The rain battered down outside the Akademiya, muffled by the thick tree walls that encased the expansive building. Sat in the corner of the House of Daena surrounded by a variety of books blocking him from the world around him was Zandik, absorbed in his research. While others like him preferred to borrow books and dissect them in the comfort of their own dorms, Zandik liked the collected ambience of the library where usually, the peace was kept. Usually.

On this particular day he was not so lucky, for the peace was already disturbed by the voices approaching the entrance to the House of Daena carried through large, echoing chambers. The voices belonged to none other than that group that could only be described as 'popular', always making their presence known with their boastful demeanour.

These are the same people who taint Zandik's very reputation by teasing him, acting like he was a foreign species to be studied and spreading not so nice rumours about him and his escapades in the laboratory, (although they are right on that note, his experiments are very morally questionable and he is very secretive about them).

The group neared his table, their hushed whispers and giggles infiltrating his eardrums like buzzing mosquitos– it irritated him to no end, especially since they decided to situate themselves at the end of his table. Malicious intent, no doubt, Zandik thought to himself as he tried to drown out their sounds, but they continued to increase in volume as he realised you were approaching his table.

Zandik had always thought that you were the nicest out of that nasty bunch, always drifting off to the side and never really regarding in a less than human way... or any way in that matter. Maybe he was just being optimistic about you, there's no way you would resent him like the others. He heard you grumble as you sat down beside him, "Why'd we have to sit here?" Your friends seemed to be egging you on about something, his name being tossed around occasionally as they slowly backed away.