7078/How Do You Solve a Problem Like...

How Do You Solve a Problem Like...
Date of Scene:	26 July 2021
Location:	Breakstone Lake
Synopsis:	You can't.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Dyani Zitkala, Xi'An Coy Manh, Henry McCoy

---

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice allows Jubilee enough time to clear the area - and finishes off her plate of chips and dip. Once she's achieved that, she moves to the malted shakes line and retrieves three - a strawberry and pair of chocolates - before she'll make her way to where Dyani is petting Dr. McCoy's arm. "Chocolate or strawberry?" she asks brightly before she takes a seat with the pair - holding out the drinks for them to choose from with an encouraging smile on her features.
    "Feeling better, Dyani?" she asks hopefully.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani is still a vibrating nervous wreck, but petting Hank's arm seems to be slowly calming her down. Pet, pet, pet, a little calmer. Pet, pet, pet, a little more calm. She doesn't know how to social, she doesn't know how to deal with emotions. These are things that were stolen from her while a prisoner of Hydra.

Slowly the bees are starting to return, landing on Dyani and buzzing around the food. "Strawberry please, we like strawberries a great deal," she replies, accepting the drink. Does this mean she stops petting? Nope, the other hand keeps petting just not as vigorously as she had been.

"We do not know how to emotion," she admits plainly to Hank, as if that wasn't clear already.

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan, in the intermediate period, had eaten her little bit of potato salad and looked out towards the lake thoughtfully, as if considering if she wants to pop her leg off and try to swim or just... float. Perhaps vibe. She moves, casually, in the general direction of Hank and Dyani with Clarice as partial concealment; get nearer, without putting pressure on. (Is Shan using the same reasoning she would use to make friends with an anxious cat? (Yes.))

Henry McCoy has posed:
There's no worries from Hank at being petted, or being support for Dyani's nerves. "Chocolate for me." He answers, before looking to Dyani. "You do, you just need to work on your fine-tuning and response to your emotions." The man explains. "Everyone has done something wrong in the past. Between Jubilee and Clarice, there is some bad blood. I am not one hundred percent on what it is - but that is for them to sort out." A pause. "They will resolve it as they do - but right now, it is tension."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well, I'm not entirely sure what the bad blood is. I've //never// harmed that girl," Clarice says with frustration. "And I've never been anything but polite, and she treats me like-" She can feel her own anger growing - and she has a good notion of what that will do to Dyani's tenuous control over her own feelings.
    "Sorry. I'm sorry, Dyani. I'm fine," she says hastily. "I just- I honestly don't know what to do about it other than avoid the girl entirely. She seems like an awful person to me."
    With two of the shakes handed off, she settles in to sip her own chocolate shake with a frustrated and gloomy expression on her features.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Wrapped up in strawberry, petting and more information about Jubilation, Dyani doesn't really notice Shan. She is /finally/ no longer vibrating, so she takes the lid off the shake and almost instantly there are bees diving in to steal tastes while she sucks shake up threw the straw.

"Our favorite is strawberries with sugar and water, cannot get enough of that," she states between drinks, then she looks to Hank. "But Clarice is our hive, she saved us. We are..." she pauses as Clarice start to speak, but this time although she senses and tastes the tension from the purple mutant, she recognizes it for what it is and manages to keep her own head.

"You do not have to be sorry to us Clarice, we have seen her treat you poorly twice now, and we do not like it at all. If you have a problem with someone, you are supposed to talk to them and work it our, that is what our human mother says. If Jubilation cannot be bothered to speak to you, then really is she worth the time and energy to even try and understand? We do not think so."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
This is when Shan inserts herself.

"Your mother is wise," she comments to Dyani. "But these things are not always so simple as that. Even if," and now Shan turns to face Clarice directly, "they are often incredibly frustrating. Madame, I do not think we have met before."

Shan offers her hand that isn't holding a little plate and a fork. "I am Xi'an Coy Manh, and I want to apologize for these difficulties, and for Jubilation's behavior."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "//Madame//?" Clarice repeats with amusement. She doesn't think she's ever been called that before. She accepts Xi'an's hand - giving is a shake though her own hand feels cold, thanks to the drinks she'd been carrying. "I'm Clarice Ferguson - just Clarice is fine," she offers.
    "Strawberries with water and sugar. I'll keep that in mind, Dyani," she promises - before nodding her head to the girl beside her. "This is Dyani Zitkala - a new student that the Brotherhood helped rescue from less than ideal circumstances," she explains. "Xavier's was kind enough to give her refuge - and an education."
    She lets out a sigh before adding towards Dyani, "As much as I'd like to simply ignore her back - I'm trying to mend things. And I worry that she's going to... tear everything down out of spite."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Instantly Dyani's head snaps to look at this new person and out of habit she tilts her head slightly, but quickly remembers she doesn't have to do that now. She can Shan, and memorize her face and the sound of her voice. Where did she come from? She wasn't there a moment ago, or was she? For a moment she has to consider the many eyes that surround them and realizes that Shan has been there all along, she just hadn't noticed her. That changed everything, she slowly relaxed back into petting Hank's arm.

"Our human mother is very wise," she says to Shan with a smile. "She taught us many things before we were stolen, even after we changes she kept teaching us. Now we are here to learn, and Mr Hank made it so we can see... Hello, we are Dyani."

The petting stops long enough for her to offer a wave.

Her attention shifts back to Clarice, "She does not want to mend things, she made that very clear. She wants you to just not be there, or here, or near her. We may be slow, and uneducated, but that is how she treated you, like you were not there because she does not want you there. We do not know why, you are very wonderful and part of our hive."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan smiles momentarily at Dyani. It takes a little effort. "Welcome to our school," she says to her. Shan has a noticeable if not thick French accent in most situations. It is stronger right now. Perhaps from stress.

She shakes Clarice's hand. Afterwards, her own hands fold behind her back.

"Well, I do not intend to let her, Clarice, if you feel that this is so. I wish to apologize, let me be clear, for the actions which she has undertaken. In time I suppose that you shall either have to bury the hatchet, as they say, or simply accept that you will never care for each other."

Shan's eyes have been turned slightly groundwards, and here she dips her head. "But," she states, "it is important, to be able to control your emotions," and here she sort of stops, takes a deep breath, and straightens upwards. Her eyes close in full for a heartbeat's length, and then open.

Shan smiles at Clarice, if with somewhat less authenticity. "You see, I am doing it myself." After this, she turns her expression towards Dyani, and asks her, "I am curious. Can you tell me a little more about what you mean when you speak of your hive?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'm sorry if the Brotherhood has done you harm," Clarice answers Xi'an with a small, sad smile. "And I do mean it. I know the Brotherhood, and this school, have had their differences in the past. I don't think that help our joint cause, which is to ensure safety and equality for mutant kind. And I sincerely mean to find ways for us to work together - towards that goal." It's easy for passion, and excitement to leak into her voice when she speaks about such things. There's nothing more important to her.
    "If you have any ideas on how I can make that girl see that - I'd be grateful. We don't have to be friends - I just don't want us to be enemies," she explains, before drowning her frustrations in chocolate milk shake.
    Food as an emotional crutch is rarely a healthy idea, but she doesn't care.
    Nudging Dyani she adds, "You know I'm happy to part of the hive." She doesn't bother to explain what that means, though.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Behind the vis-oggles, Dyani blinks. She thought by now that it was pretty obvious what she meant, but then again it might not be if you didn't have all the information, which Shan did not.

"Um... are you alright?" She asks first, watching how Shan seems to be struggling to just exist. She thought she had problems with emotions, but clearly something wasn't settling well with Shan.

"We are hive, no... we are /a/ hive. This..." she gestures at herself, then the bees flying around. "... all hive. We are many voices and one, we are all of the bees and only some. We are... hive." She isn't certain that was helpful, but aside from showing Shan, she doesn't know how else to explain it. "Clarice saved us from Hydra, she protected us, she brought us to this school, she found our human parents, this makes her hive... er..." what is the right word. "... friend...family.... hive."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
"In the specific case? It has not," Shan answers Clarice. "Not personally." She smiles a little wanly. "I agree with what you are expressing. It is hard to give, advice, on these sorts of things. But I felt that I should speak up."

She brings her arms up now to cross them loosely, before looking towards Dyani. "Certainly," she states, about herself, and then she listens about the description of a hive.

"I see... you feel a certain sort of unity, particularly with a certain group of individuals. But it feels different from these other things, that we call by these common words..."

"I am very glad you are safe from them, now," Shan concludes, after a moment of meditative silence, returning her attention to Dyani. "As for your - the - goggles, forgive me. They are an aid to your vision, yes?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I feel responsible for Dyani's safety and well-being," Clarice supplies, for her part. "I feel-" She hesitates a moment, looking down at her drink, then aside at the girl next to her. "I think it's like you feel about a little sister, maybe," she finally admits. "I think of Dyani like that But she calls it 'hive,' which I don't mind at all. As long as we make sense of it in our own ways. She's a good kid - and she's going to do something great someday. Right, Dyani?" she asks, giving the girl a nudge.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani's smile grows huge, numerous teeth showing, over Clarice's words. "Some day, we will help all mutants like Clarice helped us," she states firmly. "We have to learn, and grow, and get better with out abilities, then we can help people in Genosha where looking like this will not get things thrown at is. Our human father took care of that person, but it still did not feel good to know people hated us because we are mutant."

She finally stops petting Hank's arm and looks more closely at Shan, "Yes. When we do not wear the vis-oggles, we cannot see well. We see like the bees see, so many images trying to form into one, it was very, very difficult and we could not read, or watch television, or even use a phone because we could not see it. The last time we were in school was..." she pauses for a moment, trying to do the math. "We changed when we were twelve, we have not been able to read since then. And we were taken when we were thirteen, so we have not been able to learn our powers well because of the collar and being forced to hurt people."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
"It does not, no," Shan murmurs to Dyani. Then she says, "ah! Yes, I see - that makes sense. Bees eyes have many small lenses instead of the one big one we have in each eye, yes?"

"If you are struggling with reading, please do not hesitate to ask for help," Shan then says: "There are many things that we can do, and of course, here at the school, with all of us, there are other things that can be done. I organize the library - I imagine that is some of why we have not yet met?" She smiles again, less formally.

She glances, then, towards Clarice. "I do not think that I have a remedy for you, Clarice, but thinking about it, I suppose that I may be able to, mm, to illustrate what I think it is that Jubilation sees. If you think that this would help you."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I don't spend much time in the library here, myself," Clarice remarks - without offering any further explination for that, herself. She takes another sip of her shake before she adds, "I'm sure Dyani will get all the help she needs to catch up. Three years is a lot of time to miss out on school, but... Not insurmountable, I think. ...right?" She certainly hopes so, anyways.
    A Xi'an's offer, she gestures for the woman to continue, a curious expression on her features. "It you think it might help... Please," she invites.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani sips at her shake, seeming to have this knack for sipping and knowing where the bees where, even when they tried to go in the straw for sips. As she would move the cup, they would fly out, and there were still several down inside the cup, they seemed to be taking turns.

"We will be in the library a lot now," she says cheerfully. "We want to read everything we can so we can catch up. We could not go to school after our change, so our human parents tried to teach us from home but it was difficult to do, and run the farm, because it required them reading everything to me. Now we can learn, we are very excited to learn."

Taking a moment to look between Shan and Clarice, she starts petting Hank's arm again to distract her so that Shan could help Clarice, it was /very/ important to her that Clarice get the information.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Snapping out of the petting reverie, Henry blinks a moment. "Compound eyes." He snaps back to the present, nodding to Xi'an. "We worked out a way to focus her sight on the front facing portions, and somewhat dim or dampen the outer rings that would cause multiple images and confusion." A smile. "When she takes off the goggles, her vision is restored to the compound variety. But with them on, she has binocular vision. Kitty helped with software that learns from biometrics and adjusts to avoid vertigo." A grin to Dyani.

"I am just very pleased it all works." He sips from his own shake.

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
"This is... speculation that comes from a library science major, not a psychological analysis," Shan says to Clarice. "So take it for what it is worth."

"I will leave aside ideological differences. You know these. There is no point in arguing them. They have their weight, and they may mean that you shall not be close any time soon. But in every conflict, there is the ideological but there is also the personal, n'est ce pas?"

"And I think in this case, the incident meant that she doubts herself and that this doubt is a very painful thing. Some of us, of course, we doubt ourselves ten times before our morning shower, but I do not think that this is where she is."

"So, if she should try to give you a ticking off again, just keep this in your mind. It is hardest to show compassion, to show civility, to those who treat us poorly," Shan says, before breathing out, "but, well, that's life, isn't it?"

Existential. Her attention turns back to Dyani and thence to Henry as well, head tilting in thought. "Interesting! I had thought that if you could see multiple characters at once it would make it easier to read Chinese, but I imagine it would be very confusing." To Dyani in specific, Shan says, "It is not a race, it is a wonderful tour. Is there a book in particular that you would like to read?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Realizing that Shan started talking to her, because most of what she said to Clarice went right over the winged mutants head, she offers a tentative smiles, "We have no knowledge of what books there are, our human father merely said no smut until we are sixteen. The only books we remember reading before were school books, but we want to learn everything so that we can find the one thing we are good at, that will help other mutants so we know where to aim our studies. We like bees," she giggles. "obviously, we like hornets and wasps, we like plants and flowers, but this all we know and we want to know more."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah, well, I have to remain civil. I'm a guest here, and the last thing I want is to undo whatever progress I've made here, and be barred from seeing Dyani and Lorna when I need to," Clarice replies wryly. "Or being kept from turning to Doctor McCoy here for help. He's a rather useful ally to have," she gives him a wry smile.
    "And he knows how grateful I am." Because she has no plans of overstaying her welcome on his good graces.
    She gives Dyani another nudge as the girl talks about her studies a small, proud smile on her features. She was glad the girl was going to have the chance to go to school. She takes another sip from her straw - hearing the slurping sound that signals she's reached the bottom.

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast nods. "She has been cordial at every encounter I've seen, and I commend her for that." He offers, smiling to Clarice. "It is certainly difficult in the face of adversity." He sips again from his shake. "I don't know if it's a teenage thing or something deeper." A slight frown.

Looking then to Xi'an. "Seeing multiple characters might help, but the compound nature of things would not allow for sharp focus on specific characters." A wry grin. "So with the binocular vision, her field of view is narrowed and sharpened."

A grin to Dyani. "You find what interests you - don't overwhelm yourself. School will fill in with other material."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Quite suddenly Dyani sits up, looking at Clarice, "No, no no, our human parents would not allow that, Clarice! You are always allowed to see us, of they will move us to another school where you can. They call you hero, they call you savior and we do not correct them because you are. You saved us. Who would want to keep you from seeing us?"

She turns her head to look at Hank, then to Shan, "Would you stop Clarice from seeing us? Please do not stop Clarice from seeing us, we do not want to have to find another school, but our parents will not allow us to stay if Clarice cannot see us."

Again she looks between everyone, then takes another sip of the shake. "When we do not have the vis-oggles," clearly that is her word for them now. "We see so many things at once that sometimes we cannot process all of the information, and thus we see nothing. In the bees, their eyes are much smaller, they see only a small area in front of them, and the images are sharper, but they do not see colors in the same spectrum as people. No reds." She looks back to Shan. "With these, we can see one image for our brain to focus on, and yet we can also see what the bees see. That was hard to figure out, they flew in circles at first, but we can process their images still, so they no longer fly in circles."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
Shan's eyes turn down for a moment. "Mm," she answers Clarice: "That is good to know, yes. Hopefully, it goes well."

Looking back to Dyani, her arms loosely folded, Shan says, "There are so many books in the world. I will check what we have, right here, that you could simply pick up and read. These topics, they are good to guide things, when we choose books. It is a tricky process, really."

Then -- tension rises upwards, before she can answer Henry's comment. Shan looks worried, and says, "I have - I mean, no, I would not do so, no. Of course there may be moments, such as, a class or very late at night, but this is the same for everybody." Her eyes flick to Hank momentarily after this, then back ahead, to Dyani. "Can you see things through the eyes of the bees themselves? As in, a particular other bee."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Hey, hey- Dyani, it's okay," Clarice says hastily, letting out a sigh as she inadvertantly sets off the girl's anxiety. "No one will keep me from seeing you - because I'm not going to break the school rules, okay?" she explains simply. "I only meant - you know - if I lost my temper and popped that girl in the mouth," like she maybe a little bit deserves, "it would cause too much trouble - for both of us. So I'm going to keep my cool, and be nice to her - no matter what. Alright?"
    She lets out a sigh then adds, "And you should try to be nice to her, too. I mean, you don't have to be friends with her if you don't want to. But we'll both try to be nice."

Henry McCoy has posed:
His brow arches, looking to Dyani. "The people in charge have accepted Clarice and even Mystique as guests." He offers, nodding to all present. "I have no doubt, that they are not here to cause issues. Clarice is here to work with us, to see you and to make sure you are moving forward and learning. Mystique is repairing rifts, and working with us towards a better relationship with the Brotherhood."

"I've no intention of barring either."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani nods to Shan, "Oh yes, we can see, hear and scent through a single bee or many bees if we want to. We cannot send them out for more than an hour or so, but we have been working very hard to extend this time. When we first were freed, we could only send a bee out for thirty minutes, now we are to just over an hour." She beams proudly at this.

Her hand goes back to petting Hank's arm, at least it's not the same spot over and over again. "Thank you Mr. Hank, that makes us feel more secure."

She doesn't miss that Shan seems to get tense, the change of her body language also changes the pheromones', which the bees and Dyani can pick up... what she doesn't know is why. "Ms Shan, do you have troubles knowing social?"

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
"It is rewarding to get results like that, isn't it? Few things feel better," Shan says, about the bees.

Then Dyani asks a question that makes Shan tilt her head. Her eyes close for a moment, then open again. "I do not quite understand. I was startled that you were so afraid, for a moment. I have had to raise my little brother and little sister, you see, and when I am surprised like this, at times I can, mm, it is like a fear that comes back all in a moment, you know?"

"I think I am going to get a hot dog and step back inside," she then says. "You will be alright, Henry?" For what must be camp purposes, she pronounces it extra French to Beast. "And it was lovely of course to meet you both... I will pick out a book or two for you in the next evening or so, eh, Dyani?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Nice to meet you," Clarice agrees. "Xi'an, right?" she asks for confirmation, smiling at the girl - then looking between her and Hank before she remarks, "If either of you get a chance to... maybe urge that girl to not wish me to spontaneously combust, that would be appreciated. But- I understand if you don't feel comfortable with it."
    And then she adds, "Thank you for helping Dyani with her studies. She deserves this chance."
    In a quiet aside to Dyani she adds, "You know that you're supposed to call him a 'Doctor' and not a 'Mister.' Yeah? He went to school for a long time for that."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani hmms softly, "We... We do not social well yet. We are still very afraid of people and things and the unknown. We are learning slowly that no one will hurt us here, but a part of our brain is always ready for someone to try and snag us in a net again."

She offers a smile to Shan, "Not too hard books please, we are just relearning to read and some words are very hard. Our human father said to use the dictionary on our phone, and we were overjoyed to find out our phone had a dictionary!" As an after thought, manners seem to kick in. "We are very pleased to meet you Ms Shan. If you would like some honey, the next batch will be ready in four days."

Her head turns so look at Clarice, "Doctor because he went to school? Okay, we can call him Doctor Hank if that is correct."

Henry McCoy has posed:
A chuckle from Henry. "I will be fine, Xi'an. As always, a pleasure chatting with you." He offers, giving a wave of his hand to the departing woman. The arm that is not being petted, of course! Looking to Dyani, he chuckles. "People react differently when they get startled or upset, Dyani. Just like the bees act on your emotions, other people may have other ... challenges. My anger causes me to be more animalistic." He says, quietly.

A wink to Clarice. "She can call me Mister Hank, or Henry, or Hank. I don't mind." A smile to Dyani again. "A lot of school."

Xi'An Coy Manh has posed:
"Of course," Shan answers Clarice with a dip of her head. "I will counsel her in peace if she comes to me, don't worry."

As for the studies, she says, "But of course," in a slightly airier way, and then towards Dyani, winks. "Oh, don't worry. And I think that I would like the honey, too."

With that: She goes to throw out her trash and walk round the lake!

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'm still learning how to handle social situations, myself. I keep getting a little better at it - but it's hard sometimes. And that's alright." In a quiet, firm voice Clarice adds, "But you need to know if anything ever did happen, Dyani, I would find you. I promise. I would find you, and free you again, and bring you home. You're //my hive now// - yeah? I'm not going to let anyone take you away from me. I wouldn't ever give up. Alright?"
    She takes Dyani's hand as she speaks - giving the girl a reassuring squeeze, before nodding a farewell to Xi'an. "Thank you."
    After a moment of silence Clarice asks curiously, "What would you rather I called you, Doctor McCoy?"

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani looks over at Hank now, "Henry, Hank, Doctor, Mister... so many names, we are just Dyani, or Stinger. We like Dr Hank or Mr Hank. It makes you more important in our mind... just how much school?" Yep, that's where her brain went because who knows, maybe she wants to be a doctor too and she needs to know how long it takes.

When Clarice takes her had, her attention shifts back to her and a soft smile touches her lips, "Always? That makes us feel very safe, knowing you will come Clarice."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"She would not be alone." He assures Dyani. "There are many who will come to your rescue." Henry offers, his voice confident in that. A pat to Dyani's shoulder.

At Clarice's question. "My friends call me Hank." He winks. "If you called me such, I wouldn't be opposed."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Always," Clarice promises insistently. "We're hive, yeah? So always." She smiles as she adds, "And I know many of the folks here at Xavier's would respond the same way. They look after their own - and you're one of their students now. No one gets to mess with an Xavier's kid."
    Her attention shifts to Henry next, searching his features curiously before she asks, "Hank? Are we friends, then?" She doesn't have terribly many of those, really.

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Dyani giggles and gives Clarice a poke, "Duh, he said you were Clarice. His friends call him Hank, and he would not be opposed if you do... that's a yes!" She pokes Clarice again, then finished off the last of her shake. There is still a little in the bottom that the bees will have, but she sets the cup down so they can just go for it.

"Can a student be a friend, or should I call you Dr Henry?"

Henry McCoy has posed:
The doctor taps his nose when Dyani clears it up. "In school? If I am teaching the class or giving a lecture, you should call me Dr. McCoy." He explains. "In other situations, I do not mind you calling me Hank or Dr. Hank, if you prefer." He grins. "We can be friends, but in school I am a teacher - there we are teacher and student." Complicated, right?

Looking to Clarice. "I mean, we had drinks at a bar, we've chatted on numerous occasions - are we not friends?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I- well, I don't know. Is it really that simple?" Clarice asks with wry embarrassment. "I mean- I didn't- you have the files. I really really grow up, making friends, and going to school, and- all those social things. So they still baffle me sometimes. But if you think we're friends, then I suppose we must be - Hank."

Dyani Zitkala has posed:
Tilting her head, Dyani actually has to work that out. Teacher and student, friends but not. It was extremely confusing, but once she starts sifting it all through her head, she remembered back when she did go to school, how the teachers were and how students treated them. Outside of school, at the gatherings and pow-wows, it was completely different, so that had to be what Hank meant.

"Oooooooh," she finally offers with a nod. "We understand, but... teachers are usually Mister, Miss or Ms, sometimes Professor... why doctor?"

Finally deciding the bees have had enough, she picks up the cup and takes it to the trash them comes back to sit down by Hank and resumes the arm petting in yet another new location. "Clarice, if we are hive, then it makes sense that having drinks makes you hiv... friends."

Henry McCoy has posed:
"Excellent, then we understand each other, Clarice." He smiles. "What was the past, is the past. Trust me, we all had hurdles growing up - some higher than others. But here we are, and how we go forward is what matters." Henry chuckles. "Some day, we'll trade stories on what happened to us. Reading a file can only tell you so much."

A wink to Dyani. "Doctors are due that title for their achievements in school. Professor works for almost any teacher here."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Maybe," Clarice agrees quietly - when Hank suggests talking about their past. "I don't- I really don't talk about it that often, or try not to dwell on it, really. It makes me uneasy, but maybe."
    Her attention shifts to Dyani again as she adds, "And I don't know that just getting drinks counts. I mean, what I did to become hive to you was very different." Then again, she doesn't feel nearly as close to Hank as she does to Dyani.
    "Anyways. I think I should check in on Rahne," she adds, pushing to her feet and taking her trash with her.