School House Rumbles 3: Act 1, Cadet

[Rhyvurg]

"Rivia...I know what you're trying to do, but all that does is remind me of the parts of life I can't have."

[Tami]

"That doesn't look anything like me."

Dismissing the image, "Then you really haven't seen yourself, at least not as others see you. Maybe someday you will."

"Rivia...I know what you're trying to do, but all that does is remind me of the parts of life I can't have."

"Never say never." Rivia looked at him, giving him a slight smile, then walked to a seat and sat down. Using her power again so soon made her tired.

[FalconX2000]

"Ah did, but it was ta tha chest, not mah pants. Just a couple of cracked ribs from tha impact, nothin' too serious. Took a quick dip in a regen tank ta fix me right up." Selma said, checking Kyra's head for any injuries as began thinking how to convince the girl to get checked out by the medics.

"But why do ya ask 'bout mah pants bein' set on fire? That sure seems a random thing ta ask."

"Careful about that. You could puncture a lung fighting with broken ribs," Kyra mumbled, feeling Selma's fingers over her forehead and fringe. It was good that Selma's body was so tough, or it might have been worse.

"Well you're not wearing pants right now. I don't mind at all, but well, usually don't see that happen in public. I figured your pants got toasted."

[Eternal Torment]

He takes a deep breath. "I grew up in Sector 3, my mother is a highly gifted software engineer and gets paid very well. I had everything I could ask for. Dad stayed at home, and he was my best friend. I'd wait up for Mom to get home from work and she would read to me when I was in bed. Then, my 13th birthday. I woke up, all excited because we never could wait for the party, we always had a small cake and a few presents in the morning for whoever was having their birthday. I ran into the kitchen, they were waiting and smiling...then I got to watch my mother's face twist into horror. She started screaming, calling me a monster and a freak. She threw the cake knife at me. Dad was trying to calm her down, I was trying to hide in a closet but she kept trying to drag me out of the house. When Dad wouldn't let her, she ran. I tried to follow her, to ask what I did. I got out to the street...and she ran me over with the car. I saw my new face reflected in my own blood.

"They tried to help her, sent us all to therapy. She wouldn't look at me, saying I was some mutant that had killed her boy. She never talked to me directly again, and she tried to kill me two more times before I was 14. When I was 15 I got the tattoo, desperate to remind her of something good, but it only made her worse. When I was 16, I got emancipated and moved out. When I told them this at out last therapy session, she screamed at my father that he couldn't allow this, that they had to kill me before I could 'get loose'. He tried to calm her down, tried to remind her that I was her son. She went insane. They dragged her away in a straight jacket and the last thing I heard her say was her screaming that nobody would ever love a monster like me."

Aw, fuck. You've really been shat on a lot, Shakey.

That nickname wasn't helping, either.

He had a lot to answer for.

[FalconX2000]

Eisen looked deeply unhappy. "I'm sorry."



"Absolutely," Eisen said. "I won't keep any more secrets. If there's anything you want to know about me, just ask."

"A few secrets need to be kept. It's not always easy to know which ones to keep, and you won't be able to please everybody all the time," Kyra admitted.

As much as Kyra appreciated honesty, someone who couldn't keep secrets at all would run into a lot of trust issues.

"As for questions," she smirked, "I'm still waiting on the Yakitori one."

[The Dog]

"Careful about that. You could puncture a lung fighting with broken ribs," Kyra mumbled, feeling Selma's fingers over her forehead and fringe. It was good that Selma's body was so tough, or it might have been worse.

"Well you're not wearing pants right now. I don't mind at all, but well, usually don't see that happen in public. I figured your pants got toasted."

"Nah, Ah just took 'em off cause somethin' embarrassin' happened ta Eisen, an' Ah decided it'd help her not feel embarrassed if Ah did somethin' embarrassin' too." Selma explained, finishing her inspection of Kyra's head.

Deciding there wasn't any damage to Kyra's head that she could find, Selma snuggled against Kyra, feeling the urge to sleep brought on by such a draining day try to overtake her.

Burying her face into the crook of Kyra's neck, Selma sighed contently, the girl's comforting scent filling her nose as she murmured sleepily "Ah love ya, Kyra."

[WickedElphaba]

"I don't think it was Eisen they were after, but it prob has something to do with what Gulliver was talking about you know?"

Skye's face whitens. "If there is knowledge of us, then everything is compromised. The entire, ah, training strategy becomes far more difficult." She says with a purpose hint of vagueness, knowing there are cameras everywhere.

She didn't really want him here, but if Skye wanted she'd suffer his presence. It wasn't that he wasn't cute or charming- he was both. She hated the way he looked at Skye- and the way she looked at him.

Having removed their armors, Skye has to think of another way to communicate with Cammy. So, she feels a gentle tap on her hip from her stun baton: WE WILL TALK MORE LATER.

"Thanks Cammy, I didn't really get to see what happened with you out there but I'm sure you kicked some ass yourself!" he told her, giving a smile that showed he was totally oblivious to the whole situation

"I think we all did great!" Skye says. "These past couple weeks seem to have gone a long way into helping us develop teamwork."

[FalconX2000]

"Nah, Ah just took 'em off cause somethin' embarrassin' happened ta Eisen, an' Ah decided it'd help her not feel embarrassed if Ah did somethin' embarrassin' too." Selma explained, finishing her inspection of Kyra's head.

"I see," Kyra said. If Eisen's main reaction had been embarassment, then she definitely hadn't been hurt by the blast. That was good.

Deciding there wasn't any damage to Kyra's head that she could find, Selma snuggled against Kyra, feeling the urge to sleep brought on by such a draining day try to overtake her.

Burying her face into the crook of Kyra's neck, Selma sighed contently, the girl's comforting scent filling her nose as she murmured sleepily "Ah love ya, Kyra."

As Kyra felt Selma snuggle in, feeling each curve and muscle, she opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Did she love Selma? She'd known the girl for just two weeks, though she'd liked what she'd seen very much. She suspected she would fall in love with Selma. But she wanted to take the girl out on a date, talk under a starry sky just the two of them, see how she lived some more. They hadn't made a chance for any of that cooped up in the Academy.

So she did what she could; she nodded, and hugged Selma tight.

[Ghost]

"I know what I look like. I know you're trying to be polite, but you won't hurt my feelings by being honest."

"You are quite an impressive specimen," Eisen said. "Very well-proportioned. To be honest, I never understood why you seem so disappointed in your appearance. Then again, maybe I'm missing some of the subtleties of human beauty?"

He takes a deep breath. "I grew up in Sector 3, my mother is a highly gifted software engineer and gets paid very well. I had everything I could ask for. Dad stayed at home, and he was my best friend. I'd wait up for Mom to get home from work and she would read to me when I was in bed. Then, my 13th birthday. I woke up, all excited because we never could wait for the party, we always had a small cake and a few presents in the morning for whoever was having their birthday. I ran into the kitchen, they were waiting and smiling...then I got to watch my mother's face twist into horror. She started screaming, calling me a monster and a freak. She threw the cake knife at me. Dad was trying to calm her down, I was trying to hide in a closet but she kept trying to drag me out of the house. When Dad wouldn't let her, she ran. I tried to follow her, to ask what I did. I got out to the street...and she ran me over with the car. I saw my new face reflected in my own blood.

"They tried to help her, sent us all to therapy. She wouldn't look at me, saying I was some mutant that had killed her boy. She never talked to me directly again, and she tried to kill me two more times before I was 14. When I was 15 I got the tattoo, desperate to remind her of something good, but it only made her worse. When I was 16, I got emancipated and moved out. When I told them this at out last therapy session, she screamed at my father that he couldn't allow this, that they had to kill me before I could 'get loose'. He tried to calm her down, tried to remind her that I was her son. She went insane. They dragged her away in a straight jacket and the last thing I heard her say was her screaming that nobody would ever love a monster like me."

Eisen looked sad. "I'm very sorry. But... don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't sound like your mother was mentally stable to begin with. Perhaps the shock just pushed her over the edge?" She walked up to Takeshi and put her hand - the bandaged one - on his shoulder. "Be that as it may, you shouldn't define your life by this. That's too sad, Takeshi, you deserve better then that."

"A few secrets need to be kept. It's not always easy to know which ones to keep, and you won't be able to please everybody all the time," Kyra admitted.

As much as Kyra appreciated honesty, someone who couldn't keep secrets at all would run into a lot of trust issues.

"As for questions," she smirked, "I'm still waiting on the Yakitori one."

"Well, to be honest, I'm not quite sure myself just how my sense of taste works," Eisen said. "I can eat almost anything and gain nourishment from any organic material, and I can tell one taste from another, but I'm not aqtually programmed to find certain tastes enjoyable. Never the less, somehow I seem to have spontaniously developed subjective preferences for certain tastes. I really can't explain it. It's something of a mystery."

[The Dog]

"I see," Kyra said. If Eisen's main reaction had been embarassment, then she definitely hadn't been hurt by the blast. That was good.

Selma nodded into Kyra's neck as she found herself fighting sleep.

As Kyra felt Selma snuggle in, feeling each curve and muscle, she opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Did she love Selma? She'd known the girl for just two weeks, though she'd liked what she'd seen very much. She suspected she would fall in love with Selma. But she wanted to take the girl out on a date, talk under a starry sky just the two of them, see how she lived some more. They hadn't made a chance for any of that cooped up in the Academy.

So she did what she could; she nodded, and hugged Selma tight.

Selma yawned again, enjoying the curved, toned form of Kyra underneath pressed against her through the Paragon uniform as a part of her mind wondered 'Why'd Ah just say that?'

'Ah've only know tha gal for 'bout two weeks. Sure, she's nice, kind, pretty, an' fun ta be 'round. But Ah've never been on a real date with her. Hell, Ah've never really been able ta spend time 'lone with her... Well, 'cept that time where we spent a few hours watchin' porn, but that sure don't count.' Selma thought. However, she found her thoughts becoming less focused as the urge to fall fast asleep right there began trying to overtake her.

'Hell, Ah'll think 'bout it more later. Now Ah'm just gonna enjoy this 'fore everthin' really goes ta pot.' Selma decided, enjoying Kyra's embrace.

[Guy Smiley]

He takes a deep breath. "I grew up in Sector 3, my mother is a highly gifted software engineer and gets paid very well. I had everything I could ask for. Dad stayed at home, and he was my best friend. I'd wait up for Mom to get home from work and she would read to me when I was in bed. Then, my 13th birthday. I woke up, all excited because we never could wait for the party, we always had a small cake and a few presents in the morning for whoever was having their birthday. I ran into the kitchen, they were waiting and smiling...then I got to watch my mother's face twist into horror. She started screaming, calling me a monster and a freak. She threw the cake knife at me. Dad was trying to calm her down, I was trying to hide in a closet but she kept trying to drag me out of the house. When Dad wouldn't let her, she ran. I tried to follow her, to ask what I did. I got out to the street...and she ran me over with the car. I saw my new face reflected in my own blood.

"They tried to help her, sent us all to therapy. She wouldn't look at me, saying I was some mutant that had killed her boy. She never talked to me directly again, and she tried to kill me two more times before I was 14. When I was 15 I got the tattoo, desperate to remind her of something good, but it only made her worse. When I was 16, I got emancipated and moved out. When I told them this at out last therapy session, she screamed at my father that he couldn't allow this, that they had to kill me before I could 'get loose'. He tried to calm her down, tried to remind her that I was her son. She went insane. They dragged her away in a straight jacket and the last thing I heard her say was her screaming that nobody would ever love a monster like me."

Mack nodded to himself. This fit. Parents were assholes. But Takeshi had alluded to other, similar incidents, hadn't he?

"Pssht! Sounds ta me like yer better off without 'em. Ya did the right thing gettin' outta there's what I'm sayin'. But that's prolly not the only thing makin' ya feel like yer a monster, is it? This sorta shit happened again, with others, right?"

[Tami]

Mack nodded to himself. This fit. Parents were assholes. But Takeshi had alluded to other, similar incidents, hadn't he?

"Pssht! Sounds ta me like yer better off without 'em. Ya did the right thing gettin' outta there's what I'm sayin'. But that's prolly not the only thing makin' ya feel like yer a monster, is it? This sorta shit happened again, with others, right?"

As she rested, Rivia started thinking about why now, after hundreds of generations of empowered people, why are normals starting to freak out? She has heard the arguments against those born with powers, heck she even agrees with most of them, but why now? Why wait so long to let the fear and paranoia suddenly take root?

[Rhyvurg]

"You are quite an impressive specimen," Eisen said. "Very well-proportioned. To be honest, I never understood why you seem so disappointed in your appearance. Then again, maybe I'm missing some of the subtleties of human beauty?"

Eisen looked sad. "I'm very sorry. But... don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't sound like your mother was mentally stable to begin with. Perhaps the shock just pushed her over the edge?" She walked up to Takeshi and put her hand - the bandaged one - on his shoulder. "Be that as it may, you shouldn't define your life by this. That's too sad, Takeshi, you deserve better then that."

"No, I don't."

Mack nodded to himself. This fit. Parents were assholes. But Takeshi had alluded to other, similar incidents, hadn't he?

"Pssht! Sounds ta me like yer better off without 'em. Ya did the right thing gettin' outta there's what I'm sayin'. But that's prolly not the only thing makin' ya feel like yer a monster, is it? This sorta shit happened again, with others, right?"

"You could say that."

[Ghost]

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do!" Eisen insisted. "Völlig unlogisch! How is any of this your fault? What did you ever do wrong?"

[Rhyvurg]

"I couldn't get my mother to accept me."