Arrival

[Christina Ann Robins]

She followed River in, not really meaning to follow her, but assuming that River knew where she was going. She dragged her suit-case behind her, it not weighing more than twenty lbs, but still becoming an endeavor to the smaller girl.

Peering around the room, she looked for any signs of life-- besides River of course. The emotions swirling in from various corridors fogged up her concentration, and she had to look manually for any type of reception desk.

Slowly, Robin glanced down at the tiny business-shaped card in her hand, rolling it over as she read her room number again. Vaguely, the blond wondered if she was just supposed to go to her dorm-- when a low growling sound came from behind her.

In a flash, Robin whirled around-- eyes widening in a panic as she reconized the beast standing before her. Who wouldn't, after all, reconize the king of the jungle? She choked back a scream, and struggled to form a warning to River, but her voice just wouldn't come.

[River Tam]

“Robin, relax. She’s not going to hurt us.”

River turns to face Lillian. “Sorry about that. Counldn’t really control it. And you might be…?” She’s certain that Robin can’t understand Lillian as well, and she’s okay with it, but isn’t too keen on being a translator. If the lioness didn’t want to change forms, she would deal with it, though. She always has.

When things don’t exactly go your way most of the time, you have to learn to adjust. River’s had plenty of practice at that.

[Christina Ann Robins]

Robin blinked, and forced herself to swallow the scream that had built up in her throat. Her usual first reaction to things were flight, not fight, but something had made her pause.

She just hoped that River knew what she was talking about.

Nervously, she flopped down onto her soles, having instinctively reared up onto the tips of her toes, and tersely exchanged glances between the lion and River. Slowly, as she began to calm, she remembered that this was a school for the gifted. Of course there would be shape-shifters, or at the least intelligent animals. The fear at that point had died in her eyes, and curiously watched River and the lion converse.

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
don't you wish you could be a fly on this wall?

Lily rolled her eyes. Newbies, she thought. She walked up to the desk and was partially concealed, it blended into the stairway. Lily lept up onto it, and layed down, crossing her front paws. Looking straight at the girl that was River, has grumbled softly. "Tell her not to freak out. There's 'shifters all over this place. Get used to it, already." Her eyes, one blue, one gold, casted a piercing gaze towards that other girl, Christina.

"You guys need to know where to go? And by the way, I'm Lillian Alexis Keller, call me Lily. I'm a senior" She turned to the other girl, she smelt like fear. "You need to calm the heck down, Christina," she growled, turning back to River, she said, "Don't tell her I said that, River."

[River Tam]

“Robin, she says not to freak out.” A mischievous glint flashes in her eyes, and she opens her mouth to tell Robin what Lily said not to… But she thinks better of it. It would be easier not to make enemies.

“Where are we supposed to go from here?” River pulls a business card out from her bag, quickly scanning over the room number again. “How do you know my name, anyway?” Her eyebrows knit together, not liking that someone she hadn’t even met before now knows who she is.

[Christina Ann Robins]

"I'm not freaking out," she protested, holding up both hands in a classic surrender sign. "I was, but not anymore. I thought," Robin though a moment, thinking back on River's words, "...she was a real lion for a second."

She carefully unfolded her clenched fist, were she had accidentally balled up her own business-card, and smoothed it out between her palms by rubbing them against one another as if trying to get warm.

Not quite bothered by River's snappy question on the knowledge of the lion, her head flooded with ideas about what the answer could be, as River was not likely to translate even if the lion told her.

Multiple abilities? Not likely, but possible.

She could be staff...

Or she could have overheard us talking, lion ears must be good for hearing.

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
don't you wish you were a fly on the wall?

"Follow me," she answered, and then added mischieviously, 'If you want to live." Lily walked around the girls and nudged them both in the back, towards the stairway. Lily trotted to the bottom step of the stairway, and looked back expectantly. Grumbling impatiently, she began to walk up the grand staircase.

"You're both sophomores, right?" she asked. Better keep up appearances. Looking back to the two girls, her uneven gaze of two different-colored eyes beckoned them to her. She knew where she was going and Lily would lead them to their dorm.

[River Tam]

**THE WORLD KEEPS TURNING**

River follows, barely managing to keep herself from rolling her eyes. ‘If you want to live.’ Like she couldn’t take care of herself. She trudges up the steps, wishing desperately for an elevator. It’s not that River can’t climb up stairs-- she just doesn’t want to. After a long day of traveling, she’s drop-dead tired. In fact, if Lily hadn’t showed up, she’d probably have just curled up and slept in the foyer.

Her thin fingers drag lifelessly along the banister, heavy footsteps echoing around like gunshots. Though comfortable, combat boots aren’t exactly stealthy on hard surfaces. “Yeah. I am. Robin, she asked if you’re a sophomore.” she translates, her voice dead and emotionless.

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
don't you wish you were a fly on the wall?

Lily continued up the steps, until she reached Galatia's wing. Reaching up to the door knob with a paw, she opened the door. Walking down the hallway, she paused between rooms 100, and 101, on opposite sides of the hallway. They'd be in one of them, seeing as they'd been the first sophmores to arrive.

"Here you go," Lily said, she turned to go, but paused. Maybe they could offer some amusement. She cocked her head to one side. "Do you need anything else?" she asked. Lily changed into a hawk, and flapped her wings. This, this was her favorite form, aside from human. She wasn't going to reveal her human face just yet. Her eyes would show them who she was later on. She let out a cry of joy, and ruffled her feathers. Lily sent a wave of exuberation toawrds Christina, letting her interpret her for once.

[Christina Ann Robins]

The hawks cry pierced her consciousness, Robin's head snapped up form the stairs she was staring so intently at. She froze, and it was if time slowed down-- circling around her still form lingered the cry of the eagle. Already emotions had given her the gist of the shape-shifter's persona, but the cry was what set her into the mindset of the language.

Robin shook her head slowly and slightly, gradually gaining in vigor. "No... I'm fine now. This..." she looked down, slightly dazed, at her crumpled business-card. "...this is my room. Thank you."

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
don't you wish you were a fly on the wall?

The hawk flapped it's wings, surely they wanted the low-down on this place. After all, she'd grown up here, living with her grandfather, the Founder. But Lily would never tell them about that, she knew better, unless she wanted to face her grandfather's wrath. Which she didn't. It was hard sometimes, being his granddaughter and never being able to tell anyone about it. Occasionally she'd talk to one of the younger teachers, they'd been her only friends around this place when she was younger.

Flying to the handle of the door, Lily perched on it. Speaking to River, she asked, "Do you guys want anything? The staff here is used to 'shifters walking about the house in animal form. I can get you almost anything. Also I can show you some secret passageways. I've spent years unraveling Alexandria's secrets. I can tell about the secrets of this school, and what mysterious things go on, four times a year, and about the noises that fill the night that come from the basement." Of course she knew what was going on here at Alexandria. Even with the basement, but she would never tell anyone. Lily would let whoever stumbled across the clues figure it out themselves.

[Christina Ann Robins]

Although she shouldn't have been able to, the emotions that pulsed from the bird formed into, if not scracthy, words. Although slightly shocked, the girl was more suprised about Lily's words themselves. Something about Lily's statement didn't make sense. How could she have learned all about this school, in a mere four years-- perhaps less, if Lily was like River and Robin. That was a little... fanatical. Still-- the senior must know lots about the school, it's routine, it's secrets; and the adventure.

This school was full of endless stories and secrets, and despite her usual shyness, Robin knew she had to take Lily up on her offer. Knowledge was power, and something told the blonde that Lily could teach her more in five-minutes, than Robin could in five-months.

"Alright," she replied softly, after a moment's thought. "Could you give me a grand tour of the place? In..." she shot a glance at an antique clock leaning against the wooden walls. "...maybe an hour? I'd like to unpack-- but I'd also love to get to know this place."

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
don't don't you wish you were a fly on the wall?

Lily nodded to Christine. Leaning on the handle, she opened the door and flew into the dorm. Landing on the sofa, Lily shifted into a small, black cat. Her eyes glowed like lamps, in the semi-darkness. She would wait here for them to be done. It was charming really, how she just stared at the girls. Stretching, she arced her back.

Impatience filled her, and she set off to find some food and drinks for the three of them. Trotting swiftly down the hall, she jumped off of the stair and in mid-flight, transformed into a sparrow. Her grandfather had always called her his little sparrow when she was younger. Settin off to the kitchens, she chirped for the staff to hear. They would know it was her, they'd worked out a system. Lily could hear they busily getting some peaches and other fruit cut up for her. Landing in the kitchen, she merged back into her normal form. "Three waters, please. In the bottle." Grabbing the basket that held the fruit, her put the waters in it.

Walking back upstairs, she showed off her prize. "Bon appetit!" She said, setting the food on the coffee table. Lily grabbed a water bottle, and opened it. Letting the cool water run down her throat, she had half of it gone in the blink of an eye. Reaching for a slice of peach, she bit into it's cool, sweet flesh. She had patience, even if at times, it seemed like she didn't. Lily would wait here on this sofa while Christina unpacked. Fixing her one-should green toga shirt, she sat down. Her long hair was pulled back in a large ornate silver clip. She crossed one leg over the other, and began her gameof patience.

[River Tam]

**THE WORLD KEEPS TURNING**

As she walks into her-- erm, their-- room, room 100, she mutters softly-- “Four people to a room, four rooms to a dorm, four student dorms, sixty-four students.” She drops down onto a corner bed, as far from the window as possible. So tired… ” Also I can show you some secret passageways. I've spent years unraveling Alexandria's secrets. I can tell about the secrets of this school, and what mysterious things go on, four times a year, and about the noises that fill the night that come from the basement.” she hears, and her ears perk up.

Lily-- now a cat-- watched her with piercing eyes, causing a shiver to run down her spine. And then she was gone. With a low sigh, she turns to her bag and pulls out her clothes, sliding them gently into a drawer in a dresser. At the bottom of the bag, light glinting off of the laminated surface, lies a picture of her brother. It’s the one thing the School didn’t take away from her.

She looks up in surprise, jolted out of her memories, as a girl walks in. Lily. In her hand is a basket of fruit and three bottles of water. River reaches out and snags one of the bottles, and a slice of apple. Before cracking open the bottle, she says, "A tour in an hour would be great."

[Christina Ann Robins]

Peeking her head around the corner of a room Robin had claimed her own, she smiled slightly, hands still holding a neatly folded t-shirt. Food... The last time she had eaten was, when? Early this morning, she supposed. Quickly, she slid the rest of her few belongings into a small wall closet; slid her notebook under the mattress of the bed, and gave one last artistic look of disdain at the pure white walls before exiting the room.

Plopping down on then couch, Robin reached forward and selected a granny-smith apple, unhurriedly sinking her teeth into the tough green skin. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise at the sour but pleasurable taste, she sunk into the cushion of the couch, smiling slightly. "I'm ready to go when you are."

(should we start the tour somewhere else, once Dawnie here is ready? I don't thunk we're exactly in the 'Academy Entrance' anymore.)