Unsolicited Encounters

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl's counseling session could have gone better; although to be fair, the prig knew better than to invoke Tanya's name in any but the most benign of circumstances. Given that, he considered his response reasonable. It did nothing to change the fact that the session *had* gone downhill from that point, and he had essentially wasted the afternoon. Ridiculous enough that he was forced into these sessions, but that he was unable to choose his own counselor...he had never forced his patients to take sessions with him. He might have taken other liberties, but had never forced business; they came of their own volition readily enough.

He was free for the afternoon now, although not in the best of moods. He felt fine physically, having had the opportunity to take some energy from a passerby. His hands were in his coat pocket, as it was chilly out; although as always, his face was quite visible, marking him as a mutant to anyone who saw him. He felt no embarrassment and usually ignored any stares or dirty looks he received. He had been through medical school; how many of those who judged him could say the same?

As he walked, he passed people walking in the opposite direction, as well as two fast food restaurants, a cafe, and four stores. By the time he reached the end of the block, he found himself stuck a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change and grant him the ability to cross to the next avenue.::

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik had been walking back towards his apartment, after a meeting with a promising young mutant, one that seemed likely to join the Brotherhood. And good news like that always put Erik in a particularly good mood.

It had been when he was stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, when he noticed a mutant; the tall man had a glaring physical mutation, and it was hard *not* to notice. He smiled at him; mutants with physical mutations were quite easy to convince to join his side, as humans were rarely kind to them. "Hello, Brother," He said warmly.

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::The last time Karl had been addressed as "Brother" had been during a particularly infuriating attempt to convert him to a far stricter denomination, and as an only child, the word would always have such connotations. He turned his head towards the source of the voice, a gray-haired older man, who was smiling at him for not apparent reason. He glanced down to his hands, searching for the tell-tale scriptural publications, but found them lacking. That was...far more peculiar.:: "Can I help you?"

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik gave a slight nod at that; yes, this man could help him, particularly if he decided to join his cause. "My name is Erik, and you are...?"

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

"Karl," ::Karl was still in a poor mood, and being taken aside in the middle of a crowded sidewalk was hardly the best way to lift it. As such, his voice was terse.::

[Erik Lensherr]

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Karl," Erik said pleasantly, a small smile on his face. He did not extend his hand, but rather nodded to him. "I understand that it would be quite difficult to live with such an obvious physical mutation, amongst the more prejudiced," He said sympathetically.

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl's already none-too-pleasant expression became a frown at the beginning of the spiel. "Oh, how difficult it must be for you to have a physical mutation; nobody must treat you fairly, and surely life must be impossible. The Lord still loves you, my Brother..." He had no patience for any of it.:: "You obviously don't understand at all, otherwise you wouldn't pick me out of a crowd to tell me that, now would you?"

[Erik Lensherr]

"On the contrary, I do," Erik said with a shake of his head. "We mutants must stick together, after all, in the face of such bigotry."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::So the older man wasn't selling a new religion, which was a start, although he had to be selling something. Karl had every right to be suspicious in that regard.:: "Do we now?"

[Erik Lensherr]

"You don't think so?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow. Where they were was quite deserted, he noticed; though he suspected part of it had to do with this Karl's obvious mutation. People tended to fear physical mutations like they were lepers. "Aren't you sick of being treated like a leper for who you are?"

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

"And you've deigned to wash my feet and show me there's more in life?" ::Karl challenged. So religious rhetoric would play a part in this conversation after all, just lovely. This was the cap he needed on a terrible afternoon.:: "What I'm sick of, Erik, are people who think that because of my appearance they suddenly know my hopes, dreams, needs, and fears. People who think that they're entitled to come up to *me,* while ignoring everyone around them, because I look like a desperate mark. What makes you any better than the straw men you've just described, since this still comes down to my appearance?"

[Erik Lensherr]

"Not your appearance," Erik said with a shake of his head; this man was quite irritated, surely it wasn't his fault. "But by the fact that you, Karl, are a mutant like myself."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

"So sweeping generalizations about people are fine as long as we're both mutants? I'll keep that in mind," ::Karl replied, and turned to take a step away from the older man. This Erik was only making his point for him, which did nothing to induce him to take audience.::

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik blinked, feeling irritation stir at the other man's harsh tone. "Ah, yes, so you're a cynical one. No doubt it keeps the unjustices of human prejudice at bay. It won't be enough when homo sapiens decide to kill you based on your genetic status. Your superior genes are inferior in their eyes."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl knew from personal experience that other mutants could be just as cruel, the ones who blended in judged those like him just as harshly as the base humans. Not that he had anything to fear; he could sustain himself well with a touch or eye contact and the merely concentration. The rest of the sentiment irked him, and he invoked what was the ultimate insult when speaking to other New Yorkers, fake friend language. He held up his hand, showing the wedding band on his ring finger; for sentimental reasons, he still wore it.:: "Listen, Buddy, my family is full of humans, so I were you, I'd choose my next words very carefully."