Zh'mrrel is a world of cats. They're humanoid, even breedable with certain kinds of demi-human types. Everyone loves cats, right? It's also a place where personal ability is highly valuable and curiosity hardly kills the cat - who knows how to exploit their own worth.

When the Nexus and spaceways opened this world up to Humanspace and technology from the stars, the Zh'mrrel people were captivated by it if not obsessed. And while they are often not found in certain industries, the Zh'mrrel people figure the better educated their kids are, the better chance they have in the long run.

To this end, then, students from this world were selected to come to Carramba High. The knowledge that the world upon which the school sits is 'half and half' furry and human, delights most Zh'mrrel. So kits by the dozen were moved from their tribes, homes, and families to Twoarth.

Three of these kits, sent originally when they were barely over 10 (able to hunt small prey for themselves and bathe, etc, but not what many would consider 'too mature to learn' from their experiences) are Omuni, Yisi, and Thumao.

They've grown up together, doing most of the things that their people would have provided - along side the other Zh'mrrel staying in the complex where the school has them all living. Grooming each other, playing pranks and sleeping all in a pile, they have formed a very tight relationship.

Thumao, sent knowing that he would be retrieved at a later date and expected to perform certain duties for the religious cult that 'found' him (no one knows who his mother is, it's not uncommon to have orphans brought up by sects) is begining to dread the day that he will be called upon. He truly is a piece of work. He's more interested in Earthly literature and writing poems, making people happy and occupying their time with parties, though he was indoctrinated into weapons training from an early age. He is taking two very important classes for that reason, both required by the elders of his church. But the moment he can, he's back playing games with local kids and watching fun events.

Yisi, though younger than the other two, has proven to be the most incredibly lucky kit. If something starts to fall he simply moves to the side just before impact. If a bet is made and he's in on it he's often got the winning angle. He loves playing sports and doing insane stunts - even though he's not known for being a 'nut' type, he's not interested in truly death-defying stunts. However, he's also young enough that the urge to sleep is very strong, and has to keep pinching himself knowing that he'd drift off during a lecture or quiet moment at lunch.

Omuni is a classic warrior-huntress type. Big and strong, deft to an extreme that not even most other feline-species can hold a torch to her skills. ...However, like many folks in her oversensitive condition (like her Posing instructor Sanger) every time a flashy object moves by her field of vision she tends to jump for it and pounce (hence her nickname!). When she goes home to Mrrel she is expected to become a valuable hunter - but she thinks staying on here to play professional games would be great. Cars terrify her, they're loud and smelly and they alone pose a chasing hazard to her quick feet.

While everyone likes cats, not everyone likes dragons. These three on the other hand are among the students sniffed out by local search-dragons, to stand at a dragonry! We'll have to see how they all react when the small-sized and dazzlingly colored Lantessama dragonets hatch.

As they waited for their turn at the sands, Omuni was (of course) distracted by a twitching of ... something... in her vision. Following it, she began to stalk. The other two followed her to find the Fazzle Patch! Now each of them has their own unique fazzle, things that are durable enough to be played with - maybe even chewed - but with a little loving care and sprinkle of water, are self-sufficient.

Woe to anyone standing - or just living in general - at Lantessama right now, if they have anything shiny or smelly or fun to play with... It will go missing. It'll be found in their quarters, of course. And the trio will hardly complain when someone brings their posessions back to their own dorm. But they're a little unclear on the topic of 'ownership' of things like pretty jewlery, string, anything that dangles, or shiny materials (like... money?).

** Stories from Hatching **

When the trio had all gathered their dragonets and fed them, with the older two having a few days on the younger hatchling, they were gathered again to return to Carramba High!

The hatching sands were quite full, and at last the dragons insisted the group come to view their eggs. They were indeed hatching, and two eggs broke open at the same time to start. Though one was a rainy-colored male, the other was a flame duo-tone, and just after the rain made his choice, the blood-tipped flame attempted to attract attention. Another egg shattered and a male foliage stood in it's place. He looked rather cool when he strut down the slight mound toward the group of candidates. Lili watched her son and felt frustrated. Two boys already, where were her daughters? Where were all the pretty dragons that were destined to be her spawn?

The dragonet had reached the bottom of the mound when disaster -again- struck. The male tripped over one of the remaining eggs that had been hidden there. The rest of descent was noisy, far from elegant, and clumsy. The dragonet skidded, hopped, tripped and fell more than he walked toward the candidates. He finally fell down at the legs of a cat-human. Lili sighed. "Bleeth's genes."

"Urwen," Omuni asked, "Are you sure you are my dragon?"

The cat human from Caramba high, who was one of the better hunters wondered how she would ever explain this dragon to her friends.

"I'm green." Urwen said, "I can hide well in the forest."

"Yess..." Omuni said, "You go play hide and seek while I hunt."

"Me?"

"Eventually."

Yisi, the second of a trio of cat people from Caramba High looked closely at the eggs, letting his eyes wander from one to the other. Finally, one of them hatched and the dragonet, a shining rain female, dropped to the floor.

Yisi immediately knew that this hatchling was his, he did not doubt it. he knew, so he did not want to wait anymore, he walked toward the hatchling and tapped the hatchling, who was struggling to get her feet under her body and her butt in the air, on the shoulder.

"Let me help," he suggested, "What is your name?"

"Yozuren." the hatchling replied gratefully, "Is up and down always this hard to figure out?"

"Wait till you learn to swim..."**

There was one left, a black who had beautiful flecks of light in her hide. She remained with Lantessama, to the disappointment of the crowd.

It was seemingly only moments later, when the next batch of eggs began to break!

The blood-tipped flame, unwilling to let his brother steal the spotlight, then dashed forward, immediately making a salto midair, wings extended slightly when he landed to show off his red markings, after all, they looked dashing in the morning light that shone brightly outside. In the mood to proclaim his magnificence, the hatchling started:
"In this morning sun, shining strongly, I am born... It will shine much longer..."

"It's going to rain." Iekk (the fairy who had bonded the first male) stated for everyone to hear.

"No it's not. Now hush, I am talking here, and I'm bigger than you so you should listen." the dragonet continued, "I Earyon will bask..."

A thunderstroke sounded and a downpour of truly automnous proportions -cold, abundant and dark-inducing- started. Earyon glared at Iekk and the fairy retreated as fast as he could, this dragon did not seem as tolerant to small flighty creatures as some of the others.

"That's enough, Earyon." a voice sounded, "You've had your fun."

Earyon turned toward the human-shaped cat Thumao, "Party Pooper, I wasn't done yet."

While that flame was still busy explaining to his literature-loving bond that he had wanted to quote some great poets while showing of his superiority by doing some more intricate flips and jumps, another egg hatched on the sands.**

It bore another male, a red, then a more white one after him. While Thumao got some meat for Earyon ("Gimmiethat bowl, thanks!") a foliage type hatched as well. A sun-flame came to her bond, and a paler sun type next. Then, there were only two eggs left.

Everyone loved the trio of dragonets, the dragon care classes were popular anyway but these three personalities added so much it was almost ridiculous. How cute are they, how often do you feed them, look at how adorable they are asleep...

It was getting to be a bit much, but fortunately when spring break happened, some of the rules started changing about the class. No more observers, because too many distractions could lead to dangerous situations. And distractions were what these three Zh'mrrel needed the least. They had to learn to fly on their dragons backs - the dragons could fly themselves very well by that time. Then they'd have to learn to teleport, to aim at things, to catch between flying dragons...

All those things had to be done perfectly, because there were no safety nets here. Not even at Carramba - though there was a fantastic medical program to help out just in case. The cat-kids didn't have to use that service, in their training. But even still, it was almost entirely foreign to them to be on something while it was moving. A boat, maybe. A swaying bridge, no problem, but...

It's all in motion up there, with wings pumping and tail behind as a rudder... But they made it through. Omuni was the best at aiming and catching, if there was anything falling from another height, she and Urwen were on it! Yisi and Yozuren were exceptional at angles and interception as well as combat-teleporting. They were less adept at long-distance teleport, but their close line-of-sight work was what got them their above-passing grade. Thumao and Earyon on the other hand... They were good at steady, low flight. They were pretty talented at spotting things on the horizon, they would eventually make good scouts. But the only reason they were okay at such things was because Thumao tended to bring books to class and read them while they were training. Scouting missions would give them time to read...