Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jun 17, 2021 8:09:58 GMT -5
( Sure. xD )
Their flight info:
Elizabeth Lovvorn
120 pounds
Take-off Site: #3
Departure Time: 11:00 am
Flying With: Lohan & Fern
Trey Akkin
123 pounds
Take-off Site: #4
Departure Time: 11:00 am
Flying With: Umber & Sepia
They finished with Ms. Matthews shortly thereafter. With his flight information in hand — Jason Umber and Sepia, a team he knew but not well — he followed Elizabeth to the next line. This one moved quicker. When they got to the counter, Elizabeth in front of Ms. Betton, Trey before Ms. Tellen, they simply gave their name. The volunteer teachers officually added them to the system, then handed over their care package: a large envelope filled with everything they would need to adjust to their new school. Then all that was left was to wait for their flight time.
Trey checked the clock on the wall. They had just under half an hour. Even though he practically lived at the Academy, he felt the first stirrings of real excitement. He wasn't just visiting anymore. The next time he stepped on Academy grounds he would be doing so as a real student.
And for the first time, he felt ready for it.
( I'll get the next bit up after Remi and Austin catch up.  )
☆~☆~☆
Remi considered him a moment. "That's probably true. You seem like the type who will either be constantly starting fights, or getting in the middle of one." As the two people ahead of her moved on, Remi stepped up to the counter, signed in, and got weighed. Then she took her flight card and studied it as she headed for the next line.
Remington Winters
110 pounds
Take-off Site: #10
Departure Time: 11:30 am
Flying With: Sonali & Infinity
(And while I'm at it...)
Austin Stewards
142 pounds
Take-off Site: #9
Departure Time: 11:30 am
Flying With: Umber & Sepia
( I can change your characters weights if they don't seem right. ^^ )
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jul 31, 2021 16:49:54 GMT -5
It felt like eleven a.m. took forever to arrive, but finally it did. Right on cue, the fifty or so remaining students ran to the back doors to watch the wyverns arrive. They descended in orderly fashion, each wyvern landing perfectly in his or her zone. Once they were all settled on the ground, Coach Conners appeared at the door.
In his usual booming voice, he shouted, "I want all eleven a.m fliers to line up in front of me in an orderly fashion! Chop, chop!"
The students leapt to obey. Those with eleven a.m departures went one way, while everyone else backed away from Coach and his too loud voice. In the chaos, Trey lost sight of Elizabeth and ended up near the back of the line. Once everyone was lined up, Coach started ushering them out. He looked at their flight slips one at a time and directed them loudly to the proper wyvern. He didn't even notice Trey, treating him just as he treated the others. Trey didn't mind; Coach was intimidating for such a short guy.
Professor Jason Umber, on the other hand, recognized Trey immediately. He grinned. "Akkin Junior. I was told you were hitching a ride the old fashioned way. Welcome aboard."
Trey felt himself blushing under the scrutiny of the other two students who would be flying with Umber and Sepia. "Thanks," he muttered.
Umber gestured to Sepia. She was a large female, dark green with reddish-brown spikes and talons. She blinked intelligent brown eyes at him as Umber said, "Well, since you've done this before, why don't you show your new classmates how to mount a wyvern?"
Trey didn't like that idea at all, but he couldn't think of a good excuse to say no. Making a conscious effort to ignore the two watching him, he approached Sepia and offered his hand to her. "Hey, girl," he whispered. "Mind if I climb aboard?"
Sepia nudged his hand very lightly for such a large beast and rumbled a soft growl that he took as permission. Being careful of her wing membrane, Trey quickly climbed up her arm to the saddle and took the seat farthest back. It was the least comfortable, but since he was first up he didn't have much choice, unless he wanted the others climbing over him. Which he didn't.
"Very good," Umber said, scratching Sepia's head. "You two see what he did, and how he did it?" They nodded, their eagerness returning in full force now that Trey wasn't on the ground embarrassing himself. Umber gestured for the next kid to come forward. He did, except he didn't ask Sepia first before trying to climb up, which resulted in him being detained and a lecture on never just assuming a wyvern will be okay with you mounting them. Granted, most at the school were laid back enough that they wouldn't bat an eye, but it showed respect, and was a good habit to develop early.
Despite the delay, it wasn't long before both students had asked and climbed up to sit in a row in front of Trey. Umber climbed up last, and began instructing them on how to strap themselves to the saddle. Trey's straps were already fastened. Umber didn't even bother to check them, trusting Trey knew what he was doing. Trey appreciated that.
Once he was sure his passengers were safely buckled in, Umber took his seat up front and did up his own straps. On the other side of the field Coach was shouting again, directing the team on take-off site one to take to the skies.
Trey watched, mesmerized, as the huge green wyvern shoved powerfully off the ground. He didn't falter under the weight of his four passengers, a feat only earth wyverns could pull off with such ease and grace. In comparison, the large fire wyvern on site two gave a grunt of effort as he lifted off, and he only had three passengers.
The earth wyvern on site three was next. She wasn't as big as the first, but her take off was still much smoother. Earth wyverns weren't known for their flying, but their strength was undeniable.
Suddenly Sepia was moving beneath them. Coach stood by their take-off site, waving his arms dramatically as he loudly directed: "And ready! And rise! Three! Two! One! Lift off!"
Sepia spread her wings and shoved forcefully from the ground. Her massive wings beat the air, and they rose, slowly and steadily climbing higher. Trey held onto the handle in front of him, though his grip quickly loosened as they gained altitude and Sepia's flight evened out.
As they flew the ten or so minutes up the mountain to the Academy, Trey found himself watching the other students more than the scenery. He had seen it all countless times before, but after a few minutes of seeing the wonder on their faces as they took it all in for the first time Trey looked down and around with new eyes.
Glacier National Park was without a doubt a beautiful place. Vast mountain ranges covered in lush forests, crystalline lakes, and roaring rivers and waterfalls, interspersed with wide meadows, deep canyons, and harrowing peaks. It had something that appealed to each of the wyvern species, and was far enough removed from human society that dozens of them could dwell here in peace with their bonded humans.
Trey had lived here most of his life yet he never tired of seeing the beauty that surrounded Dragon Academy. He couldn't wait for the day when he could fly over it all upon his own wyvern.
What if you don't hatch a wyvern? Trey immediately shoved the insidious thought from his mind. Don't think about that. Stay positive.
But staying positive was difficult, and for the rest of the flight his mind kept straying to the negative. It was a relief when Sepia began her descent to the Academy's Upper Flight Center.
Landing was always more terrifying than taking off, especially for additional passengers. The lower a wyvern got to the ground, the more horizontal they became. Trey always felt like he was seconds away from sliding off backwards, even more so now that there were two extra people between him and the driver. He held tight to the handle in front of him, his knuckles white with the strain. Sepia got lower and lower. Suddenly, with a great WHOOSH of her wings, she landed and fell forward onto her wing claws.
Umber undid all his straps and jumped to the ground. He looked up at them with a big grin. "Welcome, kiddos, to Dragon Academy."
♧~♧~♧
After the last wyvern had touched down and the last student dismounted, they were all herded together to the Upper Flight Center (a smaller, simpler version of the LFC) to check in and confirm that they had, in fact, reached the Academy. After that, a teaching assistant arrived and led them across the grounds to Drake Hall, where they regrouped with the students who had come up on earlier flights in the large cafeteria.
Snacks had been laid out on a long table along one wall. Donuts and bagels mostly, as well as a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Many of the students in Trey's group headed right over for a bite to eat while they waited for the last flight group, but Trey was too nervous to put food in his stomach. Every minute brought him closer to learning whether or not he was meant for a wyvern of his own.
☆~☆~☆
Remi watched the wyverns leave with the 11 a.m. fliers, along with the remaining twenty-odd students. Once they were gone, she looked again at her flight slip. Sonali and Infinity. She assumed one was the rider and one was the wyvern, but both names could work for either. Remi was burning with curiosity and suppressed excitement, though she kept her outward calm.
The half hour wait was endless torture, made worse by her lack of music. The only bit of excitement came from the reception ladies when they left, each exiting out a back door and entering the rear field. They entered the field one by one, and each was followed by a brightly colored wyvern. The remaining students watched them depart as eagerly as they had the group before them.
After that, time crawled by again. Remi had taken to eavesdropping on the conversations around her, counting how many times someone mentioned wyverns, an element, or flying. Her count was up to fifty-six, forty-eight, and eighty-two when someone shouted excitedly and pointed to the doors.
The wyverns were returning.
The students crowded the doors, watching and chatting eagerly, making guesses for which wyvern they would be riding. Remi noticed that most wanted to ride the sole water wyvern in the group. Remi had to admit that this water wyvern was much prettier than her great grandmother's, but she still hoped fervently that she wasn't riding it.
The fire wyverns were the next most popular choice for a mount. There were two. The one closer to the doors was a dark orange with waves of yellow along its back and wings. The other one was a brilliant yellow-gold with red and orange spikes, red splashes all over its sides and wings, and legs that darkened to orange by the feet. They were gorgeous.
The short loud man came to the door and ordered everyone to line up, in the exact same fashion as he had for the group before. Remi watched from a few feet back as everyone leapt to obey. When they were in line, she calmly moved forward to bring up the rear.
"Ticket," he demanded of her when she reached him. She handed it to him. He looked at it quickly, handed it back, and pointed to the far corner. "Site ten. Fire wyvern. Don't run. Go!"
The "go" was infused with so much volume and energy that Remi jolted quickly into action and speed-walked across the field. She circled wide to the right, passing a bright green wyvern — it was huge! — that watched her with such a human-like curiosity that Remi's footsteps stalled. She stared wide eyed into its intelligent green-gold eyes until, at a word from its rider, it turned away. Remi blinked rapidly and mentally shook herself as she continued on toward site ten.
It was not news to her that wyverns were smart and possessed human emotions. Whenever she made trouble as a child it was often her great grandmother's wyvern, Snowfox, who figured it out before her mother or great grandmother. Anytime she came anywhere near that wyvern she felt the constant force of its baleful glare wherever she went. It was terrifying. Remi had learned to avoid eye contact at all costs.
She hadn't felt that way with the earth wyvern. She had only felt a bright curiosity and steady calm. Was that the difference between earth wyverns and water wyverns? Or simply the difference between the two individual wyverns? Were all water wyverns as evil as Snowfox?
Remi cast a glance to her left, her eyes drawn by a flash of blue. On the other side of another green wyvern was the water wyvern. It was laying calmly in the grass, eyes half-lidded as it waited for its rider to finish speaking with the students. It sure didn't look evil. It just looked… sleepy.
There was a touch to her arm. Remi flinched away and spun, ready to hit someone. The woman who'd touched her held up her hands, grinning. "Easy there, tiger. Just trying to get your attention, and shouting wasn't working."
Remi blinked, relaxing slightly. "Oh." A blush touched her cheeks. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"No worries. Are you my second passenger?"
Remi looked at the fire wyvern behind the woman. "Yes."
Her grin was back. "Great! Come on, then."
Remi followed her over, trying to study the wyvern without being obvious about it. This fire wyvern didn't emanate heat like the one in the parking lot had, but there was definitely a point where the air around them suddenly became warmer. This wyvern was also smaller than the one from the parking lot, though not by much.
The woman stopped by the wyvern's head and turned to face Remi and the other student, another girl. She was taller than Remi, of course, and looked extremely fit beneath her long tank top and tights. She didn't even glance at Remi as she came to stand beside her.
"All right," the woman said. "I'm Professor Danielle Sonali, and this beauty beside me is Infinity. Say hello, beautiful."
Infinity looked at the two girls with assessing eyes the color of amber in sunlight. She snorted, and a burst of flame escaped her snout. Neither girl flinched. Remi could have sworn approval sparked in those bright eyes before she turned away.
"Great. We'll be flying you up to the Academy. Do either of you know how to mount a wyvern?"
The tall girl nodded. Remi shook her head. She didn't trust her great grandmother's teachings, and she had never actually done it before anyway.
The other girl looked annoyed, but Sonali ignored her and explained, "There are two rules when mounting a wyvern that's not your own. Rule number one: Don't, not unless you have permission from the wyvern. This rule is a little more flexible here at the Academy, but you should still never assume any wyvern is okay with you climbing aboard. Most of them are friendly; many are not. Always bear that in mind.
"Rule number two: Do not step on the wing membrane. It is very sensitive, and you're likely to make a life-long enemy if you step on the wrong wyvern's wing. Clear?"
Both girls nodded.
"Perfect. Now, mounting. Rachel, why don't you go first?" The girl, Rachel, stepped forward as Sonali continued. "When approaching a wyvern with the intent to mount, you want to make sure you're being acknowledged, and you want to ask to make sure they don't mind." She nodded encouragement.
Rachel looked at Infinity until the wyvern swung her gaze around to her. In a clear voice she asked, "May I ride you to the Academy?"
Infinity stared hard at her for a minute. Then she shifted and settled on her belly. The position made her seem smaller, and had most of her wing resting on the ground. It also, Remi noticed, made her arm the perfect step stool to her back.
"Good," Sonali said. "Now you can mount. You want to step here, here, and here." She pointed to what Remi thought of as Infinity's wrist, elbow, and shoulder. "Step lightly if you can, but don't worry too much about hurting her. If you're going to worry about anything, be extra careful you have a good grip and don't slip onto her wing membrane. Once you're up there, pick a seat in the saddle and wait."
Rachel nodded. She made the climb up look easy, though as she watched, Remi noticed that each step up was higher than she originally thought. Her own ascent may be harder than she cared to admit.
Once Rachel was up and sitting in the saddle, Sonali gave a little round of applause before turning to Remi. "All right, tiger, your turn."
Remi took a deep breath and stepped up toward Infinity. She meant to sound as calm and composed as Rachel had, but her voice came out soft and quiet as she stared up into Infinity's blazing eyes. "Hi. I'm Remi. It's nice to meet you. Would you mind giving me a ride up to the Academy?"
To her surprise, Infinity lowered her head and brought it close, so they were suddenly eye-to-eye. Remi held her breath but didn't move, didn't break eye contact. Infinity blinked once, slowly, then lowered her chin in what looked like a nod. She moved her head, giving Remi access to her arm.
Remi glanced at Sonali. She gave an encouraging nod, and Remi started her ascent.
It was more like a climb. Big step up to Infinity's wrist — it was twice as wide around as the average adult's yet somehow looked more delicate than Sonali said it was. Remi made sure both feet were stable before reaching for the elbow. This is where it would be the easiest to slip and step on the membrane, so Remi moved more cautiously than she really needed to. She really didn't want another wyvern to hate her.
The step up to the shoulder was a little easier, and from there she stepped easily up to the saddle. Rachel leaned over to one side so Remi could slip by her and sit in the seat behind her. Remi wanted to object — she didn't want to sit in the back — yet at the same time, the idea of being between two people she didn't know wasn't to her liking either.
Sonali took the decision away from her when she called out, "No, Rachel, move back one, please. Neither of you are comfortable enough on a wyvern for slipping and sliding around each other."
Rachel frowned her displeasure and shot Remi a dark look as if it were her fault, but moved back a spot without a word. Remi sat in the seat she'd just vacated.
Then she watched with stunned disbelief as Sonali ran — yes, ran — with swift ease up Infinity's arm to the saddle. Her steps were light and sure, and barely seemed to touch Infinity's arm before she was jumping to the next foothold. She arrived at the saddle in a crouch and grinned at them, clearly aware of how awesome her ascent looked compared to theirs, but she said nothing about it and simply began instructing them on how to strap themselves to the saddle.
There were three parts to it: one for each leg, and one for their waist. That one was the easiest. For the legs they had to lean over to secure the straps. Sonali said to make them tight but not uncomfortable. Remi was pretty sure one of hers ended up being tighter than the other, but when Sonali checked her work she didn't fix it or comment, so maybe it was just in her head.
Once they were secure, Sonali sat down and did up her own straps. Remi noticed they were a little different, and actually attached to her clothes in such a way that Sonali was secure, but she could also more quickly and easily free herself if she had to.
Sonali turned to grin at them once more. "Ready?" They nodded. "Great. Now we just have to wait our turn." She pointed, and they both turned in time to see the huge green wyvern, from what Remi assumed was site one, take to the skies.
That's when she became aware of the short man yelling. A moment later, the other fire wyvern was shoving upward too.
Remi watched, fascinated, as each wyvern took to the skies, one by one. She was able to get clearer views of each of them as they lifted off. Most of them were various shades of green, and each one was absolutely enormous. She also noticed that each green wyvern had three students apiece, plus the teacher, rather than the two students on the fire and water wyverns. It reminded her of something her great grandmother had said once:
"Those earth wyverns. Dumb as bricks, but boy can they haul." The old woman turned her perpetually angry glare on ten-year-old Remi. "Those beasts have been known to haul off other wyverns when the fancy struck them. A little brat like you would be no problem."
This, of course, came after Remi had done yet another thing wrong, and her great grandmother had been threatening to leave her out for the basilisks. But at that point, Remi had been more afraid of wyverns, thanks to Snowfox, and she made the mistake of saying so while trying to be defiant. It had backfired, and instead she had spent weeks being terrified of earth wyverns instead.
Looking at them now, each one hauling at least four or five hundred pounds of human with ease, she could see what her great grandmother meant. But she had also seen the expression in the one earth wyvern's eyes, and nothing about it had made Remi think of terrifying beasts. Earth wyverns were just like any other, except they possessed the strength and power of the earth.
That idea was suddenly extremely appealing.
Finally it was their turn. The short man came marching over to stand in front of Infinity. He raised his arms and shouted, "And ready! And rise!"
Beneath them, Infinity moved. She stood up, lifting her belly off the ground to stand at her full height. Remi grabbed the curved handle in front of her and stifled a gasp, as the move nearly had her tumbling backwards. At least, it felt as if that were a possibility.
The short man was still shouting. "Three!"
Infinity sat up further, her wing claws barely touching the ground. Remi leaned forward and gripped the handle tighter.
"Two!"
There was a rustling noise from somewhere behind. Remi wanted to know what, but was too afraid of falling off to look. And then Infinity's wings lifted off the ground as she stood almost straight up on her back legs. Only the straps and Remi's white-knuckled grip on the handle kept her from tumbling off backwards.
"One!"
Infinity's wings stretched wide, the red-gold membranes catching the sun and flaring like living flames.
"Lift off!"
Infinity dipped, then suddenly launched upward, her wings snapping down in a powerful flap. Just like that they were above the treeline. Her wings swung up and slapped down again, sending them higher still. She flapped again, and again, and then straightened her left wing and banked, turning them around and sending them upward on a warm thermal.
The breath remaining in Remi's lungs whooshed out of her and she stared, wide-eyed, at the world opening up beneath them as Infinity soared higher and higher. It was… beautiful.
Nothing but wide open sky for miles and miles. Remi had been expecting flying to be cold, but the warm bubble that surrounded Infinity on the ground encompassed her still, keeping her passengers comfortable. Her flight was also much smoother than Remi had imagined it being. The first bit had been a little rough and bumpy, but not now. Infinity flew easily through the air, her wings creating a rhythmic drumming as they beat the air without being too loud. The wind was strong but not unbearable, and the view…
Was breathtaking.
It felt like the whole world was stretched out below her, even though she knew logically that it was really only a small part of a vast mountain range. But Remi didn't want to think logically. She had been told to do so her whole life. Now it was finally hitting her: she was free. Free of her mother's disapproval. Free of her great grandmother's scorn. Free of Snowfox's hostility. She was free.
At least for the next twenty-four hours.
She wished she could spend them up here, far, far away from the realities of the world.
♡~♡~♡
All too soon they were arriving at their destination. Remi was sure nothing could beat the view coming up. She was wrong.
They were coming up on a mountain peak that rose above them. Infinity angled her wings and beat them harder against the air, carrying them up, up, up… and over.
Remi's jaw dropped. Below was a vast valley, surrounded on all sides by the towering mountains so they created a massive bowl. Or crater. Briefly she wondered if perhaps this had once been a volcano. Those thoughts were quickly forgotten as Infinity swooped down into the valley, aiming for the far left side. It was clear and open, the grass cut short with a dozen painted circles spread evenly across it. A small building sat on the bottom right edge of the field.
As they got lower and closer to what was clearly the "airport" of the Academy, Remi looked out to the right. The valley continued for miles, but throughout most of it it was paved with elaborate walkways and large, beautifully colored buildings. A forest surrounded the valley on all sides and continued up the mountain sides, and a massive waterfall poured over the northern lip. Remi couldn't see the pool where it landed, but it must have been big, if the cloud of mist was anything to go by.
She was ripped from her sightseeing when Infinity suddenly banked hard, swinging herself around and halting her momentum so she hovered a hundred feet above a painted circle with a giant 10 in the center of it. The fact that such a large creature could hover in place might have amazed Remi — were she not clinging tightly to the handle in front of her to keep from falling off. For to hover properly, Infinity needed to be most completely upright.
Remi swallowed a gasp and strained forward in her seat. She squeezed her eyes shut, but she could feel Infinity getting lower and lower until abruptly her feet touched the ground and she all but toppled forward onto her wing claws.
Remi jolted in her seat, her head nearly colliding with Sonali's back. She just barely caught herself and sat back, her breathing shallow. She tried to steady it as quietly as she could so Rachel or Sonali didn't notice.
Sonali gave Infinity's shoulder a pat and efficiently undid all her straps. She swung one leg over and dropped to the ground, landing neatly between Infinity's body and wing. Once she was out of the way, Infinity stretched out on her belly, once more making her wing the perfect step stool.
"All right, you girls can unbuckle your straps and come down the same way you went up," Sonali called.
Remi did as she was told, trying to ignore the shaking in her hands as she undid all her straps. She thought she finished pretty quickly, but Rachel still finished before her.
"Hurry up, tiny," she muttered, too low for Sonali to hear.
Remi's whole body tensed, a spark of anger igniting her blood. Yes, she was small. She had come to terms with it a long time ago. But she hate, hate, hated when someone else pointed it out to her.
Remi took a deep breath and unbuckled the last strap. She climbed down slowly, in part because she was being careful, but mostly because she wanted to annoy Rachel.
When she was on the ground, Sonali gave her a bright smile. "Good job. What did you think of your first flight?"
Remi made an effort to stomp out her temper so she didn't spew it on the wrong person. "It was great. I really enjoyed it." And she had, though she thought it could have been better if there had been better company.
"Good. I'm glad." As Rachel joined them, Sonali half turned and pointed to the small building Remi had noticed from the air. "Just head on over there and hand your flight slips in to Jason, and you're good to join the group."
The group, Remi saw, was gathering around a smartly dressed young man off to one side of the building.
Rachel was already striding off, but Remi paused to look back at Sonali and Infinity. "Thanks for the ride," she said.
Sonali just smiled, and Infinity lifted her chin in acknowledgment.
Remi turned away and walked briskly across the field. Rachel was already heading for the group by the time she arrived, but Remi ignored her. Standing in the doorway was a man, presumably Jason, with a smile and a clipboard.
"Let me guess," he said as she reached him. "Remington Winters?" When she just blinked at him, he held up the clipboard. "You're the only one not marked off," he explained. "Although if you're not Remington Winters then someone messed up."
Remi blinked again and shook her head. She pulled her flight slip out of her pocket and handed it over. "No, you're right. Remi Winters, officially signing in."
Jason took her slip with a grin. "Perfect. Welcome, Remi, and good luck."
She tried to smile. Luck was never on her side. "Thank you," she said anyway, and joined the group.
As soon as she did, the smartly dressed young man waved for them to follow and started leading them down a wide cobbled path. The path was large enough for a wyvern, with well manicured lawn to either side. The cobbles were pale gold in color, with hints of red, blue, green, and grey mica bits embedded in it. Remi kept her gaze downcast during the walk, lost in thought.
They crossed a footbridge at one point that crossed a small river. Remi paused in the middle of the bridge and looked left and right, but she couldn't see where the river originated or where it went. The valley was too vast, and it seemed this river cut through the whole of it.
Their destination was a massive stone building. Three stories high, interspersed with dozens of windows. It was made of multi-colored stone — green, blue, red, grey — all blended together in a scenic tapestry. Wide stone steps led up to a pair of large oak double-doors, which were currently thrown open to display the entrance hall. It was both ornate and practical, and the floor, Remi noticed immediately, was solid and sturdy yet almost… cushiony. It was strange yet comfortable.
Their guide led them down the hall to the left. The hall ended at another large pair of open doors, inside which was obviously the cafeteria. It was filled with all the students who had started their morning down at the Flight Center.
Once everyone from the last group was in, their guide told them to help themselves to the buffet along one wall. "The Headmaster will be along shortly to begin your tour," he said. With a bright smile he turned and left, shutting the doors behind him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 28, 2021 19:00:49 GMT -5
Austin was convinced the day was a lucid dream. Not only was he actually in the Dragon Academy, but he got to ride on the back of wyvern. Not he was in the cafeteria filled with good snacks and drinks and overlooking an amazing veiw. It was so weird and awesome that he expected any moment to wake up and be back at home.
Currently, he was weaving his way through the crowd, searching for a person he had been informed to find. Well, not really, but he had nothing else to do yet. Earlier, he had been told by one of the teachers that the place they landed and left were aparently UFC and LFC. This had his little country brain's wheels spinning. He made an inqury, was told that a boy named Trey, who was the headmaster's son, would be the person to have that one answered, and off he went. He only had a vague description of the boy, so as he was making his way through the crowd, he stopped by every person that fit the description. For the moment, he was having no luck in his search.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Sept 21, 2021 12:01:23 GMT -5
Trey was sitting at a corner table close to the wall of patio doors, alone, when a passing student — Henry, his uncle was a teacher at DA — casually let slip that some tall country kid was looking fir him. Trey stared blankly at him, but Henry moved along without elaborating.
For a minute Trey just sat there, trying to figure out why anyone would purposely seek him out. He could think of no good reason. He tried to go back to reading his information booklet — he really didn't need to, he knew everything within by heart, but it was something to do to pass the time — but he could no longer make his mind focus on it. With a sigh, he packed it all neatly away again and put it back in his backpack. Then he looked reluctantly into the teeming crowd of waiting teenagers.
Unsurprisingly, they were growing impatient. Some had been up here, waiting, for close to three hours now. Most of them were milling around, chatting and loudly sharing their thoughts and opinions with anyone who would listen. Very few were still sitting or eating. Trey was just grateful that most of the groups were clustered by the door, giving him a semblance of peace of quiet in his back corner.
A peace and quiet that was soon to be interrupted, he realized, as he spotted a tall kid making his way toward him.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Apr 6, 2022 17:02:03 GMT -5
The campus tour took over two hours, and Remi loved every second of it.
The Headmaster started with Drake Hall, the main academic building on campus. She guided the First Years through all three floors to show them where everything was. On the first floor was the cafeteria, teacher's offices (they each had their own), faculty break room (not that the students were allowed in there), assembly room, a couple of study rooms, the nurse's station, where they got to meet Nurse Karen, and of course, the main office.
The second floor was where all the classrooms were, several more study rooms, and Headmaster Akkin’s office. The third floor housed a library, a computer room, and even more study rooms. Some, they were told, were for simple textbook studying, but most were so students could study and practice elemental magic outside of the classroom in a safe, controlled environment. "Fewer chances of setting things on fire," Akkin had joked.
The tour continued outside, where things got even more exciting. The Headmaster started by showing everyone the Wyvern Stables.
The stables back behind the school, along the river that flowed out from the waterfall’s basin, and they were huge. There were four of them, and each one was sixty stories high. There were four entrances, the lowest one at ground level, and the other three stacked on top of each other at 160-foot intervals. Each tower was for a different species of wyvern, and each level was for a different age group. The bottom level was for the Second Year wyverns, the level above them for Third Years, the one above that for Fourth Years, and the top level was where the teachers and staff’s wyverns lived.
After that, Headmaster Akkin briefly showed them the locations of Faculty Housing and the Egg Care Center, which were on the right side of Drake Hall. Past them, and along a colorful stone path surrounded on both sides by lush scenery, was the Physical Fitness Center, which covered most of the east side of the valley.
There were two buildings: the two-story Main Gym, and the Pool House with attached Armory. There was also a football field surrounded by a dirt jogging track; two baseball diamonds (one on either side of the football field); and indoor and outdoor archery ranges. The outdoor range was nearly the same size as the football field.
After that, they were shown the Church, the Library, and the Scenic Garden. The Headmaster pointed out the Fly Zone, but since they had all seen that upon arrival, she didn't take them back over there.
The final part of the tour was a stroll along Dragon Boulevard. It covered the south end of the valley, and it was a ten-minute walk away from the main school grounds. The cobbled pathway was wide and well-maintained, made of pale stone spotted with mica in red, blue, green, and dark grey. Tree-dotted meadows stretched to either side, the grass and wildflowers and trees showing the first signs of approaching autumn. In comparison, the plants closer to the school were still lush and green.
Dragon Boulevard was a miniature town. It comprised only one street, but the shops lining it were reminiscent of any typical downtown area. There was a convenience store and small grocer; an all-styles clothing store, a shoe store, and a jewelry shop; there was even an electronics store and a bank. There was also a few shops you wouldn't find anywhere else. Namely: an armor and armory shop.
They weren't allowed in anywhere, though the Headmaster told them they would be free to come shop starting next week when their student fund accounts were set up.
From there, Headmaster Akkin led everyone back to the main campus and their final stop: the dormitories. There were two, both large, three-storey buildings. They were built of lightly colored stone. The one on the right was a pinkish-grey; the one on the left was a pale blue-green. The former was for the girls, and the second, the boys.
Akkin took them to the girl's dorm first, where the tour ended. She sent all the girls to the front desk to check-in with their dorm matron, then left with the boys in tow to do the same at the boy's dorm.
Once the Headmaster was gone, with a little more than half of the First Years, Remi finally became aware of her sore feet. They had been walking for hours, but while seeing all the colorful buildings and immaculate landscapes, Remi hadn't been aware of the toll it was taking on her feet and muscles.
Turning away from the doors, she saw that all the girls had formed a line. At the end of the line was a large desk, with an older, stern-looking woman behind it. She was writing down names and handing out keys, and what looked like a rulebook.
As Remi joined the back of the line, she cast her gaze around. The foyer was huge. It was covered in a lush green carpet, with ombre walls that started green at the bottom and shifted through shades of green to blue, until the top of the wall matched the color of the ceiling, a deep sky blue. Couches and chairs of all kinds were scattered throughout the room, with little tables of wood and glass mixed in. The front wall was made up almost entirely of windows, and a skylight took up most of the vaulted ceiling.
It didn't take long for Remi to get to the front of the line. This one was moving much quicker than the one in the Flight Center. Soon she had her room key, her rulebook, and her room number. She had seen some girls head upstairs right away, so Remi did the same. She wanted to see where she would be spending the night.
She dared not hope it might be longer.☆~☆~☆
Throughout the tour, Trey stayed on the outskirts of the group. He paid no attention to what was being said or shown off; instead, he read a book. Walking and reading was a feat he'd learned a long time ago. Normally he got comments about it, but today everyone was too absorbed in the tour to pay him any attention.
And that was just the way he liked it.
It wasn't until they reached the end of the tour and his mother left the First Year boys in the capable hands of Mr. Carlos — the dorm chief — that Trey put his book away. The other boys were loitering around, waiting for their names to be called. Mr. Carlos was calling them up two at a time, giving them their room keys and rulebooks, and sending the new roommates straight to their room to settle in and get acquainted.
Trey looked around for a place to sit. The boy's dorm was an almost exact replica of the girl's. The oy difference was the furniture. Whereas in the girls dorm everything was done in light, airy tones and colors, the boys dorm had a darker, more masculine style going.
He had just moved to claim a chair when his name being called halted his steps. Trey stopped, then changed course and headed to the front desk. He made it through the sea of furniture and teenage boys and froze again.
The tall boy from the cafeteria was already at the front desk with Mr. Carlos, waiting for him.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jun 9, 2022 13:24:40 GMT -5
The tour wasn't really one that was needed for Elizabeth. She had roamed all of over the school growing up. Well, not everywhere, but she did know where everything was. while the others all stared around at all the granduer of the whole campus, she kept her herself quiet and focused on just getting to her room. It wasn't that she didn't like being among the other students, she just didn't like the fact that she felt like they were wasting time. This was all old news to her, and she felt like there were plenty of other things that she could have been doing instead. But she held her tongue. This was important for the others, even if it wasn't for her. But God, did the tour seem to drag on twice as long for her.
Eventually, however, they reached the dorms. She had been in the middle of the group, so the young woman didn't have that long to wait before it was her turn to take her key. She took the keys and pamphlets, and paused only briefly to take in the comment that was given along with them. "A lucky one, you are. Enjoy the privacy." Privacy?
She stepped aside for the next person in line. Elizabeth studied her room number and didn't wait a moment longer. She wanted to go unpack, get things sorted, and finally do something productive. And with most of the others still lingering in the lobby, she was able to make the trip up the stairs with little issues. It didn't take long to find her room. Unlocking the door, she quickly walked inside. Once there, she saw what the woman had meant about the privacy. Her bags were set neatly by one of the beds, but there was only hers. No one else would be staying with her in the dorm. Well, that was the best news she had had all day.
~*~*~
Austin had nearly been left behind multiple times throughout the day. There had been just so much to look at and so much to explore. If it wasn't for other students pushing him along and the hopes of talking to the Headmaster, he would have gotten lost as soon as the tour had started.
In the end, he didn't get the chance to talk with Trey's mother about his ideas, but that was fine. He could save it for another day. Now, he was more curious about the boy's dorm. It looked more like a castle than a dorm, what with all the fancy decorations and furniture that looked horribly uncomfortable. He was looking at one of the tables by the walls and the stuff on it, but his attention was snagged when he heard his name be called. It was by the man who was giving out room keys, so he guessed he was being assigned a room. Sweet!
He hurried along, stopping by the guy and taking the key. About the time he did, he spotted Trey coming up as well. "Trey! Ain't this a coincidence? Looks like we're room buddies."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jun 10, 2022 9:39:21 GMT -5
Remi found her room easily enough, only she didn't get the chance to use her key because the door was wide open. She almost walked right past it, but caught sight of the number on it and stopped. She stepped forward, but paused. There were three girls in there, talking and... complaining? Remi stepped a little closer to hear better.
"I can't believe they're separating us," the tall brunette was saying, in a tone that suggested this wasn't the furst time she'd said it. "I specifically requested we three share a room, and the Headmaster promised she'd consider it. Clearly she didn't."
"Clearly," the blonde agreed readily.
The third girl was also blonde, but her hair was shorter and bleached half white on top of what Remi assumed was her natural golden color. "It'll be fine, Rach. Maybe your roommate will be the fourth member we've been looking for."
The brunette, Rachel, snorted. "I doubt it. I mean, look around you. Where's her luggage? Who comes to Dragon Academy and doesn't bring luggage?"
The two blondes looked around as bid. "Good point," the first one said.
At the same time, the second blonde spotted Remi. Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she looked Remi from head to toe. "I think I just found out," she said, earning the other girls' attention. They followed her gaze to see Remi standing in the doorway, clutching one backpack strap.
Remi swallowed and waved a little. "Uh, hi. I'm—"
"Oh. My. Gawd," Rachel interrupted. She too was looking Remi over, and like the bleach-blonde girl, she looked utterly unimpressed. "Who are you?"
Remi tried not to scowl, and bit back a sharp retort. This girl was her roommate, and it was becoming all too clear that it would not be a fun experience. Antagonizing her now would just make the next twenty-four hours ten times worse. So she simply answered, "Remi Winters." She couldn't bring herself to add the standard "nice to meet you."
Rachel's elegantly groomed eyebrow went up. "You are a Winters?" The disbelief was obvious.
Remi was surprised that she knew her family name, though she supposed she shouldn't have been. Her grandmother's name was famous. Once that had been a good thing. Now, it was decidedly not. "Yes."
The blonde snickered delicately behind one hand. "Well that explains a lot."
The bleach-blonde nodded and turned her back on Remi. "Looks like being separated will be a good thing after all. Once Tiny over there is gone, you'll have the room all to yourself. I'm jealous."
"Hey," the other blonde complained.
The first one smiled. "I'm just kidding, Brit."
Brit narrowed her eyes, but Rachel spoke before she could challenge the frosty blonde.
"Enough, ladies. I need to unpack. You do too. Go do it, and then meet me down in the lounge. We'll... talk more then." Her tone, and the pointed look she shot Remi, left no doubt about what — who — they'd be discussing.
Remi gritted her teeth and stepped aside as Blonde and Blonder left. They both sniffed as they passed her, as if they could smell her and it was not a nice smell. Remi had been in a car for days, but she had also showered that morning before leaving the motel, so she knew she did not, in fact, smell.
A certain B-word formed on the tip of her tongue but she bit it back. Once they were gone, she stepped back into her room and faced off against Rachel. The brunette simply rolled her eyes and turned her back.
Remi forced one hand to let go of her backpack strap and closed the bedroom door. It was official.
The next twenty-four hours were going to suck.
☆~☆~☆
Trey stayed rooted to his spot, still several feet away from the counter. Getting a roommate was what he had been the most nervous about all day (after being picked by a wyvern, of course). He had been an only child all his life, as had his mother so he had no cousins his age. And most of his dad's family still lived in the Scottish highlands. They had visited once, when Trey was little. He had ended up in his parent's bedroom instead of the one shared by his rambunctious cousins.
In short: Trey had no experience with sharing a room. But he had wanted that experience, which was why he had chosen to stay in the dorms instead of his mother's apartment with her in Faculty Housing. Now, he was starting to regret that decision.
Mr. Carlos finally noticed that Trey had stopped. "Akkins," he snapped. "Get over here."
Trey startled, then ducked his head and crossed the rest of the distance.
Mr. Carlos dropped another dorm rulebook in front of him and slapped the key down on top of it. Both actions made Trey jump. "Room 212. Your roommate is Mr. Austin Stewards here. Behave, the both of you. Off you go." He waved them off, and barked out the next name, making Trey jump once more.
Trey grabbed his book and key and hurried away from the desk. Manners told him to say hi to Austin, but nerves kept him silent as they walked up the stairs to the second floor.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jun 28, 2022 19:19:54 GMT -5
"This is going to be great, I can tell," Austin continued, not even processing Trey's hesitation in the conversation. "You don't snore, do you? I don't, but my brother swears, I talk in my sleep every now and then. He has no proof of it, of course, so I believe he's just lying in hopes of getting his own room. Guess he has it now while I'm here, so worked out for him, but I still don't think you have anything to worry about. Do we each have a bed on one side of the room? Or is it a bunk bed type deal? Because if it is, I claim bottom bunk. Late night Taco Bell does not agree with me, so it'll be better for everyone if I have no obstacles to the bathroom."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jun 28, 2022 19:51:29 GMT -5
Trey could only blink, barely able to keep up with Austin's rapid-fire words. One thing Trey did know, however, was that he disagreed with Austin's assessment: this was not going to be great.
Thankfully, they had arrived at their room. Trey quickly unlocked the door and stepped in.
The room was large and spacious, with lots of open, thickly carpeted floor space. To the right were two queen-sized beds, with about four feet of space and two bedside tables between them. At the foot of each bed was their luggage. On the left were matching wardrobes, with two drawers each, and a floor-length mirror on the wall between. The far wall was nothing but windows that stretched floor to ceiling, except for a section in the center that had a concaved window seat. And on either side of the door was a desk and chair, as well as a small bookshelf attached to the wall above each. A half-open door on the left led to a bathroom.
But the most notable features in the room were the perches. They came out of the walls, hung from the ceiling, stood in the corners. Even the furniture had perches or ledges attached to them. They were all the perfect size for—
"Baby wyverns," Trey whispered, hardly aware that he'd said it out loud. He had known about these perches, placed in all the First Year bedrooms and classrooms, but he had never been able to associate them with himself before. Now, on the fringes of his mind, he could just barely picture a baby wyvern — his wyvern — using them to learn how to fly.
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