[indent][b][u]University of Poseidonis, Harbour
January 26, 3:58 PM[/u][/b][/indent]

The last of the students aboard the RAS Nautilus were finally done disembarking, waved towards the gleaming Orientation Hall in the distance with warnings that King Orin would be addressing them soon enough. A few wobbled in their hurried steps to get there, glad to just have their feet back on solid ground. For one of them, the thought kept bounding around that solid though the ground might be, it was in [i]very[/i] unfamiliar territory.

All around them was strange architecture, gleaming and golden, right out of any fantasy novel about the place. The people, so similar yet so different. The very horizon - no longer bright sun cresting on distant land but just glimmering water forming a wall, their very roof.

[i]Like a cage.[/i]

To say that Hannah Christophe was having some trouble with the adjustments was a bit of an understatement.

It’s not that she wasn’t excited, she was! It’s just, well, the Hub City resident only left [i]state lines[/i] a number of times, and now she was in the [i]middle of the ocean[/i], who knows how deep, and surrounded by strangers not only in acquaintance but very [i]culture[/i].

It didn’t exactly help that Hannah was a very, very nervous person in the first place. So it was that on feeling her racing heart start to go from excitement to genuine terror, the feeling of the very air in her throat becoming heavy, the young woman had stumbled off away from the others going towards the Orientation Hall just to catch a breather. Yet when she had passed a pale hand over her eyes, seeing a flicker of orchid light dancing beneath her clammy palm it made her chest tighten, a feeling of dread settling in her bones and buzzing akin to a sleeping limb.

[color=Peachpuff]“Oh lord,”[/color] The brunette whimpered, sliding down against the wall she had ducked behind to hide. [color=PeachPuff]“What was I thinking?”[/color] Her fingers quickly tangled in her hair as she leaned forward, trying to control her breathing in a familiar exercise and failing [i]miserably[/i] as each breath rattled and hiccuped through her thin frame.

[color=orangered]”Uhh… [i]hi.[/i]”[/color] Came a somewhat hushed, slightly alarmed voice from beside her.

One belonging to a Mr. Malcolm Talhaiarn-Kasimir, who had already been hiding behind this particular wall when the hyperventilating girl had arrived, in the middle of trying to covertly adjust one of the contact lenses that hid the distinctive glow of his peepers that had been knocked slightly off-center by a falling bag as the Nautilus shook under the force of the docking clamps.

...Which went some way to explaining the ludicrous sight of Gotham’s favourite son frozen stock still and staring down at her in his suit and tie while seemingly of [i]poking himself in the eye for some reason.[/i]

[color=orangered][i]’Shit, that was close...’[/i][/color] The boy mused internally with a breath of relief, realizing this girl was too in her own head at the moment to have seen anything he’d have to explain. Even as he knelt down to check on her wiping his hands off on his jacket.

[color=orangered]”Hey, uhh... are you alright?”[/color]

 For a moment the girl remained frozen, head tilted just enough to stare up at Malcolm with wide, doe-like eyes. When she finally reacted it was with a rather pathetic, [i]very[/i] delayed yelp.

[color=Peachpuff]”I’m - I’m so sorry I-”[/color] Another hiccup as the breath in Hannah’s voice caught, making the anxious weight dead in her stomach twist uncomfortably. [color=Peachpuff]”I was just - oh, and you’re - you’re Malcolm Talha-”[/color] Yet again her words got cut off as her throat didn’t seem to want to cooperate, refusing to let the brunette get more than a few words out at a time. She nearly [i]whimpered[/i], burying her face back into her sweatered arms across her knees. Four seconds breathe in. Four seconds out. In. Out.

She must look pathetic.

The thought didn’t help.

And there went a good chunk of what Mal had absorbed through mitosis from his Ma, thundering in the back of his head and forcing his back to the same wall as the distraught girl and his ass plop down right next to hers.

[color=orangered]”Hey, hey, hey… [i]easy[/i] now…”[/color] The boy’s words left his throat, a fair bit more gentle than most would think him capable of after hearing of his famed wit as his hand lightly moved itself on instinct towards the girl’s shoulder [color=orangered]”...What’s wrong?”[/color] 

[color=Peachpuff]”I’m sorry,”[/color] Once more came the low, piteous voice, muffled against her arms. Luckily she was calming just a touch, enough that she was able to form complete sentences with … less interruptions, at least. Having someone also from the surface was comforting. She hoped that wasn’t racist. [color=Peachpuff]”I’m just - a little overwhelmed. Right now. I mean.”[/color] A deep breath once more as Hannah fought the urge to ramble, a trait her and her brother shared.

Well, before he disappeared.

Finally the girl lifted her head, fingers plucking at the material of her cream sweater. She still had a chill and was trembling lightly, breath lightly hitched. [color=Peachpuff]”I’ve - I’ve never even left America. And, it’s my first time away from family. And I’m learning about [i]magic[/i].”[/color] She trailed off, finally lifting her gaze to Malcolm’s and offering him a watery smile. Her eyes remained fixed on his chin, never quite meeting his own in a nervous tick.

[color=Peachpuff]”... Well, somewhat. I’m … majoring in magical theory.”[/color]

So much for not rambling.

Mal let out a little chuckle at that, letting his hand fall off her shoulder and comfortably back onto his knee.

[color=orangered]”Yeah, I hear ya on that.”[/color] The lad replied with an honest grin and a little shake of his head, unconsciously slipping back into his native accent as he went [color=orangered]”Sounds kinda like a comic book when ya say it out loud, dunnit?”[/color]

Still grinning, the boy’s face turned away from the girl, making a dramatic show of looking about the place with a [i]comically philosophical[/i] expression he’d hoped she’d find amusing.

[color=orangered]”Yet, here we are. In a [i]big golden city at the bottom of the ocean.”[/i][/color] He finished with a theatrical wave of his arm, looking back to the girl and raising that famous Kasimir brow, still smirking just a little. [color=orangered]”I don’t blame ya. Ye’d have to be [i]crazy[/i] not to be a little overwhelmed about that.”[/color]    

It seemed to work, since Hannah let out a laugh, coughing near the end. After rubbing her sleeve against her mouth she finally gave Malcolm a smile, accompanied by one last rattling breath.

[color=Peachpuff]”I… suppose you’re right about that. It seems, well, it seems a little silly to be freaking out this bad when no one else is…”[/color] She trailed off, embarrassment coloring her words. It was obvious she wasn’t that quickly recovered, no one would be, but was doing a good job of at least hiding the remaining symptoms in conversation. [color=Peachpuff]”Uhm, I didn’t introduce myself. Not that I, you know, had the chance -- my name is Hannah Christophe.”[/color] Taking a moment to wipe her clammy hand subtly on her skirt she then offered it to her surprise company.

[color=Peachpuff]”I, ah, know who you are, of course… I really admire your work.”[/color]

[color=orangered]”Oof! Take the fun outta introducing myself, why don’cha?”[/color] 

Mal replied with a slight snort and another shake of his head, still clearly grinning to let Hannah know he was still joking around. She smiled right back, replying with a quiet ‘Sorry!’ that was more casual than her previous apologies.

[color=orangered]”Well, good ta meet’cha, Hannah.”[/color] The scarred teenager said after a moment as he offered her his hand [color=orangered]”...And you can just call me ‘Mal’.”[/color]

For a slight second, the boy’s eyes shifted suddenly slightly. As if looking at something past Hannah [i]directly through her head and another wall[/i] before coming back into focus on her again.

Just in time for the loud chorus of chatter and footsteps to start reverberating through their hallway once more. It was a bit unnerving for her.

[color=orangered]”Well. I [i]think[/i] we might’ve missed Ol’ Uncle Ori’s big welcome speech…”[/color] Mal concluded with a shrug [color=orangered]”Gueeeess we better get a move on, eh?”[/color]

 [color=Peachpuff]”Oh no!”[/color] The girl exclaimed, and was soon scrambling up. Hannah had to pause as blood rushed to her head, already dizzy from the small panic attack earlier, and lifted a hand to press slim fingers to her temple. [color=Peachpuff]”I’m really sorry for delaying us,”[/color] She lamented, apologizing yet again. It seemed to almost be a reflex.

[color=Peachpuff]”But it’s a momentous occasion… maybe it was recorded?”[/color] Hannah shook herself, looking to Malcolm and giving him a small smile. [color=Peachpuff]”I … really appreciate you not just walking away though. It helped having someone familiar nearby. Not that - not that I’d say we’re familiar with each other! Just that I knew [i]who[/i] you were and it was helpful, though not because - I’m going to be quiet now.”[/color]

Malcolm could only stare at the flustered girl beside for a few short seconds in silence as she started rambling again… then started smirking… and finally snickering as he waved off her apologies with a dismissive hand as he got to his feet.

[color=orangered]”Dun’ worry about it, Hannah.”[/color] He assured her, making a [i]point[/i] of being as casual and familiar as possible still not losing his infamous grin as stood and offered her a hand up. [color=orangered]”I was glad to be here.”[/color]