The following are the seven main 'rules' to morphing, so to speak:

"Rule 1: There is a time limit equal to two Earth hours. If one stays in morph for more than two hours, they are stuck, becoming a Nothlit. A Nothlit can never return to their original form, or morph, ever again.

Rule 2: You cannot 'acquire' a morph directly from another person's morph or acquire a morph while you are in a morph.

Rule 3: You cannot morph directly from one morph to another, you must return to your natural form first.

Rule 4: It is possible to combine the DNA of several samples from the same species, to create a new being for a morph. This is known as the Frolis Maneuver.

Rule 5: 'Morphing-sickness' is a rarely documented case when a morpher is allergic to DNA they have acquired. They become nauseous, and are prone to involuntary bouts of morphing when under stress. After a certain amount of time, between a few days and a week, one 'burps' the DNA so to speak, forcing out the creature in its entirety. Through the cascading cellular regeneration, an entirely new animal is created, and expelled from the morpher's system. They are then faced with the problem of having the animal there in the first place, should this animal prove to be dangerous. This process of expelling the DNA is called hereth Illint, translating from the Andalite tongue as "burping DNA".

Rule 6: When one morphs a being smaller than themselves, the extra mass is extruded into Z-space. In the rare event that a ship would pass by, they would be drawn into it and likely evaporated by the ship's force field (Also, if one was to morph a form larger than one's self, the extra mass would likely be drawn from Z-space).

Rule 7: One can morph any living multicellular animal whose DNA they have acquired. However, one cannot morph a plant, a dead animal, inanimate objects (like chairs), or bacterium." - From the Serrowpedia

The morphing process takes roughly two minutes, though it can be faster depending on the skill and focus of the morpher. The process is very disgusting to watch -see the image above- in most people, as it usually occurs without any rhyme or reason to it. Body parts, color, and size change in odd orders, and the in between stages are usually something that looks downright monstrous. The only exceptions are estreens, morphers who have a very high control over their morphing and usually make it look almost beautiful.

"The Andalites are centaur-like, with their lower body similar to that of an Earth deer and a torso similar to that of a human. The males' entire body is covered in blue fur and the females' in bluish-purple fur, which becomes slightly tan colored as they get older. Their arms, somewhat weak in comparison to that of a human's, end in seven-fingered hands, which, while weaker, are nimbler as well. The head of an Andalite has a set of almond-shaped eyes, as well as a pair of stalk-eyes that endow them with 360-degree vision. They have a nose-like organ which features three vertical slits. Their sense of sight is similar to that of a human's, though their stalk eyes can see slightly further into both the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. The other most notable feature of the face is the lack of a mouth...
They communicate by way of telepathic communication called Thought-speak. It is known that Andalites usually have three hearts and two lungs. They also have a gland found in the back of their heads called a Tria gland, which keeps diesase-carrying organisms away from the rest of their body. They evolved as prey animals, but they developed a very formidable defense: a scythe-like blade on their long whip-like tails... This bladed tail is long enough to reach well in front of the Andalite to strike deep blows in an opponent."
-From the Serrowpedia

"The Yeerks are a parasitic species of slug-like creatures who require host bodies to see, walk and verbally communicate. They have made it their mission to search the galaxy and enslave other species. In their natural state, Yeerks resemble large slugs, and live in lakes of sludge known as Yeerk pools. The Yeerks have the ability to enter another being's body through the ear canal and take over all brain functions, including basic motor and speech control, essentially "becoming" that person. Yeerks inhabiting host individuals are known as "Controllers". Every three Earth days (or 72 hours), Yeerks do require leaving their hosts' body to enter the Yeerk pool and absorb Kandrona. Kandrona is naturally produced by the sun on the Yeerk homeworld, but Yeerks have developed artificial Kandrona Rays machine which allow them to travel away from their planet. Without Kandrona, a Yeerk will die. "
-From the Serrowpedia

"The Hork-Bajir are a former peaceful alien race, who became enslaved by the Yeerks and used them as shock troops. The Hork-Bajir are bipedal, have strong reptilian bodies with dark green-black leathery skin, and at least two hearts. They have snake-like necks with a sharp beak at the end of their heads, tyrannosaurus-like feet, three claw-tipped fingers and a thumb on each hand, and measure to a height of seven feet in adulthood. Their most notable feature is that they have huge, long blades all over their bodies: their elbows, wrists, feet, legs, head, and tail. Male and female Hork-Bajir are told apart by the number of blades on their heads; males have three blades while females have two."
-From the Serrowpedia

"The Taxxons are a race of carnivorous insectoids and willing allies of the Yeerk Empire. The Taxxons are a race of large insectoids resembling a massive centipede. The most prominent feature of their face is the large mouth with razor sharp serrated teeth directly in the center. Situated around sides of the mouth are four red jellylike eyes. Eight to ten feet long, they are closer to the height of a human when standing erect due to the lower portion needed for balance. They also have twelve upper appendages that end in lobsterlike pincers and twenty lower appendages. Although they are slightly slower than humans on land, they are very fast swimmers, able to keep up with bottle-nosed dolphins easily. The Taxxons possess an unceasing and irresistible instinct to constantly consume sustenance, especially meat. They will engage in feeding frenzies should they sense raw flesh or blood. They have no apparent qualms with cannibalizing their own kind, and if they are wounded they will often begin to eat their own damaged flesh. Neither a Yeerk in control of a Taxxon body nor a human or Andalite in Taxxon morph can fully control this instinct."

An organization that was formed in town almost a year ago. They're a lot like a boy or girl scout organization, but for all ages. They do volunteer work, have cookouts and other fun outings. It's a family friendly group that is growing popularity in town. Even those who find the way that those people in its 'inner-circle' seem far too happy to be eery don't really say anything bad about the group because of its reputation for helping people and turning lives around. They're notable for their bright yellow tee-shirts, which they wear when doing group activities, particularly recruiting.

The lovely town in which our RP is set. Bradbury is situated in upper New York. It has a population of just under four thousand, and is completely unremarkable in every way, except for that the yeerk invasion begins here.

What's your name?: Woah woah WOAH. That's kind of a personal question, and we aren't really supposed to tell anyone stuff like that. I can't tell you who I am, where I live, or who my friends are. It's too risky. For now, let's just say that my name is the answer to an ancient zen riddle, only heard in the rumble of thunder.

But you can call me Iikka.

How old are you?: I'm pretty sure I'm 16, ruling out the scenario of life being a hellish existential prison of misery known as a soap opera where everyone is 34 but is held indefinitely at the age of 22.

What do you look like?: I'm not showing you a picture because that might let you track me down somehow, but I suppose I can give you a vague physical description with a few lies thrown in to fool any quick sketch artists who might read this. I'm around 5' 8 feet tall, or 1.72 meters, and I weigh around 112 pounds or 50.8 kilograms. I'm pretty wiry, and I have long arms. I have pretty long, tawny-colored scraggly hair which I usually keep tied in a ponytail. I have golden-amber eyes, and my face is generally described as foxish.

Do you have any hobbies? Please feel free to discuss them here: Yep! I love reading and writing, along with acting. Stories, you know? I especially like myths and old legends; they just don't write stories like they used to, you know? Of course, since the whole invasion of the body-snatchers thing, I quit the writers and drama club. Really don't feel like getting hands on with a beautiful girl on stage only to have something slimy that's NOT a tongue put in my ear. These days, I mainly horde story ideas and journals in a secret drawer in my room. I also really like climbing on stuff. Hiking, rock-climbing, wall-climbing, tree-climbing, I love it. If you ever come into a room and I'm standing on top of something inappropriate, don't worry. That's normal.

Any dislikes?: I like to think I'm a pretty cool customer, but there are some things which really drive me up the wall, yeah. Mostly people, really. I don't like people who complain, for one thing. Even if they have a point, they should be doing something other than whining about it. I also don't like people who don't stand up for themselves. It's one thing if you're just a person who doesn't mind being insulted and can just walk away - that's fine. What I hate is people who get picked on, bullied, extorted, whatever, who don't ever grow a spine. If a person will bend over backwards and snap their own spine for a light breeze, they deserve it. I also don't like apologizers, and you'll never hear me say sorry for anything. And a bunch of other things.

But also, this one time, I was walking without my shoes on and my feet were all red, yeah? This girl comes by, looks at them, and then tells me I have poor blood circulation! Nerve! So then I slap her across the[This section has been redacted due to the foul and extremely inappropriate acts and words therein, which are not suitable for anyone to read ever. All parties involved acted in a supremely shameful fashion, being embarrassing as well as petty and spiteful. All 17 youths involved as well as the school superintendent and the nearby daycare supervisor performed 1,000 hours of local community service and attended group therapy for 12 weeks. Four restraining orders were issued between parties who shall remain unnamed, and no less than 9 new city ordinances have since been signed into law in response to these events]and that's also why we don't talk about paperweights anymore. I think that guy just has a duct tape collection now.

Tell me, what are your goals for the future? Both immediate and long-term.: Ah, the long term is a really easy one. Before I can plan to do anything else, I'd really like to do something about all these interstellar invasive species. Before that was a thing, I was pretty interested in writing. It's still my primary hobby, as a matter of fact, but I can't publish or write anything that might attract attention to me. In fact, I've gone to pretty extensive lengths to make everything I write for school as boring and nondescript as possible. When - if, really - this war is over, I'd really like to write a memoir about the ordeal. I'd make about half of it true and the other half brazen lies, and I'll bet you anything at least half those lies will become retroactively true in the eyes of history. Short-term, I think I'd like to go to a few hobby shops and pick up some new time-wasting obsessions. That might help give me a believable cover story for all those nights where I'm not home, and if I'm being honest I'm dead bored since quitting all my clubs and extracurriculars.

What's your home life like? Specifically, what is your relationship like with your parents?: Ugh. They barely even acknowledge my existence. For as long as I know, my parents have always given me the cold shoulder. The never talk to me - even that one time when I had to do all that community service, they didn't even care. Apparently it was like that even when I was little, from what I've heard from my friends' parents, they were always really hands off with me. Come to think of it, I've spent more time in my friends' houses than in mine, and more time with my friends parents than with mine. I have no idea what their problem is, and they deny everything whenever I confront them. Its only me they seem to be weird around, because they're pretty active in the community and have plenty of friends. They're well-liked, generally, although for no good reason in my opinion. Honestly, I'm looking forward to college just so I can get away from them forever.

Siblings?: None, and I've never gotten around to asking whether that was a decision of theirs or what.

What's your favorite animal, and why?: Definitely centipedes, no contest. Not those twittery little house centipedes, I mean the really BIG ones like Scolapendras. They can eat pretty much anything, are venomous, and are apex predators as far as slimy crawling things go. Also, the really big ones can be really, really pretty to look at. I even have one as a pet! His name is Mot, he's around a foot long (!), and I feed it mealworms, mostly. I keep it in a terrarium in my closet - I don't like talking about him to others, because I don't want anybody drawing any realizations between freakishly large, displaced centipede species running around outside and people in the city who keep centipedes as pets.

Favorite color?: I would have to say orange! It has a striking, bold quality to it, but its not a common color and you don't see it too often.

You wake up late one night to discover that your house is burning down. What do you do?: First, check to see if my parents are trapped by the flames or something to that effect. Once I am absolutely positive they are, I would probably run away and live on the streets after watching the house burn down with them in it!

I mean, I'd call the fire department, but I don't think I'd actually go so far as to try and save them.

We have a rocky history, ok?

Finally, a tricky one; which came first, the chicken or the egg?: This is such a bullshit question. Chickens are a domesticated species like dogs, horses, models, and cows. Plus, with evolutionary trends and ecological demographics being what they are, even when the original chicken or its stupid egg were recognizable as modern chicken, and since evolution acts upon individuals across a whole species there was probably no clearly defined transition. Then there are multiple kinds of chicken and specific breeds of them and all kinds of other crap, not to mention all kinds of modern human tinkering with chicken genes.

But I suppose, given that you need at least one rooster at some point in time in order for a chicken to even lay eggs at all, that would imply two very chicken-like birds fertilizing an egg somewhere way in the past which gave rise to the first chicken. So egg, I guess.

Mario Russo: He's just kind of there, I guess. His head is securely attached to his shoulders at any rate. The Eagle Scout thing, though? Pft. What a joke. I could probably stand sharing a flat with him, but I am in no hurry to get to know him any better.

Maxine Jackson: That ditz who looks like she got attacked by a bunch of kindergartners armed with Do-A-Dot markers? If I ever have to talk to her again it will be too soon. I still want back the hours of my life wasted by having to work on group projects with her. This one time, she went right into liffdoff mode and productivity committed suicide like some frathole mixing pills with alcohol. I have seriously considered giving her a piece of my mind, and I may just yet if I ever need to talk to her again for more than twelve minutes.

Jason Bertrand: I like him! Jason is an entirely self-made guy, yeah? Comes from a poor background, and I think his family is the only one I know of that's more messed up than mine, but he's pretty well off anyway. He's already got some good work prospects and everything. He's a guy who is in total control of his life, and I can respect that. It's kind of a shame he might just wind up some no-name welder or pipe-layer or whatever though - its people like him who should be given the important, responsible jobs. Wait. Did I actually just say that aloud? Wow, that got a little creepy there. What I mean is that he deserves more than what he's likely to get. Yeah, that sounds better.

Olivia Baker: There's a girl who doesn't like putting up with stupid people and the stupid things they say, which is refreshing. She's made a lot of enemies with that mouth of hers, which I approve of on principle. A lot of people - not just the ones who hate her guts - think she's not actually all that bright, and in their defense, she does come across as kind of an air head, if you ever listen to her talk for long enough. Seems disaffected, you know? I don't really know her all that well, and I'm ok with that.

What's your name?: Why do I need to tell you my name? It’s right there on the application, Mario Russo. Yes, like the plumber, but I’m not a plumber.

How old are you?: You must be bad at guesstimating how old people are. I’m a junior in high school and am 17 years old, turning 18 by the end of the school year.

What do you look like?: You have eyes, right? I’m Italian-American. Well, I am sort of Italian-American. My dad has Italian heritage (he even owns the local pizzeria, I know, stereotypical to the max, right?), but my mom (although she does have an Italianesque name, Maria) is English, or, well, her family has been in the United States for a couple generations, but she has English roots.

Unfortunately, I have the worst name for any Italian-American: Mario. I mean, you already hinted at it after you asked my name. I am compared to that video game Mario so many times (or rather Luigi, since apparently I look more the younger brother) that I make sure I don’t wear green or red, ever, nor do I allow my facial hair to grow out. I mean, if I came to school with a mustache, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. However, that is not the worst of it. Once, someone even asked me if I was related to the Mario Brothers! How in the world could I be related to a video game character! People these days...

Oh, back to my appearance. I am about average height for a guy, about five-ten. Since I have two different ethic heritages, I have some mixed traits. I have dark hair, like my father; however, my skin is quite pale for an Italian, probably due to my mother. I also somehow inherited blue eyes, even though brown are supposed to be dominate. But whatever. My dad still tries to tell me that he also has Northern Italian blood in him, which includes blue eyes and blonde hair, but who knows. I’m just glad that no one as of yet has accused of my mom sleeping around...

Do you have any hobbies? Running would be the one activity on which I would spend my free time over anything else. Running is just so natural: you don’t need to be able to toss a ball accurately into the arms of your teammate, you don’t need to be able to kick a ball into a rectangular goal, you don’t need to be able to sink a ball into a circular hoop. All you need to do is run, and pace yourself. The worst thing to do while running is to exhaust yourself before you have run a significant portion of the race.

Of course, you could have already guested in what sports activity I participate. You have, have you? If you guessed track, you would be 100% correct. If you didn’t, well...I don’t know what. Anyways, since I love to run, obviously I would run track. I mean, all the other sports segregate the sexes. It’s either all guys or all girls. But in track, we’re all intermingled. Sure, we have our own events, but we still practice together. I am surprised that other guys haven’t caught onto this fact. Who wants to hang out in a sweaty, stinking locker room?

Another activity that I enjoy is Boy Scouts. In fact, I just earned the Eagle Scout rank, the highest honor in Boy Scouts. My Boy Scout career, however, is coming to a close since I am turning 18 by the end of this school year, and when a scout turns 18, he can no longer participate as a “scout”, but only as an adult volunteer. But until that day, I will be the Senior Patrol Leader of our troop. I mean, I cannot imagine what will happen to the troop when I leave. It seems like when I am unable to attend something, chaos breaks out because apparently they cannot run without me. Hopefully someone will step up, but who knows.

Any dislikes?: Dislikes? Well, one pet peeve of mine is when someone promises to do something or go somewhere and never holds up their side of the bargain. I just cannot stand this. If you say you are going to do something, by God, you better do it! Take for example the guy who is transcribing this interview. He said that he would have this completed by yesterday. Did he do it? NOOOOO. It drives me nuts! Laziness also drives me crazy. If I am not doing something, either running or working on something else, like schoolwork, I feel like I am wasting time. I mean, I cannot sleep in on weekends because I feel like I am wasting daylight when I sleep in past eight o’ clock. You already heard about another one of my pet peeves, the whole “Mario” shenanigans. God, why did my parents called me Mario? Couldn’t they have thought of some other name?

Tell me, what are your goals for the future? Both immediate and long-term.: My long term goals? Well, immediately, I want to finish my junior year with a bang, grade wise so that I will be more competitive in college applications. Neither of my parents have a bachelor’s degree, so I would be the first in our immediate family. My dad runs the family pizzeria, which has been in the family for generations, while my mom only was in college for two years to get her nursing degree. I think it would be a great accomplishment to be the first to go to college and get a bachelor’s degree.

Oh, also there is this one girl. Her name is Melissa and I kind of really want to ask her out. She has been and still is in a few of my classes and she even is on the track team (see what I was saying about way people should join track. ;D ). So, she actually knows who I am and we are kind of friends. Not BFF’s or anything, but more than acquaintances. The only problem is that I am kind of afraid that she will “friend-zone” me. Furthermore, I would rather our friendship stay how it is currently than make everything awkward by committing my feelings to her. No one knows about this “crush” because once in, like, elementary school, I mentioned to my parents that I had a crush a girl and they made such a big deal out of it that as a result I never mentioned such things to anyone ever again.

For long term? I’m not sure. I would probably go into college as an “undecided”. I would have to explore more so that I can find what really fires my passion. For track, unfortunately, my career in that sport might end after college, if I happen to make the college team. I am not an Olympic caliber athlete, so I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

What's your home life like? Specifically, what is your relationship like with your parents?: I would say it is normal for any American household, or at least that is how I see it. I mean, I am by no means a mama’s boy, but I don’t totally despise them either. We all have our good times and our bad times. Sometimes we love each other and other times we drive each other up a wall.

Siblings?: Yes, I have one younger brother. And before you say anything, no, his name is not Luigi. His name is actually George. Funny how the child who looks Italian gets the English name (or rather Greek, I have heard that George is related to the ancient Greek word for “farmer”, like in Virgil’s Georgics, which is all about farming), and the child who does not look one-hundred percent Italian gets the stereotypical name. Luck is a funny thing, isn’t it?

What's your favorite animal, and why?: Favorite animal? That’s a tough one, since I never really have thought about that. I would say the lion, since it is technically the King of the Jungle, but the males of that species are sooooo lazy and I am so the opposite of that. Maybe the cheetah is my favorite.

Favorite color?: Tyrian Purple. I mean, it is the one color that does not fade over time, but rather it becomes more radiant. Who wouldn’t want clothes in that color? In addition, I have to say that red and green are both out for favorite colors. While I can stand it at Christmas time, those Mario Brothers from Nintendo has really ruined those two colors for me.

You wake up late one night to discover that your house is burning down. What do you do?: We follow our fire escape plan. First, I roll onto the floor so that I do not inhale as much smoke as I would have if I were standing up. Next, I go to the door. If it is hot, I pull the escape ladder out from under my bed, open the widow, and crawl out of my room and head towards a house of one of the neighbors. If the door is cool, I proceed through the door and a rally everyone in the house. I’ll even carry my mom or dad out of the house if it comes to that, just as Aeneas carried his father Anchises out of the ruins of Troy (although that might not be a good comparison because Aeneas does leave behind his wife in the chaos. What does that say about Aeneas when he exits Troy and then thinks, “Where is my wife?”).

Finally, a tricky one; which came first, the chicken or the egg?: The egg, of course. According to the Biology class I took during my Freshmen year in high school, there were several types of animals that lived before birds came into being that also laid eggs, such as fish, insects, and even the dinosaurs. Therefore, the egg outdates the chicken because other animals had been laying eggs long before there was ever such a thing as a chicken.

Iikka:To be honest, since this guy beat the crap out of some girl, I am pretty scared of asking how to pronounce his name? Is the “I” like a “Y” because it is followed by a vowel? I’m not physically intimidated, since I am technically ‘bigger’ than he is, but it is more because he has already lashed out at someone. I haven’t heard the whole story of what happened, and personally, I really don’t care. I don’t really want to know any of the drama that went down.

Max: Oh God, not her. I mean, she’s nice and all, but once we had a group project and she just left me hanging. I had to do the project all by myself. We still got an ‘A’ on it and she’s lucky I’m not that type of person who would go to the teacher and complain that my partner didn’t do crap. Learning that her siblings got sick and her mom had work kind of cooled my anger, but seriously, why in the world was her phone anywhere near the toilet?

Clay: I don't really know Clay that much. He's a little older than I am, but somehow he's a grade behind me. I only know about him because his mom and my mom both work at the hospital. I've heard stories that my mom would brag about me at work, and Mrs. Donnel would say that she wished she had a son like me. That probably put a target on my back, although nothing has come from it yet. I have nothing against him. Its just that we have totally different views on school. That's all.

Jason: I know it is not my place to tell people what to do, but I feel he is wasting his potential by not going to college. I mean, if he really wants to build stuff, he could look into engineering. But if it makes him happy, I won’t put up a fuss about it. But I am glad he can place a metaphorical leash on “I” (yeah, I really don’t know how to pronounce his name). I personally seen one or two times where something big was going go down, but Jason stepped in. That what I call a great friend. If there is one thing I admire about Jason, it how he keeps “I” out of trouble.

Theo: Theo who? No offense to the guy (I never met him before, or heard of his name), but we live in different circles of life. He's into computers and video games and indoorsy things, while I'm an athlete and more of an outdoorsman. He's a freshman, while I'm a Junior. I'm from an established local family, while he's from a rich family that just moved here. It's not like I would lose my "coolness" (if such a think existed) if I hung out with him. I just don't think we have that much in common. However, I wonder if my younger brother George has met with him? They're about the same age and do have the same interests.

The Alien: TBD

What's your name?
Are all the questions gonna be like this? Because of they're all gonna be like this, this is gonna take, like, what, two, three minutes? Right? You think? I mean, maybe more, because sometimes, I get a little off track, my mom says I think like spaghetti or yarn, and one thing just leads into another, so if you ask a super easy question -- like about my name -- I could go off on a tangent for days, but I think it's a talent, because it means I'm never out of things to talk about, which I guess could be bad if you're shy, or if you have to pee real bad, or --

What? Do you have to pee?

...oh. Right. Yeah. My name. It's Maxine. Maxine Jada Jackson, but that's a stupid name. Way too many letters. And syllables. There is no reason for a four-letter work like 'Jada' to have two syllables. 'Book' isn't two syllables. 'Isn't' is, but that's just 'cause it's a contraction, so it's pretty much two words, like --

Right. Right. My name.

Call me Max.

How old are you?
All the questions are gonna be this easy! Awesome. So, I need to go, then, and call the boys, because I told them I wouldn't be able to take them to see that new Lego movie, because I had this thing, but if all the --

Oops.

Sixteen. Well. Almost. Fifteen years, eight months, and two weeks. Not that anyone's counting. That was a joke, I'm counting because I can get my license in fourteen weeks! Fourteen! This is gonna be the best summer ever.

What do you look like?
What do I...but you're looking right at me. Can...oh my gosh, can you not see me? I am so sorry, I didn't know. No, it's totally okay, Mom says Aunt Susan was legally blind, and I was always with her....but I also used to leave lots of stuff out on accident, and she kinda fell down sometimes...But I won't leave anything for you to trip on! I was really little at the time, like...fourteen. Now, I'm practically a grown-up. Did I mention I'm getting my license soon?

Right. What do I look like. Okay.

Umm...nothing much, I guess? I dunno. I used to get made fun of kind of a lot for how I look. I don't really mind, though. I figure there could be a whole bunch of things wrong with me, and how I look is one I can't change, so why worry about it, y'know?

I'm...pretty short, but it works out alright. I do a lot of gymnastics, and all those girls who go to the Olympics are tiny, y'know? I have a whole bunch of hair. It's brown, and super curly. Hazel eyes...um...oh. The freckles. I have a lot of freckles. Like, a whole lot.

See?

Do you have any hobbies?
Yeah, I just said! My favorite thing is probably gymnastics. Mom put me in what I was just two, 'cause she said otherwise, I ran around the house and got into things and it bugged my dad a bunch. She said she saw my climb out of my crib one day all by myself, and that's when she knew.

So, I've been doing that a long time now, and my teacher said I have a pretty good chance of doing the Olympics in a couple years...if I stop getting distracted during practice. Oops.

Aside from that? Um...well, I teach gymnastics and tumbling at my gym. That way, I can get my lessons for free, and then I get paid half time, too, and I always go shopping with the boys then.

OH! My little brothers, I love them pretty much more than anything. Their names are Jack and Cody, and they're twins. They turn five two days after Christmas. Can you believe it? They were pretty much just born yesterday, but they're HUGE, and they're way louder than I am, I don't know what my mom is talking about...

Any dislikes?
Dislikes? Um...well...no. I try not to dislike things, that seems judgy. My Gramma -- my mom's mom -- she used to say not liking something was only ever evidence of not being able to empathize. I know empathy's not a hobby, but it's important, I'm pretty good at it. I think.

So...I guess I don't like when people are mean, or don't give other people a chance. But I don't avoid them, or anything. I think, lotsa times, when people are mean, it's just 'cause nobody ever showed them how to be nice. And that makes me sad.

So...no, then?

Oh wait! I don't like sitting still. Being patient is basically the hardest thing in the world, y'know? Like, who ever invented lines? I don't wanna hate that person, 'cause that's mean, but I really wish they just...hadn't.

Oh. I guess I don't really like super small spaces, either. I have nothing against them, or anything. I just don't like to be in them. It makes me feel like I can't breathe. Y'know?

Tell me, what are your goals for the future? Both immediate and long-term.
Oh, yeah! Well, first, like I said, I wanna go to the Olympics! But I only wanna go if I know my mom and brothers can come, so...maybe after high school and before college? If I can afford college. I know I'm s'posed be saving up, but I'm really bad at hanging on to money. Or most things. I used to have this really pretty bracelet from my other grandma, my dad's mom, but I lost it. It was really nice, too. Oh, well.

So, um...the Olympics. Oh, but high school, first. And then...I dunno, I know Mom really wants me to go to school, but school is a whole lot of sitting still, and I hate that. I'd way rather keep doing gymnastics. If I could find some way to do that and get money to help mom pay for the groceries and the mortgage and all the other boring grown-up stuff, it'd be so cool!

So, if you have any ideas, I wanna hear 'em, 'kay?

What's your home life like? Specifically, what is your relationship like with your parents?
It's amazing! Let's see, we have this really great new apartment on the edge of town, with three bedrooms...well, okay, that's not true. It's just two bedrooms, but I helped Mom convert the living room into this little space with a divider, so I kind of have my own room at night! We have to take down the wall during the day, otherwise, the boys might knock it over, but with school and babysitting and gymnastics, I'm only there at night, anyway. And it's way better than when we used to live in the city with my dad.

I love my mom. She's pretty much my best friend, only she's way prettier. People never think she's my mom, only my sister. She's an RN at the hospital in the city, and she's everyone's favorite. She always gets all these great gifts from her patients. All the kids in pediatrics want her to give them shots, and all the old folks in...old folks hospital...OH! Geriatrics, that's what it's called -- they all like her. Sometimes, they ask to set her up with their sons, but Mom just says no, she has two crazy boys in her life already.

She's also pretty fun.

...what? Why?

I told you about my mom. That's who I live with. That's my home life. Why should we have to talk about my dad?

...fine. Whatever. He's a lawyer. He works downtown. His name is Peter. That's it. Okay?

Siblings?
My baby brothers are pretty much the best ever. I guess they're not even babies anymore, huh? They're a huge handful, but I love them more than basically anything, and if anyone ever tries to hurt them, then I guess, I get a little mean.

I guess that's another thing I dislike. I try really hard to be nice to everyone, but when someone tries to hurt my family or my friends, I just...I can't anymore.

You wanna know something really bad?

I don't even feel bad about it afterward.

What's your favorite animal, and why?
Oh! I know! This one's easy. It's the otter. Because they're all fast and little and cute and always moving and swimming, and it's awesome. Did you know they hold hands for life? Or...wait, maybe they mate for life. Or maybe...maybe they break shells on their bellies for life? Well, they definitely do something. Maybe just not for life. That's a really long time. I think. I dunno. How long do otters live?

I also really like killer whales and bunnies and zebras and capybaras -- those are like giant guinea pigs, have you seen them? I saw one on the Discovery Channel the other day, it was like the size of Jack, if Jack was even bigger than he is now. I wonder what they eat?

I bet a capybara would kill for a red Otter Pop.

Oh! Hey! Otters. I like otters.

Favorite color?
Easy. Red! Like hearts. Or fire! Or hearts on fire. But not like bad, like heart burn. Like heart-love. Like when you're in love, and it feels like your heart's on fire. That's a thing, right?

No, no, no! Wait! Blue. Like...like the ocean, 'cause it goes on forever, and covers 73% of your body. No...wait...that's not right. It's cover 73% of the earth, and your body is made up of...water. Lots of it. Maybe not 73%. Definitely less than 100% and more than 6%. And the earth is somewhere in there, too.

Or...orange! More fire! And carrots!

No, no, no, no, no, wait, I forgot purple! I love purple! Did you know it's the color of loyalty? Or...wait...royalty...Um...Definitely one of those....

You wake up late one night to discover that your house is burning down. What do you do?
What?!? I don't know! Why would you plan for these things? Why would you plan for anything, nothing like that ever goes according to plan, especially if you're half asleep! How can I say what I do now???

I...if I had to guess, I'd go to my brothers first. I'd get them out, even if I had to carry them both on my back, and they're getting pretty big. We live in an apartment, and we know the family next door pretty well, so maybe...maybe give them to him? And then go make sure my mom gets out, and then probably get the fire extinguisher, I think we have one of those...but I don't know how to use it. You just squirt, right? Like a spray bottle? I mean, how hard could it be to figure out, they have to make it usable in emergencies, and I know you don't just throw the whole thing at the fire, so --

...wait. You don't. Right?

Finally, a tricky one; which came first, the chicken or the egg?
...what? Are we done yet? I wanna go outside. There's a squirrel out there!

Oh! A squirrel. A squirrel is my favorite animal. They're so nutty.

...get it?

I saw that on the inside of a Bazooka Bubblegum wrapper once.

Pink! Pink is my favorite color for sure this time. Except green. I like green. Do you like green? There are so many different types of green, like 'kelly', what even is that? Isn't it a name? I mean, why don't we just name everything...

Iikka: "Iikka's so funny! We don't really talk ever, we've had some classes together and stuff, but he's usually out the door before we can chat. Or before I say hi. But it's okay, I think he's pretty busy with other stuff, y'know? When we were kids, we used to climb trees together all the time! He was the only one who ever went faster than me."

Other: Max always thinks the best of everyone, but she'd find Iikka's tendency toward violence/hostility a little off-putting...which would probably mean trying to 'nice' it out of him. And he'd have to be very clear in getting rid of her. She's intuitive, so she'd read into his pushing her away, and want to 'fix' him. In other words, they could best friends, or really, really not.

Mario: "Mario is good at everything! Boy Scouts, and running, and...being friends with people? Everyone likes Mario, have you met him? He's pretty nice, too, but...um...well, it's not bad, he's really smart and everything, but I think sometimes I kinda bug him. We had a school project to work on once, and I was supposed to meet him at the library, but the twins got sick, and Mom was on a double shift at work, and I meant to call him, but I dropped my phone in the toilet the day before, and I didn't have his number, and...well, anyway, he was reeeeally mad at me. Oops."

Other: Max would try [i]really hard to get along with Mario, but he's so completely opposite her, she'd have a really hard time even sitting still long enough to talk to him. She'd admire him from afar, though. [/i]

Jason: "I like Jason. I...well, don't tell anyone, okay, but sometimes, I think he's really sad. He pretends not to be, but I don't believe him. I wish he would talk to me. I think I could help. I could try."

Other: Jason and Max have more in common than either of them knows. I dunno how they'd figure it out, if Jason's awkward around Max, and Max doesn't talk about the less bright-n-shiny parts of her life at all, but if they ever crossed that point, I think they'd be besties.

Theo: "Theo is almost smaller than I am, so that's cool. We don't ever hang out, really, but that's just because of that big who follows him around all the time. I've heard him talk about video games before, though. I think we could be friends probably. Even if he does live in the nice part of town."

Other: Again, Max's biggest deterrent against friendship is other people not wanting to be friends. If Theo was open to it, she'd invite him over for a Skyrim marathon in no time at all.

Clay: "Clay is my very best friend ever! And sort of my only friend, too, but that's only 'cause I'm busy most of the time. We used to live next to each other, until we had to move because...well, we just had to. Clay and I play lots of video games, and he never just lets me win 'cause I'm a girl. I like that."

Other: Put shortly, Clay is the only person Max allows to see her less than bubbly. He is also the only person (aside from her mother) she willingly allows to babysit the twins. She sees much more in him than most.