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[h1][color=f7941d]Dakota Brookes[/color][/h1]
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[hider=Lunch]
[center][sub]Interacting with: [color=598527]Salem[/color] [@Trainerblue192], [color=deepskyblue]Lilie[/color] [@Hero], and [color=cbba2e]Aaron[/color] [@Obscene Symphony][/sub][/center]

Dakota found a bit of comfort in Salem’s words of encouragement. He sounded so confident that some sort of affinity would make itself known eventually that it eased a bit of the anxiety the mage had been feeling about it. As the group made its way toward the dining hall, they found themselves roped into some sort of unscheduled tour of the surrounding areas, making what should have only been a few minute trip into what could only be described as an olympic sport. With the woman known as Sariel at the lead, the group was ushered from one location to the next in the most roundabout way Dakota could imagine. Sure the information could be helpful, but when presented so out of order, even they could not keep up with where the group had ended up.

By the time Sariel had deposited them at the dining hall, Dakota had begun to worry that the woman had actually forgotten her way and had used the tour as a way to cover up the mistake. Still, the group was eventually brought to their destination to be set loose to enjoy the seemingly endless amounts of foods. The room was filled with the sounds of competing voices, conversations of varying topics momentarily rising up before once again being drowned out by another group’s shenanigans.

Eyes tracking around the room, Dakota’s immediate interest were the many different kinds of meals set out for their consumption. As each new scent introduced themselves to the mage’s nostrils, the desire to load up a plate intensified. Before Sariel had even finished talking, Dakota’s stomach snarled aggressively. Thankfully, the woman did not stick around too much longer after their arrival, leaving the group to disperse to their own devices. It seemed that Salem and Aaron had private business to attend to, or at least the was the feeling Dakota got from the expression on Aaron’s face. Not wanting to intrude, Dakota grinned and waved them off, turning to see what Lilie had in mind for lunch. The cute girl seemed to be somewhat preoccupied with something on her phone for the moment, so Dakota took the opportunity to slip away and snag a plate to pile food onto.

There were plenty of options laid out on the tables, ranging from the standard comfort food items to custom prepared healthy alternatives. Some of what was seen there was far more expensive than anything the Brookes children would ever hope to see outside of special occasions. Dakota was never really one to eat all that extravagantly in the first place, enjoying a surf and turf platter or some sushi every once in a while. Their family wasn’t poor by any means, but it wasn’t in their budget to spend so thoughtlessly on food. With so many options, Dakota found themselves hesitating somewhat in making a decision.

With a shake of the head, the mage turned away from the fancier options in favor of something a lot more familiar. In all honesty, there had been little expectation to find something along the lines of Dakota’s usual diet but someone must have taken the students’ previous lifestyles into account when designing the lunch menu. With much glee, Dakota piled a cheeseburger, some fries, and two slices of pepperoni pizza onto the plate and waddled back to the table Lilie and the others sat at. The quality of the food might have been much higher than anything Dakota would have consumed at home, it didn’t stop the mage from scarfing it all down and enjoying every bite.

As the last bites were consumed, Dakota took note of the many conversations going on around the table. It seemed that while having found a group to spend some time around, Dakota had failed to really connect with anyone this time around. Perhaps it was to be expected as the group had already been formed before Dakota had barged in. With everyone occupied in their own situations, it didn’t take much for the mage to excuse themselves from the table to return the dirty dish before making for an exit.

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The bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang a few minutes after Dakota had left the cafeteria, bringing with it throngs of students returning to whatever classes or activities they had to be at. Dakota did their best to stay out of everyone’s way, finding a quiet corner to take up and watch the crowds walk by. Even now, conversations were still going strong. The topics were as varied as the people, some talking about trips they had taken over the break, others about assignments they had already been given from teachers whose names alone sounded ominous.

Posted around the campus were signs indicating what direction people were heading in, including some near buses that were marked as transportation back to the dorms or into town. For whatever reason, Dakota couldn’t find much pull in either option. For a moment it looked as if a familiar face had climbed aboard one of the buses but due to the distance it was too difficult to tell so the thought was dismissed. Turning away from the crowd, the mage picked a direction and began walking in it with little regard to the destination. They passed by smaller groups chatting away or practicing their crafts, some just showing off while others were trying to help teach. Dakota wasn’t sure what had changed in the last little bit, but a heavy sigh worked its way up and forced its way out as the mage trekked along.

The chosen path had taken the young mage past the building known as the Arena, a rustle in their back pocket a reminder of the application they had picked up back at the orientation. Without an affinity to master, Dakota wondered if there was any point in turning it in to use the space alongside the other competitive mages. The faces of the rest of the group came to mind as Dakota stared at the paper in their hands, a perfect opportunity to try again with the whole ‘bonding experience’. The arena was also bound to have more than just sparring included in its perks, perhaps there would be solo workout opportunities as well. Spotting a forgotten pen on the ground beside the pathway, Dakota snagged it up and used it to fill out the application before stuffing the pen in a pocket and heading straight for the building. 

It didn’t take long for Dakota to run into someone who the application could be handed off to, and a question asked about training facilities. The mage was pointed toward one of several off shooting facilities for the building which, upon entry, looked quite similar to a run-of-the-mill gym. The assumption was that this part of the facility was designed around independent workout geared towards the more physical aspect rather than a magical one. For the time being it seemed rather empty, a fact that relieved the mage as it would allow some time to work off some of the nerves that had built up.

Normally, Dakota would have opted to change into something more suited to working out. Knowing Noila Academy, it was always possible that extra clothes would be provided in the case that someone did not bring their own... however, Dakota did not feel the need to go through the effort of trying to track any down. Setting any personal belongings aside, Dakota unbuttoned the soft yellow fabric and carefully set it with the other items. Despite initial assumptions, the youth was not just some lanky kid with a fast metabolism. Hidden underneath the shirt was a fairly toned torso that hinted at years of athletics and physical activities.

“[color=f7941d]Looks like the sports bra was a good choice for today.[/color]” Dakota mused to themselves as they fished an mp3 and some headphones from the pile of things and took up a position before a suspended punching bag. 

[hider=Playlist]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/S7OCzDNeENg[/youtube]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/ZNswbkSGHGI [/youtube]
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Closing their eyes, Dakota took a few measured breaths as the music began playing in their ears. There was something about the chimes paired with the drums of the first song that had a way of motivating the young mage. It helped to focus the mind in what could be best described as a workout ritual. It was often a couple of minutes before Dakota would begin to actually move outside of some swaying to the voices enriching the track. However, when the mage did finally decide to strike, it was a sight to behold.

As the playlist hit the 5:40 mark, Dakota’s eyes slowly slid open with a renewed vigilance and fiery determination. Completely focused on the bag before them, an ululation in the fourth song served as the trigger sound. From the outside it would have seemed out of nowhere as Dakota slammed their fists into the equipment with a fair amount of power. One after the other fell upon the punching bag as the mage seemed to dance around structure, occasionally ducking and dodging invisible return blows from the shadow opponent. As the trigger song ended and the next piece began, the blows lessened and the music took a slower, more dramatic turn.

Extending a hand out to still the agitated equipment, Dakota took the moment to steady their breathing, waiting for a turn in the pacing to resume the exercise. A swell in the tone prompted the mage back into action, though the feel of the movement was very different from before. Every blow was measured, fewer and farther between to focus more on hand placement than blindly striking the object. This method went on for a couple of hours as Dakota’s style and pacing changed depending on that of the music heard only by their ears. If anyone entered during that time they were paid no mind, as all sense of the world outside of their imaginary battle was completely lost.

By the end of the playlist, Dakota’s skin was dripping with sweat and their breathing was ragged. It had been quite some time since they had gotten so lost in the exercise, realizing a second playlist had played to completion before they reached a stopping place. Walking away from the punching bag, Dakota sunk to the floor beside their things and pulled the earbuds from their ears. Putting the mp3 player away, Dakota drew forth the phone half expecting to see a missed message or something. Despite the late hour, the mage was somewhat disheartened not to see a single message reaching out.

Leaning back against the wall, Dakota set to regulating their breathing before getting up to dress. The bruised knuckles were apparent as the youth buttoned up their shirt, a few even scraped open as a result of the excessive use on the bag. It was not at all unusual to the mage so no thought was put into it as Dakota sought out something to wipe the bag down with for hygiene sake. Once everything was back as it should be, Dakota collected the belongings they had with them and began heading back to the dorms.

Normally Dakota would not have had any problem walking back, but this time they thought it better to take the bus as they had already worked out beyond what was probably recommended for the day. The ride was fairly short and completely uneventful outside of picking up a straggler or two along the way. Before long Dakota was fishing out the dorm key and letting themselves inside the building. Looking around, Dakota could tell that Joryldin had been back at some point but it didn’t appear as if he was there any longer. A drawn out sigh filled the space as the mage made their way back to their room and hopped into the shower.

Cool water felt nice against feverish skin, the daily grime washing away as the mage worked out any lingering soreness from the muscles. When Dakota emerged, they changed into athletic shorts and a loose fitting tank, wrapping the towel around their shoulders so that hair that had been pinned up all day could be freed. Peeking into the shared space, Dakota sensed that for the time being, they were still alone. Unsure of whether to be relieved or disappointed, Dakota set to putting on a movie only to doze off on the couch nearly twenty minutes into it.

[hider=Honorable Mention]
[color=0072bc]Joryldin[/color] [@Jade Blades]
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