The death rate for lancers less than a yearout of the academy is nearly 65%.
It rapidly declines to roughly 20 - 30% after the first year.This is because nothing can be taught in trainingthat is nearly as effective as real world experience.
We need to authorize nest exploration for studentswhile teachers are available to protect them.
This will, naturally, increase student stress and decreasemorale.
So what? It will save lives. It will save lancer lives,and it will save civilian lives.—Abel Bouvier, Quarterly Status Presentation
“Are you feeling alright?” Kiera asked. Violet started, then looked up from her book and turned toward her friend. Kiera was scrolling through a borrowed tablet in bed, while Violet read at her desk. “Feeling better than you were this morning?”
Violet blushed as she answered, putting her book down with an old ribbon as a bookmark. “Oh yeah, much. I’m just really not a morning person. Never have been. Sorry if I bit your head off again earlier,” Violet apologized. Kiera waved her off.
“Oh, don’t worry about that shit. I’ve always been way too energetic in the mornings. I meant… you just seem kind of upset. And your questions yesterday have kinda stuck in my head. I know you said you wanted to act like everything was normal, but in class, you seemed pretty fucking concerned about how quickly your therapist could respond in an emergency,” Kiera explained. Violet scratched her head and looked toward the window. She couldn’t see through it, with the thick green blinds closed over it, but it somehow still felt like she was looking outside.
“Yeah, I get that,” she admitted. “You, uh, you don’t have to worry about me. It’s nothing like that.” Kiera put Kassie’s tablet down and sat up on her bed.
“The fuck it isn’t,” Kiera scoffed. “You were asking about self-harm and shit. I may be a bit dense, sometimes, or too easy-going at others. But even I know you don’t ignore when a girl starts talking about emergency therapy and self-harm after she lost someone. Tell me, Violet, are you sure you’re doing alright?” Violet tilted her head.
“Kiera, you’ve been browsing Prism City’s archives for new anime to watch all morning. If you seriously think that’s a concern, why are you looking for TV shows to watch?” Violet asked. Kiera flinched a bit, but didn’t back down.
“Well, for one, I’m an idiot. Second, I was working up the courage, because I fucking like you, and you asked me to let you feel normal for a while. Third, you've been getting more gloomy by the second. And you weren’t so bad an hour ago, and finally, this city has a lot more extensive archives than back home. Besides, Kassie only lent us her tablet for a couple of days,” Kiera responded indignantly.
“Oh? So if it were someone else in a bad place, you’d have done something sooner, is that it? If it hadn’t been someone who asked you not to say anything?” Violet asked.
“Yes, obviously,” Kiera answered. “In your case, I wanted to respect your boundaries. But I’m getting worried, man.” Violet softened a little at that and hung her head.
“You’re right,” she agreed. “I should have already done something, huh?” Kiera paused.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked. Violet shrugged.
“I wasn’t asking about an emergency response for my own sake, Kiera,” Violet answered. “I’m okay, really. And I appreciate you respecting my boundaries. But now that you point that out, I feel even worse. I… I should do something. I need to make sure she is okay.” Kiera tensed at this and gave Violet a more serious look.
“Who do you mean?” the fox girl asked. Violet looked back up at her friend and furrowed her brow, like she was confused that Kiera didn’t know who she meant.
“Kiera, Aubrey killed a person. She didn’t mean to, sure. But she did. She used her talent, and it killed a human being. She’d have to be sick in the head to be okay right now. That’s not the kind of thing you just recover from. And she didn’t get lucky like us. She isn’t roomed with someone who went through everything with her. Ajia wouldn’t really understand. Even Kassie warned everyone about me, but not her. And when I went to talk with her yesterday, she was… well, it's not really my place to spread rumors. But I’m really worried about her,” Violet explained.
Kiera paled. “Shit, you’re right. Of course she is fucked up. She just… I don’t know. She seemed like she was doing alright, and it was an accident. Any of them could have done the same. Hell, even you told her to use her talent, right? Did she say something, or… sorry. Is she really in that bad a state?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s doing well, and I am really worried. I want to do something, but I don’t actually know her that well, and I don’t want to overstep, you know? It’s not like I grew up with her. I just met her a week ago. We’ve been through a lot together, but that’s not the same thing. But the way she was feeling… I don’t know. It’s hard to define. Just her reactions to certain things worried me. She’s more upset than she looks. I’m worried she’s going to keep spiraling, and I don’t want her to be completely isolated as she does. I don’t think she’s in danger exactly, but I do think her mental health needs to be taken more seriously. Like, immediately. I keep wavering between believing I’m overthinking it, and thinking I need to get Mr. Shepard's attention as soon as possible. I just don’t want to overstep,” Violet explained. Kiera sat up and forced an awkward smile onto her face.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that!” Kiera insisted. “We’d know if she needed serious help.” Violet relaxed her shoulders in relief.
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear you say that. You’re the one who grew up with her, so I’m sure you’ve been paying more attention than I have. After yesterday morning, I was all but certain she was in a bad place. But I’ll take your word for it. If someone who grew up with her isn’t worried, I’ll just get out of my stupid head. I was this close to making an anonymous report like Jade was talking about,” Violet admitted. “I can spiral a little myself, sometimes. I’m probably just mixing up the way I… well. If I hadn’t assumed Alex was okay, maybe he would… It doesn’t matter. I knew Alex. I don’t really know Aubrey. I think I just need to get some air. Thanks, Kiera.”
“Uh, right. Happy to help,” Kiera responded. “You want some company?”
Violet shook her head. “Nah. Keep looking through your tablet. Let me know if you find anything good in the archives! I don’t want to distract you with my stupid worries, and I could use some time to think. I’m just gonna go for a walk,” Violet assured.
As Violet put her book back on her shelf and grabbed a jacket to leave for her walk, she only glanced for a moment at Kiera. The awkward smile was slipping from Kiera’s face, and Violet suppressed the twitch in the corners of her own mouth.
---
Violet made it to the mental health wing fairly quickly. It was near the headmaster’s office, and in the center of all the different dorms, so everyone could reach it just as easily. She didn’t know if Kiera would do anything. She hoped she would, and she’d pushed hard enough to tip the scales, but she couldn’t be certain. But if the fox girl did act, Violet wanted to be in Shepard’s office when it happened. She didn’t suspect it would be so easy. Very rarely did a category red manage to steal anything from a higher category without either great luck, or great consequences. But she figured there was little risk in trying it.
The worst-case scenario was Kiera failing to bring her concerns about Aubrey to the headmaster. Violet had been pretty heavy-handed about pushing for it, but she could never guarantee that people would behave as she wanted them to. That was one reason she wanted to advance to a higher category. And Violet didn’t know Kiera well enough to push her as effectively as she’d like. But if she’d failed to get her point across, Violet would just be stuck in an impromptu therapy session. That wouldn’t be terrible, honestly. At least she’d chosen to be there that time. No, the greater danger would only come in the best-case scenario. That is, if she succeeded. If she were left alone in the office with the files she wanted, she’d have to take a chance.
She couldn’t risk starting classes properly until Jade had been handled. She didn’t even like the idea of going to another math class with the girl. Worse than that, she was worried Jade wasn’t the only student with a calling that could access Violet’s talents in some way. Daniel had been able to read them, and Jade was able to steal them. There could easily be more such dangers. That risk was greater than trying to steal her therapist’s records. So she had to try, at the very least. Even if trying itself was a risk, it was a risk she could explain away if she was caught. But the “Reaper” calling was very clear. The speed she'd advanced, the bodies around her, and the nature of her advancement would have her in some kind of cell within hours. She’d rather risk detention, or whatever similar consequence this academy had.
Shepard had almost definitely heard her as she approached his private office, which was sectioned off from the primary room he worked in. Still, he continued looking through papers and failed to look up when she approached, so she knocked very lightly on the open door. He held one finger up with his right hand as his left made a note in the margins of whatever he was reading. Violet wrinkled her nose at the petty move. He was obviously making her wait to establish himself as the authority in the exchange, once again. It irked her, as always, but she was practiced at playing this game. Saying anything about it would only be surrendering authority. She’d have to take power back some other way, and some other time.
After several moments and a few more notes, Shepard looked up and adjusted his glasses. Violet wondered how anyone actually needed glasses after reaching even category red, but she’d seen more than a few people sporting a pair since she’d made it to the academy. She figured it was a vain attempt to look intelligent. “How can I help you today, Miss Asher? I don’t believe we had an appointment.”
Violet gave him a sweet smile. “Nope! But I felt a lot better after our meeting the other day, and I kind of wanted to ask a question. If that’s alright?” she said. Shepard put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.
“Absolutely. I’m glad to see you, actually. It’s good to know you are feeling well, and I’m glad you are approaching me without Bouvier mandating it. Taking control of your therapy yourself, so to speak. What can I help you with?” he asked. He began to move one hand, but before he could so much as gesture to Violet, she pulled a chair to her side of the desk and sat down. She crossed her legs and sat up straight, her hands resting on one thigh. He could take control by making her wait, and she could take it back with something equally small. Like making herself comfortable before he offered her a seat.
Her sidetail bounced as she nodded along at him. “Yeah, absolutely. I’ll admit I was a little nervous about all this when I was first sent here. In my defense, we don’t exactly have therapists back in Roseville, you know? So all I really knew about it came from old books and movies from our limited archives. The last one I read about was that cannibal guy, actually. And I know you’re nothing like that, obviously. But still. I didn’t know what to expect,” Violet said. Shepard didn’t miss that she’d failed to ask any real questions, but he was a patient man.
“Ah. Yes, that happens a lot. We do try to prioritize educational materials in the data we distribute to settlement archives, but some things do slip through the cracks. And I hardly expect children your age to be researching anything in psych. I assure you, I am nothing like Hannibal Lecter—who was a psychologist, not a therapist, if you are curious,” Shepard replied with a chuckle.
“Actually, he was a psychiatrist,” Violet corrected with a smile.
Shepard opened his mouth slightly, then chuckled instead of responding. He shrugged, and was preparing to push for whatever question Violet had come to ask, when the phone on his desk began to ring.