3984/X-Mansion of Horrors and Pumpkin Spiced Food

X-Mansion of Horrors and Pumpkin Spiced Food
Date of Scene:	31 October 2020
Location:	Swimming Pool / Patio Deck
Synopsis:	THE XAVIER'S SCHOOL 2020 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! STAY TUNED AFTER THE SHOW KIDS FOR A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE X-MEN ABOUT WHY ITS BAD TO DO DRUGS!
Cast of Characters:	Rogue, Jean Grey, Noriko Ashida, Jimmy Hudson, Wade Wilson, Scott Summers

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Rogue has posed:
It is... ANOTHER... dark and stormy night!

Though the storms tonight are really just pre-recorded noises coming out of speakers that are setup around the pool (which has been filled up with bubbling red water and lots of orange and black balloons that are bouncing aruond in the water. Its cold outside, but the pools water is hot and inviting. Some people are even swimming!

Others, the students and some of the parents, are wandering around enjoying food and drink.

The whole backyard is filled up with Halloween dedcorations, from fake cobwebs on the shrubbery, to large whacky inflatable arm waving tube witches/ghosts/vampires/werewolves and frankenpeople.

Down by the lake there is a hedgemaze setup with strobe lights and fog seeping out over the hedges, with students inside it trying to navigae it to the center where there is candy and snacks waiting.

Up here, by the pool, is where most of the adults are!

Rogue is sitting at one of the tables with candles piled up at its center. She's wearing a Velma costume from Scooby Doo, an orange sweater hugging her form, a red skirt, and orange stockings, along with black wire framed glasses and a wig on over her hair to complete the Velma-look.

HALLOWEEN AMBIENCE: https://youtu.be/yNd_CcqNwBc

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean is Daphne! The universe has ordained it so.

Or maybe Rogue picked.

Or maybe Jean was just lazy and a character she wouldn't need much more than a purple dress and a headband for was appealing. She has plenty of green scarves already! Like kind of an unhealthy amount.

But regardless of the cause, the paired costumes go a long way toward setting the tone for the evening. The headmistress is not far from her Scooby Gang pal, hanging out by some of the tables. Not surprisingly to anyone who knows her, she's double-checking over the spread of snacks, making sure all the goodies are out and in place where people can get them. On top of the probable assortment of candy and gag horror dishes (grape eyeballs and whatnot), she's also baked up several batches of cookies in all the usual varieties (sugar cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal, ginger-snaps, etc) with all the stereotypical baking mold shapes: bats, pumpkins, skulls, etc. There's some steaming cider as well, and plenty of plastic cups and plates, the latter of which she's presently double-checking on.

"Do you think this is all enough?" she asks Rogue. Jeez, Jean.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
This was unplanned.  In fact, no one from the faculty or the residents at Xavier's (unless choosing to read Nori's mind earlier today) knew of a little stall set up like a lemonade stand off to the side of whatever the most favorite attraction is.

The stand is constructed of TV box cardboard and someone has drawn smiley faces in most of the places where the printing on the outside of the box kinda looks like a face already.  There is a small seemingly ever-replenishing display of small :o faced pumpkins arranged in a perfect pyramid.  The cardboard sign above says, "TV (scratched out) Pumpkins for Sale!  No money no problem!  We approve everyone for favor credits or IOUs!"

And in comes a visible blur of blue...and floppy fins made out of cut up blue cloth and attached from the top down the back of a blue hoodie with duck tape.  Nearly everything about the outfit that deems it is held together with the stuff.  As Nori rolls through, they flare out, revealing a telling hedgehog appearance.  When she stops at the stand, it's clear her hoodie being open is intentional, since she's got a faded solid beige tshirt underneath.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    The man known as James Hudson has sort of been swept along with the current, or rather in his case the tsunami of sentiment that comes from being exposed to the X-people in a heavy way over a short period of time. A week about and this is how his life's flipped-turned upside down, and if people sat there it'd take him more than a minute to tell them about how he became a guest in Xavier's lair.
    Though at the moment he was at the All Hallow's Eve party, once again going with the flow, which brought him along the edge of the party mixing and mingling and finagling. He got some looks now and again, some of the faculty that haven't met him yet. His holding a beer bottle only made his resemblance to a certain staff member seem all the more prominent.
    Yet in this instant he's cornered by a single parent of one of the students who seems intent on asking if he's taught her daughter that semester and how she's doing.
    "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm a recent... transfer. Of sorts. I normally work down at Horizons in Weehawken."
    "Oh you must have made quite a good impression with them here to be transfered up to such a prominent institution."
    "Not sure if that's the right of it, miss." He says while rubbing the back of his neck.
    Though poor James isn't wearing a costume per se, he does have a plastic mask sort of hanging off the back of his neck that's a purely facial depiction of the Tazmanian Devil.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's dog, a year old Yellow Lab is dressed up as Scooby, of course, walking around with a big green collar on and a pair of brown floppy floopy ears on. He's got a big plastic dog bone in his mouth and he's running around the edge of the pool watching the people in the pool swimming around with all the balloons.

Rogue stands up from the table and walks over to where Jean is to grin at what she's asking about. "Uh, yeah, I think its good, Red." She tells the Headmistress. "Ya outdone yourself, as usual. The Professah is gonna gush about it on social media now, why we ever showed him how t'use that stuff is beyond me." She shows Jean a big grin as 'Scooby' wanders by. (The dog's actual name is Jeepers, which is also a Scooby Doo reference.)

'Scoob' is on his way over to Noriko's lemonade stand to cause some mischief since he's a young dog, and is sorta full of energy.

Rogue nudges Jean and motions to Jimmy with a grin. "I think he's being hit on." She tells the Facebook legend that is Jean Grey.

A thumbs up is given to Surge though. "I dig the business endeavors. Gotta maximise profits during parties."

Jean Grey has posed:
Despite Rogue's reassurance, Jean gives the whole spread one last look over. The final item may be the most importamt: next to the hot apple cider, there is some 'adult' hot apple cider. It is clearly labeled, and she even has one of the newer teachers in charge of serving so that no children are accidentally corrupted. She takes her headmistressing very seriously, you see!

Getting a cup for herself when she's done, she finally does let herself relax a little. "You want one?" she wonders, and as 'Scooby' briefly blitzes on past, she reaches out to give him a fleeting pet, for the dog is off to other, wilder adventures. "Oh, I don't think it's so bad," she says, laughing a little over Xavier's new addiction. "It's good advertising for the school. We want to present a friendly, relatable appearance, after all- to both prospective students and their parents."

Speaking of which...

She glances over toward where Jimmy has been 'caught.' "We just did his medical yesteday. Since he's another one of Logan's... well, it sort of goes to figure, doesn't it?" Jean's smile turns a little more mischievous, and then she turns and starts heading that way. "Maybe he needs a rescue."

"Ms. Peterson!" she calls out. "You're Jessica's mother, aren't you?"

Wade Wilson has posed:
There are children and children's parents present, that was the text Wade got from probably multiple people.

But it's okay, because Halloween is a time for being what you've always wanted to be.

Sexy, have your whole life together, be desired by all the wholesome mutant women on Earth... there's really only one costume for that.

Wade Wilson shows upto the party wearing Scott Summers' likely stolen visor and blue form-fitting tights, boots and all. But also he's wearing a sexy nurse's outfit over that, skirt and all, with the old timey nurse hat. "Jean! Rogue! The party's arrived!"

Because he's holding a large platter covered in a mountain of white chocolate Oreos, something for everyone to enjoy. "Where should I put this?"

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    The aforementioned Ms. Peterson looks up to see who is calling her name, and catching sight of the Headmistress she gives her a rather polite smiling wave, fingers twiddling her distant hello as she calls out something across the distance that doesn't quite carry.
    Yet it does, indeed, grant Jimmy that needed window of opportunity to murmur quickly, "If you'll excuse me." And then exit stage right. He slips to the side and around one of the treat tables, heading around about to get clear somewhat and head in the direction of Scoob and the Gang.
    Though he does pause long enough as he espies a particular Noriko and lifts his beer in her direction, "Hey cool, Sonic." He says, with a certain self-satisfaction that he can still keep up with the references of the young'uns. For now, however, he wends his way through the crowd.

Scott Summers has posed:
And here comes Fred. White pullover, red hanker-tie, awesome blonde hair (it is a wig). The ruby quartz glasses are an unexpected addition, but pay no mind. He is mostly Fred.

Yes. Maybe someone is mind-controlling Scott.

He greets and waves, and grabs a glass of Cider, making his way to Daphne and Velma. "Sorry I am late. The usual last minute, hmm, stuff," he mumbles.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
It's no secret Nori lost her job at the coffee shop to faculty given it was a natural outcome of her circus "excursion."  Whether it was a product of missing so much work and needing to replace her quickly, her losing all interest in her guilt-slave work she never wanted to do in the first place, or a combination of both, no one knows.

So when Rogue shoots out a compliment, Nori nods.  "Got to get my sneaker fund where I can."  She beams, and even brighter when she sees 'Scoob' on his way over.  She immediately allows him to 'cut' the line (of two young children visiting with their families).  Everyone seems to be okay with it.  Nori instinctively crouches to greet the dog, but then suddenly backs away, trying to stay out of range as her fingers get prickly with excited puppy-loving activity.  "You're sooo cute," she melts.

All charged up so she can zip back and forth to her stand, Nori is momentarily distracted by Wade's costume when she looks up with the intention to rib on teacher, but it's WadeScott.  "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA," she busts out LOUD.

"Yeah-" she tries to catch her breath.  "Thanks," she finishes to Jimmy.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue doesn't dare touch the adult beverages, because she's a well behaved young woman who doesn't turn 21 until January, and she's definitely not hiding booze in other parts of the school or her private room!

So she's just sipping a glass of pumpkin spiced drink! She smiles at Jean's attempt to free James from the Mother speaking to him. "Looks like that worked." But Wade's arrival draws her eyes to him, and gets a grin, followed by a laugh. "Don't fall inta the pool now, Wade." She chides him as he gets dangerous close to dumping himself in to the pool wearing all those clothes and random things on his head!

"Nurse Scott. That's not gonna leave nightmares inside'a me." She comments before the REAL Scott arrives, dressed as Fred. She smiles at him and offers a wave. "You ain't late, you're just gettin' started, is all." She tells the X-Men team leader. "Plenty'a food t'dive inta."

Rogue grins at Noriko and Jeepers-Scoob. "Careful, he'll turn your sleeves inta fifhsnets with those teeth'a his." She comments as the energetic Lab rushes around the pool area, his tail moving a mile a minute.

The ambiance is busy as the parents and students mill about, from the pool area, down the pathways toward the haunted maze, and back again! The music is piped out on the speakers, mixed in with the spooky noises.

Jean Grey has posed:
Once on the scene, Jean skillfully distracts and charms the thirsty single mom: for starters, she's actually pretty good at her day job, and is perfectly able to give her a detailed report on her daughter's progress at the school. And coming from _Xavier's School Official Facebook Page Celebrity_ (wow!) Jean Grey, it's happily received. More than that, her daughter is actually quite promising, so Jean has nothing but nice things to say, without even having to lie about it! Phew. She spends a few minutes before excusing herself, mostly gracefully.

There's hardly even any brain-fu required.

From there, she makes a quick tour to say hi to a couple other parents, several of whom she already knows, before managing her way back to the vicinity of her friends and colleagues, looping around the pool. She spots both Wadescott and Fredscott on her pass back around, the former admittedly causing a slight double-take. "My, aren't we both looking handsome? Oh, just next to the rest of the cookies should be alright, I think." MOAR cookies!

Wade Wilson has posed:
"I combined the two sexiest things I could think of into one thing." Wade explains his costume, offering Scott a thumbs up after he finally sits the massive platter down amongst the other cookies.

"I've vowed to remain sober tonight." he announces. "Because I am a well-behaved and definitely official X-Men!"

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    White Oreos are certainly nice and as he approaches the current crowd of people there in the general Scooby area, Jimmy makes sure to perhaps liberate one from Deadpool's tray, taking it, flipping it around, and then taking a bite without too much seeming hesitation. Not one worry nor care about eating something Wade has prepared or brought to a party.
    Very clearly he doesn't know the man.
    Yet now away from Ms. Peterson, Jimmy lifts a hand in greeting to those now nearby. "Evening." He offers in way of hello, happily chomping on the cookie for the moment, though holding off on his beer since cookies and beer don't mix too easily.

Scott Summers has posed:
"So, that is where the visor I left in the garage went," points out Scott at seeing Wade. "Mystery solved," it was an old man with the mask, as usual. He sips the cider and then offers a half-smile to Rogue. "I am going to talk to some parents first," he comments, "do save some foods for me, Velma, I am starving." Then he heads into the crowd, shaking some hands and being all business-like in the silly outfit. Somehow, he manages.

Rogue has posed:
Velma-Rogue just sips her pumpkin drink as she watches Wade set that platter down on the table, pushing things out of the way to make room for it. She has a grin show for a second before she shakes her head under her red Velma-wig. "Nice spread ya got there, Slutty-Scott-Nurse." She teases before watching Nori and Scooby-Jeepers keep playing.

Rogue's eyes go to Jimmy then and she smiles at him. "Finally got yourself a beer, I see. Now you can finally feel complete." She playfully says at him, before motioning to Jean. "Look at her bein' the best damn Headmistress that there ever was. Greetin' all the people, makin' feel special, /and/ savin' you from the lonely hearts wanderin' this wonderland'a lost spirits."

Charles Xavier himself is in attendance, but he's up on the patio above and to the west of the pool. There's tables up there and the older-folks in attendance are all gathered up there. He's deep in to story time with some of them in fact. There's even a familiar new older face in the form of Hayden Fisher, from the forest 'situation' the other night, sitting with Charles, as his children are here tonight visiting the school for the party.

Jean Grey has posed:
"I warmed them up for you, Fred," calls 'Daphne' as Scott heads off to his own rounds.

But Jean seems pretty happy to be free of the parents, once she is. Plus she knows better than to hang around the dads too long, lest she court scandal and disaster! She may yet be contractually obligated to go up and dazzle Charles' personal friends and guests, but for now, she puts that off, planning to go up a little later while enjoying her friends' company for now. Firstly, she encourages the apparently teetotaling Nurse Wadescott: "There's really not that much alcohol in the cider, it's fine if you want to try one. It's a party." She holds up her plastic cup to point out the fact that even she, in all her wholesomeness, is allowing herself that adult indulgence.

Ending up with Rogue and Jimmy, she's grinning a bit more broadly. "See you're popular with the single-mom set. Have you met Anna-Marie? And do you prefer James, or Jimmy, or something else?" The formality might have been appropriate to a sterile medical office, but seems to make her feel awkward now.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
It's a little torturous dance they start to play.  Nori continuing to lure 'Scoob' with affection and pulling away just in time to not shock but surely confuse the dog if he ever figures out there is no real reward.

The teen has to tell the kids to come back later and puts out a bell with a placard that says, "I'm watching you.  Ding for service."  To 'Scoob', she disappears not long enough for him to care, and so she lures the dog back to Rogue by letting him run at her heels in perfect pace.

When she gets to Rogue, she starts doing never-ending circles around the group, speaking quickly, "Can't-touch-him," and really it's such a waste of charge to go discharge all her excess power right now. "Help!"  It's not urgent, but it is dramatized.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Tipping his beer bottle in Rogue's direction, "I was told I just need a cigar now." Perhaps the closest he's come to making light of his situation a little bit, his expression shifting a little wry and a smidge sour. Yet James gives a shrug and shakes his head as he looks over the people and the spread of foodstuffs available.
    At Rogue's gesturing after Jean though, Jimmy gives a nod and a half-smile sidelong to the young X-Man with the skunk-stripe in her hair. "Yeah, she's got a way about her. All swirl and smiles to be sure."
    Yet when she makes her way on back to the Scoob and the Gang, Jimmy gives her an up nod of thanks as he says, "Appreciate the assist back there, Doctor." His lip curves into a slight smile, but for the laconic man it's a fairly decent smile offered. Though his gaze is distracted by the rush of a Nori running around them now.

Wade Wilson has posed:
Wade starts eating white chocolate Oreos almost immediately, lifting the bottom half of his Deadpool mask up so that he can actually eat.

"Well if Jean Grey is drinking the cider..." He immediately heads over to grab a red cup, pouring himself some cider. "All my favorite X-Men are here. Rogue, Jean Grey, Rogue, //and// Jean Grey."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes are on Noriko when she comes charging (pun intended) back with Jeepers-Scoob to circle around them. A grin crosses over her lips "Yes, wear him out, so he won't keep me up all night." She urges the girl with the sparkling touch (another pun!)

For Jimmy, Rogue motions up to the 'old people patio'. "They got cigars up there, I caught a whiff of'em when I came out here from the kitchen doors." She sips her drink again, and smiles between him and Jean.

"Yeah, we met, I was there when he crawled up outta the rubble in that school. Lookin' like some kinda post apocalyptic beefcake come t'life just t'give me the flutters." She's playing up her southern accent, for the fun of the tease and flirt.

Her eyes look after Scott as he bounds down the pathway toward the Haunted Maze where most of the kid-aged party goers are. "He's gonna solve all the mysteries t'night, clearly." She comments, looking around for Kitty.

Somewhere out there, Kitty is dressed up like Shaggy. Wherever she is.

A look back to Wade is given when she hears him saying their names. She smiles at him. "You talkin' t'yourself, Deadpoolio?" She asks the X-Men's biggest fan. "When are we gonna bust up some more cliche Italian mobsters anyhow? Ya don't write, ya don't call... its heart breakin' for a girl like me, ya know?" She says in her huskied southern belle flavored voice.

Jean Grey has posed:
"Oh, no doctor, Jean's just fine," insists the Daphne-lookalike. "I only really made a point of it since we were giving you an exam, you know, just for a bit of reassurance. Generally it's polite, and I figure some people might be nervous imagining a total amateur poking and messing around inside their head." It's not as if NORMAL psychiatry degrees come with telepathy powers, but apparently, the argument still stands.

"How have you been enjoying things around the school? Planning on staying on, you think? Ooops, look at me, we're out here to party and I'm turning it into a job interview." Maybe that mixing of business and pleasure is hard to shake, when it seems she has to hop on and off 'the job' to deal with parents and the like, even in this setting. But she tries! Instead, she leans into Rogue's description of their meeting, grinning at the imagined image. "Really does kind of sound familiar, don't you think?" Crawling out of rubble is a pretty core Logan family talent.

Then as Rogue teases Wade, she in turn teases Rogue: "Oh, he's supposed to take -me- out to fight assassins or something. For the sake of my sexual liberation. Possibly with Hercules. I'm sketchy on the details, somewhat." Which, in turn, causes her to turn back toward Wade, "Do you take all the X-women out crimefighting, hmm?"

... one would think, since that's what they do? Ack! Away, logic!

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    A small exhalation comes from Jim as he shakes his head and lowers his eyes, holding one hand up towards Jean as if to stave off the comments she'd made earlier. He answers some of her questions, however. "Yeah, like she said. I was there when they came to help Misha. And they got me tagging along as part of the deal." A beat then he adds, "And it's Jim. Or Jimmy if you're aiming to give me a hard time."
    Sidelong, Jimmy answers Rogue with a glance at her, "Yeah. I don't smoke." He says off-handedly, then adds with a slight crinkle of his nose. "That stuff'll kill ya." And this time there's no smirk nor smile to give away whether or not he's serious. Though if Jean's keeping a mental pathway or two open she might well see that he's telling the truth. As far as he knows.
    Then as Jean seems inclined to hassle him he laughs a little and shakes his near empty bottle of beer. "Things've been alright." How he's been finding them.
    A glance to the side, then he looks back. "Though to be fair, I've been thinking about what I'm going to do. So yeah." That last word sort of floats there.

Wade Wilson has posed:
"I've been avoiding mobsters until after Halloween. Since I've been hanging out with Jean, I'm trying not to risk dragging any Italian mobster ghosts back to the mansion. It's that season!" Wade shifts over a bit closer to Rogue to whisper, "Hey, that guy look familiar?" he asks, thumbing at Jimmy.

Then, to Jean's question, he holds up a finger. "Hey, I resent that remark! I only take out the X-women who I want to liberate from the shackles of society and then form a wholesome platonic bond with, and say our prayers together when we attend church on Sunday."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko could just zip off, but for some reason she keeps at it, even after she briefly rolls her eyes.  Perhaps she just doesn't want to leave the dog bereft and confused.  In any case, she's likely overthinking and over-hearting it.

In her little trot, Nori looks down to check the time and her charge levels.  "Fat-chance!" she teases, even though she's already probably given the dog a run for its money.

Priorities.  Priorities like getting cider.  Delicious delicious cider.  But first she has to zip back to take care of some business.  Clearing her customer, she races back into the Mansion at full speed, grabs a pitcher from the kitchen, and ends up in her room.  "Hehehe.  Operation Ciderhouse Sucks is a go."  Most of her understanding of American culture comes through movies.

Nori unscrews a little light switch panel open next to her bed and pulls out a live wire that she'd grounded.

Any lights go out in the Mansion as she draws charge.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's pumpkin drink is refilled by one of the people brought in to cater for the part. She shares a smile with the person and thanks them before she looks back over to James. She grins at him. "Couldn't you put your face up t'the back of a jet engine, and smoke it like a cigar, and still walk away from it just fine? Hell, you're basically the picture-perfect model for a Cigarette comapny's billboard. If they were still alived t'put those up." She's grinning at him when Wade comes up and whispers at her.

Rogue leans over to whisper back. "Ask him who is dad is, sugah."

With a smile then she glances over at Jean. "You gonna go out on a date with this here fine speciman then, Miss Daphne?" Rogue asks, giving Wade a nice hard pat on the back!

Her eyes shoot over to Nori and she has to tilt her head. "Noriko." Rogue starts, curiosity abound. "How many'a the orange frosting cupcakes have you eaten t'night? You seem a bit.. I dunno... CHARGED UP?!" She flashes a grin at the girl. "How you and Jubilee haven't taken this whole school over by now is beyond me..."

Jean Grey has posed:
"Jim," Jean repeats, giving a little nod. With more amusment: "We do have a bit of a habbit of picking up strays."

"That's very sensible," she agrees with his non-smoking habits, suppressing any urge to correct him on the ends to which he could probably subject his body without suffering ill effect. He's made a good lifestyle choice for a good reason, so why argue? It's not like the /school/ with /children in it/ allows smoking. New York bars don't even allow smoking!

... Except of course, Rogue voices it anyway! "Oh, don't encourage him to do it just because he can. It still makes your clothes stink, among other things."

"I'm sure we can find things for you to do here, if you're interested, whether on the academic side or otherwise, depending on your skills and inclin-," she offers more reassuringly, before the sudden power outage at the mansion behind them draws her attention back away from the party. She frowns, not quite having been paying enough attention to Noriko's zipping around to realize the two things are connected. "Wonder what happened." Some of the guests do look around, since there are string lights and other things that have gone out, but the bright moon above keeps anyone from a complete panic.

"It's always something around here, hold on. And yes, of course I said I'd go with him," she calls back at Rogue, while turning to wend her way back toward the house, maybe just to check with Charles. "You heard Wade, he promised a very gentlemanly experience. Except the part with Hercules, but I'm not quite sold on that!"

Scamper, scamper!

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    For the first time they've known him, Jimmy's features twist into an open smile and he actually snaps back at Rogue with a wry, "Well when ya /put it like that/." Those last few words rushed for emphasis of course with his head sort of over-exaggerating the pacing of them. Yet he laughs and shakes his head then sets his empty down on a nearby end table and looks around for some other likely suitable beverage and takes a few steps needed to secure his own pumpkin drink.
    When he rejoins the circle of folks he starts to say something else. And then the lights go out, WHOMPF!
    And Jean's beating a hasty retreat to handle the loss of power, which leaves a good chunk of people there on the deck and around the pool in a healthy amount of darkness. One or two people pull out their phones for makeshift flashlights, which leads to others doing the same thing.

Wade Wilson has posed:
"Hey, Mister Rake!" Wade calls over to Jimmy. "Who's your dad?"

"And yeah! It's not as if I'd fly off the handle and start shooting Hercules or anything, I'm a selfless person who never gets jealous. And why would I get jealous, given the platonic nature of this outing!" He starts patting himself down. "Where's my monocle, I need it for gentlemaning..."

When the lighters flicker, he grunts. "Now I'll never find my monocle."

Rogue has posed:
"That's why I smoke in the nu---" The lights go out and Rogue has to stop talking and look around. "Huh, that's weird." She says as she steps over to the table with the punch on it to put her drink down and peer over the railing to look down at the maze. The kids are shouting, and the maze lights are off, but the camp fire at the maze's middle is still visibly lit and shining up in to the air.

When she turns back around, Rogue's got a brand new drink, entirely by accident. She sees Jean scampering off. "Scott'll fix i--- and she's gone."

Charles is of course, moving to intercept Jean and help her fix it too, as much as a man in his 60s in a Wheelchair can accomplish such a feat.

Meanwhile, Jeepers-Scoob rushes out of the dark and flies through the air to land in the pool and send balloons flying up in to the air and out of the pool, a long with people in the water laughing and screaming.

Jeeps is a party animal!

Rogue just shakes her head after sipping her new drink. "Wade, promise me you'll never change." She grins in the dim light of the ambient light not connected to the power grid.

"Maybe the zombies are about t'attack us."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Before she split, Nori just answers Rogue in a clipped fashion, not elaborating, "A...lot?"  It's a bit of a weird balance for the girl.  Just like everyone else, she needs caloric fuel to feed her metabolism, but she needs charge for speed and some direct need by her electrochemical processes.  So she's frosting'ed up and juiced.

Noriko smirks at Rogue's comment about Jubilee, even if Nori doesn't really associate much with the kids in her grade, or the seniors for that matter.

Flashback to the secret 'gas station.'  Noriko indulges in the feeling of the slow, steady build of charge.  Secure in her aloneness, she lets the electricity roil and play along her body, free of the burden of anyone possibly getting hurt.  Reluctantly, she pulls away from the wire and secures it again.  Then she replaces the switch.

Nori zips down with the intention of going right out the door back to the festivities, but is looking down at her gauntlet for a power reading when she /almost/ runs into Jean head on.  ~Oops.~ she says as she comes to a instinctively complete stop and looks up, impossibly difficult to make out by the human ear.  Her speed deactivates on instinct and she smiles to the headmistress.  "Heyyy," she lilts.

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    Leaning over the table of comestibles, Jimmy hears Wade yelling across the way asking about his dad? He turns and calls back, "James Hudson? Up in Ottawa." Which, to be fair, is true. Though he settles on another white oreo because they really are pretty tasty.
    Then the power whumpfs back on and Jimmy is left there pondering his choices and perhaps thankful for it as he can now see better some of the delicacies he was considering aren't to his taste.

Wade Wilson has posed:
Wade leans over to Rogue, whispering, "That's Kate Hudson's son?"

Jean Grey has posed:
Naturally, Jean encourages Charles to stay with his guests. "I'm sure nothing's seriously wrong," she says, more for their general benefit than for his, before she continues toward the mansion. She /is/, at this point, doing a scan of the place, less out of concern for intruders (the base has alarms and more serious measures), but more for the students. Most are out at the party, but not all, and she's concerned for both. There are naturally some slightly more frightened feelings going on throughout the maze, and maybe some more mildly confused ones in the house. Then there's always the chance that some student has had a problem with their powers- they're young, inexperienced, and it happens.

But she doesn't get terribly far before everything comes back on. "You see?" she offers, turning back to the patio full of guests. Nothing to worry about here! Continue having faith in our wonderful school, lala!

She may still be a little concerned with what happened, but is confronted with the cause as Noriko comes blazing out. Whether or not it's obvious from her thoughts, it's obvious from a little basic 2+2.

"Hi Noriko. Coming back to the party?" Nope, she doesn't yell or anything! "Why don't you try and relax a little? Everyone's having a good time." Just that, before she turns to start walking back, alongside the young woman at least until she speeds off again.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is sipping her new drink, happily looking around as the lights come back on. The kids down at the Hedge Maze start to cheer happily at the whackiness going on down there being properly restored, with the music and sonds, and everything else too!

"Ah, excellent. Apocalypse averted." The Belle mutters before glancing over in Wade's direction. She smirks at /him/ now. "I think you should get t'know him some, Wade. Ya might find out some stuff about him that ya like."

Rogue motions to Jimmy, then to Wade specifically. "This here is our very own version of Steve Urkle. Remember that show? I used t'watch it at my Aunt's house on re-runs. She loved it." Deadpool is the X-Men's Steve Urkle, think about it, it's on-point.

A drink salute is offered to Jean and a 'Woooo!' is shouted out. "Ya did it, ya saved Christmas!" Rogue shots up to the redhead.

Jeepers jumps out of the pool and runs by, shedding water everywhere he goes, snatching up a cupcake off the grond that had fallen over when the power went out and people acted panicky!

Jimmy Hudson has posed:
    "Oh?" James asks as he steps back to the group. "Wacky neighbor?" He turns his head as he asks that perhaps of Wade but also of Rogue, quirking an eyebrow with curiousity then gives a nod.
    "Pleased to meet ya."

Wade Wilson has posed:
"Hey, I'm not a nerd!" Wade suddenly starts flexing, then rips his nurse dress open like Hulk Hogan. "Nerds aren't ripped! I only eat the massive amount of cheese I do for PROTEIN and GAINS!!!"

He pulls a cheese stick from his pocket and chomps it.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko reaches up and scratches back behind her ear, an old engrained habit that is really annoyingly unsatisfying with the gauntlets.  "Uh-I kinda did everything and saw everything and I was just going to get some cider so I could go read."  Her words are faintly fast and electronically jittery sounding, but she's sounded way worse before.  Read?

It's a lie.  A horribly impulsive lie that doesn't even really take a telepath to unroot.  A wave of shame comes over the girl and she looks down, guilt written over her face as she half bows her head in a blur and then takes off in a speedy scamper, leaving Jean in her dust.

Nori has had practice at this.  She didn't want to steal when she was homeless, but she had to.  Having such a visible power, and given all the anti-mutant sentiment, it was more likely that people would call CPS on her than give her money.  All of her practice has shown her that she has to keep a sustained, high pace to trick the human minds.  She's not faster than light, but distraction goes along way, which is why the Pumpkin Stand suddenly traps poor 'Scoob' who has been 'investigating' Nori's remaining stock.  So good.  So yummy.  So weird in my mouth!  Smack smack go the lips.  MOUSE TRAPPED!

'Scoob' bolts around with the virtually harmless cardboard wreaking havoc while Nori manages to forage as much adult cider as she can without making it look alarming to anyone on cleanup.

"Operation Ciderhouse Sucks rules!" she shouts back in the dorms.

Jean Grey has posed:
"You didn't talk to everyone. You could do that?" Yes, Jean is in teacher/MOM (she is in the future, it counts!) mode as she walks back Noriko. Still not mad, but there's a light element of scolding, if only in the sense of using it as a precursor to more encouraging suggestions. "You know it's good to socialize, to make-" Annnnnnd she's gone. Oh well. Jean still smiles, more than anything, and continues in less spectacularly speedy fashion back toward the refreshment tables where the main socializing is occuring.

"I didn't do anything," she informs Rogue with a laugh and a sort of helpless shrug, even if she doesn't bother to correct anyone else on the way as she makes her hero's return through the various parents and faculty. "This mystery will remain unsolved, although I can only assume we can blame some wealthy old dude in a rubber mask." She is apparently keeping Noriko's secret.

She doesn't even raise the alarm over the whole... dog-trap booze run thing, even if for all her visual legerdemain, Noriko's very same mental focus on the crime makes for the equivalent of shouting about it. But there's no point in sweating the small details. An iron fist doesn't really work on typical human adolescents, let alone on young mutants wanting to flex their powers while asserting their personalities. And this is basically college. She gets it.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue wanders back over to her seat she'd been at when Jean had come down to put her baked goods out (which have been snagged up by many passer-bys already). She settles back down on to the seat and crosses her legs as she sips her drink and just smiles up at the Headmistress' heroic return.

"Suuuure you didn't. You just don't want praises heaped on ya." she states as she turns her head. "Although... this is a house full'a nerds." She motions to Wade eating the cheese stick without looking at him.

"Hank probably has emergency systems in place that snap the power right back on. Cause hell, its not like this place is gonna go ten minutes without Netflix on in one'a the rooms, or someone leaving their phone charged in on the steps, and then yellin' at me when I accidentally step on it."

A big huff escapes the Belle, another sip of her swiped adult-punch drink is taken, she narrows her eyes and points at Wade then. "Where you takin' Jean on your hot date again? I suggest bowlin'. Bowlin' is fun and it keeps ya both up off your asses, movin' and throwin' balls around. And balls bouncin' around is the best--" She trails off and starts to laugh at he rown joke.

Then takes another drink of her drink, and drinks it. "I can't finish that one."

Wade Wilson has posed:
Wade suddenly finds himself drinking more cider with his ripped dress, then walks over to Jean and flexes in Scott's uniform. "I don't know about this uniform, the pants are a bit tight." he observes. "How does he even walk around in this thing!"

"Hold on, I'll be right back! Costume change." Then he suddenly goes rushing out. "And I'm taking Jean to the hottest club in New York this month!!!" he shouts back, before disappearing into the mansion.

Jean Grey has posed:
"It probably was just Hank's backups kicking in," Jean agrees. Because that's what those things are there for and it is a logical explanation that doesn't contradict any other stories. And, well, under usual circumstances it probably would be the answer. "Just glad it didn't spoil the party. It's a great setup and it seems like the kids are really enjoying it."

Gesturing after Wade as he makes his spontaneous retreat, she explains, "I don't actually know where we're going, or what that means. It was a pretty off-the-cuff sort of plan, he was complaining to me about his most recent romantic misadventure, then declared I needed to go out and-" Well, she doesn't finish THAT one either, much like Rogue talking about /how great balls are/. It really says something about that truck nuts mating call. "Well, suffice it to say, Hercules was somehow involved."

Since they're briefly alone, she can't help but do just the little bit of gossip, "That new guy's not bad though, is he? Kind of like Logan but taller." AHEM!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue has pulled her phone out of, somewhere, and is just looking down at it and flipping through the texts on the screen, she's /listening/ to Jean, but you know... /phone listening/ to her. "Right." She even says, before she puts the phone back wherever she got it from.

"Jean, the party is in coast mode now. People are just havin' fun and not worrying about stuff. Ya should take a load off and get shnockered up. It's Friday night, Halloween is tomorrow... and..." Rogue register the bit about James and grins at her.

She waggles her eyebrows at the Headmistress. "He's a drop dead beefcake, and I'd describe him in all manner'a ways, but I--" She puts a orange gloved hand on to her chest. "Am I a Lady. And as a Lady, I will not talk about his beautiful backside, or his smoldering stare, or how he looks like Logan before Logan stepped inta a cage fight match with a shed a garden tools."

Another drink sip, a brief big smile, then another drink sip.

Wade Wilson has posed:
Wade finally returns, or, well, he leaps out of the mansion, landing between the two women, and then stands up straight, wild hair going everywhere, with weird makeup drawn over his Deadpool mask. "Ladies..."

He flexes, as the full glory of his costume can finally be seen.

Rum Tum Tugger.

"I decided that I would be a //true// alpha male." he nods twice, flexing

Jean Grey has posed:
"I'm not worried!" Jean protests. It's only half lie, as while she may not presently, in that instant, be worried about everything, she has definitely been playing the worrywart throughout the evening. "And I have a drink!" She does, still, although throughout all of this she's probably gradually worked through it. Also, the 'adult' cider is really nothing that potent, perhaps precisely because some level of student subterfuge was almost guaranteed.

So she goes and gets herself another. Actually, she gets two, and comes back to Rogue and hands her one. It's really only fair, if Noriko is allowed to get away with it! Nevermind that she may have actually missed Rogue sneaking one while the lights were off and Jean was focused on rushing off to crisis-manage.

Regardless, Rogue gets a drink surreptitiously shoved at her, perhaps in time with the more lurid of her descriptions of a certain new arrival, which actually seem to mildly fluster the headmistress. "As a /young/ lady, it would be terribly inappropriate conversation. I should send you to your room."

And then Wade lands, having apparently drawn on his mask. She peers at it, looks sidelong at Rogue, shrugs, and looks back. "I... are you Sabertooth?" Maybe she's still on that Logan thought-train.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is sipping her existing adult drink when Jean offers her another, which gets a big smile from her. In truth, Rogue /can/ get drunk, but the difference is, she sobers up about five times faster than the average person due to her body's recovery ability. So even if she were to get drunk, she would be sober within minutes again, if she didn't sustain a drinking train(?).

"Aww, thank ya, Jean. I won't get up from this chair, I promise. Least not till I'm feelin' perfectly fiiiine." She flashes a smile up at the Headmistress before SUDDENLY WADE.

"Jesus God. What is that?" She asks him, her eyes going up and down his suited form. "What are you wearing?" She asks further. "Where did you just leap in from like it was off-camera?" Important questions.

"Sabretooth?" She narrows her eyes. "Yeah, you do look like that, or maybe like a Fabio abomination monster..."

Drink sip. Another drink sip.

Wade Wilson has posed:
"I'm Rum Tum Tugger! And I leaped from a window and didn't break my leg for once!" Wade starts to strut around with his hands on his hips, occasionally wiggling his tail by shaking his butt. "From the greatest broadway play of all time... Cats!"

He suddenly starts singing while he struts. "The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat! If you offer me a pheasant I'd rather have grouse! If you put me in a house I would much prefer a flat! If you put me in a flat I'd rather have a house! If you set me on a mouse then I only want a rat!"

He does a back flip for no reason. "If you set me on a rat then I'd rather chase a mouse!"

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean looks down into her cup. "I'm was -pretty- sure I didn't put that much in here." By which she means to say: is she drunk? Is this reality? What is even happening?

Wade's performance is observed, by virtue of the fact that she doesn't run away and it is happening right in front of her and thus she witnesses the occurrence. It is like a car crash, impossible to look away from. In the end:

"I heard the movie didn't do too well." It's really pretty surprising they couldn't do a better job with it, considering they're in a world with actual catgirls.

Wade Wilson has posed:
"I've never seen that vile movie in my life. We will watch the 1998 Cats VHS tape, the way it's //meant// to be watched!" Wade insists, but then rubs his chin. "Well, technically it's meant to be watched on broadway. I wonder if we can get a time traveler to take us back to the show in its prime..."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue watches Wade's performance and just grins at him. "You most definitely are a curious case, Wade." She tells the man as she sips her drink. She looks across the pool area just in time to see Jeepers jumping up one one of the chairs, then getting up on one of the tables to eat the food left behind by some of the party guests.

With a SIGH, Velma breaks her promise about staying in the chair and she jumps to her heeled shhoe-feet and starts to stomp around the pool area to go scold her pup. "Time for you t'go back t'the garage, I think, Mistah!" She says as she takes him by his collar and starts to lead him off.

"I'll be right back!" She famously says the last words of any horror movie young nubile college-aged girl would say, to be HER LAST WORDS!