8968/Buffet and Bennet.

Buffet and Bennet.
Date of Scene:	06 December 2021
Location:	Cafeteria and Bar
Synopsis:	Lunch with Bennet, Clarice manages to melt his brain once again, and the man out of time gets a conchie for dessert.
Cast of Characters:	Raven Darkholme, Paris Bennet, Clarice Ferguson

---

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Lunchtime on the Asteroid was a rather chaotic time. The cafeteria buffet was alive and humming, mutants coming and going to collect food. Some remained to sit and eat, others took their food back to their rooms, but there was constant movement. Behind the buffet the serving staff keep everything fresh, and are ready to take orders for things that people are craving but can't find on the buffet.

Mystique was taking time away from her office for a change, heading to the cafeteria for lunch. The number of people present doesn't seem to phase her, nor the fact that most everyone in the room stops what they are doing to look at her, though only for a moment. They never know if there is trouble or she's just there for food, so... the pause and silence, and then back to the chaos.

Paris Bennet has posed:
The tall knight is seated with a plate of SOS with extra mashed potatoes and a side of coleslaw. Hardly what he's used to but if the truth were known he was trying it on a recommendation. He would likely be one of the few to not rubberneck at Mystique breezing in, he had a metaphorical plateful to exceed his physical. Probably a healthy dose of learning the ropes to go with.

It might even be that he had gotten a similar treatment as the resident temporal freak...

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice enters not long after Mystique, catching up with the woman and giving her a playful, friendly nudge with one of her shoulders, before she fetches a tray. "Good timing," she remarks cheerfully. "Oh, I'm going to have them reheat me a conkie - I've got some stored in the freezers. Do you want one?" she asks brightly.
    She glances towards the table where Bennet sits alone, before putting in a request for some of the conkies to be reheated, and serving herself some fish curry, with coconut rice, and a side of sauteed greens with onions and bacon. A mug of hot coffee will complete her meal.
    "Should we join our out-of-his-own-time guest?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Accepting the shoulder nudge, Mystique offers Clarice a grin and nudges back.

"What the hell is a conkie?" She asks plainly, moving up to the counter to put together a salad. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, sun flower seeds, crotons, and some cheddar cheese. The dressing choice, for those watching (and there are people watching that she's ignoring), blue cheese.

"I'll try whatever it is, sure," she then adds to her question. "And yes, I think we should join Bennet, if he is in the mood for company."

She pauses there, looking around for a moment and her eyes narrow slightly. "Hey, morons, go about your fucking business and stop staring at our guest!" she suddenly announces loudly. This sends several people who were in fact still staring at Bennet into a frenzy panic to get their eyes some where else, anywhere else before Mystique looked their way. "We don't do that shit around here, remember who you are!"

Paris Bennet has posed:
The sudden outbursts from Raven caused him to stop mid bite as his gaze drifts about noting the snap-to-compliance. He arches an almost ebon brow at this, then observes,"Mademoiselle has a way with the people."

More than likely noone would second or contradict this as he rightens his posture at seeing he is soon to be joined, fork and knife neatly returned to beside his plate as he folds his hands properly behind the plate, and no not in the posture for Grace...

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets out a cheerful thank you as a plate with three leaf-wrapped bundles are handed to her. Inside are steamed dumplings made of cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins with some warming spices and sweetened by brown sugar. "THESE," she says with satisfaction, "are conkies."
    With her plate filled, she moves towards Bennet, asking warmly, "Mind the company?" She waits for some indication, before she sits - offering him one of the leaf-wrapped bundles. "This is a conkie - one of my favorite treats growing up. I thought you might enjoy trying it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
With the salad complete to her liking, Mystique collects a bottle of water, a glass of ice, and some lemon wedges then heads over to Bennet's table. People tend to just move out of her way, and she seems used to them doing it.

"We can sit some where else if you prefer," she offers to Bennet, not wanting to intrude on him but at the same time not wanting to leave him sitting alone.

Paris Bennet has posed:
Bennet shakes his head slowly at Raven as he unfolds his large hands to gesture politely to the opposite side of the table from him. At close proximity it is evident that his color is indeed returning to possibly normal, it is a bit early to be certain of that yet though!

The tall medieval man replies then,"You are both welcome. The fare is interesting here, I cannot fathom why I lack an appetite though the food does not repel and I have no difficulty stomaching it. I enjoy it even, I simply...lack eagerness. Do not trouble yourself with that though. How find you this day, if that be what it is?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    After settling in, Clarice slides one of the conkies over to Mystique's plate, offering her a broad smile. "It's a sweet from Barbados. It's good!" she encourages her warmly.
    She looks towards Bennet, a concerned look showing briefly on her cheerful features. "It is day - at the moment, yes. I'm well - I hope you are, as well? Is there anything else you need to make your time here with us more comfortable and enjoyable?" she asks. "We try to accomodate as many reasonable requests as we can - and a few unreasonable ones, sometimes."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique selects a chair and sits herself down, then takes a moment to pour the water over the ice and squeeze the lemon into the water.

"The asteroid matches the time in Genosha," she offers to explain the time. "The lights stay bright for day, and get dimmer for night.... there's also clocks all over the place."

Now she eyes the conchie. "So that's what your having for lunch... a sweet? I guess you're an adult and can eat what you want," she managed to keep a straight face up to that point, then she grins. "I'll have one after my salad."

Now she shifts her eyes back to Bennet, "So you haven't been hungry, but you're eating... that might be something to talk to Hathaway about."

Paris Bennet has posed:
The knight nods curtly, and only when the two are seated does he resume his own meal. After a few bites, he replies,"Yes. I endeavored to ascertain if I could after having not dined since I awoke."

With that, he sips at his glass which appears to be vermouth by the sight and scent. Apparently he's going all out trying to troubleshoot the issue!

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I have the curry, and greens, and rice, too," Clarice points out, rolling her eyes. Looking to Bennet she remarks, "She's so judgey."
    Relaxed and casual Clarice seems to be who we've got today, and she digs into her food. "The only real problem with the time here is that there's more than a few of us who live on a more New York-like schedule - which is literally the opposite of Genosha's time." She lets out a frustrated sigh. "But oh well."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique rolls her eyes at Clarice, then stabs some of her salad on a fork for a bite. Once she's swallowed she says, "I only judge because I care," she states with a grin, then a sip of her water was taken.

"So you can eat, but no interest in it," she then says as she looks back to Bennet. "If that persists, you may want to see the doctor again. We don't know what sort of effect sleeping that long has had on your body, so even though it might seem like a little thing, it's important to report it to Hathaway."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Nodding slowly, he diligently chops off another chunk of SOS, dipping it in the mashed potatoes as he considers in silence.

Golden gaze regards Clarice for a change as he considers her commentary for a change, and observes,"The church fathers of my day alleged that the earth was flat and all the cosmos revolved round. It occurred to me that I recall certain heathen texts dubbed heresy for contradicting this from long before my own time. I have procured one such for my bookshelf, by a man of learning named Plato. I believe the title is...ahem, Critee-us?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "The world is round, and it revolves around the sun," Clarice supplies. "As do a number of other, lifeless worlds." She gets a look of concentration as she tries to recall the planets. "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars... uhhh Saturn next? No..." She looks towards Raven to help her out, before explaining to Bennet, "I didn't exactly go to school as a kid... like most everyone else did."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Oh boy, that was so long ago. Mystique's brain has to take a moment with those words to consider them as more than just a possibility, but as something the man actually lived and possibly believed. Then Clarice just blurts out the reality without consideration for what the man might think or feel, and that brings a sigh to the cobalt mutant's lips.

"Clarice," she says softly. "You may want to take things just a touch slower. Dropping bombs on the man hour by hour is not going to be a healthy way to educate him. You need to find less... blunt ways of explaining things."

Leaving her salad to sit, she takes another sip of her water as yellow eyes shift to Bennet. "She is however, not wrong. I could go into explaining how it was discovered that the world is in fact round, but you have seen it with your own eyes I believe, through the windows. As for the other planets... Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Earth... Pluto is no longer considered a planet."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Bennet's neck tenses at the discourse, visibly trying to determine if this is mockery or not. He calms down however as he furrows his brows and takes another drink of the vermouth by his plate and thinks in momentary silence.

He then tries again,"And this is why you continue to talk about it being different times in one place from another?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I- sorry, you're right," Clarice admits, looking a little sheepish. She frowns down at her plate for a moment, then looks up at Bennet with a nod. "If the Earth is shaped like a ball," holds up a fist, "and it's turning round and round," she rotates her wrist, "Then the sun can be shining over here, and it's daytime, because that part's turned towards the sun. And on the other side - it's night, because it's just turned away." And indicates two different sides of her fist by pointing with her finger. After all - this time, he'd //asked//.
    "I am sorry, though - if I've overwhelmed you or- well. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to, I just- I want to help. Maybe I don't always do it right, though." After another apologetic smile, she starts picking at her fish curry.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Reaching over to lay a hand on Clarice's shoulder, Mystique offers her a smile.

"I know you just want to help," she offers with a soft smile, "And soon he should be able to handle the bombs that are going to get dropped on him, just have to take it a little slower, that's all."

"We all want to help where we can, Bennet," she then says to the man. "The truth is some of the things you are going to learn about, no matter how gently or slowly they are shared, are going to shake the very foundations of what you know and believe. This isn't meant to be cruel however, we just want to help where we can so you can get on with your life now that you are awake."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Bennet closes his eyes in thought and nods his understanding. His eyes briefly shine when he opens them, but then dim once more as he suppresses his frustration and returns to eating in silence, whether he needs it or not...

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I- to be honest, I had to go through moments like that, myself." Clarice smiles a bit wryly as she adds, "and it doesn't just go away. You still find little things, little assumptions from your past that come up and- well, that you're forced to confront." Like believing that she'd been unwanted. That she'd been abandoned. "But in the end, no matter how painful, it's better to know the truth in the end."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Noting the change in Bennet's demeanor, and the sudden silence, Mystique opts to change the subject entirely. Taking another bite of her salad, she gives a moment of quiet while she chews, so everyone can regroup in their own heads.

"Your comfort is important to us as well," she begins. "To that end, I would very much appreciate a list of things that will make you feel more comfortable." A smile touches her lips at this. "Foods you like, wines or teas you prefer, even the type of material you prefer for your clothing."

Setting her fork down, the smile remains, "You would be surprised out the little things can matter when you are feeling out of place. Anything that you desire Bennet, we will ensure that you get it. In fact, I notice you are drinking Vermouth, which the choice of vermouth here is limited as it's not a popular drink by itself any more, but if you would like, I can get a variety of brands for you to try and find the one you like."

Paris Bennet has posed:
The big man nods, his his expression easing at the departure from how far off base his limited education had been. He clears his throat after swallowing his latest bite, the SOS and potatoes nearly gone, then replies,"Silk. Clothing of such make would..."

Realizing he is getting carried away, Bennet calms down and then says on another point,"Vermouth is said to be good for the appetite and stomach discomfort. My actual preference is the darker wines. I was told they are called Merlot? And I noticed that books in Latin are not common. The french that is available is trying on my eyes, but the Latin is sensible."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Latin?" Clarice replies with incomprehension, looking b etween Paris and Mystique without comprehension. "I can only read in English," she admits. "Well - I only speak English, anyways. And my reading isn't very good - but it's getting better. It's taken a lot of work, though." She's improve enough, though, that she's actually starting to feel //proud// of her ability to read - rather than embarrassed by it.
    "Umm. What //kinds// of books do you like?" she asks curiously. After all - she's learned more than enough to know that there are many sorts of books. Did they have 'science fiction' 800 years ago? ...somehow, she suspects not.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique enjoys another bite of her salad as Clarice is talking, then catches the attention of a server going by to ask for a cup of coffee.

"Latin is an older language," she says to Clarice. "E pluribus unum is Latin 'for out of many, one'. Veni, vidi, vici is, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' My personal favorite is Carpe diem, 'Sieze the day'. There are hundreds of sayings that are still given in Latin, but the language isn't used as much as it used to be."

Reaching into the top of her boot she pulls out her phone to type in a couple of notes, first about Bennet and silk and softer cotton. "There are millions of books that you can get in numerous languages, so if you share what kinds you prefer, we can arrange some for you to read..." she eyes Clarice a moment. "... Physical books, not E-books."

Paris Bennet has posed:
The big man nods at Raven's explanation. He then sets to work on his slaw for a moment, nodding his approval at the concoction before replying,"I think the current notion of French must be different from mine. The Latin is true however, which I learned in the church that I grew up around. The french, it is like children's french but garbled."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "So... you like to read religious books?" Clarice guesses uncertainly - since he learned Latin from his church. She gives Raven a questioning look, to see if that's a reasonable assumption to be making. "I'll admit, I don't know all that much about religion. But we have a friend - Mystique and I - whose religion is very important to her."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Clarice was starting to bark up a tree Mystique did not want to go up. She accepts the cup of coffee from the server, starting to add sugar and cream while trying to find a way to change the subject. There isn't one of course, because it was a good assumption based on what Bennet has said thus far.

"My son is Catholic," she finally states, setting the spoon back on the napkin. "However he is German, so I don't know if that changes the version of Catholic. I know that Romania has their own Catholic faith, but that is about the extent of my knowledge. I am not a religious person."

She picks up the coffee for a sip, keeping a mask if neutrality on her face. "There are hundreds of religions in the world now, if you would like books on some of them to compare, that can be arranged."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Shaking his head to the offer by Mystique, Exodus replies,"Your offer is kind, but I would like the works of the gentleman that I mentioned, Plato. I understand that he had a student named Aristotle who was also translated into Latin, earlier than Plato if I did not misread. I have found cause to doubt the catholicism of my own upbringing. A good set of history about Europe would help as well."

With that moment of candor out of the way, Bennet returns to nomming his vegetable concoction. He and God are not on the best of terms after a millennium, for some reason.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'm really not familiar with either Aristotle or Plato..." Clarice admits, giving Raven a curious look to see if she knows who he means.
    "And I'm sure there must be some history books in Latin - but if the language is not used much anymore... I don't know how current they would be," she muses uncertainly. "Do you know, boss?" she asks curiously between nibbles of her curry. Her conkie still sits untouched, as she continues to save it for last.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique shakes her head slightly at Clarice. "History in Latin would have to be special ordered as most are out of date at this point," she offers.

"As for Plato and Aristotle, I can get a copy of their works for you Bennet, no problem at all. It's been a very long time since I thought about them myself, read a little when I was younger, though it was a translation into German that I read."

Another bite of salad is consumed, and a sip of water before she adds, "Give me a couple of days and I will have the books for you, Bennet."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Bennet finishes his plate at this point, and settles into sipping his drink as he nods appreciably at the duo. The color seems to be improving in his features even as they converse, although it is a subtle affair. It could just as well be a trick of the lighting.

The big replies after a moment of consideration,"I am aware I may need to learn to read in one of the more common languages of this era soon, so your efforts are appreciated, madame."

Then, with a blink he realizes he didn't mishear and he adds more quietly,"German. Things have changed indeed."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If you can find a shop that has the books in stock - I can always blink over and pick them up," Clarice offers simply. "I'd be more than happy too. I agree, when there's this much change and turmoil, any comfort at all... is a blessing." She gives a shrug of her shoulders, then looks back to the conkie she'd slipped onto Paris plate earlier. "Do you want to try it? You unwrap the leaf first - you don't eat that part - and it's made with cornmeal, and pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, and coconut..." How was she to know that //none// of those ingredients would be familiar to poor Bennet?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
One of Mystique's brows lifts at Bennet's final comment. She had forgotten how much the French and German used to hate each other, well technically they weren't fond of each other even now, but still. It wasn't worth commenting on, not really, the man has a few thousand other things to adjust to.

"You can take your time in learning to read in English," is what she chooses to focus on. "For now we can get things in Latin or French. There's a lot of things to learn before you add a new language."

Paris Bennet has posed:
Bennet isn't blind enough to miss the crimson on azure brow raising, and knows he did something cross. He just sips at his drink, then eyes the confection on his plate made of strange and exotic things. There had been enough excitement over them that he decides to give it a chance and so he studies the leaf with some curiosity, removing it with mild fingers before deciding to bundle it back as he states,"I have taken enough of your time, I suspect. I should retire for a time."

The conkie is placed in a napkin for safe transport then as he makes to rise.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'll pick up those books for you," Clarice promises Bennet with a smile, as he rises. "As soon as we locate a copy. And some history books if we can. I really am sorry if I ever make things more difficult for you - I don't intend to," she promises, glancing toward Mystique for a moment, and then to Bennet once more. "Please don't hesitate to reach out to me anytime you have questions."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique offers Bennet a smile and a nod as she says, "H & D are keeping an ear open. If you need anything, just ask. Thank you for having lunch with us Bennet, I'll find the books and Clarice will get them. Should be tomorrow. I will also arrange for clothing in preferred materials. Just relax, take time to collect your thoughts, and remember you aren't alone."