the gauntlet discussion

Callum had planned for a nice day outside to train with others, but instead he found himself in the study rooms. Of course this wasn't a choice he had made on his own. If anything his muddied boots and drenched shirt could hint towards the reasons as towards why he'd ended up inside. Sure it would've been good to get some training in during less than ideal conditions, but his brother had convinced him to study for an upcoming exam- which was good advice since he didn't even know there would be any at the academy. He just figured it was all about physique and keeping oneself prepared for the Gauntlet. Yeah he had seen the library, but he thought all of those books were for show and hadn't been cracked open in years- it had been like that at his mentor's house. The man was full of knowledge - no doubt about it- but the film of dust that covered his shelves indicated no reading had been done in a while.

Wanting a quieter area than the library Callum did his best to get all of the mud off of his boots outside before giving up entirely and removing them from his feet- figuring there was no use since he would eventually be traveling back outdoors. Eventually he creaked open the door to the study rooms, peering inside. He practically did a fist pump when he saw that it was empty- which meant less distractions. When studying or doing anything productive he grew fidgety and needed to let it off by talking to someone, but now he could avoid that altogether. Hell, now, he could bounce up and down off the walls if he wanted to. Leaving his boots at the entrance he spread himself out between a number of desks, splaying out the books he'd borrowed from the library as he eased himself into a seat and splayed his feet out on another desk. Immediately after doing so he began to feel a bit antsy, noticing just how wet his clothes were and how quiet the study rooms truly were.

The constant trouble that seemed to lurk at every corner of the Academy was beginning to get to Mia. She felt like she couldn't rest. She had tried spending time at the pavilion but as soon as she heard two people arguing she ran out of there. It was probably for the best however, seeing that the looming dark clouds were starting to creep up on the large building. Rain would soon fall and the library was the best place to just relax and curl up in a small corner while reading a good book. The library was quiet at first but then a girl and a guy entered, their voices louder than she preferred and she decided to leave. The entire place was filled with the other contenders for the gauntlet that she couldn't find the time or place to just be in peace.

She stepped out of the library, closing the door ever so quietly so that no one would notice that she left. Mia looked at the board on the wall, it had an arrow pointing up the stairs, directing people to the study rooms. She smiled and walked quickly up the stairs, barely paying any attention to the puddles on the floor that trailed up, possibly having been left by another person. Her foot steps left a slight echo as she traced the railing with her hand, rounding the corner. The study rooms were right in front of her and she sighed in relief, surely no one would be up here. From what she had seen, people were too busy practicing, fighting, flirting and arguing to really want to buckle down and study for upcoming tests.

Mia turned the latch on the door and pushed it open, only to have her smile disappear from her face. There was someone already in the room, and although her smile had left her, she didn't make it apparent that she was disappointed. She blinked a couple of times, realizing that there was some bit of hope to this scene yet. The guy in front of her actually had books out in front of him, maybe he was a kindred soul that wished to study rather than go out and fight. She decided to take her chances, "What are you reading there," she said, her voice coming out loud enough so that he could notice her. Then she noticed another detail, his clothes stuck to his body ever so slightly, and the darkened colors of the fabric signified that he was drenched. She could hear the tapping sounds of the rain on the windows, he had been caught out in the storm. She wished she could offer him a towel or something similar to use to dry off but that wouldn't be possible, she hadn't brought anything with her.