Reyna’s whole body ached. Her sides screamed, her arms burned, and she had a splitting headache. She lost the fight, knocked out after getting whacked a few times in the head by Niu’s staff. She had gotta’ one good hit on her, but most of the fight was just her blocking staff strikes and taking blows to the head with feints. Reyna frowned as the fight played back in her head, the jeering of Niu and her group still sending waves of anger through Reyna’s small body. The loss was expected, but Reyna didn’t think it’d be this painful. She groaned, tears welling up in her eyes. “Uuuuugh…” Staffs… really hurt…
“Wooow, not even five minutes after I leave and you’re in the infirmary,”
Reyna turned her head, a painful effort, seeing Elenore sitting in a chair next to her infirmary bed. She gave a wry smile and waved, her face a mix of relief and disappointment, almost like a parent.
“You really like causing trouble, huh kiddo?”
Reyna frowned, turning away. “They started it,” She said, pouting.
“Yeah, Niu said she took your hairpin and you just went nuts.”
Reyna sat up, now glaring. “I didn’t- ow, ow…” She laid back down, huffing. “I didn’t ‘go nuts,’ I was just trying to stop her from bullying me,”
“Uh-huh,”
“She’s just some delinquent trying to get a rise out of others. People like that will just keep picking and picking until they get a reaction. I just… I just…” She wiped away the tears. “I hate people like that.”
“Uh-huh,”
“And it’s only natural to stand up for myself when faced with adversity like that! If you just let them do whatever they just walk all over you!”
“Uh-huh,”
“I tried to just ignore them since they were only acting tough and saying rude things, but…” She ran a hand through her hair, feeling her hairpin still in place. At least they didn’t take it.
“Uh-huh,”
“… … Instructor, are you even listen?”
“I am, I am…” Elenore said, walking to the other side of the bed to face Reyna. “You’re another firebrand that gets riled up real easily like all the others.”
“Uuuuugh…” Reyna turned away again. Great. Just great. This was the kind of dorm she was in now. Seen as just another delinquent, no matter her good intentions or circumstance. Was Elenore always going to be this dismissive of events, or was this just the treatment she was getting since it was her first day? I can’t make head or tails of her… She sighed, earning a few giggles from Elenore.
“Oh relax kiddo, I’m not trying to downplay things.” She said. “I actually saw a lot of that fight.”
Reyna’s eyes narrowed at the wall. “Then why didn’t you-”
“I told you, didn’t I? If I stopped every little fight that troublemakers started I’d be stopping them all day.” Elenore said. “If it makes you feel better, I did carry you the infirmary after it all went down, and I scolded the girls a bit too.”
Reyna turned back to Elenore, eyes still narrowed and suspicious. “Did you?”
“Yep, told them if they wanted to fight you they should do it in the training yard.”
“Uuugh…” Reyna pulled the covers over her, groaning. I hate this dorm…
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“Anyway, you got some visitors, so I’ll see myself out. Just wanted to check on my newest little troublemaker.”
With that, Elenore left the room. Reyna heard the door close, a few muffled voices outside of it, and a few moments after two familiar faces burst in.
“Rain, are you okay?!” It was Hotaru that spoke first, rushing over to Reyna’s side. “Are you bleeding? Did you break anything?”
Reyna forced a smile, rubbing Hotaru’s head. “I’m fine Hotaru, relax,”
“Well at least you’re in good spirits,” Shura said, popping up behind Hotaru, “And here I thought you’d be crying your eyes out like usual,”
“Shut up,” Reyna said, pouting.
“So, how’s the scary dorm working for you?”
Reyna sat up, slowly this time to avoid any sudden pain. “Fine enough, aside from the delinquents.”
“Are you going to be okay there?” Hotaru asked.
“I’m… not sure.” Reyna admitted. “It’s just the first day and things are already like this.” She let out a sigh. “I’ll figure something out,”
“Heh, maybe you’ll team up with your rival and clean up the delinquent dorm together,” Shura teased.
“Ugh, no.” Reyna winced at the thought. “God no, that’s the last thing I want to deal with.”
“Hehe~ That just means you like it!”
“It means I’m going to have it in my nightmare, you stupid half-elf…”
“Yeah yeah…”
All in all, it was nice to see familiar faces after dealing with delinquents, a quirky instructor, and Kyo.
“Oh, we can still meet during the weekends, so there’s that.” Reyna said. “I’m locked off from everywhere else until then. Save for the lunchroom.”
“Laaaame,” Shura said, pouting.
“That’s… unfortunate.” Hotaru added.
“It is… but it’s not so bad. We’ll get use to it.”
“Heh, just don’t turn into a delinquent while your there and maybe we’ll still hang out with you.” Shura said.
“Right…” Reyna looked to Hotaru, then Shura.
“And don’t, I’ll keep our little kitty cat safe~” Shura said, wrapping her arms around Hotaru.
Reyna smiled. “Good, then I can rest knowing she won’t be picked on by the other members of the dorm.”
“Hehe, leave it to me!”
“Uh… thanks guys…”
The three talked for a while after that. Mostly about the situation and how hard it’d be to get together now, along with things about school and classes. They talked until the nurse gave Reyna the okay to head back along with some ointment for her bruises and medicine for her head. With that all finished Reyna was back at the dorm by night. And to her surprise, Kyo not only in their room first, but was covered in just as many bandages as she was, more than when she first came in today. The two stared at each other, glared, and moved to their desks. Reyna still wanted to get some studying down before going to bed.
“So, what got you?” Kyo asked.
“Delinquents,” Reyna said bluntly.
“Specifically…?”
“That girl with the staff, Niu.”
“Oh…”
The two wrote and read in silence after that. It was about ten minutes until Reyna spoke up.
“You?”
“Huh?”
“What happened to you?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t,”
Again, the room was silent, only the sound of turning pages and pencils writing. Then, a minute later Kyo replied.
“Dark Elves,”
“What?”
“Dark Elves. Y’know, gray skin, long and pointy ears?”
“Like yo- ow!” She elbow came in fast, and there was no room to dodge with their chairs so close.
“I’m a demon, Blondie. Do you need to see my horns to prove it or what?”
“Jeez…” Reyna rubbed her arm. That’s right, Kyo always got really mad when people confused her for a Dark Elf. She had gray skin and pointed ears, but Dark Elves had much longer ears that went a little past their heads. Kyo’s were normal save for the pointed tips at the end. Apparently, it was very offensive to confuse gray-skin demons with Dark Elves, but…
“Wait, you have horns?”
Kyo immediately scowled, closing her book. “Why do you think I have my hair like this?” Kyo pointed to her hair, specifically the spiked cowlick in the front. “It’s so you guys don’t stare at them all the time.”
“Oh,” Reyna looked over Kyo’s hair, canting her head. I guess that makes sense. Was Kyo self-conscious about her horns? That was new. “I just thought you were a rowdy tomboy with no fashion sense.” This time Reyna saw the palm strike coming and pushed it aside with ease. “You know, the same reason you call me Blondie despite dying your hair that awful yellow hue.” She deflected another palm strike, this one nearly getting eye. “It looks really unnatural by the way. Like you’re trying to tell everyone you dye it. What’s your natural hair color anyway.”
“It’s black, the same color your eye is gonna’ be if you don’t shut it.” Kyo clicked her tongue and went back to her book. Reyna did the same, though not without holding back giggles. For all the knocks, blows, and bullying she had to deal with today, getting a rise out of Kyo, while a little cruel, was definitely worth it.
Once they finished they went to bed without saying another word. Tomorrow Reyna was going to figure out how to handle being I this dorm for real. She need to see more of what this place was about.