Rou

When the door clicked, most of the examinees dashed inside. Leaving only Annabelle and about forty others in the hallway.

'He said we don't have to beat a timer, and to take our time.'

She stood in front of the door. 'Diplomats need to learn how to behave around other cultures, meaning they need manners, if there is someone on the other side of the door it would be rude to just enter.'

'Would it be considered wrong though? We were told to enter, ugh, but if I'm wrong, I'm done, it's not like it's wrong to knock. At most the person would just laugh at me. Whatever.'

She knocked.

"Come in."

Entering she saw a humanoid shaped hamster. Slightly startled she tried to remember if she had read about a race like this.

"Hey, my name is Rou Bask, you can call me Rou."

Try as she might, she couldn't remember any race that resembled a hamster.

"You're the kid that fell asleep at the beginning of the last test, aren't you?" He snickered.

"Yes, my name is Annabelle Seau, it's nice to meet you. Please call me Annabelle." She tried to mimic his greeting without changing her tone or facial expression when he mentioned the test.

'He doesn't seem too serious, and from the way he spoke he doesn't seem to care about formality. Why did I get stuck with him, why couldn't I get some human, or another easily identifiable race!!!'

If she weren't in the middle of the exam she would have been weeping in a corner, trying to grow mushrooms.

"Hey, relax, I can smell your tension from here. Sit down, let's just have fun and talk." Rou said as he pointed towards a sofa.

'Take your time huh…'

"So, you want to enter the diplomacy branch huh? Why did you choose ARD?"

"I do, I chose ARD because my guardians are alumni, and they talk about it all the time, so I wanted to see for myself what the big deal was about."

Rou laughed. "So why diplomacy? You could enter the research division and then go on to explore the world, isn't that what most Ayeri are known for?"

'Shouldn't you be eating a carrot and sniffing your butt?'

Annabelle was still slightly irritated that the crew had decided she would continue to pretend being an Ayeri. But she saw the logic behind it.

No one would question an abandoned Ayeri youth, but there weren't many other sentient beings that would abandon their young, and even fewer that would survive on Earth.

'What type of reason can I come up with? I can't say that I'm trying to find my brother's and avenge my planet, but I haven't thought up a lie for that question yet!'

She wanted to slam her head into the wall behind her.

'Maybe I can say something like that though. If I say I'm looking for my siblings, it's not a lie, and it could very well be true, since I was 'abandoned', and I could just leave the revenge part out.'

She was way too proud of herself. If she had been planning beforehand, she wouldn't have had to worry at all.

"I decided to go the diplomacy route because I want to find my younger brothers, and it will be easier to do that if I can create contacts with other people."

"You would have more freedom as an explorer, and you could still make connections." Rou said.

'Whyyyyyyy'

"I thought that as well, but explorers don't usually make connections in high places, whereas a diplomat meets with leaders, who meet other diplomats, who have other connections."

"But, because you are an Ayeri, a young abandoned one at that. It will be even harder for you to complete the program, are you sure you want to be a diplomat? You still have time to change your mind."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I have already made my decision."

"Good answer! Congratulations, you've passed the last test. Sorry about that earlier, I was told to test your patience, and determination."

'I can't believe it was that easy. Maybe I am just lucky, ha-ha.'

"No worries, I understand, you were just doing your job."

"So, have you thought about what you want to specialize in?"

"I was thinking about negotiation and conflict management, but as I learn more, I might change my focus."

"Do you plan to graduate in twenty years? Some people don't graduate on time, while other's can but choose not to until they feel they are ready."

"If my brain has fully developed by the time, I am ready to graduate I will, but if twenty years pass, and I still haven't matured, then I will defer graduation until I have complete control over my impulses."

"What if that takes a thousand years?" Rou tapped the arm of his chair with a claw.

"Then I'll keep learning until I mature."

Rou grinned at her and then pulled his IO out.

"Hey Dora, tell the proctor we have a student that passed the final test. Also, tell Dean Acott that Dean Fresor owes him money."

'What? I thought I had already passed. This damn hamster!'

In another room, Jazz, Cass, and Marc had just responded to Naet's message that he needed to see them.

"Hey Professor Naet, didn't know you were back at ARD!" Marc threw himself at the old man, giving him a bear hug.

"Hello Marc, it's good to see you. Cass, still lovely as ever, and Jazz! How are you doing? It can't be easy taking care of these two all the time."

"It's alright I'm getting used to them." Jazz said, taking Naet's hand and shaking it. "Why'd you call us?"

"Dean Fresor wanted to talk to you, it sounded urgent. I'll have Kait show you to them. Kait! Can you take these two to see Fresor?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, when you're done, come back here and I'll help you with your thesis."

"Thank you, sir!" She said before turning to the three alumni. "Please follow me."

After a few minutes they came to a door, Kait motioned for them to knock.

"Come in, come in!"

Fresor had been sitting in a chair and got up when he saw who was walking through the door. "Hello team Gem, I've called you here because I have a proposition. We just had three professors leave, a tech expert, a chemist, and a flight instructor."

"Since your ward just got excepted to the school, we thought you might like a new job that allows you to stay near her. I'll let you think about it overnight, but please have an answer for me tomorrow."

"Thank you, we will let you know in the afternoon." Jazz spoke, covering Marc's mouth with his hand.

"Good, see you all then." Fresor sat back down, and the team left.

"Why didn't you just say yes?" Marc asked.

"Because it's weird that those three positions just happened to open at the same time."

"The dean probably just doesn't want us to leave Annabelle on the planet. Considering she's a young Ayeri, and no one wants to be responsible for any possible issues that may crop up."

"True, let's go pick up Annabelle. I think we should celebrate her getting in tonight."

"YAAASSS CELEBRATION!!!!" Cass and Marc shouted at the same time.