"Well, that's good. I guess the actual learning part is probably the most important thing to keep modern."

"I guess! I think everything else is in pretty dire need of updating, too. This place is just depressing! And it's harder to do your homework and learn when you're depressed!"

That's also true, Lissa has to admit as she rubs her chin. "Yeah, it could definitely use more decorating. If only there was enough paint for all the walls in the public areas too."

"I'm going to do my hallway at least. I think they should have lots of the walls be fake windows showing nature scenes or something."

"Oh, yeah, that'd be nice. Maybe at least one could have, like, UV light or something? So it actually feels like getting real sunshine?" That's what UV lights do, right? Lissa's pretty sure.

"Yeah, they've got the sunlamps in the cafeteria but it'd be nice to have that in study spots."

She nods. "I'm pretty sure not getting enough sunshine also makes you depressed."

"This place is, like, designed to make kids depressed! It's such a terrible idea! - New York didn't build it, we just took over running it once Britain couldn't anymore 'cause of the World War."

"So Britain started this school, hm? Like in Harry Potter?"

"Yeah." Julia hasn't actually read Harry Potter. "Their enclaves were overloaded trying to shelter all the British indies and they decided that what we needed was a big safe school for everybody."

"I'm guessing it used to be safer when it was brand new and there weren't any mals creeping around?"

"Yeah, at first it was super safe but then the mortal flame machinery in the graduation hall broke and now it kind of sucks! No one's figured out how to fix it and mawmouths eat you if you try."

"Mortal flame-? Oh, that's 'mortal' as in 'deadly,' not as in 'normal human'?"