#bergen_county

Well, it turns out, Connor is going to mortal school. Fortunately he has a guardian, of sorts. Layne trots along with him in the hallway, though she gets twitchy when it gets crowded. Otto wags to see him! Alas, Otto's squire spare idea appeared to fall through but there's always hope! Jack grumbles about how he misses farm schooling but nope, his mom insisted he get to know them.

mortals that is

And he's been doing this for a month, and so far, while some kids think he's 'weird'... Connor's natural likability and built in support group has him doing pretty well socially.

Connor is uneasy - he doesn't understand mortal kids, not as well as he should. Or perhaps it's that they don't understand him. But if Dagmar can go to school, then by gum, so can he!

Layne assures him between classes, "It's not so bad. They really just want to have fun, like we do"

"I don't think Mrs. Traceman likes me." He hadn't meant to call her Mrs. Trashcan, even if it did get a round of giggles from the other kids.

"She'll probably get over it" Layne says, ever the optimist

A wag of his tail as he realizes, "Teachers like apples, right? We have lots right now. Maybe I can bring her one!"

"Sure, bet she'd like that" Lane nods

Jack joins them , as if the word 'Apples' summoned him "Better get some before Mrs. Davidson grabs all the apples then"

"Sides, if Mrs. Traceman gets too mean," Jack whispers "one of us can put the fuddle on her"

"She's not mean, she just didn't like being called a Trashcan" Layne points out

"Well, we're gonna be late to her class and then she'll be mean" Jack declares

"Even Hearth Kerri can't eat ALL them apples. We picked SO MANY!" Connor covers his mouth, he has trouble remembering to use the muggle terms.

"She's not mean." Connor considers. "But her dress is... um." "It sure is a color!"

It's not the teacher's fault that her somewhat shapeless outfit happened to match the same color as the brightly painted wastebasket in the elementary classroom. It could have happened to anyone.

Jack snickers

And they rejoin the class room. Otto waves to Connor. The fae kids had to draw straws to see who decided where they sat, Layne wanted near the front. Jack the back. Turned out they ended up in the middle near the door (so the centaur would feel like she could run away if she hand to).. democracy is hard.

"Okay, everyone" Mrs. Trash can..err TRACEMAN says, and she has some papers she's looking over "If you could all take your seats. We'll start into the wonderful world of science in just a bit"

Wonderful SCIENCE? He eyes the slender workbook dubiously.

"But first we have a new student, one... " She looks at the paper "Lily Thomas?"

"Lily?" She looks about, "lily?"

Connor twists to look around too.

Then Mrs. Traceman jumps as a little girl appears right behind her. Lily is dressed in a pink blouse and green leggings. She's not happy about her outfit. Her voile has switched it aorund some, the pink looking more faded, like a rose wilting "right here, Mrs. Traceman"

"I knew she was there the whole time!" Connor whispers to the girl to his right.

"Oh Lily you startled me. Don't be afraid to speak up either honey, we need to learn to project"

Cleo nods sagely at Connor. Why is her desk so CLEAN, it's weird

"Now, Lily go find a seat"

Connor waves discretely! Well, not really. WAVE WAVE WAVE!

"PSSST! LILY!"

"PSSSSSSSSSST!"

Mrs. Traceman says "Ahem. Connor, please let Lily choose her own seat"

"I'm just...."

sigh.

Lily however makes a Bee lilne for Connor, and positions herself behind him, right behind him and whispers softly so his doggy ears can hear but only just "Thank you, Connor"

He perks up! Lily and the others can see his tail wag.

"Welcome back, Lily" Jack gives a half groan. WIth Otto and he, the boys actually had a lead

"thank you, jack" A whisper "I look forward to tormenting you and connor again. And the new boy" A wiggle wave to Otto, who gulps

Connor stage whispers to Otto, "It's okay. She won't hurt you. She only wants your body after you die, so it's okay. You won't be using it no more." Reassuring.

Jack's melodramatic groan and connor's stage whisper are not lost on the teacher "Jack, Connor, do I need to separate you boys, again?"

"No, Mrs. Traceman!" He lies smoothly.

"Mm good" She says

And soon begins to talk about SCIENCE. Magnets, and how they work!

Connor raises his hand!

"Yes, Connor?" She turns

"Magnets work through the property of being magic. They pull real hard, like you're caught in a net. That's how they got named that."

He waits for praise!

Some where in the room, some mortal kid laughs, and a few others join in

Jack glares at the guy who laughed first

Connor, on the other hand, basks in the laughter.

Laughing means they're happy, right?