Fable - Ask A New Start

[Calixtus]

Elbion College
Convocation Hall
OOC/ Open to new students. Staff by request.


Calixtus was surprised to find that there was no order to the ceremony. New students arrived in dribs and drabs along with family members or friends.

He came alone. The Commencement Convocation was held a week before the formal start of the autumn term. All new students were gathered to meet and hear from staff members. Calixtus could see his brother seated at the head table in formal robes. He was a maester now.

Elbion had been through difficult times. The great dragon had landed a curse upon the city, but they had rebuilt.

An entire tower of the college was a reminder. It was mounted on a great fragment of rock that still floated, attached to the cliffside by heavy chains.

His own place - and that of his brother's - was seen as contentious. They were from one of the Eleven. The merchant families that ran Elbion. It was seen by some of the more traditional academics as a direct attempt to influence the institution. By the rest, his attendance was seen as nepotism.

Calixtus didn't care what most people thought. The doors had been opened to a wide range of ages. There were even a few non-humans. Most people, he found, were idiots.

Snacks had been laid out on the tables, but the new students weren't seating yet. He looked around for any more familiar faces.

 

[Bliss]

It would show the new students something to look forward to in what they could learn if you were to attend the Commencement Convocation. Your brother Tristain did so on your first year, remember?

When Bliss had first walked through those doors for Commencement four years ago, it had been with a frown. Yes, her brother had been there to welcome new students, but he had ignored her at first because he wanted her to try and make new friends instead of attaching herself at his side. What it had done was made her too aware of herself, and barely spoke to anyone beyond small talk and introductions.

This year, she had been invited to attend so that if any students had questions, particularly on Defensive Magicks, she could be of assistance and share her experiences attending the College.

She tucked her ash blonde hair behind her ears, the top half of her hair pulled back into a braid in an effort to keep her hair out from her face. Only a small section of hair that framed her face seemed a tad too short to tuck away, for it only fell forward again. Her roommate had insisted on braiding ribbons into Bliss' hair to try a new style, only for the ribbon to become so tangled and wrapped around the hair, it needed to be cut free. It was not only ribbon that had been cut that day.

She should have allowed the Professor to use light magic to grow it out back to the original length. She had thought to tough it out, 'It will grow back soon' haunting her with ridicule. Now she was to spend the next hour or so fighting with this one disobedient lock of hair.

"Welcome, students! Please take a seat, help yourself to the spread laid out for you as we will begin Commencement shortly." Called out a Professor by the entrance to the Hall. Bliss was not so eager to take a seat just yet.

 

[Yuebing Coquelicot]

A small figure lingered on the fringe of the ceremony. Her Jade eyes sharply passing over the assortment of students and professors with a small frown. She of course noticed Calixtus enter. She was deeply aware of both of the brothers in the way that remora are aware of sharks. She was a daughter of a much smaller less influential merchant house. That she had been pulled back to Elbion and suddenly supported in her desire to pursue academic study was merely a ripple in their wake.
It had become transparent to her the moment she heard that one of the brothers was her age and would be entering the college in the same year.
She had no doubt that her father was hoping she would find a way to cozy up to the boy. But she didn't have much intention of going out of her way to do so. Actually if they didn't notice her at all that would be just fine. No impression was much better than a negative one.
It was only in preparation for joining the college that Yue had been welcomed into the main house with open arms. So it was unlikely that either would recognize her.

The benefit was that with someone like Calixtus drawing the ire her own admittance was much less contested. After all the more humble houses were expected to follow trend. She had caught the odd derisive glance of a person deciding she ought not to be here, but nothing like the outright glares he was getting.

A girl standing nearby fussed with her hair. The woman was a bit taller and had a quiet almost valiant quality of features. Her hair was clumsily arranged.....but the colors was nice. It would pair well with pale blue ribbons...or a pearl hair pin...no, polished glass in the shape of small leaves. oh. She had been looking a bit too long. Yue gave a slow blink then turned her nose towards the spread.
Her eyes caught up and sought out whatever seemed the most palatable. Elbion was diverse but she often found the food a bit....disappointing. With a small moment of indecision she hesitantly picked up a small fruit tart of some kind from the table.

Bliss