5947/A Reunion of Sorts

A Reunion of Sorts
Date of Scene:	08 December 2018
Location:	Xavier's School, Westchester, New York City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Phoenix, X-23

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Phoenix has posed:
Jean is in the kitchen, sitting at the table, and sipping on some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice she just prepared for herself. Sometimes, all you want is some down time, and enjoying a fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Heavens knows Jean deserves some down time for what she's been through the last few months.

X-23 has posed:
For Laura, her emotions are pretty turbulent. This was the closest thing to home, and her closest to family. And yet she doesn't know who she can trust. If anyone. The cryptic warnings and conflicting reports have left her unsure of what to do. She's used to trusting her senses, but her senses can't answer this conundrum.

But, this IS Laura. And no matter her emotions, she's used to putting them behind her. The mission takes priority. Whatever the mission is. And right now, the mission is to get into the mansion, get to either Jean or Emma, and get some answers. Most people couldn't infiltrate the mansion. But despite her sojourn at the Embassy, Laura was a student and field agent; unless her access was revoked, she doesn't need to. So with all her assassin's training, she moves quietly as can be through the building. Following scent trails is as simple as can be, and so once she picks up Jean's, she'll head that way, quiet as a mouse, her mind in that detached state of executing her mission, as she tries to slip up silently behind the teacher.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean seems content to just have a quiet time with her grapefruit juice, which is now half finished. It's only when Laura makes it all the way behind her, that Laura would hear what is starting to become a bit more familiar. Jean's voice in her mind, <<it's ill advised to sneak up on people at the Mansion, Laura, you never know how they might respond.>> But having said that much, Jean swivels in her seat and smiles, "welcome home, Laura, what made you change your mind about leaving us?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura's face is expressionless. "Best to sneak up on people if you have to do violence." she says, simply. "Not sure who I can trust. Not sure I can trust /you/." She says, pointedly. "Explain." It's clear in her thoughts; she was ready and prepared to run a claw through Jean if she felt she had to. She still is. The /fact/ that she is, is causing her huge emotional turbulance deeper in...but she's burying that under the mission.

Phoenix has posed:
"Violence...?" Jean looks concerned, and remains seated, only parting her hands to invite Laura into an embrace should she wish it. "Why would you need to turn to violence with me...? Do you still think I'm a ghost?" She offers a warm smile, projecting understanding, rather than derision. She fully comprehends why Laura might be concerned if she still wonders whether Jean is a ghost or not. "I will, if you tell me your reason to not trust me, I will assure you why you can."

X-23 has posed:
For the first time, Laura makes no move to take the embrace. "You said there was something evil affecting people. Andrea told me that you told her I left because I did not feel welcome. I never said that. I left because of the warning you gave me." The girl is tense. "Someone is lying." And either way, it's someone she doesn't want to believe would lie to her. "I do not know if this place is safe. I do not know who I can trust."

Phoenix has posed:
"And there was..." Jean nods in agreement, "remember when I disappeared from the Mansion? I did that to ensure that thing could not affect me." When Laura relates of what she heard from Andrea, Jean frowns, "Laura...I wasn't lying, it wasn't what I heard from you, it was what I heared from Wonder Woman, who came to scold me over how we treat our students here..." noting how tense Laura is, Jean opts not to make a move, she remains sitting and lets Laura decide whether she wants to make a move or not.

"We have finally defeated that villain who was affecting everyone, with the help of our friends, the Avengers...so there's no more risk. At least not in this place," Jean says while looking directly at Laura with her emerald eyes. "Emma is the only one who needs help to get back in her right mind, but that's because she is keeping away from us. Either Psylocke or myself can help...we just need to find her."

She takes a deep breath, and looks a bit saddened, when she adds, "I meant what I said to you when we first met, Laura, you can always trust me. I will always be there for you..." and then Jean's astral projection image, the ghost Laura met a while back, steps out of Jean's body, waving at Laura, before disappearing, "that's why I came to visit you like that, when I couldn't do so in person. To make sure you were okay. To warn you if the risk I knew was present."

X-23 has posed:
Laura relaxes, a little. It's not really visible in her body. But it is in her mind. "I could not know that." Laura explains. "If something affected Miss Frost, something could have affected you." But Jean says it's over, and even though she has no way of knowing that Jean is uncompromised, the girl /wants/ to trust her. Her battle-ready posture slumps some, and she takes a moment to close her eyes. She's been ready for a fight since she left the mansion, and she had to steel herself for the possibility of having to fight surrogate-mom when she came here. The stress release is palpable.

Phoenix has posed:
"You are welcome to examine me to the best of your ability...your senses, you're much like Wolverine, right? You could smell intent on someone...?" Jean is mostly guessing, but she recalls many occasions where Logan guessed when a specific foe was more of a threat. It was uncanny how at times he would beat her telepathic scan.

"How are you feeling, Laura?" Jean asks a question she's not sure Laura gets asked enough, but regardless, Jean's voice is full of empathy as she asks the question. Looking at Laura not as a freak, or a weapon, or an animal, but rather as the girl she is, even if she can't admit it to herself.

X-23 has posed:
Laura nods. "I can smell things on people. But I can't smell what is in someone's mind." She opens her eyes. "Weak." She answers. She honestly doesn't have the words to articulate it. It's clearer in her mind. Part of her is chastizing herself for hesitating when it might have come to fighting Jean. The other part is chastizing herself for being willing to fight her in the first place. The girl is an emotional mess, she's just SO used to repressing she doesn't let it show.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean just takes a risk at this point, in moving towards Laura and gathering her into an embrace. She's glimpsed at enough that just triggers her bleeding heart, she only hopes Laura won't turn that expression usually used to describe Jean demeaningly, into something very physical. After all the girl has the ability to make Jean's blood literaly bleed. At least to Jean's best understanding, which as she recently experienced when facing the Shadow King and such, as a bit incomplete. "Laura, it's not weak...it's good, feeling, it means you're alive. It means you're definitely not a weapon. It means you're making good progress, even when teachers weren't around to guide you."

X-23 has posed:
Laura is not going to make Jean bleed. That time has passed. "Everything is so confusing." she says quietly, but she will hug Jean, probably painfully tightly. Laura does not do things by halves. And she's needed a hug for a while now. "It is safe to come back and stay now?"

Phoenix has posed:
"We'll get through the confusion, together, Laura," Jean offers reassuringly, letting out a slight 'ooof' as she's caught off guard by how tightly Laura embraces her, but she doesn't complain further, she adjusts, and tightens her own hug. Letting Laura have as much time as she needs as she gathers her against herself, so she can feel her affectionate warmth. She knows Laura has a lifetime of shortage in human affection, something which is absolutely wrong for a girl her age. "Of course it is, and if you like, you can stay in my room for a while. Whatever makes you more at home, Laura. I will try and explain to you what happened next time we talk, ok?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura shakes her head. "I would like to go back to my room. I will have to tell the Amazons I am leaving first, though." She releases the hug. "Thank you." Pause. "I am very glad I did not have to hurt you." Both the thanks, and the emotion are signs of the development she HAS made.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean slowly eases off the embrace, looking at Laura with a beaming smile, "I am very happy to hear you say that, and I am happier you didn't hurt me." She has an urge to ruffle Laura's hair affectionately, but overcomes it, best not to try her luck at this point in time. She drinks the rest of her juice and goes to wash the glass, "I'll be heading to sleep, so I'll see you after you get back. Good night, Laura."