School of Masks AU
So I came up with his au some years ago and never did anything with it. It can apply to any fandom so go nuts.
There exists a school in Salzwedel, Germany. Once an old castle built into the hillside and tucked away from the rest of the world was now a place of high learning. Drosselmeyers Kunstschule, which translates to Drosselmeyer’s school of art. Many who go there simply call it “The Masquerade”.
Getting in however is the hard part. This is because the schools legacy is built on greatness and they only desire the cream of the crop. Children that came from great artists, chefs, dancers and actors that once attended the academy are invited automatically but the school scouts new students from across the earth who have the potential to also become one of next stars.
You can imagine then that everyone wants to get in and that would be true if the world knew of the schools existence. The academy doesn’t like the outside world butting into school business so it’s almost unknown in the public sector and even among it’s previous students it isn’t talked about. After all students don’t even know each others real names.
When you enter Drosselmeyer’s you are no longer the person you were before. You have to choose who you are now. You will pick your new name and new appearance first, before you even step foot on campus. Dyeing your hair and using colored contacts is most common these days but there are those who will also use this chance to begin presenting as another gender and are in fact encouraged to.
On your first day you will be rounded up to the crafts room where you will make your first mask. Keep in mind you will build many of them through your years at the school because you must never be seen without one outside your dorm room.
This is for good reason, because the school is built on the pillars that “To be your true self you must first discard who you think you are.”
It comes from the belief that everyone has a facade and filters what they say and do to fool the world and when your parents are famous like many of the students you are expected to fake many things about yourself.
From day one you are on even footing with every student and it is then your job to make something of yourself from that. And to tell people who you are is to give up the masquerade and you will be expelled, after all it proves your reliance on your family name and not on yourself what you alone accomplish. Many students are lost on the first year due to this and it is only those to remain who can reap the benefits of this first class education.
To those who built a life inside the school they will find a rich life. You will receive three dorm mates that you will share what amounts to a four bedroom apartment with from the ages of 13 to 18. You will start school and end your school careers together, unless they are expelled or they turn out to be jerks and you have to move rooms. These dorm mates are chosen based on your programs of study and general personalities. This way you will have stuff in common. (Warning: the headmaster or headmistress may play around and pick roommates based on what would be more interesting instead.) These people alone will be the only ones to know what your face looks, like after all you can’t live in your mask and you have to live together. Hopefully you can get along.
On to classes, your classes are based around your program of study; art, music, and theater. From there they are split into subcategories that each student must progress through.
Art: animation, architecture, calligraphy, ceramics, computer, conceptual, artistic design, drawing, fashion, graffiti, graphic, illuminated manuscript, illustration, mosaic, painting, gardening, photography, sculpture, stained glass, tapestry, writing, landscaping, video, and culinary.
Music: Every genre, Every instrument, singing, opera, orchestra, band, editing, conducting, and film scoring
Theater: musical theatre, magic, illusion, mime, spoken word, puppetry, cosmatilagy, circus arts, dance, directing, acting, ballet, latin, comedy, spoken word, and public speaking.
These are all the things each student must at least try once while in this school even while persuading their desired study and they must always be challenged. We never want to hear something is easy because nothing here shouldn’t. But the challenge will always be made fun for our students sake.
We can guarantee that our students are getting the best for one reason alone. Community. You see once you are part of the school you never truly leave. All of our teachers have attended the school themselves and year round these teachers swap out with famous and well known celebrities that have also attended our respectable school. What better way to learn to sing but from an international pop star. These graduating students are here for one reason, to pass on what was given to them. No matter what they say they weren’t all naturally gifted, it took blood, sweat, tears and a patiant teacher to get where they are and the same will be expected of you after you graduate.
Don’t think you are exempt from common core education while attending either. Math, science, language, and all that are still part of your school day. We may be very liberal and allow our students to roam with freedom but we still are an academy.
One last reminder, we have a zero tolerance policy on bullying, sexism, racism, classism, and albinism. Gender is not an exception to anything. We don’t care if you don’t want to play the opposite gender in the school play, as one of the world’s future great actors you must be able to play any role. How do you think we got Neil Patrick Harris? Besides of it’s good enough for the Shakespeare it’s good enough for you.
We hope to see you soon and wait with baited breath as you raise to greatness. We can’t what to see what your true self is like as you journey to become them though the mask you wear.
