āSuch painā¦ perhaps things are not as I had thought to find themā¦ā
Anastasia spent a few minutes walking sedately to the main school building, unable to hurry despite herself. It was just so beautiful here. Sheād been afraid that in leaving the church grounds where sheād been raised, sheād be forever resigning herself to harsh, loud urban environments, and too many peopleās thoughts to feel comfortable hearing all at once. But this campus was nothing like thatāthe plants were healthy and vibrant, and the breeze played gently with the strands of grass like a cat with thousands of little bits of string. The image brought a smile to her face, and she tipped her head back a bit to look at the sky above. The few clouds in the area were soft and fluffy, a little like rabbits or balls of cotton or something. It brought her a rare sense of serenity, actually, a faint hint of something calming.
But she was not oblivious to the darker things underlying the aura of the area. Indeed, she immediately picked up on them. There were strains of sorrow woven into the very fabric of existence here, as though everyone within were just below a net of melancholy that threatened to ensnare them at any moment, looming like a dark harbinger of things to come.
My, myā¦ when did I get so dramatic? It must be the atmosphereā¦ Yes, she could feel it, and keenly, but she chose not to let it bother her. The thing about the world and everyone in it was that nothing was perfect. Some people saw tragedy in this; Anastasia saw opportunity. Broken things could be mended, dark things given light, imperfect things were the only ones that could be improved. What was perfect had only two choices: to remain ever the same or else grow worse. Neither seemed to contain much joy, and joy was something definitely worth seeking.
A voice brought her from her reverie, and she glanced back down to see a girl in mourning. Well, she didnāt exactly look like it: she was smiling, but Ana knew just by looking at her that she was not happy at all. She justā¦ knew things like that, most of the time. Still, she suppressed the flash of sadness in her eyes and returned the smile instead, watching with some interest as a small black cat leaped atop the girlās shoulder. She was quite pretty, Ana thought, though not in the kind of way that suggested she was aware of it. She didnāt look to be in the best condition though; perhaps whatever was making her sad was causing her to lose sleep.
āOh, you donāt have to do that,ā she said graciously, waving a hand in front of her in a careless motion. āI probably look lost, but Iām just dawdling, you see. I really should be going to class, maybe. Unlessā¦ is there someone I should see about this first?ā She held up her folder, which contained her class schedule as well as several materials regarding her transfer. She still had some last few pieces of paperwork to hand over, but she thought sheād just give those to an assistant or something. This girl was evidently a student, given that they were wearing the same uniform. Shrugging, she placed the folder under her arm and held out her free hand.
āItās nice to meet you. My nameās Anastasia Guillory, but Ana or Gilly is fine if you want.ā
But she was not oblivious to the darker things underlying the aura of the area. Indeed, she immediately picked up on them. There were strains of sorrow woven into the very fabric of existence here, as though everyone within were just below a net of melancholy that threatened to ensnare them at any moment, looming like a dark harbinger of things to come.
My, myā¦ when did I get so dramatic? It must be the atmosphereā¦ Yes, she could feel it, and keenly, but she chose not to let it bother her. The thing about the world and everyone in it was that nothing was perfect. Some people saw tragedy in this; Anastasia saw opportunity. Broken things could be mended, dark things given light, imperfect things were the only ones that could be improved. What was perfect had only two choices: to remain ever the same or else grow worse. Neither seemed to contain much joy, and joy was something definitely worth seeking.
A voice brought her from her reverie, and she glanced back down to see a girl in mourning. Well, she didnāt exactly look like it: she was smiling, but Ana knew just by looking at her that she was not happy at all. She justā¦ knew things like that, most of the time. Still, she suppressed the flash of sadness in her eyes and returned the smile instead, watching with some interest as a small black cat leaped atop the girlās shoulder. She was quite pretty, Ana thought, though not in the kind of way that suggested she was aware of it. She didnāt look to be in the best condition though; perhaps whatever was making her sad was causing her to lose sleep.
āOh, you donāt have to do that,ā she said graciously, waving a hand in front of her in a careless motion. āI probably look lost, but Iām just dawdling, you see. I really should be going to class, maybe. Unlessā¦ is there someone I should see about this first?ā She held up her folder, which contained her class schedule as well as several materials regarding her transfer. She still had some last few pieces of paperwork to hand over, but she thought sheād just give those to an assistant or something. This girl was evidently a student, given that they were wearing the same uniform. Shrugging, she placed the folder under her arm and held out her free hand.
āItās nice to meet you. My nameās Anastasia Guillory, but Ana or Gilly is fine if you want.ā