School this may be, but life for Xavier's students certainly isn't all studying. Outside classes, this is a popular spot to find students in their downtime. An enormous tribute to slacking off, this room is a wealth of fun and relaxation.
Comfortable armchairs, couches, and beanbags offer plentiful seating scattered throughout the room, and the cushioned windowseats by the high windows offer a cozy nook to curl up and look out on the grounds.
The room is often filled with the noises of gaming -- whether it comes from the big-screen television (tall racks of DVDs beside it, if nothing can be found on the multitude of cable channels), tricked out with consoles from retro to the latest releases, or the less electronic clatter and thump of the pool table, air hockey, or foosball. For those a little more subdued in their gaming, the cabinets hold stacks and stacks of board and card games, ranging as classic as chess and go to as esoteric as Dixit, Catan, and Gloom.
More days than not, there's some variety of snacks to be found on a table beside the gaming cabinet -- quite often in the form of fresh-baked desserts.
Holiday break means that the school is a lot quieter than usual, with a large portion of the students out for the holiday break. But a few remain, although with it being the weekend, the number of in-residence has dipped for the evening as some of the remaining venture into town.
Which might explain the eerie quiet of the otherwise recreational rec room. Its current sole occupant is one small Korean boy, dressed in a grey Xavier's sweatshirt and jeans with green-and-white-striped socks covering his normally bare feet. He's perched in one of the window seats, leaning against the paned glass and looking out over the woods beyond the grounds. Occasionally, he puffs his breath to fog the glass and trace pictures there with one finger. Currently, he's scribing a snowflake, sketching out the skeleton with slow, careful strokes.
Though the student population might be largely scarce due to the holidays and the fact it is the weekend, there still needs to be some staff presence. Martin is on holding-down-the-fort duty, having volunteered for the usually coveted off Saturday night since he doesn't have any other plans. Though by no means on constant patrol, he does occasionally roam the hallways to make sure those that are here are all right and those that shouldn't be here aren't around.
One of these hallway jaunts brings him by the rec room, and he pauses at the doorway to peer within. Sometimes, it's a happening place. Sometimes, not so much. Just as he's about to move on, he spots Kai and pauses to consider the teen. He rubs a thumb against his nose, hands encased in thin, black leather gloves, the rest of him in jeans, a green and brown flannel shirt thrown over a gray henley, and boots. "You doing okay?" he calls.
Kai jumps at the sound of another voice, and his eyes are wide when he looks towards the door. "Oh, hello Mister Martin," he says with a small smile. "Yes, I am doing all right." He motions at the window. "I was just looking at the woods, and thinking about how different they look at this time of year." He colors a bit with this admission, and offers a tiny shrug. "They are very pretty, even without their leaves." He looks back through the window for a moment before he seems to remember something, and turns back. "How are you doing?"
A quick, thin veil of mild amusement drifts over his features at being addressed as Mister Martin. So he isn't rude and half-yelling from the hallway, he steps into the room completely and makes his way over to Kai so he can also look out the window. "It's kind of funny. Ice storms are about the worse thing you could want out here. Lot of bad news comes with 'em. Downed power lines, branches through roofs, car accidents all over the place. But trees, and the woods, they can be so beautiful afterwards," he says. It is a kind of agreement with Kai. Trees can be pretty without their leaves. "I'm awright. Enjoying the quiet."
"We had ice storms where I grew up," Kai says, turning his attention back out over the lawn. "But they did not leave things as pretty as this. Just muddy and cold." He offers another small smile at this shy joke, sliding his eyes sideways to watch the teacher carefully. "I like quiet," he agrees, wrinkling his nose. "Especially now. I do not know if I understand what Christmas is supposed to be, but I /have/ learned that it is sometimes very loud. Especially the songs."
"Think 'muddy and cold' are pretty much staples of winter in a lot of places," Martin says, amusement returning, thin but there, especially around his icy eyes. He eases to sit on the arm of the nearest armchair, just as a quiet laugh escapes him. "I don't think most people understand what Christmas is supposed to be," he confides. "So you're not alone there."
"We did not get much snow," Kai says, lifting a shoulder. "That is a thing which I have enjoyed looking at, even if it is not a thing that Foom likes." He leans against the window, then, considering Martin's words fora long moment. "If people do not understand what it is supposed to be, why do they celebrate it?" he wonders, his eyebrows lifting. "It seems like it is a lot of fun, and makes people be happy, but if it does not have a meaning..." he wrinkles his nose, falling back into quiet contemplation. "Well, that boy on that Charlie Brown cartoon said the thing about the shepherds. If that is a real meaning?"
"Well. Winter's not done just yet," Martin says. They have yet, after all, to feel the cold bite of January and February, and the unkindness that a fickle March can bring. With a slight chuckle to his words, he says, "People celebrate what they think they understand it to be. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Spending time with loved ones. Giving gifts to show appreciation. Volunteering time or donating for the needy. These are all good things that Christmas can be to many people." He rubs the side of his nose with a gloved thumb again, icy eyes bright with some humor again. "The shepherds aren't the important part of what Linus says. The important part is about the birth of Christ, and peace on earth and good will toward men. He's quoting Luke."
Kai narrows one eye as he considers that. "So, people /call/ it Christmas, because that makes it easier to do these things?" He frowns, his brow knitting lightly. "These seem like things that a person could do all year long, if they wanted to do good." He chews on his lip, staring down at his socks and wiggling his toes. "I have heard of the book called Luke," he says, nodding with a small smile of triumph for this bit of trivia. "It is a book that the men who shout about Hell on the television reference, some times." He wrinkles his nose. "They also speak of the Christ, but there's not very much about peace and goodwill."
"Think it's more like Christmas is a helpful reminder to do those things. But yes, you're right. You can and should do those things all year long. And a lot of people do, in their own ways." Martin looks out the window, expression on his somewhat blocky features turning thoughtful. When Kai mentions televangelists, he shrugs heavy shoulders. "The Bible's like any other book, you know. People can read only what they want in it and then misquote it or quote it out of context to excuse what they want to think or believe."
"That seems silly," Kai says of the misuse of the Bible. "If you want to believe a thing, why is it necessary to justify it with a book? Just say it is a thing which you believe, and those who agree with you will." He wrinkles his nose. "It seems complicated to go about it with finding a part in a book that makes it all right." He shrugs, and offers a smaller version of the heavy shrug. "I like to read about Robin Hood, but I do not think it is all right to rob rich people, even if it is for the poor." He frowns, thinking that over for a moment. "Well, maybe if it would help poor people. But I wouldn't shout at other people to do it."
"I think--" Martin starts, and pauses to even further think it through, lines creased into his forehead. "The book is a way for them to show 'see, other people believe it.' And so if other people believe it, then it must be true. That's how they see it, anyway." He works a glove off to be able to scratch at the stubble growing in at his jawline, exposed fingernails much better for it, while listening to what Kai has to say about Robin Hood. When the teen comes to his final conclusion, Martin nods. "That's a fine attitude to have. Some people want to try to convince others to go along with what they think 'cause they think it's right, and spreading that right is good. Then some people are just so insecure with themselves that they have to scream at everyone else to get them to see it their way, 'cause they're afraid of questioning themselves."
Kai huffs a noise that might be a laugh. Certainly, his eyes crinkle at the corners enough to mark it as such. "Religion seems silly," he decides, pulling his knees up so that he can rest his chin on them and lace his fingers around his ankles. "If people would just /do/ the right things and not worry about making others do them, it would be much simpler." He purses his lips as something occurs to him, and he tilts his head to regard the older man. "I'm sorry. You teach the classes on religion, yes? I should probably not say it is silly."
A wan, sort of passive smile appears on Martin's features at what Kai says. He gives a slight shake of his head and holds up a hand when the teen apologizes. "No, you're right. It's silly when people use religion just to get other people to do things for them." He tugs his glove back onto his hand, and flexes fingers to get the thin leather to fit just right. After, his eyes lift from the task to fix on Kai as he adds, "But that isn't what all religion is. Not by a longshot."
Kai tips his head back, looking out the window for a moment. "I do not know much about religion at all," he says, finally, looking back at the teacher. "We did not have it, really. Except for the times that people got married, but I was not allowed to go to those." He smiles, then, a game sort of expression. "Perhaps I will take one of your classes, when I am able. I am certain I would learn much there."
"You weren't allowed to go to weddings?" he asks, sounding mildly curious about it, but nothing more. It's more of a thing of interest for Martin than something to judge. Different cultures have different traditions, after all. As for the classes, he says, "Happy to have you, when you're ready. I can teach you what I know, anyway. There's a lot more out there beyond me, though, for religious studies."
"I was the youngest," Kai explains, his tone indicating this was just a Fact of Life. "And someone had to stay behind to do the things that needed to be done. Besides, I did not have nice clothes to wear for such occasions." He lowers his knees, then, swinging his legs around to kick them idly as he listens. "Well, I do not know how /much/ I wish to know about religion, but it would be good to learn what it is, and why it is." He smiles, and shifts forward just a bit. "And why it is so important to so many people."
"Ah, I see," Martin says, with a single, thoughtful sort of nod. He shifts some on his perch, one forearm resting on a thigh. He gestures with his other gloved hand as he says, "That's the right attitude for it. I'm not here to tell anyone what they should believe in. I'm here to help people understand how religion has influenced our society and laws. Knowing the root of something usually means you can understand it a little better. Understand why things are how they are. Even understand how to try to change things in a way people will better able understand."
Kai smiles, and blushes just a little at the semi-compliment. "I like to learn about things," he says. "I am not sure what I believe in, but there is much I wish to understand." He frowns, suddenly, catching on a thought. "Can understanding lead to believing in something? Perhaps that will happen, if I learn enough."
Martin smiles in a quiet, knowing way. He tips a hand to the side and says, "Understanding can lead to believing. Believing can lead to understanding. But you can also believe in a thing and not understand it. Or understand a thing and not believe it." That isn't cryptic at all. "Learning is good. We should always be learning. At least one new thing a day. That's how we grow, and better know the world and ourselves." He glances at his watch, a non-descript black one, and rises from the arm of the chair. "I should probably check on other spots. But I enjoyed our talk."
The tilt of Kai's head at that winding explanation is sharp, and there's a flicker of yellow around the edges of his pupils as he absorbs that bit of input. "Yes. I like to learn as much as I can," he says. "Some things are easier than others to understand, but it is all interesting." WHen Martin stands, Kai nods, his eyes widening. "Oh, yes. I do not mean to keep you from anything. I enjoyed talking to you very much. Thank you for explaining things for me." He shifts his weight, sliding from the window seat and thumping lightly on the floor. "Now I will see if I can learn if there is any cake left from dinner." He flashes a quick, bright grin, covering it almost immediately with his hand. "Maybe if I believe there is, there will be." And, JOKE ACCOMPLISHED, he hop-skips towards the door, offering a cheery wave as he goes. "Thank you again. I look forward to speaking with you again."
With a chuckle about the cake, Martin follows out the room, though he takes a separate path from there.
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