When Class 4 was brought to their dormhouse, Penny was the first to come in, giving everything a good look. She found a pile of pizza boxes and claimed some meat lovers and chowed down.

A white girl with long brown hair and sugar glider markings on her face stepped in after Penny. She got a plate and put a few slices of plain cheese on it. When she moved her arms Penny saw the furry flaps that connected to her waist, it must’ve been why she wore a cut-out t-shirt like a gym bro.

Sugar-Glider girl was closely followed by a handsome and tall black boy with afro-textured blonde hair, he wore black pants and an African print shirt. Penny’s eyes lingered on him, he certainly was hot.

“Howdy,” Penny said, tipping her cowboy hat. 

“Woah, we have a cowgirl? I thought that was just an American stereotype.” The boy said.

The sugar-glider girl just moved her eyes between them, quietly eating. 

“Darlin’ I’m a real Southern gal,” Penny said, coming closer and offering a hand “And what would that lovely accent be?”

“Afrikaans, I’m from the Union.”

“Didn’t expect a Unionist to be here.”

“I bet a lot of people have the same thought,” He said with a smile, “Not in a bad way, right?”

“Not at all,” Penny said, smirking and looking him up and down.

Charles smirked back and their gazes met. 

“Coming through! Sorry, careful!” Everyone looked at the door where a paramorph was awkwardly trying to move into the kitchen; his body a mix of feline and bird-like parts, with a pair of golden wings on his back, but a human head. “Hello, friends!”

“Well, then,” Penny said, “Ain’t you a big fluffy marshmallow!”

The cute little bird boy cocked his head to the side, looking a tad pigeon-like, “Is that a good thing?”

Penny smirked, finding the paramorph silly but adorable.

“Am I silly-looking?” Onez frowns

“There are worse things to be called,” the Union boy said.

“Darling, you’re a big fluffy bird,” Penny answered, had he read her thoughts? “ain’t nothing wrong being a tad silly.”

The next person came in a slender feminine teen with blonde hair in a bun. “Hello everyone, I’m Deryn,” they smiled. Penny gave them a look, there were definitely attractive people in her class, shame Sirius didn’t appear to have been among them. 

“Hi, Deryn! I’m 1-Z but you can call me Onez! And I was supposed to look like a noble griffin.” Onez pointed at his lion-like legs and his tail swished.

“You look more like a Sphinx to me,” the boy said to Onez, “I’m Charles deKlerk by the way.”

“I’m Amanda!” the sugar-glider girl finally spoke, between bites of pizza

“Penelope Henry, but y’all can call me Penny.” 

Without warning, Deryn and Onez recoiled and clutched their heads for a second. 

“My head!” Deryn whined, massaging their temples.

Onez blinks rapidly, “Why did your inner voice hurt a bit….?”

“That was unusual,” Penny says, stopping to witness the scene.

“You’re psychic aren’t you?” Deryn asked Onez, “I’m an Empath, so we accidentally looped and caused psychic feedback.” 

Onez nodded slowly, not looking like he entirely understood.

“Psychic problems,” Deryn said, “Nothing to worry about.”

“So you can read minds?” Charles asked.

“No, only emotions,” Deryn corrected.

“I can hear people’s inner voices!” Onez said, excited.

“Well then, that sure is something special,” Penny said, “I’m a hypertech.”. 

“Same,” Charles said, grinning at Penny.

“And a clear believer in the second amendment,” Deryn teased, nodding Penny’s revolvers. “Is that allowed?”

“Is that a problem?” 

Deryn shrugs, “I’m not the boss of you, if the school says you can, who am I to argue?”

“I can control gravity! Make people float and stuff.” Amanda added, with a cheerful tone. 

Onez frowned at her, “Your inner voice is….”

Amanda gave Onez a death glare and he took a step back. Penny frowned, just what had Onez read? 

Deryn put a hand on Onez’s shoulder, “It’s not polite to read people’s minds,”

“It isn’t? But I don’t know how to not? The inner voices have only ever been quiet when I was wearing the collar…” Onez was clearly a bit distressed at this news.

“Just pretend you don’t,” Deryn whispered with a shrug, “It makes people at ease.”

“Oh” Onez deflated a bit. His wings wrapped around his upper body protectively.

“I know it’s annoying to have to pretend,” Deryn said.

“Did you make your guns? Anything special about them?” Amanda asked Penny, probably trying to change the subject.

“That I sure did,” Penny said, “These two are my babies, designed from the ground up.”

“Can I see them?” Amanda asks

Penny examined Amanda for a second before taking one of them out, it was unloaded so there was no risk, but Penny wasn’t comfortable letting people improperly handle her weapons. “Be careful. darling.”

Amanda nodded and took it carefully, she gave it a look over but her eyes told Penny Amanda didn’t really understand what she was looking at. 

“Revolvers?” Charles said, “Is that not a little primitive? Semi-automatics would have greater firing rate and magazine capacity.”

Penny gave him a look, “You lad, have no appreciation for aesthetics.”

“Sniper always said they choose their weapons based on aesthetics too,” Onez said excitedly.

“Aesthetic,” Charles shakes his head, definitely losing points in Penny’s book.

Penny offered her hand to Amanda, wanting her revolver back. “Besides, I can reload these in one point four seconds.” 

Amanda handed back the gun, “that’s pretty impressive.”

“Sounds like you timed yourself,” Deryn says.

“I have actually, I’m the queen of the speed loading back home, and revolver and lever-action sharpshooting six years running.”  

“It’s inefficient,” Charles says, “Function is better than Form.”

“Wait, how old are you?” Deryn asked.

“Sixteen,” Penny said. 

“They let ten years old kids handle guns?” Deryn shook their head,  disbelieving.

“I was eight when I first used a firearm, it was a tiny varmint rifle,” Penny explained, “My family are hunters.”

“Sniper said aesthetic is a part of the function,” Onez said with a pout.

“Boys and their toys,” Deryn joked, slightly shaking their head, “and cowgirls it seems.”

Onez gave Deryn a confused look. 

“I think aesthetics can serve a function too,” Amanda added

“Well, I should check on my cat.” Deryn says, “See if he’s awake.”

“You have a cat?” Onez’s eyes went wide, “Can I meet them?”

“Sure,” Deryn said, “Let’s go to my room then.”

“Yay!” Onez quickly grabs a slice of pizza and followed Deryn out of the kitchen

“Well, then,” Penny said, “I reckon I ought to get settled in.”

“Same, it was nice meeting you all,” Charles said.

Penny waved at them, going to their room, a glance at the assignment board revealed she was roomed with Onez, she’d have preferred someone hot, but she could handle a cute little fluffy bird.