| A New Possible Addition | |||||
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| What: Bobby Drake develops an interest into the Academy of Tomorrow and gets a personal tour. | |||||
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Emma had received word that one of the teachers of the Xavier's Institute, Bobby Drake, was interested in visiting her establishment. After some negotiations they were able to meet after normal school hours.
Emma was talking with the secretary at the front desk when Bobby made his arrival. She was dressed in a simple silver blouse and white pants with very severe-looking white boots.
The interior of the main hall was very white and bright. Since it was closer to sunset, the sun shone through the window and reflected on the glass logo hanging from the celing. Many of the students were about, entering and leaving the school.
After hearing from Keith about the school he attended, Bobby couldn't help but be curious. The way he'd said he was attending a school with a lot of powered students and that they only wanted the best of the best had an annoying little bit of paranoia nipping at the back of Bobby's mind along with the curiousity. Especially after Keith voiced his concerns over not knowing why they wanted him. So Bobby did a little investigated and got an appointment set up to visit. In a suit and tie...a shocking enough sight to those that know him...he arrives on time and looks around as he steps into the main hall. Still wearing his sunglasses, he gives a faint whistle and quickly steps aside to avoid walking into a pair of students chatting excitedly about something or another. Approaching the front desk, Bobby flashes a grin and waits for the conversation going on to end to speak up. "Hey."
"Mr. Drake." Emma held out a hand to shake his. Her touch was soft, but firm.
"A pleasure. Welcome to the Academy of Tomorrow." She gestured at their surroundings, the lobby was simple enough but the real goodies were behind more of the walls. A small smile spread about her face, "I had heard you were handsome. Please, walk with me."
There's a moment of surprise, Bobby not expecting to run into Emma right off the bat like that. It passes quickly and he smiles once more. Shaking the offered hand, his skin is a little more chilly than most people's but he's making sure not to be in the freezing range. "Thanks. It's an impressive place so far," he offers. "All they said was handsome? Man, I gotta fire my PR guys," he jokes, nodding to the request.
Emma led Bobby as they walked through the school. It was obvious that they housed and taught students of all ages. Most were dressed in the standard black, grey, and blue school uniforms. Not every student looked like they came from high upbringings.
She let out a chuckle, "No they also said you were funny too. Tell me, what brings you to my school today?"
She was also casually reading his surface thoughts. Emma always is a nosy one.
Bobby followed along casually, looking around as they go. He knew there was a wide range of ages given how old Keith is but he didn't know how wide. The uniforms aren't something he's a fan of but he keeps that comment in his thoughts. The chuckle got him grinning though. He's always pleased when his jokes get a hit. "Oh they did? Then they get to keep their jobs," he remarks with a grin. "Well, I heard about this school and I wanted to come see it for myself. I know one of your students," he explains.
Emma's eyebrows lift as she looks towards him, she hadn't heard that quite yet. "Oh? Which student. I hope they behaved themselves."
The uniforms were to give the school a more private institution appearance, because it was exactly that. During normal school hours and classes students were required to wear them with girls being able to wear pants if they chose. She even had one male student who wore the girl's uniform. Another conversation for another day.
I don't recognize "Grey".
"Yeah, Keith O'Neil. I've known him since before hee enrolled," Bobby remarks, idly remembering meeting him at Breakstone Lake in Westchester. "He behaves himself. Perfect fuzzy gentleman," he chuckles.
She let out a chuckle as they turned down a hallway, they were moving through the various classrooms. At the moment they were in the elementary wing. Most of the students had been dismissed, but teachers could be seen in some of the rooms. "Ah yes, he's delightful I'm glad that he is involved in my school. Very talented boy."
She turned her eyes towards Bobby, "The students at our academy have many talents, some among them mutants, metahumans, and otherwise."
Remembering he's got them on, Bobby takes his sunglasses off and slips them into his pocket. A couple of the teachers get glanced at, Bobby wondering how many of the staff are among the powered. "Keith is full of surprises," he remarks with a grin. "So you have a training program for students with powers?"
Emma led him towards the elevator to take him to another room, "Right this way."
After a few moments she takes him to one of the lower levels, which has the training room. Inside, it is a large white room with rounded edges. It looked like something from the Matrix, simple on the surface. She went to a control panel and imputed a few buttons. A metal drone appeared in the middle of the room, "Powered and not. I also teach those with beyond average skill. They learn to work together, and overcome the flaws to their skillsets."
She placed her hands on her hips, "And while the school is known to have those with unique abilities, there are protections in place to keep it from those who would do them harm."
The room prompts Bobby to arch both brows. Eyes scan the surface and about five or six Matrix-jokes spring to mind. He keeps them quiet for now though. He walked over to the control panel with Emma and gives it a curious look. The drone gets a whistle. "So you have the kids fight that thing? Even without powers?" he asks.
He nods to the next statment. It had been his next question. "No one's been giving the school trouble, have they? Especially with how things are going over in Genosha?"
Emma let out a soft laugh as she admired her drone. It was one of the many functions this room provided. "Of course. Not every student who attends my school uses these training rooms. Those without powers who come here posess a more natural learned skill. You /do/ know that Tony Stark helped design my school, correct?"
She nodded when he voiced his concern, "Yes. I can't quite get into the specifics, but there a field around the school. If someone wishes this school or any inhabitants harm they can't find it. You'll notice that there were no protestors outside of the school."
"Tony Stark did?" that's new information to Bobby. He nods a little, thinking it makes sense given the tech. "So there are programs to help gain control of powers. That's good to hear," he says. Bobby always does worry about the mutant and meta kids these days.
"A field?" there's a moment of confusion as Bobby didn't remember walking through any fields but a split second later it registers with him that Emma probably means the other definition of the word. "Protestors are more annoying than dangerous, thankfully. Wouldn't be too much of a hassle to have them rather than the other stuff out there."
Emma crossed her arms in front of her chest and responded with, "Yes. Not one visible to the naked eye of course. Protestors can be a danger, but that is the reason they are not seen around here. I put my chilren's safety at the top of my list. Always."
She moves to the control panel and dismisses the drone, "For each and every student, I prepare them for tomorrow, according to their skills."
Bobby has to smile at that. An idle thought of 'a nice change of pace' floats to mind, the way the kids were endangered at Xaviers being part of why he left. Letting the subject go, Bobby nods. "So what kind of programs are offered to the kids here if it's according to their skills?"
The door to the training room opens and she leads him out of the training room, "There was the program we were just discussing. It doesn't even appear on the transcrips. The teachers are aware of it, of course. But we also avoid using terms like 'super-powers' inside of these walls. They need to blend into society and lead it, after all."
She takes him to the elevator to head towards her office, "Other than that there is business management, student councils, and many many clubs. To put it bluntly, if any student leaves these halls and has a fast food job for the rest of their life, I haven't done my job."
Following once more, Bobby seems mildly amused at the fact that they avoid using 'super-powers' as a term. Sometimes it's all that fits in his opinion. Once they're in the elevator, Bobby takes just a moment to check Emma out. He'd been trying not to the whole time, wanting to be on his best behaviour, but he's not made of stone...he's pretty sure he'd like what he sees even if he was. Glancing up at the elevator buttons just to see how many there were, Bobby chuckles. "Even if they end up running the fast food company?" he's just jokingly teasing a little there.
Emma gave him a knowing look. She didn't judge that he finally took a glance. Emma knew how good she looked, and most were not so well-behaved. She placed a hand on her hip, "Perhaps. But I'd hope they had a chain in every city. Our tuition is not small, we take in the best and accept the best, mind you."
After a moment it opens to her office. It is much like the rest of the school very white and silver. Her furniture is very avant garde and to the side is a mini bar that keeps very well locked up. Students.
"So McDonalds, Burger King, or bust," Bobby laughs, shaking his head. "That's something I was curious about too. Just how much is tuition here?" he asks. He's wondering how Keith affords the place. When they arrive in the office, Bobby gives an impressed little noise. The locks on the bar get a knowing smirk, Bobby familiar with busting students trying to sneak drinks. "Very nice office."
"Thank you." Emma gestured towards the seat in front of her desk and she took the high-backed chair behind the desk. There was a fair amound of work piled up on her desk, running a school this large wasn't exactly a cakewalk. Not to mention she ran a business on top of this, "It depends on the year, but it is on the high side I'll admit. That just means the education is that much better. And we have an /extensive/ career placement. However we also have a very useful scholarship in place for those in need, like Keith for instance."
Bobby heads towards the chair but waits till Emma's taken her seat to sit himself. He's got some manners after all. The piled work gets a little sympathetic look, the icy mutant considering paperwork a pain. He nods when the scholarship is mentioned. "Well, that's always good. I'm glad he'd got a place here."
Emma took her seat, and crossed her legs in front of herself to be comfortable. She rested an arm on the armrest, "There are many like him, who didn't quite from lucrative backgrounds. Which is quite alright with the school. Now."
She gestured towards Bobby, "I gave you the small tour, not all of the goodies we have I assure you but the basics. What do you think?"
Leaning back in his seat, Bobby nods. He noticed some of the kids didn't look likee the typical 'rich kid' types. When asked what he thinks, Bobby takes a deep breath. "Got to say I'm impressed with the place. And the tour was a lot nicer than any information booklet," he replies. He's still sure there's more to things but there's nothing obviously wrong with the place yet so he's still all smiles.
Emma was not one to beat around the bush. She was a busy woman after all, so she got right to the point. "So then I must ask, what interest do you have in my school? If you were simply just looking out for Keith's best interest that is also acceptable."
"Well there's that," Bobby replies. "I worry about the guy," he explains. "And hearing that there was a school accepting powered kids so easy had me curious. Most school don't seem quite so receptive. Heck, just this morning I was reading about a school that was suspending all mutant students just because they were mutants with some 'for their own safety' excuse," he rolls his eyes there. "And I kind of missed the whole school environment on top of everything. Used to be a teacher myself."
A point had to be made. And she thought she would get it over with. Emma then transformed into diamond, her body shone with brilliance as it took on the light, "So easily? Well the head is no normal headmistress. I am a mutant, and look to protect those who are unusual like myself. I have other talents, of course."
She transformed back to normal, "And we can use more teachers."
Bobby's eyes go wide but he contains other reactions. "Well, damn. Just when I thought you couldn't get more interesting," he murmurs, trying to figure out just what Emma transformed herself into. He rules out ice immediately of cource. "Sweet power there," he remarks. At the comment about needing more teachers, he gives a little chuckle. "I am kind of tempted by the idea of getting back ito it. I think I'm going to talk to Keith before I start asking where I sign up for an interview though. I don't want to freak the guy out or anything, y'know...seeing the guy he sometimes hits a club or two with or splits pizzas over a game showing up as your teacher might make him uncomfortable."
Emma shrugged, "With the older students they are used to seeing myself around town. The mindset is I make future peers. Why just the other day I had a student take too many days off and I visited him at home. We are a casual atmosphere, as we are admittedly high pressure. The school is not traditional. It's all about getting the correct end result."
She rose and held out her hand, "However I can respect the reluctance. Have a chat with him and think about it for a while. I think you would enjoy it here."
Bobby stands as well, grinning as he shakes the offered hand once more. "Thanks. And thanks for the tour. I'll swing by Keith's place tonight and talk with him."
Emma let a smile spread across her face, she was glad to hear that Keith had such a good friend. "That sounds like a good idea."
She reached into her pocket and took an embossed business card that simply had a number with no other information, "This is my personal cell phone number, please contact me with your decision whatever it is."
Bobby looks the card over and grins. He has to fight not to make a joke about getting Emma's number but a few are at the front of his mind. "I'll be sure to," he replies as he slips the card into the same pocket he put his sunglasses into. Those come back out seconds later and Bobby slides them on. "It's been a pleasure."