diademlogs | First Club Meeting

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First Club Meeting

Who: Everyone with powers!
Where: The X-Men's Community Center
When: Saturday, February 7th
What: Come join the X-Men and friends and meet other people with powers!

Warnings: None

Community Center Gathering

Ororo Munroe may no longer be in this world, but her work has continued and the new community center is on its way to completion...though not nearly finished yet. The front steps are scuffed stone. Much of the iconography of the former abandoned temple is gone, but some of its architecture remains in the door frame and pillars.

There is no signage. If you've made your way here, it's likely that you received a personal invitation or spotted the notice on the Forum. While this is technically a gathering for those with abilities or powers of some kind—inherited or learned—but no one will kick you out if you're human. You just might encounter some wariness from the others. The goal is encourage folks trying to figure out their powers or learn who they are to find a group of people who can help and understand them.

Upon entering, you'll likely run into the welcoming face of the event's organizer, Charles Xavier. Once enough people have shown up, he'll give his customary speech.

Meet and Greet

The main room and the kitchen's been cleaned and painted. There's been some effort to match the floor tiles, paint, and furniture, but a close look will reveal that everything's secondhand, patched together from whatever materials could be scavenged and purchased. Still, there's a comfortable couch and two matching chairs, a couple of shelves, and a cactus by the window.

A bunch of cardboard boxes are shoved into the kitchen, holding bits and bobs that whoever is working on the center is sorting through. The oven's broken, but the fridge is working. You can help yourself to coffee, tea, and beer, and any snacks you find.

A. Failed Food Delivery

While the idea was to have pizza delivered, if you arrive earlier in the meeting, you'll find out that the pizza never arrived. If you're inclined to help, you can whip up a snack plate using stuff in the kitchen, run to the grocery store for supplies, or drive down the block to pick up some emergency takeout. Or perhaps you already arrived with food and drink all on your own? Anything you've got to donate, it'll be added to the table in the middle of the room.

B. Toaster Woes

If you're attempting to use the shoddy equipment in the kitchen, the microwave and toaster are prone to blowing the circuits, plunging the room into darkness. Not to worry: either Logan or Scott will flip the breakers in the basement to get things working again, but for a few brief minutes, the darkness might cause you to trip over the uneven floors or bump into someone carrying a drink.

C. Party Games

Several board games and puzzles are stuffed into the shelf near the whiteboard. Options include Connect 4, playing cards, Jenga, and—a new addition—Uno, but given that the place is under constant construction and repairs, the boxes have a constant thin layer of dust and you might have to look for missing cards or playing pieces. There's also a random stack of paper if you want to annoy people by folding paper planes or just find some markers and crayons for a game of improvised Pictionary.

Power Demonstration (Basement)

The basement looks a bit...creepy, but it's clean and (mostly) free of mold. It's obviously still being worked on, stacked full of boxes and building materials, but there's a space that's been cleared out for those who would like to demonstrate their powers to each other.

If you're nervous about disrupting the gathering upstairs or your powers aren't suited to polite company, you can go down here and show people what you can do. Or, you can just come to watch. Perhaps you're attracted by the sound of popping cans or the whiz of magic, and are coming down to see what's going on.

Do be careful, though: if you surprise someone in the middle of their demonstration, you might send someone's power veering wildly off course. Alternatively, you're the one who was surprised, and now you've accidentally knocked somebody to the ground. Hopefully, they'll get up with nothing more than a bruise!

The Whiteboard

A whiteboard with a few colored markers (black, red, green, and blue) is set up near the entryway door. Written in Charles' handwriting are two very innocuous topic starters: Club Name Ideas—for people to volunteer ideas to name the "club"—and Contact Info—for anyone who wishes to put down their number, if they want. It's entirely optional, meant for those who're eager and willing to make friends, nothing more.

As is the case with whiteboards and a large group of people, however, what's ultimately drawn or written on it is entirely out of Charles' control. Feel free to play Hangman, draw inappropriate pictures, scribble caricatures of your friends—whatever you want.

Whiteboard Participation
If you want to write or draw on the whiteboard, or respond to others' drawings, reply to the comment HERE.

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Reply to this with whatever your character might add to the whiteboard, including if they'll leave their number for others to use or submit ideas for the club name!

Feel free to reply to other comments and/or threadjack.

[ Simple 'here's where he is' below, feel free to hit me up even for quick greetings, whatever you want.]

Once it seems that the new people coming in have trickled, he will ding a glass to try and get people's attention.

"Hello everyone, thank you for coming. I am hoping that this is the beginning of a regular meet-up. This community space was created by Ororo Munroe, our good friend who was recently sent back home. She was passionate about making this happen. We mutants back home face a great deal of prejudice, and it is with one another that we have been able to build community and train in our powers together. If even one of you finds a new friend at this event, I will consider it a great success.

There is a basement downstairs where you can choose to show your gifts to each other or practice a little. If you want more private tutoring, please see me. I have experience helping people with abilities learn how to control themselves, and I would be happy to pay it forward, so to speak.

If you would like to share your contact information, you can either do it one-on-one, or on the washboard. My number is posted on there, and you should feel free to text or call me at any time.

Thank you again, and I hope you have a pleasant evening!"

Charles is the host for this particular event, so he is there early and leaves last. He is trying to push past his sadness about Ororo, and focus on how this was something she was passionate about. It was one of the first things they did together, and he wants to make certain it comes to fruition. Because of that, there may be times in the night when he's alone that he looks sad, but otherwise he will be warm and friendly, as usual.

He is in his improved advanced wheelchair right by the whiteboard to start, so he can greet people as they come in. "Thank you so much for coming," he says with a pleased smile, blue eyes shining. If he sees that you've brought anything, he will direct you to the table with food and drinks, and say to help yourself. For most of the beginning of the event, Charles will be posted here to say hello, and usher others in.

While Charles misses most of the little parts of the evening due to introductions and greetings, he will at one point find himself in the basement to encourage people to use their powers. "Go ahead, you won't hurt the feelings of the boxes," he says with a laugh. Charles will observe anyone who just wants to show off, impressed and pleased. If your character needs a little encouragement or seems to be struggling, he will be there.

Meet & Greet - OTA

This is… uncomfortable.

Peter’s never been this open about having powers before. This is a small gathering and everyone else here has powers but Peter still feels like this many people knowing he has super powers is way too many.

He’s also just awkward at parties anyway so being a wallflower is not out of character for him.

In his head he knows he should just walk over to someone and introduce himself. Maybe ask how they got their powers and what they do with them. Peter’s met a few people now who are totally open and comfortable about having powers and being heroes.

But people knowing is one of those things he’s worked so hard to avoid for a literal decade. Peter’s used to protecting his identity. It’s really weird to just be open and talkative about it.

He picks a wall to lean against that’s close to people but not in the middle of them. He’s got a cup of coffee - which will not help with his anxiety but whatever - and settles into crowd watching.

Maybe if a familiar face shows up he’ll make an attempt but Peter’s got to wrestle with himself for a while first.

Toaster Woes - OTA

Now this is Peter’s element. A toaster that blows a circuit every time it’s used? Sign him up!

Which is why he’s sitting on a kitchen counter with the toaster in his lap and a collection of tools he’s managed to scrounge up from his few days here to work on it. He is slowly and carefully taking the toaster apart to reach the inner workings where something must be going wrong.

Sorry to anyone who hoped to use the toaster, Peter’s got an engineering DIY project and that’s where he’s happiest.

Mingle with people and talk about having superpowers? Nope.

Poke at the inner workings of a toaster to find where the short is that’s clearly drawing too much power and blowing the circuit every time? Yes, please.

If it’s not the toaster, well, Peter might just appoint himself the new electrician and start to get at the wiring in the walls. Someone should probably interrupt him before it gets that far.

The Basement - OTA

The problem is he’s curious. Peter wants to know what’s going on. He ends up in the basement because of his own curiosity to see what other people can do. He’s the only superhero in his world. Everyone else with powers keeps turning evil. He wants to see what other people can do.

His spider-sense kind of hates it though.

Turns out even good people with powers can trip it though not in the same way as a typical threat. Peter just happens to get a tingle when something is about to happen that includes a large explosion or a loud noise.

Yay for him.

It does help though when something goes wrong. A demonstration goes wrong, debris goes flying. Peter’s spider-sense kicks in hard.

He grabs the person next to him and pulls them out of the way of a piece of debris without conscious thought that the person might be perfectly capable of protecting themselves from danger. It’s all muscle memory, insanely fast reflexes, and the desire to protect.

Peter even physically curls himself over the person to keep them safe until the warning of danger passes and he slowly draws back from them.

“Are you okay?” he asks because he cannot help himself.

[ In a polite and aesthetic corner, Aglaea has drawn the following, which did not take her long if anyone watched. She will probably stop by the whiteboard regularly to clean it up and wipe away vulgarities, at least so long as she's visiting.

Source: René Gruau. ]

Edited 2026-02-07 18:01 (UTC)

[ Scott's currently mingling with the rest of the people who managed to attend. Now that Ororo's gone, he's taken it upon himself to manage everything, offering not to get long-term projects at the Scrapyard in exchange for keeping an eye out on work that's being done here.

It's true that they still need formal electrical wiring. The temple's huge and he can't do it alone, not without at least one other help.

So there's a smile on his face when he approaches Peter who's starting to tinker with their wirings. ]

Saw what you did with the toaster earlier. Good job. [ Scott would've gone and repaired it after the initial complaint but when he saw Peter's on the job, he just smiled and let the young man do it. ]

Oh, thanks. Yeah, it was a small fix. Shouldn't blow the circuit anymore. [ He shrugs a shoulder. ] But, uh, I have some concerns about the rest of the wiring in this place.

[ The whole restored temple thing is nice but clearly it's been slow going on actually updating it and making it better. Making it fully safe. ]

If you want some help with that I know a lot of DIY stuff.

Curiosity carries them both downstairs, though in Laura's case it's with a slightly more guarded edge to the whole thing — she wants to see the type of thing she might be up against one day. People had been in it for themselves in the Void, and while that hasn't been the case here, knowing the ways other mutants might attack them had helped her keep her friends alive a little longer. She wants to be prepared for anything... just in case.

He could be forgiven for thinking she needs the help. She's a slight girl, petite, and visibly only about eighteen years old. It probably does look an awful lot like she'd need to be whisked out of the way of impending danger.

Except that when he pulls back and looks down at her, he'll notice the pair of sharp metal claws protruding from either of her fists — popped out on instinct when she sensed the debris flying at her, ready and certainly willing to simply swipe at it in the air and obliterate it into harmless little chunks. She never gets the chance — instead, she's got to quickly yank her hands back to keep from accidentally impaling him when he spins her, and it's entirely possible she winds up catching a blade on his arm in the process anyway.

"Shit- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She just wasn't expecting the assist. She doesn't really get a lot of people trying to take blows for her, considering she's basically a tiny little immortal tank. Taking the hits is usually her job.

Peter did think the girl was weirdly kind of heavy.

"Hey, no, no, it's okay." Peter pulls open the cut on the side to show she only cut through layers of clothing and left barely a scratch on him. It looks more like a paper cut than him getting sliced open. "See? Nothing to worry about."

It's totally fine that she's got claws that put the Lizard's to shame. It's totally fine they appear to rip out from directly between her knuckles which must totally hurt. Peter has questions but he's not going to ask about that's probably rude.

And he's trying to reassure her she didn't hurt him.

"Besides, I heal fast. Even if you did cut me a few hours from now no one would ever know." He smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring manner. Okay, a few hours for a bad cut is stretching it but again the point is to be reassuring.

Actually, about that, [ The edges of Scott's lips curl a bit higher, his smile widening a bit. ]

How'd you like to work on these with me? [ His gaze flickers to the wires Peter has been tinkering with. ] I've been busy with my shifts at the Scrapyard to give this my full attention.

[ Turning his attention back to Peter, he adds: ] I'd pay you. Maybe think of it as your repayment for your rent. [ It's a nice use of Peter's skills and this way, he'd be able to repay Scott without wasting joolies he could've saved up. ]

Dude. [ Peter gives him a look. ] No paying me. This is a community center. I'll do the work for free.

[ There's no way Peter's letting anyone pay him for work around here. They're clearly doing a good thing. ]

I'm taking plenty of odd jobs. Got a semi-regular one washing dishes at a dive. It's fine. [ He is also fantastically good at saving money. He's had a lot of practice. Steady, small payments every month will get things down slowly but surely. ] You can use that money to buy supplies because this place is going to need it.

[Thanks, he hates it here. And no, Steve still hasn't taken him anywhere nice.

But he's hanging around outside the repurposed temple, after casing the perimeter a couple of rounds and reassuring himself that this ~~scam centre~~ community space isn't rigged to blow or transmitting a monitoring feed somewhere with a suspicious-looking cable. Like a stray sniffing around for traps - or food - but showing absolutely zero interest to go inside even though there is actually food inside. And it's warmer. And the people are friendly. And there are (probably) no traps.

Look, at least he doesn't look like the bouncer or the imposing security detail, but. It would be a lie to say he's also showing absolutely zero interest at the people who are going inside and coming outside. He's definitely staring, and watching. But for the most part he hasn't latched onto anything 'unusual' - whatever that term means in a place that gets wracked with cosmic storms and has near-daily spectacles to offer in the nearest diffusion zones - and he's not looking to pick a fight.

He's itching to leave, but unfortunately Steve insists on BuIlDiNg ReLaTiOnShIpS or playing strip poker or whatever the hell is going on inside. He could possibly be tempted by hot food entering his No Fun Allowed zone though. Maybe. If it smells like melted cheese. Or deep fried. Or deep fried and melted cheese.]

[ Peter might qualify as something unusual. The socializing was fun but he's still feeling a little weird about sharing his powers so openly. He goes outside for a breath of fresh air.

His intention was to climb up the side of the building and perch somewhere high up where he could be alone with his thoughts but as he prepares to climb, hands pressed against the wall, one foot raised he realizes there's just a dude... lurking. ]

Uh, hey. [ He waves awkwardly. ] You lost or something?

"Uh, hi." Peter keeps his hands in his pockets and rocks back slightly on his heels. "So, are you the guy in charge of this place?"

He seems to be given he greets everyone and is directing people to go place. Peter's trying his best at small talk and to get to know people. Socialize. Scott told him it would be a safe place to meet people.

Still feels weird to mingle with other super-powered people. He wonders what this guy can do.

[ Charles had offered Kimiko the opportunity to bring someone with her to this, but it was quickly, if gently, declined. This is the last possible event she'd want to bring a date to, even if she had anyone who could (or would) fill that role. So she's alone, sidling awkwardly through the crowd with one eye on the exit and the other eye trying not to parse out potential threats. It doesn't feel altogether very kind, treating Charles's effort at inclusion like recon carried out in the heart of Vought Tower — she is what her world made her, yes, but she tries to tamp down on it.

Bucky looks about as out of place as she feels, so she invites herself into his No Fun Zone bubble with two paper cups of hot (and likely terrible) coffee. One is held out for him.

The glance she gives him isn't a smile, necessarily, but it could hardly be called cold. Sup, as the kids say. ]

[ Ah yes, Scott pretty much expected this answer. It's not lost on him how independent Peter is so he shouldn't even be surprised by this. So instead, it pulls a small chuckle out of him. ]

Alright, alright. [ He rests a hand on Peter's shoulder. ] You got the job.

[ He lets his gaze wander again, noting everything the temple still needs. ] We do need supplies. I have a list of everything we're gonna need. Think I can get some of those from the Scrapyard for free.

No I'm trapped. [Said dryly. Don't think that Bucky hasn't noticed it looks like this kid just came from inside the building but looks like he's about to scale it and pull some Ocean's Eleven level shit. He's most definitely glaring, but it's debatable whether that's a scowl or if that's just his resting happy face.]

The front door lock behind you? [Obviously not, but clearly Bucky's not going to just let him start climbing. Even if half the people here can maybe fly or read minds or whatever.]

[Sadly, Bucky wasn't so lucky, and Steve did think to bring him along. Even though this isn't a date. Or at least, he didn't think so. Steve didn't exactly call it a date. And, you know. Bucky has no idea what they are, so. Anyway, their dates are supposed to have deep fried and/or melted cheese so the absence of them means no date. Right?

He didn't expect to see her here. Of course she said she was back in town, but maybe a part of him had assumed it wouldn't be so easy to run into familiar faces given the size of the city. Maybe unconsciously he thought that, like the other ladies he associates with Walker, she wouldn't have had a reason to be here, but it would make sense. Almost everyone they know can do something hardly anyone else can, and coincidentally have been fucked over by somebody who's tried to use them to push their own agenda.]

Thanks. [He accepts the coffee with a small nod. Takes the cup in his metal hand and has no idea how hot it is until it touches his lips. His tongue flicks out over his upper lip and he gets a taste of how terrible it is as he lowers it, holding the cup lower closer to the bottom of his jacket. If she made it particularly poorly, he fully deserves it, but somehow he doubts her cup tastes much better.]

You signed up for this? [A decent number of people have made their way in since he arrived. He's admittedly mildly surprised. Of course he probably owes Charles an apology too, along with a half dozen other people. But he's reserving judgement until enough time has passed that this hasn't blown up in anyone's face.]

Let's call it an unpaid internship. [ Because a job implies pay and Peter is not letting Scott pay him for this work. They're trying to do something good here and Peter wants to help. ]

I know you've got your bike but for the big stuff we can use my van. [ It's a small van but it's still got more trunk space than Scott's motorcycle. ] I mean, the amount of wiring this place needs to make sure we don't burn it down is probably going to be a lot. And I haven't even looked at the plumbing.

[ Peter is a jack of all trades when it comes to DIY repair. His uncle was really handy and hated paying repair guys. ]

The first step to moving forward is admitting you're stuck. [ Peter's tone is just as dry. He will engage in sarcasm as a form of communication. It's his favorite. ]

Man, I hope not. That'd be really embarrassing. [ He turns and tries to lean casually like that was his intention the whole time. ] Can you imagine? Leaving to get some fresh air and locking yourself out of the party? Oh man, is that what happened to you?

[ Also, talking a lot keeps down the questions about what he might have been doing with the whole wall thing. ]

[ BuIlDiNg ReLaTiOnShIpS is nice, though, and while this is the second time he has taken Bucky in a semi-work related thing, Steve has something special planned for a holiday that he knows is coming up soon. It's not lost on the both of them that they've given each other chocolates, flowers, and a box of 9mm rounds lately.

Steve might be inside mingling and taking note of every guest's abilities and skillsets, but he's quick to notice Bucky's nowhere in sight. Look, it's not like Steve's keeping track of his best friend slash boyfriend like some obsessed lover, but Bucky's absence is usually glaring to him. Call it a bit of a trauma response when he had lost him twice already back home, and once here.

So, after politely excusing himself from the guests he had been conversing with, Steve goes outside. A smile forms on Steve's lips the moment he sees Bucky, hands inside his pockets while he approaches him. ]

There's some hot food inside. Saw a bit of mac and cheese with actual melted cheese. Haven't tried some yet so I can't vouch for it. [ This is his way of tempting Bucky to come inside without actually saying it. As soon as Steve's beside him, his smile widens. ] You alright?

[ Unpaid internship sounds like a good idea so Scott just nods. Yeah, they can call it that. In hindsight, that's what's going to transpire anyway, since he also plans to give Peter a bit more of a rundown on how to repair vehicles so that can be his source of income, too.

Speaking of vehicles, he also nods in agreement when it comes to using Peter's van. ]

The plumbing's been started. We just need to continue it. [ A beat. ] How's your van, by the way? Hopefully not giving you any problems?

[ Charles does spend most of his time inside, but a little bird may have told him that there was someone lurking outside. This isn't a big surprise to him; he thought there had to be at least one person who would do that instead of coming in. Wandering around out there instead of coming in for one reason or another as they made a decision about whether to join everyone else.

He doesn't know who it is since he doesn't use his powers, so when he wheels out to see, he is genuinely surprised to see Bucky. Bucky made his feelings about this well-known, and as of right now, Charles is not aware that Steve brought him. A part of him is hopeful that Bucky chose of his own accord, and at the moment, he has no reason to doubt otherwise. It would make sense for someone to be worried about the safety and come check it out.

His new wheelchair made it easy now for him to carry things while getting around, so he has a cup of hot cocoa with him, and he smiles at Bucky, delighted. "Certain yet that we are in fact, safe?" That is what he assumes Bucky is doing. "Here, I brought you something hot to drink as you seem determined to stay out. It's not poisoned, I assure you." He would like to hope that this has all proven that Charles himself is no threat, nor his idea.

"Hello!" Charles smiles warmly at him. "Yes, that's me, I'm Charles. Thank you so much for coming." This has been in his plans for months now, but the community center needed to be semi-finished. He didn't have the money to set up an entire party at a pub or dining establishment. He hopes this is sufficient for a casual night.

If he was home he could wine and dine everyone in a fancy establishment or at his mansion. Alas, it is not to be. Every person who comes in, he is naturally curious about what they can do. But Charles is a big believer in people choosing what to reveal and when on their own accord. Them being here means they have at least one gift if not many. He'll be patient.

"I'm a telepath." He feels like it is fair to say that right away. "I read minds, with permission of course. And I gained telekinetic powers here, which was a real surprise after thirty years of having a gift."

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Page 1 of 4

First Club Meeting

WHITEBOARD

Charles Xavier | XMCU

The Speech

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Peter Parker | TASM/MCU

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toaster woes

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the basement;

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Bucky Barnes | OTA

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