2947/Of Ashes and Islands

Of Ashes and Islands
Date of Scene:	16 August 2020
Location:	Throne Room
Synopsis:	Namor and Lorna talk about political matters.
Cast of Characters:	Namor, Lorna Dane

---

Namor has posed:
"Your advisors leave something to be desired."

Within the hall of the King, Namor swims casually past rows of pillars, royal guards, and armored war sharks as he gently glides ever closer to the Kraken Throne. It's an easy change of pace for the Atlantean Emperor, apparently unaffected by the break neck speeds he achieved in returning from Genosha to his palace with Lorna in tow. Despite the absurdly quick trip, he doesn't seem even remotely winded or affected by the output of energy required to move at such rates, but then it is somewhat to be expected within his own realm.

"Logan? The man is a weapon -- a perfectly capable soldier, but I wouldn't put him in charge of anything of importance. And the girl? Suggesting the U.N. over tangible allies? Why was she even there if she's that young and naive?" Though he's largely managed to keep his temper in check, Namor still seems agitated by the discussion held on Genosha only minutes ago. He glances over his shoulder to Lorna even as he starts to ascend towards the raised seat of power that is his alone. "By rights they should have stayed silent until you gave them leave to talk."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna looked dead on her feet, she did need rest, and hadn't exactly had a chance for that either. She needed food, and she hadn't really had time to speak or anything before Namor had returned and whisked her away. Doubtlessly to the various X-men and Clarice's irritation. She was tired enough she didn't bother to manage where she floated in the throne room, usually she bothered to use her magnetism either way, but.. her head ached and she just had stopped caring.

"They're my friends, not my advisors. They're the X-men. And it's hardly worth my time to get into it with you about their abilities or not." As Namor settled on his throne, she reached up to press in irritation at the mask that clung to her face, unable to rub at her eyes or nose. A twist of her lips followed.

"Why did you drag me all the way down here Namor to just tell me all of this? It could've been said back in Genosha."

Namor has posed:
Namor casts a deep frown down towards Lorna at her answer, dark eyes narrowing faintly as he settles into his throne. "The Empire and every coastal region in your world is currently threatened by the menace of the Lurkers and the creature that chases them from their nests. I can not afford to be away from the Capital overly long," he tells her in a level tone, the very beginnings of anger touching at the tail end of his claim. "I had assumed you'd be committed to seeing to your people's long term safety, now that you have seen to their immediate comfort." A pause as he holds up a hand to forestall his Grand Vizier, already in the process of swimming agilely out from a side door near Namor's dias. The man stops in his tracks, an Atlantean device that looks something like a glass tablet in his hands as he looks curiously between his King and the Queen of Genosha. "If that is not the case, I will see to your immediate return to what remains of your island. As soon as you have found a new home for all your thousands of people, let me know so I can return my soldiers to defending Atlantis from the blood-thirsty monsters that feast on her people."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna floated falling silent as she stared first at the King upon his throne and then dropped her gaze to the floor between them. Her hands threaded back together and apart as she continued to breath through the mask. The itch to just... peel it off twitched at her fingertip for a second and was gone. "What do you want from me?" She whispered, but he'd doubtlessly hear it regardless.

She was already at her limits mentally, and physically. Jerked from one end of the planet high above and now to the depths below. And she was so.. so tired. Tears of frustration, of anger, and the swirl of emotions welled up and she made a noise of irritation as her hands came up and pressed against the glass of her mask. She wasn't in a good place, not for anything at the moment. And it was visible.

She didn't say anything else, just seemed to struggle with the fact that she couldn't wipe her eyes, and stop the tears either. Decorum, or politics were too much for her it would seem.

Namor has posed:
Namor and his Grand Vizier share a look, and without much more than a nod from the King, the highly trusted attendant turns and takes his leave as smoothly as he had entered. "Clear the hall," Namor demands, and by the way he pitches his voice to carry throughout his throne room, it seems this is /not/ what he wants of Lorna. To the credit of his royal guards, the King's command is followed quickly, silently, and gracefully. Within seconds the full hall is cleared of everyone save Lorna, Namor, and the few war sharks that still float calmly through the pillars that line the path to the throne.

From beside his seat, Namor takes up the Trident of Neptune, and with a mere thought and gesture, a small dome of water shifts and parts from around Lorna, leaving her in a bell of air. "There are important matters to discuss, Lorna," the King informs her in a softer voice than he had previously used, "But if you are tired... I can take you to your rooms in the palace, and you can rest and recover from your ordeal. I imagine they are significantly more comfortable than your quarters in Genosha."

Lorna Dane has posed:
As soon as the bubble of air closed around her, she was peeling off the mask, wiping away the tears that had built up. Her features were reddened, her eyes rimmed as she sniffled, and inhaled sharp gasps breaths. As if there'd been an impediment to her ability to do so before. Her green eyed gaze swung back to Namor, her features crumbling even further as she struggled with her emotions that were just //so// much.

"Everything I've done was ruined.. just like that. All over again. And ... my ... my father used me to do it. I-I failed... everyone again." Her voice rose in pitch and she furiously rubbed at her eyes with both hands. She was shaking, and struggling so very much to try to reign in her tears, but at the same time failing miserably.

"And now Genosha... is going to be.." She trailed off, inhaling and exhaling in short rapid bursts. It was decidedly not very Queenly, to wipe her nose with the back of her hands, or to break down in the middle of a throne room. And there //were// very serious conversations that needed to happen. And a great deal rested on her to make those decisions. But hurt was hard to clear from the fog of her brain too. The sight of where the refugee camp had been... being nothing more than a hollowed out chunk of Earth was too much.

It was a return to the days after the destruction of her people, but now was so much worse. Because she wholly put the blame for it on herself.

Namor has posed:
There's not much point in maintaining regal decorum in front of a few sharks, so Namor abandons his throne nearly as quickly as he had taken it to glide through the water that remained within the hall and step gracefully into the bubble of air surrounding Lorna. Without a word, he simply wraps one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist and pulls her into a tight embrace. He offers no word of encouragement or support, no placating assurances or rousing speeches. Just his presence as firm and solid as it's always been.

The King remains like this, silent and assured and doing his best to radiate dependability for as long as Lorna needs, be it a handful of seconds or full hour or more. Whatever she might need to say, whatever she might need to do, he stands there throughout it all and keeps her tucked in tight.

Only when he senses her start to compose herself, to pull all the exhausted, defeated pieces back into one whole picture, does he relent and pull away just enough to face her, his hands sliding up to take either of her shoulders in his grip. "Your people will be fine, Lorna. Atlantis not only survived being sunk into the sea, but she thrived and spread across the ocean to establish the largest Empire on the planet. I am certain Genosha can withstand an angry old man, even if he is your father."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Her figure completely collapsed into the King's arms as Namor floated across the room and pulled her close in the little pocket of air. She cried then, without remorse or attempting to hold it in anymore. Since she'd been on the chunk of rock lifted into space she had wanted to just cry. And she hadn't.. She couldn't break down into tears in Genosha. Not among those that had just returned. Not among those that remained behind. She couldn't..

It was only in Atlantis, in the middle of the throne room did she finally just let go. Perhaps not the wisest choice, but she could only make it so far.

Eventually, after several, long moments, her tears dried. She sniffled, her face wet and splotchy with her tears as she turned her gaze up to meet his as he spoke. Her lips trembled faintly, and a watery smile half way formed on her lips. "What can I do? I can't even fight him.. Namor, he cut my powers off when I got angry with him. He used them against me.. he threatened me with it. I.. I've never been so helpless before." Her voice was rough, raw, and she sniffled at the end.

"And he wants me to move everyone from Genosha.. to.. to be this tool for him. And he mocked everything I'd done. And now they're barely holding on. I can't move thousands upon thousands of people overnight. Not when so many of them have only ever lived on Genoshan soil. They have no where to go."

Namor has posed:
"You have allies, do you not?" Namor asks, knowing full well he ranks among them, "I heard several of them very vocally decide that your father should no longer be allowed to behave as he does. They sounded quite willing to help you stand up to Erik. At least one of them I know is a warrior of great ability and a tireless disposition." Unfortunately, the King has had little experience with feeling powerless and helpless, so his ability to empathize is... limited at best. Instead he resorts to continuing to attempt to radiate strong stability and assurance while he gives her shoulders a gentle but firm squeeze.

As for the rest? That he might be able to help with...

"There are a few paths open to you," he tells her with a breath after separating and returning to the water, once more drifting through the hall to take his throne. For Lorna's sake, he maintains the bubble of air, even directing it to follow her should she move about the room. "Atlantis is willing to help. We have supplies, resources, technology, labor, and military power that you desperately need. We can transport your people and shelter them. You would not be such easy prey if those who wished to feast on you knew that my people were guaranteeing your safety. Even Magneto will hesitate to strike if he suspected I might show up to defend Genosha. Your father is powerful, but so am I."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath as she settled, the bout of tears seeming to have passed with Namor's steadying presence. She nodded slowly, "I know.." She pursed her lips together, her eyebrows creased. "I had started contingency plans if.. if he chose to behave this way. I just never imagined he would destroy everything in Genosha all over again in the process. Six months of work gone in an instant." She shook her head, and as he let go to drift about the room she floated downward, a direction of her magnetism to lock her feet to the floor. As if gravity mattered.

"I chose to risk it.. to get my people out of the bottles." She grimaced, and turned her gaze back up to the Sea King.

"But where would I move them? There aren't exactly empty places in the world that humans don't already claim. Genosha was pried from the Magistrates death grip with blood and a war that we can't afford to fight." Her eyebrows creased as she looked up at him.

"This is far beyond the agreements we'd spoken of before...."

Namor has posed:
"The amount humans know about the sea is laughable," Namor claims with genuine amusement, relaxing comfortably in his royal seat as he looks down towards Lorna, "Despite what the Surface Worlders believe, there are still places on this planet you have not charted. Island chains that none but I can claim. Places of legend that violently reject any who do not belong. There is also the possibility of simply /keeping/ Genosha. Why listen to your father if you do not wish to?"

When she mentions that the agreements they had previously arranged don't exactly cover what Namor's offering, he cants his head towards her in acknowledgement of the point, nodding slowly as he gestures around the room. "You are correct, it is. We would need to... update those agreements so that my people can be assured that it is worth our time to help yours."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna slightly made a face as Namor settled onto the throne and laughed as he looked down at her, but it was little more than a faint wrinkle of her nose. But when he brought up the idea of her keeping Genosha, she hooked an eyebrow upward. "How is it safe? If my father goes on his crusade then the humans will look for a place to strike back. And Genosha is that place. It's the same thing he always does... to abandon those that can't defend themselves in his war. So he wants to hide them away." He'd done the same to her.

Then came the part she hadn't truly wanted to consider. The price. The cost of Namor's aid having gone far above and beyond what she'd originally came to ask. Beyond his promise to be there for her personally. It was considerably far beyond anything they'd previously discussed. She swallowed a lump at the back of her throat.

"You asked why I listen to some of the X-men, to Hope. She.. has knowledge of other places. Times.." She bit her lower lip. "She spoke of other attempts to build a mutant homeland to me before. She spoke of another you. Her words on Genosha.." She looked up at him. "Everything you're offering goes with serving as a protectorate state."

Namor has posed:
Namor doesn't attempt to offer a correction, doesn't try to assure Lorna that he's not, in fact, trying to establish the Empire of Atlantis as Genosha's suzerain. He has enough honor not to lie, not that it would serve any purpose regardless. "Then she has some sense," he replies, nodding gravely just once before he shifts into a somewhat less reclined position on his throne. "Would this not solve your problems? As a protectorate of Atlantis, I would be honor bound to safe guard your shores from those who would wish to do you harm. People like the humans who might want vengeance for the actions of your father. You would have access to our resources and our supplies and even better yet, our infrastructure and technology. You would be allowed to maintain much of your autonomy and independence, though you would be subject to several of Atlantis' laws. We can negotiate the exact details, but this is a good thing for both of our people. I do not know about this... other Namor," he states with a hint of dismissal at the notion, "But we are not the same."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna's eyebrows pinched slightly as Namor simply nodded and continue onwards about the benefits of becoming part of the very large Atlantean empire. And all the benefits that would result of her agreeing to it. She felt her stomach knot up, and her lips pursed together briefly in consideration. Genosha would soon cease to exist as a nation if her father's current plans were carried out. Everything she'd done for the past four years of her life, gone in an instant. Her hopes and dreams for the mutant homeland would be utterly ruined for good.

But Namor's offer would allow it to continue onwards... in a sense.

The last dismissal earned small amused twitch of her lips. "She said you both had nice abs." She drawled, and folded her arms. Her humor fading slowly once more.

"I... have to think about your offer. If people would rather leave there's little point in making such a deal." She murmured. She looked down, her features knitting up with consideration. "There's a lot of administrative work that has to happen for people before I can say either way." Her voice soft. Work that was doubtlessly going on still on the island above. More likely than not overseen by a member of the X-men too.

Namor has posed:
"Then she has good taste as well," Namor replies deadpan, a quirked eyebrow the only sign of his own amusement at Hope's assessment of the similarities between himself and this alternate Namor. When Lorna claims that she has to think about his offer to her, he nods once, as if such things were to be expected. "Very well, but I urge you not to take too long. Things are moving quickly for your nation and my empire. Delay too long and the consequences may be dire." It's not a threat, vague or otherwise, but there's a sense to the weight of his words, the way he emphasizes them, that implies those dire consequences are far more likely to be for Genosha rather than Atlantis.

He pauses for a moment, allowing the tension and importance of their discussion to fade before he turns a soft smile her way, and rises from his throne. "Would you like me to arrange for you to return to the surface?"

"Or would you like to take a moment to return to your chambers and rest?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna nodded once, meeting his gaze as he quirked an eyebrow upward in equal amusement. But his words over the more serious topic of discussion earned a more morose dip of her head. "I'm aware." She murmured, her voice soft and sad. She had spent so much time over the past few months trying to balance everything, and now it felt as if choices were being made for her. That she was being jerked around this way and that to the strings of the more powerful.

She hated it.

Her gaze swung upward as he spoke of arranging her return to Genosha and she shook her head. "I'll get some rest where there's an actual bed. And maybe when you get a break, we can eat something?" She ventured, arching a brow upward. "I hoisted most of a city into space and I haven't eaten anything since."

Namor has posed:
That draws a laugh from Namor as he glides down from the raised dais that hosts his throne, gesturing for her to follow him as he moves towards a side passage. "I will have food waiting for you when you wake and I will join you if I can. Agreed?" With that, he pushes his way into the hall beyond the throne room and begins navigating his way back towards Lorna's quarters, maintaining the bubble of air for her the entire way and only leaving her side when she enters the drained rooms that serve as her chambers in the Atlantean palace.