SIXTY-SEVEN: Goals

SIXTY-SEVEN: Goals

Alden sent his list of links off to Stuart. And after some contemplation, he decided if he was going to try sharing human culture with somebody, he should probably start engaging with it again himself.

Time to be brave. How hard can it really be to mingle?

He stood in front of the fridge, staring at the community activities calendar for the day. He had a more detailed version pulled up on his interface, too. They went all-in on the programming here at intake; virtually every minute from six oclock in the morning until midnight curfew had something on the schedule. There were tours, classes, board games, athletic events, guest lectures, nondenominational religious services, a scavenger hunt, a mocktail party, and even volunteer opportunities.

Alden wanted to pick up litter along the bike path. It sounded like a peaceful job almost nobody else would choose to do. Since that defeated his whole purpose for the day, he selected an educational group tour called Government Buildings and Procedures.

Its not the most stimulating option, he admitted to himself. But its got things going for it. It was one of the for-credit opportunities, so there would be people. But there were other classes and tours happening this morning that sounded more fun, so there probably wouldnt be a ton of them. And, more importantly, it didnt seem like an activity where everyone would be showing off their powers.

Just by walking through the dorm halls over the past couple of days, Alden had realized that power displays were a huge part of introducing yourself to the other teens in intake. Whats your name? Where are you from? What can you do?

He was hoping to get to know other new Avowed in a setting where he could just say what his skill was without it being appropriate for them to ask him to do tricks with it.

Id like to at least have some normal conversation before I have to brush everyone off or get into the whole I cant use it right now thing.

He headed out, stopping by the counselors desk to show Neha his face and prove he was engaging with people. She hadnt told him to do that. Nobody had. But he was aware that there was a certain amount of concerned watching going on in this place.

Not just of him. But of several people in unusual situations.

None of his new neighbors had caught on to any anomalies with Aldens presence, as far as he knew, but hed heard them talking about others. There was a Wright whod registered and regretted it, and he kept trying to escape from Anesidora by stealing boats. If he didnt knock it off, they were going to have to take him out of intake and put him in more restrictive housing.

And there was a Morph Brute who had come to the dorms after spending weeks at the islands healing hospital. Her own brothers had set her bed on fire while she slept when they found out she was an Avowed. It had made global news.

I bet she hates it that everyone knows that about her.

He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie as he crossed the drive that separated his apartment tower from the one that was dedicated to Brutes. The tour group was supposed to meet there in the lobby.

Most people get to keep their tragedies private. But when you have one that hits a certain level of gruesomeness, suddenly the rest of the world feels like they have a right to stare at it and comment on it.

He entered the lobby and blinked in surprise at the decorations. Ten-foot-tall bronze statues representing different Brute types dominated the space. They stood on raised circular platforms, and there were cushioned benches around each of them. One statue was of a shirtless man holding up a globe like the Greek god Atlas. And there was a woman mid-run, her hair streaming behind her. Alden was pretty sure the man with his mouth open and his arms spread was supposed to represent the vocal subtype.

We dont get cool statues in our tower lobby. Unfair.

Probably it was because they couldnt rep all the class subtypes without turning the lobby into a thicket of bronze, but they could have done a mural or something.

> someone said behind him. >

>

Alden glanced over his shoulder to see two guys nearby. They were staring up at the statue for audial Brutes. His interface informed him that they were speaking Spanish and Urdu.

Are you here for the tour, too? he asked.

Of course they were; it was the thing starting in the lobby of this building in a few minutes. But you had to begin a conversation somewhere.

> said one of the guys. He poked around at the air with a hand, and a moment later, a custom name tag appeared beside him with his personal details.

He was seventeen. From Pakistan. He was a C-rank Meister of Staves.

His friend popped a name tag up for himself, too. He was sixteen. From Costa Rica. He was a C-rank Meister of Torches. He enjoyed fishing. And he was looking for a girlfriend.

Torches? thought Alden, pondering the tag. Did you fight with the torches? Or illuminate things with them? Did it depend on how the Meister built their talents? Oh, wait. Its probably not old-fashioned torches. Maybe its more like welding torches?

Magic welding actually sounded kind of cool.

He tossed up the name tag hed made for himself. Hed kept it simpler than they had.

[Alden - 16 - Rabbit]

> shouted the maybe-a-welder guy. her?>>

Umwho?

>

Natalie Choir, said Alden. Ive met her.

Mistake.

The other boys interest level in Natalie wasnt quite in stalker territory by Aldens estimation, but it was dangerously close to it. The guy missed two polite attempts to change the conversation topic and one much less polite one.

Fortunately, his roommate wasnt as dense. He started talking about the upcoming tour loudly, and things got more normal.

Both of the Meisters had arrived over two months ago. They were a few weeks away from overstaying their welcome and getting kicked out of the intake dorms. Their counselors had told them it was time for them to start participating in some of the for-credit activitieslike this oneor else theyd be forced to sit through a month of much less fun orientation classes with the slackers when they started school.

So thats how it works. Alden had wondered what the punishment for being a total non-participant during your intake period might be.

Both of the boys were happy to have been chosen as Avowed. And they were pretty relaxed about it. They were interested in the fact that they now had powers, of course. But it was in a more casual way than Alden had expected.

The Meister of Staves was enjoying a combat class with a few older Avowed who had the same subtype. He thought it was a good hobby and an impressive art. The Torch Meister liked his stat enhancements. Neither of them were thinking of their abilities as something that would be the main focus of their futures.

Maybe theyd level a little, maybe theyd get some cool spell impressions, maybe a job here or therethey werent stressed about it.

For them, the big perk of being an Avowed was getting to live here on Anesidora. As far as they were concerned, they were already on top just by reaching the island. Whether they ever got summoned or not was pretty irrelevant to them, except for the obvious monetary benefits.

Butyou know you could get summoned to fight or do something dangerous, right? Alden asked, addressing the question mostly to the stave user.

The torches were for magic welding, so the other boy was more likely to be summoned for work, not combat.

The two Meisters exchanged glances.

>

> his friend agreed. >

>

>

>

Okay. So thats how it was. Probably Alden was the one who was being unrealistic for immediately wondering what they were going to do if they ever got lethal assignments from the Triplanentsinstead of asking them about their favorite things to do on the island and what school they were planning to attend.

They loved Anesidora. They were happy to be here.

It is a very high standard of living.

Alden had known that, but he hadnt really thought about what it meant for people other than himself.

Sure. You were trapped. Especially if you didnt have the highly-marketable talents that would get you a superhuman job in another country. But despite Boe constantly joking that Alden would starve to death because of the price of things on the island, even poverty on Anesidora was pretty cushy.

Basic healthcare was free and high quality. Education was free, high quality, and mandatoryin one form or anotheruntil age 21. There was no such thing as homelessness. Once you were out of school, they would give you a very small but undeniably clean and comfortable apartment to live in if you couldnt afford one on your own.

You even had internet access through your interface if you wanted free entertainment. Although Alden had decided just this morning that he hated browsing that way. It felt really intrusive.

I need to buy a laptop, he thought as the tour group finally set out.

There were about thirty of them. Most people had come because they needed the credits, but a few had chosen this tour because they were super enthusiastic about the fact that they had voting rights now. You were a legal voter on Anesidora the second your Avowed feet touched the ground, and they actually wanted to find out how the government worked.

Their guide spoke mostly Mandarin, and in the way that a lot of native born Anesidorans did, he sprinkled in tons of loan words from other languages.

They took a train through F-city, stopping at the capitol building. It was an unusual, trapezoid-shaped structure made of glass and black stone that reminded Alden of the hot lab on the Leafsong campus. This was where the High Council did their thing. The group toured the council chambers, and they even got to meet a few of the class representatives who were in their offices.

The current Rabbit councilor was in. The Rabbit rep never had much power on the council unless they became President, but maybe because of that, she was more willing to talk to the tour.

She was a short woman with silver corkscrew curls, and she did a brief double-take when she saw Aldens name tag. She didnt react at all to the name tag of the one other Rabbit whod come today. Alden assumed it meant she knew who he was through some kind of gossip. It was a little concerning. But she didnt say anything about it when she shook his hand, so he decided he liked her fine.

The tour was over after four and a half hours, and Alden, feeling highly successful about talking to other people without coming across as someone whod been living on a moon for way too long, gave himself permission to break off from the group.

They were all going to see a movie together.

He picked up an order of stir-fry from a restaurant and went back to the dorm. He wanted to read his auriad book and practice his logograms.

And he needed to think.

Only a couple of people on the tour planned to seriously pursue leveling their Avowed talents.

A lot of the others said they did, but either they didnt mean it or they hadnt actually considered how to go about it. They were almost all going to attend the general high school programs in F-city. Those included some cultural training for life as an Avowed, in case you got summoned, but they didnt cover power development at all.

Well, there werent any high ranks on the tour. Alden was sitting on the kitchen stool, watching the logograms shift while the System translated the first spell in his book for him. Its not like they could get into a serious hero track course.

Hed been the only B in the group. Everyone else had been C or lower.

But doing a hero-prep program at one of the Apex high schools was far from the only option for developing your Avowed talents. Even for low ranks, there were leveling-track programs of other kinds that split your education between academics and more class-focused learning. If you wanted that.

They were considered more time and labor intensive, but

I expected more people to want that. Who just gains the ability to do magic and then doesnt do much with it?

Maybe he was thinking about it wrong, though.

Most people didnt spend all their time leveling up in normal life. It wasnt like Alden had been doing aerobics to level up his body before hed been selected. Or seriously striving to expand his mind. Hed been taking advanced classes in high school and lots of consulate extras. But if he was being honest with himself, hed always just liked keeping busy with school. So that shouldnt count.

It was probably more uncommon to run at your goals full-tilt and laser-focused than it was to kind ofstroll in their general direction.

But hed thought he would encounter a lot more ambition than he had so far. More than in regular high school.

I guess I subconsciously stuck too many Avowed in the insanely dedicated category because my real-life experience was all with Hannah. And she was a workaholic by any measure.

Maybe the most useful thing hed learned on the tour was what normal here on Anesidora actually looked like.

He called Boe to leave his daily voicemail.

Ive been thinking that living on a demon moon made me confused about who I am and what I want to do now, he said in a conversational tone. Upon reflection, thats not accurate. What it made me unsure about is long-term career choices.

He took a sip from a bottle of blackberry soda. The vending machines in the dorm were free and they had drinks from all over the place. Trying them all was a mini goal.

It sounds like you do indeed have goals. I will think about these things, call some people, and come up with ideas for you to consider.

Thanks.

He turned to go.

Before hed taken two steps, the Rabbit counselor said, You could have just specified that you wanted to go to a high school with a hero training course, but you didnt. Is that because that option is off the table for you?

No, Alden said, staring at his blurred reflection in the elevator doors. If the hero prep schools in Apex are the best places to help me level up my skill and gain survival know-how, its fine.

So you did know those were the places most likely to match your goals then?

I thought they might be.

All right. I ask because the culture in those is pretty unique. Theyre hard on B-ranks. And on >. And I dont mean the coursework, though thats incredibly tough, too.

Alden glanced back at her.

She was resting her chin on a hand. I dont have to burst this particular bubble very often because Rabbits tend not to be big fans. But superheroes arehmmmmhow to put it?lets say half of them are focused on the hero part. And half of them are focused on the super part. The ones in the first group are very nice people. The ones in the second are some of the most obnoxious on Earth. Personally, I find both types difficult to take in large doses.

He considered it. You think half are in it for the glory?

The siren song of celebrity doesnt skip over Avowed. If anything, its the opposite. And frankly the whole superhero concept is built on an unwholesome mix of necessitythanks to the existence of superhuman criminalsand pandering. Every major city has to have its pretty little mascot team because peoplelove watching them.

I understand that.

She nodded. Then let me tread on your dreams just a little more. Even the good ones have their flaws. Its usually a particular kind of personality that goes to superhero school, even for the right reasons. If you dont fit the type

I dont expect people to be perfect, Alden said, surprised she was making such a point of it. And right now Im just looking for a place to teach me the stuff I need to know.

Okay. Im only telling you becausethe hero programs are the best at the things you just asked me for. The training portion of becoming a hero is hardcore, and its impossible to deny that the programs are excellent at pumping out more powerful Avowed. So, unless you want to go to arts school to become a professional gymnast

A what? Alden couldnt hold back a laugh.

Hey, I see these specs for balance and agility, and you want to work on your body and your mentalityhave you ever met gymnasts? Super gymnasts? Im teasing you because its really a career for Brutes. But you say, Stress me out bad, Neha, and I think of those guys.

I said I want to be more stress-resistant, he said.

Its the same thing. She gave him a smile. And lucky for you, you will have plenty of stress if you end up at hero prep school. Because I think you will find many of your classmates, and perhaps even a few of the more unprofessional instructors, will be inhospitableto you.

Alden considered it. Do you even think the really good schools will let me in?

The ones in Apex? Theyll let you in.

I know they dont accept many B-ranks.

I assume you would want Celena North's feeder high school? she said. Unless youre ready to jump up to college, and I dont recommend that. The college and high school hero courses are well connected anyway, and for that kind of program in particular its better to stick with Avowed of your own age group. Especially if youre weaker than them.

I wouldnt mind going to the other schools. Its just nice that Celena North classes are mostly in English. Subtitles are fine, butyou know.

She nodded. Hard to deal with. Especially when youve got groups talking over each other. Or when speed or nuance is important. CNH caps annual B-rank acceptances at 25% for most programs, but for their hero course they cap it at a generous she drumrolled her hands on the desk 5%.

Oh, okay. Im never getting in. Im a Rabbit.

I was wondering if you knew that. But theyll let you in. Like I said, youre secretly a badass.

Because of the three levels?

Those are very impressive, but probably not impressive enough under normal circumstances for a Rabbit. The thing about our class is that its a choice. Everyone knows you wanted it when you got it because its easy to trade out of. Picking it tells the world you prioritize certain things. None of those things dovetail well with superhero work. Or even superhero school.

Right. The timers. And summons frequency. But I do have eight months off. And vacation days on top of it. And some refusals.

Nice break. Please make good use of it, and take care of yourself. After thatyour school will just have to suck it up and deal with it. Because someone important gave you a star.

The commendation? Alden frowned. That doesnt really have anything to do with school.

She arched her brows at him. The commendation for bravery from Numero Cuatro doesnt have anything to do with getting into a hero program?

Did...did you just call Knight Alis-arth Numero Cuatro?

The System translations for theirI dont know what to call themextra special champions against chaosget pretty ridiculous. I just use what I like in the moment. Ive seen a few of them from a distance at events. Never met one face to face, though. You can bet Ill use my proper Artonan terminology if I do.

She was giving him a very curious look.

Oh, he said, after realizing she wanted juicy details. She was nice to me. They all were. I think.

All? How did you manage to encounter multiple Numeros in one half year session? I do understand it was a bad session. But Ive spent longer on the Triplanets than just about any human you will ever meet, except for the people whove literally moved there. Seeing one is like sighting an endangered animal. All the other wizards in the room get odd.

Alden scanned her face, trying to figure out if she knew why the other wizards got odd.

Well, they are really powerful, right? he said finally.

So Ive heard. I have suspicions about them, but thats all. I think wizards are sociallyhell, maybe even magicallyobligated to keep silent about them outside their own class. Even teenagers will clam up if you start prying. And the regular Artonans Ive asked seem to regard them as a separate, higher class of wizards.

But just between you and me, Ive alwayssuspected that the Triplanets saved the really good talents for themselves. Why wouldnt they? I dont know why wizards dont all affix something, but I assume it has to do with limiting who gets access to additional power. Whatever oaths the Numbered Ones have to swear are probably so restrictive that they exclude most of the species.

Ah. So shedidnt know. Not really. Alden was just guessing, but he suspected the oaths themselves werent that bad. And it was just the other thing that kept people from signing up for knighthood. Because it was bad enough.

He found he felt no need to clarify. Instead he said, I guess I was lucky? I actually met a couple of them even before everything went wrong.

It did feel really good to talk casually with someone about Artonan stuff. He hadnt realized hed be able to. With most people in the dorms, it would be like talking about a study abroad trip youd taken to a country they knew nothing about.

They were at a party, he said. At LeafSong University. Its on Artona III.

Gotta love a Triplanets party. Alsosweet job. Thats literally their second best wizarding university. They rank schools with absurd seriousness, just like they do everything else. The first is on the Mother. LeafSong supposedly has a better climate.

It has a terrible climate.

For them, Neha clarified.

I sweat so much, Alden said, leaning over the desk. Like, there was not enough antiperspirant. I kept wondering why the hell it didnt bother them that their human staff were all disgusting and dripping on their stuff.

She cackled.

It was ninety degrees Fahrenheit! he exclaimed. All. The. Time. The human dorm was air conditioned, but it reeked of body odor from peoples unwashed laundry.

She kept laughing.

The outfit I had to wear to do lab work was a full-length leather coat.

Oh my god, kid, she said, wiping her eyes. Stop, stop! Youll get me started on some of mine.

How do you not melt? he demanded. I need you to tell me. Youre my Rabbit elder. Its basic survival skills.

Youyou She snorted. A couple of guys stepping off the elevator gave the two of them a strange look before they headed down the hall. You have to suck up to a wizard who likes enchanting. Give them all of your clothes, and have them put cooling spells on them. It will save you. From pit sweat. And rashes.

Okay, said Alden. Since were talking about thiswhat is with all the drugs?

Dont do them.

I dont do drugs. Normally. But you get there, and theyre like, Heres a pill, human. And heres another pill. And heres a shot in your jugular. And heres a dozen shots to fix what that first shot did to you.

They actually have substance abuse problems, she said. Seriously. Its a big issue for the wizard class. But they have to learn all of the magic chemical stuff for school so none of the ingredients are illegal. And they just really like making and taking potions themselves. And they want to share.

Alden cleared his throat and whispered, Also, I wanted to report it after reading my legal guide, but I didnt know who to tell. I think maybe I committed a crime by bringing a piece of gum back with me.

She blinked. That would depend on what kind of gum it was, she whispered back.

Some kind of sensory sharing stuff. They gave it to me at the party.

Oh. That kinds actually not illegal. You can keep it.

At first I thought it might be useful for combat training or something

No, she said.

No?

Nope. She was still whispering. Im sorry. But as your Welcome to Avowed Life counselor, I have to ask before you make some kind of mistakeyou know what that gum is designed for, right?

Sharing senses?

Yes.

She stared at him.

He stared back. And, very belatedly, he remembered certain implications that had been made by Joe the first time hed asked about the gum.

Umso. That was indicated to me. By someone. A girl wanted to eat appetizers with me? I just thought it was one of many possible functions

Maybe? But if someone of an appropriate age gave you that, they were hitting on you. Trading that gum is junior wizard flirting. She was keeping her expression professionally blank. Im just trying to make sure you know, for future reference, that appetizers plus gum is a lot more suggestive than it would be at a human party.

Shit. I justnow I have to go to my apartment and crawl under the sofa and die.

Dont feel embarrassed, she said. Its a totally reasonable point of ignorance. And when you get done dying, please note that there are some educational courses about that kind of thing you can take for credit. Gustavo teaches them with one of our other counselors. They try to keep it lighthearted.

Id rather not.

Suit yourself. But if you dont take them here, they just make you take them as part of high school orientation. She paused. Welcome back to Earth. Think of it as our special way of making sure you dont get too comfortable here.

Thank you, said Alden. I will never ever forget this conversation. Unfortunately. And youre going to live forever and remember how dumb I am eternally. Soyeah.

Ive already forgotten it.

Thanks.

I dont even know what youre thanking me for.