[u]Poppy Flanagan[/u]

The prospect of being on a boat like this would have been considered an impossibility only a month ago. Even though they were never around her parents limits on where she was allowed to go was very tight. In her early childhood she was scarcely taken anywhere. The first place she remembered spending anytime at other than her house was her first school. Since getting expelled from the private school she was planned to attend afterwards she'd been on total lockdown. This culminated in her father being hospitalized after his last visit. Worse was that she didn't remember a thing, and yet she was being blamed. Something told her that the view of her mother at his bedside would be her last memory of them. They hadn't even let her in to the room. Then there was the look she cast as the guards steered her towards the elevator to leave. A look of unbridled fear with a twinge of disbelief. Then the doors shut and with them the life she'd once had.

After a long ride in the centermost of three black cars with black tinted windows she'd been set up in a high class hotel. Her regular servants were replaced by suits with ear pieces. It was unnerving at first until she realized that whatever discomfort she was feeling they were ten times worse. Once she had the courage to make a demand seeing it followed was all she needed. Like usual though the one thing not allowed was for her to leave. Judging from the lack of outside noise they must have rented the whole floor, maybe even the ones above and bellow. For two weeks she lived much much like normal with the exceptions being a spacious residence and daily lessons. On the 28th of June she was without warning escorted to the airport, and the next day to this ship. All that she was told is that she'd be attending school with kids that have powers like the one she supposedly had. 

So much for that. Nobody onboard seemed remotely similar to herself. People of all ages, nationalities, and walks of life. That's right people, there were even adults attending! [i]What kind of academy is this?[/i] She answered her own question. [i]One for freaks...[/i] Poppy found a secluded spot to sit out the voyage thankful that at least whoever was running this place had funding. The cruise ship of a transport alone was well in the millions. Judging by the temperature their destination was close to the equator. This gave her a new prospect considering she'd never been to a beach before. Not exactly how she envisioned it though. Soon enough the island came into view and before she knew it Poppy was one with the crowd filling in the remain seats for the opening dinner. To be honest what it all reminded her of was a modern version of Hogwarts. Just exchange houses for cliques and wizards for mutants. However, unlike Harry she didn't make any friends enroute. This left her frantically searching for a place to sit. Singling spots out by attire, age group, and as they were filled she started off in the direction of some well off Hispanics. The fact that one of them appeared younger than her put her at ease until she saw the boys monstrous features. Looking around a few others had the same thoughts and stayed clear, but nobody at the table seemed phased.

Summoning up a bit of courage Poppy took a seat a couple places down and across from them. When the lousy speech which she completely ignored concluded she realized how hungry she was. Naturally she loaded her plate with all the tasty tidbits and avoided anything green. While she was content to eat and mind her own business when the youngest of the trio used his tail to spear his meat only to spit it out. Then her gaze jumped to the girl among them when she commented on the chickens flavor. For such a prim and proper upbringing Poppy could be rather indecent herself, just her experiences at private school gave her some preconceived notions of what it might be like her. So far there was no correlation. In any case for good or bad she was stuck here for who knows how long. Sure enough others came and once a conversation started she could begin to access which way her year would go.

This train of thought was lost as a giant lizard in a suit introduced himself as a teacher. Poppy gawked [i]How am I ever going to get used to this?![/i]

[u]Vespera Spindel[/u]

Against the wall to the side of the entrance Vespera leaned comfortable against the wall and surveyed the new arrivals. After attending the academy for so long she seen all types and knew that this initially analysis would be quickly invalidated. Still what she wanted to catch was how everyone carried themselves their first night in what to many of them was a strange new world. Picking out who among them might be worth her time.   Before they even entered she could make out the voice of Amanda Blackmoore and a new girl. Since she was one of the more eccentric students and her father, Adam, was one of the lead instructors she'd found her first target. Whoever this aquatic, friend, or relative was she was going to find out. When the duo crossed the threshold Vespera pushed off from the wall to get in closer only to stop in her tracks. She picked up the scent of her babies prey mingling with the new girls. Various species of lesser arthropods. If they were internal she wouldn't have been able pick up on them, but there were no creepy crawlies to be seen either. That left the only option being that she was concealing them under her clothes much in the way the she herself was harboring a host of spiders. Nothing like what this newcomer had going on though.

Vespera actually found the scent to be much more appetizing than what lay on platters ready to be served the vast majority of the students. As for herself she would eat later. Gorging herself while powered down like the rest of them was not befitting of one such as herself. Additionally she was acutely aware of how unappetizing her method of feeding was to most others and had no desired to be shunned.

Walking along the ends of the tables Vespera kept level with her subject using her peripheral vision, when they went in for a seat she'd preemptively start down the row as if she'd plan to sit somewhere nearby inconsequentially. Over the years she'd grown rather accomplished at lingering without drawing too much attention then getting in and out without seeming overwhelmingly suspicious. Of course people are going to think what they are going to think, and she did look rather shady. [i]Just got to get her to relate with me in a positive fashion. Dispel any false or maybe true pretenses.[/i]

Her attention shifted for a moment as Henry went to greet what appeared to be another apex predator, albeit a much younger one. She made a mental note to introduce herself to the boy soon.