[IC] Empyreus Academy

[Birdboy]

The jagged terrain of the rocky alps mountains seemed to jut and spear outwards along the old road cutting through. Through these thin passes and long tunnels, a school bus drove by. It turned more agile than the long vehicle seemed capable of. The snowy tops of the huge mountains loomed over all the while as the bus clunked on through the quiet roads. The bus itself was fairly empty, only a few young men and women where scattered through the bus as it made it's way down. The only outlier was a bus driver, some older man with leathery skin and black hair with greying string flaking in here and there. He wore a worn old red trucker hat with some unknown, older Italian company's logo on it.

As they rolled through another tunnel, the school came into view. Cradled up high on a jagged mountain peak was a sloping villa of marble and granite. The highest point was a large building with Corinthian pillars holding up the higher level to allow balconies on the top floor. Below is where unassorted buildings of varying sizes and designs, with roads of cobblestone leading between. Along the paths were well-kept ferns and beautiful flowers and at the lowest plane were three greenhouses and far more raised planting beds for crops around them. It was completely empty. Not a single soul seemed to walk through the streets and not one of the windows revealed a silhouette.

The bus kept driving forward, and now that the students had seen Empyreus Academy, they would most likely understand now just the kind of stay they'd be having.

[medalliah]

Rebecca

Rebecca leaned on her hand, looking out the window while the music from her earphones played quietly, drowning out the noise from the loud bus. The terrain seemed to be a real mix of picturesque and strange; a marble villa up in the mountains was pretty remote.

It's almost like they want to keep us locked away as far from the cities as possible...

The girl sighed, brushing some of her reddish-brown hair back behind her ears and turning away from the window. The group that were travelling seemed a very mixed bunch. Different kinds from different walks of life. She idly wondered what their stories were. Imagined them all coming from different walks of life, joining together in unison to help the world. The thought made her smile, it would be wonderful if they could do that!

[Spike]

Near the back corner of the bus a dark-haired young man slouched, his backpack open next to him. In his lap was a massive textbook, open. His ruby-red eyes would quickly scan down the page, and then after a couple seconds he'd flip the page. It looked like he was just pretending to be studying, because nobody could read that fast.

Having reached a stopping point, Ray glanced up, briefly surveying the other students. As he glanced at each one, a tiny readout appeared in the bottom right of his field of view. A tiny textbox would confirm that each one had powers bestowed upon them by the same incident that had caused his own to develop. It also had a description of their abilities, each one about a paragraph long. After looking at the students, he fixed his bionic eye upon the bus driver, curious if he had been touched by the mists too.

Then, he looked out the window again, surveying the campus. He found it odd that there seemed to be nobody there. He thought that at the very least they'd need staff to take care of the gardens.

"Hey. Do they have any staff here?" Ray asked the bus driver, pulling himself up just a little. He was wearing a baseball jacket, and as he moved, it was pushed to the side a little. What appeared to be a toy ray gun was perched on the inside pocket.

[Raptra]

The bus hitting a particularly large bump caused the head of the snoozing teenager to lightly smack against the window frame that it was resting on, jolting the boy awake. Angel stirred in his seat, letting out a muffled groan as his eyes fluttered open to reveal brilliant emerald orbs. When did he doze off, and for how long had he been asleep? Turning his attention to the scenery outside, he figured that he had been out for most of the trip, seeing as how they looked to be near their destination. He took notice of the snowy peaks, and just the sight of them made him shiver. He hated the cold, and he was not looking forward to having to step out of the vehicle once it would stop.

Continuing to gaze out the window, he became aware of his mixed feelings about this whole experience. So many things had changed within such a short amount of time back home, and it would seem that he had left much too soon, that he was not ready to be doing what he was. However, he could probably use the change, and it would do him good to get away from it all. Apart from the presumably freezing temperature, the aesthetics of the place made it appear rather cozy. Angel also realized the lack of activity in the area, and appreciated how peaceful it looked to be. Furthermore, it was also refreshing to be around different people, regardless of whether they would become friends, just acquaintances, or even rivals to him. He was not too keen on that last possibility, however.

He then turned his focus to the occupants of the bus, not that there were many. He was glad that it was a small group, though, he wondered about the frequency of the academy's intake. He met the gazes of a couple of other students as he glanced around the bus, but no words were exchanged yet. Well, that was until someone first spoke up in a long time, the voice coming from the back of the vehicle. A boy with a giant book on his lap had called out to the driver, and as he anticipated a response from the latter, Angel caught sight of a piece of equipment in the former's jacket, though, it could be anything else. After slightly raising an eyebrow at it, he looked away and turned back to the front.

[Birdboy]

@Spike
The read-out for the bus driver read as follows:

"Marco Vanete Raccino from val de sol. 48-year-old male, blood type b+, 196ibs, 5'7'' Passport passings: France, Czech republic, Spain, Portugal, Germany. Currently works as a hired bus driver, background in bodyguard and bouncer work. Father: Vincent. Mother: Wanda. 5 known siblings (2 brothers, 3 sisters). No record of ever coming to America or encountering the mist.

Looking at the man now, he did seem very strong. He definitely had the potential to be a strong fighter but his older age may be some hindrance to him now. Perhaps that was why he was a bus driver now? Marco turned around to speak to them.
"No" he replied back to the boy, his voice gruff and obviously annoyed to have to answer any questions. The bus continued to drive up the bumpy road to the school.

[vertigo17]

Dane McKenzie placed his hands against the cool window, eyes wide as he stared at their view of the academy compound. It looked absolutely amazing, giving off the rich private boarding school vibe he had only seen on brochures. This was his third start at a high school debut. His first school got wrecked in the Union City incident, and his second only lasted for a few months before he got his Empyreus-version of a Hogwarts letter. And you know what they say, third time’s always a charm! He could envision the upcoming years now: he’d be top of the class (fat chance, as his grades were always on the brink of failure), super popular (highly unlikely, as he was too childish and noisy to really top that cool social chain), all the girls would love him (maybe by ignoring his not-at-all smooth self) all the teachers would be impressed by his abilities (despite how recent it manifested and how inexperienced he was) and he’d be a superhero and save everyone!... Okay, so maybe that last one was really the only possible goal, but a kid could dream, can’t he?

As he was daydreaming of a wonderful (unrealistic) future school life, the sudden sound of someone speaking up in the bus broke his train of thought. Dane himself was seated among the first rows of the bus, being the first to board. He was hoping he’d get a seatmate along the way, but there were only a few boarders so it didn’t happen. Glad to finally hear a voice, he focused on the conversation. At his new schoolmate’s question, he looked out the window again, also noticing lack of movement and life in general from their view of the school - well, actually, he noticed it too, of course! Totally! It just didn’t bother him! He was an observant person, really! While trying to convince himself in his own head, the bus driver answered. Dane’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, are we that early?” It was kinda weird how, for a school so huge, there were only a select few on this bus. It was also odd no employees were around, but hey, he wouldn't judge people that only came at the time that was needed, often being a latecomer to class himself. “Couldn’t wait to see the kids on your route, huh, mister bus driver?” he added with a huge grin. Maybe this buff guy was just a big softie - all bus drivers were!

[Aphelion]

Noelani's eyes were closed and headphones encased her ears, a tactic she used to avoid conversations when they would only be awkward. From them a relaxing mix played, drowning out most noises. She barely heard one of the other inhabitants of the bus speak up, asking about the large and ominously empty school grounds. She pushed one headphone to the side and lazily squinted her eyes open, their golden glow reflecting in the window next to her and illuminating her immediate surroundings in a soft light. She wondered if they were only invited up here to be the personal groundskeepers and servants of the weird old man who owned the place. She had no problems cooking, she supposed. She was about to close her eyes again when another student spoke up, and she softly snorted at him bugging the bus driver, who very obviously didn't want to be spoken to.

"Don't know when to quit, do you?" Noelani murmured softly to herself, but she didn't really care if anyone else heard, either. She slid her headphones back on, folded her arms back over her, and closed her eyes.

[Birdboy]

@Aphelion@vertigo17@Raptra@Spike@medalliah

Hearing Dane speak seemed to cause the driver some sort it grief as he rolled his neck and took a long pause to answer. By the time he had, they where at the enterance to the sprawling villa, just at the end of stone way where a bronze gateway sat open like the Jaws of a hungry beast. The bus turned so that it's door was positioned at the gate and he pulled the break down. This time he looked back to answer, and did so loudly and more rudely.
"No" he repeated, his Italian accent bleeding through.

The bus driver pointed to the large building at the top of the hill and then waited for the students with harsh, irritated eyes.

[medalliah]

Rebecca

Rebecca shook her head and sighed as two boys seemed to push the clearly tired and irritable bus drivers buttons. She always tried to think the best of people, but it was obvious to her that the man didn't want to be bugged. She stood as the bus driver came to a stop, waiting for all the other students to get off first before she moved towards the door, stopping in front of the bus driver.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Mr driver. I'm sorry about the other students." She offered a hand for the man to shake, and a smile. If the man took her hand, she focused a little of her healing energy through the handshake, to help soothe mans ails and stresses.

"You're a good man."

After that, she would get off the bus, following after the other students.

@Birdboy

[Birdboy]

@medalliah

Her words where met with a blank stare. The man had a face that was twisted into a permanent scowl with a furrowed brow and a stern glare with his dark brown eyes. Her hand was, however, taken into a large, leathery hand. It was warm and coarse like sandpaper, and his hand was equally tightly grasped around hers as it was bony and slender. He nodded as he shook her hand, though his stare didn't seem to change. As she walked off, he did straighten up a bit and seem to pop his back some.

[Aphelion]

When Rebecca got up to shake the bus driver's hand, Noelani took the cue to stand, shoulder a hefty backpack, and followed the smaller girl out of the bus. When she passed by the bus driver she gave him a respectful nod of her head, then promptly took the stairs of the bus two at a time, and walked to the side of Rebecca.

She pulled the collar of her jacket up around her ears and shrugged into it for more warmth, slightly shivering. This was not New York, and definitely not California, and the chill here seemed to creep into her bones. She flared her power to warm herself up, and underneath her ashen skin veins of molten gold shone through, projecting a warmth in an area around her to stave off the permeating chill. As they passed through the monstrous gateway, Noelani looked down at Rebecca, her golden eyes flaring. "Seems pretty odd, eh?" She said, indicating the grounds. "Not a soul in sight. Do you think we've been brought up here to be experimented on in secret or something?"

@medalliah

[Raptra]

Angel glanced awkwardly between the driver and second student who had spoken while waiting for a response from the former. At that point, he would not have even been surprised if there had been no response at all. There eventually was one, though, and did the older man take his time with it, only getting the same, one-word answer out when they had reached their destination. When the driver gestured to the structure at the top of the hill ahead, Angel assumed that he and his companions were to take a walk to it. He would have liked to ask who or what they were to expect upon reaching it, but from the attempts of the two other boys on board, he figured that it would probably not be as productive as he would like it to be.

Duffel bag over one shoulder, he sluggishly stood and alighted from the vehicle. The cold immediately hit him as he stepped out into the open, and his involuntary shivering was visible. He exhaled into his cupped hands before rubbing them together to alleviate the effects of the chilly air. An unexpected wave of warmth then crept up behind him, and he let out an almost-inaudible sigh of relief before turning to see two of the girls who had also been on the bus. One of them was... glowing? And he assumed that the heat was radiating from her. He had noticed the unusual colors of her eyes and skin, figuring that it was a cosmetic mutation resulting from the Mist. She admittedly looked pretty cool, like she had stepped right out of a comic book. Angel had a subtle one himself, remembering how his eyes were dark brown before his powers first manifested. However, anyone who had not known him prior to the incident would probably think that he had his bright green irises all his life.

Suddenly realizing that he might have been looking for slightly too long, he then gave the girls a short, awkward nod before turning back around. He then picked his pace up and trudged on forward up the hill, partly from embarrassment, but mostly because he was eager to get indoors and away from the cold.

[medalliah]

Rebecca

There was a secret smile to herself when she heard the pops. Rebecca wished she could do more but she didn't want to push her luck. It had put a bit of a spring in her step though, as she thought I've done something! Now he'll feel a little better, maybe with less burdens? I'm making a difference! However, sso lost in her own little world (which was suddenly a littler warmer). she almost jumped when someone next to her spoke! She was startled, and put a hand on her chest to calm her breathing.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, you startled me!" She looked at the girl and gasped "oh, hello. Um, I don't think we're going to be experimented on. Doctor Muller didn't strike me as the experiment on people kind, and we're still people right?" Rebecca chuckled, looking away shyly as she continued. "I'm Rebecca."

Don't do that! She'll think you're avoiding looking at her...glowingness!

She turned to look back up at the girl, and shook her head. "I understand nobody being here. Everyone is scared of our powers right?"

@Aphelion

[Birdboy]

The wind crept through the silent buildings and pathways. This far up into the mountains, no birds chirped nor did any trees sway in the breeze. It moaned, unhindered by anything in its path but clouds and the tallest tips of mountains. As soon as everyone was off the vehicle, the driver waved them off and began around the side to park the vehicle. He did so with surprising finesse and accuracy, given the large size of his bus. Without even waiting for them, he walked on up the hill.

[Aphelion]

Noelani noticed Angel staring at them, and gave him a quick eyebrow quirk before the boy turned back around and trudged up the hill even faster than before. She noticed that Angel and the bus driver had quick strides as they marched out in front, and she was suddenly tempted to see if she could beat them to the top of the hill in a burst of competitiveness.

When Rebecca spoke though, Noelani instantly decided that she would walk this awkward, funny girl all the way up the hill and poke and prod to see just how flustered she could get Rebecca. "I'm not too sure about all of that - I mean, if you pay somebody enough money, they'll even go to war, what's stopping them from wanting to figure out how we tick, little flower?" Noelani smiled toothily, and her teeth had the self-same glow as her eyes and veins when she opened her mouth.

"A little bit of a sleeping powder in our food, and what are we to do to stop it, so far up here in the mountains? Although, maybe you're right, maybe they're frightened of the big-bag Misties, and we'll be left to stare at each other for the whole time we're here eh, little flower? Maybe we'll take some pottery and poetry lessons? It seems like the sort of thing to do out in the mountains, too, I suppose." She gave an exaggerated shrug, her eerie eyes locked on to Rebecca the entire time that she spoke.

@medalliah

[medalliah]

Rebecca

Rebecca looked horrified for a moment, before shaking her head numerous times. "No no no. Not Doctor Muller! I know he's not considering that! I'm certain of it" she frwoend a little "not everyone is a bad person. Some people want to help, they care. And...well, there's going to be medical conditions we might suffer that nobody else would."

Rebecca looked ahead, at the school in the distance, and sighed.

"I do wish it wasn't so far away from the cities though. I might feel a little more comfortable if I could go come and visit my parents once in a while."

@Aphelion

[Aphelion]

Noelani smiled at Rebecca's determination to stay positive and considerate. She looked up towards the ominous building when Rebecca did; it's empty windows staring at them hungrily like gaping maws. "You're right... I wondered if any of the Mistings had gotten sick. I seem fine so far, but who knows?" She grinned lopsidedly. "Maybe we can make the best of this, even if we are far from our families. So," Noelani stretched her arms above her head as she walked. "I can't keep calling you "little flower" all day, what's your name? I'm Noelani, everyone just calls me "Noel". It's good to meet someone friendly up here."

The shadow of the building loomed over them, the large doors might as well have been the entry way into hell. She hated schools. "Did anyone tell you what to do when we got here? I assume go looking for the "doctor", but..." She hefted her back pack on her shoulders in an effort to stop it from digging into the same spot. "It wouldn't hurt to poke around? I'm starving."

@medalliah

[Gisk]

@Raptra

When the last passenger had gotten down the stairs, Able stood up from his seat at the very back of the bus. He had with him a shapeless duffle bag, which he balanced easily on a shoulder as he exited the door himself. The cold here didnt seem to bother him in nothing heavier than a cable knit sweater and old jeans.

He started walking immediately, studiously not looking at the two cute girls who were conversing nearby. Despite getting off last, Able's long strides quickly brought him level with another quieter boy.

"What can you do, if that's not rude to ask?"

[medalliah]

Rebecca

"I think if any of us got sick I could cure it, but if I got sick...I don't know what I'd do! I'm a trained nurse, learning to be a doctor before I came here, so anything I can learn to help sounds perfect to me" Rebecca rubbed her arms, wishing she had something better than her thin pink jacket on "oh, and I'm Rebecca. Some people call me Becca for short."

She looked at the bag Noel was carrying, happy that she decided to go with a rolling suitcase instead. Much easier to deal with, she thought to herself.

"Honestly, I don't know. I think we look for the main reception of the building, but where that is..." she trailed off as they got closer, admiring the building as it came more into view "the place looks nice at least, right?"

@Aphelion

[Raptra]

After the golden-eyed girl met his gaze, Angel felt a little bad, imagining that she must have already gotten enough stares when she had still been among the 'normal people'. However, his thoughts were interrupted when another boy whom he had not noticed earlier caught up to him and spoke to him. Considering his unusual stature, it was rather strange that Angel had not realized his presence on the bus, though, like him, this other boy had been silent for the journey, or at least during the time when he was awake. He took a couple of seconds to get what the blond was asking, after taking into account that it was probably only their unnatural abilities that set them apart from other people. Although he was usually not one to jump at an opportunity for a conversation, he appreciated someone coming up to speak to him at the moment. It would at least distract him from the cold.

Angel glanced up at the taller youth. "I'm an... electrokinetic, if that's what you mean. I believe that you'd like to share what you can do?"

As they drew nearer to their destination, Angel took a deep breath of relief, looking at the large building which was now much closer. If there would be no one else outside upon reaching its entrance, he might eventually attempt speaking with the bus driver, that is, if the older man did not speak first to tell them what was going to happen. Alternatively, they could all just hang around and explore the area until someone showed up.

"This seems... nice," he commented, keeping his eyes on the building.

@Gisk