Uldartre Academy (year 2, IC, semi-open)

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

As the group finally trailed out, Elosqir looked at the cars awaiting them. They were the same orange limos; the Schtenko clan symbol of the orange lion and crescent moon pointed on the bonnets. Seing which one Allen had jumped into, the huge Velsturman climbed in beside him, forcing Alicia to sit to his right. Maria, Jason and Lucas all took the other car, Maria programming in the instructions using the guidance circuits to programme the route into both cars.
"Is everyone ready to go?" Maria asked, her voice coming loud and clear in the other car through the radio.

[Prussio]

Josef freiherr von Schofield

"I own a medical licenses in Germania, I'm here to finish some extra studies in other medical subjects so I might be able to be applicable for apprenticeship with the Herr Doktor or perhaps to join the Germanian Advancement Corps", he said as if that explained the list. "I wish to try some theories upon the use of several of these in a theorem the Herr Doktor thought of as a introduction paper into his apprenticeship, a first documented experiment you could say", he finished laughing off the possible suspicion. However, he really didn't know why he wanted and slightly feared why. Though, his instincts rarely let him down and it was probably a innocent gesture he tried to assure himself. As he headed to the cars he grinned and felt even happy amongst the students.

If only he knew the beginning of the pit that awaited him. "I'm ready", Josef said to Maria. Poor Josef, did God have plans for him or the daemons? "God", mumbled Josef to the voice who seemed to narrate what went around him his so called 'instincts' his maddening force. Josef frowned briefly at that but quickly put on his grin realizing he was with his new friends.

[Kwadai]

"These orange limos again...", Mewan mumbled to Nik taking a seat in one of them.

[Geara]

"You do me a dishonor, sir." Andrew said sternly, "To discuss theology is one thing, but to call me a pagan an idolater is a completely different matter."

Andrew's face remained placid and the toneless lilt of his voice made it difficult to tell if he was seriously insulted or merely bemused by the comment. In reality, there was some truth to the assertion of Geara's pantheism, but ever since the introduction of Christianity, the old gods were stripped of their deity and replaced with an eerily similar canon of saints.

"Could you, sir, delineate for me the difference between ubiquity and omnipresence."

[Valaran]

"Ubiquitous would refer to it being everywhere, in effect being found across a wide spread. Its a similar word. But omnipresence would take it further, it would mean all things are suffused by divine nature, and on levels. It would imply that there is nowhere not divine." Realising she'd butted in, Si began to backtrack. "I'm sure he meant no offence Andrew. It just sounded like a bad choice of words."

[Woodstovia]

Allen breathed another sigh of relief when Elosqir say next to him, at least he'd be able to relax somewhat on this trip. When a few of the foreigners began to discuss religion and the meaning of words which he didn't understand Allen began to wonder if Alicia was right about his intelligence. He turned and saw Elosqir sitting next to him. Allen barely knew him he realised "I don't mean to sound rude but how did you get into uldtare?" He asked.

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

((ooc: Everyone is in the car. Even if you didn't get in, timeskip-force transported you with its lazers.))

IC:


"How did I get in?" Elosqir responded. He sighed and blushed a little at the thought. "Athletics scholarship. I know...everyone else either got in because of their brain or parents. I got in because I could run for long distances, kick a ball around, give more than I took in an arena and have good eyesight. Not the best way of getting in, but I guess you have to start from something." Elosqir sat back on the plush leather seat, realising that the little row he was on appeared to be the collection of hot guys. Though despite his good looks Allen was not available, Mewan sat next to Alicia certainly was, and looking better and better by the second. The guy was purest eye candy for the Velsturman as he sat, relaxing into the seat as the cars began to speed away.

About half an hour later, they arrived at what looked, at first sight, to be a mountain. The buildings walls were even pitted to give the appearance of rocks, although the careful eye could pick out carefully-disguised windows and doors visible in it at plentiful and irregular occasions.
"This is the Mountain," Maria announced. "One of the Haven's, if not the world's, largest shopping malls."

[Geara]

"And therein lays the difficulty with omnipresence." Andrew said, getting into the car, "If all things are already divine, then what need do we have of God?"

He stopped arguing after that, not because he was really and truly insulted by Tartas's confusion, but because he did not wish to give offense.

[Woodstovia]

Allen nodded, he wasn't particularly good at sports himself though he wished he was. He left the car as soon as it stopped and watched for the exchange students' reactions. He had been mocked endlessly by Alicia for thinking the mall was a real mountain the first time he's been here and now the position was reversed.

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

The 5 students extracted themselves from the car, Maria sighing in exasperation as she waited for all of Elosqir to be out of the car. She wanted to remind Allen of the lasttime he'd been at the mall, back when he'd asked people whether it was a mountain and if it had been hollowed out. Unfortunately, whenever she attempted to, a large movable wall appeared to be blocking her as Elosqir shifted his bulky frame very small differences.

[Kwadai]

"My god...what an unusual....er mountain.", Mewan said walking up to Elosqir looking at the monstrous building on front of them. Nik stepped out behind him turning to Maria. "Worlds largest...impressive", he commented.

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

"Yeah, that's a shopping mall," Elosqir told Mewan. "Must have cost a hell of a lot to build." He took 2 steps to the right. "Damn that girl is persistent," he commented before taking a step to the left.

[Woodstovia]

Allen walked back around Elsoqir and over to Alicia. "Do you think we should just separate from the group?" He asked. "It's not like we're guiding them anyway."

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

"Suit yourself," Elosqir thought. "That boy was beyond help."

"Don't you want to go mountain climbing?" Alicia asked. "We could absail down a department store, maybe do some bouldering practice at that nice chicken restaurant on the second floor?"

[Kwadai]

"Yeah, that's a shopping mall," Elosqir told Mewan. "Must have cost a hell of a lot to build." He took 2 steps to the right. "Damn that girl is persistent," he commented before taking a step to the left.

"I can see why', he remarked scanning the face of the building once more.

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

"Yeah, that's a shopping mall," Elosqir told Mewan. "Must have cost a hell of a lot to build." He took 2 steps to the right. "Damn that girl is persistent," he commented before taking a step to the left.

"I can see why', he remarked scanning the face of the building once more.

"Is their anything you want to get?" Elosqir asked Mewan. "I could do with a new box of amo. You could both with getting guns, actually, no one wants to be an easy target..."

"Actually," Alicia mused..."I think we'll stick with the group. Everyone can see your shopping." Casually, she patted Allen's bottom before pinching it hard.

[Woodstovia]

"Shut up." Allen sneered at Elosqir, not afraid of him in the slightest. He then turned back to Alicia "climbing up that mountain would probably be pretty fun actually. But I really have no interest in buying a gun." He then jumped at Alicia's pinching and blushed but didn't say anything, trying to live up to his promise.

[Kwadai]

"Yes we've been advised about getting guns, I think we should do that first and foremost", Mewan said decidedly.

[Valaran]

"Oh look. A hill." Except it wasn't a hill. It was fake. Si, squinted at the fake hill from her car window. It was a nice fake hill. As far as fake hills went. She didn't know many. Maybe this would change that, though she doubted it.

Having got out, she overheard a snippet of the conversation; something about guns. That as interesting at least. Guns were banned at home, and that tightly controlled. At the same time, swords were common place. The Empire loved little ironies like that. It made them ignore the truly massive hypocrisies. But she was intrigued.

"What kind of weapons can we buy here? And is it only guns?"

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

((ooc: Wood, 'both' referred to Mewan and Nick.))

IC:
"What the fuck?" Elosqir asked Allen, generally shocked. "I haven't even talked to you."
"Probably wouldn't be worth your while," Alicia sneered. "The conversation would probably descend into grunting a few minutes in. Neither of you have anything intelligent to add to it."
"What would you add, if you're so intelligent?" Elosqir asked. "Gods...I can understand why Blacksen spends his time playing football. If your entire family is like you, I'd hate to be at one of your family get-togethers."
"What as?" Alicia asked. "A doorpost? You might make a good doorpost." She lost interest in Elosqir.
"Allen...that's true you know. You probably should get something to defend yourself with. One of the few things I'm not good at is my shooting, so I'd be no help if anyone attacks you, not that I'd be leaping to your defence anytime soon."
"Buy what you want," Maria told Si. "Do you want me to show you the weapons floor? We have a floor just for weapons in that place now...and that includes a place where you can have naval vessils commissioned if you've got the money. Since I'm paying, you do have the money by the way."

[Crumb-Cashew]

"True," Cottura said, in response to Mewan. She had not said much throughout the whole trip, the culture shocks were getting larger and larger by the minute. She longed for life back home, or at least some sort of academic content to distract her. Instead, the group had taken the frivolous route and arrived at the mall. Cottura agreed, though, they would need some sort of weapon, whether they liked it or not. She had never gone shopping for weapons before, and had mixed feelings about it in general. Brushing her cloudlike hair aside, she followed the group, waiting to arrive at the weapons section.

[Valaran]

"I'll just wander around myself for now. And, I appreciate the offer, but I'll pay with my own money for this." whatever she did buy, it wasn't exactly going to make a dent in her finances. The Lyrvaens were the third richest noble family back home. But that was only in relative terms; it made them fabulously wealthy all the same.

[The High Tatras]

"Um... What exactly is a shopping mall? I have been to a seaside boardwalk in a resort town before, but you could easily fit an entire town in that... mountain... thing... and... and the collective farm I live on has a swap shop where you can barter or use labor voucher certificates to get almost anything you could need... We sometimes like to say that if they do not have it, you do not need it... and if they do not have it they will order for you and have it shipped there for you... Um... This is not quite like that, is it?" said Taras.

[Kwadai]

"Yeah this won't be easy for us...I've never even touched a gun before", Nik said in reply to Cottura. The same held true for Mewan, the only real guns or weapons they had ever seen were belonging to military or police aside from the old ones in museums.

[The greater Vakolicci Haven]

"Do you want showing how to use a gun?" Maria asked the group generally. "I'm the best shooter in the Haven...and that's no exaggeration, by the way, I've got the medals for it. I can help you learn, because the instructor at school is a little...shall I say...odd?"
"I've got some personal recommendations," Elosqir told Mewan. "I'll show you what I mean when we reach the shop."