Welcome to Gaia! ::

Zigari had been at the academy for about three weeks now and was still adjusting to having a roommate. As it was, the neko — Callie, they reminded themselves — was friendly enough and, in the end, meant well. Zigi, however, was still cautious. There were some things a naga — or anyone — just didn’t get over in a span of a few weeks. They knew it would take some time but so far, everything was going fine. Classes were easy enough and Zigi found that they liked homework (as weird as that sounded) because it kept their mind busy. A busy mind couldn’t wander or think about things it didn’t need to think about.

Zigari glanced around the cafeteria, a small, almost indistinguishable, smile curling up the corners of their lips. In the grand scheme of things, the free access to the cafeteria had to be one of the best things about the academy — as far as Zigari was concerned. Food, and being able to eat when they needed and wanted to, was great. Too many times the naga had been punished using food. Now, as long as they remained at the academy and did nothing to get into trouble, Zigi would not have to worry about food and how and when they would eat.

They moved forward, glancing around at all the different nightmares and daydreams that sat around, eating. So many different races grouped into one big school. It amazed Zigi to no end that they could all be there and not fight. Distracted as they were, Zigari didn’t notice the elf that had quickly gotten into line before them and ran straight into them.

The past few weeks had been pretty nice to the neko as she began to adjust better to having a roommate. They weren't particularly close or anything like that, but all the same Callie hadn't experienced much of the overwhelming insecurities and nervousness around Zigi as she felt around others in the school. There were a few times where she had ended up trying to curl up next to the naga, and even though it wasn't wanted, they at least didn't push her out of bed like before.

This particular day, she had stayed after a class to help a teacher clean up some messes that the students had left. It was something she actually did on a pretty normal basis because she didn't like the disrespect that the students showed their teachers sometimes by doing that. As such, the neko was running a bit later for lunch. When all was finished in the room she smiled and simply bowed her head as her teacher thanked her for her help, then made her way to the cafeteria.

It was crowded still, to say the least, and it certainly put her nerves on edge each time, but the kitten had to eat! Taking to the back of the lunch line, she noticed Zigi ahead of her, and an older kid talking to them! That was surprising. Maybe the naga was beginning to be a little more social. The thought put a smile on her face and eased her anxiety some while she waited in line.

The elf was not swayed at all by the fact that her target was a poor little freshling, and the fact that they seemed to try to hide away from her while giving a poor a** excuse like that just seemed to fuel the flame all the more. "Look you little worm. I don't know what kind of place you think this is, or what dumb a** idiots have been showing you how to be here, but seriously watch the ******** out on where you're going! I swear to gods... you are just another punny little nothing in this worthless world of the below." She was feeling nasty, and the more she spoke, the crueler her words became. "I don't know what rock they found you under, little bottom feeder, but maybe you should just go crawl back under it and save us all some trouble by maybe dying under it while you're at it!"

There was no pulling punches here. Nothing was off the board for Tricia when she was irritated, let alone fuming. Sure, she'd probably end up in detention again, but she seriously had it up to here with these stupid below-hers. She could feel an assortment of eyes all burning into her, but she couldn't have given two shits about it. She was just sick of all of this!

Zigari’s eyes had already snapped shut against the onslaught of words coming out of the elf’s mouth. They half expected to feel a blow connect with them any moment now. This had been what they feared most. They had hoped it wouldn’t happen at the academy. It seemed, though, that no matter where Zigi went, they were inevitably going to run into people that liked nothing more than to abuse others. When they heard the sound of a different, familiar, voice, Zigi blinked their eyes open and looked up. “C-callie…?” Zigi squinted, listening as the neko stood up to the bigger elf. “D-don’t do that Callie...you don’t have to…” Zigi hesitated a moment before they reached out and tugged at the back of the neko’s shirt. She was crazy. She was going to get herself hurt and it would be their fault. They weren’t worth someone else getting hurt — not at all.

Callie trembled even more as the junior's attentions turned to her. This was probably the most terrifying thing she's experienced, save one other time. Her eyes began to well up as tears threatened to start. "My... m-m-my grandpurrents d-d-did tell me that. And... and that it is the j-j-job of those who were older to... to... to look out for children."

The sound of Zigari's voice caught her attention and her ears swiveled some to catch what they were saying better. The neko did, however, jump slightly as she felt the tug at the back of her shirt. Needless to say, a started sneeze popped right out. With a sniffle, as the still shaking kitten stood between the elf and naga, she turned to look back at her roommate and did her best to give them a smile. "I-it's okay... It's wh-what friends are f-f-for..."

Though they weren't particularly close to each other, but Zigari was the closest thing she's had to a friend since coming here. She was trying to keep the smile on her face for them, but the truth of the matter is she was terrified and horrified that someone could be so cruel. Callie felt as if her little furry legs were going to give out from under her at any moment, but the neko did her best to stand her ground -- even though it might as well have felt like it collapse beneath her as well.

Tricia stood there, towering over the shrimps in great amusement. "Wow. I've heard some corny a** s**t since I've been here, but that just took the cake." The trembling kitten before her hardly swayed her. If anything, it just made her want to continue her, self-admittedly pathetic, war against them. She had opened her mouth for more verbal spewage against the two when the naga actually stepped up -- so to speak -- beside their new-found friend. "Oh gag. The power of friendship. You two little nothings made me want to puke. Like, actually just vomit. You think that's friendship. Puh-lease. It's nothing. You're both no--" and the words stopped instantly as she felt a rather large hand on her shoulder. s**t.

The trembling that Zigari felt from Callie made them blink and glance their way. The neko was scared and yet she was still standing up to a bully — for them. Why? They didn’t have to do that. But then, Zigari reminded themselves that Callie had called them a friend. Perhaps friends really did do those things for each other. It made their walls crumble just a little more — at least as far as the neko was concerned. If she could risk confront a bully, Zigi supposed they could be a little warmer to the neko. They opened their mouth, to add another comment to the back and forth, but snapped it shut when a larger, older (a teacher?) nightmare stepped forward and laid a hand down on the elf’s shoulder.

Zigari gulped, felt the grip on their hand tighten and then Callie moved closer to them. Zigi didn’t move, instead, they leaned in, slightly, tail wrapping around behind Callie’s leg, protectively.

It was the greatest relief as Callie wasn't pushed away or denied the comfort of Zigari's closeness as she inched against them, her hand squeezing theirs more in hopes of feeling one returned. It was something her maow maow would do when she was frightened to let her know she wasn't alone. Even if that didn't happen, she could feel Zigari's tail wrapped around behind her. That in itself was a great comfort to her.

Standing there beside her friend, she all she could do was watch as the junior interacted with the adult. She couldn't manage a word or anything, but as the elf was escorted to Ava's office, Callie held her breath. The neko was still. Unmoving. Terrified that if she did or said anything, that the mean girl would come back and start it all over again.

It wasn't until the junior was out of the cafeteria, and honest and truly away from the two, that she let the breath out that she had been holding. Legs feeling about the constancy of wet noodles, wibbled once more beneath her trembling body until she collapsed on the floor. Her hands still clung to the naga's as her shoulders rose and fell quickly, tears starting down her cheeks. She couldn't tell whether or not it was because she was glad they were free of the bully, or she was so shaken up, that she was crying. No matter how hard she tried, though, she just couldn't seem to stop. Leaning against her friend that she clung to for dear life, she buried her face against into them and just sobbed.