harmonize_rpg | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: The Chitoku inaugural class.
Where: Chitoku campus, various locations.
When: Sunday, April 3, 2022, two days before the start of spring term.
What: The school has opened its doors.

After eight years of careful planning and preparation, the campus of Chitoku Academy for the Gifted was coming alive at last. Helpful staff members had been posted everywhere in anticipation of the crowd, and seemingly every variable had been accounted for in order to make the move-in and initial orientation go as smoothly as possible...

Save, that is, for the weather.

The sky had just opened up on several hundred students and their families. Boxes and suitcases were being hastily hauled to whatever shelter could be found, with the aforementioned helpful staff members now acting as guides to the most convenient locations, and clusters of people seemed to naturally form around them, waiting for the downpour to slacken so the day could proceed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just her luck, caught in the rain without any form of protection besides a jacket. Chloe didn't like the rain. It wasn't that she minded getting soaked, no. It was because it resurfaced thoughts that she had been trying hard to keep buried. The ridiculously tall German plodded through the rain with but a solitary suitcase, her newsboy cap keeping the rain from her eyes while she walked. Eventually she made it inside and out of the rain, and found her room with little trouble. She sighed and took a step through the door.

All things considered, it was a nice room. Better than what she was accustomed to, really. She wasted no time in packing away her few belongings before slipping her suitcase under the bed. After a small tour of the room itself, she tested the bed. Overall adequately comfortable. This was a nice establishment, she had to give them that much. The German's thoughts began to wander as she stared up at the ceiling. She had only just gotten here, and already the looks at started. The whispers followed soon after. She wasn't surprised by any means; she knew from the beginning that she would be one of, if not the MOST, unpopular kid on the premise.

With a sigh she got to her feet. Might as well take a look around, right? The giant put on her jacket, exiting her dorm room.

There was a great deal of noise. This did not bother Mirai particularly, because he got to hear snippets of conversations and be assured that he was the cause of some of them. Those girls he had met in the gymnasium, for instance, were now sticking a little closer together after he had introduced himself. Clearly, he had done something for society. It was good, and he was glad.

He was seated prudently at the edge of the crowd, watching. A nice window-backed table at the side of the cafeteria, with a view of the entrance, where he was lounging back with a view over the crowd. He sat up a little when the foreign girl who was the subject of rumours entered.

After seeing her, the small, black-haired girls around him seemed rather tame. He watched each one that passed him with increasing boredom. He was sure he would get something from talking to her, "senpai's so good for talking to you" "what are you doing talking to those people" "he's such a swell guy", and pushed out the empty chair with his foot.

"A seat - if you want."

The sound of a chair sliding and a voice gave the girl some pause as she made her way through the cafeteria. She easily towered over most people so she was used to the stares... what she wasn't use to was offers to sit with people. Instead of sitting, the German stared from the seat before her icy gaze moved upwards to the one offering it. Though her face was its usual stoic mask, inwardly, she was suspicious.

"...No thank you."

She said in a blunt but polite and even tone. Chloe looked at the strange character before her. Though she didn't say it, her tense posture almost seemed to scream 'What do you want from me?'

While she declined, a whole bunch of ideas were being filtered by Mirai's thoughts. She was too tall. She was too much trouble to be worth any effort. She would draw people to question him instead. That happened to be the very moment when he realised her friendship - or merely acquaintance - would turn things topsy-turvy and deflate some of the pride he had found so disgusting in people lately.

"... Okay." He didn't sound bothered, and stared at the girls walking past his table. "I don't see any chairs. Or room." He sounded so disappointed. "I wonder if you'd have to stand for too long?"

The crowd wasn't diminishing anytime soon.

"Not getting anything. Just came to see."

She said simply, crossing her arms over her chest as her cold gaze moved to look around the room. It really was crowded. That was only to be expected given that everyone was trying to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings. It wasn't like she wasn't used to standing anyway.

Her eyes turned back to him now. Her face, the ever present stoic mask, betrayed little to none of her thoughts. His tone of voice was different from most people she talked to. It wasn't because he was different... it was because she recognized it. Words that didn't quite tell a whole truth, like a smile that didn't quite reach a person's eyes. She recognized it because she was fairly good at it herself. the German made a mental note to watch her back with this one around.

An interesting small smile came on Mirai's face at that point. "It's been so long since somebody's come to see me. I'm glad."

The emotion of it was spoken quite truly. He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms behind him and waited, for a brief instant, to study the foreign girl. He was thinking that his worry about her had been completely unnecessary, as she seemed to be the sort to ignore his business. He brought back his hands at that point, making it his business to make himself hers.

"Imaizumi Mirai, third year. It's a pleasure."

"A pleasure. Chloe Abendroth, first year."

She responded, squaring her shoulders and giving a small polite bow of her head to the man introducing himself. Mirai was it? The tall girl tilted her head slightly, almost inquisitively at his attempt at humour. He did seem the type, didn't he...?

Her gaze returned to the cafeteria. The food here didn't look too bad, she thought. Could use some improvement, but at least it wasn't slop. It even smelled alright from where she was standing.

"Judging from what I see," Mirai said slowly, "the school needs better cooks."

Truly Chloe was a very stern and focused girl, he thought, leaving the chair. He picked up his coat and his scarf - both of which he had draped over the chair behind him before she had arrived - and followed her gaze to the counter. Then light amusement spread around them. He was softly laughing.

"Average, but not terrible."

She commented almost as if to herself. When she noticed Mirai grabbing his things, she turned to look at him again. Was he leaving, could she BE so lucky? The boy began to laugh softly, and Chloe wasn't quite sure what was funny. Had she said something strange? One blonde brow quirked in his general direction.

Seeing as Chloe had been awkward for the entirety of their meeting, the thought she would be glad to see the back of him had come to Imaizumi's mind. He pulled the coat over one arm and got through the other sleeve himself, circling the scarf around his neck, throwing the tail over his back. She questioned him - he watched her. His gaze stayed for a long moment.

He assumed she was wanting an answer. He wasn't going to give one. While the truth was he had laughed for a good reason, it was a card he was unwilling to share and wanted to keep all to himself. Even his face seemed to show it was a secret.

"It truly has been a pleasure. We'll meet again, won't we?" he asked kindly.

"I suppose, inevitably."

It was a large school, but chances are they'd at least see each other on campus. The way his gaze lingered and the way he seemed to be hiding something perturbed the German... but none of that showed on her face. Instead, she inclined her head politely to him. That was as close to a 'goodbye' as he was getting out of her.

Haruka created puddles wherever she went.

Coming in from out of the pelting rain, every inch of her was soaked: her long wet hair stuck to her face, neck and shoulders and her shoes sloshed as she walked. She could have wrung out her hair or clothes before entering the building but opps it only occurred to her when she was halfway up the across the first floors.

It sounded like most down there had already put their bags away or were loitering around. She accidentally banged her leg on improperly stored bag or two but found her way to the stairs without much trouble. Ihoji had said there was an elevator but the walk didn't bother Haruka.

Only five floors to go.

For someone as tall as Chloe was, she moved with surprising grace. She quickly began making her way down the flights of stairs that would lead her out and eventually to the Cafeteria. The hobby-chef wanted to see if there were any facilities there that were opened to students who might prefer to make their own meals instead of stomaching whatever the cafeteria decided they needed to eat. Most cafeterias that she had been to hadn't had the best food available, but then again, this was a high class facility.

Lost in that thought, Chloe almost didn't notice the other girl coming up the stairs. Almost. The German noticed something peculiar about this girl, otherwise she wouldn't have given her a second look; this girl had her eyes closed while she traversed her way up the stairs. That certainly was odd unless... wait, was this girl blind? Chloe stopped and stepped to the side on the landing so that the girl and her luggage could get by; there was no way both of them would fit (stop being a giant Chloe geez).

Chloe waited patiently and quietly for the girl to pass.

Haruka heard someone close by move. "Oh. Thanks-"

However, she was't done that before she brushed against the other, much taller girl as she squeezed past. It was a tight fit with her bag too, so Haruka ended up dripping over them. Turning back she said,

"Sorry. My bad."

Chloe shook her head before remember the girl couldn't see her. Instead she actually had to speak. It was strange for her, considering speaking was kind of a last resort thing for her.

"No problem, Miss."

Chloe was nothing if not at least polite. Haruka had given her no reason to be the nasty outsider that most people made her out to be, even if her accent was strange. The German brushed at her now wet clothes as if it was of little consequence. Something made the girl pause before walking away down the stairs. Her piercing icy gaze fell on the bags that the girl carried. After a few moments, the taller girl cleared her throat awkwardly.

"...Would you like some help?"

Blunt as ever it seemed.

Haruka tilted her head curiously at the other girl's voice. She seemed to regard her, before saying,

"Sure, if you're offering." Haruka nodded and took a step up to give the other girl more room. "I'm Haruka Shikata, second year. You?"

"Chloe Abendroth, first year."

She responded. With that, Chloe carefully reached out and took the heaviest bag that the girl was carrying. It wasn't too heavy, she found, but then again heavy was a matter of perception. Tilting her head almost curiously, she spoke again.

"Room number?"

Haruka looked a bit surprised. It passed after a moment with a slight shrug. She felt a light tug on her bag and let go, allowing Abendroth to take it. "Huh. Pleased to meet you then, Abendorofu-san. Please take care of me I guess?

"510." She took a leading step, holding the stairs the entire time, feeling for braile-directions. Turning back. "Did you settle in already?"

Take care of her? Yes, that is what they said, wasn't it? It was a bit strange to her, but she understood its cultural importance. At the question the other girl asked, Chloe simply nodded before remembering, again, that she couldn't see her nod.

"Yes."

Was her only response. The German didn't want to insult the girl's independence by just up and assuming the lead up the stairs, so she patiently and politely waited for the girl to navigate them to room 510.

"Darn. So many go-getters compared to me."

Haruka walked slow enough for Abendroth and still dripping water where she went. The stairs weren't too bad further up, compared to the bottle necking earlier.

"What's your specialty?"

Go-getter? She wouldn't say that, really. If she had her way, she wouldn't really even be here. If not on her mother's behest, she would be back in Germany. She would still be ridiculed, but it would at least be familiar mockery. Aggression was aggression, she reasoned, no matter where it came from. She realized then that she was asked a question.

"Piano. Yourself?"

The talk of specialties got her curious, however. What did specialty would a blind person have? Not that she thought her incapable of doing things, merely that there must be some workarounds, right? The German lugged the other girl's luggage with little problem up the stairs, careful of the now wet and slippery stairs. She made a mental note to watch Haruka's footing as well; at least she was holding onto the railings.

"Huh. Interesting."

Haruka, meanwhile, was walking up the stairs with little problem. It was linear and even enough she didn't bother to feel what was next with her cane. When they hit the flight, she felt instructions on the railing telling her to keep going and went forward without missing a beat.

"Drama here."

Drama? The German girl wondered what it would be like to act while completely blind. That would be hard... but perhaps she meant with her voice? She knew that voice acting was a popular profession. Something told her this girl would fit right in if that were the case. As she made her way up the stairs, Chloe was careful with her own footing; the puddles that the girl was leaving would be dangerous should she slip in them while holding her luggage.

Talking was not Chloe's strong suit. Most people would be eager to engage in small-talk. This was not so for the giant of a first year. She was perfectly fine to remain in silence. She was pretty sure she had nothing interesting to say either way, so it was at least a win for Haruka.

Haruka adjusted her pace to Abendroth's, slowing with her. For a while, Haruka let the lull to silence remain, before saying,

"I'm from Kyoto. You?"

"Germany."

Was her short response. Well, at least it would explain the strange accent that the girl had undoubtedly noticed. Inwardly, she wondered if she was like all the others. Because this girl couldn't see, was appearance and other trivial matters as much a concern to her? Did she care where she was born or that she wasn't Japanese? The German had learned long ago not to get her hopes up; now was no exception.

Edited 2013-08-30 01:31 (UTC)

Re: DORMS

Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Re: Dorm > Cafeteria?

Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)

Re: Dorm (before cafeteria?)