First Impressions (Open)

[Cecelia Riddel]

"So this is Cabal."  Cecelia’s head tilted slightly as she took in the front lawn and buildings of her new home, a campus that had been attacked in and outside of its own gates like it was a normal part of life. She raised a gloved finger to her lips with a soft hum, taking in the patchwork faces presented to her. Older materials, faded with time and weathered by all sorts of thing, fresh paint on newer materials that hadn’t lived long enough to gain the faded and cracked materials the rest of the motley did.

“Well now.”  Her grip on her suitcase tightened as she tried to locate where the main office likely would be. Logically, it would be the main building, but perhaps the dorms had their own office?   It was such a large campus that she wasn’t sure where to start. She worried at her bottom lip for a moment before shaking her head in dismay and forcing herself to stop. If only there was someone who was more familiar than her. It’d spare her dignity and let her know what to expect of the people who were here at the same time.

[Stigma Wyatt]

She would not in fact get such a person. Instead she gets Rose.

As the pretty girl stood around lost, Rose took that as an opportunity to silently walk behind her so she wouldn't be noticed.

She was so pretty...and her clothes? She never saw clothes that nice! She must be from a really nice place!! With a the pee bowls and roofs and stuff. And soap. Soap was something she only learned about very recently and it smelled nice. And Shampoo? It made hair feel nice.

Bet her hair felt REALLY NICE.

Rose would inhale and exhale kinda quick through her nose, getting sort of excited over taking a little feel.

Just a little.

Not a little.

Rose lifts Cecelia's hair up from the bottom like she's holding a big towel and kinda rubs it on her face.

"Wooooww...."

Yup. Smells pretty nice too.

[Cecelia Riddel]

Celia didn't worry much about the girl she caught at the corner of her vision except for the fact that she wasn't there half a second later when hope flitted across her face. The chance she would run into someone dwindled the more she stood about, leaving her to fuss and stand idle or take a risk and hope it paid off.

Her resolve went up in smoke the moment that she feels someone touch her hair, her entire body going rigid and eyes growing wide. This wasn't the sort of "Excuse me, Miss, let me help you" type of hold that kept you from getting your hair caught in a gate when it closed. No, this was like a child snuggling up with their favorite blanket.

"Gracious!" She covered her mouth with a startled squeak, feeling a second of relief when no bubbles tried to force their way out with the reflex. Twisting in place, she caught sight of a brunette young lady about her own age, engrossed with her soft pale locks that would smell like a moonlit garden.

"I'm sorry, you startled me." She cleared her throat, gently turning to face the other girl fully and hopefully free her hair. It was so odd when people just came up and touched it, like they found liquid gold. Sweet, but also distracting.

"My name's Cecelia. Cecelia Riddel. Might I have your name?"

[Stigma Wyatt]

"Heh...heheh..."

Giggling softly to herself, Rose didn't quite notice the girl turning up until the hair slid out of her grasp. You'd think the girl's startled squeak would have done it, but, Rose was used to freaking people out.

Being found out was the scary part.

She freezes in place as if she thinks Cecelia will assume she's a statue or something, but that proves to not be the case as she introduces herself.

"Ahh...ummm...uhh..."

Is this a trick? Is she asking for her name so she can report her? Should...should she book it?

"Rose....I'm Rose..."

Her people didn't much use their family names, in her experience.

"I was...just...trying to get rid of a spider for you. With my face."

Yes. Perfect.

"I ate it."

Wait.

[Cecelia Riddel]

The girl was so completely enraptured that Celia started to worry for her. Was she sleepwalking, or was it something else? The poor soul seemed so self-conscious; she could understand, though she would never go so far as to smell another peron's hair. Some things just weren't done in polite society. She looked like she may not have had that particular education.

"A pleasure to meet you, Rose." She offered the other girl a smile, lips parting in a soft gasp at the horror of a spider in her hair. She'd worked so hard to make sure nothing got a free ride to Cabal with her, and in some of those wooded areas, that was saying something. She ran her fingers through her hair as though she could help ensure no other surprises skittered about.

Barbaric.

"Ah, well then. You have my thanks." She nodded, letting her hair fall free again as she paused, blinking at the notion of eating a spider. A full head to toe shudder ran through her body. A change in topics seemed in order.

"Well, now that the spider is no longer an issue, do you know this area well? It's my first time on campus, and I'm not entirely sure where I should be."

[Stigma Wyatt]

Rose smiles in something of a daze when she was thanked, rocking back and forth happily at nice things being said to her.

"Heheh...heheheheh...~~"

Wait, the girl asked a question.

"Ah? Well. I don't really know too much, either." she says, grabbing at her uneven hair nervously.

"B-but I know a little bit! I know where dorms are! And...toylettes...and I went to the office of Leon and Zack before...but where..."

She looks around the hall, as if she couldn't quite remember how she got there the first time.

"But they're scary and half naked and I got killed so you don't wanna go there."

[Cecelia Riddel]

Was she ill? Rose was swaying on her feet like she was in a daze. True, there was heat here, but she grew up on the southern coast, so she didn't notice it as much as others might. Celia's hands brushed against the fabric of her skirt, straightening imaginary wrinkles to hide her unease.

She had no idea who Leon or Zack were since the girl couldn't possibly be referring to her superiors in such a forward manner, but she made a mental note to stay away from them if at all possible. She nodded with a small smile of relief at the mention of the dorms.

"Thank you for the advice. I will make sure to remember it should I come across them.

"It sounds like you have an idea whre to start then. Would you kindly show me to the dorms, please?"

[Stigma Wyatt]

She nods seriously as Cecelia takes her advice to heart.

Then bites her lip at the mention of dorms.

"Okaaay. Do you know which one is yours? It's pretty biiig."

[Cecelia Riddel]

"I'm afraid not." Caelia gave her a rueful smile. "That's precisely my problem."

And then it happened. Just a tiny rumble at first, a small clutch of the diaphragm. Cecelia's hand immediately went to her mouth at the silent burp, unable to stop the two small bubbles that slipped out. Her cheeks turned deep red at the sight, trying to wave them away.

"My apologies. Perhaps you know of someone else who could help us?"

Please, please focus on the conversation. Please.

[Sugimoto Kuromori]

Sugimoto looked over the trainees wounds. There was a gash above his left eye as well as a long deep wound that stretched from mid rib down to his belly button. At the very least he would require stitches. She wanted to help him, but could she? All she had done recently was put the people closest to her into harms way. She had killed nearly a hundred strangers. Sure, she didn’t know what she was doing, but she had given the final shot that ended their lives. Then there was her mother. She had intervened in an ancient ritual resulting in her literally handing over her mother’s soul. Sugimoto’s eyes travelled to the plate of instruments awaiting her use. She picked up the scalpel and brought it to her arm. In mere seconds she had dragged it only a few inches but had left a long cut in its wake. Blood pooled and ran over her forearm. She merely watched as it ran over and splashed onto the gurney.
The trainee stirred, still unconscious, and snapped Sugar back.. She quickly dressed her own arm before fussing over the trainee. She worked quickly as she sutured his side and forehead. She moved the trainee to a bed to rest and exited from behind the pulled curtain. She pulled off her blood stained over garments and placed them in a hamper to be washed. Making her way to her desk, she would make a few notes on her trainee’s paperwork and stand up, headed for the door.

“Let the trainee sleep. If he wakes within the time I am absent, apply a mild sedative. He will need much rest if he is to make a full recovery.”

The nurse in training nodded and looked back to her notes. Sugar left the infirmary headed outside.

[Stigma Wyatt]

Rose tilted her head at the bodily sounds. That itself wasn't a problem. She heard WAY nastier stuff at home. What with the spoiled foods people ate and all.

No it's...the floaty bubble that showed up.

She tried to keep her attention on the conversation, but her eyes just followed the bubbles.

"Umm..I..uh...sorry?"

She blinks. Obviously she didn't even hear the question.

"Heheh....heheheheh...what are these?"

Oooh look, when Cecilia waves at them they move around more!

She's now too distracted.

[Cecelia Riddel]

Oh gracious. There went her good fortune for the day. Celia's cheeks flushed pink as Rose began to follow the bubbles rather than the conversation. Thankfully, she wasn't worried about where they came from at the time so long as they entertained her. It was a small mercy, but one the small blonde would take.

"I was wondering if you knew of anyone that might be more familiar with this place than we are." A tiny smile managed to appear for a second, but it was brief due ot her horror and distraction. Rose seemed to be such a sweet girl, but she didn't want to tell her about the bubbles. She waved one of them away, letting ti float up towards the sky instead, her back still to the doors of Cabal after the brunette used her hair like a snuggie.

Still, perhaps someone would be able to help them. Otherwise, it was anyone's guess where they'd end up.

[Sugimoto Kuromori]

Sugar exited the building and took in a deep breath. Outside felt good. Maybe now she could focus. She looked at her arm, the bandage showing the barest of red tints. Scowling she put her arm back by her side and took another breath. And then she smiled. There were a few girls playing with bubbles. Aww. How odd. Words drifted to her over the soft breeze. More familiar... than we are... Sugar smiles and wanderes toward them.

“Hello. I’m sorry, I think I heard you two were lost?”

Sugar is wearing her usual attire of a nurse: white scrub pants and a happy face scrub top.

[Stigma Wyatt]

"O-oh! Ummm."

Elias? Maybe..? The only other people she'd met were gone...and she didn't feel right about summoning Baldur to be a tour guide...

Luckily, it wouldn't need to be up to her.

Finally peeling her eyes away from the bubble as it popped, Rose would look back at the new voice.

"W-well. She's lost." Rose would point to Cecelia.

"I-I'm not. You don't have to waste your time on me! Please help bubble girl! Y-you can ignore me if you want. I'll just follow. I-If that's okay. I could stay here too!"

[Cecelia Riddel]

Cecelia turned at the new voice behind her, offering the nurse a friendly if sheepish smile as she approached. Her scrubs were bright and cheerful, much like her expression, giving her a sense of ease she hadn't had before.

"Good afternoon. I'm sorry to bother you, but yes, I'm afraid I'm a bit lost. I've just recently arrived." She shook her head and offered Rose an encouraging smile.

"You can join me, if you like, especially if it helps you, too."