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It's early, and a crisp layer of snow blankets the worn vistas of Mutant Town. The sole sound in the muted street scene at this moment is the crunching of footsteps as a figure walks along the broken sidewalks with a serious stack of metal piping over one shoulder, easily several hundred pounds worth. If it wasn't for the cargo, he'd look like any other post-hoodlum clinging to his teenage years. He scans addresses as he walks, apparently either making a delivery or about to pull a very strange prank.
Even in Mutant Town some people stand out more than others. Starfire is a striking example of this in her unusual, and seasonally inappropriate, outfit. She's also casually floating along the sidewalk looking in shop windows with a flagrent disregard for gravity.
Isidore slows a bit on his route, turning his gaze on the unusual figure floating along. Lips turn up in a gentle muse as eyebrows rise, and he nods to her once he gets a bit closer. "Morning," he greets in his accented Brooklyn-ese, slowing to a halt as he watches the unusual woman.
"Yes. I believe it is still morning," Starfire replies brightly, in perfect although accentless English. "Although I do not have a time keeping device on my person." Her head tilts. "Those pipes seem very heavy, would you perhaps appreciate my assistance in transporting them to your destination?"
Cracking a smile at the response, Isidore nods at the affirmation of the hour. "Yep." Still bemused, he lets his own head drift slightly into a mild cant when she offers to help him haul. "Sure, I guess, if ya wanna. I only got another block to go, I think, and I ain't gonna run out of juice just yet. Thanks for askin', though." He begins to resume his course, tipping his chin up as he watches her. "Folks call me Izz. You got a name?"
"A name? Oh yes, my name is Koriand'r but people in America tend to call me Kori as it is easier." Starfire says with a smile, floating alongside. "May I ask what you intend to do with all those pipes? Do you work in construction perhaps?" She frowns. "Unless that is a rude question."
Isidore says, "Nice to meet ya, Kori." He widens his grin and tosses a wink her way. "I'm droppin' em off right up there, somebody's gotta fix a bunch of pipes. Crappy insulation and no money, so pipes go in a freeze." He looks her over in more detail, and adds, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess you got no problems with the weather.""
Starfire shrugs. "I do not think I would be impacted by the weather anywhere on the planet," she agrees. "At least the surface of the planet. I am unsure if I'd be okay if I fell into a volcano, but thankfully that is not really a likely occurance." She blinks a few times. "It seems counterproductive to fit pipes which do not tolerate the climate. Are there no building regulations in place to ensure structures are properly built?"
Isidore smiles again, brows lifting as he speaks to Kori. "Yeah, and volcanoes are hell on the wardrobe." He draws to a stop outside of a dense collection of storefronts, carefully swiveling his load to go down an alley without knocking into anything. "Oh, there's regulations, sure. But some folks, they gotta go through life cheating and stealing, so they skip out on 'em.
"That is very short sighted," Kori muses, shaking her head with disapproval. "Not to mention lacking in morals and character. It is at least good that you are helping people to repair the damage, hopefully with pipes better suited to the weather!"
"Yeah, it's pretty shitty, to be honest." Nearing the end of the alley, he sets the load of pipes down into the slushy mess coating the ground. "Eh.. I don't think there's anything special about the pipes, but I think someone's doing the insulation before they go in." He rises windmills his arm a bit, loosening his shoulder up. "We gotta chip in and help out, though, right? Who are we if we don't?"
"I wish I had some knowledge of construction skills which I could use to help," Starfire admits while floating down the alleyway. "But you are indeed right that people have a moral duty to aid those in need." She looks up at the building. "Do you think it would assist them if I flew the pipes up to the floor they are working on? Although I suppose the building does not have any access routes for those who fly."
Isidore squints an eye, looking up at the hovering woman. "Nah, don't think it does. Plus, it's usually the basement pipes that go, so I don't think they gotta go very far. I couldn't say, really — I'm just bringing the pipes, and someone else has got the other parts. Kind of a group effort, lots of folks chipping in. Thanks for asking, though. I guess you could ask when the building folks get here." He tips his head at the building before turning and making his way back out of the alley. "So, what kinda skills you got, that ain't construction?"
"I am naturally capable with languages," Kori explains earnestly. "I can fluently speak most, perhaps all, major languages on the planet. But I can't think of anything in particular I can do which would be considered a trade or skill. Why do you ask? Are you perhaps running an employment agency?"
"Me? I don't run nothin'" He grins at her, pausing on the sidewalk. Snow crunches as he shifts his feet, digging into his jacket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. "Can do a lot knowin' languages though. Translate, that kinda stuff. Hell, I'm not one to talk, really, not doing do well at the job thing, myself."
Starfire laughs. "You say that, but I have not really found anyone willing to employ someone who looks as… unusual as myself as a translator. Thankfully I don't really require food or water. So my expenses are generally quite low."
Isidore raises both brows. "No eating, huh? I guess that's good and bad." He sniffs once, striking up a match and lighting up a cigarette, puffing as he tucks the pack away. "I get the looks thing, though. We're a bunch of backwards idiots on this rock." He pinches the match head between bare fingertips to extinguish it, before flicking the match into a corner garbage can.
Kori sits, casually floating in mid-air "Oh I /can/ eat if I want. But it does save a lot of money if I refrain from eating anything but light. I do not know how common that is for mutants but it does come in handy during long journeys. I do not know if it is rude of me to ask but… if you are in mutant town does that mean you are also a mutant?"
Izzy nods, lips pursing as he listens to her explanation. "Ahh, I got it. It ain't a common thing for mutants that I know. We gotta eat." He leans against the wall nearby, shoulders against the brick as he hikes one leg up to rest his boot on the wall below. He takes a drag off his cigarette before adding, "And, I guess, no. Being in Mutant Town doesn't make someone a mutant. That said, yeah, I am. But me being a mutant is independent of my geography."
"You know those things are probably not very good for your health," Starfire points out, gesturing at the cigarette. "Airbourne toxins can be created by the combustion process." She frowns. "But the typical view of mutants is negative, so someone who was taking the time to assist here is more likely to be one than not. Forgive me for prying if it is a subject you do not like to talk about."
Isidore plucks the cigarette from his mouth and gives it the hairy eye for a moment before nodding to Kori. He takes another puff and then chuckles at her. "Oh, I talk about it, a lot. You don't have to worry there." A grin follows, and he adds, "Yeah, what you say is right. The fat cats, they don't care about anyone or anything that doesn't serve them directly. And the rest, they're too busy hating anything they got told to hate to reason out how stupid it is to do that. We're all in this together." He shakes his head and takes another drag, letting the cloud roll out as he speaks, "That's why I go south and do the freedom rides and protest."
"Freedom ride?" Starfire repeats. "Is that like a coney island rollercoaster?"
"Mmmm… not quite." Isidore looks over at Kori, tongue running along the inside of one cheek before he explains, "There's some of us up here who think all the racism and stupid crap the South gets up to is plain wrong. So, we get buses down there, and then ride 'em around, because the South still tries to make it illegal for black and white folks to mix on a bus. They get all riled up and come at us. Had a mob scene a few times." He shakes his head. "Been a couple years, but there's still a lot of work to do there."
"This country is very… strange at times," Starfire decides, a look of dismay on her face. "Having laws which only apply to some people.. Having different laws in certain parts of the country but not in others… At least there are people willing to stand up against it."
Isidore nods, exhaling another drag. "You got that right." He taps the cigarette off to one side, observing Kori for a few moments more. 'So, what's your story?"
Starfire raises an eyebrow. "My story? Do you mean my life story?" she wonders. "Sorry but English is not my native language. I was born in Monaco but had to leave when my sister tried to have me killed. And since then I've simply travelled from place to place. For now I am exploring America, although I do still sometimes fly elsewhere when the mood takes me."
He might or might not believe that, but Isidore just nods and finishes off his cigarette. "Sounds rough. Family fights are some of the worst." He runs one hand under his nose as he kicks off of the wall. "It's nice meeting you, and I hope the family stuff works out. I got a place to be, but hey, maybe I'll see you around?" He tosses her a casual nod and grins. "We can talk about place to explore, next time."
"It was a pleasure meeting you Izz," Starfire says brightly. "Perhaps I shall speak to you again sometime. Especially since I have moved to a house within the city. I wish you luck with your future freedom riding."