Not in Kansas Anymore

[Taya Robbins]

A hybrid SUV passed through the security checkpoint outside Cullen's Institute for the Gifted and wound its way down the serpentine driveway.

In the back seat, Taya Robbins felt like a kid in an inverted aquarium. She bounced from one side of the car to the other, staring out the windows and the moon roof at the rolling, rural campus - the sloping fields, the stately old-growth oak trees, the hedges bordering elegant gardens. And then she saw kids of varying ages passing a frisbee in a field. She pressed herself against the glass and watched breathlessly as a sandy-haired boy leapt twenty feet in the air to make a somersaulting catch.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that?" she erupted.

Kyle Robbins looked in his mirrors but couldn't see what his daughter was talking about. "Sorry, honey, I'm just trying not to get lost..."

"Aren't these grounds just gorgeous?" Lise said. "Oh, there - visitor's parking on the right."

Kyle swung the SUV onto a side road which looped around a grove of trees to a parking lot facing the vast expanse of colonial elegance that was the Cullen mansion.

Taya turned toward the windshield and felt her jaw drop. "It's... it's huge! It's like Biltmore!"

The SUV pulled into a vacant space, and the family stepped out into the brisk spring air of Westchester County. A light breeze ruffled Taya's fur, and she squinted against the brash sunlight. The air was full of complicated scents - of trees and flowers, of rich, tilled earth, of machinery, of people of all shapes, sizes, and ages passing through the school grounds - so many different odors that she couldn't separate all of them. But it smelled peaceful. She felt reassured immediately.

Kyle reached for the pink rolling suitcase in the trunk, and Taya quickly swooped in on it. "I can take that!"

"Are you sure?" Kyle said. "It'd leave your hands free..."

"Dad, I don't want them to think I'm some sort of invalid. It's not like it's that *erf* heavy."

She'd almost knocked herself over swinging the suitcase down from the lip of the trunk. Maybe she had over-packed just a little. But she smiled stubbornly.

"Well," Lise said, "ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Taya replied.

"Okay, then," Kyle said, hefting his briefcase. "Let's go."

The small family struck out toward the school's front entrance.

[Damien E. Dervish]

As the frisbee sailed home, it suddenly and violently veered off course. When one of the kids scooped it up, there was a sizable hole in the center of it, the frisbee pretty much ruined, as the cracks made their way through it.

Perched in a nearby tree, Damien silently chuckled as he put away the incriminating evidence of his slingshot. Stowing away, in a rattle-free case, the ball-bearings, he slid down the tree stealthily, making not so much as a single sound as he landed with a flutter of air.

The three-and-a-half foot, black-furred, impish mutant made his way across the field, smiling all the way. The kids playing frisbee deserved to have their game ruined, after one of them tried to give Damien a swirly. Fortunately for him, Damien had self-control. Otherwise, he'd have a ball-bearing imbedded into his posterior regions.



Damien made his way to the main building. He had just ran out of his Coke supply in his backpack, and needed to restock. As he made his way around the school entrance, he noted an SUV unpacking, a flash of a pink suitcase. And two people, paced by a....catlike mutant? A new student? A female one? Like a cat... Must be the girl from the blog.... Damien thought as he made his way up the steps. He would've helped her with her bags, but at just forty-five pounds, it would be more of a burden to them then not. He sighed, finding himself not so thirsty after all. Besides, I have water in the pack. I could drink that....Upon taking his perch on the railing of the steps, Damien rustled in his pack for a small, blue case. Upon opening it, it revealed an older, beat-up Case Harmonica. Damien blew a few quiet notes into it, before starting up on a slow, blues-like melody. Yet another surprise most hadn't yet seen from Damien: the little demon could indeed play, and very well.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya's ears twitched at the distant music - she wouldn't have fit a soulful blues soundtrack with the Victorian surroundings. The incongruity made her smile.

Lise pointed surreptitiously to the front entrance and said, quietly, "Is it that little boy who's playing? He doesn't look more than five years old!"

"It sounds like it, but..." Kyle trailed off as he made the slow realization that he was seeing several extra appendages.

"Oh, wow," Taya said, grinning broadly. And then she pulled ahead of her parents, wheeling her suitcase behind her, leaving them to catch up.

She stopped at the foot of the steps and said, "You must be Damien."

[Pan]

A cab rolled up beyond the institute gates and a goat-legged man stepped out. He carried a briefcase and from the trunk of the vehicle he lifted a holdall and propped the strap on his shoulder. The trunk closed with a dull thunk and the cab shot off. Before him, the gates parted opening onto the expansive grounds. He greeted the guard on duty and started the long trek up the path to the main entrance.

It felt good to be back. Duncan had been absent from the school for ten days, having been enrolled in an advanced genetics course courtesy of headmaster Ethan Daniels. The course concluded with a trip to a conference on biological engineering which afforded Duncan the opportunity to meet Senator Daniel Cohen. They talked briefly about the usual mutant issues, the senator was happy to give the professor his time but when the subject of the Jericho Centre came up he was less inclined to do so and made a swift departure. The experience had been both enlightening and frustrating.

Now he was home, and as he approached the front of the building he noticed a handsome couple looking rather misplaced. He approached them with a pleasant smile.

"Hello there, can I help you at all?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien was actually in the process of swinging around the railing, hanging upside down and playing the harmonica without slowing or altering the melody when he heard someone speak to him.


"You must be Damien."

He stopped playing and looked down, which was currently up, to see a catlike mutant female. He blinked.

"Uh, hi. You're the girl on the blog? Not sure if you mentioned a name or not...."

The furry, mutli-limbed mutant smiled sheepishly, his elongated and sharpened canines revealed.

"Yep. I'm Damien. Resident imp."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya tilted her head to try to keep up with Damien's inversion - her spine was flexible, but she couldn't quite manage one-eighty degrees. She laughed, exposing her own fangs.

"Yeah, that was me - I'm sorry, I'm Taya Robbins," she said. "Jacinda told me your name. Said I needed to watch out for you."

She turned at the sound of a Scottish brogue and squealed - she only just remembered to lower her voice before exclaiming, "Ohmygawd, it's Mr. Tumnus!"

Kyle made an impressive effort of not reacting to Duncan's unexpected appearance - two decades in corporate law had given him a nearly unflappably diplomatic game face. "I think you can, actually - My name's Kyle Robbins, and this is my wife Lise, and we're here with our daughter, Taya."

He turned and gestured toward Taya, who grinned and gave a claw-studded wave.

"Taya's visiting the school for a few days, so we're here to get her settled in."

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Ohmygawd, it's Mr. Tumnus!"


Upon hearing this, Damien instantly tightened his lips and jaw to contain his laughter. Were it not for years of practice with his mutations, them being a natural part of his physiology, he would've fallen off the railing at that moment. Instead he swung himself back and forth, until he was a furry, living pendulum. Once he achieved maximum height, he spun himself to a perch on the railing, slipping away his harmonica into a pocket. He crawled, until he was nearly up to Taya's ear. He whispered his words.

"Kinda like that time on Family Guy when Peter lost one of his socks, and when into Narnia via his dryer to get it back from Mr. Tumnus. But that's Mr. MacLaverty...or somethin'. The Macs' usually get me."

Damien reached out a hand, claws retracted into the fingertips, so as not to damage the other in a formal greeting.

"A pleasure, Taya. We are well met. And so long as you're not on the receiving end of a prank of mine, you don't need ta worry. Now, if you are...."

The short, and black-furred mutant winked at Taya.

"....then you might need to worry. But don't fret too much; my pranks aren't usually harmful."

[Pan]

Duncan placed his briefcase on the ground and took the time to shake their hands.

"Duncan MacLaverty. It's a pleasure to meet you both. And hello, Taya," he called, returning the girl's wave.

It was difficult to disguise the excitement he felt upon returning to the institute each time he'd been away, his eyes were bright and his face practically aglow. His enthusiasm was also born of the thrill he saw in the faces of first-time visitors. He retrieved his briefcase and shifted the weight of the large bag over his shoulder.

"Well, it looks like your daughter and I have something in common. Shall we go in?"

[Taya Robbins]

Taya had been wondering how she'd react when she saw someone else with a mutation like hers - whether she'd just roll with it, or whether it'd freak her out. What she hadn't counted on was finding them so darned cute!

She waited by the door, her tail snapping restlessly back and forth behind her, as Duncan clippity-clopped ahead to take the lead.

"Mom, dad, this is Damien - he answered my post on the mutant forum a couple days ago!"

If Duncan was a surprise, Damien certainly took a moment of acclimation - Kyle wasn't sure whether he was looking at a precocious little kid or a miniature teenager.

But Lise seemed to catch on more quickly this time and offered her hand to the impish little mutant. "Oh, yes - Taya showed me your post. Thank you, Damien, that was so sweet of you."

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien sat more comfortably atop his railing perch. He rubbed the back of his head with his left hand, seeming almost embarassed at the mention of his actions. The furry mutant took Mrs. Robbins' hand, again being careful not to retract his claws. The wind ruffled his hair, sending the fabric of his clashing yellow t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts into brief waves. His feet swung back and forth, the yellow-cloth skater shoes flopping in the momentum.

"Ah, it was nothin'. Not many other mutants are lucky enough to have a warm welcomin' of any kind. Or to have such supportive parents, it would seem."


Damien slid off of the rails, and landed on the ground without so much as a sound, or a break in stride. He took up the walk with the group, trailing beside Taya, tail swishing back and forth for either whimsy or balance's sake.

[Pan]

Damien's words were true: Taya was very fortunate to have parents such as hers and there were few people in the world today who felt comfortable walking casually alongside a human cat, a half-goat, and a little black demon. He admired the example they set for others. As they approached the main entrance, he spoke:

"It makes quite a first impression, doesn't it?"

[Taya Robbins]

It was an unquallified understatement - between the shapes of her companions and the antique grandeur of the mansion, it wasn't hard for Taya to imagine she was stepping into Narnia or Pan's Labyrinth or some other fantastic realm. The towering front door opened with a groan, admitting them into a cavernous lobby with plush rugs, classical furniture, and a sweeping grand staircase.

Kyle and Lise stuck close by their daughter, feeling nearly overwhelmed by their surroundings - it took a sort of suspension of disbelief to keep from gawking stupidly at the mansion and at their hosts.

"It certainly does," Kyle said. "So, all your classrooms and dormitories are in this building?"

Taya found herself staring up and up and up and up at the wood paneled ceiling and the sparkling chandelier and didn't realize how much her tail was swaying until she felt it clobber Damien on the side of the head.

"Oop! I'm sorry!"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien found himself struck three times with a fluffy tail before Taya realized that she was actually hitting him in the face. He laughed, a large smile forming his face.

"I used to do that to my brothers and sisters when I was younger."

[Pan]

"So, all your classrooms and dormitories are in this building?"


"Most but there are a couple of smaller buildings adjacent and to the rear accomodating for the science labs, sports facilities, and such."

He gazed down a corridor then turned to Taya looking rather sheepish.

"I don't suppose you were informed where you would be staying, were you?"

[Taya Robbins]

Sports... Taya logged a mental note to look into those later. Though she hadn't tried kicking a soccer ball with her new feet yet...

"Ummm... no, I've got no idea," she said with a shrug. "I guess we were supposed to meet with the headmaster?"

[Jacinda Blake]

"Taya!" Jacinda called from the upstairs landing, as she saw the Robbins family walk by. To expedite her arrival, she slid down the banister from the second floor, popping into the air when she ran out of hand rail, and landing light as a feather on her feet at the bottom.

She smiled brightly at the family. "Hello again, Mr. and Mrs. Robbins. Taya, it's so great to see you. They told me you might be here today, this is great! Oh, hello Professor.. Damien.." She acknowledged the others belatedly, way more excited about Taya's presence..

"So want to go see the room?", Jacinda invited, already knowing she was going to be assigned the new student since she had a vacancy with Tess' absence.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya felt her fur rippling in the wind from Jacinda's landing - that girl knew how to make an entrance! She felt like dropping her suitcase and running to give the girl a hug, if only because she was the first real friend she'd made since her mutation.

But she stopped herself - she didn't even know if she was staying here yet.

"Jacinda! Hi! Uh... what room?"

[Jacinda Blake]

"Well.. my room..", she grinned.. "but if you're going to stay for a few days, it could be our room.. There's an extra whole room!"

Jacinda didn't miss the unsure look from Taya and just reached over and gave her a quick hug. "So.. we could go run up real fast and catch up with your Mom and Dad in a little while? You don't want a detailed history of the grounds, even if it's delivered in the most bonny brogue this side of the pond..."

She gave Professor MacLaverty a wink. She loved his accent...

[Taya Robbins]

And suddenly Taya felt sorry she hadn't just done what came naturally - Jacinda's hug was welcome, but it was so quick she didn't really have the chance to reciprocate.

But she barely had time to think about that over this new revelation. "I'm rooming with you? That's awesome!"

She glanced back at her parents and Professor MacLaverty, her ears bobbing hopefully. "You don't mind if I just skive off for a little?"

Kyle shook his head, and added in Duncan's direction, "Unless we need her for registration?"

[Pan]

"No, no, you go ahead, Taya," he said, a little pink in the cheeks.

The two girls beamed at each other and quickly departed, calling out their farewells. Duncan watched them with mild amusement until he realised he was suddenly left standing with Mr. and Mrs. Robbins. He went to say something which had him grinning to himself, but paused before he spoke, then said:

"What Jacinda said... about the detailed history... you needn't worry. I wouldn't bore you with it even if I knew half of it. You're more than welcome to a tour if you wish."

His holdall slipped from his shoulder and he placed it on the ground.

"Or if you have any questions?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien watched intently through the meeting. All the while, he found himself occasionally looking back at Taya, taking her in. She was pretty in an unusual way. And her personality seemed pretty cool so far. And her mutation was interesting. She looked like some really cool-looking, half-human, half-cat being straight out of The Island of Dr. Moreau. He found himself intrigued, wondering if she had all the nuances and senses of a cat, such as the scent, the nightvision, et cetera. He almost asked, even opening his mouth, but saw that she and Jaz were engaged in conversation. He didn't want to be rude. So he, strangely out of his character, followed quietly, trying not to draw any attention to himself.

Then again, it was probably easier said than done, he being a mutant with black fur covering his body, black velvet wings flowing from his back, a bifrocated and prehensile tail swishing back and forth slightly as he walked, sharp, retractable claws and teeth capable of doing massive amounts of damage, phosphorescent red eyes, and horns atop his head. It was as if the devil, or a kinder, smaller, mischeivous imp and cousin to the devil, were following them.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya was halfway up the steps, struggling to keep her rolling suitcase up so it wouldn't bang against the woodwork, when she paused and noticed Damien still lingering at the foot of the staircase. "Hey, Damien," she said, "you want to come with?"

Lise watched fondly as the three teenagers bounded up the stairs, and she clasped hands with her husband.

"You know, even if she ends up deciding to go back home, this is good for her," she said. "Being with kids who'll accept her. This is an amazing place, Mr. MacLaverty."

"And don't worry about boring us," Kyle said. "We're still trying to take all this in - it's more than a little overwhelming. How long have you been here?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien smiled as he was acknowledged. He almost answered giddily, but then pulled it back a bit, being casual. Don't wanna seem lame.

"Sure! I'll tag along."

He bounded up the stairs quickly behind them, taking care to speed up a bit to pace them for their longer strides, sneakers banging loudly on the woodwork.

[Jacinda Blake]

"Yeah, if Taya decides to stay we should have another party, huh Damien?" Jacinda winked while they adjusted pace to walk togther down the corridor.

It was no more than a few turns to reach the girls dorm wing, but Taya did get a chance to see the very nicely furished and well taken care of halls of the mansion. There were definitely worse places to go to school..

"The room has a really small common area, a shared bathroom and two bedrooms.", she quickly explained...

"It's pretty cool.. So how was your trip here?"

[Taya Robbins]

Taya was trying to keep track of which turns they were taking, but she was sidetracked every few yards by a painting, an ornamental mirror, an elegantly sculpted side table, or, on occasion, a passing student.

She knew she was getting second glances, too, but she really didn't care. Her liquid eyes were enormous as she tried to take it all in.

"Oh, the trip was fine," she said. "The hills on the way are just gorgeous. I'm gonna miss not seeing the Sierra Nevadas on the horizon, though."

She bit her tongue. "I mean... y'know. If I stay."

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Yeah, if Taya decides to stay we should have another party, huh Damien?"

Upon hearing Jaz's words, Damien winked a glowing, red eye.

"Absolutely. It was awesome."

As they went down the hallways, touring the dormitories, Damien found himself glancing more and more at Taya, occasionally finding a nearby object very interesting. Once, when passing a mirror, Damien smiled into the reflective surface. He used his tongue to clean off anything that he had on his fangs, then slinked back down from the mirrored table, and skuttled behind the two teenage girls.


"Oh, the trip was fine. The hills on the way are just gorgeous. I'm gonna miss not seeing the Sierra Nevadas on the horizon, though."

Damien took note of the words. She seemed ready to move in.


"I mean... y'know. If I stay."

Damien smiled, laughing quietly. The small mutant's laughter could be heard by the two, but wasn't too terribly loud or obnoxious.

"Seems to me like you're ready to move in...."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Damien knew that he had erred. He backpedalled.

"I...uh, ya know, your slip. Uh, nevermind."

Damien's toothy trap snapped shut.

[Jacinda Blake]

Stopping outside the door, Jacinda shot a smirk Damien's way. "Subtle.. real subtle." It was said in jest though. They both really wanted Taya to stay..

"Ok! Here we are!" With any further pomp, Jacinda twisted the door knob and stepped inside, holding the door open for both of her friends.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya blushed - though all you could really see was some redness creeping into the exposed flesh at her ears. She was grateful they had already reached Jacinda's room.

The feline mutant stepped in slowly, conscious that she was entering Jacinda's personal space. Her first impression was that it was several orders of magnitude neater than any space she'd ever lived in for more than a week. Her second impression was that it was awesome.

One wall was dominated by an old, overstuffed couch, the kind that couldn't possibly match anything made outside the '70's but would let you sink forever when you lay down on it. There were a couple beanbag chairs in the corner, a bookshelf sagging with all sorts of academic literature, and a TV with rabbit ears and a DVD player. It wasn't a big space, but it was cozy and personable - just the sort of informal, eclectic milieu you'd expect to find in any dorm room.

Taya left her suitcase standing upright and paced around the room. "This is so cool! And you have parties in here?"

She glanced among the other three doors. "Which room's yours?"

[Jacinda Blake]

"Well.. technically we weren't supposed to be having a party. It was just supposed to be a couple people and some horror movies.. but word travels fast through Mutant High..", Jacinda winced..

"Actually, I was really lucky I didn't get in trouble. One of the coolest teachers here showed up and ordered pizza's and stayed so it was like... an instant Get Out Of Jail Free card for Jas! Woo!" Laughing she padded over to her bedroom door and shoved it open.

"I'm on the right, Tess was on the left.. until she uhh..left!" It was easier to make a joke about it, but it was still a sore subject when one's best friend ditched them with only a note, especially right before their whole family died.. Jacinda gritted her teeth and tried to remember she was supposed to be setting an example for the would-be new girl. She turned on a heel and smiled..

Her room was standard Cullen's furniture, single bed with a cozy looking burgandy comforter and big fluffy white pillows. Books shelves on either side of the bed, stuffed to critical capacity with a variety of topics. Her night stand had a picture of her sister, Lucy and her playing on a beach and a shell sitting with it. Her walls had random sketches pinned up here and there, some which looked like they had nearly been trash can fodder and had been rescued in a timely manner..

"Yeah.. I'm pretty boring actually...", she chuckled..

[Pan]

"You know, even if she ends up deciding to go back home, this is good for her," she said. "Being with kids who'll accept her. This is an amazing place, Mr. MacLaverty."

"And don't worry about boring us," Kyle said. "We're still trying to take all this in - it's more than a little overwhelming. How long have you been here?"

"Duncan, please," he said, waving off the formality.

"And yes, overwhelming is the word. I've been here for eighteen months now and I still find myself facing surprises. I think your daughter could be very happy here."

[Taya Robbins]

Kyle nodded and said, "I think so, too, and, you know, I think she even thinks so. Jacinda really made an impression when she visited us in Cleveland."

There was a wistfulness in his voice that almost made the word "but" superfluous.

"Taya's never backed down from a challenge," Lise broke in. "She went out for lacrosse in junior high against girls a foot taller than she is. She's the kid who'll do something just because someone's told her it's impossible. And, to her, mutation is just one more challenge. I think she's afraid that coming to Cullen's means giving in. Like she's giving up on having a normal life."

"And we don't want her to give up," Kyle added quickly. "But she's been through so much already. We don't want to see her make things harder on herself than they have to be."

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Subtle.. real subtle."

"Well, ya know, boomsticks aren't that subtle..."


"Yeah.. I'm pretty boring actually..."

Upon hearing Jas' words, referring to herself as boring, Damien chuckled.

"What she means is that she stays outta trouble, typically. I spend more time in detention than in class. Problem is, I catch on. Too quickly. So, I take my free time and occupy it by doin' typical, stupid, teenage things."

Damien found himself flopping onto the couch with a jump, half-turn, a flit of the wings, and a butt-plant into the cushions. The dark mutant sprawled himself out, kicking back with his feet crossed, and his hands propped behind his head.

"Things like, oh, I dunno, riggin' the security cameras to a Family Guy Marathon. Riggin' the school bells to play various songs instead of their borin' chimes, et cetera."

Damien waved his hands in circular motions at each gig, his attitude making them seem as if they were nothing. And indeed to him, they were nothing. If only his masterpiece were to come to fruition....

[Pan]

"Your daughter is very special - much braver than I ever was - and I don't mind telling you, up until very recently I relied on disguising my mutation from others to fit in. A hat for the horns and a wheelchair and blanket to hide away the legs. It's embarassing to speak of now, considering the children with whom I have the pleasure of working, people like your daughter."

He folded his arms and took a step closer to the couple, speaking in an undertone.

"Independence is an important lesson for mutants. And if Taya feels that Cullen's is her disguise then perhaps she should test the water at her old school first, to be sure. People have a way of surprising us, I've never met parents quite as supportive as yourselves, if you don't mind me saying and perhaps Taya's friends might be willing to provide the same support back home. Only she will know for sure."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya's already-enormous eyes widened as Damien ticked off his list of practical exploits.

"That's awesome!" she gushed. "Man, no one at my old school did stuff like that... the most creative they got was covering the statue out front in aluminum foil."

The catlike girl took a cautious step toward Jacinda's room - she didn't want to look too nosey, but the occasional scrap of paper tacked to the walls caught her eye immediately.

"Are you an artist, too?" she asked hopefully.

[Jacinda Blake]

Jacinda followed Taya's gaze over to the sketches.. "Oh no.. not me. I paint, that's it. These were done by Carlos Calaveras, you'll meet him later, I very much doubt he's awake yet.", she blushed..

"I told you about him, I think? Controls fire? Yeah, well you two will have loads in common since you both sketch.." Jacinda peeked around the corner, Damien was still on the couch so she seized the opportunity to kick a discarded pink pajama shirt under the bed out of sight..

[Damien E. Dervish]

Perhaps it was his lacking attention span that helped him notice Jas' movements. He thought to open his mouth, to make a facetious comment, but then held it in. After all, Damien didn't want to completely undermine Jas, or embarass her or himself in front of Taya. He merely smiled, as he almost always did, as if he were in on some joke that no one else knew of. And indeed, most of the time, he was.

"Oh, I, uh, sketch too. But I think they ain't so good....my taggin's' better. That, I know is good stuff. Got me in a lot of trouble....Was scrubbin' city hall for a month and a half. Grounded for two. and was swatted 'round with a boat paddle...."

Damien knew that most of his escapades were too outlandish to be believed, but they were all true. Perhaps it was his mannerisms that kept him out of juvenile halls. Maybe it was because he was a devil-looking mutant. Damien attributed it to God's grace and luck, in that order.

The mutant rubbed at his tail.

"....My tail still stings from that...."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya laughed and found a seat in one of the beanbag chairs, curling her tail as she always did to avoid crimping it underneath her.

"So, you said you were born with your mutation, right Damien?" she said. "Sometimes I try to picture myself as a little kid with a tail and cat ears, but I dunno... what was it like growing up?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien lounged, looking up at the ceiling instead of directly at Taya.

"Well, I guess it was like the normal aspects of growin' up. Save for the wings and tail and horns. Those, we couldn't even go to a normal doctor for. Thank God my dad had a friend who was a vetrinarian. Otherwise, I'd have several permanent fractures. Oh, and one broken wing. Slammed it in a door."

Damien snuggled into the couch a little more. It seemed as if he would be swallowed up by comfort on this couch. It was much more comfortable than his usual perch on the top to see better, but he wouldn't complain.

"Then there was learnin' to fly. Durn near gave my mom a fit. Oh, and the use of my tail. Kept knockin' things over 'til I learned how to use it prehensilely. And the horns kept breakin' the combs. And we went through shampoo insanely fast. Oh, and when my claws came in fully, I was tearin' through things on accident. Took a bit to learn how to use them also. And breastfeedin'? With the fangs? Forget it. But surprisingly, my mom breast-pumped, so I still got breastmilk."

Damien chuckled softly at that.

"And of seven kids, I was so far the only one with any kind of mutation. Go fig, right? But, in all seriousness, it was great. I had incredible support, both from family, from friends, and even from the community, which was predominantly Christian. Strange, huh? You'd figure that, in the 'South, I'd be lynched daily. Not the case. You could say I have had good luck in my life...."

He turned his head over to Taya, his look solemn. Damien was no longer smiling.

"I'm sorry you had to lose your normality. I mean, I've always been like this; I'm more than used to the questions and whatnot. But it must've been hell for you...."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya found it all fascinating. Of course, she'd had to learn, too - and was still learning - all the expected and unexpected little idiosyncracies that came with having paws, claws, and a coat of fur. Like being hot all the time, or having to use three towels to dry off after a shower.

She met Damien's sober turn with a look of gratitude. Oh, plenty of people had expressed their sympathies that she now looked like a freak, and spoke quietly around her and treated her as if she had a terminal illness. But she knew Damien understood, and his concern was very sweet.

"Thanks... the biggest thing, I think, other than getting my whole life put on hold, was just not even knowing what I was turning into. I guess when you look at it that way, I really was lucky. I'm okay with myself, and I don't care if people give me second looks. Heck, people already said I was a freak for doing lacrosse."

She stretched out her legs in front of her, one after the other - at full length, they were actually longer than a five-foot-tall girl ought to have - she stretched them all the way down to her oversized toes, which trembled in mid-air to shake out the tension and then pulled her legs up underneath her and wrapped her tail around them, practically folding up into a compact ball. She gave a contented sigh which had a distinctive purr to it.

"You sound like you were doing pretty well at home," she said. "How'd you end up coming here?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Thanks... the biggest thing, I think, other than getting my whole life put on hold, was just not even knowing what I was turning into. I guess when you look at it that way, I really was lucky. I'm okay with myself, and I don't care if people give me second looks. Heck, people already said I was a freak for doing lacrosse."

Damien snickered.

"You played lacrosse? I myself have heard of it, but don't know the idiosyncrasies of it. I never did much in sports myself....you know, tail plus wings plus horns plus claws equals distinctive advantage."


"You sound like you were doing pretty well at home. How'd you end up coming here?"

Damien turned a bit toward Taya, making himself a little more comfortable.

"Well, not everyone who comes here have difficulties or problems fittin' in. I came here for several reasons: one, the academic record here is awesome. Two, the curriculum is incredibly diverse. I mean, automotive class, theological debate, and a class designed specifically to the application and use of mutant abilities? What mutie in their right mind could pass that up?! And thirdly, a school designed specifically with mutants in mind is appealin'. And fourthly, a school this well funded had to have awesome extra-curricular activities, and an even better cafeteria selection. The first three reasons were enough for me. Adding the fourth one, and the fact that here I would have to worry less about fittin' in or bein' ostracized, and more on just bein' me, I couldn't pass it up. As for fundin', I had excellent grades and such to be a shoo-in. Unfortunately, my disiplinary record, ya know, the rap sheet, is taller than you, so that was an issue. And I continue to lengthen it daily. If it weren't for my well-mannered personality, and the good grades, I'da already been tossed out with the garbage, right on my tail."

Damien nuzzled into the couch.

"Man, this is a comfy couch..."<!-- / message -->

[Jacinda Blake]

Jacinda plopped on the opposite end of the couch suddenly. Had she thrown herself down, she might have suceeded in lauching the smaller mutant across the room like a fuzzy black cannon ball, but she anticipated that very thing happening and landed soft. "That's right.. and Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without Damien swooping down from the eaves and pillaging people like a bad horror movie.."

She gave Damien a knowing wink. She was onto most of his tricks by now, but her still got her on occasion. The shock factor was fading from the combined efforts of him, and Chris constantly trying to scare her..

"It's a really great school, Taya. So would you like to see anything? The art room maybe...?"

[Taya Robbins]

Taya jumped up instantaneously. "Sure, I'll take the full tour! And don't spare anything, you guys, I need to know who else to watch out for."

She grinned and winked at Damien.