Matched. Placed. Perfection.

[Adira]

Society. Year 2045.
Perfection is the only thing that keeps you safe.

April 20th, 2045. 7:32. 1 hour and 28 minutes until the matching ceremony begins.

Lily Evans sat in her room, brushing her hair as she prepared for her matching ceremony. It was a custom in Society that every April the matching ceremony would take place, matching every 17 year old with their perfectly selected partner. Lily's mother was a match selected, which meant she and her co-workers went though the Society's database and matched a couple based on personality, grades, and interests. The person you were matched with was suppose to be your perfect match, your soulmate for life. Though Lily couldn't see why she couldn't pick her own husband, her fear of Society kept her quiet and respectful. Just the way they liked their citizens, perfect.

Pulling her curled hair into a low ponytail and then draping the pieces into a beautiful messy bun. Leaving a few curled, brunette strands to frame her face. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She knew she'd be a good wife and a good mother, and tonight she would be seeing the first glimpse of her soon to be husband and father of her children. She looked down at her scattered make-up that lay on the vanity. Picking up her lipgloss she looked back up at her reflection and slid the gloss over her pale pink lips. With a sigh, she stood up and walked over to her door and down the stairs of her family's home. Her father beamed with pride as he looked her over and her mother clasped her hands together as she fought back the tears. Lily's small figure was draped in a trumpet styled navy blue lace gown, with a sheer bottom. Her neck was graced with a silver pendant necklace her grandmother had given her and she wore small silver heels to accompany her dress. "Wow Lily you look beautiful!" Her nine year old little brother gushed as he ran up to her. "I second that, Lilypad, you look incredible.. my little girls all grown up!" Her father said as he took her arm. "Oh honey you look great! Very beautiful and elegant." Her mother agreed as the family left the house. "Thank you guys" Lily said with a little laugh and a blush.

The air train that took her to the capitol was only a short 30 minute trip surrounded by her 17 year old peers. She chatted back and forth with a few others when some whispers caught her attention from a few seats over. "Yeah I heard the.. resistance was meeting tonight. They're taking on new people.. I heard there head quarters lies beneath the city.." She tried to hear more but couldn't as her friend Edith asked her a question. "Well Lily?" She asked. Lily's head turned back around quickly to face her blonde friend. "Didn't you hear me? I asked what you hope your match looks like!" She said with an excited tone to her voice. "I.. honestly don't know.. I haven't thought about it much.." Her voice trailed off as they raced towards the capitol. "Why worry.. He'll be perfect..."

When Lily reached the capitol she was relieved. A young guard helped the girls off the train one by one as more and more 17 year olds filled into the matching building. The grand building was a large building that towered in the capitol city, it was the Matching Head quarters, this was where her mother worked. The main floor of the building was a large lobby with a grand stair case and on either side a pair of glass elevators. The second floor the banquet floor, this was where all the parents and family members would dine while the child being matched would go up to the third, fourth, or fifth floor. Which was a floor with a series of rooms. That held the small chair and computer screen that would show your match. The other floors were for authorized personal only. Though as Lily made her way up the stairs she couldn't help but notice a young server who was sneaking behind the lobby desks and disappearing behind a door.

Lily's family was seated at a banquet table with her friends parents and siblings, laughing and talking. While Lily sat and tried to take small bites of her delicious capitol food, while she played her rings on her fingers. Her heart beat would increase and beat faster with every passing second. Her mother made a comment about how this years matching bunch was a great one. Lily couldn't help but think maybe her mother was wrong. She thought back to what the person had said on the train ride over, how the resistance was meeting tonight. Maybe she could excuse herself to go and check it out. Her mind was made up and she began to open her mouth to speak when a gentleman came over to the table and asked for Edith Montogomery, Penelope Greenfield, and Lily Evans. That was her.. this was it. The parents beamed with pride as the girls politely excused themselves and followed the man into the hallway and down a corridor. "These are your matches. Edith Montogomery room 308, Penelope Greenfield room 409, and Lily Evans room 523." The man said while handing each girl a computer chip that held everything they would need to know about their future husbands. The man gestured to the elevators and the three girls entered. Each pressed the button to their designated floor. At each floor the bell would ring and the door would slide open. First Edith go out, flashing them a smile before the doors closed and proceeded up. Next was Penelope, and she gave Lily a thumbs up with a quick hug before exiting the elevator. And suddenly Lily was alone, riding the glass elevator up to the fifth floor where it stopped and opened its doors for her to exit. She nervously took a few steps forward and turned just in time to watch the elevator disappear back down to the second floor. She turned and walked down the long hallway. It made a large circle as other teenagers made their way to the rooms. 519.. 521.. 523. This was it, this was her room. She pushed open the door and heard it shut tightly behind her. The small room was no bigger then a shed. It was a plain white room with a comfy looking green chair and opposite the chair was a large computer screen. Lily had been gripping the chip so tightly it had left an indent on her palm. She pushed the chip into the port and took a seat on the green chair, crossing her legs nervously. The screen blinked once before it lit up and spoke her name. "Lily Mae Evans, female, aged 17. 5'6. 113 pounds. Job in childcare." This was reminding Lily of her Job ceremony only a year prior. Unlike her job ceremony this time instead of a picture of her future work place, a picture of her match came up. A nice looking boy with dark brown hair and green eyes. "Matched with Devlin Joseph Lockton, male, aged 17. 5'9, 150 pounds. Job as a medic." A medic, her parents would be impressed. Lily thought as her eyes stared at the picture of the boy. "His likes include Swimming and Running..." The computer started listing his hobbies, grades, and interests. And once it was finished the Society symbol appeared on the screen with the national anthem. Lily sat there for a second as she tried to take in the information just given to her. Devlin was her perfect match.. so why wasn't she excited?

​

 

[Zeph]

Aiden sat in the chair in his room and inserted the chip that held the information about his Match. Holding on to the memory that the Resistance was going to launch some type of raid on the Matching Ceremonies, he looked at the screen that put up a picture of him first, and then his Match.
"Aiden Gale, male, aged 17, 6'2. 161 pounds. Job in Security." the screen said. It then proceeded to his Match's details. "Delilah Nash, female, aged 17, 5'6. 120 pounds. Job in Citizen Evaluation and Analysis." After all the other details had been listed, he soaked all the information spoken from the computer into his brain. He then patted his side to check if he still had his handgun. Getting ready to raid the Ceremony, he thought. If I'm caught now, everything will be for nothing.

 

[Lilpuff]

Gail Porter stepped away from her closet, holding the neck of the hanger gingerly in her hand as she walked over to her mirror. She stood in front of it, shimmying into the dress and zipping it up, smoothing out the wrinkles on the front with her hands. The dress, a dark purple, flared out at the waist, falling to just above her knees. It hugged her top half nicely, but still gave her enough room to avoid strangling her. This matched with a thin black belt around her waist, and black flats. Gail sighed in frustration. She hoped it looked good, as she couldn't judge the color matching herself. To her, the entire outfit just looked grey, but her mother assured her the dress looked good. After fixing her dress, she made her way over to her desk, where she applied sheer lip gloss and mascara, all the while brushing out her long amber locks so they hung in loose waves down her back. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she walked downstairs to greet her mother, who was also dressed in formal wear. "My, word. Gail, you look beautiful." Her mother gushed, hugging her daughter. Gail smiled slightly, then pushed her away. "Thank you mom. I only wish dad was here to see this." She replied softly, taking her mothers hand. Gail wanted so badly to cry over the loss of her father, but she withheld tears. She knew cameras were everywhere, and if she showed even the tiniest bit of sorrow for her father,. Society would be suspicious.

Boarding the air train with her mother, Gail though about who her match would be. She hoped he was handsome, sure. Any girl hoped that of her mate. But, she also hoped for more. She wished he was kind, compassionate, and wasn't intimidated by her job and other achievements. But, more than anything, she hoped he could see her as more than the smart girl who everyone is afraid of. Shaking the thought from her mind, she forced herself to stay positive. "No need to worry. I'm sure he'll be everything I want and more, and I'm sure he'll like me back. After all..." Gail paused her talking to look out the window. "...Society is never wrong."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
​

After receiving the chip from the young man, Gail excused herself from the table, her stomach turning as she ascended the elevator to her room. With her were three other girls, all looking as nervous as she felt. After floor 5, the last girl got out, and Gail was alone. When the elevator stopped at her floor, floor 6, she stepped out, going down the isles until she found her room number. "And...room 613." She whispered to herself as she inserted the key and let herself in, locking the door behind her. Looking around her at the posh room, she quickly located the monitor in the wall, as well as the desk that sat in front of it. Sitting down at the desktop, she inserted the chip she had been provided into a slot in the monitor, watching the screen light up as it processed her chip. The screen suddenly came to life, her school picture registering on the screen with surprising clarity. "Gail Porter, female, aged 17. 5'6". 132 pounds. Job as a lawyer." After a few seconds, her stats disappeared and the screen lit up again, this time a picture of an attractive boy with black hair and blue eyes staring back at her. She read his stats out loud. "Alexander Sopa Davids, male, aged 17. 5'11". 145 pounds. Job as a baker." As the screen displayed more information about him, she felt herself become giddy with joy. She had waited anxiously for this moment for a while, and was happy to see he was as great as she imagined him to be. She smiled to herself, then lied down on the bed. She felt excited, happy, nervous, and sad at the same time, but she didn't care. Now, her life truly had a plan. And now, it could finally begin.

 

[Sashakiki]

Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Out on his bed was two dress shirts. He didn't know which to choose. He finally shook his head and grabbed the light blue one, he buttoned it up and grabbed a pair of dress pants that were his fathers. Since as a Baker, he didn't have to dress up much, he rarely had the things he needed when he too. He put on a pair of shoes that he had worn last year for his job assignment. He looked in the mirror and fixed his hair a bit, or rather, as much as it was willing to be fixed. He took a deep breath and left his room. His parents both gushed about how great he looked while his sister hung back, looking between excited, confused, and scared.

Boarding the air train with his parents and sister he looked out the window. This was it. His future was about to be completely decided for him and he had no choice but to agree to it. He sighed and turned back to his parents, who were looking right at him. "Arn't you excited Alex? You're about to see your future wife for the first time ever!" He mother said excitedly, though not too much to get attention from those around him. Alex smiled sheepishly "yeah, can't wait" He said softly.

When his name was called, Alex stood up and received the chip. Heading down with the elevator, he was the second to get out. He waved goodbye to the last boy and found his room, 413. He walked in and plugged his chip into the large monitor that stood in front of him."Alexander Sopa Davids, male, aged 17. 5'11". 145 pounds. Job as a baker." Alex took a deep breath and waited for his match to come up. A picture of a pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes showed up. "Gail Porter, female, aged 17. 5'6". 132 pounds. Job as a lawyer." A Lawyer, that was way higher then a Baker. He watched as the rest of her stats came up before taking out the chip and sighing. That was it, his life was all planned out now.

 

[punkyears]

Delilah sat back in her chair in front of the uniform hotel vanity. It took a two days and a long train ride to get to the capital. She wasn't happy to be there, mostly because her grandparents were getting too old to travel long distances, and because the only one who could accompany her was her little sister, and who wants to leave a small child alone for a day, or even a few hours. Her family wasn't rich by any means, and the only money she had was trusts from her dead parents, that would last her until she had children of her own. She adjusted the shoulderless dress , slipping the sleeves connected to the bodices onto her arms. the top was intricate black lace, over a nude colored fabric. The bodice had a bit of a drop waist, and the skirt was long nude color, completely covered in the same black lance as the bodice and touched the floor, dragging behind her in a simi pleated fashion. she sighed for what seemed to be the millionth thine that night, putting on a pair of pearl earrings and slipped on a matching string of pearls around her neck her grandmother had given her to wear. She slipped on a pair of her mothers old black heels, and walked out the door, and down the street to the marvelous capital building. She checked in with a guard the was filling girl into the building and stepped into the grand fourier. she pushed her long, red curled hair behind her back and walked up the right staircase. She noticed a young man dressed in server attire slipping out of a semi-hidden door. she shrugged it off and walked into the banquet hall. It was crowded with young ladies and their families. She swallowed back a knot in her throat and took her assigned seat. She watched as groups of girls were called to go up to meet their matches. "These are your matches. Edith Montogomery room 308, Penelope Greenfield room 409, Lily Evans room 523". She listened to the announcer call of more groups, picking at her chocolate cake, and took a sip from her champagne. "These are your matches. Sophie Wurth room 301, Diana Lindor room 435, Delilah Nash room 527." Delilah shot up, stumbling a bit on her dress. A little girl and her twin sister giggled at her and their mother scolded them as she walked away. The man handed each girl the standard chip holding her matches information. The three girls walked into the open elevator and pressed their designated floor buttons.

"I'm not really interested in finding my soul mate." Said the brunette girl.

"Honestly neither am I; I was supposed to go to a resistance meeting but this stupid matching got in my way." Said the blonde. She stared at them wide eyed.

"Don't look so surprised freckles; these days, most people are pissed off with society. Wanna come to the meeting with us after this?" said the brunette, handing her a small slip of paper. Delilah nodded, taking the sheet and shoving it into the bodice of her dress.

"S-sure. I'm not exzactlt happy these days either." the other two girls nodded in agreement. The blonde waved goodbye to both girls and stepped off on her floor. next left the brunette but not before she said:

"Perfection is the downfall of our society. You'll do well to remember that freckles." They nodded at each other and the brunette left. Less than a minute later she stepped off the elevator, and watched as other teenagers find their rooms and walk in. She passed a pretty girl with brown hair standing in front of room 523, she looked away and continued to walk until she hit room 527. Taking a deep breath, Delilah opened the door into a room with a computer and a tan couch. She slid in the chip and held her breath.
"Delilah Marie Nash, female, age 17. 5'6, 120 pounds. Job in citizen evaluation and analysis." Like at her job ceremony, a picture of her future workplace was pulled up. Unlike the ceremony, a picture of her match, an supposed soul mate. He was a strong looking man with shaggy, yet sport hair.
"Matched with Aiden Gale, male, age 17. 6'2, 161 pounds. Job as a security." A security, huh? He looked rugged enough to be such, and his harsh metallic grey eyes piercing her soul.
"his likes include weapons, history, wolves, woman..." She blushed from embarrassment when the monotone computer voice read of 'women'. The computer continued to list off hobbies, interests, and grades. It wrapped up its spiel and the symbol of their Society flashed on the screen. She sat back, pushing her shoulders into the couch and mulled the new information over in her mind. Aiden was her perfect match according to society, and honestly she was more excited about finding her match then she ever would have expected to be. She pulled out the slip of paper she recived in the elevator and evaluated it. It had directions to a set of secret tunnels under the city. Now it was time to figure out it she'd stick around to try and run into her match, or go to the ominous resistance meeting.

 

[Ty Lee]

Sitting at the end of her bed for a few moments, Luella thought it through. The matching process didn't abide to any personal preferences, and she knew she wouldn't get what she wanted. Regardless, she would have to tough it out, at least, until she was able to form some kind of plan as to how to break out. It was always so hot on her mind, the need to escape her predetermined fate; one that she felt was not hers to begin with. Society... How it ground her gears and flared an intense hatred from within.

For now though, she went off to shower herself, standing in there for a little longer than she had to. Even after the water had stopped running, Luella simply allowed it to drip, the noise silencing her mind for the moment. I have to do this, she thought to herself, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Drying herself off, she soon was able to get dressed for the occasion, her usual singlet top and denim shorts which made her seem like some child. It didn't matter to her, she simply walked along with eyes right ahead.

"Daddy, I'm going now." Luella spoke in her rather high pitched tone of voice, and the older man emerged from the living room.
"You're not going to go like that, are you?" He asked, regarding her rather impactless attire, but the girl simply shrugged. The two had a reasonable relationship, but it wasn't always the best.
"I'm going as myself, no real need to hide it, y'know. You always taught me that, even when Mom... Yeah." She sighed slightly, running a hand through her glistening black hair, before she pressed the button to open the door. "This is goodbye."
"I'm sure I'll see you around, sometime in the future. Knowing you, you'd've made a plan by then. Go get them, be kind, and always stay on that raggedy edge." The father smiled, proud of his daughter and the way she had grown up, though his worry for her was immense. She could get herself killed for crossing the line one too many times.

The girl soon made her way - alone - to the banquet hall. It was such a marvellous place, larger than anyone could've expected. Within, there was many a person being matched, sorted, and everything else which made Luella cringe to a point. Soon enough, she was greeted by the man who gave her the chip, Room 703, eh..?

She wasn't usually one to run right where Society wanted her to, but she did so merely for appearances. There was so much going on with this girl, and her mind - she kept most of her secrets to herself. It would make her seem so... Heavy, in a way. Regardless, she reached Room 703, and sat down in the chair, already guessing the result in her head. Male, my age, whatever height and weight, and most of all... Our jobs. Luella blushed lightly, in a way which depicted embarrassment and anxiety rather than comfort. Her hand shook a little with the chip in hand, and while she was tempted to try and snap it, she closed her eyes and plugged it in.

The screen shot up, detailing 'Lochlin Mason Penn', and like that... She was matched.

 

[Mundane Monster]

James Dale woke up to an unshakable feeling of dread wallowing at the bottom of his stomach. Today was the day that he would be given his match. The day that he was officially being forced to interact with a stranger for the rest of his life. Unless they requested another match that is. And as much as James did not want to be matched, he would prefer getting it done once and never having to do it again. If he was going to lose his freedom and solitude anyway, why not now? Besides, he was sure that if it came down to it, he would be able to perform correctly. Be nice, give her kisses, give her...His thoughts trailed off as he let out something like a whimper and shuddered violently. Of course, in the end, she would want those and he would have to give her that in order for her to get them. That aspect of life was probably the most terrifying. Why couldn't children just be grown, like vegetables?

"What's the matter with you?" A sharp voice pierced through his thoughts. James looked up to see that his mother had barged into his room. He sighed deeply, the entire week his parents had been blabbering on and on about the matching. They were more excited about it then he was. They even began thinking up names for his future...children. And that brought up another issue. James hadn't gotten the chance to tell them about his plans for the future. As in his plans to leave their home, and never see his parents again. It's not that he didn't like his parents, but they were a bit irritating and they provided most of the hassle in his life.

"Nothing's the matter." James murmured, as he slid out of bed.

"You're getting matched today! Try to look happy!" His mother scolded, and then in a softer tone, she came and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please look happy, Jamie." Pin prickles seemed to spread on his shoulder from her touch and he shrugged her off. She pulled her hand back quickly as if he had stung her. When she chanced a glance at him, he avoided her gaze. "Fine." He muttered and shuffled off to get prepared for the train ride to the capitol.

Thankfully, it was custom for all seventeen year olds to ride together, because James was quite tired of dealing with his parents. Every word that fell from their mouths was gooey with unbearable glee. It actually made him feel sick to his stomach.

Finding a seat on the train wasn't a problem as his oldest and closest friend, Marcus had already saved him one. The muscular black haired boy was lounging in one of the back seats and grinning at James like a mad man. James returned his expression with a grimace, but that only seemed to make Marcus grin wider.

"What?" James muttered as he sat down beside the other boy.

Instead of answering the question posed, Marcus pulled his trademark conversation skill and answered his question with one of his own. "What are you going to do if your match is Gabrielle?"

James froze, and suddenly found it hard to swallow let alone respond. He hadn't actually thought of that. What if is match was Gabrielle? What was he going to do? Any other girl was fine, but Gabrielle was--She was--

"And your granddad's turning ninety five soon isn't he?" Marcus said softly, interrupting his thoughts.

James fixed him with an annoyed stare. Was Marcus' entire purpose today to bring up all of his worries?

"What the hell--

"I can't save your gramps, but I know how you can avoid getting matched up or at least have an escape whilst doing so."

"What are you--

"There'll be people there who can symp-empathize with you, and help you c-co-cope with the loss of your gramps." By this time, Marcus was blabbering on so quickly that his words were tumbling over each other. James recognized this mannerism; Marcus had a secret and he was looking for approval or at least support in some way. He used to find out about weird things all the time when they were younger and he would always go to James about it. Of course at the time, James had been too young to understand, but he'd also not cared enough to tell, so Marcus had continued confiding in him with various things and that was how James realized that his friend was an avid supporter of anything taboo.

The train came to a halt and everyone began to filter out slowly. Marcus shoved a crumpled up piece of paper in James' hand. "Look at it when you're alone." He whispered, before exiting the train.

- -

Room 263 was where James life would either come to a complete halt or continue on with a brighter future. When he had exited the train, he had lost site of Marcus and his path had been intercepted by people he wouldn't trust to save his life. So when he was finally alone, he was in front of the match computer with a computer chip in his hand and balled up note in the other. He hadn't looked at either.

Breathing in deeply, James inserted the chip into the computer and as the picture and description of his match appeared, he began to gently pull open Marcus' note. "James Dale, male, aged 17, 6'0", 165 pounds. Job as a librarian." He struggled to smooth the note out on his leg, so he could open it without tearing it. "Esther Brooks, female, aged 17, 4'll", 110 pounds. Jobs as a nurse. " How many times did Marcus have to fold the damn thing? James thought irritably as he glanced up briefly just so he could at least see his matches face and read her likes and dislikes. But this was only so that he would fit in with the other gushing matches, for he had already made up his mind. He trusted Marcus, and highly doubted he would set him up for failure.

One fold left.

The words sloppily scrawled on the note should have surprised him, but oddly enough they didn't.

Resistance meeting tonight. Beneath the city. We are recruiting.

 

[Zeph]

Aiden exited the building and went into a place where a secret manhole was. Opening and shutting the tunnel, he walked down deep into the underground structure and found the Resistance meeting. ''We expecting new recruits?'', he asked. ''Yes, we told some members to get other people unrelated to the Resistance in here.'', the commander leading the raid said. Waiting for these ''new recruits'', he saw 2 figures, one Delilah Nash, and a man on the opposite tunnel. ''Looks like they got you into this, huh?'', he stared at Nash. ''And who're you?'', he asked the man.

 

[Scout]

With hair styled the way only a mother could do and a suit fitted beautifully to his body, Devlin looked quite dapper and suave as he followed behind his mother to their assigned seat. The woman was practically bouncing in excitement. This was a big day for her; she had every right to be excited. Her first and only son was being matched.

Devlin, on the other hand, was less than thrilled. He talked it over with his mom as he was getting ready earlier that day. What if Society pairs me up with someone I don't like? Why can't I chose the person I want to spend the rest of my life with? More and more questions were thrown at her and she answered them all with the elegance of a society devout.

'Society pairs its citizens with the most optimal partner. The girl you will get matched with will be perfect for you. Even if you don't like her at first, you'll eventually grow to adore her. Just look at your father and I,' Devlin scowled at this part. His mother was unaware of his father's aggressive tendencies. 'When we first met we hated each other. Now look at us! Happily in love.' About there Devlin began tuning out his mother, though he kept an interested smile on his face and nodded at the appropriate times. He didn't want to hear about his father. He could care less.

On the train ride over his many companions chattered about their matches; imagining how 'hot' they would be, or how they would act, what their job was, where they lived. Gentle teasing about how 'ugly' the other's match would be. They would never admit it, but the guys were all excited about being matched—finally meeting the person they're to spend the rest of their life with, the person who is perfect for them. The only good Devlin saw out of the matching process was that it eliminated the effort in finding a partner and going through break ups. However there was one good thing that came out of the ride; mumblings from a group of kids he didn't know. 'Recruiting for the Resistance is held tonight under the city.' He was sure those words weren't meant to reach his ears, but they definitely piqued his interest.

***

A little while after he sat down and began eating his food a man came over, calling for Devlin and a few of the others who sat at the table with him. "…Devlin Lockton, room 221…" Taking the computer chip from the man Devlin nodded his head and got into the elevator with the rest of his group, pushing the button to his designated floor, where he got off and went to his designated room. Inserting the chip into port, Devlin awaited patiently as his information flashed by, knee bouncing underneath his hand. Before he knew it the face of a girl took up his screen, and most of his attention.

"Lily Mae Evans, female, aged 17. 5'6". 113 pounds. Job in childcare."

Well, she seemed decent enough looking, but he was still skeptical as he listened to the computer list the rest of her information. The generic symbol of the Society flashed on as the national anthem burst through the small room. Once it was all over he took his chip from the computer and left the room, taking his sweet time walking back to the elevator, and then back to his seat when he made it on the ground floor. All the while his eyes and ears were looking around for anything out of the ordinary, listening for more word of the Resistance. How would he be able to go? Fake a trip to the bathroom and go to that instead? It seemed like a plausible enough plan, but he feared Society. It was always watching; destroying anything that ruined its image of perfection.​

 

[punkyears]

Delilah stood outside of the room she had figured out her match. She had decided to forgo meeting her match and find her way to the resistance meeting. She speed-walked over to the down elevators and got in. The floor dinged to a stop on the 4th level and in walked in the brunette. She had a bored look on her face but perked up when she noticed Delilah.

"You decide if you're coming or not?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I am." Delilah nodded. The brunette smirked.

"Great. We'll get on the 2nd floor and leave through the hidden tunnel leading out of the building and to the main headquarters." Delilah nodded again and the girls excited the car. They slipped through the hidden door she had seen the man in the waiter's uniform leave from when she had first entered the building. The brunette motioned for her to slip off her heels, and threw them down into the blackness.

"Geronimo." The girl winked, grabbing Delilah's arm, and jumped. She screamed in full force as they plummeted down in the darkness. She could hear the other girl laughing quietly, most of the sound being carried away in their fall. Suddenly, they crashed into a net, the ropes stretching out around them and digging into her skin.


"Shit!" Delilah swore, finding herself rolling towards the edge of the net in the dimly lit cavern. A muscular man with orange hair caught her and set her up right on the ground.


"New recruits, fallow the lanterns until you hit until you hit a large floor, there you will and the general meeting room." The brunette grabbed her wrist and dragged Delilah to towards the meeting room. After a good 15 minutes of walking, the walls opened up to revel a large room semi filled with people. After looking around the brunette that she still hadn't learned the name of had dissipated. She looked around frantically for the girl but had no luck, but, she noticed a group of attractive young men huddled together. She slowly recognized one of the men, Tall, rugged, with shaggy but short brown hair. She was about to look away when his metallic grey eyes met hers.

''Looks like they got you into this, huh?'', he stared at Nash. ''And who're you?'', He asked a man standing directly to my right, eyes narrowed.

Could it be…Her match?






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If Perfection is the down fall of our society, what does that make then people running it and following every rule?"

 

[WarriorHeart]

Lochlin had sweat running off his face, neck and chest. He stood breathing heavily with his hands on his hips and staring down the designated jogging path. The young man was grinning slightly even though his mouth was open. Quick footsteps signaled the approach of another individual. Loch looked over his shoulder and saw his brother, Stewart, running up the trail. "Bout time, old man." Loch called out playfully. Stewart ran up next to Loch with his last few steps breaking stride to slow down gradually. Stewart bent over and put his hands on his knees. He was pouring sweat. "Shut…up…you…little…brat…" He was obviously winded. Loch smirked and walked around on the trail taking deep breaths to get his breathing and heartbeat back to normal. "What time do you have, Stew?"

Stewart stood upright. His face was beet red and his mouth was just hanging open. He glanced at his watch. "0620. You've got plenty of time. Stop worrying. It's not like you can control anything anyway." Stewart started walking down the trail. Loch fell into step with his brother and furrowed his brow. He knew that the matching process was out of his hands. It didn't stop him from thinking about it. He wondered if she would be pretty. Would she be honest? Would she be the type of woman he could be friends with and freely give his trust and respect? Or would she be a nightmare? Worse still, what if she hated Society? Seeing his brother's deep thoughts written all over his face, Stew smacked Loch hard on the back. "Relax. Just remember what dad said, 'Talk, Listen, Be her friend. Love will come in time.'" Loch laughed and nodded. Their father was a man of few words but they always seemed to make sense. They walked home together and parted ways inside their apartment building. Loch had a small one bedroom flat with little possessions or space. Stewart was in a much larger suite and had many nice things. He was soon to vacate it, though. Stew was one year away from being married to his match and them getting a house together.

Loch waved to his brother and tossed a snide comment as he went up the stairs. He moved into his apartment quickly and began to get ready. Step one was to take a shower and wash the sweat and grime off. He and his brother worked out every morning at 0500 after they ended their shifts. Loch had his morning routine down and was showered and dressed in no time. Today was slightly different. Instead of comfy clothes to lounge around the house in, he had to put on his dress whites. He had to go to the Matching Ceremony which was more like going to the bank but everyone dressed up anyway. To make things more complicated, his father insisted on going with him. Normally, Loch reveled in his father's attention but he wasn't sure about it this time. Matching seemed so personal that Loch truly wanted to go through the experience by himself.

After a quick spot of breakfast, Loch donned his blazer and buttoned it up. He carefully draped his sash [the mark of a Watchman] and fastened his sword to his belt. He glanced at the clock. [0651] His dad would be out front in four minutes. Loch paused by his couch. He set a cloth used to protect his dress whites on the floor and knelt down upon it. He folded his hands on the couch and lowered his head to pray. Few people still carried religion these days but the Penns have maintained the faith that their ancient ancestors brought with them to the New World.

"Holy Father, Your servant calls upon you for guidance this day. Give me peace with my match. Give me temperance, wisdom, compassion and patience in my relationship. I am far from perfect but I know you will provide me with all that I need to be a good friend and partner. Thank you for the many blessings you have given me and the protection you have afforded for my sake. Thank you for this day and the opportunities it will bring. In your son, Jesus's, Holy name. Amen."
Loch got up slowly and picked the cloth from the floor. He folded it gently and neatly then replaced it next to the garment bag. He turned on his heel and marched out the door. He made his way down to the street where his father was waiting in his very nice car. Loch climbed in and bowed his head briefly in respect. "Good morning, Sir."

"Sir? For crying out loud, Loch, we're not at work." His dad jabbed him in the ribs then drove off. "You excited, boy?" His father was wearing the biggest smile. Loch sat in silence the rest of the trip while his dad prattled on about life, love, the system and how it all works out. Loch believed in the system. He believed in Society. It was the thought of being forced into a relationship that scared him; confused him, even.

+++++​

Loch's father had been reassuring and comforting even though Loch wasn't receiving it well. The well-built young man moved along in the seemingly endless line of people getting their matches. There were people from all over the province. Loch had seen some women coming in but their actual process was being done on another floor. He felt nervous and a bit anxious. He looked around at the other young men in his group. Most of them looked like they were still boys. Very few of Society's young men took their lives serious enough to mature with the appointment of a career. Loch did note there were a few small groups of men which seemed to be whispering and trying their best to avoid speaking within shot of cameras or security officers. Little did these cretins know that there were about five or six given circuits of cameras and most were so ingeniously hidden that the techs assigned to work on them had to use blueprints.

No matter and of no consequence, these things passed from Loch's mind when he was handed a card or chip that the Match system could read. Loch made note of the QR-esque punching set within the plastic. He squeezed the plastic and noted its rigid composition. He wondered how many people have had their match altered by some rough handling of the card. It wouldn't be hard to bust out an extra punch mark or fill a spot in with some random piece of trash. Loch looked up. There was a large space between him and the person in front of him. He quick-stepped to fill the void and found himself one person away from the hallway.

A young man came out and left the door open behind him. "James Bontrager, room 414. Lochlin Penn, room 421." He continued to read off names but Loch had already moved past him and headed towards his assigned room. "…17…19…21. Here goes." Loch opened the door and sat down in front of a booth very similar to the one that was used to select his career. He looked at the card and inserted it into the slow designated and the screen came to life. Loch found himself tingling with uncomfortable explosions all over his body. After a few beeps, the screen began to display text and images. A feminine voice crackled through the speakers.

"Lochlin Mason Penn. Male. Age 17. 6'2. 215 pounds. Watchman." Loch took a deep breath. "That's me." The screen went blank and then scrolled a picture of a cute young woman. Loch was surprised at how attractive she was. He was already starting to feel better about the situation. Her details read as follows: "Luella Cameron Granger. Female. Age 17. 5'2. 108 pounds. Security Officer". Loch felt better about his match but his mind switched gears to all of the things he could possibly say at their first meeting.

Loch made his way out towards the lobby and found himself quickly approached by a group of young men. Most were fairly rugged looking and they held several pamphlets each. Loch looked at them, sizing them up, and lifted an eyebrow. His hands went to his sash and slid down to rest upon the hilt of his sword. "Something on your minds, gentlemen?" One seemed about to speak as he offered a piece of paper towards Loch but was grabbed roughly on his shoulder by another. "No, you dolt." This man shoved the others away and made a charming yet completely forced smile. "Sorry, Watchman. We thought you were someone else." With that he turned and followed after his friends. Loch watched them leave and narrowed his eyes. He looked around the lobby and saw a great deal of people holding these papers. He walked over to a group of young women who held several.

"Excuse me, ladies." Loch stood at attention upon approaching them. Once they opened up their semi-circle, he began to speak again. "I notice you have several copies of that memo. I seemed to have dropped mine. I think I left it in the match booth." He smiled sheepishly. "Could I have one of yours?" One of the young women smiled politely and nodded then she handed the parchment over. Loch bowed his head. "Thank you. Have a wonderful day." He turned on his heel and marched out the door. He stopped to look down and reach the note in his hand.

'Resistance meeting tonight. Beneath the city. We are recruiting.' There was a map scribbled on the back. Loch smirked. "Careless fools." He tucked the paper in his pocket and headed towards his father's car.

 

[Zeph]

Aiden immediately forgot about the other person and welcomed Delilah to the meeting and got her a place at the table. He pulled his handgun out, because some Society followers might have gotten an invitation. Already knowing how the raid was to go, he stood by the main room entrance to check the people who came in. He waited patiently to check more new people to see if they had anything concerning to the Resistance. Not society, not society, not society, he thought while checking the remaining people coming in.

 

[mikailgirl]

The sun peaked out of it's hiding place casting a bright light through the half-parted curtains in Esther's room although it would take a lot more than the sun's rays to wake this sleeping beauty. The soft ticking of the alarm had been at a constant tempo until the second hand reached the top. The alarm burst into a cacophonous shrill as the tiny metal rod vibrated between both metal bells. Startled by the ringing of the alarm, Esther sat up immediately.

It took a while for Esther's mind to catch up with her body. While Esther struggled to pry open her eyes, she swung her limp arm towards her alarm clock to turn of the ear-piercing ring. Esther rubbed the sleepy out of her eyes and with a loud yawn and a cat-like back stretch, she kicked her feet off the bed and into her batman slippers and groggily headed into the restroom to shower and get ready.

After applying the last bit of mascara to her eyes, Esther placed her make up back, as well as the rest of her toiletries into her backpack and looked at herself in the mirror. She had tied up her hair into a messy bun and was wearing a loose white shirt with the words, "We Are Young" and a pair of studded, light blue, denim shorts. Esther grabbed her blue vans that were next to her dresser and sat on the edge of her bed to put them on.

When Esther was done getting ready she headed down stairs towards the kitchen. One of her roommates, Ginger, was already making breakfast.

"Mornin' Esther. Want some ham and eggs? Still hot."
Ginger had a thick southern accent that complimented her fair freckled skin and her bright red hair.
"No thanks Ging. I'll just have a bowl of cereal"
"You've got to eat something Esther, You can't survive on cereal for ever."
Ginger brought a plate to Esther and sat her down on the table. Ginger frowned a bit and patted Esther's back.
"Don't cha worry hun.I'm sure you matched will be lovely"
Esther was questioning what she meant, but after following her gaze to the silly little band on her wrist.
"Oh I'm not worried. All this is stupid. You can't fall in love with someone because society tells you too."
​

The air train that took her to the capitol was only a short 30 minute trip surrounded by her 17 year old peers. She chatted back and forth with a few others when some whispers caught her attention from a few seats over. "Yeah I heard the.. resistance was meeting tonight. They're taking on new people.. I heard there head quarters lies beneath the city.." She tunes them out thinking hard about the boy who was to be her's

When Esther reached the capitol she was relieved. A young guard helped the girls off the train one by one as more and more 17 year olds filled into the matching building. A young man came out and left the door open behind him. "Jake rose, room 460. Esther Brooks, room 600." He continued to read off names but Esther didn't care and had already moved past him and headed towards her assigned room. "600 is a pretty big number." Esther opened the door and sat down in front of a booth very similar to the one that was used to select her career. She looked at the card and inserted it into the slow designated and the screen came to life. Esther found herself shaking. After a few beeps, the screen began to display text and images. A feminine voice crackled through the speakers.

"Esther Brooks, female, aged 17, 4'll", 110 pounds. Jobs as a nurse. " Esther stared "That's me." The screen went blank and then scrolled a picture of a young man. Esther was surprised at how attractive he was. His details read as follows: "James Dale, male, aged 17, 6'0", 165 pounds. Job as a librarian." She stared at the man's face before smiling at his likes and dislikes," I think I could learn to love him a lot." And once it was finished the Society symbol appeared on the screen with the national anthem. Esther got up and walked out excited to see her matched in person, so caught up she ran into a man who left her on the floor, not even looking back. "Rude people..huh." She looked at the paper that was dropped 'Resistance meeting tonight. Beneath the city. We are recruiting.' There was a map scribbled on the back. Esther felt that she need to be there..her matched would be there.

 

[punkyears]

Delilah looked at her future husband with subtle shock on her pretty face. Aiden greeted her, still not formally intruducing himself but it was a minuscule emotion to the feeling of shock that set in. He was much more attractive in person, but he could tell he wasn't particularly interested in checking her out, or much less striking up a conversation with her at the moment, because he was busy scanning the crowds, presumably for society spies. She gasped when her drew a rather large hand gun from his hip, but it was drowned out by the sounds of chatter and orders being called.

He had lead her at a rather large table at the head of the room, clearly reserved for people with some type of importance to the resistance. She felt out of place in her formal, lacey gown, but she deffinitly wasnt the only one still dressed in their ceremony attire.
Their weren't nearly as many females there as men, but all the girls she noticed-including the brunette from earlier that she had finally located- were still dressed in ball gowns, with the exclusion of a few rugged looking girl with stark black hair, cargo pants and a large gun strapped to her back. Delilah gulped at the sight of all the men (and woman) with guns, her stomach turning at the thought of having to face one head on.
It seemed Aiden was about done checking new recruits by his slowing visual sweeps. Delilah 100% didn't agree with their society, but she also feared it's power, mostly due to the elimination of her parents by the governmental system. She noticed Aiden's eyes sweeping the room yet again, but this time he glanced back at her. She made eye contact with his metallic grey eyes and shivered, wishing she had brought a shaw or over coat to wear.

 

[Zeph]

Aiden walked back into the meeting, sending someone else on his shift. He walked towards Delilah and said, ''Sorry I didn't talk to you so much earlier. Aiden Gale, I expect you're Delilah Nash? You look quite pretty.'' Offering her his hand, he flashed a friendly grin. While waiting, he also said, ''Well, if you were listening to the guy talking, we're raiding the matching ceremonies. Oh, and welcome to the Resistance!'' with another smile. Really hope she turns..., he thought. He listened to the other details of the raid without turning his head to the planner of the raid, keeping his hand up.

 

[Ty Lee]

After knowing about her match, Luella soon found herself strolling along, thinking it through to herself. I... I don't know if I can just... Marry, this man. I've never been attracted to a male before, and... Well, I don't want to play into the hands of Society. I will not allow myself to just fall now. I have to find a way to...
Soon though, she passed a small group of people who were chatting amongst themselves, and soon she was pulled into their ranks. As soon as she entered, she was flushed out with a scrap of paper upon her chest, one which seemed ever so suspicious. Regardless, she looked around to make sure no one was looking, before reading it.

Resistance meeting tonight. Beneath the city. We are recruiting.

Her eyes widened considerably, and she just could not believe what she had been given. A... A resistance? A bloody resistance? Why did is not know about this earlier?! She clenched her teeth together, honestly fuming about not knowing, but it would be fine if she could get to where the map depicted this meeting was going to be.
She went back to where she had been living all of her life. The door thrown open, the sheer ferocity of her stride was enough to indicate her interest in this resistance meeting. "Daddy! Daddy, I need you to drive me some place. I... I can show you the map, but don't speak of it, and I was never back here." She called, and soon her old man emerged, his eyes widened as he knew of the situation at hand - not entirely, but enough to know that this could be his last gift to his daughter. If he were found out by Society... He would surely be terminated, but he allowed himself to do this. One last hurrah, to rebel against God on Earth.

Luella got a small bag of things ready. Her lucky charms, small medals which she had won when she was younger, and her small combat knife - which she was fairly proficient in using. She strapped the bag to her hip, before she put on boots which definitely weren't for show. A pair of shiny boots, which had a metal sole, used for traversing minefields, of which her father had done in the past. They had thick metal soles to make sure that the blast did not rip off the legs, rather, it would be complimented with the other equipment to make sure the body was bruised, not split apart. They open up from all sides, to allow the foot to enter in, before they buckled up and clipped and latched together, to fit the foot and the calf perfectly. Stepping around a little, getting used to their weight and sound, the girl soon found herself within her father's vehicle.

They drove along for a short while, toward where the map depicted the meeting to be. They had to be discreet though, any alert toward Society would have them both gone off the face of the planet, but Luella's father knew how to drive in these parts.

They soon reached their destination, roughly a few hundred feet from the sewer, before her father took one last look at his daughter. He didn't know if he was going to live, but for now, he was truly proud of her. Her life, was only just beginning.

Luella began to run toward the destination, rather effortlessly, not being at all hampered by the metal boots. If anything, she felt a little too light without them on, so this was good for not only her legs and core, but also for her mind. She only hoped she was there in time.

 

[WarriorHeart]

Loch climbed into his father's car and buckled the safety belt. Before he could even remove his sword from his bet and set it on the floor, his old man bombarded him with questions. "Well? Is she pretty? What's she do? What's her name?" On and on. Loch turned to his father and held up the parchment detailing the Resistance meeting and map. Rick put the car on autodrive and took the paper. He studied it and handed it back to Loch. "That's a joke, right?" Loch shook his head and chuckled. "I thought the same thing, as well. However, I had to ask for one because several young men passing out the notes wouldn't give me one. He said 'Sorry Watchman, we thought you were someone else.'" Loch studied his father's face. The old man was in a very high position within the Department of Defense.

There had been rumors for years of an underground movement to overthrow Society. That's about all it was; rumors. Every now and then, a small band would try to stand up and be recognized but it always ended the same way. The uprising was squashed and nothing more was heard. This was different. Open recruiting in broad daylight at a Society function no less. Rick looked at his son with a stern expression. "Well…you make the call, Loch." Loch furrowed his brow. His dad was the boss of every Watchman in Society. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, call it in to your Watch Captain. Make sure he calls it in to the Watch Commander and so forth. I will see to it that everything gets cleared through the right channels. We'll keep this just between us for now. TCS and Security Branch won't be taking part in any of it. They have too many weak links that could give us away." Rick squeezed his son's shoulder and gave him a look that showed both pride and sadness. The old man, in his sixties, hated conflict. There were times when he wished he didn't have to follow the rules. Yet, when duty calls for the defense and preservation of Society, the hand that feeds and cares for everyone, he responds with rapid and brutal efficiency.

+++++​

Loch was dressed in a pair of old blue jeans, a plain grey t-shirt, some old work boots, and a dingy brick-colored hoodie. As always, he wore his family necklace around his neck. It was the silver sword of mercy and had four Latin words inscribed upon it; Honor [honor], Caesar [integrity], Fides [loyalty], Fidei [faith]. He walked down the street shortly before curfew following the directions on the map. He had no weapons and no electronic devices. He intended to go to the meeting and listen. Loch turned into the alley as marked and made his way to the manhole cover. A rough looking young man was waiting. "Paper." Loch handed him the paper and was allowed to pass into the sewers.

Behind closed circuit TV screens, a man spoke into a walkie. The Watchmen use coded frequencies that roll [rotate random frequencies] every return transmission. "Time Keeper, Dog Diver has entered the forest." A brief silence followed before a voice answered back. "Snake Doctor, set the corral." After careful review of the map that Loch had shown to his superiors, the exact location of the underground meeting was determined. The problem was containment. A perimeter will be set to encompass over ninety percent of the manholes attached to this particular section of sewer. There were approximately twenty two tunnels leading into the main chamber. Four of the main arteries will be individually covered by a squadron of highly-trained and well-equipped Watchmen; these men and women will serve as the raiding party. The next ten largest tunnels would be blocked at pinch points by teams of six. The uncovered tunnels all pretty much stop within the realm of the net set up at street level. Logistics state around ten percent in attendance will not even run. The remaining ninety will split and try to escape. Statistics of the raid indicate at least sixty percent will be caught but the likelihood is closer to seventy percent. An armed resistance is expected as well as casualties.

Loch moved through the tunnels being guided by people in various locations which could be confusing to navigate. He walked into a large room and was surprised by the amount of people. He moved towards a semi-circle of men and women chatting amongst themselves. He was stopped by an armed man and frisked from head to toe. Loch was a bit cleaner cut than most at the meeting and the guy seemed to pick Loch as being suspicious. He led him over towards another man who was also carrying a handgun. The two asked him some basic questions and after giving them quick and accurate responses, they shook his hand in turn. Loch lied about his job but everything else was truth. The two fellas walked back to their posts and Loch was free to move about the room. He came up next to a couple chatting away with some friends. One of the girls who was by herself introduced herself. She was a redhead; very short and a bit on the thick side.

"Is this your first meeting?" She piped cheerfully.

"It is. Am I that obvious?" Loch asked putting on a charming yet polite smile.

"Kinda…most of the guys carry guns." She poked Loch in the ribs.

"Oh, I don't know if I could do that. I'm not into violence and such." Loch shrugged.

"It's ok, sweetheart. There's lots of jobs that don't have anything to do with security." The ginger-haired lady replied with great enthusiasm. "I help make all the flyers."

"That sounds like something I could do." Kael smiled once more. "I'm not a very good artist, though."

 

[Lilpuff]

Stepping out of her hotel room, chip in hand, Gail felt her initial excitement at being matched fade away until all that was left was nervousness. She knew she would soon meet the man in person, and that made her a bit apprehensive. She knew only as much as the computer did about her match, and that didn't include his personality or anything personal about him or how he acted. For all she knew, he could be a tyrant, or...no. She shook her head. How could she think that about her match? Even though she didn't know everything about her match, she did know Society set her up for success with her match, and they wouldn't place her with somebody unfit to be her match.

Walking quietly through the hallway, Gail noticed for the first time that the hall was empty, absent of teens coming out of their rooms. Shrugging it off, she kept walking, only to stumble upon a piece of crumpled paper laying on the ground. Frowning, she picked it up. This was one of the things she hated about kids her age. Even at 17, most of them still couldn't pick up after themselves. Before she threw it away, she noticed a small scrawl of writing on the inside. Curious, we un-crumpled it and read the text to herself. Resistance meeting tonight under the city. Looking for new recruits. She read, her eyes widening at the words. A resistance? At a public function? In broad daylight with guards roaming around? If this was true, then the person in charge needed to have better planing skills.

Gail crumpled up the paper further, throwing it in the wastebasket. She was most definitely not joining. She didn't want to be a part of something that was so openly defying Society. That could only lead to trouble, and she didn't want to end up like her dad. Dead for breaking a simple rule. Gail sniffed and wiped her eyes, not even realizing she was crying until she felt the tears run down her cheeks. After a few minutes, she regained her composure, then took a deep breath and went back downstairs.

------------------------------------------
​

Sitting down with her mother in the air train, she noticed the shortage of families. What used to be a packed car only had a few families, and everyone who was on board didn't seem to notice the absence of their peers. It made Gail uneasy, as she had a pretty good idea of why there was nobody there. But she refused to think about it. There was no need for her to worry. Eventually, because of the lack of precautions, the petty resistance would be broken apart, and she wouldn't have to worry about it any more. Although, if that was the case, why did she still feel uneasy?​

 

[Sashakiki]

Alex closed the door behind him softly, putting the chip in his pocket. His life was planned out now, all that was left to do was meet his match and get married in a few years. He sighed and glanced around, it was quiet. 'They must still be sending kids down', he thought with a shrug and walked down the hall. He was about to turn the corner when a small paper, peeking out right behind a plant caught his eye. He reached and opened it Resistance meeting tonight under the city. Looking for new recruits. He raised an eyebrow, the resistance was recruiting now? In broad daylight? He bit the inside of his cheek and glanced around. It didn't seem like the police were doing anything about it. Maybe they didn't know. Or they didn't think it was that serious. He stuffed the paper into a pocket and kept walking, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

The air train home was less crowded, which was nice. His parents had asked him what seemed like a million questions about his match and he had tried to answer them the best he could, though he still didn't really know her all that much. He felt himself play with paper from time to time, he was intrigued by this meeting but wasn't sure if he really wanted to risk everything. He did however have a delivery that evening in the capital. Maybe he would just stop by, to see what it was all about.

 

[Adira]

After the initial shock had set in Lily blinked a few times before leaning forward and removing the small computer chip. The monitor yet again went dark and Lily stood up, feeling a bit light headed as she headed out the door and closed it quietly behind her. All around her she could sense other people leaving their rooms as well. Some looked happy, even excited, and others... well disappointed wasn't a word Society used much. Lily slowly shuffled behind the crowd of people headed for the elevators. As they piled in and hit the down button and the doors closed. Lily noticed she was one of the last people to enter the elevator down, along with a boy. They entered an elevator together and she noticed the boy hit the first floor button instead of the second floor. Odd, but Lily didn't dwell on it as the doors closed, sealing the two kids in the elevator.

"So, do you like him? Your match I mean?" The boy asked, making small talk as the elevator hummed softly as it traveled down. "Huh? Oh, right. Yes he's a fine gentleman, seems nice, and he's handsome too.. he's perfect." She said, with a slight shoulder shrug. "Yeah, mine too, she seems sweet and all.. perfect.." The boy said, as his voiced trailed off. He looked around quickly and leaned in, as if to tell Lily a secret. "But you know what they say... Perfection is our downfall.." At that moment the elevator arrived on the first floor. The silver doors opened up revealing the almost empty plaza. "I'm headed to the resistance meeting.. Because my match may be perfect.. but she's missing one thing.. a dick." Lily gasped, nobody in Society used such foul language like that. The boy simply laughed at her shock and exited the elevator. Lily knew she should have stayed put, gone back to her family and friends, maybe even told some official or a guard.. But something in her compelled her to move, to follow this strange boy. So she did, one foot out, and then another until she heard the elevator doors close behind her. This was the start of something.. Something new.. and dangerous.

Finn, that was the boys name. He was an engineer and his father had been killed when he talked badly about the government. "This isn't freedom, like they say it is, it's control, mind control in fact. They program us from birth to be these.. robots.. perfection is the only thing that keeps us safe.. it's all bullshit!" He explained as they made their way down the secret tunnels to the meeting. The entire Rebel headquarters were located underground, this made attacks and supply movement easier. The dimly lit caverns under the cities used to be the archives, Society kept all "imperfect" things here, useful things, but "potently dangerous" things. The meeting was held in a large arena like area. People from all over Society were gathered, young and old alike. Chatting and standing around a large stage. "That's where the leader will speak, welcoming us to the Resistance." Finn whispered to her. Lily leaned over, about to ask the boy who he was when her question was answered by a petite looking woman who walked onto the stage.

"Hello everybody and welcome to the resistance meeting, I'm sure you're all very excited to learn more about our plans when we overthrow our cruel and controlling government and I will explain it all. But first let me introduce myself. My name is Miranda Evergreen, and I am the head of the matching department here in Society." A slight gasp escaped Lily's lips as she looked over the women, her mother's own boss.. was the resistance leader! "I would like to take a minute to talk about what we plan on doing here for our new and better era. We call this era, The Freedom Era. Our new era will usher in a new, SAFE, and FREE way about our country. Diversity, culture, all of the old and wonderful things about our old world will be reinstated! But with freedom comes a prize.. yes it is true that many lives will be lost.. This battle will not be an easy one, and yet this is why you are here tonight! To join our ranks! Fight for your freedom, your own voice! Perfection.. ladies and gentleman.. is the only thing that keeps you safe.. unless you are brave enough to defy the odds"

That phase hit Lily like a brick wall, she wanted her own voice, her own say in things. It was her life after all! Why couldn't she live it the way she wanted too. Lily lifted her head higher, a new confidence restored in her. The fire in her heart grew as she chanted with the others. "DOWN WITH SOCIETY!"