Fable - Ask A New Noose

[Aleric]

Aleric took the map and schedule from Oralie, noting that one of them had directions about 'not beating anyone up' on the margins. He assumed that one was his and passed the other to Cosmo when he arrived.

He stifled the laugh that nearly passed from his throat as his companion mentioned the gaggle of girls. "Better they stare than try to corner me like they did you."

The Hanged Man said with a shake of his head. He wasn't entirely sure how he would have handled that particular confrontation. In Harrowgate something like that almost always ended with someone getting stabbed, and he was pretty sure that wouldn't fly around here.

"Deacon plays sports." Aleric had noted equipment of some sort in the boys bag. A long stick with a net at the end, clearly meant for a ball. "I think that'll be when I approach him."

He glanced at his two companion, having no idea what the sport was but figuring it wouldn't matter all that much. He'd always been a quick learner. "Just need to steal a stick first."

Which wouldn't be too hard between the three of them.

 

[Oralie]

Oralie glanced over to Cosmo who was confident. When she looked back at Aleric, she wished she could have thought the same for him.

“The boys have very different extracurriculars.” Oralie said. “Deacon is a athlete while Cecil is what this school calls a… mathlete. He does these academic decathalons while Deacon is running marathons.” The woman thought it all to be very funny. Why try and pretend the nerds were bookish athletes? “Cosmo has much better memory, it will be better for them to focus on Cecil. And as for that stick… I’m sure I can get one from the locker room. I’ll drop it off by lunch.”

Naturally the students of the Academy began to mill into their separate home rooms. The bell had yet to ring but the students knew that being on time was considered late here.

“You two have home room together. I marked it on your maps. I hear your home room teacher is, how do you say…” Oralie waited a moment, taking a step back. “A complete bitch.” There time was up, Oralie had a job to do. As did Aleric and Cosmo.

---

Mrs. Wartman was not a old or a young woman, clearly somewhere in between but also clearly a woman who had not had suffered much and therefore her skin had a smoothness that showed her privilege. She only ever wore black, white, gray or navy, a string of pearl around her neck and gold studs. Her dull blonde hair, the color of dried corn husks, was always in a boring low bun but no matter what she did throughout the day there would never be a stray hair out of place.

She taught the senior class at the Academy because she was the final test of all students: to not see if they were the smartest, if they were the most elegant, or even if they were the most successful generation of the Academy. What she tested every student on was their tenacity and resilience, for money and status came and went, but no student of hers should ever dream of bowing their head.

This was why every graduating senior class, no matter what situation befall their family or themselves, whether a company went under or if a deal wasn’t sealed, had a secure future in Vel Anir. They were restless and she would instill such restlessness in them.

“We have new students. Introduce yourselves, name and give us a fact about yourself to help your busy classmates remember your names and faces.”

Cosmo Aleric

 

[Cosmo]

Wait, how was this fair now? Cosmo had to go and try and make people believe he was super good at math or something. Meanwhile, Aleric just got to go and be sweaty and all muscular...He wanted to go watch. Cosmo pouted but dutifully acknowledged his role.

---

The teacher actually reminded Cosmo of plenty of women that had worked at the brothel with him. They were the older types who tended to survive longer because they were feistier than the customers realized.

Cosmo and Aleric took their places at the front of the class, and he took his chance to offer several winks to the ladies and maybe even a boy or two that was looking a little too hard.

Realizing quickly that Aleric would not be the first to speak, Cosmo took a step forward.

"Hello, my name is Adonis Starr, and thank you for welcoming us with open arms. I often spend readying histories, studying mathematics, and...dance."

This was one of the first tricks the mistress had taught him to gain attention. You started off with generic and boring features, skills, or hobbies and then threw out a unique one that you purposefully kept vague but curious.

Aleric Oralie

 

[Aleric]

Aleric stood besides Cosmo, letting no sense of tension touch him at all. He stood with his arms crossed, lids half down as though he were about to speak. His companion Introduced himself, and the Hanged Man made sure to yawn loudly throughout.

Offering nothing but disrespect, and then playing his chosen role perfectly as the stern teacher prompted. "And you?"

For a brief moment Aleric couldn't help but inwardly sigh. Thinking of how stupid what he was about to do was, but knowing it would have exactly the effect he intended. Kids are so fucking dumb.

Aleric thought to himself, and then reached into his pocket. Before the teacher could stop him, her eyebrows raising to the ceiling and beyond, Aleric stuck a pre-rolled cigarette into his mouth.

"Me?" He said as the classroom started going absolutely insane. "I'm Loric, and I don't rightly give a fuck."

As the shouting began, Aleric realized that his tactic might have been a bit overboard. Yet he'd figured it was the best, and only, way to get his reputation going in the allotted time of their needs. By the end of the day rumor of what had happened would spread to every corner of the school. He would be punished, there was no doubt, but since it was his first offense he'd figured it would work out alright…

Probably.

This way at least, every kid in this school would know his name. By the time he met up with Deacon again, he'd already know 'his' name.

 

[Oralie]

The home room was in a uproar. These two new students, the girls would whisper, were interesting. Handsome and surely off limits by their parents. A taste of rebellion that they had never had before. If spoken about by the boys the story would be different: stuck up assholes who weren’t that handsome and were surely bad news. The girls were delusional but the boys were jealous.

Mrs. Wartman was quick with her ruler, using it to slap Alaric’s arm without hitting Cosmo. She was even faster in pulling out the cigarette from his mouth to then throw it on the ground and step on it with her foot.

“PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE!” She screeched. “IMMEDIATELY!” She turned towards Adonis Starr and her face was prim and proper once more as if she hadn’t just screamed at a student. “You can stay. Go to your seat. In the back, by the window.”

Cosmo Aleric

 

[Cosmo]

Cosmo wanted to sigh and smile at his friend's antics. It was the exact opposite of what he had told Aleric to do...and it was perfect. Every person would remember his name. A small part of him was almost jealous because he was overshadowed, but he knew it was for the best.

Cosmo glanced at Aleric with a raised eyebrow before turning back to his teacher and offering a kind smile .

"Yes, Mrs. Wartman, right away."

Cosmo made his way to the back but took his time to shoot grins at some of the girls, and deftly dodge a leg that was left a little too far out into the isle by one of the boys. Really? So simple. Even Aleric was pulling their strings, Cosmo was going to have a field day.

Aleric Oralie

 

[Aleric]

Mrs. Wartman moved like a Dreadlord with speed magic.

In the brief second it took the woman to reach him, Aleric contemplated if he was about to die. The rage in her eyes so powerful that he was sure she would strike his throat with that ruler. Instead, a slap on the arm stung out on his skin. Ow.

Aleric thought to himself as the cigarette was snapped from his lips and thrown to the ground.

"Psh! Whatever!" He said, rolling his eyes and continuing the little stage show. His head turning as he flipped the curl of hair which usually hung at the center of his forehead.

Mrs. Wartman now pointing with the ferocity of a person who was not to be fucked with.

He turned on his heel, walking backwards out the door as he looked towards the class and shot them a little wink and then immediately let the door fall shut.

"Wait. Shit." Aleric said to himself. "Where's the Principals office?"

 

[Oralie]

Soon enough, lunch would come. Cosmo and Aleric would somehow manage to survive the four periods leading up to then, although the two of them would have minor success. Aleric would be forced to wear a demerit pin on his attire from now to the end of the year. Not that anyone from the trio would stay there for the rest of the year but if Aleric got two more demerits he would be expelled.

Surely, Mrs. Wartman now had her eagle eyes on Aleric and getting rid of him for the Academy altogether. Which worried Oralie. She couldn’t try and fill in that particular role. Her tribal tattoos and unique teeth— or scary, if you asked the average Anirian— wouldn’t allow her to be accepted whatsoever.

The moment the two would come into the large cafeteria, the chatter would die down. All eyes would slowly make their way to where Cosmo and Aleric would be. Only hushed whispers and giggles could be heard every now and then, but the two “students” would get every sort of look imaginable directed at them.

“Adonis!” Mirabella’s voice easily broke through the tense quiet and the blonde stood up, waving once to collect Cosmo’s attention. “Come sit with me and my friends.” Also known as the cool table, being that it was the largest table in the center with the school’s elite sitting there. The boys looked pissed and all the girls looked at Aleric or Cosmo before quickly looking away to then only do it all over again.

Cosmo @aleri

 

[Cosmo]

Cosmo was having a rather enjoyable day. He was one-half of the center of attention while getting to ignore all the negative feedback that Aleric kept getting. Some of the boys were trying to bully him, but he was largely able to ignore them, and if Loric was with him, then they did not even come close.

A bright grin erupted on his face as soon as he walked into the cafeteria. This was just the best. He grabbed Loric and dragged him over to the table that invited them.

"Hello, beautiful, or I guess I should say beautifuls." He winked at some of the giggling girls while moving Aleric to sit next to him.

"I don't know if we ever got a proper introduction, but this is my brother Loric."

He knew that they did not look that similar, but he thought that would add to the mysteriousness. It would not be the first time that some rich merchant or noble scion could not keep it in his pants.

Aleric Oralie

 

[Aleric]

His own day had been somewhat less exciting that it’s opening gambit. After his trip to the Principal’s office, and a swift talk about how ‘boys will be boys’ which seemed to accomplish nothing nor really punish him, Aleric was sent back to endure his other three classes.

All of which were entirely lost on him.

He could read and write well enough, was smart by most standards. Hell, he had even gone to Miss Savren’s schoolhouse for a year or two! But the things being taught in this class? Advanced Geometry? Algebra? Grammatical structure and theoretical narrative building?

What in the fuck did any of that mean?

In truth, it caused a flicker of self-consciousness to wire through him. One that persisted for nearly half the day until he realized just how…useless even some of the teachers were.

By the time they reached Lunch, Aleric understood better. The Kids here, and even the adults, were smart. He could acknowledge that. They had all this…academia, intelligence, but not a one of them would have made it for more than a day in the Gutter. Aleric was sure of it. Even Ms. Wartmen would have ended up dead in a ditch.

There was something comforting about that.

So, when they sat at the table of jealous boys and dreaming girls, Aleric had no problem keeping up his act. He nodded his head upward in greeting as Cosmo introduced him, not even missing a beat at being declared his ‘brother’. ”Sup.”

He said to the table, not even knowing what the word even meant but having heard it earlier from one of the jocks.