Gloria
A girl stood in the hallway to her dorm, waiting for the person with the felt bear to arrive. She messed with her hair, twisting the strands of her black hair together and running her gloved fingers through it, breaking knots. Nakanishi had nervously pondered earlier if they should accept the offer or not. It certainly was a difficult decision for her.

Nakanishi didn't want to be rude and accept the gift, yet she felt at the same time that the person with the felt bear should keep it instead as they probably put lots of time and effort into making it, and she wanted them to keep it as an achievement, a momento of their work.

However, she had been persuaded after she was told that the person with the felt bear could simply make another one, and she realized they would likely insist on wanting to give her the bear, so to spare the time and effort to try to convince them to keep the bear, she decided to accept their offer. Now she was anxious, as she would be meeting another new person in the Cradle, a near total stranger.
Margaret
Three knocks sounded on the door. 

A fairly androgynous figure stood in front of Mamoru and Nakanishi's shared dorm, clutching a small polar bear plushie with gloved hands. They wore a knitted violet poncho over a white button up and dark slacks, with long, white curly hair tied into a braid that dangled off their shoulder. 

Uriel put on a calm, polite smile— although, the bags under their deep grey eyes made them look more tired than anything.

*Hopefully, the bear would be comforting to the new girl...* Uriel mused to themselves, fingers tapping it's plush surface. She seemed new, and homesick, and *Afraid*— and while Uriel couldn't do much, they could do this.

A strong language barrier existed between the two, but actions can transcend what words cannot... Or so they hoped.
Gloria
The sudden knocks startled Nakanishi, who quickly calmed down and realized that it was the person with the bear. She stood in front of the door, took a deep breath to calm herself down (which didn't work, haha loser /j) and twisted the door handle slowly.

The door was then released from it's frame, now being able to swing open. The girl opened the door so that she could only see a sliver of light coming through and peeked out the crack, seeing a person standing in front of the door. She looked down and noticed the bear made of soft felt. It reminded her of Sazaki-chan.

The girl then opens the door some more, revealing herself to the person standing in front of the door. He could see the anxious expression plastered on her face. And she was anxious indeed. She had the same worries about him as she did with her roommate, Mamoru.
Margaret
They waved. The figure was... Surprisingly tall, coming in at around 6'. It didn't exactly match their appearance— the height made them look awkward with their skinny frame, and they seemed to be uncomfortable with the amount of space they took up. 

"You are... Nakanishi, yes?" Uriel's breathy and soft manner of speech was difficult to parse through their thick French accent. 

A moment of silence passed as it took Uriel multiple seconds to remember she didn't speak English. Their tired eyes looked down at their phone, before they slowly — *Very* Slowly— typed something in Google Translate. 

*Hello. This is for you. :-)* Appeared on their phone in Japanese.
Gloria
Nakanishi returned a tiny wave. She couldn't understand what Uriel was saying at all, she even seemed a little surprised that one's voice could sound like that. When Uriel began to type on the phone, she watched the sluggish typing taking place in front of her eyes. She could see it in his face too, he seemed exhausted. She remained patient and let Uriel finish typing before reading the translated message.

This is what happened when she and Mamoru were trying to conversate, she remembered. She quickly pulled out her phone and began to use it's dictation feature to say something into her phone and put down a text message that way. Her voice was soft and whispery, which was typical of her when meeting new people. She didn't want to raise her voice at all, thinking she'd be rude by doing that, but she was forced to do so after her phone's mic failed to pick up on her soft speech, twice. A simple message appeared on her phone after the third attempt:

`Thank you.`

She then held up the phone to Uriel, covering her mouth with it as she kept eye contact with him. Her cheeks were mildly flushed, signaling embarrassment from the girl. She then awaited a response from Uriel, whether it be AI translated words or universally understood actions.
Margaret
Good night!!! BTW, Uri uses they/them pronouns :-3
Mark
Good morning!! :D
And alright, ty for letting me know!

Hi there! How are you doing this afternoon?
Margaret
Just woke up 
Do got a lot of stuff to do but I'll churn a response out
Mark
Alright, take your time!
Margaret
Uriel extended the bear out towards Nakanishi, making the creature 'wave' at her with one of its paws. 

*Ah, but it is rather delicate... You probably shouldn't move it like I just did, on second thought.* The phone says. 

Without another word, Uriel plops the bear onto Nakanishi's outstretched hand, and attempts a soft smile at the girl. 

*What will you name it?* Appears on the phone after another series of slow, drawn out typing.
Gloria
Nakanishi geeently takes the bear from Uriel and slowly brings it closer to her until she could hold it with both hands. She noticed the message typed out by Uriel and nodded in acknowledgement.

She loved the bear. It's fur felt soft all around, it seemed like it would be a great friend if it were alive, and she could look at it as much as she wanted whenever she went to sleep. She might even make it Sazaki-Chan's sibling.

When she looks at the second message on Uriel's phone, asking what she would name it, she began to think about it. There were lots of things she could name it, and after a moment of thought, she decided to name it after the stray cat she would visit often in Koriyama. 

She pulled her phone out and softly spoke a message into it, hiding her head behind the door so her voice would be muffled, then peeked back at Uriel and showed him the message.

`Is Mr. Muto a good name? It's the name I gave to a stray cat that I'd visit often.`
Margaret
*If you think it's a fitting name, then by all means, use it.* 

Mr. Muto... Yes, they mused, Nakanishi did mention the name before in the intranet. The recollection made something sweet blossom up in their chest, the corners of their tired face briefly lighting up. Something they made, being given such an important name... It made them giddy. 

Uriel pats the bear on the top of its head. It was soft, even though their gloves— the girl also wore gloves, they noticed, but they didn't comment on it. 

*Perhaps I can make some accessories for it, if you'd like? Like a scarf.*
Gloria
The girl nods, deciding to keep the name Muto-San (the -san honorific in japanese names is essentially the equivalent of mr/ms/mrs in english) as a reminder of the stray cat she once visited. Perhaps she would find a new one in Isakstad in no time.

Nakanishi noticed Uriel reaching his hand out to pat the bear and kept her hands absolutely still, not wanting to impede the bear patting in any way. When he was done patting, she looked down at the bear and gave it some soft head rubs with her index and middle fingers. She wished she could feel the fuzziness of the bear with her bare hands, but she would end up freezing it.

When she was asked if she wanted any accessories for it, she thought about it for few moments, then typed into her phone and showed Uriel a translated message.

`I want to keep Muto-San warm, could you make some winter clothes for him?`

She worried that the request would be a little too much, considering they were near-complete strangers, but she had some faith that he would be able to do it for her.
Margaret
I have... Another test on Wednesday 💀
I can churn a response out in the AM tmrw!
Mark
Bruuuuu 💀
Good luck on your test, though! And take your time if you need ti!
Margaret
*Winter clothes? Of course. I wouldn't want him to get cold now, wouldn't I? Perhaps he can have a scarf, a hat, and a cup of hot chocolate? It might seem light to you, but a bear had a remarkably easy time keeping warm. :-)* 

As Uriel listed more and more possibilities for the bear's assorted garments, a smile blossomed on their face. Someone was actually *Accepting a gift, from them, and requesting more.* It was music to the ears— loud, intense organs blaring in an echoey room, filling up the cold, empty crevice of their heart with sound and joy and *Feeling.* 

Was this what is was like to have younger sister? Something to dote on unconditionally? Uriel didn't know— but a tinge of envy soured their mind as they thought of the people able to experience this daily. 

*You can always come to me if you need help adjusting here, alright? I've been here for quite a while, and I enjoy being of use.*

They tilted the phone screen to her, a sweet smile on their face.

[[end here maybe?]]
Gloria
Nakanishi read the message typed and translated through Uriel's phone and nodded in acknowledgement, hiding behind the door again and softly speaking a message into her phone before coming back around the door and showing him a translated message.

[I think a scarf and a hat would suit him nicely, though hot chocolate would burn his mouth. Thank you for allowing him to stay warm this winter, and I hope you can stay warm too.]

Nakanishi wondered if this was what it is like to have an older sibling who is calm and caring. Uriel reminded her very much of her father, Oshiro Yusuke. She held up a finger for a second, telling him to wait before hiding behind the door and speaking a message into her phone. When she was done, she showed him another translated message.

[You remind me much of my father. Would it be okay if we took a walk together and got to know each other?]
Margaret
At that, Uriel smiled. Nakanishi was nice— sweet, too sweet for the Cradle, perhaps. Was her sweetness a forced one, a survival mechanism to stay alive? To keep others happy, even at the expense of herself?

Uriel couldn't tell. 

*I actually run rather cold, if I'm being honest. It's why I wear my poncho all the time, as well as my gloves and a long sleeved shirt. Touching my skin can be a bit unnerving, if you're not expecting it.* 

Ah. The *Cold*. While they did grow up in France, they grew up in Provence, a region which rarely became cold. They didn't much enjoy the people there, but they couldn't say the same about the scenery— bountiful lavender fields swaying in the wing, knee deep yellow-green grass and a sun rising over a sleeping village. They were a bit thankful, to not need scarves and mittens all year round like they did at Sweden. 

*I'm fatherly? That's a bit amusing, actually— I have little idea of how those behave, but so long as it's a compliment... Perhaps it's a good thing? I wouldn't be able to tell. I haven't met many people here who like their father.* 

They thought of Owen, with two mothers, Margo, with a dad she tried to murder, and Finley. 

...Did anyone here have a good father? Hopefully Nakanishi did, or else that remark perhaps wasn't so kind as it seemed. 

*I would love to go on a walk and know you better. Lead the way— we can go wherever you so desire.*
Gloria
Nakanishi's sweetness wasn't forced. It's her nature. She was taught to be polite growing up, her parents constantly remarked it would get her far in life, but she also had a sweet side. Polite and sweet. She seemed like she wasn't fit for the Cradle life, but she was unfortunately forced into it because of her elemental powers. Despite the predicament she is in now, she still maintains her politeness.

Nakanishi grew up in the city of Koriyama, sitting in Fukushima prefecture in the country of Japan. It did get cold in the winters and it snowed, but the summers were warm and humid. Nakanishi hated how humid the summers were, though she didn't mind the heat much.

Her father is a sweet man who cared for her as best as he could. He is a hard worker, providing for his family with a job that pays well, which is also one he likes. He sometimes would take up knitting and tried to make scarves for Nakanishi, though he wasn't very successful.

Nakanishi seemed surprised that there weren't many people at the Cradle who didn't like their fathers, at least from the people Uriel has met. She spoke a message into her phone before turning it to him, showing him a translated message.

[How come people don't like their fathers?]

Then, when she was told that Uriel would love to walk with her, she nodded and slowly stepped out of the door, eventually closing it behind her. She looked at Uriel for a moment with a nervous expression, then turned down the hall. Nakanishi hadn't explored the Cradle and was afraid she'd get lost, but since Uriel was older, she hoped they would know how to get back to her dorm in the case they did get lost. She also wondered if she could go out and explore the city of Isakstad. She wouldn't be able to read anything or understand anybody, but if she could explore, she'd be content with that. She began to walk down the hall with Uriel, constantly looking back to make sure he's following her.
Margaret
*How come people don't like their fathers?* She had wrote, and Uriel walked alongside the girl in silence before they could properly form a sentence. 

*Not everyone is nice, unfortunately. It seems one doesn't gain a sense of morality just by siring a child.* 

A moments pause, phone still in hand. It was an interesting question to ask, and Uriel had little idea of how to answer. Why *Were* Humans mean? It was a question they asked themselves often. It was something they thought they could answer, and yet... All the explanations didn't seem proper for the ears of a child. 

*Although, I do believe you're asking the wrong person. I neither have a father nor hate him, so... Perhaps someone else would be better suited to that question?* 

Typing while walking was hard, Uriel thought, as the pair set off into the depths of the Cradle's concrete walls. Perhaps Nakanishi would enjoy the garden more— or maybe the rooftop would better suit her interests. Choices, choices... 

*If you'd like, we could go to the garden or the roof. There's a nice crows nest that gives one a good view of the city. Feel free to ignore me, if you have a destination in mind. :-)*
Gloria
Nakanishi walked alongside Uriel, her shoes clicking down the hall as the dorms of descending numeric order passed. 123... 122... 121... 120... They sorta felt like they were counting down to when Nakanishi and Uriel would leave the dorms one way or another.

When she was shown the message, she nodded, acknowledging the translated message. She thought about what Uriel had said about not gaining sense of morality. She then understood the message. I think a piece of her childhood innocence just got ripped away from her. When she was shown the second message about someone else being better to ask, she typed a message into her own phone. Typing while walking was a little difficult for her. She showed him the message after she was done typing.

[I don't really have anyone better to ask right now. I apologize if the question bothered you.]

She put her phone down for a moment before she was shown yet another message. *If you'd like, we could go to the garden or the roof.* While both of those options sounded nice, she did want to explore the city and the Cradle and get to know her surroundings. She then stopped and began to think of a plan where they could explore all of those places in one day.

*What could we do first? Is there a route that Uriel prefers to take? What if we get caught up in something? What if there's distractions? Will we spend any money on the trip? Is there a place that Uriel wants to go to first? What if we want to go to different places at the same time? Will we have to split up during our trip? What if we get cold?*

Thoughts ran through the mind of the girl. Her gaze affixed to a light mounted to the ceiling, her head tilted upwards and her hands still being held to her chest, clasped together. She seemed to be in a trance of what-ifs and plans about their journey.
Margaret
*No worries. I have no ill will towards my father for leaving, and you for asking such a thing.* 

Uriel gives the other a reassuring smile, tilting their head to meet her eyes. Their grey dream-catcher earring made a *Clink* As it lightly impacted their jaw. 

Oh, right. Speaking of reassurance... If they were going to go on a walk with Nakanishi, they should probably mention *That*. 

*Ah... Alright, although, I should warn you ahead of time that I do have a tendency to... Fall asleep with little warning, as it were. If I unexpectedly faint, please do not worry. You can call one of the staff to assist.* 

Uriel hoped the other wouldn't react too poorly to news of their condition. It was a disclaimer people didn't hear often, and they've garnered a wide array of responses to said heads-up. They usually range from 'Oh, wow, that's kinda weird', to 'I can't handle the responsibility of dragging your unconscious body back home, maybe I'll ask someone strong to come with us.' Perhaps they should change the conversation to something lighter, a small voice in their head said. 

*Now... Tell me about your father. You seem to like him, no?* 

They had to admit, they were curious about the other girl— although, it was more due to a place of concern for this girl. Anything they could know could be useful in anything they could do to help her survive the horrors of being shipped off to a foreign country, alone.
Gloria
Nakanishi suddenly snapped out of her trance when she was shown the message from Uriel's smartphone. Her head tilted down and her eyes locked onto the other's smartphone to read the message, which told her that they had nothing against her for asking such a question. She nodded, feeling relieved.

She caught up to Uriel and continued to walk with them, her eyes facing forward. They were nearing the end of the dorm hallway, and Nakanishi figured now would be a good time to ask if Uriel had a place they wanted to go to first. She pulled out her smartphone to type (using the dictation feature) a message to him when Uriel showed her the message about his condition.

Nakanishi seemed surprised that Uriel had his condition of randomly falling asleep with little warning, she'd never heard of it before. Instead of typing (again using the dictation feature) her question of where the other wanted to go first, she wanted to show them that she would help if he ever did fall asleep.

[If you do fall asleep, I'll try my best to catch you. I don't want you to get hurt.]

She tried to crack a smile to reassure Uriel, though she wasn't able to make it look genuine. Despite this, she hoped that the other would feel better about her wanting to make sure he will be okay if he ends up falling asleep. When she was asked about her father, she immediately spoke a message into her phone, then showed Uriel another message.

[My father was a good man. He worked hard for my family. He loved everyone equally. I miss him and my mother a lot, though we do get to message each other every night.]
Margaret
[He sounds like a lovely man. I'm glad to be compared to him, then. :-)] 

Uriel hums cheerfully, the compliment clearly brightening their mood. Nakanishi's offer to catch them (although most likely in vain— they doubt she'd have the reflexes or strength to catch them, even if they were remarkably twig-like) sent a warm feeling through their chest. It felt like drinking warm tea, or resting by the fire— a pleasant warmth, one that made the bags on their eyes lighten up and the corners of their mouth turned upward in a soft, neutral smile. 

[You message him? That's nice to hear. I see my mother in my dreams, and so I suppose I'm lucky in the homesickness aspect— However, I do sympathize with you, Nakanishi.] 

Another pause. They were walking to the garden, Uriel supposed— subconsciously, their feet had guided them towards the familiar green grove. It was for the best, a small voice in them thinks. They've never been the best with heights. 

[I'm glad you seem... Relatively normal. I'm still doing my best to adjust to talking to so many people, and the ones at the Cradle are no shortage of oddballs.] They chuckle at their own (typed out) remark, before resuming their feverish texting.

 [I don't exactly know what normal is for most people. I'm eager to find it out.]
Gloria
[He is a lovely man. And I'm glad that you're glad to be compared to him.]

Nakanishi noticed the cheerful hums coming from the other person, which made her smile a little. She hadn't figured out that it was because of their brightened mood yet, but she just liked the way the humming sounded. It reminded her of her mother humming to her softly whenever Nakanishi hid from a thunderstorm. Her mother's humming always calmed her down, and she felt like Uriel's humming was calming her down too.

[I think it's wonderful you see your mother in your dreams. I'm sure she is a nice woman.]

Nakanishi suddenly heard the ground underneath her begin to sound like grass. She looked down and realized quickly that she *Was* Standing in grass. She looked around and found that she and Uriel were now in a garden. While she was texting responses to him, she'd been subconsciously following him, not paying attention to where she was going. It was a wonder she hadn't bumped into anybody or hit any poles.

[You also seem normal to me. I like that you wear gloves just like I do. Though, nobody at the Cradle is normal, so it would be reasonable to say that.]
Margaret
[Sit next to me, Nakanishi. Let's enjoy the scenery together.]

Uriel smiles. As they sit down on the garden bench, they pat the spot next to them in a warm invitation. 

[Normal? I've never been called such a thing. It's a bit funny... Even here, where everyone else is 'not normal', I've been called as such.]

Even while typing it, Uriel let out a small chuckle. *Normal*? What an odd thing to be called... Truly. It was a word that could only be explained by Nakanishi's general lack of understanding of them. Ares, Valio, Amelie, Hatzume... All were keen on reminded Uriel just how weird and strange they were. 

They didn't mind it, of course. It was true after all— they *Were* Strange. Foreign. Different. Inhuman, even. Not a part of general society, but an observer lingering on the sidelines. A narrator, even.

[These gloves are because I get rather cold. My body is colder than most people's.]

Uriel pulls their gloves off, revealing surprisingly sturdy yet pale and smooth hands. They touch the pad of their fingers to Nakanishi's wrist, and her skin meets their own cool, pale digits. 

[It unnerves people, so I'm told.]
Gloria
Nakanishi reads the message and nods her head slightly in confirmation before moving to the side of the bench that Uriel makes room for her on and sits down, keeping her posture straight with her hands softly resting in her lap. There was no wind, no birds chirping, yet all of this greenery existed around them. It all felt very artificial. Despite that, it helped to ease Nakanishi's worries a little, as shown with a soft smile from the little girl.

She reads the messages presented to her by Uriel. She nods after each one, confirming her understanding and acknowledgement of said messages. She's gaining some form of understanding of the people here at the Cradle, which she appreciates, though remembers to make sure not to associate all Swedish people with that understanding. Just the ones at the Cradle.

She then reads the message about Uriel's colder-than-usual body temperature. She watches them pull off their gloves, revealing the pale skin underneath their hands, which unnerved her a little bit. Then. She kinda just allows them to touch her wrist with ther cold fingers. Upon contact with her soft, smooth skin, the temperature difference immediately surprised her and caused her to immediately bring both of her hands back towards her body. She picks up her phone and softly speaks a message into it before showing it to Uriel.

[Sorry, the temperature difference surprised me. My hands get cold like that too, especially around winter time. They also get cold as ice forms inside my gloves from holding them still for too long.]
Margaret
[You have ice powers, then? You'll be happy to know there are similar people here. A man here named Cas can manipulate ice— it might be worthwhile to talk to him, if you'd like.] 

Finally! Some actual advice they could give the new student. A sigh of relief escaped from Uriel's lungs, and they could feel *Something* Out in the universe praising them for their suggesting. 

It felt warm. They closed their eyes and shuddered. 


[I think that is a very interesting power. It's rather cool, no?] 

Uriel gives a reassuring smile to the other— it was true, they *Did* Find such an ability rather fascinating. 

[Is there any way I could see your powers in action?] The tip of their gloved index finger rests on their chin, tilting their head in curiosity.
Gloria
Nakanishi read Uriel's message and felt a little relieved that there were others similar to her in the Cradle, perhaps she could make friends with them and explore her powers that way. Nakanishi always wanted to make friends, that's why she made her blanket a lifelong "Friend" Of hers, named Sazaki-Chan. She held that blanket dear, but she felt like she could let go of that relationship sometime soon when she made some *Real* Friends.

Even though Uriel didn't sport any ice powers of their own, she felt that they were a very kind person, one she could always go to in case she was getting overstressed. That would definitely help her, considering she'd only been forced into Sweden just a few days ago. As Uriel showed her another message, asking if they could see her powers in action, Nakanishi hesitated, thinking for a split moment that Uriel would have some sort of negative reaction or make fun of her for her weakness, but she reminded herself of their kindness and decided to try.

She slowly pulled off one of her gloves, then used her bare hand to pluck a blade of grass from the ground. Immediately, the blade completely froze, becoming very brittle. Nakanishi could balance it on a finger and use two others to snap it in half with ease, which she did. She put her glove back on and used her phone to once more communicate with the other.

[How was that? Was it good?]
Margaret
At the display of her power, Uriel's eyes widen briefly, mouth forming a perfect *O* In awe. 

[*That was wonderful! :-)))*] They type, but the sentiment is clear enough from the expression on their face. A polite clap rings out from Uriel's hands, and they give her a small cheer. 

[*It is getting rather late, Nakanishi. Perhaps we should head to bed now, yes? I wouldn't want to hurt your sleep schedule while you are adjusting to the new time zone.*] 

The tall, pale figure stands up from where they had parked themselves on the bench, and they offer Nakanishi a hand to help her up. 

An outstretched hand from a stranger in a foreign country... The first sign that things will be alright in this new place.
Gloria
Nakanishi watched their eyes widen, and their mouth form a perfect "O" In awe. Nakanishi's eyes also slightly widen for a brief moment, which showed surprise that Uriel would be amazed at her weak powers. As the polite clap rang out across the garden, a smile formed on the girl's face once more. She was happy that Uriel showed them this kindness when nobody else outside of her family would, merely because of her gloves.

She read Uriel's messages, telling her that her display was wonderful and that they should be heading back, for it is getting late. Nakanishi nods and gently grabs Uriel's hand as they stretch it out towards her before standing up with their help. She knew that she would have to take Swedish classes so she would be able to communicate with Uriel (assuming they're communicating in Swedish).

As the two began walking back to the dorm hallways, Nakanishi picked up her phone and softly spoke another message into it, using the dictation feature to type a message using her soft, whispery voice, which it would remain for a while until she became truly comfortable around Uriel. Once she was done, and the message was correct, she held up the phone, holding it by the two bottom corners with her hands and covering her mouth.

[Can we be friends? You're the kindest stranger I've ever met.]
Margaret
Uriel smiles at her. 

[Of course we can be friends.] One last display from their phone, and they escort her back to her room.

—

EHEHEH THAT WAS FUN

Eventually, of course!!!!

In a lot of rps rn 💀