![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_echo posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsBackdated to December 31st 2021, around 9:30pm
Jean and Maya check out the Block party in District X, and Maya introduces Jean to some of her College friends.
Maya had left Matt and Foggy to their extended edition watching to head into the city on her bike, interested in the fliers she’d seen for a street party in District X.
She’d managed to find some parking, although it had been a close thing. But now she had a coke in her hand and some sort of spicy chicken on a stick and was wondering if she’d make it to the fireworks.
It wasn’t that it wasn’t fun, or that people weren’t friendly but the next person who asked her where she’d gotten the scar on her face was going to get a graphic description of just where they could stick their curiosity.
Someone tapped her shoulder.
"Maya?" Jean said. She herself was dining on a spiked hot chocolate and an elaborately topped plate of nachos
“Jean,” Maya responded, nodding to the older woman. “Didn’t expect to meet anyone from the mansion tonight. Meeting someone or just checking out the party?”
Jean glanced over, then back. "Just....here," she said. She wasn't sure what to say to the woman. She wasn't expecting anyone from the mansion to be there, but she should have. It was essentially MutantTown after all.
"....Nacho?"
“Don’t sound so delighted to see me,” Maya replied with a smile as she took a scoop of the aforementioned Nachos and hummed happily at the tastes that exploded on her tongue. “Don’t worry, I left my bitchy pants back at the mansion. Only got the leather ones today.”
Jean blinked, shaking her head. "Oh! No..I wasn't thinking about your pants...or...anyone's pants, really..." she said, then squinted. "That came out wrong."
Coughing, she took a long sip of her cocoa. "Let's start again? Hi. I was checking up on some friends and I heard the party so I came to check it out. I was surprised to see you. The last time I saw you we were trying to stop a building from being blown up and I was bleeding to death so...I...wasn't sure how to start the conversation. How are your...pants?"
“You and small talk are not well acquainted, are you?” Maya gave Jean an amused look and offered her some of her mystery meat on a stick in exchange for the nachos. “My pants are comfy and warm with love for my fellow mutants right now. Want me to introduce you around a bit?"
Jean took another long drink. "Small talk and I are usually good friends, but it seems to be ignoring my calls right now," she mumbled. She then nodded.
"And uh...sure. I already know a few people but always up for more."
“Come on then, we can both introduce the other,”
Maya didn’t wait for a response, walking off into the crowd with a confident stride as she headed toward a group of twenty-somethings on the edge of the crowd. They appeared to be having a quietly intense discussion that quieted as Maya and Jean got closer but then started up again at a slight nod from Maya.
“Jean, I’d like you to meet the heathens, they may look like a bunch of delinquents and they are, but they’re also cool too.”
“Aw, Momo, you say such nice things about us.”
A tall woman who looked like she’d stepped off the front cover of ‘Weight Lifters Weekly’ pulled Maya into a headlock, her voice booming in the space, although it was uncertain if that was a natural tone or a mutant ability.
Jean gave the group a wave. "Hi," she said. She finished off her cocoa, then tossed it in a nearby trash can.
"So...how do you all know each other?"
“We all really like True Crime podcasts,”
This came from a slightly shorter and younger-looking man dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved band shirt, a scarf, and beanie apparently enough to keep him warm in the cold.
“Momo here started the club though, we all just joined in.”
“Don’t listen to them, I just wanted to meet some people outside the mansion for a change and mysteries interest me,” Maya replied, finally releasing herself from the headlock. “This strong, independent woman is Luisa, and his name is Guido.”
Jean sat down on a bench. "Nice to meet you," she said with a smile, glad Maya was getting out and making friends. It reminded her a bit of her friends in undergrad.
"And that sounds fun. So you just...discuss true crime podcasts?"
“Started that way, but then Maya thought maybe we could look into some Cold Cases ourselves, ones the cops gave up on around here and other places,” Luisa responded, slinging an arm over Guido’s shoulder as another two people appeared carrying food and drinks.
Maya helped by taking on some of the burdens and gesturing them all toward some tables and chairs set up in to the cordoned off street.
“And that is all of us, these two are Lara and Antonio.”
“Hey there,” came the soft-spoken response from the shark-headed but human-bodied one. Antonio merely nodded, holding out a chair for Lara to sit before taking a seat beside her.
“We’re currently working on a robbery though, cops never even really bothered to take a look, just signed it off as ‘this neighborhood’.”
Jean frowned thoughtfully. "That sounds a little dangerous," she said. She tossed the remainder of her funnel cake in the trash.
"How many of these have you looked into so far?"
“This is our first,” Maya admitted, taking a bit of her meat on a stick and chewing thoughtfully. “Don’t worry about it, Doc. I’ll turn it over to our detective friends once we find anything solid. We’re just trying to gather enough evidence, which the cops would have done if they weren’t being speciest jerks.”
“We’re gonna be like those ‘Don’t fuck with Cats’ people,” Guido exclaimed, pulling one of the beers toward him with a happy sigh. “Someone’s gotta make sure the people around here are safe.”
Maya shook her head at him but her look was affectionate as she stole a fry from his plate. “Only if you actually turn up for your programming classes on time, doofus.”
Jean rubbed her forehead. "Can I talk to you privately?"
“Sure.”
Maya stood and headed off a little way, making sure they were far enough away that the others couldn’t overhear. She gestured for Jean to sit down on a convenient bench that had been placed for the party.
“What’s up, Doc?”
Folding her arms, Jean glanced back at the group before turning to Maya.
"I know you all mean well, but you're trained. They're not. Just...please be careful, okay? Things can go south very fast."
Maya of a year ago might have cursed her out for being an interfering jerk but that had changed, she had changed. She knew now the type of things Jean was worried about.
“I’m not gonna let them get so far in that we come up against any of the people we train for,” Maya said, looking back at the group. “This is just basic stuff, a little detective work on the side to make them feel like they’re making a difference. They’ve all seen a lot more than it looks like from a first impression. Lara especially. Not a lot of people respond well to someone that looks like a shark.”
"I get it," Jean said. "With the way things are I just...want to make sure no one gets hurt."
She sighed. "Keep X-Factor in the loop at all times, okay? They'll be close enough if something goes down."
“Already planned on it,” Maya noted with a nod. She flicked some imaginary dirt from her leg and pursed her lips before continuing. “We can’t be the only people in this. Not with the way the world is. Even if they never get anywhere near the things we face they’re going to face something just by being mutants. I can help them, make it so they at least know something.”
Jean glanced down, nodding a little. "I...yeah," she said. She couldn't protect the world, and if she were in their situation she'd probably be doing the same thing. She then stood from the bench. "I should probably go," she said, then raised her voice a little higher toward the group.
"It was nice to meet you,"
Maya gave Jean a knowing look but gave her a nod as Lara started up an argument with Guido that sounded like it was one they had often.
“I can give you a lift home later if you like. I rode my bike in. Just find me when you’re ready to leave?”
Jean nodded. "Sure, sounds good. Thanks."
Jean and Maya check out the Block party in District X, and Maya introduces Jean to some of her College friends.
Maya had left Matt and Foggy to their extended edition watching to head into the city on her bike, interested in the fliers she’d seen for a street party in District X.
She’d managed to find some parking, although it had been a close thing. But now she had a coke in her hand and some sort of spicy chicken on a stick and was wondering if she’d make it to the fireworks.
It wasn’t that it wasn’t fun, or that people weren’t friendly but the next person who asked her where she’d gotten the scar on her face was going to get a graphic description of just where they could stick their curiosity.
Someone tapped her shoulder.
"Maya?" Jean said. She herself was dining on a spiked hot chocolate and an elaborately topped plate of nachos
“Jean,” Maya responded, nodding to the older woman. “Didn’t expect to meet anyone from the mansion tonight. Meeting someone or just checking out the party?”
Jean glanced over, then back. "Just....here," she said. She wasn't sure what to say to the woman. She wasn't expecting anyone from the mansion to be there, but she should have. It was essentially MutantTown after all.
"....Nacho?"
“Don’t sound so delighted to see me,” Maya replied with a smile as she took a scoop of the aforementioned Nachos and hummed happily at the tastes that exploded on her tongue. “Don’t worry, I left my bitchy pants back at the mansion. Only got the leather ones today.”
Jean blinked, shaking her head. "Oh! No..I wasn't thinking about your pants...or...anyone's pants, really..." she said, then squinted. "That came out wrong."
Coughing, she took a long sip of her cocoa. "Let's start again? Hi. I was checking up on some friends and I heard the party so I came to check it out. I was surprised to see you. The last time I saw you we were trying to stop a building from being blown up and I was bleeding to death so...I...wasn't sure how to start the conversation. How are your...pants?"
“You and small talk are not well acquainted, are you?” Maya gave Jean an amused look and offered her some of her mystery meat on a stick in exchange for the nachos. “My pants are comfy and warm with love for my fellow mutants right now. Want me to introduce you around a bit?"
Jean took another long drink. "Small talk and I are usually good friends, but it seems to be ignoring my calls right now," she mumbled. She then nodded.
"And uh...sure. I already know a few people but always up for more."
“Come on then, we can both introduce the other,”
Maya didn’t wait for a response, walking off into the crowd with a confident stride as she headed toward a group of twenty-somethings on the edge of the crowd. They appeared to be having a quietly intense discussion that quieted as Maya and Jean got closer but then started up again at a slight nod from Maya.
“Jean, I’d like you to meet the heathens, they may look like a bunch of delinquents and they are, but they’re also cool too.”
“Aw, Momo, you say such nice things about us.”
A tall woman who looked like she’d stepped off the front cover of ‘Weight Lifters Weekly’ pulled Maya into a headlock, her voice booming in the space, although it was uncertain if that was a natural tone or a mutant ability.
Jean gave the group a wave. "Hi," she said. She finished off her cocoa, then tossed it in a nearby trash can.
"So...how do you all know each other?"
“We all really like True Crime podcasts,”
This came from a slightly shorter and younger-looking man dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved band shirt, a scarf, and beanie apparently enough to keep him warm in the cold.
“Momo here started the club though, we all just joined in.”
“Don’t listen to them, I just wanted to meet some people outside the mansion for a change and mysteries interest me,” Maya replied, finally releasing herself from the headlock. “This strong, independent woman is Luisa, and his name is Guido.”
Jean sat down on a bench. "Nice to meet you," she said with a smile, glad Maya was getting out and making friends. It reminded her a bit of her friends in undergrad.
"And that sounds fun. So you just...discuss true crime podcasts?"
“Started that way, but then Maya thought maybe we could look into some Cold Cases ourselves, ones the cops gave up on around here and other places,” Luisa responded, slinging an arm over Guido’s shoulder as another two people appeared carrying food and drinks.
Maya helped by taking on some of the burdens and gesturing them all toward some tables and chairs set up in to the cordoned off street.
“And that is all of us, these two are Lara and Antonio.”
“Hey there,” came the soft-spoken response from the shark-headed but human-bodied one. Antonio merely nodded, holding out a chair for Lara to sit before taking a seat beside her.
“We’re currently working on a robbery though, cops never even really bothered to take a look, just signed it off as ‘this neighborhood’.”
Jean frowned thoughtfully. "That sounds a little dangerous," she said. She tossed the remainder of her funnel cake in the trash.
"How many of these have you looked into so far?"
“This is our first,” Maya admitted, taking a bit of her meat on a stick and chewing thoughtfully. “Don’t worry about it, Doc. I’ll turn it over to our detective friends once we find anything solid. We’re just trying to gather enough evidence, which the cops would have done if they weren’t being speciest jerks.”
“We’re gonna be like those ‘Don’t fuck with Cats’ people,” Guido exclaimed, pulling one of the beers toward him with a happy sigh. “Someone’s gotta make sure the people around here are safe.”
Maya shook her head at him but her look was affectionate as she stole a fry from his plate. “Only if you actually turn up for your programming classes on time, doofus.”
Jean rubbed her forehead. "Can I talk to you privately?"
“Sure.”
Maya stood and headed off a little way, making sure they were far enough away that the others couldn’t overhear. She gestured for Jean to sit down on a convenient bench that had been placed for the party.
“What’s up, Doc?”
Folding her arms, Jean glanced back at the group before turning to Maya.
"I know you all mean well, but you're trained. They're not. Just...please be careful, okay? Things can go south very fast."
Maya of a year ago might have cursed her out for being an interfering jerk but that had changed, she had changed. She knew now the type of things Jean was worried about.
“I’m not gonna let them get so far in that we come up against any of the people we train for,” Maya said, looking back at the group. “This is just basic stuff, a little detective work on the side to make them feel like they’re making a difference. They’ve all seen a lot more than it looks like from a first impression. Lara especially. Not a lot of people respond well to someone that looks like a shark.”
"I get it," Jean said. "With the way things are I just...want to make sure no one gets hurt."
She sighed. "Keep X-Factor in the loop at all times, okay? They'll be close enough if something goes down."
“Already planned on it,” Maya noted with a nod. She flicked some imaginary dirt from her leg and pursed her lips before continuing. “We can’t be the only people in this. Not with the way the world is. Even if they never get anywhere near the things we face they’re going to face something just by being mutants. I can help them, make it so they at least know something.”
Jean glanced down, nodding a little. "I...yeah," she said. She couldn't protect the world, and if she were in their situation she'd probably be doing the same thing. She then stood from the bench. "I should probably go," she said, then raised her voice a little higher toward the group.
"It was nice to meet you,"
Maya gave Jean a knowing look but gave her a nod as Lara started up an argument with Guido that sounded like it was one they had often.
“I can give you a lift home later if you like. I rode my bike in. Just find me when you’re ready to leave?”
Jean nodded. "Sure, sounds good. Thanks."
