Roman, with a friendly look on his face, reached the Admissions Office, his eyes widened, on alert. He was told everyone would be nice, but he wasn't sure. The least he could do was be kind back, and hope for the best. The desk was viewable, he went towards it and signed in. His only bag was on his back by a shoulder, and he found that it was somewhat comforting to know nobody could jump him from behind. Looking around, he wondered what to do next. Lingering, Roman allowed his mind to be at ease with the space around him, visibly relaxing. Deciding to have a wander, hearing there was stables at this new school, he walked straight into someone coming through the door as his thoughts distracted him from everything around him. "S-sorry," he stammered, looking at the person, awaiting a reaction.
First Impression (Open)
- Thread starter Iridian Death
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"Yo, kid. Watch where you're going," drawled the short, thin young man behind him. Damian, automatically adjusting the collar of his shirt, put out a hand and moved Roman back a pace. He looked the child up and down, decided he was unlikely to be a threat, and let out a soft breath. "You happen to know anything about where to go around here?" he asked. "Or are you new, like me?"
He had only been at the Academy for a day or two, and everything about it still had a strange, dream-like quality. He'd woken up this morning hoarse from screaming, certain the lord (don't think about him, don't think about his name, names have power) was bending over his bed--and then there hadn't been anything, just the quiet stillness of the early morning light filtering in on a surprisingly comfortable bed. Damian wrenched his mind back to the present and regarded the child in front of him. How did you talk to kids, he wondered uncomfortably.
He had only been at the Academy for a day or two, and everything about it still had a strange, dream-like quality. He'd woken up this morning hoarse from screaming, certain the lord (don't think about him, don't think about his name, names have power) was bending over his bed--and then there hadn't been anything, just the quiet stillness of the early morning light filtering in on a surprisingly comfortable bed. Damian wrenched his mind back to the present and regarded the child in front of him. How did you talk to kids, he wondered uncomfortably.
"Umm." He couldn't find words for a few moments, "Sorry." He apologised again, just so there weren't many awkward silences. Watching the person watch him (after he could see the entire guy, obviously) he noticed... well, he noticed the eyes mostly. Brown, light brown, which almost looked rusted... reddish. Hm. Unique. Clothes that didn't seem to match in Roman's head: collared shirt next to baggy trousers. It reminded him of Shaggy from the Scooby Doo show.
"New?" It wasn't a lie. He just didn't know other new people existed. Well, of course they did. They were finding people like him all the time. "But I was going to look around. Are you nervous? About starting here, I mean." He tilted his head to one side, noticing... confusion? Or was it tension? Fear? He couldn't read emotions... but he could tell... he was thinking.
"New?" It wasn't a lie. He just didn't know other new people existed. Well, of course they did. They were finding people like him all the time. "But I was going to look around. Are you nervous? About starting here, I mean." He tilted his head to one side, noticing... confusion? Or was it tension? Fear? He couldn't read emotions... but he could tell... he was thinking.
Damian fidgeted awkwardly. "I don't get nervous, kid," he lied. Certainly, he shouldn't be nervous. It wasn't as if things could get much worse. And yet, he felt strange and empty and lost in this place, and it made his stomach hurt to think about. "Are we supposed to check in or something? Do you know?" It had been so long since he was in some kind of a school that he wasn't sure if he was doing it right.
"Really?" He crossed his arms, his voice matter-of-fact. He didn't need super sight to notice that anxiety was certainly on this other guy's mind. "I don't know. Who are you, anyways?" Roman was curious. He wanted to know why he was nervous. New schools weren't daunting. Well, they were a little, but not enough to fidget and flinch, in Roman's opinion.
"I go by Damian." That should be the extent of information the kid needed. Oh, crap. He knew that the other inhabitants of the island also had--powers--of one kind or another. What if the child could read minds? Someone around here probably could. That was a chilling thought. "What's your name?" He really needed to figure out where he was supposed to be and then decide if he wanted to be there, but somehow he didn't really want to go to the trouble yet. He was tired. Talking to the kid was easier than trying to find someone official to check in with.
"Roman." Damian hadn't said his own surname, so Roman decided not to give his own. "So please stop calling me kid now." He sighed, irritated. He didn't go around calling people 'teenager'. He looked around, and noticed the receptionist, "Oh. That's where you go." He pointed over towards the desk and laughed as if he couldn't believe he had forgotten. "Sorry, I forgot for a moment." He was quiet for a few seconds, waiting for Damien to accept his apology.
"Oh," said Damian. "Uh, right. Roman. Thanks." What was wrong with 'kid', he wondered. People called him 'kid' a fair bit, and he strongly preferred it to most of the other things they called him. Like 'fucker' or 'asshole' or, worst of all, 'pet'. A shudder ran down his spine, and he decided not to think about being called 'pet'. He looked over at the desk. They'd probably want his paperwork or something? Unsure, he looked over to the desk and then back to Roman.
Roman silently agreed with a nod of his head. Kid just reminded him that he was so much younger than everybody else. Besides, he had a name. While thinking about this, his eyes darted and he noticed that Damian had shivered. Was he cold? Roman was okay, but maybe it was a side effect of his powers. Afterwards, he watched the other boy's own eyes move around, from the desk back to him. "You just give her your name and forms," he said.
Right. Forms. "Thanks, k--Roman."
He walked quickly across to the desk, trying not to make eye contact with the person behind it, and muttered something that could have been his name while proffering the forms. When they were taken from him, he immediately slouched away again.
Pausing beside the child, he considered. He could go back and hide in his apartment, or he could investigate a little. "You, um, you want to go look at the campus?" he asked, not quite sure why he was proposing this. Maybe it was just that Roman was too young for Damian to really feel threatened by him.
He walked quickly across to the desk, trying not to make eye contact with the person behind it, and muttered something that could have been his name while proffering the forms. When they were taken from him, he immediately slouched away again.
Pausing beside the child, he considered. He could go back and hide in his apartment, or he could investigate a little. "You, um, you want to go look at the campus?" he asked, not quite sure why he was proposing this. Maybe it was just that Roman was too young for Damian to really feel threatened by him.