[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/SR52k84p/54b4e63d635603b22d80f72a4ba2be54.png[/img][hr][img]https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1ti5x2.img?w=640&h=264&m=6[/img][hr][@Achronum][@Blizz][@Forsythe][@Kirah][@Nallore][@PatientBean][@Trainerblue192][hr][h3][color=AC3EFF][b]4:10 PM - Sun. December 12th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana[/b][/color][/h3][/center][hr]	Agatha turned away from her charges, as Madalyne came up to greet her. For a moment, her face was vacant, her eyes ever so slightly squinted as if searching for something just out of reach, a memory that was difficult to unearth. "Oh! Yes! Mackenzie, it's so good to see you! How's the family? Your dad doing okay?"	

[hider=The Examination...]Rather than doing a million collabs, [b]send me a DM on Discord for character-specific questions that will come up in your exam.[/b] The exam consists of a standard physical, followed by one more apt for superheroes. The superhero screening consists of a mystical portion, where passing an amulet over your head three times will indicate what enchantments, if any, are present based on the color the amulet's quartz stone begins to glow. There is also a scientific screening, where blood samples are rapidly analyzed to look for the presence of both performance enhancing drugs, as well as varying forms of radiation. A device created by the Future Foundation then examines the student on a quantum level, picking up evidence of time-travel, quantum entanglement, and cosmic powers/entities. 

At the end of the examination, students are then asked to place their hand on the Tome of Izneth, and answer a series of questions. The answers to these questions [i]must be truthful[/i], as that is the power of the book. 
[list][*]What is your name?
[*]Who are you?
[*]Do you want to compete in the Contest of Champions?[/list][/hider][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=42A9FF]April Flynn[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d6/92/80/d6928017c3826e20629dcdf0dfe3641c.gif[/img][hr][b][color=42A9FF]Location:[/color][/b] New Orleans - Strange Academy: Medical Waiting Room 
[b][color=42A9FF]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A
[b][color=42A9FF]Outfit:[/color][/b] [url=https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/06/07/56dd11b6-7b39-4a99-b4a8-058c18f4a3fc_7390c88c.jpg]Khaki-Colored Work Jacket + Grey Tank + Light Wash Jeans + Combat Boots[/url]
[hr][hr][/center]	April's phone vibrated with incoming texts, and despite being as obsessed with her phone as any other teenager, there was something she was obsessed with more demanding her attention: Danni. The emotional high that had swept over her only increased as he eagerly returned her hug, his energy matching her own. She barely managed to keep a grip on the forms she'd filled out, as she hugged him as tightly as she could. And yes, Dorian [i]definitely[/i] needed to join in too!! It had been waaaay too long since she'd seen them both, way too long since their last hug and cuddle. [color=42A9FF]"Dorian come ooooon!! I've missed you!!!"[/color] she begged, before giving Danni a quick bombardment of kisses on his cheek. 

	[color=42A9FF]"Oh also, I don't know if you guys saw but I met Evanthe Moore!!! And Harry Simmons!!! They were at the hotel and everything and I took selfies with both of them!!! It was so cool!!!"[/color] April gushed. [color=42A9FF]"I wish you two could have been there - not that I wish you were staying at that hotel, it's kinda rundown but it's what was affordable and available y'know? And I wish I was staying at your house obviously because you're my brothers and I love you and I wanna spend time with you!! But I got to meet them both!! They're so nice and so pretty and everything you'd hope for!!!"[/color]

	She took a breath, before giving Danni some more kisses - and if Dorian would just come and join the group hug, she'd give him tons of them, too!! They had plenty of time to go in and get their examinations done, what mattered right now was that they were together again!! She felt so strong, so energized - like she could single handedly take on an army of Doombots without breaking a sweat. She felt like running and spinning and jumping and doing everything she could think of all at once. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and even the slight tremors in her hands didn't seem to be bothering her, as she was just riding this high. [color=42A9FF]"Ahhh and baby Amélie!!!! You're so adorable!!! Such a good girl!!! The bestest of girls!!!"[/color] 

	She then gasped, as a brilliant idea popped into her head. [color=42A9FF]"Wait wait wait!!! Do you think we could go and do the exam together? I don't wanna stop huuuuugggiiiiiiiinggggggg."[/color][hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=ed1c24]Percy Novikov[/color][/b][/h3][img]https://i.scdn.co/image/ab676161000051748a415cc649022ca4d5582ed8[/img][hr][b][color=ed1c24]Location:[/color][/b] New Orleans - Strange Academy: Medical Waiting Room -> Exam Room 
[b][color=ed1c24]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A
[b][color=ed1c24]Outfit:[/color][/b] [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0d589277-9f3d-4fdd-9f52-2e1e122326d2.jpg]Dorian Approved Outfit #2 - Sunglasses, Flannel, Skinny Jeans[/url]
[hr][hr][/center]	It was [i]finally[/i] Percy's turn. 

	Clearly, Tommy Maximoff's superspeed didn't extend to medical examinations. The older boy took about ten minutes in there, just the same as everyone else. Percy could only hope that the entire process felt torturously slow to the speedster - and when he caught a glimpse of an irritated Maximoff emerging from the exam room, Percy couldn't help but smirk. It served him right. (Of course, not that [i]not[/i] cutting in line in front of Percy would have made the process more bearable for Tommy, but beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to being petty).

	The examination room looked like a standard doctor's office, albeit with somewhat tacky decor, as if the budget had only been able to purchase reject decorations from the Haunted Mansion. At the very least, the pair of physicians in the room looked normal - he didn't see any visible stitches winding down the front of their face, or bolts sticking out of the side of their head, or trails of dried blood coming from their lips. He'd been half expecting for a ghost to be running the examination, or some sort of cryptid - that he would open the door and the Jersey Devil would be making small talk with him (Percy [i]hated[/i] small talk) about his hopes for the contest. 

	As for the exam itself... Percy hadn't really had physicals before. He'd never been overly interested in physical activities, not until somewhat recently. He'd never played sports, always preferring to find a quiet space off by himself to read. However, at least the start of the exam seemed more or less as he had anticipated - they measured his vitals, such as his blood pressure and heart rate, and listened to his breath and heart.

	"I need to feel your abdominals. Is that okay?" the doctor asked, once they finished noting some value in his chart. 

	[color=ed1c24]"Do I have a choice?"[/color] Wouldn't he be disqualified if he said no, if he refused to see this exam through all the way? As much as his stomach churned at the idea of the doctor touching him, even with gloved hands and through the (somewhat) safety of his clothes... He didn't want to jeopardize his ability to participate in the contest. It would be mortifying to come this far, only to be turned away because he couldn't handle a few seconds of discomfort. 

	He then shook his head, before the physician could answer - [color=ed1c24]"Yes, yes that's okay. Just be quick about it."[/color] 
	
	Percy grit his teeth, and held his breath, and tried to fight the urge to jump out of his own skin - to find a way to do what Dorian did and just not have a body at all. 

	"You're doing great, Percy."

	[color=ed1c24]"Don't patronize me,"[/color] he muttered. 

	The doctor paused, before looking at him somewhat sharply. "I'm not." 

	Shame flickered through him briefly. He'd assumed that they were - because it was what he would have done. 

	The next few portions of the exam were more irregular, but also more interesting. He had no magical knowledge or training, so he had no idea how the amulet was supposed to work, as it was twirled around his head three times. The blood draw was much more routine, and it thankfully didn't take them too many attempts to get the set-up in place, as he intentionally looked away - just in case the sight of his own blood being collected would make him nauseous. If anything, the speed of the test was impressive - Elizabeth Holmes would have been envious. The following portion was what looked essentially like a radar gun, emblazoned with the logo of the Future Foundation - he scowled. Percy [i]hated[/i] the Fantastic Four. It was a rivalry he had inherited from his mother. 

	The device seemed to feel similarly about him, as it beeped harshly. 

	The physicians frowned. 

	They stared at the readout. 

	They stared at Percy. 

	They quickly began tapping away at their tablets, pulling up information, perhaps? Or entering in their findings?

	[color=ed1c24]"What?"[/color] 

	Percy's anxiety spiked. What had they found? He was fine. He was healthy - Dorian's father had, unfortunately, already made sure of that. Was the device alerting them to the presence of his x-gene? He wasn't legally required to disclose that he had one. No one was. It wasn't the 2010s anymore. Perhaps this device was just telling them that he had had things purged from his system recently - perhaps it was just picking up on some stray residue from James' power. 

	"Percy," one of the physicians then said carefully. "Are you aware that you're entangled on a quantum level with Dorian Gray? According to our records, he's competing in the Contest of Champions, too, for Margaret Carter."

	[i]What?[/i]

	[color=ed1c24]"I'm... entangled?"[/color] Percy repeated, a faint blush spreading across his face. He knew that he and Dorian had entangled, but hadn't known that they'd [i]entangled[/i]... His mother was a quantum physicist. He wasn't an expert on quantum science, but he'd heard enough around the house growing up - had glanced at enough papers spread out on the kitchen table, covered in annotations. One immediate way that their atoms could have been bled into one another came to mind - their entanglement had entangled them. 

	Strangely, the thought that Dorian was a part of him now, and that he was a part of Dorian... It made him feel warm. Safe, even. 

	He'd examine that later. 

	"Yes, approximately five percent. This unfortunately likely means you cannot [i]both[/i] compete in the Contest of Champions, Percy... One of you will have to withdraw."

	His eyes widened. They couldn't both compete? But... His brain was scrambled for a moment. They'd worked so hard to get here, Dorian especially. This was his dream - he'd been trying with Danni and April to get to this place for years. And he didn't have very many chances left - just one more after this one, unless he failed (which despite his inability to pay attention to assigned readings, Percy had no doubt that his boyfriend would graduate next year). And as much as Percy wanted to be here - as much as he wanted to win, to prove himself... He couldn't ask Dorian to give up on his dream for him. He couldn't ask that of him. 

	He'd make the sacrifice himself. He still had three more years. And he didn't want it as deeply as Dorian did. 

	[color=ed1c24]"I see,"[/color] Percy hesitated, before standing up, sliding off of the exam table. [color=ed1c24]"Thank you for your time. I will withdraw, then."[/color]

[hider=Reminder - A Selection of Contest of Champions Rules][i]This list is non-exhaustive - please ask if you have questions / if there is a major rule you believe I have missed![/i]

[list][*]Eligibility: [list][*]Students may be between the ages of 12 and 19.
[*]Students are only allowed to compete on one team.
[*]Students must be enrolled and in good standing at their home institution.
[*]Students must be eager and willing participants.[/list]
[*]Combat: [list][*]No animals / pets / other companions may be brought into the arena. However, summoning of creatures is allowed. 
[*]No maiming or killing. 
[*]No usage of performance enhancing drugs, such as Mutant Growth Hormone.
[*]No summoning world-ending entities, such as Galactus or the Phoenix[/list][/list][/hider]