A big THANK YOU to everyone who submitted! I'm sorry if your character didn't make it, but I must put the limit at 16 or else not all of the characters will get proper development and will be pushed backstage. Trust me on that, I've written three stories with 24 main characters and it always happens to a handful.
If you didn't make it, I hope you continue to enjoy the story and leave feedback. If you decide to unfollow because you were really counting on getting in, I understand. Thanks again for taking the time to express interest!
As for those who did make it, congratulations! There were over 40 submissions and yours made the cut! I already love each and every one of these characters and I'm dying a little inside to know that I'm gonna have to kill them off. DX I hope you guys won't be too upset with the results and are as excited for the story as I am! Let's get started. It's time for another fun-filled year of mutual killing!
Today, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The Montana landscape was beautifully picturesque with its crystal clear lakes, tall snow-capped mountains, and rolling green hills. Fresh air filtered through a car's open windows as it rushed along a deserted road. The temperature was still perfectly warm since it was the height of August.
It was a long way from Detroit, Michigan to here. That was for sure. But Elaine couldn't find too much to complain about—the plane ride went by quickly and the scenic drive was incredible. Plus, she had the company of her parents. They seemed excited to reach their destination, but she only felt anxious.
Elaine tried to catch a glimpse of her face in the rear view mirror from the backseat of the van. Aggravated, she poked at a mole just above her left eyebrow. It was nearly impossible to see against her dark skin, but she was very self-conscious about it. That, along with her rectangular glasses and the fact she was borderline overweight. She had been bullied enough in the past for it.
But this was college. Hopefully, it would contain mature and understanding people. Elaine was desperate to make a good impression, wearing her favorite pair of heels, a pleated skirt, and her prettiest blouse. She also had on a pastel pink cardigan her mother had knitted for her. Her soft brown hair was let down past her shoulders.
"Look!" Her mother gasped suddenly, pointing straight ahead, "There it is!"
Ahead on the road, towering concrete walls were rising up to greet them. The walls had to be at least twelve feet tall with barbed wire along the top. It looked out of place among the wilderness. Behind were the brick buildings of St. Fortuna's, including a grand clock tower, famously referred to as "Old Fortune."
Elaine felt her heart swell with excitement. This school would help her make the final leap into becoming the world's greatest psychologist.
But as they drew closer to the university, Elaine felt mildly disturbed by the sight of the walls surrounding it. "Why do you think they built that?" She questioned, wracking her brain for some sort of explanation.
Her father, Mr. Harlow, shrugged it off. "I'm sure it's to protect the students. The world hasn't been the safest place as of late…"
Elaine frowned. This was true. Whisperings of terrorism had been all over the news—apparently some radical idea had started in Japan and expanded from there. So far, America seemed to be untouched by the phenomenon. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
"Oh, but don't you worry about anything, okay honey?" Mrs. Harlow said quickly, turning around to give her daughter a comforting smile, "You just focus on your education."
The van slowed to a stop at the school gate. A sign directed families to speak into a nearby intercom. Elaine's father quickly rolled down the window as the women in his family looked around for some sign of other people.
"Name?" A childish voice blared over the intercom.
"Um…Harlow." Mr. Harlow said, casting a wide-eyed glance at his wife. She was holding back a laugh, clearly entertained by this strange form of sign-in.
"Thank you!" The voice returned.
A machine spat out a card into Mr. Harlow's hands. He took the ID card and handed it to his daughter, musing, "That's one heck of a machine they've got there! I guess it cuts down on paying real people, huh?"
"It sounded like a real person to me." Mrs. Harlow said thoughtfully.
The gates opened, allowing the van to pass through. Mr. Harlow called a quick thank you into the intercom, but there was no response. Perhaps it was automated after all.
Elaine observed her newly acquired ID card, which was a marvel of technology all in itself. It came with a little touchpad with all of her information. As she pressed it, a message popped up, warning her not to lose this. It was the only thing that could get her into her dorm as well as her room. She also needed photo ID if she wanted to get into certain places, such as the dining commons. Lending cards to other students was prohibited.
Speaking of other students, where was everyone? As they drove through campus, the Harlows passed nary a single soul. Only when they reached the dorms on the northern side did they finally spot other cars, unloading baggage. A few students dragging suitcases stopped and curiously looked her way.
Elaine closed her eyes and pretended they weren't there. Being in the spotlight made her nervous. Only when their car pulled to a stop did she open her eyes and observe her surroundings.
There were two dorm buildings and a dining commons, with a grassy quad in between. Basketball courts and a volleyball net were right next to the tiny parking lot.
"Not too many people here, are there?" Mr. Harlow frowned.
"Well…the rest of the students probably won't arrive for a few more days. The freshmen just had to come early for their orientation tomorrow." Mrs. Harlow reminded her husband.
With that, the family got out of the van and began unloading Elaine's luggage. Elaine was suddenly very anxious. She didn't want to be left behind. She hadn't even made an effort to contact her roommate and get to know her before coming.
But she sucked up her courage and entered her assigned dorm—the other one was locked, most likely for upperclassmen who would arrive on Sunday. Freshmen girls were on the second floor of this dorm, boys on the first. Elaine's room happened to be right by the staircase.
On the door were two little pictures that had been cut out of colored construction paper. One was a little pink brain that was squiggly around the edges and read, Elaine on it. The other was the name of her roommate, Karah, inside of a speech bubble.
Sliding the ID card into the slot, the door to her new home unlocked. The family stepped inside, wheeling a trolley with most of their belongings. They were instantly pleased with their surroundings.
The common room was bigger than they expected with two ornate armchairs in front of a widescreen TV. Bright lighting and white carpet floors gave the room a nice atmosphere. Directly across from the entrance was the bathroom, which was sparkling clean with two sinks, a shower, a bath, and a toilet inside a stall.
There were two more rooms branching off the main one—hers and her roommate's. They would share the common area and the bathroom, but each had their own separate quarters that could only be accessed by their key cards.
Once everything had been transported upstairs, it was time to say goodbye. Mr. and Mrs. Harrow hugged their daughter multiple times, telling her how much they would miss her. She echoed their sentiments, promising that she would text often. And then they were gone. She was finally on her own.
Elaine stepped into her room and looked at the wide space in wonderment. She could fill this room with anything she wanted. Over the course of the next week, she could decorate it and make it hers. Coat the wall with her little notes and observations. She smiled softly.
Suddenly, voices reached her ears.
Her roommate stepped out of the room opposite of hers with her brother in tow. Both had the same red-orange hair and freckles. Her future roomie's hair was pulled up into a short ponytail and she was rather skinny with a large mint hoodie that hung all the way to her knees.
The two siblings began saying their goodbyes. Elaine quickly hid out of sight, feeling guilty for eavesdropping, but also afraid to intrude on their last moments together.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Her roommate's brother said, "Good luck, Karah. Don't party too hard."
Karah's bright green eyes were sad. Nevertheless, she smiled and they embraced. "Say bye to Mom and Dad for me." She whispered, grief welling up in her chest.
Silence filled the room.
Elaine felt her hand drifting to the tiny notepad she kept in her pocket. She loved scribbling notes on new people she met in it. As Karah finished up saying goodbye to her brother, Elaine wrote down her first impressions. She was so absorbed in her writing that she almost didn't hear the sobbing coming from the other room.
She finally stepped out, surprised to find Karah sitting on one of the armchairs, crying. Karah jumped a bit at the sight of Elaine. Quickly, she wiped her tears away and forced a smile. Elaine was surprised to see she wore braces, an odd thing for a college student.
"Hi!" Karah greeted, reaching out a hand, "I'm Karah. Super College Level Linguist."
"Elaine. Super College Level Psychologist." Elaine responded quietly, shaking her hand.
Karah sniffled slightly, observing Elaine. She wasn't quite what she expected, but she had this nice vibe about her. She grinned again. "Nice to meet you! I think we'll be great friends."
"Um…is it okay if I can ask why you were crying?" Elaine wondered, looking intently at her new friend.
Karah's smile wavered and she could feel the tears coming back. "I don't mind. I guess you're a good person to talk to about problems, huh?"
Elaine nodded, allowing her to continue.
"It's college, y'know?" Karah sighed, "It's overwhelming. What if I fail my classes? What if I'm like the first person to ever flunk out of St. Fortuna's? The expectations are so high!"
"You won't flunk out," Elaine said quietly, "I mean—there's a reason the school picked you. Right?"
"But I don't even like my talent," Karah said, tears reforming in her eyes, "I always wanted to be an art major, but it's not like I could choose my strengths. What will my brother say if I fail? He's always worked so hard to take care of me and here I am, about to ruin everything…!" She let out a sob and hid her face in her hands.
Elaine realized it was strange her parents hadn't come to see her off. She made a mental note to record this detail in her notebook later on. But right now, comforting Karah was the appropriate thing to do.
"Don't think of any of that," Elaine said, tentatively placing a hand on her new friend's shoulder, "It may be scary. But it's a chance at a new life…you should take advantage of it."
Karah brightened considerably. "You're right," She decided, "I'm so sorry for burdening you with this as soon as we met! I tend to stress a lot."
"It's all right. I'm a psychologist after all." Elaine smiled.
"Does that mean I get free therapy sessions?" Karah joked. Before Elaine could respond, she went on to say, "Hey! What d'you say we go meet some of our dormmates?"
Elaine flinched slightly at the suggestion. She hadn't had anytime to prepare herself for social interaction. "But what about unpacking?"
"How boring! That can come later."
Elaine frowned. On second thought…this would be a great time to observe her peers. She pulled out her notebook and agreed to go.
The two of them set off down the hall for the nearest room while Karah began to voice her worries about the other students liking her. Elaine couldn't help but feel she would be giving Karah a lot of therapy sessions over the coming year. She sighed inwardly and prepared herself to meet new people.
Judging from the adorable pictures on the next door, this suite contained a Super College Level Artist and perhaps a cameraperson. A little brown palette with spots of color read "Asui," and a black camera cutout read, "Libra." Just on the other side of the door, the two girls could hear a Marina and The Diamonds song blasting at full volume.
If you are not very careful
Your possessions will possess you
TV taught me how to feel
Now real life has no appeal
"An artist!" Karah said, clapping her hands, "I can't wait to meet her!" She proceeded to knock on the door.
The music continued for a few more seconds then came to an abrupt halt. There was a long pause.
Elaine shifted uncomfortably and exchanged a glance with Karah. Still, nothing happened. She had a sneaking suspicion that someone was peering at them through the eyehole, silently waiting for them to go away. She was just about to suggest the idea of moving on to her roommate, but then the door opened.
A girl with light brown pigtails and green-blue eyes greeted them with a smile. She wore jean shorts, black boots, and a black tank top with a little red vest over it. A small beret and a pair of sunglasses rested on her head, between her high pigtails.
"Hi!" Karah exclaimed, "You must be Asui, the artist!"
The girl's smile immediately disappeared and her brow crinkled. "God, no!" She said, sounding almost insulted, "What makes you think that?"
"Oh…I just assumed from your hat…"
Libra's smile appeared back on her face as quickly as it had gone. "Artists aren't the only ones that wear these," She told the two girls, tapping her beret, "Anyways, I'm Libra Lumiere: Film Director Extraordinaire." Her lips twitched into a prideful smirk.
"Aw that's a cute little intro you have there. Did you make that up yourself?" Karah said in a friendly tone.
"What, you think I stole it?"
"Of course not! I just—"
"Because even if I did, there's nothing wrong with stealing things if they don't have a copyright. All of the best lines are stolen." Libra concluded, giving a light laugh, "So who are you guys?"
"I'm Karah and this is Elaine." Karah introduced the both of them politely; "We were just going around meeting everyone on the floor. Would you like to join us?"
Libra's smile faltered. "Oh, sorry. I'm kind of busy."
Elaine stood on her toes and peered past Libra into the room. The TV was on, currently displaying the title screen of some mainstream Zelda game. "Oh, are you playing video games?" She asked innocently.
Libra's eyes narrowed defensively. Her smile now appeared to be as far from genuine as possible. Elaine wilted under her gaze.
"She doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to," Karah cut in, "I'm sure everyone is busy trying to settle in. Do you think Asui would be interested in coming?"
"Umm…" Libra paused, looking uncertain, "No, I don't think she would."
"Can we meet her?" Karah asked, trying to get a good look into Libra's room. She could see all sorts of film equipment set up such as lights and bounce cards. An expensive-looking camera rested on a tripod too.
Libra grimaced. "Sure…" She slowly retreated back into the room to knock on Asui's door. The two other girls followed her in, eagerly taking in all the sights.
Karah popped her head into the bathroom, but it was lacking decorations and looked exactly like theirs. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ugh, something stinks in here. I don't think the janitors did a very good job of cleaning."
"I don't smell anything," Libra mumbled.
"Really? It's rancid!"
"I have a terrible sense of smell, but that can be a good thing, I suppose. But then again, I've accidentally walked right up to skunks. Asui, you in there?" Libra knocked again, but there was no response. Fine, stay in there. She grumbled inwardly, stepping away.
"Still, you should really call someone to come get the smell out. Or at least put one of those Febreze things in here." Karah babbled on, her eyes getting wider with each second, "It could be something really bad. Maybe there's a dead animal stuck in the wall or some kind of noxious gas is leaking into the room—"
Suddenly, Asui's door opened and she stepped out. Both Karah and Elaine had been expecting an Asian, but she was just another white chick with choppy, dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. She wore a black shirt and a pair of cargo pants with some colorful paint splatters.
Asui looked at the two newcomers shyly, appearing a bit uncomfortable with so many guests in her room. "Hi…I'm Asui Namida, the artist."
"I still say that's not your real name," Libra scoffed softly. She had collapsed onto one of the armchairs and snatched up a Wii remote to continue her game, bored with the introductions.
Asui's face hardened into a glare. "Of course it's my real name!"
"But you don't look Japanese." Libra said, arching an eyebrow at Asui. "Are you sure you're not…y'know, one of those—"
"Why don't you take it up with my parents if it's so important to you?" Asui growled, looking much more irritated now.
Karah and Elaine could only stand there awkwardly as the two roommates bickered. Finally, Karah broke in and invited Asui to come meet everyone with them. Surprisingly, she accepted their offer. She seemed desperate to escape Libra. Karah and Elaine were happy to accept her into their ranks.
"See you later, Libra!" Karah called over her shoulder as they left.
"See you!" Libra responded in a chipper voice, flashing a pleasant smile over her shoulder, "It was nice meeting you!"
"Likewise." Karah concluded as the door shut behind them.
"She seems nice." Elaine said thoughtfully as their party of three continued down the hall.
Asui's gaze darkened. "Not everyone is who they seem, you know."
Elaine regarded this thought, decided Asui had a point, and made a quick note of this in her book. Karah had already run ahead to peer at the next room down the hall. This one had a picture of a cat and a telescope. The names read Natalie and Kirby. Before Karah could knock, the door suddenly popped open and another girl appeared.
She had straight, mousy brown hair held back with a headband and large brown eyes. She wore a long skirt and a cute sweater with a cat on it. She smiled sweetly at her guests.
Karah tapped her chin. "Natalie?"
"Kirby, actually. Nice to meet you!" Kirby said cheerfully.
"You're all purposely trying to confuse me or something…" Karah grumbled. "But it's nice to meet you too."
Elaine could hear sobbing come from within the room. "Is…is something going on…?" She wondered, feeling rude for asking.
Kirby cast a worried glance into the room behind her. "My roommate ran into some issues. I was going to go get her something nice from the vending machines in the basement."
"What happened?" Asui wondered suspiciously.
Suddenly, Kirby's roommate appeared, looking panicked. Her wide green eyes looked magnified by cat-eyed glasses. She was rather chubby and short, with frizzy light blue hair and a dowdy school uniform. But looking past her odd appearance, it was clear to see she was distressed.
"Please help me!" She begged, tears streaming down her face, "It's my cat! She hid in my bag and now she's stuck here, a-and my parents have already left! I-I don't know what to do, pets aren't even allowed in the dorms and the school officials will be furious…!"
Elaine could feel Asui and Karah looking at her, waiting for her to do something, but Kirby was there to comfort her roommate.
"Natalie, it's fine. We'll just explain it was an accident." She soothed, "Please don't worry about it. Why don't you introduce yourself to our floormates?"
Natalie looked at the others, feeling rather miserable. She knew they were probably judging her for her strange appearance and the fact she was bawling her eyes out. But she mumbled a quick hello and told them she was a SCL Veterinarian.
"Can we see your cat?" Karah asked eagerly.
Natalie felt a flicker of surprise at the question. It was immediately replaced with a warm glow. "Okay!" She agreed cheerfully, leading the girls into her room.
On the bed was a white-and-ginger Exotic Shorthair. The squashy-faced cat had large, bulbous eyes that were half-closed in contentment. As the girls came into the room, it rose to its feet and stretched, mewing a pleasant greeting.
"You troublemaker." Natalie sighed tearfully, taking her cat in her arms.
"She's so cute!" Karah exclaimed.
Asui looked at Natalie's pet fondly. "I wish I had brought my cat with me. What's her name?"
"Mina." Natalie replied.
After fussing over the cat for a few minutes, Karah invited the two girls on their little trip around the dorms. Natalie declined, not really in the mood for it, but Kirby was eager to join them. She promised her roommate she'd bring her back a treat from downstairs when they were done.
Then it was time to visit the last occupied room. Elaine scribbled furiously in her notebook while Karah and Kirby led the pack, chattering away about their talents. Apparently, Kirby was an astronomer and very proud of her achievements. She had built telescopes and even discovered a number of constellations and stars. Asui trailed behind them, listening quietly.
The last door had an airplane and a scale on it. Margreet and Teresa. A blonde with short, wavy hair answered the door. She wore a short pink skirt with a leather bomber jacket, an odd combination. She gave a wriggle of glee at the sight of her guests.
"Oh, aren't you a cute little group! What's up?"
Kirby took the initiative to introduce each one of them, but wound up getting half the names wrong, so Karah helped her out. Then the other girl introduced herself with vigor.
"The name's Reeta! Reeta with two "e's" because Rita with an "i" sounds like a cranky old lady's name. Yup! Anyways, I'm a SCL Pilot!" Before anyone could comment on how cool that was, she cut back in. "Ooh, wanna meet my roomie? Teresa, get over here! She's a SCL Prosecutor. She's still unpacking at the moment."
Despite this, the prosecutor appeared next to Reeta. She resembled Karah slightly with her choppy ginger hair and freckled skin, but there was a more feminine air about her. She wore rose-tinted glasses that shielded her eyes from view along with a black cardigan, dark jeans, and red canvas shoes.
"Oh!" Teresa let out a small gasp at the little crowd outside their door. "Hi Asui!"
Asui's head snapped up. She had been zoning out until a familiar voice reached her ears. She stared at Teresa in shock.
"You two know each other?" Kirby questioned.
Teresa nodded, a smile slowly weaving across her face. "I guess you could say we were childhood friends, until I moved away."
Kirby gave a small laugh. "God works in mysterious ways! What a small world it is for you two to meet again."
"I suppose." Teresa said, looking at Asui, "How have you been?"
Asui sensed there was little tension between them and softened a bit. She tried to return Teresa's smile, but she had never been good at smiling when she wasn't happy. "Fine." She said, "You?"
Teresa's grin stretched just a little wider, looking almost sinister. "Never better."
"Hey!" Karah declared, interrupting the reunion, "So who's up for coming with us to meet the guys on the floor below?"
"Oh my gosh!" Reeta squealed, unable to contain her enthusiasm, "I can't wait to see them! I'm so ready to get a cute college boyfriend."
"Yes, I suppose unpacking can wait." Teresa said, running a hand through her short hair, "Boys are more important."
Elaine stopped writing in her notebook, nerves freezing her on the spot. Boys? She thought fearfully. She hated when boys looked at her. She never knew what they were thinking. Did they think she was ugly or pretty? Honestly, she would have preferred not to know. She wouldn't know what to do if one did like her.
As she was stressing over this, the other girls moved on without her. She hurriedly gathered her things and rushed off after them, stammering, "W-Wait! Wait for me!"
I hope the number of characters in this chapter wasn't too overwhelming! They're probably blending together a little bit in your mind right now, but their personalities will shine more as we continue to read about them. Don't forget to leave a review! The gentlemen are up next.