6362/The After Coffee on Astroid M

The After Coffee on Astroid M
Date of Scene:	28 May 2021
Location:	Central Nexus
Synopsis:	Coffee and conversation, perhaps a little whiskey, Blink and Mystique enjoy each other's company.,
Cast of Characters:	Raven Darkholme, Clarice Ferguson

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Raven Darkholme has posed:
Upon return to Astroid M, the first thing that Mystique did was enter the inner sanctum to speak with Erik. Until that time she has been silent, brooding, clearly turning things over in her head a few times. When she emerged from the sanctum she seemed in a better mood and finally herself, cobalt blue and more relaxed, or rather as relaxed as she ever got.

A quick trip to her room to shower and get the human off her, then she headed to the cafeteria for something to eat.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice was already there - having had no need to debrief with any members of the Royal Family, not with Mystique to handle the job. As a result, she was already cleaned up and dressed in comfortable attire - a pair of loose flowing pants in a soft fabric, and a simple tank-top. She sits at a table, with a slice of cheesecake in front of her, and coffee with a little creamer swirled into it. Between the shower and the coffee, the headache was almost completely gone, thank goodness.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Wandering into the cafeteria, Mystique wears a pair of simple sweat pants in black and a light blue tank top, her feet are bare as she sees no need to worry about that sort of thing. She still appears for the most part to be thinking, turning thoughts and events over in her head, calculating and replaying things. She collects a cup of coffee, then turns and notices Blink and offers a nod.

"Want some company?" She asks plainly, no harshness to her tone but not overly friendly either. Her coffee gets some cream, well actually a lot of cream, and then from her pocket she pulls a flask and adds some of the contents of it to the cup as well. "Care for some Irish Whiskey for your coffee?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well - I was going to turn you away, but since you brought //whiskey//..." Clarice responds - a smile growing on her features as she holds up her cup. "Please."
    She waits for it to be appropriately dosed, then lifts it to her lips for a sip - letting out an appreciative sigh. That was better. "Well. That was an interesting, but thankfully productive afternoon. Ms. Frost //is// going to make sure that all of that... stuff is disposed of appropriately?" She hated just leaving it there, knowing what it could do.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Making her way over to the table, the flask is tipped up to pour contents into Blink's cup, then Mystique takes a seat. "I find that whiskey makes the coffee so much better after having your powers striped away by piece of shit humans," still no answer, a calm voice, just talking. Her words may be harsh in nature, but not in intent, at least not right now.

"Of course she will, Erik will ensure that she does, but I am certain she'll do it herself without urging. There is something I wanted to ask you though, regarding this little 'adventure." She takes a sip of her coffee, than adds a touch more whiskey. "What was your feelings on having everything you did suddenly claimed by the White Queen?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It certainly wasn't a fun feeling," Clarice mutters quietly - remembering the feeling of those fumes filling her lungs. The question causes her brow to wrinkle, however, as she ponders Mystique's question. "You mean - when she suddenly appeared, at the end there, to issue threats and terror?" she asks - taking another sip of the coffee. "Honestly, I'm less concerned with credit than making people like that understand that they can't control us. That they can't- that there's //consequences.// And isn't it better for all of us if they know we're working together?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods, taking another sip of her coffee before crossing her legs and getting more comfortable. "Under normal circumstances I would agree with you, that the who did it is not that important, but right now we are trying to establish a presence in Bushwick. We are trying to make it known that if you mess with the mutants there, you can expect the Brotherhood to react, and if you are human doing it, you can expect to die."

Leaning forward slightly, her amber eyes settle on Blink's face, studying it, "Bushwick is the start, one city to prove that we can and will police our own, take care of our own, that these slums can be made productive, that mutants have a voice that will be heard. That is not Emma's goals, that is /our/ goals. For her to step in like that and claim that /we/ were working for her? The Brotherhood working /for/ her? Never, and unacceptable."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I suppose that makes sense," Clarice agrees, as she breaks off a small piece of her cheesecake with her fork. "I mean - handling the image, the messaging - that's not really my area, you know?" she points out. She's the chauffer. And to some degree - the muscle. She was part of the 'Royal Guard' after all. "I can understand not wanting to appear weak. But it also seems to me that if we end up quibbling amongst ourselves to credit, and allowing rifts to grow between us, when we we're working towards the same goals - doesn't that not just make us //appear// weak, but actually make us weaker? Aren't we best served by trying to find ways to work together to achieve our goals?" She shrugs her shoulders as she adds, "I'm sure there'll be kinks to iron out along the way. Certainly there were kinks today. But overall... we did good. We saved our people. We spread the message." That last bit is delivered emphatically, before she finally enjoys that bit of cheesecake poised on the end of her fork.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sitting back more comfortably now, Mystique has measured the Asian women from her body language and words and accepts the offered answer as it is given.

"Over all, we are weak, and only through unity will we be stronger, but there is still the question of who will lead when we are united. Would you follow Charles' X-Men," she says this like just spitting out the words leaves a bad taste in her mouth. "Would you follow the White Queen? You say that the politics aren't your thing, but they should be. Every action and reaction is politics, jockeying for position, planting flags of power. We must /always/ remain in strong support of Erik's decisions and plans, /he/ is the leader we need today and in the future."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You know who I follow," Clarice answers - and for the first time (in this conversation, at least) her relaxed demeanor abruptly melts into steely, and almost fanatical resolve. Her //King// saved her from a fate far worse than death. Her life was his, and she would follow him, protect him, and serve him for as long as she could. "You know where my loyalty lies." She lets out a sigh, frowning down at her coffee now. "You really see what much potential trouble in what happened today?" she asks.
    "Then what do we do next?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The cobalt woman nod once, taking another sip of her doctored coffee. "I do. Emma made a power play at our expense. She asked for our aid then followed it up with an insult. I don't think she fully meant to, but it happened all the same."

Reaching over she pats Blink's arm lightly, a friendly gesture. "I know your loyalties, they're never in question and never will be, but I need you to /think/. To really see what is going on around you from the big picture stand point, not merely as a single soldier. We all have to keep our eyes open for any possible attacks, be they open combat or back stabbing politics."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
She then adds, "As for what we do now, Erik will be speaking to Emma himself. If possible, I want you there."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice nods, her expression pensive as she considers Mystiques words. These... games. The politics of it all - it didn't sit entirely comfortably with her. But she could see the point Mystique was making. "I will try to be more aware," she promises. "If it means I can serve the cause more effectively." Then she would like nothing better.
    "At the very least, you'll need a ride to get back down there." And certainly she isn't the //only// way down to the surface, but she was a rather convenient one. "You know I'm happy to come along. To help if I can - to learn and to listen if nothing else."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"I realize I'm asking a lot, perhaps too much, but we are at a turning point in what we are trying to do," she explains, setting her coffee cup on the table. "We are working to change the image we once had, or rather what people think when they hear Brotherhood of Mutants, and to aid mutants all over the world without terrorism against humans. I'm not saying that the mutants haters won't die, because they will if they strike again mutants, I'm saying we are putting certain aspects on teh back burner for now."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You're not asking too much," Clarice answers without hesitation. "Change, growth, learning - it isn't always easy, or comfortable. But it's what we have to do. For ourselves, for our cause - for the people that don't have our strength. That count on //us// to set this world to rights," she answers. "If this is what I need to do, and what I need to learn... then I will." And it's that simple for her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique offers a genuine smile, no pretending or fake mask, the real thing. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Our work is only beginning, and soon we will be in numerous places at once, working to change the lives of thousands of mutants who need us. It may not mean much to you, but I'm proud of how willing you are to learn and grow."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice returns the smile, before picking up her cup for another sip. She settles it back into place on the table before shifting in her seat. "You know I'm always willing to do whatever needs to be done," she confirms. "But I'm not-" She stops for a moment, trying to put her fingers on the right words. "I'm just a soldier in this. Not like you," someone who, very clearly, has the ear of the Royal Family.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique lays her hand back on Blink's arm, "You are more than that Clarice, very much more. You are family. Never question that, never doubt that. If there is ever anything you need, you have only to ask and I will move mountains to get it for you. We're in this together," she offers another smile, patting the woman's arm before taking her hand back. "I am going to go get some sleep, I would suggest you do the same."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "We just had //coffee//," Clarice points out - amusement on her features, and a gratified smile at Mystique's kind words. Family was a strange thing to her. After all, she'd been taken from her family at such a young age. "But I will - in a bit," she promises. "Goodnight, Mystique. Let me know when it's time for that meeting... I'll be there," she promises.