Monthly updates are back, apparently. I refuse to bother proofreading this because I just... can't. It's late, I'm feeling guilty for putting it off so long already, so let's just get back into this with a bang! Introduced a few new faces, some students and teachers, and discovered an adorable dynamic between Dean and Vincenzo Santorini that I refuse to get rid of.
I think I want to challenge you guys. The first reviewer to name each teacher/faculty member mentioned and the movie they come from will get a special prize regarding content in next chapter, so if you submitted an OC they could get more screen time or a plot twist of your choosing and if you didn't you could also request a plot twist (although it has to be reasonable guys, and I have ideas in my head already). I think this challenge will especially be hard for the headmaster, who I deliberately left vague. But if you happen to get it right, you'll understand why I chose him. I think I actually mentioned him once in the first chapter, though not by name but more of as an affilitation with another character. Hint hint.
Disclaimer: I own no copyrights affiliated with any Disney film, characters, or items thereof and therefore do not have any monetary gain in writing and publishing this story. I do, however, own the rights to my own OC's to be mentioned in this story: Leanne Hawkins, Arthur Robinson, Renak, and Mitzi, as well as any others I may create as the story continues. I do not own the rights to any OC's submitted and used in the story, I only have expressed permission by their creators to exploit them.
Dean Armitage
A week and a half passed and Disney Academy still supplied many surprises. Such as Multi-Cultural Studies, my third class of the day. Up until that day we had a substitute teacher, Mr. Santorini, who would sit with us and hand out papers to get us started, then basically just do nothing the rest of the time. But that day Mr. Santorini stood at the door while we sat down, occasionally scratching at his moustache and gazing at the outdoor hallway. Footsteps sounded near the open door and I looked up to see who had entered. What I saw made my blood go cold.
A giant skeleton dressed in a black suit stood talking with our substitute teacher. He towered over Mr. Santorini, at least six or seven feet tall. He had a wide smile that didn't look entirely sinister, but at the time I was so stricken with shock that I really didn't register the idea in my head. I wasn't the only one, either, and our new teacher dedicated that entire first day to simply assuring us that he wasn't evil.
"That honor would belong to the dreadfully departed Oogie Boogie." He claimed.
The following few days with Mr. Jack Skellington - or simply Jack as he preferred - were likely the most queer I'd ever endured. Not to say that they were horrid. On the contrary, I had a blast. But the subject matter, along with such a unique creature as a professor, stood out on my schedule.
That fine morning found our class presented with the first of many projects. Jack pulled out a large cloth bag with a Jack O' Lantern face on the front. "As I mentioned yesterday, we'll be picking partners to learn about different cultures. I'll come around the room and whoever I stop at will pick out a paper to see who they'll be working with." With that he started down the nearest aisle. His first stop was a freshman girl named Renée, and she reached into the bag gingerly.
"Monsieur Robinson." Her typically strong French voice was faint as she looked around for her partner. Nearby Arthur waved his hand in the air, smiling over at the red haired girl. Jack took the paper from her hand with two lithe, bone fingers and pressed onto his next target, whom apparently was me.
He held out the bag, shaking it like a bag of biscuits for a dog. This brought out a smile from me. I was starting to warm up to Jack already, so I snatched up a paper. "Trick-or-treat." More than a few of my classmates chuckled and I unfolded the paper to read out who I had chosen. "Raquel Blesk?"
The blonde girl giggled from somewhere behind me. I turned in my seat to find her sitting just behind Leanne. I sent Raquel a nod but as I was turning back Leanne saw it fit to stick out her tongue at me. I hardly realized that my eyes had rolled aside from the strange look Raquel had on her face, obviously assuming it was at her to whom my action was sent. I had to duck my head down, ears burning as Leanne looked between the two of us and laughed.
Jack had moved down the row by then and I refocused as Sienna announced that her partner was someone named Armelle. It didn't take long for everyone to pick their partners - even if some of them needed to pick again as they got their own names or the names of people who had already chosen - and Jack stalked back up to the front of the classroom.
"Looks like everyone's settled." He declared, reaching onto his desk for a stack of papers. "Now I expect most of you will be working on this outside of class, but when there's time I'll let the groups chat in class." He divided up the stack, letting the person in front of each row pass them down. I skimmed over the page just to see what it read but decided it better to pay attention to the teacher.
"Um, Mr. Skeleton?" A hand raised nearby and I glanced over to see a skinny sophomore speaking up. "I thought we were going to team up and study one specific culture. It says here-"
"Skellington. It's Skellington." Jack amended, frowning just slightly. He folded his hands behind his back, pacing in front of the class. "And while you both will be studying different cultures I want this project to be personal. Learn about a world an actual student comes from."
I looked back down at the paper Jack had handed out, searching over it. Sure enough it read along those lines. "So we get to learn about the culture our partner comes from."
"Exactly! Won't it be fun?"
Raquel turned out to be a pretty okay girl, considering how different we were. Learning about New Orleans was the better part of the class, especially when she spoke about its grandeur and music. But on occasion, and perhaps only because we'd never met before and were still getting aquainted, she would suddenly get very terse with her words. It was almost as if some of the topics were sore. Or maybe she had simply been in a bad mood.
The rest of that class had been spent in our groups, as Jack wanted us to get a good headstart on what we would talk about and show off during our presentations in a month. As the class was dismissed I caught up with Mason and, surprisingly, Renée as we filed out of the room. I hadn't known him long, but Mason and I hit it off fast and always made a point to chat in the halls or after school.
He and Renée were already talking when I approached, and Mason reached out to clasp my shoulder. "Dean, my good friend! Tell me you couldn't possibly have a worse partner."
"What do you mean?" I had to ask, because little could upset this man when it came to making new friends.
"He's just so blasé and I can't stand it." He sighed with exaggeration, and Renée and I shared a smile at his expense. "I try asking what he thinks is best about his home - it is Africa after all - and he just sits there moping."
"Maybe he's equally annoyed with his partner." Renée crows, pinching his cheek gently. Mason scoffs, rolling his eyes playfully at the freshman.
I shrugged, watching their banter with a smile. "Raquel is nice, really. And New Orleans is definitely a place-"
"Ah! Mon Dieu! I had no idea she-" Mason stopped when a thin hand was placed over his mouth, belonging to a stern looking Renée.
"Let him finish." She turned her head to me, eyeing me expectantly.
I cleared my throat, moving aside as we walked down the hallway to avoid crashing into others. "Yes, well... As much as she makes me love this place I've never been to, there were times where she went weird. I mean she'd be describing, uh... Say, the music. Describing the bands and the atmosphere and then all of a sudden-" I broke off to face the two, putting on the most serious expression in my arsenal. "-She'll be saying that sometimes it just annoying to always hear the loud trumpets and she wishes she could tell them to shut up."
Renée gripped Mason's sleeve as I said this, and Mason grimaced at the very idea. "Harsh."
"You're telling me." I stopped outside my fourth period class, rubbing my forehead. "Hopefully she'll lighten up. I'll see you guys after classes."
"Until then!"
I watched them walk off, chatting together animatedly, before slipping into Milo's classroom. As much as I loved watching the exaggerative Jack Skellington teach, I loved Milo's class even more for the simple fact that he keeps it basic and still makes the process fun.
So it was a bit depressing, to say the least, when Milo was missing from his desk. In his place is a man I've already had the pleasure of meeting this year: Mr. Santorini.
I chuckled a bit at the sight of him - he's naturally very gruff in appearance with just enough of a tilt on his lips that his smile is whimsical - and place my belongings down at my desk. "Hello again, Mr. Santorini."
He looked up from the crystal necklace in his hands, looking about the room before locking onto me. I must have caught him on a good day, because he actually grinned and replied. "You again, huh? I'm not surprised, a workaholic like you would fit in just fine with Milo."
I shook my head at him, suppressing a bit of embarassment at the remark. "Well regardless, what brings you over to this class?"
"Aside from the fact that he's a personal friend of mine?" I whipped around to face the voice at the doorway, staring with confusion as Milo walked into the class. "I need to take the rest of this week off for business back in Atlantis, so I asked Vinny to step in. I trust him to keep a watchful eye on you guys." As his last statement trailed off he gave Mr. Santorini - Vinny - a quick but meaningful glance. Vinny rolled his eyes, picking at his teeth with a tooth pick as Milo walked over to his desk. He fished out a small but thick leather bound book and walked back to the door. "I'll see you guys next week!"
"No worries, Milo." Vinny waved him off, his thick Italian accent showing. He looked back over at me, shifting the tooth pick in his mouth from side to side. "Now you know. Anyway, you all can do what you like today. He didn't leave any work, but you've still gotta act properly. Not while that old lady's around..."
The last of his statement was drowned out by cheers from the class, but I managed to pick out bits of it. I sat down in my seat and dug out a notepad to start working on some homework, glancing up at Vinny while doing so. "Old lady?"
He sighed, looking away with a frown. "I shouldn't be telling you this... Mrs. Tremaine. She's cracking down hard on misbehavior. She mentioned something about public punishment in a recent meeting, but the headmaster wouldn't have it."
"Public punishment!?" Arthur suddenly butted in, walking over from his seat nearby. His eyebrows were furrowed so badly that I could practically feel the indignation radiating from him. "Back up a little. What kind of punishment?"
"Does it matter? The headmaster said that kind of thing should be handled in privacy, so Tremaine was shot down. If you ask me, I think she's trying to sway the rest of the teachers. That toucan looked close to siding with her." Vinny grumbled.
By then almost every student's eyes were on us, and a senior named Cassiopeia stepped up to the plate. "Of course it matters, especially if the others are starting agree." Her striking blue eyes were narrowed, and with the tall frame of fellow senior Erik standing directly behind her she looked like she was a force to be reckoned with. "I know some of us may come from times where executions are are a spectacle, but that's reprehensible thinking. I don't know this Tremaine as well as I should but I know that she's insane if she thinks that's something the school would agree to."
"What is the point supposed to be?" Jin Wen piped up from the very back. He was too short to be seen over the gathering crowd, but his voice was unmistakable. "Why is the idea being considered, and why make it the problem of all the students?"
"She's tired of-"
Having never before been the victim of a transportation spell I can only describe it as a single second of sheer exhiliration and then sudden nausea. It took all of my willpower to keep breakfast from making an encore appearance, and through the haze I felt grim pride that I hadn't simply let it go like one student three or four yards away. One second I'm sitting in Milo's classroom and the next I'm sitting in the ampitheatre. The entire school for that matter had been summoned, and I found myself searching the crowd, the stage, everywhere for Vinny. He stood at the foot of the stage to the side, a mixture of sickness and defiance on his face.
On stage was the one and only Mrs. Tremaine, along with several students of every calibur and size. This did not look pretty...
Viserys
It's the one class of the day where I feel like I'm truly king of the world. Sure, I'm top of the class in conditioning and training. Yeah, I happen to actually be the only real leader in Leader of the Pack. But come fourth period gym, the only class I share with Alya, I'm the king.
Not only does my dad teach - granted, with less leniency than I expected - but I'm great at just about every one-on-one sport we play. Even when we pick teams I get to side with Alya, and we're unbeatable together. The only down side is dealing with the fact that gym is a species-joint class. One side of the field was reserved for the animal students and their coaches, the other for humans and theirs. But every now and then we might trade coaches, and sometimes they'd see fit to have us play a sport together.
Okay, against each other.
So it's easy to guess that, depending on the sport, it's a landslide victory for either team and we get a bit... heated. But to be honest, only one guy had been sent to the nurses office. The attacker of course didn't get off so easily, but if you ask me that whimpy kid was asking for it. I mean those humans, those apes, walk around like they're all high and mighty. Just because some of us aren't as "physically capable".
"Hey there pretty kitty! Why don't you come over her and play? I've got some string for you! Haha!"
Speak of the hyena and it will appear.
My fur spiked before they could even utter the derogatory mention of string. String for kings' sakes! I had just turned on my heel, ignoring the training exercise being held with the class, when Alya stepped in front of me. Her jungle green eyes were narrowed as a sign that she didn't like the situation either, but she leaned in to mutter in my ear. "Don't do it. Kovu's been watching you ever since the marathon incident."
Ah, the marathon. As mentioned, another joint sport with both classes working together. I was on the last leg of the race, passing some human girl who was huffing in exhaustion - I think her name was Leo, because when the action started another student called out to her by that name - when some yellow-haired idiot decided to deliberately get in my way. The short story is that I showed him why lions are the hunters and all other species are the hunted.
This time it was some cocky brown-headed fellow who was egging me on. He and a few others were standing at the chalk border between our fields. "Oh dear, look boys! He's gonna let his kitty wife boss him around. Maybe cats are just like humans."
"Not!" One of the other boys yelled, and the group of them howled in laughter. I could hear a woman's voice - most likely the coach's - screaming at them to get back but they were too stupid to listen.
One glance at Alya and I knew that it didn't matter what punishment lay waiting for me. This was going to end right then and there. With just a pawful of bounds I had reached the humans, snarling at them with all the animosity I could muster. I won't lie by saying seeing one of them tremble in fear didn't excite me a bit. Animal instincts were always at play. "You and I are nothing alike."
"D-David..." Whimpered the odd man out, slowly retreating. He took a heartbeat glance back to see that their coach was heading over and decided it best to stay on her good side.
"Oh no, this little piece of-" David started before a gloved hand yanked him backwards and off of his feet. We all looked up to see the head coach glaring down at him, her yellow hair braided so as to leave the burn marks along her cheek forehead visible. I remembered her name being Coach Sinclair.
"Little piece of what?" Her bark was vicious, and from the many fights occuring during her class I knew her temper had to be tried. "Get on the bench, Fitzherbert. I'll be notifying your parents personally about this one. You'll be lucky to get off with just detention."
The boy seemed to diminish in size with each word uttered, and he slumped indignantly away. By then his little slaves were either following him to avoid being singled out or had already gone to avoid Sinclair's wrath. The coach turned on me immediately, eyes like those of a serpent's. "And what about you two? What have you got to say for yourselves?"
Two? It finally occured to me that Alya was standing direcly to my right, and she slipped in front of me to keep me from talking. Not that I minded, I knew that with my own pent up fury and her precision training to turn your own words against you that it would take a professional to get us out of trouble.
"Viserys has a hard time controlling himself and his emotions. I came over to reason with him." The lie was as slick as mud, but I couldn't hide the lash in my tail at the idea of her convincing someone that I was unstable.
Sinclair didn't look like she bought our story, and she might've said so herself had a voice not spoken up behind us. Except it wasn't the voice I wanted to hear at the moment.
"I'll handle it from here, coach. There's no one better to straighten out a son than his own father."
The woman seemed entirely unpleased with the turn of events but left with nothing but a curt nod. She marched straight past her onlooking class and into the gymnasium, letting it slam shut behind her.
I tried to creep backwards into the crowd, but I bumped directly into Kovu. I looked up to see my father glaring at me. "Come with me."
"But dad-"
"Now, Viserys!"
I winced unintentionally, following my father across the field into the shadow of the gymnasium. I risked looking back towards Alya, but the pitiful expression on her face did nothing to ease the hot embarassment prickling along my pelt.
Kovu rounded on me as soon as the class was out of earshot, barely keeping himself from roaring. "What in the kings' names were you thinking!?" Without waiting for my response he continued on, snarling in my face. "Kiara and I sent you to this academy so you could learn restraint and discipline. Show some intiative and grow up for once! One day I won't be able to lead the pride, and you can be certain Simba won't step in to take over in his old age. We're relying on you to hold up this honor and tradition, but how can we trust you when you're constantly getting into trouble!? If the hyenas tried to take over again or if rogue lions were seizing the Pride Lands, how could we ever be certain you won't waste time fighting and worry more about saving the lionesses and their cubs!? Or perhaps you think I should hand the crown to your uncle, Kopa?"
I should have been speechless. In fact, with what occured next, I should have kept my jaws shut. But the rage at the mention of Kopa, the lost son of Simba, taking the right of king from me surged me to lash out verbally at my father. "I don't care what you decide to do! How do you know I won't become the greatest king the Pride Lands have ever known!?"
I had shut my eyes when I began shouting, and when they opened we were no longer on peaty soil outside the gym. We were standing on the hard and uncomfortable wood floor of the ampitheatre with a dozen other students standing with us and the rest of the population occupying the stands. I looked out at the crowd in horror and then up at Kovu, just in time to see the heated disappointment growing in his eyes. He padded away soundlessly, leaving me on that stage with strangers - aside from the few I had argued with in class, including that stubborn brown bear named Renak.
"Settle down, children." A wicked and elderly voice spoke at the front of the stage, and one of the human administrators stood at the podium. I could tell little from my spot on the stage, but her face appearaed devoid of emotion. Initially the woman had just given me creepy feelings. Now I felt like I may as well be left for dead in the desert.
Nymeria Arryn
The draining effects of the transportation spell were just wearing off when Mrs. Tremaine began speaking. I was no stranger to magic and spells having cast a few myself, but even Nyx - who had always been the better sorceress - had to lay a hand against her temple to keep from swooning. I kept my eyes fixed on the woman at attention to aid in the recovery process, but I rested my hand on Nyx's to let her know everything was fine. It's only instinctive to worry when are caught unawares by a spell.
"Curse that wretched woman, summoning us here." Nyx muttered under her breath. The first sign that she was fully recovered. "And for what? Boasting about the star students?"
I had the innate sense that she was far from the mark, but I knew I shouldn't tell her so.
Mrs. Tremaine had already addressed the crowd and apologized rather thinly for interupting our classes. She turned then to a robed man standing to the side, a stern look plastered to his features. "I thank our dear headmaster for seeing my perspective on this predicament we have come upon. I and many others on the staff know all too well how desperately actions need to be taken on this serious and irresponsible movement on our students' behalf."
A few hushed whispers passed through the crowd, but they died down almost immediately. I noticed some teachers standing on the opposite end of the stage from the headmaster, including Zazu. The bird was glowering snidely at one student in particular, a golden brown lion with a dark mane.
"It has come to the attention of the entire staff that a chain of violence has been occuring since day one of enrollment. This is something we refuse to tolerate anymore." Here Mrs. Tremaine began to smile. It was deceiving, and for a moment I thought that Nyx had left her seat and mounted the stage, though I grasped her hand a bit tighter for reassurance. "Many continuing offenders have been warned time and again that punishment will be served. Obviously they have not yet taken it to heart. And while I must relent on the severity of your judgement, it shall be made known to all of your classmates the true consequences of your actions. If only to save them from following in your footsteps."
Nyx sat erect in her seat, watching as the administrator approached the lion I had noticed earlier. With a pale, bony hand she motioned for him to step forward, and as he did so she faced the masses.
"Viserys is the son of Kiara and Kovu, the King and Queen of a most noble pride of lions. His crimes- His offenses include attacking a fellow student, threatening a fellow student, and engaging in aggressive behavior." She paused to let the information sink in, lips pursed. "His punishment will be a one week suspension, as well as participating in a specially designed detention upon his return that all present offenders will endure."
Silence greeted this statement. All I could do was watch Viserys' maw drop open in shock. He did deserve proper punishment, but this was going too far by making them suffer in front of their peers. I turned in my seat to see if Nyx agreed but stiffened when I saw her with a thin smile on her lips. I knew then that I had to agree with her. "Perhaps I was wrong. This woman seems to be the only staff member I care for. And do you know, Nym?"
"Know what, Nyx?" I asked quietly, watching as two other students took Viserys' place and were dealt with accordingly.
"Lady Tremaine was once a villain." Her tone was that of a friend welcoming another friend. She laid her head on a pale hand, watching the display with increasing interest. "Just like Gothel and Maleficent. It might do well to become properly acquainted with her."
I passed a glance in her general direction, wondering absently if I should ask her what she meant. She was always the planner in our duo, as though we were both intelligent she was slightly moreso. She always had a reason, an honest one as well. I was about the only one in the world that could tell when she was lying to me, and even then only when I truly bothered to question her motives.
"David Jack Fitzherbert is the son of our beloved Rapunzel and Eugene, king and queen of Corona."
Mrs. Tremaine's voice brought me back to reality, and I tried to focus on the spectacle. But my eyes kept shifting, looking anywhere but where I was meant to. Until I locked eyes with the headmaster.
Although I must say it was only a fleeting glance, as he was looking over the entire mass of students. But I happened to look at him at the same moment his gaze passed over our section. He looked entirely upset with the situation, though I noticed a faint resignation in his eyes, his posture, the very way he watched on in silence. I turned to Nyx to see if she may have noticed, but it appeared she had beaten me to it.
"Look at the way she makes her own superior squirm under her control." Nyx smirked, which was rare although not uncharacteristic of her, and continued in a whisper as other students nearby tried to eavesdrop. "Our dear headmaster is under much pressure. He must know that bigger steps need to be made to calm the civil war raging in the school. But he would never approve of such measures were she alone. Look at those teachers there-" She motioned to the gathered supporters with a wave of the hand. "There's two of the gym coaches, how cliché. But I should have guessed Cogsworth would be with them. There's nearly three handfuls of them, and I'm sure she's had to lie and manipulate at least half of them. Oh yes, we must make ourselves dear friends with Mrs. Tremaine. Perhaps then things will take a turn for the better."
I sat in silence, even as my dearest and only friend let loose a low chuckle. She made a good point, and I wouldn't be one to argue with her even if she hadn't. But something still tugged at me. Perhaps I was getting too close to the new environment and its inhabitants, forming a bond which I vowed never to make again. But watching those pathetic souls on stage as they received punishment left a bitter taste in my mouth.
A/N: Not much to say, though I realized that I spent more time on Dean's PoV than the rest, I decided to add in Nymeria's (who I've been waiting to do for awhile) at the end. Tell me what you guys think will happen next for any of the characters! You just might get it right! (Or give me inspiration!)