@SimpleWriter @Heartfillia @Aerandir @Nyahahameha @Tenma Tendo @Pudding @Aviaire @pkken @OwO @Zaphander @Ryonara
Thankfully for the students, the week went by with no further event, allowing them to prepare for the task awaiting them the following Monday.
Chatter rose through the cool morning air as students gathered outside the training arena, lively banter mixed with moans and groans. The wide variety of participants, from all hero classes rather than just one, meant a range of attitudes towards the exam. One girl in particular bounced and whirled through the crowd.
"Rise and shine!" Momo squealed to Freya, who lay draped over a wall as she dozed. "Don't want to miss out on some REAL combat training, do you?" Dancing past her, Momo hurried towards the arena, bumping into a girl and making her spill soda on her bee costume. "Oops! Sorry there!"
The mishap didn't deter her from bounding on until she spotted a familiar pair of horns. "Omigosh can you believe it? Finally, team competitions!" She twirled in front of Erika, spotting Alex not far behind. "And if it's really three on three, this'll be the perfect opportunity for us to work together! It'll be like we're a hero team already! I wonder who we'll be up against?"
The time to put the skills Gabby had taught her to good use was almost here. For all the other girl's concerns about falling in with the wrong crowd, those training sessions had been fun, only resulting in a few wrecked items.
Freya Leander ~ Cait Sith
"Mrrrowwwrrr..." Freya grumbled, stirring awake and climbing down from the wall. How did some people have so much energy in the mornings? Traipsing over towards the others, she slouched and yawned. "Ugh, why do we have to do this so damn early?"
A shadow fell over her. She raised her head to see someone in the air, jumping much higher than she could. "Heh, nice enthusiasm there, bed head!" the guy jeered, smirking down at her before landing. He wasn't even wearing a hero costume, just a leather jacket and jeans combo with several punk style accessories, but he exuded cool confidence like victory was guaranteed. "Just try and catch up with me. Remember, you snooze, you lose!" A pair of springstilts extended from his feet, through slots in his boots, launching him into the air once again.
Freya sighed. Just when she thought she couldn't look forward to this exam any less. She really should have faked illness like she'd had a good mind to do. Oh well, too late to back out now. All she could do was try to make sure this challenge went better than the last one. Pulling up her hood and hunching her shoulders, she trudged into the crowd, hoping she wouldn't let anyone down.
She glanced around the gathering with a slight frown. It wasn't just the upcoming task that unsettled her... something was off. It took her a few moments to realise what it was. Someone who'd seemed sure to turn up on time was nowhere to be seen.
"That's weird..." she muttered. "Where's Keri?" There hadn't been another accident, had there? Kerianne hadn't pushed herself too much again?
Kerianne Morley ~ Nightwatch
Striding around the school grounds, Kerianne glared this way and that. "Dawn! The exam's about to start any moment now!" Still no sign of her. With a heavy sigh, Kerianne took her phone and typed yet another text message, not that Dawn was likely to take any notice.
She cast a glance towards the training hall in the distance, down at her hero costume, then back around the courtyard. It would look terrible if she missed the exam because of this, but Dawn had been moved into Class A for a reason - that reason being the scrutiny of her sister. An adopted sister, but family nonetheless. And right now, Kerianne had to fulfill that duty.
After another quick search brought no success, Kerianne headed back. For all she knew, Dawn could be out of grounds entirely, despite the important test - or because of it. After all, she couldn't claim not to understand that kind of behaviour...
"Excuse me." Heading over to some of her own class, she looked from student to student. "You wouldn't happen to have seen where Dawn went, would you? I took my eyes off her for a few moments, and well... Someone who glows really should be easier to find."