ʜᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ʙᴇ ᴛʜʏ sǫᴜᴀᴅ.

Help was always what the Mutant Liberation Front was in need of but Ben didn't mean to guilt Josh into offering it. At least that's what it seemed. "I, mean, sure, we would love your help. Rally can get violent sometimes. 'Saps tend not to link mutants asking for their unalienable rights and well you know the story…" he trailed off. "The only punching goes off when we're disagreeing or get frustrated with things. But that's just us letting off the some steam." he said laughing through his flamed sunned cheeks and whitened eyes as he opened the door to the bar. "No, thanks needed. And I don't 'un-flame', Josh." he spoke with laughing tone. Ben lowered his flamed body as Josh touched him and his hand began to burn. "Sorry. Guess I'm still reeved up from earlier." He didn't know Josh didn't know that. Josh and him where more acquaintance at Xavier's so it would make sense that maybe he thought that Ben just liked to walk around 'flamed' up just for some macho stance or maybe to display the fact that he was mutant and proud. It wasn't. Since the day he'd manifested his powers and set his towns only park aflame with fire his skin had been constantly in flame and his body radiating with orange, yellow, and red flames. His pyric form was constantly aglow and burning with his head, in particular, giving off a constant flame. Although his body was constantly burning the temperature of his flamed body was still cooler than the actual flame he projected, which prevented him from burning his clothing and others, unless he was emotionally heated. Like all pyrokinetics his emotions tended to manipulate his fiery powers which is why he needed to concentrate on emotions at times. "Over here." He said as they entered the bar, spotting his favorite meeting table over in a corner open in the bar. He nodded a 'Hello' to the eight tentacled and two armed bartender Lefty. "Mutant's like us…" he said shifting his head between himself, Josh, and Lefty, pointing out their obvious mutations. "with physical mutations, the youth, need to help understand that they can still live with their mutations. Have active and productive lives. Physical mutations can be the hardest to deal with. I remember how I spent hours staring at myself in the mirror the summer my mutation manifested and when I got to Xavier's it all changed for me. Learning that more than a good portion of mutants manifest physical mutations is needed. Though I like to think mine only enhanced my already handsome features." He said with a chuckle and wryly smile. "Weren't you overwhelmed when your skin turned gold? Though it only enhanced your features too. And these kids don't have what we had at Xavier's." He asked inquisitively taking his seat in the booth.

Cash smiled joyously as the other man took his hand and winded into his arms then wryly as he joined him in dancing on sidelined dance floor. Their forms where a perfect fit for one another or at least that's how it felt as their waist and groins crossed paths with one another. This action caused sizable amount of blood and vigor rushed through his body giving him a lively jolt of energy as the man continued to perform a dance move on him that was rather sensual in nature. With a spirited amount blood rushing around his body his head and ears seemed to lose focus as lost track of Steve's words, only hearing the world "outside" before the man began pulling him through the crowd of clubgoers. It was on their way traveling through the crowd that Cash begin to notice how much skin-to-skin with just through palms all the blood that gushed around his head and ears suddenly left drained from his brain flushing downward towards his sex. Swelling in his pants, Cash changed his walking style as match his speed keep in stance with the other man as well as not to lose his grip of Steve's hand as reached the door to the outside of the club. Outside of the club, Cash breathed in the fresh air as Steve commented on how he was dying inside of the club. He had to admit that he had also been feeling overheated from the club no matter how much fun he had been having. Cash took in the fresh breeze himself as it came across them as he shook his head in agreement with Steve. He thought that being inside with friends was comforting but being outside with Steve somehow brought an even more pleasantness for Cash. The naturalness of the feeling was strange for Cash as he hadn't felt this intensity with anyone for some time. Other than hookups with different men and women he spent brief moments with as their body collided in a mix of sexual physical and sensual emotional bonding but he'd knew they'd be gone in a few weeks, days and even minutes. It was just a nice moment Cash as realized it but it also caused him a nervousness that overwhelmed him a bit. Pushing the jitteriness aside he moved along with the man from the discotheque down the street he spoke up on the man's offer of tickets to one of his dance recitals. "Sure…I'd like that." he spoke assuredly and as calm as he could as he had never been so sporadically intense with someone he'd only known for an hour. The experience was something he wanted to continue on and a part of him wanted to see more how it would go through the night. "What?! Steve, come on. It's Cristal, man." He said holding up the ostentatious gold champagne bottle up with his free hand. He'd grabbed the $300 bottle of Cristal, a price he wouldn't let Steve know about, for them to enjoy together from the private section he'd and his friends had brought out. They'd never miss it among the several already opened. "She's the little sister of Dom Perignon and Krug. It's good, trust me, you'll love it." He said assuredly holding up the bottle as unwantedly let go of Steve's hand to unwrap cellophane from the bottle of vintage Louis Roederer Cristal then popped the cork off with his thumb. Shaken a bit from their traveling the Cristal gushed slightly, which Cash a royal at drinking the drink took over by drinking the downpour. The liquid inside was awesome. While most needed to blend the Champagne with juice this brand was crafted to taste pretty and did for years which is why he favorited it. "It's best straight up, no chaser. Taste it." he said as handed the bottle to the Steve as they continued to walk, Cash walking backwards to face Steve.

The moment between them steeled as Jessie stared into Michael's sea-foam green eyes. He hadn't really noticed expressive them orbitals where - no doubt enhanced by the intoxication of the drinking he had been doing. Falling into depth and color of the other man's eyes, Jessie found himself growing attracted to the other man. His sandy blonde hair, lengthy form, full smile and watered-down green eyes. He was really handsome and his current drunken disheveled look was working for him, though Jessie remembered how he non-crapulous was even better. Or at least that what he remembered from the last him he'd saw the man before these current events. He didn't even know if the other man was gay, bisexual, straight or something else, it was just nice being close to someone else. Jessie, in truth, hadn't been this close to anyone in quite some time not even for a casual hookup on Grindr other than when working with his patients. Feeling the attraction continue to grow in him Jessie's body began to betray him as his southern regions began grow. Fearing of what the already inebriated man could do to him caused him to panic and  move away quickly. As he begin to move upward to part from the other man he begin to feel the other man's grip on him tighten which drew them closer together. Jessie felt himself blush red brown as the man begin to drawn him downward then to tell him it was no problem as brought them closer. Jessie curly lock fell over onto his face covering the redness of his face continued to listen to Michael's talk as the man began to move shifting their forms. Jessie was now directly on top of Michael and his legs, thighs and hip bone were touching bases with the man that would be deem inappropriate seeming as one of the two of them was plastered to the wall on beer - and it wasn't him. Jessie almost thought the other man would kiss him or that maybe he himself would make the first move and kiss the man but drew back from him at the thought of (again) how inappropriate it would be along with taking advantage of an seriously intoxicated person. Jessivan was drawn out of his reverie further as he heard the man express him comfort there than asks for something for a headache. Brush the hair back from his eyes, hopefully washing the blushing rose of his face away with the swipe of his air as be broke away from the warm embrace of man only to end up striating the man. "Hmm… Sure. Give me a second." Placing his hands on Michael's waist, Jessie rolled hips and backed off of the other man, unintentionally rolling over his crotch, letting the other man's hands drop from him. "Sorry." he spoke in a shy blushing manner as he stepped away from the other man and scurried away to the bathroom. Around the corner and with a click of the bathroom light the youngster took a deep breath as held onto the porcelain sink. Continue with more deep intakes of breaths, Jessie, tried to shake his mind away from what happened. He was mistaken about Michael drawing him closer and if he had it must have been drunken nature taking over. 'Drunk straight men tended to be like that right?' He thought to himself as surely that’s what he was dealing with. Finding his safe space he braved to put back on his nurses armor then opened his fully stocked medicine cabinet and withdrew a bottle aspirin, warmed a rag and headed back out. On his way back to the living room he dipped into the linen closet for old training hospital wash basin and one of his extra comforters for Michael then headed back to living room. Before heading to Michael, he quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator then returned. Setting down the comforter on the table he set down next to the man - properly this time. Fingering with the bottle he popped open off the cap and scooped out three. "Here…" He said as de-capped the water bottle and handed it to Michael along with the pills. "This should help with the headache. I brought a warm rag just in case." he said as grabbed it off his shoulder and touched the man's forehead with it. "It should help." He spoke soft and smoothly as dapped the man's face with the rag then took back for him to take the pills. "Also, brought a spill bucket and blanket. It's better than my couch wrap." He said eyeing the blanket he kept on the couch for his late night tv sessions when he couldn't sleep. The distraction of wrap  pointed out the distance between them now - an arm length now - just enough for him to interact with the other man. Had he imagined the closeness between them earlier - that Michael had drown him closer. Did want to be closer to him? He didn't even know him, so why did he want to care after him. "I could get you a pillow from my bed if the ones here on the couch aren't comfortable enough." He said grabbing one of the plush pillows from behind him and began fluffing it.

Ben was glad Josh had decided not let his rage at the mutantphobe get the best of him and away with him. He just listened to the other man as chatted away. His mind railed off when Josh spoke of a date. Did he think this was a date? Did Ben just sign up for a date? He hadn't done or been on a date in forever. All he knew was that it was good just to hear someone else talk about things that weren't about next plane of action and what or where needed protected by the MLF. "What are mutant powers for if we can't help others, Josh?" he said smiling through a stern look, his redden skin and white blanket eyes. "I do, understand about not wanting to cheat but think about all the good you could do just with the touch of those golden hands. Mutant town is filled with people who could fair a better chance of surviving the coming days with someone like you." He meant it. Someone like Josh could deal the mutant world a changing tide with one wave of his hands. He shrugged in his hoodie as Josh asked about him. "Me? The MLF is my baby for now. I've put all my blood and sweat into her, night and day. Trying to protect us on home and political front. Not all of us can be X-Men. Fighting evildoers by night and teaching by day." He liked the rally and railing of MLF  as a way to protect and protested for mutant rights. It aflamed him more than his own powers and it invigorated him. "I do work at the Mutant Town youth center. But the MLF makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. You know?" Not that what Josh was doing wanting to do a doctor wasn't worthless for mutants. He didn't mean the way it sounded. "…the Power Plant up here." He said tipping his flamed head towards building ahead of them.

Dashing back up to the private booth where he and his friends had spent the better part of their night partying, boozing and dancing in. Quickly he made way with paying his part of the tab and making hasty conversation with his best-friend Nathan, who made a snappy remake about him rushing off to get his wick wet and leaving his boys to hang. The joke was all too honest because he wasn't sure how true the joke actually was. Posthaste after saying his goodbyes, Cash on a move grabbed one of the extra bottles of Cristal and dashed over to manager, Klaus, and made arrangements for lunch to the day as well as asking for him to look out for Steve's wallet and keys. Spirted, Cash sprightly returned to where he'd left Steve. "Ready? Told my friend about your wallet and keys. He'll be looking for them." he spoke, a smile painted boldly from cheek to cheek as he joyous he shook the bottle at the man. "In the meantime we can drink this as you tell me about your great dance moves. Maybe I'll even let you teach me some," spoke Cash danced back and forth on the feet dancing to the beat of the music, a wink in his eye and a hand held out to help the other man up to his feet and away.

As they climbed the several flights of stairs to his place, passing Michael’s, and he directed Michael with a few words his mind begin to wonder. Jessie had been in similar situations with patients both at the hospital and clinic where shame over shadowed them asking for help. Sometimes it took poking and prodding to get them to open up to him or the other medical staff though this was only when they realized that they need or wanted help. And Jessie didn’t think that Michael was ready to talk about whatever had him in such a drunken state. Jessie returned to reality as Michael shore is good pedigree which Jessie replied that he understood and even smiled a little to clear the air between them. As they finally reached his door to his flat and slid the keys into the door opening it to the two of them and walked the older man over to couch trying not bump into anything. Trying to gently land them down on the couch he slightly crashed them together causing him to sort of fall into the man’s lap. “Sorry.” he said as he blushed as he felt the warm of the other man’s body next to his own.

Ben wanted to act out and rage just as former school wanted to but there was time and place for everything and right now wasn't the best possibly time for such things. He had learned a lot as an activist when It came to these things so he was pleased when it seemed that Josh was backing down after making his grand stand against their rescuee from become even more of a victim today. He watched as Josh healed the man then released him and walked off with a few choice works. Ben quickly followed after him, plume a light with happiness. "Yah, it's been some time." He said commenting on Josh's comment that it had been sometime that they'd seen one another. "I've been on and again with the X-Men, but my duties with the MLF keeps me busy. How about you? A nurse, is it? Thought you'd be a doctor with your "special" touch and all." He funnily said. "Hey, how about we head to Power Plant? Get some food and drinks." It had to be five o'clock somewhere, they'd assuredly needed a drink after dealing with their recent situation.

Cash relaxed as he listen to the man tell his story of awe and woe from the night. As he attentively listened to the other man he couldn't help but focus on the man's plush brown and pink maroon lips. He couldn't but wonder if they'd be a combination of soft and hard. At the thought of kissing the man the innards of his thighs tensed and hard slightly at improper X-rated thoughts that passed briefly in his mind. Out of self-preservation and instinct he crossed his legs to hide his growing manhood in length and focused more on the man's words coming out of his mouth rather than the movement of his mouths lips. "Woah, woah. No need to plead your case to me. I believe you." While he hadn't known what it was like to be racially profiled or discriminated against for the color of his skin, he had known what it was like to be discriminated  against when it came to his sexuality. He spent the better part of his blossoming teen years wanting to be in a honest relationship with a man or woman that would let him be himself. Forever he'd only found people that wanted him fully to stand one side of line they'd made for him rather than allow him to be himself. That was the least of his problem then as he had spent hours in and out of therapists office for his bi-polar depression (BPD) and hyperactive disorder (ADD) on his parents orders to correct. Or slow his pace of his craziness as his father would say. So when the boy spoke of fighting back to defend himself he knew it all too well. "I surprised you didn't lay him flat on his back. I would have. You have a right to defend yourself." He said with a playful chuckle. "If you want I could tell the owner your story. Make sure you're not barred. He's a friend of mine. He was in the booth above the dance floor right before the fight started. I'm sure he's around here somewhere." He glanced upward and pointed then begin to look around for his school chum before returning his glance back to the man. He kind of hate admitting that had enough privilege to be in a private glass windowed booth but the wanted to be honest with the man. "Besides, I won't want to miss dance moves like yours. I'm Cash, by the way." He said with a smile as placed his hand out to shake the other man's hand.

Jessie in the brief moment as he waited see if the other man would take the bottle of water or not, he wondered what had placed the man in such a state that would need to get this hammered. Celebration? Forlorn love? Lost love? The loose of his job? A break up? Loose of a family member? There were a ton of reasons to drink but he didn't think any of them constituted getting as sauced as the man was and on the street. Well maybe whatever he was going through had. Who was he to judge. Jessie couldn't remember the last time he had been drunk but it had to have before his nursing and EMT classes. After seeing raw livers and the damage liquor had done to them was enough to turn him off hard liquor for some time. And then working as a EMT the number of car accidents, drunk-and-disorderly calls and other alcohol induced Brahms and Liszt sceneries he'd seen over the years well he was good. Wines were more his speed now. Still he wondered what had happened in his man life to place him in such a bombed state. He always wondered such things with cases like these. He was removed from his moment of reverie when the older man took the water better from his hand and began to drink to from it. A wave of relief same over him for some reason or another as seemed to stomach the water and begin to talk. As the man begin to talk Jessie took a set on the stone railing of the stairs and listened in on man's - Michael as he told Jessie and he'd know remembered - 'Thank you,' how sensed a headache coming on in a few and how this hadn't been the first time that he'd been drunk at this level but the first time he'd been outside drunk. Then he asked where they were which wasn't far from there in fact they on their town houses stoop. He guessed that maybe the man hadn't realized it, maybe he'd just walked around the block and not known it or maybe he was just that drunk. "You're in good luck, Michael. You're already home. And there's no need to play me, I'm sure you'd done the same thing if I was…" Jessie tried to think of a nicer way to say pissy drunk. "inebriated. Here I'll help you up to your place." He said stepping back off of the stone left side railing, slipping his book bag on and placing his hand out to pie-eyed man who seemed to be now hugging himself. It made Jessie chuckle.

As he could see from Joshua's face, Ben was equally surprised to see the New Mutant II squad member at the accident site. Ben had made many friends at the Xavier's School especially those that were in the opposing squads that went up against his squad, the Paragons. Even with all the drama that had surround them in their earlier days - some of which involved Josh -, they had never really gotten to know the other at the school after such dealings that made them cross paths. And even if he had a lot of his friendships had died at waist side when he had thrown himself into the Mutant Rights movement. Truly had tried to keep his friendships but most of those outside of the Mutant Liberation Front, didn't seem to appeal to him if his friend wasn't putting up a fight alongside him. So he was often left with his fellow group mates, Mutant Town volunteers, fellow activists and those at the center of the mutant community that the activism was built on in their neck of the mutant woods. Still, he wondered maybe if he had kept in touch with others from Xavier's after graduation maybe life wouldn't seem so dank at times. He agreed when Josh, Elixir, said humans tended to be ignorant when they were frightened but still it didn't give them the right bigoted bastards all the time. Especially when someone was trying to honestly help them. Josh, he would say "was a good one" as he didn't know if he would have allowed the man to punch and hit him then continue to help him. Shot, just watching his former school mate give the man an option made licks of flame dance off of his fists and the plume that now formed his hair flare upward. "I say let him rot…" Ben said bluntly. "but that's not the way to do it, Josh." He continued as he grab the other man's arm. Ben could clearly see that if the man pushed Josh any further that the situation would quickly devolve into a whole another type of situation. A situation which he had been used to as an activist especially when he dealt when he acted as an advocate for young mutants just learning to use their powers and had got into situations they couldn't handle for themselves. But dealing with as experienced with their powers as Josh was different. Dangerous at best. "Don't he's not worth it." He spoke softly trying his best to cool his own temper as well. "The fires out. It's safe now . Let the police and medics deal with him when they get here." Match hoped he could that he could die down the flames of this hot situation as he had did the flames of the explosion and fire.

Cash sly smiled as the other man took the ice filled handkerchief. Then chuckled coyly as man pointed out his clearly expensive his clothing were. They were indeed as they were perfectly tailored to his form and fitted him like a handmade custom pair of Italian leather shoes - a pair of which he wore made by his own cordwainer. Cash never wanted to place others outside of his field of range with his money, clothing, work or status but his mother had taught him early on since his birth to have pride in himself and to uphold himself to his family's name. That he meant to bring that pride back in the family fold and name. Even if it placed him outside of other people's field, but damn him if that’s want he was going to do to this man tonight. No, he wanted him in his full field of view. "What can I say I like fashion, and it agrees me." Cash boldly spoke with a Rose gold smile in the neap of his mouth that he was known for. Preparing to set down, he loosened jacket buttons and pulled up interior of his pants as set down on the divan next to the man. "Talk as much as you want." He said as reached over and put hand on the man's back. "Here…" He said straightening the man's back, "…sit straight up, and tilt your head forward a little." He touched the man's head tipping it forward. Cash and his friends had been in enough scraps to know how to deal with nose bleeds and other battle wounds where it had been when they teens at boarding school or as young adults clubbing. He hoped he wasn't invading the man's space as he drop back and moved back to his space. "I didn't see the total thing. I saw you dancing then the fight erupted. I wasn't even sure that it was you until the crowd cleared and then I decided to come down." It was the truth. Cash had been watching him all night long before the fight broke out and he just wanted to help. "What did you turn him down or something?" Cash flirtishly spoke, drawing his hand up towards his own face and stroking his mustache as he smiled, trying testing the waters the other man.

He taken a deep breath from the top air then sit the man down on the step then lowered him down. “Quiet out that there! People are trying to sleep at this God blasted hour!” screamed his neighbor. The woman, Mrs. McCuskey, was usually as nice and wily as any blue haired old lady but when she hadn’t got her eight hours sleep she was hell in tennis shoes. He’d learned that during his first months leaving in the townhouse years before. And this disrupting of sleep would mean the snick-eye for the next couple of days if she had to get up and come to her window. He didn’t want her to catch a glimpse of him which caused Jessie to shush the man as begin to talk. “No, not a cop.” Jessie replied to man as questioned him. He spoke in hushed tones. “I’m a nurse and EMT, when it pleases.” Jessie could have gotten an contact high from the fumes ruminating from the man. He begin to fan the man with the  hopefully intention of dragging down fresher air to the man as it look like he need it. It didn’t work as work as the man being to make heaving and retching sounds before vomiting. Jessie quickly sled out of the way as the man seemed to have Regan MacNeil level of vomit with the projection to boot. Unlucky though where the his EMS boots and bottom tips of his scrubs. “¡Dios mío!” Verbed from the Brooklynites mouth as he bounced off the stairs trying to avoid any more of the man’s Exorcist blast. Soon the man was done. Jessie finally caught a look at the man’s face as removed the vestigial of stomach contents from his mouth with the neck of shirt then stared up at him. Jessie was taken aback as remembered the quite male from tenant meeting before. He was writer of sorts if remembered right from McCuskey gossip. Maybe, a novelist or journalist, he couldn’t recall that at this hour or the man’s name. Though still even in all his drunkenness and foulness he still looked appealing with stormy blue eyes watery from the ralphing and his sandy blonde hair a mess from equal results. He looked much better then he probably did before vomiting, he thought. Jessie continued to peer down as the man spoke of him being an angel or God. “No. No, angel or God here. Just a nurse.” He spoke softly to the man. Nursing on his mind, he quick flung around his backpack and took out one of the bottles of water that laid inside. Twisting the cap off, he handed it to the man. “Here drink up. It’ll help.” An IV pack would probably be better for a person in this situation but any hydronic would help now. “I’m Jessivan. Jessie. By the way.” He said continuing peering down waiting to see if the man was responsive to him and his offering.