koussikka – vvardenfellcat

Do you like your colleagues at the college, J’hasi? What about the lessons and the professors there, are they any good?

The Khajiit yawned hugely, teeth flashing in the low light of the Arcaneum. He hadn’t been sleeping on a book this time, thank the Hist. He gave his jaw a little push, cracking his stiff neck and rubbing it, slowly adjusting to being awake.

“Don’ mind them, ‘cept the Thalmor whelp can go get lost in a blizzard for all I care. Sometimes he and J’zargo get competitive and it’s just best to leave the area before someone other than them gets singed.” J’hasi rubbed the side of his jaw, eyes flicking down to his text, glad that it was his homework he fell asleep on rather than his…unorthodox research. He cleared his throat, some of the raspiness in his voice giving way for a quiet roughness instead.

“I mostly keep to myself, but it’s…kinda difficult to practice some of our spells alone, so I try to find Brelyna if she’s free. At least she shows some remorse for when her spells go wrong and I have to deal with turning into a-” He snapped his mouth shut, shaking his head.

“Nevermind. Onmund is similarly easy to get along with, though J’zargo I’ve been trying to avoid when possible since the last fiasco.” J’hasi shuddered a little, shaking his head as if to clear the bad memories from it.

“I haven’t dealt with many other students at the College other than them. Koussikka seemed nice, but he doesn’t seem to stick around the College for long periods of time, or I just happen to miss him when I go off grounds.” The Khajiit shrugged.

“Tolfdir is a good teacher. Patient. Hist knows he needs it when it’s time for me to cast.” He stretched, his shoulders popping as his arms spread over his books and papers, clawtips just barely reaching some of the only bare space left on the table, then he arched his neck and back, a chorus of pops and cracks emanating from his spine. J’hasi huffed out a sigh, the barest hint of a smile on his lips as he rolled his shoulders.

“That’s better.” He swiped over his face.

“The other professors are alright. Collette…she tends to go onto tangents in lecture and it’s hard for me to follow if it’s relevant to what she’s actually trying to teach. My notes in her class are…difficult to refer back to because of how much I’ve had to cross out because she was remarking on something that happened earlier that day than the actual magic she was teaching.” The Khajiit yawned again, rubbing his trap in hopes to loosen it up.

“Most of the other classes go alright. As uh…alright as they can, I suppose. It’s difficult for me to cast anything, so I’m not sure if I’m misunderstanding the spell, or if it’s something in when I’m casting. Faralda’s classes always make me nervous, not so much because of her teaching, but because of when I have to cast and knowing that I’ll have to go to Collette afterwards moreso than with other classes. …I actually…surprisingly…miss Astarill’s classes.” He swallowed.

“I mean, I’m fine around dead bodies so long as they stay dead, but when we’re working on them to prep them for reanimation…it’s physical, it’s there, I can be told outright if I’m doing something wrong because Astarill can see what I’m doing wrong. Though um…he did say that there’s something wrong with me when I’m casting so I guess he could see that too?” The topic of the mer’s apparent but possibly-not-actual blindness had been the whispered discussion of Onmund and Brelyna on more than one occasion. J’hasi sighed.

“I mean, we hadn’t gone far into what I was doing wrong, but if I can get that fixed, then maybe classes would be easier.”

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

”Maybe you just like sleeping a lot?” Koussikka teases, jabbing J’hasi playfully with his elbow before answering his question. ”That depends, too, whether to accelerate body’s own healing process or fixing it yourself. Kind of. It’s more like a mixture of the two, with differing doses of acceleration and fixing it yourself mixed together.”

”Like, if you have a sprain,” he holds up his just-healed hand, ”you’re most likely using the acceleration more than fixing, but when you have a serious traumatic injury, like,” he pokes himself into stomach by index finger, ”a ruptured organ, you need more fixing to heal it.”

If anything good had come out of his past near death experience with the dragons bite, it would be this topic. While Koussikka wasn’t particularly gifted in restoration he had gotten a good grasp on how it works by observing the magic work on himself. Not fun times, but very educational.

”Though it’s possible to use those healing options in opposite situations with success, it’s encourage to use accelerated healing on injuries that need rest and time, and fixing healing on injuries needing stitches and surgery.”

End his little lecture with a lop-sided smile he shrugs. ”Either way, both methods take their toll on the injured person’s body so I don’t suppose there’s much difference in how tired they make a person. Sleeping is good for healing anyway.”

The Khajiit paid rapt attention, tail up and still as the mer explained, nodding a little when he understood. He frowned, thinking for a moment.

“Can Restoration fix when something’s missing? Like, if someone got a finger bitten off or lost some of their insides? Or would they need to have that piece there to um…sorta like stick them back together?” He wasn’t sure of the limits, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. He never knew what kind of injuries he could get in the future, or…injuries he might inflict on accident.

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

”Well, it all depends on how serious the injury is and how skilled the healer is.” Walking to the magicka well in the middle of the room Koussikka leans against it’s rim to examine his hand in it’s blue light. Carefully turning over his wrist he feels the now-mended thumb bone with his fingers, applying pressure and flexing said finger in rotating motion.

”For someone as experienced as sera Marence a simple sprain and a fracture won’t be much of a challenge to work with. But, in my experience, no matter how great a healer’s skill in their craft is, it’s often wise to be careful of the healed injury for a few days since it’s kind of vulnerable for a re-injury.” Holding out his hand for J’hasi to see he wiggles his fingers.

”At least I’m fairly sure there was a fracture. I mean, with my level restoration skills you can’t mend bones but I’m pretty sure I can figure out if they are fractured or broken.”

Pausing to think over what he just said the dunmer laughs. ”Eh, though even an idiot can probably tell without magic if they have a broken bone or not.”

J’hasi smiled, eyes focused on the mer’s hand, noting that while it was still a little swollen, it otherwise appeared just fine. He refrained from touching it at least, unsure if it would still be sore or not.

“My best friend was in another category. Smart in their own right, but assessing injury wasn’t their strong suit.” The idea of re-injury he was familiar with mundane healing, especially when he exerted himself too much too soon after being patched up, only a few occasions with broken bones, but with bones he’d assumed it was because he hadn’t healed entirely yet. But if magical healing also left that possibility, it had to be something else then. When his curiosity was sated, the Khajiit’s eyes flicked back up, tail curling behind him.

“So is it just like…making your body heal faster, or are you fixing it yourself? I know I get tired after I’m fixed up with magic, but I’m not sure if that’s because of magic because when I get patched up with like…bandages and stuff I get tired too. Well, with like…really bad injuries, but…” J’hasi frowned, gaze lowered and brows furrowed in thought for a few moments as he thought over his own question.

“…but I get tired even if I don’t get patched up…” he muttered to himself, as if still mulling it over.

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

”Hm, is that so.” She doesn’t sound too convinced but drops the subject, falling silent for a moment as she finishes healing the dunmer’s wrist.

Koussikka has been following the exchange between Colette and J’hasi with poorly covered curiosity. It’s not nice to nosey into other people’s business, he knows, and it takes all his willpower to not to ask about the burns. With a not-so-stealthy side glance he’s trying to sneak a look at J’hasi’s hands when he gets interrupted by the restoration scholar. ”How’s it feel?”

”Ah-” attention back at the now healed injury he flexes fingers, ” -as good as new. Thank you, sera Marence.”

”Good.” There’s pride in her voice, not even expecting a differing answer when her skills were in question. Turning to her desk she addresses both of them over her shoulder. ”If that was all, I have other duties to attend to.”

”Of course, sera” Taking clue Koussikka starts to heads out of her room and lightly pats J’hasi’s arm on the way to gesture him to follow in tow. At the door he calls back to her. ”Good day and thank you again.”

The Khajiit’s ears prick at the pat on his arm, following the mer at their gesture before Colette could change her mind and find something to lecture him on about of the incident that brought them there in the first place. She seemed distracted with something on her desk already, which was good. J’hasi’s tail curled behind him as he kept pace, both feeling good that Koussikka’s arm was mended, as well as burning curiosity about the spell used to hasten its recovery.

“That was quick. Is that how long magic takes to heal normally?” he asked, the tip of his tail ticking back and forth, his fingers curling into his sleeves to grip the hems and prevent them from twitching. He wanted to look over the Dunmer’s wrist, figure out why it seemed so easy and quick for them to be healed, but for the same healer to be so ineffective on himself.

(⊙?)

I think you are:

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

Standing next to Colette’s bed he shoots a curious look at J’hasi at the mention of getting people burnt. The khajit didn’t strike to him as the type to harm people on purpose, so, poor guy just probably had the worst luck in the world to get caught up in accidents. Feeling sorry for him Koussikka pipes up quickly when J’hasi is cornered by the restoration scholar.

”No, no, J’hasi didn’t do anything, I tripped on him and broke something in my hand.” He holds up his swollen wrist, which has started to turn into darker shades of bruising. Colette looks a little surprised, ”It wasn’t a magic related accident? At all?” To which Koussikka shakes his head.

A look of brief relief passes over her, ”That’s unusual, given that most injuries that happen with students are spells gone wrong. Not that I complain about having an ordinary injury to take care of for a change.” Stepping closer to the dunmer she eyes the injury and slides back his sleeve a bit. ”Let’s take a look at your hand then.”

As Colette’s hands begin to shimmer with restorations magic being readied, Koussikka points to the thumb side of his hand. ”I think the broken part is around here, it really hurts to move my thumb.”

The Khajiit relaxed once Collette’s attention was on his acquaintance’s wrist, slowly shifting away from the wall as he sends a grateful look back at the mer in question. He fidgeted a little, not sure if talking would detract from the professor’s concentration before she spoke to him, eyes still focused on her task.

“Did you need more ointment for your burns or are you here just to gawk?” J’hasi jumped a little, ears flicking back.

“Um…n-no, my hands are fine. I uh…just wanted to watch you work.” His eyes flicked from the Breton, to Koussikka, then to the mer’s wrist, tail rising a little in interest as the bruising receded, like a spreading inkblot in reverse.

“I’m interested in how Restoration works, so watching a master at work isn’t something I’d let pass by lightly.” he said quickly, hoping that would placate her enough to leave him be. Though he smiled at the Dunmer, glad to see that their wrist was getting the attention it needed.

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

”Well that’s what you’ll get when you let nords name anything, big and bigger!” He laughs, shaking head. ”But, you’ve went up close to a mammoth? They smell horrible and are have tusks, so why on Nirn would you ever want to approach them?”

Shooting J’hasi a squinty look in jest he pretends to be suspicious. ”No, wait, I know. You were after mammoth cheese, weren’t you?”

From the staircase leading up to the Hall of Countenance emerges the scholar they’re waiting for. Deep in thought, muttering under her breath, Colette doesn’t notice she has visitors until she’s almost at her door and sees the khajit. It isn’t unusual that student sometimes came to seek her and thus she only nods a greeting to J’hasi before brushing past him into her chamber, motioning Koussikka to get off her bed.

”What brought you two here? I haven’t forgotten a meeting, have I?”

The Khajiit grinned, nose wrinkling a little at the thought of mammoth cheese. But before he could give a teasing retort back however, his tail quirked at a familiar scent, immediately backing up to the wall again. He expected a reprimand to follow for being in a professor’s room before Colette simply breezed past him instead. His breathing felt a little tight as he let out a slow breath, trying to calm himself down. Not in trouble, then… His tail gave a small flick.

“We…uh…had an accident.” The Breton gave him a stern look.

“You didn’t get yourself and someone else burnt, have you?” J’hasi’s ears flicked back, swallowing and quickly shaking his head.

“U-uh, no… I’m not… I didn’t…” The Khajiit would’ve backed up a little more had he the room, but as it was his back was already pressed against the wall. He gave a little pleading look towards Koussikka, mind completely blank on what to say.

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

The follow-up question is met with a silence for a moment when Koussikka debates with himself whether to answer it or not. It’s asked out of innocence, he knows, but it’s inevitably tied back to the topic he’s trying to avoid. Not knowing how to politely avoid answering he gives in.

”Well… not much.” His not-quite genuine smile dissolves away as his fake cheer turns into solemness. Eyes fixed staring into air in front of him the dunmer continues. ”The caravan we were traveling with didn’t make it very far past Morrowind-Cyrodiil border. It was getting dark when we were attacked. I… got away, but ended up lost in the woods for some days, trying to find back to Morrowind.”

Looking back at J’hasi a little humorless smile tugs his lips. ”So, yeah, I haven’t actually seen Cyrodiil at all. I mean, I saw my first bear in those woods, but I don’t think one weird animal is everything the country has to offer.”

The humorless smile turns into an actual one. ”And speaking of weird things, have you ever seen those giants and their mammoths? I was so freaked out when I first saw a giant half-naked person walking around tundra in nothing but a loincloth, herding huge hairy netches with long thin faces.”

The Khajiit’s ears pricked, tail flicking up in surprise from the earlier wince at unintentionally making the mer feel upset. He even pushed himself away from the wall a moment before he could lose his footing to his sudden burst of surprise and excitement, tail practically vibrating behind him.

“So I wasn’t the only one, then! Mammoths? Is that what those things are called? I mean, I guess when you can’t think of a better name for weird animals, just giving them a name that means ‘big’ works.” J’hasi smiled, almost seeming on the brink of laughing from relief.

“I-I mean, no one in this province knew what I was talking about when I asked about them, and it’s not like the giants were all that friendly and chatty, either. Big and big…” It got a small chuckle out of him, shaking his head, gaze flicking to the floor as his hand came up to push his bangs out of his face.

“I have to admit, I made the mistake of thinking that mammoths were just as calm as netches, at least the bulls. At least paying for that mistake doesn’t mean getting stung, just…really terrifying noises and having something that big chasing you a ways.”

First Impressions – Koussikka/J’hasi

koussikka:

”Ah, I see.” Noticing the uneasiness his question brought up in J’hasi he doesn’t push the subject. To the counter question he barks out a short humorless laugh and replies without much thinking what he says, ”I wasn’t even supposed to come into this cold-ass province!”

”We- um,” he falters right at the beginning, already having second thoughts about carelessly telling his new acquaintance of the misfortune that sent him up north. But, having started the sentence he feels like can’t withdraw the words anymore. ”I, I was on my way to Chorrol, but, there was an ambush in the mountains and I-” With a weak little shrug he finishes off lamely. ”I run. I had to.”

Falling silent for a beat Koussikka can feel the awkwardness creep in, and to dispel the mood falling over them, he puts on a smile and tries to sound cheerful when he continues. ”Ha ha, well, um, sorry, you probably aren’t interested in that. I, um, I came to the college some time ago. I have some talent in magic and I figured it’d be worth to learn how to utilize it. And it turned out I’m kind of good in casting destruction magic and conjuration, though I can’t say those skills are anything shocking for a dunmer, eh?”

Curiosity was stirred at the mer’s response, but he respected their silence on the details as they had done for him. The Khajiit was trying to figure out if he should ask about Chorrol, what was waiting for them there before the mer thankfully broke the silence for him. He smiled back, hoping it would ease the awkward feeling that felt like it was choking him, unhelpfully mixed with the slight concern for the mer.

“I asked about it, didn’t I? I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t genuinely didn’t want to know.” J’hasi rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling himself fidgeting again. He wasn’t sure which way to direct the conversation after that, biting his lip for a moment. He was already missing the earlier ease, trying to figure out a question that could bring that back.

“H…how much of Cyrodiil did you get to see?” he asked, at a loss of what else he could ask.

[J’hasi and Kous in pretty dresses? Or maybe Elsweyr clothing? :3]

koussikka:

Follower pic party

(Hmm let’s roll with Elsweyr dresses. I imagine they are often on the light side, being worn usually in hot climate and all. Also, wtf is khajit anatomy I’m so sorry friend I’m bad at khajit and I might’ve butchered J’hasi ;A;)

(AND I’m sorry but it looks like I’ll have to finish the rest of the pics during my mini christmas holiday. Work’s been hella busy and sucking up all my juice.)

[SCREAMS QUIETLY]