Helena, until then rather distracted with cleaning, paused for a moment to regard her new acquaintance's arm. She looked for a moment in surprise, before abruptly realizing the potential rudeness there. She then quickly reached for her bag and withdrew a short length of blue adhesive bandage. [color=ed145b]"Here! Take some of this. I don't really need it right now."[/color] she explained. [color=ed145b]"I'm a defensive primary...I guess. I'm not all that good at it honestly. And I guess I'm down for blood magic as well. Not sure I'm going to be so great at that really...I'm not very brave about the having to cut yourself bit." [/color] Hopefully that didn't come across as insulting. Small talk wasn't really something Helena had a huge amount of experience in and it would be a great shame to alienate the only person who really wanted to talk to her. [@EchoicChamber] --- Oren paced around the room beside the door like a puma in a duster, occasionally checking her phone for a look at the time. The arrival of Ray Matheos warranted a nod from the woman, but also the look of disapproving contempt that people tended to gain when Oren knew they;d fallen down in something. She wasn't going to berate another staff member in front of the new intake. If they didn't present a united front to begin, the brats would take any opportunity to capitalize on that. However the look alone seemed like it could probably petrify small mammals, so that was possibly enough. Oren leaned on the wall beside the doorframe, producing a notebook and checking silently down the roster of names. The Professor paused only to sigh wearily and give voice to the young man attempting to leave the common room. "[color=0072bc]As much as I enjoy spending my day trying to round up errant students, you can walk right back in, Kyun. Orientation is about to start and we don't need you any more clueless than you already are.[/color]" [@Gelatinous Cube] [@Drazah] -- Having said their goodbyes to their protege, perhaps dragging it out a little more than needed, Hilda and Erik turned and began to walk away. One might, as a casual observer, interpret the expression on the face of Hilda, as being a normal reaction of letting your family member go for the first time. The truth was rather more messy. The bearded man placed a huge hand on her arm. "She'll be fine kjære, we've taught her well." "I don't feel comfortable about this Erik. Leaving her with them. You know what they did." There was a grim silence between them, something long unsaid, for a number of steps, before he spoke again. "The aesir will watch over her Hilda, this is something she must do on her own." For a moment he paused, fancying he might see the glimmer of tears in the eyes of his wife, a woman who he'd seen face down an enraged Svalbard bear without a flinch, but he decided respectfully not to mention it as they made their departure. ----- Kora was not burdened with the same kind of reservations as her elders. She strolled upstairs, scabbard across her back, bag across shoulder, and huge ancient skull tucked under one arm, with full intention of making a good first impression. She was going to be taking over the council seat in a few years time. This gave her a great opportunity to start inspiring respect in the new generation of bloodlines, and winning over older witches and wizards. She was from an inherently powerful family, and had been receiving tuition in the arts of combat and fire magic since she was old enough to toddle. She was going to be the best of the best. They stepped over the threshhold of the common room. Large numbers of students, milling about talking. Nothing of great concern. Until. Her eyes had set upon a rather familiar face. Or, at least very familiar features. Like a wolf that had just spotted a deer, Kora dropped her bag and padded forwards, watching closely to make sure she was correct in her first assumption. She was. It was one of them. A Sterling. There was only one way to react to this situation. Only one way. With a battle-scream of "[color=ed1c24]TYYYYYR[/color]!" the whole six and a half foot of Kora cleared the length of the commonroom in moments, shoving aside students and furniture alike until she collided full-force with the standing form of Larke Sterling. She threw him down onto the table before them, dug her knee between his shoulderblades, and grabbed the nearest weaponry to hand. This happened to be a bowl of yoghurt and granola, which she unceremoniously emptied over the young man's head. "[color=ed1c24]You have a lot of nerve coming here when you knew we'd be here, Sterling cocksucker![/color]" the girl exclaimed, reaching for another breakfast item to douse her opponent in. [color=ed1c24]"Now I'm going to avenge the honour of my ancestors![/color]" The warrior dynasty had started early. (Just so everyone is aware, this effective autohit was pre-cleared with [@ScoundrelQueen] beforehand.)