all her signals are getting lost in the ether ( open! );;

[subroutines]

who; pidge + anyone! everyone? anyone
what; settling in / getting used to things / yadda yadda
when; the last bit of july
where; probably literally anywhere on campus
why; jk, i think i'm funny

checking out the new nest; ( hanging out in aube )

( she doesn't have a lot of things to bring with her — that's kind of what happens when you run away from home with little more than the clothes on your back and some supplies, to be sure — but she's finally thinking she's going in the right direction she needs to be in to be able to find her missing family members.

which is something she can't think about, not right this second, because she'll end up getting emotional and one cannot get emotional when moving into a new dorm. it doesn't make for a good first impression, we tell you what.

but here she is, checking things out; there are a few things she's brought with her, some family mementos she wouldn't have been able to leave behind just because she knew she wouldn't be seeing home again anytime soon — clothes, maybe some comic books or something for the sake of keeping ties with those old-nerd roots, and honestly anyone passing by her open door ( how long will it actually be open? we just don't know ) is welcome to pop in and say hello, because why wouldn't you, when you've got a new student moving in?

just don't be surprised if you catch her off-guard. she has a tendency to live in her own little world and startles easily. be prepared. )

take a look, it's in a book; ( and now, the library )

If I were books on the Outlands … where would I be … ( what? no. she isn't talking to herself. she never talks to herself.

except for when she's working tinkering with something. or working from point a to point b in a problem-solving way. o just generally trying to gather her thoughts in order to make them make sense.

so maybe she's talking to herself. don't hate, don't judge. moving right along.

she's found herself with some free time since she'd gotten herself settled in her dorm, and has taken to wandering the campus in order to better get her bearings; of course the first place she would think to go is the library, and anyone that thinks to watch this very small individual moving through rows of books will notice that she's steadily creating a pile larger than she is tall, which would be alarming if not for the fact she's used to that sort of thing, and has adapted an incredible sense of balance.

and it isn't long after that she's found a place to hole up, surrounded by books open to various pages, going back and forth and back again between them all — stopping every once in a while to jot down some notes, maybe chew on the end of a pen, that's entirely normal — which, again, means she's ripe for pestering.

everyone enjoys being interrupted while attempting to do research, you know. )

wildcard! ( just what it says on the tin )

( have something else in mind? she's literally wandering around campus and can be caught anywhere you'd like, or if you'd like to plot something more specific please feel free to poke me over at problematic. i'm easy! and i like plotting things. c: )

Comments

library

[onebetter]

[ James feels like he has scoped through every book regarding the Outlands thrice already, yet every time he heads over to the library, he finds pages or volumes he'd overlooked during the last months. That's a huge prestigious library for you, full of mysteries and surprises, and he always enjoys coming there, except....

..... that shelf he was going for is shockingly empty? And he can definitely see a big tome he'd started reading over on one of the study desks. And some more tomes. And encyclopedias... jesus, is there even a person behind those piles? That requires investigation. ]

Uhm, excuse me? Do you need all of these right now?

[ Whispering in proper library voice of course. ]

[subroutines]

( of course he would come across the one ( 1 ) person in this whole library currently, probably, that has taken more books from the shelves than is expressly necessary.

things just be like that sometimes.

naturally, he's going to have to do a bit of digging ( almost quite literally ) before he finds the culprit, and there she is, staring intently at one page in one book particular when he finally speaks up. she blinks a bit owlishly, glasses having slipped down her nose a bit, and she pushes them back up. ) Huh? Oh. ( and maybe she looks a little sheepish. )

Sorry, I guess not. I got carried away.

[onebetter]

[ Truth be told, he's a little relieved that there actually is a person (a rather small person) buried in here. Reporting ghosts in the library hasn't been on his agenda for the day after all. ]

You're... really interested in the Outlands, huh? I can't talk, same research topic and all, but you did get out an impressive selection there.

[ And very quickly so - he figures he would at least have seen this guy had he been here doing this before, given it's become James' daily habit. ]

aube

[marmoron]

[While Pidge is unpacking her things, she may be interrupted by a certain space woof (still puppy sized) running into her room with a jar of peanut butter clamped in his jaws. Cosmo dashes between Pidge's legs to go hide under the bed. Super subtle hiding spot is made less subtle by the fact that his silvery fur glows a little, but what are you gonna do.

In hot pursuit:]

Hey, get back here! You can't have the whole thing--

[Keith stops short at the door when he sees the new student.]

Oh. Uh... hi?

oh no this is the best first meeting

[subroutines]

( things she definitely had not been expecting while getting settled: to be bombarded by a puppy-sized wolf carrying a jar of peanut butter that ultimately seeks to hide under her bed.

she's a little bit dazed, having watched the whole thing like it was happening in slow-motion, from the initial scampering into her room to the escape beneath her bed, and when she looks up she might just seem a bit bewildered, but amused nonetheless. ) Hi. ( and a bit of a laugh. )

Yours, I'm guessing?

hehe

[marmoron]

He's usually better behaved than this. [Usually.] But apparently he really likes peanut butter.

[Cosmo's earning a bit of a lineface from Keith, but what does he care, really. He peers over Pidge's head, squinting towards her bed.]

Do you mind if I--

[Pause. P A U S E. He looks directly at her, raising an eyebrow because he feels like he;s seen her somewhere, but isn't quite placing where right this second. Then remembering he was in the middle of saying something, he continues like there was never an awkward pause at all.]

Came in to grab him? [And in clear afterthought:] I'm Keith. By the way.

[Maybe a name will jog his memory a bit??]

brushes off the vacation dust for you. also library

[quintessent]

[Pidge isn't the only one in the library. With classes out for the human's 'Summer Vacation', Allura has taken to spending a good deal of time there as well. There's no time like the present to catch up, and even though she likes to make time for exploring and learning things on-the-go, the library still remains a good resource for her many questions that she has.

Except. There's little to be found on what happened to her people. She's found occasional reference to them in books about ancient Outlands cultures, (and found several humorous inconsistencies and assumptions of how the Alteans lived) but nothing as to their fate. It's frustrating, to be no closer to the answers than the day she woke up.

And it's usefulness regarding human culture remains equally insufficient in places. History and geography are fine, but libraries don't deal much in common sense and social mores for Alteans who have been napping for the last few thousand years. And there's only so many times she can text the few people she knows for clarification. (Someone introduce this girl to Google)

Luckily there's someone else here. Hidden very well in a pile of books but Allura heard the flipping of pages from there for the last varga or so, and so that is where Allura goes, book in hand.

In a normal volume voice:]

Excuse me. Do you have a tick?

ok let's try to actually finish this tag

[subroutines]

( here's the thing about going on what you may or may not know about ancient peoples —

about ninety percent of it ends up being wrong, though this one doesn't have her own personal ancient peoples to use for reference, it's just. generally accepted that when it comes to history that far back, someone is bound to get something wrong.

that doesn't mean it isn't occasionally interesting, but that's not really the point, is it? nah.

pidge really is minding her own business when she hears that voice, brought out of whatever train of thought she's been following for probably a handful of hours now, adjusting her glasses as she picks her head up to look in the direction of the sound.

a what? ) A what? ( nice, pidge. real articulate. )

Re: ok let's try to actually finish this tag

[quintessent]

[Allura steps closer, fingers knitted together politely in front of her as she peers over the wall of books separating the two.]

A tick? [Ah, that's right. Allura purses her lips,] A moment? The smallest time-slice that you have. I can't remember what words you humans use.

[partiallysquirrelblood]

Hey there new neighbor!

[Was Pidge expecting a woman with a squirrel on her shoulder to peek in through her door? Because she had a woman with a squirrel on her shoulder peeking in through her door.]

I'm Doreen, I'm over in 102. How are ya?

[subroutines]

( a woman with a squirrel on her shoulder coming through her door is absolutely not something she'd been expecting. and yet, here we are.

forgive her rather bewildered look. it's not out of rudeness, not in the slightest. ) Uh — ( words, pidgeon. ) Pidge. I'm okay, I guess. Just getting settled in.

( just. stating the obvious, of course. because that's how you make smalltalk with strangers. )

aube!

[rwbyrose]

[ ruby got the news that there's a new student in aube, so naturally, she'd like to say hello! because that's the normal thing to do, right. either way, ruby's harmless, and she knocks on the open door to announce her presence. ]

Um, hey! You're new, right? Just wanted to drop by and say welcome!

[ ...right. names. ] I'm Ruby, by the way!

LET IT BEGIN

[subroutines]

( at least she doesn't just barge in, which pidge appreciates; she's always valued her personal space and all the things in it, and it's only gotten even more prevalent the more time she spends away from home.

but that kind of thing just happens, doesn't it? yes. yes it does.

she's just finished putting a couple of books ( comics ) away when the knock comes, and she looks up almost expectantly, because it seems like she's just going to keep getting visitors. which isn't a bad thing! she's just. not normally so socially busy. ) Oh, um. Hi. I'm Pidge. ( why are introductions so awkward?

why do they have to be awkward? ) Thanks for the welcome.

library

[alreadyhuman]

[ Behold, an even smaller individual than Pidge is moving through the library, too! Not with adept book-stacking abilities, though, he's carrying like a couple on completely different subjects.

But when he's passing by, he happens to hear her muttering, and because Vivi is helpful by nature he sort of pokes his head around the stacks of books to peer at her. ]

There's lots of Outlands books, but you have to look hard for some of them, 'cause the Outlands is strange like that.

Are you making a trip?

vivi!!!! ah!!!

[subroutines]

( what's this? someone smaller than she is?

and someone that may not be as great at book-stacking at she is, but still wandering around with a few books of his own?

hello, new friend.

though the face peering around that stack startles her a bit, and she starts, but catches herself before she manages to topple over into another stack and make a real mess of things. sorry, vivi! she just. startles easily when she's in the zone. don't think anything of it. ) Hm? Oh, no — well, sort of. Kinda. ( you're so good with words, pidge. truly. a real wordsmith. )

Not right away. That's why I'm doing research.

Aube

[inkedspell]

[Someone new on her floor? For as nosy as Sarona can be, she often misses new arrivals, due to being busy and not paying as much attention to who comes and goes. Today she's trying to shake some new framing for an inscription loose out and is wandering the halls with her hair tied up into a really messy bun with like four different types of pen stuck in it with another in her hand as she scribbles on a small notepad.

The notice that room 103's door is open makes her stop and look up.]

Oh. Guess it's time for someone new on the first floor.

[subroutines]

( well. this one is also very small and sometimes easy to miss — especially when she goes out of her way to avoid being seen; that isn't the case in this particular instance, maybe more because she's on the verge of closing that open door ( because she's finished moving things around, and is in the mood for some peace and quiet ) when this stranger stops just outside, and raises her voice loud enough for pidge to hear her.

and maybe they end up coming face to face when this one sticks her head out into the hall to see if the coast is clear to close that door. she stops, blinks a bit dazedly, like she hadn't been expecting to find anyone out there. ) Oh, yeah. Me. It's me. Hi.

Aube

[infestedcouncilpresident]

[Kohaku wandered by towards her room on the 4th floor, but then stopped and leaned backwards, sniffing slightly. Someone new was in the dorm, and their scent was on the air. Which was kind of a weird thing to think but this was apparently just what her life was now. She'd made peace with it. Smelled like a girl.

Kohaku poked her head around the corner of Pidge's door.]

Salut?

[Her French's accent was AWFUL and she was praying the newbie spoke Japanese, or at least English.]

[subroutines]

( wow it's unfair to be able to tell someone's gender just by the way they smell.

( please don't ever let her in on this. it's going to be embarrassing and she's going to be a little bit upset that she can't keep that secret. not that she expects you to go around blabbing, but … she's just put-out, that's all! )

she starts, both at the terrible accent and the head giving it, eyes gone a little wide and then narrowing curiously. ) Um. Hi? ( ding ding ding, we have a winner.

english it is. )

library

[thegoofball]

You know...

[The voice comes from behind her - Lance isn't really one who would usually go to the library, but. Well. His girlfriend is a big ol' nerd and he wants to impress her.

Sue him.]

You could just go to the Outlands.

good on you for trying to impress your girlfriend by going to the library, buddy

[subroutines]

( she peers up from whatever it is she's currently reading, one brow slowly climbing her forehead toward her hairline. ) You can't just go to the Outlands. ( she states in a way she hopes is conveyed as matter-of-factly, head tilting to the side. like.

duh, man. are you dense? ) I mean. It wouldn't be smart to just. Do that. Never go anywhere unprepared. ( it's close to something her father used to say, okay.

she's taking that to heart. )

Library

[heromedal]

Oh, you do that too.

[ That is probably the most energetic opening line anyone has heard from Rex in decades, and it still sounded kind of like a cross between Darth Vader and Eeyore. How exactly a 7'4 young man who looks like he's about to collapse right then and there is so good at turning up right behind people with no warning is a mystery.^*

He has a massive stack of books of his own and gently places them one at a time in a semi-circle on his side of the table, flapping each one open as he does. He's used to people not being in this spot. Getting holed up and getting down to work is also his business. ]

Ah. Sorry to interrupt. It is just everyone says no one does it like that but me.

[subroutines]

( why is everyone so intent on sneaking up on her and catching her off-guard!?

not that she's accusing him of anything, of course; it goes without saying that she gets a little bit lost in her reading when she gets really into something, and she's been sitting there for so long that it stands to reason she needs to move before she gets stuck like that. an impromptu statue to add to the library's decor.

maybe her neck pops in a couple of different spots when her head snaps up at the voice, blinking a few times in quick succession. ) Huh? ( she looks at his stack of books, and then her own, and gives a sheepish sort of smile. ) Oh. Fellow book hoarder? ( it's just what she assumes, unless he means sitting in one place until you're in danger of getting stuck in one position for the rest of your life.

also. totally not going to comment on all that height. but she's just a little bit jealous. why can't the tall ones share some of that, huh? )

Library

[unpocoloco]

[It's evening-- it has to be if he's up. Perhaps she didn't mean to stay so late. Perhaps she's on her last book now. Nevertheless, it seems they're both here. And it's hard to ignore the muttering that's being done. He grins a little.]

Depends on what you're looking for. There's navigation, what inhabits it, recorded history... Or if you're just looking for a basic overview of what it's like you can always ask the ones who've been there.

hector!!!

[subroutines]

( it's a combination of her not realizing how late it is and nearing the end of her enormous stack of books that finds her staying well into the evening; her stomach has been growling for a good little while now, and while she keeps making her promises that she's going to take a break after just one more, it's this particular interruption that has her lifting her head and peering up, a bit embarrassed at having been caught talking to herself.

whoops. matt used to always tease her about that. ) I guess I'm looking for … a little bit of everything? ( she grins, adjusting her glasses. ) Do you know someone that's been there?