10253/Putting the Ack in Black Friday

Putting the Ack in Black Friday
Date of Scene:	29 November 2019
Location:	Mall - Salem Center
Synopsis:	Shopping goes well. Instantpot is purchased. No one is dead, except a boat and a manager's pride.
Cast of Characters:	Magik, Jubilee, Polaris, Sunspot, Nightingale, Vi

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Magik has posed:
Xavier's School has responsible faculty and enrollees, those types who will one day be the ideal captains of industry and generally admired causes. Or at least the upstanding members of society, if they aren't already there at the pinnacle. Responsible, duty-bound individuals stepping out into the world with hearts of gold and genuine desire to do good.

They're in bed. Most likely.

What happens at the witching hour when a mob descends on overworked retail employees told they have a ten percent discount to be used before December 8th, not including groceries, premium items, Starkware, and a list of other exclusions? Salem Center's mall isn't the epicenter of premium outlet shopping or even the madness of Times Square on a bender, but its anchor stores attract plenty of attention. Cars hopelessly circle the perimeter, preventing any from escaping the retail gulag. Huge spotlights strafe the sky through a cloudy barrier, and mist curls around the endlessly long lines of heaving, impatient zombies chanting "Open up" and "savings, savings, savings" in the perpetual groans of the damned. Five minutes or less awaits before the masses will breach the barricades, security having absconded from its duties to fetch another pot of coffee and check out the flickering video camera with the main security manager. Within, they brace. The rumblings of impending doom lie heavy in the cold air.

One neophyte clutches her scanning device, looking to another scarred veteran. Her tongue is thick in her mouth, her breath too rapid.

"Just do the best you can," warns her peer, a gentleman of the ripe old age of 20. "They'll come at us in a wave. Let them go to the other departments, and disperse. With any luck, the first rushing back will be the out the door before--"

Lights flicker. They share worried looks.

Outside, the bright, leering signs of Needless Markup and other thrilling, dark temples to Mammon flash and wink. One goes out. The shouts of an irritated crowd rise. It blinks back on after a few perilous seconds. For some reason, an automatic door that should be bolted shuts snaps open.

"Haydeeeen!" wails the girl with the scanning gun, holding it out before her like it would do any good against the onrush. $250 TVs! Bundled electronics deals, stripped down! The hydra-headed crowd descends.

And one teleportation disk appears on top of a minivan's hood -- oops -- with a fine view of the massacre in progress. Everyone out!

Jubilee has posed:
Being an ex-mallrat, Jubilee knows these wars very well. She has worked her share of retail, and she has done her share of being in the field as a shopping-soldier. She once stabbed someone in the neck with a pencil to get the last ten dollar DVD of a show she really liked. She is not ashamed of her actions. It had to be done. As she steps out of the disc of light, she pin wheels her arms for a moment as she almost falls off the van. "Woah! Long way down!" With that, she hops to the ground with a thud.

Today Jubilee is decked out in her 'tactical mall clothing', that of black cargo pants, boots, her hot pink top and a half yellow trench coat. She tugs her shades over her eyes, then pulls on a pair of fingerless gloves. "Okay team! Our objective is to snag the thirty dollar insta-pot with built-in wifi. That puppy can cook anything in under thirty minutes. My intelligence on the inside says that it will be in fifth aisle on the left side, rack fifteen. I will cause a distraction while Shannon goes airbourne to get ahead of the crowds. Roberto, take your shirt off and flex. Just because you're hot and I need something to do while Shannon fetches it for us."

"Okay, we good? Great!"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna really didn't need to be there, what were the use of Black Friday deals when she was Princess of a nation? Plus, her boyfriend was a billionaire. She could literally buy anything she wanted material wise and it wouldn't matter. Not that she was used to such opulence and wealth, she was frankly spoiled these days. Still, Illyana had wanted to see what 'Black Friday' was all about, and the retail horror stories of people going crazy and violent certainly hadn't turned the blonde away..

So, Lorna had glanced at Roberto, and with a few other of the younger Xavierites.. gone with. More or less to make sure no one came away panicked and calling the Avengers because some mutant went loose and scared the living day lights out of some poor retail employee.

The Princess of Genosha stepped out of the light strewn portal, hand in hand with her boyfriend, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and wearing a heavy woolen coat and pair of black high heeled boots. It was cold for her, and she remained pressed up against Roberto for warmth just as much as it was to avoid getting crushed in the swell of humanity.

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto lands on the top of the van ready for anything. Like most teenagers that have grown up in the US (except apparently Illyana) he knows what Black Friday -really- means. He is here to save the mall from irate demon sorceresses and maybe even more irate magnetic princesses.

He is a hero, truly! "I have an unlimited platinum credit card and I am not afraid of using it," he declares. Only to hear Jubilee's request, he deflates. "Sorry. I flex only for Lorna nowadays."

Nightingale has posed:
     What a thing for a poor, innocent young student in her mid-teens to hear, as she descends out of the portal like... well, an angel. Yes, Shannon's actually managed to master the art of the theatrical, graceful landing. She's in a favorite of hers--dark blue jeans, cream tunic sweater with a very traditional cable knitting pattern throughout, and her knee-length caramel suede boots. Her nod to a minor bit of teen rebellion is the glacier-blue braid on the left side of her face, bedecked with three little silver beads. The rest of her hair is long and loose for now. Only for now.

     Tucking her wings in behind her, she eyes Lorna and Roberto, facepalming and chuckling softly. "Okay, so... Jubilee, about this insta-pot. You have a backup plan for any of that, because it's gonna be a madhouse in there. Healing may be needed sooner rather than later, if even half the tales of Black Friday that I've heard are to be believed." Yeah, someone was probably just going to be window shopping but it'd be fun anyhow! It beat being cooped up in the mansion!

Magik has posed:
The golden ripples war with an inner ring too dark to trust, giving unnerving sights if stared at too long. Try not to look into the Abyss, as it generally looks back. One ringing metallic note after another is bound to be lost in the hullabaloo convulsing doorways to the sprawling building. The madness spirals around the Neiman Marcus, whereas another entrance serving more outdoor outfitters now involves an inflatable boat being ripped from its moorings. Department stores aren't spared from this stampede of flesh and quite-limited credit cards.

Illyana waits until the last of her compatriots are through before she crosses the boundary between Limbo, Westchester, and Salem. Clinging shadows pool too dark around her feet when she tramps down onto the minivan's unfortunate hood, her curb-stomping boots already undulating with a liquid finish like metal coming to life. Or those are just her leather pants assuming the appearance of natural leather. "It looks like a bunker," she says to Jubilee. "Multiple entrances. Are we giving up on covering all of them?" While Roberto announces about credit cards, she shaking out her blonde hair. Barrettes mounted over her ears start to weave and twist, slanting back in parallel midnight black bars. To Shannon, she asides, "Stay away from the windows. With so many people, I'll have to cut through them."

Rather serious about her shopping trips, isn't she?

Polaris has posed:
Lorna arched a brow as she shot Roberto a look, amusement clear in her gaze as she leaned toward him. "Don't sound so sad about that, I don't mind if you flex in front of others.." She leaned in closer though, and whispered something likely meant to get a rise out of the Brazilian mutant as she grinned in his direction and looked out at the crowds.

"Maybe don't try to cut people down? I don't want to deal with the international blowback on it..." She sighed, shaking her head as she leaned back from Roberto to step down from the car. A sigh pulled from her expression as she glanced around at the crowds.

"We really don't have to be here you know, we can get whatever we want without those so called deals you know.."

Jubilee has posed:
"Roberto, I swear to God. I will cancel my monthly membership to your Pateron if that shirt doesn't come off." Jubilee says as she surveys the chaos, then cracks her neck to one side.

"Shannon, I don't need a backup plan. My plans work seventy percent of the time, a hundred percent of the time." What? Is that even real math? "Listen New-New-Mutie. If you get that Insta-Pot, I will hook you /up/ with ice cream. I'll even double it if you kill someone to get to it. That shows real commitment to the team. Logan has killed for less. I once saw him kill a man for the last Snowball Twinkie at a 7-11 in the middle of Arizona. Was real gruesome. He painted the walls with cream filling."

She moves forward, motioning everyone to follow her. "Lorna, if anyone tries to sneak up on us, give them the royal stink eye. It would definitely scare the hell out of me. Avengers Assemble!"

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto grabs Lorna and jumps to the ground instead of... well, there was no good way to climb down the roof of the van anyway. "Lorna!" He laughs at the greenette's whispered comment. "Maybe for Christmas," he responds.

"Now, Shannon, it is better not to argue with Jubilee. The sooner you get to the auto-pot... thing. The less civilian casualties," he explains. "Plasma burns are pretty painful and very slow to heal." He glances at Illyana, "what are you aiming to, Illy?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Given how he slayed that snowball in the snowball fight a week or two back? Yeah, I can believe that. Still think he rocks, though." Shannon just laughs a little bit, a rare enough sound from her these days but a welcome one. Damn, it felt good to get out and about. "Getting the Insta-Pot, no problem. If they have two, I might get one sorta as a gift to the whole Guthrie clan. Kind of make things easier on Sam's ma, you know?" Her eyes gleam with mischief and she waggles her eyebrows. Uh-oh. Could there be trouble in the ranks, if only one Insta-Pot remained?

     Arching her eyebrows at Roberto, she smiles, a little grimly. "Trust me, I've seen plasma burns /kill/. A minor one would hmmm... might add on a few extra hours healing time for me but it wouldn't be too bad." She rolls her eyes at the twitterpated pair and chuckles. Maybe someday. Maybe.

     "Right. So... LET'S DO THIS THING!"

Magik has posed:
The raft won't fit easily through the doors with the crowd, so a tussle breaks out as the devious thieves yank it up against an entrance. Hands grab at the rubbery sides, bouncing the bottom off the heads of the thronging shoppers. Some try to leave, some try to enter, unable to get around the barrier. Elsewhere, the first of the escapees from retail jail hoist their bags high. Anything larger requires carts, manpower, or avoiding grabby hands all along. The shouts emanating from the department store escalate over something definitely blue and black, a flat box.

"She wants a pot," Illyana repeats slowly, nodding Jubileeward. Jubilee is a compass direction. Her slim nose wrinkles, gaze panned over the place. "It reeks of greed. Thick enough to feed any demon or spirit already here." Empty her fingers might be, but they're already clenched at her side. "You get cover from me. Go." One imperious finger points outward.

They better hurry, because the blonde Russian is already launching off the hood of the minivan, vaulting her way in a spring through the parked vehicles. Going, going... gone, like any good deal!

Polaris has posed:
Lorna grinned wickedly at Roberto, holding onto him as he wrapped his arm around her waist and they plunged into the crowds from the car top. She let loose a soft laugh, and shook her head as she trailed alongside and watched the chaos from her position. A wince followed as she looked at the rubber raft that got caught on the doors and how it only fed the chaos.

"Can't we just order one online? Seriously, it's not the 90s anymore.." She drawled, her eyebrows furrowing as she glanced to Roberto. "Tell them you'll buy it online if they can't find a freaking Instapot. Those are //so// old." She shook her head once more, watching the chaos beside Roberto as they gathered collection of X-people made to go inside. A sigh followed Jubilee's instructions.

"The Queen of England doesn't go Black Friday shopping you know."

Vi has posed:
Vi didn't arrive with the others. She'd been up though when a couple of students she somewhat knew were heading for an Uber to take them to the mall. Someone had a need for the new Call of Duty 28 bundle that includes the jacket patch the "Pwned" bumper sticker, and the new Chromo-deathgrip 2000 controller, and they would not be denied.

Vi had no such need. But she enjoyed the little taste of Thanksgiving she got yesterday, so when one of the students mentioned this was part of a normal Thanksgiving weekend, Vi hesitated a moment and then asked if she could come along.

Now? She's hopelessly lost those she came with. They haven't even made it through the doors yet. The crowd seems immense to Vi, who is short enough she really can't see much of anything. She's just being carried by the mass of bodies around her, sometimes not sure her feet are even touching the ground.

Sunspot has posed:
"We are not in England," points out Roberto with a grin, struggling against the hordes of sales-hungry mallzombies. "Besides, this can't be worse than one of Scott's Danger Room runs, right?" Well, Berto has always been fairly optimistic.

Also, he has no idea what an Instapot is. For the sake of the team, it will be the Holy Grail today.

"And we gotta keep an eye on Illy," he adds for Lorna. "And Jubilee. I am not sure which one is more dangerous today."

Jubilee has posed:
As she pushes through the crowds along with Illyana, Jubilee is on a mission! She /will/ get that Insta-Pot and she will use and torture anyone who gets in her way. As an expert mallrat, she dances about the bodies quickly, showing off her range of gymnastic skills as she twirls, leaps and tiptoes through the smallest cracks. Perhaps a spark of light or two goes off to send someone scrambling to the side. Paf! Pop!

"Excuse me!"

"Sorry!"

"Coming through!"

"That'll wash out!"

As they head to the designated store, she can see an employee out front, looking haggard. "Yo, George! We still good? I got the /stuff/." She says in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, yeah.." George stammers out weakly, looking terrified. "I put the pot on the highest shelf. You sure you can reach it?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I brought some help. Here you go dude! One autographed photo of Captain America." She slips the photo out of her jacket, handing it over, then winks as she charges into the store.

"Come on Shannon! Don't lose a wing!"

Nightingale has posed:
     "The Queen of England also isn't enjoying some time out with her friends, is she?" Shannon smiles over at Lorna, ruffling her wings and stretching out a bit. This was going to get ugly, very quickly. Time to do what she did best in these situations and... fly. Don't look. Just fly.

     Fishing her bluetooth headset out from her little brown bag, she tucks it into her ear, and motions to Jubilee to do the same, if she has a similar piece with her. "Sound check... okay, I'll scout us out a safe route to the Insta-Pot, minimize casualties along the way." Because, of course, on a Black Friday? There were bound to be some. Right? Right!

     She calls down to Roberto, chuckling, "Ha! Never been through one of his DR runs, but man oh man, you should see some of Kurt's!"

     Somewhere, amidst the crush, she sees a semi-familiar figure, looking rather lost. "Uh-oh... Jubilee, we have an ally in the area, think she needs an exfil, stat. It's Vi. Don't worry about me, worst I'll lose is a couple feathers!"

Magik has posed:
The Queen of Great Britain, by grace of God, has significantly less constitutional authority than the actual Queen of Limbo present. Said queen isn't easy to spot considering she lacks certain height of other shoppers, who dwarf her, but the space she cuts through the packed throng might be perceived in the complaints and muttered sounds, elbows opening a hole long enough for her lithe figure to pass through. She swivels and pivots with the best of them, bypassing immovable shoppers by nudging them along if they refuse to get out of her way. Illyana might well be overcoming a late arrival to the Instant Pot Blowout by sheer aggression unleashed, or this is how Black Friday looks like in Russia, if Russia actually had it.

Those black, winged barbs of her headdress must actually pick up on Bluetooth. Or she just knows the way forward, skidding up to a press of shopping carts and leaping over them much to the dismay of Hayden, 20-something vet of the retail wars, and hiding Cheri, his scan-gun girl.

Down an aisle, it would just behoove her to say 'Pardon' but a frosty-eyed glare is probably enough. Exfils are her stock in trade, except she has a different goal in mind first. A box. A box in a depleted aisle, surrounded by things called Ninjas and Samurai machines. Snarling faces contorted by greed and urgency swim in front of her. A 50-year-old woman with /that/ kind of haircut reaches for a box. She's already calling for a manager, bleating, and Illy's answer is helpfully a sharp snarl.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna sighed dramatically again, but kept her arm linked through with Roberto. A raised eyebrow followed as the others pushed and shoved their way through but the green haired woman didn't bother to try. Not when she could just magnetically nudge people this way and that. A subtle push and pulled of people's belts, jewelry, the rivets in their jeans, and the claps on their jackets here or there cleared her and Roberto's path. She smiled a pleased smile as people just.. got out of her and Roberto's way.

"I think Illyana is more likely to stab someone that gets in her way." She drawled lightly, as she followed along.

Vi has posed:
The building draws nearer as the tide of humanity pours through the small openings into the stores. She just rides the current, not really having any choice but to move as those behind her press her forward, to the point Vi has her hands on the back of her person ahead of her.

The urge to check the pockets of those around her is almost overwhelming. It would be so easy. But those lifelong instincts are being suppressed, if with a lot of effort.

Soon the door is looming and Vi gets pushed through, the experience also forcing half the breath from her body. Once inside that aperture, people spread and Vi finally finds herself freed. She hurries forward away from everyone else, moving to find a corner where a row of shelves end next to a wall. She backs up into the space that's left as she watches around at the throngs of people pushing their way through.

Sunspot has posed:
Uh huh, mutters Roberto, unconvinced. "This reminds me, I need a new coffee machine, and since we are here..." Famous last words said, the Brazilian mutant starts the painful, possibly futile struggle to reach the kitchen appliances area where Jubilee is completing her unholy transaction.

('cause mixing Captain America with Black Friday is unholy)

"Damn, I think someone bit me," he grumbles. "I hope it is not rabid," because one never knows.

Magik has posed:
"That's MY Keurig!"

"Jenny, put down the mouse and get over here! You got smaller hands, get that last box over--"

A teen holds up a camera. "This is what American chaos looks like. All worship the mighty dollar."

"Xrarek ero kk'hv ehe!"

"Aw fudge."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Jubilee, target is in sight. I'm going in!" Sure enough, there was not one, but /two/ Insta-Pots on the very top shelf of the department store, and there was no way in heaven or hell Shannon was going to let them get away! Thank god for high ceilings that made her little dive-bomb possible, allowing her to 'buzz' the shelves, reach down, and snatch up both boxes all in one go! There's a decidedly unholy whoop of glee from the winged girl as she manages to stay above the financial fray, changing course to find Jubilee.

     "Heads up! Incoming!" She holds out one of the boxes above her, not about to risk letting it drop without being darn sure it was going to land in her hands, and nobody else's!

Polaris has posed:
Lorna shot Roberto a look as he mentioned picking up a coffee maker. "We are not standing in line to get a coffee maker of all things here. You own how many hotels?" She swatted at his side, her nose wrinkling up at the chaos of the crowds in front of them and the rather violent mix of personalities before them. Someone was going to get hurt somewhere, she was sure of it.

Still, she managed to follow along side Roberto none the less, her heels clicking on the floors as she walked. The kind of sound that typically commanded attention, but here was lost in the volume of people crushed into the area. Still, no one actually brushed up against her, as she waved her hand this way or that, pushing people out of her way via the magnetic items on their clothes.

"Given how many mutant abilities are on display here, I'm shocked no one has called mall security." She muttered.

Jubilee has posed:
"Firecracker to Lady Hawke! I read you loud and clear!" Jubilee calls through the bluetooth headset that she has fastened into her ear. "I'm heading down a aisle eleven which is a short cut. Don't take aisle twelve! It's suicide. I repeat, do not take aisle twelve! We have a three-eleven going on aisle twelve!" That's the police code for 'naked streaker'.

Another flare of color comes out from the gloves of the sparkling mutant to send a couple of people startled and dancing away. "Oops!" She calls out gleefully, then cuts a corner quickly in hot pursuit of her beloved Insta-Pot.

"Good job, Shannon! We gotta get you to the registers now! Look out! Three hundred pound deal seeker on your left! She's coming at you like a Jets linebacker!"

She can see the woman charging down the aisle, her eyes on the Insta-Pot that Shannon is holding. "MIIIIIINE!"

"RUN SHANNON!"

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto owns a few hotels, but his coffee maker broke down three days ago and he only remembers about it just before leaving his apartment to get to work. It is a question of priorities! "I think mall security were the first casualties," explains Roberto. "That or they have bunkered down in some hideout to wait this out."

Then again stealing a coffee maker from one of his hotels would be smarter. And technically not thievery. But Berto might have been caught the Black Friday bug. Highly contagious and someone bit him.

Vi has posed:
Vi catches a glimpse of a white flash past overhead, but loses sight of Shannon before she's even able to make out it was a person, let alone a familiar one. A pair of men press hard through the crowd, heading for the shelf beside VI. Both reach for the last Bojangles Bear, a stuffed bear with animatronics inside that allows him to move his arms and legs and respond to his child.

They each grab an arm and start tugging back and forth. "I had it first!" one calls. "Janie needs this or Christmas is ruined," another says. Vi, meanwhile, just stares wide-eyed at what is happening.

Before the matter of whether Janie's Christmas is ruined or not can be resolved, Lorna and Roberto walk past on their way to the coffee makers. The two men are gently pushes aside as are others nearby, making the pair seem. Vi has a pouch at her belt filled with heavy metal washers which she feels pushed into her in the same fashion. Before she thinks better of it, she pushes back on the metal that Lorna and Roberto have on themselves. The force is only a couple of pounds, and it's directed directly away from Vi no matter where the object is on them. And... there's no sense of magnetism being used for Lorna to pick up on. But Vi is staring right at them when it happens.

Magik has posed:
Down there, in the middle of trouble, is Illyana. She occupies the end of the small appliance aisle, separating coffeemakers from Instant Pots, juicers, baby crockpots, and more.

Facing down Ms. I Want the Manager, the blonde gives a scowl and distracts 'Karen', hopefully, from the flying woman. A bitter protest is ignored. Her gaze flits from the disapproving shopper trying to snatch up the last Sodastream away to the phone in the air recording all this, back to Shannon's flicker of feathers in the immediate next aisle. This could prove particularly tricky to maneuver around, Jubilee's orders radiating in her ear.

But it seems a shout of 'Shannon' is enough to get her moving. Too many people pushed away by the magnetic or metallic effects around her is undoubtedly a source of frustration, Vi and Lorna caught in the same mass. She clenches her hands and unclenches them, annoyance crystallizing into something darker that sends her malevolent shadow into darker bubbling around her feet. Two steps forward and she calls out, "Where /are/ you?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna kept her arm linked through Roberto's, a heavy sigh pulling from her lips. "What happened to we have to watch Jubilee and Illyana? Hmm? I've lost track of both of them here and I certainly am not going to try to find them in this chaos." She muttered, holding fast to her boyfriend's side. As he spoke mall security, she made a face.

"Well, fine, we're not playing this elbowing people game for a coffee maker. Tell me which one you want, get me into a corner, and I'll pull it to us. Okay?" She shook her head. And anything futher broke off as a force pushed //back// on her own directives. She gasped, bumping back into Roberto and nearly tripping over her heeled boots as she tried to catch herself from falling and face planting in surprise.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Copy that, Firecracker, en route to the register. Have your plastic ready, this is gonna get ugly!" Shannon is holding both Insta-Pots, and that makes her a prime target for Ms. Linebacker. She laughs as she cradles her precious cargo, and makes it all the way to the register, before all Hades breaks loose. Where there is one that smells blood in the water--or in the air--there are bound to be others. And they all want. The. Same. Blessed. Thing.

     "Ohhhh fudge... Firecracker, better hustle! I can't hold 'em off for too long!"

Jubilee has posed:
As she dances through the crowds, Jubilee tries to intercept the linebacker shopper by pointing to the left. "Holy crap, is that a buy one get one free ginsu knife deal!" As the woman quickly jerks to the left in hot pursuit, she wipes her brow with the back of her hand. "Whew! I'm coming Shannon!"

Darting out into the main aisles, she spies the rest of the crew, waving her hand frantically. "Roberto! We need your super power of unlimited money at register six! Quickly! Shannon may only have forty seconds to live! Oh god, it's going to be bloody!"

"Oh, hey Vi!" She says as she finds herself bumping into her with a wild grin as she dodges around some more shoppers. "You're still alive! Good, good. Having fun? Watch out, flying oven mit!" She says, ducking down.

Magik has posed:
Remember that big rubber boat? How did it get from the outfitter-adventure store /here/? It turns out a boat is an indisputable craft of crowd surfing, a perfect rubber place to store your valuables. A pirate of such wicked things is stretched out on his stomach, clutching his camping gear, while his buddies hoist along the great big inflatable raft on their shoulders and hands. They veer into the reach of Shannon's escape route.

And given how high up the big ol' boat is, it might just keep her from flying down to customer service for a quick transaction. Mwahahahah!

Vi has posed:
Vi hadn't really been meaning to cause a stumble, it was more like feeling someone give you a little shove and doing the same back without thinking about it too much. As she sees Lorna so close to falling and faceplanting, her face floods with an expression of empathy.

The push on Lorna's metal immediately reverses to help keep her on her feet and letting up the moment that's accomplished, while Vi herself takes a half-step forward towards the couple, hands up as if they'd help support the green hair woman, though Vi is just out of arm's length.

The two men fighting over the toy were barely interrupted by what happened. A tug of war starts up, before finally one of them says, "Pay you $50 to let me have it?" The other man accepts. Commercialism at its best. Worst?

Vi looks over as Jubilee appears suddenly, dodging shoppers deftly and brushing up against her. Recognition comes after a second. "Hello. Yes, this is... ah... there are many, many people here," she says in an understatement. One that ends with an oven mitt to the face. Vi catches it in surprise as it falls down her body. "So this is Thanksgiving?" she asks.

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto was only mere yards away from a Javabot Precision Maker 5999 when Jubilee demands his attention (and credit card). Nooooo. So. close. "You are taking all the fun of this, princess." He smirks to Lorna.

But duty calls, and a Da Costa never shrinks duty. Or something. "Cyber Monday you will be mine, Javabot!" He yells to the coffee maker. Or maybe Lorna will get it, that works too. Then races towards register six, no matter who stands on his way.

Polaris has posed:
In a mixture of forces, Vi's and her own magnetic bubble, Lorna didn't quite fall. She floated for a minute, and was righted to her properly onto her heels. She glanced as Roberto was swept off for the use of his credit card, and she swung around to face the woman with the bag of odd metals. She was nearing Vi when she finally noticed that Jubilee spoke to her.

Green eyes narrowed in consideration, and she reached out a hand for a coffee pot, summoning the box off the shelf and having it float into her arms. Was she going to freak people out? Assuredly, but the Princess of Genosha didn't really care about it. Everything was chaos around them and she was trying to figure out exactly who Vi was.

Nightingale has posed:
     A string of rather colorful, creative invectives in a pigdin mixture of German and French, spews from Shannon's mouth as the rubber boat suddenly becomes more of an obstacle than she'd counted on. But, the flimsy craft did have one vulnerability, and it's one she plans to exploit to the fullest. Smiling sweetly at the boat's occupant, and his compatriots bearing him aloft, she plucks at the air valve, popping off the little cap, to the tune of a very satisfying little -hiss-. She keeps the cap with her, giggling and winging her way just out of reach.

     "Firecracker, better hurry. I don't think this diversion will last for long!"

Magik has posed:
When was the last time Illyana got in a fight? When was the last time anyone in this party of horrors and consumerism actually felt fear? They should when the boat goes bouncing by, the shouts of the young men lofting it on their shoulders as good as any war cry int his day and age! Is not fear part of the firecrackers and mutant powers subtly - or not - pushing them this way and that? Mitts to the face, boxes crushed in gripping, greedy hands, the crowd moves the only way they can for exit with their purloined gifts.

Mostly, they are in the way. The hissing rubber craft now as a time limit or a finger jammed in the valve, and it bounces madly through the path. Fine, that means cheating.

Illyana flattens up a wall and falls through it, the portal snapping around her shut. There shall not be cake for Karen, trying to race after her. Vague swirls of brimstone fill the air, totally accidental. She reappears at a register, or more importantly, next to the locked cabinet being manned by one too busy assistant manager who did not sign up for this.

Vi has posed:
Vi sets the oven mitt on the shelf where the bear had once been. She looks back to find Lorna upright, and floating a coffee maker to her. While Vi can't sense anything of Lorna's power use, just the sheer sight of it stands out to Vi as being different than her own. To make the coffee maker take such a straight line would have required a very hard pull by Vi.

By the time Lorna is looking back towards Vi, the petite teen's eyes are there to meet the Princess's. Vi looks to be at the very end of her teen years, Lorna having probably a half dozen years on her, and nearly as many inches of height. "You are able to move things?" Vi asks quietly. She recalls she only felt the press on the washers, not on the rest of herself. "Metal?" she asks, before a shopper shoulders Vi in the back to get past, knocking the brunette teen forward in a stumble.

Jubilee has posed:
"Sunspot is on his way, Lady Hawk! Just hold out as long as you can!" Jubilee calls through the radio, then gives a glance to Vi with a wider grin. "Yeah, this is Black Friday. You ever see the movie The Purge? It's kinda like that, but way deadlier. It's the one day that all the stores knock prices down and people lose their mind buying Christmas gifts for each other. The goal of surviving Black Friday is to get what you want, and not get injured, or worse."

Giving a motion of her head, she says "We should go help out Illy though before she wigs out and pulls a sword on someone. I'd hate to clean up that mess on aisle eight, know what I mean?" She grabs Vi by the hand and leads the way through the crowds, heading towards Lorna who is being the best girlfriend in the world by snagging that Javabot.

"You know, I'm thinking about getting us all Froyo after this."

Magik has posed:
"Go left!"
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"

"Hup, hup, hup!" shout the chorus of four laughing men. Riiight into Roberto's path.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna held the coffee maker in its box to her chest, a raised brow following as Vi stepped closer to her and spoke of how she used her powers. "And you carry an odd assortment of metals." She drawled, her tone cool and curious. None the less polite, but it carried over the thrum of the crowd's crazed shouts all around them.

"I can do more than move things." She drawled, and as the young woman nearly stumbled, Lorna reached out to try to stabilize her.. right around when Jubilee stormed back around.

"I think Illyana is fine if we have yet to hear screams. I don't know if froyo is what I want after this.. It's too cold outside. C'mon, lets get things for paid for and out of here. Roberto isn't the only one with an endless credit card." Granted her's was backed by the Genoshan bank.. and therefore Magneto.. but eh. Details.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Uh-oh. Captain Obvious and his merry men are heading right for Sunspot's twelve. And I'm running out of...." There's a yelp as a particularly grabby deal-seeker tries for the Insta-Pots in Shannon's arms, only to come away with a wing feather in their hand instead. "HEY! That was attached, you know!"

     Okay. Things just got real, if she was losing feathers over this!

     "That one was a little too close... better let Sunspot know to hustle, I'm getting mauled over here!"

Sunspot has posed:
Roberto is pushing, dodging, jumping his way to Shannon like only an athlete or a superhero could manage. Unfortunately not even the Danger Room prepares mutant for the reality that is Black Friday. And... rubber Viking boats.

"Blessed Madonna," he manages before being run over. He tosses his credit card to Shannon at the last second. Then everything goes black.

Which is perfectly normal when Roberto goes Sunspot. The occupants of the boat might think otherwise, but since Sunspot threw them (and their boat) into the mosh pit that is aisle eight they will have different, more important reasons to freak out than just mutants.

Vi has posed:
Vi gives a grateful look for the help getting her feet back under her. "This is crazy," she says of the shopping melee, before looking back to Lorna. As Lorna and Jubilee speak, Vi clues in a bit more and asks Lorna, "Do you live at the school as well then? One of the teachers?" she asks. She's still getting to know everyone there. More face she doesn't know by name, than does.

Jubilee is pulling her towards the front then, Vi letting herself be towed along in the wake of the energetic Asian woman. She doesn't have anything purchased, so will just be watching as their hard-won treasures are paid for.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon has just seconds to shift one of the boxes in her possession to her left arm, leaving her right hand free to dart out like a serpent striking and snatch the flying credit card out of the air. YES! Victory! "Lady Hawk here... I've got the ball on register six. Repeat, I've got the ball!" Hopefully, the rather energetic gymnastics teacher is close enough to make it safely to the register, where the winged girl is coming in for a landing--and rather promptly gets jostled about by over-enthusiastic, and sometimes irate shoppers.

     "KISS MY WINGFEATHERS! These are MINE!"

Magik has posed:
Illyana remains by the register. The assistant manager yelps at finding her right behind him, a short argument breaking out where it involves her being behind the counter in a restricted area. Her hands lift to ward off his shouting and she dramatically gestures at the woman with the box over there. "Check her out. She will pay..."

A wave of her hand. Where is Shannon? Where did Lorna get to? The Russian doesn't ask.

Polaris has posed:
"Something like that, but not quite." She offered to Vi's questioning glance, she could spot Roberto go dark by the rubber raft some where down the way, and her focus shifted to one of her magnetic senses as she searched for the shortest line. That being, well, incidentally where Illyana was. She offered a nod toward Vi and Jubilee, before smartly walking and pushing her way through the crowd, pulling and pushing people magnetically when they got too close to her without breaking step.

It wasn't long before the green haired Princess stood on the correct side of the register where the assistant manager was utterly frightened of Illyana.

"Well, there you are, I'll be checking out please." She smiled, where did the others in front of her go? Who could say. They might have found their phones ringing suddenly or found their wallet on the ground and not in their pockets. Was she cheating? Definitely. The green haired princess didn't care. She wanted to pay and get out of there.

Jubilee has posed:
As they head for the registers, Jubilee looks triumphant. "Heh. This was more fun than I thought it'd be." She says aside to Vi and Lorna with a grin. "Sides, you can get Froyo on top of a hot brownie. That'll be delicious." As she comes over to the register to defend Shannon against any other potential Insta-Pot thieves, she says, "Not bad, Wings. I'll give this mission a seven outta ten. You definitely shoulda stabbed that guy in the black shirt with a pencil though on your left about five aisles back. That woulda got you bonus points."

Pointing to the manager, she says, "Ring us up dude! Oh! Also, this Javabot too." She says as she motions to Lorna. "And yes, I have a rewards program here. You better /not/ forget my points! I'm about two hundred away from a coupon."

Sunspot has posed:
After his brief display of mutant powers Roberto sneaks around aisle twelve to avoid mutant haters which... are completely ignoring him. Someone said Lexphones were at half price and then caused a sudden stampede that has briefly cleared the way out.

Fools. Luthor would never sell Lexphones at half price. 20 percent off is all they could hope. Roberto knows better. "My friends," he calls, "we have a six minutes window to escape before they lynch someone for spreading fake news."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just laughs, and shakes her head. "C'mon. I'm more than just a pair of wings. Besides," she adds, with a mischievous little grin. "I think I should get some extra points for creativity, and successful use of non-violent methods in a potentially violent situation. Especially while being at risk of life, limb, and flight feathers!"

     The Insta-Pots are deposited on the checkout counter, and the transaction is completed in short order by an utterly overwhelmed cashier. Shannon smiles at the other girl, who doesn't look as if she can be too much older than she is. "Hey. Hang in there. You're doing great."

     Roberto's call is acknowledged with a wave and a nod. "Gotcha. Let's bug outta here, pronto!"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna glanced up at Vi and Jubilee came up and then shortly, did Roberto. She grinned, setting down the Javapot express that Roberto had wanted for the cashier to ring up. She leaned toward the Brazilian and kissed him on the cheek. "I was successful in getting you what you wanted." Not that she'd had to do that much to get it. A wave of her hand and well.. sometimes it was nice being her father's daughter.

"Now lets pay and get out of here, hmm?"

Vi has posed:
Vi follows along, the experience giving her a number of firsts, and there are any number of things to watch as she sees the lines of people get processed in as speedy of fashion as the clerks can manage.

Vi looks to Lorna and says, "Maybe we could talk later? I have a room, in the girl's hall. Or, if there's somewhere I could come find you?" She has someone impatient glaring at her as she's standing in the way at the register. "Sorry," she says quickly, moving to get out of the way. "I think I liked the meal part, with the turkey, better than this part," Vi says of her Thanksgiving experiences.

Magik has posed:
Illyana glares down the unfortunate assistant manager. He -- Wayne, by name tag -- ends up hustling up to a register to punch through one code after another. Scanning would be faster but his hands shake enough this isn't possible. The long-legged Russian slides up to the counter and slithers over it, shameless about dropping down to the other side to rejoin her friends.

"Nothing black here. This is 'Black Friday?' A frown curves her mouth. "What is black about it?"

Jubilee has posed:
"Look into their eyes, Illyana. You can see how terrified they are. It's their souls. They're all dead inside. Viva La Turkey!" Jubilee throws her hand up and high fives the cashier, then gathers up her Insta-Pot once it is paid for. "Thanks Berto." She leans in and smooches his cheek. "You're the man, dawg. Okay everyone! Let's go to the food court! Froyo and pizza by the slice is on me!" (And by her, she means Roberto's credit card that she pocketed once the receipt spit out.)

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon winces a little bit when she sees the receipt for the two Insta-Pots, making a mental note to pay Roberto back the moment they're clear of the capitalist carnage. "Let's get outta here, like... NOW." A light giggle escapes her at the prospect of Froyo and pizza, and she scurries on out of the department store. "Pizza? Or... maybe some Chinese. I could go for some orange chicken right about now!"