15354/Garden Plans

Garden Plans
Date of Scene:	10 July 2023
Location:	Back Yard
Synopsis:	Diana comes to visit Xavier's Mansion, and is warmly welcomed by Ororo.
Cast of Characters:	Ororo Munroe, Diana Prince

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Ororo Munroe has posed:
Though there's a long-running joke about 'volunteer detention' for the Botany class, no one can argue that Ororo doesn't pull her weight as hard as anyone else. With the beautiful sunny July weather it's a prime opportunity to move some of the plants to larger pots and even growing plots for long-term plantings.

Of course, if she knew about Westchester's distinguished visitor, she might have at least opted for a few minutes to get the dirt out from under her nails. As it is, Ororo is elbow deep in fresh potting soil, with her mane of plaited white cornrows held back by a silver-and-gold do-rag to keep it out of the dirt. And, just to take the cake, she's in a black sports top, coveralls worn off one shoulder, and sandals that look close to their last breath.

"Mistress 'Ro', Mistress 'Ro, I brought a visitor!" one of the younger students announces, standing hand in hand with said guest. She beams up at the newcomer triumphantly.

"See, I foun' her," the girl says triumphantly. "/Now/ can I see your lasso?"

Ororo herself is caught slack jawed for just a moment as she looks up from the dirty, muck-fraught work-- right up at Wonder Woman.

Diana Prince has posed:
It had been a little bit of time since the events at the Savage Lands had really ramped up. The X-Men had been an integral part of quelling that horrid Brood uprising that had trid to take place within that remote region of a untamed land.

Diana felt it a good idea to check in at Xaviers School, to meet with Professor Xavier, Jean, or even Ororo-- the latter of which was the one of the three that Diana knew the least, but knew was the technical second in charge of the school.

When she arrived, Diana pulled up to the house in her silver Mercedes, greeted by a gaggle of students who all stared slack jawed at the Princess when she stepped out of her car. They all knew who she was, and most all of them were unable to even respond to her when she asked them initial questions, and offered initial greetings.

It had been amusing, cute even.

But here they are now, with one of the braver of that gaggle of summer-grungey-students leading her to where Miss Munroe was located.

Diana is dressed in a casual style with fine denim blue jeans, and a loose short-sleeve top that is colored the blue of an afternoon sky, with little triangles cut in the shoulders to expose some of her upper arm skin as well as everything below the elbows. Her dark hair is tied back in a loose ponytail, and a pair of large designer sunglasses rest atop the Princess' forehead.

She's already smiling to Storm before the woman looks up, but her gaze goes down to the young girl to her left. "Of course you may, but you will have to wait beside my car for when I return. Keep my car safe, and I will show you the lasso once I finish with my visit here with Miss Munroe."

A grin is sent to Storm then, and Diana offers her her right hand. "Ororo, it is good to see you again. I should have called ahead, but I was on my way home from upstate, and thought I would just slip in and see who was home... I hope that is okay." She states, speaking in her husky voice, laced with a Themysciran accent of ancient Greek influences laced with the elements of generations of isolation and evolution of her peopel's spoken words.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo looks levelly at Diana while rising, then down at dirt-encrusted self, then exhales wearily and stares at the crystal clear sky overhead. She mutters something inaudible even to Diana's hearing, something like: 'Mother, you have no sense of timing'.

When her crystal clear gaze lands on Diana's face again, Ororo is already flashing a welcoming (and slightly rueful) smile. "Welcome, Diana. It is good to see you too," she says, first addressing the formality of welcoming her to the Mansion. "You are always welcome here."

With a few claps of her gloves Ororo knocks most of the dirt loose and shakes them clear , setting the well-worn leather next to the trowel she has been using. "I do apologize for the mess. It is an important time of year for the Botany classes," she explains, gesturing vaguely around. "I am-- I can send someone to fetch Charles or Jean," she offers. "I mean, if it is not an emergency. I assume it is not, because you would have said so when you first arrived."

It feels like there should be a trailing 'so...' at the end of that statement, but Ororo wisely just stops before she digs herself in too deep.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the little student racing off to guard Diana's car, the Princess is left to watch Ororo tidy herself up a bit. Diana is smart enough to know that having someone find you in a moment of personal time, like with gardening, is one of potential bashful reactions... or something akin to that. She just counters this with a grin for Storm though.

"Oh, no emergency..." She states, shaking her head side to side as her eyes cast about their general surroundings before returning to the other woman.

"Really, I just wanted to check in after everything in Antarctica seemed to boil over, and thusly has hopefully begun to cool off... even if a little."

A look is sent to the Xavier mansion itself, before Diana regards Storm again.

"Your gardens are looking amazing, by the way." Diana speaks of the flower beds, and everything else Ororo was tending to out here this afternoon.

"I wish I took a more active role in such things at the Embassy... but my garden staff is very adamant that I not task myself with such a thing."

Truth is, Diana is just as terrible at gardening as she is at cooking, and everyone who knows her well knows this about her! Some people in the media may paint her as 'perfect' but she's far from it!

Ororo Munroe has posed:
"Aren't--" Ororo hesitates for a beat before speaking. Lots of students around, few working, most *pretending* to work, and the others flat out just staring at Diana with hero worship in their eyes.

"Let us walk," she offers, and rolls a palm towards the walkway surrounding the Mansion. "You can see more of our grounds."

Diana gets a few paces along and Ororo glances over her shoulder at the milling children. She snaps her fingers like a firecracker and makes them jolt. "The planting," she says in a tone that suggests dire consequences. "I will return shortly."

This spurs the children into motion and she turns back to her walk, though does not completely conceal a grin on her strong features at their youthful curiousity.

"I was under the impression, you are the Princess," Ororo points out. "I do not see it as work, of course, though I appreciate the kind remark. It is, for me, a ....labor of love."

Fingertips brush over a rosebush adjacent to their course, the gesture one of loving familiarity. Indeed, it seems that not a plant in the place exists except for Ororo's careful watch.

"But as to Antarctica, we are well," she assures Diana. Her careful enunciation makes the consonants in 'Antarctica' clear as bellchimes. "A shame we had to leave, really. I could spend a lifetime exploring that garden," she sighs.

Ororo's gaze flickers back to Diana. "And what of the Amazons? Your presence there greatly aided our morale, and carried the day. I would again express our gratitude for your aid in fighting the wildlife, /and/ the Brood."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana manuevers to walk alongside Ororo on her right. She regards the woman as she responds, much of which garners a sweet smile from the Princess. She even laughs softly when the Savage Lands are referred to as a garden. This gets her to nod her head two soft times.

"There are still twenty Amazons assigned to the Lemurian castle grounds. We have been enjoying the sharing of tactics and styles with the Lemurian soldiers quite a bit. Plus we do not want to just uproot and pull out so quickly after such a heinous situation." She responds with her eyes glance at the flowers that Ororo graces a touch across.

Once more Diana moves her eyes around the backyard of Xaviers School's property, watching some kids off in the basketball court taking shots and shouting at each other. "I like it here. I wish that I had the time to setup something similar to this. It is a wonderful place, and a great respite from the troubles that crop up in the city..."

Diana looks over to Ororo then, studying her for a moment. "But this is a home away from home for you, is it not?" She asks. "How did you end up here, if I might ask?"

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo 'ahhs' softly at that question, looking towards the horizon. She nods her head once, acknowledging it, but it clearly takes her a few beats to work out her response. There's nothing evasive about the hesitation; quite the opposite, a sense of careful truthfulness.

"It is not a short story, but I will try to be brief," she prefaces her words. "I was born in Manhattan, in all actuality. My mama y baba, they moved with me to Cairo. I lost them in a plane accident when I was six." There's a deceptive even-ness to her voice, belying some deep old childhood hurt that has never quite healed. "I lived in Cairo for some time, then when I was twelve I felt a deep yearning for my ancestral homeland. Not New York," she clarifies, with a mischevious smile. "My mother's home. The Serengeti. I came into my powers and responsibilities to my tribe there. I was... oh, eighteen I suppose, when Charles came and found me. He told me of the plans he had for mutants, that I was needed by a community larger even than the Swahili. I could not deny the truth of his words and so, I bid farewell to one family, and found myself blessed with a second one altogether." A radiantly warm smile crosses her lips at the recollection, and some of that warmth spills onto Diana when Ororo turns that happy memory her direction. "The longer version, takes more of a telling, and is better done over a strong drink," she says with an amused lilt.

Diana Prince has posed:
As Ororo relays the summarized version of events leading up to her life being where it is now, the two walk together along one of the pathways through the backyard. In the distance a yellow lab dog is playing fetch with a group of kids, and the mere sight of it gets another smile on Diana's red hued lips. The dog runs through a active water sprinkler, and shakes wildly sending droplets all over the small group of children, causing them to squeal nd run away from the happy canine who chases after them.

Diana looks back to Ororo then, a look of compassion shown when the mention of lost parents is made. She otherwise stays quiet throughout the small summary, before the last part has her smile, then laugh softly.

"It sounds like quite a story. I feel every young person needs at least one adventure before they settle in to their adult years, and there are not many better adventures on this world than to uproot yourself and venture to a completely unknown country, or continent for that matter."

"You have done well for yourself too, even in the absence of your parents physical presence. You probably do not need to hear it from me... but I am sure they would be proud of the choices you have made."

She lets that settle in then with a warm smile offered to punctuate the sentiment.

"Perhaps the next time I visit I will bring a gift of a fine drink, to hear the rest of the tale." And with that said, she has to grin again, playful undertones to her positive personality.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo rolls her head back and lets loose with a delighted, full-throated laugh at Diana's comment about adventures. She holds her words back behind a grin, which only spreads at Diana's offer. "I would-- oh, I am sorry," Ororo says, checking the fingertips that started to rest on Diana's forearm. She holds a dirty palm aloft in mea culpa. "I would enjoy that," she promises the princess. "If it is any incentive, my adventures were *far* from over at that tender age. Indeed, despite how tranquil it seems here, the life of an X-Man is far from relaxing."

Diana's given a flickering up-and-down and Ororo lifts her chin at the other goddess minutely. "But I do not think they will hold a candle to your exploits. More than a century here among humanity?" she says, somewhat rhetorically. "And however long you spent on Paradise Island before joining us. I would warrant that there are several tales well worth the telling, should you be seeking an eager audience," she says with a whimsical, conspiratorial laugh.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana just smiles back to Ororo as they step around a corner and start up a small set of stairs set on the cobblestone pathway. Her left hand goes out to glide up the stone railing and around the base of a stone flower planter perched on the corner of the same rail.

"I do not know a lot about the X-Men, beside the most basic elements. But what I do know of, are the stories involving fighting for Mutant rights, and that much I am certainly here to support."

She lets out another melodic little laugh when the focus is directed back unto her own stories, and with a little shake of her head Diana has to draw in a light breath to take a moment to form her words.

"Paradise Island... I love that that has caught on as the unofficial name of my home. It is as fitting as you could imagine, no less, But it is also subjective to one's own tastes." She glints another grin to Storm. "Many of your students probably would not consider it a paradise for instance..." She leans over then and speaks softer. "There are no video games, or internet hubs to be found."

She smirks happily at Storm then and there, before continuing. "But yes... I have been a lucky person. I have had my ups and downs throughout that century, but coming to Man's World has been the right choice. It was my destiny, if you want to use such a arguably hokey descriptor." She states with a brief pause as her eyes travel up to the school again.

"But yes, I would happily regail you with the best stories, and some of the worst too, if ever the chance arises."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo subtly checks her step to pause their meandering around the school. When Diana's pace pauses, Ororo takes a step or two forward and turns smoothly to face her. Despite the soiled, lumpy clothing and the mess of her hair, Ororo has that sense of queenly self-possession that girds her dignity even were she to be standing naked. She faces Diana fully, and turns one hand outwards in a little gesture of reassuring solidarity. Sorority.

"Diana, we are daughters of Gaea," Ororo murmurs in a quiet tone-- made all the more potent for the sacred stillness she projects around her. In fact for a moment the sounds of the grounds themselves seem to ...fade away. Not muted, just softened into irrelevancy. She faces Diana fully, and turns one hand outwards in a little gesture of reassuring solidarity. Sorority.

Perhaps it has to do with the calmly unhurried eye contact she commits to. The two goddesses make a striking contrast; dark skin, white hair; olive skin, black locks; their eyes both a shade of blue too pure to be something solely determined by something mundane as genetics. They meet and something crackles in the air between those perfect blue gazes, as clear and free as the sky itself.

"I understand-- better than anyone, I understand," she reassures Diana, "what a thing a destiny is. For good or for ill." She shakes her head slightly. Several plaits work loose of the leather thong holding them back, dance across her bare, dark shoulders. "Do not ever feel you have to qualify or justify your feelings with me. Please," she entreats.

Diana Prince has posed:
When they stop their walk, and Ororo moves to stand before her, Diana adjusts her hands to interlace her fingers together in front of her lap. A warm summer wind rolls over them, her dark ponytail brushing off to the side behind her left shoulder now, with distant sounds of the children in the yard echoing around them.

What Ororo says to her has the Princess showing a warm expression back in return. She lets a silence linger after the white haired woman spoke, but does respond a few seconds there-after.

"This is why I like it here." She says. "You are all very easy to talk to... Charles certainly has made his choices wisely with regard to whom he has brought in to his goals here."

She waits a second after saying that before she cracks a pleasant smile for Ororo alone. "And yes, that was a compliment."

A breath is taken then, followed by a nod of Diana's slim pointed chin. "Next time I come by, I will bring drinks, and schedule it ahead of time, so that we might share a little more insight in to where we both come from." She notes, with a glance over Storm's current condition. "A visit where I do not interrupt you in your relaxation, no less."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo's steady gaze flickers only when Diana looks her up and down, and the weather shaper glances at her condition once before flashing a rueful smile at the princess. "Our fruitful partnership notwithstanding, I admit, this is not exactly how I wished to be dressed for Wonder Woman 'stopping by'," Ororo says. Is there a little bit of vanity in the shapely goddess? Some, perhaps, but a gentle humility as well that tempers it and gives her leave to laugh at herself.

"To be candid, though... the school is usually banging from one minor crisis to another. All of them rather insignificant in the grand scheme, but perilous for the fragile ego of the students. Perhaps, I might--"

She cuts herself off abruptly at pivots her head up and to the side. Above them, several male students in their late adolescence are goggling openly at the two women, and from the shocked surprise on their faces, thought themselves safe from discipline.

"Manny. Isaiah. /Carl/," Ororo says, projecting absolute iron-wrought authority in her voice. "Inside. /Now/."

The three young teens vanish like popped bubbles, and Ororo takes a deep breath to visibly calm herself before speaking to Diana again. "I... was about to ask, if it would be an imposition for me to come visit /you/," she offers. "I will bring the drinks, if for no other reason than it is a fair cost for an evening free of..." she gestures vaguely at the school. "/That/."

Diana Prince has posed:
Throughout what Storm says back to Diana, the Princess' eyes are respectfully locked to that of her host's own. She doesn't break them off until the trio of students are made to flee for their own personal well being, and rightly so. This gets a little laugh from Diana, who looks away from the perch that the trio had been on, back to Storm.

When the Embassy is indicated as a place to meet instead of this ever-hectic bastion of mischievous Mutants, Diana nods two quick times.

"That too would be welcome. We definitely do not have quite as many children on our soil there-in. Some... but not as many, not even close."

"But yes, you are more than welcome to come by any time. The offer is extended to Jean and Charles too, of course, but if ever you need a personal trip in to the city... and a moment away from being spied upon, feel free to take it with us."