Xavier Institute Renovation ❨ OPEN TO ALL ❩

[oxfordian]

Date & Time: Takes place from September 1st until September 15th—roughly 2 weeks!
Location: This building, which is a few major city blocks away from the Initiative Hold and only slightly tucked away behind some flora.
Characters: Everyone who's interested!
Summary: After Charles' post here, he's recruited everyone that he can to help refurbish this building that he received permission to kind of "take over" from the Initiative. Using all of their combined skills, they will become Captain Planet! restore this building into a functioning school!
Warnings: None!

Charles had wondered to himself whether or not it would take a great deal of convincing to get the Initiative to agree to his building of a school. He was surprised at their level of lenience, but they themselves had admitted that it was due only to the amount of work he'd been doing for them in exchange. With the established requirements that Charles continue to assist the Initiative in their archiving work, they agreed to help finance his institute and allow him free reign of this abandoned school building—however, they offered only two inspections and short classifications with which to make the building safe for renovation, and then vehemently left the rest of it to him.

Not minding one bit about that, Charles had the utmost confidence in those that he'd recruited both to help refurbish and to help teach. It was enough to bring him more optimism, in fact, in this horror of a world where he'd begun to believe there could be no such thing. Plenty of individuals with plenty of splendid and certainly outstanding powers had offered their assistance, and now Charles waited. With Adam's help, he'd managed to locate and successfully navigate the Private Messaging system on the network—and he'd sent a message to everyone who'd showed interest two days ago with their whereabouts and their plans.

Hello, this is Charles Xavier. I've received word that the building has been deemed safe for refurbishment and renovation, and clearance has been granted to me by the Initiative. Work will begin on September 1st, and shall carry on as long as it is necessary. There will be food and refreshments available during the renovation, and as much compensation for your time as I am able to offer will be given.

Thank you again for your support, and I hope to see you there.

Address enclosed, Charles now had himself seated on a—thankfully dusted—chair at a desk near the entrance of the school building. He was writing up his own itinerary, as well as preparing a book to keep track of those who'd come to help in the interest of said compensation. Each individual would be greeted with a friendly grin and hearty handshake, and Charles would jot down their name and tell them where they could begin.

❨ NOTE: The way this is set up is meant to be kind of like our mission logs, so everyone can reply to the comments on this entry with their own open posts to tag into based on what they want their character to be doing! Also, if you just want to make your own open post without the guidance of one of the comments left, or in reference to this overall post, that is perfectly fine too! Just leave your comment to the entry directly, in that case. ❩

Comments

THE BUFFET

[oxfordian]

In a large, expansive room that could only have once been the gymnasium, several tables had been set up and adorned with food. Food that had been brought by Charles, as well as others who had offered to bring things for everyone to eat. There were plenty of drinks and a myriad of sandwiches, chips, and what appeared to be large and deep dishes of varying foods—pasta salads, soups, thick bean dips, you name it. There were even food selections from places far beyond—forms of sushi, plates of hummus and pita bread, as well as noodle dishes and rice desserts.

Cups and silverware were provided at one end with the beginning of the line, trailing down several large tables until one would find several tables with seating for utmost comfort. Well, utmost comfort in a room where the ceiling was dangerously close to caving in—but that was all right, since he'd had it inspected; reinforced, at least enough, to withstand the time spent in the room.

[whatsupcroc]

Collette finished prodding a last few sandwiches in place, leaning back and peeling off her gloves with an air of supreme satisfaction. Eat your heart out, Tony Stark. Anyone could be a kick ass not-quite-but-sort-of-like-a cafeteria lady if they were sufficiently bored! Especially on an excuse for socialization.

Bundling the gloves up in a wad, Collette dropped them down onto a napkin in her lap before wheeling away from the buffet tables. She was more thirsty than anything else, though her initial survey of what was there left her wonder if there was anything worth drinking that wasn't water.

Peering up at the ceiling with a small grin on her face, she also wondered if asbestos was a thing of the future like it was a thing of the past.

"At least we won't starve if we get stranded in here."

[punk_cute]

"Nah, even if it collapses we won't be stuck. We'll get out!" How Kanji could say that with such confidence, the world may never know.

Words aside, he was dropping off his own contributions to the food on display. Two small pots, one of curry and one of hot chocolate, as well as some delicious smelling croquettes, were deposited in a clear space on one of the tables and then he spent some time arranging things to be easily accessible.

[whatsupcroc]

"Of course we will!" Collette continued her search for a trash bin. "But in the off chance we couldn't, we'd be set. You know, to talk about impossible situations."

In her opinion it was a step up from normal small talk.

Tossing her gloves in the trash, she moved back around toward the tables. "What'd you end up bringing?" she asked once she was close to the guy she didn't know.

[punk_cute]

"Well the food would be nice while we were diggin' out. Gotta keep our energy up."

The fact that he mentioned digging out of a collapsed building as if it was no thing probably said something about him, but his attention was on setting up the food he'd brought.

"Curry, hot chocolate an' croquettes. You know, the real easy to make stuff. Figured the hot chocolate would be good for warming up a bit."

[whatsupcroc]

"Did you say curry?" Collette's full attention was suddenly focused on Kanji. His confidence of them getting out of a cave in fit in as natural in the face of intense curiosity. "Which kind?"

[punk_cute]

"I did! I made it kinda on the sweet side, 'cause I didn't know how many people would like the spice, you know?" He starts scooping up a bowl as he talks, and adding some rice. It's Japanese style, but looks and smells really good. He holds out the bowl with a big smile.

"Here! Try some."

[whatsupcroc]

She accepts the bowl with an answering smile, intrigued at the smell right off the bat. "Some people have no stomach for spice," she agrees, "Though sweet's not normally what I hear people go for instead. More mild!"

Collette digs in, holding off on any answer until the second bite. Settling the bowl down into her lap, she shoots Kanji a smile and says with full sincerity, "That's amazing! You made this? It's sweeter than what I usually have, and I love it!"

THE FOOD ROOM

[kingdom_of_song]

Never let it be said that Kingdom Swann missed out on a meal, especially as grand as this. He'd never had so many odd and colourful things in one spot, and he went around sampling each one, staking out what to come back to and what to give a wide berth. Nothing seemed to have eyes, and there wasn't one thing that was still moving. With all the aliens around, he'd assumed there would be snakes or sommat writhing around in a jar. It would have been exotic and interesting, but there were limits to his curiosity.

He brought his prized guitar, slung low on his back, and it gleamed dully in the light of the gym. The ceiling worried him; it was so low and made him feel trapped. Swann was accustomed to the outdoors, or to his wee waggon. This was too wide and too short. It felt like the sky had turned to stone and would fall at any moment. Going outside seemed like a plan.

But outside was away from the food, and his stomach demanded he stay put for the moment.

Anyone who wandered past would find him at a table, hunkered over a plate of dabs and wee spoonfuls of food, his guitar beside him leaning up against the chair.

[shoesfitperfectly]

The sound of weird buzzing from down the hall eventually stops and about five minutes later the Doctor ambles in, looking like a man who's run out of tea. Because he has. And he'll tend to that lack of tea in a minute but if there's one thing consistent through all his regenerations it's his love of nibbles. So he makes his way along the table, collecting his own dabs and bits and spoonfuls until he inevitably turns to regard the room. Oh, hey, there's someone he knows.

It's typical behaviour among all sapient beings to eat in groups, it seems, and he makes his way over to said table and slides into a chair across from Swann as easy as you please. "Hullo again," he says before popping what looks like a bit of bacon-wrapped sausage into his mouth.

[kingdom_of_song]

"Doctor! Ye look more healthy than last we met. The fortified tea* helped, aye?"

Swann stuck the opposite end of his fork in something green and puréed, and swirled it slowly into a wee bit of something beige and pudding-like. Oooh, he hadn't seen the wee ball of fried meat.


-------
*half strongly brewed Earl Grey, half single malt whiskey.

[shoesfitperfectly]

The Doctor makes an amused sound.

"After I had some sleep, yes, actually."

[kingdom_of_song]

'Tis good for ye. So's that mash," he says, pointing to a wee pile of white stuff with bits of dark stuff in, here and there. "Bacon in the taties, that. My da used ta fry up that sort of thing after dark and we'd have our dinner. Sometimes, he'd find a chicken--ever plucked a chicken? Those bastards dinnae want t'let go of their feathers, and who can blame 'em? We'd fight if some huge hand came down and started pullin' the hair out of our heads." Swann stopped stirring and licked the end of his fork. "But I'm glad yer feelin' better. Ye looked like burned shite."

[shoesfitperfectly]

All through this ramble the Doctor smiles amusedly. This is why he likes humans, they can come up with endless streams of entertaining words.

"Thank you."

[kingdom_of_song]

"So!" What're ye gonna contribute to this fine establishment of fillin' yer head with great loads of interesting stuff?" Swann takes a spoonful of the swirled whatever-it-is and eats it as if he doesn't taste it. In the very least, he isn't spitting it out.

[whatsupcroc]

Collette leaned to the side in her wheelchair, coming to a stop to look at both Swann and the guitar. The man himself was an interesting study as he ate with what she chose to think of as gusto, but his instrument also had its own attraction.

Waiting for a moment where he might come up for air, she eventually decided to cut in with a pointed question. "Hey! I'm Collette. Told you I wasn't a fairy!"

Or she cut to a pointed question after getting the pleasantries out of the way. "Are you going to play your guitar after you eat?"

[kingdom_of_song]

"Eh?" Swann looked up from his intent consumption of the plate of food. "Oh! 'Allo, lovely t'meet ya outside of the wee machine." He set his fork aside and rested his hand on the headstock and smiled. "Maybe. I tend t'take it with me everywhere I go. Dinnae feel complete without it."

[whatsupcroc]

"It'd be nice if you did. Not that you have to or anything," she was quick to say, waving a hand in front of her face and smiling, "I'm just curious what kind of songs you play. So you're here to help rebuild this place too?"

[kingdom_of_song]

"Mayhap I will. This place needs a bit o'cheer." Swann popped a grape into his mouth. "Cor, havenae had fresh fruit in a while. Oh, ah. Aye, a bit. I'm also here to teach, though I've never done it before. I barely remember being in school when I was a boy."

[whatsupcroc]

"School's pretty fun," Collette offered, "Even if you have to sit through all the boring stuff and not just the stuff you're interested in." Why adults insisted this was so magically important, Collette remained unsure. "What're you going to teach?"

[oxfordian]

When Charles passed by him, he smiled with utmost politeness. He also seemed eager to see him, though he didn't necessarily want to interrupt him while he was eating. Still, he couldn't help but thank the man for coming, and he stopped beside his table to do just that.

"I am glad to see you. Thank you for coming; I hope that everything is to your liking," he added as an afterthought with a bit of a grin.

[kingdom_of_song]

"'Tis a lovely thing ye've got here, all this. I've never seen so much food in one place in my life, and I'm counting fall harvest." Swann left off the place for a moment.

"I'm no soldier, not like some people here. Never fought, cannae even hit a barn with a cricket bat. So, might as well have a hand in what I know, eh?"

[oxfordian]

Charles smiles, nods; then he raises his brows. "What is it that you do, for a living? Ah, if you don't mind my asking. I just feel as though—I ought to get to know quite a few more people here while I'm embarking on, ah, all these adventures," he says, punctuating the sentence with a small chuckle.

[kingdom_of_song]

Swann ponders for a moment.

"I was a traveller in a carnival. Made medicines and the like, played music for dosh, got by. Nae a rich man's life, but I dinnae care for that sort of thing. Money's nothing if you're miserable, and I couldnae get by without a laugh or a song. Ye could say I was a man of joy, eh? I like making people smile. That's what I worked for."

He bit off a crust of bread and chewed thoughtfully.

"Now I'm here and a wayward child. World's funny that way."

[oxfordian]

Charles laughs, nods. "Yes, I suppose there's quite a lesson to be learned in becoming a forced interdimensional traveler," he hums, sounding somewhat distantly thoughtful. Then he's pulling himself back to the present, and addressing him again.

"Had you traveled for long?"