8380/But- What

But- What
Date of Scene:	23 October 2021
Location:	Cafeteria and Bar
Synopsis:	Lydia's new trick surprises - and inadvertantly upsets Clarice. And Talia learns the truth of Lydia's new existence.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Lydia Dietrich, Talia Wagner

---

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    The Asteroid has everything you need to exist comfortably - but as far as recreation goes? The options are a bit limited. So it's no surprise that Clarice is here once more, at the end of the day, chatting casually with Sascha and leaning up against the bar with cognac in her hand. "Yeah. Pete's my secret weapon now," she's explaining with a wry, amused tone. "I don't know how he does it but- well. I don't really need to." Not when he's so happy to take care of it for her. She turns away from the bar, and her features look subtly but noticeably different, because a certain 'little brother' got her in his make-up chair again. He somehow manages to make Clarice's features look positively glamorous, without being over the top or caked - and even when she's dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a green 'cold shoulder' blouse.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia spent most of the early evening with Mystique, and showed off her latest technique in making herself look... well... alive! That's certainly going to solve a lot of problems that they're going to have. She when through her 'morning' routine, fed, and hung out working on her book until Mystique had to go to work on some of the Chinese stuff.

Still looking alive, Lydia decided to go and get a drink to sip on while she continued to work on her book. "Hey, Clarice!" she says, slipping into the barstool next to her, laying her laptop up on the bar. "How've you been?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Oh, hey Lydia," Clarice answers casually, as she turns to face the woman. The tension and discomfort she'd had shortly after Lydia's change had largely vanished as it slowly became evident that Lydia was indeed herself, and didn't pose a threat to the others around her who she loved. Things had almost gone back to the way that they had been before - friendly, comfortable, and companionable - but as Clarice's gaze lands on the other woman, she goes still for a moment as her brain tries to process what she's seeing. It takes her a moment to accept that- yes, there is a faint, rosy blush to Lydia's cheeks, color that hadn't been there since...
    The glass of cognac slips nervelessly from her fingers to crash to the floor with the sound of breaking glass. "Lydia! How...?" Reaching out, her hand touches the woman's cheek - quite literally testing for warmth before wrapping her in a crushing hug. How can it possibly be? What kind of magic would they have needed to us to- Just, how?

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia's eyebrows furrow in concern as Clarice's glass shatters on the floor. "Clarice, what's wr-" her question is interrupted by a crushing hug, which she hesitantly returns. It was the brushing of the cheek that let her know what it was that Clarice was talking about.

"It's a trick that Hatshepsut taught me. A bit of blood, a bit of concentration, and I can look alive for a couple of hours." She waves a hand through the fat black flakes of her mutant power. "She says that with practice I can even make this green again." A grin spreads across Lydia's lips. "If you think that's neat I've got another thing to show you. Not here though."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    TJ meanders by the bar just about in time for the shattering of glass from Clarice's direction which causes like all of her attention to focus over that way,the hand at her hip starting to flicker with a crimson hexbolt as she tries to figure out if there is real trouble going down or not.

    Okay touching and sounding excited is not a dire emergency so Talia stands down, the crackle of energy vanishing just as quickly. She does though veer off from the cafeteria where she had been heading to step into the bar proper and walk over towards Lydia and Clarice now. "Sup"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    A trick? A trick. As soon as it'd come, the elation that had filled Clarice drains out of her, and leaves her feeling devastated, and confused. So very, deeply confused. "But... your heart is beating." Isn't it? But it's only a trick? She stays where she is for the moment, hugging Lydia, and by the time she pulls away she finds that Sascha has already replaced her glass of cognac, and moved around the bar to clean up the mess. She keeps her face turned slightly away from her friend, hoping that Lydia won't see the tears that filled her eyes in response to her elation so abruptly being dashed.
    "It's a good trick," she confirms, forcing a smile to turn up the corner of her lips. "Really had me going."
    She glances at Talia - but only briefly, to offer a nod of her head in greeting. "TJ - hey."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia can't help but feel sad for her adopted sister. "Hey, hey, now," she says, reaching out to wipe away a tear. "I'm sorry. I'd forgotten that I did it to show Mystique and I should have warned you. I didn't mean to..." give her hope like that. "Well. Deceive you, I guess."

She takes a step back when Talia joins them. "Hey, there," she says.

Talia Wagner has posed:
    People are being sus to be honest. She knows there are a few secrets floating around and she respects that they aren't other peoples to talk about. Her 'elf' sense, which no is not her thing or a mutant power, is tangling right now though. So TJ leans up against the bar and gives Sascha a bright smile and points to the glass already fixed up again for Clarice and then indicates herself "Please."

    Then her attention turns back to Lydia and Clarice looking them both over. Okay Lydia does look different. Clarice looks upset. Hm. Sherlock Holmes she is not though. "How are you both?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice shakes her head. "It's fine, Lydia," she insists - though it very clearly isn't. Somehow, seeing her 'sister' looking alive has only managed to highlight the fact that Lydia is, indeed, //dead// - and it feels like a sharp, bitter ache in her chest - the image of Lydia tied to that chair rising unbidden in her mind. 'You came...' she'd said. They came too late.
    Still, she manages to keep that false smile plastered firmly onto her features as she answers Talia. "Oh, you know. Making sure the Chinese kids are settling in, trying to organize the supplies being donated for them, and a few mentors for them... Keeping busy."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia gives Clarice one worried last glance before turning to TJ fully. "I've been working on the book, mostly. I got some new inspiration recently and have been getting a lot done on it. Doing some major rewrites, though." She shrugs, "I have a friend on Earth that needs help from time to time so I busy myself with that, too." She grins at the mutant, "How've you been?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
    TJ looks absolutely skeptical at Clarice and her plastered on false smile there. Those yellow eyes narrowing a little. While this TJ has only known this Clarice for a few months. TJ has known Clarice for years now. She also in no way tries to be deceptive with her skepticism. "Mhm"

    Then she looks at Lydia and keeps the same expression. "Well. I'm really glad we are helping the chinese kids. I've been helping best I can too... they seem to trust me a bit easier since I'm obviously such a mutant.. which is an upside over some of the Alpha level mutants trying to convince them it is okay and all...." she trails off and nods. "What book are you working on now?"

    Sus.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Luckily, Sascha sees Clarice's bullshit, as well. A shot of whiskey is set wordlessly in front of her, and after a nod of thanks, she magenta-hued woman picks it up, and shoots it back, setting the empty glass back on the counter. Somehow, that helps, and when she turns away from the bar and back to her friends, the strongest of the emotions have been bottled away - the stab in her heart reduced to a dull ache. She tries to ignore the fact that the few brief streaks down her cheek haven't dried yet - they will in a moment.
    "Of course it isn't okay - many of those children have really been through hell. But it'll get better, if we support them. They'll be alright."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia turns back to the bar, the original reason why she came here and orders a Manhattan. "It's another book in my Cat Carson series," she says, "but this time it's in the point of view of Vanya, her Vampire lover." Sacha quickly makes her drink and hands it over to her. "You get to learn a bit about her history, and you finally get to learn what happened in New Orleans in 1890." That's been a big mystery in her books, a source of heartache for the character.

She shakes her head, "I should go and help out with the kids," she says. "But... there's been so much else going on."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "I mean. I know it isn't okay Clarice. Our whole world and lives are not okay. What happened to them isn't okay. I guess I meant.... that it can get better and we will be doing everything we can for them to get ti better. Like you said."

    She sips the cognac when she gets hers from Sascha. Then she looks to Lydia. "That sounds like an interesting take. I like when series spend time diving into characters backstories. Especially the immortal ones with so much ground to cover." okay yeah she is a brat, she said it that way on purpose.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "It gets better," Clarice agrees. "It always does." She leans towards Lydia - giving her a nudge, but not communicating anything with her more openly than that. She takes a sip of her cognac, looking between Talia and Lydia, before fixing her gaze on the Jewish witch. "You're not going to give us any hints about what happened in 1890 - are you?" she asks. "You are just the worst, you know?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia's knowing grin is, perhaps, just a little evil in nature. "Not at all. You're going to have to read it to find out when it's done." She laughs at being called the worst. "I am, aren't I?"

She nods to TJ. "I've been teasing this for a while, and I've been wanting to write a vampire book, so I figured this was a great opportunity."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "Did I ever tell you I've met several vampires in some of my adventures Lydia?" she sips the cognac and watches them both. "One of those vampire related adventures is actually why I am stuck here."

    She shakes her head. "I know way too much about vampires... also zombies... not like corpse up zombies from necromancy but like zombie apocalypses."

    "I look forward to reading about Vanya."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I can't say I've run into a wide variety of vampires," Clarice remarks. Just Lydia, and Hattie. And that vampire whose skull she kicked in half. And //that bitch//. She keeps her expression restrained as the brief list runs through her mind, taking a sip from cognac again. If Talia is fishing - then Lydia will have to be the one to deal with it, unfortunately.
    "You know - I have something in mind for our next little 'road trip' already - I think it'll be just as wonderful as Iguazu. It's just a timing issue."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Oh, really?" Lydia's eyes light up when TJ admits to having vampire adventures. "You'll have to tell me about it. I /love/ hearing about vampire lore. I know a few vampires, myself," she says, grinning. "They're good people. The ones I know, that is, not vampires in general. Vampires are like people. You've got the good ones and you've got the bad ones."

Her attention turns to Clarice. "Yeah? Where were you thinking of taking us?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "In my experience it also depends on the strain of vampirism. Some of it can be entirely corruptive, especially the ones that bind the turned to the masters and basically are a curse more than a condition. In other cases they can be absolutely fine and good people and just have a very different condition or physiology." a pause "The vampire avengers I fought that ended up with us chaos bolted and my stranded... they were the instantly turned evil variety and trying to conquer the world and turn anyone useful... like a plague really."

    She looks to Clarice. "Oh, I am so in for whatever shennigan relaxing road trip you're thinking."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well - you'll just need to make sure you keep a warm jacket on hand," Clarice remarks. "You'll need it. And we'll bring a carafe of cocoa - maybe a bottle of scotch whiskey too," she suggests. The smile she offers the two is more genuine this time - rather than the strained, forced expression she'd worn earlier. "It'll be nice. You'll see. But it'll simply have to be a matter of who happens to be here when the right moment comes, I'll have no control over that."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Mmm," Lydia says, in the middle of taking a sip, nodding once she puts down her dink. "Too true. I think I tend to focus on the good ones more because I'm a romance novelist, and I like my bad guys to be bad through their own decisions." Her head cocks curiously. "Evil Vampire Avengers?" She shudders, "That sounds bad. Really, really bad. Glad you made it out of there relatively unscathed."

"Hmmm. Are you going to take us to see the aurora borealis?" she speculates. "That would be neat. You can see them from space, but we wouldn't be able to here because of our orbit."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "I mean to save that timeline we had to put an end to them and the master vampire who made them... who was over thrown by evil Captain Vampmerica." she shudders. "They turned Sunfire... that was a mess."

    "Okay yeah color me intrigued Clarice.. I can be on for any hot cocoa trip... but then I have fuzz."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Was that a flicker of bemused annoyance as Lydia asks about the aurora borealis? The question gets ignored, in favor of giving Talia a concerned and sympathetic smile in response to her tale about Captain Vampmerica. "As with many of your adventures... not a fun time," Clarice remarks, before adding, "You do have that advantage over us. But I think with a jacket and a blanket, I'll manage."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I'll be fine," Lydia says, briefly forgetting herself. "The cold doesn't bother me much anymore. But bundling up and cuddling with Mystique all night? Yes, please!" She gives Clarice a wide grin, "I'm all in for this. Want me to save it as a surprise for Mystique?"

Talia Wagner has posed:
    TJ gives Lydia an amused and then notes "We may need you to help arrange for Mystique to be available to go on the road trip and not be too busy. Which may still mean keep it a surprise."

    The drink sipped and she looks around. "Things are going really well around here for the most part." her tail taps the bar lightly, not wanting to jinx it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Don't you dare tell her, I meant it to be a surprise," Clarice agrees with Talia - some annoyance in her voice. But it's mostly self-directed, that she had given away too many clues. "I just thought it was something- we might all enjoy together." She gives a shrug of her shoulders, then sips her cognac once more, glancing around the bar.
    "Things have been going well enough, I suppose. Though Theo told me the most bizarre story - about a 'herd' of... 'mutant witch wolves' in the garden. And then something about Jedi powers - it didn't make much sense. And besides which - I thought wolves had packs not herds?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I won't tell her," Lydia promises. "I swear. We'll have a great time!" Already she's looking forward to it. She's never seen them before, always heard about how beautiful they are, and she can't wait.

Manhattan nearly comes out her nose at the mention of mutant witch wolves. Laughing, she says, "That was me. That was the other thing I was going to show you. He ruined the surprise!" She, by now, has completely forgotten the subterfuge. She's so bad at this.

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "Mutant Witch Wolves in the Garden and Jedi powers...." she blinks. "Have they been watching a bunch of movies... has Rahne been playing games with them in the Garden?" she is absolutely puzzled.

    "Also yeah wolves are packs not herds...."

    She looks to Lydia when she takes the blame. "Surrpise?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'd presumed it had something to do with Rahne, as well," Clarice agrees with Lydia, sounding utterly baffled, and surprised. "How are //you// a 'herd' of wolves, Lydia?" She looks the woman down, and then up again. "I mean you're still just- you." She feels a brief pang, as studying her friend reminds her of the pain of a short time earlier. But she tries to banish it by finishing off her glass of cognac.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Oops. Lydia looks at TJ with embarrassment, though her cheeks don't flush. "I... um... kind of became a vampire a couple of weeks ago. It's still new to us and I'm /really/ not good at lying to people. That's what happened to my aura. When I died it... broke a little." She holds out a hand and the black flakes of ash coalesce into an onyx sphere about the size of a softball into it. "I still have control over it but," she shakes her head sadly, "I'm no longer glowing green."

"As for the wolf..." Her eyes glance over to Clarice for a bit, "My sire was here and she was mentoring me on a few new powers. The first thing she showed me was how to seem alive. Well," she admits, "more a live than what I was. Then she taught me how to be a wolf."

"There was a teen up in the garden where we were practicing." She shakes her head, "I've never met her before but I guess she's friends with Theo and Pete. Anyway, I scared her and she tried to Jedi mind trick me and ..." she shrugs helplessly with a guilty grin, "I had to play along. Figured out how to speak, and told her I was a witch. I have /no/ idea where the herd of wolves came from. It was just me."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    AHAH. There is a look of ahah on TJ's face like oh this is what everyone has been tip toes around and not wanting to talk about. Sad about. Wierd about. Evasive and referring to Lydia's business to share. Ahah.

    "That.. explains so much... no master vampire or urge to go evil and conquer America tho?" yeah she has to ask. Cause well. Track records. She did say she had met some nice ones too.

    "Shapeshifting is cool, I'm hella jelly that Mystique can do what she does... wait there is a teen who can jedi mind trick?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Lydia is fine. She is herself, and anyone that tries to harm her, has to answer to Raven and myself," Clarice says abruptly, an fiercely - though she does keep the volume to a careful controlled low voice.
    Also - defensive much?
    She presses her lips together, glancing towards Lydia, then to Talia as she adds, "When she came in, this is the first time that she- ...since she died. I, uhh... I thought for a moment that she was alive again." The look she gives Lydia is almost apologetic.
    Learning she had been wrong in that assumption... It was painful. Extremely.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Well, there /is/ a master vampire who tried to turn me," Lydia explains, "but they got to me in time before she could complete the process." She looks uncomfortable for a moment, knowing that this is going to sting for Clarice. She leans over to rest a comforting hand on her. "I'd still died, but they went in with my sire, and the only way to save me was to have her turn me. It was a mess."

She laughs however, "No, she couldn't do a Jedi mind trick. I was just playing along. I probably shouldn't have encouraged her, but I just couldn't help myself.

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "Okay the jedi kid sounds funny.. don't blame you for playing along."

    She looks at Clarice. "I'm not going to hurt Lydia, I wanted to find out if there was a bad vampire involved... sounds like there was a bad one and then a good one saved the day.. uh night.." she doesn't seem to worried. "Did we deal with the bad master who tried to turn Lydia?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "One of Theo's friends, apparently," Clarice says vaguely about the unknown girl. "From his school."
    As Lydia talks about the moment when she died, however - she does feel that pang of grief again, glancing away as the image plays over in her mind again. Lydia, tied to a chair - that bitch feeding from her leg, and those weak, barely audible words that were the last thing Lydia said in life. 'You came.'
    Too late.
    "We haven't yet," Clarice answers coldly. "But we will. Raven, and Lydia, and I. We'll end her."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Not yet," Lydia growls. "But her day is coming. We've just been trying to put out fires in the meantime and I've been getting used to my new ... condition." She frowns in concern for her friend, however. Clarice is still effected by her death, moreso than she is. She had to move on. It was either that or wallow in misery and self pity, and she /refused/ to do that.

"Once we've got things under control we'll start working out how to take her down," she says.

Talia Wagner has posed:
    TJ finishes off the tumbler of cognac and slides the empty across to be refilled. She considers what the two of them are telling her and thne nods. "Well. Seriously count me in. I'm not letting my family go off and fight a master vampire without me."

    She snags the glass when it is slid back topped off. "I've fought multiple master vampires. I know what works."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Really, I imagine who goes after the bitch- well. That's up to Lydia. It's her revenge." But doubtlessly Lydia can imagine the hell there would be to pay if they tried leaving //Clarice// behind from that mission. "We'll find her. Part of me thinks it would be hilarious to just strand her in deep space - or the dark side of the moon. Would it kill her? Or would she just be trapped up there... forever?" she asks. She'd be okay with that. ...she would very much be okay with that.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia nods to TJ gratefully. "I think we'll need all the help we can get," she says. "She's one of those ancient powerful always-in-the-shadows type of people who rarely does things herself. Drawing her out to a vulnerable position is going to be tough."

She just /looks/ at Clarice for suggesting stranding her on the moon. But then she thinks about it. And the more she thinks about it the more she likes the idea. "You know I don't like killing people," she says. "But I have to wonder if stranding her on the moon is really mercy."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "I won't muscle in on anyones revenge Clarice, but I will be at my wits end if you and Mystique and Lydia go off alone to fight a master vampire." she sighs and sips the cognac. "They are... something else."

    She smiles to Lydia "Cool and ... honestly when weighed with the entire cities worth of people she probably killed.. the moon is the least we should do. Also, doing that might piss off the moon denizens... "

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I've been out into the vacuum of space briefly, myself," Clarice remarks, "and I know what it does to //my// body. It isn't pleasant. So, no... It wouldn't be mercy," she asserts firmly. "As long as we can assure it would hold her - then I'd say it's a fitting fate. The bitch should suffer - a swift death is too good for her."
    Looking to Talia, she offers with a shrug, "I know how you feel. Luckily, it sounds like you're welcome to join the 'party.'" Shaking her head slightly she adds more quietly, "I bet Theo and Pete would want to come too." But no doubt Lydia knows exactly how well that sits with Clarice.
    "I'm such an awful hypocrit, aren't I?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia blinks at TJ. "There are people living on the moon? I mean I know the Justice League has a base there, but other than that I thought it was pretty barren." She shakes her head. "I've never had a vengeful bone in my body before but... I guess being turned changed that. I should also check with my sire to see if stranding her on the moon will actually stick and she won't just... port her way back to earth or something. She knows more about the abilities of The Bitch than we do."

"I don't think you're a hypocrite, Clarice," she says reassuringly. "Think of it this way. Would you take two novice Brotherhood members who've barely had any training into an operation like this? Find a way they can /help/ without putting them in direct danger. They have talents other than combat."

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "I mean. I figure we are all ab it of hypocrits about some things. I wouldn't worry about it too much." she considers. "I am serious.. vampires are superhuman in durability and do not breath. I am fairly certain they would be fine on the moon. Eventually go mad with hunger though."

    Siiiip. "There are a few entities I shouldn't talk about and a secret city that is evidently still secret yeah..." she shakes her head. "We should stick her on Mars... wait the martians... maybe an asteroid or a comet?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "The moon is the limit of my range," Clarice points out - though now she's giving Talia a curious look. "Could //your// Clarice reach as far as the moon?" she asks in a curious and puzzled voice. How could that be possible? The strain of even attempting such a feat - it would almost certainly kill her.
    Looking back to Lydia she adds wryly, "Offering them the chance to help in another way might mollify them. But with my luck? It would turn into another arguement instead, somehow. Even if things have been better this week."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"I am quickly learning what vampires are capable of," Lydia says wryly. "I have something of a unique perspective of it." She sighs, however. "I guess the moon is out, though. Don't want her finding a secret city and gorging herself and setting herself up as queen or something like that." She lets out a very convincing sigh. "We could just leave her in orbit. The sun would weaken her but if she's like me it wouldn't kill her."

"I think that as long as you handle them like adults and like members of the Brotherhood, you'll be fine," she tells Clarice.

Talia Wagner has posed:
    "Oh... " she thinks about it "No now that you mention it I don't think we ever had to go further than the moon or back though. I'm still cautious on this moon plan." yeah she is evasive on the inhabitants but it seems to fall under secrets not known.

    "Most of missions involved the earth... it's a nexus point in reality. The only one that didn't that I can think of was the Trial of Jean Grey but it involved mutants so.." she shrugs.

    "I mean... I said she would piss off the denizens.. not stand the chance of spit on the surface of the sun of gorging and taking it over... they would probably retaliate tho."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I have my doubts," Clarice answers Lydia quietly. She loves her brother dearly - but even with the week or so of peace that they've had - she remains wary of the battles between them beginning once more.
    Before she can offer any further comment, however, there's a chime from her phone, and she checks the screen to let out an exasperated sigh. "No rest for the wicked," she mutters, before pushing herself to her feet. "Looks like I have a few problems to deal with. Lydia..." She gives her 'sister' a hug, murmuring quietly, "It //is// a neat trick." Even if it hadn't gone over as planned.
    "I'll see you later, TJ," she adds, giving the blue-furred woman a nod.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia returns the hug and murmurs back, "I'm sorry I freaked you out." She sets the rest of her Manhattan aside and gets up. "I should work on my book some more," she says, and gives TJ a nod. "I'll keep you informed on what's going on with the Vampire Bitch." And with that she takes her leave.