Participants:
Featuring Hope NPC'd by Faith and NPC's run by Wendy
| Scene Title | Witness's To A Train Wreck |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | There's unrest, protest and a whole lot of speculating and gossip outside the demolished property of Pinehearst while a popular song plays over a car radio that foretold it all. |
| Date | July 25, 2009 |
Fort Lee, New Jersey - Outside Pinehearst
Lots of rubble in amongst the trees and surrounding land.
There had been gawkers and protester the whole day. People who wanted to see the recovery efforts of the people, were there survivors? There were also protesters present of all sorts. People protesting the supposed Evo cure that Pinehearst had hyped they were close to achieving, protectors against evo - those who were, were likely the more passive of the Humanis First folks and so there was no violence - and even some anti-terrorists posters on sticks since it was rumored that an anti-terrorist group had brought down Pinehearst.
Humans First!
Say No To Evo!
Phoenix can burn!
Pariah SUCKS!
God made me, not mutants!
We're People Too!
There were a multitude of cardboard signs.
Each group had separated and stuck to their own little sections, no chafing of elbows or the like. For once it was a large gathering of various individuals and there was no violence, no chaos. Could help that there were a few cops there that are dedicated to keeping the piece. Beyond the barricades, the hastily constructed fence is the remains of Pinehearst, another sore spot on New York state.
Faith Kelly's face is obscured by a camera with a ginormous lens as she snaps pictures of Pinehearst, before swapping it out for a smaller one to get the images of the protesters and their signs. Her long blond is kept out of her face in a twist held by a clip, while her twin's blows free in the slight wind as she scribbles notes on a notepad.
"Holy Shit," Faith says to Hope, who just nods in response. "They meant business." Faith snaps a picture of a little toddler holding a sign saying "Go To Hell, Evos!" "Nice…"
"Good parenting, that," Hope adds in agreement.
On duty and still never appearing it - such is the matter of Colby's job. The undercover wears a simple white tee, into which is tucked her badge upon a thick sturdy chain, a pair of ripped jeans, and a sturdy pair of combo boots. She wears a thin leather jacket despite the warm day, a macho-trendy way of hiding the sidearm holstered at her ribs.
"What a disaster," the Latina mumbles, lifting a hand to comb her fingers through the dark locks allowed to reign free around her tan features today. Her dark, chocolate-hued gaze takes in the sign-wielding toddler. Her stomach does a quick nauseating summersault. A quick dip into her pocket and a peek at her cell-phone assures that Ariel hadn't called - she'd been on edge about her wife more than usual lately, given the circumstances. With a sigh she tucks the phone back out of sight, rolls back her shoulders and steals a deep breath to reapply a keen, officer's eye and demeanor to the surroundings, and looks over the crowd.
The toddlers mother is only encouraging her daughter further, a few television stations hanging around, getting interviews. One of the protest groups has pulled a car up. No, they're not driving over people, but to ease the boredom, they've decided to play the radio from the car. There's one person in the Humanis group who is taking pictures of other groups, particularly the pro evolved ones that seem to be intersperesed throughout.
On that radio there plays a song that's quickly been getting heavy play, that one by the else chick.
"Munin."
"Swallowed up the moon…"
"Burned up all the land,"
"Seen it all here… The lapping shores of the Empire State."
"I know they're standing by their cause," Faith says to Hope, but she nods toward the HF photographers, "But they're going to get targeted by the haters by being out here. Sort of sucks. But I guess that makes it courageous, huh?" Faith has a little admiration in her voice as she snaps a few pictures.
Hope shrugs. "Be sure you get pictures of all of them… maybe we can figure out who the important players are that are usually anonymous in the group — people don't expect to be recognized in big crowds like this… if we see someone quasi-famous in either group…" the reporter trails off, since there's no reason to say the B word aloud. After all, they each have Prada purses they have their eyes on that are going on sale soon at Bloomingdale's.
At least it was peaceful, thus far. Colby's attention remains a moment longer upon the mother-daughter duo. Hatred breeding hatred - a sad sigh, no doubt. She turns to watch a member of the Humanis group snapping photos. How had she gotten stuck with this gig? Forced to watch these opportunities of hate, and yet all are within their right of the law. With a sigh she steps toward the Humanis photographer and lays a hand upon the individual's shoulder, lifting her chin in a little nudge towards the person's camera. "I'm sure you're purpose for the pictures are just for the family photo album, yeah?" She flashes an insincere smile as she allows the weight of her words to sink in for only a short moment before stepping away and slipping through the crowd.
The humanis firster looks at Colby, cool faced and chin up. "whats it to you? Can't I take pictures? last I knew there wasn't a law against that. It's for personal use, not for the papers" He doesn't quite get into Cobly's face, but he's trying to avoid the intimidation factor.
"I heard they had evo's locked inside, strapped down and were doing experiments on them"
"…were testing out their evo cure on people and they made them melt into nothing but piles of goo"
"Bet it was that Phoenix terrorist group. Hope they lost a bunch of people and died in there. Freedom fighters my ass. I'd show them to rise up"
Multiple protest group gathered around, passive for the most part, others are just spectators. And in the background there's that song
"Standing on the shores of the Empire State!"
"Beaches of thir-tee-fourth street!"
"Lapping shores of the Empire State!"
"Building a new day from the remains, of all that we have been, for the nothing left behind!"
"But there's nothing there…"
Hope begins to stop to get quotes from various people. It's the odd spectator willing to actually give their name, though plenty offer opinions. Some duck when Faith tries to take their pictures, others put their signs in front of their faces, and yet others grin proudly and make rabbit ears over their fellow protestors. "Idiots," Faith says under her breath.
"I know, it's freedom of assembly and all that, but do these people know how stupid they look?" Hope whispers back.
Colby turns back, ringing her fingers in a tight fist at her side to reign in her annoyance. "You're right - the law allows you ever leeway in taking pictures of those presenting themselves in public. But, there are equally present laws concerning the collection of information for the use of terrorist acts and conspiracy. I'm sure you didn't have anything planned like that, eh, pendejo?" She quickly steps away then, having breeched her lines of conduct if even in her native tongue.
The undercover filters back through the crowd before finding a good vantage point and folding her arms loosely across her chest, taking a few moments for herself to settled her frayed nerves as she examines the crowd.
There's a snap of the undercover's picture just because. The man doing it on purpose before turning to a fellow HF'er and muttering about Evo lovers and all that. Back to snapping pictures of others.
The people present still happily and gladly spread their own theories about what happened, thier disgust that there was a nuclear power plant that was below ground and no one was the wiser. What if phoenix had damaged it and the thing went.. well… nuclear! irresponsible terrorists! That is if it was them that did it. No one group was claiming anything, but these days it was usually phoenix. Right? There's one crackpot who says it was aliens. Right. Aliens. Then a scuffle breaks out. One Hf member against some woman who holds an evo pro rights sign. The ruins f pinehearst behind it a perfect backdrop as the two yell at each other.
"Freaks can die out! No one should be able to have abilities like that! It's unnatural!"
'you know whats unnatural?! The hate! These people were born like this! It's like being gay!"
Faith moves in to snap pictures of the scuffle, while trying to stay clear of any flailing fists. Hope writes as fast as her green gel pen will allow her to catch every slur and barb as its thrown from one party to the other. "Name, city, age, location?" she yells to the Pro-Evo woman and the HF member, who ignore her as they push one another.
"Hey," Colby starts in a soft, but dominant tone. "Hey! HEY!" Her shouts become a bit more domineering as the brawlers ignore her warning calls. She shoulders forward, pushing a few bystanders, who merrily egg on the fray, aside. She reaches the pair without pause and aims to grab each by the shoulder, pulling them apart and forcing her small but muscled frame betwixt them. "That's enough!"
"She started it!" The Humanis first man yells, nearly spitting. "Fucking freaks! Probably one herself"
"I'm not, but if I was, you still be getting a fistful of broken TEETH!" The woman yells, taking Colby's physical actions as a hint and ceasing her attempts to give a mouth full of Chiclets.
Other cops sidle up to give Colby some backup, people still lift their signs up and down, two and fro. Preaching the messages they came to preach for ill or good.
"Her name is Sandra Best, she's my friend! She's 26! Her sister is evolved" Someone tells the questioning twin.
The camera snaps and whirrs as it takes several shots of the police intervening with the two. The main story was already told, but this might make for a good spread on the aftermath of the demise of Pinehearst. Faith does a good job of staying close enough to get the photos but out of the cops' way so they don't trip on her or worse. Hope scribbles down the name given by Sandra's friend.
"I don't care you started it. I'm finishing it. You keep your hands to yourselves or these officers hear will have you on plenty of charges." Small frays like this is all it would take to inspire a riot. "That goes for everyone here, no matter their stance!" She calls out more loudly. She gives a soft push to encourage the ProEvolved support back a few paces further, only to make a warning little gesture towards the girl proudly spouting her friends name. "Hey. Careful about shoutin' that sort of info," she warns youngin' with a sigh before stepping back away. She takes a line up beside the reporting twins. "Careful, you guys," she offers with a casual concern towards the two.
"Oh" Sandra's friend suddenly realizes, looking over at the Humanis group. Right. Shit. She looks to the twins before she pulls back to disappear into the group. THe two fist fighters back off, grumbling. But so far they're obeying the cops. These are not the militant HF! that you hear about. This is how it will be, for hours, people coming and going in hopes of seeing carnage, of seeing bodies pulled out from afar. Train wreck syndrome. No more fights that need to be intercepted and quelled.
And that song makes a few more rotations on the radio, Else's haunting voice, about Munin and burning lands beaches in the city… at the site of a secret nuclear plant.
"We've got enough I think. Miss, you okay with your name or want us to void it?" Faith calls to Sandra. She might be a blackmailer, but she's not going to have some woman killed by HF because a thoughtless friend spouted off. She might claim some money from her, but money's cheap in the long run. Hope nods to Colby and puts her notebook back in her purse, ready to head in as well.
Colby in turn looks down to her pocket as the other cops police the scene. She eyes her phone and sighs, clutching it more tightly and punching in a few numbers. She lifts the phone to her ear as she waves a polite gesture towards the nearest officer and turns away, slipping off from the crowd as the line on the other end picks up. "Hey, sweety…" she begins as she heads home.