Down Time [Sean]

[Chase Campbell]

For once, Chase’s students weren’t giving him a headache. Well, not a physical one. Just a figurative one. He’d had a few one on one sessions that morning. Not all of them had gone well. He hadn’t had any need to use his abilities, but that didn’t mean his classes had been easy. Not by a long shot. He was now craving coffee like nothing else, and to fix that, he’d headed to the staff lounge. He needed just ten minutes that did not involve teenagers being… well… teenagers. No yelling, no goofing off, no talking back. Some days he was convinced he was paid to be little more than a babysitter. And some days, it took some effort to convince himself that he was a good trainer, and he was actually helping these kids learn some sort of control.

The blond flopped back on the beat up couch, coffee mug in hand. It might not be Starbucks, but it would do the trick. At the very least, it would perk him up some. Enough to go back and deal with his next lesson, anyway. He glanced at the clock. He still had a solid twenty minutes before that happened. Twenty minutes was enough to unwind. He took a little sip of coffee and closed his eyes. He was glad he was able to shut off his power, else he’d be suffering constant headaches, much like he had when he was a student here. At least he had a bright spot in his afternoon. He’d be teaching Niko, quite possibly his favorite student. … At least he didn’t destroy the classroom. And they got along well. It made him smile. Kids like Niko made the difficult kids a little more tolerable.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had spent most of the morning in a session with a student, for the purposes of incoming evaluation. The poor girl had wanted to attend, but her parents had fought tooth and nail before she was finally delivered. She was confused, shaken, and worried that her family would never speak to her again, and the intake session had consisted of assurances, anecdotes, and a game of Spit – the American style. She’d calmed down, and he’d had to have a chat with her parents, before being finished with her intake for now.

It wasn’t as though he didn’t understand her parents’ reluctance, but he also didn’t appreciate that some of that reluctance was laced with anti-meta bigotry. Hopefully her parents would come around, as his had and as had the parents of many students before, and many would certainly later. Most didn’t settle into their ways as firmly as his sister and his brother-in-law had, and that gave him a bit of hope for her. That and her powers were less frightening to those around them.

Deciding that coffee and a quick bite to eat was in order, given the morning’s conversations. He entered the staff lounge and made a straight line to the coffee pot, pouring himself a warm cup. Looking around for any signs that Anya had been there, he was delighted to find a platter of brownies. Picking one up and taking a bite, he turned then, giving a nod and a smile at Chase, who was currently sitting on the sofa. He swallowed the bite, washed it down with a bit of coffee, and went over to one of the arm chairs. “Chase, how good to see you. Long day so far?”

[Chase Campbell]

Much as Chase knew not everyone could do his job. Not everyone could face the kids day after day, and train them to use their own unique abilities. As it was, he knew it was a difficult job. He struggled with it sometimes. But he knew he would be unable to do James’ job, and he certainly couldn’t do Sean’s. He didn’t think he could problem solve like that. Help figure out how to help a kid tame his powers? Yeah. But problem solve like Sean had to? No way.

He knew the peace wouldn’t last long. It never did at Hammel. It was a school full of meta-humans, both teenage and adult. Things happened, and fast. Excitement was a regular part of a school day. It was why he’d learned to savour the peace when it came, or if he could find it. At least he was relatively safe in the staff lounge. Unless it was one of his students that got out of control on the grounds, or in an academic class. It happened more often than he’d like.

At least the one interrupting his peace, he could handle. Chase looked up as Sean spoke, and he smiled, lifting his free hand in greeting. “Hi, Sean.” He liked the older man. A lot. He was one of the few people he and James had invited to their little impromptu wedding, and Chase was happy to consider him a friend. “You could say that.” He rolled his eyes slightly. “My desk got singed this morning. ... Again.” If he couldn’t get Samuel to control his ability, he didn’t know what he was going to do with the slacker. “But the kids haven’t been too crazy.” He shrugged. “How’s your day been so far?” At least he could probably safely guess there had been no fires in Sean’s office.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Chase was quite right in his assumption that Sean’s death had escaped the morning completely unscathed. His desk didn’t usually fall prey to fire or other out of control powers. Emotions, fears, and memories ran rampant in his office, and there’d been more than enough of that this morning during intake.

The present list of pyrokinetics was a short one indeed, and one particular name was at the top, when it came to uncontrolled powers, partially born from laziness and partially from his...unique personality and perspective on life. Besides, this was hardly an isolated incident. Sean had to ask, “Has Samuel been giving you particular trouble, or is he just being his usual unmotivated self?”

“And at least the kids aren’t going tribal, so that’s a good start.” Sean remembered vividly the one time an English teacher thought that reenacting “Lord of the Flies” had been a good lesson plan. That had been a terrible day, and it was also the reason that there was a present rule stating that all plays, shows, and reenactments must received advanced administrative approval.

He then smiled a bit, sipping his coffee and taking another bite of brownie. “My day...we have a new student, a lovely, shy young thing. Sharp as a tack, too; she managed to beat me at Spit, although admittedly, that was never my game. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised I remember how to play.” He shook his head to himself, and then continued, “Her parents aren’t too pleased, although I did everything I could to reassure them and to remind them that they did consent to her enrollment, and that we are perfectly capable of helping her, that we’re the best place for her so far. It’s common enough; they finally built themselves up to bringing her, after forming an opinion of the place. Then when they arrived, their little mental picture was shattered, and they were pushed back to square one. Everyone’s calm now, so I’m happy.”

[Chase Campbell]

Sean was lucky, in some regards. He didn’t have to deal with temper tantrums out of frustration, or powers getting out of control. Sometimes he wished he didn’t have to deal with teen drama. Then again, in that respect, Sean probably had it worse. He got the emotion side of it. Chase just saw it when the kids were angry, or upset, and their still developing powers reacted badly. Some days, he was thankful for mind control. It made it easy to calm them down, back into control.

The psychic’s question made Chase crack a bit of a smile. Sam had a reputation around the school, that much was for sure. The kid was lazy in his academic classes, lazy in his training, and spent more than his fair share of time with a group of like minded students. “Sam’s just... himself. He was goofing off, and he lost control.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that kid.”

The mere thought of the kids going tribal was enough to make the blond trainer want to cringe. He remembered the Lord of the Flies incident. As if teenagers weren’t crazy enough, giving them that, and powers to top it off? Insanity. “Thank God for that. I think we’d have to abandon ship if that happened.” The kids were crazy enough on a regular day. They needed no further encouragement.

When Sean began to talk about his own day, Chase leaned back, relaxing a little. The older man almost always had something interesting to say. And he didn’t disappoint. The school was always taking in new students. It was just part of Hammel. But the parents thing, he understood. His own had never fully liked the idea of metas. They weren’t meta-phobic, so to speak. It was just a topic better left alone. “Well, that’s a good thing. I know the parents are always the hardest to adapt. The kids just think it’s cool. I know I did.” At least everyone was calm. But Sean was good at that. “So when does she start?” He was also currently trying to remember if he could remember how to play Spit. It was eluding him, and it was bugging him, now.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

That sounded par for the course with Samuel Rixon; if only he had a less...potentially dangerous power, it would be of less concern. Like with Vincent; that boy was a piece of work, but at least nobody was hurt but himself, and he could heal. “I don’t know if you’re taking suggestions, but I’ll start thinking.”

Sean chuckled at the comment about jumping ship if the students went tribal. The incident had been memorable and terrible, and he’d had to do a fair amount of damage control after the English teacher had completely lost control of the situation, but he’d let it go, for the most part. Then again, Chase had more reason to have been scarred; it had been the other man’s first week on the job, whereas Sean had been there for some seventeen years already. “Between you and me, I have a short list of reasons that will make me retire early, and that one’s not quite on it. Although if it happens again, I am putting in for immediate vacation.” Because he’ll have earned it.

“They usually are,” Sean said with a nod of agreement. “Except for those rare children who have to be dragged kicking and screaming, and then their parents become the voices of reason by necessity.” Those children invariably became fixtures in his office for most, if not all, of their time as students. And then, of course, there were the children who were much the same way Sean had been as a student: petrified of their powers; there weren’t many of those these days. “I didn’t think it was cool when I was that age,” he admitted, taking a sip of his coffee. It had taken him a while to grow into his powers and to cope with the stress; he’d found over the decades that was fairly common among telepaths. “Then again, I was a little young for my powers.” That was putting it mildly; he’d been sheltered, and then the deluge…

His thoughts brought back from the general experience of students to the new girl, he smiled a bit. “She starts next week; her parents are helping her get settled, and then she’ll slowly ease her way in.” That was all Sean knew of the matter, as he had no part in training. He would be here for emotional and psychological support, but curriculum was for teachers and training was for the likes of James and Chase.

[Chase Campbell]

Out of control pyrokinetics were not Chase’s favourite students. If he was honest, he liked the ones that had a grasp on their power, tried, and weren’t opposed to running around the field outside when the weather was nice. Of course, he had his favourites. They all did. Right now, one of his favourites was Niko Curtis. Of course, he couldn’t outright admit that, not to the staff members. But James knew it. And once he was thinking about it, Sean might know it too. But he didn’t mind so much. “Believe me, I’m taking suggestions. The kid drives me nuts. I wish I could get him to focus.” Sure, he could mind control him into it, but that didn’t solve the root problem. Chase smirked. “Maybe I’ll send him down to you next time he’s being a pain.” Not that he would. Sam was his problem, not Sean’s. And unless Sam did something to change that fact, that was how it was going to stay.

The Lord of the Flies incident was burned into the back of Chase’s memory. His first week had been going well. Up until that point. It was the first time he’d really met Sean, but that was about the only positive thing he could draw from it. It had been a nightmare for all involved. Teenagers, powers, and Lord of the Flies. Bad combination. “Good idea. At least this time, I’d be a little more useful.” Of course, the chances of it happening again were minimal. Then again, they had groups of students that were more than capable of launching something like that all by themselves. “But let’s just hope that we don’t have a repeat.”

Chase couldn’t imagine being dragged through Hammel’s doors kicking and screaming. But he’d liked his powers. He’d been scared of them in the beginning, yes. But as he started to understand them, he’d begun to like them. His parents had wanted him to attend Hammel so that he could control himself. And they still weren’t entirely on board with the fact their son was a meta-human. Funnily enough, sometimes he thought that was more of an issue than the fact he’d gone and married another man. Sure, his mother had made her peace with that. But the meta-human thing? Not so much. He smiled. “Mine showed up early in high school. I accidently made my best friend change his mind about ditching class with the rest of our friends. Freaked us both out. But then I started to experiment a little. Obviously, my control was far from perfect. But I did manage to get my mother to sign a consent form for a tattoo. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.” He grinned at the older man, apparently still proud of himself for that one. Which he was. A bit.

If a new student was going to show up, Chase would keep an eye out. There was always the chance he’d end up with her in his classroom. And that was all right by him. Especially if she was clever, and quiet. “That’s good. Hopefully she’ll like it here. Most of the kids do.” Most being the operative word, there. He knew there were some that didn’t like it here, for whatever reason. He could think of a few. Jesse Adams, in particular. He sighed and leaned his head against the back of the couch. “Is it bad I feel like skipping my own classes?” Of course, he wouldn’t. But it was nice to think back to his high school days, where skipping a class meant little more than being behind in your class work. “Well, all of them except Niko’s class. I like that kid.” Granted, he could “play” a lot more in class with Niko. It was the most effective way to teach him. But he liked the kid on a personal level, too. Hell, even the thought of the nine year old made him smile a bit.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean couldn’t think of any sane person who would count out of control pyrokinetics as a favorite anything, certainly not as a favorite student when being judged on merit and safety alone. It wasn’t as though Sean had anything against Samuel’s personality, but his apathy left much to be desired as a student; he wouldn’t have to train him. If he had to train anyone, it would be another telepath, or a student with other mental powers close enough to Sean’s that he could do so personally rather than in the abstract. It was moot, of course, as he was not a trainer and had no desire to switch jobs this late in the game. “I’ll try to think of something he’d want to focus on, and then a way to link training to that.” It was the best solution Sean could think of without taking more time to consider the matter. Then he chuckled at the joke, which could also be a threat. “He’d get lost on my way to the office, and we’d find him out on the grounds making mischief, an hour later.” It was a strong possibility, considering Samuel’s history at Hammel, and some of his friends. They could be a handful; that was to put it mildly.

“This time, I’d ask you to help,” Sean replied. Now that he was aware of Chase’s powers, he knew that they would be useful in calming down a group of students gone tribal, although he’d handled himself fine the last time. And now that he had gotten to know Chase, he respected the other man and trusted him to handle such a problem on his own, because he was too old to run from his office to a renegade classroom without his knees punishing him later. He then shook his head slightly, clearing it of the memories. “I’m all for hoping that there’s never a repeat incident, because we don’t need one.”

In that, Sean’s sister and brother-in-law would get on well with Chase’s parents, although he was sure they were more metaphobic than most, although short of actually signing petitions to put them all on a watch list ala the Red Scare of the 1950s. Then again, his sister also wouldn’t come to his wedding if he was to marry another man, meta or not, so Chase’s parents were better in that regard. He then raised an eyebrow at the tale Chase recounted, not of how his powers manifested because that was rather run-of-the-mill, but of his pinnacle achievement in using them before coming to Hammel. “Your shark tattoo? Of everything to control your mother’s mind over, you chose a shark tattoo?” Possessed of psychic powers himself, Sean wasn’t the slightest bit uncomfortable with what Chase could do, although as with all powers, and particularly with mental powers, he believed they had a particular duty to others not to abuse them. Yet, if he could control minds and hadn’t been afraid of his own mental unraveling at that age, he wouldn’t have used his powers for a tattoo. To make his father quit smoking, perhaps, although he’d succeeded in that after medical school. He then shook his head to himself. “At fifteen, I would have been more concerned about my girlfriend sneaking out past curfew. We didn’t have co-ed dorms back then.”

“I’m sure she will, once she gets used to it,” Sean remarked, before taking another sip of his coffee. The girl was well-mannered, and although a bit overwhelmed and anxious, was genuinely sweet. She’d find her place here once she relaxed and her parents came to accept the change. He managed not to frown as the thought of Jesse Adams entered Chase’s mind, and thus his because his mental shields weren’t raised as high as they could be. Jesse was...a piece of work, a unique challenge, and one which Sean was unwilling to concede. The boy was at a crucial stage in his development: he could reform his ways to become a force for good in this world, using his abilities to help people, or at least living a normal life with a power to make a wife and children happy, even if he wanted to fade into relative obscurity otherwise. Or he could persist in tormenting his classmates, taking sadistic glee in their misery. Of course, Sean couldn’t let that stand; he’d let one slip through his fingers, years ago. A second couldn’t happen. He didn’t want to think about what might be necessary in that situation, as he held out hope for Jesse’s treatment; yet, he was prepared. Not that he’d mentioned this to anyone; he had yet to reach that point.

He then chuckled at Chase’s question, which banished the train of thought from his own mind. “I wouldn’t say it’s bad, especially since we both know you’re not going to skip them.” Sean didn’t doubt Chase’s dedication for a moment, but they all had those days when they’d rather be elsewhere. If his nephew was in town, one could bet that he’d like to take the day off, claiming too intense a migraine to work, before taking the boy out on the water; but he wouldn’t, because he had work to do. Then his smile became knowing at the mention of Niko. “I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like him; he’s an adorable boy.”

[Chase Campbell]

Much as Chase tried to get along with all of his students, some of them presented challenges. When they couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to what he was trying to get across, it was difficult to like them. With his good students, the ones that had a good grip on what they could do, and actually bothered to be attentive in class, Chase had no problem being friendly with. He’d take them outside to play a rough game of tackle football, and generally had fun. But you had to earn that kind of privilege. Sam, and most of his friends, weren’t in that category. At least Sean had some decent ideas. He had to laugh. “That’s better than what I was considering. I was going to send him to Anya.” And nearly everyone knew what that meant. Power suppression was a beautiful thing, when it came to lazy students. It gave them something to think about, at least. “True. I think all his friends are doomed to be here for a long, long time, if they keep this up. ... Verax is the only one really in control of his powers, but from what I’ve heard, his academics are pretty lousy.”

“Oh, trust me. They go tribal again, and they’ll regret it.” Chase was all for fun in the classroom, when appropriate, yes. But out of control? He knew the kids knew better. If it happened again, he’d be happy to step in and get them to stop. They had a good team of trainers right now. Between him and Anya, the blonde had a feeling they could regain control, and quickly.

Chase knew, he’d made his parents nervous when they realized what he could do. Hell, even half the meta community didn’t particularly like what he was capable of doing, let alone the “normal” humans. The difference between him and the characters portrayed in movies and books was simple. He had a conscience. And he used it. If he wanted to, he could do a lot more with his ability. He could force his troublemaking, slacker students into focusing. But he didn’t. He was responsible. Maybe not as much when he was a teenager, but he was sure as hell responsible now. He didn’t like the fact that he could hold so much power over someone, and was glad that his ability more or less shut off on its’ own. If he didn’t need it, it wasn’t active. Simple. But Sean’s expression made his suspicious, and then he just had to laugh. Was his teenage ‘delinquency’ that pathetic? ... Well, yes. “Okay, okay, I know. I could have done something better, yeah. But at fifteen I was still more concerned with ways to cut class with my friends than girls. And I was the only one of my friends with a tattoo. It was cool, at that age.” Granted, the day he’d been recruited to Hammel, his mother had been furious with him over that incident. But it had been worth the trouble.

If the new student was sweet, Chase half hoped he’d be the one to train her. He had a few good students, but some days, it seemed like he was stuck with all the slackers and delinquents. It got frustrating at times. And that was why he looked forward to classes with kids like Niko. He seemed eager to learn, and, well, he genuinely liked the kid. He couldn’t say the same for some of the other students. While he was acutely aware Sean was attempting some kind of treatment with the kid, he knew better than to ask how that was going. He knew about his tendencies, and he wouldn’t want to be in Sean’s position right now. No way. You couldn’t pay him enough to try to fix that kid.

Okay, Sean was right. Chase wouldn’t skip his own classes. He grinned and took a drink of coffee. “I know. But it’d be nice to be able to skip them.” He could think of things he’d rather do than deal with bratty teenagers that lashed out with powers in frustration. Or just goofed off. At least Niko didn’t seem to fall into either of those categories just yet. Whether that was based on his personality, or his age, Chase didn’t really care. He just knew he liked having the kid around. “He’s great. I wish more of the students were like him.” He didn’t add that he felt bad for the kid, being an orphan and all. He’d butted heads with his parents millions of times, sure. But they were still there for him. And he wasn’t sure even foster parents could provide that.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Anya could likely whip him into shape without using her powers,” Sean said with a smile. He liked that young woman a great deal, but he knew that she could make the students tremble with her attitude if she applied herself.

Much like Samuel Rixon, Vincent Verax also had a long reputation with the faculty. That his academics were lousy was an understatement; from what Sean had seen and heard, he would retire long before Vincent graduated. Chase could potentially retire long before Vincent graduated at his rate of academic progress. They’d never had a case where someone was no longer in need of power training, but was held back for academic reasons; usually, it was the opposite, students advancing through their coursework at a faster rate than their powers could be controlled, leading to other career and academic opportunities in the area and a slowly thriving network of current and former students in the area. Vincent could be the first, given his performance; loathe was Sean was to admit it, the young man was...not bright. Within the privacy of his thoughts, he also had to assume that he had done well with his powers because he was a regenerator, and that ability functioned unconsciously. If it were more complex, he likely wouldn’t be ahead of his friends...and he also might have died years ago from his reckless behavior. Briefly, Sean paused to reflect on what faculty at normal schools had to deal with. “I wouldn’t use Vincent as a measure of anyone’s progress unfortunately. I’d almost suggest a role model pairing system for that group, but nobody would volunteer to be their role models.” Sean liked them all well enough, but he was also realistic.

Sean had no concerns in that area, since the entire faculty had learned their lesson from that incident, and there had yet to be any repeats. In fact, they had procedures to prevent such a surprise. Beyond that, the telepath had full confidence in Chase’s abilities, and he agreed with the other man’s added thought that they could involve Anya and that would simply be the end of it. Although Sean wasn’t as fast and loose with invoking such a power for actual punishment, he had found that the threat worked wonders with student compliance, and he wasn’t above making use of that fact. “It’s a non-issue now, I’m sure. I’d be more worried about field day getting out of hand.” That was a legitimate concern.

Sean had never understood tattoos, which was why he didn’t have any and could honestly say that the cumulative time he’d spent in or around tattoo parlors was less than the cumulative time he’d spent trapped in elevators at the top of tall buildings – that had been the birthday from Hell. They were potentially painful, could technically kill you through ink poisoning, and ruined perfectly good skin, but he was more natural that way. He had had a piercing once, although that was only his earlobe, and it was decades ago at this point; thankfully nobody here had been around to remember that. And to be fair, Sean didn’t understand the drive for more...interesting and complex piercings, either. He had certainly never desired one. “I’m not one to judge your teenage act of rebellion, I just find it a curious set of priorities for a fifteen-year-old boy,” he said with a smile. “Although when you were fifteen, I was well passed knowing what was ‘cool.’”

Neither of them would find a way out of their obligations for the rest of the day, which was part and parcel with having a job, particularly a job that involved frequent interaction with meta-human children. Alas. To think, that if he had remained in private practice, Sean could set his own hours, clear his afternoon schedule, and go out on the water whenever he wished, weather permitting. Truly, that was lingering on the past. “You could suggest to Claude that we have a staff meeting, and then simply not go.” That would not work, of course, as Claude was not in the habit of surprise staff meetings, since it threw everyone off schedule, and schedule was important for keeping the children regulated. Not to mention that if Chase managed to convince him to hold a meeting, then there would be Hell to pay for not making an appearance. But one pipe dream deserved another.

“Young, adorable, and friendly?” Sean asked knowingly, before taking another sip of his coffee. He couldn’t fault Chase; Nikolai was a rare treat, both for his gentle spirit and his young age, which made him naïve and inspired everyone in the facility that had a soul to want to either cuddle or protect the boy, if not both. Sean himself wasn’t immune, although he had precious little reason to interact with the boy, apart from brief checks with others to make sure he was adjusting well enough. As he had no parents, his legal status was murky at best, Sean knew, which saddened him with the vague paternal urges he’d never been able to channel into a family of his own. Well, life at Hammel was surely better than a group home. “Honestly, I wish we had another student or two his age, to give him some more appropriate friends. But unless we change our policy to take children prior to their manifestation, to make sure they come into their powers in a controlled environment, he’ll be alone in his age bracket for another few years.”

[Chase Campbell]

Oh, if anyone could get Sam to pay attention, it would be Anya. Chase dreaded to think what she’d do with him, with or without her powers. Hell, he was even a little leery of her sometimes, after he heard stories (however embellished) from his own students. “Probably. I’ll keep that in mind next time he gets out of hand.”

It wasn’t his place to really worry about the kids’ academics. As long as they weren’t killing each other in his classroom, and hand their powers relatively in hand (or were willing to make the effort to try), he was okay. But there were always those ones that were a real pain in the ass. Either the ones like Vincent, who were good with their power, but their personalities let to obnoxiousness, or the ones or just couldn’t be bothered to try. Both of them irritated Chase. Unfortunately for him, a great number of his students currently fell into one, if not both categories. But he too was of the opinion that if Vincent’s ability wasn’t automatic, the kid would probably be dead. He’d seen him performing his idiotic stunts out on the grounds. Usually for money, from what he’d heard. Anything from setting his own hands on fire, to back flipping off the roof. He tended to speak like he had a touch of brain damage, as well. Chase couldn’t believe some of the things that came out of that kid’s mouth. He smirked a little at Sean’s assessment. “Yeah, I know. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to try and mentor them.” They were nice kids, sure. Just... troublemakers.

Oh God. The idea of the havoc that could be wreaked on a field day. Chase winced a little. “I don’t think I want to go there. The kids are nuts enough already. Giving them a reason to compete and mess around outside is just asking for trouble.” Not that he didn’t approve just that in his own classroom. But that was only when a) his students were making good progress, and b) he liked them enough to let them play. As it was, he was always in control when that happened.

Chase had always had a fascination with tattoos. It was the idea of body art that had always intrigued him. Permanent pieces of art on your skin. Piercings, he wasn’t as fond of. But he liked tattoos. The dangers had never really factored in, mostly because when he was young, it had just been something cool to do. Granted, James had looked into the reputation of the parlor he’d gotten his last inkwork done at, but nothing had turned up, and the thing had healed just fine. He chuckled a little and shrugged. “I’d hounded my mother for months before I discovered what I could do. It was the first thing I thought of doing.” He paused, looking ever so slightly guilty. “When I was recruited for Hammel, I guess my mom figured it out. I don’t think I was ever happier to get out of that house. She was pissed.” Of course, she’d forgiven him, too. There were worse things he could have done.

The idea of suggestion a staff meeting was just a bad idea. Chase had only worked for Hammel for four years, but he knew you did not pull stuff like that. Claude would have his hide, and he liked avoiding that kind of trouble, thanks. “Mn... no thanks. I think I’d rather face an afternoon of obnoxious teenagers than Claude’s wrath for a stunt like that.” Sean might be able to get away with things like that, but Chase knew he’d known the head of the institute for a long, long time.

“Exactly.” If only every student of his could be exactly that. Chase came under the category of wanting to protect the boy, from anything and everything the institution threw his way. It killed him to make the boy practice controlling the weather, knowing the painful migraine he was inviting. He shared Niko’s pain, because he remembered what it was like to be a new student at Hammel, and having to deal with the consequences of training. He still suffered migraines, even now, if he used his powers too much. Chase took a drink, staring down into his mug. “I know. When I first met him, he wanted to know if there were kids his age. Makes me wanna, I don’t know, bring Milo in for him. He’s not a kid, but he’s something to play with.” He might actually like the cat. Niko’s parentage, or lack thereof, also bothered Chase. Though he hadn’t ever thought it possible, the kid had brought out some real paternal urges in him. He shook his head. “Y’know James and I were looking into adoption, right? Well, I was sort of freaked out about the idea at first. But being with Niko, I can sort of see it, now.” He had to laugh, though it was quiet. “Funny. I never really thought I’d be a dad.” For no other reason, other than he’d never really thought he’d be committed enough to want to be one. But things had changed. He’d changed. And that rested more or less completely with James.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Chase confirmed Sean’s suspicions, and what he believed was the general mindset of the entire faculty; nobody wanted to try and mentor that group of youngsters. Not that he could blame them; he was certainly too old to chase them around, trying to prevent them from starting fires or juggling chainsaws, and certainly everyone else had a personal life apart from the school which demanded their off duty attention. Or, barring that, work to be done. Not that they were lost causes – Vincent perhaps aside – but a one-on-one mentoring program was not the solution.

Sean enjoyed field day insofar as he didn’t have to participate. Neither a teacher nor young enough to be athletic, he was paid to sit in his office and drink coffee, in the off chance that someone needed him. However, his experience differed vastly from the teachers who had to actually coordinate the events, which was why Chase had reason to be concerned. “It is, although better they have a controlled burn outside than a spontaneous explosion indoors.”

Sean listened as Chase described what had led to his choice for the tattoo, and then the resulting, and understandable, anger from his mother afterward. “I’m sure,” he replied, rising long enough to refill his coffee mug. He held up the pot, offering to pour a cup for Chase, while speaking over his shoulder. “My parents were glad to get me out of the house, although they never said as much. I made them nervous.” His parents hadn’t been metaphobic per se, since their opinions had been shaped through the Church’s take on the phenomenon, but they had been uncomfortable with the idea of their twelve-year-old son having access to their thoughts and their memories. It was Kathleen who took that a step further, which was why he and his sister barely spoke.

Sean had known Claude in various roles for the past forty years, and they got on quite well. Then again, Sean also wouldn’t pull a stunt like that because he was far too cautious and responsible to consider doing so seriously. Even as a student, any trouble he caused was purely incidental, completely beyond his control despite his best efforts otherwise, and his reputation spoke for itself. He had not changed in that regard, beyond growing older, larger, and gaining better control. “I think the entire staff is in agreement with you there.” Anyone who was not usually failed to last more than a year.

“He might like him; it’s worth a try,” Sean agreed as he sat back down in his chair. Milo was an exceptionally well-behaved house pet, and what small(er) child didn’t like playing with cats? Besides, small furry pets had a calming effect on people generally, so it might be an idea for keeping Chase’s class under control. Then he smiled at the mention of adoption. James had mentioned it to him, and it had been on both of their minds such that he’d overheard a bit. “I think you’d make a fine father,” he said seriously. One of Sean’s greatest regrets had never been having children of his own, since he was so fond of them. Although he could see how Chase would have blanched at the idea initially, he also saw all of the qualities which suited him to the role, and for both James and for his sake, he was glad that he had begun to come around. “And it’s a little strange how family matters tend to get the best of us; we can never tell early on where life will take us.”

[Chase Campbell]

It would take a special kind of adult to ever want to try and mentor Vincent and his group of friends. They were too much of a handful. Even one on one, they would all prove challenges. They were difficult enough in class. Already he was contemplating transferring Sam into Jude’s class, if for no other reason than they might get along better. Chase had patience, yes. But when the students couldn’t be bothered to put the effort in and learn? He couldn’t help it if his temper flared. Why didn’t they get that if they didn’t master their powers, they wouldn’t graduate?

As for field day, Chase actually liked it, as far as the athletics went. It was just far too easy for the kids to get out of hand on days like that. Competitive natures, powers, it was just begging for trouble. Of course, thinking back to his own days at Hammel, Chase could only think back fondly on his own experiences during field days. “True. Still, I’d rather they didn’t explode ever, inside or outside.”

Oh, Meghan Kilbourne had nearly been out for blood. The fact that her son was meta-human didn’t factor in right away. Oh no. It had been the fact that he’d used her to get what he wanted. He’d just been happy to pack his bags and leave. Of course, the usual threats had followed him. Something along the lines of being ‘grounded for life.’ Eventually, she’d realized the extent of what her son could do. Needless to say, she’d been leery. Especially after the teenage stunts he’d pulled. But she’d come around. When Sean offered the coffee out, Chase shook his head, smiling. “No, thanks.” One cup would do him for the rest of the afternoon, unless class really got out of hand. “I think once she stopped being mad at me, and thought about what I could really do, I freaked my mom out a little. As long as I promise not to do anything to her mind while I’m around her, she’s okay.” She wasn’t meta-phobic, per se, she was just a little uncomfortable with the idea of what her son could do. Chase was used to that reaction.

Anyone on staff that was unwise enough to mess with their director, Chase honestly felt sorry for. Claude was a good guy, and he was very, very good at his job. He just wasn’t the best person to try stunts like that on. The blond had known that since day one. Claude had an air of authority that Chase respected. “Yeah. I wouldn’t wanna be on the wrong side of him. ... Ever.”

Milo was a damn good pet, if Chase could say so himself. He was a good cat. He didn’t bite or scratch, and he was good with kids. He would trust the cat with Niko. “Yeah, I guess I could convince James to keep him in his office until it’s time for Niko’s lesson. Or go home at lunch and pick him up.” He wasn’t so sure about keeping Milo in his classroom, just in case the teenagers decided to get a little... well... for lack of a better word, stupid. Sad as it might sound, Milo was a part of his family, and he didn’t want him in the clutches of irresponsible teenagers, thanks. But Sean’s comment brought him back to here, and now, and he smiled, fiddling with his coffee mug. “Really? You think so? James has been saying the same thing, but... y’know, I don’t believe everything he says.” Who ever did? Not that he thought James had grounds to lie to him. It was just one of those things. He wasn’t so sure about his own fatherly skills, and hearing it from James just didn’t make those insecurities vanish. He smirked a little. “I always thought I’d be one of those guys that just never settles. Y’know, dates someone for a few months, a year, tops.” The smirk became a much softer expression. “But when James came into my life, things just felt right. ... Which sounds really fuckin’ sappy. But it’s true. I’m happy I met him, and that I married him. And I’m happy we’re going to have a family.” He was being sappy, yes, but it was clear from the look on his face that he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“I think we’d all prefer that,” Sean certainly did, and he knew both through telepathy and experience that the rest of the staff was of a like mindset. Explosions were difficult to contain in the best of circumstances and were downright dangerous in the worst. Yet with these students, they could be unavoidable. “But if we only have a choice between an explosion indoors and an explosion outside, better to have it outside during some controlled competition.” Field day served that purpose, while also letting them work out their competitive drives and tiring them out a bit too. The adrenaline rush tended to burn out long before the end of the day, fortunately for the staff.

Sean set down the pot when Chase declined a refill. With his own filled mug, he returned to his seat and settled to listen to the rest of the other man’s story of his exploits with his family as a teenager. He was fortunate that his mother had made peace with the incident and that she had also come to accept that he was a meta-human and the scope of his abilities in the process. Sean’s parents had adapted likewise, primarily because by the end of their lives, the fact that he was meta was truly the least of their issues with their oldest child. It was only Kathleen, and by extension Colin, who took such exception to his nature. “It can be a little disconcerting when people take morality out of powers,” Sean said with a nod. Surely he had long experience with those comparisons. “I blame ‘The Village of the Damned,’ and the rest of that claptrap.” He had never liked horror movies, particularly not after developing his telepathy; he had his reasons.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Sean agreed, remembering with perfect clarity a few students from when Sean himself had attended who had Claude as an instructor and had pulled a few similar stunts. It was unwise to try that with someone who always had luck on his side.

“Yes, I do,” Sean said seriously, nodding slightly. He tried not to give idle compliments, particularly not about family sufficiency. One of his greatest regrets in life was never settling down and having a family of his own, and thus he had a critical eye when it came to fatherhood. “Self-assessment is difficult. When I was younger, I had the exact opposite goal, and saw myself celebrating my twentieth-anniversary at this age.” He hadn’t met the right person; rather, he had, but it hadn’t panned out in so many ways, although that was a story for another day. “And your happiness is how you can tell that it’s right.”

[Chase Campbell]

“Yeah. I guess that’s true. And they’ll all pretty subdued the next day.” Which was always nice. Burning off their energy playing sports all day, though chaotic, actually had some nice benefits. Provided that no one got too wild during the games. More than once, Chase or Anya had ended up stepping in to stop an escalating scuffle. Most of the time, the kids could work it out themselves, declare one or the other the winner, and back off. And then sometimes... they didn’t. Then it was up to the staff to keep them from killing one another. Thankfully, that was something the trainer was good at.

It was common knowledge in the meta world that parents could go one of two ways, when it came to realizing their children were powered. Either they’d accept it, or... they’d have problems coming to terms with the idea. Soemtimes, Chase was astounded by the recruitment stories James told. The parents of a child with a relatively dangerous power, if they didn’t receive training, would sometimes be much more accepting of it than the parents of a child with a gentler power, like biomanipulation. He’d been lucky. Though he knew his mother more or less banned him from using his ability around her (not that he would), she hadn’t outright disowned him. Then again, she hadn’t disowned him for dating, and eventually marrying James, either. Something of a miracle, considering the views of the South. “Yeah... I mean, everyone’s always complaining about the effects the media has on teenage girls, but they don’t seem to care about portraying metas in a bad light with movies and stuff.” There was a reason he preferred watching sports over horror movies.

Chase had good reason not to want to torment Claude. The fact alone that it was now fairly common knowledge, at least around the faculty, for how the trainer had secured his job, well, Claude could have had both his and James’ asses for that one. But he hadn’t. He’d given Chase a chance, and four years later, he was still here. “No. I have a little more respect for him than that.”

Having someone else’s opinion on the matter actually made a bit of a difference for Chase. For the last little while, he’d really only talked to James, and to a lesser degree, his mother about it. She was just excited about the prospect of a grandchild, and James just reassured him with memories about dealing with his hordes of nieces and nephews. “Well, thanks.” A little awkwardly, he toyed with his coffee mug. That felt weird, having someone else tell him he’d be good at this. Much as he’d wanted to believe James, there were always doubts. But Sean had just put a little dent in those doubts. “Yeah, James kinda blew a hole in my life plans.” He had to laugh softly at the memory of James standing outside his apartment, soaking wet. Just three short weeks after they’d met. “But he thinks I’ll be good at this parenting thing, too. Between you and him, I don’t have a chance at denying it, do I?” Not that he wouldn’t try. It would just be a little less serious.