Monday, December 29th, 2008 Who: Aisling and Declan What: Exploring Where: Starting in the halls, then wandering through campus When: Right around lunchtime
Ash had been enjoying bantering back and forth with people on the journals, and while it seemed that most of them were on vacation, it would be fun to run into them later in the week when they'd returned. As she'd played around with that she'd spent most of Monday setting up her room, playing music on her laptop and singing along when appropriate. She had a wide range of tastes--from classical to hip-hop--and even a mix of the two in some cases. And with no one immediately nearby, she didn't feel guilty about playing it a little loud.
Today was for exploring though. Dressed in some faded jeans and a cropped tee under a hoodie to beat out the cold, she had donned some sneakers in case her wandering took her out in the cold and then set out, poking around curiously in whatever suited her fancy. Trailing behind her were a pair of otters--like something out of an old silent movie. They darted back and forth, interacting with the environment in some cases and then melding through it in others.
Declan, for once not on shift, decided that he was going to the cafeteria for lunch this afternoon. The new chef wasn't bad at all and he kept posting about how he was still serving meals through the holiday and would appreciate feedback. If giving a few comments meant leaving with a full and warm belly, the Irishman was all for helping out coworkers. Of course, in his travels he wasn't expecting to find a pair of otters twirling around his feet as he walked. "Well now, tha's a sight ye don' see every day."
Looking back when she heard the voice, Ash gave a blink and then laughed sheepishly. It just had to be one of the cute security guards that her illusions opted to molest. First day out of her room, too. "Ah, yeah. Sorry about that." He didn't seem annoyed, and so she didn't focus on removing the little creatures--who had both paused and looked up at Declan curiously before scampering off to examine a chair. If some otters meant no migraine... she was fine with it.
Tucking her hair behind one ear, she then shoved her hand back into her pocket and smiled. "Hi. Declan, right?"
Declan chuckled, watched the otters dart over to the chair. "Aye, it's no problem and so nothing ye need ta apologize for." Turning to face the young lady, he smiled. "Declan would be me. And yer Aisling, aye?" Reaching out a hand, waiting for hers to shake in greeting. Of course, her hand was in her pocket, so he just waved it instead. "Are ye settlin' in well?"
A grin bloomed to life. "Wow. You got my name right and everything. That doesn't happen often." Which was why she went by Ash. Although when she thought about it--it was perfectly natural that the Irishman would get her name right. Freeing up her hand again, she waggled her fingers in greeting before looking at their surroundings. "Yeah. I was unpacking and all that yesterday, so today I'm exploring."
Declan's smile stayed in place, warming a bit. "O' course I got it right. It's a lovely name an' one I've missed hearing." She may not have been Irish, but he couldn't help but be reminded of home, and so his accent thickened just slightly. "Have ye explored yer way to the cafeteria yet? I was just heading in tha' direction."
"I hadn't yet. I was trying to psyche myself into going out and exploring outside--but I like this idea better. If you don't mind the company, anyway." She had paused to talk, and now altered course to join him. The otters bounded after her, and went back to darting around their heels--oblivious to the danger of getting kicked since they were hardly going to be injured by it. "So I gotta ask, what brought you here from Ireland?" If she'd lived there, Ash doubted she would have ever left.
Declan chuckled as one of the otters darted up his leg and then back down to wrestle with the other, walking down the hallway and turning the corner to head towards food. "I wanted ta learn. I grew up in the forests there and was fascinated by human culture. So it started with going into town, into schools. Then I realized America would be a fantastic place ta learn. I came here and started working as a forest ranger in the parks. Protectin' tha animals and trees in the way I knew best."
"Human culture?" It was a politely veiled question, since the statement begged for it to be asked. What was he?
But then she brightened, grinning. "That's so cool! When I was a kid my dad would take us to Crater Lake to go camping--I loved it out there." Around them, water began to stream down the walls, pooling on the floor. The otters were delighted and immediately began splashing around in the stuff.
Declan ran a hand through his hair. "Aye, human culture. I'm a dryad. Tree shifter," he clarified. "I grew up in the forests with me family and not often around other people." He stopped walking as soon as the walls changed, even reaching out a hand to try to feel the coolness on his palm. He was mildly disappointed when the water just passed straight through, but then that was the point of illusions. They weren't real. "Ye've got some skill, ye have."
"I've never met a dryad before..." Ash trailed off, thoughtfully, then smiled. "Must've been a culture shock." Stopping when he did, the smile turned a little bitter as she looked at the cascade of water. "My subconscious does, anyway... I could make it tangible, but that's pretty much an instant headache nowadays." Tangible yes, but they were never "real" and would disappear the minute her mind shifted to something else.
"Well now ye've met one. And Keely, the groundskeeper here, is another one from me hometown." Declan turned back in time to catch the shift and he looked confused. "Is that why ye're here then? Ta control them?"
Ash nodded, and once again pulled her hands from her pockets as she spoke. "I got in a car accident a few months ago... well, almost a year now." Fingertips skimmed through her hair, parting it to show the silvery scar across her right temple. "Ever since I haven't been able to control them unless I really focus on it, y'know? Not that I was any genius at it before, but they only showed up when I wanted them around."
Reaching out, Declan stopped himself just before his fingers brushed across the scar, not wanting to be too forward. "Tha' definitely looks like it hurt." Dropping his hand, he canted his head, studying the mark. "Was there any brain damage? We've got some excellent healers on staff. Maybe one of them could have a look." It's possible if it was as simple as damaged tissue Wesley could fix it and help her get most of her control back again. Or at least get rid of the headaches.
"Go ahead, if you want," Ash said when she spotted the aborted movement. It was old hat to her nowadays, and wasn't painful, or embarrassing--though even if it had been, it was neatly hidden by her hair most of the time. "The doctors couldn't find anything when they looked. I've been in a CT scanner way too often for my tastes." She made a face.
Smiling a bit abashedly, he reached out, stroking a finger along the scar. "Well ye wouldna have ta take one of those tests. Wesley is one of the best here and he works as a human xray scanner thing." Okay, so Declan wasn't the most knowledgable when it came to medical equipment, but he was trying! "He's helped me out a time or two. Surely 'e could do the same for ye."
"Y'think?" Her tone turned hopeful, even as she grinned at that look on his face. The scar was smooth, and only a couple inches long; nothing drastic. When he'd withdrawn his hand Ash let her hair fall back into place. "I'll have to look him up, maybe..." It was worth a shot at least.
Declan nodded, turning to keep walking since his stomach was starting to rumble. "Aye, it's a possibility. If nothing else, e's a nice bloke. A bit of a flirt, but that shouldna trouble ye. It just makes him friendly." This coming from the man who couldn't flirt if he had to.
Ash snickered softly at that. "No, flirting doesn't bother me." It could certainly make her blush, but then Ash had never been good at hiding her reactions. That was Lucas's shtick. Settling into a pace beside him, she continued to eye their surroundings curiously. "So is there anything I should be avoiding now that I'm here?"
Declan wagged his head, thinking as he walked. They finally reached the doors for the cafeteria and he held them open for her. "Well, there's tunnels under the school, typically used for the vampires ta get ta classes and sometimes for an underground party or two. O' course, there's problems here an there with 'em too." Namely kids liking the tunnels to get high since there were so few camera. Declan needed to mention that to the Director or Alex. "There's a curfew for non-lycans around the full, for yer protection of course. And ye need ta be careful when and how ye leave. This is seen as a detention facility." Having reached the line, Declan passed over a tray and utensils for Ash, starting to grab lunch for himself.
The brunette listened intently as he spoke, after a quiet "thank you" when he held the door. The cafeteria was given a curious once-over before her attention turned back to where she was going; the water had faded away, but the otters continued to dart between and through the chair legs. "Guess it'll take a bit to get used to, but it doesn't sound like anything too ridiculous." Another thank you followed that, before she began picking out a few things to eat.
"Ye'll catch on quick," Declan smiled encouragingly. After loading his tray with a massive salad he'd made and a slice of sausage pizza, he grabbed a litre of water and waited for Ash. "Pick a spot." The place was fairly empty since most people had gone home for the break. "Do ye have any other questions? Oh! Ye both got the welcome packets in yer rooms, aye?" The packet had maps of the grounds, information on the classes, emergency contact lists and how to access the internet on the school grounds.
Ash had opted to get a bowl of soup and then also snared a bottle of water, before looking around and then giving an upnod towards a table near the center of the room. Then she nodded. "Yeah--I was reading through that last night before I passed out." At the table she claimed a seat, sliding into place and then settling her tray in front of her. "Why a detention facility, do you know? I mean, it just seems a little odd to make us look like prisoners."
Declan sat across from Ash, opening up his water for a hefty drink. "Aye, it does seem a bit strange. This used ta be just that. The previous director bought the place and turned it into a school. By keeping it as a detention facility we don't have ta answer to quite so many government questions. It's a safe place for students and the locals don't pry around the grounds. Safe for everyone." Picking up his pizza, Declan caught a piece of sausage as it dropped, popping it into his mouth. "Ow! Hot."
"Huh... Makes sense." Ash nodded, stirring her soup for a moment as she considered that. Having the locals poke about was definitely a bad idea during, say, a full moon--so she couldn't blame them for keeping the ruse up. Declan's exclamation caught her by surprise and she jumped a little, blinking at him and then laughing commiseratingly. "Careful!"
Declan fanned his tongue for a moment, taking a sip of water then pouting at his pizza. He set the slice back down and picked his fork up instead. "Mission accomplished, pizza. Salad first." He speared a large slice of cucumber, shaking off the bit of excess dressing.
Ash dissolved over that; giggling helplessly but trying to smother it with her hand. It took her a second to succeed at that, before she could give her soup a try.
Declan looked up at Ash, sticking his tongue out at her giggling before laughing himself. He started working on his salad, occassionally stabbing the pizza to punish it for being so cruel to him. "Anyways. What else would ye like ta know?"
Behind the brunette, an array of balloons floated up--disappearing before they reached the ceiling. She remained oblivious to them though, as she stared into her bowl thoughtfully. "Mmm... what do you like best here?"
Declan's eyes followed the balloons for a few moments, enjoying the distraction. "Oh, um. Hmm." He munched thoughtfully on a carrot stick, wondering what was best about this place. "I like the people. Most everyone is very friendly and helpful. Great people ta know."
"I've been hearing that a lot." Ash grinned, and spotted his trailing gaze. The balloons got a soft huff, but as usual she let them be. "Okay, then--what do you like least?"
"Tha cold." Declan nodded once, that answer being a given to him. He didn't like the cold at all, so being this far north in this weather was just not too much fun for him. But at least he knew how to manage.
"Yeah, it's freezing here. Salem is all about rain most of the time--we don't get huge amounts of snow." Between speaking she had been sipping at her soup's broth, letting the larger contents settle at the bottom. "But this is the worst of it, right? Should start to get a little warmer now that we've hit the middle of winter?"
Declan shook his head. "Ye'd think so, but we're pretty far north and it's only December. It'll stay cold for a month or so longer, especially if we get any snow." He'd made a good start on his salad, so Dec put his fork aside, tapping his fingers on the table and sipping at the water as he eyed the pizza. Blast the head, he'd eat it anyways.
The look Ash shot him was a mix of disappointment and amusement; it was hard to really be upset at the weather of all things, but she could sure try! "Damn... and go on, you know you want to." Snickering started up again as she watched him weigh his options.
"Oh, aye. I want to. I'm just tryin' ta figure out me method of attack. The frontal assault from before backfired." His green eyes lit up as he figured it out. "Aha!" Picking up the slice, he turned it around and bit into the crust. "Sneak attack from behind!"
It set the young witch to giggling again, and she had to sit back in her seat for a second. Declan was too adorable. "I'm sure the enemy never suspected that route."
"Obviously. That's what makes it so perfect!" Of course, the pizza chose that particular moment to drop it's offering of sausage-cheesy goodness right onto the middle of Dec's salad, leaving a saucy crust behind. Declan sighed, then shrugged. He couldn't win, so he might as well eat it anyways.
"Aw." Ash's giggling was finally interrupted by that sympathetic syllable. Straightening, she grabbed her bowl to finally attack the last bits of noodles in her soup. "I admire your dedication. I'd have attacked the thing with a fork by now."
"Aye, but finger foods are so much more fun." He quickly finished off the crust and turned to the cheese mess on his bed of greens, prodding it with a fork. "Remind me ta tell Bastian the pizza needs ta be fixed if it rebels this way."
"That's the chef?" She glanced towards the food line, as if that would make the man appear, but then chuckled and nodded. "Definitely needs to be top priority." The otters were back; they could only travel in a certain range around her, but were exploring anything and everything they could.
Nodding, Declan picked up a bite of sausage, cheese and lettuce. Oh well. May as well eat it all together. "Aye. He just started here not long ago and is replacing the previous chef." He leaned forward, glancing around and whispering, "The other guy was horrible! At least Bastian's good."
"Like... 'creepy lunch-lady with poor hygiene' horrible, or 'use it as a doorstop because it definitely isn't edible' horrible?" Ash leaned forward as well, amused at the conspiratory nature the conversation had taken. Her eyes lit up as she spoke, trying not to laugh again.
"Doorstop," Declan nodded, seriously. "Definitely doorstop. He was one of those cooks that made cardboard seem a better option." Satisfied he'd passed on important information, Declan leaned back, close to laughing himself.
"So what you're saying is the local take-out places are going to suffer now that it's safe to eat here again. I got you." Nodding sagely, the witch had a tiny smirk on her face as she reached for her bottled water. "I'm glad I never had to try the doorstop's cooking, at least."
Declan supressed a small shudder. "Aye, be very grateful. Quite a few of us cooked in our own apartments and the student kitchens were usually busy." Declan was pretty sure the nearby Papa John's would do just fine on business, but not quite as much.
Ash nodded. "Understandable." She would have lived with her own mediocre cooking too, if it had come to that. Soup finished finally, she folded up her used napkin again and tucked it beneath her bowl. "So. What're you doing for New Years? Or are you working?" She hadn't thought that far ahead herself--although someone on the boards had put the idea into her head to get a sugar high and go roller-blading in the halls.
Declan finished up what was left on his plate and pushed it aside, grabbing his litre of water. "I'm on duty again. I've been taken a lot of extra shifts. One of the security team had a heart attack recently and another moved to California with his niece and family. So we're short-staffed a bit." It didn't really bother Declan, but it did mean that he didn't get to spend quite as much time in the forest or with Keely.
Ash made a small face, crinkling her nose. "Bummer... is he okay? The heart-attack guy?" She had no names or faces to go by, but the concern was still genuine despite what she had just called Garret.
"Aye, his lovers are looking out for him, I believe. Garret's his name." Chances were she'd meet Garret soon enough, given the way he loved to flirt with everyone. "Garret," he started, trying to figure out how to describe him. " 'E's another one of the nicer lads around here. Very friendly, sweet and a major flirt like Wesley."
One brow crept up a bit, as she rewound Declan's words in her head. Lovers, plural. That was a new one. "I don't know if my blood supply is going to be able to handle all the blushing at this rate. Sounds like everyone's a flirt in one way or another." Not that Ash was complaining, by any means. Again the illusions shifted--an amorphous female figure now leaned against the table, looking intrigued and pleased.
When Ash spotted this, she coughed and the female instantly winked out of view, just as her hair turned a soft blonde. And yes, she was blushing.
Declan caught the glimpse of the blonde before she disappeared. "Well I'm not if that helps ye any. Garret says I'm bad at it, so I dunna bother ta try." He shrugged, drinking more water and lounging in his seat.
"You don't have to be one. Just be yourself--that's all that matters." Feeling like she was echoing an after school special, Ash gave him a smile and then took a long drink of her water.
Declan arched a brow and laughed. "Are you some confidence booster now? Ye sound a bit like what me mother used ta say." Capping his water again, he set it aside, crossing his arms on the table to focus more on the conversation.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it. For you or anyone else, including me." Ash stuck her tongue out at him, then laughed softly.
"Well what better place ta be yerself than a school for supernaturals?" Declan smiled. Glancing at his plate and hers, he asked, "Are ye ready ta keep exploring or do ye want ta get something else?" There were a wide array of desserts on the bar.
Following his gaze, Ash gnawed on the corner of her lip in obvious contemplation. "... I think I'll cave in to temptation and get something sweet. Can't hurt, right?" She flashed Declan a cheeky grin, then hopped to her feet. "You going to get anything?"
Declan stood along with Ash, following her to the dessert line. "Of course! Now the question is cake, pie, cookies or ice cream." His eyes lit up as he stumbled across the perfect idea. Grabbing a bowl he settled a chocolate chip cookie on the bottom, upside down of course, then headed over to the ice cream machine. Chocolate ice cream. "What'll ye have?"
"I'm thinking pie..." Her words trailed off as she said them, since she was looking over her options. Snaring a plate from the stack, she reached to dole out a slice of berry pie. It was topped, of course, with a dollop of whipped cream. Turning, she spotted his concoction and grinned. "Nice--I like it."
"Not done yet." Declan grabbed a nearby spoon and moved back over to the cookies, settling another on right on top. "Tada. An ice cream sandwich." Smiling, he walked back over to Ash, letting her lead the way to their seats.
"Your ingenuity continues to amaze me." Beaming, she turned to weave back through the chairs and tables towards their own seats. "I'll have to make one of those next time I'm in here." Once they were both settled again, she claimed her fork. "I'm gonna probe some more, because you're not stopping me. How was your Christmas?"
Declan scooped up some of his drooping ice cream as he walked back to their table. "Mine was jus' fine. Spent it with me girl." He chuckled again, thinking of the way she ambushed his apartment and decorated it.
"Awww..." Ash grinned. "Cute!" She had spent most of her own Christmas getting ready to pack. Taking a bite of her pie, she sighed and melted a little. "This is so good."
Declan watched Ash dig into her dessert and smiled. "Ye should try the bread pudding next time. For Christmas he used panettone and it was amazing." Picking up his sandwich, he squished some of the icecream out, licking it up as it came out from the center. "Delicious."
"I will." For now, the witch was pleased with her pie. Vines were slowly twisting around the chairs and table now, moving with a mind of their own. "Mmm... so. Any other tips for surviving here?"
Declan glanced down as the vines started wandering around, mildly surprised when they climbed into his lap. "Well, depends. I wouldna suggest antagonizing any of the staff, but they are here ta help. Make friends and dun be afraid ta go out for fun."
"I've never been the antagonistic sort, but I'll definitely keep that in mind. I don't want enemies here." She shook her head--that was certainly the last thing on her mind. Spotting the invasion of personal space, she made a face, forcing the vines back. "Neither does Lucas, for that matter." She didn't know that for sure, really--but she still sincerely doubted it. Lucas was too laid back for that sort of nonsense.
"Chances are ye'll make both friends and enemies here. There's too many personalities for everyone ta get along well." It was just something that happened. Throw together a bunch of hormonal teenagers and young adults and you had drama and frenemies. Add on top of that each having unique abilites and it made of a conglomeration of non-stop fun.
"Well I guess that's true, but it's still not really my goal. Especially not with the teachers or anything." It was unavoidable that she was bound to irk someone--the question was what happened after that. Shrugging quietly, she began rubbing her temple with her free hand while getting another bite of pie.
Declan caught the movement of her hand and frowned. "Are ye alright?" He licked his fingers of cookie crumbs and ice cream, swallowing his current bite.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Little headache." Ash stopped rubbing automatically, and instead brought her thumb and forefinger together with only a hairsbreadth of space between them. Smiling, she gave a shrug. "Was bound to happen eventually."
"From," Declan started and then trailed off, waving his spoon around to indicate the vines which were now growing big pink flowers. For some reason he was reminded of the movie Jumanji. "Anything I can do?"
"Eh... yes and no," Ash stated, when he indicated the vines. "Mostly the stuff that shows up is nothing I can't handle. But when I start messing with it, it can sometimes trigger headaches." His other question got a crooked smile, and a shake of her head. "Pain-killers if it gets bad, but I doubt it."
Declan shook his head, "Then don't worry about messing with them around me. I dinna mind. They're a pleasant change from the cold outside." He smiled gently. "We can get ye tylenol if ye need it."
"I'd rather go explore--that's suitably distracting. And only if you're sure," Ash added, half-teasing and half-serious. "It's a strange, strange world in here." Her temple was tapped, for emphasis.
"Aye, sounds good. As soon as I finish me ice cream." With that, Declan tucked into his dessert, polishing it off quickly enough and cleaning his hands with a napkin. "Ready?"
Ash had had a bite left of her pie as well, and nodded happily before following suit. When they'd both finished she grinned and slid to her feet, tugging her hoodie back into place. "Yep... wait. I'm not like, dragging you off when you have things to do, am I?"
Declan shook his head, gathering up his dirty dishes onto the tray so they could be bussed on their way out. "No not at all. For once, I'm not on duty today so I'm free to come with ye and give a tour." He waited for her to pick up her dishes then led the way to the station to clean up. Silverware in the bin, glasses on the ledge, trash into the trashcan and the tray on the little conveyor belt. It was habit for him not and he stepped out of the way for Ash.
"'Kay. Just checking." Having followed after him, Ash watched what he did and then followed suit, dividing up her dishes amidst the various receptacles. The conveyor belt was perhaps the trippiest part, and she watched the tray go slowly scooting off with a quizzical expression before she chuckled and turned to join him. "What's your favorite place here?"
Declan caught the expression and laughed. "The workers in back take care of cleaning up everything else, running the dishes through the dishwasher and such." Leading the way out the door, Declan paused. "Now tha's a tough question. I like a lot of places here."
"The belt is cool--I'd just never seen a set up like that before." Just outside the door she paused beside him, hands in her pockets again as she looked up. "Well. One of the several, then." Ash wasn't picky; exploring was exploring.
"Tha rec center," Declan decided, nodding. "It's got an indoor pool and jacuzzi, pool tables, indoor track, work out rooms, basketball court. In general, amazing." Opening the door to the outside, he led the way to the center.
"Oh man. Pool?" Ash beamed, bouncing a little in her steps as she followed him. "I suck at it, but it's so much fun." Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly at the cold air, but not enough to make her change her mind. Instead she trekked after him, with her illusions following after her.
Declan grinned, nodding his head and picking up to a light job, just so he could cross the lawn that much faster. "Blast, it's cold out here!" It didn't take long before he was holding open the door for Aisling, a blast of heated air greeting them as they walked in. "Aye, there's quite a bit here. There's horse stables out back fer those who like ta ride. Outdoor track, football field. Lots ta do."
"I'll play spectator when it comes to football, unless it's the flag version." Ash had darted after him, giving a last reflexive shiver once she was inside. Shoulders easing away from her ears, she grinned cheerfully and immediately set to wandering, looking over the equipment. "Horses though... that's tempting." She'd always had a soft spot for animals; it was part of the reason why so many of her illusions turned up as them.
Declan leaned against the front desk, giving Ash the time to check things out. "This is a big rec center so take yer time exploring." He gestured to the large map against the wall that pointed out where everything was in this multi-floored building.
A large cat traipsed after Ash as she wove through a series of tables and made her way back to the map; it made no effort to avoid obstacles though, and just moved right through them. The brunette looked a little daunted by the size of the layout, though. "Holy cow. I could get lost in here..."
Laughing, he glanced over the map with her. "Aye, and ye probably will a time or two. But it's not so large as all that and ye'll figure it out quickly enough." All the other students had thrived in the rec center, so there was no reason she couldn't.
"Treadmills, stair machines... weights. Lucas'll like that." Ash murmured to herself. Then she brightened, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Oh sweet! Table tennis! Do you play?" She looked over at him questioningly, grinning.
Declan grinned at her enthusiasim, nodding. "Aye, I play now and then. Haven't for awhile. Not much extra time recently." He wondered if she was asking him to play now, later, or if she wanted to keep exploring. Subtlety wasn't his strongest suit.
"May have to bug you sometime for a game, when you're free." No, exploring was still on Ash's main to-do list. Once she had her bearings, she nodded to herself and then roamed once more--peeking into the game room, and then through the glass that separated them from the indoor pool. "So far this place seems more relaxing than I ever thought school should be. You know? I'll probably change my mind once classes actually start, though."
Declan laughed and nodded, raising his voice as she wandered down the hall, something - a cat?- chasing her as she walked. "That's true. During classes, and especially midterms and finals this place is pretty empty. It's open all hours so whoever wants to use it can, but always monitored." He leaned back against the wall, studying the large mirrors on the ceiling to give the illusion of more space while allowing him to track Ash's movements.
"All hours... oh. Right." For a moment she'd thought to ask why, before she remembered that not just people who roamed during the day lived here. Her voice was distant, but as she started to make her way back it got progressively louder. "No wonder you're always busy when you're on shift. Doesn't sound like it's ever absolutely quiet here."
"This is about the quietest it gets," Declan agreed, watching Ash walk back thanks to the mirrors. Turning his head, he grinned. "Still want ta check out here or shall we move on?"
"Mmm..." Weighing her options, Ash glanced around thoughtfully before she shook her head. "Nah, I'm good here. A gym is a gym, right?" They had all the same general equipment, in the end. "Anything else that's close by and worth braving the cold for?"
Declan wagged his head back and forth, considering the answer to her question. "Well, the infirmary is just near here in case ye need it. Most of the times yer allowed ta explore tha woods nearby." His voice lowered as he worked out what was important. "Tracks, stables, field. Hmm." He paused, furrowing his brow in throught. "Well," Declan finally said. "If ye'd want ta see the building for classes, that'd be about it."
"Maybe the classes..." Ash had to consider as well before she spoke, but then guilt filtered into place once again. She'd been dragging the poor dryad everywhere, when this was his day off. The cat which had been wrapped around her ankles faded from view, and in its place the walls seemed to darken, cracks appearing through the mirrors. "If you want to just point me in that direction, I can go check it out myself. I don't mean to keep hauling you around..."
Declan knew just what she was doing, could practically see the guilt shadow her eyes before it darkened the walls. Pushing off from his perch he walked over, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "Ye're fine. If I had an issue with it, I'd tell ye. C'mon. I'll show ye tha secret way." Turning back down the hallway where she'd come he led her to a door. Opening it revealed one of the many entrances to the tunnels. "Now we won't get quite so cold."
She laughed reflexively when he did that, ducking her head briefly before they began moving. Curiosity very rapidly overtook her guilt, and when she saw the stairs leading down into the tunnels she looked up at him. "Seriously? Underground tunnels?" Looking at the stairs again, she mumbled to herself. "This place gets more and more interesting."
Declan glanced down, smirking. "How else did ye think tha vampires get to their eight am classes? They canna walk outside. These tunnels run all under the grounds to each of the buildings. Should be on yer map." Of course, they were also the same tunnels where the parties happened and quite a few other activites Declan didn't care to think about. They really needed to put cameras down here.
"And you dragged us outside in the cold to get over here." Ash stuck her tongue out at him, half accusatory and half teasing. "Are you secretly a masochist, or something?"
Declan shook his head. "Not that I know. I just don't typically go below ground. No reason for me to. Besides, ye should learn both routes. I doubt classes would be cancelled because of a foot of snow if there's tunnels available." Holding open the door, he waited for Ashling to lead the way down the stairs to the ground floor as he turned on his flashlight.
"This is true." She didn't argue the point, and chuckled as she headed down the steps. The flare of light in the darkness from his flashlight didn't surprise her in the slightest--instead she looked back with a half smile before hopping off the last step. "Although kind of a bummer--there should always be the opportunity for a snow day."
Declan clucked his tongue and moved alongside Ash, there being plenty of room for them both. "Nope. Not with all the varied races here. Too much to do an' not enough time ta get it all done."
"Mmm... I guess." Ahead of them, the shadows came to life; darting across the walls in varied shapes and forms. "Even with all of that though--sometimes it's nice to have an unplanned breather. Though that always drove my mother crazy. She's always involved in something," she added as an aside. "If she can't be active she goes stir-crazy."
"Some folks are like that I believe," Declan agreed, turning down one tunnel and moving on to the next. "By the way, I'd suggest bringing yer map with ye down here. It's quite easy ta get lost." Of course, all one had to do would be follow a tunnel to the end. Most came out to a door of some sort.
"Yeah... I'll probably come down here a few more times just to get a general idea of things." If the rec center would lose her, the tunnels definitely would. "How long did it take you to get the hang of them?"
As she was speaking, Declan was reaching into his back pocket, pulling out a well worn map of the tunnels. "Eh?" Hearing the question, he blushed, glad it was hidden in the dark. "I still don't." He shined the beam on the paper then upwards. A left, right and then straight on. "Nearly there."
That... was too adorable for words, and Ash grinned in the darkness. She turned her eyes away from the rapidly moving light though, and instead looked at the tunnel walls themselves, and some of the graffiti there, before the two of them took off to check out the rest of the school.