Finding my footing

[Aine]

Aine tied her hair back with a blue kerchief and started gathering supplies.  Her first few weeks as a graduate student were full of...well, chaos.  Moving into her apartment, meeting her classmates and professors, and most of all...getting used to the largest university campus she had ever seen, much less step foot in.  She had been so busy and overwhelmed with it all that she still had boxes scattered around her apartment.  But, it was all so exciting too.  Her classes were now focused on her interests, and she had a chance to live in Moscow.  Her family back in Ireland still sent messages, imploring her to be careful, which she was...when she was paying attention.  She had bumped into so many people on campus, because she kept being distracted by this and that.  How would she cope out in the city?

Settling some pencils and sketchbooks into her bag, she started to look around her room for anything else she needed.  A pile from her classes in the corner of the living room caught her eye and she thought back to her lessons. The assortment of supplies, projects in progress, and books on technique weren't really helping.  No, this was a break.  Just a trip to clear her mind and let her breathe for just an hour or so.  Hopefully.

Zipping her light purple jacket up, she slipped on her boots, and walked out of her apartment.  Then realized she forgot her keys.  Aine flew back in and grabbed them, locking the door behind her as she left and shook her head as she let out a sigh with a little laugh behind it.  There was so much to do, she couldn't keep up with it all!  As she walked out of her apartment building and toward the university campus, she was glad to have so much to do.  Her Nan always said it was a blessing to be busy.

Aine let her mind wander as her feet did until she found a bench with a lovely view.  She sat down and set her bag of supplies next to her and began to doodle.  Her classes had been so intense, and moving from a small Irish town to Moscow had been such a change that she just needed a little time to do nothing.  And, since Aine was bad at doing nothing, she did a small bit of something she loved.

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel found herself walking the grounds of the University taking time to see it all again. She didn't know when she would be back or if she would be back. She only knew that right now, her decision to leave had been right. Rachel needed the break. She still felt she should tell her professors in person. Despite how push many of them had been, they had cared about her and had wanted her to succeed. Her decision to leave the graduate program hadn't even been based on schooling. It had just been life. She didn't go into details, but told them she was leaving for mental health reasons. Since all of them were in the field of psychology, they were very understanding.

Bundled up in a light blue coat, matching scarf, and hat, Rachel was protected from the cold, but she still made sure to adjust it to keep warm. Moscow winters could be rough at the best of times. Seeing the University grounds no longer as a student, but also not as a graduate was sort of sad. Rachel let her feet guide her to a spot she often went to when she was feeling down and overwhelmed. There was a bench there and it had a great view. A woman was there sitting on the bench and appeared to be drawing. An art student most likely - and one who had found a lovely place to draw.

Rachel gave the woman a nod and a smile, not pushing herself into the woman's sphere. She didn't want to interrupt the woman's drawing, but still wanted to appear friendly. She sat on the top step of a stairway leading down to the university grounds, still within slight of the other woman and gazed across the campus, eyes showing both regret and relief. She knew her choice to be the right one, but still was sad to see this part of her life ending for now. All of it ending because of her stupid decisions.

Those thoughts always pulled her to Lucio and with that came the feelings that always came even if they were less frequent. Rachel squeezed her hand to stop the tremor of Sentient withdrawal that always seemed to accompany it. A sting of cold came to her cheeks from the tears that had involuntarily dropped at the memories and she wiped them. She was getting better, but healing was a process.

Rachel took a deep, shuddering breath and thought of her support structure to regain composure. Emily, Jared, and her family. Elyse. Hayden. Even Cruz came to mind even though they didn't talk so much anymore. Rachel reached for the power within her and it came easily to her now. That didn't always happen, but this time it did. The warmth and calm was a comfort and she raised her gaze to look once more at the campus and smiled. She would continue to heal and would continue to learn how to use what was in her at Belizna. She was ready.