6679/The bees are a buzzing!

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The bees are a buzzing!
Date of Scene: 24 June 2021
Location: Location
Synopsis: No description
Cast of Characters: Dyani Zitkala, Clarice Ferguson, Talia Wagner




Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Another day and Dyani has drawn in several more bees, in fact Citidal might have issues even going near her room at this point if he has issue with bees. Just getting close to the door you can hear the buzzing, not angry buzzing, just buzzing.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "She's a little nervous," Clarice explains - as she leads Talia up a flight of stairs, and into an upper hall in a Brotherhood safehouse. In Clarice's hands is - strangely - a large white beekeeper's box, complete with frames inside for storing honeycomb. Talia has been tasked with carrying an assortment of potted, blooming, pesticide free plants. "Who wouldn't be? But she seems to warm up to people quickly. She's just been through a lot. She's a good kid, though." She gives Talia a smile - as she nudges the door to one of the rooms with her foot.
    "It's me Clarice, Dyani. My hands are full - can you get the door?"
    She'd explained before bringing them to the safe house - about how the girl had been kidnapped and enslaved, and forced to attack others. That she was free now - but recovering. Oh, and that there's bees. Lots and lots of bees. But don't worry about that, it's fiiiiine.

Talia Wagner has posed:
The blue furred mutant young woman has her hands full as she follows Clarice up the flight of stairs now. She honestly has a bit of trouble seeing past all the plants in her arms. Luckily she is both agile and it is almost impossible for her to drop the pots as long as they are touching her fingertips and palms.

"Also a friend of Clarice's" TJ pipes up after the knocking and introduction. She really doesn't want whatever is going on with the bees and the nervous mutant in the safe house to freakl out by a stranger.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The buzzing gets louder for just a moment, then goes silent and the door open. Dyani stands there, her arms and shoulders covered in bees.

"Clarice! You came back!" She steps back to the woman can enter, then her eyes spot Talia and the smile that spreads across her face is MASSIVE. "BLUE! BEAUTIFUL!" She also stays back so Talia can enter, but she is now being stared as with large compound eyes.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Of course I did. We're hive - right?" Clarice answers, as she steps into the room, looking around until she decides to set the bee hive on the room's dresser. "Dyani, this is my friend Talia. Talia, this is Dyani - or Stinger. We're both part of the same hive, now," she says in a bright tone - and without any explination. Really, what explination is needed? Or possible?

Talia Wagner has posed:
Honestly she isn't sure what to expect. She beams with sharp canines though past the flowers she is holding in her arms there.

I mean to be fair she flicks a yellow eyes look at the flowers in her arm to verify that she isn't holding a bunch of blue ones. She isn't so that is a nice compliment.

"Hey Dyani, nice to meet you. We brought flowers and supplies and stuff." she looks around and moves over to try to find a spot to start setting them down. Honestly some seem stuck to her fingertips until she releases them. Cause they are.

"Stinger is a cool name, you can call me Nocturn or TJ too."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani Zitkala does this happy, bouncing, turning spin, and for one brief moment her wings pick her up off the ground.

"We are so pleased! Clarice of the hive is back, and now Talia! So blue! We are so happy!" The bees start buzzing again rather loudly, again not angrily just their wings working quickly as they hangout on the little mutant. "Citidel fed us Hostess Cupcakes, they were very good, lots of sugar... what did you bring?" She starts looking at what Talia has first, because this allows her to look at Talia as well.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well, I told you that I would, Dyani," Clarice replies in a bright tone. "Oh - and I ordered up some pizza. //With pineapple.// So that'll be here soon." With the hive deposited, she glances at the bed for a place free of bees - and drops down to sit on it. The chair she leaves open for Talia. One leg is pulled up, and she wraps her arm around it casually as she watches the teenager interract with the the blue-skinned woman.

Talia Wagner has posed:
"Jury out on the Pineapple pizza... but well haven't tried it around here so sure thing. On it's way." amusement.

She points. "Clarice thought flowers might be nice. Picked up ones that should bloom if we take care of them... no pesticides. They are from this hippy nursery in the Bronx." she peers. "I honestly don't know what each kind is.. they just smelled nice and were pretty and flowering... the clerk said good for bees and stuff..."

The blue furred young woman looks Stinger over a bit closer too. "The wings look awesome. Can you fly?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani studies Talia intently, having to then her head at different angles, sometimes completely side ways. While this is happening, several of the bees also start buzzing around the blue mutant, not too close, but closer than most might like.

"We love flowers, they are needed for the hive," she offering to take one of the pots and move it to a new place in the room, near the box. Several of the bees have already started to go in and out of the box, and using the flowers.

"We can fly in two ways, as we are here and as the Swarm. Do you like to be brushed TJ? We would think with all that fur, you would enjoy a good brushing."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice seems content to watch in silence for the moment - as Dyani makes sure the flowers are arranged to her, and the hive's liking - and as Talia is studied by the bees. At least she'd warned the other woman about the bees. Right?
    "The other half of the pizza has sausage," is the only comment they get out of Blink for the moment - as amusement pulls at the corners of her lips.

Talia Wagner has posed:
"Thank goodness." TJ notes about the pizza. Carnivores unite.

Well it is pizza so technically still omnivores but still.

TJ is intently studying the bees and their going over the flowers and the box. "I mean... yeah sure. Brushing is nice in general. Honestly it is an oxytocin factory."

Thoughtful noise as she looks back to Dyani. "The swarm. Can you inhabit all the bees?" close but not quite really.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The next potted flower is moved and placed near the box.

"We are the bees, they are the hive," she says simply, as if that will explain everything. "Clarice is the hive too." She walks over to the dresser and grabs a hair brush, she's never used it, she doesn't need to, then starts walking toward Talia. The bees are doing bee things, even those hanging out on Dyani seem to be serving some sort of purpose, and yes they are starting to land on Clarice in safe, obvious places.

"Many bees have come to join us since being here, they are looking for a safe place. A lot of toxic things out there in this city, too many. We have accepted them."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. I've heard that bees are important," Clarice remarks. (Okay - she watched a few youtube videos on bees today - is all. Her gaze goes to a few of the bees now crawling on her - seemingly unbothered by the experience. "Happy to do my part to help take care of them. I mean, as a member of the hive, and all."

Talia Wagner has posed:
The claiming of Clarice into the hive comment does get a sidelong look from TJ over to Clarice and well Clarice's response has just enough sass to set her at ease.

What. TJ has totally been on worlds where everyone was assimilated by wierder things than Bees.

The Mushroom world was very bad news bear.

"Important part of the whole ecosystem really." TJ agrees and then settles on the edge of the bed, someone is going to be brushed. This is good. Oxytocin.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The brushing begins on Talia's arm, whatever part my be exposed, anything else might be too personal.

"We like this place Clarice, Citadel has even had a bee go with him to the kitchen and he did not swat it. Bees are needed to keep things flowering, and flowering is needed to make things produce food and food is needed because duh... food."

Some of the bees start crawling into Talia now, carefully, just testing out how welcome they are. "We very much enjoy helping things grow so people can eat, but not Hydra people, we do not like them and wish them all dead. We intend to sting them all, a lot." She says this just as cheerfully as she has said everything else.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Just so long as there's enough bees left in the hive afterwards, Dyani," Clarice cautions the girl - as if Dyani doesn't have a much better understanding of all this - than the teleporter ever could. "I don't want you to come to harm."
    Her gaze follows the other two as they settle in beside each other on the bed - her posture relaxed, and her expression at ease. Her gaze locks onto Dyani's, however, as she adds, "We were able to track down your parents today, Dyani. They're well, and very glad to hear you're free again."

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ knows the score, she holds her arms out, pausing a moment though to lean back and shrug out of her hoodie so it is just that white tube top.

Maximum arm and shoulder without being too personal.

She also doesn't seem too terribly worried about the bees. Dyani said she was the hive and the hive was her. TJ isn't threatening them so they shouldn't be a danger right.

"Hydra is a bag of dicks. Everywhere. Everytime. How did they get ahold of you Stinger?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The brushing continues, then for one moment as Clarice mentions her parents, Talia's face gets brushed on accident.

"They are well! They are happy!" She exclaims, then notes she brushes Talia's face. "We are sorry." Back to the arm.

"We are so happy our parents are alright, we have been worried that Hydra did something to them as well." She looks to Talia. "Hydra captured us in a net, and when we swarmed, the net held. That is the last thing we remember before waking up here."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "No - they didn't harm them," Clarice answers. "They only wanted you, after all. Your parents looked for you, and filed Missing Persons reports, but... they weren't able to find you." She pulls out a cellphone with only one contact number listed on it - and offers it to Dyani wordlessly.
    "When you're ready," she says quietly. "But only use it for the number I programmed into it - please."

Talia Wagner has posed:
Nearly gets her eye brushed. She blinks it shut to protect it from it from bristles. "No problem... no harm done." she blinks a couple of times as she goes back to getting her arm brushed.

Her tail ... was it here before... well it is there now swishing.

Odd Tail.

"Well we will have to see about making sure Hydra doesn't do that anymore than. Stupid Nazis."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
For a moment Dyani just looks at the phone, head turning side ways. "Is it an easy number?" She asks, still brushing Talia's arm. "We cannot see the numbers well, but the bees can if we need to. We want to hear our human mother's voice again."

She was all content to take the phone and then there is this tail. How did she miss the tail?! She stares at it with at least most of her eyes, even a few bees have to go fly over to buzz by it.

"Tail..." she whispers in surprise and glee at the same time, but does not go to touch it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It's programmed in. All you have to do is open the phonebook entry, and hit the call button. But I can help you with that if you like, or Citadel," Clarice offers helpfully. She's studying one of the bees on her hand as she talks - when there's a knock at the door and she pops to her feet. The faint smell of pizza starts to waft into the room.
    "I think our food's here," she says brightly - before opening the door. "Thanks, Citadel," she tells the mutant with inky black eyes as he shoves a pizza box into her hands. "I'm starved. Who's in?" The door is closed again with a shove from her foot.

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ looks at the reaction to her tail and grins toothy again and then curls it up and around and boops Dyani very lightly on the nose. "Can touch if you want. You're polite and wait for permission unlike some grabby folks."

Heer attention shifts to Clarice and the fetching of pizza food "Hey Citidal!" she calls to him.

No she has no idea who he is, having not met him yet and all, but she is snarky. "Ooo pizza."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Pizza doesn't matter, that tail does. Dyani is fascinated by it, the way it moves, the angle it comes from Talia's back, just about everything relating to that tail, Dyani is looking at.

"You were born this way?" She asks Talia, reaching very carefully to touch the tail. A poke, single finger, one light poke. Then her hand is drawn back. She doesn't want to be rude about it, after all some mutants get touchy about being different, but Dyani has been stared at most of her life so she's used to it and here is another Mutant would likely got stared at, and it was a wonderful feeling not to be alone.

"We were born with the antenna, then we cocooned when we were were ten and were born again with wings, and our eyes."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Dyani hasn't been around very many mutants, yet," Clarice explains. Not that the girl remembers, anyways. "So she's very curious to meet more of our kind." She pizza is set out on the dresser next to the hive box - and Clarice opens it up - getting some sausage for Talia, some pineapple for Dyani - and one of each for herself. Plates are passed out accordingly, with little cheese and pepper packets on the side.
    "I'll admit - the tail is pretty neat."

Talia Wagner has posed:
"Yeah I was born this way. My dad has a tail like that too... it runs in the family I think. At least on one of the sides of it.... really not sure who my dad's dad actually is. I can't really ask my grams that one. She might stab me...."

She considers.

"But yeah I was raised by and around mutants... childhood was chaotic but pretty accepting and normal as it could be I guess..." she nods. "The wings are awesome Stinger."

Oh. Pizza. She reaches for her plate.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
For now Dyani sets the brush down, one more little pet of the tail is taken and then she moves over to the pizza on the dresser. One slice is set onto a separate plate, which she then puts further away on the dresser, almost immediately there are bees. Another piece for herself is then taken and she walks back over to the bed. Since they are both sitting on the bed, she sits in the chair.

"There were no mutants where we were," is offered for explanation. "Our human mother and human father loved us, no matter the changes, and protected us from those who might do us harm. We were not allowed to go to the reservation school however, because we were so different, but our mother tried to teach us some things at last."

She bites into the pizza, a huge bite really, and starts chewing.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice starts to nibble on the pizza as well - though she glances aside at Talia - something speculative in her gaze. She takes a second bite without comment - before she finally comes out with it.
    "Talia... if I said 'Mystique' and 'cliff'..."
    Oh dear.

Talia Wagner has posed:
TJ takes a big bite of the pizza and chews on it quietly while she listens to Dyani there.

"Really sorry you didn't get to go to a school or have a more normal childhood kiddo. I'm glady our parents did their best they could by you though." she takes another bite. "We'll make sure Hydra gets what is coming to them though."

The words from Clarice have her looking over at Blink. "Mystique and cliff.... I." she pauses. "I'm not sure I follow Clarice?" she genuinely seems puzzled too.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani chews up the bite she took, then looks to Talia again. "We want to go to a school with other mutants, Clarice said we may get to some day, for now we are staying here to be safe. Hydra may still be looking for us," she looks between the two, noticing that Clarice is asking questions about someone. She doesn't want to interrupt so she folds her legs up on the chair and settles on eating her pizza.

The bees are quite merrily enjoying their piece as well, bits and pieces carried off to their new bee box.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice watches Talia for a moment longer, then shrugs her shoulders in response, without offering anything more clarifying. "If it doesn't mean anything to you, then it doesn't matter."
    Looking back to Dyani she adds, "I'll get you in to a school - with other mutants, I promise you. Where you'll be safe. I talked to your parents, and they were very supportive of the idea, so there should be no problem. But it's summer right now - and you need time to recover."

Talia Wagner has posed:
"There is definitely some schooling with other mutant options to be had." TJ confirms, helping lend weight maybe to Clarice's promises.

Which honestly makes sense, Asteroid M isn't really set up right now for High School so iti s Genosha or Xavier really.

"Good pizza choice Clarice." TJ notes.

God she loves being able to reliably have pizza again.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
The process of eating of eating for Dyani is really bite, chew, swallow, repeat, until slice is gone.

"This pizza is very good, we like it.. the hive likes it too," she points to the dresser. The piece of pizza there is covered in bees.

"I believe Clarice, she is hive. We would like to go out and see this city, but we have to recover and hide from Hydra. Maybe we will get to see the city once Hydra is murderized."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You'll have a chance to see more of this city," Clarice promises, between bites of her pizza. She seems to be shifting back and forth between sausage, and pineapple. "For now - you can explore with some of your scouts, a little. Right?" She asks - gesturing towards the hive. "While //you// stay safely here. And when we have the matter of school figured out - then I can use my teleportation to bring you there to see if you like it."
    She smiles at the pair as she adds, "I'm glad everyone is enjoying the pizza. Those... pieces of pineapple, though. They don't go rotten in there...? In the hive box?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
Talia slips up to her feet nimbly and walks over to get another slice of pizza.

Tail nowhere to be seen.

"I imagine the bees handle it. I'm just guessign though." she grins and selects another slice heavy on meat not pinapple.

"Blink portal express."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani Zitkala finishes her piece, then licks off her fingers. "We have been exploring a little, but they can only go so far in an hour. We seem to have lost some of the time we had gained, but we will get back to it with practice. There is an old man not far from here, with many bee boxes in his back yard, he is very friendly. We sent many to his boxes and his queens, so his honey will be extra special." She offers a huge smile, then stands to collect a second piece.

"They will eat the pineapple first, then the meats and cheese. It does not go bad, there are many that come and go from here now."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If he's gonna have great honey - maybe I have to find this guy so I can get a jar," Clarice remarks - grinning at Dyani. Though she suspects 'getting her hands on nice honey' is not going to be an issue going forward.
    As for the 'Blink portal express.' "It's the only way to travel," she remarks. Though after a brief pause she adds, "Actually, though - I drove in a '56 Chevy convertable' the other night. It was... kinda nice. Different, anyways. I enjoyed myself."

Talia Wagner has posed:
"Well I mean, you could portal the '56 chevy and we could go drive Route 66 sometime... like some sort of road trip movie Clarice." there is a grin.

TJ stays by the pizza box as she works on this piece though. Maybe she plans a third before giving up on it. Downright hedonistic.

"I admit.. now I wonder how mutant bee honey actually is."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani Zitkala cants her head, "We do not make the honey, the hive makes the honey." She looks to Clarice for a moment, then back to Talia. "We could try to make honey however, if you would like."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well - I think I would have to ask Robert if he minded, first," Clarice remarks with a laugh. "I suppose he wouldn't mind, though. As long as I promised not to ruin his car."
    Towards Dyani - she shakes her head, adding, "That's fine, Dyani. I mean - you have the hive box now. If you want ot make honey in there, you can. If you don't want to - you don't need to. I just want you, and the hive, to be happy. To have everything you need. Yeah?" she explains encouragingly. "If there's anything else you need, you just tell me and I'll make it happen."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Going back over to the chair, Dyani settles in.

"They will make honey, and we will watch through their eyes. It is an amazing process really, I wish I could share it others, though we think there are videos of hives that have been studied. You have given us everything we need Clarice. You have given us freedom and friendship, a roof over our head, a box for the hive, pretty flowers to gather pollen and pizza. There is nothing else I need."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Good. That was my intention, after all." Dyani has been through enough hardship - the girl deserves to be spoiled - for a bit. She smiles at Stinger between bites at her pizza - and polishes off the two pieces she'd claimed for herself, letting out a satisfied sigh.
    "Your parents recorded a little message for you - on my phone," she remarks. "If you want to listen to that before you call them. I imagine it would be nice to hear their voices..." even if Dyani wouldn't be able to really see the images on the screen well.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani scoots closer, head tilting one way, then the other, "We would like to hear our human parents."

Several of the bees lift off her shoulders to fly over and land on the phone, along the edges. "They will see for us, we can maybe see our parents faces. Can they visit sometimes that we can hug them again?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Definitely," Clarice promises. "And soon. You're a family - it would be wrong to keep you from each other." She pulls out her phone - loading up the video, and waiting until several bees appear to be in position - before she'll press play on the message for the girl. It had been a surprisingly emotional encounter for Clarice - seeing out the girl's parents had reacted to the news - and just playing the message, she has to fight the urge to tear up all over again.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
For that moment Dyani actually closes her own eyes, focusing entirely through the eyes of the bees. They saw mostly the same as she did, but it was a smaller area and they were aimed at her parents faces. She remained that way listening to her parents voices and tears start to roll from her eyes.

To her it had only been a few days since she saw her parents, but then she was two years younger then, and the reality was they had spent two years waiting for any sort of news regarding their daughter. Hearing them, relieved and excited to know she was alive and out there, it was emotional enough to make insect eyes cry.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    When the message is over, Clarice moves towards the other girl, gently shooing away a few bees so she can squeeze in next to her on the chair. It's tight - but they're both relatively slight figures. Dyani even more so than Clarice. She puts her arm around the girl, giving her a reassuring smile. "They will be so happy to see you," she murmurs quietly. "I could tell, how much you're loved. How much you were missed."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani wipes her eyes with her arm, then finally opens them to look at Clarice. "They were still on the farm?" She asks softly, wiping her eyes again then she shoos the bees away so she can hug Clarice. In that moment, a large number of bees start landing on Clarice as well. "You have the farm scents on you, their scents on you, the hive can taste it."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "They were," Clarice confirms. "I think..." She's silent for a moment, and clears her throat before she continues. "They wanted you to know how to find your way home," she offers. "They wanted you to always know where they were. They looked for you, and they waited, and they hoped."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani Zitkala hugs her even tighter, laying her head on Clarice's shoulder. "We are so, so, so glad you found us Clarice, and then found them, and told them we were alive." She clears her throat. "It feels like it was only yesterday to us, but so long for them. When can we see them Clarice?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Tomorrow, I hope. I just want to make sure everything is safe - for them, and for you. Alright?" Clarice answers. Her own hug remains gentle, and mindful of the girl's wings. The last thing she wants to do is damage them in some way - they //seem// so fragile. "But they definitely want to see you as soon as they can. And they were willing to travel via my teleport to do so."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani finally breaks the hug, leaning back. "Make sure they are safe, we need them safe. We can wait to see them, for us it was only a few days." She stretches her wings out, every once in a while they have to be stretched. "You worry that Hydra are watching them, that they will return if they think we're there. I understand."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    That's my concern, yes," Clarice agrees. "And if I am seen there... Well. I'm known." She smiles a bit regretfully as she says that. "But you can call them - on that phone. You can talk to one another. They'll be glad to hear from you. I imagine, even with the video we made... they'll be wondering if you're really free or not. If it's some sort of trick."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani nods slowly with a soft sigh, then she looks toward the window as her tone changes. "We hate Hydra. We want revenge, we want to hurt them, we want to make them suffer like they made our human parents suffer." Slowly she looks back to Clarice. "Can we make that happen Clarice?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "We can, and we will," Clarice promises, tilting her head to study Dyani. "That is what the Brotherhood does. We don't let these people get away with hurting mutants."
    She tries to gauge the girl's expression before she asks, "But is this something you simply want to ensure we make happen? Or something you want to help to do yourself? You don't remember your time with them - you don't remember hurting people. And it's not something you need to do if you don't want to."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani suddenly looks away to the wall, at least the wall was solid it hurt less to look at. "Yes," she finally says quietly. "We remember. It comes in dreams, and when we wake, we remember." She looks back to Clarice. "We want to help, we want to find them and /hurt/ them! We want to do this for our human parents, for the other mutants, because its right and they have more and they will keep gathering more because it works. The collars work and they will make them stronger and start embedding them in us. We need to help, we need to do this."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    She does remember? Clarice's heart aches for the girl, as she nods her head in confirmation of her words. "Alright," she agrees quietly. "Well. Since you do remember - anything you can tell us about where, and how you were being held will be helpful. Anything that might help us to track them. If there were ways for any of your bees to get in or out - maybe... maybe there's a way we could use that to confirm where the other mutants are at, so we can free them... and destroy the monsters doing this to our brothers and sisters."
    Quietly and gently she adds, "But I don't want you to feel like you //have// to do any of this, Dyani. We have people who are very good at hunting, and tracking, and killing. If at any point you decide you don't want to be involved in killing - you must tell me. You've never //chosen// to kill. And you don't have to if you don't want to. I want whatever is right for you, to heal and grow strong again. Alright?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Both of Dyani's wing stick straight out from her back and start to flicker in the air, not for flight but agitation. "We are not afraid, we will do this for our human parents and the other mutants. We promise to tell you if it is too much, if we need to stop, if we need to fly away... but we need to do this, we feel it in our heart."

She seems to calm a little, "We will write down our dreams, the details, the things we can remember, but we will not go looking for anything without you."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I can understand that feeling," Clarice agrees quietly. "But... thank you - for not trying to do this one your own. I want you to stay safe. This is too much for any of us to do alone. We need each other." She smiles at Dyani as she adds, "This is just the sort of thing Mister Creed would happily help us with, as well." She gives the girl a squeeze, then adds, "I should take Talia home - but I will be back shortly. Okay?" She rises to her feet, smiling at Dyani encouragingly before she pads away.
    If the girl has that much pain in her - would Xavier's be the right place after all? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Certainly they wouldn't approve of taking the girl on such a hunt.
    She'll have to think on it.