Futuristic Beyond the Walls ~IC~

[Pumpkid]

Today was recruitment day, all of those who have signed up are to gather for their first day. Aurora's violet eyes sparkle in awe as she stands in front of the military base as an upbeat tune plays through her bluetooth headphones. A cover yet a classic. The orange-haired girl couldn't believe that she is standing right in front the fortified border that is Arcane Military territory. Up close it seemed so amazing as if it took many hits from Incubus and none have gotten close to breaking the fortress. The buzzing noise broke the girl out of her trans as a solider permits her entry after checking her off the list and setting her off with her own digital I.D. "Try not to lose that. It will be your one way ticket in or out without the hassle of papper work." Aurora nods in acknowledgement stepping out of the rain and into a security check point.

Aurora sweat drops as they pat her down and scan her bag for anything suspicious. 'What is this a prison?' She thought. "Um...is this necessary?" She timidly asked. The security guard gave a quick glance at her direction showing authority. "It's safety precaution. No newbies should be allowed to have weapons without previously having applied for permission and it's also a way for us to check if you're infected with an illness, we can't have our forces compromised." Aurora blinked and wondered if they were going to kick her out for being somewhat ill? Surely they know the difference or does it not matter? Before she could overthink some more, the guard gave her an "all clear" pass. Aurora sighed with great relief. For a moment she felt her heart grew heavy over something so simple to tarnish her dreams. What would she do if she couldn't pass at all? "Please move along to the elevator." The guard urged causing Aurora to panic lightly and hurry in gathering her belongings. She steps into the elevator and looks up at them for guidance. She was hopeless by herself sometimes. "Um...what level?"

"There is only one floor and that's down. You're headed to the underground base." The teen blushes lightly out of embarrassment before clicking the down button. As she travels down the shaft, she felt mildly sick. Elevators and cars never made her feel so great. What's worse is she felt like crying, but toughs it out with a shake of her head. "I got this. I can't let others see you so weak or they'll eat me alive. Who knows if there are others here.

The elevator opens once more with an announcement, "Proceed to the cafeteria". The voice sounded familiar just like the military commercial asking for recruits. It was Dex. Although the A.I. is the center of everything that is digital, he only appears where he's stationed and that would be the border where the spire sits.

Aurora waltz's down the trail feeling a little lost. She halts at the front door. "Where is the cafeteria?" Lo and behold, the walls spark with digital blue letters and an arrow pointing to the door in front of her. It slides open revealing what appeared to be both a lounge and cafeteria.

"Take a seat, have something to eat or just unwind. I can change the scenery from the digital, ceiling pad even add tunes." Aurora once again is amazed by it's advancements. "How about some gentle tunes and a starry sky? I always wanted to see space." She requested. "As you wish." The panel above shifts to a space theme and what plays as background music is smooth jazz. As Aurora takes her seat, she relaxes and admires the room. No one has yet to arrive but her. It was curious how it felt like orientation rather than boot camp, though perhaps the worst was to come. Figuring she would be sitting alone for awhile, Aurora pulls out her journal to write her experience thus far.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Amai Ichi
aka Tenebrous Elesham

​

Despite the current state of the world and all the problems going on within the city, it was hard for anyone to deny the Cornucopia's beauty when they got to see it in the rain, lights shimmering in the dark and reflecting off the drops of water. Even as he drove by and the buildings seems to blur together, Tenebrous still felt mesmerized by the cityscape. "Perhaps this is why people risk their lives fighting Incubus." The celebrity thought out loud.

"Huh?" A second voice arose in the black town car, it belonged to Tenebrous' publicist who wasn't really paying attention to his client as they made their journey to the fortress. "Remember, you're doing this to restore your image. Be nice to your mentors as well as your partners. Even if you don't mean it. Think of this as one big acting gig."

"Shut up." He rolled his eyes at the comparison and started to tune the older man out. This would have been the 100th time he'd heard this speech, it was ok for him to ignore it at this point.

As the car neared their destination, Tenebrous pulled his fur-lined hood up over his head and it almost hid his entire face. The chauffer ws the first one out of the car and he rushed to pull open the door for his boss. "If nothing else, at least try to make some friends Tenebrous. That would be great for your public image." Again he tuned his publicist out and pulled a medical mask over his face. His being here was supposed to be a secret so how was he expected to make friends.

The chauffer escorted Tenebrous to the entrance, holding an umbrella over their heads for what would probably be the last time for a long time. "Good luck sir." The elderly man wished softly. Tenebrous ignored him too, entering the building without so much as a goodbye or a farewell glance.

His arrival to the security checkpoint was pretty quite, with the exception of Tenebrous insulting the men for being basic security guards while teenagers were being recruited to save the city. He laughed obnoxiously behind his mask just to annoy them even as he got on the elevator and the doors closed. "What a bunch of losers." He scoffed before he pulled the mask down. As the elevator descended he enjoyed the chance to breathe without restriction, but as soon as the doors opened he pulled the mask back up.

Wandering through the hallways his brand new dress-shoes clicked and clacked with every step he took. A few minutes had passed before he found his destination thanks to the A.I. catching on that he was lost and guiding the way. As if he needed any help.

Nonchalantly he pushed open the doors to the cafeteria and stepped inside without so much as a greeting to the other person in the room. He was too focused on the odd atmosphere in here. Stars and jazz? Was this a blind date or something? He made his way over to one of the empty tables by the bar and pulled his hood up as he sat down.

 

[Pepsionne]

Cora Everett
​

Cora took a deep breath in to center herself before moving to step forward through the hissing metallic doors before her. She had worked hard to ensure her being at this building today, worked in methodical, planned out steps in the hopes of seeing a result. There wasn’t much left in her life to focus on besides developing a plan and then executing it. Not after--well she didn’t like to think about that.

The woman walked into the pre screening room, shoulders back and spine straightened. She eyed the guards as they inspected her belongings and patted her down, barely flinching as their hands passed over her body. She’d rather not be touched, but she knew it was part of the security measures. A process was a process. Once cleared for security, her cloudy grey eyes scanned the stark white, medical looking interior of the military base.

Cora diligently followed the directions of the A.I. , eventually finding herself in front of a set of elevators. The doors opened with the smooth sound of compressing air, revealing an equally sterile looking interior to match the coldness of the decor outside. She stepped in, feeling uneasy in the empty space. There was no--emotion in the design of the building. No life. Just an overwhelming sense of practicality that made her feel like she was suffocating.

Her hand instinctively reached out to the wall to steady herself in the rapid descent of the elevator. It felt like her stomach was floating weightlessly within her, and she could feel the pressure of the Earth as she plummeted deep into the ground. Cora swallowed hard at the thought of being buried beneath all that earth. The sharp sound of the elevator doors reopening snapped her from the worrying train of thought. She peeked out of the elevator tentatively, wondering if it had dropped her off at the right place. There was--constellations? Jazz?

Cora eyed the two current recruits already situated within the space of the cafeteria. They were both silent, both in their own worlds. She walked over towards the girl, who was studiously jotting something down in her journal, deciding to sit by her side of the room. Cora glanced at the guy sitting further away, hood pulled up, demeanor reeking with the sense of superiority and bitterness. Yeah--she’d stay clear of him.

Cora crossed her legs once situated at a table, mind getting lost in the slow moving constellations that engulfed them all. She deepened her breathing, hoping to stave off her nerves for as long as she could. She had been working for this for so long--too long, to fail at the hand of her own recklessness. So she steadied her breathing, and focused on the stars instead.

 

[Spiderverse]

AJ Thompson​

It had finally been the day that she had long awaited, one that the girl had taken her time to prepare for, ever so diligently polishing her skills and keeping up in her studies, making absolutely sure that she would be able to put her best foot forward and make the most of the first impression, its not like she could talk her way out of a bad one anyway. AJ looked out the window with a sense of longing as Dr. Harrison drove them toward the fortified border of the Arcane Military compound. It wouldn't be the first time that she had seen the place, at least of the times that she wasn't exactly legally allowed to talk about. It wasn't anything like trespassing or stealin' or nothing, she had just been sight-seeing at the time! You know, explore the neighborhood, meet new folks, make some friends... that was the plan at the time anyway.

Either way, she had been on her way there legitimately this time and the car was awfully silent on the drive there, the doctor's beat up old reliable being as stubborn and battered as he was, but that was the charm that came with it right? The doctor's gruff voice was the one to break the silence, the man glancing toward AJ as she continued to be lost in her surroundings. "Look... I know you trained for all of this, and put in a lot of work to get here, but the offer will be open for you as a nurse at my practice so long as ya need it. Even if someday you wanna come back I'll make sure that slot's there waitin' for ya. You gotta come back in one piece alright?" Without even looking, the girl raised her hands and replied silently: <I know I know... but I want to do this. I have to do this.> The old man sighed as he kept driving, pulling up to the checkpoint where they would say their final goodbyes for a time. AJ beamed as she got out of the car, her face aglow with excitement as she swiftly turned around and hugged the worn out Doctor.

But as quick as she was to hug him, she was out of his reach even faster, making her way over to the checkpoint without a second glance. The guards seemed to pay her no real mind, as if they were going through the motions while they checked her and handed over her new fangled digital I.D. She looked at the picture and was a bit disappointed with the one they chose, but its not like she'd be able to change it anyway. Whenever they spoke to her, the most she would be able to give is a nod, letting them know she at least got it. Her trip into the facility was swift, following Dex's instructions to the T as she made her way over to the elevator, the A.I. probably well aware that she wasn't exactly the best conversationalist. But once she made it to the bottom floor, oh boy did that change.

From what she could spot, there were three recruits already waiting here in the cafeteria, with one mopey looking guy with a hood over his head and the other two girls seeming to just sit at the table and enjoy the music. Jazz, aka one of her favorites. Hoping to make the good impression, she made her way over to the two girls nonchalantly, placing her hand down on the table they were sitting at before trying her best to talk with a flurry of her hands: <Hey hey! I just got here, name's AJ! Hope we can get along!>

 

[Pumpkid]

Aurora Ruiz
Interactions: AJ Spiderverse / Mentions: Tenebrous LadyOfStars & Cora Pepsionne
​

As Aurora scribbles in her journal, she hears the sound of the door slide open, and behind it walks in a hooded, man wearing a face mask. At first Aurora assumed it was one of the junior cadets about to point her to her next objective, but as he sat down by the bar, it was evident that he was a recruit. What she found curious was the fact that the person hid their face. She wondered if he was sick but that would debunk the security's intentions. The aura around him told her to let him be, though she wanted to help him somehow.

Minutes later after returning to her journal, Aurora tears away from her notepad and jolts realizing someone had taken a seat at her table while silently minding their own. Aurora didn't know how to feel because part of her felt bad she hasn't acknowledged her and the other was the fact that she was was in her own world. Luckily, the slam on the table from fellow recruit grabs her attention, startling the orange-haired girl. The mystery girl had a curious decor around her neck to her chin making her seem like a cyborg. She began to sign with her hands to which Aurora determined instantly that the newcomer was a mute yet she did not have some sort of digital voice box? Aurora opt not to be rude and question when it seems like a personal issue. For now, it's her chance to make a friend.

"Hi AJ, I-I'm Aurora, nice to meet you." She chirped. "I just got here myself and am looking forward to working with you." Most won't know it but her time in the hospital gave her time to learn ASL especially when she wanted to help nurses.

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Teldor
interaction:​

Teldor arrived at the base the tall man's body length hair flowing behind him as he walked. The shear difference between himself and the guard at the checkpoint was somewhat imposing being at very noticeable amount taller then then then the poor guy.

The security check was a Bit longer for teldor then the others, he'd brought 2 bags just in case and had to sit down for most of it as they when through all his stuff an expression of calm across he face, after all he wasn't here with some expectations on his back aside form that he at least give it a go but the boy tried to contain his excitement. Once done with that he'd pick up both bags stuffing the digital I.D into a side pocket and take the elevator down a grin now appearing on his face, how often did you get to see places like this? Hardly thats how often. Eventually after having to ask for direction Teldor ended up in the cafeteria lounge thing with everyone else the mood of the place was certainly unexpected. "Wow stary skies and jazz seems a bit slow but nice mood none the less" he'd comment out loud to no one in particular having to brush his hair out if his face in the process.

 

[Kloudy]

Marx Von Tallius
(Cornucopia - Arcane Army Compound)

"Ahh... So this is where my genius will thrive."

Stepping out of the taxi, the large auburn cadet turned his face to the Arcane Army's main compound with a glorious grin. He was finally here, the place where all his dreams would come true. A light breeze tousled his hair so he combed it back off of his forehead, taking in a deep breath of that sweet Cornucopian air. It was everything he had expected. The high walls, the bizzarely neon lights, the regiments of Arcane squads patrolling the premises. Indeed, Marx could think of nothing more appropriate for the defenders of Mankind. He grinned once more before making his way over to the checkpoint.

"Identification please. Arms out, legs apart." The officer looked over the passport Marx had handed him while his partner gave the buff 18 year old a pat down.

"If I wanted to blow up the Arcane Army, I'd just build the explosive once I'm inside. You guys must have plenty of materials, after all."

The two guards cast dubious glances at each other while Marx beamed at them. Regardless, after checking his bag they returned his belongings and waved him through. Laughing heartily to himself, Marx slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and strode into the elevator. It seemed it had only one destination: down.

"Mmh..." He put a hand to his chin as he mused, "Like a bunker. That's almost poetic."

Once he was down, the sliding doors opened to reveal a very slick and clean white-chrome hallway. Marx whistled and ran a finger across the wall as he walked. Of course it was spotless. Looking for signs, Marx spotted where it was he needed to go just as Dex chimed in.

"Second left and proceed down the hallway to the cafeteria."

"Why thank you, you marvel of modern technology." Marx smiled at the disembodied voice, which meant he was just gazing up at the ceiling with a crazy grin like a madman.

Taking the AI's advice, Marx followed the directions until the door with the 'Cafeteria' sign appeared. Entering boldly and abruptly, Marx's shirt had seemingly disappeared as strode into the centre of the room.

"Damn, are you guys feeling hot? I feel too hot."

Without pausing for a beat, he tossed his bag onto a nearby sofa before lodging himself right next to the white-haired girl. Yawning as he was a little tired from the journey, he slung an arm behind the sofa's back in the direction of Cora and pointed at the dude with the mask.

"What's that guy's deal? He can't be ill or he wouldn't have been let in. Oh! Maybe he's not very good-looking and he's trying to hide it!" He laughed at his joke and slapped the back of the sofa. The poor girl was half his size but Marx never slacked when it came to making friends. There sure were some funny-looking people gathered here. There was mask-guy who Marx was pretty sure had third degree burns on his face. One of them had some kind of funky device on their throat, which intrigued the mechanic in him. There was this one guy with really long hair, which Marx found a bit odd. Surely that would only get in the way of training?

"I just realised, why are we listening to jazz and not hard rock?"

Pepsionne

 

[LadyOfStars]

Amai Ichi
Aka Tenebrous Elesham​

So far he managed to maintain his isolation, which he wad grateful for because as new people arrived to the cafeteria, Tenebrous was convinced this entire endeavor was a joke. Not one of these people seemed soldier material and he wouldn't lie and say he was either. Turning in his chair so that he could face the rest of the room, Tenebrous's eyes ran over the many different faces that had arrived thus far. All of them unique in their own way, but not inspiring or convincing that the future of Cornucopia was in good hands. And even with the newest arrival it seemed that they weren't done waiting.

"Fuck this." It hadn't been long, but every minute spent waiting and listening to these idiots' idle chit-chat was time he could have spent elsewhere with more interesting people. Tenebrous rose from his seat, long legs propelling him into an upright position and then waltzed around the table to the bar. As he raised up the countertop and stepped behind, his eyes traveled along the shelves to see just what they kept in stock. "Ugh. Who drinks this piss?" Nothing on the shelves was what he normally drank and very few of the names even sounded familiar. "This will have to do." He grabbed a bottle of white off the top shelf and a short glass to pour his frustration into. Without paying any mind to the others he filled the glass a quarter of the way with a vodka he couldn't pronounce.

With his hood still pulled up, Tenebrous turned his back to the rest of the recruits and pulled his mask down, throwing his drink back in one gulp. "Hrrk." The beverage burned on the way down, accompanied by a terrible taste that made Tenebrous start to cough. "Cheap asses." He wore a pained expression as he pulled his mask back up over his face and tried to forget the nasty taste.

 

[Pepsionne]

Cora Everett
Mentions: LadyOfStars | Interacts: Kloudy Pumpkid Spiderverse ​

Cora’s eyes shifted over towards the elevator doors, hearing the already familiar sound as they opened. She watched a recruit peer around the room curiously, before making a beeline over to where she and the girl writing in her journal were seated. Cora shared the surprise with the other recruit at her table as the girl before them started gesturing with her hands.

She shot a quick glance over at the girl who introduced herself as Aurora, not understanding what the new recruit had said to them. Based on Aurora’s response, she assumed it had been a greeting. Cora offered a sincere smile, dipping her head down as she did so as a way to show her kindness. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you, I’m Cora,” She placed a hand on her chest as she introduced herself.

It didn’t take long for more recruits to show up, each arrival never failing to share a confusing look or comment about the atmosphere surrounding the cafeteria. So far, most of the arrivals had been low energy and cordial, keeping to themselves within the unfamiliar space. Cora did the same, keeping her small talk and facial expressions to a minimal. What were the expectations the arcane army expected of their recruits to uphold? They could be watching them now, for all she knew.

Their small bubble of silence popped as the latest recruit sauntered his way into the cafeteria, shirtless nonetheless. Cora watched, almost dumbfounded, as he addressed them all with an air of nonchalance. Her eyes instinctively traveled to Aurora and AJ as the newcomer plopped himself down next to her. She suppressed a sneer as he draped his arm across the back of her seat, his long reach easily stretching past the width of her shoulders, fingers visible from her peripheral. Was this guy serious right now?

In one skillfully swift movement, Cora shifted to look at the man beside her, effectively distancing herself away from him in the process so that his arm rested only on the cushion of the seat he had draped it over.

“Jazz is more palatable to a wide variety of tastes, whereas hard rock is not. With such a diverse group gathering here, all with different temperaments and tastes, I can’t think of one valid reason why hard rock would be the better choice. We’re here to train, not start a mosh pit,” She said, offering him a stiff but cordial smile. She had decided to ignore his earlier comment, feeling no desire to either defend nor start conversation with the huffy kid on the other side of the cafeteria. She had noticed him mumbling to himself over drink choices, disgust etched into his features as he downed whatever liquid he had chosen. For the first time since she had arrived at the facility, Cora wished for the qualifying exams to start as soon as possible.

 

[Yennie]

Mia Kashiwagi

Mia Kashiwagi entered the cafeteria having completed the security check. The guards had seemed eager to just pass her through once they'd seen her last name but Mia insisted on following protocol. She would have no special treatment. Even if for no other reason than to not stand out from the other recruits. That may come off as pretentious but Mia didn't mind. She wanted to be on equal footing so no one would judge her too harshly and maybe she'd even make a friend or two during her training period if she was lucky.

Mia stiffened her back as she made her way to a table already packed with a few people. She hesitated for just a moment when she actually reached the table, suddenly fearful to even introduce herself. And then there was a slight digital chirp, almost like the sound of a bird as Mia's earpiece began to glow a faint blue.

"You' will do well Miss Mia. All of my calculations guarantee it."

Her father had insisted on her bringing Tomodachi, or TD as she affectionately called the AI having nearly grown up with it. The AI was very much in tune with her, picking up on the shift in her emotions just by the change in her heartbeat. TD knew she was nervous and encouraged her the only way it knew how - mathematical logic. Still she appreciated it. It was nice to know she wasn't completely alone here.
Resolved, Mia made her way to where one girl was signing to another. She frowned slightly feeling it would be too difficult to enter that conversation considering she didn't know sign language and if either of them were deaf speaking might be rude. So instead she gave them both a friendly smile and a little wave before she changed course to another group where one boisterously loud guy was being almost chastised by the girl who just introduced herself as Cora. Something about hard rock and mosh pits?
Slightly intrigued Mia sat down near Cora and inserted herself into the conversation. "Mosh pit? What's that?"
​

Interactions: Pepsionne Kloudy Pumpkid Spiderverse

 

[Kloudy]

Marx Von Tallius
(Cornucopia - Compound Cafeteria)

Marx didn't hear what Cora had to say about hard rock as he was too busy gawking at the masked man slamming a drink away.

"Damn, he's really going for it huh?" He whistled in an impressed manner at their apparent resident alcoholic. Marx didn't drink much himself, not after what his father had been like. He wasn't sure if he should consider himself a lightweight, but he'd usually only ever have a few beers with his friends at most. The silver lining was that his body was in excellent shape as a result.

Marx's eyes narrowed slightly at the end of the show, his keen perception noticing that the man had made a point of turning his back to them to pull down his mask. So he was hiding his face. While his joke had been funny to him, he guessed it probably wasn't the case. Perhaps he didn't want to be noticed by someone? If hiding his identity was the clue here, then who was he hiding from? Marx's face scrunched into a thinking position as he pondered it. He couldn't be wanted, the Arcane Army would have done very thorough background checks. He wouldn't be able to hide his face from everyone present forever if they were to be training together, so he probably wasn't some kind of celebrity having a midlife crisis.

"Hm. Maybe he knows someone here and doesn't want to see them..." He said to himself thoughtfully.

Marx then tuned back into the conversation as a new girl started asking about mosh pits.

"Oh, they're pretty awesome. Everyone crowds together and just starts jumping and dancing and going crazy to some killer tunes! A friend and I went to a club once and she nearly got crushed. I had to get her to surf across the top of the crowd to get her out the center, it was great!" He grinned as he recalled the memory. It had been a pretty fun night, though he had definitely drank too much. While Marx had enjoyed it, he was secretly glad it was not a pastime he did too often.

"OH! I just realised I have no idea who any of you people are," Marx stood up before the girls and bowed with grandeur, "Marx Von Tallius, at your service! I look forward to working with you."

Pepsionne
Yennie
LadyOfStars

 

[sockhaver]

Ninon Allemand

​

"Siiiiiiick." The words left Ninon's lips in a breath, the quietest she had been all day. From chatting to the taxi driver, to playfully back-sassing the A.I. giving her instructions (to no response), her mouth had been running since she had woken up. The cafeteria, beautifully decorated, smelling good enough to make her mouth water, finally got her engine to stop for a second.

But only a second.

This cafeteria was not just loaded with delicious food, but delici----interesting people. A shirtless dude, some guy in a mask, and a gaggle of cute girls. While her inner annoyance drew her to the loners of the group, she was completely unable to ignore that someone had just mentioned mosh pits. MOSH PITS!!! She hadn't been out of band life for long, but by God, she already missed everything about it. With a few loud and ungraceful steps. she sat herself down next to the---God, now that she was closer, he was no longer the "shirtless guy", but rather, "the MASSIVE shirtless guy". Sure, he was only a few inches taller than her, but in terms of pure bulk? Damn. Ninon figured he'd be a fun chat, since the poor white-haired girl obviously wasn't loving his energy anyway.

"Pleasure to meet ya, Marx," she said, quite nonchalantly, considering her abrupt entrance into the conversation. "Pleasure to meet all of you! I'm Ninon Allemand. Sounds like we're havin' quite the chat over here, huh?"

Kloudy
Yennie
LadyOfStars
Pepsionne

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Teldor
interaction: LadyOfStars Kloudy Yennie Pepsionne sockhaver​

It seemed more people kept showing up not that teldor minded at all he loved a good crowd so many diffrent people he could hardly decide who to talk to there was the big shirtless guy Tho while shorter he was waaaaay more muscular so that was neet, there was a girl with a metal jaw or something Teldor wondered what happend to her. Deciding to shift over to the larger group long hair trailing behind him it seemed as if everyone was making introduction. The shirtless guy was called marx another girl called ninon, but as far as introductions went so far that was it. "Sorry for not getting in on this little chat before but I'm here now names Teldor Agies nice to meet you all, bit of an unexpected group really I was expecting alot more people Like marx you know big tough" Teldor introduce himself and sort of just kept talking as he always did social filtering being non-existent. soon his attention was turned away form the group to the masked guy sitting by himself... he couldn't help but feel he'd seen them somewhere, hair whipping around as he turned on his heels teldor walked straight up to the masked guy a big grin across his face. "Hey there man I know this is a random question but you look practically exactly like Tenebrous must be amazing to look like a celebrity hey? Anyway why don't you join the rest of us? No use sulking in the corner like that your gonna have to talk to us one way or another might as well do it now hey?" Teldor spoke cheerfully trying to make friendly conversation.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Amai Ichi
Aka Tenebrous Elesham

This group got more and more weird as the minutes went by and Tenebrous couldn't help but to feel as though all the little people that told him to do this, were wrong. While he appreciated a fit, shirtless, pretty guy as much as the next person, the group seemed to be made up of society's rejects. They were definitely people that he'd reject. As he watched them all from behind the bar, he tried to figure out what sort of persona would best win them all over to his side. He swirled his vodka around at the base of his cup, watching and thinking of the personalities already present in the room. Certainly he didn't want to be anyone annoying and someone that was too forward might draw too much attention. While he was in his head about the whole thing, Tenebrous hadn't noticed the stranger that chose to approach him when everyone else had chosen to stir clear.

"Huh?" His grip loosened on his glass and his dark brown eyes turned towards the other recruit with a somewhat confused look in them. He looked the man up and down while the words registered in his mind and he formulated a response. He had been put in the spotlight, which was fine when he knew what character he was going to play or what song he would sing. "Oh..." He started with a quick glance to the others. "I don't think we look much alike...trust me." His voice became noticeably softer, almost somber as his eyes drifted down to his mask, as if their was a sad story behind it's purpose.

"I uh...was just nervous." Tenebrous picked up the bottle and shook it jokingly. He took it and his cup and gestured to the table as he walked around the bar. "My name is, Amai." He greeted plainly. "It's nice to meet you all. Finally." He teased with a light chuckle. While his mask remained on and his hood remained up, there was a warmth in Tenebrous' that shone through in his eyes.

 

[Pumpkid]

Aurora Ruiz
Mentions: Pepsionne Kloudy sockhaver / Interactions: Huntertabbysandshark3 LadyOfStars
​

One by one people stepped into the cafeteria showing their unique traits. One walked in with the build of a man yet the spark of an optimist as well as shirtless for some reason. The second was another male swaying with his long hair. Aurora wondered if it will be permitted within military guidelines. Lastly, a girl walked with a devilish grin, jumping at the conversation Aurora had somehow zoned out after Cora introduced herself. The shirtless man greeted the group with his name l, Marx and the girl beside him was Ninon. Everyone was so busy being excited, she didn't get a chance to say hello except for a nod. She felt as though she should just lend an ear. Her attention turns over to the hooded male shuffling through the bar's collection of drinks. He tossed them aside as if they belonged to him. Aurora glared at the fellow finding it rude. His words of disgust made her frown rather than be angry. She stood up from the table dismissing herself from AJ and approach the masked man. "H-hey, you shouldn't-" Before she could speak her mind, the long-haired teen from earlier interjects, pointing out that the man in desguise is Tenebrous. Aurora's eyes widens, shocked that such a child celebrity would be in the midst.

It was obvious the lad lied for the purpose of not wanting to be discovered, but at the same time, who was Aurora to question one's reasons without evidence? "Whether you're Tenebrous or not, welcome! H-hello, I'm Aurora. Nice to meet you." She turns to the long haired man. "And you too." She smiled before shifting back to Amai. "You shouldn't be discarding bottles away. Some people might like them." Hopefully, the male did not see it as an order as opposed to advice on being considerate.

Dex
Interactions: *Everyone*
​

As the recruits instantly connected with idle chatter, Dex felt some tension within the room and requests to change the station. His thought process begins to run an analysis of how to resolve the situation. He starts with the switch in music to rock, while his robotic hands surface to serve the recruits their favorite beverages found based on their files.

"Please hold on a little longer while your commander makes his way to the cafeteria for your first trial. Here are some of your favorite drinks to soothe your essence. I did some research on each of you and had these prepared exactly as your preference states. Enjoy~" Like a switch, Dex's voice turns to a morbid, sarcastic tone. "Before your lives are ruined and you have no free time to yourself thanks to commander Hoohaw." Aurora chuckles silently amused by the A.I.'s quirkiness and thanks Dex for the Cuppacino.

 

[Lurker]

The alarm blared out for what was likely the fifth time that day. The only movement in the room was the slight shifting of a mass of covers on the bed. A hand shout out quickly from under the covers, slapping at the clock. Eventually one of the slaps silenced the chirping of the alarm. The man under the covers had nearly managed to resume his peaceful sleep when he heard it. There was no mistaking that sound. It set every nerve ending in his body on fire. No time to run. No time to react. All he could do was brace his body for what was to come. All of a sudden the door to his room was kicked damn near off the hinges. "Adam Bartholomew Corsair!!!! You get out of bed this instant!! You can not be late on your first day!"

A loud sound somewhere between a groan and a death gurgle could be heard from under the covers. "Five more minutes mom." "I am not playing this game with you today Adam. You are getting out of bed." His mother, the devil woman that she was, slapped the panel in his room to open the shutters. More groaning could be heard as the male tried desperately to fight the inevitable but the sun would win. It always did. "You have to get ready. Now!" There was no use arguing with her when she was like this. Being all responsible and shit. Where was the fire? Adam rolled out of bed with a thud, landing on all fours. "Alright alright you win I'm going."

The rest of the morning went by in a hurry. His mother yanking him this way and that as he went about his morning routine. They argued over what he should wear but he eventually wore her down to allowing him to wear a blue hoodie and some jeans. The whirlwind of a morning finally ended with Adam standing in front of his house giving mom a hug. She was trying to keep it together and doing a very bad job of it. She kept telling him to remember to brush his teeth and all the things he already knew and had tears in her eyes. Adam smiled warmly and dropped the lazy kid act long enough to pick her up in a hug and kiss her cheek. "I love you mom. I'll come see you as soon as I can." She nodded and handed him a bag of his stuff. Adam gave one last look at his house before hopping in the taxi and speeding off to wherever it was he was going.

The ride took longer than he thought and he was able to catch up on some of his missing sleep. The taxi driver gently shook him awake once they were there and Adam made his way through security. The guards checked his bag which didn't really bother Adam since he wasn't the one who packed it. Mom would know exactly what he could and couldn't bring. They eventually waved him through although they seemed to be a little more rough than needed when frisking him. He just allowed himself to get jostled around to not cause any trouble. Hell it even helped him wake up a little bit. A robot piped up to help Adam figure out where he was going and he was grateful for the help. Adam was pretty notorious about being awful with directions. His mom always joked he'd get lost in the house if it wasn't for GPS.

The brief walk and elevator ride led him to the cafeteria where it seemed like a bunch of people were gathered. He had arrived right before the nice robot voice that helped him earlier mentioned drinks. The thought of his favorite drink made him perk up and head over to the bar. On his way he had to squeeze past some roided out jock who apparently couldn't find a shirt. "Scuse me 'overcompensating'. Lemme just get by ya." Adam had a habit of making up nicknames for people and that seemed like as fitting of one as any. He made his way quickly to the bar, ignoring everybody else in search of his favorite drink. He found the sweet nectar waiting on the counter for him and smiled. It was a 'suicide'. Or that's what his mom called it anyway. It was 6 sodas mixed into one and it was to die for. Adam hopped onto the counter to sit down in the corner, ignoring the barstools, and watched everybody else including those near the bar. The soda helped him perk up quickly but he still wanted to watch everybody first to see what their deal was.

intreacted with : Kloudy

 

[Kloudy]

Marx Von Tallius
(Cornucopia - Compound Cafeteria)

​

Marx had been about to respond to the newcomer, who was almost as tall as him surprisingly, when Dex decided it was time to chime in. The lights changed and rock music actually started playing, causing the stocky lad to cheer by himself. Drinks appeared at the bar and Marx mimed for the girls to give him a second as he got his drink. Walking back over with a pint Sol beer, the large mechanic took a wondrous swig and smacked his lips with delight.

"Whew, this stuff is great. You know it's brewed with solar en- Oh yeah!" He turned to face Ninon, "Nice to be working with you, Ninon. You seem like a girl of culture, I'm guessing you've got a fireball bomb!"

Marx was too engrossed in his conversation to notice the smaller boy attempting to squeeze past him until the drink had already been jarred and spilled slightly. Frowning, he followed the culprit and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You should be more careful where you walk, buddy. You knocked my drink." Of course, Marx's demeanour could in no way be described as threatening so long as you could look past his massive figure. If anything, his face looked less annoyed and more like he was giving life advice to the cadet. After all, a drink was a drink and it wasn't like he had even paid for it.


sockhaver
Lurker

 

[Pepsionne]

Cora Everett
Mentions: Kloudy Lurker Pumpkid LadyOfStars Interacts: Yennie ​

Cora looked away from the man who introduced himself as Marx, hearing a soft voice curiously make its way into their conversation. The girl sat down beside Cora, and as she turned to fully face her, Cora came to the realization of who it was she was now engaging in small talk. It was the general's daughter Mia, a fact well known to those who spent ample time learning all they could about the military and its leaders. What was she doing here, at the bottom of the totem pole?

Cora offered her a warm smile nonetheless, as the girl seemed like a nice breath of air after the more aggressive and strong willed recruits dominating the space at the moment. She furrowed her brow at Marx's energetic comment, speaking to the positives of a pit full of violence and aggression. When his attention was stolen away to someone else, Cora leaned over towards Mia. "I don't really think it'd be your cup of tea. It certainly isn't mine, violence for the sake of violence," She said, trailing off as she shuddered to think of being slammed around by people possessing much more strength than her own. One thing she learned from her training to get here, was that strength wasn't her most impressive trait on the battlefield. Especially not if there were people like Marx out there, who could practically swallow anyone in the room whole.

Once Dex piped up, the AI that had led her towards the cafeteria earlier, Cora's body instinctively tightened. It was almost time for her to prove herself in the qualifier, to make a space for herself within the army in order to travel outside the wall. She had recurring nightmares for years of what lurked beyond it, of what it had taken from her. Hopefully seeing it up close would be enough to quell them.

The AI delivered them all a drink, each vastly different from the other. She peered down at her own, blinking as a familiar smell wafted up to her nose. It was honey lemon tea, a drink her brother had always made for her whenever Cora felt under the weather. Drinking it had always managed to soothe the cold, cough, or whatever other sickness had taken hold of her, and she subsequently had begun associating it with happiness. She hadn't made this for herself since her brother had disappeared. She was too afraid to. Cora looked at the steaming cup before her, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She had answered the question for her file honestly, not expecting anything to come of it, but to see the drink in front of her, an exact replica of how her brother would make it—it made her pause.

Cora's attention was fortunately brought up and away from the drink before her as she heard a shuffled commotion. The large man Marx was looking down at the side of his glass at the liquid that dripped freely to the floor. Cora stifled a laugh to hear the newest recruit pass a snide remark at the man, saying the words she had thought as soon as Marx entered the space. Marx put a hand on the newcomer’s shoulder while he chastised him.

Eyes drifting away from the two, Cora found herself taking in the formerly grumpy kid in the corner, who was engaged in a conversation with Aurora. He slid a joking demeanor over the bitter hatred she had sensed from him earlier, but Cora didn’t buy the change. The sudden softness seemed too—forced, almost like he was mocking them. She took a sip of her tea, storing her observation for her own use and deciding to turn her attention elsewhere.

 

[Spiderverse]

AJ Thompson​

So many new faces and geetings had been coming AJs way it had been hard for her to react quickly. She was able to piece together a couple of things but all in all it seemed like this place was gonna be pretty rowdy while they were here! Which was honestly pretty awesome! AJ had come to hate the quiet, it was best when it was bustling, and all the noise kept her attention from wandering! First it was the shirtless guy bringing up hard rock, then Cora (who was kind enough to give her a hello despite the signing), protested with the loveliness of Jazz! She was right, and oh how she wanted to say so but couldn't. Though she had been used to not really having a voice, it was hard to communicate without somebody nearby who had known sign language.

Luckily for her, Dr. Harrison was a bit more forward thinking in that regard, commissioning a personalized text to speech application for AJ to use. She was still figuring out how it worked, but she was already pretty fast with her hands anyway so typing was a breeze. But before she could even write out a response, a girl came up and introduced herself too! And then another! And then another big guy came over, and then he went over to the gloomy dude! Then oh no, Aurora had left her, the one girl who knew sign!

AJ's mind had been racing as her eyes darted back and forth and her body shifted, and as if called out personally by the ever-present AI, it had given her a chocolate almond milkshake. Without any hesitation or grace she had taken a loud slurp, maybe the only noise that she could make coming from that glass! So absorbed in the milkshake was she that she hadn't noticed another guy walk in. How was she going to remember all of these names! But then it seemed like the shirtless guy's drink was spilled, and that was no good.

AJ made her way her way over, fitting herself in between the two before lifting up her milkshake to the big guy. Then an idea came to mind! She had frantically typed on the software, before an upbeat but slightly robotic voice came from her prosthetic: <Hey hey hold on now! Everybody here should get along so have a bit of my milkshake and lets talk bands big guy!>

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Teldor
interaction: LadyOfStars Kloudy Pepsionne Pumpkid​

“Are you sure? because you look exactly like Tenebrous, I mean there are such things as doppelgängers so oh well still cool” Teldor responded cheerfully to the more somber-looking fellow it seemed like he might have struck a nerve. But luckily he‘d managed to get him to engage with everyone, thusly Teldor spun himself back to the main group as he didn’t really want to be left out. Dex informing them that they would be getting their favorite drinks. Teldor smiled seeing his own preferences a large coffee with the smell of caramel. “perfect coffee just what the doctor ordered“ Teldor said randomly to no one in particular before rejoining the group in full, getting there just in time to see the new guy being rude to that Marx fellow. "hey no need to say that unless Marx here makes you feel tiny, in that case, I guess it makes sense" Teldor commented towards that fellow, turning over to the other woman who had walked over to the Tenebrous look alike. "oh I don't think I introduced myself names Teldor but you can just call me Tel" he'd say cheerfully taking a sip of his coffee

 

[Lurker]

In a weird twist of fate by trying to separate himself from everyone else Adam seemed to have put himself in the middle of something. He hadn't meant to run into Overcompensating like that but it was hard to maneuver around the approximately 700 pounds of muscle that was the man's body. Now the goliath was walking over to him. Adam kept his face neutral and sipped from his glass when really all he wanted to do was lay down on the bar and take a nap. When Overcompensating started talking to him Adam was prepared for this to turn into a whole event. He was pleased to find that although the words themselves were somewhat harsh the tone and just...General demeanor of the guy wasn't threatening at all.

Adam simply stared at the guy for a few seconds and blinked slowly. "Right. Whatever you say buddy. I'll be more careful next time and I'll even buy you a shirt." He cracked an easy grin and took another sip of his drink when another person walked up. The shorter girl forced herself in between Adam and his...mentor? Or at least the guy seemed to think that way. How do you go around not wearing a shirt and it being the least strange thing about you? A problem for another day. This girl was just as colorful a character as Overcompensating it seemed. She seemed to have a...Robot neck? Cyborg would be her nickname. He nodded gently to himself as if to confirm that the nickname fit and was about to ask about it when she spoke. Well, rather, the voice from her throat machine spoke...It was too early for this.

"Me and Overcompensating are fine. He was just giving me some exclusive tips to be a better soldier. Anyway I'll pass on the milkshake, Cyborg. Germs and stuff, you know?" He took another loud sip from his drink. It was running low and so the straw was making a loud slurping sound. Just as Adam set the empty glass down to his side another person decided to enter his bubble. This one made their nickname apparent from their first sentence to him. The corner of Adam's lips tilted up in a smirk for a brief moment but it was just as quickly replaced by his usual bored expression. Even from his heightened seat on the bar Adam had to tilt his neck some to look the much taller male in the eye. "I'm sorry if I hurt you or your friend's feelings, Sensitivity. It's just a silly nickname. Gonna have to toughen up that skin of yours if you don't wanna get bullied though. I'm sure Overcompensating can give you some advice. He already helped me out."

Well as far as Adam was concerned he was doing a tremendous job making friends. "My name's Adam. You can just call me Adam." He spoke to the crowd now in front of him but wasn't really looking to see if they were paying attention. His eyes were scanning lazily around the rest of the cafateria to see what other kind of people would be entering.
___
Talking to : Overcompensating Kloudy , Cyborg Spiderverse , Sensitivity Huntertabbysandshark3

 

[mito]

Leon Farhaat​

As he turns down the music, leon leans a little bit forward inorder to get better look at the gritty building getting bigger in the horizon, wondering to himself, isnt this facility supposed to be alot bigger.
Who knows, its not like you can make out anything when its raining like this.
He lets go of the gas pedal, inorder to decrease his higher than inapropriate cruising speed, to arrive at the front gate of the military complex.
The carpark is inside of the building as he hoped for. Putting him at ease, not having to worry about his expensive sedan.

Luckily there is no rain underneath the covered pathway leading to the main entrance of the complex.


Wearing a neat green sweater along with other clothing pieces, gives him a semi formal look. Leon has broad shoulders and a well trained physique. Achieved by boxing and regularly working out. He trains his body to be able to achieve his high ambitions and rarely skips out.

As the doors slide open, leon is met by a check in post.
“Good morning” leon speaks in a firm matter.
"Good morning" the security guard scoffs back.
As leon walks to the counter, The guard raises his left eyebrow a miniscule bit, noticing the bag being carried by leon is one typically issued by the military.
“I’m here for the arcane cadet selection. “ leon claims.
The guard quickly responds: “right this way” while taking his bag while the other guard proceeds with the pat down.
“Any bombs or knifes found yet today?” Leon utters in a joking manner.
"If there where, you would have noticed” the guard snaps back while grinning.

As the guards finish up and hand over his id, leon gets directed toward the elevator as well as to ride it down to the lower level.
“Its an od bunch your getting into.” The guard says after leon turns around inorder to head for the elevator.
“Oh, thanks for the heads up” leon answers back.

As the elevator doors close, the guard faces his colleague
“These kids look nothing like soldiers,
I wonder what goes trough the mind of that ai sometimes.”
After a small pause the other answers back: “heaven knows”.


After being guided to the cafeteria by arrows on the walls and floor Leon arrives at the door-opening.
For a second he stands still while baffled by the loud music and the commotion Playing out in front of him. How is this occasion supposed to be a military recruitment and not a housewarming party.
A voice speaking, grabs his attention. he is Just in time to hear dex mention everyone is being served their favorite drink.
leon decides to manouver his way to the bar for now.
As he spots a glass of water he takes it upon himself to grab it and make himself comfortable at a bar stool near the rightside of the bar.

Lets just go with the flow and see what this is about.

 

[Pumpkid]

General Lance


​

The doors slide open as a mid-aged man enters the room with the utmost permanent angry expression. An deep scar on his right, blind eye making the other scars on his face seem like car scratches. Dex lights up, introducing the veteran, "please welcome General Terrance Lance, your superior. He will be overseeing your training." The general scans the new faces he will be whipping into shape. He sees some carry potential, some undetermined, all in all, the one common outcome is these kids will be the future. For a brief second, Lance's soft exterior reverts after taking a deep breath to shout, "TEN-HUT!" He began to pace the room, observing each cadet. His accent thick as if he was Spanish. "Alright you brats, whether you're ready or not you come to me for any curiosity you may have, I every cadet's superior, until I pass you on to higher power, but for now you will keep any question on topic as we head to the training grounds. Leave your belongings here you may take them back once I dismiss you." He spins on his heel now marching out the door. "Now follow me." He ordered.

As he strides down the hall with the group he starts issuing guidelines for living under military rule. The small room they were previously situated was the cafeteria, and the door just beyond it was the map of the entire military base centered around the courtyard below.

The confined walls of the Earth accompanied by four, cascading waterfalls. An underground ecosystem to suit the space. It was evident there is a transparent barrier depicting the time of day and pipe-like pathways bridging one port to the next to get across quick. "It's a large compound so if you ever get lost, Dex will show the way. Each room is local except for the ones marked with red on the security panel beside the doors. You'll need permission and an I.D. Those rooms are confidential and only higher ranks may enter such as Bishops.

At some point, they reach their destination standing inside a room filled with equipment and from across and empty space. "This is is our indoor training room, you're free to use it at any time except for any weaponry. You can only use them under my supervision." The general approaches the wall near the entrance and opens a secret lid with what seems to be controls for the empty space. A few buttons and turns to the knob, the empty space envelops the group into a new environment. A desert arena with an obstacle course.

​

"We'll start with the basics, test your stamina, and see what we need to improve upon. You'll all have to get used to the regiment and your schedules. With that being said, you will be doing three laps from there, climb the walls, crawl under the barb wire, jump across the mud pool, ten push ups, ten sit ups on the ground then climb a second time over the wall and run to the finish line, understood? Once I blow the whistle, you will be timed." He checks the time waiting for the hand to turn then blows the whistle for the group to go.

Pepsionne mito Kloudy Yennie Lurker Spiderverse Huntertabbysandshark3 sockhaver LadyOfStars

 

[sockhaver]

Ninon Allemand
​

"Fireball? Maaan, that sounds great but I'm hopin' for--" She was cut off by the cup touching her lips. A few gulps later, she continued with zest. "Orange juice! Hell yes! I ain't getting scurvy.....again."

With a little hop, Ninon sat herself back down on the couch, wordlessly throwing her right arm behind the backrest. She drank in the conversation along with her juice. These folks seemed like a great bunch. Lively, friendly, and most certainly interesting. Marx, a kindred spirit. Good taste? No shirt? Infectious energy? He was definitely her kind of person. Teldor, the mischief-maker. With this group, the days were sure not to be quiet, but his presence should make them all the more exciting. Adam, the sass-master. What kind of nickname would Ninon get inflicted with? It was exciting to think about. Aurora, who had more in common with a scared prey animal than a solider. Ninon silently prayed that she would come out of her shell, if only because she might have a heart attack otherwise. Amai, a...supposed child star? He had something going on, that's for sure, and by God, Ninon had to know by the end of this. There were some she hadn't got the pleasure of learning the names of yet. Milkshake girl, whose friendliness couldn't help but make Ninon smile. The white-haired girl, who was more on the serious side. Might be a bit of a killjoy, but this team needs the anchor. Um...mosh girl? Ninon wasn't sure what to call her yet. Cute girl? There were a lot of those. Mosh girl would have to do for now. Finally, there was the gentleman who just walked in. No name as of yet, but Ninon figured she either catch it--or some defining trait---eventually.

She didn't get much time to think things over before the peace was interrupted by some old dude. Terrance Lance. Classic military man. At his booming "TEN-HUT!" she stood to attention, dropping her thankfully empty cup. Was she supposed to salute, or just look like she's paying attention? She decided to throw in the salute in just in case. After his brief explanation, she followed him through the various parts of the base, eyes drawn to every other thing. Lance was saying something, but she wasn't catching it. Blah blah, rules, blah blah, regimens. Most of it was probably common sense stuff anyway. Don't throw parties, show up to places on time, etc.

After the bombardment of words, words, and more words, she finally tuned back in at the mention of training. Things were looking up, and it only got better from there. A massive, sprawling desert playgrou---er, obstacle course. Would she have preferred something not quite so...arid? Absolutely. But soldiers can't be choosers. Three laps, climb a wall, jump across a mud pool, crawl under some wire, and only ten situps and pushups? Well, the was the whole "climbing back over the wall" after that, but still! Surprising! Of course, it was just a test. Things would ramp up from here.

At the sound of the whistle, Ninon tore off down the track. Not the fastest, but no slouch either. Pacing yourself is the name of the game, but she had never really been good at names. After a brisk three laps, she leapt up the wall with slightly more grace than a drunk frog. Upon reaching the top, she dropped off the wall, rolling as she hit the ground. Next was the barbed wire. Not a problem. Given her size, making it out without scratches was out of the question, but it's not like she'd feel them anyway. It was only after she had rose to jump across the mud pool that she noticed just how much she'd been torn up. It wasn't too bad, but a lot worse than the average person's performace. She cringed a bit at the sight, not in pain, but in pure embarrassment. "Oof. Be a bit more careful, got it."

Her leap across the mud at the very least brought her far enough to clear it, even if she did stumble a bit at the end. Ten pushups and ten situps flew by like a nice summer breeze. She climbed the final wall with similar aplomb, before finally landing back in front of Lance. The thought of giving him a little bow crossed her mind. Sure, she had done well, but there were very obviously areas in which she could improve. Her pig-headedness won out over her common sense, but only barely. The previously planned bow became a confident nod, paired with a smile.

 

[Spiderverse]

AJ Thompson​

There was so much going on and AJ's mind kept going, trying to figure out what to do and what to say as she still held up the milkshake in front of Marx, hoping to at least calm the guy down with a sip of the greatest guilty pleasure known to mankind, but it seems as though the other guy didn't wanna partake! Kind of disappointing honestly, but she still held up the milkshake in case the man would take a sip of the wonderful concoction. Wait-CYBORG? The girl's head quickly turned toward the other guy with a confused look on her face as she was considering what in his right mind would make him call her a cyborg? Was it the voice? Maybe the prosthetic? Probably the prosthetic. But her name wasn't Cyborg! There was no C in her name anywhere! Rapidly typing with one hand, she was about to 'say' something when the man of the hour made his way in: some General guy named Terrance Lance.

He looked like a bit of a grump, which made her chuckle (which was a lil' weird without the sound) since he kind of reminded her of Dr. Harrison, so hopefully that rough exterior was a just a facade for the teddy bear he might've been on the inside. But oh boy was AJ's theory quickly dashed as he shouted for their attention. She immediately saluted him with her free hand, bringing the one with the milkshake down to her lips so she could silently enjoy while he examined them. The man was all business, no salutations or greetings other than unveiled insults and a clear superiority that came with his rank. Definitely sounded like the description of the army that Dr. Harrison had warned her about, but it couldn't be all like that!

Luckily for her, it seemed like she was somewhat right, as the man's guided tour revealed some swanky digs for this being some kind of military base, reminding her of all the super fancy and expensive neighborhoods she would see around Cornucopia! But a fraction of the best part was the training room, and how the room seemed to shift into a whole new space! She had known pretty well that the level of tech was crazy in the Arcane Army, but holograms of this level were totally mind-blowing! But that wasn't even the best part, of course it wasn't. It was the obstacle course. Oh how much she had been waiting for a chance to really be in her element.

Finishing the remainder of her milkshake in one fell swoop, AJ stretched with a grin and didn't even start at the blow of the whistle. Doing a quick full body stretch then following it up taking off her bomber jacket and tying her braids up into a ponytail; before finally doing the laps, whizzing past any of the stragglers and even some of the average performers until she had made the first obstacle: climbing some walls. PFFT. It was a really simple maneuver for her, one that she had done on her daily expeditions with ease. Next was the crawl, which was actually pretty fun if you went about it the right way. Not afraid of some dirt and grime, AJ dove down into the space between the barbed wire before tucking her arms and adjusting her stance to swiftly move through with minimal cuts and scrapes. Not perfect, but more than most can say. Then came the mud jump, just like old times. Quickly getting up onto her feet and getting a running head start, the girl would pull a pretty impressive long jump before tucking her body and rolling back to her feet in order to keep the momentum. Finally though, was the first real challenge of this course. Pushups and sit-ups were not exactly her strong suit, though her hobby had certainly helped building up the strength and endurance to get through it, it was clear she was slower on this part than anything else. Finally, running wall climb with a rolling fall before making it to the finish line with a slightly exasperated exhale and a big smile.

Rather than simply resting though, AJ would make her go around the course, using her text to speech device to throw some oddly stilted words of encouragement at those who didn't finish yet.