[color=aba000][center][h3]Joseph[/h3][/center][/color]

Shavings fell like brown snowflakes as Joseph eased the knife along the wooden shaft. Of all the craftsmanships that the young man participated in, he felt most comfortable and relaxed while working on new bolts for his crossbow. Not many things were as monotonous yet attention-demanding as the craft - a single mistake or surprise could snap a bolt, or ruin it irreparably. It didn't allow time for retrospection like basketweaving did, nor was it as exhausting as forging was. It was light busy work that allowed the time to pass by productively. All of Joseph's chores were done for the day - the chickens would need to be fed again at dinner and the cloak that wrapped protectively around Joseph's body would need to be given a quarter-pound of meat, but other than those tasks, Joseph would be left staring at a blank wall for the rest of the day.

He didn't mind the possibility of intense boredom. Boredom was a pointless emotion that served no real endeavor and only fueled laziness. No, Joseph simply did not want to waste the precious hours he had done absolutely nothing. Joseph knew he probably wasn't the only person who created their ammunition for their weapons at the academy, but he had a suspicion that most of them chose to simply buy arrows or bolts. Wasteful.

Joseph shook his head and placed his work to the side, unfinished. He had already completed a few dozen bolts over the last few hours, which would last him at least two missions, much more if he was conservative. Despite his desire to continue, Joseph forced himself to stand and leave his room, carefully undoing the bell alarm he had connected to the door. Leaving his work unfinished for an hour or two, constantly gnawing at his mind would be a suitable punishment for thinking poorly of his peers. They were, for all intents and purposes, his equals - Now that he was 15, he had to learn cooperation and associating with other people if he was meant to succeed at his missions. Pack strategies were integral to numerous animals' survival and would enable safety in numbers.

More so than anything else, however, being considerate to other students was an academy regulation. 

The difficulty involved in this was more than Joseph had expected, however - how was he supposed to join someone's herd? Cattle and sheep were simple - simply blending in with them is enough to become one of their kind. Others, like wolves, could risk Joseph being killed... 

Joseph paused and collected himself briefly. No, that was stupid - death was an impossibility at the Academy. There were rules that enforced that, and they were punished very harshly. Therefore, joining would be as simple as walking up and blending in with a group. The young teen nodded to himself as he passed the stairwell leading to the baths... before immediately turning around and deciding to take a bath. Joseph's clothes were already immaculate, but the teenager found any chance to visit the baths of the academy to be worth abusing. The baths were one of the main attracting factors of the establishment to Joseph - back on the farm he grew up in, the best tools Joseph had to clean himself were lukewarm water and washpans. The waters here, however, were warm enough to leave his skin soft and pleasant to the touch - and Joseph's creations were always pleased with the warmer environment the water provided. 

Joseph received a few looks for bringing a cloak into the bath with him, but nothing outrageous - many of the other boys had towels nearby or in the water with them. After a pleasant half-hour of furiously rubbing his skin down and frantic self-maintenance, Joseph felt pleased to continue on his way, perfectly refreshed...

Until he finished getting dressed, when he realized the error of his detour - he was supposed to be rectifying his lack of teammates, not taking relaxing baths! Joseph's cloak shook slightly as it noticed his nerves, occasional black tendrils reaching across Joseph's body in anxiety. After buckling his belt and tightening the string of his cloak, Joseph was left with a final, trying challenge - who was he supposed to approach first with his offering of comradery? 

Joseph normally would never consider moving closer to one of the more intimidating students in the school of his own volition - there was nothing wrong with them, but the more physically impressive or dangerous a person was, the less comfortable Joseph felt associating with them. This time, however, was different - the tougher a person was, the more hits they could take. And the more hits someone could take, the fewer hits Joseph would need to run away from. Despite what he wished, Joseph understood the importance of finding someone that covered his weak areas. While Joseph couldn't see anyone else getting dressed, he did see someone just finishing up their bath and beginning to leave...

She was somewhat short, but she had a presence that demanded attention. Mostly because she was on fire. This was perfect - burns were some of the worst pains there were, and by joining this girl, Joseph would have a far better chance with his future missions. More importantly, he'd have a much easier time approaching other students if he had someone like that with him. Joseph rushed slightly to catch up, his cloak unnaturally moving and pushing him forward. When he caught up to the flaming girl, he paused briefly - how was he supposed to initiate an interaction like this? Ah! The weather was a topic that was frequently touched upon by the faculty of the academy, so maybe that would be a good opener. Joseph turned to the flaming girl and spoke.

[color=aba000]"Greetings. How are you enjoying the weather? I despise cold weather - my chickens always lay fewer eggs, and on especially cold days I have to leave my cloak with them or else they'll die from frostbite."[/color]

That... was the perfect way to initiate a conversation. Pride was a sin, but Joseph couldn't help but allow a small amount to leak into his thoughts after that display. Now he just needed to follow through, allow her to reciprocate, and he would accomplish the hardest task of the day. 

[color=aba000]"I am Joseph Robiquet. It is a pleasure to meet you."[/color]

[@Fallenreaper]