Having known Mr. Larke Sterling for some time now, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that his attentions quickly zoned in on Serenity at her approach, effectively losing interest in his current conversation. Regardless, a smile was still on Dawn’s face as her eyes were uncovered, and she turned to get a better look at her friend. There were shadows under her eyes that had deepened since the last time they had seen each other, and she had grown a bit pale, but the warmth in Dawn’s face was genuine as she wrapped Serenity in a brief hug. [color=#98AFC7]“My family felt the same way,”[/color] she said, drawing back. [color=#98AFC7]“They, um, thought it would be good to...broaden my horizons, so to speak. So here I am.”[/color] It had been a surprise, admittedly, but it was by no means an unwelcome one. The last time Dawn had gone to any sort of public school, she had probably been at least five or so. Maybe younger. 

She went back to work on her pancakes as Serenity and Larke got to know each other, glancing up as one of the people she recognized as belonging to one of the more notable families- Percival Pelacour- slid past, then again as a dark haired young man appeared and greeted both Council children and introduced himself. Nate. It took only a second for it to click that he was very likely Nathan Negromante (given his comments about the council and all, as well as the sharp chill of the dead that followed him), although Dawn didn’t comment on it. Instead, she smiled, nodding her head at him in greeting.

[color=#98AFC7]“Dawn. It’s, um, nice to meet you, Nate.”[/color] The fact that he hadn’t openly stated his last name was something she was grateful for. It meant that, for the moment, she could keep her own unsaid. 

The pleasant meet-and-greet that had been formed didn’t last long, however. With a hollering cry, a blur of orange tackled Larke into the table, pinning him there with her knee. A Norrevinter, if the height, red hair, and general anger at Larke’s very being was any indication. Their rivalry was practically a legend by this point, and a sight that wasn’t too surprising by its nature. Dawn found herself alarmed regardless, hopping away from the table as Larke broke free and whipped a pitcher of water into shape. 

It seemed about the makings for the fight, really. And seeing that another student was currently screaming for a teacher, she wasn’t the only one who thought that was the case. 

Very deliberately, Dawn grabbed a handful of napkins, then circled the table to place herself in between Larke and the Norrevinter girl. If one of them tried to press the conflict any further, they’d have to either go around her, or [i]through[/i] her. [color=#98AFC7]“Here, ah.”[/color] She held the napkins out to the Norrevinter in a peaceful sort of offering. [color=#98AFC7]“So you can clean yourself off.”[/color] Dawn smiled, then turned towards Larke, a look of concern on her face.

[color=#98AFC7]“Are you alright? That, um, looked like it hurt.”[/color]

[@ScoundrelQueen][@Akayaofthemoon][@VitoftheVoid]

[hr]

If Esperanza had been offended in any way by Helena, she showed no sign of it- instead giving a wide, goofy grin from ear to ear before taking the roll of bandages in hand. [color=#8B4513]“We are having the same class, then! Do not worry- you will be getting better at it the more you do it. It is like ripping the bandages, but with more blood and stinging.”[/color] She plopped down into the chair opposite of Helena’s after throwing away the last bunch of soiled napkins, then carefully began to wind the gauze around her arm, looping it over and over with practiced hands.

[color=#8B4513]“I have never met the Defender before. Only the Necromancers and the humans. So I am thinking that you are very cool.”[/color] She beamed. [color=#8B4513]“I am the Necromancer primary, and I am having the other Secondary in Familiars.”[/color] Esperanza paused, a moment. That reminded her- Helena hadn’t given her other Secondary. Only her first. Before she could investigate, there was a scream, and then the clatter of tableware and flesh against wood. Eyes wide, Esperanza turned to look over at the sound, only to find a red headed girl shoving a boy’s face into the wood.

Esperanza’s eyes went even wider.

It was the beginnings of a fight. The first fight of the school year.

Something had to be done.

Snapping off the roll of gauze, Esperanza reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and began to take pictures of the event for her family.

[color=#8B4513]“This is so exciting!”[/color] Esperanza said to Helena, voice a hushed whisper. [color=#8B4513]“I have never seen anything like this before. Do you think this will happen a lot?”[/color]

[@VitoftheVoid]

[hr]

There was a moment or two where the guy was sizing Percival up, and where Percival was just sort of sizing him up in turn, in a sort of strange nonverbal standoff of some kind. He had already seen how on edge the guy was, but now up close, he could really take in the whole picture well and fully. All black clothing. Real tall, dark, and broody. He leaned back in his chair, idly taking another bite of his cinnamon roll as the guy broke the silence and began to speak.

[color=#F87217]“Fan of the Norrevinter style, eh?”[/color] He said, after swallowing the mouthful of sweet, cinnamony goodness. [color=#F87217]“They’re a huge fan of skulls and fur and all that. Think they made everything themselves, with the whole…”[/color] Percival paused, making a sort of absent gesture in the air with his free hand. [color=#F87217]“Trade ban and all.”[/color] 

Another bite, another swallow. Another grin. [color=#F87217]“Isaiah Parrish? Heard of the name, yeah- although that’s probably just cause it’s kinda my job to know who pretty much everyone is.”[/color] He shrugged, rolling his shoulders in a fluid, catlike motion. [color=#F87217]“Name’s Percival. Percival Pelacour. Percival Rowan Pelacour the Third, sans the ‘the Third’ bit.”[/color] He didn’t wait to see if the guy would recognize the name or not, instead giving the cinnamon roll in his hand a careful, cursory glance over before popping the rest in his mouth.

[color=#F87217]“They’re great, honestly. Only thing I’d really think you’d have to be worried about is if you’re one of the types allergic the gluten or something.”[/color] Percival paused, scratching the side of his jaw. [color=#F87217]“Think there was some non-gluten-y stuff up there, too, so you don’t have to end up starving or anything like that.”[/color]

Percival slid into a semi-proper sitting position as another guy his age came strolling in, eyes brightening even more than they already were (which seemed like it was a near impossibility, if not for the fact that it happened). [color=#F87217]“Well, look who it is!”[/color] He crowed. [color=#F87217]“Good seeing you again, Nate.”[/color] He gave a little chuckle at the ‘weight of the name’ comment, folding his hands behind his head. 

[color=#F87217]“Think that’s pretty much mandatory across the board, honestly. Like some kinda tradition.”[/color]

And speaking of tradition…

The scream of a battlecry served as the main, glaring warning of what was to come before Larke was tackled right into the table he’d be standing next to. Despite the suddenness of the whole thing, Larke breaking free included, Percival seemed remarkably unfazed as he turned to Isaiah. [color=#F87217]“And [i]she[/i], my good man,”[/color] he drawled, [color=#F87217]“is a Norrevinter.”[/color]

His whole appearance gave the impression of someone who had seen this event unfold many, many times in the past, and at this point any sort of novelty from it had worn off. 

[@Avanhelsing][@Prosaic]