Nora's Collection

Kon was in the kitchen now, brewing a fresh cup of coffee and reviewing some paperwork she had spread across the counter regarding the mystery in the dorms. The previous conversation with Bast was interesting, and she would check up with this doctor later this afternoon if she had the chance. Regardless, she now knew that the feral was stalking the property now. A decision had to be made soon to either fight her off or allow her to stay. Her thoughts pingponged back and forth between the documents infront of her and the situation with Bast. Glancing over at the coffee maker, she discovers it was done and picks up her empty cup to fill it


-Nora walked down the unfamiliar hall toward what she hoped was a kitchen, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she went. It had been a weird 24 hours, she'd spent the night in her assigned room, tossing and turning, flinching at every sound. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for but if the past day had told her anything, it was anything goes with this group of mutant freaks. Her bare feet padded lightly on the hardwood floor as she reached the doorway to the kitchen, thank god. She turned the corner to see the 'leader' of the trio that had escorted her here yesterday. Nora paused, unsure if she should disrupt the woman, she had papers sprawled out in front of her and looked a bit preoccupied. Her teenage brain took over, she was hungry dammit and this woman had pulled her from her home, the least she could do was deal with her presence. -'Morning'- She chirped as she entered the room.-


Kon glances up from pouring her coffee and glances towards the entrance, offering Nora a smile> Oh, hey! How'd you sleep last night? <She had set the girl up in one of the old staff member's room. It had been roomy, with it's own connecting bathroom. Though a bit bare, it had the essentials to offer the teen some common comfort, it just hadn't been decorated yet> Oh, shit! <Kon sets the mug down quickly and shakes her hand, having overflowed the mug in her distraction and causing some of the hot liquid to pour onto her hand. Setting the coffee pot back onto the burner, she grabs a wet cloth from the sink and begins to soak up the split beverage. At least it hadn't touched the documents. Cleaning the java off her hand with the rag, she tosses it back into the sink and goes to gather the mess of papers from the counter as though she was just cleaning up, but in reality, she simply didn't want Nora to get wind of what they were about; the plague in the dorms


-Nora nodded, -'I slept ok, it's so quiet out here I could hear every little creak.' -She watched as the woman cleaned up her mess and set about picking up the papers, her nosy teenage eyes couldn't help but try to read what was written but she was too far to get anything. She looked around the kitchen, disappointed there didn't seem to be a chef, 'Where's your cook?' She never had one at home but mansions were supposed to come with staff, right? She opened a cabinet, looking for a mug, nope, plates, she opened another, ah ha, she pulled down a mug with a picture of an orange cartoon cat that said 'I hate Mondays'. The cat looked fat and lazy, lying in it's, what she assumed was a litter box, gross. She shrugged and poured herself some coffee and looked for the sugar.- 'So, what am I supposed to be doing here? Are they other kids? Or just grumpy adults?' -she questioned the cleaning woman.-


You're lookin' at her <Kon replied, a large, cheesy grin lifts across her face as she spreads her arms to acknowledge herself as the chef. Dear god, she needed more people in here to get things working> Or, its a "Make it and take it" kind of deal. We don't have enough people here yet to justify employing a chef. <Lowering her arms, she taps the papers against the counter to even them out and sets them upon the counter as the teen rummages through the kitchen> You know why you're here, right? Last night was kind of chaotic. <Things had settled down and now it was just Kon and Nora, she felt like she could explain more to her, one on one> There aren't any other kids yet, but we have one on radar that we'll be trying for in the next couple days.


-Nora rolled her eyes as the woman joked, or what she thought was a joke, the woman didn't look like the cooking type. Maybe she'd just make herself some eggs or something later, right now she was satisfied with coffee. She found a container of sugar and lumped some into her cup before going to the fridge to pull out some milk. Would you like some coffee with your sugar and milk? She found a spoon and gave the now light brown liquid a stir, she sipped it tentitivly, more sugar. She slid into a chair and sipped at her sugared milk drink and eyed her surroundings. -'I'm here for training or whatever. You're gonna help get these animals to quit following me around.' -No other kids... what the heck?! Well at least they had wifi and she could still talk to her friends back home. Right?-


Ah, well...it'll be you who'll get the animals to leave you alone. I don't have much control over them. <The teen's negative attitude was disheartening, but not unexpected. She had seem many crabby adolescents come through this door. Most of them had developed a change in heart once finding a fondness for the place. Others simply went on to be villains> Before we continue, I want to talk to you about a building on the east side of the property. Have you seen it? <Kon wanted to set down some base rules for that particular building and address it as soon as possible. The last thing she wanted was for Nora to find it tempting enough to explore, and then die a horrible death similar to the remains left inside. Which reminded her, she was going to have to get the backhoe and start digging a few graves...


-She continued to sip at her drink,- 'Well, whatever, as long as they leave me alone and I can go back to being normal.' -That was all she cared about, she was a month away from getting her drivers liscense and her job at the bookstore wouldn't be happy about her taking time off like this, if she still had a job there. She hadn't heard anything from her friends since she got here, her phone had died on the drive and she had forgotten to pack a charger. The woman mentioned a building, Nora shook her head,- 'No, it was kind of dark when we got here last night. Is it far?' -Thinking she was expected to walk to another building out in nature, ugh.-


Not very, but far enough. <Kon reclaims her coffee from the counter and pulls out a barstool to sit at the kitchen's island> Anyways, the place has been condemned and the Fire Department offered to burn it in a training exercise for their volunteers Its just best to stay away from it, alright? Its just too structurally unsound. <The fact that they were burning it was not a lie, however the Fire Department wouldn't be involved. SunSpot was going to torch the facility as soon as he got the green light, which would be soon> Lifting the mug to take a sip from her coffee, she peers at Nora to see if she accepted the fabrication and continues> So, when did you first notice the animals?


'Oh, ok. No problem.' -Good, she didn't want to have to walk around outside if she didn't have too, she'd only been here a few hours and had already seen more bugs that she would have liked. Nature was not her thing.- 'Um, I dunno, maybe a few weeks ago? A stupid dog here or a cat there would follow me to school or work. At first they'd just follow me even after I yelled for them to go away. Then they started running away as soon as I thought I wanted to yell, sometimes even before.' -She really didn't want to talk about this, in truth, she hadn't told anyone about it before, maybe it was the fact that this woman was a complete stranger, but she made the words come easily. 'I, uh, I don't know what happened at the zoo... I don't remember crawling into the yard and I don't remember anything after I saw those animals surrounding me.' -Tears formed in her eyes, the public humiliation was something a teenager was not equipped to deal with- f>


Kon was about to ask her if there was a certain situation that caused the spark in animal communicating. Usually, a mutant's powers will emerge when the teen is under a lot of stress, which activates the gene. Her initial thought was cut short though, with Nora working herself up into tears. She sets down the coffee mug and leans back against the island counter, having rotated the stood to face Nora> Hey...I understand that. Whatever happened, at least you're ok. The fact that you can control animals is the only reason you survived in the first place. Its not a curse. Those animals would have killed you had you not been able to somehow keep them at bay, and peacefully at that. You're not going to be attacked with news crews and the like here. Its an extremely private facility. <Kon attempted to reassure the kid, though she wasn't sure just how effective she was


-The girl sniffed and wiped back the tears, the woman's words only mildly helped, it wasn't the news she was worried about. She just wanted to be normal again, she never wanted any of this.- 'I guess... thanks.' -Nora held her mug in two hands again and sipped down the last of her 'coffee' before speaking again.- 'Do you have an extra charger? My phone died and I'd really like to check in with my friends.' -Seriously, this is what's important right now? Teenagers. 'Unless there's somewhere I need to be...' -Ah, there's a little sense, don't ask for more.-


In order to be able to control this, you have to embrace it. <She overlooked the charger request for now, trying to get the teen to focus on why she was here> You're not going to be able to ignore it, because thats when things get out of control. Embrace it now so, in the future if you want, you can ignore it then. <Kon reaches behind her to the pile of papers on the counter, pushing them around until she finds a specific document> Theres a stable outback. Since your gifts are in animal communication, I'll be getting in a few horses that you'll be assigned to care for. <This might seem like a brand new hell for the teen, but Kon couldn't exactly teach her how to use and control her powers without animals involved> We'll start with some gentle ones until you start to understand more about your talents. Then we'll work up. Before long, you'll be able to push around lions if you wanted.


'HORSES? Are you nuts?! Can't we start out with something less likely to kill me?!' -Clearly the girl had seen one too many videos of people being kicked in the face by ugly gray camp ponies. Panic set in as she stood up abruptly, she slammed her mug down on the table. 'You're nuts! If you want to kill me just pull up your burny ball of death and get it over with.' -Nora's heart was racing, this was NOT how she thought this was going to go.-


They're energy blasts, and don't temp me. <Kon peers out from behind one of the papers she had chosen from the pile, refusing to get riled up because of a teenager outburst> If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now. About four times over, since I have three other mutants here that would do it just because I told them to. Oh, and me. All of whom know how to use their power because all of whom have done their basic training. One of them can tear bones from her body and use them to decapitate you. Another could simply teleport you into an active volcano. One can make sure theres nothing left of you other than a bunch of charred dust by using the sun's solar energy, and the other...<She pauses, casually reaching for her coffee to take a sip before continuing> Could disembowel you, and you'd be dead before you could pick up your intestines. You're in a new world now, Nora. These are the -good- guys. They're here to protect you, and you'll need their protection until you learn enough to protect yourself. So I suggest you cool your teenage drama and work with us. Life is hard, get a helmet. <Kon's sympathy waned into a reality check, hoping to drive her point home> If you don't want our help, you know where the door is. Get stepping. And good luck.


-Nora had forgotten who she was speaking to, the woman rattled off all the horrible things her friends could do and reality set in. She hung her head, pouting, she really wanted to leave but these 'good' guys were offering her a chance to ditch the constant swarm of animals that seemed to follow her whenever she went outside. Tears once again welled in her eyes as she stood there, she fought the urge to run to the safety of the room she was given but she was afraid the woman would send an.... 'energy blast' after her. After her lecture, Nora lifted her eyes to meet the woman's, -'When do I start?' -I suppose death by horse was less certain than death at the hands of the mutants who lived here...-


Kon heaved a sigh, this one was extremely emotional. Eventually when she settled and gained more control, Kon hoped that might change. But as of right now, the poor thing crumbled at anything that crossed her in the slightest way.> Listen, Nora. I don't want to scare you, but I think you need to respect the severity of whats going on, and take some responsibility over helping yourself out. My point is, there are people who're way more powerful than you, or me, out there. And they will eventually come for you, especially with the Mutant Registration Act. We're required to register who we are and what we do So you need to at least be prepared for the prejudice you'll have to face. <Kon offers three of the papers she had been holding on to over to Nora> These are your assignments. They'll be here later today. Clyde, Buddy and Traveler. I picked them specifically for their different personalities. I will help you learn how to care for them. Safety is pretty important while around large animals, but I think after a while you'll be able to work some things out without much worry.


-The girl nodded and took the papers that were handed to her, she glanced down at them and her stomach rolled as the fave of an ugly grey animal with rounded than normal ears stared up at her. She wasn't looking forward to this at all but she supposed if she could figure out how to control the beasts it wouldn't be so bad. Her appetite suddenly gone she looked toward the hall. 'Can I... um, Can I go back to my room now? You'll let me know when they get here?' -Because she needed to change and process the many emotions what were building inside her.-


Kon gave her a nod and drank the last of her coffee, understanding the need to process emotions in a new environment> Let me know if you have any questions, Nora. We'll start with your basic training tomorrow, after the horses have settled in. Until then, you can visit them in their stalls if you'd like, but don't handle them yet. <It wasn't wise for a beginner to handle a horse that was fresh off the trailer, as they were very unpredictable during that time> There are extra phone chargers in the main room, on the coffee table. Feel free to grab one on your way through

'Thanks.' The girl turned and walked out, wondering what on earth she would wear around the dirty animals. Priorities. f>


Marrow : stumbled into the kitchen, hair flat one one side from where she apparently had been sleeping. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at the clock above the sink as she made her way towards the coffee pot. It was empty and she stared at it like it was a foreign entity. :: "Where the fuck is the coffee?" :: She jumped a little as she realized there was conversations going on that she managed to ignore up until this point. It was the the huggy new student and the boss. ::


<Placing her cup down on the counter, Kon sighs and slides off the bar stool to fish out some more coffee from the cupboards. She would have to restock soon, with as much as they were going through. At least someone was getting some decent sleep around here> Hey, Marrow. I'll make some more... <She nods her head to a stack of documents on the kitchen island. The laminated ones are the ones I pulled from the dorms and had to sanitize. I put them in plastic covers just in case <The papers had hand written lists of all the casualties and victims that had suffered here during the outbreak they were currently investigating. With Nora's ears still within listening distance, she didn't want to verbalize too much.


-A scream was heard from the hallway, Nora, she sprinted back to the kitchen, she nearly ran into the sleepy woman she'd 'met' yesterday, this time without the ugly jean jacket. She stared at them wide eyed, -'I didn't do it! I mean, I don't think I did...' She glanced back into the hallway nervously, inching further into the safety of the kitchen, trying to position herself behind sleepy lady. A shadow loomed in the hallway and it wasn't small either, the faint foot falls drifted into the kitchen as the shadow got larger. Nora screamed again as a fat porcupine waddled into the kitchen, quills all standing on end. He snorted and looked at the three women before sitting down and yawning.-


Holy crap! <Kon backpedals away from the cupboards as the critter waddles in, making itself quite at home. She looks at Nora, then back at the porcupine, then back at the teen before lurching for a drawer. Yanking it open, she tugs on a pair of oven mitts and grabs a towel. Maybe if she covered it's face and grabbed it, she could teleport it out of here without suffering any quills.


:: Marrow stepped back from the coffee pot as Rayanna made a refill. She leaned over, picking up the laminated documents with two fingers as if they smelled rank. She glanced over the documents that she could only understand a few words but otherwise it was just gibberish. She set them back down as Nora returned, panicked about the lack of coffee. Marrow show her a glare, squinting against her as she reached up by her shoulder blades and pulled out a long quill like bone spike and hurled it at the door frame where Nora was at in a warning. :: "Shhhhhh, bitch. I'm still wakin-" :: She paused, cocking her head as the porcupine waddled in. If Marrow believed in spirit animals, she would have found hers. :: "What the fuck is that?"


'WHAT DO I DO?!' -Nora screamed, still panicking but something made her realize she could do something.... She only needed to be told to DO it. -


Ok...OK! Nobody panic! <This was kind of a ridiculous suggestion, as there was a porcupine in the freaking kitchen. Still geared up with her oven mitts and towels, she reaches a mitted hand towards Nora to gain her attention> Calm yourself down first. It'll pick up on your panic and it'll react. So take a couple deep breaths first. Its not acting dangerous...we have some time.


Marrow pointed at the porcupine.:: "Can you tell it to bring me a fuckin' poptart?" She reached up in the cabinet and grabbed a shiny foil package and tossed it on the ground a few feet away from the porcupine. :: "Oh, if it you can't, you're going to run fuckin' laps until you puke. I'd think fast, bitch."


The spiky critter tilted his head at the panicking women, almost like he was amused by their chaos, his quills lowered as he sat. Nora ignored jean lady and took a deep breath, she kept her eyes locked on the animal and like she did with all the stray animals that followed her around she shook her foot at it and said - 'Shoo' -Bored with all the excitement the animal turned and waddled out the way he came, out the front door that someone left open? Nora's eyes widened as she watched the animal leave, as soon as it was out of sight she jumped up and down, grinning like a fool. -'I DID IT! I DID IT!' She squealed as she jumped up and down. Maybe this wouldn't be do bad after all- f>


<Someone should probably tell Nora she did it, but she didn't follow directions...so she'll probably be running and puking in a bit. Kon wasn't going to be the one to do it, though. Slowly, she pulls off the mitts now that the animal was gone, and hurries after it to close and lock the front door. <She returns shortly after and picks up the towel and mitts, tucking them away in a drawer> See? No sweat, right? Just don't panic...


Nora runs out of the kitchen back to her room to change, she was a little less scared of the prospect of horses now.