How To Survive A Calamity

Remember when at some point i said how the most annoying and hardest thing about group assignments were its members, yeah?

Maybe I didn't speak clearly enough.

I wasn't worried about who i would end up with, i was more concerned about those who would end up with me.

I was the most annoying and hardest thing in a group.

I wasn't much of a team player, it turns out. Maybe it was a habit, but for some reason, being among as a member of a group of unfamiliar people almost made me want to scwol.

I could be the most lackadaisical group member one would be unlucky enough to be paired up with.

I glanced to my sides.

And as i looked around the table, i realised i might be surrounded by people who were just as annoying as i was.

"Enough. This is the time for infighting, i haven't called you all here from your various activities just for that." Deandra glared and icyly spat, seizing control of the escalating tension with only a few words.

I withheld a small sigh and backed down as i looked away from the short haired girl. I already said i was going to try to earnestly avoid unnecessary trouble with my group for the exercise.

But it was a different case if they picked a fight with me up front.

At the same time, i heard an irritated sigh from my other side.

"Hah! Why do we have such peasants of lower class sitting amongst us in the first place. What the hell is the academy thinking?"

I immediately snapped back with a response.

"Are you questioning and doubting the Academy's judgement and authority. A mere cadet dares to?" I leaned my head casually against my arm placed on the table and glanced towards the direction of the voice.

It was a young male cadet with parted black hair and striking silver eyes, and an obviously annoying looking face. He sat arrogantly with both his legs and arms crossed over each other and raised his chin as if he was looking down at everyone present around the table.

His annoyingly pretty face scowled at me.

"What did you just say? I never did such a thing."

I nodded in response and pulled out my communicator and waved it in front of him with a carefree smile.

"Yeah, sure. Just repeat what you said earlier a bit more clearly so i can get it on tape again."

The male cadet's face flushed red and his lips trembled in anger, but he quickly shut up.

At the same time, Deandra's glare seriously began to tear into me. She furrowed her brows and her passionate red eyes ignited with red sparks.

"I said..."

Before she could continue, i immediately threw my hands up and backed away.

"I know, i know. No infighting."

She glanced at my communicator which was recording silently, and i meekly put it away.

"Now can we get on with why we are here?" Deandra said.

In response, everyone quietly nodded over the now silent table.

"The Practical Field Experience Exercise is incoming, and this involves each and everyone of us here who are in the same group. First of all, i would like for us to begin with an introduction. For the next few days, we will all be sharing the same banner as teammates, we should at least get to know each other and build cooperation, if for nothing else then for the upcoming Exercise."

Deandra began expertly, sweeping her gaze across each of us. She placed a hand to her chest and leaned upright on her seat.

"Then I'll go first, although you all most likely already know me. My name is Deandra de'LaCurt, ranked second. And as you should know, i have recently been made the class representative."

At Deandra's introduction, the group nodded, although some more smugly than the others.

Immediately, the next one to throw themself at her feet was the short haired girl on the left.

She elegantly rose up with a gentle smile, and a hand softly placed to her chest. She bowed politely.

"Trise Asher, ranked 556. Once again, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

'Glaze quietly will you.'

Rather than speaking generally for all of us, it felt more like 556 was introducing herself only to Deandra.

The next person to speak up after the short haired Trise was a young lady sitting next to her on her left.

"Hi, I'm Chelsea Harper. Hehe, I'm not really that high ranked, just number 620, so it's kind of a bit overwhelming to be in the presence of such skilled and influential individuals like yourselves. Let's all do well together as a group, alright?"

'Harper?'

She seems cheery.

She was a beautiful young female cadet with long frilly aurburn orange hair and wide eyes, and a willfull and cheerful seeming personality. She tied her blazer round her waist, and had her shirt half tucked into her skirt. The collar of her shirt was left half buttoned, exposing her fair and slender collar bone.

"Hm~"

The girl called Chelsea hummed excitedly as she shifted her bright orange eyes across the table to each of us.

'Harper.'

I didn't think I'd hear that name again. I started silently at Chelsea in thought for a while, then she noticed my gaze, turned and smiled back with a wave.

'She...seems nice.'

Free was more like it. Too free, perhaps.

"Ahem. Then I'll go next."

The voice belonged to the other male cadet from earlier with parted black hair and striking silver eyes. Experience new stories on empire

"Don Clyde, first born child of the Clyde household. Hmph, usually, this isn't meant to be...but we are all teammates from now so let's do our best. Ranked 522." Don Clyde gave his impressive introduction, shot me an obvious glare and leaned back in his seat.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Then all that was left...

"Victor Bright." I rose to my feet softly

Then smiled.

"Cadet Number 1499"

I lowered my head curtly.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

...

[A/N: A little mass release incoming.]