---

A short conversation carried on between the small, light toned student - his voice wavered here and there, a bit uneasy and unsteady - and the young woman, who seemed to share far more optimism in her voice. Having arrived late to the conversation as he did, the content did not make immediate sense; sure it followed a logical path, something or other about the limitations of what Mark reasoned to be the smaller student's abilities, which apparently did not apply to organic material, whatever they did. In a way, that was a relief to the older student as he looked out over the vast water, eying the island beyond - providing no interruption in their banter.

"Hello Mark. I'm Kanala, but you can call me Kana."

Looking over his shoulder, having not paid too much attention before, given it wasn't his place to, he noted each of the students as she introduced them after herself; Casper, the smaller more timid one seeming more easy about his presence than either Mason - the taller student - or Kanala, or should he say Kana.

"Casper." Mark nodded in reply alongside his words directing his attention to each of the male students, arms crossed atop one another on the chill metal railing, "Mason."

"Kana." He said, finishing back on the speaker herself as she was upon the deck, sitting with legs crossed.

"In a way you can say that..." The eldest student trailed off, drawing a sighing breath, "I was directed to the academy if I wanted to live a 'normal' life."

The cold, while not biting or irritating proved a bit distracting; even with the flannel shirt he wore and his newly adapted resistance to temperatures, it certainly was not the kind of sensation he preferred as a person. Everything about the environment, barring the open water beneath and around him, spoke to him that a pelt would better serve him here. Now, it was one thing to desire comfort in a strange, perhaps truly unusual and new environment, it was another to pressure himself out of the notion that shapeshifting was always the answer to anything that didn't sit immediately well with him.

In their own way, perhaps they were correct - perhaps these government academies did really know what they were doing.

Previously Mark was entirely happy with being a human being, wanting nothing to do with meta-capability and here he was now, talking to three other students on a boat sailing steadily for an academy, all while suppressing the urge to turn into a six hundred pound tiger just because it felt more appropriate and comfortable for the environment around him.

"I take it you are too?" Mark changed the direction of the conversation from himself to the trio before him.

---

She knew Harmon’s name before he even introduced himself. The meant one of two things; she remembered meeting him sometime last year and he forgot her completely… or, she’s a cerebral. It didn’t matter to him much which scenario was true. She wasn’t outright berating him. That was good enough for him.

“I, uh…” He responded to the young woman, “I-I’m doing… the, the same thing… waiting, that is…”

Harmon was making his absolute best attempt at a casual conversation. However, amidst his jumbling of words, something picked at the back of his brain. A presence. Not a mind, but a device. One in hand and being utilized. And he felt that familiar ping of a picture being taken. Of him, no less. He turned his head – and his camera – in the general direction of the presence. But there was nothing actually visible there. Just a space in the garden. But he knew someone was present. And he saw the demeaning message they had just sent string through his mind as well.



Such reactions, he was used to. But this time he thought he’d try something different. He lowered his head and placed his own consciousness amidst the signal of the phone. And then… he replied.



There. That was plenty enough. Probably wouldn’t garner a pleasant reaction, but… he felt like trying. He turned his head and camera back towards the young woman seated on the bench. “I-I-I’m sorry, I was… lost, in, in thought, just now…” He said. And it was at this point that he recalled the fact that she knew his name, but he had not the faintest idea what hers was.

“Wh-…” He asked in his usual, meager voice, “W-what’s your... uh, name?”

---

@Mr Allen J
@Heathen

---

Before Casper had chance to respond, the voice of an as-of-yet unnoticed man interrupted the conversation. Mason wasn't ordinarily concerned with politeness, and was guilty himself of interrupting or talking over people on occasion, but something about the brazen way in which he butted in before Casper irked him. Nevertheless, Mason thanked him for his observation with a courteous smile.

He merely observed as Kana made conversation with the man, who introduced himself as Mark. Kana introduced him the group, and when Mark addressed Mason he responded with a firm nod. They hadn't got off on the right foot, and he could tell Mark's presence was making Casper feel uncomfortable too, but Mason tried his best to be accommodating. They were all - quite literally - on the same boat, after all.

Despite not being a chain-smoker, he lit up another cigarette primarily to avoid taking part in the conversation. He didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but the group was getting a little large for his liking. He looked over the waves as he absent-mindedly absorbed the conversation; talk of 'new starts' at the academy would sound cliché to Mason if he himself could not relate to it so profusely. In fact, the conversation was making him uncomfortable. It was so saturated with the harsh reality of his situation that he just wanted to escape. The artist in him longed for something more surreal.

"The ocean is so beautiful," he announced suddenly, his instincts causing him to interrupt whatever conversation was taking place. "I need to get my camera from the hull, before we get too close to the island. It was great to meet you," he said, haste in his words. Hopefully they would assume he was just overwhelmed with passion. He began to leave, before he stopped and turned to face the trio again. "I'm sure we'll see each other around." he said, smiling at Casper as he vanished down the stairwell.

Zoe looked about the garden to see where her dog had run off to when she received a text message, more than likely from her friend. That was a pretty fast reply which meant she was probably as horrified as she was. She looked down at her phone and opened the message, reading it with an eye roll.

Don’t be scared. You are free to come and say hello.

Her friend wasn't one to play jokes and she was wondering how on earth she wasn't scared of the picture she sent her. Metahuman or not, someone who looked like that was bound to disturb someone. Unless she was just being a bitch about it which was usually the case. Her acrylic nails went to typing away on her phone, back spacing and correcting her mistakes from her swift button pushing.

lol shut up i'm serious that wasn't funny. And why shouldnt i be scared i've never seen anything like that

Almost instantly, her friend replied.

what are you talking about i haven't even replied yet and you're right that guy is scary

Zoe instantly froze and just stared down at her phone. No way, she thought. Still invisible, she looked up at the figure who had approached the girl who had already been sitting at the garden. Unlike other blondes, she didn't play up to the stereotype no matter how bitchy she was. She was here getting her college degree and she wasn't no dummy. Zoe was able to put two and two together. Just to be safe, she texted her friend back.

wait so you didn't sent this re: Don’t be scared. You are free to come and say hello.

Zoe's friend texted back immediately.

uhh no........

Zoe dropped her phone and let out a high pitched scream that caused her to fall out of her chair. That thing had texted her somehow. Maybe a technopath or something. After hitting the grass with a thud, her invisibility cover vanished and she was exposed. Her dog Princess came from behind a bush and began barking wildly at her owner's screams. To make matters worse, Princess began running up to the strange man and the woman, barking up a storm causing Zoe to rise up from the ground and chase after her. Zoe dusted herself off as she was running to catch up to her small dog.

"Princess come here right now!" Princess stopped just before the two figures and kept barking. Zoe finally caught up to her dog and scooped her up in her arms. "Hush now Princess, let's not be rude," she said laughing nervously. She looked down at the girl sitting and then up at the monster man before turning away.

"Look I know what I said was mean, but that shit you did with my phone. Totally not gonna fly with me." She eyed the girl sitting down before walking off, stomping her heals into the cement sidewalk. Before going back into the school, she clicked her father's name in her recent callers list. After he answered, she cried into the phone.

"Daaaaaad oh my god!"

“Bye…” Casper returned as Mason took off. The feeling in the pit of Casper’s stomach was something he was very unused to, it was a form of longing. Was it for Mason? Perhaps he didn’t want him to leave. It was almost as if safety left with him and once more, Casper was standing alone on a large ship full of people. It was nothing against Kana or Mark, but Mason had managed to unlock something within Casper that he never thought possible from anyone else than his dad. With Mason gone it felt like Casper was suddenly out of place with the others. Kana and Mark were polite individuals, they were kind. However, Casper felt out of place in their conversations. He didn’t quite belong. “I’m gonna’ leave, too…” The boy spoke quietly, his eyes trailing the floor. “It was nice meeting you…”

With a gentle smile, he moved away and walked down to the sleeping quarters where he had his bag. It didn’t take long, he knew the way. Upon reaching his destination, Casper dropped down on his knees and produced a Playstation Vita from the traveling bad and replicated it. Call it paranoia, but he’d rather walk around with something he couldn’t really lose.

There, he was all set for the remainder of the trip. He’d be within the safety of his own little bubble. No one usually came and bothered a person reading a book so why would they with a person playing video games? It’s considered rude, isn’t it? Casper left the sleeping quarters and found himself a nice, sunny spot on the lower levels and sat down against the wall. He felt the soft breeze brushing past him as he turned the portable game console on and clicked ‘Play’ as soon as the main menu appeared. He had always loved shooters, and they were a splendid choice when he wanted to kill time.

The boy’s thoughts traveled to the academy as he absentmindedly played the game. Would people remember him from last year? He had his hair coloured in a similar way back then but a bright green colour instead. A lot of people objected, of course. It was in the form of bullying and forcing him to rather secluded places in between classes. Casper didn’t mind being by himself beneath a large tree casting a refreshing shadow over him to prevent the sun’s hot rays from being constant. Had he a choice, however, he would enjoy some company. Mason…perhaps he would be that company this time around. Casper was sure not to count on it, though. There were a lot of students in that academy, all of which were more interesting than him. There was another thing, too. Casper didn’t want to drag Mason through the mud. He seemed like a socially inclined person and hanging out with Casper would immediately brand him with a negative stamp on the forehead.

There was this other kid at school who had it worse, though. In comparison, Casper was king of the ball room. What was his name again? He didn’t remember, the never actually spoke. Harley, Harvey? It was something like that. His name wasn’t the thing people would remember though, it was his appearance. He didn’t have eyes, his skin was a sickly colour and he was just overall so…weird. At first Casper’s heart skipped a beat at the sight but it quickly turned into fascination. How, why, when…how!? How could someone look like that?

Shaking his head slightly, with a soft sigh leaving his lips, Casper paused the game for a moment. He didn’t have anything against this guy…Harvey? No, he didn’t have anything against him. In fact, he had wanted to say hello a lot last year but it never came down to it. He never had the spine to actually do it. Perhaps this year would be different, maybe it would be different for everyone. From the get-go, this year had started out as the polar opposite to last year. Three people came and talked with the boy, they came to him. Perhaps that was a sign. Casper wanted friends, he was just too scared to take that step. With this start however, he might have the strength to pass it forward. Mason gave Casper something he never expected. It was time to pass it on. Okay, it was decided. He’d say hello to…Harley? Whatever, he’d say hi. Un-pausing the game, Casper returned his attention to the screen.

---

---

"I'm sure we'll see each other around." Mason said as he walked away. Kana had turned her head to watch him as he went. "Hopefully" Kana replied a bit louder then normal inside voices holding a bit on the 'ful' of 'hopefully'. The words came out positive, but if Kana was being honest she was rather worried that he had left because of something she said. As she turned back around Casper was all to ready to leave. He looked uneasy to say the least. “I’m gonna’ leave, too…” Casper almost whispered under his breath. Kana was about to try and convince him to stay when he added a quick “It was nice meeting you…”. Kana nodded her head even more worried she had done something wrong now. "Yeah it was nice meeting you too. I'll see you around" Kana nodded out a small stutter in her voice. She took a minuet to compose herself. While she was worried about how Mason and Casper thought of her she couldn't let one possibly failed friendship hinder another possible friendship.

Kana looked up at Mark only to decide it would probably be better if she stood. Kana first rocked onto her knee and then her second leg swung around, placing her foot flat on the ground only to step up to two feet on the floor. Then entire thing came out very graceful almost like a dance. Kana had never thought of herself as graceful, but every now and then she would do something so precisely it even surprised Kana. "I guess its just you and me now huh" Kana shrugged dropping her shoulders and leaning down on the railing.

Kana let out a yawn and looked out into the ocean. She was a bit tired. Kana hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night. Most of her night she had spent tossing and turning. She would fall into and then out of sleep. The whole night Kana had been having dreams of flying, or maybe it was falling it was a bit hard to tell. There was clouds around her and the wind was in her ears so loud that she couldn't hear anything other then that. Normally Kana could decipher what her dreams were trying to tell her, but this one she assumed was just silly nonsense. Her best guess was that she had mixed feelings about coming to the school.

"The ocean really is beautiful" Kana commented with a calm warm smile. The waves made a soft crashing sound as it hit the boat. "I think my favorite thing about it is that it acts the same wherever you are. The waves crash in Florida the same way they crash in Alaska, and they make the same sound. SO no matter how far you go the Ocean can always bring you back." Kana spoke with a calm almost quiet voice. She then realized that she had assumed that Mark knew more about her then he really did. Kana laughed throwing her hand behind her head "I guess that didnt make much sense, you see I'm from Florida. I kinda grew up on the beach so it reminds me of home a lot" Kana explained going back to her normal extremely positive chipper voice.

---

@SepticGentleman
@Heathen

---

It took little effort to tell that Harmon wasn't too good at this fine invention called "socializing". A similar argument could be made for Mika, but the difference is that she wasn't good at socializing with peasants. So there was that. Mika took one more small sip of her tea, realizing that it was almost empty and she would have to go by the cafe to get some more. She kept the cup at her lips, and she spoke to Harmon, "Since we're both waiting, perhaps you would like to have a seat?" Mika scooted off to the side of the bench. Sure, it might seem strange to be so friendly to him. However, it was curiosity mixed with the fact that Harmon wasn't too annoying. Though, he hasn't exactly responded. He was merely standing there. Zoned out. For a moment, Mika considered poking into that head of his, though she realized that the effort of shifting through his thoughts was simply not worth it. Harmon is likely unsure of how to take what she said. He's free to decline, Mika is just as fine without the company. Harmon then spoke. Just like that, the great Harmon Rottlage has come back down to Earth. Replying with a weak, "I was lost in my thoughts comment". Mika rolled her eyes, and placed her cup of tea down. "It happens." She casually replied. Harmon asked for her name, oh silly her. She got his name but never took the effect to give hers. Not everyone is a telepath, after all. "Mika Baoz-"

Mika was so rudely interrupted by a high-pitched scream. It was surprising enough to make Mika shake - nearly dropping her tea. Then some disgusting animal came out of no where and started barking at them - but didn't attack. If it had, Mika would telekinetically send her cup straight into it's face. She hate to break her fine China... but it's expendable. Everything can be replaced with money. But it merely barked (Not too different from the students of this school!). Mika ought to step on it. Then some woman, gussied up like some whore in cheap makeup, came charging straight out of the bushes right for the dog. Mika caught one good look at her, and decided she didn't like the newcomer. She may have had expensive clothes - but no matter how you dress them up; a redneck is a redneck. Mika could just smell. She kept her eyes on the newcomer the whole time. Waiting for the moment she starts showing just how classless she is. She said a few things, before cutting to something more interesting. What this Redneck was suggesting is that she said something to Harmon, who then retaliated. Or was it Mika? She didn't do anything, so there's no point in confirming her suspicions. The girl left as quickly as she arrived. So, Mika simply shrugged. However, she couldn't go without saying one thing to the girl. Not with words, more of with telepathy. Mika's soft and tempered would appear in Zoe's head:

Perhaps you can come back for some tea later. Then, I can teach you some class. Until then, Zài jiàn.

Mika smiled, in a mocking manner. Hoping to get a rise out of the redneck. Now that spectacle is long over, she wondered what she should do next. Get more tea, or.... The loud buzzing of the speakers decided for her:

"All students must gather in the auditorium."

That was the Head Mistress speaking. That meant the students had arrived on the island. Mika could hear the mass of footsteps too. That also meant it was time for the new students to receive the opening speech. Mika had quickly sipped what was left of her tea (Not a single drop!), before she placed it into her bag."With that spectacle over, I believe it's time for us to move along." She quietly said as she stood straight up. "I won't be heading for the auditorium, however. That is for the new students, and I am far from inexperienced." Mika began walking away, towards the Cafeteria, but before she left, she bid Harmon farewell, "Zài jiàn"

---

@Apokalipse

---

"Oh, us? We came from San Francisco, baby!" Lupe loudly replied. She was certainly proud to be from San Fran-cisco, baby! Lupe in particular loved it. "This is actually our first time leaving the city... and so far I'm a bit... Underwhelmed." Then again she is going to Alaska. One of the most boring places on the planet. Why couldn't this damn school be somewhere cool, like the Caribbean? That'd be great. Then she could enjoy the beaches, and the good lookin' guys could wear speedos. Oooooh, that'd be great. Another chick walked up with red hair, and started talking to Piper like they were cool. Then Piper introduced Sawyer as her sister. Ah, that makes sense. Looks like Blondie's got herself a sista! That means twice the fun! Well, not for her at least. They were good lookin', but Lupe was too old for them. But they were juuuuust riiiiight for Diego... If she could get that boy to make a damn move. Come on, why isn't he thinking of the possibilities!? Two hot girls right before him. If he said the right things, then he could bag both of them at once. Then again, Diego is... touched. Maybe she's expecting too much out of him. So, she'll carry things by herself. "Ooooooh, it's very nice to meet cha', Sawyer. I'm Lupe, and this is my little bro, Diego." Lupe leaned in, and whispered to them, putting one hand to the side of her mouth, "Uh... He isn't really the talking type, he's the strong silent type."

Why was Diego even still here? This wasn't his conversation: it was Lupe's. She was making friends - her own friends. These two? They weren't people he would make friends with, he could tell. Plus, he was getting irritated because he hasn't had a cigarette yet. He grasped the silver-cross that was hanging from his neck, and kept quiet. He wondered if he didn't speak, they would ignore him. Diego let go of the cross, and crossed his arms. He remained silent. He considered speaking, but choose not to.

However, that smile turned upside down once the sisters had a brief conversation. What? Stop wasting their time - but, boy, that was the tip of the iceberg. That Sawyer girl had the audacity to be racist a little high whitey. Which made Lupe clench her teeth and ball her fists nice and tightly. With her eyebrow furrowed. "Oh, that's how it is?! I'll have you know I'm 30% whitey!" Lupe ran her palms along the outline of her pompadour and took two heavy steps. Looks like she gonna have to teach this girl a lesson. Lesson one, don't piss Lupe off. "Looks like I'm gonna have to smack a-" She was interrupted when someone stepped in front of her and administered a swift hand to her chest. It pushed her back a few feet. She nearly tripped! By the time she got a good look, she knew who it is. "What the hell, Diego?!"

Jesus. Lupe needs to calm the hell down - Diego knew she always had a temper, but she needed to use her head. All she was going to do was make even more problems for Momma. Which is why Diego stepped in. He swiftly took one step in front of her, and pushed her with her hand. Calmly stating, "Let it go, Lupe. It ain't worth it." Diego is bigger and stronger than her. He turned back towards Sawyer, and distorted his face into a look of disgust. Before leading Lupe away.

As they walked away, Lupe crossed her arms, and said, "People like that fucking piss me off....".

"I know... just don't cause a big scene like that.." Diego replied, stopping the two of them.

'I would have actually liked to see that fight, hehehehe.....' Agni finally spoke, 'It would have been a great display of strength... for both of you....'

Diego ignored Agni again. However, what they didn't notice was the boat finally reaching the island. It finally stopped and docked. That meant they were ready.

---

---

Just like that, the several-hour boat ride to the island was finally over. As the boat got closer and closer, the students could see the massive, castle-like, Academy. Surrounded by a dark and evil forest. The boat docked, and the staircase was lowered. Several random members (And forgettable) of the staff could be seen at the bottom, giving handshakes to the students. After everyone was off the boat, the staircase was raised. Everyone was lead by the Staff Members through the school. Leading them all to the auditorium in the middle of the beautiful Garden. A stage in front of row after row of seats. Before a woman, tall, Caucasian (Had ivory skin), had a head of black curly hair, wore a pinstriped suit. She walked up to the Podium, and a sharp-dressed man, students may recognize him as Adam Blackmore, stood next to it. Wearing a black suit with a black overcoat on it.

"Hello, hello, students new and old," The woman loudly announced into the speakers."I am the Head Mistress of this Academy, Miranda Caryl. And on behalf of the school, I welcome you to the Academy. Here, our staff will explore your abilities and assist you in learning your true potential. You will be placed through NEST-approved trials in order to own your certification and. However, we are not all about our powers. We will give you an education much like a school would. Whether you are in high-school, college, or middle school. However, the staff here will not make you try to learn, as we know it's a wasted effort. That means it's up to YOU what you spend your time here doing. Work with the staff, and I guarantee that you will leave here fully educated. However, I will tell you the danger you pose when you refuse to control your powers. This is not a school teaching you how to be superheroes either. What you do with your new training after you leave, good or bad, is not for us to decide."

"I will inform you all of the rules that all of you will have to abide... And the punishments. Theft, destruction of property, sexual relations, possessing illegal substances is not allowed. Students are expected to be back in their rooms by 10 PM. Fighting outside the is strictly forbidden, anyone caught fighting will be immediately and harshly punished. If you are repeatably caught breaking any of these rules... The 218 has a very durable detention center where all students who don't obey our rules will be staying. And if you continue to disobey the rules, you will be expelled from the island, and that will be the end of it."

"As we usually do, we are throwing a grand banquet in celebration of the newly arrived students - The staff will escort you all there. Take this as time to familiarize yourself with the school, and get to know your fellow students. But above all else; enjoy yourselves. After the banquet, head to the Administration building, and the staff there will give you your assigned room and roommate - Along with your luggage. And if you need anything, we have a fully equipped staff that will assist you all the way. Tomorrow morning, classes will begin. That is all, you are dismissed." Miranda walked off stage, followed by Adam.

The students were led into the cafeteria - which had been set up hours before the newly arrived students were there. The main room was quite large, made to accommodate a larger group of people at a time. The place was absolutely cleaned to shininess. The building was filled with fancy and finely crafted tables and furniture, each with a set of utensils placed on them. On the left side of the building was where the counter was. All sorts of chefs were set up here constantly making any dish for the students. Students and teachers, of all types, were all over the place. Talking, eating, and having fun. With some of the more reclusive students away from everyone else.

And so it begins again. Casper followed the crowd walking off the boat, moving some bangs from his eyes as he slipped his white beanie atop his head. The boy’s pink bangs were still clearly visible, but now they kept themselves at the left side of his face instead of covering his vision. The first order of business was to locate Mason but it was futile. That young man had vanished in the crowed and if Casper would even attempt to stop moving, he’d be trampled. ‘Damn…well, I might see him around, later. Last year all the students ate dinner together, I might find him there.’ It was a thought that kept an optimistic aura around the boy but he tried not to put too much weight on it, lest it break.

As he felt his feet step onto the island’s soil, an immediate feeling of absolution washed over him. There was no turning back now. He had managed one year there without breaking, he could manage another. With his fingers tightly wrapped around the strap of his bag, Casper tried to keep every limb as closer to his torso as he could. It felt safer that way.

The grass beneath his feet reminded him of the countless times he had walked from one class to the other, keeping his eyes down as to not meet anyone along the way. Maybe this year was going to be different. Maybe this year he’d be able to look up as he walked and not fear every single step he took. Maybe-…

“Well, look, it's The Friendly Little Ghost!” A familiar voice tore Casper from his thoughts just before he entered the auditorium. It was an old ‘friend’, Philip. “Changed your colours this time around, did’ja?” Philip wasn’t a large guy, neither was his friend Greg who stood besides him. They were of average size but towered above Casper all the same. “What…?” He continued, not getting an answer from the boy. “Cat got your tongue?”

“You’ll have time to talk later.” A teacher interrupted the group of three. “Now get into the auditorium.” If this woman had been at the academy last year or not, Casper was unsure. She did however save him. Without another word, the boy hurried into the auditorium and took a seat next to whoever, hoping that it wasn’t either Greg or Philip that would sit besides him. Luck was with him so far, and another student sat down besides him.

Damn, where was Mason? ‘Why am I clinging to him? Mason won’t be my knight in shining armour. He doesn’t even know me…besides…I don’t want anyone to stand up for me. I can take care of myself…’ It wasn’t true, of course. He couldn’t stand up for himself to save his life but it was something he liked telling himself. One could call it ‘living a lie’ because that was all it was, but it was better than accepting his weakness.

The Head Mistress began talking but Casper’s thoughts were way too distracted to record her words. She was talking about something concerning rules and punishment, he registered that much, but Casper already knew the rules. Too bad none of them actually helped him. He wasn’t the only student that was bullied, others were as well, but as long as no one threw a fire ball his way, no one would get punished for it. That’s what it is though, isn’t it? Just like high school back home, everyday’s a battle.

The Head Mistress kept talking and Casper occasionally glanced up at her from where he was sitting but his eyes would much rather just remain at his hands as they laid together, his fingers anxiously fiddling with each other. How could he have missed Greg and Philip on the boat? Perhaps they were here all along, yeah that was probably it. They were already there, waiting for him. Once the Head Mistress was done talking, the students were herded out of the auditorium and he’d soon find himself in the cafeteria. Again, Mason was nowhere to be seen. Well, the only thing that could be done now was to just take a random seat and hope for the best. Perhaps no one would talk to him at all, and this would all go by harmlessly. As soon as his dorm number would be revealed, Casper could finally hide out in his room. It was the safest place on the island, after all.

No matter the worried thoughts of dread that were washing over him, he couldn’t deny that his stomach had been very empty since he stepped onto the boat. With a soft sigh, the boy grabbed hold of a fork in his left hand a knife in his right, cutting into the food that was on his plate.

@bluemoon277

---

"I guess its just you and me now huh?"

Mark remained quiet, proving to give an agreeable nod over the gentle, steady lapping of the waves against the sturdy ship to Kanala; having noted the girl's ability to stand with minimal effort in a sweep of grace. It remained human, familiar enough in that sense, not the sort of motion that wasn't human. Mark had seen enough evidence of that - footage of, what appeared to be people, moving too fast or too gracefully. It was discomforting - at least he, as far as he rationalized it, moved with the grace of the cat he took on when he assumed their shape.

Kana proved to join him in leaning over the railing; Mark had no remarks for the departing parties, in fact, he didn't honestly care. It was indifference, with one of the two students seeming particularly uneasy about the presence of anyone. Understandable - he himself wasn't fond of meta-humans, as ironic as that was. It was a bit... strange to not only be so old here, but to have gone through life without any exposure to them beyond what the internet and media brought to life.

Listening to girl's yawn, Mark stretched slightly, cracking each joint in his knuckles before she spoke again, this time smiling and reminiscing about the sea. He followed her logic as best he could muster, it made enough sense as to what she was saying; waves were waves, no matter where you went, beautiful with a potential for violence in every case.

"No," Mark paused as Kanala proved to explain with added depth about the nature of her experience with the vast watery expanses, "I understand what it is you mean."

He hesitated, trying to formulate his response the most reasonable way he could; "I wasn't ever around a large amount of water. Certainly not afraid or bothered by it, but I prefer my feet to be on firm ground."

Looking toward her slightly as the ship adjusted its course much closer toward the island, the engines and rudder working together to steer closer through the faint misty, humid air toward a faint dock that appeared on the horizon. Needless to say, while Mark wasn't pleased with the fact that they were already here, no more happy with his situation than he was before, he at least was glad the ship wasn't traversing the cold open waters for much longer with them all aboard. There were many reasons he preferred water he knew more about... Alaskan waters? He didn't know the first thing about this environment. He'd need time to wander whatever wilderness he could to understand them.

"I gather we're almost there..."

He adjusted his hat, looking back to Kana.

"Care to join me?"

---

As if bad needed to turn worse, this island appeared to be home to a castle-esque structure... the academy itself. This, along with everything else he could just inherently feel about the environment around him as the students were lead through the far more cheery and vibrant garden did not make the cat in Mark any the slightest happier. It felt like the forest here were just... ominous? Forbidden maybe? Like they were hiding something - something that the academy didn't want to contend with. It didn't sit right, whatever it was.

Neither did the Head Mistress or the man in black suit and coat.

Miranda Caryl?

Mark did his best to commit the name to memory, because as far as he was concerned, he was in the enemy's territory now. The boat, at best was neutral ground, state waters. Here...? This island? This building? Hell, even the seat he was sitting in now within a giant auditorium as probably the oldest member here short of the cadre of teachers? All federal government. NEST's pride and joy public project.

Doing all he could to note her words, the tempo wasn't right; it was off. It certainly wasn't a college introduction speech or the type given by the run of the mill professor or doctor.

The backpack between his legs, a three day kit, had basically all Mark stilled owned; everything he hadn't mauled. It wasn't much, but it did feel like he was being shuffled along - not long enough in any one place to get a good, continuous look at anything that he considered high value or of interest. For example, who was the man on stage with the Head Mistress? What value was he? Was he her husband? A Head Master? Teacher? Whatever - he'd find out eventually.

Slinging his pack, one loop over his shoulder, he stepped into what appeared to be a mass cafeteria.

"You have got to be kidding me."

It was organized chaos, with every inch of the entire dining hall polished and orderly ordained. Great, long tables, fine utensils, banners - you name it, they had it. It spoke of wealth, affluence and power... for a bunch of, lack of better words, kids Mark thought. Sighing, shrugging the pack slightly, he glanced around to see if Kanala had caught up with him.

---

---

"Care to join me?"
Kana felt a bit out of place for a minute. Kana was rather sure that she was misinterpreting things, but the way Mark looked back at her Kana felt a small something in her heart. She blushed ever so slightly. "Why of course" Kana replied with a small courteous finding his vernacular and stance give off a princely aspect to him. As they exited the ship more and more people started to get in between Kana and Mark. He disappeared into the crowd, and Kana found herself trying to jump up to see him. Once they were in the auditorium Kana found Mark again and stood beside him. Though as they then moved to the cafeteria Kana lost him again.

Kanala burst through the mess of people to stand by Mark's side again. "Son of a bitch" Kana whispered under her breath exhausted from pushing her way through the crowd. She was a rather small person. There were people smaller then her, but still the vast majority was taller. It seemed the entire crowd just pretended as if Kana wasn't there pushing past each other carelessly to get to a seat or food. It annoyed Kana a lot, but she took a breath doing her best to exhale her anger. Kana looked up at Mark as people continued to push past her. He was standing tall and strong not a single person touching him. Kana almost laughed. 'of course people were avoiding the tall strong dude who could totally take people pushing into him, but the tiny not so strong girl forget it lets bump into her tons' Kana thought holding in her laugh.

"So, I'm gonna grab a seat wanna come with or meet me after you get food" Kana asked doing her best to still be happy as students every now and then continued to push past her. Kana herself wasn't very hungry. She was used to eating her meals late. Her lunch was a three her dinner at nine. Kana started thinking that she would most likely have to change that. She was rather sure that the school had meals at set times. Kana hoped the transition wouldn't be too bad.

---

After the altercation in the garden, Harmon had remained still for a bit of time. Once the combination of Mika’s civility and that… other girl’s intrusion subsided, he finally gauged the importance of the announcement. But he took Mika's parting words to mind – the auditorium would be holding the newcomers. He was no such thing. So, he made his way to the cafeteria after finishing the rest of his stroll.



The cafeteria itself was, same as the few other times Harmon had seen it (he normally had his meals in seclusion, crowds pounded away at his thoughts after a while), filled to the brim. Not a lot of space to move around in. The moment he stepped inside, he scanned his surroundings and attempted to weave his way through the crowd. Most of the amassed students passed him a glance and nothing more (given that his hood was raised over his head, his appearance was effectively concealed), while others stared and sneered. He waved his camera through the crowd, bumping into one student after another. Thankfully, the moment he breached the opposing end of the small crowd, he was spared any further awkward maneuvering.

“Harmon.”

Now in his humanoid shape, Ruben approached Harmon from a nearby table situated at the wall of the cafeteria. A wide berth split amidst the students as he walked – most of them very, very confused as to what in the hell something like him was doing here. He, however, paid them no mind whatsoever. “I. Have reserved. A table. For us.” Ruben said, turning and pointing his tendril over to said table. Harmon nodded and followed beside him, the berth still present.

“I set. A bowl. Of soup for you.” Ruben said, “As per. Your appetite.”

“Th-thank you…” Harmon replied. A pause went on before he asked, “Is… is there anyone else at… the table?”

“Of course not.”

It was the truth. The two reached a table by the wall, with a lone bowl of some sort of soup and a glass of water waiting for Harmon. Ruben himself would not actually be dining this evening. They both sat down and chatted idly to each other. About goals. About expectations.

About the future.

@bluemoon277

---

Why people avoided Mark was not a simple single answer rationale; it was inherently complex by virtue of human psychology, but simple enough that when you backed away from it all, not an ounce of real thought was required. Even in a school full of meta-humans, they behaved largely like people - at least these newer students did, the ones surrounding the former college student and full time slacker. It ranged from the fact he was tall, to the fact he was fairly well built, to whatever animalistic psychic radiation he gave off, to a myriad of other factors.

Or so he rationalized.

It was by the time Mark was thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that he had lost his cohort. It came with a light wave of guilt... Admittedly he wasn't exactly accustomed to looking out for anyone, but he did pretty explicitly ask if Kanala had wished to join him - which she did, blushingly no less. The whole incident was a bit awkward now, causing him to turn and look about, soon finding the formerly missing girl.

She wasn't hard to find, actually. That was a moderate surprise to Mark - she had a fighting spirit to her as she pushed and shoved shoulder to shoulder through the crowd until she caught up with him, having following in the wake he cut among the rampant persons and staff that attempted to guide them.

"So, I'm gonna grab a seat wanna come with or meet me after you get food?"

Her voice inquired over the ambient noise that was the many gathered peoples' conversations. Mark's attention shifted away from Kana briefly, scanning the cafeteria with a certain instinctual hunting to his golden glare, concealed solely by the pair of aviator sunglasses; he noted a few familiar faces... well, one - Casper from earlier, but short of that no one he "knew". Probably buried in all the continued energy and interaction.

Turning back to Kana who proved to be smiling (perhaps almost laughing), he replied, "Maybe this time I shouldn't get so ahead of myself."

"We might as well go together." He added, to avoid confusion as to what he meant, being sure to infer he would not lose his new companion as carelessly as he did before.

"Besides, it isn't like I 'know' anyone else." In a way he sort of regretted the phrasing as those words left his mouth, as he honestly knew nothing about Kanala either, just that she appeared to be of some native descent, was slightly heavier than her peers, and preferred to be called "Kana".

All in all, she still boiled down to be a lot more human than Mark did - at least as far as "normalcy" went. There was a reason he wore sunglasses, even here at Academy 218.

Needless to say, he had noted some more unusual characters on the fringes of the cafeteria, one of whom wore a large metallic... diving helmet? Didn't matter - not right now at least. Mark didn't get a sense of any obvious, well threats? He felt like his father, thinking like that - always looking for any danger, as if something, here of all places at an academy, were to really happen.

---

---

Mika was the first to enter the cafeteria. She was quick to find her own corner to call her own before the brooders came in and found their spot. More importantly, she brought a large plate that she put a picture of hot tea on, along with a set of several cups. It was floating right above her shoulder - being kept afloat by her telekinesis. Once she found a suitable table, she placed the plate of tea down on it. Mika sat down on the table, and telekinetically. She had enough tea here to last the whole banquet - if not, she could always get some more. Mika had no intentions of eating in here. After the banquet was almost over, she would get some food and head back up into her room. No one should watch her eat like some fish in a tank. However, Mika's intention was to observe. This banquet wasn't as big as it looked, she can gather plenty about her classmates. If someone walked up to her, she would see what they had to offer. If they were some redneck, then she would tell them to leave. If they were tolerable, then she would offer them some fine tea.

Perhaps the Redneck Queen would like to have a word with her too.

---

---

"... Well that was annoying as fuuuuuuuuck." Lupe groaned as she followed behind everyone else, her hands behind her head. She was just about ready to beat that redhaired puta right off the boat. It'd be a great way to show these bitches that she won't take their crap. That she's the one and only queen bee. Whatever. If Diego didn't want her to fight, then she guess that's fine... But no promises if that bitch wants to cross her again. It's gonna be a straight-up ass whoopin'. No holds barred.

Diego walked alongside her, and held onto the guitar strap. Diego knew that he couldn't babysit her. After all, Lupe is a woman. She can make her own decisions, and accept the consequences of them. It was only that Diego didn't want a fight to break out on the boat. Because they were trapped on a confided boat, with strangers. Who knows what would have happened if a fight popped off! Diego and Lupe were two tough Metas, he knew that. The problem was that he didn't know what everyone else could do... or what they would do. Either way, Diego kept his mouth shut, and went along with Lupe.

Both of them entered the Cafeteria after the speech. They didn't have any strong opinions towards it anyway. Jesus, it was crowded. It was chock-full of people. Utensils, people, everything! Organized Chaos. However, both of them had their own plans for this.

Diego... he honestly didn't want to deal with such a large crowd at the moment - especially how his first interaction went. He was in desperate need of a cigarette. That garden they passed through was pretty secluded. He could go there. Diego sighed, "I'm going to get a smoke." He calmly said to Lupe. He immediately went back towards the door, before she stopped him.

Diego, Diego, Diego... what a strange child. Lupe took a step towards him. "What? You're not going to at least get something to eat?"

"I'll get something to eat later." He answered quietly.

"Okay, well," Lupe started off, scratching the back of her neck. "Suit yourself." Diego walked off, and Lupe followed suit. Brother and Sister went their separate ways. Eh, it was probably for the best. She couldn't have him hanging around her quietly like some vulture. She gotta live! She gotta show this school the Platinum girl! She walked up to the counter, and made herself a green salad, and put some low-fat ranch dressing (Because like hell if she'll get fat). With a plate in her hand, she walked around, looking for someone good looking to sit down with. Boy, girl - Anyone really. She needed to sate this boredom one way or another. Damn, she wish she brought her guitar with her. That would have made this sooooo much easier.

Backtracking was easy, the halls of the school weren't as mazelike as they seemed. Diego quickly found his way to the garden. He would have left the school entirely, but he isn't familiar with the layout all that much. He'd end up getting lost. Though, Diego quickly found the garden. There wasn't a soul here. He stepped down, and heard the sound echo in the distance. Nope. Not a soul. Diego quickly found a tree, facing away from sight, and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. He pulled his sleeve up, and ran the cigarette down his forearm quickly. Like he struck a match, the cigarette was lit. Diego put the guitar in his lap, and began practicing. If he was going to get good at using this again, he would need to start now.

Looks like this is the life of Diego J. Bellasquez.

'Only me and you now, boy...'

---

---

Finally, some food! That whole boatride and speech was boring as hell. All it did was make the Amazon even hungrier. You see, someone with her size needed to eat much more to keep going. And Michelle had a massive appetite. After the speech, Michelle was quick to follow along with the other students. Excited to see how this school would handle meal time. And, lo and behold, she certainly wasn't disappointed. As she proudly stepped through the front doors, widely opening the doors for herself, she immediately eyeballed the food counter. The smells, the sounds of it being cooked - simply irresistible! She immediately made her way over there, elbowing her way through the crowds of people - if they couldn't move, then that's their problem. She takes large steps! Michelle grabbed a large tray, and started packing plate after plate with food. Meat only! Michelle was a carnivore. Eating vegetables was for panies. She had ham, chicken, turkey, and more, stacked on top of her plates. That was enough for her. Michelle quickly found herself a table - not too far from the counter, and started digging in.

---

---

Wowzas! That Headmistress was quite the woman! When she spoke, Luther was simply entranced. While he watched her speech, he looked up at her, tilting that hat of his upwards to get a better look at her. He wasn't really paying too much attention to what she was saying. Just her looks. However, just like that, she was done, and Luther was being herded away from her. Well ain't that a goner. Well, Luther will see her again. Teehee. For now, Luther went along with the rest of the students until he was in the cafeteria. Looks like he's going have to get the food himself - like some buffet! Mommy said that he'd have to do without her for a little while. Which was fine, because that meant he could get whatever he wanted! Though, he was warned that eating too much would make him one of those fat folks, and he couldn't have that.

---

@SepticGentleman

---

Adam L. Blackmore was ready for another school year. He was standing by the Head Mistress to assert himself. However, just for the new students, he wasn't going to say who he was. That was for once they get into his classes (Or in trouble - either works). After the speech, Adam slowly walked behind the group. He was much further behind them. Once Adam was inside, he merely watched. Waiting for his opportunity. Second someone misbehaves, he'll be the one to shoot them down. He spotted Ruben and Harmon - and with their appearances, it was hard not to - discussing things on one of tables. He wasn't sure if he was on good terms with either of them. However, he hasn't seen them all year. All he knows is that Harmon is a special case.

"Harmon, Mr. Tarblatt," Adam greeted them as he sat down, "Pleasure to see you two again."

Zoe made her way back into the school, stomping heavily onto the floors as she vented to her father. When she was in hysterics, her father did everything he could to calm her down. She had a habit of being over dramatic and it was something she developed from being a spoiled brat. Mid way through the hall as he father promised to take her on a Hawaiian vacation, a voice invaded her mind. She paused and her eyes seemed as if they bulged out of their sockets. Invading her phone was one thing, but her mind was just crossing the line. She would be damned if some telepath was going to get their rocks off by getting into her head. Even though Zoe herself liked to cloak herself and spy on those she hated, she was one of those people who couldn't take what she dished out. Hearing that it was a female voice, she crossed out that it wasn't that thing but the girl he was conversing with.

Perhaps you can come back for some tea later. Then, I can teach you some class. Until then, Zài jiàn.

"What did that fat bitch just say to me!?" Zoe was still on the phone with her father as she screamed into the receiver. Her voice echoed the halls and she hopped the Asian bitch could hear. "Oh hell no, who the hell does she think she is? I'm going to take that flower in her hair and shove it down her throat. Hell that won't work, she'll probably EAT IT!" Zoe was absolutely going ballistic on the phone in which her father was trying to calm her down. Zoe was making her way back out to the garden to confront the Asian chick when she noticed students starting to enter from the boat. She was soon lost in the crowd and stopped in her tracks. "Oh this isn't over," she said hanging up with her phone.

Zoe tried to compose herself as she walked with the rest of the students to the auditorium. Being her diva self, she pushed past the students, bumping into them hard trying to get to the front.

"Move out of my way losers," she whispered loudly as she finally made her way to the front. Even though she heard the whole speech the year before, she loved to present herself as little miss perfect to the staff. She stood eloquently and pretended to listen to what the head mistress had to say. After going off into her own world, the speeches had concluded and everyone was either going to their rooms or stuffing their faces at the cafeteria. Since she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, she decided to grab a little something before she went off to work out or something.

Once in the cafeteria, she made her way over to the salad bar to fix herself a nice leafy delight. A figure like hers didn't come from eating bullshit all day. After making her plate, she looked about the tables to see where to sit. She looked for her usual gossipy friends who were seated in the center of the room like most divas. The blonde was about to make her way over to her clique before the Asian girl from before caught her attention. Her first instinct was to rip her hair out but suddenly a thought came to her mind. The girl seemed very familiar. Did they hang out indirectly in the same circle of people outside of the Academy? She realized that was the girl who had the father who made the cure for being a metahuman. She knew the bitch looked familiar. They both came from wealthy families who took part in metahuman projects so they were bound to cross paths eventually. Knowing this bit of information made Zoe rethink her way of confronting her. She was a rich girl like her so she had to make friends with her. Even if the girl came across as a bitch, she couldn't have someone of the same status be against her. Eating her pride (and shielding her mind to the best of her ability), she strutted confidently to the girl and sat next to her as if nothing had ever happened. Zoe crossed her legs and put on a fake smile.

"Hey! Yeah so I know we got off on the wrong foot earlier but I came to make amends. Now I'm not one to hold grudges so that's why I decided to come over and make peace." She cleared her throat and took a bite of her salad. "So isn't your dad the creator of that cure? I knew I've seen your family from somewhere. Well my dad is head of Prematech Software, that program that tracks people like us. So like, we belong in the same group of people, isn't that crazy?!" She pushed her salad to the side and crossed her legs in the other direction. "Since we both come from higher class families, I think instead of being uncivil like commoners, we should totally get to know each other. I mean it's not right for people like us to be fighting one another. What would people think? She should be joining forces and stomping these peasants, girl!" She let out a laugh, trying to sound convincing. Even though she wasn't being 100 percent genuine, she couldn't have someone who is just as rich as she is be against her. They had to be in the same group of friends. "So what do you say?"

---

Trevor sat in the nurses off typing away into the computer all of the immunization shots and medical records of the students into the database. The head nurse had taken a leave of absences so he was stuck doing all of the hard work. He wasn't one to complain as he was the type to just shut up and do it. He was a push over, none the least. Trevor just took it as practice until he received his RN license. He fumbled with his septum piecing as he sighed, looking at the computer. Only half of the students to go. He groaned lightly before turning away from the computer. The thought of doing his college course work and doing nurse duties was going to kill him and there was no one to help him. He just hoped the head nurse would return soon. This was too much work for a student to handle on his own.

His mind was distracted as the new students began to arrive on campus. He heard the sounds of enthusiasm and fear from outside of his office that made him excited and scared at the same time. New students which meant all knew people to warm up to and try to make friends with. Even though he was quite the introvert, he knew that couldn't fly if he was somewhat part of the staff. Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the office and smiled at some of the new students that passed by. There were some comments that were aimed at him by some female students like "Oh my god is that the nurse?" and "Wow he's so cute." He cleared his throat and tried not to turn red. Even though others seem to find him attractive, he never seemed to see it himself. He wasn't self-absorbed like some blonde students he knew.

In his scrubs and white jacket, he made his way to the auditorium to hear the Head Mistress' speech, standing next to some of the staff members. After that was over, he made his way to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat before getting back to work. Serving himself a burger and a side salad, he looked around to see where he could sit. The obvious choice was to sit with the students and try to make some friends, but he felt more comfortable sitting with the adults/staff since he identified with them more. Or he could just sit alone like he did most of the time since he was just that shy. Sighing, he went to sit at the table that sat across from Dr. Tarblatt and Harmon who like him was a staff assistant. While most people feared them, Trevor didn't really care about their physical abnormalities as he wasn't one to judge. In fact it fascinated him. Sitting directly across from them, he gave a slight smile and began eating his lunch.

Although she had originally been excited to ride on a boat for the first time, Beth very quickly regretted stepping foot on the boat. Having never been on a boat before, she had no idea that she would be prone to seasickness, or that it could be so awful. The sea sickness she was dealing with had struck less than an hour after she had gotten on the boat, which she couldn’t help but feel was a little pathetic.

Somehow, she had managed to make her way to the infirmary that was located below deck without covering the entirety of the hallway in vomit, but, unfortunately, the nurse was unable to provide her with any medicine that would effectively treat her motion sickness because the doses were far too high for someone of her size. They were able to provide her with ginger ale, however, which did soothe her nausea enough that she didn’t feel the need to throw-up.

At the nurse’s insistence that going up to the deck would be better for her seasickness than laying down in one of the sick beds, Beth began stumbling her way out of the infirmary and to the deck of the ship where most of the other students would be, quickly locating a chair pointing off the port side of the ship to recline in. Once she was comfortable, relatively speaking, she tried to enjoy the view, spotting a few small landmasses off in the horizon.

Incidentally, having something stationary like the ground to look at also helped soothe her nausea to the point where it was able to be ignored. No longer quite so occupied with her stomach doing flips on her, the rocking of the ship as it sliced through the water was actually quite relaxing, and it quickly put her to sleep until she was woken up by the increase in volume of the students on deck and the announcement that the boat had docked at the Academy.

After she had finished stretching and whatnot, Beth followed the crowd of people who were currently disembarking by way of the large set of stairs that had been lowered from the ship. While she walked, Beth ran her fingers through curly, coppery red hair in a futile attempt to eliminate some of the tangles that had formed while she slept. It wasn’t a desire to look good that motivated her to try and fix her hair, as she really didn’t particularly care what she looked like, but rather her desire to be essentially invisible to those around her.

The outfit that she was currently wearing, a brown and white flannel short-sleeved shirt, a pair of faded blue jeans, and her green and black sneakers with Velcro fasteners, was chosen with this goal in mind, as it didn’t stand out particularly well against the flashier outfits most of the other students wore on their first day. In fact, the only thing that she was wearing that could be considered flashy was her silver and black bracelet made of tungsten carbide that allowed her to store some of the excess charge her body built up over time.

Of course, all of this that didn’t mean that she was truly invisible. Several people around her seemed to have noticed her and were whispering to some of the others around them. Though some might be paranoid about what was being said behind their backs, Beth figured it was a question or an expression of confusion as to why such a young child, as Beth appeared to be, would be at the Academy. Thankfully, however, such interest in her seemed to be short-lived as the crowd continued towards their destination, which was apparently somewhere inside the massive castle that was the Academy itself.

While the staff members that had welcomed them to the island guided them towards wherever it was they were going, they answered a seemingly constant stream of questions from curious students concerning a variety of topics like what they could do for fun or what kinds of facilities the Academy had to offer to them. By paying attention to the questions that were being asked, Beth could kind of ignore the anxiety that she had been feeling since boarding the boat. It also made the walk go by a lot faster, so much so that Beth was rather surprised when they stepped into the castle itself.

Shortly after that, they emerged into a beautiful garden where a stage and several rows of seats were set up. As the students filled the seats, Beth was able to get a look at the stage where a stern-looking woman in a sharp pin-stripe suit and a somber-looking man dressed in black everything were standing. Almost immediately after everyone was seated, the woman began speaking, though Beth could no longer see what was going on due to how short she was.

Though it was a good bit harder to pay attention to the speech when she couldn’t see the speaker, Beth did manage to keep focused on what was being said, particularly when it came to the rules that the Academy operated under, like the fact that everyone needed to be in their rooms by 10 PM or that fighting outside of a special place called the arena was prohibited. Overall, Beth was surprised by how short the speech ended up being, as they were very quickly dismissed to attend the annual banquet.

The journey to the cafeteria where the banquet was being held was, as expected, much shorter than the walk from the docks to the Academy itself. It also seemed louder too, as the students were beginning to loosen up and talk to one another in the hopes of making new friends or catching up with old ones. Regardless, the crowd arrived at their destination in no time, the students breaking up to grab something to eat before getting a table with their friends.

Due to her small size, getting a plate of food was a lot harder said than done for Beth, as people tended to either have a hard time seeing her or just not caring that she was in the way. Eventually, however, she managed to wriggle through the crowd and get a plate of chicken parmesan and a glass of root beer. From there, she had to wriggle back through the crowd and find a place to sit. Unfortunately, virtually every table had been taken by the time she had gotten her food, which meant that she was going to be forced to sit with someone else.

After scanning the tables that were nearby, Beth decided to sit at the one where a thin boy with a pink stripe in his black hair was already sitting, as he appeared the least intimidating and/or likely to be interested in her. And so Beth set her plate down on the table and sat down, her feet dangling quite a distance above the tiles of the floor, without saying a word, though she did offer a small smile to be polite. If he would try and start a conversation, she wouldn’t be rude and ignore him, but that didn’t mean that she was going to start the conversation. In all honesty, being ignored was preferable.

---

---

Kana felt a happy aura coming from Mark. She felt he enjoyed her company, and that made her rather happy as well. Though while Kana felt a happiness from him she also felt a proprietorial sort of felling. As he looked around the room Kana recognized that he felt defensive. Like he was hunting or looking for the hunter. SHe couldn't quite understand why though. They weren't in any dangerous situation, or so she thought. That was one of the first moments that Kana recognized that where she was wasn't a safe place. There was different powers all around her. Granted Kana could protect herself, Kana was not the most powered person in the world. When Kana is cut off from nature she is almost powerless.

It made Kana wonder not only how she paired up against people, but how she paired up against Mark. What could he do. With a flick of his wrist would Kana be close to dying, or was it that Mark would be afraid of her powers. As they were walking towards an open table Kana decided it would be best to simply ask Mark what he could do. There was no point in remaining secretive. If Mark could kill Kana accidentally she would rather she know.

"We might as well go together."

Kana nodded her head. "Sounds like a Plan" She happily accepted. Kana started to push her way through the giant crowd again, leading the way for both her and Mark. People were pushing, and her head started to hurt ever so slightly. She was getting glimpses of people's thoughts. 'Knock my teeth out" Kana heard a female voice say. A few seconds later she heard in a very loud preppy voice 'Like me' it was quickly followed by the same little boy not wanting to get fat.

"Besides, it isn't like I 'know' anyone else."

Kana shook her head softly trying to break her connection with the mass amounts of people. She didn't want to give away her power so soon. She didn't want Mark to run away from her because of it. Kana then realized she hadn't replied to Mark. "yeah that's true, but to be honest you don't know me all to well either" Kana threw back at him with a laugh. As they sat down Kana raised her hand placing her elbow on the table. "So Mark,You don't know me to well, why don't we get to know each other a little better? Tell me what can you do" Kana asked a bit more serious then she had been the entirety of their conversation.

So far everything had been going well. No one came and bothered Casper and no one talked to him. As he had hoped, the boy easily disappeared in the crowd, but with the massive amount of people surrounding him, he felt his appetite leaving him at a rapid pace. It was okay at first, he managed to get a few bites in but after that, it was getting too cramped and too uncomfortable. He needed to get out of there, to go somewhere safe and quiet. If someone he didn’t quite get along with bumped into him here he’d be in a lot of shit. He’d rather not cause a scene, not that he could, but the mass of people didn’t help in calming his mind. Finding Mason was something he had completely given up on and now sat poking his food absentmindedly with his fork.

Suddenly, a little girl came and sat in front of him. Wait, what? She was like, a kid. How old was she? This girl couldn’t have been older than five. They let five year olds run around on their own in a sea of people where they could be trampled to the floor? She smiled at him with a polite expression and Casper returned it, a faint and gentle smile crossing his lips. This was getting too hard to maintain, however. He felt out of place and exposed to everything. It was as if he stood in a bush of thorns and moving even an inch would get him cut.

Without another word, the boy stood and grabbed his plate. Now that he was standing, the scene appeared clearer around him. He could see the various little groups packed together and immediately noticed a tall blonde girl talking to an asian girl. Yeah, the popular kids. Casper moved to where he could dispose of his plate and saw a table by the wall with a few people gathered. Adam was also there, the head of this whole thing. Honestly, he looked like a big, bad president of some kind of super power. Maybe he was? Damn, it’s ironic when you can’t even think these things around here without someone hearing you. That was the worst part of the academy, nothing was a secret. Casper didn’t have much to hide, not in his past at least, but sometimes he liked having an opinion.

Adam was talking to someone, something. What the hell was that? Moving slightly to get a better view, Casper saw the fleshy creature and raised an eyebrow. Wait, he had been here last year, too. Oh well, apart from that a hooded person was sitting besides him and some other guy, along with some more people. Alright, it was time to leave.

Trying to avoid everyone the best he could, Casper eventually managed to get out of the cafeteria and took a deep, deep breath. It felt almost like he had just emerged from a deep ocean after having held his breath for the past twenty minutes.

Okay, if he could find his dorm, that would be great. The teachers had however not given them that information, yet. Damn it. Well, at least he could drop down in the garden. It was empty there apart from…guitar sounds? Wait, was it the guy from the boat? The guy with the guitar? Yeah, he still had the guitar, didn't he? Sure, he looked rather intimidating but Casper would honestly much rather be alone with a dude who could beat him into the ground than hang out in the crowd in the cafeteria. With another breath, the boy softly moved towards the sound and peeked behind the tree, his steps naturally light and quiet against the grass. That confirmed it, it was him, smoking. Not wanting to be a bother, Casper moved a slight distance from the tree and dropped down on the grass further away and produced his Playstation Vita from his shoulder bag. This was the original. Saving your progress on a copy wasn’t very effective when you wanted to actually get further into the game.

Turning the device on, Casper plugged his headset into it not to destroy the serenity of silence in the garden. He had always loved it there, it was peaceful and incredibly beautiful. He knew the way to the garden from anywhere on the school and could easily make his way there from the cafeteria without any complications. Lowering his eyes to the screen, Casper sighed slightly and started clicking the various buttons on his device. Tomorrow class would start, and his gaming device was probably going to be his best friend in the spaces between. Slicing monsters up with a katana was always fun, after all. The thought was honestly rather funny. Imagine little Casper with a katana, cutting through monstrous creatures. That’d be the day.

After people finished up in the cafeteria, the garden would probably get crowded too but luckily Casper knew of a few secluded places where he could hang out until it was time to go 'home'. He couldn't wait for his dorm number to be assigned. So far he felt like he was drifting at sea with but a plank to hold onto. This would all be over soon.

@bluemoon277

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Before he had so much as the ability to lead the way, Kamalahad thrown herself into the horde with an aggressive determination. It was... well, different really for him to see a girl her age so relentlessly pursue something; just the notion that they needed food and a table, going together and she was off. Mark didn't hesitate to follow Kanaka, in more ways than one fairly amused by her personality and her willingness to just take action without need for discussion or debate. Quite nice, really - nod needing to argue with someone.

Following a step behind, the numbers parted a bit faster and soon enough both Kana and Mark had found their meals; it took a bit of a fight, but the feline in Mark enjoyed the prospect of having to out that tiny more effort in to maximize effect. It had a presence to it, or so Mark could readily tell - a perceived authority it held itself with and manifested through him.

Overhearing Kana, ears attuned to her over the noise, he replied casually.

"True, but all the same I know more of you than anyone else here, even if that 'more' is realistically just a little."

The two proved to sit ddown at one of the large, ornate tables - Kanala setting an elbow atop it. Mark however, slung his pack beside his foot; it was in reach, not that it was to be stolen, as there were plenty of attentive eyes and the students largely preoccupied, but it felt safer. He relaxed ever so slightlyin response, looking to Kana with a quirked brow as she requested, having turned her laugh to a more serious, direct tone.

Mark paused, blinking with a sort of short breath. It caught him off guard, but he should have known this was coming, particularly from the woman he just met; everything about her thus far suggested she would have asked this question now rather than later.

Mark debated greatly what to tell her first - it was a bit difficult to say he sort of changed into large cats and had empathy toward them like some sort of failed psychic.

"I," He said, pausing a bit, trying to word it the best he could, chuckling with a sort of awkward, shy laugh, "Well, I am an empath... for felines."

That sounded stupid, he rationalized, wondering if she even knew what he meant; after all, what could she do? Probably something far more complex and dangerous no less.

"I can influence them... even heal them."