[D1, LM] Bus Stop

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Xanthe's arrival via portkey was, as always, unpleasant. Nobody ever liked the sensation of traveling in this manner, and she was no exception. She still had to fight the urge to hurl after she and a few others popped into existence in the diner's backroom. Maybe *that* was why the owner always moved everyone right along. Wouldn't want anyone to vomit over the backroom floor. Much better to do it out in the main area of the place.

She managed to avoid it this year though. In fact, she'd managed to do so *every* year... except the first; but every time there was still the rumor that Xanthe heaved up her breakfast again. This year would probably be no different. She sighed, and stumbled into the main diner, still a little queasy and blinking at the bright light shining into the place.

"Ugh," she held up a hand until her eyes slowly adjusted.

Another year at Ilvermorny was about to begin; and she already looked tired.

[Arlington Wayne]

Arlington looked over to the new arrivals.

"Hey X, you want something to eat?"

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Xanthe wondered who X was. She didn't remember anyone named that the group that she arrived with. And... wait. Did he mean *her*?

No.

Yes?

Wait, what?

Okay, so Arlington was one of the *nice* ones, and it wasn't as if she'd never sat another's table to eat. But there *was* still that sense of dread she always had when anyone called her out like that. Like now, what if that invite was just part of an elaborate ruse to humiliate her? Try and make her feel comfortable, feed her some fries, then turn the fries into slugs or something. Worse things than that had happened.

She didn't *think* Arlington was the sort to do something like that, but he was Sylvain. She didn't really know much about *him*. Certainly not enough to know whether or not he would be the type to change her fries into slugs.

As she was weighing the pros and cons of accepting the invite, she slowly came to the realization that she was actually just standing there, staring without saying anything for an awkward amount of time. So it was time to say something.

"I... .... .... ... okay?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"Sit." he pushed the fries towards her. "Settle your stomach."

He didn't know her all that well, beyond all the rumors. But, she was a Thunderbird.

[Layla Smith]

Layla didn't like port keys. They were horrible, even if it was required. So when she popped into place her eyes were closed and she stayed still for a few moments before opening them again to look at the person apparently shooing them along. There was a slow nod before she moved into the diner proper, a backpack on her back and a rolling suitcase being dragged behind her. She wasn't sure if she needed to meet with anyone specific; so far it had all been fine, all papers had been stamped without issue and the person she had met when she arrived in the US had explained most of what was expected.

When in the diner she looked around, a new face in the crowd who clearly wasn't a first year, and sighed. So many people...

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Ignorant to the presence exchange student behind her; Xanthe approached, slowly finding some resolve; which manifested itself in a lethargic walk growing slightly less lethargic before she found herself at the table to sit down. She then looked between the two guys; the light catching her eyes to produce that unnatural sheen. They were white. Or lightly pink maybe. Or were they? They had light pupils though. Or dark ones. Or no pupils. It was hard to say anything about them, other than that they weren't normal human eyes.

They were soon cast down, toward the fries, and then to the bottle of ketchup on the table. She started pouring it on, rather thick. A whole lot of red on her plate, no doubt fueling rumors some more.

She then picked up a fry, drowned it in ketchup, and ate it; looking around, and noticing the unfamiliar girl as she slowly chewed.

[Arlington Wayne]

Following Xanthe's gaze, Arlington also noticed Layla. He offered a friendly wave.

"Would you like some fries." he looked over at Xanthe's plate. "We have plenty of ketchup."

[Sylvain Leloup]

Something crossed Sylvain's mind and had been on his phone for a few seconds while Arlington called Xanthe over.

"Hey" he said to the girl before getting another bite of his chicken burger

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

She swallowed the singular fry, then looked back at Sylvain.

"Hey."

Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad year after all, Xanthe thought as her gaze slowly drifted back to Layla; the light catching her eyes again; once more emphasizing their non-human nature for a moment. Another fry was drowned in ketchup, before she started taking small bites from it... while continuing to watch Layla, waiting to see if she would join.

It was almost certainly a little creepy, or just otherwise awkward.

[Layla Smith]

She could feel eyes on her. It was no surprise, being a totally new kid, that everyone would be interested in her. It didn't make Layla feel any more comfortable though. Something caught her eye though; a wave? She looked in that direction, and her eyes met strange eyes from a student eating ketchup dipped in a small chip. Or fries as she now needed to call them.

She looked around herself a moment, to check if the wave was for someone else; it wasn't the creepy ketchup girl that had waved, but one of the kids with her. Deciding it was better not to be rude on her first day, she walked over slowly, dragging her bag with her.

"Um...hi" she said quietly as she reached the table.

[Fitz Crowinshield]

Fitz feels a sickening pull of the portkey, and it deposits him roughly in.

"Ugh" He drapes himself over a table, blearily looking up and raising a fist. "Go Thunderbird." It's without much spirit, and Fitz himself looks half dead from exhaustion...but that's not exactly an uncommon look from him.

His eyes fall on those who have gathered, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face as he sees a number of familiar faces. "Arly. Syl. Xy. And...." Fitz squints a little, trying to make out someone he doesn't recognize.

Shit, did I not remember someone else's name? Again?

[Arlington Wayne]

"Hey Fitz!" the redhead waved. "We were just introducing ourselves to..."

He looked at the newcomer, expectantly.

[Layla Smith]

"...Layla. My name is Layla" the British girl said as everyone looked at her expecting a name "nice to meet you..." the girl then looked at them for introductions.

[Fitz Crowinshield]

"I'm Fitz." Fitz makes a pained sound and waves. "I need dry toast, and a raw egg with hot sauce, vinegar raw egg, Worcestershire sauce and tomato juice."

[Arlington Wayne]

"Arlington." He introduced himself, then gestured to the squirrel on his shoulder. "And, Bullwinkle."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Oh no. Why hadn't she just gone and sit by herself? Now there were all these people, and she would mess something up and everyone would laugh at her. That's...

...that's what the old Xanthe would've been thinking. She was not going to be that person anymore. Her hand came up into a wave, knocking over the bottle of ketchup and spilling a fair amount across the table. Usually she was more coordinated than this.

"Hi, I'm Xanthe Vanderwyck." She tried to put some pep into it: to those that knew her, she sounded unusually enthustiastic. To Layla, she probably still sounded pretty lethargic.

[Sylvain Leloup]

"Oh calisse" Sylvain raised his burger above Xanthe's ketchup spill as to not have it submerged by the tide of sauce.

"I'm Sylvain..." He said quickly while reaching for paper towels

[Layla Smith]

Layla had hopped back at the falling ketchup, to avoid any splashing.

Eww...

She wasn't fond of the clumsy emotionally lacking girl, but being so new she didn't want to ruffle any feathers.

"Cool." She looked around awkwardly, before looking back at the group. "Um...any recommendations? On food. I've never been here before."

[Arlington Wayne]

"What do you like?" Arlington asked. "The burgers are good. The fries are better. The pizza isn't the best. I like the chillidogs. There's chowder, of course."

"The best, are the milkshakes." he added.

[Fitz Crowinshield]

Fitz slurps down the noxious looking raw egg concoction as it's brought over. "Ahh, that's the stuff." He looks over at Layla. "Not for the taste, but for the medicinal properties." The skinny kid pulls out a glass bottle out of his pack and takes a swig, wincing a little. After a minute he looks a bit more solid.

"If you want something new, let me suggest the fried clam bellies. Everyone else cuts up the clams into itty bits...not these fellas! They get creamy...oh, that was too much." Fitz clutches his chest for a moment, seeming to brace himself.

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Xanthe helped clean up the spilled ketchup. She *had* been the one responsible for the spill, after all. She looked up at Layla as she performed that task. She was a little slow about it, though. Too tired.

"The fries... the fries are good yes," Xanthe added her opinion into the mix before throwing out what she thought might be an excellent ice-breaker. "Are you... are you new? I haven't seen you before."

[Layla Smith]

Layla wasn't sure anything sounded that appealing. Burgers, chilli dogs...all so unhealthy.

"Maybe I'll have some chips...fries" she corrected herself "just need to order food? Or do they come to the table?"

She before nodding to the slow ketchup girl.

"Yes, I transferred. I've only been in America for a month now."

[Arlington Wayne]

"I'll take care of it." Arlington offered, and placed an order for another basket of fries.

[Sylvain Leloup]

Ketchup, ketchup everywhere.

Napkins would not do the trick and they could'nt leave the table as it is, could'nt they? With a sigh Sylvain unhooked his talon-like wand from his jacket

''Scourgify'' he called out while doing an elegant 'S' with his wand before tapping the table with the it's maple point. Suddenly the ketchup overflow vanished, leaving the table clean.

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

She watched the charm spell take its effect, and offered up a barely audible "...sorry," before frowning a little, coughing as a way of recomposing herself, and then turning back to Layla.

"Did you transfer in from Hogwarts? I've got a cousin that goes there."

The Vanderwycks were famous; or infamous; throughout North-America, and had several European branches, of which the one in the UK was the smallest and least significant. It was fairly likely, Xanthe thought, that her overseas Slytherin cousin; Lydia Vandewick; would be unknown to this girl. But then, Hogwarts was supposed to be a smaller school than Ilvermorny, wasn't it?