>>"I know you think you have a future career being an X-men and a greeter and all of that, but... what if you get hurt? And can't help them any more? I want to be an X too, but... I also want to get an education, so I've got some way to get a job that pays well. And doesn't involve fighting crime."

Gawain sighed. Here we go again. There was really no one else to give him that speech, provided his lack of parents, so might as well take it from the girlfriend. At least she cared.

>> "... Unless it's justice stuff like working for the police or the FBI. Have you considered that? Shin's doing it, and Kealey says he's okay with it all. I've heard some women like a man in uniform, too..."

He blinked at that. He might have spaced out the option part, but there was no missing of the implications of the uniform.

"Hey. I've already got a uniform." he pointed at his training gear, which was a simpler version of the full-out ready-for-field-work X-men costume. Ami probably did not mean that though. "I mean... I don't know, school's always has been kinda... meh. I was homeschooled all my life, except for here in the Mansion. I like being here. And being an X. Maybe, dunno, I could get a real job working here. Teaching or something. I... can't really think of anywhere else to go."

He looked at Ami.

"What are your plans?"

"Well, like I said when we were showing Twyla around... maybe FBI or CIA. My friend Miri is FBI. She taught me some stuff. How to use guns. And I've been training in aikido with Quin. And Lenna's been teaching me Krav Maga on the side, so I think I wouldn't have any trouble keeping up with the boys. And it'd be helping people. Probably more than the X-men when it comes to fighting crimes. I was thinking I could try and get into a college with a good forensic investigation study program, or major in science. Maybe I could wind up a lab girl instead of an agent. Or just a really good detective. I've looked at some potential apprenticeships, scholarships, and study programs. But if we're dating, I don't want to stray too far from New York. Long distance relationships suck."

Wow. That was actually a lot of thinking she'd done right there. She had surprised herself.

"Which is why I was sort of hoping you'd be able to get into the same school I do... because then we could stay close." She finished thoughtfully.

>>"Well, like I said when we were showing Twyla around... maybe FBI or CIA. My friend Miri is FBI. She taught me some stuff. How to use guns. And I've been training in aikido with Quin. And Lenna's been teaching me Krav Maga on the side, so I think I wouldn't have any trouble keeping up with the boys. And it'd be helping people. Probably more than the X-men when it comes to fighting crimes. I was thinking I could try and get into a college with a good forensic investigation study program, or major in science. Maybe I could wind up a lab girl instead of an agent. Or just a really good detective. I've looked at some potential apprenticeships, scholarships, and study programs. But if we're dating, I don't want to stray too far from New York. Long distance relationships suck."

Wow. She had everything planned out. What happened to no future talk? Gawain blinked. Ami was on her way to the top. It was kind if scary, the idea of dating a full-blown FBI agent...

>>"... Which is why I was sort of hoping you'd be able to get into the same school I do... because then we could stay close."

Gawain blinked again. Uhm...

"Wow." he muttered, looking at her "I mean, that sounds great. Your plans, I mean. I can really see you doing any of that... or even all of it." he chuckled "I mean... I like being on the X-team. It's important to me. It's not just the fighting crime, it's... having this place, for kids like me. They need someone to be here, and run the school, and get people out of trouble, and reach out to kids on the streets and stuff. I really want to keep doing that..."

He looked at her. That last thing she said bothered him a bit.

"Look Ami, long distance sucks. And I don't want to be away form you. But I don't want you to make decisions just based on... us. I don't want you to not to something because it takes time away from me. Whatever you want to do, figure it out, and we'll make it work. Okay? I promise."

"You're sweet," she said. He was trying to be understanding. Really, he was. "But don't worry. I wouldn't let you hold me back. It's just on my 'want list'. Not having to leave you in my dust."

She donned a cocky smirk and put her hands on her hips.

"If all the mansion and X-men stuff is important to you..." She noted, understanding working its way into her voice. "... Then you should do it. I won't force you to be a cop. Although you'd look awesome. And cop uniforms are way hotter than X-men scrubs." Sorry Kealey, she thought. "That shouldn't stop you from doing some things to improve yourself, though... I mean, if you want to teach here... maybe you could do some classes, part-time? Get a teaching degree? I'm sure it would help."

>>"You're sweet. But don't worry. I wouldn't let you hold me back. It's just on my 'want list'. Not having to leave you in my dust."

That was also good to know. One likes hearing that from a girlfriend.

>>"If all the mansion and X-men stuff is important to you... Then you should do it. I won't force you to be a cop. Although you'd look awesome. And cop uniforms are way hotter than X-men scrubs. That shouldn't stop you from doing some things to improve yourself, though... I mean, if you want to teach here... maybe you could do some classes, part-time? Get a teaching degree? I'm sure it would help."

"Yeah... I think it would." he had to agree with that. he had been planning on going to college eventually... he just never got around to it. "I have been plannin' on sitting down with Miss T... you know the guidance counselor. And figuring out how hard it would be to do all the tests and paperwork and stuff..."

He gave Ami a mischievous half smile.

"Or, y'know, I could just take a design class and get a better uniform..."

"Kealey would probably kill you." She smiled. "You know. More than she already wants to."

"I could probably tutor you in some things, so long as you kept your mind on studying and not stealing kisses."

"But that's a good idea, talking to the guidance counselor." She was glad Gawain was actually thinking about these things.

>>"Kealey would probably kill you. You know. More than she already wants to."

"It was a Maya day!" he growled, rolling his eyes. As if that explained everything. And even if it didn't, it was none of Kealey's damn business.

>>"I could probably tutor you in some things, so long as you kept your mind on studying and not stealing kisses. But that's a good idea, talking to the guidance counselor."

Well, he had been thinking about those things, up to the point where she mentioned kisses.

"Mhm" he nodded, eyes falling to look at her lips. They were moving. Hm. "Yeah. I will talk to her. I mean, probably from the fall..."

Distracted. He was.

>>"It was a Maya day!"

The smile did not fade!

And so long as he didn't go lech on her, she really was willing to teach him a thing or two. As long as he didn't go lech, that was.

Hey, wait. 'Probably from the fall?!' That wasn't even English. And where were his eyes?

She rolled hers. "Lech. Hey buddy. Eyes up here." She pointed.

>>"Lech. Hey buddy. Eyes up here."

"Huh?..." he blinked away from the pink lips and up at her eyes. His own brown ones probably spoke volumes right now, mostly in pupils, so he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Erhm, yea. Right. School. I will definitely talk to Miss T. Good idea."

Brain functions. One can live without them, but survival can be problematic.

So now that that was settled... she glanced around the Danger Room.

"Do you want to do a training session? Or are you too caught up in my ridiculous good looks?"

She hadn't done much to show off her new martial arts skills lately. Maybe she could flip him over her shoulder a couple of times? Or whatever.

"I never have seen your movie-walking thingy, either... well. First-person."

>>"Do you want to do a training session? Or are you too caught up in my ridiculous good looks?... I never have seen your movie-walking thingy, either... well. First-person."

Gawain, slowly regaining brain functions, smirked at his girlfriend.

"We can definitely change that, you'll just have to pick a movie. I am slowly figuring out how that power works, but I could take you on a trip..."

Because it was very different from simulations in the Danger Room.

"Training also sounds good. So, you have been practicing huh? What was that again? Kung Fu?..."

The guy deserved a medal for not making the panda joke.

"Aikido," Amelia replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Like Murphy from the Dresden Files. And Lenna's been teaching me Krav Maga, too."

She liked them. They could use enemy weak points against them. Use their strengths, as well.

"How does your power work exactly?" She asked. "Can you, like, skip parts of the movie? In them? Outside of them? If you set a DVD to a specific scene, could you skip the first half?"

>>"Aikido. Like Murphy from the Dresden Files. And Lenna's been teaching me Krav Maga, too."

He had no clue what she was talking about. Those were big words. Except for Lenna, he did understand Lenna. How did he skip that the first time?!

"Lenna?" he blinked "The adapted chick Lenna?... Remind me not to be around when she shows up..."

There was only so much awkward a guy could deal with...

>>"How does your power work exactly? Can you, like, skip parts of the movie? In them? Outside of them? If you set a DVD to a specific scene, could you skip the first half?"

"Um...." he throught about it for a moment "Yeah, I guess that works, usually I walk in on the scene that has been on screen, but once I am in there I can't skip. Or leave until it's over..."

>>"Lenna?" Gawain blinked "The adapted chick Lenna?... Remind me not to be around when she shows up..."

Amelia arched an eyebrow, but went with another question. She got an answer.

"Cool." She nodded. Then latched onto that other question. "Now why would you need to be out of the way when Lenna was around...?"

Did she need to kick some asses? She didn't think she could kick her teacher's, but Gawain's was fair game.

>>"Cool. Now why would you need to be out of the way when Lenna was around...?"

Gawain shrugged.

"Dunno. Last time I met her was... kinda awkward. I don't think she likes me that much. She is not ot to murder me or anythin' though, just... meh."

Meh indeed. He fell out of a dressing room mirror and onto a girl, and that was witnessed by Lenna, who also got allergic shock later that day. Fun times...

"So, are ya still gonna try the X-team or are you more after the FBI now?"