1930/Catching up.

Catching up.
Date of Scene:	01 June 2020
Location:	Library
Synopsis:	Lorna and Clarice catch up at the library about what's been going on with Genosha. There's chocolate too!
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Lorna Dane

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Clarice Ferguson has posed:
Everyone knew that Clarice had never been much of a reader. In fact she was the type to avoid it ferociously if she could when she was back on Genosha, there was always something new to see or explore. But right now, she was about ready to take her mind out of that and what had happened so here she was with a book, near the window that leads out to the front yard of the mansion, she looking up at the sunny outside from time to time between book pages.

Yet she was also waiting for Lorna to arrive. It had been a bit of an ordeal back at the marauder's cave, and while they all came out fine there were still many questions to be answered. Ones that the Genoshan was hoping to help find.

But more importantly, she was also wanting to catch up with her highness.. Or well, it was her majesty now.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had mostly remained on the Mansion grounds since her fellow X-men and the alike had been taken by Sinister. She'd worked at the tedious job of comm duty despite loathing it, and had taken steps to manage the situation on Genosha as best she could via her tablet. She was constantly answering phone calls, emails, messages of any and all kinds. It was exhausting mentally, but she was doing her best to make sure that her people had what they needed.

It also meant it was rarely for Clarice to get a chance to sit down and talk to her though. So when her friend, and bodyguard, asked to catch up in the library, she agreed and made time. The door popped open under a flick of her wrist, and shut just as softly behind her as she stepped inside wearing a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt. "Hey Clarice."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
When the door opens Clarice lifts her eyes from the book, closing it and letting it rest on the window sill. A warm smile greets Lorna, she reaching up to brush her purple hair out of her face. "Your Majesty." she greets in return. But the words were said mostly in a bit of a tease. Perhaps to try and ease Lorna's mind to all that's been going on.

Yet it's true that it had been a while since they had been able to catchup, besides the usual bodyguarding duties where talking was at a minimum. And also the time she spent zipping about, mostly through the refugee camps either delivering supplies or helping in bringing people one way or another, or at mutant town to renew some contacts. The Brotherhood -needed- to continue afterall..

"How are you feeling? All recovered from our marauder encounter?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna rolled her eyes as she made her way over to a chair by the window and plopped down. A faint smile pulling at the corners of her lips even as she shot Clarice a look. "You know better than to 'Your majesty' me it's not formal." She shot back, and stretched her arms over her head.

"I'm fine, just a little bruised and banged up. What I wouldn't give for some kind of a healing factor some days." She muttered, and rolled her shoulders back and yawned. "I was up late trying to deal with things in Genosha. Timezones and what not." She waved her hand in a back and forth motion to signify it had all been ify. "Bit tired." She paused, "How are you?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
"I get so confused with all the titles you know.." But Clarice is clearly playing now, the corner of her mouth turned up in a playful manner, she folding her arms together, shoulder resting against the wall right next to the window. "Hello, Lorna." she then finally says. Being out at the mansion she also chose to go on a more informal type of clothing. No long leather jacket as she likes to often wear, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"I don't know. I see Logan and Warpath and they tend to get all bruised up all the time, must be painful enough, even if they recover shortly after." Yes, she still recalled Scalphunter and Prism taking potshots at the big native american!

The mention of Genosha sobers her up some. "Been keeping myself busy, hopping back and forth to Genosha, bringing in supplies." a sigh. "Mutant town is turning into a boiling pot too, everyone is on edge."

Though then a pause, "Oh, when I was in Genosha there was something there for you, I brought it." she gestures to a box on the side of a table, no markings. "From Fabian apparently."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna barely restrained an eyeroll at Clarice as she teased her about the whole title thing. The green haired woman had never been particularly into the whole thing to begin with, but she'd gotten used to it over the past few years. She heaved a sigh as she stretched out her legs again, she looked about to say something regarding Mutant Town in general before Clarice mentioned the flowers, chocolates, and note. She made a face at the mention of 'Fabian' and she got up, pushing herself from the chair to look at it.

"How did he get chocolate on Genosha?" She wrinkled her nose, reaching for the letter and giving it a glance to see it was filled with an apology for causing her to have such a rough time from the power boost.

She tossed it back onto the table, reached for the box of chocolates and promptly turned about to hand them to Clarice. "They're likely not poisoned. I mean. He treats me like a literal god and has a religion built up around me being Magneto's second coming.. so.." She shook the box and made to sit back down.

"The guy creeps me out. Always has."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
Clarice knew well that aversion to the titles. It was mainly why she teased her about so, also a sign that Clarice was comfortable enough with her friend by now to do those kind of things, even with her duty to the Royals.

Clarice hadn't really peeked into the box, but when she notes the chocolates she quirks a brow, then a glance to the note even if she makes no motion to try and read it, but then takes the box of chocolates, popping them open. Never say no to choc! "What happened for him to be gifting you chocolates..?" she questions, a brow quirking. It doesn't stop her from popping one into her mouth and then extending the box over for Lorna to take one herself.

"If there is one thing for the Acolytes though is that they are loyal." And Clarice could get behind that, even if the methods.., well.. But she had been further from those methods than she was now truth be told. A genocide had a tendency to put things into perspective. "I haven't seen him for a time, I suppose he has been keeping himself at Genosha now."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna made a face as she glanced at the box and the other mutant offered her some. "No thanks. I'm not going to eat anything that man gives me. Simply out of a the need to not encourage him further." She shuddered in an exaggerated way, and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat.

They were probably very nice, very expensive chocolates in all honesty.

"And his note says its an apology for causing me to have a killer migraine for two days and be absolutely miserable as a result of him boosting my powers so far.. The whole beach incident thing.." She muttered. The incident that had resulted in her smashing several Magistrate boats and had ignited the tensions between Mutants and Humans again. The incident that had set Stryker up to railing against her and others.

"And the Acolytes were loyal to my father. Not to me, not necessarily that is. There are factions within their little group and it's never been easy to deal with them before."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
They were indeed good.. There went Clarice's diet! But it's not as if getting fat was easy for Clarice so she even indulged on a second one when Lorna refused to take a chocolate. She offers a small shrug. "These are delicious though." don't talk with your mouth full Clarice!

Again a glance to the table where the note is, then back to Lorna. A furrow of her brows and she nods slowly. "So that is what it was." she had been wondering about it, perhaps giving it to the tabloids to sensationalize what had happened. "I had heard rumors.., they were coming to take over again..?" a frown then comes to her expression. She still remembered her time as a slave under the Magistrates, it making her let out an involuntary shudder.

But the talk about the acolytes make her nod. "Do you want me to keep an eye on them?" she asks, directly. If anything her loyalty had always been to the Crown. Be it Magneto or now Lorna.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna sighed reaching up to press her hand to her forehead as she seemed to tangle through her thoughts on the incident. "They arrived on the beach with warships. Including one that had anti-mutant blockers that stopped me from sensing what was on board. They demanded that we give them land, Carrion Cove or something. And they made it clear that if we didn't agree to it, they'd fight us for that land. Then they told us that they'd mined the supply ship and gave us 20 minutes to decide before they'd act." She pursed her lips together into a thin line.

"So I acted. Bobby froze the supply ship, Pietro cleared the supplies, all thanks to Fabian's boost.. But he boosted me more than any of them and I... destroyed their ships. Apparently a combination of Bishop and Pietro got most of the Magistrates off the ships so they didn't all die. A few hundred couldn't be saved." She shifted in her chair.

"I'm not sorry for it. I would die before I allow anyone from the old regime to return to Genosha and threaten its people." She murmured, her voice dropping in pitch. Her green eyes were cold, like that of her father and one could see the mirror starting to form between the elder and younger magnokinetic.

But then it passed and she exhaled a breath. "No. It's not worth your time."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
A third chocolate. Outrageous! But her expression and mood is as dark as the color of that chocolate right now while she listens to what happened by Lorna. Her eyes narrow at it, the mention of warships, the mutant blockers. It makes those normally kind, green eyes to look murderous, very much as they were when she was an assassin.

"Nor should you be." Clarice says about the loss of life. "They knew what they were getting into it, what they were doing. Their death is on them. It's about time that people think they can push us around." she finds a chair and settles down on it, the box of chocolates put on the table and forgotten for the moment, she resting her elbows on her knees. "My duty is to you and the crown. It is worth my time if you will it so."

Yet she does not press further on it. "People here have been helpful enough though, enjoying your stay?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath she'd been holding, waiting for Clarice's thoughts on the matter. Seeing it solved, she simply nodded once. "Not everyone agrees with you here. You'll find that if it gets brought up again. It's why I was put on comm duty by Scott. I'm more or less on his list of bad-shit to deal with these days." She grimaced. Bobby hadn't agreed either, but at least he hadn't gone off on her for it.

"Spying on the Acolytes isn't worth your time. We have other issues going on to make sure people here are rescued as soon as we can. And then we focus back on rebuilding efforts." She reached up and rubbed her temples. "And I get to return to trying to smooth over ruffled diplomatic feathers from my actions and hope Genosha isn't stuck without allies as a result."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
"I imagine not. And that is a good thing." Clarice says with an honest tone, "You need other viewpoints." then she lifting a brow up at being on comm duty. "Comm duty, really? Bit of a strategic loss considering your powers. Did Bobby and Pietro agree with you?" She questions. Probably not Bobby she imagined but Pietro.., that one had always been mercurial.

Though as they talk again about the acolytes and what their plans should be she nods sharply. "Well, you know my services are always ready to be used. Be it here with the X-men or out in Genosha. And speaking of smoothing things over.., as I told you things on Mutant town aren't .., easy."

She lets out a sigh. "That crazy would-be priest is trying to make things explode." She probably means Stryker.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna inclined her head, "I tend to agree with you on that. Multiple viewpoints is important, and having just people like Fabian telling me everything I do is perfect and without fault isn't going to help me be a better ruler.. but still... I almost expected Scott to throw me out of the X-men and try to arrest me for it." She muttered, and sighed softly as she reached up to rub her temples.

I'm aware. And I'm sorry to be the focal point for his reasoning that mutants are dangerous now. Doubtless he'd find another target.. but I am sorry that I gave them one." She let her hands fall back to her lap.

"We should figure out something to do to help there if we can, I agree..I just .. I'm not entirely sure what that something is yet."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
"Do you think that's what Fabian wanted..? To have you kicked?" Clarice then asks after a few moments. "When he strengthened your powers so much..?" it clearly something that was on her mind now. But she also knew the X-men were Lorna's friends. "The X-men know what you are going through though, what all of us are going through. Don't think they'd their back on you just like that. Even if Scott may be a bit of an hard ass sometimes. But that's how he is." a shrug. Some things just can't be helped!

"I am not entirely sure yet on what to do to help there either." She lets out a sigh, then reaches to take another chocolate. They were indeed good!

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna sighed softly and shrugged. "I dunno. That puts an awful lot of credit on Fabian's shoulders to have plotted that all out. I don't think he did. I mean, that would mean he'd have had to know the Magistrates were going to attack and that I would order him to boost our powers. I made that call. Not him." She pursed her lips together, shifting her weight in her seat.

"But the Professor and Jean both supported me and what happened. So, moot point on it I guess. They're well aware of what I'm dealing with and what position I'm in. Neither one tried to lecture me on it." She rubbed her arm slightly, idly, as she spoke. Her thoughts twisting about.

"As far as Mutant Town goes.. I dunno. But I agree it's a tinderbox and we need to think of something to do once we get people back. Otherwise, I fear that that choice will be taken when some scared or angry human acts."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
"Well, at least the chocolates are great..." Small blessings! But Clarice then offers Lorna a small nod of understanding on how things went down at Genosha and the magistrates. The mention that the professor nor Jean gave her an hard time has she quirking a brow. Perhaps she expected otherwise. "Maybe start drafting volunteers out of mutant town to help on the rebuild, if that's not already being done. It could bring the focus away from the tensions and have our people focus on building instead of destroying.."

But then she slowly gets up to her feet. "I will be on my way for now though, unless you got something else you'd like to discuss? And remember, I am only a blink away." a grin coming up to her features. "It is good to talk with you again after everything that went down."

She reaches to take the book out of the window sill where she had left it. "I will bring this to read." she states.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna arched a brow at the mention of the chocolates and then smirked. "If Fabian asks I'll tell him you enjoyed them immensely." She murmured, her arms folded as she settled back in the chair and listened as Clarice spoke of going into Mutant Town to ask for help in rebuilding.

"I have my doubts they would want to. Millions of people died on Genosha and those in Mutant Town weren't willing to go when it was fully built up and thought to be safe.." She sighed softly, but as the other woman got up she nodded.

"I know." She smiled at the simple joke of being a blink away and shook her head. "There's nothing else." A glance was spared for the book, and she arched her eyebrow upward in surprise. "Enjoy the book."