The Beginning of Your Journey!

"Uh, Yeah, just about..." Mark says, now hefting two duffle bags, one under each arm, and a back-pack strapped over his shoulders and secured tightly on his back. The only thing he was missing now was his suitcase, but, having not found it with the other bags, Mark assumed it would be waiting for him at his Dorm room. Something about that made his body heat drop a bit, but no matter, the thing was packed so tight with clothes, no one would be able to feel the bottles stashed inside.

"I don't suppose you'd be against a bit o' company on the way back..." He says, hoisting up his items and making sure they were all secure on him. "B'cause I'm guessing you have to bring those to the Dorms." Mark continues, gesturing to the cart-full of bags.

Tanner eventually bumps into Vera. "Hey, wat-" He then looks up to see it's a girl. "I uh, sorry. This place is crowded . . ." He says, nodding his head in apology.

Alex shrugs. "Dunno. I'm assuming it'll just be Ozpin givin' a speech about how he expects 110%, or that he's excited to see so many new and eager faces...I'm more looking forward to actually, ya know. Learning." He replies with a slight chuckle. He then looks over at Iden. "What about you? You excited to start up?"

--

Nix lets out a quiet, "Huh" before finishing the rest of his beverage. "Well, maybe you'll finally be able to fully use it here, eh?" He asks, getting up to throw his garbage away, resting his tray on a small rack above the garbage bin. He then returns to Leon, wiping his hands off on his hoodie. "Anything in particular you wanted to get done before the announcements?" He asks.

--

Vera, at first, is almost thrown completely off balance. Fortunately, she's able to use her hand, that was already outstretched to help Axis, to grab onto the tree trunk in front of her. "...Crowded, eh?" The girl asks, standing up and dusting her hand off on her vermilion skirt. She then looks around at the area they were in. "Crowded. Right." She says with a chuckle. Though, the slight furrowing of the brow, and the lightly annoyed twitch from her genet ears under her hat were slightly contradicting to her chuckle. "Might wanna pay attention to where you're walkin', buddy. Might not bump into someone so nice next time." She says with a slight smirk.

As soon as Dusk was sure he was far enough he made a circle and headed back to the tree he was laying at earlier, took out a book he packed with him, and sat back under the same tree, keeping an eye and an ear out for anybody looking or trying to talk to him or coming towards him.

"Yeah, we'll I'm not so nice either." Tanner states with a shrug.

Iden couldn't help but smile at what Alex said about Ozpin, Iden really didn't know much about the man except what she had read in books. She wondered how she would react to seeing him in person. But she let that thought shift to the back of her mind when Alex asked her question. She nodded once and looked to the sky, smiling, "Becoming a Huntress is all I've ever wanted. It's amazing that I'm here right now, I can hardly believe it."

Lí shrugs again at Mark's offer, saying, "If you want to," as he resumes pushing the cart. "Not going to the dorms, though." He grabs the other cart as he passes by, wheeling it along behind him.

--

Seeing Lí pass by with the luggage carts, Roland suggests, "Why don't we start getting everything and get settled in?"

"Oh... Uh, well... Alright then." Mark said, and began walking along with Li, somehow managing to keep pace, even though he was carrying three bags on his person. Somewhere along the way, Mark spoke up again, "You, uh, need any help with the second cart?... I can wheel it up for you, no trouble; it's all yours once we part ways, though."

In that little corner of Mark's mind, he was beginning to remember, and slightly realize why he was feeling a bit awkward. Bits of memory slipping in, whispers and rumors he'd heard once before, some odd years ago. Mark shook the feeling, deciding to better the mood, and be civil by at least offering to help with the luggage cart.

"Not really" Leon answers with a shrug, spinning the apple core on his finger idly. He didn't really know what the academy had to offer, so he didn't have anything to do.
--
Sean shrugs, bringing his deck back together and tucking the cards into the holster at his waist. Never having left, he never had a need to pack and unpack. Yet he waited, to help if needed.

Dusk got tired of reading his book, so he packed it away and decided to take a walk around the grounds.

( Sorry, guys. Finals and work had me way too occupied the past couple days >.> )

"Well, ain't you a walkin' ball of sunshine. That attitude will definitely take you places." Vera quips, her tail idly flicking every so often. She then looks back down at Axis. "Gonna get up any time soon, or...?" She trails off, holding her hand back down to her.

--

Nix nods, placing a single hand in his pocket. "Right, then. Lets get goin'. Get some good spots before they're taken." He suggests.

--

Alex chuckles and nods his head once. "Right, I getcha." He says, walking under the arch that led to the area where the announcements were going to take place. "Looks like we got here before it got too crowded. Would you prefer being closer to the stage, or further off?" Alex asks, turning his head to look at Iden.

--

Okiro nods, hefting her bag higher up on her shoulder. "I think that's a good idea." She replies.

Leon nods, standing up and throwing his apple halfway across the room for it to land in the trash can.

seeing everybody in the amphitheater, Dusk rushes in and grabs a spot near the exit, hoping to leave as soon as the speech or ,whatever it was, was done

Iden looked around to the partically crowded amphitheater and then looked to Alex at his question, "A-ah, I'd like to be in the back. Being so close to the teachers, it would feel like they are looking straight at me." she laughed nervously, realizing what she had just said.

---

Ashland walked into the amphitheater and slipped past the crowding students towards the platform in the front. Once he had made it there, he stood at the edge and shifted his hands to behind his back.

(I put Ashland out there once more... *wishes Ashland had more interactions* )

"I have it, but thanks anyway, Mark," Lí answers, still pushing and pulling the carts along. Trying to keep the one he's pushing in line, he over-corrects briefly and nearly directs it off the path. "...I got it..." he says, taking a moment to put the cart back on track.

--

"Before we get going, though, what shall we do tonight to celebrate the beginning of our last year as students?" Roland asks, looking to Sean and Okiro for answer.

--

Ozpin stands off to the side of the stage, listening to the bustle of the gathered students in the amphitheatre as he takes a sip of coffee from his mug. He sees Ashland standing ready for opening announcements, and raps his cane on the floor a couple times to draw his attention.

Sean flicks his wrist, a card popping out of his sleeve and into the space between his index and middle fingers.
--
Wayne, who had been in the aphitheater all along, pokes Octavia's shoulder to make sure she was listening, and locked his eyes on the headmaster.
--
Novus, who had just been getting into the amphitheater, leans against the back wall and watches from afar.
--
Leon begins walking out, following the flood of students moving through the halls

Mark, upon seeing the lead cart go off path for the briefest of moments, nearly moves to assist in righting the carts' direction. Once he hears Li's reassurance of control, though, he backs off. "Alright, uh... If you insist, man...." Mark says, sending a quick glance at Li, then looking over both carts, before going back to holding all of his packs in place.

"So, you think this year's gonna be any better?" Mark asked, looking ahead as he walked, gauging the distance of the campus Main Avenue. "Our third year, man... One more and then we're outta here..." Mark didn't give the question much thought. Small talk was small talk; not exactly time consuming, but it kept the mood from getting quiet.

"What do you mean by better?" Lí asks, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brow while he hopes the question wasn't referring to the rumors that circulated around him.

Damn, there it was again. The blasted tingling in the back of Mark's head, the universal sign that he's... tripped over his words and gone face first into a shit-pile.

"Uh, well, um... W-w-what I meant was, that, you know... The saying? "Every year is better than the last?" Or, uh... Something along those lines." Mark said, stuttering and stumbling his way through the sentence. "I-I'm just saying ya-uh... That-for, um... H-high hopes for smooth days from here on out, ya know? This year's better than last year, next year's better than this? Savey?... Heh-heh-heh..." Mark tried to play it off my giving a bit of a light chuckle at the end.... But lord, was his brain sizzling on the inside.

"Mark, don't try lying. You're bad at it," Lí says with a hint of irritation mixed with exasperation. Surreptitiously, he takes a deep breath to calm himself, not wanting to lose control of his emotions.

"I-I mean... I didn't mean... Ahh, damn it." Mark sighed, resigned to the fact that this time, he didn't succeed at lying. He brought up a hand and rubbed his fore-head, while using his finger and thumb to massage his temples. Mark knew that he'd made a reference to the past; albeit unintentional, once the words left his mouth, Mark couldn't exactly reel them back in.

Taking a breath to regain his normal flow of voice, Mark said, "Whatever you think I meant, man... I didn't mean it like that. My hand to heaven, I didn't mean it... When I said I hope for better days ahead, I really am just... Hoping, wishing for better days, for you and me both... Positive thoughts, yeah?"

"Not like that ever keeps things from going wrong," Lí mutters in response. They arrive at the entrance Lí's been using, and the fair young man turns to his classmate. "I need to get all this offloaded and sorted. Anything you still need?"

Mark didn't say much else after his attempted apology, and once the two of them had made it to the entrance, Mark felt just the slightest bit of weight lift from his shoulders. "I'm still in need of my last suitcase... I'd help you sort it, pick it out, but the weight from these duffel bags is starting to add up..." He said, patting both bags slung under his arms. Mark's arms might've been mechanized, but from his shoulders down, all human.

"I need to head to my Dorm, drop these bags off..." Mark continued, turning away and taking a few steps. He paused, then, and turned back to say, "I'll come back if I get the chance, but If you happen across my case, send me a message, or give me a ring on my scroll; I'll come down, get it myself." With that said, Mark gave Li a bit of a parting wave and friendly half-smile, "See you around, man..." He added lastly, turning away fully and walking off for the Campus Dorms.

Dusk leaned back, waiting to see if anything of any interest would occur soon.

Ashland blinked a bit at the sound off to the side and turned his head in the direction of the sound to see the Headmaster there. He smiled lightly at Ozpin, "Hello, Sir" he greeted the Headmaster.

Ozpin nods in greeting to Ashland, then glances in the direction of the main floor before returning his attention to the man with a questioning look.

--

Lí nods absently in response to Mark's parting words, getting the carts set so he can unload everything in one go. A few minutes later, all the luggage is sorted, and Lí leaves Mark's suitcase separate from the rest, sure that he'd return as soon as he put away his other bags.

"W-who the hell... Made... The dorm building layout?... S-sweet Jaysus..." Mark huffed, deprived of breath, taking the buildings staircase one step at a time. The walk to the dorm complex was a lengthy one, add to that the fact Mark's room was on the 4th floor? Well, it looks like cardio was covered for the majority of the year. Walking up and down these steps could count as leg, lung, and heart exercise; morning, noon, and night. Once he'd reached the forth floor, Mark only had one last leg of his journey to go through. The end of the hall. With a fatigued sigh, he pulled in a long, almost energizing breath, and pushed on through.

Aaaaaaand... The door's locked... The door... Is locked... Locked... Mark thought, now standing in front of his door, hand on the knob, and all of his bags removed and placed by the wall. He never even thought about the consequences, much less the action, as he brought up his right mechanized hand, balled it into a fist, and brought it down on the door knob, punching it clean off the door. The sound of splintering wood and the screech of metal echoed down the hall; any complaints that would follow, Mark would deal with when they came. For now, he was home for the year... Time to get situated. Grabbing his bags one by one, Mark tossed them haphazardly each into his dorm room, and stepped inside, closing the now knob-less door behind him.

Ashland could not quite decipher the look Ozpin was giving him but he decided to figure out what it might be. "Something troubling you, Sir?" he asked, taking a glance to the students as well, wondering if he could spot what had distrubed the Headmaster.

Tanner frowns slightly. "Take me farther than you, get more work done alone." He says, sniffing the air. She's a Faunus, and so is the other one. Great . . . Tanner thought silently to himself.

Vera raises a brow at the boy's choice of words, seemingly confused by what exactly he had meant. His frown, though, had only accentuated her slight annoyance, and combining that with the attitude he already carried, well. She wasn't having the greatest first impression. "I'm sorry, but what is that supposed to mean, eh?" She asks, placing a hand on her hip.

--

"Ah, hell. Probably shoulda gotten here, earlier." Nix comments as he walks in with Leon, both hands in his hoodie pockets. He looked around that the huge gathering of his fellow students, a confident grin on his face as he does so. He then looks towards center stage, seeing Ozpin himself. The man that had taken his application, and for whatever reason, accepted it. His fists clench in his pockets, and his grin grows wider. "C'mon. Let's find a spot before it really gets packed." He says to Leon, looking around for any empty spot.

--

The feeling of something solid connecting with her shoulder snaps Octavia out of her gaze, and she turns around to face the spectacled boy standing next to her. "Wayne? Something the matter?" She asks, tilting her head to the side just a bit to accent her curiosity.

--

Alex gives a slight chuckle, and nods his head. "Shiny, then. I'm sure most of the students wanna get a better look at Ozpin and Goodwitch, anyway. If we're lucky, there'll be plenty of open spots in the back..." He trails off and begins looking, noticing a particularly tucked away spot near some shadowed arches. "Kanpeki. There's a spot there. C'mon, Iden." He says with a small smile, beckoning his friend to follow.

--

"Well...I can probably make us a meal. A small collection of everyone's favorites." Okiro suggests with a slight shrug, not too sure how people celebrate much of anything.

--

"What was that?!" A voice asked, belonging to a bouncing bob of dirty blonde and blue hair. She walks down the hallway, seeing splintered wood and the remains of a doorknob in the middle of the hallway. A situation that seemed all too familiar, she approaches the door and barely nudges it, allowing it to swing open. "Maaaaaaark," Rudil chuckles as the door opens. "Did you forget your scroll and lock yourself out, again?" She asks her fellow third year with another chuckle.

( Phew! )