2013.09.03 - Eggroll Guardian

Why shouldn't Mutant Town celebrate the way the rest of the country celebrates? Separate but equal, maybe, but there isn't a lack of 'country' feeling for it. Some mutant leaders have made the argument, and successfully, that to be here, in this country, in this city, means that there is at least something of an expectation of fair services. Unlike crossing the borders.
Doesn't mean that Mutant Town is any less depressed of an area.
In the small spots that are designated as 'parks', children of all hues are playing. Balloons are hung on the iron fencings, and families are coming out. Music blares out down the streets, and there's an impromptu 'block party' starting.
Navigating his way through the press of people (no cars to be seen!) with some determination (He'll get across the street!), is one Nate Dayspring. He's dressed in an overcoat, a pair of cargo pants, boots bloused, and a pullover shirt. Maybe a little overdressed for the humid weather, but it's certainly not unheard of.
The lure of a funnelcake, however, draws his attention away...
Speaking of being warm in this awful weather...
It's to Domino's benefit that she started life in a perpetually hot and humid climate, though she didn't start life in a full black armored suit that's been weighted down with metal plates, combat webbing, various types of weaponry and a reinforced black leather trench on top of it all. The black hair and spot around her eye only soak up more of the sun's rays, and the ghostly white skin found in a few select areas needs to either be coated in sunscreen or kept within the shade.
Tanning. One of many things this woman will never do.
Dark purple shades help cut down on the glare of the day as she wanders down the traffic-less streets, ignoring the feel of another bead of sweat attempting to work its way down her spine.
(Humidity. Overcrowding. No cars. Poverty. Reminds me of Kowloon, which is never a good thing.)
Her best-case scenario is to do what she needs to do then get back to Manhattan where she can keep moving onto other business. Things never really turn out that way, though.
Marrow is here of course, having been dragged here by some of the smaller children. Having somthing of a weakness for small children, she consented, and is now leaning up against a concession stand owned by a regular everyday chinese guy.. whose daughter happens to have a prehensile tail. Hot dogs and eggrolls for everyone!
The light purple shade of the womans skin can be clearly seen, as she stands there in basically yoga pants and a sports bra, avoiding the heat of the day in the small shadow of the umbrella mounted to the cart. Right now she's just keeping an eye on things. As far as she can tell, that's her main job at things like this. God forbid she enjoy herself.
~ Nope, never a good thing. But does Kowloon have funnel cake? I don't remember seeing a stand there. ~
Nate finishes his wave-off to head towards the oily-doughy goodness, topped with white (DOMINO) sugar. He's only two people deep at the moment, and dropping his hand into a pocket to gain his wallet, he looks around at the gathering. Tails. Blues. Purples. Feathers. It's one of those places that actually makes him feel at home, though truth be told, the man can move in almost anywhere and set up shop, only taking 24 hours before he's treating it like he'd always been there. (Because in a way, he has?)
~ Want one? Extra greasy. ~
Looking to the side again, a couple of carts down perhaps, there's a woman that doesn't have that 'party' thing going on. No frowning at a picnic! He'll mention it... after his funnel cake.
It might be the Chinese food. Or, maybe the girl with the tail. It could even be the other girl with the pink and purple presentation. Domino's learned a long time ago that things tend to happen for a reason. Right here in her little world there's now three things all pulling her toward the same destination. Is it luck, or is it providence?
It's food, is what it is.
~Despite popular belief, I can survive on more than greasy food. You just have a way of raising my stress until I stop caring about the calorie count. Go make yourself dusty for a minute, there's something I need to do.~
Pale purple skin. Purple eyes. Yes, there's definitely something that she needs to do. Dom may be slightly taller than Marrow but she's not all that much bigger. It's only the way that she carries all of that gear that makes her seem bigger, and definitely adds to her mass. Here she comes to stand beside the other woman, head canted slightly to the side as she stares at purple eyes through purple shades, which makes those eyes very purple.
"Blink."
(Try that again, Dom.)
"Clarice Ferguson. You know her?"
As luck would have it, Blink is someone she knows, and also someone that looks more like Marrow than anyone else she's yet seen.
Marrow shifts her gaze to Domino even as she's approaching. She doesn't actually /do/ anything.. but her attention is captured. No smiles, no real emotions just her attention.
But when she speaks, Marrow scowls. "No.. Now fuck off." She replies and looks away, pointedly ignoring the black and white woman with a demeanor better recognized in that X-guy with all the hair and the claws.
~ Let's not forget the amount of exercise you put in to take all those extra calories off. ~ Now, it could be taken suggestively, but the touch in the mind isn't. Instead, a light picture of the albino merc scrubbing away with Hoppe's #9 at a table, and then at another, and then at another is in place. Flashes of memory, familar to the telepath.
Nate steps forward one, his attention on the line, of course, the smells of that dipped batter overtaking the general area. One more person to go, but he gains the attention of one of the help there in the back and lifts a hand to signal '2'. Just so it's prepped!
Glancing back at where Domino's gone off to, Nate makes note that she's near the purple girl. Brows rise and he cants his head. Believe it or not, he's not listening in, he really isn't. Now, he's just curious.
~What the hell are you, my fitness trainer? Hey, the gear isn't going to clean itself, now knock it off.~
Any normal person (hell, maybe any sane person) would likely take the warning for what it is and, indeed, fuck off. Domino is not a normal person, and her sanity can often be a matter for debate. When the warning is voiced she stands there with a black-lipped smirk, yet looking down at the smaller gal that's rocking the bone armor. "Now you remind me of someone else."
Two someone else's, for that matter. Both of them with metal claws hidden in their forearms.
"I was going to say that she's a friend of mine, but I guess I'll just buy a half dozen eggrolls. If that's all fine and dandy with you."
~Two o'clock, Wingnut. Recognize the hothead in the calcified tiara?~
"Guard duty's boring, I get it. You should find a more constructive use for your time. Or pick a fight and get it out of your system, that's legit, too."
Marrow turns her gaze back on Domino. "Not here for guard duty, here for the party. Can't you tell I'm enjoying the hell out of myself." She replies, offering the worst, halfassed version of jazz hands in the history of ever. Like she has parkinsons and was waving bye. "Why are you bothering me? You looking for your friend? She's not over here.." She says, looking down and around the immidiate area. Just the Chinese guy trying VERY hard to stay out of it. He knows about Marrow. She's crazy.
Instead of a reply, there's a certain amount of smugness left behind as the active touch becomes something of a more passive one. Never out of communication, however. It's a mind that he knows and can find anywhere. Anytime.
Stepping forward after watching the woman coat the customer's funnel cake with a great deal of powdered sugar, Nate nods towards the help he'd given the heads up to, and asks again, "Two, please. Deep brown, and lots of sugar."
With the order put in, he's got his money out and the wallet put back. "And a coke." Just in case there's rum about. Easiest to mix, and on a day like today? Something light works.
Turning about, Nate looks as if he's just looking around the area once again, blinking against the clouded glare.
~ I don't know her. Nothing triggering on your name drop either, Dom. Could be they don't all know each other. ~
"Wanted to make sure you weren't having too much fun," Domino replies without giving it a whole lot of thought.
~Serious temper on this one. Doubt there's a thing in the world that's gonna shake her off her game. Might be worth getting more info on her if we can.~
The albino may not live the underground like some people do, particularly some residents of Mutant Town, but she knows enough to get by. She's also made a name for herself, more within the mercenary community but also the underground by proxy. A face like hers is a dead giveaway wherever she goes.
Her shaded gaze sweeps back to the man working the food stand. "Half a dozen eggrolls? That's six. Yes?" It's followed with a subtle nod, making sure that she can actually get her order handled despite the tension now in the air.
Right. Back to Marrow her attention goes, though this time she offers her attention unmasked as the shades get repositioned to the top of her head. "You're on your guard. That's close enough far as I'm concerned. Look kiddo, you're obviously not here for the festivities. You're waiting for trouble to find you. What has me curious now is, what would you plan on doing with it if it found you?"
Dom knows this kind of mindset. She had spent a number of years in a very similar place.
Marrow looks around the place, looking for Domino's allies whereever they might be. She see's the big guy with the half shiny face, but doesn't give him a second thought as he doesn't seem much interested. But her gaze returns to Domino. " Ok two things Spot. First.. don't call me kiddo.. you don't look much older than i am. Second..I'm here because I was asked to be. Cuz I'm scarier than the people who might take offense at a few people having a good time. So they stay away. As to what my plan is.. Is to put that 'trouble'.. down.. hard." She replies. No need to demonstrate her particular abilities. They'll find out pretty quick if something should happen.
A paper plate is pre-powdered, and the dripping, greasy funnelcake is laid atop, followed by more powdered sugar. The process is repeated a second time, and a can of soda is handed over. Highway robbery at $10, but Nate pays it and moves aside for the next person.
~ Headcase, Dom. She would be lucky if she only had a daddy complex. ~ Sometimes that can be used in a more constructive fashion, and sometimes it's a real detriment. Nate is in the air on this one, and is more than willing to follow lead. After all, she's the one with the friend Blink. ~ Grease and grease. You're giving some of those eggrolls up, right? Don't forget the fortune cookies. ~
Now, Nate begins a stroll in the direction where Domino is, the cakes piled atop one another, and he's careful that he doesn't lose too much sugar. That's the best part!
(Never ceases to amaze me how some people can't stand being called that...)
"I call everyone kiddo," Dom admits. "Age never factors into it. Tell ya what, give me a name and we'll move on. Or..y'know. Don't," she adds with a slight shrug.
~Yeah, because Boom seemed so completely with it. She's a fucking kid that likes to blow things up and can't stand authority. You've had your one bad decision for the month.~
"If you feel the need to put some trouble down hard then check out the third booth to your left, can you believe that guy's asking three fifty for a can of Mountain Dew? That's some real bullshit right there, guy like that can't be up to any good."
With the eggrolls bagged (he doesn't want this lady eating them here!) and set on the counter she turns and starts to hold the money out before stopping, keeping the bills in a small, pale, vise-like grip. Her other hand opens up the bag, glancing inside.
"Cookies?"
A handful gets hastily tossed inside, then she lets go of the cash.
~I wonder if one of these fortunes tells you to kiss off. I'll share, but only once we hit somewhere with air conditioning.~
Marrow looks to see the guy ripping people off for mountain dew. "If people are stupid enough to pay it, that's their problem. I meant for of the shooty bang bang type people.. People trying to hurt those born different. Those kinds of people are who I take issue with." She says, fulling realizing her name doesn't come up. "You can Call me Marrow. Best I got for you." She replies, dropping her gaze to the greasy as hell food Domino is packing. Must have a helluva metabolism.
~ No daddy complex to be seen. Though she could use your help to dry out some. ~ Does the wry and amused 'sound' manage to make it through the connection? If not, Nate can dial it up a little. ~ Pink. Rowboat. ~
Approaching the pair now, Nate holds out the double-piled plates, waiting for Domino to take one, the soda is in his pocket of his jacket, no doubt getting it damp with condensation. "Here. Take one."
Now, the white haired, half cybernetic mutant looks to the more diminuative Morlock and nods in a prelude to a greeting. "I understand the last time any real attack happened around here, it was Sentinels. You ready to take something like that on? Hell.. shooty bang, any of these mutants could handle that."
Pulling his hand from his pocket and balancing his funnel cake with another, he's got his can of soda. Popping the top, he takes a quick swallow of it before he starts to use it in pointing.
"That tail? Whip it around, would scare the snot out of a human. Wings over there?" Point. "If they're strong enough to get something airborne, don't have to lift the guy, just the hand." Nate hands the can over to Domino, should she want to take it, and points towards a family of mutants playing ball. "Kid has an arm. Ball might knock 'em out."
Nate turns back around to the Morlock, and cants his head. "You can lighten up. You've got back up. Just have to know where they are."
~ Air conditioning? Your place? Mine is still getting renovated. ~ Uh huh.
~I don't know about drying up, but I can give a hand with her drinking problem. Can only imagine what sort of generic crap she was drowning herself in. Hey, some see elephants, some see rowboats, okay? That's all I'm gonna say.~
'Marrow.' "Appropriate," Dom offers without necessarily meaning for it to sound sarcastic. With her it usually does by default. All the same, she has a name, which she thinks on over to Cable since he's a much better record-keeper.
And thinking of, here's the big guy now. With an extra plate. For her to carry. It gets offloaded onto the same hand that's how holding a bag of eggrolls, leaving one of her limbs free to do things like reach for weapons if need be and fuss with her shades, which she now returns to her eyes.
It's immediately followed by another lopsided ebony grin. "That so? As it turns out I happen to be one of those 'born different,' and I'm definitely one of the 'shooty bang bang' types. Small world."
Now there's a can of Coke being passed her way. A faint sigh results, having to give up on the idea of having a free hand long enough to have something properly cold to drink. Nate wins this round.
"The Tin Man has a point. A lot of us? We tend to look out for our own."
~I'm not sure I'm ready for you to meet my parents.~
Marrow just looks at Domino and makes a fist by her side. A single, razor sharp bone splits her skin and grows from her flesh, pulled into her waiting grasp by agile fingers. A small motion, a blur of her hand, and the bone is airborne. Only to peirce the side of the coke can and continue on it's way into the wooden support of a tent. Leaving the double perforated can to leak it's contents all over the ground. "I detest shooty bang bang types.." She tells the woman "I watch out for them.. alot of them can't or won't look after themselves.. because of ideaologies or because they have kids. I do it for them."
~ Yeah, but I saw the rowboat. I don't ever want to see that rowboat again. ~
"Marrow," is repeated. "It's true. She's 'one of those' and pretty good with the 'shooty bang bang'." Reaching over, Nate goes to take the bag of greasy egg rolls from Domino to put it into his pocket. Now, all the patch merc need concern herself with is the funnel cake. "It's best if you eat it hot. You're just biting into grease when it's cold."
Now, where was he? Nate looks back and forth to the pair, and he nods in Domino's direction. "It's true. Even if I'm nothing special."
The moment that bone is airborne, however, it does indeed fly through the air, taking with it the soda can.
"Huh," is all Nate says, though there's a hint of a smile hanging beneath his expression. "I happen to like them." Does he seem the least bit worried? Not in the least. "You know that can was $2, right? I'm not in the habit of donating to merchants. Just widows and orphans."
~ Okay, then Graymalkin it is. Little messy still, but at least it's airconditioned. I'm getting hungry. ~
~If you asked Boom really nicely I'm sure that she'd be happy to put it out of its misery for you.~
Bone. (That looks painful. I wonder if that's painful?)
An instant later Dom's shielded eyes are looking at the rapidly leaking can of soda with a distant sigh. "Gonna be one of those days, isn't it."
~Loosest of loose cannons. We're done here.~
"Well," she continues as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened, sipping the last bit of Coke from one of the can's wounds before tossing it in the nearby wastebin. "As it turns out, I detest people that feel like they've got something to prove. Isn't it great finding common ground?"
Turning to her much larger companion, Dom says "That's our cue to leave. The Eggroll Guardian has spoken. Apparently we're bad people, or something."
~And I'm still hungry.~
Category:Log