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Young Writers Society


Pierpoint Academy (Gravity and Europa)



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Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:32 pm
Atticus says...



Is this open to other people or no?
[he/him]

"tiktok and giving children meth are my passions" ~ @ShadowVyper
"carinas long foretold chaos protege" ~ @veeren
"smol bean, future of chaos" ~ @carina





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45 Reviews



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Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:42 pm
Europa says...



No, sorry.





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Thu Jun 29, 2017 6:30 am
Gravity says...



Aria

"Aria," a voice huffed behind me, "Aria."

I was walking to the dining hall on my own, hoping to get something to eat when Xander caught up with me.

"Hi Xander," I said, about as warmly as I ever did. I even gave him a small smile, startling him.

"Careful Callahan, you could blind somebody with that thing," he joked, and I carefully rearranged my face to the stone wall it normally was.

"What's going on, Xander? It must be important for you to be approaching me in broad daylight."

"It is. I thought about what you said, about needing all hands on deck. I will allow Cassia to help on two conditions."

"What might those conditions be?" I asked.

"Number one, you let Crow participate. He has to choose a side, he's a shark. If he doesn't fight with you, he has to fight with them, and he's too valuable for us to risk that. We need everyone we can get right now."

"What is your other term?"

"That Cassia's role in this will be to train others in archery, and that on the actual day of the war game she doesn't have a position in direct combat. I would rather have her positioned with the snipers on the rooftops, out of the way."

"Xander, you know this is just a sim," I said, "Cassia will be safe."

"Sharks play dirty. I don't buy the fact that no real weapons will be used."

I sighed, "Is that all?" I asked.

"That's it," he confirmed.

"I'll think about it," I said, and then turned away.

Xander grabbed my shoulder in frustration and spun me around. "We do not have time to 'think' about it. Our archers need to start training now and we can't risk another day in which Crow might start sleeping with the enemy. You need to make a decision right now."

"Xander, I understand your anger but sometimes making decisions like this require patience."

"No, Aria. You have to understand that Cassia is the only person on this Earth I care about. I am willing to tell her about this secret rebellion and risk the chance of her being injured, small as it may be, because I understand the importance of overturning the sharks. If we allow them to stay on top, they will occupy the top military positions when we are adults and will be responsible for the safety of our country. I don't trust them to do that. Not having Crow might not make us lose, but we need every advantage we can get. So you need to suck it up, get over whatever it is that's going on with Hokkaido, and realize that the future of our country rests in your hands."

he paused, "You beat Evangeline Lakewood, the most skilled assassin in the country. there are very few people who reach your skill level and have mercy for others. I stand behind you because I believe in you and I trust you to run our military one day. This isn't some stupid high school game to me."

"Fine," I said, "fine. I'll go talk to Crow."

"Thank you," Xander replied, and then walked away. I continued into the dining hall and spotted, speak of the devil, Crow.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked, whispering to him.

"Thought you were mad at me," Crow said.

"I am, but Xander spoke to me and..." I hesitated, not wanting to let Crow see through the facade I put on. Then I remembered what Xander said. "We need you. This is too important to let some petty argument get in the way."

"But I'm still a target to Lakewood, that hasn't changed."

"That just means that to keep you safe we have to work that much harder to eliminate her. You and I both know Eva isn't a martial artist, and the rest of the sharks aren't either. They lack grace and skill in defense. I need you to help teach the others how to use that weakness against them, it's the only way."

"You're right," Crow said. "I'll see you at practice tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," I said.

"What about what you said earlier?" Crow asked, "Don't we need to talk about that still?"

I turned away from him, afraid that if I looked into his eyes I would break down. "That's not important right now." and then I walked away.

@Europa
And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs,
And prayers and proclamations

-Florence + The Machine (All This and Heaven Too)





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Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:31 pm
Europa says...



Evangeline Lakewood

We left the bunker as a unit. Sharks rising from chairs and rolling from their bunks as I jumped down from my own bunk. Aria's bunk below me was practically untouched. I turned away from it and stared out at the rest of the bunker. The others stood behind me, watching. Rourke leaned against the wall on my right hand.

"Well, Lakewood?" He smirked. I turned away from him and thrust open the door. The others began to move the moment I stepped out the door. Massing together into a single pack. Me in front. Rourke beside me. Other students quickly scurried out of the way as we passed, watching with nervous eyes until we passed. Anyone I made eye contact with looked away, hurrying as if they had someplace important to be. I doubted this early in the morning, many of them did. I turned my eyes ahead. Through the morning fog, the large steel building loomed closer. The door swung open and two people stepped out, quickly followed by a small group of about a half dozen. They strode off away from the gym and toward us, the mist melting away as they came closer. I glared. The group was made up of students of every year group, all with bows in their hands and quivers of arrows on their backs. Cassia lead the way, gloved arms clutched to her sides, keeping her eyes fixed dutifully ahead. Ever beside her, with that same murderous scowls darkening his face, was Xander. Our eyes locked from across the courtyard. He slowed down for a moment, prowling past me like some vicious animal. I lifted my chin, meeting his eyes until he passed. Rourke's hand drifted to his gun. I held out a hand.
"Not yet."
Rourke watched the group go, hand slowly twitching away from his gun. We kept walking, trooping toward the still open door just as another group exited. Thier leader stopped abruptly, stopping just short of bumping into me. I smiled.
"Well now. If it isn't everyone's favorite redhead. Where's your pet bird?"
"Lakewood." Aria's face remained impassive. "Taking the dogs for a run?"
Behind me, my Sharks bristled. Rourke raised one eyebrow at me and reached for his gun, asking my permission. I shook my head.
"You might want to watch your mouth, Callahan. I know you at least would rather not have any casualties. Now, I assume you and you're sharkbait are done using the gym?"
The group behind her tensed collectively. An older girl near the front balled her hands into fists and took a few steps forward. Aria held out an arm to stop her. Her eyes were still, never leaving mine.
"Yes, Lakewood. We are."
"Good." I nodded, waving my Sharks forward. "I would hate to get mixed up in any...unwanted conflict. I slipped through the door, my army behind me, and let it swing shut with a heavy clang. Only then did I let my smirk fall. "They're getting bolder." I murmured to Rourke. The other Sharks spread out accross the gym, some picking up equipment, others pairing off into sparring groups. I paced around the perimeter, observing their work. Rourke stayed by my side, hands in his pockets, guns bouncing at his sides.
"It's a probelm." He agreed. "But one that could be easily eliminated." He pointed up to the rafters. "How certain are you they'll remember to look up?"
"An ambush." I mused, following his pointing finger. The beams supporting the roof were thick and strong. High enough that they blended in perfectly with the shadows.

"When Aria and her little playgroup came out," Rourke continued "they were unarmed. Most likey they use this gym for practice in hand-to-hand combat. They won't be prepared for an armed assault."
"The entire army wiped out in one night." I turned my attention to the horde of Sharks, all training with the same ferocity as a true war.
"they could do it." Rourke voice grew soft, pulsing with a strange, dark yearning. "Every last one of those insugents destroyed in a matter of minutes. No one would dare challenge us again. We'll show them what happens when the weak defy the strong."

Flash.
An empty backstreet. My arm crushed in the grip of a man. Cold blue eyes staring into mine. Him shouting words I couldn't hear. A woman lying on the ground in front of us, facedown. Her hair falling in golden curls around her shoulders. Pooling on the ground. Ends stiffened by her own blood.
In his other hand, the man was holding a gun.


"No!" I didn't know the word had escaped my mouth until I saw the way Rourke was looking at me. The ends of his mouth quirked down. Eyebrow raised. I took a breath.
"No." I said again in a calmer tone. "It's a waste of our energy. This resitance is brave. Idealistic. It doesn't mean they hold the skill necesarry to defeat us. The games are coming up in a few days. The rest of the school will be watching us then. They'll get to see firsthand how I handle resistance."


.........

The car glided to a stop at the end of the driveway. The driver stared up at the gates. They remained closed. A guard was coming down the steps from his position in front and towards the car. The driver glanced nervously back at his passenger. He sat still, impassive, one hand resting on the holster of his pistol. His icy eyes stared ahead, piercing through the driver and out the windshield. Seeming to cut straight through the gates, seeing everything. The driver returned his gaze to the building in front of him. The guard was knocking on the window. The driver rolled it down. The guard opened his mouth to speak.
"I'm afraid you can't--"
A small cough sounded from the back. The guard stared over the driver's shoulder to the man in the back. His eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his surprise.
"Forgive me, sir. We weren't expecting you until next week."
The man nodded, his expression unchanging. "And yet here I am." His eyes narrowed. "I didn't expect my arrival to cause any trouble."
The guard swallowed. "Of course not, Sir." He straightened and hurried back to his booth. moments later, the gates slowly swung inward. The driver let out an invisible sigh of relief. The car slid forward, slipping through the gates. Its engine whispered to a stop, and the driver stepped out, rushing to open the side door before retreating back into the driver's seat. The man stepped out, straightening gracefully. He surveyed the courtyard in front of him. Students hurrying to classes, heads down. He squinted against the sun, searching. In the distance, he spotted a small, portly man striding towards him, military uniform stretched across his bulk. The man inclined his head respectfully. The other man didn't return the gesture.
"Customarily, subordinates are supposed to salute to their superiors, First Lieutenant.
"My apologies, Colonel." The First Lieutenant said, obliging. "I meant no disrespect, sir."
The Colonel's only reply was a grunted "at ease."
The Lieutenant lowered his salute.
"You're early." The Colonel scowled.
"Yes, sir." The Lieutenant kept his eyes ahead. "I was hoping to spend time with my daughter before the games."
The Colonel frowned, thick eyebrows bristling. "You're here for one thing only, Lieutenant, and that's to help instructor Rodriguez oversee the match next week."
"Yes, sir."
"I have already denied Rodriguez's request to continue his training of Callahan. Both of you are to remain the neutral party. You both are denied any contact with all students involved in this. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. In that case, I'll instruct the staff to prepare your quarters." The Colonel turned away.
"You are dismissed."
The Lieutenant saluted again and marched briskly away. Once out of view of the Colonel, the march slowed to a stroll. He looked up at the bunker in front of him. A black number eighteen was painted above the door. He smiled. Yes, this is the place. He stood straight, ignoring the heat for the sun. Ignoring the students giving him odd looks. His eyes scanned the grounds patiently. The crowds soon disappeared as students entered classrooms and gyms. The sun rose high into the center of the sky. Still he waited. Still and stoic an immovable as if he had grown there. A minute passed into an hour. An hour into two. The doors swung open again. Students poured out and once again the courtyard was filled. The Lieutenant resumed his search. Eyes sorting through the crowd for a glimpse of her face, a flash of white blonde hair or brilliant blue eyes. A smaller group slunk out of the gym closest to the bunker. The Lieutenant's gaze swung towards them. He smiled.
She was there, talking in a hushed voice to a small knot of students. two were easlily recognizable. Wise, his hair the color of dried blood waving in the gentle breeze. Hewitt, eyes flat and dead, face a mask of boredom. The third he had never seen before, but he strolled along easily as Evangeline's side, looking to the others with a manner of superiority that made the corners of the Lieutenant's mouth twitch upwards. Evangeline said something else, obviously an order for them to leave. The three boys dispersed immediately. Evangeline didn't watch them go. He gaze turned from where her companions used to be to stare ahead of her. Her eyes leveled with his as she did. Evangeline stopped walking. Students moved around her, giving the girl wider berth, as if afraid her touch were deadly. She stood in her own pocket of empty space, trapped in the Lieutenant's gaze. from where he stood, the Lieutenant couldn't see clearly the expression on his daughter's face. He nodded slowly to her, then turned away, slipping into the space between the bunkers and disappearing into the darkness.








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