Finishing reorganizing the last of her room, Karen heaved a tired sigh. She didn't think she brought too much stuff, though her parents begged to differ. She had only been there for a couple weeks, and already she was trying to sort her room out for a more... space efficient layout.

{Well, it was good exercise. And this works better than cramming everything in the closet again!} She thought to herself in amusement, grinning a bit. She was worried about her studies being a little behind this semester, but she felt with the peace and tranquility of the campus she could be able to focus better. At worst, maybe she could take an extra term.

Still, although she knows she was one of a number of new students on campus (one even made her double-take; she was sure that one student couldn't have been a guy! how would they have gotten in??), she hadn't been as social as some of the others. She wanted to start strong, keep ahead!

Which didn't explain how she was falling behind already. She groaned as she looked at the desk and the work strewn across it, not wanting to spend another afternoon at it. She had barely had time to socialize... and dammit, now was the time to start.

It meant she hadn't had to look at her notes for a bit yet, something she already dodged once with her rearranging most of her room. Slipping out the door and closing it with her heel, she walked down to the students common room, just curious to see who would be in there... it was as good a place as any to meet some of her dorm-mates.

Kari sat on a couch in the common room, listening to her iPod and playing Dragonball Z on her PSP. The volume was set to a point where a plane could crash right next to her and she would be completely oblivious to the noise.

However, that did not keep her noticing a girl enter the common room. Regardless, she continued to play her game, kicking ass to the rhythm of the song.

Karen paused at the entrance to the mostly empty common room, actually feeling a touch silly for a moment. Finally setting her initial impressions aside, she walked quietly over to her, watching her game and music herself silly.

Reaching out to brace herself against the wall behind the couch, she tried to lean way over beside her, trying to check out what she was playing. Wincing at the position it put her in, she turned her body and sat down as gently as she could on the couch next to her, still looking curious.

"Um, hi there..." She smiled, though she was a touch unsure now. "What game is it?" She finally adds, not sure of what else to say.

Kari took off her headphones and drew her head back to look at her.

"I'm playing Dragonball Z." she answered. "Hi, by the way. My name is Catherine Satou, but you can call me Kari."

She breathes out a sigh of relief and smiles to her. "I'm Karen Hinase. Nice to meet you Kari." Good, the girl didn't think she was crazy or weird the way she poked in like that. Well, yet, anyway...

"Pretty good at it?" She offered, looking to the PSP and... well, really, latching onto anything to talk about, realizing quite shamefacedly that she had nothing else to say, no reason to interrupt her!

{God, I suddenly feel really stupid.} She inwardly sighed, but kept a friendly smile on her face as she mentally berated herself lightly.

"Kinda. I prefer to play it on a home console, but I haven't beaten this one yet. That's why I'm playing it."

After she finished the fight on the game, she asked, "So what's up?"

She smiles to Kari, though she falters at the question. What was up indeed! {Suddenly I feel like an idiot.} She thinks, leaning forwards a touch as she mentally stumbles over it.

"Well, not much. I was taking a break from studying. Wanted to meet some of the other people around here, you know?" She smiled to her a bit hopefully. "I was so desperate to catch up and keep up that I didn't really, um, get out much."

She sighs slowly at how that sounded. "God, that sounds so stupid. Um, well, just figured I'd hang out in here, you know. Maybe find out something to do around here." She says with a stronger smile.

"I'm afraid I was never really great at video games, but you can beat me silly in one if you want... wouldn't mind learning. Is there a two-player set up that you have?" She looked a touch curious, though she leaned back a little. She didn't want to come off too strong, Kari seemed... kinda quiet.

"Yeah. I have enough controls for a full house. Wanna play a game with me or something?" she asked.

Her expression brightened considerably and she nodded. "Sure. Oh... I was wondering if you knew if there were movie nights or such. Any kind of regular 'dorm events' or something. Though maybe video games could work."

She chuckles to herself. "I don't really do the 'play fighting' so much, but it'll be fun to try. You can teach me your ways..." She leaned herself forward a hair as if bowing.

Kari stood up and gestrued towards Karen.

"Let's go." she said.

"So what are your interests, if you don't mind me asking?"

She stood a moment after she did, nodding. "Oh! well, I've been taking martial arts for just about ever... I kinda like samurai movies 'cause of that, somehow." She laughs to herself.

"But I suppose... mm... I like manga and comics, and I like to listen to music. What about you?" She looked to her curiously, tucking her arms behind her head as they walked. Maybe meeting her fellow dorm-mates wouldn't be such a problem after all.

"You like to do martial arts?" Kari asked. "Screw games, how about we do that?"

She blinks in surprise, looking to Kari. The way she said that, Karen couldn't tell if she wanted to try it out the way someone wanted to ride a new bike, or...

"Um, sure. Pardon me for asking.. have you done any before?" She looks curious, inclining her head towards.

"Yeah. I took up marital arts training by my ex-boyfriend, and even though he trained me to the level of 4th Dan, a lot of the times he was just taking an initiative for sex."

She blinks in shock. "What?? Well, that's..." She shook her head. "But fourth Dan! That' great!" She was downright shocked; someone their age going that far. "You must be strong... stronger than me, for sure." She smiled and shook her head, impressed.

"Do you think other students here practice, too? I mean, it's a shame, I hadn't heard of any kendo or karate clubs or the like... though I really didn't look too hard."