Female Dorms

Dorms for the female students.

A soft thud echoed as the duffel bag made contact with the floor, the only bag (excluding the messenger bag around her waist for school) she had brought containing personal possessions. It wasn't very big, but then again, she wasn't a very big person, in fact only standing at 157.5cm tall (5'2") and weighing a (perhaps unhealthy by the B.M.I. scale's standards) 90 lbs. Even with natural beauty on her side, the Chinese girl could be easy to overlook, having no real features that stood out. At times it could be frustrating, but the years added experience, and experience was the best mentor. Patience was a virtue.

White teeth bit softly into pink flesh, running her tongue against chapped lips. Excited she may be, there was still a rather large dilemma; she wasn't really aware of how a school system worked, and she was rather horrid at making friends.

The dorms were just giant rooms with with bunks and desks, with a good sized room of showers (no stalls, all open) just a room over.

It was sure to be an interesting evening.

Sighing to herself, and brushing a lose piece of hair behind her ear, for the time being the Asian took a break, arms feeling like jelly from carrying the bag this far and over all jetlag wanting to take effect. Staving it off, as Alicia had slept on the plane and currently it was 0600 back home --a time she would be awake at, anyway-- her rump casually slipped into a chair, enjoying the weightless feeling for a few moments. Thankful no one was seeing her in such a careless position, sprawled about on furniture that made her appear doll like, it came with a great sigh when Alicia finally heaved herself back up, scooting the duffel to the side and deciding on what to do.

Maybe she should just place her bag on a bed and let the others decide, or should she try to make friends and they would take a bunk together?

This was all so complicated...

The sun was high in the sky today. It made her think of goodness and happiness. Yet, Ever didn't know how to feel about the day. Here she was, walking to a dorm (A dorm for goodness sake!) at a boarding school...away from her beloved Tyrone, Ireland...away from the trees, the woods, the spirits...away from her uncle and cousins...just away from home. She did see that the spirits liked to thrive here as well, as it seemed this academy was in an ideal area for Ever, but it just wasn't home. Was she sad? Not necessarily. Just numb. No feeling whatsoever. It was unnatural for Ever to not have any feeling. She loved having emotions. Emotions were powerful, and they attracted all kinds of entities and forces. But being numb didn't attract anything. Nothing but silence.

Ever dared herself to sigh as she repositioned the green colored bag on her shoulder. It was rather big for someone like her...as she was only five foot three and extremely frail looking, as if anything could break her. She looked like she was a part of nature...like she could blend into all of the colors and trees like an evaporating spirit. Yet, as translucent as Ever was...she stood out. It was something about the tender color of her golden hair...the brightness of her skin...her soft, yet at the same time sharp jaw structure...and her strange unsettling eyes. They could see beyond the surface of things. They saw a soul, an aura of emotion....

She wasn't looking forward to changing into uniform. All she ever wore in her life were loose white gowns and dresses. They were convenient and light. She ever seldom wore shoes either. Maybe there is a band here...she could volunteer to play the forest flute in it...that would be nice. Ever suddenly yearned to just take her instrument out, go to the woods, and blow on it. Maybe she could feel something again. Anything. She needs to know that they all haven't left her yet...

Ever shook her head slightly and came to her dorm. She took a deep breath, took out her key and unlocked the door. To her slight dismay, she saw that she wasn't alone. In the room stood an small Asian girl...which was a bit startling for Ever because she has never been outside of Ireland...and has never had the chance to see many other races...since the woods she lived in were so private and isolated.

In a likewise shocked fashion, Alicia jumped from where she stood, scolding herself internally; really, she was a bit early, it was to be expected that others would be arriving. That didn't make this any easier, though, especially when the Chinese girl noticed the first one to show up was a Westerner. Alicia's main exposure to Westerner's was from books, history, and the occasional glance on television. It seemed silly, really, since she liked to draw up clothing designs on Western based fashion.

After realizing that awkward silence was taking place with her daydreaming, the young girl scolded herself again and bowed politely to the other, voice soft as she spoke, body rigid and stiff in formality.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Alicia."

On the 'fun' side, now she got to use her English name.

Ever heard the girl talk, yet her mind immediately seemed to block her voice out. Her brain became muddled and she stared out of the window behind the girl. The sun was gettng higher in the sky. The summer sprites were dancing out there somewhere...even though their time was coming to an end. She could hear them. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed in again, wishing that she could join them. She wanted to talk to them again, to feel their presence on her skin. But if she ever explained this to anyone...people would just call her a freak and a weird Irish Pagan.

So she dreamily shook her head again and looked at the Asian girl with direct eyes (well as direct as she could get them.) She felt a bit like she was having an out of body experience because the sun was just...right there. "Erm...Excuse me?" She asked the girl, her voice silent and eerily floaty.

If possible, Alicia froze even more, feet most likely rooted to the spot she stood by now. Keeping her features and form polite, the small one repeated herself calmly. Such opposites, Ever and Alicia were; one was like smoke, escaping through your grasp with questions and the other bent backwards to keep herself planted on the ground. Once more the Chinese girl did her best to not dwell on such subjects. It was rude.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Alicia, it appears that we will be sharing a dorm." And with who ever else eventually shows up.

Ever fully examined the girl. She seemed polite enough. No hobgoblins dwelling anywhere near her...no deceiving sprites dancing on her shoulder. In fact, there was no aura there at all. It shouldn't be surprising to Ever, but she couldnt help it. Everyone back home had some sort of aura or energy flow coming from them. Maybe it was because they've been around a place with so much of it for so long. This was going to be interesting.

Ever gave her a small dreamy smile and said, "Hello. My name is Ever Woods." Her smile felt a bit strange on her lips. It wasn't a natural smile. She could never naturally smile indoors. It was strange...but this was just really bad. Ever hoped she couldn't feel the extreme uneasiness seeping from her.

Lucky enough for Ever, the smaller of the two was too focused on not messing up herself to see the other just as nervous. Once more the Easterner bowed, hands clasped together, hidden beneath the long sleeves of her shirt.

"A pleasure, miss Woods," returning to her full stature (which really wasn't saying much), a faint blush came to porcelain flesh. "I apologize; I did not properly introduce myself. My name is Huì zhòng Wú. Alicia is my Western adopted name." Ever didn't ask for an explanation, Alicia berated herself, too much information can be informal.

But...but maybe this situation could call for informality? Keeping polite is what always drove possible friends away before. Yet even with these thoughts, these desires, the instinct drove into her for 17-years wouldn't leave that easily.

And now awkward silence again. Trying not to fidget, just as the Chinese was to speak again the dorm opened again, this time letting in a far taller, bulkier form, wearing heavy clothes and a strange hat made of furs. The pale girl appeared to be sweating in the improper attire for Summer, not accustomed to such heat. Bright blue eyes twinkled with surprise, the bag being deposited calmly on the floor, coat and hat joining it to reveal a hefty, broad, rather muscular frame for a girl beneath.

Now three foreign nancies were in the room.

The Aryan, whose name was Gunda Torvik, muttered a quick, heavily accented hello, not trusting her English as she stood there, uncertain of what to do at this stage.

Neither did Alicia, it seemed, as she remained frozen in place.

Ever turned her head slightly to see the new visitor. But as usual, she couldn't focus herself to really look at the girl. She could see that she was tall and had a whole bunch of furs on. Furs...which seemed to have a lot of snow sprite dust on them. This girl definitely lived in a colder climate. You didn't even have to be a Pagan Irish with strange abilities to see this.

Ever turned her head away from her and looked back out at the window. Judging by the way it held in the sky, and the sound that the spirits were making...it was about nine thirty in the morning. A perfect time for reflection and prayer. Yet, Ever didn't have her druid stone with her here. All she had was a caged room with the sun and its goodness teasing her, two other foreigners she could barely talk too without losing her attenion, and Ireland so far...far away.

Gunda felt like a giant amongst dwarves, awkwardly having to look down at the other two frail looking girls, so different from her. The dog tags around her neck chimed as she shifted feet, still having gloves on despite removing the bulky coat and hat. It was rather instinctive, to be honest.

"Hello," Alicia stated, and once again went through her introduction to Gunda, bow included. In return, the Aryan woman nodded her head in military fashion before relaying her name in heavy accent that Alicia could barely catch. Somehow, this made the Chinese self conscious, becoming more aware of her own accent and wondering if it was that thick too.

Perhaps --

"The fuck, we actually have new students who aren't in grammar?" A new voice stated with a slight British accent despite having no relation to the country (it just happened when you grew up surrounded by them). The latest addition to the party was Kefira Rossetti Beaulieu, a spitfire kid from America, born in Italy. She had black hair with golf highlights and almost ethereal eyes.

"Okay, so maybe not the bes' way to start things off...Salut, I'm Fira, been at this academy since Pre-K. We don't see new faces here in the older years often."

Ever's loss of focus was interrupted by this new addtion. So many people...so little auras. It was frustrating. She didn't even bother to look at the girl. She just walked over to the window and stared out...wishing...wishing...to just dissapear. Dissapear like the mist she is supposed to be. But then, another voice spoke...

"Um...okay..." It was a sort of annoying, yet strange tone. She whipped around to see that yet another girl had entered. She looked Asian like Alicia...but not as much. She had a strange glow to her dark eyes as she surveyed the room. All eyes were on her...and Ever noticed how awkward this girl was. Wait a minute...she had an aura. She was infested with tree sprites and goblins, and a multitude of mini druids. They were dancing around, clinging to her. There was something special about this girl.

"Um yeah...I'm Valerie Webber...I was just wondering if anyone could help me around the place. I'm kinda new here..."

"Another one!" Fira spoke out, sliding her bag off her shoulder and using the strap and momentum to throw it on a bunk nearby -- the top one. Though generally kind, the teen was rather persistent on certain demands, top bunk claims being once of them. Not to mention, hadn't she earned the status by now, going on year 13 at the Academy?

"Man, I can't believe y'all didn't realize your abilities until this age. It's amazing, really." The boldest of them all commented offhandedly, ignoring the strange look Gunda sent her and the rigidness of Alicia's stance. "I mean, most realize by around age 11...but there are exceptions. Especially if you lived in isolated areas."

Alicia lived in a small town in a traditional village of China, forbidden to leave unless given proper instruction to do so. Gunda came from a small island far north and never left except the rare trip to Denmark, and even then that had only been twice. They were about as isolated as you could get.

"So, do you know what you are? And don't worry, I can show you the ropes. You get used to it fast."

It seemed to take forever to drag the large suitcase with her up to the dorms, step by step up the staircase, but she supposed that she deserved it for packing such a decidedly heavy trunk. A few boys stopped to help her, but considering her generally loud appearance, and louder grunting sounds that made her sound more like a yak in heat than a teenage girl, she mostly just got strange and amused looks.

But she reached teh girl's dorms in due time anyway, probably thanks to her amazing muscles (she kissed what little bit of 'gun' she had in her arms) and endless tenacity, and she burst into the room the other girls were gathering in with considerable force.

"Helloooo, ladies!" she barked in an almost flirtacious manner. "The name's FYE. It's a pleasure to meet you. Is that bed taken?"

Her blue eyes scanned those present quickly before the bed closest to the corner of the room caught her eye. It looked empty and now was the best time to claim it.

((* I'm assuming these dorms hold several girls? *))

Alicia and Gunda remained silent at Fira's questioning, instead choosing (well, Gunda anyway) to just place her stuff on a bed and begin unpacking. The Chinese girl, meanwhile, remained silent, feet rooted in place as she did her best to remain formal and polite, despite being left rather clueless at such a situation.

Fira, though, a veteran student of Soror et Frater's, was well experienced.

"It's open now." The dark haired, but pale skin girl stated with a wave of her hand, now folding them across her covered midriff. So far, so socially awkward. Great, new students, and they were shy...well, at least there would be some new faces.

"Well, Fye, name's Fira." The Italian-American introduced, preparing her next words with thought when she was interrupted by Alicia (who hadn't known, or else would have refrained from speaking for fear of being impolite.)

"Hello, miss Fye, miss Fira, miss Valerie. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Huì zhòng Wú, but I am commonly called Alicia." With a bow, the petite, soft spoken Asian was back to being rooted in place from nerves.

Well, it speaks! Kefira commented sarcastically inside her head. At least they all were talking. Even if the Aryan and Celtic girl weren't...

"Yeah, yeah. Say, what're you all? Your 'connection', that is."

It was at that moment the door to the dorm opened once again and allowed the newest addition to the Soror et Frater Boarding Academy. The new arrival almost seemed to step out of a fairy tale. She wore a celtic cotton chemise that was cinched up with drawstrings to her elbows, a solid dark green bodice tied at the back with three black leather strings, and a two panel skirt that was colored pastel green on the outside and a gentle yellow for the skirt showing at the center opening. She wore what looked like chestnut brown leather moccasions sandals on her feet and a twisted silver twine torc bracelet on her left wrist. Strapped over her shoulder was a large tan, wool woven bag and carefully handled in her arms was a rosewood Pixie Harp.

She stood at five feet six inches with a fair skin tone that seemed completely unblemished and held no muscle mass visible, instead appearing delicate and small. She had light flaxen colored hair that reached to her waist in layers with even strands framing her face and slightly wispy-like bangs brushing just over her deep emerald eyes that seemed to create the illusion of the sun trailing down trails of light through treetops.

If her innocent, soft features were not enough to give her an almost inhuman appearance, her ears were the slightly elongated, vertical wise, and a bit thinner with a sharp tip at the end.

Shea Ashwood looked around at the girls already within the room and settling themselves in and smiled serenly to them. She walked with the almost gliding fairy-grace to one of the beds situated toward the window and gently deposited her Harp next to her bed, placing her bag on the bed afterwards.

Shea looked down at her bag for a moment, pondering how to start a conversation with these other girls. She had never really spoken to anyone, human, that hadn't thought she was a freak or hated her. It would be new and she wished Koehmus had not simply given her his twine torc braclet but himself so that she could look to him during the times she knew not what to do. Her little brother Sheridan had gave her a kind gift along the way to the Academy that had turned out to be a tiara of butterscotch colored tulip petals and their green former supports and had placed it on her head; they showed no sign of wilting whatsoever.

Turning back to them she said as soft as a bell, "Hello. My name is Shea Ashwood."

The Norwegian girl off to the side had yet to make any real acknowledgement of others, clearly shy with the way she continued to unpack and place things away with uncanny neatness. Kefira, meanwhile, waved and stated a calm hello before returning her attention to the main crowd of girls, planning to explain the rules when more had arrived.

It was the petite Chinese girl, standing just barely five foot two, who approached in high formality, bowing deeply before smiling as she was trained to, introducing herself. Her voice had accent, especially over any 'th's, but it as clear and precise, the signs that nobility paid well in it tutoring.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you, miss Ashwood. My name is Wú Huì zhòng. Alicia is my Western name to make it easier on the tongue."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well." Shea responded warmly, emerald eyes glimmering softly as she looked downwards at Alicia.

She heard a soft cooing from the window and turned to look over at the clear pane of glass. There on the sill was a bluebird, looking at her with his joyous black eyes and she looked over at Alicia curiously, "Are there rules against opening the window?"

Being isolated for so long in a seclued glen with nature and her creations as company had made her gentle and kind. On the other hand it left her lost on the rules of more modern life.

Alicia retained her hostess smile, most likely making her traditional parents proud. After the question, though, she drew a poised look of contemplation, looking down the long row of bunks to see other windows open. With this knowledge, the Chinese girl answered the question with what she was in full belief of.

"It appears as though if one wishes, the window may be opened, miss Ashwood."

Her hands were folded together in front of her body, sleeves draping over her the appendages, leggings worn beneath the older style dress. Soon her Eastern clothes would have to be forsaken for the Western uniform, starting tomorrow, along with everybody else. Alicia wasn't looking forward to wearing such revealing clothing, not necessarily for humility's sake, but fear of what her mother would say.

"If I may be so rude as to ask, Miss Ashwood, are you of Éire descent?"

Alicia's cheeks suddenly burned a horrid shade of pink in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to be so crass and as a flat question like that. She quickly apologized.

With permission granted, Shea leaned over slightly to reach the window beyond her bed and hesitated for a moment, studying the intrict metal latch. Flipping it up and twisting it to the side, she smiled to her bird-friend and said softly, "You must fly for a moment, my friend."

The bluebird spread it wings and turned around to dive off the edge of the sill. Once he was out of reach, she pushed the window open and held out her hand. The bluebird fluttered straight over to her and landed on the offered limb. The warm trusting weight of her friend made her smile widen.

At Alicia's probing question, she settled serenly on the bed, trailing a finger down her friend's tucked in wings. "Yes. I am a Celtic or so I am told by my elder brother and live in the country you call Ireland." Looking at Alicia she asked gently, "And you are from?"

Alicia tried not to stare, she really did, but she had never even gazed at a bird this close, let alone of that species, let alone after flying right into someone's hand. While most of them came from isolation, and perhaps not as isolated on Gunda who came from the farthest north island of Svalbard, her lacking of freedom was being trapped away in a home, only rarely leaving for formal social occasions that required a wife and daughter to be showed off.

Needless to say, the small teen was only trained in aristocratic social dealings, and it was perhaps because of this that made it hard to keep friends; she was less rehearsed in being...casual.

The blush was still present as she diverted her eyes.

"I am from Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó, the People's Republic of China, or as many Western's use, China."

"Forgive me, Alicia, if I do not know either titles of your country very well. I have not left the Glen for nearly four years." Shea said apologetically in the terms of being unfamiliar of Alicia's place of birth.

It did not take a genius to see that Alicia's eyes were glued to the bluebird resting happily on her hand, enjoying the massage of his wings. A thought came to her and she decided that if she were to form bonds with regular humans then perhaps this would be a good time to start. Bringing the bird close to her face, she whispered words that no non-fairy or non-avian element creature's ear could fully understand.

~She is not of fairy kind but she is a kind child, I can tell. Would you do me this favor and allow her to be your perch for a while?~

The bluebird sung his cry softly and pecked her gently at the corner of her mouth before hop turning to look curiously at the girl. He sensed a difference about her, a stronger and fire-scent difference that his fairy-girl friend did not sense. Yet, a feeling of fellow-winged within this girl made him eagerly flutter over to her and he dropped smoothly onto her shoulder, gazing at her calmly, deciding on whether to stay or fly back to the fairy-girl or even back to the open sky where he would gather more twigs for his nest.

Almond shaped eyes minded just a fraction. Miss Ashwood hadn't heard of China before? China, the world's 3rd largest country? China, a member of the G8? China, one of the world's oldest civilizations, if not the eldest, never heard of? Such a possibility had never crossed her mind before this moment. It should be silly to have not, but perhaps she was raised with too much national pride. Growing up in a traditional village did have its draw backs...

It was when Shea spoke, though, that made Alicia realize she probably didn't fully know her lands, either, It could be an even 'trade off' for now. That, or - the bird was on her shoulder.

The bird was on her shoulder.

Alicia flinched instinctively before remaining stalk still, peering out of the corner of brown-ish amber eyes to keep focus of the avian, uncertain if it would cause harm or not. Naive, yes, but caution can never be over used. ...Even if it really was more like paranoia...

"Hello...?" She tried in her soft voice.