The New Girl (CLOSED)

[The Selkie]

Hello and welcome to The New Girl!
This RP is closed and between me, The Selkie, and Fuso-. While you are not allowed to post (unless you are Fuso or me), you are of course free to read along this story of a girl trying to find her place in a new environment.

Have fun!

Ceili Feighlínna of the Tribe of Antrim.
Railway Station of the Iris Boarding School Complex, near Fortham.
Meeting new students was always a pleasure - especially transfers, which arrived after the year had started. That happened from time to time, especially with the sons and daughters of foreign representatives, like this one.
Shino Manaka was, to my knowledge, the 14 year old daughter of the Fusoan/Fusonese Ambassador to Fortham and she would be transferred into Dorm 15, the dorm under my supervision.
Twenty-four young men and women were living in five flats in the building in the Iris Village not too far away from here, it was my task to see to it, that they were all well and healthy. The flats, and Dorm Families, were co-ed, too.
They were good young men and women, too.
In any case, it was now eight o'clock in the morning, the train from Fortham would arrive soon and I expected the young woman with a small sign with her name written on it in Latin letters. She should be one of the very people onboard the train.
Before we got her settled into her Dorm, and checked how good her Selkie was, we would have to do some paperwork in the Rectorate. She could get her school books with one of her new Dorm Family later today.
It was Mid-May, the weather was sunny, but not too warm (but not cold either), so one could get away with wearing a jacket. The forecast said, that it would be sunny today and tomorrow, but starting Wednesday, it would get colder for a few days. With the station being essentially a platform of concrete with a few benches, one was feeling the weather.
She would be alright - after all, she wasn't the first diplomat's daughter to live at our school.

[Fuso-]

Somewhere someplace, Fortham, the Free Lands

Adapting to living six hours earlier than what Shino Manaka had been used to back in Edo was never honestly pleasant, and it had taken a whole week to get her Rhyth­mus back in some semblance of order. Having now acquired a sleeping schedule somewhat resembling that of a normal human being, the next task as a normal fourteen year old in a new place was naturally... getting to her new school.
Waking up at around six in the morning, Shino had gotten dressed in the only respectable thing she had for an event like going to a new school - her summer uniform from her old school. White shirt with a navy blue sailor collar, the school crest on the navy blue patch under her neck plus the black neck tie. A navy blue knee-length skirt, white socks and her favourite black loafers completed the getup.
A good breakfast later, our protagonist and her mother were in one of the embassy's cars departing from the residence to a train station near them, they would then deposit themselves in a train going to Iris Station and from there on, the actual school Shino was going to attend for the next four years. A big problem was going to probably be the language - Shino would probably get along on English alone but she had not even the foggiest idea of what Selkie was like. Hopefully... she would learn rather quickly or the next few weeks would be... pain...

A suitably long period of time commuting later, the train arrived at Iris Station, and Shino plus her mother discharged themselves onto the platform along with a gaggle of other people. So far at least, the experience wasn't too different from Edo back home. The question was now... where their contact person was. Standing out here in the middle of a foreign station in a foreign country did make them stand out after all, what with one dressed in a foreign school uniform and the other a stuffy businesswoman's suit.

[The Selkie]

Somewhere someplace, Fortham, the Free Lands

Adapting to living six hours earlier than what Shino Manaka had been used to back in Edo was never honestly pleasant, and it had taken a whole week to get her Rhyth­mus back in some semblance of order. Having now acquired a sleeping schedule somewhat resembling that of a normal human being, the next task as a normal fourteen year old in a new place was naturally... getting to her new school.
Waking up at around six in the morning, Shino had gotten dressed in the only respectable thing she had for an event like going to a new school - her summer uniform from her old school. White shirt with a navy blue sailor collar, the school crest on the navy blue patch under her neck plus the black neck tie. A navy blue knee-length skirt, white socks and her favourite black loafers completed the getup.
A good breakfast later, our protagonist and her mother were in one of the embassy's cars departing from the residence to a train station near them, they would then deposit themselves in a train going to Iris Station and from there on, the actual school Shino was going to attend for the next four years. A big problem was going to probably be the language - Shino would probably get along on English alone but she had not even the foggiest idea of what Selkie was like. Hopefully... she would learn rather quickly or the next few weeks would be... pain...

A suitably long period of time commuting later, the train arrived at Iris Station, and Shino plus her mother discharged themselves onto the platform along with a gaggle of other people. So far at least, the experience wasn't too different from Edo back home. The question was now... where their contact person was. Standing out here in the middle of a foreign station in a foreign country did make them stand out after all, what with one dressed in a foreign school uniform and the other a stuffy businesswoman's suit.

Ceili Feighlínna of the Tribe of Antrim.
The train arrived and quite a few people got off - people, who worked around the Complex, including some teachers, who didn't have the First Lesson. I nodded to Mister Mudaris, the Kyrenaian Teacher (and teacher of the Kyrenaian Language) returning the gesture with a smile.
Raising my sign, no one bit immediately.
There was, however, the girl in school uniform and the strict-looking woman next to her, who remained on the platform.
I decided, that they might be who I was looking for, or rather the girl was.
With a smile, I shouldered my sign and made my way over.
"Good morning!", I greeted in English and smiled. I did have an accent, the melodic cadence and dropped vowels so typical for my people. If one looked into the tourism brochures for our land, I was not what smiled back at one, I'll freely admit that, but I was well into my seventies and very spry for my age. "You must be Shino." I smiled at the girl, expected her to bow her head first, as she was the younger one. "I am Ceili Feighlínna of the Tribe of Antrim, the Dorm Mam of Dorm 15, the one you were assigned to. It is a pleasure to meet you."

[Fuso-]

Iris Station

Time always seemed to slow down when you were waiting aimlessly, and casually doing so in a foreign train station was really no different. In reality, what felt to Shino like at least a dozen minutes was really just a minute or so, as an elderly-looking teacher approached and greeted them with a "You must be Shino."
"Yes Ma'am. I am^[1] Shino." Manaka replied with a tiny bow of her head as her mother did the same, then Shino Sena, the Lady of the Shino household took over, "And I am Shino Sena. Manaka's mother. It is my pleasure." as she stuck a hand out to shake.
With the pleasantries completed Manaka began as she demonstratively tugged her skirt a bit: "So... where to now Feighlínna-sensei? I gather that there are things to do? Including but not limited to... a change of uniforms?" Finishing with a nod towards her uniform shirt, Shino held to await the reply.

---

[1]: Imagine that Shino literally says Watakushi here.

[The Selkie]

Iris Station

Time always seemed to slow down when you were waiting aimlessly, and casually doing so in a foreign train station was really no different. In reality, what felt to Shino like at least a dozen minutes was really just a minute or so, as an elderly-looking teacher approached and greeted them with a "You must be Shino."
"Yes Ma'am. I am^[1] Shino." Manaka replied with a tiny bow of her head as her mother did the same, then Shino Sena, the Lady of the Shino household took over, "And I am Shino Sena. Manaka's mother. It is my pleasure." as she stuck a hand out to shake.
With the pleasantries completed Manaka began as she demonstratively tugged her skirt a bit: "So... where to now Feighlínna-sensei? I gather that there are things to do? Including but not limited to... a change of uniforms?" Finishing with a nod towards her uniform shirt, Shino held to await the reply.

---

[1]: Imagine that Shino literally says Watakushi here.

Ceili Feighlínna of the Tribe of Antrim.
With a moment of delay, I realized, that Shino must be her family name, not her own first name. Still, I smiled at Mistress Shino.
"The pleasure is mine.", I replied politely, then nodded at the young woman: "Yes, a lot to do for your first morning - and our first stop is the Rectorate for the paperwork. You'll get your new uniform there as well. Come with me!"
Leaving the small platform, we were on the Main Plaza a moment later.
It was a crisp, but not cold morning, the cobble stone under our heels clicking. The square was bordered by four buildings, namely the Rectorate, a large brick building with a small central clocktower and green strips in front of it, the School Library (the small hospital attached to its side), the train station and the school cafeteria. Of course, as classes were in session just down the street, the plaza was mostly empty, safe for a few groundspeople working their brooms, and the Banner of thirty students riding down the street at a sedate pace.
Their lances gleamed in the early morning sun, their helmets polished and their surcoats in full order over their brigandines.
"Younger Militia Training.", I explained to the two, nodding as their leader tipped her head towards me. "This Banner is part of the famed Iris Lancers." As we crossed the square, I added for Manaka: "Don't worry, Middle Schoolers learn how to wield spear and shield, sword and sling. All will be supplied to you."
At that time, we were at the trees in front of the Rectorate.
"By the way, I was told, that your Selkie is rather rudimentary.", I added, "How is it really?"

[Fuso-]

"Uh... spear-wielding... that sounds... different from back home..." Shino said as her head followed the lancer party going down the street and out of view, her heels softly clicking on the cobblestones.
"I haven't got any experience wielding those things... my school club was the archery club..." Shino continued as she turned her back to the road they were on. "Also my uh... Selkie? It's... terrible to be frank. I'm a complete novice." Truth to be told, Shino has had not even a single lesson in it and maybe could greet someone using the knowledge she acquired from the internet, the thought that life in the next year is going to be painful went through her head and made her cheeks take on a reddish hue.
"You mentioned new uniforms, what do they look like?" Shino asked, both to change subject and to satisfy her own curiosity. The plaza was pretty much empty and the only people they've seen were the groundskeepers and the section of Young Militia walking down the street.

[The Selkie]

"Uh... spear-wielding... that sounds... different from back home..." Shino said as her head followed the lancer party going down the street and out of view, her heels softly clicking on the cobblestones.
"I haven't got any experience wielding those things... my school club was the archery club..." Shino continued as she turned her back to the road they were on. "Also my uh... Selkie? It's... terrible to be frank. I'm a complete novice." Truth to be told, Shino has had not even a single lesson in it and maybe could greet someone using the knowledge she acquired from the internet, the thought that life in the next year is going to be painful went through her head and made her cheeks take on a reddish hue.
"You mentioned new uniforms, what do they look like?" Shino asked, both to change subject and to satisfy her own curiosity. The plaza was pretty much empty and the only people they've seen were the groundskeepers and the section of Young Militia walking down the street.

Ceili Feighlínna of the Tribe of Antrim.
Too bad it's not a school club but part of PE..., I thought, But don't worry, it's not only pointing pointy sticks at thin air.
"First things first - your Selkie.", I said and smiled, "It will be paramount, that you learn to follow the lessons, and that quickly. Among us, you aren't the first Ambassador Child to qualify and be taken for the Iris, so we do have a rough idea of how we can get you speaking the tongue in no time."
We approached the door and I opened it, into a wide foyer, a staircase leading up to a second level, hallways going off to offices and the like. Thanks to large windows, the light was all natural.
And, rising from the stairs, was a young woman. She had olive skin, green eyes and long, brown hair, which fell in natural locks. I will be honest, but I would have envied her for those locks when I was about the age of the two students I was with (and I had resigned to my straight-haired fate by now). She was around eighteen, so older then Shino, and carried herself with a mature grace.
The young woman also wore the Iris' school uniform, the first part being a white, long-sleeved blouse (short sleeves were allowed starting July) under a beige sweater, together with a simple grey skirt. A red bow around her neck completed the ensemble.
The young woman smiled.
"As for the uniforms, you'll be wearing a variation of that - different bow-colour.", I explained, then turned to the young woman and spoke in Selkie: "Good morning, Amina. Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Mister Saift is writing a long test with one of his class and we were let go for the hour. I thought, I'd check out my new student.", she replied in the same language, speaking with a slight accent. She switched to English: "Hi, there - you're Shino, right? I am Amina Risalla. I'm going to be your teacher." She smiled comfortingly. "I know it's hard to move here from Manat-knows-where, to where you don't even understand a word, but trust me - you'll have friends in no time!"