Jonathan is definitely reading this book!

Isaac drops the eyebrow and grins. "I think I'm going to be changing some of my habits anyway. Just as a matter of neighborliness." He considers. "At least while you're in the room."

Squawk!

Hee.

Isaac settles into Brave New World.

Jonathan is going to FINISH READING THIS BOOK and learn all about STUDENT LIFE and MISC.

STUDENT LIFE talks about the various student organizations: the Mystics (a club for wizards-in-training), Venus Inc. (a club for models-in-training), the Jewish Life Association (a club for Jews), et cetera. There's also a listing of student teams, with membership. Apparently Venus Inc. has a militant arm.

MISC. explains various elements of the rest of the guide. Apparently a Houseparent is responsible for, well, being the responsible grown-up in charge of a bunch of rowdy teenagers. They provide guidance, keep order, disperse announcements, et cetera. A student team is a group of students who fight together in the Combat Simulators; most take Team Tactics together, to learn how to work together better in combat situations. There's also a rundown of power terminology and a list of powers along with their approximate strength by rating.

Have they got any organizations that are about one or more kinds of going to outdoors places and doing athletic and/or adventurous things?

Well, there is a parkour group, which is in fact athletic and outdoors. Most seem not to appreciate the outdoors on its own merits, or if they do they don't do it in groups.

Parkour is totally one kind of going to outdoors places and doing athletic and occasionally adventurous things. He'll take it. Presumably he can go find their gathering on the weekend or something.

Hmm ... ... ... practice with his power that he now understands better, then go to dinner a bit early. Or maybe when Isaac does, that seems like an appropriate notion.

Isaac stands up about an hour later and stretches loudly. "Weird book," he declares. "Very weird. You up for food?"

"Nope! I run on electricity now! — not actually. That would be cool but also boring.”

He drops some of the stuff he was fiddling with in his pockets and stands up.

"It could be a lot weirder. At least you don't have to eat rocks."

As they enter, the Crystal Hall is starting to fill up, but there's still a good amount of seating. The lines are relatively short, too. Isaac makes a beeline for the assorted meats.

Jonathan goes for variety. Still no rocks.

Has Isaac saved a seat for him?

Well, there is an empty seat at his table. He's sitting with a blue-skinned boy with four arms and very large ears, and a seven-foot-tall concrete statue.

Plop.

Isaac raises a hand. "Hullo Jonathan. Boys, this is Jonathan, my new roommate. No codename as of yet."

"Arjun Patel," the blue-skinned boy says in a light Indian accent. "Gana. Nice to meet you."

"Josh Zabcik," the statue offers. "Manhattan. Same."

"Hi!"

He does not have any notions of how to positively interact with new people right now, so: food and listening.

"Arjun," Isaac asks, "remind me what you're taking this semester?"

"Why, so you feel better about your life?" Arjun gripes. "I'm TAing Magic for Non-Mages and taking Psychic Defense 2, Mystic Algebra, European History, Magical Theory 3, and Team Tactics 2. All that plus Cape Squad meetings and Security duty is probably going to eat my life completely, but what can you do."

"Does Justin know you call his club Cape Squad?" Isaac wonders.

Arjun rolls his eyes. "I'm not going to call it Future Superheroes of America. I'm Indian. It's bad enough wearing that stupid eagle pin to meetings."

"What do the Future Superheroes of America do besides be gratuitously patriotic?"

Arjun turns to him. "We're a legacy team - we were founded I think back in the 80s. We're the 'definitely going for the superhero track' kids. Others might want to be superheroes, but we know we will be. Plus, the team's been around long enough, and works us hard enough, that you get a decent reputation boost just from being on it; the Empire City Guard keeps an eye on graduating members, as do a good handful of other major teams. Personally I'm going back to India to try to join the Golden Lions. They don't keep track of Whateley clubs, but it's good experience, and it can't hurt my resumé."

"Are superheroes usually in teams?"

"Often," Arjun says, "but not always. There are plenty of solo heroes, but being part of a team means more funding and better efficiency, not to mention the obvious advantages to having other people around to cover for your weaknesses. I'm good at magic, but I wouldn't want to get in a fair fight without a brick to back me up, or a psychic to shield me from enemy psi attacks."

"You don't have that last anyway," Isaac points out. "Justin hardly ever goes psi, he's too busy tanking."

Arjun sighs. "He's usually willing to act as a counter when there's a psi on the enemy team. ...usually."

Jonathan does not think of a followup question.

Arjun kind of seems to be searching for a topic, too. Eventually he lands on "So, Jonathan. I'm breaking out the ultimate Whateley icebreaker: What's your power?"

Jonathan mock-gasps. "Oh no! The ultimate!"

Then pulls a handful of marbles out of his pocket, stacks them in a somewhat crooked pyramid without benefit of any of them touching each other, and levitates and spins the whole thing.