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Artie and Kyle: Planning out self defence classes
Backdated. Artie and Kyle finally get to programming out the self defence classes at the community centre in the DX, some months after it first came up.
Artie was settled on one of the benches at the far end of the gym. Between his schedule and Kyle's, the only time he'd been able to carve out was after the strength and conditioning session he tended to cram in a few evenings a week. He waved to the other man and gestured at the other bench. Someone had dragged them around so that they formed a little U.
They'd meant to do this months ago but, life, you know?
Kyle had come from a tutoring gig straight to the gym - and had a tablet computer and a battered notebook under one arm and his hair still in a man bun. Despite that, he was already in workout clothes, gym shorts and a tank top and bare feet. "Tablet has a lesson plan blank on it, but if this goes like the Gen-X self-defense classes, we end up throwing that out early because there's always some wild ass powers nonsense. Honestly I'm kinda inclined to just come up with some topics and make sure we're on the same page and just ignore lesson plans."
Artie nodded, lifting his hands to sign and pausing for a moment before responding. "It's the DX, man. Lots of non combative powers and lots of people who are smart enough to avoid that. I want to focus on de escalation and running, make it clear that you have to be prepared to really hurt someone if it comes to a fight."
"Yep." Kyle said, with the slight pop on the p. "De-escalation and avoiding the cops and knowing your safety spots you can run to, and, yeah." He huffed a little and flopped onto a weight bench. "Fucking hell, I hate that we're gonna have a class of kids we have to say "if someone's trying to abduct you, go for the eyes, but I mean." He waved at himself, and then at Artie.. "At least we can convince 'em it's a legit thing they gotta worry about, I guess."
Artie pursed his lips and nodded. "I'm hoping that the DX crowd are going to be, I don't know, more cautious than the mansion kids ever were? I want to focus on non powered fight skills more than anything and there's two reasons - half the DX mutants have shitty powers, you know? Nothing useful in a fight. And the other half? I want them to have something in the bag that they can use that's not just killing people." He sighed. "I know I'm not the best one to be doing this kind of thing but who else is? At least I have visible mutant cred and know that starting a fight at all is a big deal."
Kyle looked up, considering actually doing his leg workout, and then just let himself flop back down on the bench. "I mean, I'm less worried we're gonna accidentally teach a kid to pop someone's eye out, and mostly worried some bacos is gonna use it to drop an assault charge on some kid, but I'd rather that then the kid get dead, so." He let out a frustrated huff. "I think you're gonna have more sway with some of the kids. I look like nobody would wanna fuck with me. You're, no shade, short and don't have knives on your hands. Which is fucking ironic."
Artie gave him a slightly crooked smile before replying, "I don't have knives on my hands because I carry like three of them any time I'm out of the mansion. I don't want to teach anyone how to kill people, though, you know? That's not what I'm after here."
"Well, yeah, I mean, duh, but like. Okay, I look like I can kick ass. You look like someone's gonna shove you in a locker in a WB teen sitcom." Kyle didn't even look over. "Especially with that thing on your face. Man, why did you grow that?" Not that Kyle was one to talk about facial hair, his came in silly half the time. "But - I show a kid they can deescalate, or tell them to avoid people who are gonna punch them, they go "Yeah, but you look scary, nobody bugs you.. You say it and they might take you serious, even though you're actually the dude who would legit shank someone."
Anywhere else and Artie might have flipped a knife around his fingers, done some cool trick that made him look badass but he didn't go armed in the mansion for a reason. Instead, he smirked. "I'd only shank them if there was a reason to." He sobered and added, "You think we've got everything we need to cover on there?"
"I don't, but like I think we have enough to start folks off. It's - " Kyle said. "I've got most of the Gen-X self-defense curriculum in here. I took out all the Danger Room stuff, I've got some stuff on like. Avoiding the cops, but like. There's probably about eight places where I've got "Ask Artie about this." because. I mean. I don't know where to tell kids to run to, or who to talk to, and they're gonna ask. When I'm teaching I can tell them to talk to me, but that doesn't help the kids I don't see four times a week, you know? You do. Like. What the fuck do we tell them to look for? And not just the kids. They can't run into a police station, can't always run into a church or a school..." He let his head hit the weight bench. "The physical part of this is easy. The rest is hell."
"I don't know." Artie shook his head. "I am not telling them it's some 'trusted adult', or anything. Or even that they talk to a mutant, because we're as likely to go after them as anyone else is. Don't go to anyone for help unless you know you can trust them." He sighed. "I hated it here when I was a kid but at least." Artie stopped signing and looked into the middle distance for a moment. "At least I could trust most of the people here, you know?"
"I kinda do. You know how Mistra got me? My fucking social worker sold me out." Kyle said. "I mean, Sooraya's people, XFI, we can throw people at them but even that. Like. XFI's okay, but we can't vet everyone."
"I don't know how much I trust Sooraya's people. The core group, sure but the casual volunteers? The second, third, fourth ring associated with them? And do you trust that a kid will know the difference?" Artie shook his head. "Things are seriously fucked up, bro."
"Oh, yeah no, I mean like, Sooraya, Angelo, JP, not like, that one dude at the froyo place that has a cousin with mutant hair." Kyle explained. "Also yeah it is. I mean it's probably "okay, if you're in the shit, go here, and we just start passing out cards for... I mean fuck, between X-Factor and you guys, there's two offices kids can run to. You guys... like. Usually one of you is in the office, unless you're all not, and if you're all not then shit has really gone to hell for all of you, right?"
Artie gave a one armed shrug. "I don't want them thinking Snow Valley is a safe place to turn to. Our cover relies on being largely beyond notice and a bunch of people thinking we'll help them fucks that."
"I mean. Look if a kid is being chased, you guys have a cover as a mutant think tank. I don't want it to be like a thing but also... I don't want some kid dead because the spies can't open their door, you know?" Kyle waved his hand. "I mean I get it, i've got an entire ass secret identity and you guys have like I dunno, a hundred times more than that to worry about but, shit, there's gotta be somewhere we can send them besides the rec center."
Artie shook his head. "No. They will never be told to run to Snow Valley. We don't work like that. We don't pick up strays and we don't let security threats walk away." He stood up and moved away from the benches. "Actually, you know what? This isn't going to work. We're not going to provide training that makes a difference and we should probably just stay out of it entirely."
"Dude, no, look, I can help these kids, and I get you guys have operation, security or whatever, I kinda need your more fucked up perspective though." Kyle sat all the way up, intent on Artie. "Look, between the two of us, we've both got some fucked up background that we can use to help these kids. Maybe we talk to Angelo, to Gabe, Quire, get perspective from folks who get double dipped on this. If getting your help means we don't send the kids to your office, okay. I mean, I kinda wanna know the difference between sending some kid to you and like, the new chick with the bone face, but I also know what you guys do is totally outta my sphere of knowledge." He waved back at the bench. "Lets do this from the other direction. You guys have resources I don't, nobody can send folks to your office, where do we send them? X-Factor? Some diner where you know a guy who knows a gal who knows a guy? This is the shit I don't know and you do."
Artie shrugged. "You don't send the kids to Sarah. She's mafia." Well, Maggia but let's not split hairs. He sighed. "I'll make a list of reasonably safe alternatives but at the end of the day, there aren't many places I'd trust and I'd rather they learn that now than go walking around thinking that there is help out there. I'll teach them to shank someone if they need to and run like hell but I can't let them think there's multiple safe havens around the damn city when we know there isn't." His signing was fast and emphatic and Artie stopped and shook his head again. "Yeah, sure, X-Factor, the community centre but I don't just have a list of safe havens around the rest of the damn city for them. I thought you knew that."
"No, I meant like. Why her and not ... " Kyle flopped back on the bench. "Forget it. I don't get it, I don't think I can get it. Look, I need your help because you see this shit differently than I do, but I don't get why once in a blue moon someone can't show up at your office. You guys have an entire ass cover story. I'm not ever gonna get it, I'm just gonna like, accept it and sulk, okay?" He let both arms dangle down, and huffed. "Lets go back to basics so we're not showing each other new fun ways to throw people around a room."
Artie looked Kyle dead in the eyes. "Some of the people we work with or against will use a child they think is connected to us, okay? Maybe just information but maybe it will be a nice little dead kid to make a point. Do you get it now Kyle? They're not going to Snow Valley because I do not want that target associated with them."
"Do I get it, I don't think I can change your mind, sure. Do I agree, it doesn't matter. Just lemee be crabby about it, get over myself and then we can make a lesson plan, kay?"
Artie nodded. "Yeah, okay." He quirked one lip into a half smile. "Sounds like a plan."
They'd meant to do this months ago but, life, you know?
Kyle had come from a tutoring gig straight to the gym - and had a tablet computer and a battered notebook under one arm and his hair still in a man bun. Despite that, he was already in workout clothes, gym shorts and a tank top and bare feet. "Tablet has a lesson plan blank on it, but if this goes like the Gen-X self-defense classes, we end up throwing that out early because there's always some wild ass powers nonsense. Honestly I'm kinda inclined to just come up with some topics and make sure we're on the same page and just ignore lesson plans."
Artie nodded, lifting his hands to sign and pausing for a moment before responding. "It's the DX, man. Lots of non combative powers and lots of people who are smart enough to avoid that. I want to focus on de escalation and running, make it clear that you have to be prepared to really hurt someone if it comes to a fight."
"Yep." Kyle said, with the slight pop on the p. "De-escalation and avoiding the cops and knowing your safety spots you can run to, and, yeah." He huffed a little and flopped onto a weight bench. "Fucking hell, I hate that we're gonna have a class of kids we have to say "if someone's trying to abduct you, go for the eyes, but I mean." He waved at himself, and then at Artie.. "At least we can convince 'em it's a legit thing they gotta worry about, I guess."
Artie pursed his lips and nodded. "I'm hoping that the DX crowd are going to be, I don't know, more cautious than the mansion kids ever were? I want to focus on non powered fight skills more than anything and there's two reasons - half the DX mutants have shitty powers, you know? Nothing useful in a fight. And the other half? I want them to have something in the bag that they can use that's not just killing people." He sighed. "I know I'm not the best one to be doing this kind of thing but who else is? At least I have visible mutant cred and know that starting a fight at all is a big deal."
Kyle looked up, considering actually doing his leg workout, and then just let himself flop back down on the bench. "I mean, I'm less worried we're gonna accidentally teach a kid to pop someone's eye out, and mostly worried some bacos is gonna use it to drop an assault charge on some kid, but I'd rather that then the kid get dead, so." He let out a frustrated huff. "I think you're gonna have more sway with some of the kids. I look like nobody would wanna fuck with me. You're, no shade, short and don't have knives on your hands. Which is fucking ironic."
Artie gave him a slightly crooked smile before replying, "I don't have knives on my hands because I carry like three of them any time I'm out of the mansion. I don't want to teach anyone how to kill people, though, you know? That's not what I'm after here."
"Well, yeah, I mean, duh, but like. Okay, I look like I can kick ass. You look like someone's gonna shove you in a locker in a WB teen sitcom." Kyle didn't even look over. "Especially with that thing on your face. Man, why did you grow that?" Not that Kyle was one to talk about facial hair, his came in silly half the time. "But - I show a kid they can deescalate, or tell them to avoid people who are gonna punch them, they go "Yeah, but you look scary, nobody bugs you.. You say it and they might take you serious, even though you're actually the dude who would legit shank someone."
Anywhere else and Artie might have flipped a knife around his fingers, done some cool trick that made him look badass but he didn't go armed in the mansion for a reason. Instead, he smirked. "I'd only shank them if there was a reason to." He sobered and added, "You think we've got everything we need to cover on there?"
"I don't, but like I think we have enough to start folks off. It's - " Kyle said. "I've got most of the Gen-X self-defense curriculum in here. I took out all the Danger Room stuff, I've got some stuff on like. Avoiding the cops, but like. There's probably about eight places where I've got "Ask Artie about this." because. I mean. I don't know where to tell kids to run to, or who to talk to, and they're gonna ask. When I'm teaching I can tell them to talk to me, but that doesn't help the kids I don't see four times a week, you know? You do. Like. What the fuck do we tell them to look for? And not just the kids. They can't run into a police station, can't always run into a church or a school..." He let his head hit the weight bench. "The physical part of this is easy. The rest is hell."
"I don't know." Artie shook his head. "I am not telling them it's some 'trusted adult', or anything. Or even that they talk to a mutant, because we're as likely to go after them as anyone else is. Don't go to anyone for help unless you know you can trust them." He sighed. "I hated it here when I was a kid but at least." Artie stopped signing and looked into the middle distance for a moment. "At least I could trust most of the people here, you know?"
"I kinda do. You know how Mistra got me? My fucking social worker sold me out." Kyle said. "I mean, Sooraya's people, XFI, we can throw people at them but even that. Like. XFI's okay, but we can't vet everyone."
"I don't know how much I trust Sooraya's people. The core group, sure but the casual volunteers? The second, third, fourth ring associated with them? And do you trust that a kid will know the difference?" Artie shook his head. "Things are seriously fucked up, bro."
"Oh, yeah no, I mean like, Sooraya, Angelo, JP, not like, that one dude at the froyo place that has a cousin with mutant hair." Kyle explained. "Also yeah it is. I mean it's probably "okay, if you're in the shit, go here, and we just start passing out cards for... I mean fuck, between X-Factor and you guys, there's two offices kids can run to. You guys... like. Usually one of you is in the office, unless you're all not, and if you're all not then shit has really gone to hell for all of you, right?"
Artie gave a one armed shrug. "I don't want them thinking Snow Valley is a safe place to turn to. Our cover relies on being largely beyond notice and a bunch of people thinking we'll help them fucks that."
"I mean. Look if a kid is being chased, you guys have a cover as a mutant think tank. I don't want it to be like a thing but also... I don't want some kid dead because the spies can't open their door, you know?" Kyle waved his hand. "I mean I get it, i've got an entire ass secret identity and you guys have like I dunno, a hundred times more than that to worry about but, shit, there's gotta be somewhere we can send them besides the rec center."
Artie shook his head. "No. They will never be told to run to Snow Valley. We don't work like that. We don't pick up strays and we don't let security threats walk away." He stood up and moved away from the benches. "Actually, you know what? This isn't going to work. We're not going to provide training that makes a difference and we should probably just stay out of it entirely."
"Dude, no, look, I can help these kids, and I get you guys have operation, security or whatever, I kinda need your more fucked up perspective though." Kyle sat all the way up, intent on Artie. "Look, between the two of us, we've both got some fucked up background that we can use to help these kids. Maybe we talk to Angelo, to Gabe, Quire, get perspective from folks who get double dipped on this. If getting your help means we don't send the kids to your office, okay. I mean, I kinda wanna know the difference between sending some kid to you and like, the new chick with the bone face, but I also know what you guys do is totally outta my sphere of knowledge." He waved back at the bench. "Lets do this from the other direction. You guys have resources I don't, nobody can send folks to your office, where do we send them? X-Factor? Some diner where you know a guy who knows a gal who knows a guy? This is the shit I don't know and you do."
Artie shrugged. "You don't send the kids to Sarah. She's mafia." Well, Maggia but let's not split hairs. He sighed. "I'll make a list of reasonably safe alternatives but at the end of the day, there aren't many places I'd trust and I'd rather they learn that now than go walking around thinking that there is help out there. I'll teach them to shank someone if they need to and run like hell but I can't let them think there's multiple safe havens around the damn city when we know there isn't." His signing was fast and emphatic and Artie stopped and shook his head again. "Yeah, sure, X-Factor, the community centre but I don't just have a list of safe havens around the rest of the damn city for them. I thought you knew that."
"No, I meant like. Why her and not ... " Kyle flopped back on the bench. "Forget it. I don't get it, I don't think I can get it. Look, I need your help because you see this shit differently than I do, but I don't get why once in a blue moon someone can't show up at your office. You guys have an entire ass cover story. I'm not ever gonna get it, I'm just gonna like, accept it and sulk, okay?" He let both arms dangle down, and huffed. "Lets go back to basics so we're not showing each other new fun ways to throw people around a room."
Artie looked Kyle dead in the eyes. "Some of the people we work with or against will use a child they think is connected to us, okay? Maybe just information but maybe it will be a nice little dead kid to make a point. Do you get it now Kyle? They're not going to Snow Valley because I do not want that target associated with them."
"Do I get it, I don't think I can change your mind, sure. Do I agree, it doesn't matter. Just lemee be crabby about it, get over myself and then we can make a lesson plan, kay?"
Artie nodded. "Yeah, okay." He quirked one lip into a half smile. "Sounds like a plan."
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