[h2][center][color=1a7b30]Layne Towerfall[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=1a7b30][i]Don’t let ‘em look down their noses at you, Layne. Don’t let ‘em push you around, Layne. [b]Don’t fuckin’ punch anybody, Layne.[/b][/i][/color]

He ran through the mental checklist one more time. You’d think that after all he’d been through, this would have been easy as whistling. He’d faced down gangs of boys twice his size. He’d leapt from cliffs down into nothing but soft earth. Hell, he’d had to deal with his [i]Dad[/i] for seventeen years. If you had said to him even a week ago that he’d be scared out of his wits in this moment, he would have cracked your jaw.

No, ridiculous as it seemed, Layne stood on the step of his new school and could not muster the courage to go in. 

[color=1a7b30][i]This is stupid.[/i][/color] He thought. [color=1a7b30][i]They’re just a bunch of high born tits. What am I so worked up for?[/i][/color]

This time was meant to be [b]different[/b], that was the problem. Layne had gotten accustomed to dealing with his problems by smacking them into the ground like tent poles. This was supposed to represent a turning point in his life. Could he face himself if he were ejected from Marchand for the same dumb bullshit that had ruined so many opportunities before? Could he handle being the last nail in the coffin of shame his family name was buried in? He wasn’t sure he could. 

A thought struck him. Maybe [i]that’s[/i] what he was missing? He riffled through his bag for a moment and fished out an old armband. It was emblazoned with a stylized fist, superimposed over a mountain that had been cracked in half down the middle: The Towerfall family seal. He tied this to his upper arm. If these snots wanted to talk, might as well give ‘em something to talk about. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and walked through the doors.

He made his way slowly to the common room, as was expected of new students. [color=1a7b30][i]Fightin’ in here.[/i][/color] He thought the moment he stepped inside. It was over, whatever had happened, but he could taste the familiar tension in the air like electricity before a big storm. That at least was familiar territory for him. The room was already packed with other young mages. All he had to do was walk up to a knot of them, say hello, and that would be that, right? 

He grimaced. Nope. Got to start small, like easing into a bath that was almost too hot. He surveyed the room with a glower, not for any particular reason, but because that was simply his resting expression. His eyes fell on a young man who had apparently arrived not a few minutes before himself. He’d never really had a friend before, so he had no idea what to look for in a potential one.

“[color=1a7b30]Hey![/color]” He said, then realized it had come out as a harsh bark instead of the warm greeting he had hoped for. He cleared his throat and managed a more neutral tone. “[color=1a7b30]Uh, hey. So….[/color]”

He paused awkwardly. He couldn’t remember the last time he had tried to be friendly, so the intricacies of polite conversation were a bit beyond him.

“[color=1a7b30]This your first day too?[/color]” He finished. There was common ground, at least. “[color=1a7b30]I’m Layne.[/color]”

As an afterthought, he stuck out his hand for the young man to shake. He reminded himself firmly not to try and crush the poor guy’s hand.

[hider=Interactions][@Furiosa][/hider]