[Eric had been through Orientation alongside Matthias--though he'd been lucky enough to escape the submissive stripe down his neck. Compared to Matthias, he's a scrawny fellow, a bit more than six inches shorter and dressed in a sweater and jeans under a burgundy cloak embroidered with silver ivy. It's a mismatched look--back home it was playfully so. Here, it just feels out of place. But the cloak is a comfort item, as well as protection from the winter weather.]

So...that was a lot to take in, huh?

[How does one make small talk in a situation like this? Awkwardly, clearly.]