7013/Clarice needs to drink... a lot

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Clarice needs to drink... a lot
Date of Scene: 20 July 2021
Location: Cafeteria and Bar
Synopsis: Clarice is soooo drunk, but at least she made it through the night without killing anyone. Does anyone know if Creed make a good teddy bear? Yes, Clarice does.
Cast of Characters: Raven Darkholme, Clarice Ferguson, Lydia Dietrich




Raven Darkholme has posed:
A text was sent to Lydia, a quick note asking her to meet with Mitch, one of the teleporters who has moved her around before, to come to the Asteroid and help... what she's helping with is one word: Clarice. Something was up and she needed support.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice is currently seated at one of the tables in the bar - with a bottle of scotch in front of her, and a glass, as well as the bag of chips she'd bought before Scott had come over for their meeting. No dip, though. She seems stolidly determined to find the bottom of that bottle of scotch, if you judge by the way she knocked back the first glass immediately, before going in for a refill.
    For the moment, she stares in silence at the bottle in front of her, seemingly lost to her own unpleasant thoughts.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia was in the middle of cleaning up her apartment some when the text came. Scowling she threw on some clothes that are suitable for the outside, some jeans (yes she owns a pair of jeans) and a lavender blouse. She hurries over to where Mitch is stationed, not bothering with taking The Toaster, instead opting to fly there, and is teleported up to the Asteroid.

The first thing she did when she got up there was to ask where Clarice might be, and she got directed to the bar. "Hello, Clarice," she says gently, spying the bottle of scotch and the grim determination of her friend to drink it. She pulls up a chair, and sits on it, "Is everything okay?" It's obvious that it's not, but it's the kind of thing that you say to prompt people into talking about what's troubling them.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique is hovering near the bar, she had been watching Clarice but honestly wasn't sure how to approach, which is why she called Lydia. Now that she was here she made her way over to the table, first offering Lydia a single rose, then sitting down to look across the table from Clarice.

"We have a... new problem that hits a bit close to home," she answers as least in part, the rest was up to Clarice to share.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets out a snort - though if that's in response to Mystique or Lydia, it's a little unclear. She takes another sip of her scotch, still staring at the bottle without seeing it, and without giving any answer.
    After a long silence, though, she finally offers, "The Magistrates aren't dead. Or at least one of them isn't. I always just- assumed they were. That the Brotherhood got them all. But they must have missed one..."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia's eyes light up at the unexpected rose. There's even a little surprised gasp and a softly breathed "Aww!" as she takes the flower and inhales its scent. She gives Mystique an adoring look but nods, and her attitude quickly turns to business.

Her eyes snap to Clarice. "Wait, what? One of them is still alive?" Her eyes shift to Mystique for confirmation and then back to Clarice. "How did you find out?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Adjusting herself in the chair, Mystique shrugs, "We haven't confirmed it's a Magistrate, but the indications are very similar." She looks back to Clarice, "We don't know for certain Clarice, it could be something else."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It is!" Clarice insists firmly, in an almost explosive outburst. "It's the same. It's the same M.O., the same thing they did to me. They used- they used the doctors, there. Got parents to go there to- to get help for their children. Got my parents to move there, for the best life for me. And the doctor said I need a surgery, and my parents took me to the hospital and that's- that's when they took me. I always thought - I thought my parents gave me to them. But they didn't, they told them I'd died. Died in the surgery. You see? So they never looked for me. They never came, that's what they never came!" This, of course, was recent news to Clarice - pieced together from what she remembered - and what she'd learned from Nicolai.
    "And this is the same. They're using the priests to find the children - getting the parents to hand the kids over willingly. So no one will be looking. So no one will try to get them back. It's a little different, but it's... it's the same. It has to be a Magistrate." Her eyes shift between Lydia and Mystique as she delivers what no-doubt comes across as a slightly unhinged rant, her hands clutching tightly to her glass.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia's face falls when Clarice explains and says her peace. She reaches over and places a hand on Clarice's arm and squeezes gently. "That's horrible, but it's good that we found out when we did. We can go in and extract the kids before any more damage can be done, and then make moves to shut down the facility permanently."

She studies her friend's face for a moment and she squeezes again. "I know this must be hard for you, especially since you're depowered right now. I can see how much you care, and I can guess that you want nothing more than to be able to port in right now and rescue those kids." She scooches her chair closer to Clarice's and wraps an arm around the other mutant, squeezing in a hug. "The Brotherhood moves swiftly. You know this. We won't let this stand."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique conceals her surprise at Lydia's words, but she doesn't hide her smile. She said we, it was more than mere employment, she was here to stay and that... that surprised her and overjoyed at the same time. For now however she needed to keep her focus on Clarice, so she looks back to the purple mutant.

"Once we know a little more about the drug they are using Clarice, we're going in, you know that. The children are the priority, nothing else matters until they are safe, once they are, then we act against the facility itself." She shifts her eyes for just a moment to Lydia, but they go back to Clarice quickly. "Reverend Franklin dies, the fate of the rest is up to Scott. It's the only way to maintain the truce."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    As the hand goes over Clarice's arm - she startles slightly. It's a small thing, but noticeable, as her arm twitches under the touch, and her gaze goes sharply towards Lydia. She doesn't try to pull away, however. At the arm around her shoulder, her breath goes shaky - and she has to blink away a few tears, before focusing her gaze on Mystique. "If there's a Magistrate... he's mine. Mine and Creed's. We'll... We'll take care of him. Make sure he pays for everything he did," she insists.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia looks surprised at Mystique, "Scott bought off on Franklin's death? I've only met him a couple of times but he never struck me as the kind of guy to compromise on killing somebody." She shakes her head. "Honestly I wish there was some other option, myself, but I know that sometimes ... well ... in order to save more people, some people just have to die." It feels uncomfortable for her to admit that, but she knew that she was going to have to confront that feeling when she joined the Brotherhood. Especially know that she's involved with Mystique on a more intimate level.

She keeps her arm around Clarice, offering her comfort and support. "I worry that you may get in over your head while you don't have your powers but... just... be careful when you go in, okay? Hopefully this will bring some kind of closure."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sliding her chair around to sit on the other side of Clarice, Mystique doesn't touch her but she does lean in a little closer to say, "No Clarice, if there's a Magistrate, you kill him... no one else. I will hold him down myself and you will kill him. Creed hasn't suffered at their hands. I haven't suffered at their hands. You did, you kill who ever it is, no one else. If you want to do it slowly, fine, then it will be slowly, that is your say entirely."

Taking a slow deep breath she finally lays her hand on Clarice's shoulder, "Now you need to listen. Until we know what is there, who is there, we need to treat this as if it any other job. You've got to get your head together."

She looks over to Lydia, "Scott signed off on Franklin, he also signed off on the children going to Genosha. My concession is complete transparency with the children and that the others are dealt with by human police. We may have to clear out that drug and a few other things before we hand it all over to the human police, because there is no way I'm letting that kind of thing fall into human hands."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "We don't give a Magistrate any chance of walking," Clarice asserts firmly. "No chance of picking up, and starting this over //again//. I don't care what Scott thinks." She picks up her scotch to knock back most of the contents, her gaze going to Mystique as the other woman moves closer.
    She's silent a moment before offering quietly, "That's why I need him. He's better at..." making it last. "Scott won't be okay with that, and you know it. None of them will. We need to teleport him somewhere."
    Somewhere they can take their time, because he doesn't deserve a swift and painless end.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia looks uncomfortable at all this talk of slow murdering, but again, this is what she signed up for. She went into this eyes open knowing that there will be times like this, that the 'action' that is needed is more 'direct' and less 'community'. She's not going to try to dissuade anybody on it either. Not with this. Not something so close to home to Clarice, whom she adores.

She nods slowly at Mystique. "That seems a reasonable compromise. Such a drug would be dangerous even in the right hands." She squeezes Clarice again, "You go do what you need to do, and I hope that it helps bring some kind of closure. I hate seeing you hurt so."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique moves back from Clarice, now sliding her chair around to sit beside Lydia. It's not that she doesn't want to be there for Clarice, its more a case that she's pretty sure the scotch will hit soon and then nothing said will matter any more.

"Clarice, we just have to wait and see what happens. In the mean time just drink, and let it go for tonight."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I know what's going to happen," Clarice answers quietly. "I know. We'll get the kids clear. We'll get them help. And we'll teleport this asshole somewhere... quiet. He's not getting away again." She finishes off the second glass of scotch - and pours herself a third with a slightly unsteady hand.
    "You saw the kids, yeah?" she asks Mystique, before taking another sip. "Are they numbered?" she asks bluntly.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia finally drops her arm from around Clarice now that she's on her third glass. She wants to help and make things better but she recognizes that sometimes self medication will do the trick.

Clarice's question makes her wince. She remembers what Clarice had told her about her history. She also remembers her own family's history. She's had family members who had to wear numbered tattoos until the day that they died. "Never again," she says bitterly.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique cracks her neck, "No Clarice, they aren't numbered. I would have mentioned that before, I remember..." she stops there, not wanting to bring it up again. "No, no numbers... would of went on a murdering spree myself if there had been."

She slides the bottle over to steal a drink from it, then slides it back to Clarice. No more than a drink, that was enough, scotch isn't her drink and she needs to stay alert, there is still a great deal to do before she calls it a night.

"I didn't go into detail with Scott, maybe I should have... he's got no connection, no idea, claims to care more than even I do...."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    No numbers. That was good at least. No numbers. She drinks again from her glass before adding with a bitter laugh, "Claimed to care more than me. Poor Scott, grew up in a //foster home// away from his brother," she mocks. Yeah, the booze has definitely started to hit.
    Her gaze goes to Lydia as she adds, "Six. One of the kids is only six. I was- I hadn't even started school yet, when they-" She cuts off, taking another drink from her glass instead.
    "Why do people have to suck so much?" she asks rhetorically.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia shakes her head, "Nobody should have to live though that kind of atrocity, and it makes me sick that it's happening here." She scowls. "Especially a six year old."

She sighs, and leans back in her chair, "That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" She shakes her head. "I wish I knew the answer to that. "

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sadly, Mystique actually knew the answer. She has lived long enough to see the cycle repeat over and over again in humanity. She has seen first hand the treatment humans give to each other concerning those who were different, add to that equation the mutation and what you get is fear of difference leading to the nightmares that Clarice and herself have lived through. She was right, for Scott to compare what he went through to Clarice and herself as damn near an insult, but she had let it go then and she will still let it go.

"Maybe you should start mixing that scotch with something else," she offered, noting the third glass was already disappearing.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Tonight is about oblivion. Tomorrow's about regret," Clarice remarks, before taking another sip. At least she was clear-headed enough to know that much.
    And at least she's slowing down.
    She stares down at the cup in her hands for awhile before remarking, "I never looked for them because I thought they gave me to the Mutate Program. I thought they didn't want me. And then Genosha fell, and it was too late." She looks to Mystique with tears in her eyes as she adds, "Nicolai talked to my mom. I had a little sister - I never knew. I screwed it all up - I could've at least seen them again - I could've met her. But I thought- I thought they didn't want me."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia just bursts out laughing at Clarice's remark about oblivion. "Been there," she chuckles, "and I'm still suffering from the hangover."

Her eyes turn sad, "You never knew," she said gently. "You were a little girl when they took you. How /could/ you know?" She pauses thoughtfully. "You said that Nicolai talked to your mom. Does that mean she's alive or is that some of the weird Astral stuff that he does?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"Ghost," Mystique states softly. "But Lydia is right Clarice, you had no way or knowing. How could you?" While she talking she pulls out her phone and starts tapping away on it without looking. "You have to start forgiving yourself Clarice, because you didn't do anything but get your ass handed to you, as a child. You're not that child any more, and your free."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "She's dead," Clarice answers quietly. "We went to Genosha - to look for them. I- saw her somehow, but I couldn't hear her." She blinks away a few tears as she adds, "I just- I wanted to hear her. I wanted to know what her voice sounded like."
    She looks between the two of them, her expression strained, and her hand tight around her glass. "I just- I wish I'd made a different choice, is all," she murmurs.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods solemnly. Ghosts. Something she doesn't talk about her powers is how she knows when ghosts are about. She wonders if this is something that she can train so she can give voices to the dead. Her eyes flicker to Mystique's. She'll have to bring that up with her one day.

"I know," Lydia says softly. "I suppose it's a kind of grief, really. Mourning for the loss of what could have been. I think, in that way, it's okay to grieve for it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique keeps her hands under the table working on her phone, then finally slips it back into her pocket. The search has begin. A million files to search through will take her computer some time, but it has begun. Standing up, she walks back around the table and hugs Clarice, nice and tight. "Mourn, cry, vent, drink... talk it out and we're here to listen."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It takes her a moment - but Clarice actually leans wordlessly into the hug this time, while reaching up with one hand to wipe at her eyes.
    "I'm sorry I'm such a mess sometimes. I 'ppreciate you both being so... being so..." She fails to find the words she wants, but presumes they understand. "I just- somehow I thought they were all gone, and now this, and we only just- only just stopped the Hydra program that was doing the same thing, and- I just want to go on another hunt, but with my powers not working..." How can she back up Mister Creed?

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"It's okay to be a mess," Lydia offers gently. "Especially given the trauma that you've endured. You're strong, really. Anybody else wouldn't have been able to get through it but /you/ have." She frowns, "We're here for you, and if there's anything I can personally do for you, just... let me know, okay?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Keeping the hug, Raven closes her eyes and whispers something in Clarice's ear before she leans back a little to add, "They could be all gone Clarice, we don't know that... if you need a distraction, we'll find something. Maybe I can get Victor to play some video games with you, think that would be entertaining? Imagine him playing Mario Cart," she offers a smile, then finally let's go of Clarice. "Want me to arrange it?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I 'ppreciate it," Clarice repeats to Lydia - though she doesn't seem to have any specific ways for the other woman to help - and then she adds softly, towards Mystique, with her head resting against her, "I know... They are gone, though. Or- or their names'd be on the survivor lists. I checked - in Genosha, and Wakanda."
    She finishes off her third glass of the scotch - then adds with a laugh, "I'm no better at video games than he is."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods, and leans back feeling just a little bit helpless. She doesn't like seeing Clarice in pain, and she doesn't like that there isn't anything she can really do about it.

"Well, then," she quips. "It'd be an even match."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique pats Clarice on the back, "That's the idea, even playing field. I mean we'll need numerous, I mean a /lot/ of controllers, or cork on the end of Victor's claws... which do you think would be more entertaining?" There is a huge grin on her as she is saying thing. "What you say Clarice? Shall I arrange it?"

Her phone chimes once, but for now she ignores it, she won't risk saying anything until she has proof.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "He doesn't need corks. He keeps the claws in - when he wants to. He know how to be gentle.
    "We'll play the games, and then we'll go on a hunt, and then we'll go to the island," Clarice suggests. "We'll make a day of it. Lydia can come, too." You know Clarice must be drunk if she's inviting Lydia on a 'hunt.' "Yeah? It's a good plan." There's a hint of a smile on her features now. Something, at least, has eased in her - and that desperate rage and panic from earlier at least seems to have disappated.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I would /love/ to meet Mister Creed," Lydia says, still oblivious to who Mister Creed actually is. "And I'd love to see your island! We could all go snorkeling." She nods, giving Clarice a gentle smile. "This is a good way to take a day off, and I'd be happy to share that with you."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique glances to Lydia, wondering if she knows what sort of hunt's Victor and Clarice go on. She give a quick shake of her head, the only indication that she would never let that happen, would never let Lydia go on one of those hunts. The island, now that's something she could see Lydia going to and enjoying.

"Does this mean bikini swimming Clarice?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Bikinis are fine," Clarice agrees. "Just makes sure you bring flippers - or booties - fire coral sucks," she explains simply. ...it seems someone speaks with the pain of past experience.
    "The island's nice. It's quiet. It's-" she frowns suddenly, then adds, "I don't usually... bring anyone there," she muses, still resting her head on Mystique. "Is it a good idea? Bringing people to the island?" she asks Mystique - as if that's a question the woman could really answer for her - before she lets out a yawn.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia would be horrified to find out that the kind of hunts that Clarice is talking about don't involve things like deer or rabbits or, really, animals. "Ooh!" she says excitedly. "I never really get to wear my bikini. This will be exciting!" She stops when Clarice asks her last question, and purses her lips. "Well. That's up to you, really. Why don't you sleep on it and let us know tomorrow."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique hmms softly, remaining right where she is to let Clarice lean, and apparently start getting sleepy, which was a very good thing. "The people you trust, the people you care about and who care about you, sure... it's a good idea, beside, none of us can get there so you don't have to worry about." She looks to Lydia again, letting her imagination run away with what she would look like in a bikini but she forces her mind back to the present, to Clarice. "Let me get you to your room Clarice, a good nights sleep and we'll talk island tomorrow, alright?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah, okay, sure," Clarice agrees. She lets Mystique help her up - and then she grabs the chips off the table. Midnight snack, apparently?
    "Is Mister Creed in his room?" she asks in an almost whining tone as she's guided down the hall. "I sleep better when I can smell 'im," she explains with more candor than she'd normally show. "You know? You know what I mean? I'm sure he won't mind."