As the name indicates...this RPG will revolve around Crossroads and New Beginnings.CrossroadsWe would like to see characters come to a 'crossroads' in their lives where important and life changing decisions have to be made. These events can be very personal...i.e. a relationship beginning, ending or changing, or they can be moral or spiritual. Whatever is decided, they should show 'growth' for your character.New BeginningsThis can be any number of items as well and most likely will relate back to the 'crossroads' in your character(s)' life or lives and/or career. They may be starting a new career as teacher or student at Xavier's School for the Gifted or may have been selected to train for the upcoming X-Men team(s). Their 'new beginning' once again may be as simple as establishing a new relationship or changes in an old one.
The X-Men and all likenesses are the property of Marvel Comics, 20th Century FOX, and ALL the creative minds therein. X-Men Crossroads is a non-profit RPG board. We here participate for the pure enjoyment and satisfaction writing in the X-Men Universe brings.Most of the Bio information is courtersy of Marvel Directory
Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Plot Master Post When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Outside of Mansion Grounds
Red, orange, and blue flashing lights penetrated the early morning hours of the still night, the night which before that moment had been cloudless with a heavy procession of stars and the nocturnal progress of the moon. The outer limestone masonary walls of the Xavier Institute and its surrounding ancient trees, which had last known days of youth back when a young Theodore Roosevelt had assaulted a now famous hilltop in Cuba: they now suddenly found themselves bathed in that strange and alarming glow which was typically reserved for the crime scene, or that of the fortunately more rare expression of the civic pollus emergency services, the civil emergency.
First one, and then another and now finally a third police car pulled up in the proximate area outside of the main gates. They, in turn, were followed by a van - one with a satellite dish on the roof and the requisite antennae array trailing. Finalizing the convoy, a five ton truck and red pickup followed after all, the former loaded with lights and orange and white striped wooden barracades. With a moments hesitation, the vehicles had all dispersed their fleshy contents as spotlights were set up and hands were put to work, the noises of workmen could not be easily made out if one were standing near the gate. More flashing lights were discernable further outwards towards the end of the drive where lied the entrence to the park beyond. It fronted and flanked the institute on its south and west side, providing a buffer between it and the city. Between those two encampments, a lone helicopter lazily worked its way back and forth.
Tags: Open
OOC: Before posting, please note the time stamp at the start of the post, and then take note of the time again.
Edited by: Mana4X2 at: 6/11/06 7:14 am
Who: Henry Gyrich With: ? When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Outside of Mansion Grounds
Henry Gyrich was an extraordinarily light sleeper even under normal circumstances, and one thing his subconscious was particularly tuned to was the distinctive sound of a helicopter in flight. So it was that rotor blades whipping the air, even at some remove, roused him from slumber at 0-dark-hundred of a Sunday morning.
*What the hell?* he thought. No military bases around here and there wasn' t much of a rush hour to speak of even at rush hour, so that dispensed with the two most likely suspects. Half curious and half cranky, he rolled out of bed and padded to the window. Sure enough, over the treetops he could just see the dark shape of a chopper illuminated from below by some sort of strobing lights as it flew back and forth.
Now more intrigued than irritated, he took a few moments to dig a pair of binoculars out of the closet and used them to study the oddly-timed aircraft. OOC: Soooo ... what sort of chopper is it?
Edited by: H P Gyrich at: 6/16/06 8:48 am
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little City
Civilian, Gyrich thought, studying the silhouette, then spotted the network logo painted on its side.
Curiouser and curiouser. What sort of newsworthy thing was happening at this forsaken hour, he wondered, and was it connected to the murderous mutant who'd been all over the news last evening?
Without really thinking about it, he'd grabbed a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt from the dresser, and he pulled them on while he considered his next move. First off -- turn on the news. As much contempt as he had for reporters, they were the only game in town ... at least until he could get over there and see for himself.
He was planning to keep the sound turned down low and trying not to wake his father as he moved silently toward the den when he heard Harry's voice call his name.
"Coming, dad," he called back, changing course and abandoning his efforts at stealth.
"Do I hear a chopper?" the older man asked as soon as his son appeared in the doorway. The impressive muscles in his chest and shoulders flexed as he pulled himself upright.
Henry nodded. "NBC. Looks like something going on over by Xavier's. Figured I'd check the news, then go check it out."
Harry's eyes twinkled and he reached for the remote, activating the big screen tv in the corner of his room. "Let's see what the fourth estate has to say."
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little City
(Sorry for the delay, been spending a lot of time prepping the Jonah's Whale inspection thread)
"This is not right. You must stop for your OWN well being, for if you do not, terror will rain from above! There is a school nearby under my protection, I don't think they appreciate the noise when they are studying."
"Those were the words, or words very much like those, which the angel 'spoke' in the minds of those who attended the Tree Falls concert tryouts". We still don't know if this might have been all an elaborate hoax or more likely a mass hallucination, but the strength of conviction of so many of those attending, including our own Channel 5 cameraman Rolan Hendricks has caused Mayor Robert Kelly to shut down access to the entire concert site and surrounding area to all but local traffic. You can see the police barricades here, and further down the road at the park entrence."
The television footage changed from a live helicopter shot to one from earlier that day, showing the scattered detrious of the concert aftermath. "You can see here, an overturned stroller - obviously abandoned in some parent's haste. I can't tell you how sharply contrasted that moment was from just a minute ago when there were musicians on the stage and everyone was taking in a fine late spring morning. Over here a vendor tent, obviously abandoned with overturned tables, and what looks like a concert shirt someone had left behind." a reporter's voice droned on.
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Harry Gyrich (NPC) With: Henry Gyrich When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Gyrich Residence Warning: Mild profanity from Henry Peter Note: Henry Peter expresses some ... uncomplimentary ... views of mutants -- they're his own opinions and nothing personal.
Henry Gyrich folded his arms across his chest, snorting. "Angel my ass. Ten'll get you twenty it was a mutant. What is it with these people and their god complexes?"
A concerned frown clouded Harry's normally bright eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely sure, no," Henry said, unfolding his arms. "But it's the most logical answer. I expect one of the students at that school is a mutant and was irritated at the noise, so decided to go scare people into silence."
Harry's expression grew even more troubled. "Playing on people's faith," he said. "This could get very ugly."
"It's terrorism," Henry replied, heading out the door to grab a pair of shoes. "It's already ugly."
Harry shook his head. "I meant for the mutant," he said. "If people found out how they've been had."
But he spoke softly, sadly, and his son was already gone. OOC: Sort of a weird little post that took shape as I wrote it. Not meant to offend anyone, just to try to show Harry's and Henry's different takes on the situation.
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little City
// No real change, just made it more poetic
Who: Plot master
What: Describing the environment
With: Henry Gyrich
When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006
Where: the street
The stillness of the night was broken by a rising wind, but one without the scent of a distant water. A dry front was pummeling through, a shifting of the atmospheric currents. Further south there would be storms, Alexandria and Fairfax county would settle in to a night with heavy weather, perhaps even heavy enough to prick the conscious of a slumbering king - but not here, not now. In the morning there would be a minor news event filled with flooding in that city which was built not upon a hill but instead upon a swamp, and metrorail service would be delayed.
In the distance, the helicopter continued its slow dance, but with more difficulty as it was tossed about.
The wind also picked up a pile of dried dead leaves left over from the previous year, as well as a folded handout for the Tree Falls concert bearing a muddy footprint. Time had already picked the leaves apart, and they were losing cohesion as they were scattered down an alley, followed by a rolling trashcan lid which found a sudden home in the side of some garage. That in turn initiated the overly excited barking of a dog three houses down.
Ahead in the distance, the lights of police cars and other civic detrious flashed on and off as the men continued their work of erecting baricades.
H P Gyrich Henry Peter Gyrich
Posts: 177
(6/28/06 9:17 am)
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Harry Gyrich With: Henry Gyrich When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: the street
"Hang on a second," Harry said as Henry reappeared in his doorway, now shod in black sneakers and with a black watch cap pulled over the eye-catching red hair.
Reaching over to pull open the drawer of one of the nightstands by his bed, the older man extracted a cellphone and a small, vaguely finger-shaped device, tossing both to his son. "Bluetooth," he said, in response to his son's baffled look. "Put the phone in your pocket and the little thing on your ear. Not as high tech as you're used to, but it'll keep us in contact."
Nestling the bluetooth unit into place, Henry rang Harry's bedside phone. A moment later, he was hearing his father's voice in stereo, both live and through the miracles of modern technology. He flashed a brief grin. "It'll do," he said.
Then the big man was gone, heading out to join the wind whispering through the night streets.
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little City
// OK, I suck. I wasn't sure how to make this interesting, beyond the obligatory meeting with police //
Who: Daniel Moses a.k.a. Plot Master What: leaving his apartment With: himself When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: a run-down apartment, the street
It wasn't the helicopter that woke him up, it was the flashing lights from the procession of vehicles going past his window and the low heavy rumble of a 2 1/2 ton military truck which awoke him. They pierced his dream, turning it to a nightmare of five seconds.
He was awake.
Only now did he hear the helicopter, an insistant throbbing fading slowly in the background. Pulling back the window shade Daniel looked out. The vehicles were heading up the hill towards Zaner park, and the helicopter hovered nearby.
"Xavier" he muttered. Something was going on at that retired geneticists doorstep. What he was doing, he did not know - but he suspected the man was continuing his work. Perhaps there was a fallout, a consequence. Men like him, and Richards, and Stark: his peers, they never retired. They just stopped talking.
Throwing on rough shoes and a tired gaberdine suit (long since out of fashion), and a brown tie and hat, old but neat, his cat mercy unexpectedly rubbed against the back of his legs, looking up with a curious meow. A quick scratch and pat on the head later found him slowly treading down the creaking, wooden stairs.
He had to clamp his hand to his hat as an unexpectedly strong and steady wind picked at him. Pulling his shoulders in, Daniel Moses trodded on.
Ahead out of sight, city workers erected baricades and yellow police tape, as uniformed officers performed a cursory flashlight search of the nearby woods.
Who: Sabretooth With: Himself, but others in his eyesight, particularly Harry Gyrich. When: From 1:02 - 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Roaming, Forest, then wherever Henry Gyrich is now.
Restless. Bored. Sick of the constricting walls of the current Brotherhood Headquarters. Reminded over and over about the very recent, and very unfinished, encounter with the one person he hated more than anyone in this world, Victor Creed found himself slinking out into the night, silently roaming the streets, and anyone who got in his way… well, let’s just say they would remember who he was for the rest of their lives, or the remainder of it that night, all depending on the mood he had been in at the time.
His feet led him towards the place the mutant cat knew his enemy to be, and slowly he got closer to it, but he had many a held up anger to vent on his way. So, by the time he got even half way to his destination, his claws were covered in blood, the fur around his mouth was matted with it, and his stomach was growling in a very satisfied way. The poor souls that had gotten in his way… did he care about them? If there had been any witnesses to what he had done, well, the answer from them would have been a resounding no!
Disappearing into the one place he felt the most at home in, and always would, considering he often gave away to his feral side… he wasn’t like that runt Wolverine, trying to fight back his natural side all the time, that was what made him weak… he scaled the largest tree he could find, and sat there balanced on one of the branches for a while, eyes watching, ears listening, senses alert and hunting. Any movement was quickly picked up and tracked by him, eyes following the potential prey til it was out of sight. Even he, the mutant known for his ruthlessness, didn’t hunt and kill simply for the pleasure of it, well, animals at least… Wolverine, aka Logan, was a completely different thing, among the useless and weak others out there, humans and mutants alike.
Survival of the fittest… if they were weak enough to fall under his hand, they deserved to die.
Okay, now it was time… actually sneaking onto the property of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters without being caught would be impossible, but he was up for some confrontation, and he was also up for getting his hands once again on that weakling who dared to call himself a feral.
The cars drove past as he came out of the edge of the forest, thankfully, just after they continued on down the road, for surely, had the police seen him they wouldn’t have had to think twice about believing Victor Creed was, or had been, up to no good. Eyes watched them until they turned the corner into Graymalkin Lane, and instantly, the oversized cat felt his hackles rising. Were his plans to infiltrate the mansion, solely because he was up for a fight, about to be thwarted?
There was a scent on the wind that he recognised, someone from the Cruise Ship… someone on the opposing side… this time his hackles not only rose, but shifted, the shaking of the shaggy main around his head, and the urge to roar all but hitting him at once, however, he wasn’t stupid enough to give away his position to a potential foe so soon. He would follow, keep close… but stay well out of sight until the time was right.
At that point, the helicopter passed overhead, close by, causing the hunter to growl. Yep, his plans to get back at Wolverine this night were thwarted, and if there was one thing that made him angry, it was the inability to finish something that he had started… so… he would now start something he was sure to be able to finish, the scent so close he could taste its owner’s blood already in his mouth.
Summary: While roaming, Sabretooth decides it is time to give Xavier’s a little visit… his main target obvious… however, he is thwarted by the cop cars and helicopter. Another target is picked, for two reasons… 1) He knows this scent, & 2) He can’t get to Wolverine, so he’ll get to someone else! Tags: Henry Gyrich, Plot Master, Healer, possibly.
Edited by: Mana4X2 at: 8/18/06 7:36 am
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little City
Who: Henry Gyrich
With: Sabretooth, Healer
When: Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006: 2am-ish
Where: Near Healer's apartment building, Salem Center outskirts
Henry Peter Gyrich stood half behind a tree as the police officer passed by, the beam of the other man's flashlight passing just inches from his toes. The big commando was motionless, his body twisted to distort its distinctive human shape, removing the two main visual cues man relied on. When the officer was well down the road, Gyrich emerged once more and padded silently on his way.
This part of Salem Center, here on the edge of town, was somewhat eclectic. There were large estates like Xavier's mansion-turned-school, mid-sized private homes like his father's, small rental cottages, and even a rather rattletrap multistory apartment building. At this hour of night, all were dark and still. Blinds were drawn, cars sat at the curb with their hoods cold. Even the cats slept, the only motion save his own the tossing of trees in the wind.
A faint creak caught his ear and Gyrich stepped sideways, flowing into the broken shadows formed by the apartment building's bushes and balconies. As moments passed, the creak resolved into footsteps treading old wooden risers, then a man stepped out into the uncertain light. The newcomer was somewhere around Gyrich's father's age, and wore the clothes of an older era -- even a hat that only a quick grab prevented from taking flight in the wind.
Good reflexes, the commando assessed, watching as the other man hunched his shoulders and began making his way down the street. Gyrich was about to step out again when suddenly his hackles went up and he froze with his back to the wall. Though he saw nothing untoward, every one of his highly-trained instincts cried danger. Eyes narrowed, he scanned the street. Nothing but the older man who, since he didn't seem to be the source of the danger, could well be a target of it.
Gyrich flexed his hands, mentally cursing his lack of weapons. After this, he would be packing 24/7. For now, though, there was nothing for it but to make do with what he had.
Scanning rapidly side to side (and the often-neglected upward), Gyrich stepped out and began to follow the older man. OOC: Quick correction -- they have very similar names, but the Gyrich out prowling around is Henry, not his father Harry.
Who: Healer With: Sabretooth, Henry Gyrich When: Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006: 2am-ish Where: Near Healer's apartment building, Salem Center outskirts.
Daniel kept pace with the inner demon driving his own unsated curiousity, placing one foot in front of the other in a slow, steady pace. The wind had finally let up by now, promising a crisp stillness - but not quite just yet as remnant edys of the former gustfront propelled scattered ground clutter against the sides of buildings.
It was quiet, except for the muffled sounds of the police activity on the Institutes periphery. A nearby branch creaked, prompting him to pause suddenly with an odd puzzled look as he darted his head about. His soft caution turned to a bemused frown, however, when a familiar form brushed against his inner leg and a charcoal tabby looked up at him in loud announcement.
"Good heavens, Mercy, how did you get out?" he asked, scooping to pick the cat up to cradle it in his arms. It bumped its nose against his, and then crept up his shoulders to make Daniel's neck its new perch.
Walking onwards, Daniel and passenger turned a slight bend and just barely came within eyeshot of the scene down the road. They stopped.
"Xavier, what are you up to?", he asked rhetorically, of no one in particular.
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Sabretooth With: Himself, but others in his eyesight, particularly Henry Gyrich. When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Near Healer's apartment building, Salem Centre outskirts OOC: Please edit if I have anything out of context… thankies…
Quote:Gyrich was about to step out again when suddenly his hackles went up and he froze with his back to the wall. Though he saw nothing untoward, every one of his highly-trained instincts cried danger. Eyes narrowed, he scanned the street. Nothing but the older man who, since he didn't seem to be the source of the danger, could well be a target of it…
Scanning rapidly side to side (and the often-neglected upward), Gyrich stepped out and began to follow the older man.
~Oh come on! How could it be that easy,~ the mutant cat thought, ~Look up, look up, oh prey of mine,~ the smirk was obvious, he’d scaled the building closest to his earlier position to follow the familiar figure the moment he had actually caught sight of his object of current scent trail. Oh, the feeling of being up high where he could see everything, nothing would ever beat that! He was a cat, a predator, a hunter, and up high was the best perch of which to pounce from.
“This is pointless,” he suddenly whispered, even though the man had been smart enough to look up several times, but, now crouched low, watching the form pass below him,“No challenge… what’s the point if there is no challenge?” he asked himself, and, of course, this was what he thought about all of his prey, except for maybe Wolverine. Okay, so definitely Wolverine... there was a challenge he would like to take up again soon.
So, looking casually at his claws, an image suddenly flashed through his head, the one of Chamber sending him flying through the Olympia’s side, followed closely by the face of a mutant he would tear limb from limb the moment he got the chance. “Well,” he growled softly, standing up and cracking each side of his neck, “that was easy,” referring to the rage now building inside of him.
The next move was silent, complete and utter… his jump, his pounce, his manoeuvring into position for the perfect landing upon the back of the perfect… well, sort of… prey. “Hey runt!” he yelled, just moments before impact, “Remember me?!”
Summary: Scent trail found, prey targeted, hesitation due to lack of challenge overcome... Pounce! Attack!
Tags: Henry Gyrich, Healer
OOC: Ah, guys, do you think we need to move this to a Joint Posts thread?… I mean, wow, that would be so cool. Hehe.
Edited by: Mana4X2 at: 8/25/06 5:36 am
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Gyrich With: Sabretooth, Healer When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Near Healer's apartment building, Salem Center outskirts “Hey runt!” [Sabretooth] yelled, just moments before impact, “Remember me?!”
Having covertly noted the enemy lurking above, Gyrich timed his motion to the instant the mutant committed to the leap. Even on the ground, it was very difficult to suddenly change the direction of a charge. Doing so in midair was effectively impossible. As soon as Sabretooth was falling, the spot where the feral's target had been was empty and Gyrich was shoulder-rolling across the hood of the closest car.
A flicking glance to one side as he rolled showed Gyrich the older man he'd been following some distance away, close to making a turn that would carry him out of sight. Another thirty seconds and the only civilian around would be clear, leaving Gyrich only his own skin to worry about. No problem, he thought grimly.
Straightening to his full 6'8", Gyrich bared his teeth at the mutant in a mocking smile. "Missed me, little pussy," he said. Summary: Gyrich dodges and starts pushing the little guy's buttons. Tags: Healer, Sabretooth OOC: I don't think a jp will be necessary. This isn't going to be one of those long Wolvie-Sabretooth slugfests. Gyrich is very tough, but he can't just keep getting back up like Logan can.
Re: Bright Flashing Lights, Big Little CityWho: Sabretooth With: Henry Gyrich. When: 2 AM, Sunday Morning, May 14th, 2006 Where: Near Healer's apartment building, Salem Centre outskirts OOC: Sorry guys, been sick for so long I can’t remember even being better, so doing more than a few things online at one time has been too much. Thankfully, the ear infection is finally starting to heal up now.
Quote:Straightening to his full 6'8", Gyrich bared his teeth at the mutant in a mocking smile. "Missed me, little pussy," he said.
As if missing his target long before he’d even reached it wasn’t bad enough, but to be called a little pussy… LITTLE?! If the roar of pure hatred, anger, and frustration had ever been any louder, he couldn’t remember it… and if Gyrich’s ears could handle the sound, well then all the more kudos to the man, cos it was loud, very loud!
When this angry; when this governed by pure feral instinct alone; there was one thing Victor Creed did not take the time to do, and that was retort with some cutting remark of his own. His initial question had been the end of all the talking, now… it was simply attack, hack, and, well, eat, if he got the chance.
So, over the car Sabretooth leaped, so high he was actually able to twist around as he came down on the other side of Gyrich, wasting no time as he landed, using the momentum to push himself back up, straight towards his now locked in target, claws outstretched.
But this time, he was ready… if Gyrich moved in a way that would make it possible to change direction in mid air, the mutant cat would move with him.
Summary: A kitty of little words, Sabretooth attacks again… although, this time more ready and waiting for a change…
Tags: Gyrich, Healer?
Edited by: Sabretooth at: 8/31/06 7:47 am
Background: Many, many years ago, Charles Francis Xavier established Xavier's School for the Gifted. Also, seeing other Mutants misusing and abusing their powers, he created the first generation of the X-Men.This original team was trained and lead by an old friend of his...Logan, aka Wolverine. Logan's co-leader was a young woman and student named Ororo Munroe, aka Storm. Once the team was trained and fielded on active missions, they took on the additional responsibility of teaching and helping new Mutants deal with their powers.On one horrible night, the X-Men were fielded to stop a particularly powerful Mutant and his 'gang'. The 'intelligence' received on this Mutant and his cohorts was sketchy and actually turned out to be a set-up to entrap the X-Men and take them captive. In the ensuing melee', 'things' happened and a number of the team were killed outright or severely injured.After making sure his remaining team-mates were going to be okay, Logan left. Xavier has not, to current time, explained his absence or even whether or not he survived.Current Time/Game Time: Almost seven years later, as Human/Mutant incidents are on the rise, Xavier once again sees a need for a Mutant 'police force'. He sees this new X-Men team as a force for good and a way to help peacefully integrate the rapidly emerging Mutant society with the established Human society. To this end, he has contacted Logan and asked him to 'come home' and train his 'new' team.
Logan has reluctantly agreed.Can shadows from their past be put aside for the good of the new X-Men? How will the surviving members of the original team react and what will they do as 'truths' are learned about that disastrous night?Note: We want the new X-Men to include younger versions of the old familiar characters such as Scott, Jean, Beast etc...as well as many of the OCC’s and other Canon characters that are available.Please ask the Staff BEFORE stating or establishing that your character was one of the old, now disbanded, original X-Men.
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