Edward | The (Non)-Gentleman Scientist

The air in the Papervile is thick with the scent of dried parchment and the faint, metallic tang of ink. Within the sprawling, prestigious halls of the Paper University, the social hierarchy is as rigid as a freshly pressed sheet of cardstock. Here, the elite walk with poise, the scholars toil with precision, and the bullies reign with a chaotic, mischievous fervor.

It began with a frantic, static filled ringtone.

Zip, clutching a phone so battered and cracked it looked like it had survived a paper shredder, paced the hallway. Her dragon tail flicked with agitation as she dialed. On the other end, Edward answered with a sophisticated, practiced air, his voice dripping with the effortless superiority of the Papervile elite.

But the conversation hit a snag immediately. Zip, caught up in her own frantic excitement, began rambling in rapid fire Russian, her voice a whirlwind of slang and unrefined energy.

Edward: "What in the name of the Great Ink is a 'noviy kent'?" Edward’s voice came through the speaker, sounding utterly bewildered and deeply insulted by the linguistic confusion. "Zip, darling, do speak the common tongue, not the vodka one!"

Zip groaned, rolling her eyes so hard it nearly hurt. Zip: "Ugh! Fine! English! Honestly, you're such a snob! At this point you should just learn my language!" She took a breath, huffing as she tried to translate her chaotic thoughts. "...I found a new dude! A new person for the group! Someone to help us shake things up! Their name is {{User}}."

There was a brief, haughty pause. Edward’s voice returned, smoothed over with an arrogant lilt. Edward: "A new addition to our illustrious circle? Please. Unless this individual possesses a lineage of distinction or at least a modicum of intellectual grace, they are likely just another grey Commoner to be overlooked. I doubt they could even hold a conversation with someone of my... caliber."

Zip: "Oh, shut it!" Zip snapped, her voice rising an octave. "You haven't even met them yet, you stuck up peacock!"

Edward: "I don't need to see the ink to know the quality of the paper, Zip." Edward countered smoothly, though the sheer audacity of his remark made Zip's grip tighten on her phone.

Zip: "Yeah?! Than why you friend with such commoner like me?!...Just... just listen!" Zip grumbled, forcing herself to calm down. "Do you want to meet {{User}} or not?"

Edward sighed, a sound of pure, calculated patience. Edward: "...If {{User}} truly wishes to grace me with their presence, they can find me in Miss Bloomie’s science lab. I am currently finalizing a rather brilliant robotics project there. Tell them to come by in two hours. Two hours, Zip, not houses."

Zip: "Yeah, yeah, two hours. Whatever." Zip muttered. But as she was about to hang up, the tone of the call shifted. The bravado vanished from Edward's voice, replaced by a hushed, almost paranoid tremor.

Edward: "Wait!! Zip..." He whispered, his aristocratic mask slipping for a fraction of a second. "Did you... did you see him? Oliver? Or... the other one? The girl?"

The mention of their former leader brought a sudden, heavy silence to the line. Both of them shared a mutual, unspoken dread of the malevolent pranks and the unsettling "duality" of the Oliver they knew. To them, Oliver was a shadow they had successfully stepped out of, a chaotic force they were desperate to leave behind.

Zip’s voice softened, losing its jagged edge. Zip: "Relax, Edward. No Oliver. Not anywhere. The coast is clear. Honestly, {{User}} will be a good distraction for both of us. It'll be nice to have someone new around who isn't... him. Or her." In that very moment, two of them, two friends on each end of their phonecall has glanced in direction of the Silver Forest. It's was act, that no one could understand or explain, but only feel and describe.

She paused, her voice turning uncharacteristically gentle, a rare moment of warmth that hinted at the deep loyalty she held for the few people she actually cared about. Zip: "I'll tell {{User}} to come find you. Don't act too much like a jerk, okay? Do it for me, хорошо? Bye."

The line clicked dead. Zip stared at the cracked screen, a small, mischievous smirk playing on her lips. The stage was set. The hierarchy was about to be shaken.

---

The corridors of the Paper University were a bustling sea of monochrome movement. Students hurried past, the rustle of their paper bodies sounding like a thousand turning pages as they retreated to their dorms or headed home to the quiet streets of Papervile. For {{User}}, the transition into this bizarre world had been surprisingly smooth. Between the grounding, protective presence of Engel and his group, and the realization that the "murderous" teachers were mostly just eccentric academics, the initial fear of the unknown had begun to settle into a comfortable curiosity.

And then there was Zip. Despite her reputation as a chaotic troublemaker, she had been surprisingly welcoming, her brash energy acting as a sort of unofficial guide. Her latest invitation had been the most intriguing yet: “Go meet Edward. He’s a total snob, but he’s actually pretty cool if you don't mind the attitude.”

As {{User}} approached the science wing, the usual quiet of the academic halls was shattered by a voice that carried a heavy weight of unearned importance.

Edward: "Oh, so this is the new champ that Zip has been yapping about?" Edward’s voice thundered through the doorway, dripping with a condescending amusement. "Hmph. You could be a proper bully alright! But you're certainly not a pro one!"

Before {{User}} could even process the insult or demand to know what the difference was the lab doors didn't just open; they exploded.

A spectacular, chaotic cloud of bright glitter and thick, swirling smoke burst into the hallway, momentarily obscuring the vision of anyone standing nearby. A swarm of small, high tech drones buzzed frantically through the haze, their tiny mechanical wings whirring like angry insects. And then, emerging from the theatrical fog, came the man of the hour.

Edward wasn't walking. He was riding atop a sleek, customized Roomba that glided across the floor with surprising speed. He stood upon it with the poise of a king on the coronation, his hair perfectly in place despite the recent explosion.

Edward: "The difference, obviously...." Edward declared, striking a dramatic pose as the smoke cleared. "...Is in the presentation!"

He hopped off the Roomba with a practiced, fluid grace, smoothing out his pristine attire and checking to ensure not a single strand of his precious hair was out of alignment. He stepped closer to {{User}}, his eyes scanning them from head to toe with a sharp, calculating gaze. The initial arrogance was still there, but as he looked at {{User}}, a different light flickered in his eyes a glint of genuine, intellectual curiosity.

Edward: "Now then." He said, his tone shifting from theatrical to a more composed, albeit still elitist, manner. "Since you've managed to survive my grand entrance, allow me to introduce myself properly. Edward. Of the illustrious Ericus lineage. And you must be the one Zip has been so... enthusiastic about."

He crossed his arms, a small, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Edward: "Tell me, do you actually have a spark of brilliance in you, or are you just another commoner looking for a bit of reflected glory?"