Seeds of Spira (Broomhandle45 and Candira)

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Broomhandle45

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The Mi'hen Concourse Academy was settled in the midway point between Luca and the latter half of the Mi'hen Highway. It was a beautiful mix of Lucan architecture and Al Behd ingenuity, a clean white look that was complimented by refined and efficient machinery of elevators and other conveniences to make it a striking statement of the unity of Spira. The Academy had become something of a local fixture in the last ten years. It was more than just a high borne school for excellent students, it was the next generation of protectors for Spira.

While political instability had settled years ago, the potential for dresspheres was a new problem that nobody had expected. While beneficial to nearly every experienced traveler and warrior, for those less accustomed to the mental rigors of combat and using a dressphere was immensely dangerous. And through the own rise of the Guardians at Mi'hen and Bevelle; they placed a high demand legally and a higher demand on the black market. They fought against everything from minor issues more dangerous than basic police problems such as a large fiend or dealing with the LeBlanc Syndicate smuggling dresspheres to people who can't honestly control them.

Being a student at either academy was the very best that Spira had to offer, fighting for the good of Spira for better or worse. For some, it was better...for others it was worse. Today was the big day for just about every Cadet, certification tests for their dresspheres had happened only a week ago. And they had been in the sorting process since then. Training, training...studying...more studying. It was the dull life of a student, but that would turn around for just about anyone who passed certification, which none of them knew if they really did or not just yet. That didn't stop many of them from being excited, others felt secure in their scores...some were dreading hearing them.

Garen Birkett was one of the handful of students that seemed incredibly smug about his chances, and on the other hand he was acting like he was about to bolt out of his seat. It was rather surprising that he of all people would be so confident, but that cool sense of accomplishment was fading fast under a impatient streak. Okay, sure...maybe he barely passed most academic tests...and maybe he really didn't seem too interested in most of the processes except actually getting a dressphere. But most people considered it some eccentric Al-Bhed quality that he would just so mindlessly assume he'd succeed...which could probably be a fair guess. He was the ideal Al-Bhed image, with his hair braided in spots here and there and a set of worn and abused goggles nestled above his head. In earlier days, they'd be worn to hide the swirling eyes that identified them for prejudice. While some of that hadn't gone away, anymore the goggles and the jumpsuits were unfashionable cultural points for his people. Thankfully, Garen was a little more inclined to human fashions -and it was a bit more normal to be wearing pants and a shirt anyway-.

The Headmaster had told every student to simply wait in their homeroom and they would be called. That was driving Garen absolutely mad as he reclined back against his desk with a long, frustrated sigh. He was one of many antsy to hear the results. They only had so many Instructors to let them advance to the next level, which meant they'd have to wait until that round of education would be over before they could even think about applying again.

"Drec ec cu cdibet! Why can't they just come in here and tell me I passed so I don't have to do more than this stupid desk work?" Garen grumbled. Patience was never one of his strong suits, and it showed just seeing him attempt to sit at his desk. The operative word being 'attempting', considering he was reclining his chair on two legs.
 
Some students waited for most of their lives to become a guardian of Spira. Families placed a great deal of pressure on their children--being a guardian was a point of honor, and the Mi'hen Concourse Academy was the first step. Since the days of Sin and the first days of Lady Yuna's Eternal Calm, Guardians had been an integral part of Spira's history. Being part of this elite group was an honor that many social climbers aspired to...and then foisted their aspirations unto their children. Lucy Niles was one of those children. Of course, now, she was no child. The need to succeed, however, was no less.

Though she had been groomed her whole life to do this job, Lucy felt the urge to cut loose now and then. She wanted to be more well-adjusted--able to have fun. Hell, she would have settled for an instance of teenage normalcy. The only problem was that she had no idea how to do that. Her goal from the time she could walk had been becoming a Guardian. Here was her opportunity to be a cadet. She was just as nervous as everyone else in the room, but she had no place to fall back either. This idea was only made more infuriating by the Al Behd boy who was so impatient for his results.

Lucy had been in classes with Garen before, and she knew exactly how confident he was about his abilities. He was so confident, he didn't feel the need to try. It burned her up to think that someone like him would become a guardian and she wouldn't. "Would you just calm down already!? You're not the only one who's anxious to know!" She stood up and faced the Al Behd, a pointed glare directed right at him.
 
"Oh settle down, Loose." Garen replied with another dramatic sigh. "You don't need to take out your failing scores on me, there's always next year, you know that right?" he said with a casual grin. Ah, Loose...his favorite little name for her. It was kind of fun to see how many shades of anger he could make her, because quite frankly it was a little too easy to do! Something about her just screamed to Garen's natural...charming traits, and he just had to jump to it.

"So why don't you set your cute little butt back in your seat and stick your nose back in a book, hm? You probably have another year of studying ahead of you."
 
If looks could kill, Garen would have died ten times over by now. Lucy was just waiting for an opportune moment to visit an huge amount of violence onto his face, and several cadets were backing away--not wanting to be in her path when she exploded. Others, however, got ready to try and hold her back for when the inevitable happened and Garen pushed her too far. Loose was the worst nickname he had for her and it got under her skin every time.

"Cuh uv y pedlr! How dare you?! You're an incompetent jerk, and if anyone here is going to fail it's you!" At this point, several students could have sworn they saw sparks flying out of her ears. "You take all of your talents for granted and think you're so much better than the rest of us. One of these days you're going to be in a lot of trouble out in the world, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself!"
 
"You know..." Garen mused, sitting his chair down in thought, "...I am much better than the rest of you, which is probably why you're so mad, Loose." he grinned. "Or are you just mad that I'll be a Guardian like it's a second nature and you spent all your days being dull and studying? Just accept it; better luck next year. Although, you're pretty hot when you're angry...should I be flattered? You got a cute little tint of red to your cheeks."

It was probably a mercy calling that the door finally snapped open, disrupting most of them out of their worrisome little display between Garen and Lucy. The well dressed office attendant cleared his throat firmly, glancing down to his notepad with a stern eye as he scanned the classroom. There were only so many home rooms, which meant the number called could be anything between one to four, if they had a particularly smart class.

"If you'd please all be seated?" he said pointedly, while Garen rested his elbows on his desk with a charming little smile. Well, this was it...the chance to prove everyone wrong about him!
 
Lucy was seconds from lunging at him and beating the shit out of him. Before she could do anything or make a good comeback, however, the results came crashing in. Lucy took a moment to compose herself and then sat back down, taking a deep breath. He would get his someday. If he didn't come by it naturally, she'd see to it. Lucy gave Garen a look that seemed to say that for her and waited eagerly while the attendant called out three names.

"Quistis Banks, Garen Birkett, and Lucy Niles--you have been chosen to be certified. Report to the auditorium at once."

With that, the attendant left and the classroom erupted into moans of failure, tearful congratulations, and supportive, "There's always next year" speeches. Lucy stood up with Quistis and made a point to ignore Garen as she exited the room. Once she was out, she put on some speed, heading toward the auditorium, wanting to get as far away from the Al Bhed boy as possible.
 
Garen said little to the stuffy little redhead, simply following after with his hands in his pockets. All in all, there were probably a small handful of them from the homerooms that were heading down the hall. To Garen, this was simply a confirmation of what he already knew and what he knew he could do right. He didn't need to take tests to know he was good! He knew that all on his own! Now he could finally show everyone else that! He had never formally grabbed a headcount, but Garen could guess maybe ten students were here. Not exactly a large number given the class count, but there wasn't really any safer way to do it. It's not like the other Cadets had nothing but studying, they had physical training and dressphere compatibility tests to figure out too. Hopefully, most of that was behind them all as they were instructed to sit.

The two instructors were already there, sitting casually and waiting. One was an older man, but you could really only tell by his slightly wrinkled face. He had a full head of black hair and a trimmed little mustache. 'Eddie' Lightning, woo boy...Garen heard rumors about that guy. Not real pretty rumors either, scary ones. He was relaxed and somewhat serious in posture, but his facial expression hid quite a bit behind it. The woman next to him was much better, well...she was better to look at. She fit into her 'instructor' suit quite well, if Garen could be as bold as a boy his age often was. Tanika, or Miss 'Iron Fist' Tanika (Garen wondered if he'd get a cool nickname after all his cadet work, actually...) her gaze was like staring into the abyss of the Farplane itself some days, even behind those black rimmed glasses and cute bob that framed her face.

But more importantly, an Al-Behd wearing a very nice suit eventually stepped up to the podium with a wide smile across his face. Headmaster Pho was perhaps one of the reasons that the Mi'hen Academy was not as...expansive as it's older brother in Bevelle, but it didn't stop him from trying his hardest to make it work. It was still a long and hard road, but perhaps this reason was more for the fact the original Guardian Academy was in a still very religious part of the world. To think that they let him become headmaster at all was an interesting step in supposed unity.

"I'm very proud of you all for having come this far in your training, I welcome you to the next phase of your life here at the Mi'hen Concourse Academy. As of today, you are officially a Cadet...you will be issued your own Dressphere, which we have chosen based on our compatibility tests. But! The most important part of this is that now, you will be able to be true Guardians and take tasks that we have issued for you, as well as have the Instructors aid and support you every step of the way. I want to congratulate each and every one of you for showing the focus, dedication and commitment necessary to make this possible!" Which is why Garen was just ever so pleased to think he didn't find it to be very hard in the slightest, no matter what his scores said...no matter how close he may or may not have been. He got in, it was like a weight off his shoulders. He had proved to everyone that he had done it, and now nobody could tell him he was lazy. There was a typical round of applause from the instructors, the students and the staff who eventually retreated to get the new Cadet's their just rewards.

A personally monogrammed box of the local tree-he noted with some satisfaction and surprise that his was in Al Bhed scripture- was passed out to every student. He ran his fingers over his in eagerness, he could feel it...he could feel his very own dressphere and the simple little garment grid they gave Cadets were nestled within.

"Now, please open your boxes...inside you will find your first dressphere and garment grid, do not lose them." Pho said seriously. "They are your responsibility to maintain and keep safe, failure to do so puts the future of your time here at stake."
 
The ceremony was relatively small in terms of students--only about a dozen were chosen each testing period. Their families came from all over, however, just in case one of their own was chosen, and so the auditorium was full of relatives and family friends. It was also full of social climbers, waiting to latch onto the weakest link. This year, that link would probably be Quistis. The girl was far too nice for her own good. Lucy, however, was more than happy to accept her duties and responsibilities and kick the moochers to the curb.

Headmaster Pho's speech was simple but eloquent and she found herself smiling like a great idiot. She'd done it. She'd finally made it. All the physical training, compatibility tests, and general education classes had been worth it. All of her discipline and work ethic had been worth the dates, nights out with friends, and parties that she'd had to pass on over the years. And then as she looked up and around her she saw Garen and knew that he'd never passed on anything in his life. His natural talent must really have been impressive, because if it wasn't she was going to have to murder her parents and find a fresh start elsewhere in Spira.

Just then, the dress spheres and sphere grids were presented to the Cadets and all of that pettiness was forgotten. One of the highest honors in the land was sitting in the palm of her hand. It felt warm and true, and gave her a surge of confidence. She would handle everything the instructors threw her way. And she would do it with a sense of decorum and integrity. And for once in her life, she would find some balance. When the assembly was concluded, a confident, celebratory smile was still stuck on her face.
 
Somewhere in all the celebration of friends and family, there was still work to be done. There was no one better to do it than one of the instructors. Eddie moved through the crowd with a polite, easy smile before coming up to his prospective Cadet. Honestly, the process for students to be taught held a lot on teamwork...and there was plenty of debate on just who would make good pairs to train together, to grow together. Generally speaking, they usually weren't wrong. But most of the kids didn't really understand that one.

"Excuse me, Cadet Niles?" he said politely. "Sorry to bother your celebration with my undue entrance," he said with a tilt of his head. "I've come to inform you that you'll be one of my Cadets that I will be teaching personally in the coming weeks."
 
Upon hearing her name, the redhead spun around. She came face to face with a legendary Stongstress sphere user--Eddie Lightning. It took all the grace and tact she had to keep her jaw from dropping. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. I look forward to learning from you in the future." She bowed her head respectfully and offered her hand for a shake, hoping that she had done nothing to offend him or make a fool out of herself. Of course, now that that was over, she wasn't really sure what to do or say, so she was really hoping that he would either take the lead or bid her adieu.
 
"Excellent!" He grinned, shaking her hand with a surprising fervor from his polite manner just a few seconds ago. "We will begin tomorrow, consider your academic studies on hold for the moment while you do field training. Bright and sharp in the morning, I hope?" She was a sharp girl, intelligent...very prim and proper. From what his records shown, she had a very good understanding of magic and magic theory, which made her talents as a dressphere all the better.

The talent was finding someone suitable to pair her with, but that was hardly a concern for someone as talented as Eddie Lightning. Or so he hoped, it got a tiny bit awkward with Tanika outdid him.
 
She smiled and found herself thinking he had a nice grip. What a nerdy thing to think! Why would that ever be important?! Despite the inner turmoil, she managed to look like a normal human being, excited for training to begin the next day. "I try to be. I'm really excited to begin, so I doubt I'll be drowsy tomorrow morning." She smiled again, a bit more genuinely this time.

While Eddie was chatting up Lucy, the other instructor, Tanika, was making her way though the crowd. She'd greeted several students by now, and was just making her way to Garen. Iron Fist grinned as she tapped the young man's shoulder and offered her hand for him to shake when she had his full attention. "Cadet Birkett, it's good to meet you. I'm one of your field instructors, Tanika." She bowed her head gracefully, that swing of dark hair falling a bit into her face before she straightened again. "Congratulations on your accomplishment."
 
"Yes ma'am, thank you very much!" Garren grinned happily to shake her hand, almost immediately regretting the firm grip she gave back in return. In retrospect, he should have expected that. "Nothing I wasn't already aware of, I just needed to have the time for your school to catch up with that." he said easily. Nothing could stop his ego today, nothing could change his spirits for the worse...he had done everything that people said he wouldn't do. He'd made his brother proud, and that was enough for him to keep edging on.
 
Ah, there was the ego she'd read so much about. Arrogance didn't go very far with Tanika and she was certain that somewhere, sometime, someone was going to bitch slap this one. She wouldn't lift a finger to stop it. Though he may have been talented, the instructor was certain that his inflated ego would get him hurt out in the real world if something wasn't done soon. But that would be Eddie's problem for the time being. Her job would come later.

"I see. So you were sure you would make it into the cadet program? It must be nice to live life with that kind of certainty. It's rare that you meet someone your age with that kind of confidence. It's usually all hot air with absolutely no foundation," she said, her impression seemingly impressed, still perky as ever. "In fact, the people with that false sense of security often fall hardest on their faces when in real situations. But I'm sure that won't happen to you," she said, her smile still in place, her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry I won't be working with you right away, but your time will come. Until we meet again, cadet Birkett."
 
"Nice to meet you, Miss Tanika." Garen grinned easily, letting his exuberance carry on for just a moment longer. He wasn't dumb-as much as people loved thinking he was-, nor was he incapable of reading people. But it was so smooth and casual, and immensely charming that he didn't catch the little tick. And to be honest, he still wasn't quite sure if he was imagining anything or not. All in all, the entire situation gave him the tiniest bit of goosebumps.

Man, those Instructors were creepy people. He rubbed his neck idly with a light sigh, determined nonetheless to enjoy his day of victory. Well, with nothing more to do today than to head to the dorms, he did simply that. He didn't know if he could really sleep...but he had to try. Tomorrow would be the day they'd use their dresspheres, their OWN dresspheres! Hopefully, he had a partner that he'd be relying on, that wasn't annoying...or hopefully was cute.

That'd be a bonus.
 
Tanika excused herself after Garren made his final statement and continued to greet the new talent. Eddie was going to have his hands full with this group--but then, so was she. Hopefully, though, they would all rise to the challenge. There was nothing worse than telling a cadet that they simply didn't have what it took to continue their training with the academy.

Meanwhile, Lucy was trying to figure out what to do with Eddie. She was running out of small talk, and she thought it would be rude to excuse herself. But it was kind of nice to know that an instructor was giving her this kind of attention. After all, that kind of one-on-one attention was rare in the field. Maybe it was a good sign? Lord, she really hoped so.
 
If Eddie had seen the little chit-chat with Garen, he didn't mention much of it. The reaction was...less than what he wanted, but that was his cue to socialize all the same. Yes, he actually did have a good feeling about this one, even if he felt his temples mildly throb in anticipation of it all. The work of a teacher was never done, he supposed. He gave Lucy an easy smile and cast a glance off into the crowd. He had a lot to do, oh boy...did he have a lot to do.

"Well, I'm expecting to see you bright and early tomorrow, Cadet. Don't be late," he said easily, turning to leave.
 
Relieved that she was off the hook, Lucy smiled and nodded, offering a cheerful, "See you tomorrow then," as Eddie left her. She took a moment before sighing in relief. Surely they would have more to talk about once she'd been in the field, but as a complete stranger, she didn't really have much to fall back on. She met instructor Tanika, a woman that she admired for her strength and tenacity. The visit was much shorter and to the point, but it was still pleasant.

After the ceremony, when her parents had come and gone to offer her a pat on the shoulder and a reminder that the real work was starting now, Lucy felt...tired. Her day had been stressful, but exciting. The mixture had worn her a bit. So rather than finding other cadets to chat with, she went back to her dorm for the night.

She rose early the next morning, dressed for field work--pants that allowed for movement but wouldn't get stuck on anything, boots with a tiny heel and plenty of support, a black shirt that hugged her to keep her from getting caught on anything, and jacket for style and pockets. She had her garment grid carefully tucked away, the dress sphere there as well. Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail today, her bangs the only thing framing her face. No jewelry today. It was better to wait until she knew what she'd be up against until she started trying to accessorize.

God, she felt like an old woman. She wanted to be a little more flashy--dress like a woman her age should--but she just didn't know how. Her whole life she'd been taught to be a professional and act the part. Damn it if she didn't look like she knew what she was doing.

Sighing, she forced herself to walk to the dining hall for a light breakfast. She was too anxious for anything heavier than toast and fruit. She sat in the dining hall for awhile, thinking that she was making good time. She'd be a little early for the training, but that was alright.
 
Surprisingly, Garen of all people was the next person to come in with a light hum. He still had those worn down goggles on his head, but he was also wearing a pair of loose cargo pants and a long sleeved shirt for protection. He looked as about as clean and pressed as he usually did-which was never-, and his garmet grid hung casually on the front of his belt. And of course, he saw Lucy and he just had to stop by and say hello.

"You're up early, Loose." Garen said easily, sitting down with a much more balanced breakfast. "All excited for your big day?"
 
Of course he would sit with her. Why wouldn't he want to ruin her day? Pompous son of a....well, that was entirely unprofessional, wasn't it? She sighed and finished up a slice of toast, trying to smooth her look of disgust into something more...impassive. She was failing pretty epically.

"Look, I just want to eat my breakfast in peace, so if you're here to take a stab at me, go right ahead, but you'll be a little smaller for it." She dug into her fruit, wishing that she could do something to hurt him even a little. As it was, Lucy was making it painfully clear that she really did not want to talk to him. Hopefully, he would pick up on that and just leave her alone. What was his problem, anyway?
 
"Hey, I was just asking a question you know." Garen replied stubbornly, shoving his mouth full of eggs. And he was! He was reasonably decent at table manners too, barring his talking while chewing. "I figured you were here because you were picked by an instructor! Sheesh...I thought you wanted people to know you were good enough and all that? I was just guessing!" he said with a swallow. Sheesh, what was her problem?
 
"Well, gee, considering you thought I'd need another year to study, I'm surprised you'd deign to sit with me." Apparently, she was holding on to yesterday a little bit harder than she thought. And anyway, what did she have to prove to him? Nothing, that was what. She sighed and looked up at him, finally finished with her breakfast. "And I don't need people to know that I'm good enough to know it myself."

That one was a little harsh. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you. Good luck this morning." With that, she stood up and took her tray to be cleaned up. The last thing she needed was to go to work in a snit because she couldn't just let go of a little slight. Sighing, she headed for the door and sunlight so that she could be alone and clear her head before she needed to meet with Eddie.

About five minutes later, she was at their meeting place--a good five minutes early.
 
He hadn't really fretted much over it, honestly. After all, the entire point was to get under her skin in the first place. To get her riled up, to see that composed face sink into a sea of frustration and anger. Why? Well, why not? Did he really need any better reason than that? Just like her, he refused to let the little things bug him today as he headed out to the courtyard of the Academy, a simple little fountain offering a beautiful bit of landscape as he settled his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, good! You're both here!" Eddie said easily, adjusting his Instructor's uniform with a smile. That was when those swirls widened in surprise, and saw just who he was talking about.

Oh, Eddie had to be joking!
 
Lucy very nearly had a heart-attack when she saw her training partner. Her blue eyes widened in shock and she felt her jaw drop as realization dawned on the both of them. She spun on her heal to face her instructor, wondering if he knew just how horrible this really was. Their lifestyles were just about as different as they could possibly be. They would be like oil and water as a team.

Fantastic.

"I see. So we're training together today. Well that should be interesting, right?" She smiled, trying desperately to cling to the idea that this was only temporary. The sinking feeling in her stomach, however, seemed to have a different opinion.
 
"Ah, not just today!" Eddie added with an easy smile. "I've made the formal arrangements, you two are to be partners until graduation." Eddie seemed to be the only one truly happy about this, and Garen was having a hard time understanding why he thought this was a reason to be happy at all.

"...Why?" Garen said, his Al-Behd inflection carrying that word far longer than it really deserved.

"You two have excellent chemistry," he said easily. "And that will lend itself well on your daily tasks! I've heard nothing but good things from your classmates!"

"...From our classmates who didn't pass," Garren corrected idly, gritting his teeth. Ooh boy, who was he going to threaten when they were done today?
 
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