Gemma waited and listened, and winced every once in a while as the voices were rising inside the office. She hoped Granny would not get a stroke, or a heart attack or something... even though the clerk sounded more likely to get one. Granny looked like someone who's already survived the dinosaurs.
No offense.

When the door finally opened, Gemma's face had an expression of alarm mixed with admiration and amusement, and they walked to the dean together, Gemma always half a step behind to be able to... step in, if things got rough. On either side.
They didn't.

Not until the clerk floated out the window, but that would have been a very, very bad time to... step in. Even adapted powers had their limitations. This was definitely not the 'shoot the hostage' kind of situation.

"Oookay" Gemma smirked once all was said and done "I am sure many of my kids will be thrilled to have you for a classmate."

By then, they were out of the building, and Gemma really wished no one would remember her face. It would have taken serious points from all mutant admissions anyway...

"Not the best way to make them accept more mutants to the university, though" she pointed out.

“Ah, thank you for bearing with me. It was somewhat fun.” The old lady said without so much as a hint of shame She even managed to smile saying that.. A glass of water and her pills had actually made her somewhat more bearable for the Dean. No more joint-pain did that to people. And to be rid of the Clerk, that had been a real good thing. More breathing room with the intelligent people.

“I dont really think the Dean will hold it against me or Mutants. In fact he will probably fire the clerk. I actually have grounds to sue the university on several charges, including discrimination of Veterans, Mutants, Women... those things generally do hamper reputations.” She might be a bully at times, but she was seventy two. And she had managed a hotel as well as surviving a war. She knew things just from being around. And she was far from dumb. “and will probably keep this thing under the rug. Those higher up people are most often concerned with appearances only." She looked at Gemma from her old eyes and through her glasses. It was a sharp look. "Might I ask where the car is?”

She was, after all, being trailed by a box full of leaflets.

>>“Ah, thank you for bearing with me. It was somewhat fun.”

"I bet" Gemma chuckled. Granny had a refreshingly different idea of fun than most elderly people.

>>“I dont really think the Dean will hold it against me or Mutants. In fact he will probably fire the clerk. I actually have grounds to sue the university on several charges, including discrimination of Veterans, Mutants, Women... those things generally do hamper reputations. And will probably keep this thing under the rug. Those higher up people are most often concerned with appearances only."

She had a point there. Discrimintaion was not a welcome word when it came to the reputation of a university. That was what Gemma had been playing at all the time when she fought the small everyday battles for her students.

"Let's hope" she nodded, not entirely convinced. One could never underestimate the stupidity of people. But then again, she could always get Granny to pay them another visit...
Am I really thinking about using an old lady for a thug?...

>> "Might I ask where the car is?”

"Umm, that way." students and people stared at them as they walked across campux, floating box in tow. Some of them snapped pictures. Splendid. "So... how long have you been in New York City? You must be new around here."

Or otherwise we would have heard about you.

“I can always come back to dangle him out of the window if he wants to be stupid.” Granny stated with an amused smile. As if she really was considering that. Maybe she really was. Sometimes old people are strange like that. Young ones sometimes were too. She then shook her head. “Probably not.” She amended her previous statement in a more earnest voice.

She hobbled along, now more merrily and indeed, more quickly. “As a whole or recently?” The woman questioned Gemma with a twinkle in her eye, then answered her own question. “Recently its been three days.” Three days of staying in that hovel of a hotel and with a manager that thought her brains wrinkly. “The last time I was here was, oh, in the 50's. New York has changed very much.”

People were snapping pictures of her. Pictures. What were those louts thinking. Probably not much. She had not either in that age. “The children look like they found a new toy.” She mused lightly. Still just walking. The green
-glowing box just so happened do fly up higher into the air and hover above one of the youths for a bit. Or rather: Near it. Eyesight problems.

>> “As a whole or recently? Recently its been three days. The last time I was here was, oh, in the 50's. New York has changed very much.”

"Oh." Gemma nodded. So Granny was last here before she was even born. That was an interesting thought right there.

>> “The children look like they found a new toy.”

Said children with the said toy retreated with an alarming speed. Gemma smirked.

"And you returned now to take courses in Chemistry? That's an admirable choice for a pastime" she chuckled, opening the trunk of her car for the box.

That was the last thing she wanted to do when she was old. Go back to school to study chemistry. Ew.

"Well, welcome to New York again, then" she smiled, closing the trunk once the box was inside "Where would you like to go?"

Granny planted her feet firmly on the ground. “I returned, because this is New York. Chemistry I just do to teach some youngsters that Old Women aren't dumb. Maybe it was also because of Stink-bombs.” She chuckled lightly. This was, of course, one of the reasons. Young people needed to learn these things. Students needed to learn these things. And maybe they needed to learn about Mutants a bit too. They would, in short, need her level head and common sense. The box proceeded to lift itself into the trunk while Granny talked. The green glow soon faded once it was safely stored inside.

“Thank you.” Her tone was quite goodly. “This is still a campus I think. There will be Cafés around.” She stalked purposefully towards one of the groups of teenaged Students that had not dashed away and who were busy looking and pointing at her with various levels of covering skill. They were busy enough giggling with each other, that they recognized the incoming object of said ridicule a bit too lately for socially acceptable escape. It would not do to run away from Granny at that point anyways. “Hello kids.” Their giggling stifled into disdainful looks at her. But well she found out soon enough: The best Café around was one only a few steps away. Maybe two minutes with her walking speed. On the other side of the building to her right. It was a glass-and-steel construction glittering in the sun. “So, are you engaged?” The question was shot at Gemma with the same polite tone the others had been. Because, you know, Old People really don't care much about manners. When it concerns their own.

>>“I returned, because this is New York. Chemistry I just do to teach some youngsters that Old Women aren't dumb. Maybe it was also because of Stink-bombs.”

Of course. Gemma was more used to dealing with teenagers than with elderly people, but it was starting to dawn on her that the two age groups were not all that much different.

>>“Thank you. This is still a campus I think. There will be Cafés around.”

Gemma locked the car and followed, not even questioning the decision. She could have just decided that it was the school's best interest to find out more about a mutant this powerful (and this lively) in the immediate neighborhood), but to tell the truth, she was kind of intrigued.

>>“So, are you engaged?”

And then she was not.

"Way past that" she smirked "Divorced, with two kids, both in college, not here. How about you? Any grandchildren?"

She could have gone for great-grandchildren. But she was not the cruel kind.

Merrily meandering along. Just so and so. No green glow here, so things that start flying. No flying cars. Just us, two women, walking. In your Direction. We are pretty (well I'm pretty old) we smile. And we talk pleasurable things.

“Good for you. And good for them.” She meant the kids of course. “But a young pretty thing like you without a man? Their brains must be more degraded than mine.” Evidently she ignored the question about her own marital status. Rules did not apply to her. But to Gemma they very well did.

The café was a small and pitiful thing. Evidently modern, going by the fact that most seats were made form some sort of metal. Evidently frequented by people not Grannys age bracket, going by the colors and faces swirling about. They had things like 'iced frappucinos' and 'hazelnut-almond dreams' on sale, advertised on a chalkboard behind the counter. So not Grannys age bracket. But then Granny was a bit of unusual for her age bracket. Her bing a bit mutant and all. Her being a bit lively, too.

She plopped herself down on the chair that was most comfortable and motioned Gemma to sit across from her. The stick went near her side, clattering against one of those chair-things.

“I look a bit out-of place, don't I?” Granny chuckled, as a man that could indeed be her great-grandson brushed past, staring at her mildly.

>>“I look a bit out-of place, don't I?”

"You could be a professor" Gemma pointed out with a smile "Or a guest lecturer. One can never know at a campus like this."

Granny could just pull of that look of being the expert of something. Disposing of student bodies, most likely, no pun intended.

Gemma ordered a much deserved coffee and allowed herself to sit back and relax for a moment.

"Sometimes I feel like I am responsible for way too many mutant children" she confided "And then I realize that I am."

She chuckled. God I love my job.

"Them, and the grown-ups too."

“Mhhh only what should I teach? Mutants?” Granny sounded half-earnest. One of those old fingers tapped her chin playfully. Contemplation. “And Child!” She snapped a server out of her brisk walk with one hand. “Ill have a cup of the blackest tea you have. Please.” Because Old ladies could.

“And now there is that very old, very lovely Lady that takes up your time, too. I think I should feel bad for the Children. And for the adults.” Not to mention that she almost always did. Young people just worried too much. Much too much.

Their beverages came promptly. A mug of steaming Coffee. And a mug of something. Steaming, too.

>>“Mhhh only what should I teach? Mutants?”

"People around here could benefit from lectures about mutants" Gemma smirked and watched as Granny ordered for herself "You can never educate them enough."

>>“And now there is that very old, very lovely Lady that takes up your time, too. I think I should feel bad for the Children. And for the adults.”

"They will manage" Gemma grinned "What kind of a mother would I be if I did not allow them some freedom? They have to learn to find the fridge on their own.... although they are doing pretty well with that."

Drink arrived. Gemma sipped her coffee. It saved her life.

"Maybe you would like to visit" she offered "The Mansion is much more than just a school... it's a safe place for any mutant. As long as they behave themselves."

Not like Granny would not know how to behave. Not even implied, no.

>> You can never educate them enough.

Really? Now that made Grannys' eyes sparkle, lines along the edges deepening. It looked like laughing, just without the sound, tasted like something that had been done before. Many times before, a lifetime of laughter and tears. Her eyes were really looking a decade younger now. Well not exactly. The yelp from the man behind the bar was quite audible though. Granny shared that twinkle with Gemma on purpose. And a sip taken from the tea-cup. Her posture was quite perfect in that seat. Perfect innocence. The barman might have hit something back there. He rubbed his backside though. Considering the closeness between them right then it was probably innocent.

“Well now I would have to behave like a rational adult then, would I not? I think I can manage that.”

And she did not sound dishonest at all. More serious. The sipping stopped, porcelain clinked as she set the cup back down. Started stirring the beverage, then Grannys hands perfectly poised in her lap. Folded. Absentmindedly. Absentmindedly her eyes swept over the café, looking for something. Finding nothing. Of interest.

“Honestly, considering that my current accommodation, I would be delighted at being allowed to visit.” Because if you wanted to live somewhere you would first have to get to know the location. And the people. And some other things. Like money, responsibilities, problems. She was Old, not Rich and Famous (and old). Her head inclined inquisitively to the right.

>>“Well now I would have to behave like a rational adult then, would I not? I think I can manage that. Honestly, considering that my current accommodation, I would be delighted at being allowed to visit.”

What am I doing?...

Gemma wondered as she glanced around, trying to guess who Granny would trick next, with her powers. The last thing she needed in the Mansion was an old and experienced mutant to teach kids how to misbehave professionally.
Why did she have to be a telekinetic? A trickster with a useful mutation was worse than a trickster with a simply annoying one. Although, when it came to tricksters, all powers seemed to have their own creative uses...

"We would be happy to have you" she answered with a smile "Most kids don't have a family outside the Mansion... not one that accepts them, anyway... and even the team leaders are quite young. I think grown-ups would have a good influence on them."

Good being the operative word.

Granny crocked her head so far to the side that some person might fear it could fall off in the next few minutes. Considering how her old joints ached doing it, her head actually might. Or at least it was considering healthily the option. But this was not why Granny was smiling now. The head was thrown back and Granny laughed. A deep noise, though somewhat shorter than what young people could produce.

She laughed. And laughed some more. Until tears were streaming down her face.

“No you would not be. I have been a sizable horror all day long. You probably fear what the kids would learn from me.” She laughed some more as if she was amused by the very thought. “I can tell you though, if you need old people where you are, Ill be happy to come along. And maybe be something less of a horror. With the young ones.” The team leaders would get to know how to fear her. Surely they needed a firm guiding hand. An experienced hand.

And then Granny laughed some more. The whole thought was just wildly amusing.

Granny laughed. Gemma was surprised; she did not intend to say anything that funny. But the old lady was clearly having fun, so she smiled too, and waited for her to answer her offer. She really was a weird.

>>“No you would not be. I have been a sizable horror all day long. You probably fear what the kids would learn from me. I can tell you though, if you need old people where you are, Ill be happy to come along. And maybe be something less of a horror. With the young ones.”

And then, Gemma laughed too. Granny was not your average jovial grandmother; she was a trickster, and fully aware of it. She was also honest, at least right now, Gemma could tell that much. And definitely the kind of strong woman who could keep the kids in line.
(In line for what?)
gemma had been playing with the idea for a very long time - having another counselor to take at least part of the job. Not like she was getting bored of it or anything; but she was the only one taking care of things, and if anything happened to her, the Mansion would just fall apart. She was sure of that.
So.

"All right" she said, still chuckling "As I said, you are welcome to take a look at the Mansion. We have the best and the worst kids in the country. I feel like I could use some help."