Regan saw the small bit of relief that Vincente showed in his handsome features. It wasn’t much, but it was there and she noticed. She smiled softly back at him, she was glad that she was able to offer some comfort and understanding. So many people didn’t know what it was like to have no clue who they are or who they were. Both situations were frustrating either way, but it was nice to know that once again they shared some common ground.

Following along as Vincente started to show the different classrooms to Regan, she got quite gigglely and bounced with excitement. The classrooms were amazing to her, places built and dedicated to learning, it was like a dream. Regan loved to learn new things, she was a typical curious cat, and she could just imagine what it was like for the children here to learn in a safe place without judgment. What she would have given to be able to have come to a school like this, to have been able to learn without being stared at, to have been able to learn without feeling like a monster. Part of her envied the children that got to come here, but at the same time she was so glad that they didn’t have to grow up like she did.

Once the classroom tour was completed, they made their way back outside. The cool breeze ruffled Regan’s fur and she took in a deep breath of the fresh air. It felt like they had been inside for ages now that they were back outdoors. Her feline eyes adjusted to the light change and once her vision was focused, she looked at the grounds of the mansion. There were tress and hedges all over and she spotted the greenhouse in the distance. She smirked and decided that this would be a good time to challenge Vincente to that little race.

With a quirk of her brow she looked up at her large friend and smiled. “Race you there!” She said and took off running towards the greenhouse with a giggle. She ran upright for now to give Vincente a fair chance since she didn’t know exactly how fast he was. She looked over her shoulder to see if he was giving chase and play with her.

Outside was exactly what the doctor ordered. Standing there, looking over at Regan, the young chimera had to smirk at the expression on her face. Yes, she really seemed to like the classrooms and the interior of the mansion, but it was obvious that she was built for the outside. Her perfect frame was just made for open spaces and for disappearing into the foliage of the trees above. It was no small thing to think that he had found the perfect spot for her.

If Regan stayed, he had a feeling that indeed she would be happy.

Vicente was about to go on to explain a little more of the gardens when he noticed that the greenhouse took the young woman’s eye. He watched her momentarily before she turned and offered him a toothy grin. He smiled back but was surprised when a look of glee filled her eyes.

>> “Race you there!”

And boom she was gone.

“Hey!” he laughed. If she wanted a race, he would definitely give her a race.

Suddenly he was off, running as fast as his legs would carry him. The thing was that even though he was rather bulky, the majority of Vicente’s working out had been based around running. He loved to running. As a matter of fact he could do a number of laps around the perimeter of the mansion that most people seemed to say was a lot more than they expected him to do. Therefore…a dash to the greenhouse was nothing.

Light on his feet, Vicente ran. By the time that Regan looked back to see where he was, he was smirking as he started to pass her.

“Got to do better than that, Beautiful,” he said with a wink and ran past her.

Regan stumbled slightly at his comment as he ran past her. That sure caught her off guard! She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was now past her and slightly ahead. She would think about the ‘Beautiful’ comment later, right now she had a race to win, or at least tie!

Realizing that he was a lot faster than she had originally thought, Regan launched herself forward so that she was now running on all fours and at her full strength. Her long tail whipped around behind her keeping her balance as she was able to take much longer strides running like this. She quickly caught up to Vincente with the power of all four of her limbs, her front claws digging into the cold snow as she went. This was exhilarating!

She started to giggle as she started to edge past him a little. She just hoped that he didn’t end up tripping over her while she was down on the ground until she had gotten enough distance in front of him.

They were getting closer and closer to the greenhouse now, she wondered which of them would win the race, but really she was happy just to have someone to play with. Sure she was an adult, but she really had the heart of a kitten. She loved to run and play, work out and wrestle, and generally have as much physical fun as she could cram in before a well earned cat nap, but few people could keep up with her. Vincente on the other hand seemed to match her energy levels quite well, and she was happy to have found a willing playmate to play with her for a while. She was so happy that she even thought about maybe letting him win this time around.

Vicente did run for his life. Not only because Regan challenged him to a race (then proceeded to cheat!) but because she was actually a pretty good challenge. He hadn’t run into many other feral mutants yet, but from this experience it was becoming obvious that they definitely had an ability to keep up with him. Vicente just always found himself with having some naturally high levels of energy. Maybe that was a side-effect from his powers, or just the fact that he liked to work out. He wasn’t sure. Either way, though, he was more than willing to take advantage of this moment.

Right here, right now, running through the snow with this mutant…he actually felt normal.

His breath clouding mistily in front of him, Vicente looked like a charging train barreling forward with a single track mind. He was focused purely on the greenhouse ahead of them and would do anything to get there before the green furred muta—

He blinked. Did she just past him, running on all fours?! That little…

Vicente smirked as he poured the rest of his strength into his muscular legs, running as far and fast as he could but he had to admit that she was pretty tough to keep up with. Before he knew it, she was passing by him and he needed to throw everything into his running just to keep up the pace.

It was of little wonder that she beat him to the greenhouse. Chuckling and breathing a bit heavily, he smirked as he watched her, shaking his head.

“You…are a bad cheater,” he chuckled but nodded. “But, I’ll concede that you won that one.”

Now focused on the goal, Regan bounded to the greenhouse and skidded to a stop. Vicente was right behind her and she was rather impressed that he was able to keep up with her so well, even running on all fours. She was panting softly and giggled at his comments. “I was sizing up my competition. Next time I’ll play fair ok? Let’s call it a tie since I did get a head start.” She giggled and sat down in the snow and then flopped backwards. She was still panting and rather overheated under all that fur. The cold snow felt wonderful and she started to make a snow angel while she was down here. Oh life outdoors was wonderful, this was where she belonged. Right here, right now, with a great new friend.

Suddenly she remembered that Vicente was still here and he was only in a tight t-shirt. She stopped and looked up at him from her star position on the ground. “Oh you must be cold, we should probably head into the greenhouse and warm you up!” She sat up and started to pull the chunks of snow that had froze to her hair out. She didn’t want to track all that snow inside. Finally she stood up and started dusting the snow off of her clothing. Turning her back to him, she looked over her shoulder at Vicente and asked a familiar question. “Did I get it all?”

>> “I was sizing up my competition. Next time I’ll play fair ok? Let’s call it a tie since I did get a head start.”

“Haha, fine, it’s a tie.”

Vicente had to smirk. He knew that Regan really wasn’t a cheater; well, technically she was. She ran off before the race even began so more than likely that could be considered cheating. But using her natural mutation as a means to win wasn’t cheating in his book. She was just being herself. But that didn’t mean he didn’t get to make fun of her about the situation. It was something that could be easily glazed over, though. It was just a small infraction.

Chuckling as he watched her fall back onto the ground, she moved in such a way as to make a snow angel appear on the cold, frosty stuff that covered the ground. The smirk on his lips stretched wider when he realized the amount of fun she was having. Maybe she was finally realizing that she could indeed have fun in this place.

He hoped so. It would have been a shame for her to leave now.

Giving off an involuntary chill, Vicente warmed up his arms as he realized just how cold it was out here. He had been running only moments ago so it was easy for him to over look the chill. But now that he was stopped, yeah, he definitely needed some warmth.

>> “Oh you must be cold, we should probably head into the greenhouse and warm you up!...Did I get it all?”

He looked over and nodded. It was a good idea to move along now. But when she posed her last question, he had to momentarily blush. He still remembered only moments ago when they were at the lake’s edges and Regan was washing off. She asked him that same question and suddenly remembered seeing her half submerged in water, trying to wash off blood.

Clearly his throat awkwardly, Vicente only glanced at her before he looked away and shook his head.

“Yup, all of it,” he confirmed with a nod. Offering her another smile, he stepped up to the greenhouse door and pulled it open for her. “Come on, let’s get in.”

Stifling a small giggle as she realized that although Vicente was part animal, he didn’t have the ability to keep as worm as she did. There were a few perks to being a walking fur ball after all.

“Next time we decide to play in the snow we will have to make sure you are properly dressed my friend!” She smiled a fanged grin up at him and giggled. It was the first time she had ever really said those last two words out loud, 'my friend', but she meant them with Vicente, she considered him her friend. She was excited to get to play outside with him again, he played along with her and that was a rare trait in someone and she appreciated that trait.

Following Vicente into the greenhouse, a waft of warm air passed over her. She could smell the flowers and vegetables, as well as the soil and dampness in the air. This was going to be her haven, her play of solace and joy. Plants were the one thing that Regan really liked, and she was pretty good at taking care of them. Her “Father” had built her a greenhouse when she was younger because she was always whiskers deep in a plant book. She had some experience with greenhouse work so she’d love to help out and work in here if the school would allow her to.

She tried to peek around Vicente’s large frame as she stood in the doorway, but her couldn’t get a glimpse at all. She tried getting on her tip toes to look over his shoulder, but all she saw was his shoulder. She tried to peek though by his arm, but all she saw was his arm. After a few more failed attempts she sighed and gave him a gentle push on his lower back with flat hands. “Come on already! The suspense is killing me!”

The blast from the warmth within was heavenly. Standing in front of the greenhouse door, feeling the warmth seeping out, Vicente instantly felt a renewal in his limbs. He was very glad that he had saved this part of the tour for last. As much as he liked being outside, it was getting colder and the greenhouse was the perfect place to combating that. Regulated to a near constant perfect temperature, the plants and flowers inside are all safe from the draining, cold touch of winter.

He sighed again, the fragrance filling his nose and the heat sending the chill away from his skin. But, he had apparently stood there too long as she felt the near anxious energy of his new friend bouncing on her heels behind him.

>> “Come on already! The suspense is killing me!”

Chuckling he muttered an apology over his shoulder as he moved out of the way to let her inside first. After all, that was the gentleman thing to do.

“Go on,” he said with a smile as he waved her in. “Ladies first.”

It was only when she was inside that he closed the door behind them to fully seal them off from the swirling cold on the outside. They could stay here for a little bit, just to warm up some before they returning back to the mansion. He still needed to get her signed up for a room and classes. That is, if she wanted to stay.

Looking over her shoulder, he smiled at the all the greenery and flowers that were situated all around them. There he could see the various exotic and local plantlife hanging from pots or sitting comfortable in boxes across the ground. He had only been here a couple of times but he had to admit that it was really well cared for. He hoped that they could get another gardener soon.

He smiled as she leaned down to one to the nearest flowers and took in the scent. It was sweet. He looked up at Regan and smirked.

“What do you think?”

As soon as Vicente’s large form moved out of the doorway, Regan ran inside and started to look around. There were plants everywhere, all different kinds and even a vegetable garden. This cat was in heaven! She giggled as she ran from one plant box to the next, taking in all of the wonderful floral scents. Her pink feline nose was in overdrive as it wiggled with every sniff, taking in every floral scent. This was the most wonderful place in the world and there was no other place she would rather be right now.

The sound of Vicente’s voice snapped her out of her little world and she looked over at him with a big, fanged grin. She spun around on her heels in a circle with her arms extended and laughed before looking back at him once again. “This is Eden! I love it here!” She bounced around and giggled as she took in more of the plant life that surrounded them. After a few more minutes of giggles and squeals of joy, Regan came running back out from behind a grouping of plants. She ran up to Vicente and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big squeeze. Her small form hid the strength she actually had. Her furry face was pressed against his chest; her eyes closed listening to the beating of his heart. Her long tail curled up in the air behind her and with a soft purr, all she said was, “Thank you Vicente.”

>> “This is Eden! I love it here!”

Vicente chuckled audibly as he watched Regan dash further into the greenhouse, hopping and skipping about as she threw herself into the mass of greenery and sweet scents. In silence he watched her, comparing her to some of the small children he had seen running around the mansion since he had been here. Not that he at all considered Regan childish. But her awe and glee for being in a world like this was obvious very innocent.

It made him smile. To know he brought her to a place on the mansion that was potentially a deal breaker for getting her to stay was fantastic. He was glad that she found her own place in the wide world of this mansion to call her home.

Hands shoved into his pocket, he slowly followed her in, smiling at the scent of both the exotic and local flora, even some of plan old gardening vegetables. If any place in the world could be “Eden”, Vicente would definitely believe it was this one.

Catching up to her, Vicente remained silent. He didn’t want to interrupt whatever she was feeling or coming to terms with about this place. He was afraid that anything he said might influence her decision. She needed to decide herself whether or not she wanted to stay her.

>> “Thank you Vicente.”

Then she hugged him. It was strange. He had been hugged before but those were quick and friendly. This one, though born out of gratitude, obviously had a lot more feeling behind it. It was not just friendship…it was honest thanks. And that felt good.

The corner of his lip curled into a small smile as he wrapped his arms around her and returned the gesture, gently patting her back.

“You’re welcome, Regan,” he said with a smile. “I hope this means that you’ll stay?”

Regan felt Vicente’s large arms wrap around her small form and pat her back. She was so happy to be here right now. He asked if she would stay and she looked up at him, still hugging him for the moment. “Well, I’ll tell you what, I will definitely give it some consideration. Maybe I could do a temporary stay? You know, to see if I will actually like being here before I go and sign up permanently?” As much as she loved the tour and the greenhouse so far, she was still apprehensive and unsure if she would truly fit in here. If she could at least get a temporary pass to stay and try it out before making her full decision, then she wouldn’t feel so bad if she had to just up and leave the place all of a sudden.

She searched his face for an answer, her emerald eyes darting over every inch. She finally settled her eyes on his dark brown ones and admired them with a soft smile. She couldn’t help but let out a little sigh as she got a little lost in them for a moment. Suddenly realizing that she was still wrapped around Vicente, she quickly shook her head to free herself from the pull of those brown eyes. She released Vicente from her embrace and looked a little bashful for having held onto him for so long of a time. Regan giggled a little nervously and tried to give him a soft smile. She was glad she was covered in fur right now because her face was hot from the blush that was burning her cheeks. “Heh, sorry about that.” She said apologizing for having hugged him for so long. She was never good with social interactions and she was hoping that this little moment of awkwardness didn’t ruin their new friendship.

>> “Well, I’ll tell you what, I will definitely give it some consideration. Maybe I could do a temporary stay? You know, to see if I will actually like being here before I go and sign up permanently?”

Vicente smirked a little at Regan’s response. She still wasn’t ready to commit, was she? Oh well, he could understand the bit of trepidation that she was sure to have. This was an entirely new environment with whole new social and personal rules that she was going to have to learn. That had to be shocking in any state of mind.

But, sincerely, he did hope that she would choose to stay. If she wanted it to remain temporary for now, just to give herself a way out if she ever felt uncomfortable, then so be it. He was sure that many mutants had probably done that in the past. It was definitely a way to feel more comfortable since they were obviously trusting a lot to this mansion and to its staff. After facing a cruel world, how could they really just put all their trust in someone, especially an institution that seemed far too good to be true?

He nodded understandingly. If that was the way she wanted to go, then so be it. He was sure that the counselors or greeters would be fine with letting her in like that.

…

Huh…she was still hugging him. The realization of that brought him momentarily out of his thought daze and caused him to looked down at her. Instantly he matched those curious eyes that stared back at him. If fur could blush, he was certain that her’s just had.

The idea made him smile.

>> “Heh, sorry about that.

A chuckle on his lips, he nodded his head.

“S’fine. Was…warm,” he beamed. “Come on. Let’s get you to the sign in office then.”

Regan let out another nervous giggle when Vicente said her hug was warm. She nodded her head in agreement because it was warm indeed. It had been a long time since she had felt the warmth of someone else against her fur and it was a nice feeling.

A soft smile crossed over Regan’s lips and she nodded at Vicente. “Ok, let’s go get me signed up, remember you promised to get me a good room.” She giggled softly and turned to take in one last glance of the beauty of the greenhouse. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath through her pink nose, taking in all the smells one more time. Enhanced senses were so nice sometimes, even standing by the door, Regan could smell all of the flowers like she had her face stuffed into a bouquet.

She turned back to Vicente and smiled. She rocked on her heels a few times while she waited for Vicente to lead the way back to the mansion and then to the office so she could get signed up for a temporary stay at the mansion. Once she had some time to get acquainted with the mansion and the people here, she could make her final decision as to whether to stay here for good.

The hug, sadly, had finally ended. Vicente pulled away and looked down with a smile at the young, feline looking woman. He had to admit that he was very glad that she found something that she could like here at the mansion. He really would have hated to have seen her leave when the mansion had absolutely so much to offer her. A home, a purpose, friends, compassion, it was exactly what someone in her position needed.

He really and truly hoped that she would listen to reason and accept. Even if it were just for a trial basis and with an exit planned, he hoped that she would stick around. Not only was it good for her but…well…he would like having her as a friend.

>> “Ok, let’s go get me signed up, remember you promised to get me a good room.”

He grinned and nodded. It was time to go. And, of course, he would make sure that he got her the best room that he could.

Momentarily he watched as she turned back to face the flowers. The scent must have been so alluring to her. He knew what it was like to have senses like that, to smell absolutely everything in the room. If she loved flowers then she must have been in heaven. But, it would be there in the morning.

Nodding he turned and headed to the mansion, opening the door for Regan to exit.

“Come on, can’t stay out in the snow all day. Oh…and…RACE YA!” he beamed as he suddenly started to race towards the mansion.

He could cheat too…

The smell of all the blooms were so heavenly it was hard for Regan to pull away from them, but really she needed to get going. With a small sigh, she turned when she heard Vicente open the door and headed outside as he was being the gentleman that he was and held the door open for her.

Hitting the cold air once again, Regan stretched her arms over her head and smiled, oh how she loved the outdoors. She turned to smile at her large friend when he started to speak. He then pulled the same little trick on her that she had pulled on him not too long ago, and started running to the mansion.

“Hey!” she said with a giggle as she let him get a head start. She smirked to herself for a moment and watched him before letting out a loud roar and bolting off after him on all fours. This time, she just might let him win.