After reaching the trainee residential building, Vivica watched in awe as Yineh suddenly pulled Kion away from the group, exclaiming that she'd show him to his room while the others showed Lina to hers.

 

```

Wafit: *concerned hum* I suppose he'll be fine ... and she's the one actually assigned to mentor him.

 

Vivica: You jealous?

 

Wafit: No... well, maybe a little. He's really cute.

 

Vivica: Speaking of cute. Anyone catch your attention yet, Lina?

 

Lina: Nee... *panicked* I-I mean-

 

Vivica: Don't worry, you're not going to hurt any of our feelings. I wasn't that attracted to any of the people I met at first, either. Of course I didn't become a rammu for the union benefits like some people. 

Wafit: You know that's not the only reason she joined.

Vivica: I do, but it sure feels like it some times. 

Lina: Who do you like now? 

Vivica: Kylola is my main interest. You haven't met her yet since she's out on border watch, but she's a gorgeous older green tier. She has dusty black top fur with this amazing copper colored under fur ... kind of like your top fur, but a little less red, more antique copper, and she has a deep whimsical mystique due to all her historical trauma.

 

Lina: Jsha, I know who she is. Everyone knows about Airina and *nervous* Uhm ... her protector.

 

Demoron: Her—disgraced protector. You don't have to sugarcoat what people say. We're all well aware of her reputation.

 

Wafit: Anyway~ did you want some time alone or you want to keep going?

 

Lina: I've spent the entire morning alone. I think I'd like to keep going.

 

Wafit: Alright, in that case we'll head over to the main common and start going over some chores you can do.

 

Lina: You say that like I have a choice in the matter.

 

Wafit: That's because you do. As a trainee, you'll have to decide on all your own responsibilities and most of your own training regimen as well.

 

Lina: *bewildered* Wha!? H-how can I be responsible for deciding my own training?

 

Demoron: *chuckle* I responded the same way myself. It's the first challenge of being an Ankarok rammu. When the senior rammu decides you have bonded well enough into the group, and have learned to be responsible for yourself, you'll gain the right to take the rank tests. Once you pass the first set of rank tests and become a rammu-jhu you're assigned a primary mentor to help you learn to pass the green rank tests and become a full rammu. Once you're a full rammu, you're more or less treated like a brown rank here, except for not being able to take on too dangerous of assignments until you've actually reached the brown tier through the games.

Lina: Wow, that isn't how the ranks were explained to me in Tarico—at all.

Demoron: Indeed not. The other three rammu groups all have degrees for each rank, and a lot more structure to them. Though since green, brown and black rank degrees can only be earned through the games, official progress through them is standard amongst all groups. Anyway, the biggest thing you need to remember for here is that the senior rammu hold a secret ballot to decide when a trainee is ready to progress and become a rammu-jhu. The ballot has to be unanimous; therefore, it's important to build bonds with all the senior rammu. 

Lina: *stunned* Then is it possible to be stuck as a trainee for your entire life here?

 

Demoron: Well possible, it hasn't ever happened. Though Ankarok rammu tend to stay trainees much longer than the other groups. I myself have been a trainee for seven cycles now. *awkward chuckle* Far from the longest, but still longer than average, and certainly longer than anyone would stay a trainee in any other group of rammu.

Lina: Any idea what's holding you back?

Demoron: As far as I can tell, it's my physical abilities. I entered the rammu in exceptionally poor physical condition. *embarrassed chuckle* Before becoming a rammu, I was a bookworm on track to become a village record keeper. I think I'm getting close, though. I can now keep up with all the other trainees... except for Viv, of course.

Lina: Of course?

Vivica: *raspberry* Don't let the funny-looking fur fool you. I'm in great shape. *confident smile*

Lina: Then why do you think you're still a trainee?

Vivica: *nervous fidgeting* P-probably trust issues... That said, I'm not really looking forward to being a rammu-jhu. Kylola can't be a mentor since she's striked. So~ I don't really want to become a rammu-jhu since it'll mean less time with her. Maybe I can become the first lifelong trainee? *awkward smile*

Lina: *looking towards Wafit and Reteh* And you two?

Wafit: From what I'm told, most of the seniors are expecting me to be promoted soon.

 

Reteh: *hesitant* I-I'm having problems feeling connected to everyone...

Wafit: She's also only been a trainee for half a cycle.

 

Lina: Half a cycle... I thought they didn't allow new members in the winter?

Wafit: They don't ... normally... *clears throat* Is it alright if I tell her?

 

Reteh: *affirmative nod*

Wafit: There was a fire at her orphanage ... Reteh was the only survivor, and since she had been being tutored to become a rammu by Freone and Teran during their routine visits to the orphanage, an exception was made to allow her to take the tests both younger than normal and out of season.

Lina: The same Freone mentioned earlier?

 

Wafit: *somber nod* He blames himself for the loss of life caused by the fire and has gone into self-imposed exile.

Lina: Did he cause the fire or something?

 

Wafit: No. No one knows the cause of the fire. He blames himself because he had been visiting just before the fire started, and had left earlier than normal for selfish reasons.

 

Vivica: Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to go prep second meal.

 

Reteh: I-I can help.

 

Vivica: Nah, stay here and have fun talking. *somber* I'll catch you guys later.

```

Vivica made her way out the door before anyone could try to convince her to stay and breathed a heavy sigh of shame as she leaned against the doorframe, still easily able to hear the others.

 

```

Lina: That was strange, right?

 

Wafit: No... Viv just wanted to give us a chance to talk about things we don't trust her with...

 

Lina: What kind of things?

```

 

Vivica dashed down the hallway and out of the building while humming loudly to avoid hearing anything else.

 

Once she was far enough away that she was confident that she couldn't hear anyone talking, she stopped humming and sighed in relief, only to be surprised by a voice from behind her.

```

Mirra: Still running away from yourself, I see.

 

Vivica: *heavy breathing* Please stop doing that.

 

Mirra: You know my policy.

 

Vivica: *groan* If I want to stop being surprised by you, I simply need to get better at paying attention to my surroundings.

 

Mirra: *affirmative nod* Especially given that I don't try—that hard to sneak up on trainees. Just wait until you're a rammu-jhu, then you'll see how sneaky I can be. *devious smirk*

Vivica: Sounds like a good reason for me to stay a trainee forever.

 

Mirra: *knowing hum* I don't think that's a possibility.

 

Vivica: Why not?

 

Mirra: *knowing smile* I think you should enjoy your time with the other trainees while it lasts.

 

Vivica: *hard gulp* Y-you think I'm going to be promoted soon? Wh-who's going to be my primary mentor?

 

Mirra: *blank stare* Don't you have second meal to prepare?

 

Vivica: *pleading eyes* Come on, don't leave me hanging like this.

 

Mirra: *devious smirk* Leave you hanging ... that could be fun. *perverted giggle*

 

Vivica: *hard gulp* I-I have food to prep. *awkward chuckle*

``` 

Vivica dashed away from Mirra, only to find her again in the common already prepping food.

```

Vivica: D-don't you have something more important to do?

 

Mirra: Seems not. So, what do you think of the new trainees?

 

Vivica: Lina seems nice...

 

Mirra: And Kion?

 

Vivica: He also seems nice...

Mirra: Kylola-su's not going to forget about you just because he's here.

 

Vivica: Like you know what it's like to have competition.

Mirra: Rammu aren't in competition for each other's affection. You should be happy that she can spend more time with the family she's longed for.

Vivica: I know ... a-and I am... It's just depressing to think about. I already don't get as much time with her as I'd like. 

Mirra: Which is certainly the issue with being overly attached to a single person, especially given that in our line of work-

Vivica: I know. *heavy sigh* I also suspect that's why I don't get as much time with her as I'd like.

Mirra: Indeed. She's been taking every border shift Bora-su will allow her to in order to encourage you to bond with others.

 

Vivica: *pained groan* It makes me feel even worse knowing I was right... She's even missing out on Kion's first day because of me.

Mirra: No. Bora-su encouraged her to take a long border post to give Kion a chance to bond with the other trainees, like yourself, first. Just consider for a moment, if instead of seeing Kion as a threat to your time with Kylola-su, you viewed him as an enhancement to it.

Vivica: Wouldn't it have made more sense to assign me as his mentor if that was the hidden agenda?

Mirra: Yi-su needs the experience of mentoring more, and Lina needed to be entrusted to someone responsible.

Vivica: *hurt* I'm responsible!

 

Mirra: *unamused stare*

 

Vivica: *embarrassed* With my work...

 

Mirra: Mentors usually need to be people who can be trusted on a deep personal level. Someone that they feel confident in sharing their deepest hopes, fears, and insecurities with. If you were ready for that, you wouldn't be here.

Vivica: True... Wait, what do you mean by usually?

 

Mirra: Some trainees need to be assigned a more testing mentor to determine their dedication. Anyway, don't feel too bad about it. There are plenty of rammu who never mentor a new trainee. Kylola-su, for example, went from trainee to rammu-jhu before anyone new joined.

 

Vivica: So, what do you know about Kion? Do you think we'd get along well?

Mirra: I know Kylola-su thinks the world of both of you, and she thinks you'll get along well. Personally, I don't know him all that well on a personal level. I've spent a good deal of time shadowing him in the wild. Eldric's certainly done a good job training him. Perhaps too much so; someone his age shouldn't be at his skill level. *devious smile* Don't let it slip, but I hear many seniors are planning to vote to keep him at the trainee tier longer than need be, to give him time to properly enjoy what remains of his youth.

 

Vivica: *twitch* Wha-what the veck!? You know I can't keep that kind of information secret!

 

Mirra: Consider this a taste of what life will be like for you if I become your primary mentor. *devious smirk*

 

Vivica: *hard gulp* Y-you're not actually going to be my primary mentor, are you?

 

Mirra: Perhaps. Bora-su would certainly like it if I put my name on the list, but for the moment, you're safe.

 

Vivica: *nervous smile*

```

 

Hearing the others in the distance, Vivica began taking the food Mirra had prepped to the table closest to the entrance, timing her pacing so that everything was set up just as the group entered.

 

```

Vivica: Perfect timing. *cheerful smile*

```