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Between Val Thrall and Alec Mishima, Alec’s Arrival

Alec Mishima was loosing his patience; the only thing he never really liked was standing in lines, waiting on the ship to launch. He couldn’t even remember how many times he had been here. He was starting to get the urge to fight; he was hoping to keep it under control until he got to the sim-classes. That’s where he always shined, his sim and field tests, not so much on the written ones. He was going to make Capitan this year, even if it killed him. Suddenly, his phone rang, the only people with the number were his brothers and technically the academy, but why would they call him. He picked the phone up and brought it to his ear, it was his youngest brother who had called him, apparently their oldest brother had died, the funeral was in a few days, and they wanted him to give the eulogy. He reluctantly agreed, and left. Looking back as he drove away, he saw the ship take off to space, it could always be next year, he thought. He attended his brothers funeral and delivered his eulogy and made his was back to where he was currently staying, he was debating on whether or not to go to the space station himself, or to simply call the school and see what they could do. Not like they would actually care.
He eventually decided to go to the spaceport, and approached the clerk and asked how much it would take to get to the Gundam pilot academy, it was a lot of money, and he didn't enjoy getting that answer. "You gotta be kidding me! I'm a Dice Lieutenant! I've GOT to get up there, the year is already freakin' paid for!" Alec said, becoming noticeably agitated. The clerk, (or what ever the hell she is, according to Alec) replied in the same mono-tone never changing calm voice that people like her had, "I'm sorry sir, there is absolutely nothing that we can do about your lost funds, or that you missed your ship, you can either pay now, or come again next year." Alec was starting to become enraged, and grabbed the top of the platform she stood behind tightly, so he could do something to release the anxiety, since he couldn’t very well punch her in the face. "Is there no other ship going up there?" he said trying to remain as calm as he could.

Val Thrall stood out on the runway. The shuttle was almost finished loading and though there was actually nothing he could do other then watch, Val felt the need to watch. The other passenger, James Raynor was already aboard the shuttle. Val looked over his shoulder at the sound of an argument over by the office. He couldn't hear everything, but he heard something about a year already being paid for. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Val strolled over to see what was going on. "So what's the deal here?"

Alec looked over at the man that looked in his forties or so. "Its nothin old man, I was just a little late for the bus to school, if you know what I mean." he said, still angry over not being able to get to the academy. "Listen lady," he said turning back to the clerk. "All I want to do is get up to the academy, If I don’t get a ride here, I’ll go find an old space Leo, get in the upper atmosphere and depending on my mood, I might just go about my business, or I might just decide to dump what little payload it has, on this port, Id much rather just ya know, get up there and break as few laws as possible” The clerk looked at him, stunned and speechless.

Val cleared his throat as he gently shook his head. Instantly, he thought of several ways to resolve this, but decided on the one that he felt would most fit this student. In one fluid motion, from years of battle, Val pulled his left hand out of his pocket, grabbed the student and spun him so he was face to face, while bringing his right fist into the side of the student's face. "Since you're in Dice, I figured a sot to the face would get your attention the quickest. You may think it's amusing to joke about dropping a Leo's payload on a spaceport, but I've seen far too much in my life time to let something like that slip by right in front of my face. Now, why don't you start by apologizing to the nice lady?"


The shot hit hard, and Alec started to strike back, but stopped. "You're a soldier... aren’t you? I know it’s not funny, but I need on that damn ship. I promised I'd do better than my old man, so I wouldn’t do something like that, I won’t die in a Leo, I'll at least die in a Gundam." He turned to the clerk again. "I'm sorry mama I really am I let my temper get the best of me, if you’re still working here next year, I'll see you then, Later." He turned to the old man and gave a quick salute. He then turned and started to leave.

Val "I find it funny how you're not even going to bother asking who I am. Well if Valerian Thrall, one the founders of the Trinity Alliance and pilot of the Gundam Hyperion." With a soft chuckle, Val turned away and strolled back towards his shuttle, where the cargo had been finished loading. "Hey Mac? We still on time for the launch to the Academy?" He wasn't sure what the pilot's name was, but he'd always used Mac as a substitution of a pilot's name.

Alec stopped in his tracks, turning slowly, it hadn’t registered that he had helped to found the Trinity alliance, oh no, that wouldn’t register for another few minutes, what mattered now was, "GUNDAMN FUCKING WHAT!!" Alec them made inaudible noises, something along the likes of "dfhljkewnrfeworidf". Don't worry about that though, it’s not important. He ran to Val's heels. "Wait THE Hyperion? My old man used to tell us about you... I mean… you’re a LEGEND, just a few minutes of your time, and I know I could learn so much... Granted I probably wont learn exactly what I need, BUT AWESOME...THE pilot of THE Hyperion...” Alec stretched out his hand. "Mind if I shake your hand?"

Val extended his hand and shook the offered hand. "Well, we've got about a two day trip ahead of us, I'm sure I'll have time to answer a few questions............uh, name? All I caught is that you're a Lt. in Dice. Come on." Val continued toward the shuttle, returning a thumbs up from the pilot. "We're launching in about five, so you might want to get situated as quickly as you can kid."

Alec "Wait...wha?" Alec followed Val, onto the ship. "Two day trip, ya mean you’re taking me to the academy... really, thank you sir, thank you very much. " He got situated near Val. "My name is Alec Mishima sir, you have no idea how grateful I am."

Val Only if you want to go, but that's where we're headed, so why not?" Val nodded to James, who was seated in the back of the passenger area, who replied with a slight wave, almost as if he hadn't even noticed the extra passenger. "I've done more than my share of damage, so I've decided to help as many people as I can, which is why I'm going to the Academy, to pass what I know onto the next generation. So, You said you had some questions, ask away."

Alec "Wow, ya know I always expected veterans like you...Wait a minute, shouldn’t you be like, freaking sixty or something like that?" Alec busted out, realizing that Val was up in age back when he was just a kid. Alec was in his seat and ready for launch.

Val let out a laugh. "Well, technically, I'm in my fifties. But after the affair with the FRE Faction and my personally war again Jyokita and pretty much all of Asia, I was put into cryosleep for close to ten years to recover both physically and mentally. You never hear about it, but war takes a heave toll on you're mind as well as your body. Unless of course you're on the back burner, then it just takes a toll on your mind. You said that you're father told you about me. Who was he, did I know him?"

Alec "No idea, he told me and my brothers about you a lot, before he died, we were never told exactly what happened, all we know was that his Leo blew up, and there wasn’t anything left to burry... His name was Kaza Mishima; he was one of the best Leo pilots from what we were told. That’s why I want in this academy" Alec braced himself as they took off. He looked over to Val in a less serious voice. "Ya know, I don’t think I'll ever get used to this crap, I really don't...But still.”

Val "A Leo huh? Those things are pretty much just antiques these days. According to James over there, it took a lot of work just to keep the Hyperion up to standard all these years." Val sat there as if the shuttle wasn't launching, but just sitting there. "Trust me, after a while you get used to it. Who was you're father fighting for when he was a soldier?"

Alec "Well I guess he fought for the ESA, but I'm not sure, he had piloted the space and ground Leo, and I mean I got pretty handy with one, there used to be a lot of wreckage around where we were." Alec laughed a little. "Yeah I guess I'll eventually be cool with it, but EH, till then."

Val "Well, that's good. As long as a person is fighting in their beliefs, there is no wrong in it. That is the lesson that Lord Treize and Lord Millardo left behind. They both fought for what they believed in, and in the end, it was achieved."

Two days later, the shuttle was about to arrive, and Alec had a thought.

Alec "Uhh.. I just realized.... I've missed all my classes and crap...and what am I gonna do, walk up to the Administrative office and say 'OH HEY SUP YALL I JUST HAD TO HOP A RIDE WITH A WAR HERO’ I mean god...I'm gonna get a lot a shit for this, so much for the promotion this year...SHIIIITTTTT."

Val "Maybe it would be just that simple? Granted I'm sure you'll be expected to make up all the work that you missed out on. But look at it this way, when and if you end up in my class, you're already have a just start over everyone else."

Alec "That’s a really good point.... a really, really good point. They'll probably understand...you're a good man Val, and ya know what... I don’t think I'd mind if a guy like you killed my dad.... I really dont...We should be landing about now shouldn’t we?"
As if on cue, the pilot announced the five minuets ETA to the ship.

Val "Well, I guess that answers you're question. And if you're father was fighting for the ESA, there's not a chance he died by my hand. Though I am still sorry and mourn for all those that have."

Alec arrived, and skipped the entire hubbub and said his goodbyes to Val, and said he would see him later. He went to the administrative offices and explained the situation. They looked at him, and gave him his classes, and reminded him he was incredibly late, and he should hurry and make up his work, and with that, he was off. “Bout damn time I got back to work, ‘nother wondrous school year…I hope my classes aren’t a bunch of damn dude…or a bunch of damned pansies…YEAH-HEA!”

Val was practically asleep on his feet as he left the meeting with the Administration. James, the lucky bastard, had gotten to leave about twenty minuets before Val did since James wasn't going to teach anything, he didn't have to sit through all the "What a teacher must do and what a teacher shouldn't do" speeches that Val had been subjected too. Luckily for him though, the man giving the speech and been more interested in listening to his own voice than making sure Val was still awake.

At some point Val thought that someone was supposed to have given him a rundown of the ship, which was probably one of the things that Val had dozed through. That was his biggest problem in these times of peace, a guy that only knows action can feel a little out of place. Since there was nothing else for him to do, Val decided to wander through the halls until he found something that interested him.

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Down in the bowls of the ship, James was watching as the Hyperion was gently being pushed back against the wall and clasped into place. With a small smile and a nod, James turned to take a good look around the rest of the hanger. He hadn't seen too much of the ship or the crew yet, but from what he had seen of the maintenance crew, the Sanctus Gemini XX was up to par on everything down to the latest technologies. James may not have been here for a teaching position, but he was here to teach, and for that he needed a couple trust worthy students who would use the Hyperion to learn how to work on other Gundams. Moving to a computer, James brought up a list of all the students and began looking through to see who he thought would be good picks and came up with three names. Captain Vae Le'Angeline, Lieutenant Alaster Damien Crowley and Lieutenant Zane Schuyler.

Christine sat with her back to a wall, her computer in her lap, the screen illuminating her face revealing her easy going smile. She had some time to blow at this banquet thing she'd been dragged to, though she'd much rather be sleeping or working on something productive than being reduced to surfing the network for fun.

Every now and again, she'd raise her head to glance around at the people who strode by. She noted that she should know most of them, but really had never made it a point to catalog names to faces in her mind. Still, if pushed into it, she'd have a polite conversation with them, trying to get some idea of who the other students were outside of her regiment.

OOC: This is a double post done by Ace, and myself. My posts will be in purple and his in black. Thanks kids.





Alec ran through the halls, he hated how the last class was ALWAYS in bum-fucked Egypt. He took a quick turn, and narrowly missed the wall, and saw a room number that looked about right. "Annnnd the winner isssss..." He muttered before suddenly opening the door. "Yo, this the Advanced Fight-sim Class...cause I REALLY don't wanna have to run through more halls."

Once again Aurora had spent most of the day in her own little world only partially there to the dull daily events of academy. Thankfully her teachers had been giving her a break because of well the recent attack on her life though at the same time other students were backing off a bit from her. Killing a man not only changed you're own outlook on life, but the way others perceived you as well. Sitting in the back of the class listening intently to the professor drag on about how the simulators worked the girl began chewing on her nails on her right hand. She wasn't very good at this quittin bad habbits thing anymore. Hearing the door open she turned looking over at the boy who rushed in with a raised brow. “Yeah it is...” She mumbled not letting the professor answer before her.

"Awesome thanks, yo..." He turned to the Instructor and pointed, letting his other fingers hang, giving off the feeling that he didn't really care. "You're about damn useless ya'know?" The Instructor looked awe-struck. "You must be Lieutenant Alec Mishima... I've already heard about you, so don't bother with Introductions, just take a seat in the back." Alec snapped back, "Yeah, I am Alec Mishima, and if you think you got the guts, Ill take you on in the Sim later, and I'll knock you down a few notches." Alec started to walk through the students, just because he could. "Good, I was gonna sit in the back anyway." He walked to the girl who had answered him when he first walked in. "Hey, this space taken?"

Her blue eyes watched the boy as he entered. He must have some sort of rep as well. Not giving him much more attention her gaze went back to her nails. Damn she wanted a smoke real bad. Hearing foot steps near her Aurora glanced over to see the kid walking over to her, and of course wanting to sit down. The class was full so honestly there was no other seat, but she felt like being a brat. Smiling sweetly the purple haired girl tilted her head to the side, "Yeah, actually my invisible friend is sitting there. Really sorry about that looks like you have to stand." She smirked a bit looking back at the instructor before, "Nah, its open..."

Alec laughed, "Na, if you got an invisible friend I wouldn't want to be sit on her...and or him...dunno what kinda freaky shit you're into...but hey, If you insist." Alec sat down next to her. "So, as the Instructor decided to announce before everyone and God, my name's Alec Mishima, Dice Lieutenant, and you are?"

Aurora smirked a bit looking over at him before extending her hand, "Aurora Von Drake...Dice Private. Pleasure."

Alec nodded, "Cool, nice name..hang on.." The Instructor was still going on about how the Simulator worked, and how students shouldn't panic, as it was meant to be as realistic as possible. "Hey man, can we just get to it, because honestly I got here late, and you're still going on about how it works, I'm sure these guys have had a Sim class before, so lets just do it to it man." The Instructor shot Alec one of the best 'Go to hell' looks he had ever seen... He wanted to applaud, but that would be too distasteful for his first day. "Very well Mr. Mishima, if you're so confident, you can be the first...Cadets, please observe what happens when you're to confident going into a battle, and don't be fooled by his confidence, you will probably make Elite Capitan before he gets his next promotion, he has been a Lieutenant for several years now.

Alec sat back and smirked. "Yeah, I don't mind going first, you gonna hop in Teacher? Lets rumble man." The teacher glared at him again. "No Mishima, you know that's against the rules, and as much as i would enjoy teaching you some respect, one of the students will have to do the simulation with you." With that Alec stood up. "So guys the teacher don't wanna do it, anyone else wanna piece?" Alec pointed at one of the other students and sounded far more respectful than he had to the teacher, "You look like you can do some fightin' how about it man?" The student simply shook his head, like he didn't want anything to do with "one of the bad kids". "Ahh, its alright, anyone wanna volunteer?"

Aurora looked between Alec and the instructor with a raised brow not quite sure if she approved really of what was going on. Glancing around the room at the other students the purple haired girl thought about the other students offer. She would rather fight than sit there and mop wouldn't she? "I'll fight you...not that I want a piece." She scoffed a bit going to stand up before waltzing over to one of the simulators. "Think you can take a girl?"

Alec smirked and quite literally jumped into the other simulator. "Sure why not, I'll see you on the other side, before closing the door to the cockpit, he leaned his head out. "You wanna do this on earth or space, and you wanna use a Gundam or a mass produced unit?"

Aurora closed the door to her own cockpit just when Alec started speaking. The girl smirked, “Oh how sweet letting the lady choose.” Sitting back in the seat the girl shrugged, “Lets be on earth and we'll use the gundams...give the kids something to watch you know.” Pressing a few buttons on the control panel the girl looked through the list of available units trying to decide which one she wanted. “Tell me when you're ready...”

"Yeah, chivalry still ain't dead ya' know" Alec smirked closing his cockpit. "I think I'll use Tallgeese III, not technically a gundam, but just as good" He waited for the simulation to load. It was set in an old, war scarred city, much like where he grew up. The other students in the class watched the screens where the Simulation was displayed. One screen showed Alec's cockpit, another showed Aurora's cockpit, and final screen in the middle displayed the battlefield, as if they were watching a movie. The Tallgeese III was uploaded in all of its glory, its white armour gleaming in the artificial sun. Alec was already plotting his strategy, he needed to consume ammunition, so he engaged his heat rod, he flung his arm out, as the whip-like weapon extended. It hit a nearby building, as it heated, cutting through it, causing it to crumble and fall, creating a cloud of dust and debris.

Aurora smirked watching the crumbling pieces of the former building fall to the ground in a heap of dust. “So quick to whip it out...well if we're gonna rock out with our cocks out...” Aurora's voice trailed as she picked her gundam, the Wing Zero. Hell why not? As soon as her gundam appeared about hundred feet away from Alec's Tallgeese the machine guns on her Zero's shoulders popped up and started to unload on the current enemy. At the same time Aurora was already starting to move to the side in preparation for his next attack.

Alec's laugh echoed through the "comm link" and into the classroom as Tallgeese engaged its boosters, darting into the cloud of dust, taking refuge behind a partially destroyed wall...Alec's laugh faded into complete silence, and in a calm voice he said, "I'd rather chill out..." Then the whip-like heat rod shout out from through the wall, aiming for where Aurora was last seen moving before Alec has strafed to the side. "WITH MY WANG OUT!” Alec yelled as the heat rod continued to outstretched, he again began strafing to the left. Continuing to keep the battle in the vision-impairing dust.

Aurora instantly boosted up as soon as she caught sight of the hazy glow from Alec's weapon. Barely avoiding the attack the Zero pulled out its famous buster rifle aiming in the general direction of where Alec's whip could have came from and fired the weapon. A loud bang popped off as the massive blast charged its way towards Alec's assumed direction. Meanwhile the recoil from the blaster caused Aurora's Zero to fly backwards about twenty feet before she landed on the ground. Thankfully she had been in the street and she was already preparing to boost backwards again.

The explosion rattled the ground, shook buildings, and caused others to collapse, and when the dust cleared, the Tallgeese was only partially visible beneath the rubble. "FUUUCCCCKKKK!" Alec screamed.

The purple haired girl couldn't help, but giggle seeing the damage her weapon had already down to him and the surrounding area. With out a second thought she boosted up again and aimed the large buster refile at what was left of Alec's Tallgeese before firing off another blast. "Can't leave you blue balled like that.." Aurora smirked devilishly again as the Zero shoot backwards once again yet another twenty feet...

Alec's guise had been in vain, he had hoped that after narrowly avoiding the first shot from Aurora's buster rifle, allowing the debris to cover him would coax her into moving in for the kill. It failed miserably she had instead taken no chances and simply fired the buster rifle again, obviously intending to finish the job. It was the only defence he could mount now, he had underestimated her, his trap had failed, he fired his Mega Beam Cannon as she fired her Buster Rifle. He had about nine rounds left, but he couldn't remember how many the buster rifle had. The blasts collided, the initial recoil from the cannon had jutted him back, clearing the rubble off of him, and he was lucky he had, if not the colliding energies would have surely cost him the Tallgeese, as they collided closer to him than Aurora. The explosion knocked him back several hundred yards, he barely had time to correct before coming to a rough landing and skidding even farther back. He came over the commlink again. "JESUS CHRIST ON A BIKE WHO THE HELL WASTES AMMUNITION LIKE THAT!" Alec would have to be a little more serious now, low level tricks wouldn't work.

Her blue eyes went wide seeing her shot collide with Alec's canon, “Shit...” As soon of the words left her mouth the girl crossed the zero's arms going to protect its helm while she started to boost backwards bracing herself for the impact. It would be an easier ride if she just went with the blast rather than fight against it. Just as she started going backwards the recoiled blast slammed her backwards twice as fast as the Zero's feet dragged hard on the ground digging up old pavement with it. Luckily for her the bast wasn't as strong as it was on the other side so came skidding to a stop about hundred yards away into a a crumbled away building. Pausing the girl caught her breath looking up and knowing she only had one more shot with the buster cannon before it had to be recharged. Wrinkling her nose a bit at Alec's comment she straightened up about to say something before the comlink controls were taken over and the professor's voice was heard, “Sorry kids, but we're out of time for the day...early class because of the banquet I'm afraid.” With that the simulation came to an abrupt end.

"Oh COME ON!" Alec said as the simulation ended, jumping out of the cockpit. "I mean, you spend half the class jabbering and....A BANQUET...oh that's nice... thought I had already missed it this year." There was a moment of silence, then he hugged the instructor. "W...will you go to the banquet with me...PLEEASE OH PRETTY PLEASE!.....I'LL TREAT YOU RIGHT!" There was silence, as the instructor practically peeled Alec off. "No Mr. Mishima, I wouldn't be caught dead during any social occasion with you." The instructor scowled. "Aww c'mon yo... you're the only one that I really know in this whole big 'ol school!" He batted his eyes at his teacher lovingly. "WONTCHA RECONSIDER!" "NO!" the instructor snapped. "Fine be that way...don't know where your hands have been anyway." Alec said smiling at his poor humour.

Aurora rolled her eyes seeing the simulation end. “Damn...” She was just starting to have some fun. Turning to the side she opened the hatch to the 'cockpit' and exited the simulator just in time to see Alec hugging the instructor. Apparently he was asking the teacher out to the banquet? Aurora coughed raising a brow before exiting the simulator. Running a hand through her hair she strutted over to her chair smirking at Alec, “Too bad...you made a cute couple.” With a wink she stopped at her chair going to pick up her black hoodie before going to leave the classroom.

Alec followed behind Aurora as she waltzed to her seat. "I know some people just don't have any damn taste." With that he turned and made some stupid face at the instructor. "So hey, since you're the only one who hasn't decided to shit talk me today, and I only been here a couple days this year, feel like taking little ol' me to the banquet?...and besides... you fight good, I like it." The class looked back at him in unison, with a look that said "HOW DARE YOU!" Alec looked around, confused, "D'I say something wrong?"

Aurora turned looking at Ace with a 'your joking?' look, but well clearly he hadn't heard about her period. Or about anything that had happened. Tilting her head to the side the girl let out a sigh, "Hmmm...I don't take out boys. Not that kind of girl darling.”

Alec looked at her with the most serious face he could muster, trying to be over dramatic, like those old movies he used to watch. "Would you do me the honour, of attending the Banquet with me Aurora?" The class continued to look on, eating ever bit of the juicy drama, no doubt waiting to spread vicious rumours, that may or may not lead to Alec's pants being sabotaged with plastic explosives.

Aurora looked the boy over thinking for a long moment debating between her two options. For one she could easily have a date for the banquet which would make her ex a bit upset, but at the same time she could really embarrass Alec in front of everyone. "I'll think about it." She said turning to leave. "Stop by my room later to find out..."

Alec was stunned. When Aurora turned to leave the class all turned back in unison, as if they hadn't been listening. "Man....that's harsh..." Alec said as he held out his hand like an air plane, and suddenly tilted his hand down and whistled, then made a crashing sound. "Know what, I will..." Alec said walking behind her as she left the class. He walked with her till the split ways. "I'll see ya later....less I get lost in this huge ass ship...again..." Alec said bighearted. Just before walking away he turned back. "Hey, where's your room anyway?" he asked.

Aurora listened to him idly as she walked out of the class room and started down the hall. She only glanced over at Alec though when he asked where her room was. A playful smirk ran across her lips, "If you really want to take me to the banquet...you'll find out..." Yes, Aurora wasn't easy...

"BAAAH Be that way then Aurora, I'll see you later then, i better not be walking these halls like a dumbass all night....Or tomorrow I might not be so nice in the Sim class!" He said as he backed away, eventually turning around and finally heading to his dorm to get ready for the banquet he knew literally nothing about. He loved his room, nice and manly. Diagrams littered his bed, including for a schematics program he wanted to bring up if he ever made his Capitan rank.

Short and sweet :3

Zane Arching a brow, Zane wondered what all the excitement was over. Faith wasn't anyone special and shouldn't get that kind of reception. Still, there were a lot of rumors going around and something told him they were all true. Yawning a little, he couldn't help but snicker at the fact that she never met the infamous Faith because it wasn't surprising to him, especially since the girl hated authority. "Yeah, she doesn't care for authority, so I'm not surprised. Faith was and is my very best bud through thick and thin.

Vae It hit her like a heavy weight champion uppercut. Vae couldn't believe that it took her this long to figure it out. As he was continuing to explain his history with Faith, Vae realized that she was sitting in the MedBay next to tabloid's most favorite heartthrob, Zane Schuyler. Her eyes widened as she was now at a loss for words. "Wait--you're...you're Zane Schuyler!!" Completely forgetting her encounter with Hitomi now, Vae sat there completely awestruck.

Zane "My closest friends and ex call me Matty actually. I changed my name to Zane Schuyler to help keep my past covered up and protect those closest to me. I'd be happy to sign an autograph for you, if you wish. However, I hear there's a banquet and I have a few things to do before attending it and sitting in the medbay isn't one of those things." Grinning his famous smile, Zane stretched out on the bed with another yawn. He could see the doctor coming towards him out of the corner of his eye, which meant the results were back. Sliding to his feet, he bowed towards Vae before walking after the doctor into the office.

Vae Vae was surprised that she didn't swoon after Zane smiled at her. She vaguely remembered a magazine back at home that she read a while back which said something along the lines of Zane being gay. But naaw, he couldn't be -- could he? Shrugging a bit, Vae thought to maybe ask him that once she ran into him again one day. After Zane left she decided to rest a bit as she found herself laying back down, thinking about how she was going to tell Ai about who she has met.

As the door closed, he glanced back towards the Phire Captain as she lay back down on the bed. Part of him wanted to go say something more to her, while the other half wanted to get the doctor visit over. Unfortunately the doctor decided for him and closed the door, blocking out all other sounds and any intentions he might have had. Even as the doctor was motioning to a chair, Zane took the other one. It wasn’t out of spite, but out of habit. He found that finding ways to have control over his life worked a lot better than letting everyone tell him what to do. Leaning back against the soft cushion, Schuyler took in a deep breath and slowly released it, trying to calm himself down. Normally it was a casual meeting that lasted a few minutes, but the look on the Doc’s face said that the tests came back with something and that was never a good thing.

“Quit stalling and knock off the pity looks. It’s really growing old. Just give it to me straight and don’t skip out on any of the details. I have a lady to win back or completely piss off, whichever happens and I don’t have time to wallow in self-pity. Also, I hear there’s a banquet that’s going to be happening soon and damn, I am hungry.”

The doctor gave Zane a look that was probably wasn’t meant to show. Generally doctors tried to keep all expressions off their faces when dealing with patients because according to the medical association, patients were too fragile to see emotions upon their doctor’s faces. Of course that was a bunch of hoopla, but the doctor’s still continue to treat the sick like they could break at any moment. The fact that Doc White allowed the incredulous surprised look meant that the teen was getting to him. Shrugging a little, Zane slid a few fingers through his blood red hair and waited patiently for the results.

”Well you see Zane…”

“How many times do I need to say it, call me Matty…”

”Fine, Matty. Your tests came back with rather worrisome results. Basically, the disease has spread throughout your body again and has worsened in the last week. Normally there would be a cure by now, but your disease is not like any seen to this day. I think it’s time that you stay in your room on bed rest. There will be no going to the banquet and certainly no rough housing of any kind. I’m serious, Matty. Don’t make me keep you here because I will.”

Shaking his head, Matty knew what the results were going to be. He could feel it deep down in his bones, which was never a good thing. Still, he couldn’t help but hope that since he and Aurora found each other again, perhaps his luck was changing. Luck it seemed just wasn’t on his side, per usual. Sliding to his feet, he shook the doc’s hand before opening the door. He didn’t bother to comment because they both knew that once Zane “Matty Avery” Schuyler had his mind set on something, he was going to do it regardless. As he headed out of the medbay, he waved a quick goodbye to Ms. Vae and walked down the corridor. He had several things to do before heading to the banquet and each one was important since he probably only had hours before crashing for good. Pausing, he leaned back into the door of the medbay, glancing over towards the Captain he had been conversing with earlier. Something was nagging at him, like she was thinking something that simply wasn’t true.

“Oh, and by the way. Those magazines that claim I am gay were written by women that didn’t like the fact that I wouldn’t date them. Later, Vae.”

Heading back down the hallway, Zane headed directly for his room. Once there, he flipped on some Metallica and sat down at his desk, pulling out some paper. Digging around for a pen, Schuyler pulled out ten, tossing them onto the desk as well. Leaning back in the chair, he balanced on the back two legs while trying to think of what to say. No matter what, it probably was going to be sappy and the stupidest thing he had ever written, but at least she would know. Deep down he knew that telling her earlier would have been better, but, he just couldn’t see her heart break anymore than it had already… not to mention how worried she was over Faith. Adding onto all of that seemed selfish or perhaps not telling her was selfish, he wasn’t sure anymore.

My dearest Aurora:

I am really unsure how to go about this, because it’s something they don’t teach you in the classes here at the Academy. Let me start off first by saying how great it was seeing you earlier today although I don’t think you felt the same. People change, I suppose. I started out buying stocks and the like with the hopes of winning your parents approval so that we could start dating again. However, upon seeing you, I realize that it was silly to assume that things would go back to how it used to be. Oh well, at least I was able to see your beautiful eyes once more. That really isn’t the point of this letter. No… I fear it has a deeper meaning than just being a love letter.

A couple of years ago, shortly after the shooting in the club, I went to the doctor for a check up to make sure everything was okay with my recovery. They found something in the blood work that caused them to do more blood work, x-rays, and an MRI. I was then brought into the doctor’s office and he began to explain what was going on with me, which was nothing more than mumbo jumbo to me. The only thing I truly understood was that I had some kind of rare incurable disease and I had months to live. Well, obviously I lived more than that, but deep down I knew it was only time before my body gave out. I have weekly checkups here and until today, everything checked out fine.

By the way, your neighbor Vae, Captain of the Phire Regiment is really sweet. You should get to know her. Sorry, I keep getting sidetracked. I never realized how hard this would be. I mean, I don’t know what you think of me anymore, but I found it necessary to at least tell you with my own words. I know how bad rumors can get… and I am sorry about all the rumors about you and Faith, although I am sure most of them are true because you two tend to get into trouble together.

Anyways… the disease is now spreading throughout my body and has also grown worse just within the last week. I was told by Doctor White to get on bed rest and do nothing strenuous. I for one plan on going to the banquet and going out with a bang in hopes of being able to see you from afar one last time and maybe having a final dance with you, if there’s music. I don’t know when you’ll get this letter or if you’ll even read it, but I hope you do. Please… please tell Faith that I’ll always be with her… in her heart, just like Caleb… and you are. Tell her not to give up… and things will turn around for the better, they have to. Aurora, I will always love you. Please don’t forget me and please don’t forget to find your place in the world and more importantly, your mate.

Yours forever,

Matty

Dropping the pen against the desk, the dying teen put all four legs of his chair on the floor before digging around for an envelope. Fighting back the tears that were threatening to make him into a sissy, Matty folded the letter into the proper size and sealed it inside the enclosure. Climbing to his feet, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and quickly changed into a formal black and white tuxedo before heading out of his room, the letter gripped tightly in his hand. Following the hallways twists and turns, Zane was soon at Ms. Von Drake’s door. Sliding the envelope through the opening near the floor, he pressed his hand against the door before walking away. It wasn’t long before he was at the banquet and the Lt. found a seat at a fairly empty table and tried to relax.

Christine was very quiet as she closed her laptop. She stashed it away in her bag, and then slung the carrying case over her shoulder, anxious to move around. She wasn’t normally jumpy, but the ever moving atmosphere had her nervous, though she couldn’t really place a finger on why.

She walked over to the buffet table, clutching her stomach when it growled. She remembered she hadn’t eaten much; not that she ever really did, but now was one of those moments when she was truly hungry. She reached for a plate, then loaded a few of the finger foods on to and began to make her way to a table, not really looking or paying attention to where she was going.

I am splitting this into three posts because it's 11 pages on word. It'll start off with Will and Gabrielle heading to the banquet.

Will:"It's about that time, huh?" Warinai slowly walked back to his room, unsure of how to act really. Tonight was a rather special event, not to mention he had a date. Pushing open his door once he was at his destination, entering the room. "Hello? Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle: Humming a little, Gabby was more than happy to realize that her afternoon classes were canceled thanks to the banquet, which meant she had plenty of time to get ready. In fact, it gave her enough time to shower and dry her hair naturally so that it curled ever so slightly. She figured that getting dressed before Will walked into the room was probably best, so the teen took it upon herself to stand in front of her closet for at least fifteen minutes, staring at the different dresses she had for occasions like this. Mulling over it, she first got on the other essentials and applied her make up before fixing up her hair. Once that was done, Gabrielle headed back to her closet and was standing there in nothing more than a red lace thong and bra when Will walked into the room. “AH! WILL!”

Will:This was quite a fascinating sight, which both pleased and plagued Will. Eyes and mouth wide open, the boy tried his best to look away, however his eyes could only avert their gaze for a second or two before just covering them with his hand. "I'M SORRY! I'm going to try to make it to the bathroom now!" His voice was nervous, and his words were quick. Sliding his hand across the other half of the room, Warinai finally grasped what he thought was the bathroom door, which lucky, it was. Will swung his body in, and kicked the door shut. "Just tell me when you're done."

Gabrielle: Blinking, Gabrielle found herself staring at Will who was in turn staring at her. The uncomfortable silence between them was enough to cause any sane man to completely lose it. Luckily, he covered his eyes and announced he was going into the bathroom until she was finished. Once he was behind the closed door, Skye slapped a hand across the side of her face and groaned. She knew better than to stand around half naked when her roommate was a boy, but what was done, was done. Digging through her closet, she tried to ignore how hot and red her face was, though that was rather difficult. Pulling out a dress that matched her undergarments, she slid it on, taking note that it fit nicely against her curves and really showed off her athletic figure. It was a simple, strapless dress that was perfect for the night on the town, or in the case, a banquet. “Alright Will, you can come on out now.”

Will:Leaning against the wall, Will tried his best not to think about what he had just seen. It was almost impossible, being that he was teenage boy. Hearing Gabrielle was dressed, he jumped to his feet, and exited the bathroom. "That's a... lovely dress." His voice was rather weak as he complimented her lovely dress, but that was expected with his scarlet face a moment ago. Warinai didn't stop too long to look at her, still rather nervous. He proceeded over to his dresser, pulling several garments out of its draws and taking them with him to the bathroom. Several minutes later, he emerged wearing pair of black slacks, along with a black button up shirt. Will also wrapped a silver silk tie around his neck, straightening it once tied. "So..." Will had stopped next to Gabrielle, unsure what to say next.

Gabrielle: Slipping on a pair of matching dress shoes with a six inch heel, Gab’z watched Will grab his own clothing before walking back into the bathroom. Fighting back a snicker, she instead sat down in a chair, leaning back against the desk with a slight yawn. Part of her wanted to skip the banquet because she always found the dull, but she was starving! Waiting for Will to come back out, she looked him up and down before nodding in satisfaction. “You’re pretty handsome yourself when you dress up. You should wear stuff like this more often. It’s much better than the dull-some uniform.” Grinning, she slid to her feet and slid her arm around his, slightly tugging him to the door. Sliding out into the hallway, she walked alongside with him and desperately tried to think of something to say that wasn’t stupid. “So, now that you’ve seen me half-naked, I suppose you won’t have to wonder what I look like without clothes on anymore, hmm?”

Will:"Wha? Yeah.. I'm sorry about that, I was trying not to look..." Will ran his free hand through his hair before scratching the back of his head. The boy tried to think of something to say, this wasn't an everyday thing to him, so he wasn't sure what would be good to talk about, and he just met Gabrielle, so he barely knew a thing about her. "Gabrielle, how good were you at soccer?"

Gabrielle: “Good enough that the pro’s wanted me. You know you were trying to look. You’re a man… you thrive on seeing naked women.” Realizing she was sounding slightly harsh, Gabby took in a deep breath and calmed down. Talking about soccer made her realize how much she missed the sport, which meant later on, she was going to the gym to kick the ball around. That always seemed to make her a little bit happy. “Sorry if I seemed harsh. I’m miserable here.”

Will:The comment made him feel worse about walking in on her, although she was right, his eyes weren't moving on their own. "No no, you don't need to be sorry... You're miserable here? You seem rather happy when I see you."

Gabrielle: “That’s the thing. I learned from a very early age how to fake being happy or being content. It’s something one learns when your father beats you everyday and when your boyfriend… the very person that swore he would protect you no matter what, beat the shit out of you and nearly kills you. But, that was in the past… sort of. What position do you hold here?” Pausing, she ran a few fingers through her hair, straightening it before starting to walk again, the banquet doors within 500 feet of their current location.

Will:Will figured he must have brought up something touchy. The way she spoke made him feel terrible, hearing that people would even do something of the sort. "Me? I'm an Angel private, Phire regiment. Basically a one stop shop for support and aid. Things haven't been the best, but they aren't the worst either."

Gabrielle: “Aah, a med-aid student. That’s delightful to know because I always seem to hurt myself while practicing soccer in the gym.” Grinning, Gabrielle leaned her head against his shoulder and tried to think of something other than her father and her ex-boyfriend. Sighing softly, she counted the number of steps they were taking and it seemed like a million. Finally, after what appeared to be a few hours, the two reached the doors of the banquet hall. Remaining against him, Gabby paused in mid-step, glancing at the people already milling inside and immediately felt uncomfortable. It was hilarious that she felt so uneasy considering as a noble child, she was always going to banquets and rich events. “Well… let’s go get some food and a place to sit down before something happens.”

Will:"You must really work hard to always hurt yourself practicing..." Gabrielle started to lean on his shoulder, surprisingly it didn't bother him that much. "Hmm.. that looks like a nice table, or that one." Will had been pointing to a nearly empty tables off in the distance. This was quite a crowded place, he wondered if they would run into anyone he knew... Hopefully Victor isn't here....

Gabrielle: “I play for keeps… I train for keeps. It’s how I’ve always been and always will be.” Shrugging a little, Gabby first headed over to get some grub. She didn’t care where they sat as long as they were able to sit down and actually eat. After filling her plate, she sat down at one of the emptier tables, making a motion for Will to sit down beside her after he filled his place of course.

Will:With a plate of juicy steak, Warinai took his seat next to Gabrielle, now filtering anything he said to make sure if wouldn't involve her family, or past dates, as well as stupid comments. Once again, his mind drew blanks on subjects to speak about. "I'm sure you said this before, I must have forgot, where do you come from?"... Wait a minute, this might trigger something bad...too late...

Gabrielle: Silently eating, she mused a moment or two on how much she wanted to tell him. It wasn’t that she was afraid of revealing who her parents were or even her birth place… it just seemed stupid. Taking a few more bites, Skye wrinkled up her nose before placing her fork down on her plate in order to take a drink. “Where do I come from? I’m originally from Earth… born into a noble family, though that was against my will. Hell, if I could have at the age of a day, I would have run away. Anyways, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” Grinning a little, Gabby took a few more bites before finishing what was on her plate. Turned out she really wasn’t that hungry, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Eh, I’m also a Dice Private, so I’m pretty low on the pole, I guess. What about you? Where do you come from?”

Will:"I came from two places... technically..." Will tried to remember exactly where his bloodlines were from. " You see, I had a mother from Japan, and a European father. I ended up living in Japan for most of my life, until joining this academy to be exact." Will sliced a piece of meat of the steak, and closed his mouth around it before withdrawing his fork.

Gabrielle: “I see… that’s rather interesting.” Leaning back in her chair, Gabrielle glanced around at the gathering students. Most of them were shoving their faces with food and were laughing and talking amongst each other. Then there were the ones that were just standing around and staring at the others who seemed oblivious to everything that was happening. Hell, the entire affair reminded her of the school dances and balls she was forced to attend… extremely boring. “Will, you seem far too gentle to be here… in an environment that deals with potential killings and violent battles. Why are you here?”

Will:"To be truthful, I don't know... maybe I thought I could change something, or be like some of my favorite heroes.. I like the idea of helping people, but on the other end, I hate death, torture, cruelty, which all seem to occur with a war." His answer seemed kind of foolish, but he said it. "I suppose time will decide my fate..."

Gabrielle: “Oh Will… the fate that you are seeking is going to be more cruel that you deserve.” Frowning a little, Gabrielle lifted her hand up, putting it against Will’s arm. Sliding it down a little until it was resting against his hand, she smiled a little bit. It seemed odd that someone would go this far just to help people, but that’s what the war generally needed. Hell, she could think of several people that thought the same and did make a difference in the war. “Well, whatever happens… I want you to know that I’ll do my best to stay with you, if you want.”

Will:"Cruel? Probably... but the same is true of those I will have to treat, and healing them will be all that matters." Will grinned, very few were this nice to him without knowing him long. Her last comment almost left him speechless "Is that so? I would be honored to have your company... but promise me I'll only ever have to put a band-aid on you."

Gabrielle: “Will, you out of anyone should know that making promises one cannot keep is not a good idea. Therefore, I will leave it at; I will try to only need a band-aid. However, if there is a battle… a real battle, not a simulation, then I cannot promise anything.” Smiling encouragingly, Gabby squeezed his hand before leaning over against his shoulder. Kissing his cheek, she nestled against him as well as one could in a chair. “Just don’t do anything stupid like trying to protect me when it comes down to a life and death situation. I will raise you from the dead just to kill you again, understand?”

Will:She was right, it would be lying to him to say she would never get injured in a battle. Will dispelled the thoughts of what could happen, and instead enjoyed the moment, being leaned on and getting a kiss on the cheek to be exact. "Yes ma'am." Warinai shifted his arm, moving it around Gabrielle's frame. "I wonder how Aurora is doing... she still seemed kinda down the other day.."

Gabrielle: “Aurora is someone that is strong deep down. Whatever is plaguing her… she will get through it. Somehow I don’t think she really needs to be cuddled.” Sighing softly, Gabrielle relaxed against his shoulder and let him hold onto her. It was weird that she was allowing someone to hold her, but people change and it was generally for the best.

Continuation of the banquet. Aurora, Alec, and Zane chime in... in addition to Gabby and Will.

Aurora: Aurora had of course noticed the letter under her door, and had read it. The contents left the girl more than just a little upset. What he said in there it couldn't have been serious could it? No... it was just all a joke. But, Matty wouldn't play such a cruel trick on her would he? He- Aurora paused pulling out her fifth cig for the last thirty minutes and popping it in her mouth. “Fuck...” She couldn't take more drama. She was already going back to old bad habits and they weren't solving her needs like they used to. Lighting up the girl looked over at her closet still standing there in her strapless bra and lace thong staring at all her designer clothing. She had no idea what to wear. For once the decision didn't even matter to her, and the thought of going to the banquet in her undergarments had crossed her mind. It would be a statement, it would scream she was going insane, but then maybe she would get some drugs. Looking over in the mirror the girl noticed how completely whore like she looked. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her make up was a tad bit over done from having to redo it so many times. Even if Matty was dying she swore to God she wasn't going to cry again. It was pathetic...

Alec: Alec knocked hard on the door, four steady knocks, then a pause, then two quick knocks, and he thought to himself, "Two-bits". He had decided to actually have a little style tonight, something that didn't make him look like a cocky dick. It was a Black suit, with deep purple pinstripe, a spade was embroidered on the breast pocket; he even managed to have a matching pinstripe fedora with a spade embroidered on it as well. In all honesty, he thought he was pretty damn sexy, so he still managed to look like a cocky dick, but hey cant change what you are right?

Zane: He was growing rather bored waiting for everyone to show up and that was especially true since he didn’t have a lot of time left in the world. Sliding to his feet, he headed over towards the buffet and started to fill up his plate with food. Once satisfied with his selection, he moved back to the table he had been previously occupying and sat down silently. While eating, he shifted his gaze around to see if anyone was at his table yet. There was a female and male hugging on each other, but that was it. The girl was familiar only because she was the daughter of one of the many noble families from Earth and he thought he recognized the male from the hallways, but wasn’t sure. Shaking off the thoughts, he found himself looking around for Aurora, wondering if she was going to show up and more importantly, whether or not she would even want to talk to him, let alone dance with him before he died.

Will:"I suppose you're right... she is just as strong as Faith in a way." William closed his eyes, almost falling asleep due how comfortable he was. A random thought entered his head which he watched someone take a seat at their table. He merely raised a hand, waving to the gentlemen. "Your hair is nice and soft by the way."

Gabrielle: Smirking a little at the comment that Aurora was as strong as Faith, Gabby didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know Faith and was clueless as to how strong the missing girl really was. Hell that was a lie because she heard of the rumors and remembered seeing her fighting at the dance. Still, it really wasn’t her business. Blinking at Will seemed to relax even more against her, Gabby prodded him in the ribs to keep him awake while nodding a hello towards the newcomer. “Thanks… I use a special shampoo and conditioner.”

Aurora: Aurora looked over at the door hearing it knock so many times. Pausing she flicked some cigarette ash on the floor before stepping into a pair of red heels before strutting over to the door. Twisting the door knob the girl moved behind the door to block herself from the other persons view before poking her head out. A slender brow arched looking over Alec before she popped the cig back in her mouth, “Turn around...and don't come in I haven't decided what I'm wearing yet...” She paused for a moment waiting for him to do as she 'requested' while her piercing blue eyes sized him up.

Alec: Alec looked up when she opened the door, a little shocked at first to not see a person, then she poked her head out. Listening to what she had to say he turned around, and even put his hands behind his head for good measure. "Smoking is bad for ya' health you know... and since I'mma be standing here, can I get one too....and hey, if all else fails you could just ya know, walk around with the door all night, compliments the eyes. Alec always did never know when to shut the hell up. "You know, you coulda just said 'Hang on a minute' and not be tempting a guy like this, Its not very nice." Alec shrugged a little, with a smirk on his face, and he started to wonder how long he'd be staring at the wall.

Zane: Nodding back towards the female and waving at the male, Zane felt a little uneasy around the two. They appeared to be in love and that still killed him deep down. Hah, killed him. What a pun that was considering he was in fact dying. Shoving that thought out of his mind, he finished eating and quietly cleared his voice. All of the women that were normally doting all over him seemed to be hanging back, almost as if they knew something was wrong. Then again, White had a big mouth and probably told them or maybe he was just paranoid. It didn’t really matter because he only wanted one woman to begin with. “Hi, I’m Matty Avery… Err… I mean Zane Schuyler. I hope you don’t mind that I sat at your table.”

Will:"No, not at all, nice to meet you, Zane." Will addressed him by the second name he gave. A poke in the ribs kept the boy awake, but he was still rather relaxed. "So, what are you doing tomorrow Gabrielle? Any free blocks?"

Gabrielle: “I sure don’t mind, Zane. It’s not like there are name cards on the table indicating where we must sit.” Shrugging a little, Gabby snuggled against Will as much as possible considering the chairs were definitely not love seats or couches. Keeping her hand wrapped around his, Skye squeezed his hand again, intertwining her fingers around his. She was falling… and she was falling fast, which was either going to be a good thing, or something very, very bad. “Well, that depends on whether or not I attend my classes. If I attend them, I have two free hours in the afternoon, if I don’t attend, I am free all day. How about you?”

Aurora: “I'm trying to figure out if I want to be seen in public with you...” She muttered looking him over once more before going to shut door, “And a gentlemen never asks for a cigarette he always provides...I'll be out in a minute.” Sighing the girl smirked to herself weakly thinking over what Alec said before shaking her head. If it had been any other night she would have been nicer, polite, or hell on time but this was a bad week for her so she didn't really care. Looking over the closet she tossed off the red heels before pulling out a short cocktail dress. It was a deep purple with black roses on the trim, and a black waist empire waist. Slipping this time into a pair of black heels the girl ran a brush through her purple hair thankful for the fact that it naturally laid down nice. Grabbing the lighter, cigarette case, and a small black purse the girl was out the door. “Alright, let’s go...”

Alec: Alec sighed when she closed the door, taking out a cigarette of his own, and a bent one at that, and took his time lighting. "Damn, someone must have had a bad time recently...Glad I missed the first part of the year, all the drama is over, now I can party-hearty." He put his hands back behind his head. After that, he just waited, and didn't turn when the door opened again. "So, what the verdict Haw......." Alec saw her walk out and stopped mid-sentence. "That's...mighty...uh.....fetching... Somebuddy's a lucky man." He waited on her to start walking and tried to keep in rhythm with her step. "Don't really see girls like you where I'm from… much less all prettied up like that."

Zane: Grinning slightly, Zane was glad they didn’t mind. The two seemed oblivious to how lovey-dovey they were being, or perhaps they knew and didn’t realize how their actions might offend others. Shaking off the thought as well as others that seemed to be raping his mind, Schuyler shoved the half-empty plate away from him and leaned on one arm, staring at the door for a few minutes before forcing himself to look elsewhere. “Well, it’s nice to meet you both…”

Will:"Yeah see ya." There was part of Will saying that Zane was driven away by something, but he wasn't quite sure what. "I have basic stuff tomorrow, nothing too hard to make up... I do however have to attend my first class, otherwise I'll be gutted by my sensei..." This was quite odd, Private Warinai had never been much of a rebel, nor was he known to misbehave. What in the world could make change his behavior?

Gabrielle: “Well, if you skip all of your other classes, I will skip mine and we can hang out in our room tomorrow. I have game systems and loads of games that can surely entertain us for hours. Oh, by the way… did either of you notice that everyone else… or rather, almost everyone else is dressed in their dress uniforms? I’m actually glad we’re not because I hate conforming to the wills of others.” Smirking again, she stretched slightly before flopping back over against Will, lazily.

Aurora: Aurora smirked shutting her door, “Its to make up for my bad personality...and thanks you're sweet.” With that she started walking though listening to him still as she strutted down in halls in the 'Half runway half I've got some business to take care of walk'. Looking over at him flashed Alec a weak smile, “You won't meet many girls like me Alec.” Honestly she was a little surprised that he hadn't heard of her before. “Should have seen me back in my partying days...” Her voice trailed as they entered the banquet area and her eyes instantly started to roam around the place. “I have to find someone...but if you want we can dance first...or I know some people you can hang out with if you need some friends.”

Alec: "I've been called a lot of things, but sweet aint one of 'em... Hell most people don't like lookin' at me much, says it pisses'em off." He smiled back as they walked. "And I like that walk you got going on, make you look like a real go-getter." They entered the banquet room, and he turned to look at her. "Yeah, the purple hair is pretty unique, not to mention everything else." He looked around, and decided only a few people here had any style. "I don't mind, I'm considering this a pity date, but I mean maybe if we dance around a bit we'll see them?... Hell I don't care, it's up to you....Long as I get at least one dance in, maybe it'll make some chicks jealous and you know how it is, nobody wants somethin, till they see someone else with it...or something like that."

Zane: “I noticed that earlier, but figured it really doesn’t matter. They did that just so people know what regiment each individual is from. If they want to know, they can ask… that is why we were born with mouths.” Shrugging a little, he glanced around the room again as someone came and took all the plates off the table. Stopping his gaze at the door, he couldn’t help but stare in awe at the dress Ms. Von Drake happened to be wearing at the moment. It was good to see that she hadn’t conformed and like them, rejected the rules of the banquet, at least for now. Still, he couldn’t help but notice the man with her and found the grin that had started to appear on his face slipping away. Forcing his crimson eyes to shift elsewhere, he rubbed his forehead, ignoring the exhaustion.

Will:"Why not, it can't hurt to take a day off. If anything happens, I could always just say we both caught something." Gabrielle pointed out something interesting, they were the only ones not in the school's uniform. "I didn't even realize we were supposed to wear anything in specific..."

Gabrielle: “Well, that’s what happens when the school doesn’t clarify what is going on. It’s starting to really annoy me actually. Which is why I don’t mind skipping classes tomorrow. We could say we have the flu… or got food poisoning from something we ate, or something.” Shrugging, she glanced over at Aurora, tempted to wave and in fact, did so.

Aurora: “I don't do pity dates.” Aurora said simply still scanning the crowds as she inhaled the toxins on her cigarette. Tilting her head to the side the girl winked at the kid, “Yeah I do...alright come on lets dance...I bet we'll see them when we're on the dance flo-...” Aurora's voice trailed when she noticed Gabrielle waving to her. “Wait I found them...” Grabbing Alec's arm she started dragging him towards the table before seeing Matty. “We'll have to wait on the dance for a bit...I need to talk to that boy.” When they reached the table the girl pretty much shoved the other boy forward with a simple, “This is Alec... be nice.” With that she turned to Matty going to take his hand, “We need to talk...in private.”

Alec: Alec gave a half-hearted "Heh" just before Aurora nearly ripped his arm out. "Its cool" Alec said politely, first extending his hand to the girl, then to the guy. "Dice Lieutenant Alec Mishima, pleased to meet you." He turned back to Aurora, and smirked, "I'll be nicer to them than I was to the teacher if that helps...." Alec took a seat.

Zane: Matty’s eyes widened slightly as he spotted Gabrielle waving at someone out of the corner of his eyes. Glancing to see who she was waving at, Zane’s eyes widened even more. Out of all people to be waving at, the girl had to be waving at Aurora. Frowning a little, he leaned back in his chair as Aurora and her date made their way towards the table. Inhaling deeply, Schuyler released the breath as she introduced the boy as Alec, instructed the other two to be nice. Lifting up his own hand to take hers as she extended it out, Zane slid to his feet and led her out to the dance floor, indicating he wanted to dance while they talked. “Sure… you can dance and talk at the same time, right?” Wrapping his arms around her, he held her lightly as they started to dance to whatever happened to be playing at the moment. “I’m sorry, Aurora… that’s all I can say.”

Will:"How do ya do? Angel Private William Warinai." He reached up to Alec with a hand to shake with him. "Hi Auror-" She seemed to be busy, so William didn't bother to finish his sentence. Soon after extending a hand, his bladder started to trouble him. "Ah... I'll be back, Alec, Gabrielle, seems I have to use the bathroom." Once standing, he dashed away rather quickly to a bathroom.

Final post... still a continuation of the banquet, which means we didn't get ahead. Yay for that. Anyways, tis a bit of a tear-jerker, so beware.

Gabrielle: “Eh… nice to meet you, Alec Mishima, Dice Lieutenant. I’m Gabrielle Skye… Dice Private.” After shaking his hand, Gabby frowned a little bit. It seemed weird to her giving out her regiment and title. It was something that she wasn’t proud of because it really didn’t matter to her. No, instead she wanted to give her position on the soccer field because that was more important than a silly Academy, wasn’t it? “Also, I’m a center forward professional soccer player.” Nodding towards Will as he indicated he needed to go to the bathroom, she leaned off of him, straightening up in her chair.

Aurora: Before the girl could protest he was dragging her off to the dance floor. “God...Matty...” Sighing she just stood with him a moment before actually starting to dance. “This really isn't private...” Pausing she looked down at the dance floor shaking her head as they moved to the music. “Is it true? Because if this was just-just to...get me back...I can't even imagine you doing that.” She put the cigarette better her lips before looking up at him, “So..true or not?”

Alec: Alec laughed, "I hear the line's gonna be a real pain William.....see ya." He nodded to Gabrielle. "Wow....professional soccer...that's great...what the hell are you doing up here..I mean...not to be nosy... but..If you got a career...why this?"

Zane: What was he thinking? Dancing on the dance floor while talking about the fact that he was going to die was really, really stupid. But, it did feel good to have her in his arms again, even if it was just for a moment while they talked. After the talk, he more than likely was going to go back to his room or maybe just watch her dance with Alec. Sighing softly, he found himself glancing down at the floor instead of looking at her for a little before finally looking deep into her eyes. “Aurora, this is something I would not lie about. I found out the news earlier today… when I went to the doctor. I kept this from you because you already had enough to worry about and I hate seeing you so sad. I meant what I said in the letter… I’m not doing this to get you back because I know it’s already too late.”

Gabrielle: “The truth? My father punched me in the face and knocked me out. While I was unconscious he had the driver bring me to the space port and sent me here. I was supposed to leave for the professional soccer team the next day. I should have known… oh well.” Shrugging a little, she slid a few fingers through her dark brown hair. “How about you? What brings you here?”

Aurora: Aurora swallowed hard trying to get a grip on her emotions as well as comprehend what he was telling her. Now she was starting to feel ill. “Matty...” Her voice started shaking. “You can't...you can't die..” She paused biting her bottom lip before looking up at him. “I have connections...I know people that could help you. I can fix it ok...” She paused running a hand through his hair, “And you should be resting…”

Alec: ".....That's horrible....why would someone.." Alec looked down for a moment. "Why would someone force their own blood into something like that..." Trying to somewhat forget about what she said, he decided to do what always worked, he complimented the lady. "That's a nice dress by the way... And I'm here cause of my dad too… He was a soldier, and got killed in action.... mom died too, back when I was young, so me and my brothers decided on survival of the fittest, so we fought for food. Everyone else managed to be successful... I was only good at fighting, so I decided I would be like my dad, wanted to be a Gundam pilot, figured it be best if I could die the way I lived, ya know?"

Zane: “Aurora… it’s a disease that no one has even heard of. I’ve been to all the best doctors and no one can fix me. You can’t … Please don’t be sad because of me. Damn it, I’m so sorry… I should have given you the letter later… I just… I wanted you to know because you’ve always been that one girl. The girl that could always lift my sorrows. I know I should be resting, but I hate being alone, I always have… I think that’s why I opened the club.” He smiled faintly, feeling her hand sliding through her hair, just like old times. “I’ll understand if you want to go back to Alec. Really, it won’t hurt my feelings as long as you’re happy...”

Gabrielle: “Ah… following the family. That’s really awesome. My father was a pilot too, but he was better at being a noble and so, he focused on that. When they found out I was a girl, he was disappointed, but decided it would be fun to force me to follow his shoes even though I was talented at playing soccer. I refused to train even at a young age and so he started to beat me. I’ve really gotten used to it.” Glancing down at her dress, she reminded herself what she was wearing. Grinning a little, she leaned back in the chair, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. “Thanks, it’s one of my favorites. So, you’re here with Aurora?”

Aurora: The girl blinked, “Matty...we're not even dating...he just escorted me.” Aurora took a deep breath going to take his hand, “Come on...we're putting you to bed then we're going to figure this out.” She just couldn't let herself believe the fact he was going to die or well anything of the sort. It was more than the wrong time...

Alec: Don't take it the wrong way...but...I hope your dad gets the shit beat out of him... It’s different for me following my family.....It’s my choice...No one has the right to just beat their kid for not wanting to kill." Alec was getting noticeably angered, then he calmed down. "Welcome..and...eh, not really 'here with her' she just seemed kinda bummed out... figured I’d try to help, being that I'm the guy that makes people laugh in class....or tries too... I've literally known her for about half a class...and can I ask you what's up with the other dude?"

Zane: A sheepish grin crossed his face as she declared that Alec had escorted her, nothing more… nothing less. He wasn’t sure how to feel about how the events were playing out, because honestly he hadn’t even thought about it. Part of him wanted to drop right there while the other half forced the first half to keep dancing. Well, that was until she took his hand and declared he was going to be put to bed. Sighing softly, he let her lead him out of the Grand Hall and to his room while trying to ignore the black spots before his eyes. Once to his room, he opened the door and stepped inside, nearly stumbling in the process. Releasing his hand from hers, Matty slid out of the jacket and shoes, crawling into bed. “Aurora… you don’t have to stay with me. I don’t want to ruin your evening.”

Gabrielle: “Man, he isn’t going to get the shit beat out of him. I can’t even prove that he beats me because of how fucking rich the bastard is. Doesn’t matter anymore because once I’m done here, I’m going straight into soccer and he’ll never find me again.” Grinning a little, she couldn’t help the expression, because she learned long ago not to let her anger get the best of her, especially when it came to her father. “Ah… yeah, a lot of things have happened to her in like, the last few days. I’m not sure what all though and you can’t really believe the rumors. The other dude meaning the one she’s talking to? I really have no idea. His name is Zane Schuyler and he’s a billionaire, that’s all I know.”

Aurora: Aurora didn't say much as they walked, but seeing him stumble through the door it made her worry. “Matty...you...Fuck...Matty just rest...where's your com?” She was calling the medical bay for a doctor they had to be able to do something to help him out. Walking over to the bed Aurora bent over to unbutton his shirt, “Matty...you have to tell me where your com is...or do you have a bracelet that sends a message to the medical bay?”

Alec: "World's a really fucked up place...." Alec looked back, and saw them leave, then turned back and yawned. "Well, good times, and I'm now free for the night. Feel like I went through all the prettying up for nothin, course prolly deserved it." Alec gave an earnest laugh and leaned back.

Zane: “Aurora… the doctors can’t do anything for me. Doctor White said the only thing I can do is stay in bed and rest. I was told not to do anything strenuous… that’s probably why I’m tired. My comm is in my desk drawer beneath all the pictures… but it won’t do any good.” Sliding out of his shirt, he relaxed against the pillow, pulling the blanket up to his stomach. He was incredibly hot and there seemed to be no explanation as to why he was so toasty all of a sudden. Sliding the covers back off him, he stretched out with a slight cough. “You look beautiful by the way…”

Gabrielle: “Not to be rude, but there are a ton of girls out and about. Just go up to one and ask them to dance. I would offer myself, but I think Will and I are dating now and that would just be tasteless. Plus, I’m not really a big dancer. You have plenty going for you and you need to go have fun. Now, go!” Blinking, she realized how rude that sounded and snickered under her breath. “I mean, only if you want to. I don’t mind you sitting here and I sure don’t mind talking to you.”

Aurora: “Matty stop please...” Aurora closed her eyes trying her best not to cry, but she could feel the tears. “God damn it...” Standing up she walked over to the desk pulling out the com trying to decide if she should call them or not. Maybe she was overreacting a bit, but at the same time... Turning on her heels she looked over at him shaking her head, “I can't-if you die...” She swallowed hard trying to control herself. “My parents weren't the only reason why I left you ok. I'm...Matty I'm extremely selfish person ok...I'm greedy...I'm a bit arrogant at times...” She paused. “I don't deserve someone like you ok. I enjoy having my social status and...hell even if my parents don't give a shit about me. I can milk them for all the money they have.” Slowly she moved closer to his bed before going to slump down next to him. “And I enjoy using them like a credit card...hell I'm sick...and I didn't-” She sighed, “I didn't want to give that up and...you deserve someone nice...sweet...kind...not someone like me. I mean hell I think I am more scared of what will happen to me if you die than...you dying.”

Alec: "Eh, I'll go later, I never learned when to shut the hell up, ya know?" Alec laughed "And besides, I didn't get here till' like yesterday....It'd be to awkward to go up to someone you never seen before and just ask to dance y'know?" Alec took a long stretch. "So you're just riding out this year...hell I wish I'd get promoted already, I've been a Lieutenant for a long time now, captain keeps getting passed to someone that's more 'obedient' or 'respectful'."

Zane: “I’ll let you in on a little secret… I knew your parents weren’t the only reason, but you know what? I didn’t care… and I still don’t. Maybe I am naïve… and maybe I’m a little bit selfish too because from the moment I set eyes on you, I wanted you. Not in a possessive way, but in a ‘I can love that woman forever’ kind of way. It didn’t matter when you broke up with me because despite my heart being broken, you were still that girl. You’re stubborn and a pain in the ass, you’ll get over me dying and you’ll find that one guy that you click with and no matter how selfish you are he won’t let you go. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to do that… Please don’t cry over me, hun… you’ve cried enough lately. I hate seeing that pained look in your eyes. You and Faith get the same expressions sometimes and it just kills me.” Pausing to cough, Matty slid a few fingers through his hair, trying to get comfortable on the bed. Deciding that was impossible, he sat up and waited for the spots to clear before lying back down again. His goofy grin was once again plastered on his face and he took one of her hands as he felt his pillow conforming to his head. “There is no one else I would rather be with and I do not regret a minute of our time together.”

Gabrielle: “Yep, just riding out the year and unless something changes and I get totally psyched, I’ll be taking a different shuttle out of here. HAH! Maybe you should learn to be obedient. Then again, that is rather boring.” Grinning, Gabrielle resisted the urge to prop her feet up on the table because she was in a dress and that would give people a show, which wasn’t good. Instead, she just crossed one long leg over the other and rubbed her Prussian blue eyes a bit. “It would be good for you, to introduce yourself to other people. Hell, you are doing fine thus far with Will and myself. That’s two out of a million that you still need to meet, right?”

Aurora: The girl sniffled squeezing his hand, “Stop...just stop..” She turned going to face him. “You're not going to die ok. This-this-” Aurora finally broke down putting her head against his shoulder and slumping down on the bed, “This wasn't suppose to happen...I'm sorry Matty...I-I-love you too much...please you can't die...don't leave me...”

Alec: "You're right obedience is boring...and hey, if you need any help on the other side, I'll crash with you, maybe I'll beat the shit out of you're old man..." He laughed, and leaned on the table. "Eh, I could always go and work on a program for my Gundam-to be. I dunno, you and Will seem pretty cool though, all calm...the kinda freaks they let into the school now!" Alec laughed hard at his poor attempt at a joke.

Zane: Wrapping his arm around her, he held Aurora close against him. Her tears dripped down against his bare shoulder, sliding down behind it to the pillow. It didn’t matter though; nothing really mattered at the moment. Kissing her forehead, he snuggled close against her before turning on his side in order to properly hold her. It seemed like a familiar gesture, one that he had a picture of from years ago. Resting his head against hers, he tried to think of something to say… something that would ease the pain in her heart. “Aurora… I love you too… I’ll always be with you, I promise. I… I wish my body was stronger. I always thought I would die in a gang war… I never thought my body would just quit on me.” Trying to laugh, it came out choked and before he knew it, he too was crying. Holding her tighter, he tried to fight it… tried to be more stubborn than the disease, tried to do all he could just to see her smile again. “…don’t forget me… but don’t pine away for me either… Live Aurora… The hardest part in life is to live… Live… for me…” Coughing, Matty relaxed against the bed, his arms still around her, though not tight anymore. His eyes slowly fluttered closed and his head came to rest against the pillow, his crimson locks bouncing from the movement. “You’ll always be… that one girl… that I fell head over heels for… I love you, Aurora Von Drake…” Smiling for a brief moment, he finished relaxing against the bed before the life completely left his body.

Gabrielle: “Calm eh? If you wanted action, you should have been here at the beginning of the school year during the dance. There was a huge fight and bodies were flying everywhere. Hell, the guards even had to taze two people. It was CRAZY! Of course, then there was the hangar incident where two students escaped and who knows what else has been happening! This place is great when it comes to excitement!” Grinning, Gabrielle realized she was using her hands a lot while talking, a habit she never really grew out of.

Aurora: She really wished he would stop talking about how he was going to die since it just made her cry all the more. Aurora reached up an arm going to run her hand through Matty's hair, “I know...I-..” She stopped speaking as fear, and sudden panic swept over her. He wasn't moving. “Matty...?” There wasn't an answer! “Matty...no-not now...” She went to sit up needing to see if he had just fallen asleep or...he must have passed out! Looking over his motionless form Aurora shakily reached out a hand going to check for a pulse on his neck. “No...no no..this-” Fuck this wasn't happening! Her fingers practically dug into the boy's neck as she tried to will the life back into him. Damn it! Why didn't she pay attention in med class!? More tears streamed down her face as she started to fumble with the com. Punching in the emergency number the girl disparately choked out words, “I-room..67...there's...its-Matty Avery...or Zane...fuck...he needs help...he needs a medical unit...” Lowering the com from her lips the girl looked over her former lover before going to caress his face, “Matty please...wake up...” Aurora begged as the voice of the emergency operator rattled off in the background...

Alec: "Wow...that's insane....woulda loved the fight though....hardcore shit man." Alec watched her hands while she talked. "Man that's cool, moving your hands always helps people stay focused....good times though....Eh...Something has got a bad vibe....hell you’re making me paranoid, like some bitch is gonna come up and blast us to hell."

Gabrielle: “Sorry, I talk a lot with my hands, always have. I wonder if Aurora is going to come back or not. Maybe you should go dance if I’m making you paranoid.” Glaring a little, she started to tap her fingers against the table. She wasn’t really annoyed or upset with Alec, but he was a little rude to her. Yawning a bit, she found herself glancing around, suddenly paranoid thanks to his proclamation that someone was going to blast them to hell. Movement caught her attention and she watched silently as several of the med crew rushed out of the banquet, nearly plowing over some people in the process. “What in the fuck…?”

Alec: Alec turned around. seeing the medical staff leave. He then turned back to her with a slight chuckle, "Well least we ain't getting blown to hell, someones in trouble though...maybe I should go see what....s......up..." Alec had been watching the doctors leave and his gaze led him to a girl that was very dressed down for the occassion. "Hey Gabrielle...I'll talk to you later...the 'mergency probably ain't something I can help with... but I'm getting a good vibe from the dressed-down chick....It was a pleasure....If I may be excused..." Alec got up and started to walk over, trying to mingle with the crowd as much as possible so she wouldn't see him.

Christine bumbled around a few more minutes, not really seeing any inviting tables, or rather, not knowing any of the people who sat there. She supposed that was a sad fact, but one that couldn’t be helped much now that she was there and wandering. She picked up a mini egg roll off her plate and took a small bite, trying to look for an escape route.

Some of the other attendees there had really gone all out. She looked down at herself, mentally giving herself the once over. Clean jeans, purple silk ballet flats, and a flowy purple peasant blouse. In all honesty, she’d just grabbed the cleanest things in the room and threw them on. She hadn’t even fixed her long hair, just brushed the ginger colored strands out into a gentle wave and then pulled all of it back into a loose ponytail. No jewelry, no make up. She felt downright…frumpy, at least compared to girls like Gabrielle. Unknowingly, a small blush crept into her cheeks as she thought about what she looked like when put side by side to Gabby.

With a disheartened sigh, Christine moved over to one of the trashcans put in the banquet hall for convenience and dumped the rest of the hors d‘oeuvres in the garbage before placing her plate on the stack of dirty ones. She quickly looked around again, making sure she had a clear shot of the exit and started to head for it.

<Alec> Alec hurried across the room, seeing that the girl was going to leave. He grabbed her arm gently. "Hey, where you goin' so early....I don't think everyone is even here yet..." Alec tried to give a kind smile, but it probably didn't work. He let go of her arm, "Dice Lieutenant Alec Mishima, Charmed."

<Christine> Christine jerked back what must have seemed like violently to her, but in reality, it was pretty weak. The bag that held her computer jostled against her thigh and she looked down to check that it was okay, and found that it was easier to have a conversation if she kept her face down. “Um..er..Hi. Christine Denali, from Phire, the Corporal,” she managed to squeak out, completely caught off guard by the forward young man. “I was, uh, just leaving to change. I hadn’t decided if I was coming back yet or er, you know, not.” She tried to pull her head up to face him, but found her eyes were still firmly locked on his shoes, and inwardly, she cursed herself for being such a socially inept coward.

<Alec> Alec was a little confused. "Hey, its not like you ain't allowed to look at superiors... and I can walk you back to your room if you want, it's real easy to get lost, 'cides I ain’t got nothing better to do.” He lifted his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "I could stand to ditch my fedora too..." Alec held out his hand. "Shall we?"

<Christine> “Um…okay..” Was all she could manage out, especially since he brought up that she could look at him. She forced herself to lift her head, blushing furiously. Where was her normal bravado? “Oh, and sorry for the whole… looking down thing. I’m not very used to people..” She mumbled the last sentence, kicking herself for saying it aloud in the first place. Christine readjusted the strap of her bag, then squared her shoulders, hoping it’d build a little courage. Unfortunately, she still had no idea how to react to physical contact, so she tried to politely wave away his hand. “I don’t mind walking with you though…”

<Alec> Alec nodded. "That’s cool, better hurry though, never know what’s gonna happen at these things." Alec slid his hands into his pockets and started walking. "Which way's your room?"

<Christine> “It’s this way,” she pointed over toward the far side of the hall that ended in a door, apparently more hall being behind it. “I’m sorry if I seem rude,” she apologized, gaining more courage by the second once she realized he wasn’t some crazy stalker like her parents warned her about. “I’m just around computers all day, never really have much to talk to anyone about either…So, what do you do? I’ve probably seen you..I’m not good with faces and names either, so please don’t get angry if you’re someone important and I don’t know it.” She realized she was rambling and clamped her mouth shut, trying to set a slow pace for the walk.

<Alec> Alec started following her to her room. "Naa, you ain’t rude, I'm a lot worse than that....Eh, I’m just a dice lieutenant, nothing special, a bunch of gym and Sim. classes, not much else. I have been working on a program for my gundam....if I ever get one that is....maybe you can help me with it some time..."

<Christine> “How did you know..” That was odd. She was sure she couldn’t have a reputation around the academy, but she couldn’t be entirely without doubt, either. “I’m not that good though, I mean, I can’t be with the way they keep me locked up all day. I only have one class and they don’t even expect me to show up, so I hide on the observation deck a lot since none of the other cutters would have me, probably.” As they got closer to her room, she feared what he’d think of it. She hardly slept, and it was never in her room when she did. She sighed loudly, prepared to get all of his worst jokes the minute they opened her door.

<Alec> "You said you were around computers all day, so the way I figure it is that you know a thing or two..." Alec continued to walk with her, yawning once along the way. "Keep you locked up...the hell are you talking about...sounds to me like you're one of them super geniuses...we almost there?"

<Christine> Christine sighed again, nodding at her door when they reached it. She wasn’t sure how to act here either, so she did the only thing that seemed polite. “Do you, um, want to come in? I don’t have a roommate…and, er… the night is young?” She tried to sound flirtatious, but failed epically. As she opened the door, she stood off to the side, letting him go in first. Bits and bobs were placed about on the few shelves she owned, along with a stuffed bear on her bed, which looked like it hadn’t been slept on in ages, the pink and green covers pristine. Desktops sat huddled together in the corner, all showing different parts of a makeshift mainframe. She closed her eyes, waiting for the wise cracks to ensue.

<Alec> Alec nodded and looked around the room. "Wow, Christine... this looks like some big league gear....and don’t worry I'm not gonna like force myself on you or anything." He glanced around at everything on her shelves, before taking a seat on the bed and grabbing the bear. "I haven't seen one of these in years...." He started to slowly stroke the stuffed animal.

<Christine> Christine’s eye twitched. She really didn’t understand much of what was going on. Was he molesting Kodiak? She didn’t want to know. Looking about the room, she pulled out a few bags of snacks and put a cold soda on the bed stand within his reach. “I’m gonna just change real quick. Please, make yourself comfortable…and stop molesting my bear…I mean, if you want…Just…I’ll be back.” She grabbed a set of pajamas and underwear and walked into her bathroom, the door firmly closed. A few minutes later, she emerged in an oversized, pink shirt with a pair of matching shorts. It didn’t occur to her that it’d be strange. She always wore pajamas in her room, why should he expect any different. She chanced a small smile and sat on the bed as well, just with about a pillow’s width of space between them.

<Alec> "Sorry, I wasn't molesting it....I just haven’t held one in along time..." Alec looked at the soda and thought about it as she went to change, deciding not to drink it. He removes his Fedora and sat it on the bed, he was getting a little tired of it. He set the bear down and gave her a once over as she walked out. "Pink.....nice.... So, you not intending on going back to the banquet?"

<Christine> “Oh, you were going back?” She couldn’t help but sound a little disappointed. She couldn’t go back there in the same clothes, or her pajamas for that matter, but she didn’t have anything else. She’d thought she’d found someone to talk to for a little while, but apparently that wasn’t so. “N..no, I don’t think I’m going back. I felt odd there, with all the other girls dressed up like they were. It was like putting a keyboard next to a touch screen. Pointless, get what I mean? But don’t let me hold you back. I’m used to it by now. You can go.” She smiled at him, trying not to seem too fake. She would probably just shower, get some work done, then try to fall asleep in her bed for once. She tugged at a lock of her hair, which she’d let down while changing.

<Alec> "Eh, we ain’t gotta go back now...I don't mind sitting and........talking for a while." Alec lay back on the bead, his arms sprawled out. "Besides, you're my new date, and it wouldn’t be good of me to leave with you and come back without." Alec gave her a big smile. "Besides I know where to get you some real nice clothes."

<Christine> Christine pulled her knees up to her chest. “Date? I’m your…date?” She rested her head against her knees, looking at how comfortable Alec seemed to be, though he barely knew her. She couldn’t help but be a little hopeful, even though he was probably doing it out of kindness and not actual feelings toward her. “Oh, I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking someone else’s clothes. Doesn’t seem right…”

<Alec> "Yeah, I don’t know anyone here....and you caught my eye, that's why I walked up to you, and that's why I came back with you... You seem different and I like it." Alec sat up and looked at her. "She wouldn’t mind, I promise, its not like were gonna steal them or anything...we'll wait a bit, I just don't wanna go knowing there's someone here that I left for a party."

<Christine> Christine blushed a bright red and hid her face in the crease her knees made. She felt foolish getting flustered so easily, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. When she finally lifted her head again, she was still a deep crimson color. “I, er, um, I mean, er…s..sure…I g..guess..” she managed to stutter out her reply, more embarrassed than she’d ever been.

<Alec> "Awesome." Alec stood up and took a couple steps, before turning to offer his hand to help her up.

<Christine> Christine took his hand, pausing to slide on her slippers before walking through the halls in nothing but her pjs. She didn’t let go of his hand after she was up, trying to get used to him as much as he was with her. “Um, where to?”

<Alec> "Well, I was going to call someone, but it looks like you're going to be running down to the banquet in your pajamas... I mean you could look up her number for me, but you said you weren't that good earlier, but that's okay." Alec gave a wicked smirk and started to drag her out of the room.

<Christine> Panic instantly seized her. “No! No, no, no! I can get the number! I can! Really, I can do it. Just give me five seconds!” She tried to reclaim her hand so she could retrieve the number, pulling with what must have been all her strength, but was probably nothing compared to Alec’s. She broke free and made her way to the computers in the corner. “Who is it I’m looking for?”

<Alec> Alec let her go, laughing. "Yeah...not so modest now are we?" Anyway, her name is Gabrielle Skye, she's a Dice private I think..." Alec walked over behind her, leaning over her and putting his hand on the desk to prop himself up, his face almost right next to hers.

<Christine> “Er, I should be able to get it,” she typed a few things in and focused on breathing, “Here it is, right there!” She pointed the number out so he could dial it, happy she’d found in under five seconds after all.

<Alec> "Nice, you'd make a good girl." Alec turned his head and kissed her cheek. He then stood up and dialed the number on his phone, hoping that she wasn't in the middle of anything, like dancing.....or freaking up Will...

<Gabrielle> Blinking, Gabrielle arched a brow in curiosity. Putting the dress back down, she tapped a few fingers against the table before speaking back into the phone. "Why the hell do you need one of my dresses? Is there something you meant to tell me?"

<Alec> "Yes Gabby.....that chick I left with....we...we were going to do things gabby and she said i had to dress up like a woman if i wanted any....SHE SAID SHE’D CUT ME IF I SAID NO! GABBY PLEASE HELP ME..." Alec was trying to hold back laughs, but he couldn't. "No, seriously uhh, this chick doesn't feel comfortable going to the Banquet in what she has, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind.... helping her out a little bit... I don't see any make-up or anything around here....hell I could work with war pain but there ain’t nothing, anyway i was wondering if you could help fix'er up.....pretty please Gabby."

<Gabrielle> "What's in it for me? ...Oh fine, meet me in room number 416... err, I think that's my room number. Whatever room is right across from 403. I'm on my way." Sliding to her feet, she quickly wrote a note on the table cloth for Will before walking out of the Grand Hall. Sighing heavily, she made her way to her room, which luckily was pretty close to the banquet hall. Unlocking the door, she stood in the door frame, waiting for Alec and <Gabrielle>: mystery woman, whoever that happened to be. Clicking shut the phone, she slid it back where it had been before with another yawn. <3nd>

<Alec> Alec hung up his phone up, and grabbed Christine again. "Come along dear, we have matters to attend to, someone’s gonna make you a star...." with that, Alec was out the door, Christine in tow.

<Christine> “B..but my pjs! I’m still in them!” What she was really thinking about was the kiss he’d given her on her cheek. She really didn’t understand what was going on. It was a very odd blur. To think, if she’d just stayed against the wall, she’d probably be asleep there right that moment and not having more physical contact in the last hour than she’d had in the last year.

<Alec> "It'll be fine." Luckily, most people were still getting ready, or at the banquet already, they didn't run in to anyone, it wasn't long until they got to Gabrielle's room. "Sorry for pulling you away Gabby, thanks a lot..."

<Gabrielle> "Eh, I wasn't doing anything important anyways. Come on it, Alec and stranger." Backing into her room, she held the door open for the two of them. Heading over towards her closet, she opened both doors, showing a whole slew of dresses of all colors, shapes, pricess, and sizes. Lining the bottom was over a hundred different pairs of dress shoes and matching purses. Heading into the bathroom, she pulled out a huge make-up kit, walking into the bedroom. Setting the kit down on her bed, she flopped down in a chair, stretching a little. "Help yourself to whatever dress, shoes, accessories, and make-up you want. I have plenty. You're welcome to use my bathroom to assist you in your needs."

<Christine> “Erm, thank you,” her voice was very small, she’d immediately retreated back into her shell. “I’m Christine, by the way.” She stayed behind Alec, though he was barely familiar to her, she felt somewhat more comfortable with him there. “Can I wear pink, or do you think that’s too flashy?”

<Alec> Alec closed the door after they were all inside. "I think you'd look mighty hot in pink...." Alec's voice trailed off. "Uh... do I need to like...stand outside for girl talk and all that... cause I know some women are kinda....like that....and...I'll shut up now..."

<Gabrielle> "It's not a problem, Christine. I'm Gabrielle, but you can call me Gabby." Stretching out a little in the chair, she slid a few fingers through her hair, straightening it out again. Well, not necessarily straightening it, but making sure the curls were where they were supposed to be. "It's up to her where she wants you."

<Christine> “You can stay. I don’t mind, really,” Christine grabbed the first pink dress she saw, figuring it’d hit her knees, considering she was noticeably shorter than Gabby. She ran into the bathroom and changed as fast as she could, leaving her hair down and just putting on a bit of eye shadow and lip gloss. When she came out of Gabby’s bathroom, she tried to pick a pair of shoes that she could walk in without tripping every five seconds. She settled on the kitten heeled leather ones, dyed the same pink as her dress. She finally took a look at all the things Gabby had in her closet, stunned beyond belief at the size of it all. “I’m ready, I guess..Thanks again, I really appreciate it!”

<Alec> Alec smiled, and looked at Gabrielle. "So, as the only other woman around, is she good to go or what?" He looked over at Christine again with a grin.

<Gabrielle> Glancing over at Christine as she decided on a pink dress with matching shoes, Gabby couldn't help but be glad that her clothing was actually being put to good use. Shrugging a little at the both of them, she simply slid to her feet and straightened out her dress. Giving Christine another look over as she walked out of the bathroom, she nodded. "Yeah, she's good to go. Very class, Christine. Don't worry about getting the dress back to me, I have too many anyways."

<Christine> Christine nearly fell back. “Oh, no, I couldn’t! I mean, it’s yours. I feel bad enough having to borrow it,” she could tell Gabby wouldn’t let this drop in the end, so she resigned herself and placed her pajamas down on the floor. She tried not to blush as she smiled, though it wasn’t happening. “I’m ready, Alec…I mean, if you still want to go..”

<Gabrielle> Sighing, Gabrielle headed for the door, walking out of it before turning back to face Christine. Of course she noted the pajamas on the floor, but it really didn't bother her. Knowing Christine, they would be gone before morning anyways. Twirling on one of her toes, Gabby paused in order to respond to the both of them. "Eh, it's not a problem. Like I said, I have a lot. You can get your pajamas later on, just let me know when. I'm going to go ahead and walk ahead of you two... 'kay?" Not really waiting for a response, she pulled her door closed once everyone was out and headed down the hallway in front of the two. Turning around, walking backwards for a few minutes, she watched them before turning back around and making a beeline for the Grand Hall. Once there, she slid back down in her chair and yawned.

<Christine> Christine took Alec’s hand, following along dutifully. “I’m sorry about all the trouble. We’ll have to run by and pick up all my stuff later when I return her dress and shoes, if you don’t mind,” she smiled up at him, though tried to keep up with him in the unfamiliar heels.

<Alec> They walked hand in hand back to the banquet hall. "So, think we're gonna be an item now, or you just want to make this a one time thing? It's up to you..."

<Christine> His question caught her off guard, startled that he would just come out and ask something like that. “If you want. I’ve never really had the…opportunity to have someone close all the time. It could be…nice.” She was trying to feel out the situation, and she thought she was doing a pretty good job. “You’re one of the only people to actually hold a conversation with me longer than three minutes.”

A long drawn out sigh escaped her crimson lips as her fingertips tug at the ends of a long silkened maroon ribbon which was wrapped elegantly around a white gift box. A report had come in explaining that the terminal disease that plagued the teen pop culture star Zane Schuyler had finally taken its toll. The news of his death came to her in the form of an email alert from her handheld PDA. It was only going to be a matter of time before the media would swarm the Academy with visitation requests and radio interviews.

Mia regretted that the Sigma Phi Research Institute was unable to find a cure in time to save him. The disease was far too rare to be able to study and research effectively. Despite those factors, Mia still felt that there was something more that she could have done. Slipping into her skin tight formal bodysuit as she was standing in front of a mirror, Mia pulled the white suit past her curves. She managed to maintain a decent figure at her older age and appeared to be younger than she really was.

Grasping onto the edge of her suit, she pulled the silver zipper up her center, past her belly button, concealing her black bra, and half way up her neck. For the banquet, she decided to pin her hair up as she let some of her long bangs fall past the edges of her face. Taking her black medical unit from her night stand, she slung it around her waist as she slipped her PDA into the small pouch. Mia returned to her bed to retrieve the ribboned gift and left her quarters as officials in formal black suits were waiting to escort her to the Grand Hall.

As the doors of the Great Hall parted, Mia put a smile on her face as she greeted the administration and the student body. She smiled even more as her eyes met Ethan's for the first time in a long time. With officials at her side, they led her to the end of a lavishly decorated banquet table along side Ethan and Eota. Mia reached Eota first as she gave him a most welcoming hug with the gift in her free hand. "It's good to see you again, Eota. I remember when you were this tall," she exaggerated as her hand indicated a height of about two feet. She then shifted to Ethan, to Kiyoshi. Mia handed the maroon ribboned white box to him as she pulled him into a hug. "This is for you. He would have wanted you to have it," she whispered to him as she hugged him tight. "I'm glad you're alive, Kiyoshi," she added with a smile.

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

Vae was late. The MedBay was going crazy for some reason and she couldn't understand why. It was well into the banquet before the Doctor had finally reached her to dismiss her. She dashed to her room and quickly shed out of her hospital garments and slipped into a simple flowing spaghetti strapped black dress that fell to her knees. The dress complemented her dark teal hair as she slipped into silver heels. Her mechanical phoenix was hovering beside her in curiosity as Vae didn't even bother to look at the mirror before she left.

She had met Zane Schuyler. Vae wasn't ever one to keep up with tabloids and entertainment news, but any girl her age would have to be crazy not to know who he was. She began to wonder what he was doing in the MedBay as she pulled out her PDA from her matching black silk purse to locate his room. Before heading to the Great Hall, she thought to stop by to see if he was going to go. She walked as quickly as her silver heels permitted. Before even reaching his door she noticed a cluster of medical units in front of his door and in his room. Her eyes widened as she knew something was wrong. Tossing her PDA back into her purse, Vae slowed her pace as she neared the medical units. One of them stopped her,"Captain, you probably should not be here right now."

Joint post by SSJHunterKiller, Essentials, and yours truly :3

Val Thrall Val was still walking aimlessly around the halls, since he left the administrative offices, he hadn't come across a single person. Was there somewhere that he was supposed to be? Nah, they would have said something about it at the meeting, but then again, he HAD been drifting in and out during the entire meeting. "Huh, you'd think there'd be some people around at a school, unless I got coned into coming to an empty ship as a joke, what a drag."

Vae After being asked to leave the area by a medical unit, Vae had to take a different corridor to get to the Great Hall. It was pretty much cleared and empty as Vae paced as quickly as she could through the hallways. With her dark teal hair flowing with her stroll, her black dress that fell to her knees flowed elegantly behind her. As she rounded a corner she noticed a man in the corridors who seemed to be lost. Walking toward him, Vae stopped to ask him if he was alright. "I beg your pardon, Sir, but are you lost?"

Karaudu The man was just now leaving the medical facilities of the ship, He had been littered with wounds, and was considering whether he could defeat Fujii and his Gundam. "meh" He decided thinking about now wouldn't provide him with any kind of solace. While in the medical room he had overheard of a banquet, perhaps scoping this out would allow him some insight as to why Fujii had been interested in
the school in the first place. "Yes I suppose I will go to this event." He made way to gather intel in the library till then.

Val Thrall "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Val turned towards Vae and quickly looked her over. "I'm guessing this isn't the normal school attire. I just arrived on on the not too long ago, and I think I'm supposed to be somewhere, but I sort of dozed off during the meeting with the Administration, my god they were boring. So, could you tell me where I might supposed to be going? Oh yes, how rude of me. I'm Commander Val Thrall." Val gave a quick salute, not really sure if he was supposed to salute or shake hands.

Vae Her eyes widened as Vae straightened up and returned the salute. "Pleasure to meet you Commander Thrall, I'm Captain Vae Le'Angeline of the Phire regiment. I believe there's a welcoming banquet being held in the Great Hall right now in your honor," her hand came back to her side after she returned the salute.

Val Thrall Val let out a soft groan. "What part of 'Don't make a big deal out of this' do these people not understand? Oh well, let's be on our way Captain. I hope they don't expect me to give a speech or anything."

Vae After apologizing to the Commander, Vae led the way to the Great Hall. "I am so sorry Commander, it's just...It's not everyday that I meet a war hero of your calibur," with tiny black purse on her side, she continued down the hallways. Vae couldn't help but smile now, what luck she's been having! First she was able to meet Zane Schuyler, and now she was practically escorting the legendary Val Thrall!!

Val Thrall "Phire, that's the mechanical division isn't it? I'm actually looking for a few students to help with a special project, but the final say actually isn't made by me, but my buddy James. He should be at this banquet thing so you can talk to him there." Val strolled behind her, leaving a few feet of space. Yawning slightly, Val continued to look around the empty halls as he followed her. Val glared at the officials and shook his head slightly. "I didn't come here to go to fancy dinners and everything." Val took a deep breath and pushed open the doors. Val took a long look around, seeing that everyone was in some sort of formalwear. "My god, I think I'd rather be back on the battlefield. Well, shall we my dear?" Val bowed slightly and offered Vae his arm. "It wouldn't be right for a young lady to enter unescorted."

Vae With impeccable manners, Vae held his arm in a formal manner and walked across the banquet hall as she was being escorted by Commander Val Thrall. Some of the students were giggling at her but she didn't care. Her escort wasn't just an old man, he was an amazing old man. They reached the end of a long elaborately decorated table and were motioned to take seats opposite Commander Ethan Tier. Vae herself had never heard of Commander Ethan Tier but was very familiar with the man sitting next to him. The Military Tactics class made it a point to outline a biography of the ever so famous Eota Mars. Vae was more than excited to be at the banquet with Commander Thrall as she tried to keep herself calm.

Val Thrall Val held up the chair of Vae and pushed it in as she sat. Looking around, Val say a few old faces from way back when. Val nodded a greeting to Eota, who at one point was close to being his brother-in-law. The man sitting next to Eota had something familiar about him. Val couldn't place it right away, but kept looking directly at him. "He looks just like...........Kiyoshi." Val whispered the name, almost as if he were afraid that it would actually be heard by someone.

Eota couldn't help but smile as he saw the familiar faces. The connections people make with eachother that end up going beyond words, the kind that left resounding effects on one's life, are sometimes never lost. The Captain turned to look at Ethan, who held Mia in an equally warm embrace, his right hand clutching the gift.

"This is for you. He would have wanted you to have it," Mia's voice brought a smile to Ethan's face meeting Mia's own, "I'm glad you're alive, Kiyoshi.”

Ethan let out a sigh as the others arrived. He started to turn towards Mia, his mouth opening as if to start a conversation, and then he heard the hushed whisper of an old friend stopping him. Eota cleared his throat looking towards both Mia and Val, “It is protocol to apprehend the fugitive Kiyoshi Kazami on site.” There was a mocking tone to his voice, but it was assertive.

Ethan raised his hand to silence Eota, but didn't turn his head to acknowledge Val directly as he began to speak. “Commander Val Thrall,” his voice came out calm, collected, “it's been too long.” His hand went up to his poor disguise, removing the sunglasses he wore to look at his former friends. He looked upon the two of them warmly, as well as the one that had escorted Val to the table, but he still looked tired behind the friendly gaze. “It has been far too long.”

In this moment, Kiyoshi Kazami sat at the table. He placed the gift that Mia had given him onto the table, patting it with his right hand, “Though, I haven't gone by that name for a long time. There are still quite a few wanting my head on a stake for the stunts we pulled back in the old days,” he laughed, “I suppose it doesn't matter, I don't have much more time anyway.” He smiled, his brown bangs falling towards his eyes, his tone was joking, but never the less ominous, “I am very glad to see both of you again, but if we could, let's keep my true identity hush-hush.”

It is protocol to apprehend the fugitive Kiyoshi Kazami on site.

Mia nodded as if in full agreement,"If I see him I'll be sure to contact the authorities immediately," in jest, she gave a wink as she took her seat at the end of the long table. She took a moment to peer at the gift box in Kiyoshi's hand. Neatly folded inside of it was a relic--a long black trenchcoat baring the }{G symbol. She had to admit, this was somewhat of a step away from the past for her. Part of her could not let go completely though as Kaden's communicator was kept in a safe place, locked inside of her nightstand.

I am very glad to see both of you again, but if we could, let's keep my true identity hush-hush.

She nodded once again, knowing full well that Kiyoshi knew she would never turn him into the Feds. Turning to her left she noticed the other Commander, and didn't realize that he knew Kiyoshi before he became Ethan as well. She knew of him, but has never met him. Politely getting up from her seat, she extended her arm over to Commander Val Thrall. "Commander Mia Siserae. It's nice to finally meet you Commander Thrall," she stated firmly.

Vae didn't have to pretend that she didn't know what was going on. She really did not know what the Commanders were talking about. She waited quietly and patiently for Commander Thrall to perhaps maybe introduce her to the others as she wasn't wanting to step out of line. She quietly took her seat next to her escort's seat, wondering if the man "James" mentioned earlier was here as well.

Val nodded. "Sorry, I must have been mistaken. Because the last I heard, Kiyoshi was dead. As to why people keep searching for him, is beyond me. But after this banquet, we should all get together for a drink and catch up, it's been far too long since I've seen some of these faces."

With a smile, Val turned his attention to Mia. "Likewise Mia, but please, just call me Val, I haven't been in the military since Heaven’s Light."

James wasn't at all surprised to see Val arriving late, he was actually impressed that Val got here at all. But what impressed him the most was the beautiful young girl that was holding his arm. When the two arrived at the table, Val seemed to space out while looking at one of the other guests. "Captain Vae Le'Angeline, yes? I'm Major Raynor, and after the banquet I'd like to speak to you privately. Most likely Val has mentioned something about a project to you.....even though he wasn't supposed to." During all of this James continued to stare directly out into the crowd, his expression not changing at all.