FIRE DRILL!, Outside of the Dorms, Very Late Thursday Night/Very Early Friday Morning

[suitablyheroic]

The wind roared around campus this time of night. Temperatures had dropped to close to freezing, and clouds blocked out most of the fragile light of the moon.

Perfect time to ring the fire alarm for a test, right? Right.

Somewhere deep in the middle of the night, the alarm went off. Loudly. So grab what you can and bustle on outside, students

Comments

[seeks_truth]

The alarming noise had sent Cassandra stumbling out of bed, grabbing the knife from under her pillow. There had been no immediate assailant, however, just a stream of students heading down the hall in a hurry.

As a result, she was now standing outside, in her underwear with her longcoat thrown haphazardly over her shoulders.

She was also wielding a knife, though no longer in any kind of active sense. She just had nowhere to put it.

And she seemed very, very annoyed.

[hexentotchen]

"Are we under attack?"

Cassandra was possibly not the best person to ask, but she was armed, and Hanna was wishing she was. Maybe she could smother someone with the blanket?

[seeks_truth]

"It does not appear so," Cassandra said, gritting her teeth.

She was looking around and doing another visual sweep just in case.

"I do not understand the meaning of this."

[hexentotchen]

"I'm not certain what we're accomplishing either." Hanna fought a yawn, and looked around at everyone in their pajamas. "...aside from the student body catching colds."

[kenselvren]

Oh, hey, look - someone else with a knife! Jalian had managed her sheaths, but hadn't taken the time to hide them.

"This is your first 'fire drill'?"

[seeks_truth]

"My first what?" Cassandra asked flatly. "Explain."

[kenselvren]

Jalian gave Cassandra a look for her abruptness, and considered telling her...something terrible. But she remembered fighting the eels, and Cassandra had been a good fighter, so she'd give her a pass this time.

Plus she couldn't think of anything really good.

"They test our reaction time," she explained. "If the building were on fire, could we get out in time?"

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra grunted in annoyance. "Ugh," she said. "I suppose that is important."

But still, ugh. One would think drills were more useful if the students were informed they may occur and how to behave.

[kenselvren]

"It would make more sense if they drilled us about other things," Jalian said, sounding a bit aggrieved. "There's never been a fire since I've been here, but there have been several attacks."

[seeks_truth]

"Agreed," Cassandra said, nodding. "I know there is instruction in self-defense at the school for people of various levels of experience, but it would be more useful for regular training of the entire student body to take place. At least if these attacks are a regular occurrence."

[kenselvren]

Jalian nodded in agreement. "That would be much more useful. Even the ones who don't fight could learn to shield themselves and run." And she could get back to sleep.

[seeks_truth]

"Perhaps I shall entreat the leadership to consider it when this farce is over," Cassandra said.

[kenselvren]

"Wake them up to join us," Jalian suggested. "See how they like it."

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra considered it.

"No," she said.

That would be disrespectful.

[kenselvren]

Also probably a bad idea. Which was half the reason Jalian had suggested it. She shrugged. "They need practice, too."

[seeks_truth]

"Do not mistake my meaning," Cassandra said. "I feel it is a show of poor character that they are not willing to weather the same inconveniences they inflict on their subordinates."

Because they were subordinates, surely.

"But it is not our place to enforce it."

Just to judge. A lot.