combustiibles​:

ciarán rolled his eyes over the top of his glass, purposefully taking a drawn out sip. it wasn’t that he hated simon, rather, he didn’t particularly care for engaging in conversation with him, especially not that this particular moment. but as he’d been the one to initiate the conversation, he knew he couldn’t very well ignore the other male. instead he followed simon’s gaze. “i don’t think i’ll sink to your level by offering my opinion,” he remarked, “besides, it’s wrong,” this time he allowed a smirk across his face as he turned towards simon. “specials are boring.”

“ i’d venture to say you’re... ” he took a moment to scan over the bar, not really paying attention to any of the patrons -- simply doing so to act... like he was, “ eighth... possibly ninth. ” not a bad ranking, but certainly not the one ciaran seemed to be looking for. “ yes, well, i’m not much a fan of the same ipa everyday. ” this time ? not a dig at ciaran, rather ian... who drank the same ipa everyday... and made it very well-known that said ipa was the best of the best amongst their brotherhood brethren. then... shockingly, mainly genuine curiosity -- but simply because he still couldn’t see the specials board -- he asked, “ but if the specials are boring, what are you having ? ”

12rounds​:

THE BROTHERHOOD COMPOUND(?), 7:38 PM ⇢ @suresimon​

elliott looks down at him, contemplating the question for a moment. he decides to ask, anyway. “so what can you do?”

what can you do? -- not an uncommon question with new recruits -- god knows he’d asked it enough when he joined. his own answer, though ? “ i turn into a hellhound -- which i realize is pretty abstract without the actual... visual, so to speak, but keeping cerberus calm is like... ” you should always have similes ready if you intend to make one. “ it’s just rather strenuous, you know ? ” he probably did not know. “ you have pyrokinesis, right ? ”

hey may <3 that rhymes. anyways I LOVE DAVID N SIMON N JESS SO FREAKING MUCH ?? so much that i had to put it in caps ! they’re just so fun and unique, and maybe a tad annoying ( @simon)

I LOVE U ANON!!! n worry not simon will be back 2 be a tad annoying on the 7th <3

sociietymenace​:

location: gracie’s diner !! @c23starters

normally if mason was gonna steal from someone, she targeted the wealthy, the corrupt, sometimes they were both and more which in turn made mason’s cons that much more rewarding. but she’d happily make exceptions for certain people, like today for instance. she’d been walking down the sidewalk, minding her own business while some 80’s song played in her headphones. when she witnessed a guy barrel into an old lady, causing her to drop her groceries, and had the audacity to cuss her out. so what did mason do? help the old lady pick up her groceries up of course…after pickpocketing the guy’s wallet off of him after he walked right past the thief. she was happy to be karma’s errand girl.

with a skip in her step, she waltzed into gracie’s for lunch, settled herself at the counter next to someone and flashed them a grin. “as luck would have it, a good samaritan act resulted in me being a little richer today—” It wasn’t a total lie, more of a fib than anything. “so lunch is on me, and even though that could easily sound like the worst line in history, i promise it isn’t one…because i’d be disappointed in myself if that was what i used.” she joked playfully, though her offer was serious.

.

“ good samaritan act, hm ? ” simon repeated with a slight grin. it was true that the brotherhood did more good than bad ( right ? ), but it was also true that many of its members... had a grey area. not that simon was much better -- one of the main reasons his career had seen success was thanks to a lie, and he supported ian in his tomfoolery. yes, the grey area of the brotherhood... at least they were honest about it. “ if you were most anyone else, i’d insist i pay it forward by not making you pay, alas... ” the offer was already out there ! under his breath, he continued, “ i take it you pulled a robyn hood today ? ”

combustiibles​:

location: a bar (either at club nyx or o’donahues) participants: ciarán o’connell & open ( @c23starters​ )

“can i help you?” ciarán asked, not bothering to tear his gaze from the glass in his hands, his eyes remaining fixed on the glass in his hand. “or are you just planning to stand there and not say anything?” he allowed a sigh to escape from his lips, as he swirled the glass, watching the amber liquid slosh back and forth. “because while i am certainly the prettiest person in this bar, i am also not an exhibit,” he swiftly finished the remainder of his drink, placing the empty glass on the bar before finally turning to face his mystery companion. 

simon had entered o’donahues with two very simple goals: 1) to grab a drink, and 2) to meet up with some brotherhood members to discuss their previous success... and current confusion. ian, in all his manic brotherhood excitement, had already reached their friends ( coworkers ? )... and simon found himself stopped by an egomaniac. “ i’d argue that she’s actually the prettier person in this bar, closely followed by him, ” he replied, vaguely pointing to two separate customers. did a part of him immediately feel guilty for objectifying them, especially the woman ? yes. but he couldn’t rescind his comment -- it was too late. “ the specials just so happen to be written on the board behind you. ”

rileyprobably​:

Riley stood there quietly, simply observing the man in front of him with a neutral expression on his face that did not let the other know all the thoughts that were going through his mind. This was not what he had meant, at least not entirely, but his rough personality and honest words often got the best of him before he could think of better ways to express himself and yet, most of the times he did not care about how his words were perceived, people had the habit of twisting those to their own benefit anyways, but this time he felt different. It was true that he much rather be out there fighting than being hidden just waiting for the moment when someone would need him, but that was not because he did not value what the others did, Simon was right, even if Riley would never admit it, plotting and helping were just as valuable as fighting and protecting.

However, Riley felt tired and angry. He often saw the same injuries over and over again, scared mutants who had been attacked by humans when they discovered who they truly were, frightened hands pulling him and begging him to alter their DNA so they could live a normal life, so that they could feel a bit more human and not the monsters that everyone told them they were. It hurt him, because he was one of them too, it made him vengeful and it only confirmed that he had chosen the right cause to join, but the nature of his hands was healing and the pain he wanted to inflict went against that, or so he thought.

“What?” he replied, eyebrows shooting up in surprise upon hearing Simon’s words. He had not known the name of what he was until he joined The Brotherhood and he had never bothered looking too much into it, not that there was any need back then. His sole focus for years had been his relationship with Levi and how he could use his own mutation to get closer to him, to discover how his body had recovered after what should’ve been his end and how he could transform himself to heal faster than Levi could kill him and so he figured that there was all there was to it, a fancy name that only meant that he could heal anyone. “Are you joking?” he could not believe what he was hearing right now and he could definitely not believe in the fact that he was only hearing it now after being here for so long. He was a fucking good healer, maybe the best that they had around, losing him would be harmful from them all and maybe that is why this information had been kept from him, it was selfish, however Riley did not feel angry, he understood that sacrifices had to be made, but if Simon could do both and chose the one that fitted him better, then Riley certainly deserved the opportunity to do the same. “Do you think he’ll help me if I ask him?” it would be so great if for a change someone could teach him more about his own mutation, but if not, he could always figure it out himself.

.

it was a bit funny. perhaps riley would understand why simon wasn’t the biggest fan of the frontlines if he were in his body ( there was the added factor that, even in just yelling a couple of words to drive in the final nail that incited the riot, he had to be in the semi-painful humanoid hellhound form because god knows he wouldn’t have been quite as safe had he been in the chair ) ; perhaps simon would understand why riley wasn’t the biggest fan of the planning if he were in his, the job he was given being more tedious than some of the others. alas, freaky friday hadn’t even come out yet ! there was no old woman in a chinese restaurant who would all but cast a spell on them to see the world through each others’ eyes.

in any case, simon sighed a sigh of relief when riley’s demeanor changed. another thing he wasn’t a huge fan of ? arguments that would do nothing but go in circles... as their probably would have ( although it was more of a ‘debate’ ). “ yeah. think about it, if you can influence all biological life, then you ought to be able to end it, too. ” riley’s ability did not contain the word ‘healing’ or ‘regeneration’ -- nothing to suggest that that was all he could do. as a guy who clearly had more violent goals than simon, he could only imagine how elating this sounded.

“ yeah -- definitely. he was excited to help me with my own ability and ours are nothing alike. ” that said, there was also the guilt factor that played into ian’s decision to aid him there... but, in any case, the guy was passionate. about mutant rights, about mutant supremacy, about making abilities as strong as they could be. “ and he’d probably do it for free. i can talk to him, if you’d like -- though i don’t believe he’d be opposed to you approaching him yourself, either. ”

unfvckbls​:

   @suresimon​

   “ lemme guess , don’t tell me nothin’. ya finally came to your senses after these riot nonsense business & wanna try out my pills. ” she’s awfully cheerful considering the events that’ve recently taken place. all too eager at the prospect of an actual willing test subject. “ which d’ya wanna try first? i came prepared. ” 

‘you finally came to your senses after these riot nonsense business’ -- a bit funny, what considering he’d essentially been the one to start it. after everyone else, all it took were a few words, yelled loud enough in that semi-painful humanoid hellhound form, to start the beginning of an uprising. but, in a way, she was correct. through that, and experiences similar to ( and over a decade of having violence inside of him ), what she said about her little pill... what she’d told him...  “ it is rather difficult to be gentle in the middle of a riot, yes. ” ‘gentle,’ the kind -- but patronizing -- way that ian essentially just told him that he was a wuss. “ none of these have lasting side effects as of right now, correct ? ” a test drive was all he wanted, take the product for a spin. become a regular client only if it made him slightly more domineering, slightly closer to cerberus -- but not the monster himself.

rileyprobably​:

That was something that Riley would never quite understand, but also something that he would not lose his sleep over, not waste his energy in trying to change someone else’s mind was often just wasted time. And yet, there was something in him not ready to quite let go, if not only to continue annoying Simon, maybe to just try and understand the full power of such mutation, one that had been unknown to him until he joined the brotherhood and for someone as seemingly peaceful as Simon, it made him wonder what had made him join this cause too.

“Fair enough, do what suits you best” he eventually gave in, he had never been the stubborn kind unless it would get him something that he wanted and right now, this conversation seemed like it would not get him anywhere, neither him or Simon would be out in the front line at battles just because he had won the argument.

“Just trying to understand what’s not to like about being out there instead of back here plotting and helping others, you know, as someone who is basically stuck here waiting for the sick and injured to find their way to me” he shrugged, before replying to the other question slowly and with an untrusting look, “yeah, why the question?”

.

“ well, back here, you plot and help others. ” simon himself was far too soft to be on the frontlines. even the lies he told regarding his books sometimes made him feel... iffy at best, but he needed money, and it worked as pro-mutant propaganda -- and it wouldn’t hurt them. he was not always cerberus, or the humanoid version of cerberus -- both of whom craved destruction and violence, one barely able to think or do anything other than. but simon -- simon was the dominant one. and what he said, what he thought, had to be word for the lot.

trying to push his aggravation down and out, he replied, “ you can do more than heal. biokinesis can be deadly if honed properly. ian ? he uses it for that and that alone. ” raising his eyebrows, he continued, “ so just train differently. no need to throw a pity party when this is something you can prevent. ”

and i never will forget you, my american love and i’ll always remember you wild as they do come

nicholxswalker​:

“California.” New York was definitely different from what he was used to but he was getting used to it. He wasn’t exactly a city boy, just a suburb boy who decided to take a leap with his life. “You from here?” Nicholas laughed a bit, the combination was an odd one. “I mean, it is odd but better than what most kids put into their bodies.” He wouldn’t tell the other that he used to eat pennies as a kid, especially because he hasn’t told Ava this. 

“Of course! I earned it because I was on green this entire week.” As soon as the other held up his hand, Ava was quick to slam her hand against his. “You should try it too, mister! My daddy can buy it for you too.” 

“Whoa, you can’t just be out here offering my money to people!” 

“ ah, home of marilyn monroe and red hot chili peppers, ” he replied with a grin -- california... a state that truly exhibited the duality of man. “ north carolina, actually. the shift from passive aggressive to outwardly assertive was quite jarring, ” he joked, although if there hadn’t been a grain of truth to it... gosh darnit, he didn’t know what ! “ true -- very true. not to mention, i’m sure plenty of kids have had chocolate bars then been forced to brush their teeth right after -- about the same. ” his food of choice as a kid ? play-doh. if they didn’t want kids to eat it, then why did they use that texture and those colors ?

“ the entire week ?! that’s awesome ! ” ...maybe simon hadn’t lived life to its fullest... he never got an ice cream for being on green the entire week, he simply always was... “ well, if your daddy is offering, then i don’t see why i shouldn’t ! ” and, of course... with that, he looked up to nicholas and tapped the wallet ( dangerously ) sitting in his lap, mouthing, ‘i can pay you back.’ -- if the man so wanted to go through with humoring his daughter, that is.

rileyprobably​:

For a few minutes the blonde considers the words that are being spoken, carefully thinks about all the advantages and drawbacks that come with being at the center of the action, but finds himself once more attached to the same arguments that make him ache for a more active role, for the one that Simon is always so actively refusing, the role that could never belong to Riley because his mutation as of now is only useful in the aftermath of certain horrid events. Riley gets to see it all, but never experience it, but not by choice, he is bound to this role within the brotherhood, while Simon is only bound by his own person.

“Yeah, you’re right” he nods, the gold from his eyes makes an appearance if only for a second as if he’s feeling the energy that comes from Simon’s own mutation, before finally deciding to speak up again. “But what makes you think that you’re better at that than at being a fighter?” Sure, there was no denying how smart Simon was, but there was also no denying how vicious he could be once his mutation decided to come out and play. “Why not have both? What exactly are you afraid of, Simon?”

.

more often than not, simon’s preference to largely stay behind the scenes in the brotherhood was accepted. more often than not, it was hardly even considered. his mutation was strong, yes -- a powerful fighter -- but they had more than enough of those to make simon often lurking behind, or doing one of the more menial tasks, any kind of a big deal. so why riley was grilling him about his preference, he hadn’t much of a clue. it was an important role, after all -- equally as important as being in the center of the fight -- but, between his own general nature and physical limitations, why play into a different one ?

“ i never quite said that, ” he replied, nodding his head to the side. of course, to someone with riley’s power, it may sound borderline insane to speak on the nature of it feeling like there were two different people inhabiting his body when he transformed into the creature that could fight -- he was the good fighter, he was the one who thirsted for blood, he was the one who craved violence. he and simon were not the same, but to say such... “ i have had both. i’ve been in the field, so to speak, and i’ve been behind the scenes. i simply prefer the latter and tend to stick with it. ” resisting the urge to roll his eyes -- an uncommon move, but something he... really had to will himself against at that moment in time, he looked to the other and asked, “ why so many questions ? you’ve got biokinesis, yeah ? ”

preholocene​:

         if this is supposed to clear things up… it doesn’t. joseph finds themselves just as confused as ever about what, exactly, the plan is supposed to be. “um… well, why would we be breaking into the museum?” they ask, trying to appear less visibly bewildered. at least, less than he felt. “is there something in there that’s supposed to… err, help me out?” sure, there’s a few dinosaur exhibits. but how is the limited information offered supposed to help them figure out the problems of the present? then again, has he ever… well, actually tried to figure out anything about these animals? no, not really. in his defense, how is he supposed to track down what he’s supposed to become?

         “yeah, confused… scared. that’s mostly what ends up happening.” it feels weird to disclose this to simon, but if there’s anyone in the world that could possible understand… it’s him. “they’re defnitiely not, well… they’re not my mind. it really does feel like i’m being possessed by something, sometimes.” but at least a demon has some form of sapience to it. some sort of reason. how does anyone reason with a beast that died out millions and millions of years ago? “a… a what?” the question is sheepish. what the hell did that mean?

had simon meant to put himself in a place of... mentorship ? no, not really. he had never found himself to be much of a natural born leader, always tending towards the backlines. but, if he could help the person standing in front of him, would he ? absolutely. the only trouble was how he could conceivably help when the other’s powers were so foreign, even to him. everyone had different triggers, he was just spit-balling. “ i’m just thinking out loud, but we could go see what happens if you go directly from the dinosaur exhibits -- which, while i assume are not completely accurate, must have some merit of truth -- to one of the new ones, focused more on modernity. ” it would at least help prove or disprove the theory.

simon nodded his head, taking in what joseph was saying and... going through a brief moment of guilt for likely scaring the dinosaur even further, but god knows he had no other way of getting out of there still intact of the fella deserved he looked like a good snack. “ so, basically, if they were on par with our ‘advanced’ level of thought, it’s like you would be able to talk to them ? ” even if they could have nowhere near a conversation... that was something. “ chlorokinetic ? someone who can manipulate plant life. i’ve found most to be rather ‘protect our earth,’ so i’m certain one would -- or will, should one just happen upon this -- help out. ” ...he had many ties through the brotherhood, but joseph could now tell simon had known how to work his mutation for a while -- could they not also think simon just knew about other mutants and mutations ?

preholocene​:

         if there’s ever a question he isn’t expecting, it’s this. his morals? on breaking and entering? what that could possibly do with the situation at hand is beyond their own comprehension, but it’s clear that simon himself has something in mind. “uh, well…” they trail off, unsure of how to answer. “i guess it depends on where we’re breaking in… and why.” from their brief conversation, joseph doesn’t think it has anything to do with stealing possessions, but any other reasons to commit the crime refuse to come to mind. more importantly, how would any of this help them learn to control the monsters within?

         the shift in subjects, while not putting him at ease, is at least less confusing. “i don’t know if it really feels like playing cards for me,” they admit, grimacing. “they aren’t… whatever i become doesn’t really understand what’s going on. it’s just an animal. it feels more like i’m trying to wrestle a bear.” of course, they can’t hope to win in that situation. not with brute force alone. but smarts don’t ever seem to make a difference, either… as far as they’re concerned, they’re stuck at the mercy of ancient beasts. but despite the negativity swirling around in their brain, they have to admit… at least they aren’t the tree. “yeah… they might have to dig that one up. maybe i should volunteer. since, well… we knocked it over.”

simon nodded his head from side-to-side, teeth slightly baring as he tried to find a way to rationally explain his very loose idea. it wasn’t everyday you suggested such criminal activities, much less in the world of simon ( granted, most of his life had been consumed by criminal activities, but they were all quite organized and among people he knew well ). “ so, if i were able to guarantee an ability to get in without being detected -- and, again, no robbery or injury caused -- what would you say... to a night at the museum ? ” god, may was trying to hard not to name-drop that iconic movie (or was she), but what non-tourist new yorker would refer to the ‘museum of natural history’ so properly ?

“ alright, so it’s more... confused, would you say ? for reference, even when i - we - first ‘met,’ cerberus always had a working mind of his own, even if he was largely instinctual. but he always seemed aware. ” it was odd, being able to talk about his mutation like this -- one he had given a name -- to someone else. so few people understood how some ‘transformations’ could be like night and day, or play like jekyll and hyde, or could have both minds still existing, but one dominating. and the person he was talking to ? they understood. “ maybe we should scout around for a chlorokinetic -- it would make things much easier. ”

preholocene​:

         “maybe you’re right…” it would explain how random it seems, if the animal that breaks through is triggered by something from the present. in that case, though, what hope is there of gaining some measure of control? there’s absolutely nothing similar about the environment they live in, compared to whatever prehistoric monstrosity is expecting to find… “but everything’s so different, how would i… where would i even start?” truthfully, joseph doesn’t expect simon to have much advice, but… if he doesn’t ask, who could even begin to offer an answer? he’s the only one who seems to understand, so far…

         a bit jekull and hyde. if that isn’t the truth, joseph doesn’t know what is. the animals that burst through always have a mind of their own, and despite his best efforts to fight it back enough to gain control of the body they end up sharing, it never works out in his favor. a human, it seems, just can’t compete with the raw instinct of an animal so far removed from it. “well, i’m glad its working out for you… maybe i’ll get there, eventually.” after a pause, he offers a small smile. “i’m joseph.”

the only way to even begin proving this theory was something simon figured would terrify most, including himself: getting stuck in a blank room with no stimulations whatsoever. if joseph never turned, then it was due to outside stressors -- but that would be nothing short of cruel. but how else... ? unable to think of a quick humane solution, simon simply hummed. after a brief stint of silence, simon felt a very dim lightbulb switch on above his head. it was nowhere near genius, but it was humane and it could potentially provide further insight. of course, there were some snags... “ what’s your moral stance on breaking and entering ? if there’s no robbery or harm and little risk of arrest ? ” - he was sure a brotherhood member would be willing to help him help this mutant in need.

simon folded his hands in his lap, curiosity washing over him. “ when i ‘transform,’ so to speak, it’s as if i’m playing cards with a demon -- which, of course, makes some semblance of sense given that cerberus is a hellhound. when you ‘transform,’ who are you trying to play against ? ” his relationship with cerberus, the creature - the ugly part of him that he’d named himself upon joining the brotherhood ( which really helped in referring to it ) - was parasitical. but not in the expected way. for as much as simon was able to summon him when he was in danger, cerberus was always the one attempting to control simon. he was the reason he was in the brotherhood. his bloodlust, his view on humans -- not simon’s. were the creatures joseph was forced to turn into, perhaps meet, just as cunning ? or were they simply predator ? “ nice to meet you, ” he nodded his head. “ i do wish it’d been under other circumstances, though. i’m not sure that tree’s gonna recover. ” he nodded his head towards a tree he’d slammed into during their epic battle... just... trying to lighten the mood !

nicholxswalker​:

He shrugged. “Maybe,” he said. “Honestly , you’re not the first person to say this to me. I guess I’m not used to the people who live here.” Not like those in Cali were any better, just that New Yorkers were a different breed. But Nicholas wasn’t going to let any of that ruin his usual positive outlook of the world. “I’m sure some little kid loves it, Ava’s just different. She’s a picky eater.” And she took pride in that. 

Ava finally looked over at Simon, arms folded over her chest. “It’s good and way better than mint ice cream!” 

“Ava,” said her father. “Watch yourself.” 

“ yeah ? do you mind if i ask where you’re from ? ” not that simon was from the city either. hell, he’d barely been introduced to direct aggression up until those fateful ten years ago (™) that found him winding up in the city. he hadn’t much use for passive aggression anymore, though... the northern city-slickers didn’t seem to fully catch on. “ i can’t blame her, though. the concept of toothpaste combined with a chocolate bar -- pretty odd. ”

when the man’s daughter finally faced him, he nodded his head. “ you gonna ask your dad for some ? ” he prompted, holding out a hand for what would be an honor: a high-five.