7367/Someone Lost Has Been Found

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Someone Lost Has Been Found
Date of Scene: 14 August 2021
Location: Dane Hills
Synopsis: Mystique takes Clarice to meet her long lost sister Cynthia, who is taken back to the Asteroid to live with her.
Cast of Characters: Raven Darkholme, Clarice Ferguson, Lydia Dietrich




Raven Darkholme has posed:
It was early evening in Genosha, the sun was just moving to begin it's daily trip around to the other side of the world. A group of children are gathered outside the large tent-building they call home, their parents among those who had died six years ago or a year ago when Braniac attacked. The number of children was sizable, ages ranging from about a year old to eighteen, but there were numerous adults around to be 'parents', even if it wasn't quite the same.

Today the older kids were playing soccer, and teaching the younger ones how to play. They all looked healthy, well cared for, new clothing, they wanted for nothing really, except family, but at least right now they had each other.

Mystique had told Clarice they were delivering presents. A collection of new toys, clothing, some cell phones for the older kids that had behaved, and of course candy... lots of candy. It was all carefully packaged in three large containers that would need to be teleported down, then rolled over to be accessed.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice didn't question the explination, as she and Mystique emerge near the building with their large crates of offerings - each carefully labeled to identify the contents. She breathes deeply of the air when they arrive - a smile breaking her features. Sure, she has plenty of bad memories on this island, but there are good ones, too, and the fact was she'd spend nearly all of her life here. It just smelled like //home//. It was still home, in many ways.
    "Should we call over one of the adults to tell us where we should put these?" she asks. "Or are we distributing everything tonight? Seems awfully late in the day to get this many kids amped up, though..."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique smooths her hair back as the wind catches it and tries to blow it in her face, then her amber eyes begin the search for the two people she's looking for. One is the coordinator for the children, the other is the real reason they are here today. Spotting the adult, she offers a wave of greeting, then waves her over.

"Kelly will know what to do with these things," she offers to Clarice. "My first visit with gifts I just let the kids at things, and well, that didn't go well. Kelly made it perfectly clear that everything went through her from then on out."

Finally her eyes find the other person she was looking for. Over by the teenagers helping the younger kids, a purple and black haired teen is doing a disappearing act with the ball. Now you see it, now you don't.

"Want to hang out a little once Kelly sighs, reminds me I don't need to do this, give me a look then starts rolling things inside?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Sure," Clarice agrees. "I don't come here often enough," she means the island in general, of course. "What game do you think they're playing?" she asks curiously - her gaze going to the children.
    Yes. That's how little attention she pays to sports, and to games.
    "...that's a football, yeah?" she asks. In Barbados, and in most of Africa it's called 'Football' - much as most of the world does. Except for those weird, weird Americans.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Kelly is a small woman, only about four feet and six inches in height, but what she lacks in size she makes up with a majorly out going personality. When she sees Mystique she waves profusely then heads right over with a bounce in her step.

"Oh you've done it again, haven't you Mystique!" She chimes, looking over the crates and the list of what's in them. "Oh bless your soul! I got Robby and Bethany their cell phones! They will be so psyched!"

The crates suddenly lift up off the ground and just float toward the tent, while Kelly shakes Mystique's offered hand. "Of course, told you to let me know what was needed and it would appear. I may not be Santa Clause," she grins. "but I can play one. Kelly, this is Clarice, Clarice Ferguson."

Kelly's bright violet eyes look from Mystique to Clarice and almost immediately it looks like she's going to cry. "Oh my, oh dear, this is... this is such a rare..."

Mystique cuts her off, gives her a nudge and a 'look'.

Kelly collects herself, clears her throat and nods, "Right, pleased to meet you Clarice. I... I better get inside or those crates will end up opened." And with that she turns and floats off.

Subltly they name is /not/ Kelly.

Mystique offers Clarice a smile, "Yeah, football, or something close to it."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "That's a handy gift," Clarice remarks as the crates simply begin to float. She'd presumed she'd be the one to move them, herself - but she was more than happy to relinquish the task to something else.
    As Kelly begins to gush, however, her gaze is drawn back from the children at play to the two other woman, looking with puzzlement between them. It wasn't until Kelly had moved off that she asks simply, "What was she on about?" as the pair begin slowly to approach the group of playing children.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Yeah, that subject change wasn't likely to work, Mystique knew it, but she had to try.

"Well, there's a thing," she starts slowly, watching the kids. "I did a thing, I should say. It was an extremely long shot, took nearly a month of tying up my computer's processors, which I now need to replace, but uh..."

One of the teenagers looks up and he nudges the purple and black haired teen, who turns and looks at the two approaching.

"Clarice, that's your sister."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice stops walking abruptly - looking at Mystique, following her gaze to Cynthia, then looking back to Mystique again, her expression one of mixed shock and disbelief. "What?" she asks quietly. "I- my sister?" she asks. "I mean, my mom- Nicolai said her spirit mentioned that I- but- but she must have died when-" So few people survived, after all!
    Her gaze again flicks to Cynthia, then back to Mystique again. She can hear her heart thudding in her chest. "You're sure?" Would Mystique ever say such a thing if she wasn't? "...does she know?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique pauses with Clarice, in fact she has already stopped when she said it. She knew it would be a shock, it had been a shock to the cobalt mutant to find her alive. The search has been looking through /all/ records, dead, alive and missing, in an attempt to find out anything about the sister she could. It was sheer luck that the search had concluded with one name, one Ferguson, alive. The next step she had taken was the DNA test, which was easy enough, and it concluded without a doubt that she was Clarice's sister.

"I'm certain," she offers, but before she can say anything else she is interrupted.

"Is that her?" Cynthia asks Mystique, but she's staring at Clarice. Quite suddenly she reaches into nothing, her arm actually disappearing, and she pulls out a small photo album. Flipping through the pages she then holds it up. In the picture is Clarice, as a child, not long before her 'medical procedure'. "Holy sh.."

The boy beside her elbows her.

"eeets! It is her!" The album is dropped and disappears into a small purple puff of nothing before it hits the ground because Cynthia is stepping forward to offer her hand. That's what you do when you find out your sister is not only alive, but someone you can meet, you offer to shake her hand.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice seems frozen in place for several long moments - watching as the girl in front of her appears and disappears a family album. Her mouth gapes open as if to say something - but nothing comes out. She stares at the offered hand, but rather than taking it she crosses the short distance between them to engulf the younger girl in a hug. "I have a sister," she breathes in a disbelieving tone, tears springing to her eyes. "I thought- I didn't know." She has a sister. Was that what her mother's spirit had been so desperate to try to communicate?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique says nothing, in fact she moves around the two to usher the other kids away for now. They don't need to get involved in this moment with words, but watching from a distance was alright. Kelly has already stepped back out and was watching from the front of the tent-building with a couple of the other adults. It was so rare, as she had been about to say, to find family for one of the children but so rewarding to witness.

Cynthia yeeps softly at the sudden hug but that passes quickly and she hugs Clarice back. It's what she really wanted to do in the first place, but Mystique had warned to her to take it slow, give Clarice time to absorb the information because she wasn't getting pre-warning.

Tears start to fall from her eyes as well, and she clings on tighter. "We thought you were dead," Cynthia whispers. "All this time... all these years... I have a sister!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "The Magistrates lied," Clarice murmurs quietly. "They lied. The doctor worked for him. They- they told me-" Tears continue to stream as she hugs the girl fiercely. "They said I wasn't wanted."
    She has a sister. She has family, real family.
    ...and she might be strangling her a bit. Oops.
    Her grip loosens abruptly as she pulls back, wiping tears out of her eyes as she adds, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I just didn't know."
    She blinks suddenly as she realizes something else. "I don't know your name. I- I'm Clarice."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia was content to be strangled, who needs air when you have a family again?

When Clarice steps back, she wipes her eyes on her arm. "It's alright, no broken ribs," she offers with a smile, chewing at her bottom lip. "Oh! I'm Cynthia, or Cachette, which ever you prefer... wow... it really is you. They lied to everyone, they told mom and dad you died in surgery."

Again she reaches into that nothing and pulls out the album, "Here... you can have this. It's all your baby pictures, and pictures up to... well..."

She hugs Clarice again, this time she gets to strangle her.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Cynthia..." Clarice repeats. She has a sister, and her name is Cynthia. She hugs the girl back once more - fiercely, tightly, letting more tears fall. If only she'd learned all this sooner. If only she'd been able to see her parents again.
    When she's able to find her voice again she offers quietly, "I only- I only recently learned that they lied to me. I'm sorry. I would have- I could have come home sooner. I- I've been free since King Magneto and the Brotherhood freed the Pens, but I thought- I believed I wasn't wanted."
    She looks down at the album now in her hands as if she can scarcely believe it's real, then looks to Cynthia again. "I want to look at this. I want to- do you have an album of your life? Can you tell me what it was like- I mean, I want to know all about you. You're a mutant, too? You also... teleport things?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique grins rather broadly, and since the initial 'oh my god' wore off, the kids had already gone back to playing. The boy that had been near Cynthia before was the only one who remained there, watching.

"Hey, hey... you don't have to be sorry!" Cynthia says immediately, laying her hand on Clarice's shoulder, just to stay in contact. It was to make sure she was really real. "You didn't know, they didn't know... how can you blame yourself for that? You can't, that's not even remotely logical." She offers her older sister... she has an older sister!... a big smile.

"I have all the albums," she then says with a soft sigh. "My uh... mutation isn't all that useful, but... it allowed me to store away everything I could when Brainiac attacked. Mom kept telling me to leave it, just leave it, but.." she stops, blinking a few times then looks down at her feet. "Anyway. I have albums I can share with you, but that one is yours now, okay?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice doesn't protest - but she doesn't know how to let go of that regret. Somehow, she suspects it will always be the biggest regret of her life - never being brave enough to find and confront her parents while they were still alive. "I just wish they could have known... I wish I could have seen them again."
    She looks down at the book she holds sandwiched between both of her hands without yet daring to open it as she adds, "And your power seems pretty useful to me. To- to have something like this..." It means everything, does it?
    "Did dad take you walking on the beach when you were little? And give you those licorice-flowers to chew on?" she asks curiously. "And mom - she'd always sing while she did my hair for me... I don't remember very much, but I remember that."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia finally steps back, so that Clarice can breath and so she can look at her. It's almost staring, but really it's memorizing her and learning the similarities. Odd hair, check. Odd eyes, check. Clarice has magenta skin, and Cynthia had patches of purple under her clothing, not many but a few. Their faces were very similar, with just enough difference to be their own.

"Dad used to do that when I was little," she replies softly. "But only a few times, he said it was..." she pauses, chewing at her bottom lip. "He said it reminded him of you too much, and mom always sang, brushing my hair and braiding it was her favorite time to do it."

A shadow of a frown touches her lips before she adds, "I didn't live in your shadow. I was... unexpected, they hadn't planned to have me like they did you, but... even though they did have me, they didn't ever forget you."

Mystique gives the boy a tap on the shoulder, then gestures toward Kelly and with a nod he starts to head that way. Apparently Kelly had been trying to get his attention from across the field and was failing.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I just planted some fennel - up on the Asteroid," Clarice explains quietly. "In the garden there. So I could remember him. I- I'll have to bring you there. So you can see my home. So you can-"
    Whatever she'd been meaning to say was abruptly lost as a thought occurs to her, and causes her to look from Cynthia, to Mystique, to Kelly, and then back again. "I- am I your guardian now? I mean- you're still a minor, right?" Math, still not Clarice's strong suit. "So- What do we do about that? I- do you come up there to live? But your friends, your school, your life is here... You do go to school, don't you?"
    It's a silly worry - unless you really know Clarice's history. But the last thing she wants is for her sister to struggle with literacy like she does.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia ohs and laughs, "Fennel! That's it! I couldn't remember what it was called." A bright smile touches her lips for a moment, but then the following confusion makes her blink and frown slightly.

"I'm sixteen," she admits then smirks. "I've been going to classes here yeah, but it's all on computers so I can do that anywhere really." She stops suddenly and shakes her head. "I mean, no you don't have to move and I don't have to move, I can stay here, it's not a big deal."

This is when Mystique chooses to slip back into range and offers, "Clarice, you do become her legal guardian by Genoshian law. She's welcome to come live with you if you want, no problems there at all."

Cynthia had turned to look at Mystique, the woman was something of a legend so it was hard not to just stare when she spoke. When she'd first met her, she'd accidently made the book in her hand disappear and was still looking for where that one ended up.

"I can stay here," Cynthia repeats, not wanting to be additional trouble for Clarice, after all the woman had her own life.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice looks to Mystique, then back to Cynthia, uncertainty still on her features. "I want- I want whatever you want, Cynthia. I want you to be happy. I want to get to know you. I want to learn about our parents..." Tears start tumbling down her cheeks again, and she has to free one hand from the album to brush her eyes dry once more. "Sorry. I just- I never expected this. It wasn't that long ago that I learned that I learned that I'd been lied to. And that I learned that- that I'd //had// a sister, and I just- I'd assumed I'd- that I'd missed my chance to meet you. I can't believe you're here..."
    Her gaze goes to the cobalt-hued mutant with such gratitude as she adds, "Mystique... Raven..." She doesn't say anything else. If Raven hadn't looked on her behalf...

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique just nods once, offering Clarice a smile. She knows the words, Clarice doesn't need to say them. It was the right thing to do, and she knew the minute she heard Clarice has a sister that the search needed to start. She hadn't had much hope of finding Cynthia alive, but that she was made it all the more wonderful.

"Just doing my job," she offers to Clarice, then looks to Cynthia. "The shuttles and teleporters are coming and going from Genosha all the time, so if you decide to stay that doesn't mean you can't visit regularly."

Cynthia finally looks back to Clarice, once more chewing firmly at her bottom lip. "I don't want to be in your way Clare," yep, it was shortened. "I'd much rather spend time with you, getting to know you, sharing what I know than be away from you, now that I know you're actually alive, but I really... it's your decision, because it's your life."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You could never," Clarice says fiercely. "You'd always be welcome. I-" She looks towards the building where the other children had disappeared, and then to Mystique, and then back to the girl - her sister. That was still so strange. "I don't want to take you away from your home, and your life, and your friends. If you want to stay here, you can, and I'll visit often, and you can come up whenever you like. But I- I'd really like to have you up on the Asteroid. So long as it doesn't interrupt your education. And if you find you aren't happy up there, it's okay, I won't take offense, I promise you that. I just- I want to get to know you, and I want you to be happy. We can't ever get back the time we lost, but... But we have the future, don't we?"
    She takes a deep breath, and then lets out a giddy laugh as she adds, "I'm going to have to tell //everyone//. No one will believe this..."
    She has a sister.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia looks toward the tent-building, one of hundreds in the area. They served nicely for living in, but they were designed for temporary residence. Before these had gone up, most had been living in make-shift lean-tos and tents, but even with the up grade, it wasn't home.

"Clarice, this place," she gestures toward the tent-building. "This isn't home. This is where I am because there's no where else for me to go. Sure I have a few friends here, but you visit friends and um... um..." she bites her bottom lip then just says it. "You visit friends but you live with family."

Mystique once again sort of stepped back, this was a decision between the sisters now that they had the okay. What she thought didn't matter, this wasn't her sister, so for now she stayed quiet.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Okay," Clarice replies quietly. "Well. When you get your things together, we can move you up into one of the guest quarters on the Asteroid for now until, umm, Mystique and I can arrange to connect two sets of quarters for us. Which will doubtlessly involve asking King Magneto to tear out a wall for us, or put in a doorway, or... something." She smiles almost shyly as she adds, "You could watch. And meet him. I mean, he tends to be pretty busy, and a bit gruff, and no-nonsense, but- if you wanted to meet him."
    Is she trying to impress her sister? Possibly. Is that at all necessary? Probably not.
    

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Both of Cynthia's bright green eyes go wide at the mention of Magneto. There are a lot of mixed feelings regarding the name and thus the man, all of these flash through the teenagers eyes in that moment of time that she is standing there wide eyed.

"Uh..." she manages to voice, but that's not exactly what she intended. The words just seem to be running through her brain but not to her mouth. It takes her little bit longer of staring wide eyed before she finally manages to get that under control, and capture the words in her head with a net.

"I think that maybe, no..." so she had troubles capturing all the words, and tries again. "I'm not the sort to stand in the presence of royalty, I mean... I'm a no body, and well... some people around here still haven't forgiven him."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "They I'll introduce you to Lorna instead," Clarice replies immediately. "She'll want to meet you." It's said with complete confidence - before that seed of doubt creeps in. If her Queen has forgiven her... "And you're not 'a nobody.' You're my sister. You're... everything. You're everything to me now."
    With a wry smile she adds, "And try to forgive him, if you can. I was angry with him to. I mean - that's probably the only time I've yelled at him." Yes, she yelled at her King. "But... He freed me from the Pens, and that's something I can't ever repay."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia glances sideways toward Mystique for a moment, then looks more full on to Clarice.

"I don't really know how I feel about him," she admits. "After the Brainiac thing, I was sort of in the hospital for a long while and couldn't remember much. Took a while for my memory to come back, but during that time people were trying to tell me what to think. I hated that, a lot... so once my own memories came back, I decided I'd never let anyone tell me what to believe again."

A smile touches her face, "So I don't know what he did or didn't do, I don't remember it... and since I don't remember, I can't hate him for it no matter what others might want me to think and feel. I just," she leans a little closer. "He's really fricken scary."

She leans back, the smile still on her face then she seems to remember something and her eyes widen again. "Wait... did you say Queen Lorna? Oh... my... gawd... you /know/ her?!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "He is!" Clarice agrees with a laugh. "But... well. He's not the only person I know who is, so... you might have to get used to that a little bit," she admits. There's concern, though, as Cynthia admits how badly she'd been hurt when Genosha fell, and Clarice adds, "I spent about a month in a coma after the attack. I only woke up quickly because of- well, because of the excellent medical care I received." Wakandan medicine is second to none, after all, even at a field hospital.
    As for Lorna she adds, "I'm on the Royal Guard. Though... she might still be a little upset with me right now. I teleported her out of danger not too long ago, and she didn't take it well. But it is after all my job." She looks thoughtful as she muses, "She's probably forgiven me by now... We are friends, after all. She's- I've learned a lot from Lorna."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The blank stare of wide eyes returns to Cynthia's face. Not only did Clarice know the queen, but she was also her Royal Guard and a friend! That was just so unheard of, like next to impossible, like... "Holy sheet..." she breaths. "Can I join the Royal Guard?"

All thought about being hurt seemed to be in the past, and she had no troubles talking about it. This however, was way more interesting to the teenager... her sister knew the Queen!

"You were just doing your job, right? Protecting her? I want to do that, I mean who wouldn't want to protect their Queen? I just don't think my mutation is that useful."

Mystique steps over again, "Hey Clarice, how about instead of standing in the field talking, we get Cynthia's things and go home?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I was," Clarice confirms. "I'll let you in on a 'secret' - Lorna is very down-to-Earth. She doesn't think she's a big deal, or very special. She //hates// being 'Your Majestyed.' She doesn't think she needs a Royal Guard. Do you have //any// idea how hard that makes my job?" she asks. "So. She's mad at me. But... we'll muddle through it."
    She looks to Mystique as she speaks - then responds to her suggestion with a nod before giving Cynthia an amused smile. "That's why she gets the big bucks." She wraps her arm around her sister, using her other arm to clutch her album to her chest. "Show me where you've been living? We'll get your stuff - say bye to your friends. And you can come visit them anytime you like, you'll just have to let me or Ritz know."
    She bumps her sister with her hip as she adds, "I bet your power will be amazing when we work on it. You'll just have to explain it to Mystique and I, and we'll help you train and perfect it. It's all about creative application and training."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia giggles and slips her arm around her sister, her SISTER! and starts walking with her.

"How can she think she's not a big deal?" She asks seriously. "I mean... she's our Queen. I realize that Brittan's Queen is just a figure head at this point, but even /she/ gets a big deal made out of her still... and her protection is major."

The tent-building is massive inside, quite literally a structure of wood inside with the thick canvas stretched over it to form a pointed roof and sides. Inside has numerous sheets of canvas as well, dividing the space up into a living area and numerous bedrooms. Each bedroom has two sets of bunk beds in them, as well as lockers and a trunk for person belongings. There are pictures stapled to the walls, furniture poked here and there, everything that could be done to make the place more of a home has been done, and yet it still feels like living in a camp.

Cynthia leads Clarice to one of the rooms as she says, "This is mine, well mine, Susan, Jessika and Gloria's to be precise." Then heads over to open the locker. There are a few articles of clothing hanging inside, as well as a couple pairs of shoes. All she does it touch them and they disappear in that same purple puff, just gone. "I don't have much in here, I keep most of it... uh... in the pocket."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Look - you can give her a firm piece of your mind. 'Come on, Your Majesty! You're a big deal! We the people of Genosha will feel much better if you let Clarice do her job!' It would help me out tremendously," Clarice offers in an amused tone.
    Would it work? Probably not. But she would immensely enjoy the attempt.
    Clarice watches her sister use her power with fascination. The apparent similarities between Cynthia's gift and her own were glaringly obvious. Hopefully that could help he train the girl and teach her some of the possibilities? ...she doesn't think she'll be teach her to pocket half-a-person, though. If her sister was still an innocent - she should stay that way.
    "So - you can store things in a 'pocket' and resummon them?" she asks curiously. "Does time pass there? I mean - if you stored a piece of fruit in there for a month - would it come back a gooey mush, or is it put into a sort of stasis? Can you only do inanimate objects?
    And what does it say about Clarice that this qualifies as 'getting to know you' talk for her?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Moving over to the trunk, Cynthia produces a key in a tiny little puff of purple and unlocks it.

"Organic things die in the pocket, almost instantly... but things like a fire, get caught in an odd sort of suspended animation. I put a lit match in the pocket once, right after lighting it and when I pulled it out, you could still smell the sulfur from it just being lit."

She starts rummaging through the trunk, a few things disappear, the other things she pulls out and sets on the other beds in the room. "Living things used to die instantly, but I can hold them now for about 30 seconds before they die. I can summon anything back just by thinking about it, unless I'm overly emotional then I have to dig for it... like the album earlier. If I put the piece of fruit in a cooler, and seal the cooler, it lasts, but just the fruit... nope."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Lasts indefinitely?" Clarice asks curiously. "Or lasts a normal length of time - for a piece of fruit?" She looks thoughtful as she muses - so if you put a living thing in a container of some sort - perhaps you could pocket them safely for longer. I mean - we can experiment with... fruit flies or something. Some sort of insect."
    She leans back against one of the bunk beds as she asks curiously, "What's the biggest thing you've pocketed? Could you pocket one of these beds? A car? ...a jet?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The last of the things are placed on her roommates beds, and popped into the pocket, so Cynthia grabs the bedspread off her own bed and looks to Clarice.

"It all depends on how air tight the thing the fruit is in, the longest I managed to get a peach to last was a week," she touches the bed and it disappears, then she position her hand just right and poof, it's back, complete with the things on it. "I can 'pocket' cars, trucks, I haven't found anything very large to try but those things.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Trucks are pretty large," Clarice muses thoughtfully. "The biggest thing I've been able to move is loaded semi truck." She had to wonder if her sister would have a similar limit? Or was her limit only so high because of what had been done to her? Or were the two things not directly correlated at all? Only experimentation would be able to tell. "Well. I'd be able to get you access to larger things, when we're ready to try it. But it would have to be careful, and incremental. And... that's for later. Tonight, we'll have dinner together. We'll go through the albums. We'll talk about our lives... some." How much of her life should she really tell Cynthia? The girl didn't need to know her sister was a murderer. ...did she?
    "Well. Should we say goodbye to your friends and everyone, and head up?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia looks around, holding the bedspread for a moment longer then it disappears.

"My friend knows," she says softly. "He doesn't want to see me leave, so... we already said bye for now. I promised him I'd come visit, and I will." She nods a few times. "He'll be alright, he has a cell phone and I do to, so we'll talk a lot, just not in the way he likes. It'll be better for him, he needs to use his voice more anyway."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If you're sure," Clarice agrees. Her gaze goes to Mystique as she adds, "And we don't need to talk to Kelly? Sign anything? Or... anything like that?" she asks.
    She waits for confirmation from the other woman before she'll nod, and then look back to Cynthia with a smile. "Well - welcome to Asteroid M, then." With a gesture she opens a portal - not to the embarkation room like she's supposed to. Really, when does Clarice bother with that? No, she opens a tear in reality that leads directly to the garden, so Cynthia can really enjoy what the Asteroid has to offer. "Go check it out," she offers with a smile.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique had remained just outside the room, able to hear but no intruding. "I already took care of that. Kelly knew the real reason we were coming today."

Cynthia nods to Clarice, "Yeah, Pete's the real shy type. Susan will take care of him, but when he says he doesn't want to see you, you don't go see him or your eyes could melt out of your head."

When the portal appears her eyes go wide and she looks at it, not what's behind it, it... how it formed, the way it felt when it appears, and THEN she looks through it. "Oh wow! So..." she sticks her arm in. Now, most people might hesitate, or ask, but not Cynthia, she just shoved her arm right in, then stepped through.

Mystique laughs, stepping into the room now, and then through the portal as well.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. When he's ready, if we have Kelly's permission, Pete can visit up here," Clarice offers. "Your friends should get a chance to see your new home. Yeah?"
    She steps through after the pair - and the portal blinks out a moment later, as Clarice takes a deep breath of the dome's air. This, after all, was her //other// home. "So - this is the Garden. We have a vegetable garden there - that's where I've planted the fennel. It's just started to sprout, actually. And you can see where we've just come through down- well, up there." She points up to where Genosha can be seen off the coast of Africa. "We're locked in a geosynchronis orbit so it's always visible. Mystique's koi live in the pond there. And downstairs - we have a cafeteria, and there's a big entertainment area with TVs, and pool tables, and a few arcade games, and things like that.
    "And like I said - we'll get you settled into guest quarters for a couple nights. But... As soon as we can, we'll get Magneto to link two sets of quarters for us to share. He won't mind doing it."
    She says it so casually, too. Yeah. Magneto don't mind tearing down a wall for me. Like he's got nothing better to do.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The first thing Cynthia noticed when she stepped through the portal was the glass dome, so she was already standing there with her mouth hanging open, staring with huge eyes. That was the earth... right there... that meant she was in space. She was in the very place that Magneto had created from the metal and scraps of Genosha. She didn't have time to think about that part of it really, as she was busy being in complete and total shock... she was an astronaut!

Mystique paused for a moment once she stepped through the portal, one glance to Cynthia told her her guess was right. "Give her a minute Clarice," she offers with a soft chuckle. "Lydia had the same reaction her first time in this room."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It's a pretty great room," Clarice agrees - taking a moment to enjoy the view herself.
    But she's seen it so many times by now - so after a few brief moments of consideration, she turns towards Mystique - and wraps her into a tight, grateful hug, which ends up pressing the album she still holds into Mystique's back. "Thank you," she murmurs quietly. Yes, she'd given her that look earlier - so filled with emotion, and gratitude, but why not give her a hug as well? "Thank you for finding her, Raven." A few tears spill out again - only proving just how close to the surface her emotions remain.
    As she pulls away she adds, "I'm still going to ask her to name one of the fish, though."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Wrapping her arms around Clarice at the hug, resting her head against the young woman's.

"You're welcome Clarice," she offer quietly. "But really, another fish name?"

Cynthia finally managed to collect herself and started to look around the room itself. "Pete's alright," she sort of breaths out, then shakes herself to clear out the shock and awe. "I mean, he'd have no problems visiting. He just doesn't like using his voice, he prefers to talk telepathically. This is... how did you get all this up here?" She looks over at Clarice and... Mystique is hugging her. Wow.

"This is overwhelming."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice beams at Mystique without answering her question - not in words, anyways. She moves towards her sister as she explains, "One semitruck load at a time. I mean - we do have some shuttles that go up and down from the Asteroid. But I also teleport a lot of things that we need, and we have other teleporters, as well. And I know it can be a bit much - but you really do get used to is with time." She starts leading Cynthia towards the pond as she adds. "That's Hearld Luke. That's Miss Bubbles. And that's- where's Lord Scaley-Bottom? OH! There he is." She finds the fish she's looking forward, pointing at 'him' before she adds, "The others are Fish One, Four Five, Seven, Eight, and Nine. You can name one of them, if you like." She beams encouragingly - with just a hint of mischief in her expression.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia listens intently while walking with Clarice, reaching up to run fingers through her purple and black hair. When they reach the lake and her sister starts pointing out fish and sharing there names, she starts laughing.

"Wow, those are some creative names," she offers with a hug grin to match her laughter.

Mystique moved to follow, one brow lifted, was Clarice seriously going to... and there it is. Cynthia would be naming a fish.

"That one," Cynthia chimes and points. "The name is now Lady Squiggles!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Lady Squiggles it is!" Clarice agrees. Her delight could not be more evident - as she turns to beam at Mystique. "She's definitely my sister," she decrees happily, wrapping an arm around the other girl.
    "You know, I really should get Mister Creed to name one. And Lorna. And if I ever catch Magneto up here... You know his sense of humor is just perverse enough to name one, as well," she remarks to Mystique - simply daring the woman to contradict her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique sighs, rolling her eyes, "Come on, their names weren't that bad. I still call them by their /real/ names you know." She looks like she's perturbed, but at the corners of her mouth there is this twitching occurring that indicates she is keeping herself from smiling. It's no fun for anyone if she agrees to the names, right?

Cynthia giggles rather a lot, nudging Clarice with her hip. "Of course I'm your sister, we have the same eyes," she says this like that should be all the indication needed, nothing else could or would prove it better than that. "Shouldn't one of the fish be named Her Royal Fishiness?" If she was going down for naming one of apparently Mystique's fish, she was going down hard... clearly, she's a lot like her sister alright.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Numbers are not names," Clarice states. For a moment, that statement takes the humor out of her - but she doesn't linger in it as she instead turns her attention sister. "Ooo... Another good name," she agrees. "Hrm. But we're only naming one apiece to stretch the fun out a bit. So as much as I love //both// names... You're going to have to pick one," she insists with a grin. Yes, there are Serious Rules to this fish-naming nonsense that she started.
     "You know what we should do!" She exclaims suddenly, pulling out her phone and turning on the selfie mode as she tries to get herself, Cynthia, and Genosha above/below them all into the shot. "Our first photo together!"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia meeps softly and runs her fingers through her hair, trying to make sure it's not all over the place and looks somewhat decent, apparently she cares.

"Lady Squiggles is better," she offers while smoothing her hair down. It isn't listening so a brush appears in her hand to go through her hair and she seems quite content with that, so the brush disappears.

Looking over at Clarice for a moment, she then looks to the phone and offers a smile... she has a sister.

Mystique walks over to one of the rocks and opens it, pulling out a bag if fish food pellets. The minute she is in range of the lake, all of the fish come swimming over and start poking their lips out of the water. Reaching into the bag, she pulls out one scoop of the food and flings it expertly into the water to spread it out. The fish, although happy to see her, head for the pellets without another thought.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice, for her part, has not spared a thought for her appearance until Cynthia began to fuss over her own. She passes her fingers through her hair briefly, before deciding that was good enough. The photo was snapped, and then Clarice remarks, "Okay, I'll send it to you." Blink. "...I don't have you in my phone yet!"
    She spends a moment hastily adding Cynthia's information to her phone. Once she does that she remarks, "Okay. Well. So, you're welcome to come up here whenever you like. Below us is the cafeteria - always open, always free. And some entertainment spaces - TVs, arcade games, and the like.
    "And - well, since you're going to learn it anyways, I might as well tell you that I'm Mystique's Lieutenant - which means that she, and Magneto, are the only two people who outrank me on the Asteroid. Well, and Doctor Hathaway, if it's a medical matter. She outranks everyone when it comes to medical stuff, of course."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia has had a long day. A loooooong day. She finally manages to trudge up to the Asteroid, and decides to distract herself with a bit of earthlight writing. When she gets up here, however, she spies Mystique and Clarice and a mystery person.

"Hey, love," she says walking up to Mystique and leaning on her back to wrap her arms around her middle. "Day's been interesting. Who've we got here?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia makes sure Clarice's hair is laying down, then shares her phone information, Email, instagram, etc.

Once she also has Clarice's information in her own phone, she shows her sister a picture of Pete. It was the boy who had poked her once to keep her from swearing and then stood with Mystique for a while. "So you're like... really important. Royal Guard, Brotherhood Lieutenant, my sister." She giggles and just saying it makes her hug Clarice again.

Mystique finishes the feeding, which means the food goes back into the mystery rock and she closes it. Hearing Lydia, she turns just in time to have the woman wrap around her, which was perfect. A light kiss is placed on her cheek, "This day has been very interesting, but it's up to Clarice now to share that."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well. Relatively important," Clarice agrees. "But I don't go putting on airs about it too much. Other than, you know, assuming I can ask Magneto to tear out a wall for me, and knowing he'll do it." Rank has to have some perks, doesn't it?
    She dutifully studies the picture of Pete before she adds, "Well, I look forward to seeing him up here - and getting to know him. I'll happily bring him up, as long as I'm not occupied. But there are other means if I am."
    As her friend arrives, Clarice's smile broadens. "Lydia!" she calls brightly. "Come meet Cynthia! Cynthia, this is Lydia. She and Mystique are together, and Lydia's become one of my dearest friends lately."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I performed my first exorcism today," Lydia says. "It was harrowing. Not because somebody got possessed but because nearly an entire city block got possessed." She sighs contentedly at the kiss and she lays her head against Mystique's shoulder. "There was a breach between the astral plane and ours and it was letting all sorts of angry spirits out. I managed to plug it up with my ectoplasm to keep more from spewing out while the rest of them. You know that man John Constantine who was being an asshole at the diner? He knows his stuff. We should keep an eye on him. Could be real dangerous."

Lydia lifts her head from Mystique's should to look at Cynthia, and offers her a broad, if tired, smile. "Hello, Cynthia. It's a pleasure to meet you. What brings you to the Asteroid?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia jumps slightly at the call, only because she was right there by Clarice, but she turns to look at Lydia and offers a wave. She's not a shy teen, but this is a person she doesn't know, so she engages what she calls 'who da heck is dat' mode. Stepping slightly behind Clarice, enough that she could use her sister as a shield... she's the trained one after all, but not so much that she can't be seen.

"Uh, hello Lydia, nice to meet you. Clarice brought me," she replies then smiles really big. "Through a portal."

Mystique start chuckling softly, not at Cynthia's actions but the words, she did answer Lydia's questions in there. Keeping her arm around her girlfriend she gives Lydia a very slight nudge with her hips, "She'll be living up here now, with Clarice. Look at them side by side, I think you'll figure it out." Now she looks over at Lydia, "An exorcism huh, of an entire city block?" A slight shake of her head. "Constantine. Right, time to fire up the new computer and see what I can find out about him."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice beams at Lydia - tilting her head slightly in towards Cynthia. There's a level of joy and excitement in her expression that Lydia hasn't seen out of the young woman - as she offers in a bright tone, "If you have trouble putting your finger on it, I think this," she taps the photo album she continues to clutch in her arms like a precious thing, "would clarify everything quickly enough.
    "Oh, and Cynthia named one of the fish Lady Squiggles. What number was it, Raven?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Lady Squiggles," Lydia repeats, nodding. "It's a grand name, indeed." When challenged to figure out what the relationship between the two is, her eyes flick back and forth between them. "Hm." Then she recognizes the similarities. "Your sister?" she asks brightly. "You have a sister?" She can't hide the excitement in her voice.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique sighs again, glancing to Lydia, "Sure, grand name... it's a /fish/." She already knows she's not going to win this one, but she's still playing the game. Well partial game, part of her really doesn't think the fish need names, but apparently everyone else does.

Cynthia grins huge and nudges Clarice, perhaps a little too hard in her excitement, "See! See! It's the eyes! She could tell!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I have a sister," Clarice confirms. "We're going to combine two sets of quarters - she'll be staying on the Asteroid with us. Well - with me."
    Tapping the album again she adds, "And she had this!" Opening it - the first page shows a large photo of her mother, sitting on a stuffed chair, and gazing down with awe and adoration at a tiny slumbering magenta-hued lump in her arms. And behind the chair, looking down at both of them, is Clarice's father. Clarice is instantly transfixed by the photo - tears springing into her eyes. "...oh," she murmurs quietly. "I- maybe I look at this later."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia is grinning widely in excitement. "You'll have to show me that once you're done with it," she says. "I want to see baby Clarice." She silent for a while before addressing Mystique, "So that's what your computer program was searching for. I had a feeling that was it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
That album was one that Cynthia had treasured for a long time. When her parents were alive, she would sneak to get it out and memorized all the picture... and there were a lot. Seeing how it moved Clarice to see just that one picture, she wasn't sorry to have given it to her. It may only be five years worth of pictures, but it was memories that her sister likely didn't have. Stepping up beside Clarice again, she lays her hand on her shoulder and gives her a bump.

"You've got all the time in the world now," she comments softly.

Mystique offers Lydia a nod, "The program ran for nearly a month straight, going through millions of files and spot out one Ferguson, and there she is, alive. Once I had a name, and that she was alive, I had to search through current records, then started searching on the ground." She kisses Lydia lightly on the cheek, then says to Clarice, "I also want to see baby Clarice, when you're ready that is."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice hugs the book to her chest, gently so as not to damage it or the photos, as it's still open to that first page. She silent for the moment, a few tears sneaking out as she leans in towards her sister. When she somehow manages to gain some semblance of control, she wordlessly turns the book around so both Lydia and Mystique can see the first two pages of the album with photos of a new born Clarice - some with her parents, some with her parents, some with her tucked into a little basinet. After letting them look for a few moments, she closes the book and hugs it back to her cheek adding, "I think I really need to go through it- well. Not here."
    Looking to Cynthia she adds, "There's only so much that I rememer. If, umm... our parents," that was a strange thing to be able to say, "told you about the pictures - you might know more about my childhood than I do."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia leans in to look at the baby pictures and an "Awww!" escapes her. "You were so cute as a baby! I can't wait to see the rest." Lydia takes a step back as a yawn escapes her. "I think I'm going to go retire and get to bed," she announces, and steps forward to give Mystique a deep kiss. "If I'm still awake I'll tell you more about my day."

She turns and gives Clarice and Cynthia a wave. "It was good meeting you, and I'm glad to have you on board. When you get a chance, try out the waffle bar. It's /amazing/." With that she turns and heads out to her and Mystique's room.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Cynthia taps her own head and offers Clarice a soft smile, "I have it all up here, Clarice. Even after losing my memories, they came back too. I'll tell you anything you want to know." She gives her sister a quick, careful hug and whispers something in her ear as she does. >>You think we could get something to eat? It was almost dinner time before we came up here.<<

Mystique's lingers over each picture. Clarice was a beautiful baby, the smile on her face could have lit up an entire room, but after the third picture she has to look away. It's like someone punched her in the gut, a sensation she did not like at all.

"I'll be along shortly Lydia, just need to check a couple of things then I'll be snuggled up against you."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I- yeah," Clarice agrees. "We'll get some food. Let me just- I'll put this away for now." With a flash of purple energy, the the little album was gone - landing gently on Clarice's bed in her room. She'd look at it there, in private.
    "I'll tell you a little bit about my life, if you like," she offers. "And a little something about," her gaze flicks briefly towards Mystique, then back to her sister, "the family I've been building for myself lately. You'll get to meet them all, of course - and make your own opinions of them.
    "And Lydia's right about the waffle bar. When I'm being particularly naughty, I top the waffles with ice cream."