[Lauren and Ryika (Collaboration by Mattie_ and vanovick)] Gracefully stepping out of her parent’s limo, Ryika tightly clutched the handbook her parents had written for her. The driver exited the car a moment later and retrieved her luggage from the trunk, two suitcases and a duffle bag. Ryika waited by the curb until the driver caught up to her. She led ahead to the guarded gate, where her driver passed the luggage to the guard to be taken inside. She waved goodbye to the driver before following the guards through the gate. The instant she passed through the gate, she was across the distance to the school, in front of the track. Her parents told her this would happen. She wouldn’t have believed them before this. [i]High quality track. Hopefully there’ll be free time.[/i] Ryika thought while walking across to the school. The guards escorted her to a table set up in the middle of the track, where she was greeted by a woman. “Hello there, first and last name please?” she asked. Ryika paused for a brief moment before collecting herself. She confidently responded “Ryika Syverson.” “Ok, here we go! Make sure to head to your class today, starting at 10am. Here is your envelope, you’ll be in class number two.” the woman pointed to the ‘2’ written on the envelope as she passed it across the table “Room key and more information is in that, make sure you go through it.” “Thank you” Ryika said while nodding to the woman. Ryika continued alongside the table before looking back at the woman. “Class two is that building” the woman smiled while pointing “Good luck!” Ryika sighed and kept walking, remembering all the stories her parents had told her of the first day. [i]I don’t need anymore reminders of what will happen.[/i] --- “Good luck honey. We’ll see you in a year.” “Thanks mom. Bye!” Lauren hoists her luggage out of the trunk of the small family sedan and rolls it toward the ornate gate, waving to her parents over her shoulder. [i]They didn’t even get out of the car to see me off, but I guess that’s no surprise. It’s only one year right? Eugh... I could have been born with worse parents though.[/i] A guard stood on each side of the fancy, eastern-looking gate, and one more guard stood off to the side. Lauren looked down to avoid meeting their eyes as she walked up. They were frankly scary, giving off a dangerous feeling. She yelped and looked up in surprise when a guard stepped in front of her and held out his hand. [i]Did I do something wrong? Am I not allowed in? My parents will kill me![/i] “Wha-what is it?” She asked nervously. “I’ll take your luggage. It needs to be inspected, and will be sent to your room afterwards.” The guard stated impassively. “Oh.. right.” Lauren handed her luggage over and quickly continued on, silently sighing in her head. Staring at the ground as she passed through the gate, she missed the moment when she transitioned to the grounds of the school, and was thus only mildly surprised when she looked up to see the reception tables in front of her. [i]When did I walk this far?[/i] ”Hello! May I have your name?” The kindly older man in a blue suit inquired. “I’m Lauren, Lauren Zavala.” “Welcome, Lauren. This contains everything you need. Your class number is on the front, and within the envelope is your room key and room information. Any questions? No? Then you’re all set.” The man clasps his hands together, eyes twinkling. Saying nothing after that but still looking at her, Lauren realized that was her cue to leave. --- 9:40 Rhythmically flipping the pages back and forth, Ryika stared down at handbook as she walked, barely glancing at the notes she had already gone over during the ride here. She stopped on the words page, the one her parents spent the most time writing on. [i]Bolt. I can’t wait to see how it works.[/i] The page was filled with bullet points of the word bolt. The various uses and interpretations of it. Ryika skimmed down the page yet again, and while flipping to the next page, crashed into another person walking, sending the book flying. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” Lauren grumbles as she picks herself up off the floor. Still dusting off her shoulders, she picks up the book that the girl dropped. “What’s this?” Lauren asks as she hands it back to the girl. “A... guidebook?” Lauren flips to the first page and starts reading. “Monsters spawning out of walls...?...! What the hell is this book, some sort of fanfic? And it looks handwritten...” Lauren murmurs, her eyes poring over the pages. Ryika stumbled past the girl and spun around, eye wide when she saw her book in the girl’s hands. “Hey! That’s my book! Could’ve been personal stuff…” Ryika exclaims as she snatched it back. “And it’s NOT, a fanfic, thank you very much. It’s a guidebook to this school. My parents attended this place before. That’s what’ll happen the first day. Monsters.” Ryika raised the book to Lauren’s face and pointed to the word on the page. Monsters. Lauren nods sagely. “Oh yes, my mistake. It does clearly say monsters. I must be the silly one for walking into a monster academy without realizing it.” [i]-_-[/i] Ryika nodded and smiled, not detecting a hint of sarcasm. “Yup! Just looking out for you too. I don’t want you to get eaten suddenly, since you’re the first person I’ve talked to here. Are you in class two as well?” [i]Oh god, she’s in my class. ... If I denied it, she’d see me in class anyways. Sigh.[/i] “...Yeah.” “Oh, cool! Let’s walk to class together! My name’s Ryika! I can tell you more about this place too...” Ryika trailed off, unsure of the name. “I’m Lauren. And... sure.” Dragging her feet, Lauren follows after Ryika. The pair continued to the class two building door before stopping behind a dirty individual. Ryika stops and looks back at Lauren before approaching him and reaches toward his shoulder to brush off a dirt clump. "Hey you got something there." [i] How did this bum get past the guards?[/i] Lauren looks the guy up and down skeptically.