It was early in the afternoon when a police car rolled to a stop at the end of the Mansions driveway. There was hardly a pause between the car slowing down and one of the back doors opening. A young person stepped out, looking slightly scruffy in their baggy clothes and frayed winter coat. Luckily it wasn't too cold out. The mutant barely had time to close the door before the car sped off. He turned to watch the car, which eventually vanished around a bend. Rowan had been dropped off at many schools for troubled youths, but this was the first time he had been dropped off alone. Normally a social worker or counselor would walk him inside and do the difficult parts, the talking parts. The awkward introductions, finding out where he would be sleeping, things like that. 

But this was the first mutant school he had been dropped off at. And apparently the cop didn't want to stick around longer then he had to. 

Rowan sighed, his breath condensing into mist in the cold air. He lingered a moment longer, taking in the building at the end of the driveway. It didn't look...all that different from schools he had been at. Maybe a little bigger. Rowan took another deep breath, trying to calm his anxious pulse. Rowan had experience being the new kid at school. He couldn't let anyone see he was scared, that would immediately put a target on his back. And with this place being full of mutants...he didn't know what to expect. Rowan clutched his duffel bag to his chest, and began walking down the driveway towards the mansion. 

In his mind he began reciting what he would say to the first staff member he spotted, or at least the first adult. But everything felt...wrong. 

"Hi...uhm, I'm Rowan Gray. I'm...here to...enroll? Enlist? Apply?"

Elizabeth stood out in the cold but she didn’t mind it. She loved northern winters and never grew tired of them. The cold was somewhat invigorating and honestly, it was something of a psychic relief. The cold tended to drive most animals underground or to the south and that meant, for several months, her emotions were mostly her own.

You had no idea how much of a break that was.

She was supposed to be meeting a new student. Rowan, the name was. The Mansion hadn’t received all of his academic records yet, but from what they had received and Liz had read, there was something of a history of trouble and violence around him, mainly related to his mutation, which is what was prompting his arrival. Liz had volunteered to greet him.

And as she waited, she’d taken the opportunity to continue working on her relationship with one of the few types of animals that still remained around the mansion: the ravens. She was still trying to make good on her deal with Sam to get the ravens to be friendly to him, in exchange for him training her in his brand of self defense.

One such raven descended on a gentle gust and perched on her outstretched and gloved hand. “Excellent, Muninn,” she said with a smile as she trickled contentment and happiness into the avian. She also gave him a peanut.

And then she noticed the shape trudging up the main path to the mansion. “This must be him,” she said to Muninn, the bird’s eyes flicking to the taillights of the vanishing police car. “Let’s go meet our newest student.”

Liz passed her hand up to her shoulder and Muninn obligingly stepped onto her peacoat-clad shoulder where he ruffled his feathers against the wind and let out a throaty caw. Liz pretended it was agreement.

She set off down the drive to meet the kid. “Hello!” she hailed him merrily. “You must be Rowan! I’m Ms. Sundance, a teacher here. How was your trip?”

The young mutant continued down the path, eyes on the ground but occasionally glancing up to take in his surroundings. It was quiet outside, but it made sense given the holidays. In the distant Rowan spotted a black bird, maybe a crow. Not exactly the most...welcoming animal to spot. He tried to reason that it was the dead of winter, and seeing any other sort of bird would be strange, but that did little to soothe the anxious knot in his stomach.

His anxious thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out. Calling out to him.

Rowan looked stunned a moment. He hadn't expected someone to be waiting for him, although in retrospect that seemed silly. He had just assumed he would have to knock or, worse, search for some sort of intercom to request entry. He stole a glance at who called out to him. A lady. An older lady. And she had a bird on her shoulder. Rowan swallowed trying to keep the waver out of his voice as he spoke.

"Uh...Hello...Ms. Sundance. Y-yeah I'm Rowan..."

Rowan wiped at his nose, the cold air already getting to him, being careful to avoid the bruise under his eye.

"My trip was...okay...it was my first time in a plane...kinda c-cool..."

Well...aside from missing Christmas that was.

He looked away again, hugging his bag to his chest. He was clear that socializing was a weak point of his. And while it was obvious that Rowan was nervous it was a...strange kind of nervousness. One who spent a lot of time with animals might interpret it as the kind of anxiety a cornered dog exhibits before biting.

The raven let out a soft kra! as the boy approached. It’s head twisted and cocked and it glared at him in assessment. The woman, however, smiled openly and broadly, her hands at her side. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rowan!” Liz said warmly, a sharp contrast to the weather around them.

The woman did not miss the tones in the boy’s voice, even if she could not decipher their origins. Rowan looked, well, like a beat up dog, hungry for a bone. His clothing had seen better years and possibly many owners and he seemed waifish. Now that she was closer, having stopped just about seven or so feet away, she could even make out the mark on his face.

But her smile hid everything. “That’s wonderful to hear!” she remarked cheerily. “Well, come along then! Let’s get inside, it’s freezing out here! I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve had enough of this weather!” Elizabeth turned partially, enough to check Rowan’s reaction and to see if he was following, before starting to head back to the mansion.

Normally, she would’ve offered to help with bags and such, but there was nothing other than what Rowan held. Liz’ mind was stringing several data points together and her heart was starting to break with each new clue. Not that she knew anything for certain, but from her experience and her general mindset, she was going to prepare for the worst case scenario and hope to God that she was wrong.

Liz tapped her forehead and laughed. “Oh, where are my manners? This beautiful bird here is Muninn. Say hello, Muninn!”

The raven shuffled his feathers and let out a quork instead, and only after a psychic nudge. “Such a silly bird,” Liz said.

Rowan nodded, but remained silent, when Liz mentioned that the two should head inside. From Rowan's facial expression it was clear the young mutant was overwhelmed, his eyes were wide and flickering, but his brow was still furrowed in an attempt to come off as intimidating. Or at least somewhat aggressive. Regardless he followed, picking up his shuffling pace slightly.

His eyes again fell on the bird, and oh gosh she was introducing him to a bird. He cleared his throat.

"Uhm...good afternoon Muninn.".

Well that felt silly. But for all he knew the bird could be a mutant in disguise. Or some sort of magic bird, like a witches cat.

The two stepped inside the mansion. And for just a moment Rowan's shoulders relaxed. It was warm inside. And with the scattered holiday decorations it felt like stepping into a postcard. He could hear voices speaking in distant rooms, but the noise didn't bother him. And somewhere he could smell food.

Quickly Rowan tensed up again, eyes turned downwards as he wiped his shoes on the welcome mat. He speaks again, trying to cover up his momentary lapse in alertness.

"You...are a teacher? What subject d-do you teach?"

Elizabeth’s smile deepened as she led the way. Rowan had greeted the bird. It was simple, and unasked for, but it was a good sign. Willingness to go along with simple things was good. It was valuable data and would influence her approach.

As they neared the doors of the main entrance, Liz pulled another peanut out of her pocket and held it up to Muninn. “Thank you for your company today,” she said, reinforcing her words with joy and peace. “Now off you go! I’ll see you around!”

“Kra!” the raven shouted before snagging the peanut and leaping off her shoulder. With a few powerful flaps it rapidly ascended until it vanished over the top of the mansion.

And then they were in and it was sooo much warmer. And as much as she enjoyed the cold, she wasn’t Sam - she still needed heat. “Ah, that’s so much better!” she exclaimed, more pep in her voice than normal as she firmly shut the doors behind them. She was in “first day of school” mode, when everything is bright and optimistic and there wasn’t a lot of paperwork or homework yet. And when nobody was thinking of switching classes.

“I teach biology and general science,” Liz answered as she slid out of her peacoat and stuck it in the coat closet. It was still somewhat wet from the snow flurries that had happened before Rowans showed up. She put her earmuffs and gloves up too. She’d take them back to her room later.

Liz glanced over at Rowan, who still had a firm grip on his bag. She weighed some options and then made a decision. “I think I’m getting a bit peckish and I’m definitely in the mood for some hot chocolate. What say you we go raid the kitchen for some grub and deal with settling you in after, okay?” She jerked her head at the closet. “You can leave your stuff there if you want. Nobody will take it. Heck, most people never even notice it. Or we can head up to your room instead and get you situated. Up to you.”

Biology and science, huh? That explains the raven. Almost...kinda.

All thoughts of school quickly vanished at the mention of hot chocolate. Rowan's eyes opened a little wider, and he could feel himself salivating. When was the last time he had hot chocolate? It had to have been years and years ago. And not just cocoa powder in hot water, actually hot chocolate?

The young mutant found that he was almost always hungry, a downside to his mutation. Not only that but he hadn't been permitted food on the plane or in the police car. So the idea of snacks, as well as hot chocolate, was extremely tempting. Tempting in a way that made Rowan nervous, that his guard might slip too far in pursuit of a meal.

Rowan tensed at the thought of leaving his bag unsecured. Yes, she could say that no one would touch it, but Rowan knew how these schools worked. The moment Ms. Sundance lured him away, with the promise of hot chocolate, someone would come and take his bag. Steal his belongings and use them as a bargaining chip for good behavior. Rowan could feel his pulse racing, the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. The gnawing at the back of his mind to run.

And realizing he had taken too long to response Rowan quickly muttered.

"I'd...rather...I dunno..."

Normally Rowan wouldn't struggle so hard to keep up his aggressive walls. But adults were harder to scare off than kids, and it had been a long day.

"I'd like to put my things...away..."

Liz softened her smile and allowed it to shrink as she calmly waited for a decision. It wasn’t worth rushing the kid, especially since he’d been through quite a bit in the last couple of days, from what she understood. And she remembered how bewildering and overwhelming the mansion could be to a young teenager, and that didn’t include any potential traumas in this lad’s life.

The blonde clapped her hands together. “Alright then, to your new lodgings we go! You’re in luck - the rooms are normally shared but all the other rooms are full so you don’t have to deal with a roommate!” Liz winked at Rowan and spun on her heel.

Yes, she was putting on a performance. But Liz was used to dealing with kids and animals and one thing they all shared is that they needed to be put at ease first. That’s why she’d offered snacks and hot chocolate - comfort food and a built-in chance to talk and just take in the surroundings. Also, kids tended to like food.

But kids also liked security. And that seemed to be the path Rowan was leaning toward.

“Just follow me,” she said as she strolled off into the depths of the mansion.

As they made their way to the boys’ dormitories, Liz kept up a small stream of inconsequential chatter, pointing out different rooms they passed, as well as some of the history she remembered of various pieces of art and memorabilia on the walls. Just a basic not-even-a-real-tour, but in truth, Liz wasn’t concerned if Rowan remembered any of it. She was offering him a distraction, if he chose to take it.

“And here we are,” she said grandly as they arrived at the door to his room. She opened the door and fished a key out of a pocket on her jeans. She quickly walked into the room and tried the key in the door to ensure it worked. It did. Just like it had two hours ago when she’d first tried it. “And here you go,” she beamed as she extended the key to Rowan.

Rowan followed behind Liz, silent. And while he wished he was doing a better job of hiding it, Rowan was quite interested in the unofficial tour he was given. His eyes followed where she pointed and he quietly nodded along to what she said. This place was far larger, or at least felt larger, than any of the other schools he had been to. And quiet too. Then again, it was the days following Christmas, some of the students might have gone home.

Eventually the top had stopped in front of the door to the room. His room.

He shifted his bag under his arm and reached a shaky hand out to take the key. As soon as the bit of metal was in his hand he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. His key/.

And it almost seemed too good to be true that he wasn't given a roommate, at least not right away. He had never had his own room before. Every academy he'd been sent to her shared a room with at least three or four other boys, who all had to constantly fight to establish dominance. Even before that, when he lived in a real house, he didn't have his own bedroom. He slept on the couch most nights.

Rowan walked around the room slowly and quietly, as if afraid he would break something. Or worse, that this was all a cruel prank and this was all to be taken away from him. The room was simple, but so incredibly cozy to the young mutant. And it had windows and everything. He gingerly set his bag on the bed. And while he didn't turn to look at Liz, he addressed her. He grumbled and stuttered a moment, but was eventually able to get out:

"Thanks, Ms. Sundance. The rooms...nice."

She was trying to find the balance between watching Rowan closely yet not seeming to do so. It would’ve been far easier had she Muninn with her to provide a second viewpoint. Brown eyes tracked his movements as he gave himself a tour of his new room, her gaze flicking to hands, posture, foot movements, and other body language. The key in his fist. The hesitancy in his actions. The stammer in his voice.

Liz was accumulating a lot of data. She’d get ahold of Gemma later to share her early observations with the counselor, but in the meantime, she’d treat Rowan like a spooked animal.

Her smile was still faint, but it now masked her pangs of sorrow.

Elizabeth didn’t rush the lad or even move from her spot at the door. This was his territory - he needed to familiarize himself with it, learn its security, and not have to worry about a stranger stepping in or getting close or setting him on edge. And it wasn’t like there wasn’t plenty of time. Paperwork could wait - not that there was much that he’d need to fill out anyways, since most of that would be on the faculty’s end or getting sent directly to the school. She felt it more important to focus on the bottom rung of Maslow’s hierarchy.

“My pleasure, Rowan,” she said warmly. “Feel free to move things around or decorate as you wish. This is your home and we want you to feel comfortable here.” This is your refuge, if you need it. But one didn’t help a scared animal by walking straight up to it. They required coaxing.

Liz stepped back into the hallway. “Now then, how does grabbing some snacks sound? Or would you prefer more of a tour of the place, to get your bearings?”

Rowan still seemed completely entranced by the room, he hadn't really noticed Ms. Sundance watching him. He was still amazed that he had a room. A room that was his, at least for the time being. He tried not to look too affected by the word 'home'. He swallowed stiffly, eyes glancing out the window. No...this wasn't a home. It was a room. A room he would be in for a month or two before he did something bad and got sent away again. Not that there were many more places for him to go.

But before Rowan could think about it too much his attention again was shifted to food. Yeah...he was still pretty hungry, and now that his belongings were safe he could be convinced to eat. A tour didn't sound like a bad idea either, but his stomach disagreed.

"I...I could eat..."

The young mutant took a quick look around the room, his eyes settling on the bed again. Rowan took his duffle bag off the bed and stashed it underneath, figuring it was a good enough hiding spot for his belongings. Somewhat satisfied with his hiding spot Rowan, too, stepped out into the hall.

Rowan slowly un-balled his fist, slight divots in his hand from how tightly he had held his key. After a moment of figuring out which way the key went Rowan stuck the key in the lock. He turned the key slowly, hearing the lock mechanics click loudly. He then jiggled the door handle, twice, to ensure it was completely secured. He pulled out the key, stuffing it in his pants pocket.

"And...maybe a tour later?

His tone of voice was certainly less aggressive than before, but still cautious.

“Food it is, then!” Liz said with a soft clap of her hands. Which sounded fantastic to her as well. There were a lot of different reasons Liz had offered it for the second time now, one of which being that she was feeling rather peckish herself and still trying to warm up. And warm food and hot chocolate was definitely the way to go in her book!

Stepped further into the hallway, in the general direction of the quickest path to the kitchen. She was taking care to keep distance between herself and Rowan, yet still maintain a companional and conversational balance. And her heart warmed with his asking for the tour later.

“That can certainly be arranged,” she grinned as she began walking down the hall. “That way, when we’re fat and happy from the chow, we can saunter around while we digest!” She her stomach and gave a merry chuckle. “Although we can start the tour now. First stop: the culinary capital of the Xavier Sister School!”

Liz led the way and didn’t check to see if Rowan was following. She was sure he was. Just as she was implicitly asking him to trust her with his room and speaking to and following her, she was silently telling him she trusted him to follow along and eventually open up. But it didn’t have to be now. Animals and people were a lot alike in many ways - it could take time to warm up to new people.

And Liz was pouring on the warmth. “I’m a sucker for breakfast foods myself,” she called back. “Although there’s probably leftovers from lunch - you only missed it by an hour or so. We had burritos. Or we can see what else we can rustle up. You happen to have a hankering for anything in particular?”

Liz was correct not to worry about Rowan wandering off, as he was following behind quite dutifully. He was, however, a little distracted as they walked past open rooms. Rowan couldn't help but peer inside. Liz would be able to hear his footsteps slow, and then quickly pick up the pace to catch up. This happened several times on their short walk. He still was amazed by how large the building felt, and he tried not to stare at any mutants they passed.

Soon the conversation was back to food. Who didn't love breakfast? It was hard to beat bacon and pancakes. But of course as a teenage boy, with a mutation that increased his appetite, he could destroy a pizza in a matter of minutes. Liz had asked him what he wanted to eat. He clammed up a bit, hands in his pockets. Several years of having to fight and steal for food meant that Rowan could eat just about anything you put in front of him. His palate was quite simple.

But he wasn't about to ask her to make him food, leftovers suited him just fine.

"Burritos sound...nice..."

He fell silent again, but a moment later he quickly exhaled through his nose. A sound that almost sounded like a tiny laugh.

"H-hot chocolate and burritos...that's a weird combination..."

Rowan spoke softly, nearly muttering to himself, but there was an unmistakable tinge of humor in his voice, joking. This was also the first time Rowan had felt comfortable to 'talk out of turn' and of course it was to comment about lunch.

Liz could remember what it was like to first enter the mansion. Old, yet field with life. So many things going on all over the place, or at least evidence of it. It had felt like a place out of books, something ineffable, a bit of magic in the air and tantalizing tastes of adventures.

It was also way cooler and majestic than any other school she had ever been to.

Even her return after seven years away had been somewhat overwhelming with so many changes having taken place in the meantime. And so the empath was a paragon of patience as the varying footsteps behind her betrayed ample curiosity. Good, good. Curiosity was healthy and a very positive sign. Unless this was paranoia and he was searching for ways to escape or hide. But Liz was choosing optimism. So she didn't comment or give any indication that she was even aware of his actions.

Finally making their way into the state-of-the-art kitchen, the kind that could easily have been in a three or four star restaurant and one meant to feed large numbers of people, many with varied diets and nutritional needs. There was a lot of stainless steel. And massive refrigerators.

“So this is the kitchen,” Liz said most unnecessarily as she strode straight to one of the fridges and flung over the door. Inside were a variety of aluminum catering trays covered with flimsy aluminum lids. “Aha! Score!” she cried in delight. She snagged a couple of the trays. They didn’t feel full, but still felt like more than two people could reasonably eat. “Grab some of these trays, wouldja? Pretty sure most of the ones on the middle shelf are burrito fixins,” she said over her shoulder as she kicked the fridge door fully open and went to set the trays on an island table.

She went ahead and opened the trays she had. One was mostly ground beef, the other looked like it had been divided in half, one side for cheese and the other side for corn. Her mouth started watering a bit. “Good choice, Rowan!” Granted, breakfast would’ve been the better option, but Liz supposed no kid was perfect. Ah well, he was probably a good kid down anything anyways.

Rowan entered the kitchen apprehensively. At his previous schools students weren't permitted to enter the kitchen, and were often punished if they attempted. It made sense as kitchens were places full of knives, fire and sometimes dangerous cleaning supplies.

The young mutant nodded as Liz instructed him to grab a tray, taking one from the middle shelf. He struggled a moment, holding the tray and trying to kick the fridge door closed, but got the tray to the counter with no incidents.

Rowan huffed slightly and looked away. He didn't know why he was being praised for the lunch choice. It wasn't like he come up with the idea to eat, he had simply been told what was already available and didn't make a fuss asking for a special meal.

He opened the tray he had carried over from the fridge. Inside was a small stack of flour tortillas as well as a few Tupperware containers holding what looked like diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and beans. Rowan was hungry enough to just grab handfuls of ingredients and eat them without the assembly. But eating handfuls of shredded cheese was not the kind of first impression he wanted to give his new teacher. He tried not to look too eager, but his wide eyed stares betrayed him.

"How many...are we allowed to eat?"