BRUNNHOLD| MID MORNING
The rains of Loshis were still trailing into Hamis, showering Brunnhold for the past three days, making the ground soggy and spongy. Today however, the sky was cloudy and damp, and the heavy fog that hung in the air saturated the world like a persistent frost. It made clothing cling to skin and hair curl against necks, chilling to the bone. In the Stacks, people went about their day with a little less spring in their step, rugging up in suits and dresses and huffing about the weather. Rickshaws and carriages seemed to move more sluggishly, moa’s standing on street corners with wings tucked close and necked pulled in, feathers ruffled to catch as much insulation as they could around the thick plumage.
Within the school campus the students fared no better. The forest green uniforms whilst looking smart, were also most definitely not designed for such weather. They were warm enough, but thanks to the stillness of the air the fabric also had a tenancy to make them hot when layered with the school jacket. Too cold to remove a layer, sweaty children roamed the university grounds with flushed faces and wilted fields, the foreign students more worse for wear than the Anaxi ones. By mid morning the rumor in the cafeteria was that some poor Hoxian third form had passed out in Arithmetic. Tempers were short, and as such it seemed that every passive was in the wrong today, rushing around campus to tend to student and faculty needs with tight lips against snarky requests and snappy complaints.
In the carriage that moved through the city towards the university gates, Tristaan Greymoore would find himself sitting across from Scarlett’s contact, a dark haired Hoxian woman with jade green eyes and smooth pale skin. Her outfit was smart, galdori smart, a long fitted skirt that gave little space to take wide steps, high waisted and raven as her hair. Tucked into the silver buttoned waist was a white silk blouse, buttoned high up to her throat and down to her wrists. Over the top of it all she wore a silky soft grey hingle fur coat that ran from her neck to her ankles. Her long straight tresses were braided back away from her angular face and a hand held small leather bag contained her belongings. Within the small confines of the moa drawn vehicle, the woman's field was unapologetically uncontained, filling it like a balloon and stretching out past the walls. It was thick, like molasses, and drenched with Static particles and a hint of Perceptive.
“The uniform fits well, Mister Greymoore, I take it?” The Hoxian said quietly, looking the man over critically for a moment, checking he fit the part. Her hands rest calmly on her lap, and her well manicured nails were lacquered a deep red that was nearly black. The woman had met him once he came off the boat, bringing the passive to a small apartment that was clearly rented and not at all hers. There, she had introduced herself plainly as Miss Shiuni, and gave him the uniform. Apart from this, she had provided little more instruction or insight into what they had to do except to escort him to a carriage waiting outside. There were a couple of travel bags tied to the top.
“You look the part regardless, which is the whole point. I’ve been told you’re good in sticky situations, scrap, and I wouldn’t lie if I said this might not be a sticky situation. It depends on if we can work together well, or not. I hope for the prior, not the latter. I don’t take kindly to the latter.” Her tone was even, almost bored, as though she was used to having the upper hand in everything. Glancing out the window, she gestured to the red brick sprawling buildings on the other-side of the wrought iron fencing.
“Brunnhold University, it’s quite the sight to behold, is it not? I’ve always liked the red bricks, though I appreciate it more now I am an adult rather than a student.” Sitting up straighter, she looked at the passive again.
“Once we are out of this carriage, you are my personal property. You are a home-gated passive, and we are here on a research trip from Vienda. There will be a short introduction, and we will both be shown our short stay accommodation. I will be taking up residence here on the campus and you will be put in with the other passives. You will bring my bags with us, to my dormitory once we know where it is. There, I will give you further instruction.” The vehicle slowed, rocking gently to a stop, and the driver knocked on the roof, indicating they had arrived. Miss Shiuni sat looking at Tristaan with a very well practiced slight smile.
“Door, scrap.”