Malvyn soon follows his roommate downstairs to breakfast. Mellori is not far behind.  There is still no sign of Mei or Chara.

You see a few students having food and hurrying out.  Others are slowly finishing meals. Three place is clearly not filled, perhaps reflecting the different times different students were expected to arrive. 

The food is changed to more typical ballsy fare. Though the somewhat broad variety remains - insects, worms, strange smelling gels sound among the eggs, sausages, and breads.

You are all well early for making it to the Biblioplex by 10am.

Guardok visits the food station and takes a selection of hot food including eggs, sausages, a lot of mushrooms and some bread along with some freshly squeezed orange juice, before heading back to take a seat. When finding a seat, he will aim for where the others are.

"I could get used to this routine. Normally I have a load of chores to do before I can sit down and eat", he says to whoever is already there. "I think Piero turned up whilst we were having dinner. Well his backpack did anyway. He didn't sleep in our room though, so I still haven't actually met him".

"I wonder if Lesviel knows what is happening yet", he says looking about for her.

Mae was well used to typical tavern fare when it came to food and drink, so while she found a few things to try perhaps that were a little outside her typical breakfast (but no bugs), she helped herself to a robust tray of eggs, meats, pancakes and a healthy serving of fruit, along with some leman flavored water and found herself back at the table with the couple others joining her as from before. She looked at Guardok and blinked slowly, "That is strange, but perhaps they are just invisible? Lots of oddities here I think. Or perhaps they just had other things to attend to already. I'm wondering what happened to Chara. She came in last night but I didn't see her this morning. I suppose we may just have to get used to people coming and going like this." She ate slowly and deliberately, savoring the food and the moment, watching people around her as well now and then. "Oh I suspect Lesviel knows more than she is letting on. But what about this orientation? I wonder what we need to be oriented to. Maybe it's a tour of the school?" She picked a stray seed from her mouth and wiped it off on her leg.

The purple-skinned tiefling helps himself to a decent sized portion of sausages, fried eggs, bread, cheese, orange juice and hot black coffee before joining Guardok and Mae at their table, giving Knap and Mel a wave and a smile as he passes them. He frowns slightly as Mae mentions Guardok's missing room mate being invisible. It would likely be very inconvenient walking around invisible in a place like this trying to dodge people about to walk into you, but she had a point that Strixhaven probably had a lot of oddities, either way the Piero mystery had now started to pique his interest. "I doubt the orientation will take us through all of Strixhaven, more likely it is a tour of the Biblioplex and it's immediate surroundings. I spotted a café on my way over there yesterday, Firejolt the sign said, maybe we could go there after the orientation." Malvyn suggests, hoping it would seem like a pleasant idea to the others, then starting to slowly eat his breakfast, savouring the taste of his lack coffee it seems.

Chara is currently still fast asleep... being in a real, comfy bed has sapped her will to move or do much of anything. Assume that she'll drag herself out of bed just barely in time for orientation.

Mellori was about to head down for breakfast when she gazed once more around the room. Her logical mind told her that some things didn't add up. Pausing for a few moments, she played the facts through in her head and came to the conclusion that Mei had not gone downstairs to breakfast yet. Not that this told her where she was - just where she wasn't. 

Her brow knitted for a few moments before she sighed and resigned herself to the fact that she did not have enough information to detect Mei's whereabouts. On that basis, she reluctantly headed downstairs - hoping her deductions were wrong. 

A quick scan of the restaurant told her she had found another place that Mei was not. And given she only knew of a few places Mei could be, she decided to cross them off her list one by one. She did not want her room-mate being late for their first day. So she headed back upstairs and entered the lounge.

Mellori is only briefly in the Dining Hall before heading back up, while there is still no sign of either Mei or Chara there.  Malvyn, Knap, Guardok, and Mae talk and enjoy their meals in the meantime. 

Upstairs, Mellori heads into the lounge noticing a duvet covering something on one of the couches. . . 

Mellori enters the lounge tentatively. Not that she feared anything, but it seemed natural to be a combination of wary and respectful. Remembering her first proper encounter with her room-mate, Mellori wondered if a spell had gone awry and Mei was somehow unable to escape the duvet.

Walking closer, Mellori coughed gently in the hope of waking Mei this way.  

Guardok takes a swig of his juice and frowns, "Invisible? I don't think so, his backpack is in the middle of his bed where it was last night, and I didn't hear anything".

"As long as they tell us where and when to be at class during orientation, I'll be happy. And count me in for a trip to Firejolt, Mal", he says optimistically.

He wriggles about a bit, uncomfortable in his new uniform.

Mae shrugged slightly and then smiled. "Well it certainly sounds like a bit of a mystery anyway. Perhaps we'll know soon enough. As for the cafe, that also sounds interesting. I've never been much for coffee, but happening places I do enjoy regardless, so count me in too!" She beamed a bit and went back to her meal, still letting her eyes wander about the hall from time to time.

Pleased to hear that Guardok and Mae seemed to like the idea of visiting the Firejolt café together, Malvyn returns to focus on his breakfast, wondering where the others were at. He found himself hoping they would all do this orientation together but it was important to him to not be late, it would likely be his first chance to step inside the Biblioplex after all, so he finishes up his breakfast fairly quickly. "I think I'll head over to the Biblioplex, don't want to be late on our first day." He says, finishing up his black coffee, waiting briefly to see if anyone was joining him before walking over to the Biblioplex the same way he did yesterday, pointing out the Firejolt café on the way there to anyone joining him. Once there he nervously walks back and forth waiting for Lesviel, constantly checking on the tome on his shoulder bag.

 "I've never had coffee before. Maybe I should give it a try." Knap dawdles behind Malvyn, "Wait for me, I don't want to be late."

Mellori doesn't get much reaction from her cough.  But as you wait a moment, whatever is covered up on the couch stirs a bit. Then you see Mei's distinctly colored hair. It also seems her pillow is here as well.  She does not appear to be in distress, just asleep.  

Guardok finishes his breakfast and follows Mal and Knapp to the Biblioplex.

Not wishing to leave her room-mate, Mellori gently prods Mei - starting with the barest of touches and then with increasing vigour, until she wakes. In tandem, she starts by whispering "Mei," and increasing the volume in line with the prodding.

When Mei finally wakes, it's not to the sounds of her siblings doing chores nor to the unpunctual rooster crowing long after dawn. It's not to the reprimanding of her grandmother, scolding her for sleeping in again. There is no familiar routine here to partake in yet--no morning meditation; no purification of the dryad's shrine at the grove's spring; no practicing of her kagura or divinations. 

Instead, it's to the sound of her name and a prodding that chases her out of her dreams and into the last image she remembers before falling asleep again hours before. Mei flings the duvet away, her forehead a weapon traveling upwards at high velocity (towards Mellori if she's leaned anywhere close). "Teeth!" she gasps as she sits up, eyes wide.  

Guardok, Malvyn, and Knapp all soon arrive in front of the Biblioplex.  There were a few students about here and there, mostly first-years from the uniforms, but a scattering of others as well. There's a bit more activity here outside the Biblioplex. A few of the older students are gathering up groups of first-years.  Groups are exiting, entering, and a few seem to be frantically looking for members. There are no signs of Lesviel at the moment, or at least that you can find.  It is only about a quarter past 9am, so there is of course still time. 

Chara finally manages to drag herself out of bed at around 9:08... and realizes that she's probably going to be late again if she doesn't get moving. She quickly throws herself in the shower, shakes herself dry, and pulls on her uniform to the best of her ability, struggling a bit with figuring out how to put her clothing on without crushing her wings. But once she has it figured out, she rushes to the Biblioplex to meet her floor mates. The girl is quite dishevelled and still struggling to comb her silver hair as she enters the room.

"I'm here! Did I miss anything?"

Mae followed the others shortly, satisfied with her breakfast. She checked to make sure she had her things with her, adjusted her robe and hair a bit as she got up, and headed off to the Biblioplex in the middle of campus. She admired the wondrous architecture and imminent fervor of the coming orientation and school year. She arrived just after the first few and looked back in time to see Chara hurrying up. "Hello roommate! Didn't see you this morning! You only missed breakfast! We're still waiting on Mei and Mellori it seems. Lovely day though, isn't it?"

Mae soon joins the trio of Guardok, Malvyn, and Knapp. After about another quarter hour, Chara arrives as well. Standing on the outside steps you notice a number of people wandering in and out of the place. Malvyn notes that unlike yesterday the large double doors leading into the library remain open.  At one point you notice a halfling boy in an odd chair with wheels. As he approaches the steps going up to the main entrance, the steps actually flatten out a bit and then transform in one section to a smooth ramp. He's able to ride his chair right up to go inside.  

A bit later you see an older looking Firbolg in the blue and green of Quandrix.  He steps into a circle painted on the pavement just at right side of the base of the stairs. After pausing for just a moment he disappears! 

There is still no sign of Mei or Mellori. nor Lesviel.  But there is still a little bit of time left.