8967/A Dragon for Theo

A Dragon for Theo
Date of Scene:	06 December 2021
Location:	Clarice Ferguson's Quarters
Synopsis:	Clarice, Theo, and Pete make plans for deal with the problem of the sibling's father, and for helping the squad. And Rahne arrives with cocoa!
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Raven Darkholme, Rahne Sinclair

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Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It's been a quiet day, and Clarice is currently settled in at her desk, finishing up some of her work for the day - finalizing the schedules for the Bushwick Neighborhood Watch, and the self defense training courses for the residents of Bushwick. She herself teaches one of the classes, once a week, and it's honestly something she enjoys doing. Once she finishes that, and handles some of the reimbursement requests from the Mentorship program for the Genoshan Orphans - she should be done with her work for the day.
    Finally.
    Hopefully in time for Theo to be done with his classes, and his time with the 'squad.'

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The squad was doing amazingly well, and with Pete's help Theo was finally to only need to help with them a few times as week. Not that he minded helping, but part of getting them adjusted to the world now was realizing that they didn't need Theo. They were almost ready to start using their actual names, though sometimes that was still too much.

Today Theo and Pete were just returning from talking with them, not working or helping, just a friendly visit. Another of Dr. Hathaway's suggestions, and they were talking about some television show.

"I'm telling you, read the books Pete," Theo says as the door opens. "The books are better."

Pete sighs, "But there's /14/ books Theo, that's /a lot/ of reading! Just tell me... whose the Dragon Reborn?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Fourteen books is too many!" Clarice agrees as the boys enter - her gaze still on her screen for a few seconds longer before she turns away, rising to her feet and hugging each of the boys in turn. "How was your day?" she ask them both - glancing between each of them. "...how are they doing?" she adds with a little concern.
    She deeply wanted to help the squad recover from what they'd been through - even if she found it a little too confronting, still, to spend much time around them herself.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo sighs loudly at the comment about too many books, but the grin on his face clearly means he's just faking the exasperation. "Fine... fourteen is too many, but I'm not telling you who the Dragon Reborn is," he snorts, then walks over to Clarice's desk.

"Fiiiiine," Pete whines with a laugh following. "I'll just keep watching the show without you and find out."

Theo keeps his eyes off his sisters screen, in case she's doing something all secretive. "They're doing really good," he then says regarding the unit. "Rachel can handle her name being used, but Ni, San, and Ichi still have issues with their names. They've also started joking around, watching television without getting freaked out, and listening to music."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Good. That's- that's really good. I'm glad," Clarice offers sincerely. "Maybe I should start coming by to see them, myself. Maybe... let them know I used to have a number, too," she suggests. Even if she still has an adverse reaction to actually //hearing// that number spoken aloud.
    Thankfully it's not an issue that comes up often.
    She gives her brother a nudge, then turns back to her desk, glancing at one of the drawers for a moment, before looking to Theo once more. "I, uh... have been putting something off, but Lydia says I'm being silly," she remarks, opening the drawer to pull out a little purple and clue dragonette, hatching out of an egg, with an irridescent sheen to the scales. "Faddah wanted me to give this to you," she admits, watching his features for a reaction to those words.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Dragon. That's the first thing Theo notices and focuses on the dragon coming out of the egg and his eyes just light up. The mention of their father doesn't seem to change that sparkle at all, even as he reaches out to take the item gingerly, carefully.

Even as he is looking at the details he asks, "Why did he send it?"

Pete hangs back a moment, he was about to make a comment about the unit but he lets that go while watching the exchange. He was also curious to now why the man suddenly decided to give Theo a gift, or was he sending it to Cynthia and Clarice just wasn't saying that?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    How do you answer that? What seems like such a simple question, is so much more complicated than she would like it to be. "Because... well. I guess I should put it in the sorts of words he's been using, lately - because he misses his child," she explains, giving a helpless shrug of her shoulders. The switch to gender-neutral was an improvement, but she knows not entirely what Theo is hoping for. "He's having a tough time with this - and sometimes I just want to punch him for hurting you, but sometimes I just- I can't really blame him. I had trouble enough, and I only knew you as 'Cynthia' for weeks." She shifts uncertainly on her feet before admitting, "He wanted to write you a letter, but I told him I wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not yet." She glances towards Pete for a moment, curious to see what he thought about the idea, before her gaze returns to Theo once more.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Keeping his eyes on the dragon, Theo turns it slowly in his hands, fighting back tears. He understood their father hadn't meant to hurt him, it wasn't a deliberate thing but instead a reaction born from lack of understanding on what was happening. That didn't change that it had hurt, that his words had been like daggers in Theo's chest.

"I was so happy he was alive," he whispers before finally looking up at Clarice. "I missed him, you have no idea how much I missed him and I know he didn't /mean/ to hurt me... but..." he sighs, setting the dragon down on Clarice's desk. "I know he doesn't get it, that he's having a hard time, but so am I. I think... I think a letter might be okay."

Pete looks between Clarice and Theo as they talk, reading the emotions without meaning to but he does nod. "A letter is a good start," he offers softly. "He has to think about the words as he writes them, so yeah... I think that might be a good thing, Theo."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Okay," Clarice agrees, nodding her head. "I'll let him know." She smiles at Theo, wrapping him into another hug as he sets the dragon back down, feeling her own chest tighten in response to her brother's pain. "I don't let him call you Cynthia," she murmurs quietly. "I mean, he doesn't get it right all the time," and sometimes he finds it easier to avoid using Theo's name at all, she's noticed that, "but he doesn't want to alienate us both. I'd love for our family to be whole at last." As much as it can be. "I know you were happy to see him, and it all twisted up into pain instead, and I really wish it hadn't gone like that. But I keep hoping that we'll... that somehow we can all be a family."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo hugs Clarice back, perhaps more tightly than she expected, but he let's her go when she wants to go and steps back.

"Clare, it's not fair that you have to be a go-between all the time," he finally says, glancing to Pete before looking back to her. "Do you think I should try talking to him? I mean... I get it, he doesn't see me like I want yet, but that's not entirely his fault. I should have been more patient."

Pete steps over now, looking at the dragon as he says, "Patient or not, he wasn't ready to hear the truth Theo. Clarice has been helping him to understand, but... if you want to see him, you have that right... right Clarice?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "He's your dad, it's your choice," Clarice agrees, looking between the two boys. "But I- I don't mind, if you're not ready yet. I don't want to see you hurting like that again if I can help it." She shifts a bit uncomfortably as she adds, "And I've been trying to help dad to understand, but sometimes I feel like- I just- I don't know what to say, how to explain it. How to help him understand something that I sometimes feel like- that I don't really understand myself," she admits in a soft voice.
    She hastily adds, "I know how much you were hurting before, and that you're happier now, and that's all that matters to me, you know that. But I still don't understand- how can someone be born with a female body, but hate it so much? How does that happen? I still don't understand that, so sometimes I just don't know what to say... But I try."
    She lets out a heavy sigh before adding, "I'm sure you, or even Pete would be better at explaining this stuff. But you don't have to see dad until you want to - and if he calls you Cynthia without trying to fix it I'll... I'll... dump him in a lake."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo looks to Pete for a moment, the two holding one of those silent conversations before he looks back to Clarice. "If Pete goes this time..." he says. "Then I think maybe it's worth trying. I love him, even if he's being a moron... he's my dad."

Pete slips his arm around Theo's shoulders, "I can help keep the calm, and maybe help explain a little."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Alright," Clarice agrees. "We'll go together." She looks towards Pete, adding, "I took the album we've been making - of things like Lydia's party, and the trip to Disneyland, and everything - so he already knows who you are, and how important you are to Theo and me," she explains. "And that you have telepathic abilities."
    Smiling wryly at Theo she adds, "And he loves you too - even if he is being a moron. He's glad you're alive, and he misses you, and- and I told him he has to respect who you are, or he'll lose at least one, maybe both of us." Because if she has to pick sides - she's on Theo's side. Every time.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo frowns a little, chewing at his bottom lip. "You don't have to do that, I mean... he's a moron to me, not you," he glances to Pete again. "You went your whole life without him Clare, do you get to have him now," he looks back. "No matter what, okay? He doesn't have to like me or accept me for that. I want you to have him, even if I can't."

Pete lifts a brow. "You told him about my abilities?" He hadn't been expecting that and wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I know, I just- well. I want to scare him straight, maybe," Clarice tells Theo with a wry smile. "And if he really can't accept who you are, then I- I just don't know how comfortable, or happy I'll be around him, you know? I just really want us //all// to be a family," she insists firmly, before shifting her gaze to Pete.
    "I didn't go into detail so... yeah, but that's all I told him. You'd rather I hadn't?" she asks.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete has to think about that for a moment, head tilting and everything. He's not used to it being a thing, humans knowing about his abilities because he grew up around mutants. It wasn't until getting to the asteroid and traveling around with Clarice that he had any real interactions with humans.

"I... I don't mind him knowing," he finally says. "I'd prefer though, if it comes to others that you not tell them, I mean unless you really trust them."

Theo picks the dragon back up, turning it around again. "He's not a bad man," he says quietly. "He believes in law, and justice, and doing what's right. Growing up, he put my safety first, him and mom both. He would have taken us back to Barbados if he could, when I was little, but they wouldn't let us leave."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "He's family. You're family. And... he's Genoshan, it's not like he hasn't been around other mutants," Clarice remarks wryly. "But no, I won't go around introducing you as my telepathic little brother to everyone I meet, I promise you."
    Her gaze flickers towards Theo as she adds, "Oh, umm... You have Barbadan citizenship, by the way. I mean- as Cynthia, you do. I don't know what it takes to do a name and sex change on Barbadan documents, or if that's even something they accomodate... But I guess he filed for your citizenship when they tried to leave. Or maybe even as soon as you were born? We're both dual citizens. I mean- well. All three of us are."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo shrugs slightly at this information. "Barbados is not my home, it never will be, and I've got no interest in being a citizen there." He steps away to put the dragon on his desk for now, adjusting it's position with the other dragons. "I will never live there."

Pete sighs and offers a quiet, "That's his anger talking, he's associating Barbados with your father..."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice nods to Pete, and follows Theo, to lean in against him, putting an arm around his middle. "Barbados is part of you, whether you choose to live there or not. From the conkies, to the tamarind balls, yeah?" she says a bit teasingly. "But Genosha is your home. And the Asteroid."
    She gives Theo a little squeeze as she adds, "Barbados was part of our murr too - or did you forget her favorite flower, already? But just because it's a part of us, doesn't mean it gets to control us. Yeah? We get to pick our own path, now."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo smirks. "I will never forget mom's favorite flower Clare, no matter how long passes. I intend to plant it all over the world, even places it shouldn't be. Barbados maybe be a part of us, but that doesn't mean I have to like the country."

Pete pokes Theo in the arm. "Stop that, you're just being grumpy. You love your parents, and their culture, so stop being a brat."

Theo stick his tongue out at Pete, "Fine... but I'm never living there."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I won't make you live there," Clarice promises. "...but I will make you go to Kadooment. I mean - would you even //dream// of denying Pete //Kadooment//? He's going to //love// it!" she says enthusiastically, wearing a broad grin on her features at the thought. "We keep the good parts, yeah? Conkies, and tamarind balls, and flowers, and Kadooment - and the rest we get to leave behind."
    Looking towards Pete she adds, "Have you started to pick your outfit yet? We have... what? Seven months to plan for it?" she says a bit teasingly.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo eyes Pete for a moment then says, "Yeah, I can't deny him that... it'd be like a field day or him."

Pete looks between them, "I totally forgot! Only seven months to plan? That's not enough time!" He mockingly runs around in a faux panic. "What am I going to do?!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Breathe, Pete! Breathe! I'm a teleporter! ...shipping times are not a problem!" Clarice replies with a laugh for his antics, before flashing Theo a broad smile.
    "I like your new dragon," she says, giving him a little nudge. "Just remember when you see it - your father's alive, and he loves you. And me and Pete are going to sort him out for you. Yeah? I think I'm going to plan for all of us to have Christmas on the green together - like we did before the move to Genosha. We'll need to buy you a new suit for the occasion."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete runs around the room one more time before he stops right by Theo, pokes him in the ribs then stands there like noting happened. "You do Christmas?" He asks plainly, not having expected that really.

Theo squeaks when he's poked, then pokes back before looking to Clarice. "Christmas on the green? I don't even know what that means, but... no Rudolph, remember that... no Rudolph ever."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Everyone gets together on the green. There's a big picnic, and music... I just remember mostly having the picnic with faddah, and murr, and running around on the green and playing with my friends, in the new dress murr bought for me, and dancing to the music... It was fun," Clarice explains. "Unless you guys already had plans for Christmas?"
    "OH YEAH!" she adds suddenly. "And there was giant Rudolph they brought out, that the kids got to climb all over! And if you got to the head and hit his nose it would play 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer'!" she claims, with a note of challenge in her eyes. Go ahead. Prove that she's messing with you. Try it.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo stares blankly at Clarice in silence, left eye twitching. He hates Rudolph, a lot, but there's no proof Clarice isn't telling the truth.

Pete stares at Clarice with a different expression because yeah, he knows she's lying but he's not saying a damn thing about it.

"No Rudolph," Theo says again, still staring.

Pete snerks softly, "No plans for Christmas, don't usually do Christmas. I mean they'd give us all a toy and a dinner at the orphanage, but that's about it."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
"Cocoa?" Rahne's at the door, holding a tray, and trying desperately not to listen in. She can't help it, her hearing is freaking stupid, but she's so trying. And for all she knows she's missed half the context, so she probably didn't hear it all and this totally isn't intruding.

Except that it is, and she just wanted to help, and there's cocoa with marshmallows and sprinkles and caramel drippings and she wanted to make them all stop being upset and it's not gonna wooooork...

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice bursts into giggles, nudging her brother again. "Oh, I'm sure the kids managed to destroy that old Rudolph by now," she answers with a broad grin. "...they've probably replaced it with a giant, jolly elf, or something like that."
    Theo is saved from more teasing by Rahne's arrival, as Clarice's attention shifts to the other woman instead. "Ooo! Cocoa!" she says brightly. "You know what I tried the other day? I saw someone in the cafeteria put a scoop of mint ice cream into a mug, and then fill it with //boiling// hot cocoa. ...it was so good." But she's sure this cocoa will also be good. Look! It had the little marshmallows! She takes one cautiously from the tray, lifting it to her lips for a sip. "Mmm."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo's eyes shift to the door way and he offers Rahne a smile, ignoring the talk about the Rudolph that he's sure didn't exist anyway. "Cocoa is always a good thing," he offers to his sister's partner. "How are you Rahne?"

Pete glances toward Rahne when she appears, he didn't have the heart to tell anyone he knew she was there. He didn't mean to know, but he knew. He'd been on a high alert state for a while now, any time Theo was possibly going to be upset about his father. He most definitely did /not/ want a repeat of what happened then they found his father alive. It had taken him three days to get Theo out of bed, so no... he wasn't going to let anything shocking happen when Theo was already possibly on edge. Thankfully that wasn't the case today, but that didn't change Pete's actions.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
With Rahne being simply herself, she isn't much of a threat, it's true. She holds out the tray, the little train on each mug being so cute, and lets Clarice take one. It's just that she hasn't much else to contribute, and that's...an issue. She whispers, "I'm okay," as response to Theo. It's not entirely true, but she really does want to help here. And if she knew what was wrong, she'd have brought it up already. So, until then, there's warm cocoa and ...

And?

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice takes a second, careful sip, standing beside Rahne now, and giving the other woman a gentle little nudge - almost identical to what she'd been doing to Theo a moment earlier. She was glad to see Rahne - but she was always glad to see Rahne. "Theo has a new dragon. Isn't it cute?" she remarks - nodding her head towards the little blue and purple dragon with irridescent scales hatching out of an egg. "And Theo and Pete say the squad are doing better now. One of them - Rachel - is even willing to use her name again. I wonder if the others are- I mean. I was afraid to admit my name at first, or respond to it. I thought I'd be in trouble, or be punished," she explains, her voice soft.
    "Mister Creed was very patient with me," she adds.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo collects one of the cups of cocoa, knowing it's probably way too hot to sip yet, so he starts blowing on it. "I love dragons," he offers idly, then offer a smile. "And I hate Rudolph."

Pete studies Rahne for a moment, then he also gets some cocoa. "The three males aren't comfortable with their names," he explains. "We've tried to make it clear that they won't be in trouble, but from what I've learned, two of them were... very young when they were taken. The other has been influenced by those two. Rachel was older though, so she is easier going, I think that's why she was chosen to communicate for them all."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne puts the tray aside now, claiming the last mug for her own. She holds it, the warmth infusing her palms, and leans into Clarice a little bit. It's fond, it's quiet. It's basically her in a nutshell. Sweet, but tiny. And not really much more.

"This be about the kids who Theo tamed, right?"

At this point, even her own typist isn't certain what to make of that. A pokemon reference out of the blue, which entirely misses the point of what was being discussed, she might not entirely grasp what's going on here.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice nods a confirmation for Rahne, but she remains silent for a moments, staring down at her mug of cocoa.
    "Pete?" she asks quietly, her tone almost uncertain - uncharacteristically so. "Do you think it would help them... maybe, sharing with them some of my memories?" she asks. "When I was starting to come out of my shell, as well? When I started to use my name again? That sort of thing?" She looks between Pete and Theo, looking for both of their input on the idea.
    Yes - it means finally letting Pete into her head, well and truly. But if it was what was needed to heal the last victims of the Mutate Program...?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
For a moment Theo and Pete look at each other, one of those private conversations being held before both looks back to Clarice.

"That might actually be very helpful," Pete says first. "They only have our word that it happened to others, as no one else around here except you went through it."

Theo nods his agreement. "None of really know what it was like, or what they are going through, though Dr. Hathaway has finally gotten through to them that she /has/ worked to help others like them before."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
What could she say? Rahne scents the tension in the air, and slips an arm around Clarice's waist. She gives up the warmth of a hot cup of cocoa for this! It must be important. However, with all that's happening, she says nothing more. Not her place to do so.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice leans into that touch from Rahne - hungrily, a bit desperately, as her discomfort with the thought of letting someone into her mind, coupled with the rising tide of some of her darkest memories threatens to overwhelm her.
    You're safe. You're home. You're with the people you love most. The people who love you. You're safe here, she tells herself urgently.
    "Okay," she murmurs quietly. "Okay. Then- then that's what we do," she promises, trying to keep her breathing calm and even. She isn't entirely successful, as her heart rate spikes, and her breath catches in throat, now and then.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete notes the change because he can't miss it, it's a strong emotional reaction and he had been expecting it. He knew, just from how she's been reacting to the unit since they were found. He doesn't know the depth of it all because he has very purposefully /not/ been searching for the answers, that would lead to him touching her mind, even accidently, and he refuses to permit that to be a possibility.

"We can take it slowly Clarice," Pete offers softly. "They're doing alright as it is, so if it doesn't happen, they will still keep improving."

Theo frowns slightly. He doesn't have Pete's empathic ability, but he can still tell when his sister is upset. "Clare, let's try other things first, and then consider it, alright? I mean, maybe after the holidays or something."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne holds Clarice's waist. She even puts down the cup entirely, and holds one of her hands too.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice holds Rahne's hand back - tightly - making no attempt to sip from her cocoa for the moment. They're all there for her, worried about her - she knows that. She knows she's safe and loved - and still it's hard to quiet the roar of her panic.
    And that makes her feel weak. And she hates it.
    "I can do this, though," she counters quietly. "I can. I- I //want// to help them..."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete glances toward Theo a moment, this time to shut Theo's mouth before he jumped to Clarice's defense again. This really was something Clarice needed to do, even if she didn't really want to.

"After Christmas then," he says firmly, more for Theo's sake, but also for Clarice's. "We'll not worry about it until then, but we'll do it once the holiday stuff is all over, alright?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Then Clarice finds her hands full of cocoa again. "Not tonight," Rahne says softly. She says this to both her, and to the boys. And she's firm about it. "Tonight, you're all having cocoa, and maybe some tv." Or music. Or something. She's decided to be firm, and end this now that it's come to a close anyway.

Grumpy Rahne has spoken.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "...after Christmas," Clarice agrees. "Not tonight." She looks down at her cocoa, then over to Rahne, and finally to both of her brothers.
    "I think I need to go sit down for a bit," she says, in the calmest voice she can manage, against the tide of panic still threatening her. She gives Rahne a questioning look, and a small tug, before starting towards her room - clearly inviting the woman to come along with her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The mental conversation starts again between Pete and Theo, the only indication of it being the expression on Theo's face. He's not happy. He doesn't want Clarice to be hurting, but she is, and she is running away again to deal with it alone, or with Rahne. One of these days he would get to be there for her, but today was not that day.

"Go relax," Pete comments as Theo crawls into his own head again. "We got homework anyway."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
It's too bad that Rahne is here, keeping Clarice and the boys apart. Yes. Horrible. Rahne isn't oblivious; with her sense of smell, she's basically next to a mindreader. She just doesn't know how to fix this. So..

A moment later, Clarice is being pushed toward Theo. Not kept to herself, toward the one who's hurting. If the two were to end up really close, or hugging...that's alright. If not, well, she just...shoved her girlfriend, when she was hurting. Yep. Gonna die now.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    The push towards Theo is unexpected - and Clarice shoots a confused look towards Rahne. And while her mind is not clear enough to get the why or wherefor of it all, it's clear enough that for some reason, Rahne wants her to go to Theo.
    And so she does, wrapping her brother into a hug - careful of the hot cocoa she still holds in one hand - and resting her cheek against his head as she tries still to get her emotions back under control.
    "We'll help them," she says, because she's not sure what to say. And because she really doesn't understand why Rahne pushed her to Theo.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo hadn't been expecting Rahne to shove his sister toward him but he hugs Clarice so fucking tightly that perhaps she might not get to breath for a moment, then whispers in her hear. <"Sometimes Clare, just sometimes... can I be the one to help you when you're hurting? I want to be able to help you too.">

Pete eyes Rahne for a moment, then looks over to the siblings. He didn't have to read anything to understand what just happened. He offers her a nod and a smile, but remains quiet,

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Grumpy Rahne is also still Rahne. Still the girl who literally gave her life for strangers when she met most of this team. She looks at Pete, her eyes just a little bit haunted, and then ...nothing. She's background, she's happy to be so. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME comes through like white fire.

And Rahne, stepping back, doesn't leave. That would make Clarice unhappy. But she doesn't get Theo's attention, or Clarice's. It's not about her. It never really was.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I-" I'm fine. It was on the tip of her tongue - but it was a lie. It was a damned lie, and all of them knew it, so she doesn't say. Instead, there's a moment of silence before she answers with a quiet, "Sure."
    Tears start streaking down her cheeks - whether she wants them to or not. "I really need to go lie down, Theo," she murmurs without making any move to leave her brother's arms.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo hugs tight again then lets her go. "Go rest... Pete's right, I have homework." He offers a smile, kisses her cheek then moves to return to his desk.

Pete nods once, then walks over to his own desk.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
And Rahne drags Clarice back into hugs. Damnit. Damnit, damnit, damnit. It's not perfect, but damnit anyway.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice is baffled - utterly baffled about what just happened, and why, but she doesn't dwell on it. Instead, she sinks back into Rahne's arms, the two of them retreating to her room - so she can cry, and try to desperately claw herself back into control, with one hand often covering or rubbing at the center of her forehead.
    It takes time, but she'll find her way back from the panic, and fear, and memories.