14768/Spring in the Tower

Spring in the Tower
Date of Scene:	25 April 2023
Location:	Ororo's Attic
Synopsis:	Gabby and Warren stop in to visit Ororo for tea and company.
Cast of Characters:	Ororo Munroe, Warren Worthington, Gabby Kinney

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Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo's room in one of the wing towers is her little sanctuary at Xavier's Institute. It's convenient for her to come and go as she wishes, and rises above the treeline so she has clear views of the landscape for miles. It's perhaps a little remote, considering where the staff wing is, but for Ororo the most important feature of the tower is that its one of the few plces where she can sleep while feeling utterly unconfined.

It's also practically a self-contained garden, absolutely filled with pots, hanging vines, climbing ivy and plenty of flowers in the window sills. The balcony's in the middle of some project that requires several plots and a pile of loam spilling from a plastic bag. Ororo herself is tending to her plants with a loving hand, humming along with the old Victrola playing slow jazz in the corner. She's donned a white dress decorated with a pattern of little blue flowers; it hangs past her mid-calf and has modest neckline with splitsleeves that leave her arms exposed.

Something catches Ororo's attention; she cocks her head to the side and listens. A smile spreads across the the weather-shaper's face and she sets the kettle on her little hotplate in anticipation of imminent company.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Angel descended from the clouds, landing softly on the rooftop. Dressed handsomely in an impossibly white tunic with dress trousers befit a wealthy man, thick decorative metal bands on his wrists suggested the work of designer Ardu Ardu from Manhattan, who at the moment was trying to pioneer 'Prison Chic'. A small rectangular parcel stored beneath his arm is presented, wrapt in decorative paper: a gift. He approached Ororo for a chaste embrace and in greeting "A lovely night for a gathering, Storm." his smile hinted at the deliberate nature of his wordplay.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney tended much like her 'father' to come and go from the school. Having teams she worked with in other cities certainly made it a requirement. She had numerous friends here that she often liked to drop in on though, as well as considering the school as close to a 'home' as she could consider anywhere. This visit was purely social as most were these days for her.

The sight of work going on up at the tower where she knew Ororo had her room and little garden piqued her interest. There'd only been a few times she'd been up there to begin with so her naturally curious nature has her taking those steps up to the tower as quick as she can.

Darn being short.

It's not long after Warren has landed that her dark haired head pops up from the stairway with a rather bright grin. "Mind some extra company?" A look is cast to the extra fancy Warren, and the dress adorned Ororo, before she looks down to her own attire of ankle-boots, pleather leggings, and a buckle adorned sleeveless shirt. A thought strikes her as she squints to the older pair. "Wait, are you two... Should I go?" Her hand raises to hook a thumb over her shoulder indicating back down the stairs. "I mean if I'm interrupting anything important."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo smiles beatifically when Warren arrives. "Please, Warren, we're at home. It's just 'Ororo'," she reminds him-- but comes in for a firm hug with her old friend, his gift in her hand. "And it is a lovely night indeed. I've just set the kettle on," she assures him. "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable."

She examines the gift he's given her, with an expression of curiousity on her regal features. "I hope I haven't forgotten some occasion," she asks with a lofted brow. "You're birthday isn't for a good six weeks yet."

Before it can be opened Gabby pops her head in. Ororo smiles pleasantly at the girl to welcome her in. The question provokes a rich laugh and she shakes her head at Gabby. With her hair currently straightened and worn unbound, it tosses back and forth over her shaved temples like a horse's mane. "You are not interrupting anything," she promises Gabby firmly. "Come in and find a comfy seat. I have the kettle on; I am afraid I don't have any scones made," she apologizes. "I could put a few to bake if either of you have the time to wait for them," she offers. Ororo gestures smoothly with one hand at the sitting area, which is more or less a cushion circle with a couple mismatched chairs, gathered around a very low, wide table with curling iron feet supporting it.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Angel glanced to Gabby and let his eyes rest there for a long moment, he chuckled and then offered a re-assuring glance. He took liesure on a seat, allowing himself to slouch in such a way that his wings hooked off the back. "When was the last time we ever just sat, and talked, what a rare opportunity." he seemed amused now, if a little dour.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney relaxes at the confirmation from the pair that she wasn't walking in at an awkward moment. The last few steps are taken with a little 'hup!' taking two at a time until she's completely in the room proper. "Okay, just making sure. I've been known to have bad timing in the past."

With all the grace of a boneless teenager she plops down onto some of the floor pillows to sit cross-legged with hands grasping her ankles where they cross. "Tea's fine for me, thanks! I mean I can always eat but I don't need to right now. Nettie usually keeps me stocked up on scones at her shop." Looking over to the kettle thoughtfully she offers, "By the way if you want any teas... I mean she runs a tea shop, I'm sure she's got something you might like."

"Don't jinx us either, Warren, I'll take 'quiet' over some of what I've had to go through in the past few months. How have you both been?"

Warren Worthington has posed:
"I love the look of the place, its transportive." he said admiring the furnishings. "I feel like I crossed some sort of threshold." and then to Gabby another long and quiet look. "I would really like to hear about your trials. Could we shift the focus back to you for a bit?". Warren altered the languid posture of his long and lean body such that his blue eyes boiled Gabby where she flopped. "Do you see yourself as interesting? Do you have the notion that people want to know your story? Or do you see yourself as part of someone elses?"

Ororo Munroe has posed:
"I might take you up on that," Ororo assures Gabby with a grateful look. She smiles at Warren's remark with a quiet pride before bustling around her little kitchenette to get things settled. It's a very traditional little cast iron stove with the safety concession of a burn guard to protect errant knees and hands moving past it. Ororo touches a fingertip to the steam kettle a few moments before it starts warbling, and transfers it over to the little table. It's set on a warm stone slab and Ororo heads back to the kitchen to pull together a tea serviette.

"I have been well," she assures Gabby quietly-- but Warren's pressing questions to the younger woman, and Ororo seems to much prefer hearing about her friends than talking about herself!

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh this place is always relaxing the few times I've been up here-" Gabby begins to agree before Warren turns the topic back to her. The questions cause her to look just a bit surprised. Surprised, and then thoughtful, as she regards him with lips pressed into a thin line.

She rocks her weight back a bit to sit up straighter while meeting that inquiring gaze. A single deep breath is drawn... and then she lets out, deadpan, "Is this because I'm a clone? Being 'part of someone else's story' I mean." Her head shakes that thought off, "I live my own life. I might be a clone but I didn't ask to be made any more than anyone asked to be born. The 'how' I came to be doesn't change who I am as a person."

Her expression shifts to a vaguely amused grin as she moves on from that topic. "Okay. Over the last few years I've worked with three teams, and one was with my oldest sister who helped run it. We deal with supernatural threats, magic, that sort of thing. More her area of expertise than mine, but I wanted to help. Get to know my family more." Shrugging she allows her gaze to move between the two while talking. "And about this time last year they--The leadership at the time I mean--kind of accidentally opened the path for some really, really nasty old gods from another dimension."

She could expound on it. She could explain more, instead her lips press together while her shoulders twist up with tension. "We got them sealed away again and the leadership all left, my sister included. No one else stepped up so I took over the group. Recruited a few other leaders, new members, stuff like that. They really needed to learn how to work together as a team and that's what I'm good at." Both hands lift to spread in a open handed shrug. "That's what I've been up to."

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren nodded, "Well of course its because you're a clone. Its nothing to have to explain or be ashamed of. But its something I am not, and its not lost on me that the thing that makes you the same, also makes you very special." he glanced to Storm and then back to Gabby. "I am biased of course, to think that you are special comes quite naturally to me, but I wont just wish away the conflict that your origin has afforded you. Life is an ...anvil, I feel as though I am most fully form by that which hurts me." he lifted a sculpted brow, "I wish it were not so, its seems an awful way to build a person, but here we are anyway. Ha. I used to think my choices formed me, but sometimes I catch myself wondering if I have made choices or not. Do you know what I mean? Some measure of this life feels more like witnessing then it does...manifesting?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I'm not ashamed of being a clone. Never have been. There's always someone who assumes I'm just like Laura or just like Logan, though." Given how chatty Gabby was being it was pretty obvious she was nothing like either of them. The topic is waved off for now with a little flapping of her hand. It wasn't really something she felt was totally important right now to the conversation.

"I mean, I get what you mean. Kind of like the world is running everything and you're just here for the ride, right? Or fate?" That last part causes her to grin with amusement. "Nah. I don't believe in 'fate', I make my own."

Warren Worthington has posed:
Angel returned her grin, contagious as it was. "Make me some too, eh?" but of course, he was joking. The playboy with angelic wings, born with a silverspoon in his mouth, and by all rights won every genetic lottery a man could enter. "I've never apologized to the world for all my advantages, but I have tried to earn them from time to time. I am not pre-occupied with guilt, but often occupied with responsibility. I think maybe pre-ordination is a function of wealth. And I think on some level, wealth is a molder of ambition. That or I just havent been very creative." he smirked, and nodded with grave amusement, "Thats a possibility, let me tell you."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo watches the conversation unfolding from her spot in the kitchen nook. She's not making any statement or commentary while the questions are pressed, but a little worrying thins the line of her mouth at the questions Gabby is being presented with.

But at an opportune moment, she flashes the younger woman a reassuring smile and a wink.

"Perhaps you'll let me interrupt things with the tea," Ororo suggests, and heads over to the circle. She kneels smoothly down on a pad and sets the serviette out. It has multiple kinds of teas, a few thermometers, cups, and individual teapots so everyone can make theirs just to their liking.

"You might like this jasmine tea," Ororo suggests to Gabby, and touches a fingertip to the box. "And Warren, perhaps a ... Earl Grey?" she inquires. "I don't know if you have strong feelings about how your tea is made."

Ororo, of course, has VERY strong feelings about such things.