ArchivedLogs:Brightening Up

Brightening Up
Dramatis Personae Mina, Paras
In Absentia	2017-08-24 "There is much to see."
Location <XS> Allison, Mina, and Nessie's Dorm - FL2
The influx of new students this year has led to a bit of overcrowding at Xavier's, and it is starting to show in the dorm arrangements, many rooms like this one refitted for three students where they had once been built for only two. The standard two closets have been joined by a large armoire against one wall; three dressers have been moved in, three desks. A set of bunk beds on the left side, a lofted twin with its desk underneath it on the right. Though the side of the room with the bunk beds is pristine and neat still, awaiting its occupants, the side with the lofted bed has experienced an explosion of color. Bright floral sarongs hang down from the loft, curtaining off the desk beneath into its own private nook that has been liberally decorated with photographs, an eclectic mix of artwork, stuffed toys, knickknacks. The desk itself is a cluttered mess, the armoire as well, its occupants' belongings in a perpetual state of disarray. The door to the room is flung open wide, music -- Ke$ha's latest -- playing loudly within and spilling out into the hall. Inside, the room is in /kind/ of a state. Two suitcases have been opened -- in the middle of the floor. /Half/ unpacked, for a value of unpacked that includes things scattered over the desk, the loft bed, kind-of-tossed into the armoire. The window has been thrown open; at the moment there's a girl sitting perched on the windowsill, phone in hand, holding her camera up to the grounds outside. Dressed in a vividly yellow halter-neck sundress, an enormous pink flower pinned into her hair, Mina is as bright as the sunny day just beyond. Eventually the music does draw Mina a spectator. Large maroon eyes in a light purple face; Paras is colourful, here, too. Differently colourful -- in /attire/ today she's monochrome, a white kameez with black geometric patterning at its cuffs and hem, white chudidar, black and white similarly patterned dupatta over her chest and draped down her back. She hesitates at the doorway, bare toes wiggling against the floor before she lifts a hand to knock at the doorframe. With a distinct but crisp accent: "Have you only just come?" Though she steps into the room, it's only just, staying by the doorway with her eyes skimming the mess. Mina's attention swivels -- her phone swivels with it, for a moment capturing Paras in the doorway before, with a blush and a widening of eyes, she lowers it. "Oh! I'm sorry, I swear I wasn't, like, filming /you/ I was just trying to show my friends at home -- these grounds are /crazy/ you know? I mean I filmed you but only by /accident/ not because --" Her head shakes quickly. "-- hi! Yes, I mean --" Her dark eyes are kind of fixed, kind of staring this whole while at Paras. At least for a moment before she hops down off the windowsill. "No, I got here /yesterday/ but honestly who had time to unpack? There was /so/ much to see, you know? I'm sure /you/ know, you -- have you been here long? I'm Mina." Bustling about now to -- clean up the mess? Maybe? At the least she's definitely moving some of the clothes from the floor to shove them (in a heap, still) into the armoire. "Ah -- some time, yes. I mean, some years I have studied here." A smile flashes, quick, small, across Paras's face as Mina begins her cleaning. "But /here/-here I only recently returned, also. From the summer. Do you -- need a help?" The offer is kiiind of uncertain, eying Mina's clutter without a lot of confidence. "I am Paras." Offered belatedly. "And yes. There is much to see. Have you come from far?" "Paris?" Mina echoes brightly. "I came in from Hawai'i. It's -- it /feels/ far. Not as far as some people, I guess! Oh, /wow/, if you've been here a while you probably know a /lot/, right?" Still bustling about her pseudo-cleaning, Mina drops her current armload -- books, now, which rather than going Away in any reasonable order just get set in a stack on the floor by the leg of her bed -- and hops over her suitcase, flitting over to the door to peer out into the hall. "Which of those is /your/ room? Is it far? Is that an /eye/ in your head? Do you know how to get to the city from here? I really want to liven this place up it's -- you're allowed to make it feel more /homey/, right?" Paras takes all this in in silence, though one hand does lift to touch lightly at the jewel in her forehead. Her brows pull together, skin wrinkling around it. "You are -- allowed to personalize your space," she finally ventures, plucking upon perhaps simply the most recent of this to actually answer. "Do you know who your roommates will be? They have --" Glancing around, briefly. "Not arrived, yet. Sometimes it is best to see their tastes as well. Before you put up all your favourite circus-art pictures and discover your new roommate has a terror of clowns, no?" Her smile passes quickly. "The city -- is a bit of a distance, but, yes. Sometimes it is nice to go." Eyes wide, Mina dashes back into her room to dig a pair of sandals out of one of her large suitcases, grab a purse off her desk. "/Everyone/ hates clowns, I'm not going to be /stupid/ about it. Only pretty happy things, right?" Her smile, at least, is bright. She hooks an arm through Paras's, tugging her out into the hall. "Perfect, it's still early, it's nice, we've got time, today's great to go, right? Right. I have things I need still -- I have a /list/. You look like you have great taste. You know where we can go get some flowers? This place /definitely/ needs some flowers." Paras's mouth opens -- closes. She looks down at her outfit -- looks over at Mina's. A slow smile tentatively makes its way back onto her face. "My room is just down here," she finally ventures, allowing herself to be led out into the hall but then taking over the tugging -- a bit more gently! In the direction of her dorm. "I think I can find you at least some bit of colour in the city."