[INDENT][COLOR=TAN][sup][b]| 0600 hrs // University Dorms[/b][/sup][/COLOR]
Haven was up with the sun. The first morning light trickling through her window to warm her wings where she laid. Her bed sat in the middle of the far wall, so that when she stretched her feathered limbs the tips just barely grazed the walls on each side. She'd gotten to bed early last night, having thrown on a baggy tee as soon as she made it back to the dorm and collapsed on the bed.

She dressed in a pair of her own workout shorts and tee now. Picking a lucky hairband of the day off of her dresser, she threw her hair up into a tight ponytail. She opted for a window exit today. As she opened the window as wide as it could go, she perched herself on the sill for an easy takeoff. The morning air felt amazing in her lungs, and she smiled at the awakening dorms in the square. This time of morning was always so peaceful. It offered Haven a chance to slip out before the usual cacophony of students filled her ears.

She looked skyward now, towards a brightening blue sky. Her legs tensed, the muscles building up momentum before she launched herself into the air. Her wings snapped open to catch herself just as she made it past the roof of the dorms. They began to pump, bringing her higher and higher until she could see the entire campus below her. Salty Pacific air blew against her to her right, already pulling a few baby hairs from her ponytail. It would be a mess by the time she made it back to the dorm.

Haven tilted her wings, her body dipping a few feet as she turned towards her usual morning flight path. She soon left the campus behind, swapping buildings for the forests of Dundas Island. Her legs stretched out behind her, and her arms out beside her. Her wings did most of the work, really, but the muscles in her arms and legs had to withstand holding themselves up. She could hit the gym all she wanted, but a true workout meant regular morning flights to keep her body trained for flight. Otherwise her limbs would hang limply below her, gravity pulling them towards the earth.

The outer cliffs on the North side of campus were soon in sight. While most students walked the trails, Haven used them as a natural guide to follow. She'd walked them a few times before with her teammates. The cliffs were beautiful from the trails, but they were gorgeous from her own point of view beside them. She could watch the water crash into the rock below, and watch as the sun shone through the trees on the top.

When she reached the edge of the cliffs, Haven tucked her arms in tightly to her sides. Her wings followed suit, allowing her to dive right over the side. A rush of adrenaline filled her veins as she hurtled towards the water below. She grinned at the feeling. The speed she reached in a dive was addicting. When she first heard of people cliff-diving, she thought they were nuts. Yet when she first let herself dive off of a cliff she understood why they did it.

She had no intention of reaching the water today, though. As the sound of the crashing waves became too loud, Haven stretched her arms and wings out beside her to catch the wind. It stopped her about twenty feet from the water. She quickly banked left, coasting on the sea breeze as she turned herself towards the beaches.

She found herself thinking of last night as the sandy shores came into view. Her teammates hopes after graduation. Rory's whisper in her ear, and the softness in his eyes. The sun wasn't the only thing warming her wings as she remembered their intimate moment by the bonfire. The only things to ruin her happiness sitting there were her own teammates.

First there was Mei's subtle show of jealousy. That ball of silk hadn't gone unnoticed. The only physical indication that Haven had seen it was shown in the way her wings flinched behind her. She didn't want to find out how well Mei's silk would stick to her feathers, or how painful it might be to remove. Haven noted the meaning behind it, however, and she'd turned her head to face the fire instead of Rory. Her eyes watched Mei knit her silk for some time, until the other teammate to ruin the quiet evening spoke up.

Amma had spoken everyone's worst fear out loud. Haven had frowned at her, her brows knitting together to show her displeasure. The worst part of it all was that Amma hadn't lied to them. The world was a cruel place, especially for those who couldn't hide their differences. She didn't know everyone's trauma fully, but she was sure that she had dealt with more prejudice than most of the group.

Yet she had survived in the cruel world Amma spoke of for years, and she had found happiness in it. There was a silver lining out there somewhere. Amma had no right to crush her teammates spirits like that. She would have argued with her, if it weren't for Gil's attempt to continue the group's conversation. His optimism brought the group back to life. She wasn't sure if he had saved Amma from her own wrath, or he had saved her from getting the brunt of Amma's negativity thrown her way.

The thought had Haven glaring at the beach beneath her, her hands curling into fists beside her. She wasn't scared to bear Amma's full focus. The girl had issues, sure, but she wasn't evil incarnate. If Amma wanted to drag everyone into her negativity, Haven would be the light that pulled them back out of it. She would make herself the team's silver lining.

Haven finished her morning flight with gusto now, and made it to the mail office ten minutes before her assigned community contribution time. She made the deliveries into training, usually. The short bursts of flight to get the packages and mail delivered were also great practice in quick landings and departures in small spaces. If not for a previous record set by a superspeed alumni, Haven would've been considered the fastest mail service student at PRCU. She finished in no time, considering it was the first day of the semester and the mail pile had been small. It left her with just enough time to head back to the dorms to shower and change.

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[COLOR=TAN][hr][sup][h1][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XkgVbMq.jpeg[/img][/center][b][center][color=1C1C1C] H A V E N[/color]
[color=D2B48C]H A V E N[/color][/center]
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[indent][sub][B]Location:[/B] [COLOR=SILVER][I]Mess Hall to Chimera's Lair[/I] - [I]PRCU[/I][/COLOR][/sub][sup][right][b]Welcome Home #1.043:[/b] [COLOR=SILVER][I]Ruffled Feathers[/I][/COLOR][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][B]Interaction(s):[/B] [COLOR=SILVER][I]rory [@Webboysurf], Gil [@Roman], Lorcán [@Lord Wraith], Neighbor in Stadium [/I][/COLOR][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][b]Previously:[/b] [COLOR=SILVER][I]Unexpected Turbulence[/I][/COLOR][/right][/SUP][/INDENT][/COLOR]

[indent] Haven tugged at the collar of her button-up as she left the dorms. The first day wearing the uniform, after a whole summer in tanks and tees, had never gotten any easier. She'd opted for the white dress shirt today. Her blazer bore the Strigidae house emblem and the Blackjack armband, a subtle display of her school spirit. They were only expected to be in uniform for the morning, so she chose to wear the black pleated skirt (with a pair of bike shorts underneath should she need to take flight) just because she had a chance to dress feminine. She even wore knee length black socks with her loafers to complete the look.

She grabbed breakfast in the mess hall before their meeting. A hearty meal, since lunch seemed so far away with the Homecoming Trial preparation on her mind. She invited any other Blackjack teammates to sit with her if she spotted them. Breakfast went quickly, and soon she was walking out of the mess hall to meet with the rest of the team.

The first person she noticed was Rory, standing next to Gil. What a sight he was, dressed in his uniform. She paused where she stood to admire it with a sly smile. Her attention hadn't even traveled south until Lorcán ran up behind the guys, planting a solid smack onto their cheeks. Haven's brows rose, playing the moment over in her head before she nodded in approval.

She moved over to join them, a smile on her face as if she hadn't seen the bromantical moment they'd shared. [color=tan]"Hey, boys."[/color] Lorcán's pants fell around his ankles, but Haven kept her eyes on their faces as if it hadn't happened. [color=tan]"Ready to build the freshie's course later?"[/color]

Tad's voice turned her attention to the front of the group. She began to follow as he lead them towards the stadium, glancing towards Rory so that she wouldn't bump into him as they walked. Not that she wouldn't mind it. [color=tan]"I always seem to forget how handsome you look in uniform."[/color] She murmured from beside him.

They reached the stadium before Haven could butter him up even more. Soon she was seated in her usual spot, unfortunately not next to the boy she'd just complimented. She sat on the edge of the row so she only had to mind her right wing beside her. With the whole student body gathered, it wasn't safe to sit a stool in the aisle to accommodate her.

O'Neil delivered a strong speech. Haven grinned as he made a joke meant for Banjo. The two newcomers on the stage caught her attention long before O'Neil introduced them. It was weird that the Foundation was here to survey the school, but Haven didn't think much of it. Instead, her heart dropped as she heard that several degrees were no longer valid. She turned her head towards her teammates that would be affected by this, her brows furrowing as she wondered if that included her own degree. To think that she'd studied so hard all these years to pass her classes just to leave empty handed. Or that she'd have to transfer to a different school and start all over again. Amma's words echoed in her head as she caught sight of the dark haired transfer and she frowned.

She'd just turned back to hear the rest of Jim's speech when the Foundation representative chose to interrupt the school's favorite faculty member. [color=tan]"What's with this bitch?"[/color] She murmured to her neighbor. 

[color=white]“As many of you are already aware, the Alexandria Foundation is here this year to audit Pacific Royal and to bring it up to our standards. We’re interested in acquiring this school and helping it move past that, what would you call it Mr. O’Neil? Little faux-pas with your previous Chancellor.”[/color]

Haven's expression turned deadly. The muscles in her back tensed as a shiver crawled up her spine and to the tips of her wings. Her feathers ruffled involuntarily. Yet the bitch continued on, as if she hadn't mentioned a terrorist in front of a student body that still bore the scars of Hyperion's acts. O'Neil regained control of the speech soon after, giving Haven a moment to take a slow and intentional breath through her nose.

[color=tan]"I'll give her a [i]really[/i] nice Pacific Royal Welcome after this."[/color] She muttered under her breath.

Lorcán was the first out of the stadium. She'd heard his excuse to Aurora, among the student's murmuring, before the shuffle of his feet. When O'Neil had finished speaking, Haven was the next one to go. Her feathers were still embarrassingly fluffed out of frustration. She was itching to give the woman a piece of her mind, and yet she knew there was nothing she could do. She could always find something else to do with her life, without a degree. She'd done it before, although not as legally as she should have. It was the fact that her friends careers hung on the rep's say-so that burned her. It meant Haven would have to play nice for their benefit, and she surely would. Hopefully her temper wouldn't muck it up for them, should the Foundation truly decide to take over the school she'd grown to love.

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