(Open) A new beginning

Hitomi sits on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Alone. She has been alone since she was told the heartbreaking news of her real father.

"This sucks...and Setsuna hasn't even talked to me in forever! Pfft! He said he cares...doubt it now..."

She suddenly sees someone out of her peripheral vision.

"H-Hey...you heard that, didn't you?"

(Chris, after finishing today's assigned homework, ventures into Yamaku's courtyard. Assuming that the place is completely vacant at such a late hour of the night, Chris begins reciting various celebrity impressions to himself. He is suddenly startled by the presence of a dark-haired girl wearing a hoodie. He approaches the girl cautiously.) Excuse me, ma'am, are you a student here?

"Uh...why would I be here if I wasn't?"

She scoffs and looks at him cautiously.

"You aren't gonna hurt me are you?"

So... Sorry if I give off the impression of a hoodlum. (Chris lowers his hood to reveal his unkempt blonde hair.) There, are you bit more at ease talking to me now, ma'am?

She blushes upon getting a good look at his face.

Oh man...he is so hot!

She giggles and nods.

"Yeah...of course I am...what's your name cutie?"

(Chris blushes as red as blood.) {Did she just refer to me as a... "Cutie"?} (Chris begins envisioning himself changing clothes for some reason.) I'm senior Christopher Cook, ma'am. I'm technically a foreigner. And you are?

"I'm a freshman...Hitomi is my name."

She giggles softly as he blushes.

(Hitomi's childlike giggling puts the tense Chris at ease almost instantly.) Pleased to meet you, Hitomi. How are you liking Yamaku?

"It's...wei-"

She falls onto her side and is sound asleep.

(Chris, not knowing exactly what has just inflicted Hitomi, begins shaking her just enough to resuscitate an unconscious person; however, Chris' attempts prove fruitless) Hitomi? {Damn, this isn't looking good... What to do? The infirmary's probably closed at this time of night... I may have to do what I did with Yuuji...} (Chris' eyes shoot up.) {A girl... In my dorm room. Oh, now's not the time to be experiencing an episode!!!} (Chris gently lifts Hitomi onto his back and carries her all the back to his dorm, occasionally catching whiff of whatever perfume Hitomi is wearing.) {She does smell quite good... Why am I full of such perverse thoughts!?}

She softly wakes up and realizes he is carrying her.

"W-What?! RAPE! RAPE! RAAAAPE!!!"

She starts panicking as she continues yelling.

(Realizing that the two are just outside Yamaku's student dorm building, Chris tries to calm Hitomi as best he can.) Hitomi, you fainted earlier. No need to make a scene. Now, do you mind telling what your fainting was all about?

Hawke sits in his dorm room pondering the finer points of apathy and procrastination (in other words doing absolutely nothing). In his hands is his acoustic guitar which he is playing along to Darren Korb's "Spike on a Rail" which is playing on his laptop. His window is open and he is staring out into the moonlit grounds beyond. As he nears the end of the song he is rudely interrupted by the sound of a piercing scream and a struggle somewhere just out of sight. Reacting quickly, he throws his guitar on the floor and struggled to run as quickly as he can to the scene.

He arrives a couple of minutes later to find his friend Chris struggling with what appears to be a small child.

What the... What the hell is he playing at?!

"CHRIS! What the... What are you doing?!"

Most people..Or, atleast Rii Nakamura assumed, would probably be asleep at such a ridiculous hour of the night. However, the seventeen year old had given up on sleeping after an hour of staring at her dorm room ceiling. She'd made her way out towards the courtyard, hoping for some traditional peace and quiet. Though, only a few steps out into the night air, her ears picked up the sound of quite a commotion nearby. Beginning to wander towards the noise, she noticed it was in the direction of the boys dorm - And absently wondered whether it would be advisable to turn back. Luckily, she soon spotted where the scene was taking place - Hell, it looked like a kidnapping! ...But that would be stupid, right?

Rii began to move over to the two..students?.. keeping dead quiet as she clutched at her pockets in her hoodie. It was far too late to be wearing the uniform.

(Chris wisely decides to help the struggling Hitomi to her feet. He then bows in repesct of Hitomi and turns to address the two incoming students.) Guys, I know what this looks like, but I assure you both have the wrong idea. I was actually helping Hitomi find a warm place to recuperate. (Chris begins to blush more red than ever before.)

"Recuperate... right." Hawke says to Chris, frowning slightly. Looking at the girl again, he realises that it isn't actually a child and actually a girl similar to her own age. He guessed she was 14, maybe 15.

Chris wouldn't hurt a girl like this... would he? I got the general impression that he was a genuinely nice guy. He can't have.

Scratching the back of his head in thought, Hawke turns to the girl "Hey there... You, er, you okay there? You gave me quite a fright when I heard you shouting." He says, and then gives her the most reassuring smile he can muster up.

Out of the corner of his eye he can see the other student that arrived at the same time as him, standing there looking concerned.

"Put me down you rapist! I am fine!"

She realizes he took her to another boy.

"No! Not twwo at once! I haven't even done it once! Let me go! LET ME GO! RAPE!"

Rii watched over the unfolding scene with an eyebrow raised in confusion at the girl - who was obviously freaking out, despite the calmness of the two other students around her. In truth, she'd caught the second guy as he'd arrived - so doubted he had anything to do with it, and this hardly looked like a rape seen. Shoving her hands in her hoodies pockets, she merely stood near the commotion - within sight, of course. But she could hardly intervene verbally. And she doubted anyone was going to pay heed to her writing down on a notebook.

Hitomi eventually calms down and walks over to the girl.

"H-Hey...are you here against your will too?"

She is still shaken despite her over reaction.

(Chris lowers his head and begins sobbing.) I'm sorry, Hitomi. (Chris runs off, out of fear that he's being treated like Frankenstein's monster yet again.)

She hears his words and pays no attention to him. She just nods.

"Okay..."

Rii shook her head in response to the females question - Hell, she had little to no idea what was going on at all. She'd only been at the school for a week, and already things were getting weird.

"Oh...okay...well I'm Hitomi...and you are?"

She smiles at the girl hoping for a response.

Rummaging in her pocket, the girl pulled out a small notebook and pen, before scrawling in it, and showing it to Hitomi.

~ M'names Rii.~

She reads her note and nods.

"Nice to meet you Rii...why can't you talk?"