y Dderwen (IC)

[Tiffany Korta]

“Well if this Etain Maher would allow me to I’d love to spar with her. My Taid always said you’d learn something by being beaten by a better opponent, even if it was to never fight that person again…†she gave a little smile at Taid’s old joke

In truth she had been regularly beating everyone at the order with the sword; it would be nice to face a genuine challenger.

“I also play a little Chess and the original Gwyddbwyll. You’ve probably never heard off it, it’s quite rare…†she looked down feeling a little self-conscious.

“All this…†she waved her spoon for emphasis “…is still a little overwhelming for me. I think it a third serving kind of problem.â€

[Semi-Autogyro]

John at with his normal eerie mechanical efficiency. "Ah that reminds me Morgan, I saw a variant of chess that you might find more to your liking. We can attempt Chess Boxing next time you are up for a game." Truth be told, the more handicaps that he had in game the usually more he enjoyed it. Having to spar and strategize at the same time might be an entertaining challenge.

"I am always open for training or sparring, whether physical or mental Miss Cerys." John gave her an appraising look. "I tend to favor a more...pragmatic approach to such things than others do." He glanced over to Morgan to see if his friend would chime in on that point.

"I would not worry too much. You will acclimatize yourself here in a sort time-frame, I am sure."

[Ari]

Subito glanced at John in slight puzzlement at the 'pragmatic approach', but shrugged it off to focus on the more important issues.

"I'm open for sparring as well Cerys" he offered cheerfully. "I'm not in the same league as Mr. Smith or Morgan, but if you need a mobile punching bag I got no objection to it." he had no illusions about his fighting ability, but he also knew he could be substantially tougher than most of the other students, who mostly had subtler powers and a focus on agility and not getting hit in the first place.

"And I agree with you completely," he added "and if nobody has any objections, I'll get us all a third round of these wonderful parfaits, and we can continue the tour once they're gone."

[Quinn]

Morgan didn't react to the pragmatic line with any more than a shrug and a nod; he favored a similar method but usually more physically intensive. And to wit; it was always funny watching the aftereffects of a spar or training session with Myrmidon. Especially since he was one of the only ones who could regularly keep up.

Okay, maybe the shrug was accompanied by a smirk. Though the talk of Chess Boxing had him thinking. The name itself was most intriguing too.

"Chess? Not that great at the game, but sure - what're the rules?" He nodded at Subito as well. "And I am so down with that you have no idea; you know what hanging in a tree does to your appetite? Sheesh."

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd sat back down with her third, and she was determined it would be her final, pudding. Almost automatically she answered Morgan’s question in a matter of fact manner.

“It’s eleven alternative rounds of boxing and speed chess. A round of chess followed by four minutes of boxing. I never been very good at it, I always do badly at the chess.â€

She went back to her jello finishing the pudding in silence, feeling a little self-conscious at her own admission.

“Well that was nice. So where are we going to see next?â€

[Ari]

Arriving at the tail of Cerys' question with an extra bowl in each hand, Subito handed one to Morgan and dug solidly into the other, answering "Well, closest place's the Sloane Library, which I think these guys" he nodded to Morgan and John "will agree is the most important part of the place after the simulator, gym and your dorm." Eating leisurely he continued "If you want we can guide you to every little nook and cranny, or just a more general tour so you know where the important stuff is, and leave the eccentric bits for later?"

[Semi-Autogyro]

John nodded at Subitos' statement. "Indeed. The library while having normal reference material, also has access to titles that are not in normal circulation. If you are looking for further information that it does not have in stock, the librarians can attempt to locate your request through various channels." He finished off his glass of water.

"But there are other sources of information on campus as well, as some of the students and faculty have collections themselves. Or are a font of information on their areas of expertise." John pointed his thumb at Morgan. "For example, Morgan would be an excellent place to start looking for information on runic magic."

[Quinn]

Morgan shrugged, leaning back in his chair with a wry smile, having demolished the parfait in a very short period of time. He affected a somewhat lousy Irish accent, returning to his normal tone a few words in.

"Tricks of me trade, boyo, tricks of me trade. And it's not that much - just a lot of cheap tricks and magic gadgetry I've pulled together to make up for the fact that I'm not on the same level as these guys."

An observant listener might've even picked up a slight bit of bitterness in that, but on the other hand, surely not. The wry smile changed to an embarrased one, and he chucked Myrmidon's shoulder. Though the last words in his subsequent sentence were textbook examples of the emotion known as 'severe irritation'.

"And I'm only just figuring out how to write runes without them exploding in my face to boot. Still can't crack some of 'em, though - how do you think I keep ending up in that thrice-damned, overgrown, tempermental, leaf-infested tree?"

[Ari]

"Can't any of the guys studying to be wizards or whatever help?" asked Subito in puzzlement "There's bound to be at least some similarity between what you do."

"Anyways, since nobody's got any problem with it, this way to the library!" he said excitedly, unnecessarily leading the quartet up to the pleasant and inviting David Sloane Library out the door of the cafeteria, along the gnetly winding footpath, around the sharp bend of the super-school's main concourse of buildings surrounding the Quad, and up the low steps to the front door, which he held open for the other three to pass throuhg first "After you guys" he said briskly.

[Tiffany Korta]

With well-practiced force of habit Blodeuwedd made sure to tidy away all her rubbish before joining the rest for her continued tour.

“Well I’m more of Train Spotter when it comes to magic so I’m afraid I’m no help there.†She though at what she had just said before continuing “I’m guessing to you I’m speaking another language, which I can do. Cymraeg yn naturiol.†She managed a weak smile at her poor joke.

“I hope I’m not taking up to much of your precious time, if it a problem I don’t need three people to give me the tour. Not that I mind or anything.â€

[Quinn]

Morgan shook his head at Subito's question, and this time he didn't even try to hide the bitterness on his expression.

"I wish. Mate, the rune magic I use is the conducting of energy through symbols, symbols that have reached a certain meaning in and to the world. They already have power, I just tap into that - to get the result I want, see? A rune of wind to travel great distances, a rune of good health to close wounds and stuff like that. Now, an actual mage? Like...I dunno...Seven from last year? They conduct magic directly, channeling these energies themselves as opposed to through gadgets or symbols."

He rubbed the top of his head, trying to cogitate the words he wanted. It was hard to nail down, especially since he was still a rookie at best in the arcane arts.

"Aaah, I'm explaining it badly. Put it another way - they're programmers, while I'm a technician. They write their own code, I use the pre-built code. So there is similarity, but the gulf is sufficiently wide that I'd basically have to relearn nearly everything I know. And given everything I'm already trying to learn..." The other teenagers could immediately tell, despite the fact that Morgan tried not to wear his heart on his sleeve - this was a bitter pill to swallow. "It's...just not possible."

The teen shook his head, and plastered a bit more cheerier look on his face. "Sorry, didn't mean to get overly technical. And not at all, Cerys - no trouble at all. Though I warn you, my Gaelic's a lot better than my Welsh - mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod." Snerk.

[Ari]

The revelation of how complex the world of magic could get produced a rather sodering effect on Subito, and he turned this new information over in his head with great care. On the one hand, he had only a vague grasp of what magic actually was, on the other hand he was pretty sure it was some kind of force, or source of energy, that could be tapped into to produce effects. Morgan's explanation certainly fit those lines, and at last he nodded, glancing apologetically at the rune-maker "No, that was pretty good. I know way less about magic stuff than you, and that made perfect sense. I'm sorry for brining it up, didn't know it was a sore subject." he listened quietly to Cerys and Morgan's exchange, grinning despite himself as their words translated themselves to his ears(Mebbe I should find a way to turn that off he wondered suddenly Don't want to listen into something I shouldn't by accident).

He stood aside to let John and Morgan guide Cerys about the library, the quiet and pleasant smells of books something he wanted to soak in while they were there, and knowing that those two were much more familiar with the place than he was.

[Semi-Autogyro]

John had remained quiet through the discussion of magic, as it was well outside of his bailiwick. As he had pointed out to his his more magically inclined friends, all he cared was the results it could produce and the limitations inherent to it. Most of his knowledge on the subject was concerned about how to best combat magic users and creatures, rather than any sort of nuanced minutiae.

He used his time to re-appraise the new student, he knew she utilized a sword but there was something that just seemed off about her. It was not any sort of dangerous vibe, or anything else he could really quantify...but it was there. Maybe it was new student nerves but to the clone hero she seemed to be rather withdrawn and shy. The realization paused his stride for a moment, as he realized that was what was throwing him off. Training that Cerys had alluded to usually built up a surety in oneself, promoting confidence and direction. The young woman a few paces ahead of him seemed not to possess any of that. Odd.

"I was wondering, Miss Cerys, if you had any hobbies or sports you liked. We could drop by the various club rooms or at least introduce you to them as we go about the tour."

[Tiffany Korta]

One minute she was giggling along to Morgan’s joke, the next a momently look of terror flash across her face.

She’d been trained to slip in and out of place and organization, and as such she had been trained to answer such questions. But the one thing they never bothered to train her at was how just to be a normal sixteen year old girl.

They must have seen that look of terror on her face so she would have to give an answer and probably best to tell a version of the truth.

“I spent so much time training I never had much time for hobbies. I do like to read, the classics mainly, but that really much of a social hobby really.â€

[Ari]

"Sounds like a job for Vicky!" laughed Subito "She's got to be one of the most energetic and pop culture-enthused people I've ever met. Er, Victoria Knight, that is" he quickly clarified for Cerys' benefit "Morgan and John can bear me out on that, they're good friends with her." After a second's thought he added "Of course, there's a bunch of other stuff to do. If you want, we can swing by the aduitorium and admin building to give you an idea of what there is to do around here."

With that he casually slid back to the rear of the group, glancing around the peaceful library.

[Quinn]

Morgan followed behind, a silent wraith on their tail. At Cerys' talk of a lack of pop culture indoctrination, he promptly adopted an expressionless face, and spoke in a monotone. "Gentlemen. She has not been assimilated. She does not know references, or of old movies or American Idol. Does not compute."

He couldn't keep the appearance for long, though, and promptly snerked. "Sorry, it's not that bad. But hey, if you want a quick primer, Vicky and I can do the same thing we did to John. Hog-tie you to a couch, put a bowl of popcorn within head's reach, and set up a steady stream of old-school films."

[Semi-Autogyro]

John duly noted her reactions to his question, but her answer and reaction only caused further suspicion as evidenced by his furrowed brow. He knew that the Headmaster thoroughly vetted all students who were allowed into Claremont, but even still his mental hackles were raised. That is until Morgan managed to derail his current train of thought. John scoffed at the memory of the Victoria and Morgan practically forcing him to sit through a veritable cavalcade of movies.

"Which is now why you let me read the synopsis of movies before I watch them." He blandly stated. The Irregulars did not understand until later why he had such a visceral reaction to some movies, and if Cerys came or endured a similar situation it would be best to curtail the issue before it arose. Turning his attention back to the young woman in question, "As Morgan has said, I was in somewhat of a similar situation when I arrived here. I possess some books on various hobbies that I attempted but found not to my liking. If you would like I would give them to you, as they are no longer of use to me."

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd gave a slightly forced smile; it seemed no one had noticed her panic.

“Well I’ve not grown up in a complete bubble. I’ve watched a bit of telly and a few movies. But with all my time spent training I never had the chance to really try out any hobby. At a school, especially one as special as this, it seems I will have more free time than I’m used to.†She gave another smile, a more genuine one this time “I do appreciate the offers of help, I couldn’t ask for a warmer welcome.â€

She actually felt a little teary at it all, where was the tough capable warrior she knew she was?

[Ari]

Subito was a little worried by now. His powerful hearing made Cerys' quiet voice much more audible to him than it was to even hyper-attentive sorts like Morgan and John, and the underlying tone(and her quietness in general) struck him as a little off. He admittedly didn't know much about her upbringing, but it sounded now almost cultish. Then again, the Evil she was talking about is probably pretty tough and takes a lot of training to beat he pointed out to himself not necessarily a sign they were bad folks. Aloud he said "Glad you're happy with this Cerys, some new people like a little time to themselves to get a feel for the place," he gave a friendly grin and wave to the exchange primate Sachi as she hastily scurried past, a nervous face nearly hidden behind an armfull of reference books even he would probably find cumbersome "some others go out and make a dozen new friends in the first half hour they get here. Hey Rick, how's it going?" he added cheefully as they walked by a strongly-built teen with Hawaiian features talking avidly to a small circle of students about a battle between his father and an army of giant crabs, getting a smile and friendly thump on the shoulder. "We've got all sorts, as you can see, I'm sure you'll find something to like about being here."

[Quinn]

Morgan shrugged, putting his hands behind his head and swaggering along. Yeah, he had swagger. Not very often, but what the heck - this felt like a moment for swagga'.

...ye gods, did I actually just think that word in an atrocious accent? Bad Morgan, bad. Don't do that.

"'sup Rick - Archer sez training in room four tomorrow; bring extra padding. And no need to thank us, Cer - s'all just bein' neighbourly, y'know? Claremont's a good place to be; you'll see. Tough as nails sometimes, pain and suffering in equal terms if you let Mr. Archer get his hands on you, and never go up to the third floor if you value your life and soul, but you'll never find another place as welcoming or easy to get used to."

A grin - the memory of his arrival brought it on. An affectionate kitty, a mammoth snowball fight...yeah; he'd known then he'd enjoy it here.

Well, except the tree. He didn't enjoy the tree. Evil tree. When was that axe requisition form going to be returned?

[Semi-Autogyro]

John made a mental note to pack up his extraneous hobby supplies and drop them off with Cerys later. He had been wondering what to do with them since they were just unnecessarily cluttering up his room at this point. The other students ignored him or outright refused to meet his gaze as the small group passed, which was par for the course for John. Not that it bothered him. Besides, he deferred to others whenever he could in any sort of social situation.

"If we are offering suggestions, mine would to take things on your own time, to set your own pace. There is a reason you are allowed to be here, so do not worry about the day-to-day minutiae at the moment. Claremont allows us to make mistakes provided we show the capability of learning the ramifications of said mistakes in an environment where we can foster our talents."

[Tiffany Korta]

There was a tiny part of Blodeuwedd that wanted to just give up and go home. But there was also a stubbornness that meant she couldn’t, she wouldn’t, just give up. Only now surrounded by other students did she begin to realise just how difficult being Cerys would be.

“You’re all being very kind, well at least I think you are…†she gave Crow a quizzical look, then a little grin, at his statement “I suppose I could try some of the more physical activities. I’ve done a little Parkour and Freerunning, but it’s a little difficult to do in a village. Same for any kind of climbing, Freedom City's perfect for Buildering. I’ve also done a little archery; we’re famous for the Longbow after all. It’s just finding people to compete with on an equal level, especially in a school like this.â€

[Ari]

"Morgan's right about the third floor, at least." Subito commented as they went down the stairs and headed for the hazy light let through the glass-fronted doors "Headmaster Summers tells everyone who comes here that they should never, ever go into the room on the third floor. Something really important or really dangerous is in there, I'll bet." he shrugged his broad shoulders "A lot of the other students here are really serious about trying to get in there, maybe they'll succeed while you're attending Claremont? They're bound to figure out a way in someday"

Holding the door open for the small group as they went out, he glanced over at the nearby gymnasium with a bright glint in his eyes. Turning to the new arrival he gestured to it "If you want to do physical extracurricular stuff, there's lots to do! With Bowman on the Freedom League, there's this archery club I know that would love to have you. The gym is over here" he began to lead the way along the short path to it "if you want to keep yourself in shape. It's got everything!" he put great emphasis on that word, with an enthusiastic grin on his face "Just, everything you need. Weights, pulleys, acrobatics bars and hanging stuff for swinging around with. If you want to do Parkour stuff, I..guess you'd need to go out into the town, but other than that if you want it, it's here." He declared, opening the door for the tour group, thinking to himself 'Who was her guide supposed to be? I'm gonna find them and make 'em apologize!'

Once they were inside, he led the way to each of the various mechanisms Aaron Cage had devised to help keep the new generation of superheroes in fighting trim, demonstrating how each piece worked, showing the various settings for the dexterity testers and projectile-evasion rooms("Be ultra-careful about 'bullet-force'"), the hanging bars and trapeze, the shifting rock wall, and lastly the weight room, with which he had a great deal of familiarity and affection.

After the quick show, he leaned against the door, pushing it open as he asked Cerys "So, you want to check out the track field? The Auditorium? Ooh! Have you gotten a room assigned yet?"

[Quinn]

Oh, the shifting rock wall - Morgan loved that thing. Scale it in a half-minute, perch at the top like his namesake, and he could just spend hours hanging about up there or just swinging about it. Good exercise, good time-sink, and good clean fun. Not that many people noticed - he tended to roll in in the early mornings for his more murderous training sessions. Projectile-evasion was up to multiple-bullet force by this point, which cheered him immensely.

Though he hadn't done trapeze for a while after The Incident. Hanging bars were much better. MUCH better.

"Sube, c'mon - don't overwhelm the poor girl. Diailigh ar ais, bro." Smirk. "What d'you think of the setup, Cerys?"

Dialigh ar ais, bro = Dial it back, bro.

[Semi-Autogyro]

For the most part John only added to the conversation when he had any information to impart. "The school does have a parkour club which meets on Thursday evenings. I can talk to Miss Gabriella, the club president, if you would like to sit in on a meeting. It proved to be useful in learning the layout of Freedom City, which is why I became a member."

He gestured at the gym. "Both Morgan and I are regularity at the gym in the mornings, so we can assist in assigning you a locker and informing you on any of the rules and regulations if you visit early enough." John wasn't much in favor of some of the more 'fun' equipment in the gym, preferring the more old fashioned exercise methods. He found it easier to do multiple sets of pull ups and using exercise grips than bothering with the climbing wall.