Despite the previous determination she had the night previous, Flaky could feel all of that disappear the moment she stepped in front of the military office. Her knees were beginning to tremble, her arms wrapping themselves around her small frame protectively.
Crap.
Taking a deep breath in, she shakes her head to clear herself of her doubtful thoughts. This was for Flippy. This was so she could go out and find him...right?
Clenching her hands into two tight fists on either side of herself, Flaky walks towards the door and opens it with timid fingers. Inside there are several people, all of them with highly intimidating atmosphere's about them.
Flaky gulps, entering the room and grabbing a number from the stand beside the door she peers at the small red 42 before sitting down as far away from anyone else as possible. Her hazel eyes travel from her lap, to her number then slowly around the room- absorbing her surroundings.
To her right was an oddly lanky man, he has bright blue hair and off putting emerald hues. His clothes look too big for him and he, like her, has dark bags underneath his eyes as though he hasn't slept in days.
To her left is another man, this one with light bleached blonde hair. His blue eyes keep shifting from side to side anxiously as though he were terrified of something that was to happen- or already happened. He has his paper crumbled into a small ball in his hands which he continuously unfolds and re-crumbles in a repeated cycle.
Across the isle from her, at her furthest left is a woman- the only other girl in this small room- she has silver hair and brilliant crimson eyes. An albino. When the woman feels Flaky's eyes on her she sends the poor girl a heated glare warning her to avert her gaze, which she does.
The final person in the room is the receptionist who sits behind the counter with absolute boredom. He has the phone pressed to his ear as he writes on a notepad with the other. "Yeah, yeah- and the name is..?" The man says, his voice much higher pitched than Flaky had initially imagined for it to be. His head shift and his long black hair falls in his face which he hastily brushes to the side.
On a small screen above the door it says: "serving number 39" and to this Flaky sighs. Only a few more numbers to go before it was her turn- her turn to sign up for the army.
The thought sends horrid chills up and down her spine, tendrils of fear clawing at her heart with the mere thought of her being part of something like the military. She didn't know if she it in her, to be in the military; she didn't even know if she had it in her to hold a gun in her hands, she didn't know if she had the courage to take a life. But this was all for Flippy. This was so that she could try and find him, to make sure that he was alright and alive somewhere.
Turning her head to the side, Flaky looks at her reflection in the window. Her hair is too long, she looks too weak- too innocent.
'But I'm used to death- right? I lived in Happy Tree Town for goodness sakes! I've seen more death than anyone on any battlefield! I've died more times than I can even count so why- why am I so scared?' Flaky thinks, tears starting to pool in her eyes.
The woman, the albino one, is now playing with a knife. She twirls it around and around in her fingers with a level of elegance and skill that Flaky cannot even begin to fathom. Again, the woman sees Flaky looking at her an sneers. "What're you lookin' at?" She barks. Flaky let's out a small whimper, shaking her head vigorously as well before reverting her gaze to her lap.
Wait a minute...Flaky's eyes go wide as the thought dawns on her. Abruptly standing up, Flaky hastily walks over to the woman. "U-um..." She starts before pointing with a shaking finger at the knife. "M-may I b-b-borrow tha-hat...?" Flaky asks. The woman gives her a funny look, as though that were the most idiotic question in the world but after a few moments she shrugs. "Just bring it back when yer done." The woman says, holding the blade handle out for Flaky to take.
With a small mutter of gratitude, Flaky disappears into a small door beside the waiting room that had been labelled as the bathroom. Inside, it is filthy. The mirror is half shattered, reflecting hundreds of her own face back at her. Along the walls are are stains, what of she doesn't want to know.
Leaning against the Porcelin sink, Flaky stares into her own eyes in the reflection for a few moments before he grip on the blade's handle tightens. Slowly and tentatively taking a chunk of her red, dandruff ridden hair she slices at it with the knife.
It falls away easily, leaving her with a fist full of her own hair now severed from the rest. Dumping that in the trash next to the toilet, Flaky grabs another chunk and slices that away as well. Slowly, she cuts it all off- leaving herself with nearly nothing when compared to her hair amount from before. Staring at herself with a perplexed, childish wonder; Flaky frowns. If it weren't from her clothes and the very small differences in her body shape- she would have looked like a boy. A very frail boy, might she add.
Brushing her bangs to the side and picking out as much loose hair as she can, she decides that this is enough and taking the knife with her she returns to the reception room. "Now taking number 42." A voice overhead says. Flaky feels a small ghost of a smile form on her lips, right on time. Crossing the room, she returns the knife to a very surprised looking Albino and following the secretary she walks down the hall with a newly found confidence. Her chin held a little higher then when she had first walked in.
Stopping her at a door, the receptionist mutters a gruff "good luck." Before disappearing back down the hall in whence they came. Suddenly feeling nervous again, Flaky waits a moment before hesitantly knocking on the door. "Come in." A voice calls from the other side. Gulping, Flaky slowly turns the metal doorknob and with a creak the door opens.
Inside the room it is oddly sparse and incredibly neat. Along the walls are photographs of men and some women all of them are clad in their nation's military uniform. Above the door behind her is a proudly hung, worn down flag which looks as though at some point it was burnt due to the black streaks along its edges. Behind a mahogany desk in front of her sits a very big man. He has piercing dark eyes, whether they were brown or black Flaky couldn't tell. His hair, white with old age, is slicked back and half hidden under a barrette which is very similar to the one that Flippy would always wear. "Hello there. Please, take a seat." The man says. Flaky nods and very shyly slips into the seat across from him. On a small golden plate on his desk reads: W. Adams. "So you are interested in joining the army I am guessing?" The man, Mr. Adams, asks. His voice showing nothing but an emotionless, bored tone. "Y-yes sir.." Flaky says, trying to force herself not to mutter. "You're timid- that's not good." He points out, a gloved hand reaching across the deal for a slip of paper and a pen. "You are over the age of eighteen, correct?" He asks, looking at her over the rim of his glasses with a hasty look. Flaky nods, a cold sweat beginning to drip in a slow bead down the side of her face. "Y-yes sir.." She says. He hands her the sheet of paper, the pen following a few moments later. "This is your application, please fill that out in the reception room and take another number. You'll be called back momentarily." Mr. Adams says. Flaky nods again, taking the sheet and the pen before slowly exiting the room and returning down the hall to the reception room.
Slinking into one of the empty seats, she absently notes that the lanky boy with blue hair is gone now. Maybe he left, maybe he was in the washroom- either way she didn't really care. Looking over the sheet, Flaky slowly fills it out- careful to make sure that everything is as neat and proper as possible. When she gets to the bottom of the page she freezes.
All that was left was the signature.
All she had to do was sign it and then she could join the military- she could look for Flippy, just as she had intended to do.
All she had to do was sign it.
All she had to do was...
Her hand tenses and freezes, the tip of the pen hovering just over the surface of the paper. Forcing back all of her discomfort, Flaky takes a shuddering breath inwards. Squeezing her eyes shut, Flaky quickly scrawls her signature along the line.
It was done.
Taking another number from the stand beside the door, Flaky's entire body shins to tremble as she waits for her number to be called again. Why this was so nerve wrecking she had absolutely no idea.
After what seems like an eternity, her new number- 47- is called and making her way back down the lean hallways she holds the paper tightly in her shaking hands. She drops the pen and in a fit of nervousness she bends over and picks it up before scurrying back down the corridor. Stopping in front of Mr. Adam's door, she knocks again as she had done earlier. "Come in." The familiar voice drifts and with a shudder, she enters.
Upon entry, Flaky hands Mr. Adam the paper which he looks over in a matter of mere seconds. He nods, approving the application. The older man reaches into his desk, pulling out a barrette similar to the one on his head although much less worn down. Handing the hat to Flaky, Mr. Adam nods. "Congratulations," he starts as Flaky slowly puts the cap onto her head "You are now registered for the army. You start training in two days."
[A/N]
Hello! Thank you for reading the second chapter of Lost and found! I know it's a bit slow and kind of poorly written, but thank you anyways for the support! Anyways, I am writing this author's note because I have something that I need help with. I need some OC's for my story, as they will appear in either the next chapter or the chapter after.
So, if any of you wonderful people wouldn't mind lending me your OC's please send me a PM with the character sheet below filled out:
Name:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Hair:
Eye:
Skin:
Personality:
History:
Skills:
Hobbies:
Reason for joining the army:
Sorry, but I'll only be accepting a few OC's so if yours doesn't make it I am very sorry! I will probably only accept about 5/6 but then again, I'm pretty fickle so that number may become bigger. Anyways, thank you guys again and I'll see you all next chapter!