Summer vacation is over, and school is back! Which means early mornings are back, for those who didn't spend summer vacation getting up early anyhow at least. No one is late yet, there's plenty of time before the first bell rings and students are straggling in to the grounds, chatting and gossiping and fussing about homework.
Naru loiters near the entrance to the grounds, leaning on a decorative stone pillar as she watches people arrive. A coffee to hand, she sips from it as she waits and watches, barely stifling a yawn that the coffee should, ideally, fully kill before geography class.
There is something about that teacher's voice that would put anyone to sleep. It's deadly.
It was a nice vacation! ... Or well, in Ariel's case, a nice gearing up to start her first year of school as a completely normal human earth child. Of course she's been showing up early every day, but there just isn't anything very normal about the girl.
Considering the little foriegn exchange student's main method of transportation from wherever she calls 'home', is to ride her dog to school.
The girl is tiny, and the dog is HUGE, so it works out easily enough, and makes for such an odd side as the huge hound plods right up to the entrance to the schoolgrounds, with the silver-haire child mounted on his back, holding onto scruffy neck-fur as though it were the most natural thing in the world to her. There is a slight moment of pause though. The big dog lifts his head, sniffing a little in Naru's direction- which in turn makes the tiny rider tilt her head to a slight angle.
Staaaaaaare.
Completely normal. Just like so many others who go to Seishou. Totally normal. Yep.
Naru watches the dog and girl approach and there's a quirk of her brow as she considers. She doesn't seem put off by being stared at, either just taking another drink from her take out coffee cup.
"That looks exceptionally efficient." Naru comments. "Good morning."
Efficient is one way to put it. Though it's another beat before Ariel even realizes she's staring, and the result is mild start, sitting up bolt straight with a funny little bleat.
Her cheeks darken when the full weight of the social faux pas settles in, but she manages to offer a little bit of a sheepish smile. "Um! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare." She speaks; tone incredibly formal and polite- bordering on archaic even. "G-good morning~." Chipper though.
"It's alright." Naru smiles warmly and easily. "Although I did start to wonder if I'd missed part of my uniform this morning or something." She glances down to confirm that yes, she really can get dressed half asleep.
Naru turns her attention back to Ariel and smiles. "Is it your first day? I'm Naru. I'm not sure your companion can go with you to your classroom. He, or she, might have to wait for you out here."
That silly little grin remains for a moment longer, but no, it does not seem to be related to Naru's state of dress. "Oh- no. No no, your uniform is fine!" Ariel chirrups, before shaking her head. "Ah, no, I started really late last term, just a bit before the break." She replies, before glancing down at her noble steed, who's tongue is hanging out. "I know. Lucky usually waits for me close by though until the end of the day, but..." Ah there's a but. Her lips purse, as though the girl is wondering whether or not her next question is impolite. She decides to ask it anyway.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah. That had to be odd, just get started and then have break." Naru comments with a nod. She looks down to Lucky as Ariel does and seems no less sincere in greeting the noble steed than she was in greeting Ariel. "Good morning Lucky."
Naru blinks at the question, her attention coming back to Ariel at the question. "Um. What?" She pauses and then smiles. "I'm fine. Just tired."
"It was a little bit yes." Ariel admits. "But it's okay, I can try and get used to everything now." She says.
BUT, Lucky has been greeted. And he replies in kind, a low, deep, "Wurf!" as he sits, lifting a single paw. Ariel only has to mildly shift herself when he does this, keeping herself leaned on the dog's back. She has to dismount in a moment to go to class anyway, so it is of little matter.
"I kind of um. Noticed." How tired Naru seems, she means. Something more than just the coffee perhaps giving it away.
"Pleasure, Lucky." Naru crouches a bit to be able to shake a paw with the dog. Enough time with various fairies, pixies, familiars and guardians make it just seem like a normal part of the conversation.
Naru looks a bit rueful as she straightens again. "Late night. Early morning. Terrible sleep in between." She gives a little shrug, as if this is just part of the way of the world. "If its that obvious, I should be worried that Usagi is going to pounce on me."
Introductions have been made! At least half way. Still, Lucky seems intelligent and mild mannered enough for the paw-shake, lazily wagging his tail.
"I'm Ariel, by the way!" The girl, herself, adds into the conversation. But then Naru explains. And she purses her lips. "Usagi?" Asked as though it were terribly related. She has not met Sailor Moon's civilian incarnation, so she's earnest in her attempt to ascertain just why. "Are you not sleeping well?"
"Usagi and I have been friends since we were little, and we're in the same class. She fusses." Naru says it with fond affection, the fussing isn't unwelcome. Another sip of her coffee and Naru returns to leaning a bit.
"Mmmm. I don't usually, no." Naru shakes her head a little. "It's not so bad though, you get used to it." She lifts up her cup in salute. "I'm glad to be fond of coffee."
Ariel makes a bit of a face. Coffee. Caffiene is a stimulant; used to keep people awake. She understands that much. Technically it is a bane to a denizen of the dreamworld, like herself.
It also tastes bad.
But the child's aversion to caffiene is not the point here. "I'm sorry." Well that's polite. "-That you're not resting well. Also for prying." She adds. Manners seem to be strong with this one, as she scootches off Lucky's back now. "The term just started, didn't it? I didn't think higher grades would be that rough." It's a little indirect, but if the case isn't schoolwork, then Ariel can be a little more certain in her assumptions.
Naru chuckles softly. "Kyouko shares your opinion on coffee." She comments at the face made. "Do you at least like tea? Or are you a 'no hot beverages' type?"
"It's alright." Naru shakes her head at the apology for prying. "It's not like you're asking all that terribly personal questions." She mmms softly and shakes her head again. "No no, I wasn't up studying. That's later in the term, and you'll watch all of the upperclassmen looking vaguely like zombies. Just helping out a friend, and then staying up /entirely/ too late chatting with another friend, and some bad dreams made me glad I wasn't supposed to meet anyone for a run this morning."
"Huh?" Kyouko is a name Ariel seems to be unfamiliar with, too. But the girl shakes her head. "Oh. No, not really a fan." Of coffee she means. "Tea can be nice! My mother used to make some with herbs and flowers but." She trails off at the memory.
Ariel chooses to move onm instead. "Eheh... Zombies are kind of scary." But. But, her attention is a little more raptly on Naru now. "Oh."
Bad dreams.
Just what she had been hoping she wouldn't hear. "... How bad?"
"Those can be really nice." Naru agrees with a little nod. "Before bed, nice and relaxing and soothing." She gives a little almost wistful sigh at the lack of napping her day is going to include.
"Well. Not really zombies." Naru assures her, and hopes that she's correct and no one mind controls the school or anything. Again. "Just acting like them."
"Hmm?" There's a blink of surprise at the question about her dreams and Naru quirks her head. "Uhh. Depends on the night, I suppose. And what's been going on in the day. Sometimes just a little bit of a weird thought waking up, sometimes I get a lot of painting done overnight." She smiles easily and shakes her head a little. "It's alright."
Not really zombies but act like zombies. Ariel makes that face again. The 'I just ate a lemon' pucker of confusion, but doesn't prod into that line of thought. Best to just not think about zombies alltogether. She purses her lips.
"Mm. Oh, you paint?" That's probably a good outlet, but Ariel is genuinely curious there, while prying for other reasons. It might be good to keep an eye out for potential bad dreams that could become... Much worse, in a much more terrible way. Even if she can't handle them on her own, she could maybe ask Seishi, or even Yuzuki for help.
She will at least politely wait for Naru's answer, but the bells start signalling that it's time to wander classwards. "I think we should get going. It was nice meeting you. --Lucky, stay."
A low wurf from her hound sounds his acknowledgement as he pads off to wander outside the grounds before it's time to pick her up again.
The bell catches Naru's attention too, and she looks over and makes a face. "I am going to bet that Usagi is going to be late again today." Her voice is still fond, resigned.
"Nice to have met you Ariel. And Lucky." She nods to both of them. "Yeah, I'm an artist. A little challenging at the moment, but that just keeps life interesting." She waves to the younger girl. "Have a good day!"