-Zia-

Zia had not been great about her lab attendance, and she was stressing a bit---okay, a lot---about it. What if she was super far behind everyone else?? What if there was no one left she could partner with?? Walking into the room, she saw with relief that an odd number of students were in class. She walked up to the only other student not partnered up. "Do you want to be partners?" she asked him. 

The boy shrugged, smiling. "Do I have a choice?"

Zia laughed, looking around the room for an experiment that hadn't yet been taken. "Good point. Do you see any available experiments we could work with?"

The boy---what was his name? Zia tried to remember. Was it Win?---motioned towards an experiment sitting alone. "How about we talk to that experiment?" Taking the lead, Win stepped boldly to the experiment. "Hey, what's your name?" he asked with a friendly smile.

<~Win~>\

Win sighed with relief when he saw Zia Marain, apparently also partnerless, approaching him. So he wouldn't have to do this totally alone. Even if Zia was as perfectionist as you could get, she was decently nice, and it was good to not have to be the only one experimenting on the experiments.

Experimenting on the experiments. That was partly why Win skipped lab so much, using decoration planning and school events as an excuse. He hated watching the experiments being battered and treated with no respect, and having nothing he could do about it. Win was used to being able to fix things, but he didn't even know where to start with this. Confront BIG? Catastrophe? Risk getting thrown out of BCAftV? He didn't have anywhere else he could go to. Joining Catastrophe was the only future he had ever known. He didn't have any other home besides BIG. There had to be another way to help the experiments, but if there was, Win couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he tried. 

Of course... there was always the possibility of escape... but Win didn't think it could work out. There were too many variables, too many things in the way. BIG---and, by relation, BCAftV---was built to contain the experiments, to stop them from escaping. It would be hard to get past the security. That was the reason he never brought up the idea with the experiments. He didn't want to give them false hope. He sighed again---this time in frustration and sadness. The times he did go to lab, he tried to be friendly and give the experiments his utmost respect. It was the least he could do. Still, he wished he could do more. He'd seen some of the other kids in class, Spiderwort and Colin and maybe others, handing out tea and cookies or giving stuffed animals and sketches to the experiments. He wished he were even half as good with baking or brewing or sewing or drawing as them, but really, all he had was his sense of humor, and he knew that wasn't even remotely enough. None of this was remotely enough. He considered the possibility of escape again---could it be feasible?---but he was scared to try. What if the experiments got hurt in the attempt? Or worse? No, it was better not to risk it. But if not that way, then how?? The more Win thought, the more escape seemed to be the only choice. Just then, Zia interrupted his thoughts.

"Do you want to be partners?" she asked, tying her hair back unconsciously.

Win shrugged, and smiled---despite his troubled thoughts, it came naturally to him. "Do I have a choice?" he asked. He'd have to think more about this later.

Zia laughed, her ponytail bouncing. "Good point," she agreed. "Do you see any available experiments we could work with?"

Win glanced around the room, noticing a lone experience eating a cookie. "How about we talk to that experiment?" he asked, then strode confidently to the experiment, Zia trailing slightly behind him. "Hey, what's your name?" he asked with a friendly smile.

*Adine*

"Experiment AA-573," Cress corrected. "They're not supposed to have names," she added quietly. "It's better for everyone if we don't use them. We don't need perfectly well behaved experiments getting in trouble for such trivial reasons. That would hardly be fair to them."

That was typical Cress all over, Adine thought. She knew her roommate fairly well, and she knew that Cress  probably thought it was actually considerate to the experiments to use their official names, probably with perfectly well-thought-out logic that managed to make it seem like the rules were there for a reason. But the world wasn't made of logic and rules, she thought, was it? It was made of humans who had feelings. And experiments who had feelings. She shrugged. "Fair to them?" she inquired. "Fair. Do you really think keeping living things caged up and performing experiments on them is fair?" She shook her head. "Do you think being so exceedingly kind and generous and not even accepting that they might want real names is going to really make their lives any better?" She stopped herself; who knew how Cress would take that, and obviously she wasn't going to be convinced, so Adine was only wasting her breath and risking having a teacher hear her. She took a second to calm herself down.

"Anyway. If anyone asks, I'll say I made up the names myself. Shouldn't we be checking on, shall I say, AA-573?" She spun around and headed towards where Aerona usually was.

@Amethyst sorry I didn't rewrite Adine's dialogue; I forgot 

@Bobcat well we could but everything's kind of moved on so I think it'd be easier to just do another conversation later; I don't want them to fall behind. It's your call though

-Cress-

Cress stared at Adine, surprised by the outburst. When Adine turned to walk away, she said, "Wait." Adine turned, obviously irritated with Cress, but Cress said, "Do you think using their names is going to make their lives any better? They know exactly what they're here for. The only reason you coddle them is to make yourself feel better while you completely ignore the fact that if we are caught calling them by their names, they get in trouble. It's one thing if you just don't know that will happen," she added, "which I admit is completely possible. Because most people use their numbers, not everyone knows the consequences of using their names. But it would be morally incorrect - morals, yes, I do have them - to use their names just to make yourself feel like you're oh so kind while knowing you're putting them at risk." She took a breath before continuing. "I don't always understand why BIG does what they do, and to be honest, I don't know why there are people in cages for us to experiment on. But I do know that if you truly care about somebody, sometimes they best thing you can do for them is protect them. Someday, when I am out on the battlefield, responsible for soldiers, I will not keep those soldiers alive by just being as nice to them as I can. I will keep them alive by making whatever hard choices I have to make to keep them safe."

She crossed her arms. "I don't want to argue with you anymore. We obviously both want to do what we feel is right. But for you the right thing is the kind thing, and for me what's right is the necessary thing. Just stop suggesting that I don't care, because I do. I just do it in a different way than you."

Mx. Frost was thankfully far enough away from them that he couldn't hear their argument, but xe was glaring at them from across the room. "Let's go," said Cress, crossing the room to AA-573.

~Colin~

When Spiderwort finished handing things out to the experiments and arrived at the spot where Colin was working, Colin looked up at him with a somewhat forced grin. "Good morning," said Colin. "I'll take some notes if you don't mind talking to Via." 

-Avi-

To his question Leskie responded, "Not really. I might just go alone." She shrugged. "So...should we do the assignment?"

"Oh, uh I guess, yeah." Avi had totally forgotten. "You good, Relven?"

@Peri, it's fine, don't worry :) It was tons of dialogue anyway, lol.

*Adine*

"Wait," Cress said, and Adine whirled back. "Do you really think using their names is going to make their lives any better? They know exactly what they're here for. The only reason you coddle them is to make yourself feel better while you completely ignore the fact that if we are caught calling them by their names, they get in trouble. It's one thing if you just don't know that will happen, which I admit is completely possible." Of course, Adine thought sarcastically, what do I know? Please, Crescent. But Cress was rolling on. "Because most people use their numbers, not everyone knows the consequences of using their names. But it would be morally incorrect - morals, yes, I do have them - to use their names just to make yourself feel like you're oh so kind while knowing you're putting them at risk. I don't always understand why BIG does what they do," she continued, "and to be honest, I don't know why there are people in cages for us to experiment on. But I do know that if you truly care about somebody, sometimes the best thing you can do for them is protect them..." And so on and so on. Adine was still seething. This was exactly what they were always told, but suddenly it sounded so pointless, hollow, just words that didn't really mean anything.

Cress looked her straight in the eye, crossing her arms. "I don't want to argue with you anymore," she said (or would "ordered" be more like it?) "We obviously both want to do what we feel is right. But for you the right thing is the kind thing, and for me what's right is the necessary thing. Just stop suggesting that I don't care, because I do. I just do it in a different way than you. Let's go," she added after a tiny pause, going over to Aerona.

Adine hesitated for a second, then followed her, because really was there anything else she could do? But she was angry, and at the same time she felt cold inside. To a certain extent, you could say that Cress was right, and that just made everything worse. Because obviously the right thing to do was to fling up your head and defy the system and be kind to the experiments no matter what (and no, there was no point in repeating that silly argument that she just needed to make herself feel better), and that meant that the system was all wrong. And here they were, trapped in it, maybe just like the experiments were.

She approached Aerona. "Hi," she said to her, pointedly avoiding using any name and ignoring Cress completely. "How've you been?"

/Relven/

"Not really," Leskie said in response to Avi's question. "I might just go alone. So...should we do the assignment?"

"Oh, uh, I guess, yeah," Avi said, sounding a bit off-balance. "You good, Relven?"

"Yeah, sounds fine," Rel said easily. "It should be ultra simple - just checking on the results from yesterday. Has everything been going all right?" He glanced at Avi. What was happening between them? Weren't they just friends? For an instant a suspicion crossed earth-shakingly across his mind, but he blotted that thought out without giving himself time to think about it. Avi couldn't... No. Hopefully not. He waited for Avi's response.

-Cress-

Adine ignored Cress's words completely - big surprise - and turned to the experiment. "Hi, how've you been?"

"I still don't understand why you'd want to hurt them," said Cress quietly. Maybe Adine would hear. Maybe she wouldn't. Cress figured it didn't matter; Adine would ignore her. She was obviously angry. "I don't know why you want to pretend to be their friend if you're not going to actually help them. It only seems manipulative to me."

And for the first time in a long, long time, Cress allowed herself to remember Lucy. Hadn't she been naive all those years ago in the same way Adine was being now? Hadn't she thought maybe BIG would make an exception for Crescent Auclair and her little friend? 

Cress's lip quivered, and her eyes pricked with tears. No. No. Not here. Not in front of Adine and Aerona and everybody. "But what do I know, right?" Her voice wavered. "I'm just your cold, uncaring roommate."

She walked out, mumbling, "I need to run to the restroom," to Mx. Frost. She couldn't go to the archery field because there was a class there, so Cress went up to her room and climbed out the window onto the roof.

Adine would think she was dramatic, and Cress couldn't blame her. Adine didn't know about Lucy - none of Cress's fellow students did. And nobody, including the staff, knew that Cress wasn't completely manipulated by BIG, not anymore, and that she'd been questioning everything for the last eight years.

*Zinnia*

When Lee and Aly weren't paying attention, Zinnia looked over at Avi and mouthed, "What is taking so long?" They wanted to meet these students already. "Send them over!"

i keep taking too long to post - sorry! and @peri, sure we can do another conversation later. again no editing *shudders*

~

Altair~

Altair hesitantly chews on aer cookie, lost in thought. The cookie is pretty good. Ae doesn’t know when the last time ae’s had something so tasty was. Ae shoves the rest in aer bag to save it for later.

Nobody’s chosen aem, again. That’s probably good. But with nothing going on, there’s nothing to distract aem from - well - everything.

Then two people stride up to aem. The first one’s name tag says Win, he/him. “Hey,” he says, “what’s your name?”

Ae stares the first one in the eyes. “Altair. Though I’m sure you’d disagree.”

Spiderwort~

“Good morning,” says Colin. “I'll take some notes if you don't mind talking to Via." 

Spiderwort nods and walks over to her. He still has one cookie left. He hands it to her. “What’s your bunny named?”

-Avi-

"Has everything been going all right?" Relven asked.

From across the room Zinnia caught his eye and mouthed something to him. He wasn't the greatest at reading lips but he supposed it was along the lines of, "Ummmm what are you doing? Let's go!" Avi bit his thumbnail and gave his best friend as discreet of a thumbs up as he could manage.

He'd been dreading this. He didn't know how they were going to react and if it went over badly, they would go straight to the guards and him and Zinnie would be punished. "Um, actually there's something I need to tell you. Or ask you. Or.... I don't know." Avi motioned them closer so no one else could overhear. "My best friend, Zinnia, over there with the wings, and I, are planning to escape. We can't do this anymore. It's awful. We... were hoping we could trust you to keep our secret and help us. So we were going to switch partners, just for today, so Zinnie could meet you and tell you more about the plan." He looked up at them nervously. "So...? What do you say?"

&Leskie&

Avi replied, sounding unbalanced, though Leskie drifted a bit from the conversation. When she drifted back, Rel was saying, "Has everything been going all right?"

Avi bit his thumbnail, glancing across the room briefly before saying, "Um, actually there's something I need to tell you. Or ask you. Or.... I don't know." Avi motioned them closer. "My best friend, Zinnia, over there with the wings, and I, are planning to escape. We can't do this anymore. It's awful. We... were hoping we could trust you to keep our secret and help us. So we were going to switch partners, just for today, so Zinnie could meet you and tell you more about the plan." He looked nervous. "So...? What do you say?"

Leskie took a brief moment to process what he said. Then she replied, "I see. I don't mind, I suppose." She glanced at Relven for his response. 

*Adine*

"I still don't understand why you'd want to hurt them," Cress muttered under her breath, and Adine felt her exasperation rise even more. "I don't know why you want to pretend to be their friend if you're not going to actually help them. It only seems manipulative to me." She hesitated, and shooting a sideways glance at her, Adine saw that she just might be on the brink of tears. "But what do I know, right?" she added, a tremble in her voice. "I'm just your cold, uncaring roommate." Before Adine could say anything, she simply walked out of the room, evidently giving Mx. Frost some excuse as she went.

For a moment Adine only felt more irritated. Obviously Cress was being a drama queen. "Oh, not everyone thinks like me, so I'm going to make a big scene out of it and feel hurt, poor me." She turned back to Aerona, glancing down at her clipboard. But then she wavered, remembering her roommate's expression. Somehow, it didn't really feel like Crescent was just being dramatic. She hesitated for a second, then sighed, also leaving the room with some murmured excuse to Mx. Frost. Out in the hallway, she hesitated. Where would Cress have gone? Maybe outside, to the amphitheater or the fields, but there were probably too many people there. To their room? She headed through the academy until she got there.

The room was empty. But a second before she stepped back out to check the amphitheater, or possibly to give up on this entirely, she thought of the roof. Cress loved going out there. She went to the window and, opening it, pulled herself out onto the roof. Sure enough, her roommate was sitting there, looking more vulnerable than Adine had ever seen her - or maybe that was just a mistaken impression. "Hey," she said softly, sitting down for safety but ready to go away again (she really didn't want to fall off the roof). "Everything all right?"

-Cress-

Cress looked up at the sky for a few moments and let a few tears slide down her cheeks. "I should head back," she said aloud to herself. She didn't really want to get in trouble for ditching class.

Suddenly, Adine appeared. "Hey," she said, her voice gentle. She looked sort of uncomfortable on the roof - it was a pretty far fall. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Cress said hurriedly, wiping the last tear off her face quickly. "Um…" she shifted. "Stars, this is embarrassing," she said under her breath. "Sorry for just leaving like that. That was irresponsible. I just…" She sighed. Maybe if things were different, Cress would want to tell Adine about Lucy. But things were only the way they'd always been. "I'm thinking about an old friend of mine." She paused. "… And our conversation. I can live with you not liking me and everything. And I guess you thinking I'm some horrible person who just thinks BIG is the best. But the latter still kind of stings." She laughed a little. "I mean, in many ways, they're my family or whatever. But they also let me down sometimes, too. And I know what I said might seem harsh, but I've been watching what they do to the experiments for a long time. I see good things be twisted into bad things kind of a lot. Eventually you want to see a good thing just thrive, y'know? You get tired of wondering how long it is until this is just ruined."

Cress grimaced. "Wow. I did not mean to dump that on you."

>Via<

Spiderwort appeared and handed Via a cookie. "Thank you," she said, taking a bite. It was good. 

"What's your bunny named?" Spiderwort asked.

"Penny," said Via. 

*Adine*

"Yeah," Cress replied, a couple of tears still smudged on her face. "Um... Stars, this is embarrassing," she added in a low voice, but Adine heard it. Suddenly Adine wanted to say, Hey, please, please, just be yourself with me... "Sorry for just leaving like that. That was irresponsible. I just... I'm thinking about an old freind of mine... And our conversation. I can live with you not liking me and everything. And I guess you thinking I'm some horrible person who just thinks BIG is the best. But the latter still kind of stings." She laughed, hurriedly. "I mean, in many ways, they're my family or whatever. But they also let me down sometimes, too. And I know what I said might seem harsh, but I've been watching what they do to the experiments for a long time. I see good things be twisted into bad things kind of a lot. Eventually you want to see a good thing just thrive, y'know? You get tired of wondering how long it is until this is just ruined."

She paused. "Wow," she said. "I did not mean to dump that on you."

Adine was silent for a moment, tilting her head back so that the slight breeze blew her hair away from her face, looking out at the part of the academy they could see from here. You get tired of wondering how long it is until this is just ruined. It felt so true. And so heartbreaking.

"No, it's okay," she said slowly. "And I'm sorry for being angry at you back there. I suppose in my own way, I feel the same way as you do, it's just my way of dealing with it is to throw what I feel is wrong right back in the face of the people who make it happen." She risked a glance at Crescent. "I haven't been here long, you know. And I'm just so sick of everything wrong being made to seem right. I don't want to go along with the lies of these people." She'd never even really thought this in words before, and it cleared it up in her own mind. "But I could have been wrong too. It was inconsiderate, I suppose. It's inconsiderate to do nothing to change their situation, though, isn't it?" She paused; this was such a complicated thing to try to untangle right now. "Anyway - a friend of yours?" she prompted gently.

I want to add another charrie, a student this time, but I'm not sure where they would fit in. Any ideas?

I'm going away to camp and won't be active in this RP from Sunday to Saturday. Sorry for the inconvenience!

-Cress-

Adine was quiet for a minute. "No, it's okay," she said. "And I'm sorry for being angry at you back there. I suppose in my own way, I feel the same way as you do, it's just my way of dealing with it is to throw what I feel is wrong right back in the face of the people who make it happen." She glanced quickly over at Cress, who was quiet as she continued, "I haven't been here long, you know. And I'm just so sick of everything wrong being made to seem right. I don't want to go along with the lies of these people. But I could have been wrong too. It was inconsiderate, I suppose. It's inconsiderate to do nothing to change their situation, though, isn't it?"

Adine paused, and Cress thought about it. But it seemed too complicated to have one right answer. Adine interrupted her thoughts by saying, "Anyway - a friend of yours?"

"Yeah," said Cress. "Haven't seen her in a long time. I guess she was my first friend. She was funny. She had bright eyes." Cress almost smiled as she thought of Lucy. But then she frowned. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. It doesn't matter. She's gone."