xavier_institute_logs | A Brave New World [OPEN]

WHO: Everyone
WHAT: The news of the world, brought right to your school!
WHERE: On any television, radio, or computer screen (assuming they're on a news site)
WHEN: Today
WARNING(S): if a thread goes into warning label territory, either throw it in the subject line or take it to a separate log.

"... 5 dead, 20 injured in today's bombing in London. Authorities and witnesses both claim that it was literally impossible for the bomb to have been placed where it was unless someone had the ability to literally teleport into the terminal. Several experts are drawing this incident's blame to ex-Brotherhood assassin and terrorist only known at large as 'The Vanisher'..."

"... increased security for his upcoming public address. Now more than ever, calls are incredibly loud and clear for some kind of Mutant Registration law. Alleged mutant terrorism has spiked recently internationally, and many in the US public feel that President Kelly needs to take a leadership position on this much like he did during his congressional career..."

"... Sublime was very forthcoming with his experiences growing up in a mixed human/mutant household and the struggles it created. He also detailed his thoughts on Mutant Registration, saying that he felt like it wasn't the solution to the problem, and that humanity could only move forward if they embraced unity between humans and mutants. He went on to say that his philosophy of the Third Species suggests that there will be a time when the entire planet is mutant, and peace can come from accepting this..."

"... shook the sporting news world with his announcement that he was indeed a mutant. Delroy Garrett, Jr was stipped of the medals he'd won in the 2016 Olympics and has been panned universally for what was, essentially, cheating in some of the worlds' most coveted sports. The triathlete said that he doesn't regret coming out, and that he had to be who he was in the world today or those medals would have been truly meaningless..."

"... proposed a Mutant Olympics, as well as European United Mutant Football Club and any number of mutant specific sporting events and clubs. 'Why not?' Captain America said, firmly siding with Garrett and his supporters. 'I don't see any reason why these athletes, who have trained and worked hard to represent their countries should be denied that right based on how they were born. It just isn't right.' Rogers was also asked about the growing tension between mutant nation Genosha, whom protested the Winter Olympics this year due to the anti-mutant rulings, and the United States. Rogers refused to comment..."

[[ ooc: Students and teachers are free to start their own threads in this log in response to one or more of these news clips, or even to things related but not specifically posted here. You can reference the Weekly Update posts for other world news events not covered here, as well. ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hijikata is resting against the desk, a few steps back from the board. He still has the whiteboard marker in his hand, the cap on, turning it over in his hands as he thinks. It's a few moments before he acknowledges Leo's presence, and even then, he doesn't draw his eyes away from the board.

"Thoughts?"

"I don't really take the word of civilian witnesses on what's 'literally impossible.'" True, authorities were supposedly saying the same thing, but depending on the authorities involved, he's not sure how much he'd trust their judgment, either, without knowing a lot more about how many rules of physics would supposedly have to be broken.

It's a matter of professional pride, after all.

"Have you found much on the kind of security involved?" He certainly gets why the news isn't talking about it, but it makes a clear picture a lot harder to put together.

"Still gathering information on that point. My impression is that, in a place that public, the impossibility was less a matter of security and more one of the structure of the place."

He glances at him, to see what his reaction is as he takes in the information.

"There's no reason to believe that the security was substantially different from any other London area train station, for the time being."

"If it's about the structure, I might be even less convinced."

There's usually a way up. Or over. Or around. Or through the window and climbing up a straight vertical incline for a few stories and -

Well, there's usually a way, he figures, if one has enough training and preparation to figure it out.

"Hm."

He would agree with the unspoken thought, though while not impossible, something like that would be much more highly unlikely from a human -- and they'd likely have risked being seen by eyewitnesses along the way. He runs a hand through his hair, quietly considering.

"...the kinds of people I can think of who could probably pull it off don't really have the interest or the reach to be behind this, though. But I...mostly just tangled with the locals." And while he knows plenty about underground ninja activities in NYC, London is a big question mark. Although the Savate group were French...

(Sometimes he wonders if he should bother trying to sound discreet about what he was neck deep in before he started going to school like a semi-normal teenager.)

He turns his attention to that list of groups with the money and the interest to possibly pull something off.

Hijikata has no intention of pushing too much about Leo's past, despite some of the extremely unusual things he's hinted at. He's aware how lucky he is that his mutation isn't physical -- and even so, he managed to get into some unusual things at that age.

But prying about his personal life and seeing if he has useful input are different, and he has no qualms about the latter.

"No one you think would be motivated to?"

Reach and ability could change, but motivations were more likely to remain steady.

He's quiet for a moment, sorting out all the factors at play into something coherent. "I can think of ways the Foot might benefit from this, but it's the kind of benefit that would be a lot simpler to get by doing something else, and they'd probably get more out of it if it were closer to home. So it seems like kind of a stretch."

But possible?

He can't really discount that, all things considered.

"Doesn't seem like the most likely, then." He doesn't know much about whatever group Leo is talking about, but if it's not likely to be related, Hijikata decides not to press him for more information than he volunteers freely.

It's better to focus for now on the more probable scenarios. "There are known groups who seem like better matches."

Ancient order of ninja dickheads about sums it up, really.

"Is there anyone at the top of your suspect list?"

He shrugs, shaking his head.

"A few, and none in particular."

And his speculations should be kept moderate around students, especially new ones. No matter how well he's taking to Leonardo thus far.

Leo has enough respect for authority not to press further where he suspects it's not going to be welcome, so he just nods.

For a few moments, he's quiet, then asks Leo one more thing he has trouble finding out on his own.

"How are the students?"

"Most are okay. Just...wary. Confused. And definitely suspicious." One of the few common threads in everyone's reactions seemed to be that nobody was too eager to just buy that it was exactly what the news said it was.

"There were a couple people who took it worse. I think they were from around there."

That gets a slight nod; all of it makes sense, he supposes. Seems natural enough. It's always jarring to see your home as vulnerable -- the Institute has been his, for a long time, so he knows.

"Can hardly blame them for being suspicious."

Considering, well... the news.

"I'd like to think that if a school full of teenagers know better than to take everything in the news at face value, that most people would realize the same thing."

He'd like to think. Leo knows better than that, though; he's been in quite a good position to understand just how bad anti-mutant prejudice can be.

He'd like to think people wouldn't be bad enough that his family would spend their entire lives in the sewers for their own safety, too.

"Well. If ten years teaching has shown me anything, it's that some people need things pointed out more clearly to them."

It hadn't quite changed his opinion that those who still get it probably weren't trying, but it was something.

A Brave New World [OPEN]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject