2010-10-25: Halloween Culture

Players:

Caleb_icon.jpg DrewD_icon.jpg Quetzal_icon.jpg

Summary: While meeting new faces, the discussion of Halloween comes up.

Date: October 28, 2010

Log Title: Halloween Culture

Rating: PG


NYC - Ellis Island

For generations this was the gateway to America, with literally millions of immigrants pouring through the doors to find new lives and new hope. These days it's a museum dedicated to that heritage. Wide corridors and high ceilings cause every sound to magnify and echo and distort. That, combined with the weight of history, tend to breed a sense of reverence and quiet not unlike a library or church.


It's a nice afternoon in the city, well at Ellis Island. There's a breeze off the water giving a slight chill but in a good way. Quetzal is out side sitting on one of the benches with a bright greenish-blue bird sitting on his shoulder as he enjoys a smoking break. His cane leans against the side of the bench as he seems to be muttering quietly to the bird. He's dressed in a pair of jeans and a black button up shirt, nothing that really gives him away as a Barnes teacher or SHIELD agent.

The breeze that is cooling Quetzal gets a little bit stronger and chillier. The wind is strong enough to put out his cigarette. Making his way to the same bench, dressed in western wear, Drew Daniels approaches the newest addition to Barnes, "Quetzal, is it? We haven't formally met yet." Tex stands at the edge of the bench, calming the breeze and producing a lighter for the agent. "I'm Drew Daniels and Don't let Angelo see you smoking." Tex then lights his own cigarette.

Having finished his classes for the day, Caleb is planning on heading into the city for a few hours, the teen is dressed in black jeans, black airwalk trainers, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket. Wandering towards the other end of the isle he spots the teacher he met the other week, the guy with the wind, was it Mr. Daniels?, walking over he raises a hand, "Hey Mr. Daniels"

Quetzal takes his cigarette out of his mouth and looks at it before giving a frown. He goes to relight it as Tex shows up. He offers a smile and stands, "Yes, Agent Quetzal, pleasure to me you Drew Daniels. And smoking, it'd be a tough thing for me to give up now." He says since he started back in High School. When he speaks it's in a very soft voice but at the same time it's in the same exact accent and speaking patterns of Tex. "And this here, is Verde." He says in regards to the bird on his shoudler who does speak. "Hello." He looks to Caleb and offers a poliet nod to the teen.

Tex smiles,"I would not worry about it. I believe Angelo would be able to at the very least heal the damage to your lungs, but you are right quitting. I also started in high school." He extends his hand to shake the other agent's hand. And looks at Verde, "I gotta say, with your codename. You are not quite was I was expecting." He turns to see, "Caleb….Good to see you, boy. Meet Agent Quetzal, he is a new instructor at Barnes." He grins, "Nice not to be the new guy anymore."

Caleb gives a wave to Quetzal as he's introduced, slightly confused by the bird on his shoulder, "Hi, nice to meet you", Caleb is in High School and has yet to take up smoking, his roomate does though, "You guys came all the way out here to smoke?"

Quetzal extends a hand to Caleb and nods. "Pleasure to meet you Caleb." He says before giving a one shouldered shrug to the students question. "It's not good to smoke indoors, it is impolite to those that live there." He says in Tex's southern accent still. It's who he's picking up the language from at that moment. "I'm sorry but what were you expecting Drew? I choose my name from my compaion Verde here." He says as he reaches up to stroke the bird's head. "Hello Caleb, I'm Verde." The bird says to the student. "What brings you outdoors?"

Tex smirks, "With that codename, I was expecting someone of Latin descent…No problem though. I hadn't gotten a chance to peruse your file yet." He looks to Caleb, "Done with classes?" he asks as he puffs on his cigarette, "True, SHIELD rules. No smoking at Barnes underwater! The smell is hard to get out of the carpets. " He jokes.

Caleb shakes Quetzal's offered hand, before he's asked what he's doing out here, by a bird?, "Errm… i was gonna go see some friends, Verde", he's not sure weather or not it's rude to ask about the talking bird, instead he answers Tex's question, "Yep, all done for the day, check my file, i don't skip classes".

"I was in Central America when I met Verde and the name kind of seemed right." Queztal says with calm smile. "Well most of my file is probably classified, I'm a linquist though. That's my specality." He does offer that much but he doesn't exactly go into detail on how much of a linquist he is. He reaches over and grabs the cane that's resting againt the bench and leans on a bit as his leg isn't what it used to be. "There's no need to check any file, Verde wasn't accusing you." The bird shakes his head as it to confirm it. "I'm going to be helping to teach languages here the best I can and also piloting to the older students."

Tex nods and smiles, "That's great. The agents that can help these kids, the better." He looks over at Caleb, "And I believe you don't cut classes. What fun activities do you have planned for the Halloween weekend?" He leans against a post overlooking the Hudson River, "This will be my first time in New York City for that holiday. I hear it can be pretty scary."

Caleb shrugs, "I dunno, i've never really done anything for Halloween, when we were little my dad took me and my brother trick or treating, but we just wanted the sweets", hmmm, maybe for Halloween he should try haunting.

"I got recruited to do this, I'm not much use on the field anymore and my team got disbanded. Which maybe was the right time, I'm not as young as I used to be and it's probably better to settle down a bit." Quetzal says offering a slight shrug. "He's just becoming an old fart." Verde chimes in teasing his companion. "Watch it you." He warns to the birds before looking at the two. "I never did much for Halloween, it wasn't popular in Japan till recently."

Tex nods, "Halloween isn't too popular in Texas either." He starts to chuckle, "We cowboys are in costume year round." He looks to Verde, "Well, I guess we are all old farts, then." He starts laughing louder and then looks about, "I may check out the city, but I hear there may be some costume that put to shame, what we saw fighting those weirdos the other night." He says to Quetzal.

"Oh? I thought it was a big holiday over here for Americans. Why is it not that popular in Texas?" Quetzal asks wondering as he may have been in SHIELD for a while but he's been all over and hasn't really learned much about Americans outside of his squad. "I'm still learning a bit about everyday life in America since I was mostly with my squad and I'm not sure spending most of my time with three other soliders really qualifies as them teaching me." He jokes knowing that they weren't average. "Oh yes, those guys from the other night. I was…I did not find them amusing." Verde then flies off of Quetzal's shoulder and lands on the ground as a Kangaroo of all animals. "He's kind of embarassed that one got the best of him." Verde says embarassing his companion.

Tex shrugs, "Texas is a predominantly Christian state and some people believe dressing up like witches and goblins to be a sin….Personally I don't care. It's actually not until the day after that some Christians, Catholics in particular will dress their kids up like saints and Bible characters." He shrugs, "As for those costumed kids. We had no idea who were fighting and what they could do. no way of knowing one was some kind of telepath, I guess. I got stuck fighting that Gimp and growing fella…Frustrating group…they tried my patience, alright."

Caleb jumps back slightly when the bird turns into a kangaroo, he was about to say he's good byes and head into the city while the teachers talked about some fight, but… "Wait, you were fighting a gimp?", man he's seen some weird things since he came to New York, but evil gimps?

"Honestly I am not sure what we were fighting Caleb." Quetzal says as his patience was a bit tried as well. "I am glad though I didn't go with my first instinsts though once I realized they were just children. Do you know if anyone questioned them after the fact, or got where they lived so we can question them later? Also these costumes, what happened when everything was over?" Queztal asks before turning to Caleb. "Yes and no, some teenagers had aquired some Halloween costumes that seemed to have changed them." Verde then nods and agrees. "They were quite obnoxious." The Kangaroo says.

Tex nods his head agreeing with the Kangaroo, "Very obnoxious and those costumes were oversexualized. SHIELD agents took them home and questioned them. They meant no harm and had no idea what they were doing. The costume shop, seemingly disappeared. I suspect it's more magic and I will be doing some research." He looks to Caleb, "Be grateful you weren't there. There was alot of…flesh…and milk."

Caleb vaguely remembers an episode of Buffy where costumes control people but this sounds sooooooo much weirder, "Just one thing, from how you've been talking, i can kinda understand the flesh part, but milk?, on second thoughts, i really don't wanna know"

"Probably for the best." The Kangaroo states in regrards to the milk before Quetzal can say anything. He does let out a chuckle though. "Things best left forgotten. And that is good to know, we have their information if anything is needed. Let me know if you need help with research where I might not be skilled in magic I can understand some of it." His power allows him to read magic and understand the foriegn words.

Tex laughs, "True…plus you are probably too young, anyway. Caleb." He answers Quetzal, "I will. Funny and what a coincidence that all those agents were there at the same time." He shrugs, "Well, if I do go out on Halloween I won't need a costume. Apparently, the way I dress stands out in this city….enough people don't wear cowboy hats!" He sighs and finishes his cigarette and flicks the butt into the river, "Alright, gentlemen. I have some lesson plans to prepare." He tips his hat to both of them, "Caleb, Quetzal." He then heads back to Barnes.

"Mr. Daniels, i'm seventeen, not a little kid", too young indeed, it's probably nothing you couldn't find on the internet if you tried hard enough, Caleb gives Tex a wave as he heads off back to the school, slightly annoyed, "So Mr. Quetzal, how long you been at Barnes?"

"I will see you later Drew." Quetzal says before turning to Caleb. "Please, just Quetzal, no Mr is needed since it isn't my last name." It's just a nickname that he goes by. An alias. "I have been here a few days, this is all new to me but SHIELD has been instructing me so that I may instruct you and your fellow students." He doesn't bring up anything more in regards to the costumes. "Are you going to get annoyed everytime someone tells you can't know something?" The Kangaroo asks Caleb before Queztal puts a hand on his head.

Caleb nods at Quetzal, "Ok, no more Mr", then is again questioned by the kangaroo, this afternoon is becoming much weirder than he thought, "No, i generally only get annoyed when i'm treated like a child, i fully understand there are things i don't need to know".

Quetzal nods. "Well then consider that we are not telling you because it was quite vulgar and does not need to be repeated since it is actually something I'd rather not think about." Quetzal says giving Caleb his smile, which seems awkward even if it isn't. His speach slowly changes so that he's talking with the same accent that Caleb does as is the nature of his powers. "And don't mind Verde, he likes to ask questions, it's his first time being around kids." Verde nods. "I this is all so new to me, sorry if I asked somethign rude."

"Got it, vulgar, don't need to hear it, fair enough", and then again Caleb is called a kid, what is it with teachers?, still it seems kinda stupid being annoyed at a talking animal, "Don't worry about it Verde, i don't mind you questions".

To a fourty year old man, anyone under the age of twenty five, hell sometimes thirty, is a kid to him. Quetzal then puts his hand out for Verde and the kangaroo hops up and lands in his hand as a mouse, shifting into a mouse on the way. "Well it was nice meeting you Caleb but I have to go and get a few things sorted out still." The mouse in his hand replies as well. "Have a good day Caleb!" And the two are off back inside. Queztal limping a bit as he seems to rely on cane he walks with.

"Nice meeting you too", Caleb gives a quick wave then turns to head into the city, "That was so very weird", he's not sure why, but that Verde thing creeps him out.

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