Raven glanced at the classroom number and then at Hank. It was the first day of chess club and they'd had a week to settle in so far. She still wasn't sure what she was thinking about most of the people in most of her classes and she was still extremely uncertain about the German student in her brother's English class. "Charles said he was meeting us here right?"
"He claimed he was going to," Hank replied, moving from the balls of his feet to his heels several times, wearing a classical Star Wars shirt. "He seemed fairly excited about the idea of a chess club after all."
"I'm trying to decide whether that's for chess or for the people in the club," she muttered in response as they entered the classroom.
Charles was already there, perched on one of the desks. He offered them a smile, "Hank, Raven! There you are."
"I would hope the chess," Hank muttered before offering Charles a smile. "Hey."
"How are you today?"
Raven shrugged, "Still getting the hang of a couple of classes."
Hank nodded his agreement. "Certain classes have been quite interesting," he admitted. "But at least I finally am in a higher math course.
"Which isn't really a surprise," Raven remarked, perching on a desk in the row next to her brother.
Hank chuckled. "Maybe not. Mr. Logan is a very... scary, fascinating man."
Charles tilted his head on one side, "Mr. Logan? I think I've heard some people talking about him."
"Talking, or talking, Charles?" his sister looked skeptical.
"Both," came the frank reply.
"Do I want to hear this?" Hank asked, tilting his head and glancing around the room. Few students were there yet, but a blonde girl in spotless white clothing was sitting at a corner desk inspecting her nails.
"Some people think he's got literal bodies buried in his basement. Usually it's got some aspect to it being a student who failed an exam or some such rubbish. My opinion is that he's failed half of them," Charles explained, glancing to the door every couple of seconds.
"I think Mr. Logan takes a personal joy in failing students he doesn't like," Hank replied, looking toward the door. "Are you waiting for someone, Charles?"
He turned his gaze back to Hank, "Hm? Oh, no, just the coach."
Raven looked skeptical at that, "Right. How are classes for you, Charles?"
"Oh, you know, decent. I'll do well enough. English has some interesting reading and I like the teacher there. She's quite cheery."
"Have you seen that one exchange student much?" Hank asked, trying to keep his voice light.
The smaller boy smiled at that, "Well, he's in my English class. And he's got some great ideas, I just wish he'd share some of them more often."
Raven's eyes widened, her voice dropping to a hiss, "Charles Francis Xavier! Are you out of your goddamned mind?"
Hank glanced between them. "You're reading his ideas from his mind?" he asked, voice dropping in shock.
"I don't mean to! You know I need someone to focus on or I deal with too many minds, and I can hardly focus on Miss Pryde's without taking unfair advantage of that."
"But the student you barely know!" Hank protested. "I mean, the honestly sortta creepy student you barely know! It's one thing when it's Raven or I—"
Charles opened his mouth to protest, but Raven cut him off, "No. You can lock onto us for other classes so you can do it for that one too. You know better than this."
"Why are you?" Hank asked softly. "Why focus on him?"
"I...I don't know. He's got...his mind's different. Even if I don't mean to, it's really easy to sink into it. It's...it's got sharp edges to it, but it's partially because of that guard. I don't know how to explain it, Hank," Charles answered quietly, looking chastised.
"Well, you might want to consider it," Hank replied. "Possibly very hard."
"I'll try," the telepath finally conceded.
Just as Hank glanced over at Raven to back him up on this the door opened again and the angular German they had just been discussing walked in, sweeping the room with his gaze.
Charles felt his sister's hand on his arm to give him a physical link even as he offered Erik a smile and a half wave as the other entered.
For a moment the tall teen in a dark turtleneck considered before walking over. Hank leaned back slightly at that, a little unsure about being confronted with the other teen. "Hello," Erik said, voice low and just a little raspy.
Raven glanced at Hank, sending very loud mental calls of "Charles, behave" toward her brother. Charles' smile meanwhile brightened a bit, "Hello, Erik. How was your day?"
The taller teen lifted his shoulders and let them fall again. "Uninteresting, so far," he replied. "And your day?" His grey eyes glanced toward Hank and Raven before centering back on Charles.
"It's going quite well, classes were relatively enjoyable and it's always nice to have the chance at something new," he replied.
"Are you new to chess?" Erik asked, interest finally seeming to show up in his expression.
"Not to chess, but playing it competitively is new. And I haven't played in a while."
"Well, I suppose revisiting old skills does one well," Erik said and Hank cleared his throat quite loudly, Erik giving him a considering look again.
"What, no one's going to introduce us?" Hank asked innocently enough.
"We already met," Erik said, looking him over.
Charles startled slightly at that, blinking at Hank for a moment, "Yes, well..." He offered his sister and friend a sheepish look.
Raven just offered him a scowl before looking at Erik, "How long have you been in town?"
"We moved here in July," Erik replied, not offering much more than that.
"From?" She pressed, ignoring the look her brother gave her.
"Germany," he said. "Or do you want more specifics on that as well?"
Raven shrugged, crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her thigh, "Well, come on, no one knows anything about you. No one's moved here in years. Can't help but be a bit curious."
"Be curious about someone else then," he said. "I hardly have an interesting story."
"Who'd you move here with?" Hank asked, sitting on one of the tables and long legs swinging slightly.
"Hank, Raven..." Charles sighed, "He asked you to leave off."
"No, he told us to. And when was the last time I did something someone told me to do?" Raven glanced at her brother.
"Three days ago," her brother answered.
"How did I not hear about that?" Hank asked, head whipping around as Erik blinked at that exchange.
"It was me telling her to finish her science homework so we could go for a ride on the lake," Charles answered.
Raven shook her head, "Doesn't count there was a reward involved."
"Science homework isn't bad either," Hank said, not mentioning that homework in itself would probably count as the reward for him.
The girl laughed, shaking her head, "Well, that depends on who you ask. I just didn't want to do it."
Erik looked between the three and around the room. "The club is to start today?" he asked.
Charles nodded, "That's what I'd heard. The coach should be here soon."
Erik nodded, looking around the room before considering Charles quietly.
Alex Summers entered the room, his brown eyes sweeping around the room and his eyebrows rising when he spotted Hank's shirt. He strolled over and slouched down in one of the seats somewhat nearby.
Darwin followed quickly on his sheet, beaming quite happily at the general room before giving his boyfriend a hard look. "Come on Alex," he tried to soothe. "Don't sulk."
The blond looked unimpressed, "I'm not sulking. I just don't see why I agreed to this. Spending my afternoons playing chess with geeks and company."
"Be nice," Darwin added quickly. "But you did agree to this. It's just checking it out you know."
"Right, yeah," his gaze darted to Hank. "Some shirt."
"I like it," Hank returned, refusing to take those words in the way he was sure the blond intended them.
"Then why didn't you wear it last week?" Alex responded.
"Because I told him not to so assholes like you wouldn't make snap judgments," Raven answered, her expression bordering on dangerous. She glanced at her brother at a quiet reprimand.
"Raven," Hank said softly before glancing back at Alex. "So, yeah, that was part of it. But honestly I hardly need to wear the extent of my wardrobe in one week anyway. Why, do you only have the same clothes that you wear all the time? It must get quite wearisome wearing the same things."
Darwin looked for a moment like he might laugh, but stepped on Alex's foot instead, trying to get him to calm down.
Alex's hands clenched, but he managed to bite his tongue on that topic. However, when a lanky brunet entered the room he couldn't keep quiet. He turned to Darwin, "What the hell is he doing here?"
Hank glanced back at that, trying to clamp down on any leftover anger he felt.
Meanwhile, Darwin also blinked at the newest teen. "Maybe he likes chess?" he offered.
"Right, sure he does." Alex was on his feet and headed in that direction, "What are you doing here?"
"I've been meaning to check it out all of last year," the other answered.
"Sure, Scott, and I decided to grow wings tonight. Why are you here?"
Scott looked down at his younger brother and shrugged, "I already told you."
"You. Who functions on such a routine I'm pretty sure you're a robot decided to change that up to add a new club to your résumé? Why?"
"Because I wanted to see if my circuits could handle it," Scott answered dryly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see about making friends with the people in my grade. You might give it a try yourself." He headed for a different part of the room at that, nodding and smiling to some people he knew from other clubs.
Darwin was trying hard not to crack up at that. "Come on, Alex," he said softly. "It's not so bad your brother's here, right?"
Alex turned to his boyfriend, "Right, because the two hours of the day that I might have been able to have that didn't involve him now involving him is a good thing."
"It's not like he's gonna be here every day," Darwin said. "Besides, you can always hide at my house."
"Right, yeah, great." Alex sighed and settled back into the chair again, ignoring the looks that he was getting from some of the other students present.
Darwin patted him on the arm, looking around. "Well, if nothing else, it looks like we have a fairly interesting group, don't you think?"
Hank and Erik both looked unimpressed with that idea.
"Yes, the entire room is filled with energy," Alex's words held more venom than he intended. Charles' brow arched at that and he glanced toward Raven who just shook her head and promptly turned to dig through her book bag for something.
"Don't you think you're contributing more than enough to that?" Erik asked, arching one eyebrow.
"Did it sound like I was talking to you?" the blond snapped.
"As I was saying," Erik drawled, leaning against a desk and playing with a metallic pen—it was hard to tell from the distance it really was metal.
Alex could feel his temper, and by default his temperature, rising and he took a couple of deep breaths, trying to rein it in again. He glanced past Erik to where he could see his brother. Scott was watching him, calmly, but there was a flicker of concern in the set of his brother's jaw. Gritting his teeth, Alex offered Erik a tight smile, "Maybe so."
Glancing at Charles, Hank arched a brow, as if asking him what he thought about all of this. Erik just chuckled, the sound very low. "Calm down," he suggested. "You'll live longer."
"Mind your own business," Alex retorted.
Charles had his head tilted on one side, a slight frown on his features as he let the emotions in the room sweep over and around him. He shrugged when Hank glanced at him, if he sorted it out he'd explain later.
Just at that moment the door opened again, a very tall man walking through with a beaming smile, several files jumbled up in his arms and what looked like a chess board in a box. "Sorry I am late," he said, a faint Russian accent in his words.
Raven's brows rose at the sight of the chess team coach. He certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting.
"I had to find some things, and deal with a few last minute meetings," he was explaining, trying to set his objects down without dropping all of them before straightening. "I am Piotr Rasputin, and I hope everyone is here for chess club?"
He received a round of nods and yeses at that, even Alex looked a bit intrigued by the teacher.
"Excellent!" he said, clapping his hands. "Now, we have to be nice to this classroom since we're not actually using mine. There's too many things drying on the tables at the moment for that, and I thought this would be safer," he nodded to himself, looking around. "I see a couple faces I know, and a lot that I do not. So, I think we might start by pairing off and seeing what everyone knows about chess?"
Raven paused for a moment before raising her hand, "Will you be pairing us off or are we pairing ourselves off?"
"I think it might be better if I did," he said, still smiling quite contentedly. "Who here actually has chess experience?"
A few hands went up, Charles, Raven and Scott among them, though Scott's was a bit more hesitant.
The blonde girl in the corner's hand didn't bother to go up, sure Piotr recognized her. Hank paused before his hand went up, Erik's also rising though he looked quite lazy about the matter. Mr. Rasputin counted under his breath before nodding. "Alright then. Emma, if you could go with Mr..." he gestured to Scott. He paired the others off by pointing, Hank's heart nearly stopping when he was put with one Alex Summers. Oh this would be brilliant.
Raven blinked for a long moment at the teacher, before rolling her eyes and glancing at Erik. Alex considered the merits of simply walking out and finally decided it probably wasn't worth the effort.
Darwin nodded happily enough to Charles. Piotr finished his selections and clapped. "Alright, everyone, across from each other, and I'll pass out the boards, alright?"
The students moved around, finally getting settled like he'd instructed.
Raven settled across from Erik, "So, if I ask you questions about yourself will you answer them or will I have to rely on gossip?"
"Is there gossip already?" Erik asked, carefully setting out the black pieces. "I might be most interested to hear what that has to say first."
"Nothing of real note yet. I expect there will be soon, after all you're a novelty," she answered, her attention on setting the white pieces up.
"I always wonder about the idea of a human being being a novelty," he remarked. "What would you even care to know?"
"What made you move here?"
"My mother's work transferred her," he replied just as simply, not mentioning she had requested the transfer after his school called in a panic after the metal in the gym had started twisting one day. But on the surface the statement was entirely true.
Raven nodded, making the opening move of the game, "Do you like it here so far?"
"It is... quiet," he replied. "I'm not entirely sure beyond that."
"What was it like where you're from?"
He paused and shrugged. "It is hard to say. It was a nice enough place to spend time but I do not terribly miss it."
She nodded slightly, "Where do you live around here?"
"That is a little bit inquisitive, don't you think?" he arched a brow, moving a knight. "But it is in suburbia if that answers what sort of home I come from."
Raven shrugged, "Maybe it is. You're welcome to reciprocate with questions if you like."
He shrugged. "I prefer to find things out in a more traditional manner. Which is generally by getting to know someone first." That got another pause as he considered. "What is your relationship with Charles?"
"And you would get to know someone without questions, how?" She shook her head, moving her king-side bishop, "He's my brother."
"I would know them by what they say and how they act first," he returned. "You two appear the same age, in the same grade. Are you twins?"
Raven shook her head, "No. I was adopted when we were seven."
Moving his queen to take one of Raven's bishop, Erik nodded. "He seems a good brother. Or you seem a good sister."
"I like to think it's a little of both. I really don't know what I'd do without him as a brother," she admitted, considering the board. "Do you have any siblings?"
"No," he said and didn't elaborate.
Raven paused at that, but nodded, moving one of her pawns.
"So, there's no gossip yet?" he asked, grinning ferally at her to change the subject.
She looked up, smirking, "Oh I'm sure I could dig some up by the next time I see you if you'd like me to. I just haven't been listening much."
"I am sure it would be interesting to hear," he said. "Check."
Raven moved her king out of danger, and nodded, "Gossip about oneself usually is."
"What sort floats around you?"
She looked at him for a long moment, "You said you've been here since July and you still haven't heard the gossip about the Xavier family?"
"I don't usually pay attention," Erik shrugged.
Raven thought for a moment, finally nodding, "I'll tell you what, you see what gossip you hear about me and I'll do the same for you and we can compare notes next time we see each other?" No way in hell she was letting him in on the rumors that he hadn't heard yet.
"There will be a next time then?"
"Well, I'm assuming you'll be at another chess team meeting? Am I wrong?"
Erik's eyes drifted over. "I am sure I shall come back," he replied with a shrug.
"Then if you'd like we could always see about an exchange of information then," Raven proposed again. "Check."
Erik quickly moved his king out of danger. "Do you play chess with your brother?"
"Some, though we haven't as much in the last year or two," Raven answered. "Dad taught us both."
Considering, Erik nodded. "Why did you stop? Or lessen even."
The girl hesitated, "I guess we got busy, got into our own things more than just hanging out the two of us."
"A tradition you might want to re-establish," he said with a shrug. "Checkmate."
She looked over the board and then smiled faintly, "Certainly looks like we should, yes."
"Practice makes better," he said with a smirk, leaning back.
"Good game, anyhow," Raven answered. "I'll see if I can talk Charles into getting Dad's old chess set out maybe."
"Perhaps," Erik nodded. "It might do you both good." Piotr appeared, looking over the game quite happily and writing their scores down before moving on. "He is... a very happy fellow," Erik said slowly once he was gone.
Raven turned to watch him go, nodding a bit, "He does seem to be...rather cheery."
"What does he teach again?"
"Art I think? Not sure. I can always check, but I think it's art."
Erik nodded at that, looking around the room and considering the other games that had been going.
Emma Frost considered the brown haired boy across from her. She was vaguely aware of him, and pretty certain he might be in her own grade. She didn't even bother to ask him which color he might like, setting up the white pieces.
Scott arched a brow slightly at that, setting up the black pieces and watching Emma from behind his red sunglasses. He was pretty sure they'd had a class together the year before, but he hadn't ever really interacted with her.
Once the pieces were in place, she moved a pawn forward, the classical opening move before letting her eyes drift back up to him.
He responded with a similar move before looking up again, "I don't know if we've ever actually met."
"Not officially," she replied, moving another piece without offering anything else.
He blinked at that, not that she could see it, moved another piece, and fell silent.
"I didn't really expect you to show up here," she said after a couple more moves.
"Really? Any particular reason?"
"You don't seem the type," she said with a shrug.
"There's a type?" Scott sounded skeptical as he moved one of his knights. "I meant to check it out last year, but got tangled up with some other things."
"He's the type," she said, pointing at Hank McCoy. "You don't seem it is all."
That earned a ghost of a smile, "I like strategy, things that make me think, and that keep my mind sharp."
She made a humming sound at that, considering the board again and taking one of his rooks off it. "You act too charming to be a strategist."
He countered by capturing one of her bishops, "Isn't that the beauty of it, though? Not being what people expect when they see and hear you?"
That got a faint, but cold smile from her. "I suppose so."
Scott considered pursuing that, but backed off, "If you're saying I'm not the type to come here, then it begs the question of how you are?"
"Don't you know?" she said, picking up her queen and shaking it at him a moment before using it to take his knight. "I'm the white queen. I'm expected to be cold and calculating and entirely a strategist."
He moved a pawn and shook his head, "So you play to people's expectations and enjoy it, then?"
"You could say that," she said. "Though I think they expect me to be a cheerleader instead."
"Pretty blonde girl who puts forth an icy demeanor? I'm sure that's what they expect of you. So you play chess instead?"
She offered him a tight smile. "You can still letter in it," Emma said.
"Seems you can letter in a lot of things," he replied.
Smile remaining tight the blonde nodded. "Yes. But it plays to expectations while turning them on their head."
Scott inclined his head, "Granted."
She moved her queen further across the board, looking up at him, eyes looking bored. "What about you and those glasses anyway?"
He tensed very slightly, but focused on the game for a moment, moving a pawn, "Eye condition."
"Of course," she replied, looking at him a moment and shrugging, as if deciding on something and moving on.
"Of course?" He arched a brow at her when he received that response. Not that he minded her not pushing, but it was strange not to suddenly have a host of questions about the sort and treatment and what it did to his eyes and things like that.
She returned the arched brow. "Talk about it if you like," she shrugged. "But I hardly see the use in pressing."
"No, I hardly mind. I'm just not used to people not prying. God knows everyone does."
She rolled her shoulders again. "People enjoy gossip and pressing and finding out all your secrets. I do not."
Scott considered her for a long moment and then nodded, "Fair enough. It's good to know."
Her eyes flickered up to him a moment before she moved her queen again. "Checkmate."
Charles offered Darwin a smile over the chess board as he set up the black pieces. He made certain to have his mental shields up to block out everyone else's thoughts, something he could do, but rarely did due to the trouble they were to maintain.
Giving him a grin, Darwin considered the white pieces. "Now, it's been a while since I gave chess a try..."
"Well, it's white's start," the brunet offered gently. "You know how the pieces move, I assume?"
"I remember that much," he laughed, pulling a pawn out.
That garnered a laugh from Charles, "Good to know." He moved one of his pawns, watching the other boy for a moment. For him chess had always been a double edged training, the first was keeping his opponent's thoughts out and the second was reading the other without his gift.
Considering the board, Darwin deployed another piece before looking back at Charles. "So, enjoying your first week of high school?"
"Well enough, yes. Classes look promising, though Raven would probably accuse me of hopeless optimism if she heard me say that. Are you?"
"It's high school," Darwin shrugged. "So far it hasn't been either quite the hell or quite the fantastic experience everyone led me to expect." Looking at Charles' last move he grinned. "Oh, that was a good move."
Charles smiled a bit at that, "Well, one can hardly believe all the rumors one hears after all."
"Less with the rumors and more of the grand statements by people who don't remember the time," Darwin shrugged.
That garnered a laugh, "I suppose that's true. Have any good teachers?"
He shrugged. "Eh, well enough."
Charles glanced up from the board again, "Which middle school were you at?"
"Oh, Easterton. I'll assume you were at the other one," Darwin said, still with a grin.
"Yes, I was at the other one, and yet here we are sitting across a chess board from one another. I guess the town's not as big as some people like to think."
"No town is," Darwin replied.
Charles inclined his head at that, "Granted." He moved one of his rooks, "Checkmate."
Darwin blinked down at that. "That was fast," he laughed. "Well played then."
"Thank you, you as well. We'll have you playing good chess in no time I'm sure."
"That's certainly the hope," Darwin replied, glancing over to where his boyfriend sat.
Hank sat down, adjusting his wire rim glasses as he eyed the teen across from him. "Do you have a color preference?" he asked, dumping the pieces.
Alex shrugged, "No." He looked around the room before focusing on Hank again, "I can take white I guess."
Looking at him, Hank smirked slightly. "I suppose I might as well give you any advantage I can."
Hank was really fortunate looks couldn't kill because Alex was trying his hardest with the expression on his face, "Right, yeah, sure." He set up his pieces and, once Hank was set, opened with a standard move.
"I'm surprised you know how that piece moves," Hank said, countering it.
"You really do know how to piss a guy off real quick, don't you?" Alex muttered.
"You're not used to being bullied back?" Hank returned sweetly.
Alex scowled at him, "Bullied is one thing. Picking on brain power just cause I don't keep my nose in science textbooks for fun is another."
"How is that another thing?" Hank asked, taking one of his pawns.
"Asking me if I know how a chess piece moves is like asking if I know how to use Google. Just cause I don't spend all my time reading or watching Star Wars doesn't mean I can't hold my own. So back off," he all but growled, moving his king-side rook.
"Sure it doesn't," Hank said, taking another of his pieces.
Alex bristled, the urge to walk out growing stronger by the moment, but he'd be damned if he did that, "Fine, obviously it makes me a Neanderthal."
"That's your manners that does that."
"Oh, rude is it? Great, so now I'm uncouth and uneducated. Yes, I'm completely letting Darwin drag me into something again. Just because I have no inclination to ingratiate myself to everyone I meet doesn't mean..." One of his hands clenched and he drew a deep breath, moving another piece.
"Doesn't mean what?" Hank asked, picking off another of Alex's pieces.
"None of your damn business," the blond snapped, finally capturing one of Hank's pieces.
The taller teen shrugged. "Well, pressing would require me to care, which I don't. So, tell me, if you hate it so much why are you here?"
"Hate chess? Did I say that?"
"You act like you hate sitting here."
"Well, I'm sure as hell not happy about sitting across from you and having myself insulted with every frickin' breath that comes out of your mouth."
"You started it," Hank said.
"I started it?"
"You insulted my shirt," Hank said, adjusting his glasses again.
Alex gaped at him, "I said two words about your shirt. You..." He shook his head, falling silent and glaring at the chess board.
Hesitating a moment, Hank leaned back. "What did I do?" he asked softly.
"Nothing."
"It was apparently something," Hank muttered, pushing a piece across the board.
Alex moved his queen before answering, "I insulted your shirt and you came back by questioning me. Not something physical. Me."
"When people question my fashion taste, generally speaking they're discussing me," Hank replied. "It's a statement on who and what I am as much as anything else."
"And so you question my ability to use my brain, thanks for that."
Shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. Hank fiddled with his glasses again. "Well," he started. "I just was surprised you knew how to play chess."
"I live with golden boy," he half gestured toward where his brother was seated, "you pick things up whether you want to or not. And you really think I'd be stupid enough to show up here and not know how the pieces move?"
Hesitating again, Hank shrugged. "Maybe?"
"Right, yeah, great."
"I'm sorry," Hank managed after a moment, capturing Alex's queen in the next moment.
"Forget it. You wouldn't be the first," Alex frowned at the absence of his queen, but managed to capture a knight in response.
"Checkmate," Hank said a moment later and held his hand out over the board.
The blond surveyed the board and eyed Hank for a moment before shaking the hand warily, "Good game."
Hank offered him a faint smile as Piotr walked by, marking down their scores.
"Alright kids," the art teacher called out. "Good first class. I marked what everyone got time and piece wise and who won what. I'll see about getting some rankings up and we'll go from there the next meeting."
The students set about packing up their things and getting the chess sets returned to him before heading for the door, Alex one of the first out.
Hank watched him go with a sigh. "This will be an interesting year," he muttered.
Hello all! Meadowlark here with your authors' note for this one. We had originally talked about listing the parings, but as I forgot to contribute to the note last chapter it didn't get done. So if you want the list drop us a review asking for them and we'll let you know. A couple should be obvious, we're obviously building a Charles/Erik and we've got Alex and Darwin dating so far. As to the other dozen or so, they'll start gradually showing up, but as this is our "break writing" it could be a while.
As I just said this is the story we write between work on our others. It's designed to be able to stand alone after each of the chapters, but either way the posts on it will take longer than most of our other updates. In the meantime we have a stack of stories if you would like. The other thing that encourages us to work on this one (which we love, don't get us wrong) is reviews. Our lives have kinda gone to pieces in the last week or two (VS's especially) and seeing reviews, not just favorites and alerts, honestly does improve our days. We look forward to hearing from you! The next shot will introduce you to part of the faculty who will be with us for the next "four years".