A soft knock came from the door. Daisy opened it, and a small, slender woman stood before her, dressed in an elegant green dress that was clearly tailored to her figure. She was a mouse woman, her ears and tail were dark brown, and her long hair was a golden blond. Daisy started with surprise at her guest. "Oh, hello."

"Hello." As had been promised, that mouse woman was built without many curves. She had some hips, but was far more athletic than for much of anything else. "I-it's nice to meet you." She raised her eyes up, stopping at Daisy's chest. "Wow." She immediately looked away. "Sorry! You, no, that's rude. Can we start over?"

"Sure." Daisy smiled warmly and stepped aside. "You're the mouse Dhiren told me about? I'd love to meet you, and your other friends, as he said." She offered her hands to the mouse woman. "I'm not taking any offense. Compared to you, I feel like an overfilled balloon." She laughed at herself, then paused. "You want to come in, or should I come out?"

"I'm fine, thank you." The woman took Daisy's hands, then bowed. "I'm sorry, again. I'm not used to seeing someone like you, I mean." She took a breath, and released her hand, and stepped back to take her in. "My friends, they'd love to see you too, but I don't want you to feel like you're some kind of exhibit. If you're like us, being stared at isn't comfortable."

"Trust me." Daisy puffed up a bit with pride. "I've had a lot of experience with that lately. You're the first mouse I've met, but I've met a rabbit, and a fox, and a cat." She looked down at herself. "And I'm a mouse. I'm not a regular mouse. I'm not even a regular person, I'm a brood mouse, from another world."

The mouse perked at that. "Oh! You're an other-worlder? You poor thing." She grasped at Daisy's closer hand. "You must be so confused."

"I'm adjusting." Daisy squeezed the hand in turn. "I'd love to meet more like you. I'm not exactly the same, but I'm closer than most."

The woman nodded at that. "Brood mice are still mice. They're just a very special variety of them." She glanced past Daisy into the room, then drew Daisy away from it. "Come. Come. Let's go and talk about it. Poor lost thing, you don't know what you are. Tell me, do you want to be a mouse? Do you want to learn about us, to be one of us, or is this just an outfit you have found, perhaps one you favor?"

Daisy smiled at the question, and she followed her down the hallway, and down the stairs. "I'm a mouse, and that isn't changing, but I'm not sure I want to be a regular mouse. But a mouse, yes." She lashed her tail behind her. "I've grown fond of it. Please, tell me more."

"Well, come with me. We're going to go to a little park near here." The mouse smiled and stepped outside the school, and down the road. "There, we can talk, and you can meet my friends. They're waiting for me, with news of you. They expect me to come back without you. They figured you would turn me away, probably."

Daisy followed her quietly. "Why do they think I'd do that? Aren't they mice?" She swished her tail and walked alongside her companion. "I want to meet more like myself."

"If you were a native brood mouse, it would be different." She raised a hand to her chin. "Native brood mice are territorial. Meeting with another female? Not unless she were the brood mouse's daughter or otherwise that close. They would sooner chase her away. You're an outsider. What were you, before you were a mouse? Were you some other prey species, or a predator, or something in the middle?"

"I was a human." She smiled, her ears pricked. "It was an entirely different world. I was not even a girl before. I was a man." She laughed lightly. "This world is so strange to me, but I think I prefer it here."

Stolen novel; please report.

The mouse's steps got easier and lighter the further they went, as if they were getting more comfortable around the larger brood mouse with time. Her friends were easy to spot, a gathering of several other mice. In all, there were three female mice, and one male mouse, and all but the one that had guided her were looking on with wonder at Daisy.

One of the female mice approached, her face pale. "You're the brood mouse we've heard about. We thought she was lying when she said you were coming. It's so nice to meet you. I'm sorry, we've been worried that we wouldn't get to see you."

Daisy smiled. "It's so nice to meet you." She took a moment, accepting the hands they offered and shaking each. "I don't want to just appropriate things." She sank to a seated position in their circle. "So, please, educate me. I am a lost child, and I am eager to learn."

The group of mice exchanged looks. The male of the group, a tall fellow with broad shoulders, spoke. "Appropriate? I don't understand that word. What do you mean?" He looked her over.

"Oh, well." Daisy laughed nervously. "To appropriate, where I'm from, is when you take on the appearance or trappings of some other culture just because it's cool or trendy, and without appreciation and proper acceptance of what it is. I don't want to do that."

The male nodded slowly, and he looked at the others. "That's fair, I think. But if you're a mouse, you're a mouse. If you're not sure you want to be a regular mouse, what do you want to be? You have to decide that."

A female beside him swatted him. "She's trying to be nice, and humble. I appreciate that." She fluttered her lashes at Daisy. "Wonderful to meet you. I'm Cindy. As you can see, regular mouse." She waved over her slender self. "If you're an other-worlder, we should start there. There's two levels right off the bat."

She put up two hands one over the other. "Those who become something later, usually due to some kind of mutagen." She wiggled her lower hand. "And then you have those who are born that way and live it." She waggled her top hand. "Because you asked what you asked, you are wanting to get up here." She waved the upper hand. "and that's really nice."

Daisy felt a swell of warmth in her chest, and she smiled at the group. She had always felt a bit like an outsider, and she felt more comfortable here. "Thank you all. As I said, consider me a lost child. I come knowing nothing, and am ready to admit I know nothing."

Another female swayed in place. "A lot of people have a hard time getting to that part. For a newcomer, you sound ready. Oh! I'm Brittany, charmed." She waved at Daisy with a laugh.

The mouse that had brought Daisy out, and the last to be named, hiked her brows. "I guess that leaves me to end. I'm Trudy. That's all the girls." She looked to the male. "Go on, tell her who you are."

The male nodded and stood upright, and he held out his hand. "My name is Michael." He gestured at the others. "We're all just students here in the city, at other schools."

Daisy took his hand, shaking gently. "One of my best friends, long ago and a world away, was named that. I'll take it as a good sign." She looked over the group. "So, where do I start?"

Cindy tapped at her chin. "That depends. How far are you willing to go? Are you willing to live as a mouse woman?"

Trudy nodded quickly. "This may come hard, but we mice don't show off." She gestured over her much more reserved clothing. "We don't have our, um, assets out there for the world to see. Now, we understand you're a brood mouse. You have a lot more of them."

Brittany leaned in. "But, if you want to be a mouse, you've got to try to fit in." She gestured to the group. "So, you can't just say 'I'm a mouse, so I'm one of you', and that's that. So, I suggest we do a little clothes shopping. Even with your generous everything, we can get you looking the part." She laughed suddenly. "Oh! You know, you are the first one I ever met."

Daisy quirked a smile. "I got that impression from all of you. Are brood mice that rare?"

"Very." Michael said, leaning back. "They aren't the most sociable of types, and are prone to jealousy and territorial aggression. It is said that the only ones they won't attack are their children, and their lovers." He blushed faintly. "They usually live in dungeons or other remote places, tending to their great big families."

Daisy considered that. "So, not a lot like you all."

Trudy nodded. "No, not at all. But, you're here. And you seem like a good girl." All the other girls nodded at that, unified in their decision that Daisy had the potential to be one of them. "Let's get you some proper clothing."