Oops.. [OPEN]

[Ross Valkyrie]

Ross was perched on the edge of one of the weathered wooden benches dotted around the pond. The weather was excellent, as always - when he was in England, the student was always cursing the weather. It's constant precipitation and wind was more than annoying, it was downright abysmal. Following his rapid transfer to Hammel, the alchemist couldn't find a flaw in American weather despite his best efforts to.

Leaning back into a more comfortable position, Ross threw one arm over the back of the bench and gazed into the crystal waters of the pond. Though it was winter still, the boy had no coat on. Having spent months in Kocher, Sweden this was a walk in the park. As the boy stared, a Koi Carp broke the surface, most likely for an insect unfortunate enough to crash-land in its vicinity.

Then the Englishman did something peculiar. Reaching his free hand into the depths of his jeans pocket, it emerged with a small cog - about the size of a bottle top. 'May as well try again..' he decided. Turning the piece of copper over twice in his hand, the boy closed his eyes and mentally prepared to transmute.

A shimmering could be seen around the lad's fingers, almost a heat haze effect. After a moment, it spread in a wave across the cog and in its wake the copper turned to pure gold. 'I'm nearly there!' the alchemist pushed himself on. This was when he heard the crunch of a nervous nearby foot contacting the ground.

Concentration broken, previously unstabilised by the rogue thought he let slip, the cog expanded in the boy's hand by several centimetres before deforming from gold into a roughly cubic abhorration of elements. As Ross's eyes opened, it settled on a lead-granite-aluminium mix.

[Kingston Carmichael]

Kingston could sit in his room all day long if he wanted to. Matter of fact he had done it before. Toady, for what ever reason, Kingston wasn't able to focus on his computer. He called his parents in Montana. He talked to mother for a little over an hour. During the phone conversation his mother told Kingston that he should go outside for fresh air. The fresh air would do him good. The technopath wasn't sure he liked the idea of leaving his dorm, but he would go to make his mother happy.

He looked out the window to see the snow on the ground. It was winter and there was snow so it was cold outside. Kingston put his winter navy blue coat on and a hat. He didn't grab gloves. He was planning just to put his hands in his coat pockets. The teenager left the dorms. Kingston planned on taking a little walk and then he would go back.

It wasn't until Kingston started his walk did he realized that he didn't know the campus very well. Kingston didn't really go outside. It wasn't that he disliked it, it was simply he didn't really have any reasons to. He knew what in the interior layout of the school. He knew where his classes were. He knew how to get to his dorm. He knew the locations of the bathrooms. He also knew where the main office was, the cafeteria, the gym, ect. But knowing the exterior layout, Kingston didn't really know. If he was outside might as well get a little familiar with the campus.

Not knowing where the path would take him, Kingston walked on a path was packed down from other students walking on it. The path led to the school pond. Kingston followed the path around the pond. The snow crunched under foot. He noticed a student sitting on a bench. The student was one of those crazy people who didn't wear a coat during the winter. Kingston was from Montana so harsh cold winters were no strangers to Kingston. Kingston would never crazy enough to walk outside with a coat. Maybe no hat and gloves.

[Ross Valkyrie]

Looking to where the footstep had originated from, the boy's eyes widened as he spotted another male - obviously of asian ethnicity - eyeing him like he was insane. Resisting the urge to shout "Oh shit!" at his stupidity, Ross's analytical mind processed the situation. There was a possibility however slight that the guy hadn't seen him use his power.

Flashbacks to one of the many times in Kocher where he felt consciousness leaving him under the strain of meeting that week's demands. Shaking his head almost unnoticeably, the brit shoved the malformed cog back into his pocket. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realise a good quarter of the failed transmutee was still visible - having grown from its original size.

'Next step. Be inconspicuous' the lad's head told him. Reaching into his other jean pocket, he produced a fairly new (albeit wrinkled) site map. Attempting to appear incognito, he tried to muse over the map, shaking his head and such like. It wasn't hard considering he had only been at Hammel a couple of days.

[Kingston Carmichael]

The other student spotted Kingston coming. Kingston stopped walking to watch the other student. He was stuffing something into one pocket and pulled out a paper out of the other pocket. Kingston was interested in understanding the boy’s actions.

Now in this situation a few things could happen. Kingston could continue his walk and not say anything to the other. He could go talk to him. Kingston did neither of these things. What he did was stood there watching the boy. If Kingston were better with social skills, he would know that standing still watching someone was kind of a creepy thing to do. It wasn’t that he was trying to make Kingston stopped walking to watch the other student.

He watched the guy study his piece of paper with an object sticking out of his pocket some. Kingston couldn’t place the guy’s face. Either the student was a new student, or he and Kingston didn’t have any classes together.

Kingston just stood there being a creep without meaning to.

[Ross Valkyrie]

A single bead of sweat rolled off Ross's brow. Why was he just standing there?! He couldn't be from Kocher, could he? No, that was silly - he was the only transfer in the last couple of months to his knowledge. What else could it possibly be? Surely he was safe then, wasn't he? He'd failed the transmutation and the guy couldn't know Ross is an alchemist? Unless somebody else at Hammel had exactly the same power as him?

He'd have to find out one way or the other. Mustering all of the upbeat spirit he had, the student forced out a nervous laugh. "Haha! Hey, could you help me over here? I'm sorta lost." he called, this was the best course of action to keep his power secret.

[Kingston Carmichael]

It took a moment before Kingston registered what the student had said to him. He looked around. Kingston was the only person the student was talking to. No one else around. Unless the student was talking to him self. Kingston nodded his head. He walked over to the student. The paper in the student’s hands was a map of the school. He must be a new student then.

Kingston wiggled his fingers inside his coat pockets. He was trying to warm his hands up some. “Where are you trying to go?” Kingston asked in a quiet voice. He remained standing. The map to Kingston was upside down but it didn’t matter. Kingston has been at Hammel for two years so he knew his way around the school without a map. He would be able to help out a new student.

[Ross Valkyrie]

The simple act of looking around surprised gave Ross the information he needed - this guy had no idea what he'd seen. Phew. On top of that his timid appearance hinted he wouldn't shout his secret to the heavens even if the boy found out. The alchemist had a way with people, reading them best he could. This lad wasn't an enigma, his very composure exuded his personality. "Um, I'm trying to get to the student dorms. I haven't been housed yet but I thought I'd look around anyway." Ross responded openly. Maybe he could make a friend here, if he played his cards right. "See, I was gonna drop my stuff there and then see what happened."

Gesturing with a backwards nod at his wheelie-suitcase that was nestled behind the wooden bench. "Could you point me in the right direction?" he put on his best 'you've gotta help now' smiled.

[Kingston Carmichael]

Good thing Kingston knew where the dorms were. As a matter of fact that was where Kingston was before his took his walk. He could easily point on the map where the dorms were located. And he could easily show the student where there are. But he would only show the student where the dorms were if he asked. Kingston wasn’t one for conversation. Kingston didn’t really add anything to conversations.

Kingston pointed to the dorm building on the upside map. “There’s an office on the first floor.” Kingston spoke in his quiet voice. If the student could hear him then the student must have super hearing or something of that sort. “You can get your room number there.”