Picking Pockets [Open]

[Tesser]

It was a beautiful day in the windy city, a recent rain had cleaned away some of the ever present smog and left a fresh, crisp scent in the air. Many people were taking advantage of the sudden nice weather and the sidewalks were crowded with an impassible sea of humanity.

Through this colorful crowd, a singly inconspicuous figure bounced. It was a small girl, one of hundreds of street children that populated the gutters and the alleys. Wearing only a massive ratty T-shirt and a blindfold, Tesser splashed in the remaining puddles gleefully, altogether unconcerned with the world.

It was the great curse and the great gift of being a street child that you were purposefully ignored by anybody and everybody. No matter how great your need, you would not be seen. However, it worked the other way too, for in ignoring the happy child, many people also ignored the state of their wallets -- until too late.

Here and there Tesser's quick fingers flashed. A purse now, then a pocket. Nobody noticed her, and that was just the way she liked it. There was no malevolence in her actions, merely the joy of doing something well. She either had never been taught that what she did was wrong, or had never understood the lessons given her. And so she continued.

However, not all days are lucky, and it seemed fated that she would be caught eventually.

[Nathaniel Essex]

A tall, lightly tanned figure walked down the sidewalk of Chicago. He was clad in a red three-piece suit in the style of the American 1940's. This particular suit was one of his favorites--he loved coupling it with a black dress shirt to match his dark hair and goatee. On occasion he allowed the red of his eyes to show, which he thought looked quite nice, but today he was not out to cause a stir, so he chose to make them more human with brown irises.

As the newly liberated villain strolled through Chicago he couldn't help but think of a song he heard Frank Sinatra sing called "My Kind of Town". The Second City really was quite a place. Essex could remember, even now, the beautiful havoc of the early 1900's caused by the gangsters of Chicago. ~Those were the days.~[/color] He thought to himself. Suddenly, Nathaniel found himself pulled from his thoughts by a little girl. She was frolicking about the wet street and stealing, of all things. This intrigued the 6'1" superhuman, not so much because of the combination of her age and action, but her demeanor. The child seemed to think of it as a game. At least, that's what it looked like to Sinister.

He moved across the street to where the girl was playing and taking people's wallets. He wore a strangely soft smile (for him) on his lips as he approached the girl. "Careful, girl." He whispered from just behind Tesser. "Or you might get caught." He added as he towered over the little girl.

[Tesser]

Tesser squeaked in surprise and no small amount of alarm when a low voice addressed her from behind. She had the instincts of any other street child, and it was no small task to creep up on her. Yet, towering above her, where no one had been a moment ago, was a huge man made of straight lines and no bend at all. She turned slowly, surveying the man as she raised an arm in a gesture that would usually be used to shield the sun from one's eyes. A gesture that made no sense since, not only was the man blocking the sun, but she was wearing a blindfold.

Instead of reacting like a child of her ilk should, however, she lowered her arm after a moment and grinned adorably up at the man. "Well, will you listen to the pot call the caterpillar black." She said, no fear at all in her voice. Dancing in a circle around the man she said, just too seriously to be a joke, "They don't make baseball gloves big enough to hold me." One steady calloused hand snaked towards his back pocket as she talked.

[Nathaniel Essex]

The girl squeaked and cowered at the sound of Nathaniel's voice. It was a common reaction, one that Sinister usually enjoyed. Striking fear into people was something he rather liked, especially when he didn't even have to try. Yes, he loved how people would sometimes shriek just at his very appearance--it seemed to feed the villain's ego. But, such fear from someone so small did little for the daunting figure that was Mister Sinister.

The tiny person looked up at him, or at least he assumed she was looking at him--it was hard to tell with that blindfold on her eyes. The child wasn't blind; he could tell that by her mannerisms. So, why the blindfold? She was an interesting subject, and she just kept getting more interesting. She made an odd comment after Essex spoke to her, a comment that Nathaniel didn't entirely understand. "I believe you mean the kettle." He said after a short moment. "And my pockets are empty." He added, not even looking at the girl, just loosely reading her thoughts.

Sinister turned and leaned down to get closer to the child's level, a small grin on his lips. "Tell me, little girl, why do you wear this thing over your eyes?" He asked in a soft tone that few had ever heard come from his mouth.

[Tesser]

"I believe you mean the kettle. And my pockets are empty." The man said. Tesser shivered somewhat. He was too sure of himself, to proud of his own potential. Tesser had met lots of dangerous men, all different levels of dangerous too. This man reminded her of a cat. Self satisfied and proud, but cranky and like to turn on you for setting a hair out of place. It was not, however, in her nature to run. Another thing she had perhaps not learned to do correctly. Instead she stuck her tongue out at the man, and continued searching his pockets anyways.

"You would say that." She approached every pocket with the same air of naive excitement. Upon the discovery that it was indeed empty, her world would be seemingly crushed. However, all would be dispelled by the novelty of the next pocket to search. Hers was, perhaps, a simple world. If it was simplistic, though, it was so because she preferred it that way, and she had already sanctioned off a nearby alley for a quick escape if she needed to run. "And no, why would the pot talk to the kettle? Kettle's can't answer."

Tesser stood back having exhausted the supply of pockets within reach of her short arms. She did not seem perturbed at all by her lack of loot. However, she froze when he bent down to her level and addressed her. Her animated face showed a moment's hesitation - fear and nervousness all flitting across it. She tilted her head sideways in a strange owl-like movement, hidden eyes fixed on the man.

Then, the moment was gone. Tesser laughed and bent backwards - leaping from her standing position into a kind of cartwheel away from the man. "They forgot to lace up my eyeballs," she called back to him, still laughing. "They forgot to tie the knots good and tight!"

Halfway through her cartwheel, she wobbled and toppled down, landing in a small puddle. She looked sad for a grand total of three seconds before a small clear stone that sparkled somewhat caught her attention. Grinning hugely and forgetting all about the puddle, and apparently the man, all her attention was focused on the stone.

[Nathaniel Essex]

The child proceeded to search through his pockets, despite the fact that he had said they were empty. He was only mildly annoyed by the girl's action, mostly he was just intrigued by her oddities. She was so strange, even for a child. The girl went on to correct him, insisting that it was not the kettle that the pot called black. Her logic behind this statement? Kettles cannot talk. "Yes, of course. But pots, well one can hardly get them to shut up." He humored the child.

This girl seemed a little afraid of him for a moment, but then she went back to her carefree self. Her answer to his inquiry was just as weird as everything else she said. He wasn't sure if this girl was insane or just playing around. At any rate, she was providing Essex with a bit of entertainment during his recovery.
Pretty soon she was prancing about and looking for the next shiny distraction, and seeming to forget about Nathaniel entirely. He followed after her, calmly and slowly. The stone she was admiring levitated and moved toward Sinister. He grinned as he examined the spinning stone.

"You like things like this, do you?" He asked, taking the stone in his hand. "You would be quite fond of my place. I have all sorts of shiny objects and pretty stones where I live." He stated gingerly, putting his hand out to give the stone to Tesser. "Would you like to see?" Mister Sinister was actually starting to like this little girl for some reason. Something about her brought out a different side of him--a softer side that he wanted to investigate.

[Tesser]

The girl snickered at the strange man's comment about pots. She appreciated a person who could talk. Her own social skills being less than stellar, however, as soon as her attention was caught by the shiny stone, she began to gravitate away from the man. Holding it so that it cast little rainbows all around, she wandered off. Vaguely, she was aware that the man followed her.

Raising one eyebrow at him over her shoulder, she began to wander more purposefully. Taking a couple of lefts, and then standing for a strangely long time next to a bus-stop. He followed her, making no move. He didn't feel angry - and usually Tesser could tell these things. She knew angry, and she knew to run fast when she felt it. But he... she shivered a little again. Who knew what he was thinking. She was just about preparing to split, vanish into an ally as street kids are apt to do, when she found her new treasure moving of its own accord.

Her face and open book as always, Tesser gaped in wonderment as the stone lifted from her grimy hand, spinning through the air to land in the man's own. "You like things like this, do you?" He spoke to her again, still a strange occurrence. She was not used to being addressed - not as a human at least. Shyly, she shifted weight, saying "I do." In truth, she loved them, but she felt dwarfed by the man, and felt it would be prudent to mind her tongue. He spoke to her about his own place, and she let out a slow breath as she imagined what it could be like. And men like that, they had other things to. Like food, and blankets, and lighters!

When he extended his hand to her, though, she paused. Midway through reaching for her stone, she stopped dead and looked up at him. Behind her blindfold her eyes narrowed, and above it her eyebrows slid together. Suspiciously, she said, "Why?" Then, defiantly, she lifted her chin, looking at him without fear. "I'll be nobody's bedwarmer!"

[Nathaniel Essex]

Sinister smiled at the girl's wonderment. It seemed she was unfamiliar with mutant abilities, specifically telekinesis. It had been some time since he met somebody who was so astounded by such a simple feat. This child was very interesting. Essex found himself enjoying her more and more, and not for his usual reasons. Most of the time he only took interest in people if they had some extraordinary ability, but this child was remarkable in an utterly different way. What was it about this street kid that he found so intriguing? Was it her fearlessness, or perhaps her bizarre phrases? Maybe it was that blindfold, or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever the case, she interested him.

The young girl seemed quite excited at the possibility of getting to see a place such as Nathaniel's home. But then something else came over her face--suspicion. The girl was wild, but not so careless as to accept potentially dangerous offers from strange men.

"Why" She asked, and Sinister arched a brow, pleased with how the child reacted. But, his smile was wiped away when the girl added, "I'll be nobody's bed warmer!" Now there was a term he hadn't heard for a while, and he certainly had never heard it from the mouth of a little kid like the one before him.
"Bed warmer? Now where did a little girl like you pick up a term like that?" Essex crouched down, his hand now closed around the stone. "I don't mean you any harm. I've made this offer to show you my home merely because I thought you would enjoy it there." He said softly, looking at the blindfold and trying to see her eyes through it. "I won't hurt you, little one." He said as he put his hand out again for her to take the stone.

[Tesser]

Tesser's suspicion faded as the man reacted to her words. There was no anger, or like suspicion from him. Rather, only a generous helping of surprise, and then... honesty. Today was a day of many firsts for Tesser. That she should be treated as this man was treating her, and spoken to in all honesty, it was strange and rather unsettling. The child knew when someone was lying, and there was none of that here. She felt as though she had been displaced, and dropped in the wrong world.

He spoke to her softly, and she detected in him an attempt to see through her blindfold. Ducking her head and turning away from his inquisitive gaze, her face crinkled in concentration, considering his offer.

She was tempted, so tempted. He could do magic, and he said he wouldn't hurt her, and he had shiny things, and there would surely be other things too. And yet, Tesser was hesitant. There was much more to this strange man -- her gut told her to be wary, to step cautiously, and to not upset him no matter what. In a split second her decision was made. Looking up with an open smile, she reached out her hand one more, placing it in his own large one and taking back the stone. "Done" She said formally, as though sealing a contract. She would step lightly with this one, but with him she would go.

Having settled that, she bounced up and began to skip onwards, expecting the man to follow her. All the worries that had burdened her just a second ago were gone, and she skipped along without a care in the world. She knew where she was going, and who she was with, and she needed nothing more. Calling over her shoulder, she answered his previous question without an ounce of tact. "I learned about bed warmers from Marlene. She works on the corner, and she's actually a guy, but not really! She warned me about men like you. She said that guys who wear expensive suits-"

She stopped with a gasp and spun around, planting herself on the sidewalk directly in the man's path. "We forgot!" she breathed. "We've met, and we forgot. Then looking straight up at him, she said "My name's Tesser."

[Nathaniel Essex]

Again the girl was hesitant--a wise move. But, in the end she accepted Mr. Sinister's offer. He grinned when the child took the stone back, and then he rose back up to his full height, towering over the little girl once more. He moved at a somewhat slow pace as the small one skipped ahead, his hands slipping into his pockets. ~Such an odd girl~[/color] He thought to himself. She was surprisingly brave, yet suspicious, but always joyful. An interesting subject, to say the least.

After a moment the little girl replied to his earlier inquiry about the adult phrase she had used. Her answer was nearly as shocking as her actually using the term. "I learned about bed warmers from Marlene. She works on the corner, and she's actually a guy, but not really! She warned me about men like you. She said that guys who wear expensive suits-"[/color]
Nathaniel's eyebrow went up. ~She fraternizes with prostitutes? How queer.~ He thought, his eyebrows lowering toward the end of his thought.

Suddenly the child halted and gasped. Essex looked ahead instinctively, and then to the sides. He saw no danger, but then the girl said two simple words; we forgot. "Hm?" He let out in confusion. The child proceeded to introduce herself as Tesser, and Essex merely grinned. That wasn't like him to forget something such as this. "A pleasure, Ms. Tesser. I am Dr. Nathaniel Essex." He said almost regally, giving her a small bow. "That's an interesting name you have. I don't recall ever hearing it, and I have heard a great many names in my life." He stated while slowly walking down the sidewalk again. "Did you make it yourself?"

[Tesser]

When Nathanial called her Ms. Tesser, the child laughed. Not a shy giggle like so many children and females seemed to only give, but a real laugh. Big and broad and filled with joy. The thought that she should be given any honorific at all seemed a great jest to her, but one she could appreciate.

Her glee continued as he introduced himself, bowing slightly. It seemed ironic, given his towering frame, but she loved it. Clapping her hands once in mirth, she mimicked the action, bowing unsteadily. "Nice to meet you, Doctor." She said cheerfully.

As they began to walk again, she walked beside him, imitating the way he stood and walked, trying to match his very long strides with her own short legs. She grew thoughtful, however, when he asked her about his name. She appeared to give it serious consideration for some time before looking up at him and saying "I don't know!" She sounded shocked, as though she had just made a new discovery, which in all likelihood, she had. "Where do names come from, who gives them to us? She asked with a sudden intensity. Then, after a pause "Who gave you yours? Maybe... maybe whoever gave you your name, also gave me mine." Then, she hugged herself, "At least, I think it's mine. But maybe it's not, maybe they'll take it back? What do we become without names?"

The abstractions seemed to bother her deeply and she shivered a little. However, a second later, her face cleared and her posture relaxed -- as though there had never been an issue. Turning up to Nathanial, she asked cheerily, "What kind of doctor are you?"

[Nathaniel Essex]

What do we become without names? Did this child even realize the depth of the question she posed? It truly was a fascinating question. ~What do we become without names?~ Sinister repeated it in his head. ~Nothing, I suppose.~ He answered mentally.
What are we without names? Names are so much a part of who we are. We are called by them and we respond. If we hear them, even from a distance, even if it is another person being summoned by the same name, we react. A name is a very powerful thing. A name helps shape us, probably in ways we don't even realize. It's part of our identity--no, it is our identity. Was this not the very reason Essex took up the name Mr. Sinister? His dying wife told him sinister is what he was... So Sinister he would be.

"What kind of doctor are you?" The girl's voice forced Nathaniel from his thoughts, and his eyes shifted to Tesser once again.
"I'm a man of many talents. I am qualified to perform complicated brain surgery, but I also do a great deal of chemistry work and engineering. I suppose you could say I'm a doctor of many fields." He said kindly, and then looked ahead again. They were drawing near to his domain, but it would still be a few minutes before they arrived.

Essex spotted a little pretzel and hotdog vendor on the sidewalk only about seven meters in front of them, and though he wasn't feeling in need of food, it was rather probable that his tiny companion was. "Are you hungry, Ms. Tesser?" He asked, using the honorific on purpose, though he knew she'd most likely laugh again. Honestly, he sort of hoped she might.

[Tesser]

As he explained his numerous Doctorial skills, Tesser's mouth made a perfect little 'O', her mobile eyebrows rose high on her face. Though her eyes remained covered, it was easy to read the child, so clearly did she show everything she felt. "Woooow!" She breathed. "You're a real doctor." She didn't explain what other kind of doctor he might have been, but it was clear she thought she had given him a great title.

As he spoke more on his professions, she gasped in sudden excitement. "You're an engineer?" She exclaimed. "I've never met a real engineer before! I Love trains!" She spun around in a couple of circled, flailing her arms to keep her balance. "I like the way the sound when they go really fast, thumpa-thumpa-thumpa, and they have pretty pictures on them and I really like the way some of the cars don't have tops, because then if you climb up to the top you can feel the wind, and sometimes they go over bridges!" This was, clearly, a big deal.

When they passed by a vendor of delicious, if unhealthy, snacks, Tesser sniffed the air. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of food -- her last meal had consisted of an old banana and a discarded tube of toothpaste. Turns out the latter was neither very tasty or very filling. It had been a disappointment. Are you hungry, Mrs. Tesser?"

Once again, he used the silly honorific. It caught her off guard and she laughed again, just as though it were a new joke. Then, registering his question, she nodded vigorously. It was not in her nature to lie, and she wouldn't have anyways. "I'm always hungry." She answered, not in way of pity-mongering, but as a fact of life.

[Nathaniel Essex]

The child seemed overly amazed by the fact that he was, as she put it, a real doctor. He wasn't exactly sure what the girl considered to be a fake doctor, but he was pretty certain that a real doctor was the better of the two, therefore he was pleased. Tesser then went on to ramble a bit about train engineers. "That's..." He started quietly. ~...not the kind I meant.~ He finished mentally, a sideways smile curving his lips. ~No matter. Why spoil the child's fun?~ He thought to himself.

Essex rather enjoyed Ms. Tesser's enthusiasm; it was such a rare thing in these times. So many people chose to mope and groan over their pains and loss, though in comparison to the life of a street kid their troubles were not so bad at all. Yet, Tesser remained gleeful. Was life just simpler for someone such as she? Perhaps the simple fact that she had so little meant she she cared little? She had no bills to pay. She had nobody else to take care of. She didn't have a job to hold down, or any possessions to fret over. She was free from so many worries, but in their place she had many more. So, no, it wasn't because she had little that she cared little. No, Sinister believed it was merely the way the child chose to be. It was beautiful...in its own way.

"I'm always hungry." Tesser replied, and then Mr. Essex stopped at the vendor.
"Let's see if we can fix that." He said as he opened his jacket. He reached back into his jacket and unzipped a hidden compartment. He took out a simple cash clip with his monogram engraved into the silver, and in the clip was a large sum of money. He removed the clip from the folded cash and took a $20 bill and handed it to the man who ran the stand. He gave Tesser a slightly mischievous grin, figuring she would have some sort of reaction to the hidden pocket. "Order whatever you wish, Ms. Tesser."

[Tesser]

"Genius!" Tesser exclaimed as the hidden pocket became clear. She wasn't at all put out that she had missed the pocket in her search. Instead, she clapped her hands once in thorough appreciation of the compartment. Chuckling, she noted the Doctor's grin, returning, "Very well, good sir. You win this time. However, now I know your secret." Wagging a finger good naturally at him, she turned the entirety of her attention tot he food.

"I want... that, and that, and that, and - Oh! A lot of that, and some of that too and..." She pointed to a myriad of foods while the bemused vendor pocketed the cash. It was more than she could eat - at least at once certainly. However, that wasn't going to keep her from trying. Besides, whatever she couldn't eat now would do well enough for later. She gathered into her hands the small plastic basket containing fries, hot dogs, chips, pickle spears, and an assortment of other foods.

As the two began walking again, she began her meal with relish. If her manners were lacking, and if she forgot to continue her conversation with the man for a time, it must surely be forgiven. Forgiven because she ate as she did everything in life, with pure joy and a vibrancy that spoke of a great love of life. Everything she did was a treat that served to remind her that she was still alive, and so she ate.

In a pause between a pickle and fry, she slipped a look up at the man she walked with. Her qualms towards him had softened somewhat, since he had given her food, at least. She wondered about him, why he was so kind -- she was certain it was not in his nature. If she had passed him on the street, she would never have pegged him as being philanthropic. And yet, here they were.

"Were do you live?" She finally asked, unable to put words to her other questions.