None of the campus shops sold or conducted repairs on skateboards. Seemed like the universities way of bringing income to the local store owners instead of holding a monopoly.

A web search linked him to the closest repair site, and he dropped off the board before returning to his dorm.

Though scuffed, his black dress pants and white and red shoes were intact. Vin tossed his burned shirt, then shifted through the clothes he'd previously purchased before selecting a khaki loose-fit sweater. Plain, except for the logo of a crossed fork and knife.

Dressed, he decided to return to the location of the ceremony. The affair had already concluded, but he heard a commotion there when he returned and decided to check it out.

From the topmost point on the map, it took nearly an hour to walk there. Could have been shorter, but Vin had never really been motivated without his skateboard.

When Vin finally arrived at the source of the fuss, he was soon engulfed. Ingested by the rowdy, party hardy and unrestrained joviality of college students. Blaring music could be identified before he even arrived, and thousands of voices riddled the air-waves.

The, whatever it was- was hosted directly outside the assembly building. There were few constructions nearby, so students raised booths, stands, and even a stage under the cheerful, cloudless blue sky.

Vin trekked slowly as more and more bodies leaked into view, and soon he was within the unruly flood of students.

The tunes allured him further into the zone; it was an upbeat rhythm with vocals by a newer rapper who surfaced in recent years named 'Fizzy Jake.'

Absent-minded, he let the enticing environment seduce him. Not really bobbing with the rhythm of the music, but the surrounding energy was contagious. That was it, right? College life? He wondered if he was finally experiencing a morsel scrap of normality in his lousy life.

Before long, his shoulder was gridlocked with many others, and he had to thrust forward to advance. Most students were bundled with those of the same faction, so fights were limited. Not that Vin cared about alignment, he went where the flow led his leash.

Though keen, he felt slightly overwhelmed by all the stimulations, mostly the loud noise and scent of cheap body sprays. His thumping heart must have felt like a massage for Miyo, who was hidden under his sweater.

As they mindlessly streamed through the social vines of the festivity, he accidentally ran into the back of an occupied female student. She conversed with another girl, who caught her when she bucked forward due to Vin's collision. They recovered fast, and both pivoted toward him, a boy who had become tongue-locked.

Two long-haired, foreign beauties. One petite, dark-skinned, and showboating their individuality with jewelry and transparent knee-high socks. The other- before Vin could get a good look at her, another student bulldozing around shoved her into Vin's torso. Sturdy, he didn't physically budge, but his mind was churned into butter when he whiffed her sweet citrus perfume.

The girl lifted her head to apologize, which spiraled Vin into the depths of anarchic lust even more. A thick South Korean accident accompanied her fair skin and dark eyes. Her delicate features and motions, however, did contradict her seriously bulked arms and the fact she carried a sheathed cleaver on her waist.

Vin was rightfully flabbergasted by the foreigners whose beauties would have men saying, 'she can cut me anytime.' He did that thing many men unconsciously do when in that scenario. They imagine themselves as being relaxed and smooth, and they're prince charming inside their heads.

...

The girl, far too close, pointed out Vin's sweater and softy declared they also loved the brand. In fact, the same logo of a crossed knife and fork hung from her and her friend's matching bracelets.

The opportunity for conversation was served hot and fresh on a dining plate. All he had to do was admit his obsession with food and how the sweater demonstrated that. But not this time; he peered at the girl, nodded, then fled.

Yep, his unmatured mentality was unprepared, untrained, unqualified, and un-'many other things. After hitting the dash, he caught his breath and swore to Miyo that it only happened because of his lack of experience. The bird climbed out and shrugged with a look that said, "yeah, sure, whatever you say."

After a breather, he continued his venture into life. He observed humans in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some people spoke distant languages, others wore various styles on top of their uniforms, some walked, some ran, and some rode in wheelchairs-

"Wheelchair?" Halted Vin. He wasn't sure if he saw that correctly, so he backtracked. And, sure enough, a student was rolling around in the crowd.

Inquisitive, Vin brushed past the sea of bodies to give chase to them. Eventually, he broke from the gathering and landed in a small green field of trees and shrubs. It was an oasis from the vast white concrete expanse.

While searching for his mark, he spotted a small group leftmost of the field. At the center was a laughing slender-legged girl with blue-highlighted straight-cut bangs. Only her bangs were cut short, and the sides and rear of her hair silked down to her torso. Her light, ivory skin was darkened underneath the tree's shade, and she had a steeled, upright posture that jutted out her chest.

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This center of attention was orbited by glowing blue butterflies while a thin luminous crown sat atop her head. She was picture-perfect at that moment, cheery and stunning.

On the other hand, at the opposite end of that field was the one Vin sought. A female student parked within a shadow while spitefully holding a glass jar that contained another blue butterfly. Ear-length raven black hair, half of which completely covered her right eye. She appeared, put nicely, uninspiring.

She clenched the glass while mindlessly and wistfully gazing at the dazzling student with the crown. Vin's footsteps may have been heavy because she didn't advert her sights from the regal female, yet she listlessly uttered aloud as he neared. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Vin arrived, kneeled down in front of her chair, then grabbed the front wheel while examining the configuration. "Sure," he lamely responded.

The girl rotated toward him only to find him squatted at her waist. She frantically pressed down the fabric of her skirt, undoubtedly under the assumption Vin was a senseless peeker.

Her brow furrowed in outrage, and she exclaimed, "Onyx's Blessing, War Greaves!"

A predominantly black and subtly purple flame exploded around her feet, then fiercely propelled up her legs. Behind that fire layered glossy, onyx-colored armor. It looked like medieval greaves, though slimmer than the bulky designs seen throughout history. The frame comprised several layers of dark metal, and the knee plate was molded after a human skull. Vin got a good look at them because she leaned back and lunged her left knee into his chin.

His head snapped up toward the sky when the metal piece smashed into his jaw. Then, the girl quickly hauled her left knee to her chest, as if in a fetal position, before launching her foot forward into Vin's torso.

The high-heel shape of the base punctured his skin, and the impact flung him backward nearly seven feet, where he landed on his belly.

"Disgusting!" She blurted, standing from the chair and curling her fist.

Vin coughed lightly and grunted while gripping his pained chest. He inclined his squinted face toward her, then muttered, "you can walk..."

"Die," she responded.

It didn't occur to him why she was enraged, but he did assume that whatever it was, he was likely at fault. Vin decided to give her personal space and just sat on the floor where he was kicked. He disregarded her livid gaze and just peered onward at her wheelchair.

Two electric wheels were mounted on the sides but they could also be moved manually. A single lever adjusted the seat's height and even reclined the backrest for sublime relaxation. Not to mention the insulated cup holder on the armrest.

About a minute of silence went by before Vin concluded his jealous gawk and mumbled. "Mine wasn't nearly as advanced..."

"What?" She sounded. "You were in a chair?" She asked, continuing to watch Vin, who disregarded her while eyeing the futuristic seat.

The girl stepped in front of the object to attain his attention, then repeated her question. Vin answered with a simple nod before he held up his phone, leaned around her, and snapped a picture of the chair.

"Let's show Soap next time we meet. Since he was promoted, he should buy newer model chairs for the patients." Miyo stuck their head outside the collar of his shirt to observe the expensive instrument, then shook in agreeance.

The female student seemed reluctant to ask, but she slowly inquired, "before... were you just looking at my wheelchair?"

Vin finally regarded her and met her dark eyes with his own. "What else would I be doing?"

Awestricken, she palmed her face while muttering under her breath, "why didn't you say so sooner."

"Hey," began Vin. "If you can use your legs, why use a wheelchair."

She openly stated that it was none of his concern. However, she did feel guilty about kicking him, so she divulged the information he sought.

Pink hues recolored her cheeks as he shyly circled. The student used one hand to lift the back of her shirt and lowered her skirt's waistband with the other. It dropped inches and eventually unveiled her underwear's string. But, more importantly, there were two ports installed on her body. One at her lower spine and another slightly above her hip.

More pressing, nanobots streamed from the armored boots into the ports that looked like aux cord holes.

"The nerves in my leg really are unresponsive," she explained. Her face was turned away, so it was hard to hear her soft voice, but Vin listened closely.

"I used to run track in high school until a vehicle hit me, and I lost my legs. My reputation must have been adequate because the university offered me their experimental technology if I enrolled here."

"I don't know much else about it. Only that my nanosphere uses nanobots to temporarily restore my nerves when active."

Vin lagged closer, face to buns, and caressed the skin around the metal port. The girl winced, bucked up onto her tiptoes, then emitted a pitched, feminine 'eeek.'

Some distance away, an angry voice boomed, "get away from her!"

It was far enough that Vin expected to rotate and observe the man dozens of yards away. However, following the sound of hasty, pattering footsteps on grass, a size 13 shoe kicked the side of his skull.

Vin tumbled directly onto the dropped jar, which was crushed alongside the glowing butterfly inside. There was a pained ringing where he was kicked, but he managed to hear the girl shout in ambush, "Oswin?!"

"It's not what it looks like!" she attempted to explain, but the male persisted. "Stay away from Elaine, you desperate fuck!"

"Yo!" Remarked another boy. "That's the day-one that raced Castiel and helped Crow kill those three Lions."

By this time, Vin was fully cognizant and wistfully observing the crushed butterfly. He mostly detached from the situation while the girl he touched, Elaine, tried to appease her newly arrived friends.

There were three boys and two girls, one of which rushed up and pulled Elaine's ear. "This girl. We send her ahead to find us a spot, and she gets involved with a psycho."

"Beatrice, Winn, stop; you're not helping!" Barked Elaine. As they squabbled, Vin picked up the unmoving blue insect and exhaled. He tightly closed his hands around the creature and brought them to his forehead as if praying. Dark flames seeped from the cracks of his fist, and when he released his grip, new life had been granted to the winged insect. As a trade, its sparkling blue form was renounced, and the butterfly flickered a warm and handsome blackish-purple flame.

The act of resurrection placated Miyo, who was just about sick of everyone kicking their owner. Vin gave them a pat, then promptly apologized to the group for whatever his accusations were.

Crow from the Dragons, Fray the Lion group, and then the new party that all sported a blue tie or ribbon. It was only his second day on the island, yet he'd managed to displease every faction in the university. "College looked more fun in the movies."