On the television screen, a man fled from a giant boulder. Lenna took a moment to imagine the man as her boyfriend, fleeing for his life. Not because she was mad at him, or any thing. He had recently dressed up as the main character of the movie, and replacing Harrison Ford with a cute freckle-faced blushing boy with orange hair in all of the dramatic action scenes made her happy. Just an orange-haired boy in an orange hat, running from an orange rock... at least, from a certain point of view. Hers.

Everything was still orange. The sky? Orange. Skye? Orange. Except for her lights. Her history homework pages and text book and notes... take a note here, people. Because they were orange. And if some cute pink person were to walk into the mansion’s communal living room area to interrupt Lenna’s studies within the next several minutes, she would regrettably become orange. Bye bye pink pinkness. We will miss you. Hello, orange.

Orange was a pretty good color, really. After long over a week of her power doing this to her after she had deaged, Lenna was largely used to it. The only complications came when she desperately needed to see colors. Like when she dressed herself.

Some times, she could ask a person when she bought an item “Hi. What color is this item? I am colorblind.” Some times, they might even tell her. But then, she would wear it and wash it and put it away. And forget. Eventually, she would be dressed as she currently was.

Lenna was wearing black jeans and orange and white sneakers, with red socks and a hot pink t-shirt, underneath a lime green hoodie with a swoosh the chest.

She was multitasking, watching her movie and working on American history homework. Cowboy Indy was hopping into a plane.

She had been forced into classes, finally. Not all of the classes. They had tested her. Certain areas were ones in which she excelled. Others, she was horribly behind in.

Lenna was at age-appropriate (or better) levels in maths, reading comprehension, physical education and large amounts of biology coursework pertaining to the various elements of the human body. Her knowledge of sciences was limited to areas in which her field had found merit, such as how a gun operates, or various deadly compounds and their chemical interactions. In other areas of biology and science, Lenna was barely there at all.

She had next to nothing in art, save for the ability to create costumes. She had never really drawn or painted, since early childhood. Not even with crayons. Maybe, she could act a little... but that was an extracurricular activity. As far as physics went, she was was cool. How objects interact with objects? Useful! How the earth is round, and the planets move in space? Worthless. Utterly worthless. Other than knowing in which area of the sky the sun rises and sets, and perhaps a cursory knowledge of star charts for navigational purposes, she knew naught. Her geological knowledge was nil, unless useful. Chemistry... only when useful. English, as far as literature went... haha. She had hardly read any books in her life. Unless they dealt with useful information, such as human anatomy or geometry and the calculation of trajectories. And history? She was as good as an alien when it came to history. Unless it directly involved Columbia... and even then. She had lived a sheltered, highly focused, life.

And do, she read about the founding of America. About old white men who came and took a country from its natives, and thought they were so much better than them. In a few years, a psychological text might intrigue her. Figuring out how these men thought and ticked. But for now, it was dry as could be.

Lenna was hoping they would set her up with an interesting class next, like English literature. At least then, she could smuggle in outside reading materials and start bettering herself with recommendations from people she knew and respected. Maybe they would steer her towards books relevant to her interests? Like old west stuff and Star Wars. Or maybe she would find new interests! Being in what amounted to a militaristic cult really had not helped her with thinking or identity at all.

Lenna’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out one famous person from another. Washington. Addams. Adams. Franklin. Blah blah. Blah blah!

”Stupid school,” She growled. Why could they not have just left her alone. She had liked the sleeping in and constant training! And the sneaking out to visit Thai. Off in her own little world with him. Off in Thai land. Lenna reminisced, and fell in to a daydream.

She still did not know it was spelled Ty.

Her hiding spot was quite cozy. Behind the television, she got the benefit of the heat the large screen put off and she still got to hear the movie without having to see the scary parts. Like now. The music was intense and people were panicked. It was better, she told herself, that she couldn't see what was on screen.

She could, however, see from the little crack between the base of the television and its stand that there was a girl. She was sort of watching the movie. Sort of poking her pencil against papers.

> "Stupid school."

"Yeah. Stupid school." She had to agree, even if she was still hiding. School was just that stupid. Solid blue eyes continued to monitor the girl for her reaction to Kalos' voice and for the reaction to the movie. Once it was done, maybe then the gorgon would come out. Maybe.

Blue-green eyes rose to survey the room. She had heard a voice. It had come from the direction of the television.

She had not jumped. She had not been startled. Mildly surprised, but she had kept her face neutral to cover that up.

Before she rose, she scanned the sides of the room. Checked the corners. The ceiling. If the television proved a dead end, she would check beneath the chairs.

Lenna rose. She walked over and turned the television off. Then, she said ”Hello.” to an empty room.

This was far more interesting than school.

The girl didn’t do much. Maybe she’d thought that Kalos’ voice was a part of the movie. That was probably for the best since Kalos wasn’t intending to start a conversation. She’d really just wanted to agree to a point that was correct.

The coral girl traced a fat, black wire with her finger, enjoying the rubbery feeling and the way it pulled against her fingertips. When she looked up again, the girl was standing up.

Oh? Leaving already?

Then she walked closer. The closer she walked, the more alarmed Kalos became. The television turned off and she spoke… she had to be meaning to talk to Kalos.

Kalos froze. She should say hello back! She should. It was, like, a rule or something.

But she choked. Quiet was better. This girl was studying. Surely Kalos was interrupting, HAD already interrupted, the girl’s studies.

The seconds ticked by and Kalos’ anxiety ticked up. Until finally, quietly, she felt she had to say something. It was that or explode.

”Sorry.”

Silence greeted her. Silence, and eventually...

“Sorry.”

Lenna blinked. Yes, that sounded like a girl’s voice. A little girl. Not a big scaly man, not a big hairy woman. A little girl.

”Why... are you behind the television? Are you... are you hiding from someone? Why are you sorry?” Lenna said. Her tone was easy, not concerned. As if hiding with someone were very natural and not something one might worry about.

If it was someone mean, they would handle it. She could handle mean people. They pretty much went down the same as nice people. And she knew a whole lot about dealing with nice people. At least, as far as martial arts takedown moves went. When people are too nice... and it is unnatural... martial arts takedown moves go out the window. And that was largely all she knew.

Was she being too nice? Who cared? Her studies bored her and this person who had barely said a handful of words to her was far more interesting. What even did she look like?

Lenna bent to try and look behind the television at the girl.

And speaking again was enough to tip off the girl. She zeroed in on Kalos' hiding spot immediately. She knew that spot wasn't a ver secure one. She'd just hoped it might last a little longer.

So... Why was she hiding where she was?

"It's warm? And I can hear the movies when those are on." Kalos held her white bone hands up to the back vents of the television where it was gushing out heat like an undersea vent. She wasn't really hiding from any one person in particular. She was just... hiding. For its own sake.

Why are you sorry was a much more difficult question.

"Ehm. You-" She took a steadying breath and started over. "You were doing a focus thing. I interrupted you and I'm really so sorry I won't do it anymore I'll be so quiet and you can just go back it can be okay." Her words had started speeding up to try to stave off the inevitable yelling that would happen. People here didn't hit or kick, but they did tend to get upset. She often upset them.

"Or! I can go! I will just go. I'm go. I won't be your bother." She wanted to slink away, but the place where the girl was standing meant she basically had to have her permission to escape. Kalos smiled a nervous, mostly bubbled coral teeth smile. Obviously she needed practice to look a little less horrifying when she tried a forced smile.

Warm? Movies? Well. Some people liked different things. Lenna would not judge. Seemed strange. But she would not judge.

The girl looked different. Maybe her mutation desired heat? It pressed, Lenna would not have been able to tell her anything about what she thought said mutation WAS. Her natural sciences knowledge was minimal. But there HAD to be something there, which she was missing.

She simply nodded, and furrowed her brow in concentration.

The girl apologized some more. About interrupting the focus thing and stuff. Really demeaned herself doing it, too. Like she could be quiet or she could go, she was sorry she was even there... made Lenna frown. Broke her usual poker face. Hmmm.

Made her contemplate how to react. Her mouth twitched into a pout for a second, and then—

”Nope.” Lenna said. ”Nope. You are not going anywhere. Except out from back there, if you would like. You are NEW! YOU are interesting. More better than me reading stupid text books. I like you. Will you not come out and talk with me?” She asked.

Lenna waiter patiently, and tried not to seem threatening. She even tried to smile. It may not have been truly convincing. Perhaps, even forced. She was not used to smiling in awkward situations. Or situations...

Nope.

Kalos cringed. Oh Poseidon, she'd made her more mad than she'd thought! She turned wide eyes up to the girl's enthusiasm and didn't quite comprehend what was happening.

She... liked? Being interrupted?

"What's wrong with your face?" She goggled at the baring of teeth and ... was that amusement in her eyes? No, the eyes flashed back to an almost dead look. The coral girl was so totally thrown by the mix of signals she was getting. "Are you okay?"

Despite her desire to stay hidden, it was more advantageous to be able to run now that she'd been spotted. Kalos kept low, but she did wriggle out from behind the television so that she wouldn't bowl the entire rig over. The list time she'd broken something, the adults had gotten very... anxious.

Wrong with her face?

Lenna went neutral.

”It is just a face. I am merely curious about you. Sorry. That probably sounded very... odd. I am not very good with people.”

At least, she was not good in social situations such as this. Ones where she came off strange. She had come off strange, yes? Like some sort of creepy... creeper.

But, then, the girl was strange too. Seemed jumpy, ready to bolt like a small animal. Lenna did not want to spook the small girl. And what was with HER face? Seemed almost like... coral?

Lenna had seen coral. One of her compatriots had kept a small piece as a keepsake. From a reef off the coast.

”It is weird seeing orange coral.” She commented. ”Usually, it is pink...”