Post by thadeous on Dec 6, 2010 8:41:52 GMT -5
It was never the same, but always came with a feeling of similarity. Beginning at night, once I had fallen into the world of dreams, the darkness would engulf me. Things haunted me; some things from the darker parts of my past, some things that hadn’t even happened. I could never really make sense of any of it, though it was always clear in the end that it symbolised the evil that would always be there. Not in me, of course, but the world. This world we lived in was full of atrocities that would always try to consume all that is good. These dreams led back to my childhood. It was true to say I was always happy. I mean, how could I not be? I came from a loving family who treated me fair and taught me good values which I still hold true to this day. But as the dreams started and I began to ask about them, it didn’t take long to know that not everyone had the good fortune that I had. All the suffering around me made me feel lost. Here I was, not doing anything while everything I could think of would one day be obliterated. All the despair I felt brought me to the conclusion that I would one day be able to do something about it. And now that I was a student of Balamb Garden, I was closer than ever to being in a position where I could make a difference. Despite that, my dreams were still a place of torment. Every night I suffered a new ordeal that I could not overcome. It was disheartening to say the least.
Today, I awoke from my dreams the same as I always did; with my heart pounding and my whole body covered in sweat. This meant, of course that my first act of the day was a shower to refresh body and mind for the day ahead. I loved the shower because it was where I always shed the weight of the world. As I stepped out and quickly dried off, my mind was quickly over to the news I had heard just yesterday. I had been chosen to take part in the Holy Mission tournament that Trabia Garden was hosting on the Island Closest to Heaven. When I had heard, I almost didn’t believe it, though my class mates were not at all shocked about the news. Today, it had sunken in and I knew I didn’t have long to prepare myself for the competition. As one of the top students in Balamb Garden, my body and mind were already highly conditioned. That part didn’t concern me. The competition was what I needed to prepare for. I already was aware of my fellow Balamb students; Renea and Amne. From my experience, the two twins were more different than strangers, having nothing in common except their looks. Amne was a sweet likeable girl who always appeared to be friendly and a little bit timid, but then again as I wasn’t in any of her classes, I hadn’t had much contact with her. Renea, on the other hand was infamous in our Garden. She had a reputation, not a good one, and that intimidated me. It always seemed that she was the sort of person I would see in my nightmares. It always struck me that there was a darkness inside her that could one day consume her completely. Still, I couldn’t delve too much into them personally. It was their battle habits that I had to familiar myself with, or else I was going in to this thing blind. As for the students from the other Gardens, I had their files and was ready to study them in time for the tournament.
I threw on my clothes once I had dried myself, and headed out to score myself some breakfast. When I arrived at the cafeteria, my one and only friend was already sitting at a table directly opposite from a random group of girls. It was very typical of him.
“Why hello there, stranger.” Cas said, throwing his hand up in his goofy fashion which caused the girls near him to giggle amongst themselves.
“Smooth.” I said to him as I sat opposite from him.
“What? Them?” He said, nodding towards the girls to indicate who he was talking about. “I gots them eating out of the palm of my hands.”
“Sure you do, Cas.” I said, smiling at him. “Everyone loves a clown, right?”
“They sure do.” He said, laughing as he past me the cereal bowl he had saved for me. “Anyway, enough small talk.”
“Please don’t bring up the tournament.” I said, trying to dismiss his so called ‘business’ talk.
“How can I not talk about it? Everyone is talking about it. Most people in Balamb have their money on both you and Renea.” He said enthusiastically. “You are naturally the won who I am waging on.”
“You do realise that gambling is strictly against Garden policy, right?” I said, once again trying to shrug off the conversation, though I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I think a conversation like this may have even featured in my latest nightmare.
“And you do realise that being <I>that</I> straight is probably why someone as strong as you isn’t crowded with adoring fans?” Cas said, raising his eyebrows. “Like you care, right?”
“Indeed.” I agreed, not wanting to divulge too far down that route either.
“Back to the shop talk, buddy.” Cas said, as I felt my head drop down into my arms, which were folded in front of me on the table. “What’s your plan?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, raising my head enough to show him my distressed facial expression.
“Well what are you going to do to make sure you win?” Cas asked.
“Are you suggesting I cheat?” I said in disbelief.
“No! Of course not. I meant, like, what’s your game plan or something.” He said defensively. “You know, unless you want to cheat.”
“Well my game plan was to show up and try to win.” I replied, staring into his wide hopeful eyes. “And cheat? Seriously?”
“If you do want to go down that road, I have a bunch of ideas.” He suggested, leaning in closer to me.
“Go tell them to Renea then.” I said, concentrating back on my breakfast.
“Are you kidding me? I tried to talk to her but she just shooed me away.” He laughed.
“One day you’ll have your window.” I said, not really thinking as I swallowed another mouthful of bran.
“For now, I’ll just work on those girls.” He said, while I witnessed him wink at them, causing more giggling around their table. Cas was relatively good looking, but had absolutely no clue how to talk to women… Not that I was any better. I at least kept my dignity by not trying to. It shocked me when someone sat next to me and someone else walked round the table to sit next to Cas. “Hi.” Cas said, now sounding nervous.
“Hello. It’s Cas, right?” The one sitting next to him asked. He just nodded, dumbly.
“And you’re Thadeous?” The one next to me asked.
“Yes.” I replied, looking up from my last bite of bran. “And you…. Are?” As I saw her face, I was breath taken by her. She was unlike any girl I had seen up close, mostly because I hadn’t seen anyone outside of the library this close, but still… she was something else.
“I’m Trixie.” She smiled.
All I could think was as far as distractions go, this one was welcome. I knew I’d find time to study later.
Today, I awoke from my dreams the same as I always did; with my heart pounding and my whole body covered in sweat. This meant, of course that my first act of the day was a shower to refresh body and mind for the day ahead. I loved the shower because it was where I always shed the weight of the world. As I stepped out and quickly dried off, my mind was quickly over to the news I had heard just yesterday. I had been chosen to take part in the Holy Mission tournament that Trabia Garden was hosting on the Island Closest to Heaven. When I had heard, I almost didn’t believe it, though my class mates were not at all shocked about the news. Today, it had sunken in and I knew I didn’t have long to prepare myself for the competition. As one of the top students in Balamb Garden, my body and mind were already highly conditioned. That part didn’t concern me. The competition was what I needed to prepare for. I already was aware of my fellow Balamb students; Renea and Amne. From my experience, the two twins were more different than strangers, having nothing in common except their looks. Amne was a sweet likeable girl who always appeared to be friendly and a little bit timid, but then again as I wasn’t in any of her classes, I hadn’t had much contact with her. Renea, on the other hand was infamous in our Garden. She had a reputation, not a good one, and that intimidated me. It always seemed that she was the sort of person I would see in my nightmares. It always struck me that there was a darkness inside her that could one day consume her completely. Still, I couldn’t delve too much into them personally. It was their battle habits that I had to familiar myself with, or else I was going in to this thing blind. As for the students from the other Gardens, I had their files and was ready to study them in time for the tournament.
I threw on my clothes once I had dried myself, and headed out to score myself some breakfast. When I arrived at the cafeteria, my one and only friend was already sitting at a table directly opposite from a random group of girls. It was very typical of him.
“Why hello there, stranger.” Cas said, throwing his hand up in his goofy fashion which caused the girls near him to giggle amongst themselves.
“Smooth.” I said to him as I sat opposite from him.
“What? Them?” He said, nodding towards the girls to indicate who he was talking about. “I gots them eating out of the palm of my hands.”
“Sure you do, Cas.” I said, smiling at him. “Everyone loves a clown, right?”
“They sure do.” He said, laughing as he past me the cereal bowl he had saved for me. “Anyway, enough small talk.”
“Please don’t bring up the tournament.” I said, trying to dismiss his so called ‘business’ talk.
“How can I not talk about it? Everyone is talking about it. Most people in Balamb have their money on both you and Renea.” He said enthusiastically. “You are naturally the won who I am waging on.”
“You do realise that gambling is strictly against Garden policy, right?” I said, once again trying to shrug off the conversation, though I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I think a conversation like this may have even featured in my latest nightmare.
“And you do realise that being <I>that</I> straight is probably why someone as strong as you isn’t crowded with adoring fans?” Cas said, raising his eyebrows. “Like you care, right?”
“Indeed.” I agreed, not wanting to divulge too far down that route either.
“Back to the shop talk, buddy.” Cas said, as I felt my head drop down into my arms, which were folded in front of me on the table. “What’s your plan?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, raising my head enough to show him my distressed facial expression.
“Well what are you going to do to make sure you win?” Cas asked.
“Are you suggesting I cheat?” I said in disbelief.
“No! Of course not. I meant, like, what’s your game plan or something.” He said defensively. “You know, unless you want to cheat.”
“Well my game plan was to show up and try to win.” I replied, staring into his wide hopeful eyes. “And cheat? Seriously?”
“If you do want to go down that road, I have a bunch of ideas.” He suggested, leaning in closer to me.
“Go tell them to Renea then.” I said, concentrating back on my breakfast.
“Are you kidding me? I tried to talk to her but she just shooed me away.” He laughed.
“One day you’ll have your window.” I said, not really thinking as I swallowed another mouthful of bran.
“For now, I’ll just work on those girls.” He said, while I witnessed him wink at them, causing more giggling around their table. Cas was relatively good looking, but had absolutely no clue how to talk to women… Not that I was any better. I at least kept my dignity by not trying to. It shocked me when someone sat next to me and someone else walked round the table to sit next to Cas. “Hi.” Cas said, now sounding nervous.
“Hello. It’s Cas, right?” The one sitting next to him asked. He just nodded, dumbly.
“And you’re Thadeous?” The one next to me asked.
“Yes.” I replied, looking up from my last bite of bran. “And you…. Are?” As I saw her face, I was breath taken by her. She was unlike any girl I had seen up close, mostly because I hadn’t seen anyone outside of the library this close, but still… she was something else.
“I’m Trixie.” She smiled.
All I could think was as far as distractions go, this one was welcome. I knew I’d find time to study later.
