6498/After the Meeting

After the Meeting
Date of Scene:	09 June 2021
Location:	Central Nexus
Synopsis:	Clarice and Mystique baffle one another - in very different ways.
Cast of Characters:	Raven Darkholme, Clarice Ferguson

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Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique borrowed another teleporter to get back to the Asteroid, and the moment she stepped through she is back to her usual no clothing, but nothing showing, appearance. All natural, for the most part. Making her way from the landing bay (where people are supposed to teleport to), she heads towards the cafeteria. The lemonade made her want lemon meringue pie, or lemon cookies with cream, something completely decadent and fatty... and she earned it!

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice stayed at Xavier's Mansion for a short while - chatting with some of the people there, being assured that no she can't visit Christian at the moment, he isn't even conscious, and of course finishing her lemonade. After a while, though, she summons a portal and steps through - appearing for once in the landing bay. There's a distinct bounce to the young teleporter's step as she makes her way across the common area of the Asteroid, a grin plastered on her features. She's not sure what she'd expected of Mystique's meeting, but it hadn't quite been //that//.
    As she moves, she catches a glimpse of a familiar shade of blue in the cafeteria and backtracks to confirm that yes, it is Mystique. Changing course, she starts towards the woman - not that she's particularly hungry after partaking of the snacks that'd been on offer.
    "Hey," she remarks casually.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It is the pie that Mystique found, the entire thing actually. Sitting on the table with one slice already missing, and she is working on a second slice. She had drank the offered beverage but not eaten anything while there, not that she didn't trust them but she just didn't want popcorn and chips... apparently pie was better.

Glancing up at Clarice appears, she offers a nod, "Enjoy your visit?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It's nice to just feel the wind in your hair sometimes - you know?" Clarice comments. "I mean - the view here can't be topped, but... The school's beautiful." She sits at the table with Mystique without being explicitly invited - just one of the liberties the young teleporter allows herself around Mystique. She rests her elbows on the table and her head on her hands as she remarks, "You gave me an awful lot of credit down there." There's a question in her gaze. How does //that// play into the game? It must, right?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Another forkful of pie disappears into the cobalt mutants mouth as she watches Clarice. She had figured the woman would join her, it was becoming something rather regular as of late.

A drink of coffee washes down the pie before she says, "Have you not spend the better part of... oh, forever, nagging me? Credit where credit is due, Clarice."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I mean- yes, but..." She hadn't honestly expected it to work? At least not this well. Clarice continues to watch Mystique's features for any hints. Not that she thinks the woman's features will display anything other than what she //wants// Clarice to glean. "I genuinely brought you around? This isn't part of your... plans within plans?" And if it were, would Mystique tell her? Doesn't seem bloody likely.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique sits back with the coffee cup in her hand, crossing one leg over the other. "Between you and Erik, yes. Erik wants the Brotherhood to go in another direction, he wants a place for mutants and only mutants, but the old ways don't work. So between you and he, yes. It is that simple. I'm not saying I like humans, that part will never change, but I'm willing to /try/ working with them instead of against them." She takes a sip of the coffee. "There are always plans within plans Clarice, but this one is all about a new image for the Brotherhood that might work."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice nods her head - deciding to take that at more or less face value - though she allows an amused quirk to pull at the corner of her lips. "You made it sound to them like I'd convinced Magneto, as well." It was never Erik with Clarice. She was far more likely to call him 'His Majesty' before she'd call him 'Erik.' "But I'm glad. And you know I'll help anyway I can - do anything I can."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique smirks, "No, you didn't convince Erik of anything, he was already leaning that way to begin with." She takes another forkful of pie to chew on while she thinks, she had been honest, but there was nothing on her face to reveal that or anything else. A perfect mask of nothing she wore most of the time out of habit, and the fact that she had been hurt so many times, it was easier to just not reveal feelings.

"I'm putting you in charge if patrols for Bushwick," she then states, the pie now swallowed. "Once we have communication established with the school, I want patrols of "Neighborhood Watch" teams moving through Bushwick, in three shifts, twenty-four hours a day."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice's expression is less than a perfect mask - and a moment of surprise shows on her features. She was going to be in charge of the patrols? "Yes ma'am," she agrees. "Do we want to have mixed teams - combining people from Xavier's and the Brotherhood? Or keep them separate, so they're working with people who they're more likely to be familiar with and cooperate with more easily?" she asks - as she immediately starts mulling over the problem. "...we could even try to recruit people from Bushwick itself. To make it even more clear that this is a community effort - mutants looking out for their own?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods, taking a drink of coffee. "Yes, and any other mutant who is willing to join the patrols. You report directly to me, and when you are needed for other duties for Genosha, I will take over for you. You will however, NOT over extend yourself, that means you will not be on a patrol every day yourself, period, no debate, end of discussion. You may assign me to patrols as you wish, and other members of the Brotherhood as well, if they have issues with it, tell them to come talk to me about it."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Overextend myself?" Clarice protests - taking one hand out from under her chin, so she can press it to her chest and give Mystique a 'who me?' expression. It quickly melts into a wry smile, and a nod of agreement. Oh, she knows exactly what Mystique means. "Not every day," she agrees. "I'll make sure it gets done," she promises.
    Her expression goes thoughtful again as she tries to decide the best way to organize the whole endeavor. "We can put up fliers - see if we can get mentioned in the news... Perhaps it would be helpful if everyone on the Community Watch had a way to identify them as such while on patrols - perhaps an armband...? To give them a visible presence, and so people know who to approach if there is trouble..."
    She's silent a moment before adding, "We could have a contact number, for people to reach out to in case of trouble..." But was that over-reaching, and becoming a little too much like '911'? Would they really be able to staff something like //that//? Bit of a pipe dream, maybe.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The laughter is real. Mystique starts laughing softly as Clarice mentions the news. "Clarice my friend, the news will know /all/ about this, trust me. Their 'anonymous' informant from Bushwick will be feeding them /all/ kinds of information, but yes. I want flyers, I want arm bands that say Neighborhood Watch, I want the whole song and dance. I want it known big or little, mutant or human, that Bushwick is protected.... and remember, humans go to the police... though if they are hurt to get to that point..." she smiles a little. "No killing."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well - if we're working on the X-Men on this then, yes. No killing," Clarice agrees. "I will make it clear to our people, though," she promises. There's a broad smile on her features - eager at the thought of this partnership.
    "Any protests if I approach Ms. Frost as well, and see if she has any resources she would like to contribute to our patrols?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique slides the pie toward Clarice even as she takes another bite from her second slice, she'll share. "I will be having a meeting of the Brotherhood soon, and informing them of the new rules they will be working by. If they break those rules, you can bet I will kick their ass."

She is quiet for a moment, amber eyes looking over Clarice without meaning to be staring but really she is, then she nods, more to herself. "One day a week, you do nothing. I will be informing Lorna and Erik of this enforced 'vacation' day from now on. Pick the day now."

And then, the other matter, "Clarice, there is a reason I have been having you avoid Emma, and you need to continue to avoid her for the time being. You heard what she said bout Xavier's, correct?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Oh, I have no doubts," Clarice agrees as Mystique promises to harm any disobedient members. The insistance on a day of rest, however, gets a look of consternation from the woman, however. "Nothing?" she repeats in consternation. Nothing at all? What is she to do with a day of... //nothing//? Every week? She could at least get her studying done, but... "Nothing?" Now she just sounds puzzled. Yeah. It's a bigger stumper for her than you might expect.
    She refocuses on the task at hand, however. "What - that she claimed the X-Men would never stoop to helping in Bushwick?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The blue mutant nods once, "Exactly that. There is a reason I repeated it, but I can't tell you that reason because if you go near Emma, she will know. Do you understand?" She takes a drink of her coffee.

"Yes, an entire day of nothing. I want you to find a hobby, and tell me about it. That is the one thing they failed to teach you, how to relax... and you have to relax or you will explode. There is no debate about this, it is an order."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I do," Clarice agrees quietly. "Until I've gotten better at the shielding training." However long that will take. And she knows that Emma is a particularly powerful telepath.
    "I won't explode," she protests quietly, but she lets out a sigh - and with a gesture manages to fetch herself a plate and fork without moving from her seat by virtue of opening up a small portal to reach through - to retrieve the items. She then helps herself to a bit of the pie. "What're your hobbies?" she asks.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique states bluntly, "I shoot things." Then laughs with a real smile, "Actually, my primary hobby is watching stupid videos on the internet, humans are insane with what they record. I also do a lot of target practice with guns, bows, throwing knives, wooden chairs, anything is a weapon after all. I spend a lot of time learning new languages as well, to add to my abilities as a spy, but still it counts." She takes another bite of her pie, waiting for Clarice to respond or pout, because yes... even Mystique takes a day off here and there.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah, but... that's training," Clarice points out. "And I have a feeling that doesn't count - on my mandatory 'nothing' day." She could easily fill a day with training. A tussle with Mister Creed can take up a good chunk of your day. Then - she abruptly gets a thoughtful look on her features. "Maybe," she muses quietly, "Going out on a hunt...?" With her favorite psycopath. She considers this as she takes a smile bite of her pie.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique chuckles and nods, "That would count, and I'm sure Victor would enjoy it too. You just have to do something that doesn't involve the Brotherhood or Genosha, or the school for that matter. Everyone needs to unwind Clarice, some time that is only theirs. It's a rare gift to get to have it for some, so take it while you can." She looks back at her pie for a moment, then takes the last bite. There are plenty of times she would have loved to have been able to slow down but couldn't, now she has more time for that than she knows what to do with. Odd how that works out.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. Nicolai and TJ are insistant on showing me weekly movies. 'Cult classics' I think was a word they used?" Clarice remarks in a wry tone. "Since I haven't seen a lot of movies. I'll figure out some hobbies - I guess." She still says the word like it's from some foreign language, though. And maybe she //will// get her studying done on that day. After all - it doesn't technically involve the Brotherhood, or Genosha, or Xavier's - does it?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique hmms, "Old cult classic movies huh? That's a good idea. You should do that, and no training or studying, until you have a hobby." She finishes off her coffee. "I don't mean to be a bitch about this, but you have to learn to relax."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Or studying? Busted. A faint sigh is the only sign that she just got 'busted' there. But seeing as she's never admitted to Mystique that she's studying reading and math? There's no other protest or acknowledgement. "Yes ma'am," she agrees - staring down at her plate as she tries to figure out how she's going to fill a whole //day// each week. She's just going to have to ask people like Lorna, and Nicolai, and Kitty to show her what they like to do for fun.
    She already knows what Mister Creed likes to do for fun. Naturally.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Standing up, Mystique walks over to set her plate with the dirty stack and to get herself some more coffee before she comes back and sits down again. "That was a whole lot of thinking you just did," she comments as she settles back in. "I won't pry, not my place, and I don't think we're close enough for me to use the 'tell a friend' card yet."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Amusement flashes over Clarice's features - and she flashes Mystique a smile. "Why not?" she asks, while poking idly at her slice of pie. Honestly, she's playing with it at least as much as she was eating it. "Why can't we be colleagues, and mentor and protege, and friends as well?" She looks down at her pie for a moment, then back at Mystique as she adds, "I know you're trying to look out for me. That this sort of thing - it's something that was taken from me, and you're trying to give it back. I appreciate that. Even if- if I don't quite know what to do with it yet."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique cants her head slightly, "Then how about this, your first day off you and I will go to New York and do something humans do, like... I don't know... go to a museum or a movie or something like that? We'll take it more slowly, start with half a day, how does that sound?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    This offer catches Clarice off-guard, and surprise shows on her features, followed by a smile. She nods her head in agreement to the idea. "Yeah - sure," she agrees. A half day sounds much more manageable, anyways. "I would like that. I don't think that I've ever gone to a museum before."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique smiles and nods, "Excellent! I'll find us a really good museum, with dinosaur bones, and we'll just look at everything, have lunch at some place with greasy food, and then you can go back to being all up tight and over worked... for a while, eventually you will have to go to a full day."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yes, ma'am," Clarice agrees - flashing her another smile. She takes a bite of her pie, chewing it slowly as she thinks, then she adds, "You know - Nicolai, he has this motorcycle. He's taken me riding on it twice - it goes //remarkably// fast." In a quietly musing tone she adds, "Maybe I could get one." But - as soon as she says it, she abruptly starts to laugh - amusement pulling her lips up into a broader smile.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
There is a moment of pause as Mystique considers that, torn between laughing and not, so she chooses to chuckle, "Sure, we could get you one if you wanted. There's nothing says you can't have one, though I've never seen his motorcycle so I have no idea how fast it goes and may in fact have to thump him if he's risking his neck, and yours, on it."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "What use is a motorcycle to me?!" Clarice asks - which is obviously the cause of her sudden mirth as she continues to laugh. It slowly dies out, though it leaves her with an irrepressable smile. "Extremely, ridiculously fast. We wear helmets - but I have a powdery, snowy slope in the back of my mind." To gently decelerate them - should it become necessary.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique frowns, taking a drink of her coffee, but she says nothing more regarding Nicolai's motorcycle, "Because riding a motorcycle can be fun and exciting Clarice, it doesn't have to be about getting some place. If you want one, get one and enjoy it."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Maybe," Clarice agrees - still wearing that grin. "But maybe I try borrowing one first," she suggests. "And I still think it's funny," she asserts before taking another bite of her slice of pie.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods, "Oh it is, but think about what kind of entrance you could make by blinking in at 60mph." She wiggles her brows, "They'd never see you coming."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "We've done that!" Clarice confirms. "He knows the roads near his castle better. So we tore out of this nature preserve and," she gestures with her hand - blink! "we were tearing down the road leading away from the castle." It was pretty enjoyable. "I'll see if I can rent or borrow one - and maybe Nicolai can give me some lessons," she suggests.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Something passes through Mystique's eyes, a quick flash of emotion that is shoved back down and stuffed into a box then locked up. Standing up, she says just as calmly as before, no sign of what it was, "You don't need to rent one, I'm sure you can borrow one, and I'm sure Haunt will show you how to ride it. I think I will turn in."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    What had she said or done wrong? There's a moment of concern on Clarice's features - before she offers a nod to Mystique in response. "Yeah," she agrees. "Sure." I mean - what else is she going to say? "I... I look forward to seeing what a museum is like," she adds - flashing the other woman a smile.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique pauses for a moment, then looks to Clarice and offer a smile, "Pick the day, we'll go to the Museum of Natural History." She rests her hand on Clarice's shoulder for just a single moment to add, "Don't look so concerned, I'm just tired." Even if she was lying, Clarice would never know, but it was only a half lie. "Let me know what day you want to go."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Don't most people take Saturdays off?" Clarice suggests uncertainly. Spoken with all the naivite of someone who doesn't understand that that's //exactly// why you don't go to a museum on a Saturday.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique chuckles, "Yeah, most people are off on Saturday, which means you'll have screaming children and wall to wall people if we go on a Saturday... but your choice. I'll tolerate whatever is there."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Oh," Clarice remarks as this is pointed out. See? This is, apparently, why you have mentors. "...//Thursday//, then," she suggests at random, flashing Mystique another smile. And then - after a brief pause she adds, "Mystique... thanks."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique lifts a brow, confused, "Thursday is fine... what are you thanking me for exactly?" She honestly has no idea.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice gives a small, embarrassed shrug of her shoulders. "For caring," she answers simply, in a quiet voice, before repeating again, "Thank you."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique blinks quite a few times at that, actually stunned and it shows, no concealing it at all. Either she didn't want to, or was so caught off guard by it. "Wh..." okay, rethink before you speak. "Of course I care, but... you're welcome." She doesn't quite fathom how that is something you thank someone for, but then given Clarice's past, in a way it made sense.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice's embarrassment breaks into an amused smile for a moment, as she manages to catch Mystique so utterly offguard. "Today was a good day," she adds, nodding to Mystique. "I'm glad the meeting went well."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique nods slowly, one brow lifting as she slips back into her comfortable mask. "Of course it went well," she states with a smile slipping into place as well. "It was my job to ensure they learned the new direction of the Brotherhood and that I got their help with Bushwick. I'm pleased with the outcome myself."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'll take care of everything in Bushwick," Clarice promises, "And iron everything out with Jean tomorrow. But anyways - you were going to..." she gestures towards the quarters with one hand. "And I'm keeping you," she adds with a note of apology in her voice.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique shakes her head slightly, both over the fact that the woman was right and her remarks had kept her, but also over the fact that she had actually stayed to listen. It felt strange to her, that this seemingly innocent and naïve woman, though she was truly neither, could have an effect on Mystique, and yet she did. The cobalt mutant still wasn't entirely certain she liked it, or where it was going, but it was starting to become more clear, every day, that something was forming there... friendship, protégé to mentor... she didn't know the exacts of it, and that was what troubled her.