St. Hirst Academy, Dining Hall, Midday

"My my, if I knew that you wanted to talk, I could have... arranged it long ago. Detention always has space for one more, is it not?" Seyrun said to Sina, jesting. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding. If I get the red slip I will not be able to take a look at that Mystery Investigation Society. I'm rather curious about what kind of mystery they are looking to snoop."

That was right about when Nadalena that sword-carrying, vibrantly red-haired girl that Seyrun wasn't yet acquainted to came in to their table. The blue-haired girl couldn't help but notice the knightly aura that new girl seemed to have. It was something really worthy of being called her dashing. In fact, Seyrun had to kind of slap herself to dismiss the fairytale driven thoughts.

As soon as the other two claimed their places at the table, Seyrun said "I'm glad to see you again, Nadia. I'm also glad to see that you seem to be overcoming your... social apprehension." Seyrun spoke in as softly as she could, not meaning to trigger the Espenovan's well-known short fuse. Even then, she decided to try to be a bit more intimate with the dark-haired girl. All there years here and Seyrun still barely knew the only schoolmate she had a high chance of remaining in contact with after they graduate. From this year onward, she was determined to crack Nadalena's shell.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I'm Seyrun Riviathan, of Nordland," Seyrun said as she turned to face the redheaded girl. And this is Miss Sina Segert. We were just getting personally acquainted right now, so it's a pleasure to have you join us.

Right about that time, Seyrun spotted the unmistakable figure of the Academy's number one troublemaker entered the dinner hall as well. With nearly all tables occupied, save the one the quartet shared, the Nordic girl felt obliged to wave for Tilia. "I hope that none of you mind having more company for lunch. It seems like our numbers are about to raise," Seyrun said to the other girls before raising her voice a bit, "Miss Fitzregald, we have some more free seats over here, if you don't yet have company," and calling for Tilia.

It was so early and things were already so rowdy. Certainly, this was going to be quite a memorable school year. That Seyrun was certain of.

The raven-haired girl had half of a mind to ‘accidently’ trip and allow her food to poor all over Seyrun’s pretty little uniform. Deferring her as Nadia was inappropriate and way too casual. The Nordic girl was not her friend and she had not allowed her the right to defer to her by such a nickname. But acting out of spite would not be wise, so the plate of food gently landed on the table instead of where she had almost placed it. She wasn’t sure if Seyrun was just foolish, or if the customs in Nordland were vastly different and held primitive cultural etiquette in comparison to real nobility. Nadalena had to constantly remind herself that she was above petty spite against someone like her. After all, Seyrun was being groomed to be a future grand duchness instead of Nadalena’s inheritance of becoming a future queen. That was the difference -- Nadalena was a of higher prestige, or at least she was in her eyes.

As Seyrun introduced herself to the sword-bearing girl Nadalena did the same.

“And I’m Princess Nadalena Kofenstein of the Espenovan Commonwealth, eldest daughter of King Nikolas the VI and Queen Franziska.”

It was the proper way to go about introducing herself, though in retrospect perhaps she should have done so before she introduced the red-haired girl to the table. Still, it was nice to be correct in the exchange when others were so ephemeral and informal. It was here that this girl, a stranger to the veteran students, would make her decision on how she introduced herself. Which camp would she be in? Courtesy of Informality? The girl did hold a sword at the ready thus Nadalena’s best hopes was she would be honorable like the Germanian knight of old at a bare minimum. But people were keen to surprise her.

But before the red-haired girl could introduce properly or improperly Seyrun noticed another girl and commented about her inviting her over. Nadalena didn’t recognize the girl, as it was, so she was quite curious about who she was and what her character could be so she did not object. Not that she could with how quickly Seyrun jumped to point the girl out and calling her over to the table. It was a cavalier attitude that Nadalena was not fond of, but what was done was done. However, it was more interesting to her that Seyrun referred to the girl as “Miss Fitzgerald”, the same surname that was to share a room with herself; a surname that held no true honorific title. Could this be her assigned roommate?

Curious.

The dining hall was as full as memory served, and the young girl murred softly as such. She always struggled with these times, for she much preferred sitting by herself without bothering anyone. Whenever she sat down by others, she had noticed them fleeing from the table just minutes after her taking seat, so that had rarely been an issue, true, but scaring people away was not her greatest joy in life either. She may be the daughter to one of the mightiest mafia loansharks in all of Telemarin, but that didn't mean she specifically was apart of this foul business. And so she sighed.

Her cold, blue eyes browsed and scoured the massive hall, seeking a table that was by itself. Her proud, stern expression revealing nothing of her inner turmoil as she found a solution to her issue. Her feet started to pull her through the room, towards the faraway corner of the hall, her lunchboard balanced on her left arm while the right grabbed an empty chair, pulling it along. Atleast she'd brought with her the freshest issue of the St. Hirst Times, the welcoming newspapers, so entertainment was secured for the loner.

The corner she so often sat by, the solitary corner giving her atleast three footlengths away from any of the populated tables, was her own. She placed the chair down before almost leaping into it, the lunchboard placed in her lap while the papers unfolded in her grasp. She was rather surprised at how quick the Journalist News Club got it both made and printed, but she supposed efficiency is what those people aim for.

Her eyes now scoured through the pages of the large papers, briefly reading through those lines of rather mundane and boring information, until she finally reached the club advertisement pages. Not really her thing, that. Joining clubs, that is. She vaguely remembered the short time spent in the old St. Hirst Economy Club in her first year, and how her mere presence almost had the club disbanded. Ah, yes, that's when the knowledge of her upbringing and her parents' work was revealed to a part of the public, and where the rumours of her cold, criminal acts began. Sigh. "Hell take you, father.." she muttered softly to herself. Even here, so far away from Telemarin, had he been able to ruin her reputation and chances in life it seemed.

The Sports Club advertised with their typical high-energy advertisements as last year. "Are you an up-and-coming Sportsstar? Do you love sports?! JOIN US FOR GREAT FUN AND STUFF!" Bleh. Boring. She was none of that. And this Literature Club didn't really appeal to her neither. "Do you enjoy reading books, and discussing their riveting stories with booklovers like yourself? Come to the Literature Club for a brief interview." Club this, club that. And this Mystery Club seemed equally mundane and boring. Spending hours of your day into researching where that one pencil went? Seems a drag.

Ramona Herrman

The next few moments happened rather quickly. Making the events that transpired seem like a blur.
After having sat down and making herself comfortable... well as comfortable as she could be in unfamiliar territories, the red head was stunned with the vast diversity among the students around her.

The girl with electric blue hair spoke first. She seemed to have a casual yet carefree attitude. However, at the same time she still maintained a regal appearance.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I'm Seyrun Riviathan, of Nordland," She spoke as she turned to face her.
"And this is Miss Sina Segert. We were just getting personally acquainted right now, so it's a pleasure to have you join us.

Ray's left eyebrow rose at the mention of Miss Riviathan's name. As memory serves, Seyrun would be the individual with whom she would be sharing a room. The thoughts having been dismissed once her peers began speaking again.

It was then that the first girl that invited Ramona to the table took the moment to introduce herself.
“And I’m Princess Nadalena Kofenstein of the Espenovan Commonwealth, eldest daughter of King Nikolas the VI and Queen Franziska.”
An impressive title to say the least.

The warrior smiled at the trio sitting around the table. She continued to eat her salad slowly, until she suddenly realized that they were waiting for her to introduce herself as well. The others had stated their name, place of origin, and family title. An inconvenience when it comes to Ramona's attempt to hide her background. Normally, she would have proudly announced that she was Ramona Herrman, Master swordswoman of the Knights Order, Germanian chapter. Daughter of the notorious Sir Alexandar Herrman.

But of coarse in this instance, she hesitated. For obvious personal reasons.
"It's nice to meet you all." She began, slowly formulating an introduction that was both proper and vague.
"My name is Ramona..."

It seemed that luck was on the red head's side as Seyrun stood up, interrupting her reverie. She waved in an attempt to get the attention of another stranger who had walked into the dining hall.
"I hope that none of you mind having more company for lunch. It seems like our numbers are about to raise,"
She spoke before cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting; "Miss Fitzregald, we have some more free seats over here, if you don't yet have company,"

Ray sagged back into her chair with the relief of not having to reveal her true identity. At an attempt to move the conversation forward, just in case the others wanted to ask such questions, the swoardswoman noticed a blonde beauty sitting by herself near the corner of the dining hall. Her attention was focused on the Academy Newspaper, an icy exterior seemed to radiate off of her.

"Who is that?" Ramona asked the gothic noble while pointing her fork towards Maya.

---

"Miss Fitzregald, we have some more free seats over here, if you don't yet have company,"

When Tilia heard Seyrun calling to her, she stopped in her tracks before switching her direction to where the sound came from. To her surprise, the one who called her over was Seyrun. Yes, that Seyrun, a senpai who was one of the most popular in the school. She couldn't believe it! Why would the famous Seyrun invite her over?

"Ah, thank you, Seyrun-senpai! I was having trouble finding an empty seat! And I certainly didn't expect the famed Seyrun to be inviting my humble self for lunch!"

She gave a deep bow like one butlers would give. She never felt right curtsying.

"I will certainly take upon your invitation!"

Tilia then walked towards their table, making sure to walk in front of Seyrun so she would be able to see her open fly and exposed red-striped panties. She wondered how the famous Seyrun would react to her little "blunder". Would she mention it or would she pretend not to see it just so the conversation wouldn't get awkward?

Arriving on their table, she quickly took her seat and she immediately noticed how the table was filled with all sorts of beauties. Adding to Seyrun who was the cool beauty type, there was this dark-haired lady who seemed to be the princess type, and there was also the redhead that made an impression on the opening ceremony for coming late. And of course, last but not least, there was the girl from the disciplinary committee that gave her a slip this morning. To be honest, this made Tilia a little bit nervous. She didn't feel like her own beauty could match theirs. She also couldn't help but notice how they were all much more well-endowed than her, adding to her little complex. But she also felt excited too, to be in company of beautiful ladies like this.

"Hello everyone! I'm Tilia Fitzregald! Nice to meet you all!

Too bad that girl from the disciplinary committee was here, or else she could act a little bolder towards all these beautiful ladies.

@SamaraJayne96@Inkarnate@KoL@Bushman501

Before Tilia Fitzgerald made her way to the table Nadalena used this time to answer the inquiry as brief and eloquently as she could.

In retrospect, Nadalena knew the girl that Ramona had pointed out; in fact, they had once been in the same club together. It must’ve been some time ago when the self-destructive economic club forgot their entire purpose being that of geo-political economics, trade values, stocks, and arithmetic – instead falling into drama inspired by idiotic presumptions and idle gossip. Nadalena had been one of the few people who had left the club due to the entire situation and honestly didn’t care about the drama of fools and self-aggrandizers. She didn’t care who Maya’s family was and she didn’t put that much value in shallow whispers throughout the academy about the subject. But Nadalena hadn’t forgotten any of the information, though she didn’t consider it very relevant to explain to Ramona.

“That’s Maya Enilsdottir of Telemarin. She’s a fourth-year student.”

As Tilia introduced herself, Nadalena continued to observe before introducing herself in turn.

“Greetings Tilia, welcome. I’m Princess Nadalena Kofenstein, though I believe we are actually sharing rooms this year so you may have deduced that already.” She smiled warmly.

Ramona Herrman

“That’s Maya Enilsdottir of Telemarin. She’s a fourth-year student.” Nadalena answered, her expression pensive as she seemed to observe her surroundings. Ramona could respect that of her.

The student Seyrun had invited to their table began strutting over in their direction. Once she arrived, Ray could not help but notice something mischievous about her smile. That, and the fact that the zipper to her skirt was down. The red head thought it as a simple wardrobe malfunction and nothing more.

"Hello everyone! I'm Tilia Fitzregald! Nice to meet you all! She greeted with a smile and a slight wave.

However, the warriors attention was again, focused on the mysterious blonde sitting across the room. Ray could not help but wonder why she was eating lunch alone when she was a fourth year. Didn't she have any friends? A pang of sympathy struck her heart causing the brave knight to reflect inward. She too was alone at this school. The table also had plenty of vacant seats. There was no reason for Maya to be all by herself.

"Hello." Ray addressed the newcomer curtly. She did not mean to seem rude, but her focus was mainly on the outcast in the corner of the dining hall. With her chivalrous nature having won her over, (as always) the warrior stood up and pushed in her chair.
"Excuse me ladies, I will be right back." She said as she walked toward Maya.
Before leaving however, she wordlessly paused near Tilia only to reach out and zip up her fly. Simply doing so as to not cause the poor girl any embarrassment. The last thing she would do is point out the fact to everyone.

She turned her heel and continued toward her destination. Maya had her head down, reading what appeared to be the Academy news letter. A curtain of blonde hair hid her features forcing Ray to think of a good way to get her attention. Once there, she cleared her throat and placed her hand on the table.

"Excuse me miss... My name is Ramona." She spoke in a calm tone, her smile warm.
"Would you care to join us? There is plenty of room."

In her little world of boring, irrelevant news, captured by the craftmnship that was printing and words, while closing out the echoes and sounds of the students about, Maya was for once unfocused and off-guard. And so it came to be that someone spoke to her, at her most vulnerable, and she seemed to jump in her seat. The frosty orbs pulled themselves up to the newcomer, curious yet slightly intimidating in nature, while the long, blonde bangs still hung down her face. Indeed, she was still a little sleepy.

"Hmm? Are you speaking to me? she blinked as if confused, her head slightly tilted sideways in an inquiring manner. "If so,
I imagine that wouldn't be very wise." Her words seemed as cold as her visible aura, stern and even slightly refusing. Yet for a trained ear, a hint of sorrow could be caught, however she quickly adjusted it to seem like it didn't bother her. She was skilled in that, lying to herself to make her seem fine. Whether she was fine or not didn't really matter, in her world appearance is the key to success. Always be on your best side, never reveal who you are. That is weakness.

Maya gave the princess a moment's glance, before retracting her eye after. She'd left their club during the time when the whispers were at their worst, and Maya was certain she left for that reason. The reason that a person of her stature, a princess, could possibly be in the same club as a criminal's daughter, a plight on any a reputation. Shame too, Maya quite enjoyed her company with the girl back then. One of the few she could actually be open about her love for numbers with, atleast when the girl actually gave a damn to listen. Thinking back, that wasn't often.

She looked back up at the swordswoman, offering an... attempted smile in gratitude of the offer. "Do not let my presence cause issues. She added before examining her. Quite a beauty this one, well trained and with a sweet personality. Strange to carry a sword though. I've not seen you before, Miss Ramona. New, I assume? I worry if you speak with too much, the other students will alienate you.

“Whaaah, you’re not still mad at me, are you Rufie? Cause you know I just can’t help it,” Dana remarked, easily keeping in step with the Student President despite a hanging Blake on her shoulders. Though it was doubtful she’d be getting an answer or reply given the President was keen in dishing out the silent treatment. Well, no one else to talk to but the other resident trash can in this school of theirs.

“Yeah, but you’re way too obvious Blake. Didn’t you hear Rufie earlier? Oh ho, I’m a real star of the show, a true thespian!” Dana said, once more placing a hand on her chest and flaring her arm out dramatically. “You can just stick to making my background props and backdrops, oh ho!” And when the prospect of food came up, Dana snickered loud enough to where she knew Rufie would be able to hear her.

With Blake still hanging off her, she skipped forward until walking beside Rufie. “Hey, hey, Prez, can’t we all go out for a bite? I like Blake’s idea of trying out your outfits. Hey, aren’t these a little too modern for school curriculum anyway?” Dana asked, speaking a mile a minute only to change topics and looked down at her outfit with genuine curiosity.

The trio of girls would be rounding the corner and, soon enough, approaching the faculty and staff quarters. Not much else could be heard going on from inside though, aside from the frantic scratching of feathered pen on paper. Boss was, as always, hard at work and with the school year having just started, it was going to be a bustling first day.

---

"Yes, detention always has space! I could certainly arrange for a red slip to fall into your hands." Sina smiled after Seyrun made her jest. Sina knew that her work was underappreciated, and so Sina allowed herself to be at ease when she could. "Mystery Investigation Society? Hm, can not say I heard of them much though I suppose that is a good thing considering what I do." With the mention of the society, Sina thought a bit more about the paper that Seyrun had. Perhaps the two were connected? Either way, she would certainly pay a visit to the society if she could, if only to see if they were having any kind of trouble. At least, that would be her "official" reason.

Before Sina knew it, there was quite the crowd surrounding her and Seyrun. And judging by the rest of the introductions they were all of some kind of rich birth. Their incredible titles made Sina feel some slight envy: she wished she had something as incredible as the "eldest daughter of King Nikolas the VI and Queen Franziska" or was able to carry a sword on her hip like Ramona. But then, there were some of those even among the rich that caused trouble. The one she referred to, of course, was Tilia Fitzgerald. That girl was one the troublemakers/harassers this morning and Sina felt that would not be the end of her mischief. Furthermore, Sina noticed that her fly was down. While Sina much appreciated the apparently easy peek into her skirt internally, it was her job not to allow it to go any further. Still, Sina decided not to cause too much of a scene yet.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all."Sina smiled and nodded her head as she specifically got out her disciplinary notebook with the different slips and placed it on the table. It was mostly for deterrence and a signal to Tilia that she was watching her. "Maya Enilsdottir? She's my roommate. She shouldn't be sitting there alone!" Sina watched as Ramona excused herself and take care of her "Tilia" problem, after which Sina giggled, and go to Maya. Whatever it was that was being said over there, Sina hoped that Maya would join them.

"Glad to know society sometimes does my job for me." Sina said in between giggles as she commented on what Ramona just did to Tilia.

"Dana, do I need to remind you of the severity with which I could punish you for that stunt?" Rufie remarked suddenly, drawn from her silent fermentation of anger with the passage of time sapping her vigor one iota at a time, till she could muster the wherewithal to face the smirking blonde beside her without first attempting to unhinge her jaw and snap it around Dana's neck. "Anyone else and I'd have them scrubbing the wash spaces with a toothbrush for the entire first semester, but I suppose you'd take some pleasure from that. Somehow...."

Eyes flickering to the dangling deviant lounging on Dana's back, a shadow of smirk brought levity to her countenance at long last. "But such punishment would keep you two apart, so instead I'll be making some adjustments to your living quarters. It's only fair after you went about raiding my own. I'm certain you won't mind having to share a single's mattress with our good, good friend Blake."

Pleased with herself at having given Blake a creative outlet and Dana more then she'd like to handle, Rufie disposition brightened to an almost glowing degree of bliss and feet carrying them off to the delights of delicacies only such a refined institution could consider a worthy meal for fledgling minds and bodies, she lead them to a meal already in progress.

Elsewhere, outside the wandering eyes of merrily mingling students, the faculty were hard at work addressing the ceaseless landslide of scholastic minutia destined to accumulate ever higher with the coming days with the gusto of drunkards approaching a tightrope. That was to say, Boss being the preeminent exemption to this statement, and seated along the desk across from her with a pile of notes, forms, and mass bundles of scribbling a lawyer's baleful curse upon the world of man, was Hildr perched as though ready to throw the lot of it through a window.

"This job is too romanticized." She opined with a weary exhale and slash of her quill, a paper shuffled in the same manner which with Boss could have moved two. "You come here looking to shape minds and guide all these young ladies into the world at large, only to get buried in paperwork before we even start grading their homework. Maybe I should have gone for a smaller, regional school so I don't have to deal with the nightmare of foreign embassies inquiring about the safety of every foreign national. Gah!"

Her head met the blessedly cool wood of the desk with a largely ignored fan fare, most too engrossed in their own imminent suffering to be concerned for theatrics.

---

"Oh, so you're Nadalena? I'm so happy to know that!" Tilia suddenly took Nadalena's hands and shook it heartily. "I'm so happy I got such an elegant and beautiful lady to be my roommate! Please excuse me if I do some uncouth things in the future! I'm not that ladylike of a girl after all!"

Tilia was indeed very happy at the discovery that the lady in front of her was to be her roommate. She got a really pretty and serious one! They were the best kind to be teased! She couldn't wait until she could start to implement her pranks and shenanigans to her!

The redhead soon left the table to meet another girl however. And without telling her anything, she fixed her open fly in a flash. Aaw, she had planned to tease Nadalena with that. Guess she would have to wait. Especially when Miss Disclipinary Committee was also sitting there with them, though she soon joined the redhead to meet the girl, who was apparently her roommate.

Taking her seat, she turned back to Nadalena with a smile, and asked her, "So, what are your hobbies, Nadalena? If we have the same hobby, perhaps we could join the same club! That would be so much fun!"

She didn't say anything about her own hobby. She would just say that she had the same hobby as her so they could be in the same club together.

@Bushman501@Inkarnate

Why was she shouting? Why was she invading her space? Why was she being unabashedly uncouth?

As Tilia took Nadalena’s hands like a common peasant, the raven-haired princess felt the urge to jolt her hand out of the girl’s clutches. But it was better to correct them and be tolerant in situations like this, or at the very least such courtesies were what were taught at the academy. Despite her worst impulses, Nadalena maintained her friendly demeanor before her hand was released. Tilia would learn, she was sure of that. Many students had come to the academy without etiquette in the past and she would be no different in being educated and corrected by the instructors.

“My hobbies are rather solitary and boring, to be honest.” She replied as the subject shifted to her.

It was a common fact that Nadalena, despite attempting to participate in clubs and communal activities had a track record of not finding them favorable. In the previous year her roommate had called her bookish and reticent, though such criticisms were not entirely incorrect. She enjoyed reading above all else and certainly did not like discussing the merits of a text so she had rarely sought out any communal discussion group about them. There were other hobbies she found interesting such as orthodox fencing, classical composition, and bookkeeping, though they were all interests she preferred to be solitary and without an audience or partner. The only time she found herself slightly interested in another person’s opinions and perspective was with Maya Enilsdottir during the brief time they shared a club.

“But if you wish to know, I enjoy literature, scripture, logistics, economics, and musical theory. I’ve also found some interest in orthodox fencing on occasion. Not really exciting interests to many.”

---

---

St. Hirst Academy, Dining Hall, Midday

"Well now, Nadia, if I knew you appreciated fencing, I would have officially invited you to Our tournament. While the arms of Nordland will always be open to embrace any of my fellow schoolmates, you'll always be a special case. Actually, when was it that we have last been in a formal party together? It feels like it was ages ago. Doesn't even looks like we are both princesses of neighboring nations," Seyrun declared with excitement, Going as far as using majestic plural to address the other princess not in her name, but as Nordland itself. A few well-timed gestures were added here and there to make her flattering of Nadalena even more dramatic. What the tomboyish girl lacked in class, when compared with Nadalena's pedigree, she excelled in charm. Or at least showmanship.

Seyrun laughed a bit after her flamboyant display. This lunch was indeed being the best event of the day by far. What turned it even better were the looks some of the other students gave her. A place such as this, when she could as free as she wanted was certainly the favorite of Seyrun. Anyway, as soon as a small break in the conversation allowed her to address the hanging threads, left by Sina and Tilia.

"Well, I surely will consider your offer. Especially, if it means to spend more time in the company of someone as gracious as you, Miss Segert. In fact, I may as well not mind a thousand years of imprisonment," Seyrun replied to Sina's tease about the detention joke. She wasn't even joking completely. Being sent to detention was going to be a novelty. Seyrun certainly wondered what kind of punishment they had there.

"You don't need to worry, Miss Fitzgerald. I heard enough of you already and certainly know that I'll appreciate your company as well. I like the, hmm... spirit of the Columbian people and you are certainly every bit as boisterous and amicable as I'd expect," Seyrun said to Tilia. A gracious smile decorated her face as the Nordic girl adapted her behavior with preternatural skill, sailing the social waters like a well-seasoned captain sails the brave seas.

---

---

Tilia listened excitedly to Nadalena's reply, still oblivious to the gothic girl's distaste of her. Tilia was never that good at reading subtle social cues. She was always a bolsterous one so she was never good at social gatherings of upper class ladies that could insult others without actually insulting them. That was why her companion ended up being mostly of the middle and lower class back at home.

“But if you wish to know, I enjoy literature, scripture, logistics, economics, and musical theory. I’ve also found some interest in orthodox fencing on occasion. Not really exciting interests to many.”

...Crap, I'm bad at all of those, Tilia thought to herself. What should I do? Should I just pretend I'm good at them? The literature, music, and fencing clubs should still be recruiting...

Before she could answer, Seyrun suddenly interrupted, saying her interest in fencing also. So there was a tournament in her country, and she invited Nadalina to join. Oh, if only she could fence. She had a fantasy of "accidentally" slicing open the opponent's clothes, exposing her bra and panties. But she knew that was just a fantasy. She was pretty sure that fencing swords were dull since it was just a sport after all.

"A-ah, I see... that's great!" Tilia nervously replied to Nadalena. "Unfortunately, I am not that good at any of those..." she said while scratching her head.

At Seyrun's reply to her, she said, "Glad to hear that, Seyrun-senpai!" as she shook her hands. "I'll make sure to be your good friend! If you need anything, feel free to ask!

@KoL@Inkarnate

Amelia sighed with relief once she finally reached her room. It had been such a long day and she was already a bit tired but she knew she didn't have much longer until the day was over. Entering her room, she saw that her supposed roommate was not there at the momentand took this opportunity to examine her new abode. As to be expected, it was a lavish place, filled with the kind of décor she could only dream of having back home. This thought caused her to stop for a second to reflect on her journey here.

The first part of her trip had been relatively uneventful. Traveling by ship from the United States of New Columbia over to Europa, since there was no one she knew and she didn't seen anyone she thought was going to Saint Hirst as well. Once she was off the ship, she had to find her way from the docks to the train station, which had been a nightmare since communication was a bit complicated due to both her disability and the language barrier. Luckily for her though, she had managed to catch the train just in time and from there it was a one way trip to the Dukedom of Sabrie. While on the train, she had met several of her soon to be classmates but she had been too shy to try and 'talk' to them, fearing how they might react to her being a mute. As a result, she had mostly kept to herself and in her little section of the train for the long trip, only getting up when she needed to or to stretch her legs after she had been sitting for too long.

When the train finally stopped at her destination, she remembered feeling equal parts fearful and nervous. She had been excited because she was finally at this school that only the rich or a select few got to attend. She was nervous since she felt like a fish out of water and completely isolated and like she didn't really belong. Despite her fear though, she got off the train and joined her fellow students in milling about the school as their things were taken to their rooms, Amelia finding it difficult to separate herself from her belongings despite knowing she would get them back. In the time between their arrival and the welcoming ceremony, she had wondered the school with no particular destination in mind, ending up a bit lost but still managing to make it to the assembly in time.

She had tried to say awake during the assembly but ultimately she, like many others, had failed to keep interest and found her mind wandering to her insecurities again. When it was finally over, she was snapped out of her thoughts by the stampede of students going to get their room assignments. She was one of the last to get hers and she had bowed respectfully to the teachers who had given them to her as a sign of respect before making her way to her room, getting delayed due to getting lost again.

Bringing herself back to the present, she moved over to her belongings and went through them, making sure everything was there before getting up and leaving the room. Eventually, she would find her way to the dining hall but she stopped just outside of it by the doors. Her nervousness was getting the better of her again and she hesitated to enter the room, unsure of what exactly lay beyond and more then a little scared of meeting her peers.

Nadalena was going through her mind how long it had been exactly since the two royals had occupied the same social gathering. It was certainly a decent amount of time; though it was unsurprising it had been relatively long ago considering Nadalena’s disdain for certain groups of people and interacting with them despite never showing her true nature to her schoolmates and peers. The polite (and open) gesture of inviting Nadalena to a tournament in Nordland was something she chose not to dismiss, though the truth of the matter was that she never really cared for spectacles and tourneys. She kept eye contact with Seyrun as she replied to the inquiry.

“It has been some time, I suppose. There was the royal visit to Nordland last year—though I suppose formalities are different than informal gatherings. We could count last year’s celebrations that were held before our senior classmates headed off to university proper, perhaps?” The raven-haired girl mused.

When Rufie got onto the subject of Dana’s punishment and the toothbrush-ing of wash spaces, Blake couldn’t resist chiming in.

“Don’t forget that Dana would probably use your toothbrush~!” when Dana mentioned the modern cut of the student president’s outfit Blake ran a finger down the seams, innocently tracing up from Dana’s waist to her chest and feeling the hidden strain of the fabric. As Rufie revealed Dana’s punishment, Blake’s eyes shone with glee.

“Oh, don’t worry! I’m such a good friend that I don’t mind sharing in the slightest. Although I feel it may be a tight squeeze, I'm sure you won't mind~” her grip gently tightened around Dana as she spoke, head still on Dana’s shoulder as they made their way into the canteen. Releasing as they entered, Blake skipped over to grap a meal.

“Now let’s see what we can get away with while having a bite to eat.” Blake looked Dana in Rufie’s uniform up and down, taking in the colour palette, and having a practiced eye look at the food on display. Pasta sauce stains so wonderfully, the colour is often darker and more muted though. Egg dishes have a good colour, but unless the yolk is still runny it won’t stain too well. Pumpkin soup? Could work, a vibrant colour, plus she could use the heat as an excuse to be more enthusiastic with Dana, and Dana loves orange.

The thickness could cake into the fabric nicely, meaning simply wiping it off would be less useful. Even better if cream is stirred in... leaving me and Dana an excuse to raid Rufie’s wardrobe! I wonder what PJs she brought along? Probably something frilly I bet. losing herself in a daydream momentarily, Blake selected her meal, precariously balanced the bowl of soup in one hand and playfully ‘lost her balance’ before catching herself and winking at Dana, not a drop spilled as she walked backwards and grabbed a small bread roll.

“So, shall we eat~?”

“Welcome to the real world Hildr. This is the backbone of most jobs,” Boss said without even looking up from her own paperwork. No, it wasn’t glamorous or ideal in any sense. But it did pay the bills and put food on the table, for the most part. Heaven forbid they start to rant about the actual pay grade lest they be heard by another staff member. Or worse; a student.

“And with your degree in languages, I doubt you’d get much else from a smaller school either,” Boss added; this time, she did look up with a raised eye. “You would just be complaining about not reaching your full potential or that you could be doing so much more. Or something along those lines. I know this because you’ve already done so. Multiple times.”

That being said, Boss went right back into the throes of her work, unswayed by the desk rumbling beneath. “If you break that, you have to pay for it,” she reminded Hildr, moving her pen to and fro against the papers. “And I don’t want another reason for you to complain during work hours so try to make sure your head is a soft as your work performance here.”

Back outside in the hallways, Dana was caught between tilting her head and outright snickering at Rufie’s threats to her. “Aww come on Rufie, lighten up! Oh ho, it was just a prank bro! No one eveeeer gets hurt in pran-e-eh?” A cross between a glare and a look of panic painted her features but it was mostly a glower that aimed itself at Rufie.

Blake’s remarks and actions were not helping and she was tempted to smack the both. She didn’t need to though; her glare alone said measures of what she thought of such a proposal. “Pfft. Always a kill joy, Rufie,” she said as the trio of girls entered the cafeteria at last. As the other two went about getting their food, Dana chose the nearest thing that resembled fish-tuna casserole or something-before heading to their table. Blake’s antics earned her a sighing wink from Dana, but the repercussions of being in the same bad as her still had her shuddering.

Ramona Herrman

Ray stood there patiently waiting for a response. She was about to speak again, unsure if Maya had even heard her greeting in the noisy lunchroom. It was then that her frosty blue eyes looked up and blinked in confusion. They were so icy that it caused Ramona to freeze, but only for a moment. Sure, her stare was intimidating... but when it came to Ramona's origin, a lot of people were unnerving at first. However, she knew better than most that a persons true worth lies inside. Never judge a book by it's cover.

"Hmm? Are you speaking to me? "If so, I imagine that wouldn't be very wise." Her voice was equally cold as her appearance. Although, there was an unmistakable note of sorrow in her tone. Ramona knew the sound all too well. It was the slight expression of loneliness after being on your own for so long. A pang of sympathy struck her heart, steeling her resolve to become friends with the mysterious girl. While she spoke her head tilted to the side causing her golden hair to cascade across her shoulder. The warriors eyebrows knitted together as she processed her words. However, instead of inquiring as to why it would be foolish to associate with Maya, the red head waited patiently allowing the girl to finish in hope of further explanation.

Maya smiled meekly in an attempt to cover her pain. It was clear as day to Ramona, but the warrior knew first hand that most would not notice the tell tale signs. "Do not let my presence cause issues. 'I've not seen you before, Miss Ramona. New, I assume? I worry if you speak with too much, the other students will alienate you."

"Ah, so that's the reason." Ray thought while taking the seat next to Maya. "The students here must have went out of their way to isolate her. I am not sure why, she seems friendly enough. Either way, it is unacceptable behavior."
Her chivalrous nature kicked into overdrive just then. She rested her arm on the back of her seat and turned sideways so she could face Maya. A warm smile lit her features while she tipped her head to the side setting her emerald gaze thus giving the loner her full attention. With her other arm she reached out toward Maya in an attempt to give a proper handshake.

"You are absolutely correct, I just enrolled this year." Her voice came across as warm but with an authoritative edge. A permanent attribute due to constantly maintaining control.
"As for the student population you should know that I tend to disregard the judgement of peers." She shrugged her shoulders, acting as if popularity was of no concern to her. Which, in truth, was the case.
"Why would I wan't to associate with those who are too closed minded to go as far as alienate me for someone I am simply talking to? I will always do what I feel is right."

She grinned once more, still maintaining eye contact.
"Now, you have two choices... You could either come back to the table with me. Possibly make new friends." Ramona paused for dramatic effect with yet another shrug.
"Or... I will go back, get my food, and come join you over here. Either way, don't worry. I'll protect you from any bully." She added with a wink.