Players: David, Franky, and Nathaniel
Summary: David has had a rough day and mopes about in Mutant Town, encountering Nathaniel and Franky.
Date: September 30, 2011
Log Title: Moody Blues
Rating: R
NYC - Mutant Town (Avenue A)
Mutant Town, also known as District X, has become a haven for mutants. This section of town doesn't care what you look like, accepting all mutants no matter what their appearance. Most of the businesses in this section of town are mutant run ranging from small convenience stores to clothing shops to restaurants to night clubs. The buildings here aren't the high rise buildings you might find in mid-town but most are about 5-6 stories high. Mutant Town might not be the most luxurious section of town, in fact it's fairly run down, but this section of where mutants are safe and welcomed regardless of race, religion and culture.
While he doesn't live in Mutant Town, Nathan's been coming here more and more often these days, albeit in his usual vaguely withdrawn way. He's walking the street today and enjoying a cigarette, which isn't anything new, exhaling smoke into the cool air. It's a chilly night out, to be sure, with autumn definitely in full swing and the tall teenager shivers as a wind whips its way down the street, drawing his jacket tighter around himself. It's roughly six o'clock, not quite dark yet, but without enough sun left to keep things warm.
Nate is standing absentmindedly in front of a large, blaringly obnoxious arcade that also seems to host a restaurant, staring absently at some of the prizes left in the window in an effort to entice customers. He doesn't look terribly enticed, but he does seem curious about a large purple octopus sporting a garish smile. Either way, he stands in the harsh light of the arcade, music like breaking glass over bells trickling out whenever the door swings open.
It is really a surprise that if David is there, then Nathaniel is probably around. Today dressed surprisingly dark, almost goth-like sans make-up and attitude, David wears all black, black jeans, black sneakers, black T-shirt and long three sizes too big black hoodie hiding his rather sullen mood. He stands outside Nowhere, which by coincidence is directly across the street from the noisy arcade. He moans a moment and shakes his head as he decides to walk away but catching sight of Nathaniel, David makes no move to approach him, but simply stares and sighs.
In the cool night air the large form of Franky is easily seen coming down the sidewalk pushing his shopping cart. His attire having changed a bit to include a large grey hoodie and a worn but serviceable overcoat with gloves peeking from the pockets. He gives a smile and wave to a few folks on the streets he knows as he goes along approaching the arcade.
Nathaniel looks momentarily hypnotized by all the flashing lights and the weird octopus in the window, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of a fraying grey peacoat. He blinks rapidly a few times at the sound of the shopping cart, turning his head and looking curiously at Franky. After a few seconds of consideration and once the man's within conversation range, he lifts his hand in greeting, "Hey. I remember you. You picked me up." It sounds odd like that, but he is apparently unaware of the fact. Being drawn away from the arcade's evil hypnotic rays, he feels another twitch at the back of his head and turns further, dirt and concrete crackling softly under his heels. He winds up catching sight of David, expression vague and enigmatic, though he does raise his hand in a motionless wave for him as well.
Exhaling a bit, David kicks a tossed-out can aside as he walks towards Nathaniel and Franky. His hood draped over his head hiding most of his expression. He crosses the street not paying attention as cars swerve past and one comes dangerously close to hitting the African-American mutant, but screeching is heard as the car stops millimeters from him. Turning to glare at the driver David scowls and gives him the finger as he finishes crossing the street. The driver gets out of the car to yell, but David simply turns and shakes his head at the man. The man mutters some curses and gets back in his car and on his way.
Franky smiles as Nathaniel speaks to him and nods "Yez hy remember, hyu fell over an hy helped hyu up. Doing better today hy hope?" He looks over as David begins to cross the street and for a moment it seems he was going to step out to help the man at the car nearly hits him but stops as he sees it all work out. Looking back to Nathaniel. "Iz getting colder, mabye going to shnow soon hy tink. Vill be my firzt vinter in Mutent town."
Nathaniel blinks in surprise at David's careless crossing of the street, moving towards the edge of the sidewalk himself, "David!" He relaxes slightly when his friend doesn't wind up a colorful splash on the road, shifting uncomfortably and glancing alongside at Franky when the man in the car starts yelling. He licks his lips, focusing back on David as the man gets back in and takes off, "It'll be cold. Are you going to be all right out here?" He doesn't comment on whether he'll be fine or not; there are few cures for being absent-minded and randomly inattentive. His jaw ticks a second before he decides to add to what he said to David, now that the shock has worn off and the man isn't dead, "What're you doing? You could've gotten killed, you idiot!"
Giving a cold stare at his friend and frowning, David takes a moment to listen to Nathaniel’s insulting utterance and lifts his hand up cracking his knuckles and makes a motion as if backhanding the air. In an oddly cold tone “Nathaniel.” He pauses, being clear to enunciate each word, “I understand your reaction, but don’t call me an idiot again.” He lets out another exhale as he closes his eyes and turns to Franky, “I don’t know you. I’m David.”
Franky watchs with a little concern as the two converse then nods as David speaks to him. "Iz goot to meet hyu, hy em Franky." He seems to weigh his next few words for a moment "Are hyu Hokay? Hyu zeem to bee a leetle upzet about zomthing. Hyu need zome help mebbe?"
Nathaniel blinks in surprise. David didn't actually smack him, but you couldn't tell it from his momentarily startled expression; however, it drains quickly back to something difficult to discern. He tucks his hands into his pockets and doesn't say anything, looking to Franky when David mentions that he doesn't know him. He's left his cigarette dying on the street and he focuses on grinding it into the concrete as though he weren't listening for David's response to the stronger man's questions.
Smirking a bit and then sounding more like a sarcastic laugh, David simply shakes his head, “Thank you for the offer of assistance, Franky. But I don’t think you can help me. My problem is that I am utterly disappointed and I think maybe I should make a major change in my life and unload some unnecessary baggage of bullshit.” Turning to Nathaniel, David looks the man over as if examining him and shrugs. “You’re surprisingly quiet. Nothing to say?”
Franky nods and frowns a little "Hokay, zometimez hyu need to do thing hyourzelf. Change ken be goot if for tha right reazons. Though not alvays eazy to do. Though if tha baggage iz heavy mebbe hy ken help, hy em verry stronk."
"I'm unsettled," Nathan says simply, lifting his head to look at David before he shakes his head slightly, frowning and rubbing his heel against the edge of the sidewalk, voice almost aggravatingly quiet considering the wind still drifting down the street, "You're acting strange." He rolls his shoulder slightly, curving them to avoid the wind as well as the usual slouching he does when he's uncomfortable about something. It's not easy to make someone of his height look smaller, but he's putting effort into it. Only Franky's comment regarding helping with heavy baggage causes him to lift his head properly, giving him a slightly bemused look. He starts to say something, stops himself, then just shakes his head.
“Like I said…I am disappointed in someone.” He shakes his head, “Is there nothing you want to say? No words for me…at all?” David almost looks as if he needs to hear something. He finally gets a bit of a smile when he sees Nathaniel’s bemused expression and gives on of his own. Turning to Franky, “This is human-sized baggage.” He looks to Nowhere, Bruce’s place, and shudders before looking back at Nathaniel.
Franky looks over to where David was looking and frowns "Ah, hy stay avay from that plaze. Zome bad folkz in there, vould go knock it down but Zizter Liza told me that iz not the right think to do. Hard to do vat is right vitout doink it the wrong vay."
Nathaniel looks past David towards Nowhere, whereupon he blushes and winces slightly, his jaw twitching tensely. He frowns to himself, looking somewhere down past where his toes overhang the sidewalk. He looks aside at Franky, nodding his head affirmingly, though, again, he stops himself from commenting on it directly. He licks his lips and looks back at David, scratching his fingers through his hair just above the back of his neck, "I'm… not sure. I don't know what's already been said." He also looks up at Franky, fidgeting in place uncomfortably even more.
“It doesn’t matter what has been said already. I need to hear something from you.” David pointedly looks at Nathaniel moving to almost get in his face, but simply shakes his head and sighs looking to Nowhere when Franky mentions knocking it down, “No…despite its reputation. I suppose it is a necessary evil in this world. But yes, Sister Liza, whoever she is, is right. Don’t mess with that place. Bad things happen to people if they mess with that place.”
Franky nods and sighs "Iz bad that here haz to be nezezzary evilz in the vorld, but cannot be goot vithout bad hy guezz. Hyu both have a goot night, hy need to get back to tha shelter before lightz out. Hy have a room tonight." He smiles and waves to the pair before turning and heading back out the sidewalk, pushing the cart in front of him.
Nathaniel looks after Franky as if he sincerely wished the larger mutant would stick around. Don't leave me! He looks back to David and takes a couple small steps back so that they're not that close, licking his lips again and frowning, "Uh. Well. I'm not sure what to say, is all, David. You talked to Bruce about the docks…?" He waits, shifting his foot lightly over the sidewalk and leaving his hands tucked deep in his pockets. Either way, he continues forward in a quiet tumble of words, "There were a bunch of bikers chasing these two kids, a brother and sister. Mutant hunters. I ran over to help, you know? I got a couple of them to sit down, trip people up, but they kept going… and then Bruce was there and it turned out to be a trap and things got confusing and he started trying to kill people and I tried to make them run but… but there was a lot going on…" He winces at himself, shifting from one foot to the other.
Watching Franky leave, David shrugs not in the mood to wave goodbye to someone he doesn’t really know. Turning his gaze back to Nathaniel, he listens to his friend mention Bruce and remains silent. He lowers his hood to reveal his face then listens as Nathaniel confesses to events that he was not aware of. He looks towards the ground, his expression and mood hard to read. He lets out a sigh, “I had a really bad day yesterday. I…needed a support system. Star wasn’t around. I didn’t come to you, but when I saw you. When I saw my best friend…I needed to hear you ask me what was wrong? I needed comfort. I assumed your empathy was on.” Lifting his head back up at Nathaniel, “I never spoke to Bruce and this is the first I hear about what you did.” A switch seems to go off in David’s head as revealed by his face. “I…” Once again, in his own mind anyway, David buries what he wants, so as to address something else. He looks to Nathaniel and offers his friend a hug, “I’m sorry that you were placed in that position. You didn’t know it was a trap and there is nothing for you to feel guilty about. You thought you were helping people. Not setting a trap. I didn’t know, but I am glad you told me.”
Nathaniel blinks in surprise, frowning and shaking his head as he runs his fingers through his hair, though he steps forward and promptly hugs David tightly - more than usual, really. The reason is quick to reveal itself, however, as he murmurs, "I'm sorry. I should've asked. I just thought you were mad at me. I shouldn't have just… I'm sorry. It wasn't on. I wasn't thinking." He draws back and rests his hands on David's shoulders, sucking his lower lip. He shakes his head to be rid of whatever he was considering, instead focusing fully on David and frowning at him, "What /is/ wrong? What happened? You know you can drop by my place whenever, or call me or whatever." Now that he knows David doesn't hate him, as tends to be his primary assumption any time people act cold to him unfortunately, he's starting to fuss over the man a little bit. It's sort of funny how worried he looks now, as if David had just told him someone beat him up on the playground.
After the incredibly tight hug, David smiles and almost laughs, “Seriously we need to work on this friendship thing, huh.” When asked what is wrong and the comforting words, David is quick to note Nathaniel’s worry and concern. That is what he originally wanted, but now that he has it, he cannot help but be concerned himself for his friend. David has a tendency (again in his own mind, anyway) to put the needs of others over himself whether it be Xavier students or people in dire situations. While Nathaniel is neither, after hearing his confession, David does what he always does, suppressing his needs for that of his friend. “You know what. Let’s head back to your place. Chill and you can tell me everything that happened with Bruce and these mutant hunters. In all honesty, that sounds a lot more urgent than my shit. So, we’ll talk about that. No ifs, ands, or buts. That is how it’s going down tonight.” David does not allow Nathaniel the chance to rebut.
"I'm not iffing or anding or butting. I'm just straight up saying no," Nathan says, despite David's attempt to stymie him, giving the other man a sullen look, "I want to hear about what happened. I'm holding all details hostage until you fess up." He tucks his hands into the pockets of his coat now and turns to head off in the direction of his apartment. He does it quickly, likely trying to escape before David can argue back. It'll be a short bus trip to get back to Nate's apartment and a chilly one.