➻ one | introduction to 1960s vernacular

[unwheeled]

[Have a video, Poly! Done in a rather typical sort of videoblogger format, although the man looking into the camera doesn't seem too certain that it's recording. Instead he peers at the screen for several seconds before moving his eyes to the upper right hand corner and...]

Oh! It is on.  [Whoops. Self-conscious hair smoothing fidgeting happens. Also Charles' accent is some bizarre amalgamation of Queen's English and high society New York.] Ah-heh. Anyway: hello and good evening, denizens of the City! Some of you I've spoken to already, and the majority of you I surely haven't, but I just arrived today and I wished to make certain that I am properly understanding the predicament that we are all in for the length of our stay. Thus...

[He begins to tick things off on on his fingers.]

• We are all trapped within the confines of an island, in a City literally called 'The City', run by "gods" who, while not terribly creative on the naming of locations front, have other much groovier ideas, including but not limited to:
• Curses, or events in which people find themselves suffering from any matter of unwitting statuses, including but not limited to rapid aging or age regression (complete with amnesia), waking up with one's body changed to the opposite gender, and being constantly followed by an animal familiar or companion.
• However, the City does have several social programs and the residents, despite not coming here of their own volition, are expected to contribute to the economy by either working or opening their own business.
• Along that same vein, there is a coin system here that appears to be roughly in base-5 and despite the fact that there is no guarantee a business' debtors will still be here in a month, all businesses will allow you to purchase items on credit until you do find employment.
• The Academy will hire you as an instructor on as little as your own word and several, rather basic, written tests on the Sciences. [Smirk.]
• Several of you have been here for quite a long while, meaning a year or more and:
• Several of you are possessing superhuman or mutant abilities.
• We have no control over when we leave or arrive; however we are returned to the moment that we left and may return here with partial memory of our prior stay.
• Everyone who spends time alone is affected by the same aural hallucination after several hours.
• The subway system induces fits of hysteria.

[Ten items, ten fingers!]

Is there anything I've missed? Other than the undead construction workers currently beyond the city limits, anyway. 

Oh! Other than introducing myself, which I suspect is only polite: my name is Charles Xavier and while teaching is my calling, helping other people reach their full potential, specifically in the case of powers and abilities, is my passion. 

It's nice to meet you...all. [Such a cocky smile, really.]

Comments

[unflagging]

Hey, you're welcome. Seems like the least I can do, you know?

[unwheeled]

Far be it for me to tell anyone what the least they can do is. [But hey, Charles grins anyway.]

[unflagging]

[All kinds of grins in return, naturally. Grinning is what he does.]

Okay, true. The least I could do would've been to ignore your post here completely and let you fall upon the mercies of the City at large.

But you seem to have some of this place figured out already, so I don't think that would be much of a fall for you.

[unwheeled]

One hopes, anyway. But, everyone has been more than kind and helpful thus far; perhaps my luck will hold out in that respect.

[unflagging]

One hopes, anyway. Just like you said.

[unwheeled]

[Charles nods.] Might I get your name?

[unflagging]

Rory Fletcher. It's good to meet you.

[unwheeled]

Good to meet you as well, Mr. Fletcher! How long have you been in the City?

[unflagging]

Going on two months now. It was early in December when I first found myself...among these worthies.

[unwheeled]

Ah. I've been told that October through December were very interesting times.

'Worthies?' [That's...an odd term.]

[unflagging]

The Chinese were right to call that little turn of phrase a curse.

Yeah, you know. Other people. Comrades. Fellow citizens. Fellow inmates, for that matter. Worthies.

It's old-timey, but I sort of like it.

[unwheeled]

You know, I've never been entirely certain that turn of phrase wasn't something the English just made up for themselves. I've yet to come across anything in Mandarin or Cantonese, at least.

[Charles smiles a little at comrades.]

It's...fitting. In a way. But I can't say I've heard it before.

[unflagging]

It's still true, though, isn't it? The sentiment, I mean.

[Go on, laugh it up. How little you know...]

Too bad. Well, consider this a teachable moment and consider your education advanced.

[unwheeled]

It definitely is, to an extent. Some interesting is good, and some...isn't as much.

[Welp. Charles isn't sure how he should feel about that comment.]

I shall, yes.