The Greeks kept her ideas about what the worst that could possibly happen to herself, as that felt wise. She was a bit flustered by the unexpected hug but returned one with practiced ease so as to not come across as rude. Rebecca was such a lovely woman inside and out and it certainly wasn't her problem in any way or shape that Andy still had quite a few lingering reservations about her own powers. She let it lay at that, with only a slight brown tinge to her cheeks and a little smile show that she truly had any feelings on the matter.

Thankfully things shifted and she was spared from having to address any of those feelings. Instead, she was able to adamantly and thoroughly begin panicking over the idea of Becca, who she was sure was capable, getting up to... whoops some butt?

"Oh dear."

Pregnant women, x-man or not, should not be engaging in butt whooping behaviors! So many things could go wrong! Also, hormones were flowing at MAX CAPACITY, and lord only knows what that could do to a woman who was all riled up. God have pity on whoever she set her sights upon at that point!

"Surely you should let someone else handle this, my dear..." She lifted her hands in what she hoped was a calming way and went to lean forward a bit, only to feel a tug and realize she was snagged on something. Or rather, Sloth was snagged on something. Before she could investigate herself, Becca kindly and unintentionally filled her in on who Sloth had snagged, apparently.

"Fer Godsakes, Saph, ay coorse yer th' punchy ain. Ah know ye can fly aff th' handle fer jist abit nae reason, but coods ye behave at a party? Fer me?"

Her whole face, neck, and ears, colored a warm brown tint instantly and she went very, very still.

Ah. Saph. Of all the people she could have run into at such an event, it was Saphirus. Was this divine punishment for having avoided him for so long?

A flurry of emotions attacked her all at once. Guilt, joy, apprehension. She simultaneously wanted to hop up and congratulate him on his marriage and child, and also to turn and chastise him for being disruptive at a charity event when she rightly should have known better. "...Saphirus..."

She cleared her throat and wiggled herself into a half turn, putting her hands on Sloth in a gentle attempt to persuade him to let go on her Ex-Husband without a fight. "It is good to see you again... um..." The bog snake refused, flicked his tongue at her, and tightened his grip.

"Sloth let go please." She tugged, struggled, and fought the urge to look up at the man she had more or less left in the middle of the night. It had been much different when he had been half drugged in a hospital bed and she was able to hide behind her work face while fixing him. Now, not so much.

"Also, Becca is completely right. This is a party, Saphirus! Not a place that is suitable for roughhousing. Think about what kind of example you are setting for the kids around here."

Maybe she could hide behind disappointed-responsible-adult face instead?

She turned her attention back to Michael, ignoring the heat still in her cheeks and how flustered she suddenly was with the unexpected turn of events. "I am neither an X man nor woman. I never had the, how to put it... disposition for it?" She chuckled weakly. "I frequent the school though as I have many friends there. I am just your average nurse."

Average average. Perfectly average. Nothing to see here.

So... This was proceeding terribly. He'd really been born with the most terrible luck. Becca was here, and threatening to kick the ass of who ever had punched the person he had just punched. He was attached to his ex-wife via constrictor, and his prey was looking up at him smugly.

His Preggo team mate pleaded with him not to fly off the handle, and he had a sheepish look on his face for a second before he thought about what she was saying... "B-Becca, I-" Wait, hold up. Wait a goddam second. Why did everyone immediately assume he was in the wrong, here?! I mean, he was, but what if this man was, and this was a big what if, someone Saph had personally seen kill a room full of people?!

Oh wait, HE #@$%in WAS. His fists clenched as his mind raced to think of a response that would really give her what's for for not supporting her team mate, when Andrea spoke up, and his mouth immediately went dry.

He looked down to her, his fists relaxing as he kneeled and tried to help extract Sloth... He'd done it a lot in the past, so he was pretty good at gently coaxing the snake off with little nudges and allowing slow progessive removal.

She brow beat him as well and he looked to the young man, and then back to Andrea. "Heh, yeah... sorry. I'll, eh, yeah... be more careful." He looked over to the young man, who was flustered himself. His question settled it. He seemed honestly confused enough to convince him that this was, indeed, a younger iteration of the man he'd fought at the bowling alley.

That complicated things. Andrea responded to his question, and he looked down to her. "Average? I dunno about that. They say you work miracles..." Not that... not that he was closely following rumors about her, or anything.

Anyway.

"Yeah. I'm one of the X-Men. We both are." He nodded toward Becca. "What about you? What's your name?" If he wasn't going to be able to interrogate that man, he was going to get all of the info he could from his younger self.

There... Yeah... Okay... Just don't look at her. You can manage to be perfectly reasonable if you don't look at her. Now, to find a way to loop Becca into something being up, so she can help. He tried to lock eyes with the pregnant scottish swimsuit wearing teacher who was also one of the X-Men, in order to tilt his head toward the young man and widen his eyes a little bit in an indicatorial manner. You know, that motion you made when you were trying to get someone to actively read your mind in relation to someone else.

Still, his eyes ended up wandering down to Andrea. #@$^ She was a blushing a little bit. Damnit. "H- How you holdin up?" @#$^ damnit, really?

"It was jus’ a lil love tap. Dinnit even leave a scratch.” Noel caught the eye of one of his guys on duty and shrugged a smile. He really was okay. And now he wasn’t getting kidnapped, he was feeling like the whole thing might have been a weird joke.

His okayness was helped along by the look on Saph’s face when his teammate piled on and the green lady’s hair paid him some attention. Either he didn’t like snakes. Or he really liked snakes too much and the snakes liked him too much and they were denying that love because SNAKES WERE HER HAIR.

"Oh. I'm no x-man, but y’all already knew that.” He guffawed with good nature. It’d been the phrasing that’d made it sound like Saph didn’t know his own team. ”Nah. I have a real paying job."

Noel might’ve always thought things like that, but it was rather rare that he was letting them out of his face. He hadn’t meant to besmirch all the X’s, either. Really just any needling he could accomplish for his would-be kidnapper was gonna happen.

The buff red head, in particular, seemed worth protecting, though maybe that was because she seemed with child and that made him wildly uncomfortable.

"No offense t’ the adult in the hottub. Y’ look like y’ work hard for it.” Because you don’t get that buff without working for it or growing into a mutation that made you want to down 3 cows a day. Noel’d learned a few things about buffness lately.

The tenderness and weird blushing between snakes and Saphirus was getting a bit much for his taste. Maybe he would just scoot on. Though, still, his eyes kept coming back to that bump. That bump that the gorgon had all but confirmed had a baby in it.

"How is it being in an active job?” He was hoping that wasn’t somehow insulting, but… he had questions and there was no way not to step in something.

The strapping young man seemed confused, but Rebecca was uncertain of why. He was stumbling around asking something, though it did settle on whether they were X-Men. ”Ah’m an’ X-Men. Nae thes sweet lass here, though,” she clarified, gesturing to Andrea.

Becca was going to jump to a foreboding warning but she could hold off, because Saph was his own distracting presence. He was (naturally) starting trouble, but because he was here, Andrea’s whole body language changed drastically. Impressively, she did a remarkable job jumping from awkward to disappointed, grabbing the baton from Becca on that front.

It was nice to be on a team, even if that meant they were sort of teaming up against Saph. ”Oh gee, Saph, why micht we assume when punchin’ troubles start, ye micht jist be at th’ start ay it?” She turned to the star-spangled young man and vouched for him. ”He’s snippy, bit he is an X and he’s a mostly guid guy.”

It was not something she caught right away, but she was pretty sure the man complimented her physique. Was the right thing to say it was a mutation given by her baby? Sure. Was she going to point that out? No. She would enjoy the praise. ”Ah’m benched til Ah have my baby, bit that disnae mean Ah cannae lay it a troublemaker. Luckily, a handsome lad loch ye isnae gonna give me reason tae dae ‘at, right?” She glared from the newcomer to Saph and back. ”Everyone knows hoo tae be responsible an’ grown in public, right?”

Vanessa did not want to make Agnes feel awkward, but she was also well known for saying things when they popped into her head. Tonight, that felt worse for some reason. If there was a toll booth checking thoughts before they moved from her brain to her mouth, it was out of commission.

Despite a rough premise, Nessa did talk her way into an Agnes smile. As rewards went, she was happy with that one. Those pretty lips formed such an alluring smile, it was hard not to think about kissing them.

The suggestion must have caught Agnes off guard. Nessa tensed up, worried she might have crossed a line. The water and Agnes’s smile relaxed her. Those cheeks wore a blush so damn well.

Agnes was not turning down a kiss, but she was playing coy. It was fair; you cannot cheat your way into a kiss with a beautiful woman, right? It was a silly joke, but Nessa could not avoid her own curiosity. She shuffled over, sitting closer to Agnes in the water. ”Well… if we’re sparing me a conversation with our ex-girlfriend. If I asked her how you like to be romanced, what might I learn?”

It was very fortunate that Ezmeralda’s primary motivation was to keep herself out of police custody. If her main goal here was to get laid, she would have definitely gotten herself arrested for public indecency.

As it stood, she was toeing that line, as the bubbling water did its best to obscure her to acceptable public standards. Ashton joined her in the tub and she was willing to bet from that close, he was getting his own show.

The striptease was rewarded in turn, and goddess, Ashton was a reward worth reveling in. It was a shame to hide a body like that behind a gaudy Hawaiian shirt.

Though that thought did give her an idea. ”Well, of course. I love winning.”

Before she could do something cheeky, the well-trained vigilante was caught totally off guard by a teleporting beefcake appearing beside her. She hopped up in surprise for a second, (which did not help the water’s efforts to keep her decent,) before dropping back in. So Ashton was a teleporting mutant. She grinned. Well then, she could work with that.

Now that he was shirtless and lured into the tub, Ashton was curious what came next. A glint of mischief in her eye, she placed a hand on the edge of the tub. ”Well first, I have to claim my prize.” In one fluid motion, Ez snagged the folded Hawaiian shirt, pulling it into the water. She did not care if it got soaked as she pulled it over her arms. She buttoned one button near her chest; the garb was doing the bare minimum now.

”Now that that’s out of the way…” Ez turned herself around, a thigh floating up and over Ashton so she could sit in his lap, facing him in his own stolen shirt. She ran her fingers through his short hair. ”I hope you’re not some goodie goodie, because I think I’m in the mood to break some rules,” she murmured low.

Girl stuff, Sam has parroted. And said it was none of his business. “Yep.” She smiled.

Amelia took another sip of her drink, and set it back down beside her. She settled back into the tub.

Lenna had come over. And talked about strong wine? She glanced at her own drink. Didn’t seem strange to her. Except for the whole shameless— never mind.

She didn’t notice Noel’s momentary look of recognition. Her focus was on Lenna. Noel introduced herself to Lenna, and Amelia finally glanced her way. By then, any funny business was gone. And if she’s noticed it at all, she might have chalked it up to strong wine.

Noel seconded the weirdness. Sam taste tested his drink. Found things fine.

Sam was focusing his attentions on Lenna now, so Amelia just laid back and relaxed. Everything was good.

She completely missed the fight brewing, with the Greek and ye old punchy boy and the redhead.

”Nice to meet you,” Lenna said.

Noel, she repeated the band in her mind. Like the holiday. Interesting.
Had she seen the look the woman had given her? No, she had not.

She looked to Sam. Sam was simpler than people you know but cannot remember, or strong drinks. He gave her a thumb gesture she did not know. She gave it right back. Whatever it meant. Hopefully, not anything lewd.

”Drop a bid?” Her brow furrowed. ”What? Like, when you put money on a horse? I like gambling, Sam.” She chided cluelessly. ”But more cards and games of chance than betting on races. You can do it though. Win the race. I believe in you!” She shook one fist in an attempt to show the camaraderie and support.

If Noel would have tuned in, the lie would have been as batteries one her mouth.

Sam explained that they lived together and Lenna saw absolutely no underlying strangeness to the statement. ”Yes.” she confirmed.

His next comment was one likely directed at Noel, but Lenna thought it to be directed at her. ”No. I came here alone. Had to jump over a limousine to make it in though. You Americans. New York drivers are the WORST!”

From her vantage point above them, she could still see a ways. Standing, she could almost see the strange man who had started a commotion in the tub. She frowned as she looked over her shoulder, his way.

With a sigh, she slipped into the pool. Closed her eyes, then commented on her dilemma.

”Have you ever felt like you know someone, but it been able to remember when and how...? There is someone familiar here. I have been avoiding him.” she scrunched up here nose in distaste. Her focus, as she had rambled, had landed on Noel. Of all the people there, Noel.

Lenna returned the pleasantry before Sam had them talking about bidding. Ranger used the chance to go for a drink… And had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep it from dribbling out as she gagged on the awful taste of Lenna’s lie. She closed her eyes to keep them from bugging out. After a few moments she was able to swallow, and take another drink to try and wash down the taste. It didn’t help. It never does but she would try every time anyway.

Ranger was recovered by the time Sam turned to her. He informed her that the three of them all lived together. A look from him, to Lenna, to Ami, and then back to him. Roommates? “Roommates?” In the first that was fine, in the second… Was Ami looking for a fourth? Lenna confirmed the living arrangement which offered no clarification.

That was a stretch though, Ranger had to remind herself that a simpler solution was more likely to be correct. She just had other things on her mind and it was coloring how she interpreted what others said. ”Okay.” Ranger said with a small nod.

Then Sam asked if Ranger came there in a group, ”Uhh, I-” Ranger stopped as Lenna had interjected like Sam was talking to her. That gave Ranger time to think about how to answer. She looked from Sam to Lenna then back to Sam.

She had come with Noel, but maybe now was not the best time to rehash that. She had discussed it with Ami and she was going to tell Noel how she felt. For now she would just forget about who she was there with and why she came.

Ranger’s eye’s met Sam’s. forget about who you were there with and why you came Her eyes bounced in a nastagus as her vision closed down to just Sam’s eyes in a sea of darkness. Like she was looking at his eyes through a coke straw.

When her vision returned she had a moment where she felt dizzy but it quickly passed. She couldn’t remember what she was saying, but Lenna had chimed in and carried on in the gap.

”They really are, Lenna. Absolute worst. An’ rude t’ boot.”

Lenna asked about feeling like you know someone but not how. As she spoke, her gaze moved to Ranger. ”Yeah… I’ve had that feelin’ a few times lately.” Ranger said. She wondered who it was that Lenna felt was familiar. Ranger had recognized Lenna but that was from a previous life back when… Her mind poked at a wall in her memory… That had been before she was a woman as she was now. ”Why have y’ been avoidin’ him? In case it turns out they do know y’?”

"Shh!" The Greek waggled a finger at her ex-husband with absolutely no tact at all, because she was feeling a little loosely gooey. "They are not miracles, they are facets of my mutations and I do not need them broadcasted about all the time!" It was hard enough using her healing power with pretty much pinky promises being used to keep it mostly secret. Really, she didn't know why she bothered at all seeing as there were rampant rumors going around, apparently, if Saph's comment was to make any sense.

"I am... well? Um, how are you doing, with the new baby?"

Flustered and feeling off from how she normally tried to carry herself, she finished prying Sloth from Saph's leg and gave him a very stern talking too in her mother tongue, complete with a finger waggling, as she tucked him securely back around her shoulders where he couldn't get into any more trouble.

The action also brought her attention back to the fact that one of her snakes was still missing, a growing bud in its place hidden under her thick, wriggling hair. She tried not to think too much about it and inwardly crossed herself, praying that Saph would not notice.

Really, she wanted to be an active member of the conversation. It was polite, after all. Michale was new and if she just turned all of her attention to Saph, that'd be rude, right? Very rude. Yes. She would just have to mostly ignore Saph and all of the guilt she still harbored, and all of the things she wanted to say to him to make up for things and--

"I am so sorry, Becca, but I must borrow Saph for a moment!" She stood, maybe a tad bit too quickly for someone trying to be very casual about her sudden need to repent to an ex, and turned to try and shoo the larger man off a few steps so that she could converse with him a little bit away without talking over everyone else.

"Can I talk with you privately for a moment? I promise it won't take long!"

Was she really about to do this here, in the middle of a charity event, and surrounded by teens and adults in colorful bathing suits? Yes, yes she was. For whatever reason, she was suddenly feeling like if she didn't apologize right now it would simply never happen. It was imperative it happened right now!

Sam watched as Ami shrunk lower into the hot tub and he has seen a look like that before, any more comfortable and she was going under. Given his close proximity though he was confident he could get her out of the water before she drowned so he turned his attention back to Lenna and Noel.

It was clear Lenna didn’t understand what the bid was for but he mimicked her energy and her hand gesture. He laughed and with his free hand made a fist in the air. ”Love that energy!” nothing was more encouraging than someone supporting you but not knowing what for.

”Ah that’s a bummer. You can always hang out with us.” Sam said gesturing to the tub. ”Just making new friends with awesome accents.” he said raising a glass then caught the gaze out of the corner of his eye. He had a feeling this would happen, he did look awesome in his suit and clearly she was interested. Sam tried to make eye contact with Ami for help. She wasn’t any at the moment.

He shifted his gaze to Noel and raised an eyebrow their eyes met and suddenly it felt like he had tunnel vision he swam for a minute in her eyes, hazel. Beautiful. Sam blinked and then looked back to Lenna. ”The worst.” he agreed with the two ladies and suddenly had no idea why he was in a hot tub with them or why there were hundreds of other people in bathing suits. Valhalla. He sipped his drink.

”Maybe an ex-boyfriend? You probably chased him off with your spices.” Sam teased looking at his glass figuring this was an okay place to be. He stood and tried to eye whoever she was talking about behind her making a show of being obvious. Sam laughed.

He recognized a few people it made him want to move further away. Sam took another swig and sat back down closer to Noel. ”Yeahhh… this is the place to be. Know a few of them, some live at the mansion with us.” he said recognizing a few of them. ”Probably how you know whoever your talking about.”

The hot tub was certainly a lot more magical than she thought it was going to be. While she was a little nervous to be walking around in a bikini, she knew that some aspects of her older personality were beginning to shine through. They served as reminders that she didn’t stay the same quiet, meek girl she always remembered herself being. And now certainly felt like that new bravado was coming through again.

She felt so at ease. Warm bubbles caressed her from all sides, massaging away any and all tension in her muscles. Her face felt warm but that could easily be from the bubbling water...or her blush that wanted to color her cheeks. It was hard not to blush when a beautiful woman was looking at you the way Nessa did.

The tub felt even warmer with Nessa now sitting next to her. Originally her shyness would have moved Agnes away, but, in a direct contradiction to that sensation, she practically purred as she edged a little closer as well.

What did she like? She didn’t know what Professor Grey did to charm her (and she really didn’t want to know), but to her knowledge she was still fairly new to all this dating thing. Jasmine was her first serious relationship and even then it was so brief to her knowledge. And Rhythm? Well, that wasn’t a relationship so much as a lustful dive into lesbionic spontaneous combustion.

But her uncertainty didn’t reflect on her features. Rather she just smiled, feeling the ease and calm flow throughout her body, carried on the rolling waters that lapped against her bare skin. Thoughtful, sapphire eyes briefly looked up, staring into nothing, a little hum vibrating through her throat, before she finally spoke.

”Hrm...what do I like…?” she asked softly. ”I guess I like to keep things...simple...and direct.” Her head swam as she continued. ”Honesty...sweetness…” she sighed, looking into Nessa’s eyes. ”And the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen looking at me with complete adoration…”

The heat rose in Vanessa and she doubted the hot tub had anything to do with that. Sure, it was relaxing her. Maybe it was lowering her guard. That heat though? She could blame that on the blue-eyed beauty she had moved to sit closer to.

Agnes did not remember her relationship with Rebecca, but she did have sweet memories of a first date with Jasmine and... less wholesome memories with a girl named Rhythm. Maybe she should not have peeked in on that. Still, it was hard avoiding those eyes as they corroborated what Agnes looked for when getting romanced.

The list was surprisingly simple. She was not looking for much; someone open and honest who treated her sweetly. Agnes's wandering gaze found her again and she surprised Vanessa with a curveball. The blonde bit her lip, because that sounded like an invitation. Not an invitation to kiss, but confirmation that Nessa was not barking up the wrong tree. She did have to play her cards right, and right now, what Nessa really wanted to do?

Whatever it took to play those cards right. She smiled, finding Agnes's hand under the water and lacing their fingers together. "You know, there might be a girl I know interested in proving her credentials. Even if that means going at our own pace." Sex and kissing were great, but she did not want to rush things with Agnes. "And I think maybe that means in a bit, we sneak out early and get some late-night milkshakes."

It was comforting to know Nessa was not deluding herself into reading Agnes's actions and comments. Maybe it just took a little forwardness to clear that air. Though speaking of forwardness, Nessa leaned close and whispered, "Though for the record, while I'm happy to take this nice and slow, don't think I didn't catch some of the thoughts you had about me just now..."

It was hard to believe how forward and open Agnes was being around Nessa. Yes, she did think she was attractive and she always looked forward to the time they spent together, but normally that would result in a prolonged friendship with little hope for anything truly romantic to happen. And yet here she was, her inhibitions lowered, her interest pretty clear as she shifted a little closer to the blonde.

She was honest with what she wanted. A little more honest than she figured she would be. After being abandoned by Rhythm to be little more than a one night stand (not the best for your first time and first time coming out), Agnes made it a point that anyone else she dated would have to be honest. She didn’t want to feel like that again, not unless it was mutually understood that things would not extend beyond that one night.

But she didn’t see a one-night stand when she looked at Nessa. With how much they had hung out, all the truths that they laid at one another’s feet, it just didn’t feel right. She liked her. What that meant and where it would lead, she wasn’t entirely sure just yet, but she wanted to find out eventually. So long as she didn’t scare her off.

Still it was hard to concentrate on such fears with as loopy as her head felt. She smiled easily, watching Nessa’s face as the young woman hinted at the possibility of throwing her own hat into the dating pool. The idea of going out for milkshakes honestly sounded like the best way to cap off this night of hot, bubbling water.

”Oooo…” she purred. ”...milkshakes sound amazing. I know that...heh…I could certainly go for sipping at a tasty treat.”

Mmm, what was she saying? Honestly things sounded almost too good to be true. Nessa was so close, so warm next to her. The smile of her lips, the light in her eyes, it made it hard for Agnes to look away -- but why would she want to? In an instance, flashes of more risque images fluttered through her head. Images of looking up at Nessa, or stroking her cheek, of a shadowy silhouette of two girls leaning in for a kiss, and many others. They were all so instantaneous and quick that she could hardly focus on any but a few.

And apparently she wasn’t the only one.

Teasingly Nessa mentioned that she saw her thoughts. At first Agnes didn’t understand that. She was clearly joking, right? But no. Through the haze of her mind, somewhere, she remembered Nessa saying she was a telepath, able to read mines. And suddenly Agnes’ cheeks colored. How much did she see?

However, as much as she wanted to be embarrassed (and she was to an extent) she shook off the anxiety that tried to envelope her. Instead, surprisingly, she leaned into it. With a tilt of her head and a little smile, she leaned in and whispered into Nessa’s ear.

”Good,” she whispered. ”Then I don't have to pretend otherwise anymore.”

((OOC skipping Amelia for the moment. She’s just chilling in the tub.))

Lenna smiled at Sam and his energy comment. If he only knew she’d been feigning it.

Noel thought the drivers sucked and were rude, to boot. Sam agreed, said it was a bummer. The offer to join them was appreciated. A slight bob of the head, and crooked smile. Though she did not know what this ‘bummer’ was. Then, he went on about accents.

Yes. Accents. ”I like cowboy accents.” She agreed mildly. She had glanced back, but her focus was more on Noel than Sam now. Lenna was still managing to glance his way for the occasional reply. ”Too much westerns as a young girl, I think. Thank you for the offer.”

She was in the pool, now. Relaxing. Sam stood, for some reason. But she had her eyes closed and was talking of her dilemma. Noel agreed. Asked why she was avoiding him. Sam flipped the thing, to make it seem as if she were not avoiding him. But rather, he was avoiding her. She glanced at him. He was standing. Odd.

”Some people cannot handle even the mildest things. Spice is life.”

He sat next to Noel. Said stuff. Lenna spoke to Noel in answer to her previous question. Keeping what he had said in mind.

”It is possible I know them from the mansion. But not likely. Very not likely. That would have to have been before the deAging. And I wasn’t attached to the mansion then.” She also did not remember them. Hard to remember someone you can’t place if you don’t remember them in the first place. Lenna frowned, contemplative. ”Maybe I saw them in a vision... memory.”

Amelia woke up to chime in “Your boyfriend?”

Lenna nodded. ”Yes. Forgot I told you about that.”

“Eh.” It was hard to shrug while slumped in a hot tub. But Amelia managed it, all the same.

”From a memory,” Lenna concluded, brightly. Decisively. ”And I am avoiding them becauuuuuse...” She looked to Noel, a stranger, and Sam. Someone she had actually spoken to about her past. It was to him she directed her comment. ”Things from past lives are sticky, yes? Would you not avoid someone who knew you, when you had changed and did not truly know yourself?”