At this point, the conversation in the room fades away to silence as a figure steps out onto the stage before the crowd of students. A man, tall and thin, with immaculately kept black hair that falls down to his shoulders, grey eyes, and a suit the color of charcoal, accented with a bright-red tie and a set of silver rings on his right hand, each of which is attached to a fine, silver chain which extends up under his sleeve. He approaches the podium, placing his hands upon it, and begins to speak.
"Future students of Eventide."
He pauses for a moment as the crowd focuses upon him, then continues speaking, a strange sort of gravity behind his words.
"My name is Alexander Crowley. Some of you may know me. Others do not. Ultimately, that does not matter, just as the reasons that brought you here do not matter. No, none of that has any bearing on the hear and now, or on the future. Some of you are here for personal growth, some to seek out a future which you feel is predestined to you, others to escape one that seems equally inevitable. Yet more come out of a feeling of obligation, or because they simply have no other choice. In the end, all those reasons are merely footnotes. What matters is, you are here. What happens now is entirely up to your choices, your caliber, and your will to follow through until the end."
"I would like to welcome you all to our school, and to explain to you all what is expected of you as students. Many of you know that we are the leading university in both thaumic studies, supernatural biology, and all manner of studies that have been revolutionized or created by the series of Awakenings that have characterized the last half-century. Many of you also likely know that the reason for this is partly our special relationship with the Awakened Being Task Force, who provide us both the security necessary to keep a school like this functioning, as well as funding and resources necessary to further advance our understanding of the new world we find ourselves in today. In return for this, we provide access to that technology, as well as to our more promising students, who are at times tapped on a temporary basis to assist with low-level operations along with full-time Task Force operatives. I am sure many of you are already aware of this, but this process is not optional."
"On a quarterly basis, every student in the school is required to take part in selection exams for various levels of work within the Task Force. Depending on your aptitude, this can mean a wide range of things, ranging from simple administrative tasks to assisting with deterrence and recovery operations. Rarely are our first-year students chosen for combat operations,
generally limited to those whose nature requires a certain amount of violence or whose gifts are naturally inclined toward such pursuits, and we do our utmost to ensure that our students are as safe as we can make them, as are our friends at the ABTF."
"But, that is not something you will have to worry about for another three months or so. For now, you are free to explore the grounds, find your way through the facilities, or simply retire to your dorms. You are expected to finalize your schedule by the end of the week, and classes begin the week after next. Should you have any questions, any member of staff would be happy to answer them. And finally, to all of you sitting before me today, I hope to see you all excel within the years you spend here."
The man, Crowley, inclines his head and steps back away from the podium, disappearing once more, and the crowd begins to move, students scattering in every which direction, each with their own goals and destinations in mind. The guards would remain near the two vampire girls, keeping a close eye on them, but they seemed not to have any orders to prevent them from doing as they will, so long as it is not dangerous.
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Topic: Eventide University IC: The Fourth Awakening (Read 32435 times)