[✔] Someone Named Xelqua (Hermitcraft Fanfiction)

X.

(I'm having trouble with the plotline of the next few chapters. I have the events planned out, I just don't know how to connect them. If it starts to get confusing, I'm sorry. I'll try to clear it as much as possible, while getting the chapters out as often as I can..)

{Heads up: possible excessive timeskips in the upcoming chapters}

I winced at the sound of cheek and palm meeting. Someone just got slapped for speaking English. A red handprint was visible on their face. Even though it's been three months since we arrived here, people still haven't learned that English isn't tolerable. Galactic. Only Galactic can be used to communicate.

I shared a look with Zachariah, who was sitting at the desk next to me. During the early stages of the classes, he said to just call him Zach. Actually, almost everyone went by a shortened name because of how weird and random the names are. (I usually try to call them by their full names, but they give me an annoyed look.)

Zach raised an eyebrow and looked away from me. I sighed and stared at the desk. Even though we were roommates, doesn't mean we are the best of friends. There were those little fights every so often, but we dealt with it. We got along better than the other classmates.

I started to doodle with the quill in my hand. Before I know it, an entire blueprint of a small building made its way into the margin of my textbook (that was thankfully mine to keep).

"Xelqua!" Instructor Gabriedes snapped in Galactic, quickly looking over her shoulder and at me. I jumped in my seat, looking straight at her. She was the one who taunted Lynnthuic when he got in trouble.

"Yes, Instructor?" I replied, barely stumbling over the words. Classmates looked at me with jealousy. Galactic was extremely hard to learn.

"Take Zevior to the medical wing. Tell them it's magical exhaustion." She commanded, pointing to another student across the room. Zevior looked like he was about to pass out. I sighed to myself, standing up. I walked over to him and pulled him up, though it was hard for me. I, unfortunately, found out that I was one of the shortest there, if not, the shortest.

Zevior and I walked through the halls that had become familiar in the months that I've been there. The learning took my mind off Mumbo. A lot, actually. I almost feel guilty for not checking in...

Then again, I haven't received a letter from Mumbo since I arrived. Maybe the Facility prevented external imports?

I gently pushed the doors open, looking for the nearest healer. One made eye contact with me, giving me a questioning look.

"Magical exhaustion." I call out, maneuvering Zevior quickly but safely onto a bed. The healer nodded, ushering me out the room. The door closed with a gentle click. I shook my head. All the Watcher's are always so hard on efficiency. Nothing is wrong with being efficient, but it's getting to the point where it's overkill.

I hurried back to the room, knowing they would yell if I was a second late. I nudged the door open, walking into the class of about fifteen students. I slid back into my chair, glancing at Zachariah again. Sweat was dripping down his face as he attempted to summon a quill from the other side of the room. I couldn't blame him for struggling. We only started this a few days ago. The time before that was learning theory, rules, expectations, my classmates, and how to get around. I already got most of it in a week, as admittedly, my memory is almost photographic.

"Xelqua," Zachariah whispered in English. "How do you do this so easily?" I shrugged, thinking of a method I could use to help him.

"Visualize the quill coming towards you." I say. Zach huffed, contracting his eyebrows.

"I did. It's not working." The instructor snapped her head towards us.

"Do you want the quill to come towards you?" I continued in Galactic. She narrowed her eyes at us, before turning back to help the other student.

"Yes, obviously-"

"Then show me you want the quill to come into your hand." I say, crossing my arms. The sixteen year old looked away. He took a deep breath, before releasing it and holding his hand up again. After a few moments of concentration, his hand started twitching. The pencil moved an inch closer.

"Is this showing that you want it?" I almost taunt. An expression of rage rippled across Zach's face, but disappeared as quickly as it came. Emotional control was another thing that was harshly reinforced after another classmate blew someone else across the room because of untamed emotions.

The pencil suddenly shot towards us. I was in the line of fire. I ducked as it flew over my head, just avoiding the flying object. Zachariah snatched it out of the air before it overshot. He looked at the object in his hand, and then at me with eyes wide and jaw dropped.

"Pick your jaw up off the floor, Zach." I grumble. That pencil almost impaled me because of how fast it was going. Zachariah closed his mouth with an audible click. From across the room, Instructor Gabriedes clapped.

"See, class? That's exactly what you're supposed to do! Good job Xelqua for helping your classmate out!" She exclaimed. I internally cringed at the call-out. Every instructor (except the ones that hate everyone) has called me out. Not in a bad way, but in a way that angelized me. Classmates (bar the ones who hate me) are jealous. That's not what I want. I just want to be everyone's friend.

"It's always Xelqua, isn't it? Showing off?" Someone from the other side of the room sneered. He was a friend of Lynnthuic. I started laughing at them, and the instructor didn't stop me. She was chuckling too.

The way he worded it was all wrong in such a way that I barely understood what he said. But, you eventually get used to the bad grammar to where you can actually understand the pitiful attempt of a sentence.

"I'm not showing off," I say after recovering. "Zachariah asked me, so I helped." Zach stared at me with a dead look. Whoops, I said his full name.

"Apologies." I mutter under my breath, just loud enough for only him to hear. Shooting him an apologetic look, I sighed. I ran a hand though my sandy blonde hair, looking at my desk again.

Comments like those were daily. I was used to them. But I could never tell anyone what was going on inside. I don't have any friends like Mumbo around here. Not even Zach fully trusts me, and he's the only person who has a stable friendship with me.

Instructor Gabriedes dismissed us after a few more minutes of class. I was finished with my day. I had no more classes to attend, but Zachariah did. He had night classes today. I would have the room to myself for quite a while.

~¤☆¤~

I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The singular dim lantern that hung from the ceiling was scarily similar to me. Lonely. Drained of light/emotion. Small and easily damaged. Used by others for the other's benefits.

I sighed and restlessly rolled to my side. It was early in the night, as I had gotten the work needed done just a while ago. I stared at those papers with my messy scrawl on them. They were haphazardly thrown on my desk after I was done. My stare moved to the three papers that sat folded on the corner of my desk. Those letters hadn't moved since I placed them there. Not even Zachariah (who was usually nosy) looked at them, since I made it clear that they were not for him to read.

I groaned at myself again. I turned to my other side, putting my hands over my ears. I'm glad no one else is allowed in the room without the room owner's consent. The center of the quarters (which we've deemed the Common Area, or CA for short), was noisy with voices of all volume levels. Whispering to yelling at each other, it was the same every night. Lay and stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep, even with the noise. Sometimes, I didn't sleep.

I hope tonight won't be one of those sleepless nights.