So just a little chapter of the characters just doing their things to set up future story events also this chapter is a chance to show how different some Mutants are from TCRI Mutants like the Turtles, Splinter and even Leatherhead Mutants who were either created by splicing human DNA into animals or by human-made mutagens which aren't as good as the Utroms' mutagen are much often much closer to their animal instincts making them closer to the Humanimals than the Turtles, and these OC Mutants are a way I can explore some of the themes seen in Cordwainer Smith's original Underpeople stories that my Humanimals the actual parallel to the Underpeople don't have because of the rules I set up for their culture

As Glass Joe and Dana came home to their apartment, Dana yawned and stretched and said "As much as I enjoy coming with you...It does make it hard to get supper prepared...Fortunately I have plenty of leftover beef stew in the freezer I can thaw tonight...Should I make sure to prepare things in advance for class days?"
"That probably is a good idea…" Joe said bashfully

So Dana went to the kitchenette to get the container of beef stew out of the freezer...As she was doing so, she saw out of the corner of her eye Joe watching her with a loving expression and Dana blushed under her fur...She thought about what she had been taught during her puppyhood in the lab and how as Mutant Animal learning to be human, she was much better at picking up things many human women didn't notice at all as she put the container of stew on the counter and began opening the cupboards for a large pot she thought sorrowfully to herself about how many human women looked at Joe and only saw him as a loser boxer and because they were so materialistic and haughty they would never know what a sweet soul and yes...How very brave he actually was!

And as Joe watched Dana diligently work he himself thought to himself about how she really was a Dog deep down and very much wanted to please her 'Master' Joe sighed to himself as he realized how seriously Dana took his suggestion to be a 'den mother' to the Mutant students and Joe felt a pang of guilt because he only suggested that because he was scared of leaving her home alone...Why did he not feel like he could be honest with her? Did he have to propose a roll for her because he worried she would otherwise turn down his request to come to work with him because she would insist she didn't want to impose on him at work with his friends?

Meanwhile Bacon Bit was once again wandering around Forest...She didn't feel like going to the tree apartment she shared with several other mutants and thus was often very noisy and crowded…

She remembered her previous conversation with Stripes and decided she wanted to find the Tigress again!

Unfortunately Stripes was not the only Mutant Tiger in Forest so Bacon Bit could not simply follow the tiger scent to find her. But she remembered last night she found Stripes on the ledge that over looked the rushing river...She might be there again!

Turned out she encountered on the way, this time Stripes didn't have her steel drum, so it seemed she wasn't on her way to the ledge to play her drum today.

"Um...Hi…" Bacon Bit said shyly "...Are you busy?"
"Not particularly." Stripes said "I was just going for a stroll."
"Can I walk with you?" Bacon Bit asked

"Is something the matter?" The Mutant Tigress lowered herself down to the Piglet's level "You seem troubled…"
"Well…" Bacon Bit said "...I did want to talk to you...You're a nurse right? I was just thinking about...Seeing Von Kaiser scared today."
"PTSD." Stripes said "Come with me Bacon Bit...I think we have much to discuss…"
I think I'll leave it there for today, but here we see that Stripes in her dedication to be a nurse can be...A little manipulative, in that she is willing to use Bacon Bit to vicariously work through her she's not doing this to be mean it's just that her programming is so strong it's like a drive that sometimes doesn't make her think about what she's doing