■Noel Rivers
A red, archaic journal with a cracked spine was amongst the many items Noel packed into his bloody red suitcase. This was one of a few suitcases.
One look at the five of the fattened, rolling storages and Noel's smile transformed into that of panic. "...okay. This isn't what I had in mind." Five suitcases was one too many for the poor boy who could barely lift his own mattress. Brains over brawns was his motto, but at times like these he wished he didn't worship the belief to a tee.
"Okay okay okay, how will we do this? Maybe I can split the contents of bag number three into the other four... no no, that won't work. How about we get rid of- no no, I have my toothbrush and notes in there. How about-"
His sister slammed open his bedroom door, forcing a high-pitched shriek out of the man. "Oh my GOD! You should have seen your FACE!" the 14-year old blurted out, snapping a quick polaroid-picture of his panoc stricken expression.
"Wait, no, give me that!" he yells, rushing over to the sly fox. She easily outmaneuvered him, slipping past his slow, clumsy self every time. "Give it to me!"
"Nnnnnnnope!" They continued for several moments more, yet the cheery atmosphere did not last. One glance at his bags sent her into an instant state of gloom. So much so that she did notbreact to her older brother successfully snatching the picture away from him.
"Ah hah! I got it!" he happily announced, waving the embarrassing snapshot. Unfortunately his words were met with her saddened look, teary eyes breaking his heart. "What's-"
"Do you have to leave?" she asked, taking his departure to heart. "You don't have to be a Pokémon trainer. See?" Quickly she lifted Noel's video game case. "I swear I'll play your stupid shoot 'em up co-ops."
He grew solemn, realizing that she wasn't taking it well. "Oh, Bell-"
"I swear it!" she interrupts, refusing to let him go, shoving the case on to her eldest brother. "I... who am I going to annoy?" Her voice began to waver, heart shattering. For so long she lived in denial of Noel's eventual journey, one he had been gushing the past few weeks. No longer could she ignore it; he's minutes from leaving.
He extends his arms, granting her the rare opportunity to hug him. She gladly took it, sobbing onto his shirt.
"Who ever said you'll stop annoying me?"There he was, nearly arriving at his intended destination. The laboratory was quite a ways from the docks, the ship's image no longer on the horizon. Fortunately his sister helped him rid of many belongings from five down to two suitcases. Still, it was quite hefty and perhaps a bit too much, but he was happy all the same. Regardless, it was a difficult walk, making frequent stops to regain his breath.
Once he finally arrived to his destination, he seen a small ginger dropped off, trepidations seemingly plaguing her timid mind.
He stopped in his tracks, surprised fate had him crossing paths with a female peer. "Noel, get a hold of yourself!" he began a monologue, "You're not a shy, lame kid anymore. You're... you're going to be a professor!" This was enough to muster the courage necessary to initiate contact with the woman.
With a clouded mind he then firmly places his hand on to the shoulder rather roughly, immediately horrifying him at how nervous he had become. But words soon flowed out, unable to be stopped.
"Hey! You're heading to the professor's lab too?"
■ Aysha Noble
The goodbyes were nothing special. In fact, her father was located overseas while her mother found a small hug and wallet full of cash enough. Fortunately her siblings thought differently and had traveled home to send her off with a warm smile.
We love you! Their affectionate words echoed in her mind as she trekked down the path towards the professor's lab. Unfortunately one mile into it forced her to discover how weak she truly was.
Thus one of her siblings aided her by lending her a car trip to her destination. "Got you a bike," her brother began, expensive watch shooting an intense glare smack-dab on Aysha's face. She attempted to play it off by readjusting herself, but fate caused his hand to slightly shift upwards, glare returning on to her face. "Should get you from point A to point B."
Awkward silence filled the vehicle. Aysha normally bites her tongue, words never flowing out. Her siblings rarely visit, nor do they contact her. Not that she could blame them, for their lifestyles prevent them from having the time to do so. It is because of this fact that she was shocked to see her 5 siblings gather together to see her off.
Upon being dropped off she boards a plane to the region.
And so she arrives. The trip was a quick one, having received transportation from one of her siblings.
Once she arrived at the laboratory she catches glimpse of a neon-haired woman entering. Can I do it? she thought to herself, anxious of the eventual greetings she will have to go through.I don't know... a-ah... I want to go home-
She felt a hand clasp her right shoulder. "Hey! You're heading to the professor's lab too?" The male voice startled her, nervous expression further pushed into that of horror.
The man refused to break his smile, yet eyes displayed confusion.
Aysha's mouth remained open, but no words came out. Instead she whimpered, far too bashful to continue what he had initiated.
"S-sorry," she forced out before rushing inside the laboratory. Opening the doors sent a blast of cold air her way, fiery orange hair blown away in a dramatic fashion.
Inside she chose the spot furthest from any human being, heart pounding furiously.
He... he touched my shoulder, she began to recall the recent events, face hidden behind her backpack. He talked to me! And I couldn't talk back!
Aysha continued to let her mind wander, having forgotten why she had arrived here in the first place.
■ Beatrix Holidays
While some fluttered their eyes open, alarms blaring not too long before their appointment with Professor Hickory, Beatrix had long been awake inside her hotel room; 5 AM sharp, every morning. She had indulged in a breakfast for kings, savoring every bite whilst others still remained in the comfort of their sheets. Come the time to see the professor, Beatrix was ready and wide awake bursting with energy.
With music seeping from her white, reflective headphones she took off in a sprint. Professor Hickory's lab was an hour away, the perfect time to see if she could pull off such a lengthy jog.
"I can do this," she murmured, letting out a long exhale. "Yes. You can do this. This is nothing."
Indeed it was nothing for the young athlete, who took the burn in her legs and sore body like a champ. The one hour jog had been turned into a half-an-hour trek by her eventual quickened pace. During her journey she ran fight past several trainers, yet was not in the mood to stop and chat.
"...quatro... cinco... seis... si-... sie..
Sioto? ...si-... shit." Her spanish numerals were repeated during this time, determined to learn a new language to further expand her knowledge; to open doors, she believes.It was no surprise that she was not the first to arrive. Afterall, she did not leave for Professor Hickory soon after she woke up, but hours after. However, as soon as she entered she realized she was amongst the first. Fourth, to be precise.
She randomly picked a chair to sit on, taking out a bottle of water out of her string bag to chug down.