6817/Green + Magenta=Fun

Green + Magenta=Fun
Date of Scene:	08 March 2019
Location:	Mutant Town
Synopsis:	Lorna is visiting Mutant Town, and finds out that an old friend, Blink, has been sent to serve as security for her
Cast of Characters:	Polaris, Blink

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Polaris has posed:
It was late afternoon and snow flakes fluttered down from the sky, a late snow for the end of winter that refused to completely leave the grip of the Northeast alone. The roads were damp from snow melt and mixed with salt and sand to keep the traffic moving, though as usual it was packed. People walked to and from work, to errands, and the alike on the chilled sidewalks, side stepping trash bags half ripped open by raccoons or other animals that had crept out the night before.

Mutant Town was alive as it always was, despite the fear, the threats and the alike that the inhabitants regularly dealt with on a day to day basis. Life continued on, jobs had to be worked, and people went about their business regardless of the fear of Sentinels or anti-mutant groups lurking in the shadows of the city.

On a street corner, a mutant played a battered looked guitar, singing only slightly off key as he busked for money. Most people passed by the mutant, obvious in the way his eyelids opened at a vertical slant and the filmy lenses that closed over them every now and then. At least, that was until a green haired woman paused in front to listen to him playing, and with a smooth motion opened up the black leather purse at her side and pulled out a hefty bill and handed it to the mutant at the end of his song. His eyes widened and as soon as he registered who had thanked him, he nearly jumped. "Princess Lorna! Oh geeze, shit. I mean, sorry. Thanks! Oh man. Oh man." He gasped out as Lorna grinned and he held onto her hand with a spasm of a grip fueled by nerves. His exclamation brought out a few more curious onlookers, and traffic on the sidewalk slowed as others recognized the woman bundled up in a thick winter coat trimmed in fur of some kind around the hood.

Blink has posed:
The trip to Mutant Town was a series of hops for Clarice. The first big hop from Genosha to the States was to a stretch of wide open, uninhabited land. How much she was off didn't really matter at that point. Afterwards, a series of shorter jumps ensued, making sure she would not accidentally harm someone with a poorly placed portal.

Once in the city itself, Clarise took the subway. A pair of dark glasses pushed up to hide the bright green of her eyes, and her hair tucked under a ball cap so it did not stand out quite so much. Leaving the subway, she hoofed it a few blocks, commenting to herself, "Ok, I need to start getting familiar with some rooftops or something. This walking part is- hey!" Clarice says, the last part turning to an exclamation as a rude person barrels through her in his hurry to get to wherever he's going.

"The words you are looking for are 'excuse me'!' Clarice calls after him. But not really loud enough he's likely to hear it, or at least to take the time to stop and go back after her. Clarice shoves her hands in her pockets against the cold, moving back with the flow of pedestrians. "Should have really thought to bring gloves," she tells herself.

Up ahead on the next street corner, Clarice spots a bit of green hair. Her heart leaps just a little bit. Looks like the right shade. The magenta-haired mutant hurries her steps a bit, trying to make it up to the corner before the woman she thinks is Lorna will have moved on.

Polaris has posed:
The chances of finding one Lorna Dane out and about in the city itself were minute, and the magenta haired woman seeking the Princess of Genosha was completely and utterly lucky to have found her as she did. At least for the most part, the young woman never bothered to hide her hair color or who she was. It was hard to try it anyways, her face was well known among those that both loved and hated mutants. She was a public figure, and as such people that followed such things, knew her on sight.

The guitar player continued to splutter and thank Lorna as the green haired woman shook off the praise with a wave of her hand and requested him to play a song instead in return. She shoved her hood back up over her head against the bluster of the winter wind that swept down the road, and was momentarily distracted as a little girl came running up to ask if she was really a Princess.

What Lorna was even doing out there alone was anyone's guess, without a car or protective detail in sight. Even Magneto himself traveled with guards when visiting the States.

Blink has posed:
"She really is," a female voice says from behind Lorna to the little girl. Clarice steps around and into Lorna's field of view, a warm smile flashed to her friend. "And she's not only a princess, but the nicest princes you could imagine meeting," Clarice tells the little girl, leaning down and resting her hands on her knees as she talks to her.

Clarice straightens as the girl turns back to Lorna, all excited. The magenta-haired mutant flashes a soft grin back to Lorna again. "Heard I might find you around here," Clarice says to Lorna, blowing on her hands and then stuffing them back into her jacket pockets. "You picked a cold day to go for a walk," she says, glancing around Mutant Town briefly before looking back to the royal princess.

Polaris has posed:
Color bloomed over Lorna's cheeks as Clarice came up into her line of sight and added onto the conversation with the little girl. She shook her head at the other woman, grinning as she bent down and shook the little girl's hand as the mutant child bounced about in excitement before running off with a torrent of giggles to join who had to be likely her parents and a few other gaggle of children.

The green haired woman straightened and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. "It's still winter in New York, so yeah.. gonna be cold out for at least another month." She paused, arching a brow as she raked her gaze over the other woman with a critical eye. "You're a long way from home, I didn't expect to see anyone from Genosha out this way. Don't tell me that you came all the way out here for me."

Blink has posed:
"I did actually," Clarice tells Lorna, the green eyes lit by the same smile that crosses her face. "It was suggested you should probably have some extra help nearby when you were in the States. So I volunteered," Clarice says, giving a small, cheeky grin.

"Or, ok, maybe it was less volunteer and more an order to keep you safe. But I figure you're smart enough to know when you might want me around. So I'm here when you want or need me. And if you need some time alone? Cool. Just please don't go do anything dangerous and get me in too much trouble with your father?" Clarice asks.

She gives a warmer smile then, the girl that Lorna befriended, rather than the bodyguard. "How are you doing? Looks like you're charming everyone here, just like normal," Clarice asks as she motions towards the little mutant girl who ran off.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna laughed softly as she made to try to link arms with the teleporter, grinning as she made to steer the other woman alongside the sidewalk with her as they talked, if allowed. "Oh geeze, I can't say I'm shocked that my father asked someone to check in on me. I guess I should be lucky that he asked you rather than someone more military-ish. The last thing I need is to be followed around by someone that can't take a joke or something." She shook her head again, smiling still.

"Come on, lets get some hot chocolate so you don't freeze or something. There's a nice cafe down the street." It was really more of a hole in the wall shop that happened to have hot drinks, but it would do. Lorna walked with confidence despite the threat that mutants were facing here in the States, nor for any consideration about her royal status here. In Genosha she always walked with a purpose and awareness of her position. Here, it was decidedly freer.

"I'll try to keep my heroics down to a minimum for your sanity though, promise."

Blink has posed:
Clarice is more than happy to link arms with Lorna and walk with her. Lorna is probably the one member of the royal family who has cut through some of the reverence Clarice has for them in general. Though it took a bit. But now there is definitely more the feeling of Clarice being around a friend when Lorna is near. The difference when Magneto is around? Quite marked.

"I really should have dressed a little warmer. I'll pop back for something better later," Clarice says as they get the hot drinks. "So I've been following all of the news," Clarice says, and looks up at the sky as if indicating which news she's referring to. "So far they are just flying over cities and not coming down and hassling anyone here, right? That's what the news has been saying. But I dont know how far to trust the news," the green-eyed mutant says, shaking her head.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna ordered the large drink for herself, covered in whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, handing a thick and smoothly polished credit card of unknown make down to pay for the drinks with a grin and thank you to the barista behind the counter. As the drinks were made and passed back, she took a moment to simply enjoy the heat radiating through her fingertips. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly, and glanced back to Clarice.

"Yeah, you'll definitely want to bundle up. Once the sun goes down or there's any cloud cover it drops like another ten degrees I swear. And never mind the wind. A stiff breeze and you'll be frozen." She sipped at the drink and as the other woman spoke of the issues with Sentinels she grimaced.

"Yes and no. There's been a few incidents with them.." She trailed off, grumbling under her breath. "You did see my father's announcement.. right?"

Blink has posed:
The purple and magenta haired young woman looks at what Lorna is ordering. "Oh, that sounds good," Clarice says. "Extra chocolate sprinkles, please," she asks the person behind the counter. She's always had a little bit of a sweet tooth.

The drink is held in both hands, fingers wrapped about it to soak up that blessed warmth. "And we're here instead of in tropical paradise why, again?" Clarice asks. Though it's in a joking tone, clearly. The way that Clarice looks around at the residents of Mutant Town makes it clear she feels a reason to be here. Especially when seeing those that like herself and Lorna stand out as being mutants.

"Yes, I did," Clarice says. She gives a little shiver that has nothing to do with the cold. "I admit, I'm not used to being a part of... of the stage that you and your father have to play upon." Clarice looks over to Lorna, the soft green eyes lit with some worry, but also there's fondness and warmth in her expression. "I'm really glad that we have you both," she says Lorna. "Just... just really glad." Clarice leans over and gives Lorna a little shoulder bump, as if to downplay it so Lorna can laugh it off if Clarice's words expressed a little too much.

Polaris has posed:
Lonra smiled as Clarice ordered extra chocolate sprinkles and gulped down a mouthful of her own topped with whipped cream. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly before her focus returned to the other woman beside her. She tucked her credit card away into the confines of her coat pocket and without so much as a twitch, closed the zipper with a thought. Still. despite the cold, her green eyes opened to scan the wide expanse of Mutant Town about them. The trash on the sidewalk. The threadbare coats that were too short sleeves and scuffed up, leaky shoes.

Her lips twisted into a thin line and she exhaled a breath. "You know why," She drawled in response over the lip of her hot chocolate cup, a smile pulling at her lips as Clarice continued to speak and bumped her shoulder lightly.

"Eh... I'm just a spare. You know how the saying goes. 'An heir and a spare' for royals. I'm... the spare spare." She drawled, shrugging lightly. It wasn't clear what the line of succession might be, Magneto hadn't said either way.

"Anyways..." She shook her head and nodded down the street. "I've been meeting with business contracts. I have a thought.. of trying to expand Genosha's alliances.. If I'm able to track down anyone that would meet with me that is.

Blink has posed:
"That sounds like a good way to start confronting matters," Clarice agrees. "I'm worried if it comes down to force of arms. Or powers. There is already so much emotion in some people, it could be like adding a match to a powderkeg," the young woman says quietly.

She turns to look around the poor settlement and sighs. "I've not spent a lot of time here. In New York, even," Clarice comments quietly. "I wonder if things are so bad that they choose to congregate here instead of where they are from. Or maybe... I mean, I could make it easy for them to get to Genosha, if any of them were wishing to go there?"

Clarice looks over to Lorna. "Maybe I could ask about quietly and if I find anyone who wishes, arrange with Security back home and then send them through?" She takes a sip of her coffee, the sweetness of the cream and sprinkles offset a bit by the feelings she's having looking around at the situation here. "Seeing you helps them, though. That much is clear," she adds to the princess. "You're far more than a spare. To all of us."

Polaris has posed:
A rough exhale a nod followed, worry tensing the lines around Lorna's expression and the posture of her shoulders at the thought of going to war or open combat against the world at large with Sentinels on the lose and Genosha's people on the frontlines. It made a knot of worry form in the pit of her stomach and she pursed her lips together briefly. "My biggest concern is that Genosha doesn't have the numbers, or the force ready for a ..a fight like that. My father can threaten all he wants.. but at the end of the day.. we're not ready yet." She whispered. Her gaze fell to the cup of hot chocolate in her grip.

"It's their home. People don't want to leave their home. Some of them disagree with my father. Some of them have human relatives that they don't want to leave. Some.. it's all they've known. Immigration to Genosha is free, ships leave regularly.. if they want to go. They can.." She murmured softly.

"I'll ask around though, maybe some are just waiting for a shove."

A pause and she smiled widely at Clarice as the other woman tried to cheer mood up again. She laughed softly, her cheeks colored from more than just cold.

"Well, compared to Pietro maybe," She joked lightly. "I swear, he just lives to test our father's patience."

Blink has posed:
The mention of her brother brings a soft smile from Clarice. "I was thinking since I'm here, maybe I'd try to drop by and see him. I mean, sometime when you don't need me," Clarice says. "And Wanda. I imagine it must be pretty amazing in the Avenger's Mansion."

There are rumors of Clarice getting into places she probably shouldn't. And more than rumors. It's quite likely Lorna could have gotten a story or two out of her. Though surely she hasn't tried to get into the Avengers Mansion.

Clarice takes a sip of her coffee as she watches the crowds around them. A pair of young me in their twenties walk past. One gives Lorna an overt up and down glance while the other flashes a look of disdain at the pair of obvious mutants. "That's about more what I expected from New York," Clarice says as she watches the pair of young men continue on down the street, unless Lorna challenges them on their behavior. "How are things where you're staying? You've been 'at school' mostly from what I heard before they sent me?" Clarice asks.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna shrugged lightly, a grin on her lips. "Yeah, you might be one of the only people that could keep up with him and his nonsense. If you want to chase down Pietro, you're more than welcome to. My life isn't all that exciting." She drawled lightly, the mention of the Avenger's mansion earned a twitch of her lips and a raise of her eyebrows. "Oh? Really? Can't say I've stopped in." In the past year Wanda had come to visit Genosha, as had Pietro, much to their father's irritation on that one. But Lorna? She'd stuck so closely to their father's side for the past year.. It was the first time that she'd branched out beyond Genosha's shores in a long while. She hadn't seen the Avenger's Mansion either way..

Then even there, in Mutant Town, humans still strolled through, still came with their looks and scowls and //issues//. Lorna arched a brow in silent challenge, her chin tilting upwards and her shoulders rolled back. A posture that she'd worn more often in facing down Genosha's councilors or other would be diplomats that had come visiting. She narrowed her eyes, looking every inch the Princess she'd trained and studied to become over the past year.

She didn't do anything else, she didn't have to. Much like in the protest where a human had chucked a drink at her, others reacted. A young woman that had seen the looks and was clearly just as mutant as the two other women snarled. Her teeth sharp and pointed as a lizard like tongue slithered out between her teeth as she snarled. Frills around her neck danced.

The two men cursed, hurling insults.. but also took off running.

Blink has posed:
Blink gives a soft chuckle and says, "I'd probably kill someone trying to keep up with him. Though my control has improved quite a bit since I've started traveling a bit more." Clarice drinks more of the coffee drink, pulling her straw up so the end gets some of the whipped cream off the top.

The reaction that sends the two men running gets a soft chuckle from Clarice. But only for the moment. As the laughter fades, it leaves behind the inevitable small pants of sadness that the world is this way. When the woman with the teeth looks over though, Clarice gives her an approving look. Keeping morale up.

"I didn't get to see their visit. But I heard about some of the sparks that flew," Clarice mentions of the royal family get together. "It would be nice if they took more of a hand. Not that it's any of my business, but who knows. If I get to see either of them maybe I can leave a bug in their ears about it?" Clarice comments idly.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna flashed the lizard-mutant woman a grin and even stopped to shake the woman's hand and thank her. The lizard-woman flushed an orange colored blush and stumbled over her words before she made to excuse herself quickly from the two. Clearly not having thought much of defending a fellow mutant from human-bros out for a sight-seeing tour. Still, Lorna made time for the other woman, however briefly she did.

The green haired woman finished off the rest of the contents in her hot drink and glanced back toward Clarice. "Pietro and father are too alike and they argue because of it." She murmured, "Always lectures and over protective instincts with the both of them." She shook her head and sighed.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Blink has posed:
Blink has a bit more of her coffee to go. "Have you made much time for yourself lately?" Clarice asks. "Been able to sneak away anywhere interesting?" The young woman is a bit of a daydreamer, with so little experience beyond Genosha until just recently. Members of the Brotherhood are used to having Clarice ask them about the places they've been, and Lorna is no exception it seems. Even now that Clarice has some ability and the freedom to go see places for herself.

Clarice finishes up her drink then, finding a trash can to dispose of it in. She returns to Lorna side as she looks around at the mutants going about their lives. Clarice sticks her hands back into her pockets. "You're right, it's their home," she comments softly, seeing the interaction between various people. The little signs that add up to a sense of community that she'd looked past in focusing on the worn clothing and the shabby housing conditions.

Polaris has posed:
A shrug followed, "I went ice skating for all of five minutes before things went south. Hmmm, I went shopping? A few times." She shrugged, most of the times she had gone shopping was for belated presents for various people at the Mansion. A few other times, had been to cheer up others that wanted to get out and go. She reached up, dragging her green hair back behind an ear and rubbing her nose with the back of her hand as she tossed the empty cup away alongside the other woman.

"It's been a lot of me trying to network really. Like I said.. boring." She grinned, and as Clarice swept her gaze around the city's street she nodded.

"They've been raised to be Americans. New Yorkers. They live here. It's their Home. Why would they leave?" She grimaced, her smile fading briefly.

"It's the tale people tell over and over again. Even with a disaster on their front porch. They won't leave, even if they know it's for the best."

Blink has posed:
Blink looks about, biting her lips inside her mouth as the comments about this being their home seems thought-provoking for Clarice. "Where do you consider home, Lorna? Do you think of it Genosha first? Or here. The school, that is?" Clarice asks softly as she looks around.

"I didn't tell you, I went to Barbados. Looking for my parents. Apparently they didn't go back there after Genosha," she says, doing a fair job of keeping the disappointment out of her voice. "Met a neighbor who kind of sort of remembered a couple but that was about it. Been a long time now," she says, shrugging as if she'd not really expected to find anything.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna stopped, her feet scuffing against the rough cracks in the sidewalk's concrete. She turned, looking back to Clarice and considering the other woman for a long moment. "Genosha is my home, I love Genosha. Her people. The island. All of it." She waved a hand around her and bit back a sigh. "I only came here for a 'vacation'.." She stopped and started, and turned her gaze down.

"Before Genosha here was home. Here was my family.. such as it was. Xavier's will always have a special place in my heart. But it's not my home anymore either." She turned her green eyed gaze back to Blink, reaching out a hand to settle on the other woman's shoulder and trying to gently squeeze it.

"I've stayed here because I hope to protect my home. Our home."

Blink has posed:
Blink stopped when Lorna did, turning towards her to listen to what Lorna had to share. Clarice draws back a little closer as Lorna reaches out to touch her. "It's ok to care about them here still," Clarice says with a soft smile. "I found myself caring about Barbados, and I don't even have memories of it," she admits.

Clarice reaches up to squeeze Lorna's hand softly before letting it go. "You guys are my real family," she says. "And we'll keep Genosha safe. You're doing a great job of rallying support already," Clarice says. Her smile conveys a trust in Lorna that is absolute. There is unconditional love there, and there always will be.