T.O.C.

It has been several years since my brother, who is practically like a brother in all but blood to me, last saw his original court. They were the ones who supported him, guided him, and provided him with everything he needed. In return, he rewarded them greatly. However, as time passed, the connection between them gradually faded away. Now, both Cathlin and I have made a firm decision to locate his original court. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

No...

It was not.

Even with changed names.

We could not find them.

They were gone.

or were they

July 19, 2032

REUNIION

"Hey Lis, they misspelled 'reunion'," Cathlin pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," Lis replied nonchalantly.

Cathlin frowned, doubting the legitimacy of the event. "Is this legit?"

Lis nodded. "Yep."

Cathlin glanced up at the pouring rain, her hope waning. "Is the rain going to let up?"

Lis shook her head, emphasizing the gloomy forecast. "Nope," she said, popping the 'p'.

They stood outside an old factory building in the director's old hometown county, a place that used to be their home too. However, that detail wasn't important for them to mention now. The rain was no ordinary drizzle; it was a torrential downpour, drenching the earth and causing flooded roads. Despite their broken umbrella and inadequate raincoats, they had ventured out, determined to find the original court for the director. The event before them catered to graduates spanning from 2022 to 2027, but not everyone was showing up. Nevertheless, they decided that it was important to take the risk and locate the old court, and this place seemed to be their best bet.

They exchanged glances, silently communicating their determination, and then stepped into the foyer of the old building. It was surprisingly quiet and dry, two things they desperately wished for. They looked to their left and noticed a sign-in sheet on a tablet. There were separate tablets for visitors and alumni. Lis grabbed the visitors' tablet while Cathlin took the alumni tablet. With a swift stroke, they signed in, adding their names and reasons for their visit. Below is what they wrote:

Name: Cathlin (Cee) Sterzen

Lesaina (Lis) Siservven

Signing in or out? In.

Reason for visit? Proxies to an alumnus.

Once they signed in, Cathlin and Lis hung up their coats and stepped into the school. It was still early, around 7:45, so the hallways were fairly empty. The school had a pleasant atmosphere, with bright lighting and walls painted in a soothing neutral blue color. As they ventured further inside, they were greeted by a friendly staff member named Cosl.

"Hello, my name is Cosl. May I know yours?" he asked, extending his hand in greeting.

"Hi, my name is Lis," she replied, shaking his hand. Cathlin followed suit and introduced herself. "And my name is Cee."

Cosl seemed a bit puzzled by their names. "I'm not aware of those names. Are you related to someone here?"

Lis took the lead in explaining their connection. "Yes, we are proxies for one of your alumni. I'm his sister in all but blood, and Cee is his girlfriend and secretary."

Cathlin chuckled and playfully slapped Lis on the shoulder. "Well, welcome! It's nice to have you here. If you know his original advisory, you can stay in there. Are you familiar with where that is?"

Cathlin and Lis nodded in unison and replied eagerly, "Explore."

They walked through the main room, passing through a door that bore the word 'explore' on its surface. Stepping inside, they were greeted with a surprising sight. One of the court members, a girl with striking features, stood in the room engrossed in conversation with a teacher. The girl stood at a height of 5'8", her hair flowing black with a distinct stripe of white and a vibrant shade of red adorning the left side of her face. Lis and Cathlin exchanged glances, their smiles communicating their shared understanding. One down, four more to go.

They patiently waited for the teacher to finish his conversation with the mysterious girl before approaching him. Cathlin deftly slipped a piece of paper into the girl's back pocket without her noticing. With the coast clear, they finally approached the teacher, who appeared to be quite interesting. Introducing himself as Jnass, he greeted the girls warmly. "Hello, my name is Jnass."

Lis extended her hand and replied, "Hi, my name is Lis, and this is Cathlin. We are proxies for an alumnus who unfortunately couldn't make it."

Jnass's face displayed a mix of surprise and confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What was their name?"

"we call him the director, but here they were known here as H."

A momentary confusion flickered across his face before Jnass leaned over the table and handed the two girls a packet of papers. "This is the schedule for the week."

Thanking him, Lis and Cathlin found a place to sit. They opened up the schedule and perused its contents.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

8:30-9:00 advisory

9:00-10:00 Session one

10:00-10:40 Morning Meeting

10:40-11:40 Session 2

11:40-12:20 lunch

12:20-1:20 Session 3

1:20-2:20 end of day (set in advisory.)

2:20-2:30 dismissal

Tuesday/Thursday

8:30-9:00 advisory

9:00-9:30 Guest speaker

9:30-11:40 What everyone does

11:40-12:20 lunch

12:20-12:40 life work

12:40-1:20 end of day (set in advisory.)

1:20-1:30 dismissal

When they finished looking at the schedule, Lis glanced around the room and noticed that it was beginning to fill up. Approximately 15 people had arrived, including the girl she had encountered earlier, accompanied by her husband or boyfriend. Lis playfully poked Cathlin's ribs, directing her attention towards the teacher who was discussing the agenda and assigning locations for various activities. Their first session was scheduled to take place with Selas on the opposite side of the school.

As they made their way back to their seats, the teacher suddenly announced a no-technology policy and instructed everyone to engage in silent reading. Lis and Cathlin nodded in understanding and promptly retrieved two books from out of nowhere. The first book, titled "Be Damned, You're Mine" by Bromithere Jones, intrigued Lis, while the second book, "Death by Angering Your Boss" by Slilzzerks Malsklin Jones, caught Cathlin's attention. Both of them flipped to the bookmarked page and commenced reading.

In session one, an intriguing and middle-aged woman by the name of Selas initiated a discussion on creativity and inquired about individuals who worked with this aspect in their profession. She managed to engage and converse with six different people before the session concluded. The group then proceeded to a morning meeting.

During the morning meeting, Lis and Cathlin seemed distracted as they had just encountered their second person for discussion. With only three more individuals to go, their attention wavered. One of the girls they focused on was notably short, measuring around 4'6. Despite her stature, her kind countenance and the military uniform she wore made her appear beautiful. The second girl they targeted had dirty blond hair, styled in a bun, and stood at about 5'10. She was dressed casually but upon closer observation, Lis noticed a hidden blade, much like her own. Could this indicate a role in security?

Moving on to session two, they came across another girl who stood at 5'4 and wore a black skirt and shirt. A distinctive baseball cap adorned with a galloping horse caught their attention.

However, frustration built up as they were unable to locate the final person by Thursday. In their annoyance, they left the last piece of paper detailing their search information on a random desk.

Friday, July 23, 2032

The group reconvened in Selas' room for the first session on Friday. This time, it was Lis and Cathlin's turn to discuss the types of creativity they had witnessed in their work. Cathlin, with her hands clasped in front of her, began the conversation by asking, "What kinds of creativity have we seen?" She scanned the room, her face lighting up with a smile, before turning her attention to Lis.

"We have seen it in every step we take," Lis replied. She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then continued, "Our boss is an incredibly creative individual. He holds leadership positions in not just ten but..." Lis counted the figures on her fingers, momentarily seeking assistance from Cathlin, Cathlin added "with over thirty subsidiary companies and corporations. He is involved in twenty factories, and three shipyards, and has stakes in the economic systems of eighteen countries."

Lis continued "He has kept us on our toes, constantly coming up with new ideas and offering his expertise to assist numerous companies. Once he revealed his true abilities, it made a significant impact on all of us."

Cathlin nodded in agreement and chimed in, "He can be a bit enigmatic at times, but his creativity is truly remarkable. He manages to make the world a better place while also wielding a certain level of influence in the darkness to keep it at bay you could say he has his hand dipped in the black licorice jar."

Cathlin and Lis exchanged glances, their smiles growing wider. In perfect synchronization, they switched between each other to deliver their final remarks, "However, if you wish to form an unbiased opinion, I encourage you to explore the UN news platform. There, you can find all the information you need regarding our boss."

The second session was spent with Dmb, a short-haired man whose stature stood in stark contrast to Lis's towering 6'5" figure and Cathlin's 5'11" persona. Standing at just 5'5", Dmb sat down with the group and expressed his interest in learning about their lives and work experiences.

Cathlin went first, confidently stating, "I work as a secretary, but not just any secretary. I'm a direct secretary to our boss, managing all of his work and meetings. Sometimes, I even attend meetings on his behalf. My day begins at 5:00 AM and ends at 9:00 PM, and I get paid based on the amount of work I do, not by the hour. On average, I earn around $800 a day, which translates to about $22,000 a month." The class was left in awe, their jaws dropping at the staggering amount Cathlin was making. It was more than what most of them earned in three to four months combined.

Lis chimed in next, with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I, too, work as a secretary, but I also double as a trainer for the security company and a ship drafter. My monthly income amounts to around $45,000. The best part is, I get to work on my own time. Oh, and did I mention that I am the leader of the largest prank war in the building? I've pulled off over 500 pranks! Well, only three people have been sent to the hospital so far, but hey, I call that a win." Although the class was amazed at Lis's earnings, they couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive about the pranks that resulted in hospital visits.

After answering a few more questions, the group decided to break for lunch. Dmb couldn't help but ponder the numbers he had just heard. He jotted down the figures on a sheet of paper to calculate their annual incomes. "$264,000 and $540,000?!," he whispered to himself, astonished at the amount of money Lis and Cathlin were making.

Curiosity got the better of Dmb, and during their lunch break, he couldn't help but wonder about their boss. If Lis and Cathlin were making almost half a million dollars a year, how much was their boss earning? With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Dmb sat down with them for lunch, enjoying some mouth-watering pre-made Russian food, given to him by Lis and Cathlin.

session 3 final

They attended a job opportunity lecture conducted by Ecic, but found it dull since they were content with their current employment. After enduring the class for just 20 minutes, they decided to explore the surrounding area, engaging in conversations with various individuals. Eventually, they reconvened at the conference table, which was positioned at the heart of the building.

after school.

They had found 4 of the 5 court members. and were going to travel to Japan with them.

Japan, Kyoto, Yakuza House. Sunday, August 6th, 2032.

"You two were gone for an entire week and now you come back acting strange," he asked confronting Lis and Cathlin, his voice filled with confusion and concern. "And why are you bringing me to Kyottono House? What the fuck is going on?"

Cathlin, with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, leaned in closer to him. "Oh, my dear," she began, her voice dripping with anticipation. "Why don't you take a look?"

With that, Cathlin and Lis opened the doors, revealing five individuals standing before them. They bowed respectfully, then straightened up, their smiles wide and welcoming. He turned to Cathlin, his curiosity piqued. "Fate brought us here, and I believe it's time for you to reunite with your court," she whispered, her words meant only for him and Cathlin.

Overwhelmed with emotion, He took a step forward and embraced the first person he saw. Soon, the others joined in, and they all separated, wearing smiles of pure joy.

The presence of Selas, the embodiment of education;

A, the symbol of art;

Lana, representing animals;

Sha, who epitomized love and life;

and Shelia, the embodiment of the military.

This meant that this court was now complete. He vowed to ensure that they would stay together and thrive.

Stepping back, He looked at his reunited court with a sense of pride. "Welcome home, My Shadow Court!" he announced, his voice filled with determination. Their eyes turned towards him, united, and spoke in perfect unison. "FOR THE LOVE OF SYCAMORE!" they declared passionately. These individuals were the guardians of light in every field they represented. They were the ones who would keep the darkness at bay, using their abilities to control and vanquish the shadows that threatened their beloved Sycamore. In that moment, they were no longer just individuals – they were the Sycamorain Fleet leaders, ready to conquer the challenges ahead.

note: (all names have been coded)

abrevations

Cosl: Co name, sl School Leader

Jnass: Jn name, ass American social studies, J is silent

Selas: s first name, ELA English language arts, s last name

ecic: Ec name, ic internship coordinator. the last c is silent

dmb: D first name, M math, B last name, read dumb