fandomhigh | How To Get By In A Hostile World, Wednesday

It was a miracle Atton was even here. He'd been sincerely tempted to stay in bed this morning and let Sparkle do all the work, but... some stupid sense of duty he didn't even realize he had anymore had kicked in and now he was standing in front of the class, looking casual because that was about all he could manage right now.

"...Welcome to We-- I mean, How To Get By In A Hostile World," he drawled. "My name is Atton Rand, I used to go to school here, so don't think I don't know what I'm talking about. Okay. If you're in this class, it's probably because you're from somewhere terrifying where you're not exactly on top of the food chain. That may mean being an unpowered person in a world full of near-gods, or somebody who has powers but not exactly the kind that'll shake the world, or maybe you're just some poor schmuck living at the bottom end trying to get by."

Beat.

"Of course, if you're just here to show off how special you are, you can get out. Now."

Another beat. He waited for anyone to get up.

"...Okay, good. Anyway, I have powers now, but I didn't use to - or at least I didn't have the training so I might as well not have had them. Growing up, there was war all around us, and the people who actually had the powers to stop it decided to sit at home and twiddle their thumbs because the situation was quote-unquote 'complicated'. I've seen worlds burn and friends die."

He took a deep breath. He needed it to keep playing casual. "The only way I made it through the first decade or so of being on my own was by thinking on my feet," he said. "Exploring the weaknesses of people stronger than me, figuring out how to squeak by unnoticed, that kind of thing. So that's the stuff we'll be covering."

Atton nodded at a random student. "Talk to me," he said. "Who are you? What situation are you facing? What are you hoping to get out of this class? That kind of thing. Introductions are useful here, because a technique is only helpful if it's tailored to your actual situation."

He planted his ass on his desk. "Oh, and that guy over there with the stupid hair? That's Sparkle. He'll be your TA. If you have any stupid questions, take them to him." You're welcome, Sparkle.

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Evie was still giving Atton dubious looks when she made her introduction. "I'm Evangeline Greene, but I go by Evie. The only situation I'm facing is that I'm not home, where I belong."

She wasn't even having hallucinations anymore! The only thing standing between her life and perfection was that she wasn't in Sterling with all of her friends.

"I didn't sign up for it, my doc--someone else did. I think maybe they thought it would teach some kind of coping techniques or something for when life got tough?" As it could for the life of the rich and pretty.

"Well, it does, but if this island's the worst you got--"

Atton threw a glance Sparkle's way ~~if he was there~~. "...Good luck."

"You, sir," she sneered, "don't know a single thing about the worst I've ever seen. But bless your heart for caring."

Oooh. Sick Southern buuurn.

Atton rolled his eyes. "I asked you a question about the worst," he said, "If you lie about it, that's not my problem, it's yours."

Florescent bulbs crackling twenty-four hours a day. The soft scuffle of paper-clad feet outside of the doors, following behind the high-pitched squeal of ancient wheels and the soft clatter of instruments hitting a metal surface. The soft weeping of her roommate as she gave in to the siren song of a plastic spork. The disconnected laughter with no punchline.

The slow realization that the laughter was coming from you.

Evie blinked once of twice, breaking free of the memory's hold and hiding her shaking hands under her desk. Yeah, that wasn't something she was going to share with this guy. Those memories weren't something she'd share with anyone. Not her friends, who'd start looking at her like she was something to pity, and certainly not her mom, who'd been the one to send her there.

So instead, she plastered on a fake smile and chirped in her heaviest Louisiana accent. "You're right. I'd probably have to say the worst thing I ever faced was finding out they'd ordered my cotillion dress in a bright orange instead of the color I'd specified. That dress was just plum hideous!"

Atton had had a pretty damned good internal sensor for lying back before he'd gotten Force-trained; it didn't exactly take a lot for him to figure she was hiding something.

But you know what? She was a pain in the ass, and he really didn't care. Like he'd said, her problem.

He rolled his eyes at her and moved on to the next one.

How To Get By In A Hostile World, Wednesday

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions