Regardless of class or wealth, Trickster prides itself in having only the most intelligent of students. The mind can be a powerful weapon; sharp intellect will result in the lowest causalities with the highest rate of victory. Perception, adaptability, and judgment are the characteristics of those within this group. With a well-planned strategy, it is possible to overcome the mightiest attack or break through an unyielding defense.
Upon entrance to the classroom, the first thing a student would notice is the walls are covered in maps for regions all over the world. Otherwise it's arranged just like a normal classroom with desks and chairs lined up in rows of six with six going across. The teachers desk is ordinary with a computer on the side and a big board that is half chalk board, half white board. Behind the teacher's desk is a mysterious door that is partially open with a Do Not Enter sign hanging.
SURVIVING STUDENTS
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 1:58 pm
Classroom Professor: [Current] Dante Genovese
It is uncertain exactly where the academy managed to pull Professor Genovese from. Or what hole to be exact. Dante Genovese was brought in and tested to show he had one of the highest IQ's Akumu Academy has ever seen. Successfully helping the Academy win several campaigns, they decided it was imperative he pass on some of his wisdom to students attending. However. There was one problem they forgot to factor in. Dante is horribly introverted. Having spent most of his life in a hole, closest or in a single room surrounded by books and computers, he hasn't had much contact with anyone besides his pokemon- much less any humans. It is quite common to see him yelling at students for touching stuff and placing it incorrectly or going on a ranting tirade brought on by a simple question. Try not to breath in too much bleach and hopefully you'll gain some valuable life lessons on how to survive.
Assistant Professor [Current] Harper Sinclair
Cheerful, hard-working, and eternally optimistic, Harper is Dante's intern, much to the latter's frustration. She's messy, loud, and not particularly organized. Fortunately for her, she's something of an engineering genius. A designer and builder who enjoys spending time in the garage, she nevertheless ends up acting as Dante's representative when he's too busy to too antisocial.
Striding happily up to the classroom, Rhys knocked twice before holding Otis up to look through the door window. "See anyone?" the boy asked. The frog took a moment, pressing his face against the glass one way and then the other before shaking his head at Rhys.
Of course he entered! He was told to come here, after all. Closing the door behind him, he gave the room a scan, noting the other door, teacher's desk, and numerous other desks. He zeroed right in on that door though. It had a sign that thought it could tell him what to do. Well, he supposed he would comply, for now.
"Hello?" he directed toward the crack in the forbidden door. He was fighting himself not to at least nudge it open. It said 'do not enter' not, 'don't even look inside.'
Otis Froakie [♂] Lv 2 Nature: Jolly Stats: HP:14/14/PP:17/ATK:7/DEF:7/SPD:8/SP-ATK:7/SP-DEF:7 MOVES: - Pound - Camouflage EXP: 37/75 Current Type - Water
ShinyChibiSuicuneRiku
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 6:30 pm
Kyground
As the kid and his Froakie entered the classroom, a shadow would arise from where it had been crouching on one of the shelves that was against the wall. Closer and closer it crept, though the pair would just have distinct feeling like something was watching them. It finally leapt down to smugly land on the desk with a loud mrrrwowww. Now that it was clearly in the light, the two could see it had been a Purrloin that had been watching over them.
She had spotted the fact that they were getting really close to the door.
">I wouldn't do that if I were you.<"she stated calmly before turning away to lick a paw daintily.">He doesn't like it when people disturb him.<"Though the pokemon knew only the Froakie would understand, she hoped the pokemon would be able to stop his trainer. Or not. Really, it wasn't too much concern for her. Anyway. The show was about to begin.
If the boy and frog were listening closely, they could hear a faint clicking noise like someone tapping on a keyboard. It was soft at first and then grew louder, almost as if something important was happening! Maybe it was. Then it stopped and all was silent.
The Purrloin let out something that sounded oddly like a sigh. Fine. It was going to be up to her to tell him about about the new arrivals. She rose slowly to her feet, stretching and then padded off into the door. There was a brief thumping noise behind the door, before it was suddenly thrown open. The Purrloin jumped back up onto the teacher's desk and nonchalantly began licking her other paw.
Meanwhile a tall and gangly male stepped out in the classroom. The gray haired male was stumbling around, blinking profusely and squinting.
"Where in the hell is everything?! For Arceus sake! Lily! This better not have been you! I need to finish a few deadlines soon! The world does not revolve around us, you know! How many people and pokemon alike will have to die before you are satisfied with your little games?!" the man yelled irritably.
An Emolga came soaring through the air, looking way too happy with a pair of glasses perched precariously on the top of her head. She would've flown around the room some more but a giant Feraligatr nimbly plucked them off the pokemon. While the Emolga flew off while sticking her tongue out, she landed on the male's shoulder which caused him to stumble because he didn't expect it. Grumbling some more, he was somewhat relieved when the Feraligatr strode over to where he was and put the glasses on, in a way that was so familiar he must have done it quite often.
The first thing that would come into Dante's view as he refocused now that he regained his sight was seeing the frog pokemon. He then began talking in a fevered manner, quite like one would imagine a Professor who was giving a lecture to students.
"Froakie is a quadruped, frog-like Pokémon. It has light blue skin, white hands, and a dark blue stripe from the center of its oval head to its nose. Its eyes, which have yellow sclera, black irises, and white pupils, protrude vertically from its head due to their size. Froakie produces a large mane of bubbles from its chest and back and has two small bubbles on its nose. The delicate yet flexible bubbles, called Frubbles reduces the damage Froakie takes from attacks. It has three fingers and two toes on its hands and feet. Despite its carefree attitude, it is vigilant of its surroundings. Froakie is both light and strong, making it capable of jumping incredibly high."
Suddenly the Professor stopped, gray eyes focused intently on not only the frog, but the boy beside it. And that was when all hell broke loose.
"What are you doing here?! Filthy humans and pokemon! Don't TOUCH ANYTHNG! Wait, wait!"
Dante hurriedly rushed to his desk, yanking open a drawer and pulling out a giant Lysol bottle and spraying it frantically all over both boy and pokemon. However even this was not enough to appease him. He began to mutter frantically under his breath.
The Emolga gleefully leapt off his shoulder and then pulled a small chain from the ceiling on top of them. A huge bucket of almost boiling water mixed with some very strong smelling soap and other things unknown poured down on the group gathered below (save for the Purrloin still sitting on the desk that was out of reach). Yes, this was Trickster's Professor, Dante Genovese, Prodigy Tactician of Akumu Academy.
Otis fully turned his head while Rhys only glanced at the Purrloin. Otis had missed it, something he wasn't happy about. Rhys hadn't been looking for it, and though he was interested in it, there was this door here... The Purrloin didn't seem to speak any human tongue, so it dropped further on his priority list. Otis was on it. Probably.
The frog was indeed all over it. He watched the cat intently, and listened closely as it spoke. He wasn't surprised by what she had to say though. He patted Rhys on the head to try and get his attention, but he noticed a change in the pitch of his perch. Rhys was winding his foot back to give the door a kick. He wanted to see!!
Thankfully, there was a ruckus inside and he slowly brought his foot back into his normal standing position. He even took a few steps back. The Emolga that zipped overhead was his kind of pokémon. Little rascal had the professor's glasses it seemed. Rhys took another few steps as a Feraligatr made its way through to almost boredly pluck the glasses from the air. The boy was fighting himself again, but this time in an effort not to laugh hysterically at the scene before him. It was almost as difficult as not slamming that door open to look inside.
The professor was then staring at Otis and reciting his physiological Pokédex information. And then the professor looked at Rhys. Something about the boy's face must have set the man off, 'cause he went all sorts of crazy.
Rhys lifted his hands to show where they were, "Only touched the door to get in." Apparently that was still too much. Now he was sputtering because Lysol didn't taste good.
[Self Test! How good are their reflexes!?! - Rhys' got this!!]
Things only got worse from there. The Emolga was given an order, and Rhys was sure to follow its flight path. Was... Was whatever was in the bucket steaming? "No. Just... Just no." Rhys thought as he started to scramble. Otis was still trying to rub the stinging out of his eyes, but was grabbed as Rhys threw himself into a roll. Purrloin didn't look perturbed about the steaming substance above. Rhys would bet it wasn't because she liked it.
He dove then, rolling to hit the top of the desk but to roll off and away from the Purrloin. He didn't want to hit her. The result of which saw him mostly dry, as he hoisted himself back up to sit on the edge of the desk to stay out of the water.
"Lukewarm, not recently boiled!! What in Arceus' name is wrong with you?!?" Rhys was taking note of the fact the man before him was a death trap. He was also realizing that flopping all over and planting his butt on the man's desk probably wasn't going to yield a very positive reaction. At least Otis was safe in his arms, now devoid of Lysol related eye stinginess.
Otis Froakie [♂] Lv 2 Nature: Jolly Stats: HP:14/14/PP:17/ATK:7/DEF:7/SPD:8/SP-ATK:7/SP-DEF:7 MOVES: - Pound - Camouflage EXP: 37/75 Current Type - Water
ShinyChibiSuicuneRiku
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:01 pm
Kyground
After all of that and even though Dante had missed both student and frog and himself and pokemon were now drenched, the Professor looked unperturbed. On the contrary, he was still quite calm like this was an everyday occurrence. The Emolga soared off to drape towels over each pokemon and Dante began taking off his shirt when a paw batted at him sharply to get his attention. It was the Purrloin and she began berating him reminding him he had a student in the room. Oh right. He was so used to being alone, it felt odd. If his student noticed, he could actually talk and understand what was being said between his pokemon.
Anyway...with a further prod from the Purrloin, seemed to be she was one of the few rational ones, he began to walk towards a nearby closet and opened it before pulling out items.
"As my dearest Viola was telling me, I need to send you out on your first mission. You will be taking a trip to the Island of New Beginnings. There you will need to catch at least one pokemon as well as take a picture of a stone. One that causes evolution for pokemon. It will be obvious when you see it."
The whole time he was saying this, the Professor didn't bother looking at the boy or his Froakie. Instead he had gathered up supplies and placed them on the desk for the boy to take. It consisted of three pokeballs, one potion and a Snap Shot camera.
Dante turned to Viola running a hand through his hair."Was that all? Anything else, your Majesty?"
While the cat chattered some more, he sighed. Ah yes. "You can find transportation to the island at the Pokémon Center. Towards the back there is a long flight of stairs going down. Take those and you'll find your ride there."
Suddenly his attention focused on the Froakie."It seems that you had minimal damage to your pokemon for the Battle Room. However before you leave, it's best to go inside the Pokémon Center and have him healed to full health. This journey will not be an easy one to accomplish. That is all."
It was at that moment that Lily dropped a piece of paper on Dante's head giggling. He quickly scanned it then let out a curse before rushing towards the door in the back and slamming the door shut. A frantic loud clicking noise was audible as he went back to....well whatever it was back there.
Viola gave a brief nod to the kid and his Froakie before climbing nimbly up to the top of one of the bookshelves and curling up for a well-deserved nap. Someone needed to keep Dante in line and who knew when the next student would arrive? Best to rest before then. Catnaps were great. The pair were now free to leave the room and head out to the Pokémon Center and then the Island.
Rhys straightened himself up and got off the desk, watching to make sure he didn't slip when his feet hit the floor. He started to straighten his shirt too after putting Otis back on his perch. He had noticed the professor prepare to disrobe, and while Rhys would have thought little of it, one of his pokémon thought otherwise.
It was like nothing happened, something Rhys wasn't sure if he was happy about. He wouldn't attempt anything bad; but so far this guy was his least favorite at the Academy. To be fair, he didn't know many.
The professor was speaking then, and Rhys was sure to pay attention. Otis was glued to him too, but was also distracted by the Feraligatr. A fully evolved water pokémon... The frog was smiling as he thought of what he could do when he was stronger.
Rhys however was starting to get slightly perturbed again, however. "Know it when I see it? It better be gigantic, or the island better be tiny..." he thought. There was so little information being presented that he was considering stink bombing the professor's little lab.
At least the tools to do so were present.
The boy nodded as he was told to visit the PokéCenter. There was a good chance he'd head back to his Pokélot to grab his backpack too before heading off. He was surprised though that he was just being tossed into it just like that.
The professor scrambled off then, not offering his name, any real advice, or asking if Rhys had any questions, which, he of course had. The Purrloin nodded to him before walking away, which left Rhys still annoyed and frustrated. He collected the things off the desk, and went to leave; but stopped in front of the professor's door again. How desperately he wanted to seek vengeance and justice, but also he still just wanted to know what was happening in there. He clicked his tongue once before walking out of the room slowly, so as not to slip. Guess there was just gonna be water here now...
Either way, the boy was not impressed thus far. Otis liked the Feraligatr though. That was cool.
[Exit to Pokémon Center]
(Whoops, had auto healed the Battle Room damage. My bad yo.)
Otis Froakie [♂] Lv 2 Nature: Jolly Stats: HP:12/14/PP:17/ATK:7/DEF:7/SPD:8/SP-ATK:7/SP-DEF:7 MOVES: - Pound - Camouflage EXP: 37/75 Current Type - Water
ShinyChibiSuicuneRiku
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:20 pm
Tao entered the classroom warily and peered around the classroom. He was imagining there would have been others but it seemed empty. He wondered if he was in the right room. He went back out of the classroom and looked at the room number. It was the right room. He went back inside passively wondering where everyone was. The maps caught his eye and he approached the closest one. Unlike, excessive studying, Tao was at home with looking at maps, so simple and logical. He could look at them for days. He sighed and went to an empty desk wondering when someone else would appear. He took out the pokeball containing Meren, his Mudkip, and turned it about in his hand. He began to be lost in thought waiting.
Mudkip [F] Meren, Lv 2 Nature: Timid Bio: Meren was given to Tao just before being shipped off to Akumu academy. She hands a good amount of teamwork to Tao, as she is very obedient, but she never stands up for herself. Her introversion might have been caused by some sort of abuse prior to meeting Tao. Meren is unsure of what to think of Tao so far, since the only experiences they really share is a boat ride and a pokemon battle. Stats: HP:14/14/PP:17/ATK:7/DEF:7/SPD:7/SP-ATK:7/SP-DEF:7 MOVES: - Tackle - Barrier - - EXP: 35/75
As the boy entered the room, while he thought no one was there, a pair of eyes watched from on atop one of the book shelves. Well he seemed a bit brighter then the kid before. At least he hadn't entered anywhere near the forbidden door in the back. If he had approached the door, he would have seen it was closed shut with a "Do Not Enter" and a second sign that said "Do Not Disturb". Whatever the case, the Professor was not actually in the classroom. Perhaps something important had come up. Or he was sleeping. Who knew. Regardless, the pair of eyes moved out of the shadows and leapt down landing nimbly on the teacher's desk. It was a Purrloin! She began digging through one of the drawers and then came out with a letter. Grabbing the letter, she then placed it on the desk in front of the newest Trickster student. If he opened it, the letter would say:
Your first mission will be to travel to The Island of New Beginnings. There you must catch a pokemon to add to your team. As well as find and take a picture of an evolution stone. You'll be able to tell what it is when you see it. Go to the pokemon center and behind it, there will be a long flight of stairs leading downward. Take those and it will lead to the docks. Your ride to the island will be waiting there. Viola here will give you the supplies you need for this journey.
Signed, Professor Dante Genovese
Meanwhile the cat pokemon had been busy. On top of the Professor's desk was three pokeballs, a potion and a Snap Shot Camera. Once he gathered all his supplies, he was free to go. Pleased with herself, the cat began to nonchalantly groom a paw.
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:19 pm
ShinyChibiSuicuneRiku
Tao's eyes raised when he saw the pokemon appear. He watched it curiously as it had placed the letter in front of him. He opened it and studied it's contents. A mission? I guess this is what they call on-field studying. He looked up at the teacher's desk and saw the items now strewn on the professor's desk. He slowly made his way toward it. He began placing the items one by one, into his empty pockets memorizing which pocket held what. He wouldn't want get them mixed up, that much was certain. His eye wandered to the cat pokemon to which, he nodded and bowed to. He began to walk away and leave the classroom, silently wondering if his teacher was a Purrloin.
First impressions were important. And given he was potentially about to meet his professor, or some kind of authority figure concerning his time at the Academy, this first impression was particularly important. So it wasn't terribly surprisingly that Alistair spent a couple minutes outside the classroom for Trickster 107, fidgeting nervously. He at least needed to try and impress whoever he had to deal with...
His Emolga sighed from her perch on his shoulder. He was going to stand out here waffling for the rest of the day if Lucy didn't do something. She nipped his ear with her teeth, affectionately but sharply.
"Ah! Lucianna," he grumbled, glaring half-heartedly at her. It hurt, but he was too agitated to stay mad... and besides, he did need to get going. He took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.
Well, the place looked normal, at least. Like he'd imagined a regular public classroom would look. The maps on the wall drew his eye; he immediately found himself studying one of the Johto maps... ah yes, there was Alto Mare. South of Azalea Town; they were mildly isolationist, so plenty of maps didn't have it labelled. At least this professor knew something. Making sure to give the Do Not Enter door a wide berth (he was curious, but there was no point in deliberately disobeying an order), he called "Hello?" to the room, and anyone he couldn't see.
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:33 pm
Hellenor Rigby
As the boy and his Emolga browsed the maps on the wall, a cat was seated on the desk. Surprisingly frantically typing away was none other then Dante himself. It was odd to see the gray haired professor outside of his room but it did happen on occasion. A slight tap from the Purrloin resulted in him grunting an affirmative. Typing faster then before to send one last quick message, he would look up to see Alistair and his Emolga.
At that time, Lily popped into view. ">Ooo! Another one! Haven't seen any other Emolga's emerge from the students thus far. Hiii~ I'm Lily~ What's your name? Where do you come from?<" The pokemon asked curiously smiling widely. She quickly glided over to get a closer view.
">I'm pretty sure you are being a bother.<"the Purrloin stated before licking a paw calmly. Viola glanced up to look at both Emolga and boy for a few seconds before looking away and resuming her bath. She stayed on alert, because there was absolutely no telling what Dante would do next.
With a final loud clacking of the keyboard, Dante would stand adjusting his glasses and then running a hand through his messy hair. Ah, more students. The man's brain was working a mile a minute and still seemed somewhat distracted. He quickly barked out,"What is the average height and weight of an Emolga? Out of all the base stats, what does an Emolga rely most on? Emolga is the only pokemon with a base state total of what? What is an Emolga weak to type wise? Lastly what move does an Emolga learn at level 30?" It would seem today Dante was starting off with a trivia quiz about the boy's partner!
Alistair hadn't seen the older, grey-haired man (how old was he? Was he one of those people that went grey really early? Or maybe it was stress...) behind whatever he was typing on. He noted the Purrloin, a fairly plebian Pokemon, and... an Emolga? Hmm. They were rodents, certainly, but relatively uncommon one's. He resisted to urge to smile at the other electric/flying creature; he still felt the scrutiny of the man in front of him.
His Pokemon, on the other hand, felt no such stress. Bouncing off of Alistair's shoulder to get closer, she landed near Lily. >That one calls me Lucianna, but I'll answer to Lucy. Oooo, I haven't seen another Emolga since I left my flock! I've been bumming around Johto for a bit.< She completely ignored the Purrloin, focused on a new face.
Meanwhile, as his Pokemon made a new friend, Alistair found himself faced with a barrage of questions. Was... was this his first test? Wracking his brain, he spoke up. "The average Emolga weighs 5 kilograms and is two-fifths of a meter tall. The most notable stat for most Emolga is their speed stat at 103, and they have a total base stat of... 428." The number came to him easily enough; just basic route memorization learned under a table with a book of facts. He'd been curious when he'd finish met Lucy, and since he didn't really have anyone to ask about the Emolga, he'd looked towards books. The next two were a bit trickier; he knew her Flying-typing negated the Electric's natural weakness, but brought along issues of it's own... "I think... it's weaknesses are Rock and Ice. And..." He bit down on his lip, thinking carefully. He hadn't really looked over the moves that an Emolga could learn that carefully... he knew there were some variations between those native to Kalos and those to Unova, but was that relevant? He paused, trying his best not to fidget in front of the strange man. "I believe it's Acrobatics that Emolga learns at level 30." He tried to inject a note of confidence into his voice, and make it not sound like he was questioning his own assertions. Alistair supposed it was normal for a teacher to question their students, but didn't one normally have to study first?
>It's rude to ask a lady her weight!< Lucy called towards Dante, sticking out her tongue.
Hoping his Pokemon hadn't said anything too rude (or anything the man could understand, the inwardly-nervous trainer finished his introduction with a bow of the head. "My name is Alistair Blackwell, and I'm here to report to the Trickster Class." Hopefully, this was the professor, and not some random vagrant who'd come by.
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:04 pm
Hellenor Rigby
It didn't bother the Purrloin in the least that the new Emolga ignored her. Pokémon did generally get excited over seeing others of their kind, well most did. She padded over to sit on the desk where Dante had been typing and looked at him and then glanced at Alistair.
Lily smiled brightly.">Nice to meet you Lucy. Don't worry, Dante isn't going to bite your trainer or anything. It's just a test.<" the Emolga said cheerfully. ">I haven't seen any other Emolga in awhile either. So it's nice to meet you! The first mission should be fun~ Though no one has succeeded...yet.<"
Before getting to the boy, Dante would turn towards the two Emolga and look at Lucianna. "My apologies, young lady. I would not ask if it was not important."
Dante would finish talking to the Emolga and actually look up at the boy standing in front of him. He would stare intently at him, letting the seconds pass. As if he were scrutinizing his very soul and seeing if it was deemed worthy. It was odd to see the introvert actually looking at a student directly especially since he wasn't ranting or going on a tirade about something. "Well, well. Looks like we actually have an intelligent student here in Trickster....finally. Knowledge is an imperative part of life." the older male stated doing a wide motion with his hands. "It can be the difference between life and death for your pokemon, to know your weaknesses and to know everything about your partner is the beginning of a strong team. I am Dante Genovese, Professor of Trickster class and head Analyst and Tactician here at Akumu Academy. Alas we are short on time. Since you have succeeded thus far, it is time you were assigned your first mission." He stood up to rummage in the drawers of the desk. "Now you will go to the Pokémon Center and behind will be a flight of stairs leading downwards. Go down those stairs and it will lead to the docks. There your ride will be waiting to take you to the Island of New Beginnings. You are required to add at least one new member to your team and also to take a picture of a stone that causes evolution in pokemon. You'll be able to tell exactly what it is when you see it. It won't be hard to find." The male placed three pokeballs, one potion and a Snap Shot Camera on the desk for the kid to take. "Any questions? If not, you'd best be on your way."
Meanwhile Viola looked amused. There actually was a person worthy of being a Professor inside Dante after all. Who knew.
>Ehhh... I'm used to older humans being pointless jerks to mine,< Lucy remarked, shooting the professor another look. >But he hasn't doing anything too bad yet, so I'll let him off the hook~< There was a playful note to her voice; she didn't often get the chance to banter with other Pokemon (most of the Blackwell Pokemon had their heads stuffed up their master's... noses), let alone one of her species. So she was having a good time!... though she found herself surprised by Dante's comment. Lucy wasn't used to humans being able to understand her... she'd have to watch her tongue around this one.
Alistair, by contrast, was doing everything he could to keep from fidgeting as Dante looked him over. This man practically radiated knowledge... though not necessarily wisdom. There was something about his eyes that left him nervous, and oddly hoping to prove himself.
But at the praise and speech, he found himself worried about his tell-tale blush. He... he didn't really think he'd done anything that praiseworthy. It was route memorization, basic facts; it wasn't anything compared to real-world experience. But he couldn't deny, even praise he didn't feel he fully deserved was heady... though hopefully, Latias would keep his head from getting too swollen. He didn't want to be Winthrop (arrogant without a cause) or Fulbright (arrogant with a cause)... Blackwells needed to exude confidence and competence without pretension. So doing his best to keep his voice even, he'd bow his head again and mutter, "Thank you, sir," please to hear he hadn't stuttered
However, it seemed this Professor Genovese wasn't the type to mince words. As much as Alistair was raised amid the polite niceties of high society, he could appreciate skipping small talk. He listened carefully to his orders... a "mission". More like a military than a school, but it was structure. He needed to catch another Pokemon and take a picture of an... evolutionary stone? Well, those tended to be pretty powerful and interesting, so perhaps they wouldn't be hard to find. Maybe he'd even be able to take it back with him. He picked up the items, and placed them in his messenger bag (undeniably gauche, but useful). He'd give one last bow of his head and said "No questions, sir. Thank you." With that, he considered himself dismissed. Lucy would leap onto his shoulder (after waving goodbye to Lily), and they left the classroom to brighter days.
