salvatore school } { of jackals and new students

[vampireboulevard]

Caroline: [and she's out on one of her recruitment trips, trying to locate more sponsors for her little program, when she rounds the corner to one of the open air markets to start browsing the trinkets, trying to see if there's anything to bring back for her daughters]

Baal: [he hasn't eaten a full meal in two days. Just stale bread and soft apples. If he could get some money, he would be able to buy a few days of food and maybe a new shirt. He licked his lips, following the American woman through the stalls, trying to keep out of sight as he waited for her to reveal where she kept her money.]

Caroline: [the problem with Caroline Forbes is that she's a perfectionist. And a haggler. She's not going to take out her money until she knows she's getting a deal. She's also aware that she's being followed, so she's just keeping an eye out for now, wandering and not lingering too long with any particular vendor.]

Baal: [his stomach growls, which makes the jackal side of him uneasy. He can smell the meats in the market, and he WANTS one. He can't wait any longer, and he starts to run, looking for a buldge in her pants so that he could cut into it with his claws, grab the money, and keep moving]

Caroline: [yep, there it is. Before he can get his claws into her, her hand whips out and catches his wrist, raising an eyebrow at him. She's showing her hand a bit with how fast that catch was, but she's not going to let him ruin her clothes] Those pants are way too expensive for you to ruin them trying to pickpocket me.

Baal: [first there's the puppy whimper as she grabs him, then a growl as he tries to fight free. He's malnourished and a bit feral in his movements]

Caroline: [and when she sees that, her face softens. Because she's also got a bit of a soft spot] Are you hungry?

Baal: [when she talks to him, he stops struggling and looks up at her, cautious. It takes him a minute to translate but he steals from enough Americans to know a little English.] Yes. [it's a rough voice from him not talking much.]

Caroline: Okay. [and she will keep her hand on his wrist, but this time she will gently lead him over to one of the food stalls and buy them both a plate of whatever smells good.]

Baal: [and he's just watching her. This isn't something he's used to. Usually when he gets caught he gets hit and thrown to the ground and kicked. Or the market guards drag him away and try to put him in a home for boys. He'd rather live on the streets than there]

Caroline: [well, Caroline isn't most people. she'll find them a place to sit, and hand one of the plates to him] Here. Eat. [and as she goes to dig into hers] My name's Caroline.

Baal: [and he will dig into the food, meat first, hands nearly shoving the food into his mouth. He hunches over his food like someone might take it away from him. After he has had a mouthful, he'll look up.] Baal.

Caroline: How long have you been on your own?

Baal: [and he will wipe the juice off his face with sleeve] Since I was eight. Um...seven years? I think. [he is scrawny for a 15 year old.]

Caroline: That's a long time to be on your own.

Baal: I survive. Gods favor the bold. [licking his fingers clean before using two fingers to scope the rice up next like a spoon]

Caroline: [she studies him curiously] I suppose it helps to have some advantages.

Baal: Yes. [he's eating the rice carefully now that his jackal has had its meat. He doesn't want to waste a single grain] I have many.

Caroline: I do too. Show me yours, I'll show you mine?

Baal: [looks around the market] Not here. I know place.

Caroline: Okay. After we eat.

Baal: [nods, focusing on finishing his meal, nibbling on the pita slices last, sopping up the juice from the plate. He thinks a moment, then looks at her again] Thank you.

Caroline: You're welcome. I've got daughters about your age. If they were hungry and alone, I'd want someone to help them.

Baal: Being a girl is not good here. You are good to keep them safe.

Caroline: [she nods] I actually helped build a school for kids like them.

Baal: Like them? I don't know what you mean.

Caroline: Who have special advantages.

Baal: Like me.

Caroline: Like you. And me.

Baal: I can show you me. Come. [he stood up, putting his garbage in a metal garbage can, then walked to a nearby fountain and rinsed his hands of the food residue]

Caroline: [and she follows, disposing of her trash accordingly and letting him lead the way]

Baal: [he will lead her away from the main part of town, going down tight, winding alleys until they reached an area that was more cardboard and blankets holding up clay homes than the well maintained areas tourists visit]

Caroline: [and she keeps her guard up, not necessarily against Baal, but against anyone else who might try and jump them]

Baal: [and he will reach a really broken down place and Baal will pull back the blanket over the doorway] In here. [and he will disappear inside through a doorway maybe 5 feet tall]

Caroline: [she stoops to slide in, before straightening and looking around] So. Do you want to go first, or should I?

Baal: I can go. You've seen some of it. [and he will jump back, shaking out his shoulders. He takes a deep breath, and his hazel eyes glow gold. Unlike the painful transformation werewolves go through, Baal easily shifts from a teenage boy into a dog with wirery fur, long limbs, big ears and a thin snout. He shakes his clothing off himself and looks up at Caroline.]

Caroline: ... Oh. [and she crouches down to be eye level with him] That's ... a new one for me. Mine on the other hand, is a little less showy. [and she'll allow the veins to darken under her eyes, as the whites turn red, turning on her vamp face]

Baal: [and he will inch closer, his head close to the ground as he sniffed at her. He didn't know what she was, as vampires weren't prevalent in Egypt. Too much sun and open spaces. She hasn't changed in smell, but the jackal inside had its defenses up because it recognized the predator in Caroline]

Caroline: [her eyes retreat and she holds her hand out to him with a small smile] I'm a vampire. But I won't hurt you, I promise.

Baal: [and he will come closer, sniffing her palm a moment before butting his head against her hand and jumping back, a big puppy smile as he wags his tail, tempting her to come play]

Caroline: [and she laughs, before darting forward, fast and quick to give him some scritches behind the ears like she would a regular dog]

Baal: [and he will bark happily and press up against her legs, then will break free and trot over to pick his clothes up with his teeth and disappear around a half-wall. She'll see him slowly roll his back to straighten out, and reach up, spreading his arms in a sun salutation before turning to her and smiling] What is a vampire? [he'll come out, his pants on, but he's holding his shirt, looking to see if he made any new holes in it]

Caroline: A vampire is a person who died once, but came back, and now they need to drink blood to survive.

Baal: [he wrinkles his nose at that] I think the phrase is... that sucks?

Caroline: [she laughs] Sometimes it does. But now I'm faster and stronger than I was before and I never have to worry about wrinkles and gray hair which is a pretty big bonus in my opinion.

Baal: Drinking blood makes it so you live forever?

Caroline: Not exactly. When I was seventeen, I was in a really bad car accident, and a vampire gave me their blood to help me get better. Then, someone killed me while it was still in my system, so when I woke up, I could either drink human blood and become a vampire and get all the perks and detriments that came with it, or I could choose not to and die, this time for good.

Baal: [nods] It is similar to how I became jackal.

Caroline: How did it happen for you?

Baal: [he sat down on a pillow on the floor, pointing to a bigger one for Caroline] I was eight when the soldiers attacked my homeland. Took all kids like me. My father try to rescue me. Soldier kill him. Go to school with other kidnapped boys. Learn to shoot. Learn to see mines. We walk in front of trucks to find mines. Most times we blow up.

Caroline: [goes and sits, crossing her legs in front of her, and her face gets more and more concerned the longer he talks] I'm sorry. This all sounds terrible.

Baal: [he shrugs.] It was long time ago. [long time ago being 6 years] Boy next to me step on mine. Blew him up. Blew me across valley. Hit stone and back break. Leave me there. Night come and jackals come to eat bodies. I try to get them to stay back by throwing stones. Big jackal notice me. Come to sit next to me. He talk in my head, say I am lost pup. He see me strong. He say fix me, but I become like him. Or he kill me swiftly. I want to live. He bite me. [and Baal rolls up a pant leg and there is a tattoo in the shape of a dog bite mark]

Caroline: [she nods] Vampires bite too. And so do some kinds of werewolves. That's not that odd for people like us. But he saved you. Did he ... take you into his pack?

Baal: For a year. He teach me how to be human and then jackal. It hurt at first, but it got better. Doesn't hurt anymore. He said that the Gods were watching me now. I was favored by them. I would do great things in their name with my gift. He left me at this house, said I would be safe, and I needed to be boy again.

Caroline: [she nods as she considers] Are there any other kids like you around here? Or are you mostly on your own?

Baal: [shakes his head] No. Pack is old. Travels. Gods told me to be here.

Caroline: [nods] Do you want to be somewhere with more kids like you? Where you don't have to hide as much?

Baal: [nods] I would like that. [falters] But I have to ask Gods if that is what they will.

Caroline: [nods again] I run a school. It's in America, so you would have to come home with me, but if that's what you want, we'd be happy to have you. [she pauses again, as she glances at her watch] I have some meetings tonight, but why don't I bring you breakfast in the morning. Would that give you enough time to consult with your gods? [she doesn't know how polytheism works]

Baal: Yes. I will need a night. I should be back by morning.

Caroline: Okay. Then I will bring breakfast tomorrow after I check out of my hotel.

Baal: [there's an excited look, because he hasn't had breakfast food in a long time.] Tomorrow. [nods. He knows a lot of english from the soldiers and tourists, but not a lot.] Thank you.

Caroline: Of course. [and with that, she will make her way out and back to her hotel to handle her evening hob-nobbing and meetings]

Baal: [and if she overlooks the desert after dark, she'll see a small jackal take off running from the city into the desert. He will seek out Wepwawet, who is already in a cavern with a fire. They talk, and Wepwawet approves of him going to the Americas to better himself. He gives Baal a corded necklace, and it has a single mohavian turquoise stone hanging in the middle. A rough sketch of the jackal god is scratched deeply into it. It will allow Baal his connection with the gods to remain even as he leaves the homeland]

Caroline: [and as promised, Caroline will return in the morning with breakfast, which Baal can probably smell coming before he hears her voice] Baal?

Baal: [he is asleep on the floor, curled up on a blanket and snuggling a pillow. When he hears her, he lifts his head and rubs at his eyes] I am here.

Caroline: [she pokes her head in through the door and smiles, before holding out the box of food] Hope you're hungry.

Baal: I am always hungry. [he will get up and stretch.] I can fetch us water.

Caroline: I have coffee. But if you want to get some for you, go ahead.

Baal: [nods and grabs an empty disposable water bottle he found in the trash and runs off to find the nearest fountain to refill it before returning.] I am back. [announced as he enters the room]

Caroline: Welcome back. [and she has a local breakfast spread stretched out in front of them, ready for them both to dig into] So. What did the gods say?

Baal: I have their blessing to go to the Americas. [he dug inside his shirt and pulled out the necklace he didn't have the day before] This is a gift for me to be able to connect to them from another land.

Caroline: Good. [she hands off a plate] Since you're coming, I thought that while we ate, you could ask me whatever you want to know about the school.

Baal: [and since he's not starving this time, he eats like a normal hungry teenager] I have never been to a real school before. I know what they are. I don't know how to do school. Is it hard?

Caroline: I think you'll have a bit of a learning curve, but it's not that hard. It's all about the effort you put into it.

Baal: I am not afraid of hard work. [he wiggles his toes, then looks down at his outfit] Do I need different clothes? This is all I have.

Caroline: We do have a uniform, but that's provided. You don't have to bring it with you.

Baal: Okay. Are the kids there nice?

Caroline: They're kids. I think they do their best, but they have their good days and bad days.

Baal: They are also a learning curve to understand?

Caroline: No. Most of them have been in school a long time. [a beat] There is one student though, who went through something similar to you. Her name is Hope.

Baal: [tilts his head] Hope.

Caroline: She's not a jackal, she's a witch, but she did spend a lot of her childhood alone and not in school and had a pretty steep learning curve when she came to the Salvatore School. She might be able to help you out.

Baal: I don't know girls.

Caroline: Well, most of the time, they're just like boys.

Baal: Oh. [contemplates this while eating a beef sausage]

Caroline: [takes another sip of her coffee] I think Hope will be a good primer for girls too. [she's ... a bit less mean girl than the twins]

Baal: I would like to meet her.

Caroline: Well, once we get you to Mystic Falls and settled, I'll introduce you.

Baal: [nods] How long is the car ride? [because walking isn't an option, he figures]

Caroline: Oh, we'll have to fly first. And then a few hours drive once we land.

Baal: I have never flown before. I see planes fly before, but never in one.

Caroline: Are you worried? Because I have flown many times, and it's very safe.

Baal: I'm not afraid. [tilts chin up, trying to look brave]

Caroline: Okay. I can answer questions about that too, if you have them.

Baal: I don't know what to ask questions about.

Caroline: That's fair. But if you have any questions as we travel, just ask. I'm happy to answer them.

Baal: Are we leaving now?

Caroline: We can. Is there anyone you need to say goodbye to?

Baal: No. I said my goodbye last night.

Caroline: Then, let's go. Is there anything you want to take with you?

Baal: This is all I have. [points to his clothes, necklace, and the water bottle]

Caroline: [she nods, and goes to clean up their breakfast and holds out a hand to him] Then let's go.

Baal: [and he will take it and let her lead him away]

Caroline: [and they will get on a plane and fly back to America where she would have called ahead to let Ric know she was bringing in a student]

Ric: [and he will have started the paperwork and preparing a room in the school for him. If Care told her about things he might need, like clothing, shoes, etc, he would also pick it up so the room would have everything he'd need]

Caroline: [oh yeah, she would have given him the whole run down]

Ric: [so yeah, everything's ready for the new student.]

Caroline: [and she will give Baal a tour so he can get a rundown of all the different aspects of the school and all that stuff, introduce him to Ric and the other teachers]

Derek: [and when they find him, he's outside at the basketball court teaching kids to control their strength by playing HORSE]

Caroline: Derek! [and she will gesture him over, one hand on Baal's shoulder gently]

Derek: [and he will turn his head, smile, and then have one of the older kids take over as judge while he jogs over to join them. He catches the whiff of a canine, but not one he recognizes, and walks the last few steps]

Baal: [his eyes open wide because he can feel a presence similar to an elder jackal and his hand goes to reach up and hold his necklace stone. He might lean into Caroline a bit more than he did with anyone else]

Caroline: [and she'll let him, moving her hand to wrap around his shoulders] Derek, this is Baal, he's going to be a new student here. Baal, this is Derek Hale, he's one of our teachers. He's also what we call an alpha, but he's a werewolf.

Derek: [and he will crouch down to be at Baal's level] Baal. That's the name of the God of Thunder in Egypt. I don't think we've had a god as a student before.

Baal: Are you the elder of your pack?

Derek: [thinks, then nods] Yeah, kinda. I'm the one who takes care of my pack and keeps them safe.

Caroline: Baal is a jackal-shifter. We met when I was shopping for souvenirs in Egypt and when I told him about our school, he wanted to come check it out.

Baal: [he has gotten used to Caroline not talking about him trying to steal from her] Miss Caroline said I could meet other kids like me.

Derek: She was right about that. We don't have jackals, but there are a lot of werewolves. I'm sure there's a common ancestor somewhere.

Caroline: Baal is new to a traditional school, so I thought that Hope might be able to ease his learning curve. Have you seen her today?

Derek: The last time I saw her, she has going to her sketching spot.

Caroline: Great. We'll head over there now. [and she prepares to lead Baal away]

Derek: See you again soon, Baal.

Baal: Nice to meet you, Mister Hale.

Caroline: [and off they go where they will find a girl Baal's age with curly auburn hair who's sketching out by the water.] Hope?

Hope: [glances up when she hears Caroline's voice] You're back. [and then she glances to Baal] Hi.

Baal: [so this is the Hope that Miss Caroline talked about. He bows his head to her] Hello.

Caroline: Hope, this is Baal, he's a new student that's going to be starting here. Baal, this is Hope Marshall.

Hope: Hi. [but why are you singling out her specifically, oh god is she being asked to babysit?]

Caroline: Baal is new to traditional school systems and also is the only one of his kind here, so I thought that you might be a good person to be his Salvatore School ambassador.

Hope: [yep, nope, that was what she was afraid of. but she tries to keep it off her face because it's not this kid's fault] Great. Sounds ... great.

Baal: [he will tilt his head, because he knows what people look like when they don't want him around. So he will just look down at his hands, staying quiet now]

Hope: [and now she feels bad, and that immediately shows too, and she goes to put her sketch pad away] Already gave him the tour?

Caroline: Yep. And I have some paperwork things to do, so if it's okay with both of you, I will leave you in Hope's capable hands? [that's mostly to Baal]

Hope: [will give Baal a small smile] It'll be good. I know all the good hiding places.

Baal: [and he will look up at Caroline and nod] I will be okay.

Caroline: Good. [and leaning in so only he can hear] She's secretly a big softie. She'll warm up fast. [and with that, she will head off to the admin offices]

Hope: [and she'll wait till Care is out of earshot, before turning to Ben with a small smile] So. Where did Caroline find you?

Baal: Egypt. In the marketplace.

Hope: Cool. [probably?] Wolf, vampire or witch?

Baal: Jackal.

Hope: [considers, then head tips to the side] I don't think I've ever met a jackal before. That's kinda cool.

Baal: [and she will finally coax a small smile from him.] Miss Caroline said it is similar to a werewolf.

Hope: Noted. [she tips her head to the side to have him follow her back to the school] I might be a werewolf one day.

Baal: [he will, walking slowly because shoes are very new to him] You don't know what you are?

Hope: Oh, no I do. [she pauses as she continues] My kind of werewolf ... we're not turned with a bite. It's genetic and you have to kill someone to trigger it. [a beat] I'm also a witch and may become a vampire if I die. Technically I'm ... all three.

Baal: That sounds... like a lot.

Hope: It is. A lot. But right now, I'm only a witch, so I only have to deal with one.

Baal: [and after he trips for like, the hundredth time, he's going to stop and growl] I do not like these things. [glares at his shoes]

Hope: [tips her head to the side] The shoes or the shoe laces?

Baal: Shoes. I have not worn them in many years. They hurt and I can't walk right. [like putting shoes on a dog in winter]

Hope: [frowns a bit at that, before raising her hand and murmuring something under her breath. the shoes don't disappear, but they do shift a little, going from brand new shoes to something a little more broken in] Is that better?

Baal: [he moves his toes around a bit. They don't hurt now, but it doesn't allow him to dig his toes into the dirt] Better. Thank you.

Hope: [she nods] Some of the werewolf kids in the pack I grew up with have trouble with them too. They're a pain, but unfortunately necessary.

Baal: I'm used to digging my toes into the dirt. Feeling the earth. It feels wrong.

Hope: I think if you're still on the grounds and it's not class you'll be okay? But if you go into town or are in class they'll expect you to be wearing shoes, so it could be good to get used to them.

Baal: But I don't have to now?

Hope: [shrugs because why not] No, I guess not.

Baal: [and he will grin and quickly take them, and the socks, off. Tying the laces together, he slings them over his shoulder and looks a lot happier] So you said you know good hiding places?

Hope: [laughs before nodding] Yeah, come on. [and she will give him a quick guide to all of the little hidey holes in the school, including the attic, which is where they will end things] Now, hiding up here will lead to Lizzie Saltzman making all kinds of weird nerdy digs at you but it's probably the quietest place in the entire school.

Baal: I don't understand. Nerdy? [but he's looking around, exploring the space, smelling the air and then sneezing]

Hope: Lizzie doesn't act like it, but she's deceptively well read. You probably won't get most of her burns though, so that might throw her off her game.

Baal: This is my first time in a school.

Hope: Yeah, I was that kid once. It's weird at first, but after a while you get used to the routine.

Baal: Did you not know how to read or write either when you came here?

Hope: ... No. I mean, not as well as the other kids, but I was also seven, so. None of us were great poets or reading big books on our own. [she pauses] I can help you?

Baal: I don't know. I can read farsi. My father taught me before he... died. I learn speak English from tourists. I don't know much else.

Hope: At least that's a place to start. Did you have a favorite book in farsi?

Baal: [and he will speak the name of the book in Farsi, then close his eyes to try and translate] The Story of...Spring.... and Norooz?

Hope: [has never heard of it so she reaches for her phone to google it and see if she can maybe find the story in english on Amazon or something] Starting with texts you're already familiar with might help. But you should probably talk to Mr. Hale. He's our resident language guy.

Baal: I met Mister Hale. He is the alpha teacher.

Hope: Yep. He also speaks many, many languages. Probably farsi too.

Baal: If he does, that will be good.

Hope: We can go ask him, if you want? He's probably mooning over Ms. Forbes from a distance.

Baal: Mooning?

Hope: Um. [how to phrase this] He really wants to date her, but doesn't actually seem to be able to do anything to initiate that, so he mostly watches her creepily from a distance as though that will give him the answer.

Baal: And she does not feel the same?

Hope: Oh, she totally does. But she's got her own hang ups. Really they're just a comedy of errors.

Baal: That is most sad.

Hope: Maybe. I just think that they're being really dumb about it, but we're teenagers. What do we know?

Baal: [shrugs]

Hope: They'll figure it out. Eventually Caroline will get fed up enough that she'll do it herself. Or her daughters will get involved.

Baal: [and he is going to poke into things in the attic while listening to Hope] She is very good at talking.

Hope: She is. If she wasn't a vampire, it'd probably be her superpower.

Baal: Then I am sure when she wants to talk to him about it, she will.

Hope: Yeah. I just hope it's not before he's super old.

Baal: Age matters?

Hope: It does when you're a vampire and have way more time than other people do. Mr. Hale's only really going to live like ... one hundred years, max. Caroline has centuries on her hands.

Baal: Only a hundred?

Hope: Well, theoretically. He's a werewolf, that doesn't make him immortal.

Baal: Maybe it is a difference between wolf and jackal. Many of my pack are very old. They don't remember their age.

Hope: Huh. Most werewolves I know live regular mortal lives.

Baal: Do you know any from Egypt?

Hope: [shakes her head] I only really know the ones here and my pack, back in New Orleans.

Baal: Well, you know one now. [smiles]

Hope: [smiles] That is true. [clasps her hands together] Anyway. Welcome to the Salvatore School. I'm sure the twins will assault you with their welcome wagon routine later, but the rest of us are usually pretty chill.

Baal: That is good. Though I'm not sure I want to be assaulted with a wagon.

Hope: It's not a literal wagon. It's more ... well you've met Caroline. Think of it as her, amplified by ten and then doubled by two people that finish each other's sentences.

Baal: [he does the math slowly and his eyes opened wide] I think I would prefer the wagon.

Hope: Most people would. Josie's easier to handle on her own but Lizzie is ... A lot.

Baal: I should face it now when I am prepared for it then not. [and he starts to put his shoes back on] Thank you for sharing your hiding space with me, Hope.

Hope: Of course. Feel free to use it anytime.

Baal: [and he will bow as he stands up] Thank you.

Hope: No problem. [and with that she's just going to go back to drawing and enjoying her alone time]

Baal: [and he is going to go back into the school. It's easier to walk now with Hope's adjustments to his shoes, and he is grateful]