surelai-arc

[surelai-arc]

lachlanxmcleod​:

“You know, I know it’s not likely to happen, but if someone gets married to a person they met at this event, they’ll have to explain how they met to everyone. And, I can’t decide if I would be mortified or not.” It was an odd observation to make seeing as he was at the event of his own free will. “But, I guess you’d have to be lucky in love to fall in love that fast.”

@c23starters​

at least two of the escapees had chosen to attend this event. when the moment was right, when the buzzer that would sit her across from the wolf would ring, she could finally offer up the spiel she had been planning since she saw them on oprah. but, for now ? this guy - lachlan - was... one. “ god, if someone winds up meeting their soulmate here -- ” -- ‘soulmate’ ! what a concept ! that she also decidedly was not there for ! -- “ -- that would be... unexpected. all of new york, and they chance upon it here. ” she would decide for him: it would be mortifying. but she wouldn’t say that. “ they’d definitely be lucky. ”

[surelai-arc]

who: @chrispattons​ what: boo’ed up ! where: roller rink

“ are you my appendix ? because i feel like i should take you out. ” after allowing a second for whatever reaction that purposefully horrible pickup line would get ( you have to get creative sometimes ), she continued, “ i hope you haven’t heard that one tonight. ” because god knew there had likely been far too many ‘take my temperature’ types, right ? -- in any case, it didn’t matter ! what could slip during small talk would be far more invaluable than finding a date or making some kind of love connection !

[surelai-arc]

HALLOWEEN 1998 ;; UNSPECIFIED SAWYER FAMILY MEMBER

No way would Lai go as the iconic slasher himself! Hell no -- Leatherface was the little bitch of the family! But any given Sawyer family member that essentially manipulated Leatherface into bringing home the bacon who he became? the way he served them? Oh, hell yeah!  That said, with her fair share of denim, she would look far more like just a ‘hillbilly’ caricature to the untrained eye. (But it’s complete with some fake blood, of course!) But make no mistake! She won’t correct you, because she’s not a fucking nerd, but she’s an Unspecified Sawyer Family Member! Maybe the light necklace she dons with an engraving of a chainsaw would do just enough... This costume will debut at Boo’ed Up. Some small talk and some *biting lip emoji* -- what could go wrong!?

[surelai-arc]

pridepotential​:

         “did he even say anything about it?” she asks, half scoffing. of course, it doesn’t surprise her that sloth would leave the matter be. he isn’t one for chasing wild geese. leave that to the go-getters. she can understand it, on a level. but it doesn’t mean she won’t tease, either. “i’m sure he spends all his free time surfing the stock market. it suits him, don’t you think?”

“ honestly, i’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he also knew he wasn’t going to see that sweet bill again. ” long way to say: no. he certainly would have to revoke the title of ‘genius’ if he’d ever suspected he’d get it back -- iq had nothing on common sense ! “ i wouldn’t be surprised if he followed any given stock without even investing. i’m sure news on whether microsoft is doing well or plummeting is his superbowl. ”

[surelai-arc]

ziaxghazali​:

Zia sucks her teeth and shrugs. “Guess you’ll just have to try it sometime and find out.” It probably would work, in a dorky way. Zia was a sucker for someone with a sense of humor around flirting. It wasn’t so serious, anyway, even though everyone treated it as such. “Oh, good, I hate shopping around for gyms when I’m in a new place. It’ll be nice to find a place and let it stick.”

“ well, be prepared to get hit with the best, most original pickup next time i see you. ” she may have been a government-trained agent with a passion for gaslighting, but that didn’t mean she would let tennessee/ten-i-see slip through the cracks. “ it’s the worst. in my experience, they’re either more expensive than gold or filled with misogynistic men who congratulate themselves on benching a whole 230. ” yes, may looked up the average amount of weight a man can lift. yes, may exists. “ this one... it’s about as close to ‘good’ as i’ve found. ”

[surelai-arc]

pridepotential​:

          @surelai​ !!

         “so… you have to tell me. did leon ever try and get his money back for that bet of yours?” she asks, the beginnings of a smirk on her face. “or did he settle like the rest of us?”

“ well, his money is nice and secure in my bank account. ” along with everyone else’s ! the benefit of either: 1) having folks who will indulge you, and/or 2) being able to literally slink away ! “ for someone so practical, you’d think he’d try to get it back -- put it towards stocks and bonds. ” which was probably the smartest move. but for someone whose alias was ‘sloth’...

[surelai-arc]

yaren-avci​:

Some things never change. Ren holds Lai’s gaze for a moment, before snorting with laughter. Some things really don’t change, and the relationship between the Sins is one of them. Maybe it’s the result of raising them in such unique isolation, but they really do treat each other like siblings: down to the bickering, but also down to the protectiveness.

Amusing as the clown and the cannibal kidnapping Emmeline Essex is to Ren (and it is very amusing), her face furrows into a serious expression. “For real? What did she tell them? Do we need to have words with those two escapees?”

.

“ as far as i know, she told them everything she knows... which is next to nothing. ” at least, in regards to her very own father’s whereabouts ( and this was before the destruction of the essex house ! ). “ honestly, i just want to know why they left her alive. ” yes, she had some useful information for the sins, but if she was of no help to them ? and... really, was the help she was inadvertently providing the seven of them worth... you know, being alive ? “ i think the shapeshifter was involved, too -- she says beverly led her to them, but that’s about as believable as nathaniel, himself, working with any ‘escapee.’ ”

.

[surelai-arc]

yaren-avci​:

Lai’s total bafflement, and perhaps horror, at Ren’s oversharing makes her grin, wide and toothy. It’s probably Mori’s influence on her; she enjoys occasionally causing a shock, particularly with her siblings.

“The passage of time is so shocking, right? Who would’ve guessed that all these years later, I’m actually older than I used to be. If it helps, I still think of you as decrepit.” Not true, obviously. Ren doesn’t think any of her siblings are old, and in fact she’d say Lai is perhaps the most beautiful. Shame the mutation was so visible on her, but she wears it as well as anyone could.

“Wait, you’re officially on Emmeline Essex watch? That’s grim.” Maybe she’ll rethink her determination to judge Lai’s answer. “I don’t really understand why we can’t just, you know.” Ren drags a finger across her throat, making a gargling noise. “Deal with her. Surely she’s just a liability at this point. Though I gotta say, I do love the drama of Xavier letting her hang around. Comedy genius, that man.”

“ i don’t know... put on some kind of ‘world peas’ shirt, you might still pass as twelve. ” in her eyes, at least ! for as visibly older as yaren was, the mind still... really had to get those gears shifting. ( these specific gears hadn’t been greased very well. ) as for still being thought of as decrepit ? interlocking her fingers and setting them on the bar, in her best ‘middle school guidance counselor’ voice, she replied, “ i’m so glad some things never change. ” with a well-deserved melodramatic sigh, she nodded her head in mourning for what could’ve been ! “ feel bad for me yet ? xavier’s comedic genius has really put a damper on things. ” frankly, she would rather be surrounded by the pro-natural-mutant terrorists of the brotherhood, or perhaps the squares of xaviers, than the essex daughter who refused his blood. “ but, she does have some great information. example: two -- probably three -- of the ‘escapees’ kidnapped her to get information on essex a few months back. the clown and the cannibal. ” ( which sounded like some b-side horror flick. ) the one time she would root for the mutants who caused such an uproar at the essex house ! 

[surelai-arc]

ziaxghazali​:

She’s relieved not to make this something bigger than it needs to be. Not that she’s one to pick a fight, but it was the dangers of shared space that this woman seemed to understand. With a laugh, she nods. “Well, it’s a classic if it was. But, I’m here pretty often now. I just moved to the city a month or so ago,” She explains. Training was a necessity, making at least three trips to the gym a week while Mo was at home or wishing for Zia to take her leave.

“ would it have worked if it was ? ” ...you know, with the southern accent, that whole ‘tennessee/ten i see’ could also be executed flawlessly ! how many times had the woman been a victim of that... ? “ yeah ? i’ve only been here for a few months, myself. ” speaking officially, that is... but a stranger didn’t exactly need to hear ‘see, i come and go and come and go and come and go because of work but i was just told to come over here and-’ -- like, that just wasn’t very natural ! “ this gym is definitely one of the better ones i’ve found so far. ”

[surelai-arc]

adamrhm​:

“The moment you said that, I thought of Viagra.” He cackles. “What do you find so titillating about Marcy’s Pharmacy.” He glances at her, “Even has a catchy name.”

“ should that say something to me about you ? ” she replied, cracking a slight smile as the air of a joke surrounding the question. “ oh, the catchy name is just the tip of the iceberg. ” moving out of the way of the door to better showcase this completely meaningless pharmacy. “ where else can you pick up an ssri, gushers, a birthday card, a consolation card, and a condom all in one three minute trip ? ”

[surelai-arc]

combustiibles​:

ciarán chuckled, “something like that,” he responded with a slight shrug, he’d lost track after their third meeting. “i’ve always enjoyed color coordinating outfits,” he laughed, “what do you have in mind? i’m partial to dark colors.”

“ i can work with that -- i think we’d both look stunning in a nice maroon, ” she replied, cocking an eyebrow as though this were a legitimate plan. ( it totally should’ve been, god knew this was not the last time. ) “ but how would you feel about wearing a gold watch ? silver just wouldn’t cut it. ” gold jewelry would be the only option. maroon and gold ? time to scream ‘pretentious’ ! 

[surelai-arc]

ziaxghazali​:

“Oh, shit,” Zia curses, after colliding with another body, “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t payin’ too much attention to where I was.”

@surelai​

animal instinct almost set in, almost restrained the other in one way or another -- but human brain narrowly beat it, analyzing the surroundings. ( if she restrained every person she bumped into in new york city, half of the population would be in quite the predicament by now. ) “ no -- it’s okay. it comes with the territory, ” she replied, waving a -- repeat it with me, kids -- dismissive hand. now, something about this woman... vaguely familiar. “ do you come here often ? -- i swear, that’s not leading to a pick-up. ”

[surelai-arc]

adamrhm​:

location: anywhere status: open

“What’s a fun thing to do around here?” 

“ well, the pharmacy is always titillating, ” she replied, air of a joke betraying her straight face as she gestured her hand towards the building directly behind them. god, that sentence is so well-structured !

[surelai-arc]

pridepotential​:

         “no,” sora admits with a shrug; “not until she came by xavier’s, anyway. i had only heard she arrived when everyone else did.” there are sins that she sees more frequently than others ( mori being the top of the list, with their collaborative efforts ) but many have been scattered to the four winds before now. sometimes, sora wishes she had been among them. how incredible would it have been to see another part of the world? but linda’s decisions are absolute and unquestionable she would only complain about her position in parts. never about the role that had been chosen, but about those she overlooks. “i’m sure she’s got them all written down somewhere… and i’ll bet that she rotates them, too. that’s what i would do with my information.”

         a hint of a smirk graces her features. “i could never underestimate you, lai. i know exactly what you’re capable of.” and it’s true, really. the only one of the sins she dares to underestimate is the one she plans to succeed. and she won’t admit that to herself. “i know you’ll find a way to keep it. as you should, really. if i don’t get my contribution back, why should he?” her tone is gentle and teasing, but for all her pride… sora becomes envy when it comes to their chosen leader. it should have been her. “you’re probably right… but who knows? maybe his day job is boring enough that he’ll pick a fight for a change.”

.

“ were you expecting her ? like, were you her assigned ‘tour guide’ before she arrived ? ” all to eventually ask if she, lai, had been the only one who hadn’t recognized ren when she first saw her. it was important to keep in mind that the other sins had grown up with yaren ( save for narcissa, though she may have heard an earful from linda ) -- of course they were more likely to recognize her. nonetheless, it served to reinforce that barrier. one leon had done his damndest to get rid of, unbeknownst to lai ! drama ! “ if there is a physical copy anywhere in her house or office - ” - or whatever shit the omegas had - “ - it wouldn’t be hard to get in there. of course, if she knows what’s best for her, she wouldn’t actually write it down -- just a hint, or something along those lines. ” and move it around while changing it often, as sora has suggested. “ exactly -- it’s only right that no one sees their winnings. ” what was the point of going on with the joke that she was the most trustworthy bookie in the world ? perhaps it was useful with strangers, but the sins knew better -- and the joke had exhausted itself. “ actually, i would love to fight leon some time. ” preferably a fight that went into the physical realm ( she was more than confident that, if it weren’t for his ability to make people completely freeze, she’d take him in a physical fight any old day ! what the hell else was her career good for ? ) -- save the real fighting for sora. “ new bet: how long until he snaps ? ”

[surelai-arc]

jcnuaries​:

“From humans? Of course. Darling, they hate us for what we can do and in the same breath want the same thing for their own power.” January laughs, grabbing a few more things to complete the ensemble. If they could bottle up mutantdom, they would—and they’d sell it to the highest bidder. “And while I do empathize the situation of yours, given that the government and mutants don’t normally mix, I really am glad that you finally pulled yourself away from the drudgery of work and found some solace in high fashion.”

The ensemble complete, she shoves it to the side, in a bag, all neatly folded and accessorized. The attendants eye the both of them warily, curiously and all she does is grin, and they scatter like flies. Humans. Sometimes, that old human thinking has her teeth set on edge. It makes her want to demolish the place—but it’s the only place where she can get good clothes like these, so it stays. For now.

“I find that humanity is… a little afraid of the coming future,” January says, picking out a dress for the other woman, a wan smile on her face. “Crushing everything they don’t understand underfoot, or simply leashing it to their wrists. I do hope mutants find the wherewithal and the strength to see that it shouldn’t just be like—” January waves around at the store. “This.”

they hate us for what we do and ... want the same thing for their own power. if that weren’t the most fitting statement that could be posed to one of the sins, she didn’t know what was ! hell, what’s more ? if that weren’t the most fitting statement that could be posed to her -- yes, there were layers to it, not hatred for hatred’s sake ( and not want for want’s sake ), but it remained far too... applicable. thus, speaking from experience, she replied, “ what a miserable little life that must be. ” without the power ? misery was the name, misery was the game.  “ well, you know the old adage: pull yourself up by your bootstraps. but, in this case, it’s much closer to ‘pull yourself up by your christian louboutins.’ ” what better motivator was there than high fashion ? it seemed to be one of the things she and january greatly agreed upon: no therapy worked quite as well as retail therapy !  there was little mind paid to the scattering humans, unaware of their potential. unaware that, if they were worthy, they, too, could become just as powerful as any given natural mutant. and that was the endgame in it all. it was what linda wanted, it was what linda would get. “ fearing what they don’t understand... it’s inevitable, and i can’t fault the ones who are just scared. ” the ones who hadn’t committed any grand acts of violence. “ but let’s hope it doesn’t take another city-wide brotherhood attack to remind mutants that the current state of humanity isn’t... quite right. ”

[surelai-arc]

yaren-avci​:

“I mean, I think you could probably look after yourself, at least.” Ren quirks a brow, grinning. Lai looks like a priss, but Ren knows full well she can kick just as much ass as any of the other sins.

Okay, okay, maybe not such a priss as all that. “The birds and the bees?” Ren’s smile widens. “Are you asking me if I’ve got laid? Lai, I’m twenty five, I’m attractive, and until recently I was in a very male dominated industry. I was beating them off with sticks. For their own good, really. One thing I really suck at is not losing muscle control when I orgasm, and if I don’t come then what’s the point? So, you know, rest in peace to the individuals I’ve had to bury but I’m trying the celibacy thing for a bit now.”

Is it an overshare? Maybe. But what are siblings for? The way they were all raised, there’s not much room for secretes between the Sins.

Ren narrows her eyes at the idea of the others being whiny about their assignments. Like, they’re not doing it for fun. If they have fun too, then great, that’s a bonus, but they’re doing it for Linda. Having a mission at all is fun enough for Ren. “What’s your thing that you hate, then?” She will judge.

“ i would be absolutely horrified if i could not, ” she replied, laying a hand on the table and accentuating every damn syllable ! ( yes, in reality, she would trust yaren -- but where was the fun in that ? ) perhaps lai had it coming, this sudden barrage of information on ren’s sexual life. making fun of her for being the youngest ? why, she had something to prove ! nonetheless, lai could easily be identified as the blueprint for the ‘white guy blinking gif’ ( what’s a gif ? ). straight from a twelve-year-old to... killing people during an orgasm, courtesy of her super strength ? wow ! she really needed to shake the mental image of that kid out of her head if she was going to survive this.  “ so, file that under rhetorical questions i regret asking. ” a slight laugh, a bit of disbelief. “ i mean, i’m happy for you in your endeavors -- thoughts and prayers to the lost lives -- but... you’re still twelve in my mind’s eye. it’s taking some adjustment. ” what she hated ? oh, easy ! “ all day, all night: bitching and moaning. atkinson doesn’t talk to me, per se, but we all have to listen to his oh-so-sad laments. and, god... i’m on emmeline essex watch. so that speaks for itself. ” she was pretty sure there was not a single woman who had ever cried more than emmeline essex. furthermore, did she really believe that emmeline deserved those tears ? no, not entirely.

[surelai-arc]

leonxburch​:

~

Genius or not, Leon tried his best to be personable. And, he was a genius, that was for certain. But, their jobs were not easy ones. Not that they often found themselves getting attached to anything, but Leon did his best to allow some fun in. He’d go crazy without something fun to speak for, and it just so happened that dealing with the other sins brought enough amusement to his life. Annoyance, too, but they were all like siblings to him at some point or another. As much as they made him want to scream, he found the humor in them, too. 

“No stronger than the rest of you. Physical and mental fortitude are two very different things.” Leon had dealt with plenty of people who were physically strong and weak in every other aspect of their lives. It wasn’t surprising, most people were just trying to compensate. But, it was still obnoxious to deal with at the end of the day. “Mori is just good at giving the rest of us the benefit of the doubt. They’re somehow the most positive among us. is all. Not that any of us want to see Ren fail in this situation, but we’re just rooting for the others to screw up the way any siblings do.”

.

if there was one thing lai was grateful for, it was her lack of want to be the leader of the group. sora’s jealousy made her seem nothing short of miserable ( and nothing short of genuine when making fun of leon -- five doing so in good fun, one doing so out of genuine spite ). leon seldom seemed to have the time for the same fun and games everyone else did. everything had to be about work ( and, while that was their destiny -- their genuine purpose -- being unable to discuss anything outside of it... what a sad existence ), that was his cross to bear. so these moments ? moments of shared amusement, even if coming about via swindling leon ? rare. cherished. and a reminder: thank god she was not the ‘leader’ of the sins.  “ yes, yes -- she just seems too stubborn to not have a strong resistance. ” physical strength had nothing to do with it ! -- though she would be lying if she said that that, combined with her alias, did not somewhat influence her view of ren after all those years. “ ever met anyone you couldn’t break ? ” that was the truly interesting question ! and, for all the shit they gave him, and for all the deception they pulled, she trusted his honesty. “ god, and that is not something you would assume just meeting them. ” they had an undeniable air of intimidation ( not to mention their assignment with the brotherhood )... yet managed to actually hope for the best for them all ! “ do you know much about their strike ? ”