Welcome to Gaia! ::

Oliver had seen the bulletin board notice, and spent some time debating. He was no longer brand new to the island, but he still got lost, and still didn't know his place, or many people. Especially others his own 'age'.

The tour was the biggest perk for the kid, he had ended up in some scary places just trying to find his own way around! Many times he arrived at chores as much as an hour early just to be sure being lost wouldn't mean he would be late. He still had a very healthy fear of being killed for incompetence... But that brought him to the part of the notice that made him anxious, he didn't want to test his mettle. He had no mettle.

That much was clear even as he arrived, nervously lingering some ways off, trying not to be the first person to get there before he knew what he might be getting himself into.

Walkwalkwalkwalkwalk!

"Oy," Nora grumbled on her way out of the cafeteria. Beatrix had been unable to please for the past week, and while the hunter was all for exercise, it was starting to get ridiculous. She had a feeling it had something to do with their dreary surroundings down in the basement (which could probably make any ball of sunshine grow dim after a while). Nevertheless, Nora was ready to hit her head against something when she saw the bulletin notice.

Perfect.

After checking herself quickly in the bathroom (she'd elected to wear some pieces of her armor today along with her uniform as part of personal training, and they couldn't have a scrap of food on them), she strode out to the meeting place with confidence. "What, don't enjoy s'mores?" Nora asked the blond hunter upon arrival, pleased to see she wasn't late. She was gently nudging the nervous one along with her without bothering to say hello even. "Better than whatever I just ate for lunch."

--------

Either the mention of "Disney" or "helping people" was a great way to summon one particular Mist.

Almost ghostlike, Stormy appeared next to Bix, a twig in baggy clothes and gleaming coat who looked like she had seen better days. She tilted her head up to look at him, quietly asking if she could help.

Another small figure arrived at the tall Sun's side. This one also a twig though in not so baggy, who also looked as though she had seen better days, but for different reasons. Peyton often left her coat in her room, afraid of getting it dirty, of ruining it in some way, but she wore it now. Whatever else was happening in their lives, they could at least put on a professional front for the newly awakened among them. Let them hold onto the notion that everything was just dandy, if only for a little while. They'd learn, in time, all on their own. Without any help from those that knew better.

She didn't say anything as she took her place at the albino's side, but she did reach up to touch the specialist emblem on the tall archer's back. The one she'd helped him place. If he looked in her direction she flashed him a soft smile.

New hunters were already gathering, but it was Stormy that grabbed Peyton attention. The usual bubbly Mist was anything but, and she spared the other girl a questioning, worried look. In her own rut, the dainty Sun had been hiding out, more or less. Bunking in Noah's room, for the most part, she had been avoiding her own as much as possible. Entering only to change, to grab what she needed, before fleeing again. She'd barely been checking her phone. If anything else had happened, beyond the massive shared dream state that had played out as a cruel ********, Peyton wasn't aware of it yet. The rumor mill had not yet reached her.

Once he was no longer the first trainee on the field... He should have walked over and introduced himself. Except the first one to arrive besides himself was a little... intimidating. And then a girl arrived. And Stormy, who Oliver should have been comfortable around except for that lingering post-traumatic stress from his pod awakening. And then another girl arrived, and another... And suddenly the young Life trainee realized there were too many people.

He nearly noped his way right off the field, except he was afraid if he so much as moved, someone would spot him and drag him into the gathering crowd.

There was a delayed reaction when she felt Peyton's eyes on her. Stormy then turned her gaze to hers and held it, boring right through the Sun with an unblinking, quiet, and expressionless intensity. Maybe...maybe...yes. She existed. Seemed all of them did. She took a moment to figure out what exactly that meant, staring at Peyton still as if expecting something out of her in the meantime.

And then she blinked. Slowly, eerily, she pieced her usual buoyant smile back together to greet Peyton properly. No amount of it hid the quality of hollowness she felt inside, nor could it cover for her apparent exhaustion.

They were then promptly swept up into Bix's hug, where she continued to feel like a ragdoll but at least attempted a few pats on the back in return. Being around him might help for a little bit. Helping people might help for a little bit. A little bit was better than nothing.

Stormy pulled her beanie down further, hiding her shaven head like it might be targeted for a few words. First she shook her head at the woman addressing Bix, pulling the same smile at her just so that she didn't look so pitiful. No picnic, just a tour as far as she was aware. Probably wouldn't be too long, though, if any of the trainees were really famished.

Spying Oliver, she wiggled her fingers in a silent hello as well. He seemed very nervous, and she didn't blame him; had she been in his position, she would have been just the same. She hoped he'd stick around, though; maybe he just needed to be led by the hand. Her gesture indicated he could come over if he liked.

She still felt like the new kid at school.

Awkward and wide-eyed and basically quite confused about how everything worked, but Kylee also hated being a bother to anyone. So when someone experienced offered to show not only her, but other newbies like herself, she had immediately perked up and wrote the meeting time down on a sticky note.

Plus, she had met Bix on minipet duty, and he had been quite patient with her and some of her questions (which Kylee frankly thought probably seemed quite silly to someone used to it all).

There were quite a few people here already, and she had no idea who was new and who was experienced. Kylee merely stood there, close enough to hear, but not too close.

Um. Oh gosh. She had no idea what to do.

((OOC note: heading off to bed so this is just a quick post *u*))

Camille was not sure what to do. Despite the fact she'd worn her favorite tights and as little black as possible, it didn't seem like she was any more approachable than usual. Which, of course, was something she was used to. Thankfully for everyone Cami was what was often termed 'aggressively friendly', a party terror. Introverts often fled before her ebullient grins and the manic gleam in her blue eyes.

Since a picnic did not seem forthcoming, a frown being the result of Stormy's shaking head, the redhead hopped up to her feet. Immediately her mood shifted, causing her to grin at the guy who'd mentioned smores and Wildcats. "All of it? Even Sharpay's scenes? Because I can make that happen." And it'd be the most hilarious thing that would have happened since coming here! Remembering the drive-by kiss she'd gotten the other night, she immediately revised. Second-most hilarious.

Inside of her head, Ki sighed, long and hard. Seeing as how her charge could get in little trouble at the moment, however, she stayed quiet. Mostly.

Turning her head, like a sixth sense, the Sun trainee saw a girl standing at the edge of the crowd looking a little lost. Waving an arm to catch Kylee's attention she grinned and waved. "Hey, come over here! You'll be able to hear better."

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ol-j-man

darkheartedsorrow

melodine cantus