6492/Cognac and Comaraderie

Cognac and Comaraderie
Date of Scene:	08 June 2021
Location:	Central Nexus
Synopsis:	Clarice does the Time Warp - and movie night is planned.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Talia Wagner, Nicolai Codona

---

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice is seated at the bar - in front of her, that remarkably decorative bottle of Remy XO Cognac, and a glass filled with the expensive liquor. She leans in towards the counter, her elbow on the bartop and her head on her left hand - the other hand holding her drink. She seems to be staring at nothing in particular, in between sips. And she looks //tired//.
    Look. Between patroling Bushwick, shipping metal to Genosha, physical training, and the mental shielding practice she just finished with one of the telepaths? You'd feel pretty wiped, too.

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ isn't tired.

Honestly being up here has been a bit of a space staycation for the blue mutant.

She meanders from the quarters she was shown the other night into the central hub looking pretty refreshed and relaxed.

Admittedly though this is the first time she has seen a teleporter since the other night though. "Hey Pink." she quips chiperly as she heads over and leans up against the bar nearby. "Lucas, can I get a shooting comet?" honestly she has mostly been ordering space themed drinks when she comes here for booze o-clock.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai wanders into the bar freshly showered. His mop of curls is damp, causing them to curl even more tightly into little spirals. For his part, he seems relaxed and pretty well rested. He's carrying his guitar, but that's not unusual. It's his go to when he decides he needs music, but also wants conversation. He can sit with it and easily enough idly strum away while talking. It never occurs to him that some might find it annoying. ...because music, it's life right?
    He settles down somewhere Clarice adjacent and orders a ... martini, shaken not stirred. That's something, he's not trying to drown anything with a bottle all to himself tonight.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Look - you can't blame Clarice for not responding immediately. Talia's voice is not one she knows - even if the blue woman might wish otherwise. And 'Pink'? No one has called her 'Pink.' After a moment, though, she blinks and seems to realize the voice may have meant... her. "Who - me?" she asks - blinking in surprise. Huh.
    "Talia." She greets the woman. There's a moment as she studies the other woman - still trying to wrap her head around the reality of her existance, and their own relationship-that-isn't. After a silence she asks, "Honestly - is there a way you'd //prefer// I call you?" she asks, uncertain if it would be easier on the woman if she addressed her as this other Clarice did - or if that would just make things more painful.
    "Nicolai," she adds as the man joins them with his guitar.

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ shoots Lucas a slightly sharp smile as he sets to work on the drink now.

She turns to look down the bar, there is a finger wiggle of a wave to Nicolai and then her attenntion focuses on the magenta haired lady by her. She asked the question after all.

"T.J. works fine or Talia... I answer pretty equally to both. Maybe T.J." she admits after a moments thought.

"You look like you were run over Clarice?" she leans to look her all over then past her to Nicolai and arch an eyebrow.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai props one leg up on the footbar around the bottom of his barstool and does start strumming that guitar. It's quiet, soothing really and not a note of it is familiar. It's quite possible that it's all just random, something he's strumming out on the fly. It sounds almost like a lullabye which fits with, "She needs to sleep more," when he offers it in TJ's direction.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Just running through all my reserves, lately," Clarice replies with a shrug. It means she's out like a light as soon as she hits her pillow, though. She prefers it that way. She takes another sip of her cognac before adding, "Met a guy today, though. He invited me to some..." she gestures vaguely with her glass, "Horror Show? He said it was an 'interactive movie?'" She struggles to remember the name of it. "...Rocky Horror?"
    "I sleep!" she says in protest.

Talia Wagner has posed:
There is a soft "Ahh..." of understanding from TJ as she hears what Nicolai has to say and then picks up the drink Lucas got her giving it a testing sip then a deeper sip.

This is followed by a blue thumbs up to the bartender "Thanks Lucas."

"A random guy you met today invited you to Rocky Horror Picture Show?" pause "Also you haven't ever heard of Rocky Horror.... "

Another sip.

"One dimension was all Rocky Horror Themed... it was quite odd." is she jerking people around.

Maybe.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai grins at the mention of the movie. ...and the guy. "You mean that Robert gent?" He winks. "... could do worse I suppose." He stops strumming and just taps his fingers on the guitar as he adds, "It's actually what they call an 'audience participation' film. It has quite the cult following, although not as big now as it used to be. If you'd like, I can teach you the Time Warp so you're not completely out of place when it begins." Just a beat and he adds, "Oh, don't let anyone in the cast know you've never seen it lest you become part of the virgin auction before the movie begins." Seems someone's experienced Rocky Horror more than once. ...and he's familiar with Clarice's lack of ... experience.
    He settles the guitar on the ground, leaning against the bar and pushes himself to his feet. "It's simple really because... it's just a jump to the left..." What the hell is he talking about?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It was likely a strange echo for poor Talia that this Clarice seems just as ignorant of popular culture as the one she knew, as the woman looks between the two of them with bafflement. "Yes - Robert. And what is so 'audience participation' about a //movie//?" she asks. The mention of an 'auction' has her shifting uneasily in her seat, though. She is not property. ... anymore.
    Looking towards Talia she adds, "I didn't have much time to see many movies growing up." There's an understatement. "And I've kept busy since then."
    And then watches Nicolai as the man climbs to her feet. She certainly has no idea what he's talking about.

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ tilts her head one way then the other. Those yellow eyes watching Blink very closely.

"So in this case they just make the people who have never seen it before.. aka the Virgins to the Show... go up to the front and do part of the routine and stuff. It isn't actually an auction or anything." at least in her experience.

Traditions vary she supposes. Maybe in this one it is an auction. Odd.

Her drink is sipped as she watches Nicolai now.

"I had assumed you were from this dimension and not an alternative dimension wasteland..." she honestly isn't as familair, yet, with this Clarice. "Where did you grow up here?"

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai holds his hand out to Clarice. "C'mon, you need to learn this so you don't look a total fool if you go." He's seriously going to teach her how to Time Warp right here and now. Not that it's a particularly difficult dance to learn... and maybe he's just thinking it'll be fun to run through it once.
    To encourage her further, he'll even start singing the damned song...
    "It's astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll, but listen closely..."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I- well," Clarice's attention shifts back to Talia for a moment. Wasteland...? "No, not a wasteland. I'm from... here. From Genosha. But I spent more than half my life living as a slave - mind-controlled, without any free will." So, like she said. She 'didn't have much time to see many movies growing up.' She watches Talia for a moment, then allows Nicolai to coax her to her feet. "I still don't get what this is about," she complains. "People go to a //movie// and they //dance//?" That's not how movies are supposed to work. Are they?

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ thinks about that for a moment and then nods "Huh..The Blink I knew was captured and sent to the Slave Pens in her world. It wasn't Genosha though it was Sinester." she practically spits that name there.

She finishes her drink and slides it across empty for a refill.

"Sorry that happened Blink. The ... one I knew and I managed to sneak in movies sometimes when we didn't jump right away. She was in the same boat as you really." the some things change the more some seem to stya the same.

"Only strange movies like this one... the singing and dancing at the movies."

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    And so it begins, the education of Clarice Ferguson in the ways of the Time Warp. Nicolai continues singing the song. ...and dayum can he sing. Even without musical accompaniment, he nails it, every part even. He'll demonstrate everything, jump to the left, step to the right, pelvic thrust. By the time he's finished, Clarice will be a Time Warp *expert*, or he'll die trying.
    His attitude, his cheer, his energy when he's like this is an infectious thing. He can't laugh because well, he's singing, but that smile? All toothy and dimpled and bringing those little laugh lines to the corners of his eyes. He's almost adorable.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "There was no Sinister in my life," Clarice replies, giving a shrug of her shoulders. But the parallels between to the two women's pasts were clear enough, regardless. "The past is in the past. We're building a better future," she answers Talia - before turning her full attention on Nicolai.
    Music is not really something Clarice knows. But rhythm? Rhythm she gets - from years, and years of physical training. From fine tuning her body, and its reactions. Thankfully, it doesn't take much for her to start getting the movements down, though she still wears an expression of baffled amusement.

Talia Wagner has posed:
There is a nod to Clarice when she says she didn't have any run ins with Sinester.

Honestly that is good, she isn't even sure how much or little is known of Sinester at this point so she lets it all go to watch.

"We are indeed." thne snags up her refilled drink and watches her 'friend' learn how to do the timewarp with Nicolai if he has his way. A grin now on TJ's face.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Oh, Nicolai will get his way. By the time they get through the first half of the song, he's even coaxing Clarice to dance between the 'official' steps. ...and that smile, it goes on for DAYS. When he's finally finished, he steps back and admits, "Girl's got moves," along with a wink. "I'll have to take you with me when I go to Betsy's club opening, yeah? Need a partner that'll make me look good."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Betsy's opening her club?" Clarice asks - as she returns to her seat on the bar, slumping back into it. Despite the fact that she remains tired - there's a smile playing across her features. She picks up her cognac for another sip, then looks towards Talia. "You like clubs - ...TJ?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ lifts her glass up to toast the two when they are done with the timewarp lesson and Clarice has her cognac back in hand.

"Oh hell yeah girl. I've been hitting some in the city since I got stuck here .... need to take advantage of this not being a zombie infested wasteland and all."

Okay. She may be a bit odd.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "She is and she insisted that I come to the opening, so, will you be my plus one?" Not a date, right? Just a night out with a friend? Nicolai quickly adds, "I mean, as friends..." just in case there's confusion involved. His attention turns to TJ and he adds, "You could be my plus two, yeah? I'm sure it'll be an amazing time."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Zombies!" Clarice says. "I know those. Like the Walking Dead." See? She knows popculture! ... okay. She knows this //one thing//, but still. It has to count. Reaching for her bottle of cognac, she tops off her glass, then idly swirls the contents.
    Then, with a shrug of her shoulders she adds, "Yeah, I guess I can go. We'll just have to, well. Make sure I don't run myself raggid before hand." Maybe cancel the mental shielding training that day. An hour with a telepath can really knock you for a loop. She looks between the pair as she adds, "I'll be fun." Right?
    "So how do you know Betsy Braddock, anyways?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
"Mental shielding training can be a huge pain in the ass. I enjoyed my lessons with Aunt Jean though until she died..." which, well Jean Grey still very much alive."I should work on that more some time too."

She sips her drink and leans against the bar. "A club run by Betsy sounds pretty amazing. Wonder what got her in the mood to open a nightclub." she ponders that mystery quietly for a moment.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "We met when she was doing a Dior shoot in Romania," Nicolai explains. ... sort of explains. It's clear that there's likely a whole lot more to that story, but he's either disinclined to tell it all or he's not sure they'd really want to hear it. He picks up his martini, shaken not stirred, and takes a sip from the glass. Not knocking them back like a raging alcoholic tonight it seems. Might be because he's still a little hungover from last night?
    "It'll definitely be fun," he concurs along with a grin and a thumbs up. "Yes! The Walking Dead!" Good job Clarice!
    He grins bigger at TJ, "Does anyone ever know what gets Betsy Braddock in the mood for anything she does? Although I hear she's looking to hire a mutant staff, so..."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Aunt Jean died? Clarice gives TJ a curious look - but doesn't inquire. Yeah, this alternate reality thing is seriously strange. She takes a sip of her cognac, and grins at Nicolai at his enthusiastic affirmation of her popculture knowledge. Now, if you asked her to tell you anything else about 'The Walking Dead' beyond 'zombies' - you'd be sadly disappointed. "Well. I'm glad you could run into her again," she remarks. "I guess it all worked out." Even if it had made her blink-out.

Talia Wagner has posed:
"That's fair." to Nicolai about his comment. She still looks thoughtful. "I've never really known Betsy that well though I'll have to admit... night club might actually be way more her speed than I thought." she grins showing a bit of sharp canine.

"We should play pop culture movies or series while you work out Blink." she is mostly teasing.

"Oh wait.. I got it... we could have the psychic trap you in a sitcom scenario and you have to break out... trivia learning and mental shield practice."

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "I certainly didn't expect to walk into a place like Harry's and see her," Nicolai says before... that's right. "Why the hell did you ditch me anyway?" It's not angry or anything close, just curious.
    "How about we just start planning movie night once a week," he counters to TJ's idea. He plucks the olive out of his martini with his fingers and eats it before another sip from the glass. His discarded guitar is retrieved and that idle, soft, soothing strumming begins again.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You're going to project movies on the walls of the training room?" Clarice asks in amusement - though the second suggestion earns a wince. "Dealing with the telepaths is bad enough without testing my knowledge of popculture while you're at it!" she protests. She points at Nicolai and adds, "//That// is a more reasonable idea." There's a momentary pause before she asks, "Can we put M&Ms in the popcorn?" Who taught her that?
    After another sip of her cognac, she adds with a shrug of her shoulders, "There was a telepath, and I'm supposed to stay away from them for a little while longer - is all. It's not a big deal."

Talia Wagner has posed:
Well TJ was mostly teasing.

She shoots Nicolai a grin "Killjoy." then she laughs and nods.

"Movie nights sounds good, with M&M popcorn and slushies ... maybe bad nachos and hot dogs too. Full on experience of the cinema."

Then she blinks. "I mean for the retro stuff... for the new stuff we have Clarice blink us to a cool fancy theater that serves real food and watch them on huge screens..."

"Telepaths are tricksy, I've got a mild talent for it ... the X-Gene is straange."

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "Movie nights it is." Nicolai sticks his tongue out at TJ in regards to that grin. Then he's pushing himself to his feet and letting the guitar drop to his side. "Well ladies, I think I'm going to bed." Now he's really being a killjoy. "I have a few properties in Bushwick I'm looking at and a long day tomorrow." He runs a hand back through his hair, separating the now dried curls a little. "I think I'm going to buy a small apartment building, Clarice, rather than a house. Someplace with room enough for a group to hunker down comfortably if needed, or to provide temporary housing for displaced mutants." Man he moved quick on the looking, hadn't they just talked about a house today?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You'll find something," Clarice agrees with Nicolai, lifting her glass towards the man - before shifting her attention to TJ. This woman who //could// be her friend. Perhaps. She takes another sip before asking, "So - what are we watching first at 'movie night' - since the two of you are planning this thing?" she asks. "And just who's invited? The whole asteroid - or just the three of us?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
"I will admit."

Pause sips emptying the glass.

"That I will absolutely need to troll the internet before my first pick and make sure the movies I know actually exist here. My world didn't even have A Justice League or Superman..."

She pushes back. "I'd say anyone you want to include Clarice. There may be some other popculture challenged. Hell Nicolai can school me on any classics I'm not familiar with eventually too." she grins.

"Though I need to go rustle up some food to go with my achohol." gesturing towards the twenty four hour kitchen area.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. And I suppose I should turn in before I pass out at the bar again." And Mister Creed has to carry her to her room - again. Once was embarrassing enough. She caps off her bottle pushing it towards Lucas to stow, and finishes off what's left in her glass as she rises to her feet.
    "The 'Time Warp,'" she mutters under her break "The words don't even make any sense."

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "Get some sleep," Nicolai tells Clarice right before he leans forward to murmur, "...and if you can't sleep or if something wakes you and you can't go back to sleep, you can always come wake me up." Does Talia have good enough hearing to actually hear that whisper? It's not like Nicolai would know. But what he DOES know is the signs of exhaustion, of disrupted sleep, insomnia. He knows Clarice is suffering from one or the other or all.
    When he steps back he says, "I'll see you guys tomorrow," before heading to the little room he's come to think of as his space in his *home*.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    As Nicolai leans in to whisper - surprise is reflected on Clarice's features, followed by a little unease. Is she that transparent? Or - and here's a nerve racking thought - was he wandering the station at night, unseen? He wouldn't, would he? "I'm fine, Nicolai," she asserts - almost automatically. Then - after letting him get a short distance ahead of her she starts to follow - headed to her own room.