7393/News and a Question

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News and a Question
Date of Scene: 15 August 2021
Location: Xavier's School Front Yard
Synopsis: Clarice delivers tea, chocolate, and news - while despite being interrupted by friends and an angry cajun - then shocks Lorna with an unexpected question.
Cast of Characters: Clarice Ferguson, Lorna Dane, Henry McCoy, Remy LeBeau, James Proudstar, Tabitha Smith




Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Things between herself and Lorna were left rather awkward, after the fight at the mansion. After Clarice teleported her Queen out of the range of a possible alien bombardment, and left her instead to babysit a bunch of children while the fate of the universe was at stake.
    Awkward, right?
    And yet here she is - appearing in the yard of the Xavier Mansion with a box of chocolates in her hand, and a pitcher of ice cold tea. She even has a bag filled with disposable cups. She pauses for a moment to watch as a heavy metal girder is lifted into place by Lorna to help repair some roof damage, and remains silent until it's secured into place by others on the reconstruction team, before she moves closer.
    "Don't suppose you need a break?" She offers a small, hopeful smile, watching Lorna's features for her friend and Sovereign's reaction to her presence.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane had felt utterly useless in the situation of taking care of children. It wasn't that she didn't like them, or couldn't handle them, it's just that she so rarely did. The anger, frustration, and helplessness she'd felt was irritating to say the least. At least here, now, she was able to do something even if it was rebuilding. Honestly she was getting quite skilled at it by this point with the work she'd done for months... a year now? In Genosha. This was one single building at least. Her hand lowers from the air where she had held it raised until the girder is secured more out of habit than necessity to put the girder where it was needed. Hearing Clarice's familiar voice she turns to regard her friend and the objects she has. "I could, yes, but I suppose many more could as well."

Henry McCoy has posed:
He did live here, after all! Henry had been helping where he could - applying his nimbleness and strength where appropriate. While not as strong as Rogue or Piotr, he still could lift several tons without straining himself. So the Beast was helping to gather materials and get them where they needed to go, so much that was needed.

As he sat near the top of the roof, he glanced down as Clarice appeared. His eyes watched as she approached Lorna and opened up conversation with her. No fight was starting - so that was a good sign! Henry offered a wave to both, before leaping down from the rooftop. "Hey there."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    Up the driveway comes an old red buick. One Clarice will recognize, and Hank as well, Lorna may not have been privy to see Remy's new, legitimately purchased, classic auto. The car glides across the driveway and stopping outside of the garage, the engine idles briefly as Remy puts it into park and turns off the car before climbing out.

    "Ah got some wurds fur ya!" The cajun says, as he steps towards, Lorna and Clarice, the keys to his car clutched in his fist. The man wears a yankee cap on his head, turned around backwards with the bill nearly on his neck, and a black t-shirt with an unbuttoned flannel top, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of jeans on.

    Speaking of fighting, Remy doesn't seem none too happy to see the teleporter!

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well - I'm happy to share with everyone. I might have to disappear to fetch more tea, at some point - and there's only so much chocolate," Clarice remarks in a wry tone. Glancing around, she sees a table that's been set up for sawing - but since no one is currently cutting any wood, she sets out her offerings there, simply because it's convenient. She box of candies is opened - the chocolates still nice and cold despite the heat of the day, as she's just brought them from the Asteroid. Too much time in this sun and heat might start to melt them, though. They're a quality assortment of milk and dark chocolates from a small confectioner nearby.
    She then pours a cup of the iced tea to offer over to Lorna, her gaze still assessing her friend's features for signs of lingering aggravation.
    "Hello Hank!" she calls brightly, looking between the pair as she asks, "It seems like the construction's going well. You guys need me to help bring any any supplies to expedite things furthter?"
    And then there's a sudden Remy, in a car she does indeed recognize, and she tries to put on an expression of almost comical puzzlement. "Whatever about, LeBeau?"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar comes around the building, carrying a dumpster full of various bits it mess and detritus in each arm balanced easily, letting Tabby spot for him as he makes his way on the main drive with the load. He's dressed in working clothes, his hair tied up what he refuses to acknowledge as a munn. It is a warrior's knot.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith ducks down to pick up the occasional piece of junk as she guides James around any trip hazards in his path. She's making a game of improving her aim by throwing said pieces of junk into the dumpster he's carrying. Where did the girl find pink denim to match that bubble gum pink top she's wearing?

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane contemplates the hesitant look on Clarice when the tea is offered out before she simply reaches out to take it. "I'm tired and worn out," she explains simply with a shake of her head to indicate that, whatever issue they were having, right now she did not intend to press it further. She was tired. And the tea was cold. A nod is given toward Hank when he comes down. Then another toward Tabitha and James indicating the pair. "Hope there's plenty of cups," she starts only to stop with a completely clueless expression as she watches Remy storm his way over angrily.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Irritated Cajun is noted. Yep. Henry moves over to stand by the ladies, offering a wave to Tabby and James as they help with the cleanup detail. "Seems we're putting all hands to work. Tends to be a bi-annual thing around here, he half-jests. "I suppose Charles doesn't get a good deal on insurance, given our rather elaborate lifestyle." Henry grins.

"We have more cups - I think there's plenty, though." He comments, looking to the stack of plastic cups Clarice had brought.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Doc. Princess." Remy says, looking from Hank to Lorna, as he approaches them, but he stops respectfully distant and then with a finger he points past them to Clarice and he unclenches his jaw. "She stole the license plate off-a my car."

    Remy then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet and then from within he pulls out a pair of pieces of paper. "Ah got two tickets fo' drivin' wit'out one!" He says and points again, "Two ticket's she'll be payin' me fo'."

    Remy doesn't notice Tabitha or James as of yet, as he's on a very heated mission with a solid pair of goals.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice pours a second glass of the tea to offer towards Hank, while she continues to feign innocence and confusion in the face of Remy's accusations. "I did this when, exactly?" she asks. "I've never been anywhere near your car, LeBeau."
    Hey. That statement was mostly true. Even she had gotten close /enough/.
    Towards Tabitha and James she calls, "We have tea if you're hot!"

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar places the dumpsters down gingerly on the drive ready for pick-up. "Hank, this is everything from the back. Ready for pick-up. I kept the wood, figured we can chop it up during the fall and use it for the winter through the house, should mean we don't have to buy any, so, a sliver of a silver lining." He grins at Tabby and walks over to the small grouping. He kneels before Lorna and inclines his head, "Your Majesty."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tea is a tricky question when you're from the South but not in the South. What are the chances that it's got enough sugar in it after all. Yeah, she's not going to touch that one. She follows James' lead over to the group despite the angry Cajun but she doesn't kneel. Instead she flashes a big grin over the group and waves at Lorna and Henry. "Hey there."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane lifts her eyebrows a little bit at the accusation. She has to consider it a moment or two before her head shakes lightly. Normally she would jump in to defend Clarice but as of late... She had been doing things that she wasn't certain of anymore. "If that is the case," she offers with a sigh, "I will cover the cost of it for you. She *is* my guard," she points out giving Clarice a withering look that might show she was just a tad irate still over the situation. Just as she takes a gulp of the tea, James kneels down in front of her with that greeting. No doubt it would make Clarice quite happy. Her own reaction was nearly choking on the tea as she flusters with a quick shake of her head. Reaching down with her free hand she lightly, jokingly, cuffs the side of his face before flipping that 'warrior bun' of his. "Oh stop that, James!"

Henry McCoy has posed:
Well, that should avert the crisis, right? Henry nods, looking between Remy and Clarice. "Settled? And I will expect no further actions against one another? I'm not one to lay blame or point fingers - but we're all on edge, and trying to work together. Can we let this be the end of whatever is going on between you two?" He asks, his tone reasonable.

He does take a cup to get some tea - sweetened or not. A grin at James' bowing and kneeling. "Are we expected to flourish, your Majesty?" He grins to Lorna, before offering a wink to Tabby.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    Remy's eyes squint tightly towards Blink and then he's about to say something rough when Lorna says that the tickets are paid before he can open his mouth, and then Hank's there acting like a true adult. And even James is there bowing to the daughter.

    Remy takes a breath and lets out his frustrations with a sigh. "Dat's only part, Ah still need mah plate back. Ah'm drivin' around wit' paper plates and ..."

    The cajun lifts his chin, "If ya -" And he stops mid thought. "Good luck 'Ank an' Lorn'. James. Tabby." Remy says as he turns and nods to the others present and he begins to walk away, knuckles and fingers unflexing to stretch at his sides.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You shouldn't have to pay //his// ticket!" Clarice protests, looking truly horrified by the thought as she looks between Remy, Lorna and Hank. She lets out a loud, aggravated huff of air - not even able to enjoy James kneeling before her Queen. This is //not// how she wanted any of this to go. "It's not your fault he's- ...such a twat. And honestly, the plate's probably burned up on re-entry by now."
    That admission out the way she remarks, "Who wants chocolate?"
    She picks up the box of chocolates to offer to the small gathering - the bracelet she wears now on her left wrist flashing in the light as the sunshine bounces off the polished silver, and green and white catseye gems that make it up.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar remains stoically unmoving on that knee, not even raising his head, though he does smile, "It is customary for one head of state to address another by title in a formal greeting."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Now chocolate Tabby can go for. She leans in to snag one from the box with a grin for Clarice, "Sweet." Then she bumps her hip against James, "Oh stop embarrassing the lady, Jimmy." She gives Lorna a wink then pops the chocolate into her mouth.

Lorna Dane has posed:
"And completely unnecessary when heads of state are friends," Lorna adds with a chuckle. "I feel as if I ought to be knighting you or some such. It's good to see you again, of course," she adds with a grin that's offered to Tabby as well. Still there was a mention of chocolate here... And she reaches out to snag one too before Hank decides to dive in. Not that she would keep him from doing such but he did have a larger appetite than some. Clarice earns a little grin as well in spite of the tension between them. "You're starting to get a temper like your, ahem, 'father'," she points out. Was she teasing? A bit.

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast is delicate, thank you very much! He only takes one chocolate, watching his figure and all. A look to Clarice. "We talked about that, right? There's no need to pour gasoline on the already sparking Cajun, all right?" The man suggests, before popping the chocolate into his mouth.

"A Knighthood? Is that a thing, then?" The man grins. "Is there a Knightly order? That sounds terribly fascinating and romantic."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Yeah, well, he //earned// it." Clarice nods her head to Hank as she adds, "He was there. And I'm not pouring," more, "gasoline on anything! Remy was being a twat. Yeah?"
    She lets out a sigh before she adds, "But if you insist on having his tickets paid, //I'll// pay them. You shouldn't have to pay for my squabbles. I don't have a plate to return to him, though. Why would I keep it?"
    With everyone having claimed a chocolate - other than James - Clarice chooses one for herself, popping it happily into her mouth.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar rise slowly and gives Lorna gentle hug, "Maybe not, but sometimes it's nice to remind people." He smiles and takes a chocolate, perfunctorily. "So, what's left?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith leans against Hank's chair now so as to be out of the way of the Apache's hug. "How much more cleanup is there to do around here before it's safe to goof off again?" She rubs the fingers of her right hand together thoughtfully.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane tips her head toward Clarice with a little nod of acceptance to her remark. "Sometimes keeping the peace means swallowing your pride," she points out before popping the chocolate into her mouth. Then James has stood, and she returns the hug a bit more firmly than he dares to hold her. He was far stronger than she, after all. Besides hugs were something she didn't get too many of. She might as well enjoy it while she could. "Plenty. Most of the debris has been cleared away, and we've made great progress on getting the structural supports back into place. It's good progress all around," she informs without thinking. It wasn't as if she was in charge, it was just habit at this point to give such updates. "Sorry," she adds running a hand back through her own hair. "I suppose I've become a bit more experienced with this sort of thing as of late."

Henry McCoy has posed:
The brow of Henry's remains arched at Clarice. "We are all better than this. We're changing, right? So let's try to change. Be the change you want, don't be the opponent." He says, with a smile to her. "It's the harder road, to be sure. But is far more worth the effort." Always mending fences, is Henry.

He sips the tea, watching as Lorna discusses the rebuild and affairs of state.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets out a huff of frustrated air. She //wants// him to stew in it - for the pain and hardship he'd caused. She doesn't care if it's entirely fair to blame Remy for what happened - she //does// blame him. "Fine. I'll send him the cash," she mutters. "But the plate's gone." There's nothing for that.
    She frowns at the ground for a moment, as she tries to force herself to change gears. She came here for a purpose today, hadn't she? "I was actually in Genosha the other day," she remarks. "Visiting one of the orphanages. Umm, to bring donations for the kids. That's what Mystique told me, anyways. But..." She pulls out her phone as she talks, pulling up a picture Hank, at least, would recognize. It's Clarice in the garden on the Asteroid, taking a selfie with a teenage girl. The girl has rich, african skin tone, with tribal braids in her black and purple hair. She has similar features and facial structures to Clarice - and most noticeably, the same unnatural, electrically green eyes. She phone is offered over to Lorna so she can study the picture.

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar nods, and addresses Hank, "We're pretty much done in the back I can send some of the team up here if it would help?" Jim smiles and regards Clarice innocently, "Actually, it costs about 80 bucks for new plates from the DMV. You could add that to the bill."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith opens her mouth to make a comment to someone but apparently the subject of orphanages in Genosha is enough to get rid of that desire for the moment. She glances around the group then abruptly says, "Thank you for the chocolate. Great to see you Lorna. I think I'm going to go find some target practice." She wiggles her fingers then tosses up a time bomb barely big enough to cause a pop over the table before she saunters off toward the house.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane lifts her own eyebrows a bit at the mention of Mystique and the odd reference of what she was supposed to be doing there. Followed with a 'but' it was rather suspicious. When the phone is offered over she reaches to take it so she can regard the photo there with an unreadable expression. "Well now. That's a familiar sort of face. Who is she?" A glance is cast toward her friend questioningly. "I thought that your relatives had..." The remark tapers off uncertainly.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane nods toward Tabby with an apologetic smile. This wasn't a great topic all around it would seem. "Good to see you as well Tabby," she offers back with a chuckle at the small bang from her. And absently she recalls an earlier remark. "I'm Queen, I could make a knighthood happen if I so wanted."

Henry McCoy has posed:
Henry smiles as the news is shared about by Clarice. "Thank you, Clarice. You are a better person for it, I promise." He lifts up his tea in a 'toast' to Blink. A smile as Lorna mentions a Knighthood. "I might take you up on that. Then I can tease Kirk that I am a knight, while he is simply a privateer." He winks.

"Alas, I should be going." A nod to James. "More help, the better. I'll keep my eyes open for any spots needing more care. Night all." He offers with a wave, before returning to the house.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "That's Cynthia," Clarice offers. "Cythia Ferguson. Mystique found her." Tears spring to her eyes - though she's grinning broadly at the same time. "Lorna - I have a sister." Tabitha and Henry only get a distracted sort of wave for Clarice - who's focused on Lorna for the moment, as she shares the extremely fortunate news with her friend. "She's moved up onto the Asteroid now with me - I mean, since I'm her guardian for now."
    Did she even hear the bit about $80 for the new plate?

James Proudstar has posed:
James Proudstar smiles and raises his eyebrows to Lorna with a shrug, "That's great. Congratulations." He follows Tabs back towards the house.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane sighs with a little noise that was almost 'oh for fucks sake' before she wraps an arm around Clarice in a quick hug. "I'm glad you found your sister, and I'm glad she's safe," she offers over with a glance cast around as it seemed everyone else had wandered off in light of this news.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice leans into the hug - one arm going around Lorna, and the other wiping at her eyes. "Sorry. I just- I'm still getting used to all this. I can get a little worked up." It doesn't seem to take her long to get control over herself again, however, as she straightens up again.
    "I just wanted to tell you. And- well, she wants to meet you, sometime. And..."
    There's a brief hesitation before she starts again, this time talking more quickly as if she wants to get it all out before she can be stopped. "Maybe I have no right asking you this, especially right now, but you know my life can be dangerous sometimes, and I don't want her to get sent back to the orphanage if anything ever happened to me - and I mean, it's not even something that would be an issue for very long, she's already sixteen, so she'll be an adult soon, but if anything did happen I- I'm just not sure Mister Creed or Mystique would be the right guardian for her. Would you ever consider...?"

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna Dane lets Clarice get it out of her system much as she needs. In spite of the issues between them they were friends after all, so she listens and nods here and there where necessary. At lest until the end. Here she pauses going a bit slack jawed at the implication. "I... I don't know Clarice," she finally lets out uncertainly. "Children aren't my... I mean I've never considered..." Though, she sighs. "I'll think about it. Very hard," she promises.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Of course," Clarice agrees. "I know you have a lot on your plate already. But I also know you'd do everything to keep her safe." She smiles as she adds, "I don't plan on doing anything stupid anytime soon, though. So - well. Maybe we can figure out a time for you to meet her - before you decide anything."
    She turns away, retrieving the pitcher of tea to refill Lorna's glass before adding, "I'll see if anyone else needs some, yeah?"
    Just her way of getting out of Lorna's hair again. ....after dropping //that// in her lap.