Professor Coldwillow says to Larrikan, as she leads him across campue, “I will be your advisor, and you can come to me for any academiac issues, but we need to get you registered as a student and find you a student advisor to help with all the non-academic issues. Once that is settled, we can figure out your needs and get you into the right courses.”
The Administration building is a tree-room, a space inside a living tree, created and maintained by dryad magic. Many of the smaller spaces on campus work this way, and partially explain how many trees are in campus. Administration consists mostly of Ahornbaumädchen and two assistants, both young human men. The dryad looks up and says, “Hello Professor Coldwillow. I see you have indeed brought us a Shy Folk student.”
While the two young men gape at this, Coldwillow is entirely unsurprised the dryad knows. The professor tells her, “Yes, I have. I hope it won’t be too much trouble.”
“Not at all,” Ahornbaumädchen tells her. The dryad looks at one of her two young men and says, “Tad, please take Larrikan to the student union and get his meal plan set up. Explain that to him. Get him on the work rotation there, too. Explain that to him. Then, bring him back here. And be nice and remember he’s new.” She turns to the other young man and says, “Mat, run over to Barrow hall and see if they have room for another man. If not check at Willowfront, Granite, and Mossy Hall, in that order. Come back here when you find one of those that has room for Larrikan.”
Both young men stand and say, “Yes, ma’am!” Mat leaves immediately, while Tad waits for Larrikan.
“Go with Tad,” Ahornbaumädchen tells Larrikan, “and he will show you the dining hall and explain meals and what work is expected from you to get them. Then come back here and we’ll have found a place for you to live.”
Coldwillow adds, “That should take most of your day. Be at my office tomorrow, three hours after dawn, and we’ll get you started on class work.”
“Yes, ma’am!” replies Larrikan, and follows Tad.
As he leaves, he hears Coldwillow say, “You always seem to have a pair of human young men working for you.
The dryad’s reply is cut off after, “Ornamental, aren’t they? I…”
Tad seems to relax a little out of the dryad’s offive. He says, “Let’s get started.” and show Larrikan the things he was asked.
Some of these things are pretty understandable to Larrikan. If you want to eat, you have to help with the chores in the hall. Some of the specifics are very different, but they aren’t hard.
Other things, which seem obvious and ordinary to Tad are entirely foreign to Larrikan. The most baffling is the strict work schedule, and how that is all timed and organized.
The dorms are similarly confusing. Some things are obvious – privies, chores, etc., but others baffle Larrikan, such as the assignment of beds and spaces.