Infirmary
Silver Hand Academy, Arcadia
Present
Waking on the side of Mehran's bed, Niloofar could not help but rub her eyes in lethargy. Vyna herself had long left, which finally gave her the opening to see her brother. Falling asleep by his bedside, it took a while for her to notice that he was out of bed already. As he quietly buttoned up his shirt, she could not help but feel a bit put off by the cold shoulder. Standing up, she questioned in agitation, "why didn't you wake me up when you're about to leave?"
"I didn't want to disturb you," Mehran stated calmly, a reflection of his father's aloof nature, "you seem to be having a nice dream."
"Shut up," she went in a pout, turning her head away in a light blush, "it's not you concern. Let's just go, brother."
Putting on his shades with a beaming smile, Mehran need not say another word. Gesturing at the door, he let the fiesty girl lead the way as he followed behind her out of the ward. Many things could set off the young Xorshid girl, Mehran included. But her words tend to have more bark when dealing with those she cared about.
Zarkenis Ultima wrote:"...So that's all I wanted to say. Congratulations on your duels, everybody." Aressa told the recruits as they all sat calmly in the tranquility of their common room. She no longer bore the golden robes of the aspirants and the pristine white uniform of the students, instead clad in a simple white shirt and a pair of black pants, having taken a moment to change upon arriving to the dorm after leaving the stadium. Her crimson hair was tied up into a ponytail and she had visibly relaxed after the solemnity of the welcoming ceremony and the accident that occured during the duels.
"Now, you're all free to change into something else if you wish, but bear in mind that, starting tomorrow, you'll only be allowed to wear civilian clothes while in the student floors or during certain holidays." She said, before hearing a light knock on the door. And as she moved to open it, she found herself face to face with the black-robed woman with the scar over her eye.
Stepping up to the back of the crowd as Aressa debriefed the students, the Shirazis merely held their silence as they listened in to their instructions. There was not really much to do for either of them - student life in the academies in Mervarid were fairly mundane as it were - and Mehran was sure his sister would step in if he went back to practice immediately after that stabbing. In any case, there appeared to be nothing more for them, at least until Aressa was interrupted.
Zarkenis Ultima wrote:"I see you've gotten along remarkably well with your charges, Alistar." The woman said, quite aware of and in fact amused by the sheer surprise displayed by Aressa's face at suddenly finding one of the instructors of the Academy in front of her door.
"A-ah... Miss Cyranis. What can I do for you?" The surprised aspirant asked.
"Oh, nothing much. Just show these late arrivals around, they'll be part of your group from now on." The instructor stated, motioning towards the three students that stood behind her, before patting Aressa on the shoulder. "Now then, I'll be leaving. Have a nice day." She smiled at the students, and departed.
Left behind with the three new arrivals, Aressa looked at Cyranis leave for a few moments before turning her attention to the three students in front of her. "Well, I suppose lunch will have to wait a bit. Come inside." She said, stepping aside to allow them entrance to the common room. "My name is Aressa Alistar, and I will be one of your guides. The other one, Arcander, is currently with some other students." The aspirant said. "You may want to introduce yourselves or leave your things here so that you won't have to carry them everywhere. You're also free to change into more comfortable clothes, we have permission to walk around the school in civilian wear for today." She explained. "We were just about to head to the top floor to get something to eat, in case any of you is hungry."
Raising his eyebrow, the sunglass-sporting lad was rather intrigued by the sudden appearance of the recruits. Glancing back at Niloofar, he was sure she was the last to arrive. Regardless, he felt a small tinge of anticipation over their coming duels, though his injury had tempered his passion quite a bit. A quick look at Jynna's meeting with what appeared to be her brother, he finally began to make his way out of the crowd. There was nothing more they needed to do, rather disappointing considering his plans to observe the other duels right after he finished.
"Boring..." he mused, as Niloofar caught up beside him, "to be honest, even if you didn't come, I would have returned to Mervarid quite soon. As much as I'd like to take up their headmaster's challenge, I'm already feeling a bit awkward being here."
"You didn't seem that precocious when you were out in the arena, brother," grumbled Niloofar with a pout.
Peering at her through his visor, Mehran merely mused, "well, you're not really in the position to consider such trivialities when you're out on the field, are you? Isn't that why you lost Father's bet back then?"
Scowling a bit, the girl defended herself, "shut up! I was too stunned to react! Besides, how am I supposed to know he was a part of the Zhayedan!? I was eleven!"
"Do you regret it," joked the young lad, much to the girl's chagrin as usual. But rather than voicing her anger as usual, Niloofar could not help but pause at his words. "Regret..." she mused to herself, slowing down behind him as she thought over his words endearingly, "who knows... I guess I'm still waiting to challenge him... that 'Red Comet'."
She never imagined that she would be here, as a knight-errand in the company of a family member. There were times when she questioned if she really was a daughter of the Shirazis, whether any of their children, barring Mehran, had any right to claim it. But the family that took her in when no one else would dare look at her proved her doubts wrong. In Mehran's eyes, she was family. It was a trait few clans in Mervarid held, and one that quite surely saved her from a life of despair and destitution.