The wedding was an exciting part of their lives to look forward to, but Becca and Maya felt in many ways like they were married. Things would change, but at the end of the day, Becca would love her spouse as much as she loved her fiancé. They loved Kalos like a daughter already so that would not change by signing papers, but Becca was sure it would mean the world to Kalos after everything she had been through. ”Ah’m sure ye’ll find it soon enough, Lizzy.” She hoped the nickname would be welcome. Some people were touchy about certain names.

The way Liz spoke about flying, it was clearly a transcendent experience. It was almost poetic, feeling connected to infinite possibilities. Rebecca hung on every word, experiencing a glimpse of Liz in her truest form, as the woman who understood the world in ways she never could. It made her fascinating.

”Ye really have a special gift, Liz. Ah’m glad Xavier’s helped ye connect with it.” Knowing several empath-based mutants, Rebecca knew the struggles that came with lack of control. ”And noo ye gie tae return th’ favor. Teach th’ kids while they figure it their powers. Heck, maybe ye an’ yer pupper can solve th’ critter conspiracy.” It sounded so silly to think there was some surprise treasure trove of hidden animals on campus, but there were crazier things.

”Well, gossip and catching up is weel and good,” Rebecca moved on, ”but as yer senior here, Ah suppose Ah should ask if ye hae any questions abit teachin’ here. Even if it’s nae noo, if ye end up wi’ questions of things tae expect or concerns, Ah’m aw yers when ye need me.”

Liz grinned. “Of course I’ll find out,” she promised. “I have spies everywhere.” She waggled her eyes and darted her eyes from side to side before winking. If she had had an elegant mustache, she would’ve been a-twirling it. She didn’t bat an eye at the name though. People called her so many things. It was nice having such a versatile name.

She took Rebecca’s compliment in stride. Rebecca was right, wrong, and so many other things with that one statement, but Liz deflected it was another smile and dip of the head. Her mutation was special, sure. Whether it was a gift or not varied moment by moment and on almost everything around her.

“Indeed, that’s one of the many things I owe this place and why I wanted to come back,” she said, focusing solely on the good. “At the very least, I know what it is like to be overwhelmed by feelings and sensations that aren’t my own. I know there are a number of students on the roster, like always, who have various extrasensory abilities or mutation-inspired instincts that can override rational thought.” Her mouth quirked with a dash of conspiracy and she winked. “Another reason to have a dog: you always have a therapy animal.”

She toned it down a notch as the conversation shifted to something actually resembling the official reason for the meeting. Liz thought for a moment and absently chewed on a lip, before venturing: “Actually, I’ve had an idea for a few weeks now, and I was going to bring it up at whenever the next faculty meeting is, but is there a procedure for acquiring a class pet? I don’t recall ever hearing of one here, but I think it could be a great hands-on learning opportunity for the kids.” It had nothing at all to do with Elizabeth’s own inclinations toward animals. Well, maybe a little. But the educational value proposition was still accurate.

There were more questions to ask Liz about down the line. Becca wondered if mutants with animal traits popped up on the empath’s emotional radar. They were, of course, human, but X-Genes were weird. Maybe she would save that awkward question for a night of drinking.

The canine advocacy made Becca laugh. ”Well, ye may hae better luck wi’ Gawain there. When we moved in together, they brought th’ loyal dog and Ah brought th’ moody cat.” Gavin was a good kitty and freely offered affection when he was in the mood, but he could just as easily be preoccupied with making mischief somewhere in the apartment. ”Though Angua has been a big, lovable cuddle buddy when Ah’ve needed him an’ my fiancé isnae around.” The dog was also massive, which helped the snuggle factor.

Given Liz’s connection to animals, it made sense she would want to do something special to incorporate them in her teaching. Becca lit up, because a class pet would be great for student morale and community building. ”Oh! Ah’m sure we’d need tae run it by th’ headmaster. Ah’d think checkin’ wi’ DocProf is a good start tae be sure tae take allergies intae account.”

The idea clearly energized Becca, and she was not the only one if the feeling in her tummy was anything to go off of. ”Ah think Iris an’ Ah both find thes idea brilliant. Ye shoods gae fer it. Ah’m happy tae help.”

Liz scratched behind her ear and stopped mid-scratch so her ears could park ever so slightly. “Wait, Angua?” she asked as she caught a name amongst Rebecca’s pet tales. “Awww, I’m so glad he’s still with you!” It had been about a decade since she’d first met the doggo, but it was delightful hearing about yet another old friend. “He and I helped fight that bread monster I mentioned before. Well, I say ‘fight’ but it was really more an exercise of food-on-the-go.” And Liz got so much mileage out of that story, at least among mutant-friendly stories. It was certainly one of her more memorable times at the mansion.

A lot of good bread was had that day.

Elizabeth’s smile broadened as Rebbeca seemed to take the idea very well. Animal lovers were always a great bunch to work with. “That’s a good idea,” she said nodding. She hadn’t thought about allergies yet, but the idea was mostly just a work in progress since she wasn’t sure if the idea would even float. But now she could start planning in earnest. “I’ll stop by his office after this then. Now that I think about it, it might also be a good idea to start narrowing down a list of what would and wouldn’t be permitted.” Sure, she wouldn’t have a problem with a small caiman or a porcupine, but the rational side of her kept bringing up things like exotic animal prohibitions and letting non-animal-psychics near such critters.

“I’ll keep you and Iris posted, then,” Liz smiled. “Probably best to start off with something small, like a tarantula, iguana, guinea pig, or something.” Okay, so an iguana wasn’t exactly small, but the point was valid. “Maybe I should make a poll, get some ideas.” And probably make sure Sam didn’t get a chance to put his two cents in.

Rebecca was glad Angua stayed at Maya’s side over the years. The Scot was more of a cat person, but she could not question the loyalty of the big bear-like dog. ”Ah’m nae surprised. Angua is a guid boy an’ Ah’d think of naeain else tae hae at yer side ‘gainst a food monster.”

With Liz around, animal companions may become the flavor of the Mansion, starting with the brilliant idea of a class pet. The poll sounded like it would create excitement with the students and Rebecca was sure Liz would do a great job connecting with her base at the school. ”Ah’ll be sure tae let all mah students know abit th’ pet poll when th’ time comes.”

”A pet poll? If you’re asking about our pets, I have a turtle.”

Surprised by the introduction of a slightly waterlogged voice, Rebecca turned to the doorway to spot Eupraxia, the Atlantean girl, holding her standard form of a young woman. ”Nae quite,” she answered warmly, before asking, ”Can we help ye, Eupraxia?”

The Atlantean girl was not expecting two teachers in the office. If anything, she thought Miss Grey and Mirror might have been in the room—and if that was the case, based on things Kalos had said, maybe entering was reckless. Instead, a curly haired woman was with the pregnant English teacher.

Praxi’s eyespots grew darker as they pushed closer to her surface for a better look. ”I’m sorry, who is we?”

The redhead sighed, remembering Praxi’s apprehension toward new authority figures. ”Miss Sundance is new tae th’ staff.” Becca paused to give Liz the chance to introduce herself. ”Sae hoo can we help? Did ye need seething ordered? Or maybe jist questions abit homework?”

”I have homework? Actually, nevermind. Not that.” The slime girl rippled nervously. ”It’s actually… so I’ve been sort of talking to Xavier about things. And I’ve been thinking and he suggested you might be someone to talk to, so I had the idea that maybe…”

Rebecca did not interrupt her or tell her to spit it out, waiting for the girl’s rambling to peter out and she realized she had to finally ask. ”Would I be able to join the X-Men? A trainee, like Xavier.”

Liz turned in her seat as the gurgling voice broke into the conversation. She saw a green girl standing there, outline of the doorway and other background objects just visible through her. Her features didn’t seem quite right and Liz detected jiggling with each expression or movement. Elizabeth’s curiosity flared up, for this was certainly a more exotic physical mutations than she’d seen in a long time! And it reminded her of the slime-making experiment she did in class.

“Hello, Eupraxia,” Liz said as she was introduced. It appeared that Eupraxia was a student and Liz hoped she’d gotten the name right - Rebecca’s accent was thick enough that Liz had doubts she’d properly mimicked the name. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The woman shifted herself in her seat to make it easier to follow both sides of the conversation, which was rapidly clear that it was distinctly a Rebecca- conversation, and not one that required Liz’ input, although it did warrant the empath’s interest.

Maintaining the same smile she’d had, Liz glanced at the redhead. A student asking to become an X-Men, or at least X-Men-in-training? Liz hadn’t known that was a thing and she squelched her momentary spike of concern.

Eupraxia could practically hear previous conversations with Miss Grey discussing tone and common courtesy. The young gorgon was not exactly drilled on manners in the streets, but in this moment she wanted something. Best to be on good behavior. She bent at her waist area, little globs of her hair-section dropping to the floor to be subtly picked up by her lower half pooled on the floor. "It is nice to meet you, Miss Sundance. I promise to be good in whatever thing you lecture about." There, that should suffice.

Indeed, Miss Grey did listen to her request. Based on the way those eyes widened, the slime girl guessed her interest caught the English teacher by surprise. "The X-Men? Really? Ye know it can be dangeroos, gang it there tae protect people-- mutants and humans."

Praxi's eyespots and features scrunched closer like a wince. "I understand. But, I mean, I'm really hard to break. I can get places most people can't! I'm not much of a fighter, but I can save people-- even humans! Honest."

The teacher's expression warmed. "Praxi, ye dinnae hae tae sell yerself here. Ah know whit kind ay lass ye are. Ah've been waitin' til ye were ready."

That caught the young woman off guard. The teachers expected her to sign up?

"We'll gie ye taken care of officially on Monday, bit in th' meantime, Ah say ye shoods consider yerself In Trainin' wi' th' X-Men."

The way Praxi vibrated was visible, like rain hitting water. "Tides! Ah, thank you, Miss Grey!" Not sure of what to do, Praxi saluted like she saw in videos. She even offered the salute to Miss Sundance. Even if she was not an X, she was a teacher, right? "I've gotta tell Xavier. It was nice to meet you, Miss Sundance! Thank you again!" And like a green blur, the slime girl was out of the door.

Once she was out of earshot, Rebecca allowed herself to chuckle. "Ah was wonderin' when that one woods ask me abit that."

Only years of practice of fighting back emotions and not hurting childrens’ feelings kept Liz’s smile from turning vulpine and stopping her from chortling with glee. From the curiosity-bait of the dripping and reforming slime all the way to the way her manners seemed almost mechanical, like she had only learned them recently, didn’t care for them, but was still expected to do them for some unknown reason.

And that greeting took the cake. Her brown eyes practically sparkled with furiously buried mischief. Oh she’d be watching for this one to be in her classes, that’s for sure!

The mischief faded as the dialogue commenced and Liz watched neutrally. She made ndo comment of course, that would be rude, and there was no reason to move. She merely observed.

And returned the girl’s salute with one no less precise. “A pleasure, Eupraxia,” she said deadpan with a militaristic frown of seriousness.

She could only hold that until the girl was out of the room before she cracked and the smile broke through.

“Well, she’s….something alright,” Liz said diplomatically. Definitely one to keep an eye out for, for good things. She readjusted herself in her seat, facing Rebecca and pulling a denim clad knee up to her chest so she could rest her chin on it. “Is it...common...for students to just come and ask to be X-Men in training?” Liz wasn’t so sure she liked the sound of that.

Mutations were fascinating and Rebecca was as captivated by unique ones as the next woman. Knowing that, she respected Liz for showing some semblance of restraint with Praxi. The serious look seemed out of place on Liz’s face, but maybe better than wide-eyed fascination. She could save potentially invasive questions for a second or third meeting.

Once the student left them alone, more suitable smile returned, matched by the spotted redhead. ”I could feel ye strainin’ ‘gainst yerself tae ask abit her nervoos system or somethin,” Rebecca teased. She had the right of it, though; Eupraxia was something alright.

The X-Men aspect of the Mansion was unique to the Xavier school experience, and it might give an unfamiliar teacher some apprehension. For all the good the X-Men did, the life was dangerous, and trainees occasionally applied earlier than some adults were comfortable with. ”It’s nae common. Praxi’s jist a special case,” Rebecca clarified. ”Back in Atlantis, when we foond her, she was livin’ on th’ streets screwin’ wi’ guards an’ helpin’ other kids escape trouble. She’s gae a guid heart.” Which is what Rebecca assumed that darker core was in her chest. Something like a heart, at least.

”She’s been shy, bit Ah always thought she wanted tae save people. It’s nice tae be proven right.”

Liz smirked. “You’re not wrong,” she said unabashedly. She would’ve loved collecting a sample of the girl’s slime to analyze and test, but that wouldn’t be a good idea for a whole host of reasons, including ethics and social norms. Liz felt it was rather too soon to begin collecting a “mad scientist” reputation.

“Frankly though, I’m pretty sure she doesn't even have a nervous system,” Liz said as she stared off in thought. She certainly hadn’t seen a brain or anything that looked like nerve endings. And Liz had looked. Nothing but….slime.

But it still wasn’t the strangest mutation she’d encountered, just one of the more scientifically interesting ones.

“I see,” she said in noncommittal tones as Rebecca clarified superhero training commonalities. That made her feel better. It was more of an JROTC process then, although Liz couldn’t help but think the military was logistically a better option. After all, she’d never heard of non-combat X-Men. And if more of their teachers were also X-Men…

But that was a rabbit warren she did not not need to excavate at this time. Especially in front of a teacher and X-Man who thankfully, did not have telepathic abilities.

“She’s Atlantean, then?” Liz said in surprise, firmly switching mental gears. Ah, that explained the peculiar formalities. But otherwise it wasn’t too surprising. The school had always had something of an international population and just going by what she’d read up on (because who hadn’t been excited by the discovery of Atlantis? Even if many scholars still claimed it wasn’t Plato’s Atlantis. It also seemed like Rebecca had possibly been there. “Have you been there yourself? Did it...live up to the hearsay?” Class divisions and an iron-fisted government with alien moralities and a screwy value system based on mutations?

It was a natural fit for a mutant to be interested in science. They were science. The subject was never Rebecca's forte, but for obvious reasons, she did reading in her free time about metals and magnetism, especially in college when she was still learning her way through a power she bloomed into late. With her current lack of control, maybe she had to go back to that work ethic. After Iris was born, of course.

"Ah'm nae scientist, bit Ah bet there's somethin' like ain in there. 'At dark spot in her chest es th' lassie's core, or sae she says. It may be th' 'brain,' sae tae speak. Loch Ah said, it's very cool, sae try nae tae scare her tay much wi' yer curiosity." Maybe, with time, Praxi might be curious enough about her own body to ask Liz questions herself, which was usually the kind of problem only the Sex Ed teacher had to be concerned about.

The Atlantean students all had their own unique qualities, and brought with them plenty of speculation. "Ah'm sure ye heard some ay it. Beautiful kingdom, oppressive class divides, a telepathic tyrant who was killed oan our first visit there." That was, of course, a messy and traumatic experience most of the team needed months or years to work through. Elke was not supposed to be there, and now she had to cope with knowing her mind was invaded by a madman. "Th' visits after hae been better. We arranged wi' th' new Queen tae bring young physical mutants who wanted asylum tae th' Mansion. It's still nae great fer them there," she admitted, remembering her first meetings with Praxi, Kalos, and the many others who survived oppression they did not deserve.

Becca's expression brightened back up. "Bit 'at's why we're here. Tae gie kids a place who ne'er had ain 'afore. Ah hope yer ready tae be a part ay 'at." At the end of the day, being a Mansion teacher was nothing like being a regular teacher because regular students did not have the kind of problems mutant kids dealt with.

Elizabeth shored up her psychic walls to prevent her own feelings from leaking out. It seemed the rumors and hearsay were mostly correct. That was awful. “Hmmm, maybe it’ll still be for the best if I postpone my Atlantis vacation for another few years then,” Liz said drily. She was frowning, but also working in the background. That was something else she needed brought up to speed on: the Atlantis situation and its impact on students. But she’d ask about that later, possibly someone else than Rebecca - Liz inutited that it probably wasn’t a topic the redhead liked to spend time on.

Liz took her cue from observing the other teacher and brightened accordingly. “Indeed, I reckon I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Liz said cheerily enough with an affectionate eye roll. “I figure it can’t be too much worse than the time my last school took a bunch of kids on a field trip to a petting zoo and the goats got out and started running amok.” She shrugged. “I’ll just make sure to keep plenty of fire extinguishers around.” Liz wasn’t actually so worried about things going kaboom in a class - those could be excellent learning moments - but her true concerns about student mental health could wait for another time. After all, she had a lot she needed to learn before she could begin asking the right questions.