Bright ocean-eyes looked over the crowd, soft azure locks gently framing her face as she tucked a loose strand behind her ear and took a calming breath. In. Out. Her shoulders rolled back and her back straightened, stepping confidently out onto the stage to stand behind the podium, a gentle hand guiding the microphone to her lips, practiced, delicate.
A soft smile graced her lips, chest light as she pulled her feet together and made eye contact with the audience, memorized script sitting uselessly upon the podium. From the speakers, her voice rang clear over the crowd of teenagers.
"Welcome new students of Trinity Academy. My name is Aqua Hollis, your Student Council President. Your enrollment in this prestigious school shows a great deal about you all. Whether it is excellence in academics, or athletics, or extracurricular pursuits, each and every one of you is a shining beacon that will become a guiding light to the next generation of students in due time."
Where was Van? Her eyes scanned the Freshman as she gave her speech, trying to pick out the blonde hair of her youngest brother. Where was he? He'd been with her and Ven this morning when they'd arrived to the school. Had he taken his medication this morning? Her gaze darted to the Sophomores seated to the left of the Freshmen, quickly picking out her other sibling's fluffy blonde head beside the disheveled ponytailed redhead he spent far too much time with. She was far from Reno's biggest fan, they hadn't seen even close to eye to eye since elementary school.
Ventus met his sister's gaze, catching her dart to the Freshmen crowd and pausing in his laughter to crane his neck to look for Vanitas amidst the other kids. All the while, Aqua's speech continued, carefully timed and level and friendly.
"We here in the Student Council are your voice. Please don't hesitate to approach any of us if you have any questions, or if you have suggestions on how to make our school a brighter place in the future. Congratulations, new students, and may your heart be your guiding key that unlocks the door to your futures."
As Aqua stepped to the side for the Dean to give his own speech, she spotted an amber-eyed boy in the group, his hair dripping and messily stuck to his face, breathing a bit hard, but otherwise going unnoticed by the other students, who were too wrapped up in their own nerves. Black water droplets stained the shoulders of his white uniform as he made eye contact with Aqua, his breathing starting to ease slightly as they maintained eye contact. Freshly dyed hair, and she imagined there was a bathroom sink in the school that bore the stains to prove it, marks of his episode.
'Van, no...'
A/N:
Welcome to the out-of-order Real-World / School AU known as Day-To-Day!
I hope you guys end up liking it, I'm really in love with these characters, and the ways they differ from their in-game counterparts as a result of their differing experiences. Don't worry, Aqua is still a mother hen and Riku is still... well, Riku.
Thank you guys for reading!