Acclimation to a new environment (IC)(Closed)

[felicitousFolly]

Saturday May 21, 14:37

It was with a sigh of relief Brian closed the door to Mr. Summers' office. Some thoughts need to be said aloud, and it was with restless and extravagant motion that Brian's hands told the story outshining his spoken thoughts. "That went well.... until my dad called." One hand smoothed his sun-bleached hair, but as he progressed through his spoken thoughts his hair got more and more messy. "Seriously. Who would have thought he'd kick me out of the house to live in the dorm? It's not like I failed high school. Not all of it. Only my freshman year. That I started a year early, so failing should cancel out starting early, right? Besides, I never had to Go to school before, so it's not so unreasonable it would take some getting used to, right?"

Brian lowered his arms, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes to look around the Claremont academy with renewed perspective. It's big. Plenty big. It's not too crowded. It's nice and quiet. I could do well here, Mr Summers is pretty cool for an old guy, and being able to retake the classes I failed to fix my gpa is a huge relief. And I've got a few days before I have to move in. Plenty of time to decide what to pack. I bet I can't bring my maid... nor my driver... nor my library... heh, not that I've read but a few books more than once. Let's see... I can't bring the boat either. But I bet I Can bring my music. I'll also need that... wait, where is that rule book? Brian pats his pockets. "I forgot to pick up the school handbook..."

Wait a second! If I don't know the rules, I can't get in trouble for not knowing them! Brian thinks, as he then briskly strides towards the front door. At that exact moment, the door behind where he had been a moment ago cracked open and the assistant's voice can be heard "Brian Seacrest forgot his handbook, let me see if he's still..."

At the door, Brian freezes mid-motion, one leg already out the door. "Wait a second, there's something wrong with that..."

He stops to think, idly leaning on the door and turning the knob as he muses. "There are a lot of flaws with that. Ignorance does not mean it is right to not be decent... I guess I should go back. And besides, I do need a map and my room key to start moving my stuff in."

Not that I really have many belongings that are truly Mine.... Brian slowly walks back towards the office, straightening his maroon polo and tan slacks on the way.

[felicitousFolly]

Brian slowly walked back to the door, before pausing to listen if he's interrupting anything, and politely rapped on the door.

"Come in." answers his knock, the warble of an older lady; the assistant he'd briefly met before.

Brian quietly steps in and closes the door behind him. The older woman he'd seen before, Misses... Monroe, no relation, she said her name was. Some sort of assistant and either new or a temp judging by the lack of a name plate. Brian's eyes paused on her horned-rim glasses, the out of place blast from the past. "Excuse me ma'am. I forgot the handbook."

"It's on the desk right there"

"Thank you Miss Monroe, no relation." Brian picked it up and started walking to the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The lady asked with knowing smugness.

"Uhm..." Brian pauses to think, "I don't think so...? "

"Try thinking a little harder." The chill in her tone starts making Brian anxious, and he looks all around the room for a hint of what he might have forgotten, and right out in the open next to where the handbook had sat was a folded paper with a key taped to it.

"Oh, Right! The room number and key. Wow, for a moment there I thought I was in trouble. What a relief it wasn't something serious." Chuckling his anxiety away, Brian slips them into his pocket.

"Actually, young man, I was looking for an explanation."

"An explanation...?" Brian trails off, utterly confused "Of what? "

"Of what your real goal is. I've seen your type, 'yes ma'am,' 'no ma'am' when you've got someone looking over your shoulder, but as soon as you're out of sight you are off partying at the beach, cavorting about without a care in the world."

Brian gulps, as the beach was exactly where he wanted to go on this languid, warm, and peaceful Saturday afternoon.

"An explanation... Well...." Brian trails off again, sorting through his memories and doing some soul-searching to really find out why he was this way.

"I grew up watching my father; a do-er, an innovator, a diplomat; a roaming force of nature, and what I learned from watching him is that to be free to reach my potential and live, I should 'do what inspires me, if it doesn't inconvenience anyone else.' And when it comes to other people in general, I do try to not inconvenience them, by being respectful and polite and respecting their traditions." Brian looks up as Miss Monroe no relation gets a stern look in her face, as if what he had said somehow validated everything she'd accused him of.

"They are both me. I am not trying to trick you nor 'talk my way out of it,' and you know what? I Like the beach. What's wrong with that?"

[felicitousFolly]

"Back-talking is hardly respectful, Mister Seacrest, and clearly your grades are what's wrong with it." Mrs Monroe retorted, blunt rebuttal infused impeccable logic. "Think about that next time you're at the beach."

She cleared her throat and picked up a stack of papers, what looked like forms. In a brisk, no-nonsense tone she set aside the lecturing and set about her business. "Your room will be available after June first, and I would recommend you not enter the room until the cleaning is complete. The former tenant used that room as an unoffical lab, and left some... stains on the walls. And floor. And ceiling. Worry not, it shall be hygienically safe for your use by then."

"Yes, ma'am." Brian says duly before he sullenly trudges out of the room.

Was that back-talking, or making my opinion known? In Freedom City, I would think that individual rights and standing up against an oppressor would be lauded, and yet I just got scolded. A scalding scolding, even. But really, she was judgmental and nosy, but she didn't actually do anything oppressive. I'll think on this more later, I want to see my room before it's cleaned.

[felicitousFolly]

It took several minutes of wandering campus and the residential dorm before he found room 122, but Brian enjoyed the walk. The hall was clean and orderly though the various sounds of conversation and music blasted from some of the rooms. Curious to see how big his room would be and what it looks like, Brian tried the door knob. It was locked. He put his face to try and look in the peep-hole, but the wrongly-faced lens made everything in the room look tiny and incomprehensible.

"Awww." Brian lamented. "I should've known."

Brian turned and leaned back against the door, deciding what to do next, and weighed his options between looking for a dorm manager or a janitor to open it, or just going on to the pool. Well, they probably wouldn't like it if I interrupted them on the weekend, if they're even here, so I'll... The hamsters get a workout as Brian's brain churns through the decision making process. There's nothing else I can do here right now, so ... He decides. I'll go to the beach for a swim!

Stepping outside to the gorgeous Saturday afternoon, Brian starts a long and pleasant walk to a bright and beautiful beach for an afternoon of people-watching, quiet relaxing, and swimming.