It says a lot that in a room full of bug people, demons, wraiths, eldritch abominations, and other such monstrous entities, it's the human that's given a wide berth.
Despite it being the middle of the lunch rush at Arcana High, the sideof the cafeteria home to a battered eight-seated table remained abandoned and avoided, save for a tall human girl with disheveled short brown locks, frantically pouring over innumerable diagrams and notes spread across the table. Spotting a breakthrough among dozens in the past five hour, she broke into a toothy, wide smile, adjusting the thick goggles she wore to match her scuzzy lab coat.
"Of course! I knew it! Genius, you're a genius!" Nikki Tesla announced to no one in particular. "It's all so simple, and yet those rubes never saw it! They called me mad! MAD!" She cackled madly as a pair of vampires gave her a fearful glance as they glided by and picked up the pace. "I will show them! I will show them all! THEY WILL RUE THE DAY THEY DARED TO DEFY NICOLE ISABELLA MARIE PENELOPE EVANGELINE ROWENA TESLA!!!"
She jumped onto the table and laughed with pure manic glee, nearly dancing for joy before immediately jumping back into her seat.
"Bored now," she said aloud, returning to her stack of papers with a frown. She started exploring some of her chemical ideas when someone nearby cleared their throat. She looked over her shoulder into the disapproving bandaged glare of Ms. Patrick. "Do not disturb my circles!" Nikki yelped, throwing her body over top of the papers. The teacher rolled her eyes, recognizing the historical reference and wondering if this particular student knew what happened to the last person to make that request. Judging from her usual history marks, most likely not.
"Do I have to come over here every time you show up?" Ms. Patrick said sternly. "This isn't the place for that sort of behavior."
"I can't help it, my inept shortsighted FOOL of a roommate kicked me out!" Nikki grumbled, still draped over the table and her notes like a place-mat. "To say nothing of the ignoramuses inhabiting the library and the computer labs. Shortsighted FOOLS who don't appreciate my genius!"
"Or the fires?" Ms. Patrick added.
"What is a few burns of varying degrees compared to the glory of SCIENCE!!!" Nikki punctuated the last word by leaping onto the table again in triumph, only to be dragged down again by the teacher. Ms. Patrick, bless her immortal soul, was the absolute last nonliving being in this school who had just a sliver of patience to spare for this girl. Everyone sympathized with her because of her rejection by other humans and there was no question that she was brilliant, but damn it if she just wasn't so difficult to control. There were students who could warp reality and make geometry non-euclidean on a bad day and even they were less of a hassle to deal with then her. And frankly, this mummy was at the end of her rope.
"Okay, that is enough!" Ms Patrick declared. "My office, now!"
---
clack clack clack clack clack
"Oh ho ho, Isaac you devil. How ingenious..."
Nikki giggled with delight as she sat in front of Ms. Patrick's desk, playing with the Newton's cradle and watching the balls swing back and forth. Poking them to make them go faster or slower in between picking them up two or three at a time, she didn't even acknowledge Ms. Patrick as she returned with a paper in her hand.
"Okay, I hate to do this to you but-" Ms. Patrick started, but stopped when she saw what Nikki was up to. She reached over and stopped the toy, making Nikki visibly upset. "I hate to take this step, Miss Tesla, but you leave me no choice."
It was then that Nikki recognized the paper by its distinctive pink hue, and the color immediately drained from her face. "Is that...?"
"Expulsion papers," Ms. Patrick confirmed. "I have enough documentation to dismiss you right here and right now several times over, you know. Disruptive behavior, low GPA, attendance issues, to say nothing of the numerous counts of property damage."
Nikki tried to protest, to rant in her defense, but her words choked in her throat. "Puh...please..." she managed to squeak out, feeling like she was about to be kicked out of her house all over again. Tears were starting to leak from underneath her goggles; lifting the lenses to wipe them away revealed her bright blue and inquisitive eyes.
"I'm sorry, but you've made it apparent that you have no respect for our institution or for your continuing education," Miss Patrick went on, expertly putting up a front of indifference. It honestly hurt her as much as it hurt Nikki to see her like this, but the cold shoulder was needed now.
"Please...I do care about this place, and I like it here...I'll study my butt off and pass all my classes, honest, I will! Do you want me to beg? I'll beg, on my hands and knees!" She leapt out of the chair and bonked her head on the end of the desk in her zeal, rattling the contents and sending the Newton's cradle into motion again.
"Control yourself, Miss Tesla!" the teacher demanded. Sniffling, Nikki obeyed, getting back up and twiddling her thumbs in shame. "Very well, if you are serious about this, then I will allow you to stay here."
"Oh Miss Patrick!" Nikki declared. "How could I-"
"...on one condition..."
---
"No."
"Oh, come on!" Nikki pleaded with the stony-faced gargoyle at the booth. "I need to join a club, otherwise I'm going to be expelled!"
"And exactly how is that my problem?" the gargoyle snarled.
Nikki clasped her hands together in desperation. "Pleaaaase! This is literally the only thing I'm interested in! I won't blow up the meeting room again!"
"No dice. You're banned from the Science Club for life."
"That makes no sense! Half of you are already dead!"
The gargoyle crossed his arms and said nothing, indicating the conversation was over. Endlessly annoyed, Nikki stomped away, cursing the fool of a gargoyle with every inch of spite she had left in her until it was all replaced with fear. She needed to find something to join by the end of the day, something, anything, and every club even mildly connected to science with a recruitment table set up today was turning her down.
There were clubs in the back however, somewhat popular and somewhat immunized from her usual antics because of her utter lack of interest, that may be of use. Alas, her options had all but dried up at this point, and they were all she had left. Taking a deep breath, she took a painful step towards the nearest recruitment table.
"I'd...like to join, please," she said quietly.
The cute naga behind the table looked surprised, though not fearful. Giving an encouraging smile, she pushed a sign in sheet forward for her to sign.
"Ah, you're interested then?" she said sweetly.
"...yes..." Nikki said through gritted teeth as she dotted her i's on the form. "It's...out of my comfort zone, but it seems...ffffun..."
"Well, we're certainly glad to have you!" the naga grinned, standing up on her thick tail and offering her a handshake, which Nikki stiffly accepted. "My name's Mohini, by the way."
"Nikki," Nikki announced bluntly.
"Pleased to meet you!" Mohini said, handing her an information form. "We have our first meeting tomorrow, welcome to..."
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