[Joyful Noize] - Arrival and Breifings

[x-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Kurt and Sam talk to the concert coordinater, Benni and Guido about the events of the next couple days. And get treated to the story of just HOW Guido got his First Ave star...

"Good to see ya," Guido Carosella said expansively as his large hand took Kurt's and Sam's in turn and shook briskly. He'd visited the mansion a few times, and been introduced around, but not for several years. "And this is Benni," he introduced the two men to the smaller (to be fair, most everyone in sight was much smaller than Guido) woman with him. "She's the brains of the operation. I'm just here to throw my weight around if she needs it."

"Yo. Benni Strong," Benni said, raising a hand in greeting. The small, dark haired girl was sporting shifting leopard spots over her chest and and flowers with color changing petals up both arms, "Don't let the big guy fool you. I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without the extra help," she looked at Kurt, "Sorry, if I don't say this it's going to eat me up, but the fur is awesome. It naturally that color or do you dye it?"

"Quite natural", he said with a smile. "My mother's skin is the same colour. I like your decorations as well."

Sam nodded in a return greeting to the pair. "Nice to meet you, Benni. And good to see you again, Guido." It had been awhile but it was hard to forget someone who made as big of an impression as Guido did. "It's a nice place you've got here too, from what I've seen of it so far."

Guido nodded. "Good venues, good bands, it's gonna be a helluva good time." He looked around, envisioning the cheering throng that would soon be packed in for the shows. "One thing does worry me about this Purifier stuff, though," he said, quietly and more soberly, pointing a finger at the bridge connecting Harriet Island to the mainland. "Only one way in or out." He held up a hand to forestall Benni. "I know, I know, we can't let them spook us into canceling." It had the sound of an argument they'd had a few times. "But I'm just sayin'."

"Okay, good, because I'm not going into it again, ya know?" Benni said, "These guys turn up every now and then here. They're kinda like our own Westboro Church. Way I see it they're likely just a bunch of bored, hyper religious 'rangers who lack any real braincells and we're NOT cancelling this because they're blowing smoke again."

"The Purifiers are not so harmless as all that", Kurt said quietly. "But you are quite right not to cancel. You have us here to counter whatever they may do."

"Kurt's right, we'll be here to help out if need be, though hopefully it won't have to come to that." He too was well aware with just how dangerous the Purifiers could be, but Sam hoped that their event would go off without a hitch just the same. Should something come up, however, they'd be more than ready, willing, and able to assist them.

"That Bertha's a pretty smart cookie," Guido noted. "What with calling you guys in for some extra help. Can't believe I didn't think of that myself, y'know, given who I hang around with." He grinned widely, always comfortable being self-deprecating and easygoing. He tapped Benni on the shoulder with a large fist, in that comfortably playful sort of way. "Anything else us out-of-town boys oughtta know about, boss lady?"

"No, not really. Just if those idiots are actually going to put their money where their mouth is, the island here is going to have more people in it. The club is pretty Claustrophobic. Which we can show you there. If you can get Guido here to stop pointing out his star and the story behind his first performance there which I think I've heard a few hundred times by now," Benni said dryly.

Sam chuckled at that, nodding his head. "Seeing it will help a lot, I think, and I'm sure Guido can control himself long enough for that to happen, yeah?"

"I would like to see the club as well", Kurt agreed. "And perhaps even listen to Guido's story later."

"Who says we can't do both?" Guido asked good-naturedly, launching into a story as they made their way to the parking lot.

Scott, Dori and Monkey Joe meet with Big Bertha a bit later and get the security fill in. And inform her that no, they did not bring Garrison.

After getting off the jet she had to admit, she was looking forward to the reunion with Bertha. And on the island, when she caught sight of her friend, Dori started jumping up and down and waving, leaving Monkey Joe clinging to her for dear life, "BB! Over here, girl! OVER HERE!! OVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR HEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Bertha was wearing a truly eye-searing yellow and white hoodie, and was not even remotely hard to miss. A woman of her height and size stood out even when not in buttercup yellow. "Holy tunasteaks, Dori, did you drink all the coffee ever or what?" She grinned at her friend, and held out a surprisingly well-manicured hand to let MJ sniff. "Hey fuzzbutt, how about you and me ditch these losers and go get us a big peanut butter milkshake and cheesecake?" It wasn't clear if she was talking to the girl, or the squirrel.

Satisfied that the Blackbird had shut down properly Scott followed Dori down the ramp. narrowly avoiding being knocked over by the excited bouncing girl. "Hey Bertha," he greeted the woman, "Sounds like you've got a Purifier isue we can help you with," he said cutting straight to business, "So what's the plan vis-a-vis security?"

Monkey Joe made a good deal of clicking noises at Bertha and Dori giggled, "Which one of us are you asking out for food? Because he thinks you're asking him on a date," she said before twirling around, "Oh, here's my new hair cut. Like it? Oh yeah and Mister Summers wants to know whats up with all the security stuff and everything!"

"Figure half of you here, half at First Ave, and we'll do our best to keep an eye on things." Bertha said. As she spoke, the phone in her pocket buzzed, and she excused herself to take it out and check. "Benni says your other team's on site and she and Guido are giving them the tour. Sweet." She tucked it back into her jeans and waved with a large arm towards the concert venue on the island. "Biggest problem here is that the bridge is the only way on or off, unless you like swimming or can fly. The cops are gonna have patrols, but they can't treat this like the border. No searching cars, it's not setup for that, we'd back traffic all the way into the city or something." She frowned, and then glanced over at Dori. "Sorry, I'm so all business lately. The haircut's cute, and MJ's sweet, but I'm just not into short guys. He can hang at my place, we've got squirrels all over. Get himself a cute little long distance squirrel girlfriend?"

"Oh god!" a terrified look passed over Scott's face, "That's the last thing we need Monkey Joe to get himself a girl friend and end up love sick when he's back at the mansion." He grinned at the aforementioned squirrel before turning back to Bertha, "that sounds like as good a set up as we're going to get without the ability to search every car." The X-man looked around, "If we can get set up her I'll head over to the club to check thigns over there."

Dori stuck her tongue out at Mister Summers, "I'll break the news to MJ. He'll totally be heart broken, but I think he'll recover. And he doesn't have girlfriends." It would be best not to mention the harem back home he said he had...

"So mature. Your boyfriend know you stick your tongue out at older men?" Bertha said. "Hey, speaking of which, tell me you guys brought Mountie McHottie? Because I never did get a chance to ask him out." She reached over and ruffled Dori's hair and grinned. "She insists she won't ask him out for me. Which is a shame, because damn, that man." She fanned herself with one hand, and then dug into her backpack. "Which totally not on the subject of Mountie McHottie, I got security badges for you guys." She pulled them out, all attached to lanyards. "Might be worth keeping it on the downlow, but you'll be covered if you have to bounce anyone."

Reaching over to accept the Lanyard Scott nodded at Bertha, "Thanks, these will come in useful. Be a lot easier than having to sweet talk our way pastthe guards to get where we need to go."

"No, Mister Garrison isn't here. No, I didn't bring locker room photos. No, I'm not doing that," Dori said, like she had the script rehearsed as she took her own lanyard, "Can MJ get one too?"

"MJ gets his very own concert armband." Bertha said, handing a small plastic tag just the right size to clip onto a pet collar to Dori. "Or, uh, well, pass. But serious, you probably want to tell him to stay put somewhere. I wouldn't wanna have to find an emergency vet if he got himself in trouble trying to save someone." Of course the squirrel was a hero. Naturally. "Seriously, did you bring -any- hot guys who aren't hitched? Because, your fearless leader's got himself a wedding ring, no Mountie McHottie, geez. Did you send all the mens to Guido and Benni? What are you doing to me here?"

"Oh my gob, Berth it is not all about the menz," Dori joked, putting the concert collar on MJ, "Let's see, I think Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Sefton are with your boss and Gudio? So yeah, I planned this. Because I'm evil."

Scott looked back and forth between the two women in confusion, "Was this part of your cunning plan to get the X-men men out here then?" he asked with a smile.

"It is all about the mens until I get a boyfriend." Bertha said. "But for serious, thank you guys for coming out here. Between the security team, and the couple of cops and you guys hopefully even if anything does happen, it won't go totally sideways and shit the bed." She shrugged. "And if nothing happens, hey, you get to see some pretty good bands, right?"

"Yep! That's the part I'm looking forward to!" Dori admitted, "And well, helping people and stuff if things go wrong," See, Mister Summers? She could totally be completely one-hundred percent totally responsible.