IA: A Teacher for Laynie

[Rystil Arden]

"There's merit scholarships, memorial scholarships, and several scholarships from organisations. Highborne can try for the most scholarships, and nonhumans qualify for very few...some of the ways they decide the scholarships are...interesting, particularly the memorial scholarships. In theory, the nonhumans have as good a chance as anyone of receiving the scholarships for which the qualify, but when you qualify for more, you're likely to get more in the end, you know? For instance, I won't admit it to his face, but Garrick is probably smarter than me. However, I got a bigger scholarship than he did. Damien is definitely smarter than both of us, but he's quiet and he doesn't interview well, so he even got slightly less than Garrick did."

 

[Bront]

"Well, I've got all kinds of blood in me most likely, so I might have some highborn ancestors. I'm caring for a highborn kid, am a fairly good performer, and I'd like to think I'm interesting to talk to," he says with a wink to Layna. "We'll see. If I can keep Laynie with me on the tests, I'd think I'd do well there as well. Money is just the only real problem. Maybe I could do some service in artifact recovery in the ruins..."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Well, anything is possible," Layna smiles a bit impishly, "However, you probably won't be able to trick the memorial scholarships without extreme skill. As I said, they are administered a bit unusually. As for 'artifact recovery', if you mean 'pawn what you just found to a third party', then depending on what it was, you might be able to pay off a year or two, though I doubt something that valuable and easy to find would still remain there."

 

[Bront]

"No, I actualy ment recovering things for the Accademy. I'm not bad at such things I'll have you know. Heck, perhaps they can hire me on for room, board, and a chance to sit in on the occasional class."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Well, they don't exactly have anything specific missing that I know of, unless individual professors have something they want. If that was the case, the professor would probably divert research funds to help pay part of the tuition herself."

 

[Bront]

"Well, I can make my skills known at least. Any other tips?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Just a summary of what I already said. If you want a research grant, you need to find a sponsoring professor. If you want to try for a merit scholarship, ace the tests. If you want an organisational scholarship, get to know the sponsoring organisations and make a good impression at your interview. As for memorial scholarships, those are tough without being Highborne, but who knows, maybe one of our honoured alumni left a chooser that will like you?"

 

[Bront]

"Well, let's get to know the staff then, sounds like that would help a lot. I take it you can't grant a scholarship? Not that I'd need that excuse to get to know you a bit better. Anyway Shall we?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

I take it you can't grant a scholarship?

"Goodness no! If I could, trust me, I'd grant myself more scholarships. Just because I'm Highborne doesn't mean my parents are still rich, unfortunately.

"Shall we?"

"Very well then," Layna turns around so that she is walking backwards, which she does seemingly effortlessly, up to the door she had pointed out before, her tone becoming much more businesslike, "And over there you'll see a portrait of Mordrue, one of the school's founders. On your left, we have the Office of the Archives, where our Academy's fine Archivists work sedulously to keep the Academy running smoothly, under the careful eye of our very own Dean Thrym Grolsen."

"Follow me into the office and we'll find you your forms, and your main guide will be here soon. Meanwhile, I'm off to my studies. Enjoy your visit to the Academy of the Chromatic Order and have a great day!"

*Layna leads them over into the office, waving to the man behind the first desk as she heads among the huge stacks and bins and files full of paper that take up much of the room, carefully reaching out for a few papers in particular and handing them to Vanitri, waving to Vanitri and giving Laynie a smile before she heads out of the door.*

"You're working on the forms for a tour of the Academy, it looks like?" a hawk-nosed, bespectacled young man leans over and asks Vanitri in a slightly nasally voice.

 

[Bront]

"I look forward to seeing you again Layna," he says before she departs.

"Yes, indeed. I think I may be enrolling soon, and I've heard so much about the Accademy that I'd love to get a look around."