A/N: So, this is some sort of an A/U. Don't judge me! I only changed their names due to certain…um, I wouldn't say preferences, but, I guess that word will do. Anyway, this is a Rivaille x OC and Eren x OC.
Revi – Revaille
Markeith – OC
Andrea – OC
Rian – Eren
Hagen – Hanji
Errin – Erwin
Perla – Petra
… and the rest are technically OCs…methinks? xD
Disclaimer: I don't own AOT or SnK. Never have, never will… R&R, please.
Chapter 01: The Semester Kicks Off
Markeith
"Tell me that you're not drinking that."
Markeith Darkwood looked up through her thick, purple, rectangular-rimmed glasses and smiled at her dorm mate and partner-in-crime. Eyes of pure blue stared into Markeith's dark brown ones that were eerily akin to onyx.
Markeith looked at her veggied up drink, where swirls of cucumber, celery and God knows what swirled in unison.
"Good morning to you, too, Andrea," she smiled.
Andrea grimaced, combing through her thick unruly hair of pure black, contrasting to Markeith's brownish black.
Andrea looked at her friend's messily tied hair and eyed her glasses with disdain. "Woman, I know that this is the moment where we go in for the first semester of our college lives, but, I could barely recognize you with those. I mean, you used to be girly up, not a -"
"Slob?" Markeith grinned at her suggestion, her eyes lightening to a mere warm brown.
Andrea shook her head, looking at Markeith's Surplus shirt and cast-off jeans. With a grimace, she said, "I was going to say tomboy, but either term works."
The two of them got into Andrea's blue Porsche, nicknamed Baby Sky by Markeith for its obvious reasons. With a speed that could have earned them a ticket, the two of them arrived at school in time. In silence, the two headed off to their first class, which was of the humanities division, the introduction to art.
Andrea pulled Markeith to the front row and asked the boy beside two unoccupied seats, "Hey, are these taken?"
Markeith blushed. Andrea was too...straightforward for her own good.
The boy looked up to reveal green eyes, his brown hair making him look too innocent. With a shake of his head, he replied, "No. You are welcome to sit. I'm Rian, by the way. You two are?"
"Andrea Thompson, and this one," she nudged at Markeith with narrowed eyes, "is my soul sister, Markeith. Make a move on her, and I will pounce you and make you regret that you have ever laid your eyes on her."
Rian raised his hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Markeith falsified a sigh and said, "Is it a wonder why I'm still single?"
Rian laughed, his laugh making Andrea smile, too. "Your friend's heart is in the right place, Markeith."
Markeith returned the smile. "Just call me Mark." She was starting to like the guy.
After a few minutes of chatting, a loud bang engulfed their entire attentions. A man with undercut hair, which was parted in the middle, gave each one of them a glare worth a thousand daggers, making Markeith wish that she had begged Andrea to sit at the farthest corner of the room.
With a scowl, the man said, "Tsch. So, I get wimps this year, huh?"
Markeith's eyes widened, wondering if he said that so that the entire class could hear him or said it more to himself.
Markeith didn't have enough time to ponder when he teacher's eyes darted towards her. She nearly gasped as silver orbs flooded her with a feel of familiarity, that something at the back of her mind told her that she knew the man before her.
"You," the teacher eyed her. "You look filthy. Is this how you go to class these days? Without an ounce of thought for hygiene?"
Markeith lowered her head, her face red with anger. Then, raising her head, she looked up to her teacher and exhaled deeply. " I am sorry, sir, but, I did not know that the college I picked had a dress code. If you want, I will leave this class and will return the following meeting more properly dressed."
A gasp could be heard from one of the students.
Andrea groaned, "Temper, temper."
The teacher raised one fine eyebrow. "You have guts. I like it. Sit down. Next..."
Markeith sunk to her chair. To her right, Rian released a breath and said, "You are one. Lucky. Bitch. You do know who you are up against, right?"
She shook her head.
"That's Revi Anderson, infamous teacher with an OCD for cleaning," he explained under his breath. "He fails students at the snap of his fingers. Honestly, you are lucky that he didn't just kick you out." Turning his head slightly, he added, "And, for the most part, most of the school's girl population try to get his attention."
Markeith couldn't help but understand why. Her lack of style aside, she could see how the man in front of her could be the next Helen of Troy. Despite being only an estimation of 5'3, Professor Anderson had the looks. Now, if only his attitude was much, much, nicer...
After an hour and thirty minutes of ridiculing every student he could, the professor said, "I want you to pass me a short report on what you expect in this class, to be graded. send the soft copy via e-mail." With a clean handwriting, he turned to them for the last time and said, "Dismissed."
Everyone stood up and rushed out of the room. At the speed everyone was going, a book fell from her desk, to be rescued by Rian himself. With a smile, she gave her thanks and smiled back.
"That book again, huh?" Andrea said, eyeing the title as they walked out of the room.
Markeith shrugged and replied, "I love how the biographer explained his thoughts on the paintings."
"By Jove," Rian said in a mocking British accent, "she's a bookworm!"
Markeith gave him a soft nudge on the ribs and said, "Hey, whatevs. Let's head to the next room before anything else happens."
The three consulted their schedules, and Rian gave them a sheepish look. "Sorry, girls, but this is where we part. See you at lunch?"
They all agreed as each took off.
On the better side of things, the rest of the teachers Markeith had were either nice or weird, or all two, especially the biology teacher, who rambled about random things that made everyone laugh from time to time.
At lunch time, Markeith was so hungry that she whined afterwards, "Andy, let's go grab some munchies."
Andrea shook her head with a grin and met up with Rian, who gave Andrea a hand in her things. The three of them proceeded to the dirt hall, where students were already lining up to order.
"OMG, they have Chinese!" Markeith shot up.
"Not worth it, kid," Rian said. "I've tried it. They're soggy and tasteless. Trust me on this."
Markeith's face fell. "Oh."
Andrea patted her shoulder kindly and said, "We'll just order later, why don't we? I do know you like the spicy garlic and sesame oil that always come for free."
Markeith gave Andrea a smile as the three decided on sandwiches and salads. After a hearty meal and a small interview from their new friend, Rian decided to head to his constitution class while Andrea said she'd head home. Being left to her own devices, Markeith decided to head towards a net cafe, where she decided to do her work.
While working, she decided to send mail to her mother. She opened up her Yahoo! account and decided on what to write. She didn't want her mom to worry again about her being too temperamental. The last time it happened, she was kicked out of her high school without a merit recommendation. She was just lucky enough that her mother had a friend who owned a school that helped students like her.
Deciding on how she was settling in while editing the incident in her least favorite professor's class, she began to type:
Mom,
I'm doing great here. Andrea and I settled at a co-ed dorm, but, of course, boys stay at a different wing of the building. I made a friend with a guy called Rian, and he seemed to have taken a liking for Andrea, though, she seems to be undecided about that. We also have cool teachers, but one of them is a total jerk.
I miss you, and Andrea said thanks for the brownies. Can you believe that she finished it before I get to eat them myself? - Your Daring Dawter
With that, she turned to her work. She pondered on how to write, observing from her first impression of the teacher. She assumed how he hates flowery words and wanted someone who goes straight to the point. That said, she let her mind reel.
-.-.-
Revi
Revi trudged on to the Administrator's office, his mind actually farther than where he was. He couldn't help but hate new students, especially those fresh from high school. He hated how they were naïve and quite immature. Simply put, he made it his task to make all of the damn kids realize that the real world was different from their sheltered homes.
He walked inside the door, greeted by his fellow teachers. He took his seat beside his one and only confidant, Errin Shin, his blond hair neatly swept behind as his blue eyes studied a piece of paper.
"Something's telling me that you terrorized those kids again," Errin said in his deep and steady voice.
Revi rolled his eyes. "Those damn brats need it. They can't pass my subject without working their asses off, and you know it. It's high time they fucking learn how to do things in the real world."
"That's what you always say, Revi," a woman with glasses and brown hair grinned at him, her eyes matching her hair color. Her grin was wide, warning him of any mischief in town.
Hagen Zine.
"Shitty glasses," Revi acknowledged.
The computer in front of him beeped. Turning his attention away from his colleagues, he saw an e-mail from an address called azureblood_17 with a title in her message as HW. This surprised him, considering how most of his students don't take his classes seriously. Opening the message, he saw a document attached to the message. With a slight frown, he opened the attachment and read.
Markeith Darkwood
1st Year
My Expectations In Class
When we say art, it is pretty abstract for a person such as me, who has only ready but never really experienced it, to describe. All I could say is that I expect the following to occur during my semester.
First, I expect the class to be passionate. In art, one could not create such beauty without putting their heart and soul in it. The burning passion to look at beauty is a way for someone to understand the heart of an artist, therefore, passion is mostly needed in this class.
Next, I expect adventure from the things we'll be learning. Images, music, building structures - all of them tell a story. In art, we not only discuss the physical, but will also go deeper into what we see. It is philosophical, it is a deep thought. Each art takes us to another place, another time, and another story.
Lastly, I expect us to study the different styles that come and go. In every age, there is something new, and despite this class being a minor, I hope to be able to explore the different art the past and the present have created.
Revi shook his head. He wondered whether this girl was trying to impress him, or has her head in the clouds. Somehow, he was reminded of another girl, who was quite similar to this Markeith girl he has in class.
I want to become an artist!
I love art because it's pretty... Do you think it's pretty, Vivi?
Every night, he dreamt of that accident. Every night, he regretted not being able to look out for his best friend and the daughter. Her body was not found, and his best friend and wife...dead.
Breaking away from his reverie, he looked for his class record and hunted down Darkwood's name. He arrived at the girl's name and gave her a C. It was for her effort, at the same time, she was only writing to impress, not to get a proper grade.
He stood up and gave Errin's shoulder a light squeez before saying, "I'm headed out. See you soon."
"Take care, Revi," Errin said. "And, for the millionth time, it is not your fault."
Revi ignored Errin's sentiment and headed to the parking lot. When he was about to get inside his car, he saw a petite figure walking out of the net cafe just in front of him and recognized her as the Darkwood brat. There was something in her eyes that told him that she was in deep thought.
The girl suddenly jerked her hand to her pocket to pick up her phone. With what he assumed was a false smile, she chimed, "Hey, Andy!... How did it implode again?" her face scrunched in hopelessness. "Woman, every time I replace the chords, you somehow - Oh, no, you di'nt! Don't use Altea as an excuse!... Fine, I'll hunt down the strings. Wait for me AND NO DORM HOPPING." She dropped the phone and muttered something as her face returned to a thoughtful look.
Shaking his head, he went inside his car and headed to his own apartment that was near St. Cecilia's Dorm for All.
-.-.-
Markeith
Markeith dropped the guitar chords on the table while cradling her grey cat, Altea. With a look of disdain, she told Andrea, "I am so not shopping for you ever again."
"But, it's your cat's fault -," Andrea tried to explain again but was silenced by Markeith's glare. For a petite girl, she could deliver the glare with an utmost accuracy that could send even Death himself running.
Markeith settled herself on her bed and opened her own art supplies, which she bought after buying the chords. She took out a sketchpad and couldn't help but inhale the scent of new Oslo paper.
Ever since her mother went to a therapist that diagnosed her as someone whose social adjustment was delayed, she was told to draw her thoughts as a routine to calm her down. At first, it was more like homework for her, but soon, she ended up loving how her sketches come to life.
Her hand at the ready, she began to draw the image of a woman.
It was about seven when she finished her work. By then, Andrea was already checking out brochures of fast foods and asked Markeith whether she'd want ramen to go with her Chinese dumplings.
"I thought ramen was Japanese?" Markeith prompted.
Andrea rolled her eyes and muttered, "You're such a geek." She took out her iPhone and settled for ordering something Korean, which did not sit on Markeith really well.
The order arrived soon with Markeith suddenly regretting her hatred for Korean food. With a look of a beggar, Andrea handed her a pair of chopsticks as they ate with hearty content, somehow arguing over a cuisine made of clear noodles that tasted sweet, blending well with its caramel color.
"So, Mark," Andrea began, "What do you think of our teachers?"
Markeith played with a thoughtful look and replied after a few seconds, "Most of them are pretty cool. Professor Hagen, too, although, she kinda crosses the line of creepy at the same time."
"That's true," she grinned, "But, don't you think Professor Errin is kinda hot?"
Markeith blinked twice at that statement. Where was the topic headed?
"Well," Markeith replied slowly, "I think Professor Anderson is quite the hot topic."
Andrea scoffed, "Oh, please. He has this bad boy aura that I don't even like. And, as far as I'm concerned," she gave me a pointed stare, "you're supposed to be avoiding those kinds of guys, right?"
Markeith understood where she was coming from.
Back at her hometown, Markeith dated a guy who was part of a gang. The beginning was a tad sweet and romantic, but soon, the romance escalated into drugs and abuse. The ex would end up hitting her whenever he was in a drunken stupor, and Markeith just had to get away from that place after managing to scrape enough average in high school. So far, only Andrea knew of that. Her mom tried to ask but left at the moment Markeith assured her that nothing was wrong.
"Kyle was a mistake," Markeith admitted. "It won't happen again."
The air around them shifted. Awkwardness was exchanged as the two ate in utter silence. When done, Markeith threw the trashes away and fell into her soft bed covers that smelled of fresh laundry.
The moment she closed her eyes, an image of a blinding light engulfed her, making her jump back into consciousness. Sweat trailed down her skin, marking her deep red shirt into a deeper shade as her head pounded with pain.
What was that?
Not once in her life had she dreamt of such event before, and, bravery aside, it scared her. She felt as if she was to die, but survived the fatality of it. Could that be a memory, or just a wild imagination?
A soft mewl beside her made her look down. Altea rubbed her tongue against Markeith's hand, a gesture that she could relate to comfort.
Markeith sunk gently back into the comforts of her bed and cat, saying, "Sorry girl. Did I wake you? Let's go back to sleep. I just had a weird dream and it's really nothing to worry about." She closed her eyes again and felt herself drifting into a more merciful sleep.
The next time she woke up, the smell of waffles made her stomach groan. She looked at Andrea, who tossed her a hotdog coated in the said waffles.
"Rise and shine, kid," Andrea said.
Markeith groaned, "Can't I stay home today? I don't feel like going to school." She buried her head under the pillows, only to be jumped by Andrea, nearly suffocating the poor girl.
"You are not cowering over Mr. Anderson, woman! Get up or I'll call you a disgrace upon the gender of women!" Andrea said as she got up from Markeith.
Markeith got up and bathe in her favorite vanilla scent. After bathing, she went for a different approach of clothing. Dark jeans of grey with a simple blouse in light blue, she patched it up with a pair of black sneakers. To add the finishing touch, she tied her hair like the previous day. She added her glasses as a last touch and gave herself a smile.
"Mark, we're so running late!" Andrea exclaimed.
Markeith rolled her eyes and took her messenger bag. Before leaving, she hugged Altea, who mewled as she perked up with her green eyes.
They arrived in school five minutes before the time. With their feet running as if their lives depended on it, they miraculously made it to the classroom. They scanned the people until they saw the man they were looking for. Rian, who had a worried frown on his face, instantly perked up at seeing them together and gave each one of them a smile. They moved quickly and took their proper seats as the bell rang.
"Saved," Markeith panted.
Andrea opened her mouth to say something about their supposed tardiness but was interrupted by the entrance of their teacher.
"Oh, dear," Andrea mumbled.
Professor Anderson's eyes scanned the class that was in utter silence. He eyed his students, and it was some sort of miracle when he skipped examining her.
Good. Second day survived.