On a rainy day in the northern part of Nightshade City, a school is where our main character sits. The school had high dark wooden walls for the courtyard and the school itself was made of stone but had dark wooden floors. It was in the shape of a square and taught students a multitude of different knowledge about the world and others.
Ace stared out the window of his school's weapon art's classroom. He was antisocial and didn't like any one no matter who they were. He was sitting in the far back because he only felt comfortable with nothing behind him. The teacher went on about the pros and cons of an axe. "God this sucks." Ace thought. He checked his phone to see that there was only thirty minutes left of this class then the day would be over. He turned back to the window and watched the rain fall.
He wore black pants with armor on them, he also wore a black reinforced jacket with a white ace of spades on the back. His torso had straps on it that held four sheathed knifes on his back. He had a knife in each one of his shoes, sleeves, three inside his jacket. The lesson was interrupted when the door was knocked on. "Please be an evacuation." Ace thought to himself. The door opened and the head master stepped in with a girl at his side. "Fuck just another exchange student." Ace thought turning back to window.
The head master walked to the front of the class and whispered some things to the teacher and then left the room. The teacher spoke loudly. "Ok class this is Maya Raskalova. She'll be attending the school and this class from this day forward. Everyone say hello." Everyone said hello except Ace. "Well Maya tell us a little about yourself." The teacher said. "Well I am a jokester." The girl spoke with a faint Russian accent. "Tell us one." The teacher said. "Why do girls wear panties with flowers on them?" Maya asked and no one knew the answer. "In memory of all the faces that were buried there!" Maya said proudly.
The whole class died laughing including the teacher. Only Ace didn't laugh. "What's his problem?" Maya thought to herself. The teacher, after recovering, said "Maya go get a seat and we'll continue with the lesson." Maya looked around and there were plenty of empty seats but she took the one right next to Ace.
She walked towards the desk and Ace was able to get a good look at her. She was in a black hoodie that had fur along the outside of the hood and down the sides of the zipper. It had a skull patch on the right shoulder. She was wearing blue jeans and boots that could kick through a wall. She had long hair that reached to her hips and was an atlantic blue color. The hair that hung over her right eye was dyed a lagoon blue color. She had a perfect radiant face and pale lips. After Ace got what she looked like he turned back to the window.
She sat down in the desk right next to him and awkwardly looked at him and then to the teacher and repeat. The whole class she just kept switching between Ace and the teacher. He thought she was trying to figure out something about him but he ignored her for the whole class. The teacher came over and tapped on Ace's shoulder. "Yeah? What's up?" Ace spoke in a monotone voice. "Show Maya around why don't you?" He said. "Fine." Ace said picking up his bag which was a black sack but had thin strips of see through red cloth handing off of the top. "Come on." He said in his monotone voice.
Maya grabbed her stuff and follow Ace as he showed her the school. "Over here is the library, over there is the cafeteria, and this is the staircase to the roof. And out these doors is the courtyard." He spoke. The bell rung signaling that school was over. "Thanks for showing me around. Can I ask you your name?" Maya asked. "You don't need to know my name." Ace said. "Yeah but I thought we could be friends." Maya said. "Well you though wrong." Ace said. "Well I have to go home now." Ace said. "Well where do you live maybe we can walk home together?" Maya asked. Ace just thought about how weird this girl is and was about to say no but a few other students came over. "Maya want to go get something to eat?" The group of girls asked. They grabbed Maya's arm and started to pull her in a direction. "He truly is strange." Maya thought to herself.
Ace put in his headphones and walked out the front door. He walked down the street with his hood on due to the rain. He bobbed his head slightly to the beat of the song. He walked through puddles and over sticks. His black hair hung down to his shoulders and had a long thin golden strip on the right side. His blue eyes were sleepy and ready to crash as soon as he reached home. He stood on the intersection and waited for the cars to finish driving so he could walk across. He noticed the group of school bullies making their way down the sidewalk he was on.
He continued to listen to the song but he could hear what they said. "Hey fagget!" The Serbian ringleader named Stojan yelled and Ace didn't respond. "You fucking deaf!? I'm talking to you!" He yelled again. Ace sighed and pulled out his headphone and put them away. "Sounds more like prepubescent screaming but whatever." Ace said. "The fuck you say to me?!" The ringleader shouted at him. "Is there a certain thing you're after here?" Ace asked. "Yeah give me your fucking money fagget!" Stojan demanded. "HA classic. Is that really the best insult you have?" Ace asked. "Well what do you have pussy?!" Stojan yelled. "Oh so you do have an extensive vocabulary. I'd say for you… bucktoothed, inbred, fat, insecure, and a raging sexually deprived homosexual." Ace said.
Stojan was furious and charged Ace. Ace stayed calm and waited until Stojan was up close. Stojan tried to punch Ace but Ace dodged. Ace lifted his leg in a blink of an eye and did a hook kick to the side of Stojan's head and slammed him into the wet stone. The two other bullies ran towards Ace after seeing their friend go down.
The first one in a red jacket went after Ace's legs and tried to lift him off the ground and slam him down. Ace jumped over his arms and grabbed them while he was in the air. He landed behind the bully, still holding both arms by the wrists, and turned around. He kicked the bully straight in the back which dislocated his arms. He then took his arm and bent them at the elbow. His arms were bent in reverse and he fell to the ground. Ace turned to the bully in a yellow jacket and said. "Please tell me you have some common sense." The bully turned and hauled ass down the road. "HAHAHA!" Ace burst out laughing.
Still chuckling to himself he searched through the two bullies on the ground's pockets. He pulled out their wallets and took out the cash. "Have fun." He said putting the money in his own wallet and throwing theirs in a puddle. He put his headphones back in and continued to walk home. He walked to the inner parts of the city and up to a building named the "Ivory Life" and looked at the building like he did every other day. The building was a 5 story building made of grey stone. It had red banners with a sigil on it of a shield with a star on it. It had many windows, many of which were covered by curtains.
He walked down some stairs on the outside of the building to a lower floor and pushed open the dark wo0d door and walked in. The band was playing electro swing music and he was greeted by the joyful conversations of other patrons. The owner of the place had given him a room on the top floor in exchange for him to play on stage when he wanted. The bartender waved when he saw him enter and Ace waved back. Ace walked and sat in his reserved spot in the back of the room. It was in the corner and a cushioned bench wrapped all the way around the table to a half circle. A lilac scented candle was on the center of the table as well as a few incense burners. Ace hated the smell of smoke so he had these to block it from him. He sat away from everyone else but every now and then a drunk patron would come over and hit on him for some reason.
Last week someone did just that. "Hey sweetie can I get your number?" The drunk asked. "No." Ace replied. "Don't give me cold shoulder baby come on." The drunk got a little closer. "I'll give you a fucking tombstone if you don't back off now." Ace said not looking up from his book. The drunk clumsily got up and tried to run but slipped and fell. He then got up and ran out of the building.
The building was a combination of a musical hangout with smoking and drinking. Ace went down there because of the music and did stuff like homework or kicked his feet on the table and read his book. There were a number of other bands who played but the band who played now, when Ace didn't, was a friendly group. Ace played by himself and played the guitar. He only played acoustic and when he did he'd play on the strings and hit his palm against the wood to create an extra beat to the song. He also does a special where if he gets enough tips from the crowd he plays guitar bar lounge remix.
The singer of the other band was a woman with red hair with black underneath. She had pale skin and a clear face and a piercing on her bottom lip. She repeatedly tried to socialize with Ace but he shut her down each time. Ace was so engrossed in his book he didn't realize the music finished playing. He was knocked out of thought with his book when the signer came over and gently slapped his shoe. "What's up buddy?" The girl said. "Not much Harley." Ace replied. "How was school?" Harley asked. "Why?" Ace asked. "Cause I wanna fucking know." Harley said. "You not going to believe this Harley." Ace said. "What? What happened?" Harley asked excited. "It was school." Ace said. "Aw come on! Don't get me all riled up for that!" She yelled. "What are you over here for Harley?" Ace asked. "I wanted to see if you wanted go get a drink or something." Harley said. "You know what? Fine. Go get yourself one and come back." Ace said.
Harley jumped up excitedly and ran across the room and order a drink. She looked back and saw Ace pull a bottle out from a lockbox under the bench. He poured it into a simple cup and waited for her to come back. "So what're you drinking?" Harley said. "Golden flower tea." Ace said. "What does it taste like?" Harley said kicking her feet up on the table as well. "Sweet yet bitter." Ace said as he took a sip. "So why are you doing this again?" Ace asked. "Cause you're a loner and I know little to nothing about you. You've been here for a little over a year and I pretty much know everything about everyone here except you." Harley said. "There are plenty of people inside the city walls. Why me?" Ace asked. "Cause I find you interesting." Harley said. "Well I find you annoying." Ace said. "Well… that's a start at least." Harley said. "What do you like to do?" "Read." Ace said. "Which was what I was doing before you interrupted me."
Harley stood up and closed the curtains to the booth they were in and sat back down. "Why'd you close the curtains?" Ace asked. "Because I don't want people to spread rumors about us." Harley said. "There is no us also shutting the curtains is pretty suspicious." Ace said. "What is your problem?" She asked. "Excuse me?" Ace asked. "Why are you so cold and distant from everyone?" Harley asked. "Just am." Ace said. "That's not the answer." Harley said. "Well it's the only one you're getting." Ace said. "Come on! Try to be nice." Harley said. "You've got a cute butt." Ace said making Harley slam her head on the table and groan. "That's not what I meant!" She said. "Well what did you mean?" Ace asked. "Be a friend to someone or warm up to people." Harley said. "Unlikely." Ace said.
"Well how about… AAH!" Harley started to say but was cut off by Ace throwing a knife and have it hit the wall right next to her. "The fuck!" She yelled and then turned to the knife and seeing it stopped a large spider from reaching her. Ace wrote his number down on a piece of paper and folded it into a triangle and tossed it to her. "I'm going to bed." Ace said. Harley snatched the paper and shoved it in her pocket. "But it's only 5." Harley said. "Your point being?" Ace asked before walking through the curtains.