12.17 -- So, the staff may have been a bit out of it this past week, but we were just busy celebrating the end of the semester by partying way too much. Now that that's all over, it's time to focus on Free Falling. We're gonnna introduce an event as well as a great new way to make money for your characters! It's gonna be hella exciting, stay tuned! BLU OUT ~
AKA: How Ash decided it was time to learn how to code v5 and ended up making a site. Obviously I'm no pro, so if there's something that I messed up and you can help me fix it, please do that!
- PLEASE READ ALL THE RULES BEFORE JOINING! - TRY TO REIGSTER YOUR ACCOUNT WITH YOUR CHARACTER'S POKEMON AS THEIR USERNAME DOING SO MAKES TAGGING MUCH EASIER FOR THE STAFF
intermission (open to all health majors) | FREE FALLING (A PKMN RP)
WELCOME TO ATLAEA
Welcome to modern day Atlaea; if you're here, it means you have the powers of a pokemon inside of you. We advise that you apply to the university and start your training in one of four subjects: battling, coordinating, healing, or pokemon history and begin your journey towards becoming the very best like no one ever was!
In the old student hangout with its chipped floral wallpaper and comfy furniture, alumni, students and teachers alike converged for one sole purpose: studying. Some were there to review, while others were there to teach or learn when they were (ahem) supposed to learn at school or in college. So far, everything had gone smoothly, to Airi Azalea's relief. She, with plenty of help, was able to cater for the group that had congregated in this small room central in one of the older buildings in the entire college. Really, it brought back memories for her, since Atlaea University was very much her alma mater too. It had been almost three years since she had been to the student hangout so it surprised the Florges greatly to find that its condition had not changed since then. Either way, even she participated in the study session, working arduously alongside the other graduates and teachers to aid the students in getting the best marks they could.
In all honesty, while she had majored in Healing, Airi's favorite thing to do as a college student was attend the battle courses. She had prided herself upon as one of the better support members of the teams that the combat instructors had assigned. Of course, this wasn't anything she could make money off of, and besides, she wanted to study further about Healing so she could work in Slateport's hospital. However, for now, Airi resigned herself quietly to her parents' abode and a humble flower shop, which she attended side by side its owner.
Regardless, the green haired woman loved to brush up on her medical knowledge, more so about healing moves because that had the closest correlation with battling. Of course, she enjoyed all the other components, such as basic first aid and the more advanced healing technology that was used to heal up Pokemon after their battles. Technology was amazing, and Airi wasn't saying it because there was a paid advertisement for the contraption. Unfortunately, she wasn't too good about handling those aspects so she let the more knowledgeable people in the room handle those matters.
Time went on slowly and then quickly. There were some truly fun parts of the study session but there were some times where even the not most well-versed student had to moan and groan because apparently, there was always someone who didn't know the basics. The Florges patiently chuckled, pitching in whenever she could and recommending some books and outside resources that they could study when the students had finished their textbooks. It was not exactly mandatory but if anyone had enough of an interest, maybe it would be worthwhile investing in some outside information. Certainly, studying outside of class and the textbook helped Airi. She had passed with flying colors when she graduated. Regardless, the Florges had wished to work at a job where she was closest to some of her more personal interests as a florist.
And then, three years later, she got her dream job and almost had a complete fund for higher education and a cheap apartment. Sure, it was right across from a bar, but the rent was good: just less than 900 yen a month. It wasn't dirty and there were no problems with running water, electricity, and pestilence. The place she decided to work for was definitely credible, but she'd need to tell her parents first. Enough about Airi though. Already could the rumbles of impatient stomachs be heard and it was time to bring out the big guns: the completely organic and gluten-free snacks. There was no need to have an allergy attack right in the dorms; in fact, there was no need for any allergy attacks anywhere.
It was only thanks to preplanning that the menu had been decided. On a blog of one of the students in charge, there had been an online poll that decided what had been made. Five choices out of twenty had been selected for the picking:
Cafe Latte: 8 ounces of steamed milk with one shot of Expresso.
Shrimp Cocktail: Medium-sized shrimp boiled and chilled and served with classic cocktail sauce.
Chips N' Salsa: Baked tortilla chips with mild salsa.
Chocolate Hazelnut Crackers: Whole wheat thins with Nutella spread and whipped cream.
Vanilla and Banana Smoothies: 1/2 cup of sliced bananas mixed with a 1/4 cup of nonfat vanilla yoghurt.
Of course, everyone who offered to make the snacks got together prior to the study session to make all of these quick and easy snacks. Everyone had an equal share of credit. Smoothies were available for anyone who didn't want coffee and the food was delicious from the smell of it. Airi couldn't wait to eat it herself, but she held herself back and alongside some of the other students, brought out the food on trays. Plastic eating utensils, paper napkins and plates were also on the trays.
Bowing politely, the greenette clasped her hands together gently after putting down a tray full of smoothies on one of the larger tables. "Thank you for attending! Please enjoy the food!" she politely said, turning to the crowd of hungry spectators with an awkward beam. Even though some were her former classmates, others her sisters' or some in the years between, it was was a little bit difficult to talk to some of them. Regardless, she stayed by the food, eager to help in case if anyone wanted to serve themselves.
Post by Isaiah Valence on Dec 22, 2014 4:56:49 GMT
my heart
beats so fast it feels like its last
Isaiah certainly had an idea of how else he would like to be spending his afternoon. A nice relaxing soak in a hot tub, or maybe a nice long jog into the older part of town and back. That route went right by a really pretty park and just when the leaves were all changing. That being said... Isaiah wasn't about to leave these students to suffer on their own. The poor things were going to fail their exams. He'd forgotten how difficult some of the other professors were. They made his class look like a play date.
"Keep reading. Five more pages and you can take a break." Isaiah prodded the student next to him as they started to nod off. The material could get boring at times but this was important. He wasn't deaf and could hear the grumbling stomachs and multitude of sighs. He would take pity on them... in a few minutes.
Not long after Isaiah clapped his hands together loudly and spoke to the group at large. "All right you guys break time! Ms. Azelea was nice enough to prepare the snack table and put out all the goodies we made. Go and get you something to eat and got to the bathroom. Anything you need to do, just be back here in an hour." Isaiah gave a jaunty salute and stood himself.
Stretching the man let his nose lead him to the food table. He perused the table and picked up a plate and a few of the crackers with nutella goodness. Thank you for your help ma'am." Isaiah grinned and nodded his head toward Airi. He picked up a smoothie and sighed happily as he finally got some sugar in his veins. A glance to the corner told him that a certain someone needed some prodding again. Hey Raphie! Come over here and get something to eat. And don't lie and tell me you already ate. I'm not stupid enough to fall for that one again."
Post by Raphael Deluna on Dec 22, 2014 5:45:21 GMT
◤
◥
like you always say,
"safe travels, don't die."
You'd think that after an entire year here he would have gotten used to college life; unfortunately for Raphael that simply wasn't the case. Before college he'd always been able to find excuses to stay in the house, and there hadn't been anything urgent enough to rip him away from the safety of home. Sure, his family had urged him to get out every once in a while, and the occasional trip for school had been necessary, but he'd been quite happy with his quiet life, thank you very much. Starting as a freshman at Atlaea University had been quite the case of culture shock, that was for sure, and though he'd survived the first year it hadn't exactly been easy. He enjoyed his classes greatly, of course, but that didn't mean he excelled in them, not by a long shot. Besides, the place was huge, absolutely teeming with people- it didn't make it easy to avoid human contact, and the complete lack of privacy grated on his nerves something fierce.
Which meant that, though everything in him screamed that it was an absolutely horrid idea, he was forced to do consider... study groups. Shudder. Intentionally signing himself up for a room full of people who would try talking to him sounded like about the worst idea ever, not to mention that people would ask him questions and he'd likely wind up sounding like an idiot. There was no way it was going to end well, he just knew it, but... well, failing out of college really wasn't an option, especially since he knew he wasn't stupid. He'd just go in, get some test taking tips, and be right back out again. Yeah, that was a plan. He had a plan. Having a plan was always good, that was how he kept himself from having complete panic-induced breakdowns. Everything would be alright, he knew what he was doing, and there was absolutely no reason to be afraid. They were all in this together, just a bunch of kids trying to survive the dreaded exams.
Er, well, he'd thought. There were an awful lot of teachers and alumni here, compared to what he'd been expecting. In fact, there were a lot more people in general than he'd been expecting, and it had almost been enough to make him turn on his heel and leave, screw his exam scores. But he'd gathered up all the nerve that he could possible muster and found himself a little table in the corner- and truth be told, it hadn't been that bad. Everyone was more than understanding, they seemed willing to leave him alone when he asked, and, well, seeing others in a worse position than himself did wonders for his self-esteem. So when one of the teachers called a break, he was feeling confident enough to pull himself out of his book and give himself a little time to breath. A quick glance around the room showed that almost everyone was standing to stretch and unwind a bit- and hey, wasn't this the best time to make his escape?
So he tidied up his little work area and glanced up, steeling himself for a quick exit- and managed to accidentally meet a certain professor's gaze. Oh. That was... that was not the plan. He winced at his name being spoken so loudly- he really, really hated being called out- but now that he'd met the teacher's gaze there was no pretending he hadn't heard. Damn. His brow crinkled the slightest bit in concern but he rose from his seat nonetheless, making his hesitant way toward the food table. "I d-don't know what you- what you're t-t-talking about." He muttered almost petulantly, though there was no mistaking the eagerness with which he shot for the coffee. His drink secured, he turned a slightly more discerning gaze on the rest of the food; after a few moments he reached for the chocolate whatever-they-weres, unable to resist the chance for some free sweets. There. It was food. He could sit back down now, right? Right?
...but he didn't have it in him to be quite that rude. He had some manners, after all. He tried flashing a smile in the teacher's direction, though it came out small and rather strained. "Th-thank you for thisss, Mr... ah, Mr. Valence." Okay, that felt rather odd- the teacher wasn't that much older than he was, after all- but what did they have if they didn't have manners? "Oh, a-and you as w-w-well- er, Missss... um." He didn't know her name, that was awkward, but the food was very much appreciated, he had to say something. "...thanksss."Raphael finished lamely, staring down at his feet and shoving a cracker into his mouth. This was... going to end well. Definitely.
In every Pokemon's life, there comes a time when they wonder when they had become so old in comparison to everybody else. This moment came to Airi right now. Not dramatically or stupidly or in any other asinine combination that was twice as bad as getting lost in the endless stretch of land between Lakeport and Old Sea while en voyage to a wedding as a bridesmaid forhow many times? Starved eyes of desperate college students, many whom were like her when she was younger. Airi could specifically point out the students that were as lovely as the autumn evening and like friends she would never want to part with. Unfortunately, after college, she did have to part with those beloved friends. However, instead of staring contemptuously at (somewhat) faultless undergraduates who were dozing off, the greenette waited patiently for them to rouse and finish the material, per the instructions of their patient yet firm teacher.
For a moment, she looked at Isaiah Valence with a sort of admiring curiosity, wondering what sort of aptitude and motivation he had for becoming such an excellent teacher. When he mentioned her name, Airi gave a slight smile before offering smoothies to anyone who wanted them. They were wildly popular, as if they had used Shadow Sneak, and once she had noticed, all the smoothies were gone. So she worked with the Nutella dip and whole wheat thins, making sure no one had taken too much.
Finally, when he thanked her directly, Airi gave a subtle curtsy before replying, "It was no problem, sir. I hope you enjoy the snacks, though they're not exactly comfort food." It wasn't her decision, after all, but if someone wanted snacks under a hundred calories: well, this place had it. Still, it was evident he enjoyed the snack and that was what mattered. Soon, she found her face reflecting his grin. Certainly, the sensation was odd but not unwelcome. Before she could lose her chance, however, Airi needed to ask him her question. "You have quite a way with your students, Mr. Valence. I was impressed with how you conducted the whole study session. If it's not too rude of me to ask, how do you, er, manage to do it?" That came out a bit awkward, she supposed. He was one year older than her, so they were in college together but she had never seen him in any of the health classes. Regardless, it was odd to address him by his last name when only like three years ago, everyone else in their year knew him as Isaiah.
Regardless, it was also a valid question, since Airi herself was not a teacher. Perhaps, she could tutor alright; it was why she was here after all. Certainly, the Florges was no teacher, but she did her best to help out. However, it wasn't the same as actually being one. Becoming a teacher sounded awfully terrifying and unpredictable, but that came with the package. Simply put, Airi had decided she didn't want that one. A little bit of curiosity about it wouldn't have hurt, would it? No? Well, she would have to find out, of course! And so, she would, maybe firsthand. What happened next, on the other hand, was something Airi could have never dream up. The whole sort of event was pretty common though. Parents embarrassed their children; children embarrassed their parents. Students embarrassed their teachers, and alas, teachers embarrassed their students. It was the natural order of things, though what Isaiah had done was neither embarrassment nor harassment. Instead it was something that happened to her so long ago that it was absolutely stunning to see someone in that same position.
If Airi were to be perfectly honest right now, however, she would most definitely say that maybe it wasn't all that surprising, that coming here, she ought to have expected it, and above all, that Raphael Deluna (in spite of not actually knowing the boy's name) most definitely needed to eat more. Really, she should have expected all of the three, and the greenette most certainly did. But for some reason, it never managed to curb the impact. Thankfully, though it came out as rather funny but also a bit nostalgic instead of being something over the top. She would never settle for anything like that. Despite all of this, Airi knew what to do and what would come of the whole affair.
For a moment, gazing gently at the purple-haired student, she did her best to look friendly. She did not say anything or force him to say anything. In response to his words of stuttered gratitude, the Florges merely waited until he settled in the most bearable position he could be in. The wait wasn't long. In confirmation to its arrival, she smiled. "You're welcome, dear." Then, she paused, for only three seconds, but oh boy, those seconds were long. Time usually did not pass so sluggishly; it was odd but not utterly unfamiliar. As rusty as her social skills were, however, Airi Azalea refused to let them stop her from at least trying to make the situation a bit more comfortable for the three of them. "I'm Airi Azalea. It's a pleasure to meet you. What may your name be?" It was glaringly obvious that he was uncomfortable, forced to face the floor in all his timidness, but there wasn't anything to pity; rather she had to accomodate. Maybe, if the situation warmed up a bit, it could be remedied a bit. If Raphael felt uncomfortable talking to the woman, he could always ask to be left alone.
Post by Isaiah Valence on Dec 23, 2014 1:07:09 GMT
my heart
beats so fast it feels like its last
Isaiah raised an eye brown but said nothing at Raphie's comment. The boy was awful at taking care of himself. The man frowned for a moment before chuckling and gently placing a hand on the students shoulder in a friendly manner. "That would be Isaiah Raphie. Mr. Valence is my father. And I certainly hope I'm not that old yet." He paused to stuff another nutella cracker into his mouth. The food really wasn't bad. He could've really gone for a giant chocolate cake but that went against being a health professor. He had to set an example and all that. It sucked being the responsible one.
"I will admit I would love full sugar rush inducing food but I suppose I'll have to wait." Isaiah, shrugged and took a sip of the smoothies. It was hard to tell these were under a hundred calories though. That was a plus. It was hard to get college students to eat healthy as it was. Between classes and studying they didn't have a lot of time to choose their food. Isaiah himself had battled the freshman fifteen. Thankfully he'd been able to use the gym in his first year. Please call me Isaiah as well. We're not that far apart in age. As for my secret... Honestly I'm not sure. I've been told I'm kind of childish so maybe I get along with the younger students better? I just want them able to come to me with any problem."
Isaiah ducked his head and took a sip of his smoothie. He'd felt like he'd spoken to much. He wasn't the sort to talk a whole lot. Instead he turned silent and stood close to Raphie. The professor knew the young man was uncomfortable talking to Airi alone and wanted to be some support.
Post by Raphael Deluna on Dec 24, 2014 5:37:04 GMT
◤
◥
like you always say,
"safe travels, don't die."
Aww, weren't they sweet? It almost made it worse, that they were being so kind and understanding. He could handle bullies, could handle cruelty and condescension and pity- but they were showing none of that, and it made him guilty that he was still so incredibly awkward despite their best efforts. The teacher put a hand on his shoulder and he wasn't quite able to hold back his flinch, though he was the slightest bit proud that he'd managed not to pull away entirely. This particular teacher was rather well known for being familiar with his students, it wasn't anything that he should be surprised about. And yet, even knowing that this was perfectly normal, it still felt the slightest bit strange to be asked to call the professor by his first name. Wasn't that disrespectful, or... something? Oh, well, he wasn't going to complain. He had to admit, the contact wasn't unpleasant. "I... s-sure, Isaiah, sssir." His smile got a little more genuine as he eased into the conversation, some of the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. This was... this was okay. Yeah. He could do this.
So he turned his gaze back to the woman- Airi, she said her name was- and gave her his shy little smile. They talked about teacher things for a few moments and he was content to just stand there, picking absentmindedly at his snacks. There were worse things in life than mentors who cared, after all, and he had to admit that the whole study session had been a wonderful idea. He was feeling almost optimistic about his next test, and wow, wasn't that a foreign sensation? Maybe he really should get out more, it seemed to be helping. Or something. It would be easier to be more confident if he couldn't feel the blush burning at his cheeks, at the very least. But was able to meet Airi's gaze when she addressed him, and that was something. "N-nice to meet you, t-t-too. It'sss, ah, Raphael, ma'am." Er, wait, last name? Was that a thing? "Raphael Deluna."Ha, he could say his name without stuttering; it wasn't because he'd spent time practicing, obviously, that would be ridiculous. Hmph.
He clutched his drink close to his chest and glanced around the room, taking in the students standing around in small clusters, stretching and chatting contentedly. "I th-think this will help a lot. Everyone s-sseems to ap-appreciate it. It'sss very k-kind of you two."
A gentle smile painted itself onto the young woman's face silently as she listened to the teacher insist that Raphael address him on a first name basis, on the reasoning that his father was Mr. Valence and that Isaiah remained Isaiah. Airi Azalea herself held her own worries about aging too, but it seemed so far, the process was graceful for the two. Raphael Deluna, however, was far from approaching his peak, however. He didn't have to worry about his quarter life crisis for a few years at least, but compared to the professor and florist, he wasn't a kid quite yet. Still, he was seen as a student and as a boy about Hiruka's age, not that matchmaking would ever cross her mind. As she became deep in thought, the Florges also absentmindedly drank her smoothie.
"If you wanted a sugary treat, then you came to the right person. I had an idea in mind for this chocolate Prague cake I was dying to try out..." she mused aloud by accident. Whoops! Did she just dig herself into a hole or something? Oh, no.... Well, Airi could handle this. All she had to do was go with her train of thought. "Maybe if everyone scores well enough, then I could prepare the cake for you and your students, Isaiah. You two could get the first slices if you both call me by my first name too. Er, anyway... I don't think you're childish, Isaiah, but that kindness you exude is rather difficult to master." Okay, now she definitely had to shut up. She was talking way too much. For a brief moment, the Florges had to pause to recompose herself. She knew she was rambling and that might not be very good especially since things were going rather well beforehand.
Her peridot irises flickered around between the two men's faces nervously, knowing that she was about as awkward as both of them, but things were less uncomfortable at least. She could rest easy knowing that these two were trustworthy and that they were pretty much almost in the same boat here. So right now, Airi had to trust them to not make judgements as they trusted her not to, and certainly, she would uphold the bargain. Thus, smiling, the florist proceeded at the best pace she could go at, and told the younger boy, "That's a lovely name, Raphael." Since her gaze was fixated on both of the males, the last statement was directed clearly to them. Her mouth widened infinitesimally before falling back into a relaxed smile when she heard the boy's next words, however. Even though he stuttered and flinched at his mentor's touch, even she could understand that he must have changed a lot since the beginning of his freshman year.
Like Raphie, the Garden Pokemon surveyed around the room, beaming at determined clusters of students chatting or studying or doing both. Everyone did seem to have a good time. While the most opportune reply to give would be thanks, Airi was so moved that she could only give him a grateful smile and nod, really happy that everyone appreciated it. Although her mouth was dry in reluctance to speak any more, it would be rude to not reply. "Thanks for coming, though I must say the success is more so owed to you, your teacher Isaiah, and the other students." At that same moment, her eyes met the aforementioned Healing professor's for a split second, yet this eye contact was deliberately more conspicuous than usual. Then, as gently as petals fell, they returned to meet Raphael's purple irises.
Post by Isaiah Valence on Dec 26, 2014 2:45:19 GMT
my heart
beats so fast it feels like its last
Isaiah didn't quite miss the flinch hen he touched Raphie. He did feel kind of bad but he didn't move his hand. In a round about way he hoped he could slowly help the young man with his aversion to anything social. Raphie had so much potential he'd hate for the young man to loose out on opportunities because of it.
"Well done." He couldn't help but praise Raphie. He hadn't meant for it to sound like he was rewarding a pet. At least there was talk of chocolate cake to distract him. It was one of his favorite desserts. He could drool just thinking about it. The man quickly wiped at his chin just to make sure he really wasn't. "Well Airi... that is one way to make sure I give these guys a really easy test." He chuckled. He would never really do that. Every one of his students would earn their grade.
"I agree with you Raphie. I think I may have a sign up for one more session before the exam." Isaiah removed his hand to jab the student in the ribs with his elbow. The stuttering was kind of adorable, but he was even more proud when Raphie was able to speak without it at all. Baby steps. The professor wondered if he could convince Raphie to agree to social lessons. As a fairly friendly guy himself Isaiah was pretty sure he could handle that. "If I were to do that would you be interested in helping with snacks again Airi? It's partially thanks to this little buffet that everyone has stuck around this session I think."
my heart
