18436/Ballad of the Hanged Man: A Tune in B-Flat.

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Ballad of the Hanged Man: A Tune in B-Flat.
Date of Scene: 26 June 2024
Location: 145 Central Park Penthouse
Synopsis: Marie recruits Jennifer to join her in facing the past, plans are made.
Cast of Characters: Marie-Ange Colbert, Jennifer Stavros
Tinyplot: The Ballad of the Hanged Man


Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Ever since a certain registered letter arrived for Marie and, upon the visit of old friend Sam Guthrie, she read the letter, the little redhead has been quiet. Living, but largely going through the motions. She'll get out of bed, but while she's usually dressed in the early morning, she's opted today to remain in an oversized night-shirt. While she'd normally be out and about at this time of day, or working on practicing her music...

...well, while she's sitting in her music room, the door's open, the 'in use' light isn't on, and she's just seated at the piano bench. Pressing the same key over, and over, and over in regular intervals. Not even looking at it, or at anything in particular. More... staring into the distance.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen was also having a lazy day in, but she was using the time to get some chores done. Laundry - s gisnt pile of it, or so it seemed. But when you're down to your last pair of clean undies, that was usually a sign to do one'd lsundry. So, given laundry day, she was wearing a pair of downright indecently-cut jean shorts, a halter top, and a bandana to keep the hair out of her eyes. In addition she had a pair of wireless headphones on so she could crank her get-stuff-done music without bothering her housemates. She'd just claimed for herself a giant glass of iced tea and was swaying to her music when she passed the open door to Marie-Ange's music room.

The _open_ door to the music room.

The _open_ door with an oversized T-shirt and nothing else clad Marie-Ange who was plinking at a key on the piano like it had offended her and/or it owed her money.

"Hey!" Jen said, trying to get her bestie's attention. "You keep pushing that key, it's gonna, I don't know, go out of tune or something."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
It's not an immediate reaction from Marie, or even a quick one. Her head slowly turns over towards the sound of her friend's voice; also revealing she hasn't bothered to do her makeup, instead sporting dark circles under her eyes in what definitely is not a attempt to mimic Jen's eyeshadow-styling of choice. Pale lips curve into a world-weary smile.

"Oh, my apologies, Jennie. I would not wish for that to happen." Beat. "How are you today? Please. Come, sit." She slides over to make a little more room on the bench, though there's also a few other options for seating by each of the other musical instruments set in the sound-proofed room.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen muted her headphones and left them around her neck before she took a seat next to her bestie, taking an obnoxiously deep slurp of her iced tea. "You're looking way out of it, girl." Jen commented, looking Marie-Ange over carefully. "Might want to, yanno, go put some clothes on before your girl comes in here and gets Ideas, or people start thinking I dyed my hair." she said with a smirk. "And this universe isn't ready for two of me." she added a moment later.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"I... think that is a fair assessment." Marie replies, shifting her weight to lean against her best friend. Just enjoying the support the other girl provides. The warnings about her attire... and the possible conclusions others could make from it get a soft laugh. "The universe would be blessed if there were two of you, Jennifer. Let no one tell you different." Even when she's hurting, she still does her best to support those she cares about! "Tell me. Do you have any plans for the near future?"

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen side-hugged her bestie as best she could. "Funny you should ask. I was thinking of going to talk to one of the employment specialists over at the Club. I mean, I live her rent-free and I'm grateful for it but I'd like to get coffee in the morning and booze and food and new clothes and go clubbing and all the other bits that make up having a life without hitting up lotteries or stuff like that, you know?" she said. "If I'm really lucky..." she said, and then flashed a grin. "If I'm really lucky I won't even have to look like a Boardwalk hooker." she said with a laugh.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
The hug draws a more honest smile from Marie, green eyes looking over at the blonde woman. "I cannot say I blame you. I remember when I first sought to find employment of my own, when we were still going to Xavier's ttogether. You told me if I wanted a job, I should go for it -- and you are more than welcome to do the same." With Marie, Jen always has the /choice./ She might have her preferred choices, but she's not going to force her friend to make one or the other.

It might be fate, but it wouldn't be /friendship./

"I suppose that means I should buy one less ticket for the trip, if you are going to be busy..." She hasn't mentioned a trip. Not until now, at least!

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
"Trip? What trip?" Jen asked, seizing on Marie's words. "You wanted to go somewhere? And wanted me to go with you? Fuck yeah, let's gooooo!" she cheered, then took another hefty swallow of her tea. "Where we going?" she asked after a moment. "I can go talk to the Hellfire Hookers after we get back." she pointed out.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"France, oui." Marie replies softly, though she can't help but smile more at her friend's immediate buy-in to the idea. There were a lot of people who didn't see the good parts of the woman... but Marie relishes them. "Although I suppose 'buy tickets' depends on if Roberto will be willing to allow us the use of his private jet or not. Sam has not told me yet." She straightens up a bit here, focusing her attention on her friend. "I wish for many of us to go... if I am going to visit the land that gave me birth," homeland doesn't seem to fit. "I wish to have the people I care most about with me."

And yes, Jen is absolutely included in that number. Near the tip-top.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen hrmmed. "Roberto's straight, right?" she said with a slow smile on her face. "At least a little? Two hot bitches like us should be able to convince him to loan us the jet and all that comes with it no problem." she laughed. "I've never been to France. Dealer's kids from Jersey don't usually get to go to France." she said, letting her imagination run away with her for a few moments. "Heeeey. Hot European men. Clubbing. Good wine. We're gonna have to go shopping, girl!" she crowed.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"Very much so, oui." Marie replies. Although, she hasn't considered the possibility of his flirtatious behaviour possibly being a mask for something else... it's not something /she/ would do, so she doesn't assume it for others. "Then we have a plan B if needed, though he certainly tends to be generous." Marie, during her time at Xavier's, got pretty close to a lot of their classmates. It wasn't the same as Jen, obviously, because that relationship was special. But the redhead drank a lot more of the proverbial koolaid. Signed up for a lot more of the extra-cirricular activities. So she doesn't have many doubts that she'll get an affirmative answer, and if both methods failed?

Well. Asking Warlock made an excellent Plan C.

"Oui, of course we will." she promises. "Paris will most certainly have these things." The only time she'd been was when the Professor picked her up from the convent to take her to the airport, so she's not sure... but imagines it as a French New York City. "Though, I fear we do not go simply for sightseeing reasons..." There's just a bit of fear creeping into her voice. Marie knows Jen likes to party, but she also fully believes that her friend would never abandon her in her time of need.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen smiled evilly at that notion. "You're right." she said firmly. "We should go shopping in Pairs. After all, we wouldn't want to look shabby or provincial." she said. "I have a reputation as an American to maintain." she said with a wicked slow smile. Marie was already French, she could ooze class from her every pore. Class and Jen tended to, well, not go together very well. But intuition and the look on Marie's face told her another story entirely.

"Hey. Hey there. None of that. We're going to take care of whatever bidness you've got and I'm going to back you up as your friend. Maybe even nudge the odds a little." she smirked. "My raging desire to go have fun with strange European men aside, that's not why we're there. I'm just hoping we can squeeze it in."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"Of course." she agrees, even managing a little giggle at that. Really, most of France outside her ancestral home, and the convent were pretty foreign to her. She was kept closely cloistered, first as the child of a rich family, then as the unwanted nuiscance they were trying to hide away. There was a certain sense of intrigue to going back on her terms. Of getting to explore, and see if not all of the country is as... imposing... as she's believed it to be.

"You. Are. The. Best." Marie tells her friend, leaning down to give the blonde a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ma choue, I work per diem at my choosing," Though she's never told the Club 'no' when she's asked to come in. "Mary works from home. You have no job. We /will/ enjoy some of our time." It's not a question; if it's after her business concludes? She guarantees it. Which... is not something Marie usually does, preferring to let fate determine the future. Maybe she's still feeling a bit off. Maybe she's feeling a bit independant of her cards. Hard to say. "...but, the main reason we go is that my grandmere is ill." Her grandmother is the only family member who treated her as family; Jen would know this. She was also forbidden from seeing the woman after she taught her how to read the cards, so long ago. "...but we are certain to encounter my parents while there." Which is a big reason she needs the support.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
It stood to reason that Marie-Ange had parents, but she'd never bothered to contemplate what they might be like. "I know this is going to sound ragingly hypocritical, but what do the cards have to say?" she asked. "And fuck yeah, go be there for them." she said firmly. Her own parents could trip, fall into a puddle of herpes, then die in a fire, but she also realized that some people had _good_ relationships with their parents.

It still felt weird to her.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"Perhaps you are right." Marie replies, bowing her head slightly. "I should be the bigger person, despite... how things have been. Perhaps they will see me in a different light. Surrounded by friends. More confident in my own skin." Is that hope in her voice? Sure. Marie's the eternal optimist. There's a part of her that would /like/ that, even with her found family. As for her cards? "They speak in riddles. Answers are unclear. It is not often this happens... but fate seems to be leaving these decisions to me."

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
Jen just laughed at that. "We've been trying to get you to make your own decisions for years now." Jen said. "Maybe the cards are finally starting to agree with me! And we all know much your precognition loves probability manipulation." she smirked. "And hey. If anyone knows what it's like to have shit parents, shit siblings, and overall a shit life, it's me." she pointed out. "Let me be your parental alienation Sherpa." she joked, but with a kernel of truth. "We'll get you there so you can say goodbye to your grandmother, tell your parents to suck your whole ass, then go back to Paris and go have _fun_." she said. "It's as good a plan as any."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
They really have, and... it's unusual, not unheard of, for readings to have outcomes like this. Marie just didn't normally see them in her OWN readings. She's fate's servant. That's the way she's always called it.

There's something a little odd about that.

Still, Marie's content enough to have her bestie's support for whatever the future might hold. There's just a few more calls she has to make, and one more person in this apartment she has to recruit to her side... and thoroughly warn about the lion's den that they're likely to be walking into. "It is a good plan, Jennie... and you are a good friend. I am lucky to have you, oui?" There's a playful wink. She knows what she said there.

Jennifer Stavros has posed:
"Wait. You had me? How drunk was I and _why do I not remember this_?" she said, mock-outraged. "I'd really like to _remember_ the hot sweaty girlsex with my bestie." she teased some more. "Now come on. Go take a shower, put your face on. Go talk to Mary, do the needful." she said.

"Unless you need someone to wash your back?" she suggested with an outrageous waggle of her eyebrows.