English isn't like the book says... (Mei + Toris)

[stomachpains]

The ideal man can be described as strong, tall, confident, and kind. He represents the values that receive respect in society for their roles as the provider and protector of the "weaker" of the race, i.e. females and children. The question then stood, what if the man could not live up to these expectations? What if he could not stand his ground or partake in negative confrontation? Sure, such a man would be walked all over and more than likely taken advantage of, but would he, in essence, really represent a man? He could hate the treatment given to him, despise those who walked over him, and want anything in the world to happen to them to give an example of karma, and the triumph of true justice... Yet, being gentle and effeminate, as society surely views such a peace-loving man, no good could come from him.

How, then, does such a man say that confusion has taken him? How does he explain that he hasn't the faintest clue what is going on around him in, and that everything is too fast? Shouldn't a man adapt and conquer whatever poses difficulty for him? Shouldn't a MAN take up any challenge with a smile and a hearty laugh? Ideally, yes; realistically, not always. Not Toris anyway. Whether pride engulfed him, or fear overcame him, he had no intention of pointing out to the teacher that he, in fact, could not keep up with the class... Toris did not grow up with English as a first language, or a second language; it was so different from anything else that he knew.

Toris couldn't help but notice that he could not recognize any of the students around him... More than likely, he held a year over them, an upperclassman in the class of lowerclassmen... Such would be his luck, and it only made sense. How many years he had over them, he really didn't know; at this point, he really didn't care. As long as he learned the language... but writing could be horribly difficult and tedious, Toris needed to speak to really understand, at least in his mind.

The Lithuanian looked to his side, seeing a young woman, her hair a wonderful chestnut brown, a flower in her hair that complimented soft features and a natural, healthy, attractive glow. Well, no one said that Toris wasn't a MALE, he was going to find beautiful young women beautiful, even if it was only noted through his mental comments. She seemed to be kind though... maybe she could be helpful...

"E-excusing me, Pona..."[/color] Toris stuttered, cursing slightly that he had done so. "I vas... eh, vundering... eh, vhut, eh, does ze teacher just saying?" He could only hope that she would understand him....[/size]

[k]

Today, they were doing a lesson that the teacher, what with him using a bored drawl and constantly saying, "Yeah, that's how it is," quite obviously appeared to despise, or at least find not very interesting at all,

It was about how English was affected by the passing of time. From writing with runes to Latin characters, from not-quite-English-yet to full-fledged English that had branched out and gotten dialects of its own.

Mei took it that the teacher wasn't that big a fan of history, which was such a pity because this really was an interesting lesson. Oh, well, she had already studied about it the night before and if she had unanswered questions after the end of the lesson, she could always pick up a book from the library about it.

No need to bother the teacher about a topic they weren't likely to answer well.

Just as she was about to turn the page of her notebook -- notes were probably the blood of students -- the guy who sat to her right, a nice-looking person who reminded her a bit of her roommates in that he was probably quiet like them, leaned towards her and began to ask her something.

It was the first time he'd talked to her. She noticed that he had an accent that might just be a mite too heavy.

She edged closer to him and, hoping that she'd understood him right, said, "It's about Middle Englsih. He's using The Canterbury Tales as an example." She paused. "He's just shifted to Early Modern."

[stomachpains]

Toris couldn't help but smile when the young woman answered him. It wasn't so much that he expected she woudn't-- she had seemed like the person who would-- but rather he didn't expect to be understood. Try as he might, English was so very different from the languages he knew. So the fact that, even if his exact question wasn't answered, the young woman tried to help him... was very touching. Perhaps the fact that he was asking for assistance while the teacher was talking wouldn't be the greatest idea in the world, but at least she spoke a bit clearer and with more interest in her voice... it made it easier in the long run that way...

Middle English... that term stood out quite clearly for Toris. Yes, he remembered "Anglų kalba" from his classes back home in Lithuania, and a few in Poland while he was studying there. The history of the English was very interesting to Toris, almost being a bit of linguist because of his lifestyle, so it almost saddened him when he discovered that this was the subject they were studying while he could barely understand fast spoken English... He recalled that Old English was very.... almost Scandinavian, and Middle English was more as it was in modern days, though with those odd words that people on used when mocking Shakespeare... at least that's what a teacher once told him...

"A-Ah... yes of course... Am... sorry for interruption..." Which was a lie... he wasn't sorry for interrupting her really... She had a clear voice when she spoke, and he could understand her better than the mumbling teacher at the front of the room... "Z-zank you, Pona..." Toris managed, a smile on his face and a red on his face. He decided that, perhaps, listening to the teacher with a more careful ear would be a good idea... But the moment he heard something he thought to take notes on, his brain defaulted to Lithuanian and he began to write in his native tongue... and then he didn't understand English for a fleeting second. He couldn't help but curse in his mind of how confusing it all was; he usually didn't have this problem...

"E-excusing me again for second time, Pona..." Toris said, leaning over disdainfully. At least it was to a nice person he was turning to... "I, eh.... cannot keep up... viz vhat Teacher saying..."

[k]

Mei blinked. There were times when she wondered why, in a school that was made up of people that came from this and that country, they required that the students get at least a year -- or two or so, she'd forgotten -- of English. It wasn't very fair to everyone else who hadn't any use of it outside of school.

She smiled at her seatmate. "It's alright," she said. Anyway, there wasn't much use listening to the teacher if he was speeding up the lesson just because he didn't want to do it. Another unfair thing to do when not all of the class weren't comfortable enough speaking in English.

"He's talking about the change from Middle to Early Modern. He's comparing Chaucer and Shakespeare. Shakespeare's writing is easily understood compared to what Chaucer wrote. But there's only a century or so between the times they wrote."

There were also times when Mei felt more like speaking in Chinese -- well, sort of Chinese; she liked making some things less complicated -- than in English.

"Maybe it'll be better to put it this way-- There's a somewhat large difference between Middle and Early Modern." She pursed her lips. "You could read the book to be sure." She sheepishly smiled. "You might understand the book better than what I'm saying."

She'd hate it if she made him even more confused about the topic. He was barely understanding what the teacher was saying as it was.

Not that it was his fault. The teacher was beginning to talk awfully fast.

It was either that or she'd become completely bored with the way he was teaching today.

[stomachpains]

Toris smiled. He enjoyed listening to his neighbor speak over the meticulous voice of his teacher. Of course, Toris had a deep respect for the man and knew that standing in front of a group of people who, in reality, could care less about what you had to say could be very difficult; however, the fact remained that when a voice is unappealing, it makes listening much more difficult. Such was one of the reason the Lithuanian wished he spoke clearer English, because then he could be considered at least a little bit interesting to talk to... at the moment he was barely comprehensible, let alone interesting...

His neighbor, though, had a way of speaking that made Toris understand-- or at least it seemed that way to him. Maybe it was because he could hear her and she pronounced her words clearly. One day he would speak like that, clear and crisp, and then he wouldn't be so nervous to speak. He smiled, writing down what she said as he heard her pause for a moment. It was easier to write when he wasn't listening to another language. They were quick short hand notes, all in Lithuanian, that he decided he would translate into English later. He gave a grateful smile, his eyes lit with understanding, and nodded slightly to the young woman.

"Am understanding. Is saying great difference, eh, in hundred years, no? How, eh, Anglish change rapidly, no?" Why yes, that was indeed a smile of pride on his face, as he very much felt he deserved. He understood; who cares if he could barely speak it, he could understand it. That was cause alone for celebration. "Pona, you speak very vell; am liking hearing you speak. You very clear, ir very gentle. Pleasant to hear."

Toris said, trying very hard not to stutter, though in doing so created incomplete sentences. At the moment it was all he could do to get out his ideas without pausing, or looking through his phrase book.

[k]

Mei grinned at him.

She really hoped that she had understood him right. It would be plain awkward -- not to mention a little rude -- if she had misunderstood his words.

"I'm not sure about that hundred year difference, but yes. Yes, English does change fast, doesn't it?" She nodded. Too fast sometimes. Why, just the other day, she'd heard a couple of students, probably upperclassmen from the way they held themselves, talk in such seemingly convoluted English that she'd taken note of what they were saying and then asked someone else to translate it for her.

It turned out to be quite simple, really. The one that had translated the conversation told her that it was upperclasmanese.

She smiled when she saw her seatmate smile. He had a rather contagious smile. It was either that or he just looked so happy that-- Oh, but those were the same thing, weren't they?

She blushed when he'd told her that he liked hearing her speak -- just about the only thing she was sure she'd heard right. She liked being paid compliments and was rather used to it, but sometimes she just couldn't help being taken by surprise by some compliments, ones like his.

"Thanks." She lightly tugged on a strand of her hair. Then she remembered that she hadn't quite introduced herself yet. "I'm Mei." She would have offered a hand to shake if they weren't in class.

[stomachpains]

A sense of embarrassment flooded Toris temporarily. Perhaps he used the wrong term? No, he definitely meant to say one hundred, that just wasn't the right thing to say apparently. Fool, Toris told himself, such a fool... But he wouldn't let that disapproval of self show; that was his to deal with and not impose on others...

Toris laughed lightly, not loudly as to be rude during the lesson, but enough that the young woman beside him could understand that she had amused him with her statement. "Aha... yes, I agree~ Far too fast. Words, eh, meaning change too quick, no? Like, eh... 'vicked'." Toris mused, remembering an occurrence only recently of the word not meaning what his pocket dictionary said. It was a horribly confusing incident, and rather embarrassing for the young man when he discovered that "wicked" apparently doubled as an expression of "very good" or "amusing". So much confusion there...

Even if Toris was unaware of it, though, the vocabulary that he personally knew of the English language was very much outdated. He noticed that there were a lot of terms that were used that were not in his pocket dictionary, but he assumed that was a dialect issue. It was very confusing, very offsetting, and at times discouraging. How was he supposed to keep up with all of these 'slang' terms?

But there was something that Toris did understand clearly, no matter the language barrier, and that was body language. When a young woman blushed, it was always either a sign that she was very hot and possibly on the brink of passing out, which Toris doubted was the case in this situation, or that she was moved by something said. Toris found his lips parting slightly, a light toothy grin settling on his face.

"Mei...." Toris repeated gently, thinking of it. "...is very pretty name, Pona. Very good, keen woman." Toris said with a chuckle. "Am Toris Lorinaitis." The young Lithuanian said, habits dying hard and extending a hand with a great smile to formally introduce himself.

[k]

Vicked? Whatever could vick-- Ah, he'd meant wicked! New words and phrases seemed to pop out every other day or so (though wicked was a bit old); it was absolutely amazing. For her, at least.

She could only imagine how hard it must be for him to keep up with the slang. Maybe she could help him with that. She knew a couple of sites that were, for lack of a better term, informative enough and also had the bonus of being pretty funny. Though perhaps those sites were best viewed with a friend who could explain the jokes to him. The last thing she wanted was for him to misunderstand everyone and cause arguments.

"I think it's nice. Don't you think it means that the language is alive and well that way?" She smiled. "If you're having difficulties understanding what people are saying, just ask me." And hopefully she'd be able to explain to him what they meant.

She blushed even more; her seatmate, Toris, was quite the flatterer. She rather liked being told that her name was pretty because she herself thought it was pretty too. Though to be honest, she'd like it even more if she was called Xiaomei, but she found out early on that not a lot of tongues sat well with Xiaomei. So Mei it was.

She shook his hand, teacher be damned. "Toris isn't half bad as well." She returned his grin. "It's nice to meet you." After class, they definitely had to exchange email addresses.

What could she say? She knew a friend when she saw one, and Toris was going to be her friend if he wasn't already.

[stomachpains]

(( oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.. I'm REALLY facing a little bit of writers block at the moment. D: ))

One thing that Toris liked is that Mei spoke with simple words. Or, rather, spoke with common words, making it easy for the new speaker. Teachers, and a lot of other students, had a tendency to use large words that Toris did not understand without looking them up... Like 'tendency', as an example. But not Mei, she made it easy to understand. And she didn't use those confusing slang terms either, but proper... basic English that Toris could understand. It wasn't very fair for him, not speaking English, being expected to know all of these complicated words... He had a hard time trying to remembering the sounds that certain letters made.

"Taip-yes, very living." Toris said with a small smile. "Is interest for seeing." Toris chuckles, scooting his seat over slightly so that he could hear her better without strain or making her speak up. He was enjoying the conversation, loving the fact that he could talk about language with someone, as it was such a large factor in his life. And when Mei, very kindly offered to assist him with his struggles, he found himself smiling, biting his lower lip in embarrassment. "Ah... zank you, Pona... am happy, am... eh, grateful... not good viz ze.... eh, ev-er-zing, haha." Toris chuckled lightly, nervously, rubbing his arm slightly.

His smile seemed hesitant, though, when Mei said his name was nice. He liked his name, generally speaking; it sounded nice and fell off the tongue easily... But he didn't like its meaning. Toris, his given name; dog. But he would never say it, not to someone who didn't speak Lithuanian. Even then, a lot of people didn't necessarily think of what names meant. But Toris smiled all the same. If Mei liked his name, he would too.

"Aha... Is pleasure to be meeting you, Pona Mei." Toris said with a glow. "Vhat... eh, sorry to be asking if not right... eh, vhat level? eh... eh, grade?"

[k]

No worries! You still write brilliantly even with your writer's block. \o/ Man, how do you do it?


This was brilliant. Mei rarely met people who actually wanted to talk about language. In a school filled with superheroes and sidekicks, that wasn't quite as surprising as it was; they were all probably busy with honing their powers. They'd be placed in countless life-or-death situations once they got out of school, wouldn't they?

The thought of it made her shudder a bit. The things she thought of, really.

"I have this book that correlates culture and language. Not an entirely new thing, but the way it's been handled is interesting. Maybe you've heard of it? Deutscher's Through the Language Glass?"

If he was interested enough in language, maybe he'd give it a try? A lot of people she'd lent the book to certainly seemed to like it enough. However, there was the chance that he'd think differently than the author. Oh, but she was sure that he had an open enough mind. After all, he'd asked a stranger -- well, they hadn't talked before -- to clarify the lesson for him.

She grinned at him when he thanked her. "It's nothing. Just ask. I won't mind it," she paused, "at least most of the time." She chuckled. The times when she did mind would be obvious enough anyway.

"Toris is a really nice name," she repeated when he looked a little disbelieving. Maybe she hadn't looked sincere enough? Maybe she'd done some gesture that, in his culture, was equivalent to saying that she was joking when she said that?

She liked the name Toris. The name just fit him. He was definitely a Toris.

Her eyebrows raised a little bit when he asked her what grade she was. Well, she'd known from the beginning that he wasn't from her class, but she hadn't known nobody had bothered to tell him he was in freshman English. Really, administration these days!

"I'm in tenth. Tenth grade. What about you?"

She glanced at the teacher. Definitely bored. He wasn't even bothering to reprimand them for talking. He wasn't even bothering to send to detention hall those kids near the windows who were playing cards.

[stomachpains]

(( OOC: Deary love... I love you for knowing that book. <33 But this is where my block shows more, hurr... ))

What blessings had fallen upon Toris that he could have the company of someone so... sensible. Since Toris' arrival, he had found that most people at the school had very single-minded intentions with things. They focused on what would make themselves stronger, on what would better them, and how to surpass the others around them; it was all self-improvement with no mentality for the general student body. Was this not a hall of heroes to be? they certainly didn't act like it if so. Except for Mei, here. She was a kindly example of heroism, of unsung heroes, the ones that do kind deeds simply because it is right, not because they expect praise or acclaim-- though truly they are the ones that deserve it, as Mei truly deserved it.

Toris briefly reflected on the fact that he was a sidekick. When he was serving by his hero, he could only hope that he, or she, was as ideal as Mei... even if such a thought was unlikely, he could only hope for it to be so.

At the mention of the book, Toris was immediately interested. Toris adored books of all sorts, literature being his great passion and guilty pleasure. His holy grail of entertainment, abounding in all society, never ceased to pop into common conversation. And this thrilled him. Though the book was foreign to him, it intrigued him. He smile bloomed on his lips and his head nodded gently. "Pona... is sounding vunderful, haha... I vould be interesting in reading." Toris said. It was odd, but he could actually feel that he made a mistake in what he said. That felt... good.

Toris really appreciated everything that Mei was doing for him, even though they had only just met, and under some rather curious, slightly embarrassing circumstances. He was indebted to her, and would one day find a way to repay her kindness, even if just for now all he could do was return kindness through words.

"Zank you, Pona.... I mean this." Toris chuckled lightly, giving a thumbs up. "You all aces, hah!"

He paused for a moment when Mei told him her grade. He had to smile. He knew he was in a lower class, remedial he thought they called it, but now he knew for certain that they chose to put him in a lower grade's class. Perhaps that was better for him.

"Ah, am in third year... Eleven, yes?" Toris asked hesitantly. A part of him wondered what she would think of that.

[k]

OOC: I'm currently reading it~ Man, this is awesome. What are the odds of having read/reading the same books? Aside from LotR and HP.

I still can't feel your writer's block, Candi. D:< Mei also says that she'd want to get married married married with your Toris if he keeps fluffing her feathers.

Yes, well, now the hard part was finding the book. Mei was, however, quite sure that Through the Language Glass was somewhere under her bed. It could also be in that little bookshelf she'd haphazardly crammed right beside her closet. Anyway, she had half of the afternoon to look through her things. She could also use this opportunity to finally organize her stuff!

Or maybe not. She only needed to find the book, didn't she? And organizing things usually meant that she'd be misplacing other things in the process. Besides, how hard could finding that book be? There were only two places where she could have placed it in. Definitely. Or make that a possibly. Oh, she was doomed, wasn't she?

She smiled at him a little sheepishly. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Though it might take me a bit to find my book." Well, she could always believe that she could find the book within the afternoon. "Just remind me about it every now and then so that I won't completely forget about it. It's really very brilliant so it's worth the wait!" Though from the little she knew of Toris, it probably wasn't likely that he'd pester her about it. He seemed too kind.

She flushed again when he thanked him. He really did know how to compliment people. She could only think of how many friends he must've had in school, or at least where he lived before he entered Asher. She would find it hard to believe if someone told her that nobody got along with Toris. "It's really nothing." It was only normal to help people who could lower their pride enough to ask for help, wasn't it? "You're... You're all aces as well, Toris." She smiled at him and returned his thumbs up with one of her own.

It wasn't all that surprising to find that he was from a different grade, what with him not knowing even one of the people inside the classroom. Mei thought that the school should at least have a whole new English class containing only students who weren't as comfortable with English as most. It really wasn't fair that students like Toris were stuck in classrooms where the teachers couldn't seem to understand that, yes, they'd be having difficulties with English because it's not their first and probably not even their second language.

She really should suggest that new class when she had the time.

"How does it feel like to be in the third year?" It would be for the best, thought Mei, if she didn't compare the difference of their grade levels. Toris already probably thought that it was embarrassing enough to be placed in a freshman class despite being a junior. "And, if you don't mind me asking, what's your power?" She kept in mind what had happened the first time she'd met her dormmates; some people had reasons for not talking about their powers.

[stomachpains]

(( OOC: OH MY GOODNESS. I'm so sorry... .right when i THOUGHT I was off hiatus, I was sick and got a buttload of work... I'm so sorry... back now though and loving you more than ever~ <33))

Toris had truly acquired a wonderful place of being. Though there were circumstances that clouded the wonder- the mundane instructor, the slight verbal block, even the bit of timidness that Toris tried to conquer with every moment- but the smile of a friendly face could disperse the grey, dismal cover and highlight, with such wonder, the clear blue sky of the moment. Mei was this smiling face, battling the storm of this almost dreadful high school. How could Toris help but shuffle his feet, then, with excitement for the friendship he felt with the young woman. he did feel a bit bad, and he could certainly apologize later, for the difficulty he was undoubtedly bestowing upon her. He surely was difficult to understand, and possibly not even all that great of conversation. Add in that the possibility of getting in trouble for talking in class could, potentially, be very real...

As if that weren't bad enough, Toris felt he should also apologize for not having some sort of gift to offer in return for the young woman... it was awfully rude of him... Barely words to give, hardly an an interesting conversation, and lacking anything to give... Thus, then, did he mentally send a grateful prayer that she did not have the book with her; at least now he'd have the opportunity to consider an appropriate gift for her... there were always flowers and alcohol back home, but he didn't know how that would equate in the society he was face with. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea in the world. Oh well, he had time.

"Pona... please, not worry. When is found, is found. no worry." Toris said gently. He wasn't worried about it, truly. From what he could see in Mei's eyes, she sincerely meant what she said. Toris knew he needn't nag her on the subject... Not that he would, it'd be awfully disrespectful to do so. Mei was presenting him with a gift, even if not in the flesh, and reacting in any way besides gratitude would be horrendous and offensive; the last thing that Toris would ever want to do is offend a friend... his first friend in this new school.

Perhaps in some part of his mind, Toris recognized the color flush from Mei's face, but in general, he held a luminous glow about her. Everything, he knew, happened for a reason; it only made sense, then, that his illiteracy of the English language brought him to Mei. She was his golden torch through the darkness and confusion of such a foreign tongue. And, heaven's be blest, he was as humble as a saint. For Toris, such was refreshing, being exposed to so many self-righteous people throughout his life. But when she tried to turn the compliment onto him, Toris simply chuckled. "N-ne, ne~ Haha, tell zat to Simon...." Of course, there was no person that Toris personally knew named Simon, it was simply an expression he had found in his phrase book for American English. He certainly felt "ritzy" with it, that was for certain. "Zanku... all ze same~

The next question, though... that one was difficult. What did it feel to be a third year....? He could answer truthfully, or he could lie, and bother were rather prevailing options... yet, morality and conscious told him to be truthful-- Mei deserved that much. With a bit of a sigh, Toris smiled. "F-forgiving me Pona... For, eh, not speak well, uh?" The Lithuanian chuckled, gathering his thoughts. "Eh... Not-not so good, for me~ It not somezing t-to, eh, be getting grummy over, but iz no easy. Love school, taip; i-is good school! But, eh, experience... not all there. I-ir for a, eh, milquetoast such as self, is very hard. Most, eh, sc-scary part is, eh, how you say... College. Vord has it zat, eh, ze thhhird year is, eh, important-- big for college." With all that barely said, Toris averted his eyes. He must've sounded so negative just then. "B-but, eh, ozers.. wh-who ha-have power... is comfort." Maybe that would make him sound a little bit better.

Toris lit up a bit at the question of his power. It was, really, the only that put him on the same level as everyone else in the school. Without his powers, he'd just be another timid young man, believed to be spineless and cautious of everything. "Mano... My power~ Aha... Am liking very muchch. Very, eh, important for me. Am... how you say... summon? I eh, summon gyvates... gyvatės yra svarbūs mano kul--" Toris' face reddened. He was speaking Lithuanian. That had only happened once before, and, just as now, it occurred when he was speaking of something passionately. Swallowing deeply, Toris reached into his bag and pulled out a small book, flipping fervently through the pages very quickly. "A-am so sorry... I, eh, slip... Mean saying, serpents important in my culture... so power blessing for me. I-Ir, healing. Can heal wounds." Toris managed to let slide through his lips. How embarrassing, how embarrassing! Just distract attention from him, that would be the best recovery at this point... "A-And you?"

[k]

Oh, but Toris was too kind and thankful. He was like the sort who got bullied easily -- especially, perhaps, in schools like these -- and, for the most part, never stood up for themselves. Quite a scary thought, that one, but one that was all too plausible as well. The last thing Mei wanted was to have friends that were being bullied and not do anything about it.

Still, she and Toris had only met today. She doubted that, if she'd asked, "Hey, are you maybe being bullied?", he would answer. She almost laughed. The things that she thought about were too silly sometimes. If there were students being bullied, the school would take care of it. After all, what they were aiming for was a livable environment for people of all walks and abilities.

"I really would like it if you'd remind me about it every now and then," she said with a smile. "That'd be a great help. I'd hate to break a promise." Especially over such a stupid thing like forgetting the promise. Forgetting! Bah, the word had no slot in her mind's dictionary. Or she would want to not have it a place in her dictionary. This really was confusing business.

When he'd tried to push her compliment away, she thought that he needed a little bit more of some good old self-confidence. Just like some of her roommates. (They really were too alike!) It really wouldn't hurt for them to just say "Thank you for the compliment!" and not try to avoid it all the same. They deserved the praise anyway.

"I can understand you clearly enough, no worries there." She smiled a bit as he talked about school. Well, it was obvious that he liked going to school. People would have to be daft not to know that. And she had, also, entertained thoughts of him not really liking the he of today. "So I've heard as well." She hadn't really given college a lot of thought. All she knew that she would like to go to college. Then he talked about one of the good things about the school: it was a school for people like them. "It's nice not to be the odd one out, isn't it?" It was actually a task of Herculean proportions to actually stand out in a school where everyone was a little bit more queer than everyone else.

As he told her about his powers, she stroke her chin, a little gesture she'd picked up from watching one too many mystery movies two nights before. Snake summoning and healing were definitely interesting, especially when used in combo. At this point, she assumed that he could summon those quick, poisonous snakes. Poisoning and healing. Definitely a curious combination. She wondered how he was able to balance them.

"That's really nice. Do you think you can also talk to snakes? Communicate with them some way?" If snakes were important to his community as much as she thought it was, then having a power like that was definitely an honor for him. "Healing's one of those more coveted powers, isn't it?" Well, she certainly thought that it was. Healing was definitely handy.

She grinned. Her chest puffed out a little. "I've got biological manipulation." Which was the power that actually worked to her liking and did not seem to have a mind of its own.