5537/Battering Down The Battery

Battering Down The Battery
Date of Scene:	11 March 2021
Location:	Battery Park City
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Illyana Rasputina, Piotr Rasputin, Xi'An Coy Manh, Rahne Sinclair, James Proudstar

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Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Battery Park isn't one of the nicest areas in town, but hardly the worst. Nudged up against the river, it probably looks a lot better in the summertime. In the winter, few bother coming out to partake of an unseasonably warm day unless it's on the patio of Gino's Pizzeria or with a dog on a leash. No such horrors here, and besides, Illyana is probably something more of a cat person if anyone was asking. Her presumably Russian blue cat lives somewhere, though never among the students at Xavier's, though the reality of its true nature remains very much a different business altogether. Still, no assistants, no ragtag friends running around.

Just the Rasputins, apparently out for a walk or to eye up the stretch of parkland.

"The British stormed this, you know," she gestures. "That musical about their great economic hero speaks of how he stole the cannons."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Hamilton." Piotr replies with a nod. "I caught it on Disney+. They were watching it in the rec room." he adds, not that he would be interested in a musical, gasp!

He pauses and looks out around them for a few moments. "Its an interesting thing...heroes. Heroes of wars past, heroes of ours...This, Hamilton, he was flawed. Even...Super heroes are flawed, We are all just people. Even Superman has to have /some/ flaws." but Piotr doesn't seem to know of any but the idea of it seems to bring him a bit of amusment as he smiles at the idea, perhaps it offers solace in his own flaws.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
<<They surround our troops,>> Illyana deadpans, for hers isn't a voice entirely suited to singing in the way that Theresa's or Alison's. The mirthless look swept over the grey sands leading into the muddy waters support certain measurement. Russian comes naturally and she forsakes singing in English for it, given the choice. "Here. The Virginian led the American forces for this, an insignificant speck of land. British ships there." A sweep of her pale hand indicates the territory holding the southern end of Manhattan, so insignificant compared to other toeholds elsewhere in the world. "Did you enjoy it?"

She might have further questions on that front, kept in check when Piotr proceeds to expound on his opinions regarding the something of a masterwork so beloved. It's not like she didn't net tickets early or possibly might watch through pinpoint portals if necessary. "Everything is flawed. Thinking otherwise, this is how you are exploited."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
He nods a few moments and then smiles, "I enjoyed it a great deal. They were wonderful performers...moving at times, powerful...and althought not fully historically accurate, still educational, yeah?" Piotr smiles and looks over to her, "I have a feeling you enjoyed it a great deal as well. It won many awards." he at least had heard of its success.

There is a pause and then he adds, "I am not so boring and staight that I haven't watched Hamilton Illyana. I may be cold steel on the outside but not on the inside." he adds with a grin.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Illyana nods slightly, her eyes narrowed as she watches a pair of joggers break up the path in their direction. Her brother is probably more formidable than she will ever hope to be physically and the runners give him a sharp look just in case. Friendly giant, that helps. "Not so accurate? No story is accurate, based on what people remember. What did you think of Hamilton and Burr?" She could add her own thoughts there, but circumnavigating the icy patches on the ground left by too much shade requires a minimum of distraction.

"You might prefer other things, da? That stupid show about renting. The unbelievable look at New York property situations." Her dislike of Rent is most definitely established there, but then, musicals really aren't her thing.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Hamilton and Burr?" Piotr repeats their names, "I think that animosity and resentment...again flawed...caused two great men to not accomplish would perhaps could have been done." the russian strongman begins. "Imagine if things were different. It is in many ways a tragedy, not just Hamilton and Burr but...I do not know if I could lose a son as he had." his hand instinctually flexes a moment.

When she brings up Rent as well, "Oh no thank you. I did not find that one nearly as interesting, but to each their own? I just didnt think it struck a chord with me in the same manner. Perhaps its the music? I do not know."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Is it not the nature of antagonism to goad them both to greater heights?" Illyana tends to be laconic in nature and rarely given to random philosophy, but being deep in Battery Park away from the typical Westchester crowds changing that. Gesturing at the skyline at their back, she says, "Their rivalry could be said to make better men of them than if they were alone, no? Do you think Hamilton would have felt so driven to achieve if he did not have Burr rubbing salt in the wounds? In the same way would Burr have been more than a grasping bureaucrat, some middling politician, if not honed and sharpened on the whetstone in those law offices, two sides of a divide? He was always a snake. But a snake given better fangs and greater range than without."

Her bangs fall over her face and she pushes them away for a moment, casting a look sidelong at Piotr. No comment about the son, though she adds, "He lost a daughter."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Crossing the street into the park is a figure who may be distantly familiar, especially since she is not wrapped up in Standard Issue New York City Coat #4 right now. Shan had apparently had a similar good-weather idea, as well as having bought something or other, based on the carried pair of bags in her hands. And while looking both ways, she spots -- someone! Probably Piotr, but that's just due to altitude.

A thought peeps up, the mental equivalent of a text message. <<Hello! Are you getting pizza?>> Shan finishes crossing the street at this point, although she does not bee-line any closer to the Rasputins. Yet.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"You assume that it would be one without the other completely, if they could not be rivals. Could they not push each other to greatness if they could somehow have worked together?" Piotr pauses, he isn't talking about Magneto and Charles, nope, not uh. "It was difficult times, but times are /always/ difficult. There will always be hardship, but we still try. Must still try."

"He did." he acknowledges the loss. "I may be strong living steel, but I wonder if I am strong enough." For the moment, he doesn't seem to notice Xi'an, totally over thinking his conversation about Hamilton.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Someone's going to be disappointed if they expect to find Illyana in a colour, though when she bothers, it tends to be dark wine, black, grey, or some standard variation on 'Russian going around in the winter.' The mirthless cacophony of American colours relentlessly demands its due, but with the black leggings, black boots, and her iced golden hair, she looks like just about every transplanted female New Yorker under 25. Kind of the point there, keeping her from standing out too much. "They might have worked together, perhaps. Would they have built themselves to such a height? Pride leaves them too many edges," she replies to her brother, briefly skimming a look back over the river. "Difficult times? By what measure; we are spoiled. Even when our people are forced into a bottle." Teeth edge those words, snapping off the syllables in Russian beautifully sharp. English will come around soon as Shan appears, for she isn't rude enough to speak in a language unshared -- most of the time, though.

The presence of the younger Rasputina is utterly unlike Piotr in many ways, though foremost on the psychic spectrum she just doesn't exist at all. No mind stands there, a hole in the bubbling currents of humanity. In a place like the park, the stark absence of her is just that much stronger. In a busy room, easy to overlook unless someone's trying to try open a mind that should be present. "Not every issue can be settled by strength alone. Conviction of virtues and patience. You remember the human cost. The rest of us fail on that at a sliding scale."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Deep in conversation, Shan thinks, briefly hesitating to interrupt in the depths of sibling discourse. However, she is in the area, and it would not be too rude to say hello in passing to her fellows. So, as the distance closes, she tries to listen with ears as well as mind (given the lack of a vaguely menacing void of /sound/...) -

"I hesitate to ask," Shan says now that she is in normal speaking range, "but what was the topic?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Then a random red-furred dog comes padding by. The puppers is a fair sized woof, but we all know who she is. Or are about to be quite surprised, given the fact that it's Rahne in Wolfsbane garb. She sniffs about, then proceeds to put her nose someplace particularly doglike, and very likely gets somebody's attention.

Quite a change from when she's the docile little meek girl we all know and worry about.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
A pause and Piotr glances over to Xi'an, "Hmm? Oh, hello." he greets with a smile. "We were just discussing of all things...Hamilton. Illyana seems to think that Burr and Hamilton being hated rivals pushed them to greatness, I want to think perhaps they could have gone further together." he explains with a smile.

When the red furred dog moves by, Piotr just arches a brow and looks over to it for a moment, the musical forgotten for a second before he smiles backt to Xi'an and Illyana, "I am not saying I'm wrong, I just wish to be...idealistic?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar wanders over with a large sack of ice cream from Mootown Shakes. He comes across the bridge at a light jog. And drops to a walk as he enters the park. He approaches the little know of X-Kids. Once at a reasonable speaking voice distance he says "To me my X-Men." in a passable Xavier. I brought ice cream."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Battery Park isn't home to many wolves, but a ruddy dog prancing along is something else entirely. Prancing? Padding, slinking, the many moods of a canine are not wholly lost on those from lands that know the touch of wild wolves yet. The demon queen rolls her shoulders slightly beneath the pull of that cropped jacket, her hands sliding into the pockets for reasons other than warmth. Possibly tapping a buzzing phone from breaking into some kind of desultory tune, silencing it by rote familiarity.

For Shan, there can be a great many possible greetings, but the upnod and the bare suggestion of a smirk will do volumes more than actually saying hello possibly might. Not to disappoint, she does raise her voice. "Politicians. Does enmity create excellence?" This may not be the easiest of conversation topics for some but it's bred into Russians to a degree, especially those of the Siberian plains with that particular surname. No escaping it. "The pressure hastens their achievements." Slavic mores fade in and out of the response, even while she greets Rahne with that steady arctic gaze, holding her ground with the unassailable certainty of an alpha predator saying hello to another. Whatever's carved itself into the silvered fissures of her cracked soul expresses itself a bit more strongly than usual, uncanny when set in a face quite so young. Xavier isn't the kind to get her listening just cause at the best of times, and certainly not by going 'To me!' She casts that unerring "No," in Jimmy's direction simply to push the button. Press, press, press. "You have feet, use them."

Cue another thing never said to Xavier. Mostly.

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan blinks once, slowly, at what Piotr says. Then she looks at Illyana in specific for a moment, before asking, "... The musical, or the... guy?" (Shan searches the recesses of her mind to nail down: WAS Hamilton an American president? She isn't sure.)

She does see a familiar figure. Another thought is shot towards Rahne. <<Hey,>> goes out, with fondness attached. In more detail: <<After I get something for dinner, I'm catching the train if you want to come with.>> This is likely not the first time they have committed mild fraud on the train people to save on a ticket.

Shan also waves in the direction of James. "Like, does rivalry create better outcomes than comity, that kind of thing? Or do you mean more the personal qualities of the guys having the beef? It seems like it would be hard to get an organizing principle out of it," she answers Illyana.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Wolfsbane stops when transfixed by Illyana's eyes. The alpha in her has come out, we've all seen it. But it's not there today, and she immediately puts her tail down and backs off a step. Illyana's confrontation is taken for what it is, and Rahne isn't ready to try and establish dominance.

She was about to lay down and roll on her back, when Xi'an's words in her head slap her, metaphorically speaking. She turns her head, breaking eye contact from 'yana, then seems to be surprised for a moment.

A second later and she's doing a doggie-grin up at Shan. And sniffing the air, her attention wandering vaguely toward ice cream. Maybe James might drop some.

James Proudstar has posed:
It is rare that Jim gets to be the spookiest one in this group but there it is. He approaches each person handing them a pint of their favorite ice cream, maybe he smelled each of you, maybe he got lucky, maybe he got a text. The world shall never know. But there it is. He walks up to Shan and nod handing her a pint and a spoon. He opens a pint and places it on the ground for Rahne. He hands the big Russian two pints and a spoon to start. And then there is the last. James tilts his head and meets that alpha gsze, pale blue eyes against deep brown. But this isn't a challange, not really, and he leans forward to hand the Queen her pint. "Everyone is a critic."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Call it a curse of recent days. Obviously Illyana's not always like that, rarely so nakedly assertive over herself and commanding the whole world around her. For all the talk of Alexander Hamilton or the Battery itself, the faintest harsh gleam edges her gestures and carries through her words. Perhaps a little more talkative than usual, but with that goes a harsh gregarity. Social mores are, alas, a bit blunted in this form. "Both. The musical is about him, da?"

Her brother departs for a moment, possibly to go check out the pizza restaurant and if its hours work for feeding a very big man, she turns back to the others. Take the sun away and something burns just a little darker. Modest, but there. "The qualities they had. I say they played off one another to become what they were." An idle gesture plays there, all the same, lost in the swirl of the water and the river's tidal drag out to the Atlantic.

Or she's really quite distractable when it comes to peace offerings, such as they are. Pint of something edible being handed to her and she turns it over to see what the flavour of the day is. "Thank you," solemnly spoken to the Apache.

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan gets pinted up. She seems briefly anxious about this. Perhaps it's calorie consciousness, perhaps it is because now, in the words of a former presidential candidate (paraphrased), she has to be responsible for this pint of ice cream. Nevertheless she opens it up and takes a taste. "I was thinking of asking you if you and Peter wanted to split a pizza, but I think this is dinner now," Shan says, taking little bird bites out of it.

"I have completely missed this one. In fact, I think the only musical I've seen in my life was when we had that field trip to see Phantom," Shan muses aloud. "Kind of a major failing on my part, huh." Another bird-nibble-bite. "But. I think you're right. It was Hamilton and... Jefferson...? right?"

"Because if the musical is about Aaron Burr," Shan concludes, "I don't think their cooperation was actually all that productive in the end. I remember what happened THERE." ("Thank you, James," Shan adds. "We're not like depriving you, are we?" Another bird bite. Her favorite flavor appears to be butterscotch with Oreo crumbles.)

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
With the alpha having dropped her challenge, Wolfsbane follows Jim around as he hands out ice cream. She pauses when one is put on the ground, but continues to follow til the last is out. Then she sits on her haunches, not quite grasping that one is for her.

A moment later teen-Rahne is standing up. Sort of, she hunches down and picks the ice cream off of the ground and noms a li'l.

"Fankou," is said around the spoon. But she glances at Shan wonderingly. Probably something about the subway trip later on.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smiles "Your company is the reward, and you're not. "I dont know it seems like Hamilton and Jefferson were the more productive antagonists. Burr may have been incensed the immigrant was getting over on him." James shrugs, "Umm Rahne, thats brisket bacon caramel more for canine pallets?" He raises his eyebrows. Yanas is the most chocolatey chocolate that ever cocolated and Shan... its matcha green tea with hibiscus.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Pinted up is one way to describe the perfect sin. Dessert before dinner may be a bad idea, and one that Illyana is wholly-heartedly committed to. A plastic spoon applied to the soft interior scoops out a mouthful of the innards, and she pops it into her mouth to ascertain the flavourful bite of citrus underneath. Thick cocoa-infused chocolate achieves a satisfactory balance of indulgent sweetness and cream, silencing her long enough to make very short work of a few limited bites. Fairly standard for her; she eats for purpose, rarely pleasure.

Companionable Rahne enjoying her ice cream and Shan upholding the conversation supplants the need to toss in random comments. Dip, nibble, she vanishes all traces of the ice cream with an efficiency at the utter opposite of a gourmand indulging in every last trace of flavour.

"Burr and Hamilton pushed one another by proximity and rivalry. One would not have gone so far without the friction of the other."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan eats another couple little few bites while watching Illyana's devourment of the succulent darkness with a mixture of awe and horror.

She must be hungry, Shan thinks. "I think I remember this now," Shan says. "They ended up ruining each other, didn't they? Hamilton got killed, Burr had to flee to Mexico or something. In the end it was just blood on the ground."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne wouldn't say 'enjoying' when referring to the ice cream exactly. The look on her face as she eats a spoonful of the doggie ice cream is a bit odd. She gets this odd, uncertain squirmy look, her eyes going to James and then back to the 'treat'.

But her innate politeness won't let her spit it out, so she tries to swallow it. It takes a try, then another, and eventually it goes down. Girl looks a little green though.

"Wot...be Hamilton?' she asks, almost keeping up with the conversation. So close, but so far.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar llooks hurt and reaches into the sack. He pulls out a pint of butter pecan and holds it out to Rahne with a smile, "Ill trade you." James smiles, "Its a musical, really good, diverse cast. Great music."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Tragedy and disaster." Illyana's small bites prove effective. She has manners; she wasn't raised in a barn -- too rich for the Rasputins, alas. But candid pride would disabuse anyone from thinking she is about to stuff her face full of anything. What does apply is a ruthless kind of efficient speed witnessed in those used to eating on the run, experiencing food insecurity and the surrounding trauma. Eat when you can, the next meal may not show up anytime soon.

Overcoming an inordinately high number of hurdles to engage in small talk makes even the fleeting commentary something. "Hamilton was a Scot from the Caribbean. He came here and fought in the Revolutionary War with Washington," she explains for Rahne, not unaware of her physical distress. Probably all too familiar in some ways. "He was killed in a duel. By the vice president at the time." A salient, stationary fact chased out.

She runs her tongue lightly over her lips, leaving a goodly amount of chocolate still stuck to the pint. Rather than let it melt, a casual shift banishes the thing who knows where. Those totally aren't a quartet of excitable hands snatching the gift with a gratingly trilled "Oooooo" cut off abruptly. Nope.

Nor are those arms wearing highly patterned brocade frockcoats with turned-back sleeves. Not at all.

Limbo's got a sense of fashion.

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
It does not take an enormous amount to put Shan off of her food, and perhaps Hamilton was enough to do it. What a tragedy that Aaron Burr's legacy should claim another. Even so, she has had a good two scoops' worth of the pint, and since there is no good way to store it for later in this weather --

She quietly hands off the remainder of her pint to one of the excitable hands, glancing away for a moment. Ugh, she thinks. This isn't any different from making sure the leftovers get eaten. RIGHT?

That's what Shan tells herself. Returning to the topic, she explains to Rahne, "I haven't seen it, but you might have heard the songs from it?" She asks James, "Have /you/ seen it?"

Back to the earlier topic. "They might have achieved more if they hadn't ruined each other, don't you think?" she says to Illyana.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The ice cream that clearly has not gone over well, Rahne clings to with a complete lack of logic that can only be found in those who have backed themselves into a corner morally and can't find a way out. "No, is..fine, ah'll eat et," she says, holding the dog food. And not taking good, yummy ice cream.

But then she's distracted by Illyana telling her about a Scot who fought all the things and rode dinosaurs with Washington and her eyes widen, and she doesn't notice when James takes the awful dog cream and puts in butter pagan instead, and she nods at the story from Shan and Illyana both, taking another bite of her spoon.

Which is when she realizes that she's not really sure what anyone is talking about. "Mebbe ah should look on th' netflix.." she says softly. But she'll never find it there! Muahaha!

James Proudstar has posed:
it seems like James has been waiitinh for this and as soon as those greedy hands grab that tub of decadence a matching one is placrd before the queen, with another spoon. James also deftly tosses the pint of Brisket Bacon Caramel into the void with the admonition, "Share!" completely ignored. He smiles snd shakes his head, He takes the proffered ice cream. "Only what Ive heard online."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Oooooooo!" trills again, a key lower, for those moments before space collapses around the break left by the blonde sorceress. A pinch and gone, off to be gleefully carried around as a trophy of the mortal world. Shan's contribution has not gone unnoticed. Now someone will probably die and immediately return in some kind of reckless duel.

No one needs to worry about that. "In some futures, they did not," Illyana says, shrugging lightly as she carries off the used spoon to toss into a recycling bin. Superheroes have many excellent qualities, including reducing and reusing plastic. No doubt some evil villain is already looking at ways to minimise New York's waste or unleash horrible trash monsters on the unsuspecting.

"My brother says Disney has it?" Uncertainly, mildly tendered, there for Rahne would probably benefit from someone else piping up. "The staging was excellent." Letting the topic slide between her fingers and away, her gleaming eyes shut entirely. Intricate details might be slipping away as her head tilts, taking in the unseen details moving behind the world. "I will check on Piotr and see what keeps him." And on that note, she heads for Gino's.