7094/Is it paranoia if you're right

Is it paranoia if you're right
Date of Scene:	26 July 2021
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Robert attempts to reassure a worried Clarice.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Robert Marksman

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Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice has found herself a seat on a quiet bench in the corner of the park. She has a large, soft pretzel with a mustard sauce - and the brightly-hued mutant is tearing small pieces of it off to dip into the sauce and nibble at. She seems to be taking her time with her snack, as she watches some children playing on one of the large grass fields nearby, and studiously ignores any stares or glares she gets from passers-by bothered by the obvious mutant's presence.
    It's something she's been accustomed to her whole life, after all. Or at least the parts of it she's spent out in the world.
    She'd called Robert a short time ago - letting him know where she was, and that she was just taking 'a quiet afternoon' - as she put it. But she seems tense, and on edge, even if she tries to play it off as a relaxing afternoon.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman had a light day and was either able to get people to cover for him or postpone things. Maybe a little of both, but with a hope from his own powers he made it to Central park with a bit of looking and walking he had found Clarice. He stops by the pretzel guy and grabs one for himself and a couple waters, before walking over to sit beside Clarice. "Hey you." He greets her with a smile.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Hey," Clarice greets Robert in kind - flashing a smile towards the man - then gesturing towards the children with one hand. "They don't have a care - do they?" she asks quietly - her tone a little wistful, as she accepts the water and takes a sip from it. "I barely remember a time like that."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods a bit and says "Maybe one or two but they can loose themselves away from them much easier than we can." He admits. He pops open his water taking a drink, and says "It is a blissful time, you do not realize it was till it is gone."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "...yeah," Clarice agrees quietly, thinking of her own conversation with Lydia the night before. "I certainly didn't." She'd never had the chance to. After another sip of water, she tears off another small piece of her pretzel and dips it into the sauce - though she seems to nibble at it without much appetite as she frowns in thought.
    "I hope your day's been going well?" she asks politely as she tries to bring herself back to the present. "You must be busy - getting settled into Bushwick."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman shrugs a bit and says "A bit luckily I do have enough money to hire an assistant to handle most of the little things. I hired a lady from the neighborhood after checking her out pretty well. Got her handling some of the day to day things, finding a guy for modifications in the apartment and such.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "That's good, at least - giving work to people in the neighborhood and all," Clarice agrees quietly. "The people of Bushwick need it. They need a fair chance in this world." She lets out a sigh, and tears off a piece of pretzel from her snack and tosses it. Perhaps she's trying to feed the pigeons, or the squirrels? Only there aren't any of them gathered quite yet.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks over to her, and says "You know I can look at you a few different ways, but I don't need any of those to see something's on your mind. He reaches a hand over to gently touch her back and rub it softly "Something is bothering you Clarice, want to talk about it?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice glances aside at Robert for a moment, then back to the children, a frown pulling at lips as she considers her words. "Truth is - there's almost //always// something bothering me," she admits. "But at the moment - I don't know. I might be worried about nothing at all. I have a friend who's been wanting to get out on her own for a bit. She's trying to figure out what she wants out of life, and where she thinks she fits in - I think. She had us send her off to a corner of the world she's never been to before - where she doesn't know anyone, and doesn't have anyone at her back, and she's not answering my texts. It's probably nothing, but- I don't know. I just worry."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman hmms, and says "Do you want to go out and check on her?" He asks her "We can take a plane if we need to, head there look about see what we can see. I can get a jet, and we can head out this evening if you want to." He offers her.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "...no," Clarice answers quietly. "If I have to head out there, I'll need to bring Mister Creed. He can track her - let me know if there's really been any trouble. But honestly, I'm probably just being paranoid. It's only been a few hours - I just saw her last night," she remarks - as she tears off another piece and tosses it again. "Maybe she wanted a break - and turned off her phone. People do that. Yeah?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods his head a bit and says "She may have turned it off to make herself rely on herself more. Heck, may even have run the battery down, so she would have to charge it before she could call in someone. Saw it as a bit of a safety line, and wanting to limit it to keep herself from using it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Maybe I should tell her to send me a message - before she powers off her phone. So I don't start worrying for nothing every time, it's just- I don't like the thought of any of us being out there on our own, you know? In this world." Clarice lets out a frustrated sigh and tosses another piece of pretzel.
    A few pigeons have finally taken the hint - so at least she has an excuse for shredding and tossing her pretzel, now.
    "Robert..." she says a bit cautiously. "Would it surprise, or upset you, if I said she- if I said Rahne might actually like me?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman shakes his head, and says "Your a likeable person and yes in more than just the friend way. I mean, you know I like ya, it would not surprise me that others see things in you I do."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice glances aside at Robert, her expression uncertain - but she manages a nod, and a small smile at his response. "She's a friend - and I worry about her. I don't know if it's anymore than that. It might be, it might not be. You know I can't make heads or tails of my own emotions most of the time."
    She takes another drink from her water, her gaze returning to the kids and their game - her smile broadening for a moment as they shriek and laugh.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to her and rubs her back again softly "Well, I am sure with time you will be able to figure it out, heck most people our age are still trying to find themselves. So, know while others may have a bit of an idea, but even most of the folks who seem to have it all figured out are still making it up as they go alone.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I suppose so," Clarice agrees, flashing Robert a brief smile. "I don't know. I just feel like most people have a better notion of what they want, except maybe for Rahne."
    She tears off another piece of bread, but rather than throwing it, she stares at it for a moment - to no result. She lets out a frustrated sound, and throws it instead - with a little more force than she'd used on the other pieces.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman hmms and looks at her, and watching this and knowing what she has told him, he will ask "Off the meds?" He asks her as he eats some of his own pretzel and tosses a bit to the birds as well. "How long?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Since this morning," Clarice admits quietly. "My head feels a little... I don't know how to describe it. It's different. More like myself, but it isn't working quite yet, I guess." She takes a deep breath in, letting it out slowly before adding, "Ritz is on standby - in case it goes amiss. Incase I manage to open a portal to a volcano in the middle of Central Park," she admits wryly.
    "Which is also why I'm //in// Central Park. Plenty of space for people to get away from me."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman offers her a smile and nods to her a bit to that. "Well I don't know what specific drugs they have it on, you a detailed study of your physiology but in most cases, I would think probably better chance after twenty four hours off the meds. Give them time to clear your system, they will probably be there limited you for up to a week or so after stopping just not at full strength.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "That's about what I was told," Clarice admits quietly. "But it's been weeks already, and I just- I want my powers back. I hate feeling like I can't help like I'm supposed to. Can't rescue these kids that need help, can't check up on Rahne as easily as I'd like... I've been feeling a bit useless." She tears off another piece of bread, staring at it for a while. After a few moments, purple energy starts to appear around it, prompting a smile from the girl - though it only blinks about a foot away from her. "Really? That's it?" she complains - but there's a smile on her features for a moment.
    It's something, at least.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to her and says "You know, I have a sneaking feeling I know who might be your toughest critic." He smiles a bit to her, and says "Give it a couple more hours, don't wear yourself out against the wall, when there will be less wall soon.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Oh, it's probably me," Clarice agrees readily. "Though if there's a contender, it's Mystique. She's- she can be very demanding, and exacting. She doesn't hesitate to let me know if I've disappointed her in some way - and I do, from time to time." She lets out a sigh. "She was pretty irate with me for not leaving that fight when she ordered us to."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman says, "I think that is more cause she cares and worries about you and wants you safe when she is not there. She seems to think of you much like a daughter or little sister." He smiles at her."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Surprise registers on Clarice's features and she turns sharply towards Robert, studying him in silence for a moment. "That's- don't be ridiculous," she protests quietly. "I mean, she said that I'm- she said I was her friend. Her best friend. That's not at all the same thing as-
    "Rogue's her daughter, anyways. Not me."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to her, and says "Often when someone is a really good friend, people think of them as family. Then you add also those who share hardships do the same. I mean look at people who have gone to war together, most of them refer to those they served with as Brothers or sisters."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I supposed that's true," Clarice admits reluctantly. "But I'm not her daughter. I couldn't be," she insists in a quiet voice. She turns her attention back towards her pretzel - pulling off another piece to toss idly towards one of the birds.
    "And she's rather pre-occupied with Lydia these days - but that's for the best, I think."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman says, "Well, thats a different type of attention, thats more couple stuff. Again why I think she sees you more as a sister." He grins and says "Cause if not, she would have probably flirting with you, your smart, gorgeous and kick ass.""

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I... she knew me when I wasn't really myself. And I think she prefers someone with a little more confidence, there's plenty of reasons she wouldn't be interested in me for that sort of thing," Clarice counters quietly, with a little embarrassment. "Doesn't mean that we're 'sisters' - or anything like that. Like I said, she told me she thinks of me as a friend. A best friend." And that had been surprising enough, at the time.

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods his head and says "Well, so you know there is at least one guy and one girl who seem to look at you as a possible girl friend." He smiles at her

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well, that I had picked up on, yes," Clarice admits, shifting in her seat with a little embarrassment. She glances uncertainly over at Robert for a moment, then back to the pretzel before she asks, "It really doesn't bother you? That Rahne might be interested. That I- that I'm not entirely certain if I'm interested in her, or not?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks over to her, and says "Well if it was more you think you might be interested in her specially more than me, it might. But 1. I know your still learning to deal with all this. and 2. I really do want you to be happy Clarice, I hope it is with me, but I do want you happy.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I appreciate that, Robert. I really do," Clarice says honestly. She smiles tightly as she adds, "And I really hope I don't end up hurting you, somehow, in all of this. I hate the thought of it - but I worry someone will end up hurt just because- Because I have so much trouble knowing what I want."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks over and says "Well, I hope I get to meet this Rahne, and you and her have a talk something like this, so we all go into this with out eyes open, that helps out and better chance of us not getting hurt."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I told her already," Clarice admits, "So there's that - at least. I mean, I don't know much, but I know that much. That if I go around lying to either of you, or hiding things..." She shrugs her shoulders. "No one likes to be lied to, or feel as if they've been mislead."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods, and says "Out of curiousity, she say anything about meeting me?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice shakes her head. "No," she admits. "I don't think she did. I don't think she'd mind, though." A frown pulls at her lips as she adds more quietly, "Assuming nothing's wrong. But - like I said. It's probably nothing."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman looks to her, and says "The offer is still there, for the plane, and we can go look, or maybe look online see if anything odd has happened in the area? Maybe there is a storm or something messed with cell towers. Where did you take her?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Christchurch," Clarice answers simply. "She wanted to go somewhere she'd never been before, so... Like I said, she was completely on her own. I didn't turn up anything on the news of the area that caught my eye."
    She lets out a frustrated sigh. "I'll probably head over to the school. See if anyone there's heard anything... And get something Mister Creed can use to track her scent. And then I'll find her at some bar or pub, and she'll be annoyed at me for over-reacting about her phone. You know?"

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman says, "Well I am sure she will be ok with it, since it shows you do care about her at least in some ways and thats a good thing." He hmms "Christchurch not sure I have heard of there.""

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "New Zealand," Clarice supplies, followed by, "I hadn't heard of it either, to be honest. I've never been to New Zealand - no reason to go. Though I guess it's supposed to be very pretty?" She shrugs her shoulders helplessly, and tears another piece of bread off to give it a toss. "Maybe I should just head to the school and follow up on this. Instead of waiting to see if I'm being a paranoid idiot or not."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods, and says "Well if there is anything I can do to help let me know. I would offer a ride, but I take it your friend can probably get you there quicker than I can." He offers with a smile.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Not sure how far your portals go - and even if I did... I'm not ready to be confronted with the horrors of everything I've done in my past," Clarice answers quietly, as she pushes herself to her feet.
    "...thanks for meeting with me, Robert. I hope everything goes well - you know, with getting settled into the Hotel and everything."

Robert Marksman has posed:
Robert Marksman nods, and says "Well, I ment more drive you, I aint sure how far it is to this school, but figure my portals for others are more last ditch." He grins at her. He does lean in kissing her cheek "Keep me in the loop, and if you need me, I am there."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'm too impatient for all that," Clarice answers. There's a moment's hesitation before she leans in to return the kiss with a gentle peck on his cheek as well. She then steps away, dropping the rest of her pretzel in the trash as she pulls out her phone. A few moments later, she disappears in a flash of white portal energy.