How Strange This Strangeness(open)

[Vincent Fairchild]

A mandatory meeting...This would be logical if you consider an influx of new members to a school such as this one. However, I find it difficult to understand what reason there is for everyone attending...Surely they can not expect us to believe that this meeting is meant for all of us to know all of each other...That's illogical. If these were normal circumstances it would just be the new students, and the prefects or some other form of school officials. That way they would be able to answer questions, and manage the students in an easier way. Instead they have crammed most of the student population, excluding those who have due cause not to attend, inside of the auditorium. That is highly disorganized...Coupled with the fact that this is meant to be a "meet and greet," that seems almost peculiar itself. Why would they force every student to do something that would be done naturally either way? 

His thoughts were very focused and direct. Though he paused the internal analyzing of this situation for the simple fact that it crossed his mind that someone may be listening. It seemed unlikely that someone would not only be able to pick his thought process out of this large of a crowd, but also focus enough on him to determine that he was distressed by this. It certainly wasn't showing on his face while he sat in the corner alone, with his knees to his chest. His countenance remained as stoic and calm as usual, almost like he was simply piecing together a puzzle on a quiet afternoon. Vincent had not spent much time at the academy before he was directed to the auditorium for this meeting. He had just enough to place his things in his room, walked around for a short period of time, and then make his way in this direction. The individuals who directed him were not as friendly as he would have hoped, but this didn't bother him any. 

It was not enough time, however, to find a proper place for his tools of investigation, or his suitcase that held certain sensitive items that he would like to be kept away from the eyes of his fellow students. Those articles were sealed away much more tightly than his gear, that sat in a plastic container next to him. The metal suitcase was gripped firmly in his left hand. The young man watched the people from his nearly secluded place on the floor, considering the things that he overheard them say, and categorizing them according to appearance and associations. It would not be long before someone actually approached him, or he was paired with an individual...So he thought that actively seeking a partner was unnecessary. 

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."

He sometimes found himself quoting that very line in situations like this. Stressful, or trying moments where he felt that those around him were being too reckless or irrational. Not in the sense that it was a judgement. Merely...His own observation. Not in times where people would do something endangering to themselves...but in times when they would be endangered by what they do not realize. He was forced to accept the reality of quite a few things recently. The idea that the human race had evolved past what he previously would have assumed, though he wouldn't have had difficulty with the thought so much if he had believed his talent to be anything more than pure intelligence. In a sense that's what his gift was...Credit was due to the evolutionary process, and he had always believed that he was exceptional. But there would have been no reason to believe that his capabilities would prove that other individuals could grow wings...or secrete acid from their bodies...or any other reason that this school was formed. He had to accept that he would most likely not lead a normal life. In his mind he knew that this place would be a prison...One that the only chance for freedom from would be death or to develop properly to fit something that the government could potentially use. Maybe he would be able to live a normal life after graduation...Or maybe not. That didn't matter to him, because in the end he would be doing what he wanted anyway. Though he was sure that some other students would take time to come to this conclusion...Just as sure as he was that there were people who were aware of it already. 

He popped his shoulders, and then pulled out a lollipop, removing the wrapping and setting it inside of his mouth, moving it to the right side. He pulls out a tape recorder from the pocket of his jacket, and begans to speak into it. "Reminder:207...Cherry might be my favourite flavour of this particular brand...I need to remember to buy this exclusively to avoid wasting my money otherwise..."

[Deleted]

    The meet and greet was a waste of time. Most students stood around talking to familiar friends while the new kids hid in corners. No one wanted to know about the new people with strange powers that scared everyone. Could someone be reading your mind? Would someone be able to crush your skull in one blow? Will someone scorch you if angered? All these questions caused people to run from the idea of people with unknown powers. This meet and greet just heightened the fears and made new students outsiders. 

    The Student Council was given no instructions. Brittny walked aimlessly through the mass of bodies. Being touched by others sent tingles along her skin, but she ignored the sensation. She was on a mission to find a particular type of person. Her goal was to find a student intelligent enough to have a good conversation with. The idea of a new companion wth similar ideals and IQ scores made her happy. If that person happened to also like music it was an added bonus. 

    Brittny continued her search for a good candidate and noticed a boy sitting in the corner. He was small and the total opposite of what she was looking for, but something told her to talk to him. She approached the boy and sat against the wall next to him. Brittny gave the boy a look with her big green eyes and spoke politely. "Hello. My name's Brittny. I'm the Student Council Secretary. May I ask what your name is and why you are sitting in a corner all alone?"

[Felicia Blackwood]

It was barely time for classes and the silver-haired young woman was already annoyed. The cross look on her face only revealed her irritation, though it failed to explain why she was so indignant that day. She had received a message from Kimberly Jones, the temporary head of the prefects at the time, on Saturday. The message requested that all prefects report to the auditorium in full uniform on Monday morning, an hour before classes should start. The message itself had not annoyed her as much as the fact that there seemed to be no reason behind the logic of the message. Of course she should not have expected any kind of logic from a school that had little to no authority figures. The teachers did not seem to give a rat’s a**, which frustrated her greatly. How were the students expected to listen if the authority figures were completely and utterly useless? The very thought made her rub her forehead in irritation, shaking her head as she stormed toward the auditorium. She noticed that the number of prefects was a lot smaller than she had thought it would be. Of course, the only prefects she had been around since her arrival was her team and, even then, they seemed to be spread out and hiding. She let out a soft sigh and ran her fingers through her bangs, politely greeting several other commanders and prefects before retreating to the edge of the crowd to keep herself at a distance.

After waiting for some time, the prefects, like most other students, were herded into the auditorium. She had to restrain herself from telling several people not to touch her. The red-eyed commander was quite fond of her personal space, so, being jammed in an enclosed space with a large quantity of students made her uneasy, to say the least. She was able to keep her annoyance under wraps, though, thanks to years of practice with training her facial expression. She could not even count how many times she had been taken back to ACS before she was adopted by the Blackwoods, so it was easy for her to fake an emotion. With a huff of irritation, she scanned the auditorium for the members of her team, who seemed to be standing around. Why did they give me the lazy team? she thought exasperatedly. She sent them all a telepathic reminder, since she had interacted with all of them at least once. Be kind to the new students. Make them feel welcome, and keep composed at all times. Of course, she knew her reminder was going to fall on deaf ears, or, brains, rather, since she actually had not spoken. She glanced around, seeing some older students mingling with newer ones. She tried not to look amused at some new students fidgeted and looked rather uncomfortable at the sight of scars and closing wounds. Had she been close with anyone at the school, she would have felt sorry for them; however, since she did not, she did not give her sympathies except in politeness. If they had followed the rules and obeyed the prefects, it would not have happened, I’m sure, she thought with a half-hearted shrug. She noticed a small young woman with brown hair walking by her and decided to follow at a distance. She kept telling herself it was to survey her possible enemies, but she knew deep down that it was because she was curious.

She nearly breathed out a sigh of relief when the young woman wandered her way over to an uncrowded corner. She stepped aside when the young woman stopped in front of someone. She stepped aside to see the person that the brown-haired girl had paused to talk to. She noticed the tape recorder in the blonde young man’s hand and raised an eyebrow. Who in the hell had a tape recorder nowadays? Didn’t everyone use their smartphones or something? She tilted her head a little, narrowing her eyes a little at him. The way he held himself told her that he was an old-fashioned type, though she could not be sure. What she could tell for sure was that he was shy and protective of his belongings, since there was a metal suitcase and plastic bin beside him on the ground. She wondered what was inside, but she did not ask; she assumed that it was just the belongings he was able to bring onto the island. They must have rushed him right here, she thought, idly glancing at her nails before looking at the young woman, who introduced herself as Brittny. She nodded a little to herself, as if affirming the girl’s assertion. After the Student Council Secretary finished speaking, the prefect decided that she should speak up as well.

“I would ask you the same question, mister. I would guess that you don’t like social interaction, but somehow, I doubt that. You seem like the observant type. If you do not mind my asking, what is your name? I believe the head prefect was given a roster of new students and I am helping out with finding new students and getting their names crossed off so that there is no confusion.”

Of course, this statement was a lie, but she had to make some excuse for following Brittny over to the corner where the blonde young man seemed to curl into himself.

[Vincent Fairchild]

It was clear to him that choosing to sit in the corner would have eventually brought about this situation. He just hoped that he might have had a little more time to himself. He moved the sucker around to the left side of his cheek, very focused on the action itself. Then he reached with his hand to the right side of his head, and twirled on of the longer locks of hair between his index finger and thumb. He had watched them from the moment that they seemed to decide to approach him. Though he was certain that the one who had not introduced herself had followed the brown haired girl. She held power and authority, more so than the member of Student Council. He could tell that much. She had paused for a moment in the crowd of people and watched the girl, and himself. It was not long enough for him to respond to Brittny's presence but it was enough for someone like him to notice. The words from either played slowly through his mind as he thought of how to respond, as if he had recorded them and changed the speed.

The brown haired girl was sincere, though he was not convinced that he would have been her first choice for conversation under normal circumstances, he figured that she must have picked him out of the crowd while looking for a candidate. He decided to respond to her questions first, as he slowly removed the candy from its place in his mouth. Making certain that he did not dribble as he did so, as he used to have trouble with this growing up. "My name is Vincent Golden Fairchild. It's nice to meet you, Brittny." He turned to the silver-haired girl, realizing that she had essentially asked him the same thing, but felt it would be more appropriate to respond to the both of them by addressing the assumptions she had made.

Though something struck him as strange with her words. He didn't show it on his face but he considered for a moment the way that the young woman had watched Brittny before, and then the last part of her statement. 'I believe,' If she was helping, then wouldn't she know? The way that it sounded seemed strange as well. As if she was not entirely sure about exactly what she was saying, because she added it to the end of the questioning. This would make it easier for other individuals to dismiss but it was evident that she was trying to justify why she was there without making much of a scene. "There is nothing wrong with social interaction, no...I simply made my way here rather quickly after arriving..." He didn't feel the need to address the fact that there were inconsistencies in the story she gave. Or rather the way that she said what she did. "It would be easier to know your name as well. I'm assuming that both of you would be important to know, considering the nature of the academy."

[Deleted]

    Brittny almost jumped at the arrival of Felicia Blackwood. She had seen her around school and at least knew her name and reputation. What Brittny wanted to know was why Felicia had followed her. A commander of the Prefects shouldn't be interested in her or the poor boy sitting in the corner. Brittny listened as Felicia spoke in a tone that sounded a little like she interrogating someone, but she could tell that her words had been hastened. Perhaps she hadn't planned to speak to the boy?

    The brown haired girl returned her attention to the blonde who prolonged the removal of his sucker to introduce himself as Vincent Golden Fairchild. His intelligent glances and methodical movements hinted at a high level of perception and comprehension. This was exactly the kind of conversational partner she had been looking for. Brittny and Vincent would have a highly intellectual discussion once Felicia left. She stole a sweeping glance at the girl with silver hair standing next to her. 

    Her green eyes quickly darted back at Vincent as she prepared to engage him in conversation. Brittny smiled kindly and knelt to the ground, sitting on her feet. Now at eye level with Vincent, she spoke in a sweet tone. "I'm happy you feel that way." She blushed a little and continued. "Not many trust me as the Secretary yet. I only started a short while ago. I hope we can be friends."

[Felicia Blackwood]

Watching the young man was akin to watching paint dry for the prefect. Honestly, she was still not awake at the moment. She was not in the mood for speaking to anyone, but her duty and her will to do said duty was stronger than her will to keep to herself. The only reason she had wandered over to find an excuse to introduce herself to the Student Council Secretary. Keep your allies close and you opponents closer, she thought to herself, eyeing the brown-haired young woman. Of course, she had no plans to cause chaos, but she was not sure who could be the next person to cause trouble. She would rather consider most people an enemy and be pleasantly surprised if they turned out to be an ally. Such was her life. Some called her cold and unfeeling, but it was better in the long run. She shook her head a little, drawing her attention back to the situation. She noted his name in her head. Vincent Fairchild. Very well, then. I’ll give his name to Miss Jones. Kimberly did, in fact, have a roster of new and old students, but that was more of an afterthought for the young woman. She was more interested in preserving the stability of the environment. She was tempted to walk away from the situation, but she supposed the least she could do was introduce herself, since she had been so rude as to barge into their conversation, though it was clearly not private.

“My name is Felicia Blackwood. I am the prefect commander of team C. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss DeBeau as well as you, Mister Fairchild.”

She felt that she was pouring all of her energy into being polite and slightly welcoming. Her warmness was not something that could be easily reached. She shook her head; she was losing focus again. She listened to the young man’s words and glanced more at his belongings, quirking an eyebrow. She wondered what young man needed so many things, but she thought that maybe some things were actually books for classes. Not like they teach anything of particular interest here, she thought wryly, stifling a sigh. School had always been easy for her, but it was simply a joke at Ashford. The teachers were more spacey than students who had legitimate learning problems. They did not enforce any rules and the few that did were described as “nazis” by the other students. Felicia wished she had those teachers; at least she would be able to learn without having to internally scream at the class to shut up. She scanned his belongings with narrowed, ruby eyes once more before nodding slightly, as if to affirm something. Of course, she did not have anything as silly as x-ray vision, but no one was able to read her file, so how would either of them know. Sure, other prefects could read the files, but neither of them were prefects, so she did not have to worry.

“I see that… I apologize for your hurried arrival. I wish you the best of luck getting settled in here. I’ll leave you two to converse. I have other duties I must attend to. Farewell.”

In all honesty, Felicia just wanted to get out of the situation. Brittny seemed intent on talking to the young man, and clearly, Felicia’s presence was not welcomed. She could sense it in the air, and she figured it would be best to excuse herself. She was not sure if they would have wanted her around to begin with. She was not exactly what people would call “fun”, by any stretch of the imagination. She had been described multiple times by multiple people as a “stick in the mud”. She did not really care about other people’s opinions or feelings about her, as frigid as it sounded. She was there to do a job, not to be liked. If she wanted to be liked, she would have changed her attitude. She shrugged her shoulders and turned, walking away from the group of two to leave them to chat. She would probably have to do that at some point, but first, she had to do her duty. Vincent Fairchild and Brittny DeBeau are present. She wandered toward the crowd, hoping to get lost in it and not come out again. She knew that she would have to, eventually, but at that moment, she was more interested in checking the higher-concentrated areas for people that might have been missed.

[Vincent Fairchild]

Vincent had been watching the silver haired girl rather carefully. He always wondered if he had to consciously pay attention to detail in this manner, but he wouldn't be careless enough to only give her half of his attention. She was watching the brown haired girl, though...With intensity in her gaze. Brittny was the target. That was in fact her intention...and even if she was not lying before...Well then it would be interesting to see how the name drop faired. It wasn't a lie, wasn't the truth...Not his usual style but he was slightly proud of steadiness of his words. She would be wise to give him more credit, or at the very least notice him later on. Question what he was hiding. Why he was hiding. Though he feared that she might just dismiss it, and consider him something of an idiot. She seemed like a hostile young woman...He could sense that she was consciously controlling the way she moved, and spoke. Then he got a name.

"Commander...That's interesting." He figured that this might make it easier to get information about her. Stuff that might confirm his already forming suspicions, or at least set him straight about his assumptions. Then she stared at his bags and seemed to be deep in thought. Or very focused. This actually made him uncomfortable, but he kept his cool and didn't speak up about it. Just let her look on at them. With this type of school it was hard to believe that she didn't have some sort of talent that allowed her to see what he had inside of the bags. This would only have raised more questions for her though...Again setting the chance for another encounter higher. This would be an interesting road to travel down. He had hoped that she would have to do some digging to discover more about him though.

Speaking again and leaving discouraged him slightly. Might she not have been there to keep an eye on Brittny? He was certain that she was here for her and not simply to carry out her role call. Maybe it was just to introduce herself, or possibly to learn more about her...but now she was gone. She was probably uncomfortable...Maybe lacked the proper control over her composure that she was obviously faking for the time that she was there. That didn't concern Vincent though. He turned his attention back to Brittny, and spoke softly, " I hope that we can be friends as well. And you seem nice enough...People will most likely respect you once they get to know you."

Vincent scanned her again and then considered his words carefully in his mind. There was nothing directly wrong with his statement. He was safe in that regard. Before she had the chance to really respond, he decided to shift the conversation. "She was an interesting individual, yes? I'm not certain that she is used to handling situations delicately...You wouldn't happen to know what types of abilities she might possess? You seemed surprised, but not entirely taken aback by her arrival...It's safe to assume that you know basic information about her, though you don't know each other personally." His voice was almost a whisper at this point, and then he gently set the lollipop back in his mouth.