Owner	Pose
Noriko Ashida	One way or another Noriko had to be given some help to calm down and not run off immediately after everyone was plunked back into the recreation room by the Malefactor.  Still in FIGHT mode, she had every intention of running straight back to wherever and continuing her objections, quite forcefully.  It's not that Noriko was deciding anything.  She was distraught, hysterical, in anguish, all shoved down into one electrical storm that probably wasn't worth gambling on at the time by letting her...walk it off. As soon as Noriko wakes (really not terribly long after), she raced around the school to find Jean without saying a word to anyone.  She didn't even stop for bananas. The last place she looks, because she really thought it would be the last place she'd find the Headmistress now, is in her office.  "Headmistress?"  The urgency of the single-handed knock comes out like an unintended drumroll.
Jean Grey	When they're teleported back, Jean physically and emotionally exhausted for numerous reasons, from witnessing casual murders, to the fear of AGAIN losing a student she is very fond of, to the fact that she's been mentally wrestling with her live-in space goddess over the impulse to BURN THEM ALL WITH FIRE. Plus, there was Noriko. She can definitely put that 'help her calm down' on Jean, who wasn't about to let anyone go get themselves killed on top of everything else. Yet after that, despite the strain of it all, she's too frayed to sleep. And so, somewhat by default, she ends up in her office, her other place of moderate privacy and refuge. Also, as Noriko is WELL AWARE, she's got a locked liquor cabinet in there. It's just not that most students would have an image of her ever turning to drink. And yet that's precisely what happened. The fact that there's at least a knock helps somewhat, the rapid-fire tempo of it startling Jean from a moderate daze so she can sit up, at one of the couches around the fireplace rather than at her desk. It just takes her a moment to ping the person on the other side, and she closes her eyes momentarily. "Come in, Nori, it's not locked." The warning gives her enough time to at least put the glass aside and sit up, although the bottle of brandy is still sitting there on the hardwood coffee table. Evidence!
Noriko Ashida	Although Noriko in not currently familiar with Jean's stash at the moment, she is well aware of its existence, and had the sense to not broadcast it all over school.  The speedster has her own history with substances and her powers, and while she figures Jean needs no such excuse, being the Headmistress of this school gives plenty of reasons, the notion that Jean probably isn't knocking back for a good old time has left her stash incredibly intact. The door closes behind Noriko, the sound being audible in the wake of its blur.  She is not modulating her velocity to Jean's.  The little niceties, the manners for other people's comfort that she employs along the edges of her movement and interactions with people have slipped momentarily.  Of course she sees the bottle of brandy, but nothing is mentioned when she sits. "I need to know who was Jubilation's legal guardian when she was still a minor here.  After her parents were killed."  No preamble, no explanation.  It's like being pulled in midstream to Nori's flow.
Jean Grey	Noriko's odd movements don't draw any kind of special response from Jean. Certainly, it's a night gone well past social formalities. Nor is she even in much position to be lecturing people on controlling their powers. Shit happens. So Noriko sits, Jean waits- although not long, because Noriko is quick with her questions, like she's quick with everything. But Jean is lagging. So for a moment, there's silence, and then, as if to acknowledge a perhaps unspoken fact without answering the actual question, she wonders, "You want anything?" Only after that does she get around to answering, a furrowing of her brow indicating the complexity of the topic: "There was some talk about an official adoption, I don't think it had time to go through before she..." she trails off ahead of the obvious 'died and became a vampire.' "Before that? We're a technically a private group foster home. Because, well. It comes up a lot. You know how it is..." As she's talking, the woman looks like she's making an effort at pulling her thoughts together, straightening out more. "So technically the school, maybe? Although someone has to sign the papers when we take someone out of local CPS or from wherever else. Usually either Charles or myself. It can get kind of complicated if they're out of state, actually." Laws, it turns out, are awful complicated!
Noriko Ashida	Noriko ignores the question she feels is obvious, her mind quickly filing it away as what it is, nothing more than Jean's brain booting up, in a way.  As Jean explains, Noriko sits still, in one place, without any blips or other indications that she's anxious, but it's obvious that the wheels are turning.  "Yeah.  I figured.  Well, I guess I should probably just cover all of my bases then.  Two, maybe three people shouldn't take long."  The speedster takes a deep, shaky breath. "I wanted to ask permission for Jubes' hand in marriage."  The phrasing is specific, obviously, and Noriko's eyes never leave Jean's.  This is serious.  This is no prank, and why would it be?  "Not as Headmistress, but as someone who has the right to give it...I'm hoping you will give it freely and exclusively."
Jean Grey	Jean's 'law is hard' speech continues! "... but just about everywhere, you age out at 18. You don't need a guardian for anything at that point. Adoption could still happen, of course. It's got legal implications beyond the guardian stuff. Kin rights for property, medical decisions, that kind of thing..." She takes a pause, and a breath. "I'm not sure any of it matters because, well... to you and me, to us, she's still part of the family, but they have her on record at the county coroner. So legally, all of that..." Notably, and speaking to her state of mind, some of this actually IS talking over Noriko, just kind of vaguely continuing on, rambling even, the sort of 'give too much detail' because you're uncomfortable talking about the underlying topic. So maybe she doesn't hear all of it, at first. Or process it. Witness: "... you wouldn't need a guardian's permission anymore, you're both over eighteen, and Jubilee probably can't..." Pause. Blink. "Wait, what. I mean, if you're just asking me as... whatever? Then yes, of course. I know you two are crazy about each other."
Noriko Ashida	Noriko practices some of that patience her long hours in lectures, doing laundry with non-speedsters, and other 'exercises' in learning the art has taught her, what her professors have been so adamant about.  She waits as Jean gets all of her words out of her system, once again wishing she knew how to 'speed up' everyone around her by slowing down.  She gets a little distracted by this common wish dancing in her head, but Jean's pause gets her renewed attention. "Thank you."  Noriko grins faintly, pained.  "I'm just asking you, but I'm also going to exchange a betrothal gift."  Noriko gets up and walks over to Jean's desk to grab a pen and a sticky note.  She writes IOU in big letters, then in the small print, 'IOU a kickass betrothal gift for the hand of Jubilation Lee, first vampire of the Lee clan.'  Then, she signs it, brings it over for Jean to sign as well.  There is a dark red drop dried in the corner of it that does not come on sticky notes. "If you could sign this, I think we're going to need it..."  Noriko sits down.  "I wanted to do this, not like this, not rushed, but...I think if I have a legitimate betrothal claim the Duke might have to respect it.  I'm a mortal so that might make things murky."  Somehow, Noriko is all business right now.  Maybe it's the act of feeling like she's doing something that is keeping her together. "...Headmistress.  I don't think we'll be able to take Jubilation back by brash force.  Even if we could, the things we've done...the response."  Noriko looks down and takes a breath, letting out a shallow sigh.  "It would never end.  None of the students would be safe, and we would be responsible for whatever happens to other mutants...we /are/.  Maybe not solely responsible, but-"  Jean has seen Noriko speak with conviction before, but she was never this somber, this levelheaded.  Even so, Noriko stops herself when she realizes she's circling her own thoughts.  "I've thought a lot about this, but I don't think our violence is helping.  I think it's making everything worse.  It's not normal for mortals to be at a wedding ceremony.  Maybe at the reception as an appetizer sure, but the way they were treating us was not normal.  I think they see taking Jubilation as a bride replacement as some kind of water under the bridge gesture, not as equals but-"
Jean Grey	The way that Jean looks at the IOU 'gift' she is presented suggests the absurdity of the situation. In fact, she briefly glances aside at the bottle still lingering on the table, as if wondering if she had more to drink than she realized! And yet, after all of that, she gives a very real smile, happily looking around for something to sign with before noticing that Noriko has brought something over with the paper. Yeah, she's a little bit boozy. She starts signing, probably not quite having seen the suspicious red dot yet. At the same time, she muses about their enemy. "I'm pretty sure I can fight a Vampire. Or well, I think... push come to shove, that some parochial undead aristocrat from Westchester isn't really a match for the cosmic incarnation of the cycle of life and death. I stopped the Brood, a whole species worth, what's some bloodsucker?" And yes, in this 'mood,' there's a little more bravado to her tone than is normal, careless and honestly brutal. "Or even, head on... that Rogue is probably similarly strong, or you as fast. Or... what are those fangs and claws supposed to do to someone who's skin is metal? Can they even touch Kitty?" She's clearly been thinking about it. "So if force is the only option, I'm not afraid to use it. We'll do what we have to. I'm not going to just let her go." But... well, there's a 'but.' "But..." See? "You're right. I agree it could turn out very badly. They're willing to hurt random victims, and while maybe that's something normal for them, hunting and killing 'mortals,' feeling personally responsible for it..." She shakes her head. "And I do get the sense that maybe there is some option for diplomacy here, if people can keep their heads. But that goes for both sides. We can't have a polite discussion when they're holding hostages. I want to figure out how to... cancel that magic, at least. Then we can meet them and try and negotiate. Maybe this?" She waves the piece of paper. "Maybe this will work." Then she looks at the paper, and the dot. "So am I supposed to..?"
Noriko Ashida	"I don't want to kill a bunch of intelligent creatures or people and I'm not going to get rid of that many bodies for you," Noriko darkly jests without mirth in her expression.  "The idea of a nuke is that you don't have to use it," the Japanese girl reminds the American one with a little dip of her chin for a beat of silence. "But, yeah, maybe you should signal me before you go supernova so I can get people to safety, you know, in the future, if some kryptonian baby needs putting in line or...whatever else is likely to happen on a Wednesday."  Another flatly told joke, the jolliness sucked out of her tone.  "But yeah, that's kind of the point.  We could mop the floor with them and that wouldn't make it the right thing to do.  We'd survive, but we wouldn't survive."  Noriko gets out before the 'But' somehow (well some), each syllable so well articulated.  The speedster has to slow down and listen to Jean, instead of using her breath to barrel through. "I personally do not care if we put the Duke on a spit."  There's a flash of lightning through her eyes, so close it simultaneously cracks, the small bolts loud enough to scare a dog at least.  "It might be that we have to play ball until we have an advantage," she suggests as Jean's words stir up some immediate thoughts in the girl. "It's possible he will challenge me to a duel to prove that my claims are not just," and it's possible Noriko might challenge him instead, but she doesn't mention this aloud, though she certainly can't help thinking about it.  "He's going to marry her soon.  We have to work quickly, but they aren't going to invite us back to the wedding and they certainly aren't going to bring Jubilation to the negotiation, so that doesn't give us any access to her in case we have to change tacks."  The speedster who barely participates in class discussions certainly has a lot going on and probably a few more thoughts that have slipped from having reined her velocity in. "They invited us to the wedding so I say we go to the wedding."  Sure they've been disinvited, but that's just a minor detail right?  "I mean we killed the guy's wife.  I don't think he's going to let go of Jubilation, expecting her to come back and get married.  This is a good match for him.  He'll seal the deal."  Even with Noriko's steely confidence evident, there is something in Noriko's eyes that looks to Jean, seeing what she thinks on these things. No one has even discussed how they will find Jubilation, the very first step, not even Noriko.  "I have a way of finding her.  This amulet...someone helped us so that I would have extra protection against Jubilation should she ever feed on me.  It prevents her from draining me," the speedster reveals quite plainly, though it's obvious that this is something Noriko hasn't shared with others.  Her eyes drop and then lift again.  "Something happened and we are connected by it, emotionally," and apparently Noriko can get some kind of directionality out of it.
Jean Grey	"Its... not entirely up to me," Jean admits, clearly somewhat disinhibited from the normal efforts at putting on perfection for the students. "The Phoenix... she? It? Is literally the cycle. You live, you die, and you live again. Not in the religious sense, but in the... your body joins the planet, that is in turn swallowed by the sun as it goes supernova, only to eject random hydrogen atoms that may, a billion years later, birth another star, or become another planet, and so on..." Space stuff. "But the point is, the idea of a Vampire really seems to offend it. Just, fundamentally. I even felt it once, when Jubilee came to see me. Normally I have a decent hold on things, but the way it works... weakening MY powers, the way their magic did? That just made it easier for the Phoenix to assert itself. I didn't want to vaporize those vampires, I was TRYING to just telekinetically pull them away from the hostages. But to get the juice, through the Vampire magic... well, that's what happened instead." She shakes this off, and now starts looking around again for something. "Emma never consulted me about the Krytponian. I understand wanting to shelter someone who is different, but she can't follow orders, she'll stay home. She might be a little mini godling herself, but I'm confident I can handle her as well, if its necessary." There is an upside, to that bravado! "And besides, the League should have better experience handling that kind of thing." Somewhere along the line she's been staring at the piece of paper, and then looks up to note the amulet, which is new news for her. "I didn't even know we had a way of finding her. OK. Your plan is as good as we've got." With a sense of finality, she stands, and goes over to her desk. There's a letter opener, which turns to be her item of choice for providing the final portion of her signature. Then she walks back with it, holding the paper out, now looking at the amulet produced in the meanwhile. "But we consult some second opinions on the magic nonsense first. Non-negotiable. There's no way we can go into any of this and expect a good outcome when they hold all the cards like that, with those dollar store puppets. Refraining from violence is one thing, but we're not going to meet them on our knees. That practically guarantees it going crazy sideways as they bully us, and we bully back. But if you think you can make the argument, win her somehow... I'm willing to let you try."
Noriko Ashida	Noriko didn't even really know much about Jean and what she wrestles with, and Jean's candor in response disarms the speedster.  She listens, absorbing the impact of the implications of Jean's words.  "Oh...that's a sucky cosmic period."  The one thing a speedster isn't faster than?  Their own mouth and the mind that drives it. But it's clear Noriko isn't trying to make a joke out of it for her own amusement.  She means every word and she listens intently as Jean discusses how the vampiric magic has interacted with her powers.  The speedster doesn't have nearly the challenges Jean faces with her own powers and passenger, but she understands firsthand the horrible moment Jean is describing, trying to control one's powers and something horrific happening instead.  She simply nods in understanding, not giving the moment more momentum than it already has. Noriko lets out a small sigh of relief at Jean's assessment of the Kryptonian.  "She's just not ready.  On top of the orders part, she's impulsive and I don't think understands the full impact of her actions yet.  I think there's a lot she can offer and she wants to help, but yeah," just not ready, she more thinks, letting it hang in the air. When Jean looks up, Noriko actually has pulled the amulet out from her shirt to show her, but won't take it off.  The speedster knows that at least one other person knowing how important it is might come in handy.  "It only works for me because-magic," Noriko hand-blur-waves with a near roll of her eyes, annoyed by how she doesn't understand it.  "Don't ask me how." "Agreed.  We may only get one shot at getting her back.  We should go in armed to the teeth.  With knowledge and whatever else we can muster.  We also need them to take us seriously enough to make the challenge so it will help.  I do.  I think we can avoid a lot of bloodshed.  I'll go get the other just-in-case permissions," Noriko says with a little flutter of the paper before stowing it away safely.  "Thank you," she says before standing.  "If there's anyone you want me to talk to or a chance to tag along for second opinions, you know where to find me."  Likely the kitchens.
Jean Grey	A little bit of verbal indiscretion doesn't seem like such a big deal when the topic is the odyssey of life and death throughout all time and space, so... Jean actually smiles at the unusual phrasing. "Oh, you know, it has its ups and downs. Near infinite power versus alien assassinations, dangerous internal struggle, and the odd chance of blowing up everyone I love by accident. Typical stuff." That WAS a joke, by comparison! Which goes to prove that the process of talking through a plan, however harebrained, is at least something of a tonic for the earlier hopelessness. The amulet is regarded with slightly more curiousity, and its magic rules that are arbitrary because magic... accepted as presented. Because, again, magic. Eventually, you just have to accept that stuff. "No asking how. So long as it can get us there, let us find her... that's enough for me." Jean nods one last time, to indicate her certainty, to confirm the plan they've settled on. "We'll bring everything we've got." With that, she turns to again wander to her desk, this time looking for something. "I'm not sure off hand, about who is best to try and ask. But I'll call around for a few second opinions and see what we can come up with. You go do whatever you need to. And if you need me, well... I'm here." A beat. "Well, no. I'm going to have one more drink and then I'm going to go throw myself in bed. But you get the idea."
Noriko Ashida	Jean's flippant joke about her own struggles with her powers garners a flash of a grin from the speedster before it fades so quickly back to her somber neutrality of the present.  "Alright."  Noriko nods and is turning to step off toward the door during the beat Jean leaves open.  The speedster looks back over her shoulder and nods.  "Wish that worked for me."  Noriko shrugs and slips out of Jean's office as quickly as she came in, but it looks a lot more graceful when she adjusts her velocity to blur her lines just so, like a stream of movement. The door gently shuts behind Nori in the vacuum of her wake.