From Rifles And Roses, Chapter One

[TriStates]

Chapter 1

Newton's Law

---

They promise that dreams can come true -

but they forget to mention,

that nightmares are dreams, too...

---

"Emi!"

The cry came out of the darkness. Weird, and distorted. Like a bad radio signal on the car stereo, every other letter and word seemed to lose itself in a background of chaotic, incomprehensible racket. She could not see from who, or from where. The place she was in was so utterly covered in a heavy, grey mist. In among the soup-like smoke, her senses felt dull and reduced. All except her hearing, which provided her a window into a realm of chaos. Noise like shouted orders and urgent calls for calm, help and order. Wails of agony, pain and frustration intermingled with the machine-like whine and whistle of objects flying over head. A pause followed, then a muffled explosion echoed across the mist. Then, silence.

What was this place?

"Emi!"

The shout came again. This time she could make out a form from the mist. A young man, about her age, was running towards her. Still obscured by the fog, she could only see that he had dark black hair, and was wearing strange clothes. Like something you'd see in a museum. The way he said her name was like they knew each other. Strange. Now that he was closer, she was sure she had never met this boy in her life. Those startling clear grey eyes, filled with genuine concern, that peered over unclean round eyeglasses at her were new to her. The unfamiliar grip of his equally dirty, bandaged hands on her shoulders, firm but strangely delicate, as he seemed to hoist her up. Unfamiliar, foreign, alien. But... not necessarily unwelcomed. Who was this guy?

"Its good! Alright? Look at me. Look at me! Your all good, okay? Just a little banged up..."

All good? Why wouldn't she be well? This was all so weird. The boy continued to speak as he inspected her, picking up things off the muddy ground, and handing them to her. A canteen, a heavy looking helmet... and a very old, very real looking rifle. Were these her's? How.. why would they be? This didn't make any sense!

"Emi, nobodies giving up today. No one, okay?

She wanted to get away. She wanted to run! Away from the strangeness, away from the noise! The feeling of the boys hand gripping her shoulder reassuringly brought her out of those thoughts. In his hand was the rifle, which now appeared with a very sharp, very deadly blade attached to its barrel. All the while he was looking at her. With those piercing, grey orbs. It seemed there was no where one could hide from such a gaze.

"Emi!"

Her name came out of the boys mouth like a plea. Too make matters worse, a feeling of unshakable dread had begun to creep upon her. Like a cold, wet blanket, the feeling wrapped itself around her. It was in his voice. There was something this boy wanted. Something he needed her to do. But... she was afraid. Oh god, she was so afraid too. Her hands began to shake, a movement that seemed to work its away across her body. She could feel tears, real genuine tears, welling at the corner of her eyes.

""Nobodies. Giving. Up. Right Emi?"

This time he said it quiet like, so that it was almost drowned out the by the multitude of uncomprehending noise around them both. But his gaze was as strong as ever. Uncompromising and unwavering.

---

It was the sudden shock of moving forward was what awoke her. Confused and disoriented for a moment, it took Emi Inachi a few minutes to take everything in. She was laying back in a chair, with a complex looking belt crisscrossing her chest. The belt was a little tight, but the seating itself was very comfortable. More like a sofa then a chair. A small reading light on the ceiling above her allowed her to view the large, expansive room which she was in. Other people were seated similarly like her. From the night noises around the room, more than a few were asleep. Beyond that, little could be gleaned from the semi-darkness of the room. Then it all came back to her. That dark night in Neo-Tokyo. The video. A letter. Two words.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Sykes, your on-duty pilot speaking!"

The perky, unexpected welcome from who could only be the pilot startled Emi. The obviously masculine voice came through so clear, it was like having a face-to-face conversation instead of over a impersonal announcement. She should have expected as much. Hell, Ravencroft brought back the zeppelin! So why not souped up intercoms?

"My apologies about that last bump, we had some unexpected turbulence from an little updraft. The time is 0400, thats 4:00am Universal Standard Time over the North Atlantic. We are currently in the final hour of your 3 day flight plan with us aboard the Newton's Law. We are 45 minutes from final approach into Eureka airspace. At this time, we invite you all to leave the passenger cabin, take some time to yourself, and enjoy the many amenities we have to offer."

A slight pause entered the announcement, broken by a light mechanical whine and hydraulic hiss. Metallic shutters began to roll up outside her window. The light above Emi winked out, replaced by the first rays of the early morning sun. The now transparent cabin area offered an unobstructed sight of early morning over the Atlantic.

"How about that view folks? Breakfast can be enjoyed either in the cabin via steward trolley, or in the main dining area to the rear of the main passenger cabin. All items are compliments of Whole Harvest Limited and the Main Course Corporation, both subsidiaries of Ravencroft. Remember: For Cuisine Cooked to Excellence, Why Not Stick to The Main Course!"

An upbeat, commercial jingle overshadowed the Captain's voice briefly. With a good natured, almost rehearsed-sounding chuckle, the pilot of the Newton's Law ended his monologue with his sign off:

"I'd like to thank all of you on behalf of the Ravencroft Institute for traveling with us these past few days. Its been a pleasure and an honor to fly you folks, and I hope to do it again real soon. Thank you, from all of us at RAeon Skies: Lighter than Air!!"

Well... that was interesting,, thought the young Japanese girl at the almost advert like messages that came from intercom. Then again, traveling around in a dirigible was pretty odd in itself. So was going to an island that the world had only known of seven months ago. She decided to tack it on the long list of bizarre experiences that amounted to her life. As the easy listening music continued to play through the cabin, a steady rise in conversation and morning noise could be heard as adults travelers, children passengers and airship employees went about their business. Something more literal for some, if the double line leading outside the restrooms meant anything. For Emi, it meant grabbing something to eat. Her last meal had been freeze-dried Udon soup, courtesy of the RavenAid facility a block from her apartment in Neo-Tokyo. Just the thought made her face pinch into a grimace. If she was going through the trouble of flying 6,000 miles for a campus visit, the least she could do was cash in the in-flight continental breakfast!

[Shyluz]

Gray Archibald Kross Homegarde
Estonian Cat Partial
Theme

Gray awoke to the sound of some cheesy corporate ringtone. He pulled his face from the weathered copy (literally,) of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea of his, just as the window shields opened and let in the sun. Around him he heard the complaints and groans of the other passengers on this leisurely little ride to Eureka. He groaned as he set the paperback book into his satchel, which was emblazoned with his tag. A neon-blue stencil of a record with white wings on a black paint splatter. The bag itself was gray, and filled with spare clothes, several books, and about a hundred USD. He unbuckled himself from the unnecessarily complex safety belts. He thought to himself, Why even bother, it’s a zeppelin, the worst that can happen is a slight bump. He shrugged to himself as he took off the glasses and wiped them off, and rubbed his sore eyes before returning them to their resting place on his nose. While doing this, he noticed an Asian girl, who looked about his age, walking to the other end of the cabin.

As she walked past he tapped her shoulder, asking: “You speak English miss?” As he donned the satchel and straightened his only reminder of his ex-family; his scarf.

He shifted uncomfortably, as cat eyes take a while to adjust to bright sunlight. Besides, the self-polarizing eyeglasses weren’t doing him any favors. He stepped to the side a little, the natural introvert in him trying to resurface. It had gotten better over the six months on his own. Then again, that anxiety got him into some… awkward situations with local law enforcement. His eyes seemed to glaze over on the outside as he began replaying his encounters with Brno police over in his head. Until, of course, his body realized it was hungry. His stomach grumbled loudly.

He chuckled nervously as a slight smile crossed his face.

Food… I don’t think I’ve eaten in what? Seventeen hours? That sounds right. Yeah. Sure.

[Legatia]

Caia E. Savoy
The Newton's Law
Over the Atlantic Ocean

---

It was the dream that had been haunting Caia all her life, since the day it happened. It had repeated in her mind ever since a few days ago..

"Wait here, Caia, darling." All she remembered of her real mother's face was her warm amber eyes and warmer smile, and her beautiful blonde hair. And every day she remembered less.

All she could do was sit and watch as the events that altered her life unfolded infront of her.

Screams. Not screams of joy, but blood-curdling screams that scared every fiber in your body. Explosions, gunshots.

Strong hands grabbing her shoulders, covering her face. Darkness.

The sorrowed, regretful faces of the old gentleman in the room that smelled overly of Pepto-Bismol, the face that had to break the news to her. Her own cries and sobs.. and then a bright light.

She jolted awake with an audiable gasp, sucking in air as her eyes shot open. She sighed out, closing her eyes and shaking her head. This big thing, and we still have to sleep in chairs, huh? She sighed,a smile coming to her face, as if the terror she'd just relived never even happened.

The cheery voice of her captain brought a bigger encouragement to the fifteen-year old American girl. Ravencroft sure did have a lot of money, affording to bring back zepplins and even improving the intercoms to make it sound just like the person speaking.

Unstrapping her complex buckle, she rose, leaning to the left, lifting her arms up and slowly lowering them down to her sides, letting out a tiny yawn. The small physical activity must have triggered her hunger, as her stomach growled angrily as if warning it'd revolt if not fed.

"Well, he did say we could enjoy some breakfast.." She thought, shrugging and starting to make her way to the food, before she spotted the cat partial and the Japanese girl. Smiling, she thought she might as well make /some/ friends while she was here. Her foster father had once told her: A life with no company is a dull life.

"Good morning." She said, making sure not to sound too cheery, but not too bland. "Did you two sleep well?" She offered a smile, sweet and genuine, as she stood before the two.

[Shyluz]

Gray Archibald Kross Homegarde
Estonian Cat Partial
Theme

Gray turned from the Asian girl to the other girl, a seemingly American, with brown hair. She was rather pretty, he supposed. But, he really only had one thought running through his head: OH GOD. OH GOD. THERE'S TWO OF THEM!

"I-- I'm fine. Heh..." He said, blushing and beginning to sweat. Still smiling nervously, he continued, "My name's, uh, Grayson. Grayson A.K. Homegarde. Might I have the ple-- pleasure of knowing yours? I'm guessing you're American, judging from your accent, New York maybe? Or New Jersey?" He raised his hands, aware of the deadly rivalry between the two states. His stomach grumbled again, and his nervous laughter began again.

[Legatia]

Caia E. Savoy
The Newton's Law
Over the Atlantic Ocean

---

My, my, he's so flustered! I wonder why..

Caia tilted her head in an inquisitive look, her eyes studying his face, as if she were a detective and he was the case file she'd been assigned.

Then her eyes closed, upturned, and she gave a small, cute giggle before her smile returned.

"Pleasure to meet you, Grayson." Her smile brightened a tiny bit, as she nodded. But as the Estonian questioned her origin, she paused, then giggled a bit.

"Well, yes, I am American, and I am from New York City, but New Jersey is a state, not a city." Her normal smile returned as she nodded.

"Oh! I'm forgetting myself. My name's Caia Savoy. Like, "Cay-uh." She explained, carefully. "Some people call me Elizabeth, my middle name, but feel free to call me whichever suits you."

[Shyluz]

Grayson Homegarde
Resident Estonian Partial

"Pleased to meet you Cai--" Gray was suddenly interrupted by a spot of turbulence. It must have been a larger patch, as it manged to knock him over onto Caia, which he tried to use as a support to remain upright. A futile motion, but hey, better to try right? He of course dragged Caia down with him though. He grabbed her, and spun under her, attempting to lessen the blow for the girl. He closed his eyes, a natural human reflex. Those who weren't already awake, were most definitely now.
Gray opened his eyes. His hand was on something soft, the other one clutching to an armrest of a nearby chair. He looked at Caia's face for a moment, blushing, and than looked down. He was terrified to find that the hand was clutching her breast in his hand. At this, he literally turned beet red, a surprising feet when you're someone as pale as Gray. He jumped up, gently shoving her off his chest. He quite frankly jumped back six feet.
OH SHIT! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!? NO NO NO NO NO!
"Sorry! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to! I swear!" He said, panicking. He raised his hands above his chest and smiled nervously, attempting to look innocent.

[Eridanus 3]

D. Corinthi

Normally, Damian would have toward the center of the airship. It offered a great variety of perks, dominated by not having to walk over anyone that might be trying to doze of in their sleep. At this point though, he was glad about his position. He hadn't been sitting directly next to anyone, and his port-side view of the ocean below was nothing less than strikingly gorgeous. The lovely lolling blue waves were most soothing. The craft he was riding in was exquisite, but that didn't keep him from having a distinct sense of dread. As much as anyone else might light to put it otherwise, the airship was an outdated technology, a relic of a more civilized era. There was a reason their use was sporadic at best. Hindenburg had shown the world why future of aeronautical mass transit lay with the airplane. It was a more adaptable an stable platform, capable of better handling and maneuvering, was capable greater speeds, and had the benefit of not being filled with highly combustible throughout the majority of the superstructure. That said, Newton's Law was a sturdy and luxurious vessel, albeit tempting fate with its name. Somebody always had to point out that gravity was one unforgiving son-of-a-bitch. There wasn't much any of them could do if all the engines lost power in mid-flight. A three-seventy in the old sea. The Pacific always seemed more appealing, even during the war. The water was much more calm and pristine, the Aussie's were better than the Brits, and the weather was so much more accommodating. That said, it was far better than the Indian Ocean. It ought to be described as the brown sea, having so much pollution. Then again, the Pacific wasn't faring too much better. Wars always kill the environment first. Hard to be worried about ecological repercussions when somebody decides to open up a fifty over your head. Then again, humans are just another bit of chow for the sharks, right?

The view was entrancing, and it took him a good while for him to figure out that the captain had allowed them to stretch their legs. He grabbed his safety harness and triggered its release, smiling a bit at the audible click that rang out as he was unrestrained. three or four rows behind him, a duo of voices were getting familiar with each other. At first it seemed surprising that they didn't get the pleasantries over with beforehand, but it took only a quick reminder that it was quite possible to go through a plane ride paying no heed to the sacs of flesh and meat that surrounded you. To his credit, Damian had considered communicating with some of the passengers previously, but he had been more focused on what lay in store for him over the upcoming year. His entrance into S.T.A.G was big news, and he had (not for the first nor the last time) fully considered the gravity of his situation. On this very plane were the worlds strongest, most talented, and most gifted individuals the world would ever see. Or speak to. It was time to introduce himself to the pair behind him. It might be good to speak to those who would soon rule the world. He rose from his seat and started back toward them. "Hey guys. How has your flight been? Enjoying the trip to mystery island?" He then turned and looked at the male. Apparently he had just missed a most distasteful turn of a events. His interjection was most appropriately attuned.

[Glovania]

Candice Beaufils

Flustered and confused, Candice was jerked awake with the bumps of the turbulence, then remembered where she was. On a zeppelin - a freaking zeppelin - flying over the North Atlantic to... what was it called? Ah yes, the STAG Program - The Eureka Academy. A smile spread across her face as she remembered her destination - how exciting it would be on this island.

She fumbled with the belt buckle, briefly questioning why it has to be so complex. She eventually clicked it open, and looked around the cabin. Very stylish and comfortable indeed. Clearly, Mr Ravencroft had spared no expense when designing these wonders of the sky. She relaxed and her head thudded back against the seat, her mind taking it all in. This was truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

She noticed some of the other passengers were up and about, but she decided she would sit here a while longer, maybe listen in on what they were saying. For now, she would stay seated, but she doubted her hungry stomach would be grateful for such a move - it must have been many an hour since she last ate.

[Vancon]

It was pretty hard for the Chairwoman of the Disciplinary Committee to not giggle as she heard the 45 minute warning. it was not her first trip across the pond to get to Eureka. This time, Sophie Lorne was in on what was going on. She aided to organise the flight after all, and was counting down the seconds to a certain point in time. She could hardly sleep since she was stifling her giggles the entire time. To most people, it most certainly looked like she was insane. I wouldn't blame them though, since it's pretty close to the truth. That being said though, she was far from pleased once the shutters were opened and that bastard called the sun looked inside. She was a night owl, true and true. The sun could go and fuck off for all she cared.

She unbuckled herself and stood up. As much as she hated the day, she was still a big fan of breakfast, or in her world, dinner. The black haired lady, since she preferred that term over 'girl', made her way past the new enrollees with a hand covering her mouth to help her stop giggling. They were in for one hell of a day, and oh boy she couldn't wait. Something about it just gave her a mix of the warm and fuzzies, that tingly sensation and pure bliss. Hell, maybe a bit of all three. The thought of what was to come just made her beam from ear to ear, and that was swell, put simply.

Regardless of her laugh, she kept on moving towards the in flight mess hall at a leisurely pace, taking her time and looking out at the infinite beyond outside of the windows. After all, she would have quite the journey to go. She passed a hand along the side of one of the corridors as she went on by and both felt the texture of the wall and it's vibrations. As she went along, she noticed that one of the many paintings was crooked, and made it her personal mission to change that.

The mess hall was massive for an airborne craft. Generally, they're no wider then a schoolbus, but in this case the hall was about the size of a classroom. The walls were pained white for the bottom third, then a fancy bump, and dark blue for the remaining two thirds all the way to the whitewashed roof. On her left and right when she walked in were all manners of food in heating trays against the wall, and teh contents of them were symmetrical. In the center of the room, there was a plethora of tables and chairs, all done in a white paint scheme to match the walls. 5 chairs to a table, with 6 round tables total. However, the most stunning thing was that if you looked straight ahead, you'd see the wide open world. There was a massive window curved stretching across the entire front of the ship. It was angled inwards slightly too for aerodynamics, and right above them was the bridge. Since she was the only one in the cafeteria for now, she could hear the pitter patter of the crew flying the ship above, that is, in between her constant giggling.

She went over to her left, and grabbed the contents of a good old fashioned british breakfast: bacon, scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast with butter, sausages, and baked beans. It was a hearty meal, but she'd do nothing more then suggest strongly to the students to eat well. It was going to be a long day. Sophie grabbed a tray and put her meal on there, and then proceeded down the line and grabbed a glass of water. She put the glass on her tray and walked over to the table straight ahead as soon as you walked in and closest to the large window. It had a reserved note on it, for those higher-ups who were accompanying the students on their first trip. She sat down on one of the sides, so she could see when someone new entered and she could see the world as it came into view. With fork in hand, she attacked her breakfast and began to think about the rest of the day. That is, after she giggled up a storm.

[Isle of Lithonia]

Lieutenant Sora "Ghost" Nightingale
Indoor Gun Range, somewhere in Valston City
One Year Prior

...Bang Bang Bang Bang...

Unfeeling, uncaring, unthinking... The assassin unflinchingly fired round after round, emptying clip after clip. Empty casings littered the ground, the harsh smell of burnt gunpowder filled the air. But fire kept leaping from the barrel, flinging lead downrange.

Finally, the repetitious gunshots went silent. Replacing the pistol to his holster, Ghost waited for the results to arrive. The vast majority of his shots were fatal hits, the rest were still very damaging, and he never missed a shot.

This was his life. His sole purpose. Nothing but eliminating his targets. That and absolute obedience to his superiors. Everything else was unnecessary, cast aside in his single-minded pursuit to become the greatest tool in the ADC's arsenal. More specifically, to obey the every whim of his true master, Chairwoman Sophie Lorne. For it was she who took him in, giving him direction, meaning, and an outlet for his abilities. He would ever do as she desired.

Therefore he trained day in and day out, honing his body to become the greatest killing machine that this Academy would ever field.

Pulling out his secondary weapon, bullets once again flew downrange.

---

Aboard Zeppelin
Present

Sleep was shallow for Sora as always. It was his nature to be always alert, prepared to fight even in his most helpless of states. So when the notice went out, he was quickly yet calmly out of his seat, heading towards where he knew the Chairwoman would be.

Entering the cafeteria, he saw his superior sitting alone, a plate of food in front of her. The fragrance of the food in the cafeteria would have sent him flying for something to eat, that is if he were a normal cadet. However, Sora was anything but normal, having gained a level of control over his body that was incredible. He wasn't about to eat until the Chairwoman told him to, for it was his mission to guard her today.

Snapping her a quick salute, the Ghost walked silently to stand at her side.

[The Tophat Empire]

Wiking looked up as the captain spoke, he had most of the last 3 days reading "the Art of War" by the chinese general sun tzu, Wiking had read it several times. But he stilled liked the book. He rose from his seat and took on his belt, carrying the 2 weapons he had. A sword and his pistol; a walther p-38. He did not trust to leave them in his bags.

He adjusted the coat on his unifrom(<No helmet>) and started to walk towards the dining hall, "This place is huge, how can this shit even fly? i do not know, i drive and fire tanks" wiking thought as he walked. He arrived at the mess hall his eyes widened "Well... this is fu**ing huge" he muttered as he walked up to the tables containing food.

He took a portion oatmeal, with some applesauce, cinnamon and milk. He then took a seat and started eating

[Altito Asmoro]

Radiansyah Bagaskara

Alarm's song

Radi woke up from his "sleeping beauty" mode. He looked around him for awhile, trying to figured out where he is, and about ten seconds later remembered that he's in a zeppelin. A zeppelin. He never go anywhere inside one so this is clearly a new experience for him. Ravencroft's STAG Program must profits really well, because Ravencroft really investing many of their money and resources to outfitted this zeppelin with perhaps, the state-of-the art technology. Aren't these stuffs cool?

He put off his buckle seat before heard of the announcement that the breakfast is ready. He went to the cabin and grabbed one of the food lying around (with a plate, of course. A mashed potato with fried egg and sausages, yummy.), and settled down at one of the chair near the window, as he ate the food and looked outside, to the sky.

[Atlannia]

---

A pair of violet eyes fluttered open and Lilliane Cortaine pushed her self up from the seat she had fell asleep in, her long white ears twitching reflexively in response to the announcements. Lilliane rarely had cause to be grateful towards her small stature but long distance travel was one of those rare occasions. Her child like frame curled up easily in the chair and she had had no trouble sleeping for much of the trip. Or rather, she had had no more trouble than usual, her highly sensitive ears ensured she was always a light sleeper. Case in point, they were now swivelling instinctively towards the dark haired girl walking past her aisle. Drawn by movement, Lilliane's eyes flicked over to the older girl and noticed her odd expression and covered mouth, plainly trying to suppress laughter.

Lilliane’s curiosity was perked but she was on the verge of dismissing the strange woman when a twinge in her stomach reminded her that she had after all been sleeping for several hours and hadn't eaten in quite some time. The older girl was heading towards the cafeteria as well so Lilliane decide to follow her, satisfying her curiosity and her appetite in one. The dining room was pleasant enough, well-appointed and spacious but too busy for Lilliane's taste in the sense that it wasn't completely deserted, she could grasp the treads of several conversations as she obtained for herself a generously sized berry muffin and a mug of steaming coffee. The beverage was particularly valuable to her, by the time Lilliane had been old enough to enjoy it decent coffee had been well out of reach of her family's financial status, this was far better than the instant coffee she was used to, rich and dark. With suitable refreshments secured Lilliane found herself a seat where she could continue to observe her target, she had sat down with a large meal and was no longer making any attempt to conceal her laughter. She was also, Lilliane noted, sitting at the reserved table which meat she was at least connected to the leadership.

Does she know something? wondered Lilliane, taking a small bite of her muffin and then a sip of coffee, closing her eyes to savour the warmth and taste. She perked up when the woman she was observing was joined by a male, a subordinate judging from the salute he snapped off however instead of striking up a conversation Lilliane could eavesdrop on the boy simply stood silently by her side. Disappointing thought Lilliane I suppose I'll have to take the direct approach, Taking her mug with her the girl got up and approached Sophie, stopping when she was close enough for her soft voice to be heard clearly.

"What were you laughing about earlier?" she asked, tilting her head to one side slightly.

[Legatia]

Caia E. Savoy
The Newton's Law
Over the Atlantic Ocean

Caia went to smile and offer her hand in a handshake, but soon felt that exact same spot of turbulence. Gray came crashing into her, making her emit a small "Eep!" as he spun her around, and broke her fall, landing with a thud on the floor. But still, that was enough to make Caia wave in and out for a second.

When she finally came to, she felt her one hand spread out from her body, the other crossing her other breast and laying on her chest. But.. she felt a hand placed on her body, grabbing hold of her other breast.

Gray must've realized this too, because as soon as he noticed, he leapt off her, immediately apologizing. Of course, Caia knew it wasn't really his fault, but..

"G-g-gray!" She said, her arms making an X across her chest,defensively. "D-du-don't touch me there!" A noticable pinkish-red tint was now on her cheeks, as she matched it with a pout/frown, looking at Grey and keeping silent.

[Shyluz]

Grayson A.K. Homegarde
Resident Estonian Partial

Gray kept his hands up defensively, saying nervously, "I-if you don't mind, I'll just be fleeing in t-terror now, sorry." He walked slowly backwards, eventually tripping over some sleeping students foot. He got back up, being sworn out by the now awoken student. He spun and ran towards the mess hall. He eventually burst into the room, out of breath. He quickly realized there were several people there.

Great, not even at the school and someone already hates me. Fantastic.
Even better! More people I can anger! Yay. Oh food. Nice.

[Perestroikavo]

The smell of burning timber filled his nostrils. Sirens blared in the distance. Aleksandr was blown flat on his back by the blast, and it left him time to see what he had just caused. The entire place was ablaze, the fuel quickly caught the timber and sawdust on fire and turned it from a campfire into a raging inferno. Sweat poured off of his brow, and the last thing he heard before he passed out was a child scream.

When Alek awoke, he was being manhandled up by a bunch of tough looking men. They held his arms out, and a small, stocky looking one approached him and began quietly. "You know what we do with your kind, you piece of shit? Huh? You know what happens when you fuck with us?!" Aleksandr gave him a blank look, still getting his bearings. The man dragged a finger across his throat. He now comprehended the situation that he was in. The men had him in a warehouse of sorts. Flipping out Alek's own switchblade, the man slowly began making slicing motions, similar to carving a turkey. With a sudden downward stroke, the man sliced off Aleksandr's finger. He screamed in pain, but was quickly muffled when they put a burlap sack over his head and poured water into his open mouth. Before he drifted off, he remembered the man's name. Petrov. A sharp pain in his side registered as a knife into his ribs, leading to lung-

Estonians. The dirty sheep of Europe. Aleksandr hoped that his thoughts would be relayed to the partial who tripped over him, kicking him in the ribs during the process.. "You god-damned moron!" He shouted after the other, but they were gone before he could think of anything else. Brushing himself off, he checked all of his possessions out of habit. After digging through his tracksuits and bag for a moment, he was satisfied. Guess that's what I get for sleeping on the floor. The captain's voice filled the space around him, and he was obviously a veteran at this. He sounded professional. Alek was invited for breakfast, along with all the other cadets, as they were almost to the academy.

The whole partial thing was still pretty now to him, and it overwhelmed him to think of all the change and affluence that had entered into his life. The splice, the Zeppelin, the Academy. It was all just too much luxury for him to handle at once. There were a few others scattered about, but his snout filled with the scent of sausage and pancakes. He looked longingly at his baggage, before hiding it in a darker corner of the room, and began ambling his way towards the mess hall. Ambling was a generous word. It was closer to a light jog. His ears picked up a few conversations along the way, but it all slipped his notice as the smell got stronger.

Aleksandr burst into the dining hall, and was astonished at the size and scope of the food available. Suspicious that something would happen to all of this food, he quickly piled up his plate with six pancakes and ten sausages. In addition, he rolled a waffle up and put it in his pocket. Collecting a handful of silverware, Alek made his way over to a table alone. Before he could take a bite, however, some strange laughing and giggling filled his ears. What the-. He answered his own question when he looked over and saw some random girl laughing for no reason. Another appeared to be trying to talk to her. Maybe they were friends, and she just told a joke. He walked over to them and sat down, silently observing them.

[Isle of Lithonia]

Lieutenant Jacelyn Reed

Everyone goes around trying to find their soulmate, but no matter how hard they look, they can never find it. So instead, they force two bodies together. Everyone wants to use that short time they have together to open their hearts, even if it’s just a one night dream bought with money.
-Lawrence Hill (Boy’s Next Door)

Jacelyn found herself in the midst of a grassy plain, the wind gently blowing her crimson silk dress in front of her. There had been someone... a young lady, obscured by fog. No matter how hard she tried, Jacelyn could not see her face, but she could tell the girl was beautiful. Reaching out, the two held hands, dancing along the stars. Heaven laid itself bare before them, opening its delights to their eyes. All was theirs, nothing was out of reach.

The young lady had then pulled Jacelyn in a deep kiss, and all was silent but the rapid beating of their hearts. When her eyes opened, she found herself laid out on the ground, the young woman straddling atop, a smile on her face. A deep-throated purr escaped Jacelyn's lips as the girl played with her, touching, kissing, licking. Every inch of her body was on fire. A cry tore itself from her lungs as she arched back in pure ecstasy.

---

It had all been a dream. Just a dream. Which was most frustrating to the love-starved Lieutenant. Jacelyn Reed had spent another year alone, unable to give herself to anyone. That greatest of desires in her was still unfulfilled, leaving her sexually frustrated and most depressed. Perhaps this year will be better.

That's what she told herself last year as well, and look how that turned out. Was something wrong with her? Was she ugly? Did the kitty ears not go well with her figure or something? No matter how one cut it, it had to be her fault that she didn't have a mate. There were plenty of eligible young ladies out there for her, and not all of them were too picky about who they slept with.

With such thoughts racing through her mind, the kitty woman walked to the cafeteria, grabbed a plate of food, and sat just a couple tables away from the ADC Chairwoman. As she ate, a rather unhappy, lonely look crossed her face.

---

Lt. Sora "Ghost" Nightingale

When the girl (Lilliane) sat down across from his master, Ghost watched her closely. Keeping a hand near his pistol in case the girl tried to attack (one can never be too prepared), he silently waited for the Chairwoman to reply to the girl.

[Terintania]

Seth sat quietly as they made their way to the academy. He lounged back in the seat, his long legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the heel. He wasn't currently paying any mind to the other students. Instead, he was thinking about his past, and his future. He'd already made this trip once before, but his training had ended rather badly, rather quickly, so he'd been made to repeat his first year. He wasn't too happy about it, but he understood, and he thought it might be good to re-learn everything with his missing eye, because a fair amount of it was physical stuff, as far as he remembered. As far as his future went, he couldn't say what would happen. He only knew his goals. Which was power, no matter what he had to do to get it.

His tongue flicked out, catching the scent of food, which made him realize he was hungry. Unbuckling himself, he got up, and made his way to get some food.

(Volt)
Landon, or 'Volt' as he preferred to be called, was looking around the room like an excited puppy on caffeine. His tail would have been wagging happily, had it not been for the fact it was squished against the chair behind him. His eyes darted around, looking from one person to the next, and around the room, his contacts taking in information about everything. Whether or not it was useful information, who knows. He basically just continued doing this until there was a reason for him to stop.

[Legatia]

Caia E. Savoy
The Newton's Law
Over the Atlantic Ocean

---

After recovering from that turbulent issue, Caia let out a sigh, shaking her head. She wasn't gonna let that minor incident ruin the /entire/ day. Besides, it was arrival day, right? She certainly hadn't expected him to run off, but she'd already forgotten about the idea, partially because her stomach was rumbling.

She shook her head a little, but she decided she might as well find someone else to eat with. There were few occasions when she'd ever ate alone, anyways, and this wasn't an exception, was it?

She sighed, looking around idly before finding another girl with seemingly nothing to do. She had shorter hair whose color she couldn't choose between pink or a light brown. She smiled, standing in front of the girl, and offering greetings.

"Good morning!" She gave a smile, nodding. "I was wondering if, uh, you'd like to get something to eat with me, since my other friend just ran of.." She blinked a little. "Oh, sorry, sorry! I'm Caia." She extended a hand to the girl. "And you?"

[Shyluz]

Grayson A.K. Homegarde
Resident Estonian Partial

Gray had hoped that no one else would've gone into the mess. Unfortunately, most people who know him know that Gray has hilariously bad luck. Exhibit A: Tripped over someone, Exhibit B: Caia entered the mess a few minutes later, (thankfully she didn't notice him, and was busy chatting up some other girl,) Exhibit C: The guy he tripped over was now in the mess with him. Shit. Gray took a half-hearted sigh and sat down across from the boy he had tripped over. The lad was a dog partial, and of course, Gray being a cat partial, that wouldn't be fun. Gray outstretched his arm, and offered his hand to the boy.

"My name's Grayson A.K. Homegarde. I'm likely better known as the guy who tripped over you, for that I apologize. It was a complete accident. You see, me an-- You know what? Nevermind. You don't need to hear the story. I apologize for tripping on you. If I may, what's your name?" He said, while devouring a tasty breakfast pastry. Maybe I can at least salvage me and this guy, before he hates me to. He thought to himself. Now how to salvage me and Caia? That's going to be difficult.

[Tulacia]

"King Tiger! We're dead!" The loader of Florian's T-34-85 tank, Boris, cried.

"Not just yet, laddie! Mikhail! Can you get a shot on his turret?" Florian asked.

"I can try!" Mikhail, the gunner, replied. Without waiting for a further order from Florian, Mikhail aimed the tank's 85mm main gun at the top of the massive German heavy tank's turret. He fired, and the entire turret rocked a bit with the shockwave of the gun's recoil. But the round bounced harmlessly off.

"And...now we're--" Boris' statement was cut off by the boom of the King Tiger firing its 88mm gun. Time slowed in Florian's mind, so much so that he could see the shell sailing straight towards him. It slammed into the turret, jolting it so hard it threatened to rip the thing clean off the hull...

---

---

Florian sat up with a jolt. Oh, good. It was just a dream. He looked around quickly for a moment before he remembered that he was in some old airship thing taking him to this island so he could drive around tanks and stuff, something he'd always wanted to do. He stood up and felt his pockets subconsciously to make sure the photo and his knife were still there, as if they wouldn't be for some odd reason. He noticed a kid, still sitting, looking around the room with wild eyes. Florian was slightly amused by this, and decided to strike a conversation with him. "Hey, uh, you all right there, laddie?"

[Terintania]

"King Tiger! We're dead!" The loader of Florian's T-34-85 tank, Boris, cried.

"Not just yet, laddie! Mikhail! Can you get a shot on his turret?" Florian asked.

"I can try!" Mikhail, the gunner, replied. Without waiting for a further order from Florian, Mikhail aimed the tank's 85mm main gun at the top of the massive German heavy tank's turret. He fired, and the entire turret rocked a bit with the shockwave of the gun's recoil. But the round bounced harmlessly off.

"And...now we're--" Boris' statement was cut off by the boom of the King Tiger firing its 88mm gun. Time slowed in Florian's mind, so much so that he could see the shell sailing straight towards him. It slammed into the turret, jolting it so hard it threatened to rip the thing clean off the hull...

---

---

Florian sat up with a jolt. Oh, good. It was just a dream. He looked around quickly for a moment before he remembered that he was in some old airship thing taking him to this island so he could drive around tanks and stuff, something he'd always wanted to do. He stood up and felt his pockets subconsciously to make sure the photo and his knife were still there, as if they wouldn't be for some odd reason. He noticed a kid, still sitting, looking around the room with wild eyes. Florian was slightly amused by this, and decided to strike a conversation with him. "Hey, uh, you all right there, laddie?"

Volt's eyes settled on Florian as he spoke to him. He grinned, nodding and still looking like an overexcited puppy. "Yeah, I'm good," He said,"I just try to focus on too many things at once sometimes. You OK? You seemed to be having a bad dream. A lot of people seem to be here." He tilted his head. He unfastened himself, and adjusted himself to his tail was no longer being squashed, and it could be seen to be wagging in the little room it had to move.

[Tulacia]

"King Tiger! We're dead!" The loader of Florian's T-34-85 tank, Boris, cried.

"Not just yet, laddie! Mikhail! Can you get a shot on his turret?" Florian asked.

"I can try!" Mikhail, the gunner, replied. Without waiting for a further order from Florian, Mikhail aimed the tank's 85mm main gun at the top of the massive German heavy tank's turret. He fired, and the entire turret rocked a bit with the shockwave of the gun's recoil. But the round bounced harmlessly off.

"And...now we're--" Boris' statement was cut off by the boom of the King Tiger firing its 88mm gun. Time slowed in Florian's mind, so much so that he could see the shell sailing straight towards him. It slammed into the turret, jolting it so hard it threatened to rip the thing clean off the hull...

---

---

Florian sat up with a jolt. Oh, good. It was just a dream. He looked around quickly for a moment before he remembered that he was in some old airship thing taking him to this island so he could drive around tanks and stuff, something he'd always wanted to do. He stood up and felt his pockets subconsciously to make sure the photo and his knife were still there, as if they wouldn't be for some odd reason. He noticed a kid, still sitting, looking around the room with wild eyes. Florian was slightly amused by this, and decided to strike a conversation with him. "Hey, uh, you all right there, laddie?"

Volt's eyes settled on Florian as he spoke to him. He grinned, nodding and still looking like an overexcited puppy. "Yeah, I'm good," He said,"I just try to focus on too many things at once sometimes. You OK? You seemed to be having a bad dream. A lot of people seem to be here." He tilted his head. He unfastened himself, and adjusted himself to his tail was no longer being squashed, and it could be seen to be wagging in the little room it had to move.

"It wasn't really a bad dream, it was just a little shocking at the end." Florian explained with a nod and a half-smile to what he now saw was a dog Anthro. He'd seen enough anime to know what that was, he just...didn't think it was possible in real life. "Oh, right." He said suddenly. "I'm Florian, Florian Myles." He paused a moment then tentatively reached out his hand. Back home, Florian usually kept to himself, often locked away in his bedroom, reading or playing some video game. Occasionally he drew things too; mostly tanks, of course. He usually didn't have to manage meeting new people, but he supposed that now was better to start then never.

[Perestroikavo]

"My name's Grayson A.K. Homegarde. I'm likely better known as the guy who tripped over you, for that I apologize. It was a complete accident. You see, me an-- You know what? Nevermind. You don't need to hear the story. I apologize for tripping on you. If I may, what's your name?" He said, while devouring a tasty breakfast pastry.

Aleksandr glanced suspiciously towards the boy who sat across from him. It was the Estonian. When he was talking, Alek felt some odd dislike of the boy come over him, and realized it was probably the cat splice and dog splice clashing. Not particularly wanting to make enemies with another slav, he reached for Greyson's hand. "Tell you what. It's okay, don't even worry about it. Aleksandr B, at your service." Alek had wolfed down four of his pancakes by now, and was digging into the sausage. He reached for his own glass of milk, and realized that there were two there. Quickly deciding, he grabbed the emptier one and drained it before offering Grey a rueful grin. "Sorry, I like to eat when I can. There wasn't much food in Belarus. I think you and I should stick together. We might make a good team in the combat trials. Speaking of which, what are you going to do?"

[Shyluz]

--snippers--

Gray smiled inwardly at himself. "Belarus? It's nice to meet another Slav." Gray had finished the original pastry, and was moving in on his sausages. Another Slav? At least I'm not alone. That's better than a fair chunk of my life. Now, how to salvage Caia... He blushed thinking about her. She was rather attractive after all, but still way out of his league.

Gray chuckled at Alek's appetite, saying with a wide grin: "Please, we get to eat about the same in our nations. We may as well enjoy ourselves, yes? Anyway, I'll be sniping, I suppose, what about you?" He had finished about half of his sausage, compensating for the spice with gratuitous amounts of milk. Not completely just the spice, partially the splice. Stereotypes never stopped him before.