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[color=00a99d][sub][b]Location:[/b] Mrs. Alivine's Office[/sub][/color][/center]

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	Mrs. Alivine's office was a quaint little room, a cliché of sorts cramped and messy as it was. Stacks of paper covered an already cluttered desk with pencils, staplers, files, and food wrappers scattered here and there with seemingly little abandon to an overall structure. There seemed to be some method to the chaos, though whatever it was remained locked entirely inside the mysterious mind of the scaly English professor bent in studious pose over her desk. She tapped rhythmically at the two sheets of note paper stapled together in front of her, reading over the contents contained with rapid eye movements of the literarily inclined. She was a strange old women, most of her body covered in flesh colored scales that rippled like a snakes skin when she moved. She had a reputation for spitting fire when she was angry, figuratively and literally, and bore a more intimidating presence then one would assume from a five foot tall older lady. She had earned the label Lady Dragon despite only every teaching at Xavier’s School, and upheld her title and fame even into her later years. She shook her head from time to time muttering, [b]“Simply frightful,” [/b]and [b]“Such unacceptable formatting.”
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 	Sitting before her like a man condemned in court was Basil Floros, a Mediterranean boy of sixteen, who for the moment was being ignored and was thankful for it. His flimsy four legged stool, which could not appropriately receive the honorary title of chair creaked beneath his bulk as he shifted about with a nervous energy. He’d grown bored with watching his teacher, however strange her appearance, read and instead lolled his head from one side to another, searching for something interesting to look at. Despite a small picture, whom Basil assumed was the teacher’s family, and a paperclip Eiffel Tower model up on a shelf there wasn’t much of interest, at least not or a teenage boy who’d been cooped up indoors for the past few hours. At least her scratchy voiced scolding had ceased giving him some peace of mind.

	[b]“A D, and feel fortunate for it Mr. Floros.”
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	Basil jumped, straightening up in his chair and looking around. He hadn’t been paying attention and it appeared the judge, jury, and executioner had made her decision at last. [color=00a99d][b]“Ahm sorry ma’am, uh, what’d you say?”[/b][/color]

	[b]“What [i]did[/i] you say. Say it properly. I will not tolerate this half-baked behavior in your writing nor your speech young man.” [/b]Mrs. Alivine scolded, rapping her desktop with a ruler to annunciate her point. [b]“You continue to struggle in my class for no other reason than your lack of effort, such is your only shortcoming as far as I can tell, from my limited association with you. Whether this is the case or not, you will find you would no longer struggle should you apply yourself diligently. You are not unintelligent, I am sure. However I am led to believe foolish disgraces such as the one you presented me today,”[/b] here she slapped the paper on her desk. [b]“Are derived from laziness above all else. I demand excellence from all my students, and no excuse shall justify…. This. Did you truly think I would not expect higher standards? Is that the impression I deliver?”
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	[color=00a99d][b]“But I…” [/b][/color]Basil was saved from trying to find an answer to the rhetorical question presented when a sharp knocked sounded on the office door. Scott Summers, one of the school executives and leaders of the institution. Basil sat up a little straighter in his chair his heart skipping a beat at the sight of the ruby-tinged glasses. It was one thing to be scolded by Mrs. Alivine, and another entirely to get a dressing down from one of the most influential people at Xavier’s. Had his paper been that terrible?

	[color=0072bc][b]“I’m not interrupting am I?”[/b][/color] Scott asked before continuing on as if it didn’t matter whether he was interrupting or not. [color=0072bc][b]“I have important business with Basil today, I would surely hope you wouldn’t mind too much if I take him off your hands.”
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	[b]“Can it wait?”[/b]

	[color=0072bc][b]“No, I – we have need of his services now. You will have to continue with Basil another time.”[/b]

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	A grin spread across Basil’s face and he collected his school bag, standing up and reaching for his paper. Mrs. Alivine, despite looking as if she would very much like to made no protest to this and showed him to the door. [b]“This is highly inconvenient Scott, I hope your ‘business’ doesn’t affect his grades to an even lower point average. He needs tutoring not training. You know very well I disapprove of this [i]plan[/i] of yours.”
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	Basil’s head whirled with questions. Training? Business? Plan? What exactly was going on? He determined to ask the moment they stepped from the office, as long as Scott kept up this air of mystery and didn’t explain himself.

	[color=0072bc][b]“I am aware Mrs. A.”[/b][/color] Scott said, looking a bit unsettled with Alivine’s stare. Apparently even he didn’t enjoy staring down the Lady Dragon’s brimstone-like eyes.[color=0072bc] [b]“I think the discipline and teamwork will do him good in those regards. And if not I shall ensure his grades improve personally. Come on Basil.” [/b][/color]He led the way out of the office, down the halls and stairs and across the wooden floors of the school at an easy pace, clearly not in any hurry. Much to Basil’s disappointment Scott started up a conversation, contrary to what Basil wished to discuss before the Greek could so much as utter the questions that sat on the tip of his tongue. [color=0072bc][b]“Why exactly were you in her office just now? I expected to find you in the history classroom. Is it something I should know about?”
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	Basil sucked in air through his teeth, wincing a little at the embarrassment accompanying the question posed[color=00a99d].[b] “Ah, no, not exactly sir. I was ah… Not in trouble, as you think. No. Ah, she not like my paper, she says I did not do paragraph like she likes yeah. She said do multiple, ah, paragraph. And I only did two, and she says I only do two because there are two papers, which separates them. And I told her, ah, I said no, I did five paragraph like she asked, but apparently you need bigger spaces between paragraph, which I thought I did properly but I ah, did them wrong. I guess. Yes. And she thinks my writing is bad. I dunno, I worked very hard to try and make perfect paper, but ah, she did not like it. I thought it was good, the best. But no, she did not like it at all.”
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	Scott frowned, as if he was trying to mull over the scattered ramblings and understand them to their fullest.[color=0072bc][b] “Comprehension and following instructions to the letter is vital.” [/b][/color]He stated, as if it was all as simple as that.[color=0072bc] [b] “What Mrs. Alivine is trying to teach you is the discipline, to not only listen and understand, but follow those instructions to a T. She has been here a long time and knows the trouble you will face, and that exactness is key to thriving. You’ll learn this exorbitantly in the coming months I would assume.”[/b]
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	[color=00a99d][b]“Ah, yes, wh-what exactly wou-“
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	[color=0072bc][b]“I also think,” [/b][/color]Scott continued cutting Basil off. [color=0072bc][b]“That perhaps the language barrier might be a problem here. Surely Mrs. Alivine knows that, though she is the type to not except any sort of excuse, even one as blatant as that. I will talk with her later.”
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	The two stepped out into the courtyard, where a cool breeze welcomed them into the glorious outdoors. Basil breathed in deep lungful’s of fresh air, glad for the chance to get away from the stuffy old codgers and their books. Scott left him there with no other explanation but to wait with the few others already present before disappearing back into the mansion.

	Basil’s stroke of luck was only improving it seemed when he recognized the four girls small talking in the center of the enclosed yard. He waved, smiling at Heidi, Madison, and Roxy, while giving Nikita a sly wink. [color=00a99d][b]“Ah, I have my eye on you Nikita.” [/b][/color]He warned the latter of the four, joining them and sticking his hands in his pockets. [color=00a99d][b]“This isn’t some, uh, ah elaborate trick no? Cause I’ll catch it, you’ll see.”[/b][/color] He joined their little group with ease, knowing all of them at least to an extent. Heidi and Madison less so with the former being nothing more than a name and face without much knowledge of the person behind it. Indeed he barely knew Heidi beyond the fact that she was smart, and silent like a shy owl. Making a point of drawing everyone's attention he looked from one to the other, his eyebrows raised questioningly. [color=00a99d][b]"So, ah, do any of you know, uh, what we are doing and why we were taken out of class? Not that I am complaining, but, ah, I do not know why."
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