[X] Tanwen
[X] The smiling girl
[X] The exotic looking girl
[X] The guy who almost knocked you out
[X] The elf
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It took a few days before Lirra got into some semblance of a rhythm. Thankfully, the beginning of the first week was devoid of surprises. The morning started, of course, with breakfast. Having food available simply by walking up to a table and taking whatever you wanted was certainly new for Lirra, but not something she'd complain about, on the contrary. In only a few days with three meals, she already felt much stronger than she ever did, easing a gnawing ache that Lirra had long been numb to.
It wasn't to say that she was simply having the time of her life - well, she was, but that said more about her past than anything - as the training was quite gruelling at times.
The forenoon was spent under the tutelage of Aida, who had either made it her personal goal in life to inflict them as much pain as she could, or simply did her best to push them beyond their limits. Lirra's training centered around improving her strength. She already was swift and agile, more so than most thanks to her heritage, and her stamina was adequate, though she mostly relied on sheer stubbornness and strength of will to continue past where she should have stopped.
After that, the aspiring Swords were separated in three groups and sent to classes.
"Still with me, Lirra? I'll almost start to think you like me if you continue," commented Tanwen with a smile as they were on their way to another field. The two had been directed here by the symbol in the lining of their emblem - a triangle in their case - on the main hall's board and followed it to to the corresponding symbol on the map of the school's grounds.
"I don't. It was random," she answered absentmindedly.
Lirra was currently not moving, engrossed with looking at the board. She hadn't paid attention before - the only time she looked at it had been the first day and her mind had been occupied by other thoughts - but it was surprisingly impressive. It had to be almost thirty meters long and two meters tall, all covered in notes and informations for the many students of the Academy. They currently were to the far left side of it, which was apparently reserved for the first years. This was the least interesting part of it, as it simply held a few informations for the newcomers, most of it in ideograms so the illiterate could use it. It wasn't to say it wasn't useful, but compared to the rest of it, it was just so… mundane. The further you went to the right, the more it changed. The older students apparently used it to obtain and review assignments, and it was enchanted so more information would float over the notes once you touched them. From map data to informations about what you risked going against all the way through recommendations for inns with good foods or even tourist spots if it took you far away, everything was at the tips of your fingers.
From what she'd overheard, there was a rumor that a Star student once spent an entire week pressing on related information and eventually died of starvation. Their ghost apparently still haunted this board, looking through all of its information when the clock hit midnight.
Lirra had gone out of her room that night to check, but either the spirit was more slippery than most, her room's clock was wonky, or the story was wrong. Of course, that's not to say that the evening trek was completely uneventful
She'd sighed and turned away to get back to her room, only to end up centimeters away from a face with too wide eyes and a smile that was the same. In her defense, she hadn't screamed. Much.
"Oh, good evening!" the girl had finally said once Lirra was finished and trying to get her breath back under control. "I didn't think anyone would be there at this hour."
"Ah… neither did I," Lirra had answered, blushing furiously after her reaction to seeing the other girl. Thankfully, it didn't seem like she'd held it against her.
"Shouldn't you sleep for tomorrow?" the Changeling had added, knowing that it how hypocritical it was.
"I don't sleep much, I think," had said the girl, putting a finger on her chin in an exaggerated 'thinking' pose. "Were you curious about tomorrow's classes, perhaps?" she'd said, changing the subject. "It seems my emblem is lined with a triangle."
Lirra had instinctively checked hers again before answering.
"Me too."
"Marvelous!" the other girl had exclaimed, bringing her hands together. "We will be together, then. You are Lirra, right? The nature-y spear-using friendmaker?"
At that, Lirra had burrowed her face in her hands, red burning all the way to her ears and nodded, hoping that the girl was the only one who remembered that.
"Um, I… missed everyone's introduction this morning so I don't actually know who you are." Eventually, Lirra had gotten over her embarrassment and remembered that she didn't know anything about the other girl.
"Ah, yes, you were hurt at the start of the lesson," she'd commented for herself. "Well, then, what I said was 'I am called Pupa, I'm proficient with bladed weapons and I came here because I was instructed to'."
There had been a moment of silence before Lirra answered.
"Nice to meet you?"
"Likewise." Pupa had grabbed her hand then, and they were so cold, so very cold-
"Oi, Lirra, we've got to move if you don't want to be late again."
Tanwen brought Lirra out of her recollection and she nodded and followed her to their next lesson.
Their first class, as well as most classes they'd get this week, was an introduction to how to use various weapons.
This day, they were learning about the basics of fencing. An old man was instructing them in the proper forms, and the six students were dutifully repeating attacks as he called them out. Well, most of them were doing so dutifully. Tanwen had once again said too much and was poked with a stick for it. Lirra wondered when she would learn.
The whole day passed like that, until forms flowed into each other without pause or any thinking required on her part, happening just by rote. It wasn't the most interesting forms of learning. As a matter of fact, it was pretty boring past the first hour where "wow, I'm swinging a sword" was everything that filled Lirra's head - she did love knight stories after all. By the time the sky turned red, most everyone was happy to put their training sword back and go wash up, eat, or anything that would rest their weary arms. As Lirra was about to leave, she turned to see that there was still one lone figure in the yard, swinging her sword. Now that she was free, her stance had changed, and the forms flowed into each other, smooth as a dance.
Lirra stood there, captivated by the graceful arcs of the blade slicing through the air, until the girl stopped as she noticed her admirer.
"Is there something?" she asked, with a heavy accent that Lirra had never heard.
"Ah, uh… classes have ended, I don't know if you heard?..." the Changeling answered lamely.
"Yes, appreciation for telling me, but I have heard."
Lirra stood there, without really knowing what to say now, until the other girl added, prompted by the silence.
"These forms relax me. Remember me of home," she said. "Like meditation?"
The Changeling could understand that. While she had never really had a proper home, she still lived most of her life in one kingdom, where everyone mostly shared the same ideas and customs. Sure, these ideas and customs included not trusting her, or even outright hate, but still, familiarity bred comfort. There was a kind of safety in knowing what to expect, even if it was the worst. With how exotic the girl looked, there was no doubt that she came from far away. Lirra had never seen such dark straight hair and that particular eye shape, to say nothing of her skin, although it might be likened to a lighter shade of the people from Endercross. Well, maybe she had seen it on the boy with which she was the other day, but it was hard to say...
"I see?" Lirra finally said after pondering over the question.
The silence between the two was very awkward, and from the hand movement of the other girl, inching towards her sword, she was probably wondering if getting back to her forms would be rude. Finally, she decided otherwise.
"Is there something I can execute?" she asked. "A reason you came talking?"
"Uh… I was just curious," Lirra answered, stepping from one foot to the other under the focused gaze of the other girl.
"Ah, I see. It would follow your objectives to come to me when alone," the other girl declared nodding, with one hand at her chin.
"Objectives?" Lirra repeated, not seeing what she was talking about.
"You declared to have come here for companionship, correct? It makes sense you arrived to me when isolated."
"Ah, I didn't think about-" the changeling commenced before she was interrupted.
"I ignore if I will be much useful, but it might not run against mine to try to cooperate."
"Uh?"
"The custom is to hold hands and name out person I think?" She put her hand forward for Lirra to shake it. "Furuta Chihiro."
"Ah..." Lirra grabbed the offered hand. "Lirra?"
At that, Furuta made a strange expression, before sighing and explaining herself.
"I forget that not all the people here belong of a clan," she said, before her eyes narrowed and she looked at Lirra with suspicion. "You positively are not a deserter, correct?"
Lirra eeped and reflexively tried to jump away from the suddenly even more intense gaze of Furuta, but her hand was trapped in hers.
"N-no? I just have this name? And not another one?" she babbled panickedly.
This seemed to placate the other girl, who nodded with a small smile.
"Good then, let us be in friendship," she concluded.
Did she just… make a friend? Was this how it worked? She imagined it going differently, but she wasn't about to complain, even if it almost felt like she was gang pressed into it; it was, after all, what she came for as Furuta said.
She was still wondering about that when dinner came. She was sitting at the Sword's table, with Tanwen on one side and Furuta on the other. The other Changeling was currently glaring daggers at the exotic girl, who replied with a single contemptuous glance, as if looking over trash, then continued eating her meal, regularly pouring water to Lirra every time she drank, which puzzled her.
More puzzling - and concerning - to her, however, was the tense atmosphere on each of her side. She wasn't social enough to understand what was going on or how to resolve the situation, but she still knew enough to be uncomfortable about that. Why did they not like each other? She glumly picked through her food - her usual mix of fruits and vegetables - while thinking about what to do. Her thinking, however, was suddenly interrupted when a massive person sat down next to her, almost flattening Tanwen in the process.
"Ah, come on!" he exclaimed. "It's no wonder you got put down after a little impact if that's what you eat! Here, take some real food!"
And suddenly, an absolutely massive piece of meat - quite possibly the leg of a deer - filled Lirra's vision, as her greens died a sudden death, crushed under the tyranny of meat lovers.
"What the hell was that for, you stupid bear!? I was there first!" shouted Tanwen angrily on the other side of the mountain of muscles.
"And I am there second, so I guess speed isn't all that great, huh?" He laughed loudly before continuing. "And it's not like you won't get her back in one piece after the meal, I just wanted to talk to her a bit. Here, I got some booze from the tavern before coming."
"... Fine. Start with it next time instead of sitting on me. Asshole."
While the negotiations took place to her side, Lirra was still fixated on the piece of meat that landed in front of her. Should she eat it? It wasn't like she disliked meat - she was quite fond of it as a matter of fact - just that it was so rare that she got some while on the road that she hadn't dared take too much of it here, by force of habit. Well… just one bite wouldn't hurt, right?
"Hahaha, well, if you go like that, it won't be long until you stop being just skin and bones!"
The comment brought Lirra out of her trance and she idly put down the bone on her plate, before cleaning her face with the cloth Furuta helpfully provided.
"Ah..." she blushed. "Thanks for that."
She still wasn't sure she'd eat that everyday, but it certainly was nice once in a while and she definitely wouldn't have dared take such a piece on her own.
"I just wanted to check, you're alright after the other day? You looked ok, but sis got on my ass about head wounds so… yeah," he said, before looking Lirra up and down and shrugged. "Looks alright to me."
Suddenly self-conscious, Lirra pulled her cape over her until she was almost hidden in it entirely.
"Well, anyway, the name's Alvi. You probably didn't hear it given..." he trailed off and made a vague gesture around his face. "Tell me if you need something, I do kinda owe you as an apology."
And with that, Tanwen had finished her bottle and they started bickering again, making any further conversation quite hard to be had.
All in all, Lirra's first week at the Academy was rather nice, if she forgot the very first day. Her classmates were mostly nice and friendly, and while she hadn't dared do much with them - nice as they were, people in general were not something she was used getting close to - she was at least on a talking basis with all but one of them.
That last person was the elf. Lirra wished she could at least name her, but she hadn't even managed to get that out of her and she felt it was somewhat dishonorable to go around and ask those who had managed to hear it during her presentation. What she knew, however, was that she didn't seem to like anyone and went out of their way to avoid them. What she also knew was that she was as skilled as she was antisocial. She showed everyone up in every single practical lesson, and somehow Lirra doubted she had difficulties in the theoretical ones.
Granted, they only had had one all week, a mixed class with Staves about anatomy. Apparently, it was considered important for pretty much every vocation "So the Staves know where to heal and the rest know where to stab" had been the teacher's explanation at the start of the lesson. Tanwen had made a comment, and had been poked - only with a finger this time, but… well, after that simple move everyone had believed him when he talked about the importance of knowing where to hit.
And so that was Lirra's week in a nutshell: Pupa was nice if somewhat creepy. Clumsy, too, as she had stopped counting the number of training weapons that had flown off her hands during training. Furuta was friendly in a strangely strict way, and also mysterious. She'd have to try and learn more about where she came from, if only to understand some of her habits. Alvi was loud, but had a good heart. He also tried to include her in whatever he did, but most of the time, Lirra didn't dare go along. The elf was either very shy, or an overly skilled jerk. She didn't know if she had to accept it was just how she was or if she should take it as a personal challenge. Finally, Tanwen was still Tanwen. Quite acerbic with everyone but her, and most definitely didn't know when to shut up, and the teachers were generally poke-happy.
And with that, the week-end arrived, leaving the aspirants to their own devices.
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[] Spend some time with your classmates.
- [] Tanwen remarked that some dead students might still be in the forest, probably not roaming given the dark was dissipated. Now if only a Keeper of Gray was around, wink wink nudge nudge.
- [] Pupa wanted to go visit the harbor town. See people, go shopping… the boats probably bring all sorts of stuff.
- [] Furuta will practice her swordsmanship. You're welcome to train with her.
- [] Alvi plans on getting wasted and possibly see if there's a pleasure house at the harbor. While you most definitely won't come along on the second part of his plan, why not party a bit?
- [] You will talk to that elf and she will answer you, even if it's the last thing you do.
[] Empty the graveyard some more.
[] Try to learn about one of the Swords not in your group.
- [] The sun knight
- [] Alvi's sister
- [] The pretty boy who is neither with Dylis or indescribable
- [] The Svartalf
- [] The tan, sharp looking man
- [] The girl who looks like Chloe
- [] The wild looking girl
- [] The… boy who looks like… urgh your head hurts. Seems nice, though.
- [] The giant golem-limbed man
- [] The boy who's always with Dylis
- [] Dylis
- [] The other knight
[] Spend some time with your earlier companions.
- [] Chloe will probably spend her time in the library, but… hey, now you know how to read. Mostly.
- [] Melkorka walks pretty slowly. There's no way she can run away once you find her.
- [] Lucilia will probably be at the tavern or in town.
