New Horizon (Open)

Up on the school rooftop of the main building, the sound of a door opening and closing rings out. A hooded figure stands slightly stooped in the shadow of the doorway, hands shoved deep into jacket pockets. Head slowly turning, Shirori scans the area in her immediate field of vision. There's benches dotted around the rooftop, along with a few air conditioning units, but as far as she can tell, there's no one else on the roof. Granted, she can't see the entire rooftop from where she's standing, but she's not too worried about it.

Nodding to herself, Shiori makes her way over to the railing, head bowed to the slight breeze. She's dressed in a blue and white hoodie, faded jeans and a pair of borrowed plain white indoor shoes provided by the school. The shuffle of her shoes against the concrete and the soft whistle of the wind is the only sound she can hear. Arriving at the railing, she takes her hands out of her hoodie and places them onto the railing. The cold of the metal bites into her bare hands, sending a slight jolt up her arms. She's able to shrug it off, though. She's used to the cold, after all. Balancing on the palms of her hands, she rises onto her toe tips, leans precariously forward, and looks down to the grounds below.

Girls dressed in the school uniform move about, most of them leaving the building and heading off to various points. Most of them are in groups, though there's a few by themselves. All of them walk at a brisk pace, for the chill in the air is enough to make one not want to be outside for very long. It's a Friday and classes have been completed for the day, so most of the girls seem to be headed towards their various clubs and other after school activities.

Watching the tiny figures far below, Shirori falls back onto her heels. Placing her crossed arms onto the railing, she slumps forward and rests her chin onto them. Gazing out in front of her, she stares at the woods that rise just past the wall that encircles the school campus. It's early evening, with the sun just dipping into the treeline. The dark silhouette of the tall pines stab right into the sun, the red-orange color bleeding around them and washing the world in it's muted glow. A few clouds scud by, pink and orange puffs breaking up the darkening purple of the sky. Then there's the breeze, persistent in it's attempt to pull her hood from her head. All in all, it's a very serene scene.

Shiori's emotions do not match at all with the setting she's found herself. Inside, a tumult of emotions roils around. She's come up here, away from people, in the hopes that she might be able to work them out. Or, at the very least, calm them down enough to make settling into this new place a little easier.

"This is my new school, huh?" she mutters tiredly to herself. A deep sigh escapes her, her warm breath steaming in the chilled air, only to vanish as the breeze drags it away from her. Dark greens narrowing in irritation, she suddenly drops her head into her arms, a low groan escaping her.

Why did this have to happen? I don't want to be here! she silently laments in her head. Of course, she knows why she was sent far away to this new school. She broke her agreement. Doesn't make it any less frustrating, though!

On the outside, all she does is shake her head back and forth, rubbing her forehead against her arms. She's careful not to bump into or dislodge the several bandages that still cover her bruised face. She's so absorbed in her thoughts that if anyone were to approach her, she'd not notice.

The faint sound of munching was audible. Not obviously, but the closer someone would be to the wall, the louder it would get, the source of which was a pale, raven-haired girl with headphones on, with a rucksack on the ground next to her, seemingly packed with things. Save for the munching, the rooftop was silent if Shiori wasn't present. 

Said girl was in uniform, not wearing a blazer, and having her top button undone, as well as her shirt no longer tucked in. She appeared to be comfortable on her lonesome, her eyes closed, and a pair of headphones covering both of her ears. If someone did get close enough, they'd just hear a muffled playing of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, and some more munching. 

Truth be told, Izumi hadn't really managed to fit in well with her new school. She wasn't particularly the weird kid stereotype you'd see from a fictional story, and could more or less be described as quiet, and nigh-impossible to track down during breaks. She'd barely spoken to anyone save for the teachers, and seemed to show no interest in other people as a whole.

If anyone did hear Izumi speak, she more or less spoke in a hushed, polite tone, and always seemed to be a bit nervous when asking the teachers for anything.
She never really looked at anyone while speaking, which just made her look even more uncomfortable.

Izumi herself, did not particularly care for fellow students. Past experiences at school left her scorned, and left Izumi wanting to get as far away as possible from anyone that wasn't a teacher, or her parents. 

Unfortunately now, someone else was here, in Izumi's hiding spot of all places, too.
You're joking. If we get spotted here, we have to speak to people? I don't wanna do that, I wanna sit here and listen to music in solitude, like always. Well, if you get spotted trying to walk off and she notices us, we have to explain ourselves, and draw even more attention to us.
She thought to herself, the munching coming to a stop, and the loud crinkling of a potato chip bag now audible, as she folded it, and gently placed it inside of her bag, shortly followed by the zipping of said bag.
 
 She stood up, the ruffling of her bag being counterproductive to her entire stealth gimmick as she hastily equipped herself with a somewhat comically large rucksack.
Izumi stretched her arms, raising them up, and yawning briefly.

You're lucky. You can just.. leave? I think so. 
She studied the hooded figure for a few moments, and thought again.
She does seem a little angry, so it's best to leave now.

Izumi exhaled, and made a dash towards the door at lightning pace.
Unfortunately, she caught her foot on something, and landed, face down on the rooftop's floor with a thud.
Ow.

The low whistle of the wind is just loud enough that the sound of someone eating food is masked by it. Shiori is so lost in thought that at first she doesn't even notice the crinkle of the bag being folded up. At least not at first. When the chip bag gets shoved into the rucksack, though, she does hear something. What was that? It was a faint sound for her though, and she's not sure what direction it came from. Raising her head from her arms, she tilts her head and closes her eyes. Frowning in concentration, she strains to hear anything else.

With her eyes closed, she doesn't see the other girl rising up from the ground to her left. She also doesn't notice the her stretching, either. But what she does become aware of is the sound of the yawn, the shifting of cloth moving against something, and the shuffle of feet on the concrete of the roof. All of these sound cues leads her to a single conclusion.

I'm not alone up here... Shoulders tensing in expectation of a possible confrontation Shiori rises up from her stoop. But before she can make any other move, the sudden sound of a person breaking out into a sprint rings out on the open air. Shit! Let my guard down! Whirling around to face the direction where the footsteps are coming from, she raises her arms up and falls into a defensive stance. She's fully expecting someone to be running right at her in a surprise attack.

Immediately she sees the figure of a girl wearing the school uniform blur past her. A ridiculously large rucksack is slung over her shoulders, bouncing against the thin frame of the girl as she dashes for the doorway. Away from her. Watching, a bit dumbfounded, Shiori lowers her arms a little and relaxes her defensive stance. She's running... away? she wonders confusedly. She doesn't think her reputation would have spread quite this far yet, but one can never know. Just as she notices that particular detail, the other girl trips on what seems to be nothing and face-plants right into the ground!

Wincing at the heavy thud of the girl's body smacking into the concrete, Shiori rushes over to the other girl.

"Hey, you all right? That looks like it hurt!"

Dark greens shining with worry, she leans down and holds out her right hand towards the prone girl. A concerned frown tugs at the corners of her lips, pulling at the several band-aids and bandages on her face.

"Hey, need some help up?"

The angry-sounding girl had noticed her, except she didn't sound angry at all, more concerned in actuality. It was odd. The first student to pay attention to her in some time, was someone she was actively trying to avoid, although she tried to avoid anyone when she could.
Attention was the last thing she wanted right now, and it pained her that she'd managed to not only get noticed, but also get attention that she felt she didn't need, and neither wanted.

Izumi lifted her head after being in a brief daze. She wasn't visibly injured, but her head did hurt a lot there. Not anything bad, but it still hurt a lot.
Her first priority was the wireless headphones. If they broke, that was her entire week ruined. Having landed next to her, they were fine, only falling off of her after she'd fallen.

Hearing Shiori ask about her, she went completely blank, not responding to Shiori save for Izumi looking at her face for some moments.
The plasters on her face caught most of her interest, as well as her green eyes. They were nice to look at, although Izumi wasn't the type of person to pay attention to someone's facial features anyway.
To Izumi, Shiori was a bit of a surprise more due to her bright hair.
Wait, she's not a delinquent, right? That hair color..
Letting herself be helped by others wasn't something she wanted to do, unless it was a teacher or something. Her habit of trying to go solo wouldn't always work, she knew that, but she'd try to hold onto if for as long as she could.

Slowly, she pressed both of her hands into the concrete, initially on all fours, before backing up a little to get some more distance between her and Shiori, and sat, legs straight forward, and her elbows resting on the concrete she'd just fallen onto, as well as grabbing her headphones quickly.
She looked to the side, trying her best effort to keep calm, briefly moving a hand to feel her face for any damage, before sighing, and resting the hand on the concrete, like her other.

As she wasn't directly looking at Shiori, mostly the side of her face was visible, the clearest thing on there being a few tears descending down.
She didn't know what to do, and just continued crying.

A few moments pass by in complete silence after she asks her question. Before she can repeat her question, though, the other girl raises her head and lifts herself up. After a panicked scrabbling at the ground, where she snatches up her fallen headphones, the other girl turns her head to look directly at her. This is the first clear look Shiori's gotten of the other girl's face. Granted, the thick bangs covering her eyes makes them difficult to see, but she does catch glimpses of purple through the dangling strands. The expression that greets her, though, is blank. As if not a thought or emotion crosses the other girl's mind at all.

Then a spark of surprise breaks the mask and the other girl slowly lifts herself up until she's on all fours. Flipping around to her backside, she scoots backwards, once again away from Shirori. She doesn't get far though, and sits there, on the concrete, legs outstretched and head bowed. Seems like she doesn't want my help? Shiori wonders as she watches the other girl pat at her face. Withdrawing her outstretched hand, Shiori crosses her arms and looks up trying to figure out what to do.

If she's not hurt too bad, should I just leave her? she ponders as she stares up at the clouds drifting by. The sky is growing darker as the sun sinks lower. A soft "Hmm..." escapes her as she thinks. It wouldn't do to just leave someone alone in the dark, even if this person doesn't seem to be very receptive of her presence. It would be best to at least get her somewhere where she'll be looked after. Maybe the nurse is still in? Even as she arrives at this conclusion, she hears a heavy sigh come from the direction of the other girl.

Returning her attention to the fallen girl, who is still sitting dejectedly on the concrete, Shiori steps closer. So that she's not being rude and towering over the other girl, she squats down next to her. Tilting her head a bit, she tries to look at the other girl's face, attempting to see if she can maybe get her to actually speak to her. It's here, with a start, that Shiori notices the glint of tears on the other's cheek.

Panicking slightly, she raises both her hands and hovers them over the girl, but is careful not to touch her.

"H-hey! Why are you crying? Are you really all right? Where does it hurt?"

Accept it! She won't bite, c'mon!
Just say something, at least!

"No. My head, it hurts." 
Izumi whimpered, looking up at Shiori, and staring at her with a little bit of bewilderment.
The fact someone was paying attention to her after she'd made an effort to make herself ignored was horribly ironic to her, which made it all the worse, and slightly funny if it was someone else, but that person just had to be her.

She didn't make much of a move, and just continued to stare up at Shiori, resulting in a long, and awkward stare.
Izumi didn't know what to say, and might as well have been a statue right there, it wouldn't have made much of a difference to her lack of presence in conversations, or situations like this.

Someone wanting to help her just felt weird. It made sense when it was a teacher.
She wants to help? Ugh, she can have it her way then.
Izumi's stubborn, self-centric mode was something she stuck to, even if it left her friendless, and lonely.
She'd have to let it go, at least now.

Her lips were parted, as if she was going to say something, but all she did was stare into Shiori's admittedly nice, green eyes, while she continued to cry.

Frantically raking her gaze over the other girl looking for any major injuries, Shiori finds her attention drawn back to the other's face when she finally speaks.

"Oh, your head hurts, huh?" she murmurs, wincing in sympathy. The other girl had smacked her face pretty hard into the concrete, so it makes sense that her noggin had been knocked painfully. But as far as she can tell, from just that quick glance, it doesn't seem like she's got any other injuries. Well, at least now she knows that something *is* wrong! And that might be the reason for her tears, as well.

"Okay, since your head hurts, I think we should at least get you some pain meds to take the edge off," she says, her tone firm. She says it in such a way, in the hopes that it'll be difficult to refuse her help.

"So, first things first, let's get you up." Leaning forward, she gently takes hold of the other girl's arm (the one not holding onto the headphones) and slings it over her shoulders. Gripping the wrist of that arm with the hand farthest from the other girl's body, she wraps her other arm around the other's waist. Bracing herself, and being extra careful, she slowly rises back up to standing position. It's a bit precarious, due to the heavy knapsack the other girl has on her back, but it's still manageable.

"Woo, and there we go!" Glancing over at the girl, she gives her an encouraging smile. "All right, so we're up and ready to go. The only thing is, I've just arrived at this school, so I don't know where things are at. Think you could direct me to the nurse's office?" Pausing in thought, she tacks on, "Is the nurses office still even open?"

The tear tracks gleaming on the other girl's cheeks snags her attention. Nodding to herself, Shiori reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. It's made of a dark green cotton, with one corner embroidered with two autumn maple leaves, one larger than the other. Holding it out to the other girl, she gives her a friendly smile.

"Ah, my name's Ishikawa Shiori, by the way. What's yours?"

Izumi's expression was a mixture of confusion and surprise. Spacing out, deep in her thoughts once more, she'd think about what to do.
Ishikawa Shiori-san seemed quite friendly, and genuine too, not the false type of friendly she'd see in some of the books she read.
It was worth placing some trust in this stranger, at least for now anyway, seeing as she was being so helpful to her.



Snapping out of said trance, she'd look into Shiori's eyes, and gently take the handkerchief, nodding in thanks as she did so, proceeding to then wipe the handkerchief against her cheeks, with her free hand..
Afterwards, she'd close her eyes, and sigh, before opening them slowly, and begin to speak.
Her tone remained faint, but she didn't sound as shy as earlier.



"The nurse's office? I- don't think that is open at this time, Ishikawa-san."
Izumi answered the question, faintly giggling before clearing her throat, and attempting to gain a reserved, polite tone.
"As for my name? My name is Shiraishi Izumi." She'd bow shortly after, feeling significantly more sociable than she usually would.
"Thank you for your help." Her tone was slightly more upbeat, but still hushed, and a small smile on her face.



"I.. think it would just be best to let it go away.. I do not feel any symptoms besides a headache and some light-headedness, which I can manage."
She held out the hand holding the handkerchief, signalling to Shiori that she did not require it anymore.
"It would be fine for you to let me make my way back to my own room."

Giving a satisfied nod when the other girl takes her handkerchief, Shiori shifts a bit so that they're standing more comfortably. It doesn't seem like the other girl needs her support too much, but she makes sure to keep a light grip around her waist, just to be sure.

"Not open, huh?" Shiori says, a small frown tilting her lips down. She doesn't look like she's hurt too bad. Maybe she'll be okay? Still, falling on one's face is technically a head injury. And head injuries are not something to take too lightly. She did say that she has a headache...

Her contemplation is broken into when the other girl speaks, giving her name. A small smile tugs at her lips when she feels the slight bow given by the other girl. Bowing is such a deeply ingrained habit. It's one that Shiori has been lectured on since a young age, so it's always something she notices, despite having it sometimes literally beaten into her. Or perhaps, because of it. I wonder if she realizes she bowed, or if it's something she actively chose to do? she idly wonders.

Either way, Shiraishi-san seems like she's feeling a bit more relaxed now that she's up on her feet. Shaking her head at the thanks, Shiori directs her friendly smile once again towards the other girl.

"It's nice to meet you, Shiraishi-san. And don't worry about it. I bet it's mostly my fault anyway. I startled you, right?"

Her smile turns apologetic. "I didn't realize anyone was out here, or I would have at least greeted you properly. Sorry about that," she says apologetically as she rubs the back of her head with her free hand.

Taking the handkerchief back, she once again stuffs it into her back pocket. Then her expression turns a bit serious when the other girl mentions the lightheadedness.

"Head injuries aren't something to take lightly. The fact that you're feeling lightheaded is a bit of a concern. Stairs can be pretty tricky at the best of times." Pondering for a moment, she suddenly directs a bright smile Shiraishi-san's way.

"If you want to go back to you room, then I can go with you. You're in the dorms, right? I need to head there anyways. Since I'm new, you can show me the way." Her tone is light and cheerful, her smile unwavering. "Also, I can carry your bag for you. It looks pretty unwieldy and it wouldn't do to have you fall down the stairs because of it."

Tilting her head slightly, so that she's a bit closer to Shiraishi-san's face and is able to look slightly up at her, Shiori gazes questioningly into those dark purple eyes.

"Would that be all right?" she asks, her dark greens gleaming in the fading sun's light.

"My room? Well, in my current state... I would sincerely prefer not to also burden Shirayama-san with this, really, especially at this time of day, my apologies, Ishikawa-san."

She relaxed her shoulders, and let her backpack down gently, setting it down on the ground next to her, accompanied with a small exhalation.

Her roommate was polite, and quite kind from what Izumi had gathered, but it didn't settle well with her, the whole idea of her melodramatically entering her room under the custody of a stranger she'd just met by chance. It all seemed far-fetched, and slightly comedic to her.



Some more thinking was needed.

"Do you.. think the light-headedness would go away if one was to wait it out?"

In regards to things like this, Izumi wasn't too well versed, and extremely optimistic, seeing herself as someone who didn't need others to dote over her taking a minor fall.
 


"I think.. I'll be fine without being in my room!"

She tilted her head, and gave a minuscule smile, her eyes half-open, her tone of voice a little higher than before, a little bit of panic in her tone.


Izumi did know better than this, but for convenience's sake, she didn't want to show weakness in front of a stranger, especially as her intentions for today were just to get back as soon as possible, without any incidents such as this occurring. 
Fist impressions were something her parents had taught her at an early age. Especially with how things went in junior high, Izumi knew better than to grovel here.

Of course, there really wasn't a way to explain the crying, so the best she could do was attempt to act as if she was perfectly fine.



Her standing position was visibly uneasy, her legs wobbling, looking like she'd lose balance again, but Izumi didn't take notice of that due to her current condition.


And anyway, at this time of day, Izumi was usually napping in her dorm, when she had the chance.

Today wasn't the most active day of school, but she still felt drained, as well as wanting to nap somewhere right now.

The whole melodrama seemed like it was going to take a hold today, it seemed. She'd just have to see what Ishikawa-san had to say in response to her plan of waiting it out on the academy's grounds, and hope that things didn't escalate too much.

"Shirayama-san?" Shiori asks, a bit puzzled at first. But it doesn't take her long to realize that Shiraishi-san is talking about her roommate. So she feels bad about going back to her room? Does she and her roommate not get along? she wonders as she steps back, withdrawing her arm from around the other girl's waist. Quietly she watches the other girl lower her backpack to the ground, making sure to stay close just in case she needs to jump in and catch her were she to loose her balance. Thankfully, that doesn't happen.

Frowning in thought at the question about lightheadedness, Shiori tilts her head and directs a scrutinizing gaze at Shiraishi-san. The other girl still seems to be a bit unsteady, her legs having a slight wobble to them.

"Well, if you've got a minor concussion, it could last a little while. Though there could be other reasons for the dizziness, I wouldn't rule out a minor concussion, considering the knock your head just took."

Giving a soft "Hmm..." of thought Shiori nods at Shiraishi-san saying she doesn't need to go to her room. The higher pitch and panic in the other girl's voice doesn't go unnoticed. This further cements the thought that the two roommates don't get along with each other in Shiori's mind.

"We don't need to go back to your room, if you don't want to. If you do have a minor concussion, it'd be better to go somewhere you can rest, though. Someplace that doesn't stress you out." Her tone is light, but her eyes are serious. She's had a few minor concussions in her life and she knows how not fun they can be. At least they don't tend to last too long and heal up on their own in due time. But the various symptoms that can pop up can be rather frustrating and unpleasant to deal with.

Leaning down, she snags the strap of the backpack that Shiraishi-san had set down and lifts it up. It's as heavy as it looks, but it's nothing that Shiori to can't handle. With a smooth fluid motion, she swings the backpack up and around, slipping both of her arms through the straps. It thumps against her back, the straps digging slightly into her shoulders. Loosening the straps a bit, she rolls her shoulders and lets it settle in place. Looking over at the other girl, Shiori gives a single nod, signaling her readiness.

"All right, I've got your bag, so I think we're ready to head down. Let's go somewhere that you like, where you can rest and not be too stressed out." Nodding towards the roof entryway, she says, "You can lead the way. I don't know this school all that well, after all. Besides, I have no idea what kind of place would be best for you."

Stepping closer to the other girl, Shiori adds, "Ah, but don't get too far ahead. That way, if you loose balance or feel dizzy, I can be close by to help you. All right, Shiraishi-san?" She gives a reassuring smile, her dark greens gleaming in the low evening sunlight.

She nodded slowly, slowly making her way over to the stairwell, walking very slowly, and taking very tiny steps, her eyes focused on what was in front of her.
"There is a bench or two near the dorm building... I could rest there for a while until I feel better."
Izumi paused, and looked back at Shiori with a smirk, attempting to show confidence in her idea, standing up straight to reiterate that fact.

Her plan was simple. With Shiori's assistance, they'd get out of the building, get to the dorm building, and let herself rest, while Shiori's search for the dorm building wouldn't be as difficult. Just what they both wanted, and nothing more, nothing less.
"Or... I could sleep indoors, there's a couch, and I doubt anyone would notice. Plus, that shows you the way inside, yes?"

Her head did hurt, but she wasn't going to make herself seem whiny, and weak in front of a stranger. Especially now that she'd stopped herself from crying. 
Showing a bit of weakness was fine, but earlier made herself seem weak in her own eyes. Seeing as she wasn't really affiliated with anyone, Izumi had to stand up for herself, and represent herself, not particularly too well associated among the members of the theater club.

She had to make it convincing, at least. If she didn't smile or sound enthusiastic, her words were hollow, and half-hearted. 
With dilated pupils, her purple eyes stared into Shiori's two green eyes, Izumi herself noting that Shiori seemed much more capable than Izumi herself, as it currently stood.
Had she not been injured, she'd likely have apologized for disturbing Shiori, and been on her way elsewhere.
It looked like those snacks, books and music would have to wait.

"I'll be safe, just tell me if I walk too fast, please."
Her smirk grew into a smile, putting her headphones on her neck, and maintaining eye contact, breaking it to study Shiori's face for a few moments, only to look back into her eyes.
Izumi felt a bit off about looking people in the eye, since it just felt odd to her. Why stare at someone's eyes when you can look at something else? Anyone staring into her eyes just made her feel off, as if they were getting too close to her.

She gave a thumbs up, trying to reassure Shiori that she was wholly content in her plan to occupy the couch for some time.
Dear whichever deity is watching us, I pray you bless me with the strength to carry myself to my required destination. If Shirayama-san or anyone else sees me like this, I'll be the laughing stock of others.
Izumi's smile disappeared shortly after, as she sighed, spacing out for a moment once more.

Nodding at Shiraishi-san's plans, she raises an eyebrow at the mention of resting on some benches outside the dorms. The sun's already starting to set and the air is getting distinctly chilly. It's still early Autumn, so the days are still fairly pleasant, but the nights have become quite cool. Before Shiroi can say anything, though, the other girl mentions the couches in the dorm building lounge and staying there instead. Well, if she's not going to stay in her room, at least she'll be inside and somewhere warm, Shiori muses to herself.

"That works. It's much better for you to rest inside than outside at this time of year. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold on top of everything else." She smiles again, her gaze warm and friendly.

With how slow the other girl is moving, Shiori seriously doubts that she'd be moving too fast any time soon. But she nods in agreement to the request and replies.

"All right, I will."

For some reason, Shiraishi-san seems to be having trouble looking into her eyes. Or perhaps it just makes her uncomfortable to do so? Either way, she doesn't want to push her luck. From the looks of it, it seems this girl is very shy. The fact that she'd tried to run away from her without trying to interact first speaks volumes. But at least she's not trying to run away again.

Hitching the backpack once again, Shiori returns her attention back to her temporary guide. Who seems to be spacing out at bit at the moment. Moving in front of the other girl, she leans forward a little, her dark greens staring curiously at her solemn faced companion. Waving her hand in front of the other girl's face, she asks,

"Hey. You all right there, Shiraishi-san?"

"To-totally, Izumi is fine!"
She raised a hand, giving a thumbs up, her eyes not even focusing on Shiori in front of her.
Izumi's tone panicky, it was clear she was trying to hide how much it was affecting her.
But showing weakness here wasn't an option, wasn't it best to just cry about it in the comfort of her bed?
A little bit of fighting spirit would be enough, surely!

No? No. 
Head up, she snapped back into full consciousness, or at least made an attempt.
"What were we doing again..? Oh, my name is Shiraishi Izumi, third year student at Fukui Academy's theater course, specialising in acti-"
She cut herself off, and blinked.

To save herself any more humiliation, she'd admit the truth.
Looking the red-haired girl in her eyes, she spoke, professional tone back for some reason.
"Words cannot comprehend how much pain I am currently in. I wish to rest as soon as possible."
Izumi hated having to be helped by others. Her attitude of independence and defiance in the face of others at times wasn't even applicable in this near worst-case scenario. She'd never prepared herself for this, either. Was it easy to say that she'd lost her way with this? Likely.

Staring still, a few tears began to trickle down her cheeks, Izumi's cheeks a slight shade of red out of a mixture of stress, anger, and embarrassment.
This was not how today was supposed to go at all. A day completely ruined due to her own idiocy. It wasn't as if she could pin the blame on someone else for her falling over, either. 

Arms at her sides, Izumi began to cry, before bringing up her hands, to her face, to poorly conceal the fact she was now incredibly upset with this.
It was quite faint, but audible enough to be noticeable.
Why couldn't she get over this minute detail, and push on with her day?

The thumbs up, with the odd addition of referring to herself in the third person kind of throws Shiori off for a moment. But the fact that the other girl's eyes don't seem like they're able to focus continues to concern her. Then Izumi does look right into her eyes and declares how much she's in pain. The tone of voice is strange, but Shiori decides to just chalk it up to a potential concussion. Not the best of scenarios to be in, of course, but at least it's further confirmation that the other girl definitely still needs aid.

Then the other girl begins to cry again. It's not obvious at first, but then Shiraishi-san brings her hands up and cups her face in them. The other girl's shoulders tremble with her quiet sobs. Shiori honestly hasn't ever come across someone who cries so often and so easily, but she has dealt with crying people before. So, she pats the other girl's shoulder, being careful to not pat too hard.

"Well, Shiraishi Izumi, third year student at Fukui Academy's theater course. You seem to be a bit out of it, and in pain, and overall not doing so well. So lets get you to the dorms, like we'd discussed." Leaning forward, she tries to peer past the raised hands and into the other's eyes. "All right?" Her tone of voice is soft, but firm. Her wording sounds like a suggestion, but her stance suggests it's more of an order.

Reaching out, she lightly grasps Shiraishi-san's right wrist and gently pulls it away. Sliding her hand down, she links their hands together, dropping both of their arms down to hip height.

"C'mon, let's go."

Giving a light tug, she steps forward, Shiraishi-san shuffling just slightly behind her. Without further preamble, Shiroi makes her way over to the rooftop entrance and opens the creaky door. Glancing behind her at her companion, she gives an encouraging squeeze of the other girl's hand.

"Don't worry, we'll be at the dorms in no time, you'll see. And if you feel like you need to lean on me, don't hesitate to ask. I won't mind."

And with that, they head (carefully) down the stairs.

She sniffled, initially flinching as she felt her hand grabbed by Ishikawa-san.

Physical contact was not something Izumi was ever used to, beyond her mother's gentle touch.
Let alone another person, no, another girl, in her year too? It felt odd. She was embarrassed before, but this? This was just something she wasn't too sure of.

There were several glaring issues that Izumi was facing right now. Besides the fact she was most likely more injured than she realised, there was.. if Misha was currently in their dorm room, there'd be an expectable amount of worrying.
And Izumi did not like to exactly be seen as incompetent, or a crybaby.

This event wasn't exactly going to go down as one of her greater moments, yes. But there must've at least been some way that Izumi would be able to salvage what little was left of her once nigh-invincible persona.

Did the dyed-hair look even suit her at this point, if she was brought to tears this easily?
Izumi did not think so, and her whining and sobbing just didn't really feel as if they were... warranting of the dark-blue hair.
Perhaps... trying to act like someone else wasn't really a good idea, as is what Shirayama-san said quite some time ago.

The dye could get removed when she had the time, as for the present...

"I.. feel like a lead rattle, Ishikawa-san.. please.. look after me."
Speaking like this really wasn't something Izumi would say, considering how melodramatic it sounded.
"And.. after, maybe I can repay you for your efforts?"

It only seemed natural at least, to show some thanks after she was picked up.
Professionalism was a virtue, and mother would at least be proud of Izumi if she managed to do this.

Dazed, and of little more use than said metaphor she mentioned earlier, Izumi leaned into Shiori slightly, but unintentionally as a result of feeling so weak.

She'd close her eyes, and just walk along while Shiori pulled her around.

It was slow going, but eventually they found themselves standing in the shoe locker room at the entrance of the school. Shiori had been lent a pair of indoor shoes, to use until her actual pair comes in. The ones she's wearing are little on the small side, and they're starting to pinch uncomfortably. Glancing around the room, Shiori turns her attention towards Ishikawa-san. The other girl's arm is slung around her shoulder. She'd become a bit more wobbly on the way down and Shiori had done it to support the other girl a little better.

But finally, they're near the entrance! Looking around the empty room, all Shiori can see are the rows of lockers. Spotting the locker that had been assigned to her, she shuffles the two of them towards it. Reaching the locker, she gently extracts herself form Ishikawa-san and leans her against the lockers nearby.

"Gotta swap out my shoes," she murmurs as she opens her locker and pulls out her blue and white running sneakers. Placing the borrowed indoor shoes inside, she shuts the locker and quickly slips on her sneakers. A sigh of relief escapes her as that pinched feeling vanishes when she puts on shoes that actually fit.

Glancing over at her companion, she asks,  "Hey, you doin' all right? Think you can walk on you own?"

Nodding around the locker area, she adds, "If not, I can help you over to your locker. Just let me know."

Izumi, not in the best of moods nor physical states after all of this, decided to make an attempt at showing some decent level of strength.
After all, the ever-so strong, independent Shiraishi-san from Okinawa wasn't just going to let herself be babied around after a little fall, right?
Slowly making her way to a nearby locker, Izumi drops her bag, and rummages around for a few seconds, before grabbing a key, and fumbling around with it, trying to jam it into the socket, only to miss several times, preceeding a loud sigh indicative of her frustration.

She glances over at Ishikawa-san for a few brief moments, her lips parted as she struggles a bit more.
A few more twists of the key, and she stumbles back a little, having pulled at the locker of the door, which did open.
Frantically grabbing a few things and dumping them into her bag, Izumi proceeds to slam the door shut.

"All... done... no stress in that at all, Ishikawa-san..."
A half-hearted smile follows, as she nears the red-haired girl yet again, sitting down on the floor. Izumi raises her voice, just enough to make sure that she's audible, as well as a hint of a pained tone.
"I don't.. really like moving, it seems. I feel like I'm out of orbit. Ishikawa-san.. is it normal to feel like this after crashing into the ground? I don't exactly think I should be asking a stranger something like this but... I can't be avoiding people if I'm falling all over the place."

She closes her eyes, and leans against the lockers, sighing in apparent defeat.

Shiori quietly watches as Shiraishi-san rises from her slouch against the lockers and slowly moves down the row until she stops in front of a different set of lockers. The other girl hadn't actually replied to her question, but her actions says it all. Shrugging, Shiori crosses her arms and leans against the lockers she's near. She hadn't brought anything else with her to the school, outside of what she was wearing, so she doesn't need to grab anything else. Not wanting to interfere with her companion's wishes, she opts to remain silent as the other girl attempts to open her own locker herself.

Which Shiraishi-san is clearly struggling with, as she tries to insert the locker key a few times. Shiori simply watches, though, not wishing to assume the other girl wants or needs her help. If the other girl asks for help, or if it seems like she might hurt herself, the redhead will step in. For now, though, she glances around the room they're in.

The entrance to the building is made up of large glass doors, with long thin windows to either side of the doors and smaller windows across the top. They must be facing mostly west, since the piercing glow of the setting sun beams through them unhindered. The room is lined with stretching bars of deep red orange and deeper shadow. Shirori is standing right in the blast of one of those sunbeams, her body shrouded in the light and turning her form into a dim silhouette. The two of them seem to be the only people in the room.

At the sound of a frustrated sigh, the redhead returns her attention to the other girl. Shiraishi-san glances over to her. Their eyes meet and Shiori gives an encouraging smile. She's about to ask if the other girl needs her help after all, but before she can Shiraishi-san has turned away from her to once again focus on trying to open the locker. Thankfully, this time is a success as the locker pops open and her companion hurriedly pulls out a few items and dumps them into her bag. As she moves, Shiori notes how the other girl's top half is covered in darkness, while her lower half is drenched in red orange. It's as if the other girl's body is at odds with itself. Her own shadow stretches long against the tiled floor, as if reaching towards Shiraishi-san. Amusedly she raises her arm, melding her shadow hand into the shadow pooling at the feet of Shiraishi-san.

Then the other girl speaks and Shirori lowers her arm as Shiraishi-san steps closer to her, only to sink down onto the floor. At the question, she gives a soft hum of thought.

"Well, sometimes a blow to the head can cause disorientation, blurred vision and dizzy spells. That might be why you feels so off."

Pushing herself up from the lockers, she steps right in front the other girl. Peering down at her companion, she replies to the halfhearted smile with an encouraging one of her own.

"So I'd say it's normal to feel that way after such an injury. Luckily those are generally temporary symptoms. The fact that you can stand up and move around with minimal issue means it shouldn't be too bad. All you really need right now is to relax and get some rest."

Bending down, she leans forward slightly and extends her hand towards the girl on the ground.

"So why don't we get you back up on your feet and back to the dorms."

Dark greens gleaming, Shiori's teeth flash in the shadow of her face as she gives a reassuring smile.

"Does that sound good, Shiraishi-san?"

Cooperation.. was now a necessary thing. Oh well, time to make some semblance of an effort.

Hesitantly, Izumi's eyes flicker from Shiori's hand, to her face, and then doubling over in her actions. Lips parted for a few moments, she then gathered her words.
"Err... sure?"
The tone in Izumi's voice is soft, not indicative of the sort of confidence she seemed to be showing earlier on.
The floor wasn't exactly comfortable to rest on, and getting to her room would be a bit of an effort but... surely it'd be better to not faint, sleep or just laze about here until the pain wore off.

And now, it was time to get on with it.

There was something Izumi found admirable in Shiori Ishikawa, even if the both of them were strangers.
As ungrateful and stubborn as Izumi was, Shiori was actively making an effort to make sure she got back safely? Izumi couldn't really put much of a bead on it, as she was the type to take flight at the slightest indication of any difficulty.

Same year, and everything too.. so it was likely they'd share at least one or two classes. Wouldn't it just be extremely awkward if they kept passing each other, with Izumi's habit of pretending to not notice things, whilst Shiori, or any other girl with some sense of normality would most likely bring it up, and Izumi was naturally going to feel shameful, and awkward for not at least acknowledging it.

And plus, if Shirayama-san did catch wind of it, things would not look too good for her own attempt at professionalism.
Incidents with the student council president, her roommate, and only friend as of this occasion regarding social manners, were not something Izumi wished to know.

Taking Shiori's hand, Izumi slowly rose to her feet, her cheeks now rosy with a fair amount of embarrassment visible on both her person, and in her voice. Plus, Izumi disliked apologising.
"Thank you.. may we talk again after this? I'm sorry for making such a bad impression."