Dog Days are Over

[Nikola Volkov]

Nikola watched as the campus grew. Her hands were all over Athena, absent-mindedly petting. As exciting as it would to be teaching somewhere new, she couldn't get over the thought of the horses that were going to be so close. She liked Mage, but was always happy to be able to send her back to Jenna when she was done admiring. "Are you nervous yet?" She asked, looking over at Jenna who practically had her face against the window.

After she stepped out of the truck, Nika let out a satisfied groan from stretching her legs and back. "You stay here, my love," she held out at Athena. Luckily, they were able to get one of the nicest stable hands to trailer Mage, so she had no problem leaving Athena back with him.

She waited patiently for Jenna to get out of her side then walked to the door, heels crunching against the ground. In a dramatic fashion, she pulled the door open and let Jenna through, bowing her head slightly. It earned her a lovely stinkface, and she followed the teen up to the desk.

[Jenna Murphy]

While she had earphones in for most of the ride, Jenna had pulled them out as if it would help her see better. She tried to rein in her excitement, but it made her pulse race even more. Maisie had been on her lap in her harness, after crying to be let out of the carrier, and even she was watching out the window intently. "Not yet, just excited," Jenna smiled.

Once they stopped she tucked the cat back in her carrier, getting Athena to turn her attention away from the doors. Jenna happily slid out of the truck, bouncing as she hit the drive.

After unplugging her phone from the charger, she walked to the door. Jenna scrunched up her nose at Nika and stuck out her tongue as she slid through the door. Once inside she glanced around, taking in the near decoration. "Hi, I'm Jenna Murphy, that's Nikola Volkov," She smiled broadly. It took her a moment to realize it, but she didn't say anything. Nika's name might still be Murphy on the paperwork.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

It didn't happen often, but today Fitz was actually feeling a little homesick. Not enough to actually want to return to the life he had fled from, but he missed the simplicity of the Heavenly School, the joy of music, the contours, of what he got to see anyway, of Japan.

His nostalgia was abruptly ended as the sound of the door opening broke into his daydreaming, and he smiled as two females approach the desk, smile deepening as the younger of the two did the introductions. "Welcome the Blue Ridge Academy, Jenna and Nikola." He greeted warmly as he typed the names into his computer and brought up both files needed. "Jenna, you will be residing in room oh, five of the Red Ribbon House." He took a map from a tray on his desk and with an orange highlighter circled the placement of the female half the Red House, and then located her key from the draw under his desk. "Your mare will have a stall ready for her in White Oak Barn. Everyone here is pretty friendly, but if you have any issues that others can't assist you with, the manager is Ms Carr." He circled the barn with a blue highlighter.

His attention shifted to the woman, as he placed another map down. "You will be residing in room one, thirty-four of the Brown Ribbon Apartments." With the orange pen, he circle the location of the apartment building, just across the parking area from the building they were currently in, and didn't feel the need to mention that students weren't permitted in the staffing residence unless on an errand. He placed Nikola's key on her map, along with another sheet of paper that explained where her dog was allowed to go on campus.

"Is there anything else I can assist either of you with?" After all, he was there to help.

[Nikola Volkov]

She couldn't decide what had made her more happy, having her own little apartment or knowing how much room Athena had to explore. She nodded and thanked him while grabbing her papers, glancing at them with a curious eye. She'd probably spend a decent amount of time looking at them later, trying to find the trails she had heard about.

Nikola smiled at the question, thinking of a million ways she could be helped. Although she had visited campus before, it still wasn't ingrained in her mind and the thought of having to read a map made her itch. Speaking English was doable, but having to read it was always a struggle. "So many things that we would never leave." She laughed and then looked over to Jenna, almost expectedly.

[Jenna Murphy]

Jenna leaned forward to see the man draw on the map. She knew well where the house would be, but was still as interested as ever. Her eyes were most intrigued by the barns on the map, but the sound of the keys took her eyes off of it. The roommate situation was just as exciting as dreaded. Her first fear was that she would never get along with her roommate.

She couldn't help but smile at Nika. She was more of a sister than mother, if only for the age difference. "So you said Ms. Carr was the barn manager too. If I wanted to find her today, would she most likely in the barn or clinic?" At some point soon she would have to talk to the vet again about being one of her students.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz's eyes sparkled at the question, his smile deepening, as this was a common question for people who were new to the school. "Ms Carr and Dr Carr are two different people." He replied. "Mother and daughter, thus the names being the same. Ms Katherine Carr, the barn manager, will most likely be in her office. Dr Demeter Carr, the vet, is possibly at her clinic, though you're best option would be to call the number on the back of your map, as she could be out on call." She wasn't the only large animal vet in the area, but she did seem to be the preferred one for the people she had worked with in the past.