[ hope you heeded the warning from overhead, because a few seconds later, a teenager in armor with a crazy-looking gun strapped to his back drops out of the air and lands in approximately the same spot you were just in. where the hell did he come from? must be that ginormous iron cage swinging overhead near the top floor of the building.
he straightens up, blinking--and wow, that left eye sure is, uh, glowy--and taps his.. is his left arm prosthetic, too? huh. anyway, he taps the prosthetic bicep impatiently. ] Hey, Belle, this isn't where we're supposed to be. [ a second tap as no answer is apparently forthcoming, and he heaves a sigh, finally glancing up. ] Hey, is this earth? What year is it?
FESTIVAL. a. [ oh, were you expecting cable to get in on the games or rides or whatever? nah, this boy's indulging in every conceivable fair food he can get his greedy lil fingers on. his arms are full. there's a turkey leg between his teeth. it would be a testament to gluttony for anyone who doesn't know he comes from a shitty post-apocalyptic future where food's scarce at best. .. look, he may have lived on krakoa a while, but you don't grow out of food insecurity that fast.
plus, fair food's tasty.
he arches his brows at anyone looking at him funny, shifting food around so he can pluck the turkey leg out of his bite, then offering it out. ] What? Did you want some? [ he ain't scared of cooties. ]
b. [ he turns one of the pumpkins over and his expression screws up into displeasure. ] 'Tell someone about the thing you hate most, deep down'? [ a sharp glance up. ] Hey, what the hell? What kind of carnival is this, anyway?
[ .. he doesn't really want to do it, but.. maybe. ]
WILDCARD. [ down to do the other games/rides/etc, just prompt me or pm for a personalized prompt! ]
[ ever since that horrific day of genosha, whenever there's a celebration or a festival that's being hosted by the "villagers" themselves, rogue spends the majority of her time patrolling than partaking in any fun activities. which... isn't a good start given she has been sentenced by the "council" to lead a community or a group for her "crime", or else there will be consequences.
she isn't exactly sure how to accomplish something like that, when she... well, was for breaking the simulation than saving it. some seemed to be okay with her so far despite her beliefs, but do they trust her? possibly not. but it's something she is used to, and rogue knows in order to gain trust of others is by earning it. ]
[ but that is neither here nor there. right now, it's important to make sure nothing in this festival/carnival will go astray, and what better way to keep an eye on everything than being a watchful eye in the skies? hovering, the southerner observes all the citizens until she spots a teenager with... familiar gear. but what really catches her eye is the arm prosthetic. there's only one person in her life with that, and her heart flutters in sheer shock, and disbelief. ]
Nathan!
[ probably should have gone with the codename than his birth name, but it might give him a better reason to look above him — which he will see a woman zooming down to him. ]
[ he registers the surprise and recognition a few seconds before there's ever a voice. his telepathy isn't on his mom's level--most of his mutant abilities tied up in keeping the techno-organic virus in check--but he's still a plenty powerful psychic even without much practice using it. so he's already looking up into the sky as the familiar figure shouts his name. ]
Auntie! [ he shades his eyes, briefly and amusingly a little alarmed as she barrels toward him, and lifts his other hand to wave at her. it gleams under the sun, making it all the more apparent that he is who he seems to be. (though she'll doubtless be a little surprised at how much younger he is when she's close enough to tell.)
once she's within easy reach, he does just that, wrapping his arms around her in a brief, hard hug. (she's a powerhouse, she can take it.) ] I was just starting to wonder why I'm in this, uh, timeline or whatever it is.
[ there are three things she hadn't expected when she finally comes face to face with nathan. number one, calling her, "auntie" and if her arms so wasn't busy with the boy in her hold, she would have place a hand over her own heart, and melt. is that how he sees her? sure, she delivered him when no human surgeon would, but she could never imagine she be any sort of significant to him.
number two is this hug alone. their interaction with his older self was extremely brief, and with them being so busy with bastion (and magneto turning off the power and her siding with him), there was little room for friendly or loving moments.
and three? he is long ways away from being that bull build adult she had gotten to know. but despite all these things, rogue returns the embrace just as tight (well, not too tight) as a warm and gentle smile glow along her face.
she isn't exactly the rogue he knows, but she will happily take the role of his auntie without a second thought. and who knows what is happening or happened to his scott and madelyne (maybe she's still alive?), but if he needs a parental figure while he's here, she'll be that for him. anyhow, she breaks their hug slightly while keeping her gloved hands on each of his shoulders. ]
Well, look at you! Lookin' how you look. — I've said you've grown since I've last saw ya, but in my case, you've done shrunk.
[ naturally, rogue's strong enough to practically lift him off his feet with the force of her hug, but he doesn't mind. since having to leave krakoa and that time, he hasn't exactly had affection, and.. you know. he's missed it. amazing how a safe time and place surrounded by family can change a guy, huh?
still, her comment makes him glance up, taking her in more fully. oh. yeah, he can see now that she's younger than the rogue he'd known back home. he must be quite a surprise, then, especially considering what a sour-faced grouch his older self is.
he grins, brief and fond. ] Yeah, I'm a little more svelte than the old man, huh? He's doing okay. [ last he talked to him, anyway. ] How're you doing? How long have you been here? [ his current theory is pocket dimension, but he doesn't care that much about this reality as long as it doesn't affect his own world or the people he loves. just give him something to shoot at. ]
[ how she's doing? boy, that's the biggest question, isn't it? and the honest answer is: she's managing. poorly at first, but she's pulling herself together. but that's something she doesn't want to inform nathan about, at least not yet.
besides, this is a happy reunion, and she doesn't want to damper the mood with her personal struggles. rubbing and squeezing his shoulders affectionately, rogue finally pulls away from their hold completely and rests her hands on her hips. ]
Ah, well, ya know me, Baby, ain't nothin' I can't handle. A lil' spit shine and elbow grease, and I can get through it. I've been here for about three months, and to answer your question earlier, there is no timeline to this place.
[ possibly sound strange, so she elaborates a little more — throwing her gloved hand nonchalantly at their surrounding atmosphere. ]
This all here? — We're in a computer, a simulation. And whoever is controllin' it is forcing all of us from different Earths and times to be smack down here.
[ she folds her arms now, her attitude gradually souring. it's something she can't help, because whenever she has to talk about their circumstances, it just rubs her the wrong way more and more. ]
Accordin' to this Jerry fella, we're here 'cuz we've been accused of a crime we've committed, and we gotta work our way to redemption. So this is just a gussy-up prison, with horseshit mixed in.
[Oh, you think you can just waltz into this town without Quentin noticing, huh?? Quentin Quire, omega level telepath??? Well, think again, buddy!]
Aha! There you are!
[Quentin (in his civvies, no mutant uniform today) is about 20 feet away, slightly out of breath and pointing at Cable accusingly, as if the guy was trying to hide from him. Which he clearly wasn't. What the hell?
There is... a slight chance that Quentin sensed a familiar psychic presence, got excited that somebody here—and another telepath to boot!—is finally from his universe, and bolted off to go find Cable without considering what he would actually say once he found him. But that's not important!!]
[ cable freezes in the act of offering out his turkey leg to the disgusted stranger, then blinks once, surprised by the surprise. he and quentin didn't really interact a lot on krakoa--though they were both dating cuckoos at one point, and they ran in slightly tangled circles--so he's admittedly not sure at first how to respond to the clear psychic excitement.
but on the other hand, after what happened on krakoa, and after all the upheaval, and considering this place is neither (apparently!) earth nor one of the familiar timelines cable hikes through, well. maybe he gets it a little bit. ]
Hey, man. Want a corndog? [ he offers out his other fist, wrapped around the stick of said corndog, but more importantly, he relaxes his psychic shields into a cautious ping of greeting and question. for most of his life, his mutant abilities have been tied up in keeping the virus in check, but he did get a lot more practice in using them more broadly while he was with his family. it's probably not the sophistication quentin is used to, but hey, any psychic port in a storm, right? ]
[Okay, so. Here's the thing: Quentin has barely interacted with Old Cable. Mostly because that guy is a total buzzkill. Kid Cable? That's just the younger, cooler, hipper version of the guy everybody already likes even if he's a big angry bastard with trash telepathy skills. So, you know. Even more of everybody likes him. Like the Cuckoos.And he stole Quentin's iconic hairstyle kinda, which is, like... super not cool.
And look, it's not like he was expecting Cable to be rude. Or tell him to buzz off or shove him in a locker or... whatever. But offering a corndog? And—however clumsily—psychically reaching out? Wasn't even on Quentin's list of possibilities. Which, in retrospect, it probably should've been, but, you know, hindsight and all that. On Krakoa it would've been totally normal. Just another day.
But Krakoa's gone. And here? After two goddamn months of Quentin recognizing so many people and none of them recognizing him? Two months of every telepath he can find around here being either a brick wall or uninterested? It's... nice, okay? It's really fucking nice. Quentin's never been great at shielding his own emotions from nearby psychics, so he knows his relief is probably coming off of him in waves, but hey, maybe Cable will be a bro and not point it out. Outwardly, though, he just lowers his hand, looks a bit unsure for half a second, and shoves his hands in his jacket pockets before casually strolling towards Cable.]
[ krakoa had been a 180 from what his life had been like up until that point, and it had definitely taken adjusting to, but he.. also really misses it. mutants can't seem to have anything nice for long, so he hadn't been surprised when it all imploded, but he had been disappointed.
so yeah, in spite of the fact that they're relative strangers, it's kind of nice to see quentin. he's surprised all over again by the relief and openness, though. from everything he's heard about the guy, he was never the friendliest.. but hey, people change, and after the time quentin spent in x-force, cable would guess it would be weirder for him not to have some epiphanies about himself. he'd seen the fucked up way logan came back from missions at times.
he hands over the corndog once he's close enough, shifting to lean his hips against the table of a booth. ]
So, [ he adds, tearing off a little of his turkey leg and shoving it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing. ] Guess I'm gonna' rule out elaborate psychic construct, since you're still here. [ and quentin's no telepathic slouch. if this was a construct, he probably would've already shattered it, right? ] I heard there were some problems with an AI? [ which might explain belle. ]
[Gwen really didn't feel like being here. She wasn't exactly in the mood for a festival after losing Peter still being so fresh. She's still going between denial and acceptance depending on the day, but today is one of her better days. The other Peter had encouraged her to get some fresh air, and honestly, who could say no to fair food?
Just like the other spiders, Gwen's metabolism is through the roof. She has to eat a ton and get a ton of calories to maintain her energy levels, so of course she's poking around the food stands first. There's just something special about fair food, something you can only get during times like this. Everyone from New York City has been to Coney Island, and she's no different. She's got a decent amount of snacks already tucked into her arms but she's still perusing to make sure she's gotten everything she wants.
But when she spots another teen with even more than what she's already snagged in his own arms, and she raises an eyebrow.]
Uh-- nope. No, I'm all set. [She glances at her own full arms, and back at his. Hmm. Interesting.] Are you?
[ he sees your haul, and he's absolutely making notes of what he hasn't already seen yet, gwen. ]
Me? No way. I'm going to hit up every food stall here at least once. [ he nods to his prosthetic arm. ] I have a liminal space pocket where I can shove things I can't eat. They stay fresh there. [ greasy fair food any time he wants. you never know when you might need it.
[She'd be lying if she said she wasn't going to be doing just the same, but she gets slightly distracted by the revelations about his special prosthetic arm.]
Wait, seriously?? Lucky. That's so cool. [It makes her miss her friends if she thinks too hard, but she tries not to let bad thoughts win over right now. Even if it does sound exactly like something Peter Porker would take advantage of with his liminal space.]
Oh, this? [She shifts the weight in her arms, nodding to the battered and fried thing covered in powdered sugar.] Honestly? No idea. It was something that shouldn't be fried that they absolutely fried. Hydrox? No, wait-- what did they call them here again-- Oh, right. Oreos?
Sure. It's not really supposed to be used for food storage, but it's liminal, it's fine. [ probably. best not to question it too much.
his eyes light up at the explanation. ] I have no idea what an oreo is. [ but it clearly doesn't matter, because he's going to get some as soon as he finds the right stall. ] .. Hydrox is the same thing?
[ cable how did you live on krakoa all that time and never once try oreos? ]
Look, being here, celebrating a festival like this after the reset... it's nice. Sure, he relaxed a couple of weeks ago back at the hot springs, but this is a more city wide event for everyone. It's a good opportunity to feel normal for a couple of days, maybe catch more of his friends that he hasn't been able to check on and just be certain that things are (mostly) back to its usual routine. It's still worrying that a couple of his friends are missing, but he has to focus on what's in front of him.
Like some unfamiliar teen carrying enough food in his arms to feed an army. Damn. He kind of respects it. Also, is his eye glowing?? And is that a metal arm?? Not to mention that gun looks kind of cool--]
Seriously man? [Scott arches an eyebrow above those ever present red shades, his arms folded, although mostly out of amusement.] Pretty sure that you wouldn't starve?
[Yeah he's not about sharing germs with someone that's 100% totally unrelated to him. Super unrelated.]
[ hold the fuck up. ... that voice is kind of familiar? and are those ruby-quartz glasses?
he turns to a passerby, abruptly shoving everything in his arms into theirs instead, which they accept out of startled reflex. ] Hey, hold onto this for me, I'll be right back.
[ which is his cue to turn back to the other teenager, stalking forward to peer into his face, then circle him briefly. .. oh. yeah, it's him, alright, though there are some differences from the younger version of his father he'd seen before. different style, different haircut.. but still scott summers.
he pauses in front of him again and offers out his hand. ] Hey. Call me Cable. I think we might be from completely different iterations of the timeline of our world. [ sure, that's not a confusing or concerning comment at all. ]
There's not much Scott can do but stand there stunned, eyes blinking behind his shades as the other teen peers closely at his face before proceeding to circle him like some sort of detective. Not quite the picture Scott imagined when he thinks of detectives; they for sure don't have a metal arm, but he feels like a suspect that's being examined!! Scott's mouth parts to not exactly tell him off, but complain, because geez. At least state why you're being weird...
...
Different timelines.
Oh.
So, the other teen knows him. The close examining of his face, the circling around him. Yeah, it all makes sense now. Maybe it shouldn't have taken this long for him to figure this out, but as Scott looks at Cable's offered hand to his face, the mutant knows that he's talking with another person that knows him from the future. Or a different timeline. Maybe both. Well, cool. At least he's gotten a lot better at accepting this kind of thing, between dealing with the other mutants here, and stepping up to be leader of the X-Men last month.
Besides, he uh, can't let any awkward feelings get in the way, right? So, he takes the offered hand, grasping it firmly as he finally pushes down that initial trepidation to smile lightly at Cable.]
Not my first encounter. [...] Or even my second or third. [Then, he's teasing lightly.] Honestly, man, you're lagging behind.
[Altius is having to get used to these strange-looking people. As one of the very few involved in supernatural affairs in his own world, he thought he'd gotten used to strange, but this place has certainly thrown that out the window...
Still, he only blinks mildly at the disgruntled teenager before answering.]
One that rewards difficult honesty, it seems.
[He's in a typical vampire costume minus the requisite fangs, partly out of necessity given the state of what he arrived in. Blending in is helping him regain a sense of control, though.]
Though some people take every opportunity to express that sort of thing.
[ he glances at the stranger, then back down at the pumpkin, planting a fist on his hip with a thoughtful frown. ] Not sure a plastic, blow-up toy bear is a good enough reward for this much honesty.
[ at least give them the good shit. something cable could theoretically use as barter or something in the future.
he jerks his chin toward the older man, expression questioning. ] What'd you get?
[He's hardly in the mood for games... though his expression doesn't show his true disdain for the whole matter. He still might be convinced. His tone almost sounds light as he continues:]
You never know what the people around here might trade you for that bear, however.
[He doesn't just have to keep his bartering to the future. There are little still a few kids and people enamored with cute things right here, right now. Expand your horizons, Cable!]
[As it turns out, the person who's sidled up to the table next to him and is now outright staring is a space alien - or dressed like one. Morph's in a silver metallic jumpsuit like the kind of retro astronaut you'd see on the cover of a pulp magazine, complete with a clear fishbowl helmet and a fake red plastic raygun in a holster on their hip. There's also a pair of antennae stuck to the top of the helmet as a nod to the fact that they were supposed to be an alien rather than a regular astronaut. It just worked better with their looks.]
Wait... you're Cable, aren't you?
[Well, this was awkward. Morph's met Nathan as a baby and as an adult, but finding him somewhere in-between was a real surprise. He was actually smaller? And without all that muscle??]
It's usually a good idea to just roll along with it. So, what is it that you hate so much, huh?
[ he ignores the staring at first, accustomed to that sort of reaction. he has a reputation in his own time, after all, and he sort of has one in.. a lot of times and places now. after all, the old man's been everywhere, and that means that every version of cable has also been everywhere. it's a time-travel thing.
when the stranger speaks up, though, using his name, he blinks and glances over, and is a little surprised to realize that the face behind the helmet isn't part of a costume.
oh. another mutant? ]
Yeah, I am, [ he agrees a little cautiously, because being a fellow mutant doesn't necessarily mean good will even in or post-krakoan age. ] .. And I'm not going to get into my psyche without at least getting a name in return.
Not even a little peek? Well, that seems fair enough. I go by Morph.
[No, it wasn't their birth name, but they didn't use that one too often anymore. They're not expecting Cable to know who they were, either - time traveling stuff was one thing, but they have no idea if a teenage version of the guy has done all that homework about past events yet. Plus with the way things worked here, different worlds and timelines were never out of the question.]
I know your parents, if you want to put it that way. I'm used to seeing you look a lot more older and rugged, though. Listen, if you start using sunscreen now, it'll help you out a lot once you get to that point.
[Fauna has good reflexes, if nothing else. Soon as she hears the call from above, she leaps backwards, clearing the way for Cable to land. Her tail flicks behind her as she sizes up this.... guy....
... Wow, what the hell happened to him? Did he start turning into a monster, too? And...]
[Here's one blue furry guy who is currently dressed as a pirate! One the guy drops down, Kurt teleports out of the way of the dropping guy and then stares at him. What a cool dude!]
Um, hit there! Not earth, totally different planet, and I've got no clue what year it's supposed to be! But man, you know how to make an entrance!
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expiationlogs2024-10-14 08:59 am
cable ( marvel ) tdm
Hey! Outta the way!
[ hope you heeded the warning from overhead, because a few seconds later, a teenager in armor with a crazy-looking gun strapped to his back drops out of the air and lands in approximately the same spot you were just in. where the hell did he come from? must be that ginormous iron cage swinging overhead near the top floor of the building.
he straightens up, blinking--and wow, that left eye sure is, uh, glowy--and taps his.. is his left arm prosthetic, too? huh. anyway, he taps the prosthetic bicep impatiently. ] Hey, Belle, this isn't where we're supposed to be. [ a second tap as no answer is apparently forthcoming, and he heaves a sigh, finally glancing up. ] Hey, is this earth? What year is it?
FESTIVAL.
a.
[ oh, were you expecting cable to get in on the games or rides or whatever? nah, this boy's indulging in every conceivable fair food he can get his greedy lil fingers on. his arms are full. there's a turkey leg between his teeth. it would be a testament to gluttony for anyone who doesn't know he comes from a shitty post-apocalyptic future where food's scarce at best. .. look, he may have lived on krakoa a while, but you don't grow out of food insecurity that fast.
plus, fair food's tasty.
he arches his brows at anyone looking at him funny, shifting food around so he can pluck the turkey leg out of his bite, then offering it out. ] What? Did you want some? [ he ain't scared of cooties. ]
b.
[ he turns one of the pumpkins over and his expression screws up into displeasure. ] 'Tell someone about the thing you hate most, deep down'? [ a sharp glance up. ] Hey, what the hell? What kind of carnival is this, anyway?
[ .. he doesn't really want to do it, but.. maybe. ]
WILDCARD.
[ down to do the other games/rides/etc, just prompt me or pm for a personalized prompt! ]
wildcard!!
she isn't exactly sure how to accomplish something like that, when she... well, was for breaking the simulation than saving it. some seemed to be okay with her so far despite her beliefs, but do they trust her? possibly not. but it's something she is used to, and rogue knows in order to gain trust of others is by earning it. ]
[ but that is neither here nor there. right now, it's important to make sure nothing in this festival/carnival will go astray, and what better way to keep an eye on everything than being a watchful eye in the skies? hovering, the southerner observes all the citizens until she spots a teenager with... familiar gear. but what really catches her eye is the arm prosthetic. there's only one person in her life with that, and her heart flutters in sheer shock, and disbelief. ]
Nathan!
[ probably should have gone with the codename than his birth name, but it might give him a better reason to look above him — which he will see a woman zooming down to him. ]
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Auntie! [ he shades his eyes, briefly and amusingly a little alarmed as she barrels toward him, and lifts his other hand to wave at her. it gleams under the sun, making it all the more apparent that he is who he seems to be. (though she'll doubtless be a little surprised at how much younger he is when she's close enough to tell.)
once she's within easy reach, he does just that, wrapping his arms around her in a brief, hard hug. (she's a powerhouse, she can take it.) ] I was just starting to wonder why I'm in this, uh, timeline or whatever it is.
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number two is this hug alone. their interaction with his older self was extremely brief, and with them being so busy with bastion (and magneto turning off the power and her siding with him), there was little room for friendly or loving moments.
and three? he is long ways away from being that bull build adult she had gotten to know. but despite all these things, rogue returns the embrace just as tight (well, not too tight) as a warm and gentle smile glow along her face.
she isn't exactly the rogue he knows, but she will happily take the role of his auntie without a second thought. and who knows what is happening or happened to his scott and madelyne (maybe she's still alive?), but if he needs a parental figure while he's here, she'll be that for him. anyhow, she breaks their hug slightly while keeping her gloved hands on each of his shoulders. ]
Well, look at you! Lookin' how you look. — I've said you've grown since I've last saw ya, but in my case, you've done shrunk.
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still, her comment makes him glance up, taking her in more fully. oh. yeah, he can see now that she's younger than the rogue he'd known back home. he must be quite a surprise, then, especially considering what a sour-faced grouch his older self is.
he grins, brief and fond. ] Yeah, I'm a little more svelte than the old man, huh? He's doing okay. [ last he talked to him, anyway. ] How're you doing? How long have you been here? [ his current theory is pocket dimension, but he doesn't care that much about this reality as long as it doesn't affect his own world or the people he loves. just give him something to shoot at. ]
no subject
besides, this is a happy reunion, and she doesn't want to damper the mood with her personal struggles. rubbing and squeezing his shoulders affectionately, rogue finally pulls away from their hold completely and rests her hands on her hips. ]
Ah, well, ya know me, Baby, ain't nothin' I can't handle. A lil' spit shine and elbow grease, and I can get through it. I've been here for about three months, and to answer your question earlier, there is no timeline to this place.
[ possibly sound strange, so she elaborates a little more — throwing her gloved hand nonchalantly at their surrounding atmosphere. ]
This all here? — We're in a computer, a simulation. And whoever is controllin' it is forcing all of us from different Earths and times to be smack down here.
[ she folds her arms now, her attitude gradually souring. it's something she can't help, because whenever she has to talk about their circumstances, it just rubs her the wrong way more and more. ]
Accordin' to this Jerry fella, we're here 'cuz we've been accused of a crime we've committed, and we gotta work our way to redemption. So this is just a gussy-up prison, with horseshit mixed in.
festival a (also aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa kid cable!!!)
Aha! There you are!
[Quentin (in his civvies, no mutant uniform today) is about 20 feet away, slightly out of breath and pointing at Cable accusingly, as if the guy was trying to hide from him. Which he clearly wasn't. What the hell?
There is... a slight chance that Quentin sensed a familiar psychic presence, got excited that somebody here—and another telepath to boot!—is finally from his universe, and bolted off to go find Cable without considering what he would actually say once he found him. But that's not important!!]
bable, if u will
but on the other hand, after what happened on krakoa, and after all the upheaval, and considering this place is neither (apparently!) earth nor one of the familiar timelines cable hikes through, well. maybe he gets it a little bit. ]
Hey, man. Want a corndog? [ he offers out his other fist, wrapped around the stick of said corndog, but more importantly, he relaxes his psychic shields into a cautious ping of greeting and question. for most of his life, his mutant abilities have been tied up in keeping the virus in check, but he did get a lot more practice in using them more broadly while he was with his family. it's probably not the sophistication quentin is used to, but hey, any psychic port in a storm, right? ]
bable u wholesome child
Like the Cuckoos.And he stole Quentin's iconic hairstyle kinda, which is, like... super not cool.And look, it's not like he was expecting Cable to be rude. Or tell him to buzz off or shove him in a locker or... whatever. But offering a corndog? And—however clumsily—psychically reaching out? Wasn't even on Quentin's list of possibilities. Which, in retrospect, it probably should've been, but, you know, hindsight and all that. On Krakoa it would've been totally normal. Just another day.
But Krakoa's gone. And here? After two goddamn months of Quentin recognizing so many people and none of them recognizing him? Two months of every telepath he can find around here being either a brick wall or uninterested? It's... nice, okay? It's really fucking nice. Quentin's never been great at shielding his own emotions from nearby psychics, so he knows his relief is probably coming off of him in waves, but hey, maybe Cable will be a bro and not point it out. Outwardly, though, he just lowers his hand, looks a bit unsure for half a second, and shoves his hands in his jacket pockets before casually strolling towards Cable.]
Uh. Yeah, sure. Sure.
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so yeah, in spite of the fact that they're relative strangers, it's kind of nice to see quentin. he's surprised all over again by the relief and openness, though. from everything he's heard about the guy, he was never the friendliest.. but hey, people change, and after the time quentin spent in x-force, cable would guess it would be weirder for him not to have some epiphanies about himself. he'd seen the fucked up way logan came back from missions at times.
he hands over the corndog once he's close enough, shifting to lean his hips against the table of a booth. ]
So, [ he adds, tearing off a little of his turkey leg and shoving it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing. ] Guess I'm gonna' rule out elaborate psychic construct, since you're still here. [ and quentin's no telepathic slouch. if this was a construct, he probably would've already shattered it, right? ] I heard there were some problems with an AI? [ which might explain belle. ]
(no subject)
a
Just like the other spiders, Gwen's metabolism is through the roof. She has to eat a ton and get a ton of calories to maintain her energy levels, so of course she's poking around the food stands first. There's just something special about fair food, something you can only get during times like this. Everyone from New York City has been to Coney Island, and she's no different. She's got a decent amount of snacks already tucked into her arms but she's still perusing to make sure she's gotten everything she wants.
But when she spots another teen with even more than what she's already snagged in his own arms, and she raises an eyebrow.]
Uh-- nope. No, I'm all set. [She glances at her own full arms, and back at his. Hmm. Interesting.] Are you?
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Me? No way. I'm going to hit up every food stall here at least once. [ he nods to his prosthetic arm. ] I have a liminal space pocket where I can shove things I can't eat. They stay fresh there. [ greasy fair food any time he wants. you never know when you might need it.
or might need to barter with it. don't ask. ]
What's that powdered thing you have there?
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Wait, seriously?? Lucky. That's so cool. [It makes her miss her friends if she thinks too hard, but she tries not to let bad thoughts win over right now. Even if it does sound exactly like something Peter Porker would take advantage of with his liminal space.]
Oh, this? [She shifts the weight in her arms, nodding to the battered and fried thing covered in powdered sugar.] Honestly? No idea. It was something that shouldn't be fried that they absolutely fried. Hydrox? No, wait-- what did they call them here again-- Oh, right. Oreos?
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his eyes light up at the explanation. ] I have no idea what an oreo is. [ but it clearly doesn't matter, because he's going to get some as soon as he finds the right stall. ] .. Hydrox is the same thing?
[ cable how did you live on krakoa all that time and never once try oreos? ]
(no subject)
festival a
Look, being here, celebrating a festival like this after the reset... it's nice. Sure, he relaxed a couple of weeks ago back at the hot springs, but this is a more city wide event for everyone. It's a good opportunity to feel normal for a couple of days, maybe catch more of his friends that he hasn't been able to check on and just be certain that things are (mostly) back to its usual routine. It's still worrying that a couple of his friends are missing, but he has to focus on what's in front of him.
Like some unfamiliar teen carrying enough food in his arms to feed an army. Damn. He kind of respects it. Also, is his eye glowing?? And is that a metal arm?? Not to mention that gun looks kind of cool--]
Seriously man? [Scott arches an eyebrow above those ever present red shades, his arms folded, although mostly out of amusement.] Pretty sure that you wouldn't starve?
[Yeah he's not about sharing germs with someone that's 100% totally unrelated to him. Super unrelated.]
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he turns to a passerby, abruptly shoving everything in his arms into theirs instead, which they accept out of startled reflex. ] Hey, hold onto this for me, I'll be right back.
[ which is his cue to turn back to the other teenager, stalking forward to peer into his face, then circle him briefly. .. oh. yeah, it's him, alright, though there are some differences from the younger version of his father he'd seen before. different style, different haircut.. but still scott summers.
he pauses in front of him again and offers out his hand. ] Hey. Call me Cable. I think we might be from completely different iterations of the timeline of our world. [ sure, that's not a confusing or concerning comment at all. ]
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There's not much Scott can do but stand there stunned, eyes blinking behind his shades as the other teen peers closely at his face before proceeding to circle him like some sort of detective. Not quite the picture Scott imagined when he thinks of detectives; they for sure don't have a metal arm, but he feels like a suspect that's being examined!! Scott's mouth parts to not exactly tell him off, but complain, because geez. At least state why you're being weird...
...
Different timelines.
Oh.
So, the other teen knows him. The close examining of his face, the circling around him. Yeah, it all makes sense now. Maybe it shouldn't have taken this long for him to figure this out, but as Scott looks at Cable's offered hand to his face, the mutant knows that he's talking with another person that knows him from the future. Or a different timeline. Maybe both. Well, cool. At least he's gotten a lot better at accepting this kind of thing, between dealing with the other mutants here, and stepping up to be leader of the X-Men last month.
Besides, he uh, can't let any awkward feelings get in the way, right? So, he takes the offered hand, grasping it firmly as he finally pushes down that initial trepidation to smile lightly at Cable.]
Not my first encounter. [...] Or even my second or third. [Then, he's teasing lightly.] Honestly, man, you're lagging behind.
festival b
Still, he only blinks mildly at the disgruntled teenager before answering.]
One that rewards difficult honesty, it seems.
[He's in a typical vampire costume minus the requisite fangs, partly out of necessity given the state of what he arrived in. Blending in is helping him regain a sense of control, though.]
Though some people take every opportunity to express that sort of thing.
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[ at least give them the good shit. something cable could theoretically use as barter or something in the future.
he jerks his chin toward the older man, expression questioning. ] What'd you get?
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[He's hardly in the mood for games... though his expression doesn't show his true disdain for the whole matter. He still might be convinced. His tone almost sounds light as he continues:]
You never know what the people around here might trade you for that bear, however.
[He doesn't just have to keep his bartering to the future. There are little still a few kids and people enamored with cute things right here, right now. Expand your horizons, Cable!]
B!
Wait... you're Cable, aren't you?
[Well, this was awkward. Morph's met Nathan as a baby and as an adult, but finding him somewhere in-between was a real surprise. He was actually smaller? And without all that muscle??]
It's usually a good idea to just roll along with it. So, what is it that you hate so much, huh?
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when the stranger speaks up, though, using his name, he blinks and glances over, and is a little surprised to realize that the face behind the helmet isn't part of a costume.
oh. another mutant? ]
Yeah, I am, [ he agrees a little cautiously, because being a fellow mutant doesn't necessarily mean good will even in or post-krakoan age. ] .. And I'm not going to get into my psyche without at least getting a name in return.
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[No, it wasn't their birth name, but they didn't use that one too often anymore. They're not expecting Cable to know who they were, either - time traveling stuff was one thing, but they have no idea if a teenage version of the guy has done all that homework about past events yet. Plus with the way things worked here, different worlds and timelines were never out of the question.]
I know your parents, if you want to put it that way. I'm used to seeing you look a lot more older and rugged, though. Listen, if you start using sunscreen now, it'll help you out a lot once you get to that point.
arrival
... Wow, what the hell happened to him? Did he start turning into a monster, too? And...]
The hell is with that eye?
[#nailed it]
Arrival
Um, hit there! Not earth, totally different planet, and I've got no clue what year it's supposed to be! But man, you know how to make an entrance!