The Last Stand [OPEN]]

[astonishing_xmods]

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.

"... sweeping victories in both the House and Senate. Creed and his fellow Last Stand congressmen celebrated today, eager to begin the new legislation they promised in their collective campaign. Senator Creed enthusiastically exclaimed that the era of letting mutants go unchecked were finally going to come to an end..."


"... calling themselves the 'Mutant Liberation Front', or MLF, the campaign of vandalism and propaganda has been extensive in Europe and has started to appear in the United States and Canada as well. The MLF are most recognized by their tag sign of the double helix, along with the word LIBERATE. Most authorities are not incredibly concerned, as the group has been non-violent so far..."


"... as talks have broken down with Genosha. A special ambassador from the United States has been assigned to speak with Genosha on behalf of the US government, Gabrielle Haller, has stated that she will ensure that peace between the two nations will be assured. Haller and President Kelly left for Genosha this morning..."


"... Mutant Arts Council of Greater New York reported record setting turnout for their Halloween charity events in District X and are now focusing on their next seasonal event for the coming holidays. The Council is also looking for volunteers for District X soup kitchens for the winter months..."


"... making her the only platinum record seller in 2018. Industry analysts say that the hype that came as a result of Dazzler's coming out spiked the sales of her album well past anything else that's been release this year. Billboard expects "Mojoworld" to make the double platinum certification before the end of the year, with the Christmas shopping season approaching..."


"... projecting the coldest winter in the last twenty years for much of the United States. Certain voices outside the scientific community have gone from denying climate change to accepting it, under the caveat that climate change is now being blamed on possible mutant interference... "

[[ 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. ]]

Comments

[koukai_kirai]

[Hijikata regards him for a moment, then claps him briefly on the shoulder and walks to his desk, removing two mugs and tea bags. What, is he supposed to plot the downfall of his political enemies without tea? There's still water in the electric kettle, so he just turns it on to heat it up.]

The tide is on their side for now, but it will change.

For now, we fight the PR battle as hard as we can. That's what gets the people looking for a different sort of fight weak and isolated, and builds moderate support.

[iaijutsu]

[Two mugs seems like as much of an invitation to stay as one can ever count on, from Hijikata, and after looking at them for a moment, Saitou slides into one of the front row desks to take a seat.]

I suppose I should start working on my mutant agenda.

[Saitou never has much idea of how to pull off the PR battle, but Feliks never seems to be at a loss for where to start with that, at least.]

[koukai_kirai]

[Ah, that. Hijikata had nearly forgotten about it, since his own agenda doesn't seem like it'd make the desired sort of impression.]

That sort of thing, yes.

What we do as X-men has an important role in it as well.

[It was important not to risk themselves foolishly for glory -- but good publicity didn't exactly hurt them, at the end of the day.]

[iaijutsu]

When people let us finish doing the right thing.

[Instead of setting Sentinels to pound on the X-Team of the day in the middle of their attempted do-gooding.

Seeing Hijikata and Shego get the floor wiped with them when he was sixteen left a big impression on him.]

[koukai_kirai]

[He knows instinctively what Saitou is talking about. It affected so many of the students. In a way, he feels like it left a bigger mark on them than it did on him.]

[Which isn't to say that he was unaffected. It's still too easy to remember the humiliation and frustration of being helpless, to recall the crack of his own bones, the numbness that told him his body was in too much pain to really feel any of it, the dull sense of surprise cutting through the haze of the medication when he realized he was alive and not in custody, in an infirmary bed with Souji asleep beside him.]

[But even when all of those memories had been fresh and clear, when the time came to fight, he'd fought again. He had no doubt that if Jean Grey hadn't died, he would have, and it would have been worth it just for the chance that it might help the students.]

[He passes Saitou a mug, and sits down on the edge of the windowsill with his own.]

When they don't, we try again.

[iaijutsu]

[That's exactly the kind of comfort Saitou prefers, and maybe it's things like this that he's always liked about Hijikata - that he doesn't treat these things as a big deal, that he simply bears it quietly and doesn't make a fuss, but doesn't ever, ever let it discourage him from keeping on moving.

Not that there isn't room in the world for other ways of coping, but this is the one that Saitou himself is prone to, and seeing it reflected by someone he respects makes it easier to pull it off, sometimes. (Often.)

He accepts the mug with a quiet nod. They try again, and...again. And again.

What else can they do? They wouldn't be able to accept anything less of themselves.]

[koukai_kirai]

[He wishes, sometimes, that he were a better person. A more comforting person. Someone with more to give, in moments like this]

[But he gives what he can, and does what he has to. Maybe now and then, it can be enough.]

[He leans back on the frame of the window, drinks his tea, and allows a companionable, shared sort of silence to fall.]

[iaijutsu]

[Truthfully, the fact that Hijikata is so distant about these things is one of the things that's always made Saitou feel more comfortable around him. He's not good at having attention called to his own moments of doubt, but someone who's willing to be there while still leaving him enough space not to feel like he's having a blatant crisis of weakness is the kind of person he's most at ease dealing with.

Silence is a perfectly comfortable companion to Saitou, and he's perfectly content to let it stay as long as he's not otherwise alone.]