Plurp

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

His eyes lingered on the girl as she built her first layer of defence. Distant hints of pity could be gleaned from his gaze as she desperately tried to take control and be the one to define reality. The gaze would flicker, however, as the first brother stepped into one of the side tunnels. A subtle but approving nod could be seen. With the French girl sleeping and the utter fool of a mutant in the grand construction site with them, the risk for conflict could likely be managed for as long as Nathaniel could keep himself in check. His attention returned to Clem.

"Yes" the answer was blunt and so was the gaze with which he looked to her. There was no hint of confrontation, but rather an unapologetic honesty that was on display. "Clementine, there are plenty of bad people around. People who deserve repercussions." He paused to allow the words to settle - allowing the excuse she was building for herself to solidify, just for a moment, just to show that he understood. Then came the follow-up "But it's not for me to decide, who deserves to suffer and who deserves to live... or die. What if I'm biased, or if I lack information? Maybe I don't see the entire picture." Nathaniel shook his head in a simple 'no'

So far, he had not distanced himself from her or talked to her differently from how he had in the past. And that would persist as he continued "You killed someone." Another pause.

"You killed them in self defence, Clementine. It was not because you wanted justice or revenge; it was fear." He placed a hand on her shoulder "You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't. You're not a bad person, this does not change who you are, okay?"

Their heart-to-heart was interrupted by a distant scream. Spanish. Nathaniel's brows furrowed as he let out a sharp breath "The imbecile" he whispered. Removing his hand from her shoulder, Nathaniel took half a step towards the door. Looking to the girl he asked "Do we need to do something about that? There's been plenty of stupid coming out of that one for the brief time I've had the misfortune of being in his presence. I don't want another shitstorm while we're hiding out down here."

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

Curiosity turned to surprise: Nathaniel had clearly not considered the point Duncan was making. He took a quick glance from one wall to the ceiling up high and then to the wall on the other side. Before he had a chance to comment, however, the follow-up question hit him like a truck. Nathaniel, flabbergasted and gravely insulted looked to the man "El- electric?! I may be a little prim and proper but I'm no pantsy ass European. This-..." he cut himself off, catching himself getting a little too invested in the rebuke. With a methodical sigh, he recomposed himself and softened his tone "Look, this is a Bentley Flying Spur. It has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and a 626-hp W-12 engine. It goes to sixty in three seconds - four tops. This is an American beauty. Hit me up on a sunnier day and I'll let you take the wheel."

With a quick glance, the lawyer eyed the others before raising his palms disarmingly and letting out an awkward "Sorry, go on."

Apparently lacking the intent to do anything himself, Nathaniel looked on as the others went to work. Curiously, he observed Clementine as her eyes shifted from a fiery storm and their normal blues. Then Errol as he kicked the industrial lamps to life. He offered the two of them an approving nod before returning to the car to quickly check on the French girl and then to shut it off. Soon, the door slammed shut once more and the cave that had once been filled by the low but powerful rumble of the car fell silent.

The lawyer moved towards Clementine with a smile "Careful about that. I've doubble checked the inventory of this place personally. If anything in here breaks, I'll expect market value compensation." While his tone might have been light and easy-going, the words most certainly carried no sarcasm. He flicked his head to the side to get a strand of hair out of his face as he approached. The movement was imprinted in his muscle memory and went without thinking.

Once there, he lined up next to the girl, putting his hands in his pockets. He looked to her with a degree of compassion and warmth that could only stem from experience "Clementine, I've seen that look before. In other clients. How are you holding up?"

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

X-men: Outcasts Assembled #2

_______________________________________________________________________________

Emergency broadcasts were sent across the city. Social media platforms offered their users in the New York area the opportunity to declare that they were safe. News providers ran with footage captured by store security cameras and phone recorded videos from civilians. Commentators offered theories, explanations and speculations regarding the sudden outburst of violence in the Big Apple. Three police officers had been killed in the line of duty and four more were treated for serious injuries. At least one bystander had come in harm's way. Footage of mourning families could be seen on the largest news networks. At the centre of it all: Mutants. Activists were organizing protests, politicians condemned the violence and the government promised a forceful response. The perpetrators were to be hunted down and the mutants were to be put in line.

The journey to the location had been one liberated of chatter, instead loud country music played in the car, only once interrupted by a European song about the wish for a Pina Colada. Upon having moved past the initial few barriers of the construction site and into the tunnel connecting to the subway line, the car passed through a long stretch of mostly finished tunnel with insulation and reinforced walls before reaching the damp and dusty final destination. Without electricity to power the industrial lamps, the only source of light stemmed from the car.

At the end of the rocky, brownish-grey tunnel, stood a massive technological and metallic construction. Every surface was covered by a thick layer of dust. Small pools of water had formed on the ground. The numerous cables leading to the construction had carefully been moved to avoid the water. The construction itself was a large drill used to pave the way for an expansion of the New York City subway system in the Bergen County of New Jersey. For 43 days, it had stood idle and mostly unattended following the bankruptcy of the company heading the construction efforts. Tracks had yet to be lain but the ground had been stabilized and two yellow excavators stood in a line on the left side. On the right stood a few containers, two full and one half-filled with various pieces of equipment gathered from the site. The luxurious car - contrasting heavily against the dust filled surroundings - was parked a bit further back.

The air in the tunnel hung heavy with the scent of damp earth, rock and metal, a tangible reminder of the site's abandonment. Shadows danced across the walls, cast by the white-blue light filtering in from the car's headlights. The silence was broken by the occasional drip of water echoing through the cavernous space.

Five people had gathered by a set of four cheap, white and foldable chairs with a matching table, all located by the containers. On top of the table laid two plastic bags with various hastily purchased vegetarian or vegan foods along with a couple of water bottles, a half empty bottle of whiskey and a flask of rum.

The lawyer hovered over the plastic bags with arms firmly planted on each side of the table. His gaze rose from the food to meet the others and his hand instinctively rose to brush a few strands of hair back, then he spoke with a low voice and matter-of-factly tone "This is all we've got and I don't know for how long we'll have to stay here. I'm not going to rent a truck on my name for you lot, but that's probably the best way to get out of the city once the worst of this shitstorm you've created has blown past. For now, I suggest that we wait - and if you think you'll ever have to rely on each other again, I suggest that you start taking that into consideration before you do or say anything further."

After throwing an eye towards his car, he continued "I'm only going to keep her running for a little bit longer, until then, we should find a good light source and a way to keep warm. Maybe this mutant affliction can finally be put to good, non-violent, use for a change."

[IC] Outcasts Assembled: Planting the Seeds for a Brighter Tomorrow

A hard textured paper - expensive, to be sure - was sparsely covered by an elegant but still clear and concise font. The font was often found on certain NRA fliers and on the serial numbers of some firearms. Firearms produced by Shanahan Talamantes to be precise. At the bottom, there was a large flowing signature of a 'Mr. Howard Shanahan'. It was a letter of invitation to the Shanahan mansion by Ocean Pines.

Although he was running for Senate now, the event was hardly something new. The industrialist had had his eyes set on politics for a long time and the current effort had been a project for just as long. Officially, it was a stipend to bright and promising youth, unofficially - but not at all covertly - it was a recruitment tool designed to enlist loyal and smart supporters and potential aides or allies for Howard's political ambitions. With it comes a hefty stipend to help cover university fees, a Shanahan 1984 pistol and, importantly, a network of likeminded individuals, bound together by Howard Shanahan.

Ten individuals from across the nation would travel to the Reagan National Airport before being chauffeured to Ocean Pines. One by one, the cars would arrive, drop their passenger off, and leave. Three had all the markings of rich kids of the east coast and three carried accents from the richer parts of the west coast. Among the four others, there was a an Omani heir, two Norwegian twins and a cripple. None of them liked mutants - that's why they were there - but a few also put a high degree of emphasis on class. It would be noticed as they slowly gathered to chat whilst waiting for their host.

Finally, the elderly Howard Shanahan walked out the grand door of his mansion, followed by his son Nathaniel. The three story building had a grand and classic feel to it with marble pillars by the doors, large windows and a fountain placed in front of the main entrance, between the two wings. Kind eyes scanned the group and a warm smile grew on his lips. With a satisfied sigh, he spoke with his chest voice, deep and steady "Hello, hei, ahlan, salut. Welcome to my home, thank you all for coming. I know that you have travelled far to come here, so I'll be brief before my son will show you to your quarters - you'll be staying in the east wing. The view and closeness to nature from those rooms -- it never ceases to inspire the best in me. Let it inspire you too."

As the man spoke, shoulders fell and soft smiles appeared - he most certainly knew how to inspire a comfortable familiarity in spite of the astounding wealth that was put on display. Those who had followed him during the senatorial run thus far, or even when he ran for Governor, would notice that his personality was astoundingly similar to that which could be seen on TV. He continued "There's a stipend at the end of this, and a firearm, good 'ol Shanahan quality. But don't let that blind you to the true treasure of this weekend - Us. The connections we'll be making, the ideas exchanged and friendships formed - it is a gift. We'll be dining at seven, I'm making a roast, you'll all love it. Theresa, Nathaniel here has prepared some sort of bean dish for you, I'm sure it will be delicious. Later, we'll talk about plans for the future, career paths, family and the mutant menace. But for now, let Nathaniel show you to your rooms, unpack and get rested and once more, welcome."

Soon, he'd disappear back into the main building, leaving Nathaniel with the group. He wore a simple polo shirt and jeans over a decent physique. A deep blue hoodie was tied around his waist and an expensive watch could be spotted on his wrist. With a smooth motion, he brushed his wild hair back "That way, let's go" he said, tone neutral whilst pointing with the entire arm. Apparently not waiting for anyone, he moved with long determined strides. Naturally, he'd arrive by the entrance first, but not by far as the others seemed to rush after him. He unlocked the doors and pointed into the corridor "Rooms are down to the right, you've got the best view on the north side."

While the others moved in, hoping to get the best rooms without loosing face for caring, Nathaniel remained by the door. The cripple was bound to be behind - either because of the speed in which the group had moved or the steps up to the door - regardless, he'd soon receive the law student's full attention. "I'm going to help you, raise your arm" he instructed whilst approaching. With a swift move, he placed the other's arm over his shoulder as his own arm reached around the cripple's waist. With his free hand, he took control of the luggage. "Alright, come with, let's find you a room."

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

Nathaniel offered a satisfied nod upon hearing Duncan's seemingly composed and professional response from the other end of the phone. "Good, see you there." he said, letting his tone soften as everyone now appeared to be on the same page. Doing his best to manouvre his earpiece with a single hand, Nathaniel finally managed to shift the call to it and muted himself - effectively allowing him to drive whilst maintaining an immediate line of communication. Still, it was a mostly peaceful trip with silence on both ends - all he heard was the silent sound of his on own vehicle against the backdrop of the loud hum coming from the other end of the call.

He would be the first one to arrive at Albee Mall, seeing as he was closer to the destination and didn't drive quite as slow and careful as Noa did - the sporty image of the car gave him some leeway to speed up without drawing all too much unwanted attention. It was fortunate too - for it gave him the time to do a bit of shopping at the mall, a good cover for going there in the first place.

Somewhere between the dairy products and the bread, he heard breaks screeching and a french-accented woman through the earpiece. A soft smile grew on his lips and he nodded gently - good, they had finally arrived. His brows soon rose in surprise, however - the woman was not talking to him. In fact, 'talking' was a generous way to put it. A devious grin was quickly covered by an exasperated frown. Listening in to the conversation, he quickly made his way towards the checkout, picking up some hummus and frozen prefab pizza on the way there.

Multiple things were revealed in the debacle, not least why Duncan would associate with someone like the jackass who had killed the police officers earlier. It wouldn't be long before the sound of what sounded like a slap, scuffle or other physical altercation could be heard. His eyes went to the ceiling above as he gestured a cross over his head and core, whispering "Lord have mercy". When finally away from the cameras, he immediately entered a sprint.

Upon arriving by the armoured car, his chest rose and fell with every breath. The three piece suit stood in stark contrast to the wild hair and less than civil glare he sent through the windshield. Bringing his free hand up, he brushed his hair back before unmuting. Looking right at them, he spoke with a forceful and determined clarity "This lack of judgement will be the end of us. The enemy is bound to be approaching rapidly, you all need to hide. Stop the infighting,, now - time is of the essence, let's go"

With that, he waved them over to his own car and threw the groceries in the trunk whilst grabbing a hoodie "You're in the front, put this on, aviators and masks are by the dashboard" he said, pointing to Noa. The stress he was under was obvious for anyone to see - still, he maintained a degree of composure from dealing with somewhat similar situations. He then looked to Errol, a flash of uncertainty was soon replaced by a bitter "Truce?" Regardless of the answer, Nathaniel wouldn't stay up, instead, he continued with quick steps and the determination of a man on the run.

Unintentionally loud mumbling escaped him as he hopped into the driver's seat "Fucking redheads, couldn't blend in if..." His eyes shot up to the rearview mirrors where he could eventually find the siblings, his tone forcibly lightening a little "I am sorry Clementine, I didn't mean it. It is in moments like these we learn to appreciate these darkened windows" he said, nodding to the windows at the back before offering a conciliatory smile to her and Duncan.

"I'm managing a bankruptcy estate in Jersey, they've got this tunnel-dig-thing, it should be the best spot to weather the storm."

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

The 'chase' was surprisingly calm. The sirens soon disappeared into the distance as the armoured car and Nathaniel's Continental got farther away. The city was filled with cameras, however - and it was only a matter of time before law enforcement would be on their case. And then, there were the other assailants.

Eyes hopping between a traffic camera and the speed meter, Nathaniel eventually relented - if he kept this up, there was a real risk that he'd lose both his license and be forced to pay a fine. The blonde was probably in quite a bit of trouble too.

Slowing down and rejoining the flow of the traffic around him, Nathaniel produced his phone and went down the catalogue. Scrolling down to 'Fr' to see if he could find his former client. Her name sat right above that of Duncan's - a number provided to him by the X-men. His brows furrowed before proclaiming "Shit, I'm the idiot"

With a few clicks, he sent the girl a voice message, now assuming a calm and professional tone, unlike the one he had just employed with her brother and the police officer. "Clementine, this is Nathaniel Shanahan, I represented you in the vandalism case a few months back. I need to talk to you urgently. I saw what happened, you need to pick up and put me on speaker when I call."

Nathaniel continued and sent the eldest brother a similar message. "Haze, this is Nathaniel Shanahan, your friends at the Institute asked me to watch your back. We need to talk. ... Also, what the fuck dude? Ororo didn't tell you to pick better company? You've gotten yourself into some deep shit now."

The two voice messages were followed by phone calls, first to Duncan, and if he didn't pick up, Clementine. Whoever it was that picked up, Nathaniel would immediately speak "Thanks for picking up, put me on speaker, we need to resolve this quick." He'd pause for a brief moment, hoping that his request would be heeded before continuing "Get to the parking garage by Albee Mall. The cameras on the first and second floors have been out for half a year. Once there, I'll pick you up and get you someplace safe. And if any of you decide to go trigger happy again, I swear that my next call will be to my father or that inbred french fool Loxley instead."

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

High above, birds swarmed the helicopter - a few failed in their approach a few times but the ravens learned quick. None of them were intelligent enough or capable of using the intricate control panels present in front of the pilot. Instead, they focused on affecting the pilot herself. Batting their wings in her face and clawing and pecking where they could, they eventually forced a misstep as a controler was yanked to the right as she tried to bat a raven away. It was not long before the helicopter turned, seemingly intent on departing.

On the ground level, Nathaniel sent a furious glance at the police officers who had just arrived by his side - they had shot the girl, a person whom he had defended and talked to in the past. He didn't have the chance to react before a torrent of electricity shot towards his end of the intersection. His eyes were immediately drawn to the source - the mutant - and then back to where it had just impacted. The Police officers who had been taking cover behind the car were bound to be injured.

"Scum!" he yelled at the aggressor whilst opening the door. "You dimwitted lowborn mutantspawned leech." he yelled from the top of his lungs whilst moving towards the injured officers. His eyes bore into the mutant, clearly filled with rage and fury. Right before entering into a light jog for the last few meters, he continued "You're the reason why so many people want the mutants out of our city! Its your fucking disregard for human lives."

Right before arriving by the exploded car, Nathaniel caught the attention of a crow and made a few simple gestures: First, his hands holding keys, then pointing to those in the police cruiser and finally the gesture of pulling them away. It was enough for the bird to get the gist of the message conveyed.

Joining the one officer who had tore himself from the fighting to help his injured colleagues, Nathaniel quickly confirmed that there was a pulse on one of the victims. Together, they pulled the injured officer towards a police cruiser before moving on towards the next person. As they did, Nathaniel hissed an angered "And you are an idiot. What were you thinking? Having a shotout in the streets, no warnings, no efforts to get civilians behind you or on the other side away? No sane lawyer would ever defend you against that lawsuit, Idiot." He didn't care for what the man replied - for when he was done talking, they had just arrived by the next victim.

This one lacked a pulse. Nathaniel checked once more as his heart pounded harder, curses slipping out from under his breath. When it still didn't have a pulse, he checked again, and then again. Feeling his eyes become wet, he looked away and muttered a bitter "Mutants"

It was then that he saw the armoured car leave as it had just picked up the doctor. "Idiot, look! You're letting them get away. Stop them!" The two men quickly rushed to their cars - only one of which still had their keys. Without wasting a moment, Nathaniel took off to pursue the escape vehicle.

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

The Continental soared through the lightly trafficked streets. With its roof down, a brisk stream of wind caressed the driver's longish hair. Nathaniel had received tidbits of information throughout the evening - all due to his affliction. Doctor Duncan Fraser, the former x-man who had a recent attempt on his life, was in town. Men and women armed to the teeth had just headed out in a number of black vans and an armoured car was speeding into the city. The information provided to him by his animal friends along with a call to the institute had been enough for the lawyer to conclude that shit was about to go down.

High above, birds could be seen flying towards the area. An observant eye could spot a few stray cats and mice heading in the same direction. All from a few simple words "Gather who you can and meet me there" - the wonders of the mutation never ceased to amaze.

Naturally, news carried by birds and critters could only travel so fast and Nathaniel's predictive powers ultimately boiled down to a hunch. When he finally arrived at the scene, the battle had been going on for a bit. Unexpectedly, a helicopter hovered in the air - something which his friends had completely missed. What's more - it wasn't just the doctor facing off against a bunch of armed goons, instead, it was a full on fight. Nathaniel's eyes quickly scanned the scene, seeing brutalised street lights, noticeably grey cars and traffic lights, asphalt was dented and a person had seemingly melted in front of a red-headed girl - one whom he knew, a former client.

"Right" he muttered, tightening his deep red tie, remembering that the professor had asked him to see if he could lend the former X-man a hand and keep civilians safe. With a subtle hand gesture, he summoned a dove who landed on the passenger side door. While the fight was raging - Nathaniel remained as calm as ever, safely observing and pulling a few strings from a distance. "See if you and your mates can cause enough havoc to force the pilot to either fly away or land, okay?"

A dutifully cooed "Aye aye" could be heard in response.

"No heroes, get out if it heats up. Make use of those side doors." he said, just as the dove took off to execute the plan. His gaze then turned to three rats who stood right below his own door "Can you guys understand me too?" - just as the question was asked, a violent red light lit up as another mutant seemed to create a powerful electric charge to put a serious dent in a rock-person. "This is way above my pay grade" he mumbled before looking back to the critters, having heard nothing but small squeaks from them thus far "If anyone raises a gun, just give them a small nibble and run away, okay?" - after hearing a few more squeaks, Nathaniel could do no more than to hope for the best.

He then saw the blonde across the intersection - clearly not part of the armed gang, climb into the armoured car, right before it hummed to life. "Grand theft auto, the prosecution will have a..." he trailed off as he saw a man raise a rifle at the doctor. Seemingly by instinct, the lawyer quickly flashed the car's main lights, creating just enough of a momentary distraction for a rat to arrive and nibble at the assailant's ankle. It wouldn't buy Dr. Fraser more than a few moments - but it was all he could pull off without getting directly involved in the fray.

Outcasts Assembled (An AU X-Men roleplay)

General
Name: Nathaniel Shanahan
Age: 29
POB: Ocean Pines, Maryland, United States of America
Mutant: Yes
Nationality: American
Height: 6’0
Weight: 170 lbs
Affiliations: - (loosely affiliated with the X-men)

Biography
The Shanahans of Ocean Pines had been involved in the defence industry for generations. Howard, Nathaniel’s father, made two unsuccessful runs for Governor during the son’s childhood. Helen, Nathaniel’s mother, remained supportive of her husband throughout and was a strong advocate for his anti-mutant sentiments. Nathaniel, while often agreeing with his parents, remained indifferent to the world of politics. Instead, he could often be found by various society houses, the Pine Point Marina or on the seas.

The life of leisure continued, even as he succumbed to his parents’ expectations and went to study law. A family friend generously lent him an apartment by the university campus and his parents offered him a generous allowance. As the years passed, he went on to become a successful lawyer, relying on a mixture of skill, charm and connections.

Eventually, Nathaniel ended up in one of New York’s prestigious law firms where he cultivated his skills and joined the bar association. Of course, he made the occasional trip home to Maryland, occasionally appearing behind his father during a mostly successful run for Senate.

Everything had been smooth sailing for the young Nathaniel - all until he overheard two doves discussing which kid to watch out for and he slowly realised that he was one of them.

To the world, it was a secret. He kept working on mergers, severance packages and corporate restructuring schemes whilst doing his very best to ignore the animals who never seemed to cease their chatter. It was not until he went on a business trip to upstate New York met the X-men started to learn how to handle - and more importantly - accept his newfound capabilities.

With his life being held in a wicked limbo, Nathaniel returned to New York where he continued living the life of a wealthy Senator’s son whilst staying in touch and offering aid to his friends in the X-men.

Personality
Socially, Nathaniel is generally charming but, at times, overbearing. He is blunt and unafraid. He is intelligent and calculating - but at times overeager and too impatient. Inside, a growing conflict between who he is and what his values are is brewing. A whirlwind of emotions and insecurities risk being shown from a mere scratch on the surface.

Physical Description
Wild strains of hair, almost too long to be appropriate for a board meeting, are often brushed back from his face for a more proper appearance. Nathaniel shaves daily and tidies up well for someone who has a disappearingly small amount of time to put on grooming. Still, he has given up on precision and embraced a wilder style.

His lips can form a bright and eager smile when needed - however, he usually has a determined and serious look to him.

Nathaniel spends a lot of time at work and is prone to having a few more beers than he should - still his many hours on sea and at the shooting range along with just as many hours in the gym has resulted in a mostly healthy and somewhat muscled physique.

Mutation
Mutant power level: Alpha
General description: Nathaniel has an extraordinary connection to animals. Unhindered by a lack of knowledge and skill, he could locate, understand, communicate verbally and telepathically, compel as well as directly control one or multiple animals. The mutation also automatically creates a friendship-like bond between him and animals and allows Nathaniel to temporarily inherit powerful traits, features and attributes of an animal he interacted with, for instance increased stamina, sense of smell, strength or wings.

Lacking thorough training, however, Nathaniel is still having difficulties communicating with relatively unintelligent animals. He can understand animals, communicate with them verbally and compel them to do his bidding within reason.

Limits and Weaknesses:
Animals are living creatures, compelling them to take risks can be burdensome and emotionally draining. They are also preexisting and not always readily available. Upon taking control of one or several animals, also controlling oneself becomes an exceedingly difficult task. While humans are also animals, they are not susceptible to Nathaniel’s mutation. For someone with Nathaniel’s capacities, communicating with the animals can take time and seem odd to the casual observer. It can also be hard to properly understand and make sense of the limited information that an animal of lesser intelligence might try to convey.