Doom Valley Prep School 11

Printer-friendly version

This story is being rewritten.
A new chapter will be published every 2 weeks starting on 19/07/2022.

When I finally reach this chapter again, I'll replace this message.

up
224 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

Comments

Come to the dark side Reginald. We have cookies...

GrandiaKnight's picture

"Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering"

"The pen is mightier than the sword ... if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp"

Reggie.... Utterly Lost

My5InchFMHeels's picture

I'm not sure he's going to make it very far in Hero school. Bundles upon Bundles of Bravery. But Brains, without Brains his Bravery will lead to Bereavement.

LOL

Domoviye's picture

Lets just say this was a learning experience for Reginald.

Ungrateful

He is very ungrateful, I wonder if he is really that dumb or just was trying to impress her. I predict trouble getting back to her room.

hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna

He was cocky

Domoviye's picture

He let the thought of being a hero go to his head due to his ego, being a teenager, and probably a fair bit of thinking about getting all the kisses after saving the fair maiden.

The School of Righteousness and Light, is just as harsh dealing with students as Doom Valley in their own way, so they will do their best to get Reginald thinking and acting properly.

Right - they don't want

Right - they don't want raving incompetents ruining their reputation. Really.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

You are assuming that's due

You are assuming that's due to the school and not due to his own personality. The school could be righteously upset at his actions for not thinking, for trusting Petra, for not even considering that the only other human there wouldn't be the enemy- he tossed out all of what he had learned in a matter of seconds.

If they did teach him to be that way, then they deserve to get humiliated by a rival school's student who is there against her will, who isn't a villain in any way, and who did what she did because it was the only way to survive. If they are teaching people to kill on sight instead of trying to redeem them then they are setting the kids up for vengeance and their own deaths.

Oddly, if the latter is true then Petra may actually survive longer in Doom Valley than with the other school.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

They're both freshmen

Domoviye's picture

This survival test was to see what each new student was made out of. Literally in some cases.
The schools have not taught anything to any of the students yet, but now they know what they have to work on to get the students into shape.

that doesn't bode well for

that doesn't bode well for either. She has compassion and isn't inclined to kill to get what she needs while he's too arrogant and trusting of women and doesn't stop to think before he acts...

I still hope that she can get out of the school in some way, she's too good of a person to be corrupted by evil and is dying a slow death at this point.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Oh she's going to go all the

Domoviye's picture

Oh she's going to go all the way to graduation at Doom Valley Prep School.
Even if I have to drag her corpse across the finish line.

Just because she's at a school for evil, doesn't mean she has to embrace the dark side.

Geez. Why does everyone seem

Geez. Why does everyone seem to assume that villains can't have compassion, or be squeamish? I mean, when you get down to it, a sane person wouldn't want to run the world - just run enough of it so that they won't be annoyed by the rest. Think of the work! Not to mention the need for minions, henchmen, employees, cost of hideouts (plus the limited number of active yet not threatening volcanoes), etc. I mean, a _great_ villain would probably be an accountant, personal assistant, or other "important, and worth paying, but better kept on my side" person. You know, one where you work decent hours, and lots of time to play with your hobby of perfecting a youthening distillation made from plants, thus avoiding all of those "You killed HOW many virgins, just to bathe in their blood?" questions.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

My thoughts exactly

Domoviye's picture

This world is run on checks and balances so no one gets too powerful or nuts and destroys everything.
Doom Valley Prep and the School of Righteousness and Light both work together to keep it that way. Cut throat politicians and business people, military geniuses, powerful wizards, and religious zealots aren't necessarily bad as long as they know how to play it smart.

Petra gets the win... for now

Beoca's picture

Well, Reggie now lives courtesy of a girl from Doom Valley Prep. Somehow, I doubt that this fact will make him want to spare her next time. Hopefully we do see more of him, and of the School of Righteousness and Light (in particular the School, and what Reggie missed out on).

As for Petra, it feels like she got what might be termed a "fair" matchup - both she and Reggie have serious weaknesses that limit their lethality. She won't keep getting these matchups - she's got to be ready for tougher.

Have really enjoyed this series - hoping for more.

He'll be back

Domoviye's picture

This is being broken up in a series of novellas, so he'll be in Doom Valley Prep School: Winter Dance and I'm seriously thinking of putting him into Doom Valley: Magic and Mayhem, that will be a fun one as there's a school field trip.

Petra was actually suppose to lose. They knew Reginald had a weak spot in his ego, but they figured he wouldn't be that silly. However, they didn't think Petra would have only her nightgown and appear to be so helpless. The betting was she would go in with armour and a weapon and do something stupid.
Like Lady Plague said it was amusing to watch.

Oh the indignity!

Wouldn't it be horrible if Reggie's fellow students found out that he was fooled, then saved by a cute Doom Valley student -- that he owes his life and a debt of honor to a weak, cute, but evil girl?

And how will his most righteous teachers react to the fact that he tried to kill the very person who saved his life?

And how will Petra take advantage of all of this? How will she play him?

That's an easy answe.r

Domoviye's picture

First and then they'll . Finally
And then they kiss.

I absolutely love this story

Sorry about my comments earlier about the hero side of the school, I wasn't trying to be demanding or anything, I apologize (I went and looked back and reread the entire story)

Anyway I love this story. I love how Petra outsmarted Lawful stupid xD She's turning into a great villain and yet at the same time she helped him not die.

I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D

Not a problem

Domoviye's picture

I honestly haven't been offended by any comment I've gotten on this site.
And I might have a visit to the School of Righteousness and Light in the future, because that would be funny.
Glad you like it. Petra is going to become a bit of a guile hero to survive, which should be amusing.

I thought

It was the school of righteousness and honor? Does it have two names?

I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D

Woops

Domoviye's picture

It's been a while, since I had to write it, and the name wasn't very important so I kind of forgot about it. When I started rewriting it, I kept thinking of it as the School of Light. So when I started, even after rereading, I got the names mixed up in my head.

School of Light sounds like

School of Light sounds like they're solarmancers.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Yeah, I fixed it. Or at least

Domoviye's picture

Yeah, I fixed it. Or at least the most obvious mistake.
Thanks.

Oh - I wasn't concerned about

Oh - I wasn't concerned about the name. It was just a comment. Don Callender did a series of books about different kinds of wizardry. Geomancer, Aquamancer, Aeromancer, etc. So, if you just learned how to play with light, you'd be a solarmancer - because it goes much further than just illusion. "Eat collimated photons, asshole!"


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

It had to be changed anyways.

Domoviye's picture

It had to be changed anyways. Might as well do it now instead of waiting for the 3rd draft.

it could have been worse

what if he was convinced that Petra was enslaved by the school and could be his if only he could free her ?

DogSig.png

Cue homocidal Petra

Domoviye's picture

She is handling everything simply by trying to survive. If Reginald or anyone else screwed with her in that way, she would grab onto the evil side with both hands and go to town.
Amusing, and maybe something for the future, but not yet.

But...

But...

is it evil if it's rightful vengeance and justice in a different, unexpected form? There's a line, she might be able to skirt it and still keep who she is and get her vengeance and justice ;)

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Definitely, but since this is

Domoviye's picture

Definitely, but since this is a dark comedy series I'm going to avoid moral questions like that and go with the funnies.

So if she goes evil, it will be maniacal, insane laughter mad, until she gets hit on the head by her friends and told to smarten up, or a teacher comes along threatening detention, turning her into a meek little student who will apologize and run away.

Actually...

That is pretty much the case. (Petra enslaved by the school)

Well, except for the part about him being able to save her. :D

Not really

Domoviye's picture

They just challenge her, how she gets through the challenges is up to her.
She did something bad, nearly getting Reginald killed, but rectified it by saving him in the survival test. She could have figured out a way to do it without doing anything worse than lying.

Because she is.

Domoviye's picture

The teacher basically told Reginald to wait until the ball to have it out with her. And since they want to challenge her and amuse themselves, whenever the schools have joint tests, field trips, challenges, etc, it's a pretty sure bet both students will be put in the field together.

This is how Petra gets a nemesis.
Petra: Small, unassuming, common sense, pessimistic, little fighting skill, humble
Reginald: Big, showy, superb fighter, optimistic, EXTREMELY egotistical, not the brightest.

Eehhh... If they're really

Eehhh... If they're really teachers, and not _just_ sadistic morons, they'll encourage the 'nemesis', but probably not more than one in three 'events'. If you only pair up two people, you'll never really learn what they do in different situations. That doesn't mean you have to actually do more than mention those other two out of three en passant.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Hehehe

Domoviye's picture

If they put the students together in competition or head on each time it wouldn't work.

The teachers are much trickier than that.

What happened to the comment link in chapter 10?

I was going to comment there but the link isn't showing up for me. I was going to say how quickly Petra learned to throw Reginald under the bus even if she did save his keaster later.

It's good she has a few friends watching her back because she is making enemies fast. At a school like this even her friends might throw HER under the bus if they have to save themselves. Makes me think that we have a long way to go to actually implement a penal system that rehabilitates rather than teaches people to be more thuggish.

Petra is not a very good hero.

Domoviye's picture

So yeah, she threw Reginald to the goblins because it was the best way to keep herself alive, rather than the good thing to do.

She's going to have to learn what the best methods are to avoid getting so many enemies, keeping her allies, and keeping herself alive. It won't be easy, which is why its so much fun to write her.

Well, at a school like this,

Well, at a school like this, you're _going_ to make enemies. Consider the personality types. With too many of them, if you're not "with" them, you're "against" them, and being with them means you're one of two things. 1) weaker, so a minion, or 2) powerful enough to stand your ground, but still similar desires. If you're powerful and refuse to have the same goals, you're an enemy. If you're weaker, and refuse to be a minion, that means you're an enemy's minion :)

We've already seen it with the rumble over keys. Petra's just in the middle of it all. She doesn't _want_ to have enemies, but she isn't interested in being someone's butt buddy. (Or Igor, a la Terry Pratchett)


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Star Trek

There's an old ST:TOS episode where, due to a transporter accident, they found out that it's easier for a good person to pretend to be bad than for a bad person to pretend to be good.

Petra has a lot to learn

Petra will have to learn all of the skills, magic, and tricks of words if she is going to live through. i think her first question to a teacher is if there is tutoring for any subjects. after she figures out how to stay on her A Game at all times.

Giffjon

One thing that occurs to me

One thing that occurs to me is that Reginald's Headmistress is likely to be just as frustrated with him as with Doom Valley Prep. I don't see someone ending up in that position while still hanging onto the "The Bad Guy is Always At Fault" mentality.

It'd be fun to see the Headmistress try to reason with Reginald, considering that Petra didn't have to do _anything_ to speak of to turn Reggie the Dunderheaded into a dupe.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Friendly rivals

Domoviye's picture

The two schools are friendly rivals at the faculty levels. Its why they have joint banquets and tests.
Its the students who are trying to kill each other.

We'll see more of this later.

Reginald

Reginald and Petra sitting in a tree

F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G

Doesn't scan

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

That's better

That would be an interesting

That would be an interesting relationship.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

What a dork

Jamie Lee's picture

Gads, Reginald's ego is so big it could fill the biggest canyon on Earth and Mars. And he's as dumb as a balloon but filled with as much hot air.

Reginald's overinflated ruled everything he did, thinking he was the gifted savior of those wrought by evil. That kid really needs to get a life and stop reading all the dime store novels.

Petra, on the other hand, used her brains to accomplish the task, and saving Reginald in the process.

The Doom school seems harsh but real life can be harsh. The students aren't coddled because the instructors at the school are giving the students a taste of the real world, showing them that they must be prepared at all times for anything.

The school isn't evil in itself, but is as each of the qualities brought to the school by each student. That school is showing, for those wise enough to see, that it's the character of the person that good and evil exists. Petra is in a school that's reported to be the center of learning for evil, but she herself doesn't practice evil. All she has done so far goes against what others would have done, namely, care only for themselves.

Others have feelings too.

Yep.

Domoviye's picture

Yep.
It's more like the school teaches students to survive and succeed at all costs. But there are multiple roads to success.

The school itself is

The school itself is basically chaotic neutral. Note the Ladies in Large Bras (Lunchladies), plus the various things scattered around the school, such as the (in the next chapter) corridor sharks. I suspect that at this point in time, the school is perhaps not sentient, but reactive in and of itself. The School of Straight And Narrow would be lawful neutral.

Note: I'm not discussing the instructors. I'm speaking of the staff and (what would you call the things like the monsters under the stairs that eat boys trying to get into the girls' dorms?) ... accessories? So, in the School of Rigidity, you'd have to learn how to game the rules (munchkin). In Doom Valley, you'd have to learn to munchkin - while tap dancing on ice skates. Know what everyone wants. Somewhere, there's always a handle.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.