School for the Triumphant

[JW%]

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How they came here didn't matter. Some came because they felt it was their civic duty. Others were lured by the offer of free room and board while being educated. Still others were found and subtle offers made for their parents, or legal guardians, to send the students here.

Some, were simply coming back from vacation.

"Welcome once more!" The voice boomed and roared. The fact that it was being projected from what appeared to be a massive ball of fire with piercing eyes and a moustache that burst into existence in the center of the room made it all the more shocking to the gathered young people. "Welcome new and old. Welcome. To the School for the Triumphant. The school for heroes. The school for legends. The school we hope will serve you. You are here because, to the outside world, you are different. Special. Unnatural even. Here, you are among those who are as you are. Here, under the guidance of the few who know something of what you have experienced, it is our hope that you learn from their mistakes, and grown in strength both moral and mental as well as the obvious. Here we hope to give you the tools to make of your life what your dreams tell you."

The students were all gathered in the central auditorium. Four tables had been lined up, and standing at the head of each of them were the head of the four houses that made up the school. Each table pointed towards a door, and the skylight showed the massive, if individualized, towers that served as the dormitory, private commons, and of course the few specialized class rooms of that House.

Magic, Mutant, Science, and Technology. The students would now be chosen, by means of a secret ballot by the House Masters(or Madams) judged on their entrance applications, which House would hold which student. Their decisions were by choice of where they believed the student would best thrive... but they had been known to be wrong. Students were allowed, with some exceptions, to repick their house if they didn't feel it suited them.

"Grayson, Timothy: Magic. Caroe, Edith: Mutant. Ling, Steven: Mutant." The list seemed to be in no apparent order. It was, in fact, the order in which the students had sat down in, going from left to right in the gaggle of chairs that had been provided for the new freshmen. It continued on until finally:

"Now that you know of the House you have been sorted into, I open the grounds to questions you wish to ask of me, the Headmaster, about this school as a whole. You may call me Mister Z." He pronounced it the American way 'zee' rather than 'zed'. "And, after that, your House Master or Madam will take you to your respective, dormitory and House Commons, to answer any specific questions you may have about your living arrangements or the classes you will be taking this term."

[Penny Royals]

Edith made a face. Mutant? That's a terrible word! She never thought that that was what she was... but okay, that must be what she was... She sighed. She might as well start looking for somebody in her house, maybe?

She looked over to the guy next to her- 'Steven Ling'.

"Hi!" She twittered, "My name's Edith, what's your's?"

[JW%]

The young man, who looked about her age even, gave her a sorta blank look for a moment, like he hadn't expected anyone to talk to him at all as he took his place at the table. Then a smile came to his face shily. "Whoa. Ah." He said, trying to gather his thoughts. "Steve. I'm, like, Steve." He said, offering her his hand.

His hand was just as blue as his face. It made Steve look sorta like he was frostbitten.

Not all of those gathered at the Mutant table seemed to appreciate the honor of being placed here. Their House Master gave them all a severe, if perhaps somewhat put out look. He at least looked normal enough. He particularly gave a nasty glance over at the guy in a dark leather bomber jacket with chrome skulls on his shoulders when one "Essex, Antonia: Mutant" was declared. The head of the Magic House gave his alternate a sly look from beneath his purple tinted sunglasses.

The girl in question flounced over and crossed her arms in a huff. Besides the pink hair(pretty clearly a dye job, her roots were showing) and kitty ears, which could be seen as being attached to a head band anyway, she also looked normal enough.

There was a pause after all the names were given. A boy from the Science group gathered enough courage to ask the Headmaster "When can I go home?" as soon as the floor was opened to general questions. This of course brought the booming voice back into action.

"Most of you will be allowed weekend visits with your home and family if you so choose, as well as vacation times. However, as of walking through that door, you have signed up for, and been accepted into, a four year contract. For some of you who do not wish to leave the grounds, you may stay as long as you like. This is your home now." The voice seemed to soften to a rumbling of thunder, though his gaze passed over the whole crowd. "Does that answer your question?"

The boy gave a nod, and looked like he had turned a little green.

"If there are no other school wide questions, the heads of each House will take over now."

The Mutant House Master clasp his hands slowly as he contemplated his new charges, then gestured at the door their table seemed to point towards. "Shall we begin the tour?"

[shiko]

The girl felt lost maybe because she had never been in a place like this before and wasn't used to the sights and sounds. Her life had been fine but she felt that for the safty of others to attened. [just testing the waters]

[JW%]

~~~~~~~~~~~Mutant House ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rooms were decorating in an eclectic collection of styles, ranging from the ultramodern egg chair(which in fact were designed in the 70's) to more classical lay-z-boy and even some overstuffed leather wingback chairs. The room itself was rather large, with a ping pong table dominating it, and a small kitchenette taking up one fourth of the space. The rest was dedicated to reading chairs, and a large couch that faced a flatscreen monitor that took up one wall. A curved stairwell led upwards, along with a few doors that presumably led to the rest of the tower.

"This is our central commons room." The House master explained with a low, smooth voice. "All of you can call my Sylar. Unlike the other heads of the houses, I do not stand on honorifics, so there's no need for 'mister Sylar'." He gave a smile at them all that looked like he was considering which of them to kill first. Something about the way he looked at them just seemed to be malicious, though the kind of delayed threat that told you that you were safe for now, but you'd best avoid 'later'. "I don't know if any of you have heard of me or not? No, probably not, though I used to... have some reputation. These days I am, like you. I'm... special."

He walked around the room. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. Take a seat. This is, officially, the House of Mutants." He seemed to sniff at the thought. "Though you won't here me using the term outside official business. As you came in, I'm sure you saw the main halls. The school is, not quite, designed on a pentagonal shape. Four towers, and the fifth being the main body of the school where you all... mingle. We are the second tower, for those of you who were turned around during the walk here."

The flatscreen came up with a powerpoint picture of the school. It turned out his walking around the room had been hunting for the remote control.

"As you see here, we share the gardens with the Magic house, and the chemistry labs with the Science house." The areas lit up with pictures of their contents. "As Freshmen you will be in the bunk rooms on the second floor. There is a male and female room, kindly respect one anothers privacy. You will have little enough of it as it is. You'll notice the main entrance way had an... airlock like entrance. That is our lock. Each House has it's own means of thwarting nosy students from showing up without a guest pass. Ours is a biometric scan system. After we're done here, we'll visit the basement and imprint all of you into the system so you can pass through as you please. For now, you're my... guests." It was hard not to notice that the large, heavily reinforced 'airlock' doors were now shut behind them.

"In the meantime, perhaps you're wondering, why I don't enjoy the term Mutant, though I am the head of this house?" He was now standing in the center of the room, blocking the screen, which had gone to a screensaver of the House insignia. It was three circles, linked in a chain. "The Genetic Investigation and Facilitation Team of the Federal Bureau of Super-powered Affairs... that's in the United States for those of you who may have come here from elsewhere, is what we are trying to mimic. Headmaster Z has established our houses in response to how the government organized themselves, so, like G.I.F.T. and S.E.R.A.P.H. we have Mutant and Science divisions."

"But what is a 'mutant'? The simple definition is that you are something that is different." He raised his hands in a shrug and looked at the ceiling. "Everyone here is different. That's why you're here after all, isn't it? So, the more complex idea is that your gifts, or curses, come from something genetically different within your bodies. You've had them since birth, you were born with them. Sure, they might have manifest through something else, the stress of an event, perhaps a solar eclipse, but the power lies within you."

"Of course, the same can be said for any of the rest of the Houses. 'Mutant' is just a blanket term somebody found useful, so they could sweep all the strangeness into one tidy little package, rather than exploring how gloriously individual all of you are. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different divisions within our House. Everything from Psychics, to just those people who want to push their bodies a little harder than ordinarily they are able."

"So, in the short lecture, that is what a Mutant is. You can claim it as a badge of honor, or ignore it as just another label, it's your choice. Now, before going any further... questions?"

~~~~~~~~~~~Magic House ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This room looked more ancient and upstanding. The walls were of a dark stained wood, and heavy tapestries hung from the sides. Rather than a ping pong table, a pool table was set up instead. The chairs and couch were all of the well stuffed variety, and there were numerous books laying about. As everyone came in the house Headmaster smiled and made a gesture.

The door behind them closed, a glowing sigil of the house insignia pulsed once and then seemed to return to the dark carving.

"Well my little snarklings, please, get comfortable. You won't be leaving for awhile yet, at least not until I teach you the simple little charm that opens the door." He sat himself down in one of the larger wingback chairs and took out a large book from beside it. "Gather around, gather around. I'm here to tell you all a bit of a story of this place."

"You see, all of you are here because we think you're magical. You're here at the school because you're special, and different, and may even have a touch of power that others would be jealous of. But you're here in this tower, as part of my House, because, hidden from the world, there is magic."

He turned the page and held it up, letting everyone see the weathered parchment. The images moved across it. "Once upon a time, there was a young man, not much older than any of you. And he fell in love with this quirky friendly girl, who showed him many many secrets. Some secrets even she did not know. And while the girl did not love this young man, the secrets he learned from her led him to more secrets. Secrets about the world, about the universe. How it was created, and how that power of the divine we can touch, and wield."

With a turn of the page, the images of the young man and girl standing with candles and books turned into swirling fractal patterns with minute imperfections in them. He glanced down at it. "Lovely, isn't it? Unfortunately such secrets are quite unpredictable. Magic isn't like Technology. You can't apply the scientific process to it. Magic is an art. It is creativity. It is taking the energy used in creation itself, and bending it to your will, then passing it on. Powerful entities, some would call them gods, offered you their power. Some of you, it was forced on even. But whatever it is, you have that unstable, unpredictable, supremely... creative and natural... power within you."

He flipped through the pages, and you see people in white sheets with tall pointed hats and faces obscured coming in and beating on the young man, throwing him in a prison, and finally the young man is leading an army that seems to be made of decaying corpses. With a snap he shut the book. "And this power scares those who believe the only true power is control, and that they should be the only ones who hold absolute control." He said quickly as if eager to change the subject.

"Ah, but where are my manners? I am your new House Master. Jason Wingrave the Third. Mister Wingrave suits me nicely, or Master if you prefer another honorific. If you will allow me the honor, I will be your teacher of many secrets and arts. Would anyone like to ask a question before I show you to the bunks, library, and gardens... not necessarily in that order?"

[Darth Pichu]

Shane sat at the back of the group, his mouth clamped shut throughout the entire presentation. He shifted nervously, looking just a tad uncomfortable. All of this talk of Magic and Art, it was as if he'd chosen to develop the strange powers that he for some reason was controlling. Or supposed to be controlling anyway. It was strange to hear a man talking about this strange curse as if it wasn't a single, crippling death sentence that would leave him as either an outcast freak, or power crazed maniac depending on how he decided to handle his new found 'powers'. He didn't want to raise his hand, but questions were gnawing at his stomach. He didn't want to know about the school or the library. He didn't need to know about the grounds or the place he was going to be locked away in for the next few years.

Hesitantly the boy raised his hand, at last gaining the voice to ask a question.

"Th-... these m-magic powers." he began, a little stutter in his voice, "They... they aren't going to be for... for forever are they? They'll... they'll go away, right?"

[Prime Spinosaur]

Mutant.

Tyler had learned to restrain himself when hearing that word. Where he was from; Mutant Mutie, were a racial slang, one they didn't like hearing. To Tyler it was the equivalent to being called the N word.

He was quiet, that way people were less likely to notice and hurt him. Tyler was still not used to wearing normal clothing, coming into this universe, he was wearing clothes from an abandoned salvation army store he'd sewn together. Now, he wore a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt covered by a dark zip up hoodie.

He just kept quiet and listened. Upon hearing something of Sylar saying he had a reputation, he immediately thought of Mana, his older brother. He'd done something awful in the past and a lot of people feared and hated him for it. Tyler never learned what it was before coming to this world, but for whatever reason, he felt as though he could learn to like Sylar if he was like his older brother.

He then followed the freshmen, trying to blend in and not attract attention. He wondered how Shane, his adopted brother was doing. They had been separated into two different houses, and it sounded like they didn't like each other. Tyler decided to ask.

"Excuse me...sir," began Tyler, "You said that other houses couldn't come in without a guest pass...how does one get a guest pass? Can any student hand one out...or do you?"

[JW%]

~~~~~~~~~~~Mutant House ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylar gave Tyler his attention. With it came a sensation of being scanned on some level that was hard to explain. Slowly Sylars mouth quirked back into a smile, as if he was understanding the question.

"Guest passes are assigned from numerous points of authority." Not taking his eyes off Tyler, the House Master ticked the points off on his fingers. "Any Junior or higher ranked student will be given a small number of passes that allow others into their House without question. I am the highest rank, and so can be asked to provide passes if you'd like to host a... party here."

He took out a shiny button, like a large pin one would wear to support a political candidate. The button had the House insignia on it of the three circles linked with two short bars. "The passes look like this by the way." He flipped it over and showed a little glass container with something red hidden under the metal disk, and a pin for which to affix it to your shirt. "That's a preserved cell sample, in most cases blood, which the bio-sensors will read and allow entry. Additionally, most of the teaching staff have the authority to enter our grounds as guests. And of course, if you have a guest you want in, you can hold the door open for them. I don't suggest you abuse this privilege, but even though we do what we can to foster... an atmosphere of competition the students of the other Houses are going to be your... coworkers after graduation. Your peers. Do try to form a... working relationship with them. Who knows, some of them might even be family."

"Does that answer your question?" Sylar finally started looking at the rest of the group of students. "Anyone else? Please do speak up. We have all the time in the world for these questions, but I would like to move things along."

~~~~~~~~~~~Magic House ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mister Wingrave looked at Shane and tried to read his expression.

"Little Childling..." He said, trying to sound comforting, though he may have missed the mark by some bit. "The power of Magic itself is indeed for all time." He held up a finger to forestall a statement. "But... and there's always going to be one of those... it might be best of you to think of magic like water. The oceans are huge, and there will always be water. The little streams and ponds that are the magics you have... they are far less eternal. You must care for your little pond, and learn about the stream that feeds it. Will it run dry? Could you fill it more? That is what you are here to learn. Your little pond may be fed by some hidden spring that never runs dry, or it may be fed only by a seasonal flooding that's already run dry and without even knowing how or why you're left without any magic power. The magic will still be there... it just won't be touching you. I don't know what your condition is, we'll have to learn more about each other before we can find out."

Mister Wingrave sighed and looked at his knuckles hovering just below where he could rest his chin on them. "Any other questions? Preferably ones where I don't need to delve into a metaphor that in the long run may be more confusing than helpful..."

[Darth Pichu]

Shane nodded, sitting back. Somehow he'd managed to twist his mind around the strange metaphor into something that was almost workable, but even so it seemed to be telling him just what he needed to know. He wasn't getting rid of his magic any time soon. Maybe eventually it would leave him alone, but he'd always be plagued by it. He would always be a freak. Looking a bit forelorn Shane sat back, mumbling a quick, "Sorry" under his breath before shutting up. He'd drawn enough attention to himself already. He already knew that people were going to be looking at him strangely, just as they had before, and honestly, he wasn't ready for any of it. He just wanted to talk to Tyler and get away from everyone else. Perhaps then he could at least pretend for a minute or two that he wasn't a freak, destined to live alone and friendless forever.

[JW%]

Master Wingrave took questions with some difficulty, as most of what the students were interested in seemed to be things best covered in later lessons. Finally he seemed to grow restless and gave everyone a smile as he put down the book.

"If I'm going to sit here in storytime my dear little snarklings, I'd prefer to have a hot cup of tea with me." He said standing up. "But we've still the whole of the school to explore, don't we?" Once more he showed them the mostly unmarked map of the school. It looked like a five pointed star, with the bottom point having grown rather fat. At the tips of each point were symbols. The first was the brush stroke sigil on bronze that represented them, the Magic house. Followed was three circles or spheres connected with two bars on purple. The Mutant house. Then a lightning bolt on cyan to represent the Science house, and finally a six toothed gear on gunmetal that housed the mad scientists of the school, the Technology House.

"The school gardens are shared by the Magic and Mutant house. I'm please to note that, as of the end of last term, we cared for the majority of it," meaning it was mostly an herb garden with flowers, rather than having a collection of breeding and genetic experiments to make flowers blue or purple.

"We will then circle the base of our tower here, so I can show you the grounds. Some of you may have missed getting a good look at them when you came in. We will take a walk through the library, then we have the arts section, should any of you enjoy sculpting or painting, and the gymnasium. Even if you are all to become wizards I expect all of you to keep your bodies in decent shape and we will be having P.E. classes regularly."

He continued to trace the route through the fatter fifth point of the star, which was made up primarily of administration. Places like the nurses office and the main entrance were of note here. Then they circled back to the center of the pentagram, to the cafeteria. "By that time lunch will be serving. How does that sound everyone?" Master Wingrave asked adjusting his glasses and looking over the freshmen class.

The other houses would be taking other routes throughout the school, so crossing paths might or might not happen.

[JW%]

~~~~~~~~Mutant House~~~~~~~~

As there seemed to be no immediate questions, Sylar took the freshmen up to the second floor of their tower, and showed them through their new bunks, pointing out the bathrooms at the end of the hall and various other things.

"You'll notice you have a personal storage foot locker. At the moment they have no locks, but when we finish with your biometric scans they're react to your fingerprint. Many of you have personal items from home, and while the school will provide you everything you need, feel free to acquire your wealth as you see fit."

Then he lead them down to the basement. Two seniors were waiting for them, the girl having long blond hair and a pair of downy white angel wings, while the boy looked like some kind of frat boy jock.

"This is Ramseys and Darline, there here to help with this process. Now, everyone please form two lines, male and female. Undress behind the curtain and then stand under that archway, placing your hand on that pad. You may feel a slight sting on your fingertips as we extract your cell sample. When the light turns green redress so the next in line may do so."

Antonia, the girl with the pink hair and kitty ears, looked aghast. "I'm supposed to get naked in front of everyone?!"

"Behind the curtain." Sylar repeated with a cold finality.

"Nobody'll see you, except me if you think you need help." Darline said reassuringly. Her smile had another effect on the boys however.

"Hey... uh... if I need help..." One of them asked.

"Sorry handsome, Ramseys has to help you." Darline shrugged, fluttering her wings.

"Thems the rules." The large boy grunted. "Try not to need help." His encouragements were somewhat less attractive.

As the two groups were lining up Steven Ling, the boy with the blue skin, leaned over to Edith and in a hushed voice told her "I really hate needles..."

~~~~~~~~Garden~~~~~~~~

Mister Wingrave instead took his students out through one of the side doors, also enchanted like the main door, and they came out into a two story tall green house with lush plants growing on the tables and hanging from the ceiling. The whole area was brightly lit with sunlight from the skylights and full length windows.

"A fair amount of magic can be learned through the study of the proper herbs and measuring of potions." Mister Wingrave explained "Which is why we tend the majority of the garden area. This is just the green house, with the garden extending out through those doors as well. Of course the muties also do some studies, trying to breed plants and such to demonstrate genetics, you'll notice their section is more... sterilized and has much less character..."

Mister Wingrave trailed off as some green shape darted between two large ferns. A flash of something small and bright red, like a flower worn in hair, could be seen as the shape moved, but then it was hidden by the fronds.

"Tsila? Is that you?" Mister Wingrave asked. There was an immediate reply that sounded like a feminine squeak. Mister Wingrave sighed and touched his temple just above his forehead. "She's a junior this year, and still so shy... Okay my little snarklings, let's head outside and leave her be for now."

[Penny Royals]

Edith shuddered, but tiptoed over to the line she was supposed to be in. She was hoping it'd take a while, so she wouldn't be in there really fast. She hoped to gain a bit of confidence before entering, at least. Showing off all her... yeesh! Did they really HAVE to get one hundred percent naked? They couldn't keep on their panties even?

She was right behind Antonia however, so she hoped that'd be okay. They were a few people back in line.

"So.... uhm..." She muttered to her, looking up with big eyes, "My name's Edith... what's yours?"

[JW%]

Antonia turned, and Edith could swear the girls cat ears twitched. And that she could see the headband they were attached to. "Oh, hi!" She chirped. "I'm The maiden Antonia Ravenswing Yami Serenity Undyne Essex, and I just know where going to be great friends because everyone loves me." She said with a smile that was... somewhat flat. "Pleased to meet you Edith."

Somewhere further in the line Darline called "next" and Sylar started handing out the little button logo's to the freshmen who had just been recorded. Their "guest pass" if they wanted to invite somebody into the tower who wasn't a Mutant.

[Penny Royals]

Edith hid her confusion, amazement, and revulsion of her name all at the same time. She reached out a hand, still staring. She knew it probably wasn't polite, but she'd never really met a girl who 'everybody loved' who actually seemed at least slightly nice to her.

"Edith Caroe is my name... just... Edith Caroe." She paused. "'Course... sometimes my parents call me Goldie. But not often."

[JW%]

Which was mostly because Antonia was wonderful and nice to everyone. Or something stupid, one or the other.

"Uh huh, that's nice." Antonia said distractedly. "So... you're going to be a superheroine too? I am, but I haven't picked out a good name yet... you're going to be Goldie?"

[Penny Royals]

"Oh, probably not! I'm not sure what I'll be yet, really." She gave a nervous laugh. "Though I guess a superheroine's all I can be."

[JW%]

"There's always the villain side." The girl behind her snorted.

Suddenly Sylar seemed to materialize behind them. "Or alternately there are numerous professions you can learn to undertake. This school is to train you in the use of your special abilities so you don't make... mistakes..." His pause and tone implied volumes of mistakes had been seen, and made, by him. "But even a heroine needs a day job, don't they?" He wandered over to see how the boys line was progressing.

"Not this heroine. I'll be a super ultra special heroine." Antonia said proudly.

Sylar gave them a look and tapped his ear. He could still hear them. After all he wasn't even a quarter of the way across the room.

Of course they weren't the only one's talking.

"Next." That left Antonia as the head of the line, with Edith right behind that.

[Penny Royals]

Edith looked between them, raising an eyebrow.

"So... erm..." She felt rather awkward right now.

[JW%]

The girl behind Edith was only somewhat taller, tanned skin, blue eyes, with a pair of blond pigtails. Probably older than Edith as well, though wearing bulky 'tomboy' clothing to make it hard to tell just how slim or what shape her body was beneath the baggy jeans and sweatshirt.

She gave a little snort at Edith and pointedly looked away.

[Penny Royals]

Edith looked down at her feet, just waiting for her turn.

[JW%]

Edith had to wait for a little bit, as Antonia needed special instructions on how to undress properly, finally ending with "Yes, fine, you can leave your kitty ears on, it's not like it's going to mess up the computer that much."

"Does this thing measure my weight too?"

"Yes, as well as your density to compare muscle to fat ratio, now stand still. Still. As in stop fidgeting."

Finally it was Ediths turn as a blushing Antonia, fully redressed, was show out to the growing line of freshmen who had their visitor passes and keys to their House, and were now getting ready for lunch break.

[Penny Royals]

Jan 17, 2012 20:02:15 GMT -8 JW% said:

Edith had to wait for a little bit, as Antonia needed special instructions on how to undress properly, finally ending with "Yes, fine, you can leave your kitty ears on, it's not like it's going to mess up the computer that much."

"Does this thing measure my weight too?"

"Yes, as well as your density to compare muscle to fat ratio, now stand still. Still. As in stop fidgeting."

Finally it was Ediths turn as a blushing Antonia, fully redressed, was show out to the growing line of freshmen who had their visitor passes and keys to their House, and were now getting ready for lunch break.

Edith entered in, starting to shake quite a bit as she did what she needed to.

[JW%]

Darline gave her a smile as she went past, and the curtains were floor length, not showing even her ankles as she disrobed. The archway itself looked very high tech and when she stood on the 'x' it sprayed her with a variety of radiations that made an airport xray terminal look stone age.

Her hand felt rather warm on the pad, and just a half moment before the light turned green, her index finger did indeed feel a little sting, similar to the diabetic testing methods rather than actually jabbing her with a needle, and while blood was drawn, it didn't leave a bleeding hole in her finger.

Sylar was waiting with the finished of the group again and waited for the machine to spit out Ediths little button before giving it to her. Steven was already in line, sucking on his finger where he'd been stung.