Thus, she was here at the start of the school year, after the period when 6th years had a final chance to change their focuses. They'd all chosen them at the end of the previous year but she knew that some changed their minds after going home for the winter break, having had the chance to discuss things with parents and really decide. Some individuals altered their focuses much later in their school careers - sliders - but they were the last people that Drezda wanted anything to do with. Those who changed their mind at the start of 6th year were not to be contemned though and such individuals might prove themselves easily swayed and ready targets for her words.
However, this was a matter that had to be approached with care. She'd only been a diplomat for three years and so she hadn't been able to do this for too many years, there were still those that she had to nab at a later point. She paid occasional visits to Pleasis Meringue to catch such stragglers but also to learn what she could about the natural aptitude of students; he administered the Initiation tests and so his insight was highly valuable. The Hoxian couldn't afford to show too much interest though, couldn't appear at his door too often, especially as he was a lecher and she didn't appreciate paying the price that she had to in order to obtain information from him. Hence, she kept her visits to Brunnhold over the course of a year to a minimum and she'd made sure to make some additional contacts. Professor Fidelia Runesrow was one such contact.
While the assistant professor wasn't too high in the university's hierarchy, she had a keen eye for talent. The fact that she wasn't too high also had its advantages; it was easier for Drezda to approach her and drew less attention. The woman was younger than her and Anaxi to the core - she had the shoulder-length ginger hair to prove it. If the Hoxian was honest, she found the woman a tad dull, her fascination with moles really quite tedious in her opinion but she had had to suffer through more than one mind-numbing conversation about her research in order to keep her sweet. It was worth it in the end, even if she had to listen about her mole experiments every damn time!
"-so I thought I mhight try to stim-hu-late them with diffherent types of conversahun, diffherent level sorcerers to see how the moles responded, royshhh? Well, it's been very diffhicult, you know. Volhunteers are very hard to come by," the woman complained, pushing her round-rimmed glasses up her nose, the notion that people might not want to cast in the vicinity of ground moles an utter mystery to her. Drezda made relevant noises of interest, a sympathetic sound as well before trying to nudge the conversation in the appropriate direction.
"It really is a shame but it's their loss, isn't it? If they don't take part in groundbreaking research then they lose out on life-changing opportunities," she remarked, each word carefully chosen. "Have you not managed to garner any student interest? I understand that they wouldn't be as accomplished as many older sorcerers but you did say you wanted different levels. No interest from the 6th form? They've just chosen their focuses so they've no doubt had thoughts about their futures. None of them considering pursuing research in a, um... similar line to you after they graduate?"
They walked in the vicinity of the dining area, the clatter of cutlery on plates and the chatter of young people quite audible. Some students dribbled out the doors every so often, leaving before the rest of their peers to go about some mysterious business. Drezda's black gaze followed them more out of habit than any real interest.
Fidelia scoffed. "H-interest? Ha! You must be joking! They don't appreci-h-ate the vhalue. They find hit dull!" she explained, the disbelief clear in her voice. One of these days, the Hoxian might have to slap some sense into her, make her realise that no one cared about moles' magic sensitivity except her. She might also have to see if she could knock those extra 'h' sounds out of her; the way she pronounced most words was a peeve of the diplomat's. Somehow, when she said 'th', one could hardly hear the 't' part at all. There often wasn't a pattern to it either; sometimes the 'h' went into words at random.
"They aren't thinking of their futhures, obviously. Some of them are promising in other whays though, even if they aren't interested in my moles."
"Oh? You've been talent spotting again then, have you? Anyone who might interest me? So I can help them consider their futures, of course," Drezda murmured, a slight smile on her lips.
The professor frowned in consideration, pushing her glasses up her freckled nose again. "Hwell, there have been a few who've caught my heye. Some wilder ones with potenchul if they happlied themselves. Some who seem ovherly ambitious. We'll see how they fare in a few years."
Drezda was eager to plug her for more information but she didn't want to seem too obvious about it. Instead, she kept her conversation light, discussing trivial matters until an Anaxi girl with shockingly long hair - in the diplomat's opinion - stepped out of the dining hall, instantly eye-catching with that mane. Fidelia's eyes found her as well, the young woman perking up.
"There's a 6th form now hactually. One of the ambitious ones. Three focuses, two primary and a sechundary one," she remarked with interest. They eyed her from down the corridor although it was doubtful that she'd noticed them. "Unusual combination too. Static and Living. I don't know much about her though. She's newly transferred from Mugroba. Understhandable she came to Brunnhold. Doubtful that Thul'amat could accommodate something so hunusual. She could have gone to Frecks for the Static, I suppose."
Her gaze flickered to the Hoxian, a knowing smile on her lips. "Suppose she still can. After she graduates, perhaps. Too hawkward to transfer again, isn't it? Same for spending a year habroad. I can introduce you though?"
The diplomat nodded, the pair of women moving towards the girl together.
"Miss Whinebrook! Mhay I talk to you?" the professor called out, hardly waiting for an answer as she closed the distance between them. Drezda could keep up well enough thankfully, no Hoxian-style dress today so she could actually move her legs. She smoothed down the black fabric as she approached, hand moving to ensure that no stray hairs stuck out of her head at unfortunate angles. Nothing could be out of place; first impressions were everything. The woman injected a little warmth and interest into her field so that the girl would sense it, a slight smile curving her lips.
"Mhay I introduce Miss Drezda Ecks, Hoxian diplomat to Anaxas. Drezda, this is Sienna Whinebrook, a sixth year student," Fidelia explained, the 'h' in the surname sounding suspect to the diplomat given whose mouth it came from.
"Miss Winebrook? A pleasure to meet you," the Hoxian purred, bowing slightly to the teenager, expecting a far deeper bow in response. "Professor Runesrow has kind words to say about you. You must have made quite an impression in a short space of time; I understand you've only recently moved from Thul'amat. How are you adjusting to the change?" she questioned, the small talk flowing easily, speech laced with compliments.
Fidelia seemed to sense that this conversation might persist for some time, a slight frown coming to her features before she excused herself, murmuring something about moles and giving the diplomat a meaningful glance as she strode off, a note of irritation in her departing field. Was she hoping that Sienna could be convinced to further her research? Was she irritated by the obvious interest in Drezda's field in the presence of a child that had been lacking when they were alone? No matter, any slights could be rectified at a later point under the right conditions; this was not the time.