7580/Teatime for Stabby

Teatime for Stabby
Date of Scene:	22 May 2019
Location:	Ororo's Attic - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Ororo offers some heartfelt advise to Laura about how to make friends.
Cast of Characters:	Storm, X-23

---

Storm has posed:
Almost without fail, there are a few students Ororo texts daily. Not because they need attention or extra supervision, but because they need *company*. Individuals from broken homes, escaped from laboratories, thrown from alternate timelines. There are plenty of young residents of the Institute who simply don't belong anywhere and therefore struggle to find a place to belong.

It's always the most passive of voices. 'Tea at 7 PM'. An invitation but not a demand. Not everyone takes her up on it every day, but the offer's always there and if it's not, it's because Ororo's doing something for the students at large.

So when the appointed hour rolls around, Ororo is setting her little tea service up. She's in a floor-length dress of white with dense fractal flowers of blue growing asymmetrically across it. Lazy, comfortable summer sandals with a fractional heel complete the look. Ororo's taken time to put her hair back down in braids again, styling her kinky white hair so it arces over her head in hundreds of tiny, neat braids. Glass beads on the ends of a few tinkle against one another as she pushes her mohawk to the side, the effect not unlike a horse's mane. Hot water's added to the kettle and she sets a few cups out on the serviette.

X-23 has posed:
Laura qualifies as all of that. Though she's done her best to speak of her past as little as she can. Logan knows some. Jean knows some. Kitty knows some. A couple of her teammates know a tiny bit. No one knows all of it. She's not much of one to be social, and certainly wouldn't have come for the intended social element.

Instead, Ororo's hit upon the right note by chance: tea. To the girl with the supersenses, many flavors are unpleasantly strong. The subtle flavors of tea, on the other hand, burst into full flavor for her. So, at 7 PM, she arrives. She's in what seems to be her sole "uniform" of attire; black tee, skinny jeans, ankle boots. Her hair's grown out almost to mid-back, but she wears it in a loose, "barely pays attention" sort of way.

Storm has posed:
Ororo glances up when the door swings open, and a pleased smile lands on her aristocratic features. "Hello Laura! I'm glad you were free today," she informs the darkling assassin. Always, making sure no one who comes to the door is on the defensive.

She moves to one of the seats and beckons Laura join her. "Come, sit," she invites. The entire room smells like fresh paint and newly packed dirt. The dozens of potted plants on the floor and installed in the walls and ceiling probably lend to that impression. "Kitty and Rogue helped me redecorate and move my plants back up. I sleep much better when I'm surrounded by living things," Ororo explains to Laura nonchalantly. "Can I fix you some tea, dear?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks about the room. "There are many plants here." She says, assessing it. "It is pleasant. And yes, you may." She pauses, and then remembers to add "Please." That one she still works with. She moves over to sit...well, whereever was indicated. Her eyes look over the room, considering each detail.

Storm has posed:
Ororo smiles approvingly at the 'please' and slides a packet of thin mints closer to Laura. Positive reinforcement! "Then you should have a cookie as well," she suggests.

Ororo generally knows what teas someone likes, and sets a few little silk baggies out for Laura to sample, scent, and examine. The teakettle is brought closer as well, and Ororo puts some red leaves into her little teapot and then pours water over the diffuser. Liquid flows, turns amber, and steams upwards before she puts the ceramic lid back on.

The kettle's offered to Laura. "I wanted to thank you for meeting Mister Green, Laura. I was hoping you would tell me what your thoughts of him are?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks at the cookie, curiously. It gets sniffed, then a testing nibble. Once that happens, she nods approvingly. "Thank you." The teas go through the same sort of sniff test, and it is clearly treated as Serious Business (TM). Once she finds exactly the right one, and selects it, she pours the hot water over it, then sets the kettle back down. "He is not what he appears to be. But, if Jean and Scott trust him, I am certain it will be fine." Laura operates largely by the Gospel according to Jean. If NewMom says it's okay, then it's okay.

Storm has posed:
"I had that sense as well," Ororo confirms, and nods at Laura. "He seems to be more than he offers." Her brow furrows. "But also, perhaps, entirely honest. I do not know. Sometimes, you see a person and think 'this is a trustworthy person'. You do not know why, but your instincts tell you they can be trusted. I think my instincts tell me that about Mr. Green."

"But Scott and Jean, that is a ringing endrosement," she says, and moves honey and milk (ugh) near Laura if she wants them. Ororo drinks her tea properly: unadulterated. "Scott sees traitors under every rock and Jean looks into the heart of everyone who speaks to her. If they both agree he is safe? I think he is probably safe."

X-23 has posed:
"His scent. He did not smell like a normal person should." Laura explains. She considers the other two additions, and mostly looks confused; Laura was introduced to tea without modification, and it's never occurred to her to change it. So she continues to sip. "Scott thinks tactically. It is commendable. Many people at this school do not."

Storm has posed:
Ororo considers Laura's words quietly, considerately, and frames her response carefully before speaking. "There is an old saying I am fond of. 'If you look for the light, you can often find it. If you look for the darkness, that is all you will ever see.'" Ororo flexes a hand, indicating it's something to be considered rather than simply absorbed. "A famous soldier turned philosopher said that once," she clarifies. "And it is very easy to light a candle in our lives. Better to light a candle and have some hope than to look for danger under every corner."

"After all, you be relatively sure I didn't poison your tea," Ororo says, with a dry humor.

X-23 has posed:
Laura listens. "If you are looking for the light in the dark, someone already in the dark will use the opportunity to kill you." Her voice isn't cynical, simply pragmatic. "And I cannot be poisoned." The way she phrases that honestly makes it sound like /that/ is the only reason she's not worried about poison tea.

Girl has issues.

Storm has posed:
"It's not meant to be a literal statement, dear," Ororo explains with that seemingly endless patience. "It is a metaphor for our spirits. If we are convinced the world is a terrible and perilous place, all we see are dark and terrible things. If we look for the positive-- or even make the world a little happier place-- we see more of it in kind," she explains.

"And I would not poison you, so I am glad you don't have cause to prove how tough you are again," Ororo reassures Laura. "Would you like more cookies? Or something else-- I have some dried jerky from my home around here somewhere," she says, sitting back and looking around.

X-23 has posed:
"The cookie was pleasant. And preferable to jerky." Laura answers the second part first, because the first...well, she understands English just fine. Just those words don't make any sense to her. Given her upbringing, she has no common frame of reference there. "That seems like a dangerously naive viewpoint." she states, matter-of-factly.

Storm has posed:
"Possibly," Ororo allows. "It's a risk, as are all things. You should ask Jean about her thoughts on it," she suggests to the delicate little murder machine. "If it's better to be perpetually wary or hopefully. I'm interested to see what you think after speaking with her."

She shifts on her seat, one leg folding back under her so she can sit on her ankle. She breaks another mint in half and nibbles on it with a careful enjoymnet for the snack. "What are you working on for your studies at the moment?" she asks. Always trying to draw people into conversation.

X-23 has posed:
"My studies have been designed to focus on socialization. I have more than sufficient academic and tactical training. But my social skills have been...lacking." Laura frowns a little, and offers, by way of very minimal explanation, "I had a rather non-standard upbringing."

Storm has posed:
"So tell me what you've learned about socialization," Ororo invites. She beckons Laura's attention with a gesture, and sets her half-eaten biscuit on the saucer for her teacup. "Please, as if you were trying to teach someone in your circumstance. What is the best way to... oh, introduce yourself to a stranger?" she asks, as a for-instance.

X-23 has posed:
Laura frowns. This is the first time she's been "tested" on these skills, and failing tests in her prior schooling was punished harshly. Her body language tenses, and she leans slightly forward in the chair, as if she's anticipating a possible attack.

That said, she does her best to answer, as well. "Hello. My name is Laura. It is a pleasure to meet you." That last sentence she's drilled into herself by rote repetition; it's NOT usually a pleasure to meet people.

Storm has posed:
"That's very good," Ororo compliments Laura. There isn't a hint of facetiousness in her cultured tones. She seems to genuinely praise Laura's progress, no matter how tepid. "That is precisely the sort of thing you should say to someone. I think I heard you're learning conversational starters, yes? Like 'how is the weather' and 'have you seen the latest movies'?" she presses. "Those are good ways to start conversations too."

She sets her teacup aside and looks at Laura. "Laura, I'd like to ask you a personal question. You don't have to answer." Her lips thin, and fingers flex. "Are you happy?"

X-23 has posed:
"I have not seen movies." Laura says in an almost off-handed fashion. Sadly, for the school deciding she needed socialization, they've done precious little to do it. More like throwing her in the deep end and her trying to figure out how to swim.

She considers the question. "I...am not certain?" She answers, some hesitation to her voice. "I prefer my current situations to my previous situations. In that, I suppose that since things have improved, I should be...happy? There are things that I am not happy with, though." This is edging near to dangerous territory for her.

Storm has posed:
"Well, no one is perfectly content with their situation," Ororo remarks with a soothing smile. "For instance, I do not know if I still love that shade of blue as the sun sets," she remarks, and nods at the still-drying walls. "But I will learn to live with it, and it is not such a great burden. I might even grow to find something I love about it."

"So what would make you feel happier?" she inquires, keeping her tone light to avoid triggering Laura. "And it does not need to be something great or significant. I might be... more time in the woods. Or seeing some of those movies people talk about," Ororo says. A little bias shows what her clear preference is!

X-23 has posed:
Laura hesitates, as she tries to think it through. She seems to need to come up with the "right" words; imprecise speaking is not a thing for her. "I have seen, since coming here, that there are a great many things and a great many dynamics that I was not exposed to when I was being raised. Some of those things and dynamics are of interest to me. But...I have not had success in replicating them."

This is how a tykebomb explains it's hard to make friends.

Storm has posed:
"Would it be inappropriate of me to offer a suggestion?" Ororo inquires, delicately. She waits until prompted before continuing. "Part of the socialization is learning how to teach others how to treat you. You can teach them to fear you or hate you easily, but with some practice you can teach them to like you. Even love you. If you show interest in them, in their passions and hobbies-- show them that what's important to them is important to you-- you'll find it easier to bond with them than you thought possible." She reaches for her tea and takes a sip. "But that is just my experience, and it is very far from complete," Ororo adds with sincere humility.

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks back. "I...have had difficulty with that. They operate on a different level of familiarity than I. The cultural standards and references they take for granted are often unknown to me. I am...attempting. But there have been few people willing to socialize in this way." Someone needs a BFF.

Storm has posed:
It's hard to get Laura to talk about herself, much less confess when she's struggling with something. And Ororo can sense the frustration buried deep (way deep) in the woman's fragile psyche. She lets the quiet sit for a moment, looking at something about two feet to Laura's left. Not staring at her, but acknowleding her words with easy-to-interpret facial expressions.

"When I returned to America, I was seventeen," she says. "I had not been in this country for over a decade. My English was passable but the culture-- I knew nothing of it. Sports, movies, television shows, books. So," she says, shifting and allowing a grin. "I went to the movies twice a week with my friends. Jean, or Scott, or the other faculty. They would let me sit in the far back, and I would practice my vocabulary and ask them to explain the slang to me. I picked it up very quickly, and got to see those movies everyone always is talking about."

X-23 has posed:
Laura looks interested at this. "I have no friends to go to movies with, however." The concept seems to interest her; now it's a matter of figuring out how to put it into practice. It does seem to have given her a goal, though.

Storm has posed:
"You should ask someone, dear," Ororo suggests in a gentle tone. "It is a quirk of people that if you ask them for their help, they are much more likely to give it to you. One of your best qualities is how direct you are with people. Simply... ask someone to go with you to a matinee. Offer to buy popcorn, that always goes over well. You might find you make some very good friends that way. It can't be just you and ..." She purses her lips, eyes dancing. "Jean, all the time." Ororo's not going to say NewMom, not about someone she's had raiding her closet in the past.

X-23 has posed:
Laura explains simply "I cannot buy popcorn. I have no money." It's not as if she has a job, nor a family to give her an allowance. Even the clothes she's wearing were bought through the good graces of classmates who took her shopping.

Storm has posed:
Ororo gets to her feet and moves to her closet. She doesn't make any pretense of hiding where her cash stash is-- a little metal box is pulled out and she digs a few bills from it. She returns, and offers Laura two twenty-dollar bills.

"It is not a gift. It's a loan," Ororo says. "You can pay me back in a few years when you have a job and some income. I am sure you will not forget in the meantime." She's not going to try and foist charity off on the girl.

X-23 has posed:
Laura takes the cash, considering it a moment. "Do you wish to go to the movies? I will buy you popcorn." Okay, so it's an attempt to hit the ground running.

Storm has posed:
"I will go with you *if* you ask the students your age first. At least ... four," Ororo says. "And if none of them can go, I will go with you," she promises Laura. She moves to sit on the floor near where Laura's perched, tucking her dress behind her knees and kneeling with a smooth grace. It helps cut down on the height differential. "Part of making friends is finding things in common with people. I think you will find the students your age are going to have more interests in common with you than someone as old as I am," Ororo says, and adds a not-unkind smile. "But you know too, you are always welcome to bring a book up here and sit and read. I do not mind the quiet company. And if you find a part you do not understand, we can read it together and I will help you with it. Is that acceptable?"

X-23 has posed:
Laura frowns a little. Four students are...many. At least for something like this. "I will try." she admits. "I do not need assistance in reading." With a goal in front of her, that's enough to get her started. She moves to stand, and nods. "Thank you, Ms. Munroe." She pockets the cash, now that she's stood. "I appreciate the tea. And the advice." She starts doorwards. "I will see what students I can locate to ask."

Storm has posed:
Ororo smiles and tilts her head in a nod, hands clasped loosely in her lap. "Good luck, Laura. And you are always welcome to join me for tea," she reminds the girl. Ororo rocks to her feet and with all consideration due a welcome visitor, walks with Laura to the door. She shuts it, but doesn't latch it behind her.

Ororo's door is always open, after all.