wrnpcs | (no subject)

Character(s): Headmaster Cid, and the applicant cadets Duo Maxwell, Fuuma Monou, Link, and Nill.

Location: The headmaster's office.

Rating: G

Open/Closed/Finished: Closed to the above.

Summary: This post will contain the trial threads for the above characters' applications (condensed to one post to reduce clutter). Headmaster Cid welcomes the new arrivals to the Final Fantasy VIII world.

[ Every day, it seemed, the Garden grew livelier with the activities of these off-world cadets. A fresh batch had arrived just this weekend, and after some cajoling of the registrar staff, their applications had been processed. Of course, there remained the matter of their interviews. ]

[ With a final slurp of the coffee in his mug, the headmaster righted his sweatervest before opening his office door to the waiting crowd. ]

((ooc: please reply with your character journal or another journal, noting in the subject line which character you are playing. each character will have his or her own individual thread.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, hello there.

[ The face that greets her is lined with wrinkles set deep from much laughter. Behind his small, round glasses are eyes one might even call jolly. He pushes the door open a bit further and ushers her in. ]

Step inside and let's have a chat.

[ Nill gives him a wary look, shuffling her feet and staring down at the floor. He seems nice enough, and they told her that this was so she could have a home here.

She looks up at Cid and manages a shy smile, nodding as she steps into the office. Nill gives the room a quick once-over, before deciding that it was safe. She lets herself relax a little, trying not to be so nervous.

A chat? It would be a little one sided, but she could give it a try. ]

Would you care for a cup of hot tea? Perhaps a little sip of cocoa?

[ He can tell this one is incredibly nervous, even to the point of fright. Though that doesn't bode well for early completion of the SeeD exam, there isn't a single speck of his heart that could turn the girl away. Her little additions alone would be enough to terrify many of those citizens who are ever-wary of the sorceress threat. ]

Let's see now...I'm afraid your file is shuffled about somewhere on that mess I call a desk! Your name again, if you please...?

[ Nill's eyes light up at the second offer, and she nods her head eagerly. Her instincts might have told her not to accept something from a stranger, but how could she turn down a treat like cocoa? ]

. . .

[ The girl looks at him curiously. Had no one told him? Nill placed a hand over her mouth and shook her head, before pantomiming writing motions. Her writing skills her far below average, but she could at least write her name. ]

Oh, goodness, that's right. You're our newest applicant without the use of a voice. I knew you'd be coming today, but well, I would lose my head if it weren't attached to my shoulders!

[ He calls over an intercom for an aide to bring in a cup of cocoa, as well as one of the electronic writing pads that have been issued to the other unspeaking cadets. ]

For now, why don't you just use this little notepad here?

[ She wasn't the only mute person here? Something about that was strangely comforting to the girl.

Nill takes the writing pad carefully, staring at for several minutes, brows focused in concentration. She moves over to his desk so that she had something to write against, before shakily writing out N I L L on the page. The handwriting was large and crooked, but legible.

Smiling shyly, she holds it up for him. ]

My, my. That's a lovely name you have.

[ That hot cocoa and electronic note come bustling in, in the hands of a helpful intern. The young man hands both directly to Nill before seeing himself out. ]

Here we are, a newfangled gadget that should make things somewhat easier. I'm not exactly sure of how to use it, but I think there is a pen stylus on the side? Aside from that, you can just type against its screen. Have you typed before? You choose the letters you want by touch.

[ Alright, she's decided. The man is nice, and she doesn't have much reason to be afraid-at least in this particular room. She takes both items from him, setting down the electronic gadget to first enjoy a bit of the hot cocoa. After a few pleasant sips she switches her attention to the device she's been given.

Typing? She's never even heard of it, let alone done it. But she recognizes the letters on the screen. Her fingers brush across them and her eyes widen as the same ones appear in the space above the keyboard. She presses more of them, forgetting all about the question he asked her.

Once the screen is filled with letters, Nill proudly presents it to Cid with a smile on her face. Did she do a good job typing? ]

[ Cid's smile softens. This one is a very special young lady. It pangs him to imagine her ever becoming a stoic, combat-hardened SeeD, but he knows that turning her away from their tutelage would put her, unarmed, directly into yet greater danger: the real world. ]

That is precisely it. You can string the letters together to type whole words in this way, and I have been told it is much less fatiguing on the hands than scribbling all day long with pen or pencil. You can keep that little electronic note with you, it's yours.

How is that cocoa?

[ All hers? Can she take it back home with her? Would it even work back home? Nill pulls the device back to her, clearing away the jumble of letters to type something a little less nonsensical. ]

[ She smiles again, bringing it back to type on once more. ]

[ Now that she had a way to communicate with relative ease, it was time to get down to business. Like how exactly was she supposed to get home, for example. ]

[ Cid clears his throat after a pause. ]

I'm afraid we aren't sure how to get you back home yet, Nill. Dr. Odine is working quite tirelessly on the matter, but there haven't been any breakthroughs as of yet.

[ There's good news, too, though! He scribbles his signature on a slip of his personalized paper. ]

You're welcome to stay here for the time being, until there's a way to send you back. How does that sound? Just take this slip of paper to the registrar and they'll sort out the details for you.

[ Nill nods as though she understands, but really all she got out of all that was that she can't go home. But if she had to pick a place to stay, it would definitely be here. Nill accepts the paper, carefully tucking it into a pocket of her dress. ]

[ She struggled a bit with the "th" but manages to spell it out. Part of her is a little excited despite all the nervousness. She sets the device she's been given down on the desk, smiling shyly before throwing her arms around Cid in a hug.

Thank you. ]

Oh, ho ho now.

[ Now that she's a new cadet, a salute would be more appropriate than a hug, but...well, Cid supposes he'll let this one slide. He pets her back, careful of her special appendages, then sends her on her way with her cup of cocoa. ]