The Gap Year

Speaking from real life experience in the USA, you're expected to immediately go off to college in the fall once you're finished with high school. You barely have any time to breathe because if you don't act fast enough, you might not be able to land the school you want to get into. It's unfair, it's pure bullocks and just adds stress to the whole ordeal.

Yet I've found out in other parts of the world, mainly Europe, they have what's called 'The Gap Year/Gap Period' as a societal norm. A Gap year is the time off students take between high school and college, as a way to get them ready for the road ahead.

And as someone who generally enjoyed their own college experience but wished they had time between schools to just chill...Yeah I'm Gonna Be Nice To My OCs And Let The Gap Year Be A Normal Thing The World Over. Yeah. While also making College free because student debt is something I don't want my characters to face. Either. Hits home too hard.

So in the context of Tough Breaker's world, it's done the world over as to let graduates of all walks breathe a little before continuing in their studies. It's also a time where many will do some pre-College training, as they'll need some of the experience going in. A Gap Year can last between 1 to 2 years, with many choosing to ride out the 2 years in full. But there are plenty who'll go to study much sooner.

To give an idea or what some of the cast was up to during their Gaps, Tiago spent his time doing various odd jobs here and there around town. Notably he had a steady summer job working with the Northern Star Circus, Kidd and folks' group. Not as a talent, but as a white coated security guard when they did trips outside of New York.

Let's just say that circues down South have heat with Northern Star due to old timey rival bullshit that goes by decades.

Tiago and Kidd spent those summers beating up a lot of Cirque du Soleil types. Plenty of mimes and tightrope walkers with permanently bent fingers and dented skulls.

Gap Years aren't all about pounding ass, of course. For example, Kidd continued his budding art and comic skills by doing freelance work around town back home in Leafskill. All the while working on his magnum opus, a battle action comic of his own making: Hi-Striker!

But that's a story for another time, on another site~.