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((Missing a round of poses here because Sam is an idiot who forgot to turn his logger on))
*
"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires." Jean grins slightly as she takes a step forward to offer up the Lemonade for his taking. "Confusion now hath made his masterpiece." Once he has the lemonade, she'd lean over him to gather the book, an errant chair sliding from across the room so that she could take a sit at the bedside to read at least a chapter or two before she hands it back. But.. that would have to wait, redheads abound and chocolate cake to be had. While it was for Sam, Jean has to resist the urge to snatch the plate to slam her face into the chocoaltey goodness. "Crystalia.." How does Jean know that name? "Scarlett!" She was happy at least, a hand lifting to offer a brief wave in greeting as they enter.
*
Crystal doesn't seem bothered by Jean's use of the name, smile quirking slightly. "Crystal's fine." Odd enough for a grown woman (though there are places where it's getting popular for children of the free love movement), but at least a little less foreign. "And I feel your pain, Sam," she laughs softly. "It's all very dense. I'm sure there's something a little more interesting in the library."
As Scarlett arrives, she steps inside to make room, laughing softly. "Well, it seems you've your pick of indulgences, Sam. How are you feeling? To hear Erik tell it, there was quite a fight."
*
Pity the poor man who might be trapped to consider the witches three. Have they begun to weave fates of a poor man? Arrivals but appear in their sequence, and each carries their offering as something of a gift. Stars, hide your fires; let not light see Sam's black and deep desires. What is vocalized by Jean lingers in Scarlett's thoughts, but she merrily adds, "Who could refrain,that had a heart to love, and in that heartcourage to make love known?"
Let's just stir the waters quite a bit more than necessary. Bread is offered up, the basket laid down somewhere flat. "A pleasure, Jean. Crystal! I've been meaning to catch up. Though largely I am worried about Mr. Guthrie here and the licking he seems to have taken. Still ticking?" That radiant smile burns, nearly.
*
Sam barks out a laugh at Jean's recitation. "Confusin' masterpiece ain't the half of it," he agrees — with some rather different version of what she actually said."Ah'm tryin' to get a jump on the readin' for English class next year, but this ain't no kind of English Ah ever heard of." He's of one mind with Jean: although everything brought by looks delicious, cake takes precedence. Sick person's privilege.
"Crystal… you're the lady with that great big friendly mutant dog. Ah remember you. Thank you kindly." He glances around the little circle. "Thank you all… Ah ain't accustomed to spendin' so much time cooped up. Gets powerful boring and lonely after a while."
He has to pause for a second to get his breath back before continuing. "Quite a fight ain't the half of it," he confirms. "Ah wasn't much use, though…the Giant took all my energy, from my blastin', and Ah ain't been right since."
*
"It.. was.." Jean tries to convey it all towards Crystal, but she just leaves it alone. With the book in her hand, she flips it open to a random page, though Scarlett's quote causes her to blush a little and promptly and obviously ignore the comment/quote all together. She was being saucy. But that was fine, it brought a little life to the situation.
At least he was still going strong! All inquiries on Sam's well being was left up to him, though there was a little crease of worry in her brow. "There's a mutant dog here?" Awesome! "But.. Sam did well when he could. He saved my life, all of us at least. He'd like to think he didn't do anything but he really did a whole lot." She smiles towards him, then back towards the two women. Her look says it all, she really, really think he did great.
*
"I thought about bringing Lockjaw to visit," Crystal laughs to Sam, "But I decided it wasn't very fair to the furniture here. You'll have to visit him when you're feeling better. He rather liked you, actually." Moving toward the window, she cracks it to let in some fresh air before taking half a seat on the windowsill. "If you're getting stir-crazy, Sam, I'm sure we can relocate you during the day to somewhere with a little more stimulation."
Folding her hands over her skirts, she flashes a smile to Scarlett. "I had a bit of catching up to do here after our last few encounters. Actually, the hole in the grounds gave me a moment of concern. Can you believe, I was actually a bit relieved when I heard the story?"
*
Macbeth can be trusted to have some raving good soliloquys and a few other noteworthy quotables that even a Barnard alumna — and especially one of them — can bring to mind effortlessly. A smile widens the more at the reception, not out of malice but a genuine blaze of good spirits projecting through the ceiling and floor if it had any tangible element. "I'm terribly sad to have missed participation. Though perhaps better I wasn't there, given how little I like to get physical with trouble."
Being the lone peacenik serves less help than it should, particularly against golems trapping about. "Did everything turn out well enough? The lack of powers sounds concerning, mind you. An effect of the giant? Did anyone study what might have caused that?" Her coppery brows sweep a troubled line, and then she touches her fingers to her lips. "I am glad to hear the rumours you turned to stone and the Professor hid you in a basement vault weren't true, though."
*
Any iambic sauciness in those quotes is too elevated in expression to be comprehensible to Sam, so everyone is spared any epic fits of blushing and stammering."Ah'm just about exhausted and all shaky any time Ah try to get up," Sam reluctantly explains, giving a brief summary of his health. "Ah hate to imagine what made a power-suckin' giant a relief by comparison, though." Turning to Rogue, he says in apparent seriousness, "Ah think it was a Nephilim, one of the giants of Genesis. He could drink up power from my blastin', Jean's pushin', practically anythin'. Drained me dry. Ain't never seen a thing so unholy."
*
There was a little bit of frown given towards Crystal, but it was just that. A ghost of a look that has her eyes darting back down towards the book. She had no words for the moment, yet.. even as Sam's description of how the golem took his powers and not all of hers has her eyes lifting up towards Crystal again, then back away in embarrassment. Her finger was licked, page flicked and separated.. turned.. and she was reading again. Quiet.
*
"More things in heaven and earth and all that," Crystal smiles ruefully in regards to what would make a power-sucking giant a relief. "Well, I'm glad you're all right. Both of you," she adds, including Jean in the sentiment. "Whatever it was, it chose the wrong place to attack."
*
"Nothing terribly concerning. Invasion, potential spell gone awry, someone else botching a teleport or the Communists testing out a burrowing machine." The way Scarlett says this, the last might truly be the most dangerous. She runs her thumb down her elaborately plaited hair, a design marking her for all and sundry as the little sister of a Beatnik, well on her way to becoming Galadriel, queen of Lothlorien. If only she were a blonde and not eponymously named for her tresses. "A nephilim is better than the grigori, but not by a great deal. As it happens I know someone who might know a thing or two about them. Second issue involving angels in two days. Stars and moons, I find this odd indeed." Her hands run up her arms, and then she drops back a step. "I would love to hear more, but I'm afraid my time for a social call is short. Study date to meet, and the consequences for not having my homework done could be ugly. Professors take unkindly to incomplete work and a lack of devotion. Not that either apply to me. You have a lovely time, and Sam, get rested." Then she turns to leave.
*
Sam gives Crystal an anxious look. "Well… Ah'm feelin' a little more energetic each day," he replies hesitantly. "But Ah ain't tried to blast off since just before the fight, and it didn't work that time. Ain't sure it's gonna come back at all. Whatever part of me the blast comes from still feels… kinda funny." It's strange, considering how much suffering and discrimination mutants suffer, but the idea of losing access to his power seems to make Sam queasy, judging by his expression. He shifts focus, waving to Rogue with a feeble smile. "Thanks for the bread, Miss Rogue."
*
"That's.. the thing. Its underneath the school if I remember rightly. What if it was placed at the right place where it needed to be. Constantly drawing from us." She looks to Crystal meaningfully. "And what if it's strong enough to come back to kill us all." All doom and gloom, Jean is. But she felt she had a decent point. "We should probably move it.."
She looks towards Sam as he explains himself, a little frown drawing up her features as she looks towards Rogue and her departure. Whatever classes the woman took, she'd definitely would like to get in on it. Since no one is partaking of the bread, Jean does, standing from her chair to grab herself a slice, dressing it down by peeling off the edges to carefully lay them aside.
*
"If it stirs beneath the school, I'll feel it. And if it stirs in another way, you will feel it," Crystal assures Jean. "And we will finish it." Still, Sam's words are a matter of some concern. "Still. If Sam is still feeling the effects…it might be useful to run a few tests. I'm sure Moira would know the appropriate ones. Just to make certain that it's an energy drain, rather than something that's actually effected genetics."
*
That stung. Just a touch. "And so would every one else with a hint of a psychic rapport." Jean comments. She looks towards Sam, who convieniantly passed out with a shake of her head. "I'm sure she possibly has. I mean.." She gestures towards the young man. "..outwardly, he looks fine. A little pale, a bit skinny.. but fine. I can't help but think that it would be a blessing to some people to be normal as Sam is in this moment. You know?" She looks up towards Crystal. "Those of us who manage to look like Darwin, or some of us who are deeply and inheritly connected to monsters.." She pops the rest of her bread in her mouth to chew, one hand lifting to hide her mouth.
"I love us. This.." She gestures around. "But is it worth it to some of the others who suffer worse than everyone else?"
*
"You have no idea how important that question is," Crystal sighs, though as soon as the words are out, she pauses, head tilting as she looks to the girl. "Or perhaps you do."
A faint smile touches one corner of her lips, rueful. "I suspect my past isn't really much of a secret to you. More than one person here knows the truth, and you're still learning to control what you pick up." She leans forward a bit, elbows on her knees in a pensive pose. "My people are very careful with genetics. Precisely because of those sorts of…mutations."
*
It was really imperative for her to not hold eye contact. Crystal would see that Jean was still petrified of everything, yet holding it together for the sake of everyone else and to do them all proud. Including her. "Not so much.. no. There are times I imagine that there is a train of cloth behind you. And you're dressed as some elaborate.. thing." She gestures. "Crown and jewels and all. And sometimes I see red. Long and flowing. Living yet not living." Her hand twists back and forth as she grimaces. "Some of it though, I'm learning to ignore."
Though, she does lean forward as well, her fingers lightly pressing into the bend of her knee. "So.. your people.. they practice genetic engineering too.." She looks on, her brows lifted. "..why not help Dr. MacTaggart?"
*
"That would be my sister," Crystal smiles softly at the talk of red. "She has…" She laughs softly. "Her power is her hair. She can control it the way you use telekinesis. Every strand. Lift things, shield herself. Type, if she wanted to. Looking for her is how I came here in the first place."
The question, though, gets a long pause as she considers her answer. "My people are geneticists," she says slowly. "But I am not. I have neither the knowledge nor the training. And I'm afraid neither do the rest of my family outside of our home."
*
Hearing about Crystal's sister has her own fingers digging into her hair. Granted, it was a weird and unheard of power, but she tugs at the strands to give a look to her own, even so much as separating and peeling apart a single strand.. then shudders. It wasn't weird. It was damn frightening. "This would sound wrong, but I am glad you're here. I hope she at least would consider staying here with us too." And she meant it.
"At." Jean blurts out. That's as far as she had gotten. "But why not? It seemed as .. well based on your few words it was a readily available thing.." But she does choose to drop it, offering up a little smile. "Do.. do you ever think that I could help you? Find your sister. I would love to, it would be an honor to see you happy."
*
"Honestly, Jean, I'm glad I'm here too," Crystal admits, genuine warmth in her smile. "I wouldn't give up a minute of what I've had here. As for my family, well. We're in exile," she explains. "There was a coup, my cousin…came out on top. Which means we don't really have access to the scientists right now." Then there's the part where they more or less look down on mutants, but that doesn't need to be discussed.
"If you could find her, Jean, then…I would very much appreciate that. But the professor tried when I first came here. It seems either my people have some sort of protection, or perhaps there is someone already clanking her presence," she muses. "I'm not sure what the case may be."
*
Jean frowns, attempting to work everything out in her brain, her hand lifting briefly then shooting down as she shifts a little uncomfortably in her seat. "Okay.. And this is partly why you're trying to find your sister? Do you want to go back home?" God we hope not! They're going to starve if that happens! With that thought out there, it would be a wonder if Crystal didn't hear that one herself.
"Well.. if that's the case, I've been reading a bit of Arthur Doyle. You know, the Sherlock Holmes books. And a few other mysteries that have some really fine points of detecting. Just you wait. Once Sam gets back on his feet we're going to be good to you and find her." She nods, completely serious. In fact, she was already set. They were going to pain the town red like a beacon for Crystal's sister to come out of hiding. If she was even in this state to begin with.
"So, if someones cloaking her? Too bad. She's coming here. I mean, if that's what she wants. Macy's seems like a good meeting point.." Her mind was wondering now. "Oh! What's her name?"
*
"You ask all of the hard questions," Crystal laughs, rueful. "Before I came here, I wanted to go home, yes. Now…Now there is so much here for me. I don't know that I would want to go back. At the same time, though, my family needs to. And I owe it to our people to do the best that I can to see things restored to the way they were meant to be."
At the last question, she laughs again, standing up to pour herself a glass of lemonade. "My sister's name is Medusa. Although she may not be using it right now. We were separated from her in the fight that ended in our exile, and we've been following her trail ever since. There must be something wrong, otherwise I know she would have come back to us by now."
*
"But.. back to Kansas?" Jean was completely aware that she was from elsewhere. She didn't ask. It could have been in a little community in Australia from the way she says 'her people', but she was getting personal enough. "Like.. I totally get wanting to fix that. And after all that's said and done, come back here.. maybe? I don't know."
She turns in her seat to watch the woman, her expression curious. "If she was blocked, do you think she.. was altered a little?" She frowns slightly. "I.. realized that something like that could be done. Someone here.. a long time ago, asked me to do that for them and I refused." Though just the other day, she was willing to do it to Erik, but for her own selfish reasons.
*
"Kansas," Crystal smiles swiftly. "Like Dorothy? No, I'm afraid our home is more like Oz than Kansas." She takes a sip of the lemonade, moving back toward the window for the fresh air. "She could have been altered, I suppose. It's possible. It would certainly explain why she hasn't come back to us, and some of the things we've heard of her doing. Like jewel thefts. Why would my sister suddenly take up a life of crime if she was herself?"
*
"I'd love to see it one day." Anything to get out of New York for a bit of peace and quiet.
Though Jean does settle back into her chair, her mind was working. It was an obvious display written all over her face which has her pulling people out and putting others in. Jewel thefts. Depending on how long ago they were.. "Desperation?" But, that was just a grab in the dark to make Crystal feel better. "You didn't tap one person to help. Logan." She points briefly. "He smells people. He could probably sniff her out a mile away." She was standing then, the mission was set and it was time to go. Operation Find Medusa was in effect (which spells trouubbbllle!), and Jean was already standing from her chair. "And what if there was a pattern to this! To all of her stealing!" She was already snapping her fingers, ready to head to the door. "I.. I gotta go read something, I swear I read this stuff! In the morning I'll take Logan and we'll hit the town!" And without any word left or anything to stop her (hopefully!), Jean cuts the hell out to work on the mystery of the century!