[IC] Closed

[Raptra]

Xavier watched with a straight face, though secretly amused as the aggressive boy created a scene up on the stage. He simply nodded at the headmaster's request to ignore the kid, agreeing that it was a wise move at that point of time. The boy had obviously done what he did for attention, and Xavier personally thought it best to simply continue not giving him any, and to only step in if he posed a threat to anyone else. He imagined the kid would be smart enough to eventually realize that his methods weren't giving him what he wanted and hopefully find other ways to deal with his... issues, preferably in a less violent and more civilized manner. But hey, I'll leave it up to Hargor...

---

Vera found herself curiously poking at the human-shaped blob of water as it led the first-years to the dormitory, expecting to be introduced to a whole lot more of things that were just as strange, and interesting, during her stay at the academy. If she was to be honest, the building probably didn't impress her as much as it did most of the other students, considering her family's rather magnificent mansion back home, and was that vandalism on the walls? Hmm, or maybe those drawings are supposed to be there... Not that any of it was unexpected, of course.

She gave the young woman at the counter, who seemed quite flustered, a warm smile, hoping to make her feel a little better as she signed in and received her key. Before going up to her room, Vera took a glance at the list of established rooms for all the students that had been put up at the dormitory, the first copy that the headmaster brought to the ceremony having been destroyed along with the podium it had been placed on. To her surprise, her name was the only one that appeared under her assigned room, while the other rooms had two names. Looks like they've taken in an odd number of students this time round, and I'm the one who gets to have my own room? That's nice!

The room itself was larger and a lot more comfortable than Vera expected it to be. She was delighted at the thought of having the whole place to herself, though, she had to pick one of the side rooms to sleep in, and they were both identical. She grinned to herself as she thought of a way to decide. She pulled a coin out of her pocket and tossed it in the air before catching and slapping it over the back of her hand. Heads for right, tails for left... She removed her other hand that was on top of the coin. Tails, the left room it is then... After moving all her luggage - a trolley-bag and a suitcase that were both slightly larger than average, into the side room, she proceeded to stare at them for a few moments, not feeling up to the wearisome task of unpacking just yet. She then decided on going back outside while waiting for dinner to be served.

Vera walked out to a gorgeous view of the setting Sun over the mountains, and an idea struck her. She quickly pulled her phone out and aimed the camera at herself with her back facing the Sun, snapping her own photo with the Sun and the mountains as its background. It would make a great memory of her first day at the academy, a new beginning, at least for herself, if not for anyone else.

[CriticalHit]

Silas Asara

”H-hmph, I'm out of here!”

Before Silas could get an answer out of the still-bowing Zafi, the other girl announced her exodus from the situation. Good fucking riddance. First impressions weren't everything, but this girl had made a terrible one on him. Her presence had only worsened the situation and pissed off Silas, not to mention her annoying demeanour and voice! Just like that the girl who was shamelessly explicit one second and offended the next had fled. He looked over to shoot a scornful gaze at the retreating girl, only to find that his target had already left.

As Silas turned back he found Zafi crumpled on the floor in a heap, once more, not unlike how he had first found her a few moments ago. Just by looking, Silas could see Zafi was upset, tears were running down her face and she looked... defeated. Silas merely looked on as she took all the emotions present on her face and wiped them out. The tears stopped flowing within an instant, the only trace they left was the slight redness in her eyes. Zafi had once again donned a mask of stone, one that would not be corroded by sorrow or any emotion for that matter.

”I’m sorry, Silas. I di’nt meaned to… to… agir sans vergogne... Allez me pardonner? ”Can you… please, me pardonner?”

Silas was once again dumbfounded at Zafi's speech, it was kind of hard to not be when you only understand half of what was said! Me pardonner... It's sounds like... Is she trying to say sorry? Sudden sniffing snapped Silas out of his search for a solution. The previously impervious mask was once again drenched with tears that washed away the neutrality on Zafi's face.

"It's fine, you didn't end up killing me right? So no harm done."

Evidently his words meant little as Zafi promptly stood up and ran off.

In a way, it wasn't the worst outcome, he could've gotten slapped by either of the two girls. At the very least, one of the girls wasn't pissed off... hopefully. Besides, there was still plenty of academy left to explore and now Silas could finally get on with exploring.
So what was that about today being boring? He couldn't help but smirk at the irony. Putting both hands in his pockets, Silas began wandering the halls once more, waiting for something else to catch his attention.

@Aiyanna@Hammerman

---

The Audience Hall was grand cosmetically but not so much in size. The representations of the elements being particularly pleasing to the eye. Like all the other first-years Silas had sat down in a... bush-chair? and was waiting for the teachers to begin. Idly, he looked around and saw all sorts of students, though he couldn't manage to find Zafi or the other girl from earlier. Luckily, the wait wasn't too long as a cloaked figure took the stage.

"Students of the Academy! I welcome you to my home, and to your home as well. For those who have not gotten a chance to meet me in the hallway or on the grounds, my name is Kano Hargor. Headmaster of the establishment and resident teacher of the Water and Dark students."

THAT'S THE HEADMASTER? I was expecting some stuck up prick wearing a suit and tie! Not to mention the fact that he's also my teacher...

Before Silas could recover from the surprise, the next teacher took the stand and he was already yelling at them. One part of the rant in particular caught Silas's attention. Right in the middle of Manilow's speech, he started sounding like a completely different person and it was not just because he had stopped bellowing. Using words like experience and motto, when just a second ago he was threatening people with harm if they touched his shed. Needless to say Silas was quite confused.

The next teacher, a woman who did not identify herself said something that Silas didn't ever think would come out of the mouth of a teacher.

"So we need balance, we need a bit of chaos. That's where you come in; take your self-expression, your rebelliousness, your energy, your curiosity, and push against your constraints. This Academy can't teach you everything, some things must be experienced, and the best ideas come from innovation rather than paradigm."

HELL YES! I have NO idea who you are but I hope I'm in your class! Every teacher Silas had met up until today would never have told him to push against his limitations, they probably would have told him to stay within them. Then again, this was no ordinary school now was it?

Out of the corner of his eye Silas saw someone moving, and they were moving with purpose. Turning to investigate, he saw a boy with black hair, and he looked PISSED. Between the scowl and the way he carried himself, Silas could tell this guy was trying to look tough. This guy's making himself look like an asshole.

"FUCK THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU."

Okay... so he doesn't just look like an asshole, HE IS AN ASSHOLE! The kid then proceeded to destroy the podium, and warned his roommate to move. Silas merely laid back and scowled right back at the kid, he probably thought he was a badass or something. More surprising was the headmaster's reaction, or lack thereof. The kid would probably get it later, but the headmaster seemingly completely ignored what the kid did, and closed the ceremony as if nothing had happened. Silas joined the clapping congregation in applauding Headmaster Hargor, even if it was mainly because he had just denied the kid any reaction from him.

---

Silas openly gawked at the water elemental, seeing such a masterful creation mad him wonder... would he eventually be capable of something like it? Would he be able to reshape the tides and bend them to his every whim? "That is awesome!" Silas stated, beyond awestruck. It seems that at least one of the other students agreed with him because another boy kept trying to take pictures of the elemental, even as they were making their trek across the grounds.

After a not so long journey across the academy grounds, Silas had finally reached the dorm building with the other students. The disorderly appearance of the dorms was a surprise but not the unpleasant kind. I guess the whole 'push your limits' and 'we need a bit of chaos' stuff from earlier wasn't a lie. Silas found himself in the middle of the queue to obtain his key, and he quickly noticed the clearly stressing girl behind the counter. After he had gotten his key, he turned to look at the line behind him before looking to the girl and simply saying, "Good friggin' luck." before leaving to find his dorm.

When he first arrived, Silas checked both sides of the dorm to see if his roommate was already there. His search turned up nothing, so he decided to take the right room for himself. With a sigh of relief Silas dropped his bags to the floor before practically crashing down on his bed. So this is home for the next few years... He fished around in his pocket for a moment and he withdrew a pair of headphones that were tangled. "Damnit..." Reluctantly, Silas set to the minor task of untangling his headphones before plugging them into his phone and turning on his playlist, waiting for his roommate to arrive.

@liferusher@Zelosse

[Pseudo Stygian]

Lyra arrived in her room drenched in water.

Her mind needed to back up a sec to even remember how she even got wet.

The assembly earlier ended in an off-note, and Lyra was still thinking about how it could be so off. There was that guy spewing profanities at the end. Not a teacher, of course. Could be a student, but how did he get up there, and why on earth would he even say those things? He could be looking for attention, but why then? He might know things that no other students do. It's possible he might just be having a bad day, but what kind of bad day would ignite such a public outburst? The weather outside was nice, the people here are awfully nice. His reaction was completely jarring and she was, for some odd reason, fascinated.

So fascinated in fact, that she only gave a passing thought to the water elementals (blobby, kind of cute. She didn't think they have a mind of their own, they're probably loosely controlled by a water elementalist) and her own steps (one at a time, just follow the crowd). She was halfway through remembering how the speech went in the hall earlier when she stepped right into a blob of water.

So that was what happened. Now she was in the entrance of her dorm room, very carefully handling her bags. She was still dripping water all over the floor; people can probably follow the trails from the hallway outside. Her violin was in its case, mostly unharmed. Lyra remembered, vaguely, of dropping it before she jumped right into the water elemental. She didn't know how that happened; it was almost like the wind blew it off her hand.

Either way, the first thing she had to do was get herself dry. The second thing would be to check on her instruments, and then maybe the rest of her belongings.

She looked at the trail of water and wondered if her roomate would be mad.

[Aiyanna]

Zafiriel

Firiel watched the sunrays dance on the dusty floor. As she walked, they twirled and intertwined into thin golden threads of light. Once in a while, a large wood pillar would interrupt the continuous stream of sunlight sifting through the tall mosaic windows. Firiel stopped on her tracks and turned to look at the nearest window. She squinted her eyes – not because she could not bear to face the brilliant sunlight – but because tears were still forming in the corners of her eyes. With a quick swipe of her slender fingers they were gone.

Time uncounted had passed since Firiel had escaped to cry it all out in a quiet safe corner. She had found one in the end of a deserted corridor. She had not noticed the giant doorway leading to a magnificent hall, a monument crafted to represent each of the elements, all in perfect harmony with each other. Thus, Firiel was quite nonplussed to hear footsetps echoing, nearing her – not only a few people, but a whole crowd of students. All too soon, the comforting silence was shredded in pieces by the vivacious chatter of the teens. For a moment, she had this crazy thought that maybe these people were chasing after her. Maybe the were sent to look for her – after all, she had blown a hallway on her first day in the Academy.

None of the students seemed to notice her. She could sigh in relief. Firiel had no idea why all these people were crowding the hallway and she had no intent of trying to find that out. Whispering out countless sorries, she elbowed her way through the crowd and left in search for a quieter space.

Firiel batted her eyelids a few times to chase off the last tears. Her steps had lead her to a familiar scene. A dusky hallway, covered in thick soot and ash. Unconsciously, Firiel’s eyes looked for the form of a short blue-haired boy, only he was nowhere to be found.

Why would I even be looking for him? I don’t understand. I cannot possibly face him after what I did…

She hit her fist on a wall with a gentle thud. A paper slip fell out of the pocket of her velvety dress. Without second thoughts she picked it up, swiped the ash off it and read.

En cas d'urgence, veuillez contacter: [e-mail]

For a moment, she just stood there with a blank face. As what had happened dawned on her, her face flushed as pink as young cherry blossoms. She froze, staring at the words hastily written on a yellow post-it note.

It was the note Mr. Paolini had hastily given her before she had escaped from Grandfather’s villa.

”If anything is to happen to you, please contact the email address written on that post-it note. Stay safe. May the stars and fire light up your journey.”

Mon Dieu. I gave the teacher the wrong note. I cannot believe this… Why, Zafiriel, why?! Why do you keep messing things up?!

She felt her whole body tremble with shame. Not only had she hurt her first friend here, but also caused unnecessary trouble for a teacher. She shook her head again, eyes tightly squinted closed.

A door in the hallway flung open with a loud creak. Firiel’s head snapped up at the noise. A woman in a tight dress emerged before her. Her hair was floating gently in the air, as if swayed by a breeze. As she made her way to where Firiel was standing, a lush rosy scent filled the air. It tickled the insides of Firiel’s nostrils. A sneeze was about to burst out –

”Hi there Miss, are you alri –”

”Achoo!”

The teacher’s greeting was cut short. However, she kept her composure and merely smiled at the fiercely blushing girl. She wiped her face with a lacy handkerchief before continuing,

”I believe it is time for the first-years to gather at the assembly hall, Miss…”

”Zafiriel Marie Louise de Grantaine, heureux de faire votre connaissance”, said Firiel with a deep bow before the teacher. She had a hunch you probably wouldn’t bow before teachers, but it was a good way to hide her crimson face. As te teacher told her to stand up, she swung her hair to hide her face.

”Well, Miss de Grantaine, I suggest we head to the hall very soon as the assembly is about to start.”

Quickly, Firiel took the post-it note, hurriedly scribbled something on it and slammed it on the door of another teacher’s office. Without further ado, the duo proceeded to join the assembly.



Firiel stared at the water giant with wide eyes. Its upper body had the resemblance of a humanoid whereas its lower body was practically nonexistent, replaced by a giant water blob. The elemental moved with loud swishes and swashes, occasionally sprinkling tiny droplets over the students. Almost everybody was so fascinated by their unnatural guide that they didn’t care if they got soaked. By the time the happily chattering crowd reached the dormitory, Firiel’s hair was hanging around her head like a dark purple wet squid.

Firiel had not been able to listen the teachers ramble on. She had made herself busy by hiding from everyone under her chair. She had attracted a lot of attention – the students around her had pointed at her and giggled making her want to become one with the ground below her. She had not seen who the Headmaster was – his voice was uncomfortably familiar, though – nor did she see that student go full in nuke mode on the stage. She just heard loud noises and perplexed chatter mixed together. After what felt like an eternity, the assembly had finally reached its end.

Firiel was so tired she barely noticed the other students or the beautiful sundown gracing the Academy and its grounds. She quickly grabbed the key to her dorm and rushed the stairs up to her room.

Like a mother’s arms, the comforting silence engulfed her in its embrace. All she could hear was the distant chatter of the other students making themselves at home in their dormitories. Sighing, Firiel slouched down on the floor, resting her back against the door. The day’s events quickly flashed before her closed eyes. The headmaster’s injury, the sooty hallway, and a pair of surprised golden eyes… Her head was spinning. So much had happened in just one day. Firiel felt like she could not comprehend all that had been going on.

All of the heavy thoughts ignited a fire in her heart. A fire stronger and more majestic than ever before. All the different feelings she had felt during the day melted into one big bonfire demanding to burst out of her mouth and fingers. Her whole body was pulsating with rhythm and warmth. The fire burnt her soul, her chest, her whole self, and soon, a melody was forming in her mind.

Quickly, Firiel got up and flung the door open. With utmost confidence she entered the common room. Nobody was hearing – and if they were, they could not get in to see who was singing. She could feel hot steam rise off her shoulders. Now or never, before she would blow out her dorm.

”Black was the night when I did surrender
I did give in to my weakening sight
Now that I'm empty my dreams once were many
Soul's bitter cry to unleash th divine

When you think there's no way out
And all you see collides
Hope will in the end chase all your fears away…”

As she sang, all of her feelings melted away to craft a powerful melody. Firiel brought her hands up towards the ceiling, little flames dancing on her palms like fireflies.

---

@Regitnui This is the song, starting from 3:00


@Kalleth Firiel left the following note glued on the door to Manilow's office:

"En cas d'urgence, veuillez contacter: [e-mail]
Cher Monsieur Manilow.
Please contact that address.
Meilleurs vœux, Zafiriel Marie Louise de Grantaine"

[Zelosse]

Felix Williams

@CriticalHit

Felix hadn't bothered to return to the assembly hall, even after its conclusion. The cheers of students and excited voices filtered into the open window he had chosen as his temporary residence. Something about a water thing guiding them like sheep.
His heart ached to see it but all the boy could focus on was just how out of place he was. Everything he had known was nowhere to be found, not the seeming comfort of a familiar prison, the angry footsteps of his father, or even the soothing sensation of laying on his own bed.. All because there had been fire in his heart that had become real.

This wasn't a home for Felix. It was exile from the last piece of family he had..

It would be close to half an hour before Felix chose to relinquish his favorite seat on the floor and venture out into this new little world that he'd been forced into. From the main hall there was a large path of wet stone that Felix rihtly assumed was the water thing that had guided the others.
Hands in his pockets, the stern and angry scowl replaced by a faint smile, he walked on in peace.
It was a big step in accepting this new prison. He admitted he felt a bit of freedom while he was outside, enjoyed the sights and would enjoy exploring then, Felix also knew that solitude might simply be the best option. A tell-tale spark of flame responded to his confusion. In his outstretched palm danced a wisp of flames swaying in the low wind.
Felix closed his palm with a scowl and extinguished it with a hiss of protest.

------------------------

Current location: Dormitory

------------------------

Felix was the last student to enter the building, thankfully, and it meant the only students still around were the ones uninterested in exploring during the afterschool hours. In other words it was likely just the antisocial kids left.

Approaching the front desk he met the receptionist or dormitory leader, whichever lousy title this school chose to give her to make the task seem more important than it really was.

"Excuse me. Felix Williams."

With his name stated, he grabbed his key and went off in search of his own room. Now was the final stage of his day one plan.. being left alone, for good. Expulsion or solitary living arrangements were the only thing occupying his mind as Felix stood in front of the door.
Something told him his roommate was already inside...

Felix took a deep breathe and settled himself into a familiar scowl. The door opened quietly to reveal the lavish interior. The scowl vanished for a brief moment as he lost his resolve in the face of the small but still wonderfully furnished room.. the kitchen was what drew him in the most.
Like his Father, Felix cooked regularily. Living without a parent around a lot meant he'd been forced to learn or risk eating from convenience stores.. not always an available option.

Idly running his hand over the countertoo he lost his resolve as memories came flooding back. Happier times in the kitchen preparing meals and cutting up vegetables while his father watched. Something soured up in him, the smile on dads face was a scowl now. He was angry at Felix for burning the food, injuring a coworker, and setting a hand towel on fire..
Felix punched the cabinet door without realizing it. The wood was thick, sturdy, and all he could do was break himself upon its impossible tough surface.
When he came back to reality after the pain in his hand had sunk in, the realisation hit him. His right fist had cracked the cabinet door but now hisnknickled had been torn open. A trickle of blood was already visible as he brought his hand back with a sharp intake of breathe.

"Fuck this place." He whispered, glancing back at the doors. One slightly ajar on the right, which had likely been claimed.

"Yo! When I get back, you'd better not be here if you know whats good for you!" He shouted. The front door slammed shut as Felix fled the memories, in search of somewhere else he could find solice.

----
Dormitory Gym
----
(Approx time 9pm, Curfew imminent)

The sun had long since set over the mountain tops. Every student was asked to stay in the dormitory after 9pm for their own safety. Those caught outside the dormitory walls were punished and returned to their rooms and placed under supervision. The policy was on a flyer out on every floor regularily.

Felix didn't care. Confinement to one cell wasnt any different than another. Though they did put a lot of effort into making it seem like you were free to do as you please.
Inside of the dorm building was not just student rooms. The cafeteria was closed but now functioned as a gathering ground for students who couldnt sleep, there was also a gym. That was where Felix had ended up since leaving the room earlier. Now the only sound filling his ears was the soft thud of his fists hitting a punching bag over and over. All of his aggression amd self loathing in every punch.

[Kalleth]

@Zelosse

Jordan had found Catherine's speech and the subsequent freak-out by that student to be equal parts interesting and also hard to read. Still the sense of rebellion the boy emitted was palpable, yet shallow. Fuck the whole lot of you? Jordan thought it was certainly showy, but maybe not quite sincere. Especially seeing as he'd watched the boy storm out of the audience hall as though the devils themselves were at his heels. A true rebel wouldn't be fearing punishment, might actually embrace it, if he came seeking it the way that boy did. Surprisingly, this out-of-place action was so fascinating he found himself entirely forgetting about Catherine in the process. Jordan walked out of the audience hall in search of food, thoughts still turning over in his head.

***

Jordan was munching on a loaf of banana bread as he went over tomorrow's first class and its objectives. Safety protocol, double-checking the locks on his shed, and starting with basic drills, essentially. The sound of the door to the gym opening caught his attention, but only for a second. Jordan thought the curfew was far too early, and though almost never used his work office in the main administrative building, the gym's tiny office in the student building was practically Jordan's second home. Jordan kept munching banana bread and jotting down notes, but then he heard the punches.

They were strong, inexperienced but with plenty of latent power. Just the sound of knuckles meeting leather gave Jordan a general idea of the trainee's technique. Driven by emotion; irregular tempo but quick pace. Not power strokes, but furious. Jordan set his notes aside, keeping hold of the loaf, and he crept out of his office. The student in question, had their back turned to Jordan, but he recognized the rebel just by how he held himself. And those mats of thick black hair were distinctive too. In the half-light, Jordan saw that the blue punching bag had stains on it. Jordan walked up behind the boy and confirmed his observations. The boy's stance could use some work and his form was sloppy, but the necessary building blocks were present to make a strong athlete indeed. Maybe even a soldier.

"I never liked to use gloves either, felt like I was punching air. Of course, your hands are gonna sting like nothing else tomorrow morning. Did you notice the weak point in your stance?"

---

Jideh had realized when Hargor had brought up room arrangements that he'd forgotten his luggage outside the greenhouse. While the other students rushed to find their rooms, he found his way back to the place he'd left his luggage and lugged it all the way back to the student building. Acquiring a key and thanking the woman profusely, the youngest Basrah child settled into his dorm room. His personal affects, some herbology books, his gardening paraphernalia, a few pots filled with earth, and his clothes of course, all had a place in the room. His pots were lined up with the window in such a way that they would receive sunlight for most of the day. Changing into PJs, Jideh decided the best start would be an early one, and he turned his lights off. If his roommate showed up, he might get up and say hello. Otherwise, Jideh was tuckered out, and like the plants he loved, needed rest in order to really bloom tomorrow. The bed was really comfy. Jideh's thoughts turned to his family and the farm as he sank down into sleep...

[Regitnui]

Zeke found himself sitting down and listening to the song, the sunset over the mountains temporarily forgotten. Purple hair, ornate clothes... He started drawing. Like a altar for a forgotten goddess, he drew the singer in detail. He could, since he had the model right in front of him for a change. First the general tones and shapes, then layer on the shades and sharpen the edges.

The flames took him a little while. He kept trying to get their shape perfect, but instead found himself erasing every time they changed shape, which was fairly often anyway. In the end, he forced himself away from perfectly capturing the flames and moved down to the clothes, getting the folds of fabric right and... He did a double take over a specific area. "Wait, you're a girl?" He blurted.

[Zelosse]

Felix Williams

@Kalleth

"I never liked to use gloves either, felt like I was punching air. Of course, your hands are gonna sting like nothing else tomorrow morning. Did you notice the weak point in your stance?"

The sound of a teacher speaking stole his heartbeat for a moment as the panic set in but it was quickly quashed by his mounting anger. Not even five minutes, not FIVE fucking minutes, into a teacher bothering him and already this miserable bastard was trying to show he knew anything about anything besides threatening kids about his crap lousy shed. Not a hello, not even a shred of praise, just a solid 'oh you're doing it wrong' and a pious attitude.

Felix' next strike carried his anger like all the others. Alight with the flames of his passion and anger he hit the bag as hard as possible, the chains tethering it to the roof and floor strained under the weight but did not yield. Fist still resting against the punching bag he craned his head to stare at the voice. His threatening posture turned to a tired slouch as he spoke.

"Did it ever occur to you that people use this place to escape you buzzards? Do me a favor and just piss off. Thought I made my intentions crystal clear at the assembly."

The options now were fairly obvious. If the teacher insisted on giving pointers, Felix would show him just how much he had learned from his many lessons. A thorough demonstration.. The other option was to leave and pick a fight with whoever had ended up as his roommate. The final option was sleeping outside to avoid all this.
if he was honest with himself the choice was leaning heavily on just staying outside.

[Kalleth]

"Did it ever occur to you that I like to hit the gym too you little snipe?"

-Is what Jordan thought in his head. This kid might not know it, but he had balls, being so standoffish when Jordan was just trying to help. The gym teacher hadn't enjoyed his bouts of counselling prep for this job, and had often fallen back on his prior training in the military, but he now found himself straining to remember what he'd been told to do in situations like this. It was difficult to tell whether that comment had been motivated by hatred, or hurt, or exhaustion. All he could scrounge up was the unhelpful "Try to make a connection with the student, and build bridges." And how the hell do I do that? This kid's a pyromaniac when it comes to burning down bridges! Jordan decided to go with the middle play, and go from there.

Jordan tore a chunk of banana bread from the loaf, and extended it in offering to the student. "I forgot my manners, but what's your name? In case you missed it earlier, I'm Jordan."

Jordan waited for him to either accept the bread and respond, or do the cliché thing and bat it out of his hand like a child. And once the piece of bread was in hand or on floor, Jordan continued.

"I was having trouble deciding if you really were as angry as you said you were, and appeared to be, but now I'm thinking I'll stop analyzing you, and just ask you. What's wrong? Was I really so far out of line, trying to help you with your punches? I get not wanting to be pestered sure, but from one man to another, what's a helpful word of advice?"

Jordan decided to leave him with that, and, needing to work out a little stress himself, jogged over to the storage room and dragged out another bag. He hung it, steadied the mass of sand, and smiled to himself. He took a breath, clenched his fists tight, and then relaxed his fingers slightly. His feet naturally slid into place, giving him a solid footing, so that when he bent his knees, it was as though he'd settled into the perfect place to throw a punch. Far too formal for a real scrap, but definitely ideal for training, and certainly helpful for getting into the right headspace. Jordan drew back his arm, and then let it come back to his side, his breathing in sync with the arm movement, and he did this two more times. On the third draw, he activated, like a shot from a gun. The air whooshed out of his lungs, and his fist collided with the bag, in a single instant the energy of his arm driven through his shoulder taken from his core fed up from his legs which were rooted to his well-planted feet on the gym floor. The sound of a THOOMP! echoed through the gym, and the bag rattled on the chain, bouncing and shaking slightly.

Without missing a beat, Jordan had drawn his arm back to his side and thrown a second punch with his off-arm, the sound not quite so loud, but still clear. He punched, and punched, and punched. The sand yielded far quicker than stone, and his calloused knuckles thanked him for that, but Jordan laughed wildly, and punched more and more. His punches were like thunderclaps, he felt his whole being concentrated on that small two by four centimetre space, a weapon of pounds per square inch that could level a man. The years melted away, and Jordan could remember the glory days as though he were living them. His squadmates were laughing, clapping him on the back, and he heard the pounding of the guns, the screeching of jets overhead, and most of all, he remembered the covert operations in exotic lands, where he'd cursed any god that came to mind, all while being a mere handsbreadth from discovery, only to receive the signal and let bloody havoc loose. It was heaven. It was hell. It was happin-

Jordan's knuckles clicked as he hit the sandbag, now solidified to stone, and he saw his own bag was smeared with streaks of crimson. He stopped, breathing hard, sweat trickling down his face, and rose out of his stance. His blood was up, but in a flash, the years came back, he remembered his injury, nothing as simple or matter-fact as creaking knuckles, nothing anywhere near as mundane as that. The time settled down onto his shoulders again, and he felt exhaustion rear its head for the umpteenth time that day. Am I getting old? ... Nah, I'm just getting overexcited. Jordan cracked his knuckles, and turned on his heels, fetching a pail of water, some soap and a rag from the office. He set about wiping down his bag, changed it back to sand, and dragged it back to the storage room. He squeezed the rag out, and wiped his face. If the student had stayed, Jordan would pick up his banana bread, polish off the last few bites, and nod to him, before going back to his office. His notes weren't quite ready yet. Sleep could wait another half an hour.

@Zelosse

[Stern Algorithm]

@Zelosse

The angry boy's disruptive outburst at the assembly brought a smirk to Catherine's lips; here was a prickly little thing that was internally screaming for guidance, screaming to be taught, to be molded...to be broken in. She loved problem children like him, seeing much of her own youth in his behavior. Of course, Headmaster Hargor had done the right thing by glossing over the outburst, as for herself, Catherine decided not to give the boy any immediate attention either; she would approach him in her own time.

When the assembly was dismissed, Catherine resumed her hovering patrol to see the students safely to their dorms, enjoying how fascinated most of the students were with the water constructs that guided them. After that, she headed back to the teachers' quarters to make some final preparations for tomorrow's lessons.

---

ShiZhen plodded forward slowly, following the line of people waiting to pick up their keys. She was pretty high strung. After the incident at the fountain, she had gone with Jake to get themselves dried up, leaving them very little time to explore the grounds. All throughout the assembly, she had focused very hard on not collecting moisture, though the sudden angry outburst almost made her slip up. Due to this division of her attention, she wasn't able to truly appreciate all the beauty of the assembly hall. And then she was following a watery figure to her dorm. She wondered if she'd ever be able to make something like that, if only she could get her ability under control.

She got her key from the pleasant girl behind the counter, returning a pleasant, "Thank you," though she didn't have the luxury to linger as the person behind her was impatiently trying to get their key as well. As ShiZhen approached her room, she noticed a trail of water, and a strange, hopeful thought entered her head, 'My dorm mate has the same issue as me!' ShiZhen saw a girl with short, reddish hair and striking blue eyes. "I-it's nice to meet you, my name is ShiZhen Fang, it looks like I'll be your dorm mate this year." Pointing to the water on the ground, she added, "I-I also have this problem." It came as such a relief for her that she wasn't alone in this.

@Pseudo Stygian @liferusher

[Old Amsterdam]

Dia cleaned up after eating, a quiet affair as she struggled to politely not talk to her roommate. With her luck, she'd just make it awkward and lose the chance at a good year.

Curfew had set, she was pretty sure it had anyways. She'd be lying if she said she'd been paying attention to the fliers and everything about all of that. She couldn't even tell you much about the assembly, even though it had only been hours ago.

Dia made her way up the stairway, slowly and silently, as she thought back to what the Headmaster had told her. She had a feeling she was going to carry that with her for the rest of the year, if not longer.

She let out a sigh, holding the ice rose to her chest, as she exited the stairwell onto the rooftop. She'd heard something about a Midnight Run, but it didn't interest her. She'd rather be alone, maybe practice with her ability some in a calm environment.

But in the back of her head, Dia really didn't think anywhere around here was going to be truly calm like she was looking for.

@Zelosse

[Zelosse]

Felix Williams

The distrust was fading liytle by little as the expected outburst of 'punk' or 'brat!' Never graced the lips of the instructor. To Felix's reasoning it almost seemed like the guy had come over genuinely to talk.. not as a teacher figure. The cracks in Felixs mask of bitterness was cracking as the realization seened to set in.

Making no move to accept the food, though he was indeed hungry, he chose to refocus his attention on the sandbag. Jordan was right about Felixs technique being poor, sloppy even, and the first hit on the bag beside him roused his attention to the teachers form. Firm foot, solid flow, every hit was strong and precise as it struck the same stretch again and again.
It wasn't long before the two were in their own worlds. Manilow relived his time somewhere that had called for a strong body, and felix used his own fists and the sound of his strikes to tell his own story. Weakness. No control. To his own ears the blows wove a scene of betrayal and humiliation. Trademark scowl had been replaced by a look of profound loss.

By the time Jordan had cleaned off his bag and said his goodbyes, Felix continued his course in as close a mirror of Manilows form as he could. Legs set firm and flat, both arms hit in sequence one after the other with a mixture of light jabs to strong thrusts.
When Mwnilow finally wandered away, Felix finally stopped. The bag was red from where his bloodied hand had struck it but very little showed after so many hits.. using the bucket left behind, he wiped down the bag and the floor where it had dripped or splashed off. Every inch was meticulously washed and returned tk their place. The bucket and towel were left beside the office door along with a note hastily scrawled on the back of a curfew flier.

"Felix Williams. If you want an answer in earnest, prove you want to help. Consider this a challenge to your integrity. Fencing. During the free period after lunch. I win, you stop bothering me." His signature had been placed at the bottom.

----------

Moments of his time in the small gym bounced in his mind as Felix stood rooted just outside the door to his assigned room. Inside was another student and living bekng just trying to survive. Given that he had just challenged Manilow to a duel, the urge to follow through on his threat now seemed hollow..

Was an exasperated sigh he walked away in search of a much quieter place.

----------

@Old Amsterdam

Having stopped by the reception area and stolen one of the decorative pillows from the waiting couch, Felixs search for somewhere to put his head had yielded no results. The couch was a good choice but it was smack in the middle of the common room. In the morning it would flood with students no doubt..
Another choice was the stairway but that would mean answering stupid questions about why he was there.

That just left one area. The roof.

The door opened silently as he exited the building. The roof itself was flat and made of hard stone but that was preferential to sleeping on dirt. At first he didn't notice her, focused on the immediate surface, but the glimmer of moonlight through something in her hand drew his attention. Realizing someone else was here, he tried to put on the brute attitude and scowl but it fizzled due to exhaustion. Cradling his bruised right hand under the pillow, he made a point to bow slightly in apology for intruding and walked to the opposite side.
Pillow tucked behind his head, Felix was soon sprawled out on the hard floor and gazing off into the stars.

[Old Amsterdam]

Dia glanced up in shock at the newcomer. She hadn't expected there to be anyone else coming up here so late, let alone the one who had caused such a ruckus at the ceremony.

She looked at him for a moment before looking up at the night sky.

"I, uh, I don't want to sound like I'm telling you what to do, but I'm not sure you want to be up here. It's probably going to get cold..." Dia said in her quiet way. "I can't try anything inside. I might break something. O-o-or hurt someone again..."

She sighed, glancing back at the boy. He didn't exactly seem like he was going to pay her much attention, and if anything he looked exhausted.

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, Dia walked closer. His right hand looked pretty beat up, from what little she could see. Crouching down a few feet away from him, she pointed at his hand. "I m-m-might be able to h-help if that hurts," she said hesitantly. "Chilling injuries is supposed to help with swelling and pain, making things numb and all. I-if you want?"

@Zelosse

[DELETED7282737]

Emi

Location
Dorm room

Oh a nervous girl? How precious, Emi gave the girl a slow kind smile and offered her the plate, it didn't take long for Emi to realise it was quite cold around the person. Well at least she was happy with the food Emi made for her, she was referring that something was rather large... Emi hopefully thought she was mentioning the room at the time. The girl then told Emi about how she didn't want to bother her with the cold she was generating, so that was what she felt. Presumably it had something to do with her element, she wouldn't mind though, it was a good solution for hot weather.

"Ah, don't worry about that, it won't bother me much. I hope at least..."

The girl was already talking about that she would love to cook for Emi tomorrow. Oh she didn't mind being cooked for, at home she was mostly doing it so she kind of got used to that feeling, but having someone cook for you must feel relieving. Emi gave a bright nod.

"Sure go ahead! I'd love a cute girl to cook for me."

"Oh sorry no, I missed the ceremony, my clothes were wet so I had to change."

The black haired girl hadn't anything to talk about anymore so she quietly ate just like Emi and cleaned up both their plates after, Emi let out a soft and kind thank you but wasn't heard probably since she got no further response from the girl. Out of nowhere the girl left the room for no reason and didn't return. Emi was too late to tell her goodbyes and was left with a slow wave of the hand at the door. Emi blankly looked in front of her before slowly turning her head outside to look at the stand of the sun.

"Oh... I forgot the mountain blocks out the sun e-earli-ier."

Emi had to open her mouth and stretch herself with a big yawn. She waverly stood up from her chair softly muttering to herself how she should get back to her bed but it was already way too late. Like a plank she fell on the ground making a hard thud on the ground with her head. Just like that she began sleeping. Soft bubbles of light started forming around her floating around with no care in the world.

[Zelosse]

Felix Williams

@Old Amsterdam

"Hurt someone.."

He mumbled to himself, raising his bruised hand in front of his face. Was it possible that his quest to avoid hurting others would hurt them in a non physical way? Was the feelings of others something he should consider, perhaps? It was strange to think in such a new way after such an alarmingly short amount of time. Felix still hated the school and the teachers but his temper was fading as the mild pain in his hand replaced his forward thinking with a bit of much needed reality.

"If you think it'll help., go for it.. Better you hurt me than the other way around."

[Old Amsterdam]

Dia inched forward cautiously, until she was crouched right next to Felix. "You know, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Dia. How about you?" she asked as she took his hand gingerly and closed her eyes.

Just like before, at the fountain, she concentrated hard. She knew she was still giving off a slight chill, but nothing that would help a severely bruised hand. A few minutes went by before she could feel that connection, and she could feel the faint call of the water around her, inside her, and inside Felix. She took a deep breath and started bringing water from nearby, just enough to put a thin layer around Felix's hand. Releasing her pent up breath, she dropped the temperature of the water, making a thin sheet of ice. It was almost like a glove, but with open patches.

"I-i-i think that wi-will hold for a few hours. And you can still move your hand, I think," she stammered, still holding his hand. "If it doesn't just melt after an hour or so, you should find me. I-i-it cou-could do sev-severe damage other-otherwise."

Dia could feel her heart beating fast as her nerves rose, and why was she still holding onto his hand?

@Zelosse

[Aiyanna]

Zafiriel

As Firiel sang, all the heaviness in her heart was lifted to fuel the tiny flames dancing on her raised palms. As her voice grew stronger and steadier, she did not hear the door to her dorm close with a gentle thud. She did not notice a blonde boy stare at her in awe. Had she seen the picture he was painting of her in air, she would have blushed fiercely and hidden in the wooden cupboard beside the stove.

”Wait, you're a girl?”

With a simple question from the boy, the spell shattered to tens of dying sparks scattering on the floor. Firiel blinked once, then twice, frozen in her stance. It took her a while to realise what had just happened. As realisation struck her, she slumped on the floor, holding her burning face in her hands. Suddenly, tears again burned the corners of her eyes. This time she was too exhausted to hold them back. Fierce sobs jerked her whole body. She was staring at the floor, trying to keep herself up with trembling arms.

Shit. I did not hear somebody enter. I did not hear them at all…

She had not meant to let anybody hear her sing. After all, the times she had, she had faced utmost ridicule and disdain. ”Your face does not match your voice”, they said. ”You pretentious brat! Leave singing to the pretty professionals”, they said with a cruel sneer. All the forbidden memories flooded back to her consciousness with a rush. Firiel could only lay down and let the stream of tears flow free.

”Pardonnez-moi… Pardonnez-moi! Je suis vraiment désolé… Pardonnez-moi…”

Firiel did not know who she was talking to anymore. She could not bear raising her gaze to meet the stranger's. She cried and cried until there were no tears left. She cried until soft darkness embraced her. Tired after all the things that had happened today, Firiel gave in. As consciousness left her, she saw a glimpse of a boy and a painting formed of sparkles of light.

After that, darkness was all she knew.

---

@Regitnui

[Zelosse]

Felix Williams

@Old Amsterdam

Laying on the ground and looking up at the stars as Dia brought her focus onto his injured hand, a jumble of thoughts soared around. The first was the kindness of this girl for trying to help, despite his.. attitude from earlier. The next was of Jordan Manilow again. He'd said something earlier about advice but the words weren't in Felixs thoughts anymore.

The water touched his hand and Felix visibly tensed, unprepared for the stinging sensation brought on. Gritting his teeth but trying not to show it, the only thing to be done was carry on. Thankfully it wasn't a long time before the temperature dropped, the mild agony in his hand dropping with it.

"Tha-"

Felix had turned his sight away from the shimmering stars and the brilliant radiance of the moon high in the sky to thank her properly, but the words were frozen in his throat.
Every thought possible had been shut down for that few moments as he stared at dia.

Here on the rooftop, from whwre he lay, Dia was amid the shining splendor of the stars. Before he could even realize what going on, he spoke.

"You sparkle like the stars.."

Still holding her hand, Felix realized he had dropped his guard badly. At home with his Father, he had owned nothing but the right to gaze at the world laying beyond his window. Every clear night had revolved around looking up at the shimmering starlight with envy.

Gently, but insistently, pulling his hand away, Felix tried to avert his eyes back to the sky.

"I'm.. Felix. T-thank you for, you know.. helping me."

[Old Amsterdam]

Dia blushed a deep crimson, stammering through several words before closing her mouth.

It took her several minutes to figure out what she wanted to attempt to say, deciding it would likely be best to ignore the stars comment.

"You looked like you needed help. I like to help when I can," she said quietly. "And, and you look like you could use a friend, Felix."

Dia sat down next to Felix, being careful not to jostle his hand but not letting go of it either. Their shoulders were touching, and she wasn't sure why she was being the way she was.

"Why did you say I sparkle?" she asked, turning her head to look at Felix. Her own face was a mix of embarrassment and curiousity.

@Zelosse

[Pseudo Stygian]

"I-I also have this problem."

"Ehh, huh? Did you crash into a water elemental too?" Lyra looked up to see another girl entering the room. She wasn't wet; maybe only slightly damp. Her roomate, of course. Lyra struggled to remember the name she'd seen in the dorm sheet, but couldn't quite get anything in her mind. "I'm going to get myself changed first, ok?"

A couple of minutes later, and Lyra was out of her bathroom, much drier and wearing a simpler grey dress. Her eyes inadvertently moved to her violin, and then shifted to her roomate, and then shifted again to the violin. Priorities, priorities. What's a priority?

"Hey, sorry! I got wet after crashing into a water elemental earlier," she said to her roomate, while picking up her violin case. Her eyes shone suddenly. Water elementals! Moved from a distance by a water elementalist! Water is transparent, yet how come they looked so solid? Crashing into them still felt like falling into a pool of water.

She shook her head. Priorities. "I'm Lyra, by the way. I'm a wind elementalist. What's your name?" She moved to the table next to the window. The sun was setting, so it wouldn't be any good for drying anything, but she liked the light.

@Stern Algorithm