Chapter Text
This is far too much energy for the morning .
Kinich sighs in his head, currently in a social predicament. A tan girl with white and faded blue hair had appeared right behind him, greeting him with a level of enthusiasm that should be illegal at 8am.
“Hiya! You’re a new student, right?” the girl asked. Setting down a box he was holding, Kinich turns to face her with a blank look. The energy that this girl exudes rivals that of the sun itself. Now that he’s getting a better look at her, Kinich can observe her blue eyes and red fish-shaped pupils, and the girl herself wearing a cream-colored cardigan on top of a sky blue button-up with a white skirt. Her hair is tied into two braids with a ponytail dangling over the back of her head.
Kinich nods curtly with a fold of his arms. His lizard-like eyes stare at the girl with an impatient curiosity. He himself currently wears just a black t-shirt over black cargo pants. If he were worried about his dress sense, he’d feel inadequate next to her.
However, she seemed unfazed at his curt response, breaking out into a bright smile. “It’s nice to see a new face around here! My name’s Mualani! I’m one of the resident facilitators, or RF’s, here!” Enthused, Mualani holds out her hand.
Kinich hums, expression relaxing a bit. He briskly takes her hand and shakes it. “My name’s Kinich.”
Mualani’s bright smile seems undeterred at his responses. “Are you… a junior? Usually the freshies and sophomores have roommates, unless they get some special accommodation.”
“I am. Though, I guess even if I wasn’t, I have a special accommodation anyway.”
“Oh, awesome! Don’t need to worry about that then.”
Mualani cups her chin, an inquisitive look forming. “Hm, so what’s your major?”
Internally, the black-haired boy was surprised that she didn’t inquire further. He wasn’t complaining, though. She just struck him as a very curious person.
“Business, in finance. And yourself?”
“Marine biology! I’m also minoring in business admin, though! My parents own a water sports shop back home in Metzli, so I thought it would be a neat pickup.” She says with a wink.
Kinich nods in understanding. “Very well-rounded then.”
She shuffles a bit before giggling. “Alright, I can tell you can’t wait to get back to moving. If you need any help, let me know, ‘kay? I live riiight down the hallway, so just come knock on my door!”
“Sure. I best let you get back to your meet-and-greet as well.” He says as he shuffles back to his box and picks it back up.
Mualani grins, “Also, I do work desk shifts during the evening, so if you want company, I’ll be there too. See ya around, Kinich!” Mualani waves and turns heel, skipping down the hall to meet other residents.
He observes her skip down the hall, and soon enough, she barges into what he assumes to be a poor freshman’s room with bombastic radiance. He shakes his head, turning around and moving the last of his boxes into his dorm.
With the last of his belongings now in his room, Kinich shuts the door, sighing to himself. Finally, some peace. From the doorway, the kitchen stretches to the left. Compact, yet serviceable. Admittedly, the university at least allocates the student housing budget well. An induction stove top is lined along the counter, with the fridge sporting a similar metallic grey modern look and, to Kinich’s muted delight, a deep sink. Cabinets are partly open as they are still being filled with some plates, and the bar counter still has a few small boxes that have yet to be organized.
From there is the living area, which currently only sports one couch, a coffee table, and a TV stand ironically lacking a TV. There are two doors spaced apart to his right, one leading towards the bathroom, and the other leading to his bedroom, where his bed holds a messy pile of his clothes. While cluttered and disorganized now, he appreciates the space provided, somewhat optimistic about his future. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
Kinich found it quite lucky he was able to get this room, especially in one of the quieter wings of the residence hall. He didn’t exactly have high hopes in terms of getting into the Sacred Flame University, given his background (or lack thereof). Fortunately, it does seem that the time he put into his application paid off, if his presence on campus or the space provided was not evidence enough. This is better than most apartments in the area, Kinich muses.
He took some time to unpack what remains of his boxes, settling in. A few trinkets from his home in Huitzlan are lined on the bar top, and a Nintendo Switch rests on a shelf component of the TV stand. While he didn’t have much stuff to bring, the space was beginning to feel like his.
Venturing into his bedroom to place down his laptop and bag on his table, he looks over at the terrarium housing his pet bearded dragon, Ajaw. Kinich never believed Ajaw to be a normal lizard. The way Ajaw acts is haughty, as if he owned the place, and he was always aggressive towards Kinich. Archons above, even when he was looking around the Huitzlan animal shelter, the person handling this beast even warned him that the lizard “expected to be treated like a king”. Certainly a normal thing people say about pets. When it came to feeding, or really as soon as Kinich’s hand was in sight, the lizard would sometimes take the chance to try and nip at Kinich. Despite their tension, the two have managed to achieve some sort of… agreement truce to live with one another.
“You’re lucky the Housing Office let you stay with me. Otherwise you’d be stuck elsewhere with only yourself to talk to.” Ajaw continued to stare lasers through Kinich. He could almost imagine him saying “The Almighty Dragonlord did not NEED luck to stay housed!” with his pointed stare. Sighing, Kinich went to grab some food for Ajaw, dropping greens into his terrarium and calling it a day. He flopped down onto his bed, coming to a calm as he just breathed. He mulls over something his previous caretaker, someone he considers family, said: “Your time at SFU will help you grow, and teach you things that I alone can’t teach you. I trust you will find your place in Natlan, Kinich.” From his position, he turns his head to look out the window, where he can view into the center courtyard of the university. The bright sun shines over the grass, a sign that attempts to instill some kind of hope in him. That being said, he will currently take it with a grain of salt. Since the quarter starts tomorrow, he’ll see how it goes then.
The boy takes a few hours to rest and finish organizing his space. Before exiting his room, he dons a deep green jacket over his clothes. His door clicks shut, and Kinich takes a minute to collect his thoughts, mentally preparing himself for social interactions. He figured he should try to become familiar with the grounds before he heads to his classes tomorrow, and if he gets attacked by social students, he ought to be ready.
Kinich descends from the elevator and proceeds to the main office area of the residence building, where he sees Mualani at a reception desk to his left. It looked like she was constructing a bracelet. As if she sensed him, her eyes peered up, and soon enough a warm smile dawned on her face. “Hey Kinich! All done moving?”
Kinich nods his head. “There wasn’t much to move in. It didn’t take too long.”
Mualani stands up to make her way around the desk. Her positive energy is still as radiant as ever, her steps light and bouncy. “Where are ya headed off to?”
“Just going to make my way around campus to get familiar.”
“Ooh, that’s a good idea!” Mualani hums in thought, before her face becomes thoughtful. “How about I help show you around campus? I’m pretty familiar with the area, and it’ll be a little tour from yours truly!” Mualani gives a bright smile and she holds her fingers up in a peace sign.
Kinich considers the offer over in his head. It would be better to have someone accompanying him to explain what each building was, rather than him trying to determine it himself, or worse, having to ask random people what the buildings were. He at least somewhat knew who Mualani was. After a few moments, he nods in agreement. “Alright, but don’t you have to work your shift?”
The bubbly girl laughs, shaking her head. “Don’t worry ‘bout it! I wasn’t on shift or anything, was just chilling there.”
“Hm. Alright then. Since you’re offering your time, though, name your price. I’ll repay you.”
Mualani’s smile turned into a confused expression. She tilted her head to the side, almost like a puppy would. “Huh? Nonono, don’t worry about that! Just consider it a welcome tour from a student here.”
Kinich pursed his lips, frowning. “I don’t believe it would be fair for you to take time to tour me with nothing in return.”
Mualani shakes her head, flashing a soft smile. “Really Kinich, it’s fine! It’s not that big of a deal.” Despite her reassuring words, Kinich’s face is still in a pensive frown. He shakes his head. “If you haven’t had lunch yet, at least let me treat you to that. It’s only fair.” He sticks out his hand for her to shake.
Mualani stares at his hand for a few moments, before laughing. It’s a warm sound. She takes his hand, giving it a firm shake, looking at him with an amused expression. “Pretty forward, aren’t ya? Fine, but then I’m treating you next time!”
Kinich huffs, crossing his arms and looking away. “Already making a plan? Well, I’ll follow your lead.”
Mualani’s tour was quite informative. The way the Sacred Flame University was structured was simple. Seeing the circular courtyard in person, Kinich was able to observe spots where many students would find places to have a picnic with their friends, or find some stone tables to do some outside studying. Surrounding the courtyard were the actual university buildings itself. Their specific residence hall was closer to the bottom right quadrant of the university, which happened to be close to his business classes.
During his tour, he got to learn a bit about Mualani: she talked more about Metzli and her family’s shop, which she takes over sometimes over summer vacation once she comes back home and was what made her so interested in marine biology. Her major’s classes were in the adjacent building to his, which she said that he had easy access to finding her if he ever got lost or needed a walking buddy. He couldn’t help but be amused when her head drooped as she found out they didn’t share any business-related classes together. Her two fin-like ponytails on the top of her head wilted down, almost like a puppy’s ears. Kinich also found out Mualani was really big into surfing, and was a renowned surfer in her local village. All in all, it made sense why her energy was off the charts.
Once they circled back to the residence hall, Mualani spun around, her hands behind her back with a smug smile. “Well~... since you offered, I guess it’s time for lunch isn’t it? Where are we gonna go?”
Kinich raises an eyebrow. “You’ve been here longer than I have, and you’re asking me where I want to go?” Mualani doesn’t verbally respond, winking and giving another peace sign with a toothy smile. Kinich begins to wonder if that’s her signature pose.
He hums, pulling out his phone and looking through the map. “There’s a milk tea place nearby. If you’re up for it, we can go there.”
“See? You’re already learning so fast! C’mon then, let’s go!”
He scoffs, but doesn’t retort, opting to just follow Mualani as she skips towards the lunch spot.
As the two arrive, Kinich inspects the building. About a 5 minute walk from campus is a small, but quaint, establishment. He looks up at the sign: Komore Teahouse.
“I didn’t know they had a location here in Natlan.” Mualani opens the door to let him in first, following after him soon after. “It’s actually pretty new! Opened during my first year here. Inazuman food spots are actually pretty good around here; heck, I’ve got a friend who travels to work around here sometimes as a therapist.”
Kinich makes it to the register, glancing behind with an eyebrow raised. “An international connection from Inazuma is impressive.” Mualani shrugs, flashing a toothy smile. “Hehe, is my business side showing?” She says cheekily.
Kinich shakes his head, amused, before he turns back to place an order. It’s simple, but it’ll do: a popcorn chicken bento and a matcha milk tea. Mualani orders a lavender milk tea with her own popcorn chicken bento. Kinich pays for the two of them before they go find a table and sit.
“Hehe, thanks for the treat, Kinich. Are you really sure you’re ok with it though? I really can send over money for my portion.” Kinich nods his head, waving it off.
“Like I said, it’s only fair you get compensated in return. The time you took out of your day to provide a tour is no small ask.” Kinich sits back in his chair, crossing his arms. At his insistence, Mualani gives a small smile. “If you’re sure.”
Soon enough, their meals arrived. All in all, the place does not disappoint. The presentation is superb and the food quality is excellent. Kinich makes a mental note to keep Komore Teahouse as a regular spot for lunches if he’s not able to secure meals by other means.
Mualani’s voice prompts him to peer up. “You mentioned you’re from Huitzlan, right?” Kinich nods. “What made you wanna transfer to SFU?”
Kinich finishes chewing, setting down his fork as he thinks about what to say. “An apt way to put it is I want to… find my place in Natlan.” Mualani hums.
“That’s deep. Where’d you transfer from?” Kinich looks down. Suddenly the popcorn chicken looked more interesting. He prodded at the meat, taking a few moments before responding, a hesitance that Mualani picks up on.
“You don’t actually need to answer if it’s personal! I’m sorry for asking that…” She looks down, feeling embarrassed.
“Don’t apologize, you didn’t know. Besides, you’ve said a lot about yourself, so I think I owe a bit about myself in return.”
He takes a deep breath, his gaze easing back to hers. “I didn’t actually transfer from anywhere. I was taught by one of the elders from my town. I never really had a proper academic life.”
Mualani mouths an “Oh”, her expression softening. “I see. Ah, I hope that wasn’t uncomfortable for you to share…”
Kinich shakes his head. “Don’t worry so much. Like I said, I think it’s only fair I share some things about me, and even then…” He takes a sip of his drink before continuing, “I wouldn’t say these things if I wasn’t at least somewhat okay with it.”
The girl across from him hardly looks convinced, but she hesitantly nods her head. “Mm, alright. How, uh… how did you guys meet?”
“My elder took me in when I was a kid. He enrolled me into his academy and helped teach me a lot of things. Stuff like your normal English and math classes, but also things like home economics. Things to make sure I could survive, and find my own path.”
“Eventually though, my elder said he ran out of things he could really teach me. Said it was time for me to find my own path.” Kinich pauses to grab a bite. “He spoke with the dean here to help see if he could get me into the university. So, now I’m here, taking on business.”
Throughout it all, Mualani listened intently, nodding thoughtfully as she finished her own lunch. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m glad you’re here. Plus, I’m confident you’ll find where you wanna go and what you wanna do here, fellow business enjoyer!” Kinich’s eyes widened slightly, shocked by the proclamation. “I… appreciate it, Mualani.” She flashes him a bright smile in return.
“Speaking of, what made you wanna take business?”
Kinich relaxes and hums. “It’s a stable career and very straightforward. It’s a practical major with a degree that can be used across various corporations across Teyvat.” He gazes back at her, his brow raising. “And now for you. What made you wanna go into marine biology?”
Mualani giggles, fiddling with her fork as she talks. “I’ve been around the sea a lot as a kid, so I think naturally I got interested in marine life. Venturing out into the ocean with my family and seeing all the fish was so fun, too!” She leans forward, resting her arms on the table. “Did you do anything like that?”
Kinich flinches, opting to look away. Her warm gaze suddenly feels too much as he crosses his arms, sighing. “I… didn’t really have that. It’s mostly been just me before my elder came into my life.”
Sensing it was a touchy subject, Mualani didn’t continue further. She made a noise of acknowledgement, before standing up and flashing a confident smile. “Well, I’m beat! Are ya ready to head out?” Kinich gazed up and nodded in return. Setting aside their trays, the two made their way out of the shop.
As the afternoon falls, the two arrive back at the residence hall. Mualani opts to drop Kinich off by his room. When they arrive, she turns to him, flashing a soft and warm smile. “Thanks again for taking me out for lunch today! I really appreciate it.”
Kinich shakes his head. “I appreciate you taking me out on that tour. It was only right.”
“You’re probably really good at negotiating and making deals, huh? The way you talk about “the price being right” and all that.”
“Like I said, I think business is practical.”
Mualani clicks her tongue. “Hehe! That sounds about right.” Kinich’s lip quirks up slightly in a slight grin. It quickly falls as he dons a confused expression, as Mualani perks up like she forgot something.
“Oh, before I let you go, I wanted to ask ya something!” Mualani quickly pulls out her phone and pulls up her contacts. “Did you wanna trade numbers? In case I’m not in my room and you need something.” She hands her phone to Kinich. He takes it, quickly typing his number in and sending a text to it. His phone buzzes as he receives the text. “All done.”
Her eyes light up in surprise as she gets her phone back, before a sweet smile quickly replaces it. “Fire!” Mualani looks back up at him, flashing her signature smile. “Alright, well, good luck with classes tomorrow! You know where to find me, and now how to grab a hold of me. I’ll see you later, Kinich!”
Kinich waves his goodbye, watching as Mualani turns to rush back to her own room. When she’s far enough, he turns to head back into his room.
Kinich changes out, walking over to the bathroom to have a quick shower and brush his teeth. Once he finishes settling down, he walks back to his room and moves sluggishly towards his bed, as if he was drawn towards it. Soon enough, he flops back onto his bed, the plush mattress cradling around him.
He’s surprised at how tired he is. A few hours had passed by in an instant, leaving Kinich paralyzed from fatigue on the bed. Normally, Kinich doesn’t talk much to most, preferring to conserve his energy from unnecessary chatter. However, with Mualani, he felt comfortable in her presence, actually feeling willing to talk and share things with her. While she did most of the talking today, his interactions with her were unlike others. It must be her energy, he thought. Sighing, he shifts in his bed, turning on his side. “...I guess she’s just that kind of person.”
His gaze drifts to Ajaw’s terrarium, the occupant laying sprawled out on the sand with a questioning look on his face. “Trust me. If you met her, you’d understand. She’s just extroverted.” The Almighty Dragonlord appeared unconvinced, giving a look that is a mix of pity and disbelief. “My servant is in denial!”
Kinich clicks his tongue, turning away from Ajaw. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Might as well try and rest now, this may be the new norm going forward, Kinich thinks. Calling it in early, Kinich exhales, and soon enough falls into a deep sleep as he prepares for the day ahead.