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Central Park. An oasis of green in the middle of the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. And one of the few places that a time-jump can strand someone in the middle of the night without causing a general panic at the thought of aliens and other strange things moving around the city. Which is good, because that's precisely where Hope's makeshift device landed her - right in the middle of one of the rambles, where fallen leaves and large rocks can offer at least a little shelter from prying eyes.
She can't stay there forever, though. She's going to have to figure out where and when she landed. So after giving herself a minute to rue the inevitable bruises, she's climbed out of the leaf debris, brushing bits and pieces off of the odd green and yellow jumpsuit she's wearing, shaking them out of the scarf and hood around her neck.
"Dad?" she calls out quietly, turning a slow circle. "Are you…?"
Definitely not here.
*
Central Park; a central point of all manner of things 'strange'. Demons, Hellspawn, so why not mysterious beings in ships. Her question falls upon deaf ears, at least so it seems at first. A dark skinned girl with flooftastic hair was moving down one of the park's many pathways when Hope's voice settles on her ears. Blinking gently, she turns her head and starts searching for its origin. Her brows slope curiously, and she turns, then turns again.
The jumpsuit gives her away, though. Lynette wasn't the best example of fashion, her own being two to three years old, and mostly oversized, and second hand. Her fingers reach up and brush across her cheeks as she considers the red-head. Then, she lifts a hand, giving a soft wave. "H-hey dere." Then, she's moving closer to her, offering her a warm, kind smile. "Y'doin' ok? I-ah heard s'mbody askin' f'de daddy. Was dat you, petite?" A pause, "Y'lost?"
*
Lorna had already had one run in with a creature of the Hellmouth, granted it had been on campus, and granted the portal had been closed (not that she knew), but it was at least daylight out. Still, caution had Lorna peering around shadowed tree for something to jump out at her. It was hard to enjoy a walk in the park when you were actually worried about the safety of said park.
Eventually though, she did calm down her peering to enjoy the walk. Her brown hair pulled back and out of her face in a high ponytail, high waisted paid pants and a creamy colored sweater completed the look with a Frost Institute jacket. When she rounded the bend in the path and heard a crackle of movement in the dried and fallen leaves, she jumped.
At least that was followed by the calls for 'dad', which settled that somewhat panicked beating of her heart. She caught sight of another woman edging into the brush and paused, her lips pursing together as she picked her way over as well. "Is something wrong?"
*
Hope turns at the sound of voices. Crap. Yep, this is definitely not a jumpsuit period. Crap. She summons up a smile, though it's an awkward thing, shaking a few more leaves out of her scarf before she starts back toward the path. "Yeah, a little bit," she answers Lynette first, picking a twig out of her hair. "Sorry, I-" What the hell sort of excuse is she supposed to make for this?
"Costume party," she finally declares, shrugging. It's a terrible excuse. She knows it. But it beats the truth. "You know how people always say it's going to be a great time, and then it isn't?"
*
Lynette chuckles and nods. "Dat's life, ain't it?" The Creole smirks, causing a dimple to form on her cheek. When Lorna joins them, she offers her a warm smile and a wave of her hand, too. Then, said hand dips back into the baggy pocket of her sweater-jacket. "I don' t'ink so. She might be a lil lost?" She explains, thumbing toward the red-head, and explaining all she knows thus far. "Uh, m'sorry. M'Lynette. If y'tell me where y'meanin' to go, maybe we c'n help y'?" She offers, glancing to Lorna with the wide eyes of a silent question for additional hep.
*
Lorna offered a hesitant smile, glancing around the clearing awkwardly and stepping over a fallen log until she was closer to the two other young women. A brow shot upwards at the explanation of a 'costume party' and she struggled to keep from frowning faintly. "I'm not much of a partier so I can't say that I've ever felt that way exactly.." She bit her lower lip, looking to Lynette.
"I'm Lorna, and yeah.. I've got a car, Miss.. Do you need to go to the hospital or police or something?" Strange women looking disoriented in Central park? Given all the craziness that had happened as of late, Lorna was willing to take a guess that it might be less than ideal.
*
"Skip the costume parties," Hope jokes lamely to Lorna. "Apparently they end in waking up in Central Park. I, ah. I'm okay, really. Just need to get…" Get where? She doesn't even know when she is yet, there's no telling who's an ally or how far behind anyone else is.
"I probably just had too much to drink. Can't even remember the phone number for my friends. Really, I'll just get to a phone-" Please let this at least be a time with phones. "And give them a call." If she can find them. Any of them.
*
"Dat don' sound good." Lynette decides, standing up a bit straighter, and reaching up to brush some stray kinks from her face. "Y'hurt or 'nyt'ing? Y'missin' 'nyt'ing? Use t'sleep in dis park, n'it ain't all dat safe." Glancing to Lorna, she blinks and then looks back to the mystery 'party' girl. "Uh, y'yeah. Dey's a phone booth down de street 'bout two blocks."
*
A purse of her lips follows, concern flitting through green eyes as Lorna listens carefully. "Yeah, hey, we can walk with you? I've got some change in my car if you need it for the call. Are you sure you're okay? If you need a ride some where.." She bit her lower lip, shifting her weight on her toes and back onto her heels as a brisk wind blows through the trees above. A shiver crawling up her spine as Lorna dug deeper into her jacket, while it was warm in the sun, the shadow of the trees was definitely chilly to say the least.
*
"Change would be good, thanks," Hope smiles crookedly back at Lorna, tugging that bit of scarf/hood/cape up around her neck when the wind blows. She's wearing strange clothes, sure. But she doesn't look like she's worried about whatever might come out of the park. Much. It's not that she isn't looking. She is. It's more that she's looking with an eye toward defending herself if it comes.
She takes a few more steps toward the path then looks back over at Lynette, pointing one way. "This way to the phone? I'm fine, really. Little stiff from, you know, the ground," she tries to joke again. She's not very good at it.
*
Lynette quirks a brow and starts walking with the pair toward the path. She, too, sinks her hands into her pockets, and follows along in silence for the time being. She nods when questioned. "Mmhmm. Jus' down dat way." But she doesn't let up, nor turn off from the strange girl just yet. "Petite, y'sure y'didn' call f'y'daddy? Was he suppose t'pick y'up or s'mt'ing?" The mambo inquires, giving Lorna another glance before following after Hope with her dark eyes.
*
A nod follows, hesitant as Lorna follows along the path, idly playing with a few paperclips in her jacket pocket as they walked. Her gaze flitting about the crackling branches above and then to the path before them as it opens up to the park proper once more. "Yeah sure, it's in my car though. Which is parked back a ways. I think there might be a phone booth somewhere around there." She glances back at Lynette and then to Hope.
"Are you /sure/ you're okay? I don't mind driving you to the hospital or something. I've got the day off classes.." She bit her lower lip again, stepping over a fallen log once more.
*
The mention of her father puts a chink in Hope's cheerful facade, ducking her chin just a little too slowly to hide it. "It's okay. He'll catch up, I'm sure." Last time it took two years, but that doesn't mean it'll take that long this time. And she survived the last time.
"I'm fine," she assures Lorna. "Really. Nothing I need a hospital for. I just need to call some friends, get into something a little less weird, and…And then I'll go where I was supposed to meet my Dad, and everything'll be fine." Except it sounds like she's trying to sell herself on that story.
*
"Petite," she speaks up then, glancing toward Lorna, and back again. "M'sorry but…I don' b'lieve y'. S'ok, if y'scared, or worried. We jus' wanna help y'." She turns and follows wheverever the pair travel; to phone booth, or car. Blinking, her eyes widen as she looks over to Lorna. "Merde…F'got I have classes t'day."
Shaking her head, and sending the curls swaying, she chews at the inside of her cheeks and then gives a light jog to catch up with Hope more directly. "Honey, de city ain' dat safe dese days. 'Specially if y'look diff'rent. Party are not. Y'promise y'callin' s'mbody dat c'n help?"
*
Lorna moves to keep pace with Lynette, "I can stay with her if you have to run," She offers up, "I'm not in a rush to go anywhere." She'd heard stories of what could happen at parties, and Lynette wasn't too far off with how on edge the city was either. Not that Lorna was particularly any better at being protector for the other young woman..
"And yeah, what Lynette said.. most people don't wake up in the middle of Central park calling for their dad after a hard night of partying. At least they shouldn't." She bit her lower lip, "Can you call your dad or something? Or someone to pick you up? I don't mind waiting around with you if you need someone to stay." She offered gently, shrugging.
*
"I promise I'm going to try, if I can find a number," Hope grimaces to Lynette, looking back at Lorna as she offers to help again. "I can take care of myself. Promise. It's not the first time I've-" Been stranded in time alone with no way out. "Been on my own." A few more steps, and she looks over at Lorna again, brows furrowing slightly. "What's dangerous about being different in the city right now?"
*
That causes the dark skinned girl to freeze in place. "Y'-Y'jokin' right? I'mean…seriously? Y'sure y'didn' lose y'mem'ries at dis party?" Rubbing at the nape of her neck, she jogs forward once more and actually stands in front of the red-head in her bright tracksuit. "Honey, listen t'me. Dey's alotta hate goin' on 'round dese parts f'lots a diff'rent reasons. Y'genda, y'race, hell, y'species. Dis ain't a good time f'lots a folks. N'm'sorry, but y'stick out like a sore t'umb." Her lips then, and she gazes back to Lorna as she had when first meeting her in the park. Then, she settles those obsidian orbs on the girl before her. "We sorry if dis is annoyin'. I know what dat's like, too. N'I been on m'own f'a good long while. But, we jus' lookin' out f'ya. N' if y'don' know why dis city is dang'rous, den shit. Y'gonna need dat help."
*
Lorna nods as Lynette sums up practically everything in one breath. "Well there's aliens, there's old Norse myths running around—supposedly, still think that's utter nonsense. There's been even /more/ tensions with mutants and attacks from like everywhere. I mean seriously, have you lived under a rock?" She arched a brow, ticking each thing off her hand as she speaks.
"I mean geeze louise, I've seen some crazy things in the city, but recently? Just geeze.. It's crazy. So everyone's on edge even more so than usual.. Riots, protests.. you name it." She pursed her lips together, tucking her hand back into her pocket.
"So yeah, like she said, we just want to make sure that you're okay.."
*
This is worse than open war in the streets. At least when it's open war in the streets, no one has time to worry about clothes. You just get cover and get to…Well, usually whoever the resistance is. Hope looks between the other girls, jaw setting with a stubborn grimace. "So, business as usual," she drawls, reaching up to push a hand through her hair.
"I can take care of myself," she reiterates. "It just…draws attention." Which isn't the goal right now. "What's the problem with the mutants? Are there a lot of them? Is the government going after them? Private corporations?"
*
"I get it. Y'can' take care of y'self." Lyn mutters as she gives a wave of her hand. The comment about Norse gods, however, has the girl glancing down to the middle of her petite chest, as if checking if something was there. It was, but that was a story of a trinket for another time. "Honey, ev'rybody goin' afta ev'rybody else." She pauses and takes a breath. "Look, if y'don' want de help, I c'n' force it on y'. But, y'a walkin' target f's'mt'ing lookin' like y'are. Call y'daddy, n'get home. Quick." Turning to head in the opposite direction, she gives Lorna a gentle wave, and even an apologetic smile. "Guess m'headin' t'school afta all. T'anks f'de help, Lorna. Y'take care now." She then points toward Hope. "N'watch afta dat one, non?"
*
Lorna's eyebrows shot upwards, "It just draws attention? What?" She tilted her head to the side, a frown marring her features as she stared at Hope for a long moment. "As far as everything going on with mutants? Well, uh there's big, gigantic like bugs all over, uhm electronics were going wonky.. uh, what do you mean government or private corporations?" Her brows pinched.
"Uhh," Her gaze swung back to Lynette, "Yeah sure, I can stay with her.."
*
Lynette has left.
*
"I'm working on it," Hope smiles faintly to Lynette, though there's an edge to the expression. "Didn't quite plan on things working out this way. Good luck with your classes." That's a thing people say, right? Probably not. Worth a try, at least. She looks back to Lorna then, taking a deep breath. "I mean, is the government supporting things like…like registration and camps for mutants? Are they going after them? Are there companies trying to hunt down mutants? Sorry, I-"
She grimaces, looking down the street in the direction of the phone booth. "Do you think the phone books here have numbers for Westchester?"
*
Lorna waved to Lynette as the other woman departed, a smile on her features before it dropped and confusion replaced it as Hope spoke. "Wait, wait, what? The government supporting what? No! What? Registration? This is America, not.. not Nazi Germany or something! I mean sure, things are tense and like there are riots and things, but like.. there were riots and things before over civil rights and stuff." Her nose wrinkled up, "And they're not making anyone else register.." She shook her head, glancing over the red-haired young woman again.
She tilted her head to the side and then dragged her hand through her hair. "Well, I dunno about phone numbers going all the way out to Westchester from here. I mean the city is kinda massive. If it's not though I can drive you up that way, I was going up myself. My tata,(it sounded distinctly like 'papa') lives up there and I was gonna go visit."
*
"There…should be a school there," Hope says slowly, as though reluctant to admit to it. Or uncertain about whether or not it's true. "A private school. I was supposed to meet up with my Dad there, I just…" She trails off, shifting uncomfortably. "But if you're headed in that direction and you wouldn't mind a passenger? It'd probably be safer than trying to stick around here, if what you guys are saying is true."
*
Another pause and Lorna stops, frowning faintly, eyeing Hope for a long moment. "That's.. well, this is … uhm.. awkward.. SO, my dad lives at a private school in Winchester too." Another pause and she bit the inside of her cheek. "Have we met before, cause you look really familiar, actually.. Have I met your dad..?"
Lorna shifts awkwardly on her toes, glancing around and back. "What's the name of the school you need a ride to?" She asked finally, folding her arms over her middle a brown eyebrow lifted upwards in curiousity.
*
"I doubt it," Hope smiles ruefully to the question of whether they've met. "And my Dad's not really- I mean, I'm adopted. So. No family resemblance there." She hesitates at the question about the school, though, looking to Lorna before looking away for a moment. But there's something there. She can feel the difference in the other girl. Feel what she can do.
"Xavier's school, Dad said," she finally says, voice low. "He said we were going back to Xavier's."
*
Lorna stops and her jaw falls open momentarily. "Wait, wait, /I'm/ adopted, and my dad lives at Xavier's, my birth-dad.." She wiggles on her toes, "How is it that everyone I meet in this city is related to that school? I mean, sure it's so cool. I've met so many really cool people, like my roommate Jean? So awesome. And well, I met my birth-father, and like a ton of others." Her voice drops and she trails off in her excited burst of energy.
A cough, and she averted her gaze, "But yeaaah, I can drive you over."
*
Well there's a stroke of luck. Maybe there's something useful in the world after all. Hope lets out a breath, a nervous smile flickering. "I couldn't say if there are that many people or why," she shrugs. Too many variables. "But it's good to know it's there, and there are helpful people there. Definitely good. Are you sure about the ride, though?" she asks, glancing down the street. "I know it's kind of a ways out."
*
A shrug and Lorna rolls her eyes, "Nah, it's cool. Like I said, my tata lives up there. I'm pretty much welcome to drop by to see him when I want. At least, that's what I gathered. It's not that far out of my way, since like I said. I was gonna have to go up there anyways at some point." She beams and starts toward her car again.
"Since we're apparently have reasons to go to the same place it's not like it's an issue." She grinned at the other woman and paused for a beat. "I never caught your name?"
*
"It's Hope." The redhead smiles faintly, following after Lorna. "Though we should probably- From what Dad said, they're not always open to visitors. When we get there, you go ahead and I'll wait outside. Probably best not to make a bad impression, right?" She offers over a hand as she walks. "What's your name?"
*
A shift and Lorna pauses, her lips forming an 'o'. "Yeaaah, right, sorry. I forgot that, I just figured you're different and clearly in need of help. I'd bring you with me back to my dorm, but I dunno if Jean is gonna come home or not tonight. So I can't really offer up her bed and all.." She bit her lower lip, "I hadn't thought that far.."
She shifted her weight on her toes, "I'm Lorna Dane, well," A pause, "I guess I am, I dunno. Never really figured out if I should keep my adopted last name or not? It's been kind of a new thing." She shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.
*
"Being adopted is new?" Hope seems almost more comfortable talking about that than she does about anything else. At least she doesn't have to worry about people knowing too many of the wrong things. "Like, you were just adopted, or you just found out? Because if you just found out, I mean…The people who raised you, they're your parents. At least that's what I think," she shrugs.
*
A gust of her breath and Lorna nods as she starts on again, "Yeah, I just found out and just found out who my birth-father was. Don't get me wrong, I love my adopted parents and all, they're good people." She smiles and steps into the parking lot where her powder blue chevy sits and she digs her keys out of her pockets.
"But I just.. I'm still processing things. I dunno." She shrugged, moving to unlock the passenger side door and walk around to the driver's side.
"So your dad is supposed to meet up with you at the school yeah? Do they know he's coming?" She tilted her head as she hopped into the car.
*
By the time they get to the car, Hope is getting a good eyeful of just when she is. The cars. The styles. The signage. They tell her more than what just a couple of people were wearing. Enough so that when Lorna asks if they're expecting her father, she shakes her head, sliding into the car. "Yeah," she says slowly. "I'm thinking they're not expecting him yet." Understatement.
"For what it's worth, I wouldn't go changing your last name yet," she adds as the other girl gets into the car. "I mean, at least decide if you want your birth dad's name."
*
Lorna shuts the door behind her, turning the car over and backing out of the parking spot as soon as Hope was in the car and the door was shut. "Well, think he'll call or something? If you need to, we can stop at my college and phone ahead?" She arched a brow upwards, glancing at the redhead briefly as she pulled out of the parking lot.
And onto the subject of her last name. "I dunno, I think Lorna Lensherr sounds pretty cool, the L sounds? Totally neat. But I have to talk to him, he'll likely tell me that I shouldn't get rid of Dane. Lorna Dane-Lensherr just sounds clunky though. I maybe I shouldn't ask him just yet." She mumbled, trailing off as she slowed the car to a halt at the stop sign to leave the park.
*
"Maybe you should get to know him first," Hope suggests. "I mean, sure, it's exciting to meet him and find out about yourself, but maybe it's actually a total jerk. I'm not saying he is!" she adds quickly. "He's probably great. It sounds like you like him. That's great. Just, you know. Changing your name's kind of a big step. And what if you get married?" This is clearly not a modern world. "Are you going to be Lorna Dane-Lensherr-Smith?"
*
A laugh escaped Lorna, "He's not total jerk, he's super nice actually. And I mean he wants to be in my life. He was sorry he wasn't there actually.." She trailed of and shrugged as she continued to drive. "Point is, he's all for just being there now. He wants to teach me and since he's not a Professor at the school or anything, he said he'd come visit me down here too whenever he felt like it." She laughed again, shaking her head.
"And yeah, I mean, that's fair. /If/ I get married that would make my last name a total mouthful and not in a good way. Ugh," She made a face. "I hadn't thought of that at all.."