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Kai and Elmo had been talking about coming to the M.T. to discuss a few things with potential volunteers. Kai decided to tag along, and he's brought scones from Mrs. O'Reilly's to donate to the community center. It's just a couple dozen, but at least a few people will score some. "I hate to come empty-handed," he tells Elmo. Never mind how, at Saganaki, he steals food like it's going out of style.
Elmo's brought something too: his toolbox. There's a never-ending flow of work to be done around the place, much of it electric. If anybody suggested that fixing stuff was his way of showing that he cares, he'd deny it. "It's never gonna go to waste," he says to Kai.
JP totally approves of food schmoozings, incidently. Aces to you Kai. -2 points to Hufflepuff for calling JP a toolbox! here's looking at you, Sparkplug. As it was he was back down under a cabinet helping Elmo put in a new sink so for the purposes of greeting Kai he got a smudges white t-shirt, some jeans and well-loved black boots stuffed half into a cabnet greeting him with a muffled agreement, "Yeah I can usually eat a whole diner or die happy tryin." A pause later another muffle with a wrench waving once from below, "Hey, Kai." And then another murmur, "Sparkplug, how the sink still. I'm a shim it. "
Kai's expression perks up tenfold. Sparkplug? He smiles, open-mouthed and toothy as he gives Elmo a delighted look. Sparkplug! "Hey," he says. He drops the scones off with Ethel, then returns to watch what the mechanically inclined duo are doing. "You look so manly," he says, "fixing stuff."
Elmo grips the sink, bracing it against his hip to hold it still while JP does the shimming. "Feh," he says to Kai, but he's grinning, maybe even a little shy. Proud that JP's found him fit to bestow a code name on, but that's another thing he won't admit. "We're always manly."
JP agreed with his partner in crime muffled frin having his upper torso in a cabinet and also being short on air from being mid-grunt work. "Especially with scones, Oui? We prove this." With a heavy KA-TAAAANG the sink fell and there was some hammering of the shims going into place. H hand reached out and slap…slap… slapped at the floor until- ah ha! He grabbed the missing bit of plumbing to fit back into place. A grubby hand stuck back out of the cabinet for a scone. Do not hand the grubby handed man a scone. Ugh.
Kai gives Elmo a dubious look, even though he says, "Of course." He stuffs his hands in his back pockets and watches the proceedings more closely. "We had to hire a guy after I busted all the wiring in the house," Kai says. "I should've called on you, Elmo. I wasn't thinking. Next time I blow all the wiring, I'll let you guys know."
Elmo nudges JP with his boot. "Wash your hands first, ya animal." He scowls at Kai. "You did what? How did you do that? Were you tryin' to hook up the Batsignal?"
JP was down there for a moment more and turned the water lines back on. He made a finger wave in a circle for Elmo to open the tap to test it. No leaks! He pealed himself from under the cabinet and wiped greasy hands off on teh rag hanging out of his back pocket. Indignantly he noted to Elmo, "I, am not Severin." His interest went to Kai listening. He didn't do electric, that was all Elmo. The batsignal hiked an eyebrow up and he swat-swat-swatted at the side of Elmo's arm "Heeeey we should get us one'a those. Make it lookin like a big gear. It' look sweet!"
"I can blow lights out," Kai says. "Fire, electrical, you name it. Kapow!" He turns his hand, tendrils of darkness rising from his fingers to skirl off into inky eddies in the air before he reclaims. "I had a bad dream and they went pop." He grins at the pair, and he stands by with some scones for once hands are washed. "Anyway, next time I have a bad dream, I'll call you."
Elmo twists the tap on and off a few times. JP doesn't get squirted in the face, so it's good. He backs up, letting JP haul himself out from under the sink. "Walked right into that one," he says, with an ironic look up. Kai's demonstration is of great interest to him, and also concern. "Look at that. I didn't know you could do that. You could wreck my day real easy." Then JP's swatting at him and he swats back, annoyed and amused. "All right, all right already! No you can't have a Gearhead signal. Actually that would be great, let's build one."
JP outright scowled at Elmo when he said no, but as Elmo turned on a dime, got a slap on the shoudler and a grin. "Yaaaaas. Now we talkin. So this volunteer gig, how much it payin?" He was joking right? There was a hint that he was asking possibly just to get ELmo's goat, but he was asking Kai in not so many words (okay no words but the expectant look was there) 'What are you thinking you'll need done?'.
Kai sets scones within reach, then rubs his hands together and tells Elmo, "I'd never wreck your day on purpose. I've got control over it now, mostly." He glances between the two of them and says, "I need security at my gallery when it opens. The show about mutants. There's going to be some who object to what we're doing there, showing mutants in a positive light. Hopefully they'll keep quiet, but if they don't…" He smiles sheepishly as he adds, "I can pay from whatever money we bring in. It's all going to charity."
Elmo maybe surprisingly doesn't object to JP asking for money. "Gotta try to keep it from gettin' firebombed as long as possible," he says, wry, but not joking. "I sorta figure, whatever we learn we can put in practice with the garage and maybe this place, too." He washes up, then grabs a scone. "This place's got eyes on it, so that's not too urgent."
JP listened hile Elmo scrubbed up then followed suit. For a guy who lived out of his car he was opportunistic, not greedy. "What charity?" It sort of went without saying they were on board for providing security. His hips rest back against the counter and feigned stealing Elmo's scone. Lazy ass, but he wandered over to get his own.
"Probably the community center," Kai says. "I haven't decided, but I think if mutants are the subject, mutants should be helped." He waves a hand and says, "It's a place in SoHo. I've got a friend with deep pockets; we're putting this together." He helps himself to a scone, himself. Rich, chewy, slightly sweet with a little serving of jam on the side. "The exhibit's going to run on donations, but even if we don't make much, I'll make sure you get your money."
Elmo defends his scone, telling JP, "I /will/ shock you," playfully. He nods, listening to Kai. "Place can always use more money. It's great around the holidays when people wanna donate a lot, but M.T's poor all year round." Nothing the other two don't know. He's just putting it into words that can be worked with, mentally and emotionally.
JP ate his scone, eyes on Kai. His head hook, "Nah jes' give it to the community center. They need it most." Opportunistic, not greedy apparently. Or maybe he had some strict code he had himself follow on these things. "I can always get what I need. If these folk could they'd 've done so by now." That finger was sloooooowly reaching under Elmo's elbow to poke teh scone. Instigator. "What sorta stuff you pain' Kai? Squid people on bearskin rugs? Plants in a vase?"
Kai glances between the pair of them and just shakes his head knowingly. "This exhibit's mutants," he says. "I painted, sketched, and photographed volunteers to put on display. The meaning behind the work is the humanization of the already human. Some of the subjects, you wouldn't know they were mutants from looking at them. Some, you can tell, but they're captured doing everyday things anyone would do. I defy anyone to see these images and not see their shared humanity. That's going to make some people mad, but maybe it ought to."
Elmo swats JP away again, trying not to smile and instead glower at him, but it's not convincing. "Augh. I hope your teeth fall out and hair grows in their place." Yiddish has the best curses. When Kai shakes his head, he mutters, "What?" like it isn't obvious 'what'. Kai's trying to tell them important stuff, JP! He tears up the scone to eat it, while listening. "I gotta admit, I don't understand it so good. People see mutants all the time and still hate us."
JP had that lopsided bullshit grin. This was how he entertained himself: Finding new ways to give Elmo an ulcer. Kai's story in teh end proved interesting than harassing a scone he wasn't going to take anyways. Like a fucking cat that knocks things off a desk. Because. At the question of 'why' JP shrugged, "Cause they's only gonna see us how they wanna see us. Makin a picture tho? Forces them to see like… we the same. Sort of. Only they don' have to fight for what come easy. Kinda cool though, Kai, that you lookin to capture our lives though an' not makin no pity case outta us."
"Art, Elmo," Kai says. "Art shows life through a partiuclar lens and forces people to see it. It confronts them. I'm not saying it's going to change the minds of people who already hate mutants, but it's going to tell them they're wrong, and that's going to ruffle some feathers. But most importantly, it's people who aren't sure or think they know but they don't who'll see mutants in a new light and walk away feeling like maybe they've come closer to the right decision." Which is clearly mutant acceptance. He nods then to JP. "No pity cases, just beautiful people showing their beauty."
Elmo thinks about it, leaning next to JP. "So you're showing us to people who maybe want a reason not to hate us. And you can show 'em, we're just like they are, except sometimes we got extra parts." He looks at JP, eyebrows up, impressed.
JP ate his scote innocently as if the widom fo socrates didn't haphazzardly fall from his face. "Wut? Jes' because I didn' finish 9th grade don' mean I don' pay attention." There was a shrug then there was scone. "Soho seem' pretty good. Likely t'draw some heat." He considered and consulted with Elmo, "Talk t'the guys?"
"Yup," Elmo says. "Thought we could check in with some of the young guys around town, too. They wanna help." Is anybody watching? Just Kai? Okay, he gives JP a quick squeeze around the waist.
JP lazily folded his arms across his chest and wobbled at the gesture. "I know." Said he with a serious face for serious business. "I'm awesome." Preening preener who preens. Idle smugness, not arrogance. "S'good idea though. Teach em t'look out fer one another> Sure sure." he was happy to acknowledge a solid idea hearing one.
"'Course it's a good idea," Elmo says, determined to compete with JP in the preening arena. A competition he's going to lose. "And of course you're awesome." Pow! Got him with that one.
JP seemed satisfied. Well until he matter of factly added, "Well I'm glad we agree on something because it was not going to be that the Giants are better than the Saints at no football." Yes JP just blasphemed right there in the heart of New York. "Man we rais 'nough money we can get them t'get a proper freezer locker for this place. The one they got is tryin t'die."
For awhile, Kai just watches the two interacting. Maybe in his mind he's framing a sketch he'll do when he gets home, getting inspiration for just one more piece. Or maybe he's just appreciating the scene before him for its own merit. "If we don't raise enough money doing this one," he says, finally, "we'll figure out how to raise money doing something else. There's got to be ways."
Elmo smirks at JP. "You're cute when you're trying to pick fights." Then he seems to realize Kai's been watching them with an artist's eye and gets flustered, crossing his arms. "Uh, yeah, I can't fix it forever, it's got problems." He's absolutely not been carrying on with a sexy teammate and how dare you suggest that he was.
JP shrugged and asked Kai, "Is it abou' makin money or wakin people the fuck up?" Blunt like a brick in a church window. Casually he bickered with Elmo, "We talk about this. I always look this way." There was a brief look of put on mild bewilderment that he glossed past and it ended with a hip bump. Aaaaaah we see you bein all shy and shit, Elmo. Like that'll fly for long around he and Kai. The trained eye would notice the idly irritations on the surface were the frosting vaneer for the rogue's cunning little mind going to work to figure out how the cash over there in all those pockets would come and land over here, preferably where JP was standing, but the community Center was good too. Sure. "Kai, you wan' do right by us? Stay with focusin on the message instead of saleabilityWe ain' panderin to no baselines for their cash. Naw, this about you an' our message. Make em buy it. You too much a rebel to sell out now Kai. Make your statement, we' help make sure you get heard." Never compromise art!
"Waking people up," Kai says to JP while giving Elmo an annoyingly knowing look. Then he nods smartly to JP and says, "I'm not a salesperson. I just make the art. Mr. Rand is bankrolling the gallery itself." Of Rand Corporation? Huh. He grins. "I got friends with deep pockets. I don't have to sell out, and thank the gods for that. I don't think I could live with myself. I got inspired from that gathering that went south last summer, when Magneto did his thing. You know, maybe it was a strong reaction, but he wasn't wrong."
Elmo gets really embarrassed, mutters something and slinks away to pretend he's checking the level on the sink again. It's as perfectly straight as can be achieved in an imperfect world, of course.
|ROLL| JP +rolls 1d20 for: 13
JP was winning something? He felt like he just won something there. He wasn't entirely sure what but fuck it. Elmo got flustered about these things, JP didn't. He leaned off the counter to abscond with another scone. Tersely he stressed to Elmo, "I centered it fine. You questionin' my craftsmanship, Sparkplug?" Because sometimes a life vest looked like some other conflict to focus on. He looked back between teh two of them looking… interested. "Naw I didn' hear about last summer. What happen?"
Kai's lips twitch, but he doesn't laugh. Poor Elmo. "There was a riot," Kai says. "It was a mutants rights rally, and people started getting really hostile, and he used his power to pull the metal from them and make himself a wall, you know? To protect himself and his people. I thought what can I even do? Art's all I can do, so…"
Elmo's listening even though he's acting like he's not. Like a cat with its back to you, yet ears turned around. When JP challenges him, he looks around, locks eyes with the Cajun, and shoves the sink. It lists. "It's /crooked/."
JP knew the value of a good tete e tete where teh theme was: hostility. It gave Elmo something else to focus on, maybe save face for himself. Sure. That he could do. Scone first. Eating was important especially if you were uncertain when next meal was like he's used to. Both eyebrows arched in passive retaliation, "Well is now cause you' have the carpentry skill of a tree squirrel." He shook his head making passive jabs back. "It's a left handed sink now. Or if someone got one leg shorter than th' other? That's polite of ya." He looked to Kai and furrowed his brow, "I miss out on all the good shit." He nudged the back of one of Elmo's knees in attept to make him wobble. "Cept you Sparkplug. Definiately not your carpentry skill." He went back to get the pliers to remove the shims to reset it murmuring, "God blessed sink bout as square as a baseball."