My Favorite Thing about Salem Center

[Taya Robbins]

Friday afternoon meant art class. Normally it was the highight of Taya's day, but this time she was eager for it to be over.

She turned in her seat to watch the gray sky with some trepidation. It had been spitting rain off and on all day as if it just couldn't make up its mind. The last thing she needed was a patented Westchester spring downpour, which it seemed could come at a moment's notice. But though the clouds weren't lifting, they seemed to be brightening somewhat.

"Kitty-Girl! More painting please! Landscapes were last week!"

Taya started at the sudden appearance of Professor Yamada and almost dropped her paint-laden brush in her lap. Oh, that would be brilliant. The fur on her arms was already spiked with multicolored flecks of paint; this was why she preferred pencils.

"Sorry... just looking for inspiration?"

"Doing good job. Sky is blank, your canvas is blank, too. Stop thinking! Attack like jungle predator! Pow! Express yourself. Oh, Theodoooore..."

Taya sighed in relief as the colorful art teacher floated away to harass another student. Her canvas wasn't blank, but it certainly wasn't looking as lively and varied as the Jackson Pollack print sitting angled against the whiteboard up front. She'd have thought a distracted state of mind would be perfect for doing abstract stuff, but she was just ending up with a mess of mostly brown.

The electronic whine of the bell was a welcome relief - she quickly covered up her canvas, got in line to clean her brushes and palette, and hurried to the room she shared with Jacinda to wash the paint off her fur. She had just enough time to throw on her favorite green tank top and jeans and stuff her sketchbook in her backpack before heading out to the school's front gate.

She honestly wasn't sure why she was feeling so nervous - it wasn't like this was really a date or anything. Damien had invited her to go for some fast food and whatever amusements a podunk village like Salem Center could offer. Maybe it was because this was the first time she'd gone out in public without her parents around - it was sort of a test run to see how normal people would react to her.

If that was the case, she was glad she was going with Damien - someone who was used to being a furry little oddity. He was so at ease with himself that it put her at ease, too. And she knew if she ever got uncomfortable under the spotlight, he'd be sure to steal it.

She walked across the wet grass in a pair of modified sandals - they were unnecessary, really, except that a lot of places didn't take padded feet into account when they wrote their "no shirt, no shoes" policies - and kept an eye out for the little black fuzzball.

[Damien E. Dervish]

As the wind blew through the area, the evening breeze tossed about the black-furred mutant, whose small form was swinging about upside down on a branch by his tail and toes. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was level, as if he were asleep. Damien was actually meditating, which he did only when he was nervous. His mind usually wandered too much to successful accomplish it. But he found himself unusually tired today, and actually found himself nodding off as he was hanging upside down, feeling the blood slowly rush to his head.

He found himself dreaming of just how the night would go; surprisingly there was no pointing, no laughing. And Damien, being a regular at the Salem Center, was actually a town favorite of sorts. People waved to him, said hi, didn't go to the other side of the street. That in itself was unusual, but he was grateful for it; there weren't too many places that were like that now. But it seemed that where Damien went, happiness and a boost in the public opinion of mutants would follow.

The small-statured mutant drifted off to sleep, and began to snore, gravity pulling his mouth open, making the snore even louder than it initally started as.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya rocked back and forth in place, her tail bouncing fitfully behind her. She licked a paw-pad and smoothed out a troublesome lick of hair. She frequently checked her watch.

Five minutes late was annoying, but within the normal range of teenage delinquency.

Ten minutes was starting to get frightening. Phrases like "stood up" began trickling from her hindbrain, even though she knew it was more likely Damien was being lectured after some new stunt, or doing something with another friend, or... just forgot.

Or maybe he'd told her the wrong gate. She just knew they should've exchanged cell numbers first.

Taya padded up to the guard in the security booth by the motor entrance - he looked like he hardly ever paid attention, but she knew for a fact that whenever kids were sneaking out past curfew, they made sure to avoid his station.

"Excuse me," she said, tapping on the glass, "have you seen Damien recently?"

"Damien Dervish or Damien Prinz?"

Taya blinked - he'd never even looked up from his novel. "Dervish."

"No, not since Monday."

Taya sighed. "Okay, thanks... guess I need to track him down."

"He's in a box elder tree near the tennis courts, four hundred sixty-five feet and seven inches..." The guard pointed without looking. "That way."

Her mouth came open. "What's he doing in a tree?"

"Sleeping. Upside-down."

Okay, that was scary. Taya backed away slowly. "Oh. Well, all right. Thanks!"

He turned a page and said, "My pleasure. Watch out for Mary Tyson on the way."

Halfway to the tennis courts, Taya found herself dodging a girl jogging across the lawn in an iPod-induced runner's trance. She paused, wondering which of the trees lining the courts was a box elder when she heard something snoring.

She followed her ears to a sprawling old tree that seemed to be growing a large, black, fuzzy fruit about ten feet off the ground. Taya was annoyed, but she still had to stifle a laugh.

The tree was easy enough to climb, especially with claws. She perched herself on the branch he was hanging from and broke off a long, leafy stem. Then she brushed it back and forth across Damien's nose.

[Damien E. Dervish]

His nose twitched, before he let out a sneeze. The sneeze surprised the small mutant, catching him off balance. Even Damien, skilled as he was, was groggy upon first waking up. He barely even got a chance to open his eyes before he fell off of the branch. He only got out a startled yelp right before his face crashed into the ground, body thudding behind him.

A groan indicated that he was still conscious. He lifted his head, and didn't even seem to notice Taya above him. He grumbled to himself, and then aparently realized he had a mouthful of dirt and grass in his mouth. He slowly pulled himself up, spitting and sputtering on the grass. Grimacing, Damien saw a glint of white in the pile of dirt and grass congealed with spit. He leaned down and picked it up. It was a fang. He didn't fret much over it; perhaps as part of his mutation, his teeth seemed to grow back. And thankfully so, otherwise Damien would've found himself sporting a set of false teeth well over a decade ago. He grumbled, dusting himself off and wiping the spittle and dirt from his mouth, before some very slight movement above him caught his attention. He looked up, poised to attack...

....and then saw Taya's form crouched on his old perch, stick still in hand, green eyes matching the green leaves. She was a sight to behold, and here was Damien, stained from his landing on the ground, which she had somehow caused. He laughed aloud. Hopefully, Taya wouldn't note the creeping undertone of his nervousness.

"I'm sorry, Taya. 'Fraid I passed out. Been awhile since I've gotten a chance to take a nap. I was meditatin', and I do that when I'm...."

Damien, thinking quickly on his feet, finished his sentence, the word nervous being quickly dropped with only a slight hesitation.

"....tired. Wow, you look great."

Damien, looking down at his pants, saw that they weren't grass or dew-stained too badly. Worst thing was his face, but a few quick bats of his hands solved the issues of dirt and grass clinging to his chin. He pulled up a hankerchief, and held it to the empty socket where his tooth once was, quickly dabbing up the blood before continuing.

"Ready to go?"

[Taya Robbins]

Taya winced - maybe on the way up she'd fantasized about knocking him out of his tree, but she hadn't envisioned him hitting the ground quite so hard.

"I guess you don't land on your feet?"

As if to illustrate the point, she leapt down from the branch and landed beside him on all fours. She seemed to hardly make a sound.

She bounced back up, smiling, and then she saw the handkerchief. "Did you hit your mouth?"

And then she saw the red stain on the handkerchief, and she blanched. "Ohmygod - did you break a tooth?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien waved her off.

"Well, yeah. But try landin' on your feet after a nap. I had a cat once, and she didn't always land on her feet after a nap. Especially when you pushed her off the couch. That cat, loved her to death, was evil."

Damien looked at the hankerchief, and shrugged.

"Nah, it's fine. They grow back 'bout two days or so. At least, my teeth and claws and horns do. Like a carnivore. Otherwise, I'd have dentures by now. And prosthetic claws. Ya know, its great havin' a veterinarian as a family friend. Otherwise, I'd have permanently damaged wings. Can't exactly go to the ER for a broken wing..."

Damien realized he was rambling. He dabbed up some more blood, and smiled.

"I'm fine, Taya. Sorry. Hope ya didn't think I stood ya up, or somethin'. I just...."

Damien sighed, and resigned himself to tell the truth.

"....a little nervous, is all."

[Taya Robbins]

So, the first boy who'd asked her out, in any capacity, since her mutation, and... she'd broken his tooth.

Taya sunk back down to the ground, and her ears drooped pathetically. She tried replying, but it came out scattershot.

"Well, I... Nervous? Why? I mean, I was a little nervous myself 'cause it's my first time going out since, y'know... I thought maybe... I really broke your tooth!"

She reached out and carefully turned his head so she could get a look at it. "Are you sure you don't want to get some ice or something?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien could only smile. She was nervous as well. Damien helped Taya up to her feet. Well, as best as a three and a half foot mutant could.

"I told ya not to worry 'bout it. I'm fine, darlin'. Just relax. Ya wanna know what could make my tooth feel better? A chocolate milkshake. Or a Wild Cherry Pepsi Float. An' that's the same place that makes the burgers I picked up this mornin'. A small malt shop. With two p's and an e. Old-fashioned, fountain drinks, and great food and ice cream. Not too many places like that nowadays. You can buy me ice-cream. We'll be square on the tooth!"

Damien laughed, only stopping to dab at the missing socket once more. When only the clear, wet spot of saliva came back, it became clear to the small mutant that the socket was no longer bleeding. He grinned, offering Taya an arm.

"Shall we?"

[Taya Robbins]

It was darned hard to stay upset when Damien was around. That was probably a defense mechanism, come to think of it. That, along with his ability to look adorable even with a gap in his customarily toothy grin.

Taya laughed sheepishly as her ears slowly rotated upright again. "Deal. Especially if you let me taste the ice cream."

She hooked a paw through his arm as best she could - it was a little awkward, since he didn't quite come up to her chest, and it felt like she was walking alongside a kid brother. But the thing about having digitigrade legs was it was like walking on tip-toes, and your height was mildly negotiable.

"Did you know we're four hundred sixty-five feet and seven inches away from the main gate?" she asked out of the blue. "We've got ground to cover, buster."

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Deal. Especially if you let me taste the ice cream."


Damien laughed, the gap in his tooth barely visible from the other numerous teeth. His cackle was lighthearted, and sounded surprisingly deep for someone of his stature. It reminded Damien of some guy named BeastBoy off of some show....Teen Titans. Yeah, that's it. Kid's voice sounds like its goin' through puberty, droppin' some, then goin' back to the higher pitch.

"Well, that's the idea when ya go to a restauraunt. Ya eat!"


"Did you know we're four hundred sixty-five feet and seven inches away from the main gate?" she asked out of the blue. "We've got ground to cover, buster."<!-- / message -->

Damien laughed, again. Taya's attitude, once she got over the inital shock of his face-plant into the ground, had improved greatly. It made Damien smile just thinking of her demeanor, her smile, those pretty green eyes.

"I see ya talked to Knowles, the know-it-all guard. Thank God he ain't a telepath. Otherwise, he'd give ya commentary along with painstakingly irritating directions."

Damien suddenly ducked. His legs and tail, all unusually powerful for a creature of his size and stature, propelled him into the air, where he unfurled his wings, catching the breeze.

"Race ya there!"

The impish mutant took off, wings beating wildly to gain altitude.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya gaped in surprise - of course, she'd known Damien could fly, but actually seeing him take to the air was breathtaking.

It was a moment before she realized he'd already built a head start in the time she'd spent admiring him.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Taya leaned forward and broke into a long, loping run. Her powerful catlike legs could move her faster than most humans, and she quickly caught up with the flying mutant.

The gate loomed ahead with Knowles in his guard booth still disinterestedly grazing through his novel. Taya was just wondering whether she could jump high enough to clear the iron bars when the gates slid open on their own.

She thought she heard Knowles say, "Be back by eleven," as they passed through the gate and out of the grounds.

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien's posture in flight said it all; with the wind bustling through his hair and fur, a smile upon his face, the impish mutant was as happy as he could be. And why not? He was going on a date, with a cat-woman no doubt. How many people can actually claim that?! Not ta mention, it's 'bout time! I haven't gone on a decent date in over a year! Bein' an imp is cute and all, but it kinda makes ya undate-able to most.

Before the gate could even open, a flip of the wings put Damien into an ascent just over it, and into the branch of a nearby tree. Just as it would seem that he would crash, Damien shot his clawed hands out, and caught the branch, pulling himself into three revolutions before letting himself go, somersaulting and flipping into the air. As he lands, thirty or so feet below, Damien opens and flaps his wings barely, just to play out the momentum, landing easily on the grounds, about twenty feet in front of Taya. As she reaches him, Damien speaks, a big smile on his face.

"We'll be back 'round 11:30 or so.....and not ta worry. Knowles may know it all, but this is what I know: he likes a pair of foot-long chili cheese dogs, with raw onions, extra peppers, extra chili cheese, chased down with a root beer float, and a side of fries with hot sauce. Favors is the better, more acceptable form of bribery."

A devilish grin seemed very fitting at the moment, and that was exactly the expression that was played across Damien's face.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya couldn't help wincing - and then laughing - at Damien's daredevil aerobatics. Suddenly she found herself wishing she could fly, though she knew she'd break more than a few teeth before she could keep up with him.

"Yech! That sounds like a coronary waiting to happen. So how far is this Malt Shop-pay of yours?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien laughs at the comment involving the coronary waiting to happen.

"Well, most of the time, Knowles eats salads and stuff. Ya know, rabbit food. He only eats uber-good when I buy him his fav....which, is not so often. Most of the time, I just bring back a root beer float, a milkshake, or somethin', and we're square. But, with company, I figured I'd go a lil' overboard, just in case he decides to attempt to negotiate."

Damien felt a sharp pain in his mouth, but didn't even so much as wince. He merely wondered just how the tooth was already growing back so quickly. Maybe he had extra calcium to spare...

Looking down the road a ways, Damien looked over to Taya.

"Oh, it's a few miles. Not a bad walk, even for me. Translation: you won't have trouble. It ain't far."

[Taya Robbins]

Cullen's occupied a hill above the sleepy little burrough of Salem Center. Possibly the business magnate who'd originally built the mansion imagined himself a feudal lord over the county, but when Dr. Gregory Cullen had first announced he was opening a school for mutant youth, the people of Salem Center had taken to watching the hill like a looming volcano, taking some small comfort in knowing it was too far away for mutants to come wandering into town every day.

But Dr. Cullen hadn't been content with a begrudging tolerance. So he'd made Salem Center a beachhead for his coexistence campaign. He'd poured considerable resources into the community to fund renovation projects, improving the lower-class housing, aiding the local schools, organizing relief efforts after a horrific fire - and he'd made sure his students were visible participants in the outreach. As a result, Salem Center was probably one of the most mutant-friendly towns on the eastern seaboard.

And one of the ways Dr. Cullen had brought the school and the community closer was to build a brick walkway with steps and handrails down the hillside from the school's main entrance to the edge of town, cutting out the circuitous road with its switchbacks and scenic overlooks. Even on a gray day, the walk was beautiful. In the muted light, the sharp greens of the ferns and newly-grown leaves on the trees seemed to glow, and the air was full of birdsong.

Taya was entranced by the sound and the smells of the Appalachian forest. She'd seen California redwoods, of course, but that was before mutation had awakened her senses - she felt almost like she'd gone through life with cotton in her ears and up her nose. She could practically taste the life all around her. Never had she felt more connected to nature.

She was almost sorry when she heard traffic up ahead and knew they were almost to the bottom. "Think they'll recognize you out here?" she asked with a wry grin.

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

Salem had another facet to it. By virtue of being practically adjacent to Cullens, it had taken special importance in Praetorian Consulting's operations. The contractors had even bought real estate in town to house a local surveillance outfit to cover the school and outlying area. So by the time that Taya and Damien had made their way into town, the operators were already on the move.

Jan seemed to become a respectable-enough looking citizen this far out of a large city. With his large beard, he tossed on a Yankees cap and a flannel shirt, which concealed soft body armor, a Sig P229 Equinox, and a few other anti-mutant precautions in a pair of worn carpenter jeans.

He'd strolled in for coffee at a diner that sat on the main town thoroughfare, and bought coffee, a croissant, and a paper. He sat at a table outside, and tapped his encrypted bluetooth earpiece.

"I am here."

[Damien E. Dervish]

Watching as Taya said so little, when she was normally talkative before, gave Damien a chance to think. Which was a blessing in disguise; otherwise, by the time they would have closed in on Salem Center, Damien would've been a nervous wreck. Fortunately, he'd managed to think himself down, to play it cool. After all, she hadn't turned him down, nor gave him any excuses, or even try to weasel out of it. In fact, she had sought him out when he was late for the date, and hadn't flipped out on in. In fact, she had played with him, though it, to her, had probably ended disastrously. To Damien, it was just another bump on the head, another injury to add to the impressive list, and an interesting tale for later.

The small mutant hopped, landing on the railing. It's smooth, black laquered finish allowed him to easily "grind" down it with his black-cloth sneakers. He landed gracefully, looking back up at Taya.

"Of course! I mean, what's there to forget!?"

[Taya Robbins]

Taya grinned at Damien's antics - she wasn't sure if he did that sort of thing all the time or if he was just showing off for her benefit.

It was probably a bit of both. Damien was the sort to always crave an audience. And something about the fact that he was really trying to get her attention, well, excited her.

"Guess I'm just lucky to have a celebrity escort," she said, offering him her paw again.

The path turned again to run parallel with a road that swooped down into the heart of Salem - now they could see a modest sprawl of houses and shops rolling with the contours of the valley before them, punctuated here and there by old growth trees that shaded rooftops. It took Taya a moment to realize that they were headed straight down Main Street. There were lampposts lining the sidewalks with frosted light globes at the end of whimsically curled pylons; along with the curving facades of weathered bricks and picture windows, Taya was certain she'd seen it in the snow on a postcard somewhere.

She tensed when she realized there were people out and about on a Friday afternoon, and unconsciously she tightened her grip on Damien's furry hand.

[Damien E. Dervish]

"Guess I'm just lucky to have a celebrity escort."

The mutant chuckled at that, his missing tooth already showing a small portion of its regrowth; a small, white incizor had made its way to the surface of the gum, slowly penetrating it.

"Now, I wouldn't go that far."

Damien found him taking her hand, and they began their stroll along the sidewalk. Only a few of the pedestrians stopped to look at the unusual pair, but a simple shrug and a smile were all they seemed to get. Occasionally, Taya and Damien got a wave, and a hail, primarily consisting of greetings to Damien. Of course, with every greeting, Damien made sure to introduce Taya, to break her into the public eye. Why hide when we don't always have to?

Damien could sense Taya's building tension long before her grip ever became any stronger. As they approached Main Street, crossing in the designated zone, the small mutant felt her hand tense up. Her expression was one of uneasieness.

Damien only smiled.

"Hey, relax, darlin'. They ain't gonna bite. An' not ta mention, you're breakin' my hand. Just...."

Upon thinking his random thought, Damien smirked.

"....hold on loosely, but don't let go."

His quote of the classic lyric was near perfect, thought Damien couldn't remember what the name of the song, or the artist, to save his life. Apparently, they weren't that much of a classic.

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

"They're on de main drag now."

Jan flipped a page in the newspaper, mindful to keep just enough fold in one side to peer over and watch the two distinct mutants as they passed.

"I want a clean grab, off de main street. Quick 'n easy like."

He kept his voice to a low throaty rasp, barely enough for his support crew to hear him.

[Taya Robbins]

It was silly, she knew - could she possibly find a more unthreatening bunch of people than the residents of some rural New England hamlet? As long as you weren't a witch, anyway.

No, she was just a cat walking into town with a devil. The absurdity of it all made her laugh silently.

"Sorry, I just... reflex." Taya loosened her grip and followed Damien's lead toward the modest downtown.

They attracted attention, of course. Even though most of the people of Salem had seen Damien at one time or another, he was still a curiosity; now there were two of them. Taya's sharp ears picked up a little girl's voice from across the road: "Look, mommy - kitties!"

She laughed and looked down at Damien to see if he'd heard it, too.

They passed effortlessly into the human traffic, and Taya felt her anxieties melt away. "So show a California girl life in the big city," she said with a wink. "Where to first?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Upon hearing the exclamation from the little girl, Damien laughed and waved at her, his award winning smile on his face. If the fangs were threatening in any way, that somehow didn't even seem to affect the little girl. Even the mother, who would normally tense up, seemed to do nothing more than smile back. She didn't see a threat in a large, cat-like humanoid, and a devilish midget.


So show a California girl life in the big city. Where to first?"

Damien heard Taya's words, but also noted several things around him that seemed to be wrong. A few guys were at a table together, one interested in his newspaper, the corner drapping into the readable section. God, that would annoy the crap outta me IF I was readin' the paper... And then it dawned on him. Was the guy actually even reading it? Damien instantly marked the guy as suspicious, without even so much as looking his way. ADHD has it's advantages. Without even so much as a pause in conversation, Damien spoke.

"Well, I was first thinkin' of somethin' to eat. Then maybe, I dunno, a movie, or somethin'. Whatever ya like, Taya."

[Taya Robbins]

"Oh, I'm always ready to eat," Taya said with a grin. "Just point me in the right--"

She cut herself off with a sharp gasp, then broke free of Damien's hand and darted forward through a cluster of people.

When Damien caught up, she was bending down in front of a shop window looking down at an array of knitted plush animals.

"Are these handmade? They're so cute!"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien was surprisingly by her side in virtually no time at all. Being small, and having wings, and looking like Satan, had their upsides. Everyone pretty much moved, excused themselves, or tipped their hats, giving Damien the right of way. And when that didn't work, he simply flitted over them, landing gently beside Taya.


"Are these handmade? They're so cute!"

The small mutant smiled.

"Actually, yeah they are. And custom-ordered. I could get one that looks like you....or me. Miss Dales' work is incredible."

[Taya Robbins]

She grinned like her first name was Cheshire.

"Ohhh, a Damien plushie? I could have all sorts of fun with one of those!"

[Damien E. Dervish]

A chuckle escaped Damien's lips. Then he realized that she was talking about a plush doll of him. Wait! She'd have all sorts of fun with a doll? OF ME? Nervousness began to set in, but was washed away when Damien saw the sparkle of green, near feline eyes. His own eyes seemed to flicker brightly for a second.

"Well, if ya want one, let's go in. I'll getcha an order."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya had the sudden urge to ruffle Damien's hair. Only she wasn't sure how he'd take that.

"Oh, I was kid--" She broke off and blinked at him. "Really? Well... okay!"

She grabbed his hand and whisked in through the door. Five minutes later, as Damien was detailing the commission in his characteristically flamboyant fashion, Taya found a moment to steal Miss Dales away to another corner of the store.

After a whispered conversation, she pulled out her sketchbook and roughed in some ideas. Miss Dales nodded, and Taya tore out the page and handed it to her.

She stowed her sketchbook away again and tried to look innocent as she rejoined Damien.

[Damien E. Dervish]

Naturally, Damien had the show in hand. He conversed with Miss Dales for a moment, got the idea for what he wanted for Taya across, and then began wandering around, looking at different models and plush dolls.

As red eyes looked about, finding very interesting dolls, Damien positioned himself at an ideal lookout place throughout the store. It gave him full view of the entire salesfloor, and of Taya. He watched as she animatedly sketched away at a book, nearly scheming with Mrs. Dales. Damien thought she had something in the works, but shrugged it off. If she wanted to spring something on Damien, he would enjoy the surprise.

The next thing that came to mind was Damien watching the remainder of the environment, even out to where the window displays revealed the street. Something wasn't quite right about all this, and it wasn't the pubescent butterflies or excitement of having compatible company of the opposite sex with him.

As Taya returned, Damien resumed his interest in a Dracula-looking plush bear, very well done, down to even the detail of the blood on the "fangs" and the undead-like color scheme. He mused to himself, loud enough for Taya to hear.

"Man, Mrs. Dales' work never ceases to amaze me."

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

"They moved to de curio shop."

Jan curtly folded his paper, and set it aside, leaving his seat to stroll down the sidewalk. He meandered for a bit, and went into a few other shops before finding himself picking through some antiques in a shop opposite the curio store. The storefront's large glass window gave a panoramic reflective surface with which to keep Taya and Damien under surveillance. It was still too public for a snatch.

[Taya Robbins]

Miss Dales wouldn't take a dime up front; she only said she'd call when the order was ready. Taya felt like she could have hugged the woman; she sensed a kindred spirit, artistically speaking. It didn't feel right to leave the shop empty-handed, so she bought herself a small red dragon with wings and flight goggles.

They emerged back onto the street to find the clouds a little lower than they'd been earlier. "Uh-oh... we're gonna be stinking up the malt shoppe with wet fur if we don't hurry."

[Damien E. Dervish]

Upon gazing at the sky, reflected and altered in the red spheres that was his eyes, the small mutant laughed.

"Yer a hoot! But yer right. We better get goin'."

With speed that was incredible for someone of his size, Damien seemed to cover just as much ground as the taller, longer-legged Taya. And all the while, Damien's thoughts seemed to return to the subject of her legs, and nice looking they were, despite being very feline like. For some strange reason, her mutant genes seemed to add to her attractiveness for Damien. And coupled with an awesome personality to boot, he was nearly smitten. He'd have to wait it out, to see just how well they hit it off tonight.

They reached the malt shoppe just in time, as the rain began to come down in droves, drenching the small, New England town. The faux-weathered, treated wooden sign swung in the stronger breezes that accompanied the storm. As the light and breeze worked together, forming the perfect reading light and angle, the older-styled unlit sign could be read: The Malt Shoppe. And just underneath, in smaller, less bold letters: That's with two p's and an e!

The sign made Damien chuckle every time he saw it. He swept his arms out wide, just as the lightning flickered in the sky.

"TADA!"

The short sentence was perfectly accented with the brooding sounds of the thunder rumbling in the sky. Damien chuckled again at his own, dead-on timing. He then pointed to the chalk-board, just above and behind the older, African-American clerk and his register.

"Check out the specials of the day. They're usually incredible. Then again, they've also got a mean quadruple, bacon n' ranch, four-cheeseburger, topped with American, Provolone, Havarti, and Cheddar cheeses! INCREDIBLE!"


Damien then had to stop himself, slow himself down, calm his excitable mood. His spirited tirade ended with a nervous chuckle.

"But yer lactose-intolerant. Not ta worry; I'll take yer helpin' of the stuff."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya couldn't help noticing during their mad dash that most everyone else was also taking Mother Nature's warning to heart - shoppers were ducking into their cars or huirrying indoors to escape the impending downpour, leaving the streets practically deserted. Even the Malt Shoppe was fairly sparse as it was well too late for lunch and not quite late enough for dinner.

Taya followed Damien toward the menu board, and neither of them noticed the black SUV that glided past through the rain outside.

"Let's get two, and you're getting double cheese," she said, grinning. "And... Oh, they have Fanta! I'm having grape."

[Damien E. Dervish]

The small mutant could only smile at Taya.

"Excellent choice, madam! I'll be havin' the Coke with a shot of vanilla. Yep. That's the good stuff."

Damien made the order, and the clerk, known later as Mr. Smith, smiled warmly. After less than a five minute conversation, in which Damien very expertly introduced, and perhaps even showed off Taya, their food came up, fresh and hot. Damien flitted up to the counter, to get the drinks, then looked to Taya, almost apoplectically.

"Would ya get the food for us, darlin'? I would, but I'd be better off handlin' the drinks.....ya know..."

He looked away, sheepishly.

[Taya Robbins]

It was funny seeing him look so bashful, though Taya honestly wasn't sure why he was - she had a hard time thinking of Damien as less capable just because of his size. He could FLY, after all.

She grabbed the bag of food, picked up a couple straws, filled two tiny paper cups from the ketchup and mustard pumps, and slid into a seat across from Damien just as a roll of thunder broke directly overhead. Taya yelped and then laughed at herself.

"We should have brought Jacinda," she said. "She could probably just blow the storm away. Or Mr. Daniels could just suck up all the lightning."

[Damien E. Dervish]

The small southerner shrugged his shoulders.

"Why? After all, we gotta have bad weather once in a while. Makes us appreciate the nice days."

Damien sorted through the bag, handing Taya her food before going for his.

"Besides, if the power fails, we'll get ta use candles. And I like candles, though I don't need 'em. I can see in the dark, ya know."

The red-eyed mutant smiled, illustrating his visual acuity by winking at Taya from across the table.

[Taya Robbins]

"No way! So can I!"

She poked out one claw and tore through the sticker holding the burger wrapper shut.

"I mean, not like pitch dark. But... well, my mutation happened a little bit at a time. It was pretty far into it, sometime in the fall, I think, and I woke up one morning, and everything was dark. I was completely blind. Scared me to death.

"The doctors looked at my eyes with some sort of ultrasound thing, and it had all just dissolved inside - they couldn't even see my retinas anymore. Some of the doctors wanted to operate, even though they didn't have a clue what was going on, but I was able to convince my parents to tell them not to."

She unscrewed the cap from her bottle of grape Fanta and pushed a straw down inside.

"I didn't know how to keep track of time while I was blind, but a couple days later, I woke up in bed, and I could see again. It felt so weird - I thought I was dreaming at first. But my mom was sleeping in a chair next to my bed, and I woke her up. I asked her what time it was, and she said it was four in the morning. So I asked her why all the lights were on, and she said they weren't."

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien seemed in awe upon hearing the story. And indeed he was.

"Wow. It's not er'vyday ya meet someone who says their eyeballs liquified from the inside out."

As if unaffected by the potential grossness of where their conversation had turned, Damien easily opened the wrapper off the burger, laying it flat. He picked up the greasy, juicy, mouth-watering burger overflowing with cheese and bacon, and took a bite that seemed far too large for a being of his stature. As his jaws worked, he swallowed his food, a large smile beaming from his face.

"Must've been painful. I cain't imagine changin' like that. I've always had mah adaptations; adjustin' was easy fer me. Maybe not so easy for mah parents, but they somehow managed, an' without any huge snags.....well, save fer havin' a mutant fer a son."

Damien chuckled in spite of himself.

"But I guess mah personality helps ta ease the blow fer people er somethin'."

[Taya Robbins]

Taya hadn't even touched her burger yet - it was fascinating, and perhaps a little frightening, to watch Damien attack a sandwich that was nearly as big as his head. She couldn't help laughing along with him.

"It's not a blow for everybody," she said. "Your looks, I mean. I always thought you were cute."

Suddenly, she realized how that might sound - especially considering the plush toy she'd just ordered.

"I mean... not just like... little, fuzzy, and cute... but like... um..."

Ohhh, maybe this wasn't a good idea... Her ears blushed, and her tail bounced nervously behind her.

[Damien E. Dervish]

At first, the mutant didn't register what had been said, or the full context. But, as it all slowly came together for Damien, while he was in mid-chew of a larger portion of his 'burger, he looked up. Swallowing down the lump of chewed food, and the lump of nervousness that slowly worked it's way into his throat, Damien immediately chased it all down with over half the glass of Coke with a shot of vanilla, in loud gulps. Having finished that, he then looked to Taya.

Being that his visual acuity was great, and his attention span not so great, he noted that her tail seemed to swish behind her, almost erratically, in a nervous fashion. The very tips of her ears seemed a deeper shade of red than what was usual. She jes' admitted that I was cute....and not the cuddly animal sorta cute.....play it cool, man, play it cool!

"Say wha? I.....uh....why, thank ya....."

The smaller mutant found himself nervously playing with his straw on his drink, before looking back up at Taya.

"Well, Ah think yer great yerself, Taya."

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

This was a good opportunity. Jan walked toward the malt shop, oblivious to the rain. Still out of direct line of sight, he spoke into his headset.

"De rain has de people off de street. Bring de team in close on my position and wait. We can get them coming out of de shop."

Pocketing his earpiece, Jan stepped around the corner and stood under the malt shop's awning, pausing a bit to wipe his shoes and press the rainwater from his beard before entering.

He stepped up to the counter, behaving obliviously to the two mutants already seated, and looked at the menu. Americans and their cheap, unhealthy food.

"Turkey sandwich." Jan said with indifference.

[Taya Robbins]

Taya's ears bobbed, and she could feel her cheeks flushing, even though Damien couldn't see it under her fur. It was so silly - she felt like bashful twelve-year-old. She'd been told by boys she was cute before, right?

Well... No, not really. Not since her mutation. And it was one thing - a big thing - for Daddy to tell her she was beautiful. But it felt like she'd been holding her breath all this time without realizing.

"Thanks," she said, almost inaudibly. All of a sudden, she was tongue-tied. So, with another shy smile, she started delicately unwrapping her burger.

And then she erupted, "Holy crap, this is huge! Damien! Why did I listen to you?"

She laughed in disbelief as she lifted the sesame seed crown to spoon off the cheese. "You'd better be ready to eat half of this, because there is no way."

The bearded stranger behind her didn't even register on her radar.

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien laughed.

"No prob. But trust me, it's sooo good, you'll wanna save tha otha half. Like, inna doggie bag or somethin'."

The mutant takes yet another large and near-incredible bite, his jaw stretching to interesting and possibly creepy lengths. After a few seconds of masticating, the furry boy swallowed the large bite in a gulp.

"An' I don' think they got kittie-bags."

Damien winked a red eye to Taya.

"Or demon-kitty bags, fer that matta. I'll settle fer doggie...."

The mutant took yet another bite, and swallowed it down.

"....bags."

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

Jan took his sandwich, and ate half of it without ceremony, washing that down with bottled Perrier. He sat with his back half-turned from his targets, but his eyes were on enough reflective surfaces to keep them quite covered.

He tried to ignore the puppy love vibes, and patiently waited for the rain to end, hoping that they'd be somewhat task-oriented and not hang about too much.

[Taya Robbins]

Damien was absolutely too much. If Taya didn't stop laughing, she was going to starve with this perfectly good burger in front of her.

"I'll do my best," she said, "but I can't make any promises."

It took some doing to even fit the edge of the burger in her mouth and past her protruding fangs. But once she did, she made short work of it.

"Mmmf! It'ff good"

Her mom would probably kill her if she saw her eating something so high in fat and cholesterol, but it wasn't like she was hurting for exercise at Cullen's the way she had been at the hospital. And somehow sharing in something like this, knowing that Damien was tasting exactly what she was tasting (well, minus the cheese)... it made her feel like she'd made a connection.

She surprised herself how far she'd made it through the burger before she had to wrap it up again.

"So, still raining?" She turned to look over her shoulder out the window past the guy with the beard. The downpour had ended, but it was still drizzling.

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien's attention wasn't fully on Taya. With his long time sufferance of ADHD, he found himself looking around, his eyes catching the first thing that came to them. And it was all the reflective surfaces. And as he looked at one, then the other, they all seemed to angle a bit toward the bearded guy that was eating what looked like a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, topped with lettuce and tomatoes. A healthy alternative, completed with Perrier water. But that wasn't what caught his complete attention, that a guy of that size would be eating that healthily. No, it was more of his eyes. They had a look to them. A look that Damien had seen on television a million times. They had the look of a predator. And they seemed to occasionally pass over him and Taya, but not directly. No, not directly at all. Instead, he seemed to be doing what Damien was doing, using the reflective surfaces instead of his neck to scan the area. This guy, if he was some sort of predator, he was good. Damn good.

But this didn't make Damien uncomfortable in the least. He found himself thriving on the attention. He then heard Taya speak. He snapped his attention to her, picking up and finishing his Coke, before looking to her.

"Yep. A nice day. I love rainy days. Especially the after-effects. Everthin' seems greener, stronger, healthier."

[Taya Robbins]

"Yeah," Taya said. "I guess so, it just takes so long for my fur to dry."

She noticed his attention drifting - or, more accurately, pinballing. She'd seen him do that before. But it seemed like he was zeroing in on something or other over her shoulder.

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien blinked again.

"Oh, I'm just wonderin' if I could pull of the Grizzly Adams look that guy behind ya's pullin'. But don' be lookin'. That's rude. I mean, he ain't even starin'....most would already be starin'. An' I don' know the guy. Never seen 'im before. Wonder if he's new in town..."

[Taya Robbins]

"Hmm..."

She didn't look, but she swiveled her ears back in that direction. She barely heard the rattle of a sandwich wrapper over the general restaurant hum.

And then she giggled. "Grizzly Adams? Can you even grow a beard?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien laughed slightly.

"Well, it grows everywhere else. Why not a beard?"

He finished the last of his burger in one huge bite, washing it down with the last of his Vanilla Coke.

"Man, that hit the spot. Maybe a little ice cream, and my tank'll be full."

The lightning crackled and lit the sky as Damien spoke.

[Taya Robbins]

"That's right, I still owe you, don't I?"

She turned and looked longingly at the gigantic displays of sundaes and banana splits on the lighted menu board.

"Go on and pick out anything you want, on me," she said, rising from her seat. "I have to go, mmm, go." She pointed surreptitiously toward the restrooms. "Be right back."

She threw one more look at the ice cream, sighed, and sidled off to the ladies' room.

[Damien E. Dervish]

As Taya went to the restrooms, Damien got a good look at the area, determining the best way to watch the doors without being seen directly watching. The reflective surfaces of the bar seemed a perfect fit to it, so Damien sidled to the counter, ordering himself a Moutain Dew float, topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

As the store owner went to making the float, Damien turned to the bearded guy and smiled his award-winning smile.

"A turkey sandwich on wheat? Nice, healthy alternative. Ya might wanna try tha orange sherbert shake, made with low-fat ice cream. It's surprisingly good, an' good fer ya!"

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

"I'll remember that."

Jan nodded, speaking efficiently without giving the effect of being brusque. He glanced to Damien, and further back to Taya, and gave a smile.

"Your dem kids from da school, yeh?"

[Damien E. Dervish]

Damien smiled. Naturally, their reputation as mutants preceeded them always.

"Yessir. It's a good school, with an excellent curriculum, an' it lacks the lynchin's that some place like ta give people like her..."

The small mutant motioned to Taya as she exited for the bathroom.

"....an' mahself. How 'bout yerself, sir? Ya don't seem like the type that would settle in here, in a small town like this."

Damien's social skills were nothing short of amazing. Not only was he charismatic, but he was downright polite, southern-style. A true gentleman.

[Jan Claasen du Toit]

"Nor do you."

Jan noted on the heels of the kid's observation as he took a drink. He paused, and extended a hand after setting the bottle down.

"Name's Jan. I come up here for de photography mostly."

It wasn't really Jan's style to be this socially accomodating, but he let it ride for a while.

[Damien E. Dervish]

amien reached upward, taking the hand and shaking it as best he could from his perspective and leverage. He instantly felt the strength in the man's hand, the capacity to be extremely strong, yet there was no real pressure, no real application of power in it. He was holding back, and the small mutant picked up on that. Why in the heck would a photog-raffer have such a powerful build. They're usually too busy takin' pictures to be this ripped...

"That's right, sir. Ah'm Damien. From South Carolina, tha Charleston area. Pleashua to meetcha, Mr. Jan."

He pronounced the man's name as correctly as possible; his French was a little rusty.

"An' Ah could see why: tha colors in tha Fall are wondaful."

[Taya Robbins]

Washing paws took longer than hands. Especially when it was that thick, greasy hand soap that clotted up in her fur instead of spreading evenly or lathering. And she just gave up on the air dryer after two cycles and wiped her damp paws on her belly fur.

She took another moment in front of the mirror to smooth out a few errant hairs. And while she was doing this she noticed something.

The bathroom had a frosted window opposite the sink - Taya had always thought windows were out of place in a public restroom; at least this one faced an innocent side alley. But some huge, dark shape had just moved to block almost the entire window, and she could hear the basso rumble of a large engine through the cinder block walls.

She fought with her hair a little longer, waiting to see what the vehicle outside would do. But it just sat with its engine running. Perhaps it was making a delivery, but she hadn't seen anyone get out.

Cautiously curious, she stepped over to the window for a better look, but glass was only just barely translucent. There wasn't a latch, so she figured the window was probably permanently fastened in place. But, just in case, she dug her claws down under the lower pane and tried lifting it.

It slid cleanly, and she found herself looking at a plate of tinted glass on the rear door of a black Suburban. Something startled her, and she jumped back, letting the window slide shut again with a bang.

It took her a moment to realize what had frightened her so much - it was like waking up in a cold sweat and trying to remember what you'd just been dreaming. But for a moment she'd thought there'd been someone just on the other side of the car window, almost pressed up against the tinted glass, watching her.

It took her a few moments to compose herself, slow her pounding heart, and smooth out the wildly fluffing fur around her tail. But the Suburban was still there. With some effort, she turned her back and walked out into the dining room.

She wasn't really surprised to see Damien standing around chatting up another customer, the one he'd said looked like Grizzly Adams. Smiling, Taya walked up beside him and glanced down at the Mountain Dew float bubbling greenly in his claws. "Wow, that looks downright toxic. Hi!" She looked up at Jan again and waved, and then she realized she was having that same feeling, that same odd feeling of being watched through one-way glass. It bothered her, and she took a step backwards.

Maybe I'm more nervous about meeting people than I thought...

[Damien E. Dervish]

"It probably should be. Jan, this is mah good friend, Taya. I wish we could stay for more introductions, but we have places ta go, people ta see. Have a good day, good sir."

Without further ado, Damien tugged on her hand, and they left the building.

Once they had left, the building, and had gone back out into the now-lightly misting rain, Damien spoke to Taya.

"Somethin' ain't right about him, Taya. He's watchin' us too hard. I know we're jus' muties ta most, but he's watchin' too intently. Let's keep watchin', see if he follows us. Look for a vehicle, most likely with heavily-tinted window. Only places here that have 'em are delivery vehicles. Not a huge thing here, tha tinted windows an' tricked-out rides. But when watchin' for 'em, use reflective surfaces an' yer eyes, not yer head. They will easily see yer profile move, and be able to keep ya from seein' 'em."