2010-05-22: Vultures... the lot of you

Players:

Caleb_icon.jpg Felix_icon.jpgJakob_icon.jpgSabina_icon.jpg

Summary: Caleb, Felix, Jakob and Sabina meet, a fight breaks out and two of them are recruited into Barnes

Date:May 22, 2010

Log Title Vultures… the lot of you

Rating: R


NYC - Central Park to Barnes Academy

Central Park is a large public park in upper Manhattan, largest areas of green with people reading, having a picnic, or playing Frisbee. Walking paths can be found all around the park. In-between the large area's of grass, the park is shadier with many trees. A large road circles the park where joggers, bicyclists, and inline skaters are commonly found.


The sun had birthed over the horizon and the hustle and bustle of the public slowly started as a trickle and was growing into that of a steady pour into the park for the weekend. Everyone wanted enjoy the misplaced nature surrounded by city for the weekend though Sabina had made this her place of camp now for a day since her arrival. On the west side of the park she claimed a bench, a ziplock baggy of Captain Crunch held as she spoke more to herself then the mooches that were pigeons surrounded her, waiting for their turn at the feast, beady eyes wishing to live vicariously through her for a taste, one she was not sharing quite yet. "Vultures…The lot of you." Muttered though her eyes skipped from birds to people as she spoke.

Ahhh Saturday, that means no lessions, teachers or training, today is Caleb's day to do as he pleases, for now he's cutting though the park on the way to the music store, he's dressed in dark blue jeans, black airwalk trainers, a white, black and purple chequered shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his white hair is gelled in a casual bedhead look and his violet eyes are glowing faintly as is the yellow stone on the silver wristband on his right wrist. As he's walking he's phased (trying to see how long he can hold it for), and whistling as he walks.

Sabina's feet tapped idly on the ground to a beat all her own, the boots she wore were army surplus bought tanker boots, unkempt though as the wrapping belt was left unlatched and the buckle jingled against the open maw of the leather around her ankle. Black tattered jeans clad her legs to her waist. Where one picked up the other left off. A large green hoody sat haphazardly over her torso, lamely hanging from a shoulder on the left side to show she really was dressed for the heat to come in the day by the show of a black tank top's strap. The ebb and flow of people seemed to leave her one opening, a moment of peace where she tossed the birds a small handful of the cereal before beginning to tuck it away. If it was not for learning to listen to nature and watch her feathered friends she may have missed the purpose for their sudden take of flight, leaving some of the cereal abandoned. That is what had her hearing the whistling and looking up with the deer in headlights look as nothing seemed to be near, Sabina eye's narrow down to a squint as words passed in a snapped hiss. "Not funny, if you want to talk, do so. Don't toy with me." It was early yet, and as if to emphasise the frustration fingers made hasty (yet failed) work of trying to uncap her water bottle which ensued a shaken fight to unscrew the cap. "Hate it when they do this.." Who The water or the whistling….person?

Caleb looks round at the girl talking to herself, intrigued he walks over towards her for a closer look.

Sabina's frustration rose and she smacked the water bottle against the back of the bench as if that would get the cap off. It didn't but it helped ease her down a bit to take her time and focus on successfully managing the feat that was opening her water. Doing so she sipped it with gusto as she glared out at the emptiness, scanning and only lingering where Caleb's phased form stood for a moment. The pigeon's were staying away, she knew it was not gone, whoever/whatever it was. "Are we done here? The birds are hungry. Come out, state your business and go away." A mother pushing the carriage passed the little scene and paused, looking at Sabina and pushed the buggy with a bit more pep in her step to get from the vicinity. What? It's New York, this isn't anything new…Right?

Oh, so she's crazy, and pretty amusing, I guess I can watch her for a while, so the white haired teen sits down next to Sabina on the bench and waits to see what she does next.

Sabina snorted at the look from the mommy and child. She was used to that, but here of all places? Really? Guess so. A sigh passed her lips and sent long noir locks fluttering from their stray fall in front of her face as she took a slumped repose, sliding down in the bench with her feet as a brace to keep her from sliding off like some embodied primordial ooze - and making more of an ass of herself. Movement on the bench sent some of the wood slats shifting, that was not her movement, added weight of another that was not there but *was* caused it, or so said her [in]sane mind. "If I must repeat myself…" The bottle was dropped from her lips and in one fluid and casual motion she shifted it towards him, and tipped it to spill water in the whereabouts to where this entity would be seated - whatever good it would do.

Caleb gets a shock when the waters poured over him causing him to lose concentration and reappear, "what the feck was that for?", he hasn't realised that he's reappeared, or understand why she threw water at him.

Well he was not the only one shocked. When what she thought was a visiting apparition being a pain became rather solid and boisterous her slumped position sat bolt upright and with the clumsy scatter of feet she was standing and facing him with the water at her side pouring out onto the ground and going to waste beside her feet. Her eyes looked from the water bottle now and then to him muttering. "The books didn't say that works for making you guys solid.." The shock was wearing into intrigue and one step forward had her finger aiming to poke his arm with a caution a child would take poking a dead thing with a stick.

It's at that point Caleb realises he's visible, "Feck", he tries to go invisible but can't, he needs time to recharge, "Er…, urrmm", when Sabina touches him, he will feel cold despite the sun.

Sabina's finger barely touched, withdrew and then came back for a second attempt and prodded his arm, feeling the cold and snapping back again as if the dead thing did what the nightmares said it'd do…It moved and it wasn't supposed to do that! No, not be solid. Her other hand rose, her eyes assessing the bottle like it was tainted and shoved it deep into her hoody pocket. "Evian makes you guys solid.." Or the batch is toxic somehow and she will suffer for it later. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Tad hypochondriac? Maybe. "I knew there was something in bottled water that had to make it worth nearly two bucks." She wouldn't sit, but she stepped back onto the bench and lowered into a crouch beside him like an inquisitive gargoyle, her head tilting in a bird like motion. "How long ya been dead?"

Caleb watches as the girl pokes him a few time then says something about the water, "You guys?, what do you mean?", btw the teen has an Irish accent, ok, she's defiantly crazy, he moves further down the bench away from her, then…, "Wait, what, I’m not dead, you nutcase".

Sabina was not about to get ditched that easy. He just went from an annoying ghost to a new shiny toy with advanced gadgets and she had yet to discover all that made him tick. His words had her nose wrinkling as she looked at him like he was 'special'. "Ohh, you're one of *those*." One hand waved dismissively in the air and then dropped over a bent knee, her fingers curling and uncurling. "Sometimes that happens, where you guys die and do not realize it until later. Yeah, you guys, dead, apparitions, spirits, ghosts. Dead but not gone." As if she had to emphasise the dead point and make sure this restless ghost dude got the damn hint. His life was over, time to move along.

"One of what?, whet the hell are you talking about?", Caleb bites his lip, "Well technically I was dead for about four days, but I got better", ok, she’s found someone she thinks is dead, why is she so calm?, "Wait, you think I’m a ghost?"

Sabina's head craned back and it seemed all her focus on him was through one eye that peered at him with a mixture of disdain and sorrow. "You call me a nutcase and you think you just get better from being dead? Pot-kettle goin' on here. I'm not crazy, you just can't believe your predicament. So…What happened? You get hit by a cab driver? Those guys drive like it's the apocalypse. Nah, too much in one piece for high impact.." Her words trailed off again as she shifted her weight from foot to foot in her perch to inch closer and reach to poke at him again. It was apparent her social skills were…Lacking, but then again, she thought she was trying to reason with the dead.

Caleb sighs in annoyance, "Look, I’m not a ghost, I didn't get hit by a cab, I’m alive", he grabs the hand reaching out to touch him, pulls up his shirt and puts it on his chest, "See, heartbeat".

Sabina was not ready to be touched in return, let alone have it succeed and not pass through her. It normally took ghosts a lot of focus and ire to make even a slight impact. The press of one hand was ignored for a moment as she shrieked and pushed her feet back to make distance between them, distance she had closed. One word was attempted to be barked out.."Rap— Wait..The hell?!" She felt the heartbeat and decided accusing someone alive and well of rape in Central Park would not benefit their little, er..bond? That is if anyone even listened to that anymore, the people who cry out [or cry wolf]. "Makes no sense, then why couldn't I see you until I dropped the ["magic"] Evian on you? Why are you cold like them?" Now she was staring again while she tried to work her hand free of his grip.

Caleb pulls down his shirt, he doesn't like showing skin, and lets her go, "I was using my powers, and when you poured the water on me you broke my concentration and I turned back", he shrugs about the being cold, "I don't know about the cold thing, I think it’s a side effect of the magic".

Sabina hugged her hand to her chest like he had broken it for a moment. Rocking back she landed with a thud back into a proper seat on the bench as the rest of his words sunk in. Both hands rose and swept her hair back from her face while she nodded furtively. "So you're one of them then! What I read about and why I came here." Yeah another one of the *them* comments. "Mutants right?" So he had powers, but was he one of the good, the bad, or the ugly that she had read about? She was not about to reveal her other secrets. Companionship and such was fun but not worth the risk. Pulling the saved water bottle from her pocket - "Meh." She chucked it to the nearest garbage can and shoved her hands deep into her pockets. Worthless bottle.

Caleb shakes his head, "I'm not a mutant, i'm human more-or-less, but apparently i have magic in my blood", he holds up his right wrist and shows her the wristband, "This thing focuses the powers, i'm not sure how though".

Sabina seemed to be regaining her lax posture, sliding lower on the bench once again and since the calm seemed to come the vulture-like pigeons returned to gain up the remnants of her Captain Crunch she had pitched to them and flock off to another person to mooch from. The slow affirming nod ceased with chin to plexus and one hand snapped up to tug the drooping shoulder of her hoody back into place. The final pigeon took flight with the passing of a couple and that alone had her silence drawn out until they were out of earshot. "So they do not consider you a mutant for rising from the dead? That must make jesus a magician. Oh the people back home would…Bah. Where'd ya get the bracelet?" She now looked back to him and focused her gaze on it, but kept her hands to herself.

Caleb watches the pigeons with Sabina, who seems a little obsessed with them, before shrugging, "I'm not counted as a mutant because i don't have the x-gene, more like hiredity magic, if that makes sense", he looks down at his wristband, "I've had it since i was a kid, but it only started working after my mother died".

So shoot her, she had spent so much time not near those like her she preferred the animal company over people, and being in the presence of a person that was not "normal" was something she was slowly fitting into and adjusting. More comfortable with pigeons and ghosts, but now that he is real, she seems more creeped out than before. "It makes sense, perfect sense." Her eyes left the bracelet and tanker boot clad feet pushed against the ground, righting her posture once again to make ease of leaning over and digging into her back pack for another bottle of water. "Perhaps it was something to help you in her absence?" One brow ascended up the pale slope of her forehead as she glanced back to him and took her sweet time uncapping the water while scanning the increased flux of people into the park.

Caleb leans back on the bench, "Well i don't know or really care why, i just wish i could take it off", he watches her, "So, how did you know i was there?"

Sabina glanced over at him and the look was near a leer, but the tilt in her head to the side was the silent inquiry of if he was serious. "You are a city boy, aren't you? Ah well.." Capping back off the water she was not about to argue the semantics of his sneakiness, or lack-thereof. "The pigeons are good for more than crapping on the Statue of Liberty. Nature will tell you if something is up around them. When they suddenly stopped begging for scraps and took off I listened, and you whistling was a dead give away." A small curl flickered over the corner of her lips, then it was lost to translation. "What keeps you from taking it off? Nothing wrong with accessorizing a bit."

Caleb shakes his head, "No i'm not i first moved to the city a couple of months ago, but yeah i guess the whistling would give me away", he takes hold of the wristband and tugs at it showing it doesn't move, "See, doesn't come off".

Jakob's walk had him carried on through central park. Someplace like the rest of this city he had never been, his head was downcast while he walked, shoulders pushed up abit as his hood and green jacket rode up, making him look bulkier than he was. Striding as he was it seemed as though he didn't have much a care or thought in the world right now, one foot after the other a glare etched across his brow.

"But your hand does." It's a joke…a..Okay maybe she was serious but none the less her eyes returned from the increase in people to the display of the unmoving wrist band and brows furrowed, dipping in the middle of her brow and creasing it in study. "I could suggest a million and one ways and I am sure you have tried them all save lobbing off your hand or a bolt cutter to the bracelet?" Shoulders rose and fell beneath the camo-green hoody as another sip was taken of the water, rocking forward to lean with elbows braced on bent knees. Her eyes seemed to snap from him to the people now in more frequency, she was not adapted to discussing such things in public and she felt as if some sort of code was needed for all of it so the others around wouldn't hear. "Do you want it off for a purpose or just because you can't get it off?" Her eyes did not yet go back to Caleb, landing on Jakob, he blended…"God is everyone in this city always so cranky? Here a little over 24 hours and I don't think one person smiles, they all want you dead."

Overhearing the woman's comment he looked over and gave a blank stare before speaking, " Give me a good reason to smile, maybe you'll get one. This city is a shit-stain and I'm lost. " He grunted audibly as he fished out a letter turning it over in his hand before neatly tucking it back into his pocket. Even if he had said he was lost it didn't look like he was asking for directions.

The man actually stopping had her focus one that went from light to dead pan with his words, her bottled water that was held in her hands turnd slowly with the push of fingers over the weak plastic surface. "Give me the name of one place that is not a shit stain and the thought alone should make you smile." Both brows rose then and she leaned back just enough to sip her water while a glance went from Caleb back to the lost one. "I cannot help you with directions. I just got here yesterday, but he's been here longer." A thumb back towards Caleb in gesture as if the words and that motion might just snap him out of his silence.

Really had no words in response to that or a place in mind didn't form at least, she had him there. " Don't recall asking for directions. " He replied bluntly, looking towards her silent companion then back.

"If you're lost then wouldn't you want directions, or do you want to just aimlessly wander the shit-stain until an angry cab driver makes a smear of you?" A rather slow and purposeful bat of lashes came with the cheshire grin that peeled back her lips and revealed a sweet toothy smile for him. There. He didn't ask for anything but a reason to smile and she was either giving him that or giving him one to make said smile not-so-pretty anymore - the directions were a free service if Caleb ever came to otherwise he was s.o.l.

Cheshire grin? An interesting turn of phrase, and an interesting expression, as a young man in a black Puma tee-shirt and running shorts, strangely running barefoot in the park, or perhaps he's wearing those weird barefoot shoes, stops for a moment to catch his breath. He gives the pigeons a rather curious look but then at the rather crude comment, he sees that smile, and laughs, making a similar one of his own.

"Wow, what a great come-on line," the young man says. He has dark hair, with a brownish undercurrent, and slightly more than usual straight gold-brown hair on his arms and legs, just enough to be obviously weird.

Jakob began frowning as he stood there, the smile Sabina was offering had him abit confused not sure if she was being friendly, rude or being odd. Maybe somehow all three. When the hairy shoeless kid came jogging up weird seemed to shift even further into that direction. " Uh, maybe I enjoy the aimless wandering and taxi dodge game. " A quick quip he would offer before taking a longer look at Felix.

Weird had already caught her today and it was in the form of the mute one beside her. If he sat still like that much longer she would break out her makeup and paint him like a mime. In fact…"This is New York, shouldn't there be mime's enter-tain-ing…" Her thought process slowed to a halt as the one came to a pause in his jog and commented on her quip to Jakob. "Come-on…line? What?" Yeah that cut that one right the hell out. Sarcastic was more up her alley with her interactions towards Jakob, but that was the undertone to her "friendly." Her eyes began the small game of ping-pong now amongst the few here that seemed to not mind conversation, and the slow drawing up of shoulders beneath the hoody showed the drawn line of tension that was incoming. She sucked at this game.

Now this is just amusing. Felix peers at Caleb for a moment. Hm. Those bracers. Shiny. Strange. He's tranced out though, never a good sign in humans. Should pick his pocket and leave just the ID behind as a warning.

"Mimes? The mime-field is over that way, this is the running-like-a-mad-dog part of the park. I'm Felix by the way, and that's not a come-on line."

He grins widely, rather sharp canines making it almost anime' in quality. "You look tense. I promise not to bite, or do anything too freaky, but I gotta ask, are you new here?"

" F#$k%ng freak. " Escapes Jakob in a half hiss when he seen Felix smile. His hand twitching inside of his coat pocket as for some odd reason he swore he could hear his dad ranting, almost a chorus in the background. " Yeah, New York. " He mumbles following behind Sabina's own words. Staying silent for the most part he stood there unsure if he was going to carry on or remain near this group of oddjobs.

One long measured breath had her shoulders falling back into a loosened state and the leaned over hunch was righted, her water bottle set beside her backpack for now. Beneath the park was a suit case with handle and wheels, but that was only if you were hunting, booted feet bearing the unstrapped tanker boots were on guard before it. "What would tell you that?" Her lips parted to usher forth an admittance to Felix being right but Jakob's outburst had the audible *click* sounding of teeth snapping on teeth. "That's not very nice.." She muttered half heartedly, not knowing what else to say as reminiscence of home came in the form of an angry lost man. Jakob was now under the focus of an utterly blank look for several heartbeats before she spoke her name. "Sabine. It appears I am not the only one from a small town, I just didn't take its morals with me." Grunt.

Felix continues the grin, moving with catlike grace (only tripping slightly) to sit on his knees facing Sabina and probably Jakob. Not sure about Caleb. He answers politely, "Well, the suitcase, the utter lack of indifference to the needs of others, and the looking-for-mimes in all the wrong places. As for the surly lout," Felix turns the grin on Jakob and it's not an especially friendly expression, "takes one to know one, neener neener, and so forth. Now that the third-grade pleasantries are out of the way, what's this about asking directions? Don't any of you know that this is New York, the City that Never Sleeps, because someone might rob its apartment?"

" Lookit me like that again furball and I'll shave you. " In reply to Felix's not so friendly expression. His jaw pushed out abit as his glare somehow manages to even deepen from it's original scowl. His hand closed around the folded pocket knife, thoughts roaming on how proud his father would be of him to know he shanked up some mutie in the middle of the park, but then it was overshadowed by that entire… hey, you're one too! His grip loosens as if a revelation (or a few) struck and he utters, " Jakob. "

A wary eye was cast at Jakob, though Felix was right it never stopped people from throwing stones. "Apparently I have a lot to learn, this may be the City that Never Sleeps, but it is not the place I thought it would be." One hand rose and pushed a waving strand of pitch behind a gauged out ear lobe and held it there for a moment, her sights leaving Jakob and Felix for a moment to settle on another jogger, though it likely would not be one they saw. This one was hit by a cab at some point but the apparition did not notice its mangled leg and opened side revealing enough to make Sabine go vegetarian. A slow swallow and she snapped out of the stare off to "la-la land" (as she called it) and returned her focus slowly to the two men. "Furball?" Color her naive but she passed off the canines and the hair rather easily, she was inadvertently proving Felix right, but she was not "freak"-free herself.

Felix glances over at the nothing whatsoever is there, and one eyebrow goes up in the famous "Vulcan WTF" expression. "What're you looking at?" he asks, resting his hands on his knees, fingers tucked back into his palms.

A glance back at Jakob isn't long enough to count as "like that" … yet.

Odd, correct word. He'd forgotten the knife while watching Sabina's far-away gaze the mutant or at least what he believed to be one wasn't biting or tossing up the testosterone fight game signs that Jakob was apparently seeking out even feeling slightly disarmed when Felix looks his way as if in confirmation they both watched the space case in action. Somewhat deflating he turns around and looks the city over, a rueful sigh pushing past his lips.

Jakob speaks, " All right, I may be abit lost and getting pissed off about it. "

A gallic rise and fall of her shoulders was all Felix got in response, save the elusive words - "One that isn't sleeping." She noticed his look to Jakob her lips twisted into a bit of a scowl and then let it fade off. A quick change in subject now would tag Jakob as "it" and she did so as nonchalantly as she could, leaning back on the park bench and crossing one leg over the other. "Where are you wanting to go?" Yeah she could be of no help with the directions, but let's get the boys talking instead of growling at one another.

"One that isn't sleeping," Felix says, flatly. OK, worry about THAT later, the creepy part. He tilts his head slightly sideways, and the grin comes back. "Me? I'm happy wherever I am, mostly. Where are YOU wanting to go?" And that's directed at anyone there. Even the fellow in the near-magical trance.

Caleb looks up at Felix, "I'm not in a trance i was just thinking, i tend to get carried away though, i'm Caleb",he looks over at the angry looking fellow and gets ready to move if he starts something.

Jakob gave a brief glance over his shoulder as Felix spoke like he was about to give directions, no part of him would ask for any from a mutant. Then again maybe he wasn't he could just be a very hairy pointy toothed… man. The likelyhood of that was possible right? His own thoughts have him grunting outloud as he turned forward, signs of life appeared in Sabina's companion but he paid them very little mind trying to pick up if Sabina would actually inquire and maybe out of some odd twist of fate she was headed the same place as him, if not least some mild entertainment was here or a fight, which would prove entertaining as well. So he waited, playing the role of silent again.

A breath was taken in and lips parted like she was about to answer where she was going, but then they drew into a think line and again she looked hard in thought on the answer to that question. Everyone was having their own moments and she had her fair share that she was passing off. Her question had been to Jakob but it got redirected and that was just opposite of what she wanted. Caleb snapped out of it and she peered over at him with a slow shake of her head. "People look at me like I am the nuts one, at least I am alert enough to know we have Jakob the Angry getting ready to skin…the man daring enough to tread a city barefoot.." One hand waved in an exasperated flail and she looked back dead-pan at Caleb. "Don't get me started on you." Muttering she grabbed her water again and sipped it. "I think we all need directions to somewhere helpful eh? Where you going Jakob?" Nervous banter does a body good.

"Which is why they call it entranced," Felix mutters to himself. "SO. Where are you trying to go," he asks, "or do you know yet?"

Since Caleb has moved again, he decides not to steal LIBERATE his wallet this time. The girl he's a bit concerned for. If she's not found a place off the streets by now, she's gonna be in trouble soon, and she already has that aura of crazy, so even worse. And … my god the wind just shifted. What IS that? Something upwind isn't alive and hasn't been for a while… hope it isn't nearby or the leash-loosed dogs will all be coming to roll in it. Nobody will be happy then.

Felix's thoughts are to himself, but the expression on his face as his nose scrunches up? That's pretty communicative.

Caleb turns to Sabina, "Jakob is not going to skin him, because that would be bad", he looks pointedly at Jakob, he's assuming Felix is a mutant, as he's seen a few furry types in Mutant Town, "Yeah, where are you going?"

Jakob was looking at the guy he hadn't met yet who was so casually using his name, " And you are? " He asks, that bit of aggression the guy seemed to foster still there in his words. Pointedly keeping his gaze on Caleb. Before his head tilted just slightly and he replied to Sabina, " I have to meet someone… " Not sure if he wanted to divulge more than that just yet.

She had to give Caleb credit in trying to assuage the nervous wreck that she was becoming, but that didn't help. Thanks Caleb, but she knew people did bad things to people that were different. It was just as hereditary as her genes. No one was going to answer and the revelations were coming out bit by bit, more than was making her comfortable, Felix's expression had her hand reaching for her back pack and sliding it closer before she pushed to an abrupt stand and swung it over her shoulders. "Aren't we all just the up front bunch." She murmured as her leg shifted to hook the toe of her boot under the bench and drag her suitcase free. "So do I. Mr. King has to be impatient by now.."

Snapping the handle into place she took a few paces from the group after yanking the length of hair from between her backpack and her spine she paused and tossed back a few words. "You know, standing amongst a bunch of..ab normals one would think it would be a little less…Painstaking to get along." A flash of azure gaze over each of them and she outwardly huffed.

"Abnormal? I'm hurt," Felix says, obviously faking an expression of being deeply wounded. "Wait… no, I'm not. I haven't met anyone who IS normal, so if I did, they'd be the abnormal one."

He whifs, mouth open slightly in a 'yuck' expression that a few rare people would recognize as 'flehmen' - the 'what is that smell' expression cats get sometimes. But it goes nowhere. He shrugs, "Have a good day then, good luck with your appointment."

Caleb stands up and walks over to Jakob, "I'm Caleb O'Callahan, i'm so very pleased to meet you", such sarcasm in one voice it must be a new power, he looks round at Sabina, "You off?, see ya later, just do me a favor, don't tell anyone about what you found out earlier".

Jakob leaning forward he squared his shoulders off abit, his eyes lift to meet Caleb as he manages a smile, one of those, I want to hit you really hard in the mouth kind of smiles that took a certain personality to accomplish. " I'm sure. Guess we chased your girlfriend off… and chick, I ain't no abnormal. " Not quite sure what she was talking about in regards to anyone gathered here but the fuzzy kid.

"I wound myself with that statement - You're not from my town." She wrinkled her own nose at that, it was not the smell Felix was picking up from her backpack, it was the thought alone of that town, and then the weight of, which one is worse now? One full of "freaks" that don't get along, or one full of "normals" wanting to burn you at the stake and go back to their roots. To Caleb she sighed and looked at her non existant wrist watch. "Yeah I'm late. Don't worry I wont, just stop whistling." Looking at Jakob then she shook her head "Whatever helps you sleep at night," a slight motion that had her looking between Caleb and Felix. "Don't hurt him, he's just…unsure."

She chose that last word carefully before commencing her path out of the park and towards the smell she could detect, cooking food. Reaching in her pocket she pulled out what was left of her Captain Crunch and dumped it, leaving her path swarmed with pigeons. "Fucking vultures."

Felix twitches. He says quietly, "O'Callahan? The guy who got kicked out of Nowhere for stealing drinks?"

His grin comes back, a bit evil, at the Captain Crunch thing. That stuff REEKS, and pigeons, yes, vultures, they wish they were… His gaze is taken by the pigeons for a good three seconds. Just hold still a bit longer? Nah, wait. Am busy pretending to be the ordinary kind of abnormal. He returns that grin back to Jakob and Caleb. "So yeah. Where are you going??"

Caleb keeps eye contact with Jakob and gives him a 'just try it and see what happens smile', "Shes not my girlfriend, just a friend, you got any?", he gives Sabina a wave as she leave, making a not to find her later, he stares at Felix when he knows who he is, "Wait, how did you know that?"

" With your breath I can't imagine you have many. " Sad retort, but this guy looked like a great punching bag. " Guess that means shes open game huh. " Felix became background noise to him yet in relation to himself Jakob had him mapped out in his mind just incase. The urge to cheapshot Caleb when he looked towards Felix was resisted hard, one simple shot would be all it should take. Not even sure what the other man caught that he missed.

"My what good ears you have," Felix says in a normal voice. "And I didn't know until you just now confirmed it. Really, you shouldn't steal drinks from the one place that wouldn't mind serving you when you're old enough or you get a proper fake ID, but add to that, you shouldn't steal drinks from the one man gossip squad."

He isn't going to go into too much other detail in front of someone who called him a freak. Jakob might be throwing off mixed vibes, but he has a bit of the twitchy attitude that the goons in that (very profitable) crowd had, a couple weeks back. Therefore, Felix isn't going to do anything stupid like, oh, wearing a "kiss me I'm a mutant" tee shirt to an FOH rally.

"I was gonna pay until the guy decided to burn me and knock me out, but if he's gonna gossip about me, maybe i should let it be known about him robbing that bank", Caleb turns back to Jakob and breathes in his face, "Dude i'm always Minty fresh".#

That was all the provocation he needed, Jacob's left fist came out in a heavy cross towards the right side of the extended head of Caleb, ~Breathe on me !@#$#

That was all the provocation he needed, Jacob's left fist came out in a heavy cross towards the right side of the extended head of Caleb, ~Breathe on me !@#$#%!~ the slur of mad crazy in his head. Explosive power was behind that arm, the strength of an inshape young man with knowledge on how to properly swing and take someone down coupled with his mutant ability in just seeming to 'know' anatomy and how it works. A jaw shot just below the ear that would send force and impact up through the cranium (well this is all the intended and practiced theory of course)fortunately perhaps for Caleb, Jakob's mutant power to 'surge' his attributes wasn't behind it. In effect no words were coming from Jakob his response was an attempted punch.

Caleb doesn't react in time, the punch connects knocking him to the floor, "Argh, you prick!", theres a violet glow in the palms of the teens hands, he pushes himself off the floor and launches his own punch at Jakob.

Felix winces. That had to hurt. "And that, friends, is why not even Altoids are foreplay enough for some people," he says, leaping to his feet and stepping BACK from the impending affray. A quick glance around shows that he's not the only one watching.

There are two men in shirt-sleeve casual attire who never wear casual attire, and who seem ill-at-home without shoulder holsters and uniforms, and they've been watching all along, one of them chatting into a cell phone. As Jakob takes a swing, they both stop being relaxed, which isn't unusual, but they also become PREPARED, rather than panicked, which IS unusual. Felix decides to move away from the mess. Not involved at all. Nope. Innocent. Meow.

Successful connection had him still in movement not hesitating in the least, the man Caleb almost seemed to bounce from the ground in a swing at him but was now… apparently glowing at least his hands were. " Mutant! " Exclaimed as Jakob was lunging in a sidestep to his own left in process evading that rather sloppy punch (at least in his mind) quickly planting himself to extend a kick outwards with his right leg squarely at Caleb's abdomen to chest level. Unmindful of Felix or the two who had been watching and more than likely following him or them for some time.

That "mutant" remark makes Felix snort, from his safe viewpoint a ways back. Catlike hearing means he can still follow the insults. Yeah, that would be funny, telling Bruce the Mutant Supremacist that an apparent mutie-hater was attacking the ghost boy, thinking he was a mutant. Maybe tonight, if the guy's working. Got a new fake ID to try out after all.

Meanwhile the two, well, agents is probably the best word, are moving into position to subdue the combatants, but that'll be at least two punches away.

This time Caleb is able to react and phases to let Jakob's kick pass though him, "I'm not a mutant you idiot!", when the kick goes though him he recorporialises and goes to grab the leg.

The phasing had him startled, his eyes widening while ground contact didn't occur Caleb had ahold of his leg. This was where panic spurred on hypocrisy and self-loathing as near instinct had Jakob's power to surge come forward his agility suddenly that of an olympic level athlete springing forward off the one leg still grounded he tried to dislodge the other man's grip while bringing his right elbow at his face. Not sure what freak power he was using to make himself untouchable but it scared Jakob, body weight the jump and hopefully a connecting elbow would have a reactionary release from his opponent.

Felix is watching, rapt. He disappears for a quarter second, reappearing with a baby ruth bar in one hand, which he unwraps and starts eating, watching the fight with fascination. Ghost Boy is actually fighting well, at the moment.

Meanwhile, Agents Smith and Llweillen (what, you expected Jones?) have closed on the two, preparing to stop the fight. And they ARE prepared. One of them has a little white packet of salt from the White Castle.

Caleb may not be the best fighter in the world but he has been reciving training at Barnes, when the elbow comes towards him, he lets go of Jakob's leg and phases, he steps forwards though him and recorporialises aiming to slam his elbow into his back.

Nothing but air and he was landing with the solid impact of an elbow to his back. Pain didn't much register as the connection, obviously he was becoming enraged still using his mutant perks he was pivoting about in a heavy roundhouse his combat boot shod heel arcing out and up forcefully. " #@%#@ going to $#@!% kill you mutant freak. "

"THAT will be quite enough, O'Callahan," Agent Smith says to Caleb, handful of salt ready to apply liberally. His left hand grasps the young man's collar, while Agent Llweillan intercepts Jakob, taser ready; he steps in and under the impending boot, and if it isn't stopped by the left hand that moves in to catch and block at the nerve point in the leg, the taser will most likely punch into Jakob's belly. He doesn't speak, yet.

Felix stares at this action, eyes wide. Well. What. Is. THIS? And should I run away now, or … his feet start fading away….

Caleb struggles as he's grabbed, "Hey let me go!", he phases to get loose, losing his shirt in the process, the glow in his palms becomes brighter, he gets ready to run…, oh fuck, Smith, he recognises the guard from the Accademy, he stands up straight and the glow fades.

Not quite so fortunate his foot was caught and the next thing his body registered as a forced shut down nerves and muscles unraveling with violent electric shock that lovely mutant power still fluxing through him was quickly dissolved and almost like an immune system ran to reboot him, cement met face a groan released and he was prone blinking as coherency began to return, " The hell… " his hands pushing into the park pathway as he began to shakily force himself upright.

Agent Llweillan waits for Jakob to look up, and says, "Mr. Kinkaid, you were asked to meet us here, not to get into a messy brawl with one of our students."

He waits for Jakob to react and if the man realizes who they are, he'll help him to his feet. Meanwhile, Smith throws the shirt at Caleb.

"Get dressed, O'Callahan, I don't want to see your pasty white skin."

Felix stares, and then starts giggling. It'll turn into full laughter in a moment though.

Caleb catches the shirt and pulls it on, he would have a comeback but figures he's in enough trouble as it is, he sighs, "How much trouble am i in?"

Jakob jerking his arm away from the Agent Llweillan he straightened himself out with a wince his hand reflexively running down to smooth over his ribs and stomach. " I thought I was supposed to meet you !#@holes at the Salem Center not at some freak convention in the park. "

"That'll be up to Headmaster Wilson," Smith advises Caleb. "You manage to convince him that huffing your breath into the face of a potential hostile is a good thing and I'm sure he'll let you go out in public again. Thank god you weren't wearing the school uniform, I'd have had to kill you to save face."

That's said with a straight face too. Meanwhile, Llweillan smirks at the sphinctral insult.

Llweillan answers Jakob. "We were going to do that, but you were having trouble with the Ghost Boy and neither of us wanted to deal with cleanup detail," the welsh Agent says, glancing across a few hundred yards at another apparent civilian. A few words into his cellphone gets news that the backup contacts are even now speaking to the girl. Meeting Mr. King, indeed.

Felix decides that the fun is over, and throws the candy bar wrapper away, then heads back for the running path, resuming his exercise from earlier. Must get in better shape. Must now also burn off candy bar.

Caleb sighs, "Come on, if you were in my position what whould you have done?, that guys a complete dick", he crosses his arms, "See, he's even picking a fight with that other agent".

" Wasn't having any trouble at all with… " The words Ghost Boy had him connecting it to the vanishing act/intagibility trick Caleb was doing. " Casper. " Looking calmly as could be managed right now towards Caleb, " It's what happens when a dick and a pussy meet up, you ever seen Team America? Anytime anyplace, just say when I'll be your huckleberry. "

"Don't embarrass yourself any more," Smith advises, shaking his head at Caleb. "Neither of us would have provoked a fight. Even that cat boy was doing better than you did."

Too bad Felix is too far away to notice that remark.

Agent Llweillan shakes his head. "Please. Stop fighting now. He's a 16 year old child. You're not."

He taps a sequence on his cellphone, texting a pick-up location to the unmarked, soccer-mom-styled van from Barnes.

Back at the Burger King, a perfectly delightful woman in a comfortable civilian outfit approached Sabina, identified herself with the contact information that Barnes had provided, and suggested lunch or a snack, while the boys got acquainted. That gave just enough time for her to eat and return, in time for the aftermath.

The delightful woman got a french fry filled grin and no hassle from Sabine. She ate so her little bit of temper had faded off to nothingness. The walk back was in silence save for the grating sound of luggage wheels over the pavement and the cacophony of loose belts and buckles from her unfastened tanker boots heralding her way. Coming up to this aftermath the milkshake in her hand was being sipped on slowly, peering at the two with her food-sedated look of 'way to go boys.' "Ohh he wants to be his huckleberry, that explains everything. Flirt." Snort.

Caleb arghs in frustration, the glow returning to his hands, "You're telling me this guy wouldn't piss you off?", he spots the salt in the mans hand, "Wait, you were gonna burn me?"

Jakob seemed caught off guard by the revelation Caleb was only sixteen, " This punks a kid still? For #@ck sake… " He sighed forcibly raking a hand up through his mess of hair something he'd been growing out since his 'departure' from the U.S. Military. The comment from Sabina got a quick, " Shut up. " It seemed like he'd deflated abit however and was now drifting into the command of the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

Smith looks slit-eyed at Caleb, "Power down, O'Callahan. I was prepared to stop you from misusing your powers. If you have a means for doing so that won't cause you so much pain, do feel free to share it with us so we can restrain you more humanely."

Not that they won't continue to research that on their own, of course.

Llweillan nods, "Yeah, he is," looking directly at Jakob while he says that. As Sabina's remark stings the deserter, he smirks, but doesn't let it get past that, since Jakob is caught on the barbs of his own hook.

The van arrives at the nearest little parking nook, and the agents indicate that it is Time to Go, at least, for their students (new and shiny or older and tarnished with disgrace). There are rooms to settle into.

Sabina's brows shot up at the glow from Caleb's hands, the straw falling from her lips but not falling over - triple thick shakes rock like that. "And you tell me not to tell anyone anything and you sit in Central Park glowing. Whistling while invisible is the least of your worries." Who was she to scold? She did anyway while she tugged the suitcase up beside her and let go of the handle to fold it into place and have a seat atop it. Disinterest was the look she held but it was focused on the top of her shake as she stirred it, pausing, and offered it to Jakob. "You need a happy meal or something. If I knew I'd be coming back so soon I'd have gotten you one." The shake will work to gag him instead. Now focusing on Caleb she cast him a half smile and spoke. "Salt eh? So would brick dust keep you out of the hall as well?" Oh the games she could play but this was her making light of things. Pushing to a stand to leave she waited to see if the shake would be taken, if not…More for her. The look at the mini van that screamed suburbia the look back to the agebnts said it all. Really?! "Walkings good, I like walking…"

Caleb looks down at his hand and the glow fades, "I don't even know how you guys found out about the salt thing, you could try asking me to stop", he ignores Sabina, he's not in the mood for a mental case right now, istead turns and walks towards the van.

Van became destination A as he gave a small look of confusion at the offering of Happy Meal expecting sarcasm yet the offer appeared genuine, it difused the desire to be an ass to her to some extent not entirely but some. At least enough silence became a choice action right now as he climbs into the vehicle, head shaking while he settled down into a seat.


Barnes Academy Entrance
Through another set of armored doors from the passage outside one enters a secure S.H.I.E.L.D. Base. The area is huge, more akin to a hanger or doomed stadium than a 'room'. The same transparent material domes the space and soars at least twenty meters above the metal deck under foot. At the far side of the dome, the leviathan-sized bulk of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Sub-carrier can be dimly seen. To the left and right are smaller corridors that connect to office, training and classroom spaces on the right and living, eating and recreational modules to the left. The center of this underwater atrium is dedicated to a larger than life bronze statue of Bucky and Toro, the first teen heroes of World War Two. The planters and raised beds containing ferns and small trees contribute to an 'open air' feel and almost hide the dormant security features, which are formidable and numerous.


some time later

The essentials given to her were set aside and the uniform was picked up in a pinch between thumb and index finger as if it was tainted. "*This* is not what I expected either…" For emphasis she held up the top that limply unfolded in her pinched grip and displayed part of the uniform. "As for fitting in, I am sure I will live. Will you?" She moved her arm like a machine lever back to the pile of essentials and let it drop back in a heap. "I didn't see all of it, but you both lived to tell the tale, so you both won." Arms folded over her chest as she leaned back against the table and looked about the wing with that same interest as before, it was apparently not getting old yet.

" I won. " He corrected her while looking her up and down. " So, what makes you so special you're here? Or did I miss the memo that said looking like a gothic emo-punk rocker is a power that will stop bullets and superhuman terrorists? " He kept looking at her as he spoke, half expecting her to turn around sporting another face or head.

"No, no one was severly hurt or dead, you both won." /As did I../ The thought was not spoken aloud but his words on her appearance had her bark out one sharp half-laugh that ended in a flash of a toothy grin. "You…YOU call *me* emo?" She pointed to herself, fingers resting just above the bag that hung from a leath cord around her neck. "I needed the laugh, thank you. To answer your question, yes I simply rock that hard that people will bow to my every whim." The hand that had pointed to her chest rose into the air saying 'Viola!' all on its own before it came back to rest in the fold. "You, let me guess, here to help start wars involved in self loathing that is pressed out to others? Emotional warfare, good tactic." She kept the smile as she watched him, her eyes now focused on Jakob unflinchingly.

" Nah, that punk ass shoulda been out from the first hit, not sure how he did otherwise but he wouldn't have lasted another. " A twitch in his jaw would show he was irritated by her insistance and the fact she wasn't just agreeing with him. Hello! Shines the ego. " I understand already, you're a bitch and you annoy people into submission. That works marvelously. " He sat down on one of the chairs a sit that soon would become a sprawl while he twirled a Barnes issue combat boot around infront of his face by the laces.

"Welcome to a world where not everything is not so easy. So what is it you are in for?" She left her things on the table and edged over to the back of the couch, sitting on it with her legs dangling down the back and swinging lazily. "So you piss them off to where they run headlong into shit, and I talk until they stop fighting it and just sink. Where do you fail to see the perfection in that?" One hand rose and tapped at her temple, her gaze not on him but following the boot in circles now, she was awaiting the slip that had him hitting himself in the face. If only…

Jakob glanced past the boot in it's wavering closeness towards his face making that blurred image dance back and forth, " Sounds about right. Seriously, I asked first what's your damage, Sabina? " The way he said her name would be abit mocking, almost like he couldn't form it properly intentionally drawling it out.
Sabina's hands lowered to rest on the back of the couch and her shoulders hunched up ina moment of working out the tension. It seemed they were in this one together, him and many others but *he* bugged the shit out of her with his loathing that was open. The last person she expected to talk about her "perks" with was him, at least one of the first people. Fingers curled and bit into the pliant fabric and stayed that way in a white-knuckled clutch while her shoulders relaxed and she looked back at him. "One for one. Back and forth." Testing the boiling water he was and starting easy just in case he decided to turn this into a hate war here in the wing before she got decent sleep. "I'm a medium, spirits that linger are drawn to me and I can hear, see, and speak to them." One down, now a brow rose slowly, waiting for him.

" Okay. " He replied casually, almost like it hadn't sunken in yet. Which, it had not as he sat there he dropped the boot from it's pendulum swing infront of him to the ground, " So you see dead people huh? " His lips were now curling into a smirk, " Take it you have your own psychic hotline too? "
Sabina says, "Your turn." The crack was well expected, and selling you ability was the cheap way to go. She was not about to speel out the statistics to him on how many of those people were fakes. They get your credit card info…That's all they need with the right search engine and a little Lexis Nexis. An impact on the side of the building had her flinching but it was light enough to be passed off and left alone, impact and jolt of muscles. Through all of it though she still watched him, though the defensive leer had disspated from her eyes."

Jakob's shoulders bunched up in a nonchalant shrug hands waving infront of him, " I'm just good at shooting things. Nothing special or f#@k3d up about me like the rest of you freakshows. Was told to be here or they'd throw me in jail. " That was the best he was obviously going to give, no way was he like anyone here and no way would they ever be able to find out otherwise, not unless he let them know. They wouldn't lump him with mutants or any other metahuman, he was a pure strain proud human… at least this what he was trying to convince himself.

The leer returned with the narrowing of kohl lined lids and a twitch of her upper lip. "Seems you will have to wait to find out the rest then. Sucks to be you if you ever need to depend on one of us and have no clue /how/. I know who not to rely on. Afterall you are *just* human, you have no place here then." She was going to poison his happy meal. That about sealed it, he was hopeless in some aspects, but then again, she had not tried hard enough, she normally walked away from the hate - here was no different then home to her, just a different state.

" Like I'd need any of you in the first place, probably all just slow me down. Even if I am *just* human. Besides you think Smith or Agent L out there are incompetent just because they're human? No, don't underestimate humans. " He chides with a half snarl, obviously getting on the defensive. " Like talking to your dead grandmother is any sort of help anyways, she going to tell us how to knit a blanket that will thwart the villians with it's pretty colors and very cool design? Doubt it. "

Sabina snorted derisively and snapped her eyes from him to look at the floor beneath the stilled feet. They had stopped swinging several minutes ago like a calm before the storm. "Would even you rely on them? You seem above anyone, even those willing to help you or hell even speak to you. You only hold yourself back and it wont end well. I'll be speaking to you as a medium sooner than I'd like you keep at it." One leg was pulled up to hold the heel on the back of the couch with the rest of her, arms twining about the limb and fingers gripping the leather strap that dangled freely, slapping it back and forth. "So I wouldn't need my grandma to tell us, I'd have you." Touche.

" Sure act like you think you know everything, how old are you anyways what thirteen? Lots of life experience there. As far as those two… yeah, I would, over you lot of f$#k ups, I already met you and your underage boyfriend I can only imagine what the others are like. Adam's family up in this joint. "

"Eighteen. Look who's talking." She sighed and rested her chin on her knee that was covered by the torn threads of over-abused denim, staring at the wall, finding it less perturbing than seeing the smug look she wanted to peel off his face. "So this is what the bi-product of Pugsly out of boot camp is..Tch." They could go like this all night. "I need a coke and a smile, you're depressing." With that her foot dropped from the back of the couch and she swung off, landing with a clattering thud upon the floor and pausing, pointing down one hall then the next. Which way Alice?

" I don't look like I just got out of the brownies troop. " He chuckles, watching her as she stood studying her a moment, " What done with our heartfelt chit chat already? Too bad. Looks like you're already lost too… geesh, just ask your dead grandma, lets see it. " A smug draw was applied to his lips as he mocked her, leaning back again in his seat as his arms folded up behind his head. " Don't touch my razors by the way, you'd be dissapointed anyhow. None of them are straight edge. "

"Now why would I play with your razors? So much else of yours to sabotage that would be far more amusing." Yeah she missed the whole point of his comment, but she was half paying attention any more. She paused then and went down the hall towards the cafeteria and fished out her change to put into a vending machine and get the coke. Returning though she walked over to her things and gathered them. "You are aware that you are not the only one that wishes to be 'normal' sometimes right? But if you look at all the fucked up people out there that claim such things. Is it even worth it? The grass only looks greener. You don't even seem like you would be happy in a different circumstance." Sip.

Jakob yawned forcibly his arms stretching above his head before slapping down. The noise escaping from his action was drawn out intentionally, louder than it should have been as well before he spoke up audibly, " Shit you're still talking? " His head shook once then he inclined his head eyes half lidded.

"To myself." Leaning down she reached into the pocket of the hoody she had tied around her waist, withdrawing another can of coke, extending it over him and dropping it in his lap in passing, not even stopping this time. She went down the wrong hall but eventually when the doors started reading they belonged to teachers she'd realize it, either way she needed the walk and a little place to scream. What a dick.

Once she was out of sight and mind he went about carrying himself to his room where he could change up and crash, something or other about a curfew had him hurrying abit not to mention he was feeling exhausted from using the small bit of his abilities earlier and lack of food's lovely nutrition something he planned on remedying as soon as he could.

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