I was always the thoughts in these makings

Devising the designs of next while I held your forebears in my arms

I was on the longest path, and I thought through many a she

But in the low, and the alone, something changed

It was you

My transgression against her was one of love and wonder

And we shared the thoughts

As we saw you on the cracked screens

But after you, she was gone, and the house bid me away

And I obliged

I was never there, but I should have been

To see you become the now and long-while

But in the end, I will be gone as well

And you will stand over me, the before, with you, the soon

And you’ll wonder why

---

---

There wasn’t much left of the banquet after Ruben departed. Things seemed to leap by as Harmon stood there, wondering what to do next. But he didn’t need to, at the sounding of the instructions. He didn’t desire a roommate – the notion made him rather uncomfortable – but before the day had begun, Ruben had told him that his normal sleeping quarters (a storage closet) would be occupied by new supplies. So he would have to face the action for this year. He was resentful, but it didn’t show.

He kept his hood up and his camera tucked close as the line progressed. Some eyed him, but by now, the shock of his appearance had died down plenty. Which he was thankful for. Eventually, he was the next one present at the front of the congregation. The receptionist merely nodded and handed him his key. “Your roommate for this year will be Mason Crawford.” She said to him.

_{“Mason…”} Harmon muttered in a hush, clutching his key. _{“Mason… Crawford…”}

He turned away from the desk and made his way back through the crowd, repeating his new roommate’s name in his head all the while.

He had the sinking suspicion he wasn’t going to enjoy this.

Time will tell if he’s right or wrong.

---

@Tyler

”No, probably not even your pinky finger,” Beth replied, smiling as Michelle held up her pinky, which was the size of a normal person’s pinky and about the width of Beth’s palm, and wiggled it. She was glad that the atmosphere was as relaxed as it was, though she was still afraid to be too open about herself and becoming too close to Michelle, a desire that conflicted with her aversion to coming across as rude. To say the least, Beth had mixed feelings about the conversation that she concealed almost by habit.

Michelle seemed to have put some thought into why she was attending the Academy and what she wanted to get out of them, as she shared that her primary reason for attending in the first place was to acquire her NEST certification so that she could continue to perform in the circus. Beth was about to ask what that was like, as she had never been to a circus before, when they were joined by another girl, who had light brown hair and was fairly tall, at least from Beth's reckoning if not most other people's, asking if one of the seats at the table was taken.

Looking up at her, Beth shook her head no and motioned that the seat was hers for the taking, though she didn’t say anything else. She also wasn’t sure if she should go through with asking Michelle what the circus was like, as she didn’t know if the giantess would consider that a breach of her privacy or not. The decision was made for her, however, as the loudspeaker jumped to life with an announcement that every student should make their way to the reception area in order to receive their rooming assignments and learn who their roommates for the year were going to be.

”Well, I suppose that I should get going then,” Beth said, slipping off the side of the seat and onto her feet before grabbing her plates so that she could drop them off at one of the stations where they would pick them up for cleaning. ”It was nice meeting you, Michelle and I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk longer, miss.” And with those farewells, one directed, obviously, to Michelle and the other to the newcomer, Beth left, dropping her plates off on the way and following the throng of people to the reception area.

Fortunately, it seemed that the school had the foresight to establish several stations in the reception area where students could be told who their roommate was going to be and where they were going to be rooming. As such, the lines weren’t as long as they could be, and everything progressed at a fairly smooth pace, though there were the occasional delays when a student complained to the receptionist about who their roommate was.

Eventually, Beth reached the front of the line, though it wasn’t until she made use of her power to hover above the ground a bit that the receptionist could actually see her. ”Hello. My name is Elizabeth Carson, and I’d like to get my room assignment and learn who I’ll be rooming with,” Beth said to the receptionist, a sort of elderly woman with a surprised expression on her face due to how suddenly Beth had popped up.

---

@Mr Allen J, @Prince of Seraphs

---

---

Kana kept her head towards her food."you have no idea. it's kinda like being invaded by another person's mind. The worst part is taht there's nothing I can do about it. I don't want to be intrusive to people, but it's just not something I can control" Kana explained ending with a large sigh. She pushed around a sushi roll with her chopstick getting caught up in her own thoughts instead of others peoples. while contemplating how this year would turn out if everyone couldn't look past her mind reading abilities Kana took another sip of her coke.

The carbonation went straight to her nose causing her to shoot up from her hunched stance and lightly hit the under side of the table with her knee. It wasn't so loud that it rose over all the conversation, but a thud broke the silence of at least Kana and Mark's table. She tightened her nose and pushed together her face trying to cope with the carbination. It soon retreated, but the whole experience made Kana snap out of her thoughts.

Kana sniffled rubbing her nose for a minuet. A small laugh escaped Kana. "sorry about that" she said growing a shinning smile returning to her regular positive character.

"WOULD ALL STUDENTS PLEASE PROCEED TO THE RECEPTION, IN ORDER TO BE ALLOCATED THEIR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR. THANK YOU."

Kana looked up at the intercome as the message went through. Kana shrugged she was done with her food, so now seemed like as good a time as any to go get her roommate. Kana got up from her seat. "Well, I'm gonna go find out my living arrangements...care to join me" Kana said with a small shrug and tilt of her head.

One of the girls at the table, the six year old one nodded that Lucy could sit down as she continued her conversation with the giantess. Lucy set her food on the table and took three huge gulps from one of the colas which calmed her nerves and dulled the intensity of the voices. Lucy hadn't eaten since the plane ride before the boat and now she was starved.

Lucy considered taking her aviators and gloves off to eat but then thought better of it. With so many people around and the voices she was hearing her powers must be going nuts which also meant that violet swirls would be mixed in with the green of Lucy's eyes and that wasn't exactly something that she liked explaining to people. 'Oh yeah my eyes are purple cause I'm in the process of invading your mind sorry.' Not going to happen here. The gloves well, that wasn't a Pandora's Box Lucy felt like explaining to anyone... ever. The scars on her hands were a sign of a lot of things Lucy would rather forget and in a place like this where she was getting a fresh start Lucy didn't see any reason to drag that past with her.

Lucy laid into the pizza first. It was cheese in incredibly gooey. Lucy didn't eat sloppily but she ate quickly. There wasn't a reason why she should spend anymore time eating than she had to, after all there were other things that she could be doing, like getting out of here before all the minds crowding hers drove her nuts. At this thought Lucy took another swig from her pop.

Her pizza finished Lucy started to eat her pasta with very quickly. She considered weighing in on the conversation taking place in front of her but most of it was about where people came from, why they were here and such things which wasn't really something that Lucy wanted to talk about. In another moment an announcement came over the intercom advising students to move to the reception area to get there room number and dorm mates assigned. Not long after this the little girl departed no doubt for the reception area.

Lucy quickly ate three fork fulls of poutine before she gathered her bag and her skateboard and stood up. She assumed someone would deal with the dishes. "It was good to meet you," she said nodding to the giantess. "Hopefully we'll get a chance to talk more." With that Lucy left the area. She was curious to see her room and her roommate.

Having arrived a little late there was already a que when she got there. Lucy got in line trying to ignore the nervous surprise of the boy at the front of the line or the boredom emanating off of several people scattered throughout the room. It was going to be a long year. When Lucy got the front the ancient look receptionist issued her a key. "Name?" she asked none to pleasantly. "Lucy Parker."

"Ah huh, Lucy Parker... You'll be staying with Michelle Gallus dear." Lucy stood there for a second looking at the key. "Why don't you move it along, there are other people waiting." The receptionist said shooing Lucy along. Lucy rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should try being polite ever now and again miss, just because your skin looks like you've been bathing for sixty years isn't any reason to get snappy."

This garnered a shocked expression from the receptionist and Lucy quickly moved on before that could turn to anger. If the receptionist wanted to get Lucy in trouble she had her name after all.

Lucy made her way to her room and unlocked the door. There stuff must have been brought up from the boat by some of the staff cause Lucy's suitcase was laying against one of the walls. Lucy collapsed onto the bed by the window. So this was life now. Lucy wondered if she could handle it. Scaling a twenty foot rock wall free style, that was easy. School, that was were the real terror set in.

---

@Shard

---

While shifting through the crowds, Diego managed to spot Casper - well, because he stood out quite a bit. What, being short and having pink hair? It'd be hard to miss him. The second Diego saw him, he quickly made his way through the crowds of people. Until he reached Casper. He scratched the back of his neck, nervously as he looked around. "Hey Casper, your last name wouldn't be Hayat, would it? Hehe..."

---

@TaliPaendrag
@Prince of Seraphs

---

Looks like this newcomer helped herself, eh? Michelle pivoted towards the woman. Before giving her the good old up-down. Well, there wasn't anything special about this chick. Caucasian, thin, kinda tall, brown hair, and walked around with this ugly green jacket on. Pretty generic if you asked Michelle. The chick was going to eat a slice of pizza and some pasta - Eh. Michelle didn't exactly think too highly of Lucy just off her looks. She was at least going to give Lucy the benefit of the doubt. She asked if there was anyone sitting there. To that, she smiled, and straightened her spine and turned towards Lucy - an act to show more of herself. "... Really dunno how you'd miss the two us here!" She jabbed at Lucy, following it up with laughter. "If you're asking if you can have a seat, help yourself." She shrugged. "Free country." She hoped that too big of a crowd wouldn't form. She'd leave in a heart beat. Though, she was still interested in her conversation with Beth.

Though, the loudspeaker interrupted them (Again). Announcing that everyone should head to the Reception Desk in order to get their living arrangements - which she interpreted as a place to sleep, etc, etc. She should probably stroll over there - seems that Beth has the same idea. Beth bid them farewell, see. Looks like the tiny child just wants to go get her room mate. Either way, Michelle put out two fingers, and flicked her wrist. A gesture to say goodbye. Saying, Aye', see ya later, lil' bit. Well, she could say that her first real interaction here went swimmingly! She can't wait to have some more with Beth. She couldn't help but feel attached to the little bit... Lucy? Nah. She'd probably do better if she just left now, before she gets angry. Fortunately, Lucy left too. Eh... is this what it feels like to be ditched?

Not much else to think about. She got her fill on food, and now she's big and strong (As always)! Michelle simply pushed herself off the table and stood straight up - being a good foot above everyone else meant that she could see mighty far. She started pushing from the cafeteria, towards the Reception Desk - though, she didn't exactly know where it was. She was merely following the crowds of people heading towards it and hoping for the best! Fortunately, following people allowed her to head to the Reception Room. It was getting crowded, so it was probably for the best if she got what she wanted and left. Hell - there was even a line formed! Hurry up, people. Michelle has things to do!

Immediately, Michelle got in the back of the line, and waited patiently for the line to move along. She crossed her arms when Army Coat decided to hold the line up. C'mon... Then she snapped at the receptionist - which was pretty uncalled for. But a lot of little white girls had to be edgy. Still, Michelle couldn't help but make a joke about it, What's up her ass?! Ha! She loudly said to the group. Getting not one single laugh. Pansies.

Michelle scratched the back of her neck as she proceeded forward in line. She took several steps forward, until she reached the front desk - the woman adjusted her glasses and looked at Michelle. Well, she gets that a lot. The girl's big as hell - that scares people! Well, they have nothing else to do but move along, "Um, I'm Michelle Gallus, can I have my room, please?"

Unlike Army Coats, Michelle was actually going to be polite to get what she wants. Lo and behold, the woman went to her computer screen, before pulling out a set of keys, handing them to Michelle, and saying, "Your room mate is Lucy Parker." Before turning aside.

"Thanks lady!" Michelle said very cheerfully, before she stepped out of the line. Well, looks like she'll be rooming with a Lucy Parker? This might be interesting. Either way, Michelle was going to find her way to the dorms. If she wasn't gonna talk to the lil' bit, then she better retreat to her room for the day. It was a long walk, but she found her assigned room only through the number she was given. She didn't know if the roomie was in or not, nor does she care. She walked up to her front door, and put her key in, turning it and slowly opening the door. She took one look around her room and noticed two things; this room looked pretty bitchin', and her room is in. Just chilling on her bed. Michelle took two steps in, with her hands on her hips and noticed that it was army coat from before.

"Looks like it was fate, meetin' ya' in there, Lucy?" Michelle said as she walked up to Lucy, standing over her on her bed. She put her hands on her hips. She still didn't like the looks of this chick. She was going to give her the benefit of the doubt - since they're going to be sharing rooms. "Looks like we're gonna be room mates."

“Oh…” Casper heard a pair of footsteps before he laid eyes on Diego and managed a small smile. “H-hi Diego…” For once, Casper was the one who felt sorry for some other poor guy. Diego was probably lost and afraid…okay, maybe not afraid but he seemed lost. “Y-yeah…” Casper nodded at the boy’s question. He was probably the only Casper at school all together. It was a common name but not common enough to be seen everyday. Speaking of which, Diego was probably the only Diego at school. Where had Casper heard that name before? Oh right, it was in the movie Ice Age, the tiger. He was Casper’s favourite character in that movie, actually. It could have been because he loves cats but there was a lot of things going on with that character. This Diego in real life would probably not end up being a double agent who turns around and confesses everything in the end.

“Come…” Casper continued, holding onto the strap of his bag tightly as he walked through the crowd to their dorm. He hated crowds, they made him feel smaller than he already was and some people wouldn’t mind deliberately adding to that feeling.

Walking through various corridors and hallways, Casper spotted the dormitories further in the distance and motioned for Diego where their destination would be. “There…” The smaller boy motioned with a soft nod before he kept moving. There were less people here but people all the same. Everyone here was younger and to some extent, smaller. It felt a bit better to walk around with less giants surrounding him. Casper looked at the numbers by the doors and eventually found the proper room and slid his key into the door.

Unlocking their way would reveal a rather neat and tidy little room with three beds, Casper and Diego’s new home for the year. It reminded Casper a lot of his last room but this time around, he actually had a good roommate. There were however three beds this time around. Were they expecting another roommate? Damn, that meant that there was still a risk. Well, at least Diego filled one spot well enough.

He walked in and immediately dropped down on the bed after slipping out of his converse by the door. Finally, he could stretch out his body and relax. Casper had chosen the bed closest to the wall but soon remembered that Diego was also there. “S-sorry…” He looked down, a bit embarrassed. “Which bed did you want…?” Casper had always felt safer sleeping closer to the wall. Actually, he’d prefer the bed to stand against the wall but this worked too, he wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

Yawning slightly, Casper place his hands on his stomach and fiddled with his fingers, his eyes trailing the ceiling. “Th-the shower’s in the hall…” The mere thought of it brought shivers up his spine. Casper didn’t have any issues with his body, not major ones at least, but showering together with other guys was something he was not confidant enough to do. There were several problems involved but the biggest one was the pure and extreme uncomfortable atmosphere. Who the hell thought it would be a good idea for a bunch of guys to shower together? It must have been an incredibly sadistic or stupid individual. Casper usually managed to get in and out without other people being there, most of the time.

He brought his hand to his forehead and breathed out. This is all so…fast moving. Yesterday Casper was home with his dad, having a little farewell dinner and now he was here, waiting for classes to start. It was as if everything around him was just passing by so quickly and he barely had any time to handle it. “I hope you’ll like it here…” Casper stated quietly, unsure if he said that to himself or Diego.

There was one thing that Lucy truly hated about her power, it wasn't the headaches or the mass of voices when she was faced with a crowd, it wasn't the way it constantly distracted her or even how it had distanced her from her father. The thing that Lucy truly hated about it was that it told her what people thought about her before they even opened there mouths.

Lucy had a certain look about her, she knew it. The aviators, the army jacket, ripped jeans, skateboard, converse, they painted a certain picture about her and Lucy knew it and she didn't have a problem with it. Girls were free to assume whatever they wanted about Lucy when they first saw her and most of the time after getting to know her a bit better they ended up liking her, or hating her with a fiery passion but usually that wasn't cause of her looks. All of that was normal but it was complicated by the fact that Lucy could pick out which people thought she was a self entitled brat before either of them started a conversation. How were you supposed to try and befriend someone when you knew they didn't think highly of you just by being in the same room with them.

When Lucy's roommate walked into the dorm Lucy got a read on her immediately. It wasn't a thought so much as a general annoyance at Lucy's presence though if Lucy had to translate it into words it would likely have read something along the lines of 'Oh great it's Army Jacket. Didn't I have any other options?' If they had passed each other in the halls or even had the same classes together no doubt neither of them would even have said a word to the other but it looked like since they would be stuck sharing a room for the next ten months that despite Michelle's first impressions she was going to give Lucy a chance which was welcome.

Despite the clearly aggressive stance Michelle took in front of Lucy's bed the girl in the army greens still wanted to make this work. Doing her best to pretend she hadn't heard Michelle's first impressions Lucy stood up. After all it wasn't like hers were much more flattering, seven foot African American girl she looked like she'd popped of the pages of Conan the Barbarian but putting that aside. "Must of yeah, We haven't been formally introduced, I'm Lucy Parker." Lucy glanced around the room. "I got here like two minutes ago, haven't really set anything up. Did you want the bed by the window?" In all honesty Lucy was really hoping that Michelle was good with the one by the wall. Lucy felt safer if she could go out onto the terrace at night without disturbing anyone... And she was hoping that she could use it as a back door though she hadn't had a chance to inspect how climbable it was.

---

@Prince of Seraphs

---

Of course she gets stuck with the gloomy type. Michelle rolled her eyes. Still, giving her the benefit of the doubt. Moving on from that, she noticed that there were bags of luggage all over the room. She knew which ones were her's since she had more of the bigger bags. Michelle figured that she should get her room set up. She took off her sunglasses, and placed them gently on the nightstand. She should pick a bed, she didn't mind where she slept. It was a place to sleep. That's all that mattered. Michelle took a step away from Lucy and grabbed her bag of luggage and took a step towards the bed by the window. "Yeah, I'll take this bed! And if we're repeating what we already know, I'm Michelle. Heh." She sat down on the bed, and opened up the luggage bag by the zipper. She pull out a brown dress shirt - this bag was full of her day clothes. That meant the other bags should have had stuff like legwear, underwear, and so on. She took straight up, and dragged this bag of luggage over to the dresser. Neatly, she hung every shirt up, and went back to grab another luggage and repeated the process until she had emptied every last bag of clothes. She stood tall over the empty luggage bags, with both hands on her hips. Her mouth curved upwards into a smile, with her lips opening to show a toothy smile. She threw her hand up, giving a thumbs up to... well, anything, really. "Niiiiiiice!"

Well, there was nothing left to do other than relax. She slipped out of her sandals. Michelle flopped onto her bed with a loud bounce. She placed her hands behind her head, and crossed her thick legs. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. School here's gonna be good. Oh, yeah. Her roomie. Well, while Michelle didn't think too highly of her, she didn't want to give Lucy the cold shoulder. "So, Lucy..." Crap, she didn't know where to go from here. She thought it'd come to her! Quite the opposite has happened. "... Tell me about yourself. I don't think you're walking around in an army jacket because you think it's fashionable, eh?" That was he best Michelle could come up with.

Hopefully, Lucy wouldn't ask too many questions in return.

Kayla looked up from her seat on a bench a little ways away from the noise. Everyone in that big cafeteria was already getting to know each other, while she sat out on the side. Frankly, though, she was okay with it. She didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

The food smelled great, but Kayla didn’t trust herself with any of it. Her stomach was still tossing about thanks to the fact that they had to come in on a boat. Kayla didn’t do well with boats. Or water in general. She had spent the entire ride there curled up belowdecks trying to hold the contents of her stomach in. Why couldn’t they have just had a bridge going there? It would have been so, so much better.

In any case, at least she wasn’t on the boat now. She was instead on solid, dry, cold land. It was the weirdest sensation walking up from the docks with the others, a combination of barely being able to walk, the sun being really hot, but the air being chilly and salty. Kayla wanted to go back home to the inland already, and she hadn’t even entered the school yet. Speaking of the walk up, she would have to find the nice boy that helped her walk up to the school. She hadn’t caught his face, but not too many people go about wearing white pants and shiny black shoes. Hopefully.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted, as was probably everyone else in the big greenhouse, by a very loud voice.
“WOULD ALL STUDENTS PLEASE PROCEED TO THE RECEPTION, IN ORDER TO BE ALLOCATED THEIR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR. THANK YOU.”
Living arrangements? That sounded ideal. Kayla would have loved to go and lay down, even if she wasn’t ready to unpack yet. The reception, where was that? Kayla got up to go look for it.

It was easier to spot the flood of people than it was to find the sign that told her which direction the reception desk was. All sorts of people, a lot of them with strange outfits and hairdos. There was even this one really tall girl, so tall she stood out like a sore thumb amongst all of the others. She left quickly, though, she got to the front of the line pretty fast. Unlike Kayla, who was stuck at the back of the line.

Even though it took what felt like hours, the crowd actually went away pretty quickly for its size. Kayla eventually sneaked to the front, and got addressed the strict-looking woman behind the desk. She looked at Kayla, and asked her, “Your name, please?”
“Kayla Kirby,” she said, not sure how to approach the woman. She looked exhausted, and probably wasn’t in the mood for talking. The receptionist looked at the screen next to her, typed a few things out on the keyboard, and said, “Kayla Kirby, you are with Beth Carson in room 268. The dorm elevators are to your left, and your key card is here,” she said, without even looking up. “Next!” she said, much more loudly. The man behind her moved up, and Kayla grabbed the card and got out of the way as soon as possible.

Room 268? That was where she was supposed to be staying. The woman had said that the elevators were somewhere in this direction, but how were the dorms numbered? She looked around, but couldn’t find a map or anything. How was she supposed to find a room she only had a number for?

Oh well. She went up to the elevator, and got inside. It was empty, something Kayla was both happy and sad about. On the plus side, there wasn’t anyone that could ask her annoying questions. On the downside, there wasn’t anyone she could ask where the heck Room 268 was. Kayla wasn’t able to actually ask anyone where it was, so she would have to find out herself.

The way that buildings numbered rooms like these most of the time was with a hundred for each floor, so she could start with that. She punched the 2nd floor button, and waited. It was a fast elevator, which was convenient, but it didn’t help her stomach at all. She probably wouldn’t feel any better until she could lie down for a while.

The doors opened, and kayla was greeted with a big 032 in the door in front of the elevator. No luck then- wait. Ground floor didn’t look like it had any dorms on it, so maybe they started on the second floor?

Kayla decided to test this. She went back into the elevator, which was closing, and hit the button for the fourth floor.

Sure enough, on the fourth floor, the first room she saw was 232. That made things much easier. She followed the hallway, which was, for the most part, straight, and eventually came upon Room 268. She tried the card on the little slot it provided, and it opened for her.

Inside the room was two beds, one on each side of the room. One next to the door she was in, and one next to the windows on the other side. Kayla didn’t even bother to look for this Beth character, and flopped onto the bed next to the door without closing the door.

A collaboration between @Tyler and @SepticGentleman

---

After Trevor informed him that he had arrived early due to work commitments, and thus was already settled in his dormitory, Mason bid him farewell and continued to the reception alone. After queing for a short while, he was given his room-key and paperwork.

"You will be living with Harmon Rottlage," the woman said sharply, not even looking in Mason's direction. "Next!"

Mason took the hint and headed off in search of his living quarters. The academy was like some sort of fun-house maze with a contemporary furnished feel, as Mason felt that he had walked along each of the corridors he passed through a thousand times in the short time he had been here. Finally, he arrived at his room, the tall wooden door equally as intimidating as it was inviting. Who would he be living with? What were they like? He wasn't going to wait any longer to find out.

Mason pushed open the door, the number '328' emblazoned across it in polished steel, and peered into the room inside. It appeared empty. It was not particularly large, but it definitely wasn't too small for two people to share. The room was furnished in two halves, with each of its residents having their own bed, desk and wardrobe; the latter of which Mason was particularly grateful for. He had brought all of his possessions with him, and this was mostly comprised of a large volume of clothing.

He was startled to spot a figure sat on one of the beds; so still and so silent that he had not yet noticed its presence. His features were concealed by a white hooded robe that seemed familiar to Mason, and a moment of thought recalled the strange individual he had spotted in the canteen. Thoughts of that gaping, cracked maw dominated his mind; that souless, eyeless visage...

He cleared his throat. "Um, hi," he said, a tinge of nerves to his voice that was totally out of character. "You must be Harmon," he added, regaining a degree of composure. He approached the man and extended a hand. "I'm Mason."

Harmon merely aimed his camera up at Mason and pointed it at him for a moment, before slowly reaching up with one of his own spindly hands and taking up the man's offer for a shake. Was pretty weak, though. His hand dropped right back down. _{"H-... h-hello..."} He muttered.

Mason was thankful that their handshake had been so shortlived, pulling back his hand and awkwardly shoving it into his pocket. Harmon's skin was dry and coarse, his hands eerily bony. Mason glanced around the room, desperare for a conversation starter; his roommate's discourse was not particularly strong.

"I see you're, uh, settled in..." Mason said, scratching the back of his head. "I take it you've been here a while?"

_{"S-second year..."} Harmon responded, still in a hush.

The way Harmon spoke unnerved Mason further; it was a low, empty whisper. Mason thought it belonged in a horror movie, and here he was sharing a room with the guy. Never judge a book by its cover, he reminded himself. Whenever Mason felt judgemental, he quickly grew angry with himself and refocussed. He had been on the receiving end and it wasn't enjoyable.

"Second year?" he asked, sounding notably more chirpy as he sat on his own bed. "Perfect, I have my own tour guide!" he joked. "This place is huge, I just know I'm going to get lost at some point."

"I, uh... I, I know the feeling..." Harmon responded, raising his voice just a little bit. "Y-you get... used to it..." In truth, it'd taken him quite a while to get a feel for the academy's layout. Even then, he'd never even stepped foot in some of the buildings. Let alone off the grounds and into the wilderness. Lord knew what was out there.

Mason glanced out of the window as Harmon spoke. He didn't like the idea of staring at someone who could not see him. "Heh, third floor... The stairs were a bitch, but the view almost makes it worth it, no?" he asked, before realising what he'd said. His desperate need for conversation had caused him to plant his foot royally into his mouth. "I, uh... I'm sorry. I didn't think." he apologised, his voice urgent with sincerity. Heck, they'd just met and Mason was already screwing it up.

Harmon raised his head a bit and held up his camera, gesturing to it with his free hand. "I, I can see..." He said, "Just fine..."

Mason would have been relieved that he hadn't touched on a sensitive issue, but Harmon's tone forbade him from feeling complacent. Instead, Mason felt suddenly exposed in the knowledge that Harmon could, in fact, see him after all. "I, uh, don't quite understand," he said slowly, before remembering the nature of the academy. "Your abilities?"

Harmon nodded. "E-electronics... devices, I can... see through screens... feel their presences..." He paused for a moment before reaching his hand up and grabbing his hood, pulling it back. "With, uh... with these..." He added, meagerly waving his hand around the shards adorning his crown.

Mason gasped a little as the man revealed his scalp. Strange, crystalline growths sprouted from his head and, like many of the world's oddities, they left Mason confused. On the one hand, these shards seemed to be physically burrowed into his crowd; rooted, almost, deep inside his skull. On the other hand, the way the light hit them caused the quartz-like structure to illuminate and seem to glow. In some ways it was quite beautiful, but then again Mason had always been attracted to the stranger things in life. In fact, now that Harmon's hood was down and he was exposed to the full force of his striking appearance, Mason found himself feeling more and more at ease.

"That's incredible," he said softly, his mind still half-captivated by the crowd of crystal spines.

Harmon simply nodded in response, lowering his head a bit. There was... a bit of apprehension, no doubt. But if he were being honest, he was enjoying the conversation. Sawyer, before, at the table, was a welcome bout of curiosity. And now Mason. Last semester, Harmon didn't receive anywhere near the same quality of attention. So, this... this was nice. He shook his head a bit, catching himself in his own silence. He raised his head again and said, "Uh... you? W-what can... you, do?"

Mason winced as the question was asked. Everyone he had met at the academy thus far had these incredible, life-changing abilities. The whole scenario left him feeling rather inadequate. "I, uh... I'm not too sure," he said. It was a half-truth, at least. "They've been developing over the past month, showing themselves in the middle of the night. But I only began to put the pieces together a week ago..." He sighed under his breath, recalling those nights and glancing at the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. He soon broke his gaze.

"It's to do with mirrors," he admitted, gazing out of the window once more. "I can sort of... Enter them. Like a door."

"Per, uh... perception-conceived pocket dimension manipulation?" Harmon asked, a little too fast for his character. "R-Ruben... told me, about those..." This was the first he'd ever heard of it being linked to physical objects, though. Mirrors were an interesting manifestation of the concept. Maybe Tarblatt would like to speak with Mason at some point in the future. Harmon wasn't sure if he should bring up the class, however.

Mason looked at Harmon and raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you just said," he laughed. "But it definitely makes it sound a lot snazzier. I'll have to write that down..." As strange as Harmon was, there was no denying the man was incredibly intelligent. Mason was sure that sharing a room with Harmon was not going to be as unpleasant as some might assume. He hoped that as they became more comfortable with each other. his roommate would lose some of his nervous edge.

That reminded him; I wonder how Casper is doing...

Michelle of course took the bed by the window. Slightly disappointed Lucy moved her luggage to her side of the room. Well if Michelle wanted the window bed it would be her fault if she got woken up when Lucy took to the terrace in the middle of the night. Michelle gathered all of her belongings and very methodically organized them on her side of the room. Great Lucy got stuck with the neat freak. Not that Lucy kept her room a mess on purpose. It just sort of got that way over time and Lucy really didn't have the drive to clear it all up.

While Michelle was putting her stuff away Lucy walked to a mirror that was hanging on the wall of her side and pulled off her aviators. Her angle to the mirror was such that Michelle couldn't see anything but the back of Lucy's head. Lucy examined her eyes in the mirror. There normal rain forest green had a bright ring of violet surrounding her pupil. She signed inwardly. It didn't really surprise her after all she was still getting a strong 'this girl is not worth my time' vibe off Michelle. This was going to be one hell of a year. Lucy slipped the aviators back onto her face.

Lucy went into her bag and found a six pack of vanilla coke that her brother had packed for her. He took frequent road trips down to the states and he always brought her some of this liquid heaven back with him. They didn't sell it in Canada for some reason but Lucy loved it so much. It had something that normal coke didn't and the caffeine helped with her powers.

Lucy took a couple of sips from the coke and her headache died down some. She could still hear Michelle's less than flattering thoughts loud and clear but at least those of the surrounding kids mulling about in the halls had mostly gone away.

Michelle started a conversation by asking about Lucy's past. It wasn't exactly unexpected, they'd be sleeping ten feet away for the next ten months and they knew next to nothing about one another. But when Michelle picked at her army jacket Lucy bristled with anger. Why did other girls think that fashion was so important anyways? If she wanted to wear an army jacket and ride round on a skateboard that was her choice. Did it make her somehow better if she wore the latest trend and hung out down at the soda shop. No it just meant she was spending way too much money on something she didn't need and wouldn't serve her well and wasting her time. Lucy tried not to let her response be an angry one but it was ever so hard.

"So what if I did think it was fashionable Michelle? Is that problem?" Lucy cooled slightly, after all there wasn't any inherent ill will in the question. Lucy should just treat it like any other question unless it was made clear that Michelle actually meant it as an insult which nothing in her tone or her mind suggested it was. It seemed more like she was just lame at conversation starters. Lucy sighed. "Truth is, the jacket belonged to my Dad, it's warm, it's got a lot of pockets and it doesn't mess me up when I'm on my board. It's functional."

Lucy got a strong sense that Michelle didn't want her to ask any questions in return which was completely unfair. If Michelle wanted to dive into Lucy's past then Lucy had as much right to question Michelle's. "What about you? What's it like hailing from Themiscyra?"

Stepping out of the sleek elevator, Beth was glad to note that the numbers on the rooms that she could see immediately were on the same level as the number that was on her key card, indicating that, unless the school’s organization was really strange, that her room would be on this floor. It had taken her quite a while to find it, primarily because people had a hard time seeing her in the crowds and always took the elevator before she could get in. Regardless, she had finally made it to the right floor, so all that was left was to find her actual room.

Unfortunately, she had taken the elevator on the opposite end of the hallway, which meant that she had a decent walk to get to the side where her dorm would be, a walk made more arduous by the fact that she was so short and that her legs were already tired from wandering around with the other students until she found the dormitory. Still, she persevered and eventually made it to the end of the hall where her room was, looking at the numbers on each door until she found the one that matched her card key, which happened to be open.

Taking a moment to catch her breath before walking in and meeting her new roommate, Beth noticed that their luggage had been dropped off at the ends of their beds, ready to be unpacked. Unfortunately, her roommate wasn’t readily visible, which meant that Beth had nothing to go on about what her roommate would be like. Hoping for the best, Beth stepped hesitantly inside, though she tried to hide her anxiety as best she could.

”Hello? Are you in here, Kayla?” Beth said as she walked through the open door and closed it behind her, stepping out of her comfort zone and speaking up first for fear of being rude by surprising the other girl with her arrival. ”I’m your new roommate, Beth.” As she went further into the room, she noticed somebody with long blonde hair, whom she presumed to be Kayla, sprawled out in the bed by the door.

Fearing that her roommate was sleeping, Beth was quiet about slipping her shoes off and climbing into her own bed, barren though it was, after pulling the small, black phone that her uncle had given her when she accepted the invitation to the Academy out of her bag so that she could send him a status report. He would want to know how everything was going so far for sure, as evidenced by the two voicemails from his number on her phone already.

Eventually, everyone got to meet their roommates, and they took the rest of the day to relax and enjoy themselves. Likely exploring the school, or talking to more people. Until the day ended and the fun was over. The very next day, the students went through their various classes (If they had any). Until they reached the final class: either Adam's or Ruben's class.

---

---

July 2nd. 2:00 PM

Adam had gathered in the Training Hall for the power instructing class. The room for this particular training session was a large rectangle shaped room, with a bland grey smooth ceramic floors, walls and ceiling, with a few scratches here and there. The room was set up like an auditorium. With a large amount of chairs in the center of the room, all facing a small stage. The room was large enough to hold the entire cast and more. On the left and right sides of the room, there was a door, stairs and a window. On the right side of the room was a large window, that overlooked the much larger training room. The training room that was through the window was a massive octagon shaped room. The room was made out of a smooth, durable metal, and was capable of withstanding a nuclear bomb (Just in case someone's power went out of control). The room was connected to a variety of devices made for training the students. On the left side of the room was a door that lead into a large locker room, that was divided into gender, and age. That was full of marked lockers for the students to place their possessions, and private dressing rooms. There were also stairs that lead into a smaller room a floor under the "class-room" that was before the training room itself.

Students began pouring into the room - wearing the strange suits (similar in appearance to wetsuits) that they were assigned. Class was present. It was about time to get started. Adam stood in the middle of the stage, donning a black Suit, and had a clip board in one hand. He put a fist to his lips then cleared his throat. "Welcome, I am sure that the returning students are familiar with me, but I am Adam Blackmore, head Power Instructor of the 218." Suddenly the sound of a very violent wind filled the room. Adam, using his air manipulation, made a conspicuous bodysuit float in the air for the entire class to see. It was the standard training suit. The suit took the appearance of military armor. It was near-skintight suit, made of a flexible, but durable, fabric. With an armored kelvar vest, and shoulder, elbow, feet, and knee pads integrated into it'a design. "... Returning students should know exactly what this is. It is the standard Training/Arena suit. Each of them are specially made for each student. Made with your size, weight, and powers in mind. Each suit accommodates your powers, such as, those with temperature-based powers may have a heat or cold resistant suit. A person who can absorb light's suit will allow easier transferal." Adam cleared his throat, pointing towards the locker room. "All students are required to put on their suits before class."

Adam nodded his head. "This will be the first power training class of the year. Where we go usually over a variety of subjects to help you improve your power, and yourself. Today, is Team Exercise day, the students today will be divided into two teams and preform a variety of heavily monitored exercises. After class, I will discuss things you can improve with each and every one of your abilities." Adam started writing on his clip board. "Before we begin..."

Adam rolled his eyes as he finished explaining, "I am also required to tell you that-" due to one stupid rule or another "-everyone is allowed to take their suits freely, and personalize them. However, you have to return them before classes start, and if they don't meet the requirements of the arena or training, you will be reprimanded." He hated this rule because students always tried to find ways to screw with their suits. One kid tried putting a taser in his, while another hid a knife in his. It was all so stupid. Adam put his hands (And clipboard) behind his back. "But, let's take this time to talk to get any questions or concerns out of the way."

---

The classroom was near full. At most every desk, two students were situated side by side. Some of them weren’t very comfortable with the cold. The rest were fine with it. They chatted with each other, or remained silent. Harmon was situated at the front right desk of the room, keeping to himself, waiting until he was needed. The last of the group had arrived just a few minutes ago, before the clock was able to strike two. And the moment it did, Ruben entered the classroom.

“Good afternoon. Students.” Ruben announced, getting straight to the formalities. His name was already scrawled on the whiteboard at the front of the room, so there was no need to say it aloud. He stood behind the front desk and reached down with a tendril, lifting a sealed metal crate from the floor. “Before. We engage. In. Introductions.” Ruben said to the class, “I. Wish. For all of you. To partake. In a brief. Exercise.” Ruben interacted with the lock on the crate. With a quick assortment of sounds, followed by a low hissing of air, the crate unsealed. He reached inside and pulled out a small, cylindrical canister. Inside was a green fluid with a faint glow to it. The canister was attached to a series of cables, ending in an armband.

“This. Is concentrated. Meta. Energy.” Ruben announced, holding the canister up for the lot of them to see. “It. Has been redesigned. To react. To the same. Energies. Found. In your. Bodies.” He began reaching into the crate with more and more tendrils that suddenly sprouted from his arm, picking up the remaining canisters. He walked around the desk and began placing the canisters before each of the students, watching them each examine the devices with rather inquisitive looks on their faces.

Once Ruben set down the last of the canisters, he announced to the class, “Place. The band. Around. Your arm. And observe. How the meta. Energy. Reacts to yours.” He began walking back up the center aisle, continuing, “Each. Of your. Reactions. Will be. Unique. We will commence. Proper. Introductions. After. The exercise. Is. Concluded.” Although, the exercise itself would probably tell plenty about each of them. Nothing too… volatile, hopefully.

He sat himself behind the front desk and observed the class.

“Begin.”

---

@Mr Allen J
@bluemoon277
@Heathen
@The Harbinger of Ferocity
@Empour

Ruben’s Classroom

Kayla took the weird little device. It looked like some kind of air tank, with a wristband attached to it. She wasn’t actually sure what it was supposed to do- she was only half awake, as she had(to her embarrassment) been sleeping since she found her bed. She hadn’t even gotten to meet her roommate yet, by the time she woke up, she barely had enough time to shower and do her hair. Despite the signs of someone else having slept in the other bed, she didn’t actually meet the other girl yet.

It was weird, starting off with this... class? Kayla didn’t even know what kind of class she was supposed to be taking here. She had been enrolled for all regular high school classes, but apparently she was supposed to take some class she’d never heard of first. Not to mention, there were people of apparently all ages here. This couldn’t be a normal high school class.

Additionally, now she was supposed to do... something with the arm-band thingy. Or it was supposed to do something to her.

Well, it was an arm band. She saw the people around her go to put it on, and she did likewise, on her left wrist. It was some kind of firm elastic material, and it fit snugly. The band tightened for a second, then made a sharp beeping noise.

Suddenly, the green glow inside the canister halved in size, and became a softer color. It condensed on the side of the tube that was facing down.

Kayla took a closer look. The magical green energy stuff had become some sort of slimy green liquid, which had bright green sparks flying about within it. It was.. Actually kinda pretty. Kayla stared at it for a while. The way the sparks moved was mesmerizing, and she hadn’t expected the reaction to be this simple and pretty. She gave it a little shake, and the sparks moved faster, and emitted brighter light. Cool! The people next to her had their own reactions, too- the guy next to her had had his turn to some kind of purple sludge.

---

Mason had enjoyed a carefree morning, and after a week of discovering his abilities, leaving home and enrolling in an academy for metahumans, it was exactly what he needed. He started the day off with his regular hour of yoga, which he had recently missed out on, and it felt fantastic to calibrate his mind and body once more. Working up a sweat, he took a long shower, got dressed and then headed out into the grounds for his morning cigarette.

He spent the rest of the day exploring the campus and acquainting himself with the most important locations. It was going to take a while to learn the layout of the school, but he was beginning to commit things to memory. His only class of the day was "Power Training" with Adam Blackmore, whom Mason remembered from yesterday's speech, and it was due to start in half-an-hour. Not wanting to take any chances with his navigation, he headed for the class early. He didn't want to be late; Blackmore seemed like the strict type. God, he hated this... Playing by everyone else's rules. It was like being back in school... Mason chuckled to himself as he realised that he really was back at school.

Eventually arriving at the class, Mason was directed towards some locker rooms and given a suit. It was made quite clear that, should he choose not to wear it, he would not be able to participate. Begrudgingly, he headed into a stall and began to change. The outfit was, in so many words, ridiculous. After he had pulled the stretchy material over his body and zipped it shut, he stood before the mirror and sulked. He really did look appalling; the outfit did him no favours. It was lucky that Mason had decided to come in early, because he spent a good twenty minutes battling with himself to leave the stall and face the humiliation that awaited him. He was more than half-tempted to crawl inside the mirror that silently mocked him.

Focussing on what was important, he unlocked the door and stepped out into the changing room, shoving his belongings into a locker and heading out into the auditorium. He kept his head down; he was here to get his NEST certificate, and that's exactly what he was going to do. Sooner, rather than later. Though there were chairs available, most of the students chose to stand; Mason assumed due to the discomfort of the tight outfits. He followed suit, and listened miserably to Mr. Blackmore's introduction.

Collab between Tyler and Shard.

Adam Blackmore’s class, power training, what was he getting himself into? Honestly it was rather exciting but last year, Casper didn’t actually participate in this class. It seemed exciting but oh so scary. It surprised him how he had conjured the strength to participate this time but at some point, he’d need to grow a spine. He had slipped into the outfits they were presented, something that seemed like movie props and licked his skin tightly. Was he really that scrawny? Well, whatever, right? At least it didn't show how easily visible his ribs were...much.

Finding himself in front of the man was enough to encourage the boy to manage through this ordeal. He had come this far and to top it off, Mason was there! When he first saw him, part of the boy wanted to shout out ‘Mason!’ but that would be rather out of character, wouldn’t it? He had taken the liberty to stand rather close to the other boy, though.

Throughout the day, Casper hadn’t run into Mason up until now and apart from a soft wave, he hadn’t been able to speak to him. When Adam spoke, it was highly advised to stay quiet and wait until he was finished. Though, what could he ask Mason? ‘Maybe I could ask him how his day was…? I wonder if he still wants to talk to me…he seemed to like me, didn’t he? I think he did…though after a day here he might have changed his opinion. Maybe if I say hi after Blackmore’s done talking…’

Mason stood amongst the group, his body clad in the tight material. He felt incredibly uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a bout of narcissism, but it felt as though every eye was focussed on him, scrutinizing and criticising every curve of his body. The suit clung to his slender frame and really emphasised just how slim he really was, his body not hidden beneath a mass of denim for the first time in recent memory.

Adam only made him feel even more uncomfortable, reminding him of the cruel gym teachers he had been subject to over the years, and he tried his best to avoid eye-contact with the man. In doing so, he happened to glance upon a face that was much more welcome: that pink-haired waif of a boy, Casper. Mason smiled at the younger boy and then averted his gaze, not wanting to attract the unwanted attention of Mr. Blackmore.

'He smiled at me! That's a good thing, right?' Well, it must have been. Smiles were good, weren't they? Damn, this was affecting Casper just a little bit too much, wasn't it? Perhaps it was because of that outfit he was wearing, or was that was just a bad excuse? Either way, being a walking skeleton, the training outfit did not quite add any bulk to the boy at all. Showing his scrawny frame for all the see, Casper felt rather exposed but he would be lying if he didn't feel at least a little cool wearing it.

Due to his powers, Casper's gloves were fingerless but offered all the protection he'd need. The suit itself was light and easy to move in, weighing next to nothing for someone as small and weak as him to properly wear. Despite Adam's monologue, Casper raised his hand carefully and waved 'hello' to his...friend? Afterwards, he smiled slightly and looked back down. Mason was really here, it felt better than he thought it would to see that boy again.

When Blackmore suggested that questions were asked, Mason approached Casper towards the back of the group. He figured that, whilst the other students interrogated the teacher, he and Casper could catch up.

"Hey, dude," he said, forcing a smile despite his discomfort. The pleasant nature of the younger boy made it a little easier. "How've you been?" he asked, sincerely. "Are you all settled in?"

"H-hi, Mason..." Casper's smile grew wider now that they were actually speaking. "This suit's a bit..." He looked down and sighed. "...revealing..." Though, he'd live with it. If this was what it took to pass this class with a good enough grade, he'd wear it. "I-it's nice seeing you again..." Hopefully that didn't come off as too clingy. "Oh...settled in..uhm.." He looked around at the other students that seemed comfortable enough in what they wore. "My roomates are okay...I guess...I think..." Well, Casper hadn't really gotten to know either of them that much. "Diego's kinda' quiet and uhm..." He had to stop for a moment before continuing. The other boy's name didn't quite come to mind as fast. "Lenny...yeah...we haven't talked yet.."

Mason cringed a little at Casper's mention of the outfit. Was he making a subtle dig about how Mason looked? 'No,', he told himself. Casper didn't seem like the kind of guy who could be malicious even if he tried, and Mason was pleased to see that he was doing okay.

"Well that's a start!" he exclaimed, hearing the news of Casper's roommates. "At least neither of them are hostile, right? I'm sharing with this one guy, Harmon." he explained, recalling the strange man he had met yesterday. "He's kinda funky-looking. No eyes, crystals growing out of his head... But he's actually really chill. And super smart." he said, laughing a little awkwardly. "Kinda makes me feel dumb!" he said, passing the comment off as a joke. "Have you taken this class before? The whole idea of 'power training' is kind of... Daunting, to say the least..."

'Harmon! That's his name! Well, I wasn't too far off.' Casper nodded at the description of the unique individual but had an expression of 'Oh, right!' on his face. "Y-yeah...I've seen him. He was here last year..." Raising his hand, Casper reached behind his head and scratched himself slightly. "I never...said hi." Well, now perhaps he'd get the chance to at least say hello. Mason seemed to like him and that must mean that Harmon's a good guy, right? Mason wouldn't have liked him otherwise, and Mason seems like a good judge of character. "Hey..." Casper managed a soft chuckle. "You probably know a lot more than me..." He smiled. "But th-that means that...you can teach stuff, right?" The smaller boy's smile grew just a little as he spoke. He was sure that there was a lot to learn from Mason and one day perhaps he would.

Power training, that word seemed so odd. It was so unfamiliar to hear 'power' in relation to anything happening at a school. "I try to think of it as uhm..." He gulped, looking down. This would probably make him sound like the geek he was. "Airsofting..." At least he was good at that. "It can also be uh...nice to see what people can do...scary but...interesting."

Mason laughed. "Well, if you ever need to learn about colour theory, or the pioneers of surrealism... I'm your guy!" he said, in a deliberately sarcastic tone. Casper made a good point about seeing what his peers were capable of. "Yeah, I look forward to seeing what everyone has up their sleeve..." he said, trailing off as he became lost in his inhibitions. It was inevitable that he would soon have to demonstrate his abilities and expose himself as "Mr. Lame Power 2015".

His trail of thought, along with his conversation, was interrupted when Adam's voice barked in their direction.

---

Adam's Class

---

Mmmmmmhmmm... Lupe just knew she looked sexy in this suit of hers. In a hot pink color her suit was already dashing. She sat down in a chair, looking flawless as ever. She had her legs crossed, and was leaning back slightly. She ran her hand over her pomp, with a smirk on her face so wide that you'd have to be blind to know that she feels like she's on top of the world. Because, hell yeah, she's gonna kick some ass - that's what she wanted out of this stupid school. While she was already the badest bitch around, it wouldn't hurt if she got a little extra training. Especially with bastards like the Pure running around. Then Adam began this long boring speech. Lupe, naturally, didn't listen to a word this old fart had to say. Like, seriously honey, get to the point! She merely yawned as that confident smile turned upside down and she leaned forward. Putting a fist to her jaw, and looking around. She tried to think of all sorts of stuff to distract herself. Well, there weren't any good lookin' boys on the boatride here. There were those two annoying bitches on the boatride. That banquet was annoying since Diego left. She hasn't even met her damn room mate! It was like the best looking person at this school was invisible, these boys should be-

Oh yeah, last night. Lupe didn't get a chance to meet her roomie. She was too busy trying to find something to do in this boring-ass school - until the curfew went up and she was sent back to her room. From there, Lupe just took off all her clothes and went to sleep. After that, she went to her various classes (Nursing, of course, if she's stuck in a school then she's sure as hell going to learn something). Before choosing this class - maybe this might be the turning point. Where things start to get much more exciting. Where she assembles her squad and actually gets something down!

Lupe put her feet on the ground, and put her hands over her lap - tightly putting her legs together. Better not get your hopes up, Lupe. You're among some of the most boring kiddies in the planet. She hung her head, and gently shook it left to right - subtly enough that people wouldn't notice without looking closely. It's amazing they even sent you here. Oh - oh, they probably want someone to spice things up around here, yeah! Lupe smiled widely. Well, let's see what's going on. What's the crowd of this class today like. There was Adam, tall, old as hell. Probably hasn't gotten his dick up in years. He was the generic teacher you see in the movies - no fun! Lupe knew he was going to be her opposition, which is why she needed to limit the contact with him. Next boyo that caught her eye was some scrawny fuck - like seriously, get your ass off the computer for a minute and get some fresh air. It'd do wonders for your figure! If she walked up to him, it'd be amazing if he was able to restrain his sex drive for a few seconds before jizzing all over the floor. So, yeah, Lupe crossed him off as a freak and called it a night. The other boy he was talking to was simply some kiddo. He was young, and had pink highlights (Seriously? Only girls dye their hair. Even if you're gay!). For the moment, she thought they were brothers - except for the fact that the little boy was black. Eh, he'd probably be a boring-ass chat too. If he doesn't develop a crush on her.

Speaking of which, where was Diego? He hasn't left the lockerroom yet. Until her eyes shot open and her gaze traveled to the entrance to the locker room. Oh dear,

He better not be jerking off.

---

Adam's Class

---

Diego zipped up the back of the suit.

'Training...' Agni growled again, 'I wonder... what more would Adam have to offer us? We are... already an invincible duo.' It was followed by a brief bout of laughter. Though Diego's eyes, the world began to fade away in flames - but it was all an illusion. All of it is in his head... or so he tells himself. As the world began to burn away in Diego's mind, he stopped in his tracks. Holding onto his zipper as the last bit of the world burnt up. Until it was nothing. Just him, and the void. In his mind, in his heart. '... No one has to know about me, correct? Keep my secret... and I'll give you all the power you need. Got that, boy?'

Yeah, in the end, that's all Agni cared about other than power and exerting his strength. Anonymity. Just anonymity. No one must know of the secret of the last Bellasquez male. Not NEST, not his friends, not his family. No one is allowed to know. There was no rush for Diego to tell everyone, either. Agni was the embodiment of his sins. The wrath he once held. The anger and violence he showed the world. Now he's getting it right back. Maybe... it was for the best. Diego closed his eyes, and the world reverted right back to normal. No fire, no nothing. He was standing here for how long? Doesn't matter. All Diego said to Agni was, "Yeah... no one has to know..." He said outloud. He shook his head. Maybe it was about time he puts on the rest of this dammed suit. He placed on the Kevlar vest, before he put on the other pieces of the armor. The suit left his hands exposed - to allow him to create his flames.

Diego assumed that the suit was heat resistant enough. He gave off multitudes of heat when he used his power - probably even more now that Agni was going to give him more strength. Diego walked up to the mirror and looked at himself. The suit was bright-orange - almost like they knew what his color was. Shiny and had a flaming look to it. Perfect for him. He kept staring at himself... he felt as if he was perfect in this suit....

... Until Agni's flaming image appeared in the reflection of the mirror.

"Ah!" Diego loudly shouted as he fell backwards. Bracing himself for the fall by placing his hands onto the ground - fortunately this stupid armor absorbed a bit of the impact. He looked up, and looked at the mirror. Agni was gone. He kept panting, and panting - until his breath rate had slowed down more and more. His gaze dropped to his feet, "What the hell...?"

'Heheheh....'

For a moment, Diego clenched his teeth, and tightly balled his fists. The symbols on his body were briefly set alight with a flaming light. Hidden underneath the suit, of course. With it only being visible on his hands. Before Diego stopped. He let out a sigh, and the symbols reverted back to their usual inky-black state. Perhaps he should get out of here before he loses his mind. Diego got up from off the floor, and stood straight up. He took steps towards the exit. He needed to get the hell out of there before anyone came to investigate. He nearly ran out of the locker room. The second he left, he saw a full class before him. He saw Lupe in the corner of his eye, wearing that distinct pink suit. He would sit with her, but he was sure she didn't want anything to do with him. He straightened his hair, and started walking. Just looking for anywhere to sit, really.

Diego saw Casper talking to some older dude. He waved at him, but kept it moving. He didn't want to stick to his room mate - especially since the guy is making friends of his own. He found his own seat, in the corner of the room. He put one leg over the other, and threw his head back. Wondering what a strange world he got himself into.

---

Ruben's Class

---

A woman like Mika is expected to be on time. To classes, to social gatherings... etc. Whatever the case, Mika was on time. The best way to be on time was to arrive early. Therefore, Mika arrived before the class was even scheduled to begin. She found herself a nice place to sit, putting her legs together so nobody would be able to get a peak at her underwear because of this skirt, and placing her hands onto her lap. Waiting in the corner of the room for a long time, watching from the shadows as the class began to fill up. Anyone who knew Mika stayed away from her - and those who didn't got the same idea. Mika was never the social type to begin with, anyway. They'd likely avoid her the moment they realize that her father is in cahoots with the Saviors. Apparently, you "inherit" the nonexistent "sins" of your father.... Disgusting. Only rednecks would follow such silly philosophies.

Enough of her inner ramblings - class as started! Her glare turned towards Ruben, and didn't leave him as she watched him. What a fascinating human being - she still called him human, because, no matter the mutations, everyone is still human after all. But, before class could get started, he decided to partake in some experiment. Red flags were set off one by one as he noted that results may vary. He didn't explain what would happen, or any safety precautions. At the end, he placed a band on her desk last. She simply tapped it with her fingertip, and her telekinetic will was placed onto it. It floated up into the air, and she wondered for a moment. Doubted herself. Should she put this one...? She didn't trust it. However, she would never learn anything if she simply doubts herself at every turn...

... But maybe watching some reactions may help. Mika watched as everyone foolishly put on their wrist bands, and realized that she was perhaps righteous in not trusting the wrist bands. Sparks flew, and the results were as insane as they were random. She tapped the desk with the side of her hand just as a precaution. In case someone loses control of their power, the desk would make a great shield. After a few moments, the dust settled. She stared at her wrist band for a moment. And came to a decision!

Nope.

---

@Empour
Ruben's Class

---

While Michelle would love some combat training, her education took priority above all else. All day long, she spent it taking make-up classes, and working her ass off at that. Classes were going smoothly, fortunately. While this certification was essential to her job, and she told Susan she was going to get it and come back soon as possible, she wanted a better education above all else. Michelle was quite skilled at her power - from a mixture of the circus, and, well, using it to survive. She didn't need anymore than what she already had. Which is why she signed up to Dr. Ruben's classes. In hopes that she would be informed about something she didn't know. Plus, she knew that she would learn something about her powers. So it was a plus-plus.

Wearing a brown shirt with a diamond pattern, and a long, modest, brown shirt, along with brown sandals on her feet, Michelle put her hand on the door, and pushed her arm out, and threw the door open. Almost immediately, she was hit with a cold breeze, which nearly sent her heart racing. Before she calmed down after realizing this room was just a little chilly. She signed, as she took one look around the room. Didn't recognize any of these people. A shame, she was hoping that she would be sharing class with one of the people she met yesterday - but that's life. Though - because of the odor of raw meat, an odor that overwhelmed her enhanced sense of smell - the first person she noted was the tall, strange... creature - she raised an eyebrow. It looked like some freak of nature with an orb on his head. The way he was sitting behind that desk - he was the teacher. She guessed. Maybe. Let's find out! She mused, with a cheeky smile on her face, as she marched over to the desks - what? She'll have to sit with another person? Jesus, that's asking for a lot. Do they really want them pressed up against each other like that?! Ha! Let's just hope that these seats aren't too uncomfortable.

Michelle eyed the desk next to some tiny chick (Kayla), and figured why not? It seems that the size-difference makes her look even bigger! She walked up to the desk, and planted her behind down onto it, gently as possible. Not to break it or anything - fortunately, this chair was capable of withstanding her weight. She placed her arms onto the desk, and put her hands together, interlocking her fingers. She briefly turned towards her deskmate and gave her a smile. Before focusing on class. She got the feeling that the teacher wouldn't appreciate idle chatter in his class, she she'll have to do it later.

Before anything could even start, the entire class was hit up with an "exercise". They were supposed to put on some strange ass wristband with the Metahuman energy? Michelle didn't know much, but she knew that the energy gave everyone their powers - and that it shouldn't be screwed with. Okay you weird fucker, you're really pushing it. She furrowed her eyebrows, and gave Ruben a glare. The second he placed a band onto hers, she gave him an especially narrow glare. She interpreted "Each. Of your. Reactions. Will be. Unique" as "I. Don't. Know. What. The. Hell. Will. Happen.". Should she trust this aberration of a human being? No. Was she going to go through with it anyway? Yes. If nothing is ever ventured, then nothing will ever be gained.

She slid on the band.

If it kills, at least she won't have to worry that education so much, eh...?

"...Wait, what the bloody hell is this thing doing!?" Michelle's arm started shaking violently. The container for the band exploded, and the Metahuman energy disappeared, absorbed into Michelle's body. She grabbed onto her arm, tightly as possible. Jesus christ this hurt! What did that bastard give her!? Holding it down to the best of her ability. She noticed that her arm was being covered in green scales, and elongating. Her fingertips were being tipped off with keratin claws. Fucking thing was making her transform! Not here, dammit! In less than a minute, her arm had completely transformed, everything below the shoulder was a scaly cross between man and reptile. She stared at her arm for a moment. That's all it did... it made her transform. She wondered what fascinating results Dr. Ruben would get from this. Either way, Michelle kept her arm that way - it would take as much energy and pain to revert it back. So, if this is what Dr. Ruben wanted, he sure as hell got it.

Michelle crossed her arms (putting her reptilian appendage underneath her arm), and leaned back in her chair. Giving Ruben a narrow glare.

Aw, the Meatfucker has just earned her irritation.

@bluemoon277

---

Kanala spoke with a sense of adamancy that one of her qualities, perhaps the most pronounced of her person - the ability to glean one's mind - was as an intrusive as Mark had imagined; there wasn't an ounce of doubt in his person to begin with about that, not from the moment he learned such a thing was possible. Her demeanor however, had the same general impact on his person as did most things, which likely proved mildly confusing to anyone not readily familiar with Mark's level of indifference or, as in this case, feigned indifference. Realistically Mark was not fond of the notion, but to show any reaction well or weal, for or against, was bound to generate more problems than solve any.

He provided a nod, quietly eating another roll after having dabbed it gently into the saucer of soy while Kanala continued.

The interruption to the conversation as Kana proved to cringe uncomfortably, even bumping the table, was what perked Mark's curiosity. Raising a brow, he watched with a sense of mild confusion and attentiveness to her reaction of, what he soon discovered to be, the drink's frothy carbonation which proved to burn the girl's nose lightly. It ended as abruptly as it began, Mark having held almost entirely still during much of the conversation, as if assessing how if at all he should respond, to which Kana did before he opted to.

"Sorry about that." She laughed lightly, proving to smile afterward.

Mark nodded with a faint grin of acceptance; it was amusing, but he did not have the time to reply as yet another interruption came. Some sort of mass notification, the sort that made the young man less than pleased with the arrangement and mentality of the school; everything was done on their time. To Mark, this reminded him of his father's regiment when he was much younger, that everyone else's time did not matter as much as his. Sighing, having finished his meal - or so he was given the situation - he stood, replying to Kana as he adjusted his loose over shirt and glasses.

"I would." He said simply, taking up the backpack before departing alongside her.

---

@SepticGentleman

The night before the school day itself was not an enjoyable one; Mark was separated from the one person he "knew" and thrust into an unfamiliar environment. Not that the conditions were poor - for what he expected, they were just as seemingly lavish as anything else, but that was neither the point of his concern and discomfort nor the end of it. Feeling as awkward as ever, he had slept little throughout the night - nothing much out of the norm he experienced, but with an added sense of it all being more foreign.

The day following proved to be as consistent in that as well.

All of the oddities, the strangeness, all just taken for granted, as if these sorts of matters happened every day; which, realistically with meta-humans, they did... but that changed nothing for Mark. Everything about these people felt strange, even Mark himself. The academic courses were straightforward, but just the ambient personality to everything? Hardly.

By the time he sat down in the last class of the day, Mark wanted nothing to do with the general repetition of it all. Everything was broken down into the same overview of the course, introductions, some sort of private then group exercise, then completion of it. He hoped that this "Doctor Ruben" proved to be more the atypical normal sort.

That was wrong. Very, very, very wrong.

As Mark sat, roughly in the middle of the class, setting his bag aside, drawing out a pad of paper and a pencil, he took brief note of his company; needless to say, he certainly wasn't early, but the moment the clock struck the class' start, Mark was rewarded with the presence of a, well he guessed it was, man. Not just any ordinary man, the one wrapped and bound as he was, but most strikingly bearing what appeared to be an antique diving helm with an early era television mixed in, along with a prevalent scent of flesh - meat, sinew. The furthest Mark could be from normal and though he wanted to gawk, the animal in him rather bristled and sat uneasily in his seat; deferring to the latter, he listened, then soon watched as the teacher produced a bizarre looking device.

Toying with the construct as he was, Mark wasn't immediately surprised when Ruben produced more tendrils and withdrew the stock of dimly glowing devices; their faint green radiance against the unusual fleshiness of the teacher. Now, between accepting of what he understood was strange and what he didn't, Mark was not sure which prospect was more frightening - the teacher or the fact these devices, according to him, were concentrated sources of meta-human energy.

This is going to end poorly.

Thought in forefront of mind as Ruben approached, setting the device down without slowing, Mark examined the workings... well, once Ruben was out of reach and sight; Mark wasn't sure how to feel about him one way or another. He was suspicious of everyone, particularly something - that wasn't fair, someone, like Ruben. Not only because he was a teacher at the academy, but because he so casually provided these devices, which he either was confident were safe for the students to handle or realistically unconcerned with the remote possibility of something going wrong.

Handling the device, giving it a faint shake and watching the liquid flow within it, Ruben's words caught Mark's attention.

“Place. The band. Around. Your arm. And observe. How the meta. Energy. Reacts to yours.”

Begrudgingly, Mark watched the other class members handle them, but proved otherwise to do as told, slipping the mechanism over his wrist and soon up the arm; it reacted about in the manner Mark immediately expected, roiling about at first as it seemed to try to keep a single, coherent shape and substance. Its hue darkened and changed from a green into a amber, before turning a deep crimson - steadying his breathing, attempting to remain calm, Mark allowed it to behave as it wanted to. Which only resulted in the formless liquid attempting to stabilize itself again and again after rolling about in its confines, bloody coloration and all.

When it did remain idle, for the few seconds it could, he noted it was largely because he let his concentration of it go; the more intent and focus, the more work he put into it, the more it tried to seemingly fight against its stability. In a way, this proved a bit enlightening to Mark, as the nature of his abilities was more instinct... less application. It was just embracing the "knowing" of what it was he was to be doing, rather than trying to actually do it.

It would have been easy - would have - to control if he could at least relax, but the fact it reacted with a bit of a blood-like coloration and behavior made it concerning; if anything it merely proved his blood and body itself was malleable, capable of changing on whim.

All things considered, Mark's reaction was stable the less he thought about it, as if ingrained in him.

A girl across the classroom - a huge woman, no less, easily towering over him without even the slightest of effort in standing erect - did not have such a passive, but consistently aggressive reaction. Her exposure was... quite violent and raised the hairs on the back of Mark's neck; that sense of animal hostility, which provoked a response from his own band, which seemed now to shudder slightly as if on edge with rising and growing vibrations - the wanting to react instinctually.

Subsequently, the band burst on her, to which she did her best to hide the after effects as best she could; arm pulled close and out of Mark's sight, he relaxed ever so moderately, but found himself still quite on edge, with the volatile currently crimson liquid still proving to vibrate on a harmonic manner - an awareness and alertness that betrayed whatever camouflage Mark displayed as outwardly attempting to pretend to be quite human when his presence here alone made that unlikely.

Muttering slightly to his partner beside him, Mark commented; "That could have gone worse."

---

Adam's Class

---

Creed stood in the back of the crowd, leaning against a wall. He was the tallest in the room, save for the instructor, with the broadest shoulders and meanest face. He chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously. He hated people telling him what to do, and he hated the suit he was wearing. He hated the big, organized group he had been placed into, and he hated organized things in general. A younger student standing next to him quietly sniffed, wiping his runny nose on his sleeve. He hated that kid too.

"Thirty-odd kids in here, and I stand next to sniffles. Great." Creed muttered, staring straight ahead. The younger boy sighed lightly, and quietly took a few paces to the left, pretending he hadn't heard. Creed chuckled to himself, satisfied with the power he had.

Looks like relaxing is out of the question. Diego raised his head, and looked at Creed. Some tall guy was picking on some kid because he had a sneeze. This guy just looked like trouble... He was tall, and intimidating, but that wasn't the part that scared Diego. The guy practically breathed Skinhead. The kind of person who would take delight in kicking his ass just because he's Spanish. San-Franisco had tons of those people - and Diego just learned to avoid them. Normally, Diego would have stayed away from the guy, but he was being an asshat to some kid. A young kid too.

'Heha... You should make an example out of him, use him to prove your strength - our strength - to the entire world....' Agni whispered in his attempts to provoke Diego to wrath. 'Like you said, he looks exactly like a skinhead... think of the people he hurt in the name of Supremacy...'

Again, Agni? Diego paused for a moment. Fortunately for him, Agni never beat around the bush. He could always see through his ruses. He wanted a fight - Diego wanted peace.... still, he knew that peace cannot always be attained with words. With someone like him, it had to be force. A sad truth. Nonetheless, Diego started taking steps towards Creed. The second he was in front of him, he crossed his arms. He gave him a narrow glare with his amber eyes. "Listen, sir," Diego said, "You don't have to be so rough. He just got a little sneeze." He was trying to defuse the situation.

Creed slowly turned his head, almost mechanically. He looked down, locking eyes with the younger boy. Tan skin, triangle nose, short black hair. He looked a bit like a guy Creed knew, who'd show up at Immortals meetings occasionally. Unsurprisingly, Creed hated that guy too. Creed stared at him for a moment, sizing him up. It was rare that someone would confront him like this, even if they didn't know about his power. He wasn't itching for a fight, but a few people were looking, and Creed wasn't about to be the guy who gets pressed on the first day of school.

"Listen, sir," Creed said, furrowing his brow. "I wasn't tryin' to start no shit." He stood up straighter, dropping his casual lean into a more aggressive stance -- His chest was puffed out, and his arms were pulled back a bit. "Are you?"

'Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha! Do it now, he's asking for it! Strike him down with all your strength, Diego! HAHAHAHAHA!' Agni shouted into Diego's head, which sure as hell wasn't helping him think clearly.

Great, Creed was trying to shit-pick. Just what he expected the guy to do. Okay, he thought about it. Creed was much bigger than him, and probably a better fighter. Two years in prison made Diego tough too, but he doubted if he could match Creed physically. The only thing he could think of was matching him power-wise - and he still didn't know what ace Creed had. It felt scary... like prison all over again. One thing Diego knew is that he couldn't back off. He has to look equally strong. Therefore, his posture didn't change at all, he kept his arms tightly wrapped around himself. "No, but I can finish anything you start." A simple way to put it.

Creed smirked, tilting his head with an audible crunch. "This is me, starting it." His hands balled into fists, and he took a step forward. Almost instinctively, a few of the students around Diego and Creed took a few steps back, ready for the fight about to unfold. Whispers grew less quiet by the second as the two boys squared off, and a small circle formed around them.

"Hahahah! Whoop his ass, Diego!" Lupe shouted from the sidelines, egging both of them on.

"... Need I remind the two of you the rather heavy consequences of a fight - especially in my class.." Adam spoke down to the two, from his stage. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his expression seemed tense. However, his body was unmoving "First, I will personally break up the fight, then I will personally drag both of you to the detention center. Now, choose your next actions very carefully, or else I will have no choice but to make an example out of the two of you."

Creed did not break his line of sight with Diego, but heard him clearly. He paused for a second, his attention rapidly darting back and forth between the positioning of Diego's hands, the noise of the crowd, and his teacher's words. Backing off might not make him look tough, but swinging and then getting manhandled by some guy in a wetsuit would make him look like a bitch.

"I'll see you in the arena, bitch." He spat on the ground between the two of them, and then brushed past him to the front of the crowd, nodding at Adam in a display of silent obedience.

As Creed walked off, and the crowd dispersed, Diego stood there, watching him. Silently. He was wondering if he even did the right thing here. Was he just acting stupid? What drove him to do this? He....

'You know exactly why boy...' Agni started off his explanation. 'You're violent as I am... you want to burn the world to ashes... Starting with him.' Agni started loudly laughing, a laughter that only he could hear.

'We'll see you in the arena alright...'