Chapter Text
Daria strode away from Poplar Hall as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. She could still hear the sounds of the hydraulic catapult on the lawn behind her, and the occasional gasp from the crowd that had begun to grow around the building. As much as she might love to watch those idiots damage themselves and others, she didn't want to risk getting crushed by a falling suitcase. She checked her watch and saw that it was nearly time for the convocation ceremony to begin. Her father and sister were likely already there, and hopefully saving her a seat.
As she made her way across the campus to the stadium, she took in the atmosphere of the campus. Swarms of parents and staff notwithstanding, it really was gorgeous. There was no climbing ivy or historic landmark plaques like the ones Bromwell so pointedly featured, but the brick buildings had a classic charm about them that made the quad feel almost like something out of a nineteenth century English novel. Daria imagined the University gift shop could make a killing at Christmastime selling miniature versions of the campus piece-by-piece to the same collectors who buy dozens of Dickens village pieces. As she descended the winding stairs, she noticed that one building stood out from the rest. The library's severe concrete construction was in stark contrast to the surrounding buildings, but its style made it look more like a fortress than a modern office building. Daria appreciated the fact that the sort of place she would go to retreat from the craziness of other people actually looked like it could withstand the ravening hordes.
When she finally reached the stadium bleachers, she was able to quickly spot her sister's long fiery hair and signature pink tee. She quietly slid into the seat next to her father while Quinn made a concerted effort not to react to her arrival, suddenly very interested in adjusting her pair of designer sunglasses. The speakers blaring top 40 hits from the stadium stage faded out, and a hush fell over the crowd as the convocation ceremony prepared to begin. "Heya, Kiddo," Jake greeted Daria. "Did ya get all your stuff moved in okay?"
"SHHHHHH!!!!!" a woman in front of them hissed as she turned around to face them. Jake was in the middle of preparing his response in the form of the appropriately rude hand gesture when he caught a good look at her. Her hair was yanked back in a bun so severe that it tugged at the edges of her eyes, and she was clad in a tailor-made power suit that Daria's mother could only fantasize about affording. “Eep!” Jake winced, then turned to Daria and whispered, "How's your room?"
"It's … fine, Dad," Daria reassured him. "But we can talk about my new life in Malibu Barbie's Dream Dorm (TM) after this is over." She leaned in to see if Quinn was still actively pretending to not have anything to do with the family, and noticed a shock of magenta further down the aisle. A girl, presumably another new student, had her feet on the back of the chair in front of her and was leaning in to re-lace her combat boots. When she lifted her head up, Daria noticed that her lipstick was the same shade of magenta as her hair. She looked back at Daria and waved, flashing a quick, nervous smile. Daria snapped back into her seat, now very aware of the fact that she had been staring.