jacks-brain-vomit

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 16 "Does anyone else feel a little... I dunno, watched? Like they're all judging us?" Sylvie said quietly in reference to the monsters around us as we were in line for dinner. I decided not to tell her what I knew: that some of them actually loathed us and they were always like that with humans. "I'm sure it'll be alright, but to be safe, let's all stick together." The eight of us sat at a round table, the same one we'd been at for lunch. We were mostly quiet as we ate, each of us thinking about different things. I tried not to be intrusive, but I found myself dipping into everyone's minds. Andrew was filled with anxiety that he never displayed on the outside. He was thinking about his home life, and that's when I stopped focusing on him. Marcie was worried about what we thought about her, even though on the outside she always seemed uncaring and indifferent about everything. She was worried she would be a loner like she'd always been everywhere else. Hayden was feeling defensive. They were ready to pounce on anyone that tried to bully them, and I realised that they'd never been like that. It was actually new for them to wholeheartedly be themselves. Sylvie was distracted, her eyes moving around the room and settling on things that no one else could see. She was also worried about being an outsider, having felt like one her whole life. Fiona was worried that she was going to be pushed into the background by all the noise and bustle around her. She felt invisible to everyone and wished for probably the millionth time that she could speak up for herself. Lyle felt guilty still from our talk earlier. He was rethinking why he was always so combative with people, and it lead him back to his family life, which I already knew about. And Ed I could feel looking at me. I glanced up at him, and he was wondering if I was doing what I was indeed doing. I nodded slightly and he shrugged, going back to eating. I heard footsteps in our direction and looked up to see Simon walking towards us. "Hey, guys, how's the day been?" he asked us. He seemed like a really sweet guy, pure in his intentions, and I could tell he wanted to help us feel less awkward about the place. There was a general mumbled consensus that it had been good. "Would you like to sit with us?" Sylvie asked. "I'd be delighted," he said, smiling at her before pulling up a chair. "So, any thoughts on today?" "It's so huge and beautiful," Andrew said. "I bet the landscaping would look awesome from an aerial view." Simon nodded. "Sorry to assume, but are you the one with wings?" "Yeah, I am. My name's Andrew." "I know," Simon said. "I'm actually Mr. Black's assistant. I help file paperwork, organise things, do footwork for him. There's honestly so much to do, I dunno how the two of us alone manage, but the payoff is worth it." "Why did you chose to work with humans?" I asked. "Don't the other monsters think that's a little...?" He nodded. "Yeah, they are weird about it. But hey, we're all conscious beings existing in this world, so I don't get the separation between us all. Sure, the rest of the world would freak out about us, I get that. But we're all out of the ordinary here, so I don't get why we need to bring that divide here. Did Mr. Black explain how places like this even started?" We all shook our heads and he sighed. "A lot of monsters say it's just legend at this point, but I think it's true. Supposedly, these places started when monsters became less common due to human hunting. The monsters decided to work in unison with not only humans that saw them as equals and did their best to understand, but also humans that were seen as outcasts. Most of these humans were said to be either cursed or blessed, but there always seemed to be someone that wanted them ostracized or executed. So together, these groups of people made sealed off safe places. Havens." "When was the university aspect integrated?" Sylvie asked. "Well, no one was learning about anything, and the people at these places were beginning to lose all the history of these places as well as just general knowledge about the world, languages, mathematics, everything. They were devolving. So at some point, some of these refuges turned into stores of knowledge. There are still Havens that are solely for living purposes, though, a few here in the United So, a few in Canada, some to the south in Mexico. They're all over if you know where to look. I mean, how did you guys know how to look?" "My roommate," Sylvie said, and then she shook her head. "Well, she's sorta like my roommate. She's, yaknow, deceased. Anyway, she'd heard about it, and I sought it out." "Water nymphs. Thought it'd benefit me," Marcie said. "I found rumors on the internet, supposed conspiracy theories," Lyle said. "I did deep research and built up sources until I was able to pinpoint and contact the school." "I also heard through rumors," Hayden said. "Heard about it from people while I was on the run. I was eventually crazy enough to search for it," Andrew said. "My mom," Ed said. "She went here. She's a werewolf." "And I learned through him," I chimed in. Fiona tapped my arm, and I nodded. "Fiona learned from a friend." Simon nodded, looking around at us all. "See? It's an underground network of sorts." "There's so much history here," Hayden said in amazement. "Certainly a lot to learn," Simon said, looking us all over. "Even you guys have divisions among you, dividers you've put up. You're all wary in this situation, and some of you scared, some angry. I don't have to be able to read minds to know that. You'll learn to work together eventually, though. There are only eight of you this year. You'll stick together like glue soon enough. You're all here for similar reasons, right? You've been separated from society as something strange and dangerous, and you're running from that life, even if you don't realise you're running." "How can you say all this with certainty?" Hayden asked, seeming irritated by the accuracy of what Simon had stated. "Because that's what it always is, every year, and I empathize with it. If I didn't run from the world, I'd be turned into a science experiment, an adult version of when kids dissect frogs. It's a scary thought, but it fuels me to help anyone else that's as scared as I am." Everyone was quiet, seeming to take this all in. I could feel the realisation as they analyzed themselves, I could feel what they were scared of and running from, and I tried to shut it out. Even having just met these people, I found myself caring about them. "At any rate," Simon finally said, standing, "my door is always open if any of you need to talk. Hope you guys have a good rest of the evening." And with that, he headed off towards the teacher's lounge, leaving us in silence.

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Part 15 Hours later, we were all back at the dorms. Ed and I were hanging out in the room that had really been changed from "mine" to "ours", laid out on the bed with our feet sticking off the end. "You know what we should do?" I pondered, and Ed looked up. "We should get a couple little couches and put them in the other room. It could be sorta like a place to hang out." "I guess that'd be kinda cool. I just worry about you." "Pfft, I'll be fine. I think the only jerk in the group is Lyle. Everyone else seems cool." "I can't believe he said that at lunch. Who fucking does that in front of everyone?" "I'm wondering who's figured it out. I'm 99% sure Fiona knows because she was there the first night. I told Hayden this morning when..." "When what?" Ed asked. "What happened this morning?" "Nothing. He was just being a dick and Hayden overheard him call me... My old name." "Are you kidding me? What the hell, he's such an asshole. Are you going to tell the counselor? He actually seems genuinely helpful." "No, I actually think I'm going to go talk to him now. I've been thinking about it, and I wanna try to change his mind about things. Plan number two is to tell the counselor and plan three is to beat the shit out of him." "Plan one it is then." He placed his hand on my lower back after I sat up, gentle and reassuring. "Good luck. Just yell if you need me." I gave him a smile, taking his hand off my lower back and giving it a kiss. "Of course." Not a minute later, I was knocking on Lyle's door, half regretting my decision. He opened it a crack, looking me up and down. "The fuck do you want?" he muttered, opening his door to let me in. "Gotta say, not the kindest welcome I've ever gotten." "Yeah, maybe because you're my ex girlfriend masquerading as a boy," he grumbled as he shut the door. "What do you want?" "I just want to talk and set the record straight," I said, standing tall, my natural height still beating Lyle's by a few inches. "Look, in a completely non-aggressive way, do you know anything about trans people?" Lyle opened his mouth like he was about to try to say something mean, but he instead seemed to realise that I wasn't there to fight. "I guess not." "Would you like to hear me explain things?" "Don't talk down to me," he muttered, almost seeming like a grumpy kid now. "But I guess." "I'm not gonna talk down to you." I leaned against his wardrobe, looking at him patiently as I began to talk. I spent several minutes explaining things to him, and he sat on the edge of his bed, gradually looking less mad. "Wait," Lyle interrupted, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "If you've felt like this for so long, why didn't you ever tell me?" I smiled drily, raising my eyebrows at him. "With your reaction? Do you really have to ask? You always lashed out at me, in more ways than one. I honestly never thought you really cared about me or my feelings." I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes for a second, regret or maybe even guilt. He went to speak but seemed conflicted and there was a noticeable pause as he thought. "Don't think I like admitting this, but I don't think I ever paid attention to how you felt. Everything was always done to get a rise out of you or get something I wanted." "Why did you do that?" I asked, trying to sound neutral but instead sounding slightly hurt. "Ask me out and then treat me like that? That was a shitty thing to do." "I... Yeah, it was. I'm sorry." I tried to process this, leaning back against the wall. "I don't think I've ever heard a genuine apology from you until just now... I guess you have grown up a bit." "Look, can we just, like, start over or something?" he asked, standing and seeming irritated at the whole situation. "I overreacted really badly to the shock of you being here, and everything that you are, and I handled the guilt in the worst way possible. I hate admitting that I was wrong, and that's what happened here. It only made things worse." I was taken aback, not knowing what to say. It occurred to me that I'd never heard him talk like that before. "I... Yeah, let's start over, if you're really serious." "I am," he said, seeming shocked at himself. He extended his hand to me. "Hi, I'm Lyle. Nice to meet you." I met his eyes, taking his hand and giving it a shake. "Hey, I'm Jackson." I gave him a slight smile, dropping his hand. "And you're really serious?" "I, um... Yeah. I am." He seemed embarrassed, fiddling with belt loops on his pants like he always used to do when nervous. "I'm gonna be better. You didn't deserve the shit I gave you." I nodded, heading towards the door. "Alright. I guess I'll see you at dinner, Lyle." "Yeah, see you later... Jackson." I smiled as I left, closing the door behind me.

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Part 14 Mr. Black lead us around campus, showing us different buildings and telling us their purposes. Everything from the fountains to the gardens to the buildings and people themselves seemed to have a rich history that our counselor had fully immersed himself in. We soon found ourselves in the building that was for all the human only classes. Mr. Black took us to an open room with a concrete floor that was relatively empty. He looked around. "Vanessa said she was in the-" He was cut off by a woman materialising right beside him, making him jump. "You startled me," he muttered, and she laughed. "Well, you always do it to everyone else. So, these are my new students?" She looked us over, and I instantly felt her examining all of us. Overall, she looked like the perfect image of ebony beauty. She was a bit on the short side, curvy, had coily natural salt and pepper hair, and had deep, dark eyes that looked like they held endless knowledge. She may not have been able to read minds, but I still felt like I was being looked straight through when she looked at us. "Yes, these are your new students. Where's Eugene, didn't he also want to be here?" Suddenly, a guy maybe a bit older than us came in the door, not seeming to walk, but more sort of teleporting in choppy movements rapidly across the room. He finally stood next to Mr. Black, looking like he was breathing a bit heavily. "Way to leave me all the way across the building," he sighed, catching his breath. He was rather tall and spindly, with mousy brown hair that stuck out in curls and pale, freckled skin. "Eugene, glad you made it." Mr. Black looked us over. "Students, I'm going to be back in a little while. In the meantime, you're going to get a sort of... syllabus from Vanessa and Eugene here. They'll explain how this is all gonna work." He waved at us and we all sort of nodded or waved back as he left. "Now, let's all take a seat," Vanessa said. "Who wants to go get us chairs from the back wall over there?" There was suddenly a loud dragging sound from behind us and we all looked back, startled. Two stacks of five chairs were sliding towards us seemingly on their own, and I quickly realised that it was Fiona. The stacks wound up right in front of us, and we all looked at each other, sort of shrugging after the shock wore off. "That'll do," Marcie muttered, and I couldn't help a smile. "Which one of you was that?" Vanessa asked, and Fiona turned around to look at her, smiling. "Well done," she said and Fiona did a thumbs up. We all unstacked the chairs and took seats in a sort of circle. I sat with Ed on one side of me and Fiona on the other. We started with our names and what we could do, Vanessa and Eugene listening closely to each of us. Once we were done, Vanessa spoke. "Eugene and I will be working with all of you Monday through Friday. The hours are more flexible than they would be at any regular sort of place, as long as you have reached whatever number of hours you set up for a week with Mr. Black." Sylvie raised her hand and Vanessa nodded to her. "How exactly will you be working with us? We're all so different." "Ah, yes, the golden question. See, none of you can really be measured up against each other, right? In a test of swimming, who do you think would do best? The obvious answer is Marcie. The way that I work with students is that I teach them how to best use their abilities in cooperation with others or in isolated scenarios. It's far better to hone your skills than to just wear you guys out by pitting you against each other. Make sense?" "What if all eight of us show up at once? Will that be a hassle for you?" Marcie asked. "I've taught groups of fifty and groups of five in my years here. No matter how many of you are here, my assistant, Eugene, and I, will always be able to handle you. You may work out your schedules as you wish, though." "So what are you and Eugene's abilities?" Andrew asked. "See, that's the kicker. We happen to have very similar abilities, I've just had far longer to work on mine. We can manipulate the matter around us. What you saw that looked like teleportation a was basically warping the air around you to propels you forward at a speed that can make you seem invisible." "So you'll can do is teach us how to use our abilities in ways we never thought of?" Lyle asked. "Exactly," Vanessa said. "I was actually a student here five years ago. Now I work full time as Vanessa's sort of apprentice," Eugene said. "She's a great teacher and is very creative with how she teaches you." "Classes will start tomorrow. You can come in as early as eight." Vanessa looked us all over, standing. "Any more questions?" We all looked around, shaking our heads. "Very well. I look forward to working with you all and you are dismissed. Mr. Black should be here soon." "I'm here now," he said, appearing beside her. "Of course you are," Vanessa said, looking like she was trying not to roll her eyes. "Class, if you're all ready to go, you can continue your campus tour with Mr. Black. All of us nodded or mumbled agreement as we were standing and stretching. My mind was reeling with other things, though. I wondered how long it would take to get really good at using my abilities. Would I just keep having to come back here? A part of me thought it would be cool, to become an apprentice of sorts and help others learn, but the other part of me wanted to be out in the world living a somewhat regular life with Ed. "You alright? You look spacey," Ed said quietly, putting his arm around me. "Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking." I took his hand from around my shoulders and held it as we began to follow the group to continue the tour.

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Part 13 Soon, the eight of us were sitting in the cafeteria at a round table. We all found ourselves trying not to stare at the creatures around us, engaging in uncomfortable conversation that was a slightly better than the awkward silence. "So can you completely shape shift into someone else?" Marcie asked, curiosity barely noticeable in her usual monotone voice. "I can, but it takes a lot of energy and practice to hold it." Andrew went to speak before realising his mouth was full. He quickly took a drink and swallowed. "Can you shape shift into a winged version of yourself?" "I suppose I could, but it'd probably be exhausting. That's kinda why I'm glad I'm here. What I can do is really limited right now, and I want to get better at using my abilities." Marcie nodded towards Andrew. "We haven't seen your wings, by the way. What do they look like?" "Brown and relatively boring, honestly. Look sort of like a hawk's wings." "How can wings sprouting out of your freaking back be boring?" Marcie asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Andrew shrugged. "You get used to it. You can breathe underwater. That's pretty awesome, too." Marcie thought about this. "I guess you really do just get used to it." "If you start doubting your uniqueness, noting how you're extraordinary, even if it makes you 'different', does a lot for your self esteem." I felt their eyes on me as I said this and looked up. "Just a thought." "Well, we're all weird here. No use trying to be anything other than ourselves," Hayden said, giving us all a smile. "Some of us are weirder than others," Lyle muttered. I raised an eyebrow. "You, for instance, are more of a dick than the average person." "At least I have a dick," he mumbled. Andrew looked confused. "What does that even mean?" "Hey, guys, is everyone done eating?" Sylvie interrupted with enough gusto to get everyone's attention, standing up. "Anyone want me to get their plate while they look for Mr. Black? He said he'd be in the teacher's lounge." "I'll go," Hayden offered, and they handed their plate to Sylvie. Fiona tapped my arm gently, and I turned. "Hm? Water?" She nodded, and I looked around. "There were vending machines outside, weren't there?" "Out that door, to the left," Marcie instructed, and Fiona nodded, giving her a thumbs up before hurrying away. We all brought our plates over to the dishwashing station where some buff looking cyclops women were washing dishes together before Mr. Black walked up to us with Hayden, Fiona not far behind them. "Is everyone ready for the tour?" he asked us, and we all nodded in agreement as Fiona joined the group. "Alright, time to tour Haven University."

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Part 12/? I walked outside after grabbing all my stuff. Everyone was standing in a group talking, and I felt someone start thinking about me. My eyes settled on Fiona, who gave me a smile. I heard a sort of "good morning" in my head, and I smiled back, giving her a wave. I walked over and stood beside her. "Hey, sleep well?" I asked, and she nodded, wondering the same. "Yeah, I slept alright. I was so tired I just cuddled up with Ed and passed out." She seemed to ask about us sleeping together, and I nodded. "Yeah. We have been together for four years now, after all." She nodded, saying that she just thought it was nice that I was comfortable saying that out loud. "Well, I like to hope for a world that doesn't see it as strange." She nodded in understanding and agreement. We both went back to listening to the conversation the others were having. Sylvie was saying how the grounds had loads of residential spirits that we couldn't see, and there was one in her room. "I was sort of weirded out at first, but he actually is really chill. He sort of hangs around the closet, mostly. He's already apparently been through my clothes, and he helped me pick this outfit." "Blue looks really good on you," Marcie said in the blunt monotone I'd come to expect from her. She said it like she'd fight anyone that said otherwise. "Thank you," Sylvie said, practically sparkling in every way. It was ironic how someone that frequently spoke with the deceased was so sweet and girly. Then again, I wasn't one to talk about stereotypes. "Would be nice if the skirt was a little shorter, don't you think?" Lyle said, referring to her mid-calf length dress. "Why?" Sylvie asked, genuinely and innocently confused by what I knew was a perversely thought out comment. "I think it's a just fine length," Hayden cut in. "The full skirt looks really cute." Sylvie smiled bashfully. I was still in awe of how pure she genuinely was. "Thanks, I actually sewed it myself. Even brought my sewing machine with me." I felt a flicker of doubt run through her mind in the form of 'nobody really cares, stop talking'. I immediately jumped on the opportunity. "Do you think you could teach me to sew? I've always been really interested in it. It's pretty cool how you can turn a piece of fabric into something wearable." "Oh, that sounds fun!" She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Maybe someday soon we can hang out together, and I can show you stitches and stuff." "That'd be really cool," I said, giving her a smile, and I looked up as Ed walked out of the dorms. "Where we going first?" he asked, coming to stand beside me. "Well, since some of you slept in," said a voice across from us, and Mr. Black became visible, "it's around lunchtime at the cafeteria. If you lot are hungry, we can go there." There was a general agreement that we were all hungry, and before we knew it we were walking to the cafeteria as a group.

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Part 11/? I started quickly changing into jeans and a sweatshirt. I pulled on my boots, hastily lacing them up. Standing, I looked myself over in the mirror. I focused on shape shifting myself just to look barely more masculine than I usually did, before grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste from my suitcase and going to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I was brushing my teeth at the sink, I heard someone else come in, and looked up to see Lyle. "Good morning, Rayna," he said with a half grin that made me want to knock his teeth out. "Jackson," I muttered in correction before returning to brushing my teeth. "Right, right. Dumb name, by the way." "Oh wow, I'm so hurt." I spat in the sink before rinsing out my mouth, standing to look at him. "What do you want? Are you literally just in here to harass me?" "I followed you in here because I deserve an explanation, Rayna." "You'd better stop calling me that." "Or what? We both know who's stronger here." "Wanna bet?" He stepped closer, too close for comfort. "Yeah, I'm pretty certain. You were always easy to keep under control." "That was years ago. We were teenagers." "Yeah, and look at you now. You may be posing as a boy, but you're still just a scared little g-" The door to the bathroom opened. Lyle turned around and I looked up. It was Hayden, and I instantly tried my best mentally to ask for help. "Is there an issue here?" they asked, and I nodded before Lyle turned towards me. "No, I was just leaving," he said, going to walk out. The one word I could feel in his mind was "freaks". "What was he doing?" Hayden asked after Lyle was gone. "Trying to intimidate me or something." I got my hands damp at the sink and ran them through my disheveled hair. "Why was he calling you... that other name?" Hayden asked, quickly adding, "You don't have to answer." I sighed. "I'm a trans man," I said outright. "He knew me before I transitioned. Was my boyfriend. He was pretty awful to me." Hayden looked a little shocked by my bluntness. "Well, I'm glad you feel comfortable sharing that with me, I guess. I could tell he was a jerk, but jeez, using your old name?" "I'm just hoping he doesn't have the balls to do it in front of everyone else." I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste. "Thank you for stepping in. I was honestly thinking about punching him or something." "Don't mention it. I'll see you outside, okay?" "Yeah," I said as they headed out of the door. "See you in a few minutes." "Oh, and Jackson?" Hayden said. "Yeah?" "Don't let that creep get to you," they said kindly, and I couldn't help but smile as they left.

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Hey, I've been meaning to post about this for a while, even though I'm basically talking to an empty room, but i'mma do this for me if nothing else.

So Haven University is basically based on this weird dream I had months ago now, but it gave me a very distinct feeling that I'll dig into later in the story.

Basically, this group of young adults is set apart from the rest of the school. They're freaks to humans, but the monsters at the school don't see them as very different from a regular human, and instead almost view them as an invasive threat. This gives them an isolated feeling, which essentially becomes the glue for a group that doesn't have much in common.

The fact that it's based on a dream means that certain characters have real life people in them, people from my past mostly, but also people from my present. This gave me a sort of base to work with, quirks, characteristics, attitudes, etc. Jackson is the one that most obviously has chunks of me in him. Ed has characteristics of my partner. Lyle is a great deal like a number of my exes.

If I eventually give up on the story (won't be any time soon, but it may happen) I think there's one thing that I've gained from it, and that is character development. I have notes on these characters that I haven't even enacted in the story yet, but I found it so important to write down. It helps me understand how the characters will react to things in the future.

Okay, ramble over, but basically that's my starting point. I like this story and the characters, but I may be biased.

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Part 10/?

I rolled over and wrapped my arm around Ed, not wanting to open my eyes yet. I felt like I needed to rest for a few more minutes, at least until he woke up.

"Morning, handsome," he muttered, and I groaned.

"Ten more minutes," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"Take as long as you need," he said, running his fingers through my hair.

"Do you think they'd all even care that much? About me being trans? I mean, Hayden straight up came out as nonbinary, and they haven't been treated badly. Everyone besides Lyle talked to them normally at dinner last night."

"I do think you're stressing a bit too much. I mean, we're at a school full of monsters. Who even knows what's in their pants, right?"

I laughed slightly. "You've got a point." I set my head on his chest, stretching. "I'm just worried that Lyle is gonna be a jerk and out me."

"I hope he doesn't. I know that'd stress you out."

I nodded. After a few minutes, I slowly sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine either way. Not much I can do about it." I went to the dresser to put my glasses on, only to realise they were filthy and start cleaning them.

Ed got up and started dressing, having brought one of his suitcases into my room the night before. "What should we use my room for, anyway? Besides storing most of my clothes, I mean."

"I don't know. We'll have to see what purpose it'll serve in time." I had just gotten my glasses clean and on my face when there was a knock at the door. I looked down and realised I was just in my boxers, panicking for a moment before realising the door was locked. "Who is it?" I asked, walking towards the door.

"It's Hayden. Is Ed in there?"

"Yeah, why?" Ed answered.

"Mr. Black is downstairs and ready for the tour. Almost everyone else is already up."

"Alright, thanks. We'll be out there in a few minutes." I looked over at Ed. "What time is it, anyway?"

He looked at his phone. "Ten thirty. I hope we can still grab some food."

"I've still got granola bars in my backpack, so you won't starve if we don't."

"Alright. Well I'm gonna go take a quick shower, alright?" he came over and kissed me on the forehead, and I smiled. "I'll see you outside."

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You temporarily develop a new super power every time you sneeze. Spring is here, and you have allergies

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Part 9/? Once we were all on the third floor, Mr. Black explained how the map showed where our rooms were at. We had all been placed in the same little corner of the co-ed dorm, our rooms side by side. We each got an individual little room. About ten minutes later I had set up my bed and was dealing with clothes when there was a knock at my door. "Come in," I said, expecting it to be Ed, but I turned to see Fiona timidly walking in. "Oh, hi. What's up?" She went to do sign language but paused, wondering if I would understand. "Don't worry, I'll get the gist of it." She nodding, motioning emphatically that she was grateful for me speaking up for her. "Of course, no problem. Hey, if you ever need my help, just ask, alright?" She nodded, signing thank you, repeatedly, and I laughed, smiling. She opened her arms for a hug, I obliged. "It's been lovely meeting you." She nodded and then went to the door, giving me a wave goodbye. On the way out, she almost ran into Ed, who quickly stepped out of her way, apologising. He came in, shutting to door behind him. "What was that about?" he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed, and I sat beside him. "She wanted to thank me for being nice and helping her out." "She seems really sweet," he remarked, putting an arm around me as I leaned against him. "Hey, are you alright?" "What do you mean?" I asked and he gave me a look as I glanced up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine, if you mean about the thing with Lyle. I just didn't quite expect him to stoop so low, not when I look and sound like this." "How are you feeling?" "Stressed. But hey, I've got you." He patted my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. "Of course. Ready for dinner? Mr. Black was waiting outside for us." "Yeah, let's go. I hope that diner won't mind making me a cup of coffee at night." "I'm sure they won't." He got up, giving me his hand to hold as I followed. We walked out together as I gathered up all my energy to finish the day.

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Part 8/? Mr. Black began explaining which floors were which and that there were maps on every floor wall explaining whose room was where. We followed him inside into a small lobby area with an old looking elevator. The first thing that caught my eye was a very amphibious looking guy who was on his phone, two luggage carts beside him. Mr. Black cleared his throat and the guy looked up. "Oh, sorry." He smiled at us all as he put his phone away, bringing the carts over. "Anything that doesn't have wheels we can put on here." Some of the people in the group looked a bit shocked, and others seemed too tired to be. Backpacks and duffel bags of all sorts were piled on. "Simon, can you take them up, and then we'll follow in groups?" "Sure thing," he said, and he wheeled the two carts into the elevator as best he could while they awkwardly tried to vere off course. "I understand any shock all of you may have," Mr. Black said, his voice just barely loud enough for the group to hear. "But just treat anyone here like you would anyone else. You guys are the outsiders here, and honestly, things get easier as you get used to them." Everyone sort of nodded or muttered agreement, and then Simon came back down with the elevator, the doors sliding open. Simon, Hayden, Marcie, Andrew, and Sylvie all went up, leaving Lyle, Fiona, Ed, Mr. Black, and me downstairs. Lyle walked over to me, getting too close for my comfort. "So, when are you going to explain things to me, Ra-" "If you call me by my old name, I'm punching you in the stomach, Lyle. I don't owe you any explanation. I just figured out who I was eventually, and that's none of your business." "Look, just leave him alone, alright?" Ed said, and I could tell he was trying not to get mad. "And what are you, his body guard?" Lyle asked, smirking. "No, I'm his boyfriend, and if you don't back off-" "Do we have a problem?" Mr. Black interrupted in a voice that got our attention, and none of us had realised he was listening in. "Jackson?" I suddenly wished I was the one with the ability to disappear. "I... Lyle knew me before I, um..." "Is it about that? Because I'll have Lyle know," he said, putting inflection on his name and looking at him, "that Haven University doesn't discriminate against any person or creature in any way. We judge people on their exceptionality and character. And Jackson belongs here as much as anyone. You all do. I processed your applications myself." Lyle seemed to be looking for a response that wouldn't make him seem like a jerk. "Well, I... Alright. It's just weird seeing her here." "Him," I said, trying not to grit my teeth. He looked me over disdainfully. "Right... You." "Well, if it irks you so, maybe you should try not talking to me." "Great idea," Mr. Black said just as the elevator doors slid open, and Fiona, who had been closer to them, walked right in. Lyle gave me one last look of borderline disgust before walking into the elevator himself. The last three of us followed.

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 7/?

“So, are you guys… A couple?” Andrew asked, and I knew he had tried to word it kindly. “Sorry if that’s rude.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said as I buckled up and started the car, and our car was the last to follow the ones in front of us. “We’ve been together for four years now.”

“That’s cool. It must be nice having someone coming here with you,” Andrew said, and I thought about how much of a luxury that must be.

“Yeah, well… Let’s just say he keeps me safe, even in the regular world. I probably wouldn’t have the confidence to leave the house without him,” I said, and Ed looked over at me with a smile.

I felt Fiona’s confusion and looked at her in the rearview mirror. “I know you think I seem confident, but that took a lot of work, trust me.”

“How did you guys meet? That seems like a real coincidence, two people with differences that are strange to the world.”

Ed spoke up. “He was in trouble, at a coffeeshop. There was a guy harassing him and I stepped in and pretended to know him, which usually I would never have done, but he just seemed like he was truly terrified. I learned later after we’d known each other for a while that he was basically panicking and pleading with everyone’s conscious for someone to help him, but I was the only person that did.”

“Wow… Yeah, you’re kinda small for a guy, aren’t you, Jackson? I could see how people could pick on you.”

“I guess that could be a reason.” I didn’t want to say much yet about my appearance, not knowing how anyone would react if I told the truth. “So what about you guys? What’re your stories?”

Fiona waved her hand to draw attention to herself, hoping I would get the cue. “Okay, go ahead, I think I’ll get it.” I went over the story as she did in her head. “You grew up in Florida. You were mute from birth, and you discovered your capability at a young age. Your parents homeschooled you and tried to keep you inside as much as possible. After nineteen, you left and you’ve couch surfed ever since. You’re now twenty and got an acceptance letter when you were at a close friend’s house. You spent a week getting here and have stayed in shabby motels along the way. Don’t you think that’s a little dangerous?” She shook her head, insistent that she could take care of herself. “Well alright, I believe you.”

After a pause, Andrew spoke up. “I’ve sort of been on the run for a few years, not in a criminal way, just in the sense of trying to get away from things. My mom and step dad kicked me out at sixteen, so since then, it’s been quick cash and cheap apartments. I actually flew here because I had to sell my car for money to feed myself along the way.”

“Didn’t that tire you out?” Ed asked. “Flying with a heavy backpack?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. But I’ll rest up here and eat plenty. This is the nicest place I’ve stayed in a long time.”

“Speaking of,” I said, drawing everyone’s attention as we drove into a parking area for the dorms. I parked the van and soon we were all unloading luggage.

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 6/?

“Well, that’s all of you then.” Mr. Black looked over us all, smiling. “And you already know my name is Thomas Black. I have complete control over rendering whatever I want invisible, myself included. I’ll be your counselor, and if you guys ever need anything, you can come to my office in this building on the second floor, room 403. Next, we’ll be going to the dorms to get you all set up.” He looked at his watch. “It’s about fifteen minutes until eight, so if you guys want, I’ll treat you all to a late dinner after that. The cafeteria on campus is closed for the night, but there’s a diner five minutes outside of campus that’s all hours. For now, you can follow me in any vehicle you may have come in to the dorms with your things.”

Andrew raised his hand slightly. “Um, I flew here because I didn’t live very far away, and I just have this,” he said, holding up a large, overstuffed looking backpack. “I figured I could buy a few things once I got here, maybe find to a store at some point.”

“You can carpool with us. We came in my van,” I offered, and he gave me a grateful smile.

“Everyone else have a ride?” Mr. Black said, and Fiona shook her head, raising her hand and looking a bit helpless. She looked over at me all of a sudden.

“She took buses here,” I spoke up for her, nodding. “We should have room for you, too, if that’s okay.”

She nodded, signing thank you.

“Everyone’s good now?” Mr. Black asked, and everyone nodded or muttered agreement. “Alright, great. My car is silver and small, and you should just follow whoever is in front of you, alright? You shouldn’t get lost if you do that.”

We all followed the counselor like he was a mother duck and we were his ducklings as he lead us out of the building. He went to his car and everyone else went to theirs, while Ed and I lead Andrew and Fiona to my van. Fiona had picked up a suitcase, a backpack, and a small duffel bag on the way out of the theatre, carrying them with her out of the building. I helped put Fiona’s things in the back and then we all got in, Andrew and Fiona on the middle row of seats and Ed and I in the front.

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 5/? The girl with the sparkly makeup raised her hand, and Mr. Black nodded at her. "My name is Sylvie Bale, and I have the ability to talk to and see spirits that other people can't see, as well as making them visible. I guess you could say I'm some sort of medium." "Very good," Mr. Black said. "Who's next?" Lyle raised his hand and the counselor gave him a nod. "I'm Lyle Gulling. I can control electrical charges and take a lot of voltage myself." "Wow, that's really... Shocking," said the guy with the blonde hair, grinning at his own pun. "And who are you?" Mr. Black encouraged. "My name is Andrew Higgins. I can fly." "Like, you can just fly, or do you have wings?" the person with the short hair asked. "I have wings. And my bones are abnormally light, so takeoff isn't as hard as you'd think." Andrew looked up at the counselor after finishing his explanation "You, with the thick black eyeliner. Care to go next?" "Sure," they said, and I could already tell they were a they because I'd read their mind. "My name is Hayden Vince. I have unnatural strength." "Are you... a girl or a boy?" Lyle asked outright. Hayden shrugged. "Neither. Both. What's it to you." I could feel confusion in the room. "No, I mean, like... I can't tell. What were you born as? Like, what's in your pants?" Lyle asked. "Just use they pronouns and don't worry about it. Unless you wanna do the nasty with me, does it matter?" Hayden responded, and I couldn't help a slight laugh at the way they dared Lyle to go further with their tone. He slumped down in his seat, feeling awkward for once. "Who wants to go next? How about you, with the blue t-shirt," Mr. Black said, pointing at the brunette girl. "My name's Marcie Poll. I can swim as well as any mermaid and breathe water better than a water nymph." Her tone was short and to the point. "Alright. How about you, tallest one here." He pointed at Ed, who looked a bit shocked. "Oh, um, my name's Edward Johnson, but everyone calls me Ed. I'm half werewolf." I could feel him trying not to stumble over his words. "Very good. Two of you left." He looked at the girl that had come in last, who I hadn't taken a good look at yet. She had plum coloured plastic framed glasses on and a black dyed pixie cut. "How about you?" I saw her make a face and shrug, pointing at her throat. "She's mute," I tried to speak up, and she looked confused at me. "Sorry," I said, but she shook her head and motioned for me to go ahead, happy to have a translator. "Um, her name's Fiona Murray. She has telekinesis." Fiona snapped and did a finger gun at me, indicating that I got it right, but now everyone was looking at me expectantly. "Telepathy?" Mr. Black asked me, raising an eyebrow. "Sort of. Well, it's limited. I can only really tell what someone is thinking in a moment in an impressionistic kinda way. I can't read all their thoughts or anything. I can also sort of put thoughts into peoples heads in a strongly suggestive way. My main skill tends to be shape shifting, though." "And your name?" Lyle prompted, knowing exactly what he was doing. "My name is Jackson Schneider." I refused to look at Lyle as I said this. I had a lot to explain later.

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 4/? As we got further up front towards the other people, they turned to look at us. "Hey, care to join us?" said a girl wearing sparkly blue makeup, and while I questioned her styling choices, she seemed nice and had a genuine smile. "Sure," I said, taking a seat beside her, and Ed sat beside me. I looked over them all. There was sparkly makeup girl, a slender looking girl with shoulder length wavy brunette hair, a petite person with short brown hair and awesome eyeliner, and a guy with super curly blonde hair. I heard the doors open and close behind us and could tell it was one person. There were now eight countable people in the room including myself, but I could tell there was someone else I couldn't see yet, maybe backstage or... "Is this mic working?" a baritone voice suddenly boomed over the speaker system, and we all jumped. There was a low chuckle as we looked around. "Sorry, didn't realise it was so loud." A man with stark white hair who was wearing a pinstripe suit suddenly seemed to materialize on stage holding a cordless microphone. "I also may have wanted to really get your attention." He came to the edge of the stage as we watched, taking a seat, his legs dangling off the ledge. "If you all wouldn't mind, please gather in this front middle row." As we all began to move up front, he spoke. "I'm the counselor at this school with a concentration in extraordinary humans and half humans, Mr. Thomas Black. Call me Mr. Thomas or Mr. Black, I don't really care. Tomorrow, I will give you a tour of the campus, and tonight I am acting as a sort of leader of our little group. After we discuss a few things, I'll lead you all to your dorm and you can get settled in. Curfew is one in the morning, so please be inside after that time. Now, since you're all up front and there aren't many of you, it seems I don't need this." He switched off the mic, setting it down on the stage and coming to stand in front of us. "Now, I would like you all to introduce yourselves and say why you're extraordinary. You'll all get a turn, but any volunteers?"

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 3/? He turned, looking me over, confused at first, and I realised it was because I was slightly shape shifted. He then realised who I was, his eyes growing wide behind his glasses. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before he could. "Jackson. My name's Jackson," I said, hoping that he'd go with it now and let me explain later. Ed leaned down slightly, muttering. "Lyle as in your ex, or...?" I nodded and I could feel him trying not to get too protective. "Been a long time... Jackson," Lyle said, and I bit the inside of my lip, trying not to get irritated by the look of glee on his face, like he was about to set a butterfly on fire. "What are you doing here?" I said, struggling with not sounding hostile. He pointed up with his finger and I glanced upwards right as all the lights flickered violently. He put his finger down and it stopped. "I don't have to point, but it does help with showing off," he said, smiling like he thought he was hot stuff. It made me want to punch him in the face. "I can see at least partially why you're here." "Just don't say anything about me unless you want your teeth knocked out," I said, and Ed moved his hand slightly. I realised I was gripping it too tightly and let go, leaning against his side as he wrapped his arm around me. "So who's this guy? My replacement?" Lyle said, practically sneering like a movie villain. "No, no one could ever treat me as badly as you did. Don't worry, you'll always hold that special place of 'worst ex boyfriend ever'." Ed finally spoke, patting my shoulder. "Let's go talk to someone else, okay? You're getting too worked up." I exhaled silently, knowing he was right. "Alright." "See you around," Lyle said with a crooked smile, and I felt a simmering anger in my stomach. "He seems like a serious douchebag," Ed said once we were out of earshot. "I hope he doesn't spread your secrets." "He is, and so do I," I muttered, knowing that since we were towards the back while talking to Lyle, no one had heard us. "I just hope he's grown up a bit. Just don't get too mad at him when he acts like a jerk. I don't want you getting into trouble because of him. He isn't worth it." "I'll resist the urge."

[jacks-brain-vomit]

Part 2/?

What was before a path through graves was now a gravel road with well manicured landscaping on either side, and as I drove down it, we approached a group of buildings that looked magnificent to say the least. The architecture was almost gothic looking, broken up in certain places by more modern structures. Brick buildings with vines climbing up the sides were contrasted by early 2000’s structures with large floor to ceiling windows.

I pulled up in front of the building that said “Theatre” on the sign and then presumably repeated the word in languages I could never dream to pronounce. The letters of acceptance we had gotten had told us to meet at this building at seven. We were a bit early, but I got out of the car anyway, stretching my legs. Ed followed, still rubbing his eyes a bit, more out of shock now than sleepiness.

“This place is crazy,” he said as we climbed the stone steps. We walked in, observing the modern interior, which looked like a regular school theatre department.

“May I help you?” I heard, and I looked over to a table that was set up against one wall. The man sitting at it was mostly human from the waist up and snake from the waist down.

“We’re here for orientation,” I said.

The man gave me a smile and pointed toward a set of double doors. “You’re barely early, and there are already a few people in there. You guys can mill around and talk with other people until they tell you to take a seat.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving him a smile. I looked up at Ed as we walked off. He had always been more knowledgeable about monsters than me. “What was he?”

“Looked sorta like a Naga to me,” Ed said.

We pushed open the set of heavy wooden doors and went into the theatre. There were already a few people milling around inside, and most of them turned when they heard the doors shut. I felt eyes looking us up and down, and I resisted the urge to make them look away. Ed reached for my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “You alright, Jackson?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” I said, hoping that in a school full of monsters, a gay couple wouldn’t be seen as strange.

As we walked towards the middle section of seats where everyone was at, I recognised one person, and suddenly not being straight was the least of my problems. “Lyle?” I said, trying not to let my shock show too plainly on my face.

_______________________________________ Love you, Beck *finger guns*