9699/Over Coffee and Scones

Over Coffee and Scones
Date of Scene:	21 October 2019
Location:	Golf Club, Pine Ridge - Westchester
Synopsis:	Scott and Lorna have some downtime at a fancy golf club.
Cast of Characters:	Polaris, Cyclops

---

Polaris has posed:
Per the King of Genosha's orders, Lorna had been shipped off back to the States. It was all, officially, hush hush. But that was never the case inside the Mansion proper. The students had all been able to watch the actual coronation of the Xavier alumni as Magneto's heir apparent from every screen available. All of which had gone perfectly smoothly, and without incident. It wasn't until the party that all hell broke loose in the throne room. Several students and X-men had been present for that particular incident, though no formal reports had been made to Lorna's knowledge.

Still, rumors spread like wildfire, and word got out in the Mansion at least, that a Nazi straight from Magneto's nightmares had shown up and promptly threatened everyone.

The offer of a ride out of the Mansion could not have come at a better time, as Lorna had holed herself up in her room for the past few days since the incident and obsessed over every scrap of news she'd received from Genosha. The car ride over to the exclusive golf club was at least, a lifting experience for the magnokinetic. Scott's car was a lovely old Camero, made with old, good steel, that sung in Lorna's senses and she was more than happy to sit in the car and just sink into the magnetic fields. It was almost a chore to get herself up and out of it, even with the promise of caffeine. The green haired mutant was shuffling along, dragging her feet slightly more than usual as she got out and followed Scott to the clubhouse's more private corner. At least here there was no one with heightened senses or telepathy.

Lorna sank into the plush chair with a sigh, dragging her hands through her hair and rubbing her temples as she stared at the plastic sealed menu set out before her in an overtired manner. She wore a simple cream colored sweater and pair of skinny jeans, and boots. She wasn't particular about trying to hide who she was, not here. It was too exclusive for anyone to truly give her any hassle at least.

Cyclops has posed:
A lot of the outing has lacked conversation.

Scott isn't captain chatty today, and never has held that title. Idle banter about the weather isn't really his style at all, though he's not resistant to it either had Lorna wanted to talk. It's just that this is, indeed, quiet: he's invited Lorna out of the mansion hole she'd collapsed into, but conversation also wasn't a requirement. They can get out of there without it.

Scott is low pressure: the ride in the Camero wasn't silent, there was music, filling the air and relaxing as a distraction. Should anyone stare at Lorna either on the way in or after being seated, they'd be greeted by a cold, protective ambiance of Scott for it. His teammate will not be mistreated while he's present.

The table out of the way is comfortable, though Scott's body language remains somewhat rigid, watchful: the man has a hard time relaxing, even when the goal is to help Lorna relax. It could draw the 'comfortable silence' towards awkward, unfortunately, but there's no requirement from Scott that it not be awkward or anything else. It can just be whatever it is.

Flipping over the plastic menu, Scott peruses choices, though his gaze is always hard to detect, buried behind his ruby glasses. "Pretty large lunch menu," Scott observes, thoughtful. "I'm hungrier than I expected, after smelling the kitchen on the way in." Scott is dressed very appropriately for eating formally at the golf club, his sleek jacket set over the back of his chair, in a salmon polo, slacks, dress shoes.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna peeked out from between her fingers, many of which were dotted with various bits and bobs of metal rings that she herself had twisted into being one way or another. Though the newest addition bore the signet of Genosha's royal family, a thick 'M' emblazoned on a gold, thick band. She let her gaze fall away, and a faint twitch of her lips followed Scott's comment about the menu as her gaze fell back to it.

"That's typically a sign that the kitchen is a mess you know. A massive menu means that a lot of it won't be freshly prepared." She added, reaching down to flick the menu over, and taking out the 'specials' insert that was written on thick card stock.

"But yeah.. it did smell good." She added, finally letting her hands fall from her temples and letting her gaze roam over the menu. She'd studiously avoided looking at the rest of the club house's occupants, not willing to subject herself to looks from the primarily human clientele. Even though Scott's rigid demeanor and stony looks did the majority of the work to get people to leave them alone.

A waitress finally approached, politely, introducing herself and filling up their glasses with water. She rattled off the day's special soups, croissants, and quiche before pausing a beat and asking if they needed another minute to two. "Yeah, I'll need at least five.." Lorna muttered, glancing over the menu again, and flickering her green eyed gaze toward Scott and lofting an eyebrow. Even as the waitress, was decidedly making //eyes// at said Summers man despite his overall posture. (Or perhaps it was because of it.)

"What about you?"

Cyclops has posed:
"Are you suggesting we shouldn't eat here after all?" Scott asks, with a mild, tiny hook of a smile at Lorna as she explains how the food won't be freshly prepared. "I'd still like the run the risk, give them a try," he says, cut off of saying more by the waitress's arrival. He gave the waitress his full attention as she went over the specials, leaning back in the booth, with his observant manner. Scott does have a way of causing others to feel like he's listening to them: really /listening/. It's a skill acquired from the long association with Charles Xavier, perhaps, or also a part of Scott's natural leadership: gathering others to look to him and trust him.

"Yes, just the five minutes. I'd also like a fresh lemonade, please," Scott asks of the waitress, polite as always. If he noticed the eyes made at him by the cute waitress, he didn't react to it overly. He may just not see it. Scott lowers the menu, setting it down; he's made his choice, but will wait for Lorna to be sure of hers.

"After the food, I'd like to take a walk around the center, and see what else is here."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna shrugged lightly, a slow roll of her shoulders as she continued to study the menu. "No, I'm just saying avoid the seafood." She drawled lightly, "I'm a bit spoiled in Genosha as far as food goes." She was spoiled in Genosha //regardless//, being the royal Princess does that. (Not that she hadn't been spoiled since day one in the Mansion either. She did after all, have the old Master Suite.) "I would recommend sticking to the specials, they actually rotate that out, and that means it'll be fresher." She added, lifting her green eyes and flashing Scott a grin.

As the waitress nodded and turned about with an order for hot tea from Lorna, the green haired mutant considered the menu again and pursed her lips, as if unable to fully decide what it was she wanted. At Scott's mention of wanting to see the rest of the place, she lifted her gaze back toward him again. "Well there's about two massive conference rooms upstairs, with a partition door that separates them. At least six chandeliers up there. My guess is that it was an old dance hall that they split. Then there's a basement, runs the length of the clubhouse. A sauna it feels like, at least five more rooms that, judging on the setups, are for massages. A salon for... hmm, nails likely, but definitely facials. And a hot tub. All on this floor." She mused, her lips twitching. "But sure, we can explore the outside." Amusement was thick in her voice, and while she decidedly cheated using her magnetic senses, she also could have just read the website previously, it was hard to say which it was.

Finally the waitress returned with a tiny tea pot and a selection of loose leaf tea, sugar, and honey for the green haired woman to select. She did so, and turned her gaze back to Scott as the woman asked if they were ready to order.

Cyclops has posed:
"Well, now that I feel like I've already seen everything, we can skip it," Scott teases back to her, a quirk to his lips the only major tell of amusement. "Whatever you're comfortable with, Lorna," Scott says, with a quality of gentle respect that usually stays out of his tone. If she wants to stay in, that's fine.

When the lemonade is dropped off, he accepts it, spinning the straw to send the ice cubes spinning, the little bit of mint sitting on the top falling in against the ice from the gesture.

Lacking much idea of what to say, Scott isn't bothered by it: he just lifts the lemonade to try it. The window near them catches some of his attention: at least it isn't pouring rain as it had been a few days before.

"The hot Reuben dip, please," Scott orders, handing over his menu, as the waitress returns with Lorna's teapot. "Side house salad, not fries." After determining salad dressing and finally exacting a smile from Scott, the waitress moves back to the green haired woman, possibly with a little less patience.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath as she ordered herself the tomato soup and the crepe of the day. The place well and truly had plenty of options, but she stuck to the daily specials all the same. At least she was following her own advice, it would seem. The green haired woman seemed to only relax once the waitress swept away with their menus and orders, releasing a heavy sigh as she reached for her tea and wrapped both hands around it. She twirled her finger this way and that, the small honey spoon lifting into the air and into her cup to stir away the added sweetness with ease.

It would seem displaying her powers in public wasn't an issue to her at least.

"I just appreciate having a chance to ... breath I guess. I've wound myself up so tightly I just.. I think this is what I needed. Wanda has been trying to get me out to relax more, but it's been hit or miss. Her schedule, my schedule.. Ugh, I feel so silly having to talk like that. I mean, who does that? I have to schedule time to see my sister." She made a face, shaking her head.

"And it's never entirely easy to just be with my family. Like there is always some world crushing problems, you know? Anyways.. what I'm trying to say is thank you for dragging me out of the school."

Cyclops has posed:
"The lady doth protest quite a bit," Scott chuckles, his joke delivery even, a smile in the tone. "And I think you mean, 'drag you out' on something that isn't a //mission//, either. It's challenging, I'll have you know, to not plan out activities while we're out," Scott adds. Hence his attempt to make a plan of what they could do after the food: the suggestion of walking outside was Scott, as always, attempting to set up the future into a rigid schedule. He's calling himself on it verbally, now: that he's leaving it alone. Even if it's difficult to not look ahead.

Scott doesn't stare at her power use or smile at it or react to it. It's part of Lorna, just as much as her hair. His power just happens to not be something that can be casually used... ever. But that does not block others from enjoying the benefits of theirs in his company.

"With Wanda... is it her schedule, or yours? I don't think you get to collect all of the blame there, do you?" Scott asks. "With Alex and I, it's both of us, most of the time."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna's lips twitched faintly in a hint of a smile, though her gaze warmed far further with the twinkle of Scott's joke. She pushed her long curls back from her face, and tucked them behind an ear as she sipped at her tea cup. The steam wafting up in the warmth of the club house, even if it was rather crisp outside with the fall air. The leaves already turning brilliant colors outside, a canvas of color that circled the entire golf course.

At Scott's question about schedules, Lorna grimaced. "Both, it's definitely both. She's an Avenger, and wanted all over the world. People don't even think of her as related to me. She was invited to help down in Atlantis you know, while Aquaman was busy threatening to sink Genosha and refusing to work toward a peaceful alliance with my father on the throne." She shook her head, and glanced back up to Scott.

"Sorry, I'm complaining. I shouldn't do that to you, you've got enough on your plate. Managing the school and the team.." She bit back a sigh.

"I don't know how you do it."

Cyclops has posed:
"Part of the job title involves listening to complaints," Scott answers evenly. He looks at her hand on the table, the barest of motions of his head showing it, but thinks better of reaching across to offer comfort. That may not be wanted, after all, and he'll air on the side of being respectful and prudent for the continued conversation.

"That in mind, it does not sound like complaining, to me," Scott continues, drinking his lemonade again, and setting the glass back down in front of him, hands encircling bottom of it as condensation drips against his fingertips. "Does it matter to you what people think of her relation to you?" Scott asks, deflecting away from discussion on how Scott manages. This is how he manages: one person at a time.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna reached up with her free hand to rub her temple, a faint twist of her lips following. It was clear there was a hint of guilt at sharing all of these little details with Scott, he was her team leader in the field. But he was also a long time friend, and she trusted him with her life. "It matters because she has a good reputation and people like her. She's seen as a force for good, and they trust her. As a member of the Avengers... she's not always tied in relation to me. I don't want the fact that she's related to me to.. I dunno, ruin her reputation or something." She made a face. It wasn't the relation to //her// that was truly troubling. It was the fact that to be related to her, meant relation to Magneto. Which was well and truly the issue. It had been an issue for Lorna and now that Magneto had publicly named her his heir, she would forever be seen as tied to him.

"Family stuff is always complicated. Isn't it..?" She tilted her head and turned her gaze back to her tea cup and back to Scott again.

Cyclops has posed:
"I don't think that's something you should have control over, let alone feel responsible for," Scott tells her firmly and directly. His expression moved smoothly into Serious Leader mode, as that is rarely far from hand, when business of politics comes up. And family, for Lorna, is also very political.

"I could join you as a bannerman for complicated families," Scott agrees, his tone dry, the joke a little forced. His history, his loss of Alex as children, all of it is a very sensitive spot with the reserved Xman. "But I would take the complication over the emptiness, every time," he says. His tone remains firm, but his voice dropped, speaking more quietly. He observes her tea for a long pause, the muscle along his strong jaw slowly moving with a liquid tension: tension held back from others as much as possible.

Polaris has posed:
The green haired woman glanced up, shooting Scott a grateful look as he smoothly stepped into leader mode and firmly stated what was and was not within her power to to control. And therefore, shouldn't feel guilty over. A smile bloomed on her expression again, some more of her tension leaking away in the downward slope of her shoulders. The waitress swept in at that moment, setting down the soup and salad for both of them with a soft 'thank you for waiting', before she swept back and away. The waitress's eyes clearly lingering on Scott for a beat or two longer than most and she was gone.

Flirtation it would seem was minimal from the busy woman at least.

Lorna plucked up her soup, twisting it about between her fingers as she idly toyed with the lightly decorated tomato soup. The fresh green herbs on top sank deep into the liquid as her spoon swept through it. "It is better than the emptiness, isn't it?" She mused, her voice soft and carefully controlled. Though there was a thickness to her voice that belied just how much that mattered. "This year was the first birthday I've spent with my family, did you know that? Wanda arranged it. Pietro, her, and my father all were there. And it was just us. No one else." She swallowed the lump at that formed at the back of her throat and seemed to struggle for longer than before with the feelings that threatened to steal over her expression.

"Not the coronation thing, but on my actual birthday. I've never had that before."

Cyclops has posed:
Scott's only answer to Lorna's gradeful smile was to nod at her once, as if to punctuate his statement. Concern over Wanda being influenced by Magneto isn't her responsibility! Scott had set up, his behavior currently looking, to a passerby like the waitress, more like he were giving some serious news to one of his employees. It's the leadership thing, and Lorna's response as well. The waitress probably read it as open season to flirt with Scott, though: none of their body language would suggest Scott is off limits for that. Other than his general reserved vibe.

Salad arriving cues Scott to sweep his napkin to his lap over one thigh, and begin to enjoy it. The croutons have a pleasant crunch in the house salad.

"Never?" Scott asks, thoughtful. "I never did wish you happy birthday; apologies, Lorna. Happy Birthday." Scott salutes her with his fork, and a real smile. He looks back down into his salad. "I prefer my birthdays as low key affairs; I don't like a big fanfare, it isn't necessary to me. Kitty ambushed me last month with a small group and cookout," he says. There's some amusement there, he wasn't upset about it. "Alex couldn't make it." No emotion reveals, though that he remarked at all is something.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna glanced sidelong at the waitress' departing figure and her eyebrows rose as she finally sampled the soup, which was quite good all things considered. "You know she's been giving you bedroom eyes the whole time we've been here, right?" She teased, hoping to divert some of her mixed feelings over her family and other assorted political issues for a brief moment. A hint of amusement danced in the corners of her lips as she watched Scott from over her soup.

"And thank you for the birthday wishes. I think I was in Genosha for your birthday. I tried to send a gift, dunno if it ever made it over." She mused, she had sent a perfect practical gift to Scott. A Genoshan made smart watch, one that could help him plan and over plan practically everything even more. And best of all, it was as durable and tough to break as a military grade watch. Yet whether or not it ever arrived from overseas was another matter entirely.

"I heard that Kitty planned to ambush you, she does that to people you know." She mused, her smile fading slightly at the mention of Alex not appearing. She let silence hang in the air for a beat, two, as she sipped at her soup.

"I haven't seen him in months." And when she had seen him it hadn't been for long before he'd vanished again. He hadn't stuck around, and while they'd been broken up for years, it was still a sore point for the magnokinetic.

Cyclops has posed:
"Bedroom eyes, from --- Who, Tina?" Scott asks, referring to the waitress. Of course he remembers her name from when she introduced herself. Scott picks up all sorts of small data like that and files it away for short-term use. "Hm," Scott says, by way of indifference, and likely not being aware of it. Interesting to him, but nothing else. Nope, Lorna will not derail Scott with some random waitress talk. She'll have to find a better target than a random flirty waitress, if she hopes to do that...

"And you just allowed her to ambush me?" Scott asks, his tone flinty, but he's not serious about it, a smile, although brief, follows. He knows what a surprise party is, he's just giving her trouble, lightly. A thing he only does to his closer friends, as so many people would take him entirely seriously if he did that.

"He has his own life," is what Scott observes of Alex, picking through his salad.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna snorted a laugh, outright actually snorted, and almost lost her soup at the depanned retort that Scott shot back her way. She couldn't help it, a reflexive, fully body chortle followed and she clapped a hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle it. She caught herself only inches away from upsetting the red soup all over her cream colored sweater, and set the spoon down with a firm determination to not ruin her outfit. Or spill soup everywhere.

"C'mon you can use more ambushes like that in your life, and you know it." She managed finally, "I could pass Tina your phone number, set you up with another ambush." She teased, and flashed Scott a wide grin as she reached for her tea cup and downed a rather large gulp to try and fail at hiding the fact she wasn't serious in the least bit. It was simply too easy to make the joke.

And it was better than discussing the topic of Alex at least.

"I mean.. if you're interested in finding a date that is. I can't say I've kept up in your love life these days. I have a hard enough time with Pietro and Wanda's. I mean, seriously, my brother is a speedster and that directly translate into his dating habits it seems."

Cyclops has posed:
Scott might have rolled his eyes, but impossible to know. The mood just conveys with an answering laugh, as hers infects him a little bit, and he leans back in the booth to shake his head. Bemused, one light brow is raised, though, as he lifts a hand to adjust his glasses just a tiny bit. He always adjusts with his eyes closed: not that anyone would know. He sets his hands back down on the table, moving his empty salad plate towards the end where Tina can get it more easily without having to lean over him. Not that she'd be upset about it, this is just Scott being tidy.

"I'll handle it on my own, no need to interfere," Scott says elusively. "And you //are// caught up, as there is nothing to catch, currently. Glad to be simple, for your busy rumor trading to monitor with negligible effort," Scott deadpans.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna seemed to struggle with another bout of laughter as she watched Scott slide the salad plate aside to the edge of the table and he once more spoke with that deadly serious, flat tone. Another snort, and she pressed her hand over her lips again, shaking her head as she practically vibrated with her stifled laughter. Finally, she inhaled a sharp breath, wheezing practically as she did so. "And here people say you've got no humor. I call shenanigans. You just wait for the best moments and let loose with the comedic timing." She accused, her eyes narrowing in a good natured glower. One that was ruined by the way her lips turned upward again.

Finally, she inhaled again, and exhaled a measured breath, trying not to laugh again. Even as Tina approached, and politely asked if everything was to their liking. If she was disappointed to have missed the chance to lean over the table in Scott's general direction, she at least didn't show it. Though she offered to refill Scott's only half empty glass of lemonade.

As Tina swept away, promising that their food should be out soon, Lorna's gaze tracked her departure and back to Scott. "What, is Tina not your type? Not into brunettes?" She teased, leaning forward to prop up her chin with the palm of her hand. "Should I tell Kitty that we need to make you an online dating profile? I'm sure in Genosha there's some kind of mutants for mutants dating site if you'd like."

Cyclops has posed:
"Who said that I'm humorless?" Scott asks, his tone similarly chilly as before. He keeps his composure entirely, though, a perfect mask of seriousness, and shakes his head, slowly and evenly, as he finishes off what's left of his lemonade, the ice making soft sounds as they fall into the bottom of the cup. It joins the salad plate on the end for hopeful refill.

Then Scott asks, once again, entirely smooth in tone: "Tina's not a redhead?" He considers that information, head tilted. "Next you'll tell me that you aren't," Scott baits, with a tap of finger on the edge of his plate. "There's two colors. Dark red, and red," Scott reminds her. "Or vaporized." Less funny, that last one, but still probably worth saying, as to why everything IS red.

"I don't have extra time for dating right now, no profiles," Scott adds, pointing at her with his fork in a low little twist.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna arched a thin eyebrow upward in Scott's direction as he asked who said that he was humorless. "Oh you know, the typical perpetrators that don't get British comedy either. The whole deadpan humor goes right over their heads. If there's not an innuendo or fart joke they're hopeless." She murmured, shrugging lightly as she grinned and finished off her tea. But unlike Scott, she had a whole pitcher of hot water to refill her cup at her pleasure, which she did.

At his comments about colors and redheads the Princess coughed to hide the next chortle of laughter that threatened to burst from her throat. A failed attempt, and one in vain as she lifted up a lock of her hair. "Stop trying to flatter me. I know that green plus red makes a kind of muddy color. You can't trick me Scott Summers." She shot back, smirking as she let her lock of hair fall back. As Scott mentioned not having time, she leaned forward and shook her head.

"Oh no, nope. I'm not buying it. My father has time to run a country and send Rogue perfume bottles and cards. You most assuredly have time for awkward flirtation and dates that go no where like the rest of us. And if you're gonna run into your workaholic corner, I will tell Kitty, and well, she'll just like.. ambush you at your desk with some poor girl to date."

Cyclops has posed:
"That would suggest I'm ever at my desk; I said I was busy, not doing relaxinnnnng paperwork," Scott says, with a put-on tone of extreme relaxation and fantasy over the idea of just getting to sit and do /paperwork/. What amazing downtime that would be!

"All right, your hair is muddy, but I didn't say it first," Scott replies evenly, hands on the table turning upwards to show a release: she's won. She can have muddy hair.

A better distraction comes in the form of their food, and Tina's bubbly request for if they need anything else. Scott politely answers in negation, and hungrily begins in on his sandwich. He's not one of the larger, flexing, obvious men of the team or group since he's leaner than the monstrously big Piotr or wide Wolverine, but when he's in context with normal people in a restaurant, he's actually pretty sizable and muscular: and there's a good amount of hunger that comes with the fitness level.

"I'm fine, really, Lorna."

Polaris has posed:
A faint smirk played over Lorna's lips as Scott mentioned //wanting// paperwork and desk time. To be locked at a seat for hours at a time rather than running around everywhere at all times. She knew the feeling, and said as much in her returned gaze at Scott. Even as Tina swept in with plates of food and Lorna dug into the crepe that had been set out before her. All roasted duck, goat cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. She didn't say anything as waitress left but her eyes screamed 'Look, look, she's totally checking you out' all the same.

As soon as Scott said he was fine however, her smile dropped and she pointed a fork in his direction. "You are as fine as I am right now and you know it. I had a Nazi from my father's nightmares return to life to ruin my coronation slash birthday-thing. And my father forbade my presence in Genosha until it's settled. If you're 'fine', then yeah, I am totally //fine// too." She drawled, her voice dry as she arched an eyebrow in challenge in Scott's direction.

"Admit that we're both the complete opposite of 'fine' and that we desperately needed this time out, even while we're struggling with full blown anxiety because we're not actively doing a thing that we're 'supposed' to be doing."

Cyclops has posed:
"I'm precisely where I'm supposed to be," Scott deflects coolly, after swallowing the bite of sandwich. "I have specific time slots set aside for boosting team member morale," Scott says, head tilted, as he puts some of the Rueben into the tasty, warm dip. All of that was said in complete seriousness, but the smile does return.

"Tell me more about your anxiety, Lorna," Scott says, quite clearly messing with her, now, though. "Perhaps being 'forbade' is a forced vacation. If you want to spend it doing work for the mansion, you are talking to the right man."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna shot Scott another look, but sipped at her tea and continued to work through her food on her plate. All with perfect posture and without a single scrape of her cutlery against the china of the plate. "Uh huh." She offered between bites, and carefully set her fork and knife down as she folded her hands on her lap, crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat. The chair not so much as squeaking at the shift of her weight.

"I am not grading your papers or teaching a class. Remember that last time you tried to get me to do so, I threatened to throw wrenches at the kids as combat practice." She drawled lightly, her chin tilting upward faintly as she spoke. It was decidedly one of many times she'd threatened to do so. Along with when both the Professor and Storm tried to get her to teach a shop class, or stand in for a Physics lesson or two. Which was something she had done prior to running off to get her Masters degree once or twice.

A glance was spared for her plate and then Scott's and she reached into her purse and dug out her credit card. A rather sleek black card with a solid weight that she let flop onto the table. "Lets take a walk around the area outside when you're done. We can act like tourists that actually want to stare at the leaves."