Knight's Academy: The Year Begins

The gates to the Knight's Academy are open wide, and a portly man in orange robes stands between six others, four men and two women.
"Hello, new students!"
Kaepora's voice booms out, incredibly loud for the two metres distance between him and his audience.
"Welcome to the Knight's Academy. Here, you will learn to become Knights of Skyloft, entrusted with the task of rescuing fallen members of the populous, and protecting our island from beings that would threaten our way of life."
Kaepora turns to his left, pointing at an elderly woman with hair in two tufts on either side of her head.
"This is Henya. She runs the school cafeteria, and watches over the boarders."
The woman identified as Henya nods her head, and Kaepora turns to a rather flamboyantly-dressed man beside her.
"This is Jakamar. If anything is broken or damaged, ask permission from one of the teachers or Henya to go off and see him about it. He'll fix it for you."
Next to him is a man in a green tunic and a white mantle, clasped with a gold medallion.
"This is Eagus," Kaepora says, walking over to his side and clapping him on the back, "He'll train you with your weapons of choice."
Kaepora turns to the other three people facing him.
"The man in the white robe with a red sash and brown hair is Horwell, and he'll train you to take care of, correctly groom, and skilfully ride your Loftwings. He's also an expert in all other animals,so come to him if you find a sick Remlit or other animal."
"Next to him, in the same white robe, but with white hair and a blue sash, is Owlan. He's a master of botany, and will teach you the advanced skills of Loftwing-riding when Horwell's through with you."
"The lady in that fetching crimson uniform is Aves. She's a Knight of Skyloft from the previous year's graduating class, and when you've finished your senior year, she'll show you the ropes for night-flying and rescuing."
"All clear? Good. Now, come inside, and down the stairs, and then start socialising. It's good to make long-lasting bonds of friendship that'll last you a while, as when you're knights, you'll need to know that you can trust one-another."

Robin brought his hand up to mask a yawn. His father had sent him off to the Knight's Academy, but the boy himself had no ambitions to become a knight. He just wanted to play around, idly floating about the clouds on the back of his Loftwing. "Dad just couldn't wait until Raven was old enough," he complained to no one in particular. Oh, well. At least Knights of Skyloft were trained in the arts of the sword- that was by far the most interesting part about this entire academy. No one else but knights was allowed to carry a sword, and Robin was eager to learn from Eagus. Heh. Eager Eagus.

Next to Robin, Skye tilted her head to look at him. His Loftwing was much more diligent than he was, although she probably just followed wherever he went without complaining. Because, you know, that was what Loftwings did. She bopped him upside the head with her beak, asking for attention. "Yeah, yeah, I'll give you a treat later. Now be quiet, I want to know where my room is."

Myna nodded intently, staring at each person as they were introduced. She knew most of them already, at least by sight, but it was important that she assign each individual with their new role. They weren't just idle passersby anymore; they were now pieces of her life. She glanced around at her fellow students, trying to see what her peers would be like. She heard to order to come inside, but she hesitated, not wanting to be the first one to break the pack. Thankfully an older male did so, and she could gratefully walk in quietly and without making a scene.

Her Loftwing folded his wings against his side and lifted its beak up haughtily, making an indignant screech in the back of its beak. She smiled and ran her fingers through his feathers. "Quiet, you," she said, "give them a chance." Inside, there were tables lined with food; both for the people and the Loftwings. Her stomach roiled just at the sight of it, and she resisted the urge to gag. "Go on," she said, releasing him and stepping back towards the fresher air, "I just need to sit down for a second." The bird's eyes narrowed, if such a thing were possible, but she faked a smile and waved it forward. Reluctantly, he walked on with the others towards the food. She sat down against the door and breathed deeply.

When the first students went in, Robin started to follow, sending Skye ahead to occupy a spot for him. Just as he was about to start building a reputation, beginning with the enthusiastic way he would dig in, he spotted a Loftwing whose owner wasn't near it. Well, that was unusual... Turning around, he saw a girl sitting against the door and walked over to her.

"Hey," he said, bending forward to look at her. "You don't look so well."

Myna was just beginning to feel better when a boy interrupted her. She lifted her head up from between her knees, painstakingly bringing her gaze up. What she saw nearly made her gag again. The strings dangling from his collar were different lengths! At least two inches separated the two from each other, two gargantuan inches that took her beloved symmetry and shattered it maliciously onto the ground. His hair was even worse. Goddess, it was pulled back into a loose ponytail, threads drifting out like a mangy Remlit's whiskers.

Her stomach heaved and she retched. She tried to speak, to tell the unkempt boy to please leave because he made her head throb and her stomach pulse, but all she could do was moan and retch. Her stomach had no food to hurl, but that didn't keep it from trying.

When the girl not only seemed exceedingly shocked, but moaned in addition, Robin went into alert mode. Was she sick? Wow, that had to suck. Opening ceremony in the Knight's Academy and she was SICK.

"Um..." He muttered, looking for words. Eventually he settled for just repeating his earlier question. "Are you feeling alright? If you're sick, I can probably get someone who knows how to fix it... or something." He looked over his shoulder into the hall, hoping for a distraction because the girl was really worrying him. "Err... so is that your Loftwing then?" he asked, pointing at the lone bird. Skye had stepped pretty close to him, although it was more likely that he was standing next to her favorite treat than that she was looking for companionship.

Myna staggered to her feet, trying to keep her insides firmly down her burning throat. The unkempt idiot, the stupid pighead who couldn't keep his stupid strings the same stupid size wasn't helping. Her throat heaved, and she clamped a hand over her mouth and raced out of the building. Too many scents, too much food, too many people, and those stupid-piggish-strings!

She stumbled out into the sun and clutched at the fence, her body shaking as she leaned over the open sky. She took great gasps of the clean air- hopefully it would clear her out soon. Her whole body heaved, her knuckles whitening against the wooden rail. No way she could go back in there, nope. She could socialize *hurk* later.

Horwell walks towards Myna.
"What's wrong, new skyknight cadet? Are you feeling a little nervy?"
Horwell chuckles a bit, and leans on the rail next to her, smiling gently and staring dramatically towards an unremarkable patch of sky.
"When I was first invited to teach here, I was what, three, four, years older than you? I was feeling so sick to my stomach I could barely talk at the best of times. But you know what? After a few months, it sunk in:
I was invited here because this was where I was meant to be. Here, studying animals was not only encouraged, it was my job. I could learn all I could so that I can help people, and I'd be able to pass on some of the more useful knowledge to those that are trying to keep these islands in the sky safe."
Horwell turns to Myna.
"We can't know what's out there, but we can still try to do our best in keeping this island as utopian as it is already."
Horwell finally notices that the girl is still shaking.
"My dear? What's wrong with you?!"

OOC (open) OOC (close)

Yes, I AM portraying him as that patronising. It's easier and more fun that way.

Myna felt a hot stab of annoyance as yet another person walked up to her. She was trying not to barf; why couldn't people leave her alone? The man rambled on and on about what? Myna wasn't even sure. She looked up, ready to lie and say "nothing" and make up some excuse for why she needed to leave and find somewhere more quiet to calm her stomach when- gasp! She saw him.

The man was perfectly symmetrical. Everything from the hair falling neatly over both shoulders to his sash, which she noticed with delight spoke to his profession, to his necklace was perfectly organized and perfectly balanced. Her stomach calmed, and she smiled weakly. "Nothing," she sniffed, hugging him. "Thank you." Perhaps this school wouldn't be so bad as she had been fearing.

Owlan notices that Myna and Robin have seperated, and as the only two interesting-looking students here, and as Myna is taken by Horwell, he wends his way towards the boy.
"Hello! As I was introduced by Kaepora, you already know that I'm Owlan, but who are you? When did you decide that you wanted to be a Knight of Skyloft? Are you excited or afraid?"
Seeming to be uninterested in the answers to his flurry of questions, Owlan grabs Robin by the arm and dramatically pulls him towards the stairs to the lower floor, his continuing barrage of questions and comments continuing unheard until reaching the staircase itself.
"...And down these stairs are your rooms..."
Leading him down the stairs, Owlan pauses in the middle.
"Don't worry. You'll soon be friends with all of these young men and women. Some will drop out, and that's fine. We need people to tend our fields and make this town thrum with the incessant hum of commerce. But you..."
Owlan's gaze is as piercing as the owl he's named after.
"You will be great."