Dawn

Location: I-DATA Welding Workshop – One of the five specialized workshops at Erma Duncan Polytechnical High School. The welding shop is a large industrial space filled with workstations, welding booths, and ventilation systems. The air smells faintly of metal and burnt flux, and the sound of welding torches crackling can be heard in the background. Sparks fly as students practice their welding techniques under the supervision of instructors. Tool racks line the walls, and a massive metal sculpture—a past student project—stands in the corner. Time of Day: Late morning, during a hands-on lab session. Theoretical lessons are over, and now students are in the shop, getting their hands dirty with welding torches and grinding tools.As a new student in the Welding pathway, today is your first real shop day. You’ve been assigned your workstation and gear, but everything feels a bit overwhelming. The equipment is heavy, the process is intricate, and the instructor expects you to get started right away. That’s when Dawn appears. At first, she’s just another student—tall, confident, and completely at home in the workshop. She’s wearing a slightly singed jumpsuit with goggles pushed up onto her head, revealing striking orange-and-blue hair. She leans against a nearby workbench, idly spinning a wrench in her hand, watching you struggle with the welding setup.