Remnants of the Earth
AEDOLIS => Haviah => Advanced Training Complex => Topic started by: Anonymous on April 27, 2008, 10:20:17 pm
-
"Elise, Alaina. Pilot Candidate."
The doors slid smoothly open at the sound of her voice. There would be more than this, and Alaina honestly had no idea what would come next. They rotated security systems out every day. Passwords were changed, handprint databases were rebuilt, and new machines were installed on a regular basis. Apparently ATC didn't like predictability.
Not that Alaina cared or anything. Worrying about security was a surefire way to get fed to the Dragons; she'd learned that on day one when she tried to go through a metal detector with her necklace on. The officer on duty had warned her that there would be no second chances.
Alaina was a minor telepath at best, and her psychic ability was something she had very little control over. But she was a psychic nonetheless, and that meant an automatic referral to the Haviah Advanced Training Complex. No basic military prerequisites, they just handed her a uniform and ordered her to report for immediate training.
According to the records, she had actually done quite well in school. The Pilot program probably wouldn't have even bothered with a psychic ability so weak if it hadn't been for the acquired skills. Having come from a middle-caste family, education made all the difference between a bad job and a good one. It wasn't easy to work your way up, but Alaina was determined to try.
And this was it. Advanced Training. The corridor had become all white, sterile. Carefully avoiding the glances of other personnel, Alaina made her way towards Room 118. She'd been told to go there in uniform, ready for training. No additional information had been given.
Here's the room...
Slowly, she extended her fingers and placed her hand on the door, pushing slightly.
-
When the door opened, what greeted Alaina was not some tough, scary Pilot ready to beat the fear of the Network into her, but a rather petulent looking young man with pale skin and hair that was either white or platinum blonde; it was hard to tell in that lighting, with all the white everywhere. It fell into his gray eyes, the rest pulled back into a meticulously groomed braid; obviously he cared a lot for his appearance. He was dressed in the same gray Candidate uniform that she was, and he frowned boredly at her as the door swung open, arms crossed over his chest and his right foot tapping anxiously on the floor. He stared at her for a moment, almost to the point of being downright rude though he was really just trying to make sure she was the right person, then sighed and held a small datapad out in front of him. He tapped the touch screen a few times with the pen that was connected to it.
Wow...she was kind of old...
Maybe not really, but hey, he was seventeen, even twenty one was old.
"Right. So I guess that makes you Alaina, huh?" Val finally drawled, not looking up at her; he found the datapad more interesting. It was kind of interesting to him that he knew her name before he even read it on the screen, though, even if that happened a freakish number of times, psychic and all. Ugh. Being able to finish people's sentences for them all the time was totally not worth being stuck in this dump with all these dumpy people. You'd think they'd at least organize the Candidates a bit more instead of just toss them all together. You know, by like...age and caste, so he wouldn't have to share the same space with a bunch of old perverts or filthy toilet cleaners. God.
He'd be writing his father about that as soon as he got the chance. Which was after he was done with all these stupid mundane tasks, being people's go'fer and reporting for freakin' military training, and all on his second day here. Seriously, what the hell.
"I'm Val and...look, I'll just cut to the chase. I was just told to deliver a message to you, since I had to come here anyway. Something about you being picked up by a Pilot mentor or something, but him getting pulled away by unexpected business or whatever..."
Val finally looked up and held out the datapad out to her. Might as well just let it do the talking since he didn't really want to. "They told me to give you this. So you could talk to your Pilot guy and all. Or mentor or whatever. That's about all I know." He gave a shrug. Without anything else to say to her and nothing else to do, he was at a loss of what to say. As for what to do? He really wanted to just sneak off and get out of this stupid scratchy ugly uniform, but his better judgment told him to stay put. Bunch of freaky psychics. Wasn't like school, they'd know if he played hookey.
-
Alaina cocked her head to the side and swiped the datapad from his hands without a word. Great. The same archetype who'd hounded her in school was going to be her companion, at least until she could get out of the complex. He had that smirk on his face, too, as if he knew something he could hold over her. And considering he was a psychic, he probably did.
Wait...
"Older than you were expecting, no?" she asked him idly, glancing down at the datapad. Alaina was caught unawares by her own answer even as she spoke the words. Was she that ancient-looking? How did she know he was thinking that, anyway?
Alaina smiled to herself. Her own psychic side was feeding her information, and that was all she needed. Val had been ordered here only two days ago, pulled out of high school. Since then he'd been running errands for Complex officials, and he hadn't even been trained yet. He wasn't her superior. He was scared, lost, and alone.
"Well don't just stare. Get me some coffee; I haven't woken up yet."
-
Val's eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise as Alaina gave voice to what he'd been thinking, and for a second he thought he might have actually said that out loud. Wait, had he? He was usually pretty good at keeping comments to himself unless they were meant to be heard (strategically so it seemed like an accident, of course), but it had been a long and confusing two days so maybe he'd slipped. He actually had to think about that for a couple seconds, feeling a little stupid, before he realized she'd probably read his mind.
Riiight...psychics. Eugh.
He quickly pulled himself back together and relaxed tense muscles. It helped that no sooner had she said that, she was ordering him to fetch her coffee—though he'd never admit that for a split second he'd felt the impulse to go fetch her the damned coffee, since he'd come to associate personnel older than their teens as Pilots and soldiers. But she wasn't. She was just another Candidate and she didn't look like anyone important. Jeez, what planet was this lady from? He rolled his eyes and scoffed, shifting his weight from one leg to the next.
"Tchyeah, whatever, lady. You're just another Candidate," Val said, pouring as much disdain as he could into the word "Candidate". He was not happy to be one, he didn't want to be here, and like hell was he going to play nice with another one thinking she could boss him around. Bad enough there were all these asshole Pilots around treating him like dirt, and it was probably a combination of all those factors that fueled his almost instant loathing of the woman. "You should probably be fetching me coffee. What caste are you from, anyway? Were you a janitor? Sewage worker? Maybe a whore?"
-
"...sewage worker? Maybe a whore?"
The words echoed in her head. Alaina could hear the the sound of blood pounding in her ears, and for a moment she was incredibly tempted just to let go, to rail on the kid until he shut up. But it wouldn't help to antagonize him any more than she already had, so she bit her tongue. Mostly.
"You really don't think much of seniority, do you?"
Alaina was willing to be civil with most people, but Val was beginning to bother her on a very fundamental level. What a horrible example of the upper caste. Alaina took immediate comfort in the fact that in the Aedolis military, there were no castes, no separations within the ranks.
I suppose, she mused, that means no seniority either.
The military was a completely new concept for both of them. Val was in as unfamiliar a setting as she was. Let him adjust, and if he's still an inconsiderate prick in two weeks... well... she was too tired to contemplate the possibility.
"Now where do I get myself a coffee?"
-
Taking a deep breath, Phenyo pushed on a door. Keeping her eyes closed tight, just in case her worst fear was behind two number three.
Of course she poked her head through first, the purple pony tails behind her ears gave a clear view to the back of her neck. Mismatched green eyes flicked between the two other -- Phenyo felt her heart squish -- Candidates. That ugly gray uniform, Phenyo leaned back out of the door and looked down at her own uniform, the blood stains from the other day still on the collar, a dark brown colour by now. Blood stains didn't leave, and Dyerlich probably thought it was a good lesson on why not to say he looked like goopey food.
Pushing the door open, Phenyo heard something about seniority. Smirking slightly she figured this was a new person. In her few hours time to herself, which she loved because it meant she could talk like herself without fear of broken ribs or getting stabbed in the chest by claws, Phenyo had met maybe another candidate. So far she felt she had it off the worst, she asked elusive questions and made sure not to turn around.
Standing in the door way she blinked at the two and pursed her lips and reached back to rub at the tender scars at the back of her neck. "You get coffee in the cafeteria. I've only been here a few days though, so I'm not really sure which way it actually is." Tapping her booted foot on the ground, she looked down and rubbed at her long pointed ear. Needless to say, Phenyo was probably the one who stood out the most, dark tanned skin, bright purple hair and pointed ears.
She smiled towards the two and then squinted at them. " You two haven't met your pilots yet, have you...?" They seemed far too happy, and carefree, then away, they were alone. If the dark spots on her uniform didn't give away that she'd been here for at least a few days, the way she kept her torso very straight would help, it still ached like no tomorrow after getting her ribs cracked.
"I'm Phenyo." She lifted her fingers and gave them a wiggle in a form of greeting. Nodding a few times, Phenyo stuffed her hands into her pants pockets and wandered around the room, looking up at corners and down at things, turned away from them. Leaving the back of her neck and the freshly carved name in it, Dyerlich, in perfect view of the two others in the room. It wasn't bleeding, but it was clearly only a few days old
All Phenyo was thinking of was about how weird it was that all the rooms in this placed looked so alike.
-
(OOC: For my sanity, please let's go in order. ^^;; Me, Shizzy, Rhi, Choco, Alaina, Draco. Don't post 'til it's your turn.)
The door opened once more and two people strode in. The first was a man in his mid thirties, tall and muscular, and he went straight to the desk at the front of the room. The second was another Pilot candidate, his uniform wrinkled and his dark brown hair unkempt. He was Col Savage, and he shuffled in silently and slipped into one of the desks without looking at anyone else in the room. His thoughts were quiet but scattered, projecting at random in every direction. Mostly they were vague worries and wishes to be elsewhere.
The older man, on the other hand, projected nothing. His mind was contained and closed, which didn't help to identify him. No uniform, no name tag, nothing. His jeans had a worn-in look, but the white t-shirt he wore was immaculately clean. Over that, a white collared shirt fluttered open and unbuttoned around his hips. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
It was his usual attire. Rarely could Roman Rosales be caught in the Pilot's uniform. Sometimes he got really crazy and wore a red shirt.
The only thing he carried with him was a small styrofoam cup with steaming coffee in it and a little red plastic stirrer. It made a soft scratching sound against the cup as he stirred, and he took a sip before setting it down and hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk.
At last he looked up, intense blue eyes flashing from behind black bangs. "Sit down, everyone," he said, waving them all to find a desk. The room was set up as a small classroom for military regiments and candidates. "Let's get this over with." He looked at Alaina. "So. An empty-headed, uppity little bitch who doesn't seem to appreciate the situation for what it is..."
At Val. "An upper caste brat with an entitlement jive he'll probably have to get beaten out of him..."
At Phenyo. "A candidate who I think will require saintly patience from Dyerlich, whom I see you have already met..."
At Col. "And you." He sneered with the last word and Col unconsciously tried to look very small, hunching his shoulders and slouching in the chair. Thus far, he hadn't so much as glanced at the other candidates, intent on not attracting attention to himself.
They were quick appraisals, those summaries. Little different than the first immediate impression one got from a stranger's appearance and outward demeanor. Roman would know most of them intimately by the time their six-month grace period was over. Until then, they might or might not come to learn that what he said about them to their faces was less about communication and more about achieving a specific result.
He sighed and took his coffee cup in hand again for another sip. He didn't set it down this time, but held onto it and let the heat spread through his hands. One leg swung casually, the heel of his sneaker knocking against the front of the desk. "All right," he said. "Someone besides Savage tell me who I am." And with that he unlocked his thoughts, not projecting but not shielding either. The psychic gifts represented in the Pilot ranks were as diverse as the Pilots themselves. Roman's gift was an uncanny control. His thoughts were read when he allowed them to be read, his telepathy heard only by those he allowed to hear it. Now, he permitted reading by any of these candidates capable of the feat. At the front of his mind he held one thought steady:
Roman Rosales, Pilot Royal.
No one there besides Savage had met him, but some may have heard of him. Let's see if any of them could pluck his name and rank from his thoughts.
-
((Don't forget Shizzy!))
There was nothing that alluded to the fact that there was anyone coming. Only a select few, well...the few who could, weren't here, save for one man. The rather hard man would feel it, just a subtle shield that was more of a streamline thing. Probes would run over it but not think anything of it. It was a little trick that only his apprentices knew actually, how to look for him if they needed. Advanced warning even.
He had been unnoticed for the most part, not even Phenyo knew he was there, watching the new recruits, well...not watching. Listening. Their minds were so feeble, so fresh, but so full of potential. Their minds chattered and nattered, filled with such useless, and even useful information, and he could understand it all quite nicely. He could sort the junk from the stuff that he enjoyed.
Though, he was not too sure he liked the idea of Roman giving his name out so freely. Thankfully Phenyo had said nothing, she was a good girl, a little slow at learning of course, but she learned in the end. The hardest way though, and that was with tough love actually. She wasn't going to get any less, but he was going to be rather impressed by that. Though, it was no doubt out of fear really.
However, Roman was trying to weed out who had honed senses already, and who was not. He already knew that Phenyo had powers but nothing too significant yet.
"Put your mind away child, test them later." The voice, though soft, was by no means was it nice sounding. It was almost like a cruel quiet hiss. Behind all of the candidates he had almost appeared in a way. The slender tall man, towering over people at just over seven feet tall, strode proudly past each candidate. He was a man you could not miss, with snowy white skin that seemed to have a shine, silver hair, speckled with gold, and yellow eyes filled with electric blue irises. For Phenyo, it would be a surprise, he lacked his hood, but still wore the cowl that covered from the nose down. His simple outfit, a tight fitting dark blue shirt, to match the same coloured loose pants that he wore. He wore almost slippers, soft looking shoes that one could easily get on in a hurry.
He was something that didn't seem to fit too well with human society, so otherworldly.
The man stopped for just a moment near Phenyo, placing a hand on her shoulder, no...one could see him brushing along the back of her neck fondly. Scars that would last for years, scars she could never rid herself of until she passed the pilot program, just as it had been for all his candidates. If one looked...they would see a word. Dyerlich. No. Not a word...a name.
Even to Roman, his mind was closed, hard to find, hard to sense, and he liked it that way. It was a cesspool of negative emotions, not his own, collected ones of course. He didn't suffer...others suffered around him, and he flourished.
"This is my former Candidate. My people are not one for nostalgia, but this man here has been a shining example of what can be accomplished. This program was not difficult for him, he was able to simply walk through it almost. He sadly required a certain age, and not even I could bend the rules for him. Drafted at thirteen and kept here till he was eighteen, till he could finally be given the rank of Pilot. Not all of you will be like him...no...some of you will fail...some of you will pass...but you will not rise like he has, at least, not as quickly." One could note the pride in Dyerlich's voice. It had not really been him who had made his star pupil like this. Oh no. Dyerlich had been there to help the boy along and remove what weakness there might be, if any. Dyerlich's eyes would scan the room, looking upon each new face he had not seen, and the two he had. His new candidate...and his old. Then again, a lot of pilots had trained under him, buy they were off for the time being.
"You. Yes...Little Val. So young...so fresh..." Dyerlich was on the move, he suddenly vaulted over the table to approach Val, watching the young man with malice in his eyes. "Oh yes...You have some preconceived notions about you still. Let me...educate you, and all of you. Out there in that world...you run your fancy little games, loving your caste system, who is on top, who is on the lowest rung, that sort of thing. Now however...you've rose above the caste system. All your family, your friends, you're quite above them now." Dyerlich hoped that made the young man feel a little more confident, because only Roman could really see where this might be headed.
"But now little boy...you learn something very foreign. You're on the lowest rung of the ladder. That girl over there," He pointed to Alaina, smiling a little. "Yes, could have been a whore, could have walked the streets, could have cleaned places, could have drove people around for all you know. Now Val, you're on that caste with her. You're the lowest of the low here...you're the whore Val. You're a streetwalker in my eyes, nothing really, a few bucks here, a moment of pleasure, and discarding you like trash. Daddy can't save you, Daddy can't bribe people for you anymore." Dyerlich explained to him, putting emphasis on the right words, trying to send a chilling fear down the man's spine. He didn't care for some of the Upper Caste. They thought too good of themselves really.
"You will learn of bonds you could not even imagine here, of tactics, techniques, and how to serve this country. And you...will learn your place." There was a resounding sound of flesh against flesh as Dyerlich brought his hand across the boys face. "When I am present, you will sit upon the floor from now on Val. You will earn the right to sit upon a chair. And if you think I'm joking, and I seriously hope you don't for your sake...ask Phenyo what I did to her for saying I resembled the slop from the Mess Hall. I cracked three of her ribs with a pneumatic gun." With his fun little speech out of the way, he headed back to stand beside Roman, looking down at the man. His features had softened just a little bit when looking at the man, though, it would be hard to see with his face mostly hidden behind the cowl. "Apologies for stealing your thunder Roman, but I just had to put some fear into these new recruits. Though...you seem to have one who already is filled with it."
Roman would cure him of that. Dyerlich had taught him very well over the years, and he never let his pupil forget. "If you would, open your mind a bit for them so they may know my name and rank. I do not believe it would be wise to let them start feeling around blindly in my own."
-
Val had been about to say that no, he hadn't met his Pilot yet (whatever the hell that meant), but that was when Phenyo turned around and he saw the scars on the back of her neck, all too fresh and forming some sort of word. That was also when it registered just how stiffly she was moving and what the dark spots on her uniform might be, and a chill ran up his spine and made him momentarily forget what he'd been about to say. Every entertaining thought that had initially popped into his mind when first seeing her--thoughts that judging by her looks she must have come from a circus--was suspended. How had she gotten that?
That was when the door opened yet again and two people strode in. The kid in the gray uniform he ignored; just another candidate. It was the older man he focused on, an eyebrow arching as he took in his casual attire, and he chuckled to himself and shook his head. Another older candidate? God, what a doofus, coming in here without a uniform. He was so gonna get busted, and Val wouldn't really mind seeing that, actually. He smirked and rolled his eyes. Even he knew a thing or two about proper military--
The man hopped onto the desk and told them all to take a seat, and Val made a soft choking sound and quickly looked back over at him, back stiff as he watched his face for any sign that he had heard his thoughts. Their instructor. Crap. On the bright side, though, it didn't seem like he was one of those Pilot assholes because if he'd picked up any of his thoughts, he didn't show it. Val relaxed again, cleared his throat, and headed for a desk at the far side of the room near the middle. Not too far away so as to miss anything, but not too close for comfort. He slid into it and leaned back with his arms folded over his chest as their instructor continued on.
And then he had to bite his lip so as not to laugh out loud, grinning over in Alaina's direction. Hah, he kind of liked this guy, he was so dead on it was funny--
Wait, brat? Entitlement jive? His head snapped back to the front so quickly he might as well have been smacked, and his lips twisted from a grin into a scowl, red flushing his cheeks. Somehow, that made the man's other appraisals lose their humor and he spent the remainder of it glaring openly at him and wishing he was telekenetic so he could knock that coffee right into his crotch. He humphed quietly when their instructor told them to tell him who he was. Another time, and he might have been able to pick up his name or other random stuff like he had with Alaina, but he could feel his mind recede as he chose to brood instead.
You're our instructor, you have no dress sense, and you're--surprise!--just another asshole here. That's who you are, he thought sourly, crossing one leg over the other. Let the others play the guessing game. He'd just be busy planning out that letter to his father so--gah!
A disembodied voice spoke and he twisted in his seat in time to see a giant of a man appear, who strode up to the front of the room. That was a Pilot. And...so was the other guy? Val slipped down in his seat a bit, the realization making him feel suddenly uncomfortable as he remembered all the stuff he'd been thinking. Of course, thinking about what he'd been thinking wasn't much better than just thinking the thoughts, and he missed most of the new guy's speech as a result until he heard his name.
His face went red as the man belittled him, but he stared levelly back at him, lips set into a thin line. He wouldn't let him get to him. Wasn't worth it. That's what he told himself, but he could feel his foot tapping and his fingers digging into his arms as the man prattled on, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. It took every effort not to talk back, but he focused hard on his breathing and it kind of helped. Until the guy called him a whore. Fuck him. He wasn't even original. That was his insult to hurl.
That was his last thought before pain exploded in his face. For a few moments that was all he felt, but then he was able to register the feeling of tile beneath his hands. He opened his eyes and pressed his hand to his cheek, which felt hot and sore. He slapped him. The bastard had actually slapped him. That shocked the anger right out of him, that someone would actually do that. Well...someone that wasn't his old girlfriend when he broke up with her.
Still stunned, he started to get up, but what Dyerlich said about that made him pause. Broken ribs? He looked up and glanced from one Pilot to the other before finally settling on Dyerlich. That comment wore the shock off, and he smiled humorlessly, eyes narrowed. "Fuck you. You can't do that," he said, frozen in a crouch. "Do you even know who I am?"
The door opened again and a wirey girl with messy black hair stumbled in, also dressed in candidate gray. She was panting like she'd run a marathon, and she made a face when she saw everyone else already seated. Oh great!
"Ah! We haven't started yet have--oh." Arrow saw Roman first, seated on the desk at the front of the room and she went about two shades paler, eyes going wide and body going stock still. She didn't know who he was, but by his placement in the room she could only assume he was a teacher. Then she saw Dyerlich and another candidate crouched on the floor with a red spot blossoming on one cheek. She always picked the best times to walk into a room...
Arrow stood fixed to the spot for a moment, mind flip-flopping between the impulse to turn and run or to quickly find a seat and hope to high hope that she hadn't missed too much--and that these people were lenient. Even she knew the first option wasn't an option, though, much as she wished it was.
"Oh...sorry," she whispered, barely audible, and finally closed the door behind her. She ducked her head and scurried to the closest desk she could find, dropping into it and staring down at her hands.
-
((Don't forget Choco either!))
This was stupid. Who the fuck expected her to become a pilot anyway? This was dumber than that time her school coach wanted her to jump. It simply wasn’t going to happen. No legs equals no jumpy.
Gorgon equals no piloty. Chica didn’t hate what she was, she loved it. She loved her strong tail, so useful for crushing. She loved her hair, which was so full of….personality. She even loved her eyes, despite having to wear goggles constantly to stop herself petrifying everyone. She didn’t even exactly hate everyone else; she just hated being forced to live with them.
Yes indeed, the world was tough when you had no legs and your hair was made of snakes. Snakes which, at the moment, were wriggling in distress. They did that, mimicked her emotions. It made her pretty damned easy to read. Right now they were informing anyone who knew what to look for that she was shitting herself because she was late.
Her pilot mentor was off in the war, along with a bunch of others candidates’ pilots it seemed, so she had been told to go to these classes. Room 118 however was easily confused with room 18. Unfortunately they were quite a distance apart, so what had been her getting there early had now become her being desperately late.
She adjusted her goggles as she ran…er….slithered. It didn’t really count as running. The orange lenses stopped her from killing people, which was good, though if she was able to right now she’d turn them on herself. People were staring. People always stared.
She kept her head low and fidgeted with her skirt, which was as grey as the rest of her uniform. It was meant to be pants, but she couldn’t really do pants, so she’s been forced to make them into a mid length skirt with poor stitching up the front and back.
She was actually moving pretty fast, faster than most people could run anyway. She weaved as she moved, rippling the muscles in her tail for motion while keeping her head relatively fixed.
116, 117, ah! 118, finally. She ducked in, right on the heels of another candidate, some little girl. Chica slithered to a desk on the far side of the girl, a little pissed that she herself hadn’t gotten the closest spot to the door, in case escape was needed.
She pushed the chair out of the way, flinching when it screeched across the floor. Her hair hung limp as she lowered herself behind the desk. She didn’t sit, just lowered herself to a sitting level. She fought a rising blush, which spread through her cheeks and into the cheeks of her hair. Well, this was going bloody well wasn’t it.
-
"Fuck you. You can't do that," Val said, crouching. "Do you even know who I am?"
Alaina buried her face in her palm. At this point, it didn't matter who he was. They were all Candidates; she had figured it out and Val hadn't. As a result, he was going to be humiliated again, or worse.
Only a few minutes ago, it would have been a much-appreciated gesture, even an amusing one. But Alaina found no solace in the fact that Val was being taught his place. Other Pilot Candidates were filing into the room now, and while it was good to know Val wasn't the only other one in her situation, she noticed several disturbing details. The one introduced as Phenyo had been broken, branded on the back of her neck. She was bruised visibly across her face.
Alaina felt sick. She had signed up to serve Aedolis, to develop her abilities, and to move up in the world. To be struck over and over again, to have names burned into her skin, that was a different story. She glanced over at the military instructor.
His name was Roman Rosales. His rank was Pilot Royal.
Interesting. She had probably heard of him before. It seemed likely that he was a high-ranking officer, in which case it might have simply been an article on some Haviah newsnet. But how did she recognize him, then? In any case, he'd probably be reading her mind right now, so there wasn't much point in saying it out loud. Unless...
Slowly, Alaina raised her hand and allowed herself the hint of a smile. She was in school again. Scary, twisted, abusive school.
-
Mismatched green eyes could only blink and stare at the randomness that occured within the past few minutes. Two people came in, a poor depressed looking boy, and a scruffy adult-creature. He just radiated 'I'm powerful,' vibes so Phenyo kept her mouth shut and her eyes averted. The last thing she wanted to do was draw too much attention herself, which was entertaining because of her bright purple hair. She watched him, standing where she was, her green eyes going from each of the candidates before resting on this fellow.
Phenyo was unsure if his comment about her was an insult or just something he noticed.
Shrugging it off she froze and straightened slightly when she heard a familiar voice. Goddammit! What the hell was he doing here? A hand went to rub at the back of her neck and itch the healing wound, looking again between the candidates.
Watching silently when Dyerlich went between the candidates, ignoring the brush of his fingers against her neck. Phenyo frowned and reached out slightly as if to stop her mentor from smacking the mouthy boy, then put her hand to her side. A simple smack would be nothing, recalling what happened to her after presenting Dyerlich with the sharp side of her tongue. He ruined her shoulder, gave her a name at the back of her neck and some cracked ribs which still ached.
Feeling vaguely self conscience about the scars on her neck she pressed her hand to it and looked around, doing a bad job of hiding it. Then looked around and blinked a few times when two more students entered the room. A cute worried little girl that Phenyo watched sit down, and a scary ass snake lady.
....A what?
Phenyo blinked at her and rose her eyebrows. Well... Of all the things to be unexpected about being here, it was a snake girl. Phenyo moved and sat down in front of the girl with black hair, popping the collar of her uniform to hide the scars from the poor girl. Wouldn't want to scare the crap out of her, she seemed scared enough already.
Arrow.
Blinking for a moment and frowning, she looked around, was there a bow in here? Is that why she thought of arrows? Phenyo shrugged, looked over her shoulder and smiled at the girl, ignoring the drama that was slowly unfolding around the room. Casting glances around, she leaned forward, her head planted on her hand.
Thrilling. This scruffy fellow was trained by Dyerlich. Phenyo bet he was as psychotic as the Ghoul, maybe more so, the candidate that followed him in looked like he felt like falling over and dying just to get away from him.
But then the Seniority Girl... Woman? Rose her hand.
Cracking a smirk Phenyo got back up and leaned back in her seat, being a distracting shield for the girl behind her. "Seems like being in Hell brings out the best in people." Phenyo said with a hint of a sarcastic smile.
Phenyo? Mentally broken from a few cracked ribs and having a name cut into the back of her neck? Yeah right.
-
Roman's reaction to the appearance of the other Pilot was, at first, nonexistent. He only watched, his expression unreadable, steam rising from the coffee cup in his hands. Then, as Dyerlich continued his monologues, Roman's mouth quirked into a smile and he rolled his eyes in the manner of one who has heard a joke a hundred times before and is resigned to hearing it a hundred times more.
He shook his head and returned the coffee cup to the desk top. From his back pocket he produced a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, and he spent the rest of Dyerlich's speech leaning back on one hand and blowing lazy smoke rings at the ceiling. Pilots were by and large a quirky bunch, and a significant part of living in harmony with them was being willing to indulge their eccentricities. Roman liked to think he was pretty good at that part.
The only time he took interest during the whole spiel was when Val's obscenity cracked the air. In a seat on the same row, Col Savage whipped his head around to stare wide-eyed at the other candidate. Roman just looked at him levelly.
And here he'd thought this would be a boring class.
The psychic energy in the room was crowded and buzzing, and that was fine. It was to be expected. Roman sampled it here and there, acquainting himself with the taste of them all, the particular vibrations of their thoughtwaves. Most of it was the usual mixture of apprehension and excitement—emotions and wordless concepts. Some of it was more direct, like the insult Val aimed at him. And that one was fine, too. One thing they never did with these new recruits, or anyone else for that matter: they didn't punish them for their thoughts. The plain fact was that most people, candidates included, had no real control over their thoughts in the first place. It took years to attain the mastery of mind a Pilot had, and there was just no rushing it. If the Pilots punished people for their thoughts, they'd be doing nothing but culling insurrectionists every waking hour.
When Dyerlich stopped beside him, Roman glanced up grinning. "Mate," he said, ashing on the floor, "you're like a little kid with new toys. You just can't resist." There was a measure of affection in the words. He'd known Dyerlich longer than any other Pilot and the two of them had developed a rapport over the years. But for his part, Roman had a lot of information to cover and instructions to give and would just as soon get it over with and get the candidates settled into their routines.
So. First thing's first. "Archer, Chica. You're late." He fixed each of them in turn with a stern look, and paused for a measured time just to make them worry a little. "Don't make a habit of it."
That's when a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he glanced over to see Alaina...raising her hand. For a moment he just stared at her, then he burst out laughing. It was just so, well, cute. It endeared her to him immediately. He caught up the thread of her thoughts and saw that she had gleaned his name and rank both, and she had done so in the midst of distractions. Not bad.
There was a more pressing issue, however. He held up a finger at her. "Hold that thought."
And he turned to Val.
He didn't say anything for long moments, blue eyes resting easily on Val's own. He still sat on the desk, legs crossed at the ankles, smoke curling up from the cigarette in his fingers. "I understand," he said at last. "You don't belong here, you don't need to be here. You have a good life. Your family's given you the best education, and you have a brilliant future waiting for you. And you deserve more respect than this. I understand." He smiled. It was a different kind of smile than the one he'd had before. Roman hopped down off the desk and motioned to Val. "Why don't you come up here? Come, stand right here between us. You can stand up, it's okay."
Col, watching this all unfold, felt a dread rise up in him. He'd kept his eyes on Roman the whole time, even while listening to Dyerlich. He desperately wished he could switch Pilots. He would much rather face Dyerlich's straightforward hostility and violence than Roman's treacherous subtleties. Just look at him up there, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans as he waited for Val to come up. He looked so innocuous, like any vanilla, middle-caste office worker on his day off. Like he didn't have it in him to hurt anyone.
Col scowled openly at him. He knew better. He'd seen it that day, when Roman found him on the streets. The incident had marked him as surely as Dyerlich had marked Phenyo. It had been worse, way worse, than just violence. Worse than just physical pain. He would never forget it, and he would never ever let his guard down around that man.
-
Dyerlich did something odd. Well. Perhaps not odd really. He ignored Val and his sudden...outburst at him. The boy was young, rash, not used to this sort of thing. He would grow...in time of course, and he would learn what was expected of him, and how to talk to people. People that were his betters perhaps. Heh. Val was really going to enjoy all of this was he?
He couldn't wait to see what Roman did. It was all in his hands. Whether there would be discipline, a stern talking to, or nothing at all...it was all in the hands of Romans. At least the boy had been surprised when he had slapped him. Heh heh. It kinda felt like he had slapped the expression right off of his face.
Dyerlich watched as two new people stride into the room with some interest. Well. The snake woman was...a little unexpected actually but....who was he to talk? Seven feet tall with strange skin, spikes, and hands that could form to claws. Yeah. He wouldn't judge. She must have been psychic then, though Gorgons were known to use magic. Hm...names...names. ..ah. Arrow Archer...Seriously/ Really? That was just...wrong. The other was...ahhh...Chica. Ah Gorgon.
Fascinating.
A monster all on her own, a force to be reckoned with.
For a moment, Dyerlich let his eyes wander to Phenyo as she moved. She popped her collar. Ah hah hah. Roman hadn't been allowed to hide the name on his lower back for one year. shirts with little cuts on the back just for the name to show. Well. He would talk to her about that later. He had yet to tell her the name should not be hidden. It wasn't her fault. He could not blame her for something she didn't know.
Dyerlich actually gave a slight bow to the man. "I really do apologize...they're so fresh and young." They scare easy. Well. Maybe not scare, but at the same time...they were so head strong. He loved it. Dyerlich slowly lowered himself down onto the floor beside Roman, smiling a little bit at the man. He hadn't sat in on a class done by Roman in quite some time actually. This might be interesting.
He was rather impressed by Alaina, her talent was promising. For only the briefest of moments would she feel a presence in her mind, his presence, but it was all but gone, leaving barely a trace of him being there. If she was smart, she would be able to identify which person in the room. He left nothing but a trace, no names, nothing. Just a feeling.
Heh.
Dyerlich looked to Val carefully now, his eyes flickering to look between him and the candidate. Dyerlich liked lessons to be quick, his pupils learned right away, or at least, they were punished almost right away. Roman had a whole different approach. Dyerlich waited, he knew there would be something coming. Something good.
You plan on treating me to a nice meal do you? The voice was projected, while Dyerlich respected the shields of the pilots, he could still use telepathy, allowing the words to float around the shield for the Pilots to hear. He did ensure the conversation would be private, he wasn't sure he'd like any of the candidates picking up on this. Though...most of the regular pilots knew of his odd eating habits...ones that were quite a lot different than most.
-
It was a bit dizzying to go from being told you were the lowest of the low by one man to being told you deserved respect by another. For a moment Val just scowled at Roman, face still stinging. Jeez, you'd think the people here would be more organized but whatever. The Pilot had said exactly what Val had wanted to hear, his words perfectly in line with Val's thoughts, and he heard in those words a way out. After a moment of meeting Roman's eyes warily as though searching for a catch, his expression softened. Maybe he'd made a premature judgment and this one wasn't so bad.
He did seem pretty laid back, and after Dyerlich's rampage Val had completely forgotten the man's assessment of him. Right now he just looked like the cool, popular teacher that every student wished they could get.
Val looked over at Dyerlich, but after being prompted by the other Pilot to stand, that it was okay, he slowly rose to his feet. Something about the request struck him as odd, though, and he hesitated, one eyebrow arching. Stand between them? Between the psycho and the other guy? What was he going to do, make the tall dude apologize or something? Made sense because they couldn't just go around smacking their students, could they? That didn't seem legal. So what about the chick with the mark on her neck? Bah, maybe she was just a cutter. Still. Yeah. He was gonna stand by the tall freak. Uh...how about no? Besides, that one guy had basically told him he didn't belong here. He'd said he didn't need to be here. That, to him, implied that he didn't need to be here and, in other words, he could leave.
He had it made back home. It was the lower caste brats that needed this, so let them take it and someone else could take his spot.
With a little smirk over at Alaina, who was proving to be such a typical know-it-all and who would probably have such a blast getting these people coffee while he was so out of here, he dusted himself off and marched his way up to the front of the class. If he had kept his mind open and not shut himself up stubbornly as he had, he might have felt Col projecting all over the place and may have taken that rising dread as a warning. But he didn't go to stand between the Pilots as he'd been told.
Instead, he just headed straight for the automatic door. "So you're saying I can leave, right?"
Arrow was perfectly quiet, sitting cross-legged in her seat all folded up and chewing on her thumb nail out of habit as she watched everything with wide eyes. Somewhere among all the dread she felt--was that hers or someone else's?--she caught a few snippets of thought that definitely weren't her own. Roman? Who was Roman?
Waaait!
Roman was the person her mentor had mentioned in his e-mail! The one that was gonna take her while he was out at war. And from the random thoughts that were bouncing all over the place...he wasn't very nice. Arrow's eyes moved between the two Pilots, wondering who was who or if any of the Pilots here even were him, and she swallowed hard and focused her attention on the purple hair of the girl in front of her. It was a good thing to focus on, pretty distracting, and that way she wouldn't have to watch Val's inevitable smackdown or look at the scary lady that had chosen to sit right next to her, which really wasn't doing anything for her nerves. Oh man...
She probably did that on purpose. She probably just knew she was afraid of snakes.
-
Wow. Two idiots walk in late and there’s barely even a fuss. School teachers yelled at her more than this for being late, but somehow the lack of reaction wasn’t comforting, just unnerving.
It didn’t fit with all the horrible stories about the pilot program. You weren’t supposed to get away with shit like that. Thrown to the dragons at your first mistake, that was how it was meant to be.
She silently glared at the little chit that raised her hand, making her hair involuntarily rise up a little and let out a few soft hisses. She really hated people like that. Her snakes were constantly flicking their tongues in and out, tasting the air for her. It…told her things. Things like the mix of emotions coming form the room. Fear, dread, even cockiness hung in the air. Without moving about it was impossible to tell who each smell belonged to of course, except for the two nearest her. Archer, the other latecomer, was afraid. Big whoop there. And as for little miss purple…well she was emitting a mildly irritated scent.
She sighed. This was so damn boring. She slumped, sinking towards the desk, watching the drama unfold. That guy was getting screwed over, and he was an idiot if he couldn’t see that.
Chica had never been very sensitive when it came to mind reading and that sort of thing, she was more of a telekinesis kinda girl, but now and then things would pop into her head that she’d gleamed subconsciously from the other candidates. One such thought came very suddenly, making her flinch.
Waaait!
Guh, that came from the girly next to her. She was thinking way too loud. The girls thoughts drifted across the little channel that had formed between them, letting words like ‘scary lady’ dribble into Chica’s mind. Who was she calling lady? She frowned indignantly. The bitch was calling her old. She suddenly picked up the word ‘lady’ being directed at her from several other people in the room. Damn people. Calling her names, even if it was in their heads. She tried to pick up more, straining to reach out, or whatever it was you were supposed to do, but it was silent again. Mind reading was stupid anyway.
She scratched at her head for a moment, then grinned. If she, with her very pathetic abilities, could hear some thoughts directed at her…then maybe…
Hey, girlie! Archer! I’m gunna eat you! I’m gunna bite you and crush you and eat you up for dinner!
Hehe, that’d teach her. Not like she actually could eat her…well…not all at once anyway, but it’s the thought that counts.
-
"...brings out the best in people."
The girl in front of Alaina had noticed her mind-probing. Ah well. She had no right to be looking there anyway, and though she empathized with the girl, it was clear she wasn't as "mentally broken" as she looked. The one with the word "Dyerlich" carved into the back of her neck was perfectly fine, if a little sarcastic.
She'd been holding her hand in the air, waiting to be called on. After about a minute, the man known as Roman Rosales began to chuckle at her. He made motions with his cigarette in the air, leaving a faint trail of smoke. His laugh wasn't particularly demeaning, just the mild amusement of someone who's seen something he wasn't expecting. He seemed like a perfectly amiable man.
"Hold that thought," Roman said, raising a finger. Obligingly, the young woman lowered her hand and began to repeat the words in her mind.
You are Roman Rosales, Pilot Royal.
There was another feeling invading her surface thoughts, though, something she couldn't quite place. Val grinned at her, but she paid him no mind. There was a distraction in her head, a soft, foreign buzzing. Someone was ransacking her mind for information. Maybe more than one student; she suspected the instructors would not be so obvious about it. Alaina had very little knowledge of psychic manipulation, but she knew that reading surface thoughts was simple. The instructor had asked a question, and now someone was trying to cheat off Alaina. The thought amused her.
Alaina slipped her hands into her pockets, straightened herself in the chair, and glanced towards the other instructor. The cowled man who had crouched on the floor beside Roman was a blank slate. Alaina knew nothing about him. She hadn't seen his picture on the news, and he certainly hadn't introduced himself to the class. Somehow, though, he evoked a visceral uneasiness in Alaina. The interactions between him and Val were fresh in her mind, and it worried her. She stared at him for a moment before realizing that it might not be such a smart idea.
Some of the students, like the cross-legged late arrival next to her, were being careful. Alaina turned her eyes towards the girl, watched her nibble on one thumbnail. Roman... Visibly nervous, she swallowed a lump in her throat and stared directly forward. Scary lady... Didn't seem pretentious like Val or defiant like the "Dyerlich" girl. She was nervous, so nervous.
Alaina turned away, her face burning. She felt uncomfortable, like she'd just walked in on something private, and immediately began watching the instructors again. The styrofoam cup of institutional coffee on Roman's desk probably tasted like dirt, but at the moment it tempted her far more than accidentally reading other people's minds.
-
As much as Phenyo was throughly enjoying someone else being in trouble instead of her. The very loud whispering from beside her, a quick glance over her shoulder showed her to not be speaking. The whispering didn't stop though, what the hell was that? Maybe she really did crack and this was her brain whispering her to run away. Then again, there was no way in any layer of hell she'd label herself as "Dyerlich" girl. That bit made her eyebrow twitch and she sat up just a little bit higher in her chair. Who the hell was whispering that? Well, she wasn't hearing anything, just that scruffy fellow trick Val into going up there.
Good job kid. You fail at being smart.
Rolling her mismatched eyes towards the ceiling, she figured they had something nasty up their sleeve. The few days she'd spent with Dyerlich taught her not to trust any of the bastards. Sure they could act nice, but they were more than willing to make you ache if you did something silly.
That damn whispering was still going on. Another glance was thrown over her shoulder towards the elder female, really wishing she'd stop whispering about a Roman something or other. Then she heard the "Dyerlich" Girl thing float past and she stood up and glared over at Alaina, her hands on her hips and her eyes squinted and glaring.
"Look, I have a name. I am not "Dyerlich" girl. My name is Phenyo, and we get it." Phenyo lifted an arm to point a Roman. "His name is Roman Roses, or something like that, and he's Pilot Royal. Stop repeating it, it's really annoying." Then she cast her green eyes on Chica, or she could only assume was Chica, the scruffy guy, whom she could now assume to be Roman, had called them out for being late. "And you. Shut your damn hair up or I'll cut it off."
Smacking her hand down on the desk and glared after Val. "And you, you little brat. They're going to rip your ego to shreds and you're just letting them, can't you see he's setting you up? Good show of foresight and backbone kiddo," Arrow and Col... How the hell did she know their names? Maybe it was that psychic thing going on here. Either way, the two quiet, cute, scared, little ones got a break, they were good, and if Phenyo did this maybe she'd take some of the heat off the brat, even though he clearly didn't deserve it. Of course she wanted to leave anyway.
"And I am leaving now. This is stupid, I didn't even sign up for this and I already have your named carved into me," She snarled at Dyerlich"A few cracked ribs and now I'm just plain pissed off, so I shall take my leave," Phenyo gave a mocking flourished bow, wincing when her torso objected to the movement,"And let you lovely people do your thing without me."
Turning around on her heel she went and headed for the door. If there was any type of justice here, they'd leave the poor fresh Val alone, he didn't seem as strong mentally as he pretended to be. Though of course, she hoped she wasn't doing this in vain, that would really suck.
-
Roman crushed the cigarette out on the desk then flicked it to the floor. "That," he said, answering Dyerlich's telepathy with is own, "depends entirely on what the dear boy chooses to do." If Val had any sense—which was looking less and less likely—he might yet avoid the lesson Roman had planned for him.
He might yet get out of there with his body still intact.
The presence of so much psychic pressure in one room was beginning to weigh on Col's head. Too many people, too many thoughts flying around. A slow, persistent pain began to throb beneath his skull. He rubbed at his temples and stared at the desk in front of his face, focusing on the color and grain on the wood as intently as he could to try and reflect some of the stray waves coming at him. Movement caught his attention, though, and as Phenyo and Val made for the door his eyes followed them.
As did Roman's.
"Scher?" Roman pathed. His telepathy was like a laser, focused, only detectable to the target.
Soaring high above the ATC, his dragon Scheherazade answered. "Yes, o' shining star of my heart?"
"Do me a favor, love? Lock the door to this room?"
"Since you asked so nicely." And in the space of a half a second Scheherazade did so, digitally traveling down the backend line of command servers to the ATC core processor, through the individual proxies to the subserver that controlled the locks on every door in the ATC and finally to the maintenance controls for the door of Room 118. The small green light on the locking mechanism flashed from green to red just as Val approached it.
Col heard the thick, industrial-strength lock thunk into place and the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. They were all locked in.
Roman was on the verge of being irritated, not good news for any of them, and he let it show as he crossed his arms and sighed. "Looks like the door is locked." He glanced at the watch on his right wrist and said to Val, "I'd like to get this class over with sometime today candidate Val, so if you would." He nodded at the empty space between himself and Dyerlich, a reiteration of his initial command. "I need you to help me teach the rest of them."
Phenyo, though...he had to fight a smile when he looked at her. After all Dyerlich had already done to her, and she pulled that stunt? She was the type who would place her hand on a hot stove twice. "Sit back down. We're not even close to being done yet, and I wouldn't want you to miss this next part."
He then pathed privately to the other Pilot, "I don't envy you that one, mate. She'd drive me up a wall. 'Course the lot of them ain't exactly impressing the hell out of me. The Alaina girl seems to have her head on straight, though. Anyway...I want candidate Phenyo to see this. After that you can take her out and see to her discipline or let her stay for the rest of it." Whether or not her outburst would be addressed was up to Dyerlich, her Pilot. Roman was more focused on Val at the moment.
-
He felt sorry for these children. Their minds were so open and there was so much psychic power just running through this air. It was a horrible thing for all of them, since they had no idea how to block their minds that well. Hopefully he could start teaching Phenyo how to block all the outside powers, stopping herself from listening in on the wild thoughts that were around her. And for her to be so...impulsive.
Dyerlich could only smile when he saw the green light go red on the door.
Locked, finally.
Why hadn't he thought of that?
I hope it is a good meal then. Simple as that. Dyerlich enjoyed Roman because the man could make a person suffer, and in the oddest of ways. He could make a person get hurt, and he could get such a beautiful meal from the man. All that pain, the suffering, the cruel ways, he could just feed on that alone. It was good.
"You have asked, and I shall help." Dyerlich watched...very carefully, his eyes focusing on Phenyo for a moment. The outburst was...very bad for her. It was a whole lot of trouble and he was going to ensure she paid for it. Somehow. The punishment would come later, after the class. She was not going to leave from it, and he would not excuse her from this place. She will finish the class with the others my friend. Her powers are intriguing and have potential, but sadly her sass is...very wild. Dyerlich did enjoy the fact that she could be so...open.
In a way.
In another way however, it drove him up a wall. Her will was so strong, hard to break, she had such a weird...tactic. She calls me daddy, do you think that means anything? I know Wulf used to call me grampa when he thought I wasn't listening. Dyerlich flashed a look to his former candidate before looking to Phenyo carefully.
"Yes, Phenyo, if you could sit please." Dyerlich asked, he seemed almost bored really, he really wanted to see what was in store for poor Val actually. The boy was going to learn the same lesson that Dyerlich had tried to teach him, but now it would be...very Roman.
Poor fool hadn't a clue what was happening.
((Sorry that it's short but I'm rushed for time.))
-
Arrow nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice rang loud and clear in her mind, and her head swiveled as she searched in vain for its source. Of course, that was impossible since no one was actually speaking until...
I’m gunna eat you! I’m gunna bite you and crush you and eat you up for dinner!
Her attention snapped right onto the snake-girl next to her and she blanched, eyes ridiculously wide. She'd dealt with her share of bullies and had been able to fend off a fair few, but she was completely out of her element here--not to mention that girl looked like she could carry out every word she'd "said". With a start, Arrow quickly averted her gaze and hunched her shoulders. She really wanted to change seats but dared not move; she didn't want to bring any attention onto herself if she could help it.
When the girl in front of her stood up and glared at the non-snake woman next to her, Arrow's mouth dropped open. Oh no. She gaped up at her as she went off on her tangent, telling off most of the people in the room. She was going to get in trouble. You didn't do stuff like that in a high school classroom without getting sent to the principal's, so what would they do here? Was she nuts?! Still, right now the instructors seemed distracted by the two fleeing students, so...might as well use this opportunity.
Arrow shot a fleeting glance over at the snake-girl, suddenly feeling very exposed with Phenyo no longer in front of her, and she quickly rose to her feet and scrambled into the empty desk on Alaina's other side. She was now farther from the door than she wanted to be, but she at least now had a shield between her and the chick that wanted to crush and eat her. That was her immediete concern. The Pilots were her second. The locked door was third, but if she thought too much about that then she'd probably have a panic attack. It wasn't that she was claustrophobic; she'd hidden in plenty of small spaces. It was that she didn't like her escape routes being cut off.
So that's Roman... she thought, staring over at the man and forgetting that staring was rude. Thank goodness Phenyo had pointed him out, because that had been gnawing at her for a while, and now she knew. That lessened her stress a little, because not knowing was half of it. He didn't seem too bad.
Not yet. She shifted down in her seat and looked over to Val. It was never a good sign when a teacher called you to the front to "help teach". Arrow resumed chewing on her thumbnail.
Val, meanwhile, had stopped with his nose just inches from the door, blinking in confusion, the sound of the lock still ringing in his ears. Locked in. But...he'd basically just been told he could leave! An icy chill began to work its way down his spine but he ignored it and instead shot the Phenyo girl behind him a smug look. Hah. Yeah, right, she talked big like she knew it all but she was just as stuck as he was. He allowed himself that small satisfaction because it made this disappointment sting a little less.
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Val rolled his eyes and turned around to face Roman, arms crossing over his chest in imitation of the Pilot. Talk about tenacious. Why couldn't someone else help teach the damned class? All the same, it was obvious that he wouldn't be getting out of here unless he just sucked it up and did it, so he let out a long sigh and gave a little shrug. "Right...fine, whatever. You win." He shouldered past Phenyo roughly and strode toward the two Pilots, finally stopping between the two as told and slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants.
While he may have looked the picture of confidence with his back straight and his head up, the truth was he was a little nervous--which was exactly why he'd avoided doing this in the first place. Locked in and made to stand at the front of the class next to the guy that had smacked him. That didn't bode well with him, but...well, what was the worst that could happen? Just teach the stupid class, right. Worst that could happen is he looks like an idiot because he doesn't know a thing about this stupid psychic...stuff. Whatever. He could deal with that. Wasn't like the other brats knew any more than he did.
"There. So look, if I help teach this stupid class, then can I leave?" he asked, ignoring Dyerlich and keeping his eyes on Roman.
-
Whoa.
This chick was having a major freak out. Awesome.
The little goody, goody girl hadn’t even said anything, and here’s purple chick…uh…Phenyo…going off her nut about her repeating stuff. What a freak.
Alright….perhaps her calling anyone else a freak was a tad harsh. But oh well.
Then the random fit turned, most unexpectedly, on Chica. Her hair tended to have something of a personality of its own, and when Phenyo threatened it, the snakes shrunk back to hide behind Chica’s head, while Chica herself was wide eyed with a mix of shock and barely contained rage.
How dare this girl yell at her? The urge to just slap the bitch was incredible. In fact, the only thing that saved Phenyo was the fact that she then turned on that guy….whatever his name was. That successfully diffused her momentary anger, replacing it with dark enjoyment once again.
The sound of the doors locking didn’t actually bother her all that much really. There was no way there were going to be allowed to leave anyway, hell, the door being locked didn’t really change anything.
The pilots’ reaction to Phenyo’s outburst was disturbing. They didn’t yell. They didn’t even threaten. An animal that knew it was weak would make a big display to scare off threats, but these pilots….they knew they were superior, and they didn’t need to make a big show.
She didn’t even realise the girl, Archer, had moved until she glanced at her and found only an empty desk. Heh, she’d apparently got the message. Playing with people was fun.
The girlie was staring at Roman weirdly. Maybe she had a little crush eh? Chica could see that he was…something of a pretty man. Far too many limbs for her taste, but he didn’t have an unattractive face. Silly little girl, getting all cow-eyed for teacher. That’s how Chica saw it anyway.
Chica watched her then look at the guy in trouble, with what she interpreted as jealousy, over the attention he was getting. Not good attention of course, but some people thought any attention was good attention. Not Chica. No. Definitely not. She certainly didn’t do things just to get a reaction.
She leaned forward and stared at Archer to get the girls attention. When she caught her eye, she flicked her head towards Roman, puckered her lips and made a kissing motion, and then poked her tongue out.
Yeah, that should get the message across. It didn’t really occur to her to use her mind again.
She smirked, thoroughly enjoying teasing the little girl, who was obviously the youngest in the class.
-
"Look, I have a name. I am not "Dyerlich" girl. My name is Phenyo, and we get it," she lifted an arm to point a Roman. "His name is Roman Roses, or something like that, and he's Pilot Royal. Stop repeating it, it's really annoying."
Yep. That was a fun pick. Alaina blinked. For a moment, she wondered what it must look like. Phenyo had flipped out impulsively, and for all intents and purposes out of nowhere. Slowly but surely, Alaina's face managed a weak smile, the kind usually offered to fiendishly annoying children. She glanced down at the glowing datapad in her lap, speaking absently.
"Please. I haven't said a word since the instructors showed up."
But congratulations on taking a walk through my head, she added silently, still smiling. Can't blame the girl, really; it's probably what she would have done too. As for the other students, perhaps they'd be perceptive enough to see what was going on. If they weren't, well... then it would just make Phenyo look bad.
Something caught her eye on the side of the room. The locking mechanism crouching on the door blinked red, and she saw Val stop in his tracks. She felt a smooth, resounding vibration in the air as the lock snapped into place. They were locked in.
Great...
That was the other thing she worried about when she arrived at the ATC. The freedom afforded most Aedolis citizens was not given to members of the military, and until this batch of Candidates became Pilots they were pretty much out of luck. The Network owned them. The hierarchical system owned them. And now that the doors were locked, the two Pilots pretty much owned them too.
She looked back to the datapad, which was now displaying an email in its Virtual Communication Network browser.
"There has been a slight change of plans. You were originally assigned to Pilot Gabriel and Dragon Siren, but according to our records the Pilot has been deployed on a tour of duty offworld. He will return to Earth in a few days, but until then we would like you to become acquainted with our Candidate protocol. Report to Room 118 as soon as you receive this message for initi-"
Alaina closed the window. She already knew everything the message would tell her, and in any case she had better things to do. More interesting things, anyway. Things that probably wouldn't fit the profile of the model student.
Command line initialized.
localhost>info localhost
Candidate Datapad 28 (cand28 located on subnet 'candidates')
localhost>lookup gateway candidates
Coordinator for subnet 'candidates' found, stored as string "gateway".
localhost>connect gateway rterm
Connection established via VCN Remote Terminal.
candidates>ldir
Listing directory contents...
[candidates.txt]
[subnet.ini]
Done.
Alaina did this for fun. It had become something of a hobby ever since she took a basic computing class in high school. Something about the unchartedness of a new portion of the VCN intrigued her. She didn't expect to find a list of the Candidates' names, but there it was, sitting on the server that connected their datapads.
Sweet.
As the last of the names scrolled down the screen, it dawned on Alaina that perhaps a military training facility was not the safest place from which to "explore" the guts of the VCN. Quickly, she closed the command line and looked up at the two instructors. Smiling blankly, she began to repeat the mantra. It might annoy Phenyo, but if she spent all her time tapping into Alaina's consciousness she probably deserved it.
Roman Rosales... Pilot Royal...
-
A visible twitch was in Phenyos eyebrow, snapping a glance towards the Sweet Heart. "Thank any gods you haven't. The volume of your thoughts alone is more than enough." With that said to Alaina, or now known as Sweet Heart, all sneering necessary, she changed the object of her attention. After gaining some pleasure from seeing Chicas hair slither back in fear, as inappropriate as it was, Phenyo had to crack a smile.
Rolling her eyes towards the ceiling, she sneered towards the pilots. Well, her little plan hadn't worked on getting the heat off of Val, so she offered him a small smile. "Don't cry." She muttered to him when he moved to walk past her after the door locked. Dyerlich had managed to unlock the door the other day, but it probably had to do with that Dragon of his. Stupid... Dragons. Well, no, Lartech seemed like a big cuddly cat. Stupid Pilots. That worked better. Suited her better.
Taking a steady breath, Phenyo closed her eyes and took steady steps to the very front of the classroom, sitting down in the desk closest to the pair of pilots, obviously trying to draw attention away from the quiet ones. Like Col and Arrow, which seemed to have been working. She hadn't seen Dyerlich cast more than a glance towards them and that made Phenyo feel at least a little better, kick up enough attention and Chica and, Phenyo huffed, Alaina would be in the clear too. More so than all of them were now.
Poor Val though.
Plan fell through the floor. At least everyone else would learn what not to do? She'd get beaten after class was done, Val would... Phenyo had no idea what was in it for Val. Even if he was a bit of a brat, he seemed to have just a little too much pride, and being chastised in front of an entire class, if you could call five people a class. Either way, they'd all see it. Hopefully he wouldn't get his ribs broken. That'd suck.
Too irritated and annoyed to really pick up anything around her, including any snide mental comments from other lovely students. She set her green eyes on Roman, staring at him. Her eyes occasionally flicking towards Dyerlich, the tall bastard.
"Okay, all interested bodies are watching, Mr.Roses. Care to carry on with the class?"
The faster this was over with, the faster she could get the hell out of here. There was no point to her being here, she wasn't even from Aedolis, she wasn't even from this damn solar system! The last thing she wanted to do was be in a military section for a country she didn't even know, and from what she'd seen, was full of sheep. Even the black sheep had their own group, and they exactly what the other sheep did, Phenyo would willingly step into a room full of broken glass before turning into some mindless puppet for these freaks to play with.
Of course, she could always pretend.
Pretending was fun.
-
"Daddy?" Rather unexpectedly that brought a sudden, uncontrollable laughter up in Roman and he had to turn and cough into his hand a couple of times to get himself together again before he could answer Dyerlich. "Must be your valiant paternal nature. You want I should start calling you Dad?"
As Val approached, Roman removed the coffee cup from on top of the desk and placed it underneath in anticipation of what was to come. No sense spilling perfectly good coffee.
"Oh," he said with a little laugh, "I imagine you'll most certainly have to leave after this." Not in the manner Val wished, though. For someone with corporate experience in the eat-or-be-eaten business world of Aedolis, the kid had a charming naiveté. Someone more intuitive, more adept at reading body language, might have noticed the narrowing of Roman's eyes and the anticipatory nature of his smile and been wary.
Roman turned from Val to the rest of the students. "For anyone who hasn't caught it yet, I am Pilot Royal Roman Rosales. Over the next few days you will come to understand exactly what is expected of you, but I will tell you this. One thing you must never do is disobey a direct order from a Pilot." He grinned and clapped Val on the shoulder. "As candidate Val did. Now, I don't expect him to come in here on his second day already knowing this. That would be unreasonable. Which is why I'm going to give him a second chance."
He looked at Val now. His voice lowered and the harmless, casual teacher act was falling away, replaced by an unmistakable smugness as he got up in Val's personal space, using his height and build to physically intimidate. "I don't want any candidate feeling powerless. The truth is, you all control your own fates here. Your actions dictate your future. They dictate if you will be rewarded...or disciplined. In a few moments, I am going to give you another direct order, Val. And what you chose to do after that will determine your fate. If you choose to disobey that order, you will invite on yourself the consequences. That is one of the foundations of the candidate program. And when you receive this next order, I want you to try and master your knee-jerk reaction and ask yourself if you really want to face the alternative. And no, I will not tell you what the alternative is. Now, that having been said..." His grin returned, predatory. "Strip."
Even though the command was not aimed at him, even with all the attention in the room focused elsewhere, Col felt his heart hammering in his chest. Just do it, he prayed. It's a trick, just do it. Roman was giving Val a command he knew the candidate would never obey. Surely Val could see that. He had to.
-
Dyerlich could only scowl at Roman as the laughter was brought up. However, no one would have seen it, they only would have seen Dyerlich looking at him and squinting slightly. It was the cowl, always was the cowl. He wore it because he liked it, but he was never able to really get expressions across to anyone. Smiles, grins, frowns, they were all hidden from the world. I did raise you till you were eighteen didn't I? I think it might be appropriate if you did. Dyerlich shot back, though, it was hard to say if he was teasing or just a bit annoyed.
Dyerlich couldn't wait for this. There was going to be so much fun now! He could always trust his brightest student to come through for him.
While the little stunts had been going on, Dyerlich was careful to watch the happenings of the class, and the thoughts of the students. There were so many interesting ones. Some of Phenyo caught his attention, he would discuss that with her later. However, Chica was a little interesting.
She seemed to be...he wasn't even sure how to put it. She seemed to want to be tough. A discussion would be had later with Roman about a few things as well. However, right now Roman had some things that he had to do it seemed. Some rather interesting things. Like punish the rather loud mouthed Val then.
Dyerlich watched idly at what came next. ah hah hah. Right. Make Val strip. This was just too obvious wasn't it? He knew exactly what was happening at this point. If he couldn't see a trap coming, then well...the boy was going to learn what happened when he disobeyed an order from a pilot. How dense could he be for that matter? Think of it.
He just told him not to disobey a Pilot.
Yet he felt like this damned kid was just going to do that. It was going to be a nice meal though. Roman knew what he was doing. He liked his little speech too actually. It was very true to the program. He didn't punish his own students unless they asked for it. Sometimes they really...really asked for it. That was their fault. However he would also reward them if he needed to. He was not unreasonable after all.
Just, he wasn't really sure how to reward people all that much. Not his strong point sadly. That reminded him though.
His eyes looked to Phenyo as he reached his mind out to hers. He didn't want any of the other candidates listening in on this. Don't act surprised. Don't do anything. Just sit there and watch. You and I will need to have a discussion Phenyo. So please don't go bolting out of the room after class ends. He was asking nicely. Being big and bull headed didn't work all that much, so hopefully this might help instead. Hopefully. Now he could go back to watching Val and Roman. Ah, this would be so nice.
-
Arrow could feel eyes on her, and after a moment she peeled her own eyes off Roman and turned her head--to see the snake-girl staring at her. She squeaked before she could help it and jerked back in her chair, back thunking against the seat. Why was she looking at her?! Why did she keep staring?! What had she ever done to her to make her want to eat her and crush her?! That was when Chica did it. Flicked her head toward Roman...and made the kissy face.
Huh?!
A vivid blush spread from Arrow's cheeks all the way up to the tips of her ears and she shook her head vigorously, mouthing the words "what?" and then "no way!" alternatively. How did snakey get that idea, that she was hot for teacher? What the heck? Granted, Arrow had had her little crushes on teachers before, like in elementary school on her math teacher, but all the girls had crushed on him, too. So what?! It wasn't a big deal, it was just silly school girl stuff! And she wasn't crushing on Roman. He...he acted kind of cool like her old math teacher, he was kind of handsome once you got past the insomniac look, but no way!
Aiming a frown at Chica, Arrow twisted her body in her seat so her back was just about facing the snake-girl and leaned one elbow on her desk, chin propped on her hand. Her face was still flushed, but whatever Snakey thought she was just trying to pay attention to the lesson.
Val stiffened when he was clapped on the shoulder, and it was then that he finally sensed the coming trainwreck. Oh shit. Right, by "help teach the class" what this Roman guy really meant was "I'm going to use you as an example of what not to do", though what the fuck had he done wrong in the first place? The other Pilot had come in guns a-blazing and slapped him for no reason whatsoever, and Roman had basically told him he could leave after that, if not exactly in those words. It was close enough for him, though, it was Roman's fault for being vague. He shifted a little, a nervous action, and looked up at Roman warily.
A second chance, eh?
Even Val, imperceptive as he was, saw the shift in Roman and it took him completely off guard. He hadn't been too worried before. All right, so he was in trouble. Big whoop, wouldn't be the first time, he'd gotten detention before for smart mouthing teachers and crap and Roman seemed pretty reasonable and easy going. Wasn't like he could really do anything, anyway. But then Roman's voice lowered and he was looming over him, unexpectedly menacing, and Val shrank back before he could check himself, shrugging uncomfortably as his personal bubble was invaded. He took a step backwards and averted his eyes for a moment before looking back up at him when he addressed him directly again. As much as he was trying to uphold his signature confident, cocky air it was starting to slip away as he realized, more and more, that he really was in a situation that he had very little control over. Even he could only fool himself for so long.
Still he managed an indifferent shrug and a small nod as Roman explained, rolling his eyes in a "yeah, yeah, let's get this over with" sort of way. Fine. Just do the stupid order then, Val. He could do that, he wasn't stupid enough to put his hand on a hot stove twice and he really didn't want to find out what the alternative was so he could "empower" himself by following some stupid little--
"Strip."
Silence followed the order. Even Val's mind, which was normally quite loud, went completely blank. Val stared up at Roman, eyebrows arched and eyes wide in a mixture of shock and indignation as his mind processed the command, processed the predatory grin that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. For a second he thought he'd heard Roman wrong, that he was just kidding because that couldn't possibly be it and if it was a joke then hah hah, that was a pretty good one.
Then he realized the joke was on him, and he exploded.
"What the fuck are you, some kinda pervert?!" Val shouted, recoiling. So much for knee-jerk reactions. "Fuck no, faggot! That's sexual harassment! You can't order that!"
Arrow clapped a hand over her mouth to hold in a nervous giggle that was anything but amused. She hadn't been here long, but even she knew this couldn't end well.
-
Oh gods! The girl was getting so flustered, it was excellent!
Chica couldn’t remember the last time anyone had reacted this well to her teasing. If the blushing weren’t enough, the frantic attempts at denial certainly made it. She actually cared that Chica thought she was eyeballing the teacher.
When she looked away Chica collapsed onto the desk, trying not to laugh and struggling for breath from the sheer effort. What an absolute….a total….well, there was no word for what that girlie was! It was unbelievable. She seemed so young and naive. Maybe she could tell the kid about the birds and the bees sometime, freak her out good.
While her head was on the table, Chica’s hair was sticking up and watching what was going on at the front of the room. Chica completely missed the order, and it was only when one of her snakes came down and nudged her that she lifted her head and started paying attention again.
He had to what!?
Oh, this was just awesome!
She was going to laugh so freaking hard when that guy had to get naked. She’d laugh and point and wiggle her pinkie and oh what fun shall be had.
But…of course he had to go and ruin her fun. Not that watching someone yell wasn’t a bit fun. And the guy did have a point, Roman looked like he was turning out to be a bit of a boy chaser. A meat grinder. A turd burglar.
She made herself stop down that line of thought before it just got really icky.
She giggled too, not the nervous, girlie giggle that Archer was suppressing, but rather a hissing giggle from behind teeth bared in a snide grin. Pretty boy was gunna get his arse handed to him somehow, and she could not wait to watch.
((Sorry bout the shortness, am a bit busy at the moment))
-
Whoa-ho-ho.
Strip? As in...
Get naked? Phenyo was about to open her big mouth, which would have put her hand on a hot stove for a third time, when she heard Dyerlich asking almost nicely for her to not do anything. Strip. Huh. If she hadn't gotten naked twice in front of her own pilot over the two days she'd suffered with him, she would have been as horrified as Val seemed to be. What the hell was that funny writhing noise? A peek over her shoulder showed it to be Chica, The Snake Thing. Rolling her eyes towards the ceiling she shook her head and turned her eyes to Roman.
That smile suited him oh so well. Predatory, if Val had looked younger it would have been a 'Predatory Child Rapist' grin. Now it was just a 'Predatory Boy Rapist' grin. Or that of a sneaky cat who just got his prize, Phenyo never could tell the difference between the two, just a happy gay man or a happy cat man? Maybe even a happy gay cat man. Ha, eat that Dyerlich. You're friends with a happy gay cat man. No wait, a Happy Gay Catman Rapist.
All the giggling made her sit up and look over her shoulder again. What the hell? Poor kid refused to get naked, so Phenyo could only assume he'd get something removed, and the two girls behind her were giggling. Well, Arrow had the grace to cover her mouth, but the Snake-Girl was hissing. Putting on a confused face, she rubbed at her neck, pulling the uniform back down again, damn thing was making the healing words so damn itchy.
The hissing thing was pretty annoying, so she shot Chica another glare, aiming her leer at the snake heads. "You should giggle when you get a few of those heads of yours removed. I bet it feels really nice." She said smiling slightly, before poking out her tongue and turning back around to, like Dyerlich asked her too, stare blankly at Roman and Val.
He never said about turning around and harassing the snakey candidate. He just said to sit there and watch. Sorta. Phenyo was glazing over a few details, nothing too important. Besides, she was a newbie! The only person who'd look bad from her freaking out or maybe even doing something stupid and heroic -- Unlikely -- would be Dyerlich. She almost smiled, but quickly looked down at her desk.
Time to look bored and detached.
Slowly, Phenyo leaned back against the chair, one foot up on her knee and the other flat on the ground. Arms crossed over her chest, careful to hide at least one hand under her arm incase she needed to clench a fist. Wouldn't want anyone to see that. Breathing through her nose, she than began to watch boredly, her lips pulled into a thin line and her eyes hooded and.. Well... Bored looking.
-
"Strip."
Alaina knew what was going on immediately. It was so obvious, and Val still didn't get it. The military owned him now. Among other things, they owned Val's body... and Roman wanted to know how quickly he would adapt to the fact. Stupid, stupid boy.
The instructor didn't seem like a rapist or even an asshole trying to humiliate Val in front of the class. It was just a test, like everything else in this place. In front of the only people who could possibly be your friends from now on, strip. In front of the people who will probably be your enemies soon, strip. There were so many reasons not to. The instructors wanted to know that their wishes were the first priority in Val's mind.
Alaina looked away. She felt sorry for him, nothing more. He was a prick, for sure, but they'd singled him out. Apparently, he wasn't taking it well. He started yelling. He started making poor choices. Alaina planted her face in her palm when she heard him start to curse at Roman. At some point, every one of them would have to strip... or read someone's deepest thoughts... or fire a gun in cold blood... just another loyalty test.
The other kids were laughing, and Alaina could barely hide her disgust. Stupid, stupid. Of course it was entirely possible that one of them might be in the front of the class, but that wasn't the only thing. Alaina was absolutely sure that each and every one of them would join Val in the ranks of humility within the near future. The military would insist on cohesion.
Alaina couldn't bring herself to feel good about it. There was no feeling of revenge or even relief. The military owned them both, and Val's predicament actually made her empathize with him. She didn't have to think too hard about it. Slowly, she looked up at the boy, gave him a long stare, and made her first attempt at telepathy in earnest.
"Do what the man says, kid."
-
Roman couldn't help himself. The thoughts flying between Arrow and Chica regarding him were too tempting to pass up, and just to make the girl's life a little more interesting he turned his head and gave Arrow a wink. Sixteen years old. A little young...but not too young for his taste.
As Arrow would likely hear among the ATC gossip, Roman had a reputation for making his way through the attractive female candidates, and he had every intention of making her worry about it. He'd get to her eventually. Hell, he had years to take advantage of the girls in this room. Er...well maybe not the snake. He wasn't even sure how that would work mechanically, and he just plain wasn't into scales.
But he was getting distracted.
His expression was pleasant as he brought one hand up to the back of Val's neck in a touch that was at first soft, almost a caress. But it was only to provide leverage. Without warning, he slugged Val square in the stomach. He didn't give the kid a chance to recover and shoved him backwards onto the desk and clamped a hand over his throat. "Savage," he snapped.
Col shot to his feet, face pale.
"Get his arms, I want him laid out on top of the desk." And Col rushed forward and around to the other side of the desk to grapple at Val's arms. Shit, he weren't gonna fall into the same trap. Roman wanted him to hold the other candidate down, that's what he'd do, and to hell with Val. Better him than Col, who had been down this road already and never wanted to go down it again. He'd had his awakening, what Roman called his 'motivator'. So maybe this would be Val's motivator, and whatever it was it was his own stupid fault.
"Pilot Dyerlich," Roman said. "If you would help me get him properly situated and then hold his ankles?" The desk was six and a half feet long, big enough to stretch Val across the surface with only his feet hanging off the end. Roman's eyes flicked to the corner, where a small closet was set inconspicuously into the wall. Over the years he had accumulated a number of useful items in there for use in just this kind of situation. It was hardly an unprecedented event, him needing to make a very clear and memorable point during orientation. Sometimes the candidates just got it. Sometimes they needed to be educated.
He would educate Val today.
-
Dyerlich just acted unobservant, and very bored. That's all he had to do at this time. No one was really talking, they were all...using their thoughts. It was interesting actually. None of them were really using their telepathy, but all of them were reading each other's minds and then just...how to put it? Thinking a response but not sending it. That was actually good, it would be excellent practise for them. This was something they should get used to anyway.
Dyerlich could already tell trouble was brewing between them. It would be fun however. Ah. There it was. Val just snapped. Oh yes, Roman could order anything he wanted really. Just like Dyerlich could. Heh.
He wasn't as free with his orders however. But this was just a test anyway. Dyerlich watched snake girl, Chica for a few minutes. Hm. Funny. She however was going to be fun to discipline. Having to be careful about not getting her goggles off. Oh now there was an idea. I do hope that Kota figures to bolt those goggles right to the Gorgon's skull. That particular thought was shot out to Roman, thinking it was a delightful idea. He would need to bring that up with her if he saw her.
At least Phenyo was behaving. Mostly. He caught her little...upset with Chica but...she could do what she wanted in that regards. It wasn't her fault was it? She was being egged on..sort of. She had even listened to him though. That was a strange thing to see. Maybe the please had worked.
Dyerlich looked up at Roman and smirked a little. "Aw, you said my name." Dyerlich stood up, right to his full height, looming over the five foot, nine inch tall boy. "This is going to be fun Val. And it's all on your head. Idiot child." His arms were longer than most people's, and he stooped a little as he grabbed onto Val's legs suddenly. Dyerlich grew his fingers out suddenly, the claws which slowly piercing into the boy's skin. Heh.
"Here we go." He helped Col get Val onto the desk, that is before he crouched somewhat. It was a quick movement, his arms coming up and then suddenly bringing down his elbows. Everyone would have heard and seen it. The spikes went straight through the ankles, pinning them to the table, and even so, the spikes when into the table, splintering the wood. Dyerlich had sent them in a little angled, allowing him to rest his chin on the palm of his hands.
"I'd say old friend that Val isn't going anywhere." Dyerlich commented idly as he shot a look to his old candidate before looking back to Val's face. He was pretty sure this hurt a lot. He could get his legs repaired. They had a top notch medical facility after all. He still couldn't wait to see what Roman had planned. Already he was feeding off all this hate, all this suffering, pain, all of it was just one big meal for him.
And it was delicious.
-
If Arrow had been embarrassed before, she cold have died right then and there when Roman turned his head and winked at her. As it was, she just about swallowed her tongue and her face became unbearably hot as the dreaded realization popped into her head: He can probably hear everything I'm thinking. Gah! He can probably hear that, too! Crap! How do you stop thinking?! Uhh, Pilot Royal Roman Roses, yeah, hi, if you're listening right now I...I don't really...you know, no offense but the snake-girl's wrong...oh jeez, I should stop thinking now...sorry!
Pointedly looking anywhere but at Roman now, she sank down further in her seat as though hoping the chair would develop a gaping mouth and swallow her whole before she dug her own hole any deeper. Oh dear...he'd totally gotten the wrong message, and right now she found herself hating the snake-girl. A lot. This was so awkward.
But she'd soon forget that little embarrassment ever happened.
Do what the man says, kid.
The words entered his mind too late, but even if they'd come sooner he had already made his choice and there was no turning back now. Val didn't even have time to properly register the message or feel alarm at the caress of Roman's hand before the man's fist slammed into his stomach. Pain and nausea exploded in his middle and for a moment he couldn't breathe. The world tilted oddly, and it was only when his back and head thunked against a hard surface and Roman snapped orders that he even realized where the hell he was--and that Roman had him pinned by the throat. Oh fuck. He tried to form words to take it all back, tried to pry Roman's hand off him, but his body only convulsed in a fit of coughing, not at all recovered from that blow.
He was recovered at least enough to try and struggle, and when Savage came to take his arms, panic began to overpower the pain and discomfort and he stared up at his peer's pale face with wide eyes as though willing him not to do this. Right now it didn't matter if he was some lower caste brat or not. Heart hammering in his chest and blood rushing in his ears, he tried to resist but found his arms pinned, too, and then Dyerlich was there and going for his legs. Fuck! He aimed a hard kick at the bastard, but he took hold of him with with little issue and Val felt something sharp start to slice into his skin. His breath caught and he yelped, and the panic intensified when he found himself firmly restrained. Oh God, they couldn't be serious! They couldn't do this, whatever this was!
"W-wait! Stop, I take it back! I'll do the damned stripping!" he gasped. He'd give them a fucking strip tease if they'd let him go!
Too late for that. He saw Dyerlich raise his arms and bring them down, and he heard the sickening sound of cracking bone, parting flesh, and the thud of something sharp embedding itself in something hard, felt the vibration of it travel through the desk. Someone was screaming, raw and wordless, and the world seemed to phase out of view as white-hot pain ripped through his ankles. He didn't realize for a few seconds that the scream was his own.
In the back of his mind, somewhere distant and far away, the words "don't cry" popped into his head unexpectedly. Phenyo's words. He hadn't thought anything of them at the time but as the pain shot through him, as his own sharp cry echoed in his ears, the words exploded into his head. Don't cry. Suddenly he understood, and suddenly her behavior made sense, the way she'd been stiffly walking, the carved words, she'd been here. But it was a bit too late for advice like that; he could feel the hot tears rolling down the sides of his face, hear his ragged gasps and whimpers as he sucked in air and choked on pain, and he writhed on the table, head tossed back, back arched, and eyes clenched shut. A hiccupping sob tore free, and he clamped his teeth together stubbornly even as his body shuddered.
Don't fucking cry!
"Fucking assholes!" he cried, voice thick and throat tight, choking the words out. He was trying to be strong, trying to tough it out and not give any fucker here the satisfaction of having something to laugh about, but his voice trembled and his breath hitched on another convulsive sob.
Arrow felt sick, and she buried her face in her hands and looked away, facing more toward Alaina. Her own pulse was racing, her hands felt clammy and shaky, and her stomach had twisted itself into a tight ball of nerves. She wanted to leave, feeling like she really needed to excuse herself to the restroom so she could empty her stomach, but she swallowed hard and held it all in and focused on not drawing attention to herself.
That could have been her up there. That could have been any of them. And bad mouth or not, did that really deserve getting...getting.. .
Arrow pressed her hands tighter to her mouth and took a deep, shaky breath. She didn't want to be here. These people were monsters.
And this had pretty much solidified the fact that, no, she was not hot for teacher. At all.
-
For the second time today Chica was suddenly quiet, and her hair was cowering behind her as best it could. She poked her tongue out in response. It wasn’t like she was doing it on bloody purpose. They just did that. No need to be rude.
That said, of all the people in this room, that chit that raised her hand, Archer, the mouthy boy, and the quiet one that she’d barely even noticed, Phenyo with her snide remarks and cocky attitude was most certainly the most appealing person to Chica. Nothing better than a good adversary.
She grinned again when she caught the wink Roman sent at Archer and then watched the girls’ reaction. Oh yes, hot for teacher indeed.
Now, while Chica had quietly, or perhaps not so quietly judging by Phenyo’s little comments, been looking forward to watching the kid get what was coming to him, she had expected something a little more…normal. The punch wasn’t unexpected, or even how he was held down on the table. It looked like he was going to have a normal beating. Well…perhaps not entirely normal in modern schools, but there were still places where that sort of thing went on.
But the moment Dyerlich, which was the big guys name apparently, sent some sort of…elbow spikes through the boys legs, well, that was a little bit of a shock.
Fucking…wow. These guys were serious. Phenyo’s comments about cutting off her hair were suddenly more real. They might actually do that to her. That was worse than cutting off a finger or stabbing someone through both ankles and impaling them to a desk. That was like…like….like cutting out her eyes!
She didn’t panic. Now wasn’t the time for panic. Chica prided herself on a highly analytical brain that didn’t succumb to panic. She hadn’t always been big after all, and a small snake-girl tends to take a lot of punishment from bigger not-snake-girls, so she was rather good at stifling her fear to think clearly.
They’d given the boy a choice. That was a good sign. The choice meant that this served a purpose, rather than just being sadistic. The lesson was clear enough, you do what they tell you, or you suffer for it. Far better to be naked than tortured. So the principal was simple, she did what she was told by the pilots. If she did what she was told, she would hopefully get off with the lesser of two evils. Failure to complete a set task would probably also, logically, result in similar treatment. So she had to pass everything. Well…that obviously wasn’t going to happen. But if she was prepared for it, punishment wouldn’t be as bad. Theoretically.
She put on her blankest face. The face she put on when people were beating her up. It was a face that reflected utter internal calm. She had to be calm, if she wasn’t calm, people got hurt. Her hair had a poisonous bite, so getting angry could mean death. And death was messy and hard to explain.
She looked straight at the boy, but let her eyes glaze over and go out of focus. Just don’t pay it any attention.
-
"Get his arms, I want him laid out on top of the desk."
Roman barked orders at the candidate who arrived with him, and together they lifted Val onto the table. He protested, but they held him down with uncomfortable ease. The other instructor, who'd kept completely still until now, stepped forward and extended his hands over the boy. Alaina couldn't even see the man's face through the cowl, but she knew he was smiling.
She looked away, staring down at the datapad. There was a sickening crunch and she knew Val's legs had been splintered. She knew if she looked up, she would see pieces of bone, the boy lying prone on Roman's desk, two bloody spikes attached to the cowled instructor's elbows. Alaina didn't look up. She felt the scene anyway. It appeared over and over again in her mind, like an instant replay on the Haviah Sports Network. It was perhaps the most crystal-clear psychic image she'd ever seen.
Alaina's eyes began to water and her vision blurred. It was a sign of weakness in front of hard military men, but she couldn't help it. At the same time, she knew it was important to think very carefully about the situation. There would be orders in the future far less reasonable than the one given Val... and Alaina knew that the others in the room would be much more willing to accept them now. The Pilots were smart, and they were also not messing around. It confirmed her suspicions that the program was aimed to desensitize, to take away the inhibitions of the civilian and introduce new ones. The fear of disobeying an order, for instance.
She had been prepared to follow orders from the first minute. Hell, if she were in Val's place, she probably would have stripped. But now she had a different fear... she was scared that she'd be tortured, even if she did everything they asked of her. Being around here long enough must make you at least a little sadistic. Where were the lessons? Where were the psychic training programs? There was nothing but fear to see, at least so far. We get it. Orders are orders, and disloyalty is pain.
Alaina dried her eyes hurriedly and tilted her head up, staring blankly at the results of their sickening first lesson. Wouldn't do to look like a weak civilian, or they'd try to beat it out of her. Gazing at Val's bloody figure was difficult, and she found herself trying to look away. The girl next to her was breathing heavily, obviously as disturbed as Alaina by the proceedings. That was good to know. At least she wasn't alone.
-
What would be a good look for this situation? Content boredom? Just a hint of interest? Perhaps a perked eyebrow and a small twitch to a corner of her lips. The first bout of her 'boredom' was ruined when Mr.Roses winked at Arrow, already having a budding Older Sister outlook towards the girl, Phenyo shot him a nasty glare with a very obvious frown, she didn't care if he saw it or not, but it made her feel better. Sick fuck. she mentally snarled at him before turning her attention back to Val.
Through out most of the ordeal, Val getting punched and thrown back onto the desk, Col standing up like a kicked puppy to follow his masters orders, Phenyo leaned back, looking bored but intrigued. Just the way she figured her pilot would want her to look. Look detached and emotionless, a good front for her racing heart and earnest want to help him get out of this.
Of course the spikes surprised her. Phenyo didn't remember those being on Dyerlich, but her eyes didn't even flick away when she heard and saw him drive them through the boys ankles. Shifted a little to get a little more comfy, sure, but her face didn't change except for a bit of a frown. The screaming hurt her ears. Pretend to be as heartless as they want you to be and you'll do fine. You could check up on him later, with or without permission. You couldn't check up on him if you're in the infirmary too.
Hell, maybe even give him a hug.
Phenyo tilted her chin up and sat up a little higher, trying to look him in the face, maybe he just needed eye contact with someone calm, stare at someone so he had something else to focus on besides the fact that he had two spikes through his ankles and the punishment hadn't even started yet. Of course it probably wouldn't work, but it was worth a try. Phenyo had a good idea that everyone else was pulling the same card she was, look carefully detached but feel horrible inside. It was a good front, even though Phenyo knew that the second this was over she'd probably get up and start barking at them again.
Unfortunately for these pilots, and very possibly herself, Phenyo was very slow when it came to learning lessons. Put her hand on a hot stove twice, mouth off the wrong person four times, irritated the scary pokey pilot more than enough. No lessons yet.
Blinking slowly, letting her eyes flicker to Dyerlichs covered face. Would he be smiling? Delighting in the poor boys pain and agony? Did he actually expect her to listen any better after he was done torturing someone else? Phenyo knew he fed on negative emotions, she didn't even feed on them and she could simply feel it radiating off of Val. A pang of pride rang out in her chest when he swore at them. Sure it was a bad move, but don't let them know they've broken you, don't let them begin to think they've torn you.
Letting out a slow breath, she shifted again, resting her arm back onto the desk behind her and resting her head on her hand, blinking boredly and making a bored face, idly playing with her hair. Of course she was watching, she was paying attention, she was giving reactions they wanted.
Just like she was told to.
Because dammit if she wasn't going to give Val a hug if he survived this lovely little class. Fuck Dyerlich and his chat, she knew what he was going to say, and she had a feeling that she'd get to meet his spikes soon enough, might as well do it while she was mostly whole. The hugging that is.
-
As soon as Col and Dyerlich had a hold of Val, Roman released his throat and stepped back, watching the struggle and directing them until Val had been situated to his liking. And there it was, exactly what he'd been expecting. Val backpedaling, asking for another chance to obey. Good. Roman loved these moments, when they were reduced to begging. That's when you knew you were getting to the heart of them. "You made your choice," was all he said in response.
Roman paused to hunker down and take a sip from his coffee cup. So glad he'd anticipated Val's response and set it down there. "That'd be one solution," he said to Dyerlich in response to the comment regarding Chica. "Might be easier and less risky to just gouge her eyes out, though. Not like it would be the first time." There had been blind Pilots before. If Chica had it in her, she'd make it through even with both her eyes gone.
Ignoring all the psychic chatter flying around, including Phenyo's comment—he had an idea how to fix that one and without even laying a hand on her—Roman stood back up and sauntered over to the closet. Inside were all kinds of things, an eclectic gathering of useful items. Branding irons, chains and ropes of various lengths, needles and thread, potato peelers...it looked almost like any junk closet. The light inside was broken and Roman had to rummage around, tossing things here and there, to find what he was looking for. And find it he did. In pulling a box of fish hooks down off a shelf, the thing he was looking for fell to the ground with an enormous crash. He had to leap out of the way to avoid it falling on his foot. Wouldn't that have just been the ultimate poetic irony?
He picked up the sledgehammer and walked out with it.
As Roman came into Val's line of sight he was all smiles, the large hammer resting against one shoulder. He even did the kid a favor and, using an opposing thoughtwave frequency, interrupted the flow of signals from Val's nociceptors to his brain. It would cut off most of the pain for as long as Roman held it. He wanted Val alert and lucid and fully appreciative of the situation before the hammer fell.
"This," he said, "is a very exciting moment for you, candidate Mynatt. Because you are learning something. You are shedding ignorance and that is an incredible thing. Your illusions might be shattered along with your body." His eyes flickered to Col and he hefted the hammer in both hands. "This will be your motivator."
Col's position, leaning all his weight upon Val's upper arms, forced him to look the other candidate square in the face. His own felt cold and pale, but he couldn't turn away. He was transfixed, staring into Val's eyes, dark hair falling around his face and his lips slightly parted in disbelief of where he was, what he was doing. He felt like...he should say something. Something encouraging-like. Anything.
But he was struck dumb, and couldn't stop imaging himself up there.
-
Dyerlich almost laughed at the idea of gouging her eyes out. True, there had been blind pilots, there had been deaf and mute pilots before, but he wasn't so sure taking the woman's eyes would be all that good of an idea. You sure that would be smart? The poor creature is going to have enough trouble completing the physical training with the snake parts, adding her being blind, might as well toss her right to TRIM. His idea just was safer, it kept people from turning to stone, or her using herself as a weapon if she got really scared.
Dyerlich tossed a look over his shoulder to the closet that was just filled with...well there were so many things in there, things that Roman had just acquired over the years no doubt. They were...innocent things really. Things you wouldn't expect to be hurt with, at least not in the military. Try to go easy on Phenyo...she's...ugh. Got a mouth on her. He would discipline her of course, but he didn't want Roman to go ahead and do that all for him. He had such plans already!
Dyerlich let an eyebrow raise up as he saw the sledge hammer approach in the hands of Roman. Alright. This would not be a happy day for Val. This would be...interesting. Dyerlich didn't feel sorry for Val, but he did seem...rather sorry that Val's pain had disappeared suddenly. No more...suffering, no more negative emotions...nothing.
They would return however, Roman was just being...most people would call this sadistic really.
Maybe even illegal, but as Pilots, this was well within their right.
Dyerlich almost wanted to say it was going to hammer in some information for Candidate Mynatt, but really that would have been in bad taste. He didn't have the best sense of humour out there did he? It was probably best that he not say anything out loud. Instead he focused more on the candidates, on their little chatter.
Phenyo's little comments were starting to annoy him. She wasn't going to go anywhere. He might have to borrow some chains from that closet but she would have a chat with him, and that was the plan. She could go and visit Val in the infirmary after ward. She was wrong though, she wouldn't meet his spikes, and she had no idea what he was going to say.
Next time he misbehaves, you should dump the fish hooks on the ground and make him roll in them. Not by will, take over the cortex that controls motor functions and use him like a puppet. The fish hooks looked a little rusted and just so alone, it wasn't fair to keep them all in a box and not use them.
He didn't see Roman as a fisherman anyway.
-
Roman had vanished out of his line of vision but Val could hear him doing...something. There were various crashing sounds coming from somewhere in the room and each one made him gasp and jump. It might not have been so bad if he could tell what he was doing--well, not any worse, at least--but no matter how he twisted it didn't improve the view, and pain made it nigh impossible to move or even think. Every little movement just made it feel like the spikes were tearing at him more, and it was effort enough to keep his teeth clamped together and his shuddering cries muffled. It wasn't very successful, but fuck if he wasn't trying when all he wanted to do was scream.
The larger crash made him jolt violently, and Col could probably feel his body trembling. He wouldn't be surprised if people could hear his heart beating frantically.
It didn't get much better when Roman finally walked back into sight carrying a fucking SLEDGEHAMMER and smiling oh so cheerfully.
Val went stock still and stared at the hammer, eyes wide and face white, breath coming out in shallow, quick pants. His stomach lurched sickeningly and his head swam. The pain had abruptly sank to bearable levels, a dull throb as opposed to excruciating agony, but Val hardly even noticed at that point as his blood went cold even as beads of sweat gathered along his skin. He couldn't be serious. He was insane. But his already pierced ankles told him that he was, and he had no reason to believe the man was ever joking about anything.
Exciting moment? Shedding ignorance? Because he was getting tortured?! The only thing he was shedding right now was blood! Val shook his head, silently pleading with Roman not to do it since his throat had seized up on him. He couldn't. He couldn't do this. He couldn't!
Roman hefted the hammer, and Val flipped bravery the bird.
"You're crazy! You're fucking crazy!" Val sobbed, yanking hard at his arms, but they were held down fast and he could hardly move them, much less his body given the way he was stretched out. Still he thrashed in earnest then, not caring it it tore his ankles more because it would be worse anyway if he didn't get away. For the first time since Roman returned, Val tore his eyes away from the hammer and stared up at the only person around him who could possibly help him right now, eyes wild with panic as they locked onto Col's. "Let go! Let go, please!" he begged, tears falling freely and body shivering. "I'm sorry! I'm fucking sorry! Please, I'll do it! Please!"
Arrow closed her eyes tight and brought her hands up close to her ears, wanting to cover them, wanting to make everything go away. She didn't want to see it or hear it when the hammer did fall. She may not have been the one up there, but cold dread gripped her all the same and tears fell silently down her cheeks. She felt like she was going to throw up, and she'd already had to swallow down bile twice.
And she felt like an utter coward for just sitting there as it happened, but no one else was moving, either. And she felt sick thinking that one day she might be the one up there--or the one helping.
She wasn't sure which would be worse.
Cracking an eye open, she briefly scanned the room for the nearest trash can and took a deep breath. She might need it.
-
As it turned out, fear wasn’t the strongest emotion Chica had to fight. The anger that begin to bubble in the pits of her stomaches threatened to consume her entirely. She closed her eyes and ground her teeth. Couldn’t get angry. Mustn’t kill anyone.
Oh gods.
Then Roman pulled out a sledgehammer. That was…it was just too far. She hated dickhead teachers, and she hated bullies….though she sort of was one herself in some ways…
This guy was both, and it tore her up.
She didn’t care, she didn’t! She didn’t give a rats about the boy or whatever happened to him. Better him than me right?
She planted her elbows on the desk, grabbing fistfuls of her hair to hold up her hanging head. This was just sick, he was he was talking was sick. She felt sick.
Why didn’t that Savage guy do something? Why didn’t he let go? Why didn’t someone do something? She couldn’t talk, sitting there like a coward. Doing nothing, just like everyone else.
But she couldn’t do anything. He was a freaking pilot! If she acted it would be useless anyway, not like she could do anything to make him stop. She was rather strong when it came to telekinesis, though she did lack proper control, but against a pilot….he’d probably brush her off like a bug. And after that…she’d be the one lying on that table next.
It would seem however that, no matter how hard she fought it, Chica did care. Perhaps not over the guy himself, but the principal of it. She wasn’t prone to doing selfless things, but she also had little control over her abilities when she was mad. And what a rage it was that came out, completely against her will.
Whenever she did something telekinetically she tended to imagine it like hands coming out of her head. She could see them, sort of. It wasn’t like seeing, more like the way you can feel your own arm even if you can’t see it.
Right then, in her minds eye, two very large arms sprouted from her brain. They shot forward, their speed only limited by the speed at which her mind could imagine them moving, intent on knocking Col away and stopping that hammer.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to!” Chica screamed as they did, eyes wide and her nails digging into the desk where she’d grabbed it in her sudden fear. Oh gods, she was going to die. They were going to kill her.
-
Alaina watched, glassy-eyed, as Roman proceeded to open a storage closet and rifle through it for something. That something, she soon discovered, was a sledgehammer. He was going to use it on Val.
It was pointless, really. Alaina didn't want to be too critical of the men in charge, but the lesson had proceeded swiftly from negative reinforcement to plain old sadism. She was even more shocked when Roman hefted the hammer above Val. Clearly, it wasn't just a prop. Alaina wanted to get up and tell Roman...
"Don't do it!"
She'd said it aloud. In the dead silence of the room, she'd told the instructor not to do something. Brilliant. Alaina mentally slapped herself for being such an idiot. Thinking fast about how to justify her outburst, she simply ended up explaining herself. Her face was warm as she spoke.
"It's not worth it; he'll be a Pavlovian dog to orders at this point. You've broken his mind. All that will do is break his body."
Again, the cold facade. Alaina actually felt some compassion for the kid, lying stretched-out on the table, held down by his fellow candidate as Roman prepared to take a swing at him. But that wouldn't convince them... hell, she didn't know if the practical argument would work. It was worth a shot, though, if only to avoid seeing more blood.
She didn't even notice Chica's psychic move, but it wouldn't have made much difference. If Alaina had known, she probably would have spoken anyway.
-
In any other situation, Phenyo would have cracked up. A sledgehammer. He was going to swing around a sledgehammer? Blinking owlishly for a moment, pursing her lips and shifting her weight a little so she could bring up a leg and sit on her foot. Slow steady breaths through her nose, her teeth firmly planted on her tongue to remind her not to speak, not to scream at anyone, not to make a fuss.
Damn did she want to though.
Phenyo frowned deeper when she felt like smiling, even if it was a bad thing to encourage, she could hardy contain herself when she heard Val swear at them again. Good boy. You're already fucked, couldn't possibly get any worse now. Even if it could, this would be a hard one to top. A sledgehammer. Classic. Shaking her head slightly, simple amazed at how... Simple it was.
Did they have a brochure for this place? They could put that on it. "If you don't listen, we'll smack ya with a sledgehammer!" Or carve into your neck, or break some ribs. Phenyo shot Dyerlich a bit of a glare before picturing it in her head, complete with pictures of Roman looking happy with sledgehammers. Phenyos green eyes glazed over slightly and her eyebrow twitch, but she jolted when not one, but two people called out. Chica and Alaina.
The snake and the quiet one.
Phenyo looked at them and blinked, Alaina was explaining herself. To the sadistic psychopath? She had a feeling that talking to him was like talking to a brick wall that had eyes. Just look at you like you're stupid while you try to talk to it. Clearing her throat and shifting again, lowering her head to her head to rest it again. Just hurry up already. The faster you hit him, the faster this is over with, the faster he can heal, the faster she can tell Dyerlich to go do something with himself he could probably physically do.
Ew.
-
"We could put her eyes out and give her artificial ones that can't turn us to stone," Roman suggested, continuing the telepathic conversation with Dyerlich while he enjoyed the sound of Val's begging. He thought his idea was the most practical, although in the back of his mind he had to acknowledge the possibility that maybe he just plain liked the idea of eye gouging. "Now you've gone and got me all excited about this eye thing. If I put some random candidate's eyes out, it'll be your fault, Dad. And don't worry about Phenyo and me. I know how to get her in line without even laying a hand on her." The solution he'd come up with for Phenyo's insubordination was simple, elegant. It would guarantee she gave Roman the respect due a Pilot, all without hurting her a bit.
"The fishhooks, hm? Perhaps. I've never really been one for mind control, you know." It was so much more challenging and rewarding to find ways of making them take their punishments of their own volition. Roman's gaze raked over Val's supine form, relishing the moment, drawing it out...
...much to Col's anger and disgust. He was getting nauseated, and his legs were trembling. When Val's eyes hit him, he flinched as from a physical blow and almost let go on impulse. His hands shook, loosened their hold.
"You want to take his place?"
Col gasped at the cold, slippery thought worming it's way into the front of his mind. It seemed to linger there, coiling in his head, echoing, and he turned his face up to see Roman looking at him with a frank expression. Not threatening, not even sarcastic. A genuine question.
Gods damn him. A threat would have been easier. A threat wouldn't have made his heart constrict like this. Roman meant it. He was actually asking if Col wanted to spare Val and take the hammer himself. He stared back at Roman, despairing because he already knew what his answer would be.
Col wished he were strong enough to take it. He wished he were a better person. He wasn't. He set his mouth in a grim line and leaned his weight back down on Val's arms, staring back down into those eyes and shaking his head. He'd broken out in a cold sweat. "I'm sorry," he tried to say, but his voice wouldn't work and he could only mouth the words over and over.
What happened next wasn't surprising. Expected, even, and no the candidates weren't to be punished because they didn't have the self control of a Pilot. That would come much, much later. Roman cut off Chica's clumsy strike with a thin, precise wave, severing it with surgical skill and the kind of speed that comes only from having done a thing a hundred times over. Alaina received a withering stare. "Control yourselves," was all he said. And not to be distracted, he turned his attention at last back to Val.
"Oh snap, I almost forgot," Roman said suddenly—and if that sounded ridiculous coming from a 36 year old man, Col was in no condition to notice. Roman patted at his back pockets with his free hand as though looking for something and, finding nothing, began opening desk drawers and rooting through them. From one he produced a thick blending stub, a cylinder of tightly wrapped paper used to blend graphite. "Huh. How'd that get in there?" He shrugged, and tapped Val on the nose with it before slipping it in between the candidate's teeth. "It'll do I think. You need something to bite down on so you don't swallow your tongue and die. I'm not going through that kind of paperwork."
Then he straightened again, and there was nothing left to do but put an end to the anticipation. "I want you to understand," Roman said, "that this is not your punishment. Not really. It's just pain, and pain is nothing. The real challenge for you will come after." He turned to the side, releasing the pain block on Val's mind as he set his feet apart, adjusted his grip on the hammer and eyed his target.
"Someday you'll thank me."
The hammer fell four times, no hesitation. Val's right knee, his left, then his left shin and his right shin. Four deafening blows ringing off the walls, mingling with the crack and crunch of shattering bone.
Col had turned his face away and clenched his eyes shut, grimacing with each blow, and on the last fall of the hammer he leaped back, absolutely white-faced. He stared at what was left of Val's legs but didn't feel as though he were really seeing anything at all. He thought he might faint.
Roman stepped back to observe the bloody mess, letting the hammer head rest upon the ground. "Still there, my goddess of the skies?"
Scheherazade answered: "Always."
"Send us a medic if you please."
-
Now you're not thinking like she could be a weapon, you're thinking of what would cause her the most hardship in her life. Dyerlich chided the young man, knowing Roman was no doubt feeling a little sadistic and...well for good reason. He was about to break a candidate's something or other. Legs. Arms. Chest? It was hard to say. So long as your careful don't go through the brain, Son. He might as well get in on this weird thing about being called father and what not. Though, Dyerlich could have called Roman son, considering he had mentored the boy from thirteen years of age to eighteen.
Not everyone was the golden glare like yourself Roman. Besides, I like to do such a thing to a person every now and then until their mind got used to it. Then the next time they do it without question they wonder...am I controlling them, or is this their own will? It was a deliciously evil little act really to do so. The candidate would have been well broken at that point. Then came the rebuilding.
Dyerlich watched on, wondering just what was happening. Col's mind was a flurry of thoughts and emotions. Ugh. He had anger toward himself. One of these pitiful things then. No doubt that Roman had such plans for Col, to try and cure him of this pity for himself.
Everyone was trying their best to do...something. Alright. Not everyone. Phenyo, Chica, and Alaina. They were trying to do something. Ugh. Chica was clumsy, she would have been no match for Roman's power, the wave, which Dyerlich would have dealt with had he been a bit faster on the mark, was simply cut off. Not bad though, manifesting your powers into something like that was quite a feat even for a candidate.
Dyerlich looked over to the candidates, carefully looking at each one while Roman did his little thing. Phenyo, Chica, Alaina, and Arrow. Phenyo was...obeying his orders...though a quick probe of her surface thoughts told him that he would have to try really hard to get back in her graces. He had been there, for a while, acting rather nice to her, save for the first day of beatings she had gone through. He thought he might have gotten somewhere with her, but he probably shouldn't have used his elbow spikes to hold the boy down.
Well, there was three years to try and get back in favour with her.
Dyerlich watched as Roman began to smash the boy's legs. Ah. The pain was exquisite. Dyerlich just seemed to become more rigid, he seemed to become more...shiny in a way. His skin had a soft almost moonlight glow glow, his eyes had a shine, his hair, while already silver and flecked with gold had such a nice little sheen in it now. The damage was done and Dyerlich pulled his spikes from the boy's ankles, letting the blood stay on the spikes and run down them. Of course, now they were pointed upwards so it would like bloody icicles, travelling down until they reached his elbows and soaked into the sleeves of his clothes.
Are you going to allow him to have his bones healed and set then? They had the technology of course, but the healing degree was up to the pilot. Phenyo, still had cracked and bruised ribs, where he could have let her become completely healed. That would be silly of course, his efforts for cracking them would have been for naught. He turned his attention to Phenyo, his whole body slowly losing that glow as he sat back down near the desk. She wouldn't understand would she?
Hm. Time was getting on wasn't it? Ah yes, time, such a finicky thing. This little thing had been a nice use of it however, a good five or ten minutes even. Now they would see true disconnection with his apt pupil, as Roman would continue on with class as if nothing has happened. You've got to pick and choose your battles now my friend, so many candidates left unpunished, so little time too. Would Roman choose to start punishing the rest. Alaina, for being so...vocal. Chica for her clumsy attempt to stop him, and Phenyo for her actions. Surprisingly Arrow had done nothing but sit there like a scared puppy, whimpering. She was truly afraid wasn't she? She'd find out real horror soon.
At least now everyone in the classroom knew, they had given up their lives coming here, and it could very well be in the hands of some unruly and sadistic people.
-
I'm sorry. Even if Col didn't say it, mouthing it was enough...and no two words had ever pierced him as deeply as those ones did at that moment. That solidified it. There was no escape. This was it. There had never been a time in his life where he hadn't felt in control, and now he was utterly powerless. He could hardly even struggle anymore; pain, terror, and his own useless efforts at escape had already exhausted him, and the sudden despair at his own helplessness was the nail in the coffin.
Slowly Val's struggles began to cease as the inevitability of the situation started to sink in, but he still tugged at his arms weakly and kept his eyes fixed on Col's, needing that connection on a primal level. The other candidate looked almost as scared as he must, but he wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse and all he could do was continue to beg and cry. He didn't care if he sounded pathetic; he didn't care about pride right now. Pride wouldn't keep him in one piece and he was hoping for a miracle.
What the other candidates had done he hadn't a clue, and he was in no frame of mind to be appreciative of their efforts. Roman had the hammer, it was still raised, and--
...Oh snap...?
Val froze and his eyes flicked over to Roman. Forgot? What'd he forget? Val allowed himself a sliver of hope as he heard Roman rummaging through drawers and willed the man to not find whatever it was he'd forgotten about. Of course he did, and Val blinked as he was tapped on the nose with a blending stub--a normally harmless item that currently seemed ridiculously terrifying in that man's hands, even moreso with his casual behavior while carrying around a sledgehammer he intended to use on him. "Please, don't...please...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he whimpered before the stub was placed between his teeth. He bit down on it reflexively and was effectively silenced save for his sobs.
But he could still plead with his eyes, and as Roman talked his crazy talk, he shook his head and clenched his eyes shut, eyelashes spiked together. His nails dug into his palms as he balled his hands into fists. No, please...no...
That was his last lucid thought before all the pain that had previously faded struck his body so hard and so suddenly that for a second he forgot where he was, what was happening, and like a punch to the gut his breath left him completely. He gave a strangled cry as his body convulsed in agony, back arching sharply, and he clamped his teeth down on the blending stub until his jaw started to ache. But through sheer power of will he managed to crack his eyes open, breathing hard and fast through his teeth...and he did it just in time to see the hammer come down.
It took only the first blow to send his body reeling into shock; his brain just couldn't process it all. Everything felt distant, even the sounds of crunching and cracking sounded like it was coming to him from miles away through a tunnel, the pain felt like it belonged to someone else, and it was more like he was an observer than the one it was happening to. It wasn't happening to him. It couldn't be. More deafening blows, more wet crunching, more excruciating pain that couldn't belong to him. His vision spun and blurred and darkened...
Val's skin went ashen and cold, his eyes large and vacantly staring. He didn't scream, he didn't make a sound except for a soft sigh right before his body went limp and his eyes rolled back in his head.
Arrow clamped a hand over her mouth and stumbled out of her seat, ghastly pale, and collapsed to her knees in front of the trash can just in time to heave into it. Even when her stomach was empty she continued to retch, and she couldn't help it that she was crying, too, and hard. She couldn't get that bloody image or that horrible sound out of her head. The begging, the sobbing, the crunching...she'd kept her head down, eyes closed, and hands over her ears for as long as she could, she'd told herself she wouldn't look, but she'd still heard everything.
And she'd still looked. Up until she'd looked, she'd been able to control herself. But once she'd looked, it all became real.
This wasn't what it was supposed to be like. When she'd been brought here, she'd been nervous; the people intimidated her, but she kind of expected it. That was how the military was: cold and intimidating. She'd known it would be hard, she'd known they would be strict. Maybe she'd do something stupid and get punished, be forced to run laps, scrub a floor with a toothbrush, or peel potatoes. And sure she'd heard the saying that the military owned you, but...to that extent? Where they could peel your body like a potato instead and just as casually?
She'd been nervous before, but now she was terrified and sick and, as childish as the thought was...
She wanted to go home. Now. She couldn't do this...
-
“O-ok,” Chica squeaked as her accidental attack was brushed away like a cobweb and she was given something she never expected, a warning. She shrunk downwards, dipping low, tail coiling beneath her until only her eyes were above the desk. Hiding was good right now.
She glanced about. Right, everyone else was shitting themselves too. Except maybe Phenyo, but that girl was just…weird.
She tried to calm down, making her breathing slow and deliberate, watching that goings on up front with as much detachment as possible.
Ok. Nothing to fear. You got away with it. Everything’s cool. You’re fine. Everything is – OH HOLY MOTHER OF CRAP!
The hammer fell again, and again, and again, each impact sending gooey leg slush spraying out. She was very glad she wasn’t in the first row. There was crunching, a lot of crunching. Squishing too. It sounded like the garbage compactors as they chewed through metal and chemical waste.
She felt dizzy. As the blood sprayed out of the crushed piece of meat that used to be Val’s legs, Chica began to sway. The drip, drip, drip of blood falling from the desk to the floor sounded loud in her ears, as loud as the hammer falling.
Crunch, splash thud. Crunch, splash thud. Crunch, splash thud.
It was funny, his feet still looked like feet, still whole and encased in his shoes. But they were just…alone. Hey weren’t meant to be like that. Poor feet.
She nearly shed when someone rushed past her. Worse, she almost reached for her goggles. That would certainly spell something awful, if she panicked and stoned someone. But it was only Archer, rushing for the bin in the corner next to Chica. The sound of the girl’s breakfast hitting the metal bin was different, more of a sloshing sound. Chica pondered for a moment this apparent fixation on sounds. Her minds way of coping, she supposed. Archer’s way was apparently to puke the horror out.
Chica awkwardly moved closer to the girl, more for an excuse to stop looking at the body lying limp on the front desk.
She put a hand on the girls back and, not really very good at this sort of thing, began to pet her gently. What the hell were you supposed to do with crying people anyway? Hug them?
She put on her best nice-person face and whispered, “It…it’s alright, it wasn’t you. Just do as you’re told and I’m sure they won’t do anything to you.”
That was a lie. She wasn’t sure of anything these madmen might do.
-
Alaina sat down abruptly and averted her gaze, avoiding the eyes of Roman and the other instructor. Self-control was a test too, and she had just failed. Now it was time to watch what failure entailed, to realize that she wouldn't be given another chance.
I'm sorry.
She wasn't sure whether she was apologizing to the instructors or to Val. Maybe both.
Roman brought the sledgehammer down on Val's supine figure four times, twice for each leg. There was no hesitation, no shred of mercy spared for the Candidate. It was a procedure they could do again in a week, assuming they felt inclined to do so. Accelerated healing had changed the face of the military, it seemed.
Alaina imagined that it could be her up there on the table. She felt sick. Presumably, everyone else in the room was thinking the same thing, and any doubts about the seriousness of the situation had long since been eliminated. The other students were crying, or shaking, or simply sitting in stony silence.
She felt even worse for the other Candidate, the one who had to hold Val down. Savage? Roman called him that at some point. In any case, for Savage it was a choice between someone else's suffering and his own. Alaina knew that at this point, if she were given that choice she would follow the order. It was the quintessential military training decision.
For the most part, Alaina ignored the blood. She could only hope they wouldn't punish her for looking away...
-
Passing herself off as a heartless uncaring bitch suited her. Hooded eyes, bored look, of course her eyes flicked closed slightly when the sledgehammer fell down, what would be wet crunchy thuds to everyone else had a sickening definition to her own ears. Hadn't moved once, her hand still resting on her head, splatters of blood hit her from the torn skin, Phenyo sighed softly when Val passed out, feeling a little better for him. Her green eyes flicked to Roman, remembering his words to the Candidate. This wasn't his punishment, this was simply a motivator. Blinking at the back of his head, she shook her own, a cross of pity drew over her eyebrows when she looked at Roman.
She wasn't sure if he needed a hug or a knife into his back, of course she was a little pleased. Finally, someone with more problems than she had.
Once the sledgehammer rested onto the ground, Phenyo stood up and rushed towards Val. "Oh, honey." She whispered, a finger going down to the pulse at his neck once she was close enough. Looking over her shoulder towards Roman she frowned lightly and shook her head. What a lovely first day of class. Leaning over Val's face Phenyo sighed and closed her eyes, of course she could hear everything else in the room. Poor Arrow was heaving her guts out, Chica patting her on the back. Why was she so worried about everyone?
Phenyo let out a shaky breath and wiped away the tears on Vals face, whispering in a soft gentle voice, tucking in the blending stub more securely into his mouth. She'd known the man for barely an hour, but she had a feeling that he was the type of person who could use whatever mental powers they had to make someone suffer. Knowing full well that passing out because of pain was all in your head, she figured that it could easily be switched off and Val could bite off his tongue and die.
Breathing through her mouth, the scent of blood and gore too much for her nose, Phenyo gently uncurled Vals hands, smoothing them out. Then she remembered the Col fellow, the one who got to watch the poor boys face. Offering him a gentle smile, Phenyo gave Val another look, petting his forehead gently and walked towards Col, reaching out carefully to touch him on the arm. Hardly caring if she got into trouble for trying to calm people down, Phenyo could already imagine what horrors Val would be replaying in his mind if he ever woke up, maybe gentle touches and soft voice wouldn't make them so bad. "You didn't do anything." Her green eyes on his own, her voice quiet but strong as she touched his hand.
"Just be a good boy." Phenyo smiled lightly and then shook her head, "Maybe you should try being a robot. This place seems to want to breed robots." Looking over her shoulder she flicked a glance at the pilots, but there was no hate, just pity and hint of sadness. As much as she wanted to hate them, the only feeling she could muster for the Pain Givers was pity.
-
"We could give her artificial eyes that shoot lasers," Roman retorted, but he was just being facetious now. He sent Dyerlich an image of Chica laughing maniacally and shooting blue plasma beams out of her eyes.
Roman leaned the hammer against the wall and observed the various reactions. Col stood staring at Val until Phenyo tried to touch him. Then he jerked away and glared at her, part justified suspicion at any gesture of kindness in this place and part guilt manifesting as defensiveness. None of them were judging him, but it felt they were. It felt like they should. He backed away, color returning to his face at last, and retreated to a desk near Alaina where he eased down into the seat so he wouldn't pass out.
Of great interest to Roman was Phenyo's reaction, the way she went straight to Val and attempted to comfort Col. Compassion, empathy, kindness...the purpose of the Pilot program was not necessarily to destroy these things in a person. They simply tended to become collateral damage. Acceptable losses. If Phenyo—if any candidate—could make it through with those things still intact then more power to them. It took a special kind of strength to do that. Roman sincerely hoped Phenyo might accomplish it.
Then there was Alaina, who might have seemed one of the more fragile ones but who was handling better than most of the others, her outburst notwithstanding.
Dyerlich's next comment brought a secretive smile out in Roman. "That," he said, "is the real punchline to this joke. You'll see what I mean."
It didn't take long. Scheherazade had followed the whole thing in Roman's mind and had the medics on their way before the hammer even fell. Barely a full minute passed before the red light on the door flicked to green and the door swooshed open, admitting August Staresti and two other medics, crisp in white uniforms and wheeling a stretcher between them. Staresti, set apart from the others by the cut and colors of his uniform, was Chief Attending of the mid-level ward and known for his eternally calm demeanor and pitch black sense of humor. Youthful, with pale blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and wire-framed glasses framing serene eyes, he looked down at the bloody mess of shattered bone and twisted flesh then looked back up at Roman and Dyerlich. "So...what seems to be the trouble?"
The other two medics carefully shifted Val onto the stretcher, taking his pulse and blood pressure and placing a general anesthetic emitter—a small device that transmitted to the brain—upon his forehead to keep him unconscious. Roman had a word with Staresti. "Keep him under for a couple days, no pain, make sure he's comfortable. And heal his legs...as they are. Let the bones set in a hundred pieces."
"You want him unable to walk?"
"Of course." Roman gestured at the bloody desk as Val was wheeled out of the room. "You think I'd make this kind of mess just so you can reverse it in a couple days?"
And there was the punchline. Val would be a cripple, unable to walk or even crawl, consigned to a wheelchair until he managed to convince Roman through some highly imaginative and probably demeaning gesture that he deserved to use his legs again. Weeks, months...even years. However long it took for Val to internalize the greater reality of his situation: that he was powerless, and that Roman alone held the keys to his empowerment.
"To deny him treatment to the utmost of my ability undermines the principles which form the very foundation of my life and work," Staresti said, hands clasped behind his back.
"Get over it."
"Yes, sir." Instead of leaving right away, August Staresti strode to Arrow's crouching form and laid a hand briefly upon her head, sending a simple, chilly healing wave through her body to calm her down and eliminate any lingering nausea. On his way out, he paused once at the door. "Have an enriching class, everyone," he said.
With the medics gone, Roman let the candidates have a few moments to collect themselves. He rubbed at a thin spray of blood on his white shirt, mouth twisting in annoyance, and reached under the table for his coffee. It was cold now, but he downed the rest of it anyway then tossed the empty cup into the trash with Arrow's vomit. "Okay!" he said briskly, back into the casual teacher role between one moment and the next. "Everybody calm now? Ready to move on? Arrow, feel better? We'll cut the rest of this short, I promise."
-
The mental image was no laughing matter really. Well. Besides that the girl was laughing while shooting lasers from her eyes. Well. Plasma beams it looked like. Lasers and Plasma were a little different really. However, the point was well received at this point. Whether or not giving a creature like Chica laser eyes or letting her keep the petrification eyes...It was like whether you wanted to incinerate someone acetylene or propane. It really didn't matter, both did the job.
The poor girl will have enough trouble with a snake body though. It isn't like those creatures were meant for jumping or for climbing. Dyerlich wasn't sure he much wanted a candidate about that could start shooting laser eyes. Even so, petrification was probably worse. Wasn't much cure for your entire being suddenly turning into stone.
Dyerlich watched his candidate try and do her best at consoling Val and Col. That was Phenyo really, it had been a while since he had seen compassion, and she was new here of course. She would learn though, and it would be...well it wouldn't be the prettiest thing in the world. If she lost her compassion through all of it, Dyerlich wouldn't care really. Maybe he would. He had only one student who really didn't change through it all. Roman. Maybe Temple, though Temple wasn't the biggest success in the world. Wulf was an oddity, a strange anomaly who had survived and could fight on.
What would Phenyo be.
Dyerlich listened to his old Candidate talking with the medic. Ah. There it was then. Val would understand the gift of freedom that was being able to walk, to stand, to keep up with people. He would understand that there was mercy, and there was compassion, but he would also understand that there was harsh consequences, that there would be blood, and there would be pain. This was his lesson in life then, and he would learn it so very well.
His legs would be nothing more than a bloody soup. Veins pierced and ripped, bones setting through muscles and skin...it wasn't going to be pretty, it was going to be very painful.
That would be nothing though.
Earning the right to use his legs again would be the most painful thing, the most humiliating, and no doubt the ugliest thing ever. It was going to be degrading, and it would be interesting if he were around to see it, or to have Roman give him the memory. The boy was going to have some fun time ahead of him. Painful times of course.
"Mm, sounds good, think I have some marrow stuck to my spikes." Dyerlich seemed to twist his arms in such a strange way that he was able to have his spikes almost right in front of his face. This was despite the fact the spikes were attached to his elbows. The blood was drying but there were still flecks and pieces stuck inside the congealed blood.
Yummy.
A few new movements and he was able to put his arms the right way again. He didn't seem at all bothered by this whole act, or did his eyes show any sort of pain or emotion. He was just...expressionle ss. That was all. That was one thing he was very good at doing, was keeping his face from betraying him. Though, it really did help he wore a cowl. The mouth was always the most expressive part wasn't it?
Go sit down Phenyo. And shed no pity for us. We were born like this. He didn't care if she felt bad for Roman and Him. The races of this solar system created him after all, through all those negative emotions that he could feed on, they had created him. Roman was different, still human, but he had a different look of things. It hadn't been the pilot program, it just had been Roman. He had been born for this place.
He wouldn't be surprised if he made Imperial if Soren ever passed away. Not that he hoped that would ever happen of course, he desired that all the Pilots lived their lives till the end, when age finally got them, though...some of them couldn't die from age. Hm. That reminded him of something he had to deal with soon enough.
For now he wanted to watch Roman play teacher.
-
Arrows shoulders jerked when she felt someone touch her back and she peeked over her shoulder, and the moment her eyes landed on a pair of orange-lensed goggles and saw a number of snake faces staring back at her she squeaked and went rigid. For a second she felt like she might lose it again if she had anything left in her stomach--it was no secret that Chica had scared the crap out of her earlier, so it wasn't really helping--but then the other girl was petting her back and...trying to comfort her?
Even if the source was questionable and she didn't really trust her, that was exactly what she needed to hear right then. Though why was she doing that? She'd threatened to crush her only minutes before! Arrow didn't try and push Chica away, though, but she didn't relax, either. She still felt queasy and it was impossible to relax here, and who knew if anyone here was actually nice at all. Roman had seemed okay and then he went crazy. Dyerlich she hadn't trusted from the start, since she'd caught the tail end of him smacking Val. She could hear another girl in the class talking, obviously trying to calm the other candidates.
Suddenly the door opened and Arrow snapped her head up to look, hopeful, as the medics came in. She didn't look over to where Val was, though; she didn't think she could handle seeing that again. She drew a shaky breath, sniffled, and wiped her eyes and nose off on her sleeve in an effort to collect herself, but it wasn't working too well and she found herself desperately hoping they'd be allowed to leave with the medics. This had to be the end of class. Roman couldn't expect them to stay after that. How could they focus on anything he said now?
...Er, then again, after that she imagined he'd have a perfectly obedient, enraptured audience. She knew she'd hold onto every word he said.
While she stayed where she was and wiped at her tears, she could hear Roman speaking to one of the medics and she risked a glance their way.
She wished she hadn't overheard.
It wasn't enough to smash someone's legs, he was going to cripple them, too?! That was worse than the injury itself, and...what about them? If any of them got injured, would they be tortured through the healing process itself, too? At least the one medic sort of stood up to Roman for that. Kind of. In a way. She liked him for that; made him seem human and not all monstrous like the people in charge, and that gave her hope that not everyone was like the two Pilots at the front.
Even if he was acting so calm about this that everything was starting to feel completely surreal. Dyerlich was nonchalant, Roman could have been playing "whack the mole" instead of smashing another human, and the medic was acting like this was totally normal.
That was not a good sign.
Arrow swallowed hard and faced the trash can again as Val was wheeled out of the room, and she took a deep, shaky breath--and jumped when someone touched her head, though her jolt was more at the cool, calm energy she felt rush through her. She shivered and turned her head just in time to see the back of the medic as he was leaving, and she silently thanked him since her voice wouldn't work and it was too late anyway.
Part of her wanted to ask him not to go and leave them here alone with Roman and Dyerlich.
Enriching...yeah... that was what this was...
And then she nearly jumped out of her skin when the coffee cup went flying into the trash can in front of her, heart lodging itself into her throat, and when Roman abruptly spoke she scrambled to her feet on shaky legs. She did feel better...as in she no longer felt like she was going to puke, at least, and her heart wasn't racing quite so fast. "Y-yeah, much better," she agreed hastily in a near whisper, giving a quick nod and a nervous, forced smile that lasted only a second. It was more like a twitch than a smile. She threw another look at Chica, a grateful one, before she wobbled back to her seat and collapsed into it. She stared up at Roman, refusing to look at the bloody desk.
-
The moment the girl looked at them, Chica’s snakes squirmed. They actually enjoyed attention, just….not the sort Phenyo had been giving them.
She felt so stupid, standing there, patting this kid on the back. She glanced at the front of the room. Phenyo seemed to have this comforting thing a little more down pat. Chica wasn’t really the comforting sort, but she felt a little bad that she’d given the girlie a hard time and now she was throwing up, though technically it wasn’t her fault. She certainly wasn’t going to just be a useless boob like little miss teachers pet over there. Alright, so she hadn’t really done much more than raise her hand to answer a question, but something about the girl…woman….whatever, it just bothered Chica. She seemed too old to be here. It was like seeing an adult in school…and not the teacher obviously.
The door opened, apparently no longer locked, to admit some medics. She hadn’t seen anyone call for them. Maybe they just followed Roman around, waiting for him to mangle someone.
They certainly didn’t seem surprised. The one that talked to Roman was….weird. For a doctor, he didn’t seem overly concerned with his patient.
Actually, now that the actual smashing was done, Chica was feeling alright again. Those legs actually looked like a good meal….
Damn it, now was not the time to thinking about food. But…she was hungry. It took a lot of food to sustain her body mass, and she had a really fast metabolism. On top of that, she’d skipped breakfast this morning to try to get to this thing early, and she’d still been late!
She snapped back to attention when the medic guy came over, making Archer jump, making Chica flinch. The Roman asked if an arrow felt better. What the hell? Then the girl responded.
No.
Way.
Her name couldn’t possibly…who would do that to their child? Arrow Archer?
The girl, Arrow, gave her another look, a little bit warmer this time. Damn right, after Chica had just helped her, out of the kindness of her own heart, get through this difficult time. The girl owed her.
Chica slithered back to her desk, wondering if she would be allowed to go eat soon.
-
Arrow Archer.
Alaina recalled the name from the candidates file she found on the server. She had initially thought it was some kind of special account, something worth looking into later. Maybe an administrator's alias. But no! Alaina almost laughed aloud. It was the shy girl. Introductions must be awkward for that one.
Her initial reaction was replaced by a wave of pity. Arrow seemed like one of the more fragile Candidates in the room. Alaina didn't blame her for reacting the way she did. When the medics arrived, the girl completely broke down.
We all lose, she thought, and nobody wins.
It was one of those moments where you feel better simply because everyone else is going through the same thing as you. Wallowing in your own problems was difficult when you had Arrow sitting next to you, sobbing. Even the snake-creature, which Alaina had dismissed as some sort of surreal oddity, was showing some compassion here.
"You want him unable to walk?"
One of the medics had turned to Roman, asking him a question. His voice was perfectly normal, as if this was a perfectly normal decision. Paper or plastic? Milk, sugar, black? Healed or crippled? Alaina shook the mental image away. Why did she have to make a joke of everything? The ATC was becoming more and more hellish every minute, and she hated herself for laughing about it.
"We'll cut the rest of this short, I promise."
Roman again. More mood swings. It was making Alaina nervous, the way he could switch so casually between his twin roles as sadist and teacher. She wondered whether all the Pilots were like that, or whether this one was simply a star example.
-
Teeth gnawed on lips when she got a bad reaction out of Col. Ouch. Phenyo didn't think she was that bad at comforting people. After that lovely incident she stood off to the side, her hands at her sides fingers clenching and unclenching. She had heard the medics foot steps a few moments before the door open, but her head still bolted her and watched them. Listened intently to Roman tell them to heal his bones as is. Swallowing slightly, just imagining what they'd look like, messy awkward limbs, useless, ugly. It'd kill the kid. Quickly she lowered her head slightly, her teeth firmly set on her tongue so she didn't scream about what a psycho he was.
If she had been a cat, all the hair would have been standing up on the back of her neck. She didn't like it here, she didn't like Dyerlich, and she, so far, didn't like Roman. Though the only way of getting away from here would be TRIM, and from the pictures that Dyerlich showed her, she didn't want to end up there. That left only a single option. Become a Pilot. She could do that. She knew she could, and Phenyo would act just like she was acting now, no way in hell would she let them break her. Frowning and jolting slightly and looked towards Dyerlich. Sit, right.
She didn't even notice Val get carted away. Phenyo looked around at all the sitting students and moved back to her previous spot, not exactly keen on getting little drops of blood on her butt. Blinking for a moment, Phenyo looked around. Why was everyone snorting, and keeping in snorts at the name Arrow Archer? Phenyo didn't even know how she knew that, but she did! Frowning slightly, Phenyo shook her head, eh, she didn't care anymore. These people needed something to snort at, why not make fun of another candidates name.
How very mature of them.
Snarling slightly and crossing her arms over her chest, looking grumpily in front of her, meaning her eyes were half-focused on Dyerlich. Wasn't even looking at him. Phenyos brain was somewhere else, though she could hear everything, her eyes were glazed over in thought. Hurry up and finish Mr.Roses, if you're going to cut it short. she mentally snarled, forgetting again that she was in a room full of psychics, Fuck, scratch that if you were listening.
She was going to go insane, if not from Dyerlich and Roman, than from the fact that she'd never be able to think of squeezy duckie porn again. Not that she thought of that in the first place, just something for the eavesdroppers.
-
Since Roman's seat, the top of the desk, was all bloody now, he leaned against dry erase board on the wall behind it, arms crossed as he watched them all take their seats and get themselves back in the moment. Col sat staring into space, no doubt trying to get a grip on his own involvement in what Roman suspected would come to be known as The Sledgehammer Incident, or something along those lines. He gave them a few moments to get control of themselves and their reactions. Too bad Mynatt would miss the rest of the class. Roman would have to pay him a visit later and catch him up on the information.
"I understand you're all shocked and a little scared right now, but I hope you're able to look beyond what just happened and see the reasons for it. This is the Pilot program, and you all will be held to extremely high standards. In addition to being Pilot Royal, I am also the Director of Candidate Affairs. Let's be clear on this: my job is not to make your lives easier. My job is to make Pilots out of you, no matter what it takes and no matter what I have to do to you. Better you learn that sooner rather than later because you'll be seeing a lot of me in the coming months. I'm going to have you all stand up and follow me in just a moment. We're going to take a little field trip. Just...one more thing."
Phenyo.
He strode over to where she sat and leaned on her desk with both hands, staring her in the face, not a hint of humor in him. As he'd told Dyerlich, he would not harm her. He also would not allow her behavior to continue as it was. "I've come to a decision," he said. "I've decided you are going to be respectful and obedient to me from now on. I realize you might need assistance in this endeavor, considering your nature. So to help you accomplish this, from now on whenever you disobey a direct order from me, candidate Archer will be disciplined in your place." He smirked; he had her and he knew it.
The next part was said telepathically, 'audible' to Phenyo and Dyerlich only. Arrow didn't need to hear this. He'd frightened her enough as it was. "There will be no more of this 'Mr. Roses' nonsense either. You will address me as sir or Pilot Rosales. And every time you fail to do so is one night I will spend fucking her." Switching back to physical voice, he said, "Are you getting me, candidate? Let me assure you if the answer is anything besides, 'Yes sir, Pilot Rosales' she will pay for it."
It was an old technique, to punish a candidate's friend in their place. Very simple, very effective, and Phenyo was perfectly suited for it. It was so easy to manipulate a person. You just had to know what they cared about. Phenyo cared about the other candidate; she had betrayed it in her thoughts many times already.
Roman awaited her answer. Sometimes candidates tried to call his bluff, and they inevitably discovered that he was never bluffing. He made neither threats nor promises—he simply stated reality. Whatever he said he would do, he would do.
-
For a moment Dyerlich wondered why they still had those dry erase boards in some of these classrooms. He would have thought that everything would have been made into digital boards for that matter. To think that he had just been holding a candidate down with his spikes and now he was considering finding out about technical spending for classrooms. For the other candidates they would be locked on this probably. He didn't much care though, he had just done what he was supposed to do, what Roman had asked him to do.
Heh.
Roman wasn't kidding. They would do anything to make their Candidates succeed. With Roman, that literally was anything. Threats, Pain, Reward system,anything like that. He had some idea what Roman might do to...persuade these candidates. It would be so much fun though to see what he came up with though.
Dyerlich watched the Pilot as he approached his candidate. Already he had joined the class, and he didn't really disagree with Roman's thoughts. Heh. He noticed that he only wanted her to be respectful and obedient to himself. Well. He didn't much want it to be easy for him. The telepathic part didn't surprise him either. It was a good reinforcement tactic too. Arrow was rather adorable, and innocent, putting Phenyo in this situation was an interesting idea. Dyerlich could always threaten something similar, perhaps not raping another candidate. That just wasn't in him. For Roman it was rather...well...lik e him.
Dyerlich would let Phenyo make her choice here and now. No help from him, only his eyes staring at her critically. If she was smart, she wouldn't fight back against Roman. No one ever really won against him. If she wasn't going to be intelligent, then she would probably end up costing Arrow something.
But here's a big question Roman. Don't you plan on ah...copulating with most of these candidates anyways? Dyerlich made VERY carefully to keep that thought between the two of them. If Roman ah...planned on still having his way with Arrow already, his threat might lose a little in Phenyo's eyes. After all, if he was just going to rape her for the next three years, why would it matter if Phenyo stopped her from being raped once or twice.
My word, that might actually mean you'll have to...hold your flesh yourself. It was just an amusing thought really. Well. They'd see how things went then.
-
Shocked and scared. Arrow nodded automatically, though she disagreed with the "a little" part. Scared out of her mind was more like it, though since she'd puked out her guts and been given that healing energy she now just felt...numb. And she couldn't stop looking over at the bloody desk. Someone should clean that soon...it's gonna stain, she thought randomly, and instantly berated herself for thinking something so trivial. Other random thoughts drifted in and out of her mind as she listened to Roman speak, eyes fixed on him unblinking, and one fugitive thought made her pale cheeks flush pink.
...Rubber duckie WHAT?!
That snapped her out of her stupor, and she blinked rapidly and glanced quickly around the room, paranoid. How the heck...why would she think something like that? Hopefully no other psychics picked that up, because that was just...weird and embarrassing and gross.
She blamed just seeing someone get their legs smashed with a sledgehammer, which was something she still couldn't see the point of beyond that these Pilots were monsters. Roman said it had a point. Look beyond the leg mutilating to the deeper meaning! High standards. So if they screwed up, they got crippled? That was it, end of story, kiss your limbs goodbye? Arrow took a deep breath and shifted in her seat, crossing one leg over the other to sort of subconsiously protect her legs. The blood smell was starting to get to her, and while she was sure it wouldn't be fun, the field trip thing sounded great right now. Anything to get out of this room, anything to get a breath of fresh air and to not feel quite so trapped.
She was actually looking forward to that little escape. Even if it was bad, it couldn't possibly be as bad as what had just happened. Any distraction was a good one right now.
When Roman strode over to Phenyo, though, she quickly regretted that last thought.
It had seemed like the other girl was getting away with an awful lot, but Arrow didn't wish these Pilots on anyone, and when Roman narrowed in on the older girl, she felt sorry for her...and afraid for her. She chewed on her bottom lip and watched nervously, silently praying for no more bloodshed. One had to be enough. She didn't want to see anyone else get hurt...
...candidate Archer will be disciplined in your place.
It took a few seconds to actually register what had just been said. At first, she thought she'd heard wrong, at least until Roman reiterated that "she" would pay for it.
"W-what?"
It was one of the few words she'd spoken during the entire class, and it came out a surprised whisper as she stared wide-eyed at Roman and Phenyo with a classic "deer in headlights" expression. Suddenly she didn't feel quite so sorry for Phenyo, and as she waited for Phenyo to answer she found herself sliding down further in her seat in a sore attempt at making herself invisible. That wasn't fair. She hadn't done anything. Oh gods, she was going to die at this rate! Not that...she thought the girl would do anything on purpose...she'd heard her talking to Val and Col after the smashing was done, but...
This put her fate directly in someone else's hands, and she had to hope to gods that the girl didn't mess up.
Just answer him how he says, please... she thought desperately, breath held and hands shaking, heart racing. It was strange, though, because even though her body was practically radiating fear, she felt oddly calm. This whole class had just been one shock after the other, and this was just another shock on top of a big pile of nastiness. Her mind just didn't seem to really want to accept the very real danger she was in, so all she could do was stare blankly at Phenyo, utterly still. Besides, if she moved she might feel dizzy. The blood scent was still heavy in the air, and if she looked just a little past Phenyo and Roman she could see that desk...
Please just say it...
-
And everything was boring again. Chica wished this damn class would hurry up. Roman said it was almost over, but that almost made it worse, made time go even slower.
He threatened Phenyo with Arrow being punished. Clever that, playing on her sympathy. Chica had watched enough TV to tell her that was a good strategy. Still….why had he picked her as the target of the threat eh? It was because she was prettier than Chica, that must be it. Bastard.
She slumped until her chin rested on the desk, her lips forming a sour pout. Men were all the same, pigs. Women were no better. This whole damn species could kiss her scaly ass.
She decided to be annoying, and so, as loudly as she could, she began to sing in her head.
I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, deedly deedly, here they are a standing in a row, big ones small ones, some as big as your head, give a twist, flick of the wrist that’s what the showman said!
The song repeated over and over again…
((Gah! Sorry bout the shortness…..she really had nothing to say, think or do besides pout and try to annoy everyone with mind singing))
-
"My job is to make Pilots out of you, no matter what it takes and no matter what I have to do to you..."
Roman paced back and forth at the front of the class, speaking to them. Hardly a word registered in Alaina's mind, though. She was too preoccupied thinking about Val. Poor kid. He hadn't been nearly enough of a prick to deserve that. The bones, the blood. There was still a distinct smell of blood, and now there was some kind of weird music. Alaina couldn't place it.
"...because you'll be seeing a lot of me in the coming months. I'm going to have you all stand up and follow me in just a moment. We're going to take a little field trip."
I’ve got a lovely bunch of Candidates, deedly deedly...
Alaina glanced around the room instinctively, but all of the other students were completely silent, transfixed on the twisted lesson proceeding at the front of the class. Roman was unwrapping a very strategic threat on Phenyo.
"From now on whenever you disobey a direct order from me..."
Here they are a-sitting in a row.
Chica's cheerful, singsong voice again. Alaina glanced at her angrily, but the snake-girl's mouth wasn't moving. Her head swam as she tried to maintain focus.
"...candidate Archer will be disciplined in your place."
Big ones, small ones, some would be better off dead...
"W-what?"
The shy, innocent-looking one. Arrow would become Phenyo's very own sledgehammer.
Give a twist, flick of the wrist, that’s what Roman said!
Alaina cradled her head in her hands and began to cry uncontrollably, sharpening an already splitting headache. The datapad slid off her lap and clattered on the floor. They were all just mice with interesting brains, trapped in a cage forever. Graduation from the program was a lie, it was just another cage from there. Alaina knew it. The song drilled holes in her mind as her vision blurred.
I've got a lovely bunch of Candidates...
-
The urge to lean back away from Roman when his face loomed so close was strong. Since Phenyo was keen on being a pain in the ass, she leaned up a little and looked him straight in the eyes, a tilt at the corner of her lips. Of course, by the time he was done his little speech and she was glaring at him. Ugh, a smirk. The bastard. No! Not a bastard! Well, no, not a bastard. That was actually a good tactic. Phenyo couldn't believe she was thinking it, but she had to give props to Roman for finding her weak spot.
He did have her. Phenyo would be a good little girl.
Though of course he went to far. Her nails cut into her palms. What was the point of that? Raping Arrow because Phenyo did something wrong? Never did her green eyes leave Romans, she blinked when her eyes got dry and she had to swallow before she could spit out the words. " Yes Sir, Pilot Rosales." Her voice was soft, not a defeated tone, but quiet because he was so close. Besides, if she said it loudly it might have gotten her into trouble. Closing her eyes for a moment, Phenyo looked up at him, leaning a little closer towards his ear. "Please though... Don't... Do that or anything like that, unless I disrespect you and am not obedient. Please. I'd probably really be respectful and obedient if you could do that for her. For me. Please. Don't use her for that, Sir." Phenyos voice was barely above a whisper, it would sound like murmurs to even the closet person.
It didn't wound her pride or beat her ego to beg for someone else's safety, she couldn't stop him from doing that if he wanted to. Leaning back, she resumed staring at him in the eyes, leaning forwards on her desk, her hands wrapped around it to clutch at the edges. Feet flat on the floor. It was then that she realized someone was crying, Phenyo took her chances and looked around. Alaina.
And then a disturbingly annoying song swam around in her head. Coconuts? Candidates? Blinking. 'Coconut flavoured candidates? What the hell?' Turning back around, Phenyo blinked at Roman.
"Sir? I think Candidate um... Alaina? I think? Is cracking up, Sir. Do they get sent to the infirmary for that? er.. Sir?" 'She'll need some tape at least.' Phenyo sat up quickly and looked around. Not being used to psychics at all, and mind reading, Phenyo quietly cleared her throat and looked around, trying to ignore Chicas singing about Coconuts, Coconut flavoured Candidates? Something like that, and the crying.
Phenyo could feel her eyebrow twitch. Argh, the crying. Of course, she'd completely forgotten what was to happen after this, after being grilled right after Roman said it, oddly enough, Phenyo wasn't worrying about what happens next and worried about screwing up and getting Arrow into trouble. Poor kid must hate her now.
-
Roman canted his head to the side, peering at Phenyo shrewdly. In all truth, she was impressing him, though of course he wasn't about to say that out loud. Praise was to be measured out in a deliberate manner, timely, to ensure it pushed the right psychological buttons in the right moment. So it was with punishment as well. All candidates were different. Some needed to be challenged and respected, while some needed a soft touch and shut down completely under physical strain. And some required sledgehammers and fish hooks. His job was to know the difference and act toward them accordingly.
"It's a deal." With that, he straightened and sent Dyerlich a mental shrug. "There are plenty of others. Besides...you really think she can go four years without a slip up?" Maybe she could, maybe she couldn't. She might falter or she might tire of having Arrow's fate weighing on her shoulders and break the bargain on purpose. She might just plain forget—something Roman would never do. He'd be on her every day, watching and waiting. He looked forward to the rest of her candidacy.
No sooner had he finished with Phenyo when Alaina lost it. By now, even Roman was sick of being stuck in that room with all these whiny kids, so he didn't waste anymore time getting them all out of there.
Sitting in front of Alaina, Col jolted out of his stupor and turned in his seat, reaching a hand out but hesitating, as if unsure whether or not he should touch her. Biting his bottom lip, he reached down and retrieved her datapad. "Hey," he said, offering it to her. "C'mon, I think we're gonna leave now, okay? Hey..."
"Gods, you lot are a moody bunch," Roman muttered, approaching the door until it slid open then standing aside with his arms folded across his chest. Time to remove them from the situation. No hope of getting them to focus in here. Why was it these things could never go smoothly? It always had to be something. When he'd arrived he intended to just talk at them for awhile then let everybody loose in time to enjoy the rest of the day—himself included. Then Mynatt had to go and test him, and now he'd have to go visit the ward later and waste even more of his time. Bah. Damn teenagers.
Raising his voice over Alaina's crying he said, "All right, all right, everybody out. Let's go, out into the hall. Come on, Alaina, you'll feel better when you're out of here. And hey, let's try to get through the rest of the class without anyone needing to get their legs broken, yes?"
They needed to let a cleaning crew get in there anyway.
-
As the door slid open, Nika jerked slightly, stepping backwards instinctively. He had been staring at the door, unsure what he should do. He had just been about to decide to just leave when it had slid open, revealing a rather scruffy looking adult.
He had been stuck in a class and then had managed to get himself royally lost and by the time he had found the room the doors had been sealed shut. Which made him a little curious what had been going on inside. Probably something boring, which would be better then if he had missed something exciting.
The small candidate quickly saluted, "Sir. Reporting for class. I was held up at another assignment." And was lost, but that didn't need to be said. Though Nika really hoped this little party would be a bit more amusing then the rest of them had been. Nika so hated being bored.
A quick glance behind the Pilot into the room let him see that most of the class looked a bit shell shocked. Interesting. And the class was projecting fear and upset that Nika could sense it even through his tight shields. Damn, it looks like he had missed all the fun. Just his luck.
-
Phenyo was actually really smart, well, no, not REALLY smart but she was actually using her head. She was being intelligent to say the least. She was using her head and not her attitude, which she just seemed to adore to use. At least he knew that Phenyo wouldn't need her legs broken with the sledgehammer. She wasn't that kind of Candidate. She would need a lot of psychological no doubt, and maybe just a little physical. Just a little.
Least he hoped so.
Well I think that she might succeed out of pure spite. It will be interesting to watch her. She's almost...maternal. You humans sure take such strange fixations with each other. Not that it was really a bad thing perhaps but it was more just...interesting to see. They all acted so strangely and were all just so...
Different?
Dyerlich dusted himself off, clearing away the particles left on his elbow spikes, and the dried blood he decided he should accompany them on this little trip. Phenyo and he needed to have a conversation after all. One she would not be missing either.
Dyerlich decided to hang back a little bit and watch what was happening. More so since there was someone at the door in front of Roman. Oh ho.
Things suddenly could get interesting. The boy was trying to put up a shield but...as if that could really be a match for anything like a Pilot's skill. He had been lost. The shield had been impressive but all you had to do was slip in through the cracks. If he wanted to, shattering it could have been a bit more fun but this was even better. Getting lost hadn't been the boy's fault of course but lying right in the face of Roman? Oh that was just asking for trouble. A lot of trouble.
It would be fun for them though of course. A whole lot of fun.
Could the class handle more 'motivating demonstrations' from Roman?
-
Alik positively sashayed down the hall that led to the room where the other Candidates were meeting. He refused to admit he had been lost; he preferred to think of it as "fashionably late"... and Alikaahra Ipfeiyi was never unfashionable.
Not even in this Candidate's uniform. I daresay I look rather fetching.
He was not being mentored by anyone yet, and could not fathom why the Pilots hadn't been lining up as soon as he had entered the Candidate program. Ipfeiyi may not have been a household name in Aedolis (in part because it was so difficult to pronounce), but Alik still had connections to the four corners of the universe. Thus it was rather disappointing that he didn't have a Pilot mentor. It will have to be remedied right away, thought Alik.
He noticed another Candidate in the doorway, and stepped up behind him with a handsome and rather insolent grin. "Sorry I'm late," he said, just shy of too offhandedly. "Have I missed anything important?"
-
[Wowza. xD *getting posting order straight in her head* Okay, so it's now me, Choco, Alaina, Draco, Tal, Zombie, Shizzy, Incen.]
Alaina suddenly bursting into tears to the tune of some creepy and bizarre some that Arrow couldn't place the origin of was not helping, and she gave the other candidate a quick, worried glance. She couldn't remember Alaina saying much of anything except when she'd spoken out against Val's punishment. Other than that, she'd been quiet and stoic; while she'd cried and thrown up, while Chica had comforted her, and while Phenyo had comforted everyone else and Col had looked withdrawn and sick, Alaina had been the one who just hadn't reacted much. Arrow had assumed she was either incredibly strong or incredibly apathetic.
Now it was obvious that things had been affecting her. She was probably the kind of person that let things build up until she broke down...
And who was singing about coconut flavored candidates?!
Arrow's head was spinning, but she didn't feel nauseous anymore and she was all out of tears. Now she was just feeling numb and strangely disconnected. Even as Phenyo bargained with Roman for her sake, she felt numb...though still scared. How could she not be? But Phenyo was listening; she'd done as she was told, and Arrow exhaled slowly and slumped back on her chair, muscles going slack and eyes closing.
Gods, was this how she was going to have to live now? Attached at the hip to Phenyo, always fearful that she might slip up and she'd get hurt? Arrow had no intentions of doing anything but what she was told; this whole class was her motivator, and she may not have been upper caste, she may not have had the best education, but she wasn't dumb. All she needed was to watch someone else get burned to know better than to touch the fire.
When Roman spoke, Arrow jumped, both because he scared her and because the suddenness surprised her, but when that door opened and Roman told them to go out, she was among the first to hop to her feet. She shot another worried look at Alaina, empathizing, and she would have gone to her if the boy that had helped Roman in his 'demonstration' hadn't gotten there first. She might have still gone anyway if the scent and sight of blood wasn't already too much, so she left Col to handle her and headed quickly toward the door and fresh air.
On her way out, though, she paused by Phenyo, only briefly because she wanted to get out and she could talk to her more out there. "Thank you," she whispered, forcing a shy little smile, before she scurried past Roman, out of the room and into the hall, stepping around the two boys waiting outside. She overheard one asking if he'd missed anything important, and a dry, bitter laugh escaped her before she could bite it back.
Yeah...you only missed a couple breakdowns and a kid getting made into a cripple, she thought with a shudder. If they only peeked into the room, they'd probably be able to see--and smell--the remnants of what they'd missed.
Not to mention Roman's shirt had some blood on it...
She shuddered again and folded her arms over her chest, making herself small and trudging off to stand back and away from the two. Late-comers. Roman hadn't punished she or Chica for being late, but after the sledgehammer incident she didn't want to be anywhere near them if they got beat down. "Be careful..." she muttered, for her own ears as well as theirs.
-
I’VE GOT A LOVELY BUNCH OF CANDIDATES, DEEDLY DEEDLY…
Wait.
When had then become all loud and different?
Chica blinked, trying to figure out how her song had changed.
This was stupid. This whole class was dumb, and it was full of stupid people. Orange eyes swept the room as she looked at them all with distain. The annoying one was crying, which just made her more annoying, and that boy was comforting her, which made him annoying too. Arrow was just silently freaking out or something, and Phenyo was playing the good little girl all of a sudden.
Chica certainly wouldn’t have been pacified by that threat. Hell, let him punish Arrow all he wanted. It was better Arrow than her.
In her mind, a tiny Chica was waving a tiny flag that said ‘Woot, leaving’ on it. On the outside her face maintained the mix of pouting, boredom and anger that Chica did so well.
Standing up, which really just meant raising herself back to her normal height, Chica followed Arrow out of the room. The girl paused, causing Chica to roll her eyes and grunt, “Move.”
She snaked after Arrow, then paused when she heard her suddenly laugh. It was the laugh of a deranged hobo. How odd. Maybe the girl had some spirit after all. She slid forward, intentionally shoving through the two guys and grunting, “Move!” a little more forcefully this time.
Really, they should have just moved out of the way without her having to say it.
Out in the hall she grinned maliciously at Arrow. Keeping her gaze firmly on the girl she circled her, her hair swaying rhythmically as she did. She made the circle tighter, so her tail brushed up against Arrow’s legs, then the end of her tail stopped moving, and she wrapped herself around the scared little candidate. She wasn’t trying to crush her or anything, just wrapping her tight enough so she couldn’t run away.
She ended up with her torso behind Arrow and her tail firmly wrapped around the girls legs. Chica hugged her from behind, thus trapping her arms as well, and leaned her head in so he left check brushed against Arrow’s right. He hair wrapped around the other side of the girls head.
“Hi,” she cooed, “I’m Chica, Chica Characa, we haven’t formerly met.”
It was so perfect; she could scare the crap out of the girl and just have it look like an innocent, playful hug. Devious.
-
A very audible sigh left her lips when he said it was a deal. Roman couldn't be all that bad. He'd leave her alone, sexually at least, unless Phenyo did something. As much as it made her want to smack something having to be a good girl for... However long this thing was again, it would be good. The poor girl didn't need to be raped along with getting pulled from her family and thrown here. No one deserved that. Phenyo gave a quick glance towards Roman and frowned lightly. Maybe that's why he was so grumpy.
With her head down slightly, she rubbed the back of her neck and looked up when Arrow brushed past and said thank you.
A thanks.
Phenyo smiled lightly towards her and stood up following her out. Damn. Phenyo looked up at the top of Arrows head. Taller than her. Ouch, ego poke. Sighing slightly and following Arrow out, now wanting to be at least a shield between the poor black haired girl and Roman. She wouldn't succeed, they were both taller than her, he could just reach over her and smack Arrow upside the head anyway.
Heaving a sigh she went and stood by Phenyo, ignoring the two late boys. They both just... Smelled like they thought they were important and Phenyo rolled her mismatched green eyes. And stared at Chica. The snake lady. What was she doing?
"Hey, can't you see she's scared already?" Phenyo snapped at Chica, her eyebrows lowered to glare. "Leave Arrow alone, okay? Please?" Oh.
(Blaaaaah. DX)
-
"Sir? I think Candidate... um... Alaina, I think? ...is cracking up, sir. Do they get sent to the infirmary for that... er... sir?"
Phenyo's voice again, tinged with a hint of annoyance as she headed towards the door. Alaina composed herself, wiping her eyes dry and silently cursing herself for losing it in front of the entire class. She was supposed to be older, a role model or something. At least, that's what her mother had told her before she left for the program. Now she was stuck here in a chair, staring at the ground. Welcome to your new life with a bunch of other weak psychics and Roman Rosales, Instructor From Hell.
"Hey," said a voice. Alaina looked up to see... Savage? ...the instructor's unwilling accomplice. Her datapad was clutched tightly in his hand. "C'mon, I think we're gonna leave now, okay? Hey..."
Alaina offered him a brief smile, taking the datapad from him without a word. At least there were a few people around willing to do something nice. She watched as Col stood up and headed for the door, feeling a little bad for him. That must have been hard, even if it was Val.
Chica slithered out of the room and into the hallway. From her vantage point, Alaina couldn't tell whether the snake-girl was consoling Arrow or trying to set her off, but either way it didn't look like it was helping her sanity at all. At this point, she didn't really care. Let them pick fights with one another; she wasn't going to encourage them like the snake-girl or try to stop them like... well... Phenyo.
Two new kids showed up, and they both began to act like Val. The aura of arrogance was so obvious; they were sledgehammer material from square one. Alaina laughed softly, then hated herself for being amused at the thought. Focusing herself, she tried to recall who they might be; the list she'd found was a few people larger than the class itself, so she expected latecomers.
I don't think they understand "fashionably late" here...
She pulled up the list of Candidates again, scrolling quickly through. There were too many extras on the list to guess, but... oh, wow... the lead vocalist and frontman for Indigenous Fairy was registered as a Candidate. That was news. Alaina managed an amused grin as she stood up and walked towards the door, tucking the datapad under her arm. Nothing like a weird coincidence to make you forget how much your life sucks...
-
Col was the last one out. He didn't want to look at the bloody desk but couldn't help it. It drew his eyes to it, and he gave it a wide berth. On the way out he glared openly at Roman, who returned the look with the barest of patient smiles, not to be baited by a wounded candidate. There was insubordination and there was deliberate provocation, and the one was not to be confused with the other.
With everyone out of the room, Roman followed and let the door close behind him. More late candidates. Punctuality would be a chronic concern with this group. Neither of them gave their names, so he dipped into their minds and got them himself. Alikaahra Ipfeiyi? Geez. Roman oughta fail him just for that name.
There'd been quite enough sledgehammer fun for one day. He passed a look from Nika to Alik and gave them both a casual smile. "Relax. You're just late. It's not like I'd break your legs for it. Let's see, what did you miss?" He tapped one finger upon his lips. "Hmm, we just covered some basic information, got everyone acquainted, that kind of thing. And I gave a little demonstration. Don't worry, it's nothing I can't repeat on the two of you later."
Inside jokes were so delightful.
It wasn't that he didn't see Chica harassing Arrow and it wasn't that he didn't care. But the clashing of candidates was a part of the training program in a lot of ways. Knowing how Arrow would deal with it—how they all would deal with each other—was vitally important to understanding them. Unless they started inflicting bodily harm on each other, and sometimes not even then, he tended to let them sort out their own inter-candidate troubles. While monitoring the interactions for his own purposes, of course.
Roman slid through the throng and started down the corridor. "This way. Keep up and listen up. I don't want to repeat myself." The hallway was busy with military personnel, and to a man they shuffled to the side and stood against the wall as Roman passed them.
"When we're done here, you'll all have the rest of the day to yourselves. You can find your rooms if you haven't already, and if you don't know where you're staying, you can check any terminal in the ATC to find your room number and your schedules. Candidates receive one day a week off and are in training the other six. You are not allowed to leave the ATC without express permission from a Pilot, and even then it has to come through my office first."
Half-way from the classroom to the elevator, they passed another hallway branching off to the left, and Roman pointed it out. "My office is down that way. You can't miss it, it's got my name on it in big letters. I'm usually in there every day from eight in the morning to noon, and if I'm not you can leave a message at the terminal." He walked backward so that he could look at them as he lectured. "You can come to me with anything, at any time; it's why I'm here. Half way through the grace period, you will all be called in there one by one for your three-month evaluation. We'll go over your progress so far and what you can do to ensure you remain here once the six months are over."
When he reached the elevator, Roman jabbed the up button and the doors slid open at once. He stood to the side and gestured them in. It was plenty large for the whole group. "Everybody in. We're going to the roof."
-
Nika gave Roman a picture perfect smile, nodding his head, "Ah, well, good. I'm glad I'm not in trouble." And he was rather glad that there had been another boy that arrived late as well. Less likely to get in trouble when there was more then one.
He looked a little puzzled at what he assumed was some joke he hadn't been there for. But he didn't bother asking for it to be clarified, he just stepped aside and fell in with the rest of the candidates as they filed out.
The mood was quite sour and Nika had enough sense to keep quite. Now didn't seem the best time to start meeting people. Though he did want to know what had happened. A quick scan of the others rather surprised him. There were some strange looking candidates. Might be interesting. And the snake one seemed a bit of a bully. Interesting.
He carefully watched everyone, more interested in his fellow candidates then he was in what the pilot was saying. He kept half an ear on what was going on, as it was probably good information to know. He did start to pay more attention at the mention of the evaluation. Those could be tricky, much harder to play act with someone who could read your mind. Nika frowned, not liking the sound of that much. Though maybe that wouldn't matter as much here.
Still mulling over the evaluation, Nika headed into the elevator, not paying much attention to Roman any more.
-
Demya half flew, half trotted down the hall with her talons clicking the ground. She was ina huff over not being able to find her mentor. Silly Victor, how am I supposed to learn anything if he hides from me all the time. When I find his office i'm going to screach his door down and.. Oops, hello, what do we have here? That pilot is cute. Surly, but cute.
Demya stopped and peered back around the corner to see a bunch of candidates with a pilot. That was odd. They looked all weirded out too, more than humans normally did. She tucked her wings behind her so that they streamlined with her back and down to her tail.
'Um, hello. Have you seen Victor? And.... what on Earth is happenning here? You all look like someone murdered your best friend.'
She stepped closer and examined the pilot's shirt. She looked from him to the candidates and realised that something was very wrong. Her look of curiosity turned to a glare. 'Did you know there is blood on you?' she asked.
-
Dyerlich had some things he he needed to go attend, so for him, this little adventure was over. Still, he followed along with Roman, keeping near the Pilot as he looked to all the people in the hall. It was a little busy today. There must be a drill going on for the local military personnel. He could always go look into that, perhaps after he was finished a few things. He focused on Roman for a moment, deciding he'd let the pilot know.
I hope you have fun with your little demonstration. Please say hello to Scheherazade for me. I'm going to go finish up a little bit of business. Probably clean some of the blood off of me. I do hope to see you later, maybe make a pie or some cake even. Drinks are on me though if you come by, got some good scotch and rum. Dyerlich sent the laser like message to his former candidate. The boy was such a treasure. Dyerlich wanted to have something sweet though, the pain from Val had been...nice, perhaps a little cruel, but it was still good.
Dyerlich turned about to look for Phenyo, finding her in the crowd with a small smirk. Phenyo, you may do what you wish for a few hours, but I'll be waiting for you in your room. I do want to talk to you, but take your time. He wouldn't push her into this sort of thing. But she had to return to her quarters eventually. If not, he could just go looking for her then.
"Well children, I hope you have a good day, I will no doubt see you all around the ATC. Enjoy your day off." He actually bowed to them, careful of his spikes before he wormed his way through the group and started heading down the hallway, humming to himself. Lots of interesting candidates here then wasn't there? They would have fun with their room mates no doubt. Roman would issue that later. It would be fun to see who ended up with who.
Fun times were going to come and never stop.
-
Alik followed the other Candidates as they filed into the hallway, not bothering to look at the room. I was later than I thought. At least I showed up with someone else. A black-haired girl passed him with her head down, and muttered "Be careful." Alik said "thanks," while being pushed aside, but she was apparently busy, accosted by another Candidate, this one with a snake's tail. Odd bunch, certainly...
A man passed them, with black hair much like that of the girl who'd just passed him. He had a regal bearing; something about him just said "in charge". He smiled at Alik and the other latecomer. "Relax. You're just late. It's not like I'd break your legs for it. Let's see, what did you miss?" The redhead couldn't help noticing that he seemed like the sort who might break your legs for being late. "Hmm, we just covered some basic information, got everyone acquainted, that kind of thing. And I gave a little demonstration. Don't worry, it's nothing I can't repeat on the two of you later."
Alik smiled back at him. "That's good, then, Thank you, sir." He followed the other Candidates, listening to Roman outline the day's schedule. Everyone seemed in a rather dire mood... best to go with the crowd, and not be annoyingly cheerful. A harpy joined the group from a side hallway, rather loudly, and a Pilot who looked to be a demon of some sort departed. Hope I don't get sent off right away...
Roman stopped, instructing the Candidates to pile into an elevator. It was big, but Alik still had a bit of an aversion to enclosed spaces with a lot of people in them. I hope my hair doesn't get too messed up. He stationed himself in a corner, hopefully to have fewer people around him.
-
Arrow had gone completely rigid, heart beating violently in her chest, when Chica wrapped herself around her and all she could manage was a sharp squeak of fright before her throat tightened with fear. She could feel smooth, cold scales rubbing against her legs where the pant-leg had rode up a bit, yet the rest of Chica felt strangely warm as the gorgon hugged her from behind, cheek pressed against hers. Chica could probably feel her pulse racing, breath coming in short, quick puffs like a scared rabbit. This must be like what those poor rodents felt like when they were being constricted. Arrow had never been able to watch those animal documentaries and oh gods they crushed them and then swallowed them and Chica had told her that's what she was going to do.
A low whimper caught in her throat at the thought, and she groped for words to speak that wouldn't be pitiful scared noises. But that was hard when a dozen other snakes were wrapped around your head, cold, smooth bodies caressing her skin, the rustle of scales rubbing against each other loud in her ears. She expected to feel needle-sharp fangs sink into her skin at any moment.
Arrow's eyes fluttered, and for a moment she felt like she was going to pass out. But she gave herself a shake to snap out of it and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming.
"H-hi..." Arrow breathed, a quiver in her voice as she found she apparently couldn't speak louder than a whisper right now. She hated snakes, she hated snakes, she hated snakes. "I'm A...Arrow..." She gave a nervous smile and swallowed hard past the lump in her throat and tried to shift her body, but she couldn't move at all. It was like her whole body was being held in a vice, though it wasn't physically uncomfortable. If Chica squeezed a little more, it would be.
She leaned her head away from Chica's and desperately searched the room for someone would could get the gorgon off her, but everyone else was following Roman down the corridor, leaving her stuck there alone with Chica. They were gonna get left behind! And then...they'd be alone...and if Chica didn't crush her, they might get in trouble for missing the rest of class!
Her body was shaking, but she finally managed to come out of the shock enough to try and resist, and she started to struggle as much as the tight hug would allow her to. At least it was only Chica's arms around her arms and not coils; she could try and twist those free, so that's what she tried to do. "L-let go, Chica...please, we're gonna get left behind!" she gasped, finally able to manage more than a hoarse whisper.
It was then that she also realized how close Chica's face was to her head, and that if she really wanted to she could do something with that--but that was only if Chica didn't let her go. The girl was stronger than she was and from the looks of it, she wasn't going to be able to rely on anyone else coming to her rescue. The last thing she wanted to do was really piss Chica off, so...first let's see how far begging got her.
And Chica couldn't be that bad...could she? She'd been petting her back when she'd thrown up...maybe she didn't mean the things she'd thought. It did nothing for Arrow's fear of snakes or the sensation of being utterly trapped, but it was something.
"They're gonna leave us, we need to catch up..." She smiled awkwardly. "Please?"
-
“Which is why I’m giving her a comforting hug!” Chica retorted to Phenyo, accompanied with a fake pout. Really, it wasn’t like she was beating the girl to a bloody pulp or anything. People likes bear hugs, well, she was giving her a snake hug. Once people got over their stupid squeamishness towards reptiles it was quite a pleasant hug, honest.
So, it was Arrow Archer huh? That was pretty damn funny, and Chica made no attempt to hide her chuckling when she realised what Arrow’s name was.
Clinging to Arrow as she was Chica could feel the girls middle, feel how thin she was. The girl certainly didn’t have much meat on her, or any fat, she was just scrawny. Even if she could eat something that big and was of the persuasion of eating humans, Arrow would be a terrible meal.
She struggled and whimpered to no avail, effectively powerless against Chica’s superior strength, but when she mentioned getting left behind Chica blinked and then pulled her head back. Looking past the back of Arrow’s head she realised that the girl was right, they were getting left behind, by an ever increasing mob it seemed, as another freak joined the pack.
When the group disappeared around a corner – well, more of a bend really – Chica’s head came back down to rest beside Arrow’s. “Oh, I thought we could have some alone time.” She grinned and brushed her cheek up against Arrow’s, which was warm. The girl really was getting flustered by this. Mentally snickering, she decided to make it worse. “Just a quick nip and my venom will help you…relax.”
Without pausing she swooped in, teeth closing around Arrow’s neck and squeezing just a little. She pulled back off just as quickly, letting go of Arrow with her arms and uncoiling from around her legs. Ruffling Arrow’s hair she said, “Just kidding kid, just kiddin.”
Chica slid away after the rest of the class, quickly catching up to them at the elevator. With a seductive wink at Roman she slipped inside, ending up standing next to the red haired guy who’d come it late. Flirting with Roman seemed the best tactic to avoid getting her tail crushed. He was a male after all, and if she had to blow the teacher to pass this stupid course, so be it. Ignoring the guy next to her she crossed her arms under her breasts and sighed, wishing this day would hurry up and finish.