Serendipity [Midori]

[Michael Callahan]

For some reason, today was a day that wouldn't let Michael focus. It was his free period and he was trying to take advantage of the time to do some grading, but it wasn't really working. The sky was a rare winter blue, the sun shining and reflecting off the snow. Buddy kept wanting to go out and play in it, but he didn't exactly have the coat for it, and Michael wasn't too interested in struggling the large dog into his sweater. He was bred to hunt lions in Africa, not squirrels in Vermont. After ten minutes of attempting to grade tests and having a cold, wet dog nose life his elbow and make lines down the middle of the papers, Mike gave up. "Geez, boy. Fine, we'll go out. But you gotta be good about getting your sweater on." The big dog sat and wagged his tail happily, a smile spreading across his canine face.

He got Buddy dressed up first, then grabbed his coat. He hadn't brought any serious gloves, not expecting to be spending much time outside until his evening walk. If only he had something warm to hold... Wait, but he did! Coffee! Instead of heading straight out, he went to the staff lounge, which earned him a whine from Buddy. "C'mon, Daddy needs coffee first." He said, scratching the big dog between the ears.

He stepped in, his coat draped over his arm. Of course, there wasn't actually any coffee in the pot, so he slung his coat over the arm of a chair and went about making a new pot. Buddy sat down a few feet away from the door, his eyes darting expectantly between it and his owner.

When the door opened, Buddy let out a soft "Boof" and stood up, his tail wagging. He was good dog, but kind of vocal. People around here were used to seeing Buddy, and he hadn't met a single person who didn't like him. Even non-dog people usually liked him well enough. The woman who came through the door was slight and thin, with pretty brown hair and lovely eyes. She seemed familiar, but Mike couldn't remember from where. Oh, right! They'd been introduced a few months back. He'd thought she was good looking then, but now there was something slightly different. She was glowing somehow. That was when he looked below her face and noticed the bump on her front. Oh, well, that explained it! It also meant he had a snowball's chance in hell, but he should still congratulate her.

"Why, hello! What a pleasant surprise." He said, his deep voice soft so as not to boom in the small room. He changed his scent to chocolate, his favorite when talking to women. He held out a hand, and when she put hers in it he kissed it lightly. "Congratulations! You look absolutely lovely." This was the moment when he realized he couldn't remember her name. It was an "m" name, he remembered that. Michelle? No, that wasn't right... "Well, this is embarrassing. We were introduced, but I can't seem to remember your name. Mine is Michael Callahan, if you are having the same problem, but Mike works fine for me." He beamed at her, his charm turned up to high. Buddy came up and stuck his nose between the two of them. "Oh, and this is Buddy." He added, reaching down and ruffling the Rhodesian ridgeback's ears.

[Midori Hawkins]

Apart from a few very, very special exceptions, Midori was finding herself a little sick of men at the moment. Exceptions included Eli (of course), and her oldest brother. He’d taken her news with all the maturity and calmness she’d come to expect from him. Zachary (middle brother), on the other hand… had find hilarity in her situation, and had happily mocked and gloated down the phone at her. He was not in her good books right now, though she had it on good authority that Corbin had found out (somehow) and had given him hell for it. She had yet to see an apology, however. Not that she really cared at the moment.

She was holed up in her office, again. She’d quickly come to realize that travelling really was the most important part of her job. Not that she hadn’t known that before, it was just painfully obvious now. All she could do all day now was paperwork. Often helping the other recruiters with theirs, but it was all the same. She’d worked clerical jobs before, but after the variety and excitement recruiting students had brought her, well… it was boring. She spent more than her fair share of time down in the library now, seeking company where she knew she’d find it.

But today she was being a big girl and facing her paperwork. But even big girls needed a break or two. This time, however, she was sticking to getting some tea from the staff lounge. It was a place she tried not to frequent. Not only was it where she’d met Darryl in the first place, but it still held the hostile memories from the night she’d told him about the baby. But she was trying not to think about that. She wanted tea, dammit. And stupidity wasn’t going to get in her way.

She was used to animals. Really, she was. Yet the sudden ‘boof’ made her jump just a little. She glanced at the dog, half wondering if it was a student, sneaking their way in. Shapeshifters could be tricky. She knew that for a fact. (Though she’d never tried to sneak into the staff lounge in her shifted forms.) Her suspicions were squashed when she noticed that another staff member was present. She glanced up at him, trying to recall if she knew him or not. She remembered meeting a lot of people during her first few days as a recruiter. He had likely been one of them. Or perhaps she’d met him more recently. It was getting harder to tell. Her brain just wasn’t working the same as it had before she’d had her run in with Darryl.

“Oh, hello,” she managed to greet. She let him take her hand, but was honestly surprised when he kissed it. It sprang a blush to her cheeks. Who did that, now? Well, she could think of one man. But if he pulled it off, it would only be an act. No. She wasn’t going to think about him. Instead, she looked up at the teacher, arching an eyebrow. Did he not know it wasn’t exactly a ‘congratulations’ situation? Granted, she’d warmed to the idea a lot more since she’d first found out. She managed a little smile. “Thank you.” She’d heard it a few times, but for a woman who had never been all that confident in herself, she really was having a hard time believing it now. At least he offered the distraction of his name. Michael. It sounded slightly familiar. “It’s okay. Not many people actually remember my name. It’s Midori. Um, Midori Hawkins. I’m a recruiter. …Well, was a recruiter.” Not that she had lost her job. She just didn’t get to go out and do it anymore. She sighed and distracted herself with the dog. “Hello Buddy,” she cooed softly. “He’s lovely.” Dogs. Best ice breaker ever invented.

[Michael Callahan]

Mike was used to people assuming that Buddy was a shapeshifter, well, at least people who didn't know him assuming that. It wasn't often one saw an actual animal running around a school. Well, it wasn't like one saw a shapeshifted animal running around a normal school, but they were in Hammel. Most of the normal rules didn't apply, or were totally different. Buddy looked up at Midori expectantly, wanting praise, food, or love, like all dogs do all the time. What he would really love would be for her to scratch under the sweater. It was so itchy!

Michael was not normally in the habit of hand kissing, it was a little out-dated, but it seemed appropriate to help convey what he was trying to get across. That was, that he was happy for her. He had always wanted children (Daddy issues have nothing to do with it. Nah uh!) and always felt slightly envious of people who had them. Well, he had Buddy, who was basically a child, and that worked well enough for him for now. He smiled inwardly when she blushed, it was nice to know he could still have that effect on ladies.

"Midori," He said, rolling the name around in his mouth. It was different, but he liked it. "It's a pretty name. It suits you." She really was very pretty, with or without the belly. Some might call her plain, but Michael wasn't into flashy women. They were almost always the flitting type, never really looking for a serious relationship. He liked Midori's fine-featured face and laid-back style. Also, he kinda thought the belly was cute. Call him weird, but there it was. Was a recruiter? Then why was she still here, if she didn't work here anymore? Oh. It took him a second, but he figured it out. She must not be able to travel anymore. Well, she obviously didn't want to talk about it too much, so he let it go, telling her his position here instead. "I teach math and coach the swim team. Not the most glamorous positions at the school, but it's fun. I like being able to interact with the students." He smiled warmly, thinking about all his kids. Yes, he considered them his kids, seeing as how most of them were boarding here and didn't have their families to rely on. He liked to think he acted as a sort of surrogate father to some of them.

He looked down at Buddy, who was scratching at the fuzzy blue material. For all that the dog had lived his entire life in Vermont and had sweaters put on him almost every day in the winter, he still wasn't used to them. Michael was pretty sure that the main problem was that his ridge hair got caught in them and was uncomfortable. He reached in through the neck and scratched the top of his ridge, trying to help him out. Buddy kept his hind foot up in a scratching pose, but had stopped moving it. His tongue was flopping out the side of his mouth in a happy doggy grin. "He's a good boy. Well, unless he wants to go outside. Which is why we're here now, I need something to keep me warm since all I brought were these flimsy gloves." He smiled ruefully and picked one up off the arm of the chair to explain. He loved Buddy dearly, but he always chose the one time Mike was not prepared for a romp in the snow to decide he wanted one. She seemed to like animals, so Mike decided they were probably a good conversation starter. "Do you have any pets?" He asked, genuinely interested. Maybe they could have play dates with Buddy!

[Midori Hawkins]

Being a shapeshifter herself, particularly one that tended to take the shape of a dog, it was an easy link. Of course it made more sense within the walls of Hammel that it was a shapeshifter than an actual animal. Of course real animals came into the school. Eli had brought Zero to the library more than once, and the trainers that were teaching animal communicators often brought pets in. But the way the dog was looking at her… there was no way it was a student or a teacher. Without much hesitation, she leaned down to stroke his head, gently sliding her fingers over the glossy fur Well, he was a nice dog.

When he said her name, she glanced up from the dog questioningly. People always reacted differently when they learned her name. Some thought it was weird, some questioned what her mother was thinking, and some seemed to genuinely like it. It was something she’d had to grow into, and now she had, she actually liked it more. “Um, thank you.” What else could she say about that? Was he flirting? Oh, God, she hoped not. She was not in the mood to have another man hit on her. And really, what man in his right mind would want to hit on her now? She was pregnant, annoyed with men in general, and certainly didn’t think she looked in any position to be of interest to anyone. But she tried to look interested while he explained his job. Math teacher and swim coach? He sounded like a busy man. “Wow. That must be nice. Our interaction ends more or less once they arrive at the school. Unless they really liked us, or hated us.” She managed a little smile at him. It happened more often than necessary. A student took offense to being brought here. “I haven’t had any really hate me. Yet.” Though that Tamsin girl had been a tricky one, even she’d admit.

Watching Michael with the dog was a little like watching Eli with Zero. She loved the relationships animals could have with humans. Apart from Zero, however, she’d never really had a long lasting pet to bond with. A few hamsters, and a guinea pig, once, but that was it. She watched the dog squirm and twitch under his master’s hands, reminded all too much of Zero when you found a really good itchy spot. “Yes, dogs will do that.” Granted, she never felt the urge in canine form to zip outside at inopportune moments. Then again, her mind didn’t completely flip over instinctually. “Looks like you need to come better prepared.” That actually made her smile. Only because she understood. His question made her glance up and tilt her head slightly. “Not… exactly. Well, my best friend has a dog. Zero. I’ve helped him look after her, though. Though I guess I count as my own pet, sometimes.” Yes, because that didn’t require further explanation. “I’m a shape shifter, and I like taking a canine form.” There was something a little comforting about it. “Is Buddy your only pet?”

[Michael Callahan]

Michael's favorite part about his job was the kids. Many people went into teaching as a fall-back job, but it was what Michael honestly wanted to do. Sure, his first dream had been to be an air force pilot, but he'd always known that wouldn't be something he'd do forever. He'd wanted to be a teacher when his flying days were over, which is exactly what he did. Only his flying days finished a lot sooner than was expected. Teaching was certainly less exciting, but it was more fulfilling. He chucked at Midori's description of her student interactions. "I couldn't really imagine any of the students hating you. You seem far too nice to be able to really tick them off. Me, on the other hand, I've had a few really not like me. But that's mostly because I won't let them ruffle my feathers." It was true, he'd had many students dislike him because he wouldn't get angry. He had a quick temper with adults, but he could never get really mad at a kid. He just liked them too much, and he actually found their antics entertaining, which is probably why he was one of the few teachers who actually enjoyed Zac's company, instead of just tolerating it.

He smiled down at Buddy as he held his awkward pose. He really loved it when the dog did that, it was just so cute! He smiled over Buddy's back at Midori's comment. "I probably should come better prepared, especially since we both know dogs have a special sense that lets them know when the worst time to go require outside time is." His smile broadened at his own joke, which was a little dorky, but that was okay. Michael was, in fact, a little dorky too. When Midori told him about Zero, Mike's eyes brightened. Buddy needed some new friends, especially because his neighbor had just moved, and with him Zoey, his Labrador. "Do you think your friend would let Zero and Buddy have a play-date?" He asked, childlike enthusiasm in his voice. He loved Buddy, and he loved it when Buddy was happy, and Buddy was never happier than when he was playing. Wait... She counted as her own pet? This took him a second to compute, though it made more sense when she explained it. He had always wanted to be a shapeshifter, secretly. It seemed like the power that held the most potential for fun. "Yup, he's the only one. I've been considering getting a cat, but I'm not home much, and I can't really bring a cat with me." He couldn't help himself, he absolutely had to ask. "You probably get this all the time, but what's it like? Shifting, I mean. I've always thought it was one of the more fascinating abilities. Mine is a little more mundane. I can, uh, change the way I smell." He smiled ruefully and scratched the back of his head in a classic awkward gesture. He didn't find his power embarrassing or anything, but next to someone with such an interesting one? It made him feel a little lame.

[Midori Hawkins]

Mii loved the kids too. She just didn’t have a huge involvement with them. Granted, that wouldn’t be the case soon. In just a few months, she’d be responsible for one child in particular. Of course, not quite in the same way as Michael. She had never been sure as a kid what she’d wanted to do. For a while, after graduating Hammel, she’d worked in office jobs, but it hadn’t been very fulfilling. It hadn’t helped that most of the people she’d worked with had been anti-meta. Coming back to the school and becoming a recruiter had seemed right, and really, she loved her job. “Oh, if they didn’t want to come here, they hold a grudge. It doesn’t matter how nice you are.” Though being nice seemed to help. If anything, she’d won over more students, and parents, using it. “I’m sorry, but I was never fond of my math teacher either.” She offered a tiny smile, and a shrug. Math had never been her strongest subject.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Zero was usually pretty good, but sometimes, she chose inopportune moments. She smiled back at him. Buddy really was a cute dog. Especially in his sweater. And it was sweet that Michael was willing to take him outside (and keep him warm) when it obviously wasn’t a good time for him. His question made her pause, however. “Um… I don’t know. I could ask him. She doesn’t get a lot of playtime with other dogs. She’s older, I’m not sure how much fun she’d be for him.” Zero could be playful, yes. But Mii worried about her playing with a younger, more active dog. What if Buddy hurt her? (God, she was turning maternal. Even over the dog.) She had to admit, the enthusiasm she heard in his voice was kind of nice. Not many guys she knew got excited over their pets, or prospects for play dates. “He seems happy enough being an only child.” She would have been happy to keep on the subject of Buddy, and pets, but his question derailed that. She glanced up at him and blushed. “It’s… hard to explain. It’s not as painful as it was when I was a student. It just feels… strange. I try to shift as fast as I can, but I’m usually sore afterwards.” She didn’t know how to explain it. “That’s an interesting power. Shifting’s so common. I like the more obscure powers.” She trailed off, glancing away. She didn’t know what to say now. Social interaction wasn’t her real forte, and she found it harder now.

[Michael Callahan]

Mike could understand why kids might hold a grudge. If he hadn't been so extremely desperate to get away from his dad, he might have been a little disgruntled at being separated from his family. At the time, he was pretty sure an ocean was probably the only thing that would keep his father's wrath at bay. He was probably right. "Most of the students I've met liked their recruiter well enough, some of them even seem to miss them. I think it's something about how you are the first people they meet from Hammel. In some cases, the only other meta's they've ever seen. I know that was the case with me." He gave a slight shrug. He'd liked his recruiter, but he'd been from Kocher, not Hammel, and Mike had never seen him again. If he ever got a chance to visit the other school, he would try to get in touch. "I actually loved my math teacher. That's why I decided to become one. To be honest, I'm not actually all that amazing at math, but it means that I'm better at explaining it. There is one trick to getting kids to like you in my subject though: You have to celebrate Pi day by bringing in pie." He traced the Pi symbol in the air and then a circle, to emphasize what he meant.

Michael was a little disheartened by Midori's hesitation, but he could understand her concern. Buddy was older than he looked and very gentle, but he didn't want to push. "Well, if you wouldn't mind asking, or telling me who to ask, I would be very appreciative. He's a very gentle boy." He laughed, thinking of his favorite Buddy story. Like any proud father, he liked talking about his kid. "Actually, he once brought me a rabbit. We were camping and he carried it right into the tent. It was terrified and coated in drool, but other than that it was fine. I don't think he realizes he's supposed to be a hunting dog." He said this last part in a conspiratorial whisper, as if he didn't want Buddy knowing what his breeding was for.

Mike listened raptly as Midori explained how shifting worked. Well, at least his power didn't leave him sore. He smiled at her, his curiosity satisfied for the moment. "Well, for all that my power is mundane, at least it isn't painful." As he said this, he shifted his scent from chocolate to cinnamon buns. Sure he was showing off a little, but it was fun! That, and cinnamon buns were delicious.

[Midori Hawkins]

Mii had liked her recruiter well enough. Granted, she wasn’t normally the type of person to hold a grudge. She’d missed her family terribly. Even her childish older brother. Even her parents, her curfew, their house rules. She’d missed a lot, but being afraid of her power had helped. She’d wanted to be somewhere where she would be trained to use it. So no, she hadn’t resented her recruiter. She’d been thankful to them. “I know I liked mine. But she was nice to me, and she really took the time to explain to me that Hammel would help.” It hadn’t seemed such a scary prospect. “I know she was the first meta I’d really had contact with myself. My parents had a few meta friends, though.” Unlike some people, her parents had fully embraced the existence of metas, and when they’d found themselves with one in the family, they’d pulled her closer, not cast her aside. Well, Zach had called her a freak a few times but hey, what were other brothers for? She glanced at Mike in surprise at the fact he wasn’t that good with math. But his little explanation actually made her laugh. “If that had been my teacher’s policy, I might have liked him too.”

Her hesitation was born out of more than one concern. Namely, that Zero was older, but she also wasn’t MIi’s dog. She was protective over the little animal, of course. She loved her as much as Eli did. “I’ll ask him tonight. He might be happy to know there’s another dog close by for her to play with.” She didn’t have very many Zero stories. And one of her favourites involved the little dog sitting on her lap, kissing tears away. But she had to smile at the story about Buddy. “That’s amazing. Poor little rabbit.” She could imagine being in its’ shoes. She’d felt both the pull to hunt, from a canine shifted form, and the drive to RUN, from a prey animal’s form.

In the beginning, her power had been excruciating. She’d learned to shift into one sort of “comfort” animal – a dog that’s breeding resembled that of Zero’s. It had become one she’d learned to perform in comfort. Foreign shifts had left her painful for a while. Now she was capable of doing nearly any mammalian shift within the 60 lbs range. If she was shifting at all. She managed a little embarrassed, shy smile at him. “I haven’t been able to shift since I became pregnant. I actually miss it.” She missed playing with Zero on four paws in Eli’s small backyard. She missed showing potential students and their parents what it meant to be in control of your powers. She did sigh happily when she smell the warm cinnamon scent. Great. Now she wanted one. “That smells amazing,” she managed to comment, before wondering if they actually had anything remotely close to that scent to eat in the lounge. Silly powers.

[Michael Callahan]

Michael smiled broadly. If there was anything he knew, it was how to get teenagers to like him for at least one day a year. Most of them liked him longer than that, but the few he couldn't win over completely he settled for winning over temporarily. "I'll let you in on a secret: food is actually the way to a growing teen's heart, not a man's. They'll do just about anything for pastry, including their math homework." He said this last part with a conspiratorial wink, as if bribery were something uncommon for teachers to do. So what if he bribed them? It worked!

Michael ruffled Buddy's ears so they flopped over and around his head. Buddy responded by pushing his head up for more when Mike tried to take his hand away. He laughed and did it again, unable to resist the lure of willing floppy ears. "I was just amazed that he didn't hurt the little fuzz ball." He smiled down at Buddy, affection obviously showing through in his gaze. He didn't mind if people called him a softy, it was the truth, after all.

Michael gave Midori a sympathetic look. He couldn't really understand, and wouldn't profess to, but he could see that it bothered her. "That's too bad. Well, at least you'll be able to shift again in a few months." He smiled, trying to lift her spirits. He wondered why she couldn't shift, but figured it wouldn't be very polite to ask. He did want to know more about her, though, so he settled for something that he was sure wouldn't be offensive. "Is it a boy or a girl? Do you know?" He asked, honestly curious. Personally, when he finally got around to having kids, he couldn't care less what it's gender was, as long as it was a tiny human.

He could hear the coffee starting to trickle behind him, and that mixed with the smell of cinnamon buns made him suddenly very hungry. Well, maybe he shouldn't have done that. "Actually, that is the exact smell of the cinnamon buns they sell at Kali's Kafe." He admitted. Michael loved that place, they had some of the best pastries he'd ever eaten. It was all very homey. This gave him an idea! It was almost lunch hour, and he wasn't having a lunch meeting of any kind today. That, and he already had Buddy dressed up for the outdoors. "If you aren't busy, would you like to join me there for lunch? I just gave myself quite the craving." He admitted. He hoped she would say yes. Even though she was obviously taken, he couldn't help but want to get to know her better. There was something about her that told him that she could use a friend right about now.

[Midori Hawkins]

Mii had never had teachers growing up that were anything like Mr Callahan seemed to be. Though some of them were a little looser than others, many had been strict. Things like pie on Pi day just wouldn’t fly. It seemed now that more and more of the teachers at Hammel remembered what it was like to be a teenager, and were playing to those feelings. “The boys, maybe. I can think of other reasons the girls would pay attention.” She was guilty of it herself. She paid more attention to the teachers she found attractive. And Michael was probably the kind of teacher that inspired a lot of teenage crushes.

Watching master and pet, Mii had to smile. She did the same thing to Zero, from time to time, if the little dog approached her for affection. There was something incredibly satisfying about playing with a dog’s ears. “Well, if he’s a hunting dog, you’d think it would be an instinctual thing for him to hurt it.” She looked somewhat fondly at the dog. “He must be very gentle.” Good with kids... like Zero.

Not being able to shift was a little like having a sense being taken away. It was part of who she was, and she wasn’t used to being unable to do it. During her last few recruitment trips, before being sentenced to office work, she’d really missed it. It was so hard to explain these things to non-meta families, and have no proof to back it up. At the very least, before she’d been able to shift into a non-threatening form, and that was usually enough. “I suppose so. When I’m not dying from lack of sleep.” Not that that would actually happen. Eli had told her as much. Michael’s question made her blush, and unconsciously touch her bump. “I don’t know yet, but I’m holding out for a boy.” She’d be happy with a daughter, of course. She’d just wanted a son from the time she was a little girl, playing house with her brothers.

Being pregnant drove Mii crazy in more than one way. Clarisse had warned her that a meta pregnancy was a good deal more taxing on a woman than a normal human pregnancy was. She was always tired, always on edge emotionally, and always hungry. The scent of cinnamon buns wafting really wasn’t helping matters. “Really?” Well, that was talent. Mii had only been there once or twice. But it had seemed nice enough. The offer, she hadn’t expected, but a quick glance at the clock proved that, yes, it was actually almost lunchtime. And she really didn’t have anything better to do... “Um, okay. Just let me let my boss know.” She pulled out her phone and typed a quick email to James, letting him know she was going to be out of the office for lunch. Just in case he was trying to track her down for anything. “Is Buddy joining us?” She said it with a playful smile, warming up to him just a little. Dogs really were the ideal ice breaker.

[Michael Callahan]

Michael knew he looked good. Hell, he prided himself on his grooming, but honestly, he wasn't expecting a compliment from someone who was so obviously taken. Being caught off guard actually made him blush a little, though it was hard to tell under his dark complexion. He did the awkward back-of-head scratch again and chuckled. "So I've been told." He said sheepishly. He didn't like pointing out how vain he was, it made him seem like a narcissist. It wasn't so much that he was full of himself (though there was a little of that too), but that he thought it was good to look good. He'd met a lot of friends - and girlfriends - because of his looks.

Buddy wasn't just good with kids, he loved them. He loved his daddy too, no doubt about that, but he'd ditch him any day for a six year old. They always gave him food. "He's such a softy, I'm convinced that one of his parents must have been a cotton ball." Okay, it was a terrible joke, but it was one of Mike's favorites. If he could make a terrible pun that had the same meaning, he would ditch the joke, but until then the rest of the world was stuck with it.

Michael smiled understandingly at Midori. "I was in the Air Force for a while, and I bunked with a friend of mine and his wife during a temporary housing crunch. She was pregnant too, and she never slept for more than two hours at a time. Good thing is, you can always guilt dad into midnight diaper-changing duty once the baby comes! I know she did." He let out a soft chuckle, still being conscientious of how deep and loud his laugh could be and how small the room was. He was getting to like Midori, and hoped that they could be friends. He'd love to play with her baby, whether it was a boy of a girl. "I'll be sure to think masculine thoughts at the baby gods." He said, a little laughter in his voice. He knew his jokes were terrible, but that didn't stop him from saying them.

Michael had asked her to lunch impulsively, and was expecting to be turned down. When she said yes, he turned on his high-beam smile, excited like a little kid. "If you don't mind." He said. He had a feeling she would like Buddy to come along. He grabbed his jacket and reached into the pocket, hoping he had it stashed in there. After searching for a second, he pulled out a rather large, but neatly folded swatch of orange cloth. Good, he had it. It was much less awkward to walk into a restaurant with Buddy if he was wearing his service dog vest.

[Midori Hawkins]

Mii had once had a little bit of faith that she was pretty, if she tried. The strategic application of makeup, choosing clothes that complimented her. Since she’d gotten pregnant, that little bit of faith had sort of... vanished. For a woman who had always been quite slender, the weight gain that had accompanied the pregnancy wasn’t exactly thrilling. She still tried, a little. She still applied makeup in the mornings, and did the best that she could now she was tolerating maternity clothes. Her mind blanked on her when he replied. She hadn’t flirted in... forever. At least it felt that way. All she managed was a nervous, weak little smile at him.

She had no doubts that Zero would be good with kids, too. It was why she didn’t worry about the fact that Eli would be moving in with her soon, with Zero in tow. She would trust the little dog with anything, and anyone. The little joke did make her giggle, however. “If that was the case, he should be a little fluffier.” She stroked the dog again, liking his company.

His story about the Air Force made her arch an eyebrow. So he’d been in the Air Force, and had turned to... teaching? Well, to each their own. But the knowledge that she was definitely in for some sleepless nights didn’t please her, no matter how many times she’d heard them before. He did, however, hit a small nerve. “... Actually, I doubt his father will be doing any of those. We... aren’t... together.” Why did it make her feel like such a terrible person for saying it? Even if she tried, she didn’t think she and Darryl could actually form a good relationship. Not in that way, anyway. “But I’ll be fine. My best friend is going to be helping, even though I told him he doesn’t have to.” Yes, Michael. Welcome to her weird world of relationships.

Even with that nerve touched, it didn’t deter her from the idea of lunch. It would be nice to get out of the school for a bit. “Of course. He’s lovely. I’ll just need to get my coat from my office.” She didn’t think that would be an issue. And then something caught her attention. Buddy was already wearing his little sweater. So why was Michael pulling out an orange, dog-sized thing? It clicked a moment later. “... He’s a service dog?” Not that that bothered her, not in the slightest. She was just curious.

[Michael Callahan]

Mike's brow creased into a little frown of worry when she said that she wasn't in a relationship with the father, but smoothed out rather quickly when she explained. He smiled at her, trying to be understanding. "These are the kinds of times you can tell who your real friends are. That one is obviously a keeper." He said, thinking back to all the millions of times he'd babysat that same kid he'd mentioned before. She was beyond cute! Even though she'd said something so disheartening, he found his spirits lifted slightly. He hadn't even been aware they'd needed lifting. So, okay, he was thinking about hitting on a pregnant woman. She was nice, and pretty, and single, and he liked kids, so he didn't see any problem with it. That, and it was cute how she touched her belly self-consciously when she thought about it.

Michael deftly strapped the little vest over Buddy's sweater. He'd done it so many times now, he could probably put it on blindfolded. This was his little vest, not the big one with the pockets. Buddy didn't really need one of those, since Mike was perfectly capable of carrying everything he needed. Mike wasn't a huge fan of talking about his disorder, but found it much easier to explain Buddy's service status if he just came out and said it. That, and he was thinking about at least trying to form some sort of relationship with Midori, and all good relationships were based on honesty. "He's a seizure detecting dog. I haven't had one in years, but it's comforting to know that if one decides to come I'll be warned. It helps me relax and enjoy life a little more." He said this with a smile, covering his discomfort easily. That was one of his talents, looking confident even when he wasn't exactly feeling it.

He walked over to the door and held it open, inviting Midori to lead the way. "After you." He followed her partway down the hall, but waited outside of her office. He didn't want to invade her privacy. While he waited, he put his own coat on, along with his gloves and scarf. He hadn't realized it until he'd used his power, but man, he was starved! He couldn't wait to get down to the Kafe. Real coffee (not the crap they kept in the lounge) and a pastry sounded like heaven right about now.