Akashic Arcana Campus Expedition

Appletree

Appletree

Resident Fruit Tree
Arcadia Academy Entrance Report - scondary admission
Name: Cora Iladré Hadley
Age: 19
Nation: SAC/Brittania
Class Assigned: C, pending further testing/performance in class

Written Exam Scores: 54
History: 10
Mathematics: 10
Geography: 10
Common Magic Knowledge: 4
Advanced Magic Knowledge: 0
Inherited Magic Knowledge: 0
Rune Sequence Knowledge: 2
Magic Engineering: 9
Arcanology:3
Alchemy: 6

Combat Rating: NA


Cora stared at the marked test papers in her lap as she sat on the steps of the large imposing building she had just taken said tests in, eyes fixed on the small dark 'C' scrawled in the bottom corner. Not necessarily what she had hoped for, but better than expected, especially considering the scores listed above the class assigment. At least her parents could be proud of her for achieving good marks in all the subjects they had been able to instruct her in and she could learn all the magical stuff. That was what this school was for, right?
Twirling a lock of red streaked hair around a finger, she absentmindedly flicked her wrist, activating the device imbedded in the thick bands that cuffed both slender wrists. The tiny spheres of multi-coloured light expanded outwards, swirling around her hand and trailing up and down the strand of hair like miniature suns. Several spheres pulsed and sparked, indicating a high mana concentration. Another flick of the wrist sent the lights zooming back into their device accompanied by a small sigh. It was going to be difficult to stay stable in such an immensely magically potent place, but she would manage somehow. She had to.

Crumpling up the papers into a ball, she threw it into the air and stood up. Her attempt to catch the ball however went slightly awry, the papers bounced off the tips of her fingers and rolled away down the steps. Huffing in annoyance over her own clumsiness, Cora clattered down the steps after the flighty papers, which were slowly starting to unravel. Cora started taking the steps two at a time. The last thing she needed was to be collecting her exam papers all afternoon. Taking the last 5 steps in a leap, she managed to land squarely on the papers, squashing them flat and preventing their escape. Executing a little fist pump, she snatched the papers to her chest and balled them up more securely, popping the ball into the hood of the shirt she wore to keep them out of the way.
Looking around properly for the first time since she had left the testing building, Cora wondered what to do now. The staff member who had given her her results and shown her out had also given her a room key and indicated towards a road leading to the left as he rattled down a brief introductory speech that sounded as though he had said it so often he would probably still be muttering it in his grave. Cora supposed the dorms had to be that way. Should she go there? Was that expected of her? Deciding to skip that boring detail, she set off around the testing building to the right. Time to explore!
 
Wu had just left the Arcadia Kenjutsu club, rubbing his left rib area after receiving quite the strike there from one of the 1st years who challenged him to a duel. He knew that the strike he took would be quite a bruise but he had no idea it would start feeling sore this soon. It was after he'd made his way down the mountain path onto Arcadia's main grounds that he saw a girl who seemed to be about his age sitting in front of the examination building. She must've been one of the late applicants, finally having received her graded papers and class assignment. While his thoughts were on said papers, he noticed them slip from her grasp, and watched as she jumped down the stairs to prevent their escape, complete with a little fist pump of success.

Wu let out a little chuckle at the adorable display and made his way over to the girl as she started taking off. "Hey there. You new in Arcadia?" He greeted with his trademark friendly and approachable smile. He then gave the girl a respectful bow before speaking again. "Welcome, it's good to meet you. I'm Wu Fei-Long, and if you need any help, like say a tour guide, just let me know and I'll be happy to help."
 
Just about to dash off, Cora was halted in her tracks by the voice behind her. Spinning around in surprise, she stared at the boy standing infront of her for a moment. He was almost exactly the same height as she was. Her eyes traveled from his bald head over the asian features half hidden behind and traditional looking clothing he wore, finally resting on his smile, which promptly dissapeared as he bowed. By the time she could see the smile again, her own lips were streached in a similar expression.
"Hi! Nice to meet you too, Wu." She tested the name as she said it, deciding it suited him. "I'm Cora. Is it that obvious I'm new?" she asked sheepishly. Her voice, though mostly sounding brittish, had a lilt to it that had remained even after so many years away from her birth country. "A tour would be amazing. this place is so big and impressive! I'm sure I'll get hoplessly lost."
 
He gave a chuckle. "Well, I noticed you with your exam results as I headed over so that's how I was able to tell." He went over her name and accent in his head. She sounded like she was from Brittania but there was something slightly off about the accent. Her name was unusual as well compared to the common Brittanian names, perhaps a talking point for later.

He invited her to follow him as he began moving forward, first headed towards the main academic buildings. "Don't worry, this place is big, but it's also well laid out. You should be able to get the hang of navigating it by the end of the first week. Truth be told, I wound up a bit lost myself in my first year." His voice had a constant serenity to it, his accent leaving the words very cheerful and light-hearted. "So what class did you make? I should be able to point out your main building from here."
 
"Oh right. Do a lot of students start out late like me?" Cora was slightly worried about being even further behind her class than if she had started at the normal time. She hurried after Wu as he headed off in a slightly different direction to the one she had been about to go before he turned up. Catching up she walked beside him, looking at him curiously. "If you dont mind my asking, what year are you?" She would have thought him to be a first year like herself, but then his size could lead to misconceptions.

Looking down at her feet she said, "I made class C, I dont really know much about magic so I flunked most of the entrance test." It was a strange feeling admitting her incompetence in the field that was most important to this school. "What class are you?" She looked back up at him, knowing his class would tell quite a bit about his capabilities. She was wondering what kind of magic he could do, but thought it a bit rude to just ask outright when they had only just met.
 
He mused a bit on what she'd asked. "Well the entrance exams were only a couple of days ago so I wouldn't say you're too far behind. There are usually a few people who come in late, whether it be due to travel conflicts or delays and other things, so don't feel like you're too out of the loop. I'm a second year, myself, started at age 18, though I have met quite a few people who started later then I did. Some at 19 others at 20."

As they reached the main education area, he nodded in understanding. "Class C, that's the largest since most applicants who pass the exams wind up there. Your building is right over there." He said pointing to a building that was modestly sized, but didn't seem like it could fit a majority of the student body. "It's a lot bigger on the inside, so be prepared for that. I actually started in Class C but managed to move up to Class B during my first year. I'm hoping to make Class A this year." He said, trying hard not to come off like he was bragging about his skills.
 
Cora nodded as Wu spoke, carfully noting what he said about the late comers. It reassured her to hear she wouldnt be starting miles behind everyone else, though her incompetence with anything magic related still worried her slightly. Still, she could learn, and she promised herself she would do her utmost to get on par with her peers.
When Wu pointed out her class building, she was a little sceptical, even with Wus assurance that it was bigger than it looked. Sure magic could do marvelous things, but how could the majority of the students fit in there? How would she be able to navigate it without accidentally brushing against someone. An image formed in her mind of herself, creeping down narrow hallways, back pressed against the wall, eyes darting in all directions for impending threats while those around her looked at her like she was crazy. Shaking her head to clear it of that unsettling image, she focussed on what Wu was saying again. "Wow, Class A? Thats like the elite of the elite isnt it?" She wondered now more than ever what kind of magic this boy, no older or larger than herself, was capable of, if he had worked his was from class C to almost A in only a year.

Getting back on track with the tour, she pointed back in the direction they come. "The dorms are that way right? The guy who gave me my results said so I think, I wasn't really listening." She admitted. "This is supposed to be a really top notch school right?" She continued, "What else do you have here?" She hoped she could find a place to safely let of some steam when she needed it.
 
He waved off the compliment. "I was taught well in my martial arts before I started attending. All I needed was the academic knowledge to finally start making my way up the ranks. They have a dueling system in place called 'Tentatio Sanguis' that really helped push me forward. You could challenge someone in a higher class and beat them, you take their spot and they move down to yours. One on One combat is sort of my specialty so it was quite a lucky turn of events." He said, his face almost beaming.

Hearing her point out the dorms he stopped and swiftly turned on his heel to the direction they'd come. "Ah, indeed. We do have all manner of high tech facilities, the cutting edge tech in terms of training and education. It'd be easier to show rather than explain, but we'll get there. We also have plenty of clubs to choose from to suit your tastes. Mine is the Kenjutsu club, it focuses on teaching traditional kendo to improve your physical prowess, but I also teach students in my martial art, Wushu."

As they made their way down towards the dorms, Wu clued her in on the vast shopping district that Arcadia had as well as the various portals that can take students from building to building with ease. "It's truly a marvel how technology has advanced our society so much. I grew up in a rural monastery so I had little experience with all this before I cam to Arcadia."
 
"Tantatio Sanguis, huh..." Cora muttered the name to herself under her breath. She had heard of the system before, just not the actual name. She wondered if it would be possible for her to win such a fight. SHe didnt really have any combat training, but theoretically it could work, depending on who she was facing and how much mana she had stored. Perhaps if she got close enough to touch them and could pull enough power away to weaken them... Despite hating her abilities, she had to admit it could be useful for something like that. She dropped the train of thought for now, best just get settled in and all first.

Hearing about the school, its tech and clubs made her somewhat exited about the lessons to come, although she couldn't really see herself doing kendo. But Wu said there were lots of other clubs, so she was sure to find something.
"Whats Wushu?" Cora had never heard of a martial art like that before, only really knowing the obvious ones like judo or karate. Realising something she grinns, "Is there a reason your name is almost the same?" They walked back past the exam building and down the road Cora had thought led to the dorms as Wu explained a bit more about the school layout. When he mentioned his upbringing, she was surprised, although it did explain his hair style, or rather lack of it, and his clothes. "Hang on? Like a real monastery, with monks and praying and stuff? I thought they were all eradicated in the war?"
 
"What is Wushu? That's a very complex question you've asked. I believe most other nations know it as 'Kung Fu'. It was once China's primary martial art, but has since been cast aside in favor of more modern techniques such as the Heavenly Arts. My classes specifically focus on teaching hand to hand combat, swordplay, staff combat, and how to enhance your body and mind through Tai-Chi." He said, giving a demonstration of a quick three move Tai-Chi set.

"As for my name, the monks who raised me weren't lacking in a sense of humor." He said with a chuckle, remembering his home briefly. "You'd be correct in thinking that the monasteries were eradicated in the war. Most were. Mine is one of the last, if not the last Buddhist monastery left. I doubt most of the students here have actually even heard of Buddhism. It's a bit sad, but I try and carry on it's teachings through my Wushu classes."

Finally they reached the dorms. "Here we are. The higher you go, the nicer the dorm rooms. Those are mainly reserved for Class B and A students so expect yours to be on the middle floors. Wanna check it out?" The building he referred too once again looked far too small, but if Cora stepped inside, she'd see a massive common room, complete with glass elevators that led up to about 20 floors.
 
As Wu mentioned Kung Fu, Cora nodded, understanding and able to picture more under that term than 'Wushu'. When he suddenly moved into a quick sequence of movements, Cora instinctivley jumped backwards to avoid even the slightest chance of contact. The second she had done so, she mentally kicked herself for it. Wu would now think she was a scared little mouse or extremely jumpy. 'Way to go, Cora.' she thought dryly. 'Good way to start making friends...'

Trying to gloss over her reaction, she jumped on what he said about his classes and Buddhism. "Hand to hand combat won't really cut it for me I'm afraid, but staff fighting sounds kinda cool." It sounded like a mostly no direct contact thing, so she would be safe. "And you can add me to the list of students who know about Buddhism, well, at least a little. My parents were very rigorous in my teaching when I came to them, so I know quite a bit about normal subjects and what the world was like before the rediscovery of magic and the war. They didn't set much store on teaching magic though, unfortunately."

Standing infront of the dorms, she looked at the building. It looked way to small, just like the class building and she couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that it was supposed to be so much bigger on the inside. Reaching behind her into her hood, she pulled out the exam papers and fished around for the key she had been given. It took a bit of tugging and groping awquardly behind her head, but she mannaged to snag it out eventually. Taking a closer look at the tag attached to it, she read 'Room 12 C 56'. "Do we each have seperate rooms or share them with someone?" she asked, heading towards the door as she spoke.
 
He let out a little chuckle at her jumpiness. "Sorry, I should've said I was going to demonstrate. It's nice to know that someone else at least knows the basics. Saves me time and weird looks from having to explain it to the curious." He said, his face falling slightly before picking back up again.

He noticed the paper and hummed at her question. "Depends on the class really. I think Class A students have an option to live in their own dorm. But for us we've all got roommates. I've heard that there are special accommodations for those who do better work while living on their own though. You just have to let the school know beforehand, even though there's a chance you wont get in." He said.
 
Cora reached for the door, saying as she did so, "Well, lets see if anyone's home. You don't have to - oh!" she broke off as a low, almost musical whirring filled the air around her, quickly followed by two metalic clicks. With a grimace of distaste, she stepped back away from the door, shaking back the over-long sleeves of her shirt to examine the devices hidden there. Flicking her wrists, she let the lights expand outwards and watched their rotating pathways for a moment. Letting her palm face each other, she started moving her fingers as if accessing an invisible keyboard, the ball of light changing their pathways around her hands in acordance to her movements. Several of the lights fused into bigger ones, while others split apart. Cora kept watching them for a moment longer before flicking her right wrist to deactivate that device while pinching a small light between the forefinger and thumb of her left hand. A slight wind seemed to swirl around her for a moment, lifting her hair and the ends of her open shirt before dissipating without any other visible change. Flicking the left device off, she turned back to Wu, clenching and unclenching her hands to get rid of the pins and needles like feeling that small release of mana had prompted.

"Sorry about that. Lets just check out my room real quick and then maybe you could show me a place where I can safely let off some steam? This place has a lot more statik mana floating around than I thought."
 
As soon as those magical arm bands came out, Wu was leaning in to get a closer look, curiosity lighting up his face like a child with a new toy. "Oooh. These look interesting. What do they do? Funnel mana into them to blast things? Or do they form miniature shields on your wrists to block incoming shots? Oh, apologies. I find other people's magical devices fascinating. I channel mine through my sword and martial art, so its fun to watch others channel them in completely different ways."

He opened the door to the dorms and let her inside, allowing her to take in the grandeur of the hall in its full form. "Told you it was bigger on the inside."
 
"Uh, yeah. They kind of channel my mana." Cora quickly let her sleeves slip back over the arm bands. She understood his curiosity, still wanting to know what exactly Wu could do, but it still made her feel somewhat uncomfortable being asked outright like that. She kept her answer general too, not wanting to admit what a threat she could be to almost anyone here. Mana depletion was no joke, she knew that from unfortunate experience.

"Oh wow!" She was distracted almost immediately by the hall behind the door. Wu hadn't been kidding, it was huge and would have taken up most of the building if it had to conform to the outside proportions. Seeing quite a lot of students milling around, Cora shrank back in on herself a little. Her dreaded crowds were upon her. She found herself inching behind Wu slightly, despite his frame being unable to shield hers from view as they were of roughly the same stature. Still, the calm he radiated was far more reasuring than what she was facing.
 
Gabriel had to sprint just to make it to the meeting hall, panting, he followed in behind the two that just walked in a smile on his face at seeing all the people, so many new people, he hoped that a few of them would be good friends. He fiddled with the ring on his finger, listening to all the voices around him.
He watched the two he had come in after, sensing an air of peace around one as well as the nervousness of the other. He was wondering what it would be like here, after all it took him some time to get here and he didn't want that time to be wasted on bad experiences.
He cracked his neck in anticipation and thought to himself, A new stage in my life, I can't wait,with a smile on his face.
 
Every day now for the past few weeks Takeshi had been coming to the Entrance Halls to do his school work, It became part of an everyday routine. Normally he would be sitting in his dorm listening to his roommate go on about his day, but today he just wanted some alone time. Its kinda of a drag but honestly just talking to someone kinda feels good, even though they live together and see each other almost every day.
He looks up from his book to see Wu and some girl talking. "I guess I can say hello" He says to himself as he gets up and starts getting his things together. As he begins walking over he starts to wonder how exactly does he introduce himself, after all meeting new people isn't really a strong suit of his.
"Hey Wu" Takeshi says awkwardly.
"Still managing to make new friends?"
 
As they entered the main entrance hall, Wu couldn't help chuckling a little at the girl's awe-struck face. "I told you so, didn't I?" He was surprised to see the girl starting to shrink behind him, and he found himself taking her hand to guide her back out. "Come now, there's no need to be shy." He said.

It was then that his roommate Takeshi came over and said hi. "Takeshi, this is a surprise. Of course I am, my infectious optimism reaches everyone. Cora, this is Takeshi, he's my roommate. Takeshi, this is Cora, she's a late arrival that I'm showing around the school." He introduced them and noticed another boy watching them. Waving him over he called out. "Would you like to join us? What's your name, friend?"
 
Not expecting Wu taking her hand, Cora actually let his hand pull her forward slightly, the human contact, something she didin't have much anymore, reasurring her. Only as she registered the exhilarating rush of mana flowing from his warm hand into hers did she realise her mistake. Damping down the pull she was exerting on Wus mana as much as she could while still being aware of her surroundings, she pulled gently away, hoping he would just take it as a sign that she was fine by herself and let her go, not that she didn't want the contact or something. If he persisted in holding her hand much longer, Cora was sure he would start to feel the mana loss soon and judging from the itching in her palm, they would both have the visible marks of the transfer too. The unplanned contact had filled her mana capacity to the brim.

"I just don't like crowds." Cora muttered slightly defensively in answer to Wus coaxing voice.

Turning her attention to the boy Wu was introducing, she tried to ignore the renewed whirring sounds coming from her wrists. Pulling her eyes away from her feet, she looked up and up. The new guy had to be half a foot taller than she was. "Uh, hi there." She smiled shyly at him, noticing that he looked a little awkward himself.
 
Gabriel smiled at her offer. "I would love to, And the names Gabriel."
He studied all of them, and had overheard their conversation, "Wu, Takeshi, Cora, if I heard correctly." He pointed at each of them in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. And as she is, im also a late arrival. Barely made it here in fact." He said bashfully rubbing the back of his head, clearly embarrassed but still optimistic about everything. "And sorry about listening in, it's a bad habit of mine. Or should I say unfortunate skill?" He pondered it for a second before shrugging. "Whatever the reason, sorry"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top