Library

You now had a safe harbor in your room, probably. But the only safety long term is learning everything you can about mind control, and how to not get snared. Your new roommate confirmed that the Library and Gym are safe zones, mind control is strictly forbidden. The cafeteria, less so, but the Dean had warned anyone off trying to mess with the food.

Not being such an athletic type, it sounded like the library was where to go.

You headed down the hallways, trying to stay alert, but not look like prey. Fortunately, placards at every corner directed you, and you easily found yourself in a four-story room packed with books, CDs, data crystals, scrolls and other storage media. A golem of gently glowing blue crystal and gold wire waved from behind a reference desk, pointing to the large sign saying 'ABSOLUTELY NO MIND CONTROL.' You nodded to show you'd gotten the message, then started looking around.

The place was absolutely huge, but you quickly realized it was partitioned into five major sections. Hypnosis, Chi, Magic, Technology, & Chemistry. Those would be the core classes then. It looked like you'd have to search all five sections for advice on how to resist each type of mind control, how bothersome.

You decided to start with chemistry, best to start with your strengths, right? And your weaknesses, to get stronger and less ****. Chemistry would be your strength from your lab experience and homebrew XChange projects, and maybe tech? And everything else was terrifyingly new and a definite weakness.

You meant to only grab defense books to start, but a title caught your eye 'Everything you ever wanted to know about XCHANGE.' You had to peek, and then you needed the book. It had complete formulae for all XChange variants, and dozens more you'd never heard of, like creating entire new personalities and skill-sets. Okay, a lot of those looked like maid, stripper, secretary, but still! What a wonder!

With the XChange book and a few on countering chemical mind control and pheromones, you headed for the central area and almost literally ran into someone, a cute girl in a strange black outfit.

"Oh hi! Sorry! I'm Claudia, I was just looking for potions books. Weird how they're all the way out here. Your hair is so pretty! Do you want to sit with me?"