Humans are no strangers to hardships; be it war, plague, famine, or death we have always borne the burden of these ominous shadows that we as a species are fated to endure. We even pride in ourselves in the fact that we have survived thus far whether the ordeal be natural or man-made. In the mid 21st century the same challenges still face humanity as it always has, with very little changing in our ways.
And yet a new epidemic has begun to spread throughout the world, a new strain of DNA has affected the thousands of individuals across the planet just as the twenties of this new century passed. It was diagnosed as the Paige Disease, this being the first victim’s last name. He never lived to see his name hold the meaning it does now today.
The affected where either people below in the age of thirty or just hitting puberty, as very few children and elderly survived the affliction. Symptoms were at first a slight fever, accompanied by a massive nosebleed a day later, and shortly afterwards massive pain throughout the nervous system for about an hour and then all seemingly died. Some truly died, the diagnosis being generally heart failure.
But those that survived awakened with what people could only be described as unnatural ‘gifts’. It varies from the ability to control inanimate objects, elements, or read minds to manipulating physical objects to their will. Some similarities though are definitely increased strength, speed, and some even have heightened levels of intelligence.
The families and loved ones of the affected survivors soon found that living with these gifts was an interesting obstacle. Some got by just fine as their abilities didn’t affect their lifestyle while others where not so lucky. Over the next ten years more and more people fell to the disease, with doctors scrambling to find a reason and remedy to the new sickness that assaulted humanity’s youth. As the number of cases steadily grew more and more experts in the medical field finally started getting concerned, but as it only affected scattered individuals around the globe few could find a reason as to how this disease spread and more importantly why.
All survivors of the Paige disease are perfectly healthy human beings on the outside yet their bodies are conditioned more having survived the terrible Paige affliction. They all have increased resistance to illness as a side effect, are about as durable as a trained soldier in terms of taking a physical beating, they recover from wounds faster, and having cheated death few of them ever show fear in the face of danger. Though they can still be killed as easily as any person these handy traits make them a very nasty surprise by those who are not unprepared.
There is one very horrible side effect though, the Paige affects the mental condition of all the infected. When near death or in stressful situations the disease harnesses the most fearful scenario that the individual has witnessed. The Disease makes that scenario constant in their mind until their fear becomes reality and kills them or their fear overwhelms their control thus making them attack themselves or everything in a blind rage, hence the “Feral” term.
While most can control their fears if experienced enough or if help is sought, others who fall to their fear or overuse their powers then have that horrible event made reality for all to see. The ones that people fear and despise are the ones who lose control of their abilities and become ‘Feral’ which means they basically lose control of their powers and/or succumb to their inner fears or demons.
If not stopped soon, depending on the mutant you may just have a dead mutant who was weeping in a corner, to a small city block destroyed, to…. Well you get the picture. The result of a feral going completely insane is often very catastrophic and deadly to all in the area.
For example in Istanbul, the city of the Ancient Eastern Roman Empire was almost wiped off the map by a young teenager who almost drowned four years beforehand. Being a street urchin she always lived in fear and had no one to turn to, while being beaten and scorned for being a Mutant until she finally let the constant fear in. She drowned as well did half the city, making the Katrina Hurricane seem like a small spill in terms of the loss of life, property, and historical structures destroyed.
Thankfully with a good rest they all recover in a short amount of time. Sadly there have been cases where some of the gifted that recover from the “Feral” state of mind lose most of their cognitive brain functions and become mentality handicapped.
Despite barely even going beyond a fraction of the Earth’s human population, the new disease had many people justifiably worried. No one could tell how the disease was contracted and the signs where very hard to predict as a seemingly unaffected community suddenly had a person go sick. Slowly but surely what began as concerned individuals not wanting to become infected by the Paige soon cast out anyone affected out of terror while others wishing to be affected embraced them.
In other parts of the world they had to endure some of humanity’s oldest and cruelest stigmas. Witch hunts, beatings, slavery, and cleansing of the so-called ‘demons’. Others are more fortunate and where accepted by their communities as gifts from the gods and hailed as saviors and heroes.
Yet regardless of all this, this new challenge and at the same time old challenges threaten the modern society we now know. Whether for good or ill people are becoming fearful and aware of the gifted individuals; either reacting in outright fear or wanting to use them to meet their own ends. As history has shown sadly, humanity loves to generalize people based on what they do not understand.
The gifted soon have a name that the public deems them worthy for; Mutant. While others may call them Angels or Demons this is what is termed the more ‘politically correct’ way of saying a gifted individual.
Some have tried to fight back against the growing stigma that they are being stuck with; being called heralds of destruction, freaks of nature, even foreboding the end of times. But when they try to fight back they are not heard, and even then some mutants use more violent actions. Rarely do they succeed as most of time the unrest is disorganized, drunk, or not coordinated.
Then came the famed “Moscow Mutie Madness” of 2032 in which hundreds of violent mutants struck the sports arenas and killed thousands before the military intervened. The international sports event soon became a bloody war zone, with the Russian military finally quelling the attackers. Survivors of the attack where quickly and summarily executed live on television as a warning from the Russian government to any mutants who wanted to try a similar stunt again. Any credibility the mutant community had of being peaceful was shot right then and there with many third and second world countries establishing their own mutant control policies.
The stereotype of this new breed of humans, these … ‘mutants’, is fast becoming the majority of the world’s new scapegoat. While they are human indeed in ever shape and form they are blamed for most of the world’s problems. Just like in the Red Scare of 1920, Medieval Dark Ages, The Salem Witch Trails, and Pre World War II Germany mutants are blamed for crop failings, unusual weather, and economic failures, to even the common flu.
It is the now the year 2033, a year since the Moscow Games Incident.
In the United States, on the coastal city of New Haven, California the Mayor Steven Wiggins wants to try a new approach to the Mutant issue. He says in a brief speech that mutants are people as well and with the backing of the governor of California he declares the city a ‘sanctuary’ for the world’s mutants to live normal lives if they so chose. While skeptics and critics have greeted this with wariness, from around the world scarred but hopeful people both mutant and non-mutant alike venture from many walks of life to start anew in this supposed sanctuary.
All the politics and crossfire concerning the mutant issue soon turns it’s sight on the city of New Haven California, eager to see what may happen in the next few months.
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Kushluk Shimazu
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9 yrs ago
1. Somethings never change
Other than Highway I-5 nothing seemed to live in that God forsaken stretch of land called the Badlands, with exception of two vehicles stopped on the side of road.The veteran highway patrolman handed back the expired military ID card to the driver of the Blue Ranger and shook the young man's hand, "Thanks for yer service kid, be Safe in New Haven." Kushluk Von Raynor firmly took the hand with a smile, "Thanks for doing what you do Officer Harrison, Have a good night."
As the California trooper went back to his patrol car the passenger of the truck breathed a sigh of relief, "Nice guy, it's a wonder he let you go once as soon as he knew you were a mutant." He gave Rebecca Ann Stillwater, his former lieutenant a smile as he shifted the car into Drive, “Maybe for once the commercials weren’t lying.” When Rebecca merely looked out her window to the afternoon sky while she fiddled with her hair, “Maybe. I guess there is only one way to find out.” Her former subordinate grunted in agreement and focused on the city lights that drew closer.
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As they pulled into the Backwash of the City Kush murmured aloud as they came to a spotlight, “Something’s never change huh?” Rebecca took out some change and handed it to a man with his arm around two young children she assumed where his children. The black man bowed his head deeply as the Five dollars came into his hands, “Thank you, God bless you lady.”
She smiled and nodded her head but rolled up the window and sighed, “He’ll maybe get drunk and beat the kids … but I’m trying to hope he won’t.” Kush rolled his eyes but said, “Glad to see yer trying to be optimistic at least Stillwater.” She then went quiet as they made their way through the rest of the Backwash, ignoring the shanty houses, the old rundown houses, and tents that littered all but the road ahead of them.
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When they finally pulled up in front of the courthouse for them to meet with Kushluk’s father Rebecca stopped him before they got out. “I never thanked you for getting me out of that situation back in Utah Raynor.” She said her hazel eyes looking at him in sincere gratitude.
Kush merely nodded, “You would have done the same for me I’m sure Stillwater. Besides you needed help out of there, still surprised you didn’t have me drive you back to Baltimore though.” The former officer then broke eye contact and looked out the window for a moment before going on in a soft tone, “I can’t go home, not now anyways. Thank you for allowing me to tag along, it was … not expected.”
He nodded back at his former comrade, “As I said nefore, the offer still stands for you to stay with me until you get back on your feet.” Rebecca merely shrugged, “Lets see what your father gives you as a place before I say anything permanent.” With that the two left the Ford Ranger and passed through the double doors of the typical Roman styled courthouse. Once inside a security, upon seeing Kushluk military ID nodded and directed them to wait until the trial was over.
As both of them sat in the lobby it became apparent to both of them that there was a lot of media attention in the building, with hordes of reporters waiting outside the double doors to the courtroom. Upon watching the news they both learned a famous figure by the name Damien Fairview was on trial, but for what the news did not say.
Soon enough the double doors opened causing the media to go practically nuts, thus drawing Kushluk’s and Rebecca’s attention. Upon seeing Damien Rebecca muttered out loud, “Well he’s a cute one, broad shoulders, dark hair and handsome. Easy on the eyes too.” She said resting her right hand on her chin, which Kush chuckled at, “Honestly I think if you looked into his eyes instead of his ass you might see he is also dressed like a punk rapper.”
Rebecca scoffed and smacked his arm in mock rage, “Hey, I’m allowed to look at who I want to Kush.” To which he merely laughed, “Fair enough, I wonder where my dad is though? The trial ended so he should be … ahhh there he is.” He said seeing a familiar well-dressed man talking to the guard that told them to wait. As Rebecca got up and closed her laptop she sighed, “Hope yer father doesn’t think we are married or anything, I’d hate to have to kick his ass.” She wondered as she made her way to the pair as they finished a firm hug.
She introduced herself to his father, a guy named Gerald Von Raynor, apparently some bigwig for the city who explained that the trail for Damien was about him holding a rally for Mutants in the city. Thanks to him being one of the jury it was allowed for Damien to hold his rally by one vote.
Now that the media had filtered out of the courthouse following the famous man she could hear mostly what was being said but did not really pay any attention until Kushluk said the following words, “You missed Mom’s funeral.” She about did a double take looking at her comrade in complete shock, as she was never told. Kush’s father sighed and handed him a airplane ticket, “I have a flight that departs in an hour, she’s outside time I assume?”
Kushluk merely nodded but did not say a word to which his father sighed, “This trail was important son, I hope one day you’ll understand.” Gerald gruffly patted his son’s shoulder but Kush never said a word. Instead he eyed his father with a gaze that made Rebecca realize that things were not all sugar and spice in the Raynor household.
With that Gerald gave his son a set of keys and some papers along with a debit card, “That map should get you to your new condo son, and when I get back from Abilene we will talk about your new job.” The older Raynor then turned to Rebecca and shook her hand again, “Pleasure meeting you Ms. Stillwater, son you take care alright. I’ll be back soon.” The elderly gentleman then turned and with some uniformed men made for the exit of the courthouse.
No one but Rebecca heard Kush mutter under his breath, “That’s what you told Mother too.”
the juggernaut
Member
Seen
10 yrs ago
2
It has been a long month for Sol, constant movement to go to this new place they call "Haven" who heard of such a thing...but that was it, this place was true. Not for a second however was Sol convinced. This talk of a place for equals? And a safe place to live? It couldn't be true. He has already convinced himself that its not true and he had to see the place for himself. So in this last effort Sol took his savings he had left and bought a Harley to ride and the remaining money was used for gas.
The Harley was a older model but did well with gas. All Sol had was the cloths on his back some food and alcohol, his cigarettes and random metal scrap all in a duffel bag of his.
A few times on his travels was he threatened by people for being different. just cause his appearance was so different they guessed he was a mutant. but those were usually the drunks and people with a big attitude towards other races, honestly if the laws did not bind him.
Riding on the highway he saw a sign that said "New Haven 10 miles" Sol chuckles seeing the newly made sign shaking his head thinking it was a joke they had signs for this place already this place hasn't been around for too long from what he can remember.
However it was getting late a Sol didn't sleep the previous day but he didn't stop why stop now? He is so close. Continuing on he goes into deep thought, why would anyone make a place like this?...it's got to be a set up against mutants...even in his deep thought he noticed the sky it was getting a little cloudy as the night began to near but first as always comes dusk. The sky was a beautiful shade of orange but the darkness came fast and clouds blocked out the stars however the light of the city a few miles out was very noticeable slowing down and soon coming to a stop he just stared at the place as he was beside the border sign welcoming people to.this New Haven. Sol shook his head in disbelief kicking the bike on he revs the engine peeling down the road towards the city.
It was soon getting darker but he had finally entered the city and as any other he passed it looked....normal...how? Slowing down he parks his bike at the curb, his duffle bag strap over him as the bag is on his back he looks around. Shaking his head once again he Reach's into his vest grabbing a pack of cigarettes bumping the bottom of it a cigarette pokes out and he grabs it with his mouth and puts the pack away. People walked by him on the sidewalk and some looked at him funny. Looking to some he gave them a annoyed glare of some sorts. Lifting up his hand he cups it and focuses on his palm for a moment, a small flame appears, bringing up to his cigarette he went to light it and out of nowhere the sound of lightning and bam! It began to pour, extinguishing his flame it damps his cigarette and his expression was blank as he says the simple words,
"Shit..."
Throwing it to the ground he went to start his bike as it started and then fizzled away blinking he checks the gas gauge and it was on E. Giving a sigh of annoyance he gets off the bike and grabs the keys walking with his bag slung over his shoulder. The rain was heavy it splashed against the concrete making a calming noise but the sound of slushing and sploshing footsteps drowned that out. The rain made his hair droop a bit and his clothes began to get soaked. He knew he was low on cash, so no hotels tonight.
Where to go? Then he saw it, A bus stop perfect, something so simple seemed like something so great. A place to dry and sleep even being a public stop it would cover him from the rain. Walking in he shakes his head.
Looking around he could see people trying to get out of the rain sitting on the bench he sets his bag beside him and grabs another cigarette placing it in his mouth he takes a deep breath looking around one final time and focuses that flame in his hand and lights it, smoke rose from the tip of it, causing him to smirk for a moment before taking a big drag from it holding his breath for a moment and exhales. Leaning his head back against the glass of the bus stop, he closes his eyes for a moment and rests letting the cigarette burn. His breaths becoming steady.
Kushluk Shimazu
Member
Seen
9 yrs ago
3. A New Home Beckons
The condo was not that far from the courthouse, as it lay in the heart of Strip of New Haven. While Kush did groan about the increased traffic that the Strip was infamously known for, they were slowly making headway towards their destination. Rebecca though was gazing out at all the billboards and lights of New Haven Square noticing how similar the city was to New York.
As they passed the bustling New Haven Square Kush pulled off on the side of the road toward a VIP parking lot. When the guard at the gate stopped them Kush handed the overweight guard the papers that his father gave him at the courthouse, and whatever it was made the guard merely nod and let them in. Parking was not an issue, and along with two hotel helpers they had their personal luggage in the condo in one trip. Afterwards, there didn’t seem much to do but become acquainted with their new home.
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It was a luxury condo which Kush and Rebecca were not used to.
The front door of the Condo lead to an open sized Common room with a glass window overlooking new Haven Square, a 40 inch HDTV hung on one wall above a fireplace that could be turned on by a small dial, with three couches in U shape facing the TV. On the opposite wall was a various assortment of art pieces, lining just above a small mini bar, which was stocked with a wide variety of soda and liquor.
Opposite of the glass window overlooking the city was the kitchen, which was community, two fridges and a deep freezer in between. There was a grill built into the shelf next to the sink with two microwaves and almost any kitchen piece of equipment you could think of. The cupboards were already stocked with some basic spices and cooking supplies, and two dryers and washers lay off on the side of the wall opposite the front door.
There were six individual rooms that were split by two hallways that connected to the Common Room. Each room had a Queen-sized bed that basically was it’s own room with closets and a separate bathroom which a big bathtub in each, along with a mini-fridge to boot. Rebecca discovered just behind the opened front door another door, which led to an extensive storage space while Kush in turn found the glass door out to the patio off to the left side of the glass window.
Kush made his way past the huge whirlpool spa on the outside patio and leaned out over the railing, his gaze looking out across the New Haven strip. Rebecca had just finished moving into one of the rooms when she noticed her former comrade and went outside as well, joining him in his gaze of the city. Ever since finding out about his mother’s death she hadn’t really known what to say and things were in an uncomfortable silence.
Taking a deep breath Rebecca spoke the first words between the two of them since erailer that afternoon in the courthouse, “Why didn’t you tell me your mother died?” To answer her Kush merely shrugged as he looked at her, “It was my business, didn’t seem much reason to tell you as you had yer own troubles.” The former officer scoffed, “Look regardless of the trouble I got into in Utah something like that is … I’m sorry, I just wished you would have told me on the road.” He sighed a bit as he made his way back into the condo, closing the door behind Rebecca as she came in with him.
He sat himself down on the couch with Rebecca on the opposite one, “I’ve grieved in my own way Stillwater, anyways another topic though. Are you going to be staying at least for the night? With my father’s cash I think I might have enough to send you back home and get by till he comes back from Texas with this new job in mind.” She looked at him with a studying gaze, her hazel eyes trying to understand his strange attitude.
As she looked into his blue eyes she wondered what happened to the passionate Corporal she commanded as a First Lieutenant. He used to take ever lose in their unit very deeply as if they were family, but now with his mother gone Rebecca could see no sign of remorse or loss in his eyes. Having forgotten his question she had to rethink plans seeing oddly enough she was worried for him, would he be alright on his own?
Would he do anything drastic to ease the pain, like pick up drinking again or something even worse? She took a deep breath and stood up stretching while saying with a superior tone, “I’ll stay for awhile, though I don’t like getting handouts from others as you know. I’ll earn my keep, wouldn’t say much of me if I had to rely on others now would it?” She looked down to hope to see him flare up in anger at her pompous attitude like he always did, but instead he merely sat on the couch looking out the glass window for a moment.
She was about to yell at him but he replied almost as if he wasn’t paying attention to her, “You have a place her Stillwater, I’m gonna turn in for the night. Stay as long as you wish.” With that he stood up and went to the front door, grabbed his duffel bag, made his way into a vacant room, and closed the door behind him.
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Rebecca stood there for a moment looking down the Hallway which Kush went and felt an odd shiver go down her spine. She made her way to her room rubbing her shoulders for warmth, “Yep, definitely going to stay her for a while. Damn it’s fraking cold.” As she got inside her room though she muttered aloud, “Well, things could be worse I guess … could be back in Utah with Ivan.” She said taking off her Shirt and looking at the burn marks on her upper necks and arms.
With a shiver dismissed the passing misfortunate event and crashed into the waiting bed.
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Meanwhile Kushluk had sat himself down on the bed and stared out toward the vacant wall, thinking to himself about the many passing events that had happened all in the spane of a month. Out of the military, returned home, mother died, saw his sister and brother on the plane to this city to be with their dad, meeting Rebecca in Utah, and finally coming here himself … All in the span of six months.
He didn’t know personally what he was doing anymore actually; he kept running military cadences in his mind to help him press on with the day as if he had to. To him his mind was still running in his military mindset, and while he grieved for his mother as he did for his slain comrades overseas he didn’t cry for her, as a son should. He realized even after the funeral he hadn’t really mourned for her, he let what pain out he could just to get through the day.
That’s all he had been doing, trying to just get through the day without crumbling. Now with Rebecca here he was unconsciously taking her under his protection, and oddly enough other than the usual backtalk she was notorious for he was alright with that. She was his CO in the military, and now the roles had been switched and he smiled a little at the irony.
Taking a deep breath the former soldier stood his bulky frame up from the bed; he knew he wasn’t going to get any rest tonight. There was nothing to do tomorrow, no formation, no work around the house that needed to be done, and also the encounter with his father kept running through his mind like a film keeping him wide awake. He grabbed his keys to the Condo, his wallet, Silver Leatherman Knife, his cell phone, and quietly made his way out of the condo so not wake Rebecca.
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After taking the elevator down to the main lobby the clerk behind the desk waved at him, “Ahh Mr. Raynor, I trust everything was to your liking ion the Condo? Your father has left you a generous lump sum of cash to do with as you please, so if you ever need anything please just say the word.” He merely said a thank you and headed out the lobby.
He tightened his green trench coat around him as the door opener did his job, introducing a smack of cold air to him, “Careful Sir, seems we got a bit of a chill rainstorm tonight.” Kush thanked the man by the name of Bailey on his nametag and made his way outside to the street. Kushluk turned around and made sure to remember the name of the building, which was called “Haven’s Resort”. Easy enough to remember. He still shook his head at the originality of the name but nonetheless he began walking down the sidewalk.
Hoping the small stroll would make him tired, he made his way through new Haven Square, stopping to appreciate the attempt the city’s nightlife despite adjusting to his kind. As another chilly gust of wind smacked him he picked a random street, and then letting his feet take him wherever it would take him. He placed the his outdated Ipod earbuds around his ears, and turned up an old tune from his favorite band that he and his father loved, Linkin Park’s New Divide.
GM
Kokushi Friendly Lycanthrope
Member
Seen
6 yrs ago
4.
Alanis hated the heat almost as much as she hated what caused her to have to make the long journey. Some of the journey had been by boat, the other part, by plane and now, she was stuck walking the rest of the way down the seemingly deserted highway. The closest she could get to her destination was the next major city over and she had been walking for quite some time. That however was alright with her as she enjoyed it, at least until her food and water supply had run low and she had no means to replenish it.
Lord, I really hope I'm almost there, she thought to herself as she stumbled slightly, she was exhausted and it was only midday judging by the position of the sun. With a sigh she trudged on and by nightfall, she saw lights in the distance which brought a small amount of hope to an otherwise dreary day as she set up a small camp on the side of the road. Once her make-shift bed was done, she laid down and in minutes, was asleep, her bow and arrows close by her and her pike clutched in her hand in case any unwanted visitors decided to show up.
Around dawn, Alanis was up and packing up everything in her small backpack before trudging on again. This walk though, seemed different than the others to her as hour by hour, what had only been lights in the distance, slowly became buildings and by the time dusk began to settle again, she was finally standing at the border of New Haven.
"Finalement, je l'ai fait*," she murmured in french as she finally stepped into the city.
She decided to try and find a place to stay inside the city instead of just setting up camp and waiting outside for the night. As she wandered the roads, she saw some people walking the streets and even some where giving her looks because of her choice of attire, sure it wasn't the cleanest thing at the moment, but she knew she could eventually wash it. Spotting someone standing on the side of the road, she went up to them and tapped onto his shoulder.
"Excusez-moi, savez-vous où je peux trouver quelque part pour dormir?" she asked, and when the man gave her an odd look, she cleared her throat and spoke again, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a place to sleep?"
"Ah, yes, if you continue down this street, you will come across a motel," he said with a small smile.
"Thank you."
With a small smile, she left the kind man who had given her directions and began to head towards the hotel she had been directed to. About half way there she found herself at a small park, so she decided to stop there for a bit and swing a little. Even at the age of twenty, Alanis enjoyed the small things, as she had been traveling for at least two or so years now. As she amused herself on the simple child’s toy, she noticed that the sky had become darker and the moon was hidden behind what appeared to be some storm clouds. On a sigh, she slid off of the swing she was on and started her way back towards the hotel she had been told about.
Within minutes of her beginning her walk, rain fell from the clouds in a heavy sheet, causing her to be unable to see anything more than a few feet in front of her. On a small sigh, she rain through the rain, unable to see much of anything let alone know what direction she was going. It is just my luck to end up getting caught in a torrential downpour when I finally reach the city, she thought to herself, moments before she tripped on an unseen rough patch of the sidewalk. The fall caused her to pump into something relatively solid, and smelled faintly of a man’s cologne, which immediately had her back peddling as she apologized for her clumsiness. After apologizing, she stood up and squinted through the rain to try to see who it was she had bumped into.
"Excusez-moi, but do you happen to know in which direction the hotel is?" she asked him, a small smile on her face, "I may have strayed off course a bit and I'm kind of tired and hungry."
Though she was unable to really see his face due to the rain, she looked up in the general direction that she assumed it should be. Noticing she was still rather close to him, she backed up even further, murmuring another apology. Alanis wasn’t used to much human interaction after she had contracted the Paige disease, as most people who noticed the subtle changes that made her visibly different (much like her light blue hair) would treat her with disdain and scorn.
OCC: *Finalement, je l'ai fait = Finally, I made it (I don't speak french... so I used a translator.)
Kushluk Shimazu
Member
Seen
9 yrs ago
5. A New Companion, the Blue-haired Raven
He grumbled a bit, his tune being interrupted by the strangely dressed woman, even more so that he didn't really like the french greeting she gave. But despite his demeanor toward a genre of people it would be like him saying he hated all Mutants .. so he couldn't rightly hate this woman if she was french.
Looking down at the shivering woman Kushluk finally let out a small chuckle, "New to the city eh?"
The woman ran a hand through her long blue hair, "Of course I am," she replied, her french accent not as heavy as one would think, "It's not like I enjoy wandering around in the rain." He groaned a bit seeing that his heart was sympathetic to this woman, but finally he shrugged, "Alright fine, here you go." Taking off his trench coat he held it front of him, "Yer gonna catch a damn cold if you don't at least cover yerself up." he said as he offered his trench coat to her.
She looked at the coat he offered her, a bit skeptical at first, but she slowly reached her hand out to take it.
"Thank you," she said in a softer tone as she slowly slipped it on, finding that it warmed her up almost immediately, "I will return it to you once I reach the motel... that is if you do not mind showing me where it is." The man smiled a little and gave a shrug, "Honestly I'm new to this place meself, but I'll tell you what. If you got nowhere else to stay, and honestly I can't believe I'm *bleep*ing saying this to someone I just met ... but you can stay with me and my lady friend for the night." With that He led her off under a sign to escape the rain
Once in shelter he continued, "It's a condo in New Haven Square so you can get yer own room, and plus if you just came here it's a good place to relax until you get a job or whatnot. If you aren't comfortable with that I can treat you to dinner and then I'll walk you to the next motel we find. And also I'm doing this for an unknown person as well ... I must be an damned moron indeed. My name's Kushluk Von Raynor." he said finishing and holding out his hand in a greeting gesture.
Alanis looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it in a shy way, her grip strong for a female her age.
"My name is Alanis Cosette," she replied before leaning up and kissing him on both cheeks which was customary where she was from, "And I thank you very much for the offer... I think I will accept, at least until I get on my own two feet."
Kushluk stood there for a moment at the strange woman and then shook his head laughing, "Yep yer definitely French alright ...historically I dislike the French honestly. But hell I guess you are just a normal person after all eh?"
She looked at him before casting her eyes away, an almost depressing aura starting to surround her.
"It depends on what your views on normal are," she said softly, ever since she had gotten over the Paige disease she never thought herself normal and when her father had kicked her out of the only home she ever knew. In her eyes, she was an outcast to society and an unwanted waste of space.
For Kush though he merely waved his hand down the sidewalk toward a brighter section of the city, "I think in this city everyone has something they are not willing to say about themselves, but just know I'm more than I appear." To that Alanis smiled a bit,"I guess so am I in that regard." Kushluk laughed out loud, "Well I'm glad we understand one another milady ... they still say milady over in France right?"
"I no longer have a title," she said simply, "Alanis is fine with me. I rather not have any ties to the man who sired me anyway... after all... it's his fault I'm in the mess I am in now. I could never understand why someone would disown their.... umm... nevermind, forget I said any of that... just... call me Alanis ok?" To that the former soldier nodded, "Don't worry lass, yer business is yer business as we say in good ole Texas. While I'm a bit curious though I ain't gonna pry into ya about, seems clear it's not a good topic anyways." With that he walked alongside his new french friend as they made their way through the rest of Downtown.
GM
Kokushi Friendly Lycanthrope
Member
Seen
6 yrs ago
6.
Alanis found herself interested in the man she now walked beside, Kushluk she believed he said his name was. He was a few inches taller than her and though she was sure he even had a couple years on her, he seemed to have more of a story to be told than most people his age. She was curious about that story, but just like he had with her story, she respectfully decided to stay silent and ask nothing of her new found friend. Eventually, the silence started to bother her and she became a little antsy as her mind began to wander.
"Do you have any metal on you?" she asked softly, "Something you wouldn't want back I mean."
She needed to distract herself and though using her powers could cause bad after-effects, she needed to do something that would keep her hands busy. He gave her a strange look but then shuffled through his pockets gave came out with three pennies and quarter, "I'm pretty damned sure Twenty-eight cents won't be missed, Should I go ahead and take a step back?" He said looking at her with a very goofy look in his eyes.
"No," she said simply, "I've messed with it enough to know what I can keep it contained, just let me know if buildings begin to shake... or if you accidentally cut yourself."
The last part she meant as a tease because she knew that suck a small cut would not allow her enough blood to do a damn thing. She didn't know how he would react to what she had said, but she figured if he pulled back as she reached for the coins then she probably shouldn't have said it, too late now. Alanis let out a small sigh at that thought and slowly reached for the coins he offered her.
As Alanis took the coins from his hands Kushluk laughed nervously, "Well if I get cut I know who to blame, but shaking buildings? Okay if I see that then I'll definitely let ya know, honestly I can't believe I'm curious to see this. By what you said alone I'm already debating on if I'm crazy ... meh, good thing I don't mind crazy I guess." He said as he took a polite step back and watched intently as Alanis held the coins in her delicate hands.
She looked at the coins for a moment before relaxing herself and allowed her power to take over a bit. The coins began to shake slightly before they seemed to just melt and start to form a shape that looked oddly like a horse. She used the quarter for the body of it, copper flecks through out, and used the pennies for the mane and tail.
"Though I know it is dangerous... it also relaxes me a bit," she say softly, "Would you like me to make anything?" Kush chuckled though and simply bowed his head in respect, before holding out his hand as well and summoning his power a little.
The area around the small metal horse made it hover out of Alanis hands, "Personally I'm a fan of horses, reminds me of the Trojan War." As he came forward and retrieved the metal pony from the strange blue aura, which dissipated as soon as he retrieved the object. The former soldier then looked at Alanis with a smile, "Don't worry about your gift, I'll keep me yap shut about it as long as you keep mine a secret.. sound like a deal?"
Alanis nodded her and smiled slightly, though the look was almost a sad one. "Don't worry," she replied, "I am very good at keeping secrets, I've had many years of practice. So... what exactly is your power?" Shrugs must be a mental reflex of Kush's as he did it yet AGIAN as he answered, "It's not telekinesis mind ya, it's more affecting the gravity around something .. I coulda flung the pony at me but I didn't wanna destroy a kind gift ya know?" Kush then noticed a group of people coming down the alleyway toward them.
Instinctively putting himself in front of Alanis Kush gritted his teeth before saying to her, "Great, just fucking outstanding, listen just let me do the talking." he said not even looking behind to her but keeping his gaze focused on the rough looking bunch that chuckled and laughed as they made their way toward them.
Alanis moved a bit closer to his back, not liking the idea of having to fight with anyone, but she instinctively gripped onto the bow that was once her mother's.
"I understand," she said as she gripped onto the back of his shirt, "But who are those people and why do you seem so tense, they don't seem so bad." Her new friend merely spoke softly as they came in earshot, "See those fucking rainbow peace symbols on their T-Shirts? They're called the Saviors of Humanity and think all mutants are a damned plague on Earth. They are not friendly, if we don't run we are gonna have to defend ourselves but don't kill em. We don't wanna give these punks more reason to hate us." With that the ragtag group of about fifteen stopped in front of them.
A women in front of the group, a aged woman of about sixty years or older came forward and pointed at them saying, "What was that little blue light young man? I think you have some explaining to do." Kush took a deep breath and held his anger in check, "I got nothing to explain ma'am, I'm escorting my girlfriend back home."
At the mention of girlfriend, she blushed and cast her eyes away. She wasn't sure why he would have said that, it's not that hard just to say that she was a friend, was it?
"Can you please just let me go home?" she asked the woman softly, "We aren't looking for any trouble Ma'am."
The woman however seemed to have other ideas as she pointed at the two and turned to her posse, "I don't know which it is but one of them is a monster, and I don't have the patience to deal with another one of these mutants lies. Henry take them both back to the Den and we will take care of it from there." With that a weathered big bald headed muscle bound man in a yellow peace sign T-shirt came forward at the head of ten of the group while the other five including the aged woman turned and went back into the shadows of the alleyway.
The big brute Henry grinned and cracked his big fists together, "You gonna give us trouble kids?" Alanis and her new friend saw that most of the group seemed like normal people except for the colorful peace shirt who wielded improvised weapons from bats, to lead pipes, knives, and one even had a meat cleaver. Kush frowned seeing the situation escalate and he spoke in a low voice, "Henry, you had best turn around. We don't want ...."
And that's when Henry whipped out the revolver and level'd it straight at Kush, "One more word and yer dead kid, are you gonna be trouble?"
Alanis immediately shoved Kush out of the way and glared at the man. "You want trouble?" she snapped, "Well guess what, you've got it."
Not even a moment later, the revolver in Henry's hand folded in on itself and every other metal weapon did the same. As all this happened, she stepped forward, looking furious beyond imagination.
"I do not appreciate the fact that you are threatening us," she hissed, "Now I will give you one chance to turn around and walk away without any bruises. It's your choice." As she spoke, she stepped towards them and buildings began to shake and the ground near the foundations began to rumble. The men and women behind Henry soon looked to both sides of the alleyway and foresaw that this probably was one of those plans that MIGHT have worked out better in their mind rather then in action.
The man who lost his cleaver said aloud, "Henry, I got kids man. I don't wanna get involved with a freak tonight ... can we just go home?" With that Henry turned on him and roared, "Listen To Yourself Jackson!! We let these Fiends go then they will be killing people in a insane rage!! We can't take that chance, Bill you lost your wife in San Antoni due to a nutcase, Jenny you lost yer brother in New Orleans ... can we ignore the threat these freaks cause? Come on you bastards, Let's show em What the Saviors of Humanity stand for!!!" With that and Henry in the lead of a rush the group of ten people rushed the two mutants.
Kush quickly said behind to his friend, "Don't kill em ... if you can help it, I'll do what I can." Cracking his knuckles Kush flung into a charge towards the brute Henry, using his power to give him an edge. The slight bluish aura surrounded Henry and lifted the big man off his feet, before flinging him to the side of the building on the right, rendering him unconscious. Following through with his attack the former soldier roared and rammed into the rest of the stunned Saviors, driven wild by the adrenaline surge. Alanis followed close behind and round house kicked someone else into another building, her eyes narrowed in rage, causing the buildings to shake even more as well as the surrounding ground. When someone grabbed her from behind, she let out a startled shout and tried to get out of it as another went and punched her in the stomach. She knew very well she wasn't invincible, due to the fact that by the time he had three people on her, she was coughing up small amounts of blood.
"Damn it let me go!" she shouted.
the juggernaut
Member
Seen
10 yrs ago
7
The rain was soothing… even if it was horrible to be trapped in. As he sat at the bus stop over hand, he began to drift off, feeling relaxed. As he dozed, his imagination began to wander, calling forth pleasant memories of his wife… The sun was shining and Sol was standing in a beautiful field confused to how he got there. He looked all around seeing nothing but beautiful grass within his surroundings. He turned forward as he saw a women standing off in the distance, wearing a beautiful white dress, her back to Sol with the wind blowing her hair around. Sol’s eyes widened as he stepped forward, his heart stopped for a moment as he stared, wondering who the female could be… Could it be...no… Sol thought to himself. He began walking forward, his slow walk becoming a fast pace run until he was in a full on sprint. The figure just stood there, not moving, and it seemed like he couldn't get any closer until suddenly; he was catching up to her. When he went to reach out for her as she turned around, he immediately noticed that she had blackened eyes as she opened her mouth, screaming loudly.
Sol sat forward quickly as he heard the sound of some women shouting. His eyes widened with surprise before slowly going to a dull unhappy look at the annoyance. Lifting up his hand, he wiped his face with his fingerless gloves and gave an annoyed groan looking to the direction it came from. Slinging the duffle bag over his shoulder. He groaned once more as he walked out into the rain and headed down the sidewalk with his cigarette still burning; the rain still poured like hell. In the distance he saw groups of people moving around, specifically three people who were beating on a woman. He stopped about twelve feet from the whole scrap and he looked off to the side slightly, barely turning his head until he saw a man fighting a group of people on his own, and doing well at that. He directed his attention back to the woman once he noted how the other male was doing, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. With a strong posture, he focused on his power, ignoring the rain as he focused, forming a ring around him that erupted in fire. The fire formed around him with a loud, ‘BANG’, though it had very minimal flash, the sound was that of a very small bomb. He then yelled out to the people, “Ok....Didn't your mothers teach you better...You never should hit women...So how is this helping ‘Humanity’.” His snapped, his voice filled with both annoyance and anger. One hand in his pocket while the other holded the strap of his duffle bag.
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