Kathy was, uncharacteristically enough, thinking about skipping orientation as she walked across the grassy lawn. She was definitely excited to be back. Athalia had been her home; the place where all her friends were, and the place where it was surprisingly normal (relatively speaking) for her to just walk along the walls or ceiling to avoid pedestrian traffic in the hallways. And despite the new buildings and faces she felt nostalgic, as though there was something about the place that distinctly reassured her that this was still Athalia.

She felt excited, happy, and… Well, old. Given the huge diversity in race and species at the academy, she would not have been surprised to learn that the young faces around her actually hid centuries of experience behind them. However, [i]‘Twenty-two, and entering college for the first time…’[/i] She couldn’t help but feel a little pathetic at that. Individuals of non-human origins generally had good reason for being behind with their education. In her case… What was her reason again? Ah yes, her entire school had been under attack and anyone related to the academy had either met the attacks head on or fled for safety.

… On second thought, her reason sounded like a very good one to have missed out on a few years of education.

Feeling a little better, Kathy gave herself a few light slaps on the cheeks. [color=crimson]“It’s just an orientation. Nothing to feel awkward about.”[/color] Having reassured herself, she put on a smile and continued to follow the other students towards the assembly hall.

She ended up stopping, however, when she spotted someone down on her knees. Feeling alarmed, Kathy ran up to her while calling, [color=crimson]"Hey, is something wrong?"[/color] As she approached the girl she could see the tears falling from her violet eyes. Though she also appeared to be... Smiling? Feeling rather confused, Kathy bent down and offered her a hand. [color=crimson]"Everything alright? Can you get up?"[/color]

[@chukklehed]