| A Visit to the Louis Estate | ||
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The best person she knew to ask about that, by virtue of being one of the only animals in town she knows so far, is Louis, so she did some looking around to find out more about him and ended up learning where his estate is. So after a long and 'interesting' trip across town on mass transit, and a good bit of walking, she arrives at the gates, taking a moment to slip out of her shoes to rub her sore feet a moment before finally pressing the call button at the gate, waiting for a voice to respond, then speaking herself. "Hello. This is Nina Flip, I'm friends with Louis, was hoping he was around so I could ask him about some things?" The voice on the other end of the connection sounds tired, though it shouldn't necessarily be heard as rude. "Nina...Flip? One moment." There is a silence that follows. Thankfully, the day is decent with weather, although the chill of winter is still present. It's hard to see much detail of the estate from the distance through the iron gate and the stone walls and trees that line the estate's borders only make it more difficult everywhere else. "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't see your name on the list of guests expected for admittance. While I'm very sure you're very good friends with the Master, there's nothing I can do if you don't ha-" A sudden bit of a scuffle can be heard over the line with protests from whose voice it is talking, but soon enough a voice speaks up again. It's not the same one. This one is...familiar(?), but it's not Louis. "Nina. Did you bring taiyaki?" Nina frowns as the voice on the other end starts going through their 'you're not on the list, I'm sorry but Louis is very busy' spiel, which means she came all this way basically for nothing. But then there is another voice, one that isn't Louis, but she definitely recognizes it. She giggles and shakes her head despite the gesture being unseen. "Ack, sorry Miguel, If I had known you'd be around I might have, though it was a long trip getting here and my feet hurt despite not carrying anything here but my own self. If I need an appointment to see Louis I guess I can try to make one and come back another time..." "Let her in." "Security protocol exists for a reason. We can't just-" "She's a friend of the boss. Let her in." "Listen, she already said as much but I- Ah-hahaha, those are, um, really big teeth. Fine! ...fine, but this is on you. Very well, Miss Nina Flip, you've been cleared. The gate will open and close automatically, so please drive through and park near the fountain and we'll have somebody there to welcome you." There is a click that cuts off any further sounds of muttering argument just before an electric buzzing kicks in and the gate unlocks and begins to swing inward on its own. It's a bit of a walk down the driveway to where the path circles around a fountain, just before the entrance to the mansion. When one considers the compact nature of most of the apartments and hotel rooms, space is a huge luxury. This place -- compared to Denko as a sprawling metropolis -- really shows the wealth behind the ones that live here. Nina winces a little, surprised Miguel had to bear his teeth to convince the deer on the intercom to let her in, but it was hard to argue with its effectiveness. "Okay, sure. Thanks." She responds to the request to drive through the gate when it opens, stifling a laugh, then wincing a little once more as she slides her sore feet back into her shoes that were a little more about fashion than about being good for walking a marathon. She eventually makes her way down the driveway, looking around at the grand estate, an impressed look on her face. Her family wasn't poor by any stretch, with her dad being a crime boss, but her home was nothing quite so grand as this, that was for certain. She can't resist putting her hand into the stream of the fountain as she passes, but soon is at the main entrance, and assumes she doesn't need to knock at this point, so she just waits to be let in. Who is it that awaits Nina's journey's conclusion but Miguel himself. The lion with cornrows sits unceremoniously upon the steps leading up to the front door having only just finished a cigarette. Rather than flicking the butt away, he rises and walks over to push it into a sand-filled ashtray before opening the door to let Nina in. Miguel is usually pretty straight-faced, much like Dolph in comparison, and doesn't openly smile in greeting to the young girl. He's by no means unfriendly, of course, but he's also technically 'on the clock'. The foyer is fairly grand and branches out to many other parts of the large home. It's not traditional for the area in the slightest. Stairs lead up to a landing before splitting off to the upper floor. The floor of the foyer has inlaid marble amidst the hardwood and accent rugs. There are plants, portraits in thick frames, and even a central chandelier. Soon upon entry, a short sheep hurriedly wanders along, wearing very formal clothing that puts even the lion's suit to shame, but the sheep stops to regard Nina. "I wasn't made aware we were expecting guests today. I need to know these things." Miguel dryly replies, "Yuta, Nina Flip is here to discuss private matters with the boss. Where is he?" Yuta doesn't immediately respond. He looks between Nina and Miguel a few times. This wasn't some hired underling. Yuta has the air of somebody in charge without being Louis or his wife. Anybody with such experience might recognize Yuta's station as the Head Butler. Enough time is spent sizing up the situation, however, and Yuta relents. "The Master is in his office. He's been in there for hours and I won't be happy if he misses dinner again. Remind him, if you would, and if he doesn't heed politeness I say you might drag him to the dining room by the ear if it weren't extremely disrespectful. You, however, can probably get away with it." The sheep looks to Nina directly. "Do you require any refreshment or amenity? I'll have somebody see to you, if so." Yuta waits for a response without rushing off, but he does seem to be in quite a hurry. Nina looks around briefly after following Miguel in before her attention is drawn to the approaching sheep. She gives him an apologetic look at the mention of not being informed of her arrival but doesn't go as far as to admit that she was an unannounced guest. She grins a little at the mental image of Miguel dragging Louis to the dinner table by the ear, and nods as Yuta asks if she needs any refreshment. "Some hot tea would be amazing if you have it, green would be preferred, if not water is okay." "I'll relay this to the kitchen." Yuta has little more to say; he's off to see to other household matters. A few other household servants might be seen wandering about, but in general it's all very quiet. The inside of the mansion feels much like one might imagine it to from looking on from outside. Things are kept very neat, very clean, and the decor looks ridiculously expensive. The one who owns this property is the same deer that was relaxing, shoe off, at the beach? Miguel isn't nearly as formal, but he's at least professional and gestures with a hand in the general direction to take to head toward the office in use. He's also not the biggest conversationalist, but he'd probably respond to an open dialogue. The first step is take the steps up, then, once at the landing, turn left and up the next set of steps to reach the upper floor where one can reach the Upper West Wing main hall. All in all, it's not that long of a walk, but it may seem that way to one not used to such a large residence. The office door is closed. Miguel waits to knock until he knows Nina is ready. "We don't like to disturb the boss, but he'll probably make an exception for a personal visit," he states. Nina takes a moment to look out at the view of the ocean, very much looking past the deer sitting on the beach, though she did notice them, as she thinks about how nice it would feel to stretch out her tail and have a swim after that long walk. As it is, she is sort of flexing/stretching her toes now that she's barefoot again, following Miguel up to the office. "Does Louis miss dinner frequently? Guess that would explain some why he's so skinny. Also been a while since I saw you, anything interesting happen since that day at the bakery?" There's some history between Louis and the lions and not eating well, but that's a matter that no animal speaks of these days. "The boss eats when he needs to eat, but he has a lot on his plate as it is." Miguel makes jokes, perhaps even unintentionally. "Haven't had a chance to get any taiyaki yet. Forgot about it. The boss keeps us pretty busy, but it's all business related." That's one way to say 'I can't talk about it'. "Get some time off soon, but not sure what to do with it, yet." The tall lion stands there beside the door leading to the office, back to the wall, with one hand loosely clasping the other arm's wrist. These lions definitely have the bodyguard image down. "Ready to chat with the boss?" All he needs is the okay to give the door a quick three taps; he's even in a good position to reach over and open the door for Nina. Nina nods, grinning at the joke, intended or not, with the expression shifting to a simple smile as Miguel mentions taiyaki again and having some time off soon that he isn't sure what to do with. "Well, if you want to go get some taiyaki together, I wouldn't turn it down." She says with a light chuckle. Then at the question of if she is ready, she takes a moment to adjust her dress and brushes her bangs out of her eyes with her fingers, then nods. "Ready as I'll ever be." "Not a bad idea." Rap-tap-tap. Silence follows, albeit in some brief measure, though long enough that it may be sign of disturbance. "Come in," is spoken and, despite the muffling from the heavy door, it's yet another familiar voice. A large arm reaches across the door, a big clawed hand grasps the handle firmly, and a slight turn allows Miguel to push the door inward to open the way. Within, it's very much an office. There is a large corner desk, shelves full of books, filing cabinets, among other necessities for home business. When you're the CEO, sometimes you get to work from home. A tired looking deer rubs his face and eyes before straightening up in his seat to peer across the office at those in the doorway with some curiosity. The room has thin carpeting and the placement of furnishings manages the acoustics within really well to keep things dampened. It's quite possible that things are usually pretty silent in here aside from the ticking of a wall clock. One of the buck's hands moves to carefully mark the place in a book before closing it with a thump. That's a thick heavy book to make that noise. "Yes, what is it, Miguel?" "A visitor, boss." "I suppose I could use a break before I fall asleep. Come in." Miguel makes no motion to enter. In fact, he'll close the door behind Nina after she enters. Standing just out of sight through the door, Nina doesn't see Louis when the door opens, but she is happy to hear his voice and that he seems amenable to seeing a visitor. As he asks for her to come in, she steps through the doorway, taking just a brief moment to look back at Miguel and smile while whispering a 'thank you' since she hadn't said so earlier and she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for his vouching for her. She turns back to Louis as she makes her way further into the room. "Hi, hope you don't mind me coming unannounced, should have figured you're busy and probably have your day planned way in advance most of the time... But, I wanted to talk to you... about maybe finding a place here, and probably getting back to going to school, as much as wandering around and shopping all day would be fun, I would like to make something of myself when I get older." There is a bit of visible confusion at first on the deer's face. He doesn't get many human visitors, true, yet Louis' eyes search for a moment before he's able to come up with a sense of familiarity. Still, he doesn't interrupt and listens to what the girl has to say. "Oh, right. Nina. It's been a while." The chair sat upon slides backward on casters allowing Louis some ease in standing. Rather than casual clothing, he wears a well-pressed button-down white shirt and a red silk tie. His face shows some fatigue despite how much he may try to hide it. "You...said that you were separated from family, yet you seemed pretty independent -- certainly enough to warrant swimming so far to reach our island nation -- so it would be very rude of me to assume or impose." Fingertips trail against the expensive wooden desktop surface as Louis takes a few steps to the side; his footsteps have a distinct soft and heavy fall to them that are rather signature to the nature of his one leg that Nina got to see part of on her night of arrival at the beach where Tamamoru was keeping watch. The young buck wanders over to a side cart where glasses, a bucket of ice, and a pitcher of water rest. He takes the time to pour himself a glass. "Water?" he offers, unaware of the request for tea already made of staff. "I can say I didn't exactly expect to see you turning up here of all places. I, uh, need a moment to pull my head out of my studies." It would seem he's been doing homework for university rather than company work. "Feel free to have a seat on the side couch or I can pull a chair over to my desk. Whichever you prefer and, well, how about we start from the beginning?" Nina nods to the question of if she'd like water. Since the tea hasn't been served to her yet and she's still thirsty, she goes for it. "Sure, I am a bit thirsty." She says as she takes a seat on the side couch, opting for the more comfortable and casual seat and stretching out her long slender legs a bit as she sits back in the plush seat. "Anyway, I guess in my situation I was forced to be independent. I had always dreamed of traveling away from Anima City and seeing more of the world, at the very least spending some time in other parts of Japan, so I guess once I arrived on this world it felt like a dream come true, though as the weeks and months have passed, I have started to feel a little homesick, and while Denko is by no means exactly like the city I'm from, it does feel familiar in some ways, much more than Senta anyway... and I figured that while there is no one really to force me to go anymore, I probably should get back to going to school again. Don't want to end up some uneducated bum on the street." Louis pours a second glass of water, with a little ice, and walks over to hold it out. "You've really been on your own for some time, haven't you? All things considered, I'd say it's a testament to your wits as much as your upbringing. If there's one thing animals enjoy it's the comfort of repetition and the predictability it brings, even in a bad living situation." The buck wanders over and rests his backside against the edge of his desk, sips some water, then cradles the glass in both hands in thought. "It takes strength to change that and even more to ask somebody else for help." He inhales deeply before letting it slowly out. "How old are you, exactly? I take it you're no stranger to formal education?" Nina smiles and takes the glass of water, having a few sips before she speaks again. "It has been a while, longer than I realized before I really stopped to think about it. I've been... getting by I guess, but I'm only fourteen, and with no home, no family around, or even any long-time friends, I decided I really did need some help, but I wasn't really sure who to turn to. As for school, yes, I was going to a private high school in Anima City before I ended up here. My dad also usually hired tutors to help me with my studies while he was busy working." The deer listens while pondering the different options available. There's a lot to consider and it all requires far more information. "It's a bit of a tricky bridge to cross. By law here you aren't old enough to be an adult, yet you don't have anybody to serve as your guardian. The most important step in seeking permanence would be to obtain a place to safely sleep. Lodging and school both require money and the part time jobs you could get here at your age might not be enough to cover it." Draining the rest of the water from his glass, the buck turns to push away from the desk to wander back over to the cart to place the used glass on the lower rack. "There might be some financial aid or even housing available from the government, but they'd have to recognize you as a citizen and not just a visitor," he adds while crossing to his chair. Instead of sitting, however, he pulls it around the desk and over to where he can have a more relaxed conversation with Nina while she is on the couch. The chair creaks a little as he reclines. "On the flip side, you could go to an academy -- which would cover a place to live and a place to learn -- but they tend to be more pricey since they cover your amenities and meals. We don't really have any sea animal accommodations, though. Most academies, like our local Cherryton, sort student lodging by Family and Species in addition to Gender unless you can shell out for a private room." That's what Louis did. Well, that's what his father did. "There might be other options, so before I confer further I have to ask: I know you can metamorphose, so in which of your differing...forms...are you most comfortable?" Nina frowns. She expected that being an underage teen with no family around wouldn't be any easier here than it might have been back home, though her friend Michiru had seemed to luck into finding some nice people who took her in after she came to Anima City as a runaway. Expecting the situation however didn't make it any easier to deal with as Louis laid out options while also explaining how they would require money which she both didn't have and wasn't likely to be able to earn in large enough amounts. The question of her favored form and how it related to her ability to fit into the system of a school like Cherryton made her pause to think a moment of how to answer. "Well yes, I can change at will. As for which form I prefer, I'm actually a bit of an oddity where I come from. Everyone I know of that lives in Anima City sticks to their human form most of the time, and while like me they can change whenever they want, the change can also come very easily, even involuntarily, when they are angry, which tends to make fights escalate quickly since for most the shift to animal form makes them bigger and stronger. I on the other hand, like my animal form, and often change into it when I'm happy. So while I am comfortable in both forms, if I had to say which one I prefer, it's my dolphin form." There is some unspoken confusion with the reference to an animal form since, to Louis and most others of the island nation, both forms seem to fit that description. Nonetheless, he gets an answer which sends him down another line of thought. "Hmm. I can't say for certain, but there- Well, we may have one option available, but it would involve obscuring the truth and in a way that might not excuse your ability to change your appearance." Louis rests an elbow on the armrest of his chair and props his head up with that hand. He's just about to explain what he means when there's another knock at the door. This time, it's staff. A female deer walks in with a tray with teacups, a teapot, and a bowl of sugar cubes sitting atop it. The buck furrows his brow quizzically. "What? Wait, did you request tea? Uh, just place it over on the serving cart since I don't have a proper table in here for it." Nina raises an eyebrow at the mention of obscuring the truth and it not excusing her ability to change forms, which sounded to her like pretending she was one form or the other all the time, which if it's not her dolphin form, could be a problem if she ever gets really excited or scared. "What exactly do you mean by that?" She asks for clarification as the tea is brought in, and she had almost forgotten she'd asked for it as well. "Oh right, I did, when I came in with Agata, your butler asked if I needed anything to drink." She moves to pour herself a cup and sits back down as she starts to sip at it. "Oh, I see you've met Yuta, then," observes Louis. The male deer then looks to the female deer and nods. "Thank you, Bev. Oh, by the way-" The doe pauses and looks to the Master of the Estate with polite silence even as the buck looks to Nina. "It's a couple hours off, yet, but will you be staying for dinner? You are, of course, invited to join my wife and me for an evening meal. If so, Bev can pass along to kitchen staff to prepare another seating. If not, that's fine, too." It's a very abrupt gesture, but ultimately the choice is Nina's to make. Nina seems to stop and think a moment at the mention of the name Yuta. "Wait no... that doesn't sound right. Their name was... Miguel, yeah, that's it. I guess I just got a little mixed up." She explains, feeling a little embarrassed. She'd visited other wealthy people's homes, you'd think she'd be able to tell the staff apart, at least that's how she felt about the mix-up. But it's quickly forgotten as the offer of staying for diner is tossed out. She looks a little surprised, wasn't expecting that to be on the table, but she's not going to turn an offer like that down. "Sure, that would be lovely." It wasn't exactly Nina's fault for mixing up any of the lions. She had met Miguel, Free, and Agata at the sweets shop along with Louis previously, after all. Saying nothing further on the matter of dinner, Louis merely nods in Bev's direction and the female deer acknowledges the change in dinner plans with a quick formal bow before leaving the room. The deer is left alone with the sometimes-dolphin and a tray of tea things on the cart nearby. A glass of water and ice to each of the two already, Louis doesn't immediately rise to see to tea. It likely needs a while to steep for a full pot anyway. With a sidelong glance to make sure the door is shut completely, the young buck exhales and trails a single fingertip around the lip of his cold glass. "I realize you must be very curious as to what I have in mind, but understand that I barely know you. Still, you're younger than I am and your interest in attending school is something I can't in good conscience ignore. I suppose this would make me your senpai." A senior of affiliation. A mentor. The deer sits up a bit more straight and takes a sip of water. "I'll be brief and blunt. Almost no Seas -- an abbreviation for Sea Animals -- live on land with us since they require such special conditions for their health and well being. It's not completely unheard of, however, as I learned through my best friend Legosi. The government here has overlooked funding in place for the help and integration of Seas into land animal society, though it comes with a list of notes on proper use." Louis' right ear flicks a few times. He's definitely deep in thought over this. "We could likely qualify you for a scholarship on those grounds." He pauses a beat before adding, "As a dolphin." His stare becomes a bit more direct as he states as much. Nina listens carefully as Louis further explains the situation and by the end, it becomes rather clear that she was right, though in hindsight the question about which form she prefers was a pretty dead giveaway. Still, if she was going as a dolphin, she felt she could do this, in fact, staying as a dolphin all the time sounded fun, there was just one problem with that plan that she wondered about. "I think I could manage to stay in my dolphin form a lot more reliably than if I was trying to avoid changing into it. But how would I get around? I can sort of manage over relatively short distances, but moving across the whole school is going to be slow and exhausting if I'm tail-walking the whole way..." "That's a good question." The red deer rises and walks over to his desk, moves a coaster from the cart to his desktop, and then puts the half-empty glass of water upon it. He doesn't have a ready answer, it seems. Instead, he offers a different angle. "If we can manage to get you sponsored, you'd have a few schools to probably choose from." He sighs again. There's something eating at him. "Now, I can get nearly any Headmaster of nearly any school in the nation to talk to me, being who I am and the company I own, but that doesn't mean that just anybody would agree." Walking back over to the cart, Louis rests his hands near the tray, but all he does is stare at the teapot in more deep thought. "There's one Headmaster that I could get to accept- make accept you, pending a granted scholarship, but that's asking a very big favor." It's the kind of big favor that tends to only come with a return favor in agreement of equal importance. Nina nods at the answer. She wasn't expecting Louis to come back with a solution instantly, maybe hoping a little, but the kind of hoping one does with their fingers crossed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see how things go. I don't want to put you into an awkward position any more than I already am. I know I'm in a tough situation and there are no easy ways out, well, besides giving up, that would be easy, but I'm not a girl who gives up easily." "Don't misunderstand me. There isn't a situation that I can get into that I cannot get out of; if I know the correct animal to talk to, that is." Louis pours a cup of tea, a green Genmaicha blend. "Don't worry about me. You have other issues to worry about. I may be able to -- pardon the phrase -- sell you off as just a dolphin, but there's one thing that unravels the entire thread." Taking the teacup in one hand on a saucer and the bowl of sugar cubes in another, Louis walks over to offer the drink to Nina despite her having a glass of water already. The small end table beside the couch probably serves best for a beverage stand for her. He walks back to put the sugar bowl away on the tray and, if Nina takes any, grabs a teaspoon to take back and hand over. "How do you feel about private tutoring once again?" he asks before producing his phone from his pocket. When he flicks it on, the picture on the lock screen isn't of him with another deer such as his wife. It's a picture of him with a lion wearing glasses. None of the other lions around Louis seem to wear any. Nina nods as she takes the cup of tea, having at least drank a bit more than half the water in her glass from earlier so it hasn't gone to waste. She answers partially as she puts a couple of cubes of sugar into her tea. "Well, then just tell me what I need to do to make this work, and feel free to ask me anything that might be helpful." She takes the spoon and stirs her tea a bit before taking a sip, then looks up again at the question about tutoring. "I'm okay with it. I'm not ashamed to admit I'll probably need it. New school, new place, different customs." A quick scrolling through a list of names is enough to find the target. A tap here, then a tap there, and then a third reveals the ringing of an outgoing call on speakerphone. It takes a few rings before a gruff older masculine voice answers: "I don't know this number. Who is this?" "Ah, I must have the pleasure of speaking with the admirable and industrious Ichigo the Malayan Tiger. My name is Louis the Red Deer." "I'm not interested." "Of Horns Conglomerate. Perhaps you've heard of me?" Louis looks over to Nina while standing there, phone in hand, offering what must be a very smug smile. Whatever he said, the tone from the older animal on the phone changes completely. "What is it that I can do for you, Mister Louis the Red Deer?" It is spoken slowly with a mixture of forced and genuine respect which may, to Nina, sound cautious. Turning away, Louis paces a few steps away. "I'm actually trying to get in contact with your son. I have a temporary position I'd like to hire him into. Is he available?" There is a pause that follows, perhaps a hand-covered muting while conversation is spoken between Ichigo and another. Horns Conglomerate has only recently begun to consider Carnivore hirees, so there is a lot of prestige in the notion, temporary job or otherwise. "...one moment, please, Mister Louis the Red Deer." Silence returns. Nina listens quietly, both out of interest and respect for what Louis was doing for her, though she didn't really have anything to say anyway. She does hear that tone of caution though, and it reminds her of times she's happened upon 'business' dealings between her dad and others, that she was probably not meant to hear. But it's hard to completely keep your own daughter from getting at least a hint of your professional life, even if you barely spend any time with her, or maybe that just raised her curiosity further. Louis begins to pace back over to Nina where he pauses, expecting look upon his face, as he waits. Finally, a voice speaks up over the phone. "Hello? This is Mister Louis? Something about a job?" "Yes, it's Louis. Relax. It's something simple yet unorthodox and would cater to your particular talents. If you enjoy it, perhaps we can work out something more permanent later." "I don't understand. I haven't applied to work for your company." A voice in the background noise sounds to be another, possibly Ichigo, objecting. The familiar voice on the phone clarifies, "I mean, I'm very honored to be offered a job. What, uh, what is it you need me to do?" "Well, I need you to tutor somebody. She's here with me now and I'd like to leave the scheduling between you both, but it's of mild urgency. I'd like to see some quick results." The familiar voice sounds even more confused. "What? Teach what? Teach who?" Louis holds out the phone a bit so that anything Nina has to say can be easily heard over the line. "Well, Tamamoru, do you remember that dolphin that swam up onto the beach some time back? Why don't you two say hello to one another. I need you to teach her something most animals think she already knows: Sea Speak." Nina again listens quietly for a bit, though she wonders what this special talent Louis was referring to was, and why the tutoring was at all urgent. She had assumed it was going to be tutoring to help her with the class-work. But of course, there was another wrinkle in this plan that she had completely forgotten about, but when Louis speaks of it, it all comes flooding back. "Oh, hi... I guess that is something I should probably know... otherwise I'm going to come across as a very strange dolphin girl." "The dol- Oh! Right, I remember that. Hello! It's me, Tamamoru. From the beach." Louis creases his forehead and silently sighs before flatly saying, "She knows who you are." This is what happens when he learns of people through Legosi. "Oh, right. Uh, well, my Sea Speak isn't perfect, but it's always been a passion. I just love the beach and the ocean. Ever since I was three years old my grandfather discovered how well I took to swimming and I was always really hard to get pulled away." Despite only being a voice over the line, the way Tama talks makes it seem like he's gripping the home phone receiver with both hands while talking down into it. "I wanted to go to university after high school to learn more about Sea Speak and the ocean, but my grades were really poor since I spent my time at the beach instead of studying." "I don't care if you want to teach at the beach, but if you need access to better materials in order to tutor her better, I'll see what I can do. Are you interested?" "Sure! Uh, hey, dolphin girl...? Wait, what was your name?" Nina sips more of her tea and smiles, looking rather excited by this idea, she was already thinking about trying to learn as much about the sea folk here as she can, as it would be both interesting, and likely helpful if she's going to be trying to pretend to be one. "I certainly won't complain about being tutored at the beach, sounds fun." She says with a light laugh. "Nina, Nina Flip. I'm actually really looking forward to this." "Excellent," remarks Louis, then begins to continue on. "Either you or your father call my office tomorrow to set up an appointment and we-" However, the deer is interrupted before he can say much more. "Nina! Okay, but, uh, Nina- When you showed up that night, did you really turn into a Land Animal and run off with that girly buck?" Sudden indignation fires up in Louis' eyes. "Girly buck?!" exclaims Louis, raising his voice enough that passing staff in the hall can hear it. "Yeah, she changed into a Land Animal and then some effeminate deer ran off with her in a real hurry and left everybody confused. Did that really happen or was it, like, uh, a magic trick?" The deer all but thrusts the phone into the girl's hands, occupied with tea or otherwise, so that he can stalk over to the tea tray and pour a cup angrily. Nina scrambles to take the phone as it is thrust upon her, spilling some of her tea on the floor. She looks to Louis for guidance here, but he seems pretty put off by the 'girly buck' comment, not that she could blame him, so it seems she's on her own here for a moment so she answers honestly. "It was no magic trick, it's a special ability of mine. But it's kind of important we keep it secret, so try not to go around telling all your friends about it, please?" The voice on the phone stammers a bit. "W-w-well, I mean, sure, of course, but can all Sea Animals do that or only some? I kinda recall you being really excited to show it off to everyone there, but some of the Herbis got spooked and left and people were whispering." Meanwhile, Louis walks back over with a cup of tea in his hands and eyes narrowed by insult. "Yes, Tamamoru. We know. We were there." Louis shifts his lower jaw to one side in displeasure. "What? Ha. Ha ha ha. For a moment there, you almost had me, Mister Louis, sir. Ha ha ha ha. The only deer there was the one that ran away with...uh..." The line goes quiet, to the point that it sounds like the call has disconnected, but the screen very clearly shows it still ongoing. Louis turns away and sips his tea. Tama clearly means well, but he's damned idiot, apparently. Nina takes a moment to think about how to answer that. "Um, let's just say that it's a rather special thing I can do because I'm from far away, and that's also why I'm bad at Sea Speak." She soon is grinning like an idiot when it becomes fairly clear that Tama has finally clued into the fact that the 'girly buck' he just spoke of, is the one he's speaking to, and it is taking all her willpower to not burst out laughing. Eventually, she manages to find the ability to speak again, only letting slip a few small giggles. "I'll see you soon, Tama." The silence persists for a moment even after Nina offers a farewell. When a voice does speak up, it sounds almost shy, perhaps from embarrassment, as a strong contrast to how outgoing and social he seemed to be back at the beach when Nina appeared. "Oh..." "Oog hua ee op, ee gooh noa gao. Ee op hua dahou bom?" "Um... come again? That some sort of sea creature language here?" "Yeah, that's- That's exactly what it is." "Nina? Tell Mister Louis that I'll call his office tomorrow. It's awesome hearing from you again. And tell him thank you for the opportunity. And- And tell Mister Louis that I'm sorry. And, uh, tell him that he really isn't that girly. It was a mean thing to say. I think it was just because of the sweater. And- Nevermind. I'm going now. I'm going to hang up. Sorry! Uh, ooe gau! Heh- Heheh. That was me saying- Oop!" There's a clatter as if something was dropped and then the line cuts off. Louis stands there, speechless. Nina just blinks a bit, then finally bursts out laughing for a moment before getting control of herself again. "Well, that was the most amusing and awkward phone call I've been involved in for... as long as I can remember. So, I guess you'll let me know when and where to meet up with Tama again? Anything I should be aware of before I start meeting with him?" "Yes. Well, now that we have that out of the way, we can discuss a few other details over the rest of the tea. You seem very mature for your age so I won't presume to insult your intelligence with meaningless caution. I'd like to know a bit more about you, for what you care to share, including if you had any preference for a planned major for high school, along with any extracurricular hobbies you may have." There is a heavy sigh, but the deer manages a smile perhaps due to Nina's amusement over the call. Louis reaches out a hand in offer to take the phone back. "Apologies. That was very unprofessional of me. If, after we finish the tea, you'd like to have a walk around the estate I'm sure Miguel wouldn't mind showing you around, but I will need to finish some of my own studies before dinner is prepared." "I'll also need your phone number, at the least." Nina had thought about that some already, but being asked point-blank now she does ponder a bit more, wanting to give a more thought out answer since this is going to go a long way toward determining her future, and she is on her own more or less, can't rely on her father to bail her out if things turn out poorly for her. She decides to start with her interests. "Well, I love swimming and collecting interesting things along the beach and under the surface, but I'm sure you would have guessed at least the first half of that one... I also like singing, reading fantasy, and theater. I had a pretty big presence on social media and did a lot of videos about various products, so I thought maybe I could major in marketing or something like that?" "Excellent. You'll find no lack of clubs and subjects that cater to the literary of mind. Most every high school has a newspaper club, for example, that could benefit from somebody with social media experience, since newspaper club usually doubles as a school public representation. Not every high school has a drama club, but a number do, so you'd be able to apply yourself to theater in that way." The deer stares down into the reflection of his face in the tea in his held cup. "Swimming is a bit more difficult to pair with. Some schools may have a swimming club, but it tends to be specialized for the animals that attend. If swimming is a priority, it'll narrow your options by quite a bit." After taking a sip of his tea, Louis lifts his gaze to peer at the study room's wallpaper in thought. The patterns are swirling and organic, yet not too busy; a brown on beige that matches the aesthetic of a place to do paperwork and scholastics. "A degree in marketing would be useful to have. Some animal is always trying to sell something to another." Louis rests his teacup upon his saucer and the saucer upon his thigh. "Would you care for a school with Carnivore students or Herbivore students? Most are either fully segregated or one over the other. Some have partial segregation, though, which would have you studying alongside both Carnivores and Herbivores on a daily basis." Nina smiles as Louis seems to like her answers for the most part, though at the talk of swimming being a priority and narrowing her options, she shakes her head. "I'm certainly not set on becoming a professional swimmer or something like that. I mean, that might be cool honestly, but if that is going to limit me, I can go for other things and just keep swimming as a fun hobby I do at the beach on my own or with friends... assuming the school I go to is close enough to the beach, though I guess a good lake or swimming pool would do also if the ocean isn't an option. Anyway, I'm more than fine pursuing my other interests if they are more academically viable here." She answers before giving a pause as she thinks about his last question, she wasn't expecting it and it threw her a bit. "I didn't know schools here were segregated, they aren't where I come from, but I guess since most of us stay in our non-beast form most of the time that's why, even so, I could see how it would make things a bit... safer, not that some herbivores can't cause some havoc if they get really worked up. I do eat a lot of fish, but I also eat some meat, along with fruits and vegetables, not sure how diet works into this question, so just putting that out there. But I guess I don't really mind if I'm in a school that has just herbivores, just carnivores, or some of both. I just want to go somewhere I can learn, be guided into having a better life here, and also make some friends and have fun along the way." The buck seems to grimace internally, briefly. "Yes. While the working adult world here has Herbivores and Carnivores side by side most of the time, most schools like to provide a sense of safety to those who attend. Carnivores, for example, are typically far stronger than most Herbivores and accidents can happen. Thankfully, our medical science allows easy restoration of lost limbs." There's a pause as Louis studies the younger girl. "Well, I'll take your answers into consideration, make a few calls, and see what I can manage. The only real questions remaining concern a way for you to get around school in your preferred, uh... Form. -and what you might consider reasonable accommodation for staying hydrated. As I've come to understand it, most dolphins, like most Sea Animals, go dry when left out of the water for too long." Nina nods. "That makes sense, I'm really on the smaller and weaker side where I come from, even accounting for age... so I can understand how young herbivores might feel, I guess... As for getting around, maybe a wheelchair? That's the only idea I've got, though might need to be one of those powered ones which are kind of expensive... But I don't know that I'd last long pushing the wheels with flipper hands." She looks at her hands a bit and shakes her head before looking back toward Louis. "The hydration point is a good one too. If I'm going to be staying in my 'preferred form' all the time, I'm going to need to go swimming, or take a long shower or bath, twice a day, and probably also drink a lot of water. If I don't, my skin will get itchy, and might eventually get a rash. There might be other complications too, I haven't really stayed in dolphin form out of the water for that long before." "Well, not all high schools have shower accommodations for students outside of gymnastic changing rooms, although that would be an option. Most high schools will also have a commute there from and back to home, of course." Louis decides to move back over to his desk where he places the cup and saucer, moves around it, and opens up a laptop computer where he can type something in. "Honestly, as I expected, it sounds to me like you need in-school amenities as well as boarding. As I had mentioned, there's one place in particular where I could get you enrolled pending a talk with the Headmaster, which would include sorting the matter of scholarships to pay for your stay and education. As an alumnus, I may be biased." The deer hits the enter key before turning the laptop about to display the screen to Nina. The header clearly states: Cherryton Academy. The backdrop for the page shows a slideshow of pictures taken of the buildings and the campus. It's very sizable. "This academy is one with a lot of prestige, however, so I wouldn't expect your enrollment there to come without some media coverage. You should keep that in mind." Nina finishes her tea, then nods in agreement, with a brief pondering expression as she wonders if she forgot to mention to Louis that she doesn't currently have a place to live, so of course, boarding would be most helpful indeed. She listens as he recounts what it will take for her to be enrolled there, and the fact that it's likely to be a newsworthy event, as she looks at the pictures on the computer. "Sounds great, I'm certainly not going to be camera shy, don't worry about that. Is there anything you need me to do?" She asks curiously as she leans back in her chair and casually shifts into her dolphin form "Other than giving me your telephone number, not right now, though there will be things later. Once your tutor is set up with payroll tomorrow, you'll be informed of how you two can get in touch and deal with scheduling. Learning Sea Speak is a bit of a priority, not just for this subterfuge, but for your own use in communicating with other Sea Animals." Louis reaches around the laptop to give a key a tap and it pulls up another tab entirely. "You might also consider making a Beastbook account, if you haven't yet. While your social media postings won't necessarily affect your academic enrollment, that won't stop teachers, staff, or students from checking your page out. Use that to your benefit. As you may well know: never post anything you don't want every animal to see." Louis sighs, though. "I admit that I don't like the idea of hiding your nature from those you'll be learning alongside, but understand that it will be an easier acceptance. Are you sure this is what you want?" Nina suddenly looks excited about the idea of meeting and being able to talk to the sea animals of this place in a whole new language that was unique to them, so much so that she almost forgets that Louis asked for her number, but she does write it down along with her name once she's come back down to earth. "I will certainly get to making an account on Beastbook and making it awesome, and I do want this, though I won't lie that I wish it didn't have to be this way, I am admittedly a little worried I'll get excited or surprised and accidentally shift back in front of half the school, because that's the way stuff like this always happens on TV." She says with a nervous laugh. "Considering how allowing a Sea Animal to attend Land Animal schooling in order to join our society is setting a new precedent, you should be more careful with your words or you might get exactly what you ask for." Louis takes a moment to rub at his face. "Perhaps that was a bit too insensitive." He turns to gather his tea-things before walking over to place them on the cart. "What's left to do are things I'll have to do tomorrow. For now, I need to finish my studies before dinner is ready. If you'd like to take a tour of the grounds, I'm sure Miguel wouldn't mind the distraction. Otherwise, there is a recreational room with a television if you'd like to simply relax. The choice is yours." Placing one hand on the desk, the deer leans onto his right leg and slips his left hand into the pocket of his slacks while wearing the softest of smiles. If a phrase had to sum up the expression, it would be 'business casual'. Nina frowns and shakes her head, looking a bit angry at the remark Louis made but she does her best to let it slide, especially as he sort of apologizes. "I'm not asking for that at all, sorry if I maybe made light of the situation there, but I realize this is a big thing for sea animals here, and this is also a big step for me, and I have no family or anything to fall back on, forgive me for being a little nervous about screwing this up..." She shifts back to her human form and stands up. "A tour might be nice before dinner, I think I need some fresh air anyway." "Of course." Louis raises his voice, "Miguel, you can stop silently laughing about the 'girly buck' remark and come collect our guest." To Nina, the young adult deer adds, "You've certainly made an impression with them, you know. Cats will fancy anything unique, but lions can be terribly lazy, so when they react with as much enthusiasm as they've shown after your 'trick' at the bakery it would be wise to take advantage of it." Louis doesn't get to explain further. The door opens. "Sure thing, boss." Nina may or may not be picking up on similar reflections of home, especially in the manner of which the lions seem to act or speak around and to Louis the Red Deer. | ||
