He arrived early to the room where they were supposed to have this meeting and was pleasantly surprised to find a grand piano there. Ben went over to it and ran a hand over the sleek wood before taking a seat on the bench and beginning to play a quiet melody. It had been a while since he had played last and he found that he had missed it.
"Carver. Can call me Mister Jonas. Brought me in to teach because, well, high student load, so Martin called in a favor. As for the Piano, thank Dr. Sorenson. It was hers, originally."
"High student load? From what Torrence said it sounds like we don't have but maybe a dozen students." he offered. "Do you all teach regular classes or just trying to teach students how to control their powers and not to go around killing people."
"Ben, a thought - how many children of this are born of villains do you think there usually are, who also are powered themselves to a degree that can be dangerous at any given time? Six or seven would be a more usual load. As far as teaching - yes, you get everything. Powers, ethics, math, science - wouldn't be much of a school otherwise."
"I assume it will be more independent study kind of classes given the spread in ages and former education? I was pretty much done with my formal education until college at home, just getting some additional tutoring in physics."
He smiled at that news and continued playing, just enjoying the pleasure of it until some of the others arrived and things got down to business. Ben didn't remember reading a file on this Carver so he wondered if he was an older, retired Super who was now teaching or if his parents had just never met him.
The boy made his way into the room, pausing for a moment as he let the music flow through him, smiling faintly. Listening in to the early exchanges, he softly approached to inveigle himself.
"I'm more intrigued by biology and nature, personally. I'm going by Lamar here. Only ever been homeschooled prior to this, although the teacher was rather thorough. Forgive me if I'm not up to speed with the etiquette that would otherwise be taken for granted in an educational institution."
“Can’t tell you about everyone else, but my main etiquette is an open mind, and a mouth asking questions. If you merely sit back and listen, no use for you.”
The other boys, and one more they hadn’t seen, file into the room. The two they had already met finding a chair and sitting. The last they had not seen leaning in a corner.
He left off playing as the rest of the guys came in, closing the piano and turned on the bench to watch the group as he waited for the meeting to begin.
“Look, sorry about the knock to the noggin last night. That got out of hand. Should have gone smoother. Part of the beginning of a very long night.”
Up close, it’s obvious that wherever she was last night, it’s got her dirty. There is smoke residue and grime on her that it looks like she has yet to bother to clean off.
"Don't care about the hit. I train harder than that with dad all of the time. Don't like being held here against my will but it is what it is. I don't hold it against you." he said with a shrug.
"I would like to be kept up to date on what is happening with my parents and communicate with them if I can. I also need to call the attorneys about arrangements for our employees."
“Tell you what, Ben. You get me your attorney’s information, I’ll pass it to my attorneys, we’ll get them talking and see what we can arrange on the employees. Mine have some not inconsiderable direct experience in matters like this. As far as your parents, as soon as I know more you’ll know it too. I am having a running inquiry set up on your behalf with Eidolon. I’m trying to see about arranging whatever conversation time I can get for you. It’s tricky, but I have them working on it.”
"Thank you, I would appreciate that. The business employees are professionals and will find work with another real estate firm but our staff at home have been with us for a long time and I want to make sure that they are compensated." he said and pulled out his phone, showing her the attorney's number so that she can put it in her phone.
A rather slight girl who is somehow hard to look at, as if a computer glitch was running across her every once in a while, walks in ...
Followed by three other girls.(the pcs)
Already in the room are five boys: these three ... As well as the two PCs
Mariel is standing talking to Ben, and at least Cadance is pretty sure she looks like she hasn’t slept and is covered in smoke grime and rubble dust, so she can make a good guess where she has been.
Cadence was following right behind Dash... That was her name? Dash? Dash... Okay... and pretty boy was making fun of her stutter? Seriously? That's a thing?
She leaned forward to whisper to her. "Remember what I said. Own the moment. Give 'em the finger like it doesn't matter."
She was part of the parade. Her eyes went over the boys and others in the room. Anne's eyes fell upon the lady in the dirty clothes and compared dirt spots on her own clothing. Though she said nothing.
She looked around to find a good spot to take a seat. She wanted to be able to see people so that she wouldn't have to crank her neck. She also tried to pick a seat where she wouldn't have to touch anyone while listening to the whatever they came to hear.
The motion of new people entering the room draws his attention from Mariel and he nods in the direction of what must be the female students of this misfit boarding school. Ben didn't hear what the long haired guy said but picked up on the sudden tension and frowned.
The girl was small, standing maybe 5 feet tall, and scrawny. She look young - too young for this school, maybe 12 or 13 - or maybe she was just small for her age.
Since the long haired boy seemed not to notice her at all, she decided to take the opportunity to quietly circle around behind him, then lean in real close to his ear and whisper something.
The final boy was very much on the small side, but there was a weightiness behind his eyes that belied his youthful appearance. He looked immaculately well-groomed for the moment, but didn't appear to be acting like it. As the long-haired sloucher put his foot in his mouth, he rolled his eyes and gave a small, almost disappointed shake of the head. With everyone some flavour of powered and more than a little on the naughty list, was it really a good idea to bray out objectifications with people making their first impressions? Ah well. You do your own time, as the old advice went.
The boy definitely looks taken quite aback, giving a ‘what the hell’ look to the strange scrawny thing, from his point of view, that crept up to him.
“Geez, eat a burger Gollum!”
He looks at her again.
“Make that two.”
He does, however, look definitely creeped and off balance, with the look of a cats whose mouse has suddenly turned on him.
Meanwhile, before he turned, Dash did flip a bird. A very small one. Perhaps a goldfinch in the realms of singular digital expression, towards the selfsame individual. But it was done. And flowed by an equally small hint of a smile.
Meanwhile, Mariel looks up, noting the tension, and her eyes narrow, but she seems to be holding back, watching to see how the room resolves itself, and who does what, but ready to move. She also makes a subtle hand motion towards the other teacher in the room, holding him back.
Long hair speaks again.
“Fine, whatever, dudes. ‘Hhadassha. Happy?”
Finding himself the uncomfortable center of attention in the room.
Although he seemingly did put more emphasis than needed on the ‘h’ and ‘s’ sound.
The jock looking one rolls his eyes at him. The other boy(not PC) shrugs his shoulders, shakes his head, and sidles towards one of the chairs. They did not seem entirely impressed at his ‘bravado’.
Last edited by Art in the Blood; Sat 22/08/2010:06 UTC.
The, as of yet, unnamed girl walking with Dash also smiled at the gesture.
"There ya go," she said quietly. "That's you taking back your own self... even in small steps."
Cadence's eyes tracked Peri first. All of that seemed out of place, dissonant even. The girl was a dormouse in the girl's common room, lamenting her lack of shoes and letting everyone know that she was poor and hungry... in words and actions. But now? She goes on he offensive. (well, maybe that wasn't the right analogy- she did speak up and had no issues with talking) Something didn't add it up. Cadence didn't know what that was, but caution was in order. These people weren't her friends and it was important to remember that.
Cadence pointed to a sofa where they could sit together, and let dash guide her. She leaned closer to the girl to whisper, "Dash or Hadasha... which do you prefer?"
Others were introducing themselves, and cadence watched and listened, and even smiled.
She followed where Dash and Cadence went, settling down in a chair near the sofa and shrinking back into herself a bit. Whatever burst of bravery or whatever it was that made her do what she’d done, it had vanished as quickly as it came. She did reach over and pat Dash gently on the arm to reassure her that she was still in her corner.
“Peri,” she said, picking at the skin next to the nail of her left index finger.
She took a chair where she wouldn't have to sit against anyone, or even too close. She listened to people give their names and watched. She seemed to be memorizing faces and names.
"You can call me Anne," she offers with little explanation. There were clearly many more pieces of information to be gleaned, but she wasn't forthcoming at the moment.
Well, there was a familiar face, well-meaning at least if friendly was going too far. A brief nod of acknowledgement, for she had been as good as her word so far, as he settled in to await the beginning.
Cadence appeared to be the last to be identified publicly. She figured if she didn't name herself, someone else would do it for her. That thought came with a glance to the 4 elders in the room now.
Looking at Grey, she complied with the expectations of proper behavior.
"Known as, going by, and you can call me... Cadence, because that's the name on my birth certificate."
He sat on the piano bench next to Mariel, his attention on all of the new students that had introduced themselves as he tried to put names to faces to remember for later. They had a bit of an age spread as well, although you couldn't always judge a book by its cover with people that had powers. Norton looked like a tool and was probably the source of the tension he had picked up on as he spoke with Mariel.
The girls looked to be an interesting group, from waif to messy model. The last girl was striking! At least this school wasn't like a few of the boarding schools from his youth. He didn't mind an all boys school but it was nice to have some girls to talk to so that the testosterone levels didn't get too much.
He sat back to wait and see what the administrators had to say.
“I’d like to start off offering apologies to those new here. The night was rather busy. Most of us only returned long after you were asleep and one just drove up an hour ago. Unfortunately that means we didn’t have time to provide the amenities we should have. We will correct that shortly. After we’re done here, sometime today, if you get us your sizes and needs we’ll get things sorted out. Now, some introductions, although many of you have already met some of us. I’m Martin Kemp. In my earlier days I was known as Black and Blue. I’m the principle and chief administrator of this institution. I also teach several courses from history to math - and physical activities and combat. Over there is Dr. Mariel Saraceno, also known as Phase. She will be teaching field control, physics and aiding in several other hard sciences. Please be gentle with the furniture here. It’s actually her house. Over there is Mary Thomas, otherwise known as Grey. She is counselor, for those who have need, as well as teaching psychological and social sciences. And over there is Mr Carver, Also known as Amp, specializing in Biological sciences.
And lastly we have Dr. Eric Sanderson also known as Null. He will also teach many of the sciences and we could call it ‘practical applied technology’.”
“Of course, broadly, we will all be aiding in teaching many subjects.”
Last edited by Art in the Blood; Tue 25/08/2000:33 UTC.
“Full credit. I say that as the first graduate from before we had that, when I had to fight for my place. We have placed past graduates in varying colleges, including MIT and Harvard, as well as many other colleges.”
She leaned forward just a smidge, as her grandmother used to call the measurement between a pinch and a drop, a dash and a tad rounding out that home style cooking system. So, just a smidge forward to peek around dash and cast a sidelong glance at Ben.
"Seriously?," she whispered softly to Dash. "Accredited? Like this is the Prep school for Villains... next stop... Harvard or the Black Hole."
College, hm? It was an option, but probably a correspondence course rather than attending one. Then again, that was all up in the air and down the road, with the opportunities offered by powers seeming far more prominent. Education was not to be neglected, but that didn't make it a primary focus.
"There isn't a university for the Powered yet. Might be an interesting expansion opportunity. But shall we return to this year as opposed to future speculation?"
"What are the rules of conduct here. Are we allowed off campus? Visitation of relatives or such. The usual spiel please so we know what is going on." he said to Mariel.
If there’s one thing life had taught her, it was that everything had a price. All those teachers. The food. Electricity. Water. None of it was free. She was used to managing the bills in her family, or else they wouldn’t get paid.
“Um... Do you have a list of how much we’re going to owe, including a, um, estimate of fees and extras and penalties and all that?”
On more than one occasion, she’d had her lunch snatched out of her hands and thrown away in front of her because she owed her school too much money. She vividly remembered the shame of sitting down with a single slice of cheese between bread, and an apple. Everyone instantly knew what that meant, and even in a school where more than half the students got free lunches the people with ‘alternative lunch’ were the lowest of the low.
She didn’t want to think about what the alternative was in this school. Fail to pay, get sent to the Black Hole?
“I’ll answer that one. While you will be presented with a more thorough document which I am not going to try to read out here, I will boil down the essence of the rules for you. Respect the teachers. Respect each other. Expect, in broad strokes, that the same things that wouldn’t be allowed of you in any other school will not be allowed here, although in some areas things may be less formal, and in areas regarding use of your abilities ... more formal. Many of you have the capacity to harm others. You may have noticed that your abilities are somewhat dampened here, at least in externally manifested ways. We also will notice when you use those abilities in a strong way.”
He pauses a moment.
“As for family visits, it highly depends on the family. If they are not determined to be a danger, your uncle Frank from Centreville will be allowed visits. We are unlikely to bring in parents who are imprisoned, and visitation there is under the purview of the prison. We’re still setting up parts of the calendar, but it is likely to be weekend visits or similar for those who have been cleared. As for visits outside, we will have to play that one by ear. Unsupervised, no - for obvious reasons. Some of you are very skilled at making yourself scarce. But will it happen in some form? Likely.“
He turns to Peri.
“As far as costs ... that somewhat depends on you. Right now, contingent on overall behavior and effort, an ... ‘anonymous donor’ has all of you on scholarship. Several past graduates and other anonymous donors have made grants to the school - but that is by no means required. This is no money making operation. To put it another way, some costs to you may accrue, but they will be minimal, presuming you take your time here seriously. You want more in depth on that, see Dr. Sorensen later. She has an accountant that can give you the broad details.”
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Ooc note: I’m not necessarily waiting for a full round of posts every time before answering so I don’t have to do too many mega posts. On the other hand, before going too many times, let’s make sure everyone gets in. For example, Pande this time around
She listened. The talk of money made her wonder exactly what her own status was. She had a fund of cash to operate out of, but that was back at the house. Given how her mother was viewed, was she suddenly poor? She didn't even know what that looked like? At least that was put off for now.
Interesting that they knew if powers were used. It made sense, but she wondered how they knew?
For now she listened and acknowledged the instruction. It was all new to her.
"I'm all for skipping visitation with the 'rents. You can just take my timeslot and share it with the others, 'kay? But now, on the other thing... All Y'all do realize that minimal costs or not... some of us have no money at all, right?"
And not one to be overly modest nor unwilling to say something for the shock value of it, Cadence continued.
"Aside from the leash here," she said as she raised her leg and pointed to the device wrapped around her left leg, just above the ankle, "I got nothin'... no money, no clothes, no nothin'. Everything I have, ya'll gave to me last night. Sweet Lord of Mercy, I'm not even wearing my own panties right now..."
She shrugged, "I mean, I tried an' all... but those damn leather pants were so freakin' tight that my undies were just bunchin' up..."
"You know what I'm talkin 'bout ladies... right here at the hoohah," she added with an knowing arch of her eyebrow and circumspect point toward her lower body.
"...and it was serious chafing... Somethin' had to give."
Now, maybe all of that was amusing to some around her, especially the boys, but the humor in it wasn't reflected from Cadence by choice or design. Maybe she was just highlighting a certain absurdity in trying to normalize someone like herself as though she were just an ordinary girl.
"I don't say all this to be disrespectful. It is what it is, and I'm not looking for sad eyes, Ms Grey. I'm here because you didn't like my option, so I said I'd play by all the rules, and I meant it. Ask the Doc over there. I haven't even touched my power since... not even to test his gizmo... What I'm sayin' is this... If there's a cost we have to pay, then I guess I'll need a job... Maybe some help with a resume too."
She then focused her attention on Lady Grey. If there was anyone in the room who had a chance of understanding Cadence it was her, and maybe Cadence needed to test the woman's commitment to her calling.
"Is it okay to put Destroyer of Worlds under previous employment?"
"'Destroyer of worlds'. I like it." affirmed the boy. Turning back to Kemp, "I hereby formally request visitation rights with my known parent, as and when that becomes possible, cognisant of the risks involved and concomitant negotiation with relevant external interests. I fully accept needing to remain indoors on account of being a literal flight risk. Whilst I'm here in good faith and do not intend to abuse the trust accorded to me, I'm not going to insist on that being all that is necessary. I did notice the dampening, such as it is. I'm curious as to its nature, be it a Power or a machine, but I recognise that's probably need-to-know for everyone's continued safety. Any classes covering ethics and philosophy in a Powered world? Is tutelage available in specialised subjects with only one or two students involved, or is there a minimum class size to warrant a course being taught?"
He sat quietly and listened to the others speak, trying to get a feel for the person behind the words. It seemed a lot of them had been in difficult situations and that this "academy" might actually be a godsend for them. For that he was happy for them. Ben had always been blessed with parents that provided everything he had needed or wanted and he knew that he had had it good. That one girl over there, the shy one, seemed like she hadn't had a decent meal in ages.
So perhaps this place might have a benefit to society if it kept some of the children of powered individuals from desperate actions to keep food on their plates and clothes on their backs. It was but a temporary restraint for him and while he chaffed at it, he hoped that the others got a second chance.
She nodded in agreement with Cadence, at least until she started talking about underwear and chafing - then she turned a truly spectacular shade of red and covered her face with one hand.
She was silent on the subject of visiting family. Her only family was her father, and she didn’t expect he wanted to see her.
Mariel smiles and covers her mouth at Candence’s comment.
Grey:
“Cadence, when we say minimal costs, we mean minimal. Can’t guarantee that through the entire time here there will be no costs. Lawyers would be quite cross with me if I did. However, you will have clothing. You will have food. You will have what you need to learn. You will be given opportunities to earn money. What you will not do is leave here in debt with no way to pay it off. That would serve no one well. Your primary cost is to be paid in sweat equity. In learning and self-improvement. In leaving here and not going to that dark place that puts you in the pit. That applies to all here, regardless of means. And perhaps instead of “Destroyer of Worlds” one might want to try instead “Planetary Renovation Expert” Tends to sound better, if perhaps having less dramatic flair.”
Kemp looks over at Lamar:
“We will see. That is liable to be difficult. I think that any such visit, were it to happen, could not be unsupervised. As for ethics and Philosophy, that is in the realm of Grey. For specialized classes we have many topics covered between us, but if there is something unusual, we will see what we can find. Carver here, for example, can teach music should any have interest. Minus certain topics, this is less classrooms and blackboards than seminars and group testing.”
She listened and considered. Yes life was different. She wondered if Nyx survived. Well of course she did. The real question is what was she going to do about it? Would she even care if her daughter had gone? Would she feel free and thus not risk anything to get her back? Anne hoped that was the case.
Money was something Anne had never had to deal with, short of paying for things because she could. The new found freedom such as it was, came with many responsibilities. She imagined that was probably the first and most important lesson they would try and teach them. Power without responsibility was what her mother was, that was clear.
He waited a while, but it seemed like most everyone else preferred to sit back passively, listening and keeping their own counsel. So, he spake up again,
"Has similar provision been made for the children of powered heroes as well? The corollary to 'the children of villains can be led away from villainy' seems obvious, and the unwanted end result of non-intervention potentially the same in both cases. If so, any thought to interscholastic competition?"
She started to zone out a little. Accreditation. University acceptance. Freaking interscholastic competition. These boys might as well be from a different planet, their priorities were so different from hers.
All she could think about was her dad, the tremors getting worse, his grip on reality starting to slip. Give it a few more hours and he’d start hallucinating. What would the cops do to him if he started screaming nonsense, swatting at things they couldn’t see? He was not going to be okay. Nothing was going to be okay. He was going to die there, and she’d failed him.
A tsunami of anxiety crashed over her, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She had to get out of there. There were too many people, using up all the oxygen in the room.
She stood up abruptly, muttered “sorry, bathroom”, and walked briskly out of the room, trying her very best to keep the panic from showing.
Once in the hallway and out of eyesight, she began to hyperventilate, tugging at the collar of her shirt and scratching at her neck and collarbone.
Cadence tried to listen to others. Her own question or questions might have sounded sarcastic, but in Cadence's mind they served a couple purposes, keep walls in place and highlight that this wasn't a normal world, despite the best efforts of the elder Hero types. A+ for effort, but there was a cynical side that reminded Cadence that these Heroes didn't really know what do do with teens and kids like her, and Dash... and Anne and Perri and even the boys... although most of them were more concerned about the cafeteria food and whether or not there would be interaction with the outside world... or team sports with hero kids. Umm... this was prison... jail maybe. The Heroes didn't really know what to do with them, and this was the only solution they had. Something that looked like it hoped to be somewhere in between high school and prison. But, make no mistake this was a detention facility... with fluffier pillows.
Maybe some of these kids didn't really belong here, like Peri. A victim of her circumstances it seemed. Maybe this was exactly what Peri needed. Maybe it was better than what she had. Hard to tell what was true about any of them though. Hard to read them when most everyone spent their short lifetimes keeping their truths hidden. But Cadence was the thing that balanced some of the others out. She had done real harm. She had hurt people. She had killed. She had chosen to kill. Grey thought she saw something in Cadence, and maybe there was, but Cadence tried to be very clear. She didn't believe she deserved mercy. She did what she did because she didn't see another way out. When you make decisions like that, where the math is more important than the reality of the faces of those on the wrong side of the equation, a piece of your heart grows cold goes a part of your soul goes cold. But if you can't make those choices when faced with the insanity of Nyx, and evil of Alchemy... you end up losing everything and everyone. You end up standing in a line, like a wall of defiance, unable to fight, frozen in place because your moral codes refuse to allow you to recognize that Evil uses your moral code against you, forces you to make choices and when you can't be pushed any further, evil makes the choices for you and you end up saving no one. Even if you recognize that evil will not fight by the same rules as you, because that is why evil is called evil, hen the chaos that ensues in your own heart, breaks and tears and claws at your soul. If you aren't strong enough to fight that, then you never will be able to fight evil on your own terms, even if it's a losing battle. You end up having to make a choice. You end up having to do the math.
What did Grey hope she could do in Cadence's case? Foster that kind child to re-emerge. Cadence hadn't lost that. She was kind and funny and sweet, and just wanted to be a cheerleader and go to Prom this year... but the darkness that surrounds her like a storm can only be held in check for so long. She was turned into a weapon and one side or the other was going to wield her as such. There was no middle ground.
Watching Peri get up, in a state of panic, and run for the bathroom with just two words was hard but it was understandable. I mean, it was pretty clear she was boxed in and it hit her suddenly. Or it was finally drowning her and she couldn't read water anymore. Cadence closed her eyes and sighed. The door to the hallway closed and Cadence stood up and shrugged in a feigned regret, "Me too... Potty break."
Passing Anne, in her chair, she mouthed the words, "I got it."
She exited the room and found Peri, up against a wall, not that far from the door, but she didn't say anything, just let the door close and leaned up against it. Peri had to fight this, and only when Peri acknowledged that Cadence was there would Cadence have permission to be there.
The young boy brought up an interesting question that he had thought of before. How did the so-called "good" supers deal with their children? Did they all have an academy where they were taught the 'proper' ethics and attitudes, how to pose and deal with the press and how to use their powers? Or was it more like his own parents who mentored him themselves, not trusting anyone else to mold their child in the ways of the world. The adults answers might be interesting indeed.
However that answer was delayed by the poor waif's need to leave. It was obvious that stress was getting to her. Ben didn't know what environment she had come from but he guessed that it hadn't been as nurturing and stable as his own and a part of him felt for her. No kid deserved to have a rough life but it was just the way of the world he guessed. Still, a big group meeting like this was going to be overwhelming for someone like her and that indicated to him that the 'educators' of this academy were flying by the seat of their pants and really had no idea what they were doing when it came to young kids.
As one of the older teens he felt a responsibility to go check on her and see if she was okay but the "hoohah" girl beat him to the punch and headed out quickly. That was probably a better idea anyway. Peri might respond better to another girl trying to help her than him.
"Might be a good time to take a break and let everyone get some breakfast and unwind." he suggested quietly to Mariel next to him.
She watched Peri head out and then Cadence. She felt sympathy for Peri but really didn't know what to do about it. She had no experience with that kind of emotion. She had been taken care of such as it was. Her interpersonal relationship was mostly adversarial.
grey looks over to Martin for a moment wordlessly, he nods, then she speaks. ‘We have a breakfast table set up in the next room, get what you want and we’ll meet back here in forty minutes. We haven’t forgotten your questions, and we’ll get to them when we come back.”
Then her eyes go distant for a moment and she nods, after exchanging a brief look with each of the three adults.
Her head felt full of static, and everything around her seemed like she was observing it from the bottom of a pool. Distant, muffled, distorted. Her fingers were starting to tingle, a sensation of numbness spreading from her extremities upward into her chest - which held her frantically beating heart. She was getting lightheaded and unsteady on her feet, so she slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor. She didn’t even really notice her own tears.
Breathe, Peri, breathe. Freaking the hell out isn’t going to help Dad. It’s not going to help you. So just breathe. Slowly.
In...
Out...
In...
Out...
It took her a while to calm down enough to realise she wasn’t alone. When she did, she offered Cadence a wan half smile.
When she was ready to speak, she said two words. “Interscholastic competition”
Then she burst into a fit of giggles at the absurdity of two rival schools - one of villains’ children, the other of heroes’ children - in an epic clash on the field of... soccer? How would that sort of thing even work?!
A fair enough reason for a break, all things considered. He'd definitely hold them to their word on the questions, the probing jibes and even the absurdities were not just for his amusement, but all of them establishing the shape of things, not just where ther lines to draw between were but also the size of the page and the book.
As much as she hadn't eaten in quite some time, she really didn't feel hungry. It was likely the emotions roiling around in her body were probably responsible for her lack of appetite as anything tangible. She didn't move immediately almost as if she were still moving in slow motion.
Yet she would go through the motions and maybe some fruit and another hot tea.
He got to his feet and headed into the other room to see what there was to eat. Ben suspected that he was greatly going to miss Mrs. McGillicuddy's sourdough french toast and irish scones.
She didn't know what she expected, but she hadn't expected to be stopped on the way to breakfast. Her eyes widen ever so slightly as she looks the woman over dressed in similar dirt and soot as Anne's own clothes are. "Yes, I am Anne," she acknowledged.
“C’mon. Lets get a bite. I know I missed dinner - I suspect you did too. Long night. I feel like someone put me through a cement mixer.” She crinkles her nose and offers a raised eyebrow.
Leaning with her back against the door, and one leg raised to brace the sole of her foot against the door as well, Cadence replied in her easy drawl, all southern belle charm, "Yeah... Like that Disney movie on TV, the one with the kids who were children of famous Villains... They get picked for a second chance to go to school with Hero kids... and there's singing... a lot of singing."
She smiled in a conspiratorial way, as if this was a nefarious plan being hatched between them. "But if I have to sing, I get to be Maleficent's daughter, 'Kay?"
“Guess we should meet up with our teammates to prepare for the big championship match against the Unicorn Prep White Hats. Glad we got Dash on our team.”
A momentary serious look.
“We have to look out for her. She’s our star running back, or whatever. I just want to go and wash my face first. Red and blotchy isn’t a great look.”
Cadence smile grew wider but thinner, as if she were trying to suppress a laugh. She pushed off the wall and gestured down the hall.
"We passed a bathroom on the way down from our rooms," she said as she led the way. With a hop and a skip, as though it were part of some choreography, she started to sing a song that was probably familiar enough to Peri if she had seen Descendants. That was like 5 years ago, when Cadence was 12 and life was different and it was fun and simple and boys were just becoming interesting... well, maybe not the ones in her school, but she had posters of celebrity boys on her walls. Ursula's daughter, hmmm... Uma,,, Descendants 2... and 3.
In the end they are redeemed... imagine that.
Cadence skip and hop led to her impression from memory of Mal's dancing through the streets and alleys of the Isle of the Lost as she sang the chorus from the first movie.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall Who's the baddest of them all? Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world
I'm rotten to the core, core Rotten to the core I'm rotten to the core, core Who could ask for more? I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the I'm rotten to the core
Call me a schemer Call me a freak How can you say that? I'm just... Unique!"
Oh, how she practiced all those songs, all those dances. She was on her school's dance and cheer teams. Last year was her junior year and she had made the varsity squad, and this year she was going to be one of the Captains of the squad. She could dance... and she was a fairly good singer, maybe good enough to be part of a church worship team in a small Texas town. She stopped at the women's rest room door, opening with one hand so Peri could enter. She would follow her in.
"I haven't had much other than a cup of tea. Didn't feel like eating much to be quite honest." She shrugged. "The healer took care of some of my aches and pains. Though..." her voice stopped suddenly. She realized that this was a different kind of a place. Nyx would have said to keep her mouth shut, which she clearly hadn't. Maybe it was time to be circumspect. Everyone she had dealt with in her life before wanted something. She suspected that hadn't changed. Keeping her own counsel might be better than some other choices. Even though she knew she could heal instantly, the cost was too high for someone else. She just couldn't do that even when Nyx demanded it of her.
Mariel smiles a bit. “Don’t worry, Anne. Not going to ask you for anything you aren’t ready to give. But you had better eat. Even getting healed takes a lot out of you, and you need to put it back in.
Carver walks near Lamar and Ben.
“So, what sort of things you think you might be most interested in studying?”
"I have finished up all of my classes for university. I was just doing additional work in physics of course." he said with a shrug as he looked over what was offered for a meal.
“Biology, natural history, and probably a bit too niche but worth asking, the origins and physiology of kaiju. Economics, business studies, psychology, civics. Law, architecture, history of powered individuals. Possibly dabbling a bit in medicine, though that’s probably a ways down the line. I’ve got time. I’m used to a fairly intensive ‘course load’ such as it was.”
He kept his face largely neutral for the moment, not unnaturally so, just not particularly expressive.
"Whoa, that is a pretty advanced load for someone who looks your age. So....are you older than you look or advanced mind?" he asked, looking at the boy who looks about 13 years old.
Was the succinct and entirely unhelpful answer, left hanging there, backed up by a mischievous, eye-glinting smile. After just enough of a beat, he clarified,
"In truth, I couldn't accurately tell you what my actual, chronological age was. A consequence of my power is certain biological processes really haven't had a chance to get much of a foothold. At the same time, I was raised and intesively schooled from my earliest days with no real regard for whatever the norm would have been, my mind continually tested and pushed to seek its level, which it turns out... Well, you've heard me speak. the face I wear and the words I say aren't a good match for most onlookers, as you just alluded to. I'm used to being pushed, I enjoy the challenge, and there's no real good indicator as to what age appropriate might actually be in the first place. So yes, a pretty advanced load is about right."
She’d seen it once at a friend’s place a few years back, but not more than that. Definitely not enough to know the lyrics or the choreography. For some reason her Dad had really not been a fan, and he’d change the channel every time it came on at home.
Despite that, Cadence’s energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and soon she was smiling and bobbing her head along.
She headed into the bathroom, then immediately headed for a sink. Turned the water on, watching it drain away for a moment before leaning in to splash her face a few times.
Cadence followed Peri, allowing the door to close itself. She went to the nearest stall to the sinks and accomplished the task for which she declared her departure from the parlor room. While sitting there, and hearing the water splash, she said one word aloud, as if calling it out to be heard over the running water.
"It's different, Lamar. But not as much as you might think. You aren't alone in having aging irregularities among those here. Part of the reason the curriculum to some degree is going to have to be individualized here. There is a vast diversity of experiences."
“Well, Ben, at least partly that is decided by one individual. You. Everything in life including this eventually comes down to your choices. Only you can make those, in the end. Hopefully you are prepared for a place in the world, which is ... mutually beneficial. Like our Mariel, for one. Still very much her own person. I would not want to try to tie her down. But her energies are directed and productive.”
“Your choice. If you prove to be ready, I am sure you would receive a recommendation to whatever university you are ready for. It is Grey’s motto, but it applies. Choice will make, or unmake you. And if that choice is education, then that is a choice to be supported.”
"Good, then when I turn 18 there is no longer any more legal hold on me than any other American citizen. Thank you. I needed to know to be able to plan."
At the last statement of Peri's reassertion that she didn't know she had powers, Cadence flushed the toilet and exited the stall. She didn't comment until she reached the sink. "It's all good, I'm the last one to share secrets. Not even my own..." The mirth was gone and shewas back to that neutral state of existence.
"We should be getting back... otherwise someone's gonna think we're escaping or something. Ya'll good now?"
"Oh, since you mentioned it, I am looking out for her... and you too."
When they reached the door to the parlor room, Cadence reached out to keep it closed a moment longer to the parlor room, and she added, "Be careful with a couple of those boys... Bullies don't like to be called out. Best to ignore them until you have to take them out. Right now, they know the house rules better than us and you've poked one of them in the eye... They might try to get you to do something that the warden won't like. Don't let them make choices for you. I've got you. Okay?"
He nods politely to the man and heads over to fill a plate for breakfast. Ben had questions about if there was an exercise room but that could be addressed later.
With Ben heading over for food, the boy gave Carver an appraising look, foregoing a poker face, not that his expressions were innately trustworthy either way.
"If slash when I am free to go, I intend to make full use of that freedom. Which, ultimately, boils down to trust, and a mutual understanding of lines not to be crossed. Might even be inclined to help out if the situations warrant it, but being hunted, being in a position where I would deserve to be hunted, is not something I want on my agenda."
She looked a little surprised, not really used to having other people look out for her. She didn’t respond verbally, just nodded a couple of times, then took a breath before re-joining the other students.
Cadence responded with a thin, crooked smile. She pulled her hand from the door, even though she wasn't really keeping closed. Peri entered first and Cadence followed her into the parlor room.There was another set of doors on the other side of the room, but no people.
"Ummm... This ain't creepy at all," she said warily. Of course her use of sarcasm was a mask. "I feel like I've had this dream before though... walking around school, and there's nobody there... and then suddenly I'm surrounded by people laughing at me... but usually I'm naked in those dreams..."
OOC- Art GM-posted that everyone was going to the next room over to eat.
He had a plate of food in his hand and turned to look around the room at the people that he would be spending the next six or so months with and noted the absence of the cute girl and the younger one she had gone after. Ben went back over to the door and opened it up into the parlor, poking his head inside.
"Hey girls, breakfast is in here." he said with a smile.
She looked at Mariel with an honestly baffled gaze, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. "I know things, having learned from tutors over the years. I can't honestly say what grade level I am at. Probably advanced from normal, but I am not sure that all the possible types of instruction were covered. I learned a lot about anatomy and biology. It tends to run in line with how I affect the world around me. That is possibly why food hasn't been a really big deal. I can eat, and do enjoy it, but I can also go without when it suits me. I assume I draw energy from other sources, though I haven't killed anyone with it, much to my mother's chagrin." She let the last slide out. Evidently she didn't want to keep as many secrets as she initially thought.
In the breakfast room though she obediently went over and got a plate. She wasn't shy about the food choices. If it was true, she would need to replace the energy she got in other ways with food. A little bit of everything ended up on her plate. Mostly she wanted another cup of hot tea.
So much food. It looked great. She took a bit of everything, but with lots of fresh fruit - a luxury that she had access to only rarely. As she went, she surreptitiously squirreled away packs of jelly, the odd slice of toast wrapped in a napkin, and other shelf-stable food, in the pockets of her jeans.
A muffin and a glass of milk, but first she had to make sure the milk was cold, really cold. and then sniff it. For all she knew it had already gone past its expiration date, or gone bad, or just smelled off. Cadence was particular about milk.
”Believe it or not, I get it, Anne. Take that as you will, but I understand.”
She looks around, then speaks loud enough to be heard.
“About another twenty and we get back together. Bring anything you like with you, but if you can keep it off the furniture I’d appreciate it. Don’t want to create too much work for the staff.”
“Works for me,” acceded the boy, a nod to Carver before staging a comprehensive raid on the food tables. It seemed that he had quite the appetite on him, though if that was an effect of his powers, a consequence of the time since his capture, or simply adolescent gluttony, it was impossible to tell at this juncture.
He glanced up from his repast as Mariel spoke, looked around for a clock, nodded acceptance and got stuck back in to the array of consumables before him.
His first plate tucked away, Ben got a fresh cup of coffee and a danish before heading back into the parlor as the time drew near. He sat back down on the piano bench and sipped the hot brew.
She ate in a calm and routine manner. It wasn't anything exciting to her, until she hit the strawberries. Fresh fruit had always been something the had enjoyed. Finishing her array of food, she cleared her dishes. Refilling her tea and grabbing more strawberries to go, she followed Ben back into the parlor.
Once he was done and tidied up after himself, he returned to the parlour empty-handed and resumed his seat. No distractions, just poker-faced focus on the matters at hand.
She doesn’t give any additional undue attention to Peri, not wanting to refocus attention on her unless she asks for it.
“All right. Opening back up here. First things first, well address a couple of unanswered questions ...”
She looks over at Lamar.
“Quite often the children of heroes are put into what more or less amounts to an apprenticeship. One on one with someone considered appropriate, or Alternately something like a magnet school. To be honest, it would be somewhat hard to set up that competition, largely because many of the parents of those children would be opposed. And as I think many of you might know there is little as stubborn as a parent with an idea. If an opportunity presents itself, we will see what happens.”
He nibbled on his danish and kept his peace, watching for Lamar's reaction. He had doubted that there would be anything like the scholastic debates that his old school had done. No, this was more about reconditioning the children of criminals before letting them back into society.
Cadence absently shook her head as Mariel talked about opportunities presenting themselves. She had 'zero' interest in the harebrained notion of powered teens squaring off against each other in some extracurricular ego masturbation. Probably best not to say that aloud. She really didn't want to socialize and wanted as little contact with other people as possible. The fact that she was settled into this dorm environment with everyone else in this room was 8 too many.
The best information had been gleaned when the incongruous question had been asked, given there was nothing entirely equivalent for those of more salubrious backgrounds and risking any child through deliberate proximity with powered criminals should be a flat out 'no'. But what it could reveal was which staff member had the best poker face, who was quickest to see the implications, and how willing they were to sugar-coat that 'no' into a 'maybe'.
"Those parents would be right. There are people in this room who have done heinous things, speaking with the certainty of being a person in this room. Powered or no, children are children, and some risks are beyond the pale. I'd wager that not one of the students here can freely walk out the front door right now without serious repercussions, and reformed or no, innocent or no, that's not a level of potential threat any parent would want their child to face. So, why isn't the answer a definite negative, given there's no direct equivalent and we're talking about juvenile dependents going into a risky situation?"
“Because there are various sorts of competitions. In person? No. On the other hand, there have been before remote quiz competitions, essay contests, video games - all manner of competitions that require no direct contacts. Something of that sort might possibly be on the table at some point. Are we going to arrange a football match on the lawn? No.”
Grey:
“I want you all to realize something - we are determined to give you every opportunity we can, give you a chance; but in the end, that is what this is, a chance. An opportunity to rise and be something other than what it is assumed you will become - in some cases by others, in some cases by yourselves. A chance that not everyone out there wanted to give. I’m not saying this to make you feel a sense of obligation. Obligation, duty, whatever you want to call it if it exists at all will only come from you and the choices you make. This is not a summer camp; it is not a game. There have been many victims created by your circumstances - I want to make sure that you are not just another on that list.”
She gives a brief look and a raised eyebrow to Lamar.
Kemp:
“No, Lamar. You can’t just walk off. You are at some level considered a danger, if a recoverable danger. You are restricted- and at some level, however relatively cushy, this is a substitute prison albeit one with a purpose other than permanent confinement and punishment. That in mind, however, we wish to be as creative as possible about giving some outlets where we can for normal activities for teens. Competitive sports for example”
He says drily.
“Is not happening. But as Mariel says, competition takes many forms and many Cary no risk.”
Last edited by Art in the Blood; Thu 03/09/2009:44 UTC.
"So let me get this straight. Even though I have never broken any significant law or used my abilities to harm anyone else, I am deemed a criminal for the actions of my parents alone?" he asked, shaking his head.
"You guys do realize that such an attitude by the authorities is likely to backfire, right?"
“You are considered a potential danger by them, yes. Fair or not, there it is. Things are what they are Ben, not what you might wish them to be. Laws are what politicians make them, not what I would wish them to be. You are considered a deadly weapon by the system. No argument you make to me, or to those sitting here with me is going to change that. It is not our choice. We do what we can with Things as They Are. Our desire is that system, for all it may be, does not chew you up and spit you out broken on the other side. If you want that system changed ... try writing to Eidolon. Your letters can join mine on his desk.“
"That is okay sir. You have been straight forward and provided me with the information that I need for my attorneys. I will try to be helpful here and make your life a bit less stressful."
He sat back and sipped his coffee. His father had taught him valuable lessons about many other things then just the use of his burgeoning powers.
She didn’t have any questions, so she just sat and observed silently - taking the measure of the other inmates in this nuthouse.
Lamar’s trying to talk people into a corner, probably to get a sense of what he can get away with. Ben’s asking pointed questions while being unfailingly polite. Making sure they know he’s not happy with his current circumstances, while making sure not to cross the line.
Those two would be trouble. Don’t get drawn in unless you can play the game as well as them, otherwise you’ll end up taking the fall.
The other boys had probably been here a while, so they weren’t asking too many questions. The long haired one thought he was a comedian, but nobody else thought he was that funny. Might be a way to deflect attention away from himself, but she wasn’t sure yet.
The girls...
Cadence. Saying and doing outrageous things to keep people at arms length, but you want her on your side.
Anne. Wary. Wounded. Didn’t seem to trust anyone, including herself.
Dash, quiet, low self esteem and little confidence. Still, there was strength there.
And then there was herself. Used to being the grown-up, being the responsible one. Now, away from the person she looked after, she felt adrift. They kept talking about the future and possibilities, but the future was never something she’d had the luxury of thinking about, at least more than a week or two in advance. College. Jobs. A life of her own. Her future had been an unbroken chain of days looking after her father, fighting against him to try to keep him alive for another day. One day at a time. That’s what they said in the booklet about drinking that she’d picked up from the lobby of the municipal library. She’d tried to get him to read it. He’d ripped it up and threw it on the floor.
She found the questions interesting in and of themselves. She had questions, but they weren't the kinds of questions she wanted to ask in public, possibly not even in private. Most of her life had been concentrated on how to make her the best form of whatever her mother felt at the time. It meant she learned a wide variety of things. To that end she had no idea what she should study or even try to explore. She had acted in reflex to keep herself alive, and it had left her with many identities, she guessed.
For now she remained quiet and listened. That was important. She watched th others. Ben would be trouble to the establishment, but would he be difficult to them? Tough to know from such a short meeting. No, observe and listen. Learning was key right now in all forms.
“You can still ask more questions, but first we get a few things out of the way. We’ll be doing a series of academic tests to figure out where you sit now, so we can set your academic lesson plans. These tests aren’t something for the records, nor something you need study for. It is just to get a baseline and figure out where your gifts lie. We will also be doing some careful exploration of your ‘powers’ to figure out some particulars there. Even if your interest is in not using them it is best to know what you are not using. General law regarding powered individuals and relevant history, as well as ethics will start right away.”
She pauses.
“Also, an account will be established and funded in your name, from which you can purchase various necessities such as clothing, and some luxuries. Computers and such will be provided.”
"Is the use of our powers for your testing mandatory? I have already been mentored extensively in my abilities by my parents and I would rather not have anything on the record." he asked, glancing at Mariel.
Hand lifted in a minor pacifying gesture, the boy sought to mollify those he’d pushed and tested.
“Thank you for your answers. I hadn’t considered remote, zero-contact activities against the disparate apprentices to be a viable option, thus I stand corrected and still have much to learn. I offer reassurance that I fully intend to take the opportunity offered, and have no plans to even attempt to leave. I am fully aware of what this is and of my status, and cannot in good conscience deny that status is merited. That said, while I relish the academic tests ahead, exactly how thorough do you intend to be with testing my powers?”
“That, Ben, is one of the things that we will be going over in “powered law”. Powers must be registered. Especially those which can be used with deadly intent. Off the record is no longer an option you have. It wasn’t really an option you had even before now, you just were skating under the radar. You have now appeared on the scopes and that sort of anonymity is no longer possible.”
He had an even and unperturbed voice.
He looks over to Lamar:
“At a minimum we will meet the standards necessary for registration - which is a convoluted area of law which can vary depending on category of power. So to some degree, until it starts it will be difficult to tell.”
Last edited by Art in the Blood; Fri 04/09/2002:13 UTC.
Testing of powers. Now that was a potentially relevant topic.
“How do you deal with cases where powers are completely unknown, even by the student?”
She could see how they’d get started with cases where the student had already begun to explore their abilities, but not how they’d approach it with her.
She had expected that they would want to know more about her and what she could do. She wasn't sure how that would play out, but she didn't have ot know yet. She would kill for her mother, she won't kill for them.
“Unusual, but not unheard of. Usually change causes manifestation - and if the manifestation is in a controlled environment, then perhaps we can ensure that it is not a painful one.”
Cadence sat quietly, eating small bites of the muffin in order to make it last and give her the appearance of business so she didn't have to participate or say something more troubling than her already established rebellious sarcasm. She listened well enough, even between moments of day-dreaming or void-like zone-outs.
Lamar was a super-genius type. He wasn't afraid to let everyone know either. Most super-genius types were that way. The sense of arrogance might not even be intentional, then again... in her biological mother's case, the intent was always to make sure everyone knew she was the smartest in the room and that everyone else was stupid and little more than minion material. That probably came from two factors- One, she was evil and evil sucked hard. And two, she was a sociopath and she really only could conceive of her own self interests as being important. Hopefully this Lamar character wasn't a sociopath because it didn't seem like they could null the 'Brainiac' thing.
And then there was Ben. Kinda cute, bordering on hot... but he was the perfect example of Privilege. He had money and an inflated sense of his influence. He made sure everyone knew he had money and access to lawyers. Sheesh, they've been very kind in trying to tell him he didn't have any of that right now. His grasp on smart things made him a candidate for a Brainiac type as well, and he sure liked to think he could spar with the Keepers of the keys about his rights. Hah! Maybe he actually needed to read the Freak Laws. Yeah, that's what people like her, before she knew she was a freak, called the rules that governed Freak City. Where she grew up, being a mutant or a super or powered, or whatever it was supposed to be called was all the ame thing... a freak. There weren't any in Gun Barrel City, which wasn't a city. It was barely a town. But it had a stoplight installed last year at the four way and new signal lights with fancy arms for the railroad tracks as well. Modern progress, right?
Whatever. Ben was in for a struggle if he couldn't get past the notion that he had any leverage about his constitutional rights. Even she knew that if you are powered and unregistered then you are automatically one step inside the villain category as far as the law was concerned. As for money, unless ben had a stash in his pocket, there was no money he was going to be able to get his hands on to pay his lawyers, who were probably laying low themselves. Sure, being on retainer for Villains probably made the Fed types real interested in digging through your life.
"Or, you can just get your butt kicked until you lose your shi... crap and then you explode... faster, but hurts more..."
Okay, so keeping her mouth shut was never going to be a workable plan.
In the back of her mind were the questions about her Mother's actions and if the Heroes had figured out what she had truly intended last night... Cadence was afraid to ask if Alchemy was alive. She tried to kill her, kill her so dead, so fast, that she couldn't shift herself to energy and then remake herself back into matter. All part of her plan, right? The Heroes would never hit her with enough force to kill her as long as she had the hostages. Cadence didn't even know who the hostages were, just a shield, that was the plan. They were always going to die. Did Alchemy survive it? She hoped she wasn't because, if not, things were going to get really bad, sooner rather than later.
A couple of those that had been silent now spake, which was an ideal time to back off and listen, and to take stock of all the others present. It was too early to make any judgment calls: Anything could be a front, a facade, a persona for the benefit of the authorities. By the same token, no-one, absolutely no-one, should be dismissed out of hand. This chamber was filled with Gods and Goddesses, and any last one of them could be as capricious as Loki, as feckless as Zeus, as murderous as Huitzilopochtli.
Take the Destroyer of Worlds for example. There was every chance that that wasn't hyperbole in the slightest. No-one save she had the truth of the matter. Peri, claiming powers unknown, had infinite potential in every direction. Ben, extensively mentored and off the record. Anne, a quiet one, which meant wariness was in order. Dash, so powerful that she couldn't even be seen properly, such that he might surreptitiously try a few other kinds of eyeball at some point. Norton, brave, foolhardy or potent enough to fling idle insults at another deity, reputed to heal. Paul, Torrance, the courtesy of those who had been around powers for a while. The teachers, all of them Powered, some still active duty by the look of it.
“When I tell you what is happening here, I want you to understand exactly where I’m coming from. You can try to say that I can’t possibly understand you. I was you. I was that monster in waiting. I was that thing which must be contained. The empowered daughter of the unmentionable. There was considerable debate what was to be done with me, I am quite lucky I had advocates who were more stubborn than I was. You need to realize that this is the good alternative. It isn’t a choice between this and your prior life. Your prior life no longer exists in any meaningful fashion. That may not be your fault. But fault or not, it is. It is the choice between being here or being in the System. You don’t want to be in the system. The system will either kill you or turn you into what they are trying to lock you away to avoid. You might not like it, you might not like this, or that. You might find it all so grossly unfair. But that is life.”
She pauses a bit more.
“If you aren’t Hannibal Lecter in a muzzle waiting to happen, then force them to recognize that.”
He sat and listened to the others, to Mariel and keep his peace. He had said all that he wanted to say and would now have to play the game until such time as he could be released or found a way out of here. There appeared to be nothing else to do for now but to make the best of it.
Cadence had no questions to ask. She felt like a spectator in her own life. No matter what the premise of this place was, be it an alternative school for troubled teens, a halfway house for delinquents, a place to put off making inevitable decisions, or a rehabilitation opportunity, Cadence recognized it as just another prison and she was a prisoner. She had been a prisoner for the last 8 to 9 months. Maybe she was a prisoner all her life, and she was simply nothing more than a time bomb ticking toward last night.
They refused the smartest course of action with regard to her and, from the coldest heart of logic, their decision to do so was probably going to be a mistake. Cadence had no desire to fight anyone. She had no desire to be the Villain, nor the hero. She accepted that she was a danger to the world around her. She was a danger to everyone in this place as well. But the place had a kind of null field going on, and they added the extra special gizmo to her leg to buy them time if things went wrong... and to try an figure out how she did what she did. But her powers were unicorn-like, and science could only offer theories for the things they believed to be true but couldn't see, nor touch, nor explain in any better way than to say... it simply had to exist because otherwise our math doesn't add up properly.
Could they actually hold her? Cadence wondered if that was a question they were asking themselves in hushed voices in rooms where science guy advised everyone else. What if she simply withdrew into herself and converted within? That's what biological parent did... It wasn't the hardest of the things she had mastered in those painful 8 months. Whatever... She wasn't interested in finding out. She accepted her captors terms when she surrendered because she didn't want to fight them for the illusion of freedom. Her old life was gone, as gone in as much smoke and rubble as the building she destroyed last night. Everyone she loved was dead, everything she knew was destroyed. Her Biological parent made sure there was nothing left for her to ever go back to. Cadence had been severed from her old life.
Turning 18 in the spring was meaningless to her. There was no place to go. Once the world figured out who she was and what she had done last night... Once the world could connect the figure on the hill in the cloak and mask with the blonde sitting tucked up into a sofa with borrowed clothes and bedhead then she would publicly wear her crime just like she privately wore it in her heart right now. But for the hear and now, the very same dynamic was about to play out as soon as somebody slowed down enough to watch the TV news and see the carnage from last night.
How many did she kill? She didn't know. Who were they? What were their names? Did they die as instantly as she hoped? Or did they suffer in agonizing pain as ... as Alchemy planned for them.
How could she force anyone to recognize anything different about her when she wasn't sure if she was on the path of a burgeoning sociopath? Yeah, following after her biological parent... or maybe she was this Hannibal guy in a muzzle... whoever he was. Cadence looked from Mariel back to grey who was surely gauging reactions of this group of troubled kids, trying to fathom who actually had a chance to climb out of he Hell that threatened to consume them. Could Grey sense the anger in Cadence? Anger buried and driven deep down inside as the only mechanism she has had for months and months to cope with what happened to her, what was done to her and now, what she had done? Could Grey see beyond the facade of the mask she wore, like porcelain doll, broken and abandoned, but bravely trying to appear sane and whole? Could Grey sense to storm inside her?
“Ok then. A few more points and we’ll adjourn. Well finish off the weekend letting you get settled and starting out some of the placement testing. Each of you will have a tablet in your room. That tablet will have access to a shopping portal and will have an account attached to it which will allow you to purchase various necessities. Clothing and the like. Naturally, it is not unfettered access to the outside. You also will have lunch provided around noon and dinner around six. You will have access to any of us if you wish to talk or ask. Ore individual questions. Although I think it’s possible Dr. Sorenson might try to catch some sleep. There is a library which you will have access to, and any of the facilities here save for the rooms behind the red door. Those are Dr. Sorenson’s. Please respect them.“
She sipped her tea which had started to grow cold. So many questions, but really no questions at all. So much of her life was over, and so much was what she had to make it. Unanswered questions like was her mother alive, couldn't be addressed in any satisfactory way. If she was alive, that was a problem. If she was dead, that was a problem in its own way. Would any of her family's money be available at all? Much was part of many different businesses, trust accounts, and even squirrelled away in monetary havens around the world. There literally was no place in the world that she couldn't access local funds. They didn't need to know that, and she certainly wouldn't tell them. Heck she didn't even know all of them, that she was certain.
If she had a private meeting with one of them, which, and why? What would she attempt to accomplish? Potentially she could see about getting access to her own funds so that the school didn't have to bear the brunt of her expenses. This was going to be her way into a whole new world, and she would do it as best she was able. Yes, starting with Mariel seemed like a good place. She didn't want to be the first one in though, she didn't want to seem desperate. In fact she wasn't. She wondered idly if her powers could be used to adjust the life of something inanimate, like clothing for example? She couldn't ever remember trying anything like that. It might be worth exploring. How far did her powers reach? Nyx could do many things, most of them harmful, but she never tried to be helpful. What if one did try?
A face faded into view behind the piano almost like something out of Alice in Wonderland, for now lacking a body. First a set of teeth, then a nose, then eyes, then the rest.
"Well hello handsome and musically inclined."
One eyebrow waggles. Its somewhat disturbing, however, when the source of a waggling eyebrow is a disembodied head.
He had been lost in the music when the voice came out of nowhere and startled him for a moment, not having heard anyone coming in. Ben looked up and then nodded to the new person.
"Hello, didn't see you there. But then I guess that is common for you." he said, resting his fingers back on the keys but not yet starting to play again.
"Oh, not uncommon. Harder to be seen than unseen. Have to make an effort to be seen. Being unseen? That is easy. Just don't think about it and 'poof'."
Bits of her face fade out of view momentarily then sharpen back into focus.
"Guess it has its benefits. I could be lounging around in my underwear and noone would know the difference."
"Oh, you are always invisible unless you concentrate. That must be inconvienent and dangerous since people don't know you are there and can't avoid running into you."
"Well. Yeah. Its also bad not existing half the time. For all you might wish you could blend into the wallpaper its no fun when you might as well be the wallpaper."
The face flickers and fades out momentarily before reappearing.
“Well, so they say. Leastways they seem to be treating me better then Enkidu did. You eventually grow tired of the needles, his hands, the fire in your veins. Hopefully we can avoid all of that rot. How ‘bout you?”
He winced at the name Enkidu. Ben had heard his parents talk quietly about that person in hushed tones, trying to keep it from their son as the years passed.
"Just got here today. I was already mentored by my parents in my abilities so there isn't much for them to do there. Just holding me here until I turn 18 I guess." he said with a fatalistic shrug.
"My parents are Darkstar and Blink. I inherited both of their powers so they taught me." he said. "I am still learning more about gravity, the underlying sciene behind it."
"Yes, I am. But I didn't know that my parents knew Enkidu much less associated with him. I have heard some stories but....ah...are you okay? I mean, you aren't in pain or anything are you?"
“Not as I’m aware. Or if I am, I’ve gotten so used to it that it’s just background noise at this point. But I think it’s safe to say it was either them or someone else wearing their jammies.”
"I am glad that you found sanctuary here then. I think a few of the other girls came here from a hard place. The new girls. I don't know if you have met them yet."
"Hey, thank you for the trust. The girls seem friendly enough if a bit shell shocked at the moment. Guys seem okay although I don't know the long haired guy."
"No, I had a fairly good upbringing. My father could be a harsh taskmaster but my parents love me and I had an excellent education so I can't complain."
He grinned at her.
"And you should never take away the mystery of the unknown."
“Eh. Probably nothing you would be interested in. Freckles everywhere. Connect the dots and you could draw a Picasso. Lucky me, I don’t have to deal with body image.”
(I meant this scene was to intro Blake and give Ben someone to play off of. Did you have something in mind, or if not I have a few other set pieces to do with Ben which can be slotted in)
At times like this, when he was lost in the music, he would find his thoughts drift into memories of old. Now they were of his earlier days when he had started getting his lessons in music from Mrs. Thatcher, a kindly older retired woman who had a great love of music after spending 40 years teaching children who had little appreciation for it. She had had a gentle demeanor, just right for teaching young children and very fond were the memories of his afternoon's after school in the music room of the Metropolis house. Music would fill the air and laughter often followed as she chided him on a missed keystroke with a gentle clucking of her tongue that reminded him of a bird.
The older man's voice broke his train of thought and Ben opened his eyes.
"She was quite talented at teaching a young boy to find enjoyment in music." he replied, a faint smile as he pictured her face.
“When I was your age, a piano teacher was not on my mind. East village New York in the 1920’s wasn’t visited by too many piano teachers. Couldn’t find too many pianos either. Sometimes I could sneak in to listen to a bit of Jazz. When you could find music, it was quite the escape. Didn’t learn to play myself until much later.”
He pauses a moment.
“If you want, I think I could arrange for a piano teacher to visit. I know someone.”
"I am always open to learning more but mostly I just play for the enjoyment. I never had the passion to pursue it as a career and besides, that was definitely not in my father's plans for my future." he said with a laugh, shaking his head as his fingers stilled on the keys.
"The 1920's huh? I guess extended life span is part of your abilities?" he asked, looking at the man.
“I haven’t aged now in a good fifty or sixty years, at least. Don’t know when or if I’m going to start up again. I guess I’m lucky it stopped after I grew up. Music has changed a bit over the years.”
“So music isn’t your interest. Mind if I ask, now that it is your choice, what is? One would almost think law, from listening to you ...”
His face made it clear he was joking.
“But I seem to hear you has expressed some interest in physics.”
"I have had the benefit of being around a number of lawyers at the firm so I guess I picked up enough to get myself into trouble with. But no, Law is not what I am interested in. Physics is more to get a better understanding on the basic forces of the universe of which gravity is one and so I attain a better understanding of my power."
He shook his head.
"Frankly, I am not sure what will catch my final passion yet. I know that my father had high hopes of me taking over the company when he chose to retire or was forced to but it will be gone now by the time that I am out of here. I plan on attending Harvard and seeing what does intrigue me."
“So no plans then? We could expose you to different fields and see what clicks?”
He pauses a moment longer.
“If you do as well as I suspect you are going to on your placements, might you be willing to help in tutoring some of those that haven’t had that advantage? Many might benefit from that, possibly I think including you. It’s not a requirement, naturally. Just something to think about.”
"Of course. We did that at the boarding school as well, helping tutor the lower classes. That would be fine." he agreed and then smiled.
"I do understand what you are doing by the way. Trying to invest me in the place to encourage me to get the most out of it. Just because I dislike the attitude of the law in making me accountable for my parents crimes doesn't mean I don't appreciate your effort, especially for those who haven't been as fortunate as I was."
“My only goal here is that you come out the other end productive and successful. I have more the mindset of an engineer, concrete and rebar, and deal with what is in front of you, and make sure that is as sound as possible.”
“I had to think about it for a while, but Dr. Sorensen has requested permission to have Grey brief you on the charges and details of the case surrounding your parents. She has the most direct connections and can supply you with the details that have been released. She said that it may perhaps interest you, although, Ben - I suspect there are going to be details of it you might not like much.”
Sitting there on the piano bench, Ben met his gaze with a steady look.
"It is no secret that my parents have committed crimes both in the pursuit of furthering their business empire as well as for the thrill of it. The power. It was an act of hubris for father to think that it wouldn't catch up someday but then again I guess he knew it would happen and that is why he prepared for it like he did. He left me a letter telling me to go out and forge my own life now and I would have if it had just been him but my mother...." he stopped, sighing quietly.
"I couldn't just leave her behind. Them behind. They are family after all." he said softly.
"Laudable. Just remember, you are likely to see things in there you don't know about. That I don't think they ever told you. You might not like some of it very much. But I don't think tis right to keep that information from you."
"If I like it or not, I still need to know what the government accuses them of and thus, by proxy, what they hold against me. Thank you for the information."
He got to his feet, closing the piano.
"And with that I think I am going to head off to the commons. I assume that we will get a tour tomorrow and that there is some type of exercise equipment here? I work out in higher G so I will need to use my power for that if it is allowed."
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