Beth couldn’t help but feel that her first day at the Academy had flown by, with the exception of English class, as she arrived at the Training Hall for her last class of the day, Power Instruction. Upon arriving, an aide had thrust a bright green suit of some kind at her, briefly explaining that she would need to put it on if she was going to participate in class and directing her to the locker room. Thinking that it was some kind of strange gym uniform, Beth obeyed the woman’s directions and slipped into the girls locker room to change and store her belongings until class was over.

One of the first things that Beth noticed upon exiting the locker room and moving to stand near the front of the crowd next to the boy with the pink stripe she had seen at the banquet the night before, was that a lot of people seemed rather uncomfortable with the suits, as they were picking at them or otherwise trying to adjust how they fit. Personally, Beth didn’t mind them. The one that she was wearing felt a lot like the unitards and leotards that she wore in gymnastics, and that had been quite comfortable. The only thing was that the suit weighed a good deal more due to the thick vest and pads on the shoulders, knees, and elbows for protection.

Of course, there were several people who didn’t seem so perturbed by having to wear the suit, such as the black haired girl in the bright pink suit who smiled like she was on top of the world or the intimidating, broad-shouldered guy with shaved black hair leaning against the wall. As the instructor, Adam Blackmore explained what the purpose of and rules concerning the suits were, Beth made a mental note to avoid the mean-looking guy. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would tolerate her presence for very long, if at all.

As Mr. Blackmore opened the floor to questions, getting swarmed by more than a few students who had something they wanted to know or complain about, Beth noticed a guy with black hair in a bright orange suit walk up to the broad-shouldered fellow and start talking to him, though they both seemed as if they were on edge. After a few seconds, the people around them made room, and it looked like there was going to be a fight already. Fortunately, Mr. Blackmore chose that moment to intervene and break it up, though Beth couldn’t hear what he said to do so.

The excitement over, everyone dispersed and got ready to continue the lesson, though it seemed that everyone was mumbling about what had just transpired or who the two guys were. It seemed rather… silly to make such a big deal over two guys almost getting in trouble for fighting, but Beth could kind of understand why people did. What would happen was completely unexpected because no one knew what anyone else’s power was, which is what made it exciting. Really, it was sort of like a good movie, at least according to her uncle.

Sighing at the sudden pang of homesickness, Beth returned her attention to the teacher, waiting for him to announce what they would actually be doing for class and what that would require of each of them. Hopefully, whatever it was wouldn’t be too physically demanding.

---

_{In collaboration with @Empour and @DeadBeatWalking}

---

Harmon watched the meta-energy within the canister gravitate towards the center, crystallizing, taking on a dull coloration. He'd seen this before, Ruben had run the exercise with him last year. Nothing had changed. The reaction was meant to be an indicator of how developed the powers of the individual in question were. Some were... admittedly, more explosive than Ruben had ever liked. A clear indicator of how powerful, and often times, unstable some meta-humans were. Ruben viewed them as risks that need to be isolated. Or quashed, even. The taller girl, Michelle... she definitely wasn't on Ruben's preferred list after this incident. Harmon watched him look across the room at her. It was hard for most folks to tell his expressions behind that Brainvault, but Harmon knew he was disgusted with the display. He looked back down at the crystalline structure, fiddling with the band on his arm, causing the formation to twitch and jump some.

Suddenly, there was a scream, from somewhat close by. The little girl next to the gargantuan one had fallen out of her chair for some reason. She made a very awkward looking scramble to get back up, and skedaddled away, ending up near the front, between the desks and Ruben. She was clutching her cylinder, which was emitting light. "Is something. Amiss." Ruben inquired, turning his Brainvault to face Kayla. The girl sputtered out something about a snake, but was suddenly interrupted.

The door creaked open, as a few students instinctively turned around to see who was at the door, and then turned back. A voice called out quietly.

"Is this, uh, Ruben's class?" Lenny said, looking at his syllabus. "I'm late. Sorry about that."

"Tardiness. Isn't. Appropriate." Ruben responded, "But for. The first. Class. You. Are. Excused. Please. Find. A seat." He reached into the crate and handed him a canister. "Ask. Harmon. For instructions."

Lenny nodded, but the nod quickly turned into a surprised, inquisitive look. He turned his head to face the front most desk and the figure sitting there.

"Harm-O?"

Harmon raised his head at the sounding of that familiar moniker. He turned to face Lenny as the faintest, most crooked smile etched itself upon his face. He let out an exasperated, half-laugh-half-hello as he shot up from his seat and approached Lenny. "Ah! A-ha!" He said, a little too happy to form any proper sentences at the moment.

The two embraced, hugging tightly for a moment. "Missed you, bro!" Lenny said, patting his old friend on the back.

There was a brief moment of silence as the embrace carried on before Ruben called out, "Please. Take. Your seats."

Harmon detached himself from Lenny and grabbed his hand, shaking it. "S-so, so good, to see you again!" He said, in between meager breaks of laughter. Lenny nodded as he took a seat next to him, inching a bit closer to Harmon. "Me and Creed live here now, so you and I can hang out just like the old days." Lenny said, grinning from ear to ear. Harmon didn't respond with words, he just nodded, still looking ridiculously happy. The year suddenly became a lot more enjoyable for him, that much was evident.

The girl by the teacher's desk was suddenly addressed by Ruben, "Do you. Require. Anything. Else. Miss." Kayla jumped a little, as though she had forgotten Ruben was behind her. "Ah, uh, no, I'm fine, I'll just, uh," she looked around, nervous. She didn't bother to finish her sentence, though, and just rapidly took a seat next to Lenny. She obviously didn't want to sit next to Michelle. She was still holding the cylinder close to her chest, as if she was afraid someone would try to take it away from her.

Lenny turned to her and nodded, as a gesture of courtesy. "'Sup." He immediately turned back to Harmon, whispering, muttering and chuckling amongst themselves. As usual, Lenny did most of the talking, while Harmon was just happy to see his old friend. It was hard to hear their whispers, but certain words stuck out. "Games" was one, "soda", "marathon", "rules", and "midnight" were the others. It wasn't clear what they were discussing, but it certainly sounded like some kind of get-together.

That sounded like fun. A lot of fun, actually. The boy that had just come in seemed nice, and she doubted the faceless one could be mean after seeing that heartwarming hug. She wasn't sure if they were talking about actually running a marathon or something else entirely, but she could just ask.

"Hey, you two!" she whispered, "Are you guys having a party or something?"

Lenny slid around, leaning on the edge of his desk. "Only the best party ever." Being reunited with his friend made him excited enough to not hide in his shell, as he normally did.

"Would you guys mind letting me in on this party?" she asked. A party on her second day here? That sounded like loads of fun.

Lenny looked back at Harmon, who was simply keeping his head a little low. He shrugged, indicating he didn't really see any harm in the notion. That, or he was too confused to say no. Lenny turned back, nodding. "Sure! My roommates probably won't mind. Haven't met 'em yet, but, they probably won't." He chuckled to himself. "I have an Xbox and games, you should bring some snacks, uh," Lenny waved his hand, trying to remember the name of the girl who hadn't introduced herself yet.

"Kayla, Kayla Kirby. I'm up on the fourth floor, when is this gonna happen, and where?" she said, noticing his confusion.

Lenny shook her hand. "Lenny Boggs. This is Harmon." He said, nodding to his friend behind him. "He's a bit shy." He paused for a second, trying to remember his room number. "Room 269" Lenny said. "It's a guy's dorm, so wear a hoodie so the teachers don't see you waltzing in."

Kayla felt a momentary flash of indignation, but it faded quickly. He was right- A teacher seeing a girl walk into the guy's dorms would put a quick end to the festivities. Kayla wasn't sure if she actually packed any pants, but she was sure there would be some somewhere even if she hadn't. "Okay, I'll be there. Midnight, right? I overheard a little of your conversation," she said. She wasn't holding the cylinder anymore, it was sitting on the table she was sitting at, and the light had died down.

Lenny nodded. "Don't tell nobody, though."

Kayla shook her head a bit, and said, "You guys are actually the first students I've talked to, aside from that.. Snake-girl up there. I don't have anyone to tell, so you don't need to worry," She shivered a little bit when she said snake-girl.

"Please. Return. To your individual. Exercises." Ruben said, looking at the trio. They followed suit, turning back to their desks, and ending their discussion.

Then Kayla spoke up. "Um, professor, uh.. Ruben, I did the thing with the wristband, and it made this really pretty stuff, but what are we supposed to do now?" She held up the canister to show off the sparkly liquid.

"If. Your exercise. Is complete. Then you. Are free. To socialize. Quietly. Until. Class. Is concluded." Ruben responded, peering over the computer terminal at his desk. "An assignment. Will be issued. Next. Class."

A free period, right off the bat? That was pretty lucky. Kayla, though, had a few more questions, key among them being, "Professor, are we allowed to keep these canisters? I really like mine..."

"Yes." Ruben responded, "But I. Will not. Offer. Any. Replacements."

Score! She could keep this awesome little lantern thing. It was so pretty- if only she could figure out how to get the wristband off.

Lucy's first day at Academy 218 was far more normal than she had been expecting. This was her first year of college and since she was basically here just to get her NEST certification and learn to control her telepathy Lucy hadn't selected a major. Instead she'd taken a rather standard array of class as well as a number of arts classes she knew she'd enjoy. Going around the school you saw somethings that were out of the ordinary, people with there textbooks floating beside them. Others using flames in there hands to illuminate the pages of a book they read as they walked. Other than that though it was odd how much it seemed like she was living at high school.

At long last the final class of the day came round. Lucy had selected Blackmore's Power Control class over Ruben's Power History class not out of a lack of interest but for necessity. Lucy would have loved to take Power History. Thanks to her father Lucy had had a love of books and stories since she was little. However the need to be able to shut her powers off outweighed whatever she could learn in Ruben's class.

Lucy was assigned some sort of uniform before the start of Blackmore's class. It looked like a cross between a wet suit and S.W.A.T gear. Though it seemed everyone had received a different color Lucy's was a dark green which matched almost exactly her army jacket. Lucy wondered when these had been made and how they matched the colors. It obviously wasn't random. After changing into the suit Lucy examined herself in the mirror. The suit was skintight and hugged Lucy's figure a lot more than she was comfortable with. Not that Lucy had anything to be ashamed of. She had a nice hourglass figure and her curves were in the right places but this was not something that Lucy was ever comfortable showing off. There was a reason she wore loose jeans and a too large army jacket.

Trying to shake off her insecurities Lucy looked back at her pile of clothing and books that she'd shoved into one of the lockers for a moment before going back into it and retrieving both her army jacket and her IPod. The headphones she wrapped round her neck and the jacket she slung over her shoulder. No doubt neither of these things was allowed in the class but Lucy needed her headphones just in case the voices got to deafening and the jacket was more of a security blanket, a little slice of home.

With the things she needed in her arms Lucy closed up her locker and left the changing rooms. The moment Lucy passed into the main room she was met with a flurry of thoughts launched like crossbow bolts at her brain. Lucy got the vague impressions of someone who seemed like a dangerous pyromaniac, then a girl who was far too full of herself and finally a boy who couldn't have been more nervous if the cops were after him. All of these targeted Lucy like homing missiles before the mass of thoughts being generated by everyone else completely eclipsed them.

Lucy's head started pounding so hard it felt like her brain was trying expand out of her skull. In one swift movement Lucy snapped on her headphones a turned on Johnny Cash's Solitary Man at max volume. Lucy made her way into the center of the crowd and when the teacher started to speak she moved one of her headphones just enough off her ear that she could hear him but not so much that she was overwhelmed by all the minds surrounding her.

Blackmore explained the purpose of the suits and what they would be doing in today's classes. Lucy couldn't help but feel that all of this was geared more towards those that had combat oriented powers, or at least ones that influenced the real world. The people that could teleport or throw fireballs. There seemed to be very little room for a mind reader in a place like this.

While Lucy was thinking this two intimidating looking people in the back of the class very nearly started a fight. This 'arena' seemed to Lucy like a very bad idea for people to figure out there powers. After all if some mutants were as violent as some humans this could easily turn into a blood sport. The fight was broken before it started by the teachers... obviously. Who was stupid enough to try and start something right under the nose of a very strict looking man like Blackmore. When the teacher asked for questions Lucy was more than happy to oblige.

"Excuse me Mr. Blackmore." She shouted putting up her hand. "What is this class intended to teach those of us that don't have combat related abilities. Honestly, this place looks more like a Colosseum than a dojo. How do you train people whose power doesn't have a weaponizable application?"

---

@Shard
@Prince of Seraphs
@TaliPaendrag
@DeadBeatWalking
@Tyler
@Heathen

---

Shortly after the brief standoff between the two students (Which would have ended badly), a woman approached the stage, asking a question that so many have asked before her. It was a good question, really. And Adam always enjoyed answering it. "That is a good question - one I am glad that you stepped to ask so I can answer it for those too afraid to ask. Settle down for a moment, so I may answer." He took two steps towards the edge of the stage, and snapped his fingers towards Casper and Mason. "You two especially." He noticed that those two were talking the most. It was especially annoying, since this wasn't time to mingle (It especially wasn't time to fight). Which is why he's here to break things up, really.

He coughed, putting his hand with a clipboard to his mouth. "My class doesn't just teach you how to fight - even though. It will teach you how to use your power - along with other useful skills to prepare you for the real world." Adam closed his eyes, pausing for a moment. He then raised his head, with one hand on his glasses, adjusting it somewhat. "The world is a very scary place. I won't lie to any of you when I say that. I believe that every student should be sent out here prepared for whatever the world has to offer them, really. Whether you wish to join NEST, or live your life, I can teach you how to use your power, but I can also teach you how to rely on things other than your power." He took a look around the room to see everyone's reaction. "Over-reliance builds a weakness like no other. You may believe you are powerful, even invincible, with your power... I'll put it this way, if you think that way, it's only a matter of time until something happens you can't handle." He was nothing but honest when he said that. He heard of students who thought they were truly invincible with their powers - only to fall to the likes of the Pure, and other organizations out to pick them off. "So, if you're willing to accept my training, and allow me to give you other things to rely on... we can begin."

Adam nodded his head, and he lead the class along out of his classroom, and into the training floor. In a minute, the entire class was lined up in front of him (Or the opposite, depending on how you see it). They were all on one side of the room - if one was suspicious enough they would note this. He put his hands - and his clipboard - behind his back. "Are you ready for your first exercise? Because this one is simply a warm-up. I believe that, before exerting the power, you should always get the body ready."

He took two large steps back from the class, pulling out a large black remote. He continued, "Now, the exercise is simple," Adam pressed a button on his remote, and a silvery door opened up to reveal a pitch black room. He pointed at the dark opening, "This isn't the room you'll be training in, that is. Your objective is to get in there... without using your power." He paused for a moment, fighting down the need to smile. He pointed the remote, and the magic commenced. The room began rearranging itself. It all started when the floor around a wide path lowered, creating a wide and elevated path above it. This path had trapdoors that opened up, but obstacles appeared. Creating a path of various obstacles. This was a typical obstacle course, it had the following: Tough One, Slide for Life, Confidence Climb, Skyscraper, Belly Robber, Tarzan, Low Belly Over, Dirty Name, Tough Nut, Belly Crawl, Inclining Wall, High Step Over, Swing, Stop, and Jump, Six Vaults, Easy Balancer, Belly Buster, Low Wire, Hip-Hip, Reverse Climb, Weaver, Balancing Logs, Island Hopper - in order (Visual aid here). After all of the changes, Adam turned away from the changes, and faced the students. "This will hopefully build confidence for all of you. Try your hardest - this isn't a game."

Adam pressed another button on his remote, and the light above the entrance turned green, and a loud siren vibrated through the room. After the echo faded away, Adam said, "Have fun, because I will from watching." This was important, because he had to be sure that nobody was trying to cheat using their power.

Adam’s scolding, albeit small, caused Casper’s heart to jump and he immediately went quiet. 'Just stay quiet, Casper.’ He could talk with Mason later, but now he had class. Listening intently to what Adam was saying, Casper looked down on the floor and thought it over. Managing without his power? Well, that wouldn’t be too difficult, would it? The only thing his powers allowed him to do was get more of something, or rather, an infinite amount of something. He had honestly gotten very attached to it, especially when he wanted to conserve battery or when he was training with his airsoft pistols. Come to think of it, Casper was incredibly reliant of his powers. Adam was correct when stating that they wouldn’t always have access to them, but it was a reasonable thought. He had heard of various power suppressant methods out there and that would heavily cripple most metas.

Turning to look at the room behind them, Casper’s heart skipped a beat. What was that? He took a deep breath and tried to swallow his fears. He wasn’t allowed to use his powers, but he wouldn’t need them for this situation. They didn’t allow him to move from point A to B in any notable way. He would admit that the tactical movement exercise they were in for was incredibly intimidating.

Luckily he was small so he’d be able to move in and between every obstacle put before him, and he barely weighed anything so he’d be able to climb most towers set up in there. However, this was evened out by his lack of muscles, would he even be able to pulled his body up those things? Well, there was only one way to find out.

Casper moved towards the room, seeing other students rushing in and starting the exercise as fast as they could. It would seem like they were eager, something Casper didn’t quite share but he’d be lying if he said that it wasn’t a little exciting. Putting his foot over the threshold, the other soon followed and he breathed out. Okay, this was it. ‘Just focus on getting through this, Casper. It’s just like a video game…’

Another deep breath would leave the boy’s lips and he moved forward, starting through the course. It was rather slow at the start but after a little while, he was getting the hang out. He tried not to do it too quickly or else he’s probably fail. It was better to start out slow and then move up as he got better. The boy crawled under an obstacle easily enough followed by grabbing hold of a pew planks and thick ropes as he climb on top of another followed by climbing down on the other side. Towards the bottom, he almost lost his grip but managed to hold on tightly enough. ‘God…be careful…’ He sighed, lowering himself to the floor and let go once the distance was short.

‘Okay…’ The boy wiped his forehead, looking in front of him. ‘Only…the whole thing left…’ He gulped and continued forward. This would probably need another go after he was done, and then another after that. He wanted to master this, master himself. Despite his fears, he was eager to learn. Casper was small, but inside his heart a will to strive was beating. ‘I wonder how Mason’s doing…’ The boy looked around for his friend, hoping that Mason was managing through this.

---

Mason remained silent following Adam's scolding; he was annoyed, this really did feel like being back at school. All he needed now was to be beat up by a bunch of bullies and-- yep, there it was. Two assholes already getting into a fight. Mason just shook his head and looked elsewhere whilst Blackmore defused the situation; he recognised one of the guys from the boat, but the other was foreign to him. Regardless, he committed both faces to memory. He wanted his time here to go as smoothly as possible, and he had every intention of not falling into the wrong crowd.

Soon enough, they were lead through to the larger room and Adam explained that they were to complete some kind of physical warm-up to prepare their bodies for power training. To everyone's surprise, the room began to shift at the click of a button, with elements of the room's structure sliding around mechanically and opening up to reveal hidden compartments, from which obstacles rose. A fucking assault course? Mason cursed to himself. What was this, military bootcamp? Adam's reminder that students were not permitted to use their powers made him scoff; the idea that Mason's ability would be of any use tickled him.

He sounded a siren, and the rest of the students pooled forward onto the course. Mason looked at Mr. Blackmore. "Sir," he said, getting a quick glance from the teacher who was intently watching the other students. "I don't think I'm cut out for the course. But I do yoga every day, I think my body is already warmed u--", he stopped himself dead when Adam gave him a sharp look that said 'Do The Fucking Course'. Begrudgingly, and a little terrified, Mason joined the others.

Looking ahead, he saw Casper's familiar hair quite a way in front of him, and upped the pace in order to catch up. He started well enough, pulling himself up the cargo net and sliding his body between the logs at the top, then running along the platform and starting up the ladder. By the time he was half-way up, he was already exhausted. He pressed on, wanting to catch up with Casper and uneasy at the thought of disappointing Blackmore, which seemed inevitable.

As he made his way down the taller rope wall, Mason was already panting and has a painful stabbing sensation in his side. He was barely half way down the net when he slipped and fell the remainder of the drop. A few seconds later, he dragged himself back to his feet and dusted himself off, wheezing violently as he looked ahead at the other students and tried to catch his breath. This was going to be just as hard as it looked.

As Beth waited for the instructor to finish answering questions and begin the lesson, one girl, whom Beth recognized as the brunette who had sat at their table the night before, shouted a question concerning how the course would handle people who didn’t have combat-oriented abilities. Mr. Blackmore seemed to take pleasure in the question, though he walked a little ways away before raising his voice to address the entirety of the class.

Once he was done with his little speech concerning the his purpose in running the class, he explained that their goal was to reach the dark room on the other side of the hall without using their powers. More than a couple of people, Beth included, were a little confused by that, as it was just a simple walk. But then he waved some sort of remote, causing the ground to shake as it rearranged itself to reveal a full-fledged obstacle course.

Upon seeing the course, Beth’s stomach sank. For someone of her size, these obstacles were virtually impossible. Beth didn’t really think that her powers would help her all that much anyway, but it would have at least enabled her to complete some of the obstacles in the course. Now the whole thing seemed kind of hopeless, though that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t try.

Figuring that she should go sooner rather than later to avoid being dead last and have everyone waiting for her, Beth hurried to the first obstacle, the Tough One, and got started. This first obstacle wasn’t as bad as Beth has expected, as it was fairly easy to climb the cargo net, cross the walkway, climb the ladder, and descend the other cargo net because of the availability of handholds and her good balance, though it was quite tiring.

Pausing at the bottom of the end of the first obstacle to catch her breath near the boy with the pink stripe in his hair, Beth felt quite good about herself. She had managed to pass the first obstacle, which gave her a good dose of confidence for the rest, even the ones further on in the course that looked to be particularly hostile to someone of her size. After she managed to catch her breath, she began making her way towards the next obstacle, trying to pay no mind to the number of people who had passed her by already.

---

Kana had spent the rest of her day out of her room. Her and Mark had walked together to figure out their rooming arrangements, but afterwards they had split up. She found out where she was staying, and went up to the room to find her roommate and properly introduce herself. Unfortunately when she got up there no one else had been in the room. Kana left rather soon after finding out no one was there. Kana had realized she hadn't seen much of the campus. While she was rather tired having slept barley at all on the boat or the nights previous, Kana had always loved to explore. Plus she didn't want to be lost tomorrow when classes started. With these things in mind Kana went off by herself to enjoy what Academy 218 had to offer.

After many hours of simply walking and observing Kana found that it had started to get very dark. She checked her phone and noticed it was almost curfew. Kana had figured out her routes and decided it would be best not to break any rules already. Actually she had decided it would be best not to break the rules ever, but that was besides the point. Kana headed back up to her room for a restful nights sleep.

When she finally woke up the next morning she noticed that she had barely enough time to get ready. Kana skipped her morning shower and went straight to getting dressed. Throwing off yesterdays clothes she grabbed some new ones from her still un packed luggage. She simply tossed her old clothes on the floor telling herself she would pick it up later. Kana hopped around pulling on her shoes with one hand and grasping for a pony tail with another. After her shoes were on Kana stood in front of the mirror. Her hair was not polished or anything, but it defiantly could have been worse. She quickly wrapped it up into a messy bun. Kana grabbed her bag and packed it with a few books a pencil and paper. She then headed off to class with five minuets to get there. Kana thankfully already knew her way to class and made just in time.

She wasn't in time however to pick her own seat. Only one was left next to a much more polished girl. She thought she might have recognized her, but she couldn't place where. She was defiantly of asian decent, but if Kana was being honest she wasn't sure of the exact region she was from. Kana took a seat next to the girl. The girl didn't seem to happy keeping a glare with the teacher and denying to put on the arm band. Kana tried not to look at the girl too much since she seemed so displeased.

Kana looked at the piece of equipment on her desk. She was worried how it would effect her From the reactions of others it enhanced the power you already have. Kana shrugged 'now or never' She thought. Kana pulled up the arm band placing it around her arm as it seemed to tighten to fit her. She looked at the green stuff waiting for a reaction. It didn't really do anything though. She turned it around in her hands thinking maybe she needed to shake it up, but nope there was no reaction. Kana looked over at Mika. "Hey do you think this could be defective or something. Mine isn't seeming to have any reaction" Kana asked her hoping to not only strike up conversation, but figure out what she was doing wrong.

---

Written in collaboration with @Tyler

---

Diego actually listened to Blackmore's speech. He leaned up against the wall, while Adam told of how they would be trained to rely on other things than their superpower. Diego.. would actually enjoy such training. Unlike others here, he loathed his power - If Agni was even the result of his power. After the speech was over, Diego simply pushed off the wall, and followed the rest of the class onto the ground floor of the training room. That's where Adam said that this wasn't the room they were going to be training in, and opened another door... Then pressed one button and this monstrous obstacle course came out the ground. Diego looked up at it, and nearly whistled. They expect everyone to do this? It was probably easy for someone like Diego - whom athletics came to naturally. Everyone else? Diego took one look around. There was Casper, some really young chick, and some scrawny European dude. They were probably going to fail at this.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Lupe loudly shouted as she took one look at this course and went no. Everything went over her head until he mentioned the obstacle course. How do they expect her - or anyone - to do this?! Not everyone had the upper body strength of Terry Crews. Lupe shifted her weight to one hip, and gave Adam a very narrow look. He probably wanted to perve on her! That's it. All sweaty and every part of her jiggling up and down like... something that jiggles! On the other hand, he might toss her ass out of here - while she hated this exercise, there was no way she was going to get embarrassed like that before she gets to flaunt what she got. Lupe sighed, and turned her attention to Adam's obstacle course. Alright, Blackmore, I'll play your game.

... Alright, now where the hell does she start?

Diego nodded his head, and he put one foot in front of the other. Before he began a charge towards the first obstacle. He didn't know what it was, a construct made out of ropes. He immediately ran up and jumped up onto the smaller rope ladder. He heaved himself up, and put his put on the first log, he ran his foot across it just in case the thing spins. Fortunately, it was locked in place. Diego put his foot on the next one and tried to run across it... Unfortunately, he got a little too eager and tripped. His face was falling rapidly towards the log fence - his reflexes were quick enough that he threw his arms up in order to avoid hitting himself in the face. He let out a sigh.

"Haha, Diego! You tripped!" Diego's lovely sister taunted him. All the way back from the rope ladder.

He tried to push.himself back to his feet - but his foot slipped, and he went back to the logs. Students were pressing on by him. While he was still here. He thought fast and put his hands on the logs far in front of him. Putting his feet on the logs before the ones his hands were on. He arched his body upwards, and his head was the last thing up. He quickly ran to the log ladder, and climbed his way up it. At the top, there was another rope ladder. Diego knelt down, placing his hands on the ropes. He lowered himself, climbing quickly - halfway there, he let go, and fell to the ground. The one thing he could say about prison was that it made him quite athletic. Now, what's next?

He couldn't move on to the next obstacle, yet. There was a guy, on the ground. The guy who was talking to Casper in fact. He probably fell over. Diego could have ran by him like everyone else was, - he thought it'd be pretty funny to step on him to get to the next objective - but he didn't. Diego ran up to the skinny guy, saying, "Hey, I'll giv-" Before the most hilarious turn of events took place.

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee!" Lupe screamed (with a thick Spanish accent) as she came falling down off the second rope ladder. She, fortunately, landed on Mason with a loud thump. Lupe raised her upper body, looking around she saw Diego. Then she wondered what the hell she was sitting on, until her vision roamed downwards. "Oh!" She yipped. She immediately stood straight up - before he got off to her ass being on him. Weirdo. "Thank you for being there to land on! Really appreciate it!" Lupe said to Mason. Giving him thumbs up, and a smile.

Mason pulled himself to his feet, the impact of the Latina girl not doing him any favours as he tried to regain his breath. "It was... My... Pleasure..." he said, without an ounce of sincerity in between his violent wheezing. He turned to the boy who had tried to help him, recognising him as one of the pair who had fought just a few moments ago. This made him weary, yet he extended a hand out to the guy anyway. "Thanks..." he said, beginning to return to a more stable breathing rhythm. "I'm Mason." he said. "And to... Whom do I owe the... Pleasure?" he asked both of the siblings, though he avoided eyecontact with the girl.

Should they be standing here talking? Probably not. That Adam guy looked like he was ready to pounce on the first person who pissed him off like a mountain lion on crack. Diego scratched the back of his neck - proud that Agni decided to keep quiet for a bit. His gaze turned towards Lupe for a bit, before it went to Mason. "Diego...." He suddenly said.

"♪ Lu-pe, Bella-squez! ♪" Lupe said in a sing-song. Her way of introducing herself. She kept that smile on her face - even though, under most circumstances, she would immediately walk away from a loser like Mason. Still, being her landing cushion felt nice. So, maybe he deserved a little time and place.

"... Yeah, she's real sorry about that." Diego spat out - stopping himself from snarling.

"Hey, come on, now. It wasn't my fault he was there!" Lupe resorted.

"We should probably... Carry on..." Mason said, looking at the expanse of the assault course that lay before him. He had literally fallen at the first hurdle, he could only imagine what the remaining obstacles would put him through. "I don't imagine Blackmore... Reacts well to failure."

"Right." Diego responded, since Mason had no outward reactions to their respective introductions. Maybe he didn't like them, or he just wanted to move along,... Whiiiich they should do. Diego took one look around, and noticed that the rest of the faceless NPCs were getting ahead of them !"Let's get a move on." Diego started running ahead towards the next obstacle, followed by Lupe. He jumped up into the ladder, and stood on top of it. Lupe stood next to him.

Mason followed the two, though he was nowhere near as fast as the Bellasquez siblings. They tore ahead and he watched them climbing up a ladder. His legs practically stung, his weak muscles crying out as he began to heave himself up the ladder.

"Ooookay, what the hell is this?" Lupe scratched the back of her head, and wondered what the hell is the obstacle before them! She put her weight on one hip, and slapped a hand on it.

"A slide." Diego replied dryly.

Mason pulled himself up onto the top of the structure as the pair made their observations, and leant on the railing for support. He was struggling to breath again, and clearly not in a position to continue with the course. He hadn't properly recuperated from his fall, and now he was paying the price for rushing back into things.

"Guys... You go ahead..." he wheezed. "I think I need... To take a--"

Without a second thought, Lupe shoved Mason with all of her strength - off the platform. Why? Because she thought it'd be funny. The guy was basically a twig anyway. Even five years can push him off shit! As Mason fell off the platform, yelling. Lupe shrugged, then said, "Well, I'm bored."

"Wha-?! Why?!" Diego immediately chased after Mason, trying to catch him. But it was too late. Diego hung his head, and let his hands drop.

"... This is going to be a looong day."

Lucy really hated people like Blackmore. People so caught up in what they wanted to say that they didn't actually hear what was being asked of them. Clearly Blackmore had a prepared response to being asked about training that didn't involve the use of anyone's meta-abilities. However that was not what Lucy asked of him in the least. Lucy had wanted to know the sort of power training that would be given to people like her. People whose abilities weren't combative. Lucy wanted to know the sort of help that she could get for her own problems with her power because frankly there was nothing in either of the rooms that Blackmore taught in that suggested he knew anything about power control for the students like Lucy who couldn't use there powers to beat each other to a bloody pulp. It didn't really surprise Lucy though that those destructive forces were the only ones that NEST was interested in.

When the obstacle course was unveiled everything in the room got unimaginably louder. Until then the room had been full of thoughts of mild hesitation and curiousness at what was to come in this class. After Lucy acclimated to it somewhat it was bearable. Now however Lucy's head fill with the whispers and shouts of excited students ready to show off, nervous ones unsure of there ability to perform, hesitant ones quite sure they wouldn't be able to complete the course. Lucy pulled her headphones back on and dialed up the volume even louder trying to drowned it all out with a marginal degree of success.

Faced with the obstacle course Lucy abandoned her jacket on the side of the room. It would just get in her way and she could come retrieve it after class. Lucy ran for the first obstacle not wanting to be left behind. It wasn't all that difficult, well for her anyways. Hiking and rocking climbing and given Lucy a decent amount of strength though you wouldn't know it to look at her.

The obstacle was pretty basic. A rope construct ten feet high, followed by a net that had to be crawled across, then a ladder which was another fifteen feet followed by another rope construct which dropped down the full length of the previous two. It was lengthy but not difficult if handled the right way. It wasn't much different from some of the courses they had a summer camp Lucy attended when she was young.

The first hurdle, the rope ladder, Lucy climbed over with easy. Though her time suffered a little on the net Lucy continued through the course at a steady pace finally reaching the top. She could see all the students ahead of her from this vantage point and the adrenaline pumping through her system had tuned out the voices at least for the moment. Lucy scaled down the next rope ladder. She almost lost her footing about halfway down but luckily her arm became tangled in one of the rungs preventing her from falling. Lucy massaged the sore joint of her shoulder before she continued down, hopping off the ladder six feet from the bottom.

The next obstacle seemed to have a limited on the number of people allowed to attempt it at once. No doubt for safety reasons. Lucy waited at the bottom for the people ahead of her to either fail and go to the back of the line or to succeed and move on. Waiting not far from her was a girl Lucy recognized. It was the little one that Lucy had eaten dinner with the previous night. They'd not gotten a chance to exchange words then. The girl might be a child prodigy but expecting her to complete something like this at the same pace and ability as everyone else didn't seem altogether fair. Lucy took a couple steps closer to the little girl. "Do you need hand with that?" Lucy asked gesturing to the 'Slide for Life'.

Okay, okay this was going somewhat well, wasn’t it? Casper had gotten a little further and the sweat running down his body was absolutely disgusting. He did’t mind sweating that much, it wasn't like he was unused to it. Believe it or not, Casper was actually rather used to physical activities but that didn't mean that this monster of a course was an easy go for him. The boy looked behind him and saw a few stragglers but he couldn’t quite see anyone he knew. It was only when he was pushed aside and almost fell to the floor that he woke back up to reality. “Outta' the way, shrimp!” A larger boy shouted as he dashed past him.

’Sorry…’ Casper sighed slightly as he regained his composure and moved forward. He was feeling his energy rapidly leaving his body as he climbed up yet another obstacle, his grip growing weaker by the second. He tried taking a deep breath but his rapid heartbeats would not allow such an action, rather forcing quick breaths out of his mouth. 'I hope you're doing better than me, Mason…’, the boy managed to the top before he slid down the rope on the other side. His gloves made it possible to do so without hurting his hands, too much, but once he moved another two steps he fell down to his knees. This was going to kill him before he reached the end.

’Only half the course left, you can do it Casper…’ He gulped, wiping his forehead from the sweat dripping over his eyes. His long bangs nearly sticked to his face and it was a distracting addition. Moving them out of the way, Casper took off his beanie and shook his hair loose for a moment before sliding it back on to keep all of the hair away from his large eyes.

'Alright, time to move on...' Casper continued through the obstacle course and conjured the remainder of his strength as he tried his best to get through it. Speed wasn’t anything he was relying on, but rather getting to the other side, no matter how long it took. Though, the boy was ready to give himself some credit. He was doing better than the stragglers behind him. One of them had a pink suit, who was that again? Yeah, it was the girl that Diego had been talking to on the boat. His sister? Maybe, Casper hadn’t asked. Speaking of which, Diego was also there and…Mason? Oh, yeah. Well, they would surely catch up to Casper and manage past him with ease. The kid was barely able to stand.

Turning around, he tried to continue, climbing up yet [i]another[i] obstacle and slid down on the other end. Good, this one didn’t require any effort once you had reached the top. He then fell to his knees for a moment, panting and out of breath. For the upcoming obstacle he needed to be on his knees either way as he crawled below the wooden planks above his back.

Ascending to his feet, Casper had to hold onto something as to not fall over. Only a little bit left, only a little bit. Moving on determination he barely knew he had, the boy continued, slowly managing through the final set of obstacles until he reached the end. At this point, he wasn’t able to stand anymore. He was actually ready to puke, but thank God, he managed to keep it in. Now that there weren’t anymore obstacles in his path, the boy didn’t prevent himself from falling to the floor, his eyes barely able to stay open. He couldn’t even feel his legs anymore, his arms were sore from the climbing and it felt like his fingers would fall off at any moment. He managed to the end of the course and surpassed the final obstacle but it honestly felt like he failed. Was he supposed to be this drained at the end? A push could literally kill him now. Trying to replicate something at this point would probably be the last straw, he’d faint there and then.

All he could do now was wait for Mason to finish as well. It wasn’t like Casper would be going anywhere. He’d need help to stand as it was. The boy’s legs were completely useless and they wouldn’t be carrying him anywhere for a while.

---

---

The course was going successfully. Some were going faster than others - and that was fine. All Adam needed was some effort on their part. However, some people's effort went towards hindering the efforts of others. Adam spotted one of the students, a woman in a pink suit, pushing someone else off one of the obstacles. That was not allowed. Adam took a step forward, and began flying. A side ability of his aerokinesis. He floated up to the slide. "Young lady, just for doing that, you are sentenced to community service after classes." Adam said to Lupe, stern and serious as just. "What were you thinking - matter fact, I don't want to know. Just... proceed with the course." He said, floating downwards towards Mason.

"Hey old man!" Lupe shouted, dropping down to her knees, looking down at Adam. "What kind of "community service" you talkin' about here?" She tried to ask Adam, only getting a brief look from Adam. A look that just said "move along before I bitchslap you". Damn it! Lupe said, as she stood straight up, and slid down the slide.

There was another loose end to tie up here. Adam floated down towards Mason, and knelt down towards the man. "Are you okay?" He asked Mason. He looked around, and people had to run around the pair. "Because of your... minor injuries... I will have to withdraw you from this exercise. As you are obstructing the other students." Adam threw Mason a bone. Because it wasn't his fault that he fell off. He was the victim of bullying. Still, Adam was going to punch Mason in the face anyway.

It wasn't long before the rest of the class made it through the obstacle course, and into the next room. Just like the doorway suggested, the room was dark. Completely pitch black - however, it was illuminated somewhat by various students activating their powers. The door closed behind them, Adam's loud steps could be heard as he pressed another button. The lights turned on, and the room was revealed, a hexagon-shaped room - smaller than the previous room. It was split in half by a wall that had to be twenty feet high, from the angle. What was behind the wall was for the next exercise, of course. On the other side of the wall, there was a few things. For starters, on the student's left, there was a shooting range, all metal. There were three rows, and each target was further and further away. For the ranged students, however. Opposite to the targets, there were various trampolines, and large constructs with ledges and things to grab onto. For parkour training. Off to the side, there was a square pit, with stairs to leading into it. This was a sparring arena for students who wish to engage in some friendly sparring. Then there was the doors leading into the bathroom.

Adam walked around the students, and stood in front of them. He put his hands behind his back - briefly bringing a fist to his lips as he loudly cleared his throat. "Welcome to the second-quarter of your training. I'm sure you all had fun with the obstacle course?" He said, with a faint smile on his face. He observed his group. "For this time being, I will be assessing the powers of whoever is willing to, and I discuss with them ways to improve their abilities. To get us started off, may some of you come up and present your abilities for demonstration, or two? He stood straight up, and pushed his glasses up his nose. Before he continued explaining, "Whoever doesn't wish to participate is free to speak with the other students, or help themselves to one of these three activities." He pointed at the Shooting Gallery, Trampolines, and the Pit. Before he cleared his throat yet again.

"We may begin."

---

---

Jesus, that whole exercise took a bit out of Diego for sure. Diego simply found himself a seat not too far away from Adam. He huffed as he dropped onto his behind. Sitting in a position with his knees hugged up, and his arms on his legs. He could go for a smoke right now. He really could. Still, there was no way in hell he could get away with it. He'll have to endure until he finds a way to find some privacy... There was that bathroom....

Boy, Agni finally decided to speak up to Diego. Are you paying any attention right now...?

What is it, Agni? I was enjoying the silence, y'know? Diego responded.

He is asking for people to demonstrate their strength... you should be up there. Show them a bit of our power... what they have to fear from us...

No, Agni. I pr- Diego was answering Agni, when Lupe flopped down on the ground next to him.

"God, damn!" Lupe loudly said with her Spanish flair. She sat in a similar position as Diego, and crossed her arms. She was only sitting next to him because there was literally no where else for her to sit. Ugh. This school is starting to get super lame. "What I did to that limpdick was funny, right?! I don't see why that oldhead is getting so upset over nothing!" She shrugged.

"No, it was stupid..." Diego resorted with a sigh. Maybe Lupe did need to go to that community service after all.

But it was kinda funny.

Shut up, Agni. Diego let out a sigh. He can't handle both of them. He needs to get rid of Lupe - if there was a way to get rid of Agni, he would have done so already. C'mon... what can he say to get Lupe to go somewhere - Wait. Maybe Agni isn't so troublesome after all. "Yo, Lupe," Diego started off, and he got Lupe's attention easily. Now to see if she'll take the bait. He pointed at Adam, "Just in case you didn't hear it, he's looking for people to demonstrate their powers. You wanna step up?"

"Hell yeah I do." Lupe jumped up to her feet. Brushing herself off, she pulled out her comb and ran it through her hair. Maybe she could get in Blackmore's good grace by impressing him with her fabulous techniques? Or something else. Thanks for lookin' out for me, lil' bro. She said, giving Diego the thumbs up. She quickly skipped over to Adam, and said, "Yo, yo, yo! I'll demonstrate my powers for you." She put all he weight onto one hip, placing her hand onto it, giving Adam a wink.

.... Just you and me again, Agni.

---

@bluemoon277

---

What is this? Mika asked herself as a girl walked up to her, wearing one of those abominable wrist bands. Don't people realize that she doesn't want to be bothered, and that she's actually here to learn, not talk to Rednecks? What made it worse is that she asked about the wristband not working for her. Mika narrowed her eyes. What is she the school technician now? Ruben's right there. "If I were you, I'd take that horrid thing off." She said to Kana, not even caring if Ruben could hear. "Have you even seen what it's doing to everyone else?" She said to Kana, in a tone that was fairly condescending. Did it matter to Mika? No, no it didn't. The wolf does not care for the opinion of sheep. "And how should I know? Dr. Ruben made them. You should be asking him, not me."

Man, she would do anything for some tea right now.

---

_{In collaboration with @Tyler}

---

"Adequate." Ruben said to Kayla, regarding her canister's reaction.

"Unfortunate." He said to Michelle.

"Disappointing." He said to Kanala.

He looked down at Mika, who hadn't participated, and just shook his Brainvault in a less-than-satisfied manner.

He walked to the front of the classroom and announced, "This. Exercise. Is meant. To reflect. The potential. Maximum. Your abilities. Can achieve." He turned and continued, "A portion. Of you. Produced. Unsatisfactory. Reactions. But. In time. Those. May change." He set the container down on the floor in front of the desk. "You. May keep. These. Containers. For your own. Usage. Or. You. May deposit them. Here. Harmon. Will see. To their relocation."

As he turned towards the door and made his way out of the classroom, he made one brief, final announcement.

"Class. Dismissed. Have. A pleasant. Year."

---

Once again, he was on the stroll back to... wherever. Ruben never really specified his destinations. To anyone. He was always doing his best to keep to himself when such was preferred. But, passing through the garden, that was a rarity. Because, no doubt, she'd be outside, enjoying the scenery. Ruben scanned every spot in the garden before him as he marched, seeing no signs of her. Ruben, he kept walking, and he thought he was safe. He thought everything was good.

But then...

"Good afternoon, Ruben!", came the shrill and ever-chirpy voice of Rosaline Marsh. She had been a feature at the school for almost a decade; a blessing or a curse, depending on who you asked. Rose was, some might say, an acquired taste. Ruben dreaded the thought of holding an extended conversation with her - the woman was a joy to be around, sure. For most folks. But he just wanted to keep moving. Lord forbid that were to happen now. He contemplated pulling the one-eighty Brainvault turn-around maneuver with a few snaps in between the flesh of his neck. Get the point across that he wasn't interested at the moment... oh who was he kidding, he's already tried that before. It doesn't work on her anymore. If he could let out a sigh, he would have. Intenionally. He slowly turned to face Rosaline and prepared himself for however long a conversation this was about to be.

"Rosaline." Ruben said, looking down at the woman. "Yes."

Rose beamed a friendly grin. She was either oblivious or ignorant to the fact that Ruben didn't particularly want to speak with her; it was always hard to tell with Rose, because that wide smile with those twinkly eyes was also plastered warmly across her pale face. "How are you, Doctor? Isn't the weather just lovely?" she asked, almost giddy that she'd bumped into him. "Perfect for plants!" she added, with a decidedly pleasant smile as she surveyed the greenery around them.

"Yes. It is." Ruben responded, his mess of a body not moving a single inch out of place. If he was going to be here for a while, he had to plant himself and prepare. He was intent on keeping his responses short. Or at least, however short he could make them.

"Oh jolly good!", she exclaimed loudly. "I'm simply marvellous, thank you, dear." she said, despite the fact that Ruben had not enquired. It seems she had overlooked this tiny piece of information. "How did your class go?" she asked, full of enthusiasm. "I waved through the window on my travels, but I don't think you saw me!" she laughed. "Hard at work as ever! But the kids seemed to be having a blast." she continued to talk at him.

Well... maybe she deserved it a bit more honest an answer. It was a fair question. "The class. Was." He said, pausing for a brief moment. "Mixed. In its quality. Several. Of the students. Were." Another pause, before he flat out exclaimed, "Disappointing."

Rosaline's brow furrowed, but the ends of her lips were constantly curled in a half-smile. "Now, Ruben! You mustn't be so hard on them, you know. They're new, after all!" she scolded the fleshy man. "You needn't scare them so; they're scared enough as it is!" she laughed.

"Scared. Isn't. An appropriate. Term." Ruben responded, "They are simply. Unconditioned. Yet I anticipate. Many of them. Will not. Meet. The expectations. Set before them." He turned his Brainvault ever so slightly to his left, staring past Rosaline for whatever reason. "But. The year. Is still young."

"Indeed it is, my dear!" she cooed. "Oh, that reminds me! I'm thrilled I bumped into you," she said, remembering what she had meant to ask. "I've a lesson tomorrow and I kept all the resources in the closet over the summer, but I can't reach to get them down," she said, smiling brightly despite her predicament. "Won't you be a dear and help me get them down?"

"You. Are fully. Capable. Of reaching. Such. Heights." Ruben responded, knowing very well what Rosaline's abilities allowed her to accomplish. From menial tasks like this to... well, more violent situations, even. If she were so inclined.

"Oh, thank you so much, Ruben. You're a star!" she said, walking towards her office for a few paces before looking back over her shoulder. Noticing the man was not following, she stopped and turned to face him, looking at him with a look that seemed genuinely puzzled.

"I. Am not. Following you." Ruben responded, remaining where he stood.

"Oh, of course not!" she said, smiling. "I often forget that I'm not the only one who knows my way around these halls," she laughed. "It's just that I've been here so long! Please, do lead the way." she said, looking at Ruben expectantly.

There was a bout of silence between the two before Ruben decided, if nothing else, he should humor the woman. He began moving forward, passing her, knowing full well she was keeping up that smile of hers. He supposed his original plans would have to wait a while. As they walked, he couldn't help but humor himself with the passing thought that this woman was prematurely senile.

Oh, well.

---

_{A collaboration between @Tyler and @Shard}

---

Mason was sat beside Casper as Adam spoke, but he wasn't paying the younger boy much attention. He was lost in his thoughts. He felt completely embarrassed by what had happened on the course; not only had he 'fell', but he'd been made to sit-out whilst the rest of the class completed the course. He was, of course, grateful that he had not been made to continue the activity, as he didn't know how long his body would have coped, but it still felt humiliating to be removed. Was he really being picked on already? He was 19 years old, for Christ's sake.

He sighed, looking at the floor as Adam announced that there would be power demonstrations. Fortunately for him, his aggressor from earlier, Lupe, had kindly volunteered herself. At least the attention was off Mason for a bit. He completely dreaded the thought of being dragged up to the front and asked to demonstrate his abilities; heck, what would he even do? The minimal feat his power allowed him to achieve was reliant on the presence of a mirror, and Mason saw none. No doubt Adam would be able to 'fix' that, if he so pleased...

It was still hard to breathe calmly. The course had taken the life right out of the boy, but he was happy to know that he had 'passed' if that was what one could call it. His legs were still numb, his chest rising and sinking in tune with each passing breath. His fingers still hurt and if Adam expected him to display any amount of power now, he'd be dissapointed. Casper wanted to master his limits but he couldn't force it. If his body was tired, it was tired.

Mason had found home besides the kid, however. That felt good, knowing that he hadn't run off somewhere else. He seemed lost in thought, though. "M-Mason...?" Casper looked up at him from where he was lying, still barely able to talk. "Y-you..." He gulped. "Okay...?" It was almost as if he had run a marathon but he would probably have prefferred that to what he had actually been doing.

Mason glanced at Casper and smiled meekly. "Yeah, yeah - I'm fine," he affirmed, rather unconvincingly. "How about you? You look completely knackered..." he said, but then chuckled briefly at the look of confusion on Casper's face. "It means, uh... Worn out. But hey, at least you completed it," he said, perking up a little at the realisation he had made. "Congratulations, Casper. I'm proud of you." he continued his attempts to smile, not wanting to put a downer on Casper's victory. "Are you gonna get up there and show Blackmore what you've got?"

The younger boy couldn't help but blush at what Mason was saying. He tried to look away to hide the heating sensation in his cheeks but to no avail, the boy could barely move. "Th-thanks..." He gulped, but then managed to laugh. "I...I can't feel my legs..." If that wasn't a 'no', Casper continued. "If I..." He had to pause for a moment before he continued. "If I...try to replicate...something....I'll...faint..." At this point, fainting didn't sound like such a bad idea. "A-are...you...?"

Mason laughed at the exhausted boy's words, it was kind of adorable to see him flat-out like that. He looked completely exhausted, but Mason could only imagine how proud he must be to have overcome the course. It had to feel good. His head dropped, along with his mood, when Casper turned the conversation towards his powers. "Nah..." Mason said, avoiding eyecontact. "My ability isn't really anything to show off." There was an awkward silence. "Kinda lame, actually..." He played with a loose thread of his suit in order to distract himself.

Casper blinked a few times in confusion when Mason was so...unhappy...with his power. What could it be to have been so 'lame' as he called it. "M-Mason..." Casper tried, finally able to breathe a bit slower now. "I think...I think you're a bit..." The boy tried to sit up but that would not be done for a while. "Hard...on yourself." Of course, Casper didn't know the first thing about Mason's ability but he was sure that the older boy was too hard on himself. "S-sometimes...we..." Talking was becoming a chore, more so than usual. "Are...overcritical...of...ourselves..." Really? Casper trying to help someone else out emotionally? Well, he did like to help people, he just wasn't very good at it. "Would you...want to...show me..?" He dropped down to his back again.

Mason didn't smile this time. He wasn't offended, he just didn't like when people saw emotional sides to him. It made him feel vulnerable, which was perhaps his least favourite feeling. Casper was right, though... He needed to overcome this shame he had for his ability if he was ever gonna graduate this school. He paused for a moment, allowing the idea of showing Casper his powers to mull in his mind.

"Okay." he said firmly and with a sharp suddenness. He made up his mind and instantly said the thought out loud, in order to commit to it. "Not here, though." Mason said, scanning the area before spotting the doors that lead out to the bathrooms. He nodded towards them implicitly. "In there."

The bathrooms? Just what was Mason's ability, exactly? This was the first time Casper was going to enter a bathroom with another guy to have something...shown to him. The thought was honestly a bit...weird. Trying to get up, Casper placed his elbows against the floor and pushed himself up, finally able to sit. "Okay..." The boy gulped, trying to move over to his knees but flopped down to the floor again. "Or...not..." He sighed, looking up at Mason. "C-can you..." He looked down, blushing heavier than before. "Help me...?"

Mason smiled, with warmth this time. The kid was just so damn endearing. He said nothing, and silently pulled Casper to his feet, holding him still whilst he got his balance, before they both slipped away from the group and into the bathroom.

It was empty, with neither the sinks, urinals or any of the stalls being occupied; a relief to Mason, certainly. He surveyed the room, the only mirror was one wide one, above the sinks, but it was definitely big enough for Mason to slip through. He gulped, and began climbing onto the counter. "You know, I've never done this in front of anyone..." he said, as he got to his feet atop the sinks.

When Mason started climbing atop the counter, Casper couldn't help but tilt his head slightly in confusion but stood silently, watching. His legs were carrying him but only barely. The boy had to lean against one of the stalls not to fall down. He was however very eager to see what was going to happen once Mason did whatever it was that he was doing.

With that, Mason turned to face the mirror. He wasted no time in placing his hands against the reflective surface, and breathed deeply. Instantly, his hands slid through the glass, followed by his arms and then the rest of his body with considerable speed. He'd leant too hard on the mirror and found himself hurtling through it, landing in a heap in the black abyss on the other side.

He stood and turned back to the entrance he'd just passed through. He could see the bathroom on the other side, Casper's horrified face looking back at him. Mason smiled sheepishly, "That's pretty much it..." he said. There was an uncomfortable pause as he waited for Casper to reply. "Casper?" he said, a little louder this time. His voice echoed through the blackness around him, but still there was no response from the boy. I guess he can't hear me...

'This is the ability Mason was so ashamed of!?' Casper's thoughts were louder than they had been in a while and if a telepath was close by, they would be able to hear the kid scream for the first time. He slid to the floor, his back still against the stall, as his face was that of shock and fascination. Did Mason just crawl through a mirror? "M-Mason...?" Casper managed weakly, struggling to his feet but only fell to his knees as he crawled closer to the counter. He placed his hand by the sink and pulled himself up, his arm ready to fall off after the feat. "Mason..." He repeated, looking into the mirror. The boy saw nothing but his own face, however. He reached forth, placing his palm on the surface of the mirror. "Y-you...there?"

Mason heard the boy calling his name, but he knew that it would be a waste of breath to respond. He watched as Casper struggled over to the sinks and placed his hand against the mirror. He, too, approached it from his side, and stuck his head back through the window. "Yeah, I'm here."

Yelping out, Casper fell back down to the floor, looking up at the mirror. "Mason...!" He gulped, placing his hand over his chest. "Y-you...scared me."

Mason couldn't help but chuckle as he pulled himself back out of the mirror, and swung his legs around to sit comfortably atop the counter. "Sorry," he laughed. "I figured out that you couldn't hear me." he said. "Is it safe to assume you couldn't see me, either?" he smirked, knowing that if Casper had been able to see him then he wouldn't have almost had a heartattack when Mason re-emerged.

Shaking his head quickly, Casper breathed out with a long sigh. "I...I couldn't see you." The boy responded. "B-but...that was really cool." He smiled brightly, a bit brighter than he had before. "It's almost like...magic. That's so cool...!" Casper's voice was clearly that of excitement, something that was very rare to see, or hear.

Mason smiled seeing Casper's reaction, he seemed to genuinely like what Mason had done. He began to wonder whether he really was being too hard on himself. OK, sure, his power wasn't going to make him a billionaire like Casper's could. And he wasn't going to be winning any titles in combat, either... But if no one could hear or see him when he was through the mirror, then it actually made a really good hiding place. A fucking fantastic hiding place, actually... He refocussed on the situation. "Heh... Thanks, Casper." he smiled warmly, a spark back in his voice that had not been present since the obstacle course. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that..."

---

_{In collaboration with @Tyler}

---

After everyone else had left, it was just Harmon, Lenny, and Kayla. They would have been off to somewhere else but, as Ruben had said before, Harmon was to stay behind and put away the canisters. Make sure they were all in working order. Sweep up that mess Michelle made. He insisted his two friends - one old and one, apparently, new - go on without him and tour the grounds, find something fun to do before their gathering tonight. And they obliged. After he spent the better part of an hour inside the classroom, he set aside the remaining cleaning supplies (really just a broom and a dustpan) and exited the room, locking the door behind him.

"Harmon," came the voice of Mason. "How're you doing?" Mason had left Casper after Blackmore's class, and was heading back to his dormitory when he spotted his roommate locking the door.

Harmon turned to face his roommate, camera clipped to the front of his coat. "Oh, I'm... I'm fine..." Harmon responded, "Just... locking up." He tucked the keys into one of his shorts pockets and continued, "What... uh, about you?"

How curious, Mason thought. What was Harmon doing locking up classrooms? He hadn't mentioned that he worked here. Regardless, he took it for what it was. "I, uh... Just had a class with Mr. Blackmore..." Mason said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Let's just say, I don't think it was for me..."

"Mister Blackmore is... he's, he's more direct, with his teachings..." Harmon responded, "It's not for everyone... Ruben, though, he's... he's much more studious... a thinker... h-he tends to be more of a help towards... less, uh... combat... focused? Meta-humans..." He twiddled with his fingers a bit as he worked up the gall to say, "He... might, be... a better, teacher for you... than, than Mister Blackmore..."

Mason hung on every word Harmon said. It was a slow process, speaking to him; the unsightly metahuman put a lot of thought into every syllable that left his mouth, and a lack of social confidence made conversations with him stuttered and broken. But, Mason was beginning to realise, they were usually full of useful information... If you were willing to put up with the inconvenience. Harmon was right, Adam's class seemed more like a military bootcamp than a learning environment. This Ruben fellow sounded like just the ticket.

"You might be right, Harmon," Mason said, smiling at the camera. "When is Mr. Ruben's next class? I might sign up for it, if there is still space available." he said. "What's he like? Did he teach you?"

"Y-yes..." Harmon responded, nodding, "I, I learned a lot from him, in, in a very short amount of time... he's studied all kinds of meta-humans, e-even though he hasn't directly encountered a fair portion of them... he's very good at assumptions and theories, though... he could tell you, uh... a good deal about your power, I think..." He turned his head for a moment before lowering his voice a bit, saying to Mason, "We, uh... we can go meet him now, i-if you want. He's... most likely... in his office."

Harmon seemed to light up with a spark that was usually absent when talking about this teacher. He really seemed to have a lot of faith in Ruben, and it rubbed off on Mason. The sooner he learned how to subdue his powers, the sooner he could get back to a normal life. "Thanks Harmon, that'd be great!" he said, warmly. "Are you sure Mr. Ruben won't mind?" he asked, not wanting to be impolite.

"Not, not at all." Harmon replied, cracking the faintest smile.



The duo had left the educational rooms and taken a stroll through most of the academy grounds. They chatted a bit, along the way. Eyed scenery, the like. Once they arrived at the staff offices, they approached the reception desk stationed across from the doors. Harmon stepped forward, clearly boosted out of his usual timid nature, and asked the woman seated there, "Is, uh... I-I-I'm sorry, hello, is Professor Tarblatt here? I-In his office, I mean?"

"Oh, uh, actually, he came in with Ms. Marsh not too long ago." The receptionist responded, "I think they were headed for her office. I, heh, I heard them bickering."

Harmon turned towards Mason and shrugged a bit. "Ms., uh... Ms. Marsh, she and Ruben know each other... I, I, I don't think he's too, uh... keen on her. But, he tends to do as she says. Humor her, he, uh... calls it..." He nodded towards the receptionist with a soft "thank you", and the two passed by. Harmon seemed to know just where to walk, turning a corner and leading Mason down the hall. They came upon one door that had two rather large, upward-reaching potted plants situated on either side. A few stray vines hugged the frame of the door as well. Harmon raised his hand and gave the door a meager knock, before following it up with a bit of a stronger one, at least to get some attentiention.

"Do come in, dear!" came the muffled and yet still chirpy voice of Rosaline Marsh from behind the door. Harmon hesitantly turned the knob in the door and slowly pushed it open, accosted by a veritable cloud of leaves and vines upon stepping inside. He never quite got used to their location. Mason, though, he ducked under them as he followed suit.

Mason looked around the room, his mouth slightly agape at what he saw. The room was technically decorated in white and green, which would have made it look incredibly spacious if not for the near-ridiculous volume of plantage that seemed to grow from every corner. Tall, leafy trees formed a canopy, whilst prettier and more delicate flowers adorned the furnishings. A garland of vines and ivy was strung throughout the whole office. It was strange, to see so much of the wild outdoors in amongst antique furniture and sophisticated-looking sculptures. And the room was so warm! Peeking through the leaves above him, he spotted the sky; the whole room was a greenhouse. Mason loved the whole thing, it was like the themed clubs he'd visit back in Berlin... Only, during the daytime. And more... "Mumsy".

"Hello!" came an enthusiastic voice from behind some flora. The two boys turned a corner to reveal a clearing amongst the chaos, featuring plush white sofas, a large desk and a chaise longs. In one of the chairs sat a rather plump woman, draped in some kind of floaty-hippy number that reminded Mason of the drag queens who took him in... He pushed the thought from his mind. "You're a new face, and oh - so handsome!" she chuckled. "Come, come, sit! Tell me about yourself!"

Mason was utterly bewildered by the woman. She emnated so much warmth, it was futile to resist and soon enough he found himself sat opposite her, with Harmon not far behind. "I, uh. I'm Mason." he said, trying to make sense of the bizarre scenario. "Mason Crawford."

Rose beamed as the boy spoke. "You're British!", she shrieked upon hearing his accent. "Oh, how wonderful! We get so few British students here, oh it's just wonderful!" she said, repeating herself in her excitement. "Won't you have some tea?" she asked, grabbing the teapot before Mason had even opened his mouth. "It's the real stuff, not that trite they have in the canteen..." she giggled. "How about you, Harmon? Tea, dear?"

"Uh... n-no, no thank you..." Harmon responded, trying to sound as polite as possible to Rosaline, having a more positive opinion of her than Ruben. He continued, "We, we actually came here to... to see Professor Tarblatt... the, uh, the receptionist told us... he came in with you?"

"I did."

Ruben stepped before the three of them, ducking out of the storage closet nearby. Tucked under one of his arm-tendrils was a rather large, cardboard box overflowing with miscellaneous items - most of them being books and the like. He set the box down beside Rosaline's seat and stood upright, observing the three. He turned his Brainvault towards Mason and kept his vision trained on him. He'd seen him before, hadn't he?

"Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear!" Rose laughed at her own joke, perhaps for a little too long. Ruben had heard it several times before, but Mason cracked a smile. "Thank you ever so much, Professor. Where would I be without you?" she exclaimed, still smiling at Mason.

He glanced up at the hulking form of Ruben and gulped. He'd seen this man before, yesterday in the canteen. He'd been sat with Mr. Blackmore. Ruben was no less strange up close than he had been from afar, now with each detail of his lumpy flesh being exaggerated in the warm light of the greenhouse-office. Mason was surprised the man didn't stink. His robotic voice startled Mason.

"Nowhere. Different." Ruben responded, turning his gaze towards Rosaline. "If. Your requirements. Are met. Then I believe. I. Will take. My leave. Alongside. These two." He turned away and proceeded towards the door, fully expecting Harmon and Mason to follow him.

Rose chuckled at nothing in particular. "Looks like you two had better be on your way!" she said, raising her voice to ensure Ruben could hear. "Professor Tarblatt is just a little impatient!" she called, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Mason smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Ms. Marsh."

Rose adopted an expression of faux-discipline. "Now, we'll have less of that, thank you!" she said. "You will call me Rose!" she said, smiling to let him in on the joke. "Do come back some time, Mason. My door is always open."

"I most definitely will," he said, smiling as he rose to his feet. "Thanks Rose." he said, as he and Harmon followed the flesh creature out of the room, hearing Rosaline call out behind them.

"Any time, dearies! Any time!"

Mason exited the room first, Harmon following behind and closing the door as he stepped outside. The two of them stood before Ruben as he turned to face them, looking down at them with a bit of an unsettling gaze.

"Now." He said, "What. Do you. Require. Of me."

---

---

The second Kana finished her sentence thoughts that weren't her own started rushing in. 'I don't want to be bothered, I'm here to learn not talk to a bunch of rednecks' Kana could hear it all in her head so loud she couldn't focus. 'What am I the school technician?'. Kana barely had the ability to recognize that whoever was thinking this was talking about her. When the girl she had started talking to replied Kana realized who was thinking all these thoughts. She had a hunch it was her before, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"If I were you, I'd take that horrid thing off.Have you even seen what it's doing to everyone else?"

Kana heard various small non-sensical things flying threw the girls head. All the small thoughts made coming up with her own response rather hard. "Y-yeah" Kana replied her hand rubbing her head a bit. 'The wolf does not care for the opinion of sheep.'

"And how should I know? Dr. Ruben made them. You should be asking him, not me."

Kana put her hand down onto the table, and looked up at Mika's. "You know what I think I just figured out the problem. So I leave you be" Kana said to her with a forced smile. Kana went back to her table just in time to be dismissed from class. Kana pulled off the arm band glad to not hear those girls rude comments anymore. Kana stuffed the device in her bag. It could always help her practice controlling her power.

As everyone started leaving across the room she saw Mark. Kana weaved through the desks to start conversation with someone who hopefully wouldn't be so rude. "Hey, Mark" Kana said walking up next to him.

The warm water falling down his frame would almost make him forget where he was, a public shower. At least it was the one by the dorms, not in the locker room where Blackmore had his class, so there was less people there. Well, the class managed to evolve the boy, somewhat. He never thought he’d be able to achieve what he did but the pain echoing throughout his body would only elevate tomorrow with incredible soreness. He was after all a very fragile little person.

As the warm water continued to splash against Casper’s olive skin, he kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting to look up. What to do now? Class was over, Mason had disappeared somewhere and Casper was incredibly tired. Maybe getting some sleep would work? If he slept now though, he’d have difficulties sleeping tonight. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Casper shook the droplets from his hair as he stepped out of the stream. ‘Okay, almost done…’ He sighed, grabbing hold of his towel and dried up as quickly as he could before slipping into his clothes, a pair of jeans, a thin black sweater and a green pair of converse shoes. It was good to have some variation.

The boy tossed his bag with hygienic products, and a towel, over his shoulder and headed out of the steaming showers. There were some other people there but luckily no one bothered him. Having others up in his face anywhere else was better than in the showers.

Walking down the corridor, Casper’s mind traveled back to the class. What exactly could Adam’s class offer him? In all honesty, Casper wanted to learn how to fight because it would make him feel…more in control. Though, he’d never be able to fight up close and personal. He could already shoot things but that wasn’t going to be part of Adam’s class, so perhaps it would be a better idea to develop his mind rather than his body. Ruben had a class, didn’t he? Oh well, right now it didn’t matter. Casper just wanted to drop down in his bed and forget he ever had legs.

Upon reaching the dormitory, Casper slid his key into their door and dropped down on the bed as soon as he slipped out of his shoes. ‘Home sweet home…’ He yawned, crawling further up on the bed that was rather large for him. The boy turned to his back, his half open eyes set on the ceiling while he felt his body slowly drifting away. ‘I wonder if Mason has a cell phone…’ It would be much easier to keep in contact that way but Casper was probably getting ahead of himself. Who said Mason wanted to have Casper in the back of his head all the time? He was sure that friendship came in doses, didn’t it? Well, hanging out with others was a concept he wasn’t too familiar with, so it was probably better to let Mason take the reins on…whatever they had.

Speaking of friendship, Casper had two roommates, one of which he hadn’t even met. Turning his head slightly, he saw how his second roommate had left his things in the room, but at the moment Casper was by himself. Well, he could pick up on the sleep he was craving. If he had difficulties sleeping tonight, so be it. The boy closed his eyes for a moment but came to the conclusion that he'd rather be awake when this new roommate came back. He could be the world's biggest douche and if that was the case, Casper didn't want to lay defenceless in bed as a first impression.

Reaching for his shoulder bag, Casper grabbed his Playstation Vita and-...was that an Xbox? Who the hell had put up an Xbox in their room? Diego? No...he said that he didn't play much video games, didn't he? Oh well...Casper turned his portable console on and resumed on his quest to slice monsters into hamburger with a katana. This would probably keep him awake for a while.

As the day went on, many students demonstrated their powers, allowing Adam to give precise instructions on how they may improve their powers. However, the day, and class was dismissed. The students went back into their rooms in order to get a change of clothes. They spent the last two hours doing their own thing. And we zip right into their adventures.

The day was bright and sunny, however there was chance of rain later on in the day.

---

4:14

---

TRIGUN - Carrot & Stick

---

"... Fuckin' Blackmore!" Lupe hissed as she shoved her sponge into the bucket of water, and began scrubbing the tiles floors of the female shower. Scrubbing roughly as possible. Wearing nothing but a T-shirt (without a bra), and some spare jeans she had on. "I play one little joke, and now I get reduced to this bullshit - cleaning this dirty ass shower like I'm some slave!?" Lupe rolled her eyes, and continued scrubbing intently. She wasn't going to stop until she had the floor completely cleaned, so she can get the hell out of here. She cleaned the last bit of dirt from the stall clean, smiling as she stood straight up, grabbing the bucket in the process. She skipped to the next part of the girls shower and walked into a stall, and started scrubbing. She repeated process until the stalls were clean. While she was scrubbing, her hand had slipped, and she fell, cheek-first, onto the cold tile floors. Getting soap water into her pompadour. Like come on! She grit her teeth. Oh come the fuck on.... If she gets anymore soap into her pompadour... she will lose her shit. They're going have to throw her out of this damn school. "Ugh!" She screamed, as she started scrubbing harder and harder. Trying to get her ass out of there. "There!" She shouted. Clean as a fucking whistle.

Now she can get her ass out of here. She stood straight up, grabbed the bucket, and started walking out of the room. Making every step loud as possible. As she made it to the door, a group of chicks walked in. Lupe graced shoulders with one of them, the one with the yellow hair that just had to be dyed. Lupe was going to ignore these bitches, but one of them just had to comment. Just had to be the bitch who gets the blunt of her wrath.

"Hey! Excuse you! You should watch where you're going with that nasty pompadour...." Oh, no she didn't. Never insult the pomp if you want to live!

Lupe loudly slammed her foot onto the ground, turned it, and it flowed into the rest of her body turning around. "Bitch, you the one talking. Lookin' like you some bad anime character with that stupid ass hairdo." Lupe spat out. She put up one finger, and narrowed her eyes further. "Before you say anything else: I suggest that you walk on and enjoy your little lesbian gay-time with your little friends, before you trip and break her jaw, okay?" She said, unafraid that they might gang up on her - in fact, that'd be fun! Fighting ten girls at once, and winning - the girls back home would be proud. She didn't even need her powers. Lupe had her god given gift of fists.

However, before shit escalates, the girl raised her nose and walked off. Yeah, that's what I thought. Lupe went her separate ways. Probably won't see any of these assholes ever again. Good riddance. Lupe hate to send some bitches to the hospital. They'd have to kick her off the island. She skipped out of the bathroom, and left her bucket by the door. She leaned up against the wall, and let out a sigh. Jesus, one hour and she's finally done. She probably couldn't confirm things with that bastard Blackmore (He'd have to inspect the girl's showers to tell. At least he's not that big of a perve.). But, good grief, she's finally free! She can do whatever she wants to now.

... Fucking fix my pompadour! Was the first thing that came to mind. Fortunately, this was the top floor shower, so her room wasn't that far. Lupe quickly ran down the hallway into her room. She opened the door, and pushed the door shut behind her. Okay, time to get dressed up. The first thing she did was run into the bathroom. Fortunately her roomie (Who she still hasn't met yet) hasn't touched the arsenal of hair products she had. She went to work, first drying off her hair with a towel. Spraying down her hair with hairspray, and applying plenty of hair gels. Until her hair was perfect! Ready to show the world that she was ready, she immediately walked into the next room. Stripping out of her "work" clothes, she dropped her jeans to the ground, and slid off her top. She ran behind back, and grabbed her next set up. She was in a rapper mood today. A white tank top, a blue college sweat jacket, and blue jeans. She had on a blue belt that was pretty long, so it wrapped around her waist at least three times. She slapped on a blue snapback that said "SWAG" in glittery letters. However, she needed one last thing. She walked into the closet and pulled out a black guitar-case. If she was going to pull this off, she would need some guitar-play to attract some people. She slung the strap over her shoulder.

Lupe walked out the door with large sunglasses in her hand, she put them on her eyes, and started walking. Oh what will Lupe do today? Go find some group of cool people for Christ sake. She talked about this plan way too much. Time to kick it into action. Lupe skipped her way through the halls of the school, and found her way into the place where students are kicking back. Perfect for getting some attention for herself. Lupe pushed the door open with her elbow, and took a look around. Looks like it was pretty crowded today. No one that caught her eye, except for that giant ass chick playing pool with a bunch of kids. Lupe smirked. It's amazing she was capable of seeing anything past those massive tits. Heh. She pulled the guitar from behind her, and held it with both hands. She stepped into the room, and walked up to the first empty sofa. She flopped down onto it, and started playing her guitar.

And, well, she had nothing to do but play.

Don't these fuckers know what a good time is when they see it? Good grief.

---

Rah Digga - Girl Samurai Lullaby

---

"Oh! Told ya' I could do it." Michelle said with a large grin on her face as she kept the pool cue tightly in her hand. She leaned onto the pool table, which was surrounded by various students. Since her little spat in Ruben's class, she had been dicking around at the pool table. Back at the circus-grounds, Michelle played pool all the time with the other carnies. She got a few tricks - which she's using here! Trying to exort money out of these kids. The sucker today was some small blue eyed, blond haired boy. She gave him a look that would concern most. Wide grin, eyes open and dead centered on him. She stuck a large finger to his chest. "That means you gotta pay up..." She stepped in.

"Hey! I don't have any money!" The boy replied. "I t-thought I had this!"

"Clearly you didn't." Michelle was quick to resort. She laughed slightly as she walked around the boy, he was likely intimidated by her size. He was shaking, and was that sweat she saw? He probably thought that she was ready to eat him up. Well, he's lucky, she only eats guys she likes. "Fine, fine... I believe ya'..." She said, almost playfully. Before she shoved him by the shoulder, away from the pool table. "But get your ass out of here!" She said, following it up with a healthy bout of laughter.

She took a wide stance, and put her pool cue over her shoulder, "So... who's next?"

---

Lupe Fiasco - Life, Death & Love From San Francisco

---

Hm. After the class, Mika found little to do. She didn't find some of the other students activities as exciting as they did. Mika rolled her eyes. Then again, a Redneck can be appeased by just about anything. Mika was walking through the garden, a white flower was in her hair yet again. Wearing the same clothes as she did once she entered Ruben's class, she had no reason to change except for find a flower to place into her hair. Mika continued through the garden until she found the cafe. Here was where she found her goal for today: Observe. A woman like Mika never actively participated, merely observe whenever possible. Scanning for information, and anything else there is to know. The cafe was active today, yes. It was full of people, and it was hectic for the staff. Perfect. Less attention on her overall. All the tables were taken, but there were plenty of booths free. For privacy, of course. She waded through the crowd to the best of her ability. Mika found herself a booth in the corner, and sat down. Hands on her lap, and legs tightly pushed together to preserve modesty.

Shortly after, a waitress walked up, brown-haired, somewhat tall, wore the modest white and black of the cafe. She held a notepad on hand, with a pen pressed to it. "Can I have your order ma'm?"

"Green tea, please." Mika said, closing her eyes and smiling - while she raised a finger. With that, she sent the waitress off. After the woman turned around, Mika's facial expression returned to a scowl. A way to... keep people from getting the wrong idea about her, of course. Her head turned towards the crowd at large. Mika consciously switched from telekinesis to telepathy... just for her to dig into minds easier.

@Mr Allen J
Kayla liked the little lantern. It was really pretty to look at, and if she shook it enough, the light became noticeably bright and more white than green. She was really glad the teacher let her keep it. She held it by her side as she walked, right alongside her mostly empty book bag. She had actually been expecting to have been given a textbook or two, but the teacher didn’t seem to have any to give, or even any assignments beyond the pretty canister thingy. Oh well- Kayla reached in, and pulled out her schedule. She had a two hour gap between this class and her next one, Algebra. It was still way too early to be considering dinner, but she did like the sound of a late lunch. According to what the lady had said earlier, she could go into the building-within-a-building the others had been in the previous night to buy some food.

The way to the central plaza garden place was pretty short, and she suspected it would be that way from pretty much anywhere in the building. A couple of the people in the class she’d just come from were there, as well as a bunch she hadn’t seen before. She climbed one of the rocks to get a better view, but didn’t see anyone she knew. She didn’t know very many people, but some part of her inside was hoping to see... something. Someone. She didn’t actually know what. It was really confusing...

Kayla shook her head. Why was she looking for people? She was hungry, and wanted to get some food. She made her way to the restaurant she had been by before. She hadn’t actually been inside, but the front glass walls had been opened. Now, she was actually going to get something to eat.

Inside, the lighting was dim, and the tables were crowded. She couldn’t see anyone she recognized in here, either. It looked like, however, that the booths in the back were-

Oh! She recognized someone, the chubby Asian girl from Ruben’s class. She didn’t get to talk to her, even though she was on Kayla’s to-do list of talking to people. They seemed to share the same fashion sense, so she wanted to see if she could meet her. She was sitting all alone, so she thought she might be lonely- Perhaps she was in the same position Kayla was back in sixth grade?

Kayla decided to take her chances, that’s what Anya did for her. She picked up a menu from the front podium thingy, and headed over to the table- It took a minute, thanks to the mass of people that were way taller than the national average, but she found it eventually, and slipped into the seat across from her target. She was apparently unnoticed, as the girl didn’t look up from the table. Kayla decided to speak up.

“Hi, my name’s Kayla, we were in Professor Tarblatt’s class together. What’s your name?”

---

_{In collaboration with @SepticGentleman}

---

Ruben's office was a lot smaller then the others were. Or at least, it put on that facade due to its clutter. The white, tiled interior was littered with assorted equipment, varying in size and supposed function. Tanks and canisters filled with bright fluids. Small, white orbs with USB cables running from them. Terminal upon terminal upon terminal. This was less an office and more a refrigerated storage room. And oh, it was cold. A stark opposite to Rosaline's room. Ruben sat behind a metal desk placed neatly in the center of it all, various papers and a suitcase-laptop combo resting atop it. He peered at Mason without averting his gaze even the slightest distance away.

Mason stopped gawping around the office and returned his attention to the grotesque construct of flesh and steel that was Professor Tarblatt. It didn't phase Mason, and the longer he spent with Ruben, the more fascinating he found him. The unwavering glare from Ruben's solitary lens of an eye was mildly disconcerting, but ultimately Mason felt welcome in the office-turned-laboratory within which Tarblatt resided. He shifted in his seat, waiting for Ruben to break the silence.

"Mirrors." Ruben stated, raising a tendril and pushing forward a single slip of paper, full of info regarding Mason and his abilities. "This. Is not. A common. Manifestation. Of perception. Based. Pocket. Dimension. Manipulation."

Mason didn't give much away through his face, but the idea that his ability might be rare made him feel a little more positively about it. "That's what Harmon told me," he said. "That guy seems to know his stuff."

"Harmon. Knows. Much. Of what. I. Know." Ruben replied, "He. Was right. To direct you. To me. Blackmore. Is not. An appropriate. Instructor. In this. Scenario."

Mason nodded in agreement. "I don't mean to discredit Mr. Blackmore," he said with honesty. "It's just that... He seems more interested in the 'real' powers. Mine doesn't really... Do much..." he said, embodying less of a self-pitying tone and more a voice of logic and fact. He saw this approach in the way Ruben worked and wished to mirror it. Mason didn't want to waste his chance with the professor and wanted to build rapport.

Ruben looked down at Mason's file. He ran his optic lens over it before saying aloud, "Ability. Application. Does not. Lie. In combat. Alone." He looked back up at Mason. "Many. Are more. Situated. For practical. Uses. And few. Beyond that. Are more." There was a brief pause as he processed the word he was about to use. "Covert. In nature. Yours. Is an ability. That puts you. In a position. Of advantage. Over. Many."

The younger man furrowed his brow as he mulled over what Ruben was saying. "Yeah, I guess," he said. Truthfully, Mason was disappointed with the information. He had already gathered that much for himself, and the way Harmon spoke about the guy made him seem like some sort of omniscient oracle. Still, Mason was not one to be impolite. "I mean, I can't think of a better hiding place, really. When I'm in a mirror, no one can see or hear me." he explained to the professor, not wishing to offend him as he eyed over the tentacle that was doing most of Ruben's work.

"The possibilities. Lie. Beyond. That notion. What you. Can gain from it." He leaned forward and spoke in a bit of a lower tone. Probably dialing down his external volume. "An agent. Of subterfuge. Information gathering. An individual. Who can bring about. Many. Forms. Of change. In a variety. Of ways. Without ever. Even. Being. Seen."

Mason was unsure whether the professor was being serious. What was he supposed to do? Wait in a room for some scandalous plot to be revealed? As enticing as the idea sounded to him, it wasn't practical in application. Not as far as Mason could see, anyway. "Sir," he said cautiously. "While I may be a great hider, there's no telling how long I would have to wait in a mirror before anyone said anything worth knowing..." he tried his best not to undermine Ruben as he spoke, though the longer the conversation lasted, the more he doubted its value.

"Is it. Restricted. To singular. Mirrors." Ruben asked.

Mason frowned. He wasn't sure what Ruben meant. "I, uh... It's worked on any mirror I've tried, sir."

"But are. They. Linked."

"I... I don't know, professor." he said. "I've never... Thought of it that way. How could they be linked, exactly?"

"Many. Manifestations. Of this. Power. Exist. On their own. Spectrum. Of ports. For you. It could be. You simply. Haven't. Explored. Enough." He set forward a slip of paper and grabbed a nearby marker with a free tendril. He began jotting down a few diagrams - rectangles and arrows, mainly. "Do this. For your own. Benefit. Set some mirrors. Aside. In various. Positions. Attempt. To percieve. An opposing. Scape. Between our. Reality. And yours."

Mason took the paper and began scrutinising the drawings. The strangest thing was that it seemed to make sense... Mason was no dimensional scientist, but it seemed apparent even to him that, in order for him to pass through a mirror, there must be something on the other side... Just waiting to be explored. He had never ventured into that blackness.

He folded the paper up neatly and with precision, before tucking it into the pocket of his dungarees. "Thank you, professor..." he said, his thoughts occupied with other business as he thought about the possibilities of extending his power.

"What's. More." Ruben continued, "And this. Is only. A theory. But you. Should attempt. To expand. Your reach. To other. Reflective. Surfaces."

Mason nodded in understanding, but his brain was too busy to form much of a vocal response. "Thanks again, Mr. Tarblatt." he said, standing and walking over to the door, before hearing Ruben's voice call after him.

"Speak. To me. Again. When you. Have made. Progress. In your. Discoveries." Ruben said aloud, "You have. My. Interest."