Dreadlords Dreadkid Slice of Life 3.0

[Raena Mirrsyn]

Raena Mirrsyn sat on the stone edge of one of the low walls that surrounded the training area. It was still a relatively quiet morning as the Initiates from her class slowly started to trickle in. The weather was sunny and cool with only a few clouds in the blue sky and on any other day she would have a book in her hand. Today was different though.

Today was Slice of Life Day.

Like the ball, it was something new and fun that the Academy thought would promote friendship and shit. Raena was not fooled by their shallow attempts to make up for the years of torture that this class and those before them had endured. This would be a day for much younger classes to enjoy. The classes that did not have ten plus years of horrors haunting them.

Everyone had to participate according to the Proctors so Raena had decided to sit on the wall and watch until she was forced to come down. Or until she saw Fennec. Someone she liked in the sense that neither of them talked much or annoyed the other.

The training area had been turned into a carnival (whatever that was) complete with games, artist, food (that didn't come from the Academy), and performances. Apparently they had liked the concept from the Anniversary of Freedom Festival in Vel Anir so they had brought it to the Academy for everyone to enjoy.

Her attention was drawn to a tall, blonde woman as she walked to the center of the carnival. Proctor Melina. The nicest Proctor the Academy had ever seen, Raena was sure of it. Proctor Melina came in after the Revolution with a sunny disposition that drove some (most) of the other Proctors insane.

"Alright, everyone! Today is Slice of Life Day and the only thing you are required to do is to have fun!" Proctor Melina clapped her hands together with a huge smile then indicated to the various activities around her.

Fun was a concept that many were still trying to grasp.

 

[Remi Useda]

Remi opened his eyes, the low light of dawn spilling in faintly through the gap in the window's curtain. He lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his hair a ruffled mess set so by unsound sleep. In his chest beat the low thrum of dread.

Today was the day that Proctor Melina mentioned. The day that Remi had come to fear more than anything else the Academy had to offer. The barbaric cruelty of days gone paled in comparison to the emotions wrapped like garroting wires around his heart.

The training area between Building A and Building B was to be turned into nothing short of a carnival. A carnival...not entirely unlike the very same festivities run by the Useda clan on occasion when they stopped outside of a large town or city. He knew not of his fellow Initiates, but for Remi it would be like reaching back and touching the past. Scarcely could he imagine any setting more potent to excavate the memories of his family and his people.

And...what if he liked it? That in and of itself would not be so bad, no. Welcome, even, if he had to choose between the treatment he and his peers endured previously and this new paradigm. But the first and lesser of his fears was that it would make him homesick. That the yearning to be delivered from this settled life and back out onto the wide open expanse of all Liadain would come roaring back like some hungry flame.

The second, and greater, of his fears had him paralyzed in his bed for a long while.

Eight years. Half of his life. As many years with the Useda as with the Anirians. It was as if he were now perfectly split between two worlds. Remi longed to see his family again, to return to his people, but...what if they didn't take him back? What if they didn't want him anymore? What if he was Gaje to them now?

Outsider. He who was no longer Useda. He who was dead to them. He who has been reborn Anirian?

Remi clapped a hand over his eyes.

Yes. He stayed in his bed a long while.

* * * * *​

Remi did not let his fears keep him away or make him tardy. Into the pit of his stomach they went, buried with the others that on other days may have hindered him. Expedient in the moment, this compartmentalization of emotion, but he knew the reckoning would always come. In the privacy of his dorm did he prefer to let them flow and run their course. It was unseemly to do so anywhere else.

Despite his rough dawn, Remi still cheered up. It was still a carnival, and he was still excited for it. Maybe all he needed to do was keep his focus on the present moment, to let not the past nor the future intrude upon it. Sound advice. Difficult in application, surely, the mind did wander, but sound advice.

The rest of the gathered Initiates were not even in formation like usual. Loosely were they assembled, the carnival before them on the very ground upon which they had fought and trained with one another. Raena, the girl who was quiet and who possessed mismatched eyes, was even perched upon the low wall sectioning off the training area from the Academy grounds at large. The informality was...striking. More of what Remi was used to prior to the Academy, but certainly not what he was used to in the Academy.

Remi took his place among the other Initiates of his class.

Alright, everyone! Today is Slice of Life Day and the only thing you are required to do is to have fun!

Remi cocked his head. Puzzled by Proctor Melina's choice of words, never having heard the phrase before. He spoke this thoughts aloud to himself on it, saying, "Slice of life? How does one slice life?"

A cake. Or a pie. She was likening life itself to a cake or a pie. Strange. It implied then that Proctor Melina would be serving them all a piece of their own life back to them.

Oh.

Oh...

It made far more sense to Remi now.

Raena Mirrsyn

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus Azura lazily leaned against the wall around the other students, but his gaze was stuck to the carnival tents being raised on Academy grounds.

"This is crazy...stupid?...Maybe both."

What did any of this have to do with being made into Dreadlords? Corvus did not mind having fun, but government-sanctioned and monitored fun was not his idea of a good time. He looked over to his twin sister next to him and questioned.

"Does any of this make sense to you?"

While waiting for an answer, he turned to look over all the other Dreadlords in his class. What the hell were they supposed to do? Go play a ring toss game? Maybe there would be some brawling competition or something, anything to keep the Academy's standard physical aesthetic.

"Raena, I would run now while you still have the chance." He called out jokingly.

Still, for all the complaining, he was doing verbally and in his own mind, he was beginning to grow agitated as shown by the rhythmic tapping of his right foot. He wants to move and do something, anything really. Corvus had to remind himself to calm down as he noticed some of the wind whipping up around him. One outburst and one of the tents would go flying. While that would be hilarious, Cassi would probably get mad at him.

Raena Mirrsyn Remi Useda Cassi Azura

 

[Ysobel]

A carnival? A mandatory carnival? They had to be joking. How were they going to mandate ‘having fun’ and ‘making friends’? God forbid they have one day to enjoy themselves in this place that wasn’t watched over by the proctors. It was bullshit.

Out of everything they could choose, they decided to give them a carnival. Games, art, music, performances? Ysobel had never attended one, but the idea seemed more appropriate for children. Was this supposed to make up for what they had missed while they spent their childhoods here?

Whatever. She would go and she would enjoy herself. Play games with her classmates, dance, and whatever else it was that they would allow her to do rid herself of at least some of the energy that was currently building up inside her. The feeling was terrible. Constantly feeling like you are about to burst all because of some stupid pills they made her take so she doesn’t ‘hurt her classmates’ or ‘hurt herself. She had hoped they’d help her calm down so she wouldn’t have outbursts, but no. They only made her temper even worse while preventing her from 'expressing it'. Whatever that meant.

She took her sweet time getting ready. She was in a look good, feel good kind of mood and boy did she look good. By the time she had entered the training area, she noticed some of her classmates standing around. Bizarre. They did know the mandatory fun wasn't up against the walls, right?

Maybe she'd missed something and they were gathering for a reason. Sure, that was probably it. Making her way over to the wall, she would shoulder check Corvus and laugh quietly.

“Calm down.” She sat in the shade just below Raena. “They said have fun. You do know what that means, don’t you?”

Raena Mirrsyn Remi Useda Corvus Azura

 

[Cassi Azura]

Cassi was as perplexed as everyone else as to what exactly they were supposed to do. This new Academy was a strange place even over a year later. She, for one, was a little excited but she was trying to keep it contained since no one else seemed to want to be here.

"I think it has to do with them wanting to give us a little taste of what life outside the Academy is like..." Cassi answered both Remi and Corvus' questions are the same time.

The wind picked up around them and she placed a gentle hand on her brother arm to bring him back down. He was gale while she was the calm. Separately they were deadly, together they were even more deadly.

Cassi looked up at Raena and smiled at the Initiate when her twin told the girl to run now.

"Honestly, Ysobel, I don't think any of us know how to have fun in this sense," she lifted her arm to indicate the set up. "This isn't our world..."

Except it was now. They had two more years of this new world. She let out a low sigh and went to sit next to Ysobel on the ground.

"I wonder how long it will be until they yell at us," Cassi chuckled.

---

Ysobel Corvus Azura Remi Useda

 

[Zaire]

Where was Dakarai?

That really was the only thought going through Zaire’s head as he walked around after Proctor Melina had announced that they needed to have fun. What a goober. On one hand, less brutal punishments were welcomed. On the other hand, Zaire couldn’t help but feel how pretentious today was. Whatever purpose it was supposed to serve it was doing the complete opposite, at least in Zaire’s case who had promptly rolled his eyes once the rainbows-and-unicorns loving proctor finished speaking.

He hadn’t come to the academy as an infant, he had actually reached the double digits before he attended. So ‘having fun’ wasn’t a concept he didn’t grasp like his hardened peers. But this carnival? Excessive. Like giving a pig a big, fatty meal right before you butchered it. Or maybe it was more like that time his father had bought his mother her favorite flowers before telling her that he had broken her favorite crystal vase?

Zaire wasn’t sure when the other shoe would drop, but when it did he would probably roll his eyes at that as well. But back to the important stuff….

Where was Dakarai? Seriously, it shouldn’t be that hard to find him in the first place.

Zaire’s lithe frame easily maneuvered against clusters of other students, evading past performers and other hooligans that the academy had called in. He did pause for a moment at a trio of musicians who were actually quite good. The rhythm was hardly traditional, a steady tempo from the drum, a trumpet to emphasis a tone change and enforce the rhythm, while the gittern kept the song smooth from beginning to end.

The teenager bobbed his head to the music, and before long he was grooving to the music. Hips and shoulders in sync as he continued to bob his head, feet moving to their own accord. His bicolored gaze flitted up for a moment— was that Dakarai?— only to see the usual group him and his brother associated with. He wasn’t there, but if Dakarai were to head anywhere it would be there.

So with his head and shoulders still in sync with the rhythm that was now stuck in his head, Zaire headed towards were everyone else had meandered to, catching on the last bit of the conversation. Wow, did it suck to suck or what? Zaire couldn’t relate.

“Y’all could start with a smile.” Zaire pointed out, pointing at each person to then mimic their faces, momentarily stopping his upbeat swagger. Scowl for Raena, looking lost for Remi, pouting for Corvus, bored for Ysobel, and then a thin-lipped smile for Cassi. “Sucking all the fun out of me better than Edric ever could.” Quickly, because just in case, Zaire looked over his shoulder. Thank Kress, no upper class men, specifically no Edric right behind him ready to pummel him.

 

[Dakarai]

Dakarai had been training in the practice area while the 'slice of life' bs began. It was a good day, at least to him. He had beaten an upperclassman, someone from Drast's class, and he felt in the zone. At least until Proctor Melina sounded off behind him.

"Initiate Glaive." He flinched, a reaction from the Old Ways, before he settled upon hearing her voice. She... was, as his brother would say, a goober. A hot goober. But a goober, nonetheless.

He lowered his blade and looked her way. "Yes, Proctor Melinda?"

"You better freshen up and go to the carnival today." A pair of claps to accompany the next words. "Chop, chop." Not a single threat, just a smile. It. Was. Unsettling.

"Yes ma'am." His shoulders sagged, a good training day ruined. So, off he went, back to his room.

*****
​

A half hour later, Dakarai was showered, dressed, and grabbed a stashed flask before he was back out the door and heading to the carnival grounds. Joy. He was going to see some somber faces on a day they were supposed to have fun.

"Now.. if I was a Zaire.. where would I be?"

Music. Obviously. The twins loved to sneak out of the Academy and hit the bars, or anywhere that had live music playing so they could dance to it.

So, into the carnival he waded, looking for his brother. Thankfully, it was always easy for them to find each other, as like Drastus, they stood out like sore thumbs in their classes. The beat was good, the desire to dance was high, but.. he was on a mission. Zaire wasn't here.

"Zaire would go where I would go.." he looked around, this was as good a spot for him personally to go, until he scanned and saw the group he had known, and his brother just reaching them. "Very good close second." He mused to himself.

Dakarai would weave through the remaining bodies before clearing the carnival. One of their friends was definitely looking better than the rest, and he was pretty sure that was by design. But it wouldn't be her, that gave him pause. No, it was the ramblings of his own brother.

Sucking all the fun out of me better than Edric ever could.

"Woah, Zaire, phrasing bro." He said with a smirk as he clapped the younger twin on the back. Another look around the group, a brow perked. "Who died?" A sidelong glance to his brother. "C'mon, on your feet, ladies. Let's go."

He would step forward and extend both hands downward one for both Cassi and Ysobel to help them to their feet. It was a carnival, what was the worst that could happen? "Let's just pretend we aren't murderers for a day, yeah?"

 

[Silas Artesto]

When Silas had heard them use the term 'Slice of Life' to describe the event that was to take place today... Well, he definitely wasn't expecting something so outwardly jovial. Unlike some of his classmates, he saw the value in bonding with their team in a setting beyond training or missions; if you only knew somebody from how well they could back you up in a fight, you were ill-fitted to know how they would react in more diplomatic situations.

It made sense. Well, at least to Artesto it did. He knew not everybody felt the same way.

When the day finally arrived and he bore witness to the Academy grounds all done up in bright lights and colorful tents, with music and cheery voices filling the usually quiet air... Yeah, this felt weird. Silas had never even seen a carnival, let alone attend one.

That Anniversary Celebration was great and all, but Artesto had decided there were better things he could spend his time on and had abstained from participating. Of course, they'd tried to make him, but try catching Silas Artesto when he doesn't want you to.

At least this was just between the Initiates. Far less chance he felt the urge to shove a fist down an ignorant sod's throat for saying something stupid. Most of the others had tolerable personalities. Tolerable was fairly impressive for somebody with their profession.

Choosing to gloss over the paltry games they'd set up for now, and the Proctors, both grinning and grumbling, that littered the grounds, Silas stepped forward away from the group of them that had gathered at the low training wall. They were all thinking about it too literally. Silas wasn't a fan either, but there was an easy enough way to go about this.

"Don't think of it as having fun then. Think of it as another exercise. A lot of these games depend on physical and mental aptitude anyways, so dominate them and give anybody who tries to hand you a stuffed bear the look of death" Silas smirked back at his classmates, stretching out and bending over to limber up a bit. Never know when you might need to run.

"As for me, I'm going to enjoy reminding our benevolent Academy why they don't make carnival attractions for Dreadlords. You're welcome to join me, if you wish."

 

[Marcella]

It was a little over a year ago since Marcella had last been in the tent. On that day it was initiate Ezekiel, he'd come last in some competition the Proctors had devised. They stabbed him, burned him, broke a few bones. Then they'd asked Marcella to repair him... take all of those injuries into herself and then... like always... give them back.

Over and over. For hours.

The screams kept up and she did as she was told. The alternative was a flogging.

After the revolution the new republic put a stop to such barbarism. Marcella no longer had to torture her fellow classmates but she assumed few of them cared. It was what made today's carnival so strange. So out of place.

Long ago she'd given up any belief she'd ever be more than a Dreadlord in the backlines. Healing more powerful Dreadlords and torturing enemy's of the state. So, it wasn't the lack of training she was upset about. It was the fact that she suddenly was expected to socialize with people she'd tortured. Tortured by her own hand. Little more than a year ago.

"I am smiling," she answered in a meek, low voice, without any sort of curvature on her lips. She'd remained silent for a time and luckily both Dakarai and Silas had interjected... hopefully her brief assertion would go ignored.

Marcella chose to continue sitting, unsure whether the others had even taken notice of her. "A stuffed bear could be nice." She said as Silas moved off towards whichever game had caught his fancy.

She continued sitting though, waiting to see who would follow the lead of Dakarai on trying to make the most of this carnival.

 

[Fennec]

Already out within the tents of the festival, Fennec had not bothered to join the congregation of her fellow initiates, but instead opted to follow the line of her curiosity. She'd wandered for a short while from booth to booth, listening to the people behind each describe their games and challenges, and paused before one set up with a short shooting range for bows.

"Fancy yourself a good shot, Miss?" said the gal behind the booth. She was dressed in greens with fake elf ears and a painted tribal tattoo on her face.

Blinking at her, Fen nodded and approached.

"Ever shot a bow and arrow before?" asked the not-elf as she sized Fen up and picked an appropriately sized practice bow from the wall behind her. She smiled when Fennec nodded and handed her three blunt-tipped arrows, "Betcha have, ey? Academy kids do everything. So, the name of the game is to hit the bullseye and win a prize. Each target is a longer distance. Grand prize is a bullseye on the farthest target."

That sounded ... rather easy.

 

[Oraya Urahil]

Shoot an arrow through an apple for stuffies

While Zaire moved fluidly and easily through the crowd, utilizing natural spaces and flows between bodies, Perci moved like a bolder parting the rushing waters of a river. Linger too long and some would find themselves physically bumped or nudged aside by Perci's tall and muscular form. A hip tap there. A shoulder brush there.

None of this was out of spite or hatred on Perci's part.

Quite the opposite. She was used to mumbling beneath her breath a constant apology as she forged a path to where she wanted to go. Her body had sprouted and changed quite suddenly in the past year-ish and she was still learning how to navigate all these curves.

"Step right up! Shoot an arrow into one of these apples and claim a prize." The carnival guy motioned to the wall in the back where various stuffies hung. There were whales, unicorns, bears, cats, and one that looked oddly like Edric.

"You there! Girl with the golden bangles." He pointed Perci out, his voice booming.

Perci paused, her frown tugging on her plump lips.

"Wanna give it a try?" He called and motioned to her, trying to gather a crowd of others to play as well.

She didn't but Proctor Gamble was watching and since this was required.

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus was quick to get to his own feet and moved Dakarai's hand out of the way that he held out to his sister. He shot the boy an annoyed look and then held out his own hand to his sister. Corvus then grinned over to Ysobel and his eyes looked her up and down for a brief second.

"I can think of a few things."

While he always enjoyed flirting a little bit, he did not focus on it as he turned back to look around at some of the others.

"You all know I enjoy the fun as much as the others, but there is just something so...cringe about the Academy trying to make us have fun."

He let loose an audible sigh as he was slowly recognizing that ultimately the others were right. It was taking more energy to stay annoyed then it would be to just fuck around and mess with some of the games.

"Alright, Corvus will be taking on all comers at the high strike game!"

He lifted his sister off the ground and begin to lead her in that direction.

Cassi Azura Remi Useda Fennec Marcella Silas Artesto Ysobel Dakarai Zaire

 

[Cassi Azura]

Cassi was about to put her hand in Dakarai's when Corvus pushed his was through and glowered at the older of the other twin set. Dakarai was just trying to be polite and helpful but Corvus was Corvus and that meant Corvus was her protective older brother. Three minutes. Three minutes. That was all and he was the leader here. She loved him though.

She stood up with his assistance and she was ready to head off with her twin to do whatever. The two of them did not get very far before they were ushered back by Proctor Melina.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I tried to be nice and let you do what you want today but you have decided that sitting here in the shade is a better option. I do not agree!"

She was way too cheerful even for a newer Proctor but, Cassi supposed, someone had to even out the grumps.

"I have decided that I am going to pair you up...to split you up from your usual little groups. Have fun! It is not that difficult!"

Proctor Melina looked around the group before she started pointing and speaking.

"Corvus and Perci, Dakarai and Raena, Cassi and Silas," she paused to look at the remaining four before smiling and continuing. "Ysobel and Remi, and Marcella and Zaire. Those are your groups! Go have fun!"

There was a hesitation and she reiterated the go part.

Cassi looked at Corvus then over to Silas who had tried to escape and was stopped. She smiled at her fellow Initiate and walked over to his position.

"I guess it is me and you, Silas."

 

[Remi Useda]

Overhearing his peers, Remi was beginning to feel silly for holding to an anticipation of the carnival. Yes, he too had suffered some apprehension when first he woke, and it was no small thing to overcome it. But it seemed everyone save Zaire and Dakarai (and maybe Ysobel and Silas? Remi could not tell) was reluctant to move from the shade. Maybe they shared some reticence about this, as Remi had in his bed? He could not say for sure, for he knew nothing of the lives his fellow Initiates had led before the Academy. No one ever spoke of it, nor did Remi ever ask. This seemed an unspoken rule, even now in the wake of what these Anirians called "the Revolution."

If they wished to stay in the shade, so should it be then. Remi, at least, resolved himself to this day. And he was quite good at horseshoes. And hula hooping. And Vitsasi, such was the name for it among the Useda, a team game played with a ball and using everything but the hands to keep it aloft from the ground and to score—but he doubted it would be here. Horseshoes and hula hooping perhaps.

Just as he was about to set out, taking a few steps to do so even, he and the couple others were rounded up by Proctor Melina for a general announcement.

Groups. Partners, to be exact.

When Remi's name was called out, he turned his attention over to Ysobel, who had been called with him. Ysobel. She had an informal moniker attributed to her. The Queen of Storms. Remi didn't much care for the nickname some of the more vicious Initiates (all of whom he considered to be Gaje) had for him: "Goo-Boy." Queen of Storms was at least accurate for Ysobel. Rain and thunder and lightning were hers to command, so far as Remi had seen. There were many a summer day whilst traveling through the deserts of Amol-Kalit when Ysobel would have been pleasant company.

In this present moment though, the nickname seemed more apt to be taken as a metaphor for her mood.

Remi walked over to her. His gaze steady. Even and level, his tone, as if simply stating the color of the morning sky. "You seem displeased."

Ysobel

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus frowned slightly at the groups being called out irritated that now the Academy was also trying to control the 'fun' even more by forcing them into groups. That was so annoying to him that he did not register, at first, his own group makeup.

It only clicked when he watched Cassi walk away to get with Silas. Wait, he wasn't with Cassi? Already the wind in the area around him was picking up again, but he forced it down. Every step Cassi took away from him, it felt like Corvus lost more and more control of his powers. This wasn't actually true as their connection certainly worked over this minimal distance, but being far from his sister always made him worry. He worried for her, but he also worried for himself, that he would go out of control and their wouldn't be anyone around to stop him.

Corvus realized he was just standing their watching his sister walk away for several seconds, like a weirdo, and shook himself out of it. He began to look around for Perseus, but she wasn't in the initial group. What the hell? Was he going to be alone for all of this?

Thankfully, he spotted the girl already over by a set of games. He moved over towards her, but quickly decided he would not be playing this one with her. He was more than likely to shoot himself rather than the target with a bow and arrow.

"Hey, Perse. Looks like it's me and you."

Perseus

 

[Ysobel]

I can think of a few things.

Ysobel scowled at the twin, “Wind-shitter.” She coughed but made no attempt to hide her insults. Had he not turned away, she would have continued. He was her preferred twin to interact with. The other one was much too calm. Corvus always seemed so antsy, like the poor boy couldn’t contain himself. It almost made her feel better to see him as riled up as she felt.

She would take the hand from Dakarai, giving him a light shock before letting go and returning to her comfortable position in the shade. She turned to Zaire, but before she was able to speak, Proctor Melina had come in to make the day even more mandatorily fun. What a joyous occasion.

Ysobel and Remi.

Her name was called, but she made no attempt to acknowledge it until the boy was standing over her. “Displeased?” She squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up. “What would lead you to that conclusion?”

She stood up next to him, only falling a couple inches shorter than her classmate. “Pardon me,” Ysobel made her way to Zaire, leaning in to whisper. “I’m sorry, I have nothing for you today. They-” She shook her head in the general direction of the proctors, “-actually decided to watch me take whatever they’re giving me.”

“Sorry about that, where would you like to go first?”

Remi Useda

 

[Oraya Urahil]

A sour expression as she heard Proctor Melina's voice. Perci's lips parted to point out the she was clearly trying to have fun while the others grumped about in the shade. In fact, she already had the bow and arrow in her hand, the perpetual frown on her face. The carnival buy with a ginger-handlebar moustache and a widening grin beneath.

She felt his approach before she saw him.

Wind nipping against her clothes and her loose hanging golden bangles along her ears. Large-almond shaped brown-eyes lifted to meet the twin pair of violets. If they could hold a storm she imagined she saw one crackling within those purple depths.

"Corvus," she nodded. Head swiveled back to her target as she pulled back the arrow, sighting down the shaft. She preferred swords, daggers, or a mace. But she didn't see any booths for stabbing people. The bow shuddered under her strength and for a moment it seemed like it would snap as she released the arrow.

"Winner winner!" Moustache-man yelled.

Perci turned to Corvus and in all seriousness, "I got you a present. Your pick."

 

[Remi Useda]

What would lead you to that conclusion?

"It was the look you gave Proctor Melina."

Or had he interpreted that incorrectly? Sarcasm, whether in the spoken word or in the expressions of the face, was something he had trouble detecting. A bothersome shortcoming, for many of his peers, older Initiates, and even some Proctors employed it often—that along with plenty of non-obvious metaphors and figures of speech which sounded alien to Remi's ears. Maybe his ears would never become attuned to the particulars of the Common tongue.

Anyway, he did not pursue it. Ysobel pardoned herself then, taking a moment to speak with Zaire. It gave Remi a chance to look over the carnival some more, letting his eyes gather what they could from a distance. A question, though, came to him: where did the people who were running this carnival come from? Were they Anirians? Amplified by the reluctance, even outright uncertainty of his peers (Marcella came to mind, where she had professed to be smiling but when Remi glanced she, clearly, was not), Remi could not dispel the notion that for Anirians levity was a foreign concept.

Maybe he had interpreted that incorrectly too. He would be watchful of Ysobel, to see how she reacted to everything throughout the day.

She came back.

Sorry about that, where would you like to go first?

Remi glanced to her and then pointed to a particular tent, "They do have hula hoops." Not just hula hoops, but there also seemed to be some kind of game associated with them.

"Have you ever played or danced with them before? It was an aspiration of mine to one day perform the Dance of Flames."

He didn't elaborate further on that.

Ysobel

 

[Raena Mirrsyn]

Raena had largely been ignoring the complaining from the Initiates since she was looking for Fennec. She finally spotted the girl she considered a friend and hopped down from the wall. The Initiate had started to head away from the group when Proctor Melina caught her and ushered her back towards the group.

"I have decided that I am going to pair you up...to split you up from your usual little groups. Have fun! It is not that difficult! Corvus and Perci, Dakarai and Raena, Cassi and Silas, Ysobel and Remi, and Marcella and Zaire. Those are your groups! Go have fun!"

Raena looked at Dakarai and gave him a small smile. She thought he was alright even if they had only had classes together and no real missions or anything. He always seemed nice enough.

"What do you want to do first?" She asked as she approached her new partner.

---

Dakarai

 

[Zaire]

“That’s not a smile, that’s a grimace.” Zaire quipped back easily to Miserable Marcie, a nickname he only thought in his head in case she ever decided to remind him of the tortures and punishments that had taken place just a year or so ago. If he could help it then he wouldn’t want to relive those times in a tent with no one but her and a proctor. Oh and his grunts of pain because if he had screamed then he would have only been in more pain.

But those dark times soon ceased. Here he was! The best person ever!

Dakarai!

His face brightened instantly, grinning wide.

Zaire instinctively turned his hands into fists as Twin One swiped away at Dakarai’s hand when he had only politely tried to help Twin Two up. He said nothing though, Dakarai could handle himself, easy. Unlike Dakarai however, Zaire didn’t go to help up any of the ladies. Even when Proctor Melina decided to ruin everyone’s day and put them in pairs. Even worse? Corvus, that lucky bastard got paired up with the hottest initiate that academy had ever seen.

“Figures.” Zaire muttered, rolling his eyes. Goober. The goobiest goober. If Melina really wanted Zaire to have fun why couldn’t she pair him with Perseus?! With a disappointed look, Zaire came up beside his brother give a quick tap to say hello and good bye at the same time. “Catch up with you later.” Zaire said, pivoting around to have Ysobel come up to him and… deliver more bad news. Could today get any worse?

“You get feisty, you come find me, Essie.” Zaire said, clapping her on the shoulder as well before walking up, finally to Marcella. He placed his hands into his pockets, leaning back with his feet in a wide stance. He looked down at her, one red eye and one brown eye shaded by his dark brows.

“So… about that stuffed bear.” Yep, he had heard her. He heard plenty, usually he was the reserved one that fit in with all the other reserved ones. “You want a big one or a small one?” Oof. Phrasing. Again.

Marcella

 

[Dakarai]

Cassi had almost taken his hand, when her brother jumped to his feet and swatted his hand to the side. Rushed to touch his own sister. Creeee-pyyy. Guess they from farther southern Aniria than he thought. He would also give Cassi a wink, allowing her brother to see it. Fuck Corvus. What was he going to do, blow him?

Oh well, Ysobel has taken his hand and he helped her to her feet. This time, he expected her to do something, so that playful little shock she would feel his hand absorb and a faint glow wash over his body as it became stored energy. "Thanks for the juice." He replied with a grin.

Proctor Melina arrived in true goober fashion to impose her will on the Initiates. Maybe if he had been quick enough?

I have decided that I am going to pair you up...to split you up from your usual little groups. Have fun! It is not that difficult! Corvus and Perci, Dakarai and Raena, Cassi and Silas, Ysobel and Remi, and Marcella and Zaire. Those are your groups! Go have fun!

The big oof. She paired Zaires girl, Perci, with the biggest goober, Corvus. At least he couldn't creep on his sister.. or maybe he could? He seemed to have a second power, creeping on any female at the Academy. Oh, there he was, back at it again! Corvus stood there slack-jawed after his sister like his girlfriend had just left him at the altar. It didn't help him look any less incestuous when he just stood there watching his sister go.. creeping. That made Dak grin even wider.

Catch up with you later.

His brother sounded off and Dak gave him a shoulder nudge. "Later, Mini. Have fun and come up with a safeword." He joked. Poor guy was going to need it.

What do you want to do first?

Raena had approached, his partner. She was fairly quiet. And, she smiled, which he returned. "Hmmm... I don't know. What if you close your eyes, I spin you around, and you point. Thats the game we do. After that, you spin me."

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus watched the girl easily win at the festival game. He quickly hoped that this place had enough prizes because the initiates were going to absolutely dominate at most of these games. His eyes looked to Perci startled when she offered the prize to him. He did not want to be rude and quickly looked over the options. Finally, he settled on a soft-looking bird plushy, maybe he could use it like a pillow.

"Thank you, and nice shot...This means I need to win you something now. Although, I think I'll need to try a different game. I don't want to shoot your eye out." He explained with a little laugh.

Corvus remembered the first time they tried to teach him how to shoot a bow, but it was very difficult when your body literally gave off random gusts of wind that could send an arrow anywhere. He much preferred heavier ranged weapons like a javelin.

Pointing towards the hammer bell game, he motioned for her to fallow. This game was built for Corvus. It was simple and brawn was needed rather than any brains.

Perseus

 

[Marcella]

A grimace? This was her normal face, chipper than usual in fact. Marcella thought about protesting but then…

Oh no. Proctor Melina was making a beeline for the group of initiates. They were likely all in some sort of horrible trouble. There was simply no telling what grave offense they might have committed under her watchful eye. Oh. They were just being told which group they’d be a part of.

That wasn’t so bad.

She watched the others pal around, caught a glimpse of frustration in the eyes of a few pairings, and then clutched at her own knees as Zaire stared down at her. When he was done speaking she pressed both palms into the grass and lifted herself up to her feet.

”Well, I um, I guess it shouldn’t be very big,” oh gosh, now he probably thought she wanted an extremely tiny stuffed bear! So stupid! Why couldn’t she have just not said anything!? Oh god, she was panicking, wait, stop. Regain composure. Breath slowly. Any size bear would be a nice prize.

She hesitated for a moment, let out a sigh, and then asked, ”will they even let us keep anything we win today?”

WIth that she sluggishly walked off towards one of the various carnival games set up for the initiates.

 

[Silas Artesto]

It had started to seem like everybody had gotten over themselves and decided to play along. Good, Silas could think of a few of them who could definitely stand to loosen up a little. There was nothing wrong with being serious, but if nobody liked you because you couldn't even pretend to smile, usually you'd find yourself without support when life, as it so often did, boiled down to a popularity contest.

As was usual though, it seemed the Academy wanted to rein in some level of control, and before anybody was able to do anything aside from walk a few feet, Proctor Melina announced they would be assigning everyone a partner, rather than letting them do as they please. Crossing his arms over his chest, Artesto tsk'd and rolled his eyes. He doubted the pairings were random. More likely they were putting them with people they either thought might make good teams in the future, or those who hadn't worked together yet.

Wasn't the worst idea, he supposed. Didn't mean he liked being tied to one person though, already he felt his foot tapping impatiently, waiting for the Proctor to get to him so he could get a move on.

"Cassi and Silas!"

The Azura girl? Silas turned to look at his assigned companion, who already had her violet gaze locked on him as well, from the company of her twin brother, Corvus. Artesto was friendly enough with the both of them; He knew that they'd been through a great deal of hardship together, but they'd always come through when Silas needed them to. Didn't know much about them personally though, they were always so tightly knit that it was a challenge having a conversation with either of them without the other present.

This would be an interesting opportunity, and Silas found himself none too bothered all of a sudden.

The corner of his lips curled into a smirk as Cassi came to him, his crossed arms falling to his sides. "Mmhmm. Seems that way, Cassi. Hopefully, you don't think too badly of me by the end of the day." He teased and turned on his heel, making his way down to where all the games and activities were waiting, making sure to keep pace with her so he didn't zoom off. "So, anything tickle your fancy? Might as well have some fun together and enjoy ourselves if they're making us hang around for long."

He peered at Cassi from the side of his vision, biting the inside of his cheek boredly. It felt kind of funny, seeing her and her brother apart. Funny, but not unpleasant. He'd always thought she'd be pretty damned cute if she stood on her own a little more. Not that Corvus always gave her a choice.

"Think Corv is going to be staring daggers at me all evening?" Silas was only half-joking, but then he saw a particular game that got his gears turning. "How about that ring-toss game? Should be a cinch for you, shouldn't it?"

 

[Raena Mirrsyn]

"Hmmm... I don't know. What if you close your eyes, I spin you around, and you point. That's the game we do. After that, you spin me."

Raena raised a single brow at Dakarai. He was crazy if he thought that she was going to let him spin her first.

"I believe the saying is ladies first which means that I will spin you first, Dakarai."

By this time the two of them had separated from the initial group and they stood together in a small empty area of the field. It was really the perfect spot to spin and be able to catch any of the attractions.

"Or we can go fuck with our fellow Initiates," she said with another smile. It had been awhile since she had truly had fun and using her camouflage to mess with people was something she had not done in many years. Proctor Melina had said to have fun...she shouldn't expect the fun to be limited to the activities provided for the trained killers.

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Dakarai