"There's a difference between a pet and an attack-dog..." Bier groaned a bit quietly. With a guy like that, saying they weren't fighter probably wouldn't go over well. "And besides, he only got me once."

"But there's already a mess..." Bitz pointed out, waving her hand at the no-doubt uncleaned room. Then she noticed how Leech was, again, acting to Bier and Torment. She wasn't quite sure which one it was he didn't like, but in an attempt to soothe him, she moved around him and stood so that she was between him and the offenders. "Better?" she whispered.

"He's not an attack dog." Torment informed, "He just didn't like you very much."

Leech was much more content with Bitz in between them. Yawning, he decided to sit down and only half listen to everything going on. At least he finally seemed at peace with the fact they had visitors. And that he didn't have to watch everything so closely. Or eat them for that matter.

Slime still didn't enter, merely shrugging as if the mess he had originally left would go unnoticed.

Soon enough Preside was attracted once more by all the noise coming from the other room and returned.



"Oh, so you're back." He noted as he glanced around. "What took so long??"

"Why is that, anyway...?" Bier asked, somewhat sourly. He looked at Preside as he entered, and when asked why he took his time he just pointed at Leech. "He attacked me."

"Who's that?..." Bitz asked quietly, watching Preside.

"That's the leader!"

"Leader..." Bitz nodded lightly, and decided to keep an extra close watch on Preside. This entire plot still smelled foul to her, especially considering the way their hosts looked. "You're shapeshifters too, then...?"

Torment didn't answer Bier's question, he knew perfectly well why Leech hadn't liked him, but saying why wouldn't exactly benefit their plot right now--or ever really. Instead he let Preside entering take over the main attention.

Preside looked to Leech who either didn't realize they had been talking about him or still saw no wrong in what he had done and was smiling contently.

"Of course we are." Preside answered Bitz, but still kept a harsh glare on Leech--there was no doubt something the blue creature had done didn't please him. "I'm sorry that he attacked you..." Preside addressed the others again, "I told him not to...I see how well he listened to that..."

Leech opened his mouth as if he actually had planned to say something but then stopped and shut his mouth once more.

"I've talked to him about it." Bitz said, a bit hastily to avoid that Preside promised a beating or anything equally cruel, and hugged onto Leech. "He won't hurt him more!"

She looked Preside over. "You don't look like a shapeshifter, though." she mumbled. "Can you shapeshift to show us?"

"What do you mean I don't look like a Shapeshifter?" Preside asked, crossing his arms as if insulted, "Are you one? Because if you were you'd probably understand the general phrase 'shapeshifter' to mean one can change appearance." As if this no longer mattered and moving on with subjects he added, "You talked to him about?" Stifling a laugh at the suggestion, he instead smirked, "He doesn't even listen to me half the time, no way was he listening to you."

Leech didn't seem to care about this conversation at all, he seemed to have learned a new 'trick' so to speak for him, amidst the time he had been with Bitz more than likely. He has learned how to use his arms for other things than slashing and otherwise trying to dismember someone and had instead learned to hug back--sort of anyway.

Bitz just stuck her tongue out at Preside. "He does listen to me. Maybe because I don't hurt him like you probably do! Look, he's even hugging back!"

With these words, she snuggled Leech some more before letting go. "And you don't look like a shapeshifter."

"Oh fantastic. We have a--" He stopped himself short of whatever he had planned to say as he obviously decided he didn't want to share his pet anymore and picked him up from his place on the ground by his collar which evidently didn't look like much fun for Leech but he didn't complain. "I don't see what a Shapeshifter should look like. You sure do ask a lot of questions for being guests."

"But you're no--" Leech began but didn't have a chance to finish as Preside slapped his hand over the creature's mouth. "So, you want to go on the tour now??"

"Put him down!" Bitz cried out. Bier hastily went over to her, standing by her side just in case he was needed. "You'll hurt him!"

"If you put him down, we'll go on the tour." Bier said, trying to negotiate. Bitz looked up at him, hesitantly frowning for a moment, before nodding.

Preside rolled his eyes about this as if the entire thing were a waste of time but dropped his pet on the ground again. Leech frowned momentarily but then seemed perfectly content enough as he went to stand beside Bitz once more.

"Fine. I'll show you around as long as he stays quiet." He pointed to Leech then added, "I think you've met all of us but...I'm Preside, that's Torment. I know you met Slime and this is Leech." He pointed at each as he went on with the introductions.

Torment was evidently lost in his own world of thinking though. He didn't acknowledge them at all--no doubt he was plotting how he was going to 'help' Bier with his injuries.

Bier felt an involuntary shiver go through him as he glanced to Torment. He definately wasn't looking forward to seeing the reason why a doctor had such a name. Mentally, he made a note to stay far away from the doctor during the tour.

Bitz nodded. "I think I've met all of you now." she said, hugging Leech. "It's okay, he'll stay really quiet. Right, Leech?"

Leech nodded his head enthusiastically and hugged her back--it seemed more like a thank you for saving my life kind of appreciative hug more than anything.

Preside still didn't seem very pleased by that fact. Maybe it was because Bitz seemed able to reason better with Leech than he was. Either way he just looked unhappy with the entire ordeal. Regardless he opened another door that led down a hall and headed through. "This is a boring hall...and well it's boring."

Indicating a few rooms on either side he added, "These are for our shapeshifter friends to live in--their own rooms, then we've got a place where they--er, we, can all go and talk and stuff down this way..."

Torment was counting so it seemed. The way he occasionally moved his fingers, and gazed up at the ceiling with one hand on his chin while walking.

Bitz followed Preside, listening to every word he said - and that did include every single one. She noted all his mistakes and attempts to correct himself, and made sure to remember which rooms this deemed as unsafe. Bier listened, although a lot more trustingly, and was kind of unnervedly watching Torment. He wondered what the doctor could be thinking of.

"And this is where we eat--well you guys included in that granted ya know, you uh, want to." He indicated their kitchen set up. Interestingly enough half of it was incredibly clean while the other half was somewhat of a mess, cluttered with various things from rags to old dishes with crusty...who knew what on them. "Our main uh self proclaimed chefs have a bit of...a...well war going on." He added, indicating the mess, very entertaining if you're bored." He was looking around the room as if expecting something else, giving the others a chance to explore if they wanted or really do whatever they pleased.

Leech seemed the most interested in this room, rather than any of the others who normally would know this place. His tail wagged back and forth as he stood on two feet once more and began shuffling around hopeful of finding some sort of treat lying around. However it didn't seem as if they left food just out lying around so he settled for licking the old pots and pans.

Bitz went along with Leech, and unwilling to be left among just Preside and Torment, Bier soon tried to follow the two inside. Once inside, Bitz decided to see if they had any energy drinks for her, and begun to look around in the refridgerator. She had begun to gain a quite severe headache, and it made listening a bit difficult. Oh, why did she have to be so addited?

Leech rather contently went abut licking all the pots and pans despite the fact it was far from sanitary, tail wagging back and forth in delight of what he apparently found to be a treasure.
"We don't usually get ta be nice!" Leech informed Bier and Bitz out of nowhere as if it were a nice change--for rarely speaking ever, he seemed to talk to them more than anyone else.

The other two came in nearly just as soon as he had said it.

"You like the kitchen??" Preside asked, noticing that they had well wandered off from the amazingly boring tour he was giving them.

"Well, I'm hungry..." Bitz said as she looked to Preside. Although she noted Leech's words, she decided to ask about them later. "Do you have any energy drinks?"

Bier took a few moments to think, as "I didn't want to be around you" probably wouldn't work as a good explanation. After these few moments, he nodded. "Yeah!"

"I don't know what we have." Preside blinked as id this was the strangest question he had heard all day. "I don't cook."

"You do not cook energy drinks." Torment informed for who knew what reason.

Preside just shrugged. "I don't rule the kitchen. The cooks rule the kitchen. The cooks are...nowhere to be seen." He noted as he glanced around. "Huh. well go ahead and help yourself to whatever you can find...and if you see anything strange just...push it aside or feed it to him."

Leech smiled and wagged his tail, evidently knowing Preside was referring to him as being the eater of 'garbage.'

"Alrighty." Bitz said and smiled with a nod, resuming her search. She found some kind of leftovers which she gave to Leech, and did indeed find an energy drink as well. It wasn't her regular one, but she was happy just to get one and gleefully took it out. Taking a straw from the scarf-bag around her neck, she put it into the drink and sipped on it as she went back out of the kitchen. Bier followed her, looking around at their new allies to see what they would do.

Leech accepted the offer with enthusiasm and gulped down whatever the remains had been with no question. Although he probably would've eaten anything anyway--he didn't exactly look like the most well fed creature to exist.

Preside watched them go with the slightest skeptical expression as he walked out of the room with Torment trailing along behind.

"So what do you think of the place??" Preside asked, "pretty nice, right??"

"It is." Bier answered, nodding. He sounded sincere... Bitz said the same thing, but unlike her brother, she didn't sound sincere at all. She tried to copy her brother's tone, but it sounded rather false and she kept her guard up.

After a few moments, though, Bier blinked. "Wait, was that ALL?"

"Shapeshifters are curious." Preside announced, "Gotta save a little fun for curiosity right? You can explore everything if you like. There's plenty of fun in that." his 'smile' seemed a bit too much like a knowing smirk--probably one of danger looming in their future.

"But before any adventures, you should get yourself fixed up." Torment added right after Preside was finished.

Bier groaned lightly. Normally, he'd have loved the possibility to get his wounds tended to, but when the doctor was Torment... he really felt like he would be better off trying to fix them himself. He gave the doctor an uncertain look. "Do I have to?"

Bitz put a hand onto Leech, glancing down to him. "You won't leave my side, will you?" she asked quietly, hoping for nobody else to hear. Her voice sounded almost frightened, as she knew none of this could be good. And with how friendly Leech had become, he felt like the only one she could trust aside from her brother. Even if he was like a dog.

"Of course." Torment's simple reply came. He sounded much more enthusiastic about this than he had been about anything else which granted could be a bit scary.

Leech turned his head to face Bitz and made a quiet rumbling sound--of course that wasn't exactly like a yes or no. He pushed his head against her and smiled before pulling away once more and frowning. Whatever point he was trying to get across most certainly wasn't clear in the least.

"I um, I really think I'll be fine though..." Bier tried to protest, beginning to back off. He hadn't felt comfortable with Torment before, but now he just felt frightened! "I'm a bit of a doctor I mean mechanic myself so I think I can fix these up myself I mean they're not that bad and I-I don't need your help honest!" he rambled, flailing somewhat.

"You want to, but you can't, can you?" Bitz whispered with a sigh. "It's okay..." She glanced to her panicked brother, and shook her head lightly. "I have to go with bro for now. Something terrible is going to happen, I'm sure of it."

Leech nodded his head as his tail flopped flat on the ground as if the idea didn't make him very happy. He didn't follow her over to her brother, rather waiting where he had sat down at with his head downcast.

"With the way you were squirming about like a worm when you fell??" Torment asked, "That isn't a minor injury. You can't be a mechanic and not realize that. It won't take long, not long at all!" Torment seemed incredibly cheerful despite his earlier...indifference.

"I don't want to..." Bier whined, much like a spoiled child. His fear wasn't exactly hidden, and he could tell that Torment was enjoying it. There was no way the psycho would give in! Abruptly, Bier turned and ran. Bitz, although stunned by surprise for a few moments, quickly tried to follow him. To her, his actions just didn't make sense! Had he figured it out too, or was it just a sudden fear of doctors?!