Clair Carnelian and Sarina Tala Dei (SC)
When she felt her Scroll vibrate, she was sitting by the ponds in the academy gardens, enjoying the heat from the midday sharp sunshine. She let out a long sigh, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Looking at the clouds pass through the school's highest towers, it was like watching some castle from a long-forgotten fairy tale, a faint memory. Seeing this kind of scenery in her childhood, in her time at Haven, she was used to it - but this was like seeing a fable walk out of her dreams.
"Sarina Tala Dei" was the name of the message's sender, the girl who Headmaster Ozpin had told her she would be hearing from.
"A Haven girl, like yourself," he had said resassuringly. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine."
Reading this message, she wasn't so sure - anyone who called a get-together "socialization" was sure to be anything but sociable.
Maybe it’s better that I get to know the all-business types, she thought. Less work in the long run.
Pulling up a campus map on her Scroll, she picked up her belongings and headed back to the academy's main avenue.
Following the trail of students (she figured it was around lunchtime), she came to the dining hall. In contrast with the rest of the school, the outermost entrance was a relatively plain set of double doors, propped open on account of the warm weather. Leaning against the wall just next to the entrance was a girl, likely a classmate of hers - but maybe, she thought, it was better to call someone with an aura like this a "young woman."
Definitely an all-business type.
"Sarina?" Clair asked, setting down her suitcase. "Sarina... Tala Dei?"
The young woman turned to face her. "Yes, Sarina Tala Dei. You must be Clair. Welcome to Beacon," she said, each syllable spoken with the utmost precision.
Clair nodded. "That's me. You here to give me a tour? Is there some reason why you wanted to talk?"
"That depends on how I feel," Sarina said nonchalantly. "Anyways, yes. Most of the students here with me today with the exception of one are from Haven. Being around students from your former school will help you form a network of people you can rely on."
She stepped away from the wall. "Come, they're in the middle of eating. If you're lucky, there might still be pizza."
She paused. "Unless they decided to pig out," she added, chuckling at her own afterthought.
Clair let the young woman's invitation hang in the air. Sarina was looking at her, expectingly.
This girl... Who does she think she is, anyways? What's with this forced friendliness all of a sudden?
"Sorry," Clair began. "Would it be alright if I just talked with you today?"
I could really do without all of this, she thought.
The exhaustion from her last mission was still hanging over. Standing in a crowded dining hall, surrounded by strangers, bombarded by overlapping conversations - that was the last place she wanted to be.
"I've already had a busy day," she continued. "And I haven't even been to my room yet. Wouldn't this be easier if just you and I talked?"
Sarina furrowed her brow. She doesn't want to meet potential friends, she mused. To making potential allies...
She shrugged. "So be it. But remember: forming connections is crucial," she said, returning to her previous position. "You have questions? Ask away."
Sarina looked into the transfer student's eyes. This girl betrayed no emotions with her expression - indeed, she felt a kind of distance. This girl was someone like her, she thought. She wondered if they were thinking the same thing.
I didn't really think she would back off that easily, Clair thought. Kind of a relief.
She took a slow breath in and let out a sigh. "Well, first thing's first," she said. "Ozpin didn't tell me anything about it, but I know they're going to put me on a team. Did he tell you who I'm assigned with? And another thing," she continued, reaching into her bag. She pulled out her Scroll and showed Sarina the email with her room assignment.
"Any chance you could show me where this is? This place is a maze. I doubt I'll be able to get there on my own."
"Hm. Let me see," Sarina said, taking her own Scroll out of her bag. Clair watched as she dragged her finger intently along the screen.
"It appears that we are teammates," she said, without a hint of emotion.
Clair stood silent. She looked like she had just missed the punchline to a joke.
"Did you say that we're teammates?"
Sarina remained unexpressive. "Yes, we are a team. As of this moment, it is just the two of us. I can show you to my - our room, I suppose - eventually. I am almost finished with this tour."
Clair crossed her arms and closed her eyes.
So, she's my teammate. I don't know how strong she is or what her abilities are like, but if Ozpin trusts her enough to send me to her, then she has to be at least half decent.
She opened one eye, giving Sarina a quick once-over.
And I can't get a read on her personality, but it doesn't seem like she's the type to get overly attached to someone. So...
"This will probably work out," she mumbled. Sarina tilted her head in confusion.
"S-Sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean to say that out loud. I'm, um, looking forward to rooming with you."
She tapped her foot as she glanced around the courtyard.
"So, um," she said after some time. "You said that you're almost done with the tour, but I just got here. Is there really that little to show me?"
This girl is most certainly an introvert, Sarina thought. I wonder if she'll show me her social side - that is, if she has one.
"There are a few more places that I plan on taking the tour group before ending at the student dorms," she said. "Since you arrived late, I can give you a tour of the places you missed, if you would like, or you can visit them on your own time."
"Wha - Tour group? That would explain why you're with all the transfer students." Clair scratched her head. "Ozpin didn't tell me you were in the middle of giving a tour. That's fine, then. So long as you tell me where to go I can catch up on everything I've missed."
Clair shuffled her feet.
"I didn't realize you were already showing people around. Sorry for imposing on you like that. I'll follow you when you're ready to head out." She paused. "But I'm not really in the mood for small talk, so you might not hear from me much until we get back to my - er, our room."
Sarina nodded. "If you insist." She glanced over at the table where the other transfer students were sitting. "It looks as though there's still some food left for you - you're welcome to have it if you like. Come along." She started off towards the dining hall but turned back to shoot Clair a look. "You need to at least make your presence known in the school," she said. Clair felt the pressure in her gaze.
She glared right back. "Easy with the evil eye, jeez. I'm coming, aren't I?"
I just can't get a read on this girl. And I'm going to be rooming with her?
Clair took one last look at the sunny courtyard outside. She took a deep breath and felt the fresh air fill her lungs.
This is going to be some school year, that's for sure.
With a final sigh, she turned to follow Sarina into the dining hall. "Alright, let's go."
Sarina gave a quiet laugh as the two of them approached the table full of transfer students. Clair stood behind Sarina as she began her formal introduction.
"I would like to introduce to you all Miss Clair Carnelian," she said, like a true tour guide. "She will be joining me as my teammate and, like most of us, also comes from Haven. You may have seen her walking around the halls."
