Principal Erin looked around the room. It was their first full teacher meeting since starting school with the new students. They had a representative from the human side too to cover all angles of the new system. Maple, the rabbit girl teacher was also there, as well as the centaur.
"I want to thank everyone for this week. Everyone has done a lot of work. Miss Crawford apologises for her absence, something came up." He rubbed a bit of the sand onto a bowl in the desk. He hated getting the place messy. The sandy form didn't have any eyes visible which was perhaps the most unsettling, nor a mouth or... anything. Yet somehow he was talking, and seeing things just fine. It made little sense, but then what made sense any more?
"I've had a horrible day!" One teacher said. He appeared to be a male merman type sitting on a wheelchair. "I can not teach anything in the pool. We have limited ways of writing notes, or even bringing in basic computers."
Erin nodded. "The aquatic class is going to be a difficult one to fix, I admit. Perhaps the scuba industry has a few methods of writing we can employ."
"I'll look," He grumbled. "Another matter. Naked students. I don't feel comfortable with it. Especially for the aquatic side. I think you will have to at least split the sexes. Get another female teacher on board."
Erin gave the matter some thought. "If we had a second pool I would love to do so."
"Then rotate it or something! You know we are going to get bad press about this." The merman was quite adamant. Sitting on the wheel chair, his large chest seemed quite imposing.
Erin reluctantly nodded. "I will see if there is anything we can do. Have any of the students complained?"
"Well- no..." The teacher admitted.
"Then this is perhaps your own discomfort?" Erin asked plainly.
"I suppose. But I am still concerned."
"Noted... However if the students do not complain about it, I think we will be fine. We can ask the students if they would like to split the class, would that be acceptable?"
"Yes, fine" The merman nodded.
"Miss Maple? What is the situation with your group?"
The rabbit girl flicked her long ears upward as she spoke. "Its going quite smoothly. We have some... unusual students. I am relatively happy with how things are proceeding so far."
"I understand you have an artificial human, among your class?"
"Mikey... yes."
"I would like to propose we make her a 'hall monitor' for the computer systems. Give her access to protect our systems."
"Sir?" Maple asked. "Isn't that a rather high responsibility to place on a twelve year old?"
"She is a child I know. But I suspect she has been involved in cyberspace quite heavily already. She's a good student, and I would like someone keeping an eye on the school networks. If she does a good job it will go towards her education record."
"I will ask Mikey if she is interested in the task," The rabbit teacher nodded. Her floppy ears moving rather amusingly for a moment.
She then looked to the centaur teacher. Mary Summers. "Your class has also had a student appear naked. Sarah?"
"Two actually." She sighed. "I have a devil girl in there now trying to do the same thing. However she has no reason not to wear clothes. She is not hindered or anything."
"Curious," Erin thought about that. "I had not considered this. She is capable of wearing clothes, yet chooses not to?"
"Yes. It is a clear violation of the rules."
Erin thought about that carefully. The rule was designed to accommodate students who were incapable of clothing themselves, due to the change induced on them. It wasn't a 'fashion' choice. There were still standards of decency to maintain in his mind.
"I've even had Caitlin ask if she could be naked." The rabbit girl teacher said. "I have told her no, given there is no reason for her not to wear clothes. She has the form of a statue."
Erin sighed. This was not an issue that was going to go away. "Maintain the rules as they are for now. Nakedness should be an exceptional situation, for students with severe difficulties with their change. Have these students that want to be naked see me if there is any issue."
Summers, the centaur, had to quickly ask a question. "Regarding Andrew... is there any word?"
"He has not contacted us. I do not think he will teach again," Erin replied reluctantly. The man was his friend... a good teacher. It was saddening that the sun could take away ones profession. He loved teaching children. What would he do now? He was aware of his salary and it was nowhere near enough to retire. He would have to do something eventually. A waste of teaching talent... "On that note though, I want to thank you Summers for taking his class on at such short notice."
"He did a great job," She smiled modestly.
"Are there any other immediate concerns?" Erin asked his staff.
"We are told the president is going to make a speech at some point... I think its an important enough situation to stop class to watch it." The merman spoke.
Erin nodded. "usually a situation employed in times of war... however these are exceptional circumstances. Agreed. Class will stop for the state address to the nation."
The meeting continued, as each teacher tried to work out how best to teach these new and strange students.
Harry looked at the note, she was told to meet them just outside the library after school.
She had been here for about half an hour, but still nobody turned up. The old Harry would have given up by now and gone home. Not this time. She was going to wait, she was going to try and be part of something for once. A lot of questions went through her mind. "What if they didn't want her? What if there was no room? What if she wasn't any good?"
Harry looked as someone came out of the library. She was... amazed. She looked like an angel!
"Oh- Hiya," she smiled with a strange dreamy far away look.
"H-hello" Harry had to blush a bit. Even being a girl, it seems she was still enough of a boy to be embarrassed seeing someone so pretty.
"Nice to meet you." Are you here for the classic group?"
"Yes," Harry looked happier. It hadn't been forgotten! There was actually someone here.
"I play base..." She smiled again. "I'm Zara."
"I-m-" Wait, Harry thought. If she was doing something new, did she really want to be saddled with all the baggage of her past life? If they knew she was a boy, all they would do is have something new to tease her. She needed a new name. The only one she could come up with though is what Ken had called her. "I'm Ha-ru" she swallowed saying it.
"The angel seemed to give a bow, a very strange gesture instead of the typical handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Haru. Quite an appropriate name actually..."
Harry tensed. Did she know? What did she mean by that...
"What instrument do you play?" The angel asked.
"I- used to play a flute. But its been a while."
"What grade do you have?"
Harry bulked. "I- Don't actually have a grade."
Zara looked at the young oriental girl. "Well- I think we were looking for someone with more experience..."
Harry sighed, resigned. Maybe she did overshoot herself. "O-Okay... I guess I should go?"
"No No. Everyone starts somewhere. Let me introduce you to the others. Let's see what you have. I know where we can 'borrow' a flute."
Harry wasn't sure about the borrowing part, however Zara seemed very nice.
