[INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3][COLOR=gray]B R Y N N  R E Y E S  [/color][/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][sup]Monday, September 26th | Social Conscience, Mather Memorial High School[/sup][/INDENT]
Brynn watched in silence as Renard continued to speak, finding that the man — although clearly a threat — seemed like less and less of an imminent danger. If he’d planned on killing the class and draining them of their energy, he would have done so already; Kit Renard was clearly strong enough to take on the entire class at once, perhaps without even breaking a sweat. He was clearly a man competent of picking his fights carefully and gauging his own strengths and weaknesses, so the only reason why he would feel comfortable teasing the class so — especially Sebastian, the most intimidating of the group — was because he felt that they were no threat. So, Brynn figured that Renard was here for some other reason — mysterious and unknown to the class, but prearranged by Lehrer. Indeed, Lehrer was the only reason why Renard had bothered with the students in the first place, and despite her distrust of Lehrer, Brynn found herself again willing to trust the teacher’s intentions, whatever they may be.

So, silently she sat, not uttering a word of protest — or concurrence since doing so would be inappropriate. It wasn’t her place to speak up, and although Winter was clearly uncomfortable being the focus of this particular group of students and staff, Brynn figured that her keeping quiet would escort everything on its way more quickly. Something had clearly happened at the party — something Brynn couldn’t remember — and Winter was the key to fixing that problem. 

[i]Her power — helping people “remember?” But she’s clearly able to see their memories as well so… Mind reading? Memory reading?[/i] Brynn wondered, both intrigued and threatened by her friend’s newfound powers. Although Winter said she was unfamiliar with her powers, Brynn wondered if that was wholly accurate. Perhaps the blonde had gained her friendship — and that of many others — through her powers? [i]Unlikely,[/i] Brynn thought, but kept the thought in the back of her mind as she listened to Winter. [i]Although she is quite adept at working with others.[/i]

When Aiden leaned forward and touched Winter, Brynn didn’t know what she expected to happen, but she had definitely not expected the silent stillness that followed. There they stood, Aiden and Winter, eyes closed and both clearly affected by something. Winter was using her powers, and it was clearly taking a toll on her, although Brynn couldn’t properly gauge how much. The blonde appeared to be intensely focused — perhaps to access her power, or perhaps in an effort to control them. Aiden, on the other hand, appeared to be rapidly paling, blatantly affected by whatever he was seeing. [i]Not a pleasant memory, I’d imagine,[/i] Brynn concluded, crossing her arms on her desk as she waited. There would clearly be no class today.

When Winter broke the contact between Aiden and delivered the final statement — it wasn’t Kit Renard at the party — Brynn wasn’t surprised. Her prior conclusion that Renard had enough power to easily take the whole class out supported that he wasn’t the enemy, so there was no reason why he’d be the mysterious “hooded man” at the party. [i]Did he set the fire?[/i] Brynn wondered. [i]No — that was Aiden. But he had something to do with it.[/i]

Renard’s short explanation that came next — apathetically suave in a rough, business-like way with a steady confidence Brynn admired — was relatively horrifying to Brynn since she figured herself one of the said “incompetent.” Having just discovered her power — rather, just recently accepted that she [i]had[/i] a power — she was clearly ways behind her classmates in fluency. Aiden, Sebastian, and Evander were definitely fluent with theirs, and Brynn wouldn’t have been surprised if Belle turned out to be as well. Winter was perhaps the closest to her, having said that she didn’t “fully know” the extent of her powers, but she’d just proven herself capable of doing something much more advanced than what Brynn could.

Again, she was frozen in her seat with fear, but this time of herself — of her own ability, because she was unable to meet the standard. All her life, Brynn Reyes had chased perfection — the highest standard, whatever that was — but it was clear here that she didn’t even begin to meet it. Her life of perfect scores had been speckled by some near-perfects, sure, but she was not being told that she had earned an F — a fail. She hadn’t passed, and she wouldn’t, clearly — not with her current skills.

[i]”Removed” — from the class?[/i] Brynn wondered hollowly as Renard announced lunch. Rising from her seat, she joined the tidy file out of the classroom, moving more by instinct than by thought. While she’d been able to lead the herd at times, perhaps content to lend her leadership to others when she felt gracious, she now belonged at the back of it. She lacked the skill of a leader — perhaps even of a competent follower. [i]”Removed” — removed from the class, or from the world?[/i] she wondered, eyes lifting to glance at Kit Renard. Would an incompetent follower be weeded from the flowerbed, since they only served to drain resources in the first place?
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