Dawn had become accustomed to the various thumps and grumbles of the car by this point, but still couldn’t subdue the little start that went through her at this latest one. She wasn’t the only one- around her, the cries and curses of her fellow students sounded out, followed by a low chuckling from the driver. [b]“Sorry about that, folks,”[/b] he said cheerfully, [b]“Didn’t expect the bump to be that big.”[/b] From somewhere behind Dawn, she could hear a boy protest that that was what he had claimed the last time, which only prompted another chuckle. [b]“Sorry, sorry. Just a few more minutes ‘til we’re there, though, so y’all just hold tight.”[/b]

If the movie she had put on (Watchmen, something Dawn had watched a few times in the past) was any indication, they had been in the truck for about two hours now, give or take. Before that were several bus trips that had taken about five more hours altogether, and a plane trip from Italy that had taken a day. Of course, there had been little breaks between them here and there, but it was still longer than Dawn had ever travelled before in her life. Doing her best not to disturb the computer settled in her lap, she stretched her legs out a bit in front of her, rolling the joints in their sockets in an effort to get rid of the stiffness that had settled in them. She hoped that there would be a chance for her to walk around a bit before orientation started- it would be nice to get her blood flowing again. 

Luckily enough, a few minutes after the film drew to a close, and Dawn had begun to flip through her library for something else, the truck stopped- with a loud groan and a fair amount of tremors, befitting the driver’s earlier track record. Once again, several other kids shouted obscenities in response, but several had had the good sense to hang onto the seat in front of them this time so they weren’t flung face-forward again. Shaking off the impact, Dawn shut the laptop’s monitor, slid it back into its case, and rose to her feet as soon as the driver announced they had reached their destination.

Dawn wasn’t surprised when the truck sped off as soon as all of their luggage was unloaded, a bright [b]“Welcome to Marchand!”[/b] shouted into the air as the vehicle rounded out of view. Oddly enough, she had started to like the man. Shaking her head, Dawn gathered up her suitcases, and turned to face the school- her school, now. Instead of immediately powering through the gates, however, she found herself gazing up at the building with a sort of awe.

It was...large, to say the least. It swallowed up most of the yard surrounding it, then reached to the sky when that wasn’t enough to satisfy its appetite. The building was mostly made up of some kind of cobblestone, the only other color being a smattering of green that came from the ivy creeping up its walls. A sizable oak tree stood in front of it, a fair distance away from the windows, and in front of the school itself was a pathway lined with some kind of flower bush. By all means, these were telltale signs that the place was far older than just a few measly years, but Dawn didn’t bat an eye at the apparent inconsistency. The chances of a Terramancers being excluded from the building team were very, very slim, after all. 

Dawn’s first thought was that it was charming.

Her second thought was to wonder how she would manage to navigate the place.

Steeling herself, Dawn pulled her luggage along the stone, up the stairs, and into the maw of the school. Much to her surprise, the lobby appeared quite...empty, save for herself and a few of the other students that had come with her on the truck. She supposed that she shouldn’t be too surprised- after all, her ride had been one of the earlier ones- but it was still somewhat shocking given the size of the place. Taking as much of the view in as possible, she followed the rest of the students to the office to sign herself in. 

The woman behind the counter said little as Dawn scribbled her name into the roster- only that she needed to report to the common room at once before handing her a few papers. Dawn began to flip through them after leaving the office, and escaping the bored stare of the receptionist. Inside the stack was a map of the school, a schedule, and a list of rules. The map was tucked under her arm for the moment, while the other two sheets were promptly folded up and slipped into her coat sleeve. She could look at them more thoroughly once she got herself properly seated.

Dawn took her time traversing the hall, taking in the sights and enjoying the quiet of the halls. For all of the driver’s road rage, he certainly got them there on time- if not earlier, if the lack of other students was any indication. Glancing about the place, she mounted the stairs, and entered the common room.

The common room was...an interesting place, to say the least. While the wallpaper was a deep, pleasant green, the floor rich cherrywood, the furniture was a bit less easy on the eyes. It clashed horribly in style and quality, a scramble of assorted items that had been haphazardly fitted around the place. Decorated animal skulls glared across the room at the newest television to hit the market, and leather chairs surrounded a tapestry of bears fighting...some sort of sky wolf. Mahogany desks, hand-sewn carpets, vending machines…and hanging above it all, a cheerful banner reading [b]“WELCOME, STUDENTS”.[/b]

A plaque against the wall offered some measure of explanation.

[b]“We here at Marchand give our sincere thanks 
For the generous funding and donations
Provided by the families listed below.”[/b]

Blinking owlishly at the odd decor, Dawn stepped inside, gaze roaming and coming to a rest on the buffet tucked against the far wall. Closer inspection of the table revealed an assortment of foods- pancakes, meats, fresh fruit- along with a small sign encouraging students to help themselves. Breakfast, although it was late enough in the day for the meal to be more brunch than anything. Either way, the travel had admittedly made Dawn quite hungry, and she wouldn’t be turning down free food. She swiftly piled her plate and retreated to one of the tables, tucking her belongings under her seat as she did so. As Dawn ate, she took out her papers, studying them between mouthfuls.

Given the current vacancy of the place, she had plenty of time to get herself oriented with Marchand.

The pancakes were very well made.