Parent's Day Panic

Saturday, November 12th, 2016
----Breakfast
--Calliope[/quote] The thought of how much Morgana can eat in one sitting, yikes. Ah, the meal-time teasing, such fun. Now who is Morgana's legal guardians that are showing up for Parent's Day, I wonder. Just over a half-hour until the families arrive, rush time is on!

Day Dreamer

Why does Leslie Walker have so many voices in her head? Part of her mutation or does she have disassociative identity disorder? With Libby Conne showing up I got my answer, telepath who can't help picking up others' thoughts, ouch. Having to put up mental shielding like that several times a day to keep out the stray thoughts of others, Leslie has it rough.

Duster aka Garret Burke, I wonder what his codename refers to about his powers.

"It's a work in progress. Right now I've got all the fun of schizophrenia with none of the mind-numbing drugs." She tried to make it a joke, but her smile wasn't enough for that.

Good lord, who is the psychic arts teacher with Louis Geintz is gone from the school grounds?

'I just want it to end!' That particular thought was strong enough to send cracks racing through her weak shield.

Please say that isn't a suicidal student, please. All those thoughts, a kid thinks they are a monster, another mentally screaming for help, please say those kinds of thoughts aren't common every day around Whateley.

Hat Trick

Pat Barnes with his form of empathy in the Crystal Hall, ouch. I think there are going to be more than a few receptive empaths and telepaths needing a lot of downtime after today.

"What a day, right?" As was her usual on Saturdays, his adoptive big sister Myra was slumming it at the student tables in her identity as Moonbrook, magical course special auditor. It was amusing to sense how many of Ms. Barnes's English class students had yet to realize.

Well, they may be mutants but they are teenagers, unless it affects them or their friends best to ignore it.

Marcus and Myra meeting with Erica's uncle, oh boy. Eating contest between Chessa and Morgana, who would win? =D Aww, everyone looking out for Nina/Noah, they have a family, just not a traditional one. Bev Taylor doesn't want to see her parents, don't tell me they are pushing her to forgive her sister for transforming her into a girl? Now, what could Wilder be talking with Dr. Shu about?

Wilder

Nice to see Danny has a good relationship with his therapist. His time with Rachel has been good for Danny/Dani. Rachel pulled him to her table by his braid, goofball. The Fast and the Furry-ous, let me guess, Rachel chose the team name. Avsel, Catherine, Danny, and Rachel, are an interesting team. Rachel's mom, Catherine's mom, and Danny's grandmother are all coming to Whateley in the same van, boy, they are going to share embarrassing stories about each of their kids with each other on the way.

Plans to amaze the parents and legal guardians, I hope Rachel doesn't go overboard on this. Danger Room, nope, that is a surefire way to scare a parent about their kid going to Whateley.

"Let us show them around the school," said Avsel. "That is enough. And if something happens, then..." The girl's headscarf shifted with her shrug. "It is Whateley. Such things are to happen."

I don't think even the bookies would take bets on something happening on Parent's Day at this point.

Shisa

A tour for a new student on Parent's Day and Shisa is being given the task. Why do I see hijinks in her future? All this to be a tour guide to a new student, no wonder Shisa really doesn't want to do it. Two-story jump, no problem.

Invictus

Tanya is alone at a table with her tablet chatting with her dad and wishing her could be there. The Uncommon Cold, great, a supervillain like that must be a huge pain. Good grief, not even there and her dad finds a way to embarrass Tanya in the worst way possible. At least they are talking about her mom.

Tanya is still feeling guilty about sending someone to the infirmary in a fight, she needs a friendly ear to really listen to her concerns. Nightmares about Gouyasse's reaction to the rubbing alcohol splash bomb, ouch.

"Just hanging out with Vic..." she admitted.

"Then seize the dude as well."

"Dad!"

"Hey, if he can't be a good listener and a better kisser when you need comforting, then the boy's gotta step up his game!" A chuckle morphed into a cough and then back to a chuckle again. "And I'm speaking as the voice of experience here!"

He is definitely not a typical dad, to say the least.

Sterling eats that slowly, is she afraid of spilling her food or does her mutation make it hard to keep a steady hand? Sera is obviously upset Tanya took time to talk to her dad, seesh. Sterling going to hang out with Feedback and Kinesio, good grief, she needs a social life but are potheads like a good idea.

Vic shows up and even realizes Sterling is there after a few seconds, nice. Vic going to try and hide for the day, I don't see that plan working out. A normal day at Whateley is far from normal by the standards of almost anywhere else, Tanya.

Arrivals
--Eisenmädel

Erica dealing with the tension of everyone rushing to get ready for their families showing up, Erica's showing up alongside Cally's dad and brother. The logistics of Parent's Day must be almost a nightmare to deal with. Cally grabbing Fra by the ear, hehehe, he going to get chewed out even more later on I bet. Vicky Stone's cousin as well, Uncle Adolf is good at arranging things.

Whatever the transports were, they weren't military grade because most militaries couldn't afford it.

*eyes bug out* They take the safety of their visitors seriously. Penelope Stein aka Penny, Erica goes for a hug blitz but gets sidestepped and slung over Penny's shoulder. Her cousin's training pays off. The tickle attack is a classic.

Erica's Oma, Aunt Margit, Uncle Adolf, Cally's older brother Claudio, and her and Fra's father, Gianluca Persico. And Cally happy squees, yay. I love Winifred, she is the kind of grandmother almost any kid would love to have. Hans was chatting with Dr. Carlyle, a friend of Daniel Diggens' grandfather, and he came to visit Cookie. Aww, who could resist that pupper.

"Seriously." Cousin Penny watched the canine spectacle with shocked amusement. "Y'know, cuz, you tell me about this sort of craziness, like, weekly and I still have trouble believing it."

"Welcome to Whateley," she and Daniel said together.

Penny, you haven't seen even one percent of the weirdness that is Whateley Academy yet. Daniel to the rescue, no one can resist his food. Cally and her family have a lot to discuss what has happened since she and Fra came to school, Fra, I hope you have sound muffling earplugs or you might need to go to Doyle for hearing loss from all the yelling. Now, what is Uncle Adolf dropping off at Schuster Hall?

Ratel

Rachel going to meet her mom with her friends in tow. Her mother chatting with Catherine's mother, while Dani leaps towards her grandmother landing right in front of her and getting a grandmotherly huglock. Michelle, is a cute little sister who can chat at a mile a minute, good thing Dani loves her. Michelle is only an inch or two shorter than Rachel, dang. Aww, Rachel already has a fan in Michelle, going to show her how to do make-up as she did for Dani. Not cussing in front of a little kid, good.

Day Dreamer

An hour working on those shields and already her parents are wearing them down, poor Leslie. Just a school, oh brother, that is her mother's thoughts, right? She wants time with her parents, but all her dad can think about is getting home and back to work, her home how long will this take. No wonder Leslie is such a mess.

DragonsFyre

Uncle Tim and Ceri are there to see Morgana, yay. Aunt Ree has a clinical phobia of flying, that's rough. Tour time, I wonder how many of these tours will meet up along the way.

Shisa

A chair uncomfortable to both humans and cats, either those are failed devises or they are all cursed. Shisa has to put up with this from a parent, at least Shawn tells his mom who she is. The girl to who Shisa is to give the tour is Pastel, she is someone from Shisa's origin story we haven't gotten introduced to yet I'm guessing.

Magic Mike, wait, arrested, worked out a deal with the DA, arrggh, now we have to wait for the rest of Shisa's origin story to find out what they are talking about. A catnip mouse as a peace offering, at least Shisa cares for them enough to accept it. Father Liam, old gang, you tease, Dan. Introducing these elements before the parts of the story that have them in it.

Invictus

The Hawthorne families showing up in a vehicle that I bet could survive tank fire. Nemean is Tanya's godfather, a big guy I would take for a humanoid dragon if not for the lack of wings. Silver Slyph is her godmother, and dang, did her parents just choose the strongest, biggest people they know as her godparents? Nola Rizing aka Crescent Muse, Zapper's aunt, a lot of interesting relatives.

Good introductions all around and Tanya explaining why she needs to learn Icelandic more, Sera is a good friend to Tanya.

"The simulation developers once asked to take his biometric data," Sylph added. "To use as the build base for large enemies in the sims."

Oh, good lord, if a 2 and half meter tall woman didn't need to be in the back of that vehicle just how tall is Nemean?

The Tour Begins
--Donut

Aww, Daniel needs a hug. The old Doc Tattletale is no more, good to hear. Miz Debbie, been so long I forgot about her. And at least your mother will know good things that are happening in your life even if she can't be a part of it right now. Whirlibird shows up to introduce her Aunt Valerie. Social skills coming along nicely, there are girls in Whitman waiting for a chance to date Daniel.

DragonsFyre

Morgana keeping her dragonform on for Parent's Day, that is one way to get noticed. She is doing good in all her classes, and speaks French with a Welsh accent, she should be glad a teenager is even interested in learning French. Ms. Grimes having a private chat with her uncle about her magic training, eep.

Ms. Grimes

DragonsFyre obviously concluded that her uncle had arranged this meeting long before his arrival for Parents Day, and the girl was correct. Ms. Grimes made a mental note to award the girl later. Perhaps with a cookie.

Bwahaha, you would need a bin of cookies with her appetite for a proper reward. A talent for precision work, I wonder how much of that is from her experience with technology before the kidnapping.

Ms. Grimes agreed completely, even as she wished that a year would go by without at least one student or group of students making the attempt. She wasn't sure which was worse, when they succeeded or when they failed disastrously.

Good grief, they need to restrict certain things from student use except when direct supervision by a teacher at this point. Combat application in the curriculum, nice.

The answering grin was heavy and sharp. "Well, true. I am a doctor, but you see, I was an Army doctor!"

The pair of them shared a chuckle before his interrogation of Morgana's studies continued.

Ah, the attitude that preventing injuries with good defense and offense-first is best.

Calliope

Here comes the lecture from his father that Fra has been dreading. And it is exactly what Fra needed to hear. The fate of Cally's attackers as told by her, they still think Jack-in-the-Box was assaulted by the Amazons. Macarthur, if only they could get some proof of what he did.

"Likely yes," her twin admitted. "For us and for others. It is because of him that I joined my classmates in that wrestling club. We practice, we improve, we coordinate. If Macarthur comes around again, we stand together."

Gianluca's face softened, and he nodded in understanding. "Yes, you are learning. I think we are done, here. And good; my face was beginning to hurt from all those moody, angry expressions. This wrestling club of yours sounds interesting. I would not mind seeing more."

I wondered why Fra joined the wrestling club, nice to find out, friends and allies who help you improve and face your foes are good to have.

Zapper

Catherine, now we know why she puts on the attitude she does around campus. And it is a good reason. The Amazons hoping for trouble on Parent's Day, start it and get expelled. Parent's Day, where the staff has to make sure all the wired up kids don't cause a week's worth of chaos and damage in one day.

Avsel has heard the stories about Poe Cottage, uh oh. Hehe, from what Catherine says the tales of Team Kimba have lived on.

"Now we're all honey-roasted nuts," she said with mock pride.

Bwahaha, too good, sides hurt. Aunt Renée already waiting for them, and she put a tracker in Mama Brooks', her sister, purse.

Pat Barnes filling in for Mrs. Horton at the entrance to Poe Cottage. Catherine, if you spell out the condition of your room like that it sounds like a lie every time. Autographs from superheroes, a nice hobby for Pat. Bailey is upstairs with her mom, and Pat is stalling them by chatting with Michelle, getting Bev out so Michelle will go with her to visit along with Darcy, just what are they going to see upstairs the little sister shouldn't?

Catherine is that nervous, she needs something to calm her down. No meeting Gayle aka Thumper just yet, aww. Ah, the secret of the girl's showers in Poe, never let parents know about that. Bailey is there and Catherine meets her mom, oh boy. Catherine worried about her mom's reaction to finding out she is dating Bailey, her mom knew, and she left too many obvious signs.

"Catherine, darling, most girls your age have boy band posters all over their walls. You have pin-ups of every heroine on the gulf coast." A smile quirked one side of her mother's lips. "And obvious chapstick kiss marks on all of them."

Her mom embarrasses her in front of her girlfriend, parents always know how to embarrass their kids.

Shisa

Shisa isn't in any groups, too much talking, the clip allows her to talk more easily, but I understand why she doesn't like to wear it.

"I help maintenance. Get into tight places, fix things, make sure things work, kill pests. I get paid. What will you do, Pastel?" she asked, trying to get the conversation off of her.

Pastel reached up to scratch her neck. "Working in Doyle. They think my power will be useful there. I figure it will be pretty boring. I mean, how much trouble can a school have?"

Shisa burst out laughing.

Pastel's response to Shisa laughing, oh you sweet child.

She snorted. "They say I'm a broken PDP. Want me to learn to use my mind powers. Boring, gives me a headache."

Ouch, I've never heard of a broken PDP before. Magic Mike wants to go say hi to Day Dreamer and her family, what is he up to?

Day Dreamer

Ugh, the thoughts her mom and dad have about Leslie, disgust me. Mom just worried about her thoughts being read, father wants to exploit her power not realizing there are rules in place against using psychic powers for such purposes. Wait, Magic Mike's thoughts are a blank to Leslie, just what is going on with him? Darryl Walker and Monica, so those are her parents' names.

Darryl's thoughts about Shisa, not sure I could resist decking him one at this point. Insense to help when Leslie meditates, hhm. I hope her mom treats Leslie nicer from now on at least.

Ratel

Bwahaha, Dani's grandmother shows pictures of her as a kid on her phone.

"It was memorable," said Mother. "You've certainly left an impression on the faculty here."

A deep chuckle showed that the school psychologist had followed Mother out. "A wonderfully appropriate word, impression," said he. "Much like a baseball bat leaves in a car door. I do hope, Mrs. Altus, that some of your concerns have been alleviated?"

"Mostly they've been supplanted by new ones, but I would expect nothing less."

Sounds right for discussing things involving Rachel since she came to Whateley. Dani's grandmother did her own research, even stuck it out to find a site with something constructive to say, now that is a caring guardian.

"Don't ma'am me," said Ms. Harmony. "You ain't any older than I am. And it's not like Dani's trying to hide what h... what she's aiming for."

I like Ms. Harmony the more we see of her. And Rachel proves she is the perfect girlfriend for Dani once again.

Invictus

The beginners' flight class showing off for the parents, Tanya did a practice routine and Whirlibird wishes she could be that good before Tanya reminds her of how much she has improved already. Ladybird's dad is the overly proud parent who loudly cheers them on, oof. Nana Bosch, is a nice name. Peregrino needs to work on his stop before he ends up hurting himself or someone else badly. I wish Sterling had more options for people to hang out with.

Playback

Saumer showing his dad around and no, Parent's Day amps up the normal craziness of Whateley. His dad chatting with other dads in the area and ignoring all the women flying overhead, good grief. Uncle Adolf shows up and Saumer is already suspicious something is going on.

Crap, Adolf, you dun goofed up. Saumer knows you are Erica's uncle and he has fit all the pieces together. And Saumer's power is a lot more powerful than it first appears if it can store sounds to analyze for connections later on. So now Saumer knows who Erica was before.

"Bingo. Two sets of DNA, and Opa's serum supercharged one into overdrive. I woke up after the kidnapping like this, and the cousins didn't even know at first. So Operation Snowflake was about me hiding in plain sight as a girl and, well, I'm still working through things."

Still, Erica did a good job hiding it from Saumer for so long with his power and their formerly close relationship as friends. At least they can talk about old times again.

"Puh-leaze, Saumer. If I'm anybody at all, it'd be Jane Bond. You're the Bond boy."

Bond, Jane Bond.

Karkadann

Avsel having to practice polite talk and sitting still, rough when you just want to run with the wind. Michelle is having fun, while Avsel feels out of place, aww. Hehe, Dani kept her room a mess back home, nice to have a younger sibling to share all your secrets with your friends. That's right, Michelle, Dani is your big sister no matter what.

Mrs. Horton is back at the front desk, and Sahar has shown up to visit with Avsel since she is her sponsor to Whateley. Does Mrs. Horton still hold a grudge against Sahar for what happened with Zenith all those years ago or is there another reason she doesn't like her? Ouch, so that is how far her GSD has progressed, no wonder she doesn't like to wear the shoes for too long.

"I am glad to see that you are making friends in different dorms, though. Some fall into the trap of their own little bubble, letting the dorm define them."

If more students would make friends outside their dorms there might be less bullying. Serval is too much like some of the more extremist members of Faction 3. Hehe, nice to see Sahar shocked by Cookie, no matter what you see at Whateley there are still new things out there. A run around campus with Cookie, now that is fun.

Hat Trick

So that is the cover story for how Chessa and Pat are legally named twins. The Barne, Room 218 of Poe Cottage. Chessa on a date with Jacob, daww. Pat certainly has an interesting collection of items. Call from his girlfriend Dina in St. Louis, Missouri, and her eyes have changed, she wants it to be a sign she is a mutant. Definitely a Poesie.

Gah! Testing out wall-crawling that way, Dina is perfect for Poe's cover story. Mass control, Dina got a good power with a lot of potential for learning how to use it in various ways. So according to Pat's reading Dina will be at Whateley by the Winter term, I hope so.

Eisenmädel

Vicky "Power Stunt" Stone gives a tour of the workshop and tells how they out Tiny Tim to remain standing for almost 10 minutes without falling over. Cally and Erica knew what the big talks each had been about, more talking later for each. Not the weapons fair, nooo! Ah, a distraction for Penny. Just what are they planning that is a big surprise for her?

Did they get her a super-suit for her 18th birthday? Marcus Barnes, Ngaire, and Twitch were involved in making it, and Dr. Speers group project supervisor, just how much did this cost!?! That suit is incredible. A bag labeled IBOTI, It's Bigger On The Inside, priceless. All that gear and a chameleon circuit on the bag as well, plus her codename is Silberstern, the silver star, awesome. Aww, Twitch's dad Tek Knight not being able to be there for Parent's Day. Uhm, Erica, some of the guys and girls might notice Penny in that outfit.

Time Bomb

Bev Taylor needs help dealing with her temper issues. Having to deal with her sister and mom for lunch is going to be enough for the day as it is.

"Your sis can somehow take a fireball to the face and end up with sculpted brows and a perfect smoky eye effect. It's not normal."

Okay, what the heck kind of power allows that?

No," said Michelle firmly. "That's her choice and I heard Granma say Dani was trying to be a girl again, so I'm gonna respect that. So there."

She did not want to be having this conversation right now even though she absolutely did want to have it. "S-sorry," she mumbled. "Just jealous that Danny's even got the chance, cuz I don't."

Ouch, stupid devise of her older sister gave her a BIT. And she intended the BIT for a friend, but accidentally gave it to Bev. After hearing that I would have all her devises under lock and key until examined by staff to ensure nothing like that happens on campus.

"There's a reason why we have a full psychiatric staff available. It's not usually so bad, but today's bringing up a lot of bad memories for a lot of people. Like..." The junior high girl sighed. "Bev, did I mention that I finalized my code name registration?"

The staff knows Darcy is still working through the death of her father and yet they gave her his old codename of Rampart, I'd like to smack whoever thought that was a good idea without asking her.

The haircut may be bad but is better than it was before. Dani shows up and Bev is actually doing better.

Sometimes all she needed was someone to listen and understand. And give bad haircuts. Life was simple like that.

If only life was always simple like that.

Einherjar

Whoa, where are Sera's thoughts about Tanya leading? Silver Slyph sees right through Sera, knowing her interest in Tanya.

"And not the least bit interested in girls."

She could have melted straight off the bleachers from the heat of her embarrassment. "Not even capable of noticing interest," Sera admitted. "Or perhaps I am not good enough at expressing it. If I only tried harder..."

Ow, a crush unnoticed and even if it was wouldn't be returned.

"No, I am afraid that would not work. It did not for her mother, and as I said, she is very much her mother's child. If you would hear the voice of experience, I would advise you to let her be, let her be the friend you need, rather than the unachievable dream."

It is a good thing Tanya doesn't have super hearing right now. Ouch, running off, beating herself up mentally about the whole thing, Sera, you are a teenager. Feelings don't always make sense even as an adult, don't let this drag you down.

Runs into an upperclassman who notices Sera is upset, saying they can have a girl chat on the way to costuming lab. Valentina, noooo! Run, Sera, before it is too late. Before she tries to make you forget about Tanya and anyone else you care about.

DragonsFyre

Ceri, don't tease Morgana about what the magic lab should look like if you don't want to be teased about how your science lab should look like.

"I know I can't change it, that I just have to get used to it, but I still don't really feel female. Not deep inside. It's still an act, like being bouncy and cheerful."

I knew she was acting too cheerful for it to be real. It is nice to see them have a real sister talk.

Ceri nodded. "And of course, if you need any advice about getting... ahem, intimate... with Thulia, I am happy to help."

She thought about that, felt the burning colours light her face, and wisely decided not to say a single damn thing to that.

Ceri, are you trying to make her burn down the magic labs with the heat of her embarrassment?

Donut

Hannah Sammish, where did you take your poor mother before bringing her here and introducing her to Donut? Anaïs and Daniel on cooking dates, Jordain his bodyguard for a day and got with Franklin. Daniel doesn't realize how popular he is. Mr. Carlyle has a good point, trying to please everybody is a path to burnout [not the mutant kind].

American Mongolian Wrestling Federation, it is good exercise and training in a form of combat as well. Arsi Khan, Saumer, Shawn Barker, Daniel, Fra, and who else in the club? Mr. Norovya. A portable cabin, they went all out for the club. John Irvine, cool look. The traditional outfits too, don't let Mr. Norovya hear your opinion on them.

Hehe, I knew Rachel would try to sneak in for a match.

At some point in the last few minutes, half the freshman girl population of Whitman Cottage had taken seats on the front row. Daniel's ears burned as they all cheered him on.

Face it, Daniel, you are the nicest guy around and a true gentleman, all those girls want to date you. Dasypod, codename based on the animal, nice.

Daniel wins the match, I wonder if it had been warmer outside if John would have faired better. Now Tiptoe verse Playback. Bwahaha, the way Saumer gets into her outfit, the girls love it and his dad is embarrassed.

Ariette

Fra feels positive, cheering on his friends, everyone having fun, win or lose. Sam 'Tiptoe' Warner wins the match against Saumer. Now time for Fra's match, his codename is Ariette, I forget if that was revealed before now. Facing off against Tremblor, eep. Vibrate to go out of synch with the world, that is a potent defensive power when used right. Fra fights smart and wins this match. The situation with Sam, I hope he lets him down easy.

Shisa

Tour of the school going good so far, and now Shisa is going to introduce Magic Mike and Pastel to her friends in Whitman. Still at the wrestling exhibition. Faolass, Whirlibird, Jordan, a younger Dickinson girl with a crush on Humorless. Hehe, I love Shisa, she and Cookie are adorable when they work together for antics. Hardnose versus Humorless, this will be a fun match.

Salkhinymori, the Wind-Rider, Hero of a New Age, Future Champion of Ulan-Bataar

That's Arsi's codename, I will stick with Arsi. Hhm, why was he sent to Whateley Academy, this Minister of Strange and Magical Affairs from his home has me curious. Hardnose wins the match, for that to happen their technique has improved even just a little since their early fight. Ouch! Seems Jordain has acidic kisses.

Hardnose versus Arsi, and here is where years of training and technique win out of raw strength, most impressive.

Lunchtime
--Eisenmädel

Arsi arranged a lunch thing with catering, very nice. Fabric that feels like it is hardly there and force fields built-in as long as the batteries are charged, this suit is more tricked out than previously explained. Ngaire leaves to get the invoice for the suit, bag, and gear, repair tool for the suit, good catch.

Ah, so that is why Elspeth got that look on her face when she saw Adolf. Rachel coming their way with her mom, and Wilder and his family, no wonder Erica's danger sense went off. Oh no, Penny showing off her new outfit to Rachel. Don't you dare, Rachel, not today. Oh, she wants to have a friendly practice match in a practice room, which is different if Penny wishes to take her up on the offer.

Silberstern

Penny can feel how dangerous Rachel is just being near her, knows what the armband means now. Rachel, no embarrassing your fight-buddy in front her family. Promising to keep the claws in this time, you better, Rachel.

"It's Parents Day, so we're showing them around! Mother, this is Officer Canterbury, my instructor for my independent study course for criminology and also my faculty advisor. I was hoping I'd have the chance to introduce the two of you."

"My sympathies," said Mrs. Altus.

The officer smirked. "Likewise. Now, Rachel, what are you doing here, specifically?"

Hehe, two women who can relate to how stressful dealing with Rachel is.

"Appendix 3, paragraph C, line 2: As pertaining to the testing of devises or devise-derivatives for use in combat, rules outlined in Article 4 of the general licensing code, outside contractors may be hired for the purpose of specialized testing as required, to perform their duties within the general limits of the relevant sections of the Whateley codes. That awesome suit of hers has not been stress-tested under live fire simulation, and as the intended recipient of the suit and its peripherals, Ms. Stein fills the requirements of an outside contractor for specialized testing. Which involves fighting." The girl beamed. "I humbly submit my services to assist in the testing."

When it comes to fighting Rachel knows all the rules and loopholes, she is a determined little fight addict. Five years without drinking while dealing with Rachel, Mrs. Altus has the willpower of steel.

Even has the form to sign on a tablet for Penny, Rachel's obsession with fighting is going to backfire on her someday.

Okay," said Erica at the microphone. "The timer is set for a three-minute match, victory on points. Honor system, no vital strikes, try not to hurt each other too bad, and claws stay in, Rachel."

I see at least one of them going to Doyle after this. Rachel comes out fast and brutal, but no hits as Penny's training pays off. And Penny gets the first point, nice moves.

Dang, nice moves by both of them, but if time hadn't run out I think Penny would have won definitively. A draw with Rachel, even with the rules of the fight, is amazing. Oh god, Penny lives close enough to Rachel's home for them to visit each other during the summer. Random button on the ultimate ice cream machine. *said in a sing-song voice* You'll be sorry.

Invictus

Tanya eating with her godparents, I wonder how Nemean would react to seeing Morgana's food trays stacked high. Please let Sterling and Sera both be okay. Heh, I forgot that Wilder met Nemean, nice reunion. Hhm, Dani might be someone Tanya can talk to about how she feels about the fight and nearly killing Gouyasse. Oh boy, Rachel being happier around Whitman leads to Tanya learning stuff she didn't wish to know.

Crescent Muse

Renée risked the randomizer on the ice cream machine and got something good, lucky.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same. I recall one holiday where a donor helped pay for the school to splurge on filet mignon for the entire student body. Doubtless it led to the extermination of at least one ranch's worth of cattle to provide such bounty to students who couldn't appreciate it."

I can just guess that it was Ayla who did it anonymously.

"In all sorts of things," Mrs. George replied. "I have an intuitive-spectrum ESP ability that lets me process details and make big-picture predictions. It can't account for randomness or acts of God, so it can't be categorized as precognition," the woman was quick to add. "Thankfully. I'd make a terrible Cassandra. What I do isn't so different from what a computer algorithm might achieve, just without the computer. All completely legal. Here, take a card. If you ever want some investment advice, I'm your lady."

Now that is a power with real-world applications. So there are more mutants than in the past that are manifesting at a younger age, that doesn't sound good.

"Actuarial accounting and statistics. With my abilities, earning my license was a snap." Mrs. George took another spoonful of ice cream. "Okay, diving deeper, the odds also increase if an aunt or an uncle is a mutant, but it's weighted more heavily for the opposite sex. So... does Catherine have a brother?"

All these statistics and odds, she seems so sure about them, but what about random variables that can't be accounted for?

"We all do," Mrs. Altus assured her. "Believe me, I do sympathize. We should make a support group for dealing with our daughters' friend group and all the ulcers it will bring. Maybe invite Officer Canterbury as an honorary parental figure." Somewhat appropriately, the woman's cup of ice cream was the same pink as a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, but almost certainly tastier.

Renée raised her cup. "I think we can all agree to that."

Hey, things could be worse. Rachel could have a younger sister who idolizes her.

Day Dreamer

Heh, Leslie's mom will be shocked once she tastes the Crystal Hall food. Saying she is creating a scene when she is trying to discuss things with you, don't you dare try to gaslight your own daughter. Ugh, they are treating her like she is supposed to be completely normal and act normal all the time when she isn't. Not making friends isn't a sign you should pull her from school, everyone progresses at their own rate in different areas including socially, stop pushing your ideals on your daughter and accept her as she is!

Planning to do what they thought was best for her, so they could get on with their lives and not worry about her.

If this is how they treat her back home, as a burden to them getting on with their lives, then she needs legal emancipation from them imo. Whoever thought jailbait alert needs to be kicked off Whateley Academy grounds pronto. Good, all those thoughts, overwhelmed her until she blacked out. If her parents try to take her out of Whateley because of this I hope the headmaster interceeds.

Shisa

Mike did all that so far and they haven't gotten anywhere close to Whitman, just what is he trying to pull here? Magic Mike stops so they can eavesdrop on Leslie and her parents, and follow them inside. Is Pastel an empathic healer, taking on others' injuries to heal them? Because that seems to be what she did and it harmed her to heal Leslie based on the other change in her skin.

Ariette

The American Mongolian Wrestling Federation has its own clubhouse in the tunnels near Twain Cottage, nice. Crystal Hall catering service and all that food for grilling, now this is service. Fra, your father, and brother are right, these are real friends. Sam's only family is an uncle he doesn't wish to know where he is, yikes. Fra tells Sam about his home, now that is being a true friend, being there for someone when no one else will.

Maidenclaw

Chessa out on her picnic date with Jacob Parelli, and in a very cute outfit. These two are so cute together. Aww, interrupted by her family needs her. It is great to see Chessa so happy.

Shisa

Leslie in Doyle, Pastel seems to be okay, and Magic Mike went to chat with Leslie's parents, hopefully, convincing them to let her stay at Whateley. The third worst time in her life, the next part of Shisa's origin story better come soon to clear all this up, I hate missing pieces of a tale. Aww, so her power is to absorb injuries to heal them but has to transfer it again to get rid of them herself. That poor squirrel never had a chance. At least Shisa has a friend at Whateley from before she got there.

Moonbrook

All those kids and Karma is the youngest so gets to go first, time for ice cream roulette! Hypergolic got a bad one, but good thing Myra can identify the ghost pepper and honey ice cream, or Meatball would have been a world of pain. Scheherezade has no parent or guardian, but Heartfinder's mother more than makes up for it.

Hehe, only a big sister can tease her little sister like that and get away with it. Piece of the magic box that plucked them from their certain deaths in the past to the present, yikes, I thought it was completely destroyed. Derek used the heart of the magic box to create a ring to propose to Myra, she says yes, yay! And the kiss, Myra being the one to do it so fits their relationship.

Farewells
­--Donut

Eat so much they don't want to move, to do that with several of them being Exemplars or Energizers is an incredible feat. Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company. A place to accept the remaining creatures of Doc Talltale's menagerie, now who would be foolish enough to do that?

"They're to join the permanent exhibits at the Royal Karedonian Para-Zoological and Botanical Gardens. You know where that is?"

Well that explains it, Jobe has taken an interest in them. Karedonia for the winter break, oh boy, why do I feel that Daniel and Cookie are going to have an adventure one way or another?

Ratel

Poor Bev, ignored by her parents in favor of her older sister.

"I don't. Which is why I have no desire for her to die in my house and then spend her afterlife haunting us," her mother explained.

"Oooh, good call." Rachel hugged her mother back.

Good reason not to want a relative you don't like dying in your home. Cathy going to be with Bailey while Rachel has some interesting ideas for Dani, I hope these two last as Rachel is good for Dani, and Dani is good for Rachel.

DragonsFyre

Wait, the Army actually has medical magic books for those who can learn it, that is awesome. Morgana, it is okay to cry if you are going to miss someone you love.

Ms. Barnes would still have the Heisenberg Uncertainty Ice Cream Dispenser up and running in the cafeteria. They could take turns pressing the big red button and laughingly dare each other to eat up. That would be worth a little happiness.

Better than most games involving dares at least.

Calliope

Nefertiti showing up like this, I hope it isn't foreshadowing of something bad happening with Sera. Ms. Plimsoll doesn't like her aunt and uncle for some reason we might never find out.

She spied their RA, Sister Secret, watching over the common room as little Essemmelle and Hannah faced off against Twitch and Nana in a game of devisor tiddlywinks. The scorch marks on the old card table did not reassure her any.

Okay, who lets little kids play a game like that? Cally has been keeping a lot bottled up still, she needs Erica right now, but she needs to let out what she is holding in to the rest of the group or it will keep building until she explodes.

Day Dreamer

Leslie feels peaceful and good, who is the woman who came in to check on her though? Duster left her a note by her phone, I hope they can become more than friends soon, her crush is obvious. Pastel left a note as well, apologizing for the weird meeting, about the incense.

I know how bad parents can be, even if they never raise their voice. If you want to talk about it, give me a shout. No judgment, no giving unasked-for advice, just a friendly ear from someone who has been there, done that, and ran away to get the t-shirt.'

And left her number as well, Leslie, Pastel is the kind of person you can trust.

Invictus

Uncle Nem and Auntie Slyph are fun godparents, and a little bit of goofballs too. Trust Nemean, talking with Dani can help you sort some things out. Teasing about not meeting her boyfriend, hehehe.

Sterling was just now emerging from the woods with a vague smile on her face.

Please say she didn't do what I think with those two idiots. Vic was at the lake all day, dang. At least now Tanya can talk with him.

This was a huge story with a lot of reveals. All the emotions of the students and their parents, some of which were hard to watch unfold especially Leslie dealing with her parents and their thoughts about her.

I'm glad Erica and Saumer can be open about who she was, that Fra finally had a talk with her father and sorted things out along with finding true friends in the AMWF. All the callbacks to characters we haven't seen in a long time, some since the character's origin stories, were great.

Shisa's past, Pastel, and Magic Mike, now we have to wait for the rest of her origin story to learn all that. Plus all the set-up for future stories including Pat's girlfriend Dina, what Penny might get up to now that she is outfitted for being a superhero, and hints that the Amazons are acting again.

I loved the whole story and everything in it. But this commentary is already so long. So I will finish with I can't wait to see each of the new and returning plot threads introduced continued in later stories and more tales of all the characters.

Duster aka Garret Burke, I wonder what his codename refers to about his powers.

"It's a work in progress. Right now I've got all the fun of schizophrenia with none of the mind-numbing drugs." She tried to make it a joke, but her smile wasn't enough for that.

Good lord, who is the psychic arts teacher with Louis Geintz is gone from the school grounds?

'I just want it to end!' That particular thought was strong enough to send cracks racing through her weak shield.

Please say that isn't a suicidal student, please. All those thoughts, a kid thinks they are a monster, another mentally screaming for help, please say those kinds of thoughts aren't common every day around Whateley.

Day Dreamer will be a very minor character for Shisa's story. She'll become an important side character starting in the Winter Term, when my final POV character shows up. I decided to introduce her here, so I could get a feeling for her, and because it seemed like a good story showing a character who can't quite control her powers.

You'll probably have to wait a long time to see why Duster has that code name.
There are several psychic arts teachers. They are pretty good, and after talking it over with Leslie, seeing her deal with common day to day things, they decided that she can handle being in Dickinson. It just requires a bit of planning by her to avoid being overstimulated, so showering at night, going to Crystal Hall a little early or late, sometimes resorting to To-Go boxes, etc.
Parents Day is just a time of extreme emotion, good and bad. And because Leslie is nervous as well, her shield was weaker than normal.

Day Dreamer

An hour working on those shields and already her parents are wearing them down, poor Leslie. Just a school, oh brother, that is her mother's thoughts, right? She wants time with her parents, but all her dad can think about is getting home and back to work, her home how long will this take. No wonder Leslie is such a mess.

It's actually her mother who is thinking about work. She's a veterinarian who travels to various ranches for work. Her father is a long haul truck driver. I wanted to keep it a bit vague, to show how much trouble she has with the thoughts and emotions filling her head.
If she couldn't read her parents minds, they mostly wouldn't seem that bad. A bit impersonal, sure, but they say the right things, most of the time. It was a peek behind the curtains, showing the hidden dirt.
Also when I first came up with this, I was planning it for a stand alone vignette, and it was titled "Afterthought".

Shisa
...
Magic Mike, wait, arrested, worked out a deal with the DA, arrggh, now we have to wait for the rest of Shisa's origin story to find out what they are talking about. A catnip mouse as a peace offering, at least Shisa cares for them enough to accept it. Father Liam, old gang, you tease, Dan. Introducing these elements before the parts of the story that have them in it.

I almost didn't write this story. But I had a good idea and decided to give it a shot.
Walking the tightrope of providing enough details to make an interesting story, while only hinting at what happened in the past was a bit of challenge. It's nice seeing that it worked.
And Shisa has a very interesting 3 or 4 stories before she reaches Whateley. Lots of gut punches and surprises.

Day Dreamer

Ugh, the thoughts her mom and dad have about Leslie, disgust me. Mom just worried about her thoughts being read, father wants to exploit her power not realizing there are rules in place against using psychic powers for such purposes. Wait, Magic Mike's thoughts are a blank to Leslie, just what is going on with him?

Her parents aren't abusive, but they certainly aren't nice once you scratch the surface.
Magic Mike is the closest I'll ever come to a Gary Stu. So he has A LOT of rules regulating his actions. You'll have to wait for Alley Cat Part 1, to learn more about him.

Shisa

Tour of the school going good so far, and now Shisa is going to introduce Magic Mike and Pastel to her friends in Whitman. Still at the wrestling exhibition. Faolass, Whirlibird, Jordan, a younger Dickinson girl with a crush on Humorless. Hehe, I love Shisa, she and Cookie are adorable when they work together for antics. Hardnose versus Humorless, this will be a fun match.

This part was 99% Wasamon.
He wanted to have a scene of Shisa sitting on Cookies, head so I gave him my blessing, thinking she'd just be a secondary character. Then I saw the scene and started laughing.
I did change a bit of Shisa's dialogue, mostly shortening it since she's not talkative. Otherwise, I didn't touch it. It was a great scene that fit the characters.

Shisa

Mike did all that so far and they haven't gotten anywhere close to Whitman, just what is he trying to pull here? Magic Mike stops so they can eavesdrop on Leslie and her parents, and follow them inside. Is Pastel an empathic healer, taking on others' injuries to heal them? Because that seems to be what she did and it harmed her to heal Leslie based on the other change in her skin.

Mike is just going with the flow. He has a plan, even if he doesn't know what it is.
And Pastel's power is interesting. It's not as simple or easy as it appears in this story.

Shisa

Leslie in Doyle, Pastel seems to be okay, and Magic Mike went to chat with Leslie's parents, hopefully, convincing them to let her stay at Whateley. The third worst time in her life, the next part of Shisa's origin story better come soon to clear all this up, I hate missing pieces of a tale. Aww, so her power is to absorb injuries to heal them but has to transfer it again to get rid of them herself. That poor squirrel never had a chance. At least Shisa has a friend at Whateley from before she got there.

MUHAHAHAHAHAHA! My plan worked!
Back in 2016-2017, I was planning out Shisa's story, and decided that she needed a friend in Whateley.
Initially it was going to be the character who became Forte. The idea was a mutant devisor who had lost her limbs, was found on the street by Shisa, and she would help the group by selling some simple weapons.
Then when I came back, I saw Fortes picture, remembered a bit of my plan for her, while completely forgetting that she was connected to Shisa. So Forte was made.
Then I remembered my original plan, and needed a new character to be friends with Shisa. Thus Pastel was born.

Day Dreamer

Leslie feels peaceful and good, who is the woman who came in to check on her though? Duster left her a note by her phone, I hope they can become more than friends soon, her crush is obvious. Pastel left a note as well, apologizing for the weird meeting, about the incense.

The woman is a nurse. I didn't go into detail, because it wasn't necessary.
Duster and Day Dreamer will be explored a little when Gemini arrives.