ArchivedLogs:Meeting in the Park

Meeting in the Park
BEAK-BROS 4 EVA
Dramatis Personae Peter, Hive, Dan, Alexandrine, Horus
In Absentia	26 February, 2013 Hive, Peter, Horus, Dan, and Alexandrine all meet in the park. Peter makes a sacred vow.
Location
Here's the park. Parklike. Maybe less cheery at night with no children on the playground and instead Shady People lingering by the basketball courts likely making drug deals. Hive isn't there. He's not being all that shady, really, except insofar as it's night and he is hanging out in the playground. On the jungle gym, actually. He's perched himself at the top of it, though in contrast to the hordes of children who clamber on the thing during daylight hours he's sitting there smoking a cigarette. His other hand is occupied with a cellphone, that he is rapidly sending texts on. He's not /alone/ on the playground equipment, either. Not far from him, also atop the jungle gym, perches a large -- bird? Maybe bird. He's certainly winged, and beaked, and he's gripping the bars with large talons. But there's something all too human about the eyes that are watching Hive, peering over curiously at the text messages. And he's far too /large/ to be any city bird, five feet or thereabouts, though with legs hunkered down it takes some off his height. Occasionally he makes little pecking motions of his beak towards the screen. Hive grunts in absent acknowledgment of these. This is not a movie musical, and Dan has not often walked down these streets before. But he is today, and there's actually a bit of a bounce in his step as he cuts through the park. In jeans and a navy coat over what looks like a blue flannel shirt, the ex-soldier walks along the path near the playground with one hand shoved in his pocket, the other clamped around a cigar with smoldering ember burning bright red in the near-dark. He pauses at the edge of the playground, pulling his phone out of a pocket and checking the text there with a wide grin, unaware of the jungle gym lurkers. His thoughts are tumbling, mostly involving a redheaded neighbor of Hive's and a equal number of warm and inappropriate things. She's so funny. And sexy. And and and. Among the text messages Hive is receiving, at least a few are coming from -- well, Peter. Who's been heckling Hive about where he is, and mentioning that he himself is in the city -- and has something to show him. Something _important_. When Hive finally gives up where he is, Peter sends a 'brt seriously tho', and then... fifteen minutes, he's arriving. Hive gets his brain-waves before Parker even comes in sight. Odd, melancholy images -- flashes of Sera, Desiree, Gaetan -- kids. Fire. Ivan, suddenly clasped in a bear-hug. A brief, ghostly image of Lucien, looking at him with cold calculation -- a burning tenement building. Some woman on a couch who won't move. And then... "Hive?" <<Can you hear me? Like, while I'm thinking?>> Peter's dressed in a red hoodie -- on top of a blue collared shirt and tie. Black dress slacks. His left arm is in a sling; there's a throb of steady pain eminating from his left shoulder. The place where he got spiked. It's actually hurting *more* now than it did last time. He's walking -- instead of jumping -- around the chain-length fence -- eyeing the bird briefly. <<Hive hey um if you can hear me wave or something I've got to show you something I think it might help and oh crap there's someone here>>, Peter cuts himself off, head swinging over to look toward Dan -- blinking owlishly as he huffs out icicles. << Yeah, I can hear you. What's so important? >> Hive's mental voice sounds dry, though this might be easily overlooked given that his mental voice also /hurts/, jagged-sharp-stabbing tonight in his typically jarring fashion. It might be the reason why the bird-man beside him is, occasionally, wincing. "No, s'ok, he's a friend," Hive is murmuring aloud, as the teenager nears and the rather more birdlike teenager beside him spreads wings -- laaaarge wings -- in preparation to fly away. But he doesn't fly. He settles back, a little nervously, at Hive's assurance, watching Peter like a /hawk/. Hive isn't watching Peter, for all he's /talking/ to Peter. He's eying Dan with faint curiousity and a niggling sense of recognition. Hive's murmur is loud enough to catch Dan's ear, and his gaze swivels up sharply to take in the trio around the jungle gym, his eyes narrowing in the gloom. Kid in a hoodie...guy on the bars looks familiar...holy /shit/ is that a damned bird? The phone gets slipped back into his pocket, the older man chewing thoughtfully on his cigar as he watches them, hand shifting restlessly in his pocket. << Oh wow is that a bird that is a /huge/ bird wait that's not--is that a PERSON what the heck oh wow he's a mutant that's cool I've never seen anyone like th... >> There are a lot of things going on in Peter's head. And the thing is, they are *all* going on at once. He sucks in a breath when he feels Hive's voice *crack* through his skull; he makes a little surprised 'ungh', his thoughts instantly ceasing. But then, more tentatively, he starts to focus: << That... that hurts! Oh man. Oh man I have so much _stuff_ to tell you, and... >> And he is struggling to not just *splurt* it all over Hive at once. << I, uh, I did some stuff you are probably going to _yell_ at me for, but promise you won't do it in my head because jeez you are loud in here, and I am already feeling really bad about myself today. >> Peter looks over to Dan -- and smiles. Awkwardly. Lifting his good hand up to wave. "Hello!" he says. "We are -- just ordinary people. Doing ordinary things." << Um so basically I... oh man I don't know how to explain this, and I can't _show_ you it 'cuz there's a dude, so... >> An image, now. Of Peter, lifting his wrist. And, with a 'thwp', a gray strand *flinging* out of it -- catching a murder-drone in the air -- and proceeding to *yank* it, slinging it into another murder-drone. *SMASH*! << That right there is basically a documentary. I can _totally_ do that. >> "Yo," Hive greets Dan, "Ignore the kid he's /kind/ of a spaz." He says this in a tone like, man, teenagers, what can you do. "I met you in the coffeeshop, didn't I? With Alex?" The birdkid beside him sidles a little closer, beak opening to emit a scratchy squawk. << This is Horus. He's a little skittish, but he's nice. He says hi. >> Horus is still watching Peter. Then Dan. Then Hive's phone. Hive is back to looking at his phone with a faint frown. Maybe for what's on the screen. Maybe for, << Holy shit, what the fuck is that. Also why were you hanging out with Lucien's family? And sorry about the hurt. I can't help it. >> Dan snorts a laugh at the kid's explanation, and smoke billows from his nostrils. "Yeah, kid, that don't sound suspicious at all," he says, flicking ash into the paved path. "Might want to think of a better cover than that." His gaze flickers over to Hive, and his mind rolls back to the coffeehouse, the memory stuttering at the mention of Alex with a flush of warmth. "Yeah," he says. "You're..." he frowns as the memory provides no answers, the images fuzzy and slippery. "Did you tell me your name? I was really hung over." He actually steps forward, although he gives the bird -- that is a bird, isn't it -- oh, my God, I think it's a kid -- a wary look as he nears the edge of the play area. << That, >> Peter says with enough relish to ruin a hot-dog, << is a WEB-PISTOL. >> Then, more images -- Peter, smiling bright; a criminal thug (who is helpfully wearing a shirt that says 'I AM BAD') holds a gun at him -- Peter lifts a wrist -- THWP -- pistol is snatched, yanked out of his grip, and tossed aside. Peter lifts the other wrist -- jumps -- and THWP, he's suddenly *swinging* over the thug's head! << I can... um, I -- I might have -- I might used my 'web-pistols' to swing into their apartment while it was burning and get them out. >> Peter is suddenly all shifty-eyed. << And, um, it might be in the news. And I might have saved their mother even if she is terrible and I _shouldn't_ have saved her, and... and... >> Peter squirms. << Tell Horus I said, uh, hi. And I think he looks -- *cool*. >> Peter shuffles closer to Hive, looking at Dan with a worried expression. "I am -- I am a good kind of spaz," he says, defensively. "The _best_ kind." Hive takes a drag of his cigarette, stretching his arm backwards away from Horus and Peter to flick its ash out later. He leans forward afterwards, resting an elbow on his knee to look down at the other two from his junglegym perch. "Yeah, you seemed like you'd had a rough night," he says with a crooked smile. "Yeah, Hive. Is me. Nice to meet you, uh, more coherently. Yeah, you're an alright kind of spaz," he ends up agreeing to Peter. Horus shifts beside him, fidgety, but his head bobs in one quick and very birdlike motion. He squawks again, a little quieter. << Holy shit, a fire? That /sucks/, is everyone okay? Lucky you were there, dude. Uh. Their -- mother? >> It's a little puzzled. Hive has clearly never met the woman. << How the fuck did you get a web pistol? >> he adds, and, << Horus says thanks. Most people just get weird about him. >> "Hey, kid, Spazzes have their uses," Dan says to Peter, his mouth pulling tight to one side. "Today's spaz is tomorrow's Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, yeah?" He nods to Hive, and lifts his cigar in greeting. /Now/ he remembers the guy. He's Alexandrine's friend. Which relaxes the man, somewhat. Not much, especially when the bird-kid squawks again. Holy crap that freak kid is HUGE. "Nice to meet you," he says to Hive. "Dan." Because he totally doesn't remember if he introduced himself last time. "You live in this area?" He wrinkles his nose, his brain giving him a tiny sliver of memory of something Alex said in passing. "Wait. You live in Alex's building?" << Yes I mean no I mean physically I guess, >> Peter explains, and now there's all sorts of << :( :( :( >> in his head. << Their mother is basically the worst person ever and I made Lucien help me save her even though if she got burnt up they wouldn't have to deal with her selling them on the streets and I think I might be the WORST SUPERHERO EVER but Ivan >> Flash of a creepy kid with spiders << says I shouldn't feel bad because at least I got them out alive and Horus looks kind of weird but I _am_ kind of weird and I think weird is pretty cool and I'm going to take a breath now. >> Peter does that, for a moment. Just *breathe*. Even in his thoughts, he seems on the verge of hyperventilating. << I stole some weird glue when I snuck into Oscorp. I was messing with it and I had help from some guy who does prosthetics. >> A flash of Micah. << I've been using them to swing around buildings and practicing with them on campus and I am basically _awesome_ with these things. >> "Bill Gates -- wait who is Bill Gates?" Peter is 100 percent serious. "Isn't Steve Jobs that guy who makes iphones? Then got cancer and died? I don't want to make iphones _or_ get cancer," Peter mourns. << Oh, shit, >> Hive is suddenly mentally groaning, at Dan's reaction to Horus, << I know this fucking asshole. OK, not /know/ him but know of him, this dude has harassed the twins more than once. Fucking bigot. >> This briefly derails him from the rest of the conversation, though when he finally pays attention it is with a start and a sickened: << Selling them? >> "Bill Gates founded Microsoft, fucking hell, kid, how young are you?" Hive seems a little incredulous. A little amused. He takes another long drag of his cigarette. Horus spreads his wings, taking off to glide off the jungle gym, over Dan's head to land beside Peter instead. His beak bumps up against Peter's hand. Maybe it's like a handshake? For someone who has no arms? << Wait, Micah, serious? We were gonna talk to him about helping Horus out. He, uh. Lost his arms. >> So, okay, someone who /used/ to have arms. << That does sound pretty fucking sweet, >> he reluctantly admits, a flash of Peter WEBSHOOTING all over accompanying the words, << but if you fall off a building and die I'mm'a go to your funeral and eulogize about what a spaz you are. >> He taps out his cigarette again, still leaning down, elbow propped on knee on his perch atop the playground's jungle gym. "Yeah, I live in her building," he agrees lightly. "Nice to have this park right next door." "Who's Bill Ga --" Dan's brain actually skips the track when Peter asks that, and he blinks a couple of times. "Kid, I don't even own a computer, and I know who Bill Gates is." He shakes his head, flicking cigar ash to the ground. Teenagers. It sucks how quickly they make you feel old. He looks up when Hive confirms his intel, and offers a lift of one side of his mouth. "Yeah, she mentioned that you were up a couple of flights," Dan affirms. "But I didn't remember until you said your name." Which isn't exactly true, but close enough. "It is a nice park," he agrees, eyeing talony feet carefully. "A little dodgy looking, after dark." is totally a dig, although the older man's facial expression doesn't shift. "But nice." << Yes she is selling them yes it is terrible and I--um... >> Peter *squirms*. He is trying not to say this next part but it /pops/ into his head anyway. << ...and I was totally going to ask you to do something _terrible_ and punch her brain until she stays away from them _forever_ but Lucien said it wouldn't help and I shouldn't have even _thought_ that because it is terrible to punch people's brains! And I wish I wasn't even saying this but I can't stop myself from _thinking_ about it. >> And then Horus flies down, and Peter blinks, and perks, and grins, and the whole melancholy squirminess flies out of his brain at once when Horus *beak-bumps* Peter's hand. Who proceeds to give Horus a tiny fist-bump on his beak right back. "Omigod," Peter says. "Can we be BEAK-BROS?" << It is /totally/ sweet and you will /never/ get to give that euology because I am way too awesome at it to ever fall. And uh, once my shoulder heals, I'm going to practice. Dodging and disarming multiple assailants. With /paint-guns/, >> he quickly adds, in case Hive was thinking he might actually try to fight /actual/ crime. << Also he sounds like a jerk but he doesn't seem to be acting like a jerk. I think he's scared of Horus, though. Which is silly, Horus is /awesome/, he is my BEAK-BRO. Once you get him robo-arms -- together, we shall /fight crime/. >> This is Peter's sacred vow. As far as Bill Gates is concerned -- well, Peter remains silent, eyeing the two adults with reservation. It's late, she's late, practice and classes ran late... Alex is cutting through the park to try and get home a little faster. Red hair is coming loose from the classic style bun, her peacoat open over her flowy purple dress that was tossed on over her black leotard. Her bag is full to the brim, bouncing against her side as she hurries. Hive will hear a running diatribe about pushy parents, and husbands who hit on her, and her cursing her cell phone for not holding a charge today, since she's not shielding. It takes her a moment to realize Hive is there, looking up from where she'd been hunting for her keys. << Hey Hive, how's it... oh gawd. >> She's seen Dan, her steps slowing as her cheeks go hot. << Umm.. everything okay? >> << Some people's brains deserve punching. >> Hive might be saying this of Lucien's mother, but his eyes are focused on Dan. His tone's still light, though, as he says: "I like it here. You meet the most interesting people round the park at night." << He's just thinking Horus is a freak. Asshole. Who the fuck carries paint-guns around the city, dude? >> Horus stands up a little straighter on his taloned legs, bobbing his head in another birdlike nod. And then bumping Peter's hand with his fist again. << He will totally be beak-bros with you. He says maybe Micah could make you a prosthetic beak, too. So you can both whizz around together. Being birdy. Spidery. Whatever. Spiderbird. >> It's only as an afterthought that Hive addresses Alexandrine, with a /thin/ smile and a far too chipper, "Evening, Alex!" Less chipper: << Are you seriously dating this fucking cockrag? Jesus. Jax might slug him if he sees this asshole in our building and I wouldn't fucking blame him. >> "Can't argue with that," Dan says, his smile tight, yet friendly-looking. "I run into all kinds of people in the parks at night. I think there are just some that prefer it at that time." God knows he does, although it does mean running into the occasional freak. Although, the bird kid doesn't seem to be making trouble. Holy fuck, was that a /fist bump/ with a /beak/? There's a bit of a flare of amused respect for this show of amiability, and then...there isn't anyone else in the park, for a second. There is just Alexandrine, looking cutely mussed and harried, and Dan is moving in her direction, eyes crinkling as he swings his cigar around behind his back, and leans in. "Hey, Baby," he rumbles, and steals a quick kiss. "I just got your text a few minutes ago." "He /isn't/ a fr..." Peter's words trail off. Right, TELEPATHY. Eyes wide. "He isn't... afraid. Of me. This dude, I mean," Peter explains, gesturing to Horus. "Because, he, uh, isn't afraid of _anything_. Yeah." << Whew SWEET save. Also a prosthetic beak would be _crazy_ cool I could basically stash like a gas-mask in it so smoke wouldn't bug me also I could peck bad guys on the head and... and, oh. I don't know about paint-guns. I was... I was going to ask around Xavier's, and see if -- maybe, they'd let me and some friends... use some. >> The thought dwindles into nothing, but is soon replaced: << Um. LOOK, when are you guys doing this thing? Because I still think you need me on this thing. I mean I don't want to push or anything but I just want the record to show that I still think you need me for this thing because I can basically _fly_ and my web-pistols are _awesome_ and I can _sense_ danger. >> << Hive.. it just happened. He.. he doesn't know. About me, Ah mean. Ah.. Ah ran into him again, was trying to get to know him.. Ah saw him with Bastian, and he was scared of him, thinking it was Shane. But.. Ah don't think he /hates/ mutants. Ah think he's more weirded out and scared. Doesn't know what to think, what to do.. >> There is a mental shrug. << Ah wouldn't blame Jax, either. They're his boys. >> "Hey.. you hidin' a cigar, thinkin' Ah don't know it's there? " She drawls at Dan, cheeks getting hot with the PDA. "My phone died, so if you texted me back, Ah didn't get it." "Hey, Hive." She offers with a warm smile his way, then glancing towards the other two there, a wave. She doesn't know them, but assumes someone she does know does. That's how it works in the south, after all. << Whatever, >> Hive says to Alexandrine, and in this thought there's mental flickers of imagery; Sebastian, teary after /yet another/ bigot harassing him during his ordinary life, Shane, less teary but no less /pleased/ with his harassment in the park. << Justify it to yourself however you want, but I couldn't give a wet /shit/ what bullshit he uses to justify picking on kids. >> He stubs his half-finished cigarette carefully out on the jungle gym, tucking it behind his ear once it is good and extinguished. "He's afraid of plenty," Hive contradicts Peter, quietly, "because this world is full of assholes who give him a reason to be." He grips a bar of the jungle gym with both hands, swinging down to drop to the mulch below. Horus's next quiet warble is softer, a little melancholy. << Some people will do a lot just to be loved, >> he is saying, evidently to Hive though Hive's side of the conversation isn't audible. And, a little bit wrier, << Or just to feel good. Tell your friend he can bring his webs and beak and we'll /fight crime/. Except I might actually hide from crime, okay? Crime's a little intimidating. >> Hive's lips twitch upwards at this. << Horus wants to tag along while /you/ fight crime. He says Crime's kinda scary. Um. >> More somber is his next thought, << You're still hurt, >> he says, worried, << I need to get in touch with a guy. Who's got more info. But it should be soon. Also careful with what you think, the redhead's a telepath, too. Recite the table of elements. Quote poetry. I don't want this spilling over to her. Let's get out of here. >> "Not hiding," Dan protests with an actual grin for Alexandrine. "I was just keeping the smoke out of your face while I kissed you." Explanation of the dead phone gets a lift of a shoulder. "Didn't get a chance to text back," he says, indicating the trio by the jungle gym. "I just got lucky that you come this way to get home." Lucky, indeed. He glances over at Peter as he exults the bird-kid's courage, and his eyebrows quirk in not-quite-disbelief. "If you say so, kid. He looks pretty fierce, but everyone's got something they're afraid of." Like bird-freaks or shark-kids. But, this one's not showing four-inch teeth or sinking talons into flesh, so that's something... Hive gets a frown, and dark clouds begin to form on the edge of his brain. Clouds that don't quite make it all the way forward. "Don't know why people'd be an asshole to him," he says to HIve, his eyebrows lifting. "Seems like a pretty decent kid. Better than some I've met." That, amazingly, is completely true. Horus is getting a pass from Dan, apparently. But his attention is going back to Alex. "I was thinking we'd just rent a movie and order a pizza, if you're not too tired." << Oh okay that's cool, I mean I can fight crime and he can keep lookout for the fuzz, >> Peter says, << fuzz means police by the way, and I am _totally_ healing I will be _fine_ by like the end of the week, and -- huh? OhGod there's more tele--OKAY, which should I do?! >> and before Hive can answer Peter is doing _all_ of it. << One beautiful day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got... >> << Hydrogen, Helium... >> << Z Y X W V U T... >> AT THE SAME TIME. << Ah'm not justifying anything. >> It comes sharp and hot, and Alex's hand curls tightly into a fist a moment. << Ah think he's worth loving, and giving a chance. That's what /Ah/ think. Everyone deserves at least one chance to change. Ah know he's a long way from perfect. But you were /there/, in the coffee shop. Ah think one of us... might have done that to him. >> But she's not going to waste time being mad. No. It's her life, she doesn't have to justify anything she does to anyone... All of which Hive will probably hear her think, as she tries to breathe deep and get a new grip on her powers. "That one in the clothing store was nice enough, Ah think. Just think it was mistaken identity." She says softly to Dan, forcing herself to relax. "Movie sounds good, but can we order Chinese, instead? Been cravin' some orange sesame chicken and egg rolls a couple days, now." There's no response to Peter's mental shenanigans, so.. chances are she's not listening. Hive doesn't even deign to answer Alexandrine, but the disgusted contempt rolling off him in waves is clear enough. "Yeah, I have no idea why," he says to Dan, "Guess it takes all types to make the world. You," he's saying to Peter, slinging an arm around the kid's shoulders -- careful, at least, not to jostle the injured one, "have a curfew to make. C'mon. Later," he tosses back over his shoulder to the others, steering Peter out of the park. << The end of the week? You sure? Because that's not the kind of thing you should be messing around with. >> << Then again, >> Horus is saying, a little tired-sad to Hive, << some people are just stupid. Or looking for abuse. Which Iiii'm not if you're out I'm out you can't leave me /alone/ with these people! >> This is said out of genuine fear. Their community is small. He knows what Dan was like with the twins, and Alexandrine's affection to him just earns her the same frightened wariness. He gives Peter's hand another -- shyer -- bump, but then he's spreading his very large wings to take off, disappearing high and fast into the dark night sky. "You guys be careful." And he means /that/, too. When Horus takes off, he watches the birdlike mutant sail off into the sky with a small narrowing of his eyes that comes with no contempt behind it. Just a weird twist of...longing? Something melancholy. There's a tangible mental shake as he pulls himself back to the present, and he smiles at Alex. "Chinese sounds good," he says, reaching to capture her hand and entwine their fingers. "I could go for kung pao shrimp any day." He tugs the redhead closer, and steals another kiss. "C'mon, Princess. You can tell me about your day on the way." Peter totally returns said bump, but he seems to pick up on the shyness. "Bye, Horus," he says, his voice kind of tiny -- when Hive slings an arm around his shoulders, he perks up a bit more. OH HEY ARE WE BROS NOW? Peter tries not to voice this possibility in his head. "Oh right curfew," Peter says, and then he's blinking. "Oh man CURFEW." Xavier's has a _curfew_! He keeps forgetting! Oh man how is he going to do this superhero thing with a curfew...?! In his head, he is still doing _all_ that stuff -- backward alphabet, table of element recital, and the backwards rhyme -- _and_ talking to Hive. Peter's brain is... it's a very active place. Also, a very 'special' place. << I -- okay I am only pretty sure, >> Peter admits, and he bites his lip. He really wants to say he is POSITIVE but he knows Hive is right and the thought of screwing this up and getting someone hurt weighs heavily on him. << I'll _know_ by the end of the week, anyway. That's when Doctor McCoy is going to check on the stitches and see if they can come out. >> Alexandrine looks at Hive leaving with the others. "Bye, y'all. Be safe." Not that she worries much about Hive, she think's he's pretty good at taking care of himself, a scrapper if he has to be. "Since when am Ah princess?" She asks Dan, giving him a look with a brow arched as she holds his hand to head into the building. There's a glance back the way Hive and the others went, guilt tugging inside her. She's just hoping she's right, and ..well, that she hasn't fallen into the trap of Maria or something.