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- ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ＴＨＲＥＥ
The days had flown by quickly after Nadia came to the Main Square; Harper, as she liked to call her grandfather, had kept true to what he'd said, and they'd even cancelled the annual Choosing; nobody was going down to The Abyss that year, and there was much celebration among the eighteen year old people who didn't have to participate in the grueling process; except for, of course, Nadia, Irene, Catalya ("Kuh-tall-ee-uh, not Cat-a-lee-uh!"), Michael, and Jake, who had been immune to it anyway. The last guy in their group, whose name was Niko, didn't seem to care either... but then, Nadia thought, he didn't seem to care about much other than scowling and staring into space.
She missed Timothy, her old friend, but she still had Holly... and she and Tim had been way better friends than Nadia and him anyway. By then, Nadia couldn't even clearly think of the small boy's face, and if she was honest, it didn't bother her enough for her to really think about it much that she never saw him anymore. The Main Squaresmen had let them get adjusted to the new lifestyle they were in; since the others were all from inside the Main Square, they of course were simply amused by her fascination in the town and how she savored the food. Catalya, at breakfast, had smirked and said:
"That Macronutri must really be terrible if you enjoy toast that much."
Nadia had shaken her head, staring at the other girl with round eyes. "You have no idea."
However, since it'd been an entire two months since she'd moved into the Main Square, they figured that it was time to get moving with their initial plan; Nadia, of course, had agreed rather eagerly, though they could only watch her reaction to the print on her watch: PLAN 2DAY, 1:45. The watches were very useful; they had gotten new ones, which were heavier, had larger screens, and carried the convenience of the six being able to have carried on private conversations. Nadia loved them, but she couldn't quite bring herself to completely believe that they weren't being monitored; one thing they hadn't been given (or six, if each was counted) was a separate room for each of them, or anything better than a simple cot... not even any personal possessions, which they had been told to leave with their families.
When Nadia's parents had found out, they'd begun to cry and had told Nadia that they were sorry for not telling her about her past; she'd just shrugged. Harper hadn't told her anything more about her history, like he'd promised to. She jumped when her new watch shrilled its little tune that meant somebody had sent her a message; scowling and looking down, she read, Catalya: COT. NOW. NO Q.
Nadia frowned at the short, choppy words; unlike most, she liked Catalya, but she never got used to the girl's demanding attitude.
Then, she decided that she had better get to the cots, seeing that it was a GM, meaning she'd sent it to everyone (everyone except for Harper, of course). The building they'd been set in was drab compared to the rest to of Main Square; the walls were a pale blue-gray, and the carpet a dark, rich shade of brown, like the candy called chocolate that Nadia had gotten to try; Catalya had told her that she was just like a little kid when it came to things especially for people who lived in the Main Square, and that eventually, she'd get used to the foods they ate there like any normal person.
Yet she still didn't think she would; after all, she didn't want to get used to the flavors that made her tongue tingle and her stomach beg for more, or the ones that Catalya claimed were relatively flavorless, and though Nadia agreed that they weren't as great as some of the other foods, she still thought they were full of wonder and flavor. When she finally reached the cots- which were all pristine and without a wrinkle in the light tannish comforters -everyone else was there, even Niko, who was staring off into space with a vague, thoughtful look on his face. Jake eyed him in slight contempt, then grinned as Nadia arrived.
"Hey, look, we can start now," he said, sounding relieved. Catalya glared at her for some strange reason, but it didn't bother Nadia. In fact, it'd be very abnormal if she wasn't glaring.
"You're late," she observed bluntly, then turned to the group as a whole, her face dark. "We've got to get something that'll impress these nut brains, or there'll be some bit of trouble. So, any ideas?" she asked, and they all looked at each other- well, except for Niko, who still stared at the smooth white ceiling like it was far more interesting than anything Catalya had to say.
"Well, who knows how far down that drop is, since they've had everyone just jumping in without any outside interference, and they obviously can't see anything if they survive the drop, which would complicate the mission quite some bit... stating the obvious," Jake said with a light shrug. "I don't see how they'll ever need us, really."
Catalya rolled her eyes at him and smirked. "They don't need you; you're just a filler, so they can say there's six of us to impress everyone around."
Jake returned the smirk with a grin. "And my impressiveness has worked, now hasn't it?"
Michael and Nadia exchanged a glance as Catalya's face grew red; Nadia knew it was out of embarrassment, but she covered it nicely by glaring at him.
"Your so-called impressiveness is just plain lame, Jake. Now if you want impressive, check out Mister Silence over there. I mean, look at those eyebrows!" she flicked her gaze to Niko, whose eyes flicked down from the ceiling to look at her for a full moment before looking at his feet.
Nadia frowned, looking between the two. Niko, despite his height, was obviously not the dominant sort of guy, like Jake was. Jake had nothing to be insecure about, Nadia guessed; he was shorter than the average grown man, but he had dark brown eyes and black hair that always appeared windswept, which Nadia had noticed impressed many of the Main Square's young women, including Catalya herself in the smallest way.
Nadia didn't care for him like that, though she did find him funny at times. Jake just rolled his eyes and lounged back on the couch (they were sitting in the living area, which must have been a change of destination, since Catalya had specified 'cots'... and where there indeed was a couch) and propped his feet up on the polished oak coffee table, taking a noisy bite from a deep red apple and grinning.
"You're just jealous." Catalya's belligerent behavior didn't seem to have much of an effect on him, which made her huff and deepen her glare.
"I'm nothing of the sort!"
Michael, who looked troubled, shook his head. "Can we get back to what we're supposed to be discussing, guys?" he looked around, fidgeting nervously. Nadia smiled at her friends. Where Jake was carefree and constantly relaxed, Niko was silent and obviously easily hurt, and Catalya was rebellious, demanding, and sarcastic, Michael was a responsible perfectionist with a knack of getting nervous, especially when they could supposedly be 'caught and thrown out' by guards or Harper, even though most of the time it was just Catalya and Jake squabbling over pointless things.
Nadia nodded to him. "Well, I think we just need to see The Abyss- with lights, ropes, and everything -before we can come up with any answers."
"That are logical," Catalya added with a smirk, raising her eyebrows at Jake. He just threw his apple core at her, a great big grin on his face, and Catalya ducked just in time to avoid being hit.
"Lighten up!" Jake crowed, and Catalya gave him an icy look.
"Why don't you just shut up?" she spat, and Jake made the gesture of zipping his lips and throwing the key out, but his were bright with amusement at his irritating Catalya.
Sometimes, Nadia thought they got on each other's nerves because they both thought it was fun, but she knew neither of them would ever admit to anything like it.
"Great idea," a loud, gruff voice boomed, and all of them except for Niko jumped and spun in their spots to face the man; Jake had fallen off the couch, and Catalya was so surprised, she had forgotten to laugh at his failure. Nadia stared at the man, her surprise quickly fading as she saw the golden swirl that broke the white of his shirt. Guard, she thought immediately; he was a great big man, with dark skin and warm brown eyes despite his intimidating appearance. Jake scrambled to his feet, running his fingers through his hair before realizing it was a guard. He stood straighter and nodded, opening his mouth to speak; Catalya, who had also recovered from her shock, snickered.
Thinking better, Jake shut his mouth.
Feeling the need to say something, Nadia stepped forward, tilting her head politely at the man. "Do you need something, sir?" her voice quavered as she again took in his huge, fit stature, and he smiled, loosing a great booming laugh.
"And she calls me 'sir'," he shook his head. "It's I who' s obliged to call you by a proper name, m'lass. You realize the rank you hold?" he asked, and Nadia glanced back at the others. Catalya raised her eyebrows, Jake shrugged, and Michael shuffled his feet anxiously; Niko did nothing.
"Um, well, do you need something, then?" she asked nervously. Speaking with strangers wasn't her strongest suit... especially not strangers who took kindly to her.
The great man leaned forward so that he came to eye level with Nadia, making her feel tiny. "As a matter of fact, it isn't me who's wantin' something. I was told to fetch you, m'lady, you especially. Twilight Village, I hear?" he asked in a low tone, and Nadia nodded, her eyes growing huge.
"Y-you're sure it's me that you want?" she asked. "Not Catalya, Jake, Niko, or Michael?" and Catalya snorted somewhere behind her.
"We're not from villages, smart one."
The great man nodded cheerfully. "So, that matter's settled. Come with me and I'll take you where you're needed; the rest of all you can wait here until you get signals."
Nadia glanced nervously back; everyone was standing awkwardly, staring at her with some sort of disbelief, like they thought she was actually keeping something from them. Feeling slightly hurt, she gave them an 'I-seriously-have-no-idea' look, but Catalya's eyes were narrowed; Nadia could tell they didn't believe her.
And so, with no other choice, she followed the man out of their house and onto the street, where people immediately cheered and called greetings; Nadia shivered.
There was a cold feeling in her stomach when she looked at the large man that she just didn't like.
She missed Timothy, her old friend, but she still had Holly... and she and Tim had been way better friends than Nadia and him anyway. By then, Nadia couldn't even clearly think of the small boy's face, and if she was honest, it didn't bother her enough for her to really think about it much that she never saw him anymore. The Main Squaresmen had let them get adjusted to the new lifestyle they were in; since the others were all from inside the Main Square, they of course were simply amused by her fascination in the town and how she savored the food. Catalya, at breakfast, had smirked and said:
"That Macronutri must really be terrible if you enjoy toast that much."
Nadia had shaken her head, staring at the other girl with round eyes. "You have no idea."
However, since it'd been an entire two months since she'd moved into the Main Square, they figured that it was time to get moving with their initial plan; Nadia, of course, had agreed rather eagerly, though they could only watch her reaction to the print on her watch: PLAN 2DAY, 1:45. The watches were very useful; they had gotten new ones, which were heavier, had larger screens, and carried the convenience of the six being able to have carried on private conversations. Nadia loved them, but she couldn't quite bring herself to completely believe that they weren't being monitored; one thing they hadn't been given (or six, if each was counted) was a separate room for each of them, or anything better than a simple cot... not even any personal possessions, which they had been told to leave with their families.
When Nadia's parents had found out, they'd begun to cry and had told Nadia that they were sorry for not telling her about her past; she'd just shrugged. Harper hadn't told her anything more about her history, like he'd promised to. She jumped when her new watch shrilled its little tune that meant somebody had sent her a message; scowling and looking down, she read, Catalya: COT. NOW. NO Q.
Nadia frowned at the short, choppy words; unlike most, she liked Catalya, but she never got used to the girl's demanding attitude.
Then, she decided that she had better get to the cots, seeing that it was a GM, meaning she'd sent it to everyone (everyone except for Harper, of course). The building they'd been set in was drab compared to the rest to of Main Square; the walls were a pale blue-gray, and the carpet a dark, rich shade of brown, like the candy called chocolate that Nadia had gotten to try; Catalya had told her that she was just like a little kid when it came to things especially for people who lived in the Main Square, and that eventually, she'd get used to the foods they ate there like any normal person.
Yet she still didn't think she would; after all, she didn't want to get used to the flavors that made her tongue tingle and her stomach beg for more, or the ones that Catalya claimed were relatively flavorless, and though Nadia agreed that they weren't as great as some of the other foods, she still thought they were full of wonder and flavor. When she finally reached the cots- which were all pristine and without a wrinkle in the light tannish comforters -everyone else was there, even Niko, who was staring off into space with a vague, thoughtful look on his face. Jake eyed him in slight contempt, then grinned as Nadia arrived.
"Hey, look, we can start now," he said, sounding relieved. Catalya glared at her for some strange reason, but it didn't bother Nadia. In fact, it'd be very abnormal if she wasn't glaring.
"You're late," she observed bluntly, then turned to the group as a whole, her face dark. "We've got to get something that'll impress these nut brains, or there'll be some bit of trouble. So, any ideas?" she asked, and they all looked at each other- well, except for Niko, who still stared at the smooth white ceiling like it was far more interesting than anything Catalya had to say.
"Well, who knows how far down that drop is, since they've had everyone just jumping in without any outside interference, and they obviously can't see anything if they survive the drop, which would complicate the mission quite some bit... stating the obvious," Jake said with a light shrug. "I don't see how they'll ever need us, really."
Catalya rolled her eyes at him and smirked. "They don't need you; you're just a filler, so they can say there's six of us to impress everyone around."
Jake returned the smirk with a grin. "And my impressiveness has worked, now hasn't it?"
Michael and Nadia exchanged a glance as Catalya's face grew red; Nadia knew it was out of embarrassment, but she covered it nicely by glaring at him.
"Your so-called impressiveness is just plain lame, Jake. Now if you want impressive, check out Mister Silence over there. I mean, look at those eyebrows!" she flicked her gaze to Niko, whose eyes flicked down from the ceiling to look at her for a full moment before looking at his feet.
Nadia frowned, looking between the two. Niko, despite his height, was obviously not the dominant sort of guy, like Jake was. Jake had nothing to be insecure about, Nadia guessed; he was shorter than the average grown man, but he had dark brown eyes and black hair that always appeared windswept, which Nadia had noticed impressed many of the Main Square's young women, including Catalya herself in the smallest way.
Nadia didn't care for him like that, though she did find him funny at times. Jake just rolled his eyes and lounged back on the couch (they were sitting in the living area, which must have been a change of destination, since Catalya had specified 'cots'... and where there indeed was a couch) and propped his feet up on the polished oak coffee table, taking a noisy bite from a deep red apple and grinning.
"You're just jealous." Catalya's belligerent behavior didn't seem to have much of an effect on him, which made her huff and deepen her glare.
"I'm nothing of the sort!"
Michael, who looked troubled, shook his head. "Can we get back to what we're supposed to be discussing, guys?" he looked around, fidgeting nervously. Nadia smiled at her friends. Where Jake was carefree and constantly relaxed, Niko was silent and obviously easily hurt, and Catalya was rebellious, demanding, and sarcastic, Michael was a responsible perfectionist with a knack of getting nervous, especially when they could supposedly be 'caught and thrown out' by guards or Harper, even though most of the time it was just Catalya and Jake squabbling over pointless things.
Nadia nodded to him. "Well, I think we just need to see The Abyss- with lights, ropes, and everything -before we can come up with any answers."
"That are logical," Catalya added with a smirk, raising her eyebrows at Jake. He just threw his apple core at her, a great big grin on his face, and Catalya ducked just in time to avoid being hit.
"Lighten up!" Jake crowed, and Catalya gave him an icy look.
"Why don't you just shut up?" she spat, and Jake made the gesture of zipping his lips and throwing the key out, but his were bright with amusement at his irritating Catalya.
Sometimes, Nadia thought they got on each other's nerves because they both thought it was fun, but she knew neither of them would ever admit to anything like it.
"Great idea," a loud, gruff voice boomed, and all of them except for Niko jumped and spun in their spots to face the man; Jake had fallen off the couch, and Catalya was so surprised, she had forgotten to laugh at his failure. Nadia stared at the man, her surprise quickly fading as she saw the golden swirl that broke the white of his shirt. Guard, she thought immediately; he was a great big man, with dark skin and warm brown eyes despite his intimidating appearance. Jake scrambled to his feet, running his fingers through his hair before realizing it was a guard. He stood straighter and nodded, opening his mouth to speak; Catalya, who had also recovered from her shock, snickered.
Thinking better, Jake shut his mouth.
Feeling the need to say something, Nadia stepped forward, tilting her head politely at the man. "Do you need something, sir?" her voice quavered as she again took in his huge, fit stature, and he smiled, loosing a great booming laugh.
"And she calls me 'sir'," he shook his head. "It's I who' s obliged to call you by a proper name, m'lass. You realize the rank you hold?" he asked, and Nadia glanced back at the others. Catalya raised her eyebrows, Jake shrugged, and Michael shuffled his feet anxiously; Niko did nothing.
"Um, well, do you need something, then?" she asked nervously. Speaking with strangers wasn't her strongest suit... especially not strangers who took kindly to her.
The great man leaned forward so that he came to eye level with Nadia, making her feel tiny. "As a matter of fact, it isn't me who's wantin' something. I was told to fetch you, m'lady, you especially. Twilight Village, I hear?" he asked in a low tone, and Nadia nodded, her eyes growing huge.
"Y-you're sure it's me that you want?" she asked. "Not Catalya, Jake, Niko, or Michael?" and Catalya snorted somewhere behind her.
"We're not from villages, smart one."
The great man nodded cheerfully. "So, that matter's settled. Come with me and I'll take you where you're needed; the rest of all you can wait here until you get signals."
Nadia glanced nervously back; everyone was standing awkwardly, staring at her with some sort of disbelief, like they thought she was actually keeping something from them. Feeling slightly hurt, she gave them an 'I-seriously-have-no-idea' look, but Catalya's eyes were narrowed; Nadia could tell they didn't believe her.
And so, with no other choice, she followed the man out of their house and onto the street, where people immediately cheered and called greetings; Nadia shivered.
There was a cold feeling in her stomach when she looked at the large man that she just didn't like.
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⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . ＦＯ Ｕ Ｒ ⊰
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｔ Ｈ Ｒ Ｅ Ｅ ⊰
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｔ Ｗ Ｏ ⊰
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｏ Ｎ Ｅ ⊰
⊱ Ｐ Ｒ Ｏ Ｌ Ｏ Ｇ Ｕ Ｅ ⊰
(Ｘ)
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｔ Ｈ Ｒ Ｅ Ｅ ⊰
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｔ Ｗ Ｏ ⊰
⊱ Ｃ Ｈ Ａ Ｐ Ｔ Ｅ Ｒ . Ｏ Ｎ Ｅ ⊰
⊱ Ｐ Ｒ Ｏ Ｌ Ｏ Ｇ Ｕ Ｅ ⊰
(Ｘ)
