Shelvington Academy (Slice of Life RP): NEW DAY

[Drey Wilkins]

Front Office

The morning had arrived bearing a chill wind, so he'd had to wear the coat.

It was stupid. He looked stupid wearing it. The sight of a teenager dressed in a trench coat was a despicable sight indeed, coded to symbolise overweight shut-ins obsessed with a particular aesthetic, or loners with an oxymoronic fixation on appearing 'cool' to others... or flashers. Flashers also.

Kabuo didn't wear the coat because he wanted to dress up as his favourite fictional character, or because he wanted to project the image of a stoic badass. He didn't even wear it to keep people on edge as to whether he was about to undo the belt and make the evening news. He wore it because a stiff wind at below room temperature would have him laid up by the end of the day, and so his mother said he had to.

And so it was that he passed through the gate of Shelvington Academy with his travel suitcase at his heel, resplendent with a thick woollen scarf with gloves and socks to match, all in service of bundling him into an expensive trench coat right out of a noir thriller. At the end of summer. Because there was a breeze that morning.

Was it overkill? Entirely, yes. Could he blame his parents? Not in the slightest. Two months before, Kabuo had been on his death bed, ailing under the combined effects of a general viral infection and bacterial pneumonia. Pneumonia, in the middle of summer! Presumably, it had been contracted because he had gone for a run one cold morning - much like this - and then had the gall to exist within the same zip code as a drop of unfiltered water. And to call it his deathbed was no exaggeration, either. For two days at the illness's zenith, Kabuo had been receiving hospice care in anticipation of what his parents believed to be inevitable.

The recovery from his ordeal had been long, arduous, and fraught with recurrent infections - the last of which had been so recent as to delay his leaving for school. The sheer volume of antibiotics Kabuo had inhaled over the last ten weeks should have been illegal; future historians would likely identify him as the largest contributor to antibiotic resistance. Generations to come would curse his name for the evolution of antibiotic-immune pneumonia. He was sure of it.

But, like all other problems of the day, that could be safely ignored until there was no way to fix it. What Kabuo was instead focused on was the far more pressing issue of making some friends. As he'd lain in the hospital bed, every cough another permanent loss to his lung capacity and every tenth degree rise in temperature another IQ point he'd never see again, Kabuo had been able to reflect on what really mattered: being popular at school. He'd dwelt on all his missteps, from the small things like being shy or not knowing how to talk with people, to the heinous crimes like being born with a name and skin colour that didn't match. Kabuo had realised that when he was done spitting up organs he had a fresh start waiting for him; a clean slate on which to build a new identity. If he could get it right, he might even be able to go from the kid who gets bullied at school to the kid who gets ignored at school! The thought of that was what helped him get through the worst of it.

And it was that thought that was with him now as he strode purposefully down the fine stone driveway of Shelvington Academy, dressed like two children pretending to be a forty-year-old man. Once he was admitted, the first thing he was going to do was ditch the paraphernalia, start a conversation with someone, and maybe find a tissue because his nose was running. But before he could do any of that, he had to be admitted. Kabuo had notes from all four of his doctors freshly retrieved from his pocket and clutched in his free hand, ready to present as he opened the door to the front office. The door opened, and the steady warmth of the climate-controlled interior beckoned him in...

...and Kabuo stopped dead. The stack of notes fell from his hand and were immediately snatched away by the wind, but he didn't notice.

Beyond the door was the school's front office. And awaiting him inside was a person. He was a fully grown man, but he sat in a tiny office chair, at a desk that looked like it had been sized for children playing 'house', typing at a minuscule computer with keys too small for his fingers.

After taking several seconds to absorb the sight in front of him, Kabuo slowly stepped over the threshold and allowed the door to close behind him. After several seconds more spent standing stock still, he took a tentative step toward the man.

"Uh... hello? I'm Kabuo Bennett-Manami, here for a late admission."

[Alnar]

Room 352 - The Butler's Quarters

Whether it is to your expectations or not, you find the room to be in pristine condition. The floors were mopped, the carpets were spotless, the walls were dusted, even the ceiling was completely clean. The same goes for the bed and furnishings of the room, truly everything you would come to expect from an untouched 5-star hotel penthouse suite. The butler at the center of the room was still for a moment, as if your arrival was unexpected. Yet before long the gears start turning and he gives a respectful bow to you and promptly escorts your luggage to a proper place where it didn't get in the way of your movement around the dorm yet remained closely convenient to you should you decide to take anything from it.

Once that is all taken care of, Xander gestures toward the dining table in the room, where a full continental breakfast served with tea awaits Robert. There were two sets, one served on the table and one placed on a service tray. There is a slight tilt of the head the moment Robert orders him to leave. There is a quiet pause before Xander disappears into the room's closet. A moment passes before quiet is broken by the sound of cart wheels rolling on the floor, which is quickly revealed to be a full-size whiteboard on wheels being pushed out of the closet by the butler, who makes no face at the effort he is exerting. He positions the whiteboard a few meters away from Robert. There's already something written on the board in pink colored marker that looked to be something about costume plans, but all of it quickly vanished as Xander spun the whiteboard to reveal the other, blank, side, where he begins writing something in black whiteboard marker ink.

Spoiler : Whiteboard :

Xander caps the marker and takes his default stance once again, remaining calm and stoic.

Dorm Hall - Elibazeth

Giving up on breakfast for the time being, Elibazeth left her room holding a small box with a pretty pink ribbon atop it. IT wasn't even tying the box, it was just there to sit on top of the box and look pretty. The princess hummed to herself as she slowly made walked over to the door next to hers, Room 302.

Hmhmhm... I can't wait to see the look on dear Jacqueline's face. She giggled to herself. She clears her throat as she quickly goes through the brief script she had prepared in her head. First she'd knock on the door, call out for Jackie, exchange greetings, make small talk, and surprise her with the box. With this completely foolproof plan in mind, she brought her hand up to the door and knocked on it lightly.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Oh Jackieeeeee, are you here? I just thought I'd pass by and have a chat with you~!" Elibazeth says, calling for Jackie in a sultry voice.

[Fantasyhunt]

Room 304 – Karen

What time is it? Where am I? What happened? Karen sat up in bed, her hair a horrid rat's nest of a mess. She look to the other side of the room to find Flo's bed empty. My memory's… Was I asleep for months and not hours?

Karen stepped (read face planted) out of bed then prepared for the day. While drying her hair post shower, she happily noticed her natural hair color already showing at the roots. Her outfit of the day turned out to be a baby blue blouse, a white pleated skirt that reached her knees, and white flats. As Karen preened in the mirror, she spotted her beloved scarf in the corner of her eye.

Should I put it on today? It would go with my outfit but… Karen considered. She picked up the folded fabric from her bed and sighed. At a time like this, is it appropriate? After a beat of hesitation, Karen threw her scarf around her neck.

“Jou can do zis, Karen,” she told herself sternly. “Zis is for zee both of jou.” Karen took one, final deep breath then stepped into the hallway. She was greeted by the sight of Elibazeth standing outside one of the other rooms, not her own, with a box in hand. “Oh, guten Morgen Elibazeth.”

…

Room 353 – Ludwig

“Ugh… Why do I feel like I've been revived from the dead?”

Ludwig looked at his ragged reflection in the bathroom mirror. His hair was soaked from a shower so it hung in front of his whole face. He pushed his wet mop back and checked his face. After one bad night of sleep, he could make out dark circles. Ludwig promptly shoved his face into a towel and screamed every obscenity, both German and English, that he knew. After a good scream, Ludwig continued with his morning routine. He dried his hair and let it fall back over his face. He put on a plain white t-shirt, a grey jacket, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. As he wound his scarf around his neck, he paused to look in the mirror.

Should I really? Ludwig tightened his hand around the scarf until his knuckles were white. Would it be seen as clingy? After a beat of silence, he finished wrapping the scarf around his neck.

Now dressed, Ludwig threw the door open and started his trek to class.

…

One of the school's many kitchens – Violet

Violet never felt more alive. She gleefully danced around the largest kitchen space she'd ever seen. It was less a kitchen and more a ballroom with it's size. The scent of sugar, cherries, and chocolate filled the open air.

“Oh who needs boys when I can fall in love with baking?” Violet mused while coming to a stop in front of a cake frosted with whipped cream. She lovingly planted maraschino cherries atop frosting rosettes. After the cherries were placed, Violet picked up a bar of dark chocolate and a vegetable peeler. Then, she flicked the peeler against the chocolate creating curled shavings that rained onto the cake.

“This is sure to do the trick.”

[DSY]

Hallways

Job shrugged. "I think so." She says to answer Kyouji's question. "Well. Not always this....'costume party' but it seems like something tends to happen."

Come to think of it...what was a costume party? Job had wondered that the whole day yesterday and all she had learned was that it's noisy, dark and apparently made people sad.

Thinking about things gave way to Job thinking about more things.

She gestures to Kyouji's now empty hands with an inquiry.

"By the way, if you're giving away your lunch boxes does this mean you do not require them?"

[Reyson]

Shelvington Academy

Karen Dzielny loved this time of year. The weather was perfect, she could wear all her new clothes! It was equally likely to be hot or cold, she could wear a crop top and a jacket at the same time! Her whole wardrobe was in play, and she was going to need it! At least, she thought she would. At Karen’s old school, she went out of her way to meet everybody and make it absolutely certain that they all knew her by name. She was each and every kid’s best friend, or at least she liked to think that she was. Now, there was a whole new group of students just waiting to fall into her web of friendship. It sure wouldn’t be easy though. Her family was pretty well off, but there were some folks at Shelvington Academy with unthinkable money. Goodness, imagine all the clothes! And the mimosas! If Karen had that kind of money, the possibilities were endless!

But, she didn’t. And that was worrisome. Half of being friends with somebody is their opinion of you. And if these people didn’t like her, this was going to be a miserable couple of years at this school. Karen couldn’t afford to have a bad experience at Shelvington, she was coming in after an incredibly depressing experience at her old school. All it did was rain. At least she had all her friends, though. That tended to keep her upbeat. Luckily, Shelvington had set itself a pretty high bar to clear once she arrived on campus.

She rode up to school on her bike, the sun shining off its bright white frame. She breezed back and forth up the driveway, flying past flowers that matched her crimson hair. As she approached the door, she hopped off her bike.

Here goes nothing!

Karen threw her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed another smaller bag out of her bike’s basket. She had too many clothes to bring like this, so she just decided to have them all sent to the school ahead of time. They probably had people there that could take care of that. This school was pretty fancy, after all. With her belongings in tow, she took a deep breath and strode into the front office. What she encountered there was a fairly unusual sight.

There were two people that stuck out to her in the front office. The first was a man sitting behind what had to be one of the smallest desks she had ever seen. And the various objects on his desk were… also peculiarly small. This place really was something else. The other individual in the room was apparently a new student, just like Karen.

Oh, thank God. I’m not the only one.

There was something a little different about this guy too. He was wearing a trench coat, gloves, and a scarf. Karen pondered for a moment whether or not she had dressed appropriately for the weather. It HAD been a little chilly this morning, but that’s why she had her denim jacket on. Granted, she probably would have found an excuse to wear it anyway. Nonetheless, it had come in handy with the wind. But it wasn’t freezing, and she certainly wasn’t cold on her way over. And that was while she was wearing a top that exposed half of her torso. Did this kid just come from Siberia?

Wait. I can’t think like that. How will I make friends if I judge people?

Karen decided her best option was to let the man with the tiny table know that she was here to transfer in late, and then introduce herself to this other new kid. Maybe they could eat dinner together tonight, or something.

“Hello, sir!” she said, excitedly addressing the man at the desk. She gave him a quick wave and continued. “My name is Karen Dzielny, and I’m also here for admission. I know I’m a little late, but I was told that wouldn’t be a problem.”

She then turned to the trench coat guy. “Did you say your name was Kabuo? I’m Karen. Aren’t you a little hot in all that? Have you been wearing that all day? Are you from like, Siberia or something?” Karen paused for a moment.

Shoot. That was rude.

“Um… Sorry, that was too many questions. Would you like to maybe get some food later? I don’t know anyone else here, and I’m guessing you don’t either.”

[Sleuth]

Room 302 - what:

What Jackie probably meant to do was convey her appreciation and thanks for trying to cheer her up. What she ended up doing was short circuiting poor Isis's gay mind.

Isis's face turned red against her will, anything she'd planned to say stuck in her throat and died, and her body stiffened as if in physical shock from the contact. When Jackie finally released her hold after an eternal 2 seconds, she could barely react or speak as the short girl quickly rushed into the bathroom.

Finally, she was alone. Slowly, Isis stumbled onto her bed, sitting, her eyes still blank with shock.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

What?? WAS THAT?? WHY DID SHE DO THAT WAS SHE TRYING TO CRUSH ME BUT FAILED. WHY DID SHE TOUCH ME OH GOD AM I GOING TO DIE I THINK I AM

Isis had been touched a lot since she'd gotten to this island-- That butler had picked her up, she'd gotten tackled by at least a few people, that Paolo kid had pulled her off the golf cart; but this felt different somehow. Why was she feeling like this?? Come to think of it, had anyone besides her sister hugged her before? She couldn't remember. It felt like so long ago.

"What's wrong with me...?" Isis said, putting her face in her hands as her head tried and failed to process what was happening. Slowly, the burning sensation in her face started to die down.

Then came a knock at the door.

"Oh Jackieeeeee, are you here? I just thought I'd pass by and have a chat with you~!"

Isis blinked. She thought she recognized that voice, but maybe her head was still swimming from that... thing just now. She tried to push it out of her head and quickly moved to the door, not really thinking about it.

Of course, the second she opened the door, it all came flooding back..

Her.

Isis stared blankly at Elibazeth for about a second before promptly slamming the door shut again.

[Drey Wilkins]

She then turned to the trench coat guy. “Did you say your name was Kabuo? I’m Karen. Aren’t you a little hot in all that? Have you been wearing that all day? Are you from like, Siberia or something?” Karen paused for a moment.

Shoot. That was rude.

“Um… Sorry, that was too many questions. Would you like to maybe get some food later? I don’t know anyone else here, and I’m guessing you don’t either.”

Front Office.

Kabuo started at the arrival of this new person. He hadn't seen her outside at all. Where had she come from? Karen? Oh, wow, she was pretty - wait, food? Was that... no. No, surely not. He mustn't jump to conclusions, especially ridiculous ones. She really was pretty, though. No, stop; ignore that.

"Uhh..." He stalled, letting his thoughts catch up with reality "R-really, it's fine." In direct contradiction, Kabuo immediately started stripping off his scarf and coat as his self-consciousness got the better of him.

"I, uh, just catch ill easily. Can't be too careful, you know?" He chuckled nervously, draping both articles over one arm. Kabuo said nothing for several seconds after that, before finally realising he had completely neglected the rest of her greeting.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah. Food sounds good." He held out a gloved hand. "I'm Kabuo Bennett-Manami, a-at your service."

[kwando1313]

Dorm Hallways

Opal opened up the tiger-themed bento box... and was pretty impressed with what she saw.

On the right side were some pig-shaped steamed buns, and on the left were two hard boiled eggs, cut out to be shaped like rabbits. Just below that were some cookies shaped like tigers.

"W-Wow! So cute!"

She nibbled on the buns.

"Oooh, and super tasty too~ We should exchange recipes at some time~"

"O-Oh. But as for you question... Uh... I think Job has the right idea...? I... uh... am not too sure myself, you see... haha..."

[GuardianDreamer]

Dorm Hallway

Kyouji was stuck between answering Job's question and responding to Opal, but he ultimately decided that Job's question was more likely to lead to him talking about how he needed to get to class and moving. So, Opal first, then. "I'm really glad you liked it. I'd love to learn more! Okay, I think I get it... Costume parties don't happen every day, but a lot of exciting things do! I hope I can get along with everyone. There are a million friends out there that I'm just waiting to cross paths with!"

Yes, a million friends, just waiting to be made. Bonds were precious, after all, and he wanted to forge as many of them as possible. He turned towards Job with a quizzical look, his cowlick briefly changing shape to form a question mark. Finally, realization dawned on him.

"Oh, you're right! But that's okay. Shelvington has a lot of kitchens, doesn't it? I'll just make something for myself there in-between classes and have a really big lunch to make up for it! ... Oh, right! How do classes work, again? We're supposed to go there soon, I think...?"

[Reyson]

Front Office

Karen raised an eyebrow as Kabuo introduced himself. He certainly had his fair share of quirks. Everybody does, though, right? Karen made sure to remember that. That’s the secret to making friends: looking past weird quirks so you can get to know people. Even if they’re dressed like they just stepped out of the Arctic. In the summer. Whatever, she should probably stop looking at him like he had three heads, lest he start to think she was making fun of him. He seemed to pause for a few seconds The corner of her mouth curled up, forming a little smirk, before she flashed her teeth in a big grin and let out a giggle.

“Ok, Mr. Bennett-Manami.” She put her hands on her hips for a moment, looking at his hand. Shrugging, she gave it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you! How about you give me your phone for a second, and I can put my number in so we can meet up and get something to eat later? Umm… and I’m not going to get sick after shaking your hand, right? I’d hate to miss out on the opportunity to meet more friends so early on in my time here, you know?”

[gotMLK7]

On the Way to Class - Nina

Keeping up a steady jog, Nina couldn't help but feel a bit lonely.

"Lot of people at this school feel so stand-offish," she mused to herself. "I guess that comes with the territory? Maybe rich kids just aren't that social? Or..." She sighed. "Maybe I'm just coming on too strong? Guuuh, I don't know how to talk to theeem..." She shook her head. "No! I'm not going to get down in the dumps now! I knew what I was getting into here, and I'll be darned if I let myself get down my second day here!"

As she was jogging, she saw a familiar face: Boo, the quirky girl with the tiny robot from the day prior. Yesss, someone familiar and extroverted! Exactly how to start my day! She was even jogging with someone else herself, though she seemed a bit less energetic. Nina rose her hand to wave back, but...

Oh crap...is she tripping?!

There was a powerful gleam in Nina's eye. Her quicker than average jog evolved into a full sprint forward, towards Boo. Time seemed to slow down as the inventor girl fell to her certain doom (or at least, certain knee scrape) and Nina, resolved to help her friend and to avoid another morning of Nurse visits, refused to let things end this way.

There was a loud skid noise as Nina slid her tennis shoes on the pavement, kicking up a cloud of loose sand and dust. She held her arms out under Boo and, just before the girl would become well acquainted with the pavement, caught her. As she stood there like an action hero having just saved the damsel in distress, she looked into Boo's eyes with a smirk...

"Uh, hey."

----

Room 352 - Robert

Robert's eyes carefully scanned the room. He rubbed a finger across the surface of the nearest desk and checked his finger for dust. Even though he didn't seem to find any, he still looked wary and unsatisfied. He approached Xander from a safe distance and leaned in to read the writing on the whiteboard.

"...How utterly ridiculous," he said. "What kind of balderdash am I expected to believe here? That I, the prestigious Robert T. Pemberly, am expected to reside in a dormitory is ridiculous as is. Yet you expect to have me believe that I am to share my quarters with the help? I should have known better than to expect sanity from the word 'go'. Clearly this pigsty is far more incompetent than I had previously assumed..."

From his pocket, Robert produced an expensive-looking notepad, as well as an elaborate fountain pen. He flipped through its pages until he reached a certain page, and placed his finger upon what was written there. "Princess Eliza...Elibazeth Flaithe. Of course. The Flaithe family is rather influential, albeit less so than my own. Perhaps it should be expected that an heir as eccentric as the rumormill claims would have the gall to give the cleaning crew the same level of education. Very well, I will have to speak to her about rectifying this before the day is over. If she is unwilling to listen, I will have Father speak to the Flaithe family directly."

He turned towards the door, leaving his luggage by the doorframe. As he opened the door to leave the room, he turned back towards Xander. "I am leaving for what excuse for 'class' this school teaches. If you truly wish to make yourself useful, unpack my things. I might consider at least tipping you if my room is set and yourself absent by the time I return. Make haste."

With that, he left the room.

----

Room 302 - Jackie

Jackie stood quietly in the shower, scrubbing her wild fluff of hair with shampoo. Of course, she stood quietly, but if one were to read her thoughts, they might hear the following.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

And so forth.

Jackie rinsed.

----

Front Office

"Ahem."

Before Kabuo and Karen was a man seated before an exceptionally tiny table. "TINY TABLE TINO" was written on his name tag, which was not tiny, but rather proportional to his own size. One was to wonder if placed on the table if the nametag would shrink to the scale of the tiny table itself, but this was a question one was not prepared to know the answer to.

Tiny Table Tino reached down to his tiny table and opened a tiny drawer. He shuffled through tiny files with his pinky finger until he found what he was seeking, and removed them. He pulled tiny paper out from the tiny files and gave them a look with his regular scale glasses.

"Mr. Bennett-Manami, and Ms. Dies...Diesel...Djeln...Duh-zeel-nee...Jiel...Ms. Karen. I am Tiny Table Tino, and this is my tiny table. And these are my tiny table's tiny files, about you two, who are new students here. Just to reaffirm the current situation. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Shelvington Academy. I regret to inform you that we do not yet have your dorm rooms prepared for you, as we are currently rearranging them to accommodate a strange phenomenon in which we cannot actually keep track of who is an active student here at any given time due to unknown complications. I apologize. However, if you leave your luggage here in the office, we will ensure that it is immediately taken to wherever your dorms shall end up being. For the time being, class is going to begin soon, and we shall have a special bonding event afterwards that will, as the kids say, be pretty fun I guess."

He returned to his tiny computer work.

[Drey Wilkins]

Front Office

For several seconds, Kabuo was speechless. He looked at Karen, then at Tiny Table Tino, then back to Karen.

"Uh... did he just... uh..." Kabuo had no idea how to even begin unpacking that. "Right, class. Okay. Right."

He realised that he was still holding the handle of the luggage, and reluctantly let go, leaving it in front of the tiny desk. The travel suitcase was actually taller than the table itself... but why?

Wordlessly, honestly a little bit stunned, Kabuo fished his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and held it out for Karen. He looked down at his gloved hand and remembered what she'd asked before Tino spoke.

"And, uh, no. You shouldn't catch anything from me. I-it only really goes one way." Suddenly he became horribly aware that his nose was still running, and had to resist the overwhelming urge to sniffle.

[Reyson]

Front Office

Karen found it hard to contain her amusement with Tiny Table Tino sitting at his tiny table with their very tiny files while struggling to pronounce her name. Karen learned long ago that Dzielny doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. It was a good conversation starter, though, which always opens up the possibilities for more friends. In that respect, Karen was thankful for her alphabet soup of a name. As she listened to the remainder of Tino’s remarks, she had some questions. She wouldn’t quite call them concerns yet, but they still gave Karen some pause. You’d think a school with this much prestige and this many resources would be able to… have their act together.

Either way, she gave Tiny Table Tino a nod and thanked him for his accommodating, if not entirely reassuring, explanation of the situation. She set her things aside and turned back to Kabuo, who was explaining the nature of his immune system and its struggles.

“You sure sound really confident about that.” Karen joked. She took his phone and went to put her contact info into his phone, making sure to let Kabuo know through smiley emojis and exclamation points that she was definitely a nice person.

KAREN DZIELNY!!! ((((((((:

“Alright, here ya go KBM! Sounds like we should get to class. Want to be a doll and walk with me?”

With that, she adjusted her jacket and smirked at Kabuo before spinning away.

[Fantasyhunt]

Classroom – Violet

“Hello?” Violet stepped into the room and looked around. Was she the first to arrive, even before the teacher? “Am I even in the right room?”

As Violet occupied an empty desk, she come to the conclusion that this was an opportune time to continue her preparation. She dug out a paper and pencil from her backpack and began to write.

“'Dear Ludwig Ferdinand.'” Violet paused. “No. Not 'dear.' Too intimate!” She furiously erased the words to start over. “'To Ludwig Ferdinand. My name is—' Gah, no! I'll leave that bit out!” She erased again. With one last deep breath, Violet scribbled out a short letter.

…

Hallway – Ludwig

The first thing to catch Ludwig's attention was the presence of another person. He looked to the side and eyed Robert up and down. He was clean and upright, to an annoying degree. His whole look screamed pretentious. Not only that, but for his height, the guy had a strong aura of authority around him, one that got Ludwig feeling uneasy.

Who is this guy? What's his deal? Ludwig thought to himself, still glaring staring at Robert. And his face... It's familiar somehow. Having resolved to approach first, Ludwig cleared his throat and said, “You a new kid around here?”

The unease in Ludwig's chest festered.

[gotMLK7]

Dorm Halls - Robert

Robert, after straightening his cuffs for a moment, glanced up to the titan of a man glaring down at him. His brow furrowed in a familiarly upset gaze.

"Keep your stares to yourself," he started. "And do not degrade my status with 'new kid'. I am an observer, and I will not be undermined. Now, if you would excuse me, I have important business to attend to."

He straightened up and turned away from Ludwig.