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VOTE SYLVIA REDBRIGHT – A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL.

Welcome all to the Redbright Institute Open Days! Taking place on 15th and 16th April, this event is an opportunity for prospective employees, students, parents, and other interested parties to take a look around the school and see what it has to offer. Coincidentally, it is also a focal point of the Chancellor Sylvia Redbright's re-election campaign. While Sylvia herself won't be making a speech, there are plenty of volunteers with "I'M VOTING REDBRIGHT" badges around who are happy to convince you to vote for her.

The school is open from 12pm-10pm Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April.

Rules of entry
• No weapons. This is a school, there are children present. Any weapons or objects that could be used as weapons will be confiscated.
• No drugs or alcohol. Obviously. Don't try to sneak any in.
• No violence.

There is security within the school and present during the event. (In fact, if your character is a member of the Redbright Institute, you could have them acting as security if you want.) They will respond to and put a stop to any trouble.

Places to go
When you walk into the reception area, you can pick up a map which shows you where to go and a promotional leaflet outlining the Redbright Institute's fine work both as an educational institution and within the supernatural community.

The busiest area is the large Assembly Hall. Here a number of stands have been set up where you can talk to staff and student volunteers about various aspects of the school. Examples include: Job Opportunities, Student Applications, Evening Classes and Further Education, Equal Opportunities, Pastoral Care, Outreach, Learn About The Night Council, plus various sports and other societies. A giant banner reading "VOTE SYLVIA REDBRIGHT – A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL" hangs from the ceiling, while eager supporters offer "I'M VOTING REDBRIGHT" badges to anyone who enters.

Food and drink can be bought from the cafeteria. The drinks are non-alcoholic.

The various academic subjects (all the normal ones like maths, science, history etc) are represented in the classrooms where you can talk to teachers and students about how that subject is taught, see examples of students' work and discuss course options (GCSEs, A-levels, etc).

Head over to the greenhouses, however, and you'll see a very different type of chemistry in the form of creating potions and magical items, as well as lessons in magic. The teachers are happy to demonstrate for the benefit of interested witches.

In the sports hall you can watch a demonstration of students being trained to control and use their powers. These are mostly meta humans with various flashy abilities, but there are others too honing their skills and athletic prowess.

At certain appointed times, you can join a tour of the library. Access is only permitted with supervised groups, but the librarian is very happy to tell you about the wealth of magical and supernatural knowledge contained here.

Finally, as you move around between areas you may find yourself accosted by various students of different political affiliations shoving flyers into your hands or urging you to vote for the candidate of their choice. None of them are allowed to campaign in the main hall and they're moved along very quickly, but it may get a little rowdy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's called democracy, sweetheart. That's how the game works. But she knows that would be condescending to say, so she offers an understanding nod instead.

"I know it can seem that way." She gives a half-shrug. "I won't say it's an easy choice, but in the end one of the candidates is going to win and for the first time you'll have the opportunity to vote for who you think that person should be. I would always urge everyone who can to vote, even if you're not overly enthused about the candidates. Think of it this way: if you don't, someone will win anyway and you'll have missed your chance to make a difference."

How it work still sucks.

Unfortunately, not only does it suck, but Sylvia makes a good point, and Nancy's actually shocked that she didn't say something snide about making sure to #VOTEREDBRIGHT. No thank you. Begrudgingly, she has to give her a smidgen of respect for that.

"I'm surprised you didn't say just to vote for you." It doesn't hurt to actually say it, she rations. That doesn't mean she's getting her vote, though. No way in hell.

She frowns slightly. No, she would never have said that. "Well, of course I would like to have your vote, but I do think it's important to vote for the other candidates too. I want to work with representatives who will be real advocates for their communities. The stronger each representative is, the stronger we are together. After twenty years on the Night Council, I can tell you how important that is."

If she could choose herself, as she has done several times in the past, she would look for well-respected candidates with strong leadership qualities who also broadly share her aims and principles. In-fighting is never good. She hopes the election result will make for a more united Council.

This is far more diplomatic than she would have ever expected from Redbright. It gives her pause, and Nancy wishes for a drink to occupy her hands or maybe she just wants a drink always. What a day to leave her flask at home.

"Twenty years..." Wow. That's longer than she's been alive. "I'm just happy Midnight at last has a voice on the council. That's certainly a good step, as far as I'm concerned."

One doesn't survive more than twenty years in this business without being diplomatic. Sylvia clasps her hands in front of her, frowning again at her response. The girl is a Midnight witch, she's sure of it now. Sylvia has seen the case files.

Which means she's wasting her time talking to her at all, but too late for that now.

"I'm not sure what you mean. All witches are represented by the Witch Representative. That isn't going to change, although until May we don't know for sure who it will be."

"Abigail's the Maiden." Which gave her a say on the council, to a degree. Unless she had really no idea how politics actually worked which was quite likely. "So at least in those terms."

She shakes her head. "The Maiden doesn't have a seat on the Council. They're quite different things, I'm afraid."

Abigail could attempt to use her increased influence to exert pressure on the Council members, but Sylvia for one will be blocking her at every turn and she knows that Vrinak and Norrell will do the same. None of them want Abigail interfering.

"Forgive my ignorance." Shit, she was so bad at how this all worked. She'd have to ask Abigail for a crash course. Whatever. It was still important that Abby had a very high position in their world.

Still, she managed to feign apologetic as she looked up at Sylvia with her large green eyes, free of nearly any makeup for the day. "I never got the proper lecture on how it all goes."

That's no surprise since she's Circle Midnight. They have a bad track record when it comes to properly educating young witches.

"I understand." Her tone is soft. "It would be the responsibility of your coven to teach you about our political structures. I'm sorry to hear that they haven't done that. I can let you know who to approach to find out more, if you like?"

"It's not my coven's fault I don't know." She all but snaps at the much older woman. She's very protective of Shadow Coven. She was, after all, a founding member. A leader. Even if no one knew. And she liked it that way.

"It's my father's." Pretty much everything in her life was Fagin's fault. "He didn't see fit to teach me much of anything. Don't be so quick to blame them for something they have nothing to do with." Your bias is showing, Sylvia.

Well, she seems to have a hit a nerve. Sylvia arches an eyebrow, eyes flashing disapproval at the girl's rudeness.

"I would expect a coven to identify these gaps in knowledge and work to address them. They should support you where your father did not. But I suppose the Shadow Coven has other priorities."

Yeah, she guesses who you are, Nancy. The Night Council has been keeping tabs on Circle Midnight.

Nancy purses her lips. She has no idea Lance had been spying on her, or Dubhan, as she'd known him. As far as she knew, until this moment, Sylvia had no idea who she was.

But apparently she knew she was Shadow Coven, not just Midnight. Though, to be fair, they were the only known coven. There was no way Sylvia knew more. Of that, she was certain.

"I suppose you'll never know."

Sylvia is silent for a moment, regarding the girl. She isn't going to confirm or deny that either way.

"There are other covens that could help you," she says finally, "if you chose to consider them. Until then, I wish you the best of luck."

"If I choose, yes, there are." She purses her lips and wishes, not for the first time, for a long, stiff drink.

Time to get out of here.

"Thank you. And you, as well." Because hopefully, she'd need it.

Redbright Institute Open Days

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