The dormitories were easy to get to, considering there were herds of new students heading for them. A few of the more vocal ones were asking around to find their dormitory mates, and Angelica only had to tag along with the group that had mentions of heading to Curie. Upon arriving at her assigned dormitory and finding her room, she entered with her given key and immediately made her way over to the window and threw it open. After taking a short moment to appreciate the pleasant view it was framing as well as the fresh air, she promptly proceeded to settle in and unpacked her belongings, wanting to spend the rest of the time before the start of classes to rest and familiarize herself with the campus.

She slipped a few of her possessions into her rather flashy and brightly-colored satchel she was to take with her after she was satisfied with the arrangement in her room (she had often been told that she had loud tastes for someone so quiet), and grabbing her printed copy of the campus map, she left to have a look around. Most of the leisure places and service providers seemed to be pretty central for the students, and teenagers were everywhere as she strolled along browsing whatever the area had to offer. She could only imagine what a ghost town the place must be during classes.

Coming across a peaceful and sparsely-populated cafe, she decided to take a break and relax a little inside. She ordered a cup of Earl Grey tea latte and took a seat at a table in the corner. She took another glance at the activity outside through the glass partition, comparing it to the tranquil environment of the cafe. Deciding that this was a decent place to work on some art, she pulled her drawing tablet out of her bag and started on an abstract composition while occasionally taking a sip of her warm beverage.

The group orientation ended and the rest of the students filtered through mostly heading to their respective dorms. Erik spoke briefly to some of the other students he had talked to earlier in the day, but decided his time would be best spent getting ready for the next school day. He left his bench and strolled down the centre of campus. On the way, he spotted one of the students he had scoped out earlier sans the denim jacket. Something about the girl seemed familiar to him, but he could not quite place it. He gave her a friendly smile as he passed though. No reason to be impolite in a school filled with elites after all.

Turning a corner, he found a relatively empty cafe. The student he had spotted taking photos earlier now using a drawing tablet. He considering going over and introducing himself, but she seemed rather focused on her work. Instead, Erik got himself a hot chocolate and set himself up at a nearby table. He pulled the textbooks that were required for Professor Haney's English class and turned to his bookmarked page where he had left off. Being the academic scholarship student, meant his academic work was under far more scrutiny than others, so every moment he could spare from setting up his future was to be spent shoring up his knowledge.

The journey up to Pine Hills Academy had not been the most pleasant. Tyler sighed as he sat in the back of the car, head tilted back and staring at the roof of the vehicle. Accompanied by silence with exception of faint sound of the cars radio news and traffic updates. Today it seemed those would be the only thing on time as the car began slowing to a crawl. "We're here?" Tyler asked as the mechanical click of the door beside him answered.

With a sigh the boy rubbed at his right eye before opening the door, his eyes squinted as the sunlight shot at his face. "Master Cross?" A voice beckoned his attention back toward the front seats of the car, a gloved hand holding a pair of sunglasses out. "Should ease the sensitivity." Tyler grabbed the shades before sliding them on. They didn't really help, but given how red his right eye was from rubbing it would at least offer some form of disguise.

As he stepped out the electric boot of the car opened, it seemed that the help that got him here only extended as far as that. Tyler hauled his luggage, a rather sizable suitcase and a somewhat smaller hand carry case from the boot before pushing it shut. Not long after the car departed without so much as farewell wave from its driver. Much like his own, it seem respect did not stretch far beyond what was necessary.

The crowd outside the school seemed to be thinning out. Tyler hastily heads over to the remaining students, perhaps he could just tag himself onto the end of the orientation without too much of a farce being caused. He forced smiled and passed pleasantries back to students that had greeted him. Despite what he was currently dealing with it would be unwise for him to cause problems for himself on the first day. Fortunate enough however, he seemed to have made it just in-time to hear his dorm allocation. "Newton... well I guess I can't complain about that." His voice felt strained a remainder of the leftover pain. His hands somewhat full, he stopped for a brief period so he could familiarise himself with the dorm location. He would have to drop this luggage off before he could plan on doing anything else. Based on the map the Newton dorms seemed rather well placed in terms of convenience.

Once Tyler reached his assigned room he narrowly managed to fumble the door open without dropping any of his things. Though he didn't take much time to observe the room as he slid his suitcase up to the foot of the bed and carefully placed the smaller case to the ground before sliding it into the corner underneath the bed. Despite the discomfort of his throbbing temple he wanted to at least try and enjoy the first day, beside the pain had started to subside toward the end of the car journey. It was time to go find out about the amenities on offer, map in hand Tyler set of for the centre of campus.

After opening his eyes, he stood up and decided to take a walk around the campus. On his way to discover something interesting, students started gathering around him and following him wherever he went. Soon, he realised that he wouldn't be able to get rid of the people in a friendly way. That's why he decided to stop walking around aimlessly.

He went towards a nice piece of land, where he would have some place to move around. It was a bit crowded, but it could work.

"Dear students, since no entertainer is able to perform without practice, you're going to be among one of the first to hear my new song!"

Several more students started to gather around him as he sang and danced on his new song. He had a karaoke version on his phone, so he wouldn't need the band for something as simple as this performance, practice, whatever one would call it.

By the time Quinn arrived at her destination, the area was buzzing with students. The girl regretted not bringing her phone- she would've loved to capture the busy street and share it with her fans. Next time, she certainly won't forget it. On her way to the centre, she saw an unfamiliar boy smile at her. He seemed around her age- maybe she just didn't notice him at the orientation? Quinn was too busy trying to see the campus and to keep her social media updated that she didn't even think to look at the other students. Despite her momentary confusion, she confidently smiled back. There was no need to be unfriendly- they could end up being classmates after all.

Even though the crowd excited her, that meant that most of the stores where packed. Pushing her way through the sea of students, Quinn ended up at a mostly empty cafe. She couldn't help but notice the boy from earlier sitting at one of the tables, studying one of the textbooks. Slightly taken aback, she frowned. It was the first day and he was already studying? Sometimes she didn't get people. The only other person there was a girl who looked like she was drawing something. Not wanting to disturb either, she entered the cafe.

Once inside, the blonde was instantly hit with the smell of baked goods and freshly brewed coffee. Her father didn't have time to stop at a coffee shop on the way to the academy, so she didn't hesitate to buy something to sate her hunger. Quinn purchased a latte and a chocolate-covered croissant, looking at the sepia photos adorning the walls while her coffee was made. Taking a sip of her latte, she headed outside and sat at an empty table, deciding to observe the crowd in an attempt to find some familiar faces- who knows, maybe one of her friends lied about failing the entrance exams and actually got accepted.

It could not have been more than an hour, but Angelica had only planned to do a rather quick piece, and the sketch was almost completed. The radially-balanced drawing on her tablet expressed her view about the current situation where she was at, with the elements nearer to the sides and corners of the sheet being more harsh and packed closer to one another to represent the energetic and vibrant yet not-too-chaotic activity outside and those at or closer to the middle being more gentle and mellow with more space among them to reflect the ambiance of the hidden gem of a cafe where she was currently seated in.

Deciding to rest her eyes for a bit, she looked up from her device and leaned back in her seat, just in time to spot a blonde girl leaving the place with her purchases. Scanning the area, she was slightly surprised to see that everyone else had left apart from herself and a brunet who seemed to be studying. She wondered if there was a reason for the cafe being so empty on a day such as this one. Surely there were more students who would appreciate the peace and quiet of such a place, especially considering how busy it looked to be outside. The boy who was studying had the same textbooks she did, which led her to assume that he too, was a new student. Could it be that the older students knew something about this location that the freshies did not?

She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts, and took another sip of her drink. That would be crazy, would it not? Perhaps she was just thinking too much. She glanced back down at her drawing, deciding to add a mood of mysteriousness to that central part of the piece when she colored it. She saved her work and put her tablet to sleep, wanting to spend the rest of her time at the cafe resting and enjoying what was left of her latte. The blissful atmosphere of the place suddenly seemed slightly heavier after that weird idea had popped into her head, but it was still hardly sufficient to drive her away.

Interacting with: @Raptra

Erik glanced up as the blonde girl he had seen had outside seemed to have followed him into the quiet cafe. He smiled a bit too himself. He couldn't blame the girl of course, he was very attractive after all. He took a contemplative sip of his hot chocolate. The rich flavor of the drink was simply incredible and was one of the best hot chocolates he had ever had. He had worked his way into the beginnings of a life of luxury and was already started receiving his rewards. Shaking himself out of his gentle reverie, he noticed the blonde had gone for a table outside.

Moving his gaze away, he looked over to the only other occupant in the cafe. In the reflection of the glass behind her, he could see her work. He pulled up the information he had learned regarding elements of art in his mind and began analyzing the piece in his mind. A radial style painting utilizing contrasting elements of chaos and calm. The lack of firm details of the piece indicated this was an abstract piece meant to capture a feeling. He watched subtly as the girl finished up her piece. He had prepared far more than enough for tomorrow, as he had already gone over the textbook several times over the summer.

He stowed his textbook under his arm and held his delicious hot chocolate in his other hand. He prepared his opening in his head as he moved using the information he had managed to glean from the piece.He made his way over to the red-headed girl, but stopped a respectful distance away, not sitting down lest he come off as too aggressive.

"Hi there, I hope I am not bothering you, but I have a small confession to make. I could see the reflection of your tablet in the glass behind you and I just wanted to say I loved your piece. The way you started with that chaotic energy on the outside of your radial to that gentle inside really spoke to me today. It was like today really, there was so much going on earlier today and then this quiet spot in here." Erik gestured at the cafe around them and then flashed his friendliest smile at her. "Anyway, I just wanted to come clean to you."

Leo still laying down on his bed laying down tired and sighed as he got up and went for a walk around the school. He looks around and was amazed on how big the school was. And he got to the hot spot where all the students hangout and said," Wow. This is amazing" He looks around and just explore the area and sighed and thought definitely going to be hard to fit in. he continues to walk.

Interactions: @AnyAlex (Quinn)

Tyler made his way toward the centre of campus and evidently more had aimed to explore earlier rather than take their time with it. It appeared however that some students had filtered out from the crowd into a relatively quiet cafe. "Morning." A simple greeting departed his lips as he passed a student sitting outside, accompanied by a small glance and smile.

Though just as he would go to open the door of the establishment an all too familiar sound buzzed away in his hoodie pocket. Tyler took a step back from the door, as he reached into his pocket with a sigh and retrieved his phone. He glanced at the screen, unable to identify the caller he lifted the shades out the way to his forehead to get a clear view. He closed his sore right eye which just seemed to be making things worse for him.

He looked over once more to the girl sat outside. He didn't recognise her, though it would of surprised him more if he had. His smile faded as he looked to his phone and adjusted the volume until the ringtone was muted entirely. "First day here and people are looking for favors elsewhere. So much for a bit of normality." He stated as he pulled his sunglasses back down over his eyes. He wasn't sure if the interaction was welcomed, though his time of being dragged around meetings had taught him a simple method of breaking the ice. Tyler extended his left hand out to the girl sat outside the cafe. "Tyler Cross." For a moment he contemplated the potential awkwardness on his part if he was overstepping his mark on an introduction as he dropped the phone from his right hand back into his pocket.

@akirashadow

Quinn waved at the passing student, taking a small bite of her croissant. She didn't recognise him either but she had no doubt that he was from her year group- most of the people in the cafe seemed to be at least. Observing him from the corner of her eye, she noted his annoyance with his phone. Probably someone was checking up on him, nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes didn't stray from him, even as he approached her. Shaking his hand firmly, she responded cheerfully:

''Pleasure to meet you Tyler. Quinn McNamara- at your service.''. Pointing at the chair on the other side of the table, Quinn continued '' Take a seat if you want.''. She smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. It would be nice to have some company, especially in an academy filled with other rich people. If the cafe was packed then no one would pay attention to someone who sat alone, but if it was pretty much empty,like now, then everyone would pity her. Not that she cared too much- she had her enough connections (in her personal opinion, her mother would certainly disagree) and didn't need judgemental people in her life. Still, she didn't want to be all by herself either.

Angelica had been aware of the boy's movement after he had finished his reading, but thought nothing of it until he started speaking. She had not expected him to address her at any point during their time at the cafe together, and questioned the situation in her head for a brief moment before realizing that he could not be talking to anyone else. She listened to him speak, pleasantly surprised as it was rare for her to come across someone else who would willingly express their interest in her art. It was clear from his words that he had gotten a good look at her work, and that he had adequate knowledge of design to hold a conversation on it. She figured that his extent of knowledge should not be that surprising. Someone who would read their textbooks before classes even started was likely a philomath.

She leaned forward, arms crossed over the table while raising an eyebrow at the brunet, her unintentional failure to return his smile allowing her phlegmatic demeanor to remain. "An accurate interpretation, impressive. I'm glad to know that someone else shares my sentiments. Starting out in a new environment can be overwhelming. Some of us just need to get away from all that for a bit and find a sanctuary where we can collect our thoughts. I also admire your confidence. Not many would approach a stranger to admit that they've been observing their activity."

She hoped that last statement did not come across as abrasive or sarcastic, because she really meant what she had said. She wondered if this boy had any other intention in coming over to speak to her. Did he have somewhere to be after this, or did he desire some company? She decided not to ask, thinking that since he was so direct the first time, he would have no issue being straightforward with anything else he might want. She lowered her gaze to the textbook under his arm - a subtle indication of what prompted her assumption that he was new at the academy too. She then leaned back in her seat as her cold gray irises met his green ones once again.

"Regardless, your positive review of my piece is greatly appreciated, Mister... How may I address you?"

Interacting with: @Raptra @Squirrel98

The girl leaned forward with her arms crossed on the table to gaze and reply with him with an unexpectedly serious tone. As she replied, the girl was looking over him with what seemed like mild curiosity. He could not blame her for that though as it was not everyday that a man like himself entered someone else's life. Besides, each part of his appearance had been planned to fit in with the people here. For instance, the long sleeve shirt he had on was quite nice, but not so nice that it came off as frivolous or pompous. Even the textbook in his hand was there to cement his existence at Pine Hills and to give them a connection. Just as he was being observed, Erik gathered in as much data as he could from her words and demeanor. Her satchel was so bright and contrasted neatly against her seemingly flat personality, implying more layers than just brief contact would allow him to ascertain. He wondered briefly if such contrasts in her art and style choices would carry over to other aspects of her life. Her grey eyes seemed to linger on the textbook in his hand. He took note that her latte cup had been just about finished meaning her time here would soon come to an end.

Erik let out a small chuckle. "If such formal titles be needed, then you may address me as Mr. Fieldson or if you aspire to the heights of more casual communication, Erik. And you... Miss?" He took a final sip of his hot chocolate, as he concocted the rest of his response.

"I spent some time a few summers ago and thought I would give art a try. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to have the knack for it or the time to try and hone those skills, but I did gain a deep appreciation for the history of the subject and the creation of art. Most of all, the fascinating array of mediums artists use to convey thoughts, feelings, stories. It's really quite incredible." He paused for a moment, placing a wistful smile on his face, then lightly shaking the expression away as he continued.

"Anyway, I have not been able to make enough time for art appreciation of late. They really make you work to enter Pine Hills Academy, especially when you are trying to enter through the scholarship track. I have had my nose buried inordinate amount of books for quite some time. So, when I looked up over there and saw your piece, the feeling of that calm in the storm spoke to me and reminded me to take a moment to breathe. I wanted to express my gratitude and to tell you, as I said before, that your work really meant something to me. Truly." He flashed his brightest smile at her, then glanced down to check the time on his phone.

"Unfortunately as much as I would like to stay and chat, I still have many things to get around to today, so I have to get going. I believe that we are going to be having at least a few classes together tomorrow. Hopefully, I will see you then!"

Erik waited for her reply, then gave a slight wave as he left for his dorm, placing his empty mug in the cafe return tray. There truly were more things to prepare before tomorrow, the most important of which was getting ready to make his debut for his roommates. While he was walking, he noticed the music start Alex Pearson, who had avoided contact with others earlier in the day, was now singing and dancing for a small crowd of other students. Erik, taken back slightly, paused and blinked several times in surprise before continuing onward. He supposed Alex was in the entertainment scene for a reason. He payed little attention to the song as he walked, absorbed in his own thoughts.

Interactions: @AnyAlex (Quinn)

The smile returned to Tyler's face as he shook Quinn's hand. A firm handshake was a pleasant experience, a thing some people at his parents company should learn to accomplish more readily. "Likewise Miss McNamara..." A slip of the tongue as he tried to quickly correct himself. "Quinn, sorry." Addressing people with a title was something he was more accustomed to, a habit he hoped he'd eventually be able to drop. He glanced over to the seat being gestured to. "That's very kind of you. I'll be back in a moment." He states whilst walking over to the cafe's door and heading inside.

The shop did seem to have its own unique charm. These small establishments used to always have that sort of feel to them. Oddly it made them sometimes seem a bit similar. He approached the serving counter as he looked over the students already there, though he decided best not to intrude on their conversation. More so given that someone else had already welcomed his company and it'd be especially rude to keep them waiting longer than necessary.

He ordered a double shot americano, he needed something a little on the strong side to recoup some of his lost energy. By the the time he was going to leave one of the other customers had left the establishment. They perhaps had more pressing things to attend to than networking. Tyler headed back outside the cafe and took a seat opposite Quinn and gestured in a cheering fashion before taking a sip of the beverage. "So..." Tyler lowered the cup down to the table and lowered his sun glasses, to test his eye sensitivity. "What brings you to Pine Hills? I mean aside from its 'obvious appeal'." The added emphasis on the end sounded more like something that had been drummed into him rather than his own sentiment. He glanced down toward his hoodie pocket for a moment before leaning toward the table, ignoring the vibrating phone.

Interacting with: @EurmalEye

When he was done with his practice for the new song, he picked up his phone from the ground and said goodbye to the students that had gathered around him. With some of them, he took a picture, while others asked for his autograph. After pleasing the other students, he walked off feeling relieved. He was relieved to have practiced his new song and he was relieved that he could please the others enough to get them off his back.

He noticed the scholarship student that had given him his space at the introduction before and decided to walk up to him. "Yow. You're one of the scholarship students right? I'm Alex... Pearson." He said with a bright smile on his face, still a bit exhausted from the exercise.

Interacting with: @Squirrel98

Erik was broken away from his reverie, at the the sound of a hurried footsteps behind him. He paused and turned, as the brightly smiling face of Alex Pearson caught up to him. He was again caught slightly off-guard by the boy's actions, but it seemed as though giving him some space earlier had paid off far faster than he thought it would. Erik's mind shifted into overdrive, neatly connecting the data he had gathered about this celebrity and his initial impressions here today. Alex Pearson had grown up wealthy with a well known fashion designer and a high end chef as his family. He could assume that as his own stardom continued to grow, the amount of expectations and demands placed upon him would have only grown with time. There were surely people out there that would only try to use Alex for their own ends and grow their own fame. Therefore, the best way to make a connection with this man was to have Alex be the driving force behind any opportunity that could be gathered and not to try and get favors out of him. Even with Alex's connections, he would have to be intelligent to enter Pine Hills, so Erik did not doubt that such a flimsy attempt to gain his favor would be spotted immediately. Based on that chain of logic, Erik decided that the best way to handle Alex and his stardom, was to ignore that stardom entirely unless Alex was the one who brought it up.

Eric delivered a smile of his own back to Alex and replied, not seeming to respond to the small pause as Alex gave him his full name. "Erik, nice to meet you. And yeah I am, but honestly I am just excited to learn here!" He then noticed Alex seemed to be rather tired from his performance.

Erik reached into his bag and pulled out a full reusable water-bottle, the insulation having ensured that the ice was still rattling inside and handed it over to Alex. "It looks like you might need this more than I do right now. Don't worry, I haven't had any yet."

@akirashadow

Stirring her coffee while she waited for Tyler to return, Quinn found herself lost in thought. While the boy was polite, his behaviour reminded her of the men on her father's board of directors. Still, this was to be expected- many students were entrepreneurs or heirs to their family's businesses. It was only a matter of time before she met one. At least, she was used to that sort of company due to the countless business meetings and galas her father took her and her brother to. Nonetheless, she immediately felt bad about assuming things about Tyler- she didn't know him at all and yet she was already stereotyping him. Barely paying attention to the leaving student, she hastily finished off her croissant.

She smiled at Tyler when he returned. Lifting the coffee up to her mouth, she contemplated the response to his question. Sure, the 'obvious appeal' was a helpful factor when making the decision but not the main reason she came to Pine Hills. Slowly putting her cup back down, she answered, with some hesitation:'' I guess you could say I'm trying to fulfil my dreams and responsibilities. Not many schools tend to offer this much flexibility with the courses you can pick and mix.''. Her father wanted her to go to a business school so she would be able to help her brother with running the business, but her mother encouraged her to follow her passion for acting. Her friends were divided by their opinions, some wanting her to do what she wanted to and the others urging her to be more responsible. Pine Hills seemed like a perfect compromise- she could study arts along with the subjects that her father recommended.

'' What about you? I doubt you came here as an excuse to ignore whoever's contacting you.'' Quinn asked jokingly, remembering his annoyance with his phone from earlier.

Interactions: @AnyAlex (Quinn)

Tyler sipped once more at his drink as Quinn answered his question. There was something about the tone of the answer, that had they met much earlier in the day he might of pursued. Though instead he contemplated upon it, fulfillment of both dreams and responsibility sounded like a rather ambitious goal to have. Though Quinn was right in that the very structure of the academy could well serve to make it possible. To a certain extent he was jealous of such a motivation when considering his own.

It was on that thought that the conversation seemed to take a turn towards why he was here. He chuckles at Quinn's comment of him using the academy as an excuse to ignore his phone before taking a swig of his drink. "Well it's not the only reason at least." Despite seemingly going with the joke his tone was serious. "It's a give and take. More responsibility than dreams, well future responsibilities. As for present responsibilities, they're... lesser than usual." Tyler thought of the lessons that he would be taking, most of which were chosen for him rather than by him. "Hopefully the subjects I chose and other activities will keep things interesting."

The more Tyler thought about it though, he was probably more pleased to be here than not."Moments like this one for example, I believe these will be more common place here than back home. Also... ignoring calls is a lot easier when the person calling you is unlikely to see you anytime soon." His mood had seemingly brightened in comparison to when he had originally started the conversation. Not talking directly about business was a good change of pace. "It's almost like some kind of strange escape, that my parents seem to be supportive of."

Blake still exploring the school pretty much alone. He decided to go back to the dorm as he got a text from the soccer coach that there will be a fitting and number pick for the team. And he sighs and looks around at all his class mates and said to himself," I'm sure everyone is having fun." He huffed and walked away to the locker rooms.

Interacting with: @EurmalEye

Alex rested his left hand against his waist, while catching his breath from performing and running up to Eric. "I understand what you mean. People tell me studyin is a waste of my time and that I should focus on... other things. But I just want to be able to learn like any other student." He said, refering to his performances as the 'other things'.

The smile on his face grew wider when Eric handed him his water bottle. It was a very kind gesture and he really was thirsty. "That's nice, thanks! I'll make sure to wash it out before giving it back!" He said before drinking at least three quarters of the water inside the bottle.

Interacting with: @Squirrel98

"No worries, we have at least some of the same classes together as freshman, so if you don't end up returning it, I know where to send the authorities." Eric gave a stern look, before giving a wide grin to show that he was joking.

"As for people telling that studying is a waste of time though, honestly that seems fairly naive to me." Erik frowned as he mulled over the many pitfalls of the argument against schooling. Thr more he thought about, the worse it seemed to become. He opened hos mouth to go over the issues and his wise insights and then closed it again. It wouldn't do at this stage of game to scare him off with talk of business.

Instead he just replied, "Given Pine Hills reputation for academic rigor, I am not sure we are going to have any choice but to learn while we are here. Professor Hanley, at the gate, did not seem to be particularly thrilled to have new students, so I suspect she may be a fairly tough grader."

Erik glanced at the time of his phone and furrowed his brow at the time. He looked up at Alex apologetically and said, "Hey man, I am sorry, but I gotta get going for now, but it was great to meet you. I am staying over in Newton dorm if you ever feel like hanging out or I will see ya in class tomorrow." Not his ideal exit, but time for Erik was fairly limited at the moment.