No room for comfort [Dappled]

They couldn't put up directional signs in a place like this?? He had probably circled the area at least three times in an attempt to find the dorm rooms... if they even existed. He had about as much luck as a mouse in a cat house.

Ducking just inside the large hall, Kemp exhaled heavily while he pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket while letting his bags drop to the floor in a heap. His anxiety was through the roof and it hadn't even been ten minutes since he stepped foot on school grounds. Through his heavily tinted sunglasses, the young man glanced around the hall with brief curiosity before realizing the room he had decided to hide in was a breeding ground for socialization. Even if he  wanted to blend in with the other seemingly normal students, his hair was as white as fresh snow and tended to draw unwanted attention.Maybe this whole " School for the gifted" thing was a mistake.

" You've got. to be. kidding." Kemp muttered, squinting as he tried to read the now smudged pencil writing on the crumpled sheet. He frowned to himself, pushing his glasses back into place before pinching the bridge of his nose. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to interact with any of the other students. Be for arriving at Foresta, he had planned out a route that would take him directly to his dorm the fastest way possible. He realized now, that he had probably made a navigational mistake - or had forgotten how to read-and had become lost in the uncomfortably large student body with his ever growing frustration.  Flipping the parchment around like a tourist trying to read a map, he eventually gave up trying to decipher the lettering and let the words fall to the floor. Damn. With the smudged writing, his dark sunglasses, and lighting of the hall, He could hardly see his own feet, yet alone read a crappy piece of paper. He dared not remove his sunglasses though in case the lights irritated his eyes, and with a headache building in the back of his skull, it was only a matter of time before something happened. There was still time to leave if he really wanted. Maybe it would be safer.

Hesitating, he slung his backpack over his shoulders again while picking the second bag up in his right hand. This whole thing was a waste of time. Striding for the door, he muttered a few choice words under his breath. Maybe he'd move into the mountains somewhere and become a hillbilly. As of now, that seemed like a fair option.

Tag: dappled

felicity

    Without her parents to construct her regimented, healthy meals, Felicity often struggled to build mealtime into her daily routine. The dining hall wasn't too crowded Why isn't all of this food locally grown? she thought to herself, tsking softly as she chewed on a piece of grilled chicken, The texture is disastrous.. Maybe she was being a little spoiled. Shaking her head, Fel disposed of the half-eaten chicken breast in the trash and grabbed an apple on her way out the door. Leaving her room to face the light of day was not worth an overcooked chicken! Her albinism's sensitivity had been flaring up recently, and traveling to the cafeteria was probably the longest walk outside of her dimly-lit dorm she'd take that day. And to think that she actually had hope for a decent meal this time.
    Perhaps she was just distracted, or maybe just a little too fixed on getting back to Pyxis, because the next thing she knew she was sent straight to the ground with an audible thud and her glasses had skidded a few feet away from her. "Motherfucker," she cursed, her back now parallel to the concrete floor, "Yeah nice one, ya bloody arse." Well, it seemed like she used more stereotypically British insults when she got angrier. Quickly Fel reached forward to retrieve her glasses before placing her hands behind her and, with a single push, peeled herself off of the floor to an--albeit wobbly--stand. Her 2-inch heels probably didn't help with that, but something had to be done to combat her 5'2'' height. But it seemed like her perpetrator didn't really run into that problem.
    Staring up at the considerably taller boy, Felicity began scolding him with every emotion she felt bubbling near the surface, "The fuck is wrong with you, mate? Do you make it a habit of yours to knock down small girls? Can you see?" The aggression started to simmer after the first few insults. Fel took a deep inhalation, before continuing in a calmer tone, "Well, look where the hell you're headed next time." And for a few moments, she was more than content with leaving the imbecile. She managed to take a few steps forwards, her heels clacking loudly against the walled corridor, and then paused. A piece of paper was left on the ground and, seeing that this kid was the only other person in the hallway, it was probably his. Fel managed to catch a few words smudged onto the parchment, the most decipherable being "Serpens." "Don't tell me," she began, holding the paper out toward him, "You're lost and you're trying to get back to the Serpens dorm? You're almost certainly new here, are you not?" Her tone was almost sympathetic, but condescending undertones betrayed a different truth. But, maybe she just would allow herself to extend some sympathy onto the less fortunate.

{ooc: sorry for the shitty post, had slight writer's block}

"Motherfucker,"

Well that was one way to start a conversation. He hadn't even realized he had collided with the girl until after she had picked herself up from the floor and accused him of being some type of bully or.. whatever she was going on about.

" Ex..cuse me..?" The words forming more of a question rather than a firm statement. He was sorry to have kocked her down, but less than amused with the girls hostile accusations. Peering down at her through his dark sunglasses, one eyebrow raised just over the brim with a twinge of agitation pulling at the corner of his mouth. She had some nerve to start shooting her mouth off like that, but he wasn't brave enough to really say anything about it.

He shifted his weight rather impatiently when she found his crumpled paper. At least she could read more than he had. He wasn't sure he wanted her help after calling him and arse and a motherfucker." Look," He sighed, finding an ounce of courage while shifting the pack on his shoulder, " Point me somewhere quiet, and we can call it a night..or..whatever." The annoyance in his tone matched the girls as he watched her study the scribbled notes. At this rate, he figured the library would make for a good place to sleep if he didn't find his room before then.


Keeping his distance, he hesitated at her question of being new. As if it wasn't obvious enough already. " Yes. I have...I had arrived earlier." he answered finally, bracing himself for a round of twenty questions. " I can't read." He blurted suddenly, before realizing how awful that sounded." ..the paper... I mean.- because the sunglasses are...dark.."

felicity

    This boy was almost humorously timid. Sure, she herself could be a little antisocial, but he was just hopeless. He didn't even have a good comeback to her reprimands, which was probably the biggest disappointment here. "You know you're allowed to toss in an insult or two here, right? We might be at a boarding school, but we're not actually prisoners," she chided, noting his short and obviously frustrated tone. What did he expect? For her to faint and shower him with praise for sparing her? This wasn't the 1950s. "If you're looking for somewhere quiet," Felicity mused, taking a deliberately long time to respond, "Well, you're in the wrong damn place. Did you think you'd find any peace in the middle of a noisy cafeteria? You're probably going to want to either head back to your dormitory or the library."
    Felicity was curious, now. This boy, this helpless, helpless soul might prove to be more useful than she originally thought. A project, maybe. Yes, oh yes, that was exactly what he was going to become. A new student's brain was so impressionable and malleable, she could potentially turn him into one of Foresta's best and brightest. If someone was there to overlook his life choices and judge them objectively, what did he have to lose? And, arguably the best part, was that he wouldn't have to know about it and risk ruining her results. She would... Befriend him, as bizarre as that sounded. And who didn't love a good challenge like that?
    The boy was obviously standoffish, and she didn't blame him given her aggression. It seemed like she'd have to soften her approach, much to her disliking. Her snark was a main component to her personality, but she could conceal it. The student quickly confirmed her beliefs that he was a new student, and quickly fumbled over his words, "I can't read... The paper... I mean, because the sunglasses are... Dark.." Well the words 'I can't read' had nearly ruined her entire plot. But, he offered something a bit more interesting, "Sunglasses? If you don't mind me asking, to you have a form of albinism? I have a similar pair of protective eyewear designed for oculocutaneous albinism." Good, she had a conversation starter. "Okay, well since this place doesn't have the best lighting, I'll lead you to where you need to go. Don't worry, I'm not planning on yelling at you anymore, and I've been here for a while so I know my way around. Where are we headed, Serpens, Pyxis, Lyra? Or maybe the library?" she asked, already taking a few steps down the hall as if she expected him to follow.

"If you're looking for someplace quiet...you're in the wrong damn place." Well that was encouraging. She had suggested that he head back to his dorm and rubbed the back of his neck."I haven't found my dorm yet. I've been lost since I got here." he admitted sheepishly with a one shouldered shrug. He supposed being a new student gave him a free pass to get lost a few more times, but he hated to stop and ask for help. Being as helpless as he was, there wasn't much room to be picky about the help he was receiving. She could have stormed off after their collision and left him to wander about aimlessly.


"If you don't mind me asking, do you have a form of albinism?" Yeah, he wished. Shaking his head, he subconsciously reached up and touched the dark lenses of his glasses. " It's not like that." he replied, already tired of all the questions. Was this his payback for knocking her down? " My eyes are weird." *Your eyes are weird? Yeah, great explanation, chief.* He made a flustered expression,  looking towards the ceiling in hopes of sprouting wings so he could fly away from the mess he had gotten into. " My senses. are. heightened."He sounded as if he was reading the words off a note card. Perhaps he should have practiced answering questions in the mirror or something.

"I'll lead you to where you need to go. Don't worry, I'm not planning on yelling at you anymore, and I've been here for a while so I know my way around.Who was this girl? First she was cursing at him, and now she was volunteering to lead him around the school. Was this normal behavior? " Thanks..?" his answer was slow and hesitant as the girl turned and began to walk off. Only after a short delay did he realize that he was meant to follow.

" Oh,uhh-" he fumbled to gather his bags, striding after her while still tryin to get his backpack properly on his shoulders." M-my dorm is Serpens, but I might just o buy some ear plugs." he mused, keeping just behind the girl as she lead the way down the hall.

felicity

    It was rare that Felicity could meet someone so deliciously helpless. The power complex was actually pretty exhilarating, though, and having a 5'2'' dominate over a considerably taller boy was something that she would relish. "I've been lost since I got here." Maybe in a parallel universe, the girl would've taken pity on the boy and sheltered him from the wild world of Foresta Academy. But this wasn't some cutesy little rom-com, and Felicity just didn't have that kind of compassion or even tolerance for other people yet. Baby steps. "They really need to set up campus tour guides or something," she said dismissively with a shake of her head, "Well, welcome, I suppose? Hopefully you're getting some respite from whatever fucked up home you came from, that seems to be the most common theme for kids around here." A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth as she continued in a darkly humorous tone, "Perhaps I should say, welcome to the land of misfit toys. That seems more appropriate for what this place actually is."
    Her pink gaze searched his when his responses to her questions came flooding in. Okay, so he was just unlucky in the gene department, what a shame, "My eyes are weird." She couldn't help but laugh dryly, "Hey, that makes two of us. I'm chuffed to welcome you to the club of 'weird eyes.'" Her speech was fluid and surprisingly comfortable, but Fel chose to attribute that to her "higher" position over the boy. It was professional, right? Workroom banter for the sake of a study. "My senses are heightened," the boy said vaguely. She wasn't surprised that he was so guarded about his power, most people around here were. Ironic, seeing that it was a school for the gifted, but everyone was ashamed of what they were here for. Fel furrowed her brow, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she took a bite of her apple. There was no use in pursuing the subject if she wasn't going to get anything out of him; this project would have to be long-term.
    As she swerved and ducked carefully around groups of passing students, she spoke rather matter-of-factly, "Serpens it is, then. By the way, my name's Felicity should you have any further questions or concerns about Foresta." Fel led him out of the entrance hall and across the courtyard, her heels clicking softly against the pavement with every step, "Ear plugs? If you're sensitive to sight, sound et cetera, I can help you create an isolating environment in your dorm. I've already established a chamber in mine, but it takes some careful and methodical preparation." Now this was some useful information she could teach him; having a sensory-deprived dorm room was one of her few sources of comfort here. She opened her mouth to elaborate on the process, but instead had a change of pace, "What do you hope to accomplish while you're here? Sorry to suddenly sound like a pretentious guidance counselor, but I'm genuinely curious. Everyone seems to have very different goals when they arrive here." This was a vital part of her research, because how was she going to help him improve and become an elite student when she didn't even know his aspirations?

Kemp found her dark humor to be a little unnerving, and was thankful to be following a few strides behind her so he didn't have to pretend to find it humorous. She talked so much he couldn't decide if they were truly having a conversatin or she was just rambling.*If everyone talks like she does, I'm in for one hell of a time." he thought to himself as he tried to keep up with her increasing speed. With his heavy luggage weighing him down, it would probably be a matter of minutes before he was back into top physical condition.He agreed with her opinion of this place being and island of misfit toys.Everybody has a little something different to bring to the table. He found it both comforting and disturbing to see so many 'gifted' people here all at once.*This place is a time bomb.*he mused, making sure to keep his thought from traveling to his lips. Instead he shrugged under the heavy straps of his backpack. " It seems alright- for being an academy."

"I'm chuffed to welcome you to the club of 'weird eyes.'" How delightful. Her eyes didn't seem that weird, but having been avoiding eye contact behind his tinted lenses, he didn't get a good look. How many others had 'weird eyes' in this joint? He hoped one of them had sight worse than his own, clearly for selfish reasons. This girl, Felicity, had mentioned that the school needed tour guides but as far as Kemp was concerned, she was doing a bang up job on her own. A bit rough on the into, but it was decent now that their attention was directed towards Serpens dorms.

*Please, shut up.* His inner voice grumbled, finding his concentration being pulled in multiple directions. Between trying to keep up with her both physically and verbally, his overall patience levels were running dangerously low. The soft click of her heels against the courtyard cement was like having somebody snapping their fingers in his ears with every stride and threatened to push him into agitation. The mention of creating an isolated room briefly peaked his interests but the whole 'methodical preparation' thing was a bit of a downer." Mmh. Can't wait."the murmured, almost under his breath, tone dripping with mild sarcasm.

Somehow he felt like he was auditioning for something. What that 'something' was remained a mystery to him, but he found it odd how fast Felicity had taken interest in him after their rocky beginning. He didn't press the issue for long, knowing he was notorious for letting hs paranoia run rampant. She could have just been trying to help after all-which was quite kind of her.

""What do you hope to accomplish while you're here?Good question. In all honesty he hadn't thought that far ahead when he'd set out in search of this place. All he knew that he had these damn powers that had a mind of his own and no real strength to control them. He supposed learning to control them was a major goal, like most of the students here, but if there was ever a way to do away with them completely- that was the goal. "The usual.. I guess. Haven't really thought about it much."Again he shrugged. He wasn't returning home anytime soon, so he clearly had a lot of time to sit and think about the goals he wanted to achieve. In order to set goals, he figured mastering his powers would need to some first. The thought made his stomach sore, but be would have to start a list eventually if he ever wanted to go home.

" I'm Kemp by the way."[/color] he spoke up just the slightest so she could hear, realizing he had missed introductions by a country mile.*Dumbass.* Well, it was better late than never,although it didn't make him seem much brighter than a brick.

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felicity

    Well, the girl could say one thing for sure; their personalities weren't meshing well. This was definitely a common issue she'd discovered while talking to the few acquaintances she's made at Foresta, and it didn't seem to fit the "type." Hell, she was shocked that Braedyn had ever managed to put up with her for the longest, and even that was probably going to fizzle out at some point. Nevertheless, this was an experiment, and if that meant switching tactics for her long-term enjoyment, then so be it.
    "The usual.. I guess. Haven't really thought about it much," he answered, sounding more noncommittal than ever. Oh this was just going to send her secret experiment careening into the garbage. Instead of quickly shooting out a response, the girl peered over her shoulder, analyzing the boy. The shortness might've just been his overall dislike for her, but it seemed... Induced by something. Was it her accent? How sensitive was he to tonal differences? Her mind began working at a million miles a minute, but it still was reflected in a long span of silence. Her brow was furrowed, and her glasses threatened to sink to the tip of her nose. "Nice to meet you, Kemp," she answered distractedly as they approached the Serpens dorms. What was it? It rested at the forefront of her consciousness, as if she was just moments away from--
    "My senses. Are. Heightened."
    Okay, so it very well could have been her tone of voice. And, maybe everything else, too. Frowning, Felicity turned toward him and simply murmured in the gentlest of tones, "Sensory overstimulation, got it. Let's get you back to Serpens, then." She quickly picked up the pace, trying to step lightly as to reduce each click of her heels, but it really wasn't all that muffling. The girl obviously hadn't chosen her footwear in preparation for a sensitive new student, but she'd have to make do. Once they reached the third floor, after a tedious amount of steps, and, slightly panting, she whispered the last of her instructions, "Here you'll find the all of the dorms, each one should be labeled with the appropriate name so Serpens will be in there along with Lyra and Pyxis. The student lounge is up here as well." It was odd not giving people practical advice or an extensive review on her knowledge of the school, but restraint wasn't an impossible feat for the bookworm. "Any other questions before I leave, Kemp?" Fel asked softly but matter-of-factly.

The long span of silence caught Kemps attention as he followed Felicity towards the dorms. Maybe he had answered all of her questions and rendered her speechless, which wouldn't exactly be a bad thing at the moment.

He caught her looking at him from over her shoulder, as if stumped by something that he had said, or not said. The way her brow was furrowed so intensely made him wonder if he had said something offending on accident. It wouldn't be the first time. He raised an eyebrow at her that rose just above the top rim of his tinted glasses, hearing nothing from her for another few moments before something seemed to click together for her. She turned to face him at one point and he braced himself for when her voice unintentionally crippled his hearing. Instead, her tone was just above a murmur and caused Kemp to exhale an unintentional breath of relief."Sensory overstimulation, got it." What had she thought when he told her about his heightened senses? It wasn't her fault for being a little over bearing with sounds- it wasn't like she was being loud on purpose.


While there wasn't much she could do about her heels clicking against the floor, Kemp did take note that she was trying her best to ease the sound by stepping carefully, much to her disadvantage. He also took note of things to use as visual markers so he could find he way back to the dorms on his own at a later time. Reaching the dorm floor, Kemp  was again relieved when Fel's voice reached his ears in a whisper. This helped ease part of the headache that had been pounding against his skull for the past hour and his mood shifted to something a little less edgy. "Any other questions before I leave, Kemp?" She asked him as he studied the numbers on the doors carefully before spotting the  number he had been assigned to.

He stepped away from her for a moment to place his bags just beside the door, figuring he'd have some time to unpack later. "Actually," he hesitated briefly, " Could you show me where to register for classes?" he asked, knowing that was another important thing he had wanted to get done upon his first hours on the island. While he really wasn't big on hanging out with somebody or more than a few seconds, he had decided this, Felicity, was tolerable now that she had lowered her tone. It was obvious he couldn't read a map to save his life, and sticking with her was the most ideal choice he had at the moment.

felicity

    Just as the girl was preparing to leave, Kemp seemed to have one last question. Oh, so now he was talking to her? Progress was a beautiful thing. "Of course," she responded with a smile, "After all, you are here for the education, right?" Finally, someone who cared about the important things in life! He was already shaping up to be a star student, and she hadn't even employed any deliberate tactics yet! With a nod of her head, she started towards the entrance hall, once again expecting the boy to follow. He'd been doing a pretty good job at keeping up, especially since she quieted herself to ease his sensory-induced pain.
As they backtracked through the halls of the Foresta dorms, she noticed a particularly rowdy group of students up ahead. They were jeering and speaking at volumes much to high for the indoors, and Felicity couldn't help the scowl start to form across her countenance. Why were teenage boys so ignorant and irritating? There was really no salvaging them before the age of twenty, it seemed.
    "All right," she murmured to Kemp, leaning over to do so, "Foresta is crawling with bloody loud little boys, the key is to give them a chance to shut up, or more forcefully ask them to do it. Don't let them cause you any trouble, they can be dealt with like misbehaving puppies." With that said, she cast a nasty glare at the group. The boys paused, but didn't really quiet down all too much until Fel decided to look their way. She screwed up her face into one of the nastiest, most vile stares she could possibly muster. And, if that wasn't enough, she emitted a quick spark of her psionic abilities to sting one of them in the head. The power was so small that it wouldn't manifest physically, but the boy absently rubbed his temples, murmuring angrily about a migraine or headache. Regardless, Felicity had done her job. "It's not right to let those kids get away with being so uncouth, someone ought to teach them a lesson, don't you think? Everyone needs to be more cognizant of those with sensitive hearing," she mused, casting a glance back at Kemp, "Registration is right this way."

[OOC; Thread inactive. Please let me know if you want this revived and I will move it back and delete my post.]