Chapter 19: Nox do I look weird?

Just as Nox and Thea were conversing, Linus bounded back towards them, the very picture of unbridled excitement. His eyes were alight with glee and a wide grin stretched across his face.

He practically bounced on the balls of his feet as he approached, running his fingers through his already tousled hair. "You guys won't believe what Instructor Sylvan told me," Linus announced breathlessly, leaning in conspiratorially. His eyes danced with delight as he paused for dramatic effect.

Linus licked his lips in anticipation before continuing, "He said I would get a partner who everyone wants, but no one has the privilege for that." He puffed out his chest proudly, straightening his posture. "Isn't that awesome? This means I have some special privilege."

Unable to keep still, Linus bounced slightly, his whole body practically vibrating with excitement. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Though, he was all mysterious about this, but I feel there's an amazing surprise waiting for me."

Linus clasped his hands together, eyes glazing over dreamily as he no doubt imagined what fantasy partner awaited him, a self-satisfied smirk playing across his lips.

As Linus enthusiastically relayed Sylvan's cryptic words about his "special" partner, Nox couldn't help but react with a mixture of amusement and skepticism.

He arched one eyebrow quizzically at his friend's grandiose statements and exaggerated body language. Nox leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest as he regarded Linus with a wry half-smile.

"A partner that everyone wants?" Nox echoed, his tone laced with good-natured sarcasm. He shook his head slowly, lips quivering in a lopsided smirk. "Don't get your hopes up too high there, buddy."

Reaching out, Nox gave Linus's shoulder a playful shove, chuckling under his breath. "Knowing Sylvan, he would probably partner you with an ape or something..."

After Nox's mocking suggestion that Sylvan would likely partner Linus with an ape, Linus's expression morphed from dreamy enthusiasm to one of outraged indignation.

"An ape? An ape?" Linus sputtered, his eyes widening comically as his mouth formed an offended 'O'. "How dare you insult me with such an absurd insinuation!"

"The lady I've been paired with must be a rare beauty - a delicate flower whose radiant loveliness reduces all other women to pale imitations." Linus fantasized vividly, his eyes glazing over as visions of feminine perfection no doubt danced through his head. He tossed his head back arrogantly, chin jutting out in a self-important manner.

Before Nox could unleash another sarcastic jab, Sylvan's reedy voice pierced the air. "Class, may I have your attention!"

All eyes turned towards the instructor. Sylvan stood straight, a friendly smile playing across his features as he surveyed the assembled students.

"It's time," Sylvan announced jovially. "Follow me toward the training grounds." With a casual wave of his hand, he turned and headed for the exit.

The clicks of Sylvan's footsteps echoed crisply through the chamber as he strode toward the doorway at an unhurried pace, hands tucked casually into his pockets.

"Lets go too, Thea."

Nox said to Thea who was silent from the very beginning. Thea gave him a smile and nodded in agreement.

His gaze then slid over to Linus, who remained rooted in place, that dreamy, faraway look still plastered on his face. Chuckling softly, Nox reached out and gave his friend's shoulder a light shove.

"Earth to Linus," Nox quipped with an amused snort, giving his friend's shoulder a light shove. "As entertaining as your fantasies about your mystery partner are, you'll want to actually follow Sylvan if you hope to meet her."

Linus blinked rapidly, as if emerging from a trance. "Meet her?" he echoed, his voice taking on a dreamy lilt. "Why yes, of course! I must lay eyes upon the breathtaking vision that awaits me."

"I need to make preparations first. After all, like they say, 'First impression is last impression." Saying this, Linus rushed off ahead without waiting for Nox's reply.

Nox simply rolled his eyes at his behavior, 'Just how desperate is this guy?'

....

Orbital Academy was funded by the city government itself, which allowed for top-notch facilities throughout the entire campus.

The academy prided itself on an exceptional faculty, recruiting only the most prestigious and accomplished instructors from around the state. Whether career soldiers, espionage operatives, or research pioneers, the teachers at Orbital Academy represented the vanguard of their respective fields.

Their wisdom and real-world expertise imbued the curriculum with unparalleled authenticity and relevance. Orbital's alumni consistently filled the ranks of the city's most elite intelligence and security forces. Nor were their prospects limited to governmental roles - many went on to trailblazing careers with prestigious scientific organizations within the Federation.

The training grounds were located to the west of the main academy buildings. Its sheer size was staggering, covering acres of carefully cultivated terrain.

The grounds were sectioned into distinct environments, allowing for simulation of virtually any combat scenario imaginable. One vast area recreated the jagged peaks and vertiginous cliffs of a mountain range, replete with icy winds and treacherous handholds to test agility and endurance.

Another quarter mimicked the dense, tangled terrain of a jungle - humid and overgrown with towering fern trees and strangling vines that created a disorienting labyrinth of green. The sound of running water could be heard beyond the foliage, hinting at river rapids perfect for underwater combat training.

The jungle terrain stretched out before Nox, a verdant tangle of towering fern trees and strangling vines that occluded most of the artificial sky above. 

The sleek, form-fitting combat suit he wore clung to his rail-thin, almost malnourished frame. The black material did little to mask Nox's frail, bony physique or spindly limbs. His shoulders were narrow and sloped, the fabric appearing to swallow his slight build.

Nox's arms and legs were like sticks poking out from the suit - lacking any discernible musculature or definition. His stomach was concave. Overall, Nox looked supremely underfed and weak in the advanced combat clothes.

Looking at his own frail body, Nox felt a pang of depression. As his gaze drifted over the other students, he took in their muscular and healthy physiques, creating a stark contrast to his own malnourished appearance.

'Look at them,' he thought despondently, 'Such strength and vitality, while here I am, skeletal and feeble.'

Trying to lift his own dampened spirits, Nox attempted a self-deprecating joke. 'Well, at least if I get hit, the suit itself will provide more protection than my actual body.'

"Nox." He heard a timid voice and looked to the side to see Thea walking towards him. As Thea approached, Nox's eyes went a bit wide taking in her appearance in the formfitting combat suit. He couldn't help but stare for a moment, unused to seeing Thea's figure so openly displayed.

Her typical baggy clothes had done an expert job of concealing the gentle curves beneath. But now the sleek suit left little to the imagination, accentuating her feminine shape in a way Nox had never really noticed before.

The suit hugged her D Cup bust, the lightweight armor somehow both protecting yet sculpting those assets. Though petite, Thea's suit accentuated the subtle hourglass shape to her frame. Her hips flared out ever so slightly from that narrow middle in a tantalizing curve before tapering down to sculpted thighs and calves.

As she drew nearer, a faint blush seemed to color Thea's cheeks, no doubt aware of how exposed she must feel in the revealing suit.

"Nox..." Thea murmured in a low voice, glancing around self-consciously at the other students. "On the way, many people gave me weird look, Do I look weird?"

Nox opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to answer her.