A large party of ponies and a griffon trotted after President Kinmari, the suited stallion leading them on a walking tour of the western shore of the island. It was the most-developed section they had seen, part of the school instead of College Town to the south, and designed to be the first thing many ships and visitors saw upon sailing in from the mainland.
"A rather pretty establishment you have, here," Felicity commented as they made their way down a sculpted road, the sun beginning to set to the west. Passing students waved, most of them noticing the president and not opting to try to stop them to chat.
Gerardo tapped her on the shoulder. "Mind you don't repeat the same praise too often," he whispered. "You've said that three times already. We wouldn't want to sound insincere..."
"What? More poetic words elude me!"
President Kinmari laughed. "That's quite alright. In comparison to the wonders you must have seen, I'd know you were bluffing if you said my tiny island was the best. Generations of ponies have done their best to make this a proud institution, but the north is home to nations older than Equestria. I'm sure they have us outdone."
"Not outdone in hospitality, at least," Amber insisted, looking much better after her bath. Her eyes were still weary, but they were free, and her mane had a bit of a bounce to it that wasn't just from the shampoo. "I joined the party late, but some of the stories I've heard, let me tell you..."
The president chuckled, passing a building Starlight suspected was the opposite side of the Laughter dorms than the one they had stayed in. In the distance up ahead, she could see a plaza with a fountain, but suspected it was different than the one near the coffee shop where she had talked with Caballeron.
Eventually, they reached the fountain, a sculpture of a unicorn, pegasus and earth pony standing back to back on their hind legs, each holding an open book with water running out from between the pages. President Kinmari gestured to a gate to the side. "This here we like to call the school's front entrance," he narrated. "It's the dock where new students arrive for the first time, and where we hold class inaugurations and the like. It's also a great place to watch the sunset reflecting off the waves, so remember where it is!" He turned away from the gate to the docks, facing inland. "And here, we have most of the administration buildings, including school-owned on-campus housing for some of our more distinguished staff."
Jamjars instantly snapped out of her thoughts. "Is that where we'll be staying?"
"You're an eager one, aren't you?" President Kinmari laughed. "It's an option, but not your only one. Whatever you choose, though, the cost will be all on us, so don't fret yourselves there."
"Well, might we see it?" Felicity hopefully pressed. "As much as I appreciate the tour, darling, I'm not one for extended amounts of walking around..."
The president nodded, guiding them up a gilded staircase that ran parallel to the road, then on a bridge across it. A small badge on his chest sparkled with magic, and a glass double-door ahead of him opened automatically in return. He stood to the side, inviting everyone in.
It was a lobby, feeling halfway between an office and a hotel, with a well-dressed mare behind a reception desk and lots of potted plants, and a window at one end overlooking the water. She nodded to the president and went back to writing in a ledger.
"Student and faculty housing administration, home office," President Kinmari said with a grin. "Hello there, Envelope. How's the... err... situation coming along? We have foreign guests in need of a place to call their own."
The secretary, Envelope, looked up from her ledger. "Generosity Two is cleaned and in perfect condition, but we're still waiting on legal about the Herringstroke situation. They've inspected it and are sure it's safe, though."
Harshwater blinked. "Herringstroke situation?"
President Kinmari suddenly looked slightly awkward. "Oh, well... Brush Herringstroke, our head art history professor, was arrested for fraud and black market dealings while on vacation a few weeks ago and has been fired from the university. So no one is using his room, but until we find out whether his art collection was legal, we're in a bind dealing with it. And it wouldn't be sporting of us to put you in a villa with a stolen art collection, so I was making sure that was still off the table."
"A villa with a stolen art collection?" Jamjars perked up. "Sounds classy. Can I stay there? I promise I won't mess with it."
Everyone looked at her, the president and secretary not knowing how to respond. "Errr..." President Kinmari self-consciously brushed his suit. "Shouldn't that be your parents' choice...?" He looked around the group for anyone willing to take ownership of Jamjars.
"Oh, I'm on my own," Jamjars primly replied. "My mother was useless and my father left her in secret, so he was a flake. I just take care of myself."
The president shot everyone but Jamjars a very worried look.
"It's not pretty in the north?" Amber apologized with a feeble grin.
"We look after her, though," Slipstream insisted, patting a wing on Jamjars' head. "And would like to know if there are better options for where to stay. Someone else's cottage that hasn't been cleaned yet..." Her eyes shifted to Harshwater. "What if it's full of self-portraits?"
Harshwater reddened just a little. "I wish I could go back and destroy those."
President Kinmari shuffled. "If there's some history or you need a moment, I can step out..."
"Oh no, it's fine," Amber insisted, Grenada looking perplexed behind her. "This just isn't the first time we've been offered a criminal's villa that's full of art. Some interesting history there. It's a long story."
The president looked slightly put out. "That's why I wasn't offering it. Merely checking on its status just in case..."
"But I want it!" Jamjars protested. "It sounds classy!"
"No!"
As Slipstream tried to cover Jamjars' mouth and restrain her from talking, Grenada stepped forward and commanded attention. "That is perfectly fine. Where else do you have that we could sleep? I believe tensions are high because my friends and I are tired from our journey. We do need a place of our own."
The president jumped on this excuse to change the topic. "Right! One place we'd be happy to offer you is the Generosity Two suite. Part of a row of villas west across the road, as close to the water as you can get without falling in! The best property on the island. Each house has claim to two of them, one for the professor who heads the house and one for whomever the students choose. In accordance with their ideals, Generosity has long mandated theirs be kept open for those in need. You can officially have it for the night, and I'm more than certain they'd all agree to let you keep it next they meet. You have quite the reputation, after all."
"The best property on the island?" Amber perked up. "Well, that sounds like a good deal. What's the catch?"
President Kinmari cleared his throat. "It's... meant for one or two, not a dozen. A very luxurious one or two, but there's a single bedroom and a single large bed, so it wouldn't be enough to-"
Felicity daintily cleared her throat. "Darling? Put it in my name for now, and I have a feeling I'll be able to get maximum satisfaction out of the place for everyone involved."
Grenada gave her a look. "I prefer to sleep on my own."
"Same." Harshwater did likewise.
Felicity pouted. "Well, there goes that idea."
"We'd still love it, of course," Slipstream cut in. "But do you have anything else? One bedroom for all of us really wouldn't work out."
Jamjars unsubtly nudged her. "The Herringstroke rooooom..."
President Kinmari did an awkward job of ignoring her. "If campus faculty housing is full, one option you'd have is College Town. There are inns and more permanent lodgings there, where many of the university and island's support staff live. They won't be as deluxe or fancy as this place, but we'd still pay for everything, and you'd be closer to the stores and restaurants. Location is everything, isn't it?"
"I would appreciate that." Grenada nodded thankfully.
"Same," Harshwater offered.
Amber shrugged. "If we're trying to get a pile going in the Generosity place, I'm down for that..." She glanced back at Nyala, who had been silent the whole time. "What about you, girl?"
Nyala blinked in surprise, looking clearly unaccustomed to being part of large group discussions. "Oh, I'd... need to think about it, I guess?"
"And what are we doing?" Slipstream asked, glancing at Gerardo. "I don't have strong feelings, but would rather stick with you."
Gerardo drew a talon across his uniformed chest. "Ah, well..." He glanced at the president. "If it's not too offensive to your hospitality, I made some good friends over the weekend, and have multiple standing invitations to be the guest of honor at various dorms. So I could save you some logistical hassle..."
President Kinmari laughed and grinned. "That's wonderful! I was about to say the dorms were your third option, if you felt like bunking with rowdy college kids. Doubt many of them would turn you away. So, does anyone not know what they're doing? For anyone who wants College Town, I'm happy to lead a tour..."
"Me!" Jamjars raised an emphatic hoof. "If I can't have the art collector's place, can I get my own room in town?"
The president's demeanor fell again, looking like he really didn't want to deal with this. "Can't you stay with whoever's taking care of you?"
"I take care of myself," Jamjars replied, fluffing her chest.
"University policy forbids us from making dedicated housing reimbursements in the name of anyone less than eighteen years of age," Envelope interrupted, coming to the president's rescue. "You stay with someone else."
Jamjars put on an eager grin. "So if we had money on the boat and I could pay for it myself...!?"
"It also forbids us from signing to anyone that young." Envelope shut her down with an emotionless, lawyerly tone. "You stay with someone else."
Jamjars gritted her teeth and pouted. "Will any of you ask for a room and then leave it all to me...?"
"Not in a different building," Amber replied. "Maybe you can ask Nyala if she'll get a place in town and let you stay with her, but this is a city and we're not letting you live and sleep on your own."
Nyala bit her lip. "Is that what everyone wants?"
"No! I want my own room!" Jamjars fumed and stomped to the back of the group. "Come on..."
Starlight frowned in concern as the conversation up front continued. "Are you alright?" she whispered to Jamjars. "I don't usually see you get upset..."
"Just trying a new tactic. I am calm and composed," Jamjars whispered back, not sounding particularly calm or composed.
"Are you sure...?"
Jamjars smirked. "That is the kind of thing I'd rather talk about in private. You know..." Her face darkened. "Like having my own room. But whatever. Are you ready to sneak out tonight and find a quiet place to chat? I have some things I need to show you."
"Things?" Starlight blinked. "What kind of things? If they're more posters, I have bigger things on my mind."
"Well, obviously." Jamjars rolled her eyes. "And I need a pre-reader for a story I wrote about Harshwater and Slipstream. I think it's good, but I really need a second opinion on how they break up and get back together in chapter three. I also want to visit the stores here and see what kind of mare singers are popular in Equestria, and I know you're the expert so it's critical I get your opinion on this."
Starlight slowly regarded her, but didn't say anything. Jamjars was smarter than that. There couldn't be a way this was actually important, could there...?
"To College Town we go, then!" President Kinmari strolled past, Harshwater and Grenada on his heels. He paused and raised an eyebrow at everyone else. "You're really all trying to squeeze into that little villa?"
"Dorms." Gerardo pointed to himself and Slipstream.
Nyala, Felicity and Amber glanced between each other. "I guess we are?" Amber shrugged. "And we'll go see our other friends back at the hospital. If anything changes, we'll let you know."
The president nodded, heading on his way. Behind them, Envelope cleared her throat. "Someone from Generosity will be here soon to show you around. In the meantime, please make yourselves comfortable."
Gerardo and Slipstream had left by the time the Generosity representative arrived, leaving only Amber, Felicity, Nyala and the fillies. She was a mare with very high boots and a lot of lace in her mane, starkly contrasted by a plain brown traveling cloak wrapped around her shoulders. Fortunately, she realized the clash of her styles and at least looked a little self-conscious.
"Hi?" Amber offered, holding out a hoof.
"Hi," the mare greeted in an overly-airy voice that sounded like it was trying hard not to be a whisper and couldn't quite succeed. "Sorry about the getup; I just came from a party. My name is Countess Candy Cloud, and it's an immense pleasure to meet you at last."
"Countess, darling?" Felicity looked up. "That's quite the title."
"It's a story," Candy Cloud replied. "You can call me Candy. But for now, I heard you need a place to rest your weary heads?"
Amber nodded. "We heard something about a villa?"
Candy beamed, beckoning them along with a wing from beneath her cloak and revealing herself to be a pegasus. "I would love to show you around. Please, would you care to come with me?"