Study Hall [Illia]

[Elle]

Elle sat alone at the table in the far back of the library. Her table of choice. After all, most students didn't bother to venture all the way back here, making it the quietest area of the library. Perfect when you didn't want to be bothered by anyone...

It was ironic, then, that on this occasion she happened to be waiting for someone.

She couldn't help but look up from her book every few minutes, scanning the library for any sign of life and running a nervous hand through her hair. If she kept that up, one wouldn't be able to tell that she had just brushed her hair.

Come to think of it... She usually went to the back of the library to avoid people. What if Ivan couldn't find her? Well, that'd be just fine! She'd be able to study by herself and not have to worry about keeping a firm grip on her skin.

But then again... She felt as though she'd actually be disappointed if he didn't come. Elle wasn't sure why she'd feel that way, she just knew she would.

Sighing at her predicament, Elle went back to her book. She didn't want to look like a complete moron when he did show up.

[Iƪƪia]

One thing was certain: the books in the back of the library hadn't gotten much attention over the past few years. Almost every book that lined the shelves in the back was covered with a thin layer of dust. Clearly, most students didn't care enough to be bothered by the books all the way back there. The same could be said for the cleaning crew.

It was a shame, really, to see good books being neglected like this. Well, he only assumed they were good, of course. The dust even managed to give Ivan trouble in reading their titles. Ah, if only they would give these books a good dusting. Then they would almost seem like new... This wouldn't matter to most students, of course, but then the shelves would seem a little less ugly to those who did come back here at least.

But he shouldn't be vexing over the dust right now. He was here for a meeting. The dust was of no consequence.

Well, yes... It was a meeting of sorts. Though the girl might call it by a different name. Still, it was what it was. A chance to observe this creature in another habitat. It should prove to be enjoyable.

Stepping out from the rows of shelves, he quickly scanned the few tables in the back of the library. She wouldn't have found a seat near the front. He was sure of that. This certainty was proven correct as he quickly spotted her at the farthest table. Of course she'd sit there, but it was a terrible cliche nonetheless.

"Good evening, Elle."

With a smile, he pulled out the chair across from her and took a seat. She seemed to be studying already. A last-minute attempt, really. That was never a good thing. Knowledge had to be gained over time. Not in the few moments before a test or the like.

"Shall we begin? What might you be working on now?"[/color]

[Elle]

Elle had almost completed the page and was in that awkward position of holding the single page up vertically while still reading the words on the previous side, when a voice startled her, causing her to jump slightly, dropping the page. He was awfully quiet! Elle hadn't heard him coming at all.

However, upon recognizing the situation and quickly attempting to calm herself, Elle smiled up shyly at Ivan, dropping her gaze to the book shortly afterwards.

"Oh... Hi..."

As she said this, she began wracking her brain, trying to remember what she had just been reading about.

"Oh... It's about the... The social structure of Gryffins."

With that, she took to rereading the page that she had just finished in a desperate attempt to remember anything that she had just read. Great... Sure, her memory had never been too good, but when she was under pressure like this... It just really sucked.

[Iƪƪia]

Nodding, Ivan slid one of the books toward himself and flipped it open. His eyes scanned the pages without really reading them. It was frivolous, anyway. He was already familiar with many of these social hierarchies.

After all, he had been instructed to study quite a few royal families in his lifetime. There were even those who worked with the nation's government. And while national governments often varied by location, these other governments remained largely unchanged by environment. It always made things simpler to have a constant.

"Yes... Actually, I know a bit about them already..."

Leaning back, he looked toward the ceiling, recalling several memories of just such a social structure.

As he began, it proved to be a bit of a challenge to speak in a more biographical manner. After all, it was only natural that he felt the need to speak in the first person. It was like someone suddenly deciding to speak in the third person and dictate their own life.

However, Ivan was able to manage, deciding to stick only to the facts. That should be all she needed to know, anyway. Despite this, there still were times when he threw in a reference to a particular historical point or royal family. Several times he came back to the Duchess of the Blazing Talon, simply because it was at the top of his memory. She also perfectly exemplified what the social structure was about.

As he paused to reflect over all that he had said, he began to wonder if his words had been useful to Elle. She wasn't the brightest person, so he couldn't truly be sure. And actually, he did seem to be speaking more to himself than anything. Apparently, his little speech had drawn him into the depths of nostalgia. That wouldn't do... Now wasn't the time for idle reminiscing.

"Forgive me... Have I been helpful at all?"

[Elle]

As soon as Ivan began talking, Elle began writing. He seemed to know quite a bit about this stuff, and he had a pretty eloquent way of putting things. Several times, she let her eyes drift up from her paper and just concentrated on his words.

It was strange... It sounded like he spoke from experience. As if he had actually been there. Maybe he had? He did seem rather worldy. Perhaps he was a traveler. He did have an accent, so he probably wasn't born here, at least.

As he finished speaking, Elle quickly read over her notes. She was certain that she wouldn't have gotten half of them out of some textbook.

"You've been very helpful!" She said with a smile. To her surprise, her confidence seemed to be growing. You... Seem to know a lot about all of this."

It wasn't exactly a question, but she hoped that he would continue talking anyway. She did want to know how he came across all of this knowledge.

[Iƪƪia]

Ivan had taken to rolling a pencil between his thumb and forefinger. It wasn't really a nervous tick, as there was never a trace of nervousness in his features. No, it was more of a subconscious action. Although, how subconscious could an action be when one was fully aware of what he was doing? Well, nevertheless, he had a pencil in his hand as he listened to Elle speak.

Hearing her talk without stuttering, Ivan returned her smile. She seemed to be growing more comfortable with this new situation. He knew she would, though it was still a bit of a surprise to hear her overcome her nervousness so quickly.

"Yes... I know quite a bit about this stuff," He responded carefully, "I used to have a... Job in the government."

Well, not quite government, but it was close enough. Besides, she didn't need to know the details. Or really, anything beyond what was asked. Still, he couldn't keep his responses too short, lest he rouse someone's suspicions. Even the dimmest creatures here might sense something to be amiss. Best not to take any chances.[/color]

[Elle]

Elle nodded silently at Ivan's response. So he had a government job before? That made sense. After all, he seemed a little too knowledgeable to have learned all this stuff from books. But then... Why exactly was he here? He seemed to be in college, but he already should've gone through college before he got a government job, right? She was pretty sure that people had to have higher qualifications than just a high school diploma to get a job like that. Then... Maybe...

"Was your job in Russia?"

His accent was apparent, though Elle hadn't been sure what accent that was. She wasn't even sure if it was Russian. But he did sound like Russian guys in those old black-and-white movies sounded, so she might as well take a guess. Then again... Maybe he was German. Didn't German and Russian accents sound the same? Hopefully she picked the right one...

[Iƪƪia]

Ivan chuckled quietly at Elle's words. So she was able to differentiate between accents, at least. A skill of some usefulness. Though he supposed she couldn't tell if one had been fabricated. Certainly, were he to fake an American accent, she'd be none the wiser. Though it was of no use to hide his nationality, as it proved nothing.

"Yes," He answered truthfully, "It was a job I held for quite some time before coming here..."

With those words, he fell silent, caught up in another wave of nostalgia.

How much time had passed? Decades? Years? Was it really only months? All that time feeling not time's passing, but it's effects, and now he was reduced to counting the days. It was... Pathetic, really. Yet this was his life now. He might as well buy a calender now.

With a sigh, he leaned forward on the table, staring past the girl sitting in front of him. Look at all of these books... Perhaps he should look through them one day. Find a book about a piece of history that he witnessed or even worked behind the scenes. Oh, how could they have warped some of those events, he wondered... Ah, and so it happens again. Still more sorrowful reminiscing. It was truly starting to become a bad habit.