Cuddy Vann's Story

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It was already early morning when Cuddy found himself wandering aimless about the academy, something of a regular habit sometimes when left with little to do in these early rises. Even from the moment he opened his eyes the boy was always pumped and ready to jump into something, those as of late the days were requiring less and less from him as time dragged along. The homeroom teacher’s death had really put a dent into his progress at the place, and most of the young people found themselves left with nothing to do in the meantime. But, regardless of that fact, Cuddy could always be found somewhere, messing with something or another just for the sake of fun!

He was making his way to nowhere in particular when a sudden voice erupted behind him, causing the boy to jump off the ground and dart round somewhat defensively. The sudden spring to the air caused his bag to fall from his back, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. It’s contents were unknown to most, however whatever lay within it was likely relate-able to supplies and equipment needed by the medic. With one hand raised, the other was projected forward and held his staff out towards the being, soon revealed to be one of the androids.

"Vann, Cuddy. Your Homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?" The android stated to the boy in its usual empty voice, lacking all tone and emotion as it replayed its message to the indented recipient. Its bright-eyed companion merely dropped his head to the side, pursing his amused lips together with a raised eyebrow.

”Ahhh… I think I’m good Mr. Bot’! I'll be sure to hunt you down otherwise, haha.” He confirmed with a nod, heaving up his backpack from the ground beneath the figures, before the small robot took its leave and left the boy to his thoughts. Not wasting much time the lad turned on his heel and headed down the hallway at a leisurely pace, not feeling a need to throw himself headfirst down the path as usual. His laid-back nature would have suggested sheer obliviousness to the good news that had been dealt to him, but Cuddy figured he’d get into the swing of merry cheers soon enough once managing to find the room. Plus, not dragging up the old memory of their homeroom teachers death was something he tried to get into habit, as death was such a downer of things to keep on one’s mind, so why persist with it?

Hoping to not get lost, the youth followed the signs plastered across the ends of walls and attempted to guide himself to the correct location. Soon enough, he believed, the boy in time found himself standing before the classroom that was designated for him. Propping the door open just slightly, he pushed the thing open with the end of his foot and took a wide step into the room. Right away the first thing to enter his field of vision was the back of some boy, seemingly a bit familiar. ”Whoa, excuse me dude, Medic coming through an’ all. Guess this is the place?”

Joking slightly, Cuddy sidestepped round the individual who stood by the doorway. Giving the boy a quick wink of amusement and saying little else to him, Cuddy continued on further into the room and quickly took note of the faces already present. He recognized them and knew them, some more than others perhaps. Giving a shrug he didn’t press the thoughts further and felt that taking a seat was his top priority at that point, which was what he did in the next passing minutes. Settling himself mid-way through the classroom the boy sat, sitting his bag under the desk and sliding his staff between his legs and having it leaning at an angle, trying to avoid it sticking out and poking others who passed.

”Looks like the party is filling up, eh?” He said with his usual upbeat-ness, though really it was to no one in particular. The boy was just so raring to go that he’d talk to anyone, even himself. Which wasn't that uncommon. ”Least I got the right room, heh.”

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---

For the first time in a while, the thought came to him again.

“Well, these things happen.”

Months had passed, and Lev still couldn’t think of anything more than that apathetic phrase when the image of their former teacher, killed in a mission, appeared in his mind. Admittedly, this somewhat worried him.

It had been the first time in his life a person close to him – at least in the sense that they saw each other almost every day – was taken by Daemons and, contrary to what he had initially expected, it didn’t affect him that much. It did take him by surprise when he heard the news and even got him wondering how such a tragedy could have occurred to a Huntress he had always perceived as careful and reliable, but minutes later he was more preoccupied with how he would face his numerous fees with the limited budget he received from the Academy and the following weekend he hadn’t spared a single second of thought on her.

He didn’t appear to be the only one though. Fellow Hunters seemed at a loss during the week when she died, wondering if the incident had occurred due to a malfunction, a mistake or an irregularity of a different sort, but eventually people ran out of curiosity on the matter and it was as good as settled. It made sense; they were at war and even if they didn’t have access to the exact numbers as they were still in training, students in the Academy could figure out many men and women died each day. Daemons didn’t rest or mourn, and there was no noticeable sign that their numbers were decreasing, so how could humanity spare time and resources for those who had fallen?

Still, this woman had shared wisdom with those who would become the next generation of humanity’s vanguard against Daemons to ensure its survival in the future, and in her spare time joined Hunters in the field to fight like a soldier. There was no way that such a lifestyle had left her any time to form a family of her own or pursue any ambitions. Almost her entire life, from late childhood to death, had been sacrificed to fight for humanity, which was more than the overwhelming majority of people could say, and still it was most likely that a decade from now no one would remember her face or even her name. No; that was a privilege that was saved only for those who knew when to die, made beautiful speeches to earn a cozy seat in one of the major cities’ government or, even better, were willing to print their faces on pop magazines so that a new generation of teenagers could grow up with propaganda-fueled dreams of unrealistic glory.

But “these things happen” indeed.

Maybe what bothered Lev was the acknowledgement that, as selfish and despicable as this society that ignored the genuine devotion of a brave woman resulted to him, he would still prove exactly the same as them.

Perhaps, despite his attempts to convince himself that he was fighting for mankind and not for himself, he was scared of facing the fact that his efforts would still make him no more than a nameless soldier in history at most.

Or maybe he had too much free time to spend thinking on pointless trails of thought.

“OI! OI LEV! FUCKING OI!”

Suddenly, the surrounding background he had been pushing back in his mind brusquely recovered its colors and life; the sound of heavy machinery at work and raspy voices of middle-aged men and women screaming obscenities at each other echoed in his eardrums again and demanded his attention, prompting him to wonder how he had been able to space out in the first place. He sought the voice that called his name through the framed visor of his face shield and soon spotted a short-haired and generously bearded man he recognized as Gene, one of the more experienced workers and student supervisors.

“Sum n’droid ‘ere s’got a messige for ya or sumthin’. It’s in da way, so go lissen to it so it leaves awlready!” he said, not bothering to hide his irritation or the fact that he was in a hurry.

Lev freed one of his hands to signal an ‘ok’ to his boss, who spat out a few more curses directed at no one in particular before walking a few steps back and resuming his conversation with two men dressed in military uniforms.

Putting his tools away, Lev made his way to the entrance of the Academy’s arsenal, where he had been spending all his mornings for the past few months. All Scholar students in their last obligatory year were required to complete a certain amount of hours of actual work in their discipline, among other tasks, and seeing as he already visited the arsenal with some frequency, it was no surprise he ended up resorting to it to complete his academic duties. He had actually fulfilled this requirement some time ago, but since he had no morning classes ever since the death of his home room teacher, he preferred spending his time there helping with the avalanche of work the mechanics found themselves underneath of due to the increased frequency of Hunter deployments.

Every single day there were new jeeps, tanks, boats, swords, guns, androids and ammunition to repair, upgrade or manufacture, and they were always running late. Able hands were never missing and there were no restrictions on going over the minimum service hours, so Lev’s presence was always welcomed and appreciated. Besides, this way he got to see all sorts of newly developed machinery, and even if he wasn’t allowed to actually work on the most expensive ones, it was nice getting a closer look at them.

He opened the entrance door and, sure enough, an android waited with infinite patience on the other side. Standing uncomfortably close to Lev, it seemed to instantly identify him.

“Keisting, Lev. Your Homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?”

Expecting a less relevant message, it took the young man a few seconds to process what he had heard. He checked his ancient wristwatch and briefly wondered why he would be notified in such a short notice of his new schedule, but figured his intercom, which he had left in the locker room, would be filled with warnings of failed attempts to communicate with him a while ago.

“No, you can go.” He finally answered the android’s question as he remembered it was still waiting for his response without the slightest sign of apprehension, and instantly closed the door on it. The last ad Lev had heard consisted on a jingle with choreography included, which only made him feel ashamed on the robot’s behalf. Besides, some of the mechanics in the armory had taken to vandalizing the robots as a way to express their discontent when they showed up merely to promote their commercial, and if any of them saw it, it could only mean trouble for everyone.

He barely had any time to waste, so quickly deciding to spring into action, he removed the protective gloves from his hands, saved them in his pocket and made his way towards Gene to tell him of the sudden change. The thought of no longer spending his mornings in the armory looking at broken engines and deteriorating weapons while listening to the mechanic team’s ramblings was somewhat saddening to him, but it wasn’t what he had left Leviathan for, so he much favored the idea of going back to his old routine. A subtle feeling of anticipation filled him as he felt his life finally awakened from a much too long stasis period.

As Gene entered his range of sight, Lev noticed that he was still accompanied by the two men of the military from before, and the conversation seemed to have evolved into a full-on discussion. The clanking and electrical sounds of the background made it impossible to discern the subject of their argument, but it didn’t take any sound to tell neither party seemed to be happy about it. Despite the fact that the three were talking at the same time, the two newcomers did seem to keep a certain level of composure, maintaining their rigid postures and moderating their hand gestures, but Gene seemed to operate on the thought that louder and angrier meant he ‘won’ the discussion. Rising above the other voices, a barrage of relentless uses of the word ‘fuck’ reached Lev’s ears as the distance between him and the jolly group shortened.

“…fuck that! I’m tellin’ ya I know whatta fuckin’ deadline was! Fundin’s goin’ to them fuckin’ new weapons we ain’t getting’ any new equipment; ‘tis as fast as it can go! Motor’s still busted so nless yer destination’s tha mouth of a fuckin’ Daemon get the…”, Gene’s rambling would have remained at a constant pace of ten words per second if he hadn’t been interrupted by the two men’s distracted stares and sudden silence at the arrival of Lev.

With a face completely red from working his lungs to inhuman limits, Gene turned his face towards the Hunter in training. He said no words, but his expression screamed that hell would break loose if there wasn’t a good reason for the interruption. Ignoring by his wordless threat, Lev simply pointed in the direction of the exit with his thumb, to which Gene replied with a dismissive nod and, seeing the matter settled at that, went back on the attack on the two soldiers.

As intimidating as the veteran mechanic was, Lev had found after many unpleasant encounters that there was a formula to addressing him: keep things short and simple and he won’t have time to get mad at you. He proved to be a nice guy when you followed it. Mostly.

Merely ten minutes later, Lev had already made his way towards his room, showered and changed into the first set of normal clothes he could get his hands on. Fighting the mountain of broken machinery occupying the vast majority of space in his room, he went through the door and went on his way towards room 2213. It would come as a surprise to many given his seclusion to the armory and personal chamber, but Lev was very familiar with the academy’s grounds, and it didn’t take long at all for him to find the right set of stairs.

While passing by the second floor, he noticed another group of people dressed in military uniforms, but unlike the ones he had seen before, these ones were talking amongst themselves, looking over several documents with grim looks. Lev’s expression darkened for a second as he continued his way upwards without interrupting them; he had nothing against the military, but he hadn’t failed to notice that their presence in the Academy grounds had become disturbingly common. Usually, the army showed little interest in the Academy’s workings, being more concerned with the end results than the actual training of the Hunters. When they showed themselves around there, it was normally to supervise the development of new technology that could serve some purpose to them or when trainees finished their last year in Anthemia to recruit them, and even then only small groups would be sent. None of these situations applied in the present and it was hard to argue against the fact that they were sending an implicit message to the citizens of Anthemia, and it was not a very hopeful one.

As he finished that trail of thought, he found himself facing the door he was looking for. With no particular interest in staling, Lev went through it to meet his new routine with open arms. He was expecting the room to be filled with the conversations of all his colleagues catching up and sharing stories, but apparently he wasn’t as late as he thought, as there were only five of them including himself. The Robin fellow was talking with the Terrasian girl, Cuddy sat at the very center of the room, unsure of where to direct his unending need of conversation other than himself, and Joseph, like Lev, seemed to have just made his way through the door. The front desk where he expected to meet their new instructor was empty, which considering the lack of professionalism, didn’t send any good vibrations his way.

“Morning”, he greeted the room unenthusiastically as he made his way towards one of the seats at the back of the room. Perhaps it was simply the lack of sound and movement drowning his surroundings, but as he sat silently and looked at the entirety of the half-empty classroom, a faint feeling of uneasiness took over him.

---

“Ledford, Duran. Your homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?”

“Why yes...” Duran groaned. “Why don't they program you pieces of junk to knock?”

The little android had charged into Duran's room without warning, which had caused the young man to jump up and fall from his chair. With a bump and his notebook on his head, Duran's expression was nothing but sour. Not only had he hurt his head, he'd fallen into a pile of paper and spilled ink all over them. It would take hours before he could organise, fix and rewrite them to put in his archive.

“Invalid request. Please repeat your inquiry.”

Duran buried his face in the palm of his hand. “Go, go. You trash heap” He sighed, not wanting to bother with the tiny machine. Nothing ever worked out with that sort of technology. He'd just have to face the music later today and do it himself. To his displeasure, Duran had somewhere else to be right now. Oh how he hated to leave a mess like this. Especially when- Wait, did that droid just roller derby through all his papers! The little junkyard on wheels skated straight through the mess it had made! “Get back here!” Duran shouted, as he lunged forward to grab the machine by it's head. Duran's fingers clenched around the android, and the slayer reeled back his arm to pull it up... But he'd pulled so hard it's head came off! The little body sparked and went crazy, bumping into wall after wall, until it fell on it's side and simply spun in circles.

“You have got to be kidding me...” Duran complained, as he picked up the body in his other hand... He had no time for this. His presence was requested, and so Duran, one piece of android in each hand, begrudgingly made his way to room 2213.

“This better be important.” Duran snorted as he entered his new homeroom. Few of the students (his classmates, to be precise) had already arrived, and he had half a mind to toss the chunks of metal towards one of the available scholars. Seeing how the room was eerily quiet, Duran would also have asked who died in here. Though fortunately he could manage to keep his mouth shut, as the answer to that was fairly obvious.

“Oh and I've got two pieces of trouble here with me. Anyone who could take these of my hands would be more than welcome to.”

The young medic fiddled with the frayed ends of her dress' sleeves. Twisting the loose thread around her finger and releasing it. She sighed. She needed to mend the dress. Again. Or better yet just get rid it. But the idea was not. . . Preferred. True she had had the dress for quite awhile now. Actually, it was the first one she bought in the city. Maybe she was overly attached. Was this a warning sign of being a hoarder?

Being consumed in her internal debate about whether or not to keep her-- arguably favorite --dress, she only faintly registered the classroom door opening. Only when the deep voice of another student cut through the silence did she look up, startled slightly. Navy blue eyes stared into the dark tinted goggles. Doing her best to place the male's face in her mind. 'Joe?' Her mind suggested. 'Joe. Frank?' She turned her head to scan the windows for the Joe's more memorable half, before remembering that he had in fact asked her a question.

"Yes. This is our new homeroom I believe. . ." Willow trailed of uncertainly. Not being able to see his eyes had always disconcerted her to some extent. "They gave us the message early most likely."

She peeled her eyes away from him as another slid into the classroom. Immediately, she lit up. Trailing her friend as he came to take a seat behind her. Twisting her slender body and propping her elbows up on the top rail of her chair, she smiled brightly at Robin. "Quite." She agreed easily. "I have not seen you in what feels like forever. How have you been?" Willow tilted her head, examining his features. After all, she had not even had a glimpse of him for maybe three months. He looked well, which was good. She had hoped he was not pushing himself.

Around them a few others began to trickle in. She cast whoever she made eye contact with, a good-natured smile.
In the corner of her mind she wondered what was going on. Where was their new teacher?

A familiar, fruity voice rang out from the entrance of the homeroom. Accustomed to the pleasantly strong and confident sound, Willow turned her head back around to face who she knew would be Duran. Though, her smile swiftly faded as her eyes widened in shock. She shut her eyes briefly in disbelief as the boy tossed the torn body of an android haphazardly. 'How? . . But why? . . . But school property!'

He stood aside as a number of the other students started filing in. He ignored most of the comments from a majority of the people who entered, giving a nod only really to Lev as he bid everyone morning. When Willow informed him that he was correct to assume that this room was the room he was looking for he nodded to her, indicating that he was listening and understood.

In short order he made his way over to one of the windows before pulling one of them open to stick his head out. "Hey Frank! Over here!" He called out across the green open vista. In the classroom as well as in many neighboring rooms a shudder could be felt through their part of the building as Frank started lumbering over towards Joe's voice. Tremors shook the room with each massive step it made. At the apex of the rumbling it stopped, Frank's head looming by the window where Joe waited.


"There we go, See? I wasn't that long." He comforted Frank. There was no reaction from Frank save for a long stare from the faceless wall of metal and rubber that was it's face. Taking seat at a desk right beside the open window Joe looked about the room as every one of his former class mates went about the usual routine with class. There was still little to no sign of a teacher as he looked back over to the doorway. "I don't know whats up but somethin's holdin' up the teacher." He casually spoke to Frank despite the conversation being largely one sided.

He saw Duran come in looking gaudy as ever holding two parts of what used to be a functioning droid. It was funny in that it wasn't the first droid broken that day. It seemed like every other day those odd robotic butler robots were getting trashed somehow, the dangers of being messengers in a school full of youngsters wielding powerful weapons capable of ending many lives during the most awkward years of their lives. That was probably why the military tended to have such a presence on the grounds. This place was equal parts boot camp for future soldiers and high school.

For now though he just leaned back with his hands laced behind his head and rested into his arms. He was basically now in his own head, the rest of the classroom a world apart from his little mental sanctuary as he speculated about his invitation to this room and just what exactly was in store for him here. Chances were likely that it'd be the standard fare but for the time being all he had was speculation.

---

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The school was as noisy as it had been the last time she'd been outside of the lab - about a month ago when she'd finally been given some free time, although what she'd been expected to do with this break, exactly, she still wasn't sure - but she shut it out as best she could, blasting loud pop-rock from some no-name artist in her headphones as she walked briskly through the halls of the academy, trying to find her way to her new classroom. She'd avoided the main entrance hall, as appearing there again when classes were just starting for the day and students would be bustling in and out would just be asking for another incident to occur. Making her way instead through a side entrance located close to the NHP's lab on campus, she'd taken a little-used service elevator up to the sixth floor. But just because she was on the right floor didn't mean it would be easy to find exactly where she was supposed to be. Given that she couldn't exactly read, checking a map was out of the question, and she didn't want to take off her headset to read somebody's mind for directions, both out of simple pride and because there weren't any people around in the first place. Even had there been, though, she wouldn't have taken such a cheap way out. She was going to find this place herself if it was the last thing she did. Stopping to the side of the corridor, she glanced out the window upon the courtyard far below, watching as the lumbering form of some enormous familiar waddled its way around the side of the building. Thinking over what she knew about the school's numbering conventions, Lorelei tried to puzzle out where she was headed. The number was 2-2-1-3. The first set of numbers - the first denoting north/south and the second indicating east/west - signified its directional placement on an imaginary coordinate plane with the center of the floor as the origin, if she remembered correctly. The origin was - probably to avoid using negative numbers in room names - designated as "1." 2-2 would mean it was in the northeast wing, then. She'd come from the NHP lab, which was in the west wing, and the rooms around where she was currently standing were numbered 0-0, which meant she hadn't left the west side of the building. She had, however, unwittingly gone south, which meant... she literally couldn't have been further from where she was headed. She groaned, lamenting her own ignorance as she turned around, trying to orient herself. She must have been following the west wall and heading south in order to end up where she was, which meant going further into the building and heading the opposite way would take her where she needed to go. Fortunately, she'd set out from the lab with an hour to spare, which meant she'd still probably be early... if she could just find a hallway facing eastward.

"Seriously, why is this school so huge?" She grumbled, angrily poking the "next" key on her music player several times on shuffle, searching for a song she hadn't heard in a million times before. Unfortunately, the device apparently decided it would be best to choose a peppy pop number about the importance of hurrying so as not to be late... six times in a row. She was fairly certain that the stupid thing was mocking her at this point. In defiance of its rebellious will, she switched it back to manual and instead chose a rather slow, melancholic arrangement on the piano, with quiet, peaceful vocals that set her mind at ease. Sighing to herself, she continued to walk, quietly humming along to the music only she could hear. Granted, the hallways she traversed were devoid of other activity, as in a place as large as Anthemia Academy, one could often walk in the less-used areas for several minutes without seeing a single soul, which meant her headphones weren't strictly nessecary to ensure her thoughts remained solely her own anymore. Still, she enjoyed having sound to break the stillness of the world around her, so she left them on, focusing on the music to break her focus away from the monotony of her aimless wanderings.

"In this world of black and white, there is a truth that's set in stone," She sang quietly in a voice heard by no-one, her words reverberating peacefully off the walls of the lifeless corridor, her footsteps keeping time with the song of which only she was aware. "All souls that are born to live must claim a place to call their own," She continued, turning into a corridor prominently labeled 1-1-7. She was getting closer. "My role in this world's scheme... it makes me want to scream... I'm trapped within a dream... with an ending yet unknown." As the vocalist lapsed back into silence, Lorelei continued to hum, keeping the beat as she kept on walking. "Is this just the fate that has been set in store for you and I? So that we can't be hurt, we hide all of the tears we cry? I have wiped them all away, for every single day... rather than be betray'd... I'll be alone until I die." The music began to build, but just then, she turned a corner and found herself standing in the first hallway of section 2-2. Grinning to herself, she reluctantly stopped the song she'd been enjoying so much - it wouldn't do to present herself before the one she'd been sent to report to with music blaring in her headphones, after all - and headed for the third door she saw. Opening it just a crack, she peered in around the frame, trying to gauge the situation before she entered. Fortunately, it looked like she was still early enough that the officer in charge of enforcing conscription orders - whoever he was - wasn't there yet. Unfortunately, it seemed several students were earlier than her, which meant that her entrance would inevitably draw a little more attention than she would have liked. Still, there was little she could do about that. What was done was done, after all. If the other students tried to pick fights with her, all she had to do was wait until the military's goons showed up, and then leave it to them to enforce discipline. She'd not be faulted that way, and those who antagonized her would soon find themselves deterred from doing so. Reassuring herself that this, as least, was something she could manage without difficulty, she took a deep breath, starting the music back up in her headphones in order to drown out the thoughts of the other students as she did so. Then, she opened the door. Ensuring that she didn't make eye contact with anyone she saw, she walked calmly in, her bearing rigid and her countenance utterly impassive. Making her way to the back of the class, she pointedly ignored the fact that there were other people in the room, simply looking through them when she couldn't look away from them. She focused solely on the music. The music was all she perceived. The music would help her relax, would keep her from hearing the voices of any of those who doubtless detested her. Aside from it, there was nothing. She was calm. There were no problems whatsoever. There were only her orders and the music. Everything that was not a mission to be accomplished or a tool to help her achieve those objectives was meaningless. She was Subject 17 of the New Human Project. She was a weapon. She did not feel, she did not think. She only existed to act. Nothing but her actions could earn her merit. Nothing else mattered. She was the unfeeling doll of her superiors. She would obey their wishes, do her duty, and avoid punishment. She was Lorelei, and that was all she was.

Sinking thus into an almost meditative state, she settled herself in a chair far away from both the small gathering at the center of the room and the few individuals scattered elsewhere throughout the class. Aside from one man - a very tall, sturdily built youth with dark hair wrapped up in a dusty bandanna - who was seated a few chairs away, but who seemed almost as disinterested by the goings-on as herself, Lorelei was fairly distant from all of the other students. She wouldn't bother them, and, if they knew what was good for them, they wouldn't bother her. This was how it should be. Bessiger couldn't fault her for minding her own business, and so long as she played her part as his puppet well, he should have had nothing to complain about. It was rather distasteful, in her opinion, but regardless, it would be easier in the long run to just act as he had taught her. Show no emotions. Feel nothing. Focus on the goal, and treat others with the respect they deserve. So long as the "real Humans" in the class, superior to a "mere tool" like her simply by birthright, earned her subservience, then there would be no issues. The only problem was that, considering the sorts of people she would have to deal with, she found the chances that they'd leave her be quite low. And, if they did decide to harass and belittle her, as she expected, then they would ill deserve the respect that Bessiger forced her to show as a matter of policy. Still, she'd comply - for now. But if they tried to push her and see how much it would take to break her composure, then she swore, if she got the chance to do it discreetly enough to slip by without the doctor noticing, she would make them sorely regret testing her patience...

Hector was already out of the shower before dawn came. He dried himself and put his clothes on, observing his room as he did so. It was cluttered, and much of it was dusty, but it had a cozy feeling. Every wall was lined with dusty books, most of which Hector had read, while bits and pieces of electronic components were scattered around a large, metal desk that was nearly placed in the center of the room. There was a window with a view, as well, that overlooked a large courtyard from it's placement at the third story of a building. Looking through this window, many would be reminded of the immense size of the Academy. It was more like a city, than a traditional school. In a corner of the room, was Hector's desk, covered in papers that need to be sorted out.

Hector's stomach growled as he gathered his bearings. He made himself a simple breakfast of cereal, and sat down at his desk, spoon in one hand, and pencil in the other. Hector was writing research notes on magic. Despite all the knowledge humanity has on magic, there is still much that is unknown. Hector was curious about magic. Many people believed that magic could not be explained by science. However, Hector knew differently. Magic was a part of the world. It followed rules and principles. Right now, all Hector was doing was using mathematical induction to see if he could make a new theory. However, Hector was also trying to take it slow. He had only just woken up.

Having finished his food, Hector decided to stop with the equations for the morning. The dawn came, and with it, a robot came to Hector's door to relay a message. Hector opened his door, and looked at the robot attentively.

“Kazuhira, Hector. Your homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?”

"No."

Hector closed the door and grabbed his jacket. Looking around the room, Hector identified what he would need with a speed and readiness that almost shocked him. Hector was never particularly popular. The people in his classes knew him, to a degree, but even they did not know much. The people who did not share any classes with him likely did not even know his name. Not that Hector minded. He wasn't desperate for attention, and liked being alone.

Hector grabbed his belongings, placed them in a bag, and put the portable intercom into his pocket after checking to verify that his classes have changed. The hallways leading to the elevator were quiet, and there were very few people in the halls. Upon reaching the elevator and pushing the button for the sixth floor, Hector checked his watch, and noted that he was still early. Extremely early. He may even be the first one in the class. That was until the door was opened and another student, a blonde male, rushed in, obviously panicked, while something on all fours rushed after him.

Hector took note of the situation. The elevator was not where he needed it to be, a student was running from a creature of some kind, and there seemed to be no one else in that hallway. Hector immediately drew his staff and ran out of the elevator. The creature looked like a wolf, but seemed to have just been a Fae. Hector aimed his staff forward as he saw the Fae's mouth begin to spew fire. The air around the tip of Hector's staff began to shimmer before a very thin, translucent blade appeared around it, turning his staff into a makeshift spear. The "blade" is actually made of plasma that Hector is magnetically shaping into the form of a blade. Hector swung the spear at the flames, using wind magic to blow the flames away from himself, or any of the walls and floors. Before Hector could thrust his spear at the Fae, a man in a military uniform ran from behind a turn in the hallway and held out his hand for a magic spell that seemed to calm the Fae. The Fae vanished as the flames dissipated.

The soldier put his hand down as he turned to Hector and the student who was fleeing from the Fae, who had now come out of the elevator.

The commotion was over quickly, but it was loud, and attracted more than just the soldier. The relevant authorities made their way to the area, and after many questions were asked and answered, the situation was made clear, and Hector was able to go back to the elevator. Apparently, the student had conjured a Fae that preferred to be alone, and it chased him while his screaming attracted the soldier, who happened to be a summoner able to stop the Fae.

Exiting the elevator on the sixth floor, Hector sighed. The whole process was not something that would be a major event on campus, but it did hold Hector up for awhile. He turned to enter the class, and found several of his classmates were already there. Standing near the doorway was Duran, holding the pieces of a robot in his hands, beckoning for someone to take it off his hands.

"I'll do it, Duran," Hector said as he took the pieces out of Duran's hands, placed them on the floor, and was about to begin to repair it, before he realized that using his magic for that purpose was technically illegal. Not wanting to take chances, Hector just left the pieces of the robot outside of the door, and called the school's help line as he began to take a seat near a window.

After the call was concluded, Hector began to take note of his classmates that were in the room, at the moment. Duran, loud as ever, but a friend. Willow, a great medic and a good person. Robin, a scholar and ally. Lev and Joe, who, like Hector, did not talk much. Cuddy, who is possibly the single most cheerful person Hector has ever met. And Lorelei. Hector did not know much about her, beyond the fact that she is one of the human weapons developed by the NHP.

Class was off to a fairly good start.

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Kenji lay sleeping on a park bench as his familiar poked at his face in an attempt to wake him up. Every once in a while a person would casually stroll past him giving strange glances towards the guy sleeping on a park bench. This was not really unusual for Kenji, if it was possible for him to sleep in a place you could count he would sleep there if he was lazy enough. His main reason for choosing a park bench as his place of resting was because he had a huge dinner and the walk back to his room would have taken at least twenty minutes. So instead of wasting all that time Kenji just plopped himself down on the nearest bench and said goodnight to the world.

After a solid ten minutes of his face being prodded by his familiar he finally awake. Slowly rubbing his eyes as he looked around to, after a brief moment a confused expression took held of his face before his just shrugged it off giving the bench a pat before standing up. "Thank you bench for housing me last night." Pausing for a moment seemingly in deep thought. "Comfort rating four out of ten." He said while looking at Riku with a smile.

Riku hopped onto Kenji's shoulder and they started off towards the city to get some food. Twenty-minutes later after a quick bite and almost getting into a scuffle, he returned to the bench which had turned into a semi-home for now. Just as he dropped down onto the bench about ready to closed his eyes to take another nap Kenji heard a voice call out from over his shoulder. With a glance back a android was standing just on the other side of his bench addressing him. "Kenji Yamanaka. Your Homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?"

Kenji looked back at the android with a puzzled face which slowly morphed into a look of annoyance. This message meant that he had to return to studying which Kenji just dreaded. Envisioning a world were homework and studying wasn't needed and more physical studies were looked better upon. Snapping back to reality he turned his attention back to the android before shoving his hands into his pockets and proceeded to make his way towards the academy. Taking a brief pause to shout at the android, taking out that little bit of annoyance out on it. "No, I'm fine go back to doing whatever you things do. Thanks though."

With the school in sight Kenji checked to make sure his tail was securely hidden away. His biggest fear would easily be someone finding out that he was a hybrid creature who's powers were built inside a lab with scientists probing and morphing each part of him. Quick images flashed in his mind about his childhood after he had escaped the lab. Roaming through the streets with questions bombarding him about his tail. With people attacking him with stones the moment they learned of what he really was. The streets of Kozamu had and still was his home, but the place held dark memories for the Kenji. He quickly learned it was best to keep his tail hidden and to avoid talking about it if someone somehow found out.

Reaching the school it seemed as if he would finally get back to clearing this world of its evils, be it the daemons or humans who's actions were just as wrong as the daemons they feared. It didn't matter to Kenji as long as in the end this world was a better place. Kenji had no problems becoming the monster needed to accomplish that goal, just as he had done once before. The class room was finally in sight, he had hoped that he wasn't the last to arrive as he was late most of the time. Opening the door to the room it seemed as if their were already quite a few people inside. It didn't seem as if he was late which might be something that should be praised as his first and last time.

While he was excited to see some action he had no enthusiasm to return to any form of studying or learning. Nothing was worse then dying of boredom. Dragged himself towards the back of the class room taking a seat there. Kenji always carried his sword wrapped up on his back, as he sat down he slid it off his shoulder placing it gently at an angle held up by the desk. Most of the time Kenji wasn't the best at making friends, though he had mastered the art of making enemies as he could pick a fight with almost anyone. Still friends were not his forte and this class was no exception. Kicking his legs up he placed them on the desk in front of him, while closing his left eye and only keeping his right eye barely open, just enough so that he wouldn't miss anything to exciting as this class had a history of being out of the norm.

All that was left was to wait for class to get rolling, or maybe for some heads to start rolling. If the latter option started Kenji was all for it, though he would make do with the first option. It was prime time to bring out his secret technique, the logic in his head was flawless while most quickly picked up on the fact that Kenji was just certifiably an idiot. What Kenji refereed to as his secret technique consisted of storing all his energy during class by putting in almost no effort so that he would have double the energy outside for real activities. Just before getting ready to take a quick nap Kenji's face burst to life as he reached down into his bag before pulling out a novel. Flicking it open halfway as he leaned back in his seat, immersing himself in the story.

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Dialogue ~ #4AA429

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Nico placed her boot lightly on the surface in front of her as she walk along the thin ledge of a balcony, her arms spread out in a balancing act as she took one little hop after the other. There was a dim glow on the horizon, the sun quietly announcing its presence before it would shed its morning rays across the city. Nico had awoken earlier than usual, about an hour from now, and was already washed, fed, and fully dressed before the sky even began to lighten. With no morning class to attend after the inconvenient death of her teacher, she could only slump in the chair of her desk. Of course, boredom took a hold of her in mere seconds and with nothing better to do, she decided to take a leisurely morning walk along whatever open ledges the school provided.

She took another light hop, one she probably would've landed with no problem had a voice not shouted into her ear at the same second her boot made contact with the surface of the ledge.

"Would you find someplace safer to walk!?"

Her leg wobbled as she stepped down and her arms wavered as she attempted to regain her balance. She managed to straighten herself out and remained standing on one leg as she gave the owner of the voice that had nearly made her fall an irritated glare.

"It'll be your fault if I fall, Fawn. Go away."

The cat-like Fae hovered a little more than a food about Nico's head.

"Maybe chose someplace a little closer to the ground?"

Fawn's blue twin followed along a little further behind, his voice cautious as he made his suggestion, unlike the pink Fae who's voice was proud and extremely annoying on top of that.

"I don't remember summoning you," Nico said bluntly, taking another few hops along the ledge. They were constantly showing up out of nowhere, with Fawn always ready to scold her whenever she was having even the slightest bit of fun. Wobbling again as her foot stepped a little too close to the edge, she could hear the gasp of the pink Fae above her, then a heavy sigh of relief as Nico slid her foot over and regained herself. "and we're only eight stories up, it's not like this is a dangerous height or something. Besides, check out the view!"

Her heel maid a scraping sound as she spun around to face the direction of the sun. The burning light was beginning to creep its way upwards, the faint orange beams flashing over the city whose lights were gradually dying out. The sky was taking on a much lighter blue now, and the sound of morning birds were mixed in with the distant sound of the city waking up in the distance.

"I think falling from eight stories would certainly be a life hazard."

"You're ruining the moment, J.," Nico said in a somewhat hushed tone as she placed her hand over the blue Fae's mouth, but she shuddered as something wet brushed over her fingers.

"Ah, gross!" Her hand snapped back, J.'s tongue slipping back into his mouth as his expression turned to pure satisfaction. This didn't last, however, as Nico's quick movement caused her foot to slip completely off the surface of the ledge.

"Uh-oh," were the only words she could manage before falling. Though her familiars had lost all composure and were zipping after her, Nico kept her usual wide-eyed expression. Her familiars worried too much for their own good. There was a loud crash and dust filled the air, taking a few moment before it began to clear. A hammer about the size of a car had been lodged into the ground with Nico firmly grasping it's handle.

"U-using your weapon outside of battle is against the rules!"

A careless smile spread across Nico's face as the hammer shrunk down to the size of a key chain before disappearing in the same matter as a bubble popping.

"Haha, oh yeah, guess we better get outta here then, huh?"

Erenheart, Nicolla.

Fawn let out a terrified, raspy whimper at the fear of Nico being caught by whomever had said her name, but she quickly relaxed.

"Thomas!" Nico said cheerfully, turning to face one of the many androids that belonged to the school. Since they all had complicated names made up of only a couple of letters and a plentiful amount of numbers, Nico had decided to call them Thomas. Yes, every single one.

Your Homeroom has been changed to sixth floor inside room 2-2-1-3. You are to report there during these morning hours at Anthemia. Any inquiries?"

"Finally, I was starting to worry they were gunna drop you."

Nico would ignore that statement, partly because it actually didn't bother her that much, and partly because she was also starting to worry herself. Obviously she did nothing to deserve to be thrown out. She was a perfect student in every way. Well, mostly. Sort of.

"Roger that, Thomas! That'll be all!"

The android gave a slight bow before leaving them to do whatever androids do in their spare time. With the sun now completely illuminating the sky, it would be about time for usual morning classes to start. 2-2-1-3, however, was on the opposite side of her location, not that it mattered to much to her. Tardiness meant nothing as long as you showed up.

✄ ✿ ✄

Nico stood at the doorway of 2-2-1-3, her familiars no longer trailing behind her, thank tacos. She stretched her arms above her head and leaned backwards, taking a long stretch before letting out a sigh and relaxing her muscles. Her lips parted slightly as she let oxygen fill her lungs. Slowly she raised her foot before she smiled wildly and she slammed the bottom of her boot against the door, causing it to fly open and hit the wall behind it.

"Sorry I'm late!!" she exclaimed loudly as she practically leaped inside, though she quickly realized that there was an absence of an adult in the decently-sized classroom. "No...no way! I'm here before the teacher? This is awesome!"

She let out a proud, but brief laugh before she moved her eyes over the other bodies in the room. Looked like there were a lot of familiar faces, but Nico decided to take a seat in the middle spaced away from the others. She wasn't in the mood for conversation just yet.

(OOC: Didn't mean to tag Daenerys)