tvd / nysm } { the salvatore school for the young and gifted

[vampireboulevard]

Nestled just on the outskirts of the tiny town of Mystic Falls, Virginia is the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. As far as most of the town is concerned, the school is exactly how it's marketed - a boarding school for rich and gifted students - but a few are aware of it's real origins.

A school for young supernatural students, so that they can grow up somewhere where they didn't have to hide.

The headmaster is actually much older than she looks, having not aged a day since she was seventeen, but she's learned to dress herself up to fit the part. Her long hair is swept up into an elegant twist, her pant suit is perfect and polished, and her makeup is appropriately adult. Still, there's not a lot that can hide the youthfulness of her features no matter how hard she tries.

She's standing at the front of the school, watching as the car pulls up in front before flashing the man who arrives a bright smile and wave. Once he emerges from the car, she waves and makes her way closer to shake his hand.

"Mr. Rhodes. Welcome to the Salvatore School."

Comments

[theloophole]

"Hope." She reaches over to shake his hand, hesitating for a moment before adding on. "Mikaleson."

Might as well start on an even playing field, rather than lying and having it come out later.

[knight_ofwands]

While Matt doesn't try and pull away from the handshake in any great hurry, now that her full name is out there, his eyebrows do go upwards. "Like Mikaelson Mikaelson?"

As if there are any others.

[theloophole]

"Yeah." Might as well keep going. "Klaus was my dad." But he's dead now, so no one needs to worry about him anymore. Though it might change the way people around here feel about her.

[knight_ofwands]

"Huh, okay," Matt drawls. If his eyebrows were any higher, at this point, they'd be in his hairline. Thankfully, after a beat, he lowers them. "Kind of ballsy for you to admit to that, to someone you just me. I'm here for it."'

Especially since it doesn't feel like she's mentioning it with the expectation of special treatment.

[theloophole]

"It's the kind of secret that never ends well, regardless of when or how it comes out."

It's not necessarily her trying to be bold, but more her trying to be honest. Dylan brought her here knowing her secret, and didn't tell her that she needed to hide who she was. So since she's choosing to trust him in that she'd be safe here, she's choosing to trust these people with who she is and hope that they are willing to see her for who she is, not her last name.

"Sometimes, the best strategy is just to get it out there and see how it goes."

[knight_ofwands]

"So far so good?"

She hasn't tried to kill him, so far, and like he said, it was a bold move for her to namedrop her family, but he respects that. As long as she keeps not trying to kill him, he can give her the benefit of the doubt. He figures that'll be the consensus among most of the people here, too -- or at least the younger ones.

[theloophole]

"Okay."

And that relaxes her shoulders some, a bit of relief rolling through her because no, she's not here to kill anyone. She just wants to have some fun, so as the rest of the wolves set up again for the next play, she tips her head over to the side.

"Back to the game?"

[knight_ofwands]

"I'm not really sure what's going on, right now," Matt admits, glancing in the direction of the rest of the group. Thankfully, no, it doesn't seem like they've missed much. Thankfully, Matt tips his head in that direction, before he finishes, "But yeah, c'mmon."

[theloophole]

Hope nods as she falls in line to follow. If they're going back to the game she will happily try to work out a few more plays in their favor. If not, she'll move on to the next activity until she needs to recoup some energy and with that, get some food.

Maybe try to introduce herself to someone else. But mostly she'll follow Matt's lead.

[knight_ofwands]

The game does, in fact, pick up again and continues on for some time. When it breaks up again, apparently done in earnest now, Matt pulls her away a few feet, and tilts his head beyond where they've stopped. "You wanna grab something to eat?"

[theloophole]

"I could eat."

She follows him over to where the food is, seeming a bit bouncier and lighter than she was when she arrived. She leans back against the table, looking out over the rest of the group before turning back to Matt.

"So is this how it is all the time?"

[knight_ofwands]

"What, like food and parties and crap all the time? Or ... ?" She's going to need to be a little more specific, as he's not entirely sure what she's asking.

[theloophole]

She shrugs, because she doesn't know how to say this without it sounding sad or like she had a terrible childhood. Granted, she did have a terrible childhood, but she doesn't like other people to believe it.

"...Fun?"

She didn't fit in with her mother's pack, or the one at school. Partially her own fault, partially theirs, but she didn't realize it could feel like this.

[knight_ofwands]

"Oh, uh ... " Matt takes a moment to consider that, looking out over the pack. Not that he really needs to. This has always felt like family. This has always felt like home.

He recognizes, though, that if she has to ask, this must not be the experience she's had with her own pack, and that stings. He doesn't necessarily think she's sad, but he's sad for her, and as such, he hesitates a little before he finishes, " ... yeah, kinda. I mean, I never really have to worry about whether or not they have my back, you know?"

They've always been a tightknit group.

[theloophole]

She nods, taking everything in because that sounds really nice.

"I was kind of isolated a lot when I was a kid. And when I finally went to school and got to hang out with kids my own age I feel like I kind of missed the window to actually be their friend?"

Which doesn't make logical sense and she knows that, but that's what it felt like.

"Didn't help that I kind of had to lie to them about who I was."