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

[friends_of_humanity]

The first pair he'll see on the outskirts don't appear to have weapons, at least. On the other hand, one's pretty well-built and the smaller one seems kind of scrappy. Going it alone might not be the best idea...

[friendofdorothy]

Maybe not, but better than letting them get away. He'd call for backup but not at the expense of delaying them.

He opened his phone and dialed Principal Munroe.

"My scanners read flat at the 45th street entrance. Moving to hold them."

He began walking briskly in their general direction, close enough to intercept, far enough to pleade innocence if questioned.

[friends_of_humanity]

A couple of jerks looking for a fight aren't about to pass up a gift-wrapped opportunity.

"Whatsa matter, kid?" the larger one shouts when Liir's within loud talking distance. "Even the other freaks don't want you around?"

still open for backup

[friendofdorothy]

Liir watches their hands, looking for more of those forceguns. He feels exposed. Not too much cover here.

But all he has to do is hold them there. How? Confuse their xenophobia, he supposes. He speaks a sentence in Qua'ati, the Berber-derived language of southern Oz. It's nonsense, a mishmash of guidebook phrases for soldiers, but he says it with a smirk. Time to see if someone would swing at him.

[friends_of_humanity]

"The hell did he say?" The two exchange a confused look, before the smaller man shrugs.

"Something about your mother, maybe. How should I know?"

It's apparently not the answer the big guy was hoping to hear. "You wanna try that again in English, you little shit?" he snarls, his stance tensing a bit.

[friendofdorothy]

"I said maybe you should be coming here, yeah? All of you. Tell them all. Would appreciate it, owe you the big favors."

A dual meaning. It sounds as if he's calling out the FoH, but there's someone else who will hear it, because of his powers: the local rats. And when they hear 'owe you the big favors' from someone who's been seen serving food, well that's what rats like. And they begin to gather.

[theveilisin]

Luvander doesn't actually have any offensive powers as such, but he's been all over the place today, and it's not hard to interpret what is going on even with just a quick glance. And he still has what could be referred to offensive skills, doesn't he?

So he strolls over to Liir's side, walking slowly as if he doesn't have a care in the world, tucking his mint green mohair scarf a bit safer under his collar. He looks absolutely harmless, a wiry, short boy in a smart black coat and wearing a cheerful smile. "Hello, boys. I can tell that you want to get to know this fellow better, but you have no one to properly introduce you. A terrible conundrum indeed. I can try to help out, although to tell the truth I'm not really acquainted to him either, so we're going to have to improvise."

[friends_of_humanity]

The big one starts to growl something that's probably not fit at all for polite company, but the other cuts in - a little more smoothly, but he's starting to sound like his fuse is getting pretty short, too.

"Not your business, pal. You sure you want to stick your neck out for this guy?"

[friendofdorothy]

Liir cringes internally at Luvander's 'help'. He feels only marginally safer.

"No, but seems they are wanting to." He says in his best 'clueless foreigner' voice.

And that's when it becomes apparent that a large number of rats have gathered around them. And they're getting fearlessly close.

"So many new friends." And there's that trademark deadpan delivery.

[theveilisin]

Luvander sends the 'Friends' an amused look, wishing he could inform them exactly how used he is to this sort of posturing and intimidation tactics - and that's from people who were his friends. But contrary of popular opinion, Luvander occasionally decides not to say something that crosses his mind.

"Yes," he says slowly instead, as if he's really pondering the question. "Yes, I rather think I do." He raises an eyebrow in surprise as the sudden hoard of rats, but well, maybe that can be useful. "And so do they, apparently."

But honestly, standoffs where both parties just try to scare the other off can go on forever, and it's quite boring, so a moment later a knife suddenly flashes in Luvander's hand. He still smiles just as pleasantly, though. "Your move, sweethearts."

[friends_of_humanity]

The shorter guy has a bit more common sense - he swears and takes a step back. "Jesus Christ -"

The bigger one, on the other hand, yells something unintelligible and takes a swing at Liir.

[friendofdorothy]

The rats begin swarming up them. Some springboard off Liir and Luvander. Liir's already growing a rat's teeth and whickers, which make him look a bit goofy, for sure. But the air blows over them and he can turn his jaw a bit into the punch. The impact causes him to stagger forwards and into the other man. He's got him around the body and his enormous, goofy incisors search for any place not covered by sufficiently thick clothing.

[theveilisin]

Well, he's had worse than rats crawling on him at times, so he just tries to mind where he steps as well as he can. As he darts past Liir and the big guy, he lets one hand brush against the back of the other boy's neck, locating any possible damage caused by the punch and transferring it, only wincing slightly at the dull pain of it.

The important thing is that the big guy doesn't receive backup right now, so Luvander heads for the smaller of the two, treating him to his very friendliest grin as he firmly places himself in between him and the scuffle between the two others. "How about we hang back a bit, nobody likes a busybody much." He's still holding the knife like an afterthought, not really threatening unless he has to use it.

[friends_of_humanity]

"This is bullshit," the smaller one snarls - but he doesn't press his luck, and doesn't offer anything more than a venomous glare.

The big one is yelling, shaking whichever limb he can get most free at any given moment, trying awkwardly to push Liir off him.

[friendofdorothy]

Liir's not going anywhere. He's already behind the bigger man's shoulder, shoving him forward the way they taught him in the army. It'll all be over if he can get him face first down there with those rats.

Do it to Julia! Heh. He thinks.

[theveilisin]

Luvander just smiles and shrugs easily at the guy in front of him, fiddling absently with the knife he's holding, but still with his knees slightly bent in case of an attack.

"Now now, don't be like that. My friend over there just wants to introduce your friends to some new friends. Nothing to get wound up about... friend."