2013-09-20 - Blink and Nod

It had been a busy evening. Between her class and now her meeting with a possible.. Yes, it was going to be strange. Unknowingly echoing Rachel's words from the last day, she muttered smething about 'Time Travelers' before calling out, "Ah, Miss.. F erguson, is it? Please come in." Making sure to put a plate of chocolates in front of her.

Jean Grey takesa b reath, and then goes over to pass the plate over to Clarice, "All right. From what was said last night.>" jean takes a breath, and looks over at Clarice so sympathetially, "I am so sorry for what you ahve been through. And I can only promise that allof us will do everythign we can to make sure that whatever instigated it, no matter how remote, does not happen in this dimension." She offers over the plate of chocolates.

Clarice Ferguson puts up her hand as she is offered the chocolates. "No, thank you." She looks at Jean trying to read her sincerity. She purses her lips and furrows her brow as thoughts obviously race across her mind. She stands up. "You know, I don't need sympathy. The loss I've suffered I've already grieved over and it's done. I don't need to revisit those memories. What I need is to see that you mean those words. You have given me your word, Ms. Grey." She studies her face. "Do you mean it?" She steps closer, almost uncomfortably close. "How much do you mean it?"

Jean Grey looks over at Clarice softly, "If you asked any single person here if they would die in the blink of an eye just to make sure it did not, we would all do it." Her voice is soft, honest, and cracking. Just of hearing the words used to describe your dimension hae been giving her nightmares, and she's gone through two plates of those chocolates -herself- to try and give herself a level of reassurance. "And no power on Earth would stop us from stopping it."

Clarice Ferguson takes a step back, convinced of her sincerity of her words. "Ms. Grey, I remind you again that you have given your word. You have promised that -all- of you will do -every-thing you can to make sure that what my world suffered does not happen here, you would." She pauses and faces her squarely. "I mean to hold you to that."

Jean Grey laughs quietly, "I have already.   It's complicated." She waves her hands, "And it's not an experience I'd be particularly fond of replicating.   If you want.." S he takes a breath, "Please, just don't ask us to do anything that goes against what we are." She speaks quietly, "Don't ask us to kill.   Don't ask us to wipe someone's mind.   Don't ask us to force someone to do somthing, whether by telepathy oranother means." She responds quietly. "Because then we become the ones who make your world happen."

Clarice Ferguson narrows her eyes at Jean, trying to understand her. "You promised everything, Ms. Jean." She walks around the chair and leans on the back of it with both hands. "Do not your police officers have the authority to kill in order to protect? Would you blame a parent who KILLED to save their child from an intruder? Perhaps you mistake me, Ms. Grey." She motions to herself. "I -will- kill for what is right if it is necessary." She pauses. "I will not, however, murder. Murder is, and remains wrong... but killing isn't, if it is necessary. Did not your America understand this when they established themselves and FREED themselves from the restraints of a tyrannical rule?? But it is the SOFTNESS of those unwilling to do what is necessary that cost my world EVERYTHING they knew." She leans in and cocks her head, as if confused. "Does not your judicial system imprison criminals in order to rehabilitate them? To change the way they think? Not to change who they are as a person, but how they think about their crimes." She stands upright. "No, Ms. Grey, it is when you don't do what is necessary that you remain the ones who allowed our world to happen..."

What goes next then is Jean going over, and giving Clarice a tight, warm hug and embrace. Concern radiating off her as she says again, "I am so sorry. I ams o sorry for the suffernig that you had to endure. The suffering tha tyour friends had to endure. And the suffering over that your dimension had to endure." She says that softly, and honestly, "And that none of us will let it come to anything like that again." She reminds herself not   to say 'and none of us will allow ourselves to become the next Magneto', rememberign well what was said over by you as she holds you tight against her.

Clarice Ferguson stands there awkwardly as she is hugged. She looks at the woman hugging her and listens to her speaking. Mentally, she is confused and wonders how in the world Jean could think that this is helping. "Ms. Grey, while I certainly feel that this calls for action, I don't see how this type of action is helping. We need to be proactive. We need to be proactive starting yesterday."

Jean Grey rubs her ehad adn nods, "ALl right. But I'll make one request then, if you don't mind?" She takes a breath, "Well, actually two." She gestures over at you to sit down again as she does. "The first is that you be willing to stay with us, for now. If only to givey ou a home base. I would offer you a place to attend classes, but I think that's furthest from your mind now." She takes another breath, "The next.. Tell us what you know. All we have to go on for the moment is a name. Apocalypse."

Clarice Ferguson sits down, and for once there is a glint of excitement. "Yes, of course, I am willing to stay here. I have no current better alternatives. Secondly, ARE YOU KIDDING?" Probably the most animated she's been. "OF COURSE, I WANT TO TAKE CLASSES!" She recomposes herself and leans in, speaking softly for seriously. "I don't think you understand my intent, Ms. Grey. It's not just Apocalypse. If it is not him, it could be somebody else. Anybody else. We cannot focus on possible threats. We can only focus on ourselves. Who we are. So yes, we had BETTER be learning, training, and prepping for missions. And when we're not on a mission, we should be learning more. PUSHING ourselves. There are those upon whom the burden falls to carry the burdens of the world. In this generation, we are it. We were not handed the easy life of being the ones who need to be rescued and protected. We have NO RIGHT not to tirelessly protect this world."

The sudden.. JUMPING from Clarice, if oly as her booming ovice echos out and Jean laughs softly, "All right." She goes on, "For the short term, we'll give you a place to stay here then, and let you audit some of the freshman level classes." Jean waggles her fingers, "And you can show us what you're capable of, both as far as powers goes and where your education is. Pending that, you can decide your future, whether you're wanting to be a student and on our trainee team and going out to fight these things, or you prefer to remain here just temporarily and go out in the world and look for these monsters, or stay wtih ust o help us do the saem. Your safety is our prime concern, but we wnt this to be a home for you first and foremost. So the choice will be your's. It's the start of our school year so gettig you in some of the classes would be easy."

Clarice Ferguson stands and puts out her hand enthusiastically. "I believe you have a deal, Ms. Grey."

Jean Grey shakes it, "Welcome to Xavier's Institute, Clarice." Still smiling.