This was a good opportunity to back down when challenged. He needed to after stepping up and right over the line the last time he'd been challenged. Kon stood on tiptoe to look down in the hole.
"I'm gonna need a minute to stew that one over. Roll it around in my head a little bit."
"I'll do it," Beatrice said suddenly, before Eric could respond, stepping forward, and Kon ducked his head to hide a little smile.
She was staring at him and Cassie, with something a little like awe on her face - or maybe guilt. It was clear to see that their little dive to save Christina had affected her. She looked like she wanted to challenge herself. So she stepped forward, taking off her jacket, peering over the edge.
"Yeah, stiff, take it off," one of the other recruits, a Candor transfer, joked nastily. "Put it back on - OW."
The punch to the arm he got from Kon was less than subtle.
Beatrice slowly climbed up onto the ledge, looking down at the gaping chasm.
"Any day now, recruit," said Eric.
After steeling herself with a deep breath, she finally jumped.
"Atta girl," Kon muttered to himself.
Eric waited several minutes until a whistle came up from below. "Next."
Now Kon stepped forward.
"Oh, now you're not afraid, after the stiff already went?" asked Eric.
"What can I say? I'm a follower, not a leader. Monkey see -" He climbed up on the ledge, his back facing the drop, crossed his arms, and grinned. "Monkey do."
Unlike Beatrice, he didn't hesitate, flopping backwards with the kind of abandon that came of being born with flight. To him, there was nothing more natural than the wind in his hair and the feeling of free fall. It did take a lot of fighting his own instincts to not catch himself at the bottom with his flight though, but he managed to, landing in the massive net that was stretched out there.
Then, just to be a giant, giant dick, he shouted up loud enough for the others to hear: "HEY! THERE'S A NET DOWN HERE! COOL!"
Next to the net, Four - the man that'd tried to stop him from pummeling Eric, pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're not supposed to tell the recruits that are left - never mind. Move."
"Whoops."
Kon hopped out of the net and walked over to where Tris was waiting.
Back up where the other recruits were, Eric was also pinching the bridge of his nose.
"How," said the other Erudite Boy quietly. "How did someone like him come from Erudite? How?"
no subject
This was a good opportunity to back down when challenged. He needed to after stepping up and right over the line the last time he'd been challenged. Kon stood on tiptoe to look down in the hole.
"I'm gonna need a minute to stew that one over. Roll it around in my head a little bit."
"I'll do it," Beatrice said suddenly, before Eric could respond, stepping forward, and Kon ducked his head to hide a little smile.
She was staring at him and Cassie, with something a little like awe on her face - or maybe guilt. It was clear to see that their little dive to save Christina had affected her. She looked like she wanted to challenge herself. So she stepped forward, taking off her jacket, peering over the edge.
"Yeah, stiff, take it off," one of the other recruits, a Candor transfer, joked nastily. "Put it back on - OW."
The punch to the arm he got from Kon was less than subtle.
Beatrice slowly climbed up onto the ledge, looking down at the gaping chasm.
"Any day now, recruit," said Eric.
After steeling herself with a deep breath, she finally jumped.
"Atta girl," Kon muttered to himself.
Eric waited several minutes until a whistle came up from below. "Next."
Now Kon stepped forward.
"Oh, now you're not afraid, after the stiff already went?" asked Eric.
"What can I say? I'm a follower, not a leader. Monkey see -" He climbed up on the ledge, his back facing the drop, crossed his arms, and grinned. "Monkey do."
Unlike Beatrice, he didn't hesitate, flopping backwards with the kind of abandon that came of being born with flight. To him, there was nothing more natural than the wind in his hair and the feeling of free fall. It did take a lot of fighting his own instincts to not catch himself at the bottom with his flight though, but he managed to, landing in the massive net that was stretched out there.
Then, just to be a giant, giant dick, he shouted up loud enough for the others to hear: "HEY! THERE'S A NET DOWN HERE! COOL!"
Next to the net, Four - the man that'd tried to stop him from pummeling Eric, pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're not supposed to tell the recruits that are left - never mind. Move."
"Whoops."
Kon hopped out of the net and walked over to where Tris was waiting.
Back up where the other recruits were, Eric was also pinching the bridge of his nose.
"How," said the other Erudite Boy quietly. "How did someone like him come from Erudite? How?"
"Next!" shouted Eric, sounding very agitated.