4079/Big Nerd on Campus

Big Nerd on Campus
Date of Scene:	09 November 2020
Location:	Washington Square Park
Synopsis:	Ariah answers Virgil's D&D add, and they have a semi-awkward discussion!
Cast of Characters:	Virgil Hawkins, Ariah Olivie

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Virgil Hawkins has posed:
It's been a long day of putting up flyers, after Virgil made the initial internet posts about searching for a D&D group. But now night's finally here, and he's wearing a simple red hoodie and blue jeans, and a black cap that says 'Wakanda Forever' iin bold letters.

He's not hard to find, as he often stays near campus when he's about to get back to the dorms. Right now he's just texting. and leaning against a tree right next to one of the flyers, actually. Anyone who texts like they wanna hang out tonight, he just sends his location, near the large treenot far from a particular water fountain.

No one's shown up yet, so it's just him and his phone under some dim lighting.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    At some point in the evening, the ghost of the campus library makes her appearance. Clad in garb that would easily make one mistake her for an androgynous male, the short white hair not helping to exactly deflect that, Ariah shows up and makes a beeline for Virgil's tree--and Virgil himself. She's in jeans and a jacket, faded black denim, and some old hiking boots.

    She gets within arm's reach of him and stares upwards, the four-foot-ten girl blinking as she looks at him, the flyer, and back again. A small hand slips into her jacket and she pulls out a folded paper, opening it up and holding it up.

    "I am here to inquire about your game," she says quietly, voice soft and cold, more breathy than raspy as she fixes him with those grey eyes.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
Virgil stares down at her, admittedly not something he can always do, since Virgil isn't the tallest guy in the world. He raises an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. "Oh, yeah, sure. I didn't know any goths played D&D. Or maybe you're new to it? I don't wanna assume, sorry!"

He offers his hand to her, smiling. "Virgil Hawkins. I'll be your one-stop shop for all things D&D, any questions you want answered! I'll also answer any questions about me. And of course I'll ask about you, if you're good with that."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah blinks owlishly, tilting her head to the side. "Goth...?" she asks, the only things even marking her as 'odd' would be the black lipstick and the shock of white hair. She's clad far outside the usual Goth 'norm', really, even if the jean jacket and jeans are black. She's got more of a 'lazy butch' thing going.

    Slowly, she shakes her head, "I have never played before, non. Ariah. Ariah Olivie," she introduces, taking the offered hand and giving it a gentle squeeze and a little shake. Her voice is still cold and dark and thickly accented in French.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
Virgil stares at her, rubbing his chin. His opinions about 'goth' are certainly not nuanced ones, but he nods and sticks to the important aspects. "So, what exactly is it that made you curious? I mean..." He releases her hand after a moment, taking her general aura in. "I guess what I'm asking is, what's the appeal for you? So that I can maybe emphasize those appealing parts! Or if you're curious, I can just endlessly rant about it, of course."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah again blinks owlishly as she's asked questions. She listens, taking it all in, and looks at the flyer in her hand again. Then she folds it back up and puts it in her pocket carefully before meeting Virgil's gaze again.

    "I want to play a game," she states rather matter-of-factly, arms hanging at her sides like an odd child. "I can bring snacks," she adds.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
Virgil smiles, as he can't help but appreciate the simplicity of the reasoning. "Okay, so, I guess the core of it is, you'd be roleplaying. Pretending to be another character." He pulls his phone up, already having pictures of things like sheets, dice, figurines, some rules, etc. "It seems like a lot, but this is what we use to know what we can and can't do in the world we're pretenidng to be in!"

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    With a slight cock of her head, Ariah's eyes narrow slightly. "I understand what roleplaying is," she states, sounding just the slightest bit offended, even if she did state she was brand new to this. The items on the screen she nods at, and looks back up at Virgil.

    "It is collaborative storytelling that requires a set of rules and tangible physical aids, oui?" she asks. "I understand that the arbitrary limitations make it more fun to roll the dice."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Exactly, and you use sheets to create your character, to write down all the information about them." Virgil points to an illustration of a sheet on his phone. He notices the tone shift in her, but isn't the most socially equipped to know how to deal with that, so he just tries to keep it moving. "So, are there parts about this that you really //don't// understand?"

That seems like a good way to ask and handle this, perhaps!

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Despite her hackles rising for a moment, the answer Ariah gives might be quite telling. Or surprising. "The rest of it," she states.

    Then she clarifies, "...I do not know how to input the data into the character sheet, nor do I know what dice are used for what. I understand the base concepts, but am ignorant of the options." At least she's honest.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Oh! I understand. I don't have everything with me, but I have a digital copy of the book on my phone." Virgil scrolls through some things, then hands his phone over to her. "You read the rules in the Player's Handbook. I have a few if you show up for the gathering... well, if anyone shows up."

He considers the rest, rubbing his chin. "I've got a lot of dice, I can give you some newbie dice. It'll be easier to show you that in person."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah takes the phone gingerly, as if it were a live grenade. And judging by how she's holding it, she probably has experience with live grenades. Then slowly, awkwardly, she scrolls through some of the pages in the digital book, her eyes slowly glazing over.

    "You have physical copies, oui?" she asks, passing the phone back with a small frown. "Merci, I do not possess dice. I may be able to obtain some before the first gathering. If there is one?" she questions, hearing the consideration of doubt in Virgil's words.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Oh, yeah, I'll be having the group at Steve's comic shop. Uh, hold on." Virgil reaches into his pocket, digging around, then pulls out a business card for the comic shop itself, handing it over as he takes his phone back. "They have dice and stuff there. They even have the books if you want one yourself, though you can use what I have."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    The phone is traded for the card and she looks at it closely. "I have passed by there," she states, soft and simple. "I will borrow and decide if it's too my liking before investing, oui? Does that sound reasonable?" Ariah asks of Virgil. "Do you want my number so you can tell me when it will be held?"

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Sounds great, these books aren't very cheap, so I think it's good to try it out first. Trust me, I'm on minimum wage, I'm not about to force someone to drop like $30 or more on a book." Virgil nods though, taking his phone back out. "Yeah, I'll take your number."

He stares at his phone a bit blanky for a moment. Whenever he sees the Shuri App the reality of his life suddenly hammers him in the head, but he shakes himself out of it and listens for her number.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "Merci, but I should be able to afford a book and some dice. I just do not wish to waste anything, your time especially," Ariah says quietly and fishes her phone out of her pocket. She fumbles with the lock screen, then manages to fish her way into her contacts list and find herself. She holds the phone up on that screen, showing off a local NYC number.

    When Virgil blanks out for a moment, she blinks at him, "...are you well?"

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Oh, yeah, sorry. Believe it or not, I met a princess this morning." Virgil says with a laugh at that, as if he himself can't even believe his own words as he saves her number. "So, I was looking at my phone and something reminded me, and I thought... wow this is actually my life, that actually really happened."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Another cock of her head, this time in the opposite direction as the first one. "A princess?" she asks, then lifts her shoulders, shrugging lightly. She keeps her own phone held up to show her number to Virgil, though, and the screen has already auto-dimmed by now. "It is not as strange as one would think," she adds.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"It's pretty strange for me. You don't just meet princesses who walk into comic shops every day, especially not //cute// ones. I mean, are there even ugly princesses?" Virgil wonders, holding his hand up as he sends her a text, so she can get his number too, then slides it back into his pocket.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    More owlish blinking from the small woman. She hears her phone bleep and feels it vibrate, slowly turning the screen to face her and studying the information on it. A few more finger-taps and she stores it in her phone before putting it in her own pocket.

    Then Ariah looks up at Virgil again, meeting his eyes, "Am I a cute princess?" she asks, tone completely serious.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"I mean, like, you're cute, yeah, but I don't know if you're a princess." Virgil very seriously stares at her now, leaning in and squinting, as if to examine. "Two princesses in one day would be pretty wild. I'll start thinking I'm being hunted. Is this my new arc? The normal dude all the princesses want???"

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah lets the whole joke sink in for a moment, then slowly shakes her head. "I am not a princess. And you do not interest me in that fashion," she explains. "I could be a princess in the game though, non?" she offers, slowly looking off in the distance before focusing her gaze back to Virgil. "Thank you for the compliment."

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Oh shit." Virgil shoves his hands firmly into his hoodie pockets. "I uh, yeah, you can be a princess in the game. But yeah, I'm loyal. I mean, I'm not in a relationship but now that I have my eye on this princess, I can't look like a wishy washy guy who'll just jump to any princess, you know?"

It sounds a lot like he's attempting to save face, though it's also clear that he's not particularly good at it. "Anyway... I'll text you if anyone else joins the group? If not, we can still hang out at the shop and I can teach you some stuff."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "I am not offended," Ariah says simply, her stoic face likely making things even more awkward when Virgil gets flustered. She just doesn't seem to be bothered either way. "I look forward to it. What kind of snacks?" she asks, as if making a mental note of what to bring to the gathering, even if it's just the two of them.

Virgil Hawkins has posed:
"Oh, you know, the normal stuff. Just bring what you like, we'll learn about each other that way, yeah? Well, no vegetables, no one wants to eat vegetables at D&D." At least, Virgil sure as hell hopes they don't. But he gives her a nod, then starts to walk. "It was nice meeting you."