2212/Do You Want To Know A Secret

Do You Want To Know A Secret
Date of Scene:	24 June 2020
Location:	Rise N Grind
Synopsis:	Secrets revealed, and romantic flights ensue!
Cast of Characters:	Mary Bromfield, Marie-Ange Colbert

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Mary Bromfield has posed:
It's been... a rough few days for the world in general, and the coffee shop in particular. But, to paraphrase Dune, the Coffee Must Flow. Especially in New York.

Not exactly the easiest time to break in a new manager, but Mary's been trying to be as understanding as possible, often taking a shift serving customers up front as she's been working with her employees as much as she can. Which is where she is this morning, helping customers up front at the register with a cheerful smile and her Hawkins, Indiana A/V Club T-shirt on.

Might not be exactly authentic, but the customers definitely appreciate the reference...

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
This is not how Marie expected her return to the States to happen.

The trip to Monaco was profitable, certainly. They left the casino with what would almost certainly be enough money to get their apartment in the middle of the city. But right now...? Very little of that seemed to matter. Televisions tuned to news stations across the city were displaying the countdown to the promised destruction of the globe, and her readings have not been promising towards the outcome, with the Tower showing up on multiple occasions.

Granted, that could be because great tragedy will occur /before/ a victory, as she had similar issues with the Battle of Manhattan... but it's a scary time nonetheless.

"Mary!" the girl practically gasps upon stepping through the door, wearing a black Casino Monte-Carlo t-shirt and a matching skirt. Her hair's a mess -- she clearly didn't bother brushing, and there's dark circles under her eyes that indicate an obvious lack of sleep. The urge to just charge through the line and plead for Mary's time is there, but she waits her turn. Shifting from one foot to another with unease until she's either called ahead or makes it there naturally.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary blinks as she sees Marie, then taps her co-worker on the shoulder, "Gonna be a bit, here, okay?" With that, she nearly sprints around the counter, engulfing Marie in a tight hug, not saying anything for a long time.

Then, she smiles a little, "God, I missed you. Glad to see you're okay." She lightly brushes Marie's hair back a bit with her fingers, putting it back into some semblance of order as she looks intently at her girlfriend.

And then a bit more of a smile, as that's still a new concept for her... not that she minds it at all.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
'Okay' is debatable in the grand scheme of things; if this were the world as it normally is? She wouldn't qualify at all at the moment. That being said... this isn't anything close to the normal state of world affairs, so just in one piece and unharmed is pretty fair to call okay.

That being said, Marie /clings/ to her girlfriend. Burying her face against the brunette's neck and likewise being silent, other than some soft sobs -- there's a lot of emotions running through her. Relief that /Mary's/ still here and seeing her in person. Joy at being re-united. Comfort at being near someone that she feels, well, safe around just being herself. For the most part, anyways. "Dieu, tu m'as tellement manqué Mary..." she babbles, before realizing that, you know, Mary might speak a word or two of French and that's about it. "...I missed you /so much./ I... I... I went to your home and your parents said you were here and I came as soon as I could and... and..."

There's a quick glance around at the shop. An immediate flush of her cheeks. Right now /she/ doesn't care too much, but... Mary might want to keep things quiet around her job. "...can we...?" A desperate, almost pleading look towards the door to Mary's office. There are things she wants to do, and things she feels she /needs/ to say.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary nods, and looks over at the other woman behind the counter, "Dora, keep an eye on things for a while. Break out the flamethrower if you have to." She grins a little, though there's not a lot of joy in it...

With that, she keeps an arm around Marie, leading her to the back and her office so they can have a bit of privacy. Closing the door behind her, she then hugs Marie tight again, "Oh, Marie, I'm glad you came by... you didn't have any trouble did you?" She looks worried, particularly as Marie just seems so strung out... though with everything happening that's perfectly understandable. Right now, Mary just looks worried for her girlfriend.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
She's escorted in, the door is closed... and Marie moves faster than Mary's probably ever seen her. Desperately moving to hug and kiss her girlfriend. Arms locked in position. She's not sure she wants to let go at /all/ for the hours they have left, though she knows she'll need to.

"Non. Monaco was far from the Washingtons, so I was spared even knowing of what happened until we returned, and then I came as quickly as I could." Another kiss; taking the time to /savor/ this one, as if it's the last chance she's going to have. Because for all she knows, it might be.

"You... have seen the news, n'est pas?" she asks, trembling in Mary's embrace. Debating internally while she waits for the answer if she acutally /wants/ to say what she wants to say.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary nods, "Yeah, I... I still can't believe it. There's got to be something that can be done against a... monster, like that." She sounds pretty grim, but also... pretty determined. Like she has something that she could, maybe, do about it.

Never underestimate the power of coffee? As she looks over at Marie, sighing gently, "I'm just so glad you're okay, Marie, I don't know yet what I'm going to do." Because there's definitely... things, that Marie doesn't quite know.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
A solemn nod towards that fact, and a slow release of the embrace. Tears starting to well up in her eyes; she didn't bother putting on makeup, thus those visible dark circles, and it's probably for the best considering that the waterworks are getting ready to start in earnest.

"I..." she starts, swallowing hard. Moving backwards to sit on the edge of the desk. "...I hate to give you more to think about, but..." she trails off, digging into one of the pockets on her skirt and pulling out the little velvet pouch that Mary's probably very familiar with by now from seeing Marie draw from it so often. "...it would be unfair for me not to tell you this, now. Given... us." Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words. The Eight of Wands is drawn forth from the pouch and held aloft -- without Marie saying a word, the staves that adorn the card start to come to life and escape it's two-dimensional form for a much more three-dimensional one. It's almost like a scene ripped right out of Fantasia, with the wooden creations floating and bobbing around the air. If Mary touches them? They /feel/ real, and seem to be controlled by the redhead.

"Mary Bromfield... I am a mutant." she confesses quietly, eyes closed, head bowed. "It will come for me. Being /near/ me is a danger, now... and if you wish to never see me again, I understand."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary blinks at the sight, then smiles a bit, "You're..." She then suddenly hugs Marie, looking at her with a wry expression. "Marie, I love you, and honestly my first thought is to see what you could do with some of my Magic decks because that would /rock/."

She laughs, then hmms, "Well, um, since we're making confessions..." She looks at the wand, tapping it with her fingers curiously, "We should step out in the back, so I can show you." With that, she takes Marie by the hand, gently leading her out of the office and out the back into the small alley behind the coffee shop.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"I love you too, Mary." she replies, quite happy to hear that she's not being ostracized for the target on her back. She's still a bit of an emotional wreck, mind, but she's focing a smile to her lips.

Besides. Mary said the /L/ world. If the world's going to end, she can die with a smile on her face after that.

As Marie's led out into the alley, she lets the manifestation drop and the wands fade into the ether -- the secret is for Mary to see, not anyone else. Especially if the monster is watching. It doesn't look like Mary's going to stay away, which... is definitely a good thing in her book, even if it was a slightly selfish desire for her Perfectly Normal Human Girlfriend to stay in the line of fire.

"O...- okay? I am not sure I understand, Mary...?" she remarks, though she doesn't move from beyond where she's led; she trusts the brunette implicitly at this point.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary smiles at Marie, "You aren't the only one with a secret." She kisses the top of Marie's head, then takes a few steps back. She glances left, right, up, and around... and, well, no one's watching except for Marie.

Mary then gives Marie a wink, then shouts, "SHAZAM!" Instantly a lightning bolt rockets out of the sky, impaling Mary with a brilliant flash!

When Marie's vision clears? She sees Thunderbolt, who... well, Marie would know better than most that she does look a /lot/ like Mary, but given the height and age difference, who would have really guessed? And Thunderbolt gives Marie a bit of a bashful smile, "Hi."

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie blinks, and watches with curiousity filling her eyes...

...and then /jumps/ with fright as the bolt strikes "MARY!" she shrieks, terrified for a moment that something happened to someone she cared about so much, rushing forward despite her timid nature and the blindness from the flash -- only to practically run into Thunderbolt. Eyes wide as saucers and breath caught for a moment. Focusing on the gi-- no, woman before her. Staring for several moments. This woman stands where her Mary did. She /looks/ very similar, but... Marie had always been the taller one, if only slightly. So looking /up/ is different!

There's a soft, hesitant voice that squeaks out of her after a moment, full of hope and concern. "...Mary...?"

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary grins, "Yeah, it's me. It's... a bit of a long story." She hugs Marie tight, "But suffice to say, I can do..." She pauses, then coughs, "Well, I don't like boasting, but I've got a lot of things I can do, thanks to the Wizard."

She looks down at Marie, for once being taller than her girlfriend, and smiles, "I really prefer being Mary around you, but I wanted to tell you what I could do from the moment I saw you." Absently, she floats a bit into the air, taking Marie with her as she apparently /can/ fly. Or at least hover!

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie hugs Mary as well. Just... leaning into her other half and clinging. Well, given /this.../ she feels a lot more comfortable in general. Not that she wasn't pleased with Mary before, as she was. But right now? Knowing that if Marie's a target, Mary can probably defend herself if someone tries to make her collateral damage? It makes her mind rest far easier.

"I love you, Mary Bromfield, whatever form you take." she repeats those three little words, holding... well... still her girlfriend close to her. "...and I'm glad you told me. I... do not feel I have to be quite as concer--" and that's about the moment she notices she's dangling. There's a soft gasp, and a tightening of her arms around Mary, but no fear; just surprise. Flying... even having a flying girlfriend... is not /entirely/ new to her.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary grins at Marie, "Hey, want to go for a flight?" She chuckles quietly, kissing Marie slowly as she holds the other woman close, just relaxed for the first time in... well, a long time. The faint current of electricity seems to run around her as she sighs contendedly.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie, in turn, kisses back happily, just... letting herself relax against her girlfriend and securing her arms a little more snugly. "Oui, Mary. I would love nothing more." she agrees. The world might be burning around them, but she's going to steal this moment of happiness for herself and Mary. There's something to be said about fiddling while Rome burns.