entrancelogs | [closed] I try not to hold on to what is gone

Entry tags:

[closed] I try not to hold on to what is gone

Who: Cullen Rutherford (

morework) & [CLOSED to previous plotting]
Where: across Genosha, plus one day of Wonderland
When: 5/8-9/8
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cullen's power is to nullify other powers. It should make him an asset to the human resistance, but the alliance is an uneasy one. His past with the anti-human task force is still too fresh in some people's memories. [Plotting comment.]
The Story:

6/8, Mutant District, A Bar
for Isabela (ivehadbetter)

[ Some people have yet to realise that his allegiance has changed. Others never even knew where it lay to begin with. As long as he's not a popular face of the human resistance (and he doubts he'll ever be as much) he can still do some good with a private recon mission or two, see if he can't ferret out useful information.

Even if it means unhappily nursing one drink at a dive bar all evening. ]

7/8, Human District, A Coffee Shop
for Bethany Hawke (ladysunshines) & Bonnie Bennet (goeth)

[ Archipelago south of Genosha, ten letters. Cullen writes 'SEYCHELLES' into the crossword, and takes a sip of his coffee. Almost cold. He checks his watch. The seats near him are still empty.

This is what their uneasy allegiance looks like, on most days. He goes to the same café, and plays the loyal customer. Stays there with his paper and his coffee, for one hour. If they have a job that needs doing, someone will join him, and let him know. If not, the seats stay empty. He doesn't get to see their faces, let alone their hideout. He thinks he could do more if-- He can't blame them for their reservations.

'ARMOIRE', he writes into the last margins, and closes the paper. Four minutes left to go. They've cut it close before. He doesn't expect an off day in times like these. Though if it was, maybe he could see Hawke again, in the evening. Cullen wonders if he should add time, just this once, have another coffee.

That's when he hears the commotion around the corner. A sound he can't quite parse yet, but he doesn't hesitate a second to run and investigate. ]

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[ cullen's met by a small swarm of fleeing humans, surprise etched into their faces and raising voices. one or two linger-- the types who have both a death wish and the desire to protect their kind against those who might wish them harm.

a girl stands on the opposite side of a line of flames that lick upward. her hands are in the air-- but it's unclear whether in surrender or threat. he's probably seen her in the company of billy kaplan, and rumors that she's begun a friendship with a certain blue mutant have started to spread as well. ]

Get back!

[ the flames lift higher, not just obscuring her from view entirely now, but shooting forward toward the two remaining humans in a rush. ]

[ 'Get back,' he echoes to a bunch of stragglers torn between their curiosity and their desire for safety. 'Get back, get out of here,' again, on instinct, until he stands before the flames.

He knows he can make it through to her, but it won't be a pleasant approach until he's close enough for his powers to work. ]

Stop! Stop this, right now!

[ Cullen calls out, in the vain hope that he might save himself a few burns before charging in. And doesn't he recognise her face? ]

[ through the distortion of heat and flashes of orange quickly verging on yellow as the combustion heats up, cullen can see bonnie standing, rigid and strained. her fingers splay wide at unnatural double-jointed angles, and the tendons that run upward from her collarbone make drastic shadows that dance wildly along her neck, dipping and rising. ]

Please-- just get everyone out!

[ the sheen of sweat that covers bonnie's skin has formed from exertion rather than the heat. blood runs in a stream down the cupid's bow of her upper lip. this toll exacts itself on her body instead of her mind, no care for the fact that it could consume both. ]

I can't stop it!

[ Usually Cullen has very compelling reasons not to experiment with the full extent of his powers. Questions such as "Are flames summoned by a fellow mutant still an aspect of their power he can resist, or will they scorch him as mercilessly as ordinary fire would" are not questions he is dying to answer, and yet--

The last bystanders have fled the scene, at least to a respectable distance. Only two stragglers remain, and he can see them now, a jet of flame shooting towards them. Cullen is close enough to run. In hindsight he should have pushed them both out of the way, instead of diving between them and the flames, like hoping to catch a bullet.

He doesn't close his eyes.

The air crackles around him, scorching and dry. Only the sight that rewards him is a strange one. Flames dissipate before him, a bizarre reverse of water evaporating on hot stone. Cullen exhales.

Well. Apparently that worked. ]

Go! Get out of here, hurry, now.

[ The two humans stop gaping, long enough to listen. To break into a run, finally. So much for the easy part. Cullen turns to the young woman next. ]

I'm going to walk to you now, I can help you control it!

[ bonnie's dna rebels against the rush of cold fear and the sudden lack of oxygen that this strange man seems to catalyze with his simple presence. bonnie herself feels a mix of hope and insult-- her fire has heretofore been unstoppable! it's a relief that she might not hurt more people.

but she doesn't like the idea that she may not be as powerful as she thinks. ]

What are you doing to me?

[ panic makes her step back as cullen advances. the hurricane of mixed feelings within her seems to promote the flames to stick to her skin, which chars and cracks in response. even as she talks to him, bonnie regards her hands, which seem to harden into a protective shell; her veins peek through like cracking magma spidering up toward her elbows, to her shoulders, and up along her collarbones. ]

[ He frowns when she withdraws, and thinks about grabbing her wrist. A quick look back. The people are out of range. Some still watch from a distance, but he bought time. He can explain, first. ]

It's my ability. Other powers don't work on me. Or near me.

[ Cullen doesn't advance again. Instead he holds out his hand to her. He knows that there are others with powers similar to his, and that the differences are vital. ]

It won't hurt, and it's only temporary. Your powers will come back as soon as I'm not nearby, but- let me stop this, for now.

I...

[ at first, all she does is watch him. she's heard of this power before but never had cause to judge its value on her own. wasn't it an affront to their kind? it seems like a blessing, now.

another beat, and her hand extends out to fall into his. the char dissipates, cracking and turning to ash that drifts anticlimactically down to the ground. when she feels no pain, and feels the wall of fire recede despite the remnants of panic settling in her chest, bonnie takes a step toward him.

her voice drops to a whisper: ] Please don't let go.

[ Cullen takes the last step, and reaches out for her, gripping tight. Skin contact, strictly speaking, is not necessary as long as he is within range. He takes her hand between both his own, anyway. ]

I won't. It's enough when I'm close, but I won't, until you tell me that I can.

[ His eyes glance at the ash and smoke around them, briefly. Faces in the distance, whose curiosity grows now that the flames have shrunk. ]

Let's walk. Go somewhere else, so we can talk.

[ Cullen tugs, lightly, in the direction he has in mind. Not here, that is as far as his plans go for the moment. ]

[ cullen finds bonnie willing to depart. the tug is met with eager compliance as she falls into unsure step beside him. her vision is still tunneled, and it takes time to fade fully, adrenaline rushing through her blood, and shame carried along her nerves.

she doesn't speak, afraid of what might come out that she'd rather keep in. it doesn't occur to her that repression to such a degree is what's helping fuel those flames within her. she just knows now that she's not as in control as she wants to believe-- or, rather, wants others to believe.

part of her hopes that cullen might reveal himself to be what she fears. she's tired of hurting people. her grips squeezes a little tighter. ]

[She knows how important Cullen is to the resistance, given his powers. He's doubly important to it on a personal level for her, since she was the one who'd convinced him that it wasn't too late for him to change his ways.

She doesn't ask him about the anti-human task force because she knows it will just bring that shadow across his face and that he'll shut down, but she can't say she isn't curious. She slides down into the seat across from Cullen with a faint smile, trying not to let her exhaustion show too much on her face. The smile doesn't reach her eyes, though.]

I'm not here on business.

[Just to get that out of the way. She absently swirls the cup of black coffee she got from the counter and dumps a few packets of sugar into it.]

I just thought I'd check to see -- how you were adjusting.

[ Most tasks are dropped in his lap in the blink of an eye, a note left by someone who disappears again before Cullen can even take a good look at them. He knows he can expect differently the moment someone pulls out a chair. ]

Better if I had business to take my mind off of things.

[ The familiar face is enough to coax a wry smile from him, but even a simple question give him pause.

Until very recently he would be asked to shadow mutants who needed the damper, or the protection. He would be asked to be present, where those of their own kind fought for the wrong reasons, and needed to be stopped. For their own good, it echos in his mind, and makes his skin crawl.

Until very recently he was silent. He was not supposed to interfere. He still looks into his cup for too long, never quite at ease with the fact that conversations are now had with, rather than around him. ]

...I'm well enough. You look tired.

In that case, I'm sorry I don't have more to offer you.

[She means that -- even though she'd tried to be honest with him that helping the human resistance wasn't going to be a walk in the park, nor would it afford him a comfortable life, she knew it was something that he really wanted whether he'd admit it or not.]

And I look tired because I spent last night shuttling a bunch of refugees across a dangerous zone.

[She cracks a smaller, more genuine smile.]

Have you tried sleeping after that level of adrenaline hits your system?

[ Why wasn't he called, he could have helped? The answer comes to him before he can even ask the question: Bethany can help herself, and others, and a damper on her powers would be the last thing she needs. To name just one of many reasons. ]

In that case, the next coffee is on me.

[ Because he hasn't tried sleeping much at all, truth be told-- truth be kept to himself, rather. ]

Did everyone make it? Are they all right?

[She had been hoping to politely avoid mentioning it, knowing it might be a sore spot -- but at the same time, she does have to admit that his powers do put a literal damper on most of her best advantages.

She simply nods.]

If you're sure.

And yes, there were no -- major casualties.

[She pauses.]

On the side of the humans.

[It could mean anything, but it means that they likely lost another mutant saving the mere mortals.]

[ He exhales. His answer is the same, no matter her meaning. ]

That's unfortunate. [ His eyes flash to the paper. ] The headlines aren't helping. It used to be-- [ more subdued, he reprimands himself, before the word "better" can cross his mind. The problems were there. The tension was there. Thinly veiled, as if that made a difference for the ones involved. ] It will get a lot worse before it gets better.

[ Cullen taps his fingers on the table, working up to the words. ]

I've thought about-- I've made a list of people on the task force, I'd like to contact them. Some of them were my friends, the others I've at least worked with. I think if I talked to them-- I could talk sense into some of them.

[She's in full agreement with him -- the way that things are shaping up right now makes her wish that there were more of them on the side of the humans, the side of people seeing righteousness and reason.

Her lips still purse at his last statement, though.]

The resistance won't like that.

[Him speaking to anyone on the task force, knowing that he'd probably mention who exactly he was working with.

Still.

She trusts him, and she doesn't want him to think otherwise.]

And what will you do about the ones that you cannot talk sense into, Cullen?

[Because exposing the resistance wasn't something that could be condoned, but killing mutants for their cause -- she was against that, too.]

[ He knew it was a risky idea, but-- Cullen huffs out a breath. ]

I didn't plan on waltzing into their headquarters while waving about a sign-up sheet with our contact information. I know them. I've worked with them for years, and those who are sympathetic to our cause-- I can tell them that they have options, that there is another way. At worst I leave empty-handed, but at best we gain more people.

[ At worst he is found out and detained, but the resistance has managed without him well enough before. The allies they could have are well worth the risk. ]

[She frowns.]

I think we both know that isn't what happens in the worst case scenario.

[She'd like to argue with him and tell him that it isn't worth the risk, but she knows exactly the same thing that he does -- that the cause needs as much help as it can get.]

But you're right. If we can bring more people over to this side, we need to try. It's the only way the humans have a chance.

[ Cullen mirrors her expression, while he tries to read it. Bethany would see the unspoken worst case scenario, he should have known that, but is it the same scenario they both think of? ]

I won't join them again, even if they allowed it. They'll know that there is a place for those who want to leave as I did, but I won't breathe a word of the resistance beyond that. Not willingly, nor otherwise, I promise you. If you think it necessary for someone to go with me...

[ He trails off. He does not like the idea. They're his former colleagues, he stands a better chance alone. He'd feel better, taking the risk alone. But if that is what he needs to do to earn the resistance's trust... ]

That isn't what I was worried about.

[She purses her lips and takes another slow sip of her drink, rubbing the back of her neck.

She supposes that most of the people who'd like to harm Cullen would try to use their powers, and that he'd be able to neutralize them. Still...those people had started carrying guns and worse to deal with humans.]

It's just -- well, I guess it's silly for me to try and talk you out of doing something that I did bringing you into the cause. Just -- be careful.

I will be. [ Unfortunately, speaking of. ] You, as well. I meant to approach them as soon as possible, but last I heard most of them were deployed outside of the city, currently. Near the northern coast, that's as much as I could get.

[ If the resistance has operations there, then it might tell her more than it does him. If not, then a small warning is better than none. ]

Ugh, as if Genosha itself wasn't enough of a disaster area already.

[They'd shipped refugees out of the city -- the ones willing to leave, at least -- in an effort to keep them safe. She draws out her communicator, an ancient-looking phone, and sends off a quick text.]

I appreciate the heads up. And you know I'm always careful when it comes to battles.

[Occasionally 'careful' means 'surrounded by horrific abominations', but still.]

[ Cullen nods. ]

I remember as much.

[ From a mildly horrified distance. The creatures her powers summon are unsettling to him, but at least in times like these the relief that she has them on her side wins out.

--Which is as much as there is to say about the state of the island, or their current plans and missions, apparently. She said she only wanted to check with him, when she sat down, and yet the next subject finds itself far too easily.

He takes a drink of his coffee, first. The last before the cup runs empty. ]

When was the last time you had a chance to see your brother? You only need to ask, you know I can make arrangements.

[They live in a world of polite niceties that thinly veil their true intentions anyway, don't they? Bethany knows that Cullen is likely to bring up Garrett when they speak regardless of her intentions when she meets with him, so there's no need to be rude enough to bring it up.

She smiles sadly (the Hawke bloodline had such terrible luck with mutations, didn't it?).

"I'm afraid between the arrangements that need to be made and the speed with which the Task Force has been increasing its activity that I haven't made a personal visit in quite some time." Which wasn't to say that she didn't send one of her creatures loping to his side almost daily.

Should she have felt bad, sending them to their slow deaths at her brother's side? Arguably, some of them weren't even troubled by the radiation -- for all she knew, he had a small, disturbing army growing in his quarters.

I see. That's unfortunate, but in times like these...

[ He trails off, turning the empty cup of coffee in his hands. ]

Did you know they renovated that old café near Havershaw Heights? They even renamed it 'The Blue Orange', don't ask me why, I liked the old name better. Still worth a visit though - hopelessly packed in summer, of course, but Thursday afternoons are usually all right.

[ Not that this has anything to do with Hawke, for whom Cullen would not be allowed to disclose future outing locations or schedule meetings unauthorised. But their cake is quite good, and Cullen hopes that she finds the time to show. ]

[She knows. In times like these, it's best not to draw too much attention to herself or her brother. Hawke could handle himself, certainly, but there had been talk more than once about what would happen if he became too troublesome.

She cannot, will not, put him in that position.

At his comment about the cafe, she manages a small smile.]

Are they still trying to insist that the humans built some sort of earthquake machine and knocked the place down?

[She's still surprised at what people will believe when it's easier than going against the norm.]

[ A dive bar in which Isabela is a frequent visitor. Its a convineient place gather information, especially for someone of her skill set. Liquor loosens lips only so far, she can loosen them further.

Unless of course her "favorite" power dampening mutant is in the bar, sitting too close to the person she's trying to extract information from.

She saunters over to Cullen running her hand across his shoulders as she moves behind him and joins him at the table.[]

What's a guy like you doing at a bar like this? [ She all but purrs into his ear. She doesn't always need her powers to turn on her charm. ]

[ It's his luck that the environment makes people careless. His tongue isn't made from silver, but there is a lot he can get from half-familiar faces who forget that this isn't the best place to guarantee privacy. That table nearby, he knows the soldier. The man complains about his transfer to the mountains. Interesting, given his particular power.

--The environment makes people careless, and apparently Cullen isn't enough of an exception. He startles at the-- touch, he thinks, but it's really the voice that chills him. She was never a member of the task force, but her affiliation with the movement runs close enough. He's seen what she can do. To others. ]

It's a bar. I'm having a drink.

It is a bar. I wasn't aware you knew how to drink.

[ There's a smirk on her face as she takes a seat next to him, leaning forward on the table to give him and anyone else who looked a nice view of her cleavage. ]

Could you actually be unwinding for a change?

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[closed] I try not to hold on to what is gone

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