Zoey stuck her fingers in her ears as the helicopter approached. There might be a muscle boy on that bird, but until the tactitards (seven words!) left she didn't want to get too close to them or their business.

Instead she quietly meanders closer to the group of professors. She tried to keep her distance best she could from Professor Munroe; Zoey would never admit it to anyone but she found the storm goddess absolutely terrifying. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but whenever Storm was around Zoey suddenly felt very, very small and under constant threat of spankings. It was completely irrational and if anyone found out her feelings Zoey felt she might literally die from humiliation. As for the lord of the house, Xavier himself just seems Too Important To Bother... with capital letters and everything. That leaves...

"Uhm, hello," Zoey greets Professor Summers. "I believe... uh, Kate? I believe Kate might be making her own way back to the school. I'd like to wait at the train station in case she shows up... if I am not needed here."

Kate addressed Mr. Summers, but it was the Professor who answered her. Evidently, he wasn't too important to bother, particularly not when it had something to do with the safety of one of his students:

"Kate is fine" his voice was deep, and reassuring "I tracked her down, and sent someone to pick her up" he paused for a moment as he stared briefly into space "- And they are on their way back now.  Why don't you go inside with the others?  Get some rest.  We will talk later"

While Mr. Summers ushered the rest of the students into the school, Miss. Munroe briskly walked over to Frank and the two agents. There was something about the confident countenance of the woman that gave them pause.  She was like a tigress coming out of the bush to protect her lost cub, and the two men knew they better release Frank, and quickly, or there will be trouble.

"H-Here" Agent Torres mumbled as he unlocked the cuffs
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sat 28 Nov 2020.

Zoey glances at the professor. Of course he could contact Tabby. She coughs, feeling somewhat redundant now. "Sure..." she says meekly, heading back to her dorm. She needs to arrange a new phone, crack the firmware, transfer her software, spend about a hundred hours configuring yet never quite being happy... and the news. Holy shit the news was going to be making big bucks today. Can't wait to see what the federal government has to say.

I, President-Elect Bignose Tightpants, hereby condemn mutants as being big bad buttheads and I will spank them lots on their shiny assheads. Hail Capitalism! Booya! Donate to my Patrioteon.

Except probably a little bit more eloquent than that. Just a little bit.

Frank let the agent unlock his cuffs, then turned to face him. He hadn't been intimidated by Frank, who towered over him, but Ms. Munroe? She was half his size, and had him totally cowed.

"Dude, seriously," Frank said. He didn't add 'Grow a pair' but it was a very close thing. The agent's tough guy act was just that: an act. And it crumbled when it encountered someone with real gravitas. "So sad."

Ana Sofía says to Frank after he is un-cuffed, "Good to have you back." She gives him a genuine smile. Then she makes sure the younger ones are all headed inside and follows after them.

Munroe gave Frank an icy look.  She didn’t want him talking back to the agents; not because she thought them dangerous, but because she held him to a higher standard.

“The Professor would like to talk with you.  Would you wait for him in his study?  I’ll see to our guests in the meantime”
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Sun 29 Nov 2020.

Meanwhile at the common room, the students were all plastered to the TV set.

The major news networks were like vultures pecking at roadkill.  All they cared about was how they could profit from the disaster, and one had to wonder if they didn’t secretly welcome it.  Correspondents were reporting live from Times Square, putting on somber faces as they covered the evacuation efforts.  There was an endless supply of wonderful little dramas; like the little girl who sunk into the ceiling, her legs dangling between the first and second floor.  People trapped, literally, in the elevator, or the pictures of the families who lost everything they had and were now taking shelter at what used by a high school’s gymnasium.

The rating of all the major networks was going through the roof.

Politician too, were having a field day.  They all wanted their faces on camera, even though they had little of substance to say other than offering their "thoughts and prayers”.  They all danced around the issue of ‘what should be done to prevent this from happening again'; it was a very sensitive topic, and a wrong answer could end a politician’s career.  Most were savvy enough to wait to see the polls before making any kind of statement – particularly since the election was only a few months away.

With everyone watching the news or checking their phones, the procession of students returning from their trip to New York went largely unnoticed until they were all in the room proper.  Then the commotion started – the young children gathered around them, badgering them with questions without waiting for a response.  The older students had the sense to keep back and give them some breathing room, though they too stuck around to hear what happened back in Manhattan
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:25, Sun 29 Nov 2020.

"Yes, Ma'am," Frank said. She was pretty intimidating when she turned those icy blue eyes on a guy. But right now, she wasn't his biggest problem by any stretch of the imagination.

With a resigned sigh, he headed for the Professor's office.

Zoey yelped -- nay, screamed -- at the auditory tsunami that crashed upon her and the other students as they returned to their common rooms. Her hands immediately flew to cover her ears and block out some of the incessant barrage of stupid fucking questions. Situations like this were why she'd started that ridiculous rumor that she made people's hearts explode when she gets upset, but either her form was lost amid those of her more interesting companions or the demand for crisp juicy knowledge was overriding the youngling's sense of fear.

Either way, Zoey plowed a path as discretely and tactfully as possible while under an all-out socialization assault, making towards her room. She'd watch the news on her laptop, at least until the ruckus died down.

She caught herself wondering if Tabby Cat would like to bunk up with her. It would be nice to have another person to "talk" to.

  Victor had been silent the whole ride back; mainly waiting for the other shoe to drop and the tactical squad to put them in shallow graves somewhere due to be paved over.  The effort it took to reign in his power left little wiggle room for conversation even if any had been offered. He tried every technique he had to keep his power restrained in the tight quarters of the van and what little concentration head left over dwelt on the mutant that had caused the destruction they'd all just seen.  What caused her to go wild like that? What tipped her out of control?  Would any of the students at Xavier's School ever end up like that?  Thoughts flickered through his mind about mutantkind but to anyone outside his own head it just looked like he was glowering through his hair at the tactical trooper sitting opposite him in the van.

  He was glad to see the school staff greet them as the van doors opened.  He wasn't sure what kind of arrangement Xavier's School had with guys like the One-Eyed Man but in this case he wasn't about to question it.  He was glad to be back and it looked like most, if not all, of the other students made it back as well.  He hadn't expected Frank to make it back since he'd been led away in cuffs and flown out in one of the black choppers.  But here he was.  Whatever happened back at Times Square really took a toll on him; plainly visible in his face and the way he carried himself.

  He buried outside the big common room only barely paying attention to the talking heads on the TV and avoiding questions from the other students.  He pulled a melted slag of objects out of his pockets-an old flip phone, what used to be keys, some loose change, a pocket knife and other odds & ends all now run together and useless. Some of the other kids asked to see or hold the melted junk and Victor just gave the now weirdly shaped items  away.

"Alright, alright, give them some space, will ya?"

Sean noticed Zoey's trepidation, and called out to the students.  The Senior was generally well liked, and managed to capture their attention just long enough for her to make her escape.

"Good.  Now shoo - your president is coming up soon, you don't want to miss it"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:21, Mon 30 Nov 2020.

Kate hadn't made it back with the rest of the students.  In fact she had only just made it to the extreme edge of the melted area and was trying to find her way back to a transit stop when Jean Grey found her.

Much of the trip back had been spent in silence, of course with two telepaths that wasn't really saying much, but she did eventually calm down enough to shift back and change.  The cloths Jean had brought not even remotely her style, but it felt kind of nice to put them on, no matter how impractical the cute little frilly skirt and blouse combination was.  She did draw the line at the shoes though, and so when they reached the mansion she was quick to escape the car.  She tossed a slightly reluctant but honest 'thank you' over her shoulder as she dashed in stocking clad feet to the front door and into the mansion.

Though she heard the commotion in the main student's common room she didn't have any desire to join them.  Instead heading for the hallway to the women's room and just about collided with fish-giving girl and only the fact the hardwood was covered with a nice thick carpet prevented her from sliding into her upon the turn.

"Oh, hi."  She gave the older girl an awkward smile, and then tried to smooth down her wild hair before asking the important question.  "Do you think this looks good on me?"  Gesturing to what she considered impractical but really was a fashionable outfit that Jean thought was the bare minimum required for a teenage girl.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:47, Tue 01 Dec 2020.

Zoey yelps again and nearly topples over herself; her reflexes had never been very good even when her arms weren't raised above her shoulders. She's almost about to start yelling at the obstruction in her path when she recognizes the head of orange hair. Wow, Xavier's staff work fast!

And she's talking! With her mouth! Zoey cautiously removes her hands from her ears to hear. The question she hears almost makes her topple over again as her brain changes gears with horrifying grinding noises. "I, ehm," she coughs and looks Tabby up and down. "You look adorable," she decides aloud, although her monotone betrays her preoccupation. She glances nervously behind herself. "We have to get out of this hall before anyone sees us. This way!"

It didn't occur to Zoey that Tabby Cat might have been on the way to her own dorm, the goal of get away from the common room overriding most else. Although she now had frilly skirts on her mind. Fashion was a rarely-indulged weakness of hers.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Tue 01 Dec 2020.

Kate was happy to see her friend, but the small bloom of happiness at the complement was quickly washed away with the obvious panic in her voice and mind.  So, she allowed herself to be lead along after Zoey.  Whatever had the other girl in such a rush was clearly important enough not to wait on a proper impression or explanation.

So instead of asking for one Kate just nodded, face going serious as now the two hurried along.  Kate now running for a different reason than escaping uncomfortable shoes.

Zoey moved quickly but not too quickly lest they draw unnecessary attention. Fortunately most of the mansion is still back in the common room. She opens the door to her room and holds it open for Tabby to enter before sequestering themselves away in relative privacy. Zoey slumps against the door and nests her head in her arms, resting and catching her breath. Then several loose wires in her head connect and she realizes she'd gotten Tabby swept up in her own antisocial tendencies.

"Ah... sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt whatever it was you were doing," she says sheepishly. "I do not get much company, hope the mess isn't too bad..."

Zoey's room is filled with a truly eclectic assortment of possessions. The room is dimly lit due to a set of blackout curtains mostly-drawn over the window, motes of dust glittering in the single errant beam of daylight. A slight smell of peaches hangs in the air. An HP laptop sits on her desk surrounded by three-subject notebooks, across one of which lays a mechanical pencil with a springy Butterfree topper. By the desk was an umbrella stand, but instead of umbrellas it is filled with fishing rods and swords, most notably a Legend of Zelda master sword replica. There are various cardboard boxes scattered about in various states of unpack containing dry foods, new clothes, and spaceship models. Across from her bed an old 15-inch CRT is hooked up to a Super NES, the controller resting on her nightstand next to a coffee mug filled with butterscotch candy sticks and several wand-like devices. Hanging above Zoey's head on the door is a map of the Vvardenfell province of Morrowind, and another poster over her bed shows some kind of grinning shadowy monstrosity holding an apple in one hand and a black notebook in the other with Japanese letters in the negative spaces. Her bed is unmade and there are various articles of clothing on the floor, though mostly consolidated to a pile in the far corner.

No doubt about it. This is a nerd cave, although a very unfocused one.

In reply to Zoey Fujino (msg # 26):

Kate hadn't really been doing anything.  So it would be hard to say Zoey had interrupted her.  So she didn't.  Instead she took the question literally and looked around at the mess. "No, not really..."  She gave a little sniff but it wasn't so bad.  Peaches were nice.  So instead she walked towards the window, an intent to open either it or the curtains fairly obvious as she asked, "What were you running from so fast?"

The room seemed like it didn't really fit, even if it did.  The fishing rods at least met her expectation, but combined with the rest of what in Kate's experience screamed nerdy boy was causing a bit of confusion, and if it hadn't been for the fishing rods she likely would have asked if they were in the right room, well if it didn't also smell very much like Zoey.

Zoey stood and absentmindedly started to try and rearrange things from their natural state of organized chaos into something that a wandering eye might be able to recognize as order. "The younger students," she replies, "and those that did not go to Manhattan. They want to know what happened. They are... so noisy."

When the blackout curtains are opened Zoey gasps softly and shields her eyes. "Ah! The accursed light of the sacred sun! It burns, it burns!" She peeks out from behind her hand. "... kidding. But I do have some sensory issues. It is why I do not want to be in that... social chaos."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:06, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

In reply to Zoey Fujino (msg # 28):

Kate took that as a slight bit of chastisement, even before it came to the newly opened drapes.   So this time rather than speak Kate simply communicates.  'I'm sorry.'  Her contrition coming through loud and clear.  Quickly pulling the drapes back shut, even if it means it will take a moment or two to regain her vision.

Looking around the room she tries to decide where to sit, eventually just picking the bed as the best spot, besides its probably comfy.  So after a moment of kicking off non-existent shoes she settles in, revealing that stockings or tights whatever she's wearing she's already managed to put a hole through one heel in presumably less than an hours worth of wear.  'I can be quiet.' She adds after she's sitting, not really sure how to act, now that Zoey's made her disdain for noisy younger students known, and being admittedly herself a younger student who is sometimes noisy.  But after the silence lasts for a beat longer she can't help but wonder noticeably, 'why do you have a sword?'

Ana Sofía had held up fairly well right through getting the little ones through the front door of the mansion, her big-sister instincts having served her well. Once inside, the adrenaline-fueled energy she'd used to keep going just couldn't last. The dual mental and audial cacophony crashes into her. She stumbles but catches herself. Her eyes dart about for a way through the crowd, and once she sees one she moves quickly, straight to her room.

Once in her room she quickly grabs a bunch of aspirin and downs them with a deep drink from her water bottle. She throws on some workout clothes. She grabs her earbuds and then just drops them when she looks at what's left of her phone. She hesitates for a moment, looking at one dresser drawer. Then she opens it and pulls out a full glass bottle, which she covers up beneath an open flap of her sweatshirt as she heads down to the empty, much quieter gym.

Once alone in the gym she sets up a mat and starts doing some yoga. Doing so while taking swigs of tequila may not be the typical method taught in studios, but for now it seems to work just fine.

Zoey is mildly amused and mildly guilty about Tabby's change in bearing. She quickly steps in and halts the other girl's motions to close the grapes with a gentle touch against her hands. "You're fine," she reassures. "One-on-one is a lot easier, and this space could probably afford a little more sun. What I have an issue with is the whole... ohmygod youwerethere duringtheTHING whatwasitlike wereyouscared whathappenedtoyour- etcetera etcetera. Except twenty people are doing it at the same time."

The bed came with the room so its comfort or lack thereof was not something Zoey could take credit for. She opens, boots, and manipulates the laptop to bring up a news stream and lets it play in the background at low volume. She goes about tidying the room as she listens, folding her dirty laundry and stacking it up in a neat pile for later transport.

Zoey glances to her sword stand. "I was enrolled in karate as a lass to teach me discipline and self-control or some nonsense like that, and while I did that for the mandated year I always kept looking out the window at the HEMA school across the street. I always did enjoy swords; learning how to use them seemed a natural extension of that appreciation." She takes the Master Sword and unsheathes it with a slight flourish. "This one's made of the right steel and balanced properly for actual use. I keep meaning to ask Professor McCoy if he practices... he's such a Renaissance man, I'm sure he does. It's a shame the Danger Room is reserved for the X-Men..." She sighs with disappointment as she stows the sword away.

Kate is relieved that she isn't being a problem and so lets go of that anxiety without a second thought.  There were still some questions percolating around her head, 'Why did she pull me here if she doesn't really like people, and isn't turning on the computer just making noise she doesn't like?' Some of which might accidently reach Zoey though for now at least Kate wasn't pushing them out.  If some did though it would start to become clear just how little real practice the younger student had with some of her powers.

'Hema?' was another confused thought as she watched the sword come into the light curiously.  'It probably wasn't important' though so as the sword disappeared she lay back, twisting into a somewhat uncomfortable looking half curl because of the wall behind her so she could stay on the bed even with her lets still poking straight out but one thought did rise enough for an intentional push, something that felt different from the unintentional ones.  'Why would you want to go to a dangerous room?  Why would they even have a dangerous room?'

Of course now that she was, getting comfortable, she didn't bother to sit up or even really straighten herself out on Zoey's bed.  If nothing else the fact she somehow must be comfortable in that really awkward pose proved she was the cat girl beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Zoey or anyone walking the hall feel free to pick up on as much or little of the uncolored thoughts as you like.  They would be coming along with extra contextual bandwidth such as confusion, curiosity and then idle disregard

"They use the Danger Room for live training, a safe-ish place where they can push their powers to the limit. Like a holodeck." Zoey briefly wondered, not for the first time, where they even got that kind of technology. Probably the same place Professor Summers gets the energy for his eye beams.

Zoey watches the laptop during a lull in conversation. "Historical European Martial Arts, by the way," she responds to an earlier urge for information. "Computers don't have any expectation for me to respond to them, nor do they get upset when I tell them to shut up or repeat the last thing they said. They do not impose the same pressure that a real person would."

An eye turns onto Tabby and Zoey has to suppress a small giggle. "You're doing that boneless thing cats do when they do not want to be picked up," she observes.

In reply to Zoey Fujino (msg # 33):

Kate wasn't really interested as Zoey begun talking, at least until it got to Holodeck.  Perking up and suddenly a bit more interested, at least until she remembered the complaint that lead to the conversation in the first place and settled back down.  If Zoey wasn't allowed access Kate certainly wouldn't be.

When the explanation for people vs things came up Kate nodded.  "So that's why you want the danger room, so you can be around people without being around people." It might have sounded judgmental from some, but from Kate it sounded more like a simple statement of understanding rather than condemnation.

"Yup, I am."  She had laid her head back down and was watching the room through slitted eyes, that might, just might have started to have the iris' start to narrow.  "Your bed is soft, and starting to get warm, and smells nice, like you, and peaches."  The girl went on to explain why without a shred of self consciousness about such statements.  Giving a huge yawn she twisted a bit more, though at least this time the movement pulled her legs fully onto the bed and didn't leave her looking quite so uncomfortable from a normal standpoint.  'Will you wake me up if there's dinner?'  She thought, apparently continuing to speak aloud being too much of a hassle.  Though those green eyes don't fully close, continuing to watch Zoey, and the room.

The older students hushed the rest when President Davis appeared on the screen, and upped the volume of the set in the common room.  All of them were expecting to hear what the president had to say – if she would share any details on what happened in Manhattan (since the students coming back from the field trip didn't), but more importantly, if she would lay the blame on Mutants, and what actions she might take, if any.