Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Pilatus
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Pilatus Delightfully Unrefined

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Coleman St. John


Part of the setup for the Sentinel program was a professional survey of the property by a certified engineering firm. It was a simple enough task, but the nature of the student body at Ashford Institute required that Cole be present for the work and the nature of some of the students meant leaving the two men unattended would have unintended consequences. Aside from that, he was a little curious how the equipment worked and he hired a local firm that was willing to come out on a Sunday afternoon when things would be the least... exciting. The two men arrived promptly in a very nice pickup and for about two hours, set about walking the campus grounds, picking up the tripod and the data-wand and plotting coordinates in what, Cole assumed, would be the baseline for the drones to operate around in their network. The Senturion company had provided an exacting list of specific details that the survey needed to cover. It was interesting and the weather was perfect, they talked shop, sports and typical male chit-chat about women and other profundities.

Cole checked his watch as they loaded up the equipment back in the truck before glancing around at some of the area they had covered. The whole time he hadn’t seen another staff member which was exactly what he had planned. For the majority of the week he had made himself scarce, taking care of his business and generally flying below the radar. Ashford had a guest and in typical form hadn’t even bothered to tell anyone about the man. Pierce was still gone, Kaylee had got in some trouble and apparently Tabitha had dialed up the Danger Room too high for some of the students. That was all fine. Cole smirked a little to himself as one of the engineers handed him a tablet to sign off on the work and initiate the payment transfer. With a handshake and a wave, they were headed back out of the gate. He turned and walked towards his Explorer, the only car in the staff lot, and thumbed the button on the key fob for the rear door to open up. Alongside a few other bags, he retrieved his laptop case and in a few moments made two copies of the survey work.

Reaching down he removed the cover from the hitch receiver where he’d installed a hidden safe in the housing. He rolled his thumb over the dials and took out the small drawer, retrieving a usb stick that he stuck in the side of the computer and after a few keystrokes, shut the laptop down and packed everything back up.

Aya had been wandering the campus since leaving her room, quietly hoping not to see anyone. Not Professor Everose, not the dean, and especially not Mr. St. John. She didn’t know how she would even begin to face him.

What did one say after peaking into intimate, painful details of someone else’s past? How could she apologize? Should she even tell him? She was a stranger, and he seemed like a private man, from the little she’d seen of him. Maybe it was a mercy to keep him in the dark, let him keep the comfort of his secrets.

Aya’s thoughts spun as she placed one foot in front of the other, reluctantly searching. Rationalizations, arguments, frantic excuses turned, over and over again. All the while, the heat of an inferno burned in the back of her mind. It scorched her from the inside out, phantom rage looming like a threat.

Was telling him… safe?

Aya froze mid-step. Coleman St. John stood not twenty yards away. He fiddled with something at the back of his car, did some work on his laptop, and then put it all away like he was ready to leave.

His face flashed in her mind - unsmiling, with combed hair and a finely pressed uniform. His mismatched eyes looked at her from the photo next to the empty casket.

She couldn’t move. He was going to leave and then she’d lose her chance - and her nerve. He was going to leave, and then she wouldn’t have to face him. She could just… stand there. It would be fine. He would rest easy, thinking his past was still behind him, and she wouldn’t be anyone on his radar. She wouldn’t be a quantity to consider and use like she was with the dean. She wouldn’t be a potential liability. Or enemy. She could just be… nothing.

But she’d be a coward.

Heart pounding in her throat, Aya forced herself to move forward. Her hands gripped at each other, knuckles white to keep from trembling. She stopped in front of him, a bit too far for polite conversation. She thought her voice might never come out.

“...Mr. St. John?”

The rear door closed with an affirmative shunt and as Cole automatically dug into his pocket for his key and almost didn’t even notice Aya standing at a slightly awkward distance. She seemed to speak just as the door closed and carried an odd demeanor like she was afraid to come any closer. He knew she was one of Kaylee’s favorite pupils and rarely caused any problems, but he also knew she had something to do with Kaylee’s apparent falling out with Ashford- a drama that he could feel himself being pulled towards. Whatever the case, what he was about to do was going to turn the tables on all of them. “Oh, hello Aya, what can I do for you?” His glance narrowed a bit and he tilted his head a bit curiously . She looked like she was absolutely about to boil over, though not from anger, but some anxiety like her mind wanted to run while her body stubbornly planted itself in front of him. He hoped she wasn’t about to have some sort of mutant panic attack. “You alright?”

Aya tried not to flinch at the sound of her own name. She hadn’t expected him to already know her. She supposed she should’ve, though. He was security after all.

She looked up to meet his eyes before looking down again, eyes searching the manicured lawn as if she could find an answer there. Her eyes flicked up again. Then back down. She opened her mouth and no sound came out. Closed it. Swallowed.

“I have something to apologize for.” She looked him in the eyes again, and a stranger’s grief pulsed through her. “I was doing an ...exercise. I didn’t know it at the time, and I didn’t mean to but I -“ Fire and rage and unstoppable, monstrous vengeance “I’m sorry, but I looked into your past. Just glimpses.” The words came out in a rush. “I didn’t share anything with anyone, but I - ...it was a breach of privacy. I’m sorry.”

Cole relaxed a bit. It wasn’t the worst thing he expected. When he was hired on, there was more than one conversation that certain measures of privacy wouldn’t always be guaranteed, simply because of the abilities of some of the students. He gave a small shrug and tried not to be dismissive, but rather accepting of whatever she wanted to tell him, if there was anything else. He tried to think of what she could have seen, though the vastness of such a recall on the spot was impossible. There were still many gaps in his own mind since he’d wrecked his last bike. It seemed most likely she must’ve witnessed one of his rides, whether it’d been the man in the desert he described to Kaylee or what he’d done at Nocturne, there were many, though she appeared sad and even ashamed, like it was something else she had seen. “Well... I’m not offended or anything, so don’t beat yourself up over it. I was told what I was getting into when I came to work here.” Ironically, he was getting a similar vibe from Aya that he had got from Cleo and it was continuing to confirm a gut feeling about Ashford Institute. He rested a hand on the side mirror and leaned against his car. “Is there anything else?”

So much. Aya didn’t know where to start. She didn’t know if she should. Her apology had been… easier than anticipated. He just seemed to absorb it, like a raindrop disappearing into a lake, and Aya felt disoriented. She’d been bracing herself for more… well, more.

But now that it was over with, that left the other issue weighing her down - of Sena, Pierce, Finvarra, Uná, the Sluagh, Avalon. She looked at him, her black eyes going back and forth between his. This was a risk. Another mistake. She confided in the dean, and he manipulated her. She confided in Professor Everose, and nothing happened. And now… she wanted to tell another stranger? Was she simply running in circles, trying the same thing over and over, never learning a thing?

But she had to do something - tell someone, if she didn’t have the power to solve the problem herself. Her mind spun, warring with itself about where to even begin when she didn’t even know if she could trust this man.

“They miss you.”

The words hung in the air. Aya’s eyes widened when she realized what she’d said. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Cole’s face contorted confusingly at the words, he wasn’t even quite sure if he’d heard her correctly. They were still standing several feet apart. “What?” His expression turned to more of a direct concern, like she suddenly might not have been sure to whom she was speaking, particularly after she immediately apologized again. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Aya shifted on her feet, mortified. She started rambling, like she could dig a way out of the hole she’d placed herself in. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep, I - my mom walked out when I was young… a little older than them. And I… I lost my dad earlier this year. I just know how hard it is to lose a parent. But I’m sorry, it’s not my business, I promise I’ll never bring it up again.”

Watching her ramble and stutter, he knew he was going to have to make a decision and just as that thought registered, he knew he couldn’t just leave her standing and drive off. This was not part of the plan. Taking her would be a risk. He rubbed a hand over his face and glanced around for a moment as he considered as many possibilities as his mind could register in the moment. “Look, it’s fine.” He said with a gentle wave of his hand to put the subject to rest. His mind was still playing out the scenarios from behind his vision, but the path was becoming more clear the more he talked. “I’ve been walking this property for the last two hours, I’m gonna take a ride and just unwind for a bit, you are welcome to come along if you feel like you got a lot on your mind, just talk and I’ll listen. No judgment, up to you.” It felt as sincere as anything he’d ever said. Counseling was most definitely not his expertise, but he understood people and sadly enough, it seemed like most of the students just wanted someone they could trust. The best he could do was just give her the choice.

Aya blinked up at him. He seemed… completely uninterested in his lost family who thought he was dead. She would’ve thought it a sore spot, something that elicited at least some kind of emotion, but her words just rolled off his back. She wasn’t sure if she should’ve been thankful or just plain confused.

Guess he wasn’t father of the year…

His offer though, was the last thing she expected.

“I…” Her eyebrows came together. She looked at his face, and it seemed open enough, but… There’s something else going on.

“Did the dean say something to you?”


Cole shook his head, He couldn’t really follow her train of thought. It just seemed completely random. “No, I haven’t spoken with him in several days.”

Aya didn’t move for a moment. She just studied him, still standing too far away, hands still gripping tight to each other. She pressed her lips together. Glanced at his car, then the high wall that lined the perimeter of the school behind it.

Finally she nodded. It was small and unsure, like Aya herself. “Maybe… a drive would be nice.” She didn’t have a clue what she hoped to gain from it, or if it was smart, or if it was safe, but still she found herself grasping at the excuse to leave campus, if only for an hour or two.

@c3p-0h
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Brioko Jobe
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Brioko Jobe

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Charles Gannon

Location: Ashford Nurses Office

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The dull thrum of consciousness quickly became a pounding headache, which seemed to pulse with every heartbeat. The more Charles became aware, the worse it became. Opening his eyes definitely did not help matters and made him nauseous as well. He decided to leave his eyes closed for now. Mixed with a high pitched ringing in his ears he heard a quick shuffle as a chair fell away and what sounded like a waste bin being overturned.

“Buckets on your left. You have a concussion. Whatever compelled you to form a bell over yourself is beyond me, but we most likely wouldn’t be having this discussion if you hadn’t.” The words seemed rushed and almost chiding. The voice was unfamiliar but Charles assumed it must belong to a medical professional given his current state. Leaning to the left and feeling for the bucket Charles vomited.

“Thank you. What is the prognosis?”

“Well the MRI was good so no permanent damage. A couple more minutes and you should be able to open your eyes without throwing up. Then a quick subscription for the headaches and you should get something light to eat. Then I prescribe you stay awake for at least six hours and use this to contact me if there are any problems.” With that she put something in his hand. It felt simple enough just a small egg shaped device with a single button.

A couple minutes passed feeling like hours. Charles opened his eyes. The room seemed bright but the nausea did not come back. The nurse stood there with sunglasses and his prescription.

“Okay take these as needed but no more than one every two hours. Oh and I wouldn’t go around using your powers until your head is on straight again.” She stated simply, although her face showed that she didn’t think he would listen.

“Thank you again.” Donning the sunglasses and taking a painkiller. Charles unsteadily made his way to the door. “I am still a little disoriented is this normal?”

“That should pass but not completely until you have eaten something.”

Armed with this information Charles headed to the cafeteria. The idea of eating still made him queasy but mixed with how hungry he was; Charles hoped they had soup.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Brioko Jobe
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Brioko Jobe

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Mathew Frakes & Daniela Steele

Location: Ashford Institute Common Room



Matt stood there examining the playing field. If Josh brought the armored unit up the left side even two more inches he would flank Matt’s Goliath. More than likely Josh was trusting in the dice though to win the day. It would be risky but Matt had already determined that Josh preferred risky tactics and had come to rely on that.

“Good luck, you sure want to do that? The odds aren’t exactly in your favor.” Matt offered a way out but Josh just nodded and went to the assault phase. They had been playing for four hours already.

Daniela had lost track of the woman she was following. As she ran by one of the open doors, she stopped as she saw a familiar face. “Matt!” She called out cheerfully as she ran in and saw that he was playing some sort of miniature game with little figures. Daniela was barely able to stand still as she stared at the little figures. “Oh! I recognize that one! It’s a little alien guy!” She stopped for a moment and looked around curiously as though she was unsure as to how she had gotten into the room. “Hey, was this room always here? Don’t really remember it.”

Matt looked up from the game. Seeing the puzzled look on Daniela’s face, he turned to Josh “Uh Josh I’m willing to call it here. Good game. Just looks like my friend here needs me.” Josh signed “No worries.” and started packing up.

“Daniela you alright? Yeah it’s the common room. Always been here. You need to eat or talk or talk and eat? What’s going on?”

Daniela once again paused and looked around for a moment as though she didn’t know what was going on. She stared at Matt with a slightly off smile. The smile vanished a moment later as tears began to form in her eyes and her mouth opened but no sound emerged as her arms and hands began to glow brighter and brighter as though her abilities were beginning to emerge. “M-Matt...Help me.”

Matt cautiously approached Daniela, his voice mildly placating. “uhm … Sparkles … if you zap me I will be quite upset. Now calm down and talk to me.” Checking that his gloves were on he tried to give Daniela a reassuring hug.

Daniela looked at Matt as she started laughing hysterically and sobbing heavily at the same time. “C-Can’t control it this time! Can’t stop it! S-Somethings wrong!” She screamed as a moment later, massive twin blasts of electricity blasted out from her hands in a display of power beyond her control. She barely had enough time to turn away from Matt and direct one of the blasts at an electrical outlet and the other hit a window behind them and shattered the window and blasted the glass outward.

Matt’s eyes widened. As the lights went out, it became apparent that Daniela couldn’t stop this on her own. Matt only knew one way to stop her. Taking off his glove he reached out to grab her arm just above the glow. Both of them seemed to stop frozen in place. Matt’s Aura expanded, changing the surroundings to match the memory of Daniela’s most vividly traumatic moment. Matt had no control over what was seen and he considered it an invasion of privacy but there was no choice. He could not allow her to destroy the room. Besides, his miniatures were in danger.

Daniela looked around in horror as the familiar sight and sounds that still haunted her dreams seemingly began to appear all around her. She could see the destroyed van crushed beneath the debris of the damaged building and see Andrea’s hand limply hanging out from the side. She could hear the battle raging around her as villains and so-called ‘heroes’ continued to duke it out in the middle of the crowded street. And oddly enough, she could see herself trapped beneath the power pole screaming in fear as the two groups fought it out, regardless of the civilian casualties that would ensue. “No...NO!” She screamed over in both rage and terror as she watched as the aspiring heroes were cut down and one of the surviving villains loomed over her with the sadistic smile that haunted her nightmares still. “No survivors.” He said to the woman under the power pole with a sadistic smile as Daniela standing next to Matt, began sobbing once again. “Why? Why am I here?!”

“This must be what’s bothering you. Some unresolved issue or something. We can only observe though.” Matt said as the scene played out before him. He couldn’t help but notice that the “heroes” didn’t work together and paid little mind to their surroundings. He watched the real Daniela as she watched on in horror. What is it about this moment? Yes, it is traumatic losing a friend would be, but there seems to be something I am missing. Matt spotted someone else trying to run from the scene. Then watched as a live wire jumped around and headed towards the trapped Daniela.

“Because you're a murderer!” Daniela’s disembodied voice came from nowhere.

Daniela could only watch as tears began to run down her face once again as the wire touched her back and a moment later, the trapped Daniela’s eyes immediately flashed a blinding yellow as a massive blast of electricity erupted from her straight into her would-be-killer and she could only watch as as his body seemingly turned a charred black in front of her. Mere moments later, arcs of electricity shot out from her glowing form. She forced herself to watch as one of the blasts struck Hannah directly in the back as she tried running away and two electrical blasts slammed into nearby civilians who were trying to run away.

“You deserve to rot in a cell for the rest of your miserable life for what you did! You killed the only two who understood you! Your only two friends!”

“I didn’t mean to kill them!” She sobbed

Matt’s mental presence went to hug Daniela. “You need to stop beating yourself up. None of this was in your control. It was unfortunate but there was nothing else you could do.” Matt looked around and sympathetically chuckled. “You had no more control over that, than I have over this. Which by the way is probably going to repeat if you don’t forgive yourself at least a little.”

"What right do you have to think you deserve forgiveness?!" Daniela’s disembodied voice demanded in an accusing scream.

Daniela shook her head as the tears began to slowly stop. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to fully accept it. I didn’t want to hurt anyone...I just wanted to have a road trip with my friends and look how it ended.” She said quietly as she fell to her knees and shook her head. “Those four deaths will always be with me.”

Matt put a finger on Daniela’s mouth. “Of course they will, no one is asking you to forget them, but you need to realise that you are not to blame for those deaths. It is like being in a car accident as a passenger and blaming yourself for surviving. Your body did what it had to do to survive. The fact that it bothers you this much and you have held onto it for so long tells me that much. I trust you enough to literally be inside your head. Now that should tell you something.”

Daniela looked over the battleground and looked at the various casualties and shook her head after a moment. She took a deep breath and struggled to express herself for a few moments as everything seemed to slow down for her for a moment. “Goodbye.” She said quietly.

As Matt’s Aura receded feeling came back into his body. Josh stood there wide eyed. Neither Matt nor Daniela were even aware he was still there until now. Josh’s hands flashed out at Matt.

“Slow down Josh I’m still learning.” Matt exclaimed as he put his glove back on. “I see the lights are still out. I think she is alright for now.”
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Almalthia
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Almalthia Friendly neighborhood redhead

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Collaboration between Uná & Jasper



Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Chev
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Chev The Pecking Order

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Ashford institute for the Gifted
Male Dorms


Victor's search for his Game boy had been partially successful. The Game boy and the games had been found but unfortunately, the batteries had eluded Victor and as such he was unable to do anything with it. He sighed and sat on his bed and shook his head. No books. No graphic novels. No other video games. He cursed his quick exit from the house for what seemed like the hundredth time and tried finding something to do only to fail miserably after a few minutes.

Do I really dare go out beyond this room and actually try and find something to-...wait a second. I recognize that smell. Someone made S'more pizza. I recognize that smell anywhere. Victor rose to his feet and locked in on the delightful scent like a bloodhound. After asking the student in question where he had found the pizza, he turned and found himself nearly running towards the cafeteria. As soon as he arrived in the cafeteria, Victor was nearly overwhelmed by the delightful smell of food and smiled as he grabbed the plate and began to load up on food. He had taken extra care to grab extra S'more pizza but also made sure he grabbed a bowl of fruit and had loaded up a second plate of delicious smelling cafeteria cuisine.

Victor sat down at the table and placed the plates on the table and rubbed his hands together eagerly as considered what to eat first before deciding on a tasty looking hunk of meatloaf he had also grabbed.
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