xp_logs | A Chance Meeting

Pouring over a medical book about emergency medicine, Clarice relaxed in a sunbeam having a lazy afternoon, a bowl of half-eaten popcorn next to her. She had a ways to go before she was eligible for her EMT-intermediate test, but it was interesting and there was no sense in putting things off. Besides, she wasn't in school right now and had nothing else better to do except exercise and heal. And even the exercising was restricted for the moment, though she was being allowed to teleport a little. A very little.

After his training session Bishop had wondered around a little, getting a feel for the mansion without going into anywhere he probably shouldn't, however he saw Clarice and the book she was reading. After standing in the door frame for a moment he couldn't help himself. "I had to read that same book years ago. You'd think they'd have something updated by now."

Looking up from her book at the large black man she didn't know, she replied, "This came out last year. It's the latest edition, maybe they just haven't changed the cover? And who are you and why would you be reading this?" generally medical texts were not considered fun and easy reading.

"Maybe that is it." Bishop only paused for a breath "I'm Bishop, I read it for NYPD ESU's medical requirements about..." He thought for a moment "Almost six years ago now." He was willing to let her fire off questions, sometimes it was a good way to get to know about someone by seeing what they ask.

Well, that didn't make much sense. "Bishop. Right. Didn't they teach you at the police academy to leave the life saving to the EMTs and doctors and the bad-guy catching to the cops? You shoot 'em, we save 'em?" Clarice had a smart mouth that frequently got her in trouble, "Or you are not a cop?" She wasn't overly fond of cops.

"I'm former and I was in ESU, that's the unit that does things where EMTs and doctors won't go, so I had medic training that way I could do the shooting and the saving, cut out the unnecessary." Bishop was not short of witty responses, it seemed, and with how he grew up and being a former officer it was to his benefit.

"ESU....not Empire State University then," when had been her first thought to the acronym, "I want to do that. Tell me more. I'll go anywhere. I do. Why former?" this sounded very interesting. And immensely practical, which was always a bonus. In combat, practical was needed.

"Emergency Service Unit, it's like what SWAT is to the LAPD but with a few more responsibilities and duties. You'd have to be a police officer, though." Bishop moved to a seat across from her and a distance off, staying next to the door. "Former because it wasn't somewhere I could do what I wanted to. I went private instead and then Emma hired me."

"What do you want to do then?" Clarice thought that ESU sounded pretty awesome. "'cause that would be pretty awesome. Except for the police thing. I don't think they'd want me," being purple did have its draw backs. "I'm an EMT."

"Well I was a detective for a while and that was nice but there was too much politicking involved with the PD. I'm not sure if they'd take you, I guess. From what I hear now they have several mutant officers." Bishop decided to feel things out a bit more before he commented on her being an EMT. What he'd say was going to depend on how she acted.

Marking her place and closing the book, Clarice turned to better face Bishop, "There's politics everywhere," she pointed out, as if she knew this first hand at not-quite 21 years old. "And you gotta play them or get left behind. But you make the choice on how you do it and how much," she really wished she knew if he knew about the leather brigade or not. And his feelings on it, though if Emma hired he possibly wasn't all bad. Or all good. "Are you a mutant?" there, she asked.

Bishop nodded “I am. I think that's part of why I was hired.” He wasn't going to start talking about the center's more explicit dealings either. Apparently doing so would cause Remy to explode and that alone he wouldn't want to deal with, but even without that he had a good sense of discretion.

"It helps," but they didn't always hire mutants as Maddie and Moira were both proof of, "a lot of humans aren't too keen on what we're doing. Or existing," who said 'keen' anymore? "but screw them. We don't need their stinkin' patches," it was a reference to Troop Beverly Hills and she didn't expect him to get it. "We'll just succeed and prove them all wrong."

“What we're doing as mutants? What's that?” He was curious now. Was there a mutant agenda that he didn't know about because he hadn't really been in the community much before?

The Mutant Agenda was just like International Zionist Conspiracy and about as real, "Yeah, you know. Succeeding. Living. Using our powers and being okay with that. Not hiding," nothing too exceptional really. "Like I'm a sophomore at University of Maryland. Well, I have a temporary medical withdrawal right now, but I'll be back in the fall. But I lived in the dorms and rode my bike to class and was just living. It was like some shocking freakish thing to a lot of people."
“That's just how people react when they don't understand something. I'm not sure most people have any sort of hatred for mutants. Things are just unusual for them.” Bishop saw parallels between his life and hers in this kind of thing. He didn't figure he'd say anything like that though, it would probably just make her angry.

Clarice waved the statement away, she'd heard it before, "I didn't ask to be Rosa Parks of the mutant set," she said, purposefully invoking someone Bishop respected and admired, "but I am. It's a lot of responsibility that I didn't ask for. She knew what she was doing, she could think about it, I just try to live my life," she pulled her bandanna off and rubbed her shorn head before retying it. He didn't have a clue.

Bishop just laughed. There was so much there that was somewhere between insensitive, entirely appropriate, and ironic that he didn't want to bother unpacking it all. She likely didn't have an interest in hearing either, so he just laughed.

His laughter was infectious and soon, Clarice began hiccuping for air, "It's true, even if I am full of shit!" she said between breathes, "You look normal. You can pass. You have no idea how lucky you are."

As the laughter settled down Bishop shook his head again “I don't think anyone knows how lucky they are or how anyone else's life is. Rosa Parks wasn't that long ago, Clarice. I'm sure she didn't ask to be what she was to her community either. Just a couple years ago you could have asked her yourself.” He leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, well, never had the opportunity," or the thought to try really, "I'm too busy just living. And sometimes, not dying Robocop."

Bishop nodded and stood “Well, good luck with that, Clarice. And good to meet you.”

"You too," Clarice opened her book again.