22/Mysterious Transfer Student

Mysterious Transfer Student
Date of Scene:	03 July 2023
Location:	Guidance Office
Synopsis:	A reluctant Hannah, yet another Mysterious Transfer Student, is called into Kyouka Inai's office. Things don't go as expected, Mahou Fight Club gains a new member!
Cast of Characters:	Kyouka Inai, Hannah Steiner

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Hannah Steiner has posed:
In the past, being the New Girl from suspiciously unknown places was enough to get the school in an uproar, or at least mild interest. Now though? There seems to be another one with an even /less/ plausible story every bloody week. Enter one Hannah Steiner, whose odd dialect (Space German, as it is), nigh-impenetrable accent, and at least intelligible amounts of Japanese (thank you school house magic!) has made her a more difficult case than most. Mostly because her talent with blunt charm has let her deflect questions of where she's from go pinging off her social armor like she were a massive stompy robot. Also, she's been avoiding Kyouka's office like the plague.

Her case file is not even a full page long, so much is not known about the girl. Every entreaty by student or teacher alike about her past or (especially) her family has been met with platitudes, suspiciously politician-like non-answers, or in turn putting her outgoing nature on full blast and ripping open their life's story instead. Yet that kind of thing only works for so long, and after the third letter to her dorm room, she can no longer put it off. And so, with Blauer Greif tapping her way down the hallway and Lyra - massive, but disguised as a Central Asian Shepdog - leading her dutifully.

Hannah feels a bit like she's being led off either to an execution, or maybe to the Estates General back on Tharkad to listen to yet /another/ policy decision for something that only matters in the mind of the one bringing it up.

The golden head of her Device tap-tap-taps on the door.

"Guten tag! Are you in, Fraulein Inai?" Comes Hannah after a moment, smiling her warmest smile and adjusting her bowler. She's dressed in the school uniform, but her headware and ever-present glasses are perched as she taps a bootheel to toe while awaiting the faculty member.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    "Come in." The guidance counselor's voice comes from the other side of the door, which is of course free to be opened and entered. Inside the office, Kyouka is behind her desk, the padded office chair tilted back at an angle as she waits for the girl to enter, though at least she doesn't have her feet up on the desk. This is during school hours, so she has to at least attempt to look the part. "It'd be pretty rude of me to not be in when I have an appointment." She says with wry humor.

    A curious glance is given to Lyra, but at the very least it can be assumed she was forwarned about the 'dog', even if Hannah's file is otherwise rather sparse. "Take a seat." She says, gesturing to one of the two padded armchairs on the other side of her desk as she regards the space-german with unreadable grey eyes. Her expression is neutral, but on the friendlier side of neutral, as if she's not smiling but could be convinced to do so without much effort.

    "Would your friend," here a gesture towards Lyra, "Like some water or something? I don't keep doggie treats in my office, unfortunately.. although considering some of the students I have to deal with, maybe I should..."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
It's worse than Hannah could have imagined. The heir to a planet is pretty good at reading people. Kyouka comes off as professional, polite, and worst of all? That kind of muted niceness that in her - admittedly limited - experience tends to belong to either the smart kind of genuine good person, or the smart kind of absolute manipulative bastard. She's not entirely sure which possibility she finds more worrying.

Her cane gently taps until she finds the larger couch, not needing to be told twice to take her leisure. Her hat is plucked off, left atop Blauer Greif's head as Hannah crosses her legs and leans back. Lyra joins her, settling in against her master with the ease of a creature that's spent its' whole life around the royal.

Sorry Kyouka, she sheds.

"Acht, you would be surprised what people will get up to in order to bail on a meeting they don't want to attend!" She says with a warm smile, upping the lumens of her friendliness a notch. Even as she's shamelessly and remorselessly laying out the truth of things. There's no malice in her voice. She has /that/ for only one person right now. Kyouka is doing her job.

"Oh, Lyra will eat just about anything. Or anyone if I ask politely!" Hannah laughs at her own joke, just to break tension a bit or wave off any ill feelings despite not wanting to be here.

"It's a pleasure to meet you formally Fraulein Inai, and the gracious housing that has come with this fine Academy's charity. What can I do for you?" At least she sounds genuinely grateful for a roof over her head. She's well aware of how very bad it would go if she was on the streets. Her pride probably couldn't take it.

The young woman has been open about her condition, of course. And diligent, all the proper paperwork filed, sent, e-signed and every t dotted with aplomb that frankly makes some of the school's interns look bad at their jobs. The usual confusion slashed through with Steiner skill. The only thing missing, of course, is all that background of hers being a void colder than the dead of space. She's not the only one, of course, particularly of late. Hers is just skillful about it.

She actually let the front office know about a mistake in one of the forms, arrogant-yet-helpful as she is.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    It's not like Kyouka has any particular agenda- well, not one that has anything to do with the school itself. It's just that she has a particular set of skills which makes her ideally suited to this day-job. At least from a certain point of view. As Hannah and Lyra settle down, she rights her chair, leaning forward slightly with her elbows on the desk, lacing her fingers together in front of her chin as she regards the overly-friendly girl who is obviously turning it up full-blast in order to try and make this meeting go as smoothly as possible.

    "Well to be honest with ya," Kyouka says, her own words tinged with an accent that can best be described as 'the street' rather than any kind of well-educated or precise speaking, "I don't really want anything at all. But it's kinda my job to speak to new students.. especially ones with certain unusual conditions." She draws a deep breath in through her nose, exhaling a moment later through her mouth before tilting her head slightly to one side.

    "You qualify. And so, interestingly enough, does your dog." She gives Lyra a glance, then a toothy smile. "Good puppy. Anyway it's not like you've done anything wrong. But the Headmistress likes to throw interesting cases at me and see what I can do with them, with a particular goal in mind. You might be interested in what I have to offer, once you fully understand what it is."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
This....isn't the interrogation over her non-past that she was expecting. Hannah curses herself a little bit for making a few too many assumptions, no matter how grounded they happened to be. She's caught flat-footed by this turn of events. "Oh come now mein good beamter, everyone has something they want, even if they don't know it, what it is, or whether its' good or bad. Platitudes become your title, clearly not your experience." Riposts Hannah as she recovers herself, the switch to a far more 'commoner' mein going well noted. She doesn't lower herself to such things, of course. She's nobility, and while her command of the language is new, she can hear the cadence of one raised in mire and hardship. To her credit, she doesn't sound offended like some upper crust members would be. Instead her voice is suddenly less 'I want to flee this very room but I'm polite' and more 'listening to a member of a lower house with a brain in her head and a plan worthy of note'.

This just got interesting.

A brow rises. "So professional! Truly, this place is...mmm, clockwork would be an insult. No, no, no! More like..." She draws out her words, only somewhat feigning a lack for local words. "A finely tuned racing conveyence built by a team of skilled engineers and painted by the hand of a home-grown genius of an artist! Mm. Sorry the metaphor got away from me." A wave of her hand, which 'conveniently' has her grip knocking her bowler onto the couch and gripping Blauer Greif's handle. Legs uncross. Feet find the floor. Lyra gives a low not-quite-dog sound as she too shifts to a slightly more ready position. There's no overt hostility.

Just a little more wariness for someone raised in the dangers that come with royal privilege.

"And now I feel flattered! The Headmistress, really? Now I feel guilty for now even bothering to stop by and give a hello! So rude, I'll have to pick up a cake or something! Hm! Do not keep me in suspense, out with it! Hats and titl...names at the door." She slips up, and inwardly chides herself. Her curiosity and the streetwise nature so unexpected of Kyouka hammers into her social armor.

Even Lyra is tilting her lizard-head, the semi-sentient monstrosity curious what has her owner so seemingly pleased despite her former reluctance to be here. All of a sudden, Hannah has all the time in the world for Kyouka Inai.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka looks vaguely amused at Hannah's turn of nature, though the change is mostly seen in her words rather than her attitude, which remains fairly consistent. That amusement plays across her features in an expression that might uncharitably call a smirk although perhaps not quite so ill-natured. She gets up from her chair quite suddenly, although not with any sort of hostile intent, turning instead to look out the window at the sprawling campus. The second-floor office has a very nice view out over the courtyards and athletic fields.

    "To cut to the chase, Ms. Steiner," Kyouka says while regarding the view before her, "I'm here to teach new and upcoming mahous how to survive. I have some experience in that arena, due to the fact that I'm not actually dead, regardless of how I sometimes feel first thing in the morning." She glances over her shoulder. "In particular, my arena of expertise tends to be in the more.. practical side of things."

    That's not entirely true- Kyouka is also a wealth of advice born of hard experience, though she herself often doesn't view herself that way. Doesn't stop it coming out when it's relevant anyway. "I can smell the magic on you. I don't know what kind, but I do know that means you're going to get roped into trouble sooner or later, whether you intend to or not. And that means that you belong in my special class, such as it is." She turns back around towards her desk, opening the drawer and rummaging around for a moment.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
One of the reasons that the Steiner House appreciates their lower-born associates is that they lack the many and layered levels of protocol, tact, deference, and tedious-even-to-nobility amounts of necessary baggage that's part of how someone gets so high up in a society built on industry, money, and who you know. The scions of Steiner choose their small army of advisors from the Estates General in order to both read the temperature of governance from people who make things work and pull the strings.

They choose their more direct advisors and deniable hands from the lowest of the low, as any Steiner that doesn't appreciate the artistry of a club to the noggin isn't worth their many many names.

Kyouka feels a bit like her old nanny, a hardbitten woman who cared for her when her parents couldn't while equally ensuring Hannah's head wouldn't inflate beyond that which was appropriate. To this day, she's not sure if the old crone couldn't kick her royal butt. She'd put a lot of coin on the old lady, in fact, and so the outing of her magical nature both hits her directly in the face, and has her sounding at once nostalgic and relieved.

"I thought I was doing such a good job, too! 'Mahous', mmm? Und that is what you call it....Frau Kyouka, I wish you weren't so right about things." She sounds a bit sad at the end, reflecting on the attack at the beach. How many good people are suffering because of the likes of the Dark Generals that assaulted helpless civilians for something so paltry as /energy/.

Hannah taps her Device, and the glamour around Lyra fades, revealing the fuzzy reptilian form of Hannah's guide-animal, so very obviously not native to this world. Time to show some trust.

"Your offer needles me. Not because I do not want it, but because I cannot extend your good faith fully. Too many problems in this city. I'm not going to weigh the scale with mein own." She says firmly, standing up with her cane in hand. She taps heel-to-toe sharply, and does a courtly half-bow to Inai.

"Countess Palatine-Apparent Hannah Emilia-Lina Araki-Steiner XIV, hereby accepts your offer of tutelage, may your coffers ever fill and by the grace of your House, honor kept and abided by all whom gaze upon you." Comes Hannah in that strict cadence of royalty making an oath of acceptance. She goes silent, far longer than the affable young woman no doubt likes, but something like this is Important. Street lady or not - indeed, perhaps /because/ Kyouka has lowly roots - she's going to adhere to her family's ways.

With a breath meant to relax, both herself and Kyouka after that needless display, she sits back down. "What can I provide in turn? Do not think to reject my offer. I insist." Offers Hannah earnestly. She might be arrogant nobility, but she at least has that sense of duty about her person.

Kyouka Inai has posed:
    Kyouka looks up from her rifling through the drawer to see the 'dog' replaced by an obviously much more reptilian beast. She eyes it, perhaps a bit warily, but makes no particular remark and doesn't appear afraid- likely she's seen stranger things, and since it hasn't attacked yet it's unlikely to do so, unless Hannah should order it to, which doesn't seem particularly likely either. It's a good thing Hannah keeps the comparison to her old crone of a nanny internal- Kyouka may be washed-up in terms of mahou years, but she's still only 23, and might not have taken that comparison in the spirit that it was no-doubt meant.

    Regardless, she finally fishes up what she was looking for- a pack of her business cards. She pulls one free. On the front, it has her name, position, and office phone number along with Radiant Heart Academy's logo. Turning it over, she grabs a pen and scribbles on the back, even as Hannah is formally offering her acceptance of tutelage- a gesture which is completely unnecessary but helpful in some ways in that it cuts to the chase.

    Once she has finished her scribbling, she hands the card over to Hannah. In somewhat unrefined handwriting, the back says 'secret magic fite club, Wednesday 4:30pm, Gym A'. "Then let this card be a symbol of our mutual arrangement," She says, with a strange air of formality that Hannah probably doesn't actually find strange, but an observer might. "If you have need, feel free to call upon me. I will come if I can." Her tone relaxes a moment later and she adds, "Show up to the gym at that time and date, and you can join my class on the more practical side of magic defense. And if you show up the hour before that, I also do a regular non-magic class for any student. Practical Martial Arts for Self-Defense, it's called. That one's on the school schedule." She points to the card. "That one isn't. Invite only."

Hannah Steiner has posed:
The lack of reaction to Lyra's reveal is telling. This is /definitely/ not a woman to be messed with. Firmly shifting Kyouka from mere beamter to herr in her opinion, Hannah takes the offered card. A finger rubs over it, and then slides it into her pocket. She doesn't need to see in order to get the meaning, but Kyouka spells it out helpfully. "Agreed, and honored, Herr Inai." Replies the royal just as formally, finding her appreciation for Kyouka growing yet another unexpected notch.

"I DO need an elective! Done und done in both cases! I'll send in the paperwork promptly. Erm. For the formal class, I mean." Slight sweat-drop upon her noble brow...followed by much protesting as Lyra suddenly leans over, tackles her owner, and starts licking her face in sheer adoration! All of her royal mein is shattered like so much glass by an affectionate...eh, Lyra's just proving the 'hound' in 'Razorhound'.

"N...no down Lyra!!! Off! Off! A...a...not in front of Herr Inai you scaled goof!" With all the gracelessness of a long-suffering dog owner, she manages to heft the massive beast back down to the couch.

"S...see you there!" She offers a bit breathlessly, taking up hat and cane alike as Lyra shoves her lead in Hannah's hand.

"And again. Thank you. I owe all of you." Comes the young woman, voice quieter than normal. And very, very tired already. A bow more swift but no less ostentatious than the previous one later, and Hannah is out the door, glamour settling back on her guide animal as she exits much happier than she entered wth.

A bit later, an anonymous Yelp review is praising RHA. Never say a Steiner doesn't remember a good turn.