The Tour

Posted on Wed Dec 7th, 2022 @ 9:49pm by Jaclyn Morrison & Unawakened Kai Irving & Head Mistress Absynthe "Syn" Drake & Carter McMillian

Mission: Drake Academy
Location: Drake Academy
Timeline: Current

After a few minutes that small knock came on the door, and once again at her smaller size, Syn entered with one of the students of the academy, a tall red-headed young man. She glanced at the two girls and shook her head. “I’m glad I took the liberty to send less tattered attire along to your quarters.” The diminutive administrator then motioned to the young man with her. “This is Carter. He has been here his entire life and is quite familiar with the academy grounds, the rules, and how life generally goes around here.”

Carter entered the room behind the Syn, the closest thing to a mother he had ever had. He was wearing his usual attire of a beat up black leather baker's jacket with a wight tee shirt underneath, a pair of well worn and perfectly fitting blue denim jeans, with a black leather belt, complete with a belt buckle that looked to be hand made by a master blacksmith. His look was finished with a pair of broken-in black leather workbooks and a pair of silver and black aviator glasses. As he entered the room, he seemed to exude a quiet kind of confidence that most found very attractive.

The fact that he was very handsome didn't hurt either.

Looking at both Jac and Kai, Carter gave them a lop-sided grin that seemed to glow. "Hi," he said respectfully. "Welcome to the Academy. "As Mom said, My name is Carter, Carter McMillian. My codename is Freejack." He stepped over to Kai first and knelt to be more at her level. "I hear your name is Kai. It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered her his gloved hand and a warm, friendly grin.

Kai shyly shook his hand. She was very wary with good reason, and she seemed to shrink closer to Jaclyn when males were around. “Hi.”

Seeing the young girl's unease, Carter carefully stepped back, to give her her space. He then turned his gaze to The older of the two girls and paused. He swallowed a sudden knot of nervousness when he looked into her beautiful eyes. "H-hi," he stammered slightly.

Jaclyn nodded at him. “Hello” she replied to him, wondering why he was acting that way but choosing to ignore it. She probably scared him. She was not sure of the extent of her... physical changes but she had a feeling they were bad.

He quickly regained his senses and smiled even warmer. "You must be Jaclyn. It is a real pleasure to meet you." His tone was friendly as he spoke to her. If he was nervous before, it was quietly going away. He seemed almost…drawn to her.

Kai shifted as she watched the boy. She was not sure about him. But she kept herself close to Jaclyn.

Jaclyn was not sure about this either but she knew, somehow, that this place was not as dangerous as the place they had left. She glanced at Syn again noting that the woman had grown in size again as she got closer. “So.. the headmistress said you could show us around?” she said, trying to act as normal as possible.

Carter saw that he was making both girls a bit nervous. He kicked himself mentally for being such an idiot. Stepping back again, he smiled and nodded, though the brightness of his smile had dimmed slightly.

Syn chuckled softly as Carter made his introduction. “Carter is harmless in most ways. A little awkward sometimes, but he means well,” she said, smiling at him and patting him on the shoulder. “He shows great promise, and if I did not trust him with you, I would not have asked him to do this.”

Jaclyn nodded as did Kai.

Artemis had been sniffing around the room and now started sniffing at Carter’s boots, looking very interestedly at the laces.

Looking down, Carter's smile warmed again. "Hey little guy!" He knelt down and presented the back of his gloved hand to the cute puppy. "What's your name?"

“Her name is Artemis” Jaclyn said with a small smile as Artemis rolled over for him.

Carter chuckled softly as he reached down and scratched Artemis's exposed belly. "Oh! Well forgive me, Miss Artemis! You are certainly a pretty girl, yes you are!" He seemed completely at peace, and a bit innocent, when giving affection to the puppy.

The puppy was in alt and just lay flopped there.

Jaclyn had to roll her eyes. “She is a suck up.”

Kai nodded. “And smart too.”

Carter grinned. He continued to scratch Artemis's belly a bit more, then moved up to gently rub her ears.

After a bit the puppy rolled over onto her paws and scampered back to Jaclyn who reached down and snagged the leash that was trailing. “She is not a digger” she said to the group,”It is ok if she stays right?”

Carter stood up and looked over to his mother, hopeful that she'd say yes.

“There are no rules against having pets here,” Syn said, then motioned towards the door. She glanced at Carter and continued, “Start off with a trip to the park. I’m sure they could all use the fresh air. Then I’d recommend a meal at the student cafeteria. No matter how hard I try, hospital food just seems to need to be bland.”

Her odd gaze then returned to Jaclyn and Kai, “We will speak again in a couple of days. Take the time to settle in and get familiar with things. You will have a few busy days after that.”

Jaclyn nodded. “Thank you.” She said honestly.

Carter nodded to Syn, then looked at Jaclyn and Kai. "If you'll follow me?" He then led them out of the medical bay and into the bright sunshine of a gorgeous day.

Jaclyn blinked and covered her eyes with her hand as they exited the building.

Kai did the same and it took them a bit to acclimatise their eyes. The area they found themselves in was massive.

“Nice” Jaclyn said softly.

Carter smiled at them both. "As you can see," he started while they began walking through what looked like a quiet, normal neighbourhood. "It's more than just a school. Drake Academy encompasses an entire community." They started walking towards a cafeteria that had outdoor seating. Carter led them to the line and a few moments later, they were standing before an older black man, who looked at Carter and the girls.

"Carter, my boy! How are you today?" He gave Carter a thoughtful look, then prepared a quick dish, handing it over.

"I'm good, Tim, thank you!" Carter replied as he took the plate of food. He then indicated Jaclyn and Kai. "I'm showing Jaclyn and Kai around the campus. They just arrived." He looked at Jaclyn and Kai. "This is Timothy Rogers, but everyone just calls him Tim. His power is pretty cool, in that he can figure out what you want to eat, before you even do!"

"Hello" Kai said, though she still was watchful, though in the crowded space she felt a bit safer.

Jaclyn nodded politely "hello"

Tim nodded and smiled as he looked at the new arrivals. "Welcome to Drake! Anytime you want something delicious, you just come on down to my counter." He chuckled softly, then considered both girls. "Now let's see," he said, looking at Kai first. "You'd like…chicken fingers, with french fries and a strawberry milkshake, right?"

The 13 year old was stunned and nodded at him."ah thank you that sounds great."

Nodding again, Tim moved away to prep the dish. He returned a few moments later and handed the items over. "Here you go, young lady. I also included a small bowl of raw meat and nutrients for your puppy there."

She smiled and took the items. Neither girl made a fuss about Artemis' ownership.

He then turned to face Jaclyn. "And you, my dear…a BLT with a plain seltzer and a small bag of chips?"

Jaclyn nodded " Thank you. That would be nice." She was hungry and she kept her eyes lowered.

Tim grinned, then moved to get her food ready. After he returned, he handed her plate over. "Enjoy your lunch everyone, and welcome again!"

The two gave shy smiles and followed Carter.

Carter then led them back outside and to one of the tables by the street, so they could still take in the quiet little town.

"We've got a few Mom and Pop stores, a hair salon and barber shop. We even have a movie theatre and a bowling alley!" He took a sip of his drink, then continued. "We have humans and Metas living here, in peaceful coexistence with each other. It's a view of life that Mom has had for decades. We all work and play together, like we hope the rest of the world will do one day. Also, no one is kept here against their will. Anyone can come and go as they please."

Kai took Artemis's leash and looped it over a chair back and placed the puppy's food on the ground before sitting on the same chair and beginning to eat.

Jac put the tray with her food before her and sat. "I am guessing there aren't many places who accept people like us." She had caught a glimpse of her face in the shop window and knew she looked very strange now.

Carter finished the bite of food that he was chewing and wiped his mouth before replying. "While there are now laws on the books that do protect people like us as sentient beings, it is still difficult to find true acceptance among the non-Meta population, on the whole, as there are some of us who are powerful enough to literally end the world. However, there are a few places, like here, where peaceful coexistence does occur."

She took a bite of her meal, chewed as she considered what to say. "So are there many students here?"

He tilted his head left, then right slightly as he answered. "While we have the population of a small city here, the ratio of human to Meta in the Academy itself is still a bit slanted towards human. But, there are also classes specifically for Meta, where we learn to control and focus our abilities in such a way that we are able to help others."

Jaclyn nodded, taking in the information. No one would keep them here if they wanted to leave.... She wondered if that was true or not. She had seen places that were too good to be true before, so she was very wary. She had tried to leave with Kai from the Reverend’s compound twice and only the second time seemed to be successful.

Kai meanwhile was looking around the area, watching people and keeping an eye out. Both girls were still on heightened alert. But of the two of them, Kai seemed more settled. She felt safer here than she had for the past 3 years.

A few of Carter's classmates walked by, smiling and laughing. Two were Meta's, the other three were human. "Hey, there's Carter!" One of them said aloud.

The group Crossed the street and stopped by their table. "Hey, Carter, did you figure out Professor Lalor's trig take home quiz?"

Carter looked over at his friend and smiled. "Yeah, she was making it a trick equation, trying to see who caught on. Double check the third line, you'll see it."

The Meta who spoke, a green-skinned teenaged girl paused for a moment, then smacked her forehead. "Oh my God! How did I not see that?!"

Everyone chuckled softly. The other Meta spoke up. "That's because, Maria, you were more interested in looking at my backside, than to pay attention in class."

Now the group of friends laughed out loud.

When Carter finished laughing, he glanced at Jac and Kai. "Guys, let me introduce you to our newest members. This is Jaclyn, Kai and that little cute fur ball is Artemis.

They all smiled and waved hello. The Meta, who looked like a teenage werewolf, but not scary looking, knelt down and gave a gentle sound to Artemis.

Carter then continued the introductions. "Jaclyn, Kai..these are my friends, Maria, John, Sally, Edward, and Georgie is currently greeting Artemis."

Kai gave the group a smile and a wave. “Hi.” she said as she reached to finish her milkshake.

Jaclyn who was still working through things gave the group of older teenagers a nod “hello” she said.

"Did you show them the town and school yet?" One of the humans, Sally, asked as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"I was telling them about the town, while we were having some lunch. We'll get back to the tour afterwards."

The teenagers nodded in understanding. "Well, don't forget, tonight is pizza night in the dorms." This time, Georgie spoke as he stood up.

Carter nodded and smiled. 'Like I ever forget about pizza night? You still owe me for beating you in air hockey last week."

The friends chuckled again, then Georgie nodded. "Yeah, I know, I know. Sodas are on me tonight."

Maria spoke back up. "Well, we really need to get back to class." She started herding the other teens along as they all said their goodbyes. As she moved behind The new girls, she looked back at Carter and gave her friend and approving smile, tilting her head at Jaclyn.

Carter gave his friend a look, which caused her to laugh to herself as she turned and joined the group as they made their way back to the Academy.

Carter looked back at Jaclyn and Kai. "I'm sorry if they came on a bit strong. We are all pretty involved with each other's lives. I mean, you live in the dorms, like we do, you tend to get close to one another, strike up strong friendships. Maria and Georgie are on one of the trainee teams with me, in fact."

“Teams?” Jaclyn asked slightly curious. She had no idea what he was speaking of.

Carter nodded, realising she wouldn't know. "So, I'm sure you've heard of the team out in New York, at Xavier's School for the Gifted. We have something similar here. The Meta's that have graduated the Academy, and are able to pass the additional training that Mom and her fellow instructors give, are formed into special teams, which are sent out during various crises, to help the authorities apprehend evil people and Meta's who are using their powers for evil as well. Like when they rescued you three and stopped the hidden bombs from going off and causing more innocent bloodshed."

“Ah ok” Jaclyn said softly. She was not sure she could handle more of the night before.

Kai looked up from where she was rubbing Artemis with her foot. “It was really cool to see last night. But scary.”

Carter nodded to both girls. "Yeah, I can't imagine what you two must've been through. I'm glad you were saved though. Mom and a few of the teams have been able to save a few of the Meta's from that camp. Maria was one herself. She was rescued mid way to being sold to a terrorist group about three years ago."

Kai shot a look towards the departing group but subsided into her seat.

Jaclyn noted the actions and reached for her drink. Kai was hopeful, it seemed, of tracking down her mother. Which, Jac knew, would be good for the teenager.

“Well at least the Reverend is gone.” Jaclyn stated.

Carter nodded. "At least, we hope he is. Last I heard, the site of the coroner van fire was still being investigated." He then gave them both a disarming and honest smile. "But I wouldn't worry about him. No one, and I mean no one, can harm either of you here. Mom makes sure everyone who chooses to live and work here is completely safe from the outside world."

“And if we want to go, we can, right?” Jaclyn asked softly. She was not sure she would keep up the fiction of heading to LA but she was holding that in reserve. But she had spent weeks in that blasted compound after having her freedom of travelling on her own. She understood that some people liked having roots, and her own were deep in her family home which she had left but she was not about to be caught again without an escape route.

Carter gave her a soft look, then nodded, as if he didn't like the idea of Jaclyn leaving. "Of course. No one is held here against their will. People and Meta's are allowed to come and go as they please." He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as he did so. "Though… I hope you choose to stay. I'd really like to get to know you better, both of you." He gave Kai a small grin, then looked back at Jaclyn.

"Whatever you decide to do, at least give us a few days, a week at most? Allow us to prove to you both, that you are safe here."

Jaclyn nodded. “I will need to find another car anyway.” She said softly. “I doubt my insurance covers ‘Van turned into a mechanical entity.” And she would keep an eye on things. She was learning the hard way that not every paradise was what it said it was.

Kai gave a shrug. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go” She seemed happy enough to hang around, maybe she could get a job here, Kai considered as she sipped her drink.. She needed to be realistic about things. She was, plain human. Nothing special.

"Well, we do have a used car sales lot on the other side of town," Carter suggested. "I'm sure you could find something there." He smiled at her joke about the insurance, then looked at Kai. "There's plenty of part time work for the students here. It all depends on what you want to do."

Kai nodded. She had a few skills, forced on her by Monica and Co.

Jaclyn finished her meal and said "If we can get our things from the... van I can cover this."

Carter shook his head and smiled. "That won't be necessary. As you're both students now…or hopefully will be, you can eat here free anytime you want."

Jac raised her eyes for a moment then lowered them "Still I would like to get our things. If it's possible?" She felt weird asking but there were things, both hers and Kai's in the van, transformed or not that was important to them both.

Carter nodded. "Of course." He gave her a gentle grin, his expression seemingly completely open and honest. "We'll head over to the warehouse now, where it's stored, if you want."

The two girls nodded.

~TBC~

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