Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Saleon]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

THE QUARTERLY EXAMSCecily was not used to speaking into an intercom, and John had the stronger voice. Thus he decided he would awaken the students while Cecily and the other teachers proctored. At 6:30 in the morning, John walked to the front office and spoke over the intercom:

“GOOD MORNING MANA ACADEMY! Today is the first day of the Quarterly Exams! We will begin the exam at 7 AM sharp! Be up and ready in front of the Main Hall! If you are not at the Main Hall for 7 AM sharp, 5 points will be deducted from your exam grade!” John was almost tempted to try and act the part of Robin Williams in “Good Morning Vietnam”, and when the impression sounded in his voice, he turned from the intercom to snicker a bit. Otherwise, he was completely serious, and headed out of the office toward the Main Hall, to wait for the students. Cecily was already there, standing and looking out for any students.

“Morning, Cecily,” he greeted.

“Good morning. Rather early for an exam, isn’t it?” she questioned, with a yawn.

“Nah. The earlier we get this done the better. Just gotta see who decides to goof and show-up late,” he answered. In a school full of teenagers, one could be almost certain that one might show-up late.

Amanda jumped from the sound of the large intercom. It was loud... and annoying. She almost wanted to hide back in the pillows and sheets. She groaned for eight days before finally deciding to get out of bed. She sifted out of it, slowly flumpfing on the floor. "I will kill that student one day..." she whispered in a delirious state. She then lifted up onto her feet, slowly moving over to the wheelchair. She had at least some movement in her feet, though not for extended periods of time.

She sat in her chair, wheeling over and doing up her hair, picking out an outfit, and preparing herself for the day. She had some morning coffee before opening the door and wheeling on outside of her room and into the hall.

"Now where is my attendant... maybe she spent too much time studying last minute. Or she just forgot her alarm. One of the two," She said, sipping her coffee. She sent Virgil to find her, while humming a devious tune. These tests were her favorite form of torture. Her bag slumped over the edge of the wheelchair--filled with papers, books, and ink pens.

[Luminesa]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

THE QUARTERLY EXAMSCecily was not used to speaking into an intercom, and John had the stronger voice. Thus he decided he would awaken the students while Cecily and the other teachers proctored. At 6:30 in the morning, John walked to the front office and spoke over the intercom:

“GOOD MORNING MANA ACADEMY! Today is the first day of the Quarterly Exams! We will begin the exam at 7 AM sharp! Be up and ready in front of the Main Hall! If you are not at the Main Hall for 7 AM sharp, 5 points will be deducted from your exam grade!” John was almost tempted to try and act the part of Robin Williams in “Good Morning Vietnam”, and when the impression sounded in his voice, he turned from the intercom to snicker a bit. Otherwise, he was completely serious, and headed out of the office toward the Main Hall, to wait for the students. Cecily was already there, standing and looking out for any students.

“Morning, Cecily,” he greeted.

“Good morning. Rather early for an exam, isn’t it?” she questioned, with a yawn.

“Nah. The earlier we get this done the better. Just gotta see who decides to goof and show-up late,” he answered. In a school full of teenagers, one could be almost certain that one might show-up late.

Amanda jumped from the sound of the large intercom. It was loud... and annoying. She almost wanted to hide back in the pillows and sheets. She groaned for eight days before finally deciding to get out of bed. She sifted out of it, slowly flumpfing on the floor. "I will kill that student one day..." she whispered in a delirious state. She then lifted up onto her feet, slowly moving over to the wheelchair. She had at least some movement in her feet, though not for extended periods of time.

She sat in her chair, wheeling over and doing up her hair, picking out an outfit, and preparing herself for the day. She had some morning coffee before opening the door and wheeling on outside of her room and into the hall.

"Now where is my attendant... maybe she spent too much time studying last minute. Or she just forgot her alarm. One of the two," She said, sipping her coffee. She sent Virgil to find her, while humming a devious tune. These tests were her favorite form of torture. Her bag slumped over the edge of the wheelchair--filled with papers, books, and ink pens.

Ambrosia had indeed slept-in, on the one morning when she should have been awake bright and early. Back in her room after being discharged from the infirmary, she snored loudly under the covers of her bed, her blankets hanging halfway off the bed. Her notebooks were scattered on the floor, along with a sundry collection of highlighters, pens, and pencils. When she finally awakened, she blinked for a moment, and wiped the drool off her cheek, before she noticed that the sun had already begun to rise outside.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!-Oh, good morning Virgil!”

She noticed the little mouse as he would arrive in her room, emerging from probably one of his many little mouse-tunnels throughout the school. At the very least, while she was late, she would be able to bring Virgil to class with her, and that would be fun. She hopped out of her bed, and threw one her Ignus robes over her nightgown. “Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. She then threw all of her supplies in her backpack, threw her backpack over her shoulder, and ran out the room, expecting for Virgil to follow. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!” she exclaimed.

Elsewhere, Soleil had awakened several minutes before, and had walked quietly toward the Main Hall. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, but otherwise he was silent as he arrived for the exam. He did note that few students had arrived, and by the time Ambrosia had skid to a halt next to him, the time was already 6:30.

Which meant that Ambrosia was not late for the exam, even though she had forgotten about her duties to Amanda...

[Caruolinda]

Kadnikov Valerianovich

It had been one of the greatest nights of sleep he had had so far in his lifetime. The exhaustion from his previous couple days of training had added up, so in the night before the exam his bed was the single most attractive thing in his life. Of course, that reflected poorly in the morning of the exam itself. Ten seconds until 6:30, ten instants to the sudden termination of his beauty sleep. Five, four, three, two, one.

The annoyingly loud intercom ended whatever dream our poor hero was having in a brutal and sharp way. Kadnikov almost literally jumped, initially struggling under his covers before he actually realized what was going on. Delivered was one of the last things he would like to have heard: he had only thirty minutes to get ready. Losing those early points was not an option, he thought, as he had to give out the best first impression he possibly could. In his own mind, Kad was already quite convinced of his clearly superior capabilities, but still assumed the impression of others mattered.

He sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes, making sure he was already awake enough to properly walk. After rapidly making his bed, he took out to take a shower and go through the rest of his morning routine as fast as he possibly could. Finally, within 20 minutes, he was ready and set. Walking out of his room to head towards the halls, not realizing that he had completely ignored his own dog, Vlad, who still happily wagged his tail until the moment the door was shut, Kad headed out.

Kadnikov picked up his pace when moving to the Main Hall. He hadn't explored the area of the Academy at all after his arrival, so he just wanted to make sure he would have time in case he got lost. Fortunately enough, he didn't. Joining the ranks of those already at the location, all he could do was wait, relieved he had made it in time, the fact he was a new arrival standing out as clear as day.

[Saleon]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

Amanda jumped from the sound of the large intercom. It was loud... and annoying. She almost wanted to hide back in the pillows and sheets. She groaned for eight days before finally deciding to get out of bed. She sifted out of it, slowly flumpfing on the floor. "I will kill that student one day..." she whispered in a delirious state. She then lifted up onto her feet, slowly moving over to the wheelchair. She had at least some movement in her feet, though not for extended periods of time.

She sat in her chair, wheeling over and doing up her hair, picking out an outfit, and preparing herself for the day. She had some morning coffee before opening the door and wheeling on outside of her room and into the hall.

"Now where is my attendant... maybe she spent too much time studying last minute. Or she just forgot her alarm. One of the two," She said, sipping her coffee. She sent Virgil to find her, while humming a devious tune. These tests were her favorite form of torture. Her bag slumped over the edge of the wheelchair--filled with papers, books, and ink pens.

Ambrosia had indeed slept-in, on the one morning when she should have been awake bright and early. Back in her room after being discharged from the infirmary, she snored loudly under the covers of her bed, her blankets hanging halfway off the bed. Her notebooks were scattered on the floor, along with a sundry collection of highlighters, pens, and pencils. When she finally awakened, she blinked for a moment, and wiped the drool off her cheek, before she noticed that the sun had already begun to rise outside.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!-Oh, good morning Virgil!”

She noticed the little mouse as he would arrive in her room, emerging from probably one of his many little mouse-tunnels throughout the school. At the very least, while she was late, she would be able to bring Virgil to class with her, and that would be fun. She hopped out of her bed, and threw one her Ignus robes over her nightgown. “Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. She then threw all of her supplies in her backpack, threw her backpack over her shoulder, and ran out the room, expecting for Virgil to follow. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!” she exclaimed.

Elsewhere, Soleil had awakened several minutes before, and had walked quietly toward the Main Hall. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, but otherwise he was silent as he arrived for the exam. He did note that few students had arrived, and by the time Ambrosia had skid to a halt next to him, the time was already 6:30.

Which meant that Ambrosia was not late for the exam, even though she had forgotten about her duties to Amanda...

Virgil hopped up and sat on top of Ambrosia's dresser. He squeaked a little, watching as she jumped up into life. Virgil pondered for a second, whether it was a good idea to have her curtains to her window open enough for Ambrosia to be able to see that it is morning. Would it burn her? Either way, Ambrosia seemed to pop up and attempt to get ready. Virgil looked away as she began to put on her clothes, even avoiding the mirror. Virgil then looked up as she began to spring out the door.

“Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!”

Virgil then began to follow, trying not to lose track of her. He hopped up on the railing on the walls, darting across. He then jumped off the wall and landed on her shoulder. He then nuzzled inside her ignis robe collar. It was a good place to hide.

---

Amanda then braided her hair slightly, trying to make herself look nice. She wore a light blue dress that swayed across her soft skin. It also had a knitted cardigan in a deeper blue. She wore white leggings and a basic brown heel shoes. Her golden hair laced down to her sides like that of a fairy tale. It raised down but never to the floor. Amanda moved her hair out of her eyes, a pair of emerald gems. It had been only a week since she was infirmed, but she could still dress herself up nicely.

She adjusted her hair out of her eyes. Amanda rolled the wheels of her wheelchair. There was a clink of her chair as it steadied across the slight shifts in the tiled floor. Her hair glistened as the light of the sunrise peaked through the windows. She could see a couple of students as the mingled about or walking to the Main Hall. it made her give a small hum.

In her lap was a leather mail bag she had filled pack with an eccentric array of books, papers of differing qualities, quills and pens and paintbrushes. It was an eclectic mess that she carried around, a little excited to meet some of her students. She wondered what would happen with the students would meet her. She had been gone so long that they may not remember her again. Her smile had a certain effect on her students. She cared deeply for them--even if some of her students seemed to feel as if the air would grow cold when she entered. Either way, she tried hard to be prepared to see her students again.

Some of her students described her as a tiger the size of a palm. She never figured out why.

Amanda clopped her wheelchair into the Main hall, breathing in the fresh morning air that seemed to hide the cold wintry weather outside. She waved to some of the other teachers. She stretched her back a bit, lifting one arm straight up like a large pole in the air. She then sipped some coffee.

[Luminesa]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

Ambrosia had indeed slept-in, on the one morning when she should have been awake bright and early. Back in her room after being discharged from the infirmary, she snored loudly under the covers of her bed, her blankets hanging halfway off the bed. Her notebooks were scattered on the floor, along with a sundry collection of highlighters, pens, and pencils. When she finally awakened, she blinked for a moment, and wiped the drool off her cheek, before she noticed that the sun had already begun to rise outside.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!-Oh, good morning Virgil!”

She noticed the little mouse as he would arrive in her room, emerging from probably one of his many little mouse-tunnels throughout the school. At the very least, while she was late, she would be able to bring Virgil to class with her, and that would be fun. She hopped out of her bed, and threw one her Ignus robes over her nightgown. “Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. She then threw all of her supplies in her backpack, threw her backpack over her shoulder, and ran out the room, expecting for Virgil to follow. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!” she exclaimed.

Elsewhere, Soleil had awakened several minutes before, and had walked quietly toward the Main Hall. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, but otherwise he was silent as he arrived for the exam. He did note that few students had arrived, and by the time Ambrosia had skid to a halt next to him, the time was already 6:30.

Which meant that Ambrosia was not late for the exam, even though she had forgotten about her duties to Amanda...

Virgil hopped up and sat on top of Ambrosia's dresser. He squeaked a little, watching as she jumped up into life. Virgil pondered for a second, whether it was a good idea to have her curtains to her window open enough for Ambrosia to be able to see that it is morning. Would it burn her? Either way, Ambrosia seemed to pop up and attempt to get ready. Virgil looked away as she began to put on her clothes, even avoiding the mirror. Virgil then looked up as she began to spring out the door.

“Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!”

Virgil then began to follow, trying not to lose track of her. He hopped up on the railing on the walls, darting across. He then jumped off the wall and landed on her shoulder. He then nuzzled inside her ignis robe collar. It was a good place to hide.

---

Amanda then braided her hair slightly, trying to make herself look nice. She wore a light blue dress that swayed across her soft skin. It also had a knitted cardigan in a deeper blue. She wore white leggings and a basic brown heel shoes. Her golden hair laced down to her sides like that of a fairy tale. It raised down but never to the floor. Amanda moved her hair out of her eyes, a pair of emerald gems. It had been only a week since she was infirmed, but she could still dress herself up nicely.

She adjusted her hair out of her eyes. Amanda rolled the wheels of her wheelchair. There was a clink of her chair as it steadied across the slight shifts in the tiled floor. Her hair glistened as the light of the sunrise peaked through the windows. She could see a couple of students as the mingled about or walking to the Main Hall. it made her give a small hum.

In her lap was a leather mail bag she had filled pack with an eccentric array of books, papers of differing qualities, quills and pens and paintbrushes. It was an eclectic mess that she carried around, a little excited to meet some of her students. She wondered what would happen with the students would meet her. She had been gone so long that they may not remember her again. Her smile had a certain effect on her students. She cared deeply for them--even if some of her students seemed to feel as if the air would grow cold when she entered. Either way, she tried hard to be prepared to see her students again.

Some of her students described her as a tiger the size of a palm. She never figured out why.

Amanda clopped her wheelchair into the Main hall, breathing in the fresh morning air that seemed to hide the cold wintry weather outside. She waved to some of the other teachers. She stretched her back a bit, lifting one arm straight up like a large pole in the air. She then sipped some coffee.

Indeed, the students had not seen Professor Stradt since the beginning of the school year. With everything that had previously happened, one would think that they had forgotten the small teacher in the wheelchair. Well...everyone except Ambrosia, who immediately noticed her as she arrived. The girl who was supposed to help the wheelchair-bound teacher in the morning saw her and gave a nervous squeak, not unlike Virgil who still nuzzled in her collar. “G-Good morning Professor Stradt! I-I’m sorry I forgot about you! I-I slept in!” she explained hastily.

John seemed confused by this seeming random remark, and looked down at his watch. “You’re still a half-hour early, Ambrosia, you’re fine. In fact, you’re one of the first ones here,” he answered, grinning as the girl then expressed her shock and confusion. “...Yes. You’re early. Also, do you need an umbrella? You know...something to cover your head?...” he inquired. He did not want to make a big deal about her condition, but he knew that given her species, she would probably be uncomfortable standing outside in the sun without some cover over her head.

“...Um...” Ambrosia did not remember how to make the umbrella Professor Stradt had made for her from ink. She looked around for a second, and then turned nervously to her teacher, as though asking her without speaking to make the umbrella again.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

THE QUARTERLY EXAMS

The week went by, with everyone varying between training and relaxing. Some students who were new spent more time investigating the island. Others found their quiet places and trained until they nearly collapsed. The teachers gave aid to the students who wished to train, while they themselves dealt with the paperwork that came with Ruta’s absence (and occasional presence), and Rabbit’s absence as well. Yet on the next Monday, now into the beginning of November, at 7 AM, the Quarterly Exam would begin.

Cecily was not used to speaking into an intercom, and John had the stronger voice. Thus he decided he would awaken the students while Cecily and the other teachers proctored. At 6:30 in the morning, John walked to the front office and spoke over the intercom:

“GOOD MORNING MANA ACADEMY! Today is the first day of the Quarterly Exams! We will begin the exam at 7 AM sharp! Be up and ready in front of the Main Hall! If you are not at the Main Hall for 7 AM sharp, 5 points will be deducted from your exam grade!” John was almost tempted to try and act the part of Robin Williams in “Good Morning Vietnam”, and when the impression sounded in his voice, he turned from the intercom to snicker a bit. Otherwise, he was completely serious, and headed out of the office toward the Main Hall, to wait for the students. Cecily was already there, standing and looking out for any students.

“Morning, Cecily,” he greeted.

“Good morning. Rather early for an exam, isn’t it?” she questioned, with a yawn.

“Nah. The earlier we get this done the better. Just gotta see who decides to goof and show-up late,” he answered. In a school full of teenagers, one could be almost certain that one might show-up late.

Basil Smith

Cecily's enthusiasm woke up Basil early. Somehow the teacher managed to retain part of his apparently endless patience, and with a cup of tea on his person. The tired expression the teacher had was hid behind his considerable mustache and the hot vapor that came out of the tea.

"Good morning, Cecily. I've seen that your enthusiasm spread all around the school in the form of your wondrous voice today. The exams, right? Can't say the students will share your excitement for this, given that they are probably tired and exam is never a good word of incentive to get young ones out of their beds."

Alphonse Baskerville

He was deeply irritated with the shouting professor. Alphonse enjoyed the refined silence rarely offered away from his home, but the news of exams coming up could serve his plans. Waking up, he took a quick shower and readied himself, while waking up Jadwiga with a slow but controlling kiss on her forehead.

"Wake up. There's an exam for us today. We'll use to evaluate the people around us and how they act. Don't embarrass me out there today."

[Saleon]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

Virgil hopped up and sat on top of Ambrosia's dresser. He squeaked a little, watching as she jumped up into life. Virgil pondered for a second, whether it was a good idea to have her curtains to her window open enough for Ambrosia to be able to see that it is morning. Would it burn her? Either way, Ambrosia seemed to pop up and attempt to get ready. Virgil looked away as she began to put on her clothes, even avoiding the mirror. Virgil then looked up as she began to spring out the door.

“Hope you don’t mind me, I’m in a bit of a rush! Sorry!” she explained breathlessly. “C’mon, c’mon, we’re gonna be late!”

Virgil then began to follow, trying not to lose track of her. He hopped up on the railing on the walls, darting across. He then jumped off the wall and landed on her shoulder. He then nuzzled inside her ignis robe collar. It was a good place to hide.

---

Amanda then braided her hair slightly, trying to make herself look nice. She wore a light blue dress that swayed across her soft skin. It also had a knitted cardigan in a deeper blue. She wore white leggings and a basic brown heel shoes. Her golden hair laced down to her sides like that of a fairy tale. It raised down but never to the floor. Amanda moved her hair out of her eyes, a pair of emerald gems. It had been only a week since she was infirmed, but she could still dress herself up nicely.

She adjusted her hair out of her eyes. Amanda rolled the wheels of her wheelchair. There was a clink of her chair as it steadied across the slight shifts in the tiled floor. Her hair glistened as the light of the sunrise peaked through the windows. She could see a couple of students as the mingled about or walking to the Main Hall. it made her give a small hum.

In her lap was a leather mail bag she had filled pack with an eccentric array of books, papers of differing qualities, quills and pens and paintbrushes. It was an eclectic mess that she carried around, a little excited to meet some of her students. She wondered what would happen with the students would meet her. She had been gone so long that they may not remember her again. Her smile had a certain effect on her students. She cared deeply for them--even if some of her students seemed to feel as if the air would grow cold when she entered. Either way, she tried hard to be prepared to see her students again.

Some of her students described her as a tiger the size of a palm. She never figured out why.

Amanda clopped her wheelchair into the Main hall, breathing in the fresh morning air that seemed to hide the cold wintry weather outside. She waved to some of the other teachers. She stretched her back a bit, lifting one arm straight up like a large pole in the air. She then sipped some coffee.

Indeed, the students had not seen Professor Stradt since the beginning of the school year. With everything that had previously happened, one would think that they had forgotten the small teacher in the wheelchair. Well...everyone except Ambrosia, who immediately noticed her as she arrived. The girl who was supposed to help the wheelchair-bound teacher in the morning saw her and gave a nervous squeak, not unlike Virgil who still nuzzled in her collar. “G-Good morning Professor Stradt! I-I’m sorry I forgot about you! I-I slept in!” she explained hastily.

John seemed confused by this seeming random remark, and looked down at his watch. “You’re still a half-hour early, Ambrosia, you’re fine. In fact, you’re one of the first ones here,” he answered, grinning as the girl then expressed her shock and confusion. “...Yes. You’re early. Also, do you need an umbrella? You know...something to cover your head?...” he inquired. He did not want to make a big deal about her condition, but he knew that given her species, she would probably be uncomfortable standing outside in the sun without some cover over her head.

“...Um...” Ambrosia did not remember how to make the umbrella Professor Stradt had made for her from ink. She looked around for a second, and then turned nervously to her teacher, as though asking her without speaking to make the umbrella again.

Ambrosia, who was supposed to help the wheelchair-bound teacher in the morning, saw Amanda and gave a nervous squeak, not unlike Virgil who still nuzzled in her collar. “G-Good morning Professor Stradt! I-I’m sorry I forgot about you! I-I slept in!” she explained hastily. One of the other administrators seemed to have been a little confused by the remark. John, if Amanda thought his name was. Virgil squeaked, a little glad to see Amanda this morning. He waved a little, before scurrying down Ambrosia and into Amanda's sleeve. Amanda put a finger to her own lips, motioning for John and ambrosia to keep quiet about the rat on campus.

"Oh, she has been helping me while I've been recuperate. It's been my way to make sure she actually starts working harder with her schoolwork," Amanda said, poking at Ambrosia playfully. "I'm getting better. I can walk small distances. With a little bit more, I should be up and walking again," Amanda added, reassuring.

John then added, grinning as the girl then expressed her shock and confusion. “...Yes. You’re early. Also, do you need an umbrella? You know...something to cover your head?...” he inquired. He did not want to make a big deal about her condition, but he knew that given her species, she would probably be uncomfortable standing outside in the sun without some cover over her head. Ambrosia then began to give a quibbling look at Amanda.

"Oi, you cannot keep forgetting an umbrella. I can't keep just making you umbrellas, especially when we are testing things like this. I can see about making an exception, but only once. Any more and you are shit out of luck," Amanda sighs. She then slipped her pen from her leather bag. She motioned writing in the air, the ink staying in stasis, forming words, then colors, then fabric and material. It forms one more umbrella, the other dissipating and returning to Amanda.

"This one will dissipate about when the finals will be over," Amanda says, pouting a little, "good to see you John."

[Luminesa]

Amanda Stradt
The Storyteller
Outside the Aquo Building

---

---

Indeed, the students had not seen Professor Stradt since the beginning of the school year. With everything that had previously happened, one would think that they had forgotten the small teacher in the wheelchair. Well...everyone except Ambrosia, who immediately noticed her as she arrived. The girl who was supposed to help the wheelchair-bound teacher in the morning saw her and gave a nervous squeak, not unlike Virgil who still nuzzled in her collar. “G-Good morning Professor Stradt! I-I’m sorry I forgot about you! I-I slept in!” she explained hastily.

John seemed confused by this seeming random remark, and looked down at his watch. “You’re still a half-hour early, Ambrosia, you’re fine. In fact, you’re one of the first ones here,” he answered, grinning as the girl then expressed her shock and confusion. “...Yes. You’re early. Also, do you need an umbrella? You know...something to cover your head?...” he inquired. He did not want to make a big deal about her condition, but he knew that given her species, she would probably be uncomfortable standing outside in the sun without some cover over her head.

“...Um...” Ambrosia did not remember how to make the umbrella Professor Stradt had made for her from ink. She looked around for a second, and then turned nervously to her teacher, as though asking her without speaking to make the umbrella again.

Ambrosia, who was supposed to help the wheelchair-bound teacher in the morning, saw Amanda and gave a nervous squeak, not unlike Virgil who still nuzzled in her collar. “G-Good morning Professor Stradt! I-I’m sorry I forgot about you! I-I slept in!” she explained hastily. One of the other administrators seemed to have been a little confused by the remark. John, if Amanda thought his name was. Virgil squeaked, a little glad to see Amanda this morning. He waved a little, before scurrying down Ambrosia and into Amanda's sleeve. Amanda put a finger to her own lips, motioning for John and ambrosia to keep quiet about the rat on campus.

"Oh, she has been helping me while I've been recuperate. It's been my way to make sure she actually starts working harder with her schoolwork," Amanda said, poking at Ambrosia playfully. "I'm getting better. I can walk small distances. With a little bit more, I should be up and walking again," Amanda added, reassuring.

John then added, grinning as the girl then expressed her shock and confusion. “...Yes. You’re early. Also, do you need an umbrella? You know...something to cover your head?...” he inquired. He did not want to make a big deal about her condition, but he knew that given her species, she would probably be uncomfortable standing outside in the sun without some cover over her head. Ambrosia then began to give a quibbling look at Amanda.

"Oi, you cannot keep forgetting an umbrella. I can't keep just making you umbrellas, especially when we are testing things like this. I can see about making an exception, but only once. Any more and you are shit out of luck," Amanda sighs. She then slipped her pen from her leather bag. She motioned writing in the air, the ink staying in stasis, forming words, then colors, then fabric and material. It forms one more umbrella, the other dissipating and returning to Amanda.

"This one will dissipate about when the finals will be over," Amanda says, pouting a little, "good to see you John."

"Good to see you too, Amanda," John answered, grinning as he understood the relationship between the student and the teacher, "and good to see Ambrosia is making friends, too." Ambrosia was lonely and needed a friend, and she found one in the teacher. She also found an authority figure who was willing to help her, rather than shun her-not that John or the other teachers would exactly shun her, but none of them knew her very well. She was an outsider, even after 2 months at the Academy. The fact that she was finally making friends was pleasant enough, but she still had a long way to go before she was considered part of the family. At least, Ambrosia thought so.

Ambrosia was glad that Professor Stradt would make her an umbrella one more time. She watched in a sort of trance, as the teacher whirled her pen and struck the air in different directions, creating the shape of a pretty umbrella. Ambrosia herself did not look very graceful, however. Dressed in a pink, lace-trimmed nightgown with a pink cardigan over it, pink polka-dot, lacy socks, and white slippers, she looked as though she had thrown herself together. Which she had. "Thank you, Professor! I'll get one next time!" she apologized.

[Khasinkonia]

THE QUARTERLY EXAMS

The week went by, with everyone varying between training and relaxing. Some students who were new spent more time investigating the island. Others found their quiet places and trained until they nearly collapsed. The teachers gave aid to the students who wished to train, while they themselves dealt with the paperwork that came with Ruta’s absence (and occasional presence), and Rabbit’s absence as well. Yet on the next Monday, now into the beginning of November, at 7 AM, the Quarterly Exam would begin.

Cecily was not used to speaking into an intercom, and John had the stronger voice. Thus he decided he would awaken the students while Cecily and the other teachers proctored. At 6:30 in the morning, John walked to the front office and spoke over the intercom:

“GOOD MORNING MANA ACADEMY! Today is the first day of the Quarterly Exams! We will begin the exam at 7 AM sharp! Be up and ready in front of the Main Hall! If you are not at the Main Hall for 7 AM sharp, 5 points will be deducted from your exam grade!” John was almost tempted to try and act the part of Robin Williams in “Good Morning Vietnam”, and when the impression sounded in his voice, he turned from the intercom to snicker a bit. Otherwise, he was completely serious, and headed out of the office toward the Main Hall, to wait for the students. Cecily was already there, standing and looking out for any students.

“Morning, Cecily,” he greeted.

“Good morning. Rather early for an exam, isn’t it?” she questioned, with a yawn.

“Nah. The earlier we get this done the better. Just gotta see who decides to goof and show-up late,” he answered. In a school full of teenagers, one could be almost certain that one might show-up late.

Basil Smith

Cecily's enthusiasm woke up Basil early. Somehow the teacher managed to retain part of his apparently endless patience, and with a cup of tea on his person. The tired expression the teacher had was hid behind his considerable mustache and the hot vapor that came out of the tea.

"Good morning, Cecily. I've seen that your enthusiasm spread all around the school in the form of your wondrous voice today. The exams, right? Can't say the students will share your excitement for this, given that they are probably tired and exam is never a good word of incentive to get young ones out of their beds."

Alphonse Baskerville

He was deeply irritated with the shouting professor. Alphonse enjoyed the refined silence rarely offered away from his home, but the news of exams coming up could serve his plans. Waking up, he took a quick shower and readied himself, while waking up Jadwiga with a slow but controlling kiss on her forehead.

"Wake up. There's an exam for us today. We'll use to evaluate the people around us and how they act. Don't embarrass me out there today."

Kazimiera Wojciecha Jadwiga Baskerville

Jadwiga had only heard clearly the second part of what her husband had said, but for cases like this, it wasn’t difficult to guess.

“Ach, dobry wieczór,” she muttered, then clearing her voice as she moved her head to look at her husband, “Uh, yes, of course.”

She sat up in bed, and then slid out. First on her usual morning agenda was to use the lavatory, and then next was to get dressed. As far as style went, for this sort of thing, as there was certain to be examination of powers, it was prudent, at least in her mind, to opt for an outfit more wieldy than her usual preference for long dresses and corsets. But it was still no excuse for looking like she’d just crawled out of bed, so a one of her dresses that looked to have been taken straight from the wardrobe of the average 50s housewife was the centrepiece of today’s outfit. The dress was just below knee length with a sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, and was a bright red with black polka dots on the skirt part of it.

Makeup and hair dressing, due to circumstance, had the necessity of being rather rudimentary, so she didn’t use anything beyond lipstick and light concealer. It was enough, she supposed, unless Alphonse begged to differ. Last but not least in this hurried preparation for the morning was, of course, shoes. Ballet flats would have do for today, so she’d have some semblance of nimble movement and perhaps comfort for whatever sorts of examinations there would be. At this point, it was now around 9:50, and it was probably time to get going by now.

“I think I’m ready now,” Jadwiga told Alphonse, “Is there anything I need change before we depart?”

---

Gwyndolynn(Gwyn & Lynn) Talyllyn

The intercom awoke both of the twins simultaneously, and both, as they did with their alarm, practically leapt out of bed to both begin getting dressed. While Gwyn was in the bathroom, Lynn got dressed, and then the two swapped places. For two separate people, the Talyllyn twins, even unfused, were able to move together with remarkable coordination by any means, and so, they were both out in front of the main hall, and ready in their matching outfits at 6:50 on the dot.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Basil Smith

Cecily's enthusiasm woke up Basil early. Somehow the teacher managed to retain part of his apparently endless patience, and with a cup of tea on his person. The tired expression the teacher had was hid behind his considerable mustache and the hot vapor that came out of the tea.

"Good morning, Cecily. I've seen that your enthusiasm spread all around the school in the form of your wondrous voice today. The exams, right? Can't say the students will share your excitement for this, given that they are probably tired and exam is never a good word of incentive to get young ones out of their beds."

Alphonse Baskerville

He was deeply irritated with the shouting professor. Alphonse enjoyed the refined silence rarely offered away from his home, but the news of exams coming up could serve his plans. Waking up, he took a quick shower and readied himself, while waking up Jadwiga with a slow but controlling kiss on her forehead.

"Wake up. There's an exam for us today. We'll use to evaluate the people around us and how they act. Don't embarrass me out there today."

Kazimiera Wojciecha Jadwiga Baskerville

Jadwiga had only heard clearly the second part of what her husband had said, but for cases like this, it wasn’t difficult to guess.

“Ach, dobry wieczór,” she muttered, then clearing her voice as she moved her head to look at her husband, “Uh, yes, of course.”

She sat up in bed, and then slid out. First on her usual morning agenda was to use the lavatory, and then next was to get dressed. As far as style went, for this sort of thing, as there was certain to be examination of powers, it was prudent, at least in her mind, to opt for an outfit more wieldy than her usual preference for long dresses and corsets. But it was still no excuse for looking like she’d just crawled out of bed, so a one of her dresses that looked to have been taken straight from the wardrobe of the average 50s housewife was the centrepiece of today’s outfit. The dress was just below knee length with a sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, and was a bright red with black polka dots on the skirt part of it.

Makeup and hair dressing, due to circumstance, had the necessity of being rather rudimentary, so she didn’t use anything beyond lipstick and light concealer. It was enough, she supposed, unless Alphonse begged to differ. Last but not least in this hurried preparation for the morning was, of course, shoes. Ballet flats would have do for today, so she’d have some semblance of nimble movement and perhaps comfort for whatever sorts of examinations there would be. At this point, it was now around 9:50, and it was probably time to get going by now.

“I think I’m ready now,” Jadwiga told Alphonse, “Is there anything I need change before we depart?”

Alphonse Baskerville

With an unenthusiastic stare at her, his eyes examined Jadwiga from her head to her toe, as if checking if something could be corrected. However, everything was right. She always tried to be the perfect housewife and most of the times she actually accomplished it, even if Alphonse didn't make it easy for her.

"No. Now let's go. Pay attention to the Exam and to people in it. We still need to find some allies in this disgusting place I'm forced to be."

Leading the way, they both walked to the Hall where the Exam was going to happen. Looking at the present teachers, Alphonse used his best smile before opening his mouth.

"Good morning."

[Luminesa]

Kazimiera Wojciecha Jadwiga Baskerville

Jadwiga had only heard clearly the second part of what her husband had said, but for cases like this, it wasn’t difficult to guess.

“Ach, dobry wieczór,” she muttered, then clearing her voice as she moved her head to look at her husband, “Uh, yes, of course.”

She sat up in bed, and then slid out. First on her usual morning agenda was to use the lavatory, and then next was to get dressed. As far as style went, for this sort of thing, as there was certain to be examination of powers, it was prudent, at least in her mind, to opt for an outfit more wieldy than her usual preference for long dresses and corsets. But it was still no excuse for looking like she’d just crawled out of bed, so a one of her dresses that looked to have been taken straight from the wardrobe of the average 50s housewife was the centrepiece of today’s outfit. The dress was just below knee length with a sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, and was a bright red with black polka dots on the skirt part of it.

Makeup and hair dressing, due to circumstance, had the necessity of being rather rudimentary, so she didn’t use anything beyond lipstick and light concealer. It was enough, she supposed, unless Alphonse begged to differ. Last but not least in this hurried preparation for the morning was, of course, shoes. Ballet flats would have do for today, so she’d have some semblance of nimble movement and perhaps comfort for whatever sorts of examinations there would be. At this point, it was now around 9:50, and it was probably time to get going by now.

“I think I’m ready now,” Jadwiga told Alphonse, “Is there anything I need change before we depart?”

Alphonse Baskerville

With an unenthusiastic stare at her, his eyes examined Jadwiga from her head to her toe, as if checking if something could be corrected. However, everything was right. She always tried to be the perfect housewife and most of the times she actually accomplished it, even if Alphonse didn't make it easy for her.

"No. Now let's go. Pay attention to the Exam and to people in it. We still need to find some allies in this disgusting place I'm forced to be."

Leading the way, they both walked to the Hall where the Exam was going to happen. Looking at the present teachers, Alphonse used his best smile before opening his mouth.

"Good morning."

John noticed as the next four students walked down toward the Main Hall to meet for the exam. He turned and nodded toward Alphonse first, feeling slightly concerned about him. Something about his smile seemed fake. He was definitely a charismatic and handsome individual, but his smile did not look like that of someone who was used to smiling normally. “Good morning, Alphonse...and...” He turned and looked toward Jadwiga, who looked somewhat friendlier. Clothed in a dress pulled straight out of “I Love Lucy”, he smirked. “Jadwiga. Might not wanna dress too nice, eventually you might have to get that dress dirty,” he warned. He then smiled toward the twins, who despite their strange behavior seemed to have rather normal, jovial personalities. “Good morning to you two! Gwynn? Lynn? Now we just need Shaun and Dominique and we can begin. We got five minutes...”

Soleil became nervous, wondering why Shaun and Dominique were taking so long. He had been standing where he was for about a half-hour, silent and watching the birds flying around and chirping. Today was mostly a peaceful morning. He wondered what could possibly be wrong. When he saw the twins, however, he stopped worrying for a moment to wave toward them. “Good morning! How are you? Did you sleep well?” he inquired.

[Saldinado]

It was another cool morning upon the academy. Everything seemed to be in place and nobody was in any danger of some sort. It was as if that pattern was starting to follow them ever since the first incident here with Virgo. Once that snowball began rolling, it quickly gotten bigger and bigger. But now. All seemed rather slow. Quiet even. As if this snowball decided to take a break. If that made any sense. And quite honestly, nobody was complaining. Well, they might complain a bit upon hearing the announcement.

Shaun Calhoun

Already well awake since 6 in the morning, Shaun decided to get an early start today and take a long shower, skipping his normal exercise routine during this day of the week. He knew that today was going to be a long day for him so he knew that spending this time under some hot water with the smell of blueberries, orange, and vanilla filling his nose as well as the showers water cleansing his body of its impurities from last night's mess. Soon after washing his face, brushing his teeth, and his usual routine, Shaun soon slipped on a casual outfit which consisted of a normal long sleeve shirt that was black and navy blue striped with a large navy blue sun on the lower right edge, a grey pair of skinny jeans, and a pair of blue sneakers. He could never wear get himself to wear those ridiculous robes as if they were everyday clothes. It filled his body up with embarrassment and annoyance.
Looking down at the time he saw that there was a small amount of time left before the tournament started. He grunted and frowned to himself before walking out of the door and leaving towards the front entrance in the main hall. Soon afterwards he made it in, feeling a little embarrassed for his slowness, but even then he still looked good and felt great, which can help boost his confidence during the day. He grunted and looked at Soleil with what looked like some twins. He did mention some people speaking to him, which caused him to become upset. He didn't know if these were the people that did it, and it was too early to start a mess, so instead walking over to him, Shaun just stayed in his spot close to the door, crossing his arms over his chest. His face was full of boredom and tiredness as he looked down at his feet and softly sighed. "I'm hungry..."

Dominique Corleone

The night before was exhausting for Dominique with the cooking and speaking to Artosh about his mistakes during the training as well as discussing how he can help build up his stamina during combat. That, along with such a fabulous meal-along with a glass of wine in the back of the kitchen, Dominique was ready to crash. So once getting to his dorm he took a shower and barely made it to his room before planting face first into the bed.

The last time he woke up was just 20 minutes ago and was in a rush for the tournament today. He already got his hair and other basic hygiene properties down. Now all that was left were the clothes.
The young man was running back and forth in his room as Prince followed him with his eyes as if he was watching a tennis match. "Damnit, damnit, damnit..." He muttered to himself as he was putting on his pair of blue jeans while hopping around the room with only one show on. Once he had his pants on, he looked around for a shirt, only to find a plain t-shirt. Putting it on, he slipped on a black jacket and grabbed the shoe that he forgot the put on and ran out of the dorms, leaving Prince in a dazed looking before yawning and going back to bed again. Once he made it to the main hall, he looked up at the clock only to see it just turn 7 am. He deeply sighed in relief before softly panting from his running. "Go...good morning!" He exclaimed to the teachers in the hall. Sorry...hehe. Rough night and a bad alarm clock." he chuckled in embarrassment. Looking down at his foot, he saw that he was wearing a black sneaker and a black sock. "Haha...Yeah, so um, we can get started if we wanted." He said to everyone with a deep and hearty chuckle before sitting down on the ground next to John and putting on his shoe.

[Luminesa]

John glanced down at his watch and smiled. Everyone-sans Catherine, who apparently had to go home to rest, and Artosh, who would hopefully arrive soon-was present and ready for the exam to begin. Looking up from his watch, he nodded toward the small class of students. “Alright! Seven o’clock, right on the dot, and not a single student was late! Good on you for getting here right on time, Dominique,” he said to the boy as he arrived. With a chuckle, he turned back toward the entire class. “Now! Welcome to your first big exam of the year! You’ve all had a week to study and to train, so I hope you are prepared for what is coming.”

He motioned to Cecily, who had a set of papers in her arms. When she got the signal, she passed around the papers to each of the students. In the meantime, John continued to talk. “We will have a written exam first, get that out the way, and afterward you will have a thirty-minute break. No, the paper Ms. Lockett is passing to you is not your exam. These are for the second part of the exam. Pay attention to the instructions, and feel free to ask any questions before we begin. Once you finish the first portion, I will give further instruction toward the section portion. Just remember the names on the paper you are handed. Understood?”

He nodded toward the cafeteria. “The first part will be in the cafeteria. Your exams are all the same, and they are facedown. I will walk with the group of you to the cafeteria, while Cecily goes and grabs Professor Luxenia. Once all of you get to the cafeteria and are seated, you will have an hour to complete the exam. Yes I am timing you. Now let’s get started, shall we?”

Soleil nodded, and walked toward the cafeteria. Ambrosia, who was slightly more concerned, ran to the cafeteria, zooming past John as she hurried to get a seat and to begin.

John noted her anxiety, and laughed. “No panicking, Ambrosia! You’re only going to be timed once everyone arrives!” he called.

Ambrosia then looked back, embarrassed by her actions, and began to walk instead of run. Her face was still red, however, and she sighed as she wondered how the rest of the class must see her for being so nervous.

[Frisct the II]

John glanced down at his watch and smiled. Everyone-sans Catherine, who apparently had to go home to rest, and Artosh, who would hopefully arrive soon-was present and ready for the exam to begin. Looking up from his watch, he nodded toward the small class of students. “Alright! Seven o’clock, right on the dot, and not a single student was late! Good on you for getting here right on time, Dominique,” he said to the boy as he arrived. With a chuckle, he turned back toward the entire class. “Now! Welcome to your first big exam of the year! You’ve all had a week to study and to train, so I hope you are prepared for what is coming.”

He motioned to Cecily, who had a set of papers in her arms. When she got the signal, she passed around the papers to each of the students. In the meantime, John continued to talk. “We will have a written exam first, get that out the way, and afterward you will have a thirty-minute break. No, the paper Ms. Lockett is passing to you is not your exam. These are for the second part of the exam. Pay attention to the instructions, and feel free to ask any questions before we begin. Once you finish the first portion, I will give further instruction toward the section portion. Just remember the names on the paper you are handed. Understood?”

He nodded toward the cafeteria. “The first part will be in the cafeteria. Your exams are all the same, and they are facedown. I will walk with the group of you to the cafeteria, while Cecily goes and grabs Professor Luxenia. Once all of you get to the cafeteria and are seated, you will have an hour to complete the exam. Yes I am timing you. Now let’s get started, shall we?”

Soleil nodded, and walked toward the cafeteria. Ambrosia, who was slightly more concerned, ran to the cafeteria, zooming past John as she hurried to get a seat and to begin.

John noted her anxiety, and laughed. “No panicking, Ambrosia! You’re only going to be timed once everyone arrives!” he called.

Ambrosia then looked back, embarrassed by her actions, and began to walk instead of run. Her face was still red, however, and she sighed as she wondered how the rest of the class must see her for being so nervous.

Sanja began to walk to the cafeteria to take the exam. He had only gotten here yesterday, but he was quite confident in his knowledge since he was now on his second life. He had been alive for thousands of years in the past, but was defeated and somehow turned into a human.

He saw the Ambrosia girl running to the cafeteria, and when she realized her mistake and got embarrassed it made him laugh slightly to himself.

Maybe it's a good thing that I came back to experience things in this form. I'll be able to know new things j could never know before.

Once he reached his seat, Sanja thought about the optimal way to take his test. An idea sprouted in his head, but he needed to ask and see if it was an alright thing to do. He raised his hand to ask a question and followed suite.

"Can I use magic to speed up my brain functions or is that a no go?"

[Segral]

-snip-

Nick began to play with the simple amulet around his neck, fingering the chain and locket and twirling it between his fingers. The locket contained a single black and white photo of his first kitten, Rick. When Nick had run away from home those weeks, Rick had disappeared after being let outside. No one ever found him. He came home later to find Rick gone, and only his second kitten, Nago remained. He had refused to let Nago out of his sight since. His cats were the most important things in the world to him. They were his best friends, they understood him better than any other. And those were the emotions and memories captured inside that locket that he twirled as John rang out in his booming voice over the packed hall. He didn't know this Dominique person. He didn't know any of these people besides the four he had met on the beach that day. But that was fine. He wasn't here to make friends. He was here to study, to learn. None of these people cared for him and he responded back in equal silence. That was it.

He weakly tugged the sheet of paper out of Cecily's grasp, immediately looking for the "names" John mentioned. He quickly found his own, in a "group" with two other names, Ambrosia and Oliver. He wasn't sure who they were, but he was more concerned with the written exam. It sounded like a total snoozefest, an hour-long written exam. That stuff was boring. Sighing, he tore his eyes off the paper, only to get knocked to the ground as some girl barreled past him, apparently not getting the memo that everyone was doing this thing called "walking". As if the questionable get-up wasn't goofy enough. Surprise, surprise, apparently this was the same Ambrosia as in his group, only in the flesh, as he doubted many other people were named after a variation of fruit salad. Dusting himself off as he stood back up, he joined the throng of people, slowly flowing into the cafeteria.

[Serah]

And there it went.
The written exam, the one thing Oliver loathed about anything school related.
Of course as usual, he would get a grade just below acceptable because of his lack of structure within his arguments despite knowing every single detail.

He figured that it wouldn't matter either way. Nor would it change anything. It wasn't something that was especially important in the life he would lead in just shy of a few years.

Sighing, he approached the cafeteria, remaining somewhat behind to avoid being stuck in the herd.
He rubbed his temples for a second before entering, and took a swig of his usual liquor.

"Bon, comme ils disent, 'Celui qui ose gagne.'" He sat down, and pulled a pen from one of his pant pockets.

[Caruolinda]

Kadnikov Valerianovich

Kadnikov couldn't hide his sudden albeit minor reaction of surprise, there was a written exam?! He thought how he was supposed to get through that just as he was handed the paper meant for the second part of that whole thing. Kad read and reread the names of the strangers on the aforementioned paper until he was confident he had memorized them, still slightly concerned he wouldn't even be able to do mediocre in the first part. Concerned there was this one field in which he would most likely not prove his clearly superior worth. He hadn't prepared for that, but there was nothing he could do anyway, so Kad just wished for the best and the best only.

Although he had been scared awake, he didn't really look that sleepy and his expression remained that of his traditional friendly shell. To a spectator, he was just someone else in the group. As Kad quietly listened to what he had to, he saw a girl run by everyone else, seemingly in order to get to the cafeteria despite the fact that literally the entire aggregate of people was walking. He simply giggled and kept on following behind the group until they reached the cafeteria, a place where he unfortunately would most likely spend a full hour in.

[Luminesa]

And there it went.
The written exam, the one thing Oliver loathed about anything school related.
Of course as usual, he would get a grade just below acceptable because of his lack of structure within his arguments despite knowing every single detail.

He figured that it wouldn't matter either way. Nor would it change anything. It wasn't something that was especially important in the life he would lead in just shy of a few years.

Sighing, he approached the cafeteria, remaining somewhat behind to avoid being stuck in the herd.
He rubbed his temples for a second before entering, and took a swig of his usual liquor.

"Bon, comme ils disent, 'Celui qui ose gagne.'" He sat down, and pulled a pen from one of his pant pockets.

After a few moments of slugging along in abject embarrassment, Ambrosia finally settled in a chair near Oliver. She stared down at her paper, refusing to give eye-contact for a few moments. She was certain the entire class thought she was nothing but a ditz. She only hoped she could redeem herself by passing the exam. She breathed slowly, trying to make sure that she did not blank and forget everything she had studied. Her embarrassment was so prominent that she hardly perused the paper with the names of her partners. Seeing that Oliver was on the list, however, did cheer her up. "Oh! So we're in a group together! This is good! We're going to do our best together, okay?" She also, of course, could not hide the blush that showed on her face when she spoke to him.

Soleil sat quietly next to Sanja, also briefly examining the list of his partners. He was somewhat saddened that he was not put with Shaun, but then he understood it was better to try and work with new people as well. Of course, he knew Lynn and Gwyn from the...unusual circumstances of the day before, and he smiled. Working with them would be fun, as they seemed to like him as well, despite not knowing him too well. As he waited for the exam to begin, he twirled his pencil, and pretended to draw doodles in the air in front of him with the pencil. Being unable to draw on anything, which was his usual way of relieving stress in class, was a bit uncomfortable. Yet as his mind wandered for a few moments, he managed.

"No, you can't use your magic to speed your brain's functions, kiddo. Sorry," John responded, with a grin. "Believe me, if I could allow it I would. I myself once drank a can of Monster with a half-cup of coffee before an exam, hoping they would help me concentrate. Nearly died, though, never mind barely passed the exam. So just do your best. A week's worth of study should help," he encouraged the newer student. He then walked to the front of the room, waiting for the rest of the students to be seated.

Elsewhere, Cecily had run to go get Artosh out of bed. Of course the fool thinks he is going to be able to sleep through his students' exam, she thought, mildly annoyed, he's almost like a child himself. I do not know how he is even a teacher, if he cannot be on time for his students' tests... When she arrived at the door of his room, in the Aquo Dorm, she swung her foot back and kicked the door, nearly knocking it off its hinges. Then again, desperate times did call for desperate measures, she presumed.

"ARTOSH! YOU'RE LATE FOR EXAMS!" she shouted.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Shaun crossed his fingers as he stood among the other students in the hall. Written exams. Those two words left quite a bitter taste in his mouth. He can say that he's decent and good with keeping his grades up but studying was never a favorite of his. He found it somewhat tedious to keep on reading pages of things that he would probably forget sooner or later. He did have some time reviewing his notes and lessons for the past few days with Allistor before he went to Europe and with Soleil the remaining days later. He was confident that he could at least do a good job at the written test; he had a little review the night before and this morning after getting dressed and ready for the big day.

As for the second part, Shaun could only just take the paper that John passed to the students. Before finding his name, he saw Soleil's first and then his groupmates. The white haired boy couldn't help but sigh. 'Really? The twins from yesterday?' He's getting worried for Soleil who he just saw walking off to the cafeteria. Shaking off his worry, Shaun found his name in the next group, followed by two unfamiliar and foreign sounding names. 'That looks... European. I'm just hoping they're not those kinds of Europeans.' A good majority of Mana's student body are from other countries, especially European ones. A good portion of those are also from Noble families big and small, old and new. Shaun just found their obnoxious pride obnoxious. He can deal with Soleil, bless his soul, with Henry who he can't say much of an opinion, and with Allistor who he found his brimming confidence uplifting and almost infectious. Sighing as he found his cheeks red, Shaun turned towards the cafeteria, his strides not that long to be mistaken as in a hurry nor was it too short to be called stalling for nervousness. He was nervous deep inside; he needs to work with strangers he never knew and would most likely be never comfortable with for the entire time.

He didn't go straight for any table but towards the cafeteria's counter. A day couldn't start without a good breakfast after all. He still need to keep his body in good shape even with all the stresses of school life pilling up. He rang an order for a sandwich of bacon and eggs with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. It's an easy meal to chow down on and heavy and good enough to fill one's stomach until lunch break. The white haired boy started munching on the sandwich, the crunch of the lettuce sounding in his mouth alongside his strides. He took the chair beside Soleil, placing his mug down on the table and quietly munched on his sandwich which he had worked down to half. He turned to the young Light Mage and spoke warmingly. "Good morning Soleil." A few moments later, his phone vibrated inside his pockets. Shaun took a bite on his sandwich before placing it down beside his chocolate and then he checked on his phone. There was a text message from a familiar name which he read with a smile.

Good morning sweetheart!

I wish you the best for your exams today. Don't doubt yourself nor second guess your answers. We've briefed up on the lessons and I've seen you do well on technical matters. Just believe in yourself because I always do. Have a great day today and please take care. I love you!

Shaun typed a few words before pocketing his phone, seemingly in a better mood than before.

Thank you Al. You take care over there too. Don't do anything stupid. I'll do my best, I promise. The exams are starting soon so I'll text you later when it's done. I love you too.

Dominique Corleone

Dominique laughed with John as he finally got his other shoe on. He dusted himself as he stood up and gave the teacher a firm pat on the shoulder. "Hehe... I did kind of ran for it... I really thought I would be late... Glad I got on time." His voice is still a little heavy from panting. He did sprinted the entire distance between the dorms and the main hall just so that he wouldn't be late. As the young boy took the paper from Cecily's hands, he found his name in the fourth group. 'I guess I'm grouped with other people I don't know... I just hope that it's not gonna be awkward when practicals happen...'

The young lad then followed the group towards the cafeteria, scratching his head and yawning as he tried to shake off the remnants of last night's sleep. Just like Shaun, he rang an order from the cafeteria's staff who are almost a family for him. "Hey, hit me up with some lemonade and some pancakes guys!" Dominique said with that bright smile of his. Even if he looks bright and sunny for the morning, he's rather feeling nauseous from nervousness. He didn't have time to study for the exam last night. He was tired from practice and from the time he spent with his professor that he flopped down on his bed the moment he finished taking his nightly bath. The counter rang the bell and Dominique took his plate of pancakes with him which was topped with strawberries and drizzled with thick maple syrup. "Thanks guys!" He made a quick salute before turning and bringing his food with him towards his preferred seat.

He found a table where a number of students have gathered including Ambrosia and Oliver. "Hey. Do y'all mind if I take a seat?" The pancakes plopped on the table as he made himself feel comfortable on his chair. Dominique took his fork and knife and cut small pieces of his pancakes into cubes for easier access. He then whipped out his phone and found his notes for a final skimming. "Did you guys study last night? I forgot since I just went to sleep when I came back to the dorms... What's the new lesson with Magical Theory again?" He asked Ambrosia and Oliver as he laughed sheepishly, trying to look rather innocent as he tapped on his phone's screen and ate his pancake cubes.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh looked at his face on his foggy mirror while brushing his teeth. His eye bags seem to be darker today and getting deeper. Yesterday's performance was too much of an exercise for his weakening body and it's progressing too fast. 'If I don't get my shit together, I won't even live to see my 40th birthday...' His hair was all messy like a mop from all his ruffling from his recent shower. Some of the snow white strands hung over his eyes, the shadows hiding the dark deep circles. Just as he was about to spit out his toothpaste, he nearly swallowed it when Cecily almost got his door taken down. The white haired professor then spat it out and gurgled some water to rinse any left paste in his mouth before storming towards the door. Artosh then opened the door angrily to see the small teacher who was shouting for him.

"For fuck's sake Cecily! Didn't you even see the memo that I left in the clinic?! I said that I will be running late since my meds would hit me hard yesterday!" He then sighed before turning his back. "Give me a few minutes, I'll try to find my shoes and my necktie. And don't go busting other people's doors for fuck's sake!" The door slammed shut on Cecily's face before she got to answer him. Artosh found his dress shoes underneath his bed and his necktie on his desk. He started wearing his socks first and then his shoes. Afterwards, he faced the mirror to tuck his long sleeve shirt inside his pants before just putting his necktie around his neck lazily. He stopped to drink some water to help with his nerves before he opened his door once more to Cecily, the young professor all dishevelled and tired looking. "Alright officer, escort me to my jail room."

[Luminesa]

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh looked at his face on his foggy mirror while brushing his teeth. His eye bags seem to be darker today and getting deeper. Yesterday's performance was too much of an exercise for his weakening body and it's progressing too fast. 'If I don't get my shit together, I won't even live to see my 40th birthday...' His hair was all messy like a mop from all his ruffling from his recent shower. Some of the snow white strands hung over his eyes, the shadows hiding the dark deep circles. Just as he was about to spit out his toothpaste, he nearly swallowed it when Cecily almost got his door taken down. The white haired professor then spat it out and gurgled some water to rinse any left paste in his mouth before storming towards the door. Artosh then opened the door angrily to see the small teacher who was shouting for him.

"For fuck's sake Cecily! Didn't you even see the memo that I left in the clinic?! I said that I will be running late since my meds would hit me hard yesterday!" He then sighed before turning his back. "Give me a few minutes, I'll try to find my shoes and my necktie. And don't go busting other people's doors for fuck's sake!" The door slammed shut on Cecily's face before she got to answer him. Artosh found his dress shoes underneath his bed and his necktie on his desk. He started wearing his socks first and then his shoes. Afterwards, he faced the mirror to tuck his long sleeve shirt inside his pants before just putting his necktie around his neck lazily. He stopped to drink some water to help with his nerves before he opened his door once more to Cecily, the young professor all dishevelled and tired looking. "Alright officer, escort me to my jail room."

Cecily waited for a few impatient seconds, tapping her feet and frowning severely, until Artosh opened the door. She was duly surprised by his response, as he cursed at her and explained himself in anger. Unable to formulate a proper response, she blinked and frowned. "...Oh...um...well...ah...I'll...wait for you then..." she mumbled. She then continued to wait outside the door, and when he was finished, he did not look as neat as usual. She could only imagine how Rabbit would have responded to seeing him so disheveled and grumpy. Yet she was not as nurturing and understanding of him, and thus did not know what words to offer in order to help him. "...Well...you look...nice..." she lied, her eyes wandering from him as she stood in front of him. "...Um...alright...let's get going..." she mumbled. She then walked with him to the cafeteria.

John noticed Artosh as he walked in with Cecily, and he raised his brows with surprise. The usually-neat, cheery teacher was now gloomy and messy-looking, and did not seem glad to be in the cafeteria. He immediately turned his eyes to Cecily as though to ask, What's his problem? Yet his eyes flickered away from her as soon as they flickered toward her, and he nodded back toward the class. His mind was immediately occupied by Shaun and Dominique both eating large meals while they were preparing for the exam. He knew Ruta would have been horrified, but he himself laughed, maybe a little loud. "...Guys...make sure to...eheh...eat quickly? We gotta get started today, you know..." he explained.

Soleil turned toward Shaun as he sat next to him and ate a sandwich. He giggled lightly, and smiled at his classmate. He was glad to see that he was much calmer than some of his other companions, and calmer than Soleil himself. "...At least you'll be taking your test on a full stomach!" he suggested. He himself felt his stomach rumbling, but he tried to ignore it as he waited for the test to begin. Yet the hearty smell of the freshly-cooked bacon and eggs, and the rich, sweet scent of hot chocolate tickled his appetite...

[Serah]

And there it went.
The written exam, the one thing Oliver loathed about anything school related.
Of course as usual, he would get a grade just below acceptable because of his lack of structure within his arguments despite knowing every single detail.

He figured that it wouldn't matter either way. Nor would it change anything. It wasn't something that was especially important in the life he would lead in just shy of a few years.

Sighing, he approached the cafeteria, remaining somewhat behind to avoid being stuck in the herd.
He rubbed his temples for a second before entering, and took a swig of his usual liquor.

"Bon, comme ils disent, 'Celui qui ose gagne.'" He sat down, and pulled a pen from one of his pant pockets.

After a few moments of slugging along in abject embarrassment, Ambrosia finally settled in a chair near Oliver. She stared down at her paper, refusing to give eye-contact for a few moments. She was certain the entire class thought she was nothing but a ditz. She only hoped she could redeem herself by passing the exam. She breathed slowly, trying to make sure that she did not blank and forget everything she had studied. Her embarrassment was so prominent that she hardly perused the paper with the names of her partners. Seeing that Oliver was on the list, however, did cheer her up. "Oh! So we're in a group together! This is good! We're going to do our best together, okay?" She also, of course, could not hide the blush that showed on her face when she spoke to him.

"So we are." He answered absentmindedly.

He honestly didn't know what to answer, he looked at the paper on his desk with a puzzled look.
Chances would be that he'd flunk the test, one way or another. He resigned himself and sighed, stretching his legs under the table.

Tapping his feet under the table and humming a tune that had an uncharacteristically broken rhythm, heavily contrasting the usually composed mask he put, he looked at Ambrosia again.

"I'm probably going to flunk it. Unless it's simply a multiple choice question type of test. I'll have to ace the next one."

[Luminesa]

After a few moments of slugging along in abject embarrassment, Ambrosia finally settled in a chair near Oliver. She stared down at her paper, refusing to give eye-contact for a few moments. She was certain the entire class thought she was nothing but a ditz. She only hoped she could redeem herself by passing the exam. She breathed slowly, trying to make sure that she did not blank and forget everything she had studied. Her embarrassment was so prominent that she hardly perused the paper with the names of her partners. Seeing that Oliver was on the list, however, did cheer her up. "Oh! So we're in a group together! This is good! We're going to do our best together, okay?" She also, of course, could not hide the blush that showed on her face when she spoke to him.

"So we are." He answered absentmindedly.

He honestly didn't know what to answer, he looked at the paper on his desk with a puzzled look.
Chances would be that he'd flunk the test, one way or another. He resigned himself and sighed, stretching his legs under the table.

Tapping his feet under the table and humming a tune that had an uncharacteristically broken rhythm, heavily contrasting the usually composed mask he put, he looked at Ambrosia again.

"I'm probably going to flunk it. Unless it's simply a multiple choice question type of test. I'll have to ace the next one."

Ambrosia smiled over at Oliver, trying to look as cute and bright as possible. She knew of course his mind was occupied with the test, but she wanted to help relax him a bit. “You’re pretty smart, at least compared to me. You’ll be fine!” she assured him. Of course, compared to me could be taken as a compliment or an insult, and thus Ambrosia sighed. She wondered if she has made a mistake yet again. To take her mind off the matter, she turned to Dom and watched him eat his pancakes and drink his lemonade. Given she had not eaten breakfast herself this morning, she almost felt herself drooling as she saw the huge, fluffy pancakes he was eating. Yet before Dom could question her, she turned her head away, and like Soleil, she attempted to quell the hunger in her stomach by thinking about anything but food.

[Saldinado]

Shaun Calhoun

Eating a piece of bacon off of his sandwich, Shaun looked up at the source of the haughty laugh to hear about John warning them to eat quickly. His cheeks slowly began to grow rosy in embarrassment before smiling wanly and sighing at him. "Um, yeah, sure. Don't worry about that heh..." He said softly before taking another bite of his food. He then turned his head to the source of another laugh only to see that it was Soleil. Listening to his reaction to him eating, Shaun chuckled himself at the joke and nodded silently. "Yeah. Helps me focus and prevents me from becoming too cranky." His amused and lightheartedness gave off the impression as though he was actually ready to ace this test just as quickly as he can eat. Which is good...He guessed. At least his sense of optimism was being seen to keep everyone else's spirits up.

Though a feeling of unease was still inside of his stomach as he looked up at the clock to see the time inch ever so slowly, yet so quickly towards the testing time. And with each second that passed on the clock, he would slowly begin to lose his reassurance that would soon become replaced with that murky feeling of dread. But then, that feeling of dread was soon replaced by the feeling of confusion as he suddenly realized what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh yeah!" He exclaimed to himself out loud before looking down at his breakfast and began eating quickly; it seemed as though he stuffed the rest of his half a sandwich into his mouth and swallowed it without even chewing. Looking at his cup of hot chocolate, he took the still full glass and chugged it in one sitting. What would've taken an average person a good ten or fifth-teen minutes to finish only took him less than five. And all without making a mess. Once done, he moved his plate and cup across from him and Sol and yawned before looking back at John and smiling. "Okay, I'm ready." Then he looked back at Soleil and smiled before placing a hand of reassurance on his back. It would've felt as though a sudden feeling of warmth radiated throughout his shoulder and body as soon as he touched him.

"Hey. You'll do a great job, okay? You've been practicing and studying so much during this week so don't worry. Just don't second-guess yourself, be confident in your answers, don't stay too long on a question, and if you don't know an answer, then just pick the best one that makes sense to you." His voice was calm and almost fatherly as he spoke to his son about how to focus on school during an important exam. Realizing this himself Shaun softly giggled and sighed in amusement before running his hands through his hair. "So yeah! Good luck."

Dominique Corleone

Looking at the two as he was practically ignored, he frowned at the two and looked at their reactions before smirked and sighing. "Ah, I see that a simple question goes unnoticed when two people are nervous for a test... and the ones that they're testing with." He joked looking at the blush upon Ambrosia's face. However, his attention was then turned towards Oliver, who's broken and displaced humming made him deadpan and sigh. "And you. Maybe once we're done with this exam, you and I must get together and do some humming lessons." He joked before looking at both students and sighing at their nervousness.

"Now, can you both please try and be positive about this? If you say that you're gonna fail, then you might fail! Hell, even I'm nervous," he started off with a strained chuckled before smiling, "but even so, that doesn't mean that I know that I'm gonna fail. I think..." With that amount of uncertainty in his voice, he took another bite of his pancakes; practically stuffing an entire one into his mouth and chewing and swallowing before sighing before speaking again. "So, auguraci buona fortuna amici!" Hopefully that could help boost the feelings of the weird duo and even help himself. "And besides, the quicker we all do this, the quicker we can go out in the field and finish the second part of the exam so that we can continue to go about the rest of our lives. There's a new dish that I wanna try heh."

[Luminesa]

Shaun Calhoun

Eating a piece of bacon off of his sandwich, Shaun looked up at the source of the haughty laugh to hear about John warning them to eat quickly. His cheeks slowly began to grow rosy in embarrassment before smiling wanly and sighing at him. "Um, yeah, sure. Don't worry about that heh..." He said softly before taking another bite of his food. He then turned his head to the source of another laugh only to see that it was Soleil. Listening to his reaction to him eating, Shaun chuckled himself at the joke and nodded silently. "Yeah. Helps me focus and prevents me from becoming too cranky." His amused and lightheartedness gave off the impression as though he was actually ready to ace this test just as quickly as he can eat. Which is good...He guessed. At least his sense of optimism was being seen to keep everyone else's spirits up.

Though a feeling of unease was still inside of his stomach as he looked up at the clock to see the time inch ever so slowly, yet so quickly towards the testing time. And with each second that passed on the clock, he would slowly begin to lose his reassurance that would soon become replaced with that murky feeling of dread. But then, that feeling of dread was soon replaced by the feeling of confusion as he suddenly realized what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh yeah!" He exclaimed to himself out loud before looking down at his breakfast and began eating quickly; it seemed as though he stuffed the rest of his half a sandwich into his mouth and swallowed it without even chewing. Looking at his cup of hot chocolate, he took the still full glass and chugged it in one sitting. What would've taken an average person a good ten or fifth-teen minutes to finish only took him less than five. And all without making a mess. Once done, he moved his plate and cup across from him and Sol and yawned before looking back at John and smiling. "Okay, I'm ready." Then he looked back at Soleil and smiled before placing a hand of reassurance on his back. It would've felt as though a sudden feeling of warmth radiated throughout his shoulder and body as soon as he touched him.

"Hey. You'll do a great job, okay? You've been practicing and studying so much during this week so don't worry. Just don't second-guess yourself, be confident in your answers, don't stay too long on a question, and if you don't know an answer, then just pick the best one that makes sense to you." His voice was calm and almost fatherly as he spoke to his son about how to focus on school during an important exam. Realizing this himself Shaun softly giggled and sighed in amusement before running his hands through his hair. "So yeah! Good luck."

Dominique Corleone

Looking at the two as he was practically ignored, he frowned at the two and looked at their reactions before smirked and sighing. "Ah, I see that a simple question goes unnoticed when two people are nervous for a test... and the ones that they're testing with." He joked looking at the blush upon Ambrosia's face. However, his attention was then turned towards Oliver, who's broken and displaced humming made him deadpan and sigh. "And you. Maybe once we're done with this exam, you and I must get together and do some humming lessons." He joked before looking at both students and sighing at their nervousness.

"Now, can you both please try and be positive about this? If you say that you're gonna fail, then you might fail! Hell, even I'm nervous," he started off with a strained chuckled before smiling, "but even so, that doesn't mean that I know that I'm gonna fail. I think..." With that amount of uncertainty in his voice, he took another bite of his pancakes; practically stuffing an entire one into his mouth and chewing and swallowing before sighing before speaking again. "So, auguraci buona fortuna amici!" Hopefully that could help boost the feelings of the weird duo and even help himself. "And besides, the quicker we all do this, the quicker we can go out in the field and finish the second part of the exam so that we can continue to go about the rest of our lives. There's a new dish that I wanna try heh."

The warmth brushed through Soleil as Shaun rubbed his back, and he smiled at him gratefully. The simple, reassuring gesture did help to calm his nerves a little, and his advice was practical. Soleil nodded and listened, reminding himself not to second-guess even as Shaun explained not to do so. When Shaun rubbed his hair as well, he laughed. “Yes sir, yes sir...I’ll make sure to do everything you said...” he answered quietly.

“Ugggggghhhhhhh, I just wish I had eaten something before this stupid exam...” Ambrosia grumbled to Dominique. She wondered if she herself would be allowed to get up and grab some breakfast, but she noticed John’s watching eye, and she tried to hold-back her hunger. “...Or...maybe after...before the second part?...”

“...We’ll have a fifteen-minute break after this exam, so all of you can eat something or just socialize, if you’re not that hungry,” John answered, “but worry about this exam first, okay? I got all of you up early because it’s better to just get these sorts of things over and done. Now...does anyone have any questions before we begin?...You’ve got a pencil next to you at your table, so no questions about writing utensils I presume. Anything else?” He scanned the room, and all of the nervous faces that stared at him, at each other, or at their paper. Of course, a couple of students-like Alphonse-were seemingly not worried at all. “...Anything?...”