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How truly horrid it was to wake up only to realize that while you were sleeping, you lost everything. Everything you loved. Everyone you loved. As awful as it was, it was a pain Dani was familiar with. She was no stranger to the wrenching agony that consumed one's very soul. She was used to that gaping whole in one's chest. The place one's heart should have been, but instead bore empty caverns. A dark cavity that acted as a constant reminder of just how much you lost. She understood the healing process enough to know that even as you picked up the pieces and placed them back together so delicately, so carefully, that you were never really whole again. Your heart was left more fragile, more vulnerable. Wounds healed, but scars were left in their place. Everyone told you that those scars were the road map of where you've been and that those scars made you stronger. They showed just how much you were capable of surviving. Perhaps they did... yet, no one told you that even as bloodied gashes healed over with new, pink skin, the pain never truly faded. Not entirely. It became a part of you, intertwined so deeply with your very existence that it would have been impossible to distinguish your soul, from this painful blemish. It became a part of you that you simply learned to live with. She knew all of this down to her core. She understood the grieving process; what was considered healthy and what wasn't. She had been through this before. She'd lost everything before. She'd dug herself up from that black pit that threatened to consume her. She fought tooth and nail with the darkness that loomed over her. She had survived... but she hadn't done it on her own. When Dani woke in the infirmary, she'd been all alone. There hadn't been anyone to rejoice at her awakening. No one to throw arms around her or shed tears of joy. No one to explain to her just what had happened. Eventually a nurse wandered in and explained the situation, but even then, when her world came shattering down around her, there had been no one there to comfort her. No one to wipe away her own tears. She was all alone, she had to face it on her own, and even as she tried to hold herself together, she could feel herself crumbling. Pulling her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, she sat like that for hours. As if somehow if she held on fiercely enough, she could somehow force herself together for just a few moments longer, as if she could pretend she wasn't breaking.

It was true that she had never really gotten to Ulysses very well. Truer even that Feng never did much more than abuse and torment her, both physically and emotionally. Still, they had been her teammates and some one as tender hearted as Daenerys couldn't help but grow to care for them just the same. She still felt their loss, even if it was only a minor flesh wound in comparison to the one that had so haphazardly gouged out her heart. Jentel. Even thinking his name was painful, like breathing in shrapnel. She could feel each shard rip through her, shredding carelessly through the most delicate parts of her and leaving a bloodied path of destruction in their wake. With this pain, guilt always followed soon after. A sickening feeling that made her stomach churn and her mouth taste bitterly sour. She remembered that day all too clearly. The day that man had slipped into their dorm room and offered her a glowing jar. A man she could only assume was the person Jentel referred to as master, and a jar that she knew without a doubt held the memories Jentel had been missing. He'd left them in her hands. He'd left her with the choice as to whether to give them to Jentel or not. She was to choose when the time was right, or if it ever was. She could have chosen to destroy them entirely. It was a responsibility much too large. One she wasn't comfortable with. A burden that had weighed on her chest for weeks, and now... Now she might never get the chance to make things right. How many times had she gazed upon them when now one was looking. Watching the unpleasant scenes play over and over again. They were awful, painful memories... but they were still Jentel's. He had the right to know. He had the right to choose for himself. Would he hate her if he knew she'd kept them for him? Sure, she'd only been trying to find the right time, but did that really make it any better? Would he think it was just a silly excuse? Would he ever even get the chance now? Would she?

The medical staff continued to reassure her that he might yet wake. After all, she had been the first to wake up in over a week. Since then there were new patients waking up everyday. Yet Jentel remained silent and still, lost to his own subconscious. Dani had spent days, sitting by his side. Wishing, praying, hoping... Wishing it had been him to wake instead of her. Praying for him to open those amber hues. Hoping for a change, a sign, anything. Pale, iridescent skin stained with tears, amethyst eyes puffy and bloodshot. Watching him, seeing him like that, it made her heart throb painfully. However, she couldn't imagine leaving his side. It was only once it became evident that her stress and worry was interfering with her health that the school got involved. They encouraged her to take a temporary leave, and when she refused, they contacted her brother. Dani had been reluctant to leave Jentel's side, but seeing Laurent had been the first real solace she'd felt. She felt more whole in his embrace than she had in over a week. As much as she loved her brother, as much as he loved her, as much as he would have liked too, he couldn't take her pain away. However, he could help her shoulder it. He could act as a beacon of support and hold her up while she was too weak to stand on her own. He helped her through this loss, just as he had the loss of her parents. She stayed with him for just over a week, and even though she was still hurting, he'd helped patch her up. Even though her mind was still reeling, he'd helped her find some clarity. Even though she still cried far more often than she'd like to admit, he'd helped her find her strength.

This tiny jellyfish had found a renewed sense of determination and she was ready to return to Beacon and start anew. However... she hadn't realized just how complicated that was going to be. It was like walking into a dream. Familiar landscapes full of strange faces. Everyone she'd once known was gone, a true depiction of just how isolating her own social anxiety could be. It made the school seem so much larger than it actually was, and far more empty for it, despite the bustling crowd around her. Everywhere she went there were reminders of Jentel. Bittersweet memories played through her mind. The way he always challenged her, always kept her guessing. The way she began to crave those constant surprises, which was so unlike her. The way he seemed to make her stronger, braver even. After all, she'd been able to stand up to Alistair for his sake. She remembered that day oh so clearly. He had been so angry afterwards. He'd ran off, all the way back to their dorm and she had so boldly followed. What happened next still made her her heart race and her face flush. It was the first time either of them had admitted having feelings for each other. It was such a sweet memory, one she cherished along with so many others. Yet now it was tarnished, left bitter. It was stained by his loss. Where the memory used to bring her nothing but a blissful weightlessness and an odd feeling of twitterpaition... It no tugged at her heart. It made it ache and throb, like rubbing salt violently into an open wound. She missed him, more than words could define. She longed to gaze into umber orbs once more. She hear his voice. To feel his hand in hers. She hadn't realized she was crying until she felt the tears splash hotly against her cheeks. With no free hand to wipe them away, she let them fall, dripping down her chin and onto her chest. It was this that brought her running blindly through the courtyard.

Unable to see through her tears and too distraught to realize what, or rather who she was about to crash into, it was with the entire force of her mere hundred pounds that she collided with the red-haired boy. A small squeak escaped her lips as she rebounded off him, losing her balance and tumbling to her ground. She landed with a soft thud on her rear end, but truly her pride was more damaged than anything else. Already she could fill the heat creeping up her neck, painting her cheeks a deep scarlet. "I'm s-so sor-sorry!" The stuttered apology was but a murmur. She would glance up at him through thick lashes for just a moment, tear stained face partially concealed by pale locks. "I... I-I wasn't l-looking." It was a rather vague explanation, but it seemed to be the only words the nervous wreck of a girl could manage. Quickly adverting her gaze, pink locks would fall over her shoulder masking her red face from the other one. Pushing herself to her knees, she'd begin collecting her belongings that had been strewn around her when she fell. A bag full of clothes and personal belongings, another of school supplies. It seemed she hadn't quite realized there was another student there to witness her tumble, let alone the head mistress. Dani was about to push herself back to her feet when she caught sight of the woman clad in black. The epitome of structure and discipline, clearly in the middle of important matters that Dani had managed to disrupt with a single and rather dramatic moment of clumsiness. Another meek squeak would escape her lips, her face burning impossibly brighter. "I'm s-sorry ma'am. I d-didn't m-me-mean to." Unable to even speak in complete sentences at this point, the tiny girl would drop her gaze, letting her hair fall over her face. Rather than standing up, she seemed content to remain on the ground and pretend she didn't exist. Nice going, Dani. First day back and you're already making a mess of things. Chastising herself internally, she found herself regretting all her decisions already. Was she really cut out for this?

The little jellyfish would seem to visibly shrink beneath the stern gaze of their deputy head mistress, flinching slightly at her harsh orders. Some might lash out, try to rebuttal or defend themselves. After all, Daenerys was going through a hardship. Something the strict woman was likely aware of, considering it had been partially due to her influence that Dani had been allowed to take a temporary leave from Beacon. However, the girl was much too timid and far too polite to even think about interjecting. In fact, it seemed she had lost her voice entirely. Her head would bob quickly up and down, indication that she had both heard the headmistress and intended to follow her command. She'd been hoping that would be the extent of it. She wanted nothing more than to have the attention of the students and Aurelia off of her so that she could wallow in her own embarrassment. Amethyst hues would widen at the instructions she was met with instead. Fear evident upon delicate features, it would take the girl several moments to regain herself enough to speak. She looked like she wanted to object. Helping with orientation was far more attention than she had ever wanted, and several more hours in which she would probably, once again, embarrass herself. Despite her reluctance, it all circled around to one undeniable fact. Dani was much to kind and much to polite to explicitly deny a request, especially from that of a respectable elder such as the head mistress. Hanging her head in defeat, the girl would nod once more, pink locks tumbling about her shoulders with the gesture. "Y-yes, ma'am." She'd murmur softly, trying, and failing, to keep the nervous stutter out of her voice. After a breif introduction, the head mistress was on her way before Dani could even manage to drag herself off the ground.Her meekness was becoming all the more evident with each timid word and gesture. One might wonder why someone as fragile as her was even at Beacon to begin with. She was a clumsy mess of emotion, but she worked harder because of it. She had a goal to help people, to protect Vale, and she wasn't going to give up on that.

The boy's voice beside her, despite the fact that it was a whisper, would startle the girl and cause her to jump. A soft squeak would escape her lips before she managed to clamp her mouth closed, biting down hard on her lower lip. Wide violet orbs would slowly move to meet his own crimson hues. Rather than making direct eye contact, she'd peer at him through thick lashes. Heart still thrumming rapidly in her chest, she almost missed what it was he was even saying, though his outreached hand made it easy to guess had she not heard. Cheeks still tinged pink were growing hotter and brighter once again. A vibrancy that rivaled that of her eyes. It was the boy she'd run into, and here he was, offering her a hand up as if she had simply fallen rather than bulldozing right into him. She was secretly thankful, that it had been him she had run into rather than some of the other students she'd met and seen. He seemed kind, seemingly trying to ease her distress rather than add to her distress. There was no anger or annoyance in his expression. Instead she was met with a genuine sincerity. It was the most pleasant way an unfavorable situation could have worked out. However, that wouldn't stop the humiliation of it all from coloring her face a deep scarlet. Pink strands hanging in her face, she looked like a shy turtle wishing for nothing more or less than to disappear into her shell. Even so, a girl as kind as Dani wouldn't risk offending him or hurting his feelings by declining his offer. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she could make it back to her feet on her own. She seemed hesitant, her own internal conflict swimming in her eyes, but after a moment a tiny hand would reach up and grasp his gingerly. Her skin seemed to glimmer in an array of iridescent colors in the sunlight. Subtle a trait as it was, it was indication of her faunas heritage. Allowing him to pull her to her feet, she'd stumble for a moment before regaining her balance. "Th-thank you." In a voice soft as silk, she'd thank him as she brushed the dust from her knees before securing both of her bags over opposite shoulders. Reaching up, she'd wipe the wetness from her cheeks on the back of her hand, smearing the salty tear streaks away before brushing the stray hair out of her face. Giving him a shy, sidelong glance, pink lips would twitch into a small, but genuine smile.

It was only once she spoke to her that Daenerys really noticed the redheaded girl. She was grateful for the introduction, considering she'd missed it in her duress. Being so quiet, she usually was rather observant, picking up on things that most wouldn't. However, her little tumble and the embarrassment that had followed had been distracting enough to blind her to everything else going on. At her question of compassion, she would nod slightly. "I'm o-okay. Thank you. " It was a debatable question. The jellyfish looked anything but okay. Tears had been wiped away, but eyes remained red and puffy. However, now was not the time nor the place to burden someone else with her own issues, and she certainly wasn't going to dump her own tragedies so carelessly into a stranger's lap. Even so, the fact that Xanthe had thought to ask, whether she really cared to know or was simply being polite, did lift Dani's spirits, if only slightly. Once again she would attempt a smile, just the slightest twitch of the corners of her lips. Small, but sincere. The timid girl was doing the absolute best she could, and that seemed to be the most she could manage at the moment. At least some of the color had faded from her cheeks at this point. Violet orbs would gaze shyly at the both of them, for the briefest of moments before dropping to stare at her feet, scuffing one of her toes absently against the sidewalk. A nervous fidget. "Daenerys Valwynn." It wasn't much of an introduction, and it was late, but it was an attempt at normal social interactions. Something the girl was always failing at despite her efforts. She just couldn't seem to calm her racing heart or combat her nerves whenever she was around new people. It hadn't helped that she'd made such an ungraceful and embarrassing entrance. "B-but, um... Well, you can call me Dani... if you want." She would add awkwardly after a moment, before stepping forward to follow the headmistress for the tour. She really wasn't sure what help she could be to such a capable woman, but what choice did she have? At least it was a bit of a distraction, something to keep her occupied. The less time her thoughts could spend wandering, the better. She just hoped she wouldn't have to be the one doing all the speaking. She always messed that sort of thing up.