Worth by Standard

[Shockwave]

Things had just been changing, from the very small town Gwen Stratford had lived in up until she graduated from high school now to one of the most popular cities in the county. Sure, Shockwave had seen the Empire State a few times, but never had she taken the time to actually look. Taking a step from the hotel she stayed at, hordes and hordes of people trotted along the sidewalk, like a current-strong sea. Gwen gripped onto the handrail, keeping her from becoming sucked in; she still had no idea where she wanted to go. In her other hand she held a small hat. She hoped she would get her hair dry before needing to put it on.

Finally, Gwen released her grip from the cool, metal bar and she walked with the others. From their faces, most of them looked as if they were explicit workers-- drones of society. The thought intimidated Shockwave. Instead of allowing her long, wavy red hair to dry, Gwen slipped on the small cap that had a variety of different patterns sewn on like they were a child's experiment gone wrong. Yet, it had some kind of charm, which is why Gwen decided to wear it. With the hat on, she felt as if no one could see her, when really everyone scanned over her at least three times while on the way to work.

Turning her dull grey eyes, she saw a homeless person, one of the many in NY. He was an elderly man; however, he still held a grandfatherly gaze and a smile while he used his cane to carry his things around in a laundry basket. Flipping the cane's handle under the lip of the basket, he pulled efficiently without falling over. Finding a bit of change within her left jeans pocket, Gwen pulled it out and tossed it to the man who grinned wider, showing a case of missing teeth. She smiled back.

Gwen continued to walk with the ocean of pedestrians until they all came to a loud, cursing, angry stop. The police were there, cutting off the sidewalk for room as someone had collapsed and went into cardiac arrest-- or something. Raising a brow, Gwen stood on the balls of her feet to get a better look, but no avail. With a shrug, Gwen walked around the stationed area to keep moving, though people were having more fun cussing out the police officers for stopping the traffic. Just walk around. Gwen muttered in her head bluntly. As she watched her shoes on the concrete, suddenly her face smashed into someone's shoulder. Immediately she took a step back and apologized profusely, waving her arms in some sort of defense. The people in New York were unforgiving people, and Gwen wasn't ready to get pulled into an alley and beaten the lights out of.

[colossus]

It never ceased to amaze him how utterly busy a single city sidewalk could be on any given day of the week. Piotr had walked the same path from the library to his motel dozens of times already over the last week, and already he knew the route by heart. While he was not exactly the most well read man, even he had to admit that the public library was one of the coolest places in all of the city.

Of course, his enthusiasm for the large and antique building had a lot to do with the fact that it was the only free place that offered blessed air conditioning.

Thus, the faintest hint of a smile was evident on his face, lifting his sculpted cheekbones that much more as he walked with his hands in the pockets of his most comfortable pair of bluejeans. His eyes were cast slightly skyward as he pressed his way through the crowd of people milling toward their jobs, most likely. Many talked on the small devices known as cell phones or simply to themselves, as though they were afraid to be alone. He knew all about that feeling.

Piotr Rasputin was considering where he would like to take his breakfast when a sudden brush against him caused him to stop in his tracks. Blue eyes widened, he glanced down in horror to find himself staring down at a strange cap that had arms flapping about. It took a moment for him to realize that the arms belonged to a body and the boy merely wore the hat.

"Ah, excuse me," he murmured immediately, slightly embarrassed. "Are you okay?" he asked, accent lilting his voice slightly as he lifted a hand and brushed it over his hair.

[Shockwave]

"Are you okay?"

Gwen's large grey eyes turned to look up at the man that she had bumped into. He was definitely tall, and her ashen gaze turned up to his bright blue eyes. Immediately she felt small and she found herself shrinking in her spine from his stare. But the man was polite and his voice was gentle, despite his somewhat intimidating appearance. "Oh uh, yeah, I'm good." Shockwave said quickly, relieved that their shoulder bump didn't cause a shock. That would have been awkward. Gwen played it in her mind as she imagined the man jump around and plan on destroying her for tazing him. A laugh nearly escaped her lips.

"So, sorry about that, man." Gwen said dismissively, as she took a step to the side of him, only to be shoved backwards by someone going the opposite direction. "Oompf." Her hat flew off of her head, revealing her bright scarlet locks; Gwen cursed beneath her breath. There was no going back to find it, now.

A slightly sheepish expression veiled over Shockwave's features as she looked back to the man. Perhaps if she asked him to lead the way out of the stream, then she could get out without being trampled. He was a tall guy, after all. "Hey, you wouldn't mind if you helped me out of here, would you?" Asked she with a curious smile as she stepped right in front of him so no one would push her down. She was somewhat downcast because of the lost of her hat, but hopefully she'd run into another one on the way to breakfast, if she could get there alive.

[colossus]

Piotr merely nodded his head in the smaller figure's direction as they apologized and attempted to move past him. He grimaced slightly when the small figure side stepped him, only to get shoved back yet again. It was then that the strange cap flew off, revealing bold, red hair that his mind insisted was scarlet-esque.

Hands at his sides, he completely ignored the people brushing past him as he stared down at the small figure in shock and bewilderment. Never one to gawk, he had not at first noticed that the smaller figure was that of a woman. In fact, he hadn't paid that much attention until the figure had been thrown back again. Piotr felt almost foolish for having simply thought it was a small paper boy or something of the like.

The figure was obviously as far from a boy as one could possibly get.

"Hey, you wouldn't mind if you helped me out of here, would you?" the girl asked, her voice breaking him out of his quiet reverie.

In silence, he stared down at her for a full minute, completely ignoring the people around them. It felt odd, really, but after that minute he was able to shake his head and clear the cobwebs that had gathered.

"Of course," he nodded his head, as though he were asked the same question countless times everyday. It was, surprisingly, the first time he had ever been asked to clear a path for anyone outside of the X-Men. Then again, Cyclops had usually meant for him to clear a path by tossing any obstacle out of his way. This girl, no doubt, simply wanted to be able to walk without finding herself elbowed every which way to Tuesday.

Blue eyes darting away from her face sheepishly, he motioned for her to stick close to his side. Most often when Piotr walked such crowded sidewalks, he crouched a bit and kept his arms as close to his sides as possible to decrease the overall size of him. Instead, he straightened his shoulders and stood even more upright, more proudly.

"So, where am I helping you to?" he asked the stranger over the roar of the city's sounds.

[Shockwave]

Ashen eyes watched somewhat anxiously as the man simply stared at her. Perhaps he didn't want to help her at all. Gwen immediately reddened in the cheeks as she felt herself become embarrassed for asking. This staring served as punishment enough for her stupid questions, she told herself, smiling awkwardly beneath the air of insecurity. Yet, when the man has accepted her request, Gwen turned upwards and stared with confused and surprised eyes. "Whoa, I seriously thought you were going to turn me down, there." She said honestly, letting out a laugh to emit the air that had been locked in her lungs.

Gwen smiled up to him, obviously pleased. When the man loosened himself to his true, tall look, her jaw dropped. She definitely felt safe, now. Gwen had no issue pulling herself close to him as she watched others frustratedly, cursing them for being so rude, unlike the guy that was helping her out. Her grey eyes continued to watch those passing by as her voice chirped, "Someplace for breakfast. I've only been here a few times, so I have no idea where to find a place to fuel the soul, if you know what I mean." Her face looked up at him again, smiling idly. "You look like you know where you're going. Do you have any place in mind?" She then scanned the buildings surrounding the two, awaiting for a familiar name to pop up.

ooc| Short, sorry. D:

[colossus]

Why would the girl think that he would simply ignore her request? Sure, there were obviously less than stellar people in the world, but any man that considered himself a gentleman would escort her, would he not? Piotr couldn't help but wonder if his chivalrous ways were a result of the way that he was raised or simply something that Americans did not understand. In Russia...

"I am sorry if I gave you that impression," he spoke slowly, careful to wade out as much of his accent as possible. "I must admit dat I was quite surprised to realize that you were a gir- woman," he caught himself quickly, afraid that she might be the type that was extremely picky when it came to those types of things.

He walked in silence for a moment as he kept his bright blues on the buildings around them. "You are hungry? Well, why did you not say so sooner?" A jolly laugh erupted from low in his gut as he sliced their way through the crowded sidewalk. "I have been here times before, da. If you would like, I will take you to nice place I like, da?"

Piotr Rasputin was never the type to turn away food. In fact, his stomach rumbled lowly, reminding him that he had only consumed four of the Egg McMuffins that the arch place sold cheaply.