Realistic or Modern Athletica Academy IC

[A lecto]

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Welcome to Athletica Academy

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Welcome to Athletica!

International
Athletics Academy

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✩ ✩ ✩​

As the sun moved lazily across the sky and the winds blew softly, the campus was bustling with students. Wherever you went on the campus grounds you could see it, flyers, they were everywhere.

Late that morning some of the students snuck into the classroom where the small box of extra flyers for the pool party was kept and decided it would be fun to go on the roof of the largest building on campus and throw the flyers into the air to rain down around people like oversized confetti.

You could see a female student picking up a flyer with curiosity in her eyes, a smile form on her lips and then run to the group of friends waiting at the entrance to the dorms.
A teacher was frantically picking up the stray papers muttering about how littering on campus was breaking academy rules and the students responsible should be punished.
The school nurse was looking out of her window of the nurse's office smiling at the grumpy teacher who then blushed and turned away.

Oh yes, it was lively at the academy already and it was just the beginning of the school year. Who knows what life would have in store for the students at the academy?

Let's go find out, shall we?

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code by lavendre ​

Spoiler: Mobile Friendly and flyer

* * *

As the sun moved lazily across the sky and the winds blew softly, the campus was bustling with students. Wherever you went on the campus grounds you could see it, flyers, they were everywhere.

Late that morning some of the students snuck into the classroom where the small box of extra flyers for the pool party was kept and decided it would be fun to go on the roof of the largest building on campus and throw the flyers into the air to rain down around people like oversized confetti.

You could see a female student picking up a flyer with curiosity in her eyes, a smile form on her lips and then run to the group of friends waiting at the entrance to the dorms.

A teacher was frantically picking up the stray papers muttering about how littering on campus was breaking academy rules and the students responsible should be punished.

The school nurse was looking out of her window of the nurse's office smiling at the grumpy teacher who then blushed and turned away.

Oh yes, it was lively at the academy already and it was just the beginning of the school year. Who knows what life would have in store for the students at the academy?

Let's go find out, shall we?

 

[A lecto]

(the code has hidden scrolls and a small 'click me!' tab under the title, also the big photo has a hover)

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Xiao Yu

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Xiao Yu

mood: happy

location: Ice skating rink

interaction: NPCs

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The music reached his ears as soon as it started playing a soft melody. A charming and warm smile appeared on his lips as he could feel his body start to move on its own. Each note was like a wave in the air guiding his moves as he started gliding along the ice, performing the moves of his choreography. Spinning and turning as the melody changed and demanded him to move slightly faster. Like always when he was on the ice the world fell away and it was just him and the music, he felt at peace yet fully alive at the same time.

As the song reached a dramatic note he got ready and jumped, he landed at the end of a perfect triple axel only to slightly hesitate at the landing so he looked a bit shaky. It could be seen that he had only just learned the move and wasn't used to performing it yet. Of course, Xiao Yu didn't let it faze him much and continued on with his performance.

“Xiao Yu! You have to stop hesitating at your landings! You hear me?” jelled his coach but the young man could hardly hear him as he was in his own world. After a perfect Bellmann spin he made a few more fluent moves before he finally reached the end of his performance and the song.

He was exhausted but a happy smile was still on his lips as he skated up to his coach and got ready to leave the rink “I promise I will work on it. I will definitely get better. I have to get to the Olympics after all” he said with a smile and sat down on a bench to switch from skates to shoes “Oh no! It's already that late, I promised I would help the committee prepare for the pool party! Sorry coach I have to go” he yelled over his shoulder with a kind smile as he ran to go change his clothes and join the committee members at the pool.

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code by lavendre ​

Spoiler: Mobile friendly

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The music reached his ears as soon as it started playing a soft melody. A charming and warm smile appeared on his lips as he could feel his body start to move on its own. Each note was like a wave in the air guiding his moves as he started gliding along the ice, performing the moves of his choreography. Spinning and turning as the melody changed and demanded him to move slightly faster. Like always when he was on the ice the world fell away and it was just him and the music, he felt at peace yet fully alive at the same time.

As the song reached a dramatic note he got ready and jumped, he landed at the end of a perfect triple axel only to slightly hesitate at the landing so he looked a bit shaky. It could be seen that he had only just learned the move and wasn't used to performing it yet. Of course, Xiao Yu didn't let it faze him much and continued on with his performance.

“Xiao Yu! You have to stop hesitating at your landings! You hear me?” jelled his coach but the young man could hardly hear him as he was in his own world. After a perfect Bellmann spin he made a few more fluent moves before he finally reached the end of his performance and the song.

He was exhausted but a happy smile was still on his lips as he skated up to his coach and got ready to leave the rink “I promise I will work on it. I will definitely get better. I have to get to the Olympics after all” he said with a smile and sat down on a bench to switch from skates to shoes “Oh no! It's already that late, I promised I would help the committee prepare for the pool party! Sorry coach I have to go” he yelled over his shoulder with a kind smile as he ran to go change his clothes and join the committee members at the pool.

 

[Skita]

Hana Choi​

"You're late you know! You better be ready to work, I will keep you here past the pool party if have to!" Hana heard the annoyed voice of her coach as soon as she set foot inside the rink, well more like ran inside. Hana tossed her gym bag on a bench, lacing up her skates with an easy laugh floating from her throat. She tossed her head to the side a smile coming to her face. "When am I not ready to work?" Although that was probably not the best choice of words as it didn't look as if the woman was having it.

Hana couldn't help but laugh again as she skated to the center of the rink. She took a deep breath looking up at the ceiling as the song started, pushing herself into the song. As soon as she moved, it was if she transported to a new world where all that there was, was just the ice and her. Each movement, each spin, each jump perfectly fitting the tone of the song. Her movements crafted to enhance the already beautiful music and make it her own.

Reaching the climax of the song she really let her showmanship truly shine. She made large, elegant and reaching gestures out to the imaginary audience, turning and spinning, launching into a double toe loop before going into to a complex step sequence as if she was physically channeling the heartbreak and agony of the song. Hana could just imagine the cheers she'd be able to hear from the crowd if there was one. If she had a chance in the next time she practiced she'd be sure to throw in a cheeky wink at the audience. At the tail end of the song, she launches into donut spin before transforming it into a one-handed beillmann spin as the song ends.

Faintly she hears the clapping of her coach snapping her back to reality as she breaths hard. "Excellent Hana! Really excellent! Only are you just skating for an audience or are you here to compete? You did maybe 2 jumps? 3? You can't keep neglecting this aspect. From the top."

Hana's face fell for a second letting out a groan.

"You heard me, Hana, from the top! You still want go to that party in two hours right? Let's go!"

Hana groaned again before sucking it up and skating back to the center of the rink to start again.

Location: Ice Rink
Interacting with: Nobody!​

 

[cherub.]

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CAEL MIN HYUK

Mood: energetic + excited !!
location: dance studio!
Tags: n/a

[div class="heading"]all the rest !

Cael found himself in the dance studio all alone, just him and the music. He didn't have any annoying and demanding coaches bothering him on what's wrong with his moves. If they were shaky or if they were just flat out horrible. He hated the coaches yelling, they were always so aggressive, and not merciful at all. Despite that, what he was really looking forward to is the pool party.. He had finally got to socialize with people instead of being cooped up in this dance studio all day, practicing routines non-stop. He also couldn't wait to see Xiao Yu.. and of course everyone else!
Just two more hours, and that was it. Two more hours of dancing his heart out of course. And then his reward would be going to the party. He took a deep breath as he stared at the wall in front of him, he then smiled determinedly as he turned on the music. His heart was racing and his dance moves were fluid, beautiful.. They went together so nicely. That was until he slipped on his shoelace and he fell to the floor. He groaned and he rubbed his head, "That was the third time this week!" He exclaimed out, almost yelled, it was hard to believe that he didn't have a migraine yet. He soon got up and he turned off the music from where it was at after he slightly "recovered" from falling. After that, he worked on perfecting his moves, hoping they were good enough, putting a bit of gymnastics in there. It was apparently really surprising for a boy to do a split. After the song was over he groaned and he wiped his face, brushing his platinum blonde hair out of his face.

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[Makomin]

Pool ; [No interactions so far, feel free to tag me!] ; "So many things to do, so little time."

Contrary to many beliefs, Esmerald Lee has no qualms entertaining the idea or even participating in a pool party of sorts. She enjoyed most food, didn't mind the music or chatter of people and most of all, the venue was practically the third most frequented place for her in the academy, aside from her dorm room and classrooms. However, she disliked getting roped into situations that required her to actually plan the party itself. It was tiring and everyone had something to say about what they disliked about the party, even if it was the party of the year.

"Get ready girls, the water isn't getting any warmer for you." The coach for SIAA's swim team bellowed from one of the benches in the stands. She then proceeded to make her way down to the pool as she gestured to the swimmers to take their positions.

"All I need from you is simple. Freestyle and I'll record down the three fastest. Now hurry it up!" The coach yelled out as the female students made a beeline towards the blocks. It seemed as though many of the ones in front were hesitant to move forward as no one wanted to swim in the first turn.

A brunette couldn't help but roll her eyes at some studentswho were asking whether they should go first or not. Deciding that this would take too long, Esmeralda decided that she would be swimming in the first batch of seven students. Her action didn't go unnoticed as a few studenfs begin to take their place on their respective blocks.

Esmeralda took a deep breath before letting it out. As they got into their positions, they waited for their coach's call.

"Ready...."
"Set...."
"Swim!"

With the blow of a whistle, the sound of bodies hitting the water was prominent. Esmeralda didn't mind swimming free-style. She just preferred back stroke. Maybe her preferences were obvious but her coach definitely knew it was because Esmeralda had to work a bit more on her breathing technique.

Once she heard the whistle, Esmerald dove right into the body of water. Extending one arm after the other, she tried coordinating their movements to her kicking. Whenever she turned her head to suck in another breath of air, she remembered that she didn't need to inhale so much in. She was going to come back up soon too.

Without glancing at the others, at a steady pace, she made her way to overtake the few others who have made their mistake by swimming too fast in the beginning. If she could smirk, she would have. Nearing the end, she kicked it up a notch and swam faster to the ledge before she slammed her palm against the wall of the pool.

A faint 'click' was heard and she knew that she came in first. After waiting for the other swimmers to reach the other end of the pool, she hoisted herself out from the pool before taking her goggles and swimming cap off.

"Lee!" Her coach called out as she recorded down the scores of the first three swimmers.

"Yes, coach?" Esmeralda answered as she made her way to her coach. She knew that she wouldn't be praised. The swimmimg coach was known for her criticism-based feedbacks so no one expected a compliment of any sorts. The brunette felt it was a good way of training. Although harsh but riding a high horse could be dangerous.

"Breathing technique needs more work and you should give your arms a bit more space to move." The coach said before nodding at her, gesturing she was dismissed.

"Alright, coach." Was all she responded before she made her way to the locker room. After taking a quick shower, she slipped into her sports shirt and short pants before zipping up her swim team jacket.

With her hair still wet from the shower, she made her way to the pool stands and waited for the rest of the pool party committee to arrive.

​

 

[. D O V E]

Ai

The clouds rolled by underneath the lazy sun, filtering the amount of warmth the giant ball of fire is currently sending from millions of miles away. A half-masked woman with short jet-black hair clad in a white sleeveless top and a hot pink skirt can be seen wiping imaginary sweat on the campus' highest rooftop a few moments after dozens of flyers poured down from the sky like somebody just cracked a piñata. A sigh escaped from pink lips as she hopped off from a stool and gave her outfit a few pats. A hand yanked the black face mask away from her face revealing a triumphant yet disarming smile.

"Mission accomplished!" she announced to the otherwise empty rooftop if not for her and her accomplice: a tall man with dark-brownish hair and matching black eyes. For Akamine Ai & Sato Tetsuko, the campus' rowdy duo, this was just another normal day (okay, maybe for the former). "Ha! Look at those puny peasants staring at me. I can smell their jealousy and awe from up here." the female let out a mocking laugh as her eyes darted down to the good amount of students and teachers picking up flyers. As if it wasn't already obvious that she has a large ego, she rolled her shoulders into a smug shrug, "I can't blame them though; because If I was them, then I'd wanna be me too."

The prissy ballerina turned to her companion before she leaned into him dramatically and pressed the back of her right hand on her forehead, "Look at me, I have the beauty, popularity, money, beauty, grace, beauty," she paused a bit to ponder, "-I almost forgot to mention my top-notch brain." a long breath followed her beyond conceited statement. She pulled herself away from her long-haired confederate while a told-you-so look adorning her pretty face, "I told you this is a perfect idea. I just saved us the trouble of handing out the flyers underneath the raging heat of the sun and interacting with dreadful commoners. The party committee should be very proud of me right now. Anyways, this is, like, the part where you start praising me or something, Tetsu." she finished with an expecting wink.

tag/s: Makomin

 

[Makomin]

Rooftop ; Ai . D O V E ; "The rest of my life is just detention with Ai, huh?"

The blazing heat, the large amount of people going on with their daily lives outside the building, the clock striking at 5. Everything was telling Tetsuko this wasn't one of their brightest ideas. But then again, when has there ever been one? They almost always either ended up getting caught and placed under detention, escaped without a trace and is left with the guilt (for Tetsuko's case) or they would escape soon and get caught later.

Tetsuko lifted up his black mask too, following in accordance to what Ai was doing. He would describe her in one word but she's too complex of a woman to do so. The duo was known prominently on campus (mostly due to the fact that most people dislike Ai) for their shenanigans, courtesy to her.

"I feel like they might not want to be you because we're mostly in detention." He shook his head before giving the female a small grin. He had to admit, even though his anxiety would act up on him constantly because of her, he could never say he didn't have fun. But then again, it would be nice to not have to visit detention every now and then.

"What about those who aren't down there then? How will they know about the pool party?" He raised his eyebrow as he noted a number of students have moved to whipping their phone out and taking a photo of the duo. Yeap, they would get into trouble soon.

The pool party was something he was looking forward to. Especially since he'd get the chance to splash around in the pool for a bit. Maybe he'll get to splash Ai. But then again, she'd kill him.

It'll be worth it though.

Having been listening to her boastful comments, he responded with a sigh before saying, "Yeah, yeah-" He was about to finish his sentence when he noticed a few teachers making their way into the building.

By habit, he grabbed Ai's arm before pulling her along with him down the stairs. "We gotta go, Ai-chan." He laughed as they sprinted their way three flights of stairs before entering a hallway with, luckily for them, it wasn't too crowded. When they made their way to their classroom swiftly, he asked turned to say, "We have that committee meeting now. We should go now."

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[Uxie]

윤아라

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location
pool

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mood
happy

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mentions
Makomin - A lecto

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she was running late! she'd decided to take a nice power nap before heading down to start decorating, but that power nap had stretched from a planned 30 minutes to a whole 2 hours. granted, ara'd already planned to go early, and even if she walked at a snail's pace on the longest route possible through campus to get to the pool, she'd probably still make it just on time, or maybe at most 3 minutes late. knowing that didn't stop her, however, from rushing out of her room, glancing at the mirror on her way out to make sure her hair wasn't sticking in multiple directions from the odd way she'd slept.
ara was speed walking through campus, taking what she thought was probably the shortest route from the dorms to the pool. she hoped it was the right pool, or that would be embarrassing. she'd spied some funny shenanigans in the plaza, somehow the extra flyers had made their way from the classroom where they'd left them onto the floor of the main plaza. how odd. she had a faint idea of who may have been behind it, and she had to admit that it was a pretty novel idea. ara hoped, too, that it would attract more people to come. it wasn't a party without people, after all!

sometime after, she entered the pool, pushing the door open cautiously and glancing around just to make sure that it was the right venue. the rest of the committee must not have arrived yet- it seemed relatively empty, save for esmeralda, who was sitting at the pool stands. ara's face lit up when she caught sight of the other girl, and she beamed as she practically skipped over. "hellooo esme!" she greeted cheerfully, taking a seat beside her and putting her bag on her lap. "are you excited for the party? i hope people come."

⠀♡coded by uxie♡

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[cherub.]

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DANNY CHAI.

Mood: focused.
location: track
Tags: Makomin

[div class="heading"]all the rest !

Danny was not a people person. He was always isolated, he usually spent most of his time on the track, sweating, shirt off, shorts, knee socks, sneakers. Every day. He ran for almost more than four hours a day, of course not non-stop. He heard about the pool party that was going on about one and a half hours from now, and he was, and was not looking forward to it. He would probably find some eye candy, or he would probably be eye candy for someone else. He stopped. It was his 10th lap around the track. He was sweating like crazy, he wiped his sweat with his shirt.. sighing deeply as he put his hands on his knees, bending down and groaning quietly. [br[/br]"Damn.." He cursed quietly, his heart was racing and he was uncontrollably sweating. He continued to wipe his face with his shirt, he was determined to finish just a little bit more.. just a couple more laps.. He should be able to do it.. right? Well, he hoped so. He hummed quietly as he continued to run, just three more laps.. Then he gave out. He just couldn't do anymore. He was disappointed. Knowing that he ran thirteen laps, and some people weren't capable of doing that, but he knew that he was capable of doing more. He wondered if he was able to take a quick dip in the pool, he didn't care if he got his shorts wet, he was hot. He looked around, wiping his face with his shirt again, his dark brown hair was messy and slightly wet, despite his sweat. He brushed it out of his face and he jogged his way over to the pool, hoping the access was to all, and not just the people that were swimming. He came in through the double doors and he looked around, asking, "Am I allowed in the pool?" He asked, hoping for a quick answer.

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code// just-peachy!

 

[A lecto]

Yong Tae Soo

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Young Tae Soo

mood: Tired

location: Campus grounds

interaction: none

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The sun was shining into his eyes like it was on a mission, Tae Soo pulled out his sunglasses and put them on to avert its glare. While most of the day went by very fast it seemed that the last two hours just dragged on forever. Maybe it felt like that to him because he had been sitting in a classroom listening to the most monotone teacher he had ever heard. If the man had changed the pitch of his voice twice during the lecture Tae Soo would have been surprised.

Suddenly he was hit in the face by a stray flyer falling from the sky "what the...." he said before picking the paper back up off the ground where it had fallen with a small sound. Somehow he just knew who's handiwork this stunt must have been. He smiled before reading what the small paper was about. "Oh right! There was a pool party today, I almost forgot." he said as he threw the flyer back to the floor only to have a teacher give him the look, it wasnt just saying he had to pick up the paper or he would be punished, it was practically screaming it.

Just so the teacher would stop giving him such an uncomfortable glare he picked up the paper and threw it into a nearby trash can. Not that one flyer would have made a difference as there were at least a hundred others all over the place, they were even on a tree next to the closest building, but apparently just the fact that he had thrown something onto the ground was what made the old professor angry. Sighing he hurried off in the direction of the pool before he would get detention for littering.
Sometimes people just didn't make any sense to him. But then again from the short time he had been at school he had figured out that there were a professor or two who were a bit eccentric to say the least. Well if nothing else there was never a boring day on campus.

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code by lavendre

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Spoiler: Mobile friendly

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The sun was shining into his eyes like it was on a mission, Tae Soo pulled out his sunglasses and put them on to avert its glare. While most of the day went by very fast it seemed that the last two hours just dragged on forever. Maybe it felt like that to him because he had been sitting in a classroom listening to the most monotone teacher he had ever heard. If the man had changed the pitch of his voice twice during the lecture Tae Soo would have been surprised.

Suddenly he was hit in the face by a stray flyer falling from the sky "what the...." he said before picking the paper back up off the ground where it had fallen with a small sound. Somehow he just knew who's handiwork this stunt must have been. He smiled before reading what the small paper was about. "Oh right! There was a pool party today, I almost forgot." he said as he threw the flyer back to the floor only to have a teacher give him the look, it wasnt just saying he had to pick up the paper or he would be punished, it was practically screaming it.

Just so the teacher would stop giving him such an uncomfortable glare he picked up the paper and threw it into a nearby trash can. Not that one flyer would have made a difference as there were at least a hundred others all over the place, they were even on a tree next to the closest building, but apparently just the fact that he had thrown something onto the ground was what made the old professor angry. Sighing he hurried off in the direction of the pool before he would get detention for littering.

Sometimes people just didn't make any sense to him. But then again from the short time he had been at school he had figured out that there were a professor or two who were a bit eccentric to say the least. Well if nothing else there was never a boring day on campus.

​

 

[madame moiselle]

GABRIEL NICOLAEV

"your body can take almost anything---it's your mind you ought to convince."
frankie dunn


"Take a right! Nice, Cheong! Hit him again---again!"

Coach Kirk stood right at the borders of the ring, his sunbaked hand gripping the ropes as his two young students fight it off, punch after punch, block after block. Though both had nothing to lack when it came to fierceness, it was a no-brainer that Cheong would win; and even from the far corner where Gabriel was taking it easy on a speed bag, alone and isolated from all the other students, he saw how quickly things turned to Cheong's favor---he just kept on hitting, and hitting, and hitting. The other guy didn't stand a chance---and though he was trying his best to block, it was no use. After a clean knockout punch, he was down.

Gabriel went back to punching his speed bag, his jaw clenched. He had just started boxing classes not too long ago, and though the coach here was decent, Gabriel was frustrated that he wasn't being pushed hard enough. And every time he tried to convince the coach, the man would always refuse, reminding him of his spinal injury.
The. Fucking. Spinal. Injury.

Flashbacks began to filter into his mind, flitting across the back of his mind as swift as the wind itself. Memories bringing him back to nationals, to America, to Frankie, to that damn hospital. He remembered his opponent well---tall, built like a horse, older than him by at least four years---with a pretty sharp-looking beard too---and better than him. Gabriel had tried---he tried his best, but it just wasn't enough. He got what no fighter should ever become, even when they get successful.
Cocky.

Then there was the pain. Oh, the fucking pain.
Gabriel had been hit before---sustained injuries here and there, but never like that. And the moment he heard his spine, his own spine, crack, he knew it was over. The pain seared across his body like wildfire---he couldn't breathe; all he could do was panic---panic, panic, panic. The last thing he wanted was to know this would be the last of his career.
And for a long while, it did feel like that.

A whole nine months, he spent in rehab. It was a heartbreaking experience---could anyone really imagine, relearning how to use their limbs again? Gabriel could thank the Lord that his spinal cord injury wasn't as bad as one could make it seem, but he didn't. He thanked Frankie, his coach, his trainer, his friend, the one who stuck by him all that time. Convinced him that it wasn't the end of the world, pulled out of that pit of depression and told him there was still hope.
Coach Kirk was decent, but nowhere near as great as Frankie. No one was, no one is, and no one will ever be.
He started out as Gabriel's trainer. Both of them didn't like each other very much at the beginning---Gabriel was hotheaded, proud and unbending, and Frankie was just stubborn and two times stricter. But with time, they became not only student and coach, but friend and friend. And Gabriel needed that. Especially when Lisa wasn't there anymore.

Gabriel gave an extra punch too hard, fueled by the anger that he felt for leaving Lisa behind in the dusts of his so-called 'success'. Where was she now? What was she doing? She'd have turned nineteen by now, probably following up her dreams of being a fashion designer somewhere in Paris---did she forget about him? No, no; they were friends for too long for that. A tiny part of Gabriel had hoped that maybe it would've turned into something more, hadn't it been for him, being so consumed in boxing that he let his relationships fall by the wayside...

Anger began to build up. He arrived in this godforsaken place to train, to get back on his feet as soon as possible to go back to America and prove everyone wrong---prove Frankie wrong, because deep down everyone knew he was disappointed. Gabriel didn't want the old man to think of him as just another failure---he wanted to go back and set things straight with Lisa, wherever she'd be. And that meant he had to get better, train like a real fighter.
And yet, the moment he arrived, he was treated like some china doll, fragile and delicate, just about the opposite of a fighter, a true boxer. He was almost healed---his spine was fine, he could do this. He should be up there like all the other students, fighting it off, proving his worth. He wasn't about to let an injury hold him back. It should be him up there, it should be him beating the hell out of Cheong, show to Kirk he was ready---

"Blyat!"

A Russian curse flew out of Gabriel's mouth as he, once again driven by emotion, punched extremely hard, too hard for a speed bag anyway, which led to the blasted thing knocking him in the face. He had staggered back, almost falling, trying to catch himself. But the moment he tried, his still-healing spine reacted painfully and he fell, causing the back pain (which was a regular side effect of spinal injuries) to increase. As he crumpled to the ground, he caused some equipment to fall to the ground, which was enough to catch Coach Kirk and the rest of the class's attention.

Coach Kirk turned to the rest of the now distracted class, and motioned them to continue. He turned to the fallen Russian champ, sighing. He came over and crouched next to the young twenty-year-old, helping him up.
"Get off me," answered Gabriel harshly, harsher than he intended to really, as he shoved off of Kirk's support, trying to straighten up. Kirk got off him, keeping a weary on Gabriel as he watched the poor lad struggle straight again.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Gabriel," told the coach sternly, but out of compassion. "Keep this shit up, and your back may never heal---and then you'd be done for good."

Gabriel clenched his jaw, refusing to meet Kirk's eye as he folded his arms in frustration. "But--" he started, lifting his gaze to meet Kirk's, trying to protest. "Ey, ey, ey, no buts," answered Kirk, interrupting Gabriel before he could go any further. "I don't want you straining yourself for nothing, you hear me?" With that, Kirk began to turn around, heading for the others awaiting his teaching.
"But Coach, I swear I'm ready---I can fight those other guys; I'll beat Cheong---"

Kirk turned on him, shaking his head, a hint of exasperation in his ice-blue eyes. "You think you're what? Ready? You fell punching a speed bag!" His voice grew, attracting the attention of the other students. Gabriel immediately fell silent, glancing at the others. He looked back down, biting back the temptation to retort something back. Frankie may have taught him to fight, but there were other things too---mostly humility. There was no use of fighting his way out of this one.
Kirk softened, sighing, shaking his head. "Look," he said, putting a firm hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "You're a legend, Gabriel. No one so young has ever entered nationals and came in close to the very end---you're practically an inspiration to these other ones," Kirk paused, gesturing to the other students. "You may be down now, but with time, and careful training, you'll be back where you were, right on national TV, getting your wins."

Kirk patted Gabriel's shoulder and grabbed the young man's gym bag and towel. "Get some rest---hit the showers. And next time, take it easy. You'll wait it out."

Gabriel obeyed him. What else could he do? And as he exited that class, covered in sweat, towel swung over his shoulder, he remembered something Frankie had told him back when he was undergoing rehab in the hospital.
All good things happen to those who wait.


"What's that?"

Gabriel pointed to a poster a pretty Asian schoolgirl was stapling on the board, his voice deep and a bit hoarse---his Russian accent noticeable and harsher than he intended to be, already in a bad mood. He had just come out from a shower, smelling like Old Spice. his hair all ruffled up and wet, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and some roughed-up shorts, showcasing his tattooed body. The girl stared at him for a few seconds, undoubtedly startled at his appearance---of course, who wouldn't be? A tall, imposing Russian with muscles the size of watermelons, covered in tattoos---you'd be right to feel intimidated.
Of course, Gabriel didn't mean anything by it. Noticing her almost frightened look, Gabriel softened up his rather hard expression, almost becoming sweetly sheepish.
"I'm sorry---I didn't mean to sound so---
"No, no, it's my fault," interrupted the girl in a Chinese accent, almost dipping in some sort of curtsy. "This is just for the pool party---everyone's going and the part committee is just making final preparations---"

Oh fuck, thought Gabriel all of a sudden, cursing his own stupidity. He was on that goddamn committee! It was a recommendation he had to take---no, let's call it a condition. If Gabriel was gonna be here, he had to make an effort in being well-rounded---which apparently meant being a member of a party committee. Though to be honest, he had forgotten to attend all those meetings....

It didn't matter. Gabriel walked briskly, thanking the girl on his way to the meeting place. Once again, he had been so focused on boxing, he forgot about everything else, just like he did with Lisa. The least he could do was try and make sure it wasn't going to happen again.

tags: A lecto jul Makomin cherub. @Skita Uxie Skita . D O V E

Spoiler: Mobile Friendly Version

"your body can take almost anything---it's your mind you ought to convince."
frankie dunn


"Take a right! Nice, Cheong! Hit him again---again!"

Coach Kirk stood right at the borders of the ring, his sunbaked hand gripping the ropes as his two young students fight it off, punch after punch, block after block. Though both had nothing to lack when it came to fierceness, it was a no-brainer that Cheong would win; and even from the far corner where Gabriel was taking it easy on a speed bag, alone and isolated from all the other students, he saw how quickly things turned to Cheong's favor---he just kept on hitting, and hitting, and hitting. The other guy didn't stand a chance---and though he was trying his best to block, it was no use. After a clean knockout punch, he was down.

Gabriel went back to punching his speed bag, his jaw clenched. He had just started boxing classes not too long ago, and though the coach here was decent, Gabriel was frustrated that he wasn't being pushed hard enough. And every time he tried to convince the coach, the man would always refuse, reminding him of his spinal injury.
The. Fucking. Spinal. Injury.

Flashbacks began to filter into his mind, flitting across the back of his mind as swift as the wind itself. Memories bringing him back to nationals, to America, to Frankie, to that damn hospital. He remembered his opponent well---tall, built like a horse, older than him by at least four years---with a pretty sharp-looking beard too---and better than him. Gabriel had tried---he tried his best, but it just wasn't enough. He got what no fighter should ever become, even when they get successful.
Cocky.

Then there was the pain. Oh, the fucking pain.
Gabriel had been hit before---sustained injuries here and there, but never like that. And the moment he heard his spine, his own spine, crack, he knew it was over. The pain seared across his body like wildfire---he couldn't breathe; all he could do was panic---panic, panic, panic. The last thing he wanted was to know this would be the last of his career.
And for a long while, it did feel like that.

A whole nine months, he spent in rehab. It was a heartbreaking experience---could anyone really imagine, relearning how to use their limbs again? Gabriel could thank the Lord that his spinal cord injury wasn't as bad as one could make it seem, but he didn't. He thanked Frankie, his coach, his trainer, his friend, the one who stuck by him all that time. Convinced him that it wasn't the end of the world, pulled out of that pit of depression and told him there was still hope.
Coach Kirk was decent, but nowhere near as great as Frankie. No one was, no one is, and no one will ever be.
He started out as Gabriel's trainer. Both of them didn't like each other very much at the beginning---Gabriel was hotheaded, proud and unbending, and Frankie was just stubborn and two times stricter. But with time, they became not only student and coach, but friend and friend. And Gabriel needed that. Especially when Lisa wasn't there anymore.

Gabriel gave an extra punch too hard, fueled by the anger that he felt for leaving Lisa behind in the dusts of his so-called 'success'. Where was she now? What was she doing? She'd have turned nineteen by now, probably following up her dreams of being a fashion designer somewhere in Paris---did she forget about him? No, no; they were friends for too long for that. A tiny part of Gabriel had hoped that maybe it would've turned into something more, hadn't it been for him, being so consumed in boxing that he let his relationships fall by the wayside...

Anger began to build up. He arrived in this godforsaken place to train, to get back on his feet as soon as possible to go back to America and prove everyone wrong---prove Frankie wrong, because deep down everyone knew he was disappointed. Gabriel didn't want the old man to think of him as just another failure---he wanted to go back and set things straight with Lisa, wherever she'd be. And that meant he had to get better, train like a real fighter.
And yet, the moment he arrived, he was treated like some china doll, fragile and delicate, just about the opposite of a fighter, a true boxer. He was almost healed---his spine was fine, he could do this. He should be up there like all the other students, fighting it off, proving his worth. He wasn't about to let an injury hold him back. It should be him up there, it should be him beating the hell out of Cheong, show to Kirk he was ready---

"Blyat!"

A Russian curse flew out of Gabriel's mouth as he, once again driven by emotion, punched extremely hard, too hard for a speed bag anyway, which led to the blasted thing knocking him in the face. He had staggered back, almost falling, trying to catch himself. But the moment he tried, his still-healing spine reacted painfully and he fell, causing the back pain (which was a regular side effect of spinal injuries) to increase. As he crumpled to the ground, he caused some equipment to fall to the ground, which was enough to catch Coach Kirk and the rest of the class's attention.

Coach Kirk turned to the rest of the now distracted class, and motioned them to continue. He turned to the fallen Russian champ, sighing. He came over and crouched next to the young twenty-year-old, helping him up.
"Get off me," answered Gabriel harshly, harsher than he intended to really, as he shoved off of Kirk's support, trying to straighten up. Kirk got off him, keeping a weary on Gabriel as he watched the poor lad struggle straight again.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Gabriel," told the coach sternly, but out of compassion. "Keep this shit up, and your back may never heal---and then you'd be done for good."

Gabriel clenched his jaw, refusing to meet Kirk's eye as he folded his arms in frustration. "But--" he started, lifting his gaze to meet Kirk's, trying to protest. "Ey, ey, ey, no buts," answered Kirk, interrupting Gabriel before he could go any further. "I don't want you straining yourself for nothing, you hear me?" With that, Kirk began to turn around, heading for the others awaiting his teaching.
"But Coach, I swear I'm ready---I can fight those other guys; I'll beat Cheong---"

Kirk turned on him, shaking his head, a hint of exasperation in his ice-blue eyes. "You think you're what? Ready? You fell punching a speed bag!" His voice grew, attracting the attention of the other students. Gabriel immediately fell silent, glancing at the others. He looked back down, biting back the temptation to retort something back. Frankie may have taught him to fight, but there were other things too---mostly humility. There was no use of fighting his way out of this one.
Kirk softened, sighing, shaking his head. "Look," he said, putting a firm hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "You're a legend, Gabriel. No one so young has ever entered nationals and came in close to the very end---you're practically an inspiration to these other ones," Kirk paused, gesturing to the other students. "You may be down now, but with time, and careful training, you'll be back where you were, right on national TV, getting your wins."

Kirk patted Gabriel's shoulder and grabbed the young man's gym bag and towel. "Get some rest---hit the showers. And next time, take it easy. You'll wait it out."

Gabriel obeyed him. What else could he do? And as he exited that class, covered in sweat, towel swung over his shoulder, he remembered something Frankie had told him back when he was undergoing rehab in the hospital.
All good things happen to those who wait.


"What's that?"

Gabriel pointed to a poster a pretty Asian schoolgirl was stapling on the board, his voice deep and a bit hoarse---his Russian accent noticeable and harsher than he intended to be, already in a bad mood. He had just come out from a shower, smelling like Old Spice. his hair all ruffled up and wet, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and some roughed-up shorts, showcasing his tattooed body. The girl stared at him for a few seconds, undoubtedly startled at his appearance---of course, who wouldn't be? A tall, imposing Russian with muscles the size of watermelons, covered in tattoos---you'd be right to feel intimidated.
Of course, Gabriel didn't mean anything by it. Noticing her almost frightened look, Gabriel softened up his rather hard expression, almost becoming sweetly sheepish.
"I'm sorry---I didn't mean to sound so---
"No, no, it's my fault," interrupted the girl in a Chinese accent, almost dipping in some sort of curtsy. "This is just for the pool party---everyone's going and the part committee is just making final preparations---"

Oh fuck, thought Gabriel all of a sudden, cursing his own stupidity. He was on that goddamn committee! It was a recommendation he had to take---no, let's call it a condition. If Gabriel was gonna be here, he had to make an effort in being well-rounded---which apparently meant being a member of a party committee. Though to be honest, he had forgotten to attend all those meetings....

It didn't matter. Gabriel walked briskly, thanking the girl on his way to the meeting place. Once again, he had been so focused on boxing, he forgot about everything else, just like he did with Lisa. The least he could do was try and make sure it wasn't going to happen again.

 

[. D O V E]

Ai

A startled yelp escaped from Ai's painted lips the moment Tetsu took her by the arm and dashed down the stairs, half-dragging the short-haired in the process. "Calm the fuck down, my arm is detaching itself from my body!" she whined as the pair traveled three flights of seemingly never-ending stairs. She blamed the school for being cheap and depriving them of an elevator's glory.

The two entered the classroom in a swift motion and the female couldn't help but draw a long breath before releasing it. She could hear footsteps rushing to the direction of the stairs leading to the rooftop and a gruff voice complaining about irksome teenagers. She let a good moment or two past before she decided that they're safe. Ai seemed to perk up when Tetsu mentioned the meeting. She can't wait to brag about her doing and rub her brilliancy on a certain swimmer's face.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!" it was her turn to grab him by the arm and (try to) drag him to the pool where the other party committee members are waiting. "Anyways, I feel like lots of people are totally coming to the party. People were, like, taking pictures of us and my sixth sense is telling me that we're already everywhere in Twitter by now. It's good publicity." she paused to give Tetsu a sudden annoyed look, "By the way, call me Ai-chan one more time and I'll whoop your ass, Tetsu-kun." a glare accompanied her trademark line inspired by her one true idol.

It seems like her chattering was enough to distract her from all the walking because it was already too late when she realized that they're already in front of the pool. The short-haired sophomore looked around the building until her umber eyes found the other committee members. Two of them to be precise. She let go of Tetsu's arm and confidently made her way to the two females like she's in a catwalk.

"People are coming," she firmly stated without any hint of doubt present in her voice, "-and ya'll should thank the most helpful member of the committee for it, namely, me...and Tetsu but mostly me."

tag/s: Makomin Uxie
location: pool

 

[Makomin]

Pool ; Ara Uxie & Danny cherub. & Ai . D O V E ; "So many things to do, so little time."

Esmeralda Lee huffed once before leaning her arms against her thighs. She then proceeded to rest her head on her arms before thinking about the committee meeting. She wondered how she got roped into helping the committee out with the pool party. The only thing she remembered was her friend excitedly talking about helping out with the party. The brunette was happy for her but she didn't think that her friend would actually sign her up to join too.

Speaking of which, a familiar voice sounded her back from her thoughts. She turned her attention back to the owner of the voice before noting the presence of her said friend next to her, Yoon Ara. She was a lovely person, enthusiastic and positive but she wished she would not pull her into things like the pool party committee. But then again, what would Esmeralda be doing if she wasn't? Probably causing a world war in her dorm room with one of her roommates.

"Yeah, I am excited for the party..." Esmeralda responded to the female before turning to face her and continued, "Not for the committee." The brunette then proceeded to pinch the female's cheeks in a form of retribution before grinning almost menacingly. She enjoyed disturbing Ara. She always got the best reactions from her. "Why do you enjoy these things, hmm?" She asked, genuinely curious about her friend before their conversation was interrupted by a male voice.

She found herself looking at a male that was sweating like a dog. Esmeralda has seen him around before but she never really interacted with him. There was no reason to. She assumed he was in the track team or something since she noted the few times that she has seen him around was in the field. She didn't know whether she should reply him, especially since the pool was for public access. "I guess." She replied back to the male before taking in his current apparel. "I suggest against it though. You might get sick-" Before she could complete, another individual interrupted her and this time, she wasn't excited to see the person.

Akamine Ai.

She practically waltzed towards their direction before proclaimingly announce the fact that the most helpful members were herself and Tetsuko. Esmeralda never really had an issue with Ai, she just hated everything about her. However, Esmeralda knew that it was a fact that Ai felt the same way too.

"Thank God, did someone finally uninvite you to every single event that will take place this year? I'll personally thank them with every ounce of effort you waste; practically 100% of your effort." Esmeralda said bluntly before leaning into the bench, sure that this committee had just gotten a bit more dramatic.

​

Swimming Pool ; Ai . D O V E & Ara Uxie ; "I just want peace."

Tetsuko sometimes wished that Ai could be a bit less self-absorbed because she really did open herself up for a lot of criticism. He knew for a fact that she was an incredible person and friend to have. Just that she was a bit self absorbed, manipulative, has a huge ego, blunt....Okay, the point was that he saw her as her and not the infamous evil Ai at SIAA. As such, he turned to her with a disapproving look before saying, "You don't need to curse, do you?" Before he knew it, he found himself being dragged by her to the pool.

"You're just too fast!" He said as he begin to match her speed of walking- more like brisk walking from his usual pace of walking. "Did you think that maybe that publicity could get us detention, Ai-chan?" He asked in a teasing tone yet a reprimanding one as they found themselves in the pool area already. Sometimes he wonder why she always watched that guy from that American programme. He was just a black, bald guy with an impressive moustache.

The students from the swim programme were now making their way back into the changing room as they were just done with their practice and what not. Not to mention, the swimming coach was giving an earful to a few students.

Just then, he noted the presence of three individual. A male by the pool who looked like he was dying from the heat and another two females that were parked by the benches in front of the swimming pool. He was about to greet them when he noticed one of them were Ai's so-called enemy/ roommate.

Oh no. Can I leave?

He mentally prayed for this meeting to be short and sweet, that the others would just get the pleasantries out of the way and notify them of what needs to be done, do it and the party. Not knowing what to do, he waved at the two females in greeting before saying to Ara, "I heard from a few others that that bubble tea place we go to are getting a new flavour. Wanna check them out one of the days?" He hoped that his conversation might distract from the drama that was undoubtedly about to start. Or at least, stall it but then Ai had to proclaim her helpfulness and Esmeralda had to go back at her.

What a long day this will be.

​

 

[cherub.]

[class name=heading] color:#E0C7CA; padding:0px; font-size:16px;[/class]

DANNY CHAI.

Mood: tired.
location: dorm
Tags: Makomin

[div class="heading"]all the rest !

Danny frowned slightly, not liking the answer, but it was probably for the best. How could he get sick from getting in the pool? There was a pool party today, could he not go to that too?! He grunted quietly and he nodded s he decided he would just go back to his dorm and sit in front of a fan until the pool party came along. He sighed as he left the pool, going through the double doors, disappointed. The sweltering heat returning to his body.. He sighed as he made his way, running over to his dorm, he couldn't wait to have that cold air in his face. [br[/br]Once he got to his dorm, he crashed on his bed, not putting any blankets on himself, jut laying there and reahing over to turn on the fan, not even wanting to get up. He put his face in his pillow and he just waited for the pool party.. It would probably come shorter than he expected, because whenever he's sleeping, time always goes by fast.

[/div]

code// just-peachy!

 

[Uxie]

윤아라

[div class=img1][div class=img1hover]

location
pool

[div class=img2][div class=img2hover]

mood
delighted -> concerned

[/div][/div] [div class=img3][div class=img3hover]

mentions
Makomin // . D O V E // cherub.

[/div][/div]
[/div]

ara laughed at the other girl's response but her giggles were cut short by the pinch to her cheek. "ow." she voiced as she patted the spot, then smiled at esme apologetically. "i thought you'd like to be a part of it, but it seems i was wrong." she turned her head, looking down at the pool. "it's just fun helping out, knowing that eventually people are gonna have fun with it. makes me feel like i've done something."
her attention switched to the male who had just burst in, and from where she was she could just make out his features to be danny, but he seemed not to recognise her. esme responded to his question, while ara was pondering whether she should wave or not. just then, two more people burst through the doors, and ara sat up even more. more committee members! ai and tetsu to be precise. she smiled as the two made their way over, ai with her elegant though rather flamboyant stride, and tetsu with a more laid-back step. he greeted her with an invite to hang out.
"people are coming, and y'all should thank the most helpful member of the committee for it, namely, me...and tetsu but mostly me." ara laughed at that statement, looking up at the new arrivals with delight.
"i had a feeling you guys were the masterminds behind the flyers in the plaza! i hope you didn't get in trouble 'cause of it, though. and tetsu, we should all go together so we can catch up! i'm dying to know what you've all been up to over the holidays."
ara turned to look at esme as the girl beside her replied to ai's proclamation with a snappy remark, and she knit her eyebrows together in concern. she'd almost forgotten that these two were like sworn enemies, and always at each other's throats. esme already seemed standoffish, and she was sure anymore and it'd be a full on verbal barrage of name-calling and insults. that wouldn't be good at all.
"let's not fight right now, the party's in two hours, and we can't have the committee tearing each other apart when there's work to be done." she shot them each a small smile. "speaking of, why is everyone else so late? do you think they forgot?"

⠀♡coded by uxie♡

[/div]

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[madame moiselle]

gabriel nicolaev

been having a lotta bad days lately.

☌

/ search

"Relationships are worth fighting for, but you can't be the only one fighting."
unknown

Fuck, fuck, fuck, cursed Gabriel as he tried to hurry, running across the spacious halls of pool swimming center of SIAA. He was running, which that alone was a relief---after months of immobilization and careful reintegration of his lower limbs, Gabriel finally had some control over his legs after paralyzing them in that final nationals match. But fear of letting his spine go the wrong way kept him guarded---as much as he wanted full control of everything, just like before the accident, he had to listen to Kirk and Frankie, even the doctors. There was no use in pushing it. And it angered him, it tired him to be treated gently, but what could he do? There was still at least two to three more years of SIAA, and who knows how long of keeping it easy? Gabriel didn't want to go soft. Being soft meant being weak---weak like his bastard of a father, the father who let himself be possessed by the lull of alcohol, who fell under the pressure of stress, the father who never deserved to be called one.

But enough of that.

Gabriel found the entrance to the spacious, gigantic pool, sleek and polished, Olympic-style with beautiful dark-colored beams and overarching planks of limestone. Large pockets of sparkling water filled the center, divided up neatly into lanes, with bleachers at the far end and planks right along the edges of the pool. And as Gabriel came in and looked around, his eyes widened to see and realize almost everyone was here. Punctuality was never his forte. As he observed to see was here, he had the displeasure/pleasure of noticing someone he knew quite well compared to the rest since the last few months of last year.

Esmerelda Lee. Otherwise known as Esme, pretty as a picture and stubborn as a mule. Gabriel had been here only a couple times last year---to practice his swimming as a part of a club activity he had been enrolled in. It was a way to balance the odds of boxing and a way to give his newly almost-functional spine and legs the excersise they needed. And it was just his luck that he had been paired with Esme---a talented swimmer, but a terrible coach, at least in Gabriel's eyes. He remembered their first session back around the end of last year, when he had just come from America, fresh out of the hospital and ready to train. He was in a bad state then---his spinal injury had been more of a pain than ever and he seemed to constantly be in a bad mood, angry and tired of all the rehab. When he met Esme, who seemed to be just as stubborn as he, they butted heads more than once. And though as the weeks went by and they managed to kind of warm to each other, even becoming 'friends' at times, Gabriel knew it was more of a love/hate relationship. Sure, they could be mean to each other, but up until now, Gabriel knew the least he could do was to be there for her when she needed him.

A delightful sweet, familiar laugh indicated that someone else Gabriel knew well was here. Yoon Ara---just about the sweetest, bubbliest girl you'd ever meet. Funny thing was, Ara reminded him so much of Lisa; she was kind, social, just about everyone's friend. Gabriel had met her around the beginning of summer of last year, when she was planning to enroll into the Academy. Normally, Gabriel wouldn't stay too close to people so overly-enthusiastic, but there was something of Ara that made him think of Lisa, and in the good way. Lisa had been a major part of the good times in his life, times he didn't have much of to be honest. They had met up and became friends right away; at least in Ara's eyes. Gabriel was a bit more reserved, flustered too---but he went along with it. She was a good friend; she proved that during the summer and Gabriel hoped he could be the same this year.

There were others he didn't really recognize. He could sense some tension in the air too; he saw Esme facing off with a good-looking girl who seemed to carry herself in a proud, prissy manner. She had a tall, lanky looking guy next to her, who seemed like he didn't like what was going or not going to happen. They seemed like some sort of dynamic duo, with the pretty one acting the boss and the tall one acting like the passive one. Gabriel squinted a bit, knowing he recognized the two. He knew he had heard some rumours before last year of these two---double-troubles who always seemed to pull off stupid stunts and ending up in detention. He remembered the girl's name to be Akamine Ai, and remembered her overall reputation as a bitchy diva who acted the world revolved around her. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a bud of dislike already. Why was she here?
He moved out of the way for a white-haired short (well technically, being 6'5 means almost everyone is short to you so) boy who seemed to be more than a little distressed over something or other.
He went back to watching as Ara tried to butt in, breaking the little squabble up before it could turn into something nasty, deciding to walk over to them. He was apart of this committee right? Better get it over with, even if he was already dipping into a bad mood.

"Of course they forgot," he answered for Ara, slipping into the conversation casually, leaning against a nearby wall, crossing his arms. "They got better things to do than to attend this stupid meeting." He gave a slight glance and gesture towards Ai, continuing. "Especially when it got someone like her in here."

tags

pasta

code by pasta ​

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Spoiler: Mobile Friendly Version

Fuck, fuck, fuck, cursed Gabriel as he tried to hurry, running across the spacious halls of pool swimming center of SIAA. He was running, which that alone was a relief---after months of immobilization and careful reintegration of his lower limbs, Gabriel finally had some control over his legs after paralyzing them in that final nationals match. But fear of letting his spine go the wrong way kept him guarded---as much as he wanted full control of everything, just like before the accident, he had to listen to Kirk and Frankie, even the doctors. There was no use in pushing it. And it angered him, it tired him to be treated gently, but what could he do? There was still at least two to three more years of SIAA, and who knows how long of keeping it easy? Gabriel didn't want to go soft. Being soft meant being weak---weak like his bastard of a father, the father who let himself be possessed by the lull of alcohol, who fell under the pressure of stress, the father who never deserved to be called one.

But enough of that.

Gabriel found the entrance to the spacious, gigantic pool, sleek and polished, Olympic-style with beautiful dark-colored beams and overarching planks of limestone. Large pockets of sparkling water filled the center, divided up neatly into lanes, with bleachers at the far end and planks right along the edges of the pool. And as Gabriel came in and looked around, his eyes widened to see and realize almost everyone was here. Punctuality was never his forte. As he observed to see was here, he had the displeasure/pleasure of noticing someone he knew quite well compared to the rest since the last few months of last year.

Esmerelda Lee. Otherwise known as Esme, pretty as a picture and stubborn as a mule. Gabriel had been here only a couple times last year---to practice his swimming as a part of a club activity he had been enrolled in. It was a way to balance the odds of boxing and a way to give his newly almost-functional spine and legs the excersise they needed. And it was just his luck that he had been paired with Esme---a talented swimmer, but a terrible coach, at least in Gabriel's eyes. He remembered their first session back around the end of last year, when he had just come from America, fresh out of the hospital and ready to train. He was in a bad state then---his spinal injury had been more of a pain than ever and he seemed to constantly be in a bad mood, angry and tired of all the rehab. When he met Esme, who seemed to be just as stubborn as he, they butted heads more than once. And though as the weeks went by and they managed to kind of warm to each other, even becoming 'friends' at times, Gabriel knew it was more of a love/hate relationship. Sure, they could be mean to each other, but up until now, Gabriel knew the least he could do was to be there for her when she needed him.

A delightful sweet, familiar laugh indicated that someone else Gabriel knew well was here. Yoon Ara---just about the sweetest, bubbliest girl you'd ever meet. Funny thing was, Ara reminded him so much of Lisa; she was kind, social, just about everyone's friend. Gabriel had met her around the beginning of summer of last year, when she was planning to enroll into the Academy. Normally, Gabriel wouldn't stay too close to people so overly-enthusiastic, but there was something of Ara that made him think of Lisa, and in the good way. Lisa had been a major part of the good times in his life, times he didn't have much of to be honest. They had met up and became friends right away; at least in Ara's eyes. Gabriel was a bit more reserved, flustered too---but he went along with it. She was a good friend; she proved that during the summer and Gabriel hoped he could be the same this year.

There were others he didn't really recognize. He could sense some tension in the air too; he saw Esme facing off with a good-looking girl who seemed to carry herself in a proud, prissy manner. She had a tall, lanky looking guy next to her, who seemed like he didn't like what was going or not going to happen. They seemed like some sort of dynamic duo, with the pretty one acting the boss and the tall one acting like the passive one. Gabriel squinted a bit, knowing he recognized the two. He knew he had heard some rumours before last year of these two---double-troubles who always seemed to pull off stupid stunts and ending up in detention. He remembered the girl's name to be Akamine Ai, and remembered her overall reputation as a bitchy diva who acted the world revolved around her. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a bud of dislike already. Why was she here?
He moved out of the way for a white-haired short (well technically, being 6'5 means almost everyone is short to you so) boy who seemed to be more than a little distressed over something or other.
He went back to watching as Ara tried to butt in, breaking the little squabble up before it could turn into something nasty, deciding to walk over to them. He was apart of this committee right? Better get it over with, even if he was already dipping into a bad mood.

"Of course they forgot," he answered for Ara, slipping into the conversation casually, leaning against a nearby wall, crossing his arms. "They got better things to do than to attend this stupid meeting." He gave a slight glance and gesture towards Ai, continuing. "Especially when it got someone like her in here."

​

​

 

[wendy]

Xiao Gong.

Sweat dropped down her temple as she eyed her opponent like a lioness stalking its pray, their eyes were locked in a vicious battle as the circled eachother waiting to see who would make the first move. Both of them were one point off claiming that gold medal and neither seemed to be giving in anytime soon. Over the speaker the commentator were out of their seats as it had been an exciting battle between the two women who refused to give eachother more than a inch. “Xiao Gongs attacked! Our tiny Taekwondo fighter has got her eye sight on the medal.” The commentator says as Xiao Gong had struck her opponent strongly in the chest causing the taller women to stumble back quiet far but she kept herself on her feet. Xiao Gong cursed herself as she had wasted precious energy on a move that didn’t gain her anything. “Xiao Gongs opponent is making her counter attack!” The commutators scream as her opponent lands a sloppy but harsh kick on Xiao Gongs hip. The short woman cringed immediately as a sharp pain ran through her pelvis. “That was a sloppy and dangerous kick from France’s Maria Dervon.” The commentator says as the crowd seems to agree.

The harsh kick just angered Xiao Gong as she decided that she was going to end this match in one swift kick. Xiao Gong stepped back quickly spinning and landing a powerful strike on the side of the French women’s head which caused her to fall The the floor dazed. The referee then awarded Xiao Gong her winning point and her coach went crazy rushing onto the mat lifting his star pupil up into the air. “SHES DONE IT. XIAO GONG FROM HONG KONG HAS WON HER FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT.” The commentators shout as Xiao Gong was brought round to her family. The three month tournament was over and Xiao Gong had come out on top.

- - - -

Xiao Gong had just arrived back at her dorm, her suitcase beside her as she punched in the keycode quickly entering the large room where her roommates screamed at the sight of her as they did watched the winning fight from the dorm room. “I’m so proud Gongie!” Her roommate says as she seemed the be on the brink of tears. “Let’s see the medal!” Another asks as Xiao Gong opened up her suitcase pulling out a wooden box as she opens it revealing the gold medal “woah.” All them said but before they could touch it Xiao Gong slammed the box. “It’s only for looking.” She says with a smile as she places it in her bedside table. The girls continued to talk until one mentioned the pool party. “Sounds fun!” Xiao Gong says with an excited expression as she wandered if Gabe would be there. Xiao Gong didn’t really have a chance to message him due to the pressures of the tournament and she wanted to know how his injury was but she mainly just wanted to see her big Russian teddy bear.

The girls sat in the middle of their room trying on make up. “I’m going to go for a shower.” Xiao Gong says getting up and walking into their shared bathroom quickly locking the door. As she undressed the bruises from the tournament began to reveal themselves but the biggest bruise was on her hip. It covered most of her hip and was a nasty yellow/green colour. It didn’t hurt but just ached slightly. “Should heal up by itself.” She says to herself as she finishes undressing and steps into the nice warm shower.

Mentions: madame moiselle (Gabe) ​

 

[A lecto]

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Xiao Yu

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click me !

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Xiao Yu

mood: Ready to help

location: Pool

interaction: Uxie cherub. Makomin . D O V E

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After taking an admittedly long shower and quickly changing his clothes Xiao Yu finally made his way towards the pool. "oh no, oh no, oh no I am so very late! I just hope they won't be mad at me. I really shouldn't have taken so long" he muttered to himself as he took two steps at a time. He couldn't help himself since the hot water felt so relaxing after the practice in the ice rink, he would just have to work harder to make up for being late.

As he made his way through campus a smile formed on his lips, The weather was perfect for a pool party, he would get to spend time with his friends and have fun but most of all he would get the chance to tell Esme about the triple Axel he had just learned. He didn't want to tell her before he knew he could perform it without falling and now he was ready to tell her. While practicing it for hours he hadn't fallen once so he was excited about it. Sure his landings still needed work but before the next competition he would definitely get better at it.

While he had been so deep in thought he suddenly bumped into someone who's books crashed to the ground and Yiao Yu immediately started apologizing "I am so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. Please let me help you with that" he said as he reached to pick up the books the girl had dropped. "oh uhh no I wasn't really watching where I was going either" the girl said and smiled as he handed her her books. Xiao Yu then remembered he was late and smiled "sorry again about this." he said before waving and running off towards the pool.

When he finally arrived Xiao Yu was breathing heavily. It took him a few seconds to catch his breath and look around to find Esme and smile at her "hey Esme! I am so sorry for being late! Practice took a bit longer and I bumped into someone when I ran here... ah well but I am ready to help out now. Just tell me what I need to do." he said as he walked up to the group to greet the others as well "hey guys!".

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code by lavendre ​

Spoiler: Mobile friendly

* * *

After taking an admittedly long shower and quickly changing his clothes Xiao Yu finally made his way towards the pool. "oh no, oh no, oh no I am so very late! I just hope they won't be mad at me. I really shouldn't have taken so long" he muttered to himself as he took two steps at a time. He couldn't help himself since the hot water felt so relaxing after the practice in the ice rink, he would just have to work harder to make up for being late.

As he made his way through campus a smile formed on his lips, the weather was perfect for a pool party, he would get to spend time with his friends and have fun but most of all he would get the chance to tell Esme about the triple Axel he had just learned. He didn't want to tell her before he knew he could perform it without falling and now he was ready to tell her. While practicing it for hours he hadn't fallen once so he was excited about it. Sure his landings still needed work but before the next competition he would definitely get better at it, he absolutely had to.

While he had been so deep in thought he suddenly bumped into someone who's books crashed to the ground and Yiao Yu immediately started apologizing "I am so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. Please let me help you with that" he said as he reached to pick up the books the girl had dropped. "oh uhh no I wasn't really watching where I was going either" the girl said and smiled as he handed her her books. Xiao Yu then remembered he was late and smiled "sorry again about this." he said before waving and running off towards the pool.

When he finally arrived Xiao Yu was breathing heavily. It took him a few seconds to catch his breath and look around to find Esme and smile at her "hey Esme! I am so sorry for being late! Practice took a bit longer and I bumped into someone when I ran here... ah well but I am ready to help out now. Just tell me what I need to do." he said as he walked up to the group to greet the others as well "hey guys!".

There is a small edit​

 

[. D O V E]

Ai

The look on Ai's face turned sour when what the swimmer said registered in her self-proclaimed top-notch brain. She immediately narrowed her eyes on the provoking girl. What on Steve's glorious mustache was the jealous hag's problem? "Why are you, like, always jealous of me?" she clicked her tongue and slowly shook her head, "It's such a pity that your life is so boring that you have nothing else better to do than to ruin my beautiful day." fake sympathy laced the tone of her voice. If ever it wasn't clear yet, Ai hates everything about Esmeralda and she's very convinced the latter has the same opinion about her.

The other girl beside Esmeralda however was more bearable than her although Ai finds it creepy how she's always smiley and friendly. She won't be surprise if she finds out that Ara is actually an alien from another solar system.

As if her day couldn't get any better, a giant guy clad in tattoos entered the building and dare to subtly insult her. See, this is the price of popularity. Ai let out a huff, "I'm pretty sure it's because you're scaring them off, you douchebag." she retorted with her arms crossed an angry frown. If memory serves her right, then he's the evil witch's henchman so she's not surprised that he'd butt into the conversation to defend her. She gave Tetsu a side glare, annoyed at the fact that he's too busy inviting that bubbly girl into a tea party or something instead of defending her honor.

The short-haired beauty threw her hands up in the air when a white-haired boy suddenly popped out, "Whatever! The party is, like, at least an hour from now so I can't waste my time with ya'll. I need to finalize my outfit!" she decided to let their insults slide (not really) for now because she can't risk getting a wrinkle especially during a party she worked so hard for.

Makomin Uxie madame moiselle A lecto

 

[Makomin]

Pool ; Ara Uxie & Ai . D O V E & Gabriel madame moiselle & Xiao Yu A lecto ; "Drama, drama, party and drama."

If it was possible, the swimmer would have rolled her eyes back into its sockets and into her head. She sometimes wondered whether the ballerina had a logical processing mechanism in her brain. Or maybe she was dropped as a baby, that's why her systems were a bit haywire, especially since she had posters of a very black and bald man on every wall surface imaginable in her shared dorm room with Hana. Esmeralda remembered feeling uncomfortable the whole time she was there with Hana as she felt Steve Harvey's eyes gawking at her the whole time.

"Yeah, I'm jealous at the fact that I can't continue life without having everyone spoon feed me from a silver platter." She said sarcastically before leaning into the bench and folding her arms, determined to at least help Ara in a way or another. She felt slightly bad for blaming the bubbly female. If Esmeralda read closely to why she did it, she would realise that the female would never have bad intentions. She was too kind for that. Probably naive too but more on the former. "Fine, what do we need to do, Ara?" She asked with a sigh before her eyes met Gabriel's.

The Russian male was quite the enigma to her. After countless movies showcasing Russians, the mafia and violence, she had become curious as to how he was as a person. She knew that he wasn't the type to kill a fly on purpose but she couldn't help but wonder. After the many futile times she had tried to teach him how to swim, she had decided that he was probably not taking her instructions properly because the two of them had their own thoughts. However, talking to Gabriel wasn't as bad. She had to admit, she enjoyed their conversations at times. Catching his eye, she gave him a wink before a greeting nod.

At that moment, a new addition to the committee had decided to show up and it was none other than Xiao Yu himself. She had been wanting to talk to him since school restarted but she never really got the chance. They exchanged a few 'hi's and 'bye's but nothing really solid except for a few text messages here and there. She raised her hand and waved at him before patting on the seat next to her, gesturing for him to sit with her. "Get your butt here, Yuyu." She grinned slightly.

She then thought about the pool party preparations before turning to Ara, "I assume you got it covered? We need tables for the food and drinks, we need food and drinks and games?" The Korean-German couldn't believe she was actually helping take charge in this but the least she could do was try to get this thing done and over with.

​

Swimming Pool ; Ai . D O V E & Ara Uxie & Gabriel madame moiselle & Xiao Yu A lecto ; "I just want peace."

Tetsuko wondered whether the both of them enjoyed starting drama with each other because they didn't know how to express themselves towards each other. He wondered whether in an alternate universe, whether it was possible for them to get along. Probably not but all Esme needed to do was embrace --he couldn't believe he was saying this-- Steve Harvey and Ai would work past every differences they hold for each other aside. He sighed audibly before he held his close friend's hand, hoping that she would possibly get annoyed or flustered at him.

He didn't admit it often because it wasn't true but there were times, he enjoyed seeing her ramble because she didn't know what to say. "Yeah, yeah, let's sit down to reward yourself for being the best." Tetsuko said as he brought her over to a bench that was two rows behind them. To kill the drama, he turned to Ara before saying, "We should all go on the weekends. I know I need them."

He then asked, "Are the teachers coming to the party? I hope not." He said before noting Xiao Yu's entrance. He nodded at the male with a simple, "Hey, Xiao." They were not the best of friends but they were close enough to be rivals and share some pretty intense moment on the ice together. He then noted a very heavily-tattooed male that was standing by the corner. He seemed scary, especially after confronting Ai too.

More people added to his 'Ai will kill me if I talk to them' list.

​

 

[jul]

♡

location: outside of the dormitories
mentions: A lecto

​

FIONA TIEN
​

Some live their lives immersed in water, surrendering themselves to the everlasting current, while others refuse to go on without flailing, without thrashing against the constant flow of conventionality, without gasping for a single, liberating breath of air.

As if on cue, the clouds that had recently peppered the campus grounds with puddles of rainwater began to amble into the distance at the very instant that the door of a long overdue private shuttle cracked open. For a second, all that could be seen from the entrance was a single foot, sporting a velvety beige platform heel, thrust onto the cement with both deliberation and vehemence. But it was not long before the entirety of Fiona's body emerged from the shuttle as well, joining her foot in marveling at the breadth and the beauty of what she would, in time, transform into her new home. Her eyes rested upon the scene teeming with either carefree students loitering along the pathways or those who were obviously late to class, practice, or some kind of urgent event. She looked upon the academy as though it were a kingdom waiting to be conquered.

At this moment, as she inhaled for the first time the academy's tender yet invigorating atmosphere and tasted along with it the dedication, the passion, the victory, she came to the sudden realization that she had been drowning her entire life. Back at home, there was no air; there was only isolation, abandonment, doubt. Her cries for help had been silenced by the relentless flow of mistrust that constantly bombarded her, suffocating her, forcing her to repress her innermost emotions, her deepest sentiments. Only on the ice could she breathe. But here, in the heart of Seoul, surrounded by opportunity and novelty in every direction, she breathed once and felt as though she had at last hauled herself onto shore. She had escaped, at least temporarily, from the capricious whims of society's inescapable current and from the horrifying threat of drowning before she could truly be free.

The sound of honking horns yanked Fiona back to reality, reminding her of the two suitcases awaiting her in the trunk. She had originally planned on bringing carloads filled with personal belongings, but she remembered that her wealth and luxurious lifestyle were what she detested most about herself. They defined her stepfather, not her. They embodied everything she resented about her life. Nevertheless, she could not resist taking a wide assortment of designer clothing and accessories with her -- but, given her sense of selectivity regarding fashion, it wasn't as though she would be willing to wear much else anyway.

A suitcase in each hand, she strode through the gates of the academy with an air of dignity, poise, and, most importantly, purpose. She was here to accomplish something great -- she could feel it in her bones, the tips of her fingers, the beating of her heart. Her pursuits would have to wait, however, because in front of her she discovered a paper lying dejectedly in one of the puddles left by yesterday's rainstorm. Releasing her grasp on one of her suitcases, Fiona bent forward to examine it more closely -- a flyer for . . . some sort of party? Gingerly and with visible contempt, she gripped the one unsullied corner of the page with her thumb and her forefinger in the shape of an "L" on her forehead and lifted it to meet her gaze as she squinted at it with disgust. Clumps of mud clung to the drenched flyer as though their existence depended on it, and droplets of filthy water plummeted from the edge of the paper to the silky surface of her platform heels, where they seemed to find comfort and security -- much to Fiona's displeasure. God, if only I could feel the same way.

So apparently there was going to be a pool party today. Today, of all days, when she desperately needed to practice, arrange her dorm to suit her tastes, and become familiar with the academy. And she did not know whose idea it was to fling dozens of pieces of paper onto the ground as a form of advertisement, but she could spend hours listing the reasons why it was easily the most foolish scheme she had encountered in months. What kind of idiot . . ?!

Dangling the sopping wet, sorry excuse for an advertisement from between two of her fingertips at a decent distance from the rest of her body in the interest of finding a recycling bin, Fiona continued along the path from the campus entrance to the dormitories, hoping she had memorized the route correctly. I have to take a left here . . . Pretty sure this next one is a right. Yet as usual, her concentration was not long-lived. Amused, she paused to watch as an absentminded blonde boy on the other side of the green collided with a girl whose arms were practically overflowing with schoolwork. Books and papers fluttered to the earth, and Fiona could hear the boy's profuse apologies from several yards away as he scrambled to return the girl's belongings to their rightful owner. Even from this far away, his voice seemed oddly familiar. And so did his golden hair --

Wait. I KNOW THAT GUY. Th . . . thAt's Xiao Yu!

She deserted her suitcase in the middle of the walkway and cut through the grass, attempting to approach her former acquaintance as directly as possible, but she had not even made it halfway across the green before Xiao Yu began to bolt in the opposite direction. Stifling an exasperated sigh, she picked up the pace as well, although she knew that her 3-inch high heels -- especially considering the newly moisturized grass and soil -- did not exactly put her at an advantage. She broke into a sprint, wincing each time one of her legs hurled her forward and struggling to hold down her short floral dress with her free hand, but he still did not halt in his unrelenting run throughout campus.

God damn it, Xiao Yu, aren't you ever going to stop? A kind of unquenchable curiosity had seized Fiona -- why was he running? Where was he going? What was so important? What was he even doing here, in her academy? She began to feel uncannily like Alice in Wonderland following the white rabbit into his rabbit hole, except Alice in Wonderland definitely was not wearing platform heels on any of her various expeditions. For a brief second, she considered yelling out his name, but she absolutely was not going to yell in the middle of campus on her first day here. Thankfully, he entered a large, spacious building at last (somehow hardly even breaking speed?!), so she took the liberty of slowing down before following in his footsteps.

A tremendous swimming pool with a ceiling somewhat reminiscent of a bejeweled cavern lay at the center of the building. The water was utterly still, and no one was swimming, but at least half a dozen older students had gathered here -- seemingly doing nothing apart from sitting or standing around and conversing with one another. This must be where the pool party would take place, and -- aha! Exactly what Fiona had been looking for.

The click of her heels on the polished floor echoed throughout the natatorium, ricocheting off of the uneven ceiling and walls, as she marched past each student on her way to her new destination. It sat in solitude at the very corner of the facility, and it almost seemed to be anticipating her, as though she had long been destined to fulfill this purpose. She was only holding one item, and after a moment's pause, she lifted it and released it, allowing the pool party flyer, still sodden with rainwater, to sink to the bottom of the empty recycling bin. Satisfied with her accomplishment, she returned along the same exact route, exiting the building and drawing her campus map from her pocket (yes, her dress has pockets!) to help her finally navigate from the academy swimming pool to the dormitories as she had initially intended. No adventure is complete without at least one side quest.

Yet as she advanced toward the dormitory building, whose contemporary architecture and welcoming aura enticed her as soon as it caught her eye, she noticed that she had come empty-handed. Each of her sleek silver suitcases had been left behind, unattended, alone, scattered in different places across campus, likely causing confusion to the many who would encounter the truly strange phenomena -- or possibly prompting a few to commit theft. But her toes ached, and blisters were beginning to form at the backs of her ankles, and her favorite pair of platform heels were ruined, and all of the energy that might have encouraged her to take just one more step in any direction had now been almost thoroughly depleted. All of the fury, the frustration, the bitterness built up inside of Fiona, threatening to detonate, to blow her entire world into smithereens. All of the false hope she had salvaged from her past, which she had dedicated to a day exactly like this one, had now transformed into resentment. She could breathe again now -- is that what she thought? Ha! She could never flee from the emptiness of her ancestry, as empty as her hands. She began her life with nothing, and here she was again. Nothing except for her soiled 3-inch heels and her crumpled campus map. Deep within, she knew that whatever "wealth" she once childishly believed she had was nothing more than an illusion.

Rarely does she ever act without thinking, but right now there were no thoughts. There was only rage. When she inhaled, she no longer breathed in air; she breathed in rage, and she channeled all of it into her sore, blistered foot, which kicked with every last shadow of strength she had left at something small and black embedded in the dirt. In an instant, there was water everywhere: on her face, in her eyes, all over her dress, in her mouth, muffling the high-pitched shriek that flew from her throat. It spurted from the opening of the sprinkler almost incessantly, spraying Fiona with the very substance which she had spent her entire life trying to escape. The water besieged her as she collapsed onto the ground in weariness and bewilderment, but she did not fight back. She did not flail, nor thrash, nor gasp for air; instead, she hugged her knees tightly as she surrendered herself to the everlasting current.

coding; allrightsreserved deer ​

​

 

[Uxie]

윤아라

[div class=img1][div class=img1hover]

location
pool -> outside dorms

[div class=img2][div class=img2hover]

mood
upset -> grateful -> confused

[/div][/div] [div class=img3][div class=img3hover]

mentions
Makomin A lecto madame moiselle . D O V E // jul

[/div][/div]
[/div]

ara was getting more and more distressed by the situation and the way it was progressing. and gabriel showing up didn't do any good either. he just added more fuel to the fire, and now 3 people were arguing. to make matters worse, ai was going to ditch the meeting! "gabe, if it was stupid, why'd you even sign up?" she said, a small frown on her face. would they ever get anything done?

she felt relief surge through her, however, when esme seemed to return her focus to the task at hand, and tetsu had successfully defused ai and brought her to sit down a few rows behind them. she nodded as he passed her to his words, her usual smile returning to her lips. her smile got even bigger when xiaoyu showed up- he must've been the last of the committee to arrive, if her memory served her right. "hey, good that you're here!" ara greeted cheerily with a wave, then turned back to the others. "i'm not sure if the teachers will be attending, but the invite was extended to them as well. i'm sure it won't be too bad if they come too, tetsu." she nudged esme lightly, "and you're a natural at this, aren't you! i told you you'd be great. i think i've just about got everything prepared, it's just a matter of execution. the decorations are in the same classroom we put the extra flyers in..." ara paused suddenly, her eyes on the door as she realised someone else had entered behind xiaoyu. she watched curiously as the girl made her way past the group to drop a piece of paper (wasn't that one of their flyers?) into the recycling bin before turning on her heel and exiting the same way she'd come. the strange girl left very quickly. she must've been a first-year, considering ara'd never seen her before. she wondered why the girl was throwing away the flyer. was something about it bothering her?

snapping out of her thoughts suddenly, her eyes shot back into focus of the rest of the group, and she smiled again. "yeah. someone should go get that, i'll go check on the food, and two more people should go get the tables from the nearest storage room. let's get to work, team! if we all work hard, it won't keep you guys here very long at all!" the group dispersed shortly, off to do whichever task that they wished, and ara hoped they wouldn't just slip off without helping. they'd better not!

she was right, it didn't take very long at all. 40 minutes ish later, and everything was set up and ready. she was last to leave the pool, thanking everyone for their help as they moved out of the venue in a large group. if it was a good estimate, she had a little over an hour to get ready. she shut the doors as she left, locking it shut and hurrying the same way she'd came, making her way across the plaza towards the dorms again. some silver object was stood right in the middle of it, and ara eyed it curiously as she slowly approached it. what was it? was it a bomb? inspecting it as she came up close, she noted a tag attached. it seemed this belong to a fiona tien- the bag didn't look cheap either, what was fiona thinking, just leaving this here? she stared at it for a good minute or so, wondering what she should do. what if fiona was a terrorist, should she call the police? seriously, this could be a bomb. but would a terrorist put a bomb in such an expensive luggage? wasn't that kind of a waste?
but what if that was what they wanted her to believe? ah, she was wasting time just here thinking about it! she'd just trust fiona for now, take it with her and drop it off at the office when she came down from the dorms, while on her way to the party. with luck, she might even find the owner before that! that would be the best possible situation.

dragging it along beside her on wheels, ara found the suitcase to be relatively heavy. whoever fiona was, she had a lot of possessions. the extra burden might've slowed her down a little bit, but it still didn't take her much time to reach the dorms. approaching the building, she found herself confused once more. a girl was sat, hugging her knees, beside a sprinkler, letting the little machine attack her with water as she sobbed. it was a sorry sight, to be very honest. as ara looked on at her, it dawned upon her. this was the girl from just now! the funny recycling one who'd thrown away the flyer. leaving the suitcase in the middle of the path, she hobbled over to the water valve and turned the handle, shutting off the sprinkler, then returned to the girl sat on the grass. ara felt really bad for her. she looked like she was in a terrible state, and she guessed she must've had a bad day. everyone did. ara bent down slightly, reaching a hand out to the other girl. "you okay there? let's get you off the ground, yeah?"

⠀♡coded by uxie♡

[/div]

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[xpstitch]

Seoung Hyun was standing there. His parents having told him something no parent should ever say to a child whilst giving them away to go to college.

"If your going to act disgracefully at least stay out of our hair for a while" the had said before driving off once he had unpacked his bags and left the car.

With that final bit of hostility out of the way, they drove off with the sound of gravel and pavement shifting underneath the wheels of their tires. Having been left with that last little tid bit of a so called favor, Seong began to walk forward. As he walked he saw a pile of some sheets of paper on the ground. Hm. What this?, he wondered as he put down his bags to pick it up.

As he knelt down and picked up a couple of sheets of paper, turning them over and sideways to see if they were all the same. Huh. Yes. A pool party of so e sort.... Today. In fact.... He checked the time on his watch and...what do you know. As they'd have it, the party is not too long later today. Huh. Well if he were one of the social types he might have thought about going. But that would not be his way. He was not into all these commotion filled social scenes where he would be expected to not be himself for a moment.

There's just too much pressure. Too many hot guys to avoid looking at. Too many eyes looking at what he had to offer. (Which wasn't much.). Seong resigned to to not go as he set the papers down and pick his luggage back up. Time to find his room so he could find out where he could set all this stuff down and start doing stuff that had any meaning.

 

[madame moiselle]

location - his dormroom
tags - A lecto Uxie . D O V E jul Makomin

outfit - xx

Gabriel Nicolaev

Gabriel rolled his eyes to Ai calling him a douchebag, smirking slightly at the way she crossed her arms in a childish, frustrated manner. He knew he wasn't helping when it came to calming the fire, but it wasn't like he had been intending to. He only acted based on what he saw was going on. He met Esme's eye and caught her greeting nod, returning one back. Esme was entering some boiling waters here; he was only making sure she wouldn't enter them alone.\
As for scaring people off, Gabriel could say that he was used to it, but it didn't mean he liked it. Gabriel felt a tiny bud of shame for seeming so quick to judge Ai; people saw him as intimidating and abnormal for his tattooed appearance, not knowing that in truth, Gabriel wasn't really like that. Sure, put him in the right situation and he'll turn into one hell of a beast---growing up on the streets does that to you, but he's evolved from the lost, nearly parentless teenage boy with an endless store of anger cultivated from years of mistreatment and a harsh life on the streets.
He met people who had stayed by his side, met people he'd even come close to call family. With time, he became calmer, maturer, learned how to control his anger and most of all, be gentle. He learned to conserve his anger and gladiatorial energy for the ring; otherwise, outside of it, he was, for the most part, a passive giant, only coming in when he deemed it necessary.

"I was forced to," he muttered to answer Ara's disapproving question, not caring whether if she heard it or not. Right at that moment, someone else came bursting into the scene. A pale, light-haired Chinese-looking boy come over to them, looking to be of average height. He had the lithe, graceful body of a gymnast or skater, and Gabriel swore the guy looked somewhat familiar. It clicked the moment the guy called out Esme's name---the two were best friends, and Gabriel immediately remembered Esme introducing---what was his name---Xiao Yu?---to him sometime around last year. Xiao didn't seem like much; playful and cheery, seeming to always be surrounded by friends. And ever since that time, he seemed to have not changed much. Gabriel gave a small nod of greeting to Xiao's enthusiastic "hey guys!" before something else caught his attention.

The rhythmic clicking of heels drew Gabriel's attention to a slim, petite Asian girl dressed rather lavishly coming towards them, the clicking of her heels reverberating across every beam and wall of the spacious pool area. She walked with an elegant yet determined air, seeming to completely ignore the rest of them to complete whatever goal she had in mind. Gabriel, as the rest of them, watched in stunned silence as she walked past, in which Gabriel noted exactly how short she was as she passed him---why, she wouldn't go any higher than just below his shoulder. It was an amusing observation, and as Gabriel observed further, he noticed a wet piece of paper in her hand, seeing the familiar lettering of a certain pool party flyer, raising an eyebrow in slight confusion as she abandoned it at the recycling bin, as if she didn't want anything to do with it. She left just as quickly as she came, leaving Gabriel a bit flustered at the whole thing.

Ara, diligent as ever, broke the silence with a brilliant smile, already focused on the pool party, spouting instructions in no time. Gabriel sighed internally, forcing himself to move just as everyone else got to work on decorating the place. He mostly helped with putting the decorations on the walls, putting his height to use. Surprisingly, despite the odds, the committee as a whole managed to work together with little interruption, leading to about forty-five minutes later, where the unlikely group found themselves done, with even an hour to spare to prepare for the party.

Gabriel left with short goodbyes to both Esme and Ara and headed towards the male dormitories, surprised to see Wonho, his roommate, not there. Gabriel took the opportunity of being alone and busied himself by reading a few more pages of his book, The Grapes of Wrath, figuring he had the time, unlike the girls, who always seemed to take an absolute eternity getting ready. And though Gabriel wouldn't seem like the reading type at first glance, Gabriel had no choice but to pick up the habit when he had been hospitalized---he had to do something to entertain himself, didn't he? A good friend of his had recommended the hobby to him, and it stuck to him ever since.

After a mere ten minutes, Gabriel found himself putting the book down, deciding to take a quick shower just before the party. He was done in less than seven minutes, and for some reason, found himself gazing at the pool party flyer pinned up against the wall right outside the bathroom door, he himself wrapped in a comfortable towel, leaning against the tub, arms wrapped around his sides.
The pool party. Almost the entire school was going to be there. So many people...strangers...more people to judge him.
Then, as he thought more about it, nervousness began to grow.
Gabriel was never one for socializing. In fact, he had done little to none for the past two years up until maybe the last few months of last year, where he began to expand his circle of friends. He began to feel the overwhelming desire to not show up---just stick here, with his bed, his book, and his own peace. He didn't want to be stared at, didn't want to be singled out, even though he had no choice in the matter; his height and tattoos were pretty hard to miss. What if his injury began to act up again? So many dangerous possibilities when it came to a college party of any kind; Gabriel was afraid he would take a wrong step and boom, that all it would take to end it. He didn't want to be the object of pity again. No. No, not again.

Never again, thought Gabriel almost angrily as he straightened and exited the bathroom, about to unwrap the towel tightened around his body before his phone began to ring.
Frankie.
Gabriel knew it was him before even picking the damn thing up; all by instinct. A rush of contentment flowed through the young boxer's veins as he put the phone to his ear, glad to hear his mentor's hoarse voice once again.

"Ey, kiddo," greeted Frankie first, proceeding to cough before continuing, clearing his throat. "How you been?"

Gabriel's brows knitted together, knowing something was wrong. "What's wrong, coach?" he answered bluntly, concern laced in his tone.

"O-Oh that? Nothing, nothing; just some seasonal fits, that's all. How you been holding up, first week and all?"

"The boxing coach here still isn't letting me move up," answered Gabriel bitterly, remembering his little fiasco earlier that day. "It's been two years, Frankie. I'm sick and tired of going easy."

"No, Gabriel," responded Frankie, his tone stern. "This is helping you, not the opposite. Don't quit when you're tired; quit when you're done."

Gabriel took a moment to clench his jaw, accepting the advice despite the displeasure, tempted to tell Frankie that maybe he was done, despite knowing deep down he really wasn't. After a few moments of silence, he reprised once more.

"They got a pool party going on here," he said, glancing at the flyer. "It's gonna be....big."
"You going?" asked Frankie simply. His question was met with silence.
"No."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Let's just say," Frankie began, interrupted by another bout of coughing before going on. "A certain Taekwondo champion is coming back."
With that, and a small chuckle, Frankie hung up.

Gabriel blinked, confusion etched to his expression as he processed this. It didn't take less than a few seconds to know what, or who, his coach was talking about.

Xiao Gong.


Gabriel left the dorm looking quite the same, at least when it came to his side of the space. Messy bed, clothes strewn on the floor, unfinished piles of homework on the desk, some unwashed dishes chilling on the night table. Nothing was out of place, or missing...

Except for a few things, that is.

A pool towel, some swimming shorts, a swimming bag, and most of all, an eager spirit ready to reunite with an old friend.

Spoiler: Mobile Friendly Version

Gabriel rolled his eyes to Ai calling him a douchebag, smirking slightly at the way she crossed her arms in a childish, frustrated manner. He knew he wasn't helping when it came to calming the fire, but it wasn't like he had been intending to. He only acted based on what he saw was going on. He met Esme's eye and caught her greeting nod, returning one back. Esme was entering some boiling waters here; he was only making sure she wouldn't enter them alone.
As for scaring people off, Gabriel could say that he was used to it, but it didn't mean he liked it. Gabriel felt a tiny bud of shame for seeming so quick to judge Ai; people saw him as intimidating and abnormal for his tattooed appearance, not knowing that in truth, Gabriel wasn't really like that. Sure, put him in the right situation and he'll turn into one hell of a beast---growing up on the streets does that to you, but he's evolved from the lost, nearly parentless teenage boy with an endless store of anger cultivated from years of mistreatment and a harsh life on the streets.
He met people who had stayed by his side, met people he'd even come close to call family. With time, he became calmer, maturer, learned how to control his anger and most of all, be gentle. He learned to conserve his anger and gladiatorial energy for the ring; otherwise, outside of it, he was, for the most part, a passive giant, only coming in when he deemed it necessary.

"I was forced to," he muttered to answer Ara's disapproving question, not caring whether if she heard it or not. Right at that moment, someone else came bursting into the scene. A pale, light-haired Chinese-looking boy come over to them, looking to be of average height. He had the lithe, graceful body of a gymnast or skater, and Gabriel swore the guy looked somewhat familiar. It clicked the moment the guy called out Esme's name---the two were best friends, and Gabriel immediately remembered Esme introducing---what was his name---Xiao Yu?---to him sometime around last year. Xiao didn't seem like much; playful and cheery, seeming to always be surrounded by friends. And ever since that time, he seemed to have not changed much. Gabriel gave a small nod of greeting to Xiao's enthusiastic "hey guys!" before something else caught his attention.

The rhythmic clicking of heels drew Gabriel's attention to a slim, petite Asian girl dressed rather lavishly coming towards them, the clicking of her heels reverberating across every beam and wall of the spacious pool area. She walked with an elegant yet determined air, seeming to completely ignore the rest of them to complete whatever goal she had in mind. Gabriel, as the rest of them, watched in stunned silence as she walked past, in which Gabriel noted exactly how short she was as she passed him---why, she wouldn't go any higher than just below his shoulder. It was an amusing observation, and as Gabriel observed further, he noticed a wet piece of paper in her hand, seeing the familiar lettering of a certain pool party flyer, raising an eyebrow in slight confusion as she abandoned it at the recycling bin, as if she didn't want anything to do with it. She left just as quickly as she came, leaving Gabriel a bit flustered at the whole thing.

Ara, diligent as ever, broke the silence with a brilliant smile, already focused on the pool party, spouting instructions in no time. Gabriel sighed internally, forcing himself to move just as everyone else got to work on decorating the place. He mostly helped with putting the decorations on the walls, putting his height to use. Surprisingly, despite the odds, the committee as a whole managed to work together with little interruption, leading to about forty-five minutes later, where the unlikely group found themselves done, with even an hour to spare to prepare for the party.

Gabriel left with short goodbyes to both Esme and Ara and headed towards the male dormitories, surprised to see Wonho, his roommate, not there. Gabriel took the opportunity of being alone and busied himself by reading a few more pages of his book, The Grapes of Wrath, figuring he had the time, unlike the girls, who always seemed to take an absolute eternity getting ready. And though Gabriel wouldn't seem like the reading type at first glance, Gabriel had no choice but to pick up the habit when he had been hospitalized---he had to do something to entertain himself, didn't he? A good friend of his had recommended the hobby to him, and it stuck to him ever since.

After a mere ten minutes, Gabriel found himself putting the book down, deciding to take a quick shower just before the party. He was done in less than seven minutes, and for some reason, found himself gazing at the pool party flyer pinned up against the wall right outside the bathroom door, he himself wrapped in a comfortable towel, leaning against the tub, arms wrapped around his sides.
The pool party. Almost the entire school was going to be there. So many people...strangers...more people to judge him.
Then, as he thought more about it, nervousness began to grow.
Gabriel was never one for socializing. In fact, he had done little to none for the past two years up until maybe the last few months of last year, where he began to expand his circle of friends. He began to feel the overwhelming desire to not show up---just stick here, with his bed, his book, and his own peace. He didn't want to be stared at, didn't want to be singled out, even though he had no choice in the matter; his height and tattoos were pretty hard to miss. What if his injury began to act up again? So many dangerous possibilities when it came to a college party of any kind; Gabriel was afraid he would take a wrong step and boom, that all it would take to end it. He didn't want to be the object of pity again. No. No, not again.

Never again, thought Gabriel almost angrily as he straightened and exited the bathroom, about to unwrap the towel tightened around his body before his phone began to ring.
Frankie.
Gabriel knew it was him before even picking the damn thing up; all by instinct. A rush of contentment flowed through the young boxer's veins as he put the phone to his ear, glad to hear his mentor's hoarse voice once again.

"Ey, kiddo," greeted Frankie first, proceeding to cough before continuing, clearing his throat. "How you been?"

Gabriel's brows knitted together, knowing something was wrong. "What's wrong, coach?" he answered bluntly, concern laced in his tone.

"O-Oh that? Nothing, nothing; just some seasonal fits, that's all. How you been holding up, first week and all?"

"The boxing coach here still isn't letting me move up," answered Gabriel bitterly, remembering his little fiasco earlier that day. "It's been two years, Frankie. I'm sick and tired of going easy."

"No, Gabriel," responded Frankie, his tone stern. "This is helping you, not the opposite. Don't quit when you're tired; quit when you're done."

Gabriel took a moment to clench his jaw, accepting the advice despite the displeasure, tempted to tell Frankie that maybe he was done, despite knowing deep down he really wasn't. After a few moments of silence, he reprised once more.

"They got a pool party going on here," he said, glancing at the flyer. "It's gonna be....big."
"You going?" asked Frankie simply. His question was met with silence.
"No."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Let's just say," Frankie began, interrupted by another bout of coughing before going on. "A certain Taekwondo champion is coming back."
With that, and a small chuckle, Frankie hung up.

Gabriel blinked, confusion etched to his expression as he processed this. It didn't take less than a few seconds to know what, or who, his coach was talking about.

Xiao Gong.


Gabriel left the dorm looking quite the same, at least when it came to his side of the space. Messy bed, clothes strewn on the floor, unfinished piles of homework on the desk, some unwashed dishes chilling on the night table. Nothing was out of place, or missing...

Except for a few things, that is.

A pool towel, some swimming shorts, a swimming bag, and most of all, an eager spirit ready to reunite with an old friend.

 

[Clouds]

Kim Hye-Sin​

Location: In front of the pool [squatted down looking at a flyer].
Tags: Open for conversation.

The day started with one hell of a run, the sun greeting her face, welcoming her into the daylight after having been holed up in her room for the night and a huge part of the morning. Deciding that it was the best time to just go for a run. Firstly walking towards the pool where she stuffed her spare clothes and shoes into a locker which she would pick up later. Stuffing her keys and phone into the pocket of her jogging pants which were rather baggy, only wearing a sport bra and sporting shoes which made it way easier to run around for a longer period of time. After checking her watch for the time and going over her running route, she nodded to herself and started her training. Having a good posture as she had been doing this for several years already, even her coach had complimented her about it. Her ponytail swaying from left to right due to the movements she made, occasionally throwing some punches which still needed some practice. Having her earphones in which played some upbeat music to keep her tempo up, mainly consisting of pop music.

Time went by easily this way, almost as if she didn’t even notice it. Having stopped by at some training spots of other clubs which she joined for a bit, some giving her tips about how she should use her muscles better while others just told her what she already knew. Once she reached the building of the pool, she grinned as she managed to run about ten kilometers this time which was a bit more than the usual. Wiping some sweat away from her forehead as she walked towards her locker, stuffing her shoes and accessories/gadgets inside and taking out her spare clothes, towel and shampoo. Making her way to the showers. Putting her stuff on an empty bench before jumping in, feeling the water trickling down her skin, cooling her off almost immediately. A silly grin on her lips as she enjoyed the bit of relaxation time she had.

Within only fifteen minutes, she finished and went to blow-dry her hair, putting her clothes on which consisted of nothing more than a white crop top and black jeans, letting her hair hang loose instead of a ponytail. Humming once she was finished, putting her jogging outfit in a small bag, checking the place once more before exiting the room. Once she started walking out, she finally noticed that there were other people in there as well which she didn’t manage to see before. Perhaps because she just wasn’t paying her surroundings any attention. Wondering why they assembled there in the first place. Her pace was a bit too quick however and nearly slipped on a wet spot, barely regaining her balance with an additional swearing to what just happened. Running a hand through her hair as she glared towards the floor as she made her way out of there, hoping that nobody had seen that.

Once back to the lockers, she put on her black and white sneakers, putting her cellphone, earphones and keys into her jeans before getting outside again. Just then a piece of paper flew by, catching her attention. Squatting down to take a look at it only to see that there was a pool party going to happen here. “So that’s why they gathered…” She muttered to herself absent-mindedly as if she was trying to figure things out which were completely unnecessary. Wondering if she should go or not regarding her training, having slacked off the past two days hence the reason why she increased her running this day. Ruffling through her own hair as she tried to decide what to do.