Somehow, the possibility never seemed quite real for Penny, not until the airship elegantly took off the ground. She had spent the past few hours feeling simultaneously dread, anxious, near-nausea, and sharp excitement while she spent her last few hours at home saying goodbye to her rather large family. Her mother even pulled a favor to be there to say goodbye. Penny knows she'll miss them all, even if she'd be glad to get a room to herself for once.

However, she noticed something funny; she had expected several other girls at the airport to be there, other students for the Academy. She can't be the only one there, right? ...right?

Soon, however, she realized that she was the only one there, being led towards a very fancy airship, and there seemed to be no other girls her age in what was clearly a restricted airport terminal.

[color=39b54a]"Uhm, excuse me,"[/color] she asks one of the attendant soldiers nervously, [color=00a651]"but... where are the other girls? Students, I mean?"[/color]

She was told she'd meet them in a bit, which eased her mind, but not entirely. Maybe she was a late addition, one of the girls chosen earlier got cold feet or was disqualified (though she did feel a bit bad about possibly benefiting from another's misfortune). In the meantime, she'd better enjoy the chance of being the only girl on board for now.

Once the airship got into the sky, though, her concerns were forgotten. She had never been this far from her home before, let alone flown in an airship (especially not one as fancy as this one). Just the sight of her city shrinking to the size of a toy castle was something to behold, and she found herself wondering which one of the sprawling urban blocs did her home exist. They had left Siscia's airspace before she could pinpoint home, though, so she was back to just admiring the view of the world from the air. The toxic black clouds covered almost everything, making it hard to discern anything about the ground below.

She had to admit, the sensation of being in a first-class cabin was exciting for her. It was downright luxurious, complete with a bed and bathroom - and it was about as big as their entire flat back home! The deserts were delicious, and would certainly cost several months' pay for her family. She felt guilty about digging in, but she dug into a frosty tiramisu (or two) nonetheless, all the while trying to be on her best behavior given all the soldiers in fancy uniforms. She didn't want to give the impression she'd been raised in a pigsty. She also amused herself by asking about the engines and flight systems, fascinated by the glowing orange of the magitech engines lifting such a fragile-seeming airship through the skies. She didn't get much in terms of answers, but whatever she did learn she drank in eagerly.

During the flight, she managed to catch a glimpse of something... bright and shimmering below. Was that... was that the ocean? She blinked in surprise as she glimpsed small patches of dark blue through the clouds, realizing that she had not only left her city, she had also left her [i]continent[/i]. In surprise and haste, she pulls out a well-worn almanac and started thumbing through its worn-out pages to see the world map, taken from the Pre-Void years when humanity still ruled the world. Sure enough, at the speed at which they were flying and the amount of water she saw below, she had to be over what's called the Atlantic Ocean. The idea of being so far away from home soil was... mindboggling. And exciting, she had to admit.

Eventually, she was told all the other girls had gathered and that they had to attend a meeting in the main cabin. By then, Penny was feeling a little tired, and she was glad she could finally meet the other girls - though she was still wondering how many were there on this airship? It was big, certainly, but not [i]that[/i] big.

She was surprised to see that the total number of girls on the airship - herself included - was [i]five[/i]. It finally sinks in that she's not going to be among hundreds as in a normal school, but in an academy training a few students at a time. The realization feels heavy and uncomfortable, not least because it meant Penny was not only representing her family and her neighborhood, but her city and possibly her continent. It suddenly made her feel very, very small, aware of herself among them.

It didn't help her clothes, while clean and laundered, were second-hand and weren't as fancy as the other girls' clothes. She felt very much out of place among them, content to stay quiet. However, the introductions came up, and she realized the other girls were looking at her. Or rather, it [i]felt[/i] like they were looking at her.

[color=39b54a]"A-ah! P-Penelope Grenoble!"[/color] she blurts out. She forces herself to calm down a bit and take a deep breath. [color=39b54a]"Er, I'm Penelope Grenoble, but everyone just calls me Penny. I'm from Siscia, and it's a pleasure to meet you all!"[/color]

With that she bows - but she's still seated, so she bangs her head against the table. She clutches it in pain, feeling like an idiot.

[color=39b54a]"Owww...."[/color]