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Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:22 pm
by Francis Dashwood
As Jez, Jez, Jez, Basil, and Jez were ushered to their spots behind the podium, and the cameras were flipped on, Francis Dashwood himself stepped out of the admin center, waving at the amassed crowd.

The mutants who were setting up the stage cheered and made a wide variety of noise. Someone elbowed Jez in the side to try to get her to do the same.

The normies from the town were...more silent, but they came in to take their seats on the bandstand, behind the cameras.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:49 pm
by Jezabelle Sherlock
One of the Jez's let out a muffled yelp at the nudge, the others turning to shoot the person a dirty glance before all of them loosened up a bit and smiled for the cameras. Best face forward after all.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:06 am
by Basil Benson
Basil got off easy. His lack of enthusiasm on his face couldn't be seen, and in this large a crowd no one could prove he wasn't shouting in his place among the Jez's.

When the speaker came out, his attention became focused solely on him.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 4:24 am
by Francis Dashwood
"Yes! Hello! Welcome all! You're too kind, too too kind. Welcome! Yes, hello!" he said, pointing and waving at the assembled crowds.

He even kissed a baby on his way up. Sure, it was a scaly baby with horns, but still. This could have come right out of a playbook -- and probably did.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 11:39 pm
by Jezabelle Sherlock
The Jez's adopted their best forced smiles, the kind one wore when having dinner with family and their friends and someone... well, one didn't need to go into specifics, you know what happens at those things. One of them even waved as though they saw someone they knew in the audience.

"Alright, let's see you prove me wrong." She thought to herself.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 12:13 am
by Basil Benson
Basil understood how to 'act casual' and he continued to do so, taking it a step further.

He deliberately decided not to think too heavily about what this gentleman said until later when he was back in privacy, where he could digest his thoughts on the subject without other people around. Instead he intended to focus his attention on remembering everything he said.

His bad experience with a telepath had made him extremely leery of them, and the only way he knew to hide his feelings on subjects at the moment was to just try not to think on them at all.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 3:09 pm
by Ashlie Minamida
Off to the side of the crowd Ashlie steps up. She's had electronic eyes on the set up, but it doesn't hurt to make an appearance. Her expression is kind of inscrutably neutral.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:51 pm
by Francis Dashwood
"Brothers and sisters! It is wonderful to see so many of you here, at this beacon of light and hope in our dark and frightening world.

And it's wonderful to see so many unfamiliar faces; so many of you who have made your way up from the peaceful cities and towns of the area. I welcome you all, and I commend you for your open-mindedness and willingness to listen. I hope to win over your skepticism and bring you into our wonderful family. For that is what it is all about -- Brotherhood.

A great man once said that any dream worth having is a dream worth fighting for. We stand here, today, at one of the realizations of that dream; the dream that one day, mutants would not have to hide in the shadows or blend in with the crowds in order to be respected and admired for who they are. Where all of Earth's children, be they mutant or baseline human, might live together in peace. That time, I'm sad to say, is not yet here. But we are here today to help take the next steps forward. We are here to give a voice to the voiceless, and to make our names heard in the corridors of power and the halls of the elite.

New mutants are appearing every day, and it's accelerating. It is not a genetic aberration nor a freak result of circumstance; it is a fact of life in this country and all over the world. And yet governments view us as a menace. As a threat to be handled. As a plague to be wiped out. There are countries that proclaim that any mutant found must be put to death. Other, more 'civilized' countries, insist simply that our names be registered and recorded and our activites be monitored. I'm sure they'll get around to handing out the badges we must wear shortly enough.

Even here, on this sceptered isle, forces are moving against us. They seem to ostracize and demean us, to force us into the dark corners and off of the front pages. I say no more! I say today is the day we step proudly into the light!

We will tell everyone who will listen. We will tell everyone who won't. Two hands, clasped in fellowship, pledging to build something better -- that's all it takes to build a better tomorrow. The conflict They put against us, pitting mankind against mutants, is designed to consume us both. It's to pit all of us against one another, biting and tearing, while they consolidate their power and run our lives into the ground. They play around with our money and cause the markets to crash. They dither with our safety while our homes burn to the ground. They gut our health care, destroy our pensions, and wage war in far off lands. I say no more! I say that this is about Us versus Them, but not mutants against humans -- but about the oppressed versus the powerful!

They say that we are a party of mutant supremacists. They say that by adopting an old name and old colors that we represent a threat. But when the ranks of the powerful are filled with bad people; people who seek to harm and destroy and dehumanize, you and I have the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation

My brothers and sisters, we must be prepared. Allow me to share my dream for this world -- a world where there is no difference, in thought and action, for all the peoples of this earth. Rich and poor. Men and women. White and Black.

Mutant and Mankind. One and the same, forever and ever. Your place in our society should not be determined by an accident of birth, but by the deeds you do. And, my brothers and sisters, we stand here today to do great deeds, to take our place right among the very top. To once again turn Albion into a shining beacon the rest of the world can turn to and admire.

Remember, this is the birthplace of heroes! Without the men and women here, the Prime Minister would be dead -- or worse, replaced by powers that seek to divide and conquer. We are not here to do harm, we are here to help, in every way we know how.

It has come to my attention that, sadly, that Mr. Bradley, the MP for Maldon, has been diagnosed with an advanced case of Parkinsons, and will have to step down from his position. This is a sad event, and we share our heartfelt gratitude to him for his years of service and to his family. This does, however, mean that there will have to be a by-eleciton to replace him, and we are determined to stand in that election. And we are determined to win.

Which is why I come to you today, to ask you for your time and your service. It may well be one of you, here, learning your skills and perfecting your powers, who is the next Member of Parliament for Maldon, and the first Mutant ever elected to sit in the Palace of Westminster. We are looking for potential candidates. We are looking for volunteers to help support and elect this candidate to Parliament, to help spread and share our message. We are looking to take the first steps towards true equality and justice! I thank you, and may God bless the Brotherhood!"


______________________Speech ends, narration continues____________________________________


Throughout Dashwood's speech, the grumbling and mumbling from the (human) crowd had diminished somewhat. What had started as an extremely skeptical audience had gradually become more rapt with every word, and they stood up and applauded when Dashwood brought his speech to a close. They were joined, of course, by the mutants on hand -- Dashwood's staff, especially, making a show of celebration, with mutant powers flashing through the air like firewooks; gouts of flame and bursts of sparkles going off behind him. The special effects budget for a normal politician would have been huge.


While Dashwood's manner of speech and rhetoric were very good, those sitting in the audience might have noticed a slight tingling in the back of their minds as things went on. Hard to put a finger, precisely, on what was going on there. And the news of Bradley's Parkinsons came as something of a surprise -- he was generally a fit man, as far as the public knew. Curiouser and curiouser.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 12:07 am
by Shane Marsh
Even Shane found himself clapping, and not sarcastically. His natural skepticism was simply unable to withstand hearing an opinion so close to being exactly what he wanted to hear. Or so he'd later tell himself.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:43 am
by Jezabelle Sherlock
While Jez agreed with most of what this Dashwood fellow had said, there were still parts of his speech that had worried her. So why was she, or rather they, clapping now? The other Jez's around her were grinning and clapping while she bore a more puzzled expression and struggled to press her hands together every couple of seconds. While far from a true telepath her abilities did depend on it in some respect. She didn't know why she felt so disconnected, she just knew that she felt... wrong.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 2:04 am
by Basil Benson
Meanwhile, something caused Basil to become completely visible. He had a broad smile on his face and was also clapping despite himself, uncertain as to why. The confused look on Jez's face helped him center on the feeling that his confusion was not his own. He frowned at his female companion as his clapping slowed dramatically.

And after a moment he realized he could be seen, and that made him feel positively ill.

Basil was not prone to skepticism on this subject like Shane, so that certainly wasn't what was feeding this weird feeling in his stomach.

Similar to Jez, Basil was not a standard telepath but his powers had been confirmed to stream from that pool. Taking into account the multiple people who'd been milling about in his head recently for both good and ill intentions, his awakening abilities, and his current visible state, Basil couldn't help but feel as if somehow, in that moment, he had been manipulated.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 2:02 pm
by Aiden Mitchell
Aiden applauded with the rest of the crowd. He had not agreed with all of what Dashwood had said, but as the speech progressed he felt those disagreements disappearing (and a certain sense of smugness at Shane's enthusiastic applause). Something felt off possibly, but Aiden wasn't sure what it was.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:02 pm
by Ashlie Minamida
Ashlie claps politely if a bit stoically. Both the psychic pressure and the general enthusiasm of the crowd leaving her unaffected. This was a delicate balance, a student from Genosha and this rally certainly send a message, but how it was received was largely up to the audience. And at least this one seemed to respond positively enough.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 6:36 pm
by Francis Dashwood
"Mr. Dashwood will be available in the Administration building for any who would like to speak to him on a one-on-one basis. We'd like to thank everyone for coming out..." said a mutant who took over the microphone, going into a memorized script about places and times to donate.

Dashwood himself waved at the cameras as they shut off, and started shaking hands as he made his way generally back towards the buildings.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:55 pm
by Jezabelle Sherlock
Jez used her thumb and index finger to squeeze and rub between her eyebrows while her copies almost reluctantly stepped back into her. As the crowd began to disperse she muttered softly at first as she spoke to Basil, slowly turning to look up at him.

"I think... I should find someplace to sit down for a bit, I'm not feeli-bwah!" Jez gave a start as she saw Basil in the flesh for the first time.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 12:04 am
by Basil Benson
"Sorry, sorry!" He replied, waving his hands a bit sympathetically and frowning in concern.

"Are you okay? Should I take you back to your dorm?"

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 12:50 am
by Jezabelle Sherlock
Jez shook her head, shifting her hand to brush her hair back. "No no, don't be sorry! You just took me by surprise is all. It's one thing to hear that you've been visible again, it's another to see it first hand." She managed a bit of a smirk. "That French girl lucked out huh?"

"But yeah... actually maybe I should go back. Or at least find a bench or something. I'm feeling kind of... wonky." She tapped her temple a couple of times.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:15 am
by Basil Benson
Basil furrowed his brow, then slowly looped his arm around her (slow enough for her to pull away if she didn't want him to help her). How they both fell off at the same time bothered him, but right now making sure she felt better was priority one.

"Come'on then. Let's find a place to sit."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:08 pm
by Shane Marsh
Shane was now sitting on a bench, studying his traitorous hands. The speech was good but not that good. He sighed and pocketed his hands. Seeing his usually invisible roommate, he brought a hand back out to motion the pair over.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:10 am
by Jezabelle Sherlock
"Yeah, and maybe get a coffee or something." Jez mused before noticing the young man of greenish hue waving to them.

"Looks like we found a place to sit."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:19 am
by Basil Benson
"When you're with a Brit you always have a friend.

In Britain. Void where prohibited." Basil joked as he walked with his hand on her shoulder casually, not exactly around her, the crook of his elbow arched loosely somewhere behind her.

He allowed Jez to take the spot on the bench next to Shane, then proceeded to greet Shane in a fashion that an American would probably find distasteful.

"Hey tosser." He said, the very casual way in which he said it as well as the relaxed smile on his face somewhat giving away the fact that apparently, this is just how he acted with Shane.

"Didn't take you much for politics, given your dad's line of work?"

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:33 pm
by Shane Marsh
"Someone had to sniff out the bullshit," he answered defensively. "Can't quite get how such a generic, 'let's all get along' speech got that reaction."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 11:57 pm
by Jezabelle Sherlock
"Yeah. I mean, I've been to plenty of protests before, I've definitely seen better. And honestly some of what he said I didn't agree with. But... I was clapping like I'd never been to a rally before."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:02 am
by Basil Benson
"So was I, though admittedly I haven't. " He laughed awkwardly, his expression betraying he had something on his mind.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:36 pm
by Shane Marsh
"Spit it out Bobbo. Whatever you're thinking, I doubt you're alone," he said, expression turning dark.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:15 am
by Basil Benson
"I..." Basil frowned, his brow knitting in thought as he pieced together what he wanted to say.

"My... therapist tells me that my emotions and my powers are kind of linked? As in a lot of peoples are, and that's why I blink in and out when I do.

But there was nothing I was feeling particularly happy about at the time. And then suddenly I was visible and applauding."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:44 pm
by Jezabelle Sherlock
Jez furrowed her brow a bit in thought. "Are you saying that... you think someone was playing with your emotions a bit? I..." She paused for a moment. "That would - that would explain why my copies were acting differently at least, they're easier to influence than I am if there's some other signal getting in."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:03 pm
by Shane Marsh
"That duplicitous, manipulative piece of... I bloody knew this Brotherhood Party was a load of shite," he growled as only one who felt deeply violated could.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:49 pm
by Basil Benson
"Maybe he can't help it?" Basil threw out there, though his tone and expression indicated he wasn't exactly convinced of his own idea.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:00 am
by Shane Marsh
"Guys like that know exactly what they're doing," he answered as he stood up.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:25 am
by Basil Benson
Basil was thinking again, as he do.

After a few moments, he asked -

"Shane? How old do you have to be to run for MP?"

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:39 am
by Shane Marsh
"Eighteen... why?" he asked with a sidelong look that said while he didn't know where this was going but he didn't much like it.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:40 am
by Basil Benson
"What if a student ran against his candidate?" He theorized out loud.

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:06 am
by Shane Marsh
"Who? You certainly can't mean me. I can't debate politics without just about bloody foaming at the mouth."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:09 am
by Basil Benson
"Well you wouldn't need to. I was more thinking of disrupting things, not making a legitimate bid.

But if you couldn't.... couldn't I?"

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:47 am
by Jezabelle Sherlock
"Vote splitting can be very effective, when done right." Jez mused. "Basil, are you serious about this?"

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:53 am
by Basil Benson
"I am serious about disrupting a disruption. You both seem to be on the same page about him being trouble, and I mostly trust your judgment."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:00 am
by Shane Marsh
"Ohhh, disruptive I can handle. I expect we could handily outperform Lord Buckethead."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:12 am
by Basil Benson
"We could go full Screaming Raving Loony party for all I care. Whatever you two think will best get votes away from his candidate."

Re: Brothers in Arms

PostPosted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:32 am
by Jezabelle Sherlock
"Honestly, I would like to see a message of equality that wasn't quite so violent. Terms like 'Homo Superior' frighten people. I think if we want to take some pro-mutant voters away we have to offer a more palatable option. More black tie than Black Panther.

"The question is, do we really want to do this? Do we really want to try and sabotage what could be our best chance of gaining headway because... they're acting like every other politician?"