AN: This is the more light hearted "sister" quest of Re: Eliza. Fun times, ahoy. Light quest...
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1.1 wait wat
DaBlueSky
Writer's Block Incarnate
- Location
- South Dakota
AN: This is the more light hearted "sister" quest of Re: Eliza. Fun times, ahoy. Light quest.
Bells chimed cheerfully, their song setting off a flock of pure white pigeons. They flew through the clear blue sky, settling on the stone and mortar of a huge collection of buildings, a large castle stuck in the middle. Outside the walls, rolling plains gently rocked back and forth in the light breeze, the green grass bright in the sun's resplendent rays. A single road led to the entrance of the picture-esque castle. There, dozens of teenagers were in a line, gossiping loudly. Some were excited, others were sullen, and still others were unfazed. But all of them had one thing in common; they were nobles of various lineage, from the western viscounts to the lords and ladies of the east. Minor and major nobles all blended together.
Amongst them, a certain girl with bright golden hair studied the castle, dejected. Yep, this is the Academy. Exactly what she'd seen in her dreams nearly a year ago. Memories of a past life had come unbidden to her, flashes of extraordinary things like cars and airplanes. It'd taken time to get used to those concepts, but they were far too vivid to simply dismiss as a dream. And almost as an afterthought, the memories had shown her that she was in a game world. Occupying the place of one of the major characters named Angelica Branford.
It's worth mentioning that Angelica, in the game at least, was a bitch. Petty, vile, and manipulative. She was the type of character that if she fell into ruin, others would cheer her misfortune. In fact, due to the horrendously "safe" plot geared towards the market of unemployed NEETs, that's exactly what happens. As generic as the game is, to Angelica, that sounded absolutely horrifying. But she'd made up her mind about it all before being forced to come to the Academy.
[] Positive but Straight forward: "For whatever reason, no matter what I do, I seem incapable of changing my fate. Therefore, I'm going to go buckwild, generally speaking. I'll try to imitate the actual in-game Angelica as closely as possible. If the end is inevitable, I should at least try to derive as much pleasure as possible. Thank god this ain't no snuff/horror visual novel."
[] Dead End Flag Destruction time!: "Fuck the police. Er, I mean, curse the heavens! I'll do whatever I can to survive the canonical story. Maybe I can be an irrelevant side character or the main heroine's friend or something. I'm too beautiful to die."
[] Huh?: "Wait, what."
Angelica glanced around, and noticed a few other nobility staring at her, whispering to their companions. Of course, they were talking about her! The Branford family was the strongest in this Kingdom, second only to the royal family themselves. Marriages between her house and the royalty were common. After all, the Branford's were ridiculously wealthy. So wealthy in fact, I completely nearly almost forgot about my past life. Who says money can't buy happiness. With a smile, Angelica inclined her towards the others. Etiquette had been drilled into her from a very young age.
Despite her apparent politeness, Angelica made sure to keep other nobles at arms length. Knowledge about the game world she was in didn't make her omnipotent. It made her aware. Sort of. She couldn't remember the last time she had played the game, but it was long enough that she vaguely knew the beginning and, most importantly, the end (of her character). These nobles could a tool for her downfall! With that in mind, she tried her best to ignore them, but unlike the video game, she couldn't just skip to the interesting and important bits.
The brilliant sun was now nothing more than annoyance. With a sigh, Angelica ran her fingers through her hair and gazed wistfully at the Academy. Based on the sheer amount of people trying to get in, it was going to be some time before she got to the administration. Eyes glazing over, her thoughts turned whimsical, thinking about the preparations her family had put in place for her duration here.
[] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
[] Power without Recognition!: "People are scared and are in awe of the Branford family. Simply tossing the name out is enough to make most, except the most powerful, bow and scrape to me."
Bells chimed cheerfully, their song setting off a flock of pure white pigeons. They flew through the clear blue sky, settling on the stone and mortar of a huge collection of buildings, a large castle stuck in the middle. Outside the walls, rolling plains gently rocked back and forth in the light breeze, the green grass bright in the sun's resplendent rays. A single road led to the entrance of the picture-esque castle. There, dozens of teenagers were in a line, gossiping loudly. Some were excited, others were sullen, and still others were unfazed. But all of them had one thing in common; they were nobles of various lineage, from the western viscounts to the lords and ladies of the east. Minor and major nobles all blended together.
Amongst them, a certain girl with bright golden hair studied the castle, dejected. Yep, this is the Academy. Exactly what she'd seen in her dreams nearly a year ago. Memories of a past life had come unbidden to her, flashes of extraordinary things like cars and airplanes. It'd taken time to get used to those concepts, but they were far too vivid to simply dismiss as a dream. And almost as an afterthought, the memories had shown her that she was in a game world. Occupying the place of one of the major characters named Angelica Branford.
It's worth mentioning that Angelica, in the game at least, was a bitch. Petty, vile, and manipulative. She was the type of character that if she fell into ruin, others would cheer her misfortune. In fact, due to the horrendously "safe" plot geared towards the market of unemployed NEETs, that's exactly what happens. As generic as the game is, to Angelica, that sounded absolutely horrifying. But she'd made up her mind about it all before being forced to come to the Academy.
[] Positive but Straight forward: "For whatever reason, no matter what I do, I seem incapable of changing my fate. Therefore, I'm going to go buckwild, generally speaking. I'll try to imitate the actual in-game Angelica as closely as possible. If the end is inevitable, I should at least try to derive as much pleasure as possible. Thank god this ain't no snuff/horror visual novel."
[] Dead End Flag Destruction time!: "Fuck the police. Er, I mean, curse the heavens! I'll do whatever I can to survive the canonical story. Maybe I can be an irrelevant side character or the main heroine's friend or something. I'm too beautiful to die."
[] Huh?: "Wait, what."
Angelica glanced around, and noticed a few other nobility staring at her, whispering to their companions. Of course, they were talking about her! The Branford family was the strongest in this Kingdom, second only to the royal family themselves. Marriages between her house and the royalty were common. After all, the Branford's were ridiculously wealthy. So wealthy in fact, I completely nearly almost forgot about my past life. Who says money can't buy happiness. With a smile, Angelica inclined her towards the others. Etiquette had been drilled into her from a very young age.
Despite her apparent politeness, Angelica made sure to keep other nobles at arms length. Knowledge about the game world she was in didn't make her omnipotent. It made her aware. Sort of. She couldn't remember the last time she had played the game, but it was long enough that she vaguely knew the beginning and, most importantly, the end (of her character). These nobles could a tool for her downfall! With that in mind, she tried her best to ignore them, but unlike the video game, she couldn't just skip to the interesting and important bits.
The brilliant sun was now nothing more than annoyance. With a sigh, Angelica ran her fingers through her hair and gazed wistfully at the Academy. Based on the sheer amount of people trying to get in, it was going to be some time before she got to the administration. Eyes glazing over, her thoughts turned whimsical, thinking about the preparations her family had put in place for her duration here.
[] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
[] Power without Recognition!: "People are scared and are in awe of the Branford family. Simply tossing the name out is enough to make most, except the most powerful, bow and scrape to me."
[X] Huh?: "Wait, what."
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
Private Lee O'Malley
Easygoing Egoist
- Location
- Gensokyo
[X] Death Flag Destruction
[X] Personal Attendant
[X] Personal Attendant
[X] Huh?: "Wait, what."
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
Private Lee O'Malley
Easygoing Egoist
- Location
- Gensokyo
I wonder if there really is a route where we become a baker or a hobo to avoid death.
Hobo Route, Ho!
Hobo Route, Ho!
DaBlueSky
Writer's Block Incarnate
- Location
- South Dakota
Obviously.
- Location
- Behind the library dumpster
[X] Death Flag Destruction
[X] Personal Attendant
[X] Personal Attendant
1.2 Suddenly, Everything Does A Thing
DaBlueSky
Writer's Block Incarnate
- Location
- South Dakota
(Flipped a coin.)
[X] Huh?: "Wait, what."
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
The more Angelica thought about it, the more she realized she didn't actually have a plan to deal with the Heroine. In hindsight, she probably could've used some proper planning. But the thing about thinking ahead was...it required effort. Years of being raised as a noble had left any work ethic she might've had in her previous life in tatters. It couldn't be an imprint of the game version of Angelica, because that one worked hard and rubbed everyone's noses in it. Well, whatever.
After being led inside the cavernous halls of the Academy, a representative of the school showed her to her room. With a gentle smile and a quick "thank you", Angelica made sure to keep up the image of a "well-raised young lady". The second the door slammed shut though, the mask warped into a scowl, and she collapsed face first onto the fluffy bed.
"Impending doom, here I come."
Those ominous words were drowned by her whimsical tone and muffled by the blankets. With a sigh, she rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. More stone, each brick perfectly aligned. Excellent craftsmanship, and extremely boring. Getting out of the bed, Angelica examined the room. It was obviously meant for two people, seeing as there were two beds and wardrobes. There was no point in wondering who her roommate was, because it was already decided--
Suddenly, the door crashed open, and a young man with mousy brown hair twirled into the room, "Mistress Branford! Your beloved servant, Guy, has arrived."
If Angelica hadn't known this boy for years, she'd be looking at him with sparkling eyes. He was the pure definition of "handsome". Well defined features and skin almost as soft as Angelica's herself, despite wearing no cosmetics. Over his long sleeved white shirt, he wore a black vest with the Branford insignia sewn on it; a griffin with an emerald background. Finishing his spin, he fell to one knee, head bowed feverishly.
"Forgive me, but I was held up at the gate. They thought the letter I had from the head of the Branford house was a forgery! Truly outrageous."
Angelica smirked, "Should I have fetched you after I was done registering?"
"Of course not. Do not belittle me, Mistress, I'm fully capable of dealing with all these minor nobles myself." Guy looked shocked, his amber eyes wide.
"Well said!" Angelica puffed her chest imperiously, grinning widely, "In any case, it's good that you're here. Orientation starts fairly soon and I'd hate to have to search for you in this maze of a castle. I need my attendant with me."
It wasn't a lie. The representative handed Angelica some papers, with general directions, classes, and a time table. Angelica had glanced at it in passing, not bothering to actually leaf through it. That's what the hired help is for! Quickly shoving the sheaf of papers at Guy, she quickly settled back onto the bed, watching him. He quickly flicked through them and set the papers on his wardrobe.
"You need not worry, Mistress. I'll always be here. Orientation starts on the twelfth chime. Which should be fairly soon." He strode to the door and opened it, bowing as he motioned at Angelica, "Shall we?"
With a nod, she exited the room, her dress dragging behind her. Guy trailed behind, keeping a respectful distance. Even without knowing where she was going, Angelica was at least assured that leaving the dormitory was an obvious thing to do. Rooms flitted by, some open with their occupants chatting joyously, others closed, uninviting in nature. As she walked, a magically enhanced voice swept through the corridors.
"New student Representative Angelica Branford, please come to the Headmaster's office. Thank you."
Hearing that, the girl in question stopped and looked at Guy inquisitively, "Representative? What's that about? I don't remember hearing about this."
"Ah, not to contradict you, but you actually have." Guy replied tentatively, "About a month ago, you received a letter congratulating you on being the highest scorer on the written test in the new student body."
"Oh, that. Didn't they want me to write a speech to give?"
"Indeed, Mistress, but you assigned that to me. As requested, one speech written by me. I hope I proved my worthiness by your trust." With that, he whipped out another paper and handed it to Angelica.
"So many papers today. Thank you for your efforts, Guy."
Guy bowed his head, eyes shining. Angelica examined the speech as they walked, their destination now heading towards the Headmaster's office. Excellently written. In fact, the prose was better than anything Angelica thought she could some up with. Did Guy pore over this while I had forgotten about it? An appreciative smile overcame Angelica's face. Glancing out of a passing window after finishing reading the speech, Angelica felt her eyebrows furrow.
There was a form on the same road that the other nobles had entered the Academy on. It was a lone figure, indistinguishable from this distance. Almost as if she'd been jolted, Angelica felt her spine stiffen as she stopped at the window. Another memory flashed through her mind. The animated opening of the game. In proper cliche form, the main heroine had arrived late. In fact, that was where Angelica and the Heroine first meet.
If I remember correctly, Angelica makes fun of the Heroine's clothing that marked her as a commoner. Something something something arrogance. Damn, if only I didn't skip through that part every time. Now she was wallowing in regret. Guy followed her gaze out the window, and he squinted, "Another student? How absurdly late. She might not make the orientation at this rate."
Angelica sighed, "Oh, she'll make it. She's a magic user. She's gonna cheat while I had to sit out in a hot carriage all day. How unfair."
"Magic?" Guy perked up at that, "How do you know?"
"Call it women's intuition." Angelica didn't feel like making an elaborate excuse.
"How exciting. Perhaps we'll meet her later. Magic users are rare."
"Indeed."
Angelica was distracted. She was thinking. If she followed what the in-game Angelica would do, that meant she'd have to be near the entrance, waiting. But already, there some obvious differences from the game. Angelica wasn't the new student representative. The Heroine actually was supposed to have that honor. Weird.
"Mistress, are we going to the Headmasters office?"
[] "Yes, lead the way." (Do the thing)
[] "No, I'm more interested in something else. (Don't do the thing and head towards the entrance)
[] Write in.
[X] Huh?: "Wait, what."
[X] Personal Attendant!: "Guy has always been my guy. Literally and figuratively speaking. He'd been attached to me at a young age as my personal attendant. Under any other circumstances, he never would have been allowed to attend this school, seeing as he is nothing more than a commoner. But the Branford name goes far indeed, kekekek.
The more Angelica thought about it, the more she realized she didn't actually have a plan to deal with the Heroine. In hindsight, she probably could've used some proper planning. But the thing about thinking ahead was...it required effort. Years of being raised as a noble had left any work ethic she might've had in her previous life in tatters. It couldn't be an imprint of the game version of Angelica, because that one worked hard and rubbed everyone's noses in it. Well, whatever.
After being led inside the cavernous halls of the Academy, a representative of the school showed her to her room. With a gentle smile and a quick "thank you", Angelica made sure to keep up the image of a "well-raised young lady". The second the door slammed shut though, the mask warped into a scowl, and she collapsed face first onto the fluffy bed.
"Impending doom, here I come."
Those ominous words were drowned by her whimsical tone and muffled by the blankets. With a sigh, she rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. More stone, each brick perfectly aligned. Excellent craftsmanship, and extremely boring. Getting out of the bed, Angelica examined the room. It was obviously meant for two people, seeing as there were two beds and wardrobes. There was no point in wondering who her roommate was, because it was already decided--
Suddenly, the door crashed open, and a young man with mousy brown hair twirled into the room, "Mistress Branford! Your beloved servant, Guy, has arrived."
If Angelica hadn't known this boy for years, she'd be looking at him with sparkling eyes. He was the pure definition of "handsome". Well defined features and skin almost as soft as Angelica's herself, despite wearing no cosmetics. Over his long sleeved white shirt, he wore a black vest with the Branford insignia sewn on it; a griffin with an emerald background. Finishing his spin, he fell to one knee, head bowed feverishly.
"Forgive me, but I was held up at the gate. They thought the letter I had from the head of the Branford house was a forgery! Truly outrageous."
Angelica smirked, "Should I have fetched you after I was done registering?"
"Of course not. Do not belittle me, Mistress, I'm fully capable of dealing with all these minor nobles myself." Guy looked shocked, his amber eyes wide.
"Well said!" Angelica puffed her chest imperiously, grinning widely, "In any case, it's good that you're here. Orientation starts fairly soon and I'd hate to have to search for you in this maze of a castle. I need my attendant with me."
It wasn't a lie. The representative handed Angelica some papers, with general directions, classes, and a time table. Angelica had glanced at it in passing, not bothering to actually leaf through it. That's what the hired help is for! Quickly shoving the sheaf of papers at Guy, she quickly settled back onto the bed, watching him. He quickly flicked through them and set the papers on his wardrobe.
"You need not worry, Mistress. I'll always be here. Orientation starts on the twelfth chime. Which should be fairly soon." He strode to the door and opened it, bowing as he motioned at Angelica, "Shall we?"
With a nod, she exited the room, her dress dragging behind her. Guy trailed behind, keeping a respectful distance. Even without knowing where she was going, Angelica was at least assured that leaving the dormitory was an obvious thing to do. Rooms flitted by, some open with their occupants chatting joyously, others closed, uninviting in nature. As she walked, a magically enhanced voice swept through the corridors.
"New student Representative Angelica Branford, please come to the Headmaster's office. Thank you."
Hearing that, the girl in question stopped and looked at Guy inquisitively, "Representative? What's that about? I don't remember hearing about this."
"Ah, not to contradict you, but you actually have." Guy replied tentatively, "About a month ago, you received a letter congratulating you on being the highest scorer on the written test in the new student body."
"Oh, that. Didn't they want me to write a speech to give?"
"Indeed, Mistress, but you assigned that to me. As requested, one speech written by me. I hope I proved my worthiness by your trust." With that, he whipped out another paper and handed it to Angelica.
"So many papers today. Thank you for your efforts, Guy."
Guy bowed his head, eyes shining. Angelica examined the speech as they walked, their destination now heading towards the Headmaster's office. Excellently written. In fact, the prose was better than anything Angelica thought she could some up with. Did Guy pore over this while I had forgotten about it? An appreciative smile overcame Angelica's face. Glancing out of a passing window after finishing reading the speech, Angelica felt her eyebrows furrow.
There was a form on the same road that the other nobles had entered the Academy on. It was a lone figure, indistinguishable from this distance. Almost as if she'd been jolted, Angelica felt her spine stiffen as she stopped at the window. Another memory flashed through her mind. The animated opening of the game. In proper cliche form, the main heroine had arrived late. In fact, that was where Angelica and the Heroine first meet.
If I remember correctly, Angelica makes fun of the Heroine's clothing that marked her as a commoner. Something something something arrogance. Damn, if only I didn't skip through that part every time. Now she was wallowing in regret. Guy followed her gaze out the window, and he squinted, "Another student? How absurdly late. She might not make the orientation at this rate."
Angelica sighed, "Oh, she'll make it. She's a magic user. She's gonna cheat while I had to sit out in a hot carriage all day. How unfair."
"Magic?" Guy perked up at that, "How do you know?"
"Call it women's intuition." Angelica didn't feel like making an elaborate excuse.
"How exciting. Perhaps we'll meet her later. Magic users are rare."
"Indeed."
Angelica was distracted. She was thinking. If she followed what the in-game Angelica would do, that meant she'd have to be near the entrance, waiting. But already, there some obvious differences from the game. Angelica wasn't the new student representative. The Heroine actually was supposed to have that honor. Weird.
"Mistress, are we going to the Headmasters office?"
[] "Yes, lead the way." (Do the thing)
[] "No, I'm more interested in something else. (Don't do the thing and head towards the entrance)
[] Write in.
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] "Yes, lead the way." (Do the thing)
1.3 Boy Loli =/= Girl Shota
DaBlueSky
Writer's Block Incarnate
- Location
- South Dakota
"Yes, lead the way." Angelica swept the Heroine from her mind. There were more important matters at hand. Besides, she couldn't bring herself to disregard the effort Guy had put into the speech. Had she decided to meet the Heroine, as prior events intended, she knew he wouldn't say anything or complain. That was just the type of guy he was: Flamboyant yet hard working and humble.
As they strode quickly through the winding corridors, Angelica finally had a bit of time to marvel at the grandiose castle. The most unbelievable part was that the dormitory, massive as it was, was only adjacent to the huge Academy. The very thought of walking from end of the school to the other was enough to make Angelica's feet ache. Still, this was a facility built (almost) exclusively for nobles, the richest and most powerful in their Kingdom's and Dominions. Thus, of course the ground would be carpeted in bright crimson!
Suddenly, another chime resounded throughout the building.
"We better pick up the pace, Mistress. Orientation is going to start. I can already see students making their way to the audience chamber."
"Disregard them, over half of the student body is going to be half an hour late anyway." Angelica replied airily, waving her hand flippantly.
"I suppose that makes us the odd ones out then, going so early. If you hadn't been called to the Headmasters office, Mistress, would you have been late as well?"
"Of course! Fashionably late. Might be I won't show up at all then." Angelica's response was instant. She had no shame in expressing her lazy tendencies.
With a chuckle, Guy quieted down. He glanced at the map in his hands every once in awhile, his brow furrowed as he took left and right turns, seemingly at random. Already, Angelica was lost. There were too many hallways, all similar looking, and a lot of doors . Some were obviously classrooms, plaques with room numbers and the name of the class stuck on the doors. Others weren't as clear cut. One such door was giving off a purplish aura, incandescent lights dancing around it. It easily drew Angelica's eyes, mesmerizing her.
"Mistress, don't touch that, please." Guy's voice was strained.
"Color me disappointed, Guy. I thought you had a sense of adventure."
"I'm cautious. That's magic. Unless you know how to control it, messing with anything magical is ill-advised."
"Fiiiiinee. Let's hurry and get to the Headmaster then. I'm feeling a bit offput right now." Angelica puffed out her cheeks. After regaining her previous life's memories, she'd felt a little more curious about the world, almost dangerously so.
Spurred along, they soon found themselves standing outside a large wooden walnut door. Much like the ones they had passed before, this one didn't look any different. Even the plaque with the words "Headmaster" was small and unassuming. The brass handle was worn and old, creaking in Guy's hand as he opened the door for Angelica. The unoiled hinges shrieked, causing her to wince as she stepped inside.
There was only one person in the room, a young boy on his tippy-toes, reaching for a book on massive bookshelves that reached towards the ceiling. Angelica immediately dismissed him, looking around for the Headmaster. Clearly, the boy must his assistant or something. Placing her hand on her hip, Angelica "hmphed" loudly.
"The Headmaster summoned me here, yet he has the nerve to be missing!" Angelica considered for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders, "That works for me. Come, Guy, lead me back to my room. That long walk has made me tired so I plan to sleep through the Orientation."
"Your wish is my command, Mis--"
"Please wait, Lady Branford!"
Suddenly, a high pitched voice squeaked over Guy, and the young boy scrambled over to the Headmaster's desk where he set ancient looking texts down with a slam. Then, grunting with effort, he pushed back the impressive Headmaster's chair and clambered onto it. Breathless, he turned to Angelica, his young face looking apologetic.
"Forgive me, Lady Branford, I was in the middle of a few things. Now, allow me to welcome you to the Academy, a schooling facility with 500 years of proud--"
"Guy! Who is this child and why is he on the Headmaster's chair?!"
Guy peered at the young boy, who was at loss for words at Angelica's rude interruption. The boy looked no older than twelve, and his long trailing cloak only served to make him appear even more childish.
"I'm not sure, Mistress. His words imply him to be the Headmaster, yet it seems patently ridiculous that a child so young would have that occupation."
"Indeed. It seems the Headmaster takes me for a fool. We're leaving, Guy. I went from being tired to being irritated. Not a good way to start my schooling year." With that, Angelica turned around, her golden locks whipping around her shoulder as she stomped towards the door.
"W-wait, please." The boys eyes were wetting with tears, tugging at Angelica's maternal instincts, "I truly am the Headmaster! It's just a curse that makes me appear like this."
Curse? As in, magic?!
Angelica's eyes narrowed as she locked the "Headmaster" in her hawk-like gaze, "How did this curse happen then?"
The boy covered his red face, "Many years ago, during an expedition into the Solomon Ruins, I found a magical lamp. It seems that anyone with magic running through their veins is capable of releasing the seals on genie lamps. He leapt out and told me to make a wish. In my surprise, I tried to ask for immortality, but I worded it....differently."
Suddenly, Guy spoke up dryly, "You asked to 'stay young forever', didn't you?"
"Uwaaah!!"
"I-I see." Angelica turned away from the Headmaster, her hand over her mouth, "That-s--pfft--that's terrible!"
"Please do not make fun of my situation, Lady Branford. You'll never understand the pain of staying smaller than everyone for over two centuries." The boy's angry face was adorable, "Anyway, we're not here to discuss me, we're here for you."
"Ahem, r-right." Angelica settled into the chair across from the Headmaster, averting her eyes lest she burst into laughter. Even Guy was hiding a small smile.
The Headmaster cleared his throat, "Let's just start over. I am Headmaster Noxus, captain of this great ship known as the Academy. As before, I'd like to congratulate you on scoring the highest grades on your entrance exams. As such, I'd like to formally ask you to be the student representative. You should have already received a letter some time ago, I think."
Angelica purposely stared at a spot just above the Headmaster's head, "I have. Thank you very much. I accept the role as student representative. Heh."
The Headmaster was turning a light red at Angelica's giggle, "T-thank you. Now, if you could follow me, I'm going to lead you to the stage where you'll deliver your speech."
Noxus leapt off his chair and walked out the door, motioning Angelica to follow him. As he turned the corner, Angelica mouthed, "He's so cute!" to Guy.
As they strode quickly through the winding corridors, Angelica finally had a bit of time to marvel at the grandiose castle. The most unbelievable part was that the dormitory, massive as it was, was only adjacent to the huge Academy. The very thought of walking from end of the school to the other was enough to make Angelica's feet ache. Still, this was a facility built (almost) exclusively for nobles, the richest and most powerful in their Kingdom's and Dominions. Thus, of course the ground would be carpeted in bright crimson!
Suddenly, another chime resounded throughout the building.
"We better pick up the pace, Mistress. Orientation is going to start. I can already see students making their way to the audience chamber."
"Disregard them, over half of the student body is going to be half an hour late anyway." Angelica replied airily, waving her hand flippantly.
"I suppose that makes us the odd ones out then, going so early. If you hadn't been called to the Headmasters office, Mistress, would you have been late as well?"
"Of course! Fashionably late. Might be I won't show up at all then." Angelica's response was instant. She had no shame in expressing her lazy tendencies.
With a chuckle, Guy quieted down. He glanced at the map in his hands every once in awhile, his brow furrowed as he took left and right turns, seemingly at random. Already, Angelica was lost. There were too many hallways, all similar looking, and a lot of doors . Some were obviously classrooms, plaques with room numbers and the name of the class stuck on the doors. Others weren't as clear cut. One such door was giving off a purplish aura, incandescent lights dancing around it. It easily drew Angelica's eyes, mesmerizing her.
"Mistress, don't touch that, please." Guy's voice was strained.
"Color me disappointed, Guy. I thought you had a sense of adventure."
"I'm cautious. That's magic. Unless you know how to control it, messing with anything magical is ill-advised."
"Fiiiiinee. Let's hurry and get to the Headmaster then. I'm feeling a bit offput right now." Angelica puffed out her cheeks. After regaining her previous life's memories, she'd felt a little more curious about the world, almost dangerously so.
Spurred along, they soon found themselves standing outside a large wooden walnut door. Much like the ones they had passed before, this one didn't look any different. Even the plaque with the words "Headmaster" was small and unassuming. The brass handle was worn and old, creaking in Guy's hand as he opened the door for Angelica. The unoiled hinges shrieked, causing her to wince as she stepped inside.
There was only one person in the room, a young boy on his tippy-toes, reaching for a book on massive bookshelves that reached towards the ceiling. Angelica immediately dismissed him, looking around for the Headmaster. Clearly, the boy must his assistant or something. Placing her hand on her hip, Angelica "hmphed" loudly.
"The Headmaster summoned me here, yet he has the nerve to be missing!" Angelica considered for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders, "That works for me. Come, Guy, lead me back to my room. That long walk has made me tired so I plan to sleep through the Orientation."
"Your wish is my command, Mis--"
"Please wait, Lady Branford!"
Suddenly, a high pitched voice squeaked over Guy, and the young boy scrambled over to the Headmaster's desk where he set ancient looking texts down with a slam. Then, grunting with effort, he pushed back the impressive Headmaster's chair and clambered onto it. Breathless, he turned to Angelica, his young face looking apologetic.
"Forgive me, Lady Branford, I was in the middle of a few things. Now, allow me to welcome you to the Academy, a schooling facility with 500 years of proud--"
"Guy! Who is this child and why is he on the Headmaster's chair?!"
Guy peered at the young boy, who was at loss for words at Angelica's rude interruption. The boy looked no older than twelve, and his long trailing cloak only served to make him appear even more childish.
"I'm not sure, Mistress. His words imply him to be the Headmaster, yet it seems patently ridiculous that a child so young would have that occupation."
"Indeed. It seems the Headmaster takes me for a fool. We're leaving, Guy. I went from being tired to being irritated. Not a good way to start my schooling year." With that, Angelica turned around, her golden locks whipping around her shoulder as she stomped towards the door.
"W-wait, please." The boys eyes were wetting with tears, tugging at Angelica's maternal instincts, "I truly am the Headmaster! It's just a curse that makes me appear like this."
Curse? As in, magic?!
Angelica's eyes narrowed as she locked the "Headmaster" in her hawk-like gaze, "How did this curse happen then?"
The boy covered his red face, "Many years ago, during an expedition into the Solomon Ruins, I found a magical lamp. It seems that anyone with magic running through their veins is capable of releasing the seals on genie lamps. He leapt out and told me to make a wish. In my surprise, I tried to ask for immortality, but I worded it....differently."
Suddenly, Guy spoke up dryly, "You asked to 'stay young forever', didn't you?"
"Uwaaah!!"
"I-I see." Angelica turned away from the Headmaster, her hand over her mouth, "That-s--pfft--that's terrible!"
"Please do not make fun of my situation, Lady Branford. You'll never understand the pain of staying smaller than everyone for over two centuries." The boy's angry face was adorable, "Anyway, we're not here to discuss me, we're here for you."
"Ahem, r-right." Angelica settled into the chair across from the Headmaster, averting her eyes lest she burst into laughter. Even Guy was hiding a small smile.
The Headmaster cleared his throat, "Let's just start over. I am Headmaster Noxus, captain of this great ship known as the Academy. As before, I'd like to congratulate you on scoring the highest grades on your entrance exams. As such, I'd like to formally ask you to be the student representative. You should have already received a letter some time ago, I think."
Angelica purposely stared at a spot just above the Headmaster's head, "I have. Thank you very much. I accept the role as student representative. Heh."
The Headmaster was turning a light red at Angelica's giggle, "T-thank you. Now, if you could follow me, I'm going to lead you to the stage where you'll deliver your speech."
Noxus leapt off his chair and walked out the door, motioning Angelica to follow him. As he turned the corner, Angelica mouthed, "He's so cute!" to Guy.
***
Peeking out from behind a curtain, Angelica was awed at the amount of students that had gathered. There was only a few more minutes till the Orientation commenced, starting with Angelica giving her speech. An innumerable amount of faces looked back at her, and Angelica hid back behind the curtains, only to face Guy's sly grin.
"I thought they were gonna be 'fashionably late', Mistress."
"Erm, who invited all the squares?!" Her bravado couldn't hide the tremble in her voice, "Nobles are all about breaking the rules!"
"...That's just you, Mistress."
Angelica missed the barb, instead biting her lip. Looking at her face, Guy couldn't help but sigh. Who knew that the thing that would defeat his headstrong yet lazy Mistress was a bit of stage fright. Behind her, Headmaster Noxus looked a little worried. He hustled over to Guy, and lifted the brim of his hat.
"Is she going to be okay? If not, I can deliver her speech myself. I won't pressure students into doing something they don't want to do."
Thinking, Guy's eyes lit up, "She'll do it. She just needs the right push."
With a wicked look smile, he sidled next to Angelica, "Mistress, there sure are a lot of people out there. So many people just staring at you, right?"
"R-right. Just a huge wall of eyeballs."
"I don't think anyone would blame you if you stepped down," Guy's tone was sickly sweet, "I mean, not anyone could just stand in front of a crowd and deliver a heart pounding speech. I know I couldn't do it! I mean, it's just common knowledge us commoners are incapable of such a thing....and apparently, that now includes the Branfords. We're two peas in a pod."
Slowly, Angelica wheeled around, glaring at Guy, "I see what you're doing. I don't agree with your methods, but I get your point. Branfords have a certain amount of pride, after all."
Puffing out her chest, she walked onto the stage, the Headmaster trailing behind her. Setting Guy's written speech on the prepared podium. Almost immediately, the crowd settled down into silence. Angelica could hear her surname being whispered over and over. Gulping, she lowered her head, quiet. The silence went on for 10 seconds, then a minute. Then, she raised her head, a brilliant smile on her face, captivating the audience.
She started speaking:
[] Read Guy's speech
[] Speak from your heart! (Tone will match Angelica's current personality)
[] ...Is that the Heroine in the back?
[] Write in. (reeewaardssss)
"I thought they were gonna be 'fashionably late', Mistress."
"Erm, who invited all the squares?!" Her bravado couldn't hide the tremble in her voice, "Nobles are all about breaking the rules!"
"...That's just you, Mistress."
Angelica missed the barb, instead biting her lip. Looking at her face, Guy couldn't help but sigh. Who knew that the thing that would defeat his headstrong yet lazy Mistress was a bit of stage fright. Behind her, Headmaster Noxus looked a little worried. He hustled over to Guy, and lifted the brim of his hat.
"Is she going to be okay? If not, I can deliver her speech myself. I won't pressure students into doing something they don't want to do."
Thinking, Guy's eyes lit up, "She'll do it. She just needs the right push."
With a wicked look smile, he sidled next to Angelica, "Mistress, there sure are a lot of people out there. So many people just staring at you, right?"
"R-right. Just a huge wall of eyeballs."
"I don't think anyone would blame you if you stepped down," Guy's tone was sickly sweet, "I mean, not anyone could just stand in front of a crowd and deliver a heart pounding speech. I know I couldn't do it! I mean, it's just common knowledge us commoners are incapable of such a thing....and apparently, that now includes the Branfords. We're two peas in a pod."
Slowly, Angelica wheeled around, glaring at Guy, "I see what you're doing. I don't agree with your methods, but I get your point. Branfords have a certain amount of pride, after all."
Puffing out her chest, she walked onto the stage, the Headmaster trailing behind her. Setting Guy's written speech on the prepared podium. Almost immediately, the crowd settled down into silence. Angelica could hear her surname being whispered over and over. Gulping, she lowered her head, quiet. The silence went on for 10 seconds, then a minute. Then, she raised her head, a brilliant smile on her face, captivating the audience.
She started speaking:
[] Read Guy's speech
[] Speak from your heart! (Tone will match Angelica's current personality)
[] ...Is that the Heroine in the back?
[] Write in. (reeewaardssss)
- Location
- scrabbling
Hum...Guy's speech is probably safe if staid. Speaking honestly would be funny, at least...though I don't think it would earn very many points with people. No idea what Angelica intends to do if she points out the Heroine.
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Read Guy's speech
-[X] But embellish it with blunt honesty!
-[X] But embellish it with blunt honesty!
- Location
- scrabbling
I can only anticipate exactly how Ms. Branford is going to cock up the speech.
1.4 ...Huh
DaBlueSky
Writer's Block Incarnate
- Location
- South Dakota
"Good afternoon, my lords and ladies. First of all, I want to congratulate this year's batch of new attendees for their acceptance into this prestigious Academy, and bid an admittedly unfamiliar welcome to the older year students. Thank you for joining me in this welcoming ceremony. I am Angelica of House Branford, one of the most powerful Houses on the continent, as you should very well know."
Angelica's mouth stretched into a momentary sneer before settling back into a serene smile. The respectful silence the other nobles had given her slowly rumbled into murmurings, incomprehensible in their individual wording yet intentions made clear through the dark gazes sent her way. Tossing her hair over her shoulder proudly, Angelica deflected the glares before continuing on, generally speaking, on the speech that Guy had wrote for her.
"This auspicious day marks over five hundred years of the Academy's existence, and every kingdom's traditions of sending the brightest of their noble children to become strong and adept leaders for their country in the future. Truthfully, there has only been a few cases of truly exceptional students, but the Headmaster has to try. I would like to express gratitude towards each nation in sending their unpolished jewels here, for it is through their trust that the gates to the Academy have stayed open for."
In the corner of her eye, Angelica could see Guy facepalming, his shoulders drooped in defeat. The Headmaster gripped his hat, mouth agape as he listened to her unapologetic words.
"It is through mutual passion that we have all convened here, through the love of our respective kingdoms and concern for its people. That's a lie, of course, for the majority of you. During the next few years, I hope we can foster an amicable rapport with each other, and hope that relationship extends beyond the walls of this school. I sincerely wish for these experiences will prove memorable and fulfilling for all of us."
As she read from the written speech, Angelica's brows furrowed in annoyance. There were at least six more paragraphs of of nonsense, nay, sucking up to the lord and ladies in the Hall. Of course it would be, seeing as this was originally written by a servant! With that in mind, she mentally crossed off the majority of the words and settled onto the ending part,
"It appears I have gone on for long enough, judging by the drool coming from your lips and glassy look in your eyes. Obviously, I need to leave some time for the Headmaster himself to make his address to this shining group of non-failures! Thank you for giving me your attention, I won't say you were an amazing crowd, but you were definitely here! Thank you, and have a wonderful day."
With a whip of her hair, Angelica didn't bother waiting for the feeble applause as she made her way off the stage. Guy stood with a complicated look on his face, biting his lip as he gazed out on the crowd of students. Very few of them clapped, and even fewer were sending civilized looks Angelica's way. For her part, she ignored the glared daggers and breathed a sigh of relief, "Your pushing really helped, Guy, though I have to commend you on your forward thinking."
With a slight cough, Guy avoided her jubilant gaze and asked, "What 'forward thinking' are you talking about, Mistress?"
"Well, of course you'd remember the advice you gave me when talking to people in general when we were small? How I have to remember the pride of House Branford and all that. All I had to do up there was think of everyone as being lesser than I. Worked like a charm. Remind me to ask father to give you raise in the future."
"Well---I---But---...Of course, Mistress. I live to serve." Tiredness crept from his voice, but Angelica was too elated to notice.
...
Crowd Reaction: Wait wut
(Surprise, surprise, I still want to continue this. Just need a quick jumpstart on it.)
What do?
Pick One.
[] Back to the dorms
[] Mix in the crowd
[] Explore
-[] Cafeteria
-[] Grounds
-[] Aimless Wandering
Angelica's mouth stretched into a momentary sneer before settling back into a serene smile. The respectful silence the other nobles had given her slowly rumbled into murmurings, incomprehensible in their individual wording yet intentions made clear through the dark gazes sent her way. Tossing her hair over her shoulder proudly, Angelica deflected the glares before continuing on, generally speaking, on the speech that Guy had wrote for her.
"This auspicious day marks over five hundred years of the Academy's existence, and every kingdom's traditions of sending the brightest of their noble children to become strong and adept leaders for their country in the future. Truthfully, there has only been a few cases of truly exceptional students, but the Headmaster has to try. I would like to express gratitude towards each nation in sending their unpolished jewels here, for it is through their trust that the gates to the Academy have stayed open for."
In the corner of her eye, Angelica could see Guy facepalming, his shoulders drooped in defeat. The Headmaster gripped his hat, mouth agape as he listened to her unapologetic words.
"It is through mutual passion that we have all convened here, through the love of our respective kingdoms and concern for its people. That's a lie, of course, for the majority of you. During the next few years, I hope we can foster an amicable rapport with each other, and hope that relationship extends beyond the walls of this school. I sincerely wish for these experiences will prove memorable and fulfilling for all of us."
As she read from the written speech, Angelica's brows furrowed in annoyance. There were at least six more paragraphs of of nonsense, nay, sucking up to the lord and ladies in the Hall. Of course it would be, seeing as this was originally written by a servant! With that in mind, she mentally crossed off the majority of the words and settled onto the ending part,
"It appears I have gone on for long enough, judging by the drool coming from your lips and glassy look in your eyes. Obviously, I need to leave some time for the Headmaster himself to make his address to this shining group of non-failures! Thank you for giving me your attention, I won't say you were an amazing crowd, but you were definitely here! Thank you, and have a wonderful day."
With a whip of her hair, Angelica didn't bother waiting for the feeble applause as she made her way off the stage. Guy stood with a complicated look on his face, biting his lip as he gazed out on the crowd of students. Very few of them clapped, and even fewer were sending civilized looks Angelica's way. For her part, she ignored the glared daggers and breathed a sigh of relief, "Your pushing really helped, Guy, though I have to commend you on your forward thinking."
With a slight cough, Guy avoided her jubilant gaze and asked, "What 'forward thinking' are you talking about, Mistress?"
"Well, of course you'd remember the advice you gave me when talking to people in general when we were small? How I have to remember the pride of House Branford and all that. All I had to do up there was think of everyone as being lesser than I. Worked like a charm. Remind me to ask father to give you raise in the future."
"Well---I---But---...Of course, Mistress. I live to serve." Tiredness crept from his voice, but Angelica was too elated to notice.
...
Crowd Reaction: Wait wut
(Surprise, surprise, I still want to continue this. Just need a quick jumpstart on it.)
What do?
Pick One.
[] Back to the dorms
[] Mix in the crowd
[] Explore
-[] Cafeteria
-[] Grounds
-[] Aimless Wandering
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Mix in the crowd
There is nothing wrong with anything Angelica just said!
There is nothing wrong with anything Angelica just said!