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Beatrice Avery

Oct 17, 07 - 8:12 PM

Arrival at Endeline Towers

Beatrice dropped her suitcase on one of the two beds in the room that Lady Endeline’s maid had assigned to her. She sighed. Beatrice had really looked forward to attending the school both her mothers had such fond memories of, but this was not at all what she had imagined it would be like. She had assumed that she would at least be at Avendale. Still, this room wasn’t half bad. The bed was bigger than the one she had slept in at Avendale and the decoration was very stylish indeed. She walked over to the window and opened it. Her room looked out over the driveway. The charabanc that had brought them here was just leaving. In the distance she thought she could see two figures moving towards Endeline Towers, or maybe that was just the shadow of the trees lining the driveway playing tricks.

Beatrice pulled at her skirt in an attempt to get it to cover more of her legs. She still wasn’t used to wearing short grey skirts. If she had walked around showing this much leg in Loveton she would have…she would have… Beatrice didn’t even want to think of the consequences of such an action. If only she could wear some of those knee length socks she had seen some of the younger girls wear.

Right, time to unpack. She took off her white gloves and walked over to the gigantic wardrobe next to the other bed. Apart from some towels and bed linen it was empty. She quickly put away her belongings on the left side of the wardrobe. This room was obviously prepared to house two pupils. She wondered who she would be sharing her room with.

Mengxia Yu

Oct 18th, 2007 - 3:17 AM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

Mengxia tiptoed up the hallway, a suitcase in one arm, a large plush goldfish clutched in the other, feeling utterly confused. One of her white knee-socks was falling down, and she was certain her blond hair had gotten mussed. She had not found it easy to leave her mothers go off to a new school in a new province, and now they'd even had to leave the school! Well, this would certainly be something interesting to write home about, but how was she ever to get the "proper Avendale experience", as her brunette mother always called it?

Lady Endeline's maid had directed her to "the bedroom to the right of the glass roses on the first-year floor," but there were two vases of blown glass roses; one on either side of the hallway. Mengxia had never been very good with directions. How was she to find anything in this huge house?

"Which one do you think it is, Jinjin?" she asked her stuffed toy. Its button eyes stared back at her kindly, friendly but not very helpful.

Seeing the right-hand door left open, she set her suitcase down to knock timidly on the doorframe. There was already someone inside. "Rayati? Could you please point me to the twelve-year-olds' rooms?"

Shin-cheri

Oct 18th, 2007 - 12:44 PM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

The twins made their way across the grounds toward the house, darting from the cover of one bush to another like the Royal Kadorian Commando (which Shin-cheri was privately imitating).

They stopped as they came to cover within a few feet of the house.

"If we go into that great front portal we'll be swogged by a prefect or a parlourmaid - depending where we are - for sure," said Shin-cheri.

"Well, what do you suggest?" asked her sister.

"Why don't I slide up that drainpipe? There is an open window at the top and I could take a guzz."

"Shin-cheri, must you use that language?"

"All right, I shall reconnoitre," said Shin-cheri genially, taking the discussion to be settled on the matter of practical action. Pretending not to hear her sister's "Wait!" she was up the drainpipe like a small monkey.

"Who are you?" demanded Beatrice, turning suddenly from the youngster at her door to the shadow in her window.

"Friend," said Shin-cheri, covering her fist with her chin, since her left hand was still gripping the drainpipe. "I am mere Sayamari Shin and I am taking it that this is Avendale school in exile - which is something of a relief, by goodness.

"Whom have I the great honour of addressing?"

Shin-cheri

Oct 19th, 2007 - 4:38 PM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

"Beatrice Avery..." began the occupant of the room.

"I am honoured. I must make reverence. May I come in? I can't very well reverence from the drainpipe. Please forgive my unseemly entrance and thank you for your so-kind invitation."

The small Estrenne whirlwind blew into the room.

"I hope you won't mind if my sister joins us."

Shin-cheri put two fingers in her mouth and let out a whistle rumoured to crack glass at the right pitch. The rumour, admittedly, originated with Shin-cheri herself, but when one heard the whistle at close quarters one was disinclined to doubt it.

Almost immediately, what appeared to be another copy of her swarmed up the drainpipe and appeared in the room.

"I really wish you wouldn't whistle like that," said the copy. "You sound like a Merchant-maid's apprentice-girl."

"Do merchant maids have apprentice-girls?" asked Shin-cheri. "I shouldn't have thought there were any deep mysteries involved in the selling of goods. I cannot imagine a merchant-maid's initiation. There may be a Holy Path of Weaving, but I a sure there is not a Holy Path of selling soap..."

"Do be quiet, Shi-cheri. Many of the highest families in the West are merchant-folk," said Shen-cheri.

"Then there can be no shame in whistling like a merchant-maid's apprentice," countered her sister.

"Please remember your manners and introduce me to our hostess."

"Honoured Miss Avery, this is my honoured sister Sayamari Shen the future Countess of Sayamari."

"I am no such thing..."

"You certainly are. You needn't think I am going to take on the job. Besides you are practising for it every waking hour..."

"Kindly do not talk nonsense and introduce me to this other honoured one."

Shin-cheri turned to the younger girl in the doorway.

"I am afraid I have not the honour of knowing your noble name, young madam."

Mengxia Yu

Oct 19th, 2007 - 10:23 PM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

Mengxia stared for a moment, unblinking, at this most unusual entry. Perhaps she should have been contemplating the fact that windows are not the most elegant entrances into a building, but that paled in contemplation with the skill it must take to scale a drainpipe. (Not to mention to climb in through a window and emerge looking as though one had glided in through the door.) Was this a usual Quirrie physical training for brunettes? Would the (surely!) glorious drainpipes of Avendale, once returned to their former state, support a climber too?

Finally, she remembered herself; turning red, she managed something between a curtsy and a bow. How did one address potential nobility? "Rayati, my lady," she stammered to, Shen, and again to Shin, "my lady. My surname is Yu; I'm called Mengxia Yu." She held up the plush goldfish. "And this is Jinjin," she added.

She paused. As happens with so many young girls, curiosity got the better of her manners. "How did you climb up here like that?" she burst out.

Shin-cheri

Oct 20th, 2007 - 12:30 AM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

"I am not any one's lady yet, Mengxia-cheri," said Shen-cheri, blushing.

"Drainpipes are easy," said Shin-cheri. "Oh rayati. I am honoured to meet you." (remembering her manners) "A lot of things are harder than drainpipes. Why don't we pop back out and I'll show you how to shinny up here."

"No," said Shen-cheri firmly. "Now we are in the house we stay here until we are properly established."

"Yes, Sara-chenya," said Shin-cheri, making a small reverence. Her sister was her elder by a few seconds. Actually they had hatched from the same egg, but Shen-cheri had been the first to give voice, making her, by immemorial custom, the elder.

"Come, then. We must not further interrupt our hostess's visit from her little sister."

Mengxia-cheri blushed this time. "Shen-chenya, I am not actually visiting, I am lost."

"Well, we must find all three of us at once," said Shen-cheri.

"All four," murmured Mengxia-cheri almost inaudibly.

Shin-cheri made reverence to the plush goldfish. "How inexcusably rude of us," she said. "Rayati JinJin-chei. Please forgive us."

"She says she is honoured even to be noticed by one such as you," said Mengxia-cheri.

"What a perfectly raihiralan fish," said Shin-cheri.

Beatrice Avery

Oct 21st, 2007 - 12:40 PM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

Beatrice had taken a few steps back to have a better view of what was going on in her room. Chaos is best observed from a distance, and those two brunettes would certainly fit into the category of chaos. In Beatrice’s category of chaos anyway, especially the one who wouldn’t stop talking. She moved over to the window again and looked down to see if there might be more copies trying to climb up the drainpipe. Content and relieved to see that there really were only two she closed the window. She set her face to her most charming smile and turned to the three girls who had so suddenly invaded her room.

“Well…Rayati to all of you ladies. Miss Yu, I believe you have taken the wrong turn at the top of the stairs. If you go back and take the other hallway I am convinced you will be able to find the first year’s dormitories without any trouble. And you two honoured ladies. Welcome to my room. Stunning entrance, well done! Please don’t do it again. I take it you were late. The best way to act would be to go back downstairs and tell the maid that she gave you wrong directions and that you ended up in a room full of blondes. She might say that you had not reported to her yet, but just insist that really you did. She seemed rather overwhelmed by all of us girls when we arrived, and who can blame her. She’ll probably think she made a mistake. If you keep talking, which you do very well, she’ll just want to get you out of her sight and tell you where your room is. Right, that’s settled. It was a pleasure to meet you all, I am already looking forward to seeing you again. Rayati.” Beatrice reverenced. She really hoped that they would all leave now. Dea, why did you give me a room with a drainpipe next to the window?

Shin-cheri

Oct 21st, 2007 - 6:18 PM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

The three girls found themselves outside the closed door of Beatrice Avery's half-of-room. And the other half too.

"Good green grublings!" exclaimed Shin-cheri. "Doesn't she chatter? Did she really say that the maid would want me out of her sight? Is that what she said? She seemed a very nice girl. I can't think she would really say that."

"I am sure she didn't mean it that way," said her sister. "She was probably a little overwhelmed by you. People sometimes are, you know."

"Well yes, I suppose they could be," said Shin-cheri, trying not to preen too obviously.

"Perhaps you should not say quite so much on first acquaintance."

"Me say so much! Why she said four hundred and seventy-two fully-formed sentences without drawing breath and then ushered us courteously out of the room before we had a chance to reply. I must say these Westrennes have the oddest idea of manners. Have you found that, Mengxia-cheri?"

"Different realms have different ways," said Mengxia-cheri, feeling it safest simply to repeat a wise saying she had heard from her rani back home.

"Yes, they have, haven't they?" agreed Shin-cheri. "That is rather a good one. Did you just think it up?"

"I am afraid not," said Mengxia-cheri.

"Strudelcakes!" exclaimed Shin Cheri. "I wish I could stock up gags like that for appropriate occasions. I've no memory at all. I just have to think it all up as I go."

"You manage well enough," said Shen-cheri. "Now our first job is to find that 'other corridor' for our young friend."

"I say, why don't you get our lost lamb found and I'll talk to the maid? No point both going. I mean, she doesn't need to know there are two of us just yet, does she?"

"You'll have to tell her there are two of us if she is to direct you to our room."

"Yes, I realise that. What I mean is, she doesn't need to know we look the same. It can turn out quite useful when the servants don't know that."

"What are you planning, you bad sister?"

"Nothing at all!" protested Shin-cheri. "Just being provident in a general sort of way from long years of experience.

"Now you settle Mengxia-cheri, I shall talk to the maid. Then we can meet up and I can show Mengxia-cheri the drainpipe business. It's mere gum and lollipops when you know how; and she might as well learn something useful while she's at school.

"Well don't use the same drainpipe as before."

"I don't know. At least we know there's a friendly face at the top."

"Shin-cheri..."

"If she really doesn't want to see us, I expect she'll shut the window."

"Suppose she's a fresh-air fiend?"

"Well, I'm always a breath of fresh air, aren't I?"

Mengxia Yu

Oct 23rd, 2007 - 3:28 AM

Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers

Mengxia giggled and grabbed up her suitcase to follow Shen-chei. Shen-chei led the way, shaking her head in amusement.

"The poor maid! She'll never know what hit her."

"Is Shin-chei planning something right now?" Mengxia asked. As much as she was tiring of carrying her things around, she rather wanted to see the year's first prank. If the twins' feat of acrobatics at the window was any indication, it would be something to remember!

"Oh, not at the moment," Shen-chei corrected. "I meant it literally. You saw our entrance, didn't you? Likely she's sliding down the banister right now. If she misses the dismount, she may land right on top of the maid."

The pair fell silent a moment to listen for surprised shouts, but concluded that Shin-chei must have gone about her business with the maid in the more usual fashion.

"Do you ever get caught?" Mengxia asked.

"Not at all!" Shen-chei told her proudly. "Besides, we never pull anything dangerous. Eye black on the telescope. Bucket of confetti over the door. Once we gift-wrapped a professor's whole desk."

"Wow!" Mengxia made a mental note to check the doorways for buckets.

"Oh, here it is!" Mengxia exclaimed upon reaching the stairway. Two hallways branched off the stairs; she had wandered up the right, but the blondes were to be housed in the hall to the left. "Jinjin feels silly now. She should have listened to me."

Humouring her, Shen-chei waggled a finger at the fish. "That ought to teach you to pay attention!"

"Listen to Shen-chei!" Mengxia bobbed the fish in reverence to Shen-chei. "Jinjin says thank you."

"Well, at least she's learning her manners! Come, let's find your room." Shen-chei beckoned for Mengxia to follow, and they started down the blondes' hallway.

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Author	Comment
Beatrice Avery Oct 17, 07 - 8:12 PM	Arrival at Endeline Towers Beatrice dropped her suitcase on one of the two beds in the room that Lady Endeline’s maid had assigned to her. She sighed. Beatrice had really looked forward to attending the school both her mothers had such fond memories of, but this was not at all what she had imagined it would be like. She had assumed that she would at least be at Avendale. Still, this room wasn’t half bad. The bed was bigger than the one she had slept in at Avendale and the decoration was very stylish indeed. She walked over to the window and opened it. Her room looked out over the driveway. The charabanc that had brought them here was just leaving. In the distance she thought she could see two figures moving towards Endeline Towers, or maybe that was just the shadow of the trees lining the driveway playing tricks. Beatrice pulled at her skirt in an attempt to get it to cover more of her legs. She still wasn’t used to wearing short grey skirts. If she had walked around showing this much leg in Loveton she would have…she would have… Beatrice didn’t even want to think of the consequences of such an action. If only she could wear some of those knee length socks she had seen some of the younger girls wear. Right, time to unpack. She took off her white gloves and walked over to the gigantic wardrobe next to the other bed. Apart from some towels and bed linen it was empty. She quickly put away her belongings on the left side of the wardrobe. This room was obviously prepared to house two pupils. She wondered who she would be sharing her room with.
Mengxia Yu Oct 18th, 2007 - 3:17 AM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers Mengxia tiptoed up the hallway, a suitcase in one arm, a large plush goldfish clutched in the other, feeling utterly confused. One of her white knee-socks was falling down, and she was certain her blond hair had gotten mussed. She had not found it easy to leave her mothers go off to a new school in a new province, and now they'd even had to leave the school! Well, this would certainly be something interesting to write home about, but how was she ever to get the "proper Avendale experience", as her brunette mother always called it? Lady Endeline's maid had directed her to "the bedroom to the right of the glass roses on the first-year floor," but there were two vases of blown glass roses; one on either side of the hallway. Mengxia had never been very good with directions. How was she to find anything in this huge house? "Which one do you think it is, Jinjin?" she asked her stuffed toy. Its button eyes stared back at her kindly, friendly but not very helpful. Seeing the right-hand door left open, she set her suitcase down to knock timidly on the doorframe. There was already someone inside. "Rayati? Could you please point me to the twelve-year-olds' rooms?"
Shin-cheri Oct 18th, 2007 - 12:44 PM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers The twins made their way across the grounds toward the house, darting from the cover of one bush to another like the Royal Kadorian Commando (which Shin-cheri was privately imitating). They stopped as they came to cover within a few feet of the house. "If we go into that great front portal we'll be swogged by a prefect or a parlourmaid - depending where we are - for sure," said Shin-cheri. "Well, what do you suggest?" asked her sister. "Why don't I slide up that drainpipe? There is an open window at the top and I could take a guzz." "Shin-cheri, must you use that language?" "All right, I shall reconnoitre," said Shin-cheri genially, taking the discussion to be settled on the matter of practical action. Pretending not to hear her sister's "Wait!" she was up the drainpipe like a small monkey. "Who are you?" demanded Beatrice, turning suddenly from the youngster at her door to the shadow in her window. "Friend," said Shin-cheri, covering her fist with her chin, since her left hand was still gripping the drainpipe. "I am mere Sayamari Shin and I am taking it that this is Avendale school in exile - which is something of a relief, by goodness. "Whom have I the great honour of addressing?"
Shin-cheri Oct 19th, 2007 - 4:38 PM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers "Beatrice Avery..." began the occupant of the room. "I am honoured. I must make reverence. May I come in? I can't very well reverence from the drainpipe. Please forgive my unseemly entrance and thank you for your so-kind invitation." The small Estrenne whirlwind blew into the room. "I hope you won't mind if my sister joins us." Shin-cheri put two fingers in her mouth and let out a whistle rumoured to crack glass at the right pitch. The rumour, admittedly, originated with Shin-cheri herself, but when one heard the whistle at close quarters one was disinclined to doubt it. Almost immediately, what appeared to be another copy of her swarmed up the drainpipe and appeared in the room. "I really wish you wouldn't whistle like that," said the copy. "You sound like a Merchant-maid's apprentice-girl." "Do merchant maids have apprentice-girls?" asked Shin-cheri. "I shouldn't have thought there were any deep mysteries involved in the selling of goods. I cannot imagine a merchant-maid's initiation. There may be a Holy Path of Weaving, but I a sure there is not a Holy Path of selling soap..." "Do be quiet, Shi-cheri. Many of the highest families in the West are merchant-folk," said Shen-cheri. "Then there can be no shame in whistling like a merchant-maid's apprentice," countered her sister. "Please remember your manners and introduce me to our hostess." "Honoured Miss Avery, this is my honoured sister Sayamari Shen the future Countess of Sayamari." "I am no such thing..." "You certainly are. You needn't think I am going to take on the job. Besides you are practising for it every waking hour..." "Kindly do not talk nonsense and introduce me to this other honoured one." Shin-cheri turned to the younger girl in the doorway. "I am afraid I have not the honour of knowing your noble name, young madam."
Mengxia Yu Oct 19th, 2007 - 10:23 PM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers Mengxia stared for a moment, unblinking, at this most unusual entry. Perhaps she should have been contemplating the fact that windows are not the most elegant entrances into a building, but that paled in contemplation with the skill it must take to scale a drainpipe. (Not to mention to climb in through a window and emerge looking as though one had glided in through the door.) Was this a usual Quirrie physical training for brunettes? Would the (surely!) glorious drainpipes of Avendale, once returned to their former state, support a climber too? Finally, she remembered herself; turning red, she managed something between a curtsy and a bow. How did one address potential nobility? "Rayati, my lady," she stammered to, Shen, and again to Shin, "my lady. My surname is Yu; I'm called Mengxia Yu." She held up the plush goldfish. "And this is Jinjin," she added. She paused. As happens with so many young girls, curiosity got the better of her manners. "How did you climb up here like that?" she burst out.
Shin-cheri Oct 20th, 2007 - 12:30 AM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers "I am not any one's lady yet, Mengxia-cheri," said Shen-cheri, blushing. "Drainpipes are easy," said Shin-cheri. "Oh rayati. I am honoured to meet you." (remembering her manners) "A lot of things are harder than drainpipes. Why don't we pop back out and I'll show you how to shinny up here." "No," said Shen-cheri firmly. "Now we are in the house we stay here until we are properly established." "Yes, Sara-chenya," said Shin-cheri, making a small reverence. Her sister was her elder by a few seconds. Actually they had hatched from the same egg, but Shen-cheri had been the first to give voice, making her, by immemorial custom, the elder. "Come, then. We must not further interrupt our hostess's visit from her little sister." Mengxia-cheri blushed this time. "Shen-chenya, I am not actually visiting, I am lost." "Well, we must find all three of us at once," said Shen-cheri. "All four," murmured Mengxia-cheri almost inaudibly. Shin-cheri made reverence to the plush goldfish. "How inexcusably rude of us," she said. "Rayati JinJin-chei. Please forgive us." "She says she is honoured even to be noticed by one such as you," said Mengxia-cheri. "What a perfectly raihiralan fish," said Shin-cheri.
Beatrice Avery Oct 21st, 2007 - 12:40 PM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers Beatrice had taken a few steps back to have a better view of what was going on in her room. Chaos is best observed from a distance, and those two brunettes would certainly fit into the category of chaos. In Beatrice’s category of chaos anyway, especially the one who wouldn’t stop talking. She moved over to the window again and looked down to see if there might be more copies trying to climb up the drainpipe. Content and relieved to see that there really were only two she closed the window. She set her face to her most charming smile and turned to the three girls who had so suddenly invaded her room. “Well…Rayati to all of you ladies. Miss Yu, I believe you have taken the wrong turn at the top of the stairs. If you go back and take the other hallway I am convinced you will be able to find the first year’s dormitories without any trouble. And you two honoured ladies. Welcome to my room. Stunning entrance, well done! Please don’t do it again. I take it you were late. The best way to act would be to go back downstairs and tell the maid that she gave you wrong directions and that you ended up in a room full of blondes. She might say that you had not reported to her yet, but just insist that really you did. She seemed rather overwhelmed by all of us girls when we arrived, and who can blame her. She’ll probably think she made a mistake. If you keep talking, which you do very well, she’ll just want to get you out of her sight and tell you where your room is. Right, that’s settled. It was a pleasure to meet you all, I am already looking forward to seeing you again. Rayati.” Beatrice reverenced. She really hoped that they would all leave now. Dea, why did you give me a room with a drainpipe next to the window?
Shin-cheri Oct 21st, 2007 - 6:18 PM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers The three girls found themselves outside the closed door of Beatrice Avery's half-of-room. And the other half too. "Good green grublings!" exclaimed Shin-cheri. "Doesn't she chatter? Did she really say that the maid would want me out of her sight? Is that what she said? She seemed a very nice girl. I can't think she would really say that." "I am sure she didn't mean it that way," said her sister. "She was probably a little overwhelmed by you. People sometimes are, you know." "Well yes, I suppose they could be," said Shin-cheri, trying not to preen too obviously. "Perhaps you should not say quite so much on first acquaintance." "Me say so much! Why she said four hundred and seventy-two fully-formed sentences without drawing breath and then ushered us courteously out of the room before we had a chance to reply. I must say these Westrennes have the oddest idea of manners. Have you found that, Mengxia-cheri?" "Different realms have different ways," said Mengxia-cheri, feeling it safest simply to repeat a wise saying she had heard from her rani back home. "Yes, they have, haven't they?" agreed Shin-cheri. "That is rather a good one. Did you just think it up?" "I am afraid not," said Mengxia-cheri. "Strudelcakes!" exclaimed Shin Cheri. "I wish I could stock up gags like that for appropriate occasions. I've no memory at all. I just have to think it all up as I go." "You manage well enough," said Shen-cheri. "Now our first job is to find that 'other corridor' for our young friend." "I say, why don't you get our lost lamb found and I'll talk to the maid? No point both going. I mean, she doesn't need to know there are two of us just yet, does she?" "You'll have to tell her there are two of us if she is to direct you to our room." "Yes, I realise that. What I mean is, she doesn't need to know we look the same. It can turn out quite useful when the servants don't know that." "What are you planning, you bad sister?" "Nothing at all!" protested Shin-cheri. "Just being provident in a general sort of way from long years of experience. "Now you settle Mengxia-cheri, I shall talk to the maid. Then we can meet up and I can show Mengxia-cheri the drainpipe business. It's mere gum and lollipops when you know how; and she might as well learn something useful while she's at school. "Well don't use the same drainpipe as before." "I don't know. At least we know there's a friendly face at the top." "Shin-cheri..." "If she really doesn't want to see us, I expect she'll shut the window." "Suppose she's a fresh-air fiend?" "Well, I'm always a breath of fresh air, aren't I?"
Mengxia Yu Oct 23rd, 2007 - 3:28 AM	Re: Arrival at Endeline Towers Mengxia giggled and grabbed up her suitcase to follow Shen-chei. Shen-chei led the way, shaking her head in amusement. "The poor maid! She'll never know what hit her." "Is Shin-chei planning something right now?" Mengxia asked. As much as she was tiring of carrying her things around, she rather wanted to see the year's first prank. If the twins' feat of acrobatics at the window was any indication, it would be something to remember! "Oh, not at the moment," Shen-chei corrected. "I meant it literally. You saw our entrance, didn't you? Likely she's sliding down the banister right now. If she misses the dismount, she may land right on top of the maid." The pair fell silent a moment to listen for surprised shouts, but concluded that Shin-chei must have gone about her business with the maid in the more usual fashion. "Do you ever get caught?" Mengxia asked. "Not at all!" Shen-chei told her proudly. "Besides, we never pull anything dangerous. Eye black on the telescope. Bucket of confetti over the door. Once we gift-wrapped a professor's whole desk." "Wow!" Mengxia made a mental note to check the doorways for buckets. "Oh, here it is!" Mengxia exclaimed upon reaching the stairway. Two hallways branched off the stairs; she had wandered up the right, but the blondes were to be housed in the hall to the left. "Jinjin feels silly now. She should have listened to me." Humouring her, Shen-chei waggled a finger at the fish. "That ought to teach you to pay attention!" "Listen to Shen-chei!" Mengxia bobbed the fish in reverence to Shen-chei. "Jinjin says thank you." "Well, at least she's learning her manners! Come, let's find your room." Shen-chei beckoned for Mengxia to follow, and they started down the blondes' hallway.