August 9th, Wednesday, Carnegie Campus 8:19 am The first day of classes was fair, cool, and calm, practically perfect weather for ushering in the autumn semester. The world seemed little changed, however, even though people could feel that something significant was about to happen, that this year could be different- and even if it weren't, humble Tellus was the same as ever, predictably shifting into its seasons as it always had, even though the worlds of many people had been altered quite sharply. Elisa Berkeley could appreciate the stillness that morning had to offer; she had been up since dawn, preparing for her day, thinking about what had transpired last night, and now she believed she was prepared for whatever the day had to offer. Except... On the surface, she still felt the same. Her hands and fingers still had their familiar strength. Her mouth still had all her teeth, lips still smooth and gentle, voice still meek and unassuming, and when she looked in the mirror, she still saw the same slight, fair, somewhat frantic British girl she had always seen, no more altered than the world itself. This was merely a new season for her; she was not different at all. And yet... She bent down to get a drink and wiped her lips numbly, thinking back to what had happened last night. She remembered it all with amazing clarity; it was like it had been burned into her skin. She had neglected to spend the entire night with Nadia, but was later called back into the crowd; she felt happy and even giddy for this inclusion, despite the unexpected levels of sexuality being thrown around. She was still civil little Elisa- she refused to take her shirt off or do anything sultry- but she had also deviated from her tired routine: she had "bent" herself, if only for a little while. Elisa had changed, but perhaps she felt a change was in order. She had been herself for so long that she had grown bored. An alteration seemed in order. But to that extreme? What extreme? They just kissed, that's all. She had kissed a girl before. Elisa was fairly sure she was bisexual, but she had never felt entirely comfortable around either gender. Men made her feel confused and women made her feel guilty. But Nadia seemed different. Even when they were at that nightclub together, Nadia had been the odd one out, flaunting her gaiety and yet containing within her a well of stark maturity, a sensation so powerful that it struck Elisa and made her reconsider the young Russian. They spoke little when they reunited later- admittedly, Elisa's eyes often focused on Nadia's innocent bare chest- but something new came out of that second encounter, something that continued to nag at Elisa even though she knew that nothing was really different. And she kissed Nadia at the end, when they were leaving the club so they could go home. She kissed her, a bold move for anybody, but revolutionary considering Elisa acted first. But this was Nadia; she was a revolutionary woman. Elisa realized she had a fierce crush on the cheery girl, and was looking forward to their date later today- and their career together as soccer players. She already knew about Khovansky's fun, sexy side; now she wanted to see what kind of strength resided behind that smile, what thoughts and feelings she possessed, and how she viewed the world and everyone around it. She wanted to be with her; she wanted to be her girlfriend. She even entertained the possibility that Nadia felt the same. "But even so," she murmured to herself as she walked into her first class, "the world had not changed one bit. I'm the only one." And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "Game Night" Freya von Hohenheim didn't think of college as a means of mastering a trade or even acquiring an education, but rather, as a way to brush up on career techniques, new ideas, and fresh technology. Starting her computer graphics company "Mirage" and maintaining it was a relatively easy procedure, since she had the drive, the funds, and the mindset to make it all happen. She only went to college for three reasons: one, to keep up with the trends so her company wouldn't be left behind; two, to interact with people of a different social class (it was utter nonsense to maintain the outdated hierarchy of social separation in this day and age); and three, to run for student council Vice President. Why not president? Because despite her wealth, intelligence, and class, Freya had her age going against her: only upperclassmen could run for President. Besides, VP had more perks and less stress. Most students would not sign up for advanced Computer Graphics, Animation, Web Design, Java, and C+ Programming classes on their first semester, but they were merely refresher courses for Freya; she could almost teach them herself. Still, she had an impressive income and the will to learn, and occasionally she did discover something she never knew before, in spite of her resources. Signing up for Vice President was a little more challenging, since Freya was a newcomer to Carnegie. But she was incredibly popular with both men and women, and even the faculty. The sports fanatics supported her since she was the manager of a soccer team, the technical group favored her for her small business, the elite were in awe of her sophistication, and the underprivileged were touched by her generosity. In the future, her opponent would realize how outclassed he was, and would concede the race, but for the time being, he still clung to his nomination, matching wits against a superior adversary. Oddly enough, all this was Maria's idea. While she was unreservedly loyal to Freya and would sooner take a bullet than cause her any harm, Maria was also a selfish manipulator. This all went back to the day when they first met, nearly fifteen years earlier: Maria had been Freya's first friend and first love, and how dare that "newcomer" Shiki get in the way! She signed Freya up for VP so she could make use of the student council room and every privilege the title offered, and she constantly kept trying to get her mother (who was widowed) and Freya's father (who was also a widower) together in the hopes that they would marry; then she would be able to live with Freya as well, instead of just visit her. Of course, this would also make them stepsisters, but Maria didn't think it would harm the relationship since they wouldn't be related by blood. Freya loved Maria for her efforts and was grateful to have such a meddlesome friend, but really, now... Since Shiki was her maid and not her classmate, she did not attend any classes and instead kept the estate in order while she waited for her mistress to be released. This forced her to rely on Maria to protect her, and while it was a little irritating to trust somebody so precious to an imp like Maria, Shiki would rather have her than nobody. Besides, even though she couldn't hold her own in a fight, Maria had other ways of scaring people off. That time when she blackmailed an enemy of Freya's was probably more damaging than the beating Shiki had given her. "I wonder whatever became of her," Freya muttered to herself as she wheeled from Programming to Graphics and Design. She hadn't been thinking about her old nemesis for awhile now; it was almost a faded memory. Even though they had only met a few times several years ago, the impression stayed strong. Freya normally tried to see the good in people and worked hard to bring out the best in them, but some folks were just plain rotten throughout, like a disease. Alexia Kaiser had been one of those people: she nearly killed Freya, broke several of Shiki's bones, and indirectly led to Maria's father's suicide. Freya wanted to forgive her, but the old wounds remained, and she was as bitter and frightened as before. She tried to clear her head by drinking from the fountain, but the malice remained. Freya could tolerate anything if it was aimed at her, but if somebody messed with her friends and family... "Excuse me, miss?" She pulled her hair back and turned around, stopping the flow of water. A beautiful upperclasswoman was standing there, her arms stretched atop her head, her midriff bare, and her eyes dull and studious. "I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, "but I've been seeing you around, and I have to ask: have we met somewhere before? You look familiar." "It's possible. Did you ever live in Germany?" "Yes, I was born and raised there." "So was I, so we may have met there. Uh, my name's Freya. Maybe that rings a bell." "Freya Serhild von Hohenheim?!" she gasped. Freya stared at her cautiously. "At your service..." "I thought we had gotten rid of each other," she girl said, raising her guard. "I doubt you've forgotten me. I ruined your life and you ruined mine." It all came back to Freya in an instant, and she slowly backed away, wishing that Maria or at least one of her teammates were here. "Alexia Kaiser... You mean you enrolled here?" "After years of false starts, thanks to you." "If you've suffered, it's your own fault!" Freya snapped. "How dare you play the martyr after everything you did!" "I didn't do anything! I just told you how your mother really died, is all." "I had a heart attack thanks to you! Shiki was sent to the hospital after you broke her ribs, and Maria's father killed himself in disgrace!" "You can't honestly think I did all that on purpose! Look, the part about your mother was a mistake, but I was just some jealous little brat back then; I didn't know what would happen! As for your maid-friend, I was defending myself! It's not like I ever attacked you." "Shiki believed you did," she growled menacingly. "And as far as I'm concerned, she had every right to pummel you. But not even that's as bad as what you did to William Maethers!" "Look- for one, the public already thought he was a crooked cop long before I aired all his dirty laundry! If he really wanted to fight them, he could have! I didn't force him to kill himself! Second, all that's in the past, all right?! I was just jealous, that's all. Sheesh. I only stopped you because I thought you looked familiar." "Then I suggest you avoid me from now on," she snarled. Freya was shaking with anger; her body wouldn't be able to take much more. Alexia made an offensive gesture and turned her back. "Fine with me! Your people have caused me nothing but trouble anyway! Hell, maybe we're just even now." "Maybe you had better shut up!" Freya screamed, adding a few vicious phrases in German. She gasped breathlessly, fell to the floor, and crawled to the nearest classroom, where the teacher immediately called for the school doctor. Freya would recover from her shock in time, but now the knowledge that her old foe was wandering the hallways would continue to haunt her. She would either have to keep a strong front or else fear every corner and every empty hallway from now on. - Felicity Velur, DOB: June 21st, Gemini, forward- What a long day that was! It seemed even longer since Jen didn't get much sleep last night- she had been dancing with Valencia until midnight- and she was also looking forward to game night at Parody, which was only about five hours away. She was so tired and worn-out that she felt tempted to just go home and take the rest of the day off, but she had homework to finish. It was malicious of her instructors to assign something on the first day, and downright vile of them to expect it to be finished by this Friday! And then there was practice! Jen was better at soccer than most people thought, but she still felt like she needed some refining, especially since she had been lounging around work and home a lot. She decided to jog for about half an hour, take a shower and a quick nap, then finish one small assignment before heading off to Parody. Robin usually had snacks and drinks there; she would just grab a small bite to eat before heading off. It was no stretch to say that Jennifer Andre loved video games. She had practically every system in existence, from the original Nintendo to the PS3, and her prized possession was an arcade Simpsons game. Jennifer was a founding member of Parody's game night, in fact, and donated plenty of her games toward the cause. That she was also an active soccer player surprised several people: gaming and real-life sports didn't usually mix, but somehow, Jen pulled it off. She actually preferred sports for their team-oriented structure, but anything that brought people together for a common purpose was all right with her. She just wasn't all about one or the other. Unlike her present girlfriend, Jennifer didn't consider herself particularly sexual. She had dated more guys than women, actually, and had never been interested in the same sex except for a few isolated instances. Once, years ago in high school, she thought she had been in love with a woman, but that ended for her, and here she was, left with the ghosts of her own feelings. Valencia was a great friend and she was very exciting, but probably not what Jen was looking for. They were from two different worlds, and while it would be terrible to have too much in common, it would be just as bad if they couldn't relate to each other at all. Besides, she didn't feel like she was at that point where relationships really mattered: she just wanted friends and to share things with them. Dancing and gaming was fine; making out and petting were distant fantasies. Jogging reminded her that she needed to devote more time to exercising. She ran the mile in twelve minutes- not bad, but she could certainly do better. Her upper body strength was also suffering, and she was growing soft from too many evenings spent in front of a television. At least she was eating right; a poor diet would spell doom for her sports life. The shower and nap did wonders for her body: she felt rejuvenated and ready for anything (too bad this couldn't carry over to mornings!). Parody closed at 9:00 and the games started ten minutes later, so she had plenty of time to finish her Applied Computer Sciences assignment. It wasn't difficult, just time-consuming and a little dull. When she finally finished, she packed a light snack and her cell phone, and jumped down the stairs for her car. "Terra, hi," she said as her friend picked up. "Are you at the store right now? ...Oh, good. Okay. Say, ask Robin what she's going to have to eat there. ...Sure, I'll wait." Parody wasn't far, but she didn't want to walk there: two miles was brutal on foot if you were in a hurry. She was halfway there before Terra answered her. "Fausta's ordering from Quizno's. Robin said she might have some snacks and drinks there as well." "Okay, so I don't need to worry about food. Do you know who else is coming?" "Well, I heard that Gardenia invited Felicity, but you can guess how that turned out. Nadia and Elisa will be together, and Kasumi and Odessa will be there as well. Uh, I don't think Alice and Rain are going to make it, and Freya canceled at the last minute. Lauren and Arina will be there, but Amy's working." "This late? Is Chili's even open?" "She got her schedule changed so she could work part-time on weekdays. She told me she'd try to make it, but no guarantees." "All right, that sounds like a fair crowd. Hey, I'm at the parking lot right now, so I'll see you soon." "Okay. Uh, what about Val? Is she making it?" Jen pursed her lips angrily as she realized she had promised to pick her date up. Whoops. "I knew I forgot something," she muttered. "Oh, bummer. Do you think she'll break up with you for this?" "Not a chance," she chuckled darkly, pulling back out of the lot. "She may very well thank me. Val's as comfortable around gamers as I was around everyone last night." "Yeah, I heard that was pretty wild. So what was it like?" Jennifer tried not to think about it too hard. Suffice to say that Topless Tuesday lived up to its reputation. "It's exactly what you think it is," she answered. Terra giggled nervously. "Oh, then I guess it was good that I didn't come." "You should at least try it out." "What, you mean on Tuesday?" "No! Just whenever you feel like it. Okay, I'm at her place. I guess I'll see you when I get there. Keep the food hot and the games going." "Will do." Jennifer sighed, hung up, and found a space to park in. Valencia lived in a luxury apartment suite-loft about 20 minutes away from campus (on foot), so it was a little intimidating for someone like Jen to approach it and buzz her way through. When she knocked at Valencia's front door, the beautiful designer was standing there in a rather revealing outfit. It wasn't so gaudy as to be offensive- rather, it glowed with honest sex appeal, startling but not shocking, eye-popping but not jaw-dropping, seductive but not slutty- something a classy lady would wear for the evening. In a sense, the outfit had a very pure quality, and any man (or woman questioning her sexuality) would find it hard to resist. Valencia had a sultry smile on her face and welcomed Jennifer with a slow kiss on the cheek. "Is it too much to hope that you decided to change our date tonight?" she wondered. "Uh, I hate to burst your bubble, but..." Valencia sulked as her hopes deflated. "Sorry. So just what are you dressed up for?" "Well, I was hoping I could make you forget. Maybe then we could go someplace a little more...romantic?" "What did you have in mind?" Never let it be said that Jennifer wasn't open to new ideas. She could always go to game night next week, but this moment might never come again. "There's this really romantic Spanish restaurant that just opened up I wanted to check out. We could go dancing there- I mean, real dancing- and after that, we could come back here for dessert." "That does sound fun," Jen said, mirroring Valencia's hopeful smile, "but we made a deal. I went along dancing with you, so you have to go gaming with me. It's just this one time, Val: I promise to take you up on your offer next time." "Is that what you really want?" Jen nodded. "You said you would. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I want you to keep your word." "Then excuse me while I slip into something more pedestrian," she sighed dejectedly. Jen waited by her door for about ten minutes, worried that she had offended Valencia beyond recovery, and was about to walk in and reverse her decision when her date emerged, wearing shorts and a plain red polo shirt. It wasn't nearly as risqué compared to her other outfit, but it did help bring out her natural beauty. "You actually look better now," Jen smiled. Valencia rolled her eyes and the two of them linked arms. "Whatever. I suppose I could go along with you this one time." "That's all I'm asking for." - Nadia Khovansky, DOB: May 19, Gemini, defensive midfielder- Jennifer was worried that she had missed something, but she was not even the last one to arrive (that honor belonged to Lauren, who loved being fashionably late). Her teammates were already socializing, snacking, and warming up on a few games, but she wasn't left out of anything. Thanks to her occasional donations, Robin usually had between three and six consoles running at the same time (and at least one PC for "those" people); today it was two Wiis, an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, and an arcade DDR. Kasumi and Terra had become friends over a game of Halo 3; people were surprised at just how good she was at that game, and she even managed to beat Jen once when she stepped up. "Pretty good, DC girl," she complimented. "However, I've only been warming up until now! Prepare for insane amounts of PWNage!" "Bring it, bitch!" Kasumi grinned, abandoning her manners. Luckily, it was perfectly all right to swear on game night: Fausta and Nadia let a few colorful phrases loose as Odessa and Gardenia beat them at Gears of War. "I've been murdered by Flower Girl! My own boss!!" "This game is too violent for me anyway," Fausta grumbled, tossing her controller down. Gardenia and Odessa smirked, and decided to play each other for a prize. "The winner gets a lap dance from the loser," Odessa said. "How about the loser gives the winner a foot massage?" Gardenia suggested. "Hmm, doesn't sound quite as fun, but what the hell. Kasumi, you want in on our wager?" "Pass. We got a thing going on here." Fausta asked Robin if she had any "better" games, and was shown to the other Wii, where she was introduced to Mario Kart racing. Being Italian, Fausta had always liked the Ferrari grand prix, so she gave it a try and found it fairly amusing. Valencia sighed, feeling lonely and isolated in the corner. She had nothing against mindless entertainment like this, but she wasn't the type of person to sit staring at a television screen all day: she wanted to get up and move! Elisa knew just how she felt, so she walked up to her, offering a polite smile. "Aren't you having any fun? There are plenty of games here." "I'm just not that interested in them," she gestured. Elisa chuckled. "I know just what you mean, but it's fun being here with everybody. Tell you what: I'll see if I can steal Nadia away. We're going to try Dance Dance Revolution for awhile, against my better judgment, and you're welcome to join us." "There are dancing games now?" she balked. Elisa shrugged. "Yes, they've been out for some time now. I've seen people try them out; I don't know if it's more fun to watch or play." Valencia laughed as she followed her over to where Nadia was trying to regain her honor. "This I gotta see!" For the people gathered at Parody Bookstore that evening, game night ended too quickly. Even Robin and Gardenia were starting to yawn and nod off, despite how much fun they were having, and little by little the players trickled out, some of them taking the leftover food home. Even Lauren went home early, saying she needed to get her "beauty sleep"; only Terra, Jen, Kasumi, and Valencia stayed until midnight, when Robin finally brought the games to an end and ushered everybody out. Odessa waved at them as she returned to her club, and Jen shook hands with her new friends, happy that she finally found other women who shared her interests. "So I guess I'll see you at class and practice, huh?" "Yeah. Take it easy, Jen. Safe driving." "You too. Later!" She turned to smile apologetically at Valencia, who had shown saintly patience throughout the night. "Come on, Val, you can't say you didn't have any fun tonight." "It was certainly a change from the ordinary," she admitted. They got in the car and drove back to her loft. Along the way, Valencia sighed and dropped her guard, feeling it was time to be honest with herself. "Jen, I think it's time we break up. I just don't see the two of us getting into a relationship." "Yeah, I thought it would come to this," she replied. "Sorry I was such a bore. I guess we just come from different worlds. But I did have fun." "Yeah, me too. Maybe we should just be friends." "That sounds good. We were going a little too fast anyway." "I know," she smiled sadly. "I mean, what was I thinking with that outfit? And last night..." "It's no big deal. I'm just glad we broke up before we did anything we'd regret. Hey, if you want, we can still go to that restaurant." "Uh, no thanks, it's not the kind of place you'd take a friend. But hey, if you ever find some cute thing who likes the same things you do, maybe you can take her there." "Right, I'll keep that in mind," she tittered. "But what makes you think I'm taking another girl there? Didn't you know? I'm not a lesbian." This surprised Valencia, and she had a way of seeing through these things. "Oh, really? Um, well, I just thought...um, never mind. So was this like your first date with another girl?" "No," she laughed, "I'm sort of bi. But I really did have fun- and I probably will take you up on that suggestion. So, um...are you going to be okay?" "I'm not sure what you mean. It's not like you broke my heart, Jen. I just wanted to start dating again, and I thought you were pretty fun, so... No harm no foul, right?" "I guess. Anyway, here's your place. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." "Yeah, take care." They shook hands as Valencia got out of the car and went up to her loft. Jen smiled dreamily at her until she vanished. "It would've been nice... Oh well."
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