Strangely, it felt like only yesterday that Katherine Pryde was walking into this very office as a fresh faced teenager who had recently learned she could walk through walls. Now thirty three and married, the world had changed for Kitty. The man she loved was half way across the world helping the less fortunate in a humanitarian effort to rebuilt towns and villages. She was getting broody and really wanted some children of her own. Many of her friends had all but disappeared from her life and her hero was dead. Kitty raised her pretty doe eyes upwards from her desk and turned to look at the beautiful portrait that hung on the wall behind her. Professor Charles Xavier, her hero and the mutant leader that inspired generations to be the best version of themselves that they could be. Professor X died for his cause and now Kitty sits in his place, Headmistress of his life’s work. She could only hope that she was half the person he was. Getting to her feet, she straightened out the figure hugging black dress she wore and stepped out of the office. It was time to welcome the students and faculty back after a few weeks’ vacation.It had taken well over a year but Kitty had managed to salvage what she could and rebuild the X-Mansion and if she did say so herself make it better than before. As she walked through the halls to the auditorium, she looked at the young faces of the students around her. Some, looked like any other young teen would. Others weren’t as normal. Some were scaled or furred, bright yellow eyes, fangs. None though felt like outcasts, they were safe here. This mansion was a haven. Kitty entered the auditorium and stood behind the red curtain where the other faculty members had gathered. Some of the faculty were quite young, others were pretty old but all brought something unique to the table. “Everybody ready, let’s welcome these kids back.”

Upstairs, Armonía had arrived hours earlier in secrecy and silence, heading to her old room. As a child and teen at the place she had her own room. Single rooms were usually reserved for staff and special case students but she was given a pass, told that it was for all of her art and music tools. As of recently, she knew that it was because she was a special case child. She remembered nightmares and waking up to having set the bed on fire, her body having become a laser. But after regaining her memory months ago she began to slowly come back to herself, finding her happy medium. She had initially denied Kitty's request to return, feeling that she wasn't ready. But when her old friend dangled the possibility of seeing Alfredo... She had to accept. Perhaps he was the key to her centering herself completely. Her old flame had always made her feel whole in the past and she needed to apologize anyways.

Slipping into a pencil skirt and a tight button-down tank top, she paused to look st herself in the mirror. Knowing the truth behind the scars that she once hid in shame made her see them differently. They were a sign of her strength and endurance, showing how far she was willing to go to protect her people. She was proud of her scars and the people she saved. A smile on the tattooed beauty's face, she slipped in a few piercings on her face and headed downstairs with bare feet. "Miss me?" She smiled as she snuck up behind her friends and tapped Kitty's shoulder. The Head Mistress turned and smiled, sweeping her friend into a hug. "Welcome home. Good to see you showing some skin." Her mood lightened a bit but the woman turned back around soon enough and headed for the large and ornate double doors.

Of course he had slept in. Typical Freddie. Rolling out of bed, the young man quickly flicked his wrist and the can of deodorant on the other side of the room flew into his hands. Some days he loved being telekinetic. He sprayed the contents of the can under his armpits and tossed the aluminium roll onto the floor and moved to the wardrobe to get ready. Being the phys-ed coach meant that he didn't have to dress as formally as the other teachers, he could settle for pants and a polo shirt which he very much preferred. The top was tight and showed off his thin but muscled frame very well. As he dressed, Freddie was subconsciously applying toothpaste to his tooth brush in the bathroom. Once he was dressed, washed and looking somewhat presentable, he took one last look in the mirror. Nia was downstairs so he had to be careful. Despite mastery of his abilities, Fred still had a temper and the loss of control could be devastating. Taking the deep breath, the Sicilian opened the door of his bedroom and hurried down the hall and stairs towards the atrium. He managed to slide in with the other teachers as Kitty reached the double doors. "Hey Freddie" she didn't even bother to turn to greet him. For someone who wasn't psychic, the new headmistress sure did know a lot. With icy blue eyes he looked at Nia who stood off to the side, he offered a slight courteous smile. They'd have to catch up later.

Kitty opened the doors and began to welcome the students as they all filed in and took their seats. Most of them had joined the school when it re-opened six months ago. For others, this was their first day at mutant high as some might call it. There were mature students, teenagers and some were even younger. Looking at their faces, even with all other past experience, Kitty still found it hard to believe the amount of power and sheer danger that now existed in that room. Closing the doors behind her, the young woman silently wished for her husband to appear out of nowhere but she knew that would never happen. The room fell silent, the only sound was the click of Kitty's heels across the wood panel floor. She stood up to the podium and offered a smile to the line of teachers behind her before she looked towards the crowd. "Hello, for those of you who I haven't met yet I am Katherine Pryde and I want to be the first to welcome you and welcome some of you back to the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngers. Welcome home, everybody"

Jade was sitting in her room painting on her new canvas. She had been painting for what seemed like hours. She was almost finished. The background was of a moon laced in blue and purple shadowed clouds, skies dapped with little lightened stars. A strong cherry tree atop a hill, the wind blowing the small blossoms into the sky, it was magical. Jade set down her palette. She looked into the painting. It was beautiful but it also gave her sorrow. Jades sorrow became anger, she reached up and grabbed the canvas, and her hand became darkened fingernails turning to claws. She ripped down the painting, color dripping onto her skin. The little flame felines jumped out from her body setting fire to everything they touched. She started to panic rushing to grab the fire extinguisher that was placed in the kitchen; the little kittens went alongside her pouncing happily. By the time she reached the extinguisher it was too late the felines had set fire to her house. She rushed out lifting her phone from her pocket. Her hand had returned to normal and the felines had gone. After the police, ambulance, and firefighters had gone. Jade broke down telling her mother everything. She was frightened of her power and she needed help.

Jade took a seat in the back of the auditorium somehow it felt the safest. She was slightly fidgety, when she asked her mother for help she did not think she would be shipped to a school that was over flowing with ‘special’ people. She had little control over her own mutation and that scared her. How was one supposed to keep it together knowing that someone around her had a mutation that could easily eliminate everyone sitting in the auditorium? She kept her eyes down trying to focus on her shoes. It took her a minute to look up once hearing the place go silent and the sound of heels clicking. Jade started to bite the inside of cheeks while listening to the headmistress.

'Welcome home'. They were words that meant so much more than one would expect at first glance. Truly, what was home? Where a roof sheltered you from rain? Or perhaps where you felt safe? To River, home was where your heart was, and while he hadn't been there very long, the school had grown on him immensely. He didn't show the appreciation much due to his silent demeanour but Xavier's school was everything to him. River sat in a simple black tank top below a red unbuttoned shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of everyday jeans covering his legs. Around his forearms he wore several leather bracelets, all of them with a story of its own. On his hands he wore fingerless leather gloves and finally, atop his head he wore a red cap covering most of his hair but the black bangs stretched down his forehead and left part of his face. He had been called 'emo' in the past due to how he dressed and somewhat his personality, but most people using that term didn't know what it truly meant. River was a rather small person standing at no more than 5'6", slim and wouldn't pose much of a threat to the eye. It would quickly be corrected though, if so needed. He wasn't very eager to do so however. For any and all the mutants in that room, losing their cool in public would put everyone at risk.

River put his hands together, resting them on his thighs as he listened to the headmistress speak. It was nice to be back, but it wasn't like he was bored during his little vacation back home. He had missed the everyday street fights of various thugs testing out their strength, and the smell of gasoline everywhere. Though, on a serious note, what he really did enjoy was his little haven out in that farmstead. Everything was so calm and serene there, nothing but the sound of nature and a barn slowly falling apart. Though despite all that, it was nice to be able to rest up a little and retire to his pen. He had yet to get to know most people in that room, and it took quite a while for River to get to know people. With a deep breath, the young man leaned back and let his dark eyes trace the wall and up to the ceiling. What was this year going to offer? He wondered.

Adrien walked to the auditorium with Harley. They found a seat near an aisle about halfway down. He was happy to be back at school, happy to be back with his friends. Although he loved his mother and sister dearly, he did consider the school to be home like Mrs. Pryde mentioned. The formality of addressing adults by mister or misses was something his conservative Russian mother ingrained in both he and his sister. A few may have been uncomfortable, but it was more about respect than age.

Adrien waved at a few of the kids he knew from last year. He hoped he would be considered for X-men this year. He was 18 afterall, but his mutant ability didn't lend to well to a combative role. Adrien was actually very happy with his ability. He could hurt a fly and would rather help than hurt someone.

"Harley?" Adrien looked at his friend. "You think we get picked for X-men? I'm excited to see how things go. You know what mean?" Adrien spoke in his Muscovite accent. He had actually gotten better with his English and was planning to take the test at the end of the year to become an American citizen.

Alucard frowned.

This was both incredibly stupid of him, and not to mention dangerous. Through his crimson gaze, the Reaper could see the delicious Essence Of Blood flowing thickly through every mutant's veins, even from his position farthest away from everyone else in the atrium, near the farthest wall. He wasn't used to being near such a large amount of people, and long-controlled instincts were starting to surface. Blood red wisps of some sort of smoky substance started to gather above his left shoulder, and the teen frowned abruptly, turning his head to the side and inhaling. The mist seeped into his pale skin, adding into his substantial reserves of Blood, and giving him a small boost of self-confidence, something he usually had in droves. The problem was...he knew that he could probably handle a lot of these mutants. He wasn't arrogant in his ability - he was just confident that, if worse came to worse, that he could easily just go for the throat and hopefully get out alive. However....a whole atrium of students, teachers, and staff? He would be overtaken easily. He didn't even want to fight them, actually. But if he couldn't control his hunger - just until this speech was over, where he can sneak into the city and drain a mugger or other scum, then he would be either put down or locked up.

"Like that's going to happen..."

The pale teenager inhaled once more, as bloody mist began to seep from his skin and churn towards the ceiling. His calm breaths eventually caused the mist to seep back into his skin once more, and Alucard sat up straight against the wall, standing his full, impressive height of 6'2. He wouldn't fail himself, nor his mother and father...despite how ungrateful and pathetic his charges were. He would prevail. An apathetic smirk formed on his features, and his form suddenly turned crimson, caked over in mystical life fluid, before it hardened and chipped away into mist, which drifted out the nearby window and door cracks. A silent, relieved sigh flitted from between his lips. Now that he had covered the first layer of skin with an unseeable layer of blood-mist, it acted as a shield to keep anymore blood from escaping his pores until he forced the blood-armor to go away, or to absorb back into his flesh.

"Now, let's see what she has to say..." Alucard whispered in his regular calm, polite tone of voice, his eerie gaze turning upwards, just as the principal of the school entered the room. He leaned back against the wall once more, crossing his slender, sinewy arms.

As for outfitting, he wore a comfortable white dress-shirt that was customly tailored for breathing room, flexibility, along with tiny holes in the fabric to allow vapors to come out. A sleek, blood-red jacket covered that, with the collar permanently up and zipped, hiding his chin and mouth from view, while also covering his arms and hands, which wore leather gloves. Regular black jeans and high-top sneakers completed the outfit.

Luna Marionette

Luna lifted her hand to her face, running her finger delicately along the full curve of her lips, dabbing at the bright red lipstick residing there. Her outlined dark chocolate eyes scanned the room slowly drinking in every detail offered to her...there were a lot of students here. A few she recognized from the last couple of months, she lifted her right leg elegantly positioning it over her left her dark blue jeans tightening further around her thighs as she shifted in her seat, leaning back in her chair her black striped leather jacket scraped the back of her chair quietly as she rested her elbow on the back of her chair, twirling a blonde curl between her fingers as she listened to the headmistress’s speech. Home... Luna pursed her lips for a moment, looking away from the stage and allowing her gaze to lazily wander around the auditorium again.

Her mind already wandering free of the room, she was curious as to what this year would bring. She’d arrived here a few months ago, in a complete state...no idea how to act or how to fit in. A small town ranch girl with glowing yellow eyes, fangs and the temper of an OX she had been sent here after an incident at a human school left her needing sanctuary. Luna wasn’t sure why they’d allowed her to even attend here, she’d proved she was dangerous on a fair few occasions since her arrival, most of which had stamped out nearly any chance of her gaining any friends...or so she had thought at the time.

Luna sprung free of her thoughts returning her attention to the headmistress; she lifted her free hand inspecting her nails, she flexed her fingers before lowering her hand to her lap. She sighed audibly, she felt restless as she sat there swinging her foot idly still she knew she should be concentrating on what was being said...

Alicia sat quietly in the middle row in one of the first chairs near the isle of seats in the auditorium looking around at the other students who all had mutant powers like her, some obvious then the others. Alicia wore a sleeveless jean vest under it was a white tank top, she also wore a black glove on her right wrist and a white one on her left which stayed just a few inches above her wrist each of them fingerless and wore black leather high heeled boots that went just under her knees. She always wore gloves now ever since the incidents with her mother and ex boyfriend everytime she went out she had to have them on to avoid skin to skin contact as much as possible, Alicia looked towards the stage listening to Headmistress Pryde giving her speech. She looked around the large room seeing some of her classmates and friends she had met a few months before going on vacation.

Alicia sat there quietly playing with her fingers she couldn't wait for the classes to start, and also for Miss Daisy's combat class which she enjoyed a lot before the break started. While she was on break she just stayed home and rarely ever went out and didn't feel like she belonged there but still she missed her family and little brother here she felt like she was at home.

It felt so good to be back after a short vacation back home.

Danny sat in the front row of the auditorium with his legs crossed and his hands just on his knee. He sat up straight and proper as the new headmistress of the Institute, Kitty Pryde, spoke. He had always admired and looked up to her ever since he started attending the school. Being a former student and party girl, he knew she wouldn't be so uptight with the students. The stir of voices began to dimmer as the orientation began, causing Danny to take notice of everyone in attendance. So many eager and scared students, just like he once was when he first started. He couldn't blame them. Just finding out you're different from everyone else, and now you're living with strangers just to discover who you are to to protect yourself from the dangers of the outside world. That's a lot for a person to handle. Danny was not only scrutinized for being a mutant, but also for being homosexual. Being a part of two minority groups that received hate on a daily basis is enough to make anyone quit, but not this red-auburn head boy, which had a lot of volume and was styled up nicely. He's learned to be strong and develop tough skin if he's gonna make it out there.

He quickly adjusted his green scarf around his neck, part of his many fashionable ensembles he puts together. Not really dressy but not so casual, he wore a white v-neck shirt and some blue skinny jeans that fit his figure nicely. On his feet he wore black high tops and finished it off with a green scarf. He always had to wear something green which became a trademark of his. One of many others like being called a "flower child" or being ruthless when it came to encouraging others to recycle and save the environment. He admits he could be a bit overboard with being green, but with global warming and other natural disasters he feels its important to preserve God's green Earth as their home. But when he's not being an activist, he's really the most nice and timid person you could meet. Danny felt good inside knowing he could be one of those people you could talk to about anything and not receive any harsh judgments unless he's just playing with you.

On his left, Danny could hear the sound of a student drinking straight out of a water bottle as the headmistress went on with her speech. As the student began to empty out the contents of his bottle into his mouth, that loud cracking of the plastic bottle began to invade his hearing. After they were finished, the student started to crumple up the Ozarka bottle when Danny turned his head, his piercing green eyes staring at the new student.

"I hope you plan on recycling that." The student seemed taken aback at first, but nodded instantly and tried turning away from Danny's gaze. Danny wasn't the kind to be intimidating, but when it came to nature he automatically goes into 'take no prisoners' mode. Hopefully the students wouldn't test his patience on his first day of being a Teacher's assistant. He wanted to be the lovable Danny everyone knew and not a pain in the ass. Even though he was an aid, he was still a student at the institute and wanted others to be comfortable with him outside of class.

---

"You've got everything?" Esther smiled. She was so confident in the way she talked, in the way that she moved. Even her toothy grin exuded conviction and, right now, it wasn't in herself or her new job—it was her confidence in him. That unnerved Harley; it crawled through his skin like fire. Of all the things she could have instilled her hope in...

Esther caught his eyes just as they wandered off. Catching his chin, she forced his head to look up at her—Esther was incredibly tall compared to him, standing at a stark 6'3". She got that from their father, Harley regarded. In fact, she probably hogged most of dad's good genes anyways, all but the one afflicting him now. Grasping his chin, she could directly see the doubt in his eyes: the quivering brows, the blatant avoidance of eye contact, and the sudden submissive slouch in his shoulders. It brought a sigh from her lips as she let go, bringing her hands lower to pat down Harley's arms. He was covered in a navy blue and white Letterman jacket, with a large Wildcat on the left chest, and an even bigger one stamped on the back. At that moment, she was content to just stare at it, suddenly caught remembering a moment that widened her smile. Beneath was his favorite, red Bazinga! shirt, neatly showing between the two opened buttons at the top, of which he could only quietly stare at.

Chuckling, Esther patted his shoulders and popped the jacket collar before nudging him forward. He was early-ish, with enough time to unpack and head down to the auditorium, though he was abruptly stopped midway. "You forgot something, Bozo!"

Between his sister's long fingers hung a pair of thick, black rimmed, square glasses, glaring at him in the morning glow. Jogging back, Harley finally flashed a smile, albeit a sheepish one, as he grabbed the spectacles and began his trek back into the building.

"You forgot something else..."

Fully stopped now, Harley's shoulders slumped forward and, with a sigh, he turned back around to see his sister opening the back door to her Lexus. Of course, he'd forget all of his of things. Handing him a red suitcase and an even redder backpack, along with the case for his contacts, solution and all, Esther brought herself down to peck at Harley's cheeks, embrace him, and finally bid him farewell. The churning of blacktop pavement caught his ears just as he entered the institute and made his way up the flight of stairs where he was assigned a lone room when he had first arrived.

Out of all the kids, Harley was one of the... even more special batch. The unique of the unique, in that he was kind of a danger to anyone susceptible to his powers. He preferred that they not sugarcoat it with words like, 'More Unique' or 'Even More Special' because that's apparently what all mutants were. It was better they just call it as they saw it: a potential danger to most of the student body. Thus, to avoid incident, he was given a room to himself, where he could make good use of his time alone and away from any of the more sociable of the student body. It was how he preferred it, anyways.

Setting his things down, Harley took everything in, let the slight scent of wood and lemons bring him back home. The mansion was old, but well kept, so instead of a dank, moldy smell, there was this hint of spice and wood that pervaded the air, at least to him. It was hard to describe it in order for others to relate, so it was best he simply settled with: it smelled like Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Though, that lemon smell wasn't quite as familiar and usually denoted a swift cleaning prior to arrival. It was nice though. The rest of the room looked as he had left it, with shelves brimming with books from a Brave New World to Entomology: The Exotic World of the Subterranean. They were all neatly placed and arranged alphabetically author-wise, down the entirety of each shelf. Other than that, Harley's room was mostly barren, in terms of embellishments, aside from the bare essentials: a dresser, a bed, a nightstand, curtains, alarm clock, and some lights, as well as a desk where his laptop usually sat. He didn't find a use for souvenirs that weren't books or didn't provide any useful function other than looking nice.

Slumped over, with his suitcase wide open, Harley could be seen leaning against the wooden windowsill, quietly staring out at the light blue sky above. He actually probably shouldn't have been in his room at the moment; there was the welcome back orientation that was to take place in a few minutes. It was probably best he make himself comfy down there, and find a spot away from the general crowd that would gather later. But, Harley made no move to leave, simply plastered himself further against the window with a Twins ball cap slopped over his disheveled hair. His feet were fidgeting across the floorboards, squeaking in a careful rhythm while the entirety of his weight rested along his folded arms. It was relaxing, being able to daze off again in the solitude and confinement of what he considered his room—his home, to be more precise. Though, he did need to leave soon, otherwise he'd be late and he assumed Mrs. Pryde didn't appreciate latecomers.

The door creaked open to let Harley out and the rest became a scramble of thoughtless movements. He'd somehow found his way down the hall with Adrien at his side—the sudden realization increased Harley's already skittish nature. Lips were chewed on ferociously, with his heart pounding sharply against his rib cage. It'd been far too long since he had talked to someone who wasn't either his sister or his grandmother. Harley had forgotten how terrifying it was. Not the talking, but the whole moment where he remembered that he was a ticking time bomb. He quietly and nervously waited as they walked and he talked for the hallway to burst with loud noises and the sound of pain that he was so familiar with. Adrien's words completely flew over his head as he tugged the ball cap further down his forehead and promptly squeezed his eyes shut the moment they entered the auditorium to sit down. Mrs. Pryde's words did the same, and he could only squeeze himself further into the chair he'd found himself in.

Looking at Adrien, wide, doe like eyes staring him down from behind a pair of glasses , Harley blushed fiercely as he realized what he'd done. Anxiety had gotten the best of him again, but he quickly wiped the strained expression that he'd been holding since Adrien had bumped into him to force himself to calm down. Mustering a feeble smile, Harley rubbed the back of his head as he sat up and leaned over.

"What was that again?" he whispered, eyes darting over to watch the headmistress, "I'm sorry."

Oona sat by the lake behind the academy, she knew there was an assembly going on but she had heard it before she was sure.
'i should still go' she thought, throwing a rock and skipping it across the lake. she then noticed a small group of fish was swimming by the edge of the lake, seemingly staring at her. it unnerved her so she stood up, chucked her last stone a little ways in where it dropped quickly, then turned and headed for the main academy.

she smiled when she saw people, these were her people, mutants, they wouldn't make fun of her, she was safe here.
Lots of people milled about and she said hello to many, some she recognized, others she didn't, it was exciting in a way.

she saw Headmistress Pryde coming down the stairs and so being she hurried into the auditorium, she saw Adrien sitting with Harley and slipped into the seat on the other side "hey you guys"

Aurora had arrived in the auditorium before most of the student body had begun to trickle in. Had it been anxiety over her quiet thoughts that had driven her here? Or was the the longing to be welcomed back into the only place she could think of as home? She couldn't know. She only knew that when she was alone, and undistracted, it was hardest not to go back to that dark time in her life. Had she ever really left it?

She ran a hand through her long, lively locks as the students began to enter. She was grateful to see them. The past weeks of vacation had been difficult for Rory. She had envied the number of students able to go home, to visit their relatives and be among loved ones. She had longed to walk through the doors of her grandiose home, to great her father in the far too large foyer, to hear her mother scold her for tracking soil from the garden over the new carpet. To hold her sister, who had died before she was old enough to really know what death was...

Suddenly, Kitty Pryde's voice cut through the gloom of her thoughts, professional, but filling her with the warmth of familiarity. She was relieved to find herself surrounded with people, who helped to ease her pain with their welcome jokes, mishaps, and other distractions. She was especially thrilled when her eyes landed on the dark, straight hair of one of the better friends she had made here. "Alicia!" she hissed, only to be shushed by a stuffy mutant at her side. She gave a toss of her eyes, and slowly, stealthily, lowered herself from the folding chair to the ground. A few curious eyes watched as she crouched, took in a deep breath, and quickly phased. In the blink of an eye, she had sprung from her spot and had landed in the seat next to Alicia, her wavy, dark hair bouncing around her shoulders as she came to a sudden stop.

She gave Alicia a sideways smirk, quite pleased with her clever maneuver and whispered, "Hey," complete with a wink of one eye. She bit her lip and gave a shrug of her shoulders in the direction of a faculty member that gave her a scolding glare.

As Alicia sat in her seat, she turned around hearing someone saying her name and quickly spotted Aurora and couldn't help but smile seeing her closest friend there. Going back to their first meeting Alicia was sitting by herself in the lunch room not having to many friends at the time she didn't feel like she belonged anywhere feeling her ability being useless and always had to wear gloves they hit it off very quickly and they would always hangout.

Then Aurora quickly disappeared and then appeared right next to her. "Hey Rora!" Alicia said excitedly before being shushed by her fellow mutants, but she didn't care and blushed slightly when she winked at her Alicia then hugged Aurora tightly wrapping both arms over her friend. "How have you been?" Alicia asked softly.

“Best way to describe Duncan? He’s like ice. Cold, transparent yet cloudy at the same time”

Those were the words used by his instructor back at the Naval College when Headmistress Pryde first approached them about recruiting Duncan. That was eight months ago but the word still rattled around in his head. Duncan was one of the few students who didn’t have a home to go back to during the schools recent vacation period. His family was dead, parents gone, grandparents gone, everyone was gone and strangely the young Scotsman was ok with that. He didn’t want to be taken wrong, Duncan loved his family but live a life as he has since their untimely passing and you realise that living and dwelling in a dark past is not the way to go. Dunc lives firmly in the present, absorbing everything around him in the hopes of the betterment of his life. Yet, he still could not shake those words. He made friends easily, he was accessible, a bit aloof sure but he wasn’t hard to talk to…or was he? The words had to have some merit to them right? Duncan had yet to fully grasp the concept and that in itself was more terrifying than many other things in life; the lack of understanding.

It was a warm day outside and Duncan wasn’t one to stress about his fashion sense. He walked into the auditorium dressed in dirty blue jeans, white trainers and a form fitting sunburned orange t-shirt that showed off his strong physique. His powers made him unnaturally strong but that didn’t mean that Duncan had to welch on his training. He attended Naval College for a reason, he wanted to get fit and he wanted to serve.

He was one of the last ones in the auditorium so Duncan ended up on the front row. He looked down at his left hand and watched the little violet glow of his veins evaporate.
Before entering the room, he had made sure to build up his power reserves with a bit of an intense workout. In Duncan’s mind, you never knew what could happen, especially with this schools prior reputation. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair as the headmistress addressed the crowd. The boy next to him loudly chugged a bottle of water. Obviously he was new. A little grin appeared on Dunc’s face as he hear Danny, who sat on the other side of the boy with the water, do is usual shtick about recycling. The boy didn’t look like he was listened.

“Don’t worry, Danny. If he doesn’t recycle I’ll break his wrists” It was an idle and sarcastic threat but the new boy didn’t have to know that. Danny knew Duncan well enough to know that he wasn’t serious and was just playing around with the newbie. There was something inherently fun about watching people squirm.

The morning was a cold one, the chilled breeze causing the occasional shiver to race over Daisy’s skin but not causing her to abandon her post. She was perched atop the institute’s highest tower, her pajama-clad legs folded neatly beneath her, her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate on her breathing. The steady rhythm did nothing to ease the frantic pace of her thoughts as they rushed through her mind. It was a new semester, the start of a new year, and even though she had a year of teaching experience under her belt she felt even more nervous than she had the beginning of the previous year. Not that she would ever let her discomfort be known, of course, she had always been taught to not to show weakness.

She sighed deeply, letting her eyes slide open as the first weak rays of sunshine began to warm her chilled skin. At least this year most of the students would probably know she was a teacher and not mistake her as a freshman… probably. Uncrossing her legs with practiced ease, Daisy stood and stretched her small body, her limber muscles shivering a bit in an attempt to produce heat. She stayed on the roof a moment longer, watching as the buttery yellow orb that was the sun creeped sluggishly over the horizon before taking a deep breath and leaping head-long off of the building.

A brief rush of cold air hit her body, but her body never hit the ground, instead landing safely on the polished wood floor of her bedroom at the other side of the academy. She chuckled to herself, thinking of the shocked face she had seen as she tumbled past a window. She had given someone a scare, that was for certain. Rising from her crouched position, Daisy crossed the generously sized room to the bathroom, checking her face in the mirror.

The damage wasn’t as bad as she thought, the slight purple circles under her eyes the only indication that she had spent the entirety of her night on the roof rather than in bed asleep. She doubted anyone would look closely enough at her to notice. Shrugging off her pajamas, she showered and dressed quickly, her haste tearing her blue and white striped stockings. “Well, damn,” she muttered, running a finger up and down the long run regretfully. She paused, debating briefly if she cared enough to put on a different pair, before deciding almost immediately that she did not and proceeding to tug on a lemon-yellow lace dress. Glossy, cherry-red spike heels completed the ensemble, adding a bit more than three inches to her pathetic five-foot-nothing stature, and with that she was out the door.

The jump this time landed her in the auditorium, perfectly at the end of the long line of teachers and right as Kitty Pryde opened her mouth to speak. A huge grin split Daisy’s face from ear to ear, and she nodded in cheerful greeting to her colleagues. She had always had impeccable timing. The nervousness coiling about in her stomach started to dissipate as she noticed the familiar faces of the previous year’s students in the crowd, giving a cheeky wave to Alicia and Rory, a couple of girls who she remember from her combat class, as well as a few other students here and there. This wasn’t going to be so bad, she thought to herself, she could do this. She could definitely do this.

---

The garden always smelled fresh, even through the winters that hit New York. If tranquil had a sent this would probably hit the nail on the head. For Marlowe, however, this was anything but. In the midst of a sea of orchids and a variety of colorful flowers, sat a man brimming with a lethal mix of agitation and despair taught against the trunk of a large oak. He'd excused himself from the crowd of teachers prepping themselves for the 'Welcome Back' assembly when a certain tone rang louder than all hell from his pocket—luckily, the students had yet to arrive when he left. The day had started off excellent, with his regular morning exercise and meal, and veered off into complete and utter anguish from just a ringtone and a few words. Now his suit laid in ruins with tree bark, sap, and green staining the backside of his entirety. But that didn't seem to matter to the slumped over form currently screaming into the touch phone pressed against the side of his face. It was a sight to behold, a man with disheveled hair and pants a nice patch of green on the underside who seemed to have forgotten he had worked so hard that morning to look presentable. He was still a sight for sore eyes, but it was obvious that there was a bit of an issue currently troubling him. He wasn't necessarily screaming like he wanted to, but there was an audible strain in his voice that bordered between frustrated and completely agonized.

"I don't want to talk to his lawyer," he growled, "What's there to talk about? I share half of my things with him; he can take whatever the hell he wants. Does that no longer matter? Because it seemed like a goddamned vase mattered more than our nine years together."

There was a brief pause before static broke through, turning into a soft and meek voice. "I can't convince him otherwise. He wants it postponed."

"For a month? All he needs to do is give me the agreement papers. There's no need to take this to court if there's no issue, aside from the one that he's making," Marlowe groaned, hand working to undo the tie. The more he talked the harder it was to breath. "For all I know, he's still my husband and you're still my goddamn mother-in-law; let me talk to him. Please. I just want this to be over and I know he's sure as hell not having any second thoughts."

"I'll see what I can do Mars, but you know how he is. He's a mule when it comes to having his way. You do know that you still can't formally meet right? Not unless you're going to court. He'd have a fit if he had to start this process over."

"I would rather die than inconvenience him," Marlowe remarked, enunciating his words to denote his sarcasm, though even he could hear the inflection of truth hiding behind the comment. There was only silence from the other end and he could suddenly tell she was frowning.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he apologized, "I'm sorry, you don't deserve that. Most of all, I'm sorry for forcing you to be our unofficial mediator."

"I want this to go as smoothly as you do, Marlowe."

"I know. Look, I have to go. Tell him that we need to talk and that I'm free whenever he needs me—I mean, whenever he feels like discussing this."

"Alright, Mars, you stay safe. You know you're always welcome here, when this is all over. Love you, dear," and with that she hung up and Marlowe simply stood.

He hadn't budged from his spot until the line had gone completely dead, beeping incessantly in his ear. Bringing it down to cut off his end, he noticed the time at the top: he was missing the assembly. If only he could have willed that conversation to go quicker, but his powers would have none of the turmoil he was currently experiencing. Of course, he couldn't go in looking the way that he did—that would be worse than being late.

Heading through the front, Marlowe made his way to one of the bathrooms near the assembly hall to fix the mess of hair atop his head and possibly attempt to fervently wipe away the obvious grass stains spotting his pants. Stepping out, he made his way through the back of the auditorium and down the side until he could make a straight shot into the backstage. He could practically feel Kitty's uninhibited glare as he walked hastily through, avoiding some of the student's stares. He was pretty successful in going undetected from the majority of the people in the auditorium. They were all glued to either their conversations or Mrs. Pryde as she spoke and not the figure finding his spot at the end of the line of teachers, currently too busy tying his tie, buttoning his suit jacket, and running a hand one last time through his hair to acknowledge anyone. He flashed a bright smile, hoping to whatever god there was that a minimal amount of people had noticed his late entrance and still slightly disheveled look. Marlowe was currently already too exhausted to answer any questions or demands, especially from any of the other teachers.

Steve Irvine

The sound of Steve's Yamaha FZ8 echoed outside the Institute as Steve stormed through the front gate in his bike. He was dressed in blue jeans, black leather jacket, boots and half-fingered gloves. He had a backpack on his back with various belongings of his. As he parks the bike inside the garage and climbs off of it, Steve removes his custom-painted skull helmet and imidieatly looks at his wrist watch. "Shit, i'm late! Kitty should begin talking any minute now. If she hasn't already." Said Steve as he started running inside the Institute and then rapidly climbing the stairs towards his room. In the vacation Steve went back in his hometown of Miami. The city was great at this time of year and always hot. He loved the heat, because of his powers.

As he ran inside his room, Steve throws the helmet on the bed and starts removing his clothes as he threw them on the ground, then he went to his wardrobe and took out the only suit he had. A black suit with a white shirt, a red tie and a pair of black leather shoes. Steve wasn't a very big fan of wearing suits. He had only one, the one he was dressed with right now and it was only for special occasions, like this one for example. As he got in front of the mirror, Steve put some perfume on him to hide the fact that he was a little sweaty and that maybe he needed a bath. After arranging his long blonde hair Steve gets out of his room and heads to the auditorium, ariving just in time as Kitty and the other teachers were climbing the podium. Steve saluted the students and took a seat behind Kitty as he watched her speak.

Even as the road seemed to stretch out before her, Naka kept walking. With a broken rib and a busted lip, she kept walking. The young woman was in a state and she just needed to get to safety. Her body ached from two days without sleep. If she had had the energy, Naka would have cursed under her breath. The walk had been long, out into the boonies, but with no more money and no way to pay for a cab, she had started walking. With shaking hands the girl reached into her vest, the black leather clung to the girl, buckles and belts hanging from it, and from the breast pocket a crumpled pack of Marlboro's came. The rest of the young woman's attire was equally as dark as her vest. Black jeans, complete with buckles and belts, matched her vest, and her blue black hair shinning with bright green streaks that framed her face.

"Goddamn it!"

*Flick* *Flick*

The flint on her lighter struggled, the flame wouldn't keep in the open of the lane she was walking down. Dirty hands cupped around the flame just long enough for it to sputter and catch. With an appreciative groan, Naka inhaled deeply and immediately regretted it. Pain shot through her chest from the broken rib. The map she had stolen from some gas station had said this was the road that would lead her to the manor, and Naka frowned as the gate came into view.

The young woman wasn't sure about all this. Never had she been one to be all 'kum-by-a' with others, especially over the thing she hated most about herself. What were they going to teach her there? How to share her feelings? Pfft. All these thoughts raced through her head as the wrought iron towered before her. As the doubts set in, practicality chimed in.

Just a few days before Naka had been attacked. But it hadn't been mutant motivated, it had been party motivated. Her last batch of products she had sold had been less than satisfactory. A group of her buyers had cornered her, and when nothing could be done, they took out their frustration on the young gypsy. Vines had come up then, to wrap around the group in the alleyway, it was the only thing Naka could do to scramble away while they were stuck. Not only did they beat her up, they also took all of her money. Her Aunt and Uncle weren't an option to stay with anymore, and she had been staying in a hotel for weeks.

Between a rock and a hard place, she pushed the gate slightly, and took another, shallower drag of her cigarette. No one seemed to be around, which worried the girl. Had she gotten the wrong place? The sign had said Xaiver's...

As she approached the front entrance she could hear students scrambling, the girl ducked out of sight of the front as they passed by.

"I don't want to be late for it. Headmistress Pryde is supposed to speak and all that..."

Snippets of conversation floated to the young woman as she finished puffing on her cigarette. An assembly?

With a chuckle and a fluff of her hair, to cover her swollen eye, Naka slipped into the stream of students now heading to the auditorium. As the students got to the doors, Naka made sure to blend into a small group before posting herself up behind the last row of chairs. She couldn't sit for fear of the pain from her injury, but she was interested in hearing the Headmistress' little speech.

Most of the students seemed to know each other, an as everyone seemed to settle into their conversations, second thoughts settled into Naka's mind.

(First two parts are memories so they will be in italics, they will also be in first person, her words will also be emboldened.)

What happens in Vegas...

This was the day I was allowed out, the day of my departure, a one way ticket to the Institution was mine. I ran upstairs as my mother and father tried to find clothes that fit me, I hadn't gone out in the longest time and my father always bought me things that were either small or baggy. It was so sunny upstairs, beautiful birds made their calls outside of the window. Sights and sounds I hadn't seen since I was six were coming back to me, it was all so perfect!

Once they had finished their search for clothes we hopped into my father's red camaro and started on our way, it was a silent ride but I didn't mind because I was able to watch the nature from outside of my window. Lucas laughed at me but he understood how desperately I needed this, he was one of the only ones that knew how much it meant not being locked up in the pretty cage called the basement.

We soon arrived, as we walked through the airport they made sure I got food and even bought me a few nice things, a leather book-bag, some jewelery, a new, shiny red camera with all of my old pictures in it, they even presented to me my first phone as we arrived at the security gate. I watched them with a small smile on my face, surprised by the expressions they wore, no matter how soft.

They looked...sad? I guess they did, their daughter was leaving and going to some Institution even though her powers were out of whack and she could hurt someone at any second. Or maybe it was just a small feeling of sadness, like your child leaving for college sadness. That was a downer.

I shook my head and walked over to my mother, she had her arms open and yet, I couldn't do it, I couldn't hug her. She was the one that had locked me up, I just shook my head and walked passed her, I knew that she was now saddened in full. That was when I turned back and gave her a nice, snug one armed hug and a small handshake. I had too, she was my mother. "Bye, Mom. I'll call you or something." Then I turned and left.

Next was my brother, he didn't have time to open his arms, I practically ran into him. We gave each other a small bear hug and a nice smile that fit the situation, though his had an undertone of unexpected sadness, I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged opening his mouth to say, "I just can't believe you get to go first, maybe I'll see you there? Don't forget, I'm turning the basement into a man cave. Oh, and remember what I said." With a smirk that suggested all sadness was gone. I rolled my eyes and sighed slightly. "Right, I know your plans. Bye Lucas." I then turned to face my father.

He was a kind man but I gave him no sympathy, he was hurt when I told him off for not taking care of me. We even had a small argument, it was almost time for my flight when it was all over. It was a sad case but I still felt no pity for him, yet I couldn't help it and gave him a handshake, even a pat on the shoulder to tell him no hard feeling. When I thought it over though, the harshness still played in my mind and made me smile.

After everything was said and done I left, taking my luggage and passing the security gates, they called out their goodbyes but I didn't listen, pushing forward through the numerous people about to depart after their weeks on the Strip. A final smile and a look at the giant craft about to take me away, that was my best memory of Sin City.

Before I boarded the plane I made a stop at the dumpster outside of it, ripping up photos and tossing memorabilia. That had been our deal, he had told me to forget and now I would. When all was done I smiled and went on my way to the plane, last of all taking the sim card from my camera and placing it in my bag. Only new photos would be allowed.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I murmur, people around me do the same. Though they aren't serious, they giggle and laugh while i keep a straight face, I had made my own promises that I would surely keep.

Landing

As I stepped off the plane my smile grows wide and bright, this was all so new! It was all so vivid, the air felt nice and fresh, the people were simple and dashing, the cars drove down the roads in a manner that seemed different, maybe I was exaggerating but it was all so different! She was in New York!

I looked around quickly and entered a shop with a small sigh, the manager seemed to notice me and waved me over, she was a pretty girl that appeared to be in her early thirties. "Do you need something dear? You look lost." She asked, I just shook my head and cleared my throat. "I need a taxi." I murmured, the lady understood and started a call as I exited and waited for the cab to arrive.

A small cab with advertisements sprawled all over the interior arrived to pick me up, i gulped and gripped my bag, walking inside of the taxi cab and sighing a bit. Giving the rough looking driver the address he grunted and started on the way. Looking in my book-bag I saw the money my mother had given me, it appeared that she had slipped a credit card in there as well. Why had I been so mean to them?

It had been seemingly forever before we arrived.

Morena Silicus; The Arrival

Morena arrived at the institution in a small, cheap taxi cab that had taken her here from the shop, that made her remember the nice lady. She paid the man and smiled at him, he took her baggage from the trunk and set it on the ground before leaving her, standing there, slightly alone, on the grass in the courtyard. I'm here! I did it! No more basements! She thought, looking at the other students she smiled slightly and brushed off her clothing, the outfit was one for leisure , a pretty white cotton blouse with buttons that matched her simple, blue grey eyes, she also wore a simple pair of low-rise blue jeans, with some combat boots, okay maybe it wasn't for leisure yet it all felt soft against her skin. With a small sigh and that same, relaxed smile. She stepped inside of the Institution.

Looking around her smile became more bright and her eyes seemed to spark, this place seemed very nice to her, it wasn't as dark and damp as the basement, it was way brighter...and louder, then her old home. She enjoyed it. And after searching around for awhile she would know each and every corner of this seemingly endless place. Avoiding others she started walking around with some sort of purpose.

Then she was stopped, by what seemed like a faculty member, the man handed her a leather chain with some strange crystals on it. He then handed her a small journal, and a fountain pen. All of these gifts were nice but she didn't know why she had them. He handed her two pamphlets, then a schedule and went on his way. That was strange. She thought as she looked at her blank booklet and her two guides.

How would she ever get used to this? Whatever, the point was to just carry on and find her way. Continuing forward through the crowd she looked at her schedule and smiled, then she looked at the two pamphlets. One had something to do with her items and one with some sort of welcome attached. With a shrug she started to read. Maybe she would find something interesting hidden inside of this two page book of knowledge.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Flavie propped open the trunk of the taxi and rolled the most sugar coated concoction she'd ever put in her mouth. Tootsie roll? One of the two suitcases Flavie had brought with her from the objectively superior land of France was ticking incessantly, which was good because if they weren't there she would be a little miffed and freaked. Next to this suitcase was another suitcase and somehow shoved even farther away from the ticking case was a backpack. She threw the bag onto her shoulder. Much less easy to carry was the ticking suitcase, which she struggled to hold in one arm. The other suitcase was carried in the other, but before she began that task Flavie checked her watch. It was a cheap plastic affair with Mickey Mouse in the center, his arms the minute and hour hands. This wasn't her favorite watch, the way the hands were designed made it somewhat inaccurate and its design was possibly the most breakable object in history. Despite this, the character was endearing enough for her to bear with shoddy craftsmanship.

She was starving, mostly because she refused to eat anything that came out of the food stands she saw in the airport. What was it called, a corn dog? Battered bread slobbered over meat grissle presumably taken from the worst parts of a pig. It made her sick thinking about it. Combined with the weather being chillier than the cold hearts of American politicians, she knew she needed to get in the building before her hands froze off. At least she was sensible enough to bring a tan tweed coat, sort of a cross between a jacket and a vest; thrown over her loose fitting shirt.

The place was much more...quaint, than her city home and due to the lack of busyness she felt as if she were being watched. Which, to be fair, she was. New and carrying her life in her hands, it was obvious to anyone with half a brain and maybe those here who had a quarter of it. She wasn't sure how mutations worked. Badly?

Her posture was obviously nervous and she made it a point not to look at anyone. Frankly, it was terrifying enough that she was surrounded by she-literally-had-no-idea and be in a new place and have to go to a speech and she'd rather love it if it could all just stop now and she could go home.

Dong. Dong.

Flavie jerked. None of her devices made that sound...oh. It was a grandfather clock. She checked her watch to make sure they were current and she was less than mollified to find that they didn't. Of course she was in another country and the time's hadn't bothered to be realign, so she managed to keep her composure and reset her device to Democracy Land time.

By the time she reached the rows upon rows of seats in the podium room it donned upon her that most others had managed to find some sort of pamphlet explaining the whats and hows and why's of this institution. She managed to grab a seat on the far edge of a row where she threw down her two suitcases and then bag in a sort of pyramid and threw her legs over onto them nervously.

The dead silence was all consuming and prevalent and horrible before the speech and after she could still hear the only sounds she had actually listened to.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Kitty looked around at all of the faces as she took her place at the podium, a bright smile on her own. Her only wish was to make Charles and the others proud. Well, that and to be able to go to bed and cuddle with Piotr. But, one step at a time would have to do for now. She cleared her throat to settle everyone down, motioning for her friends and colleagues to join her on the stage. She could see the awe in the eyes of many of the newcomers as they saw those with more visible mutations, gawking as her teachers and X-Men walked with confidence, their chins held high. She was proud of them, watching as they filed behind her. She turned her head back to the crowd and put on her best face. “Welcome home, everyone. I know many of you are excited to be back... I know that we're all still heart broken concerning the death of our beloved Professor Xavier. He will forever be in our hearts and minds as we work together to carry out his dream. With this new year comes many new things. New friends, new enemies, new challenges. And new teachers. I'm sure that many of you are wondering who these fine men and women behind me are, but you'll find out later when they're torturing you in their classes.” She smiled as she got some laughter, half nervous and half genuinely amused, continuing on with a firm voice.

“People like us face challenges every day and in times, it's become worse. For this exact reason, we need to hold fast together and keep each other strong. We cannot be seen weak in this moment; Not by humans, not by our own kind. But not a single one of you should be afraid. Since the attack here, we've taken many more precautions and our new staff and X-Men are far more aggressive than our la-” She paused when a hand raised. The boy stood up with brows pulled down in confusion. “So... The new X-Men will kill anyone that attacks?” There were hushed murmurs as all eyes fell on her. Art took this chance to step forward with a light smile, clearing her throat. “Yeah. We will.” The students roared. Not all of them, some of them remaining silent. But the auditorium echoed with roars and claps of approval. Wow. Bloodthirsty little creatures. Reminded her of a younger... Well. Her. She gave a light smile and raised a glowing hand, drawing attention to herself. Which really wasn't hard when she was glowing like she was shooting up rainbows in an alleyway at night. “My name is Armonía Torres,” she spoke in a thick Cuban accent to the crowd, looking over every single person as she stood at an easy stance, taking in the wolf whistles and cat calls with a smirk. The tattooed and pierced female raised a hand to silence them once more.

“I am going to be your Professor of Art and Literature. And Drama. And Music. And Yoga. But most importantly, I will be leading this new generation of X-Men. We might not all look it, but we are deadly. And we're not old fashioned. Our purpose is to protect you, ourselves, and mutants wherever and whenever we can. If someone wants to kill us... Well, they can try. But I can assure you that we'll kill them first.” More approving roars, cries of praise for the X-Men. She could hear many of them crying out about joining the X-Men and rolled her eyes. “Aww, that's cute. Real fucking adorable. No. You don't just join the X-Men. You earn that shit. Basic classes teach you to control your powers and basic self-defense combat because it's a necessity for survival. But you have to earn the right to learn how to apply your powers in ways you never thought imaginable. You have to earn the right to train with us and learn how to take down Chuck Norris. You have to earn the right to put on that black suit and represent Charles Xavier. We do not relish in shedding blood. We do what we must to survive. Keep that shit in mind.”

As the crowd went silent, she took her place back in line. Kitty looked at her with wide eyes in surprise, clearly hiding what appeared to be either a smirk or a smile while she moved back to the podium and spoke into the microphone. “Yeah. She's a real bottle of sunshine... Well, rainbows.” She joked about the rainbow colored glow coming from her friend, easing the tension that had rose. “That about covers everything. Please, feel free to explore and get to know one another. Doors marked with an X are for staff only. Don't try breaking in because our security has been severely upgraded with the latest in Stark Industries' technology. And a huge thank you to everyone who helped rebuild over the summer, and Mister Faraday for funding us. Now, go! Explore and enjoy!” They need not be told twice, dashing off to explore the mansion that was now three times larger than it had originally been in order to house the influx of mutants. Kitty raised a brow in Art's direction who simply shrugged her shoulders and laughed. “Sólo teniendo en real, bebé.” Blowing Kitty a kiss, she headed out with the throng of students. “I'll be in the staff kitchen for drinks and I'm making a bomb ass meal.”

With that, she disappeared into the crowd, pushing her way to the elevator where she took it to the third floor, following hallways to her bedroom door. Her door was easily recognized by the classic drama masks hanging from it. Smiling, she let herself in and was bombarded by her pets that she knelt to give affection before disrobing and shimmying into a tank top and daisy dukes. She was home again so there was no need to be formal. She paused in the mirror, again looking at the scars that she once felt defined her, that they were all people saw when they looked at her. She didn't care anymore though. She was fucking awesome with fucking awesome tattoos and fucking awesome piercings and fucking awesome skills and a fucking awesome face with a fucking awesome body and a fucking awesome glow. Yeah. She was cool. Smirking, she lead her pets out of her room, to the elevator, and to the staff kitchen. Kitty apparently took the liquor stash pretty seriously. There were biometric scanners on all the doors marked with an X. Art was let in with ease and she quickly went for the whiskey, propping the door open with a chair.