7593/Evening in the Gardens

Evening in the Gardens
Date of Scene:	23 May 2019
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Storm, Professor X, Magik, Spider-Man, Rogue, Jubilee

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Storm has posed:
Ororo Munroe is a big believer in the power of tea for healing. It's omnipresent with the woman, though that's true of a lot of the areas formerly occupied by Britain. There's always a kettle ready in her room and she brings tea around at the drop of a hat. It could be that there's some mystical quality to the herb, ancient secrets of shamans going back thousands of years. It does tend to make people feel better, having a cup of tea with Ororo.

Then again, it might just be because a thoughtful cup of tea makes everyone feel better. She moves with a tray in her hands out to the back porch, wearing low wedge heels and a floor-length dress strapless maxi dress with black-and-white horizontal stripes. Her hair's done in hundreds of tiny plaits and it arches back and forth with a tinkling of glass beads woven into them, an effect like a horse's mane near where her mohawk is shorn to smooth skin.

"It's time for your antibiotics, Charles," she announces. Professor X is sitting at a low table in his medical wheelchair, and the work he and Ororo have been doing is set out in neat piles of papers and folders on the table. It looks like a number of schedules and calendars, covered in highlighter marks. Hot water is poured into two smaller teapots and she sets one near Charles, along with a cup and a little silk baggie of his preferred blend. She seats herself at the table, folding her dress behind her knees, and tucks her feet under her seat with a casual elegance.

Professor X has posed:
"Thoughtful as ever," Charles replies. "Thank you, Ororo."

He waves off the offer of help Ororo implies with a raised eyebrow and prepares his tea well enough with his free hand. Unusually, he is without a jacket. His left arm is in a sling and bound to his chest over a deep blue golf shirt. He looks positively casual in tan slacks

"I don't remember there being this many students before I left," Charles says, glancing over the enrollment lists again. "I have a lot of new people to catch up with."

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin wasn't really looking for anyone when she went wandering around the school. She just felt like moving rather than sitting around in her room trying to avoid doing anything that might be questionable in nature. Her own attire is simple enough; a pair of capri pants to enjoy the warmth of the day, some slip on boat shoes, and a button up blouse with the sleeves rolled just below her elbows. The blonde moves arouind the building edge toward the lounge area where Ororo and Professor Xavier were.

"Good afternoon," she offers the pair with a little dip of her head. Even though she seems casual enough her blue eyes at once sharpen fixing on the professor. She'd heard he was shot but she hadn't seen herself. Seeing him now the line of her jaw begins to clench as a near murderous look starts to grow behind her eyes. Maybe she should go find who did this...

Spider-Man has posed:
New Students means less quiet places to work and Pete despirately needs to finish this paper. Everytime he gets close to starting something (or someone) comes up, which are all just convenient excuses not to work on it if he's being completely honest. Procrastinators gonna crastinate.

He has a backpack on one shoulder over a white tee tucked into blue jeans with a pair of worn old sneakers on his feet. At least his hair is clean, though, and he's shaven which is a decided step in the right direction where anyone to ask him. Time is finite and there are so many things he uses it for that have nothing to do with grooming or school work.

Enter Garden.

It's beautiful here and one of his favorite places on the grounds. Are there other places he could be? Places that would be quieter? Sure, but there's always ulterior motives and so it is that he shows up waving at the trio already present with a awkward smile. Specifically to the Professor, "Hey, sorry I haven't come to wish you well, Professor. I knew you had a lot of visitors and I didn't want to be a bother." None are excluded, however. Nods for both Ororo and Illy, "Am I interrupting? I can find somewhere else to work."

Rogue has posed:
From the lake, the sound of music is starting to grow louder, its a familiar song to most. Its the carefree song from Journey 'Any Way you Want It' and its coming from the right hip of half a woman. Half a woman because only the lower half is currently visible. The upper half of said woman is hiding inside of a large boat that she's carrying above her head, holding it top of herself. Her lower half is visibly wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts, a pair of leather boots with mis-matched socks of green and yellow.

As she draws nearer to the back patio of the elegantly designed School, the boat on top of the woman tips backward as the song playing off of her phone hanging from the leather belt around her waist reaches a peak of the chorus, the upbeat tunes carrying her along with her big heavy boat like it weighs nothing.

Its Rogue, of course, once the boat tips back far enough anyone looking will see her inside said boat, all smiles as she approaches from the direction of Breakstone Lake.

Storm has posed:
"Marie dear, be careful where you are walking," Ororo calls over to Rogue. "Don't brain anyone with that boat." She glances at Charles. "Words I am sure I have never once uttered before in my life," she says, sotto voce.

Peter and Illyana arrive at nearly the same time and she smiles at them in a pleasant fashion. "Mister Parker, how nice to see you. Please, join us. And Illyana dear, I'm glad to see you getting some sun. Will you please lend me a hand with the tea?" she inquires. A subtle little technique for distracting someone on the edge of an outburst, and she pats the seat next to her invitingly. Ororo sets out more teacups because Ororo *always* has extra teacups, because... well, she always seems to need them! The little wooden box on the serviette is opened to allow people to pick their choice of teas, and infusors are set out so people can make it in their own cups or use the larger pots that Ororo's brewing her preferred blend in.

There is also cream and sugar and honey for people who dilute their tea, like monsters.

Professor X has posed:
Charles smiles broadly when Illy and Peter come up. "Ms. Rasputin, Mr. Parker, join us. No intrusion at all," he says after Ororo.

"Don't mention it, Peter. There are many more important things to do than spending time in the Wellness Office interrupting my naps!"

Charles looks dubiously at the boat.

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin blinks out of her thoughts which were quickly spiraling toward a more dangerous place when Ororo requests her help with tea. "Oh, yes, of course." A smile is offered to the others as she moves to the chair that Ororo had patted near her to sit, and reach out to help hand out the different cups. Her attention moves toward the unfamiliar face of Peter Parker to offer a wan smile. "Hello, I'm Illyana Rasputin. How do you like your tea?" It helped having something to keep her hands busy. Rogue's own arrival earns a call out of, "Good afternoon Marie."

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete dips his head appreciatively to Ororo's invitation and again at Charles' seconding, finding a seat somewhere close enough to be inside the conversation. His backpack slips beneath the chair and out of the way, looking quite like another night without finishing the paper. Maybe that was the goal all along, though! Procrastinators gonna crastinate.

"When you put it like that." Peter laughs quietly and Charles, then up nods at Illy with a smile, "Illyana Rasputin, that's a beautiful name. I'm Peter Parker." He glances back with everyone at Rogue coming up carting a boat on her head, "If that's a new fashion of hat, I hope it doesn't catch on. No way will that make traffic in New York easier."

"And the subways are going to be a nightmare."

There was a question about tea, "Oh, with honey please and thank you."

Rogue has posed:
Once she's close enough for the others to register her and refer to her, Rogue stops walking, the laces of her boots are loose and flopping around on her feet and on the soft grass. She pivots her body and lets the boat roll off of her shoulders and settle onto the ground beside her left leg. Now, she stands there with her hands going to her hips and her green eyes on all of them, she waits a moment before she flashes a grin at them. "Heya, Illy." Rogue says, picking out Illyana to refer to specifically.

Then, she turns and STEPS into the boat on the grass. Now, standing in the middle of it, she reaches down to her belt to unclip her phone and turn the music off so it doesn't disturb the patio-goers and their tea time. The phone is then slipped into a pocket on the back of her frayed jean shorts and she lowers down to a seating position inside of the boat, her bare legs extend out ahead of her and she crosses them at the ankles while her hands rest her weight on either sides of her hips upon the wooden bench inside said boat.

Rogue grins now at Peter. "Its a boat. For water. Its not a hat. Silly." And then she exhales heavily.

Storm has posed:
Ororo drinks her tea hot and serves it as such, rain or shine. The white-haired woman has strong feelings about how tea is served. She settles her cup in front of her and takes a slow sip, elbows balancing on the table so she can keep the heavenly aroma floating near her face.

"Thank you Illyana," she murmurs to the blonde girl, with real gratitude for her civil contribution to the tea service. Better than deciding to go murdering.

Mental note, Illyana and Laura are not to be left in a room together unsupervised.

Ororo glances at Rogue and rolls her eyes, and tries to hide a smile behind her teacup. "Don't look at her, you'll just encourage her," she mumbles in a theatrical sotto voce. "Next she'll be rowing the boat across the grounds."

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin doesn't have the same thoughts on tea as Ororo at least, so when Peter requests the additives she dollops some honey in giving it a requisite three clinking spoon stir before offering it over to the newer student. "There you go. Why do you have a boat, Rogue? It belongs in the water not the air. Or grass." There's a little teasing tone to her remark along with a grin as she looks over to the woman giving a nod in her direction as she sits down again. A cup of tea, just plain and regular, is taken for herself as well. "I'm glad you're doing better, Professor. And you're welcome, Ororo."

Spider-Man has posed:
"You say that, but remember when Lady Gaga wore cuts of meat as a dress?" Peter wonders aloud, expression twisted a little, and his hands up in a helpless shrug. "New York fashion doesn't follow what you or I might consider normal accessorization. Form and function? Out the window when you can take that bag of garbage from the alley to you make yourself a one piece with old soda bottles and half an eaten banana." He smiles appreciatively at Illy offering his tea and reaches out to accept it with a quietly mouthed thank you.

Only because he's not done putting the fashion industry on blast.

"So if I saw someone walking down broadway with a row boat on their head, I might cut my eyes at them, but dollars to donuts someone is going to think it's the cats meow and duplicate it. Inadvertantly you've upset the apple cart, Marie. You've upset it and now everyone will be wearing boats on their head and you know who I'm blaming? You." Double pointing at her, "I'm blaming you for it."

Rogue has posed:
When Storm tells them all not to look at her, that it would just encourage her... Rogue shifts her pale green eyes to stare upon that of Ororo. After a second or two, the tip of Rogue's pink tongue appears between two red lips and she just gently wiggles her head back and forth teasingly at the Weather Mistress.

Its Illyana and Peter's statements that make her look back to the both of them and a grin then flashes across those same red lips from the woman lounging in the middle of the boat. "I'm not gonna wear meat around and Mugatu doesn't design my outfits either, Miste'ah Parke'ah." She says his name with extra southern accent dripping across it.

Then, she straightens and places her non-gloved hands onto the butt-ends of either of the oar's just in front of her shoulders, her fingers wrap about them and she lowers them so the oars are horizontal with the boat's sides. "Some teenagers in Salem Center said that they could out row my 'noodle arms' any day'a the week. They're at Apple Park, with their fancy little nerd boats. So." She gives a whirl of the oars with a pumping of her arms. "I'm gonna take this beauty out there, find'em... and obliterate their sorry asses. Make'em Sad Snoopy Walk home, if all goes accordin' t'plan."

Storm has posed:
Ororo's smile extends into a grin and she shakes her head, bowing it forward and looking backwards. Mostly because she's trying very hard to suppress a giggling peal of laughter at Rogue's vivacious enthusiasm and the snappy patter from Peter Parker.

"Well. Try not to defeat them by too much of a margin, dear," Ororo tells Rogue. "There's a difference between humiliating a bully and bullying a bully," she reminds the younger woman with a gentle note.

Ororo transfers her electric blue gaze to Illyana. "Illyana, have you been thinking about your coursework for the coming year?" she inquires of the girl. "Any particular areas of study that interest you?"

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin lifts her tea to take a sip giving Peter a nod at his silent thanks. Her attention shifts between his witty discourse, and her teammates with a small growing grin. "That sounds like a good time. Watching their faces crumble, their egos shrivel..." A single blink is taken, slowly, as she draws a deep breath. "Maybe I should stay here."

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin glances over at Ororo with a small shake of her head. "No. I need to sit down and do that. I'm not certain what I should pursue at this point to be quite honest. There aren't many jobs out there that want 'Demon Queen' as a skill."

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete takes a breath after delivering his sharp come uppance against fashion designers and sips tea to sooth savage wounds, which aren't really that savage by the grin he's wearing or the easy going nod he gives Marie when she explains why she's carting around a boat on her head. "You know I could probably modify your boat for the osmolity of the water ways at Apple Park? I've been working on a solution that acts as a barrier to aerospace traction-" For reasons, "- that would probably work just as well against the water drag.. Give or take, anyways." His hand flip flops then settles to the bottom of his tea-cup, craddling it in palm.

Pete cants his head a little and looks to Illy with his tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth. "How about physics? My thesis is on dimensional theory... if nothing I'd love to sit down with you and talk about it sometime? I promise it will be the most boring conversation you've ever had and afterwards you'll judge me harshly because I'm an astronomically huge nerd."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue glances back to Storm and openly grins at her. "Stormy?" She says then, giving more rotations to the oars then, two more full rotations. "You wanna come wit'? An' make sure that the seas are calm for me?" More oar rotating over and over again...

"And no way, Illyanananana-Banana!" Rogue then says, her green eyed gaze shooting over to the one who rules LImbo. "I full damn well want ya on my boat, right at the front no less! I want that sword'a yours out and aimed forward pointin' me toward the finish line, while you're doin' the Cap'n Morgan pose!" More oar rotating is had, of course before she looks to that of the incognito Spider-man.

"And you, science guy Bill Nye." She slowly shakes her head while staring right on and all over Peter Parker's form. "I don't want none'a that. You just wait at the finish line for us, with drinks, and ya serve'em to us with a bowl'a grapes." Rogue then drops the oars and their ends flap aagainst the grass. She slams her hands together with a surprisingly loud super-strength enhanced clap versus durability enhanced hands. "Perfect damn day, right there. Wooooo!" Its possible Rogue is crazy, drunk, or really happy. Maybe all three.

Storm has posed:
"No thank you dear, that would be cheating," Ororo tells Rogue with an affectionate light in her eyes. "Fair winds for everyone. But good luck, Captain Marie, I look forward to seeing your name in the newspapers tomorrow."

She looks to Illyana and Peter, and gently taps a nail near Illy's elbow to get the girl's attention. "He is not an astronomically huge nerd. He is a huge astronomy nerd," Ororo corrects. "Which is entirely more calculus than I am prepared to teach anyone," she says, and nods regally at Peter in deference to his superior nerdiness. "But if you wish to focus on the humanities-- language and history, culture-- I am more than happy to have you in my classes. We will be doing a lot of reading of international literature this year."

Something occurs to her. "Perhaps Betsy will let me teach a section on tribal dances again," she muses.

Professor X has posed:
"Ororo is an excellent dance teacher, or so I hear. I wouldn't know personally," Charles says to Illy with a grin.

"You know, Marie, if you want an actual challenge with them, you should try sailing. Abilities mean nothing then, just you, your skill at handling the boat and the winds. I used to sail quite a bit, you know."

Magik has posed:
Illyana Rasputin considers all the offers a long moment or two. Another sip of her tea is taken, until she just uprights the cup gulping the liquid down entirely. Hot or not she was able to manage it. The cup is set on the table again gently. "Thank you for the tea, Ororo. I will think on it. I know I should at the least take an ethics course." She didn't really *want* to but that was all the more reason she ought to. Peter gains a smile as she rises to her feet. "Perhaps. It's not always the most pleasant topic though. If you'll excuse me... I believe I could use a good long walk to think awhile." Rogue gets a grin though and a tip of her head. "I'll be available to watch then," she offers before stepping away.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Is this a girls rule and boys drool moment?" Pete wonders aloud, brow furrowed thoughtfully with a little laxi grin in place, "Because I agree. Deep down in the heart of hearts within my chest." Tapping it with one finger, "Boys are so dumb." This is the right kind of meta. "Furthermore, I am an astronomically huge astronomy nerd." As confirmed by Ororo, to whom he motions with both hands once he's set his teacup aside for just that purpose.

All in all he's in much better spirits than when he came to the garden, which is precisely why someone would come here in the first place. Then, at some point, something Ororo says darkens his expression and he looks down with a long, drawn out sigh. Combed back damp hair is jostled by his fingers sliding through it, the hand then bushes along his jaw absently.

Even still he glances up when Illy indicates she's leaving. "Unpleasant is relative, but your comfort level talking about it is of the utmost importance... Regardless, it was nice meeting you Illyana." Shadowy little smile and a raised hand wave.

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee is paying ZERO attention to who's around and who isn't. She rounds a sidewalk, her nose buried in a book, wearing earbuds, a turquoise tanktop and khaki Capri cargos, with sunny yellow flipflops. Hair pulled up in a disheveled updo and secured by her brass goggles. She's jamming, right up until she almost plows over someone, then squeaks like a...squeaky thing....that squeaks.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue just sits in her giant canoe in the grass, right in the middle of it with her arms now resting on the end of the oars in front of her torso. She grins at everyone up on the nearby patio and just softly shakes her head. "I'm a muuuutant, Ororogue. I'm already cheatin'." She teases the African Goddess back before her emerald gaze sweeps over to the one and only Charles. He gets a second or so of grin from her too.

"I don't have a sail boat... or, ya know, a crew t'woman it." A glance is given to Peter to prove it IS one of -those- moments and then she looks back to the professor. "I do like bein' out on the water though... maybe I'll look inta that, after I win this race and get crowned Most Awesome Boat Racer in Apple Park."

Its Jubilee's arrival that makes Rogue look over to the girl rockin' out to some tunes. Jubilee just makes her grin even bigger. "Well then. I guess I'll fly my boat to Salem Center." Her feet hook under the wooden seat in front of her and suddenly the boat starts to lift up off of the ground, with the single passenger inside of it, rising up and up, slowly anyway.

Professor X has posed:
Charles smiles welcomingly to Jubilation. "Be careful, Marie is in a mood," he cautions lightly. "Apparently she plans on taking half the staff to win a boat race."

"I would promise you this was all unusual, but it's really not," he says to Peter.

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete sits up straight with a few barely audible pops from his back and stretches his arms up above his head with his fingers linked. There's an absent smirk at Rogue affirming that it was a boys suxxor moment and he watches her rise off the ground with her boat with a raised brow. Drawn to Charles with a little laugh and a hand lifting slightly, "Nothing surprises me anymore." He goesn't get into the details of why or how deep that rabbit hole might go, but he seems confident in stating it.

Even as he too stands from his seat with his backpack slipping from beneath the chair and onto his shoulder, just in time for Jubilee to arrive. "Jubes! I think Marie is about to go paddle some bullies with a boat... or bully some boats with a paddle? Paddle boat bulli- it was something, I stopped listening halfway through." He did not, he is grinning see.

Jubilee has posed:
"Peeeter!!" Jubilee calls out with a grin. "Where've you been, I was lookin' EVERYWHERE!" Jubilee cautiously sidesteps the boat's projected path, per Chuck's heads up. "Isn't she always in a mood? How's it goin', Hotwheels?"

Rogue has posed:
Rogue continues to life skyward further and furhter into the air. She grins at everyone as she goes past them, reaching out to pat the top of Jubilee's head. "Bye bye, mah fwiend." She says to her and as the boat starts to lift ever further into the blue beyond, the Journey music comes back on from high above... the oars start to rotate in a circular pattern and the craft sails (without a sail) toward the southwest, toward Salem Center beyond Greymalkin Lane...

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete breaks his meloncholy for a grin and half wraps Jubes in a side hug, "Work of both a professional and home variety." The last part is a bold face lie, he's done everything in his power not to finish this paper. At this speed, he wont, or he'll still be trying months from now. Eitherway, he has his backpack on so it looks serious business up in this garden. "I found out very important information about Prius' that no one should ever have any need or desire to know, too."

The details of that are left open for interpretation.

"I was just about to go find a quiet spot to finish this up... Maybe engage in some recreational anti-social behavior.. sky's the limit, ya know?" Smiling, he releases her so as to adjust the lay of his backpacks strap and watch Rogue disappear into the sunset with her boat like Shane. "God speed you southern bell..." touching his hand to his brow in a mock salute, "God... speed.."

Jubilee has posed:
"Can I lie dutifully at your feet while you work on your paper?" Jubilee asks Peter. "I dont...don't really have anywhere else to be, and I make an awesome footrest, if push comes to shove."

Professor X has posed:
Charles hums the Star Wars theme, frowns, then switches to E.T. He shakes his head. "Well, Hank will give me very stern looks if he catches me out here again today, and I think we have gotten all the scheduling done we can for the moment," he adds with a smile for Ororo. "I should head back inside." Charles looks over and one the nearby students laughs, gets up and comes over. Charles chuckles, sharing some kind of joke with him and waves goodnight to everyone.

Storm has posed:
Ororo looks up when Jubilee runs over, and laughs at the girl's boisterous antics. She gets to her feet at the same time, gathering up the tea service and setting things onto the tray. "If someone would please bring this back up to my room when you are done with it, I would be grateful," Ororo tells the remaining residents. She trusts that her things will come back to her.

"I will help you inside, Charles," she tells the headmaster. Once their papers are gathered up, Ororo puts the cloth knapsack containing them over her shoulder, and with a tensioning of her corded arms walks Charles back inside.

"What is that you are humming? Is that the song from ET?" Ororo's rich alto picks up the melody and she hums along with Charles as they head indoors away from the late afternoon sun.

Spider-Man has posed:
"You really should get some more rest, Professor." Peter says as if he would ever follow that advise himself. Good'day pot, my name is Kettle. "Once you're feeling a little better I had something I wanted to run past you. Not hugely important or anything." Smiling to both Chuck and Ororo departing with his hand up in farewell.

Then the full weight of his attention is on Jubilee, head cant to one side, "It is going to be unimaginably boring. I have a thirty page paper to write by last week.." When he puts it like that, even he realizes how bad it sounds. "Which I almost cannot pass at this point with point deductions, but..." hands up in a shrug! Eyes wide in that shrug.

Jubilee has posed:
Jubilee gives Chuck a wave, and steeeetches. "But a nap in the lovely sun sounds AMAZING, and maybe I could bring you good luck. At this point I assume you could flunk it and still make an A," she may sound as though she is exaggerating, but she believes it with all she is.

Spider-Man has posed:
"I assure you that that is not the case." Peter says with a laugh and fingers scooping back through his hair, "Alright, but I warned you it would be boring so no complaining when it is, in fact, quite boring." The laptop in his bag is removed and set up on his lap to actually do work on this already supemely late paper in the beautiful garden beneath the setting sun.