Tyler

VIGILANCE: Blood & Justice - A Superhuman Roleplay (Always Open)

Might have Freddie swing by the Dark Necessities plot. I'm not yet sure. I was gonna start out solo but I think it would be good for us to build connections.

VIGILANCE: Blood & Justice - A Superhuman Roleplay (Always Open)

T E M P E S T

---

^{F R E D E R I C K B L A C K W E L L ◼ 2 2 F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 9 0 ( 2 6 ) ◼ M A L E ◼ H Y P E R H U M A N}

▼ A P P E A R A N C E:

---

^{"Honey, you've got a big storm comin'."}

//STATS:

◼ HEIGHT | 6ft

◼ WEIGHT | 166lbs

◼ BUILD | Athletic

◼ HAIR COLOR | Blonde

◼ EYE COLOR | Grey-blue

//DESCRIPTION:

Freddie is a good-looking guy. Sure, a healthy diet and a regular fitness routine keeps him in great shape, but his angular features, blonde locks and piercing eyes certainly don't hurt his appeal. He is infallibly well-dressed, and it would be fair to say that he often looks like he has spent a lot of money on his clothes - because he has. Freddie has a certain confidence about him, most present in his elevated posture and his almost-cocky smile; though the appearance of the latter is rare. He is usually seen to appear serious, and has a decidedly cold demeanour that is almost stand-offish.

▼ B I O G R A P H Y:

---

^{"Whether Tempter sent, or tempest-tossed thee here ashore..."}

Frederick James Michael Blackwell had a privileged upbringing; his name's Frederick James Michael Blackwell, for goodness' sake. Unfortunately, there is little redeeming backstory to his silver-spooned life; there was no challenge, no hard graft or labour. Blackwell's Publishing was founded in the 1800s; Freddie's father James had inherited it from his father, Michael, to whom it was betrothed by his own father, Frederick... Yes, we're talking about that kind of upbringing, where teenage bedrooms were cleaned by maids and family meals were cooked by chefs. He was one of many children, and whilst their parents loved them all unconditionally, the attention they were able to afford them between their busy schedules was scarce. Freddie supposed this emotional distance came in useful as he matured, because it would soon become obvious that he wasn't quite like his brothers.

Frederick's life changed in two dramatic ways around the time he was sixteen years old. The hormones kicked in, and Freddie realised that he was into dudes. This shocked absolutely nobody, except Freddie. But, unfortunately for him, it was soon apparent that being queer was fairly low on his list of immediate concerns. As his Hyperhuman influence over the weather began to manifest, Frederick (and the rest of the Blackwells) soon realised that he was harbouring a power far beyond his control. His father was aware through his Masonic connections that the Alexandria Foundation had some decidedly questionable practices, and Freddie's parents were reluctant to send him to any of the 'special schools' run by the organisation. Fortunately for our privileged Not-So-Straight White Male, mummy and daddy were able to fund his move stateside, where he studied at the Pacific Royal Collegiate & University; a prestigious academy for Hyperhumans, run by H.E.L.P. He spent some years there, learning to control his powers, and generally coming out of his shell. He'd always been a shy theatre kid at heart, but learning to regulate his tempestuous emotions (Hey, he's a Pisces) as part of his power training allowed him to build more stable relationships, too. By the time he graduated, he had blossomed; both emotionally and physically.

As the second-youngest Blackwell and with a father who was very much still alive, Freddie wasn't about to be running the publishing corporation any time soon, and so he decided to stay in America. He built a life for himself there, living for various amounts of time in Seattle, Atlanta and New York City. He basically spent his days doing what any young heir would do; drinking, partying, buying stuff he didn't need, and having a disgusting amount of sex; both with men and women; because hey, he's grown up now, and tits are fun. So whilst he might not be a bigshot CEO, Freddie was decidedly living his best life as a transatlantic, newly-bisexual millionaire who just so happens to be able to control the weather. They say it's always sunny in Philadelphia, but Freddie has never been because it's always sunny wherever he wants it to be.

That was, until he heard about Crescent City. Seeing the news and reading the crazy theories about the relentless storm, Freddie decided it would be an experience to head over and fix their problem. A flick of his wrist and he'd have the storm sent on its merry way, the city indebted and every twink and cougar in town wanting a piece of him. It was the perfect plan for a weekend away.

And so he booked the ticket: a return flight to Crescent City on Delta Air Lines. First Class.

▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:

---

^{"Here I go, into the eye of the storm..."}

Freddie has been brought up to have no real drive or ambition; nor does he have the need to. With a seemingly endless stream of money, Frederick has little motivation to accomplish anything. He's doing just fine, thank you very much. But when he arrives in Crescent City, Freddie is faced with a situation that is almost entirely foreign to him: things aren't going his way. The storm won't budge, no matter how hard he wills it to. Not to mention, the hard-working city-dwellers are completely uninterested in his vapid existence. Realising that he could be on the cusp of doing something that could actually make a difference, Freddie becomes obsessed with figuring out the mystery of the storm, as he tries to leave his hedonistic ways behind and seek a greater sense of purpose.

▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

---

^{"Batten down the hatches, bitches. I ain't holding shit back, oh at all."}

//ABILITIES:

◼ METEOROKINESIS | Freddie is able to influence the weather. He can shift a small town from a sweltering summer's day to an arctic snowstorm and back again before the Weather Channel can say... Whatever it is that's on their autocue. He can summon gale-force winds, blinding fogs and fire bolts of lightning at those who displease him. There is little limit to what he can achieve meteorologically, when he puts his mind to it. If it's a naturally-occurring weather phenomenon, chances are Freddie can whip it up, if you give him enough time.

//SKILLS:

◼ MINDFULNESS | Freddie's powers are connected directly to his emotions, and the biggest challenge in teaching him to control his abilities, was to first teach him to control his feelings. The staff at the PRCU spent countless hours training him in various methods of meditation and ways of practicing mindfulness. This has resulted in Freddie maturing into a very calm, collected person. He is highly aware of his emotions, and able to invoke them at will; forcing himself to be angry, in order to bolster his storms, or recalling his happiest memories to brighten his skies.

◼ ACTING & DECEPTION | Being a theatre kid for much of his school life, especially at the PRCU, Freddie has become quite the prodigious actor. Perhaps owing in part to his control over his emotions, Freddie is very easily able to portray certain moods in a highly convincing fashion; even if he is not necessarily feeling them. Coupled with his intellect and creativity, this skill also makes Freddie a great liar; whilst he usually uses this to exaggerate his way into people's beds, it has the potential to be used in more resourceful ways.

◼ INTELLIGENCE & LOGIC | Whilst his hedonistic, spoilt rich-boy ways might lead haters to discredit him as dense, this would be a poor judgement. Freddie has always demonstrated a high intellect, and was a high-achieving student at any school he attended. His intelligence affords him a logical thought process and a creative imagination that work wonders when problem-solving. Plus, he loves Shakespeare. He's smart, OK?

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ AREA OF EFFECT | Freddie's area of effect is limited to as far as his eye can see. At ground level, this is significantly smaller than if Freddie were to climb a tower or mountain. Naturally, the further he extends his atmospheric influence, the more his energy is drained and in extreme situations he even risks physical harm. On the flip side, his area of effect can be limited by large buildings etc. that could impair his view of the surrounding area.

◼ SUSCEPTIBILITY | Freddie is entirely susceptible to the weather he summons. Intense sun will burn his skin, hurricanes will blow him away and if he invokes a blizzard he is probably going to catch a cold. This means Freddie has to be careful about what kind of weather he produces, and in what context he uses his powers.

◼ EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE | Whilst he may have developed a solid technique for keeping his emotional state balanced, Freddie is human and as susceptible to extreme emotions as anyone else if he is not mindful. Extreme emotions for Freddie, however, mean the manifestation of extreme weather, that can only be controlled if he is able to calm himself. The moods and weather phenomena are connected and feed off each other, so the longer he allows them to run wild, the harder he will find it to regain control of the situation; putting himself and others in danger.

◼ MAGIC / TECH | Frederick is only able to influence weather in its natural state. Thus, any weather effects summoned by magic or created artificially by atmospheric technology is immune to his influence. He assumes this to be the reason he is unable to dispel the storm over Crescent City.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ UNTRAINED FIGHTER | Whilst in recent years, Frederick has spent time at the gym keeping in shape, he has never had any sort of close combat training. He is reasonably strong and could no doubt throw his weight around, but without the proper training in throwing a well-placed punch, or defending himself from incoming attacks, Freddie is at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to fighting hand-to-hand.

◼ VULNERABILITY | Freddie's powers do not grant him much protection. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve for making his enemies' lives more difficult, by blowing them away with strong winds or hiding from them within thick fogs, but his abilities afford him little in the way of actual defence; especially from others gifted with the Hype gene, magic or advanced weaponry. He has a good enough understanding of his powers to know how best to fend of attackers, but even using his powers can sometimes put him in a dangerous situation. Freddie often relies on his logic to escape a situation instead of staying to fight it out.

◼ LACK OF WORDLINESS | Freddie has little understanding of the 'real world', having lived a decidedly pampered life whereby anything thrown at him can be resolved with a big enough cheque. As he moves to a less 'glitz & glam' neighbourhood and meets people struggling to stay afloat in a flooded town, he will soon find that this attitude does not wash with the locals. And if he is to have any sort of support on his mission to solve the city's problem, he is going to have to open his eyes and really experience life.

▼ N O T E S:

---

//SUPPORTING CAST:

▼ ALLIES

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

▼ FRIENDS

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

▼ ENEMIES

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

VIGILANCE: Blood & Justice - A Superhuman Roleplay (Always Open)

T E M P E S T

---

^{F R E D E R I C K B L A C K W E L L ◼ 2 2 F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 9 0 ( 2 6 ) ◼ M A L E ◼ H Y P E R H U M A N}

▼ A P P E A R A N C E:

---

^{"Honey, you've got a big storm comin'."}

//STATS:

◼ HEIGHT | 6ft

◼ WEIGHT | 166lbs

◼ BUILD | Athletic

◼ HAIR COLOR | Blonde

◼ EYE COLOR | Grey-blue

//DESCRIPTION:

Freddie is a good-looking guy. Sure, a healthy diet and a regular fitness routine keeps him in great shape, but his angular features, blonde locks and piercing eyes certainly don't hurt his appeal. He is infallibly well-dressed, and it would be fair to say that he often looks like he has spent a lot of money on his clothes - because he has. Freddie has a certain confidence about him, most present in his elevated posture and his almost-cocky smile; though the appearance of the latter is rare. He is usually seen to appear serious, and has a decidedly cold demeanour that is almost stand-offish.

▼ B I O G R A P H Y:

---

^{"Whether Tempter sent, or tempest-tossed thee here ashore..."}

Frederick James Michael Blackwell had a privileged upbringing; his name's Frederick James Michael Blackwell, for goodness' sake. Unfortunately, there is little redeeming backstory to his silver-spooned life; there was no challenge, no hard graft or labour. Blackwell's Publishing was founded in the 1800s; Freddie's father James had inherited it from his father, Michael, to whom it was betrothed by his own father, Frederick... Yes, we're talking about that kind of upbringing, where teenage bedrooms were cleaned by maids and family meals were cooked by chefs. He was one of many children, and whilst their parents loved them all unconditionally, the attention they were able to afford them between their busy schedules was scarce. Freddie supposed this emotional distance came in useful as he matured, because it would soon become obvious that he wasn't quite like his brothers.

Frederick's life changed in two dramatic ways around the time he was sixteen years old. The hormones kicked in, and Freddie realised that he was into dudes. This shocked absolutely nobody, except Freddie. But, unfortunately for him, it was soon apparent that being queer was fairly low on his list of immediate concerns. As his Hyperhuman influence over the weather began to manifest, Frederick (and the rest of the Blackwells) soon realised that he was harbouring a power far beyond his control. His father was aware through his Masonic connections that the Alexandria Foundation had some decidedly questionable practices, and Freddie's parents were reluctant to send him to any of the 'special schools' run by the organisation. Fortunately for our privileged Not-So-Straight White Male, mummy and daddy were able to fund his move stateside, where he studied at the Pacific Royal Collegiate & University; a prestigious academy for Hyperhumans, run by H.E.L.P. He spent some years there, learning to control his powers, and generally coming out of his shell. He'd always been a shy theatre kid at heart, but learning to regulate his tempestuous emotions (Hey, he's a Pisces) as part of his power training allowed him to build more stable relationships, too. By the time he graduated, he had blossomed; both emotionally and physically.

As the second-youngest Blackwell and with a father who was very much still alive, Freddie wasn't about to be running the publishing corporation any time soon, and so he decided to stay in America. He built a life for himself there, living for various amounts of time in Seattle, Atlanta and New York City. He basically spent his days doing what any young heir would do; drinking, partying, buying stuff he didn't need, and having a disgusting amount of sex; both with men and women; because hey, he's grown up now, and tits are fun. So whilst he might not be a bigshot CEO, Freddie was decidedly living his best life as a transatlantic, newly-bisexual millionaire who just so happens to be able to control the weather. They say it's always sunny in Philadelphia, but Freddie has never been because it's always sunny wherever he wants it to be.

That was, until he heard about Crescent City. Seeing the news and reading the crazy theories about the relentless storm, Freddie decided it would be an experience to head over and fix their problem. A flick of his wrist and he'd have the storm sent on its merry way, the city indebted and every twink and cougar in town wanting a piece of him. It was the perfect plan for a weekend away.

And so he booked the ticket: a return flight to Crescent City on Delta Air Lines. First Class.

▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:

---

^{"Here I go, into the eye of the storm..."}

Freddie has been brought up to have no real drive or ambition; nor does he have the need to. With a seemingly endless stream of money, Frederick has little motivation to accomplish anything. He's doing just fine, thank you very much. But when he arrives in Crescent City, Freddie is faced with a situation that is almost entirely foreign to him: things aren't going his way. The storm won't budge, no matter how hard he wills it to. Not to mention, the hard-working city-dwellers are completely uninterested in his vapid existence. Realising that he could be on the cusp of doing something that could actually make a difference, Freddie becomes obsessed with figuring out the mystery of the storm, as he tries to leave his hedonistic ways behind and seek a greater sense of purpose.

▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

---

^{"Batten down the hatches, bitches. I ain't holding shit back, oh at all."}

//ABILITIES:

◼ METEOROKINESIS | Freddie is able to influence the weather. He can shift a small town from a sweltering summer's day to an arctic snowstorm and back again before the Weather Channel can say... Whatever it is that's on their autocue. He can summon gale-force winds, blinding fogs and fire bolts of lightning at those who displease him. There is little limit to what he can achieve meteorologically, when he puts his mind to it. If it's a naturally-occurring weather phenomenon, chances are Freddie can whip it up, if you give him enough time.

//SKILLS:

◼ MINDFULNESS | Freddie's powers are connected directly to his emotions, and the biggest challenge in teaching him to control his abilities, was to first teach him to control his feelings. The staff at the PRCU spent countless hours training him in various methods of meditation and ways of practicing mindfulness. This has resulted in Freddie maturing into a very calm, collected person. He is highly aware of his emotions, and able to invoke them at will; forcing himself to be angry, in order to bolster his storms, or recalling his happiest memories to brighten his skies.

◼ ACTING & DECEPTION | Being a theatre kid for much of his school life, especially at the PRCU, Freddie has become quite the prodigious actor. Perhaps owing in part to his control over his emotions, Freddie is very easily able to portray certain moods in a highly convincing fashion; even if he is not necessarily feeling them. Coupled with his intellect and creativity, this skill also makes Freddie a great liar; whilst he usually uses this to exaggerate his way into people's beds, it has the potential to be used in more resourceful ways.

◼ INTELLIGENCE & LOGIC | Whilst his hedonistic, spoilt rich-boy ways might lead haters to discredit him as dense, this would be a poor judgement. Freddie has always demonstrated a high intellect, and was a high-achieving student at any school he attended. His intelligence affords him a logical thought process and a creative imagination that work wonders when problem-solving. Plus, he loves Shakespeare. He's smart, OK?

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ AREA OF EFFECT | Freddie's area of effect is limited to as far as his eye can see. At ground level, this is significantly smaller than if Freddie were to climb a tower or mountain. Naturally, the further he extends his atmospheric influence, the more his energy is drained and in extreme situations he even risks physical harm. On the flip side, his area of effect can be limited by large buildings etc. that could impair his view of the surrounding area.

◼ SUSCEPTIBILITY | Freddie is entirely susceptible to the weather he summons. Intense sun will burn his skin, hurricanes will blow him away and if he invokes a blizzard he is probably going to catch a cold. This means Freddie has to be careful about what kind of weather he produces, and in what context he uses his powers.

◼ EMOTIONAL INFLUENCE | Whilst he may have developed a solid technique for keeping his emotional state balanced, Freddie is human and as susceptible to extreme emotions as anyone else if he is not mindful. Extreme emotions for Freddie, however, mean the manifestation of extreme weather, that can only be controlled if he is able to calm himself. The moods and weather phenomena are connected and feed off each other, so the longer he allows them to run wild, the harder he will find it to regain control of the situation; putting himself and others in danger.

◼ MAGIC / TECH | Frederick is only able to influence weather in its natural state. Thus, any weather effects summoned by magic or created artificially by atmospheric technology is immune to his influence. He assumes this to be the reason he is unable to dispel the storm over Crescent City.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ UNTRAINED FIGHTER | Whilst in recent years, Frederick has spent time at the gym keeping in shape, he has never had any sort of close combat training. He is reasonably strong and could no doubt throw his weight around, but without the proper training in throwing a well-placed punch, or defending himself from incoming attacks, Freddie is at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to fighting hand-to-hand.

◼ VULNERABILITY | Freddie's powers do not grant him much protection. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve for making his enemies' lives more difficult, by blowing them away with strong winds or hiding from them within thick fogs, but his abilities afford him little in the way of actual defence; especially from others gifted with the Hype gene, magic or advanced weaponry. He has a good enough understanding of his powers to know how best to fend of attackers, but even using his powers can sometimes put him in a dangerous situation. Freddie often relies on his logic to escape a situation instead of staying to fight it out.

◼ LACK OF WORDLINESS | Freddie has little understanding of the 'real world', having lived a decidedly pampered life whereby anything thrown at him can be resolved with a big enough cheque. As he moves to a less 'glitz & glam' neighbourhood and meets people struggling to stay afloat in a flooded town, he will soon find that this attitude does not wash with the locals. And if he is to have any sort of support on his mission to solve the city's problem, he is going to have to open his eyes and really experience life.

▼ N O T E S:

---

//SUPPORTING CAST:

▼ ALLIES

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

▼ FRIENDS

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

▼ ENEMIES

◼ TBD | To be established IC...

VIGILANCE: Blood & Justice - A Superhuman Roleplay (Always Open)

You know I'm in. Just deciding how to approach this, character-wise.

Crestwood Hollow

The holding cell was damp, dark and dingy. The police department in Crestwood Hollow apparently didn't see the need to keep their facilities up to date, Jonas noted as he looked around at the aged brickwork. The cell walls were only slightly better than the ones he had been in during the first world war. Standing up, he paced the ground slowly as he tried to think of the best way to get out of this predicament, there was the long route which was waiting to go to court against Elroy. Nothing would stand then, but he had to find a way to get out this sooner, preferably legally.

Then again, there was always the illegal methods, Jonas noted as a man entered the holding cells under police escort.

"Lehrer, you have a vistor." The first of the two officers remarked as some sort of poor introduction to the man he had escorted in. "Ten minutes, that's all you get."

The two officers parted, revealing Lehrer's guest who stood in the doorway of the cell. He was tall and slender, with his sharp features turned upwards into a coy grin at each guard as they left the room. He was wrapped elegantly in an outrageously large fur coat, almost to the floor in length and coloured with brilliant orange flecked with white. He turned to look at Lehrer, flashing his teeth in a mischievous smile.

"Hello, old friend," he cooed. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I hope for your sake Kit, you have nothing to do with this." Jonas said as he turned his back to Kit, choosing instead to look out the cell window. "I should have assumed when I saw your fluffy tail running around the woods, trouble couldn't be far behind."

Kit put his hand to his chest, feigning shock and offence and pouting at the imprisoned man's accusation. He moved further into the cell, each carefully placed footstep seeming like the calculated result of a year spent planning.

"Oh, come now, Jonas!" he exclaimed, though his face was once again painted with a certain knowing smugness. "That's no way to greet a friend. Especially one who's been looking out for you!" he mock-protested. His accent was oddly unplaceable, some transatlantic mix. "And to think, I had been so excited about our little reunion. I came as soon as I heard the news." he said, running a digit along the brickwork and inspecting the layer of dust that had gathered on his fingertip. "After all, what are friends for?" he laughed, joining Jonas by the window and clasping his hands behind his back. For a few seconds, the pair stared out over the grim waterfront backing the precinct in uneasy quietness. "Lovely view."

"You do realize they have a live video feed in here? Or have you forgotten about the advent of technology again?" Jonas chided Kit as he joined the elder man inside the cell. "Now if you're done beating around the bush, why don't we cut to the chase. What do you want?"

Kit pouted. "Why, I'm here to get you out of this mess," he snapped back, curtly. "What makes you think I need anything in return? Frankly, Jonas, I'm offended." he said, a playful smirk returning to his lips. He gave Jonas barely a second to interject before continuing. "Oh, very well, if you insist. I suppose there is something you could do for me. You know, to show your gratitude."

As he spoke, Kit unfasted one of the buttons on his shirt, pulling at the gap to reveal the remains of a tattoo. It was in poor condition; the ink was faint, and the design had patches missing where it seemed to have rubbed off the skin over time. "I could use a touch up, old sport. Of course, only if it isn't too much trouble," he jibed, flashing a cheeky grin. "I expect you've been awfully busy lately, what with babysitting your new protégés and such."

"You're as predictable as you've always been. I knew you were after something." Jonas bemoaned, whilst Kit could only chuckle in response. "I will repair your runes... Once I am out of here, of course." He stated flately before turning directly towards Kit, a small smirk flaring up in the corners of Jonas' mouth before he spoke again.

"Though as the mundanes' legal system takes longer than the Council to reach a decision, there is something I need you to do in the meantime..."

***

A I D E N M c K E N N A

---

^{Monday 26th September, Mather Memorial High School}

Aiden didn't like police officers. He had known it after his incident at the mall, when they had swarmed every corner of town looking for the supposed villain. He had known it in the hospital, where he had been interrogated and accused of a crime he did not commit. He had known it as the school bus had pulled into the parking lot of Mather Memorial High; feeling his stomach lurch at the sight of their red and blue flashing lights, and being relieved only momentarily as he realised it was not him they were after. And he had known it when, with little warning, he was whisked off to be questioned once more.

The police, it would seem, had quite the bee in their bonnet about Mr. Lehrer. Aiden was not entirely sure that he trusted the professor's motives; he had difficulty believing that anyone did things for the greater good anymore. The world was a cruel and selfish place. One thing he was sure of, however, was that Jonas Lehrer was the best chance any of them had at uncovering the truth; not to mention a valuable asset in their plan to ... Well, to survive the persecution of this mysterious Draoi.

And so, he told the truth, but not the whole truth. He wasn't dumb, after all. Whatever had happened with Lehrer and Elroy was none of Aiden's business; he knew it was in his best interests for his teacher to not be incarcerated, and it was true that, whilst putting the class in a dangerous predicament, none of the classmates had been harmed by Lehrer on the trip.

He thought about this as he made his way up the stairs, towards the Social Conscience classroom. Whilst he'd done his best to keep his distance from his classmates, Aiden figured that this was something he had to attend. There were lots of things that the class needed to address with Lehrer, and Aiden fully intended on being there to hear what he had to say - that was, if he even showed up. For all they knew, he could still be in jail.

He gingerly pushed the door open, finding that most of his classmates had already arrived and taken a seat. But there was no sign of Jonas Lehrer.

Feeling awkward, he kept his head down and refused to meet the eyes of his peers. He may have been imagining it, but Aiden was certain he could feel each one of them silently projecting their hate. Sure, some of them had tried to make an effort back at the camp... Winter, especially, but Aiden didn't trust it. What did she have to gain? The most popular girl in school did not need the support of Aiden McKenna. He sat himself in his usual corner, and scribbled anxiously in his sketchbook as he waited for any sign of the professor.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and by now all the students had arrived and were growing restless. There was an overpowering sense of uncertainty that hung in the room, as the students collectively wondered what had become of Mr. Lehrer. And then, without warning, the door handle turned, and a figure entered the room.

But this man was not Mr. Lehrer.

Aiden looked at him, puzzled. The man wore a huge fur coat, orange in colour - he presumed it was fox, due to the flicks of white that accentuated the collar. He moved to Mr Lehrer's desk, without looking at the class or saying a word, sitting in their teacher's seat and sinking back into the cushioned chair. Nonchalantly, he kicked his feet up onto the desk, and crossed them one over the other.

"Ever so sorry," he said, addressing the class, though his tone and the smug grin that seemed fixed onto his face implied he was anything but sorry. "I was running a little late. But now that I'm here, I suppose introductions are in order." he said, springing back to his feet with surprising agility. "Of course, I'm already rather familiar with all of you," he smiled, scanning around the room and taking in all the faces. "But I expect you know very little about me. I'm Kit Renard, and I'm an alcoholic." he joked, before looking at Sebastian and feigning concern. "Oh, terribly sorry, Sebastian," he purred. "Sore subject, right?"

"On a serious note," he continued, paying little attention to any response Sebastian offered, "I'm going to be running this class for the foreseeable future. It would seem that your usual teacher still can't keep himself out of trouble." he mused, "Though neither of us were ever any good at that."

"I suppose you have questions. I'm willing to answer the more interesting ones." he said, looking at Belle, who already had her hand raised firmly in the air. "Put your hand down, Abelle. I said interesting questions only."

Aiden sank into his seat. Whoever this Kit Renard was, he was intimidatingly pleasant in his viciousness. It was bizarre, as though Mr. Renard's very aura was magnetically endearing. Even when he was cutting down their classmates, he had a certain charm about him that seemed to be effecting the whole room, and not just Aiden. He was the epitome of a lovable rogue; a mischievous twinkle in his eye that accompanied each mean jibe and made him seem more playful than nasty. And how did he know their names?

But, those eyes... They were so familiar. Where had Aiden seen them before? In fact, he was certain that this was not his first time meeting Mr. Renard. To his surprise, the substitute teacher seemed to catch Aiden staring, and for a moment the two shared eye contact. But then Mr. Renard smiled a cunning smile, and winked, before turning back to the class and awaiting their questions.

Aiden swallowed. Something about Kit Renard made him very uncomfortable.

Crestwood Hollow

@FantasyChic I think you may have wrote Tyler where you mean Aiden.

@Lord Wraith

Probably my fault for relentlessly and brazenly self-inserting into every story.

Crestwood Hollow

Thanks a lot all. I thought this was a group of (relatively) mature people.

@Dusksong

It seems like someone has been spreading vicious rumours. Don't believe everything you read online.

Crestwood Hollow

@Roman

Crestwood Hollow

A I D E N M c K E N N A

---

^{Friday evening, Orlaith Valley Trail & Park}

"I could fucking kill you right now."

Aiden smirked at Sebastian's apparent rage. It was amusing to see the infamous troublemaker, whom earlier had been so keen to cause a fuss, now shake with visible fury. He opened his mouth, but had little time to speak before Sebastian surged forward, putting that superspeed of his to good use. Reacting instinctively, Aiden's hands rose to protect his head as the blur that was Sebastian sped towards him from across the meadow. In the seconds between Sebastian's words and action, it had become soberingly clear to Aiden just how much weight his threat had carried. Aiden was preparing himself for the worst; bracing for the inevitable impact of Sebastian's wrath, eyes shut tight.

And yet, it never came. A strange tongue echoed across the clearing, and Aiden slowly opened one eye, lowering his shivering hands in trepidation. There, just centimetres away from his throat, was Sebastian's determined hand, each finger bent into a claw that betrayed the severity of his intent. And yet, Sebastian didn't move at all: he seemed frozen, even his hair locked into a windswept position as he seemed to have been stopped dead in his tracks. Suspended, motionless, by some unseen force.

Jonas Lehrer made himself known, by barking another foreign word and sapping every trace of Aiden's handiwork from the area; only the harsh scent of smoke in each nostril remaining as a testament to the blaze. Aiden didn't speak as Jonas explained his role in the evening's activity, and he remained similarly silent as Winter rose to challenge him. Not the best move, he thought to himself, after seeing the feats Jonas had just performed. He eyed the inanimate form of Sebastian cautiously, before deciding it best to walk over to join Brynn away from his incapacitated attacker.

It was demanded that Mr. Lehrer explain to the class exactly what was going on, and to give the teacher due credit, he did indeed explain. He explained the origin of Hyperhumans, stating their birth from the greed of some sort of wizard many years ago. He explained the role of Crestwood Hollow, and the implications this had on them as modern Hyperhumans. Someone out there was hunting them; someone powerful. And, he explained, in putting together the class, Jonas' goal was to teach each student not only how to protect themselves; but to protect each other, and the ones they love. It was a lot to take in... But every word of it made sense, and it was a relief to finally have a satisfying amount of light shed onto their shared predicament.

He felt similarly relieved as Jonas revealed he'd had the situation under control all evening. It would be hard for his fellow students to hold a grudge, now that they knew Jonas had apparently been pulling the strings. Even Aiden recognised that his actions had been beyond reckless, but he stood by his belief that he had taken the most efficient route into getting them to this point. Without him taking the initiative, they could all well be sat back at the camp, none-the-wiser to what lay in store for them back in Crestwood Hollow.

And yet, he could still feel the disproving looks of his peers; a weary look of caution or an angry glare seemingly passed in between each of Jonas' revelations. It would seem that, as Mr. Lehrer stood there lecturing them on the importance of allies, Aiden found himself surrounded by new enemies. He sighed quietly to himself, slowly moving away from the group to sit on a nearby boulder. Here, he could listen to anything Jonas had to say, but not be quite so enveloped in the tension that whirled around the group.

Gazing out into the night, and doing his best to look callous and disinterested, Aiden wanted nothing more than to return home to Crestwood Hollow. Whoever - or whatever - this 'Draoi' was, it looked like he would have to face it alone. But, he realised, glancing back at his classmates discreetly, that was the way it always had been.

Crestwood Hollow

Honestly slain by all these advancements in such a short space of time. Yaaaaassss, Crestwood Hollow, come through. So much drama, I would love to see more of this type of writing in future posts. Everyone is just delivering the goods and I'm totally gagged.