NEWS:
⊗ March must be the month for science and medicine, because on Monday Tricell Inc. announces that it's on the cusp of a "cure" for the X-Gene. The media begins a frenzy over the news, running stories with pictures of children with dramatic physical mutations who 'just want to be normal'. Senator Baelheit voices his support for the cure, saying the hard work of Tricell on this could be the building blocks for an age of peace.
⊗ Collegiate Hugh Kessinger, on trial for the assault of a mutant teenager, has his plea of "guilty to animal cruelty" narrowly rejected, causing a sigh of relief among Mutant Rights protesters.
⊗ The Miners' Sickness vaccine has been distributed to all medical facilities; initial reports claim that the spread of the disease has slowed to a crawl, with only a few new cases in the past week. United States citizens are urged to seek vaccination at their local hospital.

THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ The Spring Festival is over, and classes are back on! Because everyone loves classes.
⊗ The sky is particularly grey and sodden this week, almost in response to the festival coming to an end.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ The Brotherhood may have been quiet, but Magneto has been keeping an eye on recent news stories. On Wednesday he steps forward to make his views publicly known on the assault trial's narrow win and the making of an X-Gene 'vaccine'. "These humans believe we are nothing but animals, lower life forms not even to be accorded the same rights as themselves. In reality, they are the savages unable to accept that their time is over; it is we who shall bring the world into a new era, a superior era. There is no hope for the human race if they cannot accept this simple fact, so I say to you: rise up, my brothers and sisters, let us rise up and show them what it means to be evolved."


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Like Magneto, Sanctuary launches a media counter-offensive within their network. Unlike Magneto, theirs is polite and reasoned. They linger on how the mutant gene is not a disease that needs to be cured, and the unimportance of the difference between human and mutant, and conclude with a plea for a universal respect for all beings, no matter their genetics. "Now more than ever, it is vital that we push the boundaries of our understanding."


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ Spent his weekend undercover in a Cosplay Cafe. Whether he intended to draw out the sleeper agents of the Hand and get into a no-holds-barred ninja fight while dressed as a magical girl or not, the public remains baffled.

OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, Brotherhood shenanigans, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or w/evs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ Allyson Fava, a spokeswoman for the pro-mutant Christian group Jesus Was A Mutant Too, is injured on Monday in a protest over the court proceedings surrounding the assault of Nicholas Fenn, the mutant teenager attacked by college student Hugh Kesinger. (See last GU! -Ed.) Members of the anti-mutant but similarly religious Stryker Crusade are alleged to have been involved in the attack but no definitive proof is available. Fava is not seriously hurt, but the JWAMT website is updated with even more lengthy tirades against the Stryker Crusade than usual over the course of the following week.
⊗ On Tuesday a small spacecraft enters Earth's atmosphere, bearing a watchmaster of the Jedi order. The Jedi being as they are known allies of the space-faring Fantastic Four, the ship is permitted to land on the Baxter Building with little incident. Rumours circulate about the nature of the visit; the watchmaster is expected to make contact with the public on Wednesday.
⊗ The initial trial stages of the vaccine for the newly-named 'Miners' Sickness' appear to have been successful, and it enters mass production on Thursday.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ The Spring Festival will run from Tuesday to Thursday, with Friday allocated for cleaning up. EVERYBODY WILL HELP WITH THIS WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT. There will be a big Festival log some time this coming week, and classes will start again next Monday because everyone loves learning.
⊗ The weather stays cold, but there are signs of spring flowers emerging and it looks to be clear for the festival.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ S.H.I.E.L.D. have an encounter with Magneto this week after accidentally discovering they use the same tailor for their costumes. After the initial embarrassment, and a small fight, the two agree the other has good taste and part ways. Local gossip magazines reveal photographs the next day which show that Magneto does, indeed, have a new cape.


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Doctor Helen Magnus will be giving talks this week on the study of mutant genetics and how it can be useful for both X-Gene carriers and non-carriers alike. Additionally, other members of Sanctuary will join her for the duration of the visit and she will be happy to answer any questions. No mutant kittens this time.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ Battled his way to the top of the Eiffel tower, where a group of supervillians had planted a Sixties Ray that was making the inhabitants of France believe the sixties were back in fashion, in an attempt to sell awful clothing they'd designed. Nobody was harmed thanks to Wolverine and the swift response of the Paris fashion police.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ Since classes are cancelled for the Spring Festival, this post is for planning out festival goodness, mentor groups, etc. We strongly encourage people to thread this stuff, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving it, but if you don't have time for a thread or you want to plan something before threading or w/evs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ As reported in a number of medical journals, several research teams have been coordinating globally on the mysterious worldwide illness; they reveal on Monday that they have had a breakthrough in their research. The head of the American team announces separately that they have begun to synthesize a vaccine, which should be available within the next week.

⊗ On Tuesday, the trial of a man accused of assaulting a mutant teenager comes under heavy media scrutiny when the attorney for the defense moves to downgrade the charges against his client to animal cruelty. The attorney makes a further statement to the press in which he alludes to 'the clear line between human and animal'. "Whilst the law is still unclear in cases like my client's, it is safe to say that if it has fur, claws and a tail, it does not count as human under United States law. My client should not have done what he did, but he is not guilty of assault."


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Spring festival planning continues! People must have a formal idea to submit by the end of this week. The idea is allowed to progress and change as you go along, the teachers simply want to know you're getting involved and doing something!

⊗ If your character no longer has a mentor, due to their mentor leaving/being on hiatus, leave a comment in the designated thread below and choose one of the following options:

A. they would not icly do anything about this, and I am fine with them skipping/trouble-causing until mentor groups are formally re-arranged
B. they would not icly do anything about this, however I would like them to be forced to join a mentor group at least temporarily for the festival (random)
C. they would not icly do anything about this, however I would like them to be forced to join a mentor group at least temporarily for the festival (and I have a mentor in mind)
D. They would mention it to staff, and be assigned a mentor group at least temporarily for the festival (random)
E. They would mention it to staff, and be assigned a mentor group at least temporarily for the festival (and I have a mentor in mind)

⊗ Please try not to all ask for one mentor! We don't want to overload any single team.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ Dr. Nicholas Rush (AKA Fox) is found half-drowned at an undisclosed coastal location by two Sanctuary agents; upon waking he immediately requests asylum at the Institute.


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ A group of Sanctuary operatives have taken time off to visit the Spring Festival, see your lovely booths and give guest lectures on Sanctuary and the work they do. They will be available to answer any questions students or staff might have regarding the organisation. Within reason.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ STOPPED A MAD SCIENTIST WHO WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD (starting with new york, of course) WITH GENETICALLY MODIFIED MUTANT KITTEN ARMIES. The kittens were unharmed. Some observant bloggers wonder why there are so many experiments involving kittens lately.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.

⊗ Since classes are cancelled for the Spring Festival, this post is for planning out festival goodness, mentor groups, etc. We strongly encourage people to thread this stuff, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving it, but if you don't have time for a thread or you want to plan something before threading or w/evs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ Reverend William Stryker, head of the evangelical Christian anti-mutant group known as the Stryker Crusade, issues a statement on Sunday in which he asserts that there is no reason for any controversy to surround President Henderson's giving permission for the CIA to assassinate the suspected mutant terrorist and US citizen Crossfire, since US citizenship by definition can only apply to humans. He goes on to add that by definition all mutants present in the USA are terrorists.
⊗ On Tuesday, Victor Von Doom declares his intent to regain control of Latveria. Its current ruler, the woman known only as Mistress, makes no verbal response; her official reply consists in its entirety of smug laughter.
⊗ Zero Airlines' first full showing of what it is capable of occurs in the skies above Germany on Wednesday. Amateur video appears on Youtube, etc., depicting nearly impossible evasive maneuvers for a plane of its size. It deploys machine guns, smart missiles, and advanced defense mechanisms to protect itself from being shot down by US Air Force when its flight path takes it over Ramstein Air Force Base. It lands safely in Hamburg, discharges its passengers and cargo, and takes off again all in less than fifteen minutes before dropping off of radar.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Professor Xavier kicks off the week on Monday by making a reassuring speech about what exactly terrorism entails, why mutants are not terrorists just by existing, and why Stryker is a big loserpants.
⊗ Classes are cancelled this week and next as preparations begin for the Xavier Institute's Spring Festival! Mentor groups are encouraged to put together a booth, event, or something similar for the festival; groups may band together or compete with one another. Any money the students need has to be raised via fundraiser, to keep the wealthier students from overwhelming everyone else.
⊗ While classes are canceled, the school administration takes this opportunity to begin Control Class Reassessments to determine which students need some extra attention, which students can be tested out of the class, and whether any already-tested-out students need to be put back in the class.
⊗ On Monday, while borrowing the power of a precognitive classmate, student Marco McCain suffers a vision that overloads his system and causes him to pass out, but not before uttering the uselessly cryptic "The darkness... Mother, it burns..." He slips into a coma, and there's no telling when he'll recover.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ Inferno is looking for anybody interested in joining his Sexy Villainous Group now that he is without Joule. Sexiness required, villainry recommended but optional.
⊗ In response to Stryker's statement about mutants, Magneto claims later in the week that all humans everywhere are terrorists.


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Someone from Sanctuary rescues a number of adorable, multicolored, cloned kittens with gemstones set in their foreheads from an evil genetic research facility where they were being experimented on. Currently, the organization is trying to figure out what to do with them all and determine whether or not they possess elemental powers. (So far it looks like no.)


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ The macarena.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ THE DARKNESS PLOT IS NOW OVER. Everyone is back in the correct dimension and nobody remembers it if their player doesn't want them to. You are, of course, welcome to go on threading that stuff, but from this point on it's backdated.
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ Since classes are cancelled for the Spring Festival, this post is for planning out festival goodness, mentor groups, etc. We strongly encourage people to thread this stuff, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving it, but if you don't have time for a thread or you want to plan something before threading or w/evs, this is the place!
⊗ If you want to volunteer one of your teachers to help run the Control Reassessments, comment here! We intend to have this threaded out ICly, meaning fun and shenanigans for all!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ Arizona Senator Kurt Blurton is criticized in mutant activist spheres as well as pro-choice ones when he is quoted as saying that abortion, which he generally opposes, is okay if the unborn child has tested x-gene positive.
⊗ Eccentric pop singer Duchess Loco deflects claims that she is a Skrull by pointing out that if she were a shapeshifting space alien sent to blend in and infiltrate Earth society, she would probably not dress like that. She goes on to add that those most likely to be Skrull spies are the people who seem most normal. Paranoia suddenly becomes trendy.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ With the Institute apparently back to normal and the miasma of darkness covering the mansion and its grounds gradually lifting, things start to stop being unreasonably creepy this weekend – however, not all is quite as it seems. More on that in another post to follow.
⊗ The snowy weather is finally starting to clear up along with the darkness. In fact, flowers are starting to slowly peek their way through. Perhaps some welcome relief is finally coming.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ After weeks of discontent, the tension bursts. A take over attempt is lead by Nicholas Rush, and is almost successful -- however when one of their number attempts network communication they are intercepted by Lain, who forwards their location to Magneto.
⊗ A fight breaks out, and what is left of the Brotherhood spreads into factions across New York -- each faction fighting for their own interpretation of mutant rights.


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Are busy looking into the rumours that Duchess Loco is a skrull. Well, you can't be too careful.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ Starred in a production of Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the hopes of catching a villainous stage manager. The musical is stopped halfway through the second act while a rainbow coat clad Wolverine fights the evil stage manager. The orchestra decides to underscore their fight with dramatic music.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!
⊗ Brotherhood characters now count as a type of INDEPENDENT. That means lower activity requirements. You are, however, welcome to use the Brotherhood tag if communicating with other brotherhood members. You are welcome to start your own Brotherhood factions, stay wherever you like, be 'old' Brotherhood or 'new'. Whichever! You can also stay on Genosha with Magneto if you really like, of course – we're going to go on assuming that there is a small but gradually growing mutant population on the island. <3

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:

⊗ The nationwide detainment of mutants (and mandatory airport testing for the X-gene) remains in effect this week. However, there is a new means of travelling internationally. On Monday, during the height of morning rush hour, the Jumbotron in Times Square is momentarily taken over by a man known only as Zero. He’s wearing a large fishbowl face-hiding mask, a long cape with wide shoulders, and a massive collar that stands up. In his message, he expresses severe disdain for the current administration, as well as the governments of most of the primary world powers for allowing this kind of civil rights injustice to go unchecked. In his fantastically verbose and dramatic speech, he unveils Zero Airlines. It is a pirate airline with the primary objective of ferrying mutants back to their families, back and forth across oceans. Fares are determined by one's ability to pay, and its method of funding and how a Boeing 777 got so posh inside while being such a tank on the outside remains a mystery. It is discovered that it has already run a few early flights, and the speech ends with the plane doing a low fly-over Manhattan Island, so all in the intersection can clearly see “Zero Airlines” and his emblem painted on the belly of the aircraft.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Despite the overwhelming number of technopaths, it seems like technology within the institute is prone to being upset somewhat. The printers are currently unable to behave themselves, and constantly continue to print the name and address of a local restaurant along with a helpful map. It seems quite a nice restaurant, at least.
⊗ As the week goes on, those with the ability to detect reality warping or strong danger senses will get the increasing feeling that something is going terribly wrong. On Sunday, anyone sharp might notice it seems as if every room in the Institute is one inch bigger on the inside than the outside.
⊗ Thanks to a little lot of help from Tony Stark, and a formula from a few students, a few time machines have arrived that can be used to collect the missing staff and students from the points in time they can be found. Over the course of the week those missing will return... and a bit of adjusting will be needed, for everyone. Hopefully the school will return to normal - well as close to normal as it gets - soon.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ After the aid run by Xavier institute, the murmurs of discontent seem to have grown. It seems like those left are splitting into groups -- those who still support Magneto, and those who are no longer on his side.


SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Equipment has been spotted going in and out of Sanctuary headquarters, and helicopters have landed. Looks like they're planning something!


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
⊗ Wrote a book of Spaghetti-O recipes which has risen to the top of the New York Bestseller list.

OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!
⊗ For the time travel plot -- Logs of the rescues are greatly encouraged, but not enforced by law. OPEN THREADS FOR YOUR RETURNS ARE A GREAT WAY FOR CR! The Wiki is a great place to list changes the character might have had while they were gone. Any small group of 2 or 3 people can take a time machine to do a rescue. Although the staff would rather responsible students go on this errand.

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ On Friday, major news outlets confirm that President Henderson has expressly authorized the CIA to assassinate suspected mutant terrorist Helga McCross (codename Crossfire), an American citizen. As a result, there are significant protests on the part of civil rights groups, saying that this act violates the constitutional right to a fair trial. The Henderson administration has not issued any official responses to this outrage. Crossfire's current location remains unknown.
⊗ The nationwide detainment of mutants (and mandatory airport testing for the X-gene) remains in effect this week.
⊗ The rumors that arose last week about Senator Baelheit's donations to Tricell are confirmed on a press release on Monday.

THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ The weather this week is fairly mild, with low temperatures but not unpleasantly freezing. There is gently falling snow every evening, a large yellow moon, and poofy clouds which look suspiciously like cotton candy.
⊗ Now that preparations are complete, the student-organized aid trip to Genosha will take place this week, chaperoned by John Sheppard.
⊗ The school was attacked by a number of odd creepy aliens (as you do). They were eventually defeated, but the school is left with a problem: a number of students and staff have gone missing without many clues as to where they might be. Kakashi Hatake has begun building search teams.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ Things continue on as normal, although there are rumors of dissent going around.

SANCTUARY FOR ALL:
⊗ Reports say Sanctuary have pinpointed the location of Big Bertha, the underwater arachnid behind the recent spate of earthquakes, and are planning a mission to subdue it.

WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Competed in Dancing with the stars, but was disqualified after accidentally shredding his partner's outfit.

OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!
⊗ MAKE YOUR OWN MISSIONS, BROHOOD!!
⊗ TODAY IS IN-GAME VALENTINE'S DAY!!! SNUGGLE UP WITH YOUR SWEETIE unless they have been deported/kindapped/mysteriously transported back in time/are a skrull

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:

⊗ A small mystery occurred in New York, around Putnam Lake as a new housing development's construction came to a grinding halt. The entire crew meant to work on the project went missing Monday morning. The wife of one of the missing workers reported an odd dropped call with her husband after he talked about a dumb prank some of the guys were pulling.
⊗ The nationwide detainment of mutants (and mandatory airport testing for the X-gene) remains in effect this week.
⊗ The odd illness and rashes that have been showing up in mining villages the world over seem to be spreading. The public are getting increasingly worried and agitated about this ~mystery illness~. (This week, played characters can start having symptoms! If your character is from a mining town or has been in/near one recently, you can choose to have them start to develop symptoms, be it a rash or a fever, etc.)
⊗ Rumors are being circulated that Senator Baelheit has donated large sums of money to the Tricell corporation.

THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:

⊗ The weather is fairly mild, though still cold. There's a soft coating of powdery snow on the grounds.
⊗ Megan Gwynn, having come down with the aforementioned ~suspicious illness~, has been deported back to Wales.
⊗ Various staff and students have been working together to organize a trip to Genosha to provide aid to surviving mutants. Interested parties, please to this in the comments section!
⊗ THE VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE IS AT THE END OF THIS WEEK

THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:

⊗ Brotherhood members are being encouraged by Magneto to go out and scour the world for dissatisfied or abused mutants who are willing to relocate to Genosha. They have been given resources to assist any mutants who do not have the money or ability to make the trip themselves. (This is a good opportunity to get your Brohooders off the island temporarily and try to get them a wider range of CR!)

SANCTUARY FOR ALL:

⊗ Sanctuary is currently on the trail of a giant underwater arachnid known as Big Bertha. Bertha is the cause of many natural disasters you may have heard of recently, earthquakes and tsunamis and so on. If you're curious, she manipulates tectonic plates with her magnetic resonance. If you enjoy monster hunting, you're welcome to offer your help to Sanctuary.

WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:

Became lost in a very large shopping mall for several hours.

OOC NOTICES:

⊗ Remember: Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!
⊗ MAKE YOUR OWN MISSIONS, BROHOOD!!

EXCELSIOR!

Okay, guys! So I know we've tossed this idea around a lot for a while in chat and so on, but I thought that given LJ's recent TOTAL NOTIF FAIL and the fact that the game is kind of going through some changes management-wise and seems to be slightly less HUGE AND UNWIELDY in the numbers of players department... um

It's time to ask you all what you officially think about moving XI to Dreamwidth!

Now, before you freak out, we by no means have this planned and if we ever did decide to move the game, we would give everyone plenty of notice and be ready to help everyone out with the transition and/or acquiring codes (DW has said before that they are working on a thing to let people post from multiple usernames without logging in and out but I am not sure how far they've gotten with that).

Anyway, we really, really want to hear your thoughts and ideas and opinions on this subject so pleeease please let us know specifics in the comments because we really are in the very beginning stages of considering this as an option and um... WE NEED YOUR HELP, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!

So. If the mod team were to move this game to DW and off of LJ, would you...

A. Enthusiastically move with us?
B. Move but grumble about it and it would be kind of a pain in the ass?
C. Drop, because it's too much effort to move/you have paid time/other reasons?
D. None of the above/other?

Pleaseeeee tell us in the comments and please please do elaborate about your reasons or ask questions of us about how we'd be doing this or list pros and cons (and suggest things!) and so on. We need input!

THANKS GUYS!!! EXCELSIOR!!!

NEWS:
⊗ The U.S. Congress and White House declare a state of emergency on Monday in response to Magneto's takeover of Genosha and issues a bill, proposed by Senator James Baelheit, detaining anyone of mutant status, citizen or international, from leaving the country. It is effective immediately. In a press release on Tuesday, the reason for this action is cited as originating from concerns about Genosha's numbers rising and posing an increased threat. All international airports in the US have been equipped with x-gene testing devices to enforce this. Reactions range from approval to disgust, and run strong on either extreme.

⊗ The United Nations holds several debates focusing on the tragedy in Genosha. The UN's official stance is to allow Magneto's governership of Genosha in order to limit further loss of life; however, internal sources say they are divided on this issue, with a minority of representatives calling for a UN-sanctioned occupation. Peace talks are attempted, and diplomats with the X-gene are sent to confirm his policies. Magneto explains his stance and reiterates his invitation to mutantkind, but refuses to comply with any of the UN's suggestions. Two of the diplomats' retinue choose to stay behind on Magneto's invitation.

⊗ The right-wing media conglomerate Red Lamp Productions hosts a week-long donation telethon for the displaced human survivors of the explosion in Genosha. CEO Charles Lamperouge states in a press conference on Monday, "This loss of life is tragic and regrettable. Our condolences go out to the refugees forced from their homes by Magneto and his fellow terrorists." Donations reach $160,000 by the end of the week.

⊗ Questions are also asked about the cities still under quarantine, but the government claims the situation is under control.

⊗ The newest superteam of New York has put out a recruitment call after gaining official status from the Mayor.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Doctor Helen Magnus, leader of a worldwide underground network known as Sanctuary for All, has come forward to Charles Xavier and suggested they work together. The two have set up connections so that Sanctuary can help mutants find their way to the institute. Sanctuary also underlines that its own doors are open to anyone who would like a place to stay.

⊗ The weather turns cold again, with a foot of snow accumulating on Monday.

⊗ A virus has found its way into the institute's network. It doesn't appear malicious, but has the irritating side effect of triggering 5 second long webcam posts when people are least expecting them. Rumors suggest it was started by our very own deletion-evading gossip girl in the hope of catching something good.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ Now that Magneto has established his take over of the ruined Genosha, the Brotherhood is to set about repairing the damage caused. Their main aims are to establish a clean water supply and find some sustainable food source for themselves and the inhabitants left. Other tasks include clearing away rubble and debris caused by the explosion and trying to free up the environment, as well are making suitable shelters that can withstand weather conditions and provide ample temporary living space.



WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Wolverine appeared on Top Gear for their 'Star in a reasonably priced car' segment, however between the ninja attack and his metal bones his lap was rubbish.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ Sanctuary is now live! This area is intended to bridge the gap somewhat between independent characters and other areas of the game. Any questions, direct them towards Jack! Sanctuary is happy to help young mutants to the Institute (be it from their own homes or from Genosha) or just take them in themselves. It's also willing to work with trusted independent characters (pretty much just ping us and you can become trusted through some plot device) on things. Basically, Sanctuary is there to give you things to do while not being too plot heavy or tied down to classes and such! They also hunt monsters sometimes. It's all cool.
⊗ Guys, PLEASE REMEMBER TO REPLY TO YOUR ACCEPTANCE EMAIL WITH YOUR USERNAME. If you don't do it we can't do lovely things like put you on the taken list or give you a dorm.
⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

Wrote an AU character background that you now realise you're not 100% happy with? Got a fresh nugget of your character's canon in the most recent episode that you want to incorporate into their AU backstory? A CRmate just dropped and you want to officially remove them from your character's in-game history rather than have to deal with the fallout? YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE, TRUE BELIEVER.

If you aren't familiar with the term "retcon", here is a handy explanation. If you are scared of tvtropes, here is a briefer explanation! It's short for "retroactive continuity" and it means what that sounds like: it's when a writer takes something they wrote as canon in the past and decides that ACTUALLY THAT HAPPENED DIFFERENTLY SORRY GUYS. It happens a lot in long-running canons, especially ones with multiple writers, and the term is most prominently associated with mainstream American comic books. So, you know, while we don't advocate doing this AT EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY, we wouldn't really be keeping within the traditions of the world our game is set in if we didn't allow you guys to pull shit like this when you need to – but you need mod approval first, just to make sure nobody retcons in stuff that we wouldn't have permitted if they'd had it in the character's app in the first place.

SO. If you want a retcon, copy, paste and fill out the following in a comment to this post. We'll probs approve it, but we might want to veto something or talk something over with you.

<b>Character and username: </b> <b>Details of desired retcon:</b> (include ridiculous explanation if you have one) <b>Reason you want to retcon:</b> <b>Do you want this announced in the next game update?</b> (this is mostly to keep everyone abreast of what's going on with one another!)

NEWS:
⊗ At 3:17am on January 23rd, Genosha explodes. There are no records – no surviving ones, anyway – that could explain what caused it, but the most likely explanation is that when the mutant slaves' inhibitor collars were deactivated by Lain, a mutant with years of repressed explosion powers was unable to keep from detonating – violently enough that the entire island is affected. Buildings are torn down. Forests are destroyed. The flightless ground owl, a species endemic to Genosha, is suddenly almost extinct in the wild. Here and there pockets of survivors manage to avoid being completely obliterated by being behind or under things, but even people on the other side of cliffs or mountains to the explosion are in danger from massive landslides and in some cases the mountain actually just collapsing on them, and a lot of people in deep basements (or even caves) are killed or trapped by cave-ins. Genosha's human population is cut down to a scant few thousand, and its mutant population is now only a few hundred. The explosion and the subsequent devastation of Genosha is widely reported and blogged, with most reporters assuming that Magneto orchestrated the explosion on purpose.

⊗ Over the weekend reports start to filter in that Magneto has announced himself ruler of Genosha, claimed Genosha as the world's first mutant state, and ordered the remaining humans on the island to leave or be forced to leave. The president of the Seychelles announces his country's doors are open to human Genoshan refugees, but there are no similar offers for mutants who might wish to leave; on the other hand, though, Magneto announces any mutants who wish to come to Genosha from anywhere around the world are welcome. He says there is work that must be done to repair the damage caused, but that it will be worth it to have a country that all of mutantkind can truly call home.

⊗ Professor Charles Xavier announces on Monday that Genoshan mutants are as welcome at his Institute for Higher Learning as mutants from any other country. Magneto declines to comment.

⊗ On Wednesday, the ruler of Latveria known only as the Mistress goes on record as congratulating Magneto on his conquest, if in a vaguely patronizing and amused fashion. Despite the controversy of this statement, many mainstream news outlets do not broadcast it, mostly because of what Mistress was wearing.

⊗ During the Facebook outage last week, an Alaskan housewife in search of online entertainment reads through the Daily Bugle's entire internet archive of JJ Jameson's opinion pieces. Inspired, the housewife begins a campaign of anti-vigilanteism called MAMA, Mothers Against Masked Action. Monday, the MAMA spokeswoman, Sandra Paladian Leeson, appears on Good Morning America and speaks out against costumed superheroes, claiming that the presence of superheroes create a need for supervillains. Leeson's call for less superheroic and more government action finds an eager audience in the American Midwest.

⊗ Internet celeblog OYTD reports that Silverlight Studios, the studio behind the new show Darwin, has rejected former movie actress Rara Teid's audition on the grounds that she is not a mutant. Silverlight Studios spokesperson Elizabeth Guns explains that Silverlight is "striving for an authentic, sensitive depiction of how mutants come of age" and that the company's stance is that the best way to do so would be to “give actors who have lived the experience a chance to tell their own stories”. Mutant rights groups are split over whether this is a step in the right direction or simply a ploy to drum up interest in a television show through needless controversy.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Having received word from an old ally in the middle of the night, the X-Men arrive at Genosha just in time for the force of the explosion to rock the Blackbird – and then the force of Lung Tien Lien's Divine Wind. The dragon is a force to be reckoned with, more than twice the size of the Blackbird itself, and she refuses to let the X-Men land. They are forced to retreat. TOO BAD GUYS pick your injuries (if you want 'em).

⊗ So that staff meeting we mentioned THAT'LL BE THIS WEEK sorry about that.

⊗ The snow has more or less petered off for the time being, leaving big icy patches, the slightly melty and disturbing remains of snowmen, and disgusting crusty slush puddles. Ew.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ See that Genosha bit? That's why we were asking who has force fields! Anybody who DOES have force fields is encouraged to have used them to shield themselves and their comrades. Everyone is welcome to assume their character got behind a force field to survive (either a player character's or a Genoshan NPC)– or sheltered behind some sturdy buildingage, but if that's the case they probably got seriously hurt. Feel free to have your character seriously hurt.

⊗ SO! You all live on Genosha now. (Most of the human population is gone by the end of this week. There are a few protests, but Magneto won't be having with that stuff; anyone who doesn't leave of their own free will gets moved. Sometimes by dragon. Sometimes by giant floating sheet of metal. Neither option is comfortable.) It's kind of an explosion-torn wasteland right now, but the Bromarine has been lifted onto the shore amidst the remains of Hammer Bay and is being used as your primary base while construction work and mutant-power-fuelled regrowth of vegetation starts happening. Feel free to help out with that. Magneto says a lot of inspiring things about how now the mutants of Genosha are working for themselves and not others, and about how great this nation will be.

⊗ The Mistress of Latveria sends a tribute on Wednesday in the form of an enormous basket of mini muffins and a falcon that shoots lasers from its eyes (not 100% safe for work). Magneto shares the muffins because they won't fit through the face slit on the front of his helmet.

⊗ ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEAVE THE BROTHERHOOD/GENOSHA CAN DO. Just mention it to a mod. We'll sortcha out. This includes anyone who wants to app an ex-slave who wants to attend the Institute rather than remain on Genosha.

⊗ From this point onwards all new Brotherhood applicants will have to either have come to Genosha from other countries, for whatever reason, or have previously been Genoshan slaves.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Becomes a professional dog walker for a few days; has to fight a giant moth in a tracksuit.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ App period is comin' up (SORRY FOR THE DELAY) this Wednesday at 8pm GMT. We won't be like NO!! to any apps sent in before then, but no app reading will occur until 8pm on Wednesday.

⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ The supervillain Dr. Moth has been apprehended; she is due to stand trial for numerous moth-related crimes.

⊗ On Monday, the slowly simmering war between the Facebook groups JJ Jameson for President and JJ Jameson is an Ass come to a head and results in a DDoS attack on Facebook that lasts for several hours. Productivity around the US skyrockets as employees find themselves unable to access Facebook during their lunch breaks. Facebook recovers before 5 PM Pacific Time and a new Facebook group We Hated JJ Before It was Cool condemns the DDoS attack.

⊗ On Wednesday, Chlamydia (formerly known as the Urban Fantasy Channel) announces its new mid-season lineup. The lineup includes Darwin, a show about teenagers discovering they possess special talents, and The Warsaw Files, based on a popular series of novels of the same name. Both series are produced by Silverlight Studios. Early buzz for Darwin seems positive, and on Friday a casting call is leaked onto the Internet. It seems the producers are interested in auditioning real mutants for lead roles on the show, and an open casting call will take place in New York City within the month. (Contact Lyra for more on this one.)


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ There will be a staff meeting this week. MORE ON THAT LATER.

⊗ The Xavier Institute's first student council elections are underway. GET NOMINATIN'

⊗ It's still snowy and cold – and everyone's still ill. 8(


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ The assault on Genosha is launched this weekend. The first thread (Lain's group) IS UP HERE. More on this here!


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Went to the zoo – where he was confronted by the notorious, bewildering supervillain Grey Leg Face Man. Wolverine won.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ NEXT APP PERIOD, in ten days' time according to our handy timer (June 9th), the limit on characters one person can app will be two. Now you know!

⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ Stark Industries announces on Tuesday that the long-awaited, year-round event Stark Expo '10 will be opening to the general public two months from now, after a decade-long hiatus. Tickets are available for preorder online or by phone. During the press conference, CEO Tony Stark announces that the entry fee of $25 will be waived for those under eighteen, a decision he attributes to his time at the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning.

⊗ The 'noises in space' web phenomenon has been rekindled as a satellite records similar readings from an entirely different area of space. Three more sites have sprung up, and the FaceBook group 'all skrulls love to party' has gained 12,051 members.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Business Studies classes this week are being covered by a substitute teacher, as Ms. Potts has been taken prisoner by the Mandarin during a fairly loud and explosive battle above DC. Mr. Stark would like to assure her students that the Mandarin is, despite his large number of failings, a polite captor, and the Avengers will be staging a rescue mission on Thursday.

⊗ The Institute's snow problem is now such that students are being encouraged to use their abilities responsibly to clear the paths on their way around the mansion.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ Having run into a few unexpected delays and forced to take a slight diversion (see WWDTW), the Brosub will in fact be reaching its destination later this week.

⊗ Hecka training will still be happening this week. If you have secret techniques or levels in badass to uncover, now is the time. Magneto is anticipating some heavy-duty fightan to be going on in the near future. Be prepared.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Descended into the depths of the ocean with a TOP SECRET SUBMARINE, where he fought the Kraken's evil tropical cousin.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ WE ARE SORRY AGAIN for our massive spades of slowness and fail; we are just about back on our feet and we should be getting mentor groups up soon.

⊗ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, there have been some changes to how xi_online works: it is hecka important that you check them out here.

⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc., as well as Brotherhood training sessions and similar. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ On Monday, Senator Nero Verus announces the large donation he has made to the mutant advocacy group We Are Normal for the construction of their shelter for mutants. The reactions of his supporters range from approval to criticism for the observation that he appears to be backpedaling; however, his approval ratings have gone up in the mutant community of New York.

⊗ The whole crew of an oil platform off Australia is reported infected with the influenza-like disease for which Boulder City, Nevada was quarantined some weeks ago.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ BACK TO SCHOOL THIS WEEK! Lessons don't start until Wednesday, January 6th, but students who have been home for winter break start arriving back at the Institute from Sunday 3rd onwards! Many of them will find their rooms have been moved over break. CHECK THE DORMS PAGE to make sure you know who your character's roommate is/what room they're in.

⊗ The snow has let up, but the cold weather is keeping it on the ground. Expect blustery winds and a few overcast days.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ After docking on Friday, the Bromarine sets out for Genosha. They're expected to reach their destination during the coming week.

⊗ Hecka training will be happening this week. Magneto is anticipating some heavy-duty fightan to be going on in the near future. Be prepared.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Fights a tiger, except afterwards the tiger decides to adopt him as its own. Extensive grooming occurs. His sideburns are, apparently, particularly lickable.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ HI, NEW PEOPLE. Sorry if you're waiting for new mentor group assignments; we've still got a fair amount of apps to go through so that's gonna be a little while, but we should both be done with apps and have sorted out mentor groups by Wednesday! KEEP YOUR EYES SKINNED!

⊗ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, there have been some changes to how xi_online works: it is hecka important that you check them out here.

⊗ As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes, mentor group meetings, etc., as well as Brotherhood training sessions and similar. We do encourage people to thread classes, mentor group activities, etc. where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ On Saturday, December 26th, the first issue of the Daily Bugle to be published nationwide by BiancaReg Communications carried the top story "What I Didn’t Get For Christmas: Spider-Man in Jail," introducing millions across the country to J Jonah Jameson’s particular brand of anti-vigilante thinking. By December 27th, the Facebook groups JJ Jameson For President and JJ Jameson Is An Ass had each garnered more than 1 million members, and a Twitter account called JJsSandwich was born.

⊗ On New Year's Eve reports filter in from Latveria: a dramatic coup has seen the armoured dictator Victor Von Doom usurped by a woman known only as "Mistress". She is apparently skilled in the mystic arts and every bit as tyrannical as Doom, but she wears a lot less than he did.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ Enjoy your last week of break, folks. \o\ Feel free to backdate any holiday-type logs you've got goin'.

⊗ SNOW


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ No big missions are going on, but if you've got a Brotherhood member who you want a fighty thread for, feel free to ask one of us and we'll swing you something. We're working on getting a post up for requesting that sort of thing, but in the meantime you'll have to contact us – no worries, we're pretty nice. Mostly.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Fought the notorious Dr. Lemur in the forests of Madagascar, managing only at the last minute to jam the Lemur Cannon before it could be aimed at mainland Africa with potentially disastrous effects.


OOC NOTICES:

⊗ PLEASE BEAR IN MIND that this week, one game week = one IRL week. The next game update (January 3rd) will be on May 1st, next Saturday, rather than the Saturday after. The week following that everything will go back to normal! This is so that people with characters who'd ICly be home for winter break don't have to suffer too much for it.

⊗ Lara Raith's deal with Rune to guide potentially interested students to the Brotherhood is still goin' on. More on that here if you want in.

⊗ Obviously there are no classes this week because it's winter break, but if you want to use this thread to talk about what mentor groups are doing with those students still present, if anything, general school goings-on, Brotherhood training sessions, etc. We do encourage people to thread stuff where possible rather than just handwaving all of it, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
⊗ Vice President Basil Dopes is revealed to be a Skrull by experimental superhuman screening procedures at a meeting on Wednesday. When security tries to apprehend him, Skrull Dopes pulls out a ray gun; several people are injured. Eventually he is brought into custody by the Fantastic Four, but he refuses to talk about his mission objectives. The real Dopes is later found tied up in a cupboard in the White House.

⊗ Following the Skrull Dopes fiasco, Senator Nero Verus goes out of his way to openly speculate that his fellow New York Senator James Baelheit may also be a Skrull, drawing criticism from political commentators over the fact that his political campaign lately seems to consist soley of slandering Baelheit.

⊗ Although Genosha remains a hot topic in most news programs, there have been no new developments reported from the country itself.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
⊗ It's winter break! Also a whole bunch of students have been kidnapped by Albert Wesker and/or are involved in rescuing the ones who have, so things are probably going to be a bit of a hectic relief party once they all get back this week. You know, presuming everyone gets back alive. School counselors, we hope you weren't planning any major festive goings-on, because fighting zombies is pretty traumatic.

⊗ There's still snow this week. :'|


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
⊗ A report from Rune this week is likely to cause a fair deal of outrage on the Bromarine (keep your eyes peeled), but Magneto is planning something ...

⊗ No big missions are going on, but if you've got a Brotherhood member who you want a fighty thread for, feel free to ask one of us and we'll swing you something. We're working on getting a post up for requesting that sort of thing, but in the meantime you'll have to contact us – no worries, we're pretty nice. Mostly.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Participates as a celebrity guest on popular British reality TV show Come Dine With Me, wowing his guests with a surprisingly zingy Italian-inspired meal of seafood penne with home-made ice cream for dessert and a particularly remarked-upon starter of goats' cheese and parma ham, garnished stylishly with two purple grapes and a green one.
However, the night is cut short when one of the other guests turns out to be a robot.


OOC NOTICES:
⊗ PLEASE BEAR IN MIND that this week, one game week = one IRL week. The next game update (December 27th) will be on April 24th, next Saturday, rather than the Saturday after. Same goes for the week after that! This is so that people with characters who'd ICly be home for winter break don't have to suffer too much for it.

⊗ The Activity check is still goin' on! You have until April 21st to respond. ALSO REMINDER AGAIN: If you have a Xavier Institute character who's away for winter break and not in any threads, just indicate that they're on break when you check your characters in. THANKS GUYS! <3

⊗ Lara Raith's deal with Rune to guide potentially interested students to the Brotherhood is still goin' on. More on that here if you want in.

⊗ Obviously there are no classes this week because it's winter break, but if you want to use this thread to talk about what mentor groups are doing with those students still present, if anything, general school goings-on, Brotherhood training sessions, etc. We do encourage people to thread stuff where possible rather than just handwaving all of it, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

NEWS:
• Despite his continued efforts to control the situation, it is finally revealed that Senator James Baelheit has a mutant daughter at Xavier Institute. It's all over the news, both legitimate publications and tabloids alike, and though the individual stories may vary on the details, the core information is the same: Baelheit has a mutant daughter at the Institute, despite reports that the senator's daughter was studying abroad in France, and he had been covering up her status as a mutant. On Wednesday Baelheit makes a speech regarding the matter to confirm that he still fully supports registration in favor of mutant control. He also claims that his daughter, Milliarde, is being held at the Institute despite requests to remove her from the grounds.

• On Wednesday, it was announced that BiancaReg Communications has bought J. Jonah Jameson, Inc., and with it, the Daily Bugle newspaper. At the conference announcing the merger, BRC spokesperson Madeline White reassured the public that J. Jonah Jameson will continue to function as the head of both the Daily Bugle and CEO of J. Jonah Jameson, Inc. "We have long admired Mr. Jameson’s work in bringing news to New York City and will make no changes to the staff and running of the Daily Bugle," White was quoted as saying. "J. Jonah Jameson, Inc., will continue to function as its own company. Our intention is simply to bring Mr. Jameson’s views to a broader, national audience." When asked to comment on the merger, J. Jonah Jameson issued the statement, "Finally the entire country will understand just how much of a menace that hoodlum Spider-Man is!"
Other subsidiaries of BiancaReg Communications include Kitsune News Network and Silverlight Studios.

• An observatory in the UK has reported ‘strange noises in space’; the phenomenon is mocked by several popular internet news sites but no further mention is made.

• After an outburst on live television from Vice President Basil Dopes, Veronica Dopes is quoted as saying her husband has not been himself recently.

• Three more towns are quarantined; there appears to be no link between them beyond the strange illness. A substantial segment of the Thursday evening news is dedicated to the lack of progress diagnosing the outbreak.

• Following the US’s embargo on trade, Genosha has closed its ports.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
• Those passing by the student lounge will see a new flyer on the bulletin board for a comic convention that will be taking place in Syracuse New York shortly after winter break. Better reserve your badge now or you’ll have to spend a fair chunk of time waiting in line behind a dude dressed as Extraordinary Chap.

• Friday, December 18th, is the last day of school before winter break. Although a lot of the Institute's inhabitants will probably be going home, it's certainly not compulsory, considering how many orphans and runaways the mansion houses – the Institute is home for plenty of its staff, too, and it won't by any means be closing over break.

• The weather is colder than last week's.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
• Last week's missions are ongoing. (Get tagging, guys!) Following the intervention of the X-Men at Boston Harbor, there will be no shore leave this week.

• Brotherhood has no winter break.

• Game night is Wednesday again!


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Attempted to foil a gang smuggling Mutant Growth Hormone, only to fail when the crates turned out to be full of radioactive hamsters, with a thirst that could only be slaked by the blood of someone truly pure of heart. They are still at large.



OOC NOTICES:
• We have updated some of the game info beyond your wildest dreams. Additions include an Application Guide and a list of fictional locations including planets and countries; significant edits have been made to the Setting page, and minor ones to the Rules and FAQ pages. We advise you read them all thoroughly. It’s also worth noting that we have moved the Mod Contact details onto what was previously merely the dreaded Mod Feedback page. As usual, this page can be used for all of your mod-poking needs.

• If anyone has students who they want to join the Brotherhood of Mutants but were away for Thanksgiving or fighting at the conference when the Brotherhood arrived at the school, Lara Raith has made a deal with Rune to guide potentially interested students to the Brotherhood. More on that here.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes and stuff, as well as Brotherhood training sessions and similar. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

EXCELSIOR!

This page is partially just to enlighten the unfamiliar, but also to decrease potential toe-stepping by listing the PCs (player characters) involved in aspects of the game setting, so that people know who to talk to before they make assumptions about things!

Basically, if you're going to app a character from a made-up Marvel country, you might want to check with other people playing characters from there before you decide it's a barren post-apocalyptic wasteland ... or you might want to check that it isn't already a barren post-apocalyptic wasteland before you give your character a comfortable middle-class family there.

You shouldn't make significantly setting-altering assumptions about real-life elements. We don't expect people to have to check that France, for example, is not a totalitarian dictatorship before apping a French character.

Anyone who has a character from or heavily involved with a fictional location is assumed to have a stake in its status in this AU. We've listed them here; if you want to do anything with one of these locations, you should check with the people who play the characters listed as involved before assuming anything. If there are no listed PCs, you can do what you like with it (within reason).

If you have a character from or heavily involved with a fictional location that you want us to add, or if we've gotten anything wrong, leave a comment on here saying so and we'll fix it.

( More! )

NEWS:
• Ice-themed supervillain Subzero interrupts a hockey game on Sunday. Fortunately Wolverine happens to be in attendance and thwarts him – with the apparent assistance (kind of) of a teenage speedster whose uniform bears the Xavier Institute logo. Students of the Institute may recognise it as student Danger Room gear and the teenager in question as Tommy Shepherd, although his name is not made public. This causes the expected amount of media consternation over whether the Xavier Institute is training superheroes.

• It is reported on Tuesday that Boulder City, Nevada has been placed under temporary quarantine due to an outbreak of an unidentified influenza strain. Authorities are urging anyone who has travelled through or stayed within the city limits during the past two weeks to exercise caution and keep travel to a minimum.

• Due to the continued lack of cooperation from the Genoshan ambassador, the US government establishes an embargo on all trade and travel on Thursday. The United Nations have yet to make a concrete statement of support, which decreases the effectiveness of this move in a global context.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
• The Xavier Institute receives a sizable donation from pharmaceutical company Tricell, Inc.:

To the students and staff of the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning,
We here at Tricell, Incorporated have always believed in the value of a solid education, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Given the current political climate of this nation and the world at large, going to school has become more than an act of responsibility-- but an act of courage.

We are grateful that there are fine institutions such as Xavier's dedicated to the education and the protection of our nation's children, human and mutant alike. As such, we at Tricell, Inc. wish to make a charitable donation to the institute to the amount of $1,000,000.00 for the Institute's further operation. We hope that this donation will provide new opportunities for the brave students and hard-working staff that have faced so much already in the turbulent society we live in.

On behalf of Tricell, Inc., a hearty congratulations to the Xavier Institute!

Signed,
Darren Ferguson

Head of Accounting
Tricell, Inc. North America

• The weather is sunny but just as cold as last week.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
• After the week or so of downtime for the new kids to get settled in, the Brotherhood will be resuming its regular evil terrorism activity. If your Bro'hood character is a nice kid who just got picked up from the Xavier Institute you probably won't even know anything about this, but, if you've got an established member or a newbie with a potentially fight-tastic or otherwise useful power and a fighty/morally-suspect disposition, you might want to check out this post looking for volunteers, if you haven't done already. More on this will be going up in the OOC comm shortly, so keep your eyes skinned.

• Wednesday is the day for the long-established Game Night. Tables in the mess hall are shuffled around and strewn with a variety of board and card games, from Kerplunk! and Scrabble to Poker and Blackjack. There is also an old Hungry Hungry Hippos game off in one corner for no apparent reason. Drinks, snacks and actual social contact without anyone trying to kill anyone else? You'd be daft to miss it.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Sat at home all week eating ice cream from a tub in his jammies.


OOC NOTICES:
• We're in the process of editing xi_mods and the game comms to make them more readable and easier to navigate. Let us know if you've got any feedback on that!

• If anyone has students who they want to join the Brotherhood of Mutants but were away for Thanksgiving or fighting at the conference when the Brotherhood arrived at the school, Lara Raith has made a deal with Rune to guide potentially interested students to the Brotherhood. More on that here. If anyone has students who they want to join the Brotherhood but it's just a case of the player having missed the event, feel free to handwave their having joined, but let us know so that we can update our lists accordingly.

• We'd like to remind everyone that we have a feedback post on which players can leave complaints, suggestions and feedback if they don't want to message a mod directly. Comments are screened and anonymous is enabled. We do our best to address problems with the game that are raised on this post, and, needless to say, we really really would rather hear your complaints there than on RP!S.
We mess up sometimes. We can't always please everyone. But we will damn well do what we can, especially if you actually tell us if you have a problem.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes and stuff, as well as Brotherhood training sessions and similar. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

NEWS:
The attack at the conference is used as a springboard for an emergency bill, allowing a number of high-profile companies and government branches to make X-gene testing compulsory for employees. Stark Industries is amongst a small number of companies opposing the "knee-jerk reaction", as quoted in a recent interview with its CEO following the incident.

Negotiations have fallen through between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Genoshan ambassador for the release of press agents detained whilst trying to illegally enter the port city of Hammer Bay. The family of one reporter appears on national television on Wednesday to repeat the appeal for their release.

Basil Dopes, the Vice President, is reported on Monday as having referred to Speaker of the House Havelock Vetinari as having a "stick up his ass". Vetinari declines to comment.


THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
New arrivals and students coming back to the Institute following their Thanksgiving break will find it not an especially happy place following the Brotherhood's simultaneous attack on the conference and arrival at the school on Wednesday – Milla Vodello, the X-Man known as the Mental Minx and the Xavier Institute's Dance teacher, was killed in the attack. Emma Frost has offered some reassuring words (and pointed out which students might need an adult), while Lara Raith makes a point of offering counselling for those not taking it very well. Lara, however, may have ulterior motives ...

The weather is increasingly cold; it snows heavily on Tuesday evening.


THE BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS:
The underwater base is suddenly home to a bevy of new bros in the form of recruits picked up from the Xavier Institute by Rune, Red Helen and the Gambler (who hasn't returned with them, instead having been posted to some stealthy work in New York City). Red Helen has posted a welcome message for the new arrivals.

A meeting is held on Monday during which Magneto welcomes the neophytes into the Brotherhood's folds. (You had all better have codenames.) He says that human governments like America's are bringing only catastrophe on themselves with mutant-hating legislation like the registration bill, which he condemns as little more than a tool to attempt to control mutants; those who say it could be used to mutantkind's benefit are, he says, giving humanity a benefit of the doubt they have more than proved they do not deserve. He speaks with certainty of the mutant revolution he considers inevitable: he will be only too happy to help bring that revolution about.

This sort of meeting is probably the most that anyone besides senior members of the Brotherhood will see of Magneto, but he is around in his private fancy submarine chambers. (He probably will not notice if you steal one or two of his many spare capes to use as hammocks.)


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Tackled a massive genetically engineered iceproof bat that was menacing an Arctic research station.


OOC NOTICES:
• So we've had a pretty significant change this past week in that now there's a secondary focal point of the game besides the Xavier Institute itself – the Brotherhood of Mutants' underwater base is now home to quite a few characters. The Brotherhood base has its own network – if your character is posting to it, please use the !!brotherhood tag on xi_online and indicate in the post title that the post is being made to that network, because only Brotherhood members can view and respond to Brotherhood posts. (The Brotherhood can't view the Xavier Institute's network, either.)
If you've got a character who's now in the Brotherhood, remember to check out this post covering Brotherhood-y basics – and edit your character/s onto this list if you haven't already.

• If anyone has students who they want to join the Brotherhood of Mutants but were away for Thanksgiving or fighting at the conference when the Brotherhood arrived at the school, Lara Raith has made a deal with Rune to guide potentially interested students to the Brotherhood. More on that here. If anyone has students who they want to join the Brotherhood but it's just a case of the player having missed the event, feel free to handwave their having joined, but let us know so that we can update our lists accordingly.

• We'd like to remind everyone that we have a feedback post on which players can leave complaints, suggestions and feedback if they don't want to message a mod directly. Comments are screened and anonymous is enabled. We do our best to address problems with the game that are raised on this post, and, needless to say, we really really would rather hear your complaints there than on RP!S.
We mess up sometimes. We can't always please everyone. But we will damn well do what we can, especially if you actually tell us if you have a problem.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for Xavier Institute classes and stuff, as well as Brotherhood training sessions and similar. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
Professor Xavier announces that he will be speaking at the mutant registration conference due to be held on Wednesday – he requests of his staff that a few ex-X-Men (or other staff members with similar experience) accompany him to the conference, "if only in the hope that the presence of costumed super-heroes will serve to deter any petty acts of violence." This isn't made public to the students, of course – any kids who take the school up on the offer to attend as part of the audience will probably be the politically inclined sort who're actually keen to sit through what promises to be a few hours of people like Professor X having Serious Discussions ... or ones who want to be there to cause petty acts of violence.

Thanksgiving is November 26th, Thursday. While some people at the Institute will of course be going home to spend Thanksgiving with their families, enough of them are are either orphans or not from America that there'll still be plenty of people around, so expect some kind of big orphan Thanksgiving party.

Weather at the Xavier Institute this week is on the cold and windy side.


NEWS:
A school in New York City is destroyed on Tuesday, the 24th. A mutant student is found unharmed in the rubble; her name isn't made public but the school in question states it is planning to sue.

A conference is to be held in New York on Wednesday, November 25th, at which a variety of notable authorities on the matter will be speaking on the subject of the proposed mutant registration bill. Professor Charles Xavier confirms on Sunday that he will attend. Among other confirmed speakers are anti-mutant evangelist Reverend William Stryker.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Logan is sent back in time, and to Mars, by a spectral entity bearing an uncanny resemblance to Abraham Lincoln.


OOC NOTICES:
• NAG TIME: over eighty people didn't check themselves in for this month's activity check. That's as many as eight tens, and that's terrible. Admittedly some of those eight tens were mods –WE ARE ALL BAD PEOPLE let's try to do better in future 8( We have to tally that stuff up at the end of every activity check, and it's a right pain to have to go through that many people who didn't check in but were still active – so BE KIND TO YOUR MODS AND ACTIVITY CHECK. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND IT'S THE LAW.

• On a vaguely related note, DON'T MAKE PURA SAD. REMEMBER TO TAG YOUR CHARACTERS' NAMES ONTO THREADS YOU POST TO WITH THEM. Also, if you're going on or coming back from a hiatus, please don't forget to comment to the hiatus post!

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
Milliarde Baelheit makes a public apology to the Institute after her identity as Senator Baelheit's daughter and spy was revealed.

The weather is blustery and cold, but with cloudless skies. Students are advised to dress warmly when going outside.


NEWS:
On Sunday media outlets report that a bill - commonly referred to as a 'Mutant Registration Bill' - has been submitted for review at Congress. Details are expected to be made public in the coming week but for now very few specifics are actually known.

Rumours as to what the bill will include vary, but some news agencies are reporting that mandatory X-gene testing will be brought into maternity units up and down the country. One newspaper speculates that immigrants will face mandatory testing whilst a prominent technology magazine discusses the advancement of scanning systems that could be used to detect super-powered individuals.

Professor Charles Xavier is quoted as saying he cannot comment on the bill itself with so few details publicly available; he acknowledges that some of the speculated content of the Bill could prove beneficial for the mutant populace, but warns against the foolishness of attempting to pander to those whose only reaction to the X-gene is hatred and fear.

President Carline Henderson says that this bill could very well achieve what she has hoped for in terms of domestic safety; she urges the mutant population to consider the benefits and safety it would bestow upon them.

Senator Baelheit voices his approval that this bill is finally in motion, and that such a law is long overdue. He praises the government for finally beginning to address the "mutant problem", and hopes that the American people will follow in their footsteps.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:

Flies to England to team up with Camden-based superhero Vince Noir and someone who was widely-believed to be Vince's uncle. Together they solved many of the ills that were plaguing London town: they jointly rebuilt the Hawley Arms, successfully sent the singer-songwriter Amie Pinehouse to a rehabilitation center and redesigned the much-maligned logo for the 2012 London Olympics. Some feared the trip was destined to be entirely frivolous but towards the end of his visit Wolverine took time to have a spectacular showdown with Cockney supervillain The Hitcher, putting an end to his reign of terror and humorous stereotypes.


OOC NOTICES:

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
Since the information leak on Thursday, teachers will have been told to expect possible media fallout against the Institute. On the whole, the reporters who gathered like sharks after the Intrepid incident have dispersed. Occasionally students might be photographed unexpectedly on their way to Salem Center, but it seems to have died down.

The weather is unexpectedly chilly, with frost making the crossing to the main building from the dorms slightly treacherous.


NEWS:
On Sunday it's reported that an eleven-year-old boy at a hospital in Boston has rendered the entire children's ward comatose after being provided with treatment that failed to account for, and consequently triggered, his latent mutation. Including doctors, nurses and other medical staff, visitors, and the boy himself, fifty-two people are sent into psychically-induced comas, from which many will not recover.

Also on Sunday, Senator James Baelheit makes a stirring and controversial speech about the Institute, questioning its credentials and its validity as an educational institute. He somehow acquires a list of students enrolled at the school and noted the number of "dangerous" students attending the Institute, as well as raised concerns about whether the staff is actually training the students to be superheroes. His speech is seen as needless fear mongering by his detractors, but many people of New York are moved, and have started petitioning the Board of Education to look into the Xavier Institute.

The well-known teen idol who was admitted into intensive care after a suicide attempt last week, Mika Lillis, stabilises on Monday. The suicide note she'd left on her laptop is released publicly by her mother that afternoon; it explains that she manifested a very obvious mutation when she turned fourteen, and the stress of keeping it hidden was too much to handle. She issues a televised statement on Tuesday thanking the students of the Xavier Institute for their support, and pledges her support to the mutant cause, including donating a fair bit of money to charities for mutant children, and the Institute itself.

Since her re-election, commentators have been suggesting that President Henderson’s victory-speech promises regarding mutant rights will materialize in a grand gesture early on in the term. As a result, pundits have leaped on White House rumors that Henderson plans to propose a new mutant-related bill in the next month.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Travels to Iowa with Cyclops and Fantomex in a van, no one is entirely sure why and if there are repercussions of whatever it is they're supposed to have done, no one has heard of them. There are rumours of a hot-dog-eating contest.


OOC NOTICES:
• We know mentor groups are usually announced in game update, but the fact that apps were closed earlier today instead of several days ago means we need a few more days to get that stuff together – we should have the new groups posted by Tuesday and we'll post an announcement when they go up!

• On that note, yes, apps are now closed; we have quite a big queue of apps to read through, so please be patient with us while we get through them – if you haven't gotten a reply from us yet, you will.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

Things start off looking pretty balanced. Things veer a little in one direction and then another now and then, but no apparent winner is clear until about 11:30, when things start to slope in Henderson's favour. Thompson starts to look as though he might catch up again at midnight, but only briefly, and it becomes increasingly obvious that he's not going to win. He concedes at 1am; Henderson wins the election.

HENDERSON WINS!

Alright, kids! So XI has gotten really big, really fast. We realize this has made some newcomers feel overwhelmed and overlooked.

App periods are really busy times, both for the mods and for the other players. It may be hard to get into the game right away with so many new characters and so many introduction posts. We try to be welcoming to our new players, but it's easy for people and threads to slip between the cracks despite our best efforts. We've put together this guide in order to try to make jumping into the game easier and less intimidating, and if anyone has any suggestions to make it more complete, please don't hesitate to let us know!

( CONTINUED )

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
The school is still buzzing from the participation of some of its students in the thwarting of the giant monster that almost attacked Manhattan on Friday; especially in light of the media fallout (see below), Professor Xavier gives an assembly in which he commends the students involved for their bravery, apologizes that they got caught in the middle of it all – and emphasizes that they are not to go looking for that sort of trouble.

The weather this week is chilly and overcast. A full moon falls on Monday, November 2nd.


NEWS:
The weekend sees extensive media coverage of Friday's monster attack on New York, rivalled only by discussion of the upcoming election. The monster's origins are unclear, but links to October 18th's mysterious UFO crash have many people sure it came from outer space, despite the fact that analysis of its remains – and those of its parasites – suggest it had spent a very long time in Earth's oceans.

Of more pressing concern is the furore over the involvement of students from the Xavier Institute. A lot of the students who went on the field trip are caught in cameraphone clips that are now being widely circulated both on the internet and on national news, which could cause problems for some of them – on top of that, while there are plenty of interviews with people expressing their gratitude at having been rescued by people with super powers, there are aspersions being cast on the Institute from a number of sources. One of these sources is Senator James Baelheit, who appeared to make a speech the day after the event, casting a light of disapproval on the Institute for being so irresponsible as to allow so many of its students, most of them minors, to participate in so dangerous an event. He also raised suspicion on the newly discovered fact that there are in fact members of the Avengers teaching these impressionable young minds, and openly questioned the wisdom and judgment of Charles Xavier in allowing them to conduct classes there. Though he did not say it explicitly, there was a distinct implication in his speech that he was concerned that the Institute's students were being trained to act as child super soldiers – a concern that's being reflected throughout the media, with some simply assuming outright that the Institute is training its students to be a new wave of X-Men or Avengers.

Senator Nero Verus made a speech of his own the following day (though it seems more like a counter speech to Baelheit's) commending the bravery of the Institute's students and staff in the face of such unexpected odds and mentions that it is a truly miraculous thing, and even further proof of their selfless bravery, that there were no serious casualties.

On the 2nd November (Monday), voting opens for the 44th President of the United States. The turnout is immense throughout the whole country with a record number of votes being cast. Exit polls conducted on the day suggest that domestic security was the leading concern for voters in deciding where to place their votes.

The results will be announced on the 3rd November. Stay tuned, America!


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Teams up with noted British sleuth Basil the Great Mouse Detective to foil the plans of his similarly rodenty archfoe Rattigan. Thousands of stereotypical English people with accents halfway between Received Pronunciation and Cockney are saved from being gassed.


OOC NOTICES:
• In a pre-emptive move to stop the collective Mod Head exploding under the weight of the Mod Hat the next application period has been moved from Wednesday 13th January to Friday 15th. For a full explanation please see the latest mod post here.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

Taught by an NPC.

Teenagers + Guns = AWESOME

Comment to this entry with students who are taking the class.

Taught by Francis Bonnefoy (parfumdelarose).

Blurb about the class goes here

Comment to this entry with students who are taking the class.

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
New mentor groups are assigned on Sunday morning; teachers given new students are emailed with details of their new charges and new lists of groups are posted up in various public places. Mentor group assignments can be found here – remember to check any group/s with your character/s in for new people! (We have nearly forty groups now, so ctrl+f is your friend.) As usual, please let us know if we've made any mistakes, like leaving people out, putting the same person in two groups, or putting two characters played by the same person in the same group.

Not much goes on at the Institute this week except for Halloween, which is this in-game Saturday (that'll be January 7th/8th) – staff and students alike, feel free to orchestrate plans for this. (Professor X pointedly makes himself absent for the weekend with the quiet request – or, perhaps, hope – that he might come back to an intact mansion. BREAK OUT THE PING PONG AND BOTTLED WATER, GUYS)


NEWS:
On Sunday 25th, Hollywood superstar and Academy Award nominee Daniel McInnery is ‘outed’ by a prominent gossip tabloid magazine as being a mutant with telepathic abilities. This story is picked up by every entertainment news channel, blog and magazine with most of the coverage questioning whether or not he had used his powers to gain important casting roles or even influence the Academy panel in to nominating him for awards. Rather than step forward immediately to deny or confirm the allegations McInnery refuses to comment and is hounded by the press for the rest of the week.

On Tuesday 27th, Prominent insurance company Oursco, who are known to be backing Thompson in the coming election, issues an official statement speaking in favour of mutant registration; their spokesperson reiterates some of Thompson's arguments about personal and public safety in relation to the registration of mutants.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Prevented the theft of a priceless, arcane artifact from the Louvre by notorious thief Carmen Sandiego. The artifact was recovered, but Sandiego and her bobble-hatted accomplice got away, and, as ever, their whereabouts are unknown.


OOC NOTICES:
• Now that the app period is over and we're more or less done getting new people in, we'd like to recommend that everyone take another look over the most recent CR post to make sure there's no one on there you're missing!

• On a similar note, there are still a few stragglers on the feedback meme who'd probably appreciate a little attention over there.

• On a srs note, when things are a little more calm and everyone is a little less busy, the modhead is planning to get together, discuss some stuff up, and iron out a few things in the rules, FAQ and general setting information to try to make a few things clearer – some of the stuff that's been going on lately has, as some of you are doubtless aware, kind of made it apparent that not all of our stuff is 100% easy to comprehend. So, yes, we are sorry about that and we have plans to unconfusion things up as soon as we've got the time.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. We do encourage people to thread classes and mentor group activities where possible rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something or wevs, this is the place!

• Finally, we hope you're all having a good winter holiday period!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
IT'S SPIRIT WEEK!! A myriad exciting things will be going on all week, presumably, although your friendly neighbourhood mods aren't doing the organising for that – if your character is organising an event, feel free to either plan it in the comments to this post or in posts to xi_ooc. If not, keep an eye out for other people's updates!

The weather continues on the colder side. It rains on Wednesday and Friday.


NEWS:
On Sunday October 18th (that's today), news reports air of a large, unidentified object that appears to be a spacecraft, observed by several parties to plummet into the Atlantic Ocean. The stretch of ocean it supposedly crashed into is searched – there are signs of severe disruption on the seabed but nothing is actually found.

On Tuesday 20th, a group of three youths are caught graffiti-ing pro-mutant messages on the property of Allen Sherrdit, Harvey Thompson's running mate in the upcoming election. (In, like, two game weeks, guys, omg!) One of them, having previously been using her pyrokinetic abilities to let the group see what they were doing, panics when Sherrdit's security apprehends them and hurls a fireball at one of the guards, who is severely injured – the guards retaliate by shooting. The pyrokinetic mutant, Fiona Mackintosh, 21, is killed – the others, Cody Ziemba, 19, and Saundra Bahe, 24, are unharmed, but are arrested – whether they are mutants is not being publicised.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Battles the Slow Loris on the edge of a mile-high African cliff. A narrow victory.


OOC NOTICES:
• Applications open this coming Wednesday, December 16th. They'll stay open for a week, until December 23rd. Any app we get before we wake up on December 24th will be valid. On that note, we'd like to remind you about the recent post on character limits. To clarify: staff apps will be open this week, but not next app period. If you have any other questions about limits feel free to IM a mod.

• On a vaguely related note, from this app period onwards, the activity requirement for characters based outside the Institute is going to be lower than the one for those studying or working there. Whilst during an activity check all characters are currently required either to have tagged somewhere during the week before the check or to tag while the check is going on, from now on that will only go for characters at the Xavier Institute – others will only need to have tagged somewhere during the month before the check, and we'll be much more lenient in cases where they haven't depending on the individual character and what they're up to. This isn't to say that non-Institute characters can't be hecka active if you want them to be, but we do recognise that it's not as easy to get activity for a lone villain, for example, or for someone working in a shop in Salem Center, as for a student at Xavier's. This is also to remind you that characters like this are totally allowed and encouraged.

• Speaking of villains, we're starting to get back to people who've emailed us about this (very belatedly in some cases, we're afraid!) but we need some bad guys for a specific plot event in the near future and more can't hurt. Email us at xavierinstitutemods@gmail.com or IM a mod, if you're interested.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. Now that first-person action logs are permitted as well as prose, we'd encourage people to thread more classes and mentor group activities rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something &c., this is the place!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
October 11th (Sunday) is Coming Out Day! Professor Albus Dumbledore, Sorcerer Supreme and Master of the Mystic Arts, has taken it upon himself to pay the school a visit and give a talk in honour of the occasion, so keep an eye out for that.

New mentor groups are announced today – new students who've been put into groups are emailed about it, as are any staff members assigned new students (the staff members' emails are a little more detailed and give a little blurb on the students' backgrounds and abilities). The mentor groups page is here – for your convenience, characters newly added to this page have been highlighted in red. As ever, if we've made any slip-ups – misspelled character names, leaving characters out, putting one character in two separate groups, putting two characters played by the same person in one group, &c. – please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible!

The weather this week is bright but not especially warm.


NEWS:
The third presidential debate is aired on Monday, and (here it comes) the nation's Mutant Problem is the topic of discussion this time round. Thompson argues powerfully in favour of mutant registration and is widely considered to have won. He argues that registration is necessary for the safety of humans and mutants alike, and says the advantages to registration would include increased efficiency in tracking down mutants who use their powers for criminal activity, better medical care for mutants, and putting the minds of the public at ease. He compares testing young children for the x-gene to testing them for illnesses and adds that knowing from the start that a child is a mutant will make it easier for families to deal with, both emotionally and in the sense of reducing potential accidents when their powers first manifest. Henderson makes a good case for some alternative approaches, like schemes making x-gene tests available to young people with no obligation for the results to be available to their parents or any third parties, but her argument overall is less cohesive than Thompson's and her failure to perform in this area over her last term is damning.

On Thursday a protest against the idea of registration in Washington DC escalates into violence; several people – mostly protestors but also two police officers and an onlooker – are killed and dozens injured in a small localised hurricane.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
This week Wolverine attended a professional ballet performance in Munich. Everyone was a bit confused as to why until it turned out that the prima ballerina was a Doombot.


OOC NOTICES:
• You may have noticed it is not Sunday! DO HO HO SURPRISE
Well, it's Sunday in-game, but we thought it might be easier to keep track of in-game passage of time if we posted the update marked Sunday nearer the beginning of in-game Sunday, instead of ... like a few hours before the end of Sunday. Or. Something. We have our reasons! Point is: game updates in future will be 8pm GMT every other Saturday (but that's still Sunday in-game).

• FURTHER SURPRISE we reworked the taken characters list so that it is more informative and includes things like what people's powers are and what they teach! On the downside this now means it takes up two whole posts all by itself, but you can't win them all and, really, this game wins a lot so far so it was probably only a matter of time. Anyway, the main taken characters post is in the same place it always was, but we'd really appreciate it if you could give the new lists a once-over and tell us if we've made any grievous errors listing stuff!

• We still want to hear from anyone who'd be interested in apping villain characters – henchmen/mooks and big bads alike. If this is something you'd definitely consider, drop an email to the mods at xavierinstitutemods@gmail.com. (If you emailed us already and we didn't get back to you, don't worry – we will. :D)

• Remember, kids: if you want to do some serious property damage, that needs to be okayed with both a mod and the owner/inhabitant of the property. No wrecking things that are important to characters without checking with those characters' players first.

• As ever, this post is open for talking about what's going down for classes and mentor groups this week. Now that first-person action logs are permitted as well as prose, we'd encourage people to thread more classes and mentor group activities rather than just handwaving all of them, but if you don't want to do a thread or you want to plan something &c., this is the place to do it!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
Professor Xavier takes off for most of this week on important Xavier business, leaving Emma Frost, as deputy headmistress, in charge.

Students are now capable of getting their hands on official Xavier Institute hoodies and t-shirts, if that is the sort of thing that interests them.

While there is no official word on mentor group competition as of yet, a scoreboard has definitely been put up in the staff room, and so far not very many groups have any points. Some teachers may want to do something about this.

The rain from last week persists until Wednesday, following which the rest of the week is dry.


NEWS:
The second presidential debate, which focuses mainly on something boring idk, is aired on Tuesday. Mutants are brought up only briefly towards the beginning of the debate, when Thompson lists Henderson's failure to do anything to address the 'Mutant problem' along with other broken promises. Henderson holds her own in the face of this and is widely considered to have won the debate, although there are plenty of people willing to argue the contrary.

A local news station runs a feature on the construction project that Holly J Sinclair organized a couple of weeks ago – the tone of the reporting is very positive, although they don't interview any of the students – or the Institute's staff – and the members of the public who they do interview seem a little unnerved by having had a group of mutants doing construction work in their neighbourhood.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
This week Wolverine takes on the Crocazons, who are trying to use their Reptile Bazookas to demolish Los Angeles.


OOC NOTICES:
• Since folks have been overwhelmingly in favour of it, we're going to go ahead and allow first-person action logs in xi_rpg to try to cut down on the amount of handwaving we wind up doing on big group threads. Third-person logs are still permitted and encouraged! The rules have been updated accordingly.

• Apps open again on Wednesday! While we're not banning staff characters who don't meet the suggestions on the applications page, we'd definitely advise anyone planning to app a staff character to give them a good reason for being at the school. We'd also like to remind you that we're absolutely okay with characters who won't be actually at the school at all, if you feel like you can make that work! Feel free to talk to us about that.

• On that note, we'd like to know who would, hypothetically, be interested in apping villain characters (or even envillaining characters they already play). If this is something you'd definitely consider, drop an email to the mods at xavierinstitutemods@gmail.com.

• As ever, we encourage people playing staff to start comment threads to this post about what's going down in classes this week to save on threading a million classes. Same goes for mentor group meetings, if you like! You are of course welcome to actually thread any classes or meetings you like, but a) this is still good for planning and b) most people do not want to thread every single lesson, so go ahead and spam this post with that stuff!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
New mentor groups are announced; they're posted on the school intranet and pinned up in dormitories. Staff who've been given mentor groups – or whose mentor groups have new additions – are informed personally by Professor X and given a briefing on the powers and attitudes of the students in their group.

You can find the new groups listed on the brand spanking new mentor groups page. :D If we've made any errors, like for instance putting two characters played by the same person on the same group or leaving a student out, please let us know!

The weather is wetter than last week, raining most days on and off, although it somehow stays bright and sunny on Wednesday.


NEWS:
The first presidential debate is aired on Monday, moderated by Lois Lane. Nothing discussed involves mutants specifically; most of what's discussed is the economy. Thompson performs better than some expected him to; neither he nor Henderson is clearly triumphant.

The World Sings charity concert is on Thursday, featuring donations by nearly every major company and endorsed by a number of high-profile celebrities. Several hero teams make an appearance and the event is broadcast live from Scotland. One of the charities it's raising money for is pro-mutant organisation One Sky, but this fact is not as well-publicised as some of the other causes the concert is supporting.

Nero Verus, New York's other senator, has come out in public favor of pro-mutant rights in the wake of Baelheit's announcement last week, although this news has, comparatively speaking, received little media attention.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Goes to Japan (again) and is kidnapped by A.I.M. only to be rescued by the Cat, with whom he takes out a broad swathe of A.I.M.'s Asiatic network.
(that's Advanced Idea Mechanics, for the non-Marvel-savvy.)


OOC NOTICES:
FIRST: The character limit has been raised to six, we hope you rascals are happy now. Not that apps are open until the 18th, but all the same.

SECOND: We're in the process of moving some stuff over to the wiki – for instance the timeline (and we've given info on the X-Men it's own page instead of keeping it with the timeline). There's a neater, more complete page on the Institute and mansion on there now, too. You are, of course, welcome to edit these. Joining the wiki isn't compulsory, but you don't need an account to view the pages, and we think it's easier to manage and keep track of the game's setting info as wiki pages.

As ever, we encourage people playing staff to start comment threads to this post about what's going down in classes this week to save on threading a million classes. Same goes for mentor group meetings, if you like! You are of course welcome to actually thread any classes or meetings you like, but a) this is still good for planning and b) most people do not want to thread every single lesson SO GO AHEAD AND SPAM THIS POST

At the Xavier Institute, all students are put into groups of four or five students under one staff mentor. This is to foster a sense of belonging and to give students a member of staff they can go to directly if they need anything. Staff members who've been assigned groups are encouraged to approach the mentoring in whatever way they feel is appropriate – considering the Xavier Institute's broad and colourful array of staff, this can be anything from buying them dinner and talking about their feelings to making them do extra Danger Room sessions. HAVE FUN.

The groups are as follows:

( mentor groups! )

( Quick Mentor Group FAQ )

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
Things proceed as usual. It rains a lot, on and off, in the first half of the week, but it gets drier around Thursday.


NEWS:
Pro-mutant lobbyists confront President Henderson about her lack of action on the mutant front despite her promises of mutant civil rights reform and ask if this approach will continue if she is elected for a second term.
New York Senator James Baelheit echoes these concerns from a different stance when he vocally pledges his support for Thompson, insisting that action needs to be taken to control "the mutant situation".


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Teams up with John the Skrull to save some orphans from Madame Solution and the Chemical Boys.


OOC NOTICES:
FIRSTLY! New students will not have a mentor group yet. We know we made some noises to the effect that we'd be posting new assignments in this game update, but we kind of figured that wouldn't really work; instead, the new assignments will go up after the ACTIVITY CHECK WE SPRANG ON YOU TODAY is over, in about a week's time, to make sure we GET EVERYONE. PATIENCE PLEASE.

SECONDLY! We would like to remind everyone that we now have a wiki, which you are heartily encouraged to request access to and edit the heck out of.

As ever, we encourage people playing staff to start comment threads to this post about what's going down in classes this week to save on threading a million classes. Same goes for mentor group meetings, if you like! You are of course welcome to actually thread any classes or meetings you like, but a) this is still good for planning and b) most people do not want to thread every single lesson SO GO AHEAD AND SPAM THIS POST

Alright you guys, THERE'S TROUBLE AFOOT IN MANHATTAN!

Not that this is an unusual state of affairs in XI!Verse, but this trouble happens to take the form of the 12-storey robot which has been programmed by its master (who creatively calls himself Doctor Robot) to attack the city!

Normally this would be a snap for one of our roving teams of superheroes, but this time the citizens of Manhattan aren't so lucky; the Fantastic Four are busy battling Skrulls in space (as you do), and the Avengers are (still) on a mission in the Antarctic.

WHOEVER CAN WE COUNT ON TO STOP THIS HORRIBLE MACHINE???

Well, we can count on some mutants, probably. There will be a thread put up in the RP comm shortly which you can post in if you would like your characters to go try to fight the robot. HOWEVER. Only staff members and other adults are permitted to do this. Absolutely no students will be allowed to leave the grounds during the fight.

If they try to sneak away, Jessica Jones will stop them.

With her fists.

If you have any questions about this you can post them here or ping one of the mods on AIM, at least one of us should be around :D. Also, feel free to use this post as a place to plan attacks/coordinate with other players. HAVE FUN!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
On Monday, after lessons, a post goes up on the school intranet announcing the introduction of mentor groups; several teachers will be given charge of four to six students each. The information is also pinned up in the dormitories and staff room, and each staff member to be given a team is given a list of their assigned students including their powers.

Staff are told to take whatever approach they feel appropriate with their group but advised to make time for a group meeting some time over the next week. Goofy group names are encouraged but not, at this stage, necessary.

( GROUP ASSIGNMENTS UNDER THE CUT )


NEWS:
ON TUESDAY:
A group of youths in costume, mostly mutants, attempt to foil a bank robbery in Florida but wind up causing a fire. Nobody is seriously injured, but, although the youngest vigilante is 21 and none of them are involved with the Institute, the early days of the X-Men are recalled by a few news reporters and some point accusatory fingers at Xavier. Senator Thompson reiterates his desire to implement a mutant registration program if he is elected President in November.
ON FRIDAY:
A twelve-storey robot operated by a scientist with a grudge attacks Manhattan, but with the Fantastic Four battling Skrulls in space and the Avengers on a mission to the Antarctic, who will stop its rampage?
More information on this will go up in-game when the time comes.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Goes to New Zealand to fight a giant mutated Kakapo created by the Green Man, a deranged environmentalist aiming to restore endangered species through genetic engineering. Where putting laser guns onto massive ground parrots factors into the conservation aspect of his plans is unclear, but Wolverine wins anyway.


OOC NOTICES:
If, during the upcoming in-game week (two IRL weeks), you want a lesson one of your characters is teaching to go a certain way, or if your teacher character plans to be doing something specific and unusual with the lesson, but you don't want to actually log the thing out (which is reasonable), this is where you say so. Drop a comment on this post, other people can reply, fun for everyone. If you've got a new teacher character (ie. if this is their first game update), it's probably a good idea to leave a comment here to give everyone an idea of what their first classes will be like.

If anyone has any issues with the group assignments please let the mods know!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
New arrivals have been settling in over the last couple of days, and hopefully the majority of them, at least, will be ready for lessons starting in the coming week. The nature of LJ RP the school, of course, means that students and staff will continue to trickle in throughout term simply because the Institute is as much a school as it is a haven for those who need its protection, and people don't stop needing a safe place to go to just because term already started damnit.


OTHER NEWS:
Five mutants are executed in Pokolistan* without a trial for using their powers in a public place; mutant rights groups call for President Henderson to condemn the executions, but she takes no action either way.


*this is a DC thing but we figure if people have gone fo the effort of inventing stupid made up countries, we might as well use them.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Rescued a rare species of sentient mold from extinction at the hands of Doctor Doom. Inside a volcano.


OOC NOTICES:
Normally game updates will not happen so close to each other as this and the last one have been, but 1) from now on the majority of game updates will happen on a Sunday (usually a little earlier than this) and 2) we want lesson plans from you! Well ... kind of.

If, during the upcoming in-game week (two IRL weeks), you want a lesson one of your characters is teaching to go a certain way, or if your teacher character plans to be doing something specific and unusual with the lesson, but you don't want to actually log the thing out (which is reasonable), this is where you say so. Drop a comment on this post, other people can reply, fun for everyone.

Since this is the first week of lessons ever, I'd advise everyone with a character who's teaching to do it just so that everyone has an idea of what their lessons are like, to start off with!

(And, of course, if you do want to do a thread for a lesson, that's absolutely fine.)

We'd also like to remind you that apps close on the 30th of September!

AT THE XAVIER INSTITUTE:
THE INSTITUTE OPENS TODAY.
While a handful of staff and students will have already moved into the newly rebuilt mansion over the last couple of days (mostly those whose arrival coincides with their having been rescued from something), the majority will be arriving today. A bus has been arranged to pick up new arrivals from a train station in nearby Salem Center.
Classes won't start until Monday, so this first day and the day after are simply for settling in (student dormitory allocations are here) and unpacking, although Professor Charles Xavier will be delivering an assembly in the evening, for which other staff members are expected to prepare speeches. In the meantime, students and staff alike have the roam of the upper levels of the mansion and its grounds (for a better idea of what that includes, go here). Staff, however, will have to be ready to keep an eye out for any troublesome student behaviour.

Mingling is encouraged! Breaking things is not.


OTHER NEWS:
The Avengers diffuse a hostage situation instigated by a group of mutant terrorists violently campaigning for equal rights. Senator Harvey Thompson, Republican presidential candidate in the upcoming election, warns against pandering to these radical extremists.


WHAT WOLVERINE DID THIS WEEK:
Logan just returned from a trip to Europe, where he foiled a plot to destroy the EU using nanobots. He defeated them by stomping on their central unit a lot.


OOC NOTICES:
THE GAME IS NOW OPEN. Feel free to post both on xi_rpg and xi_online.
There'll be another game update going up once classes are about to start. Reminder! Classes don't have to be threaded out, but they can be if you want them to be.

Really really want to see a character here? Drop a comment on here (don't forget to state series as well as character) and we'll add them to the list. At a loss for who to bring in? Take a gander at this post for some thoughts on what would make everyone else REALLY HAPPY.

( UNDER HERE )

All students at the Xavier Institute live in on-site dormitories.

There are two separate dorms for boys and girls, with two students to a room, all complete with laundry services and communal bathrooms. The staff lodgings are in the main building and aren't listed here mainly because staff don't have to share.

Rooms aren't allocated at random – generally if it's thought that two students won't get on, they won't be put in a dorm together – but not everything can be predicted. If roommates aren't getting on, they can ask for their rooms to be reassigned.

( DORM ALLOCATIONS )

At the Xavier Institute, all students are put into groups of four or five students under one staff mentor. This is to foster a sense of belonging and to give students a member of staff they can go to directly if they need anything. Staff members who've been assigned groups are encouraged to approach the mentoring in whatever way they feel is appropriate – considering the Xavier Institute's broad and colourful array of staff, this can be anything from buying them dinner and talking about their feelings to making them do extra Danger Room sessions. HAVE FUN.

A full list of groups can be found here.
Characters marked in soft blue are ones newly added to the spreadsheet.

( Quick Mentor Group FAQ – please read this! )