Happy 2035 [open to all]

Red and dazzling light reflected off the lake's mirror surface as the firework burst off into the air. Were fireworks even allowed here? Somehow Kayla thought not, which was exactly what compelled her to light off the pile she'd found stashed in the woods somewhere, long forgotten. There was some vague danger about lighting off old fireworks that she was aware of, but for the moment Kayla didn't really care. She snapped her fingers by the fuse, sparks flashing from her fingers like a lighter, and backed off from the mortar tube once it was lit. Another artillery shell fired into the air, exploding into a ball of white crackling light.

There was something pretty sad about lighting fireworks off by yourself. Seen one big fireball, seen 'em all I guess... It wouldn't be long until someone showed up to investigate though, and wouldn't that be a bit of a thrill? She'd taken care to choose her spot, so she didn't accidentally burn the whole forest down. While the treeline was still a little too close for her liking, the shore here was mostly clear, and that was as good as she was gonna get. Lighting them off anywhere else would just get her caught right away, and she wanted to get through most of the stash she'd found, at least.

She found herself wondering if anybody else was having more fun than her tonight. Her sister would be home, all alone with her dad... Maybe Pres was doing something more interesting? Probably just drinking and playing video games. What a loser. Kayla tossed a shell up and down in her hand as she sat herself down by the lakeside. If she lit this and tossed it through the Headmaster's office window, would they catch her? Maybe... That was the worst part of having a professor that could read your mind. You could never get away with anything, even if you're just thinking it. Too risky. They couldn't expel her, not with her gift out of control like it was, but she wasn't too keen on scrubbing floors for the rest of her high school life.

There was a sudden rustle in the underbrush behind her. She grinned. There you are.

Cat-quick, Kayla spun around, getting to one knee and throwing the shell with all her strength at the intruder. "Who's there?!"

The shimmering bursts of fireworks caught the youngest Aldenberg’s gaze. She hadn’t been a resident of the academy nearly long enough to know the rules and regulations, but she hadn’t thought much about fireworks. The platinum haired girl had never seen them on New Years, save for what she saw on the television. It was too much of a fire hazard for the large estates, and her family couldn’t risk millions set ablaze for something so absurd as setting off fireworks for no audience. Aurora Aldenberg was rather isolated, her ambience as cold as the Northern country she came from. She had come to Beata Academy from overseas, Sweden specifically, upon knowing she had a gift. There was always something off about the platinum haired teen, whether it was her cold crimson gaze, or her inability to show any emotion what-so-ever one moment, then threaten to slice your head off clean with a pair of scissors about as long as herself, as she stood at a towering 5’ 11”.

The one who seemed to be lighting the fireworks into the sky was another girl, with brown hair different than the messy ivory hair she had. She was by a lake, not something the white-haired girl was too fond of. She had a fear of the water, perhaps a side effect of almost drowning at a young age. Now that she thought about, the platinum haired girl had come close to death far more than she would have liked to. Aurora approached the lakeside, past a large cluster of brush. Aurora slowed down behind it, attempting to keep her navy coat and billowing white scarf away from the ragged branches. It seemed she failed in her endeavors, as the rustling caught the other girls attention. Quickly, Aurora ducked down, careful to not let her entire appearance be seen.

“Who’s there”, she heard, from the girl. The next thing Aurora felt, was something hard thrust against her head. It didn’t hurt the tall girl nearly as much as it irritated her. Aurora swatted it back, standing up, her crimson orbs narrowed in irritation. “You should watch where you throw things, peasant”, Aurora hissed, her fists clenched around something she concealed in her jacket, her long scissor blades.

Lightning rippled down Kayla's forearm and danced across her fingers. Who the hell was this? "Peasant?" she repeated back, not sure whether to laugh or scowl. Kayla scooped up another one of the artillery shells and pushed herself to her feet, passing the shell back and forth in her hands. She wasn't pleased to note how much taller this other girl was, over-topping her by nearly a foot. That was more than a little intimidating, not to mention the look in her eyes. Or the color of her eyes, for that matter. Still, not like that mattered much. If she could handle the wolf-girl, she could handle whoever this was if it came to that. "You shouldn't sneak up on people then, princess." Sparks cracked off around her head. She grinned. "Came to see the show?"

“It’s not hard to spot fireworks, anyone in this entire school could probably see them”, Aurora said, taking into account the colossal size of the Academy. A sigh escaped the girls pursed lips, her every breath visible in the cold airs. “Hm, I suppose so”, she muttered, her cold aura not dampened in the slightest. The platinum haired girl descended, moving closer to the brunette. Aurora’s gaze travelled to the fireworks. “Where did you get those, they are nice”, Aurora pondered, her tone flat and monotonous. Aurora's eyes travelled to the girl, who was about a foot shorter than her, with chestnut brown hair drawn up into a ponytail. "The name's Aurora, Aurora Aldenberg", the icy Swede said, with not even a handshake of her leather gloved hands. Aurora preferred introductions to be short and blunt, it wasn't as if people cared for your hometown or the name of your grandmother-thrice removed. She did receive a few questions as to her origins, but that was to be expected from her. After all, she was from a country seas away, not much known about her except she has a funny accent and is part of a rich family company. She was known as 'gifted' something Aurora couldn't exactly comprehend to the fullest. To this day, she didn't necessarily know she had a gift, until she was invited to Beata Academy. She had always had something off about her, almost shudder inducing, but she had set it off as people being unnerved by the sight of someone with bright red eyes who made the room drop about twenty degrees upon entrance.

Kayla didn't mind shaking hands. Something was a bit off about this girl, whether it was her monotone voice, the eyes, the gloves, or... well, just about anything else about her. Beata students had always struck her as a bit strange, but some took it farther than others. The accent left her a little intrigued, but Kayla didn't bother to ask. She'd had enough of a bad track record with accented Beata students to probe now. Kayla held out her hand and let the shell roll off her fingers and into the tube. "Just found 'em. Looked like someone was trying to hide them somewhere. I'm just surprised they work."

Her eyes drifted over the treeline, to the Academy in the distance. Yeah, anybody would be able to see these, wouldn't they? That'd been part of the point, but Kayla had expected teachers, not students. Oh well. She plopped down by the mortar tube and brought her fingers to the fuse again, sparks crackling off the tip of her nails. "I'm Kayla, by the way. Croft."