January Alt Event [OPENish]

[blesstherains]

WHO: Any characters not specifically being used for the Hellfire Club Event
WHAT: Volunteering to help disadvantaged and underprivileged mutants in the cold harsh winter.
WHERE: District X (located in Alphabet City, Manhattan)
WHEN: Middle of the week
WARNING(S): With the FoH possibly jumping in, this could get rough.



At the very least, the snowfall wasn't blizzard strength today. But it was making the work of unloading the trucks at the community center difficult. But the kitchen was cooking, the fires were going, and up and down the block, families lined up to get blankets, to get food, and get some hope from a group many of them considered to be heroes for entirely different reasons than most did...

The X-Men.

Comments

Heading home!

[gregorydeegan]

He leaned against a wall, grinning. At least this was distracting him from the cold. "Right, mate," he sais with a high end British accent. Not the sound of an American putting on a Brittish accent, but a genuine British accent,

[endurancepoint]

"No one under fifty talks like that anymore," Alex says with a small bark of laughter. His own accent shifts, from the semi-American one he's been working on the last few months to the London accent he'd used after starting at Brookland. "Except for rich ponces."

[gregorydeegan]

"No shame in sounding like my mum," he said with a shrug and a smile. There were times he wished he could be more like his mother, and like his brother. He so often wished her could just be... more.

But just because he thought he himself could be more... was no reason to let this guy say the same.

Odd thing? This actually wasn't bothering Greg all that much, taunts at him flared his self hatred then died when some other, brighter emotion took over. But nothing had flared yet. This was simply a good way to pass the time, and avoid the cold.

[endurancepoint]

Good job, Greg, you've succeeded in making Alex feel slightly like an arse. Not that his face shows it or that he'll admit it. A bit of the bite fades from his voice though.

"Nah, s'alright to sound like your mum. Just don't go talking like that if you ever decide to go to London."

If his shoulders hunch slightly, well, they always do when Alex thinks on the subject of mums. He didn't know what his sounded like, didn't know what she was like at all. And he envied all who did. Not that he'll ever admit to that; especially not to someone who--as far as first impressions went--seemed to be his complete polar opposite.

[gregorydeegan]

"Actually I did," he said, grinning as he slipped back into his more common accent. "Spent some time wandering England before coming to America. Well, more than just England, anywhere my feet could take me."

He considered, then sighed and for the first time looked less than amused. "Some people thought I was out looking for my brother... wont believe that I was really just looking for me," he said with a shrug, then a shudder that wasn't entirely from cold. He could almost feel Dominic glaring at him, an ocean away.

[endurancepoint]

"I can understand wanting to know more about where your mum is from, but good God. There are better places than England to do some soul searching."

Alex's expression is mildly horrified, to say the least.

[gregorydeegan]

He chuckled a bit. "Where do you think would have been better?" he asked. "Seoul?"

[endurancepoint]

"Frankly, anywhere but England. I've heard Paris is rather nice for that sort of thing, but I suppose Seoul could do in a pinch."

Nope, he wasn't going to comment on that terrible, terrible pun. Even if it was the sort he usually made himself.

[gregorydeegan]

It was so sad when a pun went unnoticed, but that was fine, there would be plenty more, he knew. "Paris is alright, my brother and I went there for a while, and his best friend lived there a while... but... It was not for me. But I didn't mind England that much. Hyde Park was pretty awesome, and there are some interesting places in Queensway to loose yourself int he crowd, and sometimes you have to loose yourself, to find yourself," he said, nodding.

[endurancepoint]

Oh sure, just as long as it doesn't get you dead, Alex thought to himself. But damn if those locations don't hit a bit close to home. Like five kilometers close to home.

"You know, I'm trying really hard not to feel homesick for a country that would happily use me as cannon fodder, and you are not helping."

[gregorydeegan]

He winced. "Sorry bout that then, we can talk about America if you prefer. I've been here before, but not since I was little, so it's almost like being here for the first time. What do I have to look forward to, aside from things like this being necessary?"

[endurancepoint]

"Sort of depends on what you're looking for," Alex replied. "If you like the outdoors, there's plenty of that. Nice hiking and camping here in New York. Beaches are better in Florida, California, and Hawaii. But NYC is a nice city. All sorts of great places to eat, nice museums, lots of live music."

[gregorydeegan]

Greg realized that maybe Dominic was right, if you could turn someone who was primed to hate you into someone who wanted to help, you could make some good friends that way. He nodded listening. "Live music sounds perfect. To perform or to attend, or both?"

[endurancepoint]

Don't count your chickens before they hatch Greg.

"Both. Pick a genre, there's probably a club somewhere that has it live. And if that's not your style, there are buskers everywhere. Broadway is practically in the middle of Manhattan, and there's an endless supply of hopefuls."

[gregorydeegan]

"Sounds good," he grinned. And yep, he totally just said that that sounded good. Some days he really loved being him. "I'll have to check that out, thanks. "Got a question then, We're here in case there is trouble, so I have to ask, what's the deal with American police?" He was not a fan of the so-called proper authorities back home, but then he had good reason to feel that way. The only one he ever met that he liked was Dex. Everyone else... Well, Sigfried had been the first time Greg had ever refused to do a healing. Not that Jayden let that stand... He sighed.

[endurancepoint]

"How do you mean? Not that I can really say much as I haven't fun afoul of the police here."

Implying he has run afoul of the ones in England.

"Do you mean how they don't really get involved whenever the FOH and MLF clash?"

[gregorydeegan]

"Well, the fact that we're here, not them, defending for one," he agreed, nodding. "Though just by keeping their noses out, they're a sight better than the pack back home..." he said.

[endurancepoint]

"I wouldn't be surprised if they've been told from the top to not get involved," Alex replied with a shrug. "And it's not like they're equipped to handle a bunch of questionable-technology-toting FOH."

[gregorydeegan]

"So they just leave us to twist in the wind? Might makes right?" he asked. "Is that how America works?"

[endurancepoint]

"It certainly has in the past," Alex replied. "Look at how the country was created. And as for contemporary examples, all you have to do is look at that damned Registration Act to see how America works. If that passes, the police will be the least of your worries."

[gregorydeegan]

"Isn't this place supposed to be about voting? There aren't enough non-idiots around to vote out people who make such laws in parliament?" He asked. His natural reaction... he wanted to call home. Dominic would know how to fix this... he always knew how to fix everything.

Yes, Greg had a bit of a brother issue. And a mother issue. and a daddy issue. He had a subscription.

But now he was here and he had to try to help on his own. He had to stop leaning on them all the time... He just... wished he knew how...

[endurancepoint]

Alex shook his head. "You might vote someone in, but that doesn't mean they'll actually represent your interests. Or, if they do something you don't agree with, it might be years before you can vote them out. And then there's all the dirty, underhanded bribing that goes on. Money talks louder than morals these days."

[gregorydeegan]

"So... how do we go about talking louder than money?" he asked, a slow grin forming.

[endurancepoint]

Alex, on the other hand, didn't smile. "With information. Proof someone is taking bribes, is in cahoots with someone that would affect their ability to be unbiased, or is associated with someone so morally repugnant that there's enough public outcry. Unfortunately, we tend to be the morally repugnant ones right now."

Of course, there was another solution, but Alex doubted assassination sat well with Xavier. Not that it sat well with him, but it was an option that came to mind.

[gregorydeegan]

"So when we're done here... lets go get that proof," he said. It wasn't said "as if it were that simple" it was more of a "here is a thing that needs to be done, lets get to work. He nodded at Alex, rolling his shoulders as he started considering ways to do it.

"Probably the most important thing is that this should be a mixed effort," he said, giving it some thought. "That way not only do we show proof, but we cut from under them the ground of any who would say that we somehow 'cheated' by getting the information, and by being living breathing proof that mutant or not mutant doesn't matter nearly so much as a common goal and shared beliefs in right and wrong. Let people see that we can all work together, that it's not so scary, and more will be willing to do it."