In Times Of Desperation...

Participants:

dante_icon.gif isabella_icon.gif lynette_icon.gif magnes_icon.gif

Featuring:

muggles_icon.gif

Scene Title In Times Of Desperation
Synopsis A group of people are witness to the desperation and humanity in tough times, as well as catch sight of a missing individual.
Date May 24, 2010

Prospect Park

Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park sitting square in the heart of Brooklyn. While the borough around this verdant region of lush foliage, tall trees and rolling hills is prospering, Prospect Park has become something of a ghetto within the city's bowels. Brooklyn has grown steadily following the destruction of Midtown, but not everyone in New York City can afford to live in Brooklyn, and those that cant have resorted to vagrancy across the city. Some brave the southern edge of Central Park on Manhattan, but the lion's share of mainland New York's homeless are here in Prospect Park.

Where once was a blossoming park pulling itself up from a nadir of abandonment and disuse in the seventies, Prospect Park has sunken back down into a state of disrepair and squalor. Tracts of forested land are laden with blue tarp tents, fire pits and makeshift shanty towns. The park is no longer officially maintained by the state of New York due to budget constraints, so the park's once pristine boat house and other facilities have been made into a makeshift homeless community, such as they are.

The Prospect Park Zoo, which once featured over seven hundred animals, was closed shortly after the bomb and the facility rests in decay in the park behind rusting iron gates and sturdy fence.


Prospect park may one day turn back into a park and not a high population tent city for the homeless or those who took shelter there in the hopes of communal warmth as opposed to hoofing it out in their own homes. The afternoon sun shines down, the temperatures slowing rising in warmth to slowly acceptable levels. Unknown to all that this turn was controlled with the purpose of eliminating flooding.

But it's still cold, and the toll of death in this park has been high like everywhere else despite interventions by the Linderman group and other city agencies that handed out blankets and food. Fires burn here and there, people gathered around them and the desperation is palpable in the park. There is no joy here.

Fuck this. Isabella is not in the mood for cold today. Bad enough that -17 feels like a fucking summer around here. The Company woman has bundled herself up in her thick jacket and scarf, hat and gloves and long underwear all equipped.

"Just freaking shoot me," she snaps to herself under her breath, eyeing all theewhomeless. Nice to know that good ol' discrimination is alive and well in this one. "Tromping through the fucking snow, 'i left my gun at home' nyeeeh." Whoever she's imitating, she's evidently upset with them. But, well. When isn't she upset at something?

Cold and dreary, but with it no longer in the negative hundreds, Lynette has come out of the lighthouse and out into the city. Possibly on her way to her own place up in the Bronx, but with a few detours along the way. Like this place. She, too, is bundled up, probably more than most people, as she's used to the balmy Californian weather. But, she brings with her, to this particular place, a couple large suitcases stuffed with blankets. Probably less than what's needed, but more than they have now.

It's the death toll that Magnes is trying to lower in his own small way. In a place this populated, he doesn't dare use an overt display of his ability, instead, as he walks through the park, there's a slight breaking of ice, which is then packed in by snow. He's making his paths more or less safe to walk on, wearing all white heavy winter clothing, mirror goggles, and a long red scarf covering his face. He's once again got an inadvertant mask on, and walks up a few feet to the right of Isabella. "Excuse me ma'am, are you having some trouble?" he asks in his official tone, the one he attempted to adapt in his short time as a cop.

As those who are not normally here, be they looking for someone, trying to help or just passing through, it's not hard to miss the strange smell. Packing people into such a location, even if it's open to the elements, tends to provide for terrible hygiene. But even that smell doesn't account for the olfactory trick that seems to be tickling on the edges of people's noses.

Somewhere too, there's a yip, followed by the bark of some other canines, people who have brought there animals with them.

Isabella whirls on the scarved man, the diminutive woman about to go on a tirade before she just blows out a breath. "No problem, except this godda—… forsaken snow. What's new, right?" She plants her gloved hands on her hips, and then turns her irritation outwards at the new sounds and the creeping smell. "Eugh, what is that smell? And dogs? Who the hell let /dogs/ out in this weather? For fuck's sake!" The last part is muttered, and Isabella throws up her hands, before adjusting her scarf over her nose. She must protect her delicate constitution, after all.

Passing by the other two, Lynette can only smirk as Isabella goes on and on, although that yipping and barking does get her attention. "That smell is called humanity without working showers, Princess," she notes, not even really looking at Isa as she says it, although clearly addressing her.

Magnes goes into geek mode when Isabella turns around, and his brain goes a bit on autopilot as he says, "You're like if Lana Lang were some sort of sailor…" before quickly shaking his head and turning to the sound, then Lynette. "Oh, you're that woman from the Lighthouse. And I wouldn't worry about the dogs, the temperature has been dropping and a dog can handle this kind of thing in short bursts… but that does smell horrible. Maybe we can go help clean up?" Beacuse this is an after school special where helping people is radical!

A priest walks by, collar of his heavy jacket open and the white on black seen within. Backpack over his shoulder, he stops by a group of people manning the closest bonfire. The hiking pack slung off his shoulder, settled on a crate to keep it from getting wet by the slush that abounds near the fires. "They just burned three over on the far end, one had no ID."

A utterly scrawney guy holds up a tin box, inside some wallets and other personal goods. "James got this off these ones. There's two more that they're bringing out but their stuff is in here already." It's offered up to the Priest.

The priest nods his head, reaching in to take the things, marking down the names that he gets when he opens them one by one. "I'll ensure that their property-" what little of it that will remain, most likely these very things. "Get back to the families. I'll go take care of them then you can burn them" One by one, they're put into the pack, tucked away with a piece of paper and a name wrapped around them all, a date on them. "I'll be over at the next fire afterwards" With that, he turns towards the closest two tents, going in between them to what can be seen, tarped bodies.

The yipping is closer, someone yelling for someone to shut that dog up.

Princess? Princess? Isabella whirls on Lynette, eyes narrowing. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly," she says with a little, haughty laugh. Princess indeed. The offer of helping, however, gets the woman's eyes rolling, a look of disgust crawling across her face before she snorts. "Okay, let's go help. Fine." Burning bodies, for whatever reason, gets no reaction out of the bescarved woman. She's ready to roll up her sleeves and muck about for this after school special. Well… metaphorically.

"Then maybe you should go see a doctor," Lynette says, turning to flash Isa a smile, looking her over a moment before she adds, "Short-Stuff," with a hint of a smirk. To Magnes, she gives a nod, "Yeah, I was there. You're the one who keeps the kids entertained, yeah? Lynn." She even extends a gloved hand. "I brought some blankets to pass around. I suppose helping clean up wouldn't be too bad." Hefting her suitcases, she trudges over to approach the priest. "Father?"

"Magnes Varlane." Magnes takes her hand and does his best not to get in the middle of the two, women have been going insane around him a lot lately. Maybe he's having a secondary mutation? Insanity Gravitons?

He quickly covers his nose and mouth when burning bodies are mentioned, despite the fact that his face is covered by the scarf and almost completely obscured. "Ugh, gross, we're breathing in the fumes of burning people."

The priest turns around at the invocation of his occupations title, looking to Lynette with raised bushy brows and a questioning glance. "Yes?" A glance down to what she has in her hand. "Ahhh" making an assumption due to the suitcase. "There is a newly vacated spot over in the red tent about twenty yards from here. They just had a loss, it's filled with women and families. Tell them Father Denny sent you child" The old man offers.

Two scruffy looking men unwrap a body from the tarp, pulling it away and hefting it towards the fire. "Should burn for a an hour, keep us warm" It's not out of hygiene or charity it seems, that they burn the bodies.

A walk in the snow. That's all she needed to calm down, really. A little cold air for that hot head. So it's in her footsteps that Dante trudges along, following the girl he'd sent off for a while. His knit cap is tugged low over his ears, bundled up in his slate gray winter coat, reaching down to his ankles, and a maroon scarf wrapped tight around his neck. Damn this weather! He looks distracted by the sight of the casualties all around, frowning and pulling his scarf up over his nose against the smell of burning flesh. It's when he gets within earshot of the group that he looks up, blinking at the sight of Isabella /talking/ with people. Uh oh. His footsteps pick up into a slow jog as he approaches, ear perked for what exactly she's saying and what he'll have to do to calm everyone down.

Isabella is just crazy every day. Today is no exception. And she's not just talking. The little woman's eyes glint with rage at the title of 'short stuff' and she scrambles after Lynette. Nevermind that she's talking to a priest: someone's crazy is out today. "Hey Blondie! Keep your nose to your own goddamn business, or I'll keep it for you!" The diminutive woman takes up a fairly aggressive stance, glaring at Lynette, before she shoves her onto a patch of ice. So there!

Lynette laughs a bit at the priest's assumption, and shakes her head, "Ah… no. No no, Father, this is a donation. I've never been good at this charity thing, so, who better to pass the buck to than a man of the cloth, right? Right. It's just some wool blankets." She looks back over to the others, nodding her head their way, "And I think everyone here'd like to help out a little, if there's anything… to do."

The idea of the homeless burning the bodies to keep warm doesn't get much of a reaction from Lynette, as if she maybe didn't even hear it. Or is ignoring it for the moment. When Isabella shouts her way, she turns to note, "Shh, hunny. The grown ups are talking." Oh, but then there's shoving! And ice! And Lynette lands on her butt on that patch of ice, but infuriatingly enough, she just brushes herself off, climbs back up to her feet, and turns to the priest again. "Clean up, we were thinking."

Magnes follows after the two, sighing as he moves to place a hand on Isabella's shoulder. "We shouldn't be fighting, we could be putting that energy into helping people. Besides, I'm sure it's just cabin fever from being locked up with this blizzard, it'll pass." he says of Isabella's current crazy anger, cranger?

The preist glances between the two women, shaking his head at the offer of help. "I think, perhaps you can take the suitcase with things over to the red tent and they can help distribute it. Hey now, listen, no trouble here, none of it. It's bad enough as it is, we don't need a fight. We get enough of those already" Easing himself between the two women.

Darting over the body of the deceased man who's about to be tossed onto the bonfire goes a little pomeranian, dingy and dirty, in need of a good bath. Yipping as he goes, and tow other larger dogs in his wake.

Aaaaand there's the crazy. Dante's feet skid on the ice as he picks up his speed, skidding and slipping his way over to put his hand gently but firmly on Isabella's shoulder, ready to pull her away fro— Oh wait, no fight? "Isa. Making friends again?" he offers in a low monotone, pulling down his scarf and giving a tight smile to all gathered. I am /so/ sorry about her!

Unfortunately, the possibility of Isabella causing physical harm to somebody is enough to distract Dante completely from the dogs romping by.

And now people are telling her not to fight. The nerve! Isabella is this close to breaking out the grappling moves, completely oblivious to both Magnes and the priest's interjections, before Dante's hand lowers onto her shoulder. Whoops. She knows that hand. Isabella gets a little angry look on her face, but it's much more…restrained now, as she turns her back on Lynette. "Nevermind," she snaps. "I won't be helping anyone." That upset gaze stares down…right at the scruffy pom, being chased by dogs. Never one to intrude unless it will do her some good, Isa steps aside to let them past. "Will someone keep a hold of their dogs!" she snaps.

"Don't worry, Father. I'm a lover, not a fighter." Oh yes, she just made that joke to a priest. Lynette nods to his instruction, and goes to pick up her suitcases again before those dogs come charging out after the tiny one. Awww. 8_8 "Just one second," she says to no one in particular before she sets her bags down and moves to try to intercept the little dog, to scoop it up and out of the line of fire from the bigger two.

Magnes suddenly raises a hand to hold one of the larger dogs' torso in place with gravity, missing the second due to how fast they're moving. "These dogs should be on a leash." He looks over at the smaller dog, raising an eyebrow while he continues to restrain the large one. "Looks like my ex's dog, but dirty." He met Muggles once, unfortunately he's not great with telling one dog from another when he's gotten all dirty.

Zooom goes the Pomeranian, before Lynette can actually grab him, one of the larger dogs scrabbling his feet in the air as Magnes restrains one. The second one bowls into Lynette, knocking her back into the priest and in turn Isabella and Dante before sprawling on Lynette for a moment, tongue lolling out and enjoying the respite. It seems, that they were playing. The pomeranian however, keeps on zooming away.

Dante gives Isabella something of a restrained smile when she looks back, and he pats her shoulder when she turns from aggressive to simply sour. He follows her gaze down to the dogs, and his eyes fall on the Pomeranian in particular, getting a frown from the man as he gets ready to crouch. "Hey, that—"
That's all he gets out, as Lynette is suddenly stumbling into him, leaving the man slipping on ice and going down onto his ass. He sits up, wincing and looking after the disappearing pet. "I think I've seen that dog before," he mutters, looking over to Isabella. "You alright?"

Isabella was just about to aim a kick in the pom's direction, too, when there's suddenly a pile of people (and dog) toppling her to the cement. Ow! And she would answer Dante, really she would, if that new vantage point didn't give the irate Company agent a great view of Magnes restraining the dog. "Hey!" she says, hand squirming into her jacket under the pile of people before she thrusts out a HomeSec badge. "You! I'd like to see your Registration, please!" Once she gets free, she squirms and slips her way to her feet, dogs forgotten.

Lynette oofs when she lands on the pile of people, but it's soon followed by a chuckle before she scritches the bog dog behind an ear. She does have to shoo the thing off her in order to get up, but she seems in good spirits about it. When Isa starts shouting and showing badges around, Lynette just lets out a sigh. "Seriously, Turbo, you need to relax. A bubble bath maybe. Spa treatment. Think about it."

Magnes releases the large dog when he sees that they're just playing. He'd be going after Muggles if he saw the fliers yet, but that'll happen later in the day. "Sure, one moment…" He starts feeling around his clothing, digging into his pockets, then winces slightly. "I know how this sounds, but I kind of left my wallet in my other coat. But I promise I'm registered, my name's Magnes J. Varlane, you might have seen me on TV, y'know, the cop who lifted those choppers and helped fight the Triad? And more recently the thing with the gym roof and the fire… If I wasn't registered I'd be arrested by now." His tone isn't one of a person trying to boast, he's mostly trying to keep himself out of having to go all the way to a station when he has other things to do today.

His partner's already up and shouting, Dante sees. He gives a smile, rising to his knees and offering a hand to Lynette to help her to her feet. "Shhhh," he suggests as she continues to antagonize Isabella. When he's on his feet, Dante starts dusting himself off, moving around to Isabella's side. "Sorry sir, I haven't been keeping up with television," he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket and peering at the screen. Any reception yet?

Isabella shoots a glare Lynette's way, a bit of a sneer on her lips. "Yeah? Well when you find an open spa, let me know, Stay-Puft." Alluding, of course, to her extra bundled clothes. Turning back to Magnes, she peers him up and down. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to bring you in for testing." That is, of course, unless Dante can get a call in. Quick! Save him, Dante!

That shhhing gets a raised eyebrow from Lynn, and a bit of a 'are you kidding me' expression as he gets her to her feet. "I think you're trying to put a leash on the wrong dog," she says to the man before she breaks away to go stand by Magnes. "Look, he told you his name, he's told you he's registered. Is your department authorizing the harassment of law abiding citizens now?"

"Seriously? You Homeland people need to keep up with current events. I'm only an intern and I have to keep up with current events." Magnes still doesn't like cops a whole lot, motioning a hand dismissively. "Look me up in the registry, or, hell, YouTube me, but I don't have time for this beaurocracy crap." He slides his hands into his pockets, then starts to slowly ascend into the air. "I'll see you later, Lana Lang, Mister Kent." Then a nod to Lynette. "That one doctor from House except blonde."

Dante manages to give Lynette an exasperated look. He doesn't disagree with her comment about leashing dogs, though his attention gets fixed on Magnes now. "Hold on, sir," is his gruff remark as he steps forward, grabbing hold of one of Magnes' pantlegs.

Isabella reaches for him too, but alas! She's too short. She does, however, have enough time for snide remarks. "Thank god you're not working for us, Sugarcakes. Cutting corners doesn't do it for HomeSec," she growls. Badge still out, she addresses Magnes instead. "You're under arrest for suspicion of avoiding Registration." Well someone's in a mood today. "Now if you'd please cease … floating." Twitch.

Lynette takes a moment to put her face firmly in her palm, head shaking a little bit. In reaction to what, exactly, is anyone's guess, though. Could be anything at this point. The woman just goes back to brushing the dirt and slush and ice off her clothes and gloves. And while they're focused on Magnes, she grabs her suitcases and slips in among the homeless crowd to do what she came here to do in the first place.

"I'm not under arrest, I'm registered. Arresting me would be redundant because as soon as you check the registry, you'll see that I'm registered, and we'll have all wasted precious time. I have a little girl to take to get a puppy." Magnes crosses his arms, staring down at the hand on his ankle, then sighs. "Look, I can give you the address to where I'm staying and we can all go and get my wallet, I know how cops love beaurocracy and not actually using their time productively. As a show of good faith, I'm still floating here trying to reason with you, and not just flying away."

"And the more time you spend floating, sir, the more of your time we'll be wasting. So, for all our sakes, please put both feet on the ground while we check the registry." Dante waves his phone at the floating man. A glance to Isabella has him smiling for her though. There's a reason he hangs out with her, after all. She makes him look sane and levelheaded.

Isabella snorts, and seems about to respond when Dante pulls out a phone. What? Calling it in? No fair. The woman folds her arms and stares at Dante irritably in response to that smile. "Fine. Call it in, and then we can haul him in after." Guilty before proven innocent, oh yes.
You have been applauded.

Magnes floats down, arms still crossed with a frown. He stares at Isabella, waiting for Dante to check the registry, then bites back with, "You're not Lana Lang, you're more like Cassandra Cain, before the retcon."

"Sir, please," Dante says, his words carrying a hint of warning as he releases Magnes' pantleg, stepping back to start tapping into his phone. "Please don't antagonize my partner. If she wants to shoot you, she's too fast for me to stop her. Now, name and social security number, please."

Isabella just stares at Magnes for a moment, catching the hint that it's an insult, but not at all getting the reference. So she decides to just sneer in his general direction. Like, ew. Nerd and Evolved. Gross. "I'm not going to shoot him," she scoffs, arms folding impatiently. Adding under her breath, "Yet."

"Fine, I just wanna get this over with so she can apologize for not detecting how sincere I was about being registered." Magnes almost can't help but antagonize, it feels almost instinctive right now, but he's trying his best to hold back. "This isn't exactly an insult, but how did you pass the psych tests?"

At that remark from Magnes, Dante takes a step back from him, leaving the space between him and Isabella completely open. "/Sir/." There's that warning tone again. "Name and Social Security number, please." Is it wrong that sometimes he likes to see Isabella shoot jerks? He'll have to go to confession later.

Isabella does rest her hand on her holster, staring at Magnes. Thankfully for all three of them, there's a little Company shoulder angel reminding her the organization's rep is in danger. Shooting is Bad. It'll get you demoted. Nevertheless, her hand rests on that gun as she stares bullets into the guy. But her mouth stays shut. This is also protecting the reputation. And her job. Grr.

Magnes states his social security number first, then adds his name, "Magnes J. Varlane, sorry, distracted." he says with another glare at Isabella. "I didn't like dealing with this registry stuff when I was a cop, and I don't like dealing with it now. A guy forgets his wallet and suddenly, as Cat would say, the gestapo comes down on me."

"Everyone has to pay their dues, sir," Dante murmurs distractedly, tapping all this information in, eyes set squarely on the phone in his hand. "Your due is simply to remember to carry a little card with you at all times. And in return, you can float. Birthdate?"

"Well it's the gestapo's job to come down on you," Isabella snaps. Maybe Dante should really be doing all the talking. Impatient, she taps her foot. Hmph.

"If I were Glenn Beck, you'd have seriously walked into an amazing comeback right now, but I'm a bit bigger than that bastard." Magnes turns his attention back to Dante, nodding. "February 9th, 1988."

"I think we're all grateful that you're a bigger man than Mr. Beck," Dante remarks, finishing his tapping. "Well, looks like everything is in order, Mr. Varlane. However, I notice that it's been a while since you last visited Registration." His cool gaze rises to meet Magnes'. "I'd highly recommend you make a visit soon, as being arrested for failing to keep your Registry entry up to date as to the proper Tier level of your ability is a /much/ bigger hassle than having to show a card to officers."

Isabella looks, if anything, irritated that the Registry went through. But she just huffs. "And keep your card on you next time, Mister I'm-a-Star-on-Youtube." And with that, she pushes past, stalking onwards towards her destination in the same bad temper she came in with.

"I wasn't boasting, I was just pointing out that the minimal amount of news watching required for sufficient law enforcing would mean you recognize me." Magnes rolls his eyes, then starts ascending into the sky again. "I'll get on that updating thing right away." Phones work? Time to call in a favor to Rebel.

"Have a safe…flight," is Dante's parting words to Magnes as he ascends into the sky, the HomeSec man and many of the homeless all around staring at the unusual sight of the floating Evolved taking off into the sky. But Dante doesn't linger, and instead moves to follow Isabella, dropping his phone back in his pocket. "So, lunch?"


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