Willow Haven's Story

F R E S H morning air lightly danced through the trees, rustling the leaves as the branches swayed along with the wind. The breeze tickled Willow’s pale skin which was slightly damp with sweat after a vigorous morning run. She had woken up at 5:30am like she did very morning since she was fourteen, the activity firstly starting as a way to wake her up but was now more for clearing her mind. She breathed in deeply as she took a break, planting herself down on a wooden bench that lined the hiking trail. Lune and Neige, the two now fully grown wolves, barked at the sudden stop of their run. Willow had found them when they were only pups, having rescued them from a poachers trap when she was just young and they haven’t left her side since.

“Gehen Lauf” Willow said, having spoken in German ‘go run’, as she took off their leashes. The wolves barked and started nipping at each other playfully making Willow smile at their puppy like behavior as her mind drifted away from the scene. Even though she had moved here to New Haven, Japan a few months ago this will be her first day going to school. Since she only knew the basics of the Japanese language the school had made arrangements for her old teachers from Germany to transfer all of the years’ work from there to her new school. She will be able to be in a class with others but she would have her own courses and work which will all be in German. Not only that but because Willow had skipped grade 7 and moved right into grade 8 when she was young, the teachers having moved her up a grade because she wouldn’t gain anything from it, the school in New Haven that she was now attending had to sort through her files to make sure she still qualified. She did. Back when she was younger all of her older classmates had teased her calling her ‘Einstein’ because she had skipped a grade but Willow never let their teasing bug her for she took it more as a compliment then an insult. They were basically stating that she was move intelligent then them.

Something wet on her hand had Willow snap back to reality and she looked down to see Lune had licked her. Willow pet his head as she looked at her watch. ‘6:30! Crap!’ Willow cursed mentally as she leashed the large canines and ran home.
Once she had arrived at her grandmother’s bungalow she sighed in relief all the while taking big gulps of air trying to regain her breath. Willow quickly unlatched the gate lock and rushed in, not taking the time to admire her grandma’s beautiful garden as she usually does. She rushed into the house, unleashed the canines then hurried to the bathroom. After having a quick lukewarm shower Willow hurriedly rushed to her room, but in the process accidently slipped on the wooden floors as her still wet feet made small puddles. She smacked herself on the back of the head as she tumbled and groaned yet by some miracle the brown towel had stayed wrapped around her. Willow had no time to complain as she quickly got to her feet again and made it to her room. She dried herself then changed into her new school uniform before brushing her hair and teeth then braiding the long light tresses into a quick French braid. She then stuffed everything she needed into her book bag and ran to the kitchen.

” Hey Oma I’m leaving can you feed the brats please?” Willow asked her grandmother while gesturing towards the two large canines who were wagging their tails looking up at Willow with pleading eyes. Her grandma was sitting at the kitchen island reading a romance novel, coffee mug in hand with a bowl of cereal beside her. She glanced up at her granddaughter, amusement obvious in a light blue eyes.

“But of course I can dear, have fun on your first day, make good choices” her grandma said before Willow blew her a kiss goodbye, grabbed a muffin and slipped on her shoes. She was out the door in moments and rushing to the monorail. She got there just as it was pulling away.

“GOTT VERDAMMT!” she cursed angrily in German, making some of the people at the station look at her. Willow blushed as she noticed the stares and just gave a sheepish smile before plopping down on the bench.

G R E A T... Her first day at a new school and she’s late.

INITIATING BOOT-UP DRIVE

//Verifying OSID… ACCESS GRANTED
//CONFIRMED ID: AEGIS 4.0 - MODEL #1 - JIDO SHIKO
//CHECKING CIRCULATORY SYSTEMS: CHECK //REWARMING FLUIDS: CHECK //EPIDERMIS PIGMENTATION: CHECK //PERSONA DRIVER: CHECK
//INITIATING WAKEUP PROCESS… 56%

The pinwheel revolved in Jido’s retinas; he laid there aimlessly, watching the numbers slowly increase until the process was complete. His eyes dilated and blinked a few times, just to check their operational status. The android’s neck pivoted to view his surroundings. He was resting on top of white bed sheets, his limbs frozen rigidly in place and his back straightened on a streamline axis. ”And… lean forward.” As if he acted upon audible command, the student sat up and glanced down at his chest. At the moment, a black chord was embedded in his opened chest cavity, while the cover which protected his internal circuitry was hanging outward on its hinges. His integrity was an amalgamation of flashing LED lights, rotating gears and silent circuits, all centered around one central port. Said port was currently occupied by the transporter of electricity, which was currently lodged firmly inside of him. With a single motion, he gracefully yanked the power chord out and let it fall with a thump on his sheets.

”Oh, I have school today. It’s Monday, right?” Doubt and unsurety lingered in his voice. He had been asleep for the entire weekend, after all. Jido had gone through a process which he upheld on a monthly basis, a way of charging his internal battery. Since it does seem strange for a student to go complete off the radar for two days, he commonly refers to the timespan as ’that time of the month.’ His friends are left in such disbelief and awe, that they are unable to formulate a response and simply skip onto another subject. The android’s joints still felt stiff, he had to go through a few exercises before finally feeling fully awake.

Jido pressed the chest compartment back into place then quickly dressed himself. After slipping on his jacket and straightening his tie, he briskly walked down the stairs to the bottom floor. The robot and his guardian were lucky to live in a decent house. It was the government’s way of thanking the remaining members of the company which produced the Aegis 3.0 Assembly Line. The fleet of animatronics prolonged the events of the disaster, even though it was only by a little, they still bought the fleeing upper class some time. They were only able to transport his creator’s lab assistant and himself, and now they both lived in the ‘better’ part of New Haven. It was on par with what used to be classified as middle class. But now, it was considered to be a privilege to thrive in such arrangements.

The second floor consisted of a kitchen and a living room, connected by an open hallway which leads to the entrance. The android stopped by the kitchen first and was greeted by his guardian. The middle-aged man was sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of newly brewed coffee. ”Ohayo, Sir.” Jido fluently bowed then treated himself to some of the beverage. ”Ello, Jido. You better hurry up, and make sure your cavity is properly locked. Wouldn’t want your chest to unhinge in the middle of class, now would we? I’m sure some of your friends would leak themselves on the spot.” The man chuckled then took a sip, while indulging himself with that day’s newspaper. Jido let out a sigh at the man’s pun, but anxiety kicked in and forced him to double-check his cavity. After crafting himself a basic grilled cheese sandwich, he proceeded outside of the door with his satchel hanging on his shoulder. ”Oh, and remember to verify you cache later today. Haven’t done that for a while, right?” Jido shrugged and took a bite from his creation, ”Will do.” The man raised an eyebrow at the boy, ”Your fly’s undone.”

”No it’s not!”

"I see your pigmentation drive is fully operational. Voice is a little high there, though. Might want to recheck your pubescence emulation system."

---

---

Jido had arrived at the station, breathing heavily as he gasped for breath. ”Damn axels… He muttered to himself while attempting to circulate oxygen through his mechanical imitation of lungs. The android had already finished his meal on the way, but a hand was still tightly wrapped around a coffee cup. Unfortunately, the monorail was pulling away just as he set foot on the platform. ”Guess I’ll have to wait until the next ra-”

“GOTT VERDAMMT!

The android cocked his head and swiveled towards the shout. His eyes rested on another student in the same uniform as himself, who was also in the same state of unrest. ”She missed the monorail as well. Oh well.” The android glanced at the expression of the other surrounding humans. It was amazing how none of them suspected of his origins. He had to hand it to his creator, that woman was as brilliant as she was elegant. But at this point, she was presumed dead. She was no longer a directive in his life, only a mere figment of the past. He was programmed to go through life at a brisk pace, remain on par with human beings and sink into their endless crowds. It was a subtle and leisurely existence for an android, at least he wasn’t forced into decimation like his brethren. The student simply took timed sips of his beverage while waiting for the next scheduled transport to arrive. As the next monorail came to a screeching halt, its doors slid open to give leeway for the flow of commoners. Jido remained standing and hung tightly to one of the ceiling grips. Civilians shuffled and bustled around, trying to make as much room as possible in the clumped car. It was thanks to pinpoint calculations of the laws of gravity and motion that the automaton’s beverage didn’t spill on anybody. He could only grunt and keep a stoic complexure as he felt his personal space be intruded upon. ”...Too many chests rubbing against my back right now. Just stay calm. Think of tomorrow. Yada… yada… This is why I hate the late rail.”

After finally arriving on campus, Jido briskly paced his way to his building. He let his chest expand, now that he had been given his own breathing room. ”That was a hassle. A painful one at that. Welp, time for classes.” With a few tactful weaves of the hallways, he ended up at his classroom door. ”And I made it on time. Nice.” Jido eased the sliding doors open, then advanced into the classroom. ”Ohayo. Robocop is in the classroom.” Such a title was truly ironic, since it was only coined due to his calm nature. His friends knew nothing of his robotic origins. ”Sorry about being unreachable over the weekend. It was… that time of the month again. I had to lay down a lot.” And he said all of this with an unbroken facade. Not even his lips quivered in temptation to make an expression. ”Sorry Lindholm-san, didn’t get to finish that book yet. You know, the one about Japanese deities? Kinda interesting how creative people were back then. I will do so this weekend. I’ll return it to you shortly.” He slung his satchel over the back of his desk seat, then plopped himself down comfortably. Four members were already present. The titan of a student known as Hiruka, the clumsy Saiko, the super jock Dmitri, and the easily flustered Kjerstin. The extents to which he was affiliated with them varied. For the most part, he was on good terms. ”I believe Nagata-san and the rest of our class should be arriving soon. Who knows, maybe we got some new students?"

A collaborative post by Keen and AvalonKnight

---

---

Yuki stirred under her covers on another quiet morning, her internal clock had decided to wake her before her alarm did. Intent on silencing the machine before its disruptive noise shattered this morning's serenity she sat up and reached over to flick the switch to turn the thing off. With a moment spent to stretch her arms and rub her eyes Yuki kicked off the covers and hopped out of bed, shivering slightly at the sensation of her bare feet on the cold floor.

The steady sound of her footsteps was the only source of noise as Yuki walked out to the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to ward off the cold as the large white shirt she wore swayed about with each step. These lonely mornings were something she had grown used to over her time spent here, she had been living alone in this small apartment ever since they had been forced to evacuate. Finding some discomfort in the silence Yuki began to hum a gentle melody to herself as she began to prepare her usual morning coffee. The smell of the coffee beans instilled a breath of life into the sleepy girl as a smile spread across her lips. This little coffee born reverie and humming session was rather rudely interrupted as her ears perked up at the distant sound of her phone chirping to life back in her bedroom.

Hastily she finished the preparations for her coffee and before jogging back to her room, easily spotting the small glowing screen that laid not far from her pillow. With a single swift motion she scooped the electronic device up and began tapping and swiping at the virtual surface to see the expected message the promptly popped up. As with every morning it was a text from her father with the simple greeting of "Good morning". Yuki smiled and returned the message with a good morning of her own before returning to the kitchen to resume preparing coffee and breakfast before carrying on with the rest of her usual morning rituals. Now clean, fed, and clothed, she closed the door on her empty apartment, the time had finally to head out for another day of school.

Down outside her apartment she unlocked her bike from a rack and hopped on. It was her only mode of transportation since the move here and she had gotten quite a lot of use out of the thing. With a moment spent to place a pair of earbuds into her ears and to select a playlist of music she was on her way. It was a route she had ridden many times, nearly everyday in fact during her previous school year and so it had become an almost mindless task. The loud shout of a girl however brought her focus back into reality. She must have been quite loud to make it through the music that hummed into her ears, and German too if she heard correctly. With the commotion she slowed her pace as her gaze scanned over to identify the source of the distressing noise. A young blonde woman seemingly cursing at the rear end of the quickly disappearing tram. Making a quick judgement of the situation she rolled herself closer to the girl and removed one of her ear buds.

"Excuse me... Did you need a ride to the Academy? I've got some room on the back of my bike here if you want to tag along." She gestured towards the back of her bike where a rack was installed and currently not in use.

Willow quickly turned towards the voice that she assumed was talking to her. She was offering her a ride? Oh thank goodness!
From behind Willow could hear another train pulling in but the fact was it would be quicker to get a ride from the girl since Willow was technically supposed to be at the school already so that the school could sort out her work and schedule. If she had waited to board this train then she would have to wait another ten minutes for it to set off.

“Yes please” Willow chirped happily as she walked over to the girl and took a seat on the back of the bike.

” My name is Willow Haven, I’m new to this school it’s my first day” Willow introduced.

Yuki gave the girl a nod and waited for her to get situated on the back before taking off once more. It wasn't a very long ride to the academy from here and she figured it was better to err on the side of safety and only went at a moderate pace. Yuki kept her eyes looking forward as she pedaled forward, "I'm Yuki, Yuki Ishihara. So are you a first year then? Or are you transferring in? I'm starting my 2nd year here today." Her gaze fixated upon their destination in the distance. She wasn't usually much of a conversationalist and in truth this wasn't the most comfortable situation for her, but it simply wasn't in her nature to ignore someone in need of help.

"I'm a transfer from Germany" Willow told her polietly but she could sense the girl was uncomfortable so Willow stayed silent the rest of the ride to the Academy. She watched as the scenery passed by, her thoughts traveling back to the first time she had arrived in Japan. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not realize how close to the school they were until Willow felt the bike come to a hault. Glancing around Willow noted that they had arrived. She jumped off the bike and thanked Yuki for the ride before excusing herself and rushing towards the school. She made her way to the head office where they were waiting for her.

"I apologize for being late" she said politely to the lady at the front desk, who in response nodded and told Willow to take a seat and that someone would be with her shortly.

Yuki only raised a brow as the girl sprinted away. "Guess she really was in a hurry..." With a shrug Yuki popped her earphones back in and rode her bike over to lock it up before heading up to her classroom. There were a few students who had arrived before her but no one she wanted to talk to so she made her way over to her desk and took a seat, her gaze wandering over and out the window as she waited for another day of school to begin.

Quite honestly he hadn’t thought about his past ever since he arrived at New Haven. What was the point of dwelling on the past when the future looked just as bleak? Nehemiah sighed with an unamused expression as he watched the TV in front of him blare on about destruction and chaos. Was there anything else the news could report on besides the negative? He was going to be late for school that much was apparent as the time clicked away without him making a single move to get ready. Finally a knock jarred Nehemiah from his thoughts and he glared at the door.

“Yes?” he responded.

“You’re going to be late for school Miho,” a female voice as gentle as the voice of an angel came from beyond the door. “Besides, it’s the beginning of a new year at the Academy.”

“Don’t remind me,” Nehemiah retorted as he pushed up in the bed into a sitting position. “The thought alone is why I’m still in bed.”

“Nehemiah Namikawa, get out of that bed this instant!” his mother warned as she knocked one last time, “you have fifteen minutes.”

Nehemiah could hear her footsteps as she made her way down the corridor and into the kitchen. As much as he loathed going to school, he knew his uncle would want him to better his education and go to college. This pathway was simple to accomplish, but it’s easier said than done. If it isn’t one thing with the teachers at the Academy, it’s another with the various cliques and awful excuses for human beings that attend the school. His friends had all dispersed after past events. Some went to America, some went to the UK and some just moved to different parts of Asia too far to remain in contact. Even online communication wasn’t enough to keep them all together. One by one they dropped off the radar until only a select few remained. Nehemiah sometimes wondered if it was worth the hassle to make new friends. It irritated him that there were so many missed opportunities, but he wasn’t even sure if he was ready for more relationships to form. Sliding into the shower, he let the warm liquid ease his troubled mind, and when the bathroom was filled with steam, he made his exit. Towel dried and ready to go, he partook of the chore known as getting dressed. One by one he pulled on a piece to his outfit, and when he was done with that, he began to accessorize. A necklace around his neck, a bracelet to add attention to his perfectly manicured hands, it was all meant to show that he was a guy just like any other guy but his facial features betrayed what he was going for.

The ride to the Academy was a peaceful one. Nehemiah sat on the monorail with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He was blissfully aware of his surroundings but he didn’t care in the slightest. The bell dinged signaling that his stop was next. Gazing out of a nearby window his mind began to delve into the world of divination. It was scary when his mind decided to wander into the future of others around him. This time it was no different. He sensed death, darkness; it all came rushing at once. The stench was unbelievable and as the monorail rolled up to his stop, Nehemiah scrambled to get off before puking on the lovely marble that supported his feet. On lookers seemed worried for him, one even managing to touch his shoulder and ask if he was alright.

“I’m fine,” he replied panting slightly. He would be fine. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. He was afraid to tell anyone. He didn’t know what this was, or how to control it, or if it was controllable. He didn’t have time to worry about it though as the clock was ticking and he’d be late soon if he didn’t arrive at the Academy.

Putting himself back together, he hurried off towards the Academy. Passing familiar faces, he smiled and waved and as he neared the famed steps of the Academy, he couldn’t help but wonder what this year would hold.

“Hi Neho,” a familiar voice rang out as Nehemiah turned just in time to be tackled with a hug by a overly exuberant young girl. Nehemiah laughed softly before pulling the girl off of him realizing her to be one of his friends that moved away.

“Mia, what are you doing here?” Nehemiah asked in surprise.

“Well you see my dad moved back while my mom stayed in California, so I had a choice to make and it wasn’t easy. Dad was called back on assignment,” Mia replied still with a unnerving grin on her face.

“Guess that means you’re back for a while huh?” Nehemiah replied as the conversation began. The two talked for a while, walking down the hall and entering the Academy. The conversation lasted the entire walk until Nehemiah had to go to class.

“Catch you later Mia,” Nehemiah said giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek before entering the classroom and finding his table.