5635/X-Coffee

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X-Coffee
Date of Scene: 23 October 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Wonder Woman, X-23




Wonder Woman has posed:
There would've been no pressure applied to Laura as long as she'd have decided to stay within the Embassy. She'd be offered meals with the rest of the Embassy's inhabitants and she'd be invited to small social gatherings within the building, but so long as Laura was present and calmly enjoying her time within the home, she'd be left to her own devices.

Now, however, Diana had been passing through the home and found Laura, and has subsequently invited her out to get a drink from a coffee shop that is just down the road from the Embassy. Its a coffee shop that is loaded with heroic memorabilia--Wonder Woman items being a primary focus.

Diana wasn't really a coffee drinker, but she did enjoy the scents of a coffee shop. She ordered tea here, however, and would offer the same to Laura but she'd give the girl a menu with all the drinks for her to ultimately choose what she wanted for herself.

"We can sit here." She tells Laura then, standing beside her in some civilian clothing. Very casual in fact, blue jeans and a black tshirt, her hair is tied back in a ponytail and she'd had some sunglasses on while they walked here, but they were off right now and were clipped to her shirt's collar.

X-23 has posed:
Laura's been making excursions on her own...at least as long as no one's stopping her. Every few nights, and occasionally she comes back unhurt, if a bit bloody. But she hasn't said anything about them. The invitation seems to surprise her, more than anything, but she followed along. She's dressed in the borrowed clothing Diana lent her, which seems to be mostly all she has; two outfits in the bag she brought with her, but by this point, those are adding up with "battle damage".

The teen follows Diana inside, though she comes up short when they enter, wrinkling her nose a moment and shaking her face like someone slapped her, before steeling herself and following the princess. As for an order, she looks over the menu a moment, before finally ordering exactly the same thing Diana does, and then following her over to the proffered table.

"Thank you for the drink." she says, looking at the cup a moment, then looking about at the patrons.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana just softly smiles when the girl chooses the same drink as her. Once they're ready she picks them up and then carries them to a table in the corner next to the front window so that they can look out on the NYC sidewalk at the vehicles in the street and the pedestrians moving about their day. She sits across from Laura, its a two-person table with a pair of tall chairs and a table that sits up high enough that one just has to slide into the chair rather than lower down onto it.

Her cup is lifted up, its a warm tea, with a hint of pumpkin spice for the autumn season. "I have been hoping that you have been enjoying your time at the Embassy." Diana starts then, her smokey voice is soft and her Greek accented English is thick as ever. "I have been meaning to take some time with you like this, I thought you might want to get some more clothing that aren't those... Wonder Woman fanfare items." She shows a light grin then to the young woman across from her.

X-23 has posed:
Laura sits there, though automatically puts her back into the corner, into the least exposed position. At her short height, getting up on the tall chairs is a little bit of an exercise in climbing. But she manages, watching the other patrons to figure out what she's doing.

She sips the tea like the others are too, looking at it a touch curiously, but then back up when Diana addresses her. "Clothing would be good. Most of mine is damaged. I haven't had much since I left the facility." Her original outfit was blown up, Andrea got her three...all of which have been more or less ruined by now. The borrowed items she keeps intact by not wearing into combat situations. After a pause, she adds "Thank you." She's starting to learn THAT habit, at least.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana is taller then the average person so she's already seated while she watches Laura get up into the chair. When the younger one turns then to look and speak, the Princess keeps her blue eyes on the other's own and then softly nods a single time. "I wanted to ask you about that though." She adds, her hands going palm-flat onto the table's top on either sides of her cup.

"Where exactly are you going at night?" She has a curious expression sweep across her face then after asking that. "And... who exactly is it that you are... fighting with?" She rights her head then and sits up a little straighter once more. "You know I want to help you, but I simply fear you unwittingly getting yourself into a... well, into trouble with regard to the laws of this place."

X-23 has posed:
Laura watches back, but at least in this case, she either seems unable to lie, or unwilling to lie. "Out to various neighborhoods in the city. I am keeping myself combat-ready. And at the same time dealing with various problem elements." In other words, she's out playing street vigilante.

"As for the laws, I have little concern." She sips her tea again. The girl was born and trained from birth to be an assassin. Respect for the law has never been a priority in her life...her training is how to get /around/ the laws. Not abide by them.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana keeps her posture rigid in the chair because the conversation is a bit of one she knew she had to have but she also was afraid of the answer. "Vigilantism is a... fine line to walk." Diana softly responds to her drinking companion this evening. "I know that in spirit is you trying to offer help to the city, to stop criminals. But. It has side effects that you may not see coming. One of those can be the law, Laura." She says then. "They are likely hunting for you, because the... justice system in the United States prohibits vigilantism."

A sip is taken from her drink and Diana then reaches for a napkin from the holder on the table and she pulls one out for herself, and one for Laura to slide it over to the girl across from her. "I know combat has been... instilled heavily in who you are. It has been inside of me as well. For hundreds of years, I trained to fight with my people on our island far from here. For hundreds of years I learned how to master the combat arts that we practiced. What I am wondering, is if you would like to take time to do that with us... rather than go out and get involved in things that could lead to... bad results, for you." She's offering Laura daily training with Amazons it would seem, if Laura could interpret that from her thus far.

X-23 has posed:
"Many people are hunting for me." Really, probably something she should have brought to someone's attention earlier. But for her, that's just a reality of life. Sun is warm, grass is green, people are trying to kidnap or kill her. She looks at the offered napkin, once again looking around to get ideas on its use. Table manners: also not a priority.

She considers the offer, and frowns, just a bit. "Your people seem nice. I would not want to hurt them." Laura's assumption seems to be that not only /would/ she win, but other people might be hurt in the doing.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana shows a light grin then at the response about the fighting but its gone rather quickly. "That is kind of you." She agrees with the girl with a bit of a leveled gaze. "But I am not suggesting you use your... claws." She glances to the girl's hands before looking back up to her eyes. "I am suggesting that you take up arms like we use, that you learn the culture of my people associated with the combat arts that we perform." Diana believes that these combat arts could help Laura gain perspective on how to be a more... stabilized fighter. But of course she is quite biased in her people's culture, and to know when to fight and when not to fight.

"People are not supposed to hunt us, Laura." Diana tells her next, giving a glance around the coffee shop as well. Some customers have already taken phone pictures of them both, though they're likely aiming them at Diana in particular. A breath is drawn in and Diana places her right elbow on the edge of the desk and then puts her chin in the palm of her hand to rest casually like that as she stares across the table at Laura.

"Killing has consequences, and those consequences can involve being locked away in a prison facility, Laura." She gently shakes her head from side to side. "I do not want to see them come for you with that intention. But I cannot stop it either, unless you help me help you."

X-23 has posed:
Laura tilts her head. "Why would I do that? A normal weapon is breakable, visible, and can be taken away. It's inferior in every respect." In that, she's correct. Nothing shy of a magical weapon would be comparable to her adamantium claws, and even then, it would still be "visible" and "can be taken away".

The next statement gets more of a confused look. "People have hurt me since I was born." She says, matter of factly. "Part of training." And although few enough know it, she hurts herself, too. The girl has issues, back issues, and a lovely four-color omnibus of issues.

"They could not hold me in a prison facility." Honestly, with her abilities, it would take something on the level of the Triskelion or the Raft to manage it, and even then it's iffy. "And they would have to catch me first. But I am willing to attempt this training."

Almost as an afterthought, she adds "And you could. Your embassy represents sovereign soil of another country; you can provide sanctuary against the laws of another country at your discretion." The fact that she knows THAT and doesn't know proper coffeeshop etiquette is just further indication of the girl's screwed-up upbringing. "I will try not to hurt training partners, but I cannot promise."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana shows a small smile at the bit about the weapons. "Themysciran weaponry is very strong." Stronger than her claws? Thats unknown, but the steel the Amazons use is very unlike that found in the rest of the world. Definitely not like Adamantium or Vibranium, but its still a very durable metal.

"Do not think of the combat training as a means to replace your claws..." She replies then. "Think of it more as a way to enhance your ability to -use- those claws when the time comes to do so. The proper time. You can wield a sword... until that sword does break. Then you always have those wonderful claws to fall back on in that eventuality." She smiles just a little before she hears the rest and makes for a glance out toward the street.

"Yes, but..." She looks back to Laura then. "That sovereign sanctuary is not possible to maintain if you are going out each night, and killing..." She makes that a little bit of an emphasized statement, though its still presented calm and softly. "What I am offering you, young Laura, is a way to train with the Amazons, to put your amazing skills to use... and maybe learn some new ones that can help you do what is you are doing... only more in-line with the legalities of our world." She pauses briefly then before adding. "Who knows, maybe you could end up on the Justice League's roster then and there. Fighting alongside me against the world's most ominous threats."

X-23 has posed:
She doesn't necessarily realize the magnitude of the offer. But the concept of actual training is enough to get her to agree in any case. "I have weapons training in a wide range of weapons." Because of course she does. "But those skills could always use more sharpening. I will train with your people." Another sip of tea, and then again, she remembers after the fact; it's still not fully ingrained yet. "Thank you."

As for the other part of it, she seems to put that to a great deal more thought, brow furrowing, as she considers. "Perhaps." She seems unwilling to commit to the statement about the League, even though it wasn't really an invitation. Since her exposure to them has been through tactical briefings, she still tends to see most of them as potential enemies. Honestly, given her predilections, most of them MIGHT be.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana just shows a light grin to the young girl's words. "Well good." She says then. "On the weekdays we train in the mornings and in the evenings. We also do classes on the weekends at the Themysciran Arts Center on the other side of the park." The park that is just down the street from here, between here and the Embassy in fact. "Those are put on in front of the public, however, but I do not wish for you to have to experience that. Perhaps someday when you are more ready for that, but not at the very start. I would like it if you observed though and at least... listened to the instructions." Diana's 'hope' here is that some of the moralities of the Amazons would wear off on the young one, that she might come to see fighting as something different... from how she sees it now.

"As for the Justice League... Well." Diana draws in a breath then. "I will have to take you by the Hall in Metropolis, perhaps let you experience our training facility there as well. I think it might be fun for you." She shows a soft smile then. "Oh!" Diana sits up straighter again then and her hands hold the cup in front of her on either side. "I... spoke to someone at the Xavier's School, but Jean Grey... unfortunately is not there right now. She has been away on work duties, so I was told."

X-23 has posed:
The initial statement gets another confused look. "Of course I would listen to the instructions. If you do not, you will get nothing from the training. And you will be punished." Because that's how it works in her world. The bit about the League gets a bit of a more wary nod, but mention of Jean gets a rare look at emotion on Laura: sadness. "She is not away on work duties. She is a ghost." Laura says, rather resigned at that. "I am tired of losing people."

Wonder Woman has posed:
In truth, hearing the girl talk about being punished for not following or listening to instructions mae Diana's heart hurt. If she knew about where the facility is that Laura was trained it, there might not be much left of it after she visited the place. "Laura." Diana starts then, leveling her gaze and leaning over the table just a bit. "I will not ever punish you. Nor will my Sisters. Our people do not work that way." Training with the Amazons was intense, but there were not punishments...

Diana is soon to sit back then and she places her hands on the edge of the table. "Ghost or no ghost, as soon as we are able to, I think that the both of us should travel up to Westchester and speak with Miss Grey, yes? I would like to know more about all of this, and more about what it is they do there."

X-23 has posed:
Laura considers that statement. "I am a good student. You will not need to." Because sometimes she was punished when she did not need to be. And given that she's being a little more open than usual, she adds on, with a note of both bitterness and sadness "I do not wish to be tortured again." Because that's very much what it was.

As if she had just said she prefers chocolate to vanilla, she switches topics. "I do not think it is a good idea. She left. She said that there is an evil ghost there." Or at least, that's how Laura read it. "I do not wish you to be in danger."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Another reason Diana wanted to meet with Jean was to get more of Laura's background and history without having to make the girl delve into it or have to share it in-depth and experience it... all over again. Diana does her best to keep a look of a broken heart off of her face, but its challenging even for her, when she hears the word torture get thrown around.

"But there are children there, Laura." She tells the other. "And it is our duty to ensure their safety. We need to make sure that if there is something foul afoot within the walls of that school, that we investigate it and help resolve it. Peacefully." She wants to make sure that much is clear, that they're not going there to fight anyone. "My goals, in my work and life are to help the people of this world. The good people, the honest people, the innocent people who simply want a life of peace with the ones they love. We do not kill to achieve this, unless there is no other way." She's said similar things to Laura already, but there is no harm in repeating kinds of ethics to a girl who is in dire need of a new 'training regiment'.

Diana moves to stand up then and take hold of her tea, with the napkin around its base. "Come on." She says then with a soft smile. "Lets go find you some clothing. You get to design a whole new wardrobe for yourself."