"...I think I love you,"

Calley's purring encouraged her in ways one should never encourage an English person. She remembered her grandma telling her how behind every polite English person was a humorous comment waiting to get out.

"I'm sure the tea misses you, too, m'friend. No matter what it claims."

She officially enjoyed this woman's company. Neena could take a joke and for her that was always a plus. One should only be serious when the occasion calls for it.

"No worries, unless its acid glue. Then I might need to get you another folder. And I've heard of animals that eat paper. More, actually, than I've heard of gals who like leeches. Are you an insect-lover? Or creator? Or morpher?" "One of the younger kids here talks to insects, but his attention span is almost as small as their bodies, unfortunately. Of course, he's only ten, so he's entitled."

"Pfft, and pfft again. Attention spans are for people too boring to play hop-scotch in their head."

She chuckled at both comments. She reminded herself to never get into a battle of wits with either of them.

"Ah, no its not. Just really sticky and 'ard to get off w'en it drys." She paused to lick her thumb so she could more effectively remove the drying slim and think about Neena's question. "When you live with them inside of you dey tend to... grow on you." Or in you in her case, "I've been trying to learn how my-" Eep, that word was still too taboo in her books to mutter out loud, "Powers work but apart from controlling them I just don't know." She held up the bottle currently holding the two content leeches and frowned at them. "I think I create dem dough because dere... special like me too, not like other leeches. I think my body creates dem to make up for my lack of a stomach and a pair of lungs." That's what that one doctor had said after giving her an x-ray. She really hadn't liked him.

"That and I can only control dem." Maybe because they were born in her she had a connection with them. She could understand them on an emotional level and vice-versa. That or they were just a lot smarter then she liked to admit. With that thought in mind she stuck her finger into the bottle and tipped it forward so the water was kept in by her thumb. The leeches crawled into her thumb and up her arm only two bumps under her skin.

She set the bottle on the table with her free hand and looked over the know slightly slimmed papers in her hand. Her eyes flicked up at Neena then to the side at Calley and then back at the papers. She'd never bothered with the paperwork for school before. Her mother had always just told her to 'sign here' or 'fill this out' but she'd never done more then glance over it. "So... do I just sign dese den?" She felt kind of stupid asking, "Or is dere anythin' else I need ta do?"

Neena gave Calley' a thumb's up. She could, would, and did focus when she needed to. Key words there, 'when she needed to'. All other times the objects of her attention were varied and numerous.

That thumb's up also had a bit to do with his restraint. She hadn't known tigers to be very interested in insects. But often Calley struck her more as an overgrown housecat in tiger stripes. Which was really quite fine with her. She'd been on the receiving end of a tiger bite once before. It was better than a hyena chomp, but either way, she would really rather not repeat it. Housecat was much preferred.

"Ah, no its not. Just really sticky and 'ard to get off w'en it drys."

Okay, time to pull some of that 'needed focus' to the fore. Neena listened carefully to the young woman's explanation of her friends.

"When you live with them inside of you dey tend to... grow on you. I've been trying to learn how my-" Neena didn't miss that hesitation on Nash's part, and filed it away for future reference. "Powers work but apart from controlling them I just don't know."

When Nash held up the bottle holding her friends, Neena leaned forward to examine them herself. She immediately spotted the yellow stripe, just like the ones in Nash's hair.

"I think I create dem dough because dere... special like me too, not like other leeches. I think my body creates dem to make up for my lack of a stomach and a pair of lungs. That and I can only control dem."

"Huh." Neena grunted thoughtfully, and watched them disappear under the girl's skin. "So they eat and breathe for you? And live inside you? Fascinating...."

"So... do I just sign dese den? Or is dere anythin' else I need ta do?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry 'bout that, don't mind me. That was just a really, really interesting display there. Now you've got me super curious as to what else they can do." She grinned, then leaned back again. "Eh, that can wait though. We'll get you settled in first. As far as the paper work goes, we just need you to fill in the blanks, then turn it back into the Office. Which is.... here."

She leaned over again and flipped to the back of the folder, getting a bit of the leech glue on her fingers in the process. She pointed to the appropriate place.

"Even though I've already seen it, be sure to fill out these two questions here, 'kay?" She flipped back, then pointed to the block of questions that read, 'What is your mutation?' and 'Is it dangerous to yourself or others?'.

"How old are ya, m'friend?"

Calley sat like a noble, tail-swishing statue at Nash's side as Neena explained the paperwork to her. A tail-swishing, edging paw-by-inconspicuous-paw behind Nash's back sort of statue. His destination: the refrigerator. Refrigerators were not the Masters of Puzzles and Stoic Wooden Fronts that typical doors were. In fact, they were deliciously inviting, and easily butted open with a sideways swipe of a tiger's head.

Radiant florescent light spilled weakly onto the tiger's face. A chorus of holy smells descended from on high. No doubt that ground beef was for tonight's dinner... Sitting next to a bag of fresh apples on the top shelf, its squiggles twisted and turned under the plastic packaging like snakes. Highly edible snakes. The tiger flicked an ear Neena-wards as it reached slowly up to hook a paw full of delicately unsheathed claws in through the plastic wrap covering that shielded the beef from prying stomachs.

A tiger was not so easily thwarted.

He grabbed the edge of the package with the very tips of his teeth as it reached the edge of the shelf. Quietly shouldered the refrigerator door shut again. And inconspicuously, like a ninja in plain sight, sat behind Miss Nash with his hard-won boon. His bum was pointed towards her and Neena; his furry bulk was cleverly hiding the source of his chewing noises.

Mad thievin' skills. Tigger haz dem.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry 'bout that, don't mind me. That was just a really, really interesting display there. Now you've got me super curious as to what else they can do."

Nash seriously hoped that wouldn't involve probes, or anything close to those. She had to tell herself she was being silly thinking that. She decided at least being called fascinating was good.

"Eh, that can wait though. We'll get you settled in first. As far as the paper work goes, we just need you to fill in the blanks, then turn it back into the Office. Which is.... here."

Nash listened to her explanation attentively. She would be horribly embarrassed if she had to ask again. It seemed simple enough as she glanced over it. Nash decided apart from the 'What is your mutation?' and 'Is it dangerous to yourself or others?' questions it was a fairly ordinary file of paperwork. She half-turned to make her way to the table so she could fill out the places she had been shown and hand it back to Neena.

"How old are ya, m'friend?"

Thus Nash paused, half-turned away, half turned towards. She saw no reason why she couldn't answer truthfully. "I'm 16" Her eyes darted towards Neena and then the wall before glancing back at the other women. She could ask why, it was itching at the tip of her tongue but she didn't. Neena probably just wanted to know, besides asking would be rude. She continued her turn and then once again was forced to pause.

"Calley...?" The tiger had been sitting behind her and so she hadn't noticed tell know that he was eating... Something. She couldn't see what from her vantage point, his bulky, tiger body hiding it. She leaned forward a little to look at what he was doing. "Watcha doin'?"

"I'm 16."

Neena could all but hear the word 'Why' begging to pop out of Nash's mouth. Idly she wondered if the girl would mature into one of those women who hated giving out their true age.

In answer, Neena nodded. "Thanks m'friend. That'll help in finding you a room."

The older woman instinctively squinted as a flash of light appeared in the corner of her eye. Tigger seemed to have a side agenda, one that included the refrigerator and a flat of something.

"Calley...? Watcha doin'?"

When Nash turned to look at Calley, Neena closed her eyes and focused on the scent floating in the air. Her nose wrinkled slightly; she never had like the small of raw beef, even though that had been a staple growing up. Though, the store-bought stuff did smell better than a fresh kill.

"Quality control, Calley?" she remarked, smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.

Then she turned to Nash once more. "Whenever you're ready, we can get you and your friends settled into a room."

She moved to take a seat at the table, being in no particular hurry. Yes, she had a number of things she should be doing. But meeting new people was ever so much more entertaining.

>> "Calley...? Watcha doin'?"

The tiger jumped in a manner that could be construed as guilty. An empty plastic package was covertly slid into a hiding place between his legs as he tilted his head up to blink innocent eyes at Nash. "I," he declared, "am doing nothing that could possibly be nefarious in any given definition of the term."

>> "Quality control, Calley?"

"I," he added, puffing out his chest dramatically so that the fur actually foofed, "...Am an agent for quality control. Yeah...." He coughed, and the smell of beef wafted on his breath.

>> "Whenever you're ready, we can get you and your friends settled into a room."

Calley's head was already swinging back towards the refrigerator. His stomach had been awoken by the beef appetizer; now it was beginning to snarl. "I think I'm going to stay here..." He said slowly. "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more things that need to be inspected, if you know what I mean." Already, his steps were padding 'frige-wards...

He stopped to shoot a purr at Nash, though. "I'm in the boy's hall, fourth door down on the left. If you ever feel the need for a moving throw rug."

"Quality control, Calley?"

A small chuckle escaped at Neena's words.

"I,...Am an agent for quality control. Yeah...."

"Don't worry about it Calley." Nash said laughter almost dripping off her words. "On my feedin' days I could eat a cow an a 'orse then fit in a sheep." Well, maybe not but it always felt like she could.

"Whenever you're ready, we can get you and your friends settled into a room."

Nash decided against sitting. She was a pretty fast writer when it came to paperwork. "I'll just do dis now so it's over and done wid." She set the paper on the table and dug into her backpack for a pen. She pulled one out and turned back to the papers leaning over them. Nash quickly signed what she had been told too. She filled in the first of the two questions she had been shown and paused on the 'Is it dangerous to yourself or others?' question. Nash reached her pen back and taped it against her tongue ring, a habit that she did when thinking something over well writing. Finally she filled in, 'Unexpected violence receives negative response.' She straightened, "Done." She held out the papers for Neena to take.

"I think I'm going to stay here... I'm pretty sure there's a lot more things that need to be inspected, if you know what I mean."

One eyebrow raised and one lowered as she turned to face Calley was all she could bring herself to politely do.

I'm in the boy's hall, fourth door down on the left. If you ever feel the need for a moving throw rug."

She was surprised but smiled warmly at Calley's unexpected words. "I'll make sure when I need a 'moving throw rug' that your the first tiger I come too."

Nash turned herself to face Neena, the warm smile still plastered on her face. "We can go find me a room now if you like?"

Neena merely chuckled at Calley's intimation of self-sacrifice.

"I'll just do dis now so it's over and done wid."

She nodded at Nash. "That'll work, too, if you want." She waited while the young woman filled out the packet, watching the furred mass of black-and-orange stripes disappear into the refrigerator.

<"Well, so much for chili. Gonna have to make a grocery run tomorrow. Hmmm.... Maye its time to push for that walk in cooler-">

"Done."

Nash's announcement pulled her out of her train of thought.

"We can go find me a room now if you like?"

"Sounds good." She took the folder gave it a quickie perusal, before sticking it under her arm. She mentally quirked at one of the written answers. 'Unexpected violence receives negative response'? She'd have to press a bit further on that one.

She looked around. "Do you have any other luggage?" she asked, and waited for an answer before heading up the stairs.

"Like Calley said, boys are down that way, and adults are down the middle. The Infirmary is also at the end of the middle hall, if you get sick or need anything." She pointed out the various points with the ease of someone who'd given many, many tours. She turned right, and led the way down the girl's hallway.

"You'll have about a week to settle in, before we start you in classes, 'kay?" as she opened the door to an empty room. "You can redecorate however you want. Just please ask first before demolishing any walls."

From her tone it was hard to tell if the teacher was teasing or not. She held out the key to Nash. "Any questions? Concerns? Needs? Miscellaneous jokes?" She grinned.

"Do you have any other luggage?"

She mentally berated herself. What did she expect showing up with only one bag and thinking people wouldn't ask were everything else was. She couldn't help only having a little. It had taken all of her savings and much debate with the women about her Visa being legal for her to even get on the plane. Her supplies had been about as far from the front of her mind as could be.

"No, it's all I got wid me." She could go into detail like she had with Calley tell her how she had run away but Nash was tired of continually explaining herself. She wasn't going nowhere any time soon there would be time for long winded explanations later.

"Like Calley said, boys are down that way, and adults are down the middle. The Infirmary is also at the end of the middle hall, if you get sick or need anything."

Boys, adults, infirmary. O.K, that was simple enough to remember. It was good that Neena had told her about were the infirmary was.

"You'll have about a week to settle in, before we start you in classes, 'kay?"

"O.K" Automatic response. There was no real thought process behind her response.

"You can redecorate however you want. Just please ask first before demolishing any walls."

"Don't worry, I won't be doin' anythin' that can't be undone, with a scrub pad and a bucket of bleach." As she said it she took the key from Neena's hands and dangled it in between two fingers.

"Any questions? Concerns? Needs? Miscellaneous jokes?"

Nash looked at Neena and smiled too. "I 'ave a need I should inform you of. I'm allergic to some stuff. Like-" She took a deep breath and began to list off on her fingers her allergies. "Salt, vinegar, strong insect repellent, lemon juice and also rubbing alcohol." She closed her hand. "Just in case I ever 'ave a reaction."

"I 'ave a need I should inform you of. I'm allergic to some stuff. Like- Salt, vinegar, strong insect repellent, lemon juice and also rubbing alcohol. Just in case I ever 'ave a reaction."

Neena nodded, recognizing that such things could prove deadly to her friends. No doubt then that Nash shared the reactions.

"Well, I don't forsee it being an issue," she replied thoughtfully. "Very few use bug spray, because of Taffy and his insects. For the others, they're all marked in the kitchen, easy to avoid. Best mark anything of yours though, so no one gets any ideas. I'll be sure to see that you have an extra supply of water handy, just in case as well." She rattled the thoughts off, obviously used to such 'special requests'.

"Is there anything else specific you'll need, just in case? Or something I or the other teachers need to do if something untoward happens? Best to be prepared, ya know?"

"Well, I don't forsee it being an issue, Very few use bug spray, because of Taffy and his insects. For the others, they're all marked in the kitchen, easy to avoid. Best mark anything of yours though, so no one gets any ideas. I'll be sure to see that you have an extra supply of water handy, just in case as well."

'Remember you came here because it's a school for people like you' Nash told herself. Doesn't stop the culture shock though. "Dat sounds good. I'll make sure to do dat. " She said it and nodded her head. Allergies always proved a pain but she was used to having to go to lengths to over come them. She didn't now who this, Taffy was though.

"Is there anything else specific you'll need, just in case? Or something I or the other teachers need to do if something untoward happens? Best to be prepared, ya know?"

"In the event of my death, hide my body somewhere nice." She was joking of course. She really couldn't think of anything else that was life threatening or imminently important to inform Neena of. She paused in thought, "I'm a menace in the morning, cause it's like waking up a million times over. Though I do normally remember to put my clothes on there have been occurrences..." She trailed off and chuckled. "I really do think I'll be fine."

Neena was glad to see that Nash could alternate between serious and easy-going quite quickly. It always spoke volumes when someone took themselves and others too seriously.

"I really do think I'll be fine."

She nodded. "Sounds good. If you need anything, just ask."

She smiled and bowed slightly, then turned back toward the stairs. She'd best return to the kitchen. Leaving Calley alone there likely meant that the grocery list needed to include more than hamburger.

"Sounds good. If you need anything, just ask."

Nash nodded her head and watched as the other women made her way back down the hall. She smiled to herself and went into the- correction her room and closed the door. She would find a place for her stuff and then take a long nap. She didn't care what anyone said about getting used to traveling between countries, the time difference was still a killer.