Little Thorne
Sector: Tapani Sector
System: Reena System
Planet: Reena
Location: Reena University, Panos Lecture Hall
"It is the negotiator's goal to find a competent and factual argument against the parties that oppose the motion to build on preserved land. If you look to the screen, you will find the core argument being displayed for a propositional stance to allow open consideration on the matter. Please watch closely and pay attention to how Lady Garnet leverages her stance against the defense." Professor drake lectured.
Adalee yawned. Her sunset eyes felt heavy, she had been exhausted since the shuttle left Lorrd University to Reena. The time change made it far worse than she had expected, but it was imperative she arrived at Reena University for many reasons, some more private. Still, as a student of the political sciences she felt it necessary to keep up appearances with another lecture. This was the third one today and it began to weigh on her. Many of the professors that had spoken before this one didn't have real world experience like Adalee did. This bothered her. She could still feel the guilt of choices she made in the recent months. Her gut tightened just thinking about them. Whether it was the defunding of the Entomologists Labs, or the demolition of an age old historic building on the outskirts of her very own city.
Adalee had to make these sacrifices everyday, while maintaining her studies and training with her father. It almost seemed impossible from the outside looking in. At some points, Adalee questioned how she was able to do it all on a regular basis. However, she was Thorne and it was expected of her to follow through as one.
The slouch in her posture almost gave away her tired state. Now her head rested on her open palm as her elbow dug into the flat surfaced desk in front of her. She looked down at her datapad. She tapped on it for a brief moment and began to download the rest of the lecture. Despite how bored she was at the moment, she wouldn't let a chance to learn slip through the cracks. Surely, she would be reading the lecture on her way back home at some point. Regardless, she needed to get up or she was going to fall flat faced on the surface below if she had to listen to the mono-tone voice of Professor Drake any longer.
Her eyes lifted back up to the screen and the lights dimmed. It was more polite to leave now, rather than with the lights on. At least, that's what Adalee thought. In reality, leaving an honorary guest's learning segment wasn't well received. Quickly, she grabbed all her things including her favorite long stacheled green bag and slipped through the row of seats to find the closest exit. She stepped out into the large hallway of the east wing of the university and took a deep sigh of relief.
She wanted to go find her dorm quarters for the next few days and pass out. Of course, that wouldn't sit well with the council members. Adalee knew all too well that she was a student second to her duties as a Lorrd representative of the House Thorne. Recently, she had received some troubling information about a few professors being linked to a scandal involving the trade of spice, splicing accounts of higher officials, and blackmailing the very university she stood in. The group was incredibly secretive, but an informant had come clean with the information through a mutual backlane that Adalee had worked with in recent times. She didn't feel great about working with criminals behind her parent's back, but she knew her normal circles would eventually "talk." They bred her like a politician, they couldn't fault her for having her own secrets. Even if it meant she had found a connection to the force through forbidden practices.
That aside, Adalee looked back down at her datapad. The blinking signals of the archives were her next objective. Surely, with all the guards it would be difficult to slip into the most ancient section of Reena University. It wasn't just the mission that piqued her interest. She was holding onto hope for any mention of the family Dirge or potentially accounts of Blood Magic like her Journal. her father's words slipped into her mind.
Hope is an instrument to keep you complacent. Action is the only hope you need in this cruel world, nothing more.
She turned to get moving, but collided with another student. The contents of her bag spilled out onto the cold, hard floor, a few textbooks making a loud echo as they landed.
Embarrassed, she let out a soft apology. "I-" She looked away, focused on her books. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean.."
Adalee took notice of the flip flops, her amber innocent eyes looked from her stuff on the floor up to the student's short shorts. Then the blue iridescent scales on the right side of the chest, carrying to his neck line. Her eyes widened with surprise and a smile reached her.
"Wait, Makai?" She was stunned for a moment. "Makai Dashiell!?" Her voice lifted to a sudden height unacceptable of the Lady of House Thorne.
She was surprised Makai was roaming the halls of Reena University, last she knew the private tutors were taking up his time. The realization came at the very end of her excitement. This was going to make things a lot harder. She cursed at fate.
Shit..
Makai Dashiell
