2020-06-09: Reunion Of Hope

Players:

DarrellF_icon.jpg HoseaF_icon.jpg JesseF_icon.jpg

Summary: Darrell meets Jesse after not seeing each other for four years, Jesse tells Hosea and Darrell of plans of escape!

Date: June 9, 2020

Reunion Of Hope

Rating: PG


The Future - Salem Center - Mutant Camp

Off in the distance, the crumbling remains of a school in ruins is stark contrast to the brilliance that once represented Xaviers dream. Now converted into a mutant camp, the surrounding area offers a humbling experience for those familiar with the grounds original purpose. Now best described as an open-air prison yard, tall walls, robot guards, and automated defenses keep depowered mutants inand yet-to-be-caught fugitives out. Oppression is heavy in the air. The sound of laughter and innocent screams replaced with something darker: A non-stop orchestral movement of roving Sentinels, anguished cries, and the shuffling of mutant feet to and from any of the many residential buildings, work sites, or sparse mess halls.


Though the harbingers try to help out and keep the hopes up in the camps, it has been rather unsuccessful. However, Jesse Hartley has been doing so in his own way. A new little thing has been spotted. While everyone in the camp is branded with an M over their eye, a few are now wearing tiny red crystals on a string around their neck. Those people can occasionally be seen holding the crystal tightly, humming, and smiling. If asked, they're told to look for Red. That's what he's been calling himself since his incarceration.

Jeans with holes in them, t-shirt with a faded Led Zeppelin logo on it and a dirty denim jaket, Darrell has been one of the many mutants who tends to keep to himself, giving dirty looks and rude phrases to people. The death of his brother in the mutant camp hit him hard. His hair has grown long, shortly past his shoulders. Though lately, he's had a purpose. He's seen one of those crystals and recognized it, and has come to trying to find this one called 'Red'. Right now he's asking around, trying to find 'Red' amonst the too many mutants shoved into this one space.

Hosea doesn't have such a crystal. He isn't interested in such a crystal. His old Bible rests in his back pocket. Probably the only mutant that intentionally was captured, Hosea has been known as the pastor/counselor of the camp. He treats the few human guards not only with respect, but genuine care for their lives rather than with contempt. He treats his fellow prisoners with great care as well, encouraging them in a way that the harbingers can't, because he doesn't get to leave, while they can. Hosea is quite a different breed. He hasn't tried to escape, though he hasn't objected to any that have planned such, and even helped to formulate plans. His background has made him a rather desirable confidant for such things. But even for successful parties, he has declined to take part, choosing of his own will to stay in the camp for the sake of others. The broad smile that was so trademark of him while he was free remains in captivity. It's as if he is still free, though he lives behind barbed wire and stone walls. Here he walks, singing an african hymn of some sort aloud.

Red is easily found. He's standing near the walls of the camp, right now. Humming softly. He's looking through the wires, as if remembering things. Nearly anyone will point to the place he is and say 'That's him.' Because he's never told anyone not to. His ears are adorned, each with a single crystal like the ones on the prisoners. However, each prisoner's crystal is shaped differently. Something unique and interesting to each one. Usually, it's based on their life before everything went crazy.

Looking over where someone pointed, Darrell just stops as he recognizes his old friend and roommate. The guy whose carried him home drunk to many times, the guy who used to tell him he smoked too much before taking the bong from him, Jesse. He marches over there with a look of frustration on his face as he goes to punch the well built man in the arm. "You fucking asshole, you've been here the entire time?!" He says before quickly breaking into a tear filled smile. "Fuck man…I thought you were dead."

Hosea grows close enough to hear the reunion, and stops singing for a moment. "Ha!" he exclaims, welcoming himself to the conversation. "A reunion of friends! It is a great blessing, yes?" he says in his deep vocie. The tall African claps his large hands once in shared joy. Though his name is not a secret, most people who have heard of him call him Prophet, the title he used to carry back when this place was a school.

"Not the whole time. But for a few weeks." Jesse says, breaking into a grin. "I thought I would be too. But they couldn't quite do it. I registered as a mutant, but as something else. I confuse them." He looks to Hosea and nods. "Well, it's something. Usually a good coincidence." He states. He knows how Hosea keeps hope. But Religion doesn't work for all. And for those it doesn't work on… Jesse's way does. "For years, Darrell was my roommate and my best friend."

Darrell looks over at Hosea and if there was any faith in the man, it's been long since lost. "Christ Jesse, I thought you were dead….when they came and got me and Darien…" He just shakes his head and the smile fades as there's a bit of a dead look to Darrell's eyes. "I dunno, sometimes I think a blessing would finding yourself dead and not having to put with this shithole anymore."

Hosea bears the marks of someone who hasn't been treated well. It isn't religion that he pushes, though, it's love. A large bruise darkens the right side of his face that is evidence of the love he knows for people. He didn't act up, but someone else did, and Hosea volunteered himself for their punishment. "Ah," he says, "Dey feed us," he says, "It could be much worse." He laughs, "I hope you never have to know what worse is like, yes? Maybe dis will be the worst of it, maybe not." He laughs, though it looks on his face that the laugh is a bit painful, probably due to another injury elsewhere.

"Death is never the answer, DArrell." Jesse seems a little calmer than he used to be in some ways. "And, we will be free. Very soon. Within the week if I have my way." He grins, purposefully pitching his voice very low. "They feed us leftovers. What the hounds and their masters don't eat. It's not right. No human should be treated this way. Nor an alien." He tacks on. SOmetimes… he forgets. He looks to Darrell again. "Let me guess. The memory crystals?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. The tattooed one.

"I just started seeing them a week ago, the memory crystals and they reminded me of you so I hoped….I was right." Darrell says before he looks at Hosea and shakes his head. "Because of this place, my little brother died. He got sick because they don't treat us right, he couldn't get better cause of this hell hole and died. You laugh again and I'll suggest you walk away." He's just lost a lot of that spirit he had, a lot of his carefree attitude left long ago having let the hurt and anger fill that void. "Whare are you planing Jess?"

Hosea's smile fades, recognizing Darrell's soreness. "Ahh, it is vedy hard," he says. "I do know many people who have died heah. I do not make light of it. I am sorry for your loss." He doesn't follow Darrell's question, but does look toward Jesse. He's helped with other jail breaks, and is happy to help with advice if asked for this one as well.
"Well, what do you see around here?" Jesse says with a hint of a grin. "What is still being created?" Of course, he's referring to the memory crystals. "They are strong. And durable. And… I can create them larger than this." He looks at a wall. And another. "And the range of power dampening is limited." He explains. That should be enough explanation. "And I want to take the camp when we go. I'm… trying to reach some others as well. I've let a Harbinger know. Maybe they'll tell others and we can schedule times…"

"The whole camp…where will we go?" Darrell asks not trying to sound like a downer but there's a lot of mutants there. "Sorry..I should be happier, it'll be nice to get out of here again and I really am glad to see you again Jesse. Things have been, hard. Real hard. Losing Darien has been really tough on me. He was my little brother, I was supposed to be able to protect him, look out for him. You know. So..how long have you been stuck in this place?"

Hosea's eyes brighten as Jesse explains. This is the first time he's heard of such a massive plan. "You say you want to take dah whole camp?" he confirms, making certain that he heard correctly. "I would be happy to help you with dat. I will even go with you if you take everyone." He nods toward Darrell. "I undahstand what it is like to lose your family, to grieve is good, it is not a bad thing. You love him," he tells Darrell, giving him validation. "I have been heah since the beginning," he answers. He was one of the first mutants to arrive, since he was caught at the end of the first sentinel attack.

"I don't know yet. That's why I'm trying to let those Harbingers know. They sneak in and bring us things to help. Maybe they can be here when we do that. Maybe they'll know somewhere we can go. That's… the part of the plan that's unknown right now." Jesse explains as he starts humming softly. He focusses and clasps his hands together. There's a soft glow inside his hands. When they part, there's a small crystal shape on a crystal chain… choker-sized. The crystal in the center is a feather in a circle. "Hold the feather between your fingers. You know what to sing." He states softly, handing it over to Darrell. He turns to Hosea. "They can block mutant powers. But not natural ones. Many non-humans have natural gifts that are as much a part of them as breathing.
Darrell takes the crystal…the symbol of Robert Plant, a musican he's loved through out most of his life. A joke he said quite often, if he had a son he'd be named Robert Plant Kassner, a daughter, Roberta Plant Kassner. "I missed hearing this." Darrell says quietly as he holds the crystal and listens. He then puts the chain around his neck and it's more than just a hope for freedom for Darrell, it's a sign that he has someone again. "Yeah, well all I have is the mutant powers…not like I even used them much before this shithole."

Hosea watches the exchange, though he doesn't understand the significance. "Your power work heah?" he says. "You should not use them out heah, if dey see you dey will kill you," he tells Jesse in a lowered voice. "You must be vedy careful when you live heah," he instructs. He looks genuinely concerned for Jesse with his open use of his powers.

"They know I can create these. And I have to be out here. These aren't mutant in origin. And they can't even cut through anything. They know about it. They simply think it gives hope." He explains. Which is true. It does. "And you know how they like crushing hope." He sighs softly. "They can't take these powers away. And they don't have the means to kill me either. Well, they don't know HOW, I should say." He grins innocently. "I'm not human. I don't die the same way." He winks softly. He looks to Darrell. "Share my area tonight. We have a lot to catch up on." He offers.

"Jesse here isn't like us, he is but he's more. And you're tellin' us to be very careful living here like we're some new comers. You see the M." Darrell says pointing to his face. "I got this almost four years ago. I'm not some new kid at the mutant camp." He says before looking at Jesse and nodding. "Dude…you think I'll be going off by myself after I found out you're in here too? No fucking way. So when did they catch you Jess?"

Hosea shakes his head. "You say you have been heah a few weeks," he answers. It's Jesse's green experience that concerns him, not Darrell's. He didn't recognize that Jesse meant he had been dead for a few weeks. "You should not underestimate dem. It would be vedy foolish, and if dey already know, dey will be watching you carefully. You have not chosen wisely." Hosea's advice has kept many people alive in the camp that would otherwise be dead, and some have died who did not heed it. Hosea has seen much death in his life, and the camps here aren't his first rodeo.

"You don't know what I know. I have a regular contact outside of here. I was part of the Redemption. I'll be fine." He states. "You worry too much about things you can't possibly understand." He shrugs. "But worry not. We will be free. I'm hoping very soon." Jesse offers.

Darrell looks at Hosea. "Believe me, Jess here is a guy you can trust. He's been my best friend for years." He says throwing his arm over his friend's shoulders. "I've heard rumours and just little things about the Redemption, I didn't know you were a part of it."

Hosea gives a knowing smile. "I am already free. This place has no powah over me," he states. "And I am not worried. But I think you should beware of arrogance, it has killed many people heah. It is you who does not understand me. I am happy to help you free dah people heah, but you must practice wisdom if you are going to succeed." He turns his gaze to Darrell. "I do not question his honor, I believe he can be trusted," he says. "But he must understand that the risks he will create will not only affect him. There are many people heah, and many are weak. If they cannot stop you directly," he says, looking back to Jesse, "They will make others suffer in your place. Be vedy careful." Looking past the two, he spots someone beckoning to him. "There is a funeral I must speak at," he says. His original destination. It is strange that he was smiling en route when he was first spotted. He has made it part of his mission to not allow people to die forgotten in this place of misery.

"He does his job his way. I do mine, my way. That's why I'm here." Jesse says as Hosea walks away. "I came in here with a purpose. And I won't let them down." He explains. "The Rebellion and the Redemption need it all too much." He nods. He offers a hand to Darrell as he rises. "I know you're alive. THat's enough for me for now. Since it's not yet time."

Darrell just watches Hosea and he shakes his head and quietly says to Jesse between clenched teeth. "I really can't stand that guy." He says as he takes Jesse's hand. "You know what you're the first person I've seen here try to do something other than just rumours." Yeah there have been break outs but they've been small and far between and a lot don't end well. "I'm just glad we found eachother I think about you a lot Jess."

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