[Kodai]

As he had been, Kaamil kept up with Drawser as she nearly flew through the building. She really did seem excited now, which was nice to see in comparison to this morning after the Spider attack. It was also good to see that the Director was where they thought he'd be. However, before Kaamil could say a word to anyone, Drawser had run off, leaving him and the Director alone together. He was saddened slightly; he knew that it was likely the right thing to do so that they could speak privately, but Drawser could perhaps have waited somewhere nearby? Though maybe she had other things to do at the moment. Regardless, Kaamil hoped he could meet up with her again later, then turned his thoughts back to the Director.
"...Yes, she has done the best she could for me..." he replied to his first question. "...I have been glad to have her as my escort... ...Now I would like to ask you about admission into your academy, and perhaps if it would be possible to have my brother join as well.....If there are forms to fill out, then I suppose it would be best to go to your office.....We may speak as we walk..."

[Jaykobell]

He had had his doubts about Drawser doing the job correctly. The doubts were mostly because Drawser didn't do her best when she was down. While her determination was superb, her self-esteem lacked, and it was easy for her to lose her energy. Perhaps a drawback when you're so young; the road seems hard, and so very long...

But this was another subject altogether. Still, it seemed Drawser had helped Kaamil well for the Open House. "Is that so? I'm glad to hear it," he replied with an honest smile, both eyes closed, including the clock-eye; it seemed it acted like a regular eye, despite not looking anything like one. "Drawser is still young, but I have high expectations from her... She has surprised quite a few," he shared, seemingly just to add a bit to the conversation; but then again, Kaamil seemed like a friendly one, and so Director figured maybe he wouldn't mind the little tidbit. "But quite handful..." he also added with a chuckle and a head shake.

Ah, and on to the focus of the conversation: it seemed the tour had motivated Kaamil to join, despite the dangerous event that had happened earlier today. Director blinked, and the clock in his eye ticked. "Oh, a brother...?" He seemed curious about the subject matter, but he didn't press further. "Our Academy welcomes one and all," he assured Kaamil with yet another smile, teeth showing this time. If anything, the thought of admitting another student made Director happier than anything. "There are a few forms to fill out, but nothing too complicated. They're mainly in the system for recording purposes, and to help with possessions, such as dorm rooms and books," he answered to Kaamil's last statement, also nodding. "Let us go there, then. It's not too far from here, but we need to switch building."

He motioned for Kaamil to exit the lobby and to go outside, after which Director followed. He then directed Kaamil to the right, leading them to what looked like a small forest path on the side of this particular Academy building. Everything one would expect could be heard; birds were singing, the sun was shining, the wind wasn't too hot, nor too cold. A regular, sunny, wonderful day to be outside. As they walked, the quiet, unmoving fox also followed, this time moving straight ahead like a normal quadruped; most likely because there was no space to fit Kaamil, Director, and a fox walking sideways. It gave out an air of power, but its presence didn't feel dangerous and threatening.

"I'm glad you decided to join," Director suddenly burst in, seemingly not even paying attention to the fox following. No command had been given, so one could assume the two of them had a strong bond. "It always makes me happy when a student joins," he admitted, a sheepish smile on his face. "I really believe the future lies in our children, and so I want to put my energy into bringing them up to the world..." He paused there and chuckled sheepishly. "A bit silly, a few people tell me. But I digress," he added, shaking his head. It felt like he had more to say — or rather, that he could say more on the subject — but once again, he didn't go further into it. "Do you have any specific questions about joining?" He preferred for the students to ask questions, rather than him telling them what they needed to know. A bit of a bad habit, in a sense; but he did this mostly because he wanted to see just how curious the future students would be. Exploring and becoming someone in this world often required curiosity... You had to have the want to learn, to find things. It was just something he liked to see into the students; their curiosity, and just how far they were willing to go...

[Kodai]

"...Drawser was kind enough to show me where the classrooms and dormitories are..." Kaamil added, trying to convey how helpful she had been. Really, the incident in the morning hadn't shaken him up too badly -- he wasn't traumatized -- and he felt that Drawser's hesitance to act then had just been a momentary thing. "...I feel that she has great enthusiasm for this academy, and that is always good to see in a student..." The Director then told him that yes, there were a few forms, but nothing complicated, and that they would need to switch buildings to go to the office. Nodding, Kaamil followed the Director's instructions on where to go until the two were walking side by side on a small path, the fox trailing behind them. Kaamil listened as the Director mentioned how happy he was when students joined, and how he felt that the children were the future. "...I don't think that's a silly belief at all..." he smiled softly at the man beside him. "...In fact, I quite agree with you.....The older generations will eventually fade away, and the newer will have to build their civilizations on what they were taught.....That is why I feel it is so important to learn as much as you can, when you can..." He then paused a moment in his speech as he thought about the Director's question. "...Hm... ...Well, I suppose the forms will give you what information you need to know about me.....I will need to know about payment and living quarters, as well as meal plans....Where to acquire supplies for classes.....When holidays and breaks are.....And if there is a course catalog, I should like to see what classes you offer, although I suppose there are 'core classes' that all students must take.....Hm, would that be everything....?"

[Jaykobell]

"Oh, the classrooms and the dorms? That's useful, indeed," Director agreed, chuckling. Well, maybe Drawser hadn't showed Kaamil everything, but she had certainly showed him the important parts. Kaamil already knew how to get to his future room and how to reach his future classrooms; or, at least, a few of them. "That's a good start; you do need to know where they are," he added, feeling the need to do so. And he just really liked to talk with the children here, so the more he could say, the happier he was. "Aaah, Drawser... Her father was a great student here. Same enthusiasm, same silliness... Which is why he's incredibly worried about his daughter..." He referred to Drawser as female here, picking up from Kaamil's quiet speech that the boy knew about Drawser's gender issue. "The poor man is afraid Drawser will get assaulted..." While he didn't quite agree with the current method, Director still felt like he had to go along with it, if only to show the father that Drawser would be fine. Everything in due time, yes?

Director blinked and looked down at Kaamil when the boy said he agreed with the Director's ideology. He grinned sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed; or maybe just strangely flattered that someone agreed with him, let alone someone this young. "Hahah, yes. That's exactly how I see things... I want to help and teach as much as I can to these kids so they can pick up things once I'm gone..." His voice sounded distant as he said this, and it felt like there was a lot more to this than what he'd just said. Once again, however, Director dropped the subject and shook his head, sighing. It felt like there was a lot to this man's life...

Director listened carefully as Kaamil asked those questions. Good, good; he pretty much covered everything he needed to know. "That's good," he praised with a smile. "You said you would like your brother to join, so for living quarters, you can share a room with him. Drawser has probably told you, or even showed you, that every room is a double room. We always offer to match siblings together, if we can. You will be able to specify this on the forms. As for food, the Academy completely takes care of it. It's included in the payment for your stay here." It wouldn't make much sense for students to live here and not... eat, right? "Supplies for classes are usually bought by the students themselves; but the Academy offers a small income especially for class books. We have a small bookstore near the dorms." Perhaps Drawser hadn't shown him? Kaamil didn't seem to know about it, so perhaps Drawser had skipped it. "Breaks and holidays will always be posted ahead of time, so students can plan their vacation. You're welcome to stay here year-long if you'd like, or if you have nowhere to go. Some students do like to go back to their parents, though. There is a board in the dorms to tell you when holidays and breaks are, as well as replacement days. That's when we switch a day's schedule for another's." Sometimes holidays just screwed the schedules, you know? "And yes, we have a timetable. You can consult it by yourself, or you can ask for a member of the Academy to help you with setting up a schedule, if you've never done it before. We have a few mandatory classes, usually because some students like to study in fields other than exploring. Only a few students actually go into those fields, but we have enough to have departments especially for them." And then, finally, he could take care of Kaamil's first question, as they continued to walk the little path. "As for payment... We have a range of ways to pay for the classes. It's a bit complicated without the papers to explain everything, but students usually have no problem paying the school fees. We try to be as open as we can, to as many social classes as possible," he assured with a bright smile, beaming happiness. Director was the head of the Academy, and he kept the system together... and while you could feel this aura of leadership and this strong presence, you could still feel his love for children. It was an adult with the heart of a child.

[Kodai]

Assaulted... Kaamil nodded slowly, focusing his gaze ahead and seeming distant until the Director became distant himself, mentioning how he wanted to pass on his knowledge so that the students could continue to learn after he was gone. He then kept his attention on the Director as he explained the answers to all the questions he had asked, thinking them over. "...Yes, I believe that rooming together would be best, at least for a while....If Kami wishes to move during a future semester, we could talk that over... ...And we would likely stay here over vacations... ...Perhaps Drawser could help with scheduling, if she would be willing... ...Now payment..." Here he paused. "...You say the options are open...? ....Perhaps, then, if at least for my payment, I could be in the employ of the Academy...?"

[Jaykobell]

"Oh?" Director blinked and the clock-eye ticked, when Kaamil mentioned working at the Academy to pay his tuition fees. "We do provide this solution, yes," Director confirmed, nodding. "A lot of students don't have parents or any relatives, so they are homeless, and they generally don't own any money..." He shook his head sadly at that statement, but didn't press on. "That's why we try to welcome those students. We teach more than just exploring, so some of them manage to get a good job in the cities." An accomplishment Director was proud of. The Academy was primarily for the explorers, but they had enough fundings to provide money for other fields. They had a small hospital, they had computers for digital artists, they had machines for mechanics... They tried to include a bit of everything, and for anything they did not possess, Director made it so that the students could go study elsewhere. "We have a variety of little jobs available for students who wish to pay that way. Letter delivery, assistant work, city workers... These are the most popular."

As they continued to speak, the small forest path ended to reveal another building, a bit smaller than the main school. There was a single metal plate besides the door that simply read, "Administration." Upon reaching the door, the Director revealed a metallic hand from under the cloak. Instead of using a key to unlock the door, he waved his hand in the air and drew a glowing symbol. The ability was the same as the one Theron had used to kill that Spider during Kaamil's exploration tour. Director's fingertips stopped glowing when he finished the symbol. The sigil sunk into the door and a small "click" could be heard. "Here we are," Director said as he opened the door and walked inside, inviting Kaamil to follow him. He also motioned for the fox to remain outside. With a single gesture, the fox understood and positioned itself right besides the door, as if it were the guardian of this building.

The building was a bit more reminiscent of a house, even if a fancy one. Rugs on the floor, the ceilings were the average height, the place, as a whole, a little less spacious than the school building. Director lead Kaamil up the stairs, and took a turn, and the two walked in a corridor adorned with doors on both sides. "Concerning your brother," Director suddenly asked as they walked, "would you prefer to fill out the forms with him?" Director could definitely show Kaamil the forms and answer his questions, but it would be wiser for the brothers to fill the forms together.

[Kodai]

"...Ah..." Kaamil gave a little nod as the Director told him how the Academy did its best to give students of even the poorest economic backgrounds the chance to gain an education. This was a comforting thought; it showed that this place really did put education above all else. "...I appreciate you giving all students an opportunity.....I will have to see what you offer in the way of jobs; that is likely what Kami and I will do for our payment..."
Abruptly the trio reached the building marked 'Administration'. Kaamil watched curiously as the Director used symbol-based magic to unlock the door, and wondered if this sort of ability was taught to all the staff. Upon entering, he let his eyes wander about the surroundings a little before following the Director up the stairs and down a door-lined corridor. "...Ah....Yes, I think that would be best..." he replied when the Director asked his question about the forms. "...It would allow us to coordinate everything... ....The only thing is to find him..."

[Jaykobell]

While every student came here at least once, it wasn't common for them to come to this building. It was reserved for the teachers' rooms and some of the special staff lounges. Director looked over his shoulder now and again to make sure Kaamil was still following. He seemed curious to look around the building, so Director walked slowly to let Kaamil sightsee a little. "Ah, then that's settled. I can show you the papers, and..." He was going to add something, but then Kaamil finished his comment with a puzzling statement. "To find him?" The clock-eye ticked. "Do you not know where he is?"

They eventually took another turn, and the corridor suddenly reached a cul-de-sac. Once again, Director drew a sigil in the air. The cul-de-sac disappeared to reveal another one. The second one disappeared to reveal yet another wall. The sigil got more and more intricate as Director got rid of the walls, until they eventually reached a door. Director drew one last sigil to open the door, and just like the entrance door, a soft "click" was heard. He turned to Kaamil and smiled a little sheepishly. "Heh, security," he explained briefly before opening the door to his office.

He walked inside and invited Kaamil in. The room looked just like a typical director's office: a desk covered in various papers, bookshelves filled with books, portraits and pictures all over the office. One particular picture portrayed Director with two young boys. Director looked a lot younger, and the boy he was holding in his arms had the same orange-russet hair, with some hairs curling upward. The second boy had black hair, and while the red-haired boy had a huge grin, the black-haired one looked a lot more grim, and you could tell from his grey eyes that he didn't feel like smiling. A second portrait depicted a similar picture, once again with Director and two men. One of them was the red-haired boy from the previous picture, his hair still curling up. The second man... was the apathetic jerk Kaamil had met just earlier in the dorms: Albert. It seemed like the three of them shared a common past.

[Kodai]

"...Er, yes..." Kaamil admitted after the Director asked him about not knowing where his brother was. "...I'm afraid we were separated when we came here..." He said no more on the subject, leaving the circumstances of their separation up to conjecture. Then the two came to the cul-de-sac, which prompted a series of ever more intrinsic symbol designs from the Director. Kaamil was intrigued by the magic, but also couldn't help wondering just what was in this building that required such an extraordinary amount of protection. Finally they went into what was presumably the Director's main office. Right away Kaamil noticed the pictures, and couldn't help giving a small wry smile. These pictures could easily have depicted himself and his brother.
"....I suppose...these are your sons...?" he asked, his eyes lingering on Albert's image. The fact that the two boys looked nothing alike didn't faze him at all from the idea that they were related. "....I have...met him..." Kaamil said finally, indicating Albert. "...I find it striking, how similar we seem to be..."

[Jaykobell]

Director was going for his chair when Kaamil's curiosity fell on the pictures hanging from the wall. He stopped and looked over his shoulder when Kaamil asked if the boys in the pictures were Director's sons. "Oh...?" He walked back to Kaamil to look at the pictures himself, so both of them would be talking about the same pictures. "Oh, you have met Albert...?" DIrector asked, blinking at that curious piece of information. "Well, this little redhead is my son, yes," he confirmed as he poked the boy with the red hair. "His name is Victor; he's a student here. As for Albert..." There he paused, crossing his arms and staring at the pictures for a moment. "Albert's parents died when he was very little. I don't think he remembers what happened, since he was little... He never told me what really happened to his parents, or what happened to him. Victor found him, one day, and... Well, Victor was ecstatic at the idea of having a friend to play with." At that point he smiled, teeth showing a little. "I had nothing against keeping Albert, but at the time, I was younger, and money wasn't growing on trees... And it still doesn't, for that matter. But both boys were very willing to make concessions... Albert was especially quiet, and he accepted basically everything we proposed." He scratched his head and turned to Kaamil. "You've met him, so I guess I don't need to tell you what kind of boy he is, especially if you can even relate to him..." Director added as his smile turned sheepish. "I consider him my second son, and Victor sees him as a brother... even if Albert doesn't quite return the feelings." He paused and turned back to the pictures. He blinked, and quite suddenly, he realized he'd been rambling without really meaning to. "I'm sorry! Some of this was most likely unimportant to you."

Director's sheepish smile grew wider, and the man headed off to reach his chair behind the desk. "Ah, let us find these forms..." He started rummaging through those small mounts of papers, his desk looking strangely messy for a person of such high authority at the Academy. As he looked through the papers, one eventually slipped away from the desk, slowly gliding down to the ground, right next to Kaamil's feet. "Ah! Goodness... I'm really sorry about the mess," Director apologized, sighing softly. "Would you please pick that sheet for me...?"

The sheet was not folded or even damaged. It looked neat and fresh, as if the note had been left on the Director's desk not long before the two arrived in the office. The note was short and straight to the point. It was hard to avoid reading what was written on it, since the font wasn't as small it generally is. The note read, in a clear font:



Important Report from the Radars
To be Delivered to Sir the Director
Please be prompt to report this directly to the Sir's office in the Administration building, as this matter needs to be taken care of immediately.
Previously Spider-free or Spider-unlikely areas have started showing signs of aggression. Activity has risen to roughly 20%, and it is rising extremely quickly. While they are in their young stages, some Spiders have been growing behind our backs, and some have already made nests in certain exploration areas. Radars have been assigned to the areas generally frequented by students, going by order of importance. However, the Spiders are growing rapidly, and we are slowly falling behind. I am sorry to report some students have already been attacked, and some have already passed on because of Spider attacks. The medical clinic is unable to care for every injured student effectively, and many fully-grown Spiders have started to appear alongside the babies.
I thereby ask Sir the Director to give me permission to deploy every Radar we have available at the Academy, and to call back those on explorations or travels faraway. I also ask if the ranking ceremonies of certain Seniors and Zeroths could be fast forwarded in any way.
The Radars hereby thank you for your time and consideration,
Arsenaltair

[Kodai]

Almost as soon as the Director started trying to apologize for rambling, Kaamil shook his head. "...No, no, not at all.....It's good to know the truth... ...Though it would likely be best if I did not reveal you told me all this..." He was certain that what the Director had just told him was something Albert kept secret. Kaamil could understand; he had secrets of his own, after all...
The Director then began to shuffle through the papers on his desk, looking for the forms Kaamil was going to need. As soon as the stray paper landed at Kaamil's feet, the boy bent down and picked it up, the Director barely having time to ask him to do so. He did his best to not read the note, but the print was so large that he couldn't help seeing the important parts of the message. "...Here you are..." he said softly as he handed the note back to the Director, his mind turning. If Kami was in this world, there was now a high chance that he would or had already run into a Spider... Exhaling slowly, Kaamil lifted a hand and grasped the obsidian stone on his choker. It was high time that he figure out exactly what was going on with Kami...

[Jaykobell]

Director wasn't so concerned about Albert getting too upset about Kaamil learning those things. Albert was a bit touchy many things, but he wasn't that bad of a boy in the inside. Just a little... blunt.

As Director continued to look through the mess on his desk, Kaamil handed him over the paper that had slipped away from the mound. "Oh, thank you! Let's see, what is this h..." Just a few moments after Director had picked the paper back from Kaamil's hands, his expression started to darken. As he read the note, his expression turned from the carefree, fatherly Director to a man with an expression of dread and even panic. His one good eye scanned through the paper slowly, wide open, while the clock-eye stopped ticking altogether. It seemed that, while Director was reading, even his breathing had stopped. A student dying, to Director, was like losing a small part of himself... "This..." As he finished the note, he sighed shakily before sitting down.

He remained there for a moment, eyes closed and metallic hands intertwined. His elbows sat on the desk, and he looked deep in thought; remaining there, in silence, as if Kaamil weren't there. When he opened his eyes again, Director's expression was still just as dark, but the panic seemed to have gone. "I think... the forms can wait," he finally said, acknowledging Kaamil again. "I have a Radar on the way. Can you give us a description of your brother? Any information you can provide us will be useful." Director had no idea if Kaamil had taken a glimpse at the note or not, but he'd always been terrible at hiding his worry over the students. "I'm afraid the world might not be as safe as it used to be..." he finally admitted, sighing sadly.

[Kodai]

Poor Director. He was visibly shaken by the contents of that letter. It was obvious to Kaamil (once he had refocused his attention on the man) that the Director cared deeply about the students of his Academy. "...Of course, sir..." he nodded when the Director dismissed the forms for later, and he gave another quick nod when the man asked if he could provide any information on his brother. "...Kami is more or less my height... ...Somewhat pale skin, but with more color than mine... ...Both eyes are a dark blue; his hair is a light orange-brown color, with a distinctive curl popping up in the back... ...He has a generally cheerful and outgoing demeanor... ...And he is located somewhere cold, possibly somewhere snowy..." Kaamil made no mention of how he had suddenly come to this conclusion. He did, however, do something slightly unusual compared to his normal behavior. Stepping around the desk, Kaamil leaned over and lightly placed a hand on the Director's shoulder. "...The world will always be dangerous, within its darkest corners... ...But I can see that you're doing your utmost to protect your students, and I respect you for this..."

[Jaykobell]

While he remained deep in thought and dark, Director was still listening to Kaamil's description attentively. As the boy spoke, Director thought it would be wise to pick a pen and write down the information Kaamil was giving him. This would ultimately lead the research party — which was on its way — to finding Kaamil's brother. The students were drilled to search according to descriptions and pictures, so looking for treasure or for missing people was no problem. "I see..." he said quietly as he finished writing, to let Kaamil know he'd heard everything. While it seemed sudden that Kaamil knew where his brother was, even if only vaguely, Director didn't question him. It wasn't an unusual trait, really, for certain students to share bonds that could let one another know where they were.

What happened after Director finished writing surprised him. Shortly after he'd put the pen down, he felt a gentle hand resting on his shoulder. He blinked and looked up to see Kaamil there, showing some care and comfort. Director stared at Kaamil for a moment, the clock-eye ticking slowly. There was surprise in his eye, but there was also curiosity. "Ah, yes... Unfortunately," he finally spoke, sighing quietly.

As the two talked, there was suddenly a distortion. A small portion of the office started to warp, twisting and turning as if something were trying to break through a barrier to enter the office. Slowly, forms started to form from within the vortex, twisted and broken as the portal itself. At one point, the shapes became clearer, to eventually reveal Director's fox carrying somebody on its back. Its eyes were opened all over its body, and it stepped out of the twisted vortex, with its passenger on its back.



He was dressed lightly, with a simple sleeveless top and pants. He had a huge heavy-looking ring around his neck, a bandana wrapped nicely around his forehead, and his hair shiny and flowing into a long ponytail. A small pair of gloves and your average shoes completed the outfit. As he stepped off the fox, Kaamil would be able to see his face looked slightly green, as if he felt nauseous. If he did, however, he tried not to let it show on his expression.

After the vortex disappeared and the fox arrived with the passenger, Director looked over at them. "This is Dashore," he introduced right away, inviting Kaamil to familiarize with the newcomer. "He is one of our best Radars. The cold regions can be extremely dangerous, but Dashore should find your brother in no time," Director explained, nodding towards Dashore and handing him the note on which Kami's description was written. "I trust you won't disappoint me, Dashore." There was a clear change of tone as Director spoke to Dashore: blunt and strict. Director was not unable to care for his students and his employees, but he could certainly make the rules and the missions crystal clear.

Without needing any more information, Dashore just quietly walked over and took the piece of paper from Director's hand. "Crystal clear, sir," he replied, nodding, before turning to Kaamil. He sized down the boy before suddenly shuffling Kaamil's hair. "Hey there, kid!" he greeted, showing Kaamil a hand. "You can sleep with your eyes closed tonight. I'm going to find your bro, no problem," he assured with a grin, plastered on his still slightly nauseous-green face. "As you've heard, I'm Dashore. What's your name?" And here was yet another friendly fellow residing at the Academy. Still, it was common courtesy to get comfortable with your clients.

[Kodai]

Kaamil watched curiously as the distortion appeared inside the room, getting bigger until he could see two figures inside it -- the Director's fox and another man. The fox's appearance was somewhat unsettling, but Kaamil figured that that was how it was able to use this dimension-altering ability. He could also see that this ability had made the poor rider a bit nauseous. As the Director introduced the man named Dashore, Kaamil gave the Radar a nod in greeting. Quite suddenly, Dashore cut through the serious air of the room and... ruffled Kaamil's hair. Even though Kaamil realized that Dashore meant nothing by it and was just being friendly, he still failed to repress the urge to wince. "...A-ah... ...Kaamil.....My name is Kaamil..." Taking a breath, he added, "...I thank you for your help..."