Interacting with: Nathan Hawthorn @Estelle Nyx
Elias signing: #84774d
Elias writing: #6591ad
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Elias walked amidst a throng of people. He fingerspelled "Thunderbird" over and over again. Its wings flapped! he thought with a smile. He figured he would always remember today.

The air around him vibrated. It was a physical tremor in the air, how much noise there was. Sometimes that scared Elias. Too much vibration usually meant a mean noise, based on his parents' reactions. Sometimes when there was too much air vibration at school, Lane would get annoyed and then talk loudly, making more vibration, but after that things usually quieted down.

Elias was shocked to see such a big room, apparently shared between Thunderbird and Wampus based on the lip readings he could get. What's a Wampus? Not knowing any fellow Thunderbirds, Elias stood in the rough middle of the hall, clutching his note book tightly and clicking the pen. The feel of the pen was a comfort, something familiar in a world of new.

These rooms smelled like fire, the good kind of fire, like at his grandpa's house. He could smell cleaner here too, as well as laundry detergent. He walked over to one of the couches, a blue couch, and felt it. It was cushy and plush, with a soft enough fabric covering it. Elias sat, looking around every so often.

He took the pen and scribbled down, Is this the Thunderbird side? Elias held up the message to anyone that came by.

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 1st September Time: the morning... Location: Thunderbird Dorms

Mentions: Reducio @Elias Travers @Astra Norrick

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Thoughts: italics Writing: Bold

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Nate was excited to be returning to Ilvermorny. He missed the school, although being home and seeing his mum hadn't been bad either. However, the one thing he wasn't excited for was the crowds. There were so many people, each having their own conversation that he would hear only snippets of before they walked past. Each line of sound overlapped, creating a cacophony of pure noise. He hated the way that every person jostled past without so much as a glance back at the people they had bumped in to. With every apology he said to someone, his anxiety grew until he felt his stomach start to hurt with fear and his heart beating louder and faster. He turned, looking for a way past the people and bumped into a boy. He was holding a sign that asked if he was on the Thunderbird side. Nate apologised and nodded - pointing at the sign. He was unsure why it was written and not spoken, but within all of the noise he could barely hear himself think, and so he thought it easier to nod rather than try to shout. Realising that writing was probably the best way of communicating in such a loud, crowded space, he got out his sketchbook and wrote "It is - do you want me to show you to the dorms?"

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Interacting with: Nathan Hawthorn @Estelle Nyx
Elias signing: #84774d
Elias writing: #6591ad
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Elias signed Yes, please, nodding. He was overwhelmed with all the new sensory input and the other boy looked even more uncomfortable, probably because he could hear all the noise.

Elias realized he should probably let the other Thunderbird know he couldn't hear, so he wrote I am completely deaf. I can only communicate through writing and ASL. Sorry to inconvenience. He would show this to the boy when they got to the dorms.

It was there where he would also introduce himself, both by writing out Elias and fingerspelling it. Perhaps, if he and the boy became friends, Elias would teach him his sign name, which was the letter E resting face up on the opposite palm.

He wondered how much older the other boy was than him. He only looked maybe a year or two older, and he seemed to know his way around. He obviously wasn't a first-year like Elias himself.

Elias hoped he could make friends with this boy. It would be good to have someone in his house who he could hang out with.

Hm, I'll need a sign name for Thunderbird, he thought. He would shelve this idea in the back of his mind to think on at a later date, choosing to focus on what was happening around him for the time being.

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 1st September Time: the morning... Location: Thunderbird Dorms

Mentions: Reducio @Elias Travers @Astra Norrick

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Signing: #c58120 Thoughts: italics Writing: Bold

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The boy nodded, than wrote that he communicated via ASL. Nate supposed that that made sense, what with the boy communicating via the written word. Nate knew little ASL, though he had been learning. He thought it was a useful language for conversing, especially if was is difficult to hear or speak. So far he had only learned a few words and the alphabet, though meeting this boy encouraged him to learn more. The question was, how? He couldn't use his phone to watch videos of people signing, and he doubted that any books in the library would be helpful. Maybe, if they got to know each other a little better, this boy could help Nate learn more ASL. Nate nodded at the boy. He scribbled on his notebook - he couldn't sign well enough to say what he wanted to say, and anyway, he wanted to get out of here. Even as he wrote, he was getting jostled by the other students and he could barely focus enough to write. It was just too loud, too noisy, too crowded. He felt another wave of panic wash over him, but rather than giving in, Nate turned to the boy and showed him what he had written. "Hi! Follow me and I'll show you the way to the dorms. I know the alphabet in ASL and a few words but I'm not fluent." Before he turned to direct the boy, he fingerspelled his name. "I'm N.A.T.E " He beckoned to the boy, then walked up to the dorms.

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Interacting with: Nathan Hawthorn @Estelle Nyx
Elias signing: #84774d
Elias writing: #6591ad
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Elias nodded and signed Nice to meet you. If you're going off the signs literally (without filling in the obvious) it would've been "good meet you," the first a sign many already knew, the other two rather simple to assign meaning to. He figured that the boy, Nate, he now knew, would gather his meaning, if not immediately understand.

Elias would follow the boy to the dorms. They were quite nice, far bigger than his room at home. He was reminded of Cara's home, where he had once been allowed to sleep over with her brothers Aiden and Nick. Their room was about as big as these, with two beds, also situated similarly to these. Elias figured he would have a roommate. I wonder if having a roommate is like having a sibling...

Nate seemed like he knew what he was doing, like Kaya had. He was probably an older year too. Elias tapped Nate's shoulder before writing out What year are you in? The slate gray notebook already had two pages worth of conversation, and it was only Elias' first day. I'm going to need a lot more notebooks. Maybe I can get small, different colored notebooks for different people! He would probably need a bigger satchel for that.

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 1st September Time: the morning... Location: Thunderbird Dorms

Mentions: Reducio @Elias Travers @Astra Norrick

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Signing: #c58120 Thoughts: italics Writing: Bold

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Although Nate was unsure of exactly what Elias had signed, he could get the jist - something along the lines of 'Nice to meet you'. Nate nodded and smiled back, hoping he could convey the word likewise and wishing he knew more sign language. He hadn't learned much recently and he regretted not spending more time on it. Elias followed Nate up to the dorms and Nate relaxed, finally free from the crowded chaos of the common room. It was quiet up here, peaceful and calm. He felt his racing heartbeat begin to slow. Nate wished that he could be in spaces like the common room without panicking. Nobody else seemed to have the same sort of anxiety upon entering it. In fact, loud, crowded spaces seemed to be a source of fun for many people. He had never been able to understand it. The chaos of it was always too much for him contrary to what everyone else seemed to think. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with him. Nate's thoughts were broken by a tap from Elias. I'm a Second Year, but I don't really know anyone here. I'm shy. He was shy. That was probably all there was to it. Introverts did exist and he was definately in that category. Still, even they didn't seem to get as overwhelmed as he did...

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Interacting with: Nathan Hawthorn @Estelle Nyx
Elias signing: #84774d
Elias writing: #6591ad
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Elias had noticed Nate's quiet demeanor. He seemed very comfortable writing his responses as opposed to saying them, while most people he had communicated with in the past tended to speak. Which wasn't a bad thing, by any means. Just something Elias had noticed.

There are a lot of people. And it seems really crazy here. Elias definitely couldn't fault the boy for keeping to himself. Despite his extraverted personality, the younger boy also felt intimidated and apprehensive by the sheer number of people at Ilvermorny, people from all over the United States, if he remembered the wizard's words correctly.

Elias had about a dozen questions and thoughts racing around in his head. The foremost was this, and he wrote it: Do you think we can be friends?

The social desires of Elias were great. But, whether by default or because of his deafness, he was hesitant to reach out. Shy, of you would. Timid most of the time.

In Nate, however, he found something like hope. He too was shy. And so Elias thought this similarity could perhaps encourage a friendship. The two boys could escape the overwhelming noise, though they perceived it differently, together, in quiet company. Perhaps Nate would be willing to learn sign!

Elias could barely keep his hands still, itching to sign or write his thought, but he restrained himself. Barely. He didn't want to overwhelm Nate.

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 1st September Time: the morning... Location: Thunderbird Dorms

Mentions: Reducio @Elias Travers @Astra Norrick

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Signing: #c58120 Thoughts: italics Writing: Bold

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Nate smiled and nodded at Elias' first sentence. The common room had certainly been crazy. He was glad to be out of it and the sensory overload it caused. It is crazy. I get overwhelmed in loud/crowded spaces. There are lots of them here, but the Library is always quiet and calm. Nate smiled at Elias and watched him write his response. He had asked to be friends with Nate. Nobody had ever asked Nate if they wanted to be friends with him before. People had often conversed with him and then assumed that they were friends and the people he had played football with had considered him their friends, but he had never understood how he was supposed to know whether people were friends with him or not. He usually just avoided the question, unsure of how to respond. People rarely asked, anyway. But here, this boy was asking for a friendship, making his intentions clear. Nate was a little taken aback by how Elias had actually asked, instead of making some uncertain assumption. Nate smiled, glad that this boy had asked. Yes. I will definately be your friend. Thank you for asking, most people don't and I find it confusing trying to work it out.

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Interacting with: Nathan Hawthorn @Estelle Nyx
Elias signing: #84774d
Elias writing: #6591ad
Thoughts: Italics
Others: Bold

Elias beamed. A new home and a new friend to boot. Thank you! He was so excited he forgot to write it.

I can make you a sign name, he continued, signing at a speed which he only used with Lance and his parents.

A few moments later, the boy realized his error, and he doubled for his quill again. Thank you! Would you be interested in learning sign? So we could maybe talk easier? Also, would you mind if I made a sign name for you?

The noise of the quill scratching against his paper was loud and a bit hurried. Meanwhile, Elias mind was whirling with possible sign named for his new friend. Nate was in Thunderbird, so maybe he could combine N and bird? Or maybe friend and N?

Another question surfaced in the waters of his brin, like a duck popping its head out of the water. We can choose our roommates, right? So far, he hadn't seen anything to suggest roommates were assigned, nor dorms for that matter.

Elias wondered if there were others in the school who would be so accommodating as Nate, who would see his handicap and still try to connect with him despite it. As he pondered this, he began to entertain the idea to ask Nate if they could room together. It would be a big ask, so he held off, but the idea remained.

Roleplaying as Nate Hawthorn from Ilvermorny

Date: 1st September Time: the morning... Location: Thunderbird Dorms

Mentions: Reducio @Elias Travers @Astra Norrick

languages English: #056303 French: #073ad5 Signing: #c58120 Thoughts: italics Writing: Bold

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Nate smiled, understanding the 'thank you'. Elias had signed something else, too quickly for Nate to understand, with signs he didn't recognise. Luckily, Elias realised and wrote it down. I would love to learn, wrote Nate. I've tried to learn a bit, but I never really had the time or motivation to learn more than the alphabet. I'm glad I do now. What is a sign name? Nate wrote the final question, curious. He assumed it was probably a name given in sign language so it wouldn't have to be spelled out, but he wasn't sure and knew it was better to check, lest he misunderstand and ruin the new friendship. We can - I've just been staying on my own. I don't have many friends and the ones I do are girls so we can't room together. Nate thought for a moment. Maybe, just maybe, he could room with Elias. Before he asked, he made a list, just to be sure the benefits outweighed the risks. Pros - Elias seems nice and not too chaotic and unpredictable - Elias seems to respect boundaries - Elias asked to be his friend rather than being roundabout and confusing - Elias doesn't seem to think that his fear of crowded spaces is strange - I am a little lonely - it would be nice to have someone to talk to Cons - Could ruin the friendship - He could hate me There were definitely more pros than cons, although the con was big. He didn't want to ruin the new friendship. Still, Nate would ask. It would be nice to have a roommate. Do you want to room with me this year?

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