Get a Leg Up

Sloane really didn't want to fly in a plane but her parents insisted she got the best possible trip, as this was going to be the last time she saw them for a good while.  She didn't have the heart to tell the entire family raising money for the flight that she wasn't too fond of heights.  So she sat in first class in a plane, word went around she was going to a college like place and then her uncle had an idea and here she was, drinking coca-cola out of a fancy glass.  All she could think about was her family and friends she was abandoning, there were so many promises she made and commitments she thought would be kept before she got pulled out of her life with the realization she had a minor power she had very little experience and want to use.  But if her family really wanted her to come here, she would keep at least this promise, so she sipped the cola and put the best smile on her face, today would be right she told herself on the plane...Then she got to the terminal.  It was just a huge influx of people, so she quickly moved her way to the door after grabbing her duffel from the baggage claim and looking for her taxi, which wasn't there.  She ended up just standing there, a confused look on her face for a whole minute before she got her bearings and quickly walked outside, grabbing a small roll of bills from the front pocket of her bag, sighing as she hailed a taxi and rode her way to a small little town called Rosebury.  It was a nice enough place, a store sat on the corner, but she had already handed out too many bills for her comfort to the driver.  She stepped out of the taxi and zipped up her dad's hand-me-down leather jacket, winter was still a thing and she was happy her father gave her this jacket.  She pretty much knew every scratch and scuff on this thing from a long winter her dad told her about once, no AC and not enough wood to keep the fire going until the snow cleared a bit.  She had always wondered why there was stump out in their backyard, her father obviously disliked talking about it, it wasn't a time of heroics or happiness, but of necessity.  She shook off the thought as the taxi driver flat footed, letting gravel fly in his wake.  She checked the brochure, following her way up to the entrance, she was grateful she wore a pair of her favorite hiking boots as she seemed to have been doing a lot of walking for being "first class." she chuckled lightly as she stepped up to the enormous gates, a small smile on her face, happy to just see signs of civilization.  it certainly had no view of downtown Pittsburgh, but it was certainly somewhere.  Now she just had to find a friendly face to show her the way to where she would live or even just somewhere interesting, sure daylight was burning, but in a place like this, it seemed like a curious soul just belonged.  She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket as it vibrated lightly in her pocket, remembering she had to turn it in when she got settled in to get some apps and such put on, probably filters and stuff.  All she got was a picture from her mother, a beautiful picture of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline.  She noted she should see if Rosebury could get those pictures developed, which she doubted, but she smiled nonetheless.  It was just one more reminder that home wasn't too far and it wasn't like she died or lost contact.  She sat down on the bench, texting her mom a long and heartfelt paragraph for the whole family to see.  Two brothers and a sister would see it and doubtless others from wherever.  She'd be pretty deep in texting mode and pretty oblivious to any newcomer stepping up to her.

Some would call it weird, but Inari just loved hanging out by the entrance of the school waiting for new people. Yes, it was a bit weird she supposed but in the end she found that she didn't really care. Her fox tail flickered as she leaned against a tree, trying to look as casual as she could. Her hands were stuffed in a light orange sweater with brown leaf patterns covering it - a outfit that didn't really match the chilly air and dead trees that winter brought. Every time she heard a footstep, her fluffy orange ears would perk up as she lifted her gaze from her feet to see who it was.  Most of the time she was disappointed - just a student returning from Rosebury or leaving the campus. She sighed as she shifted against the tree, careful not to throw off her balance and fall over. She couldn't really expect waiting here to always work - it wasn't like there was a new student every day that she just happened to be here for. In fact, she was half tempted to return to the dorm when she heard the faint sound of footsteps that ended with the faint 'plop' of somebody sitting down along with the faint clicking of somebody typing away on a screen. Her golden eyes lifted up with a glimmer of hope (or maybe it was just the sunlight reflecting in them) and finally she spotted somebody she didn't remotely recognize.

Most students she could recognize in a glance - photographic memory helped her recall the faces she had only seen in the hallways once or twice. But this person? No bells were rang for her as she studied the person texting away. Finally, a smile flashed onto her face once she was sure that it wasn't a student and was in fact a newcomer (the luggage did help), she pushed herself away from the tree as her tail tip twirled in excitement. Trying to hide the fact that she had been waiting for a new arrival (because, yes, it was rather creepy the more she thought about it), she allowed herself to saunter over before pausing before the texting older teen. The girl before her didn't seem that much older then her - maybe one or two years and looked to only been a few inches taller. Inari couldn't help but be a little surprised when the girl didn't even bother to look up at her. Clearly she was indeed invested with her texting. Inari rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet for a few moment trying to decide on what action to take. There were a few options that popped into her mind, but she decided to take the safer choice. "Hello," she half-whispered, doing her best not to startle the girl by her 'sudden' appearance.

Sloane was still tapping her thumbs on the electronic keyboard at light-speed, it was supposed to be long and heartfelt, she wanted it just right.  Her hazel eyes scanned the message as she finally finished it.  A small smile creeped across her face as she finally reached her end goal.  he kept scanning, this might be what she was remembered by for awhile, and she needed her family and friends to have something cause she needed to mingle and God knows how long they'd have her phone for.  So she hit the send button, nodding her head slowly, not expecting the fox girl to sneak up on her.  She flinched, and even that flinch was enough to fumble her phone.  Her head turned instinctively and everything seemed to be slow motion as the thing hit the ground.

But still, that was her phone hitting the ground, a terrified gasp escaped her as she brought her hand to her phone and flipped it over.  It felt like opening a door in a horror movie, she expected blood and guts and the thing to become a sea of webbed cracks...But it was completely clean.  Her eyebrows raised slowly as she realized that it was fine, not even a scratch.  A grace of God she thought.  She turned it on but just quickly replaced it in her pocket when the time flicked on her screen and college of her and her family doing different things across her hometown, smiles plastered across their faces.  She looked up at the fox girl turning her head slightly at her "Well, hi there...I was told this was for people with gifts, but whoa, is all that like independent? Like you can move it and such? Cause that's kin- Okay getting too prying...This place is just so different.  I have beyond too many questions."

Sloane looked her up and down, was it controllable? Could she retract and extend this stuff? How about if they work like if she were a fox.  It was certainly something to set the bar for this new world.  She didn't know if powers were personal if they were freely talked about...It was a place of mystery and she wasn't sure how prepared she was for this journey but she felt okay about it, but her head snapped back to the 'reality' of the situation.  She adjusted her collar kind of uncomfortably, it certainly wasn't something you saw everyday.  Sloane just decided to keep it at the couple questions she asked as to not come on too new to this world as she felt.

When the phone slipped from the girl's grasp, Inari held her breath. She had been trying not to startle her but clearly she didn't work. She didn't move a muscle until the girl checked her phone and put it away in her pocket. Her ear flickered when the older girl started to ask a flurry of questions but it didn't bother her in the slightest - she was rather like that herself. Always looking after to know everything. A light grin touched her lips as she flickered one of her ears. "I don't mind the questions," she started off with - figuring that was a good note to mention first. "I'm a fan of knowing every little things so...Yes - I can move my ears and tail as I want but they also move on their own. The act like having fox ears and a tail would," she hummed happily, returning to bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "If you have a question about Beata, I am sure I can answer it. Nothing wrong with wanting to be familiar with the place you are going to be staying for a while."

For a few moments she was silent as she watched the girl, studying her right back. From just looking at her Inari had little idea of what her gift was. Of course, it was that way for most students. Not many had physical...Additions such as her ears and tail. It was rare she supposed, but it did make guessing the power of the person before you just a bit easier. But nothing of the girl easily gave her an idea of what it could be so she was simply left wondering. She loved trying to make guesses of people's gift but...It just never seemed to be easy. She could always ask but she wanted the girl to be able to ask her questions first. Gah, the question of the girl's gift would eat away at her for a while but no matter.

She turned her head slightly to the side as she smiled softly. "But," she started quickly - deciding there was one matter they needed to get over with before the girl asked questions (if she was going to at least) "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Inari - named after Inari Ōkami, the kami of foxes in Shinto among other things..." It was a small detail she always found herself adding, maybe because she found it so amusing that her father had given her such a name. And she liked the history of it because it wasn't a normal name. But of course, there was always that nickname she had made for herself. She really needed to try to get people to call her by it... "But you can call me Fly! What is your name?"