[video]

[totallystoned]

[The camera opens on a young woman with small, grey wings. She's holding a lit cig in her other hand.]

Goood...whatever it is right now.

I'm Reki, and I'll be your new-slash-old art teacher. I'm one of those people that spent the last five years under ice.

So, there's a lot of old, unused rooms in the mansion. If the senior faculty don't object, anyone wanna go exploring them? We might find something cool. Or useful. Or scary.

Comments

[Video]

[niepokonany]

Reki!

[Feliks lights up like a beacon. He might look very slightly older, and his fashion sense has been updated over time, but... Not much else has changed, frankly. Still tiny, looks kinda like a high school girl instead of a middle school one now.]

God, here I thought you were just too embarrassed to show your face for five years after I got back at you for That One Time! Where are you?

[totallystoned]

Feliks! You look...slightly less tiny! You're going to have to fill me in on everything that's happened since I went under.

[niepokonany]

Don't worry, I totally still have the playlist I made Maya to catch her up on pop music stuff, so I'm super ready for this!

Like, any questions or whatever?

[totallystoned]

Ugh, no, I am not listening to Dazzler.

Well, best to go for the big ones first: what finally ended up happening with you and Fai? Are you still together or did you date for a bit and decide you worked better as friends?

Funny brackets in Polish

[niepokonany]

{Damn it, are you testing me, God?!}

[Okay, no, smile, it's cool!]

No, we totally never dated! Like, why would we... H-He's my best friend!

[Reki would not be incorrect to interpret this to mean that they're still pretty close to exactly where she left them.]

[totallystoned]

[Reki buries her head in her hands]

...Oh Feliks.

Video - Private

[niepokonany]

Look, like... He's not into me, and I'm...

[No, he can't tell her that. He can't lie like that to Reki.]

...I'm cool with that, it's no big deal, so that's just... how things are, right?

[totallystoned]

Well...it's his loss. Just remember what a catch you are.

This is a weird way to catch up. Let's meet up and you can fill me in in person.

[niepokonany]

Duh, like anybody could forget it, right?

[His smile IS genuine, if a little strained because he's sick of having to tell people about how Fai doesn't love him that way.]

Where are you? Or did you wanna hang out later?

[totallystoned]

I'm in my old dorm. They let me have it back. Come meet me in the cafeteria. I could use some coffee.

[niepokonany]

Sure, totally. See you in five?

[totallystoned]

You got it.

[Switching to: ACTION]

[When Feliks arrives, she leans forward (she finds she still towers over him) and squeezes him in a firm embrace, then looks around to see if anyone noticed that very uncool display of unguarded affection.]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks, meanwhile, is completely without any semblance of shame as he squeezes her close.]

Reki! God, it's awesome to see you!

[totallystoned]

Sorry I've been away so long.

[There are two cups of coffee on the table. She remembers him not liking the stuff but also doesn't want to exclude him.]

well...what's new?

[niepokonany]

No big, not like it was your fault, right?

[He reaches across the table for some sugar, and gleefully pours a slightly obscene amount of it into his mug.]

Let's see... So I'm a TA for Political Science now? Like half the others my age are teachers, but whatever.

And I'm an X-man! And outside of school, I'm still running Mutants Aren't Monsters, plus an outreach program to try and get the Church to loosen up a little about the mutant thing and the LGBTQ thing. Oh, and a foundation back home that provides resources to mutant and LGBTQ teenagers whose parents kicked them out!

[Yeah, that would be why he's a 5th year senior. He's had his hands pretty full, even with most of the logistics delegated to someone else.]

[totallystoned]

Feliks, that's amazing. You're...[She pauses in the act of raising the cup to her lips, realizing something terrible.] ...You're going to be my superior. [God help her.]

[niepokonany]

Huh?

[He pauses in stirring his drink, and laughs out loud.]

No way, no way! Do I look that old to you? I mean, technically, I'm still a student!

[totallystoned]

I hadn't been officially inducted into the X-Men when the attack happened. You're technically my sempai now. [She's smiling slightly when she says that though. Battle School Institute slang mashes together many languages.]

[niepokonany]

[Give him just a minute to giggle about that, Reki.]

No offense if I never notice you?

[totallystoned]

None. I'll just sit in my dowdy corner until the narrative decides that I Clean Up Nicely.

[It's good to laugh with him like this again.]

...So when are you going back to the old country next?

[niepokonany]

[You know that's his cue to dress you up pretty, right, Reki? Just for a second, though, lest a Second Prank War break out.]

But Reki, you were way beautiful all along!

...Anyway, I was like, back home all summer, so it's not gonna be for a little while.

[totallystoned]

[She nearly spills her coffee. She'd forgotten he could do that kind of thing. When she's recovered:]

Let me know. There's some stuff I want to take care of there too. And you could probably use a bodyguard.

[She's teasing him a little bit. She knows he can handle himself, but the thought of him wandering around the fascist wilderness of post-Soviet Eastern Europe alone makes her feel protective.]

[niepokonany]

[He bursts out laughing.]

Oh my god, your face! Did you like, forget all about my power?

And I've been fine so far, relax! I've gotten beat up way more here.

[totallystoned]

"You just got a lot faster..." She says under her breath, already plotting revenge. She wonders if the photos of that incident are still on her phone...

[niepokonany]

[Feliks snickers a little more, and takes a sip of his coffee. Mm, mostly cream and sugar!]

Well, duh! I've been practicing, so I'm even cooler now than before!