8627/The King Goes to School

The King Goes to School
Date of Scene:	10 November 2021
Location:	Theater - Happy Harbor High School
Synopsis:	T'Challa visits Happy Harbor High School for an assembly, a donation, and a demonstration. Awkward questions included.
Cast of Characters:	T'Challa, Madison Evans, Greg Rollins, Michael Hannigan, Morrigan MacIntyre, Colette O'Connail

---

T'Challa has posed:
Happy Harbor High School has had its share of celebrities, its important visitors. But has it ever hosted a King?

Plans went into motion late enough that it may have been a bit of a scramble to figure out the logistics of hosting not only a member of a nation's royalty, but also the man known as the Black Panther, King T'Challa of Wakanda, member of the Avengers and Justice League as well. However, the visit was at his request and assurances were made that security would be handled in conjunction with whatever the school needed.

To this effect, two of the Dora Milaje stand to either side of a podium set up on stage in the school's theater. Ayo and Okoye wear their traditional garb, heads shaved bald, and both have a very real spear in their possession. Behind the podium, with a curtain lowered, the Wakandan flag is displayed along with the American flag, and the school's own colors and logos are there to be seen. Students are seated facing the stage, and chatter has undoubtedly been active. There are a few seats set to either side of the podium, for prominent school faculty.

All that is left is for their visitor to make his appearance.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Do you think they'll let us hold one of the spears?" Madison asks eagerly to whoever's sitting beside her - she doesn't seem to care who it is, as she sits swinging her feet idly. "I mean. Probably not, but that'd be cool, right? Her t-shirt today displays a Stormtrooper - but with the armor repainted to look like Captain America. Look - it was the closest thing she had to Star Wars/Black Panther memoriablia. At least it was an Avenger - right?
    She glances over her shoulder, searching the room for her friends for a moment, before turning her attention back towards the stage. They could still show up - or maybe they were already there and they'd just missed each other in the crowd. It happens sometimes.

Greg Rollins has posed:
Somehow Greg had managed to end up by Madison of all people. And he blinked a few times, eyed the spears, then looked at Madison, "No, I doubt it. And no doing a Jedi on them to try to get it. They might take offense." He eyes the Dora Milaje for a moment or two, then winces as he holds his head a bit from the psychic chatter. "Ow... if it would have made it better, I would have said sit near the front or the back, but well..."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Not quite faculty and not quite student, Michael Hannigan is a bit of an oddity for one of the attendees. He was here for other reasons but one thing led to another and well... He is now one of the ones seated in the regular aisle seats bearing no particular note of prominence. Not under the guise of his stage persona, Mike's attire is fairly relaxed. Fortunately, not TOO relaxed. But it's a good thing he doesn't merit any stage time today.

Hearing Madison's question, he tilts his head forward to speak to the girl seated in the row before him. "Probably not. But yes, it would be cool." Hearing Greg's cautioning he nods. "...Jedi mind trick?"

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
"Please don't ask King T'Challa to cut the podium in half." Morrigan whispers to Declan and Delia as she is standing off to the side of the room. Declan's face droops for a moment, his joy gone as the Doctor tells him not to ask the most burning question the youth had.

That kid was going places, probably to jail, but it was indeed a place.

Delia rolls her eyes at her brother and settles back into a seat next to the newest additions to the school, Taiyo and Advika seem to be speaking with others quietly and Chasha is sticking to herself, occasionally giving a look up to the Dora Milaje to then look back down to the paper she was sketching on. Morrigan gives a smile and then takes up a spot in the corner to make sure no one is going to try to shoot a spitball at anyone.

Because that would be bad, mmmkay?

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    Monarchy is a strange institution. It is fundamentally irrational to assume that a single mind can be better at determining the correct path of a nation than a gathering of the wise; this is why, historically, monarchies have tended towards either some confusing and tangled balancing of power with some representative council, or worse the insistence of Divine Right, that the monarch's personal wisdom need not be questioned because they are determined by a divine power.

    While T'Challa tends more to the former category, with a council of the tribes that he must negotiate with, Colette is not in favor. She's American, and Americans are democrats. The American /demos/ tends to be pretty accepting of ceremonial monarchies, so long as they are just visiting. She's also Martian, and Martians were even more democratic, with the representative government prone to being overriden by the will of the /demos/ in psychic communion. She's /also/ from the Empire of Tears, which practised government by ancient and powerful sorceries, so that's probably not a great example to consider. All in all she doesn't approve.

    Nevertheless, she's staff, so she's not going to say this and cause a scene. Also she doesn't really care. Monarchies may be a nonsensical mode of government, but you do you. This she is perfectly capable of not expressing her mild disapproval of the whole concept, though she is wryly amused at the pomp and ceremony, and particularly at the presence of the Dora Milaje.

    It seems unlikely that their rare skills will be called upon. Morrigan has it right -- the larger threat is spitballs. Colette isn't sure how the Dora Milaje would react to a spitball attack on their king, but it probably wouldn't go well either way -- and so, as responsible staff-type person, she has her eyes peeled on the audience ready to swoop in and extract anyone who looks likely to spitball T'Challa.

    You never know. Also it would be kind of fun if it happened.

T'Challa has posed:
Americans have long had an infatuation with royalty from afar, whether admiring the fanciness of it all, or simply to compare and contrast it with their own mode of governing. The Queen of England holds a largely ceremonial role, someone the people are familiar with and accustomed to, but she has no real power. Yet, she is looked up to and adored by millions.

Such is not quite the same with Wakandan royalty. The King is also the Black Panther, and while there is a council of elders to negotiate with and navigate around, by and large as long as the King's intentions are good and benevolent, they will fall in line no matter what individual gripes any of them have. It helps to have a King who understands them, who wishes to include their input and weigh it against his decisions, who knows the importance of each tribe's contributions to the whole.

While the murmurs persist in the auditorium, the Dora Milaje strike a serious, statuesque presence, then they turn to one side as /he/ steps out. They exchange salutes, arms crossed at the chest, hands clenched into fists, and T'Challa gives both of them a nod before they take up their positions once more.

He is dressed in black and silver, with purple accents, a dashiki worn with tribal markings down the front and near the wrists, the back of it draping down to about the knees. Black pants of a formal cut, along with perfectly-shined footwear. As he rests his hands against the podium, he seeks out a few of the faculty members in order to make eye contact with them as a form of acknowledgment, Morrigan included, then he looks out over the students that are gathered before he speaks.

"I am King T'Challa of Wakanda, and I thank you for allowing me to visit Happy Harbor High School. I must say, your selection of school colors is an agreeable one." The bearded man with the close-cut hair offers a wry, playful smile. After all, his attire is a perfect fit for the color scheme. "I am here today because I wish to speak with you about the present and the future, and our collective place in the world."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "I've only ever gotten the Mind Trick to work on a dog- well. Wolf. A mutant wolf witch," Madison explains brightly. "A whole //pack// of them," she asserts. At least she's no longer claiming it was a 'herd' - though using the incorrect term had been a deliberate bit of amusement on her part. "I don't know that I could get it work on- well. //Trained guards//." It would be fun to try, though... She grins briefly at Michael, then back towards Greg as she adds, "Maybe after the King is done speaki-" But then the curtains part, and he starts to come out, and the teen snaps her mouth shut, looking towards the stage again.

Greg Rollins has posed:
The words from T'Challa have Greg looking at the king carefully. He seems to be considering the words of the King carefully. Greg's not quite human, so the idea that someoen was talking about the present, future, and collective place in the world kinda had him raising his eyebrows. Inspirational speeches were not something that he was used to, even in his rather alien psychic society. It's different for him, as this was certainly not how he was used to them.

Thinking on it perhaps, Greg leans forward some to get a better listen on it. He's at least able to do that, but also it's giving him some focus through the psychic noise that he's having to deal with as well.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"A mutant wolf...w-." Mike starts to repeat, pausing when she expands to state there were multiple. A slow nod is given. Seeing the posture of the Dora Milaje shift in his side vision, Mike's head turns, looking towards the stage. "Oh. They must be starting."

Sliding away from Madison and Greg, the musician is fully in his seat, looking up to the entering king. The comment about the school colors does get a slight chuckle from te liaison. Whether it was just out of politness or real amusement. Well. ONLY GREG KNOWS...

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan shoots one last look at Declan, her violet eyes squinting for a moment to make sure he realizes. Then she looks up to the stage as T'Challa enters and there's a moment taken to give a dip of her head to him when he looks to her. She was wearing purple and black, but purple was Doctor MacIntyre's favorite color and it wasn't a secret. She gives a breath of relief when things star and moves to find a spot to stand and watch over the crowd for the moment.

Duncan is standing down by the stage with a few others trying to take notes and things. Avenger's fans were not a rare sight given some of the students were and they had a few on staff.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    Well he may be a king from some obscure African nation that Colette knows little about, but he does make a good first impression on her. This is because ultimately she's not very interested in politics beyond having concluded that terrestrial politics are generally pretty stupid and may take a few centuries to sort out, but she does approve of style and the man has style.

    It's intriguing from a fashion perspective. She had been expecting something woven and embroidered, or maybe something along the lines of a chitenge wax print fabric, but apparently Wakanda has its own fabric traditions. Her eyes go to the Dora Milaje again, giving a second glance at their clothing too. This could use some closer investigation. She wonders if there are any Wakandan fashion houses that have branches in America. Could be worth an expensive visit.

    Eventually her eyes drift from T'Challa's dashiki to rove over the crowd, noting with faint surprise and approval that Maddie seems to have been able to stop herself from chatting in time for the king's speech to start.

T'Challa has posed:
Whether there are any groans from the student body or not, and there are sure to be at least a few students grumbling about yet another motivational speech from someone who probably doesn't even really care about them, T'Challa holds up a hand and explains, "I did not come here to bore you with empty words or promises I do not really mean. I know the purpose of this school, and I know that there are students with mutant gifts, metahuman abilities, and even some who are not native to Earth. Surely you have spent time with your thoughts, wondering how you will fit in. It is a question only you will be able to find the answer to, and for some of you it will be more difficult. You will be tested by others, people who do not understand what it is like to be you. You will encounter people who do not care, people who will have already made up their minds about you without an attempt to know you."

He explains, "I have been to many parts of the world, and I have seen both the good and bad in humanity. Wakanda has kept itself apart from the rest of the world, but we have paid attention to what we could. I have visited neighborhoods full of people who feel abandoned, who have lost hope, who believe nobody cares if they live or die, if they kill each other or spend the rest of their lives behind bars. They are seen as no better than wild animals by others, and sooner or later they begin to act the part. This.." He pauses to frown, wearing a serious, but caring expression.

"I do not pretend to believe any one person can change the world, and I do not pretend to believe people who feel discarded and forgotten can change without a reason to believe in themselves. You may have seen my sister Shuri and I in parts of the Bronx not so long ago. We are attempting to help the people there remember that there is more to life than crime, drugs, and gangs, but we are also attempting to help them remember how to believe in themselves first. You are all of an age where the future ahead of you is full of paths to consider. You will wonder which is the correct one to take. You will ask yourselves which are right, which are wrong. Some of them will be more difficult than others, and you will not know if you have made the best decision until later. You will make poor choices. Every one of us does. You will have failures, but how you learn from them will help define you. What I ask of you is simple. Look past yourselves, and find ways to help those around you who need it. Simple acts often lead to ripple effects, and you all have the ability to collectively change the world." Some, given what he knows, may have an easier ability to do this than others.

Chuckling, he admits, "I suppose this is more of a motivational speech than I had anticipated. I am glad my sister is not here, for she would tease me mercilessly. I hope you understand what I am trying to say. I speak from the heart, because these are things I must think about on a daily basis as a King and as a protector of not only Wakanda, but the world itself. Some of you are probably asking yourselves when you can see the Black Panther costume. Soon. I have only a few more things to add before you fall asleep in front of me."

Madison Evans has posed:
    Oh, gosh, this is the hard part for Madison. She kicks her feet idly. She bounces in her seat. She glances towards Greg, and towards Michael, and towards the teachers sitting on the stage, off to the sides of the podium. She studies the guards with their spears and shaved heads ... and somehow, remarkably, the manages to keep quiet.
    ...for most of the speech.
    "When do you think he failed?" she whispers to Greg - louder than she intended and (noteably) - right in the middle of one of T'Challa's pauses. Why does it always have to work that way? She winces, and stares down at the floor.
    ...crap.

Greg Rollins has posed:
Greg's eyes give a thoughtful look as he seems to consider a lot of what has happened. He seems to consider as he realizes a few things, as well as looks to Madison at her whispering. Instead of answering immediately, the alien student looks at the King, then the two guards, then back to to the King.

Greg hums thoughtfully, then seems to consider. He finally replies to Madison, "Many times. I am not reading his mind, but many times he may have. He is like your Jedi. Not every time is a win, and some do die. But those that remain have to shoulder the responsibility. Lift themselves above the negative aspects to continue with what they can do. Whether it be to help out or to stand before the giant laser of doom. It's... different for each of us, I suppose you could say?" His voice is kept low at least.

Then he looks at Madison and Michael, blinking. "What?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
While he's not the intended audience the speech is directed at, Mike can appreciate what is being attempted in the words. Sure, not everyone goes for the motivational speeches, but some do. And maybe he won't reach everyone, but there's a chance someone in the auditorium does need to hear this.

Madison's comment is ill-timed, landing in the quiet portion of the speech. Mike's lips thin, barely managing to prevent a chuckle. But the pale eyes shifting over look to Madison does end up being likely one of many glances betraying her location. He does feel the need to mention to Madison that everyone fails at some point or another but Greg's answer to her more than does that for him.

Greg's posed question does invite a response however. He leans forward, lowering his voice. To an observer it may seem like he's asking them to be quiet but...

"...I think you covered it well." He murmurs quietly. He slides back in his seat.

Not a teacher.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan's violet gaze was on T'Challa as he was speaking and there's a smile to what he says. She was excited that one of the Avenger's had reached out to speak and honestly they'd not had this much excitement around the school in awhile. Her gaze does go to Madison when she has the unfortunate fate of speaking when the King pauses. Maybe she can feel others staring at her.

She doesn't really psst her or anything, she knew Madison talked and honestly others were as well. It was just badly timed.

Meanwhile Duncan and others are taking pictures, maybe for the school paper? Maybe for Instagram clout? Who knew.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    Words go in one ear and go out the other. Colette is not expecting a whole lot from this speech. Some foreign dignitary wasting everyone's time with another yawn-worthy pep talk written by some anonymous speech-writer, all for the sake of a bit of publicity.

    However between one ear and the other there is a brain, and while in Colette's case that's a rather arbitrary bit of biology, there is some part of her mind parsing the words in passing, and half way through she comes to the conclusion that he actually has something to say. Whether that's because he has a rare awareness for a king or he's just got a good speech-writer is somewhat irrelevant; somewhat to her surprise, Colette finds herself rather enjoying the speech. Others may be looking forwards to the end of the speech and the costume reveal, but that's just /superhero/ stuff. Far less interesting.

    Her increased attention to T'Challa's words does not however significantly reduce her hawk-like attention to misbehaving students. Maddie's slightly too loud whisper catches her ear and she narrows her eyes at the student -- but she seems to be aware of her mistake, so it's Greg's more restrained follow-up whisper that attracts the stern finger-to-the-lips shushing gesture. She's not buying Mike's pretence at responsibility for a moment.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa's attention turns right on Madison. How did he hear..? No matter. He gives her a closer look before replying, "You were asking about the last time I failed? I /nearly/ caught a foot on one of the ropes for the stage curtains on the way out, but that was a near miss. I had the fewest points in my last Scrabble game with Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Iron Man. That is not a failure I am proud of." He could be making that up. Maybe.

Scanning those here to see and listen to him, he says, "I have made some decisions that could have a positive outcome, but they could go the other way. The hardest part is not knowing until I do, and that is something you will face as well, all of you. That is where you must trust in your decision-making and be ready to find a better way if the choices you make do not work out."

He leaves the podium to pace the stage, slow and deliberate. "Now, I did not come here to speak until you are wishing I would leave already, and I do not plan on this being the only time you will see me here. I have spoken with Miss MacIntyre and Wakanda is making a donation to Happy Harbor High School of $1 million United States Dollars. Half of that is to go to a tuition program toward secondary education, eligible to students who meet certain academic marks. The other half will be devoted to the facilities here, for better technology, better equipment, to aid in your education, to aid in the ability of your teachers to instruct you, and to aid in the same for those who follow in your footsteps. It may be premature of me to say this, but for some of you, there may even be the opportunity to visit Wakanda one day."

Spreading his hands apart, he gestures toward everyone, whether it be faculty or students. "Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask?"

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison glances aside at Greg, and then Michael as they speak to her - nodding along - but as T'Challa begins to answer her question, her cheeks turn and even deeper color in embarrassment as she feels forced to look up towards him. The mention of a Scrabble game, however, makes her giggle. That very much wasn't what she'd meant - but she'd take it.
    As he talks of a donation to the school, she can't help but exclaim, "Whoa! That much?!" before being forced to bite her lip to fall silent again. She joins in appreciative applause from some of the other students, and spends a moment looking contemplative as he asks for questions. Now that she's all but been //invited// to speak... She has nothing to day.

Greg Rollins has posed:
Greg looks considerate. A question, and that has him actually raise a hand. Because... yes, he has an honest question. Not about Black Panther, however, it seems as if he is eyeing slightly the Dora's spears, and them specifically. Perhaps a bit about the dress of T'Challa himself.

And he's not about to talk out of turn after being shushed by Colette. Nope! Not at all!

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike's brows raise at the announcement for the sizable donation being pledged. Damn it must be nice to be at that level of wealthy to just be able to plunk that much change down. It'd be very nice to have enough to be able to generate that amount in interest to just donate every year. But he's got a ways to go before that. How many more years of investing does he need to do to just get to that level?

The polite applause draws his attention away from personal finances back on to the topic at hand. Right. Donation good. School happy. Clap clap.

Mike brings his hands up to join the others for the light applause.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan gives a smile to the crowd when they react favorably to what T'Challa says, for the most part she was just trying to make sure that everyone was well behaved and that Declan didn't ask any dumb questions about claws.

Chasha stands, her timidness getting swept under the rug for a few shining moments as she dips into a courtesy, "Umm, your highness, pleased to meet you." she greets. "Do you have art museums or programs in Wakanda that others might be able to someday tour?" she asks him.

This draws a curious look from more than a few faces in the crowd.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    A million dollars? Not bad. That's the kind of money that buys people the right to make a speech. True, with SHIELD funding and the less surreptitious backing of Stark Industries, Happy Harbor is unusually well provided for, but a million dollars is a million dollars. More importantly, as far as Colette is concerned, he is suggesting an opening of the borders. This holds out promise of Wakandan fashion exports.

    "I have a question," Colette calls out, grinning slightly. "Wakanda has been a very isolated country, but it appears you are opening things up a bit to the rest of the world. When are we going to get a chance to buy some Wakandan fashions? You guys look fabulous." It's not the most relevant question, but it's a question and sometimes you just need an icebreaker.

    As for poor Greg, he shouldn't worry so much. Colette's bark is worse than her bite, at least when it comes to misbehaving students. On the other hand someone who must rely on their empathic abilities to determine what's going on around them a fair bit probably finds her rather intimidatingly lacking in any emotional broadcast. Poor Greg -- how did an alien telepath manage to find himself at a school where it seems like half the faculty have fearsome psychic shields?

T'Challa has posed:
If there are any attempts to check T'Challa's surface thoughts, they are mainly calm and confident, but there is also bemusement mixed with a hint of self-questioning from time to time. Some of that is difficult to tell in just the moment, but perhaps a glimpse. He does feel like a man with a strong will, someone who guards his thoughts well.

The Dora Milaje remain in place, but they track the King's every step. He fields the question first from Chasha. "The pleasure is mine. We certainly have places in Wakanda where our culture is on display." Colette's question dovetails right into some of this, so he looks her way as well.

"As you note, Wakanda has traditionally been very isolationist, for our own safety. There have been discussions about this, and I believe some things may change sooner rather than later, but I must ask you all to have patience. There are many details to consider. In the meantime, I would invite anyone who is interested to visit our embassy in New York City. We have brought a number of paintings, statues, figurines, and other pieces native to Wakanda for people to see. I admit we have not looked into sharing our fashion..but we do appreciate the compliments." This has him looking thoughtful again, adding, "There could be questions of marginalizing what is personal to us."

Before going on to other questions, he ensures the answers he's given so far cover what's been asked.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison listens to the questions that've been asked so far - about fashion, about cultural heritage - but none of //that// was what he was talking about. And none of that- well, how does it really matter to them? Here? No, she's got something else on her mind, instead.
    "King T'Challa, sir?" she asks - at least attempting to be polite. "The stuff you said - those weren't real mistakes, real failures. I gues- I mean. What I'm wondering is... What do you //regret//?" After all - isn't that more telling than the rest of the stuff? What a King, and an Avenger, really wishes they could go back and fix?

Greg Rollins has posed:
Greg finally asks, "I was a bit curious on some of the technology that you have in Wakanda." He makes sure it's after Madison's is answered. "Like we've seen the Black Panther suit on the news, but what else do you have as far as technology? And well... the culture thing was already asked...? Um... what sort of customs do you have?" He looks a bit embarrassed at that one.

Madison beat him to the other one. Yep. And most everyone else got the obvious ones out of the way!

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike listens to Colette's question regarding fashion and for a moment he is tempted to do a follow up one about music. But there are times when you hear someone else's question and you generally forget what it is you were going to ask. In this case, that question was Madison's.

Regrets, Oh that could be a plentiful list. Mike had many and he didn't have a kingdom to run. A king must have many more to pick from.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Declan's been sitting and waiting patiently, but the red haired teen pops up out of his seat and gives a quick little wave to T'Challa, "Your Highness, since Doctor MacIntyre said I couldn't ask you to demonstrate chopping the podium in half with your claws...could we see your suit? If not it's okay, but...it's really cool." the teen points out.

Morrigan's hand goes to her face in an 'oh god this child' move. "Thank you for being respectful, Declan." the Irish woman states. She gives a look to the Dora Milaje to see if they are bored to death yet with questions.

"We need to be mindful about asking too personal of questions. Wakanda is still very much not open to the world at large and I do not want to put King T'Challa on the spot about anything." she looks over the crowd. She'd actually used some Wakandan technology and whew, it was fancy!

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    'Marginalizing what is personal to us.' Cultural appropriation much? Colette doesn't really buy it. It's all human culture, right? From a galactic perspective, it's all fine margins. It feels rather self-indulgent for one group of humans to claim that they have a fully distinct culture from other groups of humans.

    Never mind the fact that Colette has appropriated human culture (and indeed biological humanity) already.

    Nevertheless, politesse must out, so Colette simply responds to T'Challa's reply with a smile and a nod. Maybe putting the idea in his head is enough and next summer will see some Wakandan fabrics on the streets of New York. The only alternative at this point would be mugging one of the Dora Milaje, which is probably a bad idea on many levels.

T'Challa has posed:
"You are correct. They were light-hearted answers," T'Challa nods to Madison, walking across the stage to stand more directly in line with where she sits. "You ask of regrets. Without giving you a long list, I will tell you my greatest one. It is taking for granted that King T'Chaka, one of Wakanda's best Black Panthers, would live much longer than he did. I did not have any idea someone would attempt to assassinate him, let alone succeed, and I failed to take advantage of the time I had to know him better as my father. I miss him daily."

Greg's question, he has to tread carefully in answering. "We have a few things. Holographic technology is a development we enjoy, and we have access to most of the same things the rest of the world does. Our people are of good health. Beyond that, I am afraid I will have to share more at a later time." Morrigan's interjection draws a brief nod from him as he adds, "Thank you. It is not that I wish to keep secrets, but the fact is these are matters we are continuing to discuss at home. It is a delicate subject."

Whatever Morrigan's discomfort at the question Declan puts out there, it comes at a good time. Children are often impressed by things that cause them to ooh and aah. "While the podium could be replaced, I did not come here to make a mess. I expected the other question. Yes, you may." A brief touch to the ring of beads at the wrist, then the Panther habit takes shape along with the rest of the suit, or costume, covering him from head to toe. It looks like it could be nano-technology or something of that nature, sleek and immediate, with silver bits and pieces worked into the design in multiple places, including the mask and helmet.

The Black Panther stands before them.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison hadn't been sure what answer she'd been expecting to her question - but she hadn't expected something //quite// so sad and solemn. "...oh," the girl replies - seemingly at a loss for words for a moment, before the simplest - and perhaps most appropriate response finally asserts itself. "Umm, well - I'm sorry for your loss, sir," she remarks, before falling silent again.
    The solemn expression on her features doesn't last too long, though, because the way that costume just seems... //unfold// and encase him has her bouncing in her seat again. "Oh, neat-o."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Well, after T'Challa's answer regarding the regrets, Mike's glimpse goes distant as his mood darkens. Frown forming he gives the slightest of nods in understanding. Yes. That is something that gets taken for granted a lot.

He thinks of her. And then he remembers WHERE he is.

Head ducking down he takes advantage of him having an aisle seat and gets up, heading towards the back exit of the auditorium to step out before the memories start to twist.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan's head dips again, she knew all about trying to keep some things secret, having to dodge questions about a whole country was a lot to deal with. She watches as the Black Panther suit is activated and there's a smile, but she lets the kids enjoy the moment. Though she does think on the King's words and the impact that they have on some.

Tyler is looking off into the distance. His parents having been murdered earlier in the year. It pained some. Maybe he'd heal in time. There are others that seem to forget about the sadness of the statement and instead focus on the cool suit!

Duncan will try to field pictures for students, if the King and Dora Milaje are okay with that.

Greg Rollins has posed:
Considering the answer, Greg nods and looks thoughtful. Then there's the Black Panther. So different from Greg's own suit, the teen eyes it carefully. Beads? What were those? That was different.

There's a part of Greg that is very curious. His own wasn't like that, but kept internal. Yet from the looks, the suit could offer the same protection. And he had heard it was even nearly indestructable! Seriously, if you couldn't appreciate a cool suit when you yourself have a cool suit and perhaps figure out some ideas to make it even more cooler off of it, then what's the point of asking questions?

"Hey, do their spears do anything, too?" He asks as best as he can over the crowd.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    And the crowd goes wild! Well not entirely, but this is no longer simply King T'Challa, it's The Black Panther, and that's a lot more exciting to the majority of kids. At least the ones not too deeply impacted by thoughts of dead or missing parents.

    There are a lot of kids wanting selfies, crowding in front of the stage to get a shot with T'Challa in all his Avengery finery in the background. This is probably a nightmare scenario to T'Challa's Dora Milaje escort. They can't exactly hold the horde of kids back at spear point, that would look bad. This seems like a job for the teaching staff - they are used to wrangling over-eager kids.

    "They are very, very pointy," Colette responds to Greg as she gets to her feet for selfie-hunter wrangling duties. While some of the teachers may be in an introspective mood at this point and somewhat distracted from the selfie-hunter risks, Colette's parents are either still alive, or died several centuries ago, or were a bunch of demons wiped out billions of years ago by the Oans, depending on perspective. Whichever choice you make, there's nothing much to keep her awake about these days.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa knew the students were going to want to see the Black Panther suit at some point. Yes, he is also the famous Avenger, someone who still carries a mysterious aura to him. At least he kept their attention on some level prior to that. He did not explain the Kimoyo beads, but a sharp eye might have spotted them.

Speaking through the mask, his head tilts in Greg's direction and he walks closer, a more feline-like way to how he moves. Deliberate, measured, even graceful. "The spears? Yes. They poke things very effectively," he says, the mask completely hiding the grin that at least makes it into his tone.

Prior to any photo ops or closer looks at anything, he motions for Okoye to come forward. "Hit me as we discussed," he tells her, lowering his voice. As the faculty begins to take up positions to corral the kids, he explains to the assembly, "I will show you one of the perks of my suit." She strikes him a few times, in the chest, in the shoulders, in the thighs, using the other end of the spear as a staff. In each place she makes contact, lines in the suit begin to glow purple, but he does not even flinch. At his signal, she stops and backs off again as he approaches the podium.

"I have been thinking. Perhaps you could use a new podium after all." With just enough kinetic energy built up in the suit, he slams a fist down at the base of it and the wood explodes on the spot. It is a small enough charge that the spread is only a few feet in any direction, nobody in danger of being struck. Making a show of wiping his hands clean, he spreads them apart again and asks, "Who wishes to have a photograph taken?" It will even include a spear, if anyone is bold enough to ask. He'll hear about it later from either or both of the Dora Milaje, but it will hardly be the first chiding he's received from Ayo or Okoye.