Logs:Accidentally: / can mean by chance, mistake, or / as a by-product

Accidentally: / can mean by chance, mistake, or / as a by-product
Vuong, Ocean. "The Last Prom Queen in Antarctica". 25-27.
Dramatis Personae Celestine, Natsumi, Spencer	2024-05-11 "I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get up in riot gear, load their guns, draw them, and shoot people by accident."
Location <XAV> Great Hall - Xs First Floor
The largest room at Xavier's, the Great Hall is designed to hold all of the mansion's residents and then some. Built for the mansion's bigger functions, it serves as the school's dining halls on ordinary days, and ballroom when needed. On school days, long trestle tables stretch across the hall, high-backed chairs with plush cushions offering seating for the students. It's breakfast time at Xavier's and the great hall is -- not crowded yet, but it will get there soon enough. Saturday means that at least there isn't a rush for food, no classes to scramble and get to, a bit more leisurely pace with the meal. Natsumi -- dressed today in mustard yellow boilersuit with a brightly colored patchwork satin jacket over top, stompy gold Doc Martin-esque boots, hair pulled up in a messy bun and accented with a colorful scrunchy, bright mismatched earrings, a huge cheerful sun-shaped ring on her middle finger -- is not one of the many kids who are Sleeping In, down here the moment breakfast is ready to load up a plate heavily with eggs and pancakes. She's taking her tray to the nearest available seat and plopping down, setting her phone on the table beside her food so that she can peer at an Instagram post listing various actions around the city that day. Celestine came flying down the stairs and sprinting down the halls as she had accidentally slept through the alarm she set for breakfest. She was running as fast as she could as she was expecting to be a mad dash for food like most days but as she turned the corner she was shocked. There was not as many people in the great hall as she was expecting, better yet when she looked over to the food there was plenty of it. She slows down and casually walks over to the food while catching her breath, when she gets their she grabs a plate of eggs and sausage and sits down. She looks around the room still confused why there wasn't a massive group of students in line for food or crowding the halls. The leisurely brunch gets just a tiny bit more crowded -- -- with the sudden appearance of one Spencer Holland. He's already changed out of his Saturday best and looks ready to riot in black tactical pants and a blue t-shirt with a number of black tentacles emerging from behind a banner that says "To Arms!", each arm holding a different hot beverage. He's also wearing a kippah diagonally bisected into a solid red half and a solid black one. He moves through the breakfast line, gathering an impressive spread for filling out his tall frame, smiling amiably at any other early bird who catches his eye, Celestine included. When he exits the line he brightens at the sight of Natsumi and sits down across from her. "Hey! Oh man you look amazing -- I mean, like usual." Spence is already starting in on his tall stack of maple-soaked pancakes. "You got any particular action you're fixing to go to?" Natsumi waggles her fork in greeting when Celestine comes in all out-of-breath, other hand lifting to cover her small amused smile. "Breakfast isn't going anywhere for hours," she's saying cheerfully once the other girl has gotten her food. Her smile brightens further at Spence, eyes widening when he comes over. She mimes a small primping motion near her hair at the compliment. "Oh thanks! This auntie at Freaktown helped me make this jacket, she said she'd teach me more about sewing if I came down to -- to that -- to your dad's -- wow your shirt is amazing did your dad design that?" She is swallowing down this bright chatter with a gulp of juice. "I kiiinda want to go to the noise demo at the jail but like, yesterday when your, um," she doesn't seem to know quite the right noun to put here and just shifts into, "RyanBlack," like it's all one word, "was doing a thing some of the counter-protesters got real scary and I don't want to go alone, you know?" This leads to a hopeful: "Where are you going to be?" Celestine smiles and nods her head in agreement to the girl assuring her of no rush to eat, she would say thank you but her mouth was stuffed with eggs that no words could escape even if she tried. As she watches a boy sit across from Natsumi she hears them strike up a conversation about clothing, she doesn't know much about making clothes but she takes her plate and walks over to the both of them and sits next towards Natsumi, as she seams to be the nicer of the two. As she sits down taking a bite of her sausage listening to the end of the conversation waiting of Spencer's response as to not interrupt him. in the meantime she grabs a bottle of maple syrup and pour some on her plate to dip her sausage into. Spence waves to Celestine when she comes over, and after he'd swallowed his pancakes a little too hastily manages, "Good morning! Oh yeah, my pa drew this!" He tugs his shirt a little flatter so Celestine can see, too. "Tag -- Chinese medic with the rainbow hair -- mutanted up a bunch of protest shirts but I like this one the best. Ryan's great at riling people up, but that goes for both sides." He gives a small shrug, seemingly unconcerned. "I bop around between actions a lot, the only thing I'm definitely going to isn't until sunset, so if you wanna buddy up for the noise demo I'm so down. We can talk risks, but as long as you stick with me it's super safe. Are you going to the protests?" This is to Celestine, with no real pause after his reassurance to Natsumi though his tone and expression are just as bright and enthusiastic. "Sriyani will leave a door to Evolve open whenever they're up." "Hi!" Natsumi waggles her fingers to Celestine when the girl comes over. "I don't know if we've met I'm kind of new here I'm Natsumi." She's stuffing pancakes into her own mouth while Spence talks, half-covering her mouth while she chews. Her tongue pokes out, maybe in thought or maybe to lick at syrup before she speaks again. "Ummm I've seen a lot of rainbow haired... wait is that the girl whose hair is like changing constantly? Some people," she's sighing a little wistfully, "have such cool powers. I am so jealous of you and Sriyani go anywhere any time, that's the dream. I'd love to buddy with you!" She's turning to Celestine, brows raised curiously. "Have you been down to any of the actions?" Celestine waves to both Spence and Natsumi as they welcome her she listens toward the conversation as she hears the conversation continue she remembers reading about what happened at Freaktown. She swallows another mouthful of eggs before speaking "Are you talking about what happened at Freaktown. I was just saw the released video isn't it crazy" Celestine took another bite of her eggs before continuing on covering her mouth as she spoke to not spit out food "like I watched it it feels like that there is now way they didn't do that on purpose; ya know" "Tag is a guy but, yeah!" Spence bounces in place a little. "His power is super rad. Sriyani's too, and like their teleportation has so much more style than mine." He doesn't sound jealous, though, taking his lack of style in stride. "I do love being able to go anywhere, though. I manifested real early, and like..." He looks down at his plate suddenly, as if he really needs to concentrate on cutting another tall wedge of pancake. "Sorry, you don't need me getting all emotional now, you'll probably have to put up with some of that later, buddying with me. But don't worry, I'm not gonna drag you into anything you're not comfortable doing!" He does manage an encouraging smile when he looks up, but it's quick to fade, and perhaps to cover it he stuffs some pancake into his mouth. The resulting delay actually just makes it more awkward when he does answer Celestine. "That is what we're talking about. Of course they did it on purpose." His voice is trembling just a little, but he keeps his volume steady. "I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get up in riot gear, load their guns, draw them, and shoot people by accident." "Oh-h-h really?" Natsumi's eyes get a little wider at this information about Tag and for a moment her brows scrunch up in consideration of this. "Huh," is the response her ultimate deliberation comes to. She takes another hungry mouthful of eggs. "I think it's a pretty emotional situation." She flicks an uncertain look to Spencer, and then to Celestine, before looking down to her plate. "I was living at Freaktown. Before I came here, you know? The Mongrels were really -- he was really." She shrugs, and sips at her orange juice. She looks up to Spencer curiously. "Did you know them well?" "Im sure that they were wonderful people, you would have to be to be able help those in need in a situation like that" Celestine fidgeted with her hands for a moment trying to think of what was the right thing to say. "I was homeless for a little while in my life and I remember hearing stories about Freaktown from other homeless mutants. They all said the same thing, that Freaktown was a refuge and that it was the few truly safe spaces for mutants" Celestine lowered her head and looked down at her food, she suddenly felt like she wasn't doing enough, while she was eating this food in a warm place they're still mutants suffering "I would like to go with you to the protest if you dont mind" Spence nods. "I'm sorry you lost your home. It was an amazing place with amazing people. I'm glad you got out safe." He pushes a slice of pancake around his plate, fitting it back into the stack and fishing it back out. "Me and Taylor came out of the same lab," he says finally, then adds, to Celestine, "Prometheus. I was real little at the time and he was still a kid, too, but he looked out for me, even when it got him hurt more. That was just how he rolled, you know?" He summons up a fierce smile. "A lot of the folks who got out of the labs and stuck around here are my family. Rachel was, too, and it's deeply messed up that I'm...kinda used to this?" He breathes out slow, and this time his smile returns kind of faint. "Best practice is one buddy per person, and I don't think we'll have any trouble finding another kid who wants to go to the noise demo. Pretty sure we're gonna have a whole X-kids contingent." "It was really cool. When they said there was a whole mutant school it --" Natsumi's nose wrinkles, and she is quiet through another few bites of food. "I mean, my two biggest Mutant Experiences is like, Prometheus and Freaktown, you know? I was hoping it would be more like, uh, the one than the other but it's kinda just..." She doesn't clarify what Xavier's is kinda just, trailing off while pushing a last bite of pancake around her syrup. "I'm really sorry about your friends. They seemed like really great people." Her legs are swinging below the bench, and she smile bright at Celestine, downing the last of her pancake and hopping up from her seat. "Sure you can come. You heard Spence we're gonna have a whole contingent. I'm gonna go find some better protest earrings but I'll meet you guys when you're ready?" Her fingers waggle in a quick wave before she's starting off, her near-empty plate left behind on the table. Celestine nodded while listening to Spence talk as she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable while he was talking especially about a tuff topic. After Natsumi gives her condolences Celestine does the same. "I agree they sounded like one of a kind, and I hope that these things never happen again to any mutant. she said finished off her eggs while Natsumi left. Celestine then looked down at what she was wearing and thought she needed to change into "protest attire" so she gathered all of her stuff and and also grabbed Natusmi's plate as well. "I have to go change as well I need to dress for a protest give me like 30 minutes and I will be right back." Celestine then put her plate and Natsumi's plate into a grey tub full of other dirty dished and then ran off back to her room to go get changed. "It's kinda just a school, if nothing else." Spence bobs his head, slow and rhythmic. "There's some pretty amazing people here, too, but it's definitely not the same." He waves as the girls depart. "See you soon!" Then he looks back down at what's left of his pancakes and starts working his determined if unenthusiastic way through them.