“Why Beloved wait so long to see’s me?” Amp whimpered with great worry. The tiny blue pixy was currently knee deep in the tousled blonde hair of Ireland. Who was currently laying across the couch, her legs draped over the arm, her loose hair pulled out from under where she laid so Amp could tend to it.

“I’m sorry sweetie,” Ireland replied in a soft voice. “It’s my first year with you around. I guess I fell into old habits of trying to handle it alone,” she tried to explain. Letting out a sorrowful sigh as she stared up at the ceiling.

There was an oddity to the moment. The odd thing wasn’t the fact that there was a fairy in Ireland’s hair, the pixy loved playing with hair. The odd part was Ireland laying across the couch. She was known around the school as a very formal woman, when she’d visit, reminiscent of how someone would act from a by-gone era. So her current position was very abnormal.

Amp moved with great care through Ireland’s hair. Usually, the pixy could be a bit rough, due to being overly excited, but that wasn’t the case now. She had a very calm and patient motherly vibe to her. “Has Beloved read note yet?” Ireland replied with a subtle shake of her head, which the fairy felt as the hair around her shifted. “Amp be with Beloved when she’s ready ok?” The fairy moved close enough to press a kiss to Ireland’s forehead.

“Ok,” Ireland replied with a small smile. “Just not yet,” she added with closed eyes. Taking in the joy of having someone play with her hair in a way that was reminiscent of how her mom did.

Admin Note: Post made while Heidi still had Storm, who is as of now going to be played by Guiga.

Ororo’s day had been a full one. With all her obligations met the rest of the evening was now hers to spend as she wished. Her first decision was to ditch her business suit for something more comfortable. Loose linen pants, a well-loved tank top, an oversized sheer cover and a pair of sandals. She pulled her long hair back into a bun, secured by a stray pencil, after adding a few layers of long beaded necklaces to her casual ensemble. Feeling far more comfortable already she grabbed the book from her nightstand before making her way to the small kitchenette in the teacher’s wing. She hummed to herself as she brewed a pot of tea. Using a tray she carried the brewing clay pot, a teacup, napkin and her book into the adult only sitting room. It was located in the teacher’s wing as well. With a house full of students, it was important for everyone’s sanity, that the adults/teachers had space outside their living quarters that was youth free.

There were two chairs close to the windows where Ororo enjoyed reading while having her tea. She was pleased to see both of them were empty. Not that she needed both of them, but enjoyed the small luxury of getting to pick where she sat between the two. As she entered, with tray in hand, she noticed someone lying across the couch. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see at the end of the day, though she didn’t look long enough to see who it was yet. She was focused on getting herself settled first. Selecting the chair on the right she set her tray down on the end table situated next to it. Sitting down herself she looked up to greet the couch lounger, “Good evening …” her voice paused as she noticed it was Ireland. It took her an extra moment just to confirm it was her. “… Ms. Chase. It’s a surprise seeing you here so late in the evening.”

Lost in thought, Ireland missed the sounds of Ororo’s quiet entrance. It wasn’t until the women spoke that she became aware that anyone else was there. “Forgive me,” she quickly apologized. Instantly sitting up and righting her outfit. Much to Amp’s displeasure, the pixy was caught off guard by the sudden reaction, which left the small creature now tangled in her Beloved’s hair. Seeing who it was who had joined her Ireland continued, “Ms. Munroe, I do apologize for my appearance. I shouldn’t have taken such leisure’s in your home.” Trying to cover the wince of pain Amp’s struggles caused her. The young entrepreneur raised a hand, trying to give Amp something to stand on, but the angle for the pair was awkward at best.

Seeing the struggle the pair were trying to deal with Ororo couldn’t help but smile. “Let me help,” she voiced. Getting up from the chair and crossing the distance to the couch. She gestured for Ireland to turn slightly so she could better see Amp. The white-haired weather witch took a seat, “Calm down little one. Your flittering is only causing more knots.” Ororo scooped Amp into her hand, “Let’s have you lay back down Ms. Chase.” As Ireland laid back down, Ororo slid off the couch, now kneeling beside it as Amp now had the ability to sit herself. “First off, Ms. Chase, you have nothing to apologize for. We all need time and a space to relax in. You are no different in that need. So long as Ms Amp calls this place home, it is yours as well. I do hope, in time, that you will come to think of the mansion as another home for you.” Trying to reassure Ireland as her long nails took turns lifting various strands of hair from the entangled Amp.

The lift doors opened, black rubber upon metal rims rolling the oldest resident of the school out into the hallway.

Professor Charles Xavier had remained in deep thought all the way up from where he'd just been reorganizing a few necessary documents within the War Room. With new arrivals at the school, among other things, there was always a need to update both the Cerebro files and the power database for the Danger Room. Even similar mutations presented differently in all those with the X-Gene. Thus, new simulations had to be created to help match and better train any newcomers, the latter something he would be calling a meeting about to discuss with his fellow X-Men and some of the other teaching staff at some point very soon.

Unless they had some way of hiding their presence from him, Charles very quickly became aware of anyone who stepped within the boundaries of the school he'd created so many years ago now. Having sensed Amp's very enthusiastic reaction to Ireland's earlier arrival, it'd caused him to pause a moment in what he had been doing, unable to help but smile at the sheer joy she emulated. The little pixie was one of the more unusual mutants among them and certainly the most adorable. Everyone took an instant liking to her even managing to break through Logan's rough and gruff exterior.

Gently reaching out to see if the connected pair were still together and possibly somewhere he could visit them, he turned in the general direction. Once near, he raised an eyebrow at the heightened emotions he was sensing from Amp, maneuvering his wheelchair that little bit faster to see what was going on. Entering the Adult Lounge, he saw Ororo helping to untangle Amp from Ireland's hair. He would've chuckled at the sight had it not been clear she was very anxious at present.

"Yes, I do very much agree, Ms Chase, and perhaps maybe one day you might make it your permanent home as well," Charles offered, careful not to startle anyone who may have yet not seen him come in. "For now, though, it is wonderful to see you again." He then glanced at Amp, "Are you okay, little one?" he asked.

Ireland lifted her chin to get a look at the person who just came in. She knew it was Xavier, but habit caused her to look anyways. Not that she could see anything aside from the top two feet of the entry. Xavier’s seated position caused him to elude her. “Good evening Professor,” she voiced with a smile. “You and your staff have done a wonderful job of making me feel welcome here. Your gesture is not overlooked.”

Amp did her best to relax her wings so that Ororo could untangle the locks of hair wrapped around the most delicate part of her. It worked for a moment until Charles rolled into the room. “Precious Wheelie!” she rejoiced. Her wings fluttering with excitement, causing more hair to wrap around her wings. “I’s is so happy to sees you. Precious has been so busy lately,” her tone caught half-way between observation and worried mother.

“Sweetie your wings,” Ireland called out as the tangles caused her hair to get pulled. Her hands reached up over her head and cupping the excited pixy. Her hands moved on instinct, able to avoid the fairy’s small form as if she could actually see her. “Please be still, little one. Once free you can give your cuddles,” she assured her.

Hearing Ireland’s voice and feeling her warm hands around her Amp was suddenly still. Not for fear of being hurt, but a zen-like calm. Amp gave Ireland’s hand a kiss as the blonde pulled her hands back to rest on her stomach.

“It has been some time since I have been able to enjoy the company of personal and casual relationships. While I appreciate the invitation to make this estate my home, it is a goal I will have to work towards. I first must practice how to be around people when business is not involved. It is very convenient that Amp’s home happens to be a school,” she explained with a smirk.

Ororo kept the delicate work of trying to disentangle little Amp from Ireland's long blond strands of hair for a few minutes. Soon, her aim proved to be more difficult to achieve than she had first anticipated. The excitement of the little pixie with Xavier's arrival made the situation worse and now she was more entangled than before. Ororo instinctively withdrew her hands from the small and fragile form when her wings began to flutter rapidly as she was afraid to hurt the little one.

A now long-time member of the X-Men and entrusted friend, Ororo simply opened a broad smile towards Xavier as his wheelchair rolled into the room. "Let's hope our efforts bare fruit." She let out as she went down the memory lane within her mind. She was lost and confused in the middle of a war zone as an enemy unit and Xavier and his people still took her in as one of their own. She would never forget their kindness and the trust they granted her, even though she had barely given them any proof she was really on their side or even good of the mind after what had happened to her. Acceptance was the rule and the norm within those walls and Ororo would be forever thankful for the one she had received.

It still amazed her how Amp and Ireland were connected and how easy it was for the blonde to calm down the pixie. Ororo let the two have their moment before silently restarting the disentanglement work she had been previously engaged in. Another smile left her lips at Ireland's words. Maybe they could really convince her to someday stay with them. Home was important to Ororo and this mansion was the only one she knew after loosing her parents.

OOC: Apologies if this post is small or lame. I'm trying to get a feeling for Ororo in this situation. Next one will be better.  

Jean's spare time, while being a teacher and a physician in the X-Mansion, had always been a scarce commodity during all her adult life. Yet, she'd always found the time to do what she enjoyed the most, which was feeding her brain with new ideas. Now that she was, again, no longer alone in there and for much longer than when she was younger, reading Science Fiction no longer excited her as it used to do. During the last five years, she's been having the most vivid dreams of her entire life. It's as if Phoenix took over as she slept every night to do her chores as the Guardian everywhere else in the universe. Jean now had memories of places and peoples no earthling had ever seen before and that fascinated and scared her in equal proportion. A human brain, even one as powerful and advanced as hers due to her mutations, wasn't made to process this.

For that reason, Jean now would usually be found reading different literature. The usual medical studies, because a good MD never ceases to study, and light-hearted or even escapist books. Today she had made a few interesting picks. Right now she was finishing a novel format of Shakespeare's comedy "Too Much Ado About Nothing". She had been reading it for a while at the adult-only sitting room's left chair by the windows. She had no particular love for that chair or any other in the room. It was just empty when she arrived and the wind was nice. Jean sensed when each of the others entered the room and instinctively sent a telepathic signal so no one would sit on her lap by accident as there was no way for anyone else, even Charles, to notice that she was already there when they arrived as she was tapping into the Phoenix's powers to make herself invisible both visually and telepathically. Jean could never be called an anti-social person, she just didn't want to be disturbed while she was giving her brain a much needed rest and some fun.

A seemingly disembodied light-hearted laugh came from the direction of the windows, followed by the sound of a closing book. Soon after, Jean's shape, dressed in a very comfortable long house dress, seemed to appear out of nowhere. She placed the book over the nearby table, where everyone could now see the books she read that afternoon. A compendium on the treatment of tropical diseases and the novelization of the play. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to startle anyone. It wasn't on purpose." Jean offered shyly as the best excuse she could come up with at the moment. She had been neglecting their presence after all, not out of spite or anything. Ororo was one of her best friends for many years, the pixie was just an adorable company always, Ms Chase wasn't a stranger and Charles was her second father. He had always understood her better than her father, who had abandoned her in his hands as a child. But now it was difficult for even him to understand her. She had fully and truly become a breed apart and that was a lonely place to be.

"Let me help you out." Jean offered to the entangled pair and in the wake of her words, with a wave of her hand, Ireland's hair disentangled in a beautiful floating ballet of blond strands. In less than a minute, Amp was free and no hair strands were pulled in the process. "I didn't mean to neglect anyone. I think I was just too focused on my reading. It helps nowadays." Jean apologized again, offering a kind smile to all within the room. 

Oh Amp, Charles thought to himself, smiling at just how endearing such a little creature could be yet deeply troubled that his entrance had made her react in such a way as to get herself even more entangled. Fortunately for the little pixie, her ever caring other half was there to very quickly take over and calm her down. Giving a nod in Ororo’s direction, Xavier’s attention returned to their visitor. “You will always be welcome here, Miss Chase,” he reiterated before moving over closer to the couch in an attempt to see if he too could help disentangle Amp from strands of hair that were a great danger to the delicacy of wings such as hers.

There was a moment there where Charles seemed to pause mid removal, a second to realize that he hadn’t sensed anything out of place within the sitting room, nor had he any reason to think someone else was already there. It both amazed and even scared him that something could be so powerful as to even be able to block their presence from someone with his abilities. Normally, he would have picked up on Jean being there even before he had come in. Now, with the telepathic shield lifting to reveal one of his most trusted of past students and very much like a daughter to him, Charles couldn’t help but lift his head and simply look at her with both awe and concern on his face.

He carried the guilt with him every day that had he not encouraged his protégé to unleash her full potential against En Sabah Nur she may never have drawn the attention of the self-proclaimed Guardian of Creation in the first place. Over his long life, he had seen many a hard decision have to be made. Would he do it again? Most likely, yes, because otherwise, Apocalypse may have succeeded in absorbing the last power the ancient one had so desperately needed to succeed in wiping out anyone who opposed him.

A smile of acknowledgement was given Jean’s way even as he was watching her telekinesis ever so gently set the smallest resident of the school free. Such precision, such care. It truly was a shame Charles could not thus far fully comprehend just what was going on within her head nor exactly why the Phoenix Force had not simply let her be like it had last time. Only the future would tell if he ever would find such answers. It didn't matter. He’d be there for her regardless.

“Hello Jean,” he greeted. “It is always good to see you.” He then looked back at Amp. “There you go, little one. All free. Better?” he asked her.

It had been worth it in the end to spend so much time and effort on this project and in the process get a true appreciation for the sheer intricacy of the work. Hundreds of individual metal rings linked together, each individual ring linked to four others and so on in alternating rows of solid rings and wedge riveted rings to form a replica fourteenth century chainmail hauberk. Some liberties had been taken of course, such as were necessary to modify the armour for his own physique and utilising modern crafting techniques. Overall though Lawrence was very satisfied with his handiwork, finally having it complete after beginning way back in early June. 

In his determination to finally complete his project this day, Lawrence had more or less lost track of time other than realising it was rather late and he was feeling more than a little fatigued and definitely hungry. There were a few twinges in his muscles and he would probably be feeling yet more come the morning but it was worth it over all. First thing he wanted was to take a quick shower and then get something to eat but he did want to show off his project, what he'd been working on in his free time down in the metal working shop.

A little later and Leucrotta was making his way towards the teacher's lounge, padded feet making barely any sound other than the faint click of his claws though the jangling of the chainmail would probably be heard by those within. Of course it wouldn't have been much good if it didn't fit properly and fortunately with his strength it wasn't too encumbering. Even with the jingling he could still hear and smell those within, picking up on familiar scents of the Professor, Jean, Ororo, Amp and their frequent visitor Ireland. A frown creased his forehead, Lawrence wrinkling his muzzle as he gave a worried grimace, all but forgetting that he'd wanted to show what he'd been working on.

The jingling would get rather louder, Lawrence almost dropping to all fours as he put on a burst of speed and then giving a slight yelp as he felt a sudden twinge, stubbing one of his toes in his haste to reach the lounge. Pulling himself upright as he headed inside and still jingling he looked around, focusing his gaze on Amp. "You're free, you're alright...that's, well probably couldn't have helped much...oafish hyena paws and all."

Lawrence looked over at Ireland, "Hello Miss Chase, it's always nice when you visit us." Limping a little he walked over a little way from the others, shrugging off the chainmail and careful not to catch it on his fur, thankful for the T-shirt beneath. He looked around for an empty chair to settle it on for the moment, before looking back at the others.

"Sorry for the racket as well, I'd gotten this project finished at last for my LARPing, just wanted to show you all."

The pixy was still calm as Jean made her presence known. There was something about the aura Jean gave off that caused Amp to react as if she had been there the whole time, so her typical excited desire to greet her loved one wasn’t triggered, much to Ireland’s relief. As Jean used her impressive ability to untangle Ireland’s long blonde hair, Amp raised her arms and moved them along with the dancing strands as if a duet. As the last of the blonde strands settled to rest on the couch Amp gracefully stood and gave a little twirl of a finish before bowing towards Jean.

“My many thanks Miss. Grey. I feared unbinding us would have taken all night without your assistance,” as Amp flew into the air Ireland sat up. Straightening her outfit and running her fingers through her hair, smirking slightly as the lack of tangles. Jean was a very gifted woman.  “I would have felt a deep guilt if we had taken up all of Miss. Monroe’s evening,” she added. Glancing over to Ororo she offered the women a smile, “I appreciate your willingness to help as well.”

Enjoying her new freedom Amp flew over to Charles first, “Yes I’s is all better my Precious Wheelie. Amp gives you cuddles first.” She landed on his forearm and walked up his shoulder. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then moved to give his chest a hug. “Is good to see Precious,” her wings fluttered slightly before becoming still and relaxed. Closing her eyes until Lawrence appeared.

Hearing the jingling of the chain-mail Amp’s wings gave a flutter, curious as to what was coming. Seeing Lawrence her little yellow eyes lit up seeing his shiny shirt, “Cuddly Puppy!” She exclaimed taking to the air once again. She moved over to the tallest resident and his chain-mail, “Cuddly Puppy your new shirt sings. It makes the most-lovely of songs.” Amp gasped as a thought struck her, “If precious wears this out in the sun your shirt’s song will make the light dance all around you. It will be so glorious.” She exclaimed as she darted up towards the ceiling with an excited spin, and then continued to dance as the jingling song continued in her head.

Seeing Lawrence walk in wearing a chain-mail top was something that the antique dealer was more than surprised to see. She was intrigued by the top, “Would you mind if I took a look at your work?”

Ororo patiently continued to disentangle Amp from Ireland's hair. Charles had approached them to try to assist in the work as well, but suddenly she heard a light-hearted laugh whose owner she knew well. It was Jean. Storm knew Jean could hide herself from pretty much anyone in the school if she so chose, but Charles seemed equally as surprised as she was. That was odd. She closed her eyes for a moment and remembered the same had happened the first time around. Jean's mind had become impervious even to Cerebro. Yet her friend seemed fine now and not like then when her powers seemed out of her control. Maybe she was just going through a lot while being younger and less experienced. That certainly made a difference.

With Jean's help, Amp was disentangled from Ireland's hair strands far faster than Ororo would have managed to help set free the smallest resident of the school. She was relieved too as the longer that situation lasted, the more something could go wrong considering Amp's fragile wings. She watched with attention and care as the pixie performed her last twirl and opened her wings in the air fully free. "That's much better." She clapped once as a sign of joy and encouragement. Soon the adorable fairy was all over Charles and then Ireland thanked her for her willingness to help with Amp's predicament. "Don't mention it. It was my pleasure to help. No matter how long it might have taken if Jean wasn't here. Friends are for this, Ms. Chase." She offered and when she mentioned friends she wasn't just referring to Amp, but to Ireland as well.

Then Ororo left the vicinity of the couch and went back to seat at the chair by the windows next to Jean. She offered her friend a smile that conveyed everything that needed to be said. If Jean wanted to talk about something later that night, she'd be there for her to listen if nothing else. Then she heard the jingling of something metallic. The sound got each time louder. Certainly it was being caused by someone who was converging on their location. Soon after, Lawrence entered the room dressed in a medieval chain-mail top. She wasn't surprised. Ororo knew of his fondness for LARPing. "Scott had to be here to see this..." She said smiling as she knew Summers would certainly appreciate the intricacy of Leucrotta's metal work like few others in the school. "It looks fantastic and authentic, Lawrence. It's sure to be a success at your next LARP session." She offered as an encouragement.