Today is certainly a good day. The sky is bright, the birds are singing! There is a flaming cat running across a frozen lake that houses a school of fish that explode if they get too agitated. Most certainly a normal day.
Well aside from all the abnormal magical and mystical creatures both on and off leashes. Today marks the third week that I transmigrated into the body of Sophia, who I most certainly happily share a name with myself. It would be confusing otherwise. Said Sophia, the one prior to this Sophia, was dead in her room which basically was a shack from fever. From the memories I inherited she was an orphan living day to day trying to graduate from a beast tamer program in her high school with grades high enough to exempt her from having to pay for the awakening ceremony at the end of the school year which happened to perfectly coincide with our birthday.
In this world once you are 18 you may awaken your talent, a supernatural ability that will aid you in your beast cultivation journey. Whether that ability is amazing or basic is all down to your fortune.
Today happens to be a good day! Most certainly because three weeks of diligent and harrowing study to try to assimilate into this world and to place high enough in my finals to allow me to forgo paying for the awakening ceremony is over and the results I checked in the community library on the way to class showed I just barely managed to squeeze into the top 50 of my grade, the cutoff for the prize.
I an avid fan of the copyright game of battle pets that shall not be named finally have the opportunity to experience a wonderful world of adventure. Or maybe college if my talent is good enough or my pet is amazing enough to qualify. Though I am 8 years older than the protagonist of said copywrite game?
Well details, details. Unimportant things!
Following the road towards the school several interesting and cute creatures catch my eye. From cat and dog look alikes to other more mythical creatures, though most of the ones here are harmless and rather low tiered. Creatures without extraordinary potential or potential still untapped as one of the books I read mentioned. I manage to pass the lake hearing only one small explosion as my pace hastens and my hum follows. Today is most certainly a day I won't forget.
...
...
The class settles down when the homeroom instructor Miss Jacobs comes in. A nice lady who often took care of the previous Sophia and the other less entitled kids in her class, not so say she treated them differently in an excessive way but rather that she asked about their going ons and made sure they were able to successfully progress in their education should that be their goal. In my previous life I had no real sense of love or attachment to people of either gender but the butterflies I have here certainly make obvious the feeling this body... or rather the me now has when interacting with the gentle, kind and beautiful Miss Jacobs.
Well her and the fairer half of the student population, especially those who share any of the aforementioned traits. Well... Not anyone there was one person that did lay firm claim to beauty that I don't think would ever allow for my tummy to tingle.
"Alright everyone." Miss Jacobs most elegantly says, "Today most of you should be aware of the grades you received to finish out the school year. I am happy to have 3 people in my class within the top 50 eligible to first awaken later today alongside being exempt from paying the fine to do so. Everyone else that wishes to attend the ceremony this month, so long as you passed the exams, may make their payment at the Beastmasters Guild in city square. I would like to especially congratulate Layla Bright for placing first in our year."
Ending her nice speech the class claps at an appropriate level. Speak of the devil and she will appear. Well devil may be harsh, she wasn't the worst person in our year but she was certainly the worst to Sophia. She made an effort to go out of her way to tease me about my living situation on more than one occasion. Your typical rich Bitch so to speak, very popular within our year and most certainly the most beautiful person in our year as well. My humble self would place myself slightly below her in that respect so long as I had the opportunity to clean up and show it.
To describe myself? Well there are most certainly different types of pretty and beautiful and we fall in very different categories. She is tall and has thighs of thunder along with a very confident aura surrounding her and a figure that some people claim to want to kill for. Long Platinum blonde hair that falls down to her lower back that whence transmigrated I thought to have been dyed. Turns out weird hair colors are normal here. Let's not even mention facial features, I most certainly don't get butterflies when I see her! I promise!
On the other hand I fall into the mousy category, a solid 4 foot 11 even. Most everything I own happens to be a few sizes too big and old, hiding everything about myself. I'm not against this sort of look, rather it's quite comfortable. It just isn't really doing much for the little amount of figure I actually have. I have small features and a button nose alongside short hair that wonderfully finishes the shy nerdy mousy beauty look. Or rather would finish said look if I drew any attention and get some care products for my skin. Oh did I mention Glasses?
In all actuality I think the reason Sophia looked at the ground so much was the weight on her face from these things forced her to. Fortunately the applause and veneration of Layla ended swiftly and Miss Jacobs gave us an overview on how to behave come the ceremony and that regardless of the level of talent we have and the ability in question we all have the chance to pursue a better future, all talents have a purpose.
After her lecture, unfortunately the last I get to watch her give, we make our way to the Guild which happens to be only a few blocks away from our institution forming a line based on ranking. Unfortunately during the process I did have a brief altercation with Miss Perfect everything. And by altercation I mean bumped into her and almost fell followed by a snide and quiet mean remark.
"Watch it Mouse. Today is important to me, I don't need your poverty to ruin my fortune."
Well... quite mean. Fortunately today was my first step in a grand adventure so I mustered myself to come back with a biting response!
"Sorry...."
Well.... I should probably mention that both current Sophia and previous Sophia shared crippling social anxiety. So snide comebacks and confidence stay pretty firmly rooted in the land of make believe. But make believe Sophia just made make believe Layla cry so all is fine!
Making my way to the place designated I watch the line behind me stretch to a few hundred as the people taking part in this monthly ceremony prepare themselves mentally. It's quite interesting how the wave of anxiety affecting most of the students has quelled any unrest, usually it would go the other way creating more problems. The strict rules in place for the ceremony most likely being the reason everyone is so well behaved. Waiting a month or more to awaken can put you far behind your peers and affect your University entrance chances.
I look forward, my own nerves stretching my focus as I look for clues that we are about to begin. spotting the principal and some other people, some reporters and some others who I can only assume to be University scouts here to cherry pick outstanding talents. The principal raises and the surroundings go quiet. His booming voice following
"Let the Awakening Ceremony Begin!"