Welcome to Gaia! ::

The large auditorium was like the undead remains of an old opera theatre. Students jostled and nipped at each other on balconies swathed in tattered curtains, while the in the pit below, their peers writhed and wriggled with jittery excitement. Sharp grins, alarming tongues, arms both strong and strange, tentacles and fur, feathers and ooze! All of which was lit by the smiling grins of a hundred of jack-o-lanterns, flickering in the draft. They made a splendid mass and mess of Halloween's youth, ready an eager for the main event. Which would surely occur any time now.

...any time now.

Unfortunately, the main event was only a third the size of the podium in front of her, and someone had forgotten to place her step stool beforehand. A few students, eyes firmly on the stage, began to applaud and howl greetings as a diminutive white figure hurriedly crossed the stage carrying something to the podium. A few may have been mildly concerned that their headmistress looked like a twelve year old boy, but apparently she had an incredibly vicious reputation, so best not to ask. The applause died down in confusion, though, as the same creature rushed off the stage, his expression caught between annoyance and alarm.

Those still paying attention to the podium were soon rewarded with the sight of a glaring mound of purple, quickly followed by irate face of the actual headmistress. Impatiently she tapped a large, toothy mouth sitting on the podium, and her amplified voice sounded throughout the room, "I am Professor Hellma Shox, and everything around you, it is fear. To become fearsome creatures and so gather fear, this is why you attend..." she paused, noticing a number of the students still chatting amongst themselves. Did her shadow being to grow larger? Did it seem to start to move and twist along the floor, winding it's way through the crowds? Quite possibly.

Anger growing even as the hall began to darken, continued, "To the betterment of our country we must..." A small pack of were-somethings had apparently begun a howling contest with a pack of were-somethingelse's at the back of the auditorium and that. WAS. IT.

The tiny woman stood back from the smiling scamplifier and simply said, "Enough." But what the student's heard was ...



...a drowning cacophony of screams and roars, of quiet, threatening whispers and hisses.

When it faded, the headmistress began again, her every word accented by the growling shadow spread across the room.

"There are other worlds than this. There are world like this, worlds of one month, dedicated to a celebration of certain aspects. Aspects found together in yet another world. A world of twelve months. A world of humans! There lies the source of FEAR! There lies the reason you have been welcomed into these halls!" The Professor's voice grew more heated as she went on, her body learning further over the parapet as she jabbed her taloned fingers at the students before her. Her words crashed into the auditorium with an almost religious fervor. "FEAR is the ground beneath and the air above! FEAR is the food upon which you gorge! FEAR is the weapon in your hand and the knife at your back! FEAR IS YOUR MOTHER! YOUR FATHER! YOUR CHILD! YOUR GOD!



Both shadows and students let out a terrible roar of agreement, and when the noise finally ebbed the stage was empty.

Perhaps the last speaker would have stood a better chance at making a respectable entrance had one of the boogyman not stepped on his cape on their way out. If the students from the back row squinted very hard, they could barely make out that said boogeyman was actually the next speaker and a boogeyman. Fortunately for the poor first year yeti who couldn't see past his two hands, the scamplifier was more than happy to amplify everything spoken on stage, starting from "That's my cape you moron!" to a conclusive "No the OTHER foot."

Cue finally the exit of the larger of the two, leaving on the podium a pile of clothes. Well to be technical, a scarf, overly large cape, and pair of mittens and a ticked of tiny frost demon. Some of the smarter of the crowd recognised it - him - immediately as the not-quite-Hellma Shox imposter from earlier.

With one arm still holding a pile of now-crumpled notes, he moved closer to the scamplifier, putting a firm mittened hand over its toothy jaw in order to prevent it from eating his hair again. "All right students-"

A lot of them gave him an unimpressed 'aren't you a student' stare. Most of them weren't paying the least bit attention.

-"Students, if any of you have forgotten to fill our your field trip permission forms be sure to do so by the end of the day. Your schedules will be posted at the beginning of next quarter, make sure you have checked in to the dorms as well."

There was another shuffle through the papers - which was done with amazing skill considering he was using only one mittened hand. "If you need any documentation papers I'll be in the office, all papers are to be handed to the file under Arel, that's A-R-E-L, if you have any questions you are free to ask." A 'not' was muttered not-so-quietly after.

More silence. Some students had actually stopped chattering, feeling a little uncomfortable at the speaker just standing there, wedging their would-be freedom. The scamplifier gave one resolute jostle.

"Questions." He repeated the word very slowly. "If anyone has questions they can stay."

Most of the gymnasium was abandoned within the next 10 seconds flat.

A bat-winged girl hung in the far, far back of the auditorium while the rest of the students had left. She had a question or two she would very much like to ask of the faculty or the janitorial staff, whoever could spare the time to answer her. She smoothed her dress-shirt, careful not to snag on the hole exposing her spine and ribs, before flying towards, well, who should she approach?

In the effort to be the obedient, proper Manananggal she was raised to be, Maritess raised a hand and politely asked, "Excuse me, are there any areas on campus we aren't allowed to be in?"

Taking a step forward, Onibis lips twitched in irritation as a wing nearly slapped him in the face. Clearly some students were in more a hurry to escape the auditorium then others.

He didn't blame them. And he wasnt about to complain about no longer having the student next to him chatting excitedly, mouth practically in his ear.

Turning to the nearest faculty member he asked, "Are students required to stay on school grounds, even outside of classes, or can we go into town at our own leisure?" Glancing at a few of the still straggling students - was that girl missing her her bottom half? - he hoped so.

A little slow on the uptake, Grier was dozing through most of the talk. Yes, even through the loud bellowing that silenced the room that monster's head was tilted back, gargling and snoring in his dark corner of the auditorium. It was a shove from some non conspicuous fellow that stirred him awake with a grunt and hard shove that sent that student toppling out of his chair.

A strong arm drags over his maw and he manages to catch the last bit about asking questions. Ah well that's something that interests him, for once. Usually he didn't care about these sort of things but the opportunity to inquire a bit more was there.

That in mind the big brute got to his gargantuan feet, shoving aside those who wouldn't get out of his with hisses and growls that said "Back off or I'll turn you into lunch." He makes his way through the tight aisle, growling with annoyed effort because of his bulky size. No wonder everything around here was scrawny.

Waving a large hand he howls loudly, "Hey, what sorta sports we got here and where do I sign up?!" His voice is thick and bellows from deep in his chest cavity and it wouldn't be too hard to hear.

Listening was hard, and so was trying not to get stepped on during that mad rush that had sent students out of the little area like whoa once they'd been dismissed. Temes the Chupacabra agreed to herself that all of this indeed was a case for a two-sip moment, the straw of her Thermos quickly inserted into her mouth and nestled amongst her too large for her jaw teeth. One sip. Two sips.

AI DIOS MIO WHERE DID THAT SHORT LOUD LADY COME FROM?

Temes hadn't been anywhere near the tall and shouting thing, she'd made sure to keep her distance, but somehow or another she'd heard the tiny woman-thing much louder. It called for another sip, this one more like a long drag than anything else, and a feeling of sadness hit the little one's heart as she recognized the sounds of an empty container approaching.

"Merrr....do...do students get to snack better? Are select diets provided for?"

Of course her questions were super quiet, likely not even spoken out loud, but hey - Temes was trying. Sort of.