Chapter 3
Location: St.Freya Academy
Date: 14/04/14
Kiana is late for class.
Himeko is getting worried, after all Kiana has promised her that she won’t be late for class and Kiana has been diligent at keeping that promise.
‘This is worrying.’ Himeko thought, ‘If that girl doesn’t come into class soon I will send Fu Hua to find her.’
“Fu Hua” Himeko calls out.
Fu Hua who, like the diligent student she is, was taking notes when Himeko called her.
“Yes Himeko-sensei?” Hua answers, confused as to why the teacher is calling her.
“I need you to go find Kiana for me,” Himeko states, “she normally doesn’t go missing like this.”
Hua nods, “understood sensei,” she starts to pack up her things, since searching for Kiana can quite possibly lead to her missing a class period or two, “Before I go Himeko-sensei, I want to ask why send me?”
Himeko just smiles amused before saying, “You mean other than the fact that you are the only one ahead of the class by a year or 2?”
Hua nods
“It's because you are the only one that's been able to find Kiana quickly if she's currently on campus grounds,” Himeko continued with a smile.
Hua nods in understanding before leaving the classroom.
Kiana is crying.
Silent tears flowing down her face.
She had hoped and prayed to whatever benevolent deity she knew that it wouldn't end up like this.
That her relations with Mei and Bronya wouldn’t be reduced to nothing because of one fight.
But her hopes are crushed, as is her heart
And a certain string of dark thoughts that plagued her as a child returned with renewed strength
‘Useless,’
‘Incapable,’
‘Weak,’
‘Pathetic,’
‘Replaceable,’
‘The world will be better off without you,’
‘You can die and no one will even notice’
Thoughts that taunted her since the day she woke up and found that her father is no longer there and would never return.
Kiana Kaslana, for all her bravado and heroism that is seen by others, is plagued by abandonment issues and an undeniable amount of depression.
And it's not like she can just talk to anyone about it anyways even before things went to shit, Mei had her own issues to deal with, She wasn't close with Bronya if anything her relationship with Bronya hinged entirely on Mei, and whilst they have said that they are more than willing to help she isn't comfortable around Himeko or Theresa to tell them.
And now here she is again,
Left behind,
Replaced,
With the newer,
shinier Kaslana
And for the first time since she arrived in St.Freya, Kiana…
Kia-Kia: Hey
Kia-Kia: r u awake?
Kia-Kia: …
Anny: hey
Anny: yeah im awake
Anny whats up?
Kia-Kia: Dark thoughts
Anny: again?
Anny: who did what this time? and why shouldnt i go beat them up right now?
Kia-Kia: what!
Kia-Kia: no you dont need to beat up anyone
Anny: X
Kia-Kia: 🙄
Kia-Kia: …
Kia-Kia: i saw the pool
Anny: the pool?
Kia-Kia: yeah
Kia-Kia: the betting pool for me and Bronyas bet
Kia-Kia: Ai-chan messed up
Kia-Kia: was on the notice board when i came in to school today
Anny: ...
Anny: im sooo going to skin that cabbage alive 😡
Anny: im guessing u saw something on the regional board that fucked with u
Kia-Kia: mhmm
Anny: whatd u see?
Kia-Kia: Mei and aunt Theresa bet 10K for Bronya to win
Anny: did u see if anyone bet for u?
Kia-Kia: class monitor and Himeko-sensei did
Anny: well technically im not supposed to say anything…
Anny: since unspoken rule and all that
Anny: but the cabbage fucked up big time
Anny: so i say as of right now, anything goes!
Kia-Kia: ??
Anny: i will tell u right now that as far as i know 8 people bet for u to win
Anny: globally
Anny: last i checked at least
Kia-Kia: blink blink eh?!?
Kia-Kia: who???
Anny: 😁
Anny: well other than the 2 u mentioned
Anny: Me, of course
Anny: then theres the overseer and his secretary Amber
Anny: as well as Durandal and Miss Rita!
Anny: also Miss Ragna, Durandal and Miss Rita’s teacher
Kia-Kia: 😳
Kia-Kia: i
Kia-Kia: wha??
Kia-Kia: HUH?!???!?!
Anny: hehe
Anny: well i cooould tell you in chat
Anny: or i could tell u in person 3 weeks from now
Anny: when i transfer over to Schicksal far east branch
Anny: meaning St.Freya Academy
Kia-Kia: but what about…
Anny: dont worry about my training to become an S-rank Valk
Anny: i can do that there as much as i can do that here
Anny: so ill see u soon kay?~~
Kia-Kia: ok
Anny: Love u~~ 😘
Kia-Kia: Love u too
Fu Hua found Kiana on a hidden part of the rooftop. “Hidden” being that it’s on the rooftop of the stairway up to the rooftop that has water tanks on top of it, turns out that it’s a great hiding spot.
Kiana is in a pitiful state. She’s curled up into a ball, her hair no longer tied up into its signature twin braid, eyes red and puffy and tear stains on her face from crying.
All Hua could hear from Kiana was soft sniffs, clearly the girl was on the verge of another crying episode.
“Kiana”, Hua calls out to her softly
Kiana’s head snaps up looking at Hua wide eyed, she opens her mouth seemingly to say something before snapping it shut. Kiana shakily stops hugging her legs and brings her hands together and
-Do you understand this?- she signs to Hua
Hua blinks at what she just witnessed ‘she knows sign language’
Hua went up to Kiana and sat across from her
“When did you learn sign language?”, Hua asks before adding,“and yes, I understand sign language”
-I’ve always known how to speak in sign, along with some other languages, it just never came up- Kiana signs to Hua
“What other languages do you know then?” Hua asks now genuinely curious
Kiana thinks for a bit before answering -German, Russian, Spanish, French, Korean, Hindi, Arabic, Bahasa Melayu, Irish, Swedish, Vietnamese, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Persian, Dhivehi, Cantonese and Japanese. I started learning Greek about 2 months ago. I also know morse code but don't know if i should count it as a language-
“Dhivehi?” Hua asks since the language itself was unknown to her.
-It’s the language from the island country of Maldives, south of india- Kiana answers.
Hua Hums. “So you are fluent in 19 languages and are learning the 20th, now I'm curious as to why you have such bad grades in class” Hua says with a light frown on her face.
Kiana grimaces but chooses to say nothing
“Kiana, please tell me so i can help you,” Hua says pleadingly, but Kiana simply shakes her head no
“Kiana, it’s clear to me that if everyone were to properly pay attention to you, they would find that you are much smarter than they give you credit for, especially now since you hide your capabilities less now compared to before, and if we add on what you just told me about your muti-lingual capability, so please…” Hua states
Kiana was stunned, here was her class monitor, the one student in St.Freya that no other student could beat, complimenting her in the meaningful way possible
Kiana, although unwilling to say anything, but after what Fu Hua had just told her she just couldn't not say something.
As such she signed -I’ve never had a proper formal education. And before you ask no I wasn't in Chiba Academy for more than a week before the eruption happened-
Hua sat there, in front of Kiana, thinking to herself for a bit before asking, ”Kiana, could you come to the library tomorrow, during class time, don't worry I’ll tell Himeko-sensei that you will be with me.”
Now Kiana blinks in confusion, -I can but why do you want me to go to the library?- she couldn't help but ask.
“To give you an ungraded test, it's to see what you do know and understand as far as what you should know at this point of your education, it’ll give me a starting point to help cover your weakness as far as theory studies are concerned” Hua states and Kiana can only nod flabbergasted.
Hua gets up and offers Kiana a hand, ”come on, let's get you to the washroom to get you presentable and head to class, Himeko-sensei is worried”
Kiana takes Hua’s hand and the duo heads down to class, after getting Kiana presentable