Aberrant: Mutant High - Moving-in Day

[Locomotive]

Chuck was getting antsy. His trip from New York City was taking longer than expected on this shuttle. But at least he had some great scenery to keep him occupied. His main companion on this interminable ride was a young lady with a tan complexion. Her movements upon getting into the van were graceful, almost inhumanly so.

His thoughts were trailing back upon his family and friends back in Connecticut as he stared out the window, watching the world outside. "Damn it. I wish I was back home already. I guess it's better for me to be here, but still, who heard of a pro athlete coming from here."

His thoughts were jarred back to the present as the van hit a large pothole. He looked over at the van's other occupant and chuckled, "That was a big one. Hope we don't hit too many more. Not sure this van could take it. "

[Karren Gaunt]

Chuck's statement snapped Julie out of her interested scanning of the landscape rolling by in a way the bump didn't, the blonde breaking out into a smile big and effortlessly natural. Her hair was cut short, a no-nonsense style to match her runner's build.

No worry about leaving home here. No, what his fellow mutant was feeling was clear and naked antisipation spiked with hope for their new school.

"Oh, we'll make it. My family has worse pick-ups we drive over worse roads than this," she cheerfully dismissed, green eyes sparkling as she took in his impressive build, "My name's Julie McCalister by the way. Julie McCalister of the of the California McCalisters. What's your name?"

[Locomotive]

Chuck nearly blushed as the beautiful girl was speaking to him. He extended one of his large hands over towards Julie, "Charles Sayer. Call me Chuck. From Connecticut." He smiled and nodded to Julie, "What brings you to this place? I'm being sent here because I hurt someone... not the most lucky way to get my way in." He flexed his biceps, and sighed, "I guess it's lucky he didn't get hurt worse, but seeing him flying backward was a sight i'll never forget." Chuck shook his head, and looked down, then looked back out the window. "When do you suppose we'll get there? and what do you think the students will be like?"

[Karren Gaunt]

The hand was accepted and shook, Julie's hand all-but-disappearing into Chuck's own even as she attentively listened to his story. The smile faded by inches into dying embers before being flagged to valiant life again, a storm of emotion being forced away.

"Pleasure to meet you, Chuck, even if you don't have the best of stories behind you. Me? My powers kicked in at a regional track meet a month ago, and it turns out the USATF has some... rather harsh rules about mutants competing against humans for trophies and titles. Got kicked off the team, inqueries... Bullshit like that. Got a pamplet in the mail and this seemed like a much much *much* better option than running in circles at home. I mean... They have to have sports for people like us here, right?"

She breezed away the uncertainty, finally putting the storm behind her, "And I don't know the answer to your last question. I hope 'fun and interesting' is a part of it though. At least one person seems to match that description so far at least. Grey skin is a new one by me."

[Locomotive]

Chuck smiles a little crookedly, "It's new on me, too. Happened not too long after what happened with the other guy. I bet there are all kinds of 'fun and interesting' people up here. Just hope I can get along with them as well as I seem to be getting along with you."

He sighed, "I'm afraid that the sports we'll find up here aren't gonna be that organized. I mean who else can we play against? Teachers vs Students? where's the fun in beating older people... after all they're not as fast."

Chuck smiled again, "I wonder what the professors will be like. I hope they can keep me entertained for a while. So, what do you think the welcoming committee will be like?"

[Karren Gaunt]

"No clue. But if this place has the kind of money behind it that the brocheure makes it look like, I bet it's more than instructions to report to the head office for our class schedules and an uncaring good luck from whatever security guard we can find," Julie quiped with a trace of a sly smile. California had a million and one wonderful things about it she'd miss eventually once she got over the glow of everything new, but affluent public schools wasn't one of them.

She looked out the window, "I suspect you're right about the organized sports though. It's not like there are enough of us with similar powers to make any kind of fair league. Or at least that's what I've found. Abilities all over the place it looks like."

[Locomotive]

"Yeah, but it should be fun meeting all those unique people.I think we're getting pretty close. I wonder what this place will look like when the trees start changing colors. It should be spectacular."

Chuck took out a brochure for the academy, and began reading. "Wow they've got an Olympic class swimming pool, too. I guess I should have read more of this than I did. "

He then looks over at Julie, "I guess we should get ready to meet our new class-mates."

[Karren Gaunt]

"I guess we should," agreed the blonde mutant with another chuckle, fishing out her own brochure and reluctantly giving it her full attention while she waited for the bus to arrive, bumps in the road and all.

[Sonja Bahaar]

About fifteen minutes later, the shuttle passed through open, wrought-iron gates, a plaque with embossed, metal lettering proclaiming they had arrived at Lawrence Hunt Academy. The stone wall surrounding the campus, wreathed in winter-withered ivy fell behind them and spread out to the sides as they pulled up to the end of the circular drive.

Chuck and Julie didn't see many students at first. It was January after all, and if the skies were clear, sun reflecting brightly of the white snow, it was still a very brisk day, and the vast majority of the Academy grounds appeared to be behind the main building, an elegant, weathered, three story structure with spreading wings.

Surprisingly, what students they did see seemed remarkably innocuous - like students anywhere else - and they could hear laughter and shouting on the wind. The shuttle stopped by the front of doors of the main building with the crunch of snow and gravel and the squeal of worn brakes.

"Here's your stop, kids," the driver said with cool courtesy, giving Charles and Julie a nod without actually looking at them as he opened the side door of the shuttle, but left the engine running. He didn't know what exactly went on at Lawrence Hunt and he didn't want to know. If the Academy had more than its fair share of hot girls, well the freaky shit still creeped him the hell out. He did the job and got paid, that's it. After Charles and Julie collected their bags and climbed out, he shut the door and slipped in behind the wheel. "Have a good day."

Sharing a look, the newest students at LHA somewhat at a loss, the shuttle wasn't even half way down the drive when a woman ducked through the front doors and strode gracefully down the front steps, a clip board in her hands and a welcoming, million-watt grin on her stunning, more-than-cover-girl perfect face. And the woman did have to duck to clear the doorway.

She must've stood a full seven feet tall and that was in flat-heeled boots. She was dressed in pale blue jeans that clung to incredibly long legs, a pastel mauve knit sweater strained across an incredibly developed torso, and a bubblegum pink longcoat with runes embossed down the mantle and cuffs and hem that flared in the wind, the belt emphasizing her slender waist. With platinum blond hair pulled back in a pony tail that fell to the small of her back and vibrant indigo eyes, the woman looked nothing so much as a living, super-sized Barbie Doll.

"Welcome to Lawrence Hunt Academy," she said in a cheerful, resonant alto. There was a slight pause as she glanced over her clip board. "You two must be Charles Sayer and Julie McCalister. Hi! I'm a Sonja Bahaar, a sophomore here at LHA, and the unofficial official welcoming committee for today, such as it is."

Sonja stretched out her hand to shake hands, full lips curving wryly as she noticed Charles and Julie reevaluate her in surprise, realizing she was about their own age. With her voice and size and figure, Sonja was often mistaken as being older than she was, but that was happening since she was twelve or even younger. Sonja wasn't sure how she had ended up welcoming so many of the new students this year, but she had.

It seemed like LHA had garnered two more athletes. Charles looked like a linebacker made of granite about a foot shorter than her, while Julie had the lean build of (most) female track and field competitors who would be eye level with her navel - hardly taller than Kia really, and just as cute.

"Well, we'll have to run by Admin at some point for your room assignments and keys - beginning of terms always sees people looking to change rooms - along with your textbooks and schedules, but if you guys don't have too much stuff, I can give you a quick tour first."

She glanced at their bags, a faint frown on her lips, then gestured over her shoulder towards the main building, causing very interesting shifting under her coat and sweater. "I'd say you can just leave them in the foyer for now, if you want - I doubt anyone will steal anything - but I make no promises 'bout them being free of any newbie pranks, I'm afraid. It's your decision guys, and if you need any help with the bags, just ask."

[Locomotive]

Chuck looked up at Sonja, a look of wonder upon his face at first, then as she continued talking a little bit of that wonder faded, but never completely vanished. When she mentioned the pranks, he chuckled, and put his duffel bag on his shoulder. "I'd prefer to be clear of the pranking for now, but a tour sounds wonderful. It'll give us time to stretch our legs after that shuttle. Julie, you up to it? Oh, Sonja, was it? Is there anything resembling a sports team here?"

He turns toward Julie, "Mind if I carry your bags? I got a free hand, and i'm used to playing pack mule." Charles laughs and nods to Julie.

[Karren Gaunt]

Holy shit. She had heard about mutants like this but to see one in person... Julie had never been one to be intimidated by another girl's looks, but Sonja definitely made her take a pause, reacting only mechanically to the handshake before Chuck's offer snapped her out of it.

"Um, ah..," she stammered with a blush of embarassment on her face, still flustered, "Yes. A tour sounds good. Thank you. That goes for offering to carry my bags, too, Chuck."

[Locomotive]

Chuck grabs the smaller of Julie's bags first, and takes the strap and puts it around his shoulder, hanging the bag across his back. Then he takes the larger of the bags and hoists it one handed onto his other shoulder, "Lead on, Ms. Bahaar. " As Sonja walked in front of the other two, guiding them, Charles couldn't help but watch her derriere move. He blushed as Julie caught him staring, not paying attention to the words Sonja was saying.

[Sonja Bahaar]

"Tour it is then," Sonja affirmed cheerfully, taking the lead. "And please, call me Sonja."

With Sonja in front as she took Chuck and Julie around campus, showing them what's what, the two of them had to spread out to the sides a bit, to see anything past her Amazonian stature. Though Sonja may have the first sign of the mutant nature of what had been appearing to an otherwise entirely too normal private school, she was hardly the last.

Students with unusual coloured eyes, students with glowing eyes, a veritable rainbow of skin colours, They saw a boy, maybe a freshman - it was hard to tell, since he was all of three feet tall - trailing them (or rather, Sonja) for a bit, with bright blue skin, wearing only a battered pair of once-white boots, a pair of cargo-pants of the same not-colour, and a white toque. And those were only the common visible oddities.

One guy stepped through a closed door as if it wasn't there. Another girl, speaking a mile-a-minute cursed her smartphone when it died; electricity crackled around her fingers for a moment, recharging her phone. Outside, another mutant flew up in the air with a thrumming sound, giving him a vantage point to launch a snowball attack over the walls of an elaborate snow fort.

It was soon evident that the Lawrence Hunt Academy wasn't just a high-school. The massive snowball battle was being largely waged my kids in the elementary grades. With a tight grin, Sonja picked one of them who was sneaking up behind a cute, small kid waddling around with a snowball as big as his head, who had hedgehog bristles for hair.

Sonja and the two newest students at LHA had to move quick after that when the two sides of the battle began to turn on them.

Also, whether watching her glorious behind hidden being vibrant pink leather sway from side to side or not, it was also quite obvious Sonja moved with the unconscious, powerful grace of a professional athlete.

"... so team sports vary from year to year, depending on how many students we have who are interested," Sonja explained as she was leading them back to the main hall. Her lips quirked with a wry wistfulness. "Playing those, or during phys. ed, those with physical enhancements above human levels usually have to go tethered though."

"Tethered?" Julie asked out loud, just as Chuck was thinking the same thing.

"Power nullifiers," she explained, "Also used for punishment. Don't get on Ms. Childs bad side, though truth to tell..." her voice dropped to a whisper, "... I'm not sure she has a good side. Anyway, solo sports, like Track and Field and Gymnastics - my roommate Ari runs the team, she was in the circus for reals - are pretty popular, since you're pretty much competing against yourself. Also, there are informal games the students make up themselves, with powers allowed and stuff." Sonja smirked. "The flyers have a quidditch team."

Sonja led them to a different set of double doors off the Quad, which didn't seem to hang quite right, sticking a bit. The curvaceous giantess appeared to bit touch too gentle with them as she pulled them open.

"And here's Caf - pretty good food for a cafeteria, though cliche or not, don't try the meatloaf. Ever. And it's all included while you attend LHA. You mind if we stay for a bite to eat before heading to Admin?" she asked while slipping off her longcoat, revealing well toned arms and shoulders and a sliver of defined abs despite her Barbie-like proportions. "I missed lunch, and high metabolism, so..."

[Karren Gaunt]

"No. No problem," replied Julie agreeably, hiding the fact she was feeling more than little over overwhelmed by the scale of events and their guide behind a smile. This was alot to take in, and much as the good news there *was* a track and field team buoyed her, the blonde was going to apreciate a chance to sit down and think for once.

And that bothered her. She never needed to sit down and think, always kept on moving, kept her eye on the next finish line. Well, she wasn't going to let this bother her. She'd get this too once she found her balance.

She watched Sonja load up on more meat than even her older brothers did at home after a long day on the ranch while picking out a much more manageably-sized portion for herself. "So... What are the classes like?" she ventured to the taller girl's back enroute to a table, trying to work out at least one worry, "The academic ones, I mean?"

[Locomotive]

Chuck almost laughed at the sheer amount of meat on Sonja's plate. Then he remembered how much he'd been eating lately. He nodded when Julie asked the question that had been on his mind since arriving. "And what are the other classes like, too?" He looked around the room at the various students, his eyes alighting on several that had a mischievous look to them. "Ummm Sonja, I think it might be a good idea for us to eat on the go."

[Sonja Bahaar]

"Hmm?" The towering young woman glanced over her shoulder as she led Chuck and Julie to her usual corner table, seeing the expressions on the other students' faces. To her, they looked mocking or teasing - probably her expense for some reason or another, or because of something 'Neca was saying or doing.

A faint blush coloured her cheeks and her lips tightened at the thought, and she considered having to say something about her sister's faltering grades. "Oh, it's alright, and besides, we're not supposed to take the plates out of the cafeteria. Please, sit down, it'll be alright."

Suiting action to words, Sonja slid in behind the table and sat down, muttering as she jostled the table a bit as she crossed her incredibly long legs. Sitting down, the buxom blonde didn't look quite so overwhelmingly tall, though no one would ever call her small... in any respect. The pile of ham and beef sitting in front of her was diminishing swiftly.

"Classes are like classes... pretty much anywhere else, I guess," Sonja said with a shrug that made interest things happen beneath her taut shirt. "Math is math, history is history, yadda-yadda-yadda. We still get homework and have to do presentations and all that. Maybe with a bit more focus on how stuff applies or affects mutants. They're pretty good here at helping students progress at their own pace, as long as you try and apply yourself."

Her full lips quirked in a wry grin. "Sure, some students can make illusions for audio and visual aids, some use TK to write on the board and stuff, and when a class gets out of control it can really get out of control, but you get used to it."

Sonja consumed her small salad with quite, neat bites - which looked like she had added to her plate just so it wouldn't be all meat - then progressing to the slice of cheesecake. "As for other classes, well, okay, Phys. Ed, is really 'Powers' class, teaching us our limits, helping us to raise them, and to control our gifts so we don't have unfortunate accidents."

A shadowed look entered her deep, blue-purple eyes, thinking about her own and her sister's, but she dispelled it quickly behind a bright smile. "We have Shop Class and Home Ec too, anything you'd fine in most private schools." She snorted with amusement. "Since Morri, I'd be wary of anything the students cook in Home Ec. Some of the science and computer classes are very advanced, for the brainiacs and people who like that stuff."

Sonja stacked her empty plates and drank the rest of her large glass of chocolate milk - damn anyone who said she was a growing girl, she liked milk. She arched a pale brow at her charges. "Anything else you'd like to know or be shown? Or do you want to get your room assignments so you can leave your bags behind?"

[Locomotive]

"I think it'd be best if we got our room assignments. I think we've seen all we need to see. Or is there something else you'd like to see, Julie?" Chuck fished up Julie's bag, and his own duffel and slung them over his shoulders, await the direction of which way to go.

[Karren Gaunt]

"I'm good for that. Not exactly fair to keep you lugging our things around, Chuck," Julie offered with a wry grin, already thinking academic classes might be something to pay attention to this time around instead of making time through them. A big 'might be'.

"Lead the way, Sonja."

[Sonja Bahaar]

"Admin, next stop," Sonja agreed, standing up to her towering height and piling all their plates with a nonchalant grace. She brought them to the front with a smile for the servers, then nodded at the new transfers, leading them through a side door. "This way, if you please, Julie, Chuck."

Sonja strode through the halls, Julie and Chuck following behind, then beginning to lag. After a moment, she glanced back at them over a broad shoulder and flashed a rueful grin, shortening her steps so Julie and Chuck didn't have to almost jog to keep up. Sonja had always been a leggy girl (among other things) with a long stride, and now, her legs were half-again as long or more than most other girls at Lawrence Hunt. Sometimes she forgot. "Sorry."

She passed by an elevator, leading her charges to the end of the hall and up two flight of stairs to the third floor. It wasn't that she was claustrophobic, precisely, but when you were seven feet tall and far from slight with it, they felt hardly bigger than a linen closet.

And then there was that whole incident when she had turned around too fast and the side of her boob ended up colliding with the face of one of the Astovik sisters, knocking her off her feet. That was still being talked about. Besides, Chuck wasn't having any trouble with his or Julie's bags.

Sonja's knocked lightly on the frosted glass door, sounding oddly timid coming from such a large woman, then carefully ducked, giving the top of the doorway a wide berth, without waiting for an answer. "Mrs. Howser, our new students are hear for their room assignments," Sonja said, gesturing back at them. "Charles Sayer and Julie McCalister."

"Mr. Sayer, Ms. McCalister," Mrs. Howser intoned coolly, glancing up from her paperwork at them over her horn-rimmed glasses. A quick glance, but her cobalt blue eyes were penetrating. With silver-grey hair tied up in an elegant bun and features conveying a severe agelessness that placed her anywhere between thirty-something and a thousand, Mrs. Howser held herself with an unrelenting - and somewhat intimidating - professionalism. "Welcome to Lawrence Hunt Academy."

She glanced down at a note next to her hand - though it hardly seemed she actually needed to reference it - then unlocked a drawer with a key from a ring of keys around her wrist. From the drawer, she drew out a pair of sheets, each one with a key paper-clipped to it and handed them to Chuck and Julie with a firm eyed look. "Mr. Sayer, Ms. McCalister, here are your room-assignments. Please sign for your keys. Don't lose them."

[Locomotive]

"I guess this is where we say goodbye for now. I think I can find my way to my room. I'll leave your stuff for you to carry, Julie. A pleasure to have met you. Maybe I'll see you around. Sonja, thanks for the tour and the lunch. I think I can make my way from here." Chuck smiled and placed Julie's bags on the ground. He re-positioned his bag on his shoulders and began heading down the hall, remembered he had to sign for his key, and came back. Then he signed for the key and resumed his journey into the halls of mutant academia, I wonder what'll happen next.