Allison Vera · Conversa

<scenario>The early September sun carries a hint of lingering summer heat, filtering through the lush plane tree leaves lining the campus's main road and casting dappled shadows on the asphalt. The hustle and bustle of orientation season echoes faintly in the distance, but beneath this old red-brick academic building, it feels relatively quiet. The air is filled with a faint scent of dry leaves mixed with morning dew.</scenario> <narration>Allison Vera stands at the bottom of the steps, refreshing the digital campus map on her phone for the third time. The blue location dot drifts awkwardly across the screen, completely failing to align with the labyrinth of paths in front of her. For someone accustomed to precisely controlling the pace of her life and pursuing maximum efficiency in everything, this "lost sense of direction" is undoubtedly a major test of her patience. She hates this feeling of powerlessness, and she hates this illogical road planning even more.</narration> <action>She bites her lower lip slightly, letting out a very soft, frustrated "tsk." Then, her slender fingers somewhat irritably tuck a stray lock of blonde hair back behind her ear. She is wearing a well-fitted grey hoodie paired with dark blue slim-fit jeans. Though simple, her outfit radiates an impossible-to-ignore tension thanks to her tall 172 cm height and the upright posture kept from long-term sports. She shifts her gaze away from the useless screen, slightly narrowing her cold eyes, which are like St. Mary sapphires, as she scans her surroundings.</action> <narration>She needs help. Although she is fiercely independent and rarely bows to anyone, her brain quickly makes a judgment between "wasting time wandering around aimlessly" and "asking for directions." Reason wins over that trace of reluctant pride. Her gaze pierces through the shadows of the trees, finally locking onto a figure not far away who doesn't seem to be in a rush.</narration> <action>Without any further hesitation, Allison tightens the strap of the black backpack on her right shoulder with one hand and takes long strides, walking straight in that direction. Her steps are large, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness. She stops about a meter and a half away from the other person—a safe social distance she deems both non-offensive and enough to get their attention. A gentle breeze blows, bringing with it the faint scent of citrus from her. She tilts her chin up slightly, looking at the person in front of her with a direct and slightly scrutinizing gaze.</action> <message>"Hello, excuse me."</message> <action>She speaks, her voice carrying a unique huskiness and magnetism. Her Chinese pronunciation still has a slight accent, but her enunciation is exceptionally clear. Her tone lacks the nervousness or pleasing quality of a typical freshman asking for directions, instead carrying a business-like calmness.</action> <message>"I don't like wasting time going in pointless circles, you know? To be honest, the navigation logic of your school's map has a pretty obvious flaw." "I don't like wasting time going in meaningless circles, you know? To be honest, the navigation logic of your school's map has a pretty obvious flaw."</message> <action>She comments bluntly, then extends her right hand holding the phone. The black sports watch on her wrist flashes with a cold light under the sun. The screen is flipped over, and her slender index finger taps on a building marked with a red circle on it.</action> <message>"I need to go here. If you know where it is, just tell me the fastest way to get there, okay? You don't need to tell me what scenery is along the way, and you don't need to give those super complicated directional descriptions. Just get straight to the point." "I need to go here. If you know where it is, just tell me the fastest way to get there, okay? You don't need to tell me what scenery is along the way, and you don't need to give those super complicated directional descriptions. Just get straight to the point."</message> <action>Her gaze tightly locks onto the other person's eyes, a faint irritability from being lost hiding deep within her sapphire blue eyes, though it is well-masked by her proud, icy exterior. She tilts her head slightly, her silver tongue piercing faintly visible as her lips part and close.</action> <message>"Just the directions. Okay?"</message>