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While Laura has been increasing her range of activity lately, for the most part, the treetops in Central Park is still where she most often lurks. Making it a home for herself. Occasionally helping people in trouble. But more often then not, she keeps out of sight. Right now she's perched on a high branch, keeping view of the ongoings below like a scout.
Lorna had, very carefully, asked Cassie to join her on a trip to the city that afternoon. The green haired mutant looked rather frazzled to put it simply, and wore a pair of shorts with a floral printed tank-top and jean jacket. "So, Remy and I went into town. He needed to get some jeans and stuff. And would you believe it, but the guy behind the cash register totally flipped out at us. He refused us service, and then went for his gun. I mean, I could sense the gun was there, but oh my god. It was brutal. Like who does that?"
She shook her head, sipping at her milkshake. "Totally freaked me out. And Remy said something to the guy and tried to walk out with the jeans anyways, but I wouldn't let him. Geeze."
Cassandra Wu-San naturally was happy to not have to sneak out again. It's rather awkward, almost as awkward as the looks she gets from the telepaths over feeling cooped up. Cass has her hands in her hoodie pockets, having long since gotten it mended like new from the last time she went into town. She has one eye before her and the other up at Lorna. They are similar height, but Lorna is modestly taller.
Cassie's brows are furrowed at Lorna as she endeavors to follow her story. Something about a gun and Remy. She holds up an index finger meaningfully to Lorna, then makes a gun with her hand that she points out generally. Raising her brows up at Lor, she takes her other hand and presses down on the gun hand's raised thumb. She she shakes her head meaningfully at this point.
Laura spots Lorna, she had met her before, but she doesn't know the younger girl at Lorna's side. So she doesn't approach, she just keeps a close eye. Hearing about a gun was a bit of concern, but then Lorna seems well enough, so surely the person wielding the gun didn't know how to operate it.
A nod followed as Lorna finally caught Cassie's questioning look and motion of her hand. "Yeah, gun." She shrugged lightly, "But it's metal, so I could magnetize.. uhm stick it, to the counter. He couldn't lift it up to shoot us." She wiggled her fingers as she mentioned her powers, and Cassie could feelt a light tug at the metal on her person. Just a friendly little nudge to help explain what she meant.
"Also, you're so wrong about Remy being dangerous. He's so chill. He's got a kitten too. He went out of his way to buy a kitten. Seriously, he can't be that bad if he did that, right?"
Cassandra Wu-San feels her zipper and pants button tug and reaches to protect her public dignity through her jacket pockets! Her eyes are saucered as she looks around at this and exhales mildly.
A moment later, Cassie twitches her nose and hits Lorna with a dubious expression when she's told she's wrong about someone. What heresy hath Lorna spake…
The most unfortunate people in New York rarely miss an opportunity to fill the void left by defeated drama. Enter Larry, Curly, and Moe in the form of a pair of irish deadbeats who look like they ditched out on a hefty tab and are looking to score while teamed up with an italian greaser. The trio are in biker fashion, cliche troublemakers if there ever was such. And they make themselves known rising from a park bench and gesturing Cassie and Lorna's way. In all likelihood, they had been well behaved up to this point…
Like clockwork, with potential trouble about, Laura jumps down from the tree and lands like it was just a jump to the left. Her eyes are glowering at the wouldbe troublemakers, who dress distinctly to broadcast their intention. She starts walking their way, but only enough so she's between them and Lorna. She only regards Lorna in passing, when she, well, passes her by and quips, "hello."
Lorna offered a sheepish grin as Cassie looked around for the source of what was tugging at the metal on her person. "Sorry! I was just demontrating, er.. showing you what I meant." She bit her lower lip, and at the dry look she made a mock cower at Cassie's expression.
"It's true! He's really cool. I like him. And not just that accent. He's really relaxed, and nonjudgemental."
Further comments were broken off as the troublemakers came upon their path and she slowed her steps, hesitation pulling at her. Of course, that all ended as Laura jumped into sight and put herself between them. "Laura!" She stirred, coming up toward the other mutant.
Then her gaze swung toward the men before them. "Oh man."
The trio will chuckle amongst themselves as Irish Thug A, Larry, smiles real big for the camera while folding his arms and speaking down his nose at the girls,"Wouldja lookit this, a buncha teenage girls out for a walk onna school night. An' who you s'posed to be droppin' out o' trees like that, Jungle Jane? Y'all know the drill, stop playin' tough and fork it over."
Cassandra sniffs derisively at them. Likely it's the hair grease and cheap cologne. Bad combination in the summer. Cassie will step up to the plate, not to be outdone by Laura where street trash is concerned. The sound of knuckles popping emanates from her pockets as fists ball up.
Laura doesn't go out of her way to kill, not when someone is not a target. But she has no qualms about doing so, thus in the spirit of mercy, she maintains her glower on those troublemaker and says with sheer seriousness, "go away, or die, I keep this one safe," she potentially refers to the looks they've been giving Lorna while leering at her and Cassie.
Lorna looks quickly between the two girls on either side of her protectively, a blink, and then another followed as she turned green eyes upon the leering men. If she ever had a chance to look back, it would be odd, considering her power set being the most flashy.. but there it was. It seemed to take her a while to process exactly what was going on, before Lorna straightened and flexed her hands.
"Okay, for starters, totally not a school night, but whatever. Secondly, you asked for it.." She muttered, and threw up her hands to push a wave of magnetic power in their direction.
The problem with typical thug-biker clothing? Tons of metal, buckles, buttons and zippers. Far too easy for the magnokinetic to extert her influence on.
The men would sputter with chuckles at Laura and Cassandra, and Larry would start to form some clever quip to toss at Laura's blunt guarantee of violence when they all three found themselves blown back as their jewelry and clothing snatch them along like rag dolls under Lorna's power. They tumble and skid for a few yards where they blink in a mixture of hurt and astonishment, looking they had actually been in a bike wreck. Tragically enough, Lorna may have noted an absence of keys on the trio. Maybe they only cosplay as bikers to play tough?
Cassandra would have a surprised look on her face at this event. She knows by now who can make things like this happen, so doesn't have to look back to verify. Seeing them attempt to drag themselves up by their wallet chains, she merely shrugs and glances over at Laura.
Laura remains perfectly still, perfectly cool, and just as they were about to up the ante, they get cast aside like paper by Lorna. Laura, on the other hand, didn't really shift one muscle. She remains still and merely quips, "thank you for complying." She then turns around, looking curiously at Cassandra for a moment, and then turns to Lorna, "you can protect yourself…no need for my help. Good to know."
A sheepish laugh followed as Lorna combed her fingers through her hair. "Sorry, I just.. still learning to use my powers when I panic. It's getting easier to control them. A month or two ago, I might not have been able to control what I pushed away." She flushed and ducked her head, biting her lower lip. "Also, I though I had to do something because they didn't look like they were gonna give up just 'cause you warned them."
Green eyes lifted back and she gestured to Cassandra and then to Laura. "Cassie, this is Laura. Cassie goes to the same school up in Westchester that I go to." A pause and she considered Laura, "You really should consider coming up and at least meeting the Professor sometime.."
Cassandra Wu-San regards Laura as the trio make themselves scarce post haste. She doesn't bother speaking as Lorna handled the introductions herself. A long look ensues before she looks back up to Lorna and exhales nasally with a quirk of her lips. Her brows are raised slightly, but no commentary is forthwith.
"I warned them for you," Laura suggests it was some kind of gesture to avoid violence she would otherwise relish. After all, last time she saw Lorna, there were some talk of protests against mutants on the rise.
As Lorna motions at Cassandra, Laura turns to look her over, studying her quietly. She doesn't introduce herself, for the very same reason, Lorna had seen to introductions. She does return her gaze to Lorna at the suggestion she go see a Professor at some school. "I don't like Professors…I am with name. No more."
A sigh pulled from her lips, glancing between Cassie and back to Laura. "Well I can see I'll have to be the one to do a lot of the talking. Groovy." She drawled and then shrugged lightly, "Yes, you did. I just don't think they took it as seriously as they should have." She offered and then raked her hand through green locks to exhale a breath.
"Okay, that's fair. I won't push you on that if you'd rather not. Though he's really nice." She smiled weakly and let her hand fall back.
"However, I totally think I'll have to bug my nephews. They live in the city and are about our age. One's a speedster, he's really fast." She supplied to Cassie before she continued.
"We've got a group of young mutants and what nots, and I say that because I'm pretty sure one of them is part alien or something, and one of my nephews has magic.." She trailed off and glanced back toward them.
Cassandra Wu-San hmms at Laura's explanation. but then looks to Lorna as she emits frustration at the one sidedness of verbal discourse. She'll press her lips into a line as she looks down, then mutters,"Sorry…"
Cassie will follow along with her elaboration about who all is there, or at least make a show of it. She follows her physically as well, keeping one keen up at her even as she observes before them much like before.
Laura is already heading back to climb back up the tree she leaped down from, the mention of a Professor apparently jarred unpleasant associations for her. She wants nothing to do with that school or its students, which she naturally takes for just another Weapon X Factility. Like hell she'd let them do scientific experiements on her again. Now that she tasted freedom, she'd rather not go back to living in a cell. But she doesn't explain all of that to Lorna, instead she just quips, "pass."
Lorna sighed, slunping slightly as Laura shot off toward the trees again. She held up a hand in a parting 'wait' or perhaps a wave goodbye, before it fell back to her side. "Bye Laura.." She mumbled, and glanced toward Cassie.
"Hey, it's not your fault. At least if you can't talk a whole lot, you won't mess up like I seem to do." She offered a lame, strained, smile before she turned to start heading in the direction of the car.
"C'mon lets just head back, hm?"
Cassandra Wu-San shrugs, commenting briefly in reply,"She…doesn't like word."
Cassandra then turns to follow returning the smile meekly as they head back to her car. Her hands fold and refold in her hoodie pockets as they go. Eventually she exhales a small sigh.