pointed ears that marked her as Sölolthor.

She brushed back her slightly unkempt hair, further revealing her ears and tilted her head slightly in Amy’s direction after which she turned to the dean and put out her hand and gave a large toothy smile that revealed a mouth full of bright, white teeth. She spoke with an accent both heavy and intelligible. “I am a new student here,” she paused quickly, “Please, can you tell where I will be staying and when I start classes? I am called Sölälatherö Hölther.” While her English seemed heavy, the pronunciation of her name was fluid and light, much like the waves of a calm sea, or the gentle surf that tickled the beaches of her home island.

[Macureus]

"Welcome to Arod University. Term starts in three weeks. Students are showing up to claim their dorm rooms already. It's a good idea to do so, or to bunk a student that you can get along with. You will stay where you please on the women's side, as long as you choose early enough. Do you have any questions about our rules or regulations, which were not answered by the brochures? As we told others, there is a special gathering hall for religious minorities, too. The dorms are co-ed, but rooms are segregated by sex. Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are banned. If you have any of those, I would advise you to hand them over now, before you get into trouble," Arva answered the young student with the lovely, if exotic appearance.

"Since you're female, all studies and courses are open to you. Males are excluded from theology and law."