The Bracen Institute
((A private high school used in character backgrounds. If you'd like to use it or add to it, send me a message @generalfreedom))
History and Basic Information
Bracen is a private high school focused on meta friendly education. It's a safe place for people with powers and those with altered appearances to get an education without prejudice and without causing a distraction while still preparing them for mainstream society.The school was established fairly recently (1994) by Gregory Bracen Senior, who became quite active in the metahuman community after his son developed powers at age fourteen. He wanted an accessible and proper school that would cater to even unusual students and give some basic understanding of metahuman abilities and what it means to have them in modern society. They do not deal in magic unless it's a result of other metahuman abilities. That's another subject entirely and one the school isn't equipped to deal with.
Despite this pro meta stance, Bracen is not a school for superheroes. While some students may participate in such activities in their spare time and the school allows some excused absences for such, it does not actively sanction the superhero lifestyle.
Uniform
Campus
Located in downtown Millennium City, Bracen has a modestly sized and well maintained campus. Comprised of six buildings, including student housing and a fantastic student center as well as outdoor areas set up for exercise and safe power use, Bracen is always clean and orderly and features a slick, modern style that fits in well with the 'City of the Future.'
- Student Housing: Bracen offers affordable rooms to its students that are large and feature all the necessary utilities for comfortable living. The building is co-ed, with male and female students living on opposite ends.
- Student Center: Featuring a well staffed dining hall with a variety of choices, a comfortable lounge, an up to date reference center, and various rooms for meetings and conferences or events.
- Sports and Fitness Center: Containing equipment suitable for budding metahumans and those with more normal physical abilities alike, the Bracen Sports and Fitness Center has everything necessary for meeting a students physical education needs. Behind this building is an area set up for safe power use in the case of projectors or various kinds, a track for both speedsters and slowpokes, and other useful equipment.
- Administrations Building (Kaner Hall): Where all the boring administrative work takes place. The needs of metahuman students are many, so the place is usually buzzing with activity. It is named for Kate Kaner, who was in the first graduating class (1998) and has made many donations to the school.
- Arts Building (Wilford Building): Well stocked and staffed, this building has everything a student could want if they're interested in the fine or applied arts. Named for Hank Wilford, a close family friend of the Bracen's who helped initially support the school.
- Main Building (Bracen Building): The bulk of classes take place in the sprawling main building. Gregory Bracen Sr. spared no expense in making his school a shining example of the private education system.
Staff
- Professor Lobdell: Despite being more powerful as a telekinetic, Lobdell's preferred field is telepathy. He teaches courses related to the use of psionics, as well as psychology and sociology.
- Gregory Bracen Jr.: Well known on campus for his burnt orange skin and tendency to leak smoke from his nostrils, Gregory Jr. is a serious individual who likes to make sure his father's school is running properly. He is the head administrator of the school and has a reputation for not tolerating any nonsense.
- Selina Aldiz: A biology and chemistry teacher, Selina is known to be a 'reformed' supervillain and mad scientist. She is an odd woman and has a tendency to get very excited when talking about subjects that are important to her.
Selina lost her position at the school recently when it was discovered she had somehow built a secret lab under the school!
- Uther Crane: An imposing man with a soft heart, Uther seems to be made of living stone. Part of the second graduating class (1999), he returned as a teacher after getting his education degree. He is a physical education instructor and teaches a few art courses as well as providing guidance to students with increased physical strength and durability.
- Missy Parks: Parks is a xenobiologist and retired UNTIL agent who teaches math courses. She also works as a counselor for students with altered physical appearances.
- Xavier Radison: Music teacher and head of the theater department, Xavier is a man with seemingly limitless energy. This helps a bit, since he also works with students with energy projection powers.
Students
- Charity Corren: A senior with plans on getting her teaching degree and returning to Bracen one day. She's an empath that's somewhat popular thanks to her bubblegum pink hair and helpful attitude.
- Lina Garren: Lina is a junior with a reptilian appearance that has an odd anti superhero stance that brings her in conflict with others at times. Few people like her abrasive attitude and tendency to give unwanted nicknames.
- Miranda Mendes: Definitely wants to be a superhero like her friend Charity. Miranda is an excitable junior who loves having fun and has a tendency to get on Lina's nerves despite the two being friends since they were freshmen.
- Taffi: A sophomore at the institute. Taffi attends Bracen on a full grant donated by generous contributors. She is good friends with Charity and Lina. She is a Malvan with electromagnetic powers, and one of the few aliens attending the school.
- Rosa Guzman: A senior who attends Bracen due to obvious physical mutation (glowy purple eyes) brought on by her psionic powers. She suffers from frequent headaches, and has some family issues, and tends to lash out at others when they annoy her, which is easily done. As a result, she's not very popular or well-liked (though she does have a love-hate thing going on with Lina Garren).
- Val, Jen & Abby Carr: Juniors at the school, the Carr sisters are inseparable. Their mutation (glowy blue eyes) is a manifestation of their mentalist powers. They often complete each others sentences with little prompting. Out of the three, Jen is the most popular by far, with Val coming in second and Abby a distant third, thanks to her shy nature.
- Antoinette Danesca: A sophomore who just transferred from Ovidius High School in Romanian City, Constanta. She appears to be blind in appearance but displays capabilities of sights beyond the mundane, which makes her abilities obvious. She transferred during the last semester of the 2012-2013 term and hasn't been very imposing popularity wise.
Rumors
-Professor Lobdell is a former superhero named Psyker. He gave it up when he defeated his nemesis.
-Gregory Jr. actually runs a super secret young superheroes team. Despite the schools stated policies and his firm insistence otherwise.
-That statue of Gregory Sr. in front of the Bracen Building can transform and attack criminals or other such trespassers.
-Selina Aldiz is still a villain and runs dangerous experiments on students that do poorly.