Strangeness Heights

Today was a lovely day. As was every day in Strangeness Heights. The birds were blooming. The flowers were singing. The grass was redder on the other side, the clouds were perfectly round spheres, and the morning sky had just a touch of mauve.

The postwoman was delivering the mail by broomstick, as she always did. People were driving their caddilacs down the street, even if some of the cadillacs weren’t actually driven. People waved hello and praised the Goddess Below as they passed by each other on the sidewalk. Or through each other as the case may have been. Old housewives watched the news with their third eyes, centaurs in police uniforms patrolled 5th&1/2 avenue as they kept the peace, and the local bar cheered as the mayor announced that house-elf slavery was outlawed. It was just another day in Strangeness Heights, and most wouldn’t have it any other way.

However, Strangeness Heights wasn’t all fun and games. Amongst all the joyous frivolity, they still had their own problems to deal with. Just last month, a giant hand reached from out of the sky, crushing several civilians before lifting back up from whence it came. Reports of mirrors or cupboards leading to other worlds or universes were on the rise, with no-one sure what was causing them. And the occasional dispute between certain townsfolk could level a city block. Like every other town, Strangeness Heights needed heroes. And there was only one place for them to become such.

---

Strange Academy, September 1st

The academy was just as lovely and peculiar as the town itself, if not more so. A massive obsidian tower reaching to the heavens sat on the edge of a tall peak. The tower was covered with large jewels of all shapes and sizes, overlooking the town and the surrounding wilderness below. Bright glowing wisps floated about, serving as the first line of defense. A pack of gargoyles served as the second, sitting on arches that jutted out from the midsections, perfectly still as stone until they were needed.

Why they couldn’t just hire normal security guards was still being debated amongst the Town Council to this day.

The inside of the school was the polar opposite of how it appeared on the outside. The walls and ceilings were a mix of blue and green, flowing into each other constantly and moving about like an ocean. The occasional spirit could be seen floating down the corridors, but it was mostly populated by bright glowing lights hovering near the ceiling, serving in place of lightbulbs.

The same was true of the classrooms. Rooms built for more specific classes had their own layouts and aesthetics, but many shared the same general atmosphere. There were monitors and desktops, to be sure. Outlets for plugging in electronics and modern appliances could be seen in the corners. But for the most part, it was like stepping into another world.

Or least it would be if this wasn’t the world those in Strangeness Heights lived in every day.

However, one such classroom was still waiting for its students. They had just gotten out of an introduction ceremony cut short. There was supposed to be an elaborate, well rehearsed ritual featuring a voodoo priest juggling the Principal’s severed head and speaking in multiple tongues, as well as a rousing symphony conducted by the spirit of Beethoven himself. Unfortunately, a group of hooligans had leapt onto the stage and started batting around the Principal’s head like a hackeysack, which promptly brought in the stone golems that served as security. Needless to say, that put an end to that.

With that out of the way, all that was left was for the students of Class 1/2 to find their way to their homeroom and wait for class to begin. Assuming it ever did.

Because if there anything certain about Strangeness Academy, it was that nothing was certain.

Edited by kkhohoho on Jun 10th 2020 at 4:50:04 AM

Justin

"Juuuuuustin! Justy Justy Justin! It's time to get ready for school, sweety!"

The sound of Mrs. Mariah Henderson's voice through the door to Justin's work station-basement caught the young man's attention in the middle of his concentration on completing a customized version of his father's Synth design. The machine on the table resembling a humanoid figure with ball joints and a blank face.

Justin had basically gotten up at 6 AM and quietly headed downstairs and out into his work station, dressed in just a white tank top and boxers with "EUREKA!" written in white on them. He groaned and turned his head to look up at the stairwell, "Yeah mom!" He shouted up at her, "I'll be right out!"

"You don't want to be late for school, do you Justy-Justy?"

Uuuuuugh...fine, I'll complete this later.

Justin got up and dusted himself off, taking off his work gloves and heading upstairs. He marched past his mother, who seemed to be going right back to chatting on her phone with all her wealthy and chic friends from The Doubliana, one of the high class clubs she frequented.

Jumping in the bathroom upstairs for a quick shower to get any extra dirt and grime off of him, Justin dried off and got his clothes and other tech equipment from his bench in his room. As he pulled on his vest and gloves and finished getting dressed for school, he heard his mother shout up at him again, "I made you some non-synthetic food my dear friend Bethany Krushaw told me about! It was made with lovely vital ingredients and healing liquids should decalcify your pineal gland and open your third eye!"

Justin rolled his eyes and headed downstairs just in time to see his mother heading out, and she shouted, "Say hi to your father at school, dear! You know David can be oh so very dreary! Not good for his chakras!"

"Yes mom." Justin responded, and he quickly ate his meal, not noticing anything in particular different about this month's hippy healing meal as opposed to last month's. I swear, one day she'll poison me and claim it's opening my chakras...

Once that was done, Justin checked and made sure he had all his tech and stuff on hand in his backpack and in good condition before heading out.

As Justin caught a bus heading out close enough to the school, he noted the bus came with a TV screen in the middle, playing some news. And in today's news, new models of Synths are rolling out! Originally constructed by a team of scientists consisting of Dr. Gatha, Dr. Henderson, Dr. Ezra, these utility robots are tomorrow's assistants and organizational helpers, today!

Justin mused to himself, Yeah, no pressure there, having to live up to my dad.

Before long, Justin was relieved to leave the bus and get out in front of the school. He'd never really gotten what the deal was with this place's appearance, even though he had long been involved in it due to his father. What he did know however was the sheer scope of people here. And how...unusual they were. How he'd never really get used to it.

Justin was not a person who lacked perception.

He could tell going here he was not like a lot of the other kids. He'd grown up around here, he could tell that. Everyone else could do so many things, had beyond human capabilities and talents. And Justin... well, he had his one thing that he managed to achieve. But even that seemed small potatoes compared to what everyone else could do.

Mom acted like she wasn't embarrassed, but Justin wondered if her doting and odd tendencies were an attempt at awakening some facet of supernatural power within him. Something that just didn't exist in Justin, nor did he care to experience it.

As for Justin's Dad, David...well, David just didn't care.

I'm a normal guy, Justin thought as he entered the school, looking around, In a school of the abnormal.

Strange Academy, En Route to Class 1/2

The fluctuation of the oceanic walls was a captivating affair for one of the students that made their way down the academy's corridors. Indeed, their ebony form almost seemed to sway and shift in tune with the rippling of the waves, never moving too far from its humanoid shape but occasionally curving in ways that wouldn't be possible for a human.

But even more curious than the academy's architecture were the students that graced its halls. As Rajani swayed down the corridor, feet dancing along to a lazy tune in their head, they turned and grinned at a few of the children that were making their way to the same classroom as Raj- said grin was barely more than a thin white line slashing across their pitch-dark face. "You think they've managed to get the principal's head back yet?" Raj asked, giggling as they remembered the graceless way it had been hurled through the air. "Or maybe it got stuck in the rafters. Oh, and d'you think the principal carries around a spare just in the case the original gets lost? I know I would, if my head could come off. Maybe it can, actually, I've never thought to try..."

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob

Soheila – Strange Academy

It lived up to its name.

The daeva had poked her head out from her domain a little too late, but she'd caught the incident well enough. She'd laughed—perhaps too loud and long—before slipping back into her doorway to continue refining her form. She had a lovely mirror she'd been decorating. She was making full use of it.

It was one of the hallway doors that she peeked out from next. They were walking, apparently. She stepped out, and stood up to her full height. A tall ‘young’ woman at 6'7" would've been a sight to behold on its own. The way that the floating lights near the ceiling seemed to flicker as she walked beneath them only further announced her innate wrongness. That and her eyes were dull and forgot to look at things.

She'd remembered to breath, at least. Oh, and smile. She did so now—a hollow attempt that clearly didn't come naturally. It was well-practiced, however. She nodded towards Rajani in brief and let her chilly aura wash over them—the deathlike cold poking and prodding at them like invisible icicles a moment before retreating back and settling itself into an idle state once more.

“There's plenty of heads to pick and choose from. Unlimited supplies, I'd say. Inbetween the regenerators and the immortals. Though that's a conversation too in-depth for now.”

She removed specks of dust from her form and clothing, brushing herself over with both aura and hands before clasping the latter behind her back. She took a moment to study the others too. They might've felt that particular unnatural chill brush past for a moment as she ‘looked’ them over.

“Isn't it refreshing to see the blatancy? No hiding here. Such wondrous sights!” she gestured vaguely yet profoundly, flicking her head to the others for approval before looking forward again. “Unless of course you're born and raised. In which case I might as well be calling cardboard an invigorating delicacy. I've only just arrived, myself.”

Edited by Enirboreh on Jun 8th 2020 at 12:06:12 PM

bork

Welcome to Strangeness Academy... not to mention the Town

---

Admittedly Nestan felt like a tourist. She knew she was going to live here and had seen things like this before but not exactly like this. She lasted 3 steps off the bus—the first two taken thanking the goddess for her safe arrival—before she started taking pictures of the sky, the red grass, and less fun, the site of the giant hand from the sky incident. She wandered the streets for several hours, ever since arriving at about 3 that morning. The town offered plenty of things to fill the time until school started. And she was just fine carrying her things. She only had one bag.
Alas, the marvelous tower of the school would have to wait. For one, she'd need the time later to ask the wisps and gargoyles if they minded being in a picture.
The halls humbled her. She had deliberately worn a business casual ensemble, sweater vest and all, and a mushroom hat, but still the school did so much. She had arrived here at 3am and watching the swirling walls and everything else threatened to make her late for the first class.
"Do you really think the principal's head is still stuck?" Nestan said it then immediately knocked on the door and added a short wave. "Hi, I didn't mean to just spring up on you..." She clasped her hands together, giving the ink(?)-boy an apologetic look. "It just sounded like a good icebreaker." She extended a hand, "Hi." And forgot to introduce herself first or ask for his name, but baby steps.
"And that too," Nestan nodded at the ...a living goddess? Right here? And a pleasant chill preceded the very tall woman. "The sights are wondrous. I almost made myself late looking and touching things." Her smile grew and she rested a hand against her cheek, briefly shivering under the chilly aura. "So many good signs crammed into so short a time."

Edited by CenturyEye on Jun 8th 2020 at 4:48:40 AM

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Tenko - Strange Academy

From the hallway came a deep, booming mechanical voice. It was scratchy, and almost had a radio-like static alongside it. "HELLO THERE" Tenko said loudly, before briefly flinching. He looked to the the other students who he had been greeting. They were barely phased. In fact practically nobody in the hall even noticed, save those with particularly strong hearing. But Tenko felt a bit sheepish nonetheless. "CRAP. SORRY ABOUT THAT, LET ME JUST- VOICE MODULATOR RECALIBRATING... Complete." The last part was said in a very different voice. It was that of a nine or ten year old boy, Tenko's preferred voice. He apologized once again to his fellow classmates.

Tenko looked down at the small school map in his hands, before watching it fade away. He was just lucky he got to his classroom before the map erased itself. He was rushing so much to get to his class in time, he hadn't had a chance to admire the scenery around him. "Stupid prankster maps..." He mumbled to himself, before extending his hand for any of the other students to shake. "Hi there! My name's Tenko!"

He wasn't sure what to wear to school that morning, so he just picked up some rocks. Unfortunately, after seeing the abundance of animated golems at the opening ceremony, he made his way back to the parking lot to change his looks a bit. He ended up picking up a bunch of asphalt, giving him a much darker look.

Edited by Randomperson1212 on Jun 8th 2020 at 4:33:12 AM

“You see son, in life there are facts and there are opinions. Your opinion is wrong, and that’s a fact”

Justin Henderson

Justin arrived shortly after Tenko did, and immediately smelled something foul in the air just as he got in there. He winced and waved his hand in front of his nose. He looked around and noted there was a young boy made of metal here, and everyone else looked some variety of odd. Justin promptly stuffed his hands in his pockets and started looking around to try and find a seat. "Well, looks like I'm the one ordinary human again."

He'd heard on the way that, of course, the Principal lost his fucking head, and that was...that was great. That was really great. Just absolutely fantastic. Really set the mood for the year, it did.

He figured he should introduce himself, and said, "My name's Justin Henderson. My dad works here as a technician and scientist. I'm hoping to get some relevant training similarly."

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jun 8th 2020 at 4:41:20 AM

Strange Academy, En Route to Class 1/2

The sudden chill elicited no shiver or shock from Rajani, but instead another giggle, as if the cold had brushed against a ticklish spot. More oddly than that, they seemed to gravitate closer to the giant woman, the dying light above a boon to them rather than a warning. No sooner had Sohelia tucked her arms behind her back would she feel a cold burst of her own, a sudden chill across the bridge of her nose that would fade as quickly as it had arrived. A quiet wink was all that Raj would offer as explanation before replying properly to her words.

"I wonder which of those the principal would come under... if either. Maybe they just borrow heads from others when they need one! Can't say I'd be too comfortable looking out from someone else's peepers. Or maybe I would be- like I said, I've never tried!"

They turned to the other girl next, the slit of their smile widening as they reached out a hand to reciprocate the shake. The black material that formed their hand- and their body by proxy- was dry, slightly cool, and gave a little under Nester's grip, almost as if her nails would dig straight through it if she really tried. "Hiya! Maybe I'm hoping for it to be stuck more than I think it really is. Can you imagine one of those golem things trying to balance atop a ladder?"

The thought seemed to bring enough mirth to Raj that they twirled on the spot, almost seeming to soak in the ambience of the odd academy.

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob

Valerie Vale

Valerie hoped that the introduction ceremony being interrupted wouldn't be a bad omen. She'd been looking forward to that symphony too.

Her classmates seemed fun at least, or at least the people she thought were her classmates. As she slithered up to join the others, her forked tongue flicked out to taste the air. A brief look of disgust passed over her face, and her pets Billy and Sultan, currently wrapped around her arms, began hissing (and in Billy's case rattling) in distress. Valerie responded by hissing back at them, which seemed to calm them down.

"Sssssorry about that. They're usually better behaved, but there'ssss sssome kind of rancid tassste lingering in the air. I'm Valerie, you can call me Val if you like."

Soheila – Strange Academy

“Quite. I've yet to explore thoroughly. I put aside time but got caught up sighing over a charming young couple,” Soheila nodded in regards to Nestan, tilting her head as she wordlessly acknowledged the odd familiarity she felt with her; experimentally prodded the shorter girl on the nose with her aura. “I'll invite you to have a proper look around later on. That extends to all of you!” she added, calling back to the others as well. “I don't bite. Often.”

The more she spoke, the more obvious it became that there was a certain rumbling undertone to her voice. It was subdued and low, but audible if one listened—an echo or reverb that bolstered her already smooth contralto. It was a tone of something grand, despite her unremarkable clothing and blatant lack of any footwear. Though the latter could be interpreted as a sign of piety by itself, when combined with her overall appearance it just made her look like a hermit.

Which wasn't all too far from the truth.

“Dear, dear Justin. ‘Ordinary human’ is in and of itself an oxymoron. Don't be glum over that. I've had many wonderful conversations with powerless, wandering folk around campfires. As allergic as I am,” she stated, still smiling before she placed her fingers over her chest in introduction. “Also, I am Soheila. Or Sima, if it suits you. Both are equally valid, and I answer to them. Personal preference. A pleasure to meet you.”

Rajani's returning brush against her nose made her glance at them and take a half-step away, giving them a watery smile in response to their wink. It looked more spooked than friendly, however. Valerie's hissing speech and pets soon diverted the daeva's attention, however, and the latter all but squealed.

“Gorgeous serpents. All three of you. Is the odour from me? I'll remove myself if so,” she hummed, gaze growing completely vacant as she considered this. She still walked, though. “I can't always tell. I can watch from afar, at least.”

Edited by Enirboreh on Jun 8th 2020 at 1:24:06 PM

bork

Academy, Homeroom

---

"Ooouhhhooo..." Nestan made a sound when she felt Soheila. It was just a bop on the nose but it was a touch. From her. Well, not the big HER, but this her. She caught herself before imposing on Soheila and asking if she was sent. 1) not her place. 2) Overly prideful. She was hardly important enough to be sent allies like this but this was quite the coincidence.
"I uh.. I am called Nestan. My name is Nestan Beth Nouhra. And its fine if you have to bite me." After a beat, she shook her head and stammered. "And looking a-around sounds lovely! We should do that!"
After a few seconds of smiling too widely and desperately, Nestan realized she was still left her hand extended towards the ink person and had let his statement hang. "Um... I think I ...forgive me. My name is Nestan Beth Nouhra," she started as if he had not been there the entire time. "And I think they have special ladders or other devices for the golems? They will be okay I think." They were literally spinning in distress. How did I miss that?

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Alexander

Another boy entered the classroom, though he didn't strike up conversation with anyone. Instead he merely watched, and listened.

Alexander Nichols looked tired, his eyes baggy, like he'd pulled an all nighter. He hadn't, of course. He always got at least 8 hours of sleep. That was just how he looked. Alex blamed the city. Having to deal with craziness day in and day out was exhausting.

Like the incredibly tall woman with the strange eyes. In any normal town Alex would have assumed she was a mentally ill homeless woman who had wandered into the school.

Here, however, he had to accept that she was a ghost, or a robot, or a witch, or whatever the hell she was. In a school where the principal was a dullahan and the security was magical golems, anything goes.

Fortunately, he noticed Justin. Or rather, overheard his remark. Alex actually smiled slightly, and walked over to the boy.

"Hey." He said, offering Justin a gloved hand to shake. "Alexander Nichols. Fellow ordinary human. Glad to see someone else who's out of place here. Hopefully we can survive this madhouse together, eh?"

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

IGNORE

Edited by kkhohoho on Jun 8th 2020 at 8:15:13 AM

Tenko - Strange Academy

Tenko retracted his hand a bit slowly, now that it was clear that nobody was going to accept it. He felt a bit disappointed, but didn't see too much reason to fret. A couple other students had entered the classroom, but the ones there before still remained. He even knew the name of one of them now!

"It's nice to meet you all!" Tenko announced brightly, turning to face those around him, as well as the two in the back. "I-uh, I can't actually smell anything. I couldn't really tell ya who the source is..." He scratched the back of his head, before lighting back up. "And I'd be more than willing to explore this place with you, Sima!"

He glanced to the two relatively normal people towards the back of the classroom. In a school full of bazaar, strange characters, seeing two apparently normal people was a bit surreal, even if his best friend was just regular human herself. He took a moment to imagine what it would be like to be human, before looking over to the furiously hissing snakes next to him.

"Ooooh!" Tenko exclaimed. "I like your snakes, Valerie! What are their names?" His very first day of school hadn't gone anything like he expected, but he was enjoying himself nonetheless. If he was physically capable of it, Tenko would be grinning as wide as the face on his mask.

Edited by Randomperson1212 on Jun 8th 2020 at 9:56:17 AM

“You see son, in life there are facts and there are opinions. Your opinion is wrong, and that’s a fact”

Hali

That's one way to start the day. A strange way to say hi, Hali thought. Fixing her light blue hair, straightening up her dark blue skirt and top, she took a deep breath, trying to take in everything about the school. It was quite the impressive sight by itself, but with all the people moving and mingling, it felt truly alive. She could only dream of what she would do on this place. And what kind of memories she could form.

Ok, no pressure She told herself Just go in there and make mom and dad proud

Jumping in, she landed and waved.

"Hello, everyone!" She said loudly.

First impressions are... quite the big deal

Wake me up at your own risk.

Justin Henderson

As the tall woman addressed him and said there was no such thing as someone who was "ordinary" and "human", a misnomer, he looked around the room, looked at her, at the kid who looked like freaking Aku, the snake woman... "I'm sorry, but I don't know how much I buy that. Just seems like there's a wealth of evidence to the contrary. Nice to meet you anyway, Soheila."

He was then somewhat relieved at least to meet someone here who seemed to be a normal human - after years of being the lone normal, and even suffering for it at the hands of Abus and his gang of troglodytes.

"Nice to meet'cha, Alex. Hopefully, hopefully we can. I mean its promising already, eh?" Justin started to wonder if he might see his father around the campus, but figured probably not. His dad hated working alongside too many people, human or nonhuman. Always focused on his projects.

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jun 8th 2020 at 7:41:17 AM

Huxshathra "Hux" Ahriman-Adamson

"Alright son, time for your first day at Strange Academy," said Cain gruffly as he loaded a bagged lunch ("MADE WITH LOVE!" it said on the side in marker) into Hux's backpack. "If someone messes with you, shank 'em, alright? If you can't beat 'em, come to me and mom."

"Roger, dad! I'll be home before you know it," replied Hux at the dining room counter, flashing a grin. "Please try to take care of yourself before then, pops!"

"Don't forget to drink your type AB blood, it has all the important antibodies," Cain admonished. "Stay safe and have fun, son."

With that, Hux said his goodbyes and went out into the world.

---

Strange Academy

"Hey, what's cookin'?" Hux greeted his fellow students enthusiastically, petting Mr. Tibbs who was lounging carelessly in his arms. "I'm Huxshathra Ahriman-Adamson, but you can also call me Hux! And this here is Mr. Tibbs. He's my cat!"

He flashed a wide friendly grin, though his intentions were perhaps muddled by his fangs. "I'm so excited to start this new year with you guys!" Hux continued, crimson eyes sparkling. "Aren't you excited too?"

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jun 8th 2020 at 8:01:54 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Emilia Shade - Classroom 1/2

Another moment, another student in through the door... Casually floating along from the classroom entrance was a still steaming hot mug of coffee, a creamy tan of milk and sweeteners with a spoon casually stirring itself at the very top. Turning this way and that, the cup situated itself at at an empty desk and continued turning as if surveying the room... then, seemingly enthused, the coffee mug hopped off the desk and flew itself over to the tired looking Alex. Giving her brew a little swish, a small, transparent girl in a black dress poked her head out of the caffeine, resting her elbow against the rim and smiling up at the boy with similarly tired eyes.

"Morning coffee...? Looks like you could use some...~"

Justin Henderson

"I'm Huxshathra Ahriman-Adamson, but you can also call me Hux!"

"But you can also call me Hux!"

"B U T Y O U C A N A L S O C A L L M E H U X!"

Justin at once developed an incredible idea. Not possibly a wise idea, and going against most of his rules for survival in a place where he was liable to be the smallest fish in a very weird pond. But when he heard this guy come in announcing he was named Hux, he just couldn't quite help himself.

"Hey Hux!" Justin shouted, pointing over the boy's shoulder, "I think I saw some Jedi over there! If you hurry you can catch em!"

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jun 8th 2020 at 9:12:38 AM

Fala — Strange Academy

After the student orientation, Fala trudged up the hall to her class while taking a big gulp from her hydroflask. The strangeness of this town was nothing new to her, so she didn't really give the principal losing his head a second thought. Even so, she WAS the strangest member of the Pine family, which is why she was here. That, and her parents thought she needed to make some new friends.

Once she got to her class, she went to the front of the class and brushed her head-leaves away from her translucent yellow eyes. "Hey, I'm Fala. Fala Pine. My family runs that one big hotel downtown. And if you try to sing that damn pina colada song at me, I'll be introducing you to these," she said, holding up her hands and extending the spikes on them.

With that, she sauntered over to an unoccupied desk, sat down and propped her legs up on it.

If I die, tell Hex Haywire I loved him.

Huxshathra "Hux" Ahriman-Adamson

Hux grinned back at Justin and made his blessed knives float around him, proclaiming "I am Darth Hux, come from the darkened heavens to kill Jedi! Come out, you cowards and hypocrites! Curs! Maligned elbows!" he shouted in the general direction that Justin had pointed. He took several deep breaths and deflated, his knives flying into their sheathes.

"Yeah, sorry man, I'm just not feeling it right now. That's not my best Darth Hux speech and I know it," he admitted. "But you're not the first person to listen to my name and make a Star Wars joke. Me and my dad used to have a good time pretending to be a Sith and a Jedi fighting each other, though. He's Cain, and he flew that archangel thrall around to bring down those Savior battleships over Super City! Man, it must've been so cool!"

"I'm gushing, but I can't help myself. Sorry, bro," Hux shrugged cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. "But you seem like a cool enough dude. Let's be friends! My dad barbecues every weekend. I can invite you if you'd like!"

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jun 8th 2020 at 10:07:27 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Soheila – Strange Academy

“Doubt what you will. From my perspective, you're of equal interest to me,” Soheila shrugged towards Justin, not even having broken stride. “It's purely subjective. From my point of view. I'm sure others as well. It's a matter of finding it. You're more than capable.”

The others she'd let fall into idle background noise (listening to more than a handful was rude), but one particular surname seemed to prick her proverbial ears. Her head rotated—because that was the only possible descriptor for how detached and inhuman of a movement it was—towards Hux, and she took enough steps to the side to lean in and whisper into his ear.

“Careful with that surname. I'm sure many have a bad way with it.”

She detached from his presence again, but her aura lingered. It ruffled his hair with a cool breeze. Also clipped it a millionth of a millimetre but it was too minute a difference to notice. There was a certain fizzy twinge to her aura—like pins and needles without so much numbness.

Nestan was worth keeping. Soheila acknowledged that a little late, but she was juggling a lot of people. She decided to leave some for later. She'd always entertained small nomadic groups rather than crowds, after all. No more than five, and usually less. But this particular girl had a flavour to her she recognized.

She moved back alongside her, something that might've been a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. Might've been—her eyes were sharp and wide like a wary animal's, continuing to look like they belonged on a completely different face. Which wasn't wholly inaccurate.

“Mind explaining the moan? Or is it private? You looked almost starstruck,” she asked, before angling herself slightly over the girl. It was easy to do, given her height. “Have you heard of my travels? Has my reputation preceded me?”

bork

Classroom 1/2

The strange attracted the strange it seemed, even if some of the newcomers didn't seem that strange at all. Rajani eyed the snake woman with interest but kept a pointed distance once the distasteful smell was remarked upon- the shadow child did not comment on it, but was fairly certain they were to blame. Better to introduce themselves first, put their better foot forward, before their faults were brought to the forefront.

"You can call me Rajani! Or Raj, if you like your names short. It's not my real name, I don't think, but it's the only one I have." They halted their spinning to instead bow in the general direction of everyone. They said no more when they arose again, simply observing the group and the interactions that began to weave between them. They kept near to Soheila as they listened, though maintaining a few feet in respect to her awkward response, orbiting around her like a celestial body (a particularly fitting comparison since they barely came up to her chest).

Raj didn't stay that way for long, however. Once they'd noticed the gaps in the social thread, they set off to fill one of them up, stopping in front of Hali. "Hi there!" they greeted, intending first to comment on the beauty of her azure hair but finding a surprise when they stepped close to her. "Oh, you're a cold one too! But not for the same reason as me, hm?" They blinked, and the interest in their white dotted eyes gave way to sheepishness. "Oh, sorry, that might've been a rude thing to say for our first meeting."

they/them || "Forgive me, regent of queer amphibians" - Lt.BGob

Gremory

He eased off his helmet as the old cycle ground to a stop. Riding in the sidecar was a lot of fun, but he'd hoped to show up in the Talbot. Sadly for his ego, Aunt Polly had a Dagger Society meeting today, and he knew better (as did most of the town) than to disrupt their activities. Straightening his clothes, Gremory nodded his thanks to Guison. The family was so big he sometimes had trouble identifying them all by sight, but a quick sniff told him the man was a cousin.

Before he entered the room, Gremory took another cautious taste of the air. He'd heard that the latest class had some...unusual individuals in it this year. Fascinating. I hope they survive the experience. As he pulled open the class door, the young Hawkshaw absently scrubbed a bit of blood from one tooth with his tongue.

A cacophony of sensations met him. Cold, scent, the rustling of scales and leaves. Gremory had never been short on confidence, and for good reason. That being said, he had long since learned that you learned a lot from people's reactions. Also, he was curious to know if he'd be recognized. A lion doesn't want the antelope to know he's looking at them. No last name, then.

Ambling to the front of the room, Gremory popped himself up onto the front edge of the teacher's desk and smiled widely, spreading his hands in a friendly gesture as he did so. "Hey, folks! I'm Gremory. Quite a varied bunch we have here, but I'm sure we'll all do well here, no matter our gifts or.....disadvantages." As he spoke, the young shifter's eyes flickered over to Justin.

Valerie - Class 1/2

Valerie couldn't help but blush at being called gorgeous, even if she knew that wasn't what the tall girl actually meant. Before she could respond, however, the masked golem asked about her babies, and Valerie immediately latched onto the change in subject.

"The rattlesssssnake on my right arm is Billy, and the cobra on my left is Sssssultan. Aren't they jusssst adorable? Obedient, too!"

Now that she was a bit less flustered, she turned back to Soheila, who was talking to another girl. "Don't worry by the way. I'm pretty sure the sssssmell's not you." The fact of the matter was that she could tell exactly where the scent was coming from, and was doing her best to be polite about it. "You stink" wasn't exactly an amazing conversation starter.

Then her attention went to the boy on the teacher's desk. Of course she'd heard of Gremory Hawkshaw. Golden boy, local celebrity, and allegedly a real tool, especially if you were human. Valerie was human herself until not too long ago, so she wasn't exactly inclined to like him if the rumors were true.

"What dissssadvantages? We wouldn't be allowed to learn here if we weren't all qualified, right?" She was fishing. She anted to know what kind of person he actually was.

Edited by PossiblyQuiteInsane on Jun 9th 2020 at 12:38:08 PM