āThose who are busy discussing your life,
Probably arenāt happy about theirs.ā
~Unknown
Speech Code ~ #8A0808| Thought Code ~ #045FB4
Relax As You Read ~ Center Your Thoughts
The gymnasium was a separate building from the main academy, and was actually split into two buildings as well. One for the university, and one for the high school. Both had their own pools, changing rooms, exercise rooms, and training rooms in addition to the stereotypical open gym. Two tennis courts rest behind the buildings, and a large track that measured a quarter mile, surrounded by bleachers, an announcerās box, and a concessions stand were just on the other side of the courts. The inside of the buildings were easily converted into basketball courts if needed, but for the most part remained as open rooms for activity. Each building had its own supply closet, which sat just outside the doors to the full gyms, and there were even two archery zones on the opposite side of the university gymnasium.
Having grown accustomed to the expansive setup, Iphignea didnāt even bat an eye when she arrived, instead shoving in through the doors to the university gymnasium without a care in the world. She ignored the scathing looks the women gave her - she wasnāt well liked by girls her age - and the amused snickers of the men. An internal reminder, that it could always be worse. That she could be in Kazutoraās position, relentlessly hounded and beaten on a near-daily basis. Even her intervention did nothing to stem the bullying he received, so how could she possibly protect herself if she couldnāt protect him?
So, instead, she chose to ignore them. They would get bored eventually, she figured, so despite the whispers causing slithers of red to make their way across her vision, she made her way to the womenās locker room. Taunts shoved aside, her main focus being to throw herself into her workout, she was excited; exercise always made her feel better, no matter what the issue was.
The whispers didnāt end when she left the hallway. No, for the moment she entered the changing room, they picked up once more. But she had grown accustomed to this. She would be more confused if they didnāt mutter amongst themselves about her. People were like chickens, clucking away any little thing they heard just because they could, and as soon as one of them had seen, they all had seen. She had been careless as a child, newly adopted and settled in Japan. Having wanted to only make friends, she had trusted the wrong girl - or rather, girls. A sleepover gone wrong, memories that she wished to not recall; it all led to the inevitable discovery of her disfiguration.
As though in response, her back began a slight burning ache. It no longer hurt, no, for it was long healed. But the memory of the pain was something that Iphianassa would never forget, not for the rest of her days. Her hand idly rubbed at the back of her shoulder, as though to somewhat soothe the sting of memories past. It did little to stem the reminder, so with a little shrug and shake, she continued to her locker. Thankfully, the other women had decided to leave her be for the day and it was in its normal state, and they even allowed her to change her clothes in peace - aside for the shit-talking, of course. It didnāt matter that they knew; she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her scars. She could make due with a sweatsuit for her workout while at school.
It used to make her angry, the way that they spoke about her. She used to fly off the handle and wish to beat them senseless, and if she was being honest, it was something that she still would find great satisfaction in. But she was older, wiser, and she knew better than to simply attack them. She needed this school to work. She couldnāt afford to go to any other university, what with her free housing at the temple. She had to behave, even if that meant putting up with the immaturity of her classmates.
Her locker slammed with a slight echo, causing her peers to stop their chattering in surprise. The air grew awkward and tense when she simply tilted her head, revealing a viscous glare in their directions. The changing room echoed only with the sound of a dripping faucet, all the way up until she had left, and only when the door was swinging shut did she begin to hear the tittering pick up once more. What an ugly bitch. Stuck up whore. Slut. Bacon backed bitch. It was endless, and try as she might, it still stung a little.
Her mere existence was such a nuisance to those around her.
A head shake, clenched fist to accompany it. She had a class to attend, and she would be damned if she missed it because of some snooty plastic wannabes.
The gym was where they would always meet before dispersing to their own workouts, so with a quick tuck of her water bottle under her arm, she leaned slightly to the side to begin pulling back her long hair into a ponytail. It wasnāt until she had come to a stop where the rest of the students were gathered that she finally turned her gaze up, immediately landing on one of the last people - or perhaps first people? She didnāt know how to feel anymore - she wanted to see. Natsuo Orako.
His tense expression changed when they made eye contact, as though he too had only just spotted her, and the face that he made wasnāt really one that made it seem as though he liked her. Maybe the whole interaction at lunch, even his disconnect, was a facade, and he actually couldnāt stand her already? Had he already heard from the other college students what a psychotic bitch she was? Possibly. At this point, she wouldnāt put it past them to key in on the new students and immediately start their little charade of pretending to be their friends.
So, with her small amount of confidence dashed by that look, Iphi decided it was best not to approach him, at least for today. Instead, she gave him a slightly uncertain smile and a small half-wave. Just because he didnāt seem to want to be friends didnāt mean she couldnāt at least still be nice. He was Kazutoraās new friendās older brother after all. If it meant more protection for her Zuzu, sheād do anything.
Class passed by in a blur. She focused mostly on stamina for today, opting to go for a run at the track. She self-timed, of course, and was proud to see that she had knocked off three seconds from her mile run by the end of class. It had been hard work, but she was finally in a position where she felt as though she were ready to begin training for the next competition.
Before she knew it, her peers were dispersing. She lingered, if only to have access to a fully empty locker room, and fanned herself to cool down as she waited. The room eventually emptied, leaving her to be able to shower in privacy. While it was something they knew about, she still didnāt want to risk anyone seeing them; she was ugly, and she knew that. She didnāt need anyone else to confirm that for her. It was why she only owned one mirror, which was used for the sole purpose of ensuring her hair wasnāt entirely crazy.
When she finally left the building, it was a relief to step out into the fresh air. School was always so stifling for her, no matter how much she tried to love it, she would always have a mixed relationship with the establishment. Thankfully, she had the next hour to herself before temple duties. She would miss Zuzu, as he got out of class when she already had to be at the Temple, and that worried her tremendously, but there was not much she could do. Today was a major ceremony and she couldnāt be late. All she could do was hope against hope that heād be okay without her. He was a tough kid, so heād be okay, right?
Iphignea spent the next hour, well, bullshitting to say the least. She made her way back to the temple and took care of her dog before preemptively changing into her ceremonial gown and headdress. Afterwards, she settled in to wait, killing time studying for her Spanish quiz that would be held the next day.
The gymnasium was a separate building from the main academy, and was actually split into two buildings as well. One for the university, and one for the high school. Both had their own pools, changing rooms, exercise rooms, and training rooms in addition to the stereotypical open gym. Two tennis courts rest behind the buildings, and a large track that measured a quarter mile, surrounded by bleachers, an announcerās box, and a concessions stand were just on the other side of the courts. The inside of the buildings were easily converted into basketball courts if needed, but for the most part remained as open rooms for activity. Each building had its own supply closet, which sat just outside the doors to the full gyms, and there were even two archery zones on the opposite side of the university gymnasium.
Having grown accustomed to the expansive setup, Iphignea didnāt even bat an eye when she arrived, instead shoving in through the doors to the university gymnasium without a care in the world. She ignored the scathing looks the women gave her - she wasnāt well liked by girls her age - and the amused snickers of the men. An internal reminder, that it could always be worse. That she could be in Kazutoraās position, relentlessly hounded and beaten on a near-daily basis. Even her intervention did nothing to stem the bullying he received, so how could she possibly protect herself if she couldnāt protect him?
So, instead, she chose to ignore them. They would get bored eventually, she figured, so despite the whispers causing slithers of red to make their way across her vision, she made her way to the womenās locker room. Taunts shoved aside, her main focus being to throw herself into her workout, she was excited; exercise always made her feel better, no matter what the issue was.
The whispers didnāt end when she left the hallway. No, for the moment she entered the changing room, they picked up once more. But she had grown accustomed to this. She would be more confused if they didnāt mutter amongst themselves about her. People were like chickens, clucking away any little thing they heard just because they could, and as soon as one of them had seen, they all had seen. She had been careless as a child, newly adopted and settled in Japan. Having wanted to only make friends, she had trusted the wrong girl - or rather, girls. A sleepover gone wrong, memories that she wished to not recall; it all led to the inevitable discovery of her disfiguration.
As though in response, her back began a slight burning ache. It no longer hurt, no, for it was long healed. But the memory of the pain was something that Iphianassa would never forget, not for the rest of her days. Her hand idly rubbed at the back of her shoulder, as though to somewhat soothe the sting of memories past. It did little to stem the reminder, so with a little shrug and shake, she continued to her locker. Thankfully, the other women had decided to leave her be for the day and it was in its normal state, and they even allowed her to change her clothes in peace - aside for the shit-talking, of course. It didnāt matter that they knew; she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her scars. She could make due with a sweatsuit for her workout while at school.
It used to make her angry, the way that they spoke about her. She used to fly off the handle and wish to beat them senseless, and if she was being honest, it was something that she still would find great satisfaction in. But she was older, wiser, and she knew better than to simply attack them. She needed this school to work. She couldnāt afford to go to any other university, what with her free housing at the temple. She had to behave, even if that meant putting up with the immaturity of her classmates.
Her locker slammed with a slight echo, causing her peers to stop their chattering in surprise. The air grew awkward and tense when she simply tilted her head, revealing a viscous glare in their directions. The changing room echoed only with the sound of a dripping faucet, all the way up until she had left, and only when the door was swinging shut did she begin to hear the tittering pick up once more. What an ugly bitch. Stuck up whore. Slut. Bacon backed bitch. It was endless, and try as she might, it still stung a little.
Her mere existence was such a nuisance to those around her.
A head shake, clenched fist to accompany it. She had a class to attend, and she would be damned if she missed it because of some snooty plastic wannabes.
The gym was where they would always meet before dispersing to their own workouts, so with a quick tuck of her water bottle under her arm, she leaned slightly to the side to begin pulling back her long hair into a ponytail. It wasnāt until she had come to a stop where the rest of the students were gathered that she finally turned her gaze up, immediately landing on one of the last people - or perhaps first people? She didnāt know how to feel anymore - she wanted to see. Natsuo Orako.
His tense expression changed when they made eye contact, as though he too had only just spotted her, and the face that he made wasnāt really one that made it seem as though he liked her. Maybe the whole interaction at lunch, even his disconnect, was a facade, and he actually couldnāt stand her already? Had he already heard from the other college students what a psychotic bitch she was? Possibly. At this point, she wouldnāt put it past them to key in on the new students and immediately start their little charade of pretending to be their friends.
So, with her small amount of confidence dashed by that look, Iphi decided it was best not to approach him, at least for today. Instead, she gave him a slightly uncertain smile and a small half-wave. Just because he didnāt seem to want to be friends didnāt mean she couldnāt at least still be nice. He was Kazutoraās new friendās older brother after all. If it meant more protection for her Zuzu, sheād do anything.
Class passed by in a blur. She focused mostly on stamina for today, opting to go for a run at the track. She self-timed, of course, and was proud to see that she had knocked off three seconds from her mile run by the end of class. It had been hard work, but she was finally in a position where she felt as though she were ready to begin training for the next competition.
Before she knew it, her peers were dispersing. She lingered, if only to have access to a fully empty locker room, and fanned herself to cool down as she waited. The room eventually emptied, leaving her to be able to shower in privacy. While it was something they knew about, she still didnāt want to risk anyone seeing them; she was ugly, and she knew that. She didnāt need anyone else to confirm that for her. It was why she only owned one mirror, which was used for the sole purpose of ensuring her hair wasnāt entirely crazy.
When she finally left the building, it was a relief to step out into the fresh air. School was always so stifling for her, no matter how much she tried to love it, she would always have a mixed relationship with the establishment. Thankfully, she had the next hour to herself before temple duties. She would miss Zuzu, as he got out of class when she already had to be at the Temple, and that worried her tremendously, but there was not much she could do. Today was a major ceremony and she couldnāt be late. All she could do was hope against hope that heād be okay without her. He was a tough kid, so heād be okay, right?
Iphignea spent the next hour, well, bullshitting to say the least. She made her way back to the temple and took care of her dog before preemptively changing into her ceremonial gown and headdress. Afterwards, she settled in to wait, killing time studying for her Spanish quiz that would be held the next day.