4717/Xavier School Ski Weekend: Wheels on the Bus

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Xavier School Ski Weekend: Wheels on the Bus
Date of Scene: 14 January 2021
Location: Xavier's School Front Yard
Synopsis: The Bus makes it to Vermont! There's a screening of Beetlejuice, a ukulele concert featuring Journey, and everyone enjoys a good meal! And we didn't even lose Kevin!
Cast of Characters: Jean Grey, Jubilation Lee, Negasonic, Warren Worthington, Noriko Ashida, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Simon Lasker, Kevin Sydney




Jean Grey has posed:
As is tradition at Xavier's (and at every school that's ever tried to put together a class trip since the beginning of time), the task of getting everyone onto the bus in-time and properly accounted for is a bit of a challenge. And this will be the first such large-scale trip of Jean's tenure: in the past, its been her assisting the Professor rather than working alone. Nerves!

Too large for the school garage, the rented charter bus has pulled up the mansion driveway to the front of the building, sitting sidelong to the building. Luggage is being gatehred at the near side of the bus, where the large doors to the underside storage compartments are open. There's a limit on space, and so most students are just bringing the basics, a few changes of clothes including their warmest winter gear, toiletries, and whatever other essentials might be necessary. But a few of those from wealthier backgrounds (or snowy ones!) have been allowed to bring their own skis if they have them. The bus has overhead space as well, and so the instructions are to bring anything you might need during the trip in a backpack. Electronics and games, books, snacks!

Jean is standing near the entrance at the front of the bus overseeing everything, and has Kitty helping her as backup. Both have clipboards with a list of everyone signed up for the trip, who get recorded twice: first as they deposit their luggage and then finally after they board. Make your list, check it twice! Once up the stairs, the bus pretty comfortable... as much as a bus can be, anyway. They splurged for a reasonably luxurious company and model. There's a (very small) bathroom in the back, and there's an overhead screen and plug on the window side for each row of seats. It even has wi-fi!

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "This is going to be so much fun!" a cheery voice announces. Between pops and smacks of pink bubblegum, Jubilation Lee is chomping at the bit to get on that bus. Every rotation of those wheels gets them closer and closer to the slopes! She comes ready wearing a teal and pink JanSport backpack with all kinds of suspicious lumps and ARMED with her concert-style ukulele.

    "Figured I'd go ahead and get on, you know, so everyone else knows it's where the cool people are at!" Jubes says with a grin, firing it off to both Jean and Kitty. "...I mean, first one in the pool, right?" The thought is bookended by a pink bubble popping, another grin, and then off she goes up the stairs. Jubes practically runs down the aisle and doesn't stop until she reaches the very back, choosing one of the sets of two seats. Her bag goes overhead and her ukulele is placed in the seat by the window.

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie signed up for the class trip, because honestly, she's never really seen a ski resort in her life, other than some movies and the interwebs, so it could be a cool experience. Literally. She has her backpack with her, and compared to most other students, she packed rather light. All of her true essentials are likely in one of the many pockets of her kick ass spike studded leather jacket. She was very concerned over the expected long bus trip, but once she learns there's wifi on the bus, her cheerful cry can suddenly be overheard "FUCK YES! Didn't know a bus couldn't even have wi-fi, this is the best thing ever!" The promise of wifi on board, means Ellie is among the first few students to board the bus, scouting for the perfect seat to be least bothered by nerds.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Having arrived earlier from the city in his sports car with Kitty in the passenger seat, Warren is now busy pulling luggage out of the trunk of the car. A matched set of leather bags is set down along side the car, and the winged mutant is busy working on the gear strapped to the roof rack. He glances over towards Kitty and Jean, "Get a big enough bus, Red? It's a four hour trip, so I certainly hope this one has a bathroom. Remember the time Scott tried to save a buck by renting that cheap one? That was...interesting."

Skis and poles removed from the rack above his car, Warren carries over the first load of gear towards the growing pile near the bus, "What can I do to help?"

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko is not wealthy by any standard, but that's a known factor.  Girl can't even hold down a job recently.  So there's not much she brings...outside of a few dense academic books not on any curriculum in a futile attempt to keep herself from going insane.  Okay and maybe some thick fiction books for 'fun' (aka something she hasn't read yet or set on fire).  No electronics, and an extra carryon she tries to race on loaded with shelf stable organic fuel.  It's not about tastes.  It's about not getting sick.

But the check-in process, obligatory and standard for anyone who has been on a field trip or any school sponsored trip, is something Noriko wasn't expecting.  Pretty telling.  "Can I still have this?  My luggage is...that."  She points a 'finger' toward the small beat-up duffel that really should be a carry-on.  That can't have any winter gear in it.

Noriko is really hoping to get a head start on a nice catnap (which is more like an actual night's sleep for her) before the bus gets noisy or something else.  It isn't clear, but she's anxious for sure, her foot blurring as she taps until she gets past Jean and Kitty.  She's wearing a leather jacket with an integrated purple hoodie.  More streetwear than moto.  It's seen better days like her sneakers.  A v-neck t-shirt underneath, and some short shorts...bc that coat would nooot fit.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty had hopped out of Warren's car, a small knapsack-like purse over one shoulder for traveling. "Going to go help Jean check people in," she tells the winged mutant. "You ok to get the bags?" she asks. Assuming she gets confirmation from Warren, he earns himself a grateful smile. Kitty does grab something from the luggage, something like a thin board about two feet long, but with a bag around it. She gets her clipboard with the list of students who are going and heads over to join Jean.

"Thanks Jubes," Kitty says as Jubilee leads the way onto the bus. Negasonic is given a quick grin by Kitty. "You think we'd risk a trip this long with this many people without internet?" she asks, adding a wink at the end. After which she whispers to Ellie quietly, "Language."

Kitty helps load up the next bit of luggage and then tells Jean, "I'll go get her fired up and the heater going." Kitty walks up towards the front entrance. "Better it's a four hour trip than a three hour tour, right?" she comments over to Warren before climbing up on the bus. She sets that bag down, and hangs her purse beside the driver's seat and then climbs in it. "Wow this is as comfy as the Blackbird seats," she comments. The bus starts up and the heaters are turned on and the thermostat set to a nice toasty temperature.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue was up as early as ever (X-Men training has you up before the sun most days anyway!)

Outside today though, she was eagerly waiting for the bus, seated on the front steps under the overhang that sits directly outside the front doors, the Belle was sweeping her eyes from her phone to the distant front gate up to the arrival of the bus, and then the gathering of people showing up to get onboard. She was excited, to say the least...

Dressed comfortably warm for a long bus ride, Rogue is one of one standing around outside the bus and helping put stuff in the storage areas all around it, since 'heavy lifting' is pretty easy for her!

Eventually she boards the bus though herself, amongst all the others, and finds a seat near the front, in the sunlight that makes her white bangs glow just as bright as the snow outside. She grins at what she hears Ellie saying, and checks her own phone to make-- "Sure enough..."

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie gives a thumbs up to Kitty, "I don't know, some people are idiots, I'm glad you're not one of them! Really appreciated!" But getting chided for language, Ellie groans audibly, but seeing how the bus has wi-fi, she doesn't explicitly go on a tirade as a result. She just mutters a very muffled, "yes, Ms. Pryde," before hurrying up on the bus. Maybe nobody would notice, and no harm no foul. Of course catching the back end of the exchange between Kitty and Warren, she turns her head back and adds, "when will I get to ride the Blackbird? Like...when I'm concious I mean..." but blocking the path to the rest of the student, she doesn't actually wait for a response before finally boarding the bus.

Jean Grey has posed:
Its impossible for Jean not to grin as Jubilee is the first to conquer the bus, with all her usual style and panache. "Welcome aboard, Miss Lee." She glances down and makes a quick check on her list, and another for Ellie, laughing at the reaction to the miracle of modern bus technology. "Language-" Like Kitty, her immediate reaction is to do the required 'adult' thing and chide the overt swearing, though her assistant is on point and it turns into an echo. Jinx!

"Well, good thing I'm not Scott, hmm?" Jean turns back with as Warren joins them, beaming a smile at her own former classmate. "I got all the bells and whistles, this time around. Plus we'll have a few rest stops. Considering it's a whole lot more than just the five, six of us, like it was back then." She can't help but glance over toward his car, and wonder, "You following, I assume? Not gonna join us to enjoy the four hour ukulele concert?" She knows what's in store!

More names, and eventually Noriko gets checked off as well: if her small bag will fit overhead, she's allowed to keep it (this is all more about space management, than TSA-style security!). "Sounds good," she agrees with Kitty, as she's finishing up with the list and then goes to take charge of the bus proper. It's nice that they have all these people trained to drive (or pilot) basically anything. "That everything?" she asks Rogue, last of all, as their cargo handler finally boards.

Which means its soon Jean's turn to climb up onto the bus as well. "OK, I'm going to go through the list one last time and then we'll get rolling. Just call out when you hear your name..." Double, triple-checked! Get used to it, folks. If its important now, wait till she's trying to make sure they don't strand any students in the harsh wilds of... Vermont!

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon has learned from his last excursion into the snow. (There is snow at ski places right?) He even brought insulated clothes and waterproof boots this time. He has a bag that is almost small enough to fit under the seat on a plane, (If you pack the right clothes, they don't take up that much space.) and a backpack.

He has thought ahead with his entertainment. He has a notebook, his phone and a copy of the bit of his current manuscript that he currently writing. As he has no intention of showing his work to anyone he knows just yet, he has a few likely looking comicbooks and a novel to stuff his writing under if someone comes looking. This is actually a lot more than 4 hours worth of entertainment, but he kind of wants to keep working on this. It is of course trashy as hell, but that never stopped anyone getting published.

Simon heads for the back of the bus, as far away from most of the adults as possible. A perfect location for a 'colorful' character such as himself. He ends up a row ahead and across the isle from Noriko and Jubilee. He is atleast initially mercifully silent. "Hey peeps... So you like horror movies huh? Have you seen Saw? You might like it if you are into something a little slower"

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Oh hell no, I wouldn't miss the bus trip for the world," comments Warren with a laugh as he stows his gear and bags in the belly of the bus, "Besides, if it gets to be to much I can always just fly the coop." Warren grins to the redhead as he walks by her to board the bus, "You probably need the help."

Walking past Kitty on the bus, Warren pauses to lean over an lay a kiss to the top of her head before continuing on, finding a seat somewhere towards the back so his wings aren't in the way of people's view. Settling in, he folds his arms over his chest and leans back closing his eyes, "Just wake me up when we get there."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty watches as everyone gets settled onto the bus, standing up at the front of it next to the driver's seat. "Great that so many could make it. For anyone this is your first time, these trips have always been a lot of fun," she says with a grin.

"Wifi password is 'bonanza922!@', and I've VPN tunneled it back into the school network so you can get at everything you normally can from the school," she says. Kitty looks around, making sure everyone gets settled. "Don't have to stay in your seats, but try not to bounce off the roof too much, ok?" she asks.

Kitty turns back towards the driver's seat and takes a seat. Her purse is stowed beside her, and that bag containing the flat object. "Oh, forgot my coffee," she says, hopping up and off the bus, going over to the sports car and getting it from the cup holder inside. Starling City Coffee cup in hand, she returns to the driver's seat and smiles at Warren as he passes. Kitty turns to look back. "Everyone on board?" she asks. If there are no signs of anyone missing, she closes the door and pulls out of the gates, heading down the scenic, snowy Gremalken Lane.

https://imgur.com/XUlCxQg

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Well one fits overhead...one fits in her lap, but Noriko promises (in so many quick quick words) the banana bag will be diminished before they get into any wrecks and will fit (somehow) under the seat in that weird space when the foot rest flips down.  She even eats a few bananas to convince.  It may not be TSA, but Noriko's treating it like that.

"Thanks!" Noriko says waaaay to brightly with a flash of a big strangely genuine smile as soon as she sees any kind of sign of approval from Jean and races up past her.  In fact, she's suspiciously chipper already.  There haven't been any snide remarks yet, even to the students in line or the ones she has to wait on.  She jumps over someone bending down in a flash and ends up hopping down next to Jubilee.

"HERE!" Noriko pipes up helpfully to Kitty's question.

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin dashes out toward the charter box with his backpack slung over his shoulder, offers a quick 'here!' and hops onboard just before the door closes. He offers a big apologetic grin, that might be just a few millimeters too big for the normal appearance of his mouth and then quickly trots down the aisle and plops himself into an empty row.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue slumps down in her seat, staring at her phone and trying to hide from the bright sunlight shining on the side of her face. She calls out. "Rogue!' even though Jean doesn't care if her name is calle dout or not, she's not a sudent. "And Saw is my faovrite scary movie!" She announces, hearing Simon's voice, but not seeing him.

The Belle raises up her Wonder Woman as Bobsponge thermos and takes a sip out of it, then sets it back in the cup holder. "I'm definitely not connectin' t'the school network. I demand free open internet, no more of your Chinese censorship on what I search for, Kitty Pryde!" Whether Kitty can hear her or not over all the ruckuss is anyone's guess, but they're not that far from one another, so!

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilation is sitting like a meer cat, her head craned for maximum visibility for anyone coming on board. Ellie? Neutral. Apparently Jubes has been forgiven for their mutual destructiveness, or so she said. Simon? Jubes winces a little as the Social Supervillain makes his way down the aisle. No no no no no. She looks down at the seat next to hers and the ukulele that protects it from invaders. Simon was like the Ottomans and she wasn't sure if the lone ukulele could handle the onslaught.

    Jubes perks up when she spots Noriko coming down the aisle. She goes back into meer cat mode, poking her head up again. Jubes suddenly finds herself with her ukulele in her lap and Nori next to her. She grins from ear to ear and takes the instrument in her hands. Jubes strums a chord and sings off a confirmation of her presence. "...HEEEERE!" She is so happy about something.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean really does look relieved when Warren informs her he'll be coming along, poor people style! "Thanks, it's a big help. I'm sure I'll need all the backup I can get." His proposed escape plan is definitely worth a grin, just for the imagery involved.

Once everyone in on board (including Kitty redeux, coffee in hand), and the final roll-call complete, Jean will settle into her own seat. The takes her spot on the right in the front row just behind the driver and stairwell, where she'll have a good view of the road as they make their fantastic journey north. In all the chaos, her own entertainment for the trip is almost an after thought: she has a single paperback book to read, stowed in a jacket pocket and pulled out onto her lap once she's sitting. Still, the Headmistress is under few illusions about getting much in the way of free time, even on the four hour trip!

Once they've cleared Xaivers, they have a few minutes of quiet, scenic, Westchester 'back roads' to navigate before making it onto I-84. While those back roads are curvy and probably make it difficult to settle in, once they're highway, the ride evens out, and its easier to to settle into whatever entertainments.

... "So I heard there was a movie vote?" she calls back, looking over the back of her seat. They DO have those convenient little screens above the seats.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
It's a foregone conclusion that Noriko could have waited long enough for a brief reprieve in Ellie's phone love affair to say hi, so she just said it anyways and let the greeting stick or not.  But given the other night at the movie, she sounded completely invincible and has had a dopey smile on her face the entire ride so far.

Simon also got a brief greeting.  She didn't seem to have any comment on horror movies save for a shrug and a comment about things that are less straight gore and shock and awe alone.

It takes Noriko some time to spot Kevin on the trip and apparently a quick banana nap was in order.  "Psssst.  Kevin!  Get back here!" she shouts way too loud over the general noise.  It will be a bit of an obstacle course to get back to where the others are seated.  Oh Jean's taking votes!

"Romantic comedy!" Noriko seems to vote loudly to a few snickers by those who take it as sarcasm.  She looks around, confused for a second.  It's a little quick, but noticeable still.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"I'm down for a movie. Doesn't matter what it is as long as it keeps me from having to hear a rousing rendition of 'Henry the eighth' or '99 bottles'," Warren pipes up from the back. "What do we have available, or are we just streaming it? Kat, did you hook up the monitors to the wifi as well, or is that all hardwired from the bus company still? I'll assume the later since I doubt the rental place wants us messing with their stuff. So...who brought DVD's?"

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Pyro." Simon knows they were asking for human society names, but he feels like being difficult. He turns to his friends (he thinks of them as friends at least.) and decides to be friendly.

"So 'Vampire Weekday' was basically a slasher movie. it goes with out saying that you gotta see 'Nightmare on Elmstreet.'" He is of course undettered by a ukelele. Mercifully it is just civility for now. The villain theme is just a hint in the soundtrack at the moment. Just the sillhoute in the distance moment.

He also pulls out his writing stuff. It is currently waiting under the concealing fiction till it gets further into the trip. He has no intention of revealling that he is actually good with a romantic comedy. He just keeps quiet on the subject of movie vote.

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie raises her hand dismissively towards Jean, to show she already got the 'language' message from Kitty, though truth be told, they kinda said it in unison, which was pretty impressive. When she's settled in her seat, she looks back at Simon, as he comments about horror movies, and quips towards Noriko, "they should make one about Simon crashing people's dates, huh?" Yeah, not very subtle at all.

But as soon as Kitty shares the wifi password, she has Ellie's full attention, as Kitty becomes the most important person in the world, holder of sacred knowledge.

"Beetlejuice," Ellie gives her vote for a movie, raising her hand in a kinda-sorta wave at Noriko when she greets her.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty pulls out her phone and unlocks it with a fingerprint, then says into it, "Run program Rogue Censorship One." A second or two later, Rogue's phone pops up an image of a cartoonish Rogue with a black box over her mouth that says, "CENSORED!" in bright red letters.

It disappears after a few seconds, Kitty pocketing her phone. "Been sitting on that for like 9 months now," she teases Rogue. Kitty looks to Warren then, nodding and smiling. "Yep, the school's whole movie collection is available," she tells them.

The bus pulls out onto the interstate, heading north and merging into traffic. "Did you know that 90% of crows killed by traffic are killed by buses?" she asks loudly. "They did a study and it turns out that crows eating on the road always set a lookout to warn them of coming traffic. But the researches found while the crows were able to say "Cah!" none of them could say, "Bus!"

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin takes a quick survey of his surroundings and this is one her notices Noriko via the attention getting 'Psst'. He squints looks around and then suddenly drops beneath the seats. A somewhat elongated and thinned Kevin slithers his way between bookbags and legs then emerges in the row behind Noriko and Jubilee. He raises an eyebrow at the discussion regarding movies and announces, "Pick something good, or I'm going to resort to improv-comedy in the back of the bus."

At the mention of 'Nightmare on Elmstreet', Kevin raises a hand from behind a chair which is completely Freddy-fied with knife fingers. He knife finger waves at Pyro before peering curiously toward Ellie at the Beetlejuice suggestion and then over toward Rogue and her nifty wonder woman thermos. This is about when the horrible pun joke reaches his ear from Kitty. He groans audibly, "Wooolf... That was bad."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
"That's a true horror movie," Noriko says with a laugh to Ellie's quip but she turns her warm smile over to Simon without a hint of irony.  She leans to tell him in a low voice, "Don't worry about it man.  It's just her friendly way of not biting...too hard."  At least she doesn't say it's Ellie's way of flirting with him.

"Beetlejuice is cool!" Noriko pipes up.

Jean Grey has posed:
The bus makes it into Connecticut almost immediately after making it onto the main road, barely 15 minutes into the trip, putting into perspective just how close to the boarder Xaviers is. Nothing monumental happens. Connecticut, it turns out, looks basically the same as Westchester, NY. Across the border, they pass through he city of Danbury, which probably few people have heard of outside of a certain late night TV show bit.


After that, they're on the highway, and.... the highway is boring. Its a highway. It's long and mostly straight, backed by the kind of scenery that is quite common around Xavier's and the entirety of the northeast United States. Trees, either bare and ice-clad, or tall, dark and stoic evergreens. Since the only agreement among the students seems to be Bettlejuice, that's what they get! Kitty's server magic makes it happen, and soon its playing on the mini-screens above the seats.

From here, they have about an hour before hitting the next big city (Hartford) and then a bit more before reaching the Massachusetts border. About enough for the movie to play, conveniently. It's there about where they take their first rest stop. Not full dinner this time, but a chance to get out and use more than the cramped little bathroom and hit up the small convenience store for snacks. Jean is out to stretch her legs, and of course, to count people off in the clip-board as they leave the bus and return.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    As Simon starts commenting on Vampire Weekday, the latest horror movie focusing on what might happen if a vampire was on the loose in an office building, Jubilee turns her head to face the mutant across the aisle. "Vampire Weekday is the single worst movie I've ever seen in my entire life," she comments flatly. She's almost glaring, as if Simon himself was the movie. Her glare morphs into something resembling appreciation at Ellie's comment.

    "Beetlejuice /is/ cool!" she agrees, smiling at Nori. "...Who would've guessed that the afterlife was just some stupid bureaucracy!" She says it as though the film itself was somehow evidence.

    "Improv comedy?" Jubes wonders, tilting her head back to glance at Kevin. "...You mean, like...'Somebody in the crowd name an occupation'...?" She winces a little and turns her head to face forward. The horror.

    And so, as the movie presses forward, Jubilee has already gotten into a bag of gummie worms that she had packed for the trip. She stuffs a handful into her mouth, tilts the bag to Nori, and then offers it to the denizens of the rear section of the bus. "SO...like... How are we supposed to believe that these two just got hand-delivered a manual for how to be a ghost and...like... they both aren't just reading the hell out of that thing?" she calls out, her voice utterly muffled by the destruction of gummie worms between her teeth.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is inside the rest stop for awhile, having found a couple of young guys who approached her while she was eying the hotdogs inside the spinny-thing. Holding a cup of brand new coffee she's spending a few minutes talking to the guys as sthey're peppering her with questions and sharing jokey-jokes! Eventually she separates from them though and makes her way back to the bus with the others, taking a second to WHIP OFF HER JACKET and flop back in to her bus seat, raising her coffee up for another sippy-sip.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde focuses largely on the road. That being a responsible thing to do when you're driving a vehicle. The scenery is enjoyable, enough white snow on the sides of the road to make it all interesting to see.

At one point they slowly gain on a tour bus for some country band. As Kitty passes it, the other driver steps on the gas a little and speeds up alongside.

Kitty looks over at that driver and than accelerates a little bit more. The other bus does the same. Kitty looks over at the other driver, who looks back at her.

The bus suddenly accelerates, pulling ahead of the other bus. Once safely ahead Kitty moves back over into the lane in front of the other. "Try to outdrive the X-men," she mumbles under her breath.

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin chants to himself, "Must not do the creepy stretchy ghost face thing in front of normal people." He hums a little 'Omm' and fights back his worse instincts. With an absolute fake stretch, because Kevin doesn't really get cramps or strange kinks in his joints, he groans and stands. In a side comment, he announces, "I hope no one has to face the true horror experience here... Rest Stop Bathrooms." He does an absolute perfect mimic of a wolf howl and ends it with a plausible thunder sound effect before he roams his way off the bus.

"I need chocolate. Yup. That's going to happen." He points forward and goes about securing himself a vending machine or see if one of the little shops has anything good. No long after, he returns with a plastic sack of 'Terrible For You' candy bars and seems quite pleased with his haul.

Negasonic has posed:
"It's because people are dumb, Jubes, they never read, even when it's beneficial to them..." 'Professor' Ellie explains, though she is rather pleased that her movie suggestion made it, and actually bothers to watch it. Since A) she asked for it. B) She rather fancies the movie. Not too many movies depict goths without making them into caricatures.

When it's time to hit the rest stop, Ellie rushes out to stretch her legs, and tries to get just about anyone to buy her a hotdog. It's the shrewd way of Money Perservation she managed to learn fairly early since arriving to Xavier's. She's also alert enough to not get left behind when it's time to get back on the bus, not that Jean would ever allow that to happen, what with the triple-double name checks and all.

Simon Lasker has posed:
"Well, I thought it was a perfectly acceptable way to spend an evening." He of course misses the subtext behind Jubilee's comment, but then his comment also works on that level too. Ellie's remark goes over his head, because of course as far as he knows, he hasn't crashed any dates recently.

His writing is progressing about as well as can be expected, given that he is keeping one eye out for people trying to read his work. He has gotten from being stuck on how to get the hero into the villain's death trap, to being stuck on how to get them out.

"Ooh, can we do improv next?" He doesn't really have a good idea what that is, but if its supposed to be funny he has some interest.

He replies to Jubilee's comment on the movie with the mst3k mantra. "if you are wondering why they dont speak or read or other writing facts. Repeat to yourself : its just a show, I should really just relax." He had some idea what it was about going in and from what he saw when he was paying attention, it was alright, but not his favorite ever.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko's already burned through her oversized bag of bananas, and with her mouth full at some point, she says, "Agreed.  That movie was absolute shit."  Kevin's Kruger hands get a laugh early on in the trip.  During this, she seeks out Jubilee's hand blindly with her own down low in their seat.  "Do Edward Scissorhands Kev.  You'd get all the ladies."  What kind of ladies?  That'd just be fun to see who!  "Where is Ruth?"  So inclusive it seems.

GUMMIES.  A whole family of worms go missing.  Noriko has not stopped moving the entire trip like a hyperactive kid given something illegal.  She even tries to see if the windows open enough for her to hang her head out and feel the wind on her face.

Noriko's the first off the bus at the rest-stop and rounds the corner of the building to race off somewhere to discharge some pent up...energy.  Two birds, one stone.  It doesn't do much for her biological high though.  She zips back to appear like she's getting off the bus too fast for most eyes to track and makes sure Jean has what she needs before rejoining Jubilee and the others.

The speedster is /definitely/ getting a giant pixie stick, once she sees it because. "Oh. My. God.  What is that?!" the Japanese girl exclaims.

Jean Grey has posed:
They don't spend too long at the rest area, just enough time to make sure the students who want to can get out and use the bathroom. That's probably the biggest line, moreso than any vending machines. Jean doesn't venture far from the bus, although -somehow- she seems to have known what Rogue was doing, as the Belle is met with an amused shake of her head as she makes it back. "Picking up dates for later?"

Once they're back on the bus, its... more highway. Springfield is on the Massachusetts side of the border, and it will be the last city of any real note that their route passes, and even then, its outskirts are more of a suburban sprawl than anything. While they've gone a fair bit east to this point, the route here turns almost directly North, and as they continue, that change in Latitude does slowly begin to assert itself, with more snowfall having 'stuck' on the ground and a greater portion of those surrounding forests turning toward a consistently ominous dark green.

They don't do another movie, because this stretch is only going to be about a full hour, bringing them past the half-way point of the trip. So there's some room for people to entertain themselves, however disasterous that might be. Dinner is scheduled ahead. Real food! So close!

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    "I question your judgement," is all Jubilee says to Simon. Jubilee gives Ellie the faintest smile, grateful that whatever understanding they came to the other night has continued into this trip. Yes, people ARE dumb. Her attempts to play nice have not gone unnoticed. When the bus makes its stop, Jubes stares out the window. YES. After giving Nori's hand a secret squeeze, the mutant stands up in her seat and nearly spits out the mouthful of gummie worms. She doesn't, don't worry, but... there's just something so much better about snacks you're about to buy versus snacks you packed, right?

    "That...is...beautiful," Jubilee answers, staring at the giant pixie stick. Her hand reaches out to swipe a pair of them off of the display, along with some other odds and ends before paying.

    Back on the bus, a bag of combos is tossed into Ellie's lap -- isn't THAT nice! Rogue, Kitty, Kevin, and even Jean -- anyone else, really -- gets a handful of those 5-cent bazooka gum pieces, just tossed into the air like confetti. Simon gets a crumbled up receipt.

    And, in the confines of their little pair of seats, Nori and Jubes would enjoy the greatest bounty of all. Two giant pixie sticks. One for Jubes and the other for Nori once she returns from her adventure.

    Lightbulb! With the end of her giant sugar tube tangling from her mouth, Jubilee suddenly stands up in her seat. With her ukulele held in position, Jubes starts strumming -- she's using her fingernails, too, so that sound hole is spewing with music! Her strumming emerges to OBVIOUSLY be Don't Stop Believing by Journey, but... where are the lyrics? Where indeed, bus full of mutants, where indeed?

Rogue has posed:
Rogue, laying on her jacket on her row of bus seats, looks over at Kitty, hearing her mumble a challenge to some other driver. "Don't run us off the road, Pryde. We don't wanna end up some 'tragic story' on some Youtube top ten list." She then grins and lets her eyes go over to Jean who gets a waggle of the Belle's eyebrows. "I gotta make the mosta this trip, yeah?" She chides the Headmistress before a rain of bubblegum falls down on to her from above, from the arms of an angel Ukelele-player.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde checks out Kevin's haul. "I always went for the Hershey's. Or Dove chocolate if they have it. The dark chocolate ones," she tells him. When Jubilee shares the bubble gum, Kitty catches one of the air and opens it up. She looks at the comic then begins chewing the gum while she waits for everyone to get back on board.

Once the head count is ride, she pulls the bus back out into traffic. Kitty says to Rogue in a mock surly voice, "Can't have them disrespecting us!" She flashes her friend a grin and then focuses on the driving again.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee continues strumming her uke, doing the Journey song a total service by allowing to to be played on the queen of all musical instruments, the concert-sized ukulele. "Come, on, people!" she cries, the giant pixie stick tube sticking right out of her mouth. Between two sets of gritted teeth, Jubilee tries to stoke the fire. "COME ON!"

    o/~ "...Just a small town girl....." Her intonation rises towards the end, suggesting that everyone else is supposed to pick up where she left off.

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin offers a sagely nod at Kitty. "I definitely like the dark stuff.. especially with a little salt." As the Ukelele starts getting strummed, the kid with a million faces and a million voices changes his vocal chords to that of Steve Perry. "Livin' in a loooOonely wooorld." The powers of mimicry are unmatched in the fields of sing-a-long and karaoke. Though its boring just to do the expected, so the next set of lyrics are sung in the voice of 'Kermit the Frog' because that muppet has an amazing voice.

Jean Grey has posed:
It was bound to happen.

Without a movie to distract them, the bus falls fully into the beautiful chaos of student self-entertainment, including them all being serenaded by Jubilee. Jean knew what they were in for when she saw that instrument making its way onto the bus! At this point, there's nothing to do but sit back and accept it. It's part of the trip, part of the experience, the socializing, the mischief. The bubblegum! She's not gonna turn hers down, no ma'am!

So it all becomes a glorious backdrop to the drive as the night drags on. This late in the year, it's well and fully dark outside, and so the interior of the bus takes on a lively contrast to that frigid night beyond. "Hey, if you can handle the Blackbird, a few New Englanders shouldn't be any challenge," she says of Kitty's driving, grinning a bit herself. It IS the X-Men's pride at stake, here. "You want to trade off after we get to the diner?" It'd always been the plan for the teachers to take shifts, but she makes it Kitty's choice anyway, lest it seem like the little incident on the road was anything to worry about.

Simon Lasker has posed:
It occurs to simon that they might /really/ be talking about something else. "Well obviously things didn't end on the note we would like, but that wasn't the movie's fault." Jubilee really has to forgive Nori for that. It was an accident that could have happened to anyone.

When Jubilee pelts him with the receipt, he is unfazed. Clearly this is a sore subject. He will happily join in the ukelele concert. Jubilee wants to forget that night and so Simon will assist. Like a good friend.

"Ooh, is Bon Jovi next?"

Negasonic has posed:
When Simon gives Jubilee advice on how to chill rather than wonder about inconcsistencies or sheer stupid in movies, Ellie rolls her eyes, "can you tone down the nerd dial?" She asks bluntly, before returning her eyes to the screen.

When Noriko gets the giant pixie stick, Ellie stares a bit, because, well, that's new to her as well. She doesn't reach for any candy though, making do with the hot dog she won. It's the little things in life.

Getting a treat from Jubilee once back on the bus draws a faint smile out of Ellie, who even offers a "thank you," turns out she does know some manners when she feels like displaying them.

But then comes Journey, and Ellie can't help but comment, "for the record, that song sucks."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko has been seemingly keeping normal speed in the presence of strangers, but there are some of her subtle tells at work, like an /almost/ good enough wifi connection for streaming, she appears to be standing this way and her head or arm or a combination of a lot of tiiiny minute and abrupt position changes will give it away to those used to keeping a watchful eye on her.

Back on the bus, she tries to tear through the end of her pixie stick while in her own natural frame of velocity.  Not unlike unwrapping a Tootsie Roll, she works at it a billion times till she 'borrows' something and rips it open, causing a cloud of pixie dust that she totally collects like an astronaut catching stray water droplets in orbit.

Nori doesn't need a 5 second rule.

By Nori's wide eyes, it's clear.  "This is awesome."  She's talking about the pixie stick but the comment applies to everything right now as she forces herself to 'keep' up with everyone else so she can semi-enjoy Jubilee's singing and all the live entertainment.

Jubes gets mid-performance applauses.  Little rapid metal clankings that she doesn't realize are in double time, fast enough to be considered part of the performance.  This is why she doesn't hear Ellie.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's new coffee is poured in to her thermos, along with a bit'o'joy from a silver flask that is tucked back in to her peacoat's inner pocket there-after. She then just sits back and enjoys the singing... choosing not to participate, becasue she has two modes with singing... not singing, and really really singing, it doesn't work so good in a bus setting! So her Bobspong thermos is sipped from and a smile is left upon her lips, her phone is gone as she's just in chill-mode now, no reason to stare at the damn thing the whole trip! "Yay, Kermit!" she does shout for support of the frog getting his turn to belt out some tunes.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    The metallic clatter of Nori's applause earns a big goofy smile from Jubes. For a moment, she looks like something is tickling her cheek -- one half of her face scrunches up mysteriously, like she just walked through a spider web. Ellie's comment, though, gets a hiked brow line but she will not be stopped! "Not Journey fans, huh?" Jubilee announces, still strumming along -- her strumming pattern is kind of island-y but once Nega makes her opinion known, she transitions seamlessly into a finger-picking pattern. "We'll do Rainbow Connection in a second, okay, Kermit!" she cheers before continuing on. "But first..."

    "Alright, so, here's a little diddy I'm sure you all know!" She strums loudly and changes chords. Wait. ....It's starting to sound like...

    "That's right people, sing it with me!" she shouts.

    Oh god... Oh no...

    "...The....wheels on the bus...go...."

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin frowns toward Ellie in a somewhat offended pout, though offers a grin to Rogue when his Kermit impersonation is appreciated. He muppet arm flails at Jubilation when she suggests Rainbow Connection, and then a very sadistic grin curls upon his lips when he realizes what the musician is up to. He reaches down deep and produces the most sickeningly sweet cartoon kid voice he can possible muster and belts out, "ROUND AND ROUND.... ROUND AND ROUND."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty joins along in singing the stadium anthem, grinning as she gets the bus back out onto the highway. They are making steady time, Kitty keeping the bus at speeds that won't get them pulled over.

The notes on the ukulele catch Kitty's attention and she glances up in the mirror that gives her a view of the back of the bus. She reaches down to that big square bag that she brought on with her rather than stowing it with the luggage. Kitty looses the strings holding the top closed and opens it, and slides the cloth fabric down to reveal, a sign.

A sign painted green with big red letters that read: No "Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round"

Kitty holds up the sign and then reaches up to the metal vertical section above the windshield. The sign apparently has magnets on the back as it sticks to the spot readily.

She just shakes her head then, laughing. "Jean, sure if you want to trade off here we can, next step. Which isn't far away."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko truly doesn't know any of the bus songs, but she picks up after it loops around pretty quickly.

"Jubes you're going to crash the bus!" Noriko shouts when Kitty holds up the sign.  "Too overpowered!" before erupting into a chipmunk sounding /giggle/ at Kevin's muppet arms flailing.  She doesn't warn Jubilee about the 'attack.'

Jean Grey has posed:
They're now a good two and a half hours into the trip, approaching dinner time, and they've gotten far enough North that things have finally stopped looking like the generic sprawl of coastal cities that make up the Tri-State area and more like the proper 'frozen north', aka Upstate New York, New England, and that most terrible place of all... CANADA. While there've been trees the whole way, the time between breaks in those swathes of forest grows longer each passing moment, and they can see the peaks of some of the surrounding mountains looming in the distance, visible only by moonlight. Stops here are few and far between, and indeed, Jean's planned their final pre-lodge stop on the basis of it being literally the only place in miles.

Thus, it's not long before they're coming up upon what everyone (and especially Noriko) has been waiting for: food!

"This is the exit," Jean tells Kitty as she makes a quick double check on her own phone. None of it looks like anything, there's just a sign with an exit number. It seems an awful lot like a place where a bunch of students might get lost and murdered, yet soon the lights on the front of the bus hit the sign, a big orange affair reading: Ninety-Nine (99) Restaurant & Pub

Once they've pulled up, its the usual routine, although Jean isn't taking down names as people leave. Because everyone is getting out here! She'll definitely take them when they go back inside. Wisely, she has called ahead, and the Restaurant, which is popular with locals yet hardly ever busy, has a whole section set aside for them. Jean heads up front to give them the school credit card, and the students are left to feast at their whim.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    When the oppressive sign is hung, Jubilee shrugs her shoulders. "No 'Wheels' -- DENIED!" she announces, just like Mike Myers being denied Stairway to Heaven in Waynes World. Jubes tilts her head to one side and shrugs. "Okay, Kermit," she calls out, grinning at the flailing arms. "Better get that puppeteer's hand out of your butt because it's your tuuuurrrnn!"

    The ukulele's chord sequence changes effortlessly, as though a seamless transition is happening. New chords. New strumming -- something slower just for the school's resident muppet.

    "Why are...there so many...songs about....rainbows?" she sings, tilting her head back for Kevin to take over so she can focus on strumming. She'll come in for the chorus. Jubilee continues the strumming of her ukulele, chewing absently on the end of her giant pixie stick as though she might be able to get it open that way.

    For her part, Jubes lets Kermit take the reigns on this, playing him on with her four-string instrument. She's smiling, having a great time with this, but her gaze seems to linger on the mutant seated directly next to her when the chorus comes around.

    At the end of the song, Jubilee joins in on the singing -- "Someday, we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and meeeeeee!" A flourish of several strums ends the song juuuust as the bus comes to a halt.

    "WHO'S READY TO STUFF OUR FACES, PEOPLE!" she shouts.

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kermit the Frog's head actually emerges from behind the back of a bus seat having been manifested as an extension of Kevin's arm, giving the appearance of a muppet, but the actual reality of what's happening might be just a little more disturbing. "And what's on the other side? Rainbows are vision. But only illusions... and rainbows have nothing to hide.... So we've been told and some choose to believe it. I know they're wrong wait and see!"

His other hand emerges from behind the seat and is Fozzy the Bear joining along with Kermit and Jubilation, "Someday we'll find it... rainbow connection." The muppets conclude on "The Lovers, the Dreamers... and Me."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko calms down a little as the singing continues, ceasing her annoying clapping because really that's just way too 'long' for her and the song shifts.  Yes, like an ADHD speedster on a handful of amphetamines (it doesn't work that way but whatever!) Noriko calms right down and doesn't move an inch when Jubilee looks her way, just staring with a contented grin on her face, if one can call it that.  She's pretty transfixed.

So much so that even her growing stomach roars and the shift of direction toward the side of the road which can only indicate an exit doesn't disrupt her in the slightest.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde successfully gets the bus off the road and into an empty of the parking lot which should give an easy access to the exit when it's time to go. She puts the bus in park and then has time to turn and enjoy the conclusions of the unexpected Muppet performance. Kitty laughs and applauds. "Better than a movie," she tells Kevin and Jubilee.

Kitty climbs to her feet, pulling back on the sweater that she'd shed once the bus warmed in favor of the t-shirt beneath. Then her jacket overtop. She will wait for the kids to depart, making sure everyone gets off before moving to join the others for the trip over to the restaurant across the icy concrete of the parking lot.

Rogue has posed:
Once inside the restuarant, Rogue takes a few minutes to sit down at the counter. She finds a couple guys there who start to talk her up and soon she's flirting with them right back, moving to sit between them and even plucking a piece of bacon off of one of their plates to chews on it while she listens to one of them spin a yarn about his latest journey cross-country in his big 18-wheeler. This is where the Belle is when Jean comes to give the school credit card over to the manager on shift tonight, and she offers Jean a bright smile before she goes back to chatting with the two on either side of her at the counter!

Negasonic has posed:
When it gets to the musical performance segment of the ride, Ellie uses her trusty survival kit AKA earbuds in her pocket, and uses her trusty phone for some actual music. She keeps to herself until the food pitstop, when she's one of the first few out of the bus, rushing to be one of the first to get food. She's too young, and too goth to be like Rogue, so no flirting for her, she just gets seated with the other kids and immediately orders the Allstar Burger, medium rare.

Kevin Sydney has posed:
Kevin offers a big happy grin, because well... he lovers entertaining people, and if someone appreciated the sugary sweetness of the muppets and took real joy from it, then that was absolutely awesome in his book. The grumpiness of any other teenagers on the bus didn't a chance if it tried to cast a shadow on his and Jubilation's glory! He offers the guitarist a fist bump on the way out of the bus.

He's quiet during the meal, because he absolutely have to try a little bit of everything. He goes for sides versus main dishes working on a mountain of french fries.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee's song is over, of course, so the ukulele gets tucked into the overhead. Kermit gets an offered fist-bump before the ukulele player starts to shimmy into the aisle. But... With a grin, Jubes leans down and gives Noriko a bit of a shake. "Noooori," she calls out, grinning from ear to ear. "Fooooood." That should be enough.

    Once settled into a seat with the other kids, Jubilee picks up a menu. "...Okay, my good man..." she condescends towards the waiter. "...Tell me... Are the chicken fingers in season?" She hides a grin with her menu, side-eyeing at the other kids. The waiter is clearly in no mood for these kinds of antics.

    "Fine," she says, rolling her eyes. It would have been fun to rub elbows with these country types but... Snooze. Jubilee's order would prove to be monstrous.

    "Three Vermont cheddar burgers -- yes, three. Yes, fries with each of them."

    "One of your homestyle chicken pot pies..."

    "Let's try those outrageous potato skins -- no, not for the table. And, I swear, you seem like the type to stick me with 'nonchalant' potato skins, so... Don't make me send them back!"

    "And for me... the All Star Burger."

    The waiter gives her a look. "Uh...I mean... /ALSO/ for me..." She flashes a grin and extends both arms out to pose. "This gal can eat!"

Jean Grey has posed:
"Everyone order whatever you like, and eat up. Remember, we're hitting the slopes tomorrow bright and early." So advises Jean, releasing anyone from the chains of proper diet in this holy place of greasy roadside American-style goodness. The fact that Rogue has already snared a couple of local boys /before/ she can even get the payment information over to the shift manager? Well, that is one of those great secrets of life. It causes her to again just shake her head in disbelief at the other woman's tremendous powers. That said, she does walk by on her way back to rejoin the students, laying a hand on her friend's jacketed shoulder as she passes. The friends she's made are given a smile, as well. "Hope you boys are having a nice evening. But don't you steal our Belle here, she's got places to go-"

Is this sabotage?! A bit of a you-know-what-block?

With a wink and a toss of her red hair (yep, sabotage!), she ultimately makes her way back from the counter over to the dining area where the students have gathered. There, well, it's no surprise it's a feast, and that the students are really taking advantage of the fact that they don't have to worry about paying. But all their delight and mischief mostly serves to make her smile, other than maybe the bit of messing with the waiter. "I'm sure he's got a lot of work to do getting all of your orders so behave everyone, alright?"

And to back up her authority? The ULTIMATE threat: "Don't make me send you back to the bus before dessert."

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Noriko is the last off the bus this time.  Did she not notice they stopped?  Did she not notice the smells as the door opens?  Or everyone unloading.  This goes further than one of her speed-related zone outs.  It's like a zone-ception that overpowers all forces of food.  Food is a real force by the way.  There must be calculations and mathematical models!  Not just for calories!

Whoah.  Whoaaah!  Noriko blinks as she's shaken out of whatever is going on and that moony grin.  "Food?"  Like she could forget...she actually forgot.  "Oh!"  And she snaps into the mood of an excited puppy.

By the time Noriko's sat down, she's gotten some weird looks for her gauntlets, but she's used to this and just offers a little kid, "They're like Luke Skywalker hands," with a wink and a smile, hinting to anyone within earshot that they must be a strange set of prosthetics like those special ones they make for kids modeled after their favorite superhero or a cyborg.

Jubilee's joke at the expense of the poor waiter gets a smirk and a stifled chuckle.  The poor waiter though is openly incredulous at Noriko's crazy order...like she's ordering for a table of thirteen.

"Sooo, you want extra plates?" they ask.

"Nope."  Noriko smiles angelically.  It seems genuine.

Breathe waiter, breathe.  There's a growing, open look of disgust.  After Jubilee's order, the waiter isn't falling for this again.

"All of it please," Noriko replies brightly as if she wasn't raised by wolves.  But the waiter only lists back a quarter of it as if they never heard the rest, not looking to get into an argument with whoever is settling the bill.

Noriko sinks down into her seat and that's that.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty comes inside, taking a seat with everyone else. She's glad to be out from behind the wheel, and orders a cup of coffee and then a burger with a salad for the side.

She glances over towards the counter where Rogue has made herself at home. A soft chuckle results and a knowing shake of Kitty's head. She doesn't join in the conversation for now, just settles in to refuel, both in the form of food and caffeine.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue knows her limits though, and when to back off! After Jean breezes on by she spends a few more minutes talking to the gentlemen at the bar and thends sweeps herself up out of the seat between them and across the restaurant, now to slide in with Jean dthe others, hip-checking the headmistress a bit to make some extra room for her! She grins at the other and leans over to speak QUIETLY AT HER SO NO ONE ELSE CAN HEAR and then snickers and leans back.

QUICKLY though! Rogue makes sure to get her order in with the besieged waiter. "Eggs, Sugah. And a couple pancakes, and I'll be good. With orange juice, please! Yes, yes."

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    When the food finally arrives, Jubilee gives the waiter a big grin. "Thank youuuuu," she drones. It was one of those rare treats where she is in the presence of an adult that couldn't bring forth ruin and destruction upon her life. "Simon," she begins. "You should consider it a personal favor that I didn't tell them that you like spit in your food." From his perspective, it might not be clear why Jubes wishes all this hostility upon him, but... well, that's the problem, right?

    Jubes gives a thumbs-up to Ellie. "All Star Burger!" she cheers, gesturing to her own. "Great minds think alike!" She was determined to win this classmate over. DETERMINED.

    After taking a breath, Jubes turns her head to Noriko and slowly sweeps her forearm across the table. Other than the All Star Burger, whatever extra plates the waiter was kind enough to actually bring from her order of three cheddar burgers, a pot pie, and the supposedly outrageous potato skins... is passed over to Noriko with a big smile.

    Jubilee suddenly sits up straight at Jean's announcement. Suddenly, the stakes of good behavior were set in stone. No desert.

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie snorts to herself, imagine that, being threatened with getting sent to the bus before dessert, not like she was a kid or anything...yet, she still behaved. Not because of the threat. She's just cool like that, and if there was dessert on the table, she'd gladly take some of it. Just because it was there. She didn't want it or anything. Yeah, she's cool, not a care in the world.

Ellie does grin at Jubilee, they did both apparently order the winning item on the menu. "It's my first time being in Vermont..., it looks like this place wouldn't have good music."

Jean Grey has posed:
If it makes it up to the poor waiter (and kitchen staff), Jean's going to be leaving a tip just shy of 'call the local news' in generosity, with instructions to divide it with the whole staff. If the school can dump the kind of money it can to take all the kids on an expensive ski vacation, they can help out a few locals working minimum wage.

Otherwise, scooching over to make space for Rogue beside her, the Headmistress ends up getting one of the Vermont burgers as well, because it just seems like 'the thing' when you happen to be in Vermont! Why wouldn't you try the local delicacy? Just the one, though, and without a shopping-list of sides and add-ons.

Fortunately, with the advance warning and a fair bit of repetition in their colossal order, it doesn't take the kitchen as long as it might otherwise. The food comes out in good time. The dessert threat is probably enough to hold over the inclination toward starting any food-fights, so they get to eat in more-or-less peace, albeit with the usual din of teenage conversation and minor mischief.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Jubilee obviously has way more charm-powers than Noriko, but that's no big surprise to anyone.  But Noriko isn't even channeling any cool this trip.  She must be broken or something.  Maybe it was the giant pixie stick she chased with a soda like a newb.

"Agreed," Noriko offers in response to Ellie.  Not that Noriko listens to too much music anymore.

Noriko brightens when Jubilee's order actually comes through, and Jubilee oh so 'inconspicuously' starts sliding over some plates of food.  'Thank you,' she mouths to her roommate and tries to balance her ravenousness with how fast a group should probably consume this amount of food.  She doesn't have a fantastic sense of time when it comes to pacing like other people.  Sure, she can 'keep time' with them, but what does she know about how long it takes to brush one's teeth, eat a hamburger, whatever?  It's all terribly long for her and taxing to front every little thing.

Oh wait the skins are gone.  Noriko doesn't seem to care that there is no dessert.  This food is waaay better than bananas.

Rogue has posed:
Breakfast food for dinner is a standard thing when on a road trip, at least for Rogue. Throughout the meal she's just glancing at her phone on the corner of the table and looking up to the students to listen in on their conversations, or share in with them with some commentary too (There's several NPC students after all too!)

Bypassing any desert, since pancakes already scratch that itch, the Belle is up and off to the jukebox where she takes a few moments to key up some tunes. It only takes her a few minutes before she has 'Day-o' selected and queued-up. They'd watched Beetlejuice on the way here after all, may as well get an encore for the infamous song!

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    Jubilee grins at Nori in response to the thank-you. She shrugs her shoulder as if it ain't no thang! For her own food, she reaches down with both hands and brings the All Star Burger up to her mouth. Before taking a bite, Jubilee starts to rock her head forward and backward, jamming out to a song that only she hears. "Hey now, you're an all star...get you're burg' on... with cheese..." she sings softly with a grin. She takes a big bite -- the biggest -- and makes an announcement with a mouthful of food. "We're burgin' mad hard now! Look at this thing!" It's so silly and absurd that it causes her to laugh and close her eyes, her cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk due to sheer size of her bite. When Day-O comes on, Jubilee groans a little before plucking a fry from her plate.

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie is very much focused on her burger and fries, but can't help but grin at Rogue when she brings up 'Day-o' on the jukebox. That movie is lots of fun, and that scene specifically is terrific.

Jean Grey has posed:
After their sizable meal and a few good songs, there's a last round for potential desserts, because that prior threat wouldn't hold much meaning if there wasn't a real payoff at the end. No doubt, the skillet-cooked chocolate cookies are popular, and Jean ends up ordering one herself, although she offers to share it around with Rogue and Kitty. Despite her inducements for everyone to eat up as hungrily as they like, SHE may be keeping an eye on her figure!

Soon after, Jean makes a quick detour up to the counter to make sure everything is settled on the bill, and no doubt express some apologies, gratitude, and explain to the manager about what she wants done with the tip.

Then finally, it's round-up time and the inevitable march back! "Alright, everyone back on the bus. If anyone's got a friend still in the bathroom, let me know now." There's definitely a head-count this time around, the clipboard making its reappearance.

Kitty gets her replacement driver, one of the other core X-men stepping in to show off their vehicular skills for what is now officially the home stretch.

It's another hour and change spent fully on the increasingly isolated Vermont highway, surrounded by trees and looming mountains and little in the way of obvious civilization. The final and most notable change comes as they turn back West, finally breaking off the highway. Until then, they'd followed the course of the Connecticut river, more or less, which had kept them in the natural river valley. Turning away, it's soon obvious that not only their latitude is increasing, but their altitude as well as the bus begins to wend its way up into the mountains.

And then eventually, finally, they make it! By now, the bus is probably more sleepy than rambunctious, with the combination of a large meal, the dark night outside, and the droning, often soothing feeling of a vehicle on the road. So it may actually mean waking a few of the students up as the bus comes to a final halt. Outside, it's hard to see much apart from where the bus lights and those on the front of a horseshoe-formation of cabins light things up, but it's definitely a little miniature winter wonderland, the scenic rooftops dusted with fresh snow.

"Alright everyone, we're here! Everyone off!" Jean makes her way out to meet the manager and get the keys, while leaving Rogue on luggage duty.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue helps make sure that everyone is out of the diner before the bus pulls away. Once they're all back on the road, the rest of her personal part of the journey is spent either looking out of the bus window at the darkened environment beyond, or glancing down at her phone as she shoots texts off to various people, some back at the school who didn't come along, or maybe even that wayward Cajun wherever he is.

When they reach their destination though, it's OFF the bus.

"Damn, this is a step up from the motel last year." Rogue exclaims upon seeing their living arrangements. She shoots a smile over to the Headmistress. "Glad I got the Professah the /nice/ argyle socks this year."

With an adjustment to her wool cap back on her head, Rogue does indeed handle the luggage! She starts literally flying the items to-and-fro between the appropriate lodgings, summarily dumping stuff unceremoniously just inside the doorways!

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie enjoys the meal, but is otherwise rather silent for its duration, also keeping to herself once back on the bus. Using her earbuds again, and trying to get some rest until they reach the destination. She's shaken from her nap by a helpful student telling her they've arrived, and by the time she's out of the bus, it's real easy to spot her backpack, what with Rogue's tremendous luggage service. "This place is freakin' huge..." a very impressed Ellie notes, though she does immediately reaches for a warmer coat from her backpack.

Noriko Ashida has posed:
Once back on the bus, after eating a food coma inducing amount of food (carbs), Noriko does get in about an epic 15 minute minute nap (or whatever amount of time) where she slumps and adjusts, head ending up resting on Jubilee's shoulder.  Who knows if all of that time was spent conscious or not.  It's awfully longer than her normal naps.

At some point, she ends up racing through half of one of those big fiction books, not really adjusting her leaning posture and perfectly content to get a crick in her back, neck, or somewhere until they all pile out of the bus.

Noriko immediately scopes out all of the rooms and claims one, leaving the nicest for the chaperone because she knows she's not getting that which will only put her last in line for dibs.  How does she claim?! you didn't ask?  By belly flopping after a high arcing standing jump as if it were initially meant to be a mutant swan dive, a contented smile on her face.

"Found my room!"  Noriko's bags and things end up splattered wherever, not waiting for anyone to disrupt her claiming process by taking her 'luggage' or anything.

Jubilation Lee has posed:
    From the back of the bus, a voice breaks up the food coma silence shortly after the trip resumes. "Next stop, Burlington Vermont -- home of the world famous BEN & JERRY'S FACTORY! Hope you like your monkeys chunky, people!" There's intermittent giggling and chuckling throughout the bus.

    With a belly full of burger and fries (and a couple of bites of chicken pot pie that she risked rescuing from the inevitable food cyclone sitting next to her), Jubilee spends the rest of the trip secretly protecting a couple of those skillet cookies. Keep them secret, keep them safe. For those fifteen minutes, her cheek rests comfortably against Noriko's blue hair, periodically lifting her eyes to see if she's getting any weird looks from it. SO WHAT. Otherwise, she's miraculously quiet for the rest of the travels. Perhaps she's worn out? NO. Suddenly, her eyes go wide as the bus slows to a halt. "We're here, we're here, we're here!"

    After heely-rolling on her wheeled sneakers allllll the way down the aisle, Jubes climbs down the stairs and takes a deep breath of that mountain air. "Hellloooooo," she says, smiling widely before chasing after Noriko -- they're roommates at school so surely that applies to Vermont, too, right?

Warren Worthington has posed:
Having sat with Kitty after Jean took over the driving from on this last stretch of road, Warren exits the bus and raises is arms out over his head to get some feeling back in them, the same with his wings. Finding a open spot he expands them to their full sixteen foot wingspan and shakes the out with a gratified sigh. At least he is subtle.

"Red, do we assigned rooms, or do I get to choose my roommate?"

Jean Grey has posed:
The cabins are pretty much ready to occupy the moment they arrive, because they do have reservations and everything is ready and set to go. The heat is on, so they're nice and toasty, which definitely factors in as the chill outside may be a bit of a shock to the students, the crisp mountain air a good bit cooler than they're used to down-state at a much lower altitude.

Jean is outside a few moments longer sorting things out, making sure everything is set, the bus closed up once everything is unloaded, and all those little details. She'd made -some- attempt at a head-count, but the rush inside means she'll probably have to do another one. Finally, though, everything seems accounted for. The bus will sit for now, though they're apparently going to get it back to the company in the morning so they're not paying the whole weekend, and then getting another on monday!

"Nothing's pre-assigned," she tells Warren. "Though I picked the one I wanted when I was looking at the houses on the website," she admits with a grin. "Gotta pick roomates." And here, well, there is a subtle, quick glance toward a certain other member of the 'adult' staff, although it passes too quickly for most to notice. "Me and Rogue are in one, ask around for a bunkmate!"

The teachers are probably exempt from the co-ed thing!

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde finishes doing a last pass through the bus. For hiding students, or anything left behind that might be better to have inside the cabins locked up. Finally she climbs off the bus, still pulling her jacket back on as she leaves the heated interior.

She draws a deep breath, enjoying that cold, fresh air, touched with the scent of pines in the surrounding trees. She walks over to Jean and Warren and tells Jean, "If AM snores just put her hand in some warm water. It won't stop her from snoring. But it'll get revenge for making you listens to it," she says with a grin over to her sometime former roommate in Rogue.

Kitty hears Jean and clears her throat softly, dabbing a toe at the snow. "I'll, ah... grab some luggage," she says. She pauses by Warren. "If you want to grab a cabin..." she adds quietly, trailing off.

Simon Lasker has posed:
Simon finally gets off the bus, He will be ready to write a whole new chapter when he gets back. His butt is also numb and he wishes he had taken better advantage of the rest breaks. It is also impressive to him that they were able to go through rural(ish) america largely without incident. He stumbles around like he has sea legs. f

He actually enjoyed the singing. Perhaps they will have to resume that at the mansion. That said, he still wont do karioke, and he won't be listening to any recordings of any of those songs. Perhaps it would be better if people didn't know about all that.

He takes his stuff to the cabin and begins looking at stupid tiktoks (an activity which will likely be the activity he partakes of the most on the trip.) Heh, look at the cat.