Shiro Academy

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1

Historically the premier college in 1 Infinite Loop, Shiro Academy moved from its previous location to Garneldo (the capital of Tilden, an island province in the Federated Alliance of Free Pacific States) following the destruction of the original campus during an invasion 1 Infinite Loop three years ago. Though the relocation was supposed to be temporary, it has become semi-permanent as a result of the economic depression in Infinite Loop, which has prevented the government there from accruing enough money to reconstruct the campus.

Shiro Academy thus remains at its home away from home: Tilden University. Constructed during the 1980s to become the school of the children of elite Free Pacificans that’d become rich from the technological boom, Tilden University collapsed in the early 1990s, when the tech bubble burst. From 1992 until 2005, when Shiro Academy negotiated to rent the large majority of the campus, only 1% of the campus was actually utilized. Nowadays, Tilden University only uses three buildings, while the rest of the 50+ structures are maintained by Shiro Academy.

A combination school, Shiro Academy has programs for a select few high school students, regular college students, graduate university students, and military cadets. Regardless of program, those enrolled at Shiro usually live in the same dormitories, and often take the same courses.

The dormitory that serves as the setting for this story is commonly known as the Wachin Dormitory. It is the Southernmost dorm on the Shiro Academy campus, the closest to the Pacific Ocean, and it faces South towards the ocean. A field with a bath house in the center of it inhabits the square formed by the L shape dormitory. A circular driveway is located on the North-Eastern side of the building while a parking lot is located on the North-Western side of the building. The two smallest sides of the building serve solely as emergency exits. An image of the dormitory is provided.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/infiniteloop/stuff/SHiroFloorplans.gif

And now back to your regularly scheduled madness:

(OOC: There is indeed a timeskip of one week here from the previous post)

Shiro Academy’s old student center and admissions building was a place that had been described in many ways. Somehow built during the brief, god-awful Deconstructionist Revival period of FPSian architecture, it was variously described as “genius” and “blindingly ugly” by feuding members of Shiro’s highly acclaimed art department.

Nevertheless, it was in front of this building that Prospero Albaniri found himself, towing a few pieces of luggage as the taxi scooted away. The new Kandarinese cadet was tall but not especially tall, dark-haired, and dressed in a perfectly black tailored uniform.

As he made his way into the lobby, papers in hand, he passed by a curious piece of wall art: A mural of the entire East Pacific, made of sheets of carved and colored stone to achieve an angled, surrealistic vision of the region. “What an eyesore.” He shrugged and turned left, toward admissions.

“Hi, is this the place to go to register for classes?” Prospero plunked his stack of admissions paperwork down on the front desk. “I have most of the papers here…you probably already got the call about my recommendation.”

2

Jeanette looked at the papers; they were immaculately written and filled out, everything perfect. The recommendation she had received for this particular student exceeded expectations, and here he was immaculately dressed in a solid black uniform with no creases or wrinkles. It would appear that the uniform even repelled dust as she searched to find one piece clinging to it.

“Mister Albaniri, we just have a few questions for you. Your application is impressive, if I may say so myself. What do you feel you can bring to Shiro’s unique student environment? And what do you plan to do with your education here at Shiro?”

She smiled, her square framed glasses hanging on the bridge of her nose. She was an elderly woman, quite used to the application process as she had been doing it for years. She could always tell those students who would excel beyond even Shiro’s expectations and those who would do well, but not well enough to be remembered in the pages of history.

Prospero was one of those students, a man whose name would go down in history, or so she gained from the papers he had handed her and the professional top of the line demeanor he presented himself with.

3

Three thousand years earlier

The hall of the wizard’s conclave was silent, each voice respectfully hushed as the Archmage entered. Laden with runes and charms, the old elf descended to the speaking platform in the center of the recessed room. “<My brethren, my days have been long, and I will soon depart here for the way of the gods. But before I go, I have imparted one last gift to the ways of magic.>” She had not been the most popular of Archmages, but the room sat rapt to learn the news.

“<For too long have we been afflicted with the plague of dust that settles on our work and chokes our lungs. I have prepared an enchantment that will drive away dust. Never shall one so blessed be touched by the taint of it. It shall affect me and my children and all my descendents forever. This is my final gift.>”

The room erupted in laughter.

“<Really? Dust?>”

“<Get over yourself, Albaniri.>”

“I’m here because I believe in the power of ideas to change society.” Prospero said. “And Shiro is the greatest nexus of ideas in the whole region, if not the world. I bring to it the unique paradigms of my people, and I hope to take away the rich cultural heritage of the East Pacific. I may be in the military program, but I hope to use what I learned here to help teach the nations of this region how to live in peace instead…as they do here.”

4

Hello, I’m Elysia Cora, nice to meet you! “No.” Elysia muttered under her breath. She’d seen the Lycian boy yesterday too but she’d just arrived and needed to pack her things away. Lucian? Lucius? One of those… I’m sure. Lucius Keres? Sounds right. She gazed at him from across the lounge and was quite sure that anyone watching would think she was weird. Truth was that she was lonely and scared and the Keres boy was the closest thing to home around here. That and she wanted a friend. Lucius yawned, stood up and stretched, before leaving the room. Damnit.

Elysia glanced down at the book she was reading, classical literature. She sighed and closed the book. Elysia’s sister was Lady Persephone Cora, the beautiful and intelligent and magnificent leader of Aetria. Elysia was just… Normal Elysia. She hated her sister.

Elysia sighed again. The table she was at was empty. Five minutes or so prior to her daydream regarding Lucius a small boy with glasses had sat with her. He hadn’t spoken to her, infact she had no idea who he was and she was sure that he didn’t even acknowledge her existence. But atleast she had company. Even if the aforementioned boy just sat and laughed loudly and snorted while reading what Elysia was sure was some kind of smutty comic book.

5

Jeanette smiled, a beaming expression from ear to ear, “Welcome to Shiro Mister Albaniri. I really hope that you enjoy yourself here and that the school’s accomodations suit you well. I see that you have already pre-formulated a schedule. I will send this over to the Registar’s office and you will be set for your classes right away. Good luck with your plans Mister Albaniri.”

Jeanette stood with Prospero and walked with him to the door, shaking his hand on the way out. He was going to be someone special, she knew that for certain.

6

While Prospero went through admissions, their group wondered towards one of the campus’s dining halls. It was Viktor who drug them here as he was starving. They had barely eaten anything on their long journey here and although it never seemed to bother Damon, Viktor and Ivalsa were beginning to imagine each other as dinner. Filet mignon d’ Ivalsa, sautéed with mushrooms in butter, and served with asparagus covered with a Hollandaise sauce. The idea of such made his stomach rumble.

Damon merely trailed behind them, lost in that own world of his. Viktor no longer could imagine what was going through Damon’s mind, but he imagined that Damon had a lot of time to think during the months of his capture and hospitalizations, a depth of thinking that he now could no remove himself from.

They sat at a table as Viktor began to ravenously eat his meal. Damon merely paced around the dining hall, looking at the students. He was like a tiger on the prowl, predator like as he watched the unaware students. And that’s when he noticed her, a girl who seemed to be by herself at the table, despite another student sitting with her.

He walked with agility and prowess of a hunter, moving between students and tables until he found himself behind the young woman. He watched for a second as she read before he leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Is that a good book?”

He flashed his charming grin before sitting aside her.

7

She held up the book, over enthusiastically infront of her with both hands, before remembering that he probably couldn’t read Lycian. “Anthology of Pre 20th century Lycian and Valerian texts.” She smiled. “So in answer to your question, sadly no.” She mentally cringed at her accent, she could say with around ninety nine percent confidence that the only time she’d spoken English was in her linguistics lessons and now using it in real life, actual conversation seemed ridiculous.

Ask him if he knows Lucius! No. She returned the grin and lay the book carefully on the table. “I’m Elysia! And I’m please to make your acquaintance!” she stuck her hand rigidly out at the boy. Is he one of the people that shake hands?

8

Damon extended his black gloved hand and shook her hand firmly. His grasp was strong but not bone crushing. It was evidently one of a man enrooted in strong military customs.

“Hello Elysia. That is a beautiful name. How long have you been going to Shiro,” he asked, his voice deep with a touch of a foreign accent that came out only as he said her name and Shiro, as if Shiro was not a name he was accustomed to saying.

9

“Uh.” Elysia stuttered for a moment before regaining composure. She laughed quietly and a smiled. Quick, you look like a fool!

“I think it will be two days, or it will be in,” she glanced at the clock mounted on the wall somewhere behind Damon’s head, “Thirty seven minutes and twenty… four seconds.” She nodded, pleased with her accuracy.

“Same question to you, and wouldn’t it be polite to introduce yourself?” She felt her face turn a shade of bright red and she quickly, and as casually as she could, opened her book on a random page. Well done.

10


Ikrisia pushed her chair back from her desk, covered in books, to get a quick glance outside. After all, the English language could do a number on even the brightest of foreign minds.

She raised her eyebrows. Walking down the path toward the dorms was Ivalsa - ironically enough - wearing a simple black dress - even odder - and without carrying anything else - not as add, but just as alarming. What’s she doing here? Suddenly she remembered their last confrontation, how she would attempt to bring Ikrisia back to her side, the side she knew all too well. It wasn’t like the crazy vixen to come totally unprepared - she must be more powerful now. I suppose someone freed her then, Ikrisia thought, her eyes glued onto the small vixen as she walked further toward the entrance. Idiot. Whoever freed her is in for a perilous journey. There’s a reason why she was put in there to begin with… and why she hasn’t been freed, even by one of us…

The insane vixen waved to Ikrisia, and she immediately scooted her chair back, pretending to be immersed in work. No longer in full view of the window, she drew her blinds and tapped her pencil on an English textbook. “None of us would have freed her other half, or would we? It wouldn’t make sense - unless that’s the route we’re trying to go… but I’m not willing to fight. I don’t want to, I’ve just made my peace with humanity, though I… hmmm… no, they’re free-thinking too. There’s no way she could’ve tricked enough human beings to free her from a Vekaiyun Mental Institution… they can’t be more insane than she is.”

11

Damon smiled again, “My name is Damon. I am not enrolled at Shiro, yet. I am a prospective student visiting my friend who is enrolled here. I plan to check out the campus life first hand before deciding to enroll here. What about you? Do you like Shiro so far? I know you have not been here long, but how has your experience been so far?” Damon asked as he looked to her book, again the hint of the accent appearing as he said the word Shiro. It was definitely in another language he could not read, but the letters interested him, as if calling to him as a secret code to be cracked.

“That is an interesting book you have there. What language is that?”

12

Elysia laid the book flat on the table and tilted it slightly towards Damon so, if anything, he could atleast look at the writing. “Shiro is okay. I’ve been a little - well, I feel estranged. I don’t know…” Don’t do it, pretend you have friends! “Anybody, at all.” She smiled weakly. “But the teaching seems very good, I’ve had two classes so far and the staff seems to do their job well.” Elysia paused for breath.

“The accommodation is good too, not quite what I’m used to. At all. But it’s still good, for what it is.” She frowned and then laughed at herself, perhaps a little too loud. “What would you intend on studying?”

“Oh, and the language,” she quickly scanned the two pages on show. “Lycian, not my first language. I think a couple of pages are in Valerian though. Why?”

13

“Lycian and Valerian” Damon repeated, more to himself than to Elysia, “Intriguing…you may have to teach me it some day. Sounds like something worth knowing around here,” Damon again spoke, half to Elysia but more to himself.

“If I choose to enroll, I intend on studying physics,” the physics seemed to roll of his tongue with his Mahanonian accent, making the word sound incredibly seductive despite its simplicity. But he merely smiled for he knew that he spoke English well and that few would even pick up the subtle touches of an accent in his language, yet alone be able to identify it as a Mahanonian accent.

He leaned closer to her, looking at the language of the book for a few moments before looking up at her, flashing his grin. “Tell you what Elysia,” his accent highlighted a beautiful quality in the name, “you can be my friend as I am fairly new here. And if you teach me how to read this, I will teach you how to fly,” he offered, hoping the lure of flight would be strong enough to appeal to Elysia.

14

“Physics?” Elysia laughed. “Science, there is no fun left in the world when you strive so hard to understand it and… And quantify it!”

She grinned, still focusing on the book. “Unless you travel to the Coalition or the Federation you don’t need to know it. But I’ll still teach you it, maybe.” She slowly closed the book and drew it towards her. “So you will enroll here? And what makes you think I want to fly?”

She tucked a stray strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear and for the first time in the conversation turned to actually meet Damon’s eyes. “Perhaps I’m scared of heights?”

15

Damon smiled again, a reassuring smile, as if to convey a sense that there was nothing to fear, “Are you afraid of heights Elysia?” he mused again saying her name with just that subtle touch of an acccent, “I can show you how to love the sky. You know when you get high enough, you begin to float? If you have not experience this, I must show you,” Damon offered, a glint of true happiness glimmered behind his eyes as his mind recalled the floating sensation he experienced during some of his more extreme flights.

He looked into her eyes, the pale blue so light that it seemed to sparkle as the light caught it. She was beautiful, extremely attractive especially with the way the light hit her hair and eyes, but she seemed quiet as if trying to hide herself from others. She had an internal beauty about her and Damon sensed there might be much more to her. The mystery of her caught him like a complex puzzle. He grinned again, his own dark eyes contrasting with hers, sparkling not with the light but a mischevious energy from within.

“You know Elysia, I like to travel. I may very well find myself at the Coalition or the Federation one day. Do you like to travel? I always keep my eye out for people to travel with,” Damon offered. He seemed genuine as opposed to other guys who would say anything to get a girl. In Damon’s case, he saw something in Elysia, something in that beauty and mysterious language that could be useful and it drew him to her like a force of its own.

16

“Yes I am!” She said defiantly, with almost supernatural subtly she reopened her book simply to snap it shut. Satisfied with the noise she set it down on the table. “And did you know when you get high enough you freeze to death?” She almost choked as she struggled to stop herself from laughing at herself.

She leant back regally in her chair and sighed, more out of relief than anything. “Shiro is the furthest I’ve travelled. Ever. My family often switches between Valeria, Elisa or Illyricium… But otherwise I quite enjoy living in one place in Aetria! Plus I don’t know if Illyricium is safe anymore… But that’s not the point.”

She glanced lazily up at Damon, meeting his gaze. “I wouldn’t go to the Federation if I were you. Unless you enjoy being shot at.” She stopped and sat upright. “Do you even know what the Coalition and Federation - are? In fact, where do you come from?”

17

Damon smiled, a smile clearly made with the intent to mask a hidden knowledge that he wished not to share. “You know…I am from that nation over there,” he said while grinning and pointing in some odd direction, trying to use his charm to deflect the question. He knew clearly no one would buy his answer, it was so full of crap, but that was part of his charm.

“But that is not important…” he continued, dragging on a momentarily silence, “but I imagine that knowing the places I might end up in one day is. You know, if I am going to be shot at, I should start practicing my bullet dodging skills now. Please do not tell me a beauty such as yourself keeps a gun on your for moments just like this?” Damon offered with a wink, looking to her side to make sure that a pistol was not discreetly strapped there waiting to be aimed at his head.

18

Viktor merely looked towards Damon, who had been engaged in conversation with another student. It did not take Damon long to integrate himself into a crowd. Viktor merely shook his head and turned his attention back to Ivalsa, who had been remarkably quiet since they arrived.

“Ivalsa…you said something about your other half being locked in a mental institution. Why is she there?” he asked. He wanted to see if she would remember what they were talking about pursue that thought of if she was absolutely insane and had made up the entire thing.

19

Prospero walked down the crisscrossing, palm-lined paths of central campus, taking in the sights, the sounds and the smells. He had long since donned the traditional pair of black sunglasses that were the hallmark of Kandari above ground; the tropical sun stung far more than the sunlight in Mahanoy. He was, however, far less interested in sun and trees than the people of Shiro. He walked slowly and without any particular direction, taking the time to observe the students around him: Hurried-looking students jogging or biking to their next class, professors towing bags and staff fixing buildings. In a couple of places, girls in very short shorts and tube tops were sunning themselves on blankets in the open green, sometimes accompanied by mesmerized- and ornamental-looking young men. Somewhere, someone was flying a kite.

These were a world away from the rigid, black-clad masses Prospero had come to know in his brief time in Mahanoy. These students were rich, carefree, playful, decadent and immature…soft, in a word. And yet…not all. Here and there he saw military students, on their own or in drills, men and women in simple khaki and camouflage uniforms emblazoned with the insignias of a hundred nations. These were a definite minority, though, exemplars in a university full of people destined for business and government.

Still, the division was visible and clear. Nevertheless there was no sign of a flag per se save for that of the nation and state in which Shiro was located. He wondered now if Damon meant something different, something with a higher profile than running a rope down a pole. But it was enough speculation for one morning, and if he was to do his part it was necessary to get settled in. And so he backtracked across campus in search of the dorm to which he had been assigned. Perhaps there was more to see there.

20

Ivalsa looked around, like she was immersed in thought. She searched what was left of the dim corridors of her mind to remember what Viktor was talking about. “Oh yeah!” she said with a slight giggled. “Yep. She’s down in there somewhere. But no one wants her to be free, even if I do. She didn’t do anything wrong, I swear!”