“Okay, so,” Ollie said, adjusting his gsses, “Roll call will be in an hour, so we got a little time.”
“When do csses start?” Lillian asked, sipping at her coffee.
“Noon, so we gotta get at least our first few days figured out,” Ollie expined.
“It’s ten weeks, right?” Alex asked, lig his thumb aing down his pte. He leaned forward, “Plenty of time for everything.”
“You’d think,” Ollie said, “Take a closer look at the daily schedules and you might be surprised. Getting your schedule right and tailored to what you need is as much a test as the actual csses.”
Alex scratched his head, “Really? Damn man…”
“Same length of time as basic training,” John mumbled over his same obsessively stack of sandwiches, “Soldiers desighis, and the courses.”
“Right on the money,” Ollie said with a grin, “Most of it was anized by Bck Lotus herself, she’s ex-military.”
Lillian waved her hands, “We’re getting off track, what’s on for today?”
Ollie nodded, “Right! Of course,” He opehe book, “At noon there are a few options, there’s a physical assessment with Bck Lotus for those who are unsure about where to go, followed by drills that take up a good portion of the afternoon,” He said, “There’s also a hand-to-hand basics course with… Miss ovna?”
Greg coughed into his cup, “That tiny thing is gonna teach hand to hand bat?”
“That’s what it says,” Ollie said, scratg his head. “I read it st night but it’s still a little hard to believe.”
“I’m going,” Lilly said, “I’m fident in my physical fitness but I wouldn’t mind joining in on the drills ter, what else?”
Ollie nodded, “Okay so, there’s a timeslot after that set aside for pretty much the entire camp, it’s about an hour to study policy, criminal andutions with a teacher, no the end of the tehere’s a test,” He said, “Then there’s a scouting course ter iernoon with Sonya as well, a foapping out and expl dungeons safely. At the same time we have the option of taking a course on gear and pandora-tech theory.”
“What about going forward?” Lillian asked.
“Let’s see,” Ollie said, flipping through, “A few highlights, battlefield rescue, disaster relief, field first aid training, several bat courses, power theory, you register to get one on one for certain days with one of the instructors to work on your abilities,” Ollie said, “Oh, and then there’s the monster css.”
Everyoopped and looked at him, “...monster css?” Val asked, “Like, actual monsters?”
“A course tered around bating the standard two variations of mohat only appear outside dungeons, Hounds and Lurkers. Students will be exposed to live bat with the aforementioies after suffit education,” Ollie read and looked up at him, adjusting his gsses, “Would seem so.”
Lillian leaned bad g Snow who looked unfortable, she gri her, “It’ll be fine! No biggie, right? Hounds and Lurkers are the least of our s. Yeah? We’re heroes!” She said with a big flex of her arm, “We got this.”
The others seemed to rex a little bit after that, Val and Greg even sending her a small smile and a nod. Alex still looked nervous though, he swayed bad forth in the couch before hopping to his feet. “I gotta walk around.”
They tialking for a while after that, going over their schedules. Fortuhey were given pens and highlighters to make notes ialogs and map out their schedules for the first day or two to get a feel for things. Before long, time for roll call came around and they looked around to see if anyone was there. It took another five minutes for Miss Mint to e walking down the hallway, looking a little flustered. o her, Sonya was ughing. She wasn’t in her usual suit and tie but instead a dress shirt ao go with a long pair of scks.
“I said I was sorry!” Sonya ughed.
Car harrumphed, pulling on the colr of her turtleneck as she schooled her expression and marched into the on area. Sonya smirked at her from behind before impishly wandering off with her hands behind her back. As she did, a familiar blonde head of hair got to his feet and made his way towards her, waving her down. The aused for only a moment befesturing for him to walk with her. Marc? Is he looking to get signed with ASTA? She wondered, Would make sense for his goals. Lillian thought.
The others were caught up on aopic.
“They’re banging.” Val said.
“Totally banging.” Greg agreed.
“She’s rubbing her wrists too,” John muttered.
“Oh my god she is,” Greg ughed.
“...pretty sure it’s a bit more serious than you’re thinking,” Ollie muttered, his face a little red as he looked down at his notes. Miss Mint made her way to the front of the room and pulled out her notepad before adjusting her gsses and going over a few things. The others squi Ollie suspiciously, waiting for him to eborate. He shifted a bit uheir scrutiny and sighed, “The- the choker. It’s a pink diamond at least twenty carats and ptinum, that’s got to be worth more than Miss Mint’s annual sary. So, just saying, maybe don’t upset her, si’ll get back to Sonya?”
They all stared at him, then immediately looked up at Miss Mint who was staring directly at them with a sful gre. Lillian suddenly felt the urge to stand up and not say another word for the rest of the day if she could get away with it. From the stiff backs of her friends, they seemed to share her thoughts. Miss Mint searched their faces for a moment and shook her head before clearihroat, “We’re beginning roll call, I just saw Mister Mallory leave with Miss ovna so I’ll t him present,” She said stiffly, “As for the rest of you, let’s begin.”
After roll call she went over a few more things, mostly reminding them about the various rules that were already in the guidebooks and that they had until noon to decide on their uping css. “That’s all,” Miss Mint finished, putting her clipboard away and standing up straight, “You are all adults, act like it, pose yourselves, and if yoing to do anything improper at least find somewhere private and up after yourselves. We aren’t stupid, we know things will happen,” She said, sing the room, “Finally,” She sighed and mao put a smile on her face, “This will be my only roll call, the instructors will be handling them going forward. It leasure meeting all of you. I will be in my office if needed but otherwise you may not see a lot of me.”
She met everyone's eyes and bowed ohank you for your future service,” She said and straightened herself up, “Good luck to all of you.”
One guy raised his voice, “Let’s hear it for Miss Mint!” And a chorus of shouts and g followed as she turned on her heel and walked back down the hall.
After that the rest of their m passed by in fortable versation and hanging out. Lillia a few of the other aspirants who wao hear a bit about what happened iA interview, she told them what she could. It didn’t take long for it to be time to go to the first css, Lillian, Alex, John, and Greg went their separate ways with Snow, Val, and Ollie. The tter three going out to the grassy field where the dark figure of Bck Lotus stood waiting. Lillian and her group went te open buildi beside the main facility.
I looked like the interior of a hangar, open air. The floors were made of a fortable material that had light sprio it. Probably for falls, I’ve used this stuff before. Other aspirants followed them in, looking around. Ahead of them, standing at the far end of the room, Sonya ovna stood in her vest and scks, a pair of suspenders holding them up. She wloves and had her hair pulled back. She turned a rakish grin on all those present.
“Oh goodie!” Sonya chirped, “So many for the first day! You’re mighty brave,” She said and slowly slid a k from behind her back. It was a long, deadly looking trenbat knife. She spun it between her fingers before catg it firmly and slipping bato a stance. “Alright, who’s first? e at me. Let’s get your measure. No powers first, I want a baselio work with.”
Alex cleared his throat o Lillian, “Hey Lil?”
She swallowed, “Yeah, Alex?”
“You go first,” He said.
She whipped her head towards him, “Me?”
John stormed past them, reag up and tightening his tie. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchbde that he flicked ond extended. He took a stiff step forward before dipping into an easy sway. He darted towards Miss ovna who grinned wildly at him, her meical eyes moviically. She waited for him to get within just a few meters before she shifted and tilted the bde of her on, Lillian squi the gleam of light that reflected off of it. John pivoted, holding his arm up over his eyes and hopped to the right just in time to miss getting his legs kicked out from under him.
He dipped low beh a swipe, but Lillian could see him blinking rapidly. Sonya kicked her leg up, doing a vertical split as John’s k across. She brought her foot back down and onto his wrist. He grunted, losing his grip on his on. Sonya took a step forward, following the momentum of the downward kid snatched her hand out, grabbing him by his tie, pulling him close, and pressing her bde against his neck. “Ten seds, good!. I’m impressed.”
She dropped him and brushed her hands off, turning to the others. “Everything is a on! The light of the sun, the lights above your head, the floor, your feet, your head, your hands, everything. Disting your surroundings is a sure way to get yourselves killed,” She said sharply. “His opening attack was good, the swaying path was an excellent way to keep the oppo guessing. He even mao recover quickly from me attempting to blind him. Great form,” She turned and looked down at him, “You need situational awareness, John.”
He got to his feet and bowed, “Yes ma’am!”
“We’ll talk about the specifics of knife fighting ter,” She said to him, “You’re suited for it, but you eique, not just instincts.”
He nodded and walked back over to the group.
Lillian and the others looked at one ahey looked up at the lights over their heads and only just now realized that they’d beeo be extra bright in the room. There was also a switch just a few feet behind Sonya that she could use to turn them all off. Lillia a wave of excitement wash up and over her, a heat burning in her chest that just didn’t want to die down. She grinned and bounced on the balls of her feet a few times before stepping forward, I really learn something from this. She’s good! Crazy good!
Sonya watched her approad grinned, “Miss Landrey! I’m gd you came to my lesson, you’re wasted on Bck Lotus’ drills, aren’t you? e on! Show me what you got!”
Lillian didn’t have to be asked twice. She darted forward in a low run, crossing the distan a heartbeat. She let out a huff and dropped as Sonya flicked her bde to shihe light in her face. She stretched her arms out and to the right, catg herself and pivoting into a near breakdaurn, swinging her entire lower half in Sonya’s dire. Sonya took a half step back, guard up as Lillian pushed hard, throwing herself a few meters and nding on her behind where Sonya had been standing.
She didn’t stop moving, she darted forward only to throw her head back as the bde of the knife appeared in front of her face. She kicked out and Sonya ed her arm around Lillian’s ah a grin, she twirled the ko a stabbing grip and brought it down towards Lillian’s thigh. Shit! Lillian kicked downward, pulling Sonya with her only for the woman to let go and pivot into a goddamn one-handed handstand on Lillian’s desding leg. Lillian looked up at the the woman’s body as it spun and the knee came down.
Lillian saw stars.
She nded on her bad blinked a few times, an ag spht between her eyes.
“Ow…” She groaned.
“Seven seds, but good teique!” Sonya said, “You did parkour and free-running, right? I see it,” The woman tapped her over her, looking thoughtful for a moment, “You need a on, something with reapliment those dynamients. Not too much reach though, polearm would overplicate things and you don’t seem the kind to use a gun.”
She turned and poi a random aspirant in the crowd, “You, cute one! Jessica Wayne!”
A girl who had dyed the tips of her hair blue poi herself, “M-me?”
“Is there another Jessica Wayne?” Sonya asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“R-right! Sorry ma’am!”
Sonya snorted and shook her head, “Right, do you know of any ons that would work well for her? You practice with ons too, don’t you?”
The girl mulled it over for a moment, frowning, “A mace might be too heavy if she’s moving at speed, but that momentum would plement it well,” She shook her head, “A sword? Not a short sword, something lohat or tonfa to extend her reach.”
Sonya nodded, “Good! That’s what I’m looking for,” She turned back to Lillian who had brushed herself off. The brief fight had been exhirating. She didn’t evehe pain in her forehead anymore as she looked over at the girl and then back at Sonya, nodding along. “Do you know what I expect of you?”
“Find a on that suits me, explore those options first, and e back to you,” Lillian said quickly. This is great!
Sonya glowed with approval. “Right! In the meantime, spar with John, he’s a good match-up for you.”
Lillian beamed, “Yes ma’am!”