[DDC] I'm coming home [Kanat]

Inverness was quiet all the time now, and Zina didn't like it.

It seemed that everyone was either busy being angry, sad, or missing, and a lot of the times she was left alone with the acolytes to finish her studies. Her training has all but stopped, and she couldn't even remember when was the last time she saw Simon. Probably months ago, she thought to herself, emitting a dejected sigh that was highly uncharacteristic of her. A passing acolyte shot her a look, his eyebrows raised high in surprise, but she just waved to indicate that she was fine. Not only Simon, she hadn't seen Gaspard in a while either.

Gaspard was one of her closest... friends? Mentors? She didn't know how to describe their relationship, and even if she did, she doubted that he'd feel the same way about her. Why would he think of her, someone who was barely seventeen, as a friend? Simon felt more like a father, or an indulgent uncle, but equating Gaspard with that felt wrong. It didn't matter anyway; the last time she saw him was right after he had a fight with another elemental. Ever since then, it felt like he'd been avoiding everyone, and she knew why.

For a place like Inverness, it didn't take very long for news to travel, and given her good relationship with most of the Harbingers, it wasn't difficult to find out even the most secret of all secrets. The fact that Rozenn was Gaspard's mother was more of an open secret by now. He's lucky, Zina thought enviously. She'll never meet her parents again, and grandfather was still missing. Idly running her index finger over the table, slightly frosting over the surface where they met, she just gave a little sniff when her teacup inched away cautiously. The teapot on her table wiggled, signaling that her tea was ready, and the teacup happily went over to catch the hot liquid before coming back to her side, gently nudging her hand until she picked it up.

"I'm so booooooored." Zina just wanted someone to talk to. Why was that so difficult?! Sighing again, she took a sip of her tea and returned her attention to her mother's notebook that was spread open on the table. Her quarters were bare and there was nothing else interesting in it except for this notebook. Gaspard found his mother – and Zina was sure they'll patch things up eventually – which inspired her to try and understand hers, even though she didn't understand anything that had been scribbled down. It looked like Council symbols, but yet it wasn't. It's been puzzling her for a while, but since Brynja was away ship, there was no one immediate she could ask.

The sound of footsteps approached her room, and she barely lifted her head; it probably was another acolyte, like it always was in the past few months. "Kanat!" Zina cried out in excitement when she recognised the passing figure. Hastily putting down her tea, she called out again before he got very far. Her and Kanat had grown apart, but the girl still considered him to be somewhat like a brother, especially since they came from the same school. "I haven't seen you in such a long time! How are you? Are you busy? Won't you come and keep me company for a little while?" Speaking rapidly in Russian, she felt her heart settle. Such familiarity was hard to come by, and she was determined not to let it slip.

@Kanat Zhanalin

The council was quiet, which was a good thing but also foreboding. He and Serik had a few days off which was a good break from the stress. Instead he was hanging around, helping the younger elemental out with their basic magic, and it was pretty rewarding, but tiring. Had he been such an arrogant little know-it-all when he had been a baby elemental? He wondered if he was, and then decided that he definitely was. Kanat had changed so much over the years. His mind had become much more free, and his body followed. His magic grew as his mind grew. His emotions were like the water needed to make his control blossom. He remembered being a clean-cut proper little boy who wrote down mean things in his journal rather than saying them aloud.

He hadn't carried his journal in over a year, able to bite his tongue with less effort. Perhaps that just came with maturity, but maybe it meant something else. Maybe it meant that he was changing and growing. Some of the things that haunted him as a schoolboy—like Aniel—still held power over him, but he had let go of everything else. He had even let go of his family. He hadn't been home in over a year. He hadn't written or called or stopped to see Alia. He didn't miss them, really. He had a new family now. He had new aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. He saw every new elemental in the council as family to him. He wanted to spend his life there at Inverness.

He was passing through one of the corridors on his way back to his room when he heard a voice call out to him He seemed surprised at first, but he smiled when he saw who it was. Zina. She really was like a sister to him now, and he was happy to see her. It had been awhile. He liked all of the elementals there, mostly, but he felt a particular kinship to those who went to his alma mater, especially those in his general age range. She was there long enough to know him back when he was still younger and less prepared.

“Hello.” He offered briefly. “I'm not busy, no. I'll be happy to sit with you for awhile.” He moved down to sit with her. “How have things been? You're staying here full-time now, aren't you? Studying with the acolytes?”