William assumes her words, which means what really? These are only encouragement words for him, and a general outline of not being forced by an organization to go with them. William only learned recently what true occasion is the Examination.
The truth is, the Awakening is what he couldn't change at all, while the Examination revolves around the choices afterward.
Organization and military recruitment is the general gist of it. William thought this through, but any idea of his is increased tenfold upon the few conversations he held with Mi-Yung in the past week.
It happened when he got his citizenship. A piece of paper, with his signature, photo, information about himself, and so on.Nothing strange, but nothing what he ever had.
It means a place to belong to, and no one would force him out of the Federation without proper reasoning.
This is an old way of humanity, while the Federation isn't any different. It makes the order, and things much easier and manageable, so any occasion of getting citizenship is worth the celebration. At least for any refugee, that is.
As for the way the Examination should go, Mi-Yung explained to him many times, but William always shrugged it off. Something along the line of enough time, but a few scolds from Mi-Yung caused him to listen to her.
He will go without any difference put on himself, and he goes along with the number that he will be given.
A place in this building could only awaken the Emblem every so often, and only for a single person. Similar to getting food from the food banks in the Roshwell camp, William has to be patient.
Afterward, whatever results there even are will determine his future.
There are a few examples told by Mi-Yung's expertise.
One is straight recruitment by any present force. There is usually not much choice given to the young Walkers, since the organizations will always make a singular decision.
The second is asking for recruitment for a specific organization.
The third is an application form directed by the Federation. This one is similar to the second but differs in an unwillingness or subjective need, of the young Walker. That includes the "wants" of the young Walker. For example, if one truly wishes to enroll in the Yondu division, but hasn't gotten an invitation, or straight recruitment from any organization.
It is a more polite way and more official way of asking other forces. The Academy is one example that has this request form, but it is a bit different regarding it.
Fourth is a forceful agreement before the examination even starts. This case is when the young Walker is already a part of some force or agreed for recruitment before this day even started. It's the most questions out of them since it's hard to say the potential of the Walkers before anything.
Fifth is the least popular and not very appealing in the Federation. It still happens, but rarely. Some organization will force their hand if the young Walker is unwilling to cooperate with any other choice. Be it the lack of decision-making, or lack of talent.
William doesn't know what of these choices he will make, as he has no idea what he should go with. The application feels the best, as he wants to try to join the Academy. Not because he wants to go away from Ellie.. but... well. It is a complicated answer.
“There it is. This room.” Mi-Yung points to a wide hallway with many doors, and even many people scattered around. There are some chairs and even tables. There are some groups of others, but the general view is each person is nervous and rather waits it out by their own accompaniment.
“Follow me to the register room.” Mi-Yung orders and William follows while glancing at many people around. Most young and nervous, it is obvious to him that they are youngsters like himself. All of them came here with hope and expectations that could shatter to oblivion later today, or rise to the moon.
Mi-Yung walks forth, and all of a sudden, a hand grasps Williams's shoulder.
“Look who we got here? Little shit is here! Yeaheheheh.” A distinct and loud voice shouts to his ears, while William looks at the Stark Takker, that he remembers from one occasion. A noisy brat of someone important, but he couldn't give a crap about that.
Unfortunately for this brat, his hand is snapped away as Mi-Yung grasps his dump cheek in return. Stark is forced to shut up and weep in pain and suffering in a singular moment of carelessness.
“Oyayayyaaa... That hurtsssss.” Stark cries out in pain, with tries to shove the hand away from the grip on his cheek.
“Naughty boy... What was that?” Mi-Yung asks in death's voice.
“L-let go you madwoman.” he keeps complaining and even tries to kick her away as he is raising above the ground.
Mi-Yung doesn't give a crap about this person while teaching a lesson isn't that bad.
“Miss Mi-Yung, I would appreciate it if you let him go.” A sudden voice talks behind her back. It reveals a man of stern expression, yet of a very sturdy build. The black suit gives much charm to his overall appearance.
“Good day, Connolly.”
“Good day to you as well. So?”
Glancing behind her back to him, and a quick glance to William, she asks. “Have you met this person before?”
A question points to William, who looks at a play in front of him without a word.
“Never met him in my life,” he answers with a wronged expression.
“Is what you wished to say. Whatever, I don't want to see any troubles.” Mi-Yung let go of Stark's cheek and pat him a few times to a still red cheek of embarrassment, and part of her tight grip.
It leaves a red face of Stark in embarrassment, which in turn changes to anger. A vein pops on his forehead, while he voices his anger as usual.
“Y-you... Who do you think you are pinching a cheek off?” Stark's gaze pierces the air, and Mi-Yung simply shrugs it off with a smiling expression.
“A brat. Clearly some brat. Right, Connolly?” She answers with a smirk to a man behind her back. He was hesitant to force anything, as his hands are remaining in his pockets. He does the simple solution to get out of trouble, while this place isn't a very private space at all.
“My apologies. I didn't think of this... mess,” he mutters, while the gaze of his young master is still on top of Mi-Yung, and not him.
“I don't like being ignored, you woman.”
“Still same as ever?” Mi-Yung, without a glance at Stark, asks Connolly.
“Same as always.” is his answer, before sighing and stepping forward his young master.
“Sir, Stark. Let this go. For the sake of yourself.” Conolly states, from the aftermath of thoughts, and decision to follow up on this small mess. Just before voicing any more sentences, he grabs Stark's shoulder and drags him away. Even when hearing his complaints for the next 10 minutes, this is the best solution for this.
“Well. How about some explanation? How in the bloody hell have you befriended a son of Prime Hunter?” Mi-Yung turns around and points a finger at the distant pair. Scolding, Stark looks at Connolly in frustration.
“I wouldn't call it like this at all. He is a madman, to be exact.” William argues without a speck of shame.
“You sure?”
“I am sure. Sure.”
“Whatever. He is the same as his father, so befriending him in any way is not a big deal at all. Let's return to the register before another dumb person will want to assault you.” Mi-Yung argues, and this time drags William into a distant door in a similar fashion as Conolly did to Stark.
Slamming it behind her back, the exteriors reveal bystanders waiting to be registered for the examination. The majority of outsiders out of this room are already registered, so that leaves many to follow.
Shaking himself free, William looks around, and there is no one familiar with him. At last, he doesn't have to worry about anyone coming for him. That's the benefit of being shut in the library for the past 6 weeks. He doesn't know anyone and doesn't care to change it for the time being.
He still has feelings that Ellie could be somewhere, but she didn't tell him any details about the last week. There is even an issue with Kaufman and the person who wanted to recruit him for whatever the case was.
He refused, so that was about the issue of that time. William could only hope that there won't be trouble with anyone involved with him so far.
Now, he has a firm person in front of himself. A person he can trust after getting to know her for the past 6 weeks. It leaves him with much confidence that he can trust her with whatever decision or issue.
Mi-Yung is here for him, while she won't stay forever... That is a fact that is undeniable, but changing it now is useless. They are waiting in the line of people for their turn. At the end of this row of stalls is a window with a lady that takes care of the whole process of the registration.
Soon enough, it is William's turn. Only around 15 minutes is all it took for a few dozen people to end their registration.
“Greetings.” Lady behind a counter and a table greets them with a polite smile,
“Greetings. Here are the papers, here is the proxy registry for myself, regarding this boy.” Mi-Yung tells and without further ado, gives her no room to talk.
Shoving the papers to the small table between themselves, there is no room for argument since the lade would ask for this anyway. Grabbing the pages, she looks at them for a couple of seconds and looks at Mi-Yung.
“May I get to see your citizenship?” the lady asks since it's a regular procedure.
“Sure.” Mi-Yung pulls a small fist-sized badge from a pocket. Depicting certain things about the citizens of the Federation, this is her life for the past decade and more. She has a small badge, which is her whole paper documentation that can be flipped through in a few moments. It's her personal take on this. Small pages inside include her photo, Walker's information, and parts of her past with the present.
“M-miss sure is right with being a proxy?” the lady asks in a doubtful tone and looks at the awaiting Mi-Yung. She sees very well that she is someone important. A member of the Assembly Island to be exact, but she wouldn't dare to voice this directly.
“I am. Anything wrong with William's papers?”
“Nothing. His citizenship is new, and forming the Examination for him is done through your papers. He is free to do what he wants and acts as he wants.” Lady folds the papers back and places them in front of Mi-Yung.
There are also small pieces of thick wooden card, that indicate the approval. She draws something on it, with some words and a number on top.
“Thank you. Have a good day.” Mi-Yung takes the paper, badge, and wood. Without a chance to go through anything, William follows her outside, while the lady greets another person who wishes to be registered.
“That was kind of easy and simple.” He argues besides Mi-Yung.
“Is that a compliment on my part or complain about how easy it was?” Mi-Yung turns her head and asks the curious boy.
“Both?”
“I won't answer either if that is the case. You are ready, so take your token and wait in the next room like everyone else.” Mi-Yung tosses him the wooden piece, that is the token. It has the number 94 drawn on it, with some words as well, but he couldn't read them.
“This feels kind of cheap.”
“That is because it is.”
“I...see.” William looks at the little piece of wood in an appraisal that would lead him nowhere.
So, he decided to follow Mi-Yung's lead and walk towards the next room after being fone with registering.
To Wiliam's no surprise, there is a big hallway like before, where are a lot of people...
“Wait. This is the room from before.” William guesses, but this time looks around the hallway as a whole.
Resting on the floor, table, sofas, and benches are many youths like him. So, he is supposed to do the same as them. After a few words of explaining on Mi-Yung part, he learns more information about what he has to do. Number 94 is his numeral time for his Awakening which is obviously the first thing he has to undergo.
As she explains this in a few sentences, Mi-Yung finds some excuse and leaves William's side for the time being. Her part here is over, but there is something else she has to undergo. Of course, she doesn't forget to remind Wiliam to not cause any trouble to anyone.
“Who does she take me for? I am no troublemaker... nor her... child.” William scowls in his mind, as he awaits on some empty sofa for whatever is waiting for him.
On one side of the wall, there is a big, and wide kind of screen. It displays the numbers according to the orders. It shows the number 24, so he has a long time to wait. At least 2 to 3 hours, but that is his guess.
Much to his expectation of something extraordinary, William is left alone. At least he is on the sofa for the time being. It's better than a concrete floor.
Not even surrounding people make it any stranger or wrong. He observes the people as he did with the room. Most of them are young Walkers like himself, but some aren't alone. Some friends, family, or mentors accompany them. In a similar or different from Mi-Yung, they could accompany the youths. This singular, most important day of their lives is almost as important to them as for the youngsters.
No one would expect or say otherwise. That's how much of a big deal this day is to most people in this room. It is almost like expecting good news, which is harsh beyond any common sense. At 15 years old or something, kids are beginning an adventure where most of them would die before reaching 20 years of age. Calling it a tragic, or dark side, of being a Walker is a statement that could be very right in this context.
William is aware of those statistics, and he even wonders how many of these kids know stuff what he does. A lot of them are from Outside for sure, but he also recognizes some of their faces from occasional visits to the library.
Like himself, they were there to learn and get to know the world in detail. Be it on the lower floor, or the significant information on the 6th floor. These are the most important places for young Walkers like them.
With this being underway, the other rooms and hallways in this building complex are packed with countless people.
Some are here to do their job, which is a majority, but some are here for different reasons than workers of the Institution.
However, they are not in this building or even the surrounding ones. No. They are somewhere in a different place.