(D1 EM Open) Drawing a blank

[Astrid Hansen]

Having arrived at school early due to picking up some breakfast on the way, Astrid had wandered around the outside getting a feel for the place. She hadn't gone in yet, not really looking forward to having to talk to the principal and do the whole introductions thing, so instead she decided to delay that. Finding herself somewhere in the fields on the campus she sat on her black hoodie, wearing just a tank top and black jeans. On her lap was the rest of her sandwich balanced on one leg, and in her hands was her notepad as she sketched the school from where she was sitting. Without her hoodie on her new hairstyle stood out more than anything.

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

The squeak of shoes on wet grass announced the arrival of another. At first they said nothing though they could be heard fidgeting a bit. After a moment they cleared their throat and spoke.

"Umm, h-hi Astrid, good morning."

[Sybil Alinsky]

There was someone else who had a hairstyle that stood out. It wasn't as 'new' to the local kids, of course; but to the new kid with the hairstyle that stood out... it'd... well... *stand out*. Sybil's wild hair seemed to move on its own when you weren't looking right at it; almost like medusa's snake-hair only without the snakes.

She happened to be wandering nearby, taking advantage of the early morning quiet to go look for fairies. They probably weren't to be found out here on campus; not at this time of day at least; but probability didn't mean a thing to Sybil other than to say *there was a chance*. The other kids would find the weird kid wander into her field of view, almost comically sneaking about as she didn't want to disturb the fairies just in case they *were* around at this time of day.

"No," she whispered as she looked at the ground, "Not over here."

Onward she sneaked, a little further.

"No, not over here either."

[Astrid Hansen]

There was no initial reaction as the girl added a little more to her building sketch. Finally she spoke.

"Morning Laura" she looked up at Laura, a smile on her face as her now purple eyes settled on the girl "I think I am extremely early but better to be early on a first day than late I thought. How are you?"

There was a pause as another girl was shuffling nearby, but she seemed to be talking to herself so Astrid didn't speak up initially.

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Snip

"I'm OK I guess, not looking forward to today but at least the school year is almost over. I just wanted to say...thanks for hanging out and talking to me yesterday, it was nice. But those other girls, Richard's sister and her friends, yeah you should probably start hanging out with them if you can. You're new and forign and have a cool look so it shouldn't be hard to befriend them. Their rich and popular and getting on their bad side...well you will never get away from it as long as you live here.

Anyway I should leave you alone before more people start showing up. If hanging out with them is good for you then I am the opposite so I will leave you alone. But yeah, thanks."

Snip

Hearing the mumbling near them Laura turned her head.

"Morning Sybil, searching for something?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"I'm OK I guess, not looking forward to today but at least the school year is almost over. I just wanted to say...thanks for hanging out and talking to me yesterday, it was nice. But those other girls, Richard's sister and her friends, yeah you should probably start hanging out with them if you can. You're new and forign and have a cool look so it shouldn't be hard to befriend them. Their rich and popular and getting on their bad side...well you will never get away from it as long as you live here.

Anyway I should leave you alone before more people start showing up. If hanging out with them is good for you then I am the opposite so I will leave you alone. But yeah, thanks."

There was a long look, before Astrid sighed and shook her head.

"I have no interest in being friends with people like that. I make the friends I choose not the ones that are expected, nor spoilt brats like the girls at the diner yesterday. They are not worth my time or effort, I do not fall into line with that crowd. Now are you going to sit down or are you going to make my neck hurt from looking up so much?"

[Sybil Alinsky]

"Morning Sybil, searching for something?"

"Yes," she 'whispered' so loud that it wasn't really a whisper but somehow still sounded like one, "I'm looking for the fairies," she said.

It was only then that she looked up for a moment, looking at both of them.

"Do you guys see the glowing stuff too? I don't want to pry. Maybe it's just me," she said, looking back down at the ground.

Maybe the fairies would know more.

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Snip

"Can't say I do but my eyes are crumby anyway."

Snip

Laura was surprised but quickly wrote it off as the confidence of someone who knows they wont be stuck here forever and sat down beside Astrid. "That's Sybil, she's on the cool girls hit list too. If I'm the loser then she's the weird girl I guess."

She peered at the girl's sketch without trying to crowd the artist. "Wow. How on earth do you freehand lining that straight?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"Yes," she 'whispered' so loud that it wasn't really a whisper but somehow still sounded like one, "I'm looking for the fairies," she said.

"The fairies only come out when there is trouble afoot" Astrid said as she turned back to her drawing with Laura sitting down. Doing a little more shading.

Laura was surprised but quickly wrote it off as the confidence of someone who knows they wont be stuck here forever and sat down beside Astrid. "That's Sybil, she's on the cool girls hit list too. If I'm the loser then she's the weird girl I guess."

She peered at the girl's sketch without trying to crowd the artist. "Wow. How on earth do you freehand lining that straight?"

The was a shrug.

"Having a non-shakey hand mostly" she held her hand up, demonstrating very little shake or movement as she kept it deadly still "if I focus then I can draw perfectly straight lines. It's all a matter of practice, very little movement and focus."

There was a pause.

"Sybil is a Greek name is it not?" she peeked up at the other girl to assess if she looked greek or not.

[Sybil Alinsky]

"No no," she said, refocusing on the ground for a moment, "I've seen fairies when there wasn't trouble a foot. Maybe just on one of them. Feet. Foot. One foot."

It was then that she turned back to peer at them again. "Hey, you draw too? I've been working on a piece myself for a local band."

It totally seemed as if she was about to entirely ignore the question. And then she in fact totally ignored it. Or just hadn't heard it; hard to tell with how much Sybil seemed to be operating within her own reality

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Laura turned to Astrid. "Sometimes you have to ask her more than once."

'Hey Sybil, is your name Greek in origin? You could be part Satyr!"

[Sybil Alinsky]

"Huh? Well... Sybils were prophets in Greece, yes. But... I think we're originally Polish? Polish Jewish, I think. But we're not Jewish. I *think*. I'm not sure. Maybe I should ask mom sometime."

[Astrid Hansen]

"sibyls, oracles of Ancient Greece" Astrid confirmed with a nod "not a very common name, surprised to see an American with it. Seeing faeries and a name from the Greek oracles, your parents either had a fascination with the Greeks or an odd sense of humour."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"You both have cool names and cool hair, kinda makes me wish I had more European heritage. My family has lived in Colorado for generations."

[Amaterasu]

//GM intrusion
A small faery sat on Astrid shoulder. Sybil would be the only one to see it. It was giggling because of the pretty color Astrid had on her hair.

[Sybil Alinsky]

She let out a small gasp as she saw; and slowly began to approach... looking very intently at Astrid's shoulder.

"Don't... move..." she told the new student as she took another step forward, then thought better of taking another and stopped instead.

"Hello..." she offered, cautiously, "...Madame fairy. Or is it miss? I don't know the correct form of etiquette."

[Astrid Hansen]

Astrid went still as the girl approached.

"I don't think faeries have genders like humans" she said quietly. Not acting unusually, even though she could not see anything on her shoulder

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"Sybil is a target of Genesis and her goons too, but I always thought she was fun. Though...Sybil, is it true you clocked Johnny Beeker with a three ring binder last semester for almost sitting on a Redcap? I saw him in the halls, he had a welt on his face and just kept asking what the hell is a Redcap and I kind of assumed it was you."

[Amaterasu]

The fairy was indeed a female of her species. She moved to the notebook. Little steps were made on the street of the drawing as the fairy walked on the sketchbook. Now, she was visible to the three girls. Quite different from the legendary faeries from Norway. The small creature started to sign.

//Comunications Intellect Tier 3 TN 9 (Social training and inabilities apply)

[Astrid Hansen]

"Well hello there" Astrid said as the creature started to sign. She seemed to understand what the creature was signing.

D1 EM Comunications Intellect Tier 3 TN 9 | 1d20 ⇒ 18