Welcome to the War Games

[Victor Markov]

Leon caught the girl before she hit the ground and shot both girls a look that could freeze fire if it was possible before he said "you two are fighting even though you don't know each other? The hell is wrong with the two of you? While it's true that anyone going to this academy may end up fighting each other. Nobody knows if they got in yet so save it for if you get in and settle this in the ring." scolding both girls. Truth be told, his body instinctively moved to catch the girl and he spoke like he was taking to his two sisters.

Leon wasn't one to take sides, but he was one to settle disputes if only temporarily. His words even caught him by surprise. Maybe he was talking because he was so tired. Who knew what hours reasons were for doing what he did or saying what he said? He sure didn't....at least he was going to claim that anyway. The two girls reminded him of his sisters competing for his attention. And he often scolded them when they got out of hand.

 

[Aeronfarron]

Quinn smirked at the girl, "Well, well...dirty talk and an invitation to Fuck? You're a forward one aren't you? Sorry babe, but I'm a classy lady and deserve at least one dinner before I make you scream my name in the sack." The girl winked cockily. She brought her arms up, one fist near her face and the other near her chest. "But you know what they say about love, hate and rough sex, right?" She made a 'come at me' gesture with her left, forward hand. "Come to mama."

The other girl gave an ear bleeding screech of outrage at the arrogant looking Quinn before she attacked head on. Quinn looked down when the girl gripped her shirt with one hand and punched her in the face with the other. Quinn's head snapped in response but only Quinn's chuckles could be heard. The tanned girl turned back and grinned, her teeth tinged red with blood, which she gathered with her tongue and spat out to the side. "I must admit, that was a pretty decent punch. Pretty good." Without warning, Quinn gripped the girl's outstretched wrist then yanked it to expose her side. In the same motion, she delivered a vicious haymaker of a body shot which drove the air from her lungs. The girl barely had time to wheeze when Quinn's fist impacted with the side of her head. Due to the tanned girl's stronger base and rotation, her assailant was knocked unsteady and dazed. She threw sloppy punch but Quinn ducked under it and shoved her opponent with her shoulder. Quinn pulled her back in by the arm then she knocked the girl onto her back with a hard straight punch to the face. While the urge to gloat and make fun of her opponent was strong, she decided to let it go. The girl was knocked unconscious, but even though she WAS the reason for it, she wouldn't leave her defenseless. She didn't feel bad for knocking her out, but she knew that she'd feel terrible if someone decided to take advantage of the opportunity. No one deserved that possibility...no matter how big of a bitch they were.

She stayed long enough for the girl to come back to the land of the conscious then got out of dodge. She ended up not too far from the white haired dude that she'd seen before.

 

[Killako]

<<collab>>

Lycus turned to Sydney and looked at her impassively, as though asking her if he should engage, run, or cool down the situation.

Sydney, however was focused sole on the meat bag standing in front of her. How dare he! Who was this creep to come up to some person whose name he didn't even know and threaten them? What was he even after?
unfortunately for all of then Sydney wasn't the type to tolerate bullies.

"You shouldn't volunteer yourself for things like that," she snapped back almost instinctively, "it's bad for your health."

Unfortunately for Sydney she was one of the smallest people around by far, and facing down a brute of a young man now obviously intent on doing her harm did not play out in her favor.

The thug's face turned red with anger and he snorted as he took a heavy set forward.

"You wanna tell your girlfriend to shut her big mouth," he snapped at Lycus. "If she doesn't I'll shut it for her."

Lycus turned back to face the bully and said impassively, "She's not my girlfriend. And even if she was, I would tell you to shut your mouth for talking to my girlfriend in that way. Oh, and by the way, there's something on your face."

The thug looked confused for a second, and went to put his hands near his face. Lycus seized the opportunity, and jumped at him, his fist rapidly extending towards the thug, and making solid contact with his nose. Barely brushing the ground, Lycus side-hopped and landed out of the reach of the flailing hands that were desperately trying to latch onto him.

He smirked and quipped, "It was pain."

The thug snarled and lunged at him, but he seemed to have forgotten that Sydney was on his other side.

Sydney couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Serves you right you ugly brute!"

The larger youth was a strong opponent, it was obvious his defenses were high and that the punch had done more to anger him than any actual harm. Sydney's words had a similar affect. "What don't you do pick on someone your own size?" she shouted, "unless of course we're going by the size of our brains? In that case you're the smallest one here!"

The thug growled and started to turn, but before he could face her completely, Sydney had made signs to Lycus to attack the brute from behind.

Quickly, as the thug turned around, Lycus was already in motion, knowing that the best time to act was now. Jumping from behind the thug, he landed on the thug, and pushed him with all of his might. As his momentum was already in that direction, the thug lurched and flailed as he fell forwards and landed on his already hurt nose, face first.

Sydney cheered and was quick to climb atop the felled bully, motioning Lycus back as she did so, so she was sitting directly between the thug's shoulder-blades.
"How do you like that? huh!" she shouted down into the brutes ear as she struggled to get up and failed to be able to move the other two from his back.
The thug coughed into the dirt, barely able to turn his face to the side to breath.

Meanwhile, Sydney had shifted around so she could face Lycus and held out her hand.
"I like you!" she declared. "Will you be my friend? I've never had a real friend before, but this counts right?"

Startled for a moment, Lycus looked up at her and nodded. "Of course!" he said. "What kind of idiot would I be risking my life for people who were not my friends?"

Sydney beamed at him, raised a hand to rub the back of her neck, and burst out into laughter.
"Then we're friends!" she crowed.

"Yes, of course" chimed in Lycus, laughing along.

 

[Falcon]

Henry flinched back at the attack. There was something about the way the other man moved that told Henry the man knew what he was doing. The boy had seen enough to know. Unlike the other fights there was no chatter in this one. The attacker pressed forward with smooth precision, and Henry fell back in desperate defense. One such move caused him to trip and fall backward.

As he rolled to his feet Henry caught sight of the boy he had been speaking to earlier, but instead of helping his neighbor in the fight that had started in their area Isaac was sneaking away. "Scum," Henry muttered under his breath, and to think he had liked the other kid. But in Henry's book leaving someone in obvious danger when you could help was one of the few truly despicable things a person could do. Yet his attention could not be held for long as a quick kick to his ribs sent him back to the ground.

Henry struggle back to his feet barley getting his hands up in time to block the next blow. It didn't take many more traded punches for him to figure it out. They were nearly equally matched, him and this guy. Strength, speed, reflexes, but what Henry had in wit this guy had in defense. It didn't help that Henry could think circles around him if his blows never did enough damage to count, and he simply didn't have the resources to make up for that deficiency at the moment.

And there was another thing. Henry's own defense was average at best.

A punch got through his guard and Henry felt an immediate and sharp snapping pain in his nose as something gave. He cried out, his head reeling with it, and for an instant he lost all ability to think the moment was so overwhelming.

That was all it took.

A kick to the chest saw Henry in the dirt, coughing and struggling for breath. Another kick to the ribs flipped him over so his face was in the ground. Between that and the blood from his nose he could no longer see where the attacks were coming from. Henry's reflexes were good, but one can't dodge what they can't see. He was left to curl himself into as much of a ball as he could in the attempt to protect his core, but the blows still rained down on him.

Again,

and again,​

and again . . .​

​

And suddenly everything stopped.

Henry didn't understand why. He couldn't think, breathing was hard, his ears were ringing, his vision blurred, his face and ribs hurt so much.
It was all he could do just to lay there and try to make sense of it all. It was not just him who had been attacked, but others, other students from all walks of life.

One word left his lips.

"Why?"

 

[Dip]

[BCOLOR=transparent]{COLLAB BETWEEN DIP AND JACK DOYLE}[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]They were both stood at the bottom of the steps when the tall stranger approached. She had red hair, a stocky frame and wore dark glasses that seemed to reflect back at what she stood for. All-in-all, the stranger looked mean, and Eddie was sure that she was going to get her as kicked.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The group that came with the red headed bully meandered off to different locations, some going to assist others, and some going to fight their own fights. Eddie seemed to be head and head, neck and neck and tooth to tooth to this strange girl. She was going to kill her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Over what, she asked herself. That was a good question, she answered herself. She gave a quick look at the boy next to him-- Alex? Elvin? Whoever this kid was, she had a feeling that they were both stuck in the same situation. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The strange girl wore a well-tailored suit that was far too expensive for either Eric or Eddie to afford. The stranger almost looked like she was part of some crime organization, not a student at some sort of school. As Eric looked closely at the women, she lurched forward and threw a rough punch at Eddie. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lucky for the rich kid, she nailed Eddie in the jaw. Unlucky for Eddie, she fell backwards like a ragdoll, landing harshly right on her ass. She had a messy nose, and could feel that one of her teeth were a little less than stuck in her jaw. She fished the missing tooth out of her mouth, and felt that she was now missing one of her two front teeth.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oy," She said bluntly, wiping the blood off of her hand. "You two. The short one and the messy one."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eric knew for a fact that he had been messy before the other women had even spelt blood, but in the shock of it all, he could hardly tell. He moved quickly, trying to help her onto her feet. He gave a look at the other girl, and hoped that she wouldn't do the same to him as she did to Eddie. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Eddie got to her feet, she put a hand on her nose to stop the blood flow, but it was for naught. She could taste the blood pooling in the back of her throat, mixed with snot and something awful. She spat a red glob onto the ground, looking up at the stranger. She guessed that he now had some of her blood on himself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eric, with oil stains and now blood on his trousers, looked to the strange girl. "What's wrong with you--" As he spoke, he was cut off by the rich stranger. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"That's right, I'm talking to you two," said the stranger.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"What was that for?" Eddie asked slowly, feeling a few tears come to her eyes. She wasn't going to cry because she was scared, she was crying because her jaw was on fire. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"This had ought to be good," said Eric sighed, shaking his head to himself.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Why don't you two do yourselves a favor and shove off, yeah? This isn't a place for people like you two. If I was you-- and thank God I'm not-- I'd crawl back into the hole that you two festered in."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie looked at the stranger in disbelief. Not even ten minutes had past, and not only did she get attacked, but she was being verbally abused as well. She pulled away from the boy-- the first one to show her kindness-- and stood tall by herself. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Don't you see that we're not trying to start a fight?," said Eric, and this time, not to himself. He watched the girl stand limberly on two flat feet, and kept his arms up to be sure that she wouldn't fall. He took a hand, and placed it on her shoulder, pulling her away gently. "Ignore what she has to say, yeah? She's only saying it wind us up." Eric began to ramble, and Eddie could see that it was doing nothing to calm the stranger before them. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Sad, really," He continued, "that the only way she can feel good about herself is to pick on little girls. Let's just get this over and done with." Eric wasn't much of a fighter but he certainly wasn't about to let this girl get roughed up anymore by some rich bully. While Eric seemed to have a heart of gold, Eddie was mentally shitting herself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You'll regret those words!" The red head bellowed, as she began forwards again.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She was fast. Too fast. Faster than Eric or Eddie. The thug rushed Eric and grabbed a hold of him. With her tight grip the thug lurched her weight back, still holding Eric, and threw the boys weight to her side. With her might the thug tossed Eric away. Eddie shouted something, inaudible to Eric and even herself as he hit the hard ground.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie began wailing at the thug. her arms were uncoordinated but with all of her muscle behind each swing. The first two punches caught the thug off-guard and backed up a few steps. Once she had recollected himself the thug turned on Eddie.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Big girls," complained Eric as he stood up. "Throw first and ask questions later. Always the same, all muscle and no brains."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug held out an arm and pressed her hand against Eddie's head. She held her back, using her superior reach to avoid being hit.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You damn orangutang!" shouted Eddie, through clenched teeth and swinging fists. Eddie had never seen an orangutang before, but she assumed that if anyone was to be something like that animal, it was this bully. Long arms, red hair, tall and strong. An apt analogy.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug kept her at bay with one arm as she tightened the other into a fist. She let go of Eddie's head and swung, a tight a curved hook, that Eddie stepped forward into. It hit her hard, for the second time that day.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The punch hit her chin hard and her whole world shook. Her teeth, or what was left of them,. clamped down on the skin inside her mouth and another waterfall of blood oozed out. Her knees fell to the ground and she needed a second to gather her wits, but the thug wasn't going to giver her that time. Her right foot fell back and her left arm punched out. A straight and narrow jab that would have hit her neck, but Eric jumped the thug from behind and before the punch could land they both toppled together.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie shook her head, blood pouring from her nose and mouth. The fall had scraped her pants something awful, turning them a bloody mess. Eddie turned her head, and saw the two teens on the floor. As they scrapped the thug was gaining the upper hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A quick, decisive elbow hit Eric in the face. There was blood, no doubt, but he didn't have the time to worry if it had broken. Easily the thug manouvered on the ground and began grappling. She caught Eric's arm in a vice-like grip and began twisting. It was then that Eddie stepped in, literally.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She muttered, put her force behind her foot and stomped down hard on the thug. Said thug released Eric and tried to stand back up. But another kick came from Eddie and she hit her hard in the face with her boot. Eric seized his chance and rolled to the side, safely out of reach.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thank you," said Eric as he stood up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie backed off from the thug, her muscles aching and begging for rest. She was panting, sweating, bloody and tired. "Don't...," she replied slowly, taking deep breaths. She took off her coat and hoodie, feeling the effects of so much layers catch up to her. "Mention it. Please, don't." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"First time that a girl has saved me," commented Eric. "No disrespect."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"First time that a girl has saved me to," retorted Eddie, chuckling through a bloody nose. She gave him a bloody smile, with a missing tooth and a few specks of blood. Eric just frowned at her, before smiling at her quick wit.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It wasn't long before the bully got up again, and she looked like she was ready to kill. Eric looked to her, and back at Eddie. "No time to talk, she's getting back up."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eric was right. The hulk of a woman was returning to her feet. She shrugged, patted the dirt from her suit jacket and wiped her shoulders down. After noticing a small crack in her glasses, she took them off and threw them aside, revealing a pair of hazel eyes. She grunted, clearly displeased that they had broke her glasses.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Quit the tough guy act and bring it on," shouted Eric at the brutish thug.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug's nostrils flared as she exhaled through her nose. She charged again. As she neared Eric the thug put her shoulder down and rammed into the other boy. The wind was knocked from Eric's lungs as the hurling brute collided with him. Eric was knocked back, he tumbled and hit the stone steps. His head went into the steps with a crack.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug raised a hand up and hit her chest. "Hoorah!" Eddie just shook her head, covering her face. So stupid. Then the thug turned back to her. "You're next."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Eric tried to gather his surroundings he felt something warm drip down the side of his face. It would hurt, a lot, if the his head didn't feel so [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]fuzzy[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]. The world buzzed and his vision was blurred. With shaky legs he stood up. Through his hazy sight he could see the thug scrapping with the short girl.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She was putting up a better fight than Eric had but the brute was just too strong. Eddie was too tired, and the bully was just getting started. Eric looked around, searching for something. Anything.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie wanted to shout out something to someone, but there was no time. She stepped back and the third blow came even harder. She toppled and could feel herself reeling backwards. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eric took a step forward, going to help, but his head squeezed tight on his legs. His feet were heavy. Too heavy. Each step was slow and his lack of balance nearly saw him falling over again. Swaying from side to side he came towards the thug.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey bozo, pick on somebody your own size," said Eric. The thug locked at him and then back at Eddie. Neither Eddie or Eric were his size. "Well. What are you waiting for? Don't want your mother to see us make you cry?" Not the best insult but it was all that Eric could manage through the haze.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug approached, though she didn't strike out. She simply raised a hand and pushed against Eric's chest. He felt himself going backwards but Eric couldn't stop it. Eric fell backwards and landed on his arse and the thug turned back to Eddie. He felt something sharp. His hand, had something cut it? Eric looked down to find the broken pair of glasses, the same pair that the thug had tossed away, with the glass having cut into his hand. It wasn't deep, barely hurt but it made him think. Eric grasped the glasses and tried to stand. No good, he couldn't get back up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey," called out Eric to the girl. "Take these." He threw over the glasses.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie caught them, in two bloody hands. She had managed to land directly on both of them, feeling the rocks and pebbles dig under her skin. She saw the sharp and broken glass lense through a blurry vision, and wondered gently if these were for her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It wasn't long before Eddie had an idea of what to do.As the thug approached Eddie once more, it took all of the strength she had left to lash out. The sharp glass cut a deep gouge into the thug's thigh and she backed away, bellowing like a bull. Eddie managed to get back to her feet slowly before the thug began closing in again, limping like a lame dog.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Once more she slashed with the broken glass and cut across her chest. No blood, no wound, but it cut clean through his suit and the shirt underneath. It was all the warning that the thug needed. She took a step back as Eddie readied herself, feeling her arms slowly melting off of her body.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thug took a second to consider the situation, then quickly her left hand lashed out, caught Eddie's own hand with the the glasses, and pulled her close. The bully's right hand came in, turning into the punch that finished off Eddie. Eddie's whole body twisted and lurched, almost knowing that this was the end. The single right cross hit her hard in the face and the force knocked her down. She sunk, slipping into unconsciousness before she hit the ground.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When she came to Eddie found herself propped up against a wall. She blinked repeatedly as the blur faded from her vision. One hand went to hold her head, which pulsated with a horrible pain, and her other hand went to her stomach. She wanted to vomit but managed to retain her self control. She could feel bruises forming on her stomach and body, let alone her face. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We got our assees kicked," Eric said, answering a question without it being asked. Eric was placed next to her on the wall, and Eddie couldn't help but feel jealous. He wasn't nearly as tore up as she was. "Though it could've been worse." Eric finished.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eddie turned and faced forward. Not much time might have passed, because it was still an orgy out there. "I'm dropping out." Eddie decided. She'd walk home as soon as she could feel her legs again. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You're just sick." Eric decided for her. "The nausea should go away after a small while," said Eric in an attempt to reassure her. "Not sure how long the pain will last. I'll let you know when mine is gone and then give you an ETA."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What happened after I got knocked out?" she asked slowly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I fell unconscious just after you did," said Eric. "Not sure where she went or what happened. I woke up about thirty seconds before you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]They stayed there, each nursing their wounds, in silence for some time. No one disturbed them or came over to check if they were okay. They simply sat, tending to their injured bodies and damaged pride. After some time the silence was growing stale.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I haven't introduced myself, have I?" asked Eric. "I'm Eric." He held out a hand and offered it to the girl.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm Eddie," the girl replied softly, reaching out and gripping his hand softly.They both shook in different ways. "Hell of a first day." Eddie smirked a toothy smile.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"At least there is only one way to go from here: Up," said Eric.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As strangers fought, strangers became friends and bullies turned on even eachother, Cy decided that these people were completely bonkers, and he was glad to have been living in a wall his entire life. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cy Vester stood there, watching the carnage and the wreckage of what these teenagers were doing. He decided that he was never going to be a teenager again. This was going to be a long day.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Midian]

"Leon, look at what the others are doing-- They're here to cause a fight!" Addie said irritably. "This IS the ring!"

The brunette smirked and hooked Addie across the jaw, causing the younger girl to stumble back. However, Addie managed to move far enough away to dodge the next kick, but stumbled and fell on her ass the next moment, leaving Leon to handle their attacker while she got on her feet. Sneaking up on the woman while she attacked Leon proved to be futile as the woman jabbed an elbow into Addie's stomach. However, Addie grabbed it before she could pull her arm back and jerked the woman away from Leon, basing her heel into the back of the woman's knee. The brunette went down and between Addie and Leon, she could herself overpowered and knocked to the ground. Addie wasn't strong enough to keep her there, but Leon was and Addie was thankful she hadn't taken another blow to the stomach; she wanted to keep all of her breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Henry at the feet of another attacker, squaring her shoulders to go face the other man and help Henry.

However, during the various scuffles that had broken out around the green, everyone had been so preoccupied with fighting that they had not seen the mass of teachers and staff coming to stand at the top of the stairs. It wasn't until the same woman that had spoken earlier clicked the microphone on, causing a brief whine of feedback to spill out over the lawn. The people who had come and picked fights abruptly stood up and stopped what they were doing, causing Addie to jump away in surprise as she went to where Henry lay.

"To everyone who has waited here so patiently, thank you! All of the scores were very close this year, so we decided a little field test was in order. Those you fought with were third-year students at the academy, here to test for potential. They are going to come give us their recommendations, and we will announce the scores in five minutes."

From the shadows of a tree Isaac looked over his shoulder at the steps, a heavy weight of regret settling in his stomach. He hadn't chosen to fight, and now that's what they were being evaluated on. Typical, people always loved violence as the easy way of deciding things. Isaac sighed and sauntered back into the sun, hoping maybe his chances hadn't been totally blown. He tried not to look at Cy as he walked through, hoping the man was okay after Isaac had left him to fight alone. He also saw Addie helping Henry stand, dusting off his cloths and dabbing at his lip with the collar of his shirt.
"Are you okay to walk and everything?" she asked. "You look like hell."

As the others dusted themselves off and helped their partners, the woman in pink returned to the microphone with a sheet of paper in her hand.
"Now, here are the fifty names of those accepted into this academic year for the Exo Training Academy! Emily Desjardins, Sophia Giffard, Isaac Cattaneo, Henry Ainsley, Era-- Erica-- Omayyad, Cy Vester, Lycus Stark, Teagan Dunn, Sydney Carton, Leon Corvinus, Eric Lance, Jason Tierney, Agatha Desjardins, Casey Woodard, Hans Adler, Stella Acerbio, Michael Bins, Nadia Perot..."

The other names droned on and on until the woman folded the list, releasing a deafening cheer from the few that had been accepted.
"Tonight go home, hug your families, and pack for your dorm room. Level Three dorm rooms come with one communal computer and three outlets, Level 2 rooms come with one outlet, and our cheapest option, Level 1, is optimal for concentration. Bring your payments tomorrow, and we are looking forward to all of your bright, shining futures!"

 

[Aldriem]

"To hell with this crown, it doesn't even fit properly." Jason screamed madly.

He'd been working on his Dad's old watch since 5:00 in the morning and even though he had managed to refurbish the entire instrument, the crown, for some reason was causing him a great deal of stress. The tiny connector shaft that projected outwards from the crown head was too long and so it wasn't fitting in.

Scrambling back onto his bed which was adjacent to his makeshift workstation, Jason grabbed hold of the table lamp and turned the flexible neck to point it at the side of the table where Jason closely inspected the watch again. The back of the watch had stains on it and most of the gloss had chipped off on the outer casing, a sign of how old the device was. It reminded Jason a great deal about his dad, to the point where Jason had decided to re-make this one last memory of him and treasure it.

"Jason...!!" a lady called from the living room. "Your breakfast's ready. Better hurry before you get late."

Ilma Tierney was a loving woman and it was her love and care that had made Jason into what he was today.

"Coming Mom...!" Jason replied before opening a drawer and placing the watch in it. I'll work on you when I come back.

Breakfast was eaten in silence and the only sound was that of sparrows chirping outside and the occasional sound of Jason's brother Trey coughing from the cold he'd contracted.

"Dude, make sure you have your medicine, okay...?" Jason placed a shoulder on Trey's shoulder who nodded erupting into another of his coughing fits.

"Oh Trey..." The lady stood up and hurrying to the cabinet, fetched Trey's medicines and a glass of water.

Jason quietly gulped down the bread.

_______________________________________________


"Take care of yourself, Jase," The mother pulled the son into a loving hug. "Keep in contact, okay...?"

"I will, Mom. Promise...!" Jason smiled before turning to Trey, who was better now although his face was flushed from the stress.

"You take care of Mom, bud. Okay...? And you take care of yourself."

"Y-Yeah... Y-You... too."

Jason hugged his younger brother before he grabbed his wrench from the side table and stuffing it into the back-pocket of his cargo pants, walked out as his family looked on.

_______________________________________________


There was a fight going on where Jason was supposed to go. These were the school grounds and a brawl was erupting with what looked like boys and girls his age taking on older men and women.

"Wha... What is this...?" Jason had a look of utter disbelief on his face as he looked around the area. "Is this where I am supposed to come for my enrollment list...?"

Everyone was engaged with someone or the other, beating each other up in a series of very intense brawls.

"Un-frickin'-believable..."

Jason started to walk towards the mob and without anyone noticing, quietly slipped in weaving his way past the fighters working towards the microphone that had caught his eye. All of a sudden, a number of people who looked like they might be the teachers and staff members appeared at the top of a flight of stairs behind the microphone. A woman dressed all in pink stepped up to the microphone and tapped it. The crowd behind Jason stopped its madness at once and turned to regard the lady. She started:

"To everyone who has waited here so patiently, thank you! All of the scores were very close this year, so we decided a little field test was in order. Those you fought with were third-year students at the academy, here to test for potential. They are going to come give us their recommendations, and we will announce the scores in five minutes."

"Are you kidding me...?" Jason blurted out to himself, his voice lost amidst all the whispering and talking. "These guys were killing each other."

The woman in pink returned once more, this time with a sheet of paper in her hand. The whispers and complaining stopped at once as the lady cleared her throat, then began,

"Now, here are the fifty names of those accepted into this academic year for the Exo Training Academy! Emily Desjardins, Sophia Giffard, Isaac Cattaneo, Henry Ainsley, Era-- Erica-- Omayyad, Cy Vester, Lycus Stark, Teagan Dunn, Sydney Carton, Leon Corvinus, Eric Lance, Jason Tierney, Agatha Desjardins, Casey Woodard, Hans Adler, Stella Acerbio, Michael Bins, Nadia Perot..."

Upon hearing his name, the look of annoyance and disbelief disappeared from Jason's face now replace with a smile that grew wider by the second and quietly did a fist pump as the crowd erupted into cheers and praise.

The lady spoke one last time,

"Tonight go home, hug your families, and pack for your dorm room. Level Three dorm rooms come with one communal computer and three outlets, Level 2 rooms come with one outlet, and our cheapest option, Level 1, is optimal for concentration. Bring your payments tomorrow, and we are looking forward to all of your bright, shining futures!"

"Uh-eh...?" The boy looked around confused as the crowd started to disperse. "Tha-That's it...?"

Utterly confused with the pace at which the situation had developed and then subsided, Jason started to walk back.

 

[Aeronfarron]

Teagan smiled widely when she heard her name and she almost did the dorkiest looking jog known to mankind. But the girl managed to keep herself in check. Could anyone blame her though? She was still high on the adrenaline of the fight and she had managed to get one step closer to her dream! To fame and fortune and that cozy house that her mom had been eyeing for years.

In her excitement and rush to get home, she nearly ran into a kid that had been talking to himself. "My bad, I'my sorry. I uh...just excited to get home." She rubbed the back of her head and gave the taller boy a grin, " And yeah. Of course that's it. Today was only the announcement of New students, ya know? Again, really sorry...I'm still a little hyped up." That much was evident by her almost jittery hands and stance. "My name is Teagan. Teagan Dunn." She offered the boy her hand.

 

[Victor Markov]

Leon was taken aback for a moment when he heard that the courtyard was the ring and got the girl that attacked restrained only to have to let her go. "A test of skills? What the hell? I thought i recognized this girl, but to think she would've started a fight with me and what's her name was not something i expected" the last raven muttered to himself. He had been standing next to the girl the first time he took the test and failed. She had said something like better luck next time before they parted ways.

When they were told to go home and say goodbye to their families he shouted "I ALREADY DID THAT LAST WEEK WHEN THEY WERE MURDERED! AFTER ALL, I BURIED THEM!" at the woman. What she said had hit a very sensitive subject for him. He was struggling to make ends meet running the forge himself and he knew it. The payment for his dorm room had been made in cash and he made it very clear he wanted a room for himself. He had a lot of work he needed to do and not a lot of time to do it in.

 

[Falcon]

Sydney found herself hauled off the older student by her father who had just barely arrived on scene before the ETA staff woman began to announce the names of the accepted candidates. He looked both worried and proud and the moment Sydney's name was mentioned she found herself crushed in a bear hug, so telling if he was pleased with her mediocre fighting abilities or the fact that she had gotten into the ETA was nigh impossible.

"Celebration!" he roared as he lifted his tiny daughter to his shoulders as if she was still a child and proceeded to parade her home. Sydney had never felt so embarrassed in her life. And yet her dream was about to come true and so she hardly noticed.

Dinner that night consisted of her favorite meal and the whole family stayed up way too late as her father told stories of the great pilots she had known, the suits he had worked on, and war games he had seen. Sydney's mother alternated between proud, beaming smiles and worried reminders of how to take care of herself when she relocated to the dorms. Sydney herself enjoyed one last celebratory cup of hot coco before retiring to the warmth of her bed and dreaming of the adventure to come.

---

It had been a cold night for Henry, a hard night. Not that he had slept outside as he had originally planned, Rosetta had prevented that, but that he had increasingly hardened his heart against their pleas for him to stay. The couch had been comfortable, but his mind had given him no rest. The worst part was that part of him wished he could stay, wanted to give in and take the easier path these kind people had offered him, but he knew it could not be. Henry had always know that at some point in his life he was going to have to detach himself from his father's shadow, and stand on his own two feet, and it seemed like this was as good a time as any. Especially considering recent events.

Early in the morning he rose before Rosetta and her husband, helped himself to a bit of toast, packed the last of his gear into a single bag, and left. He felt guilty for it, vanishing in this manner, but he reminded himself that he had taken the time to write them a note of gratitude which he had left on the table next to his mother's picture. Odds were Henry would never see the elderly couple again and it was with bittersweet sorrow had found his way to the Elevrail and road it down to the ground level. Of his mother's things he had taken only the old Bible. She had loved that book.

Twilight had not quite lightened when Henry arrived at the ETA, the morning mist still covered the ground and the chill had yet to lift from the air. The building had yet to open though he could hear some movement from early risers within, and Henry was, as far as he could tell, alone outside on the grounds. With a sigh he settled onto the front steps resting his pack beside him, and pulled out his mother's book. All his electronics had been left behind and this was the only method he had with which to amuse himself while he waited.

 

[Jack Doyle]

Eric was sprawled out on his straw mattress. His whole body ached, with a dozen or so bruises all over his body. His face and head hurt the most. Though he couldn't afford a doctor, he suspected that his nose had been broken. Not that he minded. So long as it set properly. He just lay back and looked up the ceiling. He had gotten home before his father and managed to avoid and questions about how he had gotten so beat up. He could smell oil as the engine was still sat on his bedroom table. Eric guessed that he wouldn't be allowed to take the engine to his dorm with him.
"Fine, I guess that I'll start packing," said Eric to himself before he stood up with a sigh.
A small bag was all he needed to contain a few days clothes and a jumpsuit. He didn't have many personal belongings and was never sentimental over objects. What had been of the most concern was affording the dorm, even the cheapest one. His family had nearly gone bankrupt buying the room for an entire year. But despite the cost he had made it into the school and was intent on attending. So Eric packed only necessities. Once the packing was done he slung the bag to the side of his bed and collapsed onto the the straw mattress again. He would be moving in the next day. Or was it the day after? Eric often had trouble remembering dates and other simple things.

 

[Dip]

As Eddie listened half-heartedly to the announcements that the other person spoke, she could feel her heart contort into the ugliest shape possible. How could all of this be just a simple test? She had fought tooth to tooth-- LITERALLY! Eddie ran her tongue over the new gap in her smile. She didn't feel like smiling any more. Eddie, after they had mispronounced her name, slowly stood up, and meandered back home.

Even though she was accepted, she would never be able to attend. She had assumed that her being accepted meant that all her debts would be paid, and that she had no further issue regarding money. Eddie could hardly afford to feed herself, or wash her clothes, or even keep the house that they lived in, let alone pay for a dormroom! It was a long walk back to her home, and it seemed like an even longer rail ride up to the sky. She had some bad news for Nana.

She stumbled into the house late into the evening, and sprawled herself on the dusty old couch. Her muscles were screaming profanities at her like no one's business. Eddie flipped onto her back, and looked up at the cracked ceiling of her dilapidated house. She could see where the roof would cave in eventually, and she hoped that it would happen as soon as possible.

Tears streamed gently down her face as she felt the last of her muscles try to calm themselves down. She could feel the bruises on her face throb as the tears rolled past them, but she didn't care. She was so tired. She was just so upset. How was she going to tell her grandma that she couldn't go to the school because she was poor? How was she going to let her Nana down like this? Eddie was already thinking of ways out of this one.

Maybe she could pick up a good job, or maybe she could try and find another school. Maybe Eddie could start hot-wiring cars and other automobiles. Maybe she could set the school on fire, so that way she can avoid telling her that Eddie had failed. Maybe she could just say she wasn't accepted into the program. Maybe she could run away.

Her Nana made her was slowly down the stairs as she was thinking of all the possibilities of what to do. Eddie sat up quickly, looking at her care-giver with big eyes. Her Nana instantly booked it, and went as fast as a nearly dying bag of bones could. She went over, sat next to her on the couch, and began inspecting the young child.

"Eddie, what the hell have you done now, child?" It wasn't at all demeaning, it was just her way of speaking her concern.
Eddie then erupted. She put her face into her hands, put her head onto her grandmother, and sobbed. She couldn't stop, everything was just going to hell. She explained what had happened as quickly as possible. She told her Nana about the boy who helped her, and the girl she beat the tar out of, and the tooth she had lost, and the debt that she couldn't settle.

Nana pulled away, laughing gently. "Child, you're worried about money?" She said this like she had all of the money in the world.
"Nana, we have nothing. How am I going to go to the dorms?"
Nana pulled her child up, and made her walk up the steps with here. "Well, I do have nothing. But you? You have something." As they got into Eddie's room, her Nana slowly began pacing the floor. She did this slowly, and before Eddie knew it, she was pulling up a piece of wood from the floor.

"Nana, what are you doing?" Eddie asked gently as she sat on her mattress.

As she pulled one board out, she pulled another one. With the two boards aside her, she reached in and grabbed something loud and heavy. As she struggled to pull it out, Eddie got nearer to inspect it. It wasn't long before she was on the floor with her Nana, watching partly in disbelief. As the old women dropped it onto the ground beside her, she pulled out a key that was dangling around her neck.

"Eddie, when your parents sent you here to live with me, we were all heart broken. They were just kids-- my daughter was sixteen, and could barely care for herself. Your mother isn't very much older than you are. She married a very well to do man when you were a little less then two, and she began paying me for keeping you. She payed nearly twice a month, and she still does." Her Nana explained. She slipped the chain from her neck, and unlocked the chest.

As she opened it, Eddie noticed that it was only full of letters. They were all unopened, so Eddie slowly reached out to grab one. She looked at it, and flipped it from all sides. Her Nana continued to speak. "They were never addressed. I've tried speaking to her, believe me, but I haven't seen her since you were a child. Please believe that she loves you very much, Eddie. This was all ever for you, and I never used a single one of these in my life."

Eddie gave her a look. "Never? Nana, why?" This was shocking to her. "Not even when we needed it the most?"
"Right now, my dear," Her Nana spoke, "You need it the most."

It was a long night for the both of them. They opened all of the envelopes, spoke about Eddie's childhood and parents, and counted the money out for enough level-three dorms for the rest of her schooling years and then some. Eddie kept what she didn't bring with her back inside the chest. Eddie kept the deposit money with her in one side of her wallet, and had enough to go and afford some new clothes. She even kept some for herself when she would go to the dorms the next day.

She kissed her Nana the next day, hugged her, thanked her, and told her that she loved her.

"Mother," Cy yelled as he made it home. "Attic," He added, before walking in and feeling something small attack his legs. As he looked down, he looked at a little kinky-haired version of himself. "Hey, buddy," He said, raising his little bother onto his shoulders and walking inside. "Where's mama and dada?" He asked him.

"Liberry!" The boy gurgled, before Cy meandered that way. It was an easy night for Cy. He stayed with his family, packed in the morning, and left afterwards. Life was was easy.

 

[Killako]

Lycus smiled and nodded as he heard the announcement. He had thought it was some kind of test. You dont get random people trying beating you up, unless you anger them, or they were told to. As his parents approached with smiles on their faces, he looked down at the poor guy under them. "Sorry 'bout that, it was nothing personal, just business."

As they left, his father rubbed his shoulder and congratulated him, though they knew he'd make it. He got home, changed, ate dinner, and sat with his family for a few minutes, sitting with his parents taking about him leaving. The tearful event was short, but meaningful, and he said good-bye to his parents for a while.

He went to sleep dreaming of fighting Exos, roughly 20-30, and woke up to the sound of his thumping heart. Calming down a bit, he woke up early and packed. Wearing his Exo Cadet uniform, he found that it was a bit tight, but nothing he could not deal with.

However, now he had to carry his suitcase across the all without getting hit. Oh Boy.

Somehow, he managed to hoist his suitcase on his shoulders, and was able to sprint quickly across the hall, avoiding lasers and blocking when he could with his suitcase. Getting to the end again, he opened the door and the laser blasts ended. Sighing, as no one had put in an extra twist this time, he looked to the door and opened it. His parents were there again, smiling at him, and he nodded to them. Breakfast was quick and quiet, and he left on the next ElevRail to the reporting ground. Falling into line, he looked around at his classmates, to see who was there.

 

[Midian]

Anyone looking at Isaac would've been surprised to see the disappointment on his face as his name was called, but no one spoke him as he slunk away from the school grounds. He didn't go home right away, but instead lingered at one of the animal husbandry towers, watching the rabbits chase each other around in the hay flooring. There was clearly a pecking order among them, some dominating the rest. One, a black and white one, kept chasing a few brown ones away from the food and nipping their sides. Isaac lay his chin on his folded forearms for awhile, grimacing as the keeper came into the pen and grabbed two, one of which was the black and white one, taking them away to the back room to prep for customers. Isaac slipped into the shadows of the room, disappearing before he could be scolded for looking and not buying. No one was home when he got home to pack his clothing and get together the money he'd saved for a level one room. Everything he wanted to take fit in the frayed canvas suitcase and he lay it on the bed, using it as a pillow. He didn't sleep much that night, not knowing what the next three years would bring.

---

The celebratory dinner at Addie's house was full of friends and family and her favorite food, rabbit and rice. Her mother was quite relieved that Addie had managed to be a normal enough human to at least get into the school. Together her family had gotten together and bought her a waterproof tablet and a set of luggage to take to the school, and her siblings had even finished her laundry for her. Her father watched proudly as she lifted her shirt to show the bruise on her stomach from the fight. That night she hurriedly packed her bags and lovingly, carefully packed her new tablet away, hardly sleeping that night as she waited impatiently for the sun to rise. When morning came she grabbed her packed luggage, ran downstairs, and grabbed a fistful of toast on her way out the door. She was one of the first on the green, not seeing Henry at first, and sat on her giant, blue suitcase as others trickled in. Some looked to be second or third year students, all of them looking a little more serious and lean than the young, nervous first years milling around. She waved at Leon when he came onto the green.
"Hey, I didn't say it yesterday, but thanks for helping me out in the fight," she said. "Some people really got hurt, do you think they'll be here today?"

She craned her neck to look around and waved at Henry when she saw him, glad to see despite the beating he'd taken that he was mobile and getting around.
"Hey, you okay?!" she shouted at him, waving him over to where she sat with Leon. The three saw others streaming in for awhile. Isaac had been another of the first few there and had helped Sydney get her bag unstuck from a rut in the ground before wandering away. After that, it wasn't long before the woman in pink came to the microphone again, nervously clearing her throat.
"First, I want to welcome everyone to the beginning of the school year. I am looking forward to all of you blossoming into the best pilots and support staff you can be. Before you all go in and see your dorm assignments, we do have teensy announcement regarding the level three dorms. Due to some problems with the electric wiring there, they will not be available this year, and so we are going to have to reshuffle everyone around in the level one and two dorms. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but we hope you will enjoy your time here. In the dining hall you will see sheets with your roommate charts. We ask that you go to your dorms and unpack while monitors come around and make sure everyone is in the right place. After that, we'll have lunch, and you'll have the rest of the day free. Welcome, everyone!"

The influx inside was surprisingly orderly and it didn't take long for all of the students to see who they were rooming with. A few of the sheets read:

Henry Ainsley, Leon Corvinus, Cyril Ford- Level 2 Room 104
Cy Vester, Eric Lance, Shan Feng- Level 1 Room 112
Jason Tierney, Isaac Cattaneo, Lycus Stark- Level 2 Room 103

Sofia Giffard, Teagan Dunn, Nadine Perrot Level 1 Room 101
Sydney Catron, Eraeqk'aa Al Omayyad, Agatha Desjardins Level 2 Room 102

---

Heney and Leon found their room had already been colonized by a young blonde man named Cyril Ford, a coffee pot and radio already set up. He waved cheerily at them as he flopped his suitcase onto his bed and began moving his clothes to the little closet near his bed.
"I'm Cyril, nice to meet you both. I've got a coffee pot if you guys want some, just don't use all my creamer, please!" he said brightly, closing the closet door with a sharp "click".

Shan Feng didn't show up in the room with Cy and Eric for quite some time, finally sauntering in and shoving his suitcase under the bed without bothering to unpack. The young man's uniform was at least a size or two too big, and he didn't speak to either of his roommate at first, until he'd had enough of Cy's complaining.
"Will you shut the hell up? Friggin rich son of a bitch. Be glad you're here at all!"

Addie and Quinn were treated to little sackfuls of cookies shoved into their hands as soon as they got into the dorm. Their roommate grinned at them, ushering them away from the door as she set up a little, tan mat to wipe their feet on.
"I'm Nadine Perrot, nice to meet you both! The cookies are homemade, so have at them. Do you two mind if I take the bed near the window? I'm a little claustrophobic. Here honey, I've got that," she said to Quinn, taking her suitcase and sitting it on the bed with ease. Addie eased around the friendly girl, trying to find somewhere to stash her jewel beetle collection.

Eddie and Sydney nearly gave their roommate, Agatha, a heart attack when they came in. She seemed to have been deep in thought looking into her closet when they came in.
"Oh! You-- You both scared me. I guess I should've known I would have roommates coming, however. I'm Agatha. It's nice to meet you both, I hope we'll get along. Do-- do tell me if I'm doing something to bother you, okay? Sometimes I'm a little forgetful and leave things lying around. Do you mind if I use a plug in? I need to charge my laptop."

Not long after the monitors came around to make sure everyone was in the correct dorms, the lunch bell rang and students flooded into the dining hall spotted with lots of tables that sat five students each.

 

[Victor Markov]

Leon had went home the night after the fight and had a forge cooked dish rice and had what little possessions he was going to take packed up including a portable forge and plenty of metal ore to work some of the orders he had. He could always get permission to get more when he needed it. The next morning he grabbed the packs and headed out.
He wasn't surprised to see the girl he had helped out already there. "No problem. You didn't start the fight, so don't worry about it." he said simply when she finished thanking him "as for the people who got hurt in the fight, that's up to them, but if you're going to be a pilot you should be able to handle yourself in a fight otherwise you're wasting your time getting into this school and should take up a less violent trade. True enough?" then the woman came out to announce the dorm assignments had been made and off Leon went with his bags. When he seen he had two roommates he was less than pleased. So much for being able to get some work done." he muttered. His smithy was his main source of income.

After Cyril introduced himself and said there was coffee if they wanted some, Leon said "name's Leon. Hope you don't mind me working on some orders I have to get done." as he got his portable forge set up in his corner of the room, but he didn't fire it up yet. "Don't worry about your creamer. I like my coffee black with sugar when I can manage to get some coffee." he added as he set the ore down next to the forge and started putting his clothes away. He knew he would be busy for a long time.

 

[Aeronfarron]

Quinn spent the night much like any other night, alone. Her mother was pulling yet another double shift at the hospital. So, the girl left a note explaining what happened for her mother to read when she got in and left the garden casserole she baked in the oven for her. Then she did her nightly exercises, iced her nose then fell into bed.

When she woke the next morning, her mother was gone and a note was left in its place. Beside the note was a little care package that was filled with goodies from some of the other nurses at the hospital, along with a few gifts from the doctors that she knew fancied the older woman. New socks and shirts, a new leather fastener for her necklace, new hair tied, and a new pair of shoes were some of the gifts. She smiled at the note her mother left her along with the new backpack she'd forgotten to pack the night before. She ate a quick breakfast then showered and dressed in her school uniform.

As she moved towards the door, an envelope caught her eye. She would have left it but it was addressed to her on the ground near the door, oddly enough. She didn't recognize the fancy handwriting but frowned when it carried her full name. Curiosity piqued, she closed the door and opened the envelope, only to be met with a flowing, floral handwritten note.

Dear Teagan Dunn,

My name is not of import right now, just know that I have been watching you for a very, very long time now. You actions yesterday have reaffirmed all that I have believed of you and I look forward to your growth in the upcoming years. Do not worry about your school tuition, books, equipment or materials, I've seen to it.

Sincerely,
An Excited Fan

Quinn rubbed her chin lightly before she stuffed the envelope in her back pocket. She would think about the letter later, "Not even a pilot yet and I already have a fan." She grunted to herself as she jumped down to the 'Rail's platform.

When the young woman finally found her way to her dorm room, she barely kept her grip on the cookies as her bag was taken by a rather excitable young woman. "Er, thanks." She said and gave a smile to her roommate. "I'm fine if you take the window bed." She shrugged then began to unpack, "My name is Teagan Dunn. But please, call me Quinn. Would you guys mind if I set up my pull up bar and bands at night? I'll make sure they're away before 9." She asked. The girl pulled the folded up bar out of bag and did a few arm curls with it with a playful grin. "It fits in the door and is safe for removal and whatnot."

 

[Falcon]

"I drink mine black as well," Henry answered, "though without the sugar . . . it is good with milk and cinnamon though . . ." He paused for a moment and then offered his hand. "My name's Henry.
As it seemed there was only one bed available, the other two having chosen before him, Henry set his pack on top the covers finding it a relief that it was at least near the window. In fact it was a relief the room even had a window considering not all the dorms were on an exterior wall. This way he'd be able to see the moon and stars when the night grew dark.

After a moment he started unpacking his own things into the small chest at the foot of the bed, a little wary of the fact that he had so few cloths they fit with room to spare. It was a choice he had made, to bring nothing he did not feel he had earned somehow. It was that very reason so much had been left behind. How could he ask for a fresh start and a fair chance when he was still living off the hard work of those who by all rights should be better off than he?

Henry wasn't left long to muse, however, as Leon unpacked his forge and started setting up in on corner.

"It is really safe to light that thing inside?" he questioned pointedly. "My dislike of smoke aside, I really don't think this building is made for such a thing and if the room catches fire and spreads it would put a number of us out of a home. I'm sure there's a nice spot in the yard that would be safer."

---

"I'm Sydney," Sydney answered grinning at her new roommates and flopping spread-eagle on the bed nearest the door. "I hope we'll be friends too!" she sat up and bounced in her seat for a moment, leaving her suitcase in the middle of the floor, too excited to do anything except study her new companions.

"Do either of you have any training already?" she asked with a nervous grin. "I don't, but I know some people do and I was wondering . . ." she took a deep breath, "well I was wondering if you did and I needed help if it would be okay - if it would be okay if . . ." she trailed off, suddenly unsure of how to finish. What if these people didn't have training, or worse, what if they did but didn't want to help? It was one thing to struggle through together, but to be rejected . . . Sydney had been mostly isolated for so long that she suddenly found she didn't really know how to make friends and was suddenly very unsure.

A moment later she had tried to cover with a boisterous laugh, and rescued her suitcase from the floor.
"It's okay if you don't. I'm sure if we need help there'll be someone!"

With a click the luggage was opened and Sydney had begun sorting through her things.

 

[Dip]

Eddie spent most of the next day doing something that she has hardly ever done in her life-- she went onto Mainstreet, and decided to go take herself shopping. While she did get new clothes every now and then, hardly any of them were brand new. Most were hand-me-downs and other items that her Nana had bought off of the neighbor boys, or some she got from the local thriftstore when she manages to scrounge up some money. Eddie pulled a suitcase behind her, which was almost completely empty.

Eddie still couldn't believe how much money she had in her billfold. It was almost sickening, how much money she could blow! She picked out a shop that she had always seen, and never bothered to go into. SHe slowly pushed open the door, and saw racks upon racks of different types and colors of clothing. She had seen pants in every color, and shirts in ever size. She was excited to be in the store, and she was even more excited to get some new shoes.

She was met with a very excitable young lady, with a little too much makeup and a lot of hair. "Hello!" She quaked. "How may I help you?"
Eddie looked at the women, and looked back down at herself. "Uhm," Eddie started, rather gently. "Do you have anything my size?"
"Well, what size are you?"
"What size am I?"
The women gave the girl another look, and looked over the sections that devoured the massive store. "Well, let's try something small...Maybe XS."

The women took a good amount of time looking through the sizes on the racks, and she was even a dear and gave her a bunch of coupons for what she wanted to buy! Eddie treated herself and bought some underwear, socks, and a few new bras. She was going to change right when she got to the dorms. As the women began giving her miscellaneous items to try on, Eddie found that the guys shirts fit her better than anything in the ladies department.

The lady helped her only one last time to find her pants size, and when Eddie got it, she managed to grab atleast eight pairs of pants for herself. The size she found fit so comfortably, she never felt anything like it in her life! She got basic colors like black and dark blue, but soon got a little crazy and bought bright yellow and even a stripped pair of black and white pants! She had bought herself a new wardrobe, and knew that she was going to have a good year.

Eddie got short-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shirts, tank tops and jackets, flannels and shoes, and everything else she knew she'd need. With all the coupons that the lady gave to Eddie, it was just a dent in her newly accumulated account. Eddie, after her clothing spree, went and got some personal hygiene products. She was unsure if they had anything like that for her at the dorms, and it was better to be safe than sorry. She filled her suitcase till it seemed to be heavier than herself, and she set off for her destination. She walked on foot, but half way there, she decided to walk in some new shoes.

She took a new pair of boots out of her suitcase, and slipped them over her old socks. She felt like she was in heaven when she put them on, and when she laced them, nothing but a smile traced over her face. She kept her old ones in the box, sure that some of the other kids in her neighborhood would want to use them when she was done with them. She'd do the same to her new boots, and her clothes when she outgrew them.

Eddie made it to the school, signed up for her classes, and payed for her dorms. The money was hardly spent, and she kept it hidden so it would stay like that. She knew that no one would steal something if they didn't know it was there, but she also knew no one at all. She was just a stranger in a strange new place, and she had a feeling that no amount of clean clothes would make her fit in.

Eddie walked into her dorm room, right around the same time Sydney was heading in, and she greeted her gently. They both walked in, Eddie holding the door for her and Sydney keeping it open for herself. It was a silent partnership, and Eddie was hoping it'd stay like that for the least bit. As Eddie met with her third roommate, she jumped at the scream.

As she spoke, Eddie couldn't help but hold down a chuckle for herself. "Hey, Agatha. My name's Eraeqk'aa Al Omayyad-- Er, Eddie Fay for short. 'Mind if I have the bed near the window?" She offered, with a gentle smile. When she got the O-K to do so, she put her suitcase on top of the bed and looked in the drawers and dressers that were near herself. She decided that she'd hang up what she bought, and she would go and use the desks for her school supplies.

School supplies...

Eddie mentally hit herself on the head when she realized that she hadn't even bought school supplies! She looked through the desk, and found that it was empty. Well, she would just have to go and get everything later on, then. She was feeling a little guilty about spending so much already-- was this what people called Buyers Remorse?-- how was she going to spend more on stuff she should have bought first?

Eddie sighed, and started hanging up her clothes inside the dresser. She made her bed, and grabbed an outfit she could wear for the first day. This little slip-up wasn't going to ruin her day, no way! She had a big day ahead of her, and this was just a little dip in the road. Eddie headed near the bathroom, and changed into what could have been the cleanest clothes she had ever worn. She figured she should have put on her uniform, but she would wear that tomorrow for classes.

When she looked in the mirror, she felt a little embarrassed. Well, no wonder her new roommate nearly had a heart attack when she came in. She looked like a wreck! Eddie fixed her bandages as best as she could, and made a mental to-do list for the rest of the day.

• Change bandages.
• Get school supplies.
• Unpack deck of cards.
• Seek out the local mechanics.

That seemed like a very prioritized list. Eddie poked her head out of the bathroom, placing her old clothes on hangers inside of the closest. She heard a loud bell ring out, and she looked to her new roommates. "Mind if I head out to lunch? If you want, I can wait for you two." She didn't smile this time, because she was very much aware of the new gap in her teeth.

Eddie looked at the other roommate she had-- Sydney, she guessed-- and heard bits of what she had said before she entered the bathroom. She heard her inquire about training, and Eddie gulped. "I don't have much hand-to-hand abilities... as you can see here," Eddie pointed to her face. "And here," She pointed to her teeth, aswell. "But I'm one hell of a mechanic! I can fabricate almost anything, really. If you need anything fixed or refurbished or repaired, you can come to me, yeah?"

​

Dinner was nothing new in the Vester household. Cy was between his little brother and his father, and his mother was between his little brother and her husband. It was a very large table, but the problem with the household that Cy lived in was they wanted a small family. There was enough food to feed three kingdoms and some small villages, with meats and pork and vegetables about. It was usually like this, sure, but this time it was different. There was his favorite food, and even some delicacies that he'd only had once or twice.

"Can you pass me some more pineapple, mother?" Cy asked, his mouth watering.
"If you eat any more of this, you're going to turn into one." His mother smiled, before handing a large, juicy chunk over to her son. "I can believe it. My son, accepted into his school..." She droned on and on, even going as far as to get teary-eyed. Cy got embarrassed, and found his slice of fruit to be almost heaven sent. He looked over at his father, and the old man smiled at him.

His father was the kind of man who would find more interest in a good book than an afternoon playing in the yard near their extensive home. He was the kind of man who played piano for fun, and not for recognition. Cy couldn't understand his father, but he could tell that the look he had given him was one to show his son that he was proud. Cy tipped his glass to him, and took a sip.

If Cy told you that he wasn't ashamed of living up the lie, he would be lying. He only did what he had to do, and it was better to lie about the truth than tell the truth about a lie. Cy ate till he was sure he was going to rip at the edges, and he went upstairs to pack for the next day, and sleep the night away. Cy packed all he needed, enough outfits to be worn on days without dresscodes, and enough to still have a little fun with.

He packed his toiletries, hair accessories, glasses, and everything else first thing in the morning, and he missed his family goodbye. He got a ride to the school early, and even then he still managed to be late. He figured that the rooms would be full by then, but he could still be able to nab a level three one all for himself. When he got to the front to pay for his dorm room, he found that there were no level three ones available.

There were none at all.

Not only that, but he was already assigned one on the first level. There would be nothing in there! He also had two roommates with him... He could've stood one, sure, but two?! Oh, this was going to be a shitty school year. He came into the dorm grumbling. He picked a bed that was closest to the window, and began unpacking and folding as he spoke to himself.

"Level one... Level one, my ass. I spend all this time getting here, working hard, finishing my papers and I'm stuck here with these-- on level one? The school fucked me over, I swear to god..." He went on like that, angrily shoving outfits into the proper drawers. He didn't notice the angered boy that came in, and began raising hell with him.

Cy looked at him, and looked absolutely offended. "Be glad I'm here? Be glad that you're still here. Who the hell do you think you are? Crawl back to the loft you came from-- why not go back to the mechanic shop, grease monkey? Or maybe try a change of clothes, yeah? You look a little big for your britches" He turned back and finished unpacking. "Who the hell does he think he is, telling me to be glad. What a load of shit." He whispered under his breath.​

 

[Victor Markov]

Leon scowled and said "this is my only source of income and i have over seven hundred orders to fill or what's left of my family's business will go under. The Corvinus forge is the only traditional forge the nobles go to for a new weapon or a repair job on one they own. And seeing as the rest of my family is dead, it falls on my shoulders to keep the forge alive. What makes you think the staff here would approve me working while I have my studies? Also, i brought molds i made for each order I have. All I'm going to do is smelt the ore and pour it into the molds, let it cool and then contact the clients and deliver their products them. On top of that, this is the latest smokeless coal produced in the city. More heat without the irritation of smoke. More heat means that the metal melts faster which makes filling my order easier. This place is far from cheap and I have to bust my ass to be able to keep attending this academy. Also, don't worry about me burning the place down. I have very steady hands. If I was at home, I would be pounding out long bars of metal and shaping the metal by hand."

 

[Victor Markov]

(Collaboration post with @CoffeeFalcon)
Henry couldn't stop the scowl that crossed his face at the other boy's words. Had he really just said that? Had he really just tried to guilt trip them and use his deceased family to do what he wanted?

"So," Henry couldn't stop himself before the words poured out if his mouth, "you think the opinion of a few nobles is so highly raked they get to dictate your life and ours by proxy?" there was a bite to those words, but Henry kept going.
"Do you think you're the only person who's lost someone? you think you're the only person scraping to get buy? the only person in this room? you think yours is the only life that matters in this place?" that was one of the few things that were unforgivable to Henry, being careless with someone else's life.
"You asked if I minded and I told you I did. If you weren't going to listen then why did you bother asking in the first place?"

Henry stood there a moment fists clenched, taking deep breaths, and trying not to lose his cool. He wasn't trying to pick a fight, not really. And he didn't want to make the people he shared a room with angry with him, but another person's safety was one of his few buttons, and this kid and found and pressed it early.

"What choice do I have!? The nobles are the only ones allowed to carry weapon and there are a select few families allowed to be the people who make them." Leon snapped as he pulled two holo-disks and tossed them to Henry. One was of his family before the murders. The other one contained the ever so graphic pictures after each murder. "That was my family. Murdered by a competitor and I got bombarded with orders for new weapons not even an hour after they were put inn the ground. Think on that. Over seven hundred orders and my customers aren't exactly the patient kind. I'm pressed for time. I'm running on fumes right now from being awake for working two days straight. No breaks. No rest. No food. Every second counts. And each customer that doesn't like how long I take hurts my family's standing and puts my reputation at risk. The only trade I know is making weapons. If my reputation goes down the drain, my licence gets revoked. And that means I'm unable to continue my training due to my being unable to foot the bill and might as well jump from the upper ring. I didn't loose anyone. They were murdered. Stolen from me. My mother and sisters were butchered. I came home one day and found them dead and in several small pieces. My father crawled into a bottle and was murdered at the bar he spent every last cent he earned trying to drown out the pain from the utter loss he felt. I was left to man the forge alone. After the investigation was over, I buried all four of them by myself." the older boy growled out " since you're so concerned about this place burning down, you find a place I can work I'll move my forge there. But don't expect to see too much of me outside our classes. I'll more than likely pass out next to my forge every third day. Too many orders at the same time. I have no choice but to bust my ass and stay awake to finish project after project. Go ahead and get pissed off at me for supporting myself. I've been doing just that ever since my old man started drinking."