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Post by Rose North on Sept 26, 2011 2:38:57 GMT -5
Days had passed, and no word from the Texan. Rose, by this point, was sure he wouldn’t come. Sure, he’d shown interest in the school, but… He wouldn’t come without his father’s permission. And would the mysterious man give it? From what she’d heard, probably not. Oh well…
Rose hadn’t thought much about the guy since then, actually, she hadn’t thought about him at all, to be honest. Hadn’t forgotten about him, just not thought about it. She had other things to deal with. Like dealing with being a mentor. She had her own cousin as a student. The only that would have been worse then that… Is if she’d had both her cousins. Imagine how insane that would be, three Nightshades in one room, one with serious anger issues, another a total snoop, and the last getting on both of their nerves. Yeah. Talk about a death wish….
Anyway! It was a pretty typical day. Classes were out, students frolicking about in normal, student ways. Well, normal for Xavier’s. There was a snowball fight going on, more than half the student body having been rallied into joining, and it was an all out war. The pink team, who’s battle cry was ‘Death to all men!’, was totally pulverizing the blue team, who couldn’t gather their wits about them. Basically? It was one of the funniest things Rose had seen in weeks. And where was the 20 year old in all of this?
Rose sat on the steps of the school, a book in hand that hadn’t been read from since the snow war had begun. She watched with amusement as the boys tried to surrender for a third time. Why it hadn’t worked the first two times? They tried to trick the girls. And the girls, realizing the boys would bombard them with snowballs if they dropped their guard, hadn’t trusted the boys since that second attempt. So intent on watching, she didn’t see the gate of the school swinging open out of the corner of her eye.
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Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 3:12:30 GMT -5
It had been almost an entire week since the woman named Rose had come to James' house and three days since the ranch... shootout. The drive to New York had been a long one, insanely long in fact. It had taken a little over three days of non-stop driving just to get here. Not to mention he had gotten lost once, ran out of money twice, and got hit on by a homeless man. Which, to be fair, James was probably the prettiest thing the creep had seen in twenty years... Needless to say, James would not be going back to Kentucky for a long, long, LONG time.
New York on the other hand was gorgeous, at least where James had driven so far. All the trees were changing colors and it was cool, but not cold. The entire state seemed "fancy" to James, fully of nice houses and sharp dressed people. Though, they all paled in comparison to what he saw as he came around a bend in the road; the X-Mansion. James slowed down slightly and let out a slight whistle at the sight, it was massive! There was no way he had the right address, this couldn't be a school, especially with the massive gate and huge walls surrounding the property. Then again, these were mutants, they probably wanted to keep people from peeking in...
He stopped at the gate, and before he could do anything, it began to roll open for him. Now THAT was service! James hit the gas a little the Harley screamed to life. If he thought the mansion was cool, what he saw next blew his mind, making him literally stop in the middle of the road to watch. There was a snowball fight going on... but it wasn't snowing. It seemed to be a boys versus girls match, and as he watched for a moment it was obvious they were all mutants, all using their powers to gain an advantage in the war going on. this was definitely the right place.
James pulled up as close to the mansion as he could, the Harley gathering quite a bit of attention from the students on the lawn but he ignored them. That was until he turned the motorcycle off and began to slide off it, just as a snowball hit him in the side of the face.
"Welcome to the mansion, slick." A male voice behind him spoke, with a few chuckles following it. Slowly James slid off his sunglasses and ran a hand through his hair, shaking the snow out of it. When he turned around he saw the war had paused momentarily, all watching him. "Sorry, my hand must've slipped." The boy was arrogant, and arrogance annoyed James... Yes... He was a hypocrite as well.
James slowly looked down at the ground, then back up at the kid, "You got my boots wet..." James said coldly, bending down he grabbed a handful of snow. Pulling back, he let it fly with all his strength... all his strength. The snowball hit the arrogant boy in the face and threw him back several feet where he skidded to a stop in the snow, as if he had been kicked.
James slowly slid his sunglasses back on as some of the students laughed at the boy he hit, and the war began again. James smiled slightly, it had been a while since he had, it felt... Good...
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Post by Rose North on Sept 26, 2011 3:27:13 GMT -5
The match had come to a short halt as most the snow had been flung around, scattered to the point of no one being able to form a solid snow ball. One of the students, an older teenage boy, just stepped forward with his hands out and snow started to fall by the bucket load. It was around this point one arrogant student turned his attention to the stranger that had evaded Rose’s attention until now.
Slowly, her gaze followed the snowball, that at first she thought was way off track until she saw it hit someone getting off a motorcycle. It took a moment to realize who it was. Well, well. If it wasn’t the charming cowboy. And one student was already picking a fight with him. Everyone watched as the two spoke, but no one was close enough to actually hear what was said. Finally, the other teen, who’s name Rose knew not, went flying, a snowball being the source.
Hearing a few giggles from the girls who were instantly infatuated with this rough, tough, cowboy, Rose rolled to her feet, setting the boot down. The snow had been repacked, and the war began once again, this time the guys putting up a much better fight, probably because they wanted to show off that they were much cooler then the new guy, and the girls because… They really wanted his attention.
”Only just arrived and picking fights?” Rose smirked, her hands propped on her hips as she eyed the teenager she’d visited a week before. Just like it took her a minute to recognize him, it might take him a moment to recognize her. She was more casually dressed, in worn out jeans, tennis shoes, and a shirt that depicted one stick figure running, another lying on the ground, and several more chasing. Above the strange art were the words ‘WARNING: If zombies chase us, I’m tripping you.’. Over all… She looked like normal.
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Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 3:44:00 GMT -5
The war almost instantly sprang back to life after James hit the arrogant teen. It seemed to be pretty one sided with the boys very badly beating the girls. Then again, if he was to guess a reason why, he'd say it was because all of the girls kept glancing over at him. Sure, he was smiling at them, but surely they were smart enough not to take their eyes off the game... Surely...
James hadn't been standing there, watching the 'war', for two minutes when he heard a soft voice behind him. It had been a while since the last time he heard it, but he recognized it immediately, "Not a fight ma'am, a fight would suggest that there was an equal opportunity for victory." James said with a slight grin, finally turning to face the woman behind the voice.
Immediately, Rose's shirt caught his attention, "I have a feeling that has quite a bit of truth behind it." He said with a charming grin, taking a few steps closer to her. She looked a lot different, probably just because of her clothing, it was much more casual; yet she was still very attractive. James himself was just wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a simple black shirt, but then again, that wasn't much different from their first meeting.
"Sorry I didn't call to let you all know I was coming, there was a... Situation and I didn't have much time to call... or pack... Or prepare in any way really." He said with a slight laughing, glancing at the bike which was devoid of even a backpack. The only clothes James had were those on his back, and his wallet was serving as a pocket filler instead of a money holder.
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Post by Rose North on Sept 26, 2011 4:01:46 GMT -5
Before, Rose had been…. Helping a little in the war. Using her power every once in a while to aid the girl’s team. Sure, it wasn’t fair, but really…. No one played fair around here. Even when the rules of the game were ‘no powers’ someone always cheated. Therefore, a long time ago, everyone had decided that if you wouldn’t play fair, neither would anyone else. So, without Rose’s aid, it seemed the girl’s were being swamped.
”You’re lucky he didn’t use his power. Would be pretty equal then.” Sure, she didn’t remember what the guy’s power actually was, she was pretty sure it was something dangerous, like most people around here. Glancing towards said guy, he’d rejoined the battle, giving James a glare before spotting Rose. When he did, the guy refused to look again. Smart kid…
Glancing down at the writing on her shirt, she smirked before slowly looking back at him. ”Believe me, I’d do way worse.” She sounded like she was joking, but that smirk and look in her eye… Yeah, you’d be an idiot to believe she gave a damn. She looked like the type to do far worse without batting an eye.
Situation? An eyebrow raised as she realized… That he really didn’t have anything. Well, whatever happened, it must have happened pretty quick. ”It’s fine. You aren’t the only one to show up with only the clothes on their back.” He really wasn’t. And most those others that showed up were in far worse shape. The school could easily pay for some supplies.
Glancing over at the snowball fight, she shook her head. ”So? What do you think so far?” He’d only been there a few minutes, but he’d probably seen more mutants, actively using their powers, then he’d ever thought existed…
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Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 9:07:55 GMT -5
"Well, glad I hit first then." James said with a slight grin, unfortunately that was how he generally played, he would hit first even when the person wasn't a threat. A few times that very same strategy had gotten him into a lot of trouble when the person didn't go down after the first hit... He was also the type of person to kick a man while he's down, but there was no shame in that.... Right? James glanced toward the battle at the same time as Rose, and saw the same glare from the teen, just causing James to grin a little. Though his reaction to seeing Rose made him a little curious why he immediately looked away and didn't turn back around as if he was afraid.
Shaking it off slightly, he turned back to Rose. It seemed people really were afraid of her, but why? She wasn't intimidating and had done nothing to scare James away (like anything could). Oh well, that just meant more for him, "Well, I believe ya but... Honestly I think the zombies would do worse." He said with a slight laugh, not much could beat getting eaten alive. Though one thing James immediately noticed besides the shirt was 'how well it fit her' so to speak, was he thoroughly checking her out despite having already seen her before? Yes, yes he was. Thank goodness for sunglasses...
James nodded slightly at what she said, it didn't surprise him. Considering it was a school for mutants, he bet quite a few kids had left situations similiar to his, "Well thank you, I barely had enough money to get here, I got lost in Kentucky for a while trying to get some more... That was... an experience..." James said with almost a shudder.
"Well, I'm really loving the view I've got right now." James said with a very charming smile, not turning away from Rose. Yes, he went through a majorly traumatic event, yes he was said, but James was still James it seemed. "As for the school, it's far less attractive but very impressive. Honestly the first time I wasn't afraid to show I was a mutant. Though I thought I had the wrong has when I drove up, this mansion looks nothing like a school." James said, glancing over the building with a little bit of awe. This all still seemed pretty surreal at the moment.
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Post by Rose North on Sept 26, 2011 16:01:02 GMT -5
Wasn’t intimidating? James hadn’t seen Rose’s true nature. He’d wouldn’t think things like that if he knew what she was really like… If he knew what could happen… ”Only time will tell.”Rose didn’t push it. Didn’t even try to prove him wrong. And… As sad as it was, she was pretty sure she could too. She’d done some pretty terrible things in the past… Unlike that first meeting, her expression didn’t give away her sudden depression.
”Kentucky, huh? Even more reason never to go there now.” She smirked. ”You know. We could have just picked you up in the jet. Would have saved you that interesting experience.” Now that hadn’t been mentioned in the pamphlet. What prep school had a jet, after all. A rare few might have private planes, but a jet? Definitely one of a kind.
Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she chuckled softly at his blatant flirting. ”I’m sure you are.” She paused for a few moments, still smirking. ”Well, I’d hate it if a guy thought a building was better looking than me.” She paused again, this time for a bit longer. ”That’s because it is a mansion. It was just converted into a school.”
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Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 20:00:17 GMT -5
"A jet? Seriously?" James asked with a slight hesitent laugh, as if unsure to believe her or not. He had heard of a school outside Dallas that would fly it's kids in a private plane everywhere, but a jet just sounded...absurd. Though, as he thought that, he glanced over at the snow ball war that was going on, in the middle of the day... in the heat... in the sun. Okay, maybe it wasn't that absurd... "Well, I didn't have time to call when I left anyways. You could say I just... Hit the ground running." More like hit the ground driving like a bat out of hell.
"Anyways, it wasn't too bad. What's life with the good and bad adventures?" He said with a smile, though as what he said really sunk into his brain his smile slipped a little. There was truth in what he said, but almost immediately it made him think of the adventure back on his ranch. Seeing what his dad did to that girl, almost getting burned on a cross, his brother fighting so that James could run, and possibly sacraficed himself in the pr-... No, he refused to think that. As soon as he got his feet under him at this school, he would head home and him and his brother would hang out once again...
Thankfully, Rose's voice knocked James out of his thoughts. He had to stop thinking about what happened, and no one could know for now, not until he found out what happened. As far as anyone knew, his father let him come to this school, and that was all they were ever going to know, "To be honest ma'am, I can't think of hardly anything that is better looking than you." James said with a charming smile, his charm was practically oozing out of him. Partially because he was attracted to this girl, like he was to many girls, but mostly because flirting took helped him forget what he left behind.
"A mansion turned into a school huh? Very cool... Well, I'm here now, is there anything I should do or see first? Like enroll in classes or something? Or find out where I'm sleeping? Go out to dinner with you?" James said without a his trademark charming smile, but the blatant flirting was still there, "Not necessarily in that order, mind you." A smirk touched at the corner of his lips.
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Post by Rose North on Sept 26, 2011 20:32:18 GMT -5
”Yeah, we keep it under the basketball court.” It sounded preposterous, but everyone he asked would say the same thing. It was under the basketball court. He’d learn very quickly, that physics meant nothing around here, actually, he’d already witnessed that. Anyway, here, you learned to expect the most unexpected very quickly.
Rose was silent for a moment, her smirk vanishing. It only lasted a moment, before it was back, her mask back in place. ”That’s true.” If only things were that simple…
Really, he didn’t give up. He was still flirting. And, as long as it stayed harmless, she didn’t care. Hell, Rose liked flirting. Again, as long as it stayed harmless. And it was harmless… Until she heard him mention dinner. That smirk was gone, that confident mask of hers having slipped. Suddenly he’d see her, really see her. A woman who’s whole life had been a living hell. Not like his though. It was a different kind of pain. A pain that said, I know what death is like, and I’ve met it many times before. She was a woman who's life was war, nothing but war... It lasted only a second, before she composed herself, hiding once again behind a taunting smirk. ”Sorry, I don’t go out with guys younger than me. Why not ask one of the girl’s over there?”
She was silent for a few seconds. ”Whichever you prefer though. Registering is pretty important, but I could show you around before if you wanted.”
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Post by James West on Sept 26, 2011 21:52:44 GMT -5
James laughed for a moment, a jet under a basketball court? Now that was just ridiculous. Though his laughing stopped, an apprehensive smile replaced it, as if he was studying Rose. It sounded ridiculous and he still had his doubts about it, but she had never lied to him before and she didn't seem like the type of person to make up stories. "Well, that brings a whole new meaning to the words "Air Jordon"." James quipped, if it was true then he HAD to see what else the school had.
Almost immediately though, the woman's flirtatious smile disappeared in an instant. It took James a moment to figure out what he said, thinking maybe he offended her, but no it was something else. The look she had was completely different than anything he'd seen her with before, she suddenly looked very dangerous. There was something more though... Fear. Fear of what though was the question. Whatever it was, he knew it had absolutely nothing to do with his age, it was almost as if it had something to do with him trying to get closer to her.
James smile never changed, even when Rose's did, in fact it almost seemed as though it was suddenly more charming if that was possible. As she pointed out the girls playing in the snowball fight, James glanced over his shoulder then back at Rose, "Seriously?" James asked with a raised brow, as if saying 'I'm a flirt, I'm not desperate.' As he glanced over his shoulder, he had also seen a couple of the boys looking over at James and Rose then quickly looking away and talking among themselves. If he wasn't mistaken, he heard the words 'The ice queen', 'flirt with?', and 'who would'.
"A reputation thing huh?" James asked with a slight grin, alluding to her not wanting to eat dinner with him because people would think it was 'a date'. Not that James would consider it a date, it could just be two people eating dinner and talking about being mutants and how hard it is... And perhaps a friendly make out session afterwards, who really knew? Though he wasn't pushing her for one, just teasing a little.
"Well, how about all of the above?" If he needed to register, then he might as well do it now and she could show him around on the way. Not to mention it'd give him a chance to know her better so that he could flirt even harder. The fact that she rejected him did nothing to stop him, it only made it a challenge...
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Post by Rose North on Sept 27, 2011 0:15:38 GMT -5
Rose’s eyebrows raised, as if wondering why he thought it was so funny. She hadn’t been joking. After a few moments though, he seemed to realize that she was serious, and finally came up with a witty response. ”Most definitely. Just make sure you to get off the court when you hear a rumbling, or you’ll learn just how good our infirmary staff is.”
She hoped he hadn’t noticed her little slip up. If he did, he didn’t mention it though, so she was actually pretty sure she’d managed to hide it in time. This guy…. She didn’t want him to know all about her past. Who she really was… For once, she could have a… well fresh start. Sure, most students didn’t know she was ‘Rose Nightshade’, but they did know she was an ice queen, who had momentary lapses in her sanity from time to time… Even that was enough to make most people avoid her. Rose didn’t expect him to be any different. So, until the students got to him, she could have a seemingly normal friendship with the guy…
Instead, she just smirked. ”Something like that.” Even though it was her usual cunning, flirtatious smirk, there was still that pang of darkness to it. That subtle hint that made the hairs on the back of people’s necks stand up. She’d heard what the students said, but didn’t look at them, feigning ignorance.
Stepping aside, she motioned to the huge front doors, her smile much more formal this time. ”Well then, I shall give you the grand tour after getting you’re classes in order. Right this way.” She lead the way, opening the oak doors and leaving it open for him as she walked down the elegant hallway. She paused for a moment, glancing over her shoulder at him and smirked. ”By the way, welcome to Mutant High.”
And so the tour began….
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Post by James West on Sept 27, 2011 14:00:03 GMT -5
"I'll keep that in mind." James said with a slight laugh, still a little hesitent to belive her.
As calm as James seemed, truthfully this was all still a lot for him to take in. It had been the craziest week in his entire life, and not in a good way. He had gone from a life where mutants were a dirty word and he could count on one hand how many he had seen up close, to going to a school full of them. Basically his world had gone upside down. Not to mention he had left an isolated ranch, the only thing he had ever known, and come to one of the most populated states in the nation. In other words, he might as well have been standing on an alien planet...
Thankfully everyone that he had met from this school, or at least the administration, was nice. Not to mentionally particularly attractive, in Rose's case. So maybe, just maybe, things would be better here... "I thought so..." James said with a grin, "So, tell me, how did a beautiful girl such as yourself, with no obvious mutation, end up here?" James said, turning on the casual charm once more, he really didn't give up. He knew this girl liked him at least to some extent, and he was going to keep charming her until he broke down that wall she had put up...
"Mutant high? That's got a nice ring to it... So what kind of classes will I be taking exactly?" James asked as he followed her into the mansion. Immediately he paused when he stepped inside, not because of how lavish the inside of it was, but because of what caught his eye. The entrance area had a massive living room, television, game room, and more just right there. That wasn't what surprised him though, there were kids everywhere, many of them having strange colored skin or extra appendages. On the roof of the living room, a young boy was sitting indian style... On the roof... of the frikin living room... Watching Tv. James shook his head and caught up with her, "This is gonna take some getting used to..." James said, mostly to himself, still unable to take his eyes off the boy sitting on the ceiling.
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Post by Rose North on Sept 27, 2011 16:47:49 GMT -5
James hadn’t been raised in a mutant society like Rose. While she’d grown up surrounded by mutants, people who looked strange, and did impossible things, and was completely comfortable in the situation, James, was probably having a slight sensory overload…. Like most new students.
How did she end up there..?
Rose came to a stop. She didn’t respond for several moments, or even look at him. She was trying to decide how to answer. Truth? White lie? Shrug it off? Finally, coming to a decision, she glanced back at him and smiled. ”Family trouble.” Not a lie, but not the whole truth. It was the perfect compromise. Half expecting him to push the subject, she quickly moved on, hoping to get as far away from the subject as possible. She might even be trying a bit too hard actually…
”Well, there are a few…. Normal course’s you’ll take. You know, classes the law says you need to graduate. But you will also be assigned to a cohort, a small group of students to one X-man. Who knows what they’ll teach you. Mentors have free reign over the subjects they teach. Basically, whatever they feel you should know to prepare you for the outside world.” She paused for a moment, glancing back at him. ”That’s what I am. A Mentor, not a teacher.” Another pause. ”There’s also Danger room sessions.” Not explaining just what the danger room was because she wanted to see if she could make him squirm, she moved on.
Rose followed his gaze to the student on the ceiling. Suddenly she scowled, recognizing the fellow, and quickly taking a step back so that if he looked he would see James, but not Rose. The last thing she wanted right now was to flag down her cousin… ”If you think that’s crazy, there’s a whole mansion full of this sort of insanity.” He’d only hit the tip of the iceberg, as the saying went.
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Post by James West on Sept 27, 2011 18:22:47 GMT -5
Rose was absolutely right, a sensory overload was an understatement for James right now. In his world, mutants were a dirty word, something that existed, but were incredibly rare to the point that they were almost a myth. Sure, he had seen them on TV all the time, but there was a difference between a screen and flesh and blood. Though, that didn't mean he wasn't enjoying it all. It was nice to see people who were like him, and not see them being shot at. Though at the same time he was actually a little nervous, but it wasn't showing. Inside he was bordering somewhere between fascination and apprehension.
When Rose suddenly stopped, James paused for a moment and glanced back at her with a raised brow. Almost instantly he knew she was trying to think up a lie, or a way to get out of answering. How did he know? Well, some people were expert combatants, some were master hackers, James was a liar; an amazing liar and story teller on top of that. So as the saying went, it takes one to know when, or when someone is trying to.
Family troubles, eh? She wasn't lying, that was obvious, but it didn't take an idiot to see she was avoiding tell the story. If it was that bad, James wouldn't push it, he understood better than most after all. "Well, I guess me and you have more than an X-Gene in common." James said with a slight smile, though like Rose, didn't elaborate on it. She had her secrets, he had his...
"Sounds like a pretty well thought out program. So if you're a mentor, then I could possibly be under you right? If so, I think I would probably need quite a few... private lessons to understand my powers..." Though it did sound like a justifiable reason, the charming smile and slight wink he gave suggested both a flirtatious and sexual undertone. once again, he had turned up the notch on his flirting levels with Rose, much like back on the ranch. You'd almost think it was one of his powers...
Something she said though, piqued his interests, "Danger Room? That sounds like a helluva good time." There was no sarcasm in his voice, it almost sounded as if he wanted to go there... right now... Then again, this was the man who road pissed off, two-ton animals for a joyride.
"Insane situations, dangerous rooms, beautiful women..." For last part he looked rose directly in the eyes as he walked alongside her, before looking back up, "Why haven't I heard of this place sooner?"
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Post by Rose North on Sept 27, 2011 20:51:22 GMT -5
Bad? Bad wasn’t a strong enough word. Still, he didn’t need to know that. James didn’t need to know just who, and what Rose was. The normalcy of this… It would only last so long. And when he found out what she was, he’d avoid her. She wanted at least a little more time before that happened…. ”I guess so.” She smiled, but it was obviously fake.
And there it was again. The sexual undertone. She reacted a little better this time, managing not to lose her mask this time. ”I seriously doubt you’d be put in my group.” There was one reason why she didn’t want him. He’d meet Alucard. And Alucard, with that blabbermouth, said everything that was on his mind. Even if he promised he wouldn’t tell anyone who she was, he’d slip up sooner or later. He’d call her cousin, or mention something about their past. Even if Alucard didn’t say they were related, James was smart. He’d catch on very quickly. And, if he was curious, he’d find her real name… And figure out that the girl was supposed to be dead. ”But believe me, if you were. You wouldn’t be flirting. You’d be wishing for a different instructor.”
”Oh it is when it isn’t trying to kill you. Which it usually does.” Likewise, there wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in her voice, just… amusement. As if she got a kick out of watching the room pulverize people. Perhaps now was the time to pity whatever students were in her cohort… They were obviously in for one hell of a ride…
Rose fixed him with a smirk as they walked. ”Maybe because you weren’t looking for it before now.” She stopped in front of an office and motioned him to enter. ”Just tell them who you are and they’ll get you sorted out. Schedule, room arrangements, rules.” She gave him a dangerous look when she added that last part. She wasn’t much of one to follow rules, but considering she had to enforce them now, she’d rather the trouble makers be warned now.
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