1590/A horse, of course

A horse, of course
Date of Scene:	09 May 2020
Location:	Basketball Court
Synopsis:	Julio and Sam play a game and learn that they've got more in common than they might have expected.
Cast of Characters:	Julio Richter, Samuel Guthrie

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Julio Richter has posed:
The sun is slanting across the fields behind Xavier's school, a few clouds dotting the sky. Birds chatter noisily from the woods while a light breeze cools the air. All in all, an idyllic afternoon, one Julio Richter is still struggling to accept belongs in his life. He's taking a walk through the back grounds, wearing a pink giveaway shirt from a New York street fair and gray Xavier's School sweatpants -- standard issue for students, but usually kept in reserve for gym classes. He's skinny enough that one might doubt he has ever had a gym class in his life. The way he's side-eyeing the basketball courts as he strolls past is just more corroborating evidence.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie is walking out to the court with a basketball. The young man is wearing cut off jorts, and a Lila Cheney shirt. He has a basketball in hand and as he sees the other man "Hey wanna play?" He asks in offer.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio is taken aback for a second when Sam addresses him, but quickly runs a hand through his hair and answers, "Uh, okay... but you'll have to teach me the rules." He gives the taller boy a sheepish look and admits, "I've never played, just watched on TV. You go to school here?" His voice is noticeably accented, but his English is fluent.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods, and says "Yea, Ah am taking some college classes, your new here Ah take it?" He offers the man his hand and says "Ah'm Sam, and if you have any questions just ask, will do my best to answer any of them for ya."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio returns the handshake, answering, "Julio, and yes, I'm new. This place is..." He searches for the words for a second, then settles for: "...a lot." He should probably focus on the game he's agreed to learn, but he can't help taking Sam up on his offer: "You can get college credits here?" he asks, surprised. "I wouldn't think they would be able to get... um, acreditación?" He doesn't say 'as a school for mutants,' but it's heavily implied.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie says, "Well it aint a lot of stuff we have but some. Dr. McCoy is well known in the smart folk circles and all." He offers a chuckle and says "Yea, Ah remember walking into the front hall, and was blown away by just he size of the place at first." He grins "Since you never played before we will start with horse." Is just do the same as the other guy and try to make the same shot. If ya miss you get a letter first to spell horse looses."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio tries on a tentative smile. "I haven't met the doctor," he says. "I probably have to finish a high school diploma before I can start on his classes, though." He listens closely as horse is explained, then nods in understanding. If anything, it sounds too simple, but it's not like Sam has anything to gain by tricking him. He does have one question, though: "Why 'horse'?"

Sam's comment about the school itself gets an agreeable nod. "I was hoping if I came up here I could find a mutant group to help me," he says, "but this was not what I was expecting it to look like." He laughs. "Abandoned subway station, maybe. Fancy prep school? No." He straightens up. "Your shot first, I guess?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and smiles "Paper rock scissors for first shot to be fair, or want me to take it so you can watch? As for why horse, honestly Ah aint sure, a lot of times, it is played with some hurtful slang, to say the looser is that, am sure some place it is called mutant ball even, but I've always played horse.

Julio Richter has posed:
"You should go first," Julio says decisively. "I'd be afraid to mess it up." (You throw the ball into the basket, Julio. What are you so worried about?) He gives a short sigh, then continues, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that someone found a way to make a ball game shitty to people. But I am, kind of." He shakes his head, then shrugs and switches to a lighter tack: "I guess if you wanted a longer game you could play it in Spanish. Like, Caballo?" He crosses his arms and watches Sam closely, hoping to be able to copy his movements when his turn arrives.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie smiles and starts with a rather standard shot, and makes it "Or burrito, and could even be calling someone mule headed." He offers with a smile "So where ya from Julio?

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio's laugh comes suddenly. Partly, he's just pleasantly surprised to hear a joke in Spanish. "That could work," he says amiably. "I'm from Guadalajara," he answers the question without really thinking about it, and then looks slightly alarmed, as though he might have said too much. "Uh, I guess I really haven't told many people that," he explains, calming himself. Internally, he rationalizes that Doug figured it out just by listening to him, anyway. There's not much point hiding it here. "I had to leave in a hurry. Probably the kind of story you hear a lot around here."

He picks up the ball after it rebounds from the fence and rolls toward him, going to stand where Sam did and looking up at the net nervously. "You're from the U.S... Texas, maybe?" His read on regional American accents obviously isn't great. "Well, here goes nothing." He tries a shot, and it's... God, it's painful to watch. He makes the classic rookie mistake of overthinking it: trying to remember and imitate each move Sam made, he ends up overdoing everything, sliding down into a sort of crouch and then bouncing up and putting his arms into a sort of pose rather than executing a throw. The ball hits the backboard, but only just, and bounces off at an odd angle.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will move to get the ball, and says "Kentucky, he corrects the other man, as he walks back over. He will line up for the same shot, but as he does he explains gently to the other what he did wrong to try to correct it, much like a big brother would do to a younger one without the noogies. "We have had friends from all over, one of my best friends is from Brazil, and another one from just down the street here." He tells him.

Julio Richter has posed:
"Really? Where in Kentucky?" Julio asks. "I went through Lexington on my way here." Sam doesn't really have the air of a city boy, but with some hipsters, looks can be deceiving. He listens attentively and does as Sam instructs him, and although he still seems tense the entire time, his actual shot is much better. Thanks to Sam not picking an especially difficult angle, the ball does bounce from the rim into the basket. "Still just an H," he says with a grin, "although I definitely looked like an entire burrito on that first one."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie grins and will get the ball and head out to three point land for the next shot, and says "The mountains, but do have some family in Lexington" he admits. "We all do at times when we are first learning things man, but the important part is when your learning, even if ya don't get it right ya dust yaself off and keep trying." He smiles, he misses the shot this time, but in a bit of odd way. The ball wedges at the corner of hoop and back board and he sighs walking towards the hoop.

Julio Richter has posed:
"That's true, I guess," Julio answers. And with the thought of dusting himself off and trying again fresh in his mind, he lifts a hand toward the wedged basketball and narrows his eyes to focus. There's just the slightest subsonic rumble deep underground, but just as quickly as he considered using his powers, something makes him change his mind. He shuts his eyes, lowers his arm, and takes a few deep breaths, hands visibly trembling. "I didn't really go out into the mountains -- stuck close to the highways. Is it nice, there?" he asks, hoping to cover for his odd behavior with more conversation.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie notices the other's reaction and says "Still unsure with your powers?" He will stand under the goal, and with a trigger and release blasts himself up glowing as he rockets, and touches the ball, it does fly pretty high from the impact but he cancels his powers and only is falling back a few inches "Watch for the ball." He calls out. "Truest me, not the first here to be worried about using their abilities or what they may mess up."

Julio Richter has posed:
Sam's casual use of his own abilities gets a hell of a reaction from Julio, who leaps back nearly a meter in surprise. He's still processing for a moment after the shock of the initial light-and-sound show has faded -- just long enough to return to his senses as the ball starts to fall again. He tears his eyes away from Sam, looks up into the sky, and takes a few steps to the side to catch the ball relatively easily.

"Very unsure," Julio admits, looking down at the basketball. "I thought for a second I could just shake it free, but the last time I used my powers I destroyed most of a building. Before that, I exploded a few city blocks." He grimaces. "That's why I was nervous for a second about saying where I was from. I, ah... It's not that I thought you were racist or anything."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to Julio, and says "With the accent, some might think it, he admits." He does nod listening to the other and says "Yea, Ah can see where that would be a bit of a scare and a worry, but does count like your getting better, less property damage, is always a good thing, well unless your causing it for a reason. Ah admit my own problems were more often with walls, trees, an occasional car. I sorta used to have a big of a problem turning and sometimes stopping.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio makes a pained face. "Ay, that must have hurt!" he comments. Just judging by what little he has seen, Sam moves damned fast, and a collision sounds awful. He shakes his head and elaborates on his own story, "The city blocks were a mistake. The building was on purpose." The second sentence is offered with a significantly darker tone. It sounds like he thinks he had a pretty good reason. "Still, I don't want to smash anything here. If I practice my powers, it should be very far away from the school."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie shakes his head a bit and says "Na, when I am blasting, pretty much can't be hurt, first time, I blasted through a pretty good stretch of a mountain." He tells him. "Well, there are some things we can do around to help limit your chances of hurting things around here, but if it makes ya feel better we can do some off campus work as well."

Julio Richter has posed:
"Mierda," Julio breathes, impressed. "Straight through the rock?" He blinks, then widens his eyes. "That must come in handy." Then, after a moment's thought, he continues thoughtfully, "I wonder if my powers do something like that? I was always surprised that I wasn't hurt in that first huge explosion."

He thinks about it for another second, then switches topics. "I think it is a good idea to be cautious, but I'll at least feel better if the buildings are far away, and anybody nearby has some protection."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods, and says "Well, I am sure those in charge will make sure things are well, but am willing to help out too, and yea was down in the mines, and had a cave in trapped us there and the other guy was pinned in, felt the mountain coming down on us, and then myself bursting at the seams, and we came a shooting out the side of the mountain like a rocket on rails."

Julio Richter has posed:
"That sounds terrifying," Julio says with a sympathetic look. The basketball, forgotten, sits pinned between his hip and his arm. "When did this happen? You seem like you've been here a while -- you must have been really young. Especially to work in a mine." He grimaces, showing his teeth for a second, then adds, "I hope your friend appreciated it... It sounds like you saved his life."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods a bit and says "Ah was sixteen and my pa had passed not long before. "Mr. Lewis did, told me I was just as stubborn as my pa for not leaving him." He admits. "Was going on four years ago, luckily the professor was willing to let me come up here, after a bad first impression, and been around mostly since.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio furrows his brow, commenting, "That's good. I'm sure your father--" his voice catches. "I'm sure he'd be proud of you for helping his friend." He shifts his weight, bringing the basketball up again to hold it in both hands. "I do find it kind of hard to imagine you making a bad impression. You've been very nice to me." He takes another shot, a bit off the cuff, and it bounces off the rim. "And now I am a Ho."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie snickers a bit at this and yeas the young man can be 12 like any other adult or near adult guy can be at potty or naughty humor. He looks over to Julio and says "Long story short, Ah was working for a bad guy who hated mutants, but Ah didn't know it." Sam get s the ball, and will try for a granny shot barely making it, and says "Heck Berto was all for tossing me out till Rahne vouched to give me a chance."

Julio Richter has posed:
"I can see how that could happen," Julio says, trying to reassure Sam. "It's not like the people who hate us wear signs." He pauses. "I mean, sometimes they do carry signs. But not all the time." When Sam takes his next shot, the Mexican teen looks on in bafflement. He thought he was figuring out the way he was supposed to throw a basketball and now everything is changing!

He apes Sam's open-legged stance, swings the ball, and lets it loose. He's as surprised as anyone when it actually lands in the basket at the end of its lazy arc, standing back up straight with a sudden jerk. He's saved from life as a Hor... for now.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie smiles and says "Thats called a granny shot, and if your playing regular basketball, you would never make one like that, but part of this game is doing the odd shots to see if the other can do them. He will try a no look and miss it horribly.

Julio Richter has posed:
"If my abuela tried to stand like that, she'd break a hip," Julio says with a touch of snark. "I get the strategy, now. So for this one, I have to look over here?" He takes a stance mimicking Sam's last shot, even though it didn't land, and points his head in the same wrong direction.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie shakes his head and says "Not quite, since I missed the shot you can make a shot up of your own, in what ever odd way you want to and if you make it I have to try to make the same shot. when you miss a setting shot the other guy gets to make up one.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio Richter says, "Ah," Julio says, quickly moving his stance and reddening noticeably. "Of course. Otherwise I would always follow." He sounds inordinately annoyed with himself for the mistake, and in his rush to cover for it, just takes a standard, square-on shot. Which, to his surprise, he makes. Maybe the trick is to relax and not focus so much on what he's doing? He takes a long breath, in and out, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, says, "My dad died, too.""

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over to the other and takes the ball moving to take the shot, and says "If ya don't mind me asking, how old were ya and how did it happen?" He will line the shot up, and standard shot Sam makes but lets Julio set the next one also

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio snorts out a rueful imitation of a laugh. "I mean, I brought it up," he says. He's not even really sure why, but it would be pretty strange to clam up about it now. "I was sixteen," he answers. He pauses there, long enough to take a deep breath and attempt a side shot with his shoulder pointing at the basket. Attempting to relax didn't really help, as the shot goes wide, hitting the chain-link that borders the court. If he's scoring correctly, this means he's one letter from losing. Finally, he realizes he can't put off the rest of Sam's question, and finishes with a series of short, declarative sentences: "He was shot. I was there. That's when the explosion happened."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods a bit to this and moves to get the ball, as he says "Yea, Ah imagine that would trigger it, a lot of us have our powers trigger when something either hits strong emotions or life preservation." He moves to put a hand on the other's shoulder, and says "Sorry to hear about ya pa, Black lung got mine, but we had time to say goodbye at least." He looks to the other and the look while sad is not pity, it is understanding.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio nods, leaning into the shoulder hold a little bit and drawing reassurance from the contact. "Black lung -- a disease?" he checks after a second. "It sounds like you were close with him. And he didn't do anything to deserve that." He takes a breath to steady himself, and verifies, "It was a little bit of both for me. The men who shot Papá knew I was a witness, so..." He reaches up to run a hand through his hair again and sighs. "I was going to be next." He looks up. "Instead, they were. Along with dozens of other people."

He swipes at the bridge of his nose with one thumb. "I wish I had saved somebody, like you did. Instead of just myself."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to the other and says "Well as long as we live we have chances to help other folks, so who is to say you saving yourself that way will not allow you to save a lot of others in tie. And black lung more a condition than a disease, comes from breathing in lots of bad stuff like coal dust and such. Some what like a cancer. Pa made time to be close to all of us, but I am the oldest, oldest of 10." He says watching the rection he expects at the size of his family.

Julio Richter has posed:
"That's a good way to look at it," Julio answers. "I like the idea of helping people -- a lot of people out there need it. I might as well use these powers for something good."

He thinks for another moment, then finally says, "I'm glad you had time with your father."

Then, making the effort to turn to a lighter topic, he continues, "In English class they taught us that Americans basically all lived in big houses with exactly two kids. You're full of surprises."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie smiles and will pull out a picture of his family to show them off "Na, we are just like folks everywhere, just spread out a bit more. Rich, poor, big families, small ones, all part of the bigger family than makes up the world and beyond.

Julio Richter has posed:
"Wow, you have a photo of them in your wallet and everything," Julio says, looking over the whole group with a smile. "You must miss them a lot. But I guess with the college degree you're getting, you'll be able to help them a lot more than you could as a miner." He straightens up and peers over at the hoop. "Besides, beating me at basketball is much easier than that kind of work."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods, and says "Yea, I am looking at a job where will be helping folks, might not be able to send as much money back home as Ah would like but is a good and needed job." He tells the other and adds "Give you time and you will be beating me Ah am sure."

Julio Richter has posed:
"I'm not bad at fútbol," Julio suggests. "Maybe for our next game, we can do that and I can make up for knowing nothing about basketball." He flashes a thumbs up and adds, "I'm glad you are getting a job you care about. I'm sure if your family care about you as much as you care about them, that's what's important to them as well." He glances upward as something occurs to him, flicks some hair away from his ear, and suddenly says, "Oh, man, I wonder if they are going to want me to get a job, too."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie says, "Your studies, in powers and school work will take priotity. You will have chores to do around the place as well. Which will probably get you a little spending cash, but if your wanting more than just pocket change you will need to get a job, might be able to get ya on delivering pizza's is what I do right now.""

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio squints. "I don't have a driver's license, so that might not work. I've been a bartender at a few places, though. It's what my mom did, so I had kind of a head start. Are there any places near here where I could do something like that?" He looks at Sam and hitches one shoulder. "Although it seems like you can pretty much live like a king here, with or without money. It might not be that important."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to Julio and hmms "You 21? In the states min age to tend bar, but if your wanting you might be able to wait tables or something and of course there is always the job for many a teen age american flipping burgers.

Julio Richter has posed:
"You have to be that old to drink, but I think in some states you can make the drinks earlier," Julio says, tilting his head uncertainly. Then, with a shrug, "It's not like I'm legally allowed to work here anyway. It would have to be a place that didn't mind bending the rules a little."

He glances at Sam sheepishly one last time, and concludes, "Yeah, maybe it's better if I just do chores."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie chuckles and says "Well, I am sure with the abilities and connections of some of the people here they can get you legal papers so that is not an issue."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio raises an eyebrow, obviously skeptical. "We'll see," he allows. "I don't even know what the Mexican government thinks about me at this point. But I'll talk to somebody about it -- can't hurt to ask."