Maya made herself comfortable on the chair. If she knew anything about art, she knew it took time, so she made sure to settle in for the long haul. Helping someone else with their homework was sometimes more fun than others. This time, at least she had cake. Not that she could eat it right now. But probably after. And she would take some to Kalos too. She was a big fan of cake, that one.

"So, why art?" she ventured, trying to keep her face from moving too much "Is it an elective, or did Nate blackmail you somehow?"

Celeste grumbled a little bit as she attempted to draw Maya. She groaned in frustration nearly immediately, wrinkled the paper up with her hand, and threw it into the trashcan. She rubbed her eyes and began a new.

>>"So, why art? Is it an elective, or did Nate blackmail you somehow?"

She nodded, "It's an elective... I needed something that I didn't have and art was the most basic one. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but it seemed like it'd be a bit better than some of the other classes that were being offered. I quickly regret that decision, honestly. But I have to have it to pass. Mr. Holloway says that he only grades if we are making effort and are taking his teachings into account. But I'm kinda a perfectionist and this is something I cannot even nearly, closely be perfect at. Do you teach any classes?" She was an X-Man, errrr X-Woman, after all. Doesn't that mean she's a teacher too? Maybe they weren't all teachers, though. 

So the problem was not Nate and his teaching technique, as much as Celeste herself being a perfectionist. Maya knew that wanting to do something without fault usually led to abandoning it halfway through, since very few things were perfect at the first try. She watched as Celeste crumpled the paper and threw it away. She doubted much had been on it, but she was already starting a new one. She was definitely putting in the effort.

>>"Do you teach any classes?"

"Nah" Maya smiled a little "I do DR training sessions for students to work with their powers. I'm better at that than academics."

After a few more tries, a relatively modest version of Maya's head began to form - one that Celeste decided she would keep working on, no matter what. She had wasted too many trees lives.

>> "I do DR training sessions for students to work with their powers. I'm better at that than academics."

She nodded, "I think I'd rather be doing trainings in the DR instead of art, honestly. I don't know how to fight fight but I'd rather learn that than make a pretty picture. I'd probably be at least slightly better at punching someone." 

Celeste kept working on the portrait, but she was apparently not getting much enjoyment out of it. Maya sneaked a bite of cake while she was looking at the sketch instead of her. She chewed quickly.

>>"I think I'd rather be doing trainings in the DR instead of art, honestly. I don't know how to fight fight but I'd rather learn that than make a pretty picture. I'd probably be at least slightly better at punching someone."

"Well... martial arts are arts too" Maya flashed a grin at Celeste "But they are not exactly easier to learn..."

Sure, Maya could teach just about anyone how to punch properly, and how to defend themselves from an unarmed attacker. But anything beyond that... was a lot of practice and hard work, and at some levels, even talent. In some ways easier than art, but harder in others...

D*mnit, she screwed a piece of it up. She groaned and rubbed her face in frustration. "Maybe it's not too late to just get my GED?" 

>>"Well... martial arts are arts too. But they are not exactly easier to learn..."

Celeste probably wouldn't be too good at that, either, but she had a lot more confidence there than in paper, pencil, colors, paint, type of art. She rubbed the back of her neck, "Well, I think it'd be easier for me to get a hang of... I actually signed up for a training class which so far has been going at least a little better than art." 

It was true that Celeste could probably use self defense training, just like all other mutant kids at the school. Maya was willing to sign her up for some classes, too. She could take extra, if she wanted to try out for the team, or take up martial arts as an elective. But she was in too deep the arts class to switch. She would just have to make the best of it.

>>"Well, I think it'd be easier for me to get a hang of... I actually signed up for a training class which so far has been going at least a little better than art."

"Oh come on, no one's ever failed art" Maya grinned "Not under Nate, anyway. You'll do your best and you'll be fine. Or maybe you can try some other art form, if sketching's not your strength. Like, photography? Collage?..."

Finally content with the general outline of the face, she began to do Maya's hair. Shading was a little easier than regular shapes, so she was a little happier sketching that.

>>"Oh come on, no one's ever failed art. Not under Nate, anyway. You'll do your best and you'll be fine. Or maybe you can try some other art form, if sketching's not your strength. Like, photography? Collage?..."

She perked a brow, "well, yeah, but there is always a first. I don't think I'll fail it, I'll just make like... A B or something when it should be an A." She wanted her transcript to look excellent - she had been accepted under the condition that she kept her grades up. They could revoke it come December and it has dropped. Not to mention the scholarships she was awarded...

Huh, photography. That might be something she'd be good at. But she can't afford a camera, so that probably wouldn't work out to well, "I can't afford a camera that would take really good photos. But I think I'd be better at that. But, that's not what Mr. Holloway is wanting us to do, so I dunno." She paused, "But... Look at the icing design on those cakes and cookies? I consider that art! I'm great at it there!" 

>>"well, yeah, but there is always a first. I don't think I'll fail it, I'll just make like... A B or something when it should be an A."

"Tragic." Maya smirked. She knew that B was equal to failing to some people; she had never been one of those people. She was not dumb, but she had coasted by comfortably, passing classes just so that she did not have to do homework anymore. But art? She could fail art, and live happily...

>>"I can't afford a camera that would take really good photos. But I think I'd be better at that. But, that's not what Mr. Holloway is wanting us to do, so I dunno."

"I'm sure he'll have some photo assignments later on. You'll make up for lost points, him?" Maya suggested, before eating another bite of cake. Heck, she was feeling herself get fatter by the minute.

>>"But... Look at the icing design on those cakes and cookies? I consider that art! I'm great at it there!"

"Maybe you should do an icing portrait of me" Maya grinned "If Nate doesn't like it, he can still eat the cake..."

She yawned as she finished Maya's hair. It wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't really good. 

>> "Tragic."

She squinted towards Maya and grumbled about herself being an overachiever. It would be tragic - A's and then that one B. Gross.

>> "I'm sure he'll have some photo assignments later on. You'll make up for lost points, him?"

She nodded and shrugged, "I guess so... But, uh... That might not save me in the end." 

>> "Maybe you should do an icing portrait of me. If Nate doesn't like it, he can still eat the cake..."

She chuckled and grinned before realizing she had a pie in the oven. Oh no! How long had it been? She rushed over to check it, realizing it was just finished. She grabbed it out of the oven and sat it on the counter. It smelled very much like apple and cinnamon. Mmm.

"I wish I could just replace all my assignments with baking related ones. He would totally like my icing paintings."

Celeste rushed to the oven to rescue the latest creation just in time. It smelled heavenly, and Maya could not help but stare at the apple and cinnamon goodness on the plate. She was full, not hungry at all, but she also did not feel like she could pass the opportunity up, should Celeste offer her a slice.

>>"I wish I could just replace all my assignments with baking related ones. He would totally like my icing paintings."

"Well... maybe you could offer some baking classes?" Maya suggested "Not gonna help you with the art class, but it would look good on a CV? And kids around here need to learn more practical skills. Not everything revolves around fighting for your life."

It did for the X-team, and often, but that did not mean Mirror didn't appreciate normal everyday things.

Celeste cut a medium sized piece for Maya and put it on a new place, and put it in front of her. If she wanted it, anyways. She even put a fork in it for her. It smelled amazing, but Celeste wasn't hungry. She hadn't made any of this for herself - well, she had, in the sense that she wanted to do anything besides her art crap. 

>> "Well... maybe you could offer some baking classes? Not gonna help you with the art class, but it would look good on a CV? And kids around here need to learn more practical skills. Not everything revolves around fighting for your life."

That... Actually, wasn't a bad idea. Maybe she could be Ms. De Ward, teacher of bakers. Future bakers of America. The idea sounded worst in her head. She wasn't even sure she could teach classes, let alone be trusted with several kids in the kitchen. It would be fun though, "Well, you help me set up and I'm all for it. I just need, like, I don't know. Students first? And the school administrations support. Maybe I could just switch my art out for this. Maybe it'll balance my GPA out." She shrugged, unsure of her rambling anymore and went back to her drawing.

Celeste seemed to like the idea of teaching baking classes. Maya was all for having more pastries show up in the Mansion kitchen (even if some were a little flat or burned). And students did need to learn more than just fighting skills, or academics. Many of them did not have a family to teach them basics like how to turn an oven on.

>>"Well, you help me set up and I'm all for it. I just need, like, I don't know. Students first? And the school administrations support. Maybe I could just switch my art out for this. Maybe it'll balance my GPA out."

"I can help you with that." Maya nodded with a smile "We'll talk details later. I think it would be a good thing for everyone involved."

It would be fun to teach a bunch of kids how to bake. Granted, it'd probably just end up with some fires, burnt fingers, but hey, it'd be fun. Plus, baked goods are the best.

>>"We'll talk details later. I think it would be a good thing for everyone involved."

She nodded, "Sounds like a plan." With her future teaching career in the limbo due to bureaucracy, she went back to her small sketch. She was practically done so she finished a few pieces of her not very good drawing and brought it back over to Maya, "Well... Here's the disaster."