Tetra of The Fall

49 - Summer Vibes

Squeeeaaall~

Pat!

At my hand, the stainless steel shaft of the door handle soon slipped away, its seamless cold surface bearing a direct opposition to today's warming weather. The door - worn through extensive use - jostled slightly in it's frame as it locked back into neutrality.

"Alright, Mercia's division belongs to Internal Affairs. So his office is somewhere in here. Got that?" Heel planted to the uniquely wood paneled floor, I spun on this single point, soon achieving a full view of the enormous space beyond.

Large collections of window panes illuminated the vast hallway space, cross-hatched sunbeams criss-crossing down the first of three open-plan hallways. Along the left wall, rows of smaller halls led off from the main one, each sub-area dedicated to one staff division. Within these, a network of meeting rooms, offices and a mandatory recreation space would form a fractal-like arrangement hidden neatly behind the main hall's decorated wallspace. Aside from the first floor, each additional layer features styled and orantely railed gangways for access.

Gawping at the area before him, Geralt matched my stepping slowly - just barely heeding enough attention to wander down the stairway safely. "So many staff... I've never seen this many in one place" He paused, finishing the steps with a jerk. "It's a bit concerning..."

"Hmph" emerged my humming shrug. "I suppose there are some cultural differences between here and your snowy homeland" I spoke matter-of-factly, sentence laden with a hint of sarcasm. Two lanes of suits coursed through the space, one neat lane for each direction - flow evident and respected. With a slight bump to his side, I directed a nod - sharing my desire for the coming open space. "Come on, we haven't got all day"

Slotting neatly into the line, Geralt joined my side - matching my stride within the orderly flow. Such clear separation formed a sort of natural 'safety', negating the chances of me losing him in near entirety. With the uniform movement, each grouping was neatly packed together - visually bound without the need for held hands or interlocked elbows.

His curious gaze puzzled then, head twisting and turning with the sometimes humorous extent of disbelief. "Well back in Hestar we barely see members of staff, unless they're medical or instructional..." He paused, head facing up to peer at the two storeys above. A sense of wonder - a unique curiosity for the systematic presented itself. Each analytic eye caressed the systems and geometry which surrounded him, his sudden hunger for such detail now expressed in spades. "If you don't mind me asking, what is the purpose of so many in one place?"

Only half-registering Geralt's utterances, my mind was set on a greater ordeal. Labels like street signs poked out like hedgehog spines, their reflective sheen proving pretty but a poorly made decision. Waxy and shimmering like the surface of a lake, they shone in the early morning light, reflecting the eastward sun to hinder my interpretation of the letters beneath the surface. Though my jaw stressed, eyes squinting against the glinting light, I could not afford the time to miss Internal Affairs. With the hall stretching along the Eastern length of the main citadel structure, it would take quite some time to circle back. They just had to move that damned slacker's department, didn't they?

Half-minded, I heeded little attention to the forming of my words. One after another, they would leave my mouth coherently. "A Draavian citadel is more than just a training grounds Geralt. In Draavia, any collection of buildings set within a fortified structure is referred to as a citadel. Generally, they act as the headquarters for the surrounding town or city, conveying Lady Draav's and Central Draavia's commands" Grounds Management, Student Finances, Staff Finances, Manager Application... Come on.... "Think of each Draav citadel as the surrounding area's brain"