6381/The Purloined Brandy

The Purloined Brandy
Date of Scene:	30 May 2021
Location:	Central Nexus
Synopsis:	Mystique and Blink talk over a decanter of very expensive purloined brandy. A mentorship is offered. A friendship is forged? And mischief is achieved.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Raven Darkholme

---

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It's not until after the portal bliiiiinks out of existance behind them that Clarice really turns her attention to the crytal decanter in her hands. The decanter itself, she is certain, is expensive - and the liquor she expects to be top shelf. But the question is... "What is this?" she asks in a curious tone, pulling out the stopper to sniff curiously at the contents, before holding it out Mystique for her input. After all, Clarice hasn't been of legal drinking age for long - depending on what country's laws were talking about. Mystique, on the other hand, has over a century's worth of experience on her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Stepping through the portal to Astroid M, Mystique speaks quietly with Erik for a moment, then they part ways. She glances around herself before looking to Blink.

Leaning she takes a soft sniff of the liquid, "Rémy Martin XO brandy," she offers plainly as if she sniffs it every day, perhaps she does. "Very good choice Blink, best served in a wide glass to let it breath." She offers the woman a smile, before indicating the direction of the bar. "Let's go get some glasses."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. To be fair - do you think there were any //bad// choices available?" Clarice counters, as she moves to accompany Mystique towards the bar - her purloined treasure still held firmly by the neck. She slips onto one of the stools, setting down the decanter, and requesting a pair of brandy glasses from whoever was manning the counter, before pouring for the both of them. "Shall we make a toast?" she suggests.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique chuckles as they move, taking a stool and leaning back while Blink pours. "I'm sure she had some disgusting choices," she offers, then accepts the glass and swirls it a few times, letting it breath. "Before we toast, tell me what you thought of the meeting as a whole? What did you learn?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Oh dear. There was a test after the assignment. Clarice doesn't answer immediately - instead she copies the swirling motion, then breathes in the scent of the brandy, now that it's resting in its glass, rather than the decanter. There were honest answers. And then there were the answers she suspected Mystique wanted to hear. "Well - the whole thing was a demonstration of power, wasn't it? Politics by force. I can't imagine she'll show anything but deference in the future. I mean, I get that...
    "But it all felt... well. Perhaps a bit more extreme than necessary? I know, he's got a reputation. A certain modus operandi, but... It's not how I would do things. In not in charge, though."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Another swirl of the brandy, watching the liquid in the glass, the way it moves and how the light shines through it.

"Too extreme," Mystique repeats, her eyes still on the brandy. "To extreme because he showed her his powers? To extreme because she made a power play and he countered it? Explain which point you think was too extreme?" She looks past the glass now, her amber eyes settling on Blink. Honesty was required, not platitudes that people might offer to keep from pissing her off, she wants the truth and expects it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "There's showing someone your powers - and then there's threats, and terror. This is why people distrust him - us. The threat only works because it isn't always a threat. Because they know he's perfectly willing to go through with it. I just- are we trying to become a group that others trust and rely on? Or are we staying the boogeyman - the threat? The thing people point to when they want to 'prove' the dangers we pose?" Clarice gives a shrug of her shoulders. "Sometimes threats are necessary. Sometimes violence is necessary. But to use them against and ally, because they made a mistake? I don't know." She frowns at the glass in her hands for most of her words, but at the end - glances towards Mystique, as if to gauge her response.
    "I mean - I'll play my role. I'll play along. I wouldn't undercut the message in the middle of a job, but-" she doesn't have to agree with it once they get home.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The cobalt woman's face is unreadable, a mask of calm, neutral. She asked the question and wanted the woman's opinion, and she got it. She didn't have to agree with it, that wasn't a requirement, but she also saw no need to be angry about it either.

"Alright, so let's look at this logically," she says calmly, then finally sniffs at the brandy. "First however, a toast to mutants all over the world, our family wherever they are." She holds the glass up toward Blink.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Just for a moment - something flickers over Clarice's features in response to the proposed toast. Pain? Guilt? It's unclear, and quickly dismissed as she clinks her glass to Mystique's. "Wherever they are," she echoes softly, before taking a sip. She pauses, stares down at the brandy, and takes a second sip.
    "That //is// good," she declares.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique takes a sip of the brandy and savors the flavor, because it was one of the best on the planet and rare to get your hands on. Letting out a slow breath, she looks back to Blink.

"I didn't mean to upset you with the toast," she offers softly. "There's rarely a time I'm not thinking about all those out there."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It's fine," Clarice answers. "I just never found out what happened to them, is all." Family is not a thing she talks about. Ever.
    "So - we were going to be logical about this?" she asks. "Ending with you proving me to be wrong, and foolishly naive, no doubt," she adds without any malice, as she gestures for Mystique to continue. That's simply how things go when you're talking to someone - what? //Seven// times your age?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
One brow lifts, the first shift in her expression. "I have no intentions of proving you wrong, nor naive. That's no way to treat a friend and protégé," Mystique responds before another small sip.

"What I intend to do is make you /think/. To look at this logically requires a lot of thinking. Imagine you are placed in charge of a small combat unit," she starts there. "Now, the three people you're in charge of, everything on that mission is on /your/ shoulders. If you win, you win together. If you are hurt, it's your fault, if /they/ are hurt, it's your fault. What do you do before that mission to ensure they aren't hurt? That the mission will be a success? You gather information. Right?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Protege? Clarice raises her eyebrows, a hint of a smile pulling the corners of her lips upwards for a moment, before a more serious expression takes its place again. "I'd certainly hope so," she agrees. "You have- well, 'responsibility of command.' I honestly don't envy anyone that position." Being in command sounds pretty terrifying to her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods as she swirls the brandy again, another small sip. Brandy was sipped, never gulped, tiny tastes that coasted your tongue and allowed the flavor to sink into your soul.

"So tell me then, with Erik being the commander, how should he have reacted to the first offense of the information being wrong, and because of that, the second offense of our lives being in danger?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "First, I'd argue they were the same offense. Our lives were in danger //because// the information was wrong." Clarice makes a face - like there was a foul taste in her mouth. It was the memory of those fumes they have breathed - what it had done to them. It had been pretty awful. "I'd be angry. But... not, I think, so angry that I'd threaten and terrorize people. At least, I hope not. I mean - the meeting today went... //fine//. But what if that Remy fellow had been a little jumpier? It could have been a real mess."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique actually laughs a few times, leaning closer to Blink as she does, "Clarice, you're forgetting something very important, a difference between you and Erik. This would be the first time you've seen the after effects of a mission, he's seen hundreds, thousands, watches just as many die because he sent them out for the cause. He has endured for years upon years the knowledge that his command can lead to death, and this last mission, that misinformation could have gotten us all killed. Do you /still/ think it was an over reactions?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "To threaten and terrify an ally? ...yeah," Clarice answers, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Maybe I'd change my mind, after years, and years of being... ground down by this stuff. I don't know. But right now, given the change in tone we've //said// we're trying to make? I just- it doesn't seem right.
    "Not to mention the fact that he said it //wasn't// the bad intel that he was upset about. It was the grand-standing at the end." She takes another small sip of the brandy - that hint of a smile reappearing for a moment, despite the serious topic of conversation. It really was good.
    "But like I said. I know how to play along, and I wouldn't undercut things in the field. We're a united front, out there. That's how it has to be."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique looks absolutely thrilled, as if Clarice just opened a door to the answers to everyone prayers.

"You /were/ paying attention!" She chimes with a bright smile. "Excellent. There is one more piece of information that you may now have, you earned it. Emma is not precisely an ally. She would like very much to use us for her own personal goals for Bushwick. Not the goals of the mutants there Clarice, /her/ goals. Yes, she intends to offer aid and assist some mutants, we believe that to be true, but she has a hidden agendas behind what she is doing, so she is not an ally, she is..." she pauses a moment to think of the right way to explain it. "... she is an associate you work with because she has all the keys to the offices. If she would like to be an ally, she has to let go of her personal goals and truly work together as united mutants."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets out a snort of amusement. "You were waiting for me to correct you, huh? And begining to lose hope?" she guesses. "I paid attention. When Magneto speaks, you listen." If you have any sense at all.
    She listens to the rest of Mystique's words with a look of - well, something akin to skepticism. "What are her goals?" she asks bluntly. "I mean- Allys can have their own goals, as long as they aren't in //conflict//. If we were in lock-step she wouldn't be an //ally//. She'd be part of the Brotherhood, or as good as."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Again she sits forward, amber eyes settling on Clarice's face. "She calls herself the White Queen, she called Bushwick /her/ neighborhood, what do you think her goals are? Her entire demeanor is one of a person who wants to control and command the mutants there. She knows she can't control all of us, but in Bushwick? Oh yes, she wants full control and command of that place. So in a way, we are in conflict. We want the mutants to be free, she wants to be their Queen."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice meets Mystique's gaze as this explination is delivered, a thoughtful look on her features. She wants to be their Queen? Her gaze goes unfocused as she considers this suggestion. After all, she herself is someone quite dedicated to a certain 'royal family.' She wasn't at all opposed to the idea of a Queen. Was it a conflict? How would she rule? She had a rather questionable reputation - but then, so did Magneto. She takes a small sip of the brandy - to help her 'think' as she tries to puzzle out the different ins and outs. If she really does want //full// control and command, though - then that //doesn't// sound like freedom.
    "I suppose," she agrees quietly in a musing tone. "I mean - I feel like there needs to be at least some sort of power structure in place there. I know, they already have... mayors, and governors, and police chiefs, and all of those things. But... they will need //some// sort of mutant-led power structure and authority. Some sort of elected position, perhaps? Somehow? I'm not entirely clear on how everything works in America..."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique takes another small sip, letting Clarice work it out in her head. Her eyes shift to looking around the room while she does, so as not to be intense or staring, offering space for the woman to think in despite her sitting on a stool right beside her. There were so many layers to anything the Brotherhood did, so many spokes leading out from the central circle, much like the design of Asteroid M. It was hard even for Mystique at times to keep track of all the angles, so she understood that all of this was new to Clarice.

"We want mutants to govern themselves. To elect their leadership like presidents are elected. We don't want queen and kings in these cities, but a fully functioning society without tyrannical leadership. In this way, we have allies to our cause without lording over them." She looks back to Clarice now. "Does that make sense?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "What does that mean for Genosha?" Clarice asks, with her gaze on Mystique. Because of course that's where she goes - immediately. "Are we going to move them to a form of elected government, as well? ...Lorna would probably prefer that. The trappings of royalty have never sat easily on her shoulders." And where would that leave her? Would it really change anything? ...probably not. She would still feel obligation to the Brotherhood, to her friend and Magneto's family as a whole, and to her nation. A nation of free mutants, and their neighbors and allies.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique lays her hand on Clarice's shoulder lightly, "I don't know the plans for Genosha, Clarice, not all of them. No, I don't think that it will change there, I think Lorna will remain queen and Erik will remain king. What we are talking about here, right now, are the big cities of the United States, and then later the other countries."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It might seem hypocritical to some - the royalty of Genosha trying to set up democratic mutant enclaves in the United States, and other free nations," Clarice remarks. "And there's the logistics of how that even works - politically. Neighborhoods don't normally have political representation - do they? They would have to be declared cities in their own rights? Something like that. To have their own mayors." She's silent a moment before musing in a quiet voice, "Mutant cities. I mean - it does sound nice." Her volume raises back to her normal speaking voice as she adds, "Or are we just going to try to support openly mutant candidates for political office across the United States? Mayors, Governors, Senators... And how do we support them without causing stigma? I don't think the stamp of 'Magneto approved' is likely to get anyone elected in the United States."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique crosses her legs, swirling the brandy, "The royalty isn't helping Bushwick, the Brotherhood is. The end goal for Bushwick /is/ a city for mutants and only mutants, with their own officials, police, mayor etc., but we have to go one step at a time, allow the humans time to adjust to these new and exciting changes. We know they won't, so it will come down to threats again. I don't know all the human laws, but I do know we have no voice in them, and that is also going to change over time. Sometimes, when negotiations fail over and over and over again, there is nothing left but threats. Erik and I have been doing this for a very long time Clarice, and even our change and how we do things will take time."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "The 'Brotherhood' means Magneto just as surely as the Royalty - if not more. At least when it comems to the Royalty, there's Lorna. ...please trust her more," Clarice points out flatly. After another sip of her brandy - she tops off her glass, and Mystiques as well, as she continues to consider the possibilities. "Hopefully we can minimize the threats - and help all of this to go as peacefully as possible. I know there's a time and place for violence," she certainly hopes she's left no doubt about that in Mystique's mind, "like when we're dealing with people like those men in that warehouse. And any study of the history of the fight for equality will show the need for at least some level of disobedience. I just think it's best to avoid making more enemies than necessary. And fear does make us more enemies."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique swirls again, so the newly added brandy can breath. "Trust Lorna more," she repeats, nothing specific to her tone, no indication of what she's thinking, but she leaves nothing more on that subject to herself. "If Erik wishes to threaten, he will threaten, and you can bet that he will follow through. In regards to humans, I will threaten, as they are the reason we're in the situation we are in. Their refusal to accept us, on any level, as nothing more than freaks of nature."

She takes her eyes of Clarice now, and looks toward one of the many screens showing local news on the planet below, but she isn't really looking at it. Clarice had no idea the things she had endured at the hands of humans. She had never been a Genoshan slave, but she had been enslaved, beaten, abused, treated like a worthless piece of trash.

"How do you care so much for them after what they did you to?" She asks bluntly, eyes still on the screen before finally turning to look at Clarice, something dark in her amber eyes and yet there is also pain. "Mutants I understand, but the humans? Who cares if they are threatened or killed, why does that matter to you?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice meets Mystique's gaze with sympathy, and understanding. She may not know the details - but they both understood suffering. They both had their own demons. "Sometimes, I don't," she admits. "But... I don't know. Lorna's influence? She cares so much," she explains in a wry tone. "And I honestly hate to disappoint her. And sometimes- it isn't really about //caring// for them? Or being sympathetic to them? So much as- well. When we prove ourselves to be exactly what they feared, they rise up against us all the more. The more we frighten them, the more they will resist, until we have no choice to crush and destroy them and- and that's a waste. How many of them would have given birth to mutant children? What discoveries will never exist because we killed the wrong person? And how many of //us// will die in the fighting?" She gives a shrug of her shoulders.
    "There are awful humans who deserve to die - and who need to die. But that's not //all// of them. That's not most of them. It's- we have to try to find the right path. Enough resistance, enough protest - and yes, enough violence - to keep ourselves safe, and make our voices heard. But not too much, or it escalates. It's walking a fine line." Which is something she does - every day, given her split loyalties and allegiences.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique looks back to the screen, expression returning to one of neutral, distant. "I don't go into humans home and threaten them at random." She states a bit harshly. "I threaten those who deserve to die, those who threaten us. If one raises their hand against me, I raise my hand back, but that family of four living in Scarsdale, with a white picket fence and a dog? I could not care more or less about them, nor would I threaten them or wish them dead, unless they raised a hand against Mutants."

Her eyes remain focused elsewhere, even as she takes another sip of the brandy. "Do you think Erik would threaten that perfect little family? If they stay in their home and live their lives, do you think he truly cares what they do?"

Now she looks back to Clarice and her eyes are filled with determination. "You think like they do, that we are out to kill every human on the planet. You think that is what the threats mean, what the terrorism was about. Perhaps Lorna has made you soft after all."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I don't think that at all," Clarice spits back - allowing fire to color her tone and expression. "I know you, and I know him. You care - about the cause. About our people. You want us safe. You would do anything you thought necessary, no matter the cost, to achieve that. That's the person I know. But... that family, they don't know you. What //they// see is the news on their television," she explains, gesturing towards the screen. "What they see seems to them to be some sort of monster, shouting threats, and committing atrocities. It frightens them, and it motivates them to resist. You've seen how the news reports play - and you know I'm not wrong - and that's why I want to be careful about the force we use. When, and how, and how much. That idiot boy yesterday? Thought we could free those slaves from the warehouse without any violence. That we should have waited until the 'captors left the slaves unguarded' - as if that would ever happen - and then sneak in to rescue them. You know me better than that, to think I'd be so... naive, and foolish, and spineless as that," she asserts firmly, before letting some of the determination in her voice fade - the set of her jaw and the fire in her eye.
    "We don't agree on everything. That's fine. I think... it's good to have a different perspective. I think it gets dangerous otherwise. But we're together. We have the same goals. ...and this is my home. This is where I belong, and I know that."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
In part Mystique knew the girl, for that is what she was in comparison, was right... at least in part. The image the Brotherhood had developed over the years presented them as monsters, but sometimes it took monsters to get the work done. Erik wanted something different now, he wanted to change that image, after everything they had done and the countless human lives they had taken, most deserved, he wanted change. It was not going to be easy, everything Clarice has just said pointed to why.

"There are a number of things we will never agree on," she finally says, not exactly calmly, but not disgusted like she was a moment ago either. "I never said you were naïve, or foolish or spineless, you're merely young. You need more experience, more time to fully see what is happening out there. Most you see, most you hate, most you will fight again in the name of loyalty to the royal family."

She finally looks over at Clarice again. "You are caught between the softness that is your queen, and the reality that is your king. Genosha is only /one/ place of many, only one home for mutants. The Brotherhood seeks more than /one/ safe place, and that is what you are a part of. So what happens if Lorna gives you a command that goes against Erik's? Is it the Brotherhood or Genosha?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice's gaze is on Mystique as she speaks, the young mutant's expression cautious, but attentive. That question, though, hits her like a punch to the gut - and she looks away, scrambling for a coherent response. "I... I don't know," she finally answers with her gaze down on her brandy. "I don't have an easy answer to that question," she admits. "I don't think Lorna would put me in that position, though." She certainly hopes she wouldn't. "...I couldn't betray the Brotherhood." Could she? "I could never put any of you in danger." That, at least, she's more confident about. She would never let them come to harm, if she could help it.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique watches Clarice have a moment of 'oh frick' then find her way slowly out of it, questioning, hesitantly, until the end when she became firm in her answer.

"Now I answer that question for you as it should have been." She says with a smile. "If it has to do with Genosha, or relating to Genosha, you listen to Lorna. If it has to do with /everything/ else, you listen to Erik."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice's gaze returns to Mystique - but that uncertainty remains in her gaze. And almost sick feeling in the pit of her stomach at the mere thought of having her loyalties tested, in such a way. Of being asked to choose. She hopes it never comes to pass.
    After a moment's hesitation, she confides quietly, "Summers asked me to tell him... if I ever thought Magneto was becoming 'unstable.'"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Another sip of the brandy passes Mystique's lips and she nods, "Of course he did, he doesn't even trust his own shadow. Thank you for telling me that. What do you intend to do? Tell him if Erik becomes unstable? You realize of course that although Charles and Erik are friends, they're stances are so dynamically different, that the X-men thus following Charles are completely opposed to everything Erik thinks, says or does, right?" She studies Clarice as she talks, not missing the body language or the discomfort. She didn't envy the position the woman had gotten herself into, but only Clarice could get herself out of it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I told him I don't report to the X-Men," Clarice responds immediately, and without hesitation. She lets out a frustrated sigh. "They're concerned because of what happened - with Genosha. When he made the asteroid," she explains simply. "I said he was fine, but I don't report to them."
    But yes. She's gotten herself into quite a pickle - and the fact that Scott Summers would ask her such a question was just one example of the trouble it could cause her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods curtly once, "Good answer, because you don't. You answer to Erik, at times me as Erik's liaison, and Lorna. No one else. At some point, you are going to end up in a position where they will corner you and make you choose Clarice, and when that happens, you will have these words to remember: Mystique told me to get out, I didn't listen." She looks around the room, the hour having most of the inhabitants were either working or in other parts of the asteroid.

That day was a haze in Mystique's mind, everything that was happening, Brainiac, Genosha, bottled placed... a nightmare in a nightmare. As if the world was not screwed up enough, now aliens were coming in and trying to take what wasn't theirs to take..

"That wasn't Erik," she says quietly, her tone changing, almost soft. "I don't know what happened that day, but that wasn't Erik. I've known him a /very/ long time and Erik would never do something like that." Slowly she looks back to Clarice. "I don't know who it was, or what was effecting him, but it wasn't him."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice responds to this proclimation with a nod of her head - her expression grim. "It- it doesn't make sense, for him to do something like that. Not in his right mind. Not to his own people," she agrees. "I know most of the world just sees it as another example of..." Magneto being Magneto. "But it doesn't make sense."
    A smile crosses her grim features as she adds, "I know who I answer to. And that's exactly who I would turn to if I was concerned." Mystique - and Lorna. Not the X-Men.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
There is a moment in this that Mystique again studies Clarice, head canting lightly as her amber eyes look the woman over. "Those of us who know Erik, really know him, know where is loyalty is, know where is /love/ is. Mutants. All of them. He may not agree with the X-Men, or their politics, but you can bet he cares about them just as much as all other Mutants in this world."

Something seems to dawn on her then, and a smile plays across her lips. "I think Clarice, that you and I should brain storm together and find some things Erik can do to help change the perceived image the world has of him. Public, out there, be seen thing he can do to prove his politics have changed. That it is no longer about taking over for mutants to rule, but about giving mutants the freedoms and justice they deserve. Do you think that is something you could do?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    This suggestion immediately earns a broad smile of approval from the vivacious mutant, who gives a single, firm nod of agreement. "Yes," Clarice answers. "Of course. And I think we should. I mean- honestly, the first thing that comes to mind... it something purely humanitarium. Helping out after the next major disaster. Magneto and the Brotherhood - helping find victims, mutant and human alike, of the latest earthquake, or tsunami, or tropical storm. Let //that// play out in the news. If we're seen consistantly and repeatedly helping out after disasters - it would go a long way. And helping to stop terrorists. Rescue hostages. I mean - all that do-gooder stuff the X-Men are always trying to do," she remarks in a wry tone.
    "And rebuilding Genosha. Welcoming all in need of freedom and refuge. Building schools, building hospitals." All of this delivered in eager, animated words. Yup. Mystique really got her started, this time.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The cobalt woman can't pale, there is no way for the color to drain from her cheeks, but if it could, it would.

"You want to ask Erik to help humans?" She blinks at this, taking a deep breath. "Oh boy, that might... I don't know... I mean..." she shakes her head a little. "You're right though, that's exactly what he needs to do, but getting him onboard, that's another matter entirely. Erik does not like humans, period. He has no love for them, and really could not care if they all suddenly just disappeared. You are going to have to find a way to pitch that idea to him, that will actually get through to him why it's a good idea."

This time the sip of brandy is a little bigger, because that whole concept sent a chill down the woman's spine and right back up again.

"In regards to Genosha, Erik's aid with that is entirely up to Lorna," she states bluntly. "After what happened, Lorna has to agree to let him return and help."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "They won't //all// be humans," Clarice points out. "I mean. In any population, a percentage of them is mutants. But if we go in, and //only// help the mutants..." She shakes her head. "We need to just go in - and help," she says firmly. "That's how we change the image. Change the story. //Show// the world that we're not a threat, and that we want peace." She lets out a sigh. "I know it's a hard sell, but..." It's worth it.
    She picks up her glass of brandy - which has been breathing for quite a while now - and takes another small, savoring sip. "So," she remarks. "...protege?" She glances aside at Mystique - a smile quirking the corners of her lips.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique is still turning over in her head the possible ways to convince Erik to actually help humans. Even as she listens to Clarice, not missing a single word the woman says, the cobalt mutant is trying to find something better than 'because it will actually work Erik' as the way to get him to do it.

"We are a threat," she corrects, before looking back to Clarice. "We will always be a threat, but what we aren't is an /active/ threat. No matter what we do, humans will always consider us a threat. The X-Men may help people out, but if you look at US Government's stand point, they are still a risk, especially Kitty. Find the words Clarice, that you think will get Erik to do it."

And now to the thing she had been wondering when Clarice would ask about. "I did say that, yes." She adjusts herself on the stool, stretching her legs out before settling back in. "You're young, inexperienced, your past is filled with agony and yet some how, you have remained... positive. It's almost sickening really," she smiles as she says that, though there is a hint of truth to it. "So much... hope. I want to help teach you a few things beyond your powers, to prepare you for those times like the warehouse, where you can't rely on them. I want to expose you to the entire world of possible things you can learn, if you choose to learn them, and in exchange... I get to watch you be so disgustingly optimistic and hopeful that either some will bleed off onto me, or it will drive me to finally commit to complete and utter darkness. Either way, a decent challenge."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'll try to find the words," Clarice promises, before turning her attention to the new topic. After all - it interests her intensely, and it shows in the way she studies Mystique as the woman speaks.
    "I know more than just my powers," she counters - though not defensively. "I learned acrobatics, and combat skills. Mister Creed taught me - after I was freed. I learned a lot from him. I'm sure I have much more to learn, though," she agrees readily. "I want to learn. I want to keep myself, and others safe. The more that I know - the more that I practice..." The better chance she has of success.
    She reaches out to Mystique then - perhaps something she hasn't done before, after all she was intimidating - to rest her hand on the woman's arm. "Don't commit to darkness. I like you fine as you are, though."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique seems for a moment frozen, looking at Clarice's hand and just, motionless. She does seem bothered or upset by the touch, instead she seems completely unaccustomed to it. Most people, human and mutant a like, tend to keep a certain distance from her, admittedly it is often for good reason, but this was different. Even now as she sat there in the bar, the other mutants who passed through seemed to maintain a certain distance from her, and yet here was Clarice, offering a gesture of friendship.

"There are times..." she muses out loud, still uncertain about the touch but deciding to accept it and see what happens from there. "I've seen and done a lot of things Clarice, things that would likely destroy your like of me, and yet many that I would do again if I had to. That sort of thing leaves scars on the soul, and... even when you try to make up for some of those things, you find there is no apology, no action, no penance that'll allow forgiveness to be given."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I don't doubt that," Clarice answers easily, and without hesitation. "I don't know the things you've done, but I meant what I said earlier. I know you. I know you would do anything you thought was necessary for the cause. To keep our kind safe. I know that's brought you to dark places in the past." That hand on Mystique's arm gives a brief squeeze, before she pulls it back. "And I know it's not the same, but- I still the remember the things I was made to do by- by the people that controlled me. The people I killed. And it haunts me sometimes - so in a way, I understand a little. But I also know it isn't the same, because I can tell myself I didn't choose to do those things."
    She lets out sigh. "I know you've done things, but I also know you were trying to do what you thought was right - for people like me. And for people weaker than us, who can't protect themselves and others the way we can." She gives a shrug of her shoulders before adding, "I'll never understand completely. But I understand a little. Better than most, I think."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods, "I think perhaps you're one of the view who could understand in some small way, but I've lived a /very/ long time, and thus far don't see signs of that changing. I have seen mutants come and go through the natural passage of time, and I believe that I'll see the same with those around me now."

Another drink of the brandy is taken before she stands up. "I don't dwell too long on what was, or what will be. I have to stay in the here and now, focus on it, or that dark path will end up followed. You and I will find a time to spar, so I can see what you were trained to do without your powers, but for now I think sleep might be in order."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Sure," Clarice agrees easily - finishing off her own brandy - and then considering the decanter in front of her. "I should send this back to Emma - if only to show her that I //can//," she muses thoughtfully. "...shall we include a note? 'Thank you for your hospitality?'" There's a teasing, mischievous quality to the question that seems perfectly suited to her fae-like features.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique finishes off the last bit of her brandy and sets the glass on the bar.

At Clarice's comment she laughs with actual mirth and delight, "Oh yes, we absolutely need to do that." Going behind the bar she collects a note pad and pen, then walks back around. She speaks as she writes, "Emma, We wish to thank you wholeheartedly for your hospitality. This brandy was wonderful. ~ Blink & Mystique." She looks to Clarice, "Sound good?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "No complaints from me," Clarice agrees with a broad smile. She wedges the note into place under the lip of the decanter's stopper - and takes a moment to study it, taking a deep breath in, and letting it out slowly. It was a small thing to teleport - but it was a very long distance, and she didn't want to damage the bottle on its arrival, or the desk she means to place it on. It was honestly a rather tricky, precision job.
    But after a moment preparing hersef, and visualizing what she needed to do there was nothing for it but to tap the decanter, and watch it and the note vanish with a quiet 'bliiiiink.' Hopefully she didn't just make a mess in Emma's office.
    But if she did, oh well.
    "Alright. I suppose I'll turn in, as well. I look forward to that spar, though. Goodnight, Mystique." And then, greatly daring, she reaches out the briefly touch the woman's arm again - offering a broad smile along with the gesture.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Returning the note pad to behind the bar, Mystique stretches and nods, "Sleep well Clarice, tomorrow will will spar and see what happens."

That said, she moves back from behind the bar and off toward the living quarters and her room.