Idle Photos (open)

[Avalanche]

Taking a break from hanging around the house, to spend some time outside and get some fresh air, Lance made his way from Brooklyn to Madison Square Park, where he was now sitting on a bench in the most relaxed manner: one of his arms was draped along the back of the bench and he put one ankle on top of the other leg's knee. Holding up his cellphone, he was taking random photos of people around, of trees, of pigeons herding on the ground and of other such stuff.

A copy of the last issue of X-Factor was lying next to him, having slid off his lap when he had busied himself with the phone.

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

---

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---

Cutting though the park form 10/10 Optics to Cardelino's, Mr. Rose paused before crossing this young man's 'photographic' path. He habitually avoided situations where he might be recorded, though this seemed innocent enough. "Excuse me", He attempted to pass, but noticed the magazine on the bench. "I'm Impressed, good taste in reading, and brave enough to not care if a human takes exception to it."

I am not close enough for a good scan, hope I am not wrong in my guess.

[Avalanche]

Anyone more careful in Lance's place would have objected to being tagged as a non-human based on a mere assumption, but Lance didn't notice. "Should I care," he asked, "for a human to have an opinion about it?"

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

---

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---

"Well it's nice to see that some of us are not going into hiding. With that foolishness of the Election, so many of us that are too weak or too timid have crawled under a rock. And just when well thought out action is needed most." Mr. Rose waved at the empty place on the bench. "May I?"

[Avalanche]

"Sure," Lance nodded. He was intrigued, even though he wasn't into all those politics, but his and Betsy's recent activity had finally set his mind in that direction, so he found it was relevant now. "And what action would you say is needed?" he asked.

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---

"Well there are all sorts of peaceful, law abiding activities that would accomplish some mild PR benefits, but next to nothing in the way of solid change." Mr. Rose paused to look at the activities around him, and gauged the distance of others in the park.

Turning back to Lance, "Setting up the current administration and anti-mutant factions into making a fool of themselves, or make them look dangerous to humans as well, would go a long way to tipping things back."

[Avalanche]

Lance finally turned fully towards the man and gave him a long thorough look. He didn't wonder whether this meeting was a mere coincidence or he was being pulled into some bigger game by exposing himself to a stranger on a street; he was rash and he was guided by the loudest thoughts in his mind.

"Mutant haters are still humans," he said. "And the majority is human. They're gonna say: 'ah yes, those jerks are total sons of bitches. But they are OUR sons of bitches'. They segregate by genes first and judge by actions second."

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---

"Not if those s.o.b.'s endanger the kids and or money of the general human populace. And if we sail in and save the same......."

"The silent majority is more malleable. They just require the right.... influences."

Hunter Rose pulled one of his business cards out and used it to bookmark one of the articles in Lance's magazine as he picked it up and thumbed through it. "I'm looking for mutants who are interested in taking action, if you think of anyone who fits the bill, please pass it on."

[Avalanche]

Lance had the look like he had just been hypnotized by some fairy-tale vision. "I'm not the one to influence people," he said, "but I'm very much interested in some action. What do you propose?"

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]
"Well we can't have all our eggs in one basket. There needs to be several groups, each with a different long term purpose."

Counting on his fingers.

"I heard of a school in Westchester called Xavier's, They can stay right where they are and do exactly what they are doing. Safe and out of the way."

"There needs to be a public mutant organization for mutants who are brave, kind, and stubborn enough to help Humans. Out in the open, seen by humans and reported in the media. Rescue, medical, or anything that really hits the good 'Public Relations Button."

"There needs to be a group that that 'captures' mutants that are seen by the public being out of control or criminal. Really all they do is get those mutants to the right undercover group that suits them."

"There needs to be a covert group that handles 'wetworks'. they need to be, quiet, smart, in control, and professional."

"Another covert group to handle manipulation of our enemies. And also to pretend to be 'human' anti-mutant groups' doing the occasional 'very stupid things'. We have to turn our enemies into opportunities for advancing our cause."

Going to the next hand.
"A seen and heard group of mutant 'terrorists'. We can't wait for one to start on it's own. We need to be able to direct it so it helps our cause, not weakens it."

"That's a few. With the lack of mutants we might need to combine some of groups. Each mutant having a separate disguise or 'uniform' if they are seen doing that groups job. So that humans think each group is separate, that everyone does not connect them together."

[Avalanche]

Lance thought a bit after such a rush of information. "This requires a vast coordinated network," he remarked after a pause. "I seriously doubt mutants can afford one right now. We're disconnected. If someone has the guts to start doing something, they'd better be doing it on their own, but at least it will be doing something and now. Also, some of your ideas seem mutually exclusive. Like, a terrorist organization and then someone who openly fights mutant criminals."

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---

"They would have to be very good actors, rehearsing the incidents when they meet. Or the leaders of those two 'mutually exclusive' groups would have to coordinate each groups missions so the two groups did not meet. But as I said before the group that captures mutant criminals would likely be in the loop on their real purpose of redirecting the criminals to other underground groups."

"We would have to find a mutant with the mental capability to coordinate all the plans of all these groups. I haven't had any luck on that bit of recruitment yet."

"On a few mutants doing things right now, they would have to first make some serious decisions on 'what' they want to result from their actions. Magneto had a group called the 'Brotherhood'. Their short term intentions seemed to be to stop the current production and weaponization of the 'cure'. Long term did not seem to be as well thought out. Unless it was to start a race war. They might of thought they were going to intimidate humans into stopping any anti-mutant action, if that was the tactic, it was a magnificent failure. Without the presence of a large, powerful, and more reasonable Mutant group, expressing a sovereignty and perhaps having a 'Homeland', and Military, that fear tactic was doomed from the start. Or put another way, would we back down if they try to stomp on us? They won't either."

"A 'few' mutants might want to start with standing up to anti-mutant group actions, defending themselves, restraining the humans, then showing off their powers and how easily the could have slaughtered the humans. Then leaving the trussed up humans for the police. When the humans lie and say they were attacked first, put the video up on the web showing the humans attacked first."

[Avalanche]

"Come on," Lance leaned his head back with a small sarcastic chuckle. "What you're talking about is utopia. To have someone connect mutants in a large well thought-out military organization requires single-mindedness; this isn't something that we're going to have in the nearest future. But rather than wait for that awesome united future to come, someone has to act now."

He didn't really like the way this man was talking about the Brotherhood. Sure, Magneto's plan had failed, it was a historical fact now. But it had been a powerful, great attempt - and it had only been thwarted by the X-Men. Which only proved his current point - the mutants would be fighting among themselves and against themselves and there was no point waiting for them to reach some agreement in the 'mutants vs. humans' issue.

"You're judging Magneto's actions post-factum and without much understanding of his purpose," he remarked. "What makes you think it wasn't something worthy of attempting again, until it finally works?"

[Nimrod / Nicholas]

[[Posting as Grendel/Hunter Rose.]]

---"It would be easier to start a race war. Simplify the playing field. Have just Mutants verses humans. That may or may not have been the brotherhood's goal, but I am sure it was Magneto's. I can respect him for the simplicity and the likely success of that plan. I have a tendency to over-complicate plans. That's why I am looking to recruit leaders too. I have no interest in leading. Just advising or voting, which ever works better."

---"But if we could press a button and make humans disappear, or have a race war that eliminates most of the human population, that would have some pretty dire consequences. Even if there was no mutant casualties, most of mutants being born today are from humans. If we were suddenly limited to a genetic variety of only the mutants alive today we would be in serious danger of genetic defects for many of the next few centuries from too small a gene pool. We need them to birth more mutants."

---"And if we don't set a precedent for some sort of eventually peaceful integration, we'll be doing this again in another 50 to 100 years when the next step in evolution happens. except we will be the ones exterminated by the 'higher' life-form. Of course the process does not have to start peaceful, we just have to build in something that will make it an easier option, instead of fighting until one side or the other is destroyed."

[Avalanche]

"The next step in evolution?" Lance asked, getting more skeptical by the minute. "In 50 years? Isn't this a bit too- I don't know what it is, optimistic or pessimistic, but it sounds like a bit too much to me. Besides, we wouldn't want to exterminate humans. Somebody has to manage paperwork," he chuckled. "But to tip the scale so that it's us who makes the rules and sets the conditions, not them."