Welcome to Gaia! ::

For Ingrith Bjornsen, the trip to Good Shepherd had been the easy part. Actually getting there and getting the hang of things was going to be considerably more difficult.

The tall Norse girl stepped off of the transport and was escorted through the gates, grinning and waving a little at the driver, who smiled and waved back in spite of himself. Three hours in heavy traffic had left a lot of time to be chattered to death by the chronically cheerful girl and if there was one thing that fourteen year old girls of all nationalities and backgrounds were good at, it was talking. By the time he had dropped her off at Good Shepherd, he knew about her brothers and sisters, her horses' names and the foals they'd had earlier that spring, how her soccer team had made district champions last year and she was a bit worried about how good they were going to do with her not being there anymore, the meal her mother had made to celebrate her last night at home before heading out, as well as all the new stuff that she'd bought for her new dorm room, including video games, movies and books she'd brought with her. By the time he'd dropped her off, he knew the girl's life story. That was just Ingrith's way.

Now she headed along the path to the main entrance of the school, hefting her bag on her shoulder and giving a low impressed whistle as she made her way inside. The grounds were manicured, sculpted almost, like the botanical gardens in the government complexes back in Oslo. Of course, she'd had free run of those as a little girl; her father had loved to bring her to work and she'd sit there at her own little desk and pretend to write up imaginary orders for her legions of imaginary soldiers going around the world and fighting the monsters that she heard stories of and seen on the old news reports. Of course, there had been classes and such things, annoyances more than anything. She simply hadn't been interested in the things they wanted her to learn. She'd loved history of course, and literature but the math and science that they kept shoving at her was more than annoying to the laid back young girl. So it had been a surprise to everyone when she'd received her acceptance letter to Good Shepherd Academy. It wasn't unheard of for students to be accepted on athletic scholarships and her marks had been very good in history but at the same time, usually that school was reserved for the best and brightest. However, she'd cheerfully accepted it, much as she did everything in life and had begun reading up on the school. They had a stellar hockey team but their soccer team needed serious work. There was track and field, basketball and baseball, swimming and even horseback riding. If for nothing else than the sports, she'd be deliriously happy there. However, the classwork gave her a bit of pause; considering how advanced most of the students were, she worried about not being up to par intellectually. Her father had assured her that there would be tutors to help her and that they tended to tailor curriculums to the students, so she relaxed a bit Maybe she could even bring her grades up if she could manage to not be involved with something stupid as chemistry or calculus.

However, once she got inside, all of that just faded away. The school was like something built out of a fairy tale. A palace almost, with long, wide hallways, sweeping arched ceilings and vaulted windows, glittering like crystal in the sunlight. Everything was beautiful and elegant and so very rich. Having grown up in a household with a great deal of wealth, she recognized the little things that screamed luxury. The name brands on things as simple as drapes for the windows and rugs on the floors, the artwork that decorated the hallways and the fixtures in the bathrooms. There were armed guards there, and that made her a little curious, but the girl shrugged it off, figuring that given the way that everything worked these days with the miltary and the government basically being fused as one entity. However, she had to get settled in first and get her schedule and room assignment. The rest of her luggage would be arriving in a day or two, she had only been able to bring a carry-on with basic clothing and toiletries on the plane so hopefully they didn't mind her not having her computer or most of her actual clothes and things of that nature for a couple of days. It didn't take long for her to pick up her schedule, the older lady inside the front office was sweet and grandmotherly, giving her a little general information about the school as well as a map with important buildings marked, like the dormitory she was assigned to, the gym and the cafeteria. The most important places on campus indeed!

The trip to the dorms was mostly uneventful; she passed a few people who gave her funny looks; then again, she was a bit unusual in appearance from the vast majority of people in the school. She still had a growth spurt left and was already knocking at just a half inch below six feet, with hair so blond it was almost white, silver blue eyes and the pale, Nordic complexion that stood out even among other Europeans, she certainly had an unusual look. Her brother had given her a replica of an old Viking horned helmet before she left, and she'd almost worn it. Looking around at the funny looks she was getting, she wished she had.

For now, her dorm awaited and she was sure that eventually the jet lag was going to catch up with her. Using her shiny new key, she unlocked the door, knocking as she did so just to make sure that her roommate, if they were there, knew that they were about to have company. "Hello? Anyone home?" She said, her accent not as thick due to all the language lessons she'd been subjected to as a child. She looked over, seeing a redheaded girl laying on the bed and cuddling a stuffed cat. "Hey! Cute kitty! I'm Ingrith, I'm your new roommate!" She grinned, her smile wide and infectious, taking up most of her face with a slightly gap-toothed smile.

Ingrith grinned at her new roommate and inclined her head, pushing the loose hair back from her face. "God-Cat! Ja, I see it! Ist cute!!" She flopped down on the floor, sitting indian style and looking up at the smaller redhaired girl, a half smile quirking her lips and digging in her backpack, producing a well worn and obviously well loved plushy stuffed blue snake? worm? eel? with fairy wings and a little princess crown. "Here's mine. Had him since I was...gosh, seven. Name is Kosorm." She sat back a little, petting the soft, floss-like golden hair that trailed to the end of the worm-eel-snake thing. "My name's Ingrith Bjornsen. I'm from Oslo, Norway. It's good to meet you, Elisabeth." Her accent was pronounced but not very much, and she grinned up at the redhaired girl good naturedly, offering her hand.

"So, how long have you been here? Are you new too? What's it like around here?" She asked curiously, looking around the room to try and get a better idea of her roommate's personality from the decorations. Her things should arrive tomorrow or the day after, and she'd be able to put up her posters and pictures and her other stuffed animals, not nearly as well loved as Kosorm but still beloved.

"Well, he's sort of a dragon. Or an eel. Not sure exactly." She looked at the stuffed animal critically a moment, then shrugging a little and smiling at Elizabeth. "So, bratty girls and stupid cliques? Sounds like a normal school. Ahh well, the more things change, huh?" She grinned and threw her arm around the other girl's shoulders. "Well I guess that it's good that I'm your roommate then! I don't think I'd get along nearly as well with any of those guys. I hated them back at my old school, and I doubt I'd like them much here."

She sat back and looked around the room, hopping up and going to inspect the picture, grinning a little. "You were a cute little kid. That your brother and grandma with you?" She was already moving towards the bookshelf, her hands on her hips, reading over the titles. "Hmm...read that one...never read that one, is it any good? You must like biology and stuff, huh? I like history more. Anything's better than math." She shuddered a little at the thought, then brightened. "My stuff should be here tomorrow or so, at least that's what they said. Then I can show you my books and my violin! So what classes do you have?"

Elizabeth glanced up at Ingrith, curiously, but said nothing about her declaration, instead hesitating a little, scanning the cafeteria nervously. "I-it's good. U-usually lots of choices. I'm n-n-not picky, but some people a-are." She focused on a table, where a petite Japanese looking girl seemed to be holding court with several other girls. Her eyes narrowed as they entered, watching them carefully.

"Ohh! Great, we shouldn't have any problem finding something edible. It won't be as good as home cooking of course, but I'll take edible right now to be honest with you." She laughed, pulling the smaller girl towards the cafeteria lunch line, trying to decide what to get. "So what do you usually get?"

Elizabeth glanced around, nervously, still focused on the other table, the girl watching them appraisingly. "Oh, I j-j-just usually get something like m-meat and potatoes if they have it. I-it's not really like what I grew up with b-but it's usually good."

"Hmm..." Ingrith looked over the offerings, grabbing a tray and starting to pile it high with roasted chicken and beef with gravy, two baked potatoes and a huge salad, along with a bowl of pudding and a large slice of cake, a few rolls and three bottles of water. However she maintained that figure was a mystery because her appetite was enormous. She grinned, pleased at her overflowing tray. "There we go! That should keep me going for a while!" She glanced over at Elizabeth. "You picked your food out?"

Elizabeth nodded, her tray with a much more reasonable selection of beef and potato and salad. "Y-yeah, I'm ready." she said, quietly, watching Miyuki out of the corner of her eye. She was saying something to her cohorts and they all laughed, eying Ingrith.

Ingrith glanced over to see the laughing group, knowing their laughter was directed at her and she smiled back, a wide, slightly feral grinn. It was, one might think, perhaps how a Viking in the days of old might have looked at a village ripe for plunder. "So, let's go sit there. I'd love to introduce myself." She said, turning in the direction and making her way towards the group of laughing students, her eyes fixed on the smaller girl who apparently fancied herself the queen of the realm. Vikings had little use for rulers of any kind that couldn't hold their thrones by right of strength, so Ingrith was a bit curious to see just how good of a fighter this prissy little princess was.

"N-no, wait." Elzabeth hissed, grabbing her with her free hand. "Don't do that. T-the g-guards are on h-h-her side. L-let's go to the other t-table, please." She looked up at Ingrith with frightened eyes.

Ingrith looked over at her a moment, then back at the table, sighing. "You know, you don't have to be afraid. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. But if you're sure, then fine." She sent a warning look over towards the Japanese girl, before letting Elizabeth lead her to another table. "Y'know, you shouldn't be so scared of her, or the guards. It's what give them power over you."

She hesitated a little, nodding and following Ingrith to another table. At the other table Miyuki and the others watched, predatorial. Elizabeth sank into the chair, quietly, nervous still, but watching Ingrith carefully. "I . . . d-don't think you really know what t-they're like."

"They're spoiled brats. They're no different than any other girl who thought they were better than someone else because they had more money, or a better family, or had prettier hair or newer clothes." She shrugged a little, starting to eat hungrily with no concern whatsoever for Miyuki or her little entourage. "After all, what's the best she's got going for her? I'm stronger than her, faster than her, better tempered than her, possibly even smarter than her. She's nothing to me, and I'm not afraid of her or any of her little friends."

Elizabeth shrugged a little, bending her head to look at her plate. "I-if you say so." She said, quietly. "B-but the guards and the I-i-instructors take her side b-because she's so rich and important. J-just be careful, ok?"

Ingrith shrugged a little. "They can only take her side so much. I dunno how rich and powerful she is, but she can only do so much and piss off so many people before her family can't clean up the messes she makes." Ingrith patted the smaller girl on the back and smiled. "I grew up dealing with all the royal brats and important businessmen's little drittsekks. She might be a snotty, uptight little b***h, but she's no different than any other snotty, uptight little bitches in the world."

She shrugged a little. "The o-only time she doesn't mess with m-me is in the l-library." She gave a very small, almost hard smile. "G-g-guess she's afraid of the l-librarian too."

Ingrith grinned, taking a bite of her potato and chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing. "So what's the librarian like? Must not be in her pocket if she's afraid of him."

She shrugged a little, slightly nervous. "I d-don't know, I g-guess he's . . . I think h-he's british. He j-j-just . . . watches. L-like he can see everything. I n-never see him at the f-faculty table. I d-d-don't think he lives in the library." She smiled a little. "B-but close enough."

Ingrith glanced at her new friend and smirked slightly, taking another big bite of potato. "Sounds like he's one of those crazy awesome badass librarians, y'know the ones that hunt down all kinds of clues in the movies and goes running around the world destroying the monster gates. Maybe there's something like that here, that makes all the other girls so bitchy and he's hunting the monsters through the school at night in some long black cloak with an energy sword or something!"

Elizabeth laughed a little. "H-h-he has glasses and a s-suit. I don't t-think he's a superhero." She shook her head a bit. "B-but . . . I-I might be paranoid. I t-think. B-but he reads books and when there's anyone i-in the library he never turns the p-p-page."

Ingrith smiled a little, tapping her chin with a finger. "Sounds like a mystery! We should investigate!" Nothing got the normally lazy blonde's blood going like a good mystery or a good fight. And since she couldn't have fight, she could at least have her mystery to solve.