In a World Extraordinary

[Sansamadonochan]

You approach a two story brick building. You can see dozens of windows, just on the side facing you. Flanking both your left and right, are identical buildings, the three having no visible differences. Between all of them is a large, grey brick circle inlaid into the ground. It features a path, wide enough for three of four to walk side by side, leading to each of the buildings, and to under your feet. In the center of the circle is a fountain. The fountain depicts a plain sword, which was water gently trickling out of the tip. Behind you, it about a mile of dirt road. Past that lies a train station. You were on the train for quite a while, headed here. The tracks network the whole known world, which allowed people from all regions to be around you now.

You stand in a line, behind maybe a hundred people about your age, and in front of maybe a hundred more. Everyone is being given a folder, which contains some essentials for their life here. It has a sheet, which holds basic information, such as your student ID, your schedule, which room you now live in, and the name of the person living in it with you. It also contains a key for said room. The schedules will say that classes run from eight in the morning, to five in the evening. It will also say that classes do not start for the next week, to allow everyone to settle in well.

The dorms are split by gender, the male building being the one to your right, the female building on the left. The folder will also contain rules, such as the ten PM curfew, or the rules on mutual combat which people will no doubt not read. Also contained is a map of the surrounding area, and the nearest town. Said town is built around the train station you came from.

Last, but not least, the folder contains the breakdown of your monthly expenses, and information on where and how to pay it. The same sheet also contains rules on quests, and information on how they pay. The numbers will, no doubt, be daunting to most. Especially since nobody here is a full adult.

There is a sort of tension in the air. Nobody is here to become a doctor, or a smith. You all came to become powerful, and one day risk your life. Nobody here has plans of avoiding danger, and everybody seems to understand that these are the last moments in which their lives are safe.

You get to the front of the line. You are welcomed by a middle aged man. His hair is black, and has just begun to bald. He gives you your folder, shakes your hand, and motions for the next person in line. What you do for the next week is up to you, so long as you obey the rules.

[Foxyfelix9]

Paul stood with his best friend Batch in the brickyard. Half of the students hadn't received their folders yet, and most of the ones that had were still milling around the fountain. "Disgusting. I really should have been at the front of that line."

Batch made no response. She tended to be more patient than he was.

"And stranded here for a week before classes? We're days from the coast. If I took the train, I'd have to turn around as soon as I'd arrived."

She nodded, and spoke. "There might be a lake nearby."

"True. We'll have to see about that. I'll catch you later then, I at least need to drop off this folder in my room."

She turned to go, and he caught her by the elbow.

"Try to make some friends?"

"Sure."

Batch was interesting. Probably stronger than him at this point, but she didn't have his way with people. He strutted on his way to the male dorm, giving a smile to one or two people who looked promising. Most of them had come here to be soldiers. But soldiers needed generals, didn't they?

It was going to be a good year.

[DeZako]

Lines were boring. Boring boring boring. Fortunately, he was at the front of it. Aiden hated not being at the front of a line. The guy in front of him finally got out of the way and put Aiden in front of a balding man that shook his hand, gave him a folder and gesticulated for him to get out. Talkative fellow, wasn't he?

He put the folder in his backpack. There'd be time for that later. There were strangers to meet, places to discover and roofs to climb to, and he only had two hands. He pondered for a brief time the possibilities of making an acquaintance whilst climbing the facade of a building, but after realising they were scarce to say something, he started jumping between the little groups that were already forming, introducing himself cheerfully.

This was going to be a fun year.

[Hazuki]

Throughout the train-ride, a darkly-clothed young woman sat perched near the doors with an elegantly-sheathed sword resting across her torso. She'd simply sat, smiled, and rested her head against the window while new people rushed in and hostess handed out goods with each clickety-clack of the wheels. She was in no position to make many friends, just sitting there, but she knew that people tended to take interest in oddities, and Gehenna was enough to bring them to her; a few students both old and young interested in the blade, and a few that hopped carriages at the mention of her name.

Reno departed the train with a younger female student in tow, her fingertips blackened and her hair cut fine to avoid the inevitable accidents her abilities would cause. Little Mala seemed gentle enough to spend time with the laidback older girl, who didn't panic when she'd set her peanuts on fire and sho seemed to similarly enjoy the comfortable silence between them.

Once Reno took her papers from the gentleman handing them out, Mala skipped alongisde Reno and tilted her head up at her. "So, like, why don't you have a boyfriend? Eeeevery girl has a boyfriend in my block. Well...not me. But that's because," The tiny thing flicked the zippo lighter in her other hand. "Fwoosh."

After a few moments of silence as Reno weaved her way through the crowd, she shrugged her shoulders and turned to face Mala. "Not sure. Maybe they're jealous of my sword." This earned a series of giggles from the smaller student as she hastened to cover her mouth with the fresh papers she'd only just received.

[PersonMan]

Throughout the train ride, Iseri had spent a brief time staring out the window, eyes wide open in awe, unable to tear her gaze from the landscape flying past them. After her nearly starting a fight after being pushed for standing stock still just after entering the train, and again with her display as the train began to move, it became clear that the orphan had never been on a train before. Even her amazement at the world shooting past her eventually lost its charm, however, and after the brief time she spent utterly entranced by the view out of her window Iseri began to fidget in her seat, trying out nearly a dozen ways to tap on her seat or the table before finally standing to explore the train. She spent the majority of the rest of the ride on her feet, walking from one end of the train to the other again and again.

When the train arrived, Iseri exited without a young follower or new friend, but three people who she'd engaged in some friendly shoving with - she expected that, if they met again later, they could continue in an environment more accommodating for such activities. Perhaps, she had hoped, the school grounds included a few thin alleys in which old rainwater flowed together and could be splashed through during a nice fight. It was always nice to brawl with a few extra elemental arms and lets to use. Hitting people with water felt almost as good as doing so herself, and wasn't difficult to do once she had gotten the hang of it.

Waiting in line nearly killed the impatient teen - several times, Iseri had considered storming out of the endless drudgery to find something interesting to do, even if it meant having to do so for the entire time it would take for the line to filter through. But she had managed to keep relatively still, going so far as to try and count the bricks on each building in her boredom. Not that she'd gotten far, although restarting again did give her something to do for a few more seconds at least. Her secret Water Pouch, an old flask she'd found a few months prior and filled with water for situations in which it might save her life (or at least win her a fight), was brought into the action, fighting on the front line against the never-ending, mind-numbing assault of time spent standing in line. By the time it finally ended, Iseri felt ready to burst.

Instead of bursting, however, she glanced over her papers, reading only a few words (she'd never taken well to reading, and still did so rather slowly) and a name before she turned her attention back away from them. The name was what she wanted - Reno Terabeth. Her new roommate, if the paper was to be believed. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but without an idea of precisely why, Iseri simply asked her fellow students the same question over and over again, until she was pointed in the right direction and finally to the right person. A pretty girl with a sword - how hard was it to point someone like that out, Iseri asked herself, a sway to the right turning into a quick hop-step-step to avoid a chatting pair not expecting the orphan to rush past them. Swinging around another small cluster of idle students, she finally reached her destination, looking over what she saw briefly. Young follower, holding a lighter, but more importantly, a sword. Iseri's gaze went over Reno once, spending a moment to examine her face before concluding that she was no street rat.

"Hey th'r. I hear ye'r Reno Terabeth? I think we're sleepin' together," Iseri begins. "I'm Iseri 'Ighwater, but I don' ans'r to my last name of'n. Best t'call me Iseri, but Isi can do. Y'use that sword of'n? D'ye fight a lot? I like to fight - Ehehe, sorry if'm bit fast. Lines'r makin' me wou' like a spring, y'know?" Iseri grins at Reno, a wide smile slowly turning into the expression after her lips slowly retreat from her teeth. Her luck is put on display, not a single tooth is missing or even crooked. Before she even finishes sher grin, the orphan begins to fidget, shifting from one foot to the other and letting one hand tap wildly on her papers that the other held tightly, as if a strong wind was threatening to blow them away.

[Hazuki]

Reno's leisurely stroll towards the dorms was halted by the sudden appearance of a fidgeting young student with a mouth like a rollercoaster and the look of being dragged behind one. Her head tilted slightly to the side, while Mala's giggling came to a halt, and she took a few moments to gather the general jist of the curious young woman before she gave a slight nod in response. She was going to have to work through the conversation in reverse order, if she wanted Iseri to pay attention and not bolt off, like she seemed about to.

"Hello. Fighting's good for a lark." Reno replied coolly, her fingertips fondly fingering the hilt of Gehenna as she examined Iseri a little more closely. Scars dotting her face, along with freckles, and an outfit in general disorder, but not particularly unpleasant. Her eagerness to meet Reno even inspired a little cheer in the student herself, though none of it showed on her face. "The sword is Gehenna, and I'm Reno." She cast her eyes down for a moment to avoid Iseri's eyes, then looked back at the quiet Mala, then back at Iseri's chest.

Then further upwards, as the slightest pink tinted her cheeks. "Sleeping together." She stubbed the toe of her sneaker on the ground and gripped the familiar cool hilt of Gehenna for comfort. "If I'm lucky." She asked, calmly brushing over any stumbling of her words; she comforted herself with the knowledge that at least she came up with something sort of smart. Better to move on from the subject matter quickly, for all the damage it could cause to not. "But sparring, we can do here." She made a small gesture with her hand to the ground around them.

[Sansamadonochan]

((I'm here. Just figure you guys are doing well on your own, and no NPC intervention is needed yet. Just figured I'd check in so you dont think I bailed on ya.))

[Zarae]

Inriia paced the hall of the train car, not able to decide where to settle. Or, that was part of it. the other was the chance to attempt some of her pick-pocketing skills on unsuspecting future classmates. Most had given the girl 'looks', then ignored her completely. But it wasnt a surprise to her. Usually what caught attention, when able to be seen behind a curtain of waist length straight hair currently dyed purple, was her freaky eyes. One was bright emerald green and the other golden amber. They contrasted her dusky olive skin. What no one saw was dozens of faint white lines of old scars under her clothing. The girl was dressed in a loose black shirt with billowy sleaves, 3 sizes too large for her scrawny frame, and black jeans. Knee high boots hide a blade in each. Not filthy or ragged, her clothing did have the appearance of having been worn often.
Eventually the girl found a seat, for the rest of the ride, in the last train car in the back. Her leg bounced as she sat, shifting in her seat every few minutes. She thought about what was coming, imagining the school as some fairy tale and her life starting anew. Free from the shackles of her past. Hope for adventures. Before long she was imagining grand stories in her head.
A loud sneeze nearby jolted her from her thoughts. Inriia looked around, a scan of each person to make sure of everyone where they had been, before she pulled out her worn sketch pad.
Pencils flowed onto the paper capturing the details of her mental pictures with accuracy and realism of a photo. So much detail into her sketch, she didnt even realize how long it had been till the shuffling of students into the back of her seat to gather their belonging for disembark stirred her. Inriia was the last to exit the train, intentionally allowing everyone else to leave. At the door, she took a deep breath and stepped out.

So many people! Another deep breath, she followed the crowds into the correct line. Her arms were folded tight against her, an unconsious attempt to make herself small. As she waited out, Inriia took her time to study her surrounding, memorize everything she saw and make mental notes. It kept her from focusing on her anxiousness of the crowds and unease of being around so many strangers. Any time someone bumped into her, she had to make herself not react, hide the flinches from another's touch and keep herself calm. Eventually she was next.
"Last name?"
Inriia thought a moment, trying to remember what Aunrae had told her to use, "Zyne?"
leafing through, the person found it at the bottom, pulling it out and checking, before handing the folder over, struggling with pronouncing her name.
"In riia yn rae" she repeated.
the girl walked off as she shoved the ID into her bag and read where to head next. "room 13," to herself, "[assuming Helina Armstrong]."

[GenericMook]

Aaron wrapped his tattered jacket about him, making a mental note to re-sew the right pocket. He double checked the coin pouch hidden behind the jacket, and tapped his sword before slinging his haversack over his shoulder and exiting the train.

He made his way to the line, walking slowly, but with a sense of purpose not unlike those of the rest of the students. His feet hurt from walking with the worn soles of his boots, but at least the train ride was decently comfortable.

Everywhere he looked, Aaron saw people richer than him. He had maybe 200 gold coins to his name, and there were people here whose shoes probably cost more than everything he owned, with the exception of his sword. Still, it didn't matter. He knew the joy of tasting the fruit of a hard day's labor, and that was more than enough consolation. He wasn't some spoilt noble's son here to squander his parent's earnings on a flight of fancy: he was here to learn magic and swordplay, and make something out of his life.

Aaron looked around the place while waiting in line, and caught several people looking at him, and one or two others pointing at him, presumably wondering how someone with such tattered clothes had managed to fain entrance to the academy. However, these people quickly averted their gazes when Aaron glanced towards them.

Once Aaron was at the front of the line, he was handed his.folder without a word. He stepped away from the line, and took a look through it, taking note of his roommate's name - one "Aiden" - and hoped that he would at least be decent. That was all he could ask for.

[PersonMan]

It isn't long before Iseri's fidgeting grows, eventually becoming a side-to-side swaying motion as she shifts her weight to one side, turning her foot so she's standing on the edge of her shoe before reversing the motion to do the same on her other side. Her incessant tapping calms a bit as she begins her routine, becoming a simple rhythm of three light taps followed by a heaver one, synchronized with her swaying. Despite her constant movement, Iseri's eyes stay locked onto Reno, moving only to follow the young noble's gaze when she looked over to her young companion. The sword's name intrigues her, but less so than its wielder. Gehenna sounded like a very odd name, but then again she'd always been told Iseri was odd, as well. She wonders why Reno had named her sword as if it were a pet, deciding to ask her about it later. They'd have plenty of time to talk. For now, she occupies herself with deciphering what Reno meant with calling fighting 'good for a lark', having never heard the phrase before.

"If y'r lucky...?" Iseri raises an eyebrow, stopping mid-swing as the confusion caused by Reno's words sets in. Then, a moment later, sudden realization strikes her. Or at least she think's it's realization. "Ahhhh, I see. That's yer fancypants way of sayin' yer glad t'meet me, ain't it? Well, thanks-" she pauses suddenly, another thought hitting her. "'Nless y'mean ye cain't sleep right?" Iseri asks, her expression changing to one more concerned. Then, luckily, Reno changes the topic, ending her increasingly complicated attempts to understand what her new roommate was saying. The light blush doesn't quite evade her notice, but the orphan doesn't factor it into her thoughts, neither trained nor especially talented in the reading of others. The most thought she gives it is to make a theory that Reno was embarrassed by revealing her sleep problems.

With confusion and the thought that the current topic of conversation was embarrassing Reno motivating Iseri to leave that portion of their exchange behind, she happily accepts when the young noble turns the conversation in a different direction. Working out some kind of sleep issue sounded complicated, anyways - and not in a good way.

"Sparr'n? I've hear o' that. What're yer rules, an' - ar' ye gonna use the, ah, Gehenna? 'Cause I don't got no sword or anythin'. An', ah, how hard d'ya hit in sparr'n?" Iseri asks question after question, on one hand eager to start throwing punches but also made somewhat cautious by Reno's blade. "Sorry if I dunno much, but las' time I fought some'n wi'out askin' 'bout how they did it, I broke the'r nose on accident an' their friends gave me a chase," she explains, looking a bit sheepish about the event. She wanted to fight - it had been too long since she'd had a proper fist-to-fist exchange - but Iseri had enough presence of mind to know that her own notions of "sparr'n" were possibly different from the noble's own, and she didn't want to get off to a bad start with Reno because a stray punch gave her a black eye when all she was expecting were solid whacks to her ribs.

"I'd be 'appy to 'xchange some punchin' wit'ye, bu' I 'unno 'bout yer Gehenna there. C'n yav fight wi'out it?" Iseri asks after a few moments.

[Sansamadonochan]

Before Reno could respond, a tall, but young looking boy walked up the the group. He stood a couple heads above most the people around, but was built pretty thin. He had blond hair, fashioned into a fauxhawk, and wore shorts and a tank top. The lack of clothes revealed his frame, which, was toned but not very muscular. He shifted his feet and started bouncing on the balls of them. "Not everyone's gonna use weapons 'round here. I'll give ya a shot if'n ya want." he said, bringing his hands up in front of his chin.

[Hazuki]

Reno's slight moment of embarrassment luckily seemed to be brushed over rather quickly by Iseri's apparent ignorance to her manner of speech, although the scion's apparent nobility seeped through more than she'd expected. But she supposed it couldn't be stopped, when every stance and word drilled into her had been done so by people who lived by honor and discipline, it was inevitable that clashing would occur. And, this time, Iseri didn't seem offended by it in the slightest, and that made Reno quite pleased with the way the conversation was going.

And it had everything to do with the pleasant mien of Iseri. Her accent was heavy, but it had a twang that pleased the ears, and it wasn't indistinguishable like many could be; if anything, it was like a condensed version of the common tongue that had an innocent charm to contrast with Iseri's rough 'n' tumble attitude. Even her emotions seemed to run like a whirlwind, as they were plainly scrawled across her scarred face and switched with every thought, making her as easy to read as a book, if the book jumped around and swayed and had an intoxicating energy that made it both unpredictable and hard to keep in its shelf. She probably smelled nice, too...

Reno's stance relaxed somewhat, leaning on her back foot and giving a small nod of her head. Better to act relaxed and force her mind to do it too; walk like her until she walks like you. That was the key to success. But before she could give a shrug of her shoulders and reply, a boy emerged from the crowd to intervene with their blossoming first meeting.

"If Iseri doesn't mind." Reno replied, looking to the boy and then to the eager girl. Silently, she hoped Iseri would mind, but she had to seem noncommital. She couldn't give away her hand, not even a card, by giving an opinion one way or the other.

[PersonMan]

Iseri smiles as Reno seems to relax, her posture shifting to one more like those the orphan is used to seeing. Standing straight and tall had never been something she had done - standing still alone was an oddity for her. Trying to keep her posture static while also standing in a single, specific manner was something she'd never understood. It was something the teachers, the soldiers and the 'fancypants' people did. Reno, being a fancypant herself, was obviously the type to stand around straight all the time, so it wouldn't have surprised her if she had. This fact made it more enjoyable to see her loosen up her stance, to get closer to a normal person's way of standing around rather than the wooden board imitation she'd probably had to learn starting when she could stand. Then, suddenly, someone else approaches.

Generally, Iseri didn't have a problem with people joining conversations she was in. With luck, they'd lead to new friends, or at least interesting fights and a fun afternoon. If not, well, she didn't have some kind of need to always be doing something important. Just chatting with someone who was interested in what she was talking about was nice. Sometimes she'd step back and listen, seeing how the newcomer and her friend (or friend-to-be, or similar) got along from an outside perspective. But this was different. He hadn't simply approached them and tried to join in their conversation. He walked up, and mentioned weapons and fighting. Iseri disliked formal education and making things complex, but she wasn't dull, and in this case he had made it painstakingly clear so that, even if she weren't at all clever, she would still have noticed. He'd been eavesdropping - how else would he know that she was talking about fighting? Sure, there were other possibilities, but they never entered her mind. She'd been having a pleasant conversation and now someone walked over, listening in on their talk? It had probably began because she kept so many secrets, that a whispered comment that was overheard could spell hours of disciplinary text copying, but Iseri had a hard-line policy about eavesdropping.

It was not accepted.

Of course, her go-to response of 'give this punk an up-close and personal view of my knuckles' didn't really apply, seeing as he wanted to fight. As much as Iseri wanted to start swinging, she didn't want to give him what he wanted. So instead she sighs heavily and turns to him, expression darkening as her gaze goes from Reno to the interloper.

"Was I talkin' t'you? Was I talkin' ta you? No, I wa'n't. So why you talkin' like I was? I ain't never said nut'n t'you 'bout fightin', so how 'bout you find yo' own biz'ness to deal wi', eh? You cain't just walk ov'r 'ere and be all 'oh yeah I was listnin' to ya talk', tha's jus' rude, boi," Iseri says, tone much less friendly than it had been when speaking to Reno. "Now, if you wa'n't cruisin' for a bruis'n 'ere, I'd give ya a nice mark in yo' face to remind ya of why privacy is import'nt," she continues, crossing her arms. "Now 'n a few days we c'n fight, but don't be listnin' to talks you ain't a part of, y'get me?"

Her rant complete, Iseri gives the boy a hard stare, before turning back to Reno, shifting again. During the explosion of speech she had launched at the newcomer, she'd actually stood more or less still, although there was some wild gesticulating involved during the more heated parts of her rant. Now she seems somewhat embarrassed herself, twisting her legs together and chewing on her lower lip.

"Uh...sorry 'bout that. I cain't take eavesdroppin', just ain't right," Iseri explains before she continues, changing topics in an attempt to get away from her recent explosion. "You, uh, so...how 'bout that sword? C'n ye fight wi'out it, an how 'ard do y'like yer punchin'?" She asks.

Sorry, Sansa, , but Mr. Fauxhawk just ran into Iseri Pet Peeve #1. Someone whose childhood was spent keeping secrets does not like people listening in on her conversations.

[Hazuki]

Reno's eyes widened ever so slightly as she watched the well-earned smile of Iseri turn into a gaze and a posture that could have rebuked a wild mutt. Watching the little idiosyncrasies of her new companion was something of a fascinating proposition for the young woman, who'd been trained to watch for these things from her enemies and friends alike; not for planning to betray, but to defend against betrayal, as it all too often came about. And despite the fact that Iseri seemed to dislike the conventions of traditional dress, what with her smiling at the relaxed posture, her utter disregard for the common conventions of the language, and her preferred method of introduction being through combat, it was nice to know that she did subscribe to some existing attitudes.

The fact that she turned to face her competitor head-on, addressing them without giving away any possibility of weakness, at least not in that moment. The fact that she raised her voice at particular words, emphasizing their importance and the insult the strange boy had given her; even if it wasn't a conscious decision, she wanted to make it clear what offense she took and to who. And gave away more of herself than she may have wanted, a crack in her armor that revealed the bubbling emotions beneath. And then, as soon as it had come and the boy had been reprimanded, she turned back with a surprising moment of vulnerability in her embarrassment. The way her muscular legs almost seemed to tremble, her chipped bottom lip took the brunt of another bite, and the excuse that followed. An apology for something she believed was right didn't make sense, so it must have been something else that caused the creeping timidity.

Of course, it must have been love! The tough street rat with an honest heart but a calloused fist, raised on the streets and knowing companionship just as well as danger! The calm noble girl, her life spent in seclusion and learning the way of a patient warrior, with hidden depths of love behind her cool facade! The street rat doubting the life she'd lived in the face of new emotions, uncertain feelings, and the tight grasp of love, challenging her in a way she couldn't combat with her fists, but learning the value of controlling her emotions and the value of tradition! While the scion learns more about other ways of life, how expressing her emotions could be value and coming to respect those who lived so far away, as well as what could be learned by letting somebody else into her life and revealing all the affection she had to offer!

And she was standing right there! The beginning of a romance that would shake the ages and warm the hearts, as they joined forces and hearts against the forests of the world!

"Sorry." Reno shrugged at the boy who'd brazenly strolled up to the pair. "The lady has spoken." She looked back to Iresi and flexed the fingers of each hand slowly. "No problem. I can brawl without Gehenna and you can punch as hard as you like. If you think you can take the same." She quirked her eyebrow as she uttered the teasing challenge, and hoped that the street brawler would see the jest in it.

[DeZako]

Aiden was exhausted. He'd been running about the whole campus for a couple hours straight, and his feet were aching somewhat. He settled down at the side of the fountain, legs crossed, and took out the folder. Inside, some rules, a map, and a key. He was to share a room with some Aaron. Oh god the alliteration. It would make them the best of friends! Aiden was delighted. He'd become best friends with him, and then would get in trouble before being pardoned because they were so awesome the authorities would just free them if they gave them an autograph. It was going to be awesome with all caps and some exclamation marks. AWESOME!! Like that.

He'd better head for his room now, so as not to make his next partner in crime wait for long. He stood up, scanned the surroundings for a bit, and followed the map to where his room was supposed to be. However, his attention was diverted when a girl started shouting at a blond guy. The girl, brown hair, pale, freckled... Nothing outstanding in that department. She was pretty fibrous, however, and her attitude revealed a straight shooter disposition.

After a flurry of half-said words left the blond guy shocked, she turned towards another girl with a sword and kept talking. Wait a second, here. Were they flirting? No. No. It won't do. First day of school and people were already at THAT? Oh goddamit he'd better hurry up. He turned towards the nearest girl and confessed his undying love for her.

Two minutes later the shape of the girl's hand was starting to fade away from Aiden's face, and he had decided to try and meet the odd couple later. But now, his roomate was the priority. And getting a girlfriend. These guys sure were quick in their dealings.

One hour later, and with the face completely red not from the embarrassment, but from the almost non-stop slapping he'd received after confessing his pure and honest feelings to about twenty girls (and maybe a guy. He/she was very... androgynous.) he'd never ever seen before, he finally arrived at his door. Room 107. The place where he'd live for the next 4...5... oh goddamit how long did this last? Well, the next many years. He opened it and entered slowly. In front of him, a window, and to the sides, the beds. To the righ and the left of the door were the wardrobes, and between the wardrobes and the bed, a table perfect for studying, if he ever got around to doing it. He jumped at the bed to the right, and started unpacking. Couple of long sleeved tshirts, a pair of jeans, a blank notebook and some pencils. He took the notebook and the pencils and started sketching the scene back at the fountain. He. Was. On. Fire baby! Artistically speaking, of course.

[Elbeyon]

A chugging locomotive isn't a half bad metaphor for the Armstrong family. Strong and fast, above excellence, Armstrong quality traits that have yet to bloom in Helina. A sore spot that seemed to be rubbed in with every rotation of the wheels as she faces the fact that she has failed to live up to traditions and her family name. This school is her chance to avoid that gloomy cloud that followed the family black sheep and to morph into something worthy of being a minter. Excited to be in the school she could barely sit still as she watches the trees move past the windows. Feelings of past failures and future successes snapping to her face as hair-thin thoughts emerged in her mind, thoroughly freaking out the fellow students in the comportment as she went on her roller coaster train ride.

Unusually quite on her way towards the school, her mixed feelings began to stir farther. To think that she'd get another chance at school. Those dreadful memories of her time at elementary still haunted her. She couldn't manage a single friend the entire time she was there. The children were too scared to approach her after she gave a monstrous show of strength in an attempt to make impress. Now was different though, she had another chance. When she stood in front of the school she couldn't help but be impressed by its beautiful majesty. Three pillars representing a strength and principle that needed no makeup to reach her fighting spirit. The fountain's beauty was much in the same way and drew her attention until she made it to the front of the line. Tears made fresh trails down her cheeks while she happily and respectfully grabbed the papers handed out by the distributors. Then, something dawns on her. Cold sweat starts to form on her skin as she imagines how inadequately ready she was to meet her fellow students. This school is going to end up like her elementary class. With a frenzied dash she made her way to room thirteen.

Trying her to make her best first impression she adorned something she imagined the other young ladies would find pretty. A frilly pink dress she didn't much care for nor was the makeup she chose to wear. Raw nature was always the preferred Armstrong choice. Still, she wants to look her best and besides the skull tattoo replica on the dresses sleeve she imagined she looked like a dignified women. Her heart skips when she heard the knock at the door. She anxiously invited in whoever it was. Instantly seeing a fellow student she assumed a pose that had her arms above her head as if she was flexing in the mirror, stamps her foot into the floor hard enough to create a crack, and lets out a boisterous, enunciated “I am Helina Charlotte Armstrong the sixtieth of the Armstrong family.” Her arms curl downward as she brings her hands to her chest and all along the flex her dress barely designed for movement lets out the sounds of stretching seams. “My hobbies include gardening, sculpture, painting, and fighting wild animals with my fists.” Pink dust participles seem to be hovering around the dress, twinkling as she talks. “The splendider of nature's beauty is truly a paramount beauty. The strong rigid nature of cut stone gives energy to all the muscles that witness such beauty. The process of filling a blank canvass with one's natural thoughts holds beauty. The iron will presented by man and his challenger while they lock in combat is beautiful! I am Helina Armstrong and I'm here to make friends. Join me in the courtyard!” Louder than she should be as she motions for Zyne to follow her toward the window. With a swift kick the window swings open followed by Helina jumping out, landing, and walking back around to the front of the building and the student body.

[PersonMan]

Being referred to as a lady was something Iseri was used to, although it was generally in the context of being told how much work she would have to do to become a 'proper young lady', rather than in a positive sense. The way Reno simply accepts what she's said as her final decision, without drawing any attention to the outburst the orphan would have rather not shown her new companion, brings her some relief. Her legs uncurl and before long she's swinging in place once more, the brief shame gone from her expression.

"'Ard as I want? Well I do swing pretty 'ard. Wouldn't wanna mess up anythin' permn'ent," Iseri says with a smile, spotting the teasing nature of Reno's comment. "Y'think we c'n find some'ere less open? I ne'r liked fightin' in a crowd," she continues, looking off at the three identical buildings. "I norm'ly fight in alleys, li'l streets wi'out much people."

Glancing over at Mala, Iseri's attention turns to the younger girl for a moment. "Is she yer li'l sis?" She asks, turning back to Reno.

[Hazuki]

Mala took it upon herself to answer the question, having stayed quiet while the two older girls chatted in favor of playing with her lighter and waiting for something interesting to happen. Iseri's outburst certainly brought that about, but she stayed quiet more in the form of awe at the fact that she totally just saw somebody chew out a dude for eavesdropping on them, which was probably the most badass thing she'd seen up to that point in her life. She'd never considered doing something harmful to somebody on purpose, though it seemed kind of obvious really.

"I'm not a Terabeth." Mala replied quite firmly, though her petite stature made it hard for the student to add any kind of imposing quality of the phrase. "They're all rich and fighty, and none of them use fire." She waggled the lighter in her free hand. "Not that they're bad. Reno's neat." The little student grinned at the somewhat implacable girl she'd attached herself to. "But if you're fighting, I ought to get out of the way...make sure that guy's feelings aren't hurt." Punctuating her words with a jab of her thumb, she took a half-step away.

"Catch you later." Reno said to the student, eyes following her as she walked away from the pair, then back to Iresi and her questions. "C'mon." She tilted her head and pulled a thin band out of the pocket of her puffer jacket, using it to tie up her silky black hair as she started to walk confidently towards the back of the girl's dorm. If Iseri was the type to get to know people through fights, she was more than happy to oblige; even if the fact that she was analyzing Iseri like she would a military foe unsettled her somewhat.

[PersonMan]

Iseri nodded at the young girl's answer before turning to follow Reno as she began to head off towards the back of the girls' dorm. It made sense to go there, the orphan realized, almost nodding at the thought. It was relatively easily accessible, but the risk of being watched by someone was low. They could go, have their brawl and then head inside to find their room. It would all work out wonderfully. Watching Reno walk in front of her, Iseri realized that she'd missed the change in her appearance brought on by the tying up of her black hair. It made sense to do so, she considered. Part of why Iseri had begun to braid her hair was to make it somewhat less of a liability in fights, although nothing but cutting it short of braiding it entirely would truly remove that weakness.

As the two arrived behind the large brick building, Iseri took a moment to look around, her gaze going up the wall before she turned to face her partner/opponent. "So," she began, not quite sure how to get started. She'd never had a fight quite like this before - everyone she had fought had been street kids like her, not noble-looking folks like Reno. "Do we, just, uh...get started? Do you have a special thing you want to do first?"

Reno turned on her heel to meet Iseri's eyes, running her fingertips along the edge of the brick building and testing its texture as she pondered the question posed to her. In the end, she gave a shrug of her slender shoulders and started to unbutton her puffer jacket to reveal the sweater beneath and give her a little more breathing room for the fight to come. "Nope. We can get started when you're ready." She said, and unhooked the sheathe of Gehenna from her hip before she hung it up on one of the circular hooks used to store bicycles, clipping and locking it closed. With that, she stood opposite Iseri, near the wall, and quietly noted her cute habit of stuttering.

"A'ight, 'ere I come," Iseri said, walking towards Reno for a moment. For once, her steps were entirely calm, as if her normal frantic energy was entirely gone. Then, as she was just over an arm's length from her opponent, she suddenly skipped forwards and to the side, lashing out with both fists almost simultaneously. One was aimed for the other girl's stomach, the other at her head.

Reno watched warily as Iseri approached, noting her suddenly calm demeanor and movement, then blinking as she lunged with both fists aimed for vital body parts. In a split second, she knew that her head was better to protect, as she swayed her head to the side of the blow and allowed Iseri's knuckles to sink into her toned gut. Taking immediate advantage of the after-swing, despite the pain in her stomach, she slammed her opposite elbow into Iseri's forehead.

Iseri let out a brief cry as Reno's elbow slammed into her forehead, but despite the noise she didn't seem to be slowed by the strike, stepping forwards to swing at the Terabeth's head while her right foot followed the left. Continuing past where the other had stopped, the orphan's kick aimed for her opponent's shin as her first swing ended, followed by a shallow jab to Reno's stomach with the fist that had already connected earlier.

Reno hopped backwards a step to regain a bit of breath as Iseri swivelled round to launch her flurry, shifting her weight to her right foot as the vagabond's collided with her left. the blow to her stomach colliding with the padding and forcing her to grunt. She took advantage of the imbalance in Iseri's strikes and the strength of her right leg to weave her head away from the blow to her face and grab the offending wrist with her right hand, then swiftly slammed her fist into the back of the captured elbow.

Iseri, a brief noise coming from her clenched teeth, didn't even pause to consider the situation before she moved, an immediate feeling guiding her next actions. Continuing her forward movement, she rushed forwards, left fist digging into her opponent's gut as she used the multiple points of contact to shove Reno until she slammed into the brick wall behind her. Taking a slight step back as she shifted her weight, Iseri lowered her arms - the stunned Terabeth couldn't keep hold of her right arm after the jarring impact with the wall - and lurched forwards again. This time her arms went around her opponent's thighs, and she lowered her upper body to slam her shoulder into Reno's stomach. Her full body weight behind the slam, Iseri repeated the maneuver swiftly, swinging back without moving her feet and ramming her shoulder into the muscles of her opponent's gut.

Another grunt was forced out of Reno's lungs as she was slammed into the wall, her grip loosening first, then her mind quickly becoming addled and flustered by the feeling of the rough 'n' tumble street girl grabbing her thighs. The romance and innapropriateness of the situation, despite their physical proximity, was slightly dimmed by the pulse of pain over her back, and the growing pressure against her stomach. After the third collision with her certain-to-be-bruised torso, the pale girl gritted her teeth and wrapped her hands around the midriff of her opponent, gripping it tightly as she could from her compromised position. Then, as the next slam was to come, she braced her lifted legs and tensed the toned muscles with all the force she could muster. As her feet found the wall, she kicked off of it with all of her strength.

Surprised, Iseri lost her balance and fell onto the grass, briefly letting go of her opponent in a moment of confusion. The moment was brief, her arms barely left Reno's legs before the orphan's own kicked her forwards, half-falling onto her prone adversary. Wrapping her arms around the other girl, Iseri pressed against the grass with one leg, pushing them both to the side and then into a roll, through which she kept her focus on the one stationary thing to watch. Reno herself, who Iseri clutched more securely during the brief moment where she didn't have to push past the ground to do so.

Reno took advantage of the one moment of solace after the pair had slammed into the ground to take in a deep breath. She'd expected just a little longer, after the freefalling tumble, to gather her wits before she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and tug her through the freshly-mown grass. She tried to brace herself against the ground, but it was too late as Iseri was already moving to take advantage of their joint momentum and the closeness of their faces made her concentration falter. Just a few inches away, Iseri's eyes glinted confidently with her control of the situation, and it was all the scion could do to attempt to wiggle out of her grasp as the other student pinned her to the ground.

"Gotch'a," Iseri grunted, shifting on top of Reno to better press her onto the grass. The grass was significantly less uncomfortable than the cobblestones or pavement she sometimes had to pin people on, but her opponent's wriggling was rubbing her hands along the ground and so the orphan moved to put a stop to it. Pulling herself forwards, she shifted her weight to better push down on Reno's midsection, her legs separating from those of the other girl as she moved.

Reno kept wriggling even as Iseri claimed a partial victory and mounted her midsection, the young woman tilting her head at the sudden opportunity given to her by the other girl's advance. Gripping the grass with her fingers, she pushed off of it with her feet, powerful legs jostling Iseri's position and pulling backwards through the air. Her calves crossed over her opponent's exposed neck, tightened their grip at either side of her jaw, then slammed Iseri's back into the ground and pinned her skull against it. The young warrior wrenched her back off of the ground, taking advantage of her sudden counter by pulling aside Iseri's legs and shifting hers further up so that her opponent's head was trapped between her thighs. The musclulature of Reno's legs started to squeeze tightly around her foe's head, applying pressure as she leaned back to grab and immobilize the other girl's legs.

Iseri, surprised by the sudden flip in the positioning of her and her opponent, briefly flailed with her arms in an attempt to relieve the pressure on her head before she felt Reno grabbing at her own legs. She kicked wildly to get her still-useful limbs some space before mimicing her adversary's last move, swinging her legs up to grab the other girl's head with them, squeezing tightly as regained some measure of control.

"Enf, eh, draw?" Iseri offered, panting.

[Hazuki]

Reno kept her legs locked around Iseri's head for a few more moments after the offer of a stalemate. Tactically, there was little either of them could do without compromising their own position, which neither one would be willing to do. So, she nodded. "Draw." She acquiesced. She started to release the vice-like grip of her legs around Iseri's legs, going gently at first as she waited for Iseri to do the same, then released her completely and took a few moments to refuel her pounded lungs with glorious fresh air. All she managed to do was pull herself back up into a sitting position, watching and waiting for the talkative street girl to sit up and say something to her.

[Zarae]

Inriia looked up from the paper to the multitude, wondering who this Helina Armstrong was while shoving it too with the rest of her stuff. Her imagination ran wild with ideas, from one extreme to the other. Would this roommate be like her half siblings? her 'peers'? Those she knew from the streets? Rich and above her? Some heiress?
Taking her time, the girl walked slowly as she studied the courtyard. Her right arm kept her bag tight against her should any attempt what she would often do. So in her head and over-analyzing, Inriia nearly walked into the boys dorm. She might would have noticed sooner if the looks had not been the same as their were to her overall appearance. Headed in the right direction, the purple haired girl found the correct building, hall and door. Inriia stood there a moment, foot tapping as she chewed her lip, then knocked.
She did not expect who answered!
Before Inriia got a word in, Helina had already spoken more words than she had since leaving Aunrae days ago.
As Helina was opening the window, "Inriiaynrae," she almost got out. Any surprise faded tho, a smirk creasing her face. Inriia did a scan of the room, double checking for anything suspicious before tossing her bag onto a bed. Quick work of her hands, the wild locks were up in out of her way into a braid. That left her freakish eyes unhidden, but at the moment, the girl didnt care. She rubbed her hands together, then with some acrobatic/gymnastic flair followed out the window.
Boots landed with hardly a sound. A glance around to see who was about, she stood up and nonchalontly dusted herself as if she'd been there all along. The girl casually walked twords the front to join back in with the crowd.

[PersonMan]

Iseri releases Reno at the same rate as the other girl loosens her grip, grinning as her head is finally released, pulling herself backwards and sitting. Breathing heavily, she barely waits to start speaking, pausing every few words to get in a loud exhalation or a greedy sucking in of air. "Dang, girl. Y'hit like a riot," she says, rubbing her arm where Reno struck it. Her entire chest moves with each breath, and even as it begins to even out she continues a slow rising and falling motion, her old swaying replaced by a new method of keeping in constant motion. "Hope I di'n hurt ya wi' the wall 'ere, but y'look nice'n tough. No' a glass flow'r," Iseri says, rolling her shoulders and standing. She bends over to offer a hand to Reno, despite the constant pulsing of pain in her body. She was used to aching after a fight, and the pain from rolling on grass was less than on cobblestones, but the girl's hands had done a fair number on her during their fight and she could feel it. "Y'been fightin' all yer life? You ain't no 'ginner, tha's clear ta me now."

[GenericMook]

Aaron walked towards the dorms, and after about half an hour of searching - he'd started from the complete opposite end - he found Room 107, where he'd be staying with this Aiden person. As he stepped in front of the door, he could hear noises. Aaron hoped that it was just his roommate unpacking, but refrained from entering simply out of old habits. Once the noise had been reduced to a series of soft scritch-scratch sounds, Aaron opened the door, turning the handle silently, but was ultimately betrayed by the creaking noise that the door made.

The room, in comparison to Aaron's normal accommodations, was like the palace of a king. There was an actual bed and wardrobe, as well as a table that his new roommate now occupied. At least he hoped it was his roommate. If it was someone who broke into people's rooms just to draw or write in a notebook, he'd have to deal with this scamp the old-fashioned way.

Aaron quietly set his haversack on the bed on the left, and unpacked. Two shirts, a spare set of pants, a sewing kit and plenty of scrap cloths, as well as some other essentials were all he had to himself. He kept his clothes, and took off his jacket, and began mending the frayed right pocket.

"So, I take it you're my roommate?"

[DeZako]

"So, I take it you're my roomate?"
Aiden snapped back to reality. He'd gotten "intense" with the drawings again. Three pages were full of small nonsensical sketches. Here, a bird, there, his face, and at the bottom of the page a nameless monstrosity.

He turned around to glance at his roomate, and almost anxiously answered, still not fully in this world.
"Y-yes. Aiden, pleasure to meetcha!"
Aiden put his hand forward, offering it to Aaron.
"I take it you're Aaron Highsomethingsomething. Sorry, only gave the folder a passing glance. There'll be enough time for us to know each other better"

[Hazuki]

Reno stayed silent as Iseri started to talk to her; the scion's focus was entirely on making certain that there were no lasting damages. No bruising on anything vital, and her sweater had provided some padding against the worst of their combined blows and tumbles. Without looking, she couldn't tell the damage, and she wasn't about to start stripping behind the girl's dorm. That was for act two of the story, preferably after falling into a fountain so there was an excuse for the nudity. The pain didn't matter much, despite the simultaneously hollow ache it left pulsing out from her midriff.

The greatest threat from their scuffle was the fact that it had come to a draw. That wasn't acceptable, not if she wished to serve as a warrior of the Terabeth bloodline and continue to make her parents proud, and especially not to somebody who didn't have formal training. Curling her knees up to her chest, she stared blankly ahead for a few moments, and analyzed the fight in her memory. The mistakes she made, the fighting style of the rising wild girl, and the things that she had taken advantage of. It wasn't enough to adapt her style yet, but it was a start in expanding her horizons. And she probably shouldn't have let herself get flustered by all the touching.

As soon as her conclusion had been reached, Reno looked up and saw Iseri offering her a hand up, and the cold detachment of analysis was washed away in the knowledge of what the battle must have looked like. And there was something simply romantic about the two of them, alone and silhouetted against the midday sun, both beaten, but still supporting one another. Where was an orchestra when she needed one?

"I'm a Terabeth." Reno stated simply, reaching out and clasping Iseri's warm hand firmly in her soft fingers. "Fighting is what we do." She pulled herself back to her feet beside the wild girl, clutched her hand, and didn't let go. "But you gave as good as you got. Grappling seems like your strong point."

[Foxyfelix9]

Paul's new home was a fairly plain rectangular space. There was one lofted bed on each side of the room, with a small wardrobe and a table underneath each. A refrigerator and a small oven at the wall opposite the door. The oven had a firewood hatch under the food compartment and a smaller door beside it in case a firebender didn't feel like chopping wood. The remaining area, a square in the middle of the room, was covered by a blue sparring mat.

Paul snorted. If they expected him to fight here and risk damaging his things, they were fooling themselves. He took a quick glance inside the folder to find out his roommate. Julius Scipius. A familiar name, but that was a problem that could be dealt with later. He tossed the folder on the bed closest to the refrigerator, and left to go back to the courtyard.

Once he arrived in the courtyard, he found a few old friends there. The Jakob brothers, a group of earth benders. When he was younger and his family was less famous, a lot of people assumed that the last name Carbon meant he was an earth bender. So they had always been quick to make friends with him.

There were three brothers, named Natch, Jack, and Kevin. Natch was the most like him. A people person, who had even starred in a few of the Carbon stage productions when he was a child. Jack thought of himself as his own man. He was probably the most interested in the school's ideas out of the four of them, since it would allow him to get stronger. He was also an advocate of the wilderness exploration, which meant Jack and Paul were not on particularly good terms at the moment. Jack mostly tolerated him because his brothers did. Kevin was the opposite; a definite family man, out for the well-being of the Jakobs above all else. Kevin had been the one Paul worked on the secret project with. He respected Paul as an asset and an ally.

In the midst of their conversation (A discussion on which prominent families were likely to have sent children), a crash thundered from the other side of the courtyard. Paul quickly turned his head. Entering the courtyard from around the corner of the other dorm, he saw...

A girl, orange-haired and armored.

Paul's usual mannerisms - reflexes to disdain or to flatter- were swept away.

"Who is that?"

"Looks like the Armstrong kid," Natch answered him.

"I apologize - we'll catch up later."

Paul started running across the courtyard. Kevin and Jack shared an amused glance behind his back.

Up close, he could see more details about the girl. Her hair had streaks of white in it, as well as the orange. Her armor was a piece of metal forged like a corset. There were also thick metal rings around her wrists and neck, and gloves that looked capable of breaking whatever their owner handled. It looked like it was made to enhance her bending as well as protect her.

He walked up to her. No plan, very little knowledge of what he was getting into. Unlike him.

"Umm, hi. I'm Paul Carbon."

[PersonMan]

"Fightin's all you do? Sounds like yer a soldierin' family then. I ain't seen many fancypants who do soldierin'," Iseri replies, cocking her head to one side. "An' thanks. I've been fisticuffin' for quite a whiles now," she continues, smiling. Reno's comment on grappling causes her to briefly pause, and she considers the other girl, looking into her eyes for a long moment before speaking again, deciding to be open with her rather than secretive. "Grapplin's always been my fav'rit. I like me some touchin'," she explains, a sly smile coming to her face as an idea unfolds in her mind. She would be open here, tell Reno how she felt, instead of lying. But she would have some fun with it. No sense in making things boring, especially for someone whose fancypants upbringing had probably been as devoid of fun as possible. While Iseri enjoys a good fight, her new friend had made it seem like all she'd done in her past was train to fight, which was probably not fun at all. She'd have been fighting to learn, which was always less fun than some good old knuckle trading, and she'd been doing it all the time. Anything would get boring if it was repeated day after day.

So, instead of just telling Reno in a boring way, Iseri decided to bring some fun into things, enjoy teasing her a bit. "'Specially som'n pretty like you. An' I guess you like touchin' me?" At these words, she raises the hand still grasped in Reno's fingers, her smile slowly widening into a grin. "What was your fav'rit part? When ya got my 'ead between your legs and wouldn't let go, or was the sommin' else y'liked more?" She continues, her eyebrows raising as she continues, no mercy for the moment.

[Hazuki]

Reno managed to drag her eyes away from Iseri to look down at her fancypants when the brawler pointed them out. She had never thought that she particularly had the mien of a snob, or at least not one that matched the majority of them; they were the type like Victoria, and she'd never wanted to be like that unpleasant person. Although it seemed obvious enough to somebody who apparently didn't even recognize her name, so apparently she didn't present herself nearly as common as she thought. At least she wasn't being judged for it, so that was a bright spot in the otherwise craggy point. Their wedding would not go very well if Iseri had issues with her parents.

And despite the confidence her mind had in the events that were sure to play out, Reno's actual nerves were split open by the blade of Iseri's blatant innuendo. If it could even be called that. Her eyes jumped from point to point, not knowing where to land as they hovered over Iseri's sly smirk, her raised eyebrows, then down at her own shoes, at the sky, and their joint hands as her palm became just a little sweaty in its soft grip. Then over at Gehenna, its comforting hilt so far out of reach. Perhaps she could pull through, perhaps if she just mustered her confidence and faced the issue with the same steadfast determination that she would a rampaging bull.

But then Iseri called her pretty.

Reno's eyes settled on Iseri's, that ounce of self control being all she had as a pink haze rushed over her pale cheeks and her voice rushed out in a squeak. "Yes. That bit. And the other bits as well." She coughed and covered her mouth with her free hand. Time to try speaking again without the voice of a hamster. "Our dormroom is waiting for us."

[PersonMan]

Reno wasn't calm anymore. That was good. Iseri had thought that the fight would loosen her up more, but now it seemed like her teasing had done the trick. Watching Reno's cheeks flush and the girl's eyes flicker this way and that would have brought a grin to her face if she wasn't already showing as many teeth as she could. But then her gaze was matched by the other girl's own, the brown eyes staring into her bright blue ones. Something about the look makes her want to stop teasing Reno, to give her a slap on the back and offer to hand her her sword. But then she speaks, words shooting out of her as if she'd swallowed a mouse that spoke for her. That reignited Iseri's desire to keep going, to mercilessly continue her teasing. Just a little more, she decided. Then I'll do her a favor to make it up. Her thoughts continued, going to how best to torment Reno the most in the shortest time, without going too far or doing something she couldn't reverse with a pat on the back and a favor. "All o' it?" Iseri asks, speaking quietly, deciding to do something she'd seen one of the painted women do. It was something she'd filled a terribly hot afternoon with, lying in an alley under an old board and watching how they talked to people. Feeling Reno's palm, she felt secure in the knowledge that it would indeed have the effect she wanted it to. And if not, well, she could always laugh it off, right?

First, Iseri wriggles her hand free of Reno's own sweaty one, stroking across the skin with her thumb before putting that hand - her left - on the girl's forearm. In a single, smooth motion, practiced in a dusty old room when she really should have been copying texts for sneaking out, she steps closer to the Terabeth and pulls her friend's arm so it's between them. With a soft, but firm pressure she pulls her hand back towards herself, Reno's grabbed arm following unless she found it in herself to snap out of her apparent haze and pull back. Her expression entirely serious, Iseri turns her head a bit so she can look at her friend through her lashes (the effect wasn't as impressive when her own sparse lashes were present instead of the thick, made-up ones of the people she'd copied the maneuver from). "So 'asty? I thought ya fancypants people'd take it a bit slower," she says, voice low.

For a full second she manages to retain her composure, before the rising feeling in her chest takes over and she steps back, face split by a wide grin. "A'ight, a'ight, I'm done makin' ya blush. Y'never got all touchy wi' a girl 'fore? Yer lookin' all frizzlin'," Iseri says, making her way over to where her friend had secured her weapon. "If ya want, I c'n do ya a favor or two fer tha'," she offers, holding the hilt loosely and handing it back to Reno, still smiling.

[Hazuki]

Reno managed a gentle nod as Iseri asked another question, although she wasn't quite sure what she was saying yes to. When she squeaked out a pitiful response, it was just something that existed to move the conversation along without having to stutter over and form a proper answer, but it was better to nod than to shake her head. And saying no to something probably wouldn't keep her in the good books of the odd girl. Odd because she seemed completely at ease with teasing the blood out of the scion's veins, while the girl herself couldn't even have dared to make a slightly-flirtatious comment with somebody. At best, she could go on autopilot and parrot something she'd heard elsewhere.

Then the little weave of Iseri ended up with Reno's curious little eyes and pounding heart going into overdrive. From her toes up to her neck, she went numb, and her porcelain face turned the darkest shade of red it had yet. Not even the bruises slowly forming on her abs could match the vibrancy of the blush, as she panicked over what to do, collapsed in on herself, and repeated the process a few times for good measure.

Reno reached out with a trembling hand towards Gehenna, feeling the familiar hilt in her palm and using the key around her neck to release it from the bike hook. She clutched the blade across her chest and let out a sigh of relief, feeling the comfort of the cool weapon against her torso before she could bring herself to look at Iseri with some faculties returned.

"I haven't, actually... What kind of favor?" She asked, her head tilted ever so slightly as the focus on her blade let the reign on her emotions loosen. "Not the mob kind. I don't want to kill anybody unless they really tick me off." She joked, with an uneasy quirk of her lips.

[PersonMan]

"Ah, that 'splains how red yer gettin'," Iseri says, nodding. Then, suddenly, a thought comes to her, and she frowns briefly. "Mmm. I bet yer s'posed to be all pure'n'stuff, righ'? Should I be 'xpectin' yer dad t'want to throw me ou' a window if he e'er 'ears 'bout this?" She asks, only half joking. As Reno clutches her weapon, she watches the girl curiously. Getting that sword was definitely the right move - she seemed to take comfort in holding it, as if...Well, it was probably her best friend. Iseri thinks, unsure about the details of Reno's childhood but sure that she'd probably spent more time with her sword than with other children. While being along sometimes was nice, the orphan can't imagine growing up without any proper friends. Even one or two helped a lot, especially if they could keep proper secrets. But if Reno had had to make due with a fancy hunk of metal, then holding it was probably her version of talking to a friend to feel better.

"No, I ain't no killer," Iseri replies to the Terabeth's mention of mob favors, smiling. The thought of her in one of the black suits she'd been told each and every one of them wore, toting one of those weird-looking guns and smoking a cigar, nearly made her laugh out loud. Did Reno seriously think she was one of those types? But at least she'd loosened up, so her mission was completed there. "I mean, stuff like...I 'unno, tellin' ya if I find a se'ret tunnel or summin'. I ain't never 'splained a favor 'fore."

[GenericMook]

Aaron resisted the temptation to raise an eyebrow at how... odd this kid was. It was only his first day as his roommate, and Aaron didn't want to hurt this kid's feelings. Aaron had never really figured out how to gauge this, but not doing something asinine seemed like a good plan.

Aaron set aside the patched-up jacket, and accepted his roommate's offer of a handshake, and nodded. "Syreth. Not Highsomethingsomething. People have names, Aiden, and some take more pride in them than they should. You should count yourself lucky that I don't," he said, letting go of the handshake and keeping his sewing kit in a shelf within the wardrobe.

"So, Aiden, what exactly do you do?"

[Hazuki]

Reno ran her hands along the sheathe of Gehenna for a few moments, allowing the calm to wash over her and return her face to a more comfortable shade of pink, as she idly listened to Iseri's words. And the cool gusto that normally characterized her movements returned, as she twirled the blade around her palm as nonchalantly as could be described and latched it onto the leather belt that secured it to her hips.

"My father won't throw you out of a window." She assured Iseri and snatched her puffer jacket free of the bicycle hook before tying its sleeves around her waist, just below her blade. "Defilers like you get the shortsword." The scion said and grabbed the band that kept her hair up in a ponytail, the thin object coiling over he fingers and over her wrist as her pristinely-groomed hair fell back into place. "And a tunnel would be nice; if you think you can stop mud from getting all over my fancy pants."

[PersonMan]

"Tha's goo-" Iseri begins, as Reno assures her that she has no need to fear defenestration in the future. As she continues, elaborating on what would be in her future, she stops, one eyebrow up, taking a few moments to silently examine the other girl. Despite the pink still in her cheeks, she seemed to be calm again, and Iseri is having trouble telling if she's trying to make a joke without the normal intonations or if she's serious. The fact that she didn't focus on her, but rather let her hair back down and grabbed her jacket, made the process a bit more difficult. Eventually deciding that Reno wasn't being entirely serious, Iseri decides on a simple answer of her own.

"I'll be needin' to learn t' 'fend myself from a sword, won' I?" She asks, crossing her arms. "'R do I not need ta worry 'bout you tellin' yer dad 'bout th' mean li'l slum girl ya met?"

As Reno mentions her fancy pants, Iseri looks confused for a moment before realization hits her, her expression changing as she realizes what is meant. "Ah. Yeh, mm, I c'n do tha'. But I ain't meanin' yer real pan's when I sayin' fancypants. Fancypants means ya got money, not that ya wearin' fancy pants," she explains, smiling.

[DeZako]

Two phrases in and he'd already screwed up. Hooray!

"Wait, you completely sure about it? Goddamit, Aiden, you gotta pay more attention to the written word that is before you!"he said. "Must've mixed you up with someone else. Highwater? High...somehing? Nevermind. Syreth. I'll try to remember it." Concluded, applying his right hand to his forehead.

His roommate then asked about his profession. Oh well, this was an easy question.
"Oh, you know. Bit of this and that. Deliveries, part time jobs... had to pay rent somehow. Guess that ain't a problem now, what with the school paying us for doing... some stuff. " noted Aiden with a shrug. "What about you?"

[Hazuki]

"I'm not going to answer that." Reno said, finally satisfied with her state of dress as she walked back to Iseri's side and looked the girl over. At least she seemed to keep smiling, or wanted to, and that let the knot in her stomach relax somewhat...if it was even a knot. It could just as easily have been some misplaced intestines from Iseri's relentless slamming. "I want to keep you on your toes." As though to demonstrate, but too swiftly to let it sink in, she threw her hand out in the ruffian's direction, as though she was going to punch her, but the gesture took on a gentler approach as she simply laced her fingers through Iseri's again. She squeezed the palm and started to walk towards the doors of the dorms, quirking her head in the direction to get her companion to walk along.

She was going to have to force herself to take the initiative in some situations with Iseri, to expose her confidence, if she wanted to get over the butterflies, hemming and hawing, and other various unruly side-effects of female attention to subside. Not that her cheeks wanted to stop imitating salmon, but becoming so flustered around somebody who might not even be into that wasn't acceptable. Iseri's mixture of teasing, the ease and experience with which she apparently touched people, and the fact that she could turn it on and off like a switch, added an edge of uneasiness to their dealings.

"I see." Reno replied to the unneeded explanation; better to let Iseri maintain her confidence than make the situation awkward. "I like your braids...simpletrousers." She added with a jovial glint in her eyes as she attempted to match Iseri's nicknaming.

[GenericMook]

"I've done just about anything to put bread on the table. Anything honest, at least. Nothing really part time, or like deliveries, but more along the lines of manual labor. Construction work, or working in a lumberyard, that sort of thing. It's difficult work, but at least it's done by my own hands," says Aaron. "And don't fret about it. My name isn't worth the worry. Just call me Aaron."

If Aiden took the time to notice, he'd see that Aaron's hands were rough, with several long scars running across the back of his hand. In fact, Aaron's whole appearance seemed rough, but Auden wouldn't be able to tell the details, due to the long-sleeved shirt that Aaron wore.

[PersonMan]

"Oooh, sneaky, ar'ya?" Iseri grins at Reno's response. "So I shou' be car'ful, th'n? Ain't gon' be easy, worryin' 'bout yer fam'ly comin' t'chop me up," she says. As the other girl suddenly swings at her, she steps back, eyes wide, arms coming up. As the hand coming towards her slows, her surprise turns to confusion, her movement comes to halt, leaving her in an awkward half-fighting stance as Reno's hand goes to her own. Feeling soft fingers intertwine with her own, Iseri realizes what's happening and sighs, relaxing. Still, there's a desire for revenge in her - Reno's sudden jab had startled her, and it wasn't like her to let something like that go unrequited. But punching the girl probably wasn't acceptable - fancypants types generally weren't very understanding of things like that. Even if Reno seemed to be pretty cool, it might come across the wrong way. Instead, she decides to deal with two issues at once. Hopefully she'd extract a solid answer regarding the girl's family with the same action she'd use to get back for that shock.

So, as Reno's hand wraps around her own, Iseri pulls it away quickly, shaking her head. "Nnn-nnn. Sorry, bu' I like my 'ead on my neck. I cain't be touchin' ya if yer daddy's gonna kill me fo' it," she says, shrugging. "'S a real shame, too," Iseri continues, shrugging, looking off to the side in played disappointment. She follows Reno towards the dorm, and as the word 'simpletrousers' passes the Terabeth's lips, the orphan stops in her tracks for a moment before laughing. Unable to stand straight, she half-collapses into laughter for several seconds, the laughing beginning again twice just as it seems to have passed. "Simple...trousers?" Iseri asks, tears in her eyes as she finally stands straight again. "Bu' thanks. I did'm myself. Y'think you'd want some? I c'n do it as a fav'r," she offers.

[DeZako]

Aiden cocked the head to the side.
"Yep, you look the part. You look as if you had a job involving that sword of yours" said, gesturing towards the scabbard that laid on Aaron's bed.
Looking through the window, Aiden saw the sun setting down slowly. Patting Aaron's shoulder, he continued.
"Tell you what, let's go for a walk around the campus before nightfall. This place's enormous, and I'm sure we'll meet some fine girls. You in?"

[Hazuki]

As Reno's hand was nimbly dodged by her companion, her mind halted for a few moments as she tried to process what happened. She kept walking, but from the corner of her eye she stared at Iseri and tried to figure out why her hand had just found air. She understood the concept well enough, but she couldn't work out Iseri's motivations until she did a little bit of a pout and followed it with a bout of laughter that made the Terabeth want to smile herself. She didn't, just like she struggled not to express any of the emotions or thoughts that bounced around inside her head. But it did let her know that Iseri was trying to play at psychological warfare with her teasing.

She glanced to her side as they entered the girl's dorms proper, following the little bounce of Iseri's braids before meeting her eyes. "Maybe later." She said, giving a noncomiittal shrug of her shoulders as she broke eye contact to add to the dismissive premise of her return-teasing. "I don't know if you're a bad enough girl to touch me."

[PersonMan]

Iseri, while growing up, had engaged in a lot of typical young child behaviors. She still hadn't lost some of those immature reactions - her desired to pay Reno back for startling her, for example - or the desire to follow them through. As Reno looks away from her and challenges her (whether it was a challenge or not, she perceived it as one), the orphan's old immaturities rise up again. Reno had challenged her, implying she wasn't a 'bad girl' - whether that was good or not, the challenge had to be answered. Immediately, and preferably with a show of one-upmanship to remind the Terabeth of who she was dealing with. Nobody challenged Iseri's badness and got away with it! Not even knowing what exactly she's defending, the orphan's mind is put to work on a suitable response. Remembering the deep crimson Reno's cheeks had become earlier, and seeing that they still hadn't returned to their normal pale color, she saw her angle of attack. Despite fighting being her thing, the other girl seemed to be unable to deal with Iseri getting in her face. So that was exactly what she would do. Waiting a few moments for the perfect opportunity, she puts her plan into action just after they enter one of the halls - a nice, narrow space.

Turning, Iseri puts a hand on Reno's shoulder to spin the girl to face her, smiling. "If'm bad 'nuff?" She asks, her tone almost mocking. "G'rl, you ain't seen nutin' bad," she continues, stepping forwards. Even if the Terabeth doesn't move, she keeps pressing forwards - knowing her, she wouldn't stand firm as some of the orphan's friends would, but either back away or at least let herself be pushed. In the dorm hall, there wasn't much space for her friend to go, and before long she'd find her back against the wall, and Iseri still pushing forwards. As she moves, the orphan's hands seek Reno's, giving her twice the contact she'd searched before, and her arms go up, so that when the two reach the wall the fancypants would be more or less pinned, her hands under Iseri's own. "I c'n give ya bad," she whispers, setting her forehead against Reno's. She'd played the big tough slum girl before, so the display she puts on doesn't crack, but Iseri still feels a bit out of place pulling it off in a nice hallway rather than a dirty street.

Moving her mouth to Reno's ear, Iseri continues, whispering as if sharing a deep secret. "An' I won' 'ave to worry 'bout ya tellin' yer daddy. If ye do, I don't think 'e'll want ya no more, if 'e 'ears what I did to ya. Ye'll prob'ly go yer whole life wi'out ever gettin' this agen, and I ain't gonn' stick 'round, 'cause yer family's gonna wanna cut me up if they 'ear 'bout it. An' they might, if yer a loud one," she says, grinning. There, the final stroke to complete her reply to Reno's badly-thought-out challenge. As long as she lit up like a red lamp whenever Iseri poked her, the orphan would never want for ways to reply to anything she tried to do.

Shifting her weight, Iseri steps back to admire what she'd done to Reno, wondering if she might have made the girl's cheeks turn so red they'd be bleeding - that would be an awkward thing to explain to the nurse. Grinning, she releases the Terabeth. "G'rl, you go'a loosen up. Smile a li'l, laugh some. Don' go 'round sayin' I ain't bad 'nough ta touch ye when ye git all t'mato-like when I giv' ya a hug, tho'," she says. "My 'dvice. As a fav'r to a frien'."

[Hazuki]

Reno's face remained nonchalant as Iseri spinned her round on the heel of her sneakers, if slightly tilted from the sudden movement and curious about what could spur the challenged gurl to lay her hands on the scion so firmly. Then the question came, as well as the boast about her own confidence, and the curiosity grew even further. Of course, she'd seen lots of bad things before, but almost all of them were in stories and didn't involve the kind of intimacy that permeated through the hallway that seemed narrower and narrower as Iseri continued to walk forward. It closed around the pair like a band of elastic, stretched apart by the challenge that came and rebounding harder because of how much it had been tested.

The elastic wrapped tighter and tighter around them, as Reno took measured steps backwards to make sure that she didn't trip over anything, and then found her back against the wall as she stared into the enrapturing blue gaze of her companion. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd incited the reaction that made her so interested in seeing where it went; even the challenge had been more confident than the young woman would have expected from herself. It was the same kind of tactic she'd use in a duel, but with words that were all too confusing and vague and whose response she couldn't control. Complicated words were part of why she stayed quiet to begin with, so she could snuggle up in her room with stacks of them after a hard day of work.

Not like weapons. They were simple to control, with force that could be applied and reactions she could generally predict through the training that had been drilled into her bones. Gehenna was an extension of her body, when she wielded it in her palm; it moved with her and followed her will, just as her hand, her legs, and could be taught to follow the same patterns. It could deceive, harm, or please as she saw fit. Not like words, which she could do all of those with, but they were far too unpredictable. Even when she kept her calm, there were too many factors that went into a social interaction for her to properly navigate it. That was why her mother stressed the importance of simple values, simple words to get a point across and avoid the complications of another's lies.

And those kinds of words got her where she was. With a thickly-accented brawler pinning her against the wall of a girl's dorm, whispering so seductively into her ear with words that she couldn't divine the meaning of. Maybe Iseri actually meant something important with them, or she was just continuing with her teasing, or there were little bits that were true or she was trying to get answers of her own out of the odd situation they found themselves in, or she was secretly hundreds of little pixies that formed a person! With a mind that was swiftly taken by hormones and the warm proximity of their bodies, mimicking so many moments in stories that made her flush at what might come next, she was helpless to do anything but glow crimson.

At least Gehenna was there. Sturdy Gehenna, to wrap her freed sweaty palm around its sheathe as she stared at Iseri in a mixture of embarrassment and confusion about what to say next. So she mumbled one thing. "Tease."

[PersonMan]

Iseri was beginning to get worried - had she ended up going to far? She didn't think that Reno would get offended by something like this, but perhaps it had been too much after all. But then her new friend speaks. Even though it's a single word, it eases her fears. Good. She hadn't angered the fancypants girl, it seemed, but her actions had definitely gotten her shaken up. Which had been exactly her plan, although she'd been hoping for a more lively response than what she'd gotten. Then again, part of the Terabeth's training had probably been to not say much in situations like this. Or, considering how she'd been acting so far, in general.

"Mhmm. Ye', tha's the point," Iseri says. "Bu' ya started it, so it ain't my fault," she adds, to avoid giving the false impression that she was accepting responsibility. Looking down at Gehenna, the orphan notes how Reno's hand clutched the sword's sheath as if it were a life ring and she drowning. "But ye say it odd. Ye wish I went furth'r, or am I bein' too up in yo' space for ye?" She asks, her tone growing more serious. "I don' know ya tha' well, so if I do somth'n tha's too much for ya, jus' tell me, a'ight? I ain't lookin' ta lose a cool frien' 'cause I teased 'er too much."

[Hazuki]

The blush across Reno's cheek stayed despite the joy it brought her to be complimented by her newest friend, with a compliment that she didn't tend to get much when she was at home. She was skilled, smart, insightful, calm, and confident, but she'd never been called cool by somebody she happened to like and planned to somehow make lots of babies with. But she couldn't possibly get any more flustered, which led to a more simple reaction and a dash of concern as she noted the uncertainty in Iseri's eyes. It wouldn't do to let her feel bad about something, especially not for the sake of Reno's own failure to control her embarrassment.

The Terabeth reluctantly pulled away from the wall, letting her hands come to rest at her sides and clenched them for a moment to build up her confidence. If the vagabond's reaction to the teasing proved anything, it was that proving one's aptitude in an upfront manner was something she respected. So she took a few steps closer, her stride getting more confident after the first, and brushed up against Iseri's side. She stopped for a moment, as there was a slight quirk at the corner of her lips.

"Deliver next time." She requested, and clenched her fingers tightly together a she placed a peck on Iseri's cheek. Then continued her walk towards their room, mind rattling off how the kiss was all wrong. It was too motherly, she couldn't make a romantic moment out of somethig that a mother would give to their child, or even worse, an estrange aunt. But at least it was over, and she could wait for the reaction that was sure to come shortly.

[PersonMan]

"De...liv'r?" Iseri wonders aloud as Reno walks away, one hand brushing her cheek as she watches her leave. She pondered the meaning of those words for a few moments, slowly following the Terabeth as she continued on the way to the room they'd be sharing, puzzling over their exact meaning. After a few moments of considering the girl's actions, it dawns on Iseri. Her mind seems to work at blinding speed, the odd things that she had chalked up to being results of Reno's fancypants upbringing actually being something else entirely. At first, she doesn't believe that it could be possible - they'd just met, and Reno hadn't really had a friend before. Surely it was just her being shy and awkward when faced with someone like herself? But there was too much evidence to just let it fall, Iseri would be plagued by new worries if she did. After all, she wasn't madly in love with the sword-bearing girl she'd just met, but didn't want to hurt her either. She'd seen heartbreak enough times to know that it would be best to force a few awkward conversations than to make Reno believe that the orphan loved her and then having to tell her the truth later on.

After all, Reno had kissed her after what, half an hour? If they were to spend all week together, who knew how deeply the young noble would fall into despair, if Iseri let her believe one thing before telling her another?

"Reno, I...I thin' we need t' tal' 'bout this," Iseri says, taking a few long steps to catch up to her friend. "'Ow 'bout we get inn'a our room an' spea' in priva'. There's som'in I need t'tell ya."

[Hazuki]

Reno gave a nod in reply to Iseri's statement, her steps swift and her hair bouncing gently on her shoulders as her noble bearing carried her to their shared quarters. With the new key added to the necklace that rested on her slender neck, she stepped into the room and held the door open for her companion to follow. She didn't quite know what to say in response to whatever the girl wanted, but she could see that her attempt at easing the situation into something calm hadn't worked very well. But there was a new room ready for her, along with her luggage piled up alongside one of the walls and a couple of beds to choose from.

The scion slid off her sneakers and placed them on a mat beside the door before she tucked all of her papers away in a drawer besides one of the two beds, taking the opportunity less to be organized and more to catch a sight of her reflection in the window. It seemed to be steadily going back pale, though the tingling over her body from the constant back and forth of rushing blood remained. While she waited for Iseri to begin whatever it was she wanted to say, Reno hung her puffer jacket up and reached into one of a few simple black suitcases that held her possessions.

The first, and most important item, was a portrait of her family. Angelica, Francesca, Klamath, and herself, posing for the photograph in the traditional Terabeth battle gear and bearing their personal shortswords. She smiled softly at the picture and placed it just as Iseri started to speak.

[PersonMan]

"Mmm, well...The kissin' - that' ain't a normal thin' for ya fancypants types to do, is i'? 'Cause if i' ain't, th'n we migh' 'ave a prob'm," Iseri explains as Reno sets her picture on the table. As they'd entered the room, she had first made sure that the door was properly closed - an old habit that was especially useful here, in a situation where she was once again speaking of things that she didn't want anyone but the intended recipient to hear of. The room itself doesn't hold her attention for more than a few moments, as she scans for places one might listen in from, or ways to exit without being seen. Unlike Reno, the orphan simply tossed her papers onto one of the beds, without regard for keeping them neat. It wasn't like she planned to read them, after all.

Reno's suitcases drew her attention for a few more moments. Her own posessions had increased almost threefold - she now owned three sets of clothing to wear at school. All of which was contained in a single small bag. Seeing her friend's suitcases, surely stuffed with many expensive items, reminded her of the difference between them. Was that part of the difference in their feelings? Was Reno's noble background, her lack of friends and constant training at the core of the rapid growth of her affection?

"Yer a cool g'rl 'n' all, but I think ther may be a diff'r'nce in 'ow we feel. Y'see, I, eh...I ain't never done this 'fore, bu' I think it ain't th' same, 'ow y'think o' me an'...'ow I think o'ye," Iseri speaks slowly, her normal energy and confidence replaced by a somber, almost insecure air.

[Hazuki]

Reno stayed quiet as Iseri tried to form her words after her first announcement, busying herself with packing her clothes away in one of the provided closets and hanging them up on the rack, along with a small elegant box that she tucked away in its far corner. It was when her face was hidden behind the door that Iseri said something that would have hurt the young warrior; were she not taught to resist pain as past of her training to begin with. And compared to some other wounds she'd borne, a girl she'd only just met not having any feelings for her and displaying it in a manner made poor by the different cultures they grew up in was relatively minor.

Disappointment was the best way to describe her emotions just as she closed the door of her closet, her face slipping into its regular stoic non-expression as she looked over at Iseri. "Alright." She said, pulling a heavy lock out of her pack and wrapping it around the handles of her closet and locking it tightly. "Should I expect a gang of ruffians after me?" With the 'I'm sorry but you're all gay and stuff' over with, she needed something to move the conversation forward, and something referring to a jovial topic they'd brought up would hopefully do the trick of making sure the good-hearted Iseri didn't linger on it.

[PersonMan]

"A gang of...?" Iseri raises an eyebrow before she realizes that Reno has chosen to move on from the somber issue of feelings and onto other things. "Hehe. No, I wouln' send ruffyans after ye. Yer cool, li' I said," she replies a moment later, smiling. "So wa's all th' stuff ye got? I'm pretty sure ye'v got more in ther' than I've e'er owned," the orphan continues, indicating her friend's suitcases. Once Reno turns from packing her closet, Iseri takes the opportunity to try and see if she can read the other girl's emotions. On one hand, she didn't seem to be especially unhappy, which was good. On the other, well, she was still hoping to make her feel better despite the odd situation they'd gotten into. In light of recent events, she was beginning to regret how she'd teased Reno before - it also explained how quickly she'd gotten entirely red.

[Hazuki]

Reno's face was as it was when Iseri first encountered her; healthy lips resting flat, her eyelids slightly relaxed as though she's looking on something with disinterest, and with her posture aloof. With one of her bags entirely emptied of the clothing within, she unzipped the next one as she knelt down beside it to reveal the various maintenances objects inside, ranging from a whetstone and polish to oils to help soothe and soften the skin, as well as bottles of bodywash and feminine products.

"Clothes, stuff to keep my stuff in good condition, and decorations." She said simply. "I'm packed for the year. What about you?"

[SchwhatNow]

Hawk was from this city all his life so he didn't have to travel far to get here. In his usual fashion he intentionally makes sure he is the last of the line, hoping to avoid any possible conversation with the all the young upstarts around. Plus the workers will be worn out and less likely to try and chit chat with him. "This place is way too busy for me." He thinks to himself as soon as he arrives.

The wait is a long one but thankfully no one tried to speak with him. Of course he could see the strange glares through his dark sunglasses, could hear the whispered murmurs calling him strange. He noticed it all, but he didn't care as long as they left him alone. Finally the line reached him and he took the folder without saying a word, though he did flash a fake smile so the worker wouldn't feel threatened.

He quickly looks over all the information in the folder and does his best to memorize everything, just in case. "Student ID number 250, heh feels good to be last. Hmm looks like my room is near the roof of the building, perfect. No roommate...for now at least, I wouldn't expect to be that lucky. 10pm curfew? No problem, I just will have to make sure I don't get caught. Rules for fighting? Pffft there is only one rule: Survive." He says under his breath making sure no one could overhear anything he said.

Still way too many people milling about. I'll just go check out my room and poke around more when things settle down. This adjustment of lifestyle was going to be VERY difficult for him to handle. But he'd manage one way or another. He always had.

[Zarae]

ooc: not sure what to write at the moment.

Arms were crossed in front as the purple haired girl slipped through and around the groups she couldnt get past without touching. Inriia wasnt sure what she was doing, just more or less wandering around to find where her room mate had gone. Meanwhile, temptation was growing too. One boy was just making way too easy. She'd have to bump into him no matter which path she weaved through, his group next to the fountain, blocking the way.
Inriia glanced around, a hand tucking some loose hairs behind a ear as she took on a nonchalant walk, looking around as if absent-mind but keeping the target in sight. As she stepped to accidently bump into the boy, he turned to holler at a person across the courtyard and out of her range to make it look accidental.
She let out a soft disappointed sigh. Maybe later she'd find some other trouble. A bit of mischief would be great. There was a week before classes actually started. With a half smirk with some ideas popping into her head, she'd scout out the area while she was over here.
Inriia turned down the sidewalk headed over twords the classrooms were fewer people were. She noticed walking her direction someone equally ill-at-ease (or seaming) and likewise outcast appearing. The girl gave a subtle nod to the sun glasses wearing male as he was approaching and passing by.

[SchwhatNow]

As Hawk made his way towards the male dorm he had to weave through the crowds as best he could, trying to not draw attention. But he could not hide his discomfort. Nevertheless he made sure to pay attention to everything around him so he could figure out early on who might cause him issue.

He noticed a few people who stood out that he would have to keep an eye on. The first person that stands out to him is a wiry fellow who must be a few years younger than him by looks bouncing around from group to group introducing himself and smiling. What makes him interesting though is his body movements. It's pretty easy for Hawk to tell that he does freerunning with the way he carries himself. Seems he might bump into him on a rooftop sometime. He moves close enough into one group for him to catch his name. "Aiden"

Next up he catches a glimpse of an obviously rich girl walking with what he assumed was a friend of hers. He doesn't care enough to bother trying to listen in on their conversation but she would be hard to miss with such a beautiful blade around her waist. And from the shape she was in he would no doubt bet she knew how to use it.

Of course there was man with a sword that he had noticed while waiting in line. A fine blade but not as ornate as the girls. He seemed close to my age, close to my height, and about on par with my fitness though likely a bit stronger. He wore plain clothes however with a few patches. The sort of look most people Hawk dealt with typically had. Seemed a bit too serious though but he might be one I could tolerate.

He also saw a wild looking girl start crying when she received her folder. He would likely be trying to avoid that one.

He continued his way through the crowds when he heard a fight break out. He immediately went to take a look just so he knew who it was. The girl from earlier with the blade was fighting with another girl who had certainly come from the streets.

Hawk shakes his head an continues on just desperate to be alone for a while when he notices a young girl gliding through the crowd in a manner not unsimilar to his own, if a bit less practiced. She had her mark in the crosshairs so to speak and it seemed like she was moving to pick his pocket. So Hawk stood out of view and watched the girls attempt. She came incredibly close but had some bad luck as she lost her chance. Still she did pretty well so Hawk would have to make sure to keep a watchful eye on his belongings with her around. He started walking again but made sure his path took him right past her. He wanted a closer look and sure enough he thought he saw a slight bulge in her boot imperceptible to anyone who didn't already know to look for those things. Clever girl, but too much fire in those eyes for her own good. She gives him a small nod as he passes her and he waits until after she is behind him to let a sly grin come across his face for a few moments.

He finally gets to the dorm, inside and hopefully away from all the bustle.

[PersonMan]

"I 'ave clothes. 'N s'more clothes. An' the rest o' my clothes," Iseri replies, shrugging. "'N tha's all I got. Ain't never owned much, bein' 'n orph'n 'n all," she explains. "I 'ope I won't be needin' anythin' else," the orphan adds, looking at Reno's belongings with raised eyebrows. She's clearly somewhat impressed by the various products inside, although whether it's due to what they are or simply how many of them are present is unclear. "Is tha' a rock?" She asks after a few moments, clearly confused by the whetstone in Reno's bag. It takes some effort to stay focused on not focusing on the brief exchange they'd just had, but the confusion about the Terabeth apparently carrying a rock in her backs was enough to briefly make her forget the issue.

[Hazuki]

As Iseri revealed the fact that she grew up as an orphan, Reno's expression changed...or didn't change at all, beyond the standard expression of dull surprise in the face of something that explained many things about the young woman she shared a room with. The ease with which she could initiate physically intimate encounters could easily be explained by the fact that the conditions of an orphanage necessitated lack of privacy, and the result of children spending so much of their time together would inevitably result in brawls and cliques. Still, the attitude of Iseri was interesting in the fact that she didn't seem to be depressed by the life she'd led up to that point, which Reno had honestly expected were she to ever meet an orphan.

Perhaps she'd need to save her thoughts for another time. It wasn't particularly important at the moment, and she was sure to get to know Iseri as a roommate, if not a partner, in time. Though reminding herself of the occurrences of just a few moments before brought a seed of uncertainty to her thoughts, which she hadn't considered in her eagerness to let the subject go. Victoria would be sharing the same building as her, and Iseri, and while she trusted Iseri not to go spreading her mistake around, it brought up the possibility of her doing it with somebody more liable to spread the rumor. She glanced downwards for a moment and took in a light breath; she'd deal with that moment when it came.

"If you've only got clothes, you can borrow my stuff." Reno said, as she hefted the rectangular stone out of her pack and held it against her sweater with one hand. She didn't expect Iseri to leap at the exciting proposition of borrowing hygienic products, but it was worth saying anyway, even if it was slightly inspired by the need to apologize for her abrupt notions of romanticism. "It's a whetstone." She explained, holding the object out to allow her companion to take a closer look. "It's used to sharpen Gehenna. Keep it deadly. It won't work on your fists, I'm afraid."

[PersonMan]

"Oh...thanks. I ain't ever used this kin'a stuff, though. Cain't say I even ken wha' i's used fo'," Iseri replies, clearly surprised by Reno's offer to share with her. The dropping of the Terabeth's gaze and simultaneous intake of breath doesn't strike her as anything unusual, especially once she picks up the odd stone from her bag. The movement captures her attention again, and the orphan looks to Reno expectantly in the moments before she speaks.

"A wet stone? It ain't lookin' wet ta me," Iseri says. As Reno explains the stone's use, she nods, seeming to understand at least part of what's being explained. "'Ow d'ya sharp'n a sword wi' a rock?" She asks, clearly not understanding the actual process involved. As Reno says the odd stone wouldn't work on her fists, the orphan frowns in faux-dramatic fashion. "Dang. An' 'ere I was thinkin' I c'd be th' firs' brawler wi' sharp'nd knuckles," she says, sighing. "My dreams, Reno. Yer killin' 'em."

[Hazuki]

"Carefully." Reno answered wryly, placing the whetstone on the table beside her chosen bed and looking back as a small gesture to direct Iseri's attention to it. Pulling Gehenna free from its attachment to her hip, she presented the covered blade to the whetstone and mimicked the motions of sharpening it for her curious companion.

"It's a shame about your knuckles. But the bodywash should cover that." The scion said, looking over to Iseri and seeking a suitable segue to explain how some of her beauty products worked to the wild girl. "You step into the shower and rub it all over your skin, then rinse it off." She explained, and picked up a small puffy object from the side of her pack. "With one of these. While they serve a similar purpose, don't confuse it with a whetstone."

[PersonMan]

"Hmm. I still ain't gettin' it - ain't steel hard'r 'n rock? But I ain't no smi', so i' don't mat'r," Iseri says, as Reno presents the technique of sharpening her blade on the whetstone. To her the idea is still odd - steel was harder than stone, so how could rubbing the two together sharpen the blade? She couldn't sharpen a rock with her hands, so why did it work with stone and steel? As the Terabeth changes the topic somewhat, speaking of her knuckles and how to cover 'that', the orphan is confused again. Slowly, she understands the differences between her and her new friends' education more deeply. While Iseri had been learning how to shove her way through tiny tunnels, Reno had been taught all sorts of things - how a whetstone worked, how to use the dizzying array of odd bottles in her bag...

"I don' get it," Iseri begins, one eyebrow raised. "Th' bodywash does wha'? Cov'rs wha' o' my knuckles? An' what's the scrubb'r do? I ain't got no dried mud on me," she continues, still confused. Some of it made sense - she'd heard that the ones who could afford it used showers each morning, but she didn't understand what their fancy soap would do to her knuckles that would cover up them not being sharpened. Reno had realized that was a joke, hadn't she...? Iseri looks at her again, eyes going over her ever-impassive face slowly. She seemed calm and collected, like always. If this was how she responded to most jokes, the orphan would be learning how to read whatever emotions the young noble did show soon, or would keep stumbling into situations like this.

[Hazuki]

Reno clasped Gehenna to her hip again as Iseri started to vaguely work her way through the information presented to her. The student packed the whetstone away in one of the many drawers and looked Iseri in the eye. "Don't worry about the whetstone. It's wibbly-wobbly smithy-withy." She 'explained', as she hoisted up her suitcase and pulled it with her towards the on-suite. Of course, she understood how whetstones worked, but it wasn't important in the grand scheme of things, and telling her roommate about how to use bodywash was going to be an important aspect of her time in the school, especially considering the majority of students were likely to come from a background more similar to the Terabeths.

"The bodywash helps to keep you clean and makes you smell nice. You may have smelled it on me earlier." She pointed out, pulling down the handle to the on-suite with her pinky finger and pushing the door away with her shoulder. "The scrubber is to brush off smaller bits of dirt and stuff. And get into places your hands can't."

[PersonMan]

"Ah. I jus' though' ya smell nice 'cause yer a fancypants," Iseri nods. That explained the difference in smells she'd known since her early years. All just from some stuff one rubbed into one's skin? That seemed too simple - too easy. Anyone could do that, if they could afford the stuff. The orphan considers that much of the magic behind the fancypants lifestyle will fade away the more time she spends with Reno. Unlike most of the fancypants types she'd met, she was rather open with this sort of thing, and unless that changed Iseri would be learning a lot over the next few days - not to mention the weeks and months that would follow. She'd be an entirely different person in only a year! Maybe, after the exploration was finished, even a fancypants herself, rubbing expensive stuff onto herself to make her smell good and using scrubbers instead of cleaning rags.

"So i's a cleanin' rag? You fancypants peo'le sure love spendin' yer money," Iseri says after Reno explains the scrubber. If that was really all there was to it, what was the point? "N-not that I'm 'oldin it 'gainst ya. It ain't my money, bu' I'm jus' sayin', I cain't see wha's so spec'al 'bout all thi' stuff."

[Hazuki]

"There's not a lot of choice in it." Reno explained as she started to stock up the cabinets of the on-suite with her various products. "There are people who want to spend their money and show it off. Other people get jealous of how nice they look and try to one-up them, and the culture evolves around them until you have to do the things some of them do so that you don't get looked down on. If you don't, you'll be forgotten or rejected by them, which isn't good if you want to stay a fancypants."

"Maybe there's a similar culture in your life." She added, quirking an eyebrow at the wild girl. While she knew that there weren't rich people being extravagant, there was almost certainly a social structure that made demands of people; peer pressure was certain to be present, at the least.

[PersonMan]

"So you c'n lose yer fancypants stuff if peo'le don' like ya? Tha's weird...don'cha jus' need money to be a fancypants? D'they take it from ya, 'r wha'?" Iseri asks, clearly surprised by the idea that one's fancypants status could be taken from them if they didn't spend a bunch of money on unnecessary things like scrubbers and wet stones. "As fer us doin' tha', well ye, ye kin'a saw it 'fore. If some'n is challengin' ya, ye got te show 'em yer gon' take i'. Like I did - I wen' furth'r 'n ye 'xpected, so I won, y'know?"

"But ain't that diff'rent? I mean, if I ain't doin' stuff like that, I don't be losin' my stuff," Iseri pauses to laugh. "But tha's good, 'cause if I did I wouln' have enythin' left t' wear," she grins again. "I'd ask ye if th' fancypants li'l ones do stuff like tha too, but y'ain't been knowin' many, 'ave ye?"

[Hazuki]

"Money needs to change hands. We need to pay for basic stuff, like food, water, electricity, which drains money. If we didn't do the fancypants dance, we wouldn't be able to make money, and if we can't make money, we'll end up with no money." Reno attempted to clarify, as she closed the door to the bathroom and faced Iseri dead-on. Economics weren't her thing, and were far more the forte of her elder sister, but she knew enough about it to explain to Iseri, at least. And she even got a small amount of enjoyment from expanding the rough girl's horizons. She briefly considered how manipulating Iseri into her victory might have changed the win condition, but brushed it aside in favor of dealing with the hail of questions Iseri was spurting.

"I don't know many children. I'm the youngest daughter, and my relative Victoria is the closest thing to a child I spent time with." She said as she glanced over at the windows, looking at the view outside and the lingering crowds of people that remained. "She's not nice."

[PersonMan]

"Victo'ria? Tha's a real fancypants name. She soun's like them folks at the top o' the ci'y. They ain't nice very of'n," Iseri says. "I still ain't gettin' the dancin' and makin' money thing, but I ain't a fancypants so I don' think I need te know it. I' sounds 'arder th'n I thought, if ye gotta be fight'n an' learnin' weird fancypants money stuff an' dancin' all the time," she continues, sighing. "I used t'think of wha' I'd do wit' a big pile o' money. Now I think I'd jus' lose i'."

Standing in front of Reno, the orphan looks at the one who was enlightening her to the oddities of the world of the fancypants, an odd sensation coming to her, a tingling on the side of her mouth. It reminded her somewhat of the thrill of grappling, of tumbling across the street with another's body clutched in her arms, desperately trying to get the upper hand. But it was different - more localized, and somewhat more faint.

"No ki's, ev'r? Tha's odd - but ye fancypants prob'ly 'ave a place where ye put all yer ki's, ain't that righ'? So ye'd prob'ly ne'r see 'em 'cause o' tha'," Iseri continues, wondering once again how odd the fancypants world was. "So yer - wha, fif'een? Six'een? An ye ne'r 'ad a real frien' or seen lo's o' ki's?"

[Hazuki]

"I was raised by my close family; my mother, father, and spent some time with my sister. I don't know about the other fancypants, but I wasn't invited to any gatherings if they had them." Reno replied wish a shrug, closing the curtains and bathing half of their shared quarters in darkness. "I spent my time training, with books, or with my family. But when we went out, I'd see other kids playing or visiting places; I just never interacted with them." Not a single ounce of concern or depression seemed to cross her face as she elaborated on her past.

"I'm fifteen, and my friend was a servant of the Erobeths. She was sort of like you; a rough past and all."

[PersonMan]

"So if ye put us t'gether, y'get 'nough," Iseri says as Reno explains her upbringing further. "I ain't got no family, but ye'v 'ad one frien' in fif'een years. 'Ow was she? Is she gonn' be goin' 'ere, too?" She asks, curious about her roommate's sole friend. "But 'least ye ain't sad 'bout it. Mus' be 'ard for oth'r peo'le to get, us bein' fine wi'ou' a fam'ly or frien's. Well, 'xcept for tha' one serv'nt o' th' - who wer' they? Erobeths, ye said? 'Ow'd ye meet 'er if ye di'n't go out?" Iseri asks, her curiosity as to the details of Reno's past still strong. Of course, if the noble ever turned to asking rather than only answering, the orphan would be happy to return the favor, but in the past she'd never found anyone interested in hearing about her life's story, apart from the one who had to write it down for the school papers.

[Hazuki]

"She was lovely." Reno said as she parked her tushy on the side of her bed and dragged the final suitcase over to her, half of it emptied from the trip to the bathroom. "She was kind, considerate, but bold, and showed signs of her callous past. She frequently told off Victoria when she attempted to bully me; because Victoria is an Erobeth. I met both her and Annabelle at a meeting my mother organized to get me into this school, many years ago; I kept coming back to her."

She gave a fond glance back at the picture of the Terabeth family and then to the inquisitive Iseri. "Annabelle won't be here. She's an older woman."

[PersonMan]

"She soun's kin'a like some o' the teach'rs we 'ad at the orph'nage. We 'ad some pre'y nice peo'le there," Iseri says, stepping out of Reno's way as she continues to unpack. "So ye 'ad some mixed luck wi' the Erobeths. One good'n an' a mean'n. An' Victo'ria's goin' 'ere but the nice'n ain't? That soun's 'nnoyin'. Shame she cain't 'ave come wit' ya ov'r 'ere. But tha's life, ain't it? Y'get just th' ones ye don' wan' for way too long," she continues, shrugging. "I 'ad som'n I coul'n stan', and we got stuck fer years in th' same room. I must'v been fight'n 'er fer ages, by th' en' we coul'n do enythin' t' each other. But ye wer'n't fightin' Victo'ria, wer'ye? 'Nless ye did som' traini' thin' wit' 'er."

Following Reno's gaze, Iseri looks at the picture for a moment, marveling at the wealth that allowed her to simply carry something like that around with her when going to school. "I'she 'n ther'? O' 's tha' jus' yer fam'ly?" She asks, indicating the framed picture.

[Hazuki]

"I didn't train with Victoria." Reno remarked as she rolled over the mattress of her bed to get to her other drawers. "We got into a fight once. She tugged out some of my hair and scratched my face. I gave her a broken arm and a trip to the hospital." She remembered the scene with some small sense of pride, partly out of the fact that she was defending both herself and the name of the Terabeths, and because she had never gotten a chance to demonstrate her skill against an opponent she could go all out on. Of course, she wouldn't have killed her, but the satisfaction of causing her some pain to remember was very satisfying to the young warrior.

"The picture is my family and me." She confirmed, nodding at the picture and following the rough girl's gaze. "We should get a picture to go by your bed."

[PersonMan]

"Oooh, an' I was thinkin' ye wer' an all well-be'aved fancypants fighty g'rl. But ye wer' fightin' Victo'ria? Soun's like it was fun," Iseri says, smiling, recognizing the tone of Reno's voice. She hadn't expected the sophisticated warrior to have the same attitude as her, but it seemed like they shared the satisfaction of giving people who needed it a solid roughhousing. She would have thought Reno to speak of how it had been necessary for her to strike another fancypants, but that it was bad, or something similar - they always seemed to stick up for each other, at least in Iseri's experience, so it was odd that Reno had enjoyed breaking the arm of another of her class.

"A pict'r, for me?" Iseri asks, clearly astonished by the idea. "Bu' - I ain't got no fam'ly or any'thin' t' take a pict'r o'. An', don' they cost a ton o' money? I cain't 'ford tha'."

[Hazuki]

"I am well-behaved." Reno quirked an eyebrow at Iseri as she accused her of some kind of vandalism. "In the right company." She added, a slight glint in her eyes as she unpacked a stack of books from her suitcase and looked over the astonished face of her roommate. A lack of pictures was to be expected from the girl who had revealed herself to know very little about the ways of life beyond her orphanage and experiences on the street, but the particular variety of shock and befuddled was slightly satisfying. A small amount of revenge for the cheeks-burned-crimson she had experienced earlier at the hands of an unrelenting tease.

"I can take a picture of us. Roommates." She said as she retrieved the multipurpose digital device from one of her pockets. "I'm sure we can find somewhere to get it printed."

[PersonMan]

"An' Victo'ria ain't the right comp'ny, I see. She tha' bad?" Iseri asks, noticing the slight glint in Reno's eyes and happy that she's found something that makes her new friend seem to be anything but entirely calm as she normally was. As the noble retrieves an odd device from her bag, the orphan takes a moment to stare at it in wonder. "An' tha'...?" She begins, trying to give the strange thing a definition. But it was like nothing she'd seen before - when she was present, the fancypants and merchants tended to keep the few such things they had on the street far from sight.

"Ye c'n take a pict'r of us? With tha'?" Iseri asks, slowly tearing her gaze from the unusual device to Reno herself. "'Ow does i' wor'?"

[Hazuki]

"Victoria is simply terrible." Reno responded with now venom in her voice as she walks closer to Iseri and turned the MPDD device around in her hands. "This device is just simple." With that, she lifted it up to the eye-level of herself and her roommate and pointed to the small circular lense embedded into its back. "We point this at us, then click this silver button on the side, and it will take a picture."

[PersonMan]

Iseri is, on one hand, very interested in learning more about the person who Reno seems to hate enough to show her feelings about. On the other hand, she doesn't want to speak at great length about the person who her new friend hates with a passion. As Reno changes the topic, the orphan decides to let her steer their conversation towards that curious device she's holding. There would be time to speak of Victoria later - at the latest, when they inevitably ran into her in the halls somewhere, or met her in a class. The school wasn't a city, after all. They'd meet her eventually, and Iseri would learn more about why Reno hated her then.

For now there was the odd device that Reno was holding to focus on. As she begins to explain it, Iseri turns her full attention to the bits she points out. Lens, button, picture...was it really that simple? It seemed almost too easy, but then again it seemed like the fancypants world was more about a money-dance and knowing people than working complicated things. If you had the money and made money, you bought everything you wanted, and once it was bought it was easy to deal with. Push a button here, apply lotion there, and you were done. Not as fancy as she'd thought.

"An' 'ow d'we get us both in the pict'r? Y'cain't 'old the thing an' be o'r 'ere, will ye jus' 'old it wit'yer 'and?" Iseri asks, indicating the device. Making a picture like the one Reno had would be impossible with just the two of them - even if the Terabeth held out the camera-device in one hand, it would still be rather close to the two of them.

[Hazuki]

"I can set it on a timer." Reno shrugged. "We'll need to rush a bit to pose, but it works." She gave a sideways glance to Iseri and briefly wondered whether her fascination with all things fancypants was going to remain throughout their time together. The fact of proximity would obviously bring the pair closer in mindsets, but everything in the school was Reno's playground, at least relative to experience. Whereas Iseri seemed to be baffled by the new concepts, and didn't understand a good portion of them. Just as earlier, she knew she'd have to guide her...and maybe get some teaching in return.

"After this, we can do something you like."

[SchwhatNow]

Hawk winds his way through the male dorm making his way to his room. There are only a small number of students inside since most are still out socializing. He finds his room on the top floor, not very large but it's the first room he could ever call his own. He places the folder he received on a counter minus his student ID and his key of course after he locks the door behind him. He leaves the map inside figuring he can learn much more about the campus on his own.

He moves towards the window and opens it. A light breeze rolls in to comfort him. He isn't typically one for the indoors so he decides to endeavor to leave the window open as much as possible. He leans out of the window and looks around. There isn't any way he could safely reach the ground from here but the roof is another story. He puts his feet up on the open window sill and pushes off with his right foot, twisting his body to the left he grabs the lip of the roof first with his right hand and uses his momentum to pull himself up enough to grasp the edge with his left as well. Continuing the smooth and well practiced motion he pulls himself up over the lip and onto the roof.

He moves around the rooftop surveying the surrounding area for trees, shorter rooftops, vines, anything he might be able to use should he ever have to quickly reach ground level from here. Then he moves towards the highest point of the roof and takes a look at the campus, getting a feel for how it comes together and starting to map it out in his head.

He breathes a deep sigh as he wonders what to do now. "I guess I'll explore a bit. Even though I wanted to wait until things settled down." He says to himself, comfortable that he is alone for the moment. Used to a life of total freedom this place is already making him feel constricted and confined as the reality starts to sink in with just how long he will be here. He has never really felt this way before and doesn't know how to deal with it.

He carefully plots a path down. Dropping to a lower jutting rooftop and rolling to absorb the fall, then casually jumping to the branch of a good sized tree and climbing down from there. He takes a quick look around to make sure nobody saw him and starts walking with no real destination in mind. But nevertheless he does his best to blend in and not draw attention like always.

[Zarae]

((ooc: ok, how I am imagining it and how it is typed might not be right. maybe I got the idea across.
I need some sleep. or maybe coffee...))

Inriia waited 10 seconds, counting them in her head, before doing a quick glance back to the guy. She didnt know why. A shrug, she continued on twords the building. Standing studying the layout, her boot tapping, the girl kept scanning the crowds. She wanted to be sure no one would be watching.
A pecan tree grew close to the building on the this side. It's old age shown in how proudly tall it stood. It's lowest branch was just out of normal reach, even jumping
If she could get to the top, it would give her a good view of the area. At least it would show a place to check out or find a good target.
Inriia circled the tree, running a few mental calculations as she'd been taught for this trick. Of course her training had stopped before she'd gotten this one perfect, Aunrae shipping her off to this school.
The girl back peddled a few feet, then sprinted. Leaping off her left foot, right foot hit the wall to add momentum and push her to the tree and up to the branch. Arms reached out to grab onto the branch for to swing up and catch it. Unfortunately she fell and inch short and in mid air had to readjust. Fast reflexes, she had to correct in mid air to avoid a nasty tumble and face-plant. Inriia landed, harder than she wished and finishing the energy with a roll.
Dusting herself off, cheeks slightly tinted pink, she hoped no one noticed. And by the fact that she didnt hear the laughing or anyone running over, she hoped she was good. A sigh escaped as she glared at the tree. That reminded her to later see if this school had a gym. Determined, or stubborn, she backed up to try the move again.

[SchwhatNow]

Hawk moved faster than normal. Seemingly with a purpose that he did not understand. His head was swimming and making it hard for him to focus. He couldn't afford to slip up or get caught off guard. He had been taught to rely solely on himself and to that end always be prepared. But part of him had always yearned for someone to talk to without the facade. And here he was in this school surrounded by hundreds of kids of various ages. Surely there had to be a few he could get along with.

He shakes his head as if that will clear his mind. Survival comes first, everyone is a threat. That's how he taught me and it has saved my life countless...
His thoughts trail off as he snaps to attention. He backs up a few paces and takes a look down the alleyway he just passed. It opens up into a secluded courtyard with a large tree in the center and he notices a girl pacing the tree. No wait, that's the pickpocket from earlier isn't it?

He moves cautiously down the alley while analyzing the situation. She seems slightly dirty and a bit out of breath. He notices her cheeks are flush red with what clearly seems to be frustration. She doesn't even notice him, so intent is her focus. She collects herself and rushes toward the building wall. It immediately clicks in his head that she is trying to reach the lower branch of the tree. Leaps off the left foot, pushes off the wall with her right and turns to grab the branch. Only she just misses and manages to save herself from a nasty fall by tucking her body and rolling to a stop. Looks like she has only tried this a few times since she still had enough energy to make the attempt.

She silently curses to herself and that's when she notices him leaning against the wall of the building as she gets up. He does the calculations in his head for a moment and figures that she did everything right except the timing. He has an advantage here with his height so he can afford to make a mistake and still likely make it, but this would have to be perfectly done in her case for her to reach the branch.

He decides against trying to explain it to her at first because he wants to see if she can pick it up. He walks towards the same position she started from and mentally prepares himself since he has to slow down his movements if she has any hope of learning from them. Without a sound he runs towards the wall, his movements intentionally slowed down enough to be noticeable, and jumps with his left foot just slightly after the point from which she took her jump, his focus on gaining more height with less of his energy directed at the wall. His right foot connects with the wall as he shifts his body weight to carry the upwards momentum and he pushes off with it towards the same branch she had tried for. His push had been reserved enough to give him the height to grab the branch and pull himself up without breaking momentum. Had he used too much force he could have still caught the branch but it would have been awkward and potentially painful. Too little and he would have fallen like the girl.

He stands on the branch and walks towards the tree's trunk. He places one hand upon the trunk as he looks down at the girl. No expression on his face and his eyes still hidden behind his sunglasses but inwardly eager to see if she can do it. As added encouragement he motions with his other hand, his palm up he half-way closes his hand twice in a "come on" expression.

[Zarae]

Inriia again glares at the tree, her focus distracted she did not notice the approaching guy till she spotted him in her peripheral. Her feet shift as she stood, hiding her slight embarresssment from having failed in view of another. The purple haired girl shakes her head, not letting any words or memories enter her mind about that either.
Stepping back, a different angle, she rubbed her chin in thought to re-evaluate it. The guy then with what seamed effortless perfection, was up in the branch she was attempting. Inriia half chuckles, hands on hips in fake annoyance as he pulled it off. She didnt want him to see she was studying his placement of footing and pivoting actions.
"Show off," she calls up jesting as she crosses her arms and foot taps.
Of course now it was a competition, the girl smirking in acceptance. Thinking through his own attempt. Inriia saw one big difference between the two. Now trying to decide if she would try his way or be stubborn and try it her own way. Another scan around then to the guy. If he said anything, she's just say she was gunna try that next.
Inriia stepped back, "oh. I'm coming. Move over," still in the same tone, and moved in the pattern he did, foot, pivot, push off, momentum, reach.
Determined she put a bit more than needed, and nearly over corrected. Her hand reached this time, but her grip was not fully prepared. but she got the move down, not pretty or most efficient.
On the branch, stabilizing her self, she let out a "HA!" small victory laugh forgetting the discomfort in her wrist, then covered the small outburst with a cough when remembering being watched.

((I so imagined the matrix with that 'come on'. :smallcool: ))

[SchwhatNow]

(( Haha I wasn't thinking of that but it fits pretty well :smallcool: ))

"Well you are a quick learner, if a bit undisciplined. But good work." He says with a calm voice as he sits on a branch little higher than the one the girl is currently on. "Half the effort is in the mind," he taps his head for effect, "hone that along with your body and none of this will trouble you."

He pauses for a few moments as if finding the right words then speaks again "For instance, I goaded you with that gesture. You allowed it to effect you, but in this case it helped you focus enough to make the jump. Let others affect your level of focus and it can come back to hurt you in other situations. And before you ask, no that isn't a threat. I'm the least likely to hurt someone around here without significant provocation."

He spoke calmly and sat in an nonthreatening manner but he was carefully gauging her reactions just in case she became a threat. He wondered to himself why he wanted to help this girl and settled on the fact that he didn't want to see her get herself killed by a poor jump. That and she might be a good contact to have since she would surely get plenty of information to share.

[Zarae]

Inriia adjusted to better fit the branch and get a sweeping view of the area around her. She maintained a, 'that was nothing' and 'easy to do' mannerism, tho nothing about her gave off an attitude of arrogance or pride.
Honestly she listened while trying to gauge his reasons. She hated to admit if he was right. No threat he gave or intent more than obvious, but past experiences screamed to be careful.
Instead nodded in acknowledgment of his words as she threw in a joke, "ah. such a gentleman," she quipped, "and you got skill," she admitted, doing a subtle exam of the guy as to try and guess where he was from or what he did before coming to the school.

[SchwhatNow]

"In my life manners haven't mattered much compared to information and intent." He stretches a bit as he talks, as if his body is telling him to keep moving.

"Tell you what though, I know the city better than anyone but I'm out of my element here. Never had a reason to be here before now." He waves his hands as to dismiss that last statement and continues "You have potential. Normally I'd barter with money but I'll need to pay my dues here just like everyone else so instead I'll make you a deal. You pass me along information from time to time, help me keep an eye on the little things around the campus, and I'll keep teaching you. Of course I'll explain things as well as show them to you, I was just trying to see if you could pay attention."

With that his expression finally breaks as he grins in a manner that makes it clear he was teasing.

[PersonMan]

"Y'say tha' like yer a te'ch'r tryin' t'ge' me t'do th' texts, no' my frien' takin' a pict'r wi' me," Iseri replies as Reno mentions doing something she likes. The orphan considers what the other girl had said before that for a moment, raising an eyebrow as a thought strikes her. "Mmm, when ye say 'pose', y'don' mean...like tha', righ'?" She indicates the picture Reno had placed earlier, looking at the grouped people and smiles for a second before turning back to her friend. "I don' mean t' 'ffend ye, but tha' don't look li' it was fun t'do. Stan' still'n smile," Iseri explains.

"So...'ow d'ye set the tim'r? An 'ow does it know when i's finished?" She asks after a brief pause, indicating that she was once again speaking about the device in Reno's hands.

[Hazuki]

"Sorry." Reno replied, unsure of how she was meant to respond to Iseri's comment about her acting like a teacher...partly for the fact that she was simply trying to make some amendment for the fact that she's doing largely things she wants to do, and partly because she wasnt' aware that the street girl had any experience with teachers. "We can pose however you'd like to. Put an arm around my shoulder, or whatever feels natural. As long as we're both in it."

"I push buttons. And when it's done, it makes a pleasant 'boop' noise."

[PersonMan]

"It ain't a issue, yer prob'ly been teach'd mor'n th' te'ch'rs we 'ad at th' orph'nage," Iseri replies, reassuring Reno with a smile. When her friend answers her question about posing, the orphan considers her for a moment, looking into the fancypants' brown eyes. Two contending thoughts rise almost simultaneously - first, a thought about what she should and shouldn't do with the noble girl she now knew had seen her as more than a friend, then a second that reminded her that, girl-kisser or not, Reno probably wasn't the fragile type to be hurt by a hug from someone she'd wanted more from before. The girl swung too hard for that.

"I ain't sure wha'll be nat'ral 'ere, i'll be my firs' pict'r," the orphan says, shrugging.

[Hazuki]

"We're about to find out." Reno said, glancing at Iseri's eyes as the other girl seemed to stare at her for a moment, then moved across the room to a stable surface to rest her MPDD on. Finding the table suitable enough, she pushed a few buttons and pointed it so that it would rest on the pair of them nicely, then strided back across the room to Iseri. "Five seconds." She said, gesturing to the device and standing beside Iseri, ready for her to take a natural pose or force one on her if she wasn't quick enough.

[PersonMan]

Iseri wavers, one arm reaching around for Reno's shoulder but stopping as she considers precisely how to position herself. After all, if this was going to be on her bedside table all year, she didn't want it to look bad. Before she could think of it for long, a wave of panic hit her - how long had it been since Reno started the timer? Was it about to go off? Had it already gone off? No, there hadn't been a noise yet. She still had time...but not much. And thinking wasn't helping.

Iseri's fingers lightly touch down on Reno's shoulder, before she suddenly curls her arm around the noble, pulling her in while pressing herself up to her friend, eyes locking on the device as a grin came to her face. It was the pose she and Derdric had agreed on after what seemed like hours of posing and arguing on a rooftop one day. It had started when the topic of pictures had come up - he had asked how she would have her picture taken, if she could. And now, perhaps three years later, the heat of that summer day, the warm puddles of the roof beneath her fingers, the laughing and pride in having found the perfect pose, came back for a brief moment.

In that moment, Iseri moved. And in the next, the device made its noise and the orphan was captured in a picture for the first time. Turning to Reno, arms falling to her sides, her grin staying, Iseri indicates the device with a nod of her head.

"So, when c'n we see it? Is it gonna be ready soon, 'r will it take a whil'?" She asks.

[Hazuki]

Reno took a few moments to stare at the back-and-forth of Iseri's eyes as she seemed to be panicked once again in the presence of the scion; it was just as lightheartedly amusing as it was before, getting to watch the street girl struggle with herself and new concepts a little bit. The fact that somebody could get flustered was obviously nothing new to the girl who had, just ten minutes ago, been glowing brighter than the sun through a telescope, but seeing the flaw in somebody's defense certainly played a part. It was the same sort of satisfaction she'd get from watching an opponent make a mistake; she knew that whatever she was doing, it was working.

Then she was suddenly embraced, and her cool examination of the situation fell to a sudden rush of warmth and acceptance, as she embraced Iseri back and smiled at the camera. But, behind her sparkling slate eyes, the spark of affection was rushed away under a chilling wave of reality. It was just friendship, she had to remember, if she was going to stay strong. Just like before, she had to get used to the fact, even though a hug from Iseri was very different from one with a curvaceous maid who wore pretty dresses.

Reno let her hands fall back to the sides and strode over to the device, her face shifting from the momentary and slight smile to its usual blankness. "We can go and get it done now. I think you'd explode if you had to wait."

[PersonMan]

Iseri's rush of joy from her memory and from embracing her new friend faded slightly as they separated again, and her grin fades as Reno walks over to her strange fancypants machine. Still, her excitement stays, and the swaying from the courtyard returns as the orphan stands, waiting to see what the noble says once she reaches it. This was how to learn something. Start with something actually interesting, and have someone cool be the teacher.

"I's re'y? It ain't need'n s'more time?" Iseri asks, eyebrows going up as she follows Reno over to the device. "'Ow d'we ge' i' re'y?"

[Hazuki]

Reno's head tilted slightly to the side as the girl's accent seemed to get even thicker with each passing moment. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Iseri got more difficult to understand as time went by, instead of her more easily being able to decipher her roommate's speech. She brushed it off and pocked the MPDD as she rejoined Iseri's side.

"That's it. We can just head to the main building and get it done. Then we can find a picture frame, hang it up, and add some decoration to your side of the room."

[PersonMan]

"Hmmm. I' ther' anythin' fancypants that ain't jus' summin' real simple under all the pretty stuff an' big money?" Iseri asks, the easy nature of the task at hand seeming to awe her yet again. "An' dec'ration? I'll 'ave to be careful I don' get fat wi' all this luxury!" She continues with a grin. A run-down orphanage and tired teachers was nothing like this place - she'd thought all schools to be the same, in the end. But this was something else entirely, from everything she'd known in her entire life. Her own room, shared with only a single other girl, in a massive buildings that didn't creak or leak at all. It felt like one of her old dreams had come true, like she would wake up any minute and discover herself on a warm rooftop, having fallen asleep. An imagined world of simplicity and luxury...this place seemed just like that.

Apart from Reno, of course. Iseri doubts she would ever imagine a best friend who fell in love with her. That was more complex than the rest - the real fancypants complexity wouldn't come from the stuff she'd need to get to know, but the noble girl whose feelings she didn't want to hurt with her friendship. It was something entirely new to her, dealing with someone who'd warmed up to her so quickly she had passed the orphan girl and gone past fast friendship into something Iseri knew far less. Dealing with love was something she'd need time to get used to.

[DeZako]

((Im taking over Aaron as a NPC, so, GenericMook, if you want him back, just mention you're alive and well.))

Aaron nodded, not all that enthusiastic about the prospect of meeting girls on his first day here.

"I'd rather have a drink, Aiden. I'm not feeling in the mood for your plan right now. Maybe tomorrow"

Aiden shook his head and smiled at his roommate.

"Of course, not going to force ya. I'm just saying that we're going to lag behind in the whole relationships race. People were already flirting before I got to read my folder, and I'm not getting anywhere near you in that way!" Aiden mocked a disgusted look before laughing heartily."Drinks it is then. We might have to go to the town nearby to get 'em, unfortunately. Got everything with you?" He said, palming the pockets of his jeans, checking the contents.

Aaron snatched up his keys to the room and a small wallet, putting them in the inner pockets of his ragged jacket, that soon rested folded neatly over his arm.

"Hey, wasn't there a curfew in place or something?" Aaron asked with a worried expression.

Aiden moved his hand casually, dismissing his roomie's concerns "First day here, we can have ourselves some fun. I can get us in easy enough" with a slow stroll, Aiden left the room, picking up a cigarette and offering it to Aaron "You smoke?" Aaron shook his head and reprimanded his colleague "I don't, and you shouldn't, either""Too late for that, buddy. Habit's settled in already" Aiden put the cig between his lips and lit it up, taking a dreg. "Only vice I have. Let's go, we got ourselves some drinking to do!" He concluded, with a couple steps towards the stairs, Aaron behind him, not fully convinced but curious about this guy.

((So, Felix, there you have it. My character wants to skip the curfew and imbibe some alcoholic beverages whilst a minor. I'm gonna need a rough map of the school and the surroundings, specially the town. Also rules regarding smoking within the school's grounds, so Aiden can fake not knowing them xD))

[Foxyfelix9]

Students were out of their dorms. Less than thirty, more than ten. He could feel them on his skin, like the smallest raindrops from a clear sky. The Principal could count the exact number if he focused, but it wasn't important.

It was natural for them to be impatient and want to explore, especially on their first day. But that didn't mean it was acceptable. He would give them a polite nudge and a reminder. It was entirely possible that some of them had simply missed the line about the curfew in their folder.

He came across a young man with a blond fauxhawk hairstyle. He was a few inches taller than the Principal, but not very intimidating. The young man wore a frustrated and unsure expression. It seemed as though he might be looking for someone.

"Greetings, young Sir. You may not be aware of this, but the curfew time is 10 PM on campus, and we are past that now."

"Oh!" He appeared startled, as though he hadn't noticed the Principal until he spoke. "Yeah, sorry. I'll go back to my room then."

"I'm sure you will. Have a nice night."

Additional info on the principal is in the rulepost, but I'll put a TL;DR here. He's a weak earthbender who can't use direct attacks, but can sense locations and lies. Polite, but authoritative. And I'll answer the other questions in the OOC thread.

[SchwhatNow]

(( going to excuse myself from Inriia here for now ))

Not even waiting for a reply he leans backwards off the branch and lets himself fall. Tucking his legs so he flips in the air he lands gracefully on the ground as a small gust of wind blows outward from him, seeming to cushion the landing.

"Let me know when you make up your mind. I'm sure you can find a way atop the mens dorm. I'll likely spend most of my time up on the roof anyways. Of course we seem to have a way of bumping into each other so it shouldn't take much effort." He calls up to the girl still in the tree as he walks backwards away, his voice getting louder the further he gets and he adds a slight chuckle with the last few words then turns away from her and leaves. Wondering to himself why he started being friendly and criticizing himself for letting down his guard.

He meanders the campus for a bit, then heads back up onto the roof of the mens dorm following the same path he traced down earlier. He finds a comfortable spot which he can watch some of the students mingle and sits to reflect on his day. He stays there for quite some time. Ducks in and out of his dorm here and there but ends up enjoying the quiet solitude until around midnight when he finally decides to get some sleep. A few hours after he noticed the principal rounding up the students out after curfew.

[Zarae]

Inriia, seam to think about it, not wanting to appear to eager. And she was afraid that this could end up hurting her in the end. But to pass off information in return for training did seam like a good deal, almost too good.
He must have seen her thinking, as she often could space off when in deep thought. He was on the ground walking off. She nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Should be no problem at all," she calls in reference to the roof-top of the boys dorm. It would show here abilities in stealth or agility and resourcefulness. Areas she knew she had down, and could compete with the best.
Inriia stayed in the tree a bit longer, realizing she didnt get his name and laughing out loud of the whole situation.
Eventually Inriia got down, deciding to use the same mannor he had done, a flip to land softly onto the ground. She decided to wander around some more scouting out the campus until way past curfew, tho stopping in the cafeteria for a quick meal.

[Foxyfelix9]

Reno and Iseri

Iseri wakes up first, and Reno wakes up after hearing her moving around.

Aiden

Aaron and Aiden had a late night, but the morning sun through your window manages to rouse Aiden earlier than he would have liked. Aiden is hungover and sleepy. Aaron is still asleep.

Hawk

Hawk's folder said that he had no roommate, but when he woke up, the other side of the room has someone else's belongings there. A suitcase and a welcome folder sat on the bed. Dirty clothes -a tank top, underwear, and shorts- were piled on the floor. Nothing else, but they probably weren't finished unpacking. Maybe a late arrival, or a rearrangement by the teachers. In any case, the new occupant appears to have departed before Hawk woke up.

Inriia

When Inriia wakes up, the other bed has been cleared of Helina's things. She jumps down from the lofted bed and regrets it after her legs hit the ground. A little sore from yesterday.

The first day on campus went well. Some fighting, some climbing, and some friendships made. By now, you have opened your folder and received the mission from the principal. Getting favors...was this supposed to be like the combat school version of going around a circle and introducing yourself? A little odd. If an opportunity for the mission came up, you'd probably do it, but it wasn't something you were going to stress over. Classes had yet to start, so at the moment the best options seemed to be finding other people to talk to and exploring campus.

[DeZako]

Sun rays breaching through the curtains woke up Aiden way before what he had expected. And wanted. With a pained grunt, he turned around in his bed, facing to his roommate. His whole body ached, and don't even mention the head. He tried to clear his vision with a couple of lazy blinks, but to no avail.
"...Dude? You awake?" he muttered, just soft enough for the words to be harmless. The figure in the bed just across the room stirred in his bed with a chorus of grunts and sighs.
"...Dude?
"Fuuuuck you...", answered Aaron, his voice cracked and tired. "Remind me to never trust you-ouch-again" uttered the man whilst softly massaging his own head. He tried to sit up, but ended in a postion between laying down and sitting, resting on his elbow.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"...Hey, what's up with you head?" asked Aiden, groggily,
"With my... head?"
"Yup, Looks... battered. You hit something with the face yesterday?"
Another few seconds passed.
"i... I think you tried to launch me towards the window of our room?"
"Uh... We're on the second floor... Sorry. Did I do it?"
"Dont think so. I gave one hell of a scare to one of the rooms of the first floor, that's for sure"
Aiden closed his eyes and turned around in his bed.
"Awesome"
With a synchronised grunt, both of them fell asleep.
-------
Two hours later, and they were on their feet and all ready to venture out. As they stumbled out of their room, Aiden asked:
"We had fun, didn't we?"
Silence, Aaron looking with his eyes half closed at the end of the hall.
"...Yeah. I think. Next time we'll go easier on the drinks, shall we?"
"Deal. Let's go" said Aiden, passing his arm over Aaron's shoulders, and heading towards the stairs.
"Aiden?"
"Yeah?
"Who paid the drinks? I'm not missing much money..."
"Oh, yeah. You hit it with someone who paid for our drinks"
"...Was she nice?"
"Oh, definitely. He was hella nice, if you ask me."
They shambled a bit more down the hallway until Aaron stopped on his tracks, a horrified expression on his face.
"Wait what?! He?!".
"Hey don't worry. He got the hint that you were not in the mood", commented Aiden, smiling and blinking.

It was not the best morning Aaron had ever had.

[SchwhatNow]

With a new day beginning Hawk pulls himself up and out of bed. He takes a look around as if trying to reiterate that this is his room now when he notices someone else's belongings. Now awake and alert he scans the room and listens intently trying to locate them, but it seems they have already left.

"Well I figured it would happen eventually. Just had hoped later rather than sooner." he states as he takes a look at the belongings trying to get a vague idea of the type of person he would have to be dealing with. Memorizing what he sees he then of course checks all of his personal belongings to make sure nothing is missing. Everything is still here thankfully. He takes some of his more valuable items and stashes them until he can find out more about this stranger.

He goes through his morning routine, cleaning himself up before getting dressed. He decides on jeans and a gray hoodie for today then he slides on his concealed holsters and stows his revolvers in them. His stomach grumbles a bit as he decides it's a good idea to grab some breakfast before anything else. He decides to use the door today thinking maybe he will bump into this new stranger along the way as he dons his sunglasses and heads towards the cafeteria.

[Foxyfelix9]

A tall blond boy swaggered into the suite, carrying a small blue basket with bathroom supplies - toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, rock, and deodorant- in one hand and a comb in the other. He was wearing only boxers, and had a confident air about him despite being quite skinny. He paused for a moment, and used the comb to adjust his fauxhawk, pushing it higher.

Seeing Hawk emerge from their room, he tipped the hand with the comb in it in acknowledgement. "Oi! Are ya mah bunkmate then?" He put the comb in the basket and reached out to tap Hawk's sunglasses. "Noice glasses."

[SchwhatNow]

"So it would seem." He replies as he backpedals instinctively to avoid the unwanted touch, almost sliding into a combat stance but he realizes the action was not hostile.

"I don't tend to like others invading my space. Not there is much space here to begin with, but I'll ask you to kindly not touch my things or me for that matter. With that being said, you can call me Hawk." His voice calm and without deviation as he explains himself, neither hostile nor friendly but demanding of attention nonetheless. He then extends his hand inviting the other man to shake it.

[Foxyfelix9]

The blond boy pulled away when Hawk backpedaled. "Ya're a jumpy one, aren't ya? I'll keep mah hands off then, Hawk."

He grabbed the hand and shook. His grip was firm, strong without attempting to crush. "Mah name's...ah, Sparrow. Sparrow Faux. Pleastameetcha. Now if'n ya don't mind, I'll be gettin' dressed and seein' ya latah."

Sparrow walked back down the hall toward their room, pulling out the comb for another quick styling as he went.

[Zarae]

((is it communial bathrooms or one in each room? will edit if former.))

Tossing and turning, as was norm, she awoke with a startle. A small bit a sweat beaded her forhead, hair a wild messy. Hands instinctively covered her mouth as an attempt to hide any possible screams that could have been. Her mind cleared remembering where she was, and suddenly hoped she didnt wake her roommate.
Her roommate.
She didnt remember her coming in, the girl would have woken to the slightest sound, especally of an entering presence. and she wasnt in the room when she got in after curfew. Legs swung down, sore from yesterday, but nothing a bit of moving around would not fix.
the room was emptied of Helena's belongings. Odd, considering they had just arrived yesterday. Inriia shrugged, somewhat disappointed, but shook it off. Pulling her bag, she rifled through it, picking out a simular baggy black shirt and camo cargo pants. After double checking the door lock and makeshift alarm, again, she hauled her clothing, large towel, and toiletries down into the bathroom for a quick shower.
Communial bathrooms were the worse part of this dorm expereince. She hated the idea of being so vulnerable and allowing whoever to walk into the bathroom, much less see her scars. Inriia locked the door, setting a blade on the rack with her soaps, jumping in quickly scrubbing hard to get clean and then get out.

Wet hair hung out to dry while she organized and arranged her stuff. Until a roommate was reassigned her clothing would be tossed around on the extra bed. Her books and drawing material were on the desk. One small knife was under her pillow, another in the nightstand, and another hidden in the closet. Now the room looked like someone had been living there for a while, the cluttered mess taking over where a roommate would be.
It was then her stomach growled for a meal. And it was not going to be quiet until. Inriia pulled her boots on, her special blade in each as she read the folder that was on her bed deciding what she was going to do today.
Ready to go about her day, she was heading out and to the cafeteria for a good meal, pulling the wet purple mess up into a ponytail.

[SchwhatNow]

"Heh, Sparrow and Hawk. Our names match if little else." He says to himself as Sparrow heads into their room. "Oh and Sparrow, leave that window open if you would." He calls out barely remembering in time for Sparrow to hear him.

Hawk continues down out of the dorm and to the cafeteria. He pays the employee the fee and gathers himself up a good breakfast: Some toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon with milk to drink. Then he manages to find an empty table in the corner where he can hopefully eat in peace while keeping an eye on everyone else there. Of course he noticed the eyes of other students following him as he walked to the table, though he doubted any of them would be brave enough to approach him.

[Zarae]

Inriia strode down the walk ways, a casual walk that appeared carefree yet she was keeping her eyes open and observing. There a good number of students inside, something she wasnt so keen about. But she knew she'd have to get use to this.
The food looked medicore, not the best but not the worst. Which she was thankful for that. Arms close in she stood staring at the options, indecisive of what she wanted, while her stomach again reminded her to eat something. Other students [passed by as she tried to move and keep from being bumped into and shuffled around by the crowd.
Another grumble of her stomach, she piled on a good amount of bacon, eggs, biscuits, and fruit. For someone so scrawny, she did have a good appetite. Plate full she weaved through the crowds looking for somewhere to sit.