Xaviers!

"Oh, it couldn't have been that bad...

Could it?"

"Okay, so you know how kids will start rumors that so-and-so is bad luck?"

"Imagine going to the doctor and finding out it's true."

Will frowned. "I bet that sucked. Did people steer clear from you at that point?"

"For awhile. Even after I got it under control. Here too, sometimes."

"It's a mixed bag, eh? Finding out you're a mutant, then finding out you're not the cool superhero kind."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that.

There's a lot of really strange superheroes out there, with bizarre powers. You might fit right in!"

"It's just not super-reliable, you know?"

"Well, not yet. We're here to practice, right? When I first came here, and I mean first first, I couldn't shift into ANYTHING. Not for very long, at least.

"Half of you lot already went to the aforementioned fancy school and all."

Will shook his head. "Not me.

Well, it was ~A~ fancy school, but not ~the~ fancy school. A private one, but not for mutants."

"Well you're apparently attending here for the second time so you're probably the exception," she smirks.

"Three times, if you count my double. I'm hoping to fill up my loyalty card. "

"So ah... how am I supposed to tell the two of you apart, anyway?"

"Um. I don't know. It hasn't, uh, been an issue to this point; we're very different. Personality-wise.

I mean, you might have difficulty with a picture or something, but, like, the same way you could tell the difference between identical twins? Yeah."

"Well it'd be embarrassing if I just started chatting him up like I knew him."

"Uh...well, let's see. I don't suppose you have any super-senses or anything?

Otherwise, I guess..." Will mused. "It's hard to recognize us on sight because we can be anything, but he's more likely to be a person than I am, I suppose. So, if you see a talking toaster, that's more likely to be me.

Oh! And I've got these glowy bits on my side," she said, doing a little turn. "Something to do with the computer the headmistress put in my brain. He doesn't have those, so these are a pretty good indicator."

"Oh, so you can't get rid of those?"

"Not when I'm a person. I haven't tried every possible shape yet, but they seem to at least be hidden when I'm other things. Usually."

_____________________

Waving goodbye to Janice, Will walked out of the sauna and concentrated on reforming herself into something a bit more presentable. Routines were good. Back when she was more flesh and bone than clay, she did plenty of laps around the pool to keep in shape. A sense of normality; that's what she needed.

(Re-opened)