Fantasy Farewells' University for the Advanced Arts - IC

[EnviousWorm]

MARTY GRIZ
[interactions: EclecticSpica ]
[mentions: 2amSnow ]

An announcement blared throughout the school, requiring students to attend an assembly in the gymnasium. Marty groaned out loud, rolling over onto their back in a dizzied huff. It might have been helpful to tell the students that as they wandered in collecting maps and class schedules and the like. Marty had just gotten comfortable, though he probably could have fallen asleep standing up at the point of exhaustion he was at currently. With another exaggerated groan, Marty lifted themself out of bed and stood up. Just getting to the gym felt like it'd take up what little energy they had left to expend.

Straggling down the hall to a revolving door, Marty sighed as he held open the map, which just seemed to be pointing to the gym with bright, blaring lights like a casino pulling in gamblers along the Las Vegas strip. He saw that the door had deposited him just outside of the gymnasium, only having to take a simple right to enter into the gym, which had been set up to accommodate hundreds of people. Half full already, more and more fresh-faced students walked in by the moment, some quaking in their boots while others played it cool.

Marty strolled toward the far back of the rows of seats, which seemed to fill quicker than the middle and front rows. Noticing the end seat was occupied already by a pretty and poised young woman with a less-poised squirrel perched atop of her head, Marty squeezed by and took the seat next to her. Looking out at the accumulating crowd of faces, Marty spotted Safiya as she hunted for a seat. Unsure if she could see them, Marty tried to wave her over anyway, trying to save a seat.

"Cool hat," Marty said to the woman he'd sat next to, looking at the squirrel tail hanging over her forehead. "Is it designer or did you thrift it?"

 

[EclecticSpica]

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​

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Iris exhaled sharply, sending another futile puff of air upward in an attempt to dislodge the bushy tail flopped over her face. The soft fur tickled her nose, and she wrinkled it in irritation, annoyance settling deep into her bones alongside exhaustion and a gnawing curiosity. Just as she resigned herself to her fate, she felt the small, impatient patting of tiny paws against her scalp.
Nippy was restless.

His chittering grew insistent, a persistent little vibration against her skull, and Iris frowned, tilting her head slightly to follow his line of sight. Her breath hitched when her gaze locked onto a boy. A boy who was staring—unapologetically, intensely, and without the slightest hint of shame.

Iris paled.

Her head snapped forward so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. “No, you may not go say hi!” she whisper-hissed up to her overly social companion, who only chittered more excitedly in response. She could feel his tail flicking in anticipation. She groaned, pressing her fingers to her temple as she willed the warmth creeping into her cheeks to go away. “He’s staring at us like a loon, Nippy! I will not have you embarrassing me on the first day.” Her voice lowered further, as if the very walls might conspire to betray her. “If Mother and Father demanded we be here, then we are meant to be on our best behavior. We are representing the Starling family.”

Nippy’s response was a series of sharp, amused squeaks—ones that made her flush even redder. “Nippy!” she whispered harshly, but the squirrel only fluffed up smugly atop her head, wholly unrepentant. Iris groaned inwardly, steeling herself before twisting her head ever so slightly to check if the boy was still staring.

He was.

She squeaked, whipping back forward as if burned.

“If someone is staring that intensely, it can only mean one of two things,” she muttered, eyes narrowing as she nodded to herself, fully convinced of her logic. “Either they wish to eat you, or they wish to steal you.” Nippy let out a chattering sound that was somewhere between amusement and reassurance. Iris sighed, finally reaching up to scratch under his chin, her fingers absently running through the soft fur. “Exactly. Hence why you shouldn’t go anywhere without me,” she murmured. “I don’t know these people.” Her moment of relative peace was interrupted when someone scooted past her, jostling her slightly. She barely registered them at first—until she realized they were speaking to her.

Before she could properly respond, Nippy did it for her.

The squirrel chittered off a response, far too fast and excitable for her to translate immediately. Iris blinked, then turned to the stranger, clearing her throat. “He is a squirrel, not a hat,” she corrected flatly, though she winced when Nippy let out a very colorful set of noises in response. Her face twitched, only she could understand him, and she was definitely not repeating that.

She sighed, composing herself. “His name is Nippy, and he would like you to apologize.” There was an expectant tap against her head. Iris exhaled sharply through her nose. “He also used—” she shot him a pointed look, “—less friendly words because he finds you intimidating. But I will not be repeating those to a stranger.”

Nippy, apparently satisfied, chittered triumphantly and scurried from her head to her shoulder, leaning forward as if offering a tiny paw for a handshake. Iris, however, only looked bored, barely sparing the interaction any enthusiasm. Instead, her gaze kept flicking over her shoulder, checking—praying—that the staring boy had finally stopped. So far, things weren’t looking good.

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Spoiler: Interactions

Interacting With:
→ EnviousWorm
→ Shawn_Michael