11th Street Shelter Shenanigans!

[seismic_shockwave]

WHO: Xavier's students
WHERE: 11th Street Shelter
WHAT: Helping out, making a difference!
WHEN: Early afternoon on Sunday
RATING: PG to PG-13

It'd been a relatively uneventful trip into the city, though things were a bit slower on the road due to heavier-than-usual maintenence, it taking nearly an hour to get into the core of the city. It had been agreed upon to take a quick lunch stop at a burger place along the road- on the principle that it was probably best not to eat the shelter's food. Once they'd got to the shelter, they had all immediately been put to work serving food, with a lunch time that ran from 12 to 2, though hot coffee, cookies and sandwiches were available at any time during the day. Tying back her hair so it wouldn't get into the soup, Kayla started doling out the day's food. If it was needed, people would be sent doing other tasks, such as preparing beds for those who needed them or cleaning up. Later on in the afternoon, they'd be put to work sorting food for the food bank, or clothing to give to those who needed it.

But right now, their help was needed the most in the kitchen, making sandwiches and coffee, putting out cookies and doling out the soup of the day (beef noodle) from giant pots. Kayla paused for a moment to wipe her brow- it was hot in the kitchen and there were a lot of people to serve during lunch hour. Hopefully the soup wouldn't run out before the people in the lines had all been fed ... a lot of soup had been made, but some days it was hard to feed everyone that needed it. Worse came to worse, they'd have to dip into the food bank supplies and start cooking up canned soups. Hardly an ideal circumstance, but better than turning anyone away.

The clientele were varied, with all manner of appearances and backstories. While most mutants could more or less pass for human, most of the mutants who came to 11th Street had some form of inconvenient or visible mutation- those who didn't could often find either jobs or assistance from other agencies. The mutations had led to some interesting consequences- one woman who didn't have functioning vocal cords but minor telepathic abilities could only communicate through telepathy- and several of the mutants at the shelter had higher-than-average caloric needs that were also a drain on food supplies. Clothing had to be replaced as powers accidents resulted in the destruciton of what was sometimes their only outfit of decent clothes.

Kayla turned to give an encouraging smile to the person next to her, as she ladled out another serving of soup into a bowl to a young woman covered in brilliant, multicoloured feathers.

"Lunch rush is almost over. Then we get to work sorting food, clothing and other supplies." 

The plan was to be there all afternoon.

Comments

[iced_cherub]

Bobbi was watching the other feathered woman a moment as she neared her in the line. She smiled, having long ago tied her hoodie over her hips so her wings were loose.

She handed over the slice of cake that she had been asked to hand out.

When she heard that they would be doing something else soon Bobbi nodded. Her mind was still working on the news that Hank had given her earlier.

[seismic_shockwave]

Kayla figured that Bobby was still feeling a bit weird about being let out from her grounding or something. She hadn't really heard all of the details, but it sounded like a pretty stupid, sordid situation. Though it could've been other things. One thing she'd learned fast in Xavier's is that a lot of the inhabitants had a lot of weird drama.

"We're doing great." She grinned at Bobbi. "Everything okay?"

[iced_cherub]

She nodded. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind." She flashed Kayla a smile. "It's okay, where you need me?"

Until she figured it out herself she wasn't going to drag the others down with the news Hank had given her.

[seismic_shockwave]

"We stick around here for about another five minutes or so, and then we take our asses out back and start sorting through food. Make sure nothing's gratuitously expired or otherwise inedible and then start making hampers. For everyone who stays at the shelter, there's two or three folks who just need some help with food or clothes." She took a bit of a breath and her smile went a little wan for a moment. "I was one of those people not too long ago. Tough to make rent in New York City."

She looked around for a moment. "So is this place what you were expecting?"

[iced_cherub]

"I'd say I know used to live here, but... Not sure if that really is the case." She sighed a little. Though she nodded about helping sort things.

"This is actually more organized than the shelter back on the west coast I'd help at." Bobbi smiled a little at someone else handing over a paper plate. "And it feels good not to have to be as careful because my wings might shift under the hoodie."

[wild_child]

Rose was generally happy to help those in need; she knew as a second generation X-Man, she'd had a greater than average chance at doing pretty good in life. Had she been left with her mother, she suspected her chances might not have been as great.

What she hadn't necessarily been prepared for, though, was the smell of it all. A big city was crowded with smells to begin with, but the nature of the shelter meant that plenty of other smells wafted up too, not the least was the smell of hopelessness and despair.

But she was a good little soldier, and she'd carry on.

[seismic_shockwave]

"They've done a really good job here. Sadly, the demand keeps growing." It would be better if it wasn't needed so badly.

Kayla had been kicked out of her home and cast out of her family. The people here were the first people to have been really kind to her since that had happened. They'd pointed her towards the school. She owed them quite a bit, more than she could really repay at the moment.

"How are you doing, Rose?" Kayla replied. She couldn't really smell most of what Rose was smelling, especially in emotional terms.

[wild_child]

Rose nodded slightly. "'m doing fine," she said, scooping some mashed potatoes onto a plate.

She turned so she could whisper. "Think you've got some fruit in the pantry headin' to goin' bad though. And..." She paused to sniff, "maybe a mouse."

[iced_cherub]

Bobbi glanced at Rose a moment. "The pantry door's closed though..." Yep, the kid was impressed.

[pyroprincess]

As it happened, this Sunday, an alumnus of the Xavier Institute was visiting the 11th Street Shelter, intending to meet with the people who ran the shelter in regards to working out a financing model. She'd come directly from studying at the school, her books in a tote bag, though she'd also come armed with a checkbook and a briefcase containing a formal partnership proposal she desired, between the 11th Street Shelter and her as an individual.

She couldn't help but notice a few new faces as she walked in and she smiled towards them slightly. It was pretty obvious, though she was in relatively casual clothing, that she wasn't really an inhabitant of the shelter.

Offhandedly, she also wondered if Jeremiah was around.

[fanboytemplar]

And around he was, carrying another stack of used-but-clean clothes to where it needed to be.

"Hello, Miss Shaw."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie shook her head with a faint smile. "Miss Shaw? You can call me Stephanie, it's quite all right. Steph even." She looked around. "The supply situation looks better here. How are things going, overall?" She set down her things for a moment to help him carry some more clothes over.

"I'm looking to speak to the director of the shelter, about establishing a permanent partnership. With me personally, not with Shaw Industries, of course." Stephanie handed Jeremiah a pile of pants.

"I'd like to ensure that this establishment never lacks for what it needs."

[fanboytemplar]

"Ah. Well. In the various developments it's gone through, the shelter doesn't really have a director, per se. It's run more as general cooperative..." In which, by this point, everyone tended to just let Jeremiah handle the final say.

[pyroprincess]

"Oh really?" Stephanie smirked. "I thought I was speaking to the director right now. I don't know if I can support a cooperative. Being an emissary of Corporate America and all." She was obviously teasing him, so obviously so that she hoped he would get it.

"That being said, I'm quite serious. I don't want to do anything ridiculous like take it over or name it after myself, mind. First and foremost, this is about making sure there's a safety net for mutants in this city." Would it look good for her to do so in the mutant community? Absolutely. In the mainstream community, it was a calculated risk at best.

"Some of the assistance would come in kind, but at least half of it would come in cash." If Jeremiah was the person who was ultimately in charge, though, she had no difficulty in trusting him with that.

[fanboytemplar]

Jeremiah's momentarily flustered, but then just smiles. "Please, Stephanie. If I, as a monarchist, can get the hang of it, I'm sure the bloodsoaked hordes who believe you beholden to them will come around. And assistance would be much appreciated. What do we need to do to organize the matter?"

[pyroprincess]

"Bloodsoaked hordes. I like that. Very Jacobin." Stephanie smirked and opened up her briefcase. "There's papers in here, most of it's just information and proposals. The Director of the shelter will have to sign here, as will I. I'm a stickler for legal waterproofing."

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Speaking of the monarchy, I hear Lucas is in Avalon now. How is he doing there?"

[fanboytemplar]

"I suppose I can sign it, then."

And Jeremiah smiles. "Quite well." He'd been sympathetic to Lucas's relationship troubles when he decided New York no longer held anything for him, but so happy to finally get a good friend out of this godforsaken city.

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke Wyngarde had never felt more out of her element than she had here, at the shelter. First of all, she'd been harbouring under the mistaken impression that she'd dressed down for work that day, when she'd chosen a Delhi printed shirt dress (because shirtdresses implied work more than anything else, didn't they?) and her Givenchy wingtip platforms, which pretty much said to the world that she was a professional, independent career woman, here to do good and help out the less fortunate.

She was realizing now that the less fortunate weren't the ten girls from Williamsburg who always got into Robillard-Woodbridge every year on scholarship. No, this was...this was very different indeed. She wrapped her so-dark-blue-it-was-almost-black cropped fur coat more tightly around herself, camel coloured leather gloves blocking her from feeling the all too luxurious a fabric for her environment.

Still, she tried her best to plaster a smile on her face and sought out Kayla, who had put this endeavour together. There was also, in her pocket, a check for a sizable sum of money, the first of what she expected to be many more such contributions.

These were, after all, her people, and though she may talk down to them in the safe haven that was the Xavier Institute, this was another matter entirely.

Today, Brooke had promised, she would be on her best behaviour.

[seismic_shockwave]

Overdressed (adj) 1.) The state of wearing excessively formal attire for a given occasion. 2.) (colloq.) Excessively laden or supplied for any endavour. 3.) Brooke Wyngarde (see picture)

Kayla shook her head slightly before putting on her best grin and going over to Brooke. "Hey there, glad you could make it. Right now we're sorting out food for the hampers. The other girls will give you the downlow on how to pack `em. When we're done that, we'll go out and mingle a bit." She put a hand on Brooke's shoudler gently to direct her to the back where they should go.

It was then that Brooke would've noticed her best friend having a conversation with Jeremiah. With legal documents, no less.

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke nodded at Kayla, her smile unwavering.

Sorting, packing, mingling. She could totally do this.

She hoped.

Granted, seeing Stephanie there eased Brooke's tension so much. Her shoulders visibly loosened up, and her smile became much less tight and manic.

She made a beeline for Stephanie.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie turned slightly from Jeremiah for a moment and grinned at Brooke, the same sort of grin that the metaphorical cat got after it ate the early bird. She broke off from Jeremiah for a moment to greet her friend, with prerequisite hug and air kisses and everything.

"Why hello there, Brooke. Are you here with the group from Xavier's school?" She'd pieced together from hearing the others talking that there was a group from the school there, being led by a girl that she'd seen there before once or twice on second glance, but couldn't possibly remember.

"I was just speaking with our good friend Jeremiah about a more permanent arrangement for the 11th Street Shelter."

[hellfire_empath]

"I am," Brooke said, the relief in her voice evident, "though I'm starting to think that I ought to have called you first before I dressed this morning," she said. Her eyes wavered down to the obviously legal documents that Stephanie was holding before making eye contact with her friend again.

"You're purchasing the shelter?"

[pyroprincess]

"Oh no. And honestly, I doubt I could convince Jeremiah to do so. But I will be starting a permanent partnership with the shelter. And once it becomes truly stable, well, then we look at expanding it." Stephanie looked at Brooke for a moment with a faint smile. "Well, it's always adviseable to have a pair of jeans somewhere in the wardrobe for occasions like this." And really, why wouldn't Brooke have some? It wasn't as if she had anything to be embarrassed about. Far from it.

"This whole area, in the aftermath of various catastrophes and troubles has been increasingly deserted. The 11th Street Shelter is currently virtually the only occupant of this building. I would like to build a community centre here as soon as possible. For New York's mutant community. And then move on turning the empty space into affordable accomodations for young mutants, both single and families."

Which was already an ambitious plan, but it really went well beyond that. She had ideas sketched out in her mind that could take literally decades to play out. Though with the rate at which the community was filling up with mutants, it might be shorter than that ...

[hellfire_empath]

"Proenza Schouler did have a nice, black skinny jean," Brooke replied. They'd never really been her thing, though. In point of fact, Brooke never really wore pants. She'd always been a skirts-and-dresses kind of girl.

"Sounds like an intriguing plan," Brooke said, nodding her head. A Mutant Town of sorts. To be honest, that wasn't the worst idea. "And with you at the helm, I'm certain it wouldn't turn into some mutant ghetto where people were afraid to come in." She didn't want this place to be called the X-Projects or something.

"Your father would probably be incredibly proud of your business acumen."

[pyroprincess]

"I have a pair of those, actually." Stephanie tended to favor skirts and dresses herself, but she'd always made sure that her wardrobe was varied. And besides, sometimes, she liked simply being comfortable and casual, after a fashion. When one's casualwear was all custom-tailored, it was hard to really compare it to, say, what most of the people at the shelter wore.

"Thank you. I have no doubt that it will take some time for it to be established as a pleasant place, but that is the ultimate aim. I imagine a lot of the inhabitants will be rather poor to begin with, partly due to limited employment opportunities." Stephanie smirked slightly. "I'll be working on changing that too. The vast majority of these people would leap at the chance to do any sort of decent work."

"I wouldn't say it's exactly, entirely, a business proposition. In fact, I doubt I will see any financial gain at all from this in the short or medium term. It's about establishing a mutant community in the heart of the world's most important city."

She took out papers on projected demographic change to Brooke. "If we concentrate the rising mutant population in this area, eventually it will reach a level high enough to elect an openly mutant city councillor. Eventually, it might reach a large enough number that the mutant vote will become key to the election of the local House Representative and possibly even the mayor's office."

"If things go well, the success of this neighbourhood will be living proof that mutants aren't some sinister "Other". The Purifiers will look far worse trying to harass a prosperous, growing neighbourhood than isolated individuals."

I'll be looking for support from Xavier's school. I'd like to sound out the possibility of their establishing a satellite campus of sorts in the area. Provide mutants with an friendly option for GEDs and the like."