7282/The Boss Returns

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The Boss Returns
Date of Scene: 09 August 2021
Location: Cafeteria and Bar
Synopsis: Clarice and Lydia are surprised that Raven returns after only a week! They don't take the news of an implanted bomb well. And the nature of leadership and responsibility for crimes is discussed.
Cast of Characters: Clarice Ferguson, Lydia Dietrich, Raven Darkholme




Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    For Clarice - it's been a long week. Long, exhausting, and stressful. She's never spent so much time locked in her own room - trapped at her computer, reading over files, and reports, and making sure that the overall minutia of the Brotherhood keeps ticking over.
    And she knows she's doing the bare minimum to keep things functioning, to make sure people in the field have the resources and back-up they need, that the kitchen's orders are going through, that people are showing up for their job and getting everything done... But when literacy isn't your strong suit? It's a constant struggle.
    Still, she'd gotten enough of her work done that she's emerged from her cave and made her way to the cafeteria. One of the chefs has been making a point of having some of her favorites out on the buffet, and tonight is no exception. Today, there's a sticky rice dish wrapped in a banana leaf and filled in the center with a sort of fish curry. She happily grabs one, with a few vegetable sides, and settles in with a glass of scotch to sip, and eat.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia has been sullen and withdrawn all week, spending a lot of time in her own apartment, where she feels the most comfortable, occasionally coming up to the Asteroid to help Clarice and to sleep in Raven's bed, just so she can smell her. She chided herself for pining away like a character in an Emily Bronte novel but still. That's just how she felt.

Today is one of those days where she's going to spend the night, so she brought some of her work with her. Armed with a Manhattan, she sat herself down at a table with a view of the stars, and listlessly works on a few scenes. She's trying to write a more melancholy part of the novel she's been working on but her heart just doesn't seem to be into it.

She looks up and spies Clarice coming with some food and a drink of her own and she calls out to her. "Hey, Clarice! Come join me. I just can't focus and could use the company."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It had been one of the worst week of Raven's life, and that's taking into account her prior incarceration. In the beginning she was in a federal prison, then moved to another federal prison, and finally moved to Belle Reve Penitentiary, but she couldn't talk about that. Most of what happened there was considered part of Task Force X, and thus beyond secret or boom.

Getting a hold of Ritz, because that was easier without her cell phone, she got a teleport back to the Asteroid later in the evening... the clock said ten, but it felt like midnight. She wore an orange coverall prison uniform, not that she needed to any more, but the humor of pissing off the guards at Belle Reve Penitentiary by wearing the wrong colors had been too amusing. There is also a white linen bandage around her neck. So that is what she is wearing when she wanders into the cafeteria... eat gumbo for a week and you crave even the foods that were in the buffet over night.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Hey," Clarice greets Lydia - she even manages a small smile as she settles in across from the other woman. "You should go grab one of these," she remarks, tapping the banana leaf. "If you haven't already." She cuts the tie holding it closed, so she can start unwrapping it to expose the sticky rice instead - faint hints of green showing the curry sauce bleeding through. "They made this in Genosha you se-"
    It's the bright orange, contrasting against blue skin that catches her attention - and for the moment, she simply stares, her fork poised in her hand. Is someone playing a cruel trick? Is she seeing things? It's hard to tell when you're surrounded by //so many mutants//, sometimes.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Oh?" Lydia asks, looking curiously at the banana leaf. She's never seen anything like it. "It smells..." She trails off as Clarice just /stares/ at something. "What is it?" she asks, turning around.

That's when she sees Raven. She blinks a couple of times as her brain works overtime to make sure that it's her lover and when it finally concludes that it /is/ she's up and out of the chair, launching herself at her. "Raven!" she shouts as she glomps onto her, wrapping herself around her and burying her face in her neck. "I missed you so much," she says, trying to keep the tears from coming.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven looks tired, like she hasn't slept in a while, probably a week, but she welcomes Lydia into her arms, picking her up and spinning her around once, maybe twice while placing several kisses on her head, since that's what she can reach.

"I missed you too, love," she offers, then while still holding Lydia looks to Clarice. "Like my new fashion statement? I managed to piss of /a lot/ of guards with this little number."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice stays in her seat at Lydia throws herself at Mystique, staring as the two make contact - and then finally, slowly puts down her fork so she can climb to her feet. "Boss..." she says quietly, and even on that one, brief word it almost sounds like her voice will crack. She clears her throat, though, and a manages to add as she moves closer. "Kept the lights on for you. And I only had to space one guy."
    She's probably kidding about that last bit. ... right?

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia laughs brightly as she's spun around, tears of joy falling from her face. She takes Raven's face in her hands and plants a deep kiss on her lips before letting go and taking a step back to let Clarice have a turn.

"Orange isn't your color," she decides. "It doesn't suit you." It's now that she notices the bandages. "What happened to your neck? Somebody try to shiv you?" She doubts anybody could get close enough to Raven to shiv her without losing a limb first, though.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven returns the kiss, caressing Lydia's back before letting her escape. She keeps one arm around the glowing mutant, guiding the the glowing mutant with her before wrapping her arms around Clarice tightly. No pause, no hesitation, she hugs the purple mutant.

"Stixx deserved it, fucker was always trying to challenge the edges of what was acceptable and what wasn't," she counters, offering a smile before letting Clarice go if she wants to escape the hug. Without even knowing all the details, without even seeing what lies ahead for her to do or redo she says, "You did good, Clarice. Thank you."

Reaching up she runs her hand over the bandage for a moment, "Can we talk about that in a little bit? Just put a pin in it until I've had something to eat that isn't gumbo, and some alcohol?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice leans into the hug, returning it just as tightly as she offers in a quiet voice, "I did what a could." That heavy emotional break is back in her voice once more, and a few tears manage to sneak out the corners of her eyes, before she does indeed take a step back. "I wasn't ready for anything like this, though. I still have a lot to learn," she says simply.
    Gesturing towards the cafeteria she adds, "The chefs made up some mtuzi wa samaki - well, the Genoshan interpretation of it. In banana leaves," she says encouragingly. And now that Mystique is back, well... she can eat it with a lighter heart.
    "Stixx got dropped in Moathia for a little vacation time, you know? We can always go pick him back up if you want a conversation with him."
    Or leave him there. Who needs the fucker?

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods and heads towards the bar to fix Raven's favorite: whiskey and grenadine. "Don't let Clarice fool you," she says walking back to their table once Raven has her food. "She did just fine. She just needed a little help with the reading, that's all. If she keeps up with the lessons like she has been, we'll get her up to grade in no time flat."

"The food smells wonderful, but I already ate. I think I put on a few pounds drowning my sorrows in waffles." She settles in to her chair, and makes sure that she's close enough to touch Raven while she eats. "I was a miserable little twat while you were away," she admits.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven has no idea what mtuzi wa samaki is, but it's not gumbo so she'll eat it. She used to like gumbo, not so much any more. She reaches over to give Clarice a pat on the back, then had to hug her one more time, though this one is shorter.

"I never meant for you to have to deal with it alone," she offers quietly, clearing her throat a little. "I know you aren't ready for that level of command and control yet, but I also knew you wouldn't let me down."

She finally moves over to sit down, eyeing the mtuzi wa samaki for a moment, but the drink goes to hand for a sip first. "It does smell good," she admits, reaching over to take Lydia's hand. "Listen, there is no such thing... you had a pile of crap dropped on you Lydia, of course it wasn't easy to deal with. I doubt you put on any pounds, and if you did, so what? I'll work it off later." She wiggles her brows a little, then finally tries a bite of the thing Clarice suggested.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Never," Clarice agrees simply. She'd given it her all - perhaps in part because it gave her something to do, and focus on, rather than allowing herself fall into panic or anger. She returns to her seat - and before she digs into her food, she opens a small portal so she can claim and extra spoon. She uses it to scoop up some rice, a piece of fish, and some green curry sauce - all of which she offers over to Lydia. "Just one bite?" she suggests. "It's not very spicy, but it's //good//." Then - whether Lydia accepts the offering or not - she eagerly digs into her own plate.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia titters like a schoolgirl at the innuendo, covering her mouth with a hand. "I'm glad you managed to get out, though. I wasn't expecting it to be so soon! How did you manage that?"

Lydia takes the spoon and looks at it. "What kind of fish is it? I can't have anything that doesn't have scales, so no catfish for me. Also no shrimp if it's got that in there." She's hoping it's kosher so she can give it a try because the smell is just mouth watering.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven nibbles a few bites, getting something into her stomach before drinking more. Her mind is still racing over everything that happened while. A few more nibbles and she's finally got her head straight again.

"Wonder Woman arranged for me to become part of a uh... Tack Force, under Amanda Waller," she looks between them. "I can't say much more then that, but so long as I agree to drop what I'm doing and work with this Task Force when called, for an undetermined amount of time, it is considered 'rehabilitation' and I don't stay in jail."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Umm..." Clarice says uncertainly, looking back towards the cafeteria, then towards Lydia again. "Catfish is a river fish, yeah? This is from the ocean. Because, I mean - Genosha's an island. So must of the protein comes from the ocean."
    Now whether or not it's a flat fish? She'll have no idea.
    She takes a few more bites of her food, happily enjoying the flavor as she listens to Mystique's explination of how she got released - a faint frown tugging at her lips. She didn't like the notion of her being at someone's beck and call like a trained dog, but... "What if they ask you to do something that's counter to our goals?" she asks uncertainly. "They wouldn't ask you to act against other mutants, would they?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods, and takes Clarice's word that this is probably as safe fish for her to eat. She takes a bit of it and closes her eyes. "Wow that's good. Compliments to the chef." She washes it down with a sip of her Manhattan and leans back in her chair with a contented sigh.

She scowls at Raven's explanation. "An undetermined amount of time?" she asks. "That... sounds like they don't plan on ever letting you go free." She shakes her head, "There has to be some kind of term limit to it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven looks between the two of them for a moment, then simply shrugs.

"The other choice was a life sentence behind bars," she states plainly, taking another bite. "I wasn't doing that. Wonder Woman was kind enough to make these arrangements and they're doable. It won't be forever, Wonder Woman would never allow that, and so long as I do what's right I have her and Troia's backing. It could be months, it could be years, but it's worth it to not be in jail, alright?" Again she looks between them.

"If they want me to go against mutants, I guess I go to jail, but I don't think that's the sort of thing they're up to. I can't give specifics, but I can say it's far bigger than mutants. Its a special ops unit, so that should give you an idea at least of what we'll be doing."

A few more bites are eaten before she looks to Lydia. "Right... we put a pin in it, ready to take the pin out? Cause this is the part you're /really/ not going to like."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "How do they even define 'life in jail' for someone who can live- well, we don't even know, do we?" Clarice mutters between bites of her food. "And - well. Of course we're glad to have you back. It's just- the vagueness is a little frustrating, you know? I don't like any of it." She gives the woman a small, uncertain smile - that sort of freezes in place at the next words out of Mystique's mouth.
    "What did they do to you?" she asks immediately, a glacial quality immediately taking over her tone.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods along, even though she can see all sorts of different ways that this can be abused, even with Wonder Woman's involvement, but she keeps quiet. Raven is right. If the choice is this or be behind bars, this is far more preferable. Her eyes flick to Clarice and nods in agreement. "I'm just afraid that they'll abuse what power they have over you and go outside the initial agreement and go behind Wonder Woman's back, that's all."

And that pin is being unstuck, and Lydia clutches Raven's hand. Both for her own support and Raven's.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Another large drink is taken before Raven sets the glass down on the table, her eyes focusing on the liquid.

"This task force is comprised of hardened criminals, we're talking inhumans, metahumans, mutants, humans of the worst sort, but all with unique skills," she begins, finally looking up from the glass to each of the woman. "The only way to ensure that sort of person does what they're told is to ensure they can't disobey is to assign a death sentence should they go off mission."

This drink is much larger, then she reaches up and pulls the bandage of to reveal two little stitches at the base of her skull.

"Thing is, when it's people like me, and the others I mentioned, once you let them out you can't exactly catch them again, if that's what they wanted. So to ensure that death sentence, if they go off mission, every member is given a lovely little bomb that Waller holds the button to."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "...she has the power to blow your head off whenever she wants," Clarice restates simply - her expression tight, and angry. "What happens if someone gains access to that? Thinks they're doing to the world a favor? What if- hell, what if something takes you to deep space, beyond the range of her transmitters? Does it go off automatically?" She shakes her head. "There's a thousand different ways this could go wrong..."
    This isn't right. None of this is right.
    "Fucking Remy," she mutters.
    Sure, blame LeBeau. It's easier - she knows his face. She doesn't know this 'Waller.'

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia gasps, horrified. "That's /hideous!/ One person shouldn't have that much control over another's life? Who's overseeing Waller to make sure she isn't abusing this power?" She looks over at Clarice and waves at her, "What she said? I'm surprised it didn't go off the minute you stepped foot on the Asteroid!"

    Lydia's mind is going a million miles an hour about how all of this can go horribly wrong. She doesn't want to lose Raven /again/ and this time permanently.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"Waller has over sight as well," Raven offers again with a shrug. "Listen, this technology is beyond anything I've ever seen. The reach doesn't matter, as clearly at this moment I'm no on mission, right? Maybe its inert until I am on mission, then it's activated... I don't have all the answers, what I do have is freedom that I wouldn't other wise have."

She turns her amber eyes on Clarice, "Do /not/ blame Remy," she says more firmly. "He's hurting, Rogue's hurting, so many people out there are hurting, because of me. He'd rather see me locked away in a cell, /I/ choose this so I could continue my work, alright? Blame me if you need to, but don't blame him."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I know he's hurting, but this- This isn't right," Clarice instead with frustration, meeting Mystique's gaze for a while, her posture tense as her anger quietly simmers, before she pulls her gaze away to look first at one of the windows, and then down at her plate.
    "You're the leader of the Brotherhood. This isn't right."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia sighs, and shakes her head resignedly. "If this is what it takes for people to believe that you truly want to redeem yourself, then so be it." She lets out another long sigh. "I wish people could see you the way /I/ see you, Raven."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven reaches over and lays her hand on Clarice's shoulder. "You're right. I'm the leader of the Brotherhood, and I'm doing this /for/ the Brotherhood, Clarice. The world still calls if the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, because everything I've done represents the Brotherhood in everything I do and have done. Clearing my name, seeking forgiveness from the world, is about removing that stigma from the Brotherhood. You think I like this? Fuck no I don't like this," she takes a drink of her mixture and removes her hand.

"This is the way it has to be for now, but since I'm not going to do anything to get myself blown up, it'll be fine." Glancing over to Lydia, a playful smile plays at the corner of her lips. "You want people to see me naked?" As she says it the orange coverall disappears and instead she is naked, well for the most part. She's wearing a pair of black lace panties and pasties, just for the sake of modesty, complete with tassels.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I understand all that, I do," Clarice answers, looking up to meet Raven's eyes again - and not making any comment on her current state of dress. "But it doesn't make any of this feel right. It doesn't mean that I like any of this. And I hate that I can't do anything about any of it."
    She jabs at the food on the plate in front of her before she asks, "It's nestled against your spine, I imagine? At the base of your skull?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia squeaks in surprise and embarrassment as Raven is suddenly mostly naked before her. "I, um, yes?" Lydia sputters, looking around to see if anybody notices. "But, I mean, maybe not right now?" She shakes her head and sighs, "I shouldn't be surprised, to be honest. You're naked most of the time anyway."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Reclothing herself, this time in something simple yet comfortable, tshirt and sweat pants, no shoes. She hates shoes.

"Want a truth Clarice, I hate that I can't do anything about it either. I suppose I could have chosen instead to go to jail, but honestly, I didn't like the idea of another hundred years of life, all in jail."

Raven sighs softly, shaking her head then taking another drink. "It's a device on the spine, base of the skull, powered by nanites of some kind. There is no removing it Clarice, it stays where it is, so stop even thinking about it."

Again she glances to Lydia, "I'm naked right now, how does that make you feel?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Powered by nanites? What the hell does that even mean?" Clarice asks, stabbing her spoon at her food again before finally taking another bite. Oh, she's still very much thinking about it.
    "There must be something we can do. We can take some scans - we can try implanting similar devices in a pig's carcass - or the like - and I can practice taking them out. There's always //something// we can do," she insists. "With time, planning, practice."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia squirms in her seat at Raven's question. "I... uh... embarrassed?" she says, color coming to her cheeks. "It's a second hand embarrassment if you know what I mean? It's like I'm embarrassed /for/ you?" She shakes her head, "I know that you don't care, and /I/ usually don't care when you're shifted to have clothes on, as long as I don't think about it."

    She looks over at Clarice and shakes her head. "We don't know /what/ kind of sensors that thing has. If we go poking around it that might just be enough to set it off. I really don't want to take that chance.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven grins at Lydia, then winks as her before looking to Clarice, "What is means it that there are little machines running through my blood making sure that thing stays right where it's at. Perhaps their some sort of secondary system, I don't know, all I know is it stays where it's at, period. I'm going to try and get further information on this thing, but to do that I have become trusted and play by their rules, alright?"

Finally she takes another bite of the food, incredibly grateful its not gumbo. "Oh, and remind me to tell the cooks, no gumbo, ever again."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Just because you hate gumbo now doesn't mean the rest of the Brotherhood does," Clarice remarks in a dry tone, stirring at her food, and taking another bite, which she chews thoughtfully, and slowly.
    "I doubt the device would blow by virtue of a scan. What if she got hurt, and was put in an MRI machine or whatever? They're going to risk their assets over stuff like that?" Mystique being an 'asset.' //Ugh//. She takes another stab at her food before adding, "I still think I should practice it. Put small implants in a pig carcass, right up against the spine, and other sensitive areas, like I said, and I try pulling them out - and we check to see how precise I was. Even if we don't end up using it on your implant... might not be wasted time, getting that sort of precision control dialed in."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia looks uncomfortable at the prospect of trying to teleport anything that's residing /in/ Raven out. But, "I don't see the hurt in trying. We may have to do something like that in another situation, with another mutant. And practicing precision and control is going to have other uses, too." She grins at Raven, "I've been practicing using my ectoplasm on opening locks. It's the kind of delicate work that I like to practice and it's more useful than creating sculptures."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sitting back, Raven says, "I don't want to smell it for a little while Clarice, you have no idea..." she mutters something in another language and actually shudders.

"We'll get you some already dead animals to practice on Clarice, see if you can fine tune that teleporting ability, but it's in preparation for other things. I know what you're thinking," she gives Clarice a look. "but stop thinking it. I don't care if you get to where you can teleport a single atom out of a pig safely, you aren't touching this bomb. You have to look at the whole picture, the great huge picture that is this entire situation."

She shakes her head again slowly, "Christ, if you're having these thoughts, what the hell will Erik think?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "What thoughts did you //think// I was going to have?" Clarice shoots back. "They-" She stops herself, but only so she can start again at a much lower volume, though still with just as much passion and frustration. "They put a bomb in your head. I'm not okay with it. I will never be okay with it. And if you thought otherwise, you weren't thinking very clearly, because you know me better than that." She lets out a huff of frustrated air.
    "I'm not going to mess around with explosives nestled against your spine without permission. But quite frankly, I don't need your permission to get //ready// for that possibility."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "I see the big picture," Lydia says, to Mystique. "You want to play by the rules so that everybody knows that you're /serious/, to take us /seriously/ when we mean that our methods have changed." She shakes her head, "But it doesn't mean I have to like it, you know."
    "Still, it'd make me rest easier knowing that Clarice is working on a way to get it out of you if everything goes to hell," she says, giving Raven's hand a squeeze. "You know. Just in case." And that's all she has to say about that.
    "Tomorrow I need to go down and do a bit of maintenance on the golem," she says. "You two want to come with me? We can get milkshakes afterwards."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven tilts her head slightly, sitting back in the chair and folding her arms lightly across her chest.

"You're right, you don't need my permission to practice," she states bluntly, her usual tone back in spite of everything that has happened and being exhausted. "And I realize you wouldn't try anything without my permission, I know you respect me that much and more Clarice, but I need you to focus your attention on other things, not on this. Our work isn't done, this changes nothing. I know right now, it's new, and you're pissed... I'm pissed. You have no idea how pissed Clarice, but I can't let my anger effect things."

Shifting in chair, she looks to Lydia, "It's more than making them see, more than making them understand..." she looks between Clarice and Lydia, an odd sort of desperation on her face. "I need you both to understand... /I/ deserve this. Every minute of it. I deserve to rot in jail, I deserve to learn what it means to serve something other than myself. Yes, practice, see if you can figure out how to do it, but understand, this is /my/ punishment and I earned every minute of it by killing hundreds of innocent people!"

Picking up the glass she finishes off the drink and moves to stand up. "Milkshakes sound great Lydia, I'd like that."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I won't neglect my other work," Clarice agrees. "But even if all it ever does is make Lydia and I feel just a little bit better about this - then it isn't wasted." Because if there's one thing Clarice cannot tolerate, it's feeling powerless in the face of problems.
    She frowns slightly as Mystique continues before asking, "And my crimes don't deserve punishment?" she asks. "Or Mister Creed's?" If Clarice was having a hard time with this - imagine her response if someone tried to lock up Creed?
    "She lets out a sigh before adding, "I'd love a milkshake. After this past week, I'm going to-" She doesn't finish the thought as her brow wrinkles for a moment, and she looks back up at Mystique questioningly. "Do you need me to keep the lights on for a few more days?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia purses her lips thoughtfully as she listens, and nods slowly. This isn't the first time that Raven has talked to her about actually /wanting/ to be punished for her crimes. When she first met the cobalt mutant she, too thought about punishment and comes to the realization that she's let love cloud her judgement on the matter. "I think understand," she says firmly. "I think I got myself too wrapped up in my affection for you to understand it from your point of view, but I think I understand."
    She purses her lips. "I think it's less about punishment and more about taking responsibility for your actions. It's part of a good apology. Saying 'I'm sorry' isn't a good apology unless you take responsibility for what you've done, and learn from your mistakes." She shakes her head, "I think she's trying to properly apologize to the world for the harm that she has done." She looks up at Raven, "I think. I don't really want to put words in your mouth."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven slips into the bar to collect another drink, then comes back into the cafeteria.

"You misunderstand Clarice," she replies. "Yes, you and Creed have committed your fair share of crimes. The difference? You didn't order others to do it, I did. I ordered many into crimes and murders and destruction time and time again."

Sitting herself back down, she takes a sip of her drink, "You know the old saying 'uneasy is the head that wears a crown', which we say these days is said 'heavy is the head the wears the crown'? You had a taste of it this week Clarice, of many things that go into running this organization... but you've never bombed a building full of innocent humans, woman and children. You've never ordered people to specifically terrorize humans. What you choose do to with your own mind, body and soul, that's between you and your conscience. Just like it is for Creed... but me? No, I ordered people do to horrible things, and thus I'm doubly guilty."

Reaching over she picks up Lydia's hand and lifts it to her lips to kiss the back off, "You said it perfectly Lydia."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I suppose," Clarice answers quietly - though there's still lingering hints of doubt in her voice. "Those people you ordered, though - they chose to join us. They chose to follow those orders. Your leadership doesn't absolve them," she points out. "Nor does your punishment." And how much will the 'justice' really change people's opinions of the Brotherhood? They'll see her free, and decry it without understanding.
    She continues fiddling with her spoon and her food, taking only periodic, small bites, before she asks again, "Do you need me to take care of the work for a couple more days, Raven?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia gives Raven something of a longing smile when the back of her hand is kissed. She just wants to spend the next fifteen minutes snogging her brains out, but she doesn't think that would appropriate. Yet.
    "No," Lydia agrees, turning to Clarice. "You're right. It doesn't. I don't know what the solution for that would be. There isn't an easy answer to any of this."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven shakes her head and offers a smile. "No Clarice," she offers softly. "That's not my decision to make." Turning her head she looks to Lydia, "You get to decide if I go back work tomorrow or the next day."

She offers Lydia a smile, letting her make that decision despite wanting to scream yes, she'd take the job back, then she looks to Clarice. "When a soldier in an army kills because he is ordered to kill, his commanding offer takes the fault for it, and so up the chain of command to the general who ordered the attack. The reason for the attack, just or not, is still murderer. Sometimes, that murder can be justified, the moral compass leans toward the morality of the choice being right. Nothing I did was right Clarice, not one single murder."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "The Brotherhood... it is an army, but it isn't. You are a General, but you're not," Clarice answers slowly, shaking her head slightly. "I don't buy it. Sure, you bear some responsibility. You choose the ops, you give the orders, but my actions are still my own. It's not-" She hesitates a moment before continuing with, "Even the things I did in the Mutate program - I remember them, and I regret them. They're... they're the only crimes I //do// regret. But those I'm not responsible for, and anything I did with the Brotherhood? I //am// responsible for. I chose to do them." She picks up her glass, taking a deep drink from her scotch, before setting it down again.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods at Clarice. "You're right, of course. One of the things that I want to teach you is about World War II, how it came to be, the atrocities that was committed there and the parallels that can be drawn from it to what's happening with mutants, and the lasting effects it has on the world as we know it. One of the things that I want to teach you about is the Nuremberg trials. They clearly lay out what consists of a warm crime, and who is and isn't responsible. One of the Principles state clearly that if a soldier /had/ a chance to choose morally and didn't take it, then they're just as responsible as the rest of everybody in the command chain."
    Lydia sighs as she works this out verbally, "It puts us in a difficult situation. Most people who look at us unfavorably would wish us to turn in all those who participated in the crimes we committed, but honestly? That would break up the Brotherhood for good. For those people no amount of apology is going to be satisfactory for them. We simply can't continue our fight if everybody's locked up for war crimes. The best we can do, if we want to continue our mission, is keep showing the world that we mean what we say about our change of direction /in spite/ of those people."
    The woman looks over at Raven, and now it's her turn to kiss the back of her lovers hand. She thinks for a moment about for how long she wants to keep Raven to herself and finally comes to the conclusion, "I think I'd like to keep her for tomorrow," she says. "I want her in my apartment so I can treat her to home cooked meals that are /not/ gumbo." She looks up at Clarice, "Think you're okay for just one more day?"
    

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven lifts a brow, head tilting as she watching Clarice, "And yet if you don't follow my orders, what happens?" She pauses there to allow for a moment of thought. "It can't be both ways Clarice. Every soldier in the army chooses to be there, chooses to train to fight in wars, they can choose not to follow orders and are punished for it accordingly... so, what happens when someone in the Brotherhood fails to follow an order?" This is a topic Clarice is clearly familiar with what with having failed to follow orders before. "I regret my crimes, I regret ordering others to commit crimes, and I'm going to pay for all those crimes, one way or another. It is also likely, that in the future, I will commit crimes again... I just have to make sure that the morality check is done before hand to ensure that I do it for the right reasons."

Raven lived through both wars, they weren't something she often thought of, but as Lydia speaks about the comparisons, it all comes rushing back into her mind. The things that happened, the things she did. For a while there she was male to fight for America, because she sure wasn't a nurse.

"Alright, one more day if Clarice agrees, and I need to pack an over night bag," two, three, four. "All packed, ready to go..." she chuckles. "I do have to talk to Erik before we go though."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "But by your own admission, it's still a choice," Clarice points out. "I choose to follow the order - or I choose to disobey and face the consequences. I have a //choice//. In the Mutate program, I didn't have a choice. I'm responsible for my actions in the Brotherhood. I'm not responsible for my actions while part of the Mutate program. They were both me. But- but it's different. She sees it," Clarice nods to Lydia. "Try as you might, you can't absolve me of my guilt. You can't take my responsibility, not completely."
    She finishes off her scotch before adding, "I can manage tomorrow - as long we still get to have milkshakes. And the day after - the day after that - we can go over how I did, and how I can do better the next time you need me to take over for a bit."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods in concession to Raven. "Of course," she says. "And we've got ice cream with Clarice tomorrow too, don't forget. But other than that?" She lets out a wistful breath and leans her head on Raven's shoulder. "You're all mine."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven nods to Lydia as she stands up, "Alright Clarice, I can't take all your guilt, but I'll take everyone elses. For now, I'm going to go talk to Erik, then meet my girlfriend in bed for snuggling and sleep, because I haven't slept in three days."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice rolls her eyes. "You can't take theirs, either, boss," she remarks in a dry voice. She rises as well - but only so she can give Raven another hug - not as desperately tight this time, however. "I'm glad you're back," she says quietly.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven hugs Clarice back and out of instinct perhaps kisses the top of her head. It wasn't exactly what she intended, it just happened but she accepted it as something she does now. "Thank you for taking over Clarice. We'll celebrate more tomorrow over milkshakes."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It's a small, subtle shift in her stance, but Clarice is startled by the unexpected kiss. She doesn't pull away from it immediately, though. She stays in place for a moment longer, before returning to her seat to finish her meal.
    "Tomorrow then," she agrees simply.