Willow sighed happily. It took a little while, but the school was finally up and running. Classes started on Wednesday, but since it was Saturday, girls were starting to move into the dorms. Willow roamed the large campus, and found herself at the far stables, and went to visit some of the other animals.
"Hello," she said, scratching Kanya's chin. The unicorn nuzzled the godess' hand, her horn resonating a warmth that that made Willow feel unbelievably joyful. The unicorns asked Willow if they could go out to graze, and she opened the stalls, releasing the unicorns, the pegases and Coreema, the winged unicorn. Willow knew that the dragons wouldn't tangle with the unicorns, and that all the creatures were as excited about school starting as she was. She skipped around the pasture, just rejoicing in the feel of the wind on her skin.
Friday
Friday stepped out of the cab, pulling her bags out with her. She had determindly refuse to let the driver put her things in the boot as she had heard stories about dishonest drivers (or just forgetful ones) driving off with your luggage still in their car. She paid the fare, and then took at good look at the school.
"Well," she said. "This is the best looking school I've ever seen."
Bags in hand (or otherwise slung over shoulders) she made her way to what appeared to be the admin block.
Dakota
Dakota stepped out of the limo, arguing with the driver who insisted that he help her with her bags. SHe sighed and agreed, and started lugging her own bags inside. She went up to the front desk.
"Hi, I'm looking for my room assignment?"
"Name?" the secretary asked, her translucent wings flapping slightly.
"Dakota Fanning. I don't mean to be rude, but what species are you?"
"I'm a pixie," the pixie gave Dakota her room assignment and the young actress headed to her room.
Lazer and Salena
Elizabeth "Lazer" McKinley opened the door to her room, only to discover in disgust that not only did they have to share, but her roommate was ready in there.
Oh dang... she had a violin too. Great. That's all she needed.
She stepped inside and dumped her stuff next to the unclaimed bed.
"Hi," said Salena softly. "I'm Salena."
"Good for you," Lazer replied.
Salena watched the other slayer for a minute - she had more piercings than she had ever seen on any one person in her life. But she supposed she was used to moving within a more... sophisitcated crowd. Salena glanced at her violin case. Why, why, why did she have to be a slayer? She had been perfectly happy being a concert violinist, and then... then that one vampire showed up...
She shuddered, not wanting to think about it.
But seriously, she wanted to know why her. Her roommate looked more suitable. She probably didn't have to worry about ruining her hands. If anything happened to Salena's hands... if she couldn't play again...
She didn't want to think about that either.
Salena continued her unpacking.
Lazer didn't bother unpacking. She had been shifted between enough foster homes in the past that she had sincere doubts about how long she's be here. But that aside, everything in her bag was going to have to come out eventually, why should she take them out before she needed them?
Satisfied that her things were in order (even if she had sincere doubts about her roommate), Lazer left the room to invesitgate her latest residence.
Armelle
Armelle passed a very strange looking girl with a lot of piercings and headed into her room, surprised that she not only had a roommate, but also that her roommate was already unpacking.
"This is absolutely unacceptable," Armelle's assistant said, "I'm going to have you moved to a private room immedately," Armelle sighed.
"Olivia, leave. Now. Go home, and tell mother that I am fine, and I will write her soon."
"Absolutely not."
"Out, now. You've done your duty, seen that I arrived in one piece, now please, get gone." Armelle stared at her assisstant who had been harrassing her and babying her the entire trip from Denmark.
Friday
Friday looked up at Armelle and her assistant. She waved her hand at the assistant.
"Yes," Friday agreed. "Begone mere peon."
She turned back to her packing. So that was going to be her roommate. Well, didn't she look all pretty in that dress?
If Friday got a ditz for a roommate... well, she wouldn't be responsible for her actions.
Armelle
Armelle grabbed Olivia and physically removed her from the room, before locking the door.
"Hello, I'm Armelle," she said shyly.
Friday
Friday decided that she was at least going to give the girl a chance, seeing as they were going to be stuck with each other.
"I'm Friday," she replied. "Yes, as in the day of the week."
Dakota
"I am Armelle Brianne Christine Margrethe. I am from Denmark. Are you Australian?" she asked.
~*~*~*
Dakota looked around her room. She wanted to get all moved in before her roommate arrived.
Friday
"Yup," Friday replied. "And that's quite a mouthful you have there."
**********
Kendra checked the door number - yes, that was hers - opened the door and let herself in.
"Oh! Hi!" she exclaimed at seeing someone in there.
Dakota
Armelle started to unpack, hanging up all her dresses in the closet. She noticed that Friday didn't have many dresses. She noticed a jewelry box tucked into her suitcase. She opened it and sighed, closing it and throwing it across the room, going into the washroom to unpack her toiletries.
~*~*~*~
"Hello, I'm Dakota. What's your name?"
Friday
Friday looked over at the smashed jewerlly box. Hey, maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all.
"There. Done," she said smugly, her things all away.
**********
"Kendra," Kendra replied shyly. "I... I guess we're roommates..."
Dakota
Dakota grinned and shook Kendra's hand. "I like your jeans. I'm always made to wear dresses, but now that I'm here, maybe I can wear pants again."
Kendra
"Ugh, dresses," Kendra replied. "I avoid them, and skirts as well, at all costs."
And Kendra promptly dumped her stuff on the floor. Growing up around guys, she didn't have a lot of the female variety in her life - the idea of going to a all girls school made her nervous.
But it looked like everything was going to be just fine.
Dakota
"I like you," Dakota decided. "How old are you, anyway? I'm ten."
~*~*~
Armelle walked out of the washroom and back into the bedroom in a tizzy. She was muttering to herself in Danish, reaching up to unpack her books onto the bookshelves. She carefully placed her Oz and Narnia books, in their decorative boxes up on the shelf.
~*~*~
Darcy smiled as she hung her drapes over her window. Black, of course. Her bedding was black, her clothing was black, even the edging on her posters and paintings were black. She stroked her snake as she set up his tank.
Friday
"Twelve," Kendra replied. "This is some place huh?"
**********
Friday opened up the curtains and looked outside the window. She wondered where to go for weapons - she had to leave her sais behind in Australia, not wanting to have to deal with customs and airport security. Which meant she had to get new ones here.
**********
Tiffany Stein flicked her fabulously fine long blonde hair as she stepped into her room. With a final pull, she rolled her two wheelled suitcases into the room and looked around critically.
"Really, all this black..." she tsked. "I suppose that was all your doing."
She gave Darcy a dirty glare.
Dakota
Dakota grinned.
"This place is going to be so much fun! WE get to do real school, which is fun, because normally I'm tutoured, yeck, it's enough to gag a maggot. Then we get to do all this Slayer training. I hope I never meet a real vampire yet, though. I'm not very big."
~*~*~
Armelle opened her bag and removed her fan. At first glance it looked to be a regular fan. But closer inspection proved that the pieces of the fan were actually sharpened blades. An idea she got from the tv show "Highlander," that one of her brothers was obsessed with.
"What kind of books do you like to read?" Armelle asked Friday.
~*~*~
Darcy gaped. "Oh dear lord. What sins did I commit in my past life?" she asked quietly under her breath, ignoring her roommate's comment.
"That's your side of the room. I've been here for hours, I I decorated it the way I wanted." SHe dove into her bed and cuddled into her think black duvet, grabbing a book of poems by Poe.
Friday
"I suppose the whole point of the training is that they expect us to meet vampires," Kendra said. "Otherwise, what's the point of being called a vampire slayer?"
**********
"Sci-fi mainly," Friday replied. "And I read comic books. Primarily Elektra. Elektra is extremely cool. I have sais at home. And I had a couple of stakes made that look like sais, but I wasn't willing to try and get them through customs or airmport security so they're all at home. I need to get some new ones."
**********
Tiffany ignored the fact that Darcy had ignored her and continued her inspection.
"They call this closet space? Why there isn't nearly enough room for what I have... and I still have three bags to come!"
She narrowed her eyes.
"And what is that? Do they let you have pets here - Omigod! It's a snake!"
And Tiffany promptly started freaking out.
Dakota
"WEll, of course we'll have to meet vampires someday, I just don't want to meet any yet. Hey, let's go explore!" Dakota said to her roommate.
~*~*~
Armelle smiled. "Do you like my fan? My brother had it made for me when he found out I was a slayer. I don't get to spend much time with Edvard, but he is such a wonderful brother. He's so busy, though, always in meetings and such. I've dined with him three times this year, and will probably not see him again for quite some time."
~*~*~
Darcy rolled her eyes. "He's in a tank, you twit. Willow already gave me permission when she came to my hosue to enroll me. Besides, he's just a cornsnake, he can't hurt you. He only eats mice."
Friday
"Okay!" Kendra agreed.
She opened up the door and stepped out.
**********
Friday eyed the fan for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"Are those blades?" she asked. "That's awesome!"
**********
Tiffany shuddered.
"You are such a freak," she declared and turned her back on Darcy.
She put her hands on her hips, and tried not to think about the horrible snake. Then she began to unpack. Out of spite, more than anything else, she located her linin and pillows first and made her bed. Pink sheets. Pink fluffy pillows. Pink blanket.
Dakota
Dakota followed Kendra down the hall. "I read in the panphlet thingy that there's stables. Wanna go see the horses?"
~*~*~
Armelle grinned. "It was fashioned after a character from Highlander. She used it to cut off heads. I've only used it on two vamps, but it works pretty well. I didn't have to worry about customs," she huffed. "Mum being the ueen and all. I was SO glad to get out of there."
~*~*~
"Thank thee muchly. I freak I so very am," Darcy said, grinning and sinking under her covers some more. She needed sunglasses to shelter her eyes from the glare of all that PINK!
"Gods, you are so cutesy I think I am going to puke."
Friday
"Oh cool!" Kendra said, her eys glittering.
She paused.
"Which way do we go to get out?" she mused.
**********
"Like that is it?" Friday asked. "I had to have the sai-stakes made... unfortunately sais aren't the best weapons for taking of heads, being a more stabbing weapon. So you can imagine the wooden versions work pretty well on vampires. But I tend to use my real sais on the other demons."
She gave a wry smile.
"I've been a slayer for a little over a year now."
**********
Tiffany decided to continue ignoring Darcy. Maybe she would disappear.
She opened up the closet doors and started trying to fit her pretty pastel clothes in.
Dakota
"Um, I think it's that way," Dakota pointed.
~*~*~
Armelle grinned. "From the way Miss Rosenberg described it, we all became slayers at the same time, but some of us didn't figure it out right away. I had a Watcher show up on my doorstep about six months ago, ordering me that I be trained. My mother, of course, being who she is, wanted to sweep it all under the rug and pretend none of it was real."
~*~*~
Darcy put her book aside and turned on the stereo, Marilyn Manson coming out the speakers. She pulled her covers over her head and tried to fall asleep.
Friday
"Okay," and Kendra started headed down the direction Dakota had indicated.
Sure enough, it lead outside.
**********
"My first clue was when I was opening up a jar... and it went flying across the kitchen and cracked a tile," Friday grinned. "I thought my human side had mutated at first, but no, I was a slayer. And they were deviously and sneaky and conniving about how they conned me into getting trained and stuff. My watcher is 99 years old, and looks 20."
**********
Tiffany shrieked and clamped her hands over her ears. Ugh! Who listened to that garbage?
"Turn off that crap!" she demanded. "How's a girl supposed to unpack with that racket going on?"
Dakota
Dakota led Kendra to where the directions said the stables would be.
"Horses! yay!"
~*~*~
Armelle looked confused. "You're only half human? What's the other half?"
~*~*~
Darcy slipped her hand out from under the covers to give TIff the finger.
"Sorry girly, but Marilyn Manson has more talent in his right bast than you do in your whole body. It's the middle of the day. I'm trying to sleep here," she said.
~*~*~*
Susanna and Keisha met each other on the way to their room, unpacked and decided to meet some other girls, chatting about stuff the entire way. They had a lot in common, since they were both fourteen and from AUstralia. They wandered through the dormitory looking for people to talk to.
Friday and Ryder
Kendra admired the horses in the neighbouring field.
"Oooh... aren't they amazing?"
"I say, what are you girls doing here?" Ryder asked from behind them.
**********
"Ohh..." and Friday had the grace to look bashful. "I forgot... most people I know, well, know. I'm half Dathrian - alien."
Friday gave a dramatic sigh.
"That was half the reason for me getting harrassed so soon after I was slayerfied. They've got alien vampires running around, and have got it into their heads I'm the appropriate person to fight them."
**********
"Yes, it is the middle of the day, so why are you trying to sleep?" Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Hello? Daytime meant for being active..."
A smile then crossed her face.
"Or maybe... maybe you're saving your strength for the club tonight?" she asked with a snort, as if she didn't believe that Darcy would ever be seen at a night club.
**********
Lazer walked around the corner and practically fell over a couple of girls.
"Hey, watch where you're going," she snapped.
Dakota
"Just looking at the horses," Dakota said with her best 'I was in a bunch of movies playing the perfect little angel so now you think I AM a perfect little angel' smile.
"My daddy bought me a horse for my birthday, and my mother had her brought here. I just wanted to go see her."
~*~*~*~
"Interesting," Armelle said. "I guess I became a slayer last February, but I didn't find out about it until my the debutante ball, about a year later. All I really knew is that I was suddenly stronger, and my dreams were more strange. BUt we had a debutante ball, for my younger sister's coming-out, and several members of the orchestra, were all of a suddn snarling at me with their nasty faces. The next day my Watcher showed up and told me what I was. It was crazy.
~*~*~*~
Darcy smirked. The only dance club she'd ever been to would have made Tiffany faint. The music, the way the people dressed, that girl would drop dead as soon as somebody tried to bite her.
"Honey, we're vampire slayers. Vampires come out at night and sleep during the day. People sleep at night. If we stay up all day, when it's time to fight, we'll be exhausted. Of course, you've probably newver even killed anything yet, you perky little automoton. I, on the other hand, have been training with my watcher since I was ten years old. THey knew I was a POtential Slayer, and when Buffy Summers died, I was fully prepared to take over. SO, yes, if we were normal girls, this would be the time to be active. But if you want to keep your neck intact, I would suggest resting during the day and training at night." Darcy picked up a pebble and threw it at the wall without looking. THe pebble bounced off the light switch and the room wnet dark.
~*~*~*~
Suzanna and Keisha glared at the girl, and Keisha spit out something very nasty in Maori, which caused Suzanna to laugh, since her grandmother was Maori, and she got the joke. The girls slapped five nad continued to walk away.
Friday and Ryder
"Ahh, I see," Ryder nodded. "Which one is yours?"
**********
"Well, that's one way to do it," Friday mused. "Dude... a debutante ball... I'm so glad I never had to go to one of those."
She shuddered.
**********
Tiffany shrieked and fumbled for the light switch.
"How am I supposed to unpack with the light off?" She demanded at the top of her voice. "And I don't care what anyone says, I'm not going to fight some stupid vampire. I might break a nail."
**********
Lazer scrowlled after them, and continued on her own explorations.
Dakota
"Pepper. He's a bay. I wanted to introduce him to my new friend," Dakota said, being as cutesy as she could.
~*~*~*~
"They can be fun sometimes, as long as your escort isn't a total jerk. It can be fun to get all dressed up," Armelle said. "Like when my brother took me to the Academy Awards a couple years ago, that was SO fun."
~*~*~*~
Darcy rolled her eyes. "You're a slayer. You have good night-vision, and really good reflexes. Sense where things go! What, do you know anything about being a slayer?"
Ryder and Friday
Ryder nodded slowly.
"Okay," he said agreeably.
"Oh goody," Kendra said. "Thank you... uhh..."
"Ryder, my name's Ryder."
**********
"You went to the Academy Awards?" Friday asked with raised eyebrows. "Cool."
**********
"Oh, go stuff it where the sun don't shine," Tiffany replied.
She frowned in annoyance when she couldn't fit everything in. Then she made a concerted effort not to frown, as frowning could give her wrinkles.
Dakota
Dakota grinned and skipped off to the stable, pulling Kendra along with her. "I am so good at that," she said giggling.
~*~*~
"Yeah, hey, if you wanna go to the next ones with me, you probably can, since I'm not anticipating getting a boyfriend here." Armelle said, laughing.
~*~*~
Darcy drifted off to sleep, Marilyn Manson singing darkly in the background.
Friday
"Umm, you were being silly," Kendra said. "It wasn't like he was accusing us of anything."
She shook her head.
"So, which one's yours?"
**********
Friday snickered.
"Sure," she said. "And just so you don't get accused of being a lesbian by the press, I'll even go as a boy."
She grinned, and promptly turned herself into one.
"Volia."
Dakota
"EH, it's still fun to act. If I'm not allowed to work right now, I don't want to get rusty," Dakota said, winking.
~*~*~
"That is really cool," Armelle said, "Hey, you make a cute boy."
Friday
Kendra shrugged.
"But seriously, which one's yours?"
**********
Friday grinned.
"I've heard that. I ought to get a photo of my male self sometime and then show it to my female self," he joked. "You're pretty damn good looking yourself."
Then Friday changed herself back.
"Uhh, yes... downside to turning into a boy... I keep checking out all my female friends. I mean, no offence or anything, but I just don't swing that way," and Friday chuckled. "That's my alien power though. Sex change. Oh, and atom manipulation."
Dakota
"He's over here," Dakota said, pulling Kendra over to Pepper.
~*~*~*~
Armelle grinned. "Not a big deal to me. I'm royalty, honey, we have styalists and so many other crazy people around, Let's just say I've gotten used to um, unusual sexual situations. The man who does my hair always asks me when he can get a date with my brother. My brother who is about to be king of Denmark."
Friday
"Oooh," cooed Kendra. "He's gorgeous."
**********
"Yeah, well, you might be used to it. But I'm straight. And it's seriously disturbing to look at other girls and know that may male self thinks they're hot. I mean, no offence, but eww," Friday replied. "Hang on a sec... what did you say? You're royalty?"
Dakota
"Do you know how to ride? If you don't you can ride double with me," Dakota asked Kendra.
~*~*~*~
"Oh, I thought I had mentioned that. Yeah, my mom's the queen of Denmark, and my oldest brother is going to be King," Armelle said.
Friday
Kendra shook her head.
"No, I don't," she replied. "Baseball on the other hand..."
Kendra grinned.
**********
Friday gave a low whistle.
"Spiffy," she said. "I dunno... maybe you did... Maybe you mentioned it when we were talking about weapons. I get a little... focused? When I talk about them. I love my sais."
Friday grinned.
Dakota
Dakota saddled up Pepper and got a stool. "I'm gonna get up, and you can get on behind me, "
~*~*~
"It's so annoying. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to be a princess. THey never asked if I wanted to be all prim and proper. Hey, maybe I wanted to be a racecar driver. Nobody asked me," Armelle said, picking up the broken tiara off the ground.
Friday
"Uhh, okay," Kendra said.
**********
"Well... as Princesses are usually born into it, I think that would explain why," Friday nodded. "But I mean, it's not like you're heir to the throne or anything. Why do what they say? If you want to be a race car driver, then be a race car driver. And hope that your older siblings don't abdicate."
She grinned, and then went on:
"Of course, it looks like it's happened to you again. None of us here asked to be vampire slayers, and well..." Friday gestured with her hand. "We are. Unfortunately, you can't fake your death and go undercover as a commoner or something, because wherever you go, them vampires will hone in on your signal."
Dakota
Dakota helped Kendra up behind her. "Put your arms around me and hang on. I won't let him go very fast. And trust me, it's fun."
~*~*~
Armelle grinned. "Well, we didn't get to pick who we were born to, or what powers we were given, but at least we can try and make the best of it. At least this school year might actually be tolerable. You seem like a fun person to hang around. Do you know how to drive?"
~*~*~*~
Carlee hitched up her overalls and headd inside the dorm building. She bumped into a sulky girl with green hair and facial jewelry.
"Howdy, I'm Carlee. Mind telling me if you know where I'm supposed to go?
Friday
Kendra got herself setlled behind Dakota.
"Whoa," she said softly, steadying herself. "Okay, ready when you are."
**********
"Well," said Friday. "I did get my learners in Australia... and Dad did start to teach me, but since I'm in the States right now, and probably will continue to do so for the next couple of years, I thought I would try and get an American licence. So whoo hoo, get to learn a whole new set of rules and try and figure out what kilometres are to miles."
A grin crossed herself.
"And you don't seem so bad yourself. I was worried for a while you'd turn out to be some sort of ditz. But I suppose all those dresses and skirts and stuff are like, compulsary princess wardrobe?"
**********
Lazer gave her a dark look.
"It's back that way," she pointed. "And next time freakin' look where you're going."
Gee, that was the second time that day someone had banged into her. What was wrong with these people? She thought that being a slayer gave you better reflexes.
Dakota
Dakota gave a little nudge with her ankles, causing Pepper to move forward, first as just a slow walk.
~*~*~
"IT's even worse than that," Armelle said. "WE have to learn to drive on the RIGHT side of the road! These crazy AMericans, they can't even drive right. My brother's been teaching me, but I'm going to have to learn again.
~*~*~
Carlee rolled her eyes at the little brat. "Whatever."
Friday
"Oooh," gasped Kendra.
It was so weird feeling the horse move beneath her.
**********
Friday nodded.
"I know. We drive on the left too. Seriously, America is like some sort of rebellous teenager - it insists on defying anything their parent says. And England is it parent - or one of them," Friday grinned. "I like to think of Australia as the adolesant kid - still trying to figure out who's example to follow."
**********
Lazer gave her a second dark look and went on her way. Twit.
Dakota and Armelle
Dakota gave Pepper a light kick with her heels and he moved forward in a fast walk. "Just let me know if he's going to fast," she told Kendra.
~*~*~
"Meanwhile," Armelle said, "Denmark's like an old aunt or uncle, not responsible for the kids, but still attempting to be a good role model."
Friday
"Okay," Kendra said.
She bounced a little very now and then, but otherwise she seemed to stay on Pepper okay. Kendra tried to get used to the rhythm of Pepper's stride.
**********
"Which raises a good question," Friday said. "If England is the mother country, who's the father country? And what does that make third world countries that have been around longer? The old aunt or uncle who can never get it right?"
Dakota
Dakota signaled to Pepper to go a little faster, and he went into a trot.
~*~*~
Armelle laughed. "I suppose I should finish setting everything up," she said, "You know, hang pictures on the wall, put clothes in the drawers, etc.," she said with a sigh.
Friday
Kendra was definitely starting to enjoy the ride.
**********
"Eh, who cares?" Friday asked. "I'm only going to take my clothes out of my bag when I want to wear them, and put them away when they've been cleaned. And I didn't bring anything for the walls..."
Armelle
"You don't have pictures of family and friends?" Armelle asked surprised.
Friday
"Why would I want them?" Friday asked. "My mother practically kicked me out and sent me to live with my Dad when she found out I had alien powers. I've only lived with my Dad and his family for a year. And I don't have a photo of my best friend, but even if I did, I'm not sure I'd want her sitting on my dressing table looking at me all the time."
Armelle
"Oh," Armelle said, "I always put my pictures up, it makes my room feel less strange."
Friday
"Fair enough," Friday replied. "Meanwhilst, I think I'm going to find out where the dunny is."
Armelle
"The dunny? Oh, do you mean the loo?" Armelle asked.
Friday
"Dunny, loo, lavatory, john, can, little girls room, toliet... whatever you wanna call it," Friday grinned.
Armelle
Armelle laughed. "How many words for washroom do you reckon there are? And it's right through there, by the way," Armelle said, pointing
Friday
"Ah ha! Good. Now next time I need to go, I don't risk having an accident looking for the place," Friday nodded. "And I reckon there are loads. Why? Because some people get embarrassed when talking about natural bodily functions, so they have to come up with all these alternate ways to express what they mean."
Armelle
"Probably. I'm going to go look for wherever it is they keep the food, because I am starving."
Friday
"Okay. I think I might investigate the toliet facilities. See ya later," Friday said.