Chapter Text
“The student council has decided after long discussions and a… productive intervention of our precious dean, that Pandora University should open its exchange program with the northern branch on Yggdrasil. This will allow less fortunate students to come and enjoy the privileges of Pandora while also giving us the chance to visit their own campus, and maybe even offer help,” the young woman at the head of the table pronounced, her stack of paper slapping against the mahogany wood.
Whispers traversed the audience, a dozen of other students gathered one fine afternoon, the sun high over the distant skyline of the city. Was this really a good idea? The Yggdrasil branch of State University was known to be defensive of their own pride, and sometimes even slightly envious of Pandora, who gathered every award so easily, never letting others lavish in the excitement of it. And although students at Pandora recognised this disparity in school achievements, they knew that deep down, their Yggdrasil counterpart was mainly jealous of the marble infrastructures, decor and rich materials that seemed natural in their buildings.
Hell, their library had some of the first printed editions of Ish’s rules, one of the most important documents shaping the main religion of the world. They could deny it however they wanted, Pandora was luckier than Yggdrasil.
But it was bound to change.
Someone raised their hand in the audience. The woman dropped her sheets of paper and made a vague gesture in their direction.
“Yes Mrs Korulein, what is your question?”
“Thank you Jophiel for this excellent presentation, but I still have some doubts regarding the accuracy of the campaign. Are we seriously thinking about sending our students to Yggdrasil? Is it not dangerous? I mean, I understand that an exchange must go both ways, that is clearly logical, but I still fear that our students might be a bit disoriented to discover the other side of the coin.”
“Realising our mistakes and understanding why the anger is building up in our sister branch is part of this mission, Mrs Korulein,” Jophiel said, her brows furrowing slightly.
She had been explaining the same things over and over again, blatantly ignoring the huffs and scoffs coming from the end of the table, where the literal son of the University founder sat, arms crossed. In one of the adjacent rooms, someone – probably Madzvie, the school's most renowned musician – was playing the piano in a melancholic, dramatic way, perfectly accentuating their harsh situation.
Jophiel kindly wished for this meeting to be over so she could just go back to her dorm, sleep peacefully and perhaps call her brothers if they were free. With university homeworks and exams piling up, she had barely had the time to catch up with them, especially since she had been appointed president of the student council.
Which, by extension, meant dealing with the entire school board, administration and very dubious teachers.
“I do think that one of the first things we need to do is let them come, see if they like us or not, and then, we will send our own students to Yggdrasil,” Mrs Korulein argued back. “It is unfortunate that they do not share our wealth, but it would be logically and realistically easier to expect them to be part of the exchange program first.”
“You do not want Pandora students to see the lack of care that had been put in Yggdrasil, that is what I hear,” another man said, raising questions and concerns among the assembly.
Mrs Korulein flushed a deeper shade of pink in embarrassment as she rose from her chair, palms flat against the table.
“Sitzkrieg! On which side are you? We had agreed on this.”
“I am on whatever side you are not,” he yawned, pretending to look at his fingers, adorned with silver rings. Jophiel rolled her eyes at their blatant, ludicrous feud. Mrs Korulein and Mr Sitzkrieg, both professors of geopolitical relationships known for their conflicts, refused to put their difference in opinion aside even during formal meetings.
Although Jophiel had never had any class with either of them, she knew not to let them go on, or else they would all be stuck for hours here.
“Perhaps we should hear out everyone. I understand every point of view and argument raised today. My proposition is that we must show kindness to our Yggdrasil counterpart. By welcoming them here and offering great tuition as well as interesting class material, we also show our will to improve their life. If they are satisfied, they will promote the program and we will have more impact on Yggdrasil itself. When renovations and improvements are shown, then our own students can be sent in exchange,” a senior student said, her pinkish hair moving as she stared at every member of the assembly.
“Thank you Cass for your insight,” Jophiel said. “I can agree to that proposition, but we will have to focus on details later, we are running out of time now.” She checked her watch, only to groan at what she saw back. Her next class was in five minutes and she had to run across campus to be present. “About the financial cost of this operation, I am formally asking for funds to at least welcome the first batch of students that might come to Pandora. We cannot ask them for money if they are already struggling, that would be an awful first impression of us.”
“And who exactly is going to pay?” Mr Sitzkrieg asked. “Not that I believe Pandora is poor, but we cannot say we are willing to throw money out of the window for a program that might not function in the long run.”
“You have to believe in it for it to work,” Jophiel reminded him, serious. “If anyone has an idea regarding the funding of the campaign, I would gladly listen and note. The sooner we access those funds, the earlier we can start the official process.”
Someone on the other end of the table coughed. In a matter of seconds, everyone had redirected their attention to the young man sitting in a corner, his gentle smile hidden behind a closed fist. Of course, Jophiel thought.
Who else?
“If I may, I might know someone who could help.”
“That would be formidable Ender,” Jophiel smiled back. “If you can transmit the information to me as soon as you obtain it, I can make it pass through the council’s vote once again, and then… Then we will be able to start the project.”
The sight of relief that traversed the room sent a wave of easiness in the audience. Jophiel thanked them one by one, waving off and using the excuse of her lecture to eclipse her presence as soon as possible. If others were still discussing the terms of the university exchange, then it was not her responsibility anymore.
She passed a hand in her hair and breathed deeply. Who knew running for student council presidency would make her life this hard?
Later this evening, curled up in bed, hugging her cow plush close to her chest, she searched for her latest conversations and clicked on the call button of the first. The dial tone lasted for exactly two seconds before a loud voice replied on the other side of the line.
“Jophiel!”
“Hey Micro,” she smiled despite herself, switching swiftly to a video call instead. The sight that greeted her was that of half of her brother’s face, too close to the camera to her liking, his white hair a mess on his head and his golden eyes shining. He looked young. “How is it going?”
“I should ask you this, you haven’t called in ages.”
She scoffed. “Come on, do not exaggerate. I have been busy lately… if you decide to go for president of the student council one day, you will understand what I am talking about. That and the thesis… I’m drowning under all the work.”
“I wish our president was as good as you. All he does is show off in the hallways and talk loudly. You would hate him.”
“Is that so?”
“Asbolutely. He likes Saps, tho’,” Micro shrugged on camera and looked in the background. Jophiel heard a door open and then, as if prompted by the family's sudden reunion, another white haired head appeared right before her.
Saparata was still the same, looking just as she remembered. His hair was the same as Micro, a pure shade of white, but his eyes were darker than his brother’s, looking closer to the hue of Jophiel’s. His face was a bit more marked by time and exhaustion, but all in all, he could pass as Micro’s perfect copy despite their two years difference.
He smiled at Jophiel and slumped on the bed, making Micro yelp next to him.
“You whale, can’t you be more delicate?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “Don’t act like you don’t do the same too.”
“Hey, I never did that.”
“Yes you do!”
“No I don’t–”
“Alright guys,” Jophiel intervened. “Don’t fight, you’re going to give me grey hair and I’m barely twenty five.”
“Old as hell,” Micro said. “You’re this close to the retirement house granny.”
“Oh you are not getting the exchange program,” Jophiel smiled. “I thought I would give you guys a little heads up and maybe push your application forward but since you spend your entire time insulting me, perhaps I will send it straight to the trashcan instead.”
What greeted her was a mess of protestation on both sides. Micro arguing that he did not deserve to be punished this heavily since he was simply telling the truth, and Saps muttering about unfairness in suffering what was supposed to be Micro’s entire guilt.
In the end, their banter reached her heart and she laughed, simply appreciating the ease of her brothers. Leaving home had been a difficult decision, and she missed her country, but Pandora had so much to offer, she could not pass on the occasion.
Eventually, their banter died down.
“So, did they actually accept it?” Saps asked, his face squished in the corner of the screen. “Is it official?”
“Will be soon, if… If we gather funds.”
“It’s always about money, isn’t it. Micro knows more than me about this.”
“To be fair, we don’t learn much in economy classes,” he rolled his eyes. “All we know is that we should always be bold and never back down. That’s all I remember.”
“You are going to fail your finals,” Saps laughed.
“Don’t worry about that, I have everything prepared, there is no reason for me to fail. I’ve passed my two first years.”
“Everyone wonders how.”
“Did you not almost fail one of your modules last year?” Micro asked back, all smugness and cunning airs. Jophiel could almost feel the air heat up far in Yggdrasil, one wrong move was all it would take for Saps to suddenly launch himself at his brother and nearly suffocate him under his own weight.
As someone who was not ready to take a boat and cross the channel to attend her sibling’s funeral, she quickly stopped them.
“You act like children. I feel like you’re five again.”
“And you’re too busy acting like an adult to be having fun,” Micro said back. “Come on Jo’, life is too short to be this preoccupied by your duties. Plus, everyone likes you in Pandora, you’re basically their favourite. Perhaps you could, I don’t know… Relax a bit and lay back.”
“I know damn well if I do, nobody is going to be taking it seriously. They all think it’s easy and simple to be the president. Attend meetings, parade in the hallways and say hello to everyone, sign at the bottom of the page. But I’d be doomed if it were just that. They seem to forget I create almost everything they touch with their hands on campus, I pass every new decision regarding their life, even what the cafeteria menu should be, and I have to mediate meetings because those stupid adults cannot behave. I swear, if you two come for the program, be sure never to have Korulein or Sitzkrieg as your professors, they are awful.”
“What do they teach?” Saps asked.
“Something about political sciences, I don’t know, I was never really interested in that anyways, but I could always ask someone else…” Jophiel yawned. It was getting late and she had a class at eight tomorrow morning. It had been a long time since she last had a full night of sleep, and the discussion was dragging on longer than she had expected. She loved her brothers deeply, but her mattress and pillows were calling for her.
Micro and Saps seemed to notice because they quickly said their goodbyes and cut the call before she could retort that she was fine.
“So,” they said at the same time.
“We’re definitely applying,” Saps said.
“Oh absolutely. Do you want to let them ruin Jophiel? She’s barely sleeping, we need to make sure her life goes back on track before it’s impossible to restore.”
“Then it’s decided. As soon as she tells us we can, we apply and pray. At least one of us should get in.”
With a knowing nod, they both started formulating their plan. They were oddly satisfied with their life in Yggdrasil despite the recurrent shortages, electric issues and lack of pamphlets for class. It added to the landscape of their university. But if they could save Jophiel from her tormentors, they would gladly jump in the first boat for Pandora. Her health depended on them.
On the other side of the large city, the manor stood tall at the end of a clean path. Each tree was trimmed to perfection and the water of the fountain kept flowing nicely, flowers decorating the ancient statues running alongside the paved way. Ender pushed the gate and entered the residence. He sighed as he noticed his father’s car parked nearby.
At least, today, he would not have to wait hours for him to appear before proposing his demands.
The house was already filled with the aroma of dinner, and when Ender removed his shoes and stepped into the kitchen, he saw his father whistling at the stove, wooden spatula mixing ingredients in a pan. He turned around at the sudden presence and waved at his son.
“How were classes today?” He asked, trying to grin like he had been instructed to. His smile was still cranky, too practiced and stiff, but Ender enjoyed the effort. He walked up and inhaled the smell of food.
“You’re getting good at cooking stuff.”
Elanuelo rolled his eyes.
“I don’t have much choice. If Turkey had accepted to remain with us, I wouldn’t have to do all that,” he gestured at the mountain of dishes piled in the sink. “He is a much better cook than I am.”
“He would be happy to see you try at least.”
“Probably… You haven’t answered me, how were classes?”
Ender pondered his possible answers. Honestly, he had no issues following his curriculum. Classes had always been an easy task for him, and if he were transparent with his feelings, he would even say that it was mostly useless since he would probably inherit his father’s fortune and real estate empire in the years to come.
Still, he enjoyed the feeling of waking up with a purpose in the morning and seeing his father nod with appreciation when he brought good grades back home. Ender knew his siblings shared the same feelings.
“It was nice,” he settled on. “Mr Alke was sick so he didn’t show up today, but other than that, it went well.”
“Did you see Flux today? I left before I could catch him earlier and I wondered if he was alright. This kid is too often stuck in his room for his own good.”
“About that…” Ender started, not sure how to ask his father the big question. Perhaps starting from the start would be a great idea, he did not know how much Fluixon had told Elanuelo already. “We had a meeting with the student council today.”
“Oh? Go on.”
“Did Flux tell you about the exchange program?”
“I remember something like that,” Elanuelo nodded, turning back to his vegetables which were starting to burn in the pan. With a hiss — and a curse — he mixed with renewed fervor and sighed once everything seemed under control. “I’m listening, you can continue.”
Ender gulped and passed a hand on his face, unsure of how to go on. His father was not against the idea of this program, per se, but would he be ready to finance it? That was another question, and although Ender knew he was on top of the favourite sibling list, he was also aware of his own limits.
He muttered a curse under his breath. If only Turkey had not left.
“They want Yggdrasil students to come to Pandora for a semester or two, so they can access our classes and resources. In exchange, some of our students would go to Yggdrasil later. It could potentially create a great link between the two branches and tighten our bonds.”
Elanuelo hummed slowly, acquiescing as he listened carefully. Flux had not gone into too many details, but perhaps that had to do with his own careful nature. He probably did not see the program in a good light.
“Well, I see no issue with it.”
“They want to offer scholarships for Yggdrasil students,” Ender said, beating the dead horse. There was no need to circle around anymore, Elanuelo would have questioned this sooner than later. He was a business man at core.
“How do they plan on doing that?”
“So… I might have offered your help for that.”
Elanuelo stopped. He cleaned his hand with the napkin on his right and leaned back against the counter. His son was a smart man. Perhaps too smart for his own good sometimes, but Elanuelo could say that about each of his three children. Ender was thoughtful, Flux was a strategist and Cynikka was determined. They had gotten that from him, and he knew that one day, it would go back at him like a boomerang.
“You told them I would pay?”
“I say you could help. Heavy on the help.”
“Help or not is not the question, and we both know it,” he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “I’ll have to talk to Solev about that.”
“I think he will agree. Hell, he would even pay by himself if he could.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, Cynikka can come back to Pandora if this program comes to light. Haven’t you heard how much he has been missing her these past months? He has been mourning her as if she were dead. The old man could take a boat if he wanted, that would free everyone from his litany.”
Elanuelo, despite himself, scoffed in laughter. As a witness of his own father’s clear favouritism, he could understand why the idea of Cynikka coming back to Pandora was so enticing all of a sudden.
But it had been Turkey’s idea to bring her along for his Yggdrasil expedition. The girl had been way too excited to visit the landscape of the volcanic land, and nobody had been able to say no. Now, eight years later, Elanuelo regretted sending her with his… Husband? They were not married, but acted in the same manner, just without a ring.
This could mean marriage in some ways. Not that they had ever cared for labels anyways. He settled on ‘partner’ in the end.
“I can agree. But this will not be enough to convince me to… Help everyone with this scholarship. Do you know how much this could cost? Not only transportations, but lodging, food, classes, amenities… that for a whole semester, for a whole batch of students. Not that we are struggling, but my benevolence has its limits.”
And in Ender’s head, a light bulb switched on. He grinned, Cheshire like, and approached with caution, until he was close enough to whisper in his father’s ears. Several seconds passed without any reaction, but Ender knew he had won.
Old feuds and conflicts always resurfaced when the timing was right, and Ender knew exactly how to exploit those wounds.
“I hope you know what you are doing,” Elanuelo stared harshly at him.
“See, I cannot imagine any other possible outcome. This is perfection.”
With one last sigh, Elanuelo turned the stove off.
He severely regretted having intelligent children.