The longer I stay here, the more I begin to pity any sane people here; it feels like being partially suicidal is a prerequisite for being a Pioneer.
"Armor, one of the biggest lies of existence, a false security masked in tuned metal and wires. Nothing more than a coffin if used improperly. People spend millions of polar creating these too-"
"Are you saying we shouldn't use it?"
"You're wearing armor."
"If you guys would let me finish my cool monologue, I could tell you!" Slouching, she takes a deep breath. "You killed my vibe. Armor is a way to cheat natural selection, but if used in the wrong hands is no better than giving a bird fins."
Pulling a hatch open, she grabs a clothing hanger with a suit of armor.
"I'm sure you've seen pro Pioneers wearing their shiny, flamboyant armor, but you guys are starting with the standard military grade. If you know the true meaning of military grade, then you know that means it's held together with tape."
The class slouches in disappointment.
"If you want to want to add bells and whistles to your earn some Polar and pimp out your suit. But, as I mentioned earlier, a bird with fins will only plummet from the nest. So, everyone suit up and meet me out in the courtyard."
The courtyard is 2 minutes away, yet it took us 10 minutes to all get out there, as the baggy suits are huge, causing us to trip and stumble our way out there.
"What took you guys so long?"
"Teach, these suits are huge."
"I don't think I can even run in this, never mind fighting."
"Oh, forgot about that."
"You seem to forget a lot of important things."
"Shush. No one's perfect... except for me." Grabbing one of the suits, she puts it on. "Click the button beside the core and it will shape to your build." Pressing down on the button, the suit compresses to her.
"Damn teach you look good in that suit-"
She whips out her gun and shoots Ekstacy in the head. His body falls to the ground with an ice-shattering thud. With a pop, the fuse pops out before it begins to reel in.
"Sexual harassment can be flattering if done correctly, but saying I look good in rookie gear is an insult."
I raise my hand. "Couldn't that also mean you manage to make something so boring look good?"
"...huh, I guess it does." She holsters her gun before clicking the button once more, the suit becomes baggy again.
That would explain why we were told only to wear these training suits underneath.
Clicking the button, the armor constricts around my body, yet I barely feel it, as though it were a second skin.
"As I said, these won't do all that much against the Strain. One or two hits from a strength class and you're still a stain on the wall."
The class collectively groans and sighs.
"Then why do we have these?"
"It feels like no matter what we do, we're going to die."
"Don't be a Debbie Downer. Think of it this way, without the armor, you're glass, with the armor, you're a glass cannon."
The class murmurs as we're not really sure if that's all that good.
"I'm sure Ziel already told you, the armor also facilitates the conversion of the core's power to your firearm. But, it's not just the firearm, your entire body becomes a weapon. If you can think it, you can make it, affinity does not affect just the element, but the strength and refinement of your element."
"Lol, aren't you ice? Bet that sucks."
Somnia covers her face as she weeps, "Yes, it really does," lifting her head up with a pouting expression, she shoots the instigator. "Any more questions?"
Multiple hands begin to lower.
With an air compression squeeze, my classmate's armor forms to their builds, our cores begin to glow as people visualize their element in various shapes and forms.
Holding out my hand, the white light from my core begins to freeze. The condensation of the air begins to crystallize into ice. After a few moments, an icicle forms in my hands.
I did it!
My moment of joy is quickly extinguished as I look around to see my classmates making atomic grenades and prismatic swords.
With a sigh of defeat, I look at my melting ice stick.
The wind is knocked out of me as a hand slams against my back. "Sucks, doesnt it? ...wait, there's gotta be an ice joke I could make."
Somnia stands beside me.
Sloping my bod,y I exhale the last of my hope. "Somnia, you're a sight for sore ice."
"You should have snown better? Wait, no... is Lady Luck giving you the cold shoulder? Eh, that's a reach."
"I'm starting to see why you pitied my affinity."
"Fear not; all is not frost!" She giggles.
"So? How do you manage to use such a shitty element?"
"Feeling frost-rated or Snowverhwlemed? Don't be snow dramatic! It's easy to control."
"Alright, you can stop with the winter puns."
"Say it ain't snow!"
I begin to walk away.
She grabs my shoulder. "Wait-"
I turn to see her visibly restraining herself from making another pun.
"Yes?"
"I understand your pain, especially when you see all these flashy abilities. While it may seem pointless, it just means we have to try a littl- a lot harder."
"That was an uncharacteristically responsible thing for you to say."
Her eyes narrow. "What do you mean by uncharacteristically?"
"...nothing."
She holds out her hand. "All you have to do is visualize what you want." An icy crystallized whiskey cup begins to form.
"Huh."
"Whoops, force of habit."
Unholstering her gun, it begins to freeze. "Guns are a little different, contrary to how it looks, you're not trying to freeze the gun, instead, you compact ice into every single bullet which creates the splintering shot when it lands on its target."
She shoots one of my classmates, and a huge spiked ice shot is left extruding from his head.
I sigh. "Now you're just snowing off."
She smirks, grabbing my hand, she holds out my palm. "Now, try it again, whatever you want. visualize the arrangement of the water molecules in a hexagonal pattern."
It seems a little cheesy, yet I close my eyes and try and visualize it.
Crackling noises sound in my hand as a shape begins to form.
"Is that a... bunny?"
How odd, that's what I thought of.
With lost eyes, I look down at the deformed ice bunny. "Yes...it is."
There's an awkward pause as I'm still lost in thought.
It's broken as she pats my back. "Well, either way, you did it, so..." She gives me a thumbs up with a wink. "Good job."
Good...job.
When was the last time I heard that?
"Do you believe in me?"
She jolts back. "Uh... believe in you?"
Shaking my head, I begin to walk away. "Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask."
Let a little bit of my true feelings out and now I look like a dumbass.
"Yes...I do." She walks over, patting my shoulder with a scoff. "And I don't like to be proven wrong, so you'd better keep up."
A weak smile begins to form. "Thank you."