13225/Foot in Mouth

Foot in Mouth
Date of Scene:	31 October 2022
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Joshua Foley is taken to a safe house that certainly is a house that may or may not actually be safe. He and Bunny have a heart-to-heart, with Bunny dealing out some NYC Wisdom about his current situation, and about adapting to what you want to be.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Joshua Foley

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Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny had said it was a safehouse.

    And well. It was a house.

    Once upon a time.

    The place had been slated for demolition for the last ten years, but no one ever really got around to finishing it up. Access was granted through a second story window -- the front and back doors, Bunny explained as she hopped up on a dumpster to access the old metal fire escape for the upper floors, was boobytrapped.

    So in through a second story window. The place was warm, dry, and though the windows were painted to be black-out the electricity and water worked.

    The furnishings in the rooms consisted of old couches and chairs lugged up from elsewhere in the city. Some blankets were piled in a corner, and a space heater was haphazardly ziptied to a couple of metal poles in order to get it off the uneven floor, so that it wouldn't tilt over and turn off when someone walked by.

    But beggers can't be choosers, and the Chinese food place down the street was cheap and open 24/7.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh was looking over his shoulder the entire way to the safehouse. He kept his hoodie up and hands in his pockets to cover his golden skin.

How things had changed in a few short weeks. Josh did not think twice of climbing over dumpsters and through the window. He closed the window behind him.

The only look on his face when turned and took in the room is relief.

Josh moves over to stand by the space heater and warm up his hands. His clothes drip rain water on the floor. He rubs his hands together and takes a sideways glance at Bunny.

"Thanks," he says awkwardly after a moment. He looks like he wants to say more but is at a loss for words. "Just... yeah."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Take off your sweatshirt, you'll both dry quicker." Bunny states as she pulls a folding clothes rack from a closet. She wriggles out of her own jacket and sets it to dry as well, leaving her in the brown early 80's style tee promoting MACLEOD'S MESSENGER SERVICE, and she undoes her skates to let them dry out as well, and then she grabs a wool blanket and gives it a toss to Joshua.

    "... an' it's awright. I mean, you just kinda found out you're a mutant, I accepted only a coupla weeks ago I'm a mutant an' my dad would be pissed off 'cause he's all--" and she deepens her voice to a goofy tone "'I don't mind mutants existing but they better not try to date any of my kids!'"

    And she plunks down, stretching her hands out too. She's got an egg on the side of her head, the bruising beginning to show. She pokes at her cheek from the inside with her tongue.

    "Shoulda grabbed a water or four. You CAN drink the stuff from the sink, but it tastes all metal and plastic 'cause whoever did the plumbin' to bypass the meter sucked."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"That's alright," Josh says about the water. "I've been drinking from hoses and water fountains in parks for the last few weeks."

He peels his soaking wet hoodie off. It pulls up at his black Imagine Dragons t-shirt as well, giving a brief flash of his midsection that reveals the gold covers him completely. He catches the blanket Bunny tosses him and wraps himself up.

"You just found out you're a muti... mutant, too?" Josh asks, surprised. "Shitty. Sucks, you know? I hope your dad never finds out. Would probably be easier."

Josh's shivering settles down as the heat starts to take. He finally notices Bunny's head. "Shit, was that from the fight? Want me to try to... fix it?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "N-no, it's fine, not the first time I've been knocked around before. Heroing is dangerous business." Bunny replies, trying to sound nonchalant about the bruising.

    She didn't want Josh to push himself. She wasn't even a hundred percent sure he was real.

    But hey, she's also a teenager and was checking Josh's midsection. She arches her hands as if she were bridging cards, and then grabs a pale pink blanket for herself.

    "Well. I mean, I figured I was. January last year, was witness to some gangs deciding they didn't like each other. Shots fired, an' I..." she fades a moment, and she rubs the back of her neck.

    "I came outta it unscathed."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh nods and settles in with the blanket wrapped tightly around him. "Damn. Think that's how it always is? Like. Something horrible happens and then..."

Josh still looks awkward. He shifts a bit in place. He pushes some stray blond hair behind his ear, it's just long enough to do it when it's wet. He clears his throat.

"So is this your home? Like, you live here with your dad? Don't want him to flip if sees me. I'm kinda obvious."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Not always. I've met a couple mutants who were born lookin' different. One's invisible, she goes to that school that other blonde lady was talkin' a bout. Xavier's. 'Nother who was blue an' had a tail. Real nice guy, saved me from gettin' hit by the Blue Line." she jokes, sitting so that her chin is on her knees.

    And she's quiet for a moment.

    "No. No one lives here all the time. It's a place to duck into when you get in trouble with your parents or need to hide out for a little while. This is the third time I've used it." she replies, explaining her familiarity.

    "... I got seven siblin's and my dad runs a delivery service for big wigs. They got an apartment on the edge of Bushwick, but it's... kinda crowded with all the family, yaknow? My old man wouldn't even notice you, probably. Just another face."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh seems uncomfortable when Bunny talks about some of the other mutants she has met.

"Wait, what?" he asks. "SEVEN? Damn. That's a lot. Catholic? My family is Baptist. Was Baptist. I mean, I'm an only child and... " Josh frowns and huddles a little more tightly in the blanket. He is skater scrawny and does not have much on his bones to fight the chill of wet clothes, even with the help of the blanket, heater, and history.

"I mean I was raised Baptist. I used to be an only child, but... Yeah. My parents found out I'm a freak. They don't have a kid anymore," he says with a shrug and forced nonchalance.

The silence stretches awkwardly before the 19 year old breaks it by speaking up again. "I'm sorry," he ventures. He swallows against a lump in his throat. "For yelling at you. You couldn't... I mean, like... I... I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny gives a laugh, and she rubs the back of her neck. "Dunno. My mom was raised Baptist, but she always wanted tons of kids. I'm not really anything. Kinda picked a fight with God and lost, yaknow?" she replies in a friendly fashion. "There's Betty, she's the oldest. She's got a degree in computer sciences specializing in logistics programming. Bobby Junior's kinda our head delivery guy, Trixie - she's Beatrix - she runs customer services and comes up with routes. Bastian was delivering, but now he just DJ's and does small crimes. And then there's me. And then there's Benny, Barry, and Bethy. And *no* my real name's not Bunny, but it works." she gives a bright grin.

    And then she flops backwards.

    She's quiet as he lets the silence stretch, and she breathes out, giving a small smile.

    "Apology accepted, even if it wasn't needed. I mean, it was kinda an intense situation. I'm just... I'm really glad you made it out." she turns to her side.

    "I had nightmares about it. For the first time in a long time I actually prayed. I tried to find out who you were so's I could track down your parents and apologize, an' say how brave you were turnin' against the folks with the guns and everything to try an' save me. You're a hero, yaknow."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh's eyes water. He shakes his head and looks away from Bunny. "I'm glad you didn't find them... They would've been so pissed if thought I turned on the Reavers."

"I'm not a hero, Bunny," Josh says. He draws his knees up under the blanket and rests his forehead on them. "I wasn't turning on them. I mean. I didn't want Julie to shoot you, but... I only helped that crazy chick with the sword cause I was scared she was gonna stab me."

Josh sits up a bit and looks at Bunny. "The Reavers were my whole world. My parents were actually proud of me about something. Course I finally do something right and I turn out to be a fucking mutant and ruin it."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... so joining a racist organization is 'the right thing'?" Bunny inquires, her eyebrows rising up as she winces, and she shakes her head.

    "So that is actually what they're called. I wasn't sure if I heard it right." Bunny replies, and she stretches her cold hands a little bit.

    "There's nothin' wrong with being a mutant. It's like being blonde, or havin' green eyes. Jus' something your genetics determines is gonna be you, an' that's it." she reflects. She tilts her head back and looks over at Josh.

    "Did you really wanna shoot up people with antlers and fireworks for fingers 'cause we're that different?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I wanted to keep my family safe! Every day it's the same in the news, more normal people hurt or killed cause someone who can throw trucks with his brain or burn down buildings by looking at them... Like how many got hurt when that giant rhino guy attacked the lab? Did you see the stuff on the news? It was just an office building full of normal people," Josh protests, animatedly.

"It's terrifying to be normal, don't know when someone you went to school with is gonna open holes in the ground or turn into a monster and start attacking people," he says quietly. "Everyone at my church feels the same. My parents talked about it all the time. I just wanted to /do/ something about it."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny watches and listens quietly as Joshua gets animated about the defense of his family, the news showing nice, normal people getting hurt every day, her blue eyes settling on the golden young man, and she gives a slight, pained expression.

    Normal people.

    "How many your church group walk kids with obvious mutations ta school so they don't get bullied?" she asks, bringing her arm back. "Or make sure there's opportunities in their local mutant communities so that no one loses their job if they glow in the dark when they sneeze? When's the last time any a' them walked into a megachurch fundin' anti-mutant militias and flipped some tables? I mean..." she brings her hands up, palms pointing to the ceiling.

    "Or are they the 'every mutant's a bad mutant' type?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
Josh cringes.

"Probably never. My pastor introduced me and Tony to some of the Reavers," Josh says. His golden face takes on a deep rose-gold hue and he looks down. "Not the kind of place mutants would be welcome. In youth group before I graduated? We used to pray all the mutants would be healed."

"You're actually the first mutant I've ever talked to," Josh admits. "There was one kid in junior high... I heard he grew a tail or something. But, he transferred schools the next week."

"Like, I'm /really/ not a hero, Bunny," Josh says looking pained. He meets Bunny's eyes briefly. "I knew some of the stuff they were doing wasn't okay, but I just went along with it. I was even gonna be enhanced. The night it was supposed to happen, the place got attacked by that flying woman. The one I... healed. This is all like a bad dream.... You probably hate me now, don't blame you if you wished you hadn't helped me at all. Or if I had stayed dead. I can go if you want."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    There's quiet from the pink-haired girl as she reaches up, brushing her fingers over the lump on the side of her head gingerly. Her adreniline had long since run out as she considers his words, and she pushes herself up, and rubs the other side of her head.

    "... why the heck would I hate you?" Bunny asks, almost incredulous at the very notion. "What good would it do? Would it suddenly fix the past so that we didn't know each otha? Or make it better that you *used* to be on that side of stuff? Would you suddenly get the idea 'oh hey, maybe being a horrible thing that I used to hate isn't so bad'?" she asks him, her brows knitting.

    "In that moment, in tha stairs, you saw a scared delivery girl who people were going to be shooting at. You saw me use my power. An' you decided -- at least for the moment -- not all mutants were bad. Even though you'd probably get in trouble, or hurt, you pulled me into the most secure place you coulda thought of. Even if you were gonna get hurt for it." she points out.

    "Well. I mean, someone musta answered you, 'sides. 'Cause you healed that lady up pretty good last night." she gives a bright grin to Josh.

    "But nah. Not worth my time ta hate no one. I wished you back ta life my man." she reaches out and delivers a very weak punch to Josh's shoulder. "An' I don't go back on my word."

Joshua Foley has posed:
The embarrassment fades and Josh's complexion returns to its new normal hue. The light even seems to reflect off little bright flecks in his skin. He flashes Bunny a smile for the first time since they met up.

"You're pretty awesome, Bunny," he says. "Thanks."

Josh stretches. "I got a couple bucks left. When we dry out wanna get some Chinese? You said something about a place around here?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "See, that's what we're talkin' bout there. Seein' you smile? Worth the knock on the noggin." Bunny gives a small smile, and then weaves a little bit.

    "Which, incidentally, I think might be a concussion... hoooboy... gettin' the spins..."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Whoa, hey, hold still," Josh says. He unfolds a bit from his blanket to reach out and gently touch Bunny's cheek. A golden glow and warmth spread out from where Josh touches her. It pushes back the dizziness and pain. The lump on Bunny's head recedes and disappears. The glow and warmth dissipate leaving behind a simple feeling of wellbeing.

Josh shrugs and gives Bunny a wry smile. "Least I can do."