It had been a good run.

But it was about time for Rebecca’s relationship with her X-Uniform to come to an end. It had served her well in her first tenure with the team, and even through her return. A run in with a “bog mutant” ruined her primary uniform, and an altercation with a mutant from the other end of the Rip tore up her spare. Rebecca could still pull one of the standard X-Uniforms from storage for patrols, but she wanted a costume of her own.

She could have requested for a replication of her original uniform, but she was a new person wholly unlike the green girl who joined the team at nineteen. It was time for a change, and while Akshay had moved onto bigger and better things, he left an addiction for Rebecca to cling to many years later. Comics were a great place to go for inspiration, and one costume had caught her eye and her curiosity.

The half-cape. The hood. The skirt. The color. It felt like an homage to her original uniform while still being something decidedly new. Of course, she would need to make modifications. Her metal boots and gauntlets were non-negotiable. Her chestplate was helpful for steadying herself, but not ultimately necessary. It would shatter if hit with a bullet and cause her just as many problems as an uninterrupted bullet, and beyond hovering, it did make movement a little more cumbersome.

Of course, Becca’s skill with sewing was… limited at best. The outfit would be intricate, and she wanted to get it right the first time, so she reached out to the seamstress-on-hand on the X-Team, Kealey.

Rebecca had called to arrange a meeting with the Irish X-Man, settling on a visit to her apartment to keep Kealey away from the glut of teenagers at the Mansion. Knocking on the door to the high-rise apartment, she called out, ”Hi Kealey, it’s Becca, ready tae be sized up an’ whatnot!”

Fashion design was an interesting business. There were so many people in so many shapes, sizes, and varieties, and they all needed different things from the clothes that the wore. Some people needed function over form. Some people needed form over function. Some people literally depended on the clothes they wore to protect them from the hazards they faced in day to day life. Kealey liked to design for all of them. They weren't all her specialty, but it was always fun to stretch one's skills.

X-Men uniforms were a particular favorite for Kealey. It had all started when she'd made a coat for Shin and something for her to wear when they were out on missions. Shin's had bells and whistles...Kealey's just made her feel...well like a super hero vigilante should feel. From there, the blonde had expanded, making new uniforms for everyone on the team. Each one had been unique and well suited to the specific needs of the person who would be wearing it. Powers had to be taken into consideration, as well as functionality. Challenges to say the least.

Glancing at the clock, the blonde set aside the sketches that she and her current client had been working on, Rebecca would be arriving soon to go over details and give measurements and Kealey wanted to be ready.

Almost on cue, a knock came at the door to the apartment and Kealey rose from her seat to allow the knocker entry. "Right on time! Come on in.
I've got the sketches we worked on laid out and we can start discussing the finer points." she said, stepping aside to make space. It was always nice to see Rebecca, conversations between the two of them and their respective accents reminded Kealey of home.

Rebecca was not waiting long before the door to the apartment opened, revealing her friendly blonde teammate. Kealey was older than Becca, though just looking at her, you would never know. She had aged gracefully since the Becca’s first day meeting her. Kealey was the one who picked the timid foreign exchange student, and the first friendly face she met in America.

She was no longer a student and Kealey no longer lived at the Mansion, but they were both still members of the X-Men. One of the best things about her return to New York had been the familiar faces that never left.

Ever the professional, Kealey already had preliminary sketches based on the examples Becca sent over. The basis for the costume was an obscure character, which meant she had to spent excessive time searching for good images, so she was excited to see Kealey’s interpretation to make sure the idea was conveyed correctly. ”Thenk ye fur thes, Kealey. Ah’m nae needin’ a rush job, bit Ah dinnae want tae spend th’ rest ay th’ year in a spare uniform,” she explained with a smile. ”They’re nice, bit a wee bit generic.” The standard X-Outfits were also one of Kealey’s creations, and they were great, but after years of being an X-Man, Becca was attached to the style she was known for as a heroine.

”Sides, wi’ all this Rip business, we’ll be busy fur a while, Ah’m sure.” The X-Men would be putting in extra hours for the foreseeable future until everything around the Rip started to settle, (assuming it ever would.)

Rebecca was pleased that Kealey was able to accommodate her need for a new costume and Kealey waved the younger woman off as they made their way further into the apartment. The spares were perfectly functional for short-term use, but Kealey knew that it wasn't what she would have wanted long term and she didn't even have powers that extended beyond her mental capabilities. It was perfectly understandable for a person to want functional clothes that didn't look ridiculous to wear when they were putting out fires all over town, whether they were literal or figurative.

"It's not a problem." Kealey said as the approached the table and she spread out the sketches, "This RIP business has me unsettled though. Not that I mind the folks, or that I don't want to help them out...but it seems like their world is a bit different from ours."

It was beside the point, Kealey gestured at the drawings. "Let me know what you think and what needs to be changed. I went off of what you told me and tweaked the source material a bit. Once you're happy with the design, we can start talking about material and accessories."

After all...a girl had to have the proper accessories.

Rebecca craned her neck to look at Kealey’s sketches as they were spread across the table for her. She was impressed at first glance, but needed to look them over closer. Before she could, she caught Kealey’s comment about the rift. ”Trust me, unsettled Ah can gie,” she assured her friend. ”Sae fa Ah’ve met mah doppelganger an’ foond it she leads her X-Men an’ is married tae their ‘Mirror.’” There was nothing like a parallel universe version of one’s self to inspire some questions about how she was living her life. ”It’s been a weird time.”

Impact!Rebecca was a complicated part of her life, so Lodestone!Rebecca opted to focus on Kealey’s drawings, noticing little ways she changed the designs to translate comic book style with real world realism and practicality. ”These look great, Kealey. Ay coorse, Ah expected nothing less,” she added with a grin.

She was faced with choices regarding materials and accessories, so Rebecca mulled both over in her head. She was not an expert in fabrics, so she could only trust Kealey would lead her in the right direction if she explained what she needed. ”Ah need fabric tha can move wi’ me. Something Ah can be flexible in. Mebbe something tha breaths?” Fighting could be a sweltering task with all the moving and adrenaline pumping.

”Ah’ll need tae keep some elements ay mah current uniform. Ah need th’ metal boots an’ gauntlets tae fly. Ah need mah shield fur… weel, hitting stuff in th’ face.” It was a simple but necessary piece of her whole outfit, too practical to lose. ”An… Ah hink Ah’d want tae keep mah mask. Ah know Ah’d hae a hood, an’ we arenae exactly hiding. Ah guess Ah jist feel richt wi’ a mask.” It felt like she was paying an homage to the comics where “superheroism” originated. It was silly, but the mask fit her well enough not to be an issue in the field.