An all-male counterpart to Madmoiselle Geraldine's Finishing School, Bunson and Lacroix's Boys' Polytechnique, sometimes called "Bunson's", is located in a town called Swiffle-on-Exe. They teach young men how to be evil geniuses, encouraging them to cause mayhem and build sinister gadgetry. Occasionally, both schools work together—Mademoiselle Geraldine's stops at Bunson's when repairs to the dirigibles are needed. The schools ally only so long as they can both benefit from it. After Monique de Pelouse bungles the retrieval of the prototype, relations between the two schools become slightly cooler. The school eventually wins the contract to produce the final version of this prototype, crystalline guidance valves, for the Picklemen.
Some of the school's main focuses include technology to combat the supernatural and genteel dress and manners. They punish those who do not adhere to their strict ideals of evil-doing. Bunson's is anti-supernatural and supports the Picklemen. They are a feeder school for The Order of the Brass Octopus and for the university Ecole des Arts et Métiers.
No females are allowed on the campus. This is enforced by porter mechanicals that send flames at the offending females.
Appearance[]
The school is made is of a hodgepodge of old and new buildings, some square, some round, others completely foreign in appearance. Puffs of steam and plumes of smoke rise over its towers. Wires run between the towers, with sticks jutting outward and netting hanging from their ends. Odd lights glow in the windows.
Faculty[]
Notable Students[]
- Pillover Plumleigh-Teignmott – Dimity’s younger brother.
- Vieve/Genevieve – Professor Lefoux’s niece, an inventor who dresses as a boy and sneaks her way into studying at Bunson's under the name Gaspar Lefoux.
- Lord Felix Mersey - Son of a Pickleman and member of the Pistons.
- The Pistons - A group of young men who enjoy causing mischief and bullying Pillover, identified by a brass-colored ribbon tied around the hat and gears fastened to the waistcoat.
- Possibly Quesnel Lefoux, son of Genevieve Lefoux[1]
Evil Genius Levels[]
Students earn "Evil Genius" levels for their accomplishments at the school. The levels *(from top to bottom) are:
- Evil Genius
- Vengeful Genius
- Spiteful Genius
- Reprobate Genius
- Discourteous Genius
- Mildly Rude Genius
Extras[]
Quotes[]
- "Bunson's was massive, but oddly hodgepodge - not like a respectable educational facility at all. A few of its towers were square, but others were round; some were old, others new; and some were positively foreign looking. There were wires stretching between the towers, and sticks jutting outward with netting dangling off their ends. An orange glow lit up various windows, here and there puffs of steam emanated forth, and one large smokestack belched plumes of black smoke up into the sky." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Three)
- “'Isn't Bunson's training evil geniuses?' 'Yes, mostly.' 'Well, is that wise? Having a mess of seedling evil geniuses falling in love with you willy-nilly? What if they feel spurned?' 'Ah, but in the interim, think of the lovely gifts they can make you. Monique bragged that one of her boys made her silver and wood hair sticks as anti-supernatural weapons. With amethyst inlay. And another made her an exploding wicker chicken.' 'Goodness, what's that for?' Dimity pursed her lips. 'Who doesn't want an exploding wicker chicken?'" (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Nine)
- "Unlike the bells of Mademoiselle Geraldine's, Bunson's alarm seemed to be based on the noise made by a wobbling saw, only louder. It was an amusing wob-woob that vibrated through the entire hodgepodge building." (Etiquette & Espionage, Lesson Twelve)
- “Evil genius-ness was like that--showy.” (Manners & Mutiny, Crisis One)