16445/Penance and Paige

Penance and Paige
Date of Scene:	29 November 2023
Location:	Faculty Lounge
Synopsis:	A group talk about coming holidays, presents, and the current state of Nicole and Claudette St. Croix, currently locked in the gestalt form of Penance.
Cast of Characters:	Monet St. Croix, Paige Guthrie, Samuel Guthrie, Inez Temple

---

Monet St. Croix has posed:
It's sometime late in the afternoon. Monet St. Croix is sitting over in the faculty lounge with her legs crossed. Next to her over is a girl of unknowable age. Skin of ruby-like crystal, every edge a sharp point. Hair, fingers.. Ever what parts of her body might be normal looking. She was wearing a leather bodysuit that covered most of her skin. Monet was sitting next to her, slumped.
    "I am sorry. So sorry.."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie comes around the corner into the lounge with a book in front of her, possibly because she's catching up on something. She reaches for the lounge fridge door and then looks over top of her book at Monet and Penance sitting there. She seems surprised to see them both there. "Monet, what ya doing?" she asks. She looks at Penance carefully.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would glance over at Paige, her normal look of irritable neutrality gone. "I'm not sure you've met them. These are my sisters, Nicole and Claudette." Giving a light gesture at Penance. Penance, whom was sitting still and not moving at all. No indication of having heard or paying attention tot he introduction.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie looks at Nicole, "Oh ah thought it was Penance," she comments, tucking the book under her arm, "I didn't know ya had sisters," she adds, looking at the girl, "Hi, I'm Paige," she tells the girl and walks over to the table.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "I do." Not elaborating over on the matter. Even with the introduction and the reply from Paige, the form of Penance does not move or acknowledge it at all. Finally M breaks their silence. "Claudette is autistic, and at times non-communicative." Still referring to the one form as separate ones.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie nods to what Monet said, "Oh right, I forgot. But I've never met them," she explains, looking at Claudette, "Have they communicated mentally maybe?" she asks. She looks concerned but then looks up, "Have you seen Sam or Scott?" she wonders.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would sigh, "not in this form. They.. Cannot receive anything telepathically. Or speak. They can hear and understand and have full senses.." She speaks as if from personal knowledge and experience. Which if Paige had read her file.. She had been. "And I have been with them on missions but not spent any time wtih them lately."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie gives another nod, "Oh right, that was in the file," she comments, "Are you sure they understand? They don't even seem to be doing much," she comments.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would sigh, "Claudette is often quiet at times. It is just how she interacts with the world." A hand would go up carefully to rest on the twins' neck, making sure to place it on the leather. "ANd how she copes."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie hmms, "Oh alright," she comments, "Do you want anything to eat?" she wonders, "Maybe we could go out. And yah sisters can too maybe," she says.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile, "If they are receptive to it. I would enjoy taking them around the ground." Just.. Not into Westchester. TOo many things to explain. "I think they would enjoy some ice cream." Even mentioning that elicits no response. "When they are ready, I suppose."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie smiles, "Awesome! Yeah, let's all walk around," she lets out, "If ya'll don't want to buy ice cream, we can make some," she tells Monet. "Yeah, maybe after. Ice cream? Huh?" she wonders, looking a Monet's sisters.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
There is still no response fro them. Monet rests her hand carefully once more on their shoulders. "Yes, I'm sure that they'll be receptive later. Now.. Now, Nicole is keeping Claudette company. And they're hopefully happy together with one another." Her tone is sad.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie nods to what Monet says, "Well maybe if they experience more junk, they'll be more open," she tells Monet, "Usually if ah mention ice cream, the students get excited," she explains.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile, "Yes. They're well aware of it." She tries hard to figure out how to express it. "Claudette is.. Non communicative. She is very withdrawn at times and.. Is not aware of the outside world or has pulled away from it. I.. Do nto think it can be understood by anyone."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie nods, "Alright. Well maybe the Professor can help communicate," she says and shrugs a bit, "Ahm sorry about picking on ya'll, okay we can go for that walk whenever," she explains. She turns a bit and checks the freezer for something, "Yeah ah think we have some left," she explains, "The guys probably ate it all."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shake her head, "No, it's fine. I.. Appreciate your checking in on them. And they appreciate it as well. THis is just how Claudette.. Copes with the world. Later on when they're feeling up for it I'll let you know and they would greatly appreciate it. Thank you." Since when does M say 'appreciate it' and 'thank you'?

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie closes the fridge and turns back around, "Okay, ya'll be good and get me later for a walk. I'll totally get ya'll energetic. But ah gotta return this book before---are you sure you haven't seen Sam?" she tells him, "He's prolly out drivin or something like that. Ah better call him."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile, "Yes, do take care. Thank you again, Paige. Enjoy yourself. I'm sure that Sam will enjoy catching up." She would give a wave to Paige while settling in next to her sisters, just looking at the prison that they were trapped in.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie smiles, "Ah it'll be boring probably but I come back to talk ya'll," she explains and then hides her accent better as she adds, "I'll probably be on the phone forever talking to people. And I haven't told you about my trip yet. Yeah I was on this adventure for like a month," she explains.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Oh, you haven't missed more beyond the usual." Friends of Humanity, monsters, aliens.. Nothing particularly strange by the standards of Xavier's! "I suppose that the change of pace will be interesting. Would you call it an adventure or excursion?"

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie shrugs, "Ah was like being weird. Ah forgot I hate drivin. Ah shoulda just stayed here," she tells Monet, "Sounds like more stuff happened here!" she says and chuckles, "Oh okay, you tell me later /your/ adventures," she smiles.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug, "There are simpler ways to travel. Just find yourself a chaffeur. A private plane. SUch things are far classier and relaxing." Said the rich girl to the one fro a Kentucky coal family. "And.. I would rather not." Her voice had an edge of pain to it.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie hmms, "Yeah, ah need a chauffer with a tie and a champagne cart," she imagines, "That'd be great," she adds and then smiles. She clears her throat and hides her accent again as she adds, "Nah, I don't need all that fancy crap." She gets a bleep of a text on her phone hidden in her pocket.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would listen to it, "Do you need to get going? In that case I can let you be and catch you whenever you go out with the twins for ice cream." Even as Penance sat there, still as a gargoyle in the rooftops of Gotham.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie takes her phone out of her pocket and looks at it, "What? Yeah, maybe that was Sam textin me," she comments as she looks at the message. She is standing in the lounge with no ice cream, but Monet is sitting there with her sisters.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Very well. I'm unaware of his location." Given Sam could fly most places faster than anything short of the Blackbird, he could justify being wherever he wished to. Monet would be sitting down, one leg crossed over the other. Next to her was the form of Penance, sitting completely still and not moving, facing the wall.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie is reading her phone, standing there next to Monet and her sisters, "Not sure, ah can't this message, maybe he's tryin to text me in the car. Ah hope it's not en emergency," she comments, then looks over her phone at Monet, "Maybe it's not him. Ah don't know. Can ya'll read this?" she asks and shows Monet the phone.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod at Paige, "WEll, I'm sure if there was some urgency, he would let you know." Or there would be a series of fires and explosions. Which tended to be the way things went for anyone that was involved with Cable to any extended period

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie when he found out his little sister is back. He finished his shopping, and while he is tempted to blast back to the mansion, he does not need to leave his truck there. He brought groceries in and asked someone to put things away. He comes walking into the room with a large glass of Ice tea. He smiles when he sees his sister, and walks over sitting the glass down and lifts Paige up in a hug "Page!" He seems very happy to see her. Once he sets her down, he looks over to Monet and the other "Hey, how you gals?"

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie hmms, "Ah think he's trying to ask me something," she explains as she looks at the phone again, "I think it's the abbreviations---" she starts and then smiles as Sam bounds in then squeals as he hugs her, "Hi!" she lets out. She hugs him back and then says, "Ah'm good!" she says. She fixes her hair Sam messed up and hides her accent as she says, "I was just talking to Monet and her sisters."

Inez Temple has posed:
What exactly the upstanding Ms. Temple is doing slipping into the Teacher's lounge is a good question... Almost as good a question as who the hell let her anywhere near a school. But life is full of unanswered questions, don't y' know, and so the only real certainty is that the door creeeeeaks open shortly after Sam enters the room and a tall figure in daisy dukes and a plaid shirt tied 'round her midriff enters.

"M!" There's a sense of relief in the blonde's voice as she spots a familiar face. "T' hell kinda school is this? Someone pinched my ass!" She frowns fiercely, and then spots the other three, and doffs her hat briefly and respectfully. Oppose to the Guthries, her own drawl is deep south, and as Texas as the boots, Stetson, and big ol' buckle. "Oh. Ain't interruptin' somethin' important am I?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
:would quirk her head over at Paige as Sam would enter, cutting off her response. "I am.. Fine." In the corner, the still frame of her merged younger sisters, Nicole and Claudette, in the prison-gestalt of Penance, was staying still and staring at the wall without moving. Monet's hand would rest on their shoulder, carefully to do so on the leather part to not risk contact with their skin.

As Inez would enter Monet would put up a smile - she was at least attempting to be social here with her sisters present. "Inez. Did you put them through a wall?" She would speak to her teammate on X-Force.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie looks around Sam and says to Inez, "Important? Yeah ya'll, ah'm totally back in school," she comments, then looks up at Sam, as she corrects her accent, "I couldn't read your message, Sam," she explains, "What were you askin me?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie 's brow raises looking over the lady who looks like could be another member of his family. "Someone pinched your but, were they hidden somehow or could ya see who it was?" With his normal protective tone, Paige being back may have brought it up again. He then looks over to Paige, and says "Was seeing if you wanted me to bring ya anything, since got no answer, just made sure Ah brought a big enough tea if you steal half of it, Ah still have some.

Inez Temple has posed:
"Reckon' I shoulda, treatin' a lady like that." Inez crosses her arms over her chest with a scowl, before it turns into a smirk instead, and the hat is crammed back on her head. "But y' know me. Big ol' softie. Told'm not t' be playin' grab-ass until he finished puberty. Little scamp."

Sam is given a grin, and an rather saucy once over. "Well. Ain't you a tall'un. I mean, I saw an' I told'm what-for, but one snotty nosed brat looks the same when they're that size, y'know?" When Paige announces she's back in school, Inez shakes her head sadly. "Aw, shit, girl. I'm sorry. Want us t' pretend t' be yer ma and claim to have cancer? That should buy you a semester or two."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug, "Well, if you didn't put them in traction then you acted resaonably." That seems the best way to learn as far as she's concerned. Partial crippling and broken bones. I twon't happen again. She considers the situation resolved. "I hope that you've had a.. Productive day, Samual."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie frowns at Inez, "Ah'm catchin' up! Ah don't need doctor's note," she explains dubiously, "It'll be okay," she adds quietly as if it's a big deal she's not saying anything about. She seems happy Sam is there and smiles, "What? Steal your tea? Oh thanks! That's so nice of you!" she lets out, taking the tea off the table, "Where'd you get my favorite tea?" she asks and drinks some of it.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie smirks a bit and says "Well it might have something to do with Ah made it, ma taught me how to hold my tongue right, while making it." He sticks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, like a kid would do when concentrating on something. His tongue is back in his mouth after a moment though, and offers his hand to Inez. "Ah'm Sam, this Paige, my little sister. " Looking over to Monet and says "Got some shopping done, got a bit more to do, but making progress."

Inez Temple has posed:
Inez Temple chuckles at Monet. "Ain't sayin' I didn't consider somethin' dire, but I'm a guest. Besides" She adds cheerfully, "I left my whippin' pistol in my other shorts." She moves to find a seat to sprawl on, regarding Paige dubiously, as if afraid whatever she's talking about is catching. "I mean, once y' graduate high school, what's t' point? Reckon' higher learnin' is what you do when y' get low on bud and need t' figure out how to continue the buzz." She rubs the back of her neck ruefully.
At Sam's introduction tips the end of her hat. "Inez. Inez Temple. I work with M an' her crew of misfits." Pause. "I'm on morale." And she tugs at her tied off shirt, flashing the top of a pistol on a tactical vest. How does she manage to remain armed and half naked all at once? Some questions have no answers, remember?
Gawd, keep up.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod at Sam, "I'mg lad that it was productive. I take it that there were no catastrpohies along the way? I've not heard of any incidents in Bushwick. I hope that things have been quiet there." Given Sam's position on the ground he would likely be far more fluent with it than she was.

Nodding at Inez in amusement. "Yes, and I'm sure that you had it stashed somewhere around here. Or you took it from someone else's cache." She presumed (realistically or not) that Nathan and Hope had ones distributed about.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie drinks more of Sam's tea she stole and then pushes on Sam's arm, "It's too early ta buy Christmas presents!" she lets out. She rolls her eyes, "Yeah ah'm the little sister," she mutters then hmms, "The point? A big ole degree ah think. Yep, ah'm totally on watch so... I can get a degree which gets me a middle of the road job," she says, correcting her accent to sound astute, then looks at Inez again with more regard, "Your life must be way more fun."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "Well, Ah think she is planning on beating me on my degree." He teases a bit about Paige and school "You do realize it is less than a month till Christmas, and you have almost a dozen siblings right?" He teases her a bit knowing she does and figuring knowing her, she probably already has a lot of shopping done, just not letting anyone know. " To Monet he says "Nothing major past couple days, least not that has happened that the force got called in on."

Inez Temple has posed:
"I would *never*." Inez looks absolutely offended as Monet accuses her of stealing someone else's gun, "If you don't got yer own iron t' whip someone with, y' don't deserve to pistol whip them. Some things are sacred, St. Croix!"

Plus, if she touched their toys Nathan and Hope would probably have some very pointed things to say. And while the Texan is rough an' tumble, there are limits. At Paige's suggestion her life is fun, she smirks. "Well, ain't no medal for livin' a virtuous life." Except, of course, there are. It's perhaps one of the most lauded things in just about every society. "Carpet Dedum, as they say, yeah?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would glance at Inez, "I see. So does that mean you brought it in with you the entire way or you hid one just in case you needed it here for another time?" She would turn to Paige. "And I suppose that you've finished your shopping and your lists, or are you going to let your brother handle it or do it at the last minute?"

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie seems in agreement more and more with Inez as the conversation continues, "Right! That's why ah snuck---took a break for a lil while," she comments while nodding her head, then quickly changes the subject after she elbows Sam, "See, you gotta know ah got presents on order right? The bigger stuff ah totally gotta go get though. What big stuff did ya buy, anyway?" she asks him.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "Well, Ah found a really nice guitar, it is used, but is red guitar, that has a feather design on it." He tells of one of the items he bought, knowing Paige will know who it is for. "Still trying to find the right thing for Ma, Ah don't want to do a hat again this year."

Inez Temple has posed:
"T'hell's wrong with a hat?" Inez asks, with a fierce frown at Sam when he talks about his mother's Christmas present. She pointedly adjusts the angle of hers, tipping it back with a flick of her thumb in emphasis as she tosses one thick golden braid over her shoulder, "Hats are cool."

But that's all she'll offer regarding presents, other than to squint at Monet. "Do I need t' get prezzies for everyone?" She asks dubiously, "I reckon' I got some time, but dunno if this is that kind o' outfit you an' that silver daddy dragged me into."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would glance at Inez, "They can be quite repetitive in nature. As well as not being utilitarian or practical at all." Monet, of the near Emma Frost levels of cash investment into fashions was -hardly- one to speak. If someone wanted to wear a fancy hat, she was the last person who got to question it!

"I believe that the etqiuette is that one gets them for those they are close to." Which explains why she only gets coal.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie shakes her head, "She's got like twenty hats, that's what. Somethin different never hurt nobody," she explains and then grins as Inez acts all cool. She nods to what Sam says about a guitar then suddenly butts into the question for Monet and says, "Yeah, ya need ta get somethin for everyone!" she lets out.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "Yea, Ah have bought her a few over the years, now am looking for something she would get more use out of. "Well folks you know and want to, but also remember we have folks about here, who are Jewish, Muslim, and other religions about, so not everyone celebrates the same around here, and we try to respect that.

Inez Temple has posed:
Inez Temple says, "Huh." The blonde glances from Monet to Paige then to Sam and back again with a shrug. "I mean, I reckon I could get somethin' small, so they don't feel guilty if they got me nothin'." She pointedly doesn't look at Monet, who probably wouldn't care either way. "Maybe some bullets? Everyone needs more bullets. Think I know a place that can etch X's on'm." She tilts her had down, consideringly. "Or knives. 'though there's the whole thing 'bout knives cuttin' a relationship..."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug, "You are more than welcome to." Don't ask who M will be giving gifts to. The list is going to be very short. Also she's one of those that doesn't celebrate it - but she's never been religious on any particular sort of grounds so that's relatively meningless.

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie eyes Inez and then bounds over next to her, showing her the phone from her pocket, "Hey! don't worry, I'll help you! It'll be easy," she says, correcting her accent from sounding to dubious and southern. "Here look, ah know everybody," she explains, "Somethin small, somethin big, cool, rad---yeah, you know!"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie chuckles a bit and hmmms a bit to himself "And don't judge what you get by what others get. We have some folks about here who can buy you a plane, like you would buy someone a watch." He offers her as well. "Some folks are easy, and then some folks ya just met, but you want to find good things for them.

Inez Temple has posed:
The enthusiasm of the two Kentuckians makes Inez squint at them both, and when Paige comes bounding over she twitches almost as if she's about to draw her gun. Remember the Alamo! But she catches herself before something spicy happens, and she twitches her hat slightly, pushing it up out of her face. "Mighty kind o' y'... Paige, weren't it? But reckon' I gotta figure out what t' get people on my lonesome, yeah?" She says dubiously, eying the phone. "Like M over there probably wants a can o' WD-40 for the stick up her..."

She's interrupted by Sam revealing people could buy a plane. "Sounds tedious. You give out planes, M? Reckon yer t' richest person I know."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie holds her hands out as if to say, 'Ok I offered, your funeral, cowboy!' but instead she says, "Okay fine, you're right." She pockets the phone again and returns to her position where she was before. She seems disappointed she wasn't able to recruit a shopping buddy.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug, "The.. Attempt is appreciated." She said that like someone doing well with it was not to be expected. That was fairly normal for her after all! As Inez would go along, Monet would narrow her eyes. "So should I get you a shoehorn so you can.." Her next phrase less than polite but coming out in Arabic if only for the fact her sisters were present.

She woudl sigh, "However, I am nowhere near that wealthy, nor is my family. That is something more that Mister Worthington or Ms. Frost could do."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods a bit and says "It takes some getting used to." He takes a sip of his tea while Paige is distracted, and says "So, Inez, how long you been working with Monet? Also, if you ever get to schooled out, Harry's Hideaway in town is a decent bar to hang out at."

Inez Temple has posed:
The insult from Monet makes Inez grin, and that grin grows all the broader as the dark-skinned woman switches to Arabic. "Colorful." She says with a snicker, as if the other woman's ire were this amazing joke. Which... maybe it is. "Don't rightly know how long." Inez says cheerfully to Sam, "Feels like forever an' then it feels like this t' first time we've met."

She looks ready to say more when Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 begins to play. "Ooop. Phone. Was waitin' on a client."

She grabs the brim of her hat, ducking it apologetically, before pulling out a phone. "Roadkill Cafe, y' kill it, we grill it. How can I help y' on t' road to flavortown?" She says into it, and ducks back out of the door.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug "We both work for the rather grumpy man with an interest in heavy weapons on occasion. I believe that Ms. TEmple however primarily operates as a freelance troubleshooter which she has a rather solid reputation as." She would glance at Paige. "So are you going to be going out with your brother to shop?"

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie looks at Monet to answer her question, "Yeah right, ah'm totally hungry," she says, then elbows Sam some more, "Hey you comin or what? Yeah I was goin out when you came in," she smiles.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie hmms and says "Ah could eat, where would ya like to go?" He asks her. He looks over to Monet, and says "You want something for you or your sisters?" He asks, after helping save the girls he tries to help look out for them.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shake her head, "No, I'm fine." The merged form of the two sisters still has not moved, and is still as a statue, resting with her forehead against the wall. "I'm going to be taking them to thier room."

Paige Guthrie has posed:
Paige Guthrie looks up at Sam, "Where can ah get a good salad? Or a salad bar?" she wonders, "Not just anything, but a good salad," she explains.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie hmms a bit in thought "Well there is a place in the city we could go." He hmmms a bit and says "Harry's has an ok Salad, but Ah could get it kicked up a bit for ya." He offers.