Opening Day [OPEN]

[astonishing_xmods]

WHO: EVERYONE
WHAT: Mingle/Figure out Room Assignments/Meet old friends again
WHERE: The whole campus.
WHEN: September 1st, 2018
WARNING(S): None. If anything goes into warning territory, please create a new log for it.




For all of the newcomers, welcome to Professor Xavier’s Institute of Higher Learning! For all of our returning students and staff, welcome back! Once Professor Xavier’s welcome speech wraps up, it’s time for everyone to get themselves situated in their dorms and, more importantly, get to know your fellow mutants! Even if you’re not sharing rooms, you’ll still be sharing the same campus with each other, so don’t be afraid to get used to all of those new faces! Or even catch up on old ones! You have options; don’t be afraid to use them.

[[ ooc: This is the general mingling post for all of our characters to get settled into their rooms, get to know each other, reminisce with old friends, all that jazz. The log will be split into multiple locations. ]]

Comments

[kamiizumi]

...so like family.

[On one hand, these are good things to know. He's supposed to be reporting back, after all; Splinter sent him to learn more about this place and these people as much as he sent him to learn how to control his power. They don't know enough about the wider state of things, or about the players on the stage of the mutant issue, and while Leo doubts Splinter would have sent him off alone (especially after recent events) to somewhere he believed was truly dangerous...they've had little to prove that this place is on the level, either.

So this is comforting, in a sense. Shindou seems like a sincere person.

But on the other hand, it also really just makes him miss his family, and this is only day one.]

[presto_turn]

Mn, sort of like that.

[That's never been Shindou's preferred metaphor, but he can see how it would ring true for other people.

He goes quiet for a moment, then, snapping a now-empty suitcase shut. Most of the clothes finally seem to be out of the way, so he switches over to breaking open a box and beginning to arrange the rest of his things: books printed in a mix of English and Japanese, his laptop, a framed photograph or two of his parents and his old soccer team. Getting them positioned just right gives him time to weigh exactly what he wants to ask next, because...well, assuming anything about other mutants' experience with family is always a dangerous gamble.

Finally:]

...Have you lived away from home much before this?

[kamiizumi]

[The silence is as good a chance as any for Leo to turn attention to his own (much smaller job of) unpacking. Towels, sheets. Only a couple of books (but Miyamoto Musashi and Sun Tzu are good to have in any collection). A box of Master Splinter's favorite green tea.

He's reached halfway in to pull the next item out when Shindou speaks again, and he pauses.

The question is awkward, but not, as one might expect, because of Leo's family.]

...once. For about a month.

[Easily the worst month of his life, but none of that could be blamed on his family - none of that could be blamed on anyone but the Shredder.]

[presto_turn]

[From the way Leo says it, Shindou can guess he's probably not talking about going away to band camp. Still, he opts not to pry, giving a sober nod while he makes quick work of filling the bookshelf above his bed. Probably better to give the guy time to get the sheets on his bed, at least.]

Well...

If you need help finding anything around the school - or with classes or whatever else - you can ask. Most of the Mansion still looks the way I remember, from what I've seen.

[kamiizumi]

Thanks. I was thinking of taking a walk around the grounds once I'm done here...I don't like getting lost.

[Getting lost implies a failure of preparations. Getting lost sinks missions. Yes, Leo thinks of a lot of things in that framework; it's practically reflex at this point.

It's not quite an explicit invitation, since he's not sure if Shindou actually wants to hike around or if that's going to stir up the wrong thoughts at the wrong time. But he doesn't sound at all like he'd discourage company, either.]

[presto_turn]

Oh. Do you want me to show you around some? Once you get away from the Mansion, it can be hard to find your way at first.

[Shindou is not the most eager volunteer, but it's not like he has any other plans nailed down for the day. Whatever he does after unpacking, he knows it's going to end up amounting to a game of "How many people don't I recognize?" in any case.]

It's fine if you'd rather learn your way around on your own, too, though.

[kamiizumi]

I wouldn't mind, but I'm pretty used to having to figure this stuff out on my own, too, so it's not a big deal if you'd rather not.

[Leo is way too proud to assume he's going to get that lost on his own.]

[presto_turn]

Maybe I could give you the quick version of where everything is inside, and then you could check the grounds on your own?

[Because, yeah, that's going to end up being quite a hike. And, besides the fact that there are still things - more people, really - that he needs to deal with inside the school, he's not sure exactly what on campus Leo'd be interested in.]

There's a lot to see. I think the school owns most of land around campus, to help keep up privacy...

[kamiizumi]

That sounds good, thanks.

[He'll more than likely be taking the unorthodox route around the grounds, anyway, and that's easier done on his own.]

Do you know if it's fenced all the way around?