Xaviers!

Basil was actually nervous. He thought this was going to help, but now he wasn't as certain it would. But he already told people to show up and while he wasn't under any obligation to stay anymore than they were to show up, he kinda felt like he was. He wrote the email after all.

And what about this tie? He wasn't so sure about it with his trousers and blazer. One could tell how he kept fidgeting with it and seemingly examining the thing between his fingers.

((Open to all))

A little fun was just what the doctor ordered after a stressful week of trying to find hidden aliens, so Haley showed up in a pair of tight bluejeans, a short, sleeved red and white plaid button down shirt, and a stetson on her head.

"Howdy Basil," she grinned

"Howdy Sheriff." He replies. "How goes the bug hunt?"

"Well. Good news, haven't found much yet. Bad news, haven't found much yet."

"I'm sure you'll find your man. Woman. Extraterrestrial.

After all, Texans are tenacious, eh?"

Will walked in. He was wearing khakis and a t-shirt.

Not much for dressing up, Will Stanton.

"Not a bad idea at all, if I do say so myself."

"Well we won't know for certain until some of us start singing." Basil observed in his dark humour fashion with a jovial tone.

"Will is it?"

"At the moment, anyway. Nice to make your acquaintance, Basil.

Bold move, copying most of the floor on your e-mail," he joked. "Some people might be worried about hearing them sing."

"My mate seems to think this is going to be therapeutic for me. It's now my unyielding duty to prove him spectacularly wrong and I need as many witnesses as possible." He quipped back.

"Do the witnesses need to be sober? Because they probably shouldn't be once I start singing." Haley giggled, already returning from the bar with a longneck of some of the cheap, watery American beer that the XUB bartending staff agreed under protest to carry to accommodate Yankee tastebuds.

"Your mate also already regrets getting himself into this," Chase said with a rueful smirk as he approached, wearing his usual 'I wear what the school gives me' campus store t-shirt and jeans.

Jezabelle had her hands in the pocket of her hoodie when she entered, hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. No one was on stage yet, she must've been too early.

"Being drunk is probably the best thing you can be for what you're about to witness."

"Ah! There you are Chase. I was starting to think you chickened out on this one."

While he was allowing most people to slip in quietly if the chose to, Jez didn't get off quite that easy.

"Oi! Sherlock!" He called after her.

Jez froze like she'd been caught shoplifting, which caused her to flush from being startled so easily. Why was it that when someone with an English accent said her name it sounded so weird?

"Hello Basil. Playing the part of master of ceremonies tonight are we?"

"Nothing so grand, I just wrote an email, all the real control is still in the building staff's hands.

Trust you know everyone?" Basil asked, though admittedly he wasn't sure. He got the feeling she was a bit of a recluse despite he himself having bumped into her a few times.

"More or less. Preferably less if I get the courage to take the stage.

"Speaking of which, I should get myself some liquid courage. Can I get you something?"

After her talk with Sam Shari's a bit more optimistic about things and, striving to reclaim some of her bluster, makes her way to the XUB after hearing from somebody about Karaoke Night. She's got no money for beer, but that doesn't put much of a damper on her mood. What almost does is spotting the set of empty clothes out and about, because odds are that's the guy she pick-pocketed. But oh well, not like he'd recognize her, right? At some point she should apologize but definitely not right here.

"If I wimped out, what hope would you have?" Chase teased his friend.

"No thank you Ms, Sherlock. Alcohol will just gum up the system. I'll get some after my turn."

"Cheeky little git tonight, aren't you?" Basil states to Chase with a laugh. "If I didn't know better, I would think you wanted to be here."

Shari got no greeting, because (as she suspected) Basil had no idea who she was. He knew she wasn't staff, but that was about it.

"So. Who's leading this show off?"

"Seems a bit self serving if I go first. Like I just gathered you all here to show off." Basil replied.

Even though he knew deep down that was more or less exactly what he had planned.

"I'll go!" Shari chimes up and makes her way over to the little stage. That's probably being generous to the bit of floor that's raised by maybe a couple inches, but still. She takes a moment to scroll through the list of stuff she doesn't really know until one catches her eye. She looks contemplative for a moment, then shrugs and pushes the button to start up the karaoke machine. Soft piano music starts playing as Shari grabs the microphone and sashays to the center of the stage. When the music kicks it up a notch she spins around to face the room and starts singing in a smoky voice. It's... not particularly great, but she's giving it a proper theatrical try.

Sam makes her way to the edge of the group, smiling as she sees Shari up on the stage.

Basil would let off a high pitched whistle (of the non-sexual variety) as encouragement to the new comer, being that she was brave enough to be the first one up there.

Noticing Sam, his suit sleeve made a quick swipe motion implying he was giving her a quick wave.

Haley floated her beer bottle in front of her with her TK, applauding vigorously with her now free hands and cheering.

Tosh crept in and took a seat next to Haley. He had on an appropriate nerd shirt and was carrying his mostly empty backpack, which he dropped to the floor.

"I miss anything good?"

"Just the part where you gave me some sugar," she giggled, planting a huge kiss on his lips, "and also the part where you got me an extra Bud Light."

Sam is already queued up as Shari's song starts to wind down, her eyes looking through the crowd to see if Tereza made it.

Even if she can't see me, she'll hear me...

"I did... what now?" he asked, in a kiss induced brain fog.

Basil wasn't at the same table as Haley, but adjacent, and the bar wasn't so huge people talking at normal levels couldn't be heard.

Basil produced a ten quid note, and held it over his shoulder at Tosh.

"I owe your lady a drink. Get something for yourself if you fancy, and something for our new friend. I think she's earned herself a drink."

Shari does a very brief bow at the generally good reception. "Thank you, thank you!" she over-dramatically walks off the stage.

"Hell of an act to follow," she grins to Shari as they pass on her way up onto the stage.

She queues up her song, and as it starts up her toe is tapping, her hands twitching at her sides as she feels out the beat.

"Your love is like a tidal wave, spinnin' over my head..."

She's practiced it. That much is obvious, and those who have seen her in the Danger Room might place some of her foot and hand movements. She's also not lacking in enthusiasm or confidence right now, belting it out for all she's worth.

Will applauded quietly in the back of the room.

"Oh!" Tosh exclaimed, "Right! Drinks!" He scrambled to his feet like a good little boyfriend and headed to the bar.

"Thanks dude," he told Basil as he took the note. Turning to Shari and finally actually looking at her, he awkwardly hesitated with an expression of nervous curiosity.

Be cool. Be cool. Trust Nat.

He reeled in his nerves and asked, "So... uhh... what drink you want?"

Basil focused his attention on cheering Samantha on, the new girl having not taken up much of his thoughts after she had left his eyesight.

Basil was really good at 'wooooo' and clapping enthusiastically.

Tereza smiles at Sam from where she's standing near the back, discussing something with Natalie. Natalie nods and gets a really distant look as the two of them go to get in line.

Bear stepped in, hoping not to distract from the show.

She was wearing a long dress and ploofy blouse, and hoping to get the experience of Cam out of her mind.

Smiling, she took a seat near the others.

Seeing everyone else hesitating, Will strode up to the mike and futzed with the karaoke machine. He began singing before the music kicked in...

Here’s to the winners all of us can be…
Unless you finish second place…three times in a row…

He definitely was trained in this sorta thing, staying in key and belting out the notes.

And then the signature sounds of a big band kicked in

Here's to those who love not too wisely, no not wisely, but too well,
To all of us who sigh with envy when we hear those wedding bells,
To the guys who joined the X-Teams but missed their wake-up call!
Here’s to the losers, bless us all.

Here’s to those who drink our dinners when our lady needs a rest
Here’s to those who try to make the grade but just can’t past the test
Here’s to those who don’t fight for a cause, but because we have a ball!
Here’s to the losers, bless us all.

Sam, Tereza and Nailah, they were great long ago…
Those bruises they carry are Cam’s fault you know.

Here’s to those who go out fighting, even though we’re past our prime
Here’s to every shifter with an ego half as big as mine
Here’s to trouble-free tomorrows, may our sorrows all be small!
Here’s to the losers, bless us all.

Well, here’s to Slipstream, Maggot and Stacy X, Warbird’s talon’s gleam…
Here’s to Hepizbah and all of the rest who never topped the team
Here’s to everyone who’s done their best, but seen their fortunes fall…
Here’s to the losers, here’s to the losers, here’s to the…

Trev is a loser and it’s plain to see, when girls stop by he gets weak at the knee!
Will is a loser and it’s very clear; not much of a teammate but adequate as gear!
Bruce’s not a loser, he’s a real cool guy – if you ask him, he’ll gladly tell you why!

Bless us all, bless us allllll!

Bear was smiling and clapping at the end.

"Woo! Wooooooo!"

Tereza raises an eyebrow as the song starts, but as it finishes, she laughs and applauds.