[h2]Sazel and Pelanu[/h2] Sazel groaned, punching a bunch of papers away. [color=B2A95E]“Dumb notes!”[/color] You are not helpful at all!” she complained, no hints on whoever was the mysterious white haired lady yet, she would have to check the yearbooks page by page, which would take a loooot of time, plus, she felt like she was missing something. Why couldn’t the teacher just tell her who that was! This was all his fault. Well, if one bit of fault was to be attributed to Sazel, according to Sazel, was the fact that she did not know how to draw. She needed to work on that, it would help with the chronicle club, it would help with her research on summons… yeah! Minutes after getting that idea up on her head Sazel could not think about anything else, she was going to be an artist, she was going to be able to draw all the cool animals and plants she saw, and she would draw that bloody mysterious girl with perfection to match that of the photo. Puffing her chest, thinking of how great it would all be, she pondered what to do next, doodling, probably, but… she had nothing to doodle on and the pen was not proper for drawing. She banged her hand on the desk. [color=B2A95E]“I must acquire pencil and papers!”[/color] Throwing over her coat, in the typical style of the frontier land duchy she was from, she started to run out of her room and into the halls of Bestia as if her life depended on it. She ran so fast, she probably wouldn’t see someone walking just past the corner… [color=B8860B]”Uwah!?”[/color] Someone called out as Sazel hit right into them. Something happened and a chain reaction went off where a big bird “kwehed” and started to run off. [color=B8860B]”Wait! Chobo, darn. Go back to your pasture!”[/color] The girl said as the bird disappeared into a wall. Of course, any summoner would just know the bird was unsummoned or however the wording would be. The girl in front of Sazel would be a… Somewhat familiar face. [color=B8860B]”Roommate… Yes? I… Umm…”[/color] The tall girl seemed a bit defensive in posture and never made eye contact. [color=B2A95E]“Oh wow, you!”[/color] Sazel’s hands flew to her roommate’s shoulder. [color=B2A95E]“By the thunders, if it weren’t for that white haired girl you would likely be the hardest student to find! We have been sharing the room for what? A few weeks, and I never manage to catch you around! Either you oversleep, or I oversleep, or we are busy… But not anymore! I have finally caught you!”[/color] The short summoner then smirked, as if she had just finished some evil plan, but she, of course, was just overthinking and too proud of having finally found at least someone she was searching for. [color=B2A95E]“So yeah! Hello! Nice to meet you. My name is Sazel. Thanks for softening my fall!”[/color] [color=B8860B]”Eh? Thanks? Fall… No! Umm!”[/color] The girl seemed to shrink a bit from being touched on the shoulder. Was this a challenge?! No, wait, she wasn’t giving a verbal challenge at least. [color=B8860B]”Umm….”[/color] The girl looked over Sazel. Her clothes gave off… Well, not quite the same vibe as most of the people around here. More like her tribe if she had to put a finger on the thought. [color=B8860B]”Sazel…?”[/color] She continued, swallowing before taking her version of a risk. [color=B8860B]”I am Pelanu.”[/color] She was practically shaking at this point. Sazel nods emphatically. [color=B2A95E]“Oh yeah! Pelanu Oaks! I at least knew your name.”[/color] she then looked down at her new friend, the friendship being a one sided decision by Sazel, and pondered, looking at those clothes of her. [color=B2A95E]“Hmm! Your tribe dresses quite odd! Not what I would expect from a tribe!”[/color] her hand reaching downward, she pinched some of the thin black textile that covered her tummy, albeit so close to the skin you could even see the shape of her navel, then she lets it loose, slapping back against the skin. [color=B2A95E]“This looks like synthetic silk from the southern republics! How amazing that you tribe was able to reproduce this state of the art textile with probably less technology! The white bits look like cotton from the desert lands but obviously couldn’t be that since you lived so far from it… ah, and the belts! What an amazing thing to have in traditional clothing! Even my own kingdom couldn’t claim this, as back then, we didn’t have belts, we just wrapped stuff up and hoped for the best! Your culture must be fascinating!”[/color] Pelanu was taken aback by how… Handsy this Sazel character was getting. She was starting to have difficulties trying to think of replies to all of these. [color=B8860B]”Sy-sy… synthetic?”[/color] She asked, having never heard that word before. Sazel tilted her head. [color=B2A95E]“Ah, it’s like, imagine a silkworm, yeah? But the silkworm is a machine, and the leaves it eats are oil. That is pretty much what synthetic textile is.”[/color] she then looked really confused. [color=B2A95E]“But if this is not synthetic, then how did your people make such clothing?”[/color] [color=B8860B]”Bought from traveling merchants.”[/color] A still somewhat dazed and confused Pelanu mentioned. [color=B8860B]”Chief thought it would make me fit in with this ‘civilized world.”[/color] She started to try backing up from Sazel a bit to make some distance to make her feel a bit more comfortable. Sazel was… horrified at that. [color=B2A95E]“No! That is not right! Can’t you see the problem in such a mentality?”[/color] she shook her head and one might even think she has an honest opinion on this serious matter until she opened her mouth again [color=B2A95E]“It is… BORING! Humpf! You ought to wear your favorite clothes, and if somebody comes to you and say ‘oh, this is not civilized’ or ‘oh, this is improper’ or ‘oh you need protection to enter this place or you will be hurt’ you look at them and you say nu uh.”[/color] [color=B8860B]”I see no problem.”[/color] Pelanu raised an eyebrow at all of this. [color=B8860B]”M-my reason for coming to this place was to learn how these people live.”[/color] She managed to say fairly bravely. Of course, she took a step back as if she was about to step on a snare. [color=B8860B]”I would… Rather not stick out like… Swollen thumb?”[/color] The shorter girl groaned, shaking her head and stepping back, resting against the wall. [color=B2A95E]“Sticking out is what is fun.”[/color] but looking over Pelanu’s clothes, she did notice it did stand out a bit, maybe even a lot, in its own way, still, now Sazel was curious, and it was another mindbug for her to obsess about. Why did people keep causing trouble to her? She sighed. [color=B2A95E]“Swollen thumb? Is that how they say that? Huh!”[/color] Sazel too was not a native speaker, so she took Pela’s word for it. Now the shorter summoner had fully stepped back, giving the roomie some breathing space. Pelanu was able to relax a little bit now. [color=B8860B]”Sticking out not much fun. Outsiders find my tribe odd. It cause a fall. No need for such incident again.”[/color] She mentioned, finding Sazel similar enough to herself to inform the roommate. [color=B8860B]”Just… Word is paranoid? I think?”[/color] [color=B2A95E]”My mom says I am a walking diplomatic accident and I am fine, it's not that bad!”[/color] she giggled, the bells in her outfit ringing. [color=B2A95E]”But, hmm, paranoid… I guess that is a word to describe it. I just don’t think anyone would go mad over your clothing, really. What do they even look like?”[/color] [color=B8860B]”Ahh, no, that is… Simple hemp, cords wrapped.”[/color] She couldn’t think of a good description beyond that. [color=B8860B]”Outsiders visited village one day. I saw movement late at night and went to look. Pushed off village, I think... and woke up the next day. Scared of outsiders since then. I’m pretty sure I heard them yelling at me.”[/color] She skipped a couple of details here and there. [color=B8860B]”Outsiders worrying over all, clothes are not an issue.”[/color] Hearing the story, she was confused. [color=B2A95E]”Pushed off the village? What? Is it on a hill or something?”[/color] [color=B8860B]Are your villages not built high in the trees?”[/color] Pela replied, confused as Sazel seemed to be. [color=B8860B]”Housing is made up in the giant oak trees with walkways around.”[/color] [color=B2A95E]”Nope! My house is like… doughnut shaped and on the ground.”[/color] she adds, making a ring with her hands. [color=B2A95E]”But your people live in tree houses that is very cool! Ah, I wish I could live in one of those, then I could have so many squirrel friends...”[/color] she looks melancholic for a moment. [color=B2A95E]”But, just know, I promise to never throw you off some walkway!”[/color] [color=B8860B]”I hope not.”[/color] Pelanu said, a bit worried still. She was able to talk to this girl at least. [color=B8860B]”Are we done then…?”[/color] Sazel tapped her chin. [color=B2A95E]”I think this is good enough for introductions, but! I must ask, are you in any club?”[/color] Pelanu looked Sazel over again, somehow expecting her to make some odd movements with that question. [color=B8860B]”No…”[/color] [color=B2A95E]”Then! You ought to join one!”[/color] she takes a handful of steps closer. [color=B2A95E]”Personally, I’d say you would love realm exploration! You get to meet a lot of cool creatures and some of those don’t even try to eat you!”[/color] she sighs. [color=B2A95E]”But I guess there are other options too.”[/color] [color=B8860B]”I’m fine without a club!”[/color] Pelanu exclaimed, taking a step back followed by another. [color=B8860B]”I don’t need to be around more people, no, no.”[/color] The step back was answered by a step forward and a soft lean. [color=B2A95E]”But you could be finer in a club! Most of the people there don’t even act like people, so you don’t have to worry.”[/color] then a smile appeared on her face. [color=B2A95E]”Furthermore~ You did say you wanted to, and I quote.”[/color] Sazel shifted from her typical high pitched voice to lower and reserved one, immiating Pelanu. [color=B2A95E]”I want to learn how these people live”[/color] she returned to her normal voice. [color=B2A95E]”So! Joining a club would certainly be part of that, so it would help you.”[/color] and Sazel, as the student would get points with the teacher for recruiting, which the whole genesis of her suggestion. [color=B8860B]”I can learn about them from a distance!”[/color] The girl exclaimed. She stepped back again, [color=B8860B]”No need for club.”[/color] She continued, [color=B8860B]”No need for the pushiness!”[/color] Sazel kept step forward, [color=B2A95E]”Nobody is gonna push you down anywhere! It is on the ground floor,”[/color] the noble girl then gasped, giving Pelanu a sudden hug, and then forcing her back from the opposite direction they had been walking. [color=B2A95E]”Err, speaking of the devils, watch your back, you almost retreated into the stairs.”[/color] Not only was her back to the proverbial wall, but she was being hugged now too! [color=B8860B]”No need for the hugs!”[/color] Pelanu was struggling like a wild animal, not wanting this at all. [color=B8860B]”Athena!”[/color] She called out. A scattering of leaves appeared behind the girl and there stood a girl looking out of place. Well, she not a human at least. She had wings and was covered all in feathers. Standard definitions would call her a harpy. This new creature looked at the two entwined in a hug and had a face of surprise. [b]”Stop the hugging, please!”[/b] She rushed over to try separating the two. [b]”For everyone’s sake it would be best.”[/b] Sazel turned and gasped at the second summon she had seen from her roomie. [color=B2A95E]”Oh wow, I knew you were from an advanced level, but a Bestia summon who talks? And she is so cute!”[/color] the noble would look at Pela and back at Athena, before pulling the owl, who had rushed over to them, into the hug. [color=B2A95E]”And such soft plumage too!”[/color] [b]”Unhand me!”[/b] The harpy complained as Pela kept thrashing. Her face was contorting towards wanting to cry really hard at this point. [b]”Unhand us for everyone’s sake.”[/b] The harpy continued, pushing on Sazel’s face with her hand portion of her wings. This would prove effective against the small frame girl, although she would cling to both of their waists for dear life, soon, the pressure on her pouting face was too much, and she fell back, falling on her butt. [color=B2A95E]”Such a violent reaction... humpf.[/color] If Sazel looked at Pelanu’s face right now, she would notice that there was a slight look of ecstasy … But it quickly disappeared after she realized there wasn’t a force on midsection. [b]”Pela, are you ok?”[/b] Athena the Harpy asked, looking at Pela. The girl nodded and Athena turned to Sazel. [b]”Alright, sorry about that. Here.”[/b] She offered a wing to Sazel to help her up. Suppressing a little ‘ohhh’ of realization as she saw Pelanu’s reaction, Sazel took the offered wing, getting up and sighing. [color=B2A95E]”Thank! Hmm… Unfortunately, I should get going before the academy’s shop closes, I need pencils. But don’t worry~ Now that we are best friends, I will make sure to greet you every day with a nice good morning hug.”[/color] she smirked. [color=B2A95E]”And do join a club, you dork.”[/color] with that, she stepped onto the stairs and waved, starting to descend at an unsafe speed. [b]”Wai--”[/b] Athena started to exclaim as Sazel ran away. [b]”I will return shortly.”[/b] The harpy said to her master before fluttering off toward Pela’s roommate. [b]”Wait up, human.”[/b] Athena said as she closed in with Sazel and grabbed her arm to stop her. [b]”I just want to give you a warning in case you saw something you shouldn’t but if you value…. Well, yourself… I suppose one could say… You may not want to do things to Pela. If you catch my drift.”[/b] With that said, she released her grip on Sazel’s arm and turned around to walk away.