[center][h1][b][color=green]A L B E R T A[/color][/b][/h1][hr][b][color=gray]AVALICE DORMITORIES — DORM C-C[/color][/b][/center][hr]
Alberta stirred to the sound of distant beckonings. She simply brushed them off as she rubbed her weary eyes, far too tired and achey to scream her frustrations at the world. She stumbled away from her desk to make her way to the washroom, as she often did in the early morning. Only then did she remember the assignment Professor Nyx had mentioned in yesterday's morning lecture. Alberta bolted out of the bedroom and looked up at clock in the common room, almost knocking into an anxious Kress.

It wasn't early morning. It was eleven o'clock, and she was due to meet her classmates in an hour. A furious shriek burst from Alberta's lungs.

[b]"[color=green]ALSTEIN YOU IDIOT, WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?[/color]"[/b] she bellowed, before charging back into the bedroom.

Alberta always woke up early for a reason; her meticulous preparations took time. Just her beauty regimens alone took that much time, as did showering, eating and getting dressed. She'd spent so much time reading last night that she hadn't even prepared her things beforehand! In her state of panic and delusion, Alberta rushed to pack her satchel first, flinging all sorts of clothes and bottles into it. She rinsed and moisturised her face, ran back into the bedroom and threw on a frilly blouse and fitted black trousers, tossing a short slit cape over her shoulders to finish. Twenty minutes gone, forty minutes left.

Alberta yanked at her tangled curls with a hairbrush and twisted her hair into a braid, before lacing up her heeled boots by the door. She then noticed that Kress was [i]still[/i] loitering around for whatever stupid reason, and looked up at him with confusion.

[b]"[color=green]Why are you still here? I didn't ask you to wait for me, idiot![/color]"[/b] Alberta shouted, grabbing Kress by his sleeve and throwing him out into the hallway. She slammed the door behind her and began speed walking down the halls, a coin pouch jingling at her belt.

[b]"[color=green]Get moving, Alstein! We'll just have to find a carriage downtown, we won't make it in time if we don't![/color]"[/b]

And so the pair sprinted through the dormitories, past the academy entrance and towards the bustling streets of Genelogia, where they eventually found themselves a carriage. Alberta shoved Kress into the vehicle before the coachman could even ask where they were headed, until she frantically told the man to take them to Genelgoia Station. She hopped into the seat next to Kress as the horses trotted off, whipping an elaborate compact mirror out of her satchel. Alberta had never run so fast before, and her sweaty face, now redder than the cape she wore, was a clear indication. At least now she had some time to fix herself before having to face the professor and her classmates, which she was [i]not[/i] looking forward to in the slightest. There was little a swipe of a handkerchief and a sip of water could do to fix those horrifying dark circles under her eyes, after all.

[hr][center][b][color=gray]CITY OF GENELOGIA — GENELOGIA STATION[/color][/b][/center][hr]
Alberta leaped out of the carriage and pulled Kress out with her, tossing a hefty bag of coins at the coachman as they rushed into the station. The railway clocks at each platform read ten minutes past twelve. The class must have boarded already.

Boarding a train had never felt so gratifying. Alberta, now a little less red and sweaty, approached car five where she had been directed to. Though upon entry, she was met with Professor Nyx and two other students — Kiara and Ty. Immediately she shot a glare at the boy, knowing full well why he had been pulled aside by the professor. She knew Ty wasn't going to let her live this down, and had the professor not been there she would have fully throttled him.

[b]"[color=green]My…[/color]"[/b] Alberta hesitated, sucking in a breath of air and an ounce of her pride. Lying would do her no good at a time like this. [b]"[color=green]…apologies, Professor Nyx. I accidentally overslept, which is why I was so… behind schedule.[/color]"[/b]

She looked towards Kress, giving him the same puzzled stare from when they were at their dorm. [b]"[color=green]I honestly can't tell you why this one is late, though.[/color]"[/b]

In that moment, Alberta's fatigue decided to hit her full force with all the aches and pains her adrenaline had temporarily washed away. Famished and exhausted, it took every bit of strength she had left just to refrain from leaning against the walls of the train car as she spoke. Alberta hoped she could get a seat and some breakfast soon.