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You are the first ones to reach the yard and wait silently for every other first year. They turn out to only be yours, Adam’s and Coco’s team. Discounting Isaac who is still in treatment, that leaves only 12 initiates who survived, a dark decrease from the usual fifty.
At the center of the yard near the fountain stands a girl older than you alongside a boy also older, perhaps they are from an upper class.
The boy whispers to the girl, “You sure this is all of them Red?”
The girl double checks her scroll and the small crowd with a somber look. “Yes…”
The boy curses under his breath and goes back to standing tall, hints of his worry shining subtly.
“Alright new blood, I am Carmine Esclados,” she addresses the group with a big smile. “Alongside my partner, the big guy over here called Bertilak Celadon, say hi Green.”
Bertilak mumbles something akin to a greeting.
“I’ll assume you guys are already familiar with the academy, so, any other questions? You, the girl with the goggles.”
Narci lowers her hand and speaks up. “When will we be provided uniforms?”
Bertilak and Carmine look amused. “Atlesian, right?” the former mocks.
“Shade isn’t like the other academies, here we actually follow the morals set in the great war, we believe in freedom of expression. Shade doesn’t have any sort of dress code, come with what <span class="mu-i">you</span> want. Any other questions?”
“What’s the itinerary going to be like?” Emerald asks.
“All that stuff will be forwarded to you. Listen guys, I see a lot of foreigners around here and you must understand something about Vacuo, here uniforms, itineraries, curriculums, all that is meaningless, headmaster Theodore understands that, in the end, all that matters is creating strong huntsmen. You will be granted freedom unlike anything you may see in Beacon, Atlas or Haven. There is no curfew, no mandatory attendance, no combat regulations, no weapon restriction, all you need to do is pass the tests each year.”
“How hard are those?” Sun asks, somewhat scared.
Carmine laughs. “You’ll see monkey boy. Now, onto more pressing matters, sleeping arrangements, will the leader of team PCNT, AMEN and SAFE come forward please.”
You find it weird how the first letter of Coco’s team isn’t a c or an a, upon looking at her you understand, instead of coming forward, Coco grumbles. Sun comes forward instead alongside Adam and you.
“Please follow me inside.”
“Why just them?” Mercury asks, until now he appeared to be not paying attention.
“The office isn’t very big.”
“Then why not meet us right here? You already called us out in the cold?”
“Who is this person, are they not faculty?” Emerald follows up his suspicions. “Are <span class="mu-i">you</span> faculty?”
Carmine’s smile grows strained, Bertilak's position shifts and he says, “Red…”
“Let’s cool it okay.” Carmine tries to de-escalate.
