4630/An Encounter With A Mini-Logan

An Encounter With A Mini-Logan
Date of Scene:	11 June 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Phoenix, X-23

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Phoenix has posed:
To make Laura as comfortable as possible, Daken was instructed to let her linger at the serene setting of Breakstone Lake. The flowers and plants, the still lake, the soft sand. It helps that it's also a bit farther away from the commotion within the school, with the rushing of teachers and students between classes and activities.

Giving Laura less of an intimidating sense of an unknown construction, she is allowed to wait in this little piece of nature, before Jean approaches, dressed in a green dress with a yellow belt cinching at the waist. She seems nice enough, and she stops short of getting into Laura's personal space, rather she stands a good several paces away when she announces her arrival, "you must be Laura...? Daken mentioned he found you all on your own...I am Jean Grey." She looks for Laura's reaction before deciding on whether or not to extend a hand, Daken having warned her that Laura is a bit different.

X-23 has posed:
Too many scents. The flowers and the plants are just as new to the recently released Weapon as the scents of all the people. The girl turns as Jean approaches, having heard and smelled the redhead long before she approaches X-23's personal space. Eyes flick over Jean from top to toe as she considers the woman, and then nods slowly. "You can call me Laura." she offers, finally. None of the normal "nice to meet you" social lubrication. Just flat factual statement.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean doesn't stop to chide Laura on her manners, nor does she expect the girl to have manners, based on what little she heard from Daken. "Very well, pleased to meet you, Laura." Jean starts, before proceeding to sit down right there on the grass, perhaps taking on a position that suggests zero hostility by way of reading body language. "I am one of the teachers at this school, do you know what a school is for?" Jean muses, she expects either a loss, or a starkly different answer than most might provide.

X-23 has posed:
Laura watches Jean, unblinkingly. The sitting-down-on-the-grass is a good move. It's a position from which it's almost impossible to quickly get into a fight, which means it's something to help defuse Laura. She reaches into a pocket, and pulls out a polaroid of the School, displaying it to Jean. "School." One of the few things she was given to help find where she was going.

Phoenix has posed:
"Interesting...not just any school, this is this place," Jean points behind her ever so slowly, careful not to make sudden movement, as Laura's sharp gaze is clearly alert for her every motion. No doubt the girl has yet to decide if this place is just a trap, or somewhere she might belong. "Who gave you a picture of Xavier's School?" Jean asks slowly, kind green eyes ever focused on Laura's own.

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks a little hesitant at the question. Finally, she offers up "My mother." Her hand slides back into the jacket she's wearing, and takes out two others. "Three pictures." She shows the other two; one of Charles Xavier, one of Logan. She seems slightly confused by the surroundings, though. "Why are we outside?"

Phoenix has posed:
"Your mother," Jean's voice sinks a little, concern for the girl being separated from her mother at such a young age. With Jean's experience, regardless of what else Laura may have suffered, she knows precisely that particular pain. Jean cautiously points at each of the pictures Laura shows her, the first of Xavier, "my teacher, my mentor..." the second of Logan, "my friend," but before she can say more, Laura intejects with a question of her own. Jean is quite pleased that Laura felt compelled to initiate any line of conversation, and so she breaks her line of thought to answer, "do you not like it outside? There's fresh air...the water of the lake are quite serene, and the flowers are lovely to look at and provide a sweet scent...being cooped up inside too much is not such a good thing, is it?" Jean has no idea how intimately Laura is familiar with the concept of being cooped up, in a cell of all things.

X-23 has posed:
"Not used to outside." Laura says. "Used to being inside." She puts her precious photos away, and says "Mother gave me the pictures. Told me to find them." This is probably the most she's said in a very long time. Maybe ever. She looks to the flowers when Jean points them out, looking at them. "They're bright. And...smelly?" She honestly doesn't have a word for "strong scent" other than that.

Phoenix has posed:
"I see," Jean acknowledges Laura's discomfort, before offering, "isn't it better to be outside than? We only familiarize with the unkown by giving it a chance, right?" She stiffles a chuckle when Laura points out how the flowers are smelly, "I would say it is us who smell. We smell the flowers," she winks playfully at her little joke, wondering if Laura would even register it. "Either way, congratulations are in order, your mother gave you nothing but pictures and yet you were able to find the school. Xavier and Logan, the two men in the other pictures, also reside here...do you know any of them? Or perhaps your mother did?"

X-23 has posed:
The girl there nods. "Mother knew them." she offers, as she apparently concedes a bit by deciding to sit on the grass with Jean. "It was luck. Daken knew the place. Was luck finding him. He smells familiar." She fidgets a bit, not sure what to do while sitting down outside. "I'm supposed to stay here now, I think."

Phoenix has posed:
"Well, then there's a good chance she knew me as well, we often hang together," Jean notes to Laura, if only to further lower suspicion by association, even if to Laura it may appear flimsy at best. "Well, it is entirely your choice, Laura. Do you have anywhere else to go?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura is all about control, but there's probably not much chance that a telepath is not going to miss the huge emotional surge when Jean asks her that particular question. "I don't think she "hung out". And...no. I can't go back." Of course, she'd survive on her own, given she's a survivor. But there's a different between mere survival and having a place where you belong.

Phoenix has posed:
Naturally when Laura experiences an emotional spike, Jean can't help but notice, even if she usually tries not to intrude. The sudden spike from the rather reserved and closed up Laura makes Jean take double notice. "Laura...has something happened?" Jean asks cautiously, testing Laura's response before daring to pose the next question.

X-23 has posed:
The emotional turmoil ramps up a notch. People talk about dealing with emotions in a healthy fashion, or an unhealthy fashion. Laura really has NO fashion to deal with them. Weapons don't need emotions. They're not supposed to have them. "Mother is dead." Laura says, sounding...frustrated. Tears are welling up in her eyes despite herself, threatening to fall down her cheeks. She looks down at her hands.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean's green eyes shoot wide open as Laura informs her that her mother is dead. She doesn't ask why. She doesn't ask how. She doesn't ask who is to blame. But she also recognize Laura is different, so she doesn't act on her usual bleeding heart instincts, she's far more experienced and was left in charge of the school in the Professor's absence precisely for that reason. She opens up her arms without shifting, and asks very clearly, and very honestly, "Laura...I would like to hug you. Would you allow it?" She waits for permission, showing she has no ill intent, her own eyes starting to well with tears at the intense emotional outburst from Laura.

X-23 has posed:
It's a good thing. Hugging Laura without asking is probably not going to end well. But with the question, she does something most don't. Most would either accept, automatically, or object. But Laura takes the time to actually think it through, while she tries to work through her emotions. She nods after a moment. "Go ahead." she says. She moves smoothly up to sitting on her own legs so she's more approachable, opening her arms. For her, that's the least hostile position she can have; her claws are furthest away in every direction; feet pointing back because of how she's sitting, arms fully open. No one else is likely to realize the signifigance, but it's a mark of exceptional trust.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean shifts closer to Laura, at a slow pace, making sure none of her movement is concealed. Honestly, she deals with Laura as if she was a Predator rather than a child. Then again, she's had ample experience with Wolverine since she was much younger, and has the sort of insight towards Laura that most could not have. Not without Jean's empathic abilities while being next to Logan for so many years, through so many emotional extremes. Once she's close enough, she starts to very slowly wrap her arms around the girl, whispering all the while, "Laura, I am going to hug you...it's just a way to show affection. I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother." It takes a good while, but when she eventually has Laura in her embrace, Laura will suddenly feel another unusual sensation. A loving warmth emanating from Jean and engulfing her like a warm blanket. While Jean is very gentle in embracing Laura, she is also very firm, intending to hold the embrace for more than a few seconds and she's prepared to withstand an attempt from Laura to push her away. "You know...this is how my mother used to hold me when I was having a hard time. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time when I was very young, much younger than you are now...I haven't seen my mother much since, but I still remember this love I felt when she held me. It made everything better. Can you feel it Laura? I won't harm you, and I won't let harm come to you. Your mother may be gone, but seeing how she knew both Xavier and Logan, if you would allow it, I would like to be there for you. To care for you." She takes a moment to let Laura process her words, fully aware it may bring the conversation to an abrupt end, "whether you wish to stay here or not, you don't have to be alone in the world. You can consider me family. If you wish it."

X-23 has posed:
Dealing with Laura like she was a predator is really the best way to do it. When the arms go around her, she tenses some, and clearly isn't sure to react. But with the Ultimate Team Mom giving her the hug, and then the warm sensation...the reaction from Laura both is, and isn't, what Jean may have prepared for. She does, indeed, try to push away.

The difference is in HOW she does it. Laura, so far, has been very controlled, very reserved. The leaking tears have been the biggest sign of anything resembling emotion on the girl so far. But this? What Jean picks up from her, very obviously, is this giant mixed wave of emotion. PANIC. Guilt. It's like a PTSD attack, as she pushes at Jean, but it's the pushing of an upset fifteen year old, not an assassin.

The girl who barely speaks is tripping over her own words as she pushes (likely ineffectually) back. "NoDon'tNoStopPleaseIDon'tWantToHURTYOU!!!" Her voice rises almost to a scream by the end of it, and that's the dam that breaks, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, as even the pushing stops and she just breaks into abject tears.

It's been less than 72 hours since Laura's mother died. At the end of her own claws. To say the girl has some issues with maternal affection right this moment would be the understatement of the century.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean expected such a struggle, which is why she was so firm in her embrace. A loving, gentle embrace, but a firm one, held bravely against the pushing away. Jean can catch flashes inadvertently, as the girl's emotions run high and the PTSD like flashbacks easily transfer over to Jean's conciousness, as she picks some horrific memories unintentionally as they rise to the surface of Laura's thoughts.

Through this all Jean remains steadfast in her embrace, trying to suffocate the struggle and rejection out of Laura with love and affection. "You won't hurt me, Laura...because you are a good girl. I understand...and I will stand by you."

She leaves a few moments for silence, letting the turmoil of Laura's rollercoaster of emotions settle down, perhaps aiding it a bit with a slight empathic nudge here and there. Nothing overbearing, but guiding the storm towards a calm. "I am not afraid," she continues in whispers, "I choose to stand with you, no matter what you face...if you'll have me, I'll be your family. I may not be your mother, but you will never be alone, do you hear me Laura? I am making a promise to you. Stay or leave, if ever you need help, find me...I will be there for you."

Then she lets words die down. There's much to say, but she doesn't know that Laura is ready to say it. There is much to explain, but now clearly isn't the time, instead she lets a while pass in a loving embrace, something she is sure is mostly foreign to the girl.