12382/Amends

Amends
Date of Scene:	10 August 2022
Location:	Headmistress' Office
Synopsis:	An old enemy turns over a new leaf. Doctor Grey demonstrates her Headmistress mettle!
Cast of Characters:	Erik Lensherr, Jean Grey

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Erik Lensherr has posed:
Erik had made no arrangements, no call ahead to announce he was coming. He'd just turned up on the doorstep, strolled through the place like he knew the floorplan intimately, and knocked firmly on the Headmistress' door.

Once he's inside, he's not immediately recognizable. He's aged a little since he last paid a visit, though he's still remarkably youthful given his age. White hair, creases about his eyes and mouth, and a widow's peak more developed than it was. He looks like a man in his sixties, and he dresses the part. A woolen overcoat despite the heat is worn over a tailored button-down in burgundy. Most remarkably, he doesn't wear his helmet.

"Ms. Grey," he offers, a vaguely English accent that denotes no particular place of origin, "I'm glad to find you in."

Jean Grey has posed:
Xaviers is, first and foremost, run like a school (and in the summer, more like a camp), and not a base for a paramilitary team of mutants... even if they do also have one of those! And so there's no sign of security, nothing to stop this or cause their guest any hassle. Well, perhaps he may have to dodge some /youngsters/ running around and causing chaos in the halls, but other than that, nothing at all. Children.

Despite it being this off-season time, Jean is still ever the workaholic, and can predictably be found in her office, behind her desk, catching up on this or that. On her guest's arrival, she looks up with a smile, and if there's surprise at his presence, she does a good job hiding it away.

"That's Dr. Grey, actually, but Jean is fine." Then she looks around. "If you asked anyone here, they'd say I don't get out enough. Would you care for something to drink? There's lemonade, fresh-made." Indeed, there's a sideboard set up with a nice tray, pitcher, and glasses, a matching one of their number half-full on her desk. "Or I have tea or coffee if you don't mind waiting. Or something stronger, even." There is a cabinet for that, locked up to keep the kids out. Well, to pretend to keep them out.

After excessive offerings of hospitality, the woman sits back a little, and gestures broadly for Erik to make hismelf comfortable as he likes. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Erik Lensherr has posed:
"Doctor, of course," Erik answers, placing a hand on his chest in a 'mea culpa' gesture, "Forgive me. The version of you that looms largest in the mind is a ways from the headmistress before me. Something I should remedy, actually, given the reason for my visit."

"Just water will do," he says to the offer of a drink, moving to seat himself on the visitor's side of the desk. Not before removing his coat and hanging it over the back of the chair. No secret super-suit, either.

"I'll be plain about it. I want to teach. I admit I've never been a proponent of Charles' vision in the same way you and your classmates were - or are - but I've had time to ... ruminate. The destruction of Genosha was a blow, and my reaction to it was ... volatile. But it did lead me to the conclusion that peace and prosperity for our species is not something that can be found at the tip of a spear. There are mutants here, in America, who grow and live in ghettos. I believe I would rather teach them how to prosper, than profit from their hate."

Jean Grey has posed:
"That's quite alright," Jean assures him, dispelling any notion of serious insult. "I didn't finish all that long ago, and admittedly, I often still very new to all of this." And given the company? His preference in beverage is handled without either of them having to get up, the tray making its way through the air from the sideboard to her desk with nary a wobble.

And, although there's no doubt that there is business to get to, as the man soon makes clear, she puts on a bit of friendly small talk first, while reaching to pour a glass of icewater once the service has landed. "I don't know if you heard anything about it, but Charles had a run in with some old rival, a little while ago. Gave us all quite a scare. He's fine," she hastens to offer this reassurance, after the more looming introduction. "But I'm sure he'd be very happy for a visit." She gives a very small, maybe disbelieving sort of laugh, shaking her head at the same time. "He still hasnt' told me the whole story of it, even. But you probably have a lot of those kinds of stories."

Once the drink is handled and the story spent, as little of it as there is, she resumes the topic that seems the purpose of his visit. "Well, that's encouraging," she begins, her smile widening. Teaching is quite a step up from supervillainy! "And a wonderful impulse. That being said... what would you teach in specific? This is a real school," she emphasizes, before clarifying, "our curriculum has to meet certain state standards, and accreditation requirements. So very little covers mutant-related topics directly. We teach them to be well-rounded critical thinkers."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
"I hadn't heard," Erik says quietly when hearing of Charles, though his brow does furrow. Something filed away for later, no doubt, "I'll be sure to see him before I leave, if he's accepting visitors. I'd like his blessing on this whole affair, even if he's rightfully passed the mantle on to you."

When the talk turns to his qualifications he takes a sip from his glass of water, crossing one leg over the other and taking a moment to consider before he answers.

"Well, questionable though you may find the motives, I'm quite the dab hand at unlocking potential within our species. Though, in regards to more academic pursuits, I have no scholarly qualifications but I would hope you don't require such things. I have a breadth of knowledge in science ... more specifically engineering of both the physical and biological variety. But, if I were to have my druthers, I feel a specific leaning towards the humanities. Philosophy, History, Literature. Plus whatever ... extracurriculars are needed."

Jean Grey has posed:
"Credentials aren't really an issue," Jean reassures, quickly brushing that worry aside. "And I'm sure you're more than qualified in any number of subjects. As it happens, we have an -alien- teaching here now, if you can believe it. So obviously it's experience and knowledge that counts. But-" And here there's definitely a sense of that other shoe being hoisted up, into position, for the timely drop, "-I still made him develop a proper cirriculum, submit lesson plans." All of which is to say: she takes this all very seriously, not just as a mutant leader, but as an educator.

"While I've no doubt you have a great deal of insight to offer, teaching isn't - or it shouldn't be, in my opinion - just another kind of political platform, a pulpit to preach from." This reveals the most likely reservation on her part, puts her concerns front and center. And yet, the woman doesn't seem wholly resistant, she's just very quick to start drawing lines and boundaries. "Personally, if I were going to pick... I'd imagine you could do very well with a History course or two. Like Charles, you've lived an unbelievable life, and you have all of that to share, something I think the students could benefit from. But you'd need to cover it throughly."

If she sounds a little too wound-up at the fear of him using the position to propagandize, Jean then shifts to relax this concern a little. "It also depends a great deal at what level you're teaching. We've expanded to include college coursework, and there's more room, in higher level courses, to interrogate matters of ideology and theoretical perspective, once the students have the background and tools to critically engage. So maybe you'd find something at that level a bit more satisfying."

Erik Lensherr has posed:
"I've always been a proponent of the elenctic method. If I present a stance - philosophical or political - it would only be to encourage my students to debate it. I remember the early days of my friendships with Charles. An argumentative dialogue to make Socrates proud. It's a shame we didn't think to record them, even if I do regret some of the vitriol."

He leans forward, moving a coaster to place his cup on it. As he does, his eyes turn upwards to meet Jean's. A faint quirk at the corner of his mouth, like a burgeoning grin, before he leans back and steeps his fingers before his chest.

"I would be happy to provide instruction across the different levels, if you'd like. I won't pretend I don't have my own motives and beliefs, some of which I know run counter to the mission statement of the School. But I'm not here to radicalize the youth, Jean. As I said, it's uninstructive. Teaching hate and mistrust just serves to place our already endangered species in harm's way."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean holds fast under the brief scrutiny; alongside titles and her new position, it would seem that the intervening time has done a fair bit for her composure and confidence. Maybe it's years of battling villains and cosmic odysseys... or maybe it really is the job, and the true crucible of dealing with rambuncious teenagers.

"I think it sounds like we're basically in agreement," she finally declares, at least as it comes to the espoused educational philosophies and methodologies. "And your timing is good, since we're not too far off the fall semester. After you've talked to Charles about it," it seems she honors his opinion and any potential veto every bit as much as Erik values the man's would-be blessing, "I can go through the schedule and find you some classes. The high school level ones will probably be a little on the dry side, and you'll have to stick somewhat to the established cirriculum. Mostly, it'll be good to get you the classroom experience," and this causes a quick flash of a grin that is surprisingly sadistic for the noble leader of the X-Men... but maybe less so for a veteran teacher! "While you can put together a proper lesson plan for the college courses and then I'll take a look at that. You'll be probationary until you've completed a semester."

Back to the purehearted smile. "Standard hiring policy." No special favors for the oldest friend of the school founder!

Erik Lensherr has posed:
"I'd expect nothing less."

The decision made for the most part, he nods his head in agreement. His glass of water finished, he rises to his feet and fetches up his coat again. Rather than wearing it, he drapes it over one arm.

"I'd also note that, aware of your more clandestine endeavors as I am, I'm willing to help in that regard, too. Purely on a probationary basis, of course."

That said, he glances towards the door. It clicks and swings open, the first overt use of his abilities since he arrived.

"I must say I'm excited for the opportunity. It's a novel experience these days."

Jean Grey has posed:
"-That- sort of teaching is another topic entirely," Jean declares, in a way that suggests more in the way of... flexibility. "There's a great deal less to worry about in the way of government oversight, if nothing else. Though maybe a little more as security goes. I'll talk to Scott about it, but I'm sure there's quite a lot -everyone- could learn from you, as far as that goes."

Not just the young, poorly behaved students!

As the door opens, Jean rises from her desk, and makes her way around to escort him that far. "It should be a great opportunity both for yourself and the school, I think," she muses as they walk, before pausing very briefly, closing her eyes, before supplying one parting tidbit: "Charles is out back on the deck, getting a bit of sun."