Calibri sighed, taking off his robes to put something lighter on. He hated seclusion. As much as he was told it was good for him, he wasn't a huge lover of self-reflection. Meditation for a day was doable but asking a busybody like himself to go into seclusion to meditate for a week was torture.
He had so many things he wanted to see, so many medicines and ointments he wanted to concoct.
The dormitory had enchantments preventing him from hearing beyond the front door, so he couldn't listen in on the others. It was lonely.
"Knock-knock. Are you sleeping, darling?" Cloud called through the door. Calibri glanced at the door. After cooking for them all, Alexei and the others left.
Surprisingly, everyone got along extremely well with the green-eyed, redhead outside the door.
"No, I am awake. But I am disrobing." Calibri said. "I will be done soon."
"Ah, you're changing."
"Changing?" Calibri asked.
"Yes love, it means you are putting another set of clothing on. Doesn't it sound easier to say than 'disrobing'?"
Calibri thought for a moment. "Yes, you seem to be correct." He repeated the word in his head till he committed it to his memory, smiling because he was pleased with his growing vocabulary.
Soon he'd be taught what 'shit' meant, and could finally explain the word to Alexei.
"Of course I am. Anyway, your sister said not to disturb you for the next week. What's that about?"
Calibri looked at all the medicines Alexei and the others had laid on his desk and all the written instructions they gave him since they wouldn't be able to be with him during the isolation.
"We are self-isolating or going into seclusion rather, to balance our thoughts and re-center our spirits. "
"Ha, sounds interesting. But why can't you just meditate for a bit each day?"
"This works on a deeper level. By not concentrating on anything else, you soothe and balance your spirit." Calibri said calmly, tying the thinner robe he'd found. He looked at his hair in the large mirror, it definitely needed combing, and he needed to dye the ends again for good measure, but for once in his life, Alexei was not there to do it for him. So he pouted and patted his normally straight hair down, trying to get rid of the frizz.
Cloud sounded like he leaned his back against the door.
"Should I stay in my room whenever you need to come out and eat?"
"No, no, continue as normal, I will fast, but thank you for your consideration."
"Fast? You mean you're not going to eat?"
"Yes, but only for a week. If I do not feel well I will end it sooner rather than completing the full fasted isolation."
Cloud let out a whistle.
"That's some determination right there."
Calibri smiled, "Thank you." He said, opening the door.
Cloud caught himself before he fell. "Ah, you're done. You smell nice. Oh! You left these in the living room." Cloud said, handing him his daggers and the weapons his brothers had strapped to his body before they'd left Verbatium, which had been stripped of him in search of that…
Calibri perked up as he took the items and looked at Cloud.
"I wanted to inquire, since you're quite knowledgeable about the different lands in the living realm, if you know where exactly we are?"
Cloud leaned on the opposite wall.
"Not sure really, but I know this place is inaccessible to anyone who hasn't been given clearance by the headmaster. The sect leaders don't know where we are either. I bet even your dad has no idea, even though he's the Grandmaster. And everyone who teleported here did so by means of linked teleportation, which means they teleported here by momentarily linking to the headmaster's memory and touching down in the place he designated."
Calibri listened intently, in awe of what he was hearing.
"Does that not mean everyone who teleported here has seen where we are?"
"Nonono. You're confused. Think of it like this… Erm, do you like strawberries?"
Calibri nodded. "Yes, I am quite fond of them. Especially the sour ones."
"Okay. So, let's say metaphorically, you want to go pick strawberries. You don't know where to though. But, there is someone who does. He tells you he'll take you there, so you hold his hand and go with him, and suddenly you're there. However, you completely forget the path you took to get there. That, love, is called linked-teleportation."
"So for this type of teleportation cultivation, they essentially trust the other person's memories to travel provided the other person knows definitively where to go?" Calibri asked.
"Yes, exactly that."
"What if the person's memory was clouded?"
Cloud thought for a moment. "There's always that risk. But usually, the other person is already waiting at the intended location. So that would mitigate the risk. If you were traveling with the person, and let's say the person is wounded and cannot teleport you both, but you are strong enough to do so, you can perform linked teleportation with the person alongside you, using their memories. But if their memories are hazy, you could both end up somewhere dangerous. That's why it's usually people with brilliant memories who can provide teleportation links, like Headmaster Opaque. His memory is too clear to fail."
Calibri took in the information. He hadn't read about this type of teleportation cultivation in Verbatium, but Cloud seemed to know quite a lot about it.
"Don't worry, there are loads of other teleportation cultivation techniques, and we're going to learn all of them. I'm sure the lecturers would give you a better explanation."
"You explained well enough. You have my gratitude."
Cloud smiled mischievously. "Remember this when I need answers for homework." He said.
Calibri laughed. "You are asking the wrong person to be your accomplice in dishonesty. You know well enough that I cannot lie."
Cloud blinked at that.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That must suck, no offense."
Calibri didn't understand what the words 'that must suck' meant but continued anyway.
"I'll try to aid you whenever it is possible."
Cloud nodded slowly and then stared at him like he had a burning question to ask.
"But what's it like?" Cloud asked.
"What?"
"What's it like? Not being able to lie?" Cloud asked.
"Hmmm. I do not find it to be a problem, personally." Calibri said, going to leave the weapons on his bed.
"But what if you want to hide something?"
Calibri thought for a moment.
"We could, I suppose," Calibri said, turning to him. "But what good would come of hiding anything? Lies lead to distrust, distrust leads to disloyalty and betrayal."
Cloud shrugged. "I mean, imagine you liked someone, wouldn't you feel embarrassed to tell that to them, especially if they didn't feel the same?"
Calibri fiddled with his earing. "But if you liked someone, why wouldn't you let them know, and why would you be embarrassed about your feelings?"
"Rejection."
"Rejection is honesty. Being honest is good." Calibri said.
Cloud tilted his head. "Aren't you scared of rejection?"
Calibri laughed. "Of course not, I get told 'NO' all the time."
Cloud rolled his eyes. "No, I mean in relationships."
"I have never had anything other than friendly and familial relationships so I can't provide you an honest, unbiased answer to that."
"You've never dated?" Cloud asked wide-eyed.
"Dated?"
"Courted. You've never courted anyone?"
Calibri thought for a moment. "I've… Never had any romantic feelings."
Cloud frowned. "At all? But you're 17!"
"Not at all." Calibri said, folding his hands in his lap.
Cloud pursed his lips at the innocent creature in front of him, thinking about Haochen's peculiar behavior. "Well... What do you think of Haochen?"
"What do I think of him?" Calibri repeated and Cloud nodded as he spoke.
"Do you think he'd be a good partner?"
Calibri thought for a moment. "I believe he will be a good fit for someone. He is very kind. He has good behaviors and a balanced temperament… Mostly." He added at the end, thinking about all the times Haochen had kicked Cloud.
"And what would you think about dati- courting him?"
Calibri looked at him surprised. "Me? Why would I court him?"
"I mean, theoretically, do you think you could see yourself with him?"
Calibri's brows knitted as he stared at Cloud.
"Theoretically…"
"Yes, theoretically…" Cloud urged.
"I doubt."
Cloud frowned. "Why?"
"Because, we are much too different. He is from the Zhang sect, and I am from Verbatium. I do not know all the details, but his father is not excessively fond of mine. His sect is not open to same-sex relationships while my sect does not bat an eye at it. His sect is not in isolation, but my sect has hidden from the world. Our behaviors are different, our lifestyles are different, and our goals are different. It couldn't possibly work." Calibri said, getting up to pour himself a glass of water.
Cloud pursed his lips. "But if you didn't think about your sects, could you think of him romantically?"
Calibri sipped his water. "How can I not think of my sect when making a decision? Everything goes back to them in the end."
"But if it didn't. If it didn't go back to them, what would you do?"
Calibri smiled to himself.
"I wouldn't be here."
Cloud caught the words and frowned, but before he could ask, Calibri turned to him.
"Why does Haochen dislike you?"
Cloud winced. "Well, that's… It's a long story."
"An uncomfortable story?" Calibri asked.
"It's more depressing than uncomfortable." Cloud said, sighing.
Calibri nodded. "You seem to have known each other for a long time."
Cloud laughed. "Oh, we did. Got caught up in all kinds of mischief, innocent mischief of course, not like what I do now, but yeah… We were friends. He just... really doesn't get along with me these days."
"Because you are promiscuous and licentious?" Calibri asked innocently.
Cloud clutched his heart dramatically.
"Ouch, sweetheart, that one wounded me."
Calibri looked stunned for a moment. "How? Is it not true?" Then he looked like he had an epiphany.
"That was blatantly rude? Correct?" He asked, clicking his fingers happily.
Cloud scrunched his nose and nodded. Calibri covered his mouth. "Ahhhh. I've been taught about this. Oh no... Did you feel offended? Does it actually burn?" Calibri asked, with his eyes wide, leaning forward towards Cloud every time he asked a question.
Cloud snorted. Well, the others certainly had a lot to say about him, and he knew because he'd kissed five people who seemed extremely irritated at Calibri on the way back from the hall, but in his own opinion, Calibri wasn't a bad person to be friends with at all.
They were just jealous that he looked better than all of them combined.