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| First Day; [open] | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 29 2008, 05:10 PM (266 Views) | |
| Madeline Conrad | Aug 29 2008, 05:10 PM Post #1 |
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The day was a relatively cool one - unseasonably cool for the summer, but it was still extremely, extremely comfortable. Green gardens, with immaculately manicured bushes and well cut grass surrounded flower beds of peonies, hydrangeas, lillies, tulips and other such things, just to name a few. Fountains and even a conservatory were spread around the small park - and strewn around with them were tables as well. Peering out onto the breathtaking vista, Madeline held onto her skirts, and walked down the limestone stairs into the gardens. Taking a seat at one of the tables, she ran her thin, pale fingers over the cover of a book that she brought with her. Opening up her book, she started to read through it, enjoying the chirping of the birds, and fluttering of butterflies around her. |
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| Darlene Samson | Aug 29 2008, 08:41 PM Post #2 |
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Darlene had been at Pennington Academy for a day and a half and she was still not bored with the newness of it all, in fact, if anything she was only becoming more amazed by it. Dressed in a simple full skirt and blouse, she wandered the hallways and gardens of the school, up various stair cases and into every room whose door wasn’t locked. She walked past many groups of girls who looked as extravagant and neatly pruned as the plants that filled the gardens that she meandered through thoughtfully. She wandered out into another garden and trotted down a set of stairs, admiring the flowers as she walked. Darlene didn’t have any purpose for her stroll, she was just there to admire, so when she saw another young lady at a table reading she decided that it was best not to interrupt. However, she kept an eye on her so that she could respond properly if the lady decided to exchange pleasantries or to trade polite smiles. |
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| Madeline Conrad | Aug 29 2008, 08:47 PM Post #3 |
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Among the throng of girls that seemed content to walk through the gardens and past the lovely French doors, Madeline found time to glance over her books to survey those of her sex that just felt the need to walk past. Some of them gave her a polite nod, which, for some, she returned, but for others, she didn't return it at all. Some of these girls didn't fit in here well. As she continued to read, another girl caught her eye through Madeline's peripherals. She looked off to the side, and noticed a girl that Madeline immediately judged as plain...and foreign as well. She was a strange one - one that Madeline knew should not have been here, a girl that seemed so ill in regards to her surroundings. Did this one even speak? Madeline acknowledged her with a simple nod of her head. |
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| Darlene Samson | Aug 29 2008, 09:42 PM Post #4 |
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Darlene’s attention was taken with the scenery, but caught the nod from the other young lady. She returned it with a thin twitch of her lips that resembled a smile, “Good day,” she said simply. She was about to keep walking when she spotted a plump, wiggling worm twisting on the smooth stone of the path. Darlene paused and knelt to scoop the struggling thing out of its pain and drop it casually back onto the damp soil under the plants that grew on the edges of the garden. “Silly thing, really,” she said to no one in particular as she stood up, “to try to contain beauty that is wild.” She brushed her hands together, a habitual gesture more than an actually effective way to clean dirt from her fingers. |
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| Yulia Orlova | Aug 29 2008, 11:33 PM Post #5 |
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The day was clear and inviting. Blue skies was something that matched Yulia's eyes, and she knew that she had to take part in a day like that. She hated hot days, but today was a welcome exception. Still the August sun would be harsh and unforgiving on her pale skin, so she would have to take her precautions. Making sure that her hat was sufficiently pinned to her head, she opened up her parasol, and made sure that her skirts didn't drag on the ground. Glancing around, she was curious at some of the students of the school. She noted a girl with a book in hand, and another one with jet black hair...but the oddest complexion. It was as if she were dirty. She had never seen anything with such a skintone before, and hoped that it wasn't from dirt. Still, Yulia was cordial enough, even if she hated other girls. "Good day, ladies," Yulia greeted as she walked up to them. It was when she walked closer that she noticed the girl held a worm in her hand. How uncouth and disgusting! Did she enjoy toying with such horrid things? Just as long as this girl kept the thing away from her. |
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| Annie Wilkes | Aug 29 2008, 11:50 PM Post #6 |
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Annie whistled to herself, glad to be out doors again. It was quite a lovely day, really and truly, much more beautiful than any of the days she had spent at home. It wasn't half so dreary here and it was so nice to be outside when it wasn't snowing. She took in a breath of fresh air and smiled, a bit in a brisk hurry as she went forward. Annie had been whistling and holding onto her book, trying to find the last page she had been when she heard voices up ahead. She smiled quickly and wondered who could be speaking. She had been there for a while but had not gotten too close to any of the girls and perhaps she could here. She tried her best to mark her place in the book again but knew she would only lose it again. She licked her fingers a bit in hopes to clean off the ink that always managed to be somewhere on her skin. It was the curse of a writer as things always were and she supposed she was used to it. "My, we have quite a gathering. It's beautiful out, isn't it?" |
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| Madeline Conrad | Aug 30 2008, 12:19 AM Post #7 |
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Madeline looked in distaste at the girl. She could speak, but she was thoroughly disgusted with the fact that she liked to play with something that had been on the ground. Did she like to play in dirt? She'd always be out of place in this school if she continued to play in things like dirt. Meanwhile, another girl felt the need to walk by. This one had quite enviable skin and hair that was a complete contrast to this other girl that stood before her. She had quite the beautiful face, and radiated nobility. Perhaps, this was one that Madeline should have gotten to know. She would be interesting enough. "Good day to you as well," Madeline replied. "I hope the weather is treating you well." Small talk. No one could go wrong with that. Just as she was speaking to this girl with the porcelain-esque skin, yet another girl felt the need to join them, though licking her hands as if she were some sort of beggar. At least she was better than this girl that liked to play with insects and other foul creatures, but she looked as though she should've been in the gutter doing things like that. "...it's quite charming." Madeline added, though her voice didn't sound too enthused. |
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| Nikaido Kikuko | Aug 30 2008, 10:34 AM Post #8 |
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Pennington It was alien, at least the simple fact that it wasn't back home. There the Gakushûin had been modeled after those English, French and American boarding schools, yet it had been different. What made it feel so alien and strange was not the simple fact that she was the only girl who wasn't... what had they called it... Caucasian. Rather was it the fact that the things she knew were very far away. No, not the family, her friends or her old school. No, the one thing she really missed was quite... unfitting. Kikuko was longing to see her cousin Takenobu, but even if she would have been back at the Gakushûin there would have been no way to see him. After all... he had gone to war, just like the rest of the family. Still... She was missing him and his usual antics. “Hime-sama!” or “Kiku-no-miya” -His Highness was also calling her the latter- had been his usual, joking ways of addressing her. If only he wouldn't have to serve under to command of this strange Major Nakagawa. Kikuko shuddered despite the fact that it was still August -albeit a rather cool day. Nakagawa had given her creeps ever since she had met him the first time. A very tall, quite handsome former cavalry officer who had ended up in the infantry because of his habit of dealing with problems in his own way. A man who didn't fit into the military, or so Kikuko thought. But what did it matter now? There she was, far away from home, her father as the only relative around and even he was relatively far away in London. She would see him only on weekends. However, this was no reason for her to feel down. Pennington didn't seem so bad after all. Of course it was still too early to really judge over this, but Kikuko had a good feeling about it. Just a few hours ago she had arrived, with one of those new and chic automobiles -the embassy had, of course, its own carpool. Her father had accompanied her to make sure everything was alright and then they had said good bye. Now Kikuko was alone, wandering the gardens while trying to get accustomed to the location and situation. She was drawing attention, after all she wasn't wearing those uncomfortable western clothes, she usually never did. Kikuko had grown up wearing kimono most of the time, and now, several years later, she still preferred them over the western style -despite the attempts of the government to boost the popularity of everything western, including clothes. Kikuko, in her navy blue furisode -she was younger than 25 and not married, thus protocol dictated the use of a long-sleeved kimono- with the golden obi, saw a small group of girls just a few meters ahead of her. Curiosity got the better of her and she approached the group. Four girls, to be precisely. As she got closer she noticed the differences between them. One of them had a rather dark skin, at least when compared to the other girls she had seen so far and, of course, to herself. It seemed that, maybe, she wasn't the only non-Caucasian after all. Caucasian, what an odd description she mused in her mind. The Caucasus was in Asia, not in Europe, so why would the white people call themselves that? One thing, though, was already clear. She was definitely the smallest one. The group of four seemed to be occupied with something. It could certainly be interesting! Kikuko stopped. Merciful gods, they were all taller than her. There was no way back now. “Good day,” Kikuko said with her clear Japanese accent. |
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| Yulia Orlova | Aug 30 2008, 03:35 PM Post #9 |
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It was an accent that made Yulia inwardly cringe. If she weren't a lady, she would retch. She'd turn away and shake her head. And ask herself why did one of them have to be enrolled here with her? Did the Headmistress not think? Yulia could get over the fact that there was a girl here that liked to play with worms, which was disgusting and wretchedly disgraceful in it's own right. There was another girl who had just licked her hands, which she could forgive. But this? One of those people that acted as the opposition in the war that her brother fought in? She just felt outdone. Yulia eyed her competition. She looked at the girl in her garments - garments of a rather pretty blue and gold color, though it seemed so much more primitive than what Yulia would dare don. She was a tiny one too - so short and so small. Was this how they liked their women in that country? So skinny and so thin? She looked so frail that the very thought of a corset on such a body would snap the little twig in two. Still, Yulia would have to be gracious to her. She was superior to this one, in every way. She would have to conduct herself as such - and show her how true nobility behaved. "Good day to you, miss," Yulia kept her head high, and responded with a condescending smile. "Has the day been good to you as well?" |
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| Nikaido Kikuko | Aug 30 2008, 05:06 PM Post #10 |
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Kikuko could sense a certain hostility coming from Yulia. No, not really hostility, but it certainly wasn't something nice. Sometimes people were like that. Sometimes it just couldn't be helped. Thus the Japanese girl decided to play nice. She bowed. “I must say, so far it has been very good.” And it would certainly get better once she would receive a letter from her cousin. Would he even write to her? He would surely write to his parents and maybe her father. Hopefully he would add a few things addressed to her. Though... Where were her manners? She would live with these girls for a while, there was no reason to be rude. Politeness was important. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Nikaidô Kikuko, or as it is handled here in Great Britain, Kikuko Nikaidô. I've just arrived and will spend the next few years here. I'm looking forward to working and learning with you all,” she said with a deep bow. |
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