[h2][color=a2d39c]Mason Crawford[/color][/h2][hr]
Mason looked apprehensively through the tinted windows of the black sedan as it slowly came to a halt. There was a small group It seemed like he had been driven through the woodland for hours, but it probably wasn't that long. The journey here from Germany had been extensive and likely had some impact on his perception of time; at this point, all he wanted was a break from travelling and a cigarette, and so he was thankful when the chauffeur opened the rear door of the vehicle and gestured for him to remove himself. Mason gladly obliged.

He breathed in the fresh air of the forest and stretched tall, his lower back cracking in relief. He hadn't been able to do any yoga for two days now and his body was teaching him a lesson. He pulled a pair of vintage sunglasses from the pocket of his dungarees; round ones, with a tortoise-shell frame and gold detail, and pushed them onto his face gently. It was a fine summer morning, and the sun's rays glared uncomfortably through gaps in the thick canopy of the wood. He breathed again, cherishing the fresh air. 

The chauffeur cleared his throat. "Your belongings are being inspected externally and then sent up to the institute." he said, in a formal manner. "You should expect to find them in your dormitory when you arrive." he said, before looking down his nose at the young man - no easy feat, considering Mason's height. "That is, of course, providing everything is in order with your luggage." Mason didn't rise to the man's insinuations; he was good at ignoring things like that.

"I am obliged to inform you," he said, raising his voice ever-so-slightly, "That you can expect further transport within the hour. You are to remain with your party until its arrival and are not permitted to wander beyond this clearing for your own safety." Mason rolled his eyes at the thought of yet more travel, then looked over at the group of ten or so people stood by the roadside. He nodded and begrudgingly thanked the chauffeur, who promptly returned to the vehicle and sped off back down the road.

Mason withdrew a cigarette and placed it between his lips, feeling the cool touch of the menthol as he searched his pockets for a light. "[color=a2d39c][b]For fuck's sake...[/b][/color]" he cursed to himself, soon realising that he'd lost the lighter. He'd brought others, but they were all packed in his suitcase, which was oh-so-helpfully being probed for God-Knows-What by the institute. He glanced over at the group again. They were fairly spread out, just close enough to be recognised as one unit. Some were chatting amongst themselves, others were on their phones or games consoles, the usual teenaged stuff. A couple of them were watching him, no doubt inspecting the latest arrival.

[i][color=a2d39c]Ah, what the heck...[/color][/i], he thought to himself. They were all gonna have their awkward introductions at some point. He figured now was as good a time as ever and before he could convince himself otherwise, he found himself approaching the group. As he grew closer, he saw the individuals in more detail. They were a diverse group, spanning a whole range of ethnicities and subcultures, but were otherwise disappointing ordina-- [color=a2d39c][i]Wait, are those snakes?![/i][/color], he was startled, spotting a stunningly beautiful Medusa-like woman towards the back of the group. He composed himself swiftly.

"[color=a2d39c][b]Hey,[/b][/color]" he addressed the group. "[color=a2d39c][b]Does, uh... Anyone have a light?[/b][/color]"