Joe has taken it upon himself to perform the sacred and honored duty of pizza protection.  Said protection involved eating one of the spare slices while still leaving enough for eyepatch lady.  "You sure about the timing there this time Mittens?  Last time soonish meant explosions thirty seconds later.  Though considering the timing of other to come events, Five dollars says it has something to do with Diren's most likely tragic backstory he's going to fill us in on now that the reporters are gone."

  That said, Michael and Sarah made with their impressive in method if not visual results entrance.  No headlock though, so did this mean Sarah could teleport without needing to give someone a headlock, she's thanking Mike for the ride.  "Welcome back.  I'd make some comment about 'we have stairs' but I'd probably have come in through the window too."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:01, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Emerald waves to Sarah and Michael. "Nice!" she says. "I hope to see more of that... oh fudge, you gotta be kidding me. Really? Another problem? We just got together and JUST fought a giant water monster. Today no less." her mood sank. Yin and Yang and all that... Sarah's mood improves? Well karma demands someone else's mood must decline. She looks over at a nearby cop. "So how long before the police station provides us with grenades and electric tasers?" she asks, halfway trying to cheer herself up.

She snaps out of her distraction and looks back at Haalima. "Err... yes! Yes. I love dancing. Mostly singing, but yes. I love dancing." she smiles at Haalima, cheering up enough to smile brightly.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:39, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Liberty says, "You know... we never did find out who that water monster was or why he was so upset..." she looks at Mittens. "Is your power directional? Can you tell where we can go to hurry up the process so we can be on our next hospital visit sooner? I'd rather get the boo-boos out of the way, ya know.."

Diren takes a really deep breath.  "Well, Scientists apparently killed my parents and took me in as a ‘specimen’.  Subject 247, to be exact.  The scientists took me to the lab and raised me.  I was never hungry, but it wasn't a fun childhood.  They were always running tests on me.  I was told that it was only temporary, and that one day I would be given back to my parents.  I held on to this notion for a long time, until about a year ago." He takes another breath.  "That was when I found their secret.  I was a Mutant, not a human.  I also overheard them say that they killed my parents.  A month later, the scientists gave up.  They just couldn't figure out what my power was.  As the experiment was deemed a failure, I was to be eliminated." Another breath.  "They decided on the old fashion Death by Firing Squad, as many of the scientists had grown fond of me.  Apparently sticking many needles into someone daily is a bonding experience." Must... Breath...  "I was brought to a room and one of the scientists told me what was about to happen.  The scientist told me to cover my eyes, and it would be over soon.  They lined up to fire and I started crying, I had not known of death before this.  First time for everything, eh?" Breath again.  "They counted to ten and I heard a boom.  I then heard the scientists yelling.  I opened my eyes and there was a bullet in the air about two feet from my head.  I stared at it cross-eyed for a full minute.  I then sent it flying back at the scientists.  It missed, but the scientists ran for their lives, since they didn’t know the extent of my powers." Breath.  "I walked outside.  I had been outside before, but never in the forest.  I ran away from the lab as fast as I could, and made it to a town that was only about a mile away.  I was tired, as I never had to run so far before.  Then I wound up here.  Named myself Diren 'cause I liked the sound of it.”  He intentionally leaves out the De-Skys to protect them.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:14, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Haalima was glad to hear that Emerald also liked to dance, nervous to hear that Mittens was sensing "adventure" in the near future, and sad to hear Diren's past. She was also incredibly impressed at Sarah and Michael's sudden reappearance, but her compassion for Diren took over anything else. She walked a few steps closer to him and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but stopped when she realized she wasn't sure how he'd feel about being touched by anyone (much less her).

"I'm really sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that," she said softly.

"I'm sure most would think forensics cool if they thought about how they'd feel about a villain getting off the hook for lack of evidence," Mittens answers Rod, glancing at the Detective, expecting some sort of reaction from the jaded cop.  He just lazily sips on his coffee without comment.  Mits shrugs and continues, "Not to mention all those popular forensic TV shows...  WHOOSH!"

She stares wide-eyed at the unexpected sudden arrival of Michael and Sarah!

"Neat!"

Mittens glances at Joe and thumbs at the new arrivals.

"Does this count as timely adventure?"

She returns to the stereo to turn the music down for Diren's backstory and listens intently, utterly flabbergasted by the so-called logic of these scientists.  So apparently, firing squad is the most humane way to dispose of lab animals?  Right.  Still, Diren's extremely well adjusted for someone who went through all that.  AHA!  He must have left out the part where he was adopted!  But why?

"What Haalima said," Mittens says with a quick glance at the name tag to be sure she got the name right, "Glad you're here with us rather than the alternative.  So... you have a home now, right?  With people who take care of you?  'Cause if not... we've gotta find a place for you to stay."

About then the sound of a distant person on a megaphone can be heard through the open window.  It's far enough to be quiet compared to the conversation in the room.

"Is it right that our tax dollars are funding a club for mutants?!" the voice asks.

"Hell no!" a distant crowd answers.

"Is it right that they get special privileges and legal immunity for destroying city property?!"

"Hell no!"

Mittens raises an eyebrow and closes the window.

"Protesters you will have with you always," she says, "Wasn't expecting them today, though."

Sarah moved towards the table to grab a slice of pizza as she heard Emerald's comment. Water monster eh...dunno if grenades will help but tasers would probably be perfect for the job.

Once at the table she gives Joe a pat on the back Thanks for guarding a slice for me. she says with a smile as she bent over to grab a slice of the pizza. She Hadn't expected anyone to listen to her request but was glad someone did. If I get the option for an exciting new experience or just taking the stairs, I will pick the exciting experience any time. Than she sat down and started munching away as Diren told his story.

She wanted to add to Mittens comment but still had her mouth full. Mya clou... She stopped to swallow the large piece of pizza she was chewing on. ya could crash at my place for a bit. It aint much but i still have a spare bench to sleep on. she said while wiping the tomato souse from her cheeks. just don't touch the booze without asking first.

Noticing the protestors outside she says: Those grenades you were talking about would come in mighty handy at this point M. she was only half kidding about the comment. The crowds cheers made a big dent in her good mood and her facial expression changed into an annoyed look. if that’s the thanks ya get for saving a city, it might be better to let it burn. she said on a cynical tone wile pointing at the window with her thumb.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:17, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Liberty clenches her fists. A year ago?! Those men are going to get away with murder, kidnapping, stealing most of Diren's life, and then attempted murder?! She avoids hugging Diren only because she knows she's so tense, she may crush the guy. Tears run down the sides of her cheeks as she listens, trying not to explode with rage. She takes her shoes and socks off, runs for the window and opens it. She then jumps out the window, landing on her bare feet outside. In an amazingly loud voice, Liberty yells at the protesters.

"You folks hate people for being born so much?! Then come here and let it all out. Come here and punch me in the face. It'd be a lot more merciful than your childish scorn, you big pile of unjustified haters! Come on! Right here! You hate us so much?! Well I'm offering all of you to go ahead and hit me! Beat me up! I'll take any so-called deserved hatred and punishment you all intended for the people in that office who just risked their lives to save your city! What's the matter? To afraid to hit a little girl?! Where were any of YOU when that water monster was terrorizing people?! COME ON!"

Freedom of speech. Such a wonderful thing. Soon as anyone throws a punch, they're in trouble. But until then? You are free to dare people to hit you. With the media nearby. In front of a police station. And the advantage of being a little girl so it really looks bad for the protesters.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Timothius went to hug Diren, but gets distracted when he sees Liberty run off and jump out the window. "oh dear..." he comments quietly, looking at Mittens with a trapped look. He's pretty upset too, but he's more concerned for the well-being of Diren and now Liberty.

Emerald is pretty unsure what to do, but does look over at the cop. "The people do have a right and all, but maybe what Mittens was sensing? Yeah, this has that written all over it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:39, Fri 03 Sept 2010.

Michael had gone over to get more coffee and nodded to Joe by the table. He didn't know what to say to Diren but he knew it was awful. And you think your life is bad?" he thinks to himself.

When he hears the protesters he grimaces. The only thing worse than reporters were people who were against mutants. He begins thinking to himself when he sees Liberty open the window and then proceed to jump out said window. He rushes over to see if she was alright since they were on the second floor, but she seems to be fine. He sees a light pole in front of the window and has an idea. Rather than porting down to the street, he takes a few steps back and makes a running jump off the windowsill and grabs onto the light pole. In fireman fashion he makes it to the ground and walks up to stand next to Liberty. He isn't about to let her take on a mob of people by herself, no matter how much pain she can take.

  As Diren's story progressed and the horrors committed by Scientists stacked up, the dark humor section of his mind can't help but think of a basement somewhere with four scientists (five on weekends) desperately trying to do the mad scientist thing with no budget.  Because it was either that, or there were ninja commando scientists committing combination murder/kidnapping/science/firing squad duty.  With a creepy degree of competence in all fields except the Science part.

  "That's terrible."  Good save there Joe.  And then everything went all protest ranting shenanigans with little girls ditching their shoes and diving out windows...  Joe tries not to think too hard about why his sneakers have yet to be obliterated by his own mutant antics.  "Right, think someone should follow heokay then."  And there went Michael like a Real Ghostbuster after Liberty.

  While this would be a seemingly perfect time for Joe to demonstrate his own perks to the crowd, instead he walks over to the window and just leans out of it some.  "Uh, I'm sorry about the lamp post bulb.  We don't get paid for this unless you count a box of donuts a day, so I'm not sure how long it will be before I can pay for it if I had toh sweet tap dancing sumo Santa, what is wrong with you?"

  Now, this sudden shift from calm banter to irritation could easily be assumed to be directed at the protest mob in general, or Liberty's 'hurt me more!' speech.  These assumptions would be wrong.

  "Nothing is wrong with me.  What's wrong with you?" Oh look, It's Joe's father David off near the back of the mob with a protest sign.
  "Do you even know what your sign says?"
  "Of course I do, it's got foot tall letters.  But I was in a hurry, this was half off, they didn't have any accurate signs at Protests R Us™, I'm lazy, and this was half off."

  Joe is not answering because he is slowly banging his head against the window sill.


This message was last edited by the GM at 03:49, Sun 05 Sept 2010.

Diren stands up and looks apatheticly out the window at the protesters.  He considers forming his metal into some sort of deadly weapon, walking down the stairs, and slaughtering all of the anit-mutant bastards.  He also considers guilt tripping them with his story.  In the end, he decides they are lucky that he is lazy, and just looks out, trying to think of all the possible outcomes of this scenario.

Sarah didn’t take much notice to Liberty at first. She initially thought that the girl was going to shout something out of the window when she opened it. Liberty looked like she could use something to vent the anger out. There was still some pizza and that was more interesting than the crowd. When Sarah didn’t hear much shouting aside from the crowd’s cheers, she took her eye off the pizza and noticed the girl was getting ready to jump. Liberty had already taken off her socks when Sarah said: “She isn’t going t...” she couldn’t finish her sentence before the girl jumped. Surprised and confused at what was going on she franticly looked around at the rest. “She didn’t just…” Once again she didn’t finish her sentence as she saw Michael jump after Liberty. With a dumbfound look on Sarah’s face she stood up from her chair and made her way to the window. Than she heard Liberty shouting at the crowd. This day seemed to be full of surprises. “Damn” she thought “that girl is scarier than she looks”

Noticing Joe’s little conversation she asks him: “anyone you know out there?” she looked around and notices the person with the awkward sign. She chuckles and said: “Family I’m guessing.” She now understood why he was banging his head against the window sill. “So…I’m kinda new to this but shouldn’t we go help?” Sarah was not sure who would be needing it, the crowd or the kid. But she figured she’ll be helping out Liberty since the crowd was getting on her nerves.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:41, Sun 05 Sept 2010.

Haalima wasn't sure what to think. Protesters, dark pasts, people jumping out of windows. What had she gotten herself in to? She was a dancer and wasn't really feeling equipped to handle even protesters. But she'd signed on the dotted line and was committed to the team now.

Plus she didn't have any better ideas to gain enough fame to realize her dreams. So far nothing else had worked. So she'd better stick to this, at least for a little while. Maybe she'd find she really liked it.

"Is it right for the double standaAAAH!?" the megaphone man gasps as a little girl falls out the window!  He stands and stares in shock as Liberty picks herself up and begins her rant.

"What's with the masochistic bare-foot blonde?" he mutters.

He raises his megaphone to reply but is interrupted by Joe's strange talk about lightbulbs, doughnuts, and... Sumo Santa?!  The speaker and the crowd look around for a large Japanese wrestler wearing red and white tap shoes but instead Joe is answered by a guy toting an even crazier slogan than the crowd's "Alright, Mutants...  OUT OF THE GENE POOL!" or "The medical term for Mutant is CANCER!"

In a daze, the guy raises the megaphone to his mouth again but is interrupted by himself and the entire crowd just bursting out laughing!  It takes a while for the speaker to regain his composure.

"I rest my case!" he chuckles, "These are the kind of people the city's government is funding?!  They throw barefoot masochist youngsters out windows or into burning cars.  And well...  Tap Dancing Sumo Santa Gay Mutant Doughnut Lightbulbs!?  Need I say more?!"

Mittens' player is far more conflicted about what she'd do next than she is.  She's impulsive and decisive.  She snatches her own megaphone and marches up to the window while dialing the megaphone up to it's maximum setting.

"Putting megaphone on 'loud' setting," she says, "May want to plug your ears.  Please excuse me, I have protesters to shoo away."

She waits for those who want to plug their ears to do so and for Sarah to make room at the window for her to lean out.  (( If Sarah chooses not to make way, ignore this next bit of the post because Mits wouldn't force her way past the big gal to shout out an occupied window... Edit: Thank you, Sarah's player for letting me know OOC that Sarah made way. ^.^ ))

"You're protesting the wrong building," Mittens' amplified voice informs the crowd calmly, "The police force does not set the city's fiscal policy.  The City Council building is at 250 Wide Way, and I'll be happy to debate anyone who should want to attend a meeting there.  Also, the Citizen Patrol's web blog is open to anyone who wants to comment.

"The barefoot girl is tough, not a masochist.  She was not thrown out the window, she jumped without permission.  She was not thrown into a burning car, she chose to save a baby's life and the baby's mother.

"I have no comment on Sumo Santas.

"Liberty, Mr. Reaver, and Mr. Darkthorne, please come back inside so we can finish up this meeting.  Now...  To make sure that this doesn't turn into a drawn-out rant war, I shall be quoting from our nation's founding documents until the people I named are inside."

She takes a booklet out of her pocket and begins reading aloud, adding emphasis to key words.

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

And on she goes, making it difficult for anyone to hear anyone else's rants should they choose to rant.  Megaphone man tries to answer, but thanks to Mittens' tactic, it sounds something like:

"TWhea'tr et op rsoetceusrtei ntgh etshei sr ibguhitlsd,i nGgo vbeercnamuesnet st hairse  iisn swthietruet eydo uarm omnege tMienng,  idse!riving their just powers...."

Or maybe it would sound more like:

"That We'reto protestingsecure thisthese buildingrights, becauseGovernments thisare
isinstituted whereamong yourMen, meetingderiving is!their just powers from the consent of the governed."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:23, Mon 06 Sept 2010.

Rodney had taken his time to walk casually out the door on the ground floor and he looked at the crowd, "Realah?  Yah donn gotta job, oh taxes, oh fam'ly, oh P.S.P. ta play?  Yah gonna come down ehah an yell at us?"  The look was one of severe disappointment at all of them.

"Gecha asses outta 'ere 'for I hitcha wit a harassment suit, disturbin da peace, an bein so ugly dat it makes all dem folk need to be behin'ja so dey donn see ya face.  If yah momma still love yah den good on er... donn make er cry by keepin up bein stupid.  Yah got betta tings ta do denn stan inna sun all day.  I got bettah tings too, so, I'm gonna go back in an close da winna cause I donn care 'bout da bigots onna streets.  Dis patrol iddn juss fer mutan's it fer folk tryin ta do good an know dat some time... dat gets a bit messy."

He only stared a few moments to let it sink in before he turned away from the lot thinking to himself, 'Racial prejudice... really?'

Liberty hears Mittens ask her to come inside. ASK. And decides to obey. Liberty looks over and up at Michael. "...thanks for standing by me." she says, having to actually speak louder than normal just to hear herself, much less have Mike hear her. Liberty faces the crowd, points up at Mittens, points at herself and points at the door. She can't compete with two megaphones, so she used charades. She turns to walk inside like some City of Heroes npc that just lost interest in aggro. She has other thoughts, like telling the crowd that if they don't wanna pay taxes, they should just not pay it. But figures it best to leave Mittens to her devices. She does grumble the whole way up, though. "Did anyone give Diren a hug?" she would ask the nearest mutant on her way up, be it Mike or Rodney. "'cause of not, I'm gonna..." after all... she has calmed down enough she feels she won't crush the poor guy.

Emerald seriously ponders going around and pick-pocketing the crowd if they continue for much longer. But for now, she just stays put and lets Mittens handle things. Not to mention the cop who didn't even do anything. "I should point out, while I can't do much more than the next agile midget, we will probably wind up with others who aren't as stable as this group and will kill people for saying such things. What do you recommend for prevention of such in the future, officer?" she asks of the cop who didn't answer her earlier assessment.

Timothius is watching his sister do her "I'm more annoying than you" thing and figures things will escalate. So he just goes to give Diren a hug since that's what he planned to do anyway. "Hey, Diren? You don't have to be alone or viewed as a project anymore. The people here can and will care about you, your well-being, your feelings and even your opinions. Maybe not everyone, but I at least know two for sure."

She plugged her ears and took a few steps back as Mittens wanted to speak to the protesters. As she clearly heard what Mittens had to say she thought to herself ‘The kid is pretty smart to avoid a conflict like this. Those humans would not stand a chance if the situation would escalate into an al out brawl’ She decided to go back to a chair and await the next surprise.

As she sat down so start balancing her chair again she noticed the fox talking to the officer again. She put her feet on the table as she laughed a little at Emeralds comment. She craned her head to look at the foxy lady. “The police usually steps in when the problems are gone M. You don’t mind me calling you M do ya? I like keeping things short… no pun intended.” She scratches the back of her head with an awkward look on her face. Didn’t formulate that very well but ya get the point right?

Emerald laughs from Sarah's comments. "M's fine, Sarah. Nice pun and thanks..." she giggles.

Since he's overdue to reply to Emerald, Officer Bagrowski swallows his mouth full of doughnut and coffee and answers while thumbing at Sarah, "What she said.  It's better that way.  Unless you'd rather the police arresting folks for what they might do.  If so I got a book for ya to read.  Called 1984."

He takes a lazy sip from his mug.

"What I recommend?  If you think someone's gunna return words with violence, don't let 'em in your group and don't provoke 'em."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:54, Tue 07 Sept 2010.

Michael hears Mittens and concentrates on blocking out all noise. It doesn't work to well, but it make enough of a difference. He follows Liberty back inside and gives her a polite nod in response to her thanks. He didn't feel like porting again so walking was just fine. No sense in forcing the protesters to see powers in work. To Liberty's other question he just shrugs, as he has no idea.

  Joe is a touch distracted when Mitten's gives her warning about very loud things, and has just enough time to register "Wait, whaohgodmybrainlandedonkeys."  The last part of that of course in a losing competition with more point blank megaphone.

  It's probably safe to say Joe's brain didn't land his keys, unless he keeps his brain in his back pocket as he falls back from the windowsill.  "I don't think my Dad's going to be coming inside any time soon.  So Mitten's is probably going to be at this a while." Joe comments as he stands back up and goes in an away direction from the Megaphone kitty.

  "I'm impressed Bagrowski has managed to keep the whole common sense thing this long.  Mine's already looking for an emergency exit."

  David's sign meanwhile, still totally works despite loud noises.