Dreadlords Inner Peace, Outer Pieces [Dreadkids]

[Zaire]

Uh oh.

“Uh.” Zaire tilted his chin down, mumbling some incoherent things into the high neck of his tunic. He really needed to think before he spoke sometimes. Upon realizing Proctor Matos wasn’t going to understand a single thing that Zaire had just said into his clothes.

“So, uh, yanno, its like…” Zaire trailed off. What would be a good excuse to explain what he had just said? “Before the revolution, sometimes kids would get really angry. And, well, yanno, maybe they wanna release the steam the old fashioned way and before you know it, the next day you’re coming into class and there’s a empty desk. Or one less proctor. But that doesn’t really happen a lot anyways.”

The two of them had reached the door that would lead them outside, passing the common room that Sol and her lizard was in. Despite Zaire carrying more than the proctor, he opened the door, letting the Proctor leave first.

Fernando Matos

 

[Maseno Luana]

All he could offer was an apologetic smile to Kristen. Her story was well known and, for certain, upon her arrival here no one believed she would make it. Yet here she was, growing and learning and surviving. Had to hand it to her, she'd impressed as many as she'd offended, if not more. Maseno was among the former and glad to finally have time now to get to know the girl a bit better.

He waved after her as she departed, thought on her words, then assumed against them. Comfort was not something he often sought out, especially not while training. With a few breaths more, Maseno resumed his meditative poise, closed his eyes, and sunk into the gentle tides of inner peace.

 

[Zinnia]

Some time after Maseno returned to his quiet solitude...

Zinnia used to hate the rain. She recalled squirming under the cold pitter patter when she was younger. A few years back that started to change, however. She found herself liking the outdoors more and more, and that included the "icky" weather patterns.

Rain in particular was actually rather refreshing nowadays. Like a nice, cold shower that you didn't have to go through all the decorum of the dormitory baths for. It also did wonders for preventing one from overheating whilst exercising.

That was precisely what had led Zinnia out into the courtyard under the gray skies this free period. A spot of calisthenics sounded like a wonderful break from the more cerebral paces the proctors had been putting her through lately.

Clad in loose training pants and a tank top, Zinnia stepped into the inclement weather and breathed in the atmosphere, letting the water begin to soak her. Then, she began her reps. Push-ups for now, alternating between which arm she'd use to perform them.

As her breathing began to grow heavy from exertion, she realized that hers was not the only breaths she could hear amidst the din of precipitation. Maseno's soft rhythm finally caught her attention and, looking over, she finally realized that he occupied the space as well. Had he been here the whole time? He hardly made a sound!

"Oh, g-goodness! Hello, Maseno!" She greeted him before realizing that he had likely been there first and she just hadn't noticed him. She began to clamber to her feet, embarrassed. "Oh, s-sorry, I'm...interrupting, aren't I? J-just ignore me! Or b-better yet, I can g-go elsewhere. Sorry!"

 

[Fernando Matos]

For a second Fernando simply looked at Zaire. His neck bent, head angled, staring at the boy like there was something wrong with his face. A look of complete confusion covering every feature the man had to offer.

Then he burst out into a laugh.

"Ah! You're trying to 'punk me' as the other kids say!" Ridiculous. Students murdering teachers? Surely Vel Anir had never been so bad as to allow something like that. Just another example of how this strange academy liked to pull pranks upon its instructors.

Fernando stepped out into the rain with the initiate by his side, setting off down the path ahead. "It's raining cats and dogs. We'll have to make this trip quickly so that we don't risk getting sick."

Nothing posed more of a threat to one's vocal chords than a respiratory illness. If they were going to get this singing troupe off the ground quickly they couldn't risk their star vocalist catching the common cold.

 

[Zaire]

Zaire didn’t know how to answer the proctor. Did he correct him? Maybe he should just always say something outlandish and yet the proctor think it was a joke and make his own conclusion about things? What was that saying? The truth is often the most simple solution? Wait, no, that didn’t sound quite right.

“Yeah, you got me Proctor Matos, you’re right.” Zaire tried to force himself to laugh but instead all he did was cough and choke.

He couldn’t help but wonder what the proctor would think if he told him the truth about his eye? Heck, the mind-readers at the Academy didn’t even believe him. Chalked it all up to a hallucination due to stress or getting a concussion or that vapor from those strange glowing mushrooms when he fell into that hole when he was twelve. Proctor Goetsch had said it was likely from all three of those things and that was why she couldn’t trace back what really happened.

But Zaire knew the truth. Even if no one believed him, even his mother.

His eye was red for Kress Sake, and the scar! It was too perfect a scar!

Zaire flinched, a headache forming that was centered around his right red eye.

Soon enough they were at one of storage houses, and Zaire carefully procured a key from a pocket in his trousers. With ease, he opened the door, using his back to push it inside and allowing Fernando to enter.

Some units held a multitude of weapons, and to be fair, this one also had quite of plethora of swords neatly hanging from the walls and a series of wooden racks. But there was also plenty of random items here as well: a big wooden box that said DO NOT OPEN and wicker baskets that were only collecting dust.

“Kinda dark in here.” There were no windows, the light only coming from the doorway, and even that was rather dim due to the rain.

In the back of the storehouse something broke, shattering on the floor.

Fernando Matos

 

[Fernando Matos]

Of course he was right! Students killing instructors? No school could survive that level of anarchy.

Droplets of rain splattered upon Fenando's head and shoulders as they lugged the supplies towards the storage house. As soon as Initiate Glaive opened the heavy wooden doors a cloud of dust flew out, eliciting a high-pitched sneeze from Proctor Matos.

His vision struggled to adjust to the dim lighting of the small shed. "Very dark in here," while squinting he tried to find a suitable place for the part of the load he was carrying. "Zaire, do they have you do this often?"

Since the Anirian Revolution this was now a proper military academy so the idea of manual labor wasn't a strange thing to him. However, knowing how much work they were saddling to the lead singer of the acapella group would be important knowledge.

 

[Lumen]

Aelita’s eyes returned to Lumen to jokingly end with, “Still, didn’t guess you fancied Kristen.”

Tawny cat-like eyes rolled at Aelita. The corner of her lips twitched as she hooked her arm with the other girls' and began leading them toward where Maseno Luana and now Zinnia were. "Very funny," Lumen's dry-tone would be enough to end this rain if her magic worked like that.

"If it was my news to share I'd let you know who might have their eyes on Kristen. But sadly, it's not mine to share. Let's go see if Maz can teach us how to be zen enough to get through a day with Mieri's ramblings. And," she paused, looking at her friend closely.

"...you never answered my question. Anyone you think is cute here?" Blonde brows waggled in the rain.

 

[Zaire]

“Well, it’s supposed to be a rotation,” Zaire said, standing still for a moment and straining his eyes to see as far back into the dark as he could. Even with his amplification at full-swing, Zaire couldn’t see all the way back there. What had broke? Would he be trouble for it? Couldn’t be anything valuable.

“But everyone just sorta… passes it onto me.” There was a frown on his face as he said this, but his shrug was easy-going. “The Urahil twins were supposed to do it but, yanno how they are.” There were a lot of twins in this class. Azura twins, Urahil twins, and the Glaive twins. Three pairs of fraternal twins! Although Zaire and Dakarai had looked similar when they were younger, and many of their features were the same.

It was just Zaire who had the shitty immune system which stunted his growth. His mother assured him he would keep growing— she swore boys didn’t stop growing until they were twenty-two but when he looked about the other male initiates, whether it was Caeso or Leander, Zaire was certain even if he kept growing until he was twenty-two he wouldn’t ever catch up.

He moved into the storehouse finally, finding a good spot to set things down and then try to make some sense of the organization. Nothing here was labeled, and everything just seemed to be a mixture of junk. But if Zaire didn’t organize now then when he had to get stuff from here he’d need to look all over the place… and everyone knew proctors hated waiting.

Although, wasn’t he with a proctor right now? Zaire glanced at Proctor Matos. If he had his permission then….

“So I’m all done bringing this back, right? Should we start, uh, on a bigger project? Finding others to join the choir?”

Fernando Matos

 

[Aelita]

“And you’re still trying to change the subject,” Aelita retorted with a smile, “You brought this up first.”

Aelita did not resist Lumen leading them toward Maz. The light umbrella followed them as it continued to hover above their heads.

In a whisper, Aelita asked, “Are you two... courting?”

 

[Maseno Luana]

Oh, g-goodness! Hello, Maseno! She greeted him before realizing that he had likely been there first and she just hadnt noticed him. She began to clamber to her feet, embarrassed. Oh, s-sorry, Im...interrupting, arent I? J-just ignore me! Or b-better yet, I can g-go elsewhere. Sorry!

For a second time, Maz's eyes blinked open from a state of serene meditation. Were it not for the use of his name with such anxiety attached to it, he might not have broken form at all. Recognizing both the voice and the stutter, he could only offer a faint smile to himself, "You are not interrupting at all, Zinnia, there is space aplenty for us both to practice here."

 

[Lumen]

"And your are artful at not answering my questions, Ale," Lumen mock-huffed, giving her friend a look. Her voice lowered even further as they continued to cut across the wet lawn.

"Answer one of my questions and I'll answer one for you?'

She took a breath.

"And to show you in good faith, no. I doubt he would ever think of me like that. I don't think I'm his type." A light elbow in Aelita's ribs. "Now what about you?"

 

[Kristen Pirian]

When Kristen had entered her dormitory, she had spotted in the corner of her eye while passing the common room Soleil, the queer girl who spoke sparsely, was made of sand, and hated the rain. After she had dried off, slipped into a more comfortable set of Academy fatigues, and came back down, Soleil was still in there, now sitting in one of the chairs instead of on the floor. She had a lizard in her lap and was stroking the top of its head with a finger, and the lizard was a brilliant array of colors (unbeknownst to both of them, expressing its happiness with these bright hues, for it had caught and eaten the cricket).

Soleil was one of the Initiates from the Gilded Class that she did not know so well, so she figured: why not? She entered the common room and pulled a chair up beside Soleil's own and the two of them commenced to conversate.

The topic turned through Soleil's guidance to the nature of killing, of war. And elves.

 

[Soleil Verdane]

"You cannot mean that? Surely?"

Soleil just smiled. "Elven Quarter? Stupid. Why? Why bring enemy to Vel Anir? And elves? Living in Vel Anir? Why? Also stupid." She stroked her chameleon's head and she enjoyed doing so because the lizard was hers and she liked that it was hers and she liked, even though it was imperfect (like now with those bright colors), how it had the ability to blend in. "All elves there? Should be killed."

Kristen looked just as wary of the idea the second time Soleil said it as she had the first time. And though Soleil could not comprehend the feelings behind the making of that face, she knew the pattern of the face—pressed lips, slightly widened eyes, lifted brows—to know what it meant in a detached, logical sense.

"Why face?"

Kristen didn't get her question at first. Then she did. "Oh. Well, though I as well find it truly odd that our representative leaders would deem it a good idea to establish the Elven Quarter, and even more so that elves would want to live in Vel Anir, your...ahem...proposal for the state of affairs seems to be...much."

"Why?" Still Soleil smiled, as though even in the asking of the question she knew its answer and was satisfied. "Elves? Enemy. Kill them. Always kill them. History class? Killing elves. All the time. First War. Second War. As many wars as needed. War is the answer. Us? Here for that. No other purpose. Here for war. Soldier? Killer. Dreadlord? Best killer. So us? Here to be best killers."

She pet her chameleon in a way that some might even call loving.

"Kill or be killed. Kill until we are killed. War. All our lives."

And her smile turned grand at this declaration of the way things were. For Soleil did enjoy it so. The state of war was as close as she would ever get to the fulfillment of that envy she had for her chameleon, for the life of certain animals in nature at large.

In the state of war, she could be herself. No mask, no blending in. Simply who she had always been and always would be.

 

[Aelita]

Aelita continued to smirk at Lumen even after she pointed out Aelita’s dodging of her question.

Nodding her head to Lumen’s first question, Aelita replied with, “Yep, a question for a question.”

Then to answer Lumen’s question, Aelita told Lumen, “But for those that catch my eye? Unfortunately, sanity is in short supply among the boys. I think I’ll have to find my prince charming out and abroad.”

As Lumen and Aelita drew closer to Maz and Zinnia, Aelita asked the most important question, “But, have you even... talked to Maz about... this? A tease? Hint? I think you're underselling yourself!”

 

[Lumen]

Head shook.

"You're being kind," she said quietly. Maz was a noble. She wasn't. Besides, she had her eyes on other things. Training to be a dreadlord didn't exactly leave room for romances or even flings. Ysobel wouldn't agree with her but it's how Lumen felt.

"You know," Lumen tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maz is arguably one of the sanest boys in our class. Have you ever thought about him?"

 

[Aelita]

“I’m always kind!” Aelita proudly claimed.

With a smirk, Aelita replied to Lumen with, “Why yes, and I’m think about him now.”

A pause. The duo were getting close enough to Maz and Zinnia that a normal conversation might pierce the rain to reach them. If either’s eyes remained open in their zen-like state, they might see the glow of Aelita’s light umbrella approaching.

To continue her answer, Aelita added with a slight whisper, “Thinking about how to get him to notice you.”

Then, Aelita stretched out a hand and waved toward Maz and Zinnia, “Hello, there!”

Zinnia Maseno Luana Lumen

 

[Zinnia]

Zinnia was fairly certain she had interrupted Maseno to some degree, but his polite assurance and smile did put her at ease. Tentatively, she returned a polite nod and began to dip into another pushup.
"If you're...s-sure..." She replied between breaths as she continued her reps. "I couldn't be...c-certain. What b-brings you...out here, anyways?"

An honest question. He was clearly doing some sort of meditative exercise, but sitting out in the cold rain wasn't something Zinnia usually saw from anyone else. Not willingly, anyways. Perhaps a proctor's punishment? Oh dear. Maseno had smiled before, but hopefully Zinnia wasn't pressing any nerves with her attempts at idle conversation.

Then another familiar voice pierced the rain: Aelita. Zinnia still wasn't sure what to think about her, but she still had some reps to get through for this set. With her hood hanging the way it did over her face and being basically parallel with the ground, Zinnia couldn't see which direction the other girl was coming from. Still, she thought it was entirely odd how suddenly populated this rainy courtyard was becoming.
"H-hi...Aelita..." Two words, two breaths, two more pushups.

 

[Maseno Luana]

Utterly oblivious to the whisperings of the girls behind him and only peripherally aware of their presence, Maseno resumed his meditative poise, eyes closed.

"The same thing that brings you out here, I assume," the Initiate answered Zinnia gently. For he could think of no other reason any Initiate would willingly exercise or practice out in the rain other than being ordered to by a Proctor, or taking the opportunity to better themselves in otherwise unfavorable conditions. Not that the rain was a terrible detriment either way - it was a warm, spring rain and the day was not quite cool.

"Hello there!"

Seemed he was not destined to meet his goals today. But there was more way than one to make peace with oneself than just meditation. With a sigh, Maz chuckled and quietly shook his head at himself. If chatting with the girls of his year was the fate of his afternoon, he would not lament it.

"Hello Aelita," Maz replied through the rain, twisting to look back at her over his shoulder, "and Lumen. Good to see I am not the only waterlogged Initiate around."

 

[Lumen]

Part of her wished they'd just veer paths. That Maz wouldn't notice. Then...

Hello there!

A quick, quiet sigh even as a genuine smile warmed her face.

"Hello. Hey Zin. I hope we're not too late to join meditation with you? I could use some pointers. Especially after Ganfarred Keep." Her smile turned grim for a moment. Withdrawing her entwined arm with Aelita's, she'd sink down into the moist grass across from Maz, crossing her legs.

Maz wouldn't catch it but her tawny-eyes focused on Aelita for a second as if pleading the other girl not to do anything embarrassing.

 

[Aelita]

Aelita nodded to Zinnia and Maz as they looked over toward Lumen and her.

Watching Lumen sit down and say she would join Maz in meditation, Aelita’s eyes squinted. Her smile faded away for a moment.

But it returned soon after – even wider than before.

Aelita stepped forward and just squatted down rather than sit completely on the damp grass. Her light umbrella continued to hover over her head. Unfortunately for Lumen if she was hopping to stay dry, the cover no longer stretched out to her.

“Did you expect to spend this afternoon with three ladies in the rain?” Aelita asked as she looked at Maz.

 

[Zinnia]

"The same thing that brings you out here, I assume,"

Self improvement, then? Intentional, or not? Questions she'd not get to ask right now, it seemed. Time for cycle sit-ups. Zinnia rolled onto her back, only to see and hear that Lumen had joined the group as well.
"Oh, hey L-Lulu." She replied with an attempted smile. Most of her focus was on the exercise. If she exerted herself improperly she might strain something, which would hinder her ability to stay training.

"Does...m-meditation...work for you?" She asked to whomever might answer, pulling her midsection and one knee up and touching an elbow to it, then repeating on the opposite side. Her body was beginning to ache. 'Weakness leaving the body,' as she'd heard one proctor refer to it.

Her eyes darted over briefly to Aelita, and a sigh left her lips (one that could at least be interpreted as part of her workout).
Please don't make it weird, Aelita...

 

[Maseno Luana]

Considering he had not been expecting anyone to join him for meditation at all, Maseno could hardly fault anyone for being late.

"Certainly not," the Initiate smiled to Aelita with a chuckle, "but I have learned to expect the unexpected. Please, have a seat if you like." And to take opportunities as they presented themselves and learn from them rather than allow them to anger him as they once had.

To Zinnia's question he gave a gentle nod, "Speaking for myself, it has helped me quite a lot since I have made it part of my daily routine. I have only recently begun teaching Lumen...perhaps too early to say?"

Aelita Lumen Zinnia

 

[Lumen]

Drip, drip, drip.

The light rain once again found her hair and skin as Aelita conveniently took away the cover from her light umbrella. It hadn't bothered Lumen before Aelta had found her. And it didn't bother her now other than wondering at what the other girl's intention was for doing it.

Zinnia's concentrating breaths and body movements snagged at her attention. Her body movement were impressive. Eyes flickered between Maz and Zinnia.

"Maz is a patient teacher. I think I have a lot of work to get to his level." She cracked a half-smile in the rain, something easy going that hid any discomfort she felt inside.

"Aelita, I bet Maz would teach you, too. Are you interested?"

Take that, pal.

 

[Aelita]

Aelita will make it weird.

After the offer to take a seat, Aelita’s eyes looked at the cold, damp, soggy ground. She just continued to smile and stay in a crouched position.

“Teaching Lumen?” Aelita murmured, “Huh, how’d that come to be?”

A pause. A glance to Lumen. Then to Zinnia as she continued to workout. Then,

“How do you do... this, then?” Aelita asked Maz.

 

[Zinnia]

"I don't...really...g-get it." Zinnia thought aloud as she continued her reps. Eighty would be enough for now. She pulled herself up into a seated position, chest heaving.

"D-doesn't quiet, thinking time just...g-give your brain a ch-chance to let all your d-doubts sink in?"