Lena Westley
March 19, 2014 3:53 AM
Up the Stairs by Lena Westley
Lena wasn't ready to leave Cascade Hall when Professor Fawcett beckoned the first year Aladrens to him. He didn't look particularly excited to be there but he was rubbing his eyes and, though she could not relate presently, Lena supposed it wasn't a lack of interest but a need for sleep that drove him to looking as he did. She couldn't picture herself getting tired enough to avoid being absorbed in the scenery but she knew that even she would get acclimated to it. She usually didn't become blind to the features one found captivating when first encountering something but Sonora was grander than all the places she'd been before. Surely he was too used to it. He must have been there much longer than she had roughly imagined.As Professor Fawcett walked them to the library, Lena went from being immersed in the sights to being captivated by the smell of paper, leather, wood. She took long breaths in and faster breaths out as her eye lids drooped. No one would have seen this as her enjoying the library- from the outside it looked like Lena was very indifferent to this place even though libraries were one of her favorite places. Her eyelids having drooped, her wide, doe eyed expression had turned neutral and unexceptional; the erratic breathing, though not very noticeable, could have been interpreted as sighing. In truth she was wrapped up in sensory overload. She only had a vague notion of which book Fawcett had pulled from the shelf but was swept into the common room by the few of those behind her. The smell didn't go away as much as she would have thought. The air was warmer and smelled less of wood and more of upholstery but it had the same base smell of parchment.
Lena pricked up her ears and gave her attention to Professor Fawcett when he continued to list rules such as curfew, and helped locate useful things like the notice board. She started paying less attention again. She figured she could find most things on her own and if not she might ask someone*. Lena was put off the idea soon after she heard Professor Fawcett's comment on Aladrens being self sufficient. She figured it would be more of a nuisance to someone else if they had to help her than it would if she just found things herself. It was good she listened at this time so she heard that girls were to the left and not the right. She pictured it as going the other way, and though she was very happy with her assumption being wrong because she preferred left to right with an unprecedented favor, it would definitely give her pause when she needed to go up there. She waited through the questions, and when all were dismissed to their rooms she remained where she was. A few others sat in various places while waiting 'til the line died down as well but she didn't feel like getting comfortable only to have to move again soon.
*OOC: Lena might plan/think to ask someone (other than Olivier) but ultimately doesn't need to because she usually asks Olivier or figures it out herself.
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Lena Westley
Up the Stairs
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