It took only a few minutes for the new students to make their way out of the Student Center, armed only with their packets and partners. Chika held up an arm to shield her eyes from the sudden sunlight; she kept one open to keep Terra in sight, who was nervously inching closer and closer to her as people passed them.

“Um… D-Do you know what the first thing on our list is…?” she asked.

Chika glanced up in an attempt to check the papers in her raised hand, but the sun was too harsh to see without giving her a headache. She took Terra by the shoulder and dragged them over to the shade of a tree before lowering it and reading.

The Schesi Somebody Scavenger Starter: Version C

Location 1: Art Building, Room 206
Activity: TBD by Dr. Cohen

“It says we’ve gotta go to the Art Building…,” Chika muttered. She looked at Terra. “Any idea where that is?”

She hesitated. “Um… I don’t, I’m sorry…”

Chika pressed her lips together. “Okay… Any idea where we can find a map or anything?”

Terra shook her head, and a spark of exhausted frustration tried to ignite itself in her gut; she forced it back as hard as she could. It wasn’t Terra’s fault the staff decided to be unhelpful on this. Chika would not take this out on her.

“Alright, that’s… That’s fine. We can figure this out.” She sighed. “Maybe if we just… wander around for a bit, we can find it. Or at least find someone who can help us.”

Without a moment to spare, Chika turned and headed off in a random direction, leaving Terra to scramble to catch up. She stumbled over her own feet and threw out a hand to grab Chika’s shoulder, causing them both to nearly fall to the ground. As soon as they got their balance back, Chika shot a glare that had her wincing.

“…So… What’s your Focus?” she asked.

Chika rolled her eyes before continuing their journey. “Justice and Protection, and Photography.”

Terra perked up. “Hey, my friends are all Justice and Protection, too! That’s cool! Maybe you’ll be in the same classes!”

“That’s what most people come here for. Probably half of our starting class, at least.”

“O-Oh… Well, um…” Terra fidgeted with the edge of her cape. “I-I’m here for Accounting, actually. So I guess I’m one of the few.”

Chika raised an eyebrow. “You came to Camp Schesi for math? Why?”

As her cheeks warmed, she curled in on herself. “U-Um… I mean, it’s close to home, and it’s cheaper…”

She stared at her for a beat, and then rolled her eyes, turning back to face the sidewalk. Terra sighed and fell silent as she followed.

--

Soledad burst through the back doors and leapt into the air, flinging out her wings and doing a little twirl before turning towards Adela, who was stumbling after her.

“Alright, kid!” she exclaimed. “If it’s you and me against the world for the next four years, you’re going to have to learn how to stay on your toes and think fast! Think you can keep up with me?!”

Adela raised an eyebrow, letting out a soft laugh. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“Oh, do you now?”

“I do.” She looked down to the packet in her hands. “First stop for us is the library. It says we need to—”

“Library, huh?! I’ll meet you there!”

“Wait—!”

Despite her shout, Soledad shot off like a bullet in the night. Adela frowned and looked back to the paper, stopping in her tracks.

Location 1: Library, Outside
Activity: Arrive with arms linked and hopping on one foot each

She sighed. “Well… she’s going to have to come back, I guess…”

Sure enough, less than a minute later, her partner landed on the sidewalk in front of her. Her cheeks were almost as red as the accents on her wings, and her eyes stayed glued to the ground.

“Okay, so, apparently we have to go there together,” she mumbled.

“I was trying to tell you.”

Soledad puffed up at that, letting air fill her cheeks before releasing it. “W-Well, the library isn’t far,” she retorted. “I know where it is—obviously –so I can lead us!”

Adela held out her arm, and Soledad slipped her own around it, tugging them to be side by side.

“I mean, that’s fine,” she said, “but I’m also pretty familiar with campus. You can lead, but, you don’t really have to…”

“No, I’ll do it! Just trust me!”

She let out a breath. “Alright…”

The two each lifted a foot and took a careful hop forward; their balance wavered, and Soledad shot out a wing that swatted into Adela. Together, they tumbled to the ground and groaned.

“…Okay, so, maybe we need a better game plan.”