#so this instead

"Um, hello there?" Xisuma asks the men in his foyer. "Can I help you?"

He does not remember opening student applications again, and they do both look a little older than the usual hopefuls. Part of him hopes they are here for a teaching job - the university /is/ chronically understaffed - but given the state of them, travelers stranded in the desert seems most likely.

"Hello!" the smaller of the two - the one with the white hair, not the green skin denoting some orcish ancestry - answers. "Perhaps. We're looking for someone by the name of Xisuma."

"Well," Xisuma gestures to himself. "You've found him. Xisuma here, master of this little establishment."

It is not quite clear whether the pair tense or relax at that, only that their positions shift.

The two men look at each other, nodding briefly before the taller man takes over.

"Doc, and this is Etho. Could we take this somewhere more private?"

He swears he's heard those names before, he just cannot quite pin down why. It's either the list of archmasters, or the current bounty list, which are very different things.

Either way, the pair probably would like to sit down as well. Both are covered in sand, and half of Etho's face is bandaged! Clearly the road has not been kind to them, but then the road through the desert is unkind to everyone.

"Right, yes, my office is just over this way. Down there, third door on the left. I'll get some refreshments, then join you? Make yourselves at home."

The two men seem a little confused by that offer, or perhaps are just anxious in general.

Still...

"Thank you!" Etho beams, grabbing onto Doc's hand and tugging him. "We'll see you there."

---

Despite having fetched a tray of water (desert), snacks (long walk), and tea (it is tea) suitable for three, Xisuma is still a little bewildered to find the two men in his office. They have not sat down, instead they have their heads together, muttering to one another. When he comes in they stop, but do not sit down.

Xisuma does sit down, and places the tray on the desk, and tells them to help themselves.

Both take a glass of water, though both examine it before drinking.

That's... Worrying.

"So, um, you asked for me, and here I am," Xisuma gestures. "How can I help?"

"We've had a bit of a disagreement with our former employers," Etho seems perfectly cheerful as he says it, though Doc scowls. "We-"

"They cut your face open." Doc butts across.

Wait, what-?!

"And we should have left over the incident with your arm, but we didn't," Etho shrugs a bit, though the way he shifts his bandages away from Xisuma implies... something not as relaxed as he sounds. "Either way, we've left /now/. Bdubs recommended we speak to you about it?"

Xisuma is not quite sure how to process any of that information, so settles on what is definitely most important, "you've heard from Bdubs recently? Is he alright?"

"He's fine. Doubt he'll get caught for helping us leave, and if he does he can portal," Etho replies.

"That's what you heard," Doc looks steadily more incredulous. "Of everything we said-"

"Well..." Xisuma hesitates. "I trust Bdubs' judgement. Sort of. Mostly. And it is true I need more staff, but I might need some indication of qualifications...?"

In response to the question, Doc swings off his backpack and pulls out reams of paperwork. Xisuma had been expecting a demonstration not actual qualifications - he is also not looking through all of that right now - but maybe it's for the best that some of his employees have some. Even among those employed by the previous headmaster, it's around a 50/50 qualification rate. Not that the others do not do well! Just... Paperwork.

"Thank you, I'll review it later," is what Xisuma says, eyeing the stack in Doc's arms.

He does not miss the way Doc ships a little in front of Etho, nor the way he does not put the paperwork down.

"Right, before anyone agrees to anything," Etho's hand is on Doc's elbow, but he does not actually try to step back around. "I'm an elf. Been living this side of the border for years before the war, and had no part in it, but if that's going to be a problem...?"

"I don't see why it would be," Xisuma really doesn't, but then people are strange. "Congratulations on not being dead? I thought elves were extinct. Or perhaps you're undead - our elementalism teacher is a zombie, if you wish to speak to them. And, well, I suppose we do have a blob of sentient, humanoid, half-solidified lava on staff - lovely fellow, he's covering most of the alchemy department at the moment - so an elf certainly isn't going to raise too many issues."

Neither of them seem entirely reassured by that response. Xisuma… is clearly missing something important here, but that's not exactly a new experience. When neither of them wish to talk more, he adds, "I can ask around the current staff, but I'm not sure /why/ it would be a problem. If the students take issue with it, they're much easier to discipline."

"Please do," Doc growls a little as he says it.

"There's an all staff meeting tomorrow," Xisuma informs them. "I can ask then. And, if all goes well, and your paperwork is in order, we can start a trial period next week? Until then, please feel free to make use of the infirmary and the refectory; I'm sure we can find somewhere for you to stay until things are formalised."

See? He's doing this properly! More properly than he did with False, at least.

"Thank you!" Etho beams, and Doc looks a little more settled. "Could you show is the way?"