1120/Painting by the Lake

Painting by the Lake
Date of Scene:	12 April 2020
Location:	Breakstone Lake
Synopsis:	Piotr paints Lorna's portrait and the two have a chat.
Cast of Characters:	Piotr Rasputin, Lorna Dane

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Piotr Rasputin has posed:
After Piotr put up the notice for the portrait collection, he had gotten a message from Lorna indicating an interest in having hers painted. After finding some schedule space that worked for both of them, Fortunately for them the weather is agreeable, with the sun shining, minimal clouds dotting the sky, and the weather mild, at least for spring. Also, the area around the lake is quiet, only a few milling about, but mostly everybody minding their own business and not creating too much of a distraction.

Piotr is in front of his easel, and a small table of painting supplies, facing the lake as he prepares. Admittedly not overly formally dressed, sticking with a t-shirt and jeans, both slightly paint-stained. Moving the stuff down here was easy, but getting it exactly how he likes takes a bit longer, which is good since he arrived a bit early for that reason.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna wasn't entirely sure what to wear or not wear for this, but since it was going to be a portrait just around the Mansion, she had settled for a more relaxed look. A simple button up shirt of a soft lavender hue, and a black knitted cardigan and jeans. She had left her hair in the curls from the night before, and they tumbled down around her shoulders still.

"I don't think I've actually had a portrait done.. Ever. Even in Genosha. I really think it's impressive you're doing this Piotr." She murmured, pushing her hair back as she made to sit down. "Uhm... where do you want me, exactly?"

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr looks up roughly where the sun is and then back to Lorna, "By the lake is fine." He smiles and begins working on his palette, trying to get a few things set up right before starting on some of the background. "It is not a problem, I thoroughly enjoy this, and hopefully, after our time, we will be able to show who we were for posterity's sake." The Russian giant takes a breath as he mixes some paints before working on the sky, "Because I hope some day our services will no longer be needed, but our work deserves to be recorded, and to remind others that we are people."

Piotr blinks after hearing Lorna's comment about never having a potrait, "That does surprise me, but at least we are remedying that, today." He is still visible behind the easel, but his face is focused on it at the moment, "I hope you enjoyed the gala, last night?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna sat, crossing her legs as she settled in, a faint smile on her lips as she tried to figure out how to place herself or not. Portraiture was easier than a picture in some respects. She didn't have to stay completely still either, which was nice. She shrugged lightly, "Maybe someday people will look back at your portraits in a museum. Wouldn't that be something?" She mused.

A thoughtful expression crossed her features. "The gala was lovely, I'm sorry I didn't really get a chance to tell you that you cleaned up nicely. I always get into a rather ...different headspace when it comes to formal events. I kind of have to. I focus so hard on diplomacy, and being some persona to be someone else. It's the only way I can function at those things anymore." She swallowed a lump that formed at the back of her throat.

"It's hard."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr hums to himself a little as he paints, the mild weather and minimal distractions from others certainly made this easier than it could be, "That is kind of the hope, to show what we stood for," he affords a slight smile as he cleans his brush in a pot of water, "For the time being, I am guessing they will hang in the manor somewhere, which is also suitable.

"Thank you, it was not easy finding a tux that would fit, had to get it bespoke. You were also lovely and your dress was equally wonderful, and I take no offense, I totally understand the need for a different headspace, I am usually a little uncomfortable in such events, not exactly my native habitat." A beat, "I understand the need for it being all business. You bear a heavy burden and I wish to remind you that we are all here for you." Piotr's tone is polite as he resumes painting.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, looking up at the sky briefly and then back to Piotr. "I'm sure a few kids will be very curious when they come in and see all these portraits. It'll definitely be a conversational piece." She mused, and smiled again as she bit back a sigh. She pushed a lock of hair back behind an ear.

"Well, the tux worked well. Whoever made it, did a good job." She murmured, and she shifted slightly. "Emma picked out the gown mostly, and the design. I haven't really been interested in shopping on my own. And it's hard these days, as it just.. it all reminds me of Genosha." She grimaced slightly, "And I know. Everyone here has been supportive and for the most part understanding. A few of the younger people don't get it, but I can't blame them. They're so far removed from what happened here."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Indeed!" Piotr grins as he keeps painting, trying to get the green right for the hair, "It certainly will be a conversation piece, and will likely expand with the years." He quirks his mouth as he tries to figure something out, "The joke is that I had to go where they make the sails for ships, but I will likely continue buying from them, for all those times I need formal attire." The Russian looks down at his very casual attire.

The shift to Genosha, Piotr frowns, "I believe the metaphor is it is darkest right before the dawn. In time, we must heal, but I understand the hurt. When we lost Illyana back in Russia, it was devastating for my family, and something I would never relive again; but it has resulted in the two of us fighting alongside the X-Men." He sighs, "We cannot change the past, but we can ready ourselves for the future and make it better so that it never happens again."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, the corners of her lips twitching into a faint smile as he joked about sails and ships. She shook her head slightly, was clearly amused. "Well, perhaps you'll have more reasons to go out and dress up these days. I mean, who knows? First this gala, and maybe some more? It would be nice from time to time to have more of the X-men go out to things.." She mused.

Her smile faded somewhat as he spoke of Genosha. She reached up and rubbed the side of her temple. "I know. But it doesn't stop the nightmares or make me feel any better on bad days. Not only because I've lost my father, but because I feel like I failed to protect those around me. I've trained for years to help others.. and I just froze..." She sighed heavily, and picked at her manicured nails.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods, "Perhaps, it certainly should be a regular thing, to a degree." He paints for a little bit while while he ponders on it, finally working on the difficult part of matching the hair color. Piotr pokes his head out from behind the easel at that last few comments and sets down his brush and palette, walking out from behind the easel, "That I do understand, and while I have never been in a similar situation, I can say that you have been through a lot, and that it is a difficult situation." He frowns, "You did the best you could, it is hard to be perfect in the field, and you have done the best you could have and continued to have done so."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna arched a brow, but as he poked his head out from behind the easel and stepped out she sighed and shook her head, looking down at her hands. "My father wouldn't have frozen. Other heroes wouldn't have. No one here would've." She muttered, and reached up to rub her temples again.

"Sorry. I shouldn't go on like this. I'm distracting you from the painting." She wrinkled her nose and let her hands fall back to her lpa. "We should talk about something else. Uhm... What do you think about uhhh... the election? Lex Luthor vs. Tony Stark?" She picked something at random and bit her lower lip.

"Or as Jean said last night, two billionaire guys."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr frowns, "It will be all right, and you have done nothing wrong," he would continue but even the normally oblivious Russian picks up that it is not the time. He returns to his post behind the easel and resumes painting. He thinks for a few moments, "It is my first election as a citizen, so I am a little worried about making this choice." Piotr focuses for a quick moment on some painting and says, "They do seem very similar, though we have fought alongside Tony, I am concerned on what will get accomplished."

Lorna Dane has posed:
When Piotr returned to the painting she seemed to exhale again, some tension leaving her shoulders as she looked down at her painted nails and fell silent for a long moment. She seemed content to just listen to the Russian speak freely about his musings regarding the election. She smiled weakly, "We did. And my sister seems to like him. Pietro... tolerates him. So I mean. There's that. Scott is obviously in favor of Stark. But I dunno. It's one thing to like a man because he's a hero and puts himself out there.." She paused.

"But that doesn't make him a great leader to be president either. I dunno. I don't think I can vote anymore. Pretty sure there's laws against it for being a foreign ruler. You know?"

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is quiet as he works on a tricky bit of the portrait, but then speaks up, "Perhaps you still have citizenship? You should talk to a lawyer, I will get you the card of the attorney who helped me with my citizenship." Piotr notes as he ponders more, "Indeed, leading a government is less like leading a team, more... duty to it to a degree, people you do not know you are responsible for." He thinks and spends a few moments to clean a brush when he says, "I will have to do more research, as I know little enough about Lex, and I would rather not screw up my first attempt at voting."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna smiled faintly as Piotr offered to help her with a lawyer. "I mean, it's kind of a thing.. I doubt Grace of Monaco kept her voting rights when she married into the royal family over there. I mean, beyond the questionable parts of my being mutant of a country the US didn't like... I am well aware that international laws are messy." She murmured, "I'll happily take that lawyer.." She murmured and exhaled a breath.

"I don't think my X-men training helped to prepare me to rule Genosha. Nor did it exactly make me a responsible adult. But it helped me with my powers.. I dunno. My point is, just because Tony is a hero, doesn't mean he's a good ruler. Sure, he runs a company.. but I feel like it's different some how."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods, the top of his head still visible, "I will email you his information," he wraps up a little bit more of the painting, "But at least you can try." He gives a few more flourishes of his brush and begins cleaning it. "I do not know what makes someone the ideal head of state, but I do know that you at least have the right mind and kind heart needed to make the right decisions. The fact you show this concern is good, and perhaps that is the metric we should use? The one with the right moral compass?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
A light breeze fluttered through the area, and ruffled her hair, and it was decidedly a nice breeze compared to the chill that had been standard for the past few weeks. It was warming up slowly, and summer would be here eventually. "It's worth trying, yes." She mused and shifted in her seat.

"Presidential elections rarely center around that though. The election process here in the States is... well convoluted to say the least. It makes for a frustrating time. It's not direct democracy, and well.. yeah.." She grimaced.

"At least Genosha had that much when it came to the Council members."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr keeps painting quietly for a moment, "Indeed, you really have little to lose by at least making sure if you still have your rights." He rubs his chin and looks over the easel for a visual reference before resuming painting, "You are right in that, but at least it has a little more... openness than back home. Still feels like I have a say in the matter." The Russian sighs and cleans his brush, "Though I have yet to fully understand how things are done here. Would you have changed anything in how Genosha was ran?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna considered as she hmm'ed under her breath and she considered Piotr's words about keeping her rights or not. "I need to talk to a lawyer about that, you're right.." She fell silent for a long moment, considering for some time as she listened to the birdsong in the trees above, the gentle lapping of the waves from the lake behind her, and Piotr's thoughtful words.

"Well, I dunno. Part of me wants to abolish the monarchy entirely, so I can just walk away and give up the responsibility. I don't feel like I'm doing the best job.. To turn Genosha entirely to a direct democracy, with a Council and Prime Minister.. I mean, we had that sort of set up before.. Just everyone.." She paused and trailed off, biting her lower lip.

"If my father wanted something that wasn't from the Council he did it. He was King in a way that most countries don't have anymore. Because people feared him... I think."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr listens and thinks, "You could go and be more akin to what the British do, be the figurehead they need to rally around and have power be effectively in the hands of a prime minister? You would be less like the tsars, and still be the one that Genoshans can look up to." He muses as he works, "Autocrats have a bad reputation for a reason, and the fact you recognize this gives me hope that you would be well suited to help lead Genosha still." He paints a little more, "But I trust your judgement on the matter, you mean the best and are working to ensure that they get it."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna inclined her head, smiling slightly. "I wouldn't be against doing what England is doing. Once Genosha is on its feet. I can't just do that right now... not until people are safe and have homes over their heads. Once that is done? I am more than happy to step back and let the country run itself. I don't need power like my father. I don't want to use Genosha as staging ground for an army. I just want the country live.. to exist. To be there for mutants that don't have places like this.." She waved a hand around her.

"I keep thinking... if I hadn't come here, what would have happened to me? If I didn't have this place to fall back on?" She shook her head, pursing her lips.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"It sounds like you have a plan, then," Piotr says with a nod, "So that is good." He mixes some paint on his palette and resumes, "But if you ponder on what might have been you will see that the possibilities are near infinite. Imagine if my sister had not been abducted, I likely would have stayed on the farm or been pressed into service, there are so many things that might have been, but the only possibility that matters is tomorrow and the ones that follow, because those we can change."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, and smiled again. "Okay, you're right.. again. Gosh.. This is why you teach isn't it?" She mused, and shook her head as she watched the back of the canvas with an interested tilt of her head. She wanted to see what was done already.. but knew it was a process. So she sat and remained still as she pushed her hair back from her face as the wind ruffled it.

"My point remains, not every mutant needing a place has this. Has the Mansion. Genosha can be that safe place for mutants all over the world again.. at least, I hope it will be. That's all I really want.. to build a safe place where mutants can just live and be themselves.. That's all."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"It is a gift and a curse," Piotr remarks and notices the tilt when he checks for a reference, "We all need a place to be safe, but how will you ensure that it is a safe place for non-mutants? Since it is not a given that all there will be of our kind, and I would not see visited on them what has been done to us."

He gestures for Lorna to come around, "You should at least see what I have done so far." The Russian giant steps back to show the background mostly done, with the light sketching of Lorna sitting by the lake with a smile on her face, the hair mostly finished, "Had to start with the hair first while I had the sun, also, not used to painting green hair, so I apologize if it is not a perfect match."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna arched a brow, "Well the humans that want to be there are welcomed to be there, it's not like I'm building Genosha for them. They have every other country on this planet. Genosha is for mutants and by mutants first and foremost. I'm not saying we don't treat humans as people, but it's not for them at the end of the day." She murmured and exhaled a breath.

As Piotr gestured for her to come see the portrait, she got up, gladly coming around to see the work he'd gotten done already. She whistled, her eyebrows shooting upward as she grinned. "Piotr! It's lovely! Dang, I should've gotten portraits done rather than pictures. So much easier to make me look socially acceptable."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr smiles, "Just remember to treat others as you wish to be treated, it is a standard that crosses all creeds, tongues, and borders." He exhales in relief at her response, though, "Thank you, sorry it is not quite done yet, but I got the parts most dependent on time of day done." The Russian ponders for a few moments and looks up at the sun briefly before back to Lorna, "Perhaps that is what you need at some point for when you return to active government, a regal portrait, especially if you want symbolism."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna folded her arms as she nodded, looking over the portrait with a little awe and amazement still. It was a good job, in as far as she knew what made a good job in regards to art. She smiled, and nodded to Piotr. "It's looking good so far, and that's from a person that knows nothing about art, or art history.." She laughed softly, and shook her head at her own words.

"And ooh.. you're right, I should have an official royal portrait done! It's a thing, when Genosha is safely built up, Piotr, I will have to have one done." She paused again, and glanced to him. "You have to do it."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr smiles, a little proud at his work so far, "At worst, it is nearly done, but that can be done at another sitting if you prefer." He is a little lost in thought for a brief moment as he tries to ponder what to do next, when the royal portrait comment hits, "Oh," a blink, "I would be honored, though I do hope I could do it justice, as it would end up on your wikipedia page at some point when it is finished."

Lorna Dane has posed:
A shrug followed. "I'll make time for this, its something that I should do.. sitting down and not over doing it from time to time." She mused, and flashed him another small smile. Yet as he blinked, and spoke of her wikipedia page she snorted into open laughter, and clapped a hand over her lips as she did so. Almost surprised at how loud and abrupt her own laugh had been.

"Oh. I hadn't even thought that. My page.. ha!" She coughed and cleared her throat. "But I think you'll do fine. Clearly, you got my hair right! So that's a good start." She mused.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr grins, "I appreciate it, maybe one more sitting would probably do it," he nods and grins at her reaction to the laugh, "Could be worse, there are some really bad portraits out there, but I think I can trust my skill enough to prevent that. And I am glad, green hair is definitely not a normal thing for me to work with, but at least it is done and to your satisfaction. I would say if you want to keep an eye open for the frame you'd want for this, or I can try and pick one out for when the time comes."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna shrugged once, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Oh they can't be that bad, I mean, if it's bad... why hang it up?" She drawled, and shook her head. Then paused, "You have to show me some of these bad portraits sometime." She mused and glancing back at her own she seemed to look amazedly at it again. Painting wasn't her thing, and the work that Piotr put into it was plainly evident.

"I'll make the frame out of scrap metal. It will suit it, I think."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods, "You are right, it will turn out well." He rubs his chin and nods, "Yes, they came up a bit in school, but fortunately I hopefully learned what /not/ to do, but the important thing is that you are happy, and a scrap metal frame would be a good call," Piotr starts cleaning a brush as he thinks, "I am glad that this process has started, because once the others finally join our ranks, they can see those who have come before them."