School Rumble (Broom and I)

Star Pupil

Star Pupil

Old soul
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Location
Valhalla
Dark. It was still dark in her room. Did she wake up too early? Again..? She turned her head to the left, seeing the dull glow of the red numbers on her clock. It was nearly five am. Well, it was better than yesterday. She had woken up at four am and spent two hours laying in bed trying to go back to sleep. Since she was already up though, she might as well get dressed and do something productive with her time, since she was sure she would no longer be able to sleep. It had been this way for the entire week...the entire week she had her privacy invaded and had to share a room with her new Disciplinary Committee partner. She hated it. Once upon a time, this girl had a roommate. Though she managed to drive her away. Not even intentionally but...people were just like that with Mei.

Mei...no. That was not what people thought of her as. She had heard what the other students called her. They knew her as 'The Ice Queen'. She had mixed feelings on her nickname, really. She enjoyed being thought of as a queen, but she had a problem with the word before it. Oh, her element was snow, so at first she thought that was why they called her that. Though as she began to overhear her classmates, she realized what they really meant. They thought of her as nothing but a cold, emotionless shell of a woman. As much as Mei told herself that she didn't care what anyone thought of her, that had always gotten under her skin. She had feelings...she just didn't show them very often.

None the less she had taken advantage of her reputation to further solidify her spot within the DC, and it was rare that anyone had the guts to challenge her authority. Her word was absolute...and if anyone went against it they would receive harsh punishment. Even if it was another committee member, if they broke the rules, she would punish them. Such was the fate of her former partner, Erin Vasquez. Without hesitation she reported her for her breach of conduct and she was dismissed from the committee. She hadn't seen her ever since. The other members were wary of her, and her absolute loyalty to the rules above all else. She had gone a few weeks without a partner, but...they found someone who was actually willing.

The same person who slept in her dorm room, the source of all her troubles as she got used to another human being being around her when she was at her most vulnerable, imperfect state. She had gotten use to being alone, but no..they couldn't just leave it like that. Call it paranoia, but Mei did not trust anyone around her while she slept. She could only hope that she would get used to it, otherwise she might decide to live off campus and go back to her parents. It was so inconvenient though when the academy had everything for her, including an area for her to train in late at night...but not this early in the morning.

She slowly rose from her bed and for a moment she just rested there, trying to see her own hands in the darkness. Her eyes were slowly adjusting but it was still hard to for her to make out anything. One leg moved after the other and she slowly rose from the bed and started to carefully walk towards the door of the closet without bumping into anything. She could feel the coolness of the flooring even through her socks. Slowly, she retrieved her outfit for today, pressed and freshly washed. Then she went into the bathroom and quickly changed out of her nightgown and into the dress. She also untied and let down her hair, briefly brushing it and then went through her normal hygiene routine.

Just before leaving, she put on her pair of knee high boots and then opened the door, letting in a dim light from the hallway. Mei quickly slipped out, her shoes still unlaced and shut the door gently. She didn't know why she was being so quiet. It was the considerate and civil thing to do, but she hated having to accommodate people in her own living space. Before she moved on any further, she began to tie up her boots. She was out here..now what? A walk maybe? None of the facilities would be open for a few hours, so she had nothing better to do. She just wanted to be alone, and now that her room was no longer that safe place, she'd have to find another way to experience some solitude. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a deep sigh, her body feeling tired but her mind restless. At least it was still dark outside. Wait...that's what she could do!

She made her way down the corridor and to the stairs. The girl swiftly walked all the flights of stairs until it they led her to one single door. She opened it, and she was quickly surrounded by the brisk cool air of the night. "The rooftop. How cliche...but it will have to do." She mumbled to herself as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She spent the next two hours up there, even falling asleep at one point. Though once the sun rose, she decided to go back to her room and grab a few things before going to the cafeteria for breakfast. She was sure her roommate would be up by now. At least she felt refreshed enough to deal with her.
 
She wasn't. If we could be honest about it, chances are she had no honest inclination to wake up any time at all in a timeframe that would be seen as morning, if she could help it. But she couldn't, she couldn't because she heard the door open and her red eyes blearily cracked open to the door and Mei walking in. Jana grimaced inwardly, hugging her pillow as if it would save her from the horrible fate of waking up and having to do things. For every single hair that was perfectly set into place on Mei, Jana's pixie cut was like a mop. It wasn't that she didn't care...it was just that she didn't spend nearly as much time grooming in comparison, which made her realize she had some bad habits that Mei rectified out of passive aggressive reflex. They were inseparable, so her gut told her. Fire and Ice, Yin and Yang. There was probably another one in there, but Jana wasn't awake enough to figure out another metaphor.

Eventually, she realized that waking up was in her future. So she unhooked from her pillow and sat up with a wide, long yawn and a rub of her face. Dressed in little more than a tank-top and a pair of boyshorts, it was easy to see her toned, athletic figure that had a few nicks and scratches.

"Mornin', Mei." she mumbled, sitting cross legged on her bed a moment to take a deep breath. Morning meditation, one of the many new habits of her life. Facing challenges instead of beating through them, finding her center with the world and everything around it. She was but one half of a whole, and her gut told her that Mei was the other half. Even if nobody else believed her, or thought she was crazy for willingly pairing up with her. She wished she was being dramatic, but that was the case either way.

"How long have you been up?" she asked casually.
 
Mei looked over to Jana's bed and saw a body still in it. Oh, that's right. She was one of those types of people. Lazy. Unmotivated to get out of bed. It screamed undisciplined. Which was unacceptable because she was apart of the Disciplinary Committee. Did she make a move to wake her up? No. Mei's job was not to scold her partner like a parent. Her job was just to enforce the rules, and unfortunately, being lazy was not against the rules. To anyone else, Jana was just being a normal teenager. Or rather, a normal human being since not everyone woke up at the crack of dawn when they didn't need to. However, in Mei's world, anything less would be imperfect.

Mei walked over to her bed and began to make it. She heard Jana yawning behind her and she didn't bother acknowledging her. Though when she heard her greet her, she realized it would be rude not to greet her back. "Good morning." Mei said stiffly as she finished making her bed and then kneeled over to reach underneath the bed. Out came her thin sword, and when she rose she strapped it to her side. The only thing that could be heard was Jana breathing in deeply. Her meditation was strange to her. She did it every time she woke up.

Mei was about to leave to get some breakfast, but oddly enough it was still too early to go. She had to wait about twenty minutes. So she decided to read a book in the meantime. When she walked over to the corner that had their bookcase, she heard Jana question her. "I've been up long enough." Mei answered as she sat down on the edge of her bed and opened her book.
 
"...Uh huh," Jana said, cracking one eye open to regard her. "It's not a crime to be up twenty minutes before breakfast, you know." It was like talking to a brick wall, for the most part. But it wasn't like Jana didn't continuously try anyway. Oh, she knew the glances and the inward thoughts...not a hair out of place, and not a second too early or too late. A perfect, right on time appearance every time. She was a spontaneous whirlwind and Mei was the nervous, strictly professional girl. It'd be funny if it wasn't so literally true. But again, she still tried.

Maybe because Jana was too stubborn to not try, and it'd make the room not feel so icy whenever they talked. At least she was a good partner, that was one thing Jana knew she could rely on.
 
"Yes, that is truly a shame. Though, we must be a shining example of discipline and order to our fellow students at the academy. So, even if something isn't against the law...sometimes it's best to simply suck it up and do what's right. Like getting up at least an hour before breakfast, so you have enough time to do your hair, press your clothes..." Mei looked up from her book towards Jana and then lowered it. "Make your bed...well. It's not like I have to tell you this." That last statement could probably be taken as sarcasm, though Mei's voice was honestly sometimes so monotone and flat that it was really quite hard to tell. Sometimes she even told jokes, jokes that might have been funny if she didn't sound so damn serious.

She pushed some of the hair in her face back behind her ear and sighed. It had been a week since they were paired up, so perhaps she should try to maybe get along better. It seemed like this woman was going to be sticking around longer than her last partner, though eventually Mei was sure she'd leave just like everyone else did. "Jana," She began as she closed her book and then folded her hands in her lap. "There was something I've been meaning to ask you. Though before I do, just know that I honestly don't care what your motivations were for specifically requesting me as your partner. That is your own business and you don't have to disclose that information if you don't want to. However, I do make it my business to know why new members join. Call it curiosity if you wish. My question is..why are you here? Why did you decide to join the committee? You really don't seem like the type to enforce rules. So, would you mind sharing that information with me?"

Mei's distrustful attitude could quickly be sensed as her tone was no longer indifferent. It was almost as if she were interrogating her roommate. Though, this would be the first time Jana would hear her speak more than a few words outside of committee affairs.
 
"Hm," Jana said, clicking her tongue with an easy smirk. "Why, Mei...that almost sounds like you want to socialize with me a little," she said, gracefully unfolding her legs to hop off her bed. Still, she was absolutely correct. She came from Red East, a place where kids got their pent up aggression through Rugby, Kemari -an odd holdover, to say the least- and more than a few sparring matches. Rules were more like enforcement, and the people above won their position because the kids couldn't top them. Despite it looking like a pen of rabid animals on the outside, there was an order...just a natural one.

She had heard this conversation before somewhere, even as she kept that smirk on her face and scratched her cheek a little. She didn't care, or she didn't want to look like she cared? Still, she would indulge her question. If only because she was happy to see the Ice Queen melt a little.

"Because I wanted to," she stated after a moment of thought. "Isn't that why you are a part of it, Mei?"
 
Mei did not return her smirk. Her face remained serious as she awaited her answer. Socialize? Yes, she was right. Though to be honest, Mei was just tired of not being able to sleep. The only way she could trust Jana was to talk to her as much as she didn't want to. It's not like she wanted her as a friend, but someone who she could trust would be fine. If her answer wasn't satisfying, she would only press further. The fact that she came from Red East was probably the reason why she didn't trust her the most. The schools had a lot of rivalry and even bad blood between each other.

"Because I wanted to?" Mei repeated slowly, as she continued to stare at Jana. "Yes. That is why I am apart of DC. However...that is only one reason. That reason alone will not get you anywhere. If you do not have any other reason, you won't last long. Things get hard around here, and you will see that soon enough. So, I'll ask you again. Jana Soveca, why are you here?" Mei pressed on. "To develop your skills at the elements? To hold authority in your hands? What is your goal?"

Every student should have a goal. If they didn't, they wouldn't be motivated to better themselves. If Jana really didn't have a goal, she'd be one of the weaker links in Mei's opinion. Unmotivated people were lazy people.
 
"My goal is to find a goal," Jana mused, hands on her hips to lean down and regard her with a grin. "And to be your friend, of course. You look like you could use one. Not every path is well walked, Mei. Some people need to be lost before they can be found." It was spiritualist tripe, to be honest. Her Sensei had always jammed it down her throat, when she was too stubborn to see it, she thought it was a bunch of crap. But the more she remembered, the harder it was to hide how much it related to her.

How did she know where she belonged, if she never tried belonging anywhere? She often thought Mei was in the same boat, stuck with nothing but an idea of what they think made them happy. Maybe Mei was happy, but she doubted it. She liked to think she was a solid judge of character, those green eyes of hers were like iron. Vivid and reliable, but ultimately barred from everything. Like most things, Jana followed her gut. And her gut said that Mei needed somebody.
 
For a moment, the cold expression on her face was replaced with something not many people would see from the Ice Queen...surprise. That wasn't the typical answer she got from the others that she had questioned. Either they told her what they really wanted, usually a lie they came up with on the fly because they were intimidated by her and didn't want to tell her that they didn't know their goal. Or they admitted to her that they just joined because it seemed fun, or some other stupid reason. Then there was that small percentage who actually had an ambition. Those were the ones that performed the best.

Then she added onto her strange statement with something even stranger. Mei just looked away hearing that, a slight blush coming across her cheeks. "That's a terrible goal. The second one anyway. If you want to find your purpose in the Disciplinary Committee, I suppose that is as good of a goal as any. However, don't waste your time trying to be my friend. I don't need one. I didn't even need a partner in my opinion, but since its the standard, it's necessary. So, as far as your first goal goes, I'll guide you in any way I can. The rules are absolute, and as such need to be enforced. If there are no rules, there is no order and things will eventually collapse. We're here to prevent that. Not make friends."

As Mei spoke, she was staring at the floor. It had been a long time since anyone had offered to be her friend. Jana was a strange one. She didn't even seem the least bit intimidated by her. In fact it was the opposite right now. Jana was intimidating Mei with her unpredictable behavior.
 
"Uh huh," Jana smirked, padding over to her closet to get dressed, discarding her tanktop to pluck one of her white undershirts off the closet. She did at least make sure her clothes weren't wrinkled, but that was about as far as it got. "Well, what's the point of picking a goal that doesn't challenge you?" she said, buttoning her shirt up. "That's just boring, goals are meant to be completed, right? So why pick something you know you can complete?" Was she blushing? Maybe she hit a spot she wasn't expecting, truth be told, Jana wasn't expecting that.

She knew her gut was right!
 
So being her friend was a challenge to her? Mei almost had to grin at that. Poor Jana was in for a rude surprise. Mei kept her eyes away from the girl as she dressed. "There is a difference between goals and dreams. Goals are a lot more realistic." The girl got up and decided it was time for her to leave and get something to eat.

"Do whatever you'd like, just remember that we have a meeting to attend during our lunch hour today." She told Jana just in case she didn't get a chance to remind her later. She then made her way to the cafeteria, which already have students congregating at the entrance. As soon as she was spotted, almost all eyes were on her(some subtle, some obvious). Whenever she met their gazes they just looked away. Hmph. Whatever.

Finally eight am rolled around, and she was the first inside. She got herself the standard breakfast, which consisted of eggs with some sort of meat, onion and cheese inside of it, with a slice of toast. Then she helped herself at the coffee machine and found a place to sit, alone. She watched the other students as she ate. As rare as they were, she had seen a fight or two happen in the cafe. Mostly just heated confrontation...rarely ever physical.
 
"Yeah, yeah..." Jana sighed, fitting on her tan jacket. A uniform violation, to be sure. But it was her most favored item, it fit her like a glove and it had seen much better days. It was much like Jana: rough around the edges, but reliable and durable when you needed it. Then the compression shorts and the black skirt for a flare of fashion, that...and well, she kicked high. It was fun making teenage boys drop their guard with an unpleasant surprise of an easy view. Mostly together, she grabbed her pair of blades and settled them against her hip with a faint hum.

Central was unlike any of the other schools, really. It lacked the fire of Red East, but...really. Not a lot of places had that kind of vigor. Everyone was a lot more cooled off, even other people from Red just seemed calmer. It made sense, they served a greater purpose. In it's own way, it was a pleasant kind of peace...but it made the back of her neck itch if she thought about it for too long. A tray in hand loaded with pancakes -loaded was the operative term- and syrup.

As per usual, Jana managed to find herself sitting right in front of Mei with a wide grin. "The pancakes here are really good, have you tried them?" she said, cutting her massive stack in half, and then taking about six of them on her fork to chomp down on. Cute and perky that Jana was, it was easy to see a few minor faces of disheartened disgust when she chewed eagerly, syrup plastered across her face. She had a feeling that it was going to be an exciting day, so she was going to load up on energy!
 
Mei saw Jana coming towards her and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen. Once Jana sat down in front of her, she exhaled quietly and then took a sip of her coffee. What was with that smirk? Did she know she was bothering her? All those pancakes too...she sure did have an appetite. "I find pancakes don't have enough protein to start my morning, not to mention syrup is loaded with unnecessary amounts of sugar." She answered dully, though once her partner began eating she found it hard to look at anything other than how messy she was being.

"How can you do that?" Mei's voice cracked at the beginning of her question as she looked upon Jana with disbelief. She then cleared her throat and then regained her composure. "It is unbecoming of you..there is food all over your face...Perhaps if you slowed down a little..." Did this girl not care that everyone was staring at her? Not only because she had the audacity to bother the Ice Queen, but also because of the way she consumed food.
 
She started at her a moment, halfway through her next bite before she licked her lips and wiped it off with a napkin. Proti-...oh, right. Regulated diet, probably self inflicted. She was still the new girl, so she was essentially the weirdo at this point. "How can I eat?" she asked with a grin. "Well, first I get something I really enjoy eating...like pancakes," she said, putting the remainder in her mouth to chew. "Then I eat it," she said. "Mm, and they're so fluffy...want some?"

The ice had cracked, just a little.
 
"That's not what I meant, and no. In fact, I'm not hungry anymore." Mei seemed to lose her appetite as she watched Jana eat. What was with this girl? For a moment, she was at a loss for words. Then she realized that if she didn't have that voice in her head...the one called shame, then she'd just have to provide that voice for her.

"I was going to save this for our lunch meeting, but I fear that it cannot wait. You see, Jana, there is a thing called etiquette. Something you completely lack. You have to remember that you are a representative of DC, and if you continue like this you will make all of us look bad. Please refrain from making such a spectacle of yourself."
 
"I don't lack 'etiquette'," Jana sighed. "You just lack fun, c'mon...it's breakfast, everyone is tired, hungry and just wants to get to work. So who cares?" she shrugged. She was correct...to a point, it wasn't as if anyone who needed her to be an upstanding bastion of Mandate law was actually around. But there were certainly some sticklers, the straight laced people...people like Mei.

But she refused to be humbled by that, she had done far more embarrassing things than eat like a pig. She just needed to unwind!
 
This was really the first time in a long time someone was being so difficult with Mei. She really didn't know how to deal with it, and when she didn't know something..well she got really uncomfortable. Her eyes shifted away from Jana at the moment as she tried to come up with something. Anything that would convince this woman she was being a mongrel. But she wasn't breaking any rules..none of the written ones anyway. There was little Mei could do to make her change.

"I'm going to take my leave now." Mei spoke those words with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. She hadn't finished her breakfast but how could she? She was so confused. This woman truly was an enigma and it bothered her to no end. Standing up, Mei gathered up the rest of her untouched breakfast and headed over to the trash can. A group of first year students was hanging around there, though once Mei made eye contact with them they quickly moved out of the way. She just emptied her tray and made her way out of the cafeteria. She needed to be alone for just another few minutes thanks to Jana.
 
Well, shit. That didn't go how she wanted at all. But you could not erode the shore with a single wave, it would take time. Time she would allow, simply because she knew this would be a long -and likely painful- process.

"...Didn't know someone could dislike pancakes that much," she mused in thought, finishing her breakfast. Her time as it was, they'd be meeting again during the morning meeting. The Principal of Central was a direct descendant of Iov Kishi, the man who promoted the current status quo. Piotr Kishi was a huge man, towering over just about everyone with height and muscle. His grin was so alarmingly wide, people often wondered if he didn't eat food whole. He was polite, courteous...and enjoyed spontaneously sparring with his students. Needless to say, that never went well for the students, ever.

Jana decided to keep a respectful space from her partner, since she knew better than to press her luck as the meeting droned on. It was a basic account of recent events, some of the outcomes. It was all boring, uninteresting to people who didn't keep notes. Jana had a fairly decent memory, so she claimed. The only important part was who was patrolling where.

"Jana, Mei," Pitor rumbled, glancing up from his desk. "You will take the northern part of Green, there have been some reported skirmishes as of late between South and North. See that they are fair and properly enforced." Jana gave a proper wave from her seat, head tilted. Hm, she still had a weird feeling in her gut...maybe she went too far with Mei?
 
When the morning meeting came around, Mei was the first one there. She had her notebook and pen at the ready for anything important she might need to jot down. She was actually surprised that Jana didn't try to sit close to her or anything. She probably gave up. They all did at some point, and Jana would not be different for the others. It's not like Mei was hoping she'd stick around, though she found herself highly irritated at the thought of Jana giving up this soon. That meant she had no motivation at all.

..Or maybe she actually had some manners and could take a hint? Who knew.

When she heard her name, she realized that she had been spacing out. Thinking of...Jana. What on earth made her do that? She usually always paid attention. To everything. Was this girl really getting under her skin? No. The lack of sleep was probably responsible for her daydreaming.

"Understood." Mei answered as she looked towards Jana but then averted her gaze. She looked nervous. Perhaps she was worried about the mission already? Strange.
 
Patrol was usually a quiet, somewhat dull experience. Every so often there'd be an occasional fight to watch over, or to break up...most of what they usually did was enforce the Mandate. An exhaustive set of rules that described almost every situation that the schools would meet in competition, be it fighting or spelling bees or whatever else they felt like they could do better than the other. Jana did read it, but following the rules to the letter...well, that wasn't her style. And quite frankly, she'd be amazed if anyone memorized a book that had about five hundred pages of possible situations and conflicts.

Regardless, that was their job. Jana found it to be a conflicting choice in her life, she wasn't one to do nothing...but ultimately, that was what patrol was for the most part. Thankfully, Turuga was a beautiful city despite all of the regulated violence. The suburbs of Green South were wonderfully well cared for, the streets had always been well maintained and the houses never seemed to be worn down or ruined.

Jana sighed heavily, hands behind her head as she walked beside Mei. And yet...that strange feeling in her gut hadn't left. Did she ruin her chances with Mei?

"...So this is fun," Jana mused. "Does anyone actually do anything other than look at us like we're going to bite them?"
 
Mei looked gave Jana a side glance as she walked with her hands folded behind her back. She could tell the girl was bored, but that was just too bad. Most times this was all they did. Sometimes...every once in a while they did more, if they were in the right place at the right time. "This isn't supposed to be fun. And they are looking at us like that because they know who we are. Those reactions are justified, don't you think?" Did they really know who they were? Or was it just that they knew who Mei was...it's not like it was her first time being here. "Whatever they do is none of my business...unless a fight breaks out."

Mei heard heavy foot steps behind them and she narrowed her eyes. She did not turn back, however. Instead, she stepped away from Jana as the boy ran in between them, bumping into Jana on accident. It wasn't enough force to knock her over, but more than likely it probably hurt a little. "Hmmm.." Mei hummed as she watched the boy continue running until he was out sight. Blonde, messy hair. Horribly tattered jeans...a weird leather jacket. "Looks like one of your kind...wonder where he is off to in such a hurry."
 
"HEY!" Jana grumbled. "Watch where you're going!" she muttered, adjusting her jacket as the boy scurried off like a cockroach. Her kind? Yeah, she knew exactly what Mei meant, but she decided to ignore that tactless social grace for the moment. "Just because we wear black doesn't mean they need to be afraid of us, Mei." she reminded. "Friendship is a treasure, one that people will covet forever. You get more help from people who are happy than afraid."

Not that she would know that...just her walking commanded an air of authority that made Jana's inner rebel grimace.
 
Mei for some reason felt like she should follow the direction of that kid. Call it a hunch, but when someone is running like that sometimes it meant trouble. Unless he was late for a class or something. Plus, he really didn't look like he belonged here at this particular school. "Why would I need help from cowards who fear me? If they are weaker than me, what use are they? Friendship is a crutch, for people who can't take care of themselves. Alliances, partners, organizations..those are really the only thing one needs. It's one thing to collaborate with others to get a good end result. But actually making friends with them, for no other reason than being happy? That's a waste of effort, especially when they all betray you eventually."

Jana would be able to hear a hint of sadness at the end of Mei's speech. Though the ice queen would never admit to it if she pointed it out.
 
"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of that candle will not be shortened," Jena grinned, arm around Mei's shoulder. "You, my friend...are the candle that I am lighting, happiness will never be weakened by being shared, only strengthened. Besides, you ever been a room with only one candle? It's dark, miserable and the light is all flickery. I'm going to make you shine, that is my solemn promise as your friend."

Even being close to her felt stiff and rigid, but Jana was seemingly undeterred by such...frigid reception. She wasn't going anywhere, and Mei would just have to do with it.
 
"What does that even mea-." Mei was cut off when Jana wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Her arms, which had been tucked perfectly behind her back fell to her sides as she just stared at Jana completely dumbfounded. It was...not a cute look for her as her mouth was slight agape. Her face slowly became red before she could come up with any sort of response.

"No...No. Stop doing that. Let me go.." Mei said quietly as she stared at the ground, though she made no move to push Jana away. She had stopped walking the moment Jana touched her. She kind of felt warm. How long had it been since she actually felt someone touch her? She lifted up her eyes and saw a few people were looking at them, and that only embarrassed her more. "You are really making both of us look bad with this pointless display of affection..."

Something inside Mei didn't mind this. It had been so long since she had been shown any type of affection whatsoever from someone other than her parents. Though she still fought with herself. She didn't want to like this...the moment she would like it would be the moment she would let herself be open to pain and disappointment.
 
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