User Error [Cee]

[Sebastian Bolstad]

It had been two days since Sebastian had arrived at Hammel and he was still hugely overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. Coming from a small, isolated town in the middle of nowhere, Pilot Ridge had seemed like a vast city to the previously home-schooled boy. He couldn't quite come to grasp just how many people were in the school, and this both excited and terrified him in equal measure. Seb had always been curious and keen to learn and so he knew this place could be a wonderful opportunity, but at the same time he knew most of these people were freaks like him and he was, admittedly, petrified.

It was also the first time he had ever been properly away from home and his family. They may not have wanted him any more, but he still desperately wanted them.

One of the first things he had been told to do was register his classes for when the school year began again, and he had been given his computer log-in details and a map to the computer classroom to allow him to do that. However, no one had seemed to realise just how huge of a challenge this would be to Sebastian. He had been putting it off for two days now but he wanted to do the right thing. Even if every fibre of his being was telling him it was wrong.

Stepping into the doorway of the computer classroom, Seb tucked Storm into the pocket of his dark blue hooded sweater. The black pied gerbil was the more laid back and easy going of Sebastian's two pets, and the blonde had brought her with him for comfort and moral support. The gerbil nestled around in his pocket, making it wriggle slightly, and after taking a deep breath Sebastian stepped into the room, paper with log-in information in hand. A man was already in there and Seb offered him a polite smile before turning to stare at one of the computers. The screen-thing was blank, the entire thing seeming dull and lifeless, and Sebastian fidgeted slightly where he stood before turning to the man. “Excuse me, sir. Is it broken? I was told to come here to do this.” He indicated to the piece of paper in his hand, hoping the man would know how to revive the computer.

[Cee Cohen]

Cee was at his desk, fiddling with—actually, he had no idea what it was. One of the students had left it behind, and it appeared to be an easy button hooked up to a cheap mp3 player. Somehow, the student had gotten the brilliant idea into his head to rewire the easy button to play music instead. It wasn’t such a bad idea for a project, although Cee had done his best to explain that whatever held the infamous “that was easy” recording was too small to be properly rewired, but eventually he came to the conclusion that it probably didn’t matter—the student was going to try anyways. So he decided to see if it could be done on his own time, which involved two sets of reading glasses to be propped up on his nose as he tackled it with a tiny sautering gun. So far he’d had no actual luck except to get “Call Me Maybe” looping whenever he pressed the button. He suspected the device was mocking him. He didn’t even notice as the boy came in—a bad sign—and probably wouldn’t have noticed him had he not spoke. Then the four-eyed apparition looked up at last, and all four eyes blinked.

“Pardon? Oh!” Cee beamed and removed the glasses so he looked like a human being and crossed to Sebastian. “You must be the new academic. They told me you might be coming—said you didn’t have a computer of your own? No matter—we’ll soon have it sorted out. I believe that unit was working fine…” He leaned forward and wiggled the mouse, and the screen booted up. “Yup, looks good! I’m Mr. Cohen, by the way. And you are—ah…” Cee trailed off, a slight frown on his face as he stared at the boy.

“Um. Are you aware your pockets are moving, young man?”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Sebastian felt a little bad disturbing the man while he had been working with the little... whatever it was he had been working with, but he'd had no choice. There was literally no way he could get the computer-thing to work on his own, if it indeed wasn't broken, and he didn't want to get in trouble for failing to do his registration properly. The man did look a little strange with all the glasses on but the blonde was far too polite to comment on it, and he lowered his eyes as the man approached him. Was this man a freak like him? Sebastian didn't know and that made him uneasy – his mother always said they looked like normal people right up until they robbed or murdered you. After all, he himself still looked normal and he was a freak now too.

“No sir, I don't have a computer.” Sebastian hooked his right hand around his left elbow, uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other as the man addressed the computer on the desk nearest to him. As the screen came to life Seb backed up a step before he could stop himself, casting a very wary glance at the machine in front of him. He'd never been this close to a real computer before and it made him very nervous. Yes he was one of them now anyway, but what if the computer made him go crazy and hurt someone?

When the man – Mr Cohen – mentioned his moving pocket Sebastian reached inside and removed the gerbil. “Yes sir, it's just my pet. She wont hurt the computer, I promise.” Storm stood on her hind legs, sniffing the air in the direction of the stranger. Blue eyes flicked from the gerbil, to Cee, to the computer and back again. “My name is Sebastian... Please forgive me, sir, but I've never used a computer before...”

[Cee Cohen]

In this, at least, Cee might’ve been able to assure him. He wasn’t a meta and he didn’t think they were freaks—he was quite comfortable with them, in fact, but as he didn’t know he couldn’t help Sebastian. All he could do was offer the boy a bit of a puzzled smile. He seemed so…tense. Normally, in Cee’s experiences, kids who didn’t personally own a computer were thrilled to get their hands on one. The almost frightened attitude baffled him. He’d never met someone who was actually afraid of a computer. Maybe he was just afraid of Cee.

Mind, this was almost as baffling as being afraid of a computer, because anyone who’d spent five minutes in the tall engineer’s company knew that Cee was about as capable of hurting someone as a dandelion, and about as harmful.

“It’s not going to harm you,” he offered, still looking a little puzzled as he looked down at the boy. Maybe he just wasn’t seeing things right. He had forgotten his contacts, but he thought he was close enough to tell the expression—hm.

“Hold on a moment,” he said. “This requires a little extra care. Excuse me.” He turned, nearly tripped over one of the seats, but managed to make it to his desk with only a few bruises to retrieve his contacts from the drawer. He put them in carefully, blinked back water as his cornea was pushed into a normal position, then sighed softly. “Much better.” He fetched his glasses for extra measure, then returned to Sebastian’s side without any further tripping, pulling out a chair and straddling it backwards, smiling at the boy.

“Sit down, please. Now, ah, your um…pet is welcome here, as long as she doesn’t chew my cables.” Cee wasn’t all that familiar with animals, but he extended a hand to the pet anyways to sniff. That was what people did with animals, right? “If she does,” he added, “we might have to rework this arrangement. It’s nice to meet you, Sebastian. And don’t worry about not using a computer before.” He smiled at him. “It just means that there aren’t any bad habits to break. I can teach you if you’d prefer, but first, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Are you new to Hammel?”

Scared and skittish Cee could deal with, considering he embodied it half the time. Underneath the paranoia and hyperactivity, he could be a good teacher. Besides, with this one he could definitely tell patience was going to be required.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Sebastian found it incredibly difficult to believe that the computer would not harm him, and for a brief moment a clear look of don't be ridiculous crossed the young boys face before he quickly pushed it back again. He knew that a lot of people used them regularly and he was clever enough to realise it was highly unlikely all of them were very bad people, but he'd also heard the horror stories of just what seemingly normal people sometimes used computers for. How could anything so inherently evil be considered safe?

It was very hard to resist the urge to try to assist the man as he seemed to have to battle his way to the desk to get his contact lenses. Sebastian wanted to try to guide him, but judging by the way Mr Cohen struggled across the room he thought he would just be likely to get under his feet and possibly cause even more damage.

When invited to sit down Sebastian hesitated before taking hold of the back of one of the nearby chairs, pulling it out and in front of the computer. For a long moment he stared at the chair, internally counting to ten to keep himself calm and stop the panicked bolt out the door that his mind was trying to convince his legs to do. Fifteen years of being kept away from technology, being told that it was one of the main reasons there was so much evil in the world, was battling with his inherent need to please and do as he was told by his superiors without question. Eventually, however, he did make it into the seat.

“She wont chew your cables, sir. She's very well behaved. Dust, my other gerbil, would be the more likely to do that. She is up in my dorm room though. I would not have brought her out like this.” The little black pied gerbil sniffed the hand that approached it and very gently nibbled a finger, testing it. Once Storm had determined that the man wasn't holding anything edible she resumed sitting on her hind legs and groomed her face with her forepaws. Sebastian slid her back into his jacket pocket, where she quickly resumed nesting. “If I sit still she will fall asleep in there... She makes me feel a little better about things sometimes.” He cast a wary glance at the monitor.

As Cee asked if he was new to Hammel Sebastian nodded. “Yes sir, I only arrived here two days ago. A man came to pick me up from home and brought me here... My mom asked him to take me away.” He gave a soft shrug of his shoulders, head dipping slightly. He knew exactly why his parents had wanted him gone and he did not blame them at all, but that didn't stop it from hurting. “I should have come here straight away to do this, but...” He cast another glance at the computer. “I wasn't sure if I could do it. What else would you like to know about me, Mr Cohen?”

[Cee Cohen]

Cee wasn’t the brightest when it came to personal interactions, but even he couldn’t help noticing that the boy was staring at him incredulously at the idea that the computer wouldn’t harm him. Oh dear. Cee didn’t have to deal with these kinds of people very often, but he had gotten questions about how harmful he thought video games were and what he was doing to stop children from getting onto the inappropriate parts of the internet. But as for an actual student—well, it was unusual. But he’d have to do what he could. The best thing he could say was that no one had ever considered him to be threatening, and were unlikely to start now.

“You have two gerbils?” Cee told himself that he was not going to panic at the thought of two, small, rodent animals with large teeth near his cables. From what he’d said, only the one was ever going to be in here, and chewed on cables weren’t the worst of the problems he’d dealt with. It just wouldn’t have been very good for the animal, either. Still, despite Cee’s knee-jerk worried reaction to small rodents, he couldn’t help smiling as Storm chewed on the tip of his finger, and then watched her groom herself. Well, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. “Well, anything that helps you feel better is good in my ledgers,” Cee declared. “She’s welcome to stay.”

He winced at the statement, then shook his head. “Please, don’t call me sir. Mr. Cohen will be fine. Do I appear to be a sir?” he laughed. “I’d never know how to be serious enough.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have put the boy close to the computer. He noticed the looks he kept giving it and sighed. This was a worrying thought. He watched as the boy spoke, nodding and keeping that pleasant smile in his face, and then he slipped at his statement.

This was…worse than he’d thought.

“Only anything you’d like to tell me,” the man offered. He studied him, frowning, then leaned back in his seat. “I’m sorry about…about your parents. But that doesn’t have to be the norm.” He shook his head. “I’m not meta. But my siblings were. They’re the reason I work here. It doesn’t have to turn out the way it did. I like metas. And in return, they put up with me.” He smiled at the boy. And what else to say? He could tell the boy was hurting, but he also knew that he was not the best with words, or emotions, or…anything like this. But he wanted to help him. Well, there was one easy way. He fetched his glasses, slipped them on, and took the paper from him, studying it curiously.

“Tell you what,” he said. “Since you don’t seem to like computers, why don’t I do this for you and then you can watch me do it?” It should give you an idea of what to do, I think.”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Having been brought up in a home that believed very strongly that the modern world was what had created abominations such as Sebastian and the rest of his kind, the blonde found it incredibly difficult to understand how anyone could be so comfortable in a room full of these machines. They were so cold and heartless, so utterly removed from nature that he could see no reason why anyone would want to spend any time near them. He was clearly unsettled and nervous, but a small smile did creep onto the corner of his lips as Mr Cohen spoke about the gerbils.

“Yes sir. Dust and Storm, they're both five months old and half-sisters.” Sebastian had always loved animals, rodents in particular, and he struggled to think just how he would have coped with the move had he not had his pets with him. They helped keep him calm, reminding him that he wasn't alone. One small constant reminder of the life with his family that he knew he wouldn't be able to get back. The smile brightened as the older man said that Storm could stay. “Thank you! I promise I'll keep her away from your wires. You shan't even know she is here.”

When Cee corrected Seb's use of the word 'sir', the blonde nodded quickly and hung his head slightly. “I'm sorry, Mr Cohen. I was taught to use it as a sign of respect. I hope I did not cause any offence. Please forgive me.”

Sebastian listened attentively as Cee spoke of his family and his relationship with the Meta community. He wondered why anyone free of the curse would want to spend any time anywhere near a place like this; he couldn't understand why the computer teacher wouldn't have just gotten away while he had the chance to. It made no sense, being here of your own choice. What if the curse became contagious? However, the admission from Cee did cause Sebastian to relax a little, though he still hung his head and rubbed at an eye with the heel of his hand. He had a headache forming.

“I'm sorry your siblings were meta too. That must have been very difficult for your family.” One abomination in the family was bad enough, but two or more? That was truly wicked. Perhaps it was all the time they spent around computers. It did help a little in explaining why Mr Cohen was here though – maybe he simply loves his siblings more than Sebastian's parents loved him. He nodded quickly as the teacher offered to do the registration for him. “Yes please, Mr Cohen. I would be happier watching, and then I might know what to do next time.” Sebastian sincerely hoped there wouldn't be a next time, but he knew there probably would. Sliding his chair to the side to make space in front of the computer for the teacher, the blonde rubbed at his temple with the tips of long, slender fingers.

[Cee Cohen]

Cee really wasn’t used to people not being comfortable around computers. Most of the time students couldn’t wait to jump on and play. To have a student who was uncomfortable in this room made him worry and think about how to fix it. He couldn’t really picture anyone who had no desire to be on the computer. Being banned usually just made it more of an appeal, didn’t it? But maybe the case wasn’t here. Maybe he’d liked not having a computer, or had at least not thought about it.

Cee still wasn’t sure how he felt about animals, but he let his lips curve up into a slight smile as he spoke about the animals. Well, they made him comfortable, so he decided to offer a potential solution. “Why don’t you bring both of them next time? I will orient a cage for your young pets if you desire to bring them here to make you more comfortable. You can keep them by your desk and I will not be concerned by their abilities to chew cords.” Because that was really the last thing he needed in his computer systems. “But thank you for keeping her away.” Shan’t, huh? Well, he liked this boy’s word choice if nothing else. And he was very polite. It was…nice.

“No offense taken, Sebastian.” Cee grinned at him. “I know it’s a sign of respect, but it’s unusual for me to be referred as that title. Do I seem like a sir to you?” With his spiked hair and raggedly clothes, well, not really.

Cee’s smile slipped slightly at Sebastian’s statement, and he stared at the boy in clear puzzlement. “Sebastian, I never viewed my siblings’ abilities as an abomination, do you see? I loved my siblings no matter what they were like. That’s why I’m here. To help other young metas like yourself. But you don’t have to believe me if you aren’t wanting to. I’m happy to help you with computers alone.” He smiled at him, then settled down next to him and took the paper. “All right. Tell you what. You’re going to have to learn to write papers on some kind of processor. It’s expected these days. What if I were to obtain for you a typewriter? It’s harder to use, but there aren’t any computer parts and you may find it less frightening.”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

As Mr Cohen spoke about creating a cage so Seb could have his pets with him in the computer lab, the faint smile on the blonde's lips grew a little brighter despite his mounting headache. The animals did give him a quiet comfort but he could easily understand why they might make the older man nervous if they were around his precious machines. Nodding eagerly, he made sure that Storm was well inside his pocket and settling down. “Thank you for your offer Mr Cohen, it is most kind of you. Though I do not wish to cause you any trouble; I brought a carry cage along with them, that they travelled here in. I shall bring them in that next time, if that would not be a problem with you.”

Sebastian was glad the teacher seemed to genuinely take no offence to his 'sir' comment, and he gave a soft smile. “I suppose you do not, Mr Cohen. I shall refrain from using that title in the future. You may call me Seb if you would prefer; many people do so.”

The computer teacher's not pushing of the issue was a little reassurance to Sebastian. He listened intently as Cee explained about his love for his siblings despite their obvious huge flaw and he silently marvelled at just how much love there must have been between them. The blonde didn't doubt that his own parents loved him, but they had been quick to sever their ties when Seb had picked up this affliction. Clearly the Cohen family were more accepting of weaknesses.

When the offer of a typewriter was mentioned Sebastian nodded quickly again, instantly regretting it as the pain in his head increased. He had seen pictures of typewriters before and they seemed much less frightening than the lifeless box sat at the desk before him. “Yes sir, if it would not be any trouble to you. I feel it would be--”

Sebastian was cut off mid-sentence as a blinding pain shot through his head, the blonde covering his face and cringing as images shot through his mind. His whole body trembled and he let out a muffled cry of pain, but it lasted only a few seconds. When his hands dropped away from his face the pain was throbbing and his eyes were bloodshot, a thin trail of blood trickling from his nose. His voice was quiet and distant. Dejected. “All the computers are going to get sick...”

[Cee Cohen]

Cee was beginning to love how this kid talked. It was similar to what he did, except less, well, pretentious. Cee enjoyed words and threw them out like he would’ve thrown free candy, but unfortunately this tended to give some people the impression that Cee was snooty. This wasn’t the case. Anyone who really knew him knew that as so. But it didn’t change that initial impression. “Not at all.” He smiled at the boy. “Just make sure they stay in them, hm? I had rats in here last year. They chewed all my cables. I was most distressed.”

He’d even gotten a smile out of him! Cee thought this was quite an accomplishment and felt pleased. “Then I’ll call you Seb. Thank for you this honor, young man.”

Seb didn’t say anything to his story, didn’t even seem to be reacting. Cee studied him for a moment longer, a curiously…intent expression on his face. Sometimes it was easy to forget that deep, deep under the cluelessness, the obsession with zombies, the tendency to forget meals and the constant head injuries, there was something intelligent there. And maybe even observant. Well, when he remembered his contacts. Then he smiled, a little ruefully. “Well, it’s worth an attempt. Just know that no one is afraid of you here, Sebastian. I understand that can be difficult at times.”

Cee didn’t really know what to do when the boy started bleeding. He stood up so fast that he knocked over the chair and began to look around a little desperately. “Napkin, I have a napkin—there!” he dove over the table and picked it up, then gently put it to the boy’s nose. “Now what are you—oh dear.” The computer screens flickered and died, and with a low hum, everything powered down. Cee considered a choice of several words, rejected all of them in the interests of not frightening Sebastian, and then counted to ten. Slowly. And when that didn’t work, he did it again.

“Um. You must be one of those boys with…precognition, right?” He offered Sebastian a faint little smile as he gave him the napkin, then began to pluck his way through the cables until he made it to his desk. He tapped the keys on his laptop, pressed a couple of buttons, then gave up with a sigh. “I suppose I will have to attempt repairs later. Are you all right, Seb? You don’t look well.”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Seb was also taking a quiet pleasure in the way Mr Cohen was speaking to him; like a grown up and not like a clueless child. Institutional learning was a completely new experience for the blonde but he was far from stupid. His parents had seen to it that he was well read and intelligent (about certain safe topics at least), and his own curiosity and keenness to learn had ensured that despite never having set foot in a classroom, he was easily on par with his peers, if not well ahead of them. He was taking a quiet delight in being addressed as an educated adult, because in his own way that is exactly what he was.

“They shall stay in the carrier, sir. I would not want to cause you any undue distress, I realise it must be difficult to teach in here even at the best of times.” Sebastian thought for a moment, before adding “If rats continue to be a problem, might I suggest citronella essential oil? I have never made use of it myself, of course, but I have read that it can be a very strong repellent.”

Sebastian's smile at the teachers comment was edged with dejection, and a tired sigh left his lips. “I am very certain that I fear them more than they fear me, Mr Cohen.” There was nothing but complete honesty in Sebastian's statement for it was what he truly believed. No one had anything to fear from the blonde, not unless this curse completely twisted him as it one day might, yet he knew that there was everything to fear about the others in here.

When the thudding pain and bleeding took hold there was nothing Sebastian could do to control it. He was vaguely aware of the teacher speaking and moving around, but it wasn't until the images had stopped flashing through his mind that Seb was able to piece together what Mr Cohen had been saying. The blonde's eyes were bloodshot and he had what felt like a river of blood streaming from his nose, though in reality it was barely more than a trickle. Feeling a slight pressure under his nose, Sebastian let the teacher hold the napkin in place and began to mutter under his breath, trying to keep himself calm. “Afraid, timorous, apprehensive, frightened, scared, timid, umm.. anxious, nervous...”

As the teacher went to begin trying to work out what happened, Seb took hold of the napkin and kept it held under his nose. “Yes, Mr Cohen. That is what they called it.” Watching the older man trying to get the things working again, Seb cradled the napkin in one hand and the pocket containing the gerbil in the other. “I do not feel well, but this happened last time too. They said it might happen every time, until I know how to make it work better.” Which might never happen, considering Sebastian had absolutely no want to encourage this thing to grow stronger within him. “This was not my gerbils, Mr Cohen. They did not go anywhere near your machines, I swear it.”

[Cee Cohen]

Cee wouldn’t have known how to talk to someone like they were less than an adult. That was how he’d treated his siblings a long time ago, and how he treated all his students. If he treated them like adults, he kept hoping that they’d act like adults. Like not playing pranks or messing with his systems or things like that—they would’ve definitely been nice, that was for sure. It never worked, but he always hoped. Besides, Sebastian seemed smart and kind. He had hopes for him, even if he was a little alarmingly nervous around computers.

And he appreciated the difficulties in teaching here! That was pretty nice as well. Although considering the past comments, Cee suspected this was due to a very different reason than he himself would have named. “Thank you, Sebastian. That will help a lot. I’ve had a little too many chewed cables.” He blinked. “Citronella, huh? The thought had never even occurred to me.” He considered it for a moment, then nodded and smiled again. “Thank you! I’ll attempt it later.”

“And that frightens you as well, doesn’t it.” It wasn’t really a question. Cee had his hand on his chin and was watching him with his head tilted to the side. “Oh, Seb. I don’t envy you in the slightest. Nor do I pity you, but I do wish there were a way to make things less…difficult for you?” He offered a sheepish smile. “There are good students here. You will eventually settle in.”

Even as distracted as he was by anxiety and concern, Cee couldn’t help listening to the words in interest. “Do you enjoy long words as well?” he inquired. “Those are all synonyms, correct? I love looking into the dictionary for new words. I haven’t previously discovered ‘timorous.’”

“Oh, I know.” He was still hunting for the problem, ducking under a desk until only a slight hint of wayward brown hair was visible. “No concerns on that score, young Seb. This is most likely someone attempting to hack into my system.” His head popped up over the desk. “Again. Can I obtain some water for you? Or would you like to sit…?” He crossed over to his side and traded the napkin for a clean one and smiled at him. “Precognition is a difficult one to adjust to. But you will be trained and be able to handle it better. Um, not that I would know, but I think you get the general perspective of it, correct?”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

As wary as Sebastian was about anything remotely technological or unnatural, there was a quiet part of him that was secretly looking forward to getting to play with the typewriter. Despite his harsh seeming upbringing he still had all the curiosity of a teenage boy, it was just calmer and differently filtered than most. The typewriter could help making writing assignments easier at the very least, even if it would take him some time to learn how to use it properly. For now the teachers would have to tolerate handwritten work, and the thought that they would have to 'tolerate' it saddened him slightly. He was aware that the art of handwriting was dying out in favour of typing in front of these soulless machines. Yet another symptom of a sick society.

Sebastian pondered on a question for a long moment, trying to decide if it would sound silly or not. He had no clue about these computers or how they worked, something which he knew the teacher he was conversing with knew only too well, yet he didn't want to appear stupid or naïve to the older man. He was showing him kindness and patience, the last thing Seb wanted was to be dismissed as an idiot. After a few moments, he decided his curiosity to have the question answered was worth the risk. “Mr Cohen... Could the cables not be made out of something that the rats could not chew? Or could they not be coated in a substance or run through a tube or something?”

Mr Cohen's sheepish smile was returned with a matching one from the blonde, and he gave a small nod of his head. “I do not doubt that there are some good people here. I just know what these... abilities do to people, and I fear that more than anything. I believe no one is born evil; they get these abilities and the power overtakes them. I fear that one day it will overtake me too.” Seb gave a tired sigh and tucked a long lock of hair behind his ear.

The listing of synonyms was a trick his mother had taught him when he was younger. It was a tactic to get him thinking logically when he was stressed or upset, to cause him to focus on one thing until he was settled enough to come back to handle whatever it was that had caused the worry. After a moment Seb took a deep breath and then nodded. “Yes Mr Cohen, language fascinates me. Timorous comes from the Latin timor, which means fear.” He gave a small shrug. “It's a habit my mother taught me.”

Despite the distress and pounding headache, watching the computer teacher scurrying around his machines caused a hint of a smile to cross Sebastian's lips. The older man reminded him a little of a meerkat, scurrying around on the ground and popping its head up every now and then to look around it. The mess of brown hair and somewhat startled expression certainly added to the image. “The concept was explained to me when I was taken from my home, yes. I admit I still struggle to understand why I should want to encourage this to be stronger, though. I wish they could tell me how to make it go away.” Seb swapped over the napkins and dabbed at his nose gently. Thankfully the bleeding already seemed to be slowing. “I would very much appreciate some water s- Mr Cohen. Thank you.”

[Cee Cohen]

Cee wasn’t quite sure what the problem was with electronics. Growing up playing with all the aspects of modern society, like cars and toasters (disassembled and reassembled multiple times when he was growing up), he couldn’t understand why anyone would find anything like this evil. Technology could sometimes be a little dangerous, and if you didn’t pay enough attention then there would be a real problem.

Cee paused to think about it with a slight blink. “Now, uh…that’s a good idea,” he admitted to himself. “The only reason that I don’t is because usually someone goes messing something up—it happens a lot in school—and I have to go hunting cables to fix things. But making them of something different…maybe Kevlar…” Okay, completely overboard, but the idea wasn’t bad. Or maybe he could put it into a tube that could snap open when he needed it. Not a fix for students, but it might prevent the problems with rats indeed. “Thank you!” he had brightened considerably as he was considering these options. “I will attempt to keep them all in mind.”

“So you think these powers…overtake you?” He blinked. “But that’s not the case at all, Sebastian! You will usually end up better trained. Eventually you will understand how to use your powers. Or, ah, not use, if that’s the case. I don’t think anyone, let alone you, will have their powers overtake them.”

Cee had brightened again. “Really? Languages fascinate me as well! I thoroughly enjoy new words, although I’d never thought to look at the base languages of the words. I will have to try that!” he smiled at him. “Thank you! You’ve taught me something new today, and I greatly appreciate it.”

“They will teach you to control it, as I stated earlier.” He kept crawling around on the floors until he eventually found a loose cable. He couldn’t help grinning as he found the cable that had become unplugged, and he managed to plug it in at last. “HA!” The screens flickered on, and he straightened up. “All right. Now some water for you and that typewriter.” The water was easy. He had bottles of it in the fridge in his room, and he brought one out, then lugged out the case with the typewriter. “Here you go! It’s white, but durable. I believe it should work just fine for you.”

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Seb had of course been brought up in the same world as everyone else at Hammel; he knew what cell phones and such were, but he'd always been taught they were only to be used by other people. Humans were not supposed to play with electricity much beyond simple light bulbs, lightning storms proved that, and they were the cause of so much grief and misery in the world. He had the usual curiosity of a teenage boy, but it had been harshly stifled by his taught wariness. Being in this room made him feel deeply uncomfortable and afraid, but his quietly bubbling curiosity and the friendliness and mannerisms of the teacher were slowly helping him settle.

A look of mild surprise crossed Seb's features as the teacher said that he thought his ideas were good, and the look intensified as the older man started to talk through them and how they might be applied. That Seb had not been expecting! Whilst he thought Mr Cohen was probably too polite to outwardly call his ideas silly, he hadn't thought the teacher would become enthused-seeming by them. The small upturn of the corner of his lips increased slightly, but he gave a slightly concerned look as Mr Cohen spoke about the other students. “Why would the other students interfere with things? Is it common for them to harm the computers in that manner?”

What the teacher said did make a little sense but Sebastian was still harbouring the belief that if he ignored the power then maybe it would just go away. It had been explained to him in no uncertain terms that it wouldn't, that it was embedded in his genetics, but he couldn't understand how considering neither of his parents were freaks. He didn't want to train the power, he wanted rid of it. But Mr Cohen's apparent faith in him did cheer the blonde slightly, and he managed to give the beginnings of a small smile.

“Etymology is my favourite part of learning new words. I love knowing where they came from and how their use has changed over time.” Sebastian was clearly settling down now they had a subject they could both discuss, and he visibly opened up a little as they were speaking. “For example, the word 'nice' comes from the Latin 'nescius', which meant ignorant. It then evolved to mean cowardice, and in the Middle Ages it became synonymous with reserved and shy. In the Eighteenth century when people admired those qualities, it began to take on a positive association. However, within the past decade or so it is becoming used more and more as a method of false praise and it is starting to show signs of travelling full circle and becoming neg-”

The blonde realised he was rambling and stopped himself, a hint of colour clouding his usually pale cheeks. “I apologise, Mr Cohen. I can get verbose about subjects which interest me.” As the screens came back to life Seb studied them intently, as one might study a snake they wasn't sure was poisonous or not, and after a long moment he gave the nearest mouse a poke, watching the arrow-thing flick across the screen. Seb thanked the teacher as he brought him the water and took a long drink before dabbing at his nose to make sure the bleeding had stopped. His eyes were still a little sore and undoubtedly bloodshot, but he was feeling a little better. His eyes widened as he saw the typewriter, and the blonde peeked inside the bag at the machine inside. “Thank you so much, Mr Cohen. I am sure this will make assignments much easier, once I have learned how to use it well.”