Technically, Kanon Tanji was supposed to be assigned to someone.  That's what happened you were a first year and a maid.  And by all appearances, it appeared as if she was on just such a duty.  The green eyed girl had yet to actually meet the girl she was assigned to, but that had not stopped her from going through the motions.  It was very useful to be able to blend in with the other first years of Miator and be seen going to and fro.  Very few people paid her much attention.  It was just as it should have been.

She had made the journey through the new wing on a number of occasions.  It was both to familiarize herself with the area and to become a familiar sight in the area, as well.  If nobody questioned her presence, to begin with...then they would not stop her when she was in the middle of important work.  Yes, it was all going to plan.  She had enough free time available after classes that she could finally do what she had wanted to do ever since she first arrived.  Or at least since she first "officially" arrived.

The rumors she had gathered all pointed towards a secret entrance somewhere in this new section of the school.  Following an earthquake, it had been revealed that there was a series of catacombs beneath the old school.  And even more rumors about what was in those catacombs.  Needless to say, Kanon's curiosity was piqued.  Just what were they hiding down there?  Was it a secret laboratory where the higher ups were conducting strange experiments to create super soldiers?

She would just have to find out for herself.  And so here she was, Kanon Tanji in her maid uniform walking around the new wing of St. Miator.  Her hands were clasped behind her back as she looked at the walls.  What she wanted to find was something out of place.  Something that didn't belong.  It was a little harder to find than one might think.  But somewhere...that secret entrance was just waiting for someone to pop it open.

"Fwaa..."

Anxi didn't bother covering her mouth as she let the start of an exhausted sigh slip from her lips. It wasn't a very proper sound; if registered as a sound as all; but she couldn't help it currently. Adjusting to this new chapter in her life and trying to map out the broad expanse of Astrea was exhausting work. She was so used to the bleak, close and confined layout of London that Astrea's campus just seemed to stretch on and on forever for the young to-be maid. There were so many twists and turns to lose yourself in; so many beautiful leisures to just get lost staring at for the quantity of an hour or so. At least the stern headmistress wasn't here to chastise the campus's natural beauty. The nuns' combined sternness couldn't hold a candle to hers. But even so, Anxi made sure to straighten her collapsed posture and walk with the charm and grace of a blooming young lady instead of her usual anxious scurry. She could still feel the headmistress's eyes on her in her mind.

The little leather satchel flapped against her knees with each step she took. It wasn't too long ago her wandering about had lead her into the Miator academy and now she had yet another lack of clue where she was. Maybe she should have accepted the headmistress's offer of having an official greet her at the airport and show her around... Ah, but she hadn't wanted to bother the woman. The aged lady was already frustrated with her as much as it was. So where was she now? In some sort of wing, it appeared, and by the looks of the place, it looked newly renovated. What existed here? Anxi thought the place was very peculiar in the way it looked newer than the other parts of the academy - granted, she hadn't seen much of it yet. Maybe...was it hiding something? That thought made the young dreamer's heart flutter. Perhaps an adventure was on the horizon! Ah...but, she had no clue where she was. And a storybook tale could not begin with no point of reference.

A flash of black and white soon caught the small girl's eye. A fellow maid? She halted and tightened her grip around her satchel. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed by a light, internal pressure. It was no time for anxiety now! The girl looked like she was looking for something. Anxi wasn't sure what, though, as she noticed the maid's gaze was pinned to the walls. She looked about the half-French girl's age, too. Maybe the young bird from London could be of assistance? Anxious or not, this was the first girl she encountered, and, more so noticing that she seemed to be around the same age, decided that maybe it would be a good opportunity to meet someone at the school. She took a breath to calm and compose herself.

"U-Um, mademoiselle--" She went to take a step forward and tripped over her own self in a flutter of bobbed black hair and the frills of her orange and white Sunday dress. Her leather satchel flipped open, sending her favorite storybook, a handkerchief, a small sketchpad and a few artist pencils flying. So much for professional first impressions...

Her search had thus far revealed nothing.  It might be helpful if there was a bookcase with one of those fancy trick openings.  Some out of place title scrawled across the spine of an old leather bound tome.  And then...the satisfying CLICK and the entrance to a sprawling, subterranean lair!  This was not the case.  Kanon had only just begun her careful examinations when she was interrupted.  A voice from behind.  And a voice speaking French, of all things.

A million excuses and false names were at the ready.  One of those pesky upperclassmen might be wondering what she was up to.  Or worse yet...a nun!  They were absolutely not be trusted.  After all, they were the ones in charge, weren't they?  They were the ones hiding things!  But, the voice didn't sound nearly old enough to be a nun.

Actually, from the brief glimpse she got of the girl who belonged to that voice, she appeared to be about her age.  Roughly the same height..actually, a few inches shorter.  It was a little hard to gauge that, as the girl was already in mid fall.  She had tripped over something and the contents of a little satchel suddenly went flying.  Her possessions were sent flying around the new wing of St. Miator.  A couple of books, some pencils and a handkerchief.

Kanon looked around at the minor disaster area.  Where to begin in a situation like this?  She couldn't very well go back about her search.  Not when a fellow classmate needed help!  Plus, it would appear mighty suspicious, wouldn't it?  Kanon scooped up the items from the ground and gave them all a bit of a closer look.  The pencils and handkerchief all seemed fairly mundane.  One of the books was a sketchbook and the other a storybook.  Not much to gleam from those either.

Unless!  She was holding on to a cipher!  And this girl was with a French intelligence agency!  Perhaps she wasn't the only one interested in the secrets of this school.  Kanon approached the fallen stranger with a smirk and the items in her hands.

"Hit a little turbulence, I see." she quipped, setting those things down to help the dark haired girl up to her feet.

Anxi was prepared to receive a verbal lashing for her clumsiness. A scoff or a bout of mocking laughter or chastising hiss, as was so common from the girls of the orphanage back in London. But none such of the sort came. Instead of a snicker, came a helping hand. Anxi swayed a little, holding on to the other ever so lightly as to steady herself before guiding her hands to her dress and dusting off the frills with her open palms. She gave a nervous giggle to the comment that was made. It wasn't chastising to say the least. Perhaps more on the neutral side if anything, which came as a bit of a surprise for the young girl whom was so used to being scolded for her blunders. She gathered her bag and deposited her items one-by-one into it again.

"M-Merci beaucoup, mademoise--," her small, ivory hands flew up to cover her mouth, --"ah, thank you very much."

The headmistress would've scold her should she had been in her presence. Speaking French so casually out in the open! Even the trouble making twins at the orphanage wouldn't dare make that punishable mistake. That was, unless they wanted to be listed for a lashing or fierce scolding.

"My apologies for making such a foolish entry... I'm rather new..." 'Rather new' was a bit of an understatement. This was the little orphan's first day on the campus. So she was more like 'completely new'. A stranger to the beautiful Astrea Hill. Composing herself, Anxi folded her hands in front of her once again, holding the satchel at her knees. She offered a sort of shy look and smile to the girl before her; the expression almost a bit apologetic, in a way, for the possibility of having burdened the maid. She examined the young girl for a moment. She wondered perhaps what this girl seemed to have been looking for. Not that she seemed suspicious in any way, but Anxi got the feeling maybe it wasn't something as minor as a lost item. It would be rude to inquire the contents of such an act, yet if it was something she could help with, she would, since the other had been so kind as to help her up. There was a peculiar air about this girl.

"Um, may I ask what you are looking for, miss? Unless that is rude or not of my place to inquire." She made sure to address the possibility that the girl might not wish to share the intent of her searching, as to not come off as improper or nosy. Feeling her literal brand-name anxiousness coming on, she switched her arms to fold them behind her back now, swaying ever so slightly.

She was quite the nervous one, now wasn't she?  Of course, she did just take that rather nasty fall.  People seemed to get rather self conscious after pulling stunts like that.  Whoever the girl was, she seemed to speak French very well.  As a first language, even, if this encounter was anything to go on.  That was the second time she had tried to address her and she defaulted to the language very easily.  So it seemed like a reasonable thing to assume.

"Oh, not to worry." she waved the concern the girl had, as she gathered her things and returned them to her satchel.  Kanon folded her arms and rubbed at her chin.  So...she wanted to know what she was doing?  Green eyes scanned their surroundings.  They were alone, which was good.  Perhaps she could trust this girl.  She did have a very trustworthy face.  Or at least one that was not good at lying, which was also good.

"Well, if you're new around here than you might not have heard about it..." she said, "Of course.  I'm kinda new, myself.  But!  They say that when this part of the school was rebuilt...it was over some old catacombs!"

She leaned in close and dropped a voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "And that a secret entrance lies somewhere around here."

Which was all true.  At least, as far as she knew.  What Kanon left out were her own personal theories.  Best not to let anyone in on the mission she had undertaken until they could be truly vetted.  In the meantime, she could still be honest and perhaps accomplish what she had set out to do.  If they were just two new students looking into rumors and gossip about the new wing then...well, what would be suspicious about that?

Catacombs! So that's what the girl was looking for. A secret entrance! Anxi's emerald eyes widened and shimmered in awe. The rumor seemed a bit far-fetched. Catacombs under this renovated portion of the school? It sounded like something out of a mystery novel, or even a horror novel, if one was to go that far. But Anxi knew better than to just brush off the rumor and declare it ludicrous. Rumors were created for reasons, sometimes stemming off truths, sometimes to scare or implore others to wonder. She wanted to believe this one true, though.

"Catacombs?" She echoed. Her voice was naturally of a quiet volume, so she need not worry about speaking to loudly should a nun or a passing girl come wandering through the wing. She tilted her head like a curious pup, causing her silken black bob to fall at an angle about her childish face. "Is that why you were looking at the walls?"

Of course, it was probably because she was obviously looking for the claimed 'secret entrance'. She wondered why a girl would go looking for rumored catacombs. Either this girl had a remarkable and applaudable sense of adventure, or she just wished to see the rumors were true. They were probably dangerous, if they existed, and not a very safe place for ladies, especially a pair of young ladies. Although, that defeating that didn't crush Anxi's curiosity and intrigue on the topic. "Maybe I could help...?"

That was the least she could offer. She did wish to see if this strange - and a bit spooky - rumor was true, herself. She realized she hadn't asked the girl her name and dashed the dream-like state of her thoughts to make the missed inquiry.

"Ah, m-might I ask your name, miss?" That was only proper with introductions, right? Even if they didn't begin in the most formal and professional of ways. Perhaps the girl wouldn't give a true name. She did seem like a mischievous one, but since she seemed to have trusted Anxi enough confide in her the reason of her searching - the rumors about the catacombs - she hoped at least she could be trusted with the young fellow maid's name.

If she was going to be offered assistance, why not accept?  After all, two heads were better than one, as they say.  And it wasn't like she couldn't benefit from having another set of eyes on what could be a rather exhaustive search of the New Wing.  It didn't take her long to smile, "I'd greatly appreciate it!" she said, offering up a polite bow.

In all of the excitement, it seemed the pair had skipped over something important.  Formal introductions.  She was about to lead the way back around the new wing when her fellow newcomer asked for a name.  Yes, that would probably be helpful.  Actually, introductions were very important!  And as her hero was prone to doing, she would have to do her best to look as suave and cool as possible while doing it.

"Tanji." she said, a coy smirk on her face, "Kanon Tanji."

Yes, she was using her real name...but if James Bond could throw his name around all willy nilly, then so could she!  Besides, isn't that what the spy was supposed to do when the cute girl asks for your name?  She was pretty sure that was one of the big rules of the spy game.

"Might I ask the same?" the lilt in her voice may have indicating a bit of a teasing quality to the question...but it was entirely playful in it's tone.  She was curious, after all.  Plus, it would be helpful to have a name to yell out when she did find a secret entrance.  Saying "Hey French Girl!" just didn't have the same ring to it.

Her offer of assistance had been accepted. This brought the start of a small to the young girl's lips. This could be exciting; trying to find the catacombs. And if they were real - Anxi swooned at the thought of the possibility. Maybe it would play out like on of her storybooks. Even if it didn't, she could still take the experience and weave an amusing story out of it. Of course, she would alter a few parts here and there depending on what happened, and obviously not use real names. And even if there was no secret entrance nor catacombs to be explored, a story she could weave of it still.

Kanon Tanji. An interesting name. She looked at the girl for a moment as if to make sure to connect the name with the face, finding it suitable for the smirking maid. Of course an exchange had to be given in return. Yet all in all, Anxi hesitated at the prospect for giving her name. It wasn't a normal name; not really a true name at all; and the girls of the orphanage always found ways to make fun of it or laugh whenever it was said. In retrospect, yet, if she gave her nickname in a certain way, it would sound almost Chinese in pronunciation, although her French-British accent would butcher it far too much to make it close to believable. So she hung her head a little in a display of slight humility, yet kept a small smile on her lips. 'Please don't laugh...'

"Anxious Moineau." She said, almost a bit shamefully, although she kept her quiet tone warm. "B-But you can refer to me as Anxi, if you wish."

It wasn't like she didn't like her name. She was very grateful for being given one, even if it was strange. The slightly younger Yorkshire "Yorkie" Emergarten in the girl's orphanage had her name derived from the Yorkshire Terrier the headmistress kept and asked the girl to look after. Anxi wished she had gotten a chance to speak with her. She made sure to give a slight curtsy and decline her knees as she introduced herself as was proper. She smoothed down her dress when she came back up. "A pleasure to meet you, miss Tanji." That's what she would go with. Unless corrected. It was often ordered of her to refer to the girls of the orphanage as "miss" and their family name following, especially those of higher status and age than her.

So, her name was "Anxious" Moineau.  A peculiar name, to be sure.  But...it was, without a doubt, a name straight out of a Bond movie!  One couldn't ask for better.  Kanon nodded, as if this was all going according to some kind of plan.  It wasn't, really.  But then again, she didn't have much of a plan aside from finding a secret entrance.

"The pleasure's all mine." she said, with a wink, "And please...call me Kanon."

If they were going to be so informal, it only made sense.  But, back to the matter at hand.  The pair had a daunting task ahead of them.  They would need to locate something that had been designed to be hidden.  Perhaps things would be a bit easier if she had access to some of the building plans to this part of the school.  Actually, there would be a lot of plans.  The New Wing, the plans from the original construction...and that of the catacombs beneath.  Two of those being easier to obtain than one in particular.

"Now then." she continued, "I've already covered this little area.  And there is quite a bit of ground to cover."

Kanon looked around, hands on her hips as she contemplated where to go next, "What we need to keep an eye out for...is something that doesn't belong..."

"Kanon..." She repeated, almost hesitatly at first.

The little London bird had never been asked of someone to refer to them by means of their first name, so her tone sounded a bit unsure in the beginning as she spoke it. She also put a stress-intonation on the wrong area - partially due to her French accent - but smiled it off. She would get it right in time. A faint blush scrawled across her ivory cheeks at the wink that was offered, and her bobbed hair flared out every so slightly as if to add to expression. The French girl calmed herself instantly, however, as she needed her full attention on the task that was presented.

Ah yes. Search for something that didn't belong. Anxi didn't know too much of Astraea's layout yet, nor quite of Miator itself all too fully; conveyed by her lack of knowledge about the new wing's existence. Anxi glanced around herself, looking at the new area. Eventually, she folded her hands behind her back the best she could with her satchel on one side, swaying slightly while she thought. It was a little habit of hers the head mistress of the orphanage was never able to break her from. 'Improper for a blossoming young lady,' it had been called, yet Anxi never took much mind nor notice when she did it.

Where to look though? It was established that Kanon had already exhausted the lengths of this area. There was obviously something they were missing. Something not easily seen. "Hm... Well, the entrance has to be somewhere around this area. Where, though, certainly wouldn't be an obvious place, since they wouldn't want students finding it... Have you any knowledge of the layout of the place we are to find? Maybe we could start by mapping the places we check to keep record of where things are and possible locations of interest." Anxi tried hopefully.