Even after being around her pretty much constantly for six months, Virgil could not fathom how his partner Dahlia managed to be a morning person.  On any given day, he'd crawl out of bed, his hair and beard making him look like a bedraggled lion, and carry himself into the shower for fifteen minutes to wake up just as much to get clean.  Meanwhile, from the next room, over, he'd hear the [i]beep-ba-beep[/i] of Dahlia's alarm going off, and a few minutes later the redhead would pop out of her room already groomed, dressed, and ready to begin the day.  It absolutely befuddled Virgil.

Now, an hour and a half later and leaning back in his chair, Virgil endeavored to seem professional and scholarly.  One would not think, looking at his burly physique and rather disheveled appearance, that this man valued discipline and learning as much as he did.  Nevertheless, it didn't always show, particularly on days when the coffee machine wouldn't respond.  He cast a glance around the room, trying to find something to pique his interest and maybe get his heart moving.  To his immediate right sat the kid with the rabbit, Ethan, whose choice of partner still amazed Virgil.  Sitting in the row before him were Minami and Ryo, the Show-off and the Silent.  Truth to be told, Virgil still didn't know what exactly to think of them.  However effective their partnership and style, they never seemed to really connect.  Still, Virgil liked them a lot more than Doofus and Goofus, more commonly known as Sulley and Corvus, the latter of which never failed to fill a room with his surliness and pride.  Even now, as Virgil listened in, Corvus denigrated the education the students were receiving.  Silently, he fumed.  [i]If you hate learning so much, why doesn't Death expel you already?  Any common thug can fight in the streets; our purpose is much higher![/i]  But he said nothing.  Even if the two young men hadn't had a few choice encounters, Virgil doubted that Corvus would listen.

Virgil's analysis of the class came to an abrupt halt with the arrival of Sid.  He sat up, his book at the ready, but raised both eyebrows.  [i]A practical lesson?[/i]  A wide, toothy grin spread over his features, and he shared it with Dahlia, whose thin smile held cautious optimism.  The good news had yet to end, however.  Dahlia and Virgil listened, almost unable to believe their ears, as they received the summons to the headmaster's office.  Stifling a chuckle, Virgil stood up, and Dahlia shot eagerly upright.  They walked at the head of the crowd of meisters and weapons, excited to see Death's office for what would actually be the first time.

He allowed his partner to take the lead as they sauntered down the guillotine hall, both so that she could do any talking and that he could admire the sights.  Aside from the obvious guillotines, whose threatening razor edges thrilled him though he knew they would never fall, the various strange burial markers that dotted the landscape fascinated him.  According to the tales told about Death, each one stood for a defeated Kishin.  When the entire group finally stood before Death, both Virgil and Dahlia clasped their arms and kept still to absorb every detail.  Though he restrained himself from showing it, Virgil grew more hyped by the second as the headmaster explained the nature of the Extra-Curricular Activity.  At last, one of DWMA's oldest duos would have a chance to shine!  When Death concluded, Virgil heard Dahlia assure him, [b][color=800080]“You can count on us, sir.”[/color][/b]

A few moments later, the group was outside.  During the course of Aria's sizing-up of the students, she couldn't fail to take note of Virgil and Dahlia.  At the ages of nineteen and eighteen respectively, but displaying a mutual level of maturity pretty close to adult, these two formed the oldest overall meister and weapon pair.  By now, they could very well also be known as the 'tryhard' pair, taking things seriously and competitively at all time, doing a variety of things to help themselves be the best, from extra sessions to private tutoring to being respectful to the teachers.  Dahlia even wore armor, something that nobody else really did, and into combat Virgil always carried with him a weapon of his own.  He passed this shotgun to Dahlia whenever he transformed, so that his partner wouldn't be armed with a shield alone.  Even unarmed, Virgil was an imposing sight.  Among this years students, he was one of the tallest and the brawniest.

At the moment though, Virgil was also the most annoyed.  He cast a withering look at Doofus and Goofus before walking over.  Ignoring Sulley, he let Minami say her piece before he crossed his arms and said to Corvus, [color=80461B]“She's got a point.  I figured by now you'd realize how much you need other people to do things more complicated than punching.  You should be more respectful to your peers, Corv.  People who don't work together get hurt in times like these.”[/color]  He trusted Corvus to recall the time earlier in the semester he'd picked a fight with Virgil and by extension Dahlia, over an accidental collision in the hallway.  To be fair, Corvus could boast a very good win ratio, but after all he'd lost three times—and the second time was to Virgil.