Teaching huh?

Henry had made his way to the mansion to drop off a cake for one of the residents. It had been a special order and he had put hours of work into it. A solid three layer cake adorned with a bright blue x on top. He had handed the cake over to an older man named Ruddy in his office when the conversation had started.

It was rather unusual to Henry. The topic of expanding curriculums and qualifications. Henry didn't have much experience teaching, other than his time as a boot camp instructor. But the conversation had gone well and somehow by the end of it he found himself shaking hands after agreeing to teach home economics of all things three times a week.

He sat outside now, his delivery made and watched a group of kids playing basketball off in the distance. The sun was quickly setting and soon the chill night air would force them inside, but for now they played oblivious to the world around them.

His perch was a lawn chair beside a table. He had been told to check out the facility and found it quite nice. The home vibe reverberated through the place.

He was wearing a button up, sleeves rolled up to reveal his tattoos. A swirling mixture of a dozen different animals in vibrant colors. His gun was concealed in the holster on his back and he had his ouch of jerky strapped to his leg as usual.

"Yeah. I could do this." He said quietly to the evening air.

Spring was the most hopeful season. Winter was officially over, and the sun was out for longer, which meant that Juliette had more time to absorb light. Any time that she wasn’t working, teaching, or training, she had taken to spending in the mansion grounds. Her walks and runs had certainly put less strain on the mansion energy bill.

She often walked by herself, enjoying the fresh air and nature, but she would occasionally stop if there was someone on the grounds that she wanted to talk to. It was nice to have company to run with every once and a while. 

That night, she had taken a run through the forest and circled back to the mansion doors. She was dressed in workout clothes, with her hair in a ponytail and her phone strapped to her arm so she could listen to music. 

She had been about to go back inside, figuring that there wasn't much time left until the sun set when something caught her eye. There was a man sitting at one of the patio tables near the entrance to the mansion. There was a chance that he was lost and looking to talk to someone, but there was also a chance that he was... less than friendly. She decided that it would be a good idea to check him out.

The man had a shaved head, tattoos up his arms, and a - uh - large amount of muscle mass. He was dressed nicely, so it didn’t seem like he was someone looking for a place to stay, but she didn't want to rule out the option. People in need came in all forms. 

”Do what, if you don’t mind me asking?” Juliette spoke up, making her presence known by stepping into his field of vision.

She very nearly pulled up a chair but stopped herself. She didn’t want to be presumptuous, especially if he wanted to be alone.

Henry heard a woman speak and saw her a moment later as she stepped in front of him. She was petite, just shy of five and a half feet tall, and had caramel skin that shone in the evening light. He gave a little shake of his head and let out a small chuckle.

"Sorry, just talking to myself. Been a bit of a crazy day." He mumbled.

He looked over at the kids. Cheerfully running, playing, not a care in the world despite the fact that they were all mostly social outcasts if you looked at them as mutants alone. Aerial was only eleven, they didn't know if she had inherited his x gene or not, but he hoped if she did have it she'd find a place like this to learn.

He turned his attention back to the woman and offered his hand, sliding forward in his chair.

"Henry Turner, apparently I'm the new Home Ec. Teacher. Have a seat, you look like you've been doing some PT." He offered.

Maybe he really was looking for a place to stay. His immediate response didn’t tell her a whole lot, but it didn’t exactly tell her that he was just passing through. She definitely needed to push a little harder for a definitely response.

”I know the feeling,” Juliette said with a bit of a chuckle. She’d had a bit of a break from the crazy that week, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t easily conjure up the feeling of being completely overwhelmed.

She turned her head, looking toward the group of kids that he was looking at. She really hoped that he had a good explanation for being there, since he was making himself look very suspicious. Subtly, she felt for her phone, ready to call someone if he turned out to be less than savoury.

Thankfully, the tide changed quickly. A new teacher. That was excellent news.

With a relieved smile, Juliette shook his hand. ”Well then, welcome to the staff! I’m Juliette Lawson. I teach health and help out in the infirmary. If you need any help with anything, I’m happy to lend a hand.”

She took the seat that she was offered, stretching out her legs under the table. She always felt good after a run. She just wished that she had some coffee to accompany the feeling.

”So,” she began to inquire, ”how’d you find out about this place? I haven’t seen a huge amount of turnover in the staff since I’ve been here, so I’m a little curious.”

I’m happy to lend a hand.”

So she was staff. It made sense and her expressing her time in the infirmary made Henry peg her as a medic of sorts, perhaps a doctor or nurse.

"Thanks. I guess I have to come in and set up for class on Monday. You do infirmary duty? What kind of crazy do you run into here?" He said with a light chuckle.

Her questions came casually, but coupled with her tense response to him at their initial contact and the fact that the questions were a bit forward and pointed Henry assumed she was feeling him out. Made sense, mother hen watching over the chicks. He gave a little shrug.

"Honestly I got a cake order. I run a bakery on twelfth street. Just got back from my deployment overseas. Came in and met the headmaster, guy seems nice if not a bit all over the place. He said he was trying to diversify curriculum and after going over my credentials as a baker and some of my army skills he offered me the class."

It had been weird and saying it out loud made it even odder to the man. He wasn't sure how to teach a room full of awkward teens how to make delicious treats, but he would have to find out.

"I've kinda been looking to do some good so I figured why not. Being back in the states and off the battlefield makes me feel a bit useless. Knowing I was making a difference in the world ya know." He continued.

Not one to dominate a conversation Henry turned his focus on the woman as she rested beside him.

"What about you? How long you been here?"

Juliette laughed at his next quip. What kind of crazy? Well, all kinds of crazy. They had mutations of all kinds represented, a busy danger room, an X-Team, and too many injuries to list. DocProf handled most things, but there were things that it was good to have someone with, ahem, actual medical training around for.

"There's a lot going on here," Juliette told him with a chuckle, shifting in her seat. "You'll see. Kids with mutations, tactical training, the X-Men, you name it. There's always someone bleeding around here. Not... that you'll end up like that."

Necessarily was the word that came to her mind. She didn't say that, though. He wasn't completely committed yet, after all.

A cake order. That was certainly a far cry from the usual "I was looking for a place to stay and wound up never leaving". A cake order. Man, that was different.

She laughed again, "well now I know why he asked you to teach Home Ec. As far as I know, that position has been open for a while. Lord knows that people here could use it." Juliette was 100% one of those people. She recalled the last time she'd cooked and the mess that had followed. It hadn't been pretty.

Back in the states and off of the battlefield. That suggested that he was a veteran. A tough life, especially after first coming home. Her expression softened a little, but she kept it light, not wanting to suggest that she was pitying him. "Where were you stationed?" she asked.

She'd been there... geez, how long had it actually been? Juliette looked at the table for a second, trying to think back to when she'd arrived at the mansion. Last... fall? Late summer. That was it, late summer.

"About ten months, if I'm remembering right? I've enjoyed it." There were so many things associated with the mansion for her that she didn't think that she'd ever be able to separate herself from them completely. It was weird to think about all the roots she'd put down in such a short amount of time. 

Not... that you'll end up like that."

Henry gave a small laugh at the woman's words. She seemed infinitely more pleasant now that she wasn't suspecting him of some nefarious scheme.

"Wouldn't be the first time if I do," He replied," You an X man? You guys do good work. Keeping the peace, fighting the good fight. I can get behind that."

Life was easier when you had a line drawn in the sand. When you could call yourself a good guy and stop bad things from happening. It had been what he loved about being a soldier, and it had helped him sleep at night when he thought of some of the things he had been forced to do.

He gave a wry smile in response to her remark about the class.

"He said sign ups would be happening this week so tell some rugrats to join, hell tell the staff. It be a waste if nobody showed up." He admitted.

She gave him a sympathetic look, the look of someone who understood a soldiers struggle but kept pity put of her voice. He appreciated that.

"Middle East. My ability made me good for recon work and target nutrilization. I could tell you about the crap I saw, but mostly it was just hot over there." He said lightly.

She talked about her time at the mansion like someone reflecting on home and he felt an envious pang. Since the divorce he hadn't felt much like anywhere was a real home. A small honest part of him hoped he could find that there.

"Glad to hear it. I've heard horror stories from teachers so getting a positive review does wonders for the idea of strapping on the tweed jacket and throwing my hat into the ring." He joked.

"I am," Juliette nodded. There were still parts of her that wondered why she had signed up for the position, but for the most part, she didn't regret doing it. It made her feel like she was a part of something bigger than herself, which was what she strived for in most aspects of her life. "Thank you, though. It means a lot. Relations with the public are good right now, but they haven't always been. It's good to know that we're still coming off well to some of the public."

It could be difficult to be an X-Men at times, but it could also be great. Luckily, they were on an upswing with the public opinion. People were interested in joining, and for the most part, people were willing to let them do their work when they needed to.

"I'll keep an eye out for the ones burning the food at meal times," Juliette said with a grin. She was about to suggest that she should sign up for his class, since no one would ever have called her a good cook without a gun to her head, but quickly decided against it. Going to that class would mean having peers that were also her students. That was a hard pass. If she wanted to retain any of the little respect that they had for her, she had to keep them from ever finding out about that one time that she'd burned her Kraft Dinner.

If she could help it, she would be sticking to take-out and food that other people cooked for the rest of her life. So far, it had worked out pretty well for her.

A station in the Middle East to working at a bakery. Talk about a drastic change. Now, he was going to be a teacher, which only added to the shifts.

"Sounds like it. What are your abilities, if you don't mind sharing?" she inquired, subtly sliding away from his time overseas in case he didn't want to get into it. From what she understood, it could be a heavy topic. Sam wasn't technically a soldier, but talking about his similar experiences could be hard on him.

She grinned at his joke and then paused, a sudden thought coming to her mind. "So who was this infamous cake that brought you here for?" She couldn't remember there being any birthdays that week, unless it was a new resident that she hadn't had the chance to meet. 

It's good to know that we're still coming off well to some of the public."

Henry gave a quick shrug and stopped himself from spitting in disgust.

"I know the feeling. Everywhere I went a saw a bunch of pansy protesters with their "make peace not war"signs" He said making air quotes, "bunch of people I'm risking my life to protect and they think because they read a Wikipedia article they know a better solution. The X men save lives. That's good enough for me."

And it was. The X men were more than just a group that protected people and made mutants look good. Henry saw them as a deterant to crime and violence. Anything or anyone wanting to come cause trouble would think twice about it with a super-powered group of defenders at the ready.

He gave a light chuckle and a nod at her joke and then eyed her as she asked about his power. It was usually easier to show than to explain.

He popped open his leg pouch and chomped down on a piece of jerky. His body reacted instantly. His body shifted and he was covered in a layer of tough tightly woven scales. His fingers lengthened and he found little claws on them. His nose shrunk into slits and his tongue forked and lengthened as his eyes became reptilian. His ears slid into his head and his canines lengthened to long fangs.

"I take on animal characteristics by eating their meat. Last about an hour. I have a little bit of everything," He said patting his pack with a scaled hand, " The army liked me to be loaded so they hooked me up with a zoologist in the government. He sends me meat from animals that pass in zoos and nature reserves. I have everything from dog to rhino."

His reptilian eyes assessed the woman and he raised a hand apologetically.

"Sorry if your one of those animal rights folk. I don't kill anything to do what I do." He said.

He knew PETA would have a field day with his antics.

"What about you?" What's your power?" He asked casually, slithering into a more comfortable position in his chair.

She asked who the cake was for and Henry shook his head.

"No idea he didn't say. All the order said was it was a urgent delivery and he wanted me to bring it personally."

A strange thought crept into Henry's mind. It had been a tad convenient than the order had come in and he had been asked to deliver it to the headmaster at the exact same time they needed a teacher.

"Damn. For all I know he planned all this." He said with a little laugh.

Juliette nodded at his response to her comment about the X-Men. People judged harshly and prematurely, causing unfair speculation. Rumours flew and spiralled, and soon enough, there was hardly any truth left to what was being said about them. But if people were still hearing the truth like Henry said, then she was content. It was impossible to control the feelings of every single person, but it wasn't impossible to focus on those of a few individuals.

From what she could tell in that moment, Henry was showing her his power rather than explaining it to her. That wasn't incredibly uncommon, but it was definitely more interesting. Except when students decided that it would be a good time to demonstrate their abilities while she was speaking.

Of all the things that she would have guessed from him eating a piece of random meat from the little sack around his waist, what happened was not one of them. His body changed to reflect a reptilian bodily structure, complete with scales, claws, a slitted nose, and a forked tongue.

Juliette screeched quietly and put her hands over her mouth. It had happened quickly, and she really hadn't been expecting that. Of all the things that she'd seen in her life, snake man was not on the list, and it was a strange sight. She would have been lying if she said that it wasn't completely unsettling.

"No, it's okay," Juliette waved him off, her eyes still fixated on his new features. She'd always valued human rights over animal rights, and if it activated his mutation, then she wasn't going to judge. "What exactly do you mean by 'everything', though?" Cat? Monkey? Kangaroo?

"What about you?" What's your power?"

"Uhm," Juliette paused, still entirely caught off guard by his recent display. That was definitely a hard image not to focus on entirely. Her mind was having a difficult time working when there was something like that to look at. 

She shook her head and continued, "light manipulation. I can absorb it and then use it to do different things." She formed the beginning of a blast in her hand and then let it dissipate; a much smaller scale demonstration than the one that he had given. 

"Damn. For all I know he planned all this."

"That does sound like Ruddy," she agreed with a smirk. He always seemed to be barely with it, but somehow scheming at the same time. He was a crazy man. 

She clapped her hands together, trying at all costs to distract herself so she wouldn't keep staring at him. "So. Have you had a tour yet?"

He noticed her discomfort at his transformation, but it was nothing new for Henry. He knew it had to be a jarring experience to see him change. It had taken him years to get used to it himself. Juliette seemed polite however, and didn't make a fuss.

"What exactly do you mean by 'everything', though?"

Henry wriggled a scaled eyebrow, " Do you really want me to answer that?"

He watched her summon power into her hand as she explained her power and he gave a nod. Considering how people seemed to hate being in the dark it seemed like a versatile ability. Between sunlight and the ever present glow of New York the woman probably had an ample supply of power.

"Interesting. Adaptable. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. From what I've seen the X men don't take in people who can't pull their weight." He said with a shrug.

She asked of he had been given a tour and he shook his head.

"They showed me my classroom but that was about it. Kinda just told me to look around and check the place out. It's a lively facility. Got a small army here, I don't think I passed a single empty room on my way out." He supplied.

>>" Do you really want me to answer that?"

”No, I really don’t,” Juliette admitted with a grimace. As much as she wouldn’t call herself squeamish, she didn’t particularly want to hear the details of how he could potentially shift into cats or dogs. She did not want to have to imagine Bijou as a piece of jerky.

She waved her hand, and the ball of light was re-absorbed into her skin. She nodded at his response to her display. As much as her power had its problems, it was very adaptable. She could use it in many different ways and situations, and for that, she was thankful. It wasn’t debilitating. Most of the time.

”It works for me. Most of the time, anyway,” she smirked. ”But everything has its downside, doesn’t it? I mean, do you always change when you eat meat? Does that get annoying when you’re in a restaurant, or something?” She figured that it could get annoying to change into a cow whenever you wanted to order a steak somewhere fancy.

>>"They showed me my classroom but that was about it. Kinda just told me to look around and check the place out. It's a lively facility. Got a small army here, I don't think I passed a single empty room on my way out."

”We get kids from all over the place,” she agreed. There never seemed to be a moment when the school wasn’t full of students. For the most part, it was great, but it occasionally got frustrating when she just wanted a quiet place to read and they were all filled with children.

She stood up from the table and gestured to the building in front of them. ”Well, come on, then, I’ll give you the grand tour,” she offered with a wink.

Juliette dispersed the power she was holding in her hand and Henry found himself wondering what exactly she could do with that power. Energy blasts in and of themselves seemed like a powerful tool, but Juliette talked like that wasn't the only application she had for her ability.

Does that get annoying when you’re in a restaurant, or something?”

Henry let out another quick laugh.

"You got that right. Anytime I eat meat I change, and I can't shut it off either. My body processes meat at an incredibly fast rate so it doesn't last a super long time but long enough to be a pain." He replied.

"I stick to salads or pasta most of the time. You should have seen the face on the waiter and staff when I ate at a resturant once and what was supposed to be chicken turned me into a furry rat tailed man. Let's just say my meal was comped." He chuckled.

Juliette rose and offered him a tour with a wink. Henry slithered out of the chair, not one to turn down the company of a lovely and athletic woman. Plus it would probably help if he st least knew where everything was in this massive place.

"Ladies first." He said making a sweeping gesture with a clawed hand.

Pastas and salads seemed like excellent things to stick to if meat was a problem for him. She couldn't imagine going to a restaurant only to leave looking like an animal of some kind. Then again, most people probably wouldn't be able to imagine not being able to go into a dark room like her.

Mutations were funny like that; the ingrained themselves so deep into someone's life that it was often difficult to separate them from the person. Who would she be without her powers? Something very different, without a doubt.

Sometimes, mutations were useful in unexpected ways. That fact was reinforced by Henry's tail tale of the rat meat meal. She laughed earnestly, but tried not to picture it.

She turned to the tour that she was about to give as he gestured to ahead of himself. However lizard-like he seemed, it was clear that Henry still retain his human chivalry.

"This is the outside of the building, in case you hadn't already gathered that. I'm not a history buff, though, so I'm not going to tell you any interesting facts other than where to get the best sunlight at certain times of the day." As she opened a door the led inside, she added, "If you're looking for a history rundown, I might have to find someone else to do this."

Somehow, she didn't really expect the future Home Ec. teacher to be that bummed about a lack of extra information in the tour, so she led him into one of the rec rooms.

He fell into step behind the woman, appreciating the view as he went. After a moment he turned his attentiom to the grounds. They were well kept, not a single blade of grass seemed to be above another. Bushes and tress were neatly trimmed. He couldn't help but wonder for a moment how busy they must have kept the maintenence staff. She led him back towards the mansion.

"If you're looking for a history rundown, I might have to find someone else to do this."

Henry smiled, which was probably not as pleasant a gesture in his current form.

"I find a practical knowledge of a place to be infinitely more useful than an academic one." He replied.

Which was true. Who cared who designed the stairway, or what kind of moulding was used. The fact that the place stood and where everything was located were the important things. Henry already had the sneaking suspicion that the mansion was less happy home and more fortress than it appeared. The security system at the gate alone told him that.

"You guys seem to have a hell of a good handle on security though. I've been on bases with less." He noted.

They entered a rec room and Henry gave the place a once over. There were comfortable chairs and couches situated throughout the room. One of the walls had a TV where students seemed to be playing whatever video game was popular now a days. Pool table, ping pong table, air hockey, the place seemed to have it all. Henry let out a whistle, which sounded somehow like a hiss.

"Wow. I take it funding isn't an issue if your giving them all these toys to play with." He observed.