7503/Close to My Soul, and Yet So Far Away

Close to My Soul, and Yet So Far Away
Date of Scene:	15 May 2019
Location:	Genosha
Synopsis:	Doug, Samuel, Kitty, Lorna and Emma go to Genosha and are hosted by Magneto as he and Doug discuss Doug's death.
Cast of Characters:	Cypher, Cannonball, Polaris, Shadowcat, Emma Frost, Magneto

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Cypher has posed:
"...So this is Genosha." Doug says, as he steps out onto the tarmac. He's dressed for tropical weather, in board shorts, sandals, and a hawaiian shirt worn open over a Ron-Jon Surf Shop tee, and sunglasses, because his sartorial sense is irrepressible and unique.

...He brought a suit and tie to change into, and probably will later.

He looks around, slowly, and takes note of someone flying by, before he slips his hands into his pockets. "...I'm not sure what to think."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles a bit and says "Well at least have an idea how to get in touch with Magneto this time. The last time Ah was here we were lucky went to the embassy and they got word Illyana and Ah were here. If that had not worked was planning on dive bombing the palace till Mag..Eri... His highness took notice." In public we have to call him Your highness while we are in Genosha." he tells Kitty and Doug.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna was supposed to put together a team and start investigating the Sentinels, among other things. It was strange to be put in charge of a team, she had never been in charge of an X-team before. Though while in Genosha she had become comfortable with leadership, being Princess, it was another sort of leading. One with dedicated rules and expectations that she'd had time to learn.. heading a team? That was boggling.

Still, she needed to speak to her father in person about the AI that had contacted the Professor rather than messing him.

"Majesty is typically the title for King, highness is reserved for Princes and Princesses. Graces for Dukes and so on.." She'd memorized it all, somehow. She flashed Sam a grin, "It's okay, I won't tell."

Lorna was dressed in her usual Genosha fashion, meant for the heat and glittering with more magnetic metal jewelry than she usually wore. All ready to turn into armor at the slightest hint of trouble.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde steps out beside Doug on the tarmac. She smiles as she looks around in an expectant sort of way. She's wearing shorts and a tank top, and has a pair of sunglasses though they are pushed up onto the top of her head leaving her squinting in the sun.

Though it turns out it was for a reason, making her easy to recognize. And the effort is rewarded as an older man with dark hair and a moustache comes rushing over. Kitty sees him and runs away from her friends to practically launch herself at him in a hug. "Dad!" she says excitedly as Carmen Pryde scoops her into his arms and twirls his daughter around. "Kitty, oh Lord it has been too long!"

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma remains standing at the top of the stairs with her head turned inwards towards the cabin and is saying a few words to the crew and pilots before she looks back down to the tarmac and blinks from behind her giant lens sunglasses and even has to tilt her overly large brim hat to see the commotion. "I don't think the open boiling runway is the ideal place to speak with dignitaries and royalty." Emma says with a motion over her shoulder and a stuffed white 'duffel' bag is placed into her hand delicately before she holds it forwards to one of the crew to carry it for her. "Come on come on, lets get a move on sheeple."

Magneto has posed:
     Like clockwork, several limousines arrive, bearing the flag of Genosha.

  Chauffeurs exit the cars and hold open doors, and from the middle one steps out the King himself.

  The man known by many names, but most of all: Magneto adjusts his garb, a breathable suit adorned with epaulets and medals, and his red and purple helmet, embellished with the points of a crown.

  People gladly take luggage, alleviating the guests from the burden. "Welcome to Genosha." He says with a light smile, glad Carmen had got to greet Kitty, and of course, he gets to catch up with old friends.

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks to Kitty and her father, and then to Sam, and finally to Emma. He politely says, "...Ah, gee, thank you," in a mild voice as someone takes his bag, before he looks up to Magneto. The wind ruffles his hair, and he looks around. "...This place is... incredible. The attitude of everyone here is so different. They don't need to hide who they are. It's almost seductive." He strokes his chin, and then looks up to Magneto, though he doesn't say anything yet--

Instead he adds, "...I feel very plain."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over to Doug and says "There are some good people here, and Ah gotta admit there is a lot here that Ah hope makes it out to the rest of the world, but still like the whole democracy thing." He looks over to Magneto and says "No ofice, sir, your highness." He gets a little flustered with titles.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna glanced behind her briefly at the sound of Emma trying to usher people along the tarmac under the Genoshan sun and she smiled faintly, knowing already exactly where her father was in relation to them all. She stepped forward just as the line of limos pulled up and Magneto stepped out. Doug's words earned a flash of a grin. "That's the whole point of Genosha you know.." Before she turned her focus back to the convoy. She flashed her father a smile, and much like Kitty had with her own father, she makes to embrace Magneto. Though with much less running and squeals. Not to say that she wasn't happy to see her father. Her enjoyment was simply more involved with the electromagnetic fields that she and her father shared.

"I hope our arrival didn't change your schedule too much. It's just there's a bit that can't be passed along digitally." She offered softly.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde and her father walk over, the two with their arms around each other's waists. "Hello everyone," Carmen Pryde says to them. Kitty smiles to him and says, "Dad, you know who Erik is of course. And Lorna. And you remember Doug. And this is Samuel Guthrie. And you remember Miss Frost."

Kitty's father gives different amounts of warmth in his greeting, proportional to how many times the individual has tried to kidnap or kill his daughter. Though Erik gets an extra pass there apparently after hearing from both Kitty and his ex-wife Theresa about the recent Purim holiday. "Hello everyone," he says to them. "Doug, great to see you again. I was so happy to hear of... of your return," he says, the older man not used to talking to people about coming from back from the dead, as is his daughter. Kitty, meanwhile, offers Erik a wave of greeting.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma seems focused on getting into the hopefully 1st world quality ac of Genoshian automobiles and so she walks briskly, her heels clickclacking against the tarmac before she gives a nod of her hat to Carmen, and then a roll of her hidden eyes at Doug as she walks past the boy. "You are." Then with her final stop being Erik when Lorna finally ends the embrace and the white queen looks up slightly towards the crown and the faintest tug at the side of her lip as she starts to understand. "Your Highness." The white queen then bows with a curl of her hands, a proper display of respect but she only breaks eye contact for the shortest time she can and still be courteous. "Pleasure to meet you."

Magneto has posed:
     Even a king is allowed to give a fatherly hug to his princess. So does Erik with Lorna, their distinct EM fields dancing like they do, emerald and crimson together in sync, the feeling fills Magneto with cheer. It was the one thing that tied Lorna and he together over the others, of course only a few could ever see or feel that bond. "Mein Schatze, I'm glad you made it safely."

  Magneto holds his arms wide, gesturing to Genosha as a whole. "You all are guests of the Crown, stay as long as you please."

  The Genoshan political scene had been mostly peaceful as of late, the feeling of safety here was certainly higher. "My people have found a decent amount of peace here. Without the useage of Sentinels."

  Erik bows lightly and offers his hand, only for him to lift it for a gentle kiss. "Miss Frost, your reputation precedes you." He offers, a wry smile appearing on his face.

Cypher has posed:
Doug gives Emma a stink-eye. "*Thank you*, Miss Hannigan." And he's normally so polite! "Maybe next time I'll wear a poet shirt, cravat and a powdered wig, that's traditionally more your *style*" He closes his mouth with an audible click. "Sorry, I *forgot myself* for a second there--" He curls his lip and rolls his eyes upward.

He looks up at Magneto, and says, quietly, "...Sir." He's just too much of a Yankee to get behind the whole King thing. "...You're looking well." It's polite, if a bit awkward. Stuffed, really. As if he's not really sure what he should be saying.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna stepped back as her father turned his attention to the others and made to head into one of the many awaiting limos to settle into the comfort of the leather seats and air conditioning. The balmy humidity of Genosha was pleasant compared to New York's winters, but was still far too warm to be standing out on the tarmac for any length of time. She'd seen kids joke that it was hot enough to cook an egg on it during the Summer.

Lorna slid inside, flashing a smile at the driver and a wave as passed by him. The mutant stood holding the door and was one of the typical drivers for the Genoshan monarchy.

"The sooner everyone is in a car, the sooner we can shut the doors and enjoy the AC." She offered, it might have been downplaying her father's grand gesture, but it was hot and sticky out. All proper talks should be in the AC.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will elbow Doug if he starts to get to snide. "Ah did not get to look around to much the last time we were here to be honest. Was more pop in check to see if our idea worked, help people and then pop back out. Would like to see how the normal folks live to be honest.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde moves over to take a seat with her father. The older Pryde is taking Kitty's hand and looking at a ring on it, with diamonds set around a ruby. Not a wedding or even engagement ring, but it looks something special. The two speak quietly for the moment, Kitty smiling at him in that way that Daddy's girls smile at their fathers, and he smiling with pride back at... er... Pryde.

Kitty breaks away from her family reverie enough to check on Doug and see how he's doing, a glance going from her towards Erik.

Emma Frost has posed:
    "I hope we get a chance to speak more in due time, your Highness." She says, carefully playing with her own mind to force a hint of blush to pass across her lips when the king kisses her knuckles. She takes her hand back and then climbs into the car to sit next to Lorna. Then she whispers to the green haired heiress, "What is the punishment for murder in your country?" The woman asks with a devilish glance towards Doug, hoping, knowing that he heard her.

Magneto has posed:
     Magneto turns his gaze to Doug. "And you...have a distinct lack of necrosis, Douglas. Either this" He points to his helmet. "is not working. Or you have much explaining to do."

  Inside the limo, Magneto takes a seat across from the group, making sure he can converse as easy as possible. He had a full on air of regality right now. This was as much of a show as many of his other interactions. The air conditioning was heavensent, and even Erik took off his helmet to enjoy it.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna glanced side long at Emma as the blonde stepped away from her father to slide into the limo next to her. She arched a green eyebrow upward, settling her loose fitting skirts more comfortably as she scooted further onto the polished, smooth, leather seat. She spared a glance for Doug out the tinted window of the limo and back. "I don't sit on the courts. But mostly rehabilitation. We don't have the death penalty if that's what you're getting at." She smiled faintly, shaking her head.

Why kill a mutant when therapy with telepaths could help heal the mind? They weren't //savages// after all. And there were too few mutants in the world as it stood.

As her father slid into the cabin, Lorna flashed him her usual smile.

"I'm glad to hear that everything here is still peaceful. Particularly given how chaotic everything else is.."

Cypher has posed:
    Doug clears his throat, and says, "Well, sir - that's a complicated story." They all are. "I was physically resurrected by an enemy of the X-Men in order to bypass their security systems... and wound up back among the living when everything was said and done. After that, I chose to leave and live on my own for awhile, to try and figure a few things out. Kitty asked me to come back to the school because of the problems with the sentinels." He rests his hands in his lap, and jogs a sandal loose on one foot in the limo.
    "...It's good to see you again."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie is quiet for now. He is there to support his friend, and he and Magneto have had their catching up a couple of months ago. He will move to sit next to Doug. He will listen to the others but watches outside the limo.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty smiles over to Doug. "Problems with the Sentinels. And because we missed you. You're family," she tells him, even as she leans against her father. He gives an affirmative nod. "You are. In fact, Doug, you and Kitty should really go see Theresa sometime. She'd be overjoyed to see you again," Carmen Pryde shares.

Kitty glances over towards Emma, watching her schmooze with the royals. Her line presses into a little less of a smile but she doesn't say anything.

Magneto has posed:
     Silver-white hair eases back, never misshapen after he removes the helmet. He doesn't say more at the moment on this Cypher issue. But there is more in store, that much is for sure.

  "The people know that I would keep them safe against a Sentinel incursion. And I will treat any Sentinel on this island as an act of war. Trask and his ilk are not welcome. Myself and our people have worked too hard to allow Genosha to buckle against that pathetic excuse of a man."

  His words contain that fire, that passion that often drove him to great things. "All mutantkind is welcome here, and of course, allies." He mentions, glancing at Carmen. "And we will defend against all enemies accordingly."

Polaris has posed:
As the limo filled in with passengers, Lorna's tablet dinged and she sighed, taking it out and becoming increasingly occupied in the newest updates that ran through the device as soon as she'd touched down on Genosha's soil. There wasn't any rest for the young Princess as she busily typed away responses from councilors that demanded answers to questions for some reason or another. Would she be there for the opening of the new hospital? When was she going to visit the children's wing? Was she going to attend the gala that was meant to raise funds for more mutant refugees? And so on.

All of which required her to reschedule or turn down due to the newest assignment from the Professor. She'd be occupied in the States after all..

Trask had to be investigated and they had to find out more about the Sentinels.. It was her task. Her job.

"Kitty, if you could fill in updates for me about the mission and what happened with the AI, please?" She green haired woman turned a strained look to Kitty. Clearly, she was swamped with incoming messages and the alike. All of which, was no less important to her though it might seem less so to others.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma looks over to Doug and then Sam with uninterested eyes, that also glance across Carmen and Kitty, but the White Queen seems to favor her attention on Erik. "I had always thought that was a sign of trust for you your highness." Emma says, referring to the crowned helmet, that she might or might not know fully about, but she does have some theories as to the true nature of the helmet based on news feeds and maybe a discussion or two with Charles. Emma's phone then begins to ring with an urgent tone and she frowns. "Pardon me, but I'm sure you know, business never ends." Emma says, frowning and begins a fast and furious text conversation.

Cypher has posed:
Doug lets out a sigh, and then says, to Magneto, "...I brought Kitty and Sam for emotional support, but what I have to say needs to be said."

"I'm sorry." He says this, his voice quiet, as if he had thought about the best way to say it and couldn't think of anything better. "I should have listened to you. I don't think you were trying to hold me back because I was less *worthy* than the others -- not anymore. I think you were worried I'd get hurt."

He rubs the back of his neck. "And wouldn't you know it? You were right."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will put a hand on Doug's shoulder giving the younger man's shoulder a squeeze to give a bit of silent support knowing talking about this can be hard for him.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde quietly converses with Lorna, though her attention is at least half on the conversation going on between Doug and Erik. At one point she even makes a gesture to Lorna that she wants to wait a moment as she listens to what is being said. Kitty doesn't reach over to Doug, but her eyes quietly send him support, expression letting him know he's got friends there, and that he's doing the right thing.

Magneto has posed:
     Cool eyes settle back to Cypher as he explains himself. Then, Magneto makes his opinions known. "Yes, you should have." It sounds cold, but as others in the vehicle could attest to, it was quite the opposite. "Everyone has a role to play, Douglas. Your gift is indeed a gift, priceless even. But every X-Man need not be on the front line. It was a mistake that I tried to prevent. It was a learning experience to all involved." He says, looking at Sam as he continues. "A lesson I would have rather not have had to teach."

  The helmet being removed is indeed a show of trust between the two, and even Emma would know it a mistake to violate that trust. "I dare say I doubt any explanation on my part in the past would have changed the outcome. But teenage naivete seldom gives way to the wisdom of an elder."

Cypher has posed:
Doug glances up, and for a moment, sparks are struck off the young man's iron will.

"Where they go, I go." He says, "Even if my job on the team is different, I *will* pull my weight. It was my life to live, sir -- and my death to die, as it were. She was worth it. They're worth it. I don't regret what I did. Only that I didn't understand the reasons why you held me back. You had good intentions."

"...Having said that, I have a question for you, but maybe it can wait until dinner."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "We learned a lesson the hard way but we learned a lesson. Ah will admit Ah don't think Ah agree with how you did it, understand why but honestly think mistakes were made on both sides. We were young and dumb, but you were not used to dealing with young people who were not going to take cause ah said so as reason to do ot not do something.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde crosses her arms and says, "I think people who understand the why tend to do better at the what. And that includes when it comes to learning things." Though Kitty has entered a period of detente with Erik of late, there are still some hard memories in her head that sometimes cause a little friction in her emotions. Doug's presence is certainly capable of bringing some of that to the surface.

Magneto has posed:
     "Indeed." Magneto responds, putting a button on the issue of the past for now. Yes, old habits tend to die hard, and Erik's penchant for snuffing a conversation in the bud is still as sharp as ever.

  "There is much to discuss, but for now, please enjoy yourselves." With that, they were off, to the Royal Palace, on the edge of Genoshan land, it was beautiful, big, and dared to house the king right on the Genoshan border, defiant to anyone who wished ill on her sovereign.

Cypher has posed:
Doug looks out the window at the palace as it looms large, and he lets out a slow whistle. "Wowie-*Zowie*." he says, taking it all in, before he puts his hand on the window, "...Rank hath its privileges, I see. I should've brought a nicer suit!"