Question What do we know about the Thornies?

What do we know about the Thornies?

Mainly about how they're treated, but I've got another question too.

For a fanfic, I was planning on having OCs come in and help some of the Thornies, like a Electrical Energizer Telepath to help teach Antenna how to control his electricity.

But, then I was wondering what plans were already in place to help them.

We know that Screech got help with the Winter 2006 Sirens course, and there was some Workshoppers that came up with a better tubing system for Puppet, but are they having treatments to help their power control all the time, or just infrequently?

...

On another note, are most of the Thornies Origins, as they are lacking RequiredSecondaryPowers? Given this? :

Kristin Darken wrote: Technically, 'mutants' are genetically triggered. And why most manifestations occur over time naturally during puberty. Either you are disposed to manifesting or you aren't. Sometimes people exist who have some of the genetic encoding to be a mutant but not a complete 'set' such that the puberty process is sufficient to manifest powers. In rare instances, some outside event (getting hit by lightning, being exposed to a vacuum, chemical or radiation) can result in a manifestation as if that person were a mutant - the event generating the switches that didn't exist completely in the genetics and the shock stress of the trauma substituting for the chemical influences of puberty. While these people aren't technically mutants (they are Origins), they are very close... and can be evaluated as mutants, because it is still the body's manifesting that yields their powers.

Other types of gaining power are less likely to directly track with the mutant power traits... because the powers aren't a natural part of the body. They come from something/someone else.

This is why Origins are more unstable, power wise (especially at first). Their body's don't benefit from the whole package implied in the genetics as a survival set... for instance, an Energizer is likely to manifest in a way that they can throw lightning and will probably be empowered by electricity in general... or at least immune/resistant to damage from an errant electrical charge. An Origin who can throw lightning may not be protected in any way from an ability gained as the result of a lightning strike. The event toggled the genetics for the ability to channel and direct the bolts, but there's no guarantee they can also hold a multi-bolt level of charge.

It's hard to make general statements about Hawthorne, because each student is there for different reasons, and they all have very specialized needs. But Whateley is trying as hard as it can to improve their students' lives, either through powers training or gadgets and devises.

There are ones like Diz, Spoof, Screech, and Cyberkitty who are in because they can't control their powers. They probably get regular training from the best experts that Whateley can call on, with the goal of eventually no longer needing specialized care. Slab is example of one of these who gained enough control over his powers that he can leave Hawthorne, although he chooses not to.

Then there are ones like Puppet, Musk, and Aqueous, who are in for extreme GSD. There's a lot less that can be done here with power training, but we do see that Whateley organizes projects for it's devisors and gadgeteers in the hopes of improving these residents' living conditions. (They probably organize similar projects for the uncontrolled powers group as well, although I'd expect they have lower priority because they might eventually overcome their handicaps on their own.)

Then there are ones like Olympia, who's powers are mostly fine (if strong), but live in Hawthorne because of severe mental instability. She's a lot harder to help, other than the generic Diedricks research that Whateley has ongoing with MegaDeath.

And finally there are students like Sara who are in Hawthorne for none of the reasons mentioned above. I'm sure Whateley does what it can for them, but Sara at least doesn't need more help than the average student (excepting her strange dietary requirements)

Origins rarely happen to teenagers*, though, so I'm guessing that very few Thornies are Origins rather than regular mutants.

*Silver Linings wrote: “Although Origins who are as young as [Stacey] are quite rare, dear, and they usually have a much more… dramatic… trigger for the factor than you did.”

Well, we also know that Hawthorne also has a special staff of doctors...

Although, we've only seen two of them, and their total number is unknown.

crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Dr._Cho

crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Hubert_Traherne

... I wonder how much of the Whateley budget goes towards Hawthorne...