Welcome to SDA

[Portia Bianca Rosalind Cutty]

(All teachers are welcome to introduce themselves if they wish.)

Portia led the way into the dining hall, which was clearly the largest room on the ground floor, with far more than enough solid and handsome looking tables and comfortable looking dining chairs to seat the school's current population. To the back away from the main entrance way to the dining hall was a cafeteria, already set up with trays, already prepared menu selections, and a stocked drinks cooler at the end of the queue.

She went and stood over by one of the tables near the main doors, and picked up a stack of papers.

"The rest of the staff will be here shortly, I'm sure, so why don't you make yourselves feel at home?" She smiled. "After all, this is going to be one for all of us for the next few years!"

[Tzu Mei]

You might hear a mumbling gradually getting louder. "-that wouldn't work; we need to time the brats to get the full extent of their abilities. Oh, stop that. I know you favor the more direct approach, but- Oh, Professor Cutty! You're here, I see," Tzu Mei said, not caring at all that he might have been heard having a conversation with himself. "I'll just introduce myself to the students, then?"

Without waiting for a response, he continued, "I'm Tzu Mei. You will call me 'sir' or 'Professor Tzu Mei.' I teach Advanced Defensive Fighting, and I have some very creative punishments for insubordinate students. Do not cross me."

[Verin Vetis Malphus]

Verin took a seat suitably removed from the center of things and watched the others move in. Truthfully, he just wanted to go to where he would be staying and start preparations, but he tried to appear interested. It will at least be a good idea to learn their names and talents. I may require that knowledge eventually.

[Destiny Valencia Everett]

Destiny had finally noticed and removed the rubber band from her other braid, and her long blonde hair freed itself, moving slightly as though in some subtle breeze, and creating small swirls within the glittering aura that surrounded her. Her travel-rumpled clothes and paint-splashed suitcase somehow only made her look prettier, as tends to happen to the lucky few who have the knack of looking beautiful in any situation.

Currently, this very pretty young girl had the distinct look of a deer in the headlights about her. This was like no school she had ever attended.

"Fighting? But I can't-- Advanced fighting!?" she squeaked, realizing belatedly that she'd probably just made herself look terribly silly.

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne sat down at one of the tables-both chairs on either side of her were empty-and took her hat off, placing it one of her small bags. Slipping her bangs behind her ears, which were pointed elven ones, she took a quick glance at the teacher who introduced themself. Hmm. A fighting class. Interesting.

[Ada Turing]

Ada also took a seat away from the center of the room, strategically positioned near the cafeteria, an emergency exit, and as far from Verin as was conveniently possible. She stretched briefly, and then ran her hands through her raven hair, re-gathering it and tying it off neatly.

She watched the entering students, waving to Kahlen to get her attention.

[Aelita Selena Auberon]

Aelita realized she was without an audience and fluttered inside the school. She followed the sound of the other students into a large room. At least this ghastly place was furnished adequately. Barely, but nothing to throw a tantrum over just yet.

She flew up to the chandelier and hovered, one petite, graceful hand holding the stem. From below she would look like she was standing on it.

Her eye color changed to sapphire, and the light from the chandelier caught the natural golden glow of her hair, and enhanced it until she was surrounded by a shimmering nimbus of radiant gold.

[Malakai Meir]

Malakai strode into the hall just in time to here a small sparkly girl complain about advanced fighting class.

"Advanced fighting?" he said loudly. "When can we take our first lesson?"

[Michelle Wilcox]

Michelle wasn't sure what made her do it, aside from the fact that the sparkly girl was, indeed, pretty but when she saw Destiny worrying about taking advanced fighting, she decided to go talk to her. "Don't worry," said the naval pilot, who also knew martial arts, "It'll hurt at first, but soon you'll develop a tolerance for pain and once you learn how to fight you'll feel great."

[Ada Turing]

Growing bored of waiting, Ada decided to go talk to people. Leaving her suitcases where they were, she walked over and sat next to a girl with a blue streak in her hair and... pointed ears?

"I don't think we've met," she said, as friendly as she could. "I'm Ada."

[Destiny Valencia Everett]

Destiny looked up at the odd-eyed girl and smiled wryly, grateful she wasn't being made fun of. "Pain, huh?" she said. "That's not, uh, actually such a big problem. Not when you've been in seven car accidents and a plane crash. I mean, I never really got bad hurt, but..." Destiny shrugged, figuring everybody knew what it was like to crawl through the broken window of an upside-down car and be sore for a week afterward.

"It's just... I don't know how to fight. I'll be horrible at it. I thought I was just going to be horrible at normal stuff, like math." Math problems might be hard, but they didn't generally hit you over the head, or try to stick knives into you, or whatever else people did in a fighting class.

[Enamon]

Enamon walked in calmly as if he hadn't began to ignore people on the bus ride earlier. With a large upwelling of wind beneath him, he began hovering upwards on the wall, not knowing or simply not caring how the wind beneath him might bother other people. Really, it was not knowing, but most people would probably assume it wasn't caring.

[Michelle Wilcox]

"Everybody's horrible at it the first time," replied Michelle. "You just have to want to get better."

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne turned to the girl who sat down next to her. "Oh, no I don't think we have! I'm Mellianne. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She grinned, which seemed to becoming a habbit.

[Destiny Valencia Everett]

"There's not... uh... a beginner's fighting class, is there?" Destiny said wistfully.

[Michelle Wilcox]

"Can't see why there wouldn't be," said Michelle, "Just give it a chance."

[Ada Turing]

"Likewise," Ada replied to Mellianne. "Do you come from around here?"

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne shook her head. "Nope, I come from a really secluded area in the middle of the USA. What about you? Where are you from?"

[Ada Turing]

"Chicago," Ada replied. "North side, towards the lake."

[Destiny Valencia Everett]

"Huh. I guess so." Destiny played with one of the little clasps on her suitcase, making it click softly open and closed. "So where'd you learn how?"

[Michelle Wilcox]

"Navy," replied Michelle, "I learned the basics when I was training to be an officer. After I graduated and got assigned to a carrier, one of the petty officers there taught a few of us some more advanced stuff when we weren't on duty."

(OOC: I cribbed the informal martial arts class idea from Star Wars: Death Star. Go read it.)

[Eckhard von Reinhardt]

When Professor Reinhardt walked in, some of the students might have mistaken him for a fellow student at first. His unkempt look and strange, disgustingly orange and brown knit hat seemed totally at odds with the image of the Academy. But surely enough, this was one of the teachers.


After clearing his throat, the hideously scarred man says simply, "I hg'am Professor Eckhard von Reinhardt. I vill instract you all in marksmanship."


There's a noticeable pause, then, "Und history. Danke."

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne thought for a moment. "I think I've been to Chicago once. It was a stop on a family trip up to Canada to visit Mom's cousin, I don't remember what he does though. The trip happened when I was really little."

[Destiny Valencia Everett]

Just what have I gotten myself into? Marksmanship on top of fighting? And I thought math was bad.

"So you got extra practice," said Desi. "You know, that sounds like a really good idea. Maybe some of us could do something like that." I'm going to need it.

[Ada Turing]

"It's a nice place," Ada said. "Cold in the winters, hot in the summers, always windy, but home nonetheless. What does your family do? If they're from a small area, agriculture?"

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne smiled. "I guess that's how it got it's name of being the 'Windy City'. The area I live in, somewhere near the Mississippi River in Missouri--not sure exactly where, don't leave home much. But anyways, it's really cold in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer. Which is why I spend most of my summers in the water if I can help it.

My parents run a ranch, which has all sorts of animals and creatures on it, so parts are climate controlled, but still not perfect, though they are working on it. So what do you like to do for fun?"

She spared a quick glance at the new teacher. Definitely seemed like this school was going to be really different. Mellianne had never really studied marksmanship before.

[Farran Jernigan]

Farran, on the way in, had managed to trip over his own feet, again, and had lost track of Mellianne. He spotted her when he caught up, though the girl seemed to be deeply engaged in conversation with someone else. It might have been nice to sit with someone he almost knew, but... well, he'd have the whole year to get to know people.

So he sat alone, and paid attention to the teachers, occasionally letting his gaze sweep over the other students. They were a curious lot, and all looked like interesting people. One particular boy some distance away, a tall, pale individual with interesting scars, instantly put him on edge. Farran made a mental note to stay away from him as much as was possible, and settled in to listen to the teachers and wait.

[Michelle Wilcox]

"I'll think about it," said Michelle, "But teaching never really appealed to me."

[Ada Turing]

"This and that," Ada said. "When the weather is nice, sailing is a lot of fun. For the most part, though, I spend a lot of time on my computer. Robotics, artificial intelligence, that sort of thing."

[Mellianne Joss]

Mellianne sighed. "I've never been sailing, but that sure does sound like fun. And while I love my computer, I'm not very technologically inclined. Though from what I've heard and seen, those seem really cool. Are you an only child, or do you have at least a few siblings?"

She did a quick glance around the room, and noticed Farran sitting alone. Mellianne wasn't sure if he wanted to sit alone, but figured that she would talk to him later and try and see if he wanted to hang out together. He seemed like a cool guy. She turned her attention quickly back to Ada.