All right, this update technically had the following vote win when I started this:
[X] Check up on Faith for a bit. Her father's is suspiciously psycho and disturbing.
-[X] Also point out that we're taking tutoring from Jet if she want's to join next week.
Now here's the thing about Faith. She reacts badly to hands offered in friendship. She's not as bad as she got, but she's been betrayed more than a few times. This would have gotten her pissed. However, I like discussion in my quests. I like people trying to figure out things, and someone brought up this particular factoid. And this vote came about:
[X] Check up on Faith... the talk of swords and training was pretty cool.
-[X] If she would like it, you can try and get her into the study session, to make sure she graduates. You know it can be more fun to train, but studying is important.
So, though it technically had less, I'll be going to be going for it. I'm a funny GM sometimes. Plus we got a few later votes to even it out anyway!
Everything is dandy.
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School starts far too early, and you lurch more than anything else as you drag yourself awake. With a grumble, you fix yourself up an appropriate breakfast, and pack something for lunch. Then head out. You schoolbag's heavier than normal thanks to the book of light, and your conscious of it's presence even now. In the end it's important, but aside from keeping it nearby, you can't let it dominate your life.
So onto school. You walk through your standard shortcut and through one of the many side doors. Then to the lockers. No one smart uses them for anything more than paperwork, but some of the students have a fair amount of that. Like the skinny kid in glasses rooting through the locker right now.
Jet perks up as he sees you approach and waves a paper at you. "Got the plans for the math homework for the next few weeks. Should us get ahead for once."
You sigh. "More math?"
"Better than history." Jet smirks as you shudder. "Mrs Bitch has it out for you still you remember."
The groan you let out is long and heartfelt. Most of the teachers didn't care much in general, but Mrs Pitch was a special case. She had a special hatred for you in particular. You couldn't say the reason why, but the students found it hilarious. You personally were just glad you were passing the damned class. If you failed any of them, you lost the gym privileges you had, and that was really the only reason you bothered with school at all.
"So, other than teacher's with grudges larger than you, anything else up with you?" Jet asks as he stuffs the paper in a pocket and starts to stroll to the first class you both take.
"Got a bit of strangness going on." You give a shrug and ignore how you're given a wide berth by the rest of the students. Part of being so big made you seem far more dangerous than you otherwise were. "Found where they got that party going on. Got ambushed by Faith too. Her foster father's seriously creepy."
"I coulda sworn I heard somethin' about that." The small boy taps his hand on his glasses as he thinks.
You have to gently direct him into the classroom before he misses the entrance again. "Really?"
"Yeah, something about her getting one of the gang guys to come by her house and scare the family." Jet shakes his head. "Don't even know if it happened to be honest. You know how the rumors get for our resident bad girl."
Both of you settle down at your desks, though you have a bit of trouble as usual. These ones are those damned welded together ones where the desk was welded to the seat, and made for teenagers. You're in the age group, but so big that it's almost painful to settle into them.
"Hottest girl in the school, and baddest one as well." You repeat the often said phrase, and shrug. "If you listen to rumors I crushed a man's head last week and the police are too scared to even try to arrest me."
Jet laughs. "Oh yeah, I did that one myself. It was funny watching that dumb-ass go all wide eyed."
That gets him a glare from you, though there is no heat in it. "Why do I put up with you again?"
"Who else would be willing to tutor a big lug like you." Jet teases, and you snort in reply. "Once study hall rolls around we can get on that math. You want to meet up for lunch?"
"Got other plans." You give a shrug. "You want to swing by the gym after school?"
"Hell no. I got a new video game I'm dying to try." Jet laughs at your look. "Swing by when you are done, and I'll see about evening out a few things."
"Sounds good." You mutter and try to get comfortable in the too small seat.
The lessons are frankly boring enough that you want to slam your head into the desk, but challenging enough that you can't just ignore them either. You've never been the best student. Dead average on your best days, and outright slow on your worst. The very best you've ever done scholastically has been a flat B average. Otherwise you're happy with your Cs. Jet of course gets straight As, and you're fairly certain that he's going to get a scholarship lined up sometime soon. You'd think the two of your would have never met, but the standard cliche social groups weren't exactly present here. It was more gangs, druggies, nerds, and jocks. With the later two trying to keep out of the way of the former too.
So you were convinced you were half crazy when you tracked down Faith at lunch. The girl was a troublemaker on her best days, and usually identified with the gangs. You wouldn't even have considered it had you not spoken with her the day before, and got the impression that she was attempting to give school a chance.
One thing you'd give her. The girl stayed away from the drugs. Even smoking was something she avoided. You found her loitering at the benches in front of the school field, alone and with no company. Hell, there were no people around in general. The fields weren't a popular hangout due to the teachers actually giving a damn about the place. Mr Smith in particular was an absolute terror if you were found doing something to it.
"Sup big man." Faith calls out as you walk up. "Hope you weren't looking for me. I don't do it at school."
You roll your eyes in reply and settle in front of her, deliberately facing away. "I wanted to ask you about the sword stuff you were talking about earlier. Sounds cool."
"Really now?" Faith leans forward, and you can feel her breath on your neck. "What would a meathead like you want with that."
You take out your lunch and start to steadily eat. It's heavy stuff that's frankly disgusting to eat, but you need a very precise diet to keep yourself trim, and there are a limited amount of food products that keep well. "I've got a few things I like. Found a sweet book on hammers, like they were used back when people were dragonslaying. Learning about swords sounds cool."
Faith snorts and you think she's going to reply, but then pauses. "What the fuck are you eating?"
"Protein bar mix." You mutter and finish it off. "I prep it each week. It's nasty as hell, but bodybuilding's more than just weight lifting, and I can't afford the actual stuff."
"Gimmie one." Faith pushes a hand in front of you, and you roll your eyes as you set a bar in her hand.
A few minutes later you hear her gag just a bit, and you chance a look back. Her cheeks are puffed out like a squirrel, and you have to turn back to keep from smirking.
"Oh god." The girl finally gets out and you hear her gasp. "All right, if you can choke down that every day, you got props from me."
"Thank you, I think." You roll your eyes.
"Couldn't get you in on the sword lessons. But I could probably meet up with you later if you like. Got a few practice swords I can nick." Faith finally says after a long moment.
"You wouldn't get into trouble?" You turn back a bit to look at her.
"Nah. Got the woman who's doing this would like me practicing on my own. Plus the things are pretty useless. In exchange I want to see this hammer shit." The girl stands up and walks down so she's in front of you.
"Sounds good." You mutter and get up as well. "If you like, I got a decent tutor too. Since you seem to actually need to graduate."
"Nah, got that covered. The sword lessons include book lessons too." Faith makes a face, and you chuckle.
"All right, when, and where?" You ask.
"Hmm, in front of the party house, sunset." Faith looks up at the sky. "Course, if you pull something shitty remember that I carry a knife, and got a few gang boys who'd love to cap you a few times for it."
"I'll remember." You reply dryly as Faith saunters off.
---
Your schedule's pretty full at the moment.
-School
-Exercising
-Tutoring
-Swords with Faith
If you want to do that quest, you're going to have to lose a few nights sleep. What are your plans?
