Back at the Mansion

November 09, 2018:

After the events of the last few weeks, some of the X-men get a chance to relax.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Dressed in his Sunday best… uniform. Alex Summers, AKA Havok, returned late last night to the mansion du eX. So late that he only spoke to one person to let him know that he was alive, back, alive, and back. Alex was pretty quick with his words, and only allowed his mind to be open for as long as he could stay awake and get a shower before hitting the rack. Now, it's what, sometime in the afternoon? He slept for over 15 hours. No one knew he was here. No memo, no letters, no sticky notes on the fridge. Now, Alex has decided that he's starvin Marvin and is walking down the grand stairs toward the foyer. With food on his mind, he doesn't even realize that he showered and then slept in his uniform last night, until now.

When he looks at the gold metal cuffs and smirks to himself, "Old habits…"

*
The words that had come from Logan when he was told that the demons were gone were simply, "'Bout time." Though his answer had been laconic the sentiment had been true and the just general /weariness/ he had felt was a damned sharp thing all things considered. It had been weeks that had seen him and his dealing with the problem, quarantining and responding to emergencies and now just as the city had been reaching some level of balance… the critters are all gone. Thankfully.

Now that that's over, the elder mutant finally drags himself back to the mansion. He'd taken breaks now and again, quick pit stops to eat something freshly prepared or to get new gear. But he'd always been quick to head back out and into the city. Now… a nice long sleep is looking like it'll be pretty damn great. So when the security systems sound the alert of his approach and letting people know of his arrival, he's seen dragging himself along not too wearily yet there's still a hint of… weight to his shoulders.

Through the front door, into the foyer, down the hallway. The haggard looking man's features are twisted into a scowl that, to be fair, isn't entirely different from his normal scowl… and that's the moment he'll espy Havok.

"Summers." That passes for a greeting with him these days. He lifts a hand in a hint of a wave and then as he passes by. "Fancy seein' you."
*

Lorna Dane had had a rough time of being in Mutant Town nearly the entire time there had been a demonic invasion. A brief visit to Genosha had been the only sunshine she'd had to enjoy and Halloween had been entirely forgotten. How was it she seemed to miss almost all of the important holidays in the past year or so? The green haired woman exited the kitchen after having made a second cup of coffee. A steaming mug clutched between both hands as she seemed utterly lost to her thoughts.

The metal and leather look from her days in Mutant Town had been once more retired, replaced with some muted hued peach toned sweater and pair of jeans and socks. She sighed heavily, inhaling the steam wafting up from the beverage and nearly running into Logan and Alex. She blinked, looking surprised to see either or both of them. "Oh, hey.."

*
It's been a long time since he's seen Logan, any Logan for that matter. There was a Logan in the other universe. But he was feral and hung out with Sabes. So when Alex sees Logan, he smiles the smile of familiarity and family. "Hey Logan.", comes his greeting with the passing male. He's also going to guess that this is a punching in and punching out moment. So Alex doesn't push his luck with trying to engage in conversation.

Then there's the green hair. Alex warms to her visage and his blue eyes gaze, almost glaze over, when seeing her. It's been recent, but those fleeting moments don't count. This is what counts. He's home, she's home, Logan's home… no wait, wrong fantasy thread. His voice raises an octive when he greets Lorna, "Heeey."

*

It's at that large grand staircase that Logan pauses, hand on the handrail as he eyes Alex sidelong. A grunt is given in response as he seems loathe to commit actual words, or at the least husbands them close to the vest as he murmurs, "You rustle up some grub, the brew'll be on me if yer inclined." He starts to set foot on the steps and begins the laborious stomp up the stairs, his hand reaching out to seemingly pull him forwards up the steps as he moves as if he were assailing a cliff face.

"Lorna." Another wave as he continues his ascent. "Three brews then." As if making a mental checklist. Once he gets up to the top of the stairway he disappears from view heading towards the little used quarters of his and only heard by a faint grumbling even as he strolls on. A few moments later and there's the sound of a door opening and thumping closed.

*

A distracted wave followed Logan's departure and Lorna huffed a breath as she shook her head. "Hi Logan, bye Logan.." She drawled, turning green eyes back toward Alex with a lift of her eyebrows. She took a slow sip of her hot coffee. She reached up with her other hand, pushing stray strands of green back behind her ear.

"Sorry, were you two planning something?" She blinked up at him, a tilt of her head following as she shifted her weight upon her toes. A glance was spared briefly down the hall toward the various students that came running through to class. She still couldn't bring herself to tell them to stop running around.

*

"Nah.. But I need food." Alex says as he walks toward the kitchen. "You busy or can you hang? Maybe catch me up on the state of the union. All I know is that the demons went poof just as I was blasting the hordes." He continues walking, hoping she will follow.

*

A sigh pulled at Lorna's expression as she twisted around to trail after Alex toward the kitchen. "If I leave you alone in there what are the chances that you've forgotten how to cook on a stove and will burn the place down?" She drawled, a hint of teasing in her tone that faded with with her humor. She grimaced, sipping at her coffee and holding the mug close as she made her way further inside and found an empty stool to perch on. Her gaze lifting only briefly to consider the otherwise empty kitchen before her gaze turned back to her mug.

A shrug followed Alex's question. "Eh.. I dunno. I don't want to talk about it." She pursed her lips, and sipped at her drink instead.
"I'm sure someone will post a report.."

*

He enters the kitchen. Her words resonate within his mind as she inclines not to wish to speak on the subject he offered. He moves to the fridge, opens it, grabs the milk…

"It's good to see you again, Lorna.", come his words in a peaceful tone.

He walks with the milk to the counter facing Lorna, opens the cabinet, pulls down a bowl, sits it on the counter as well. Then moves to the pantry to grab an oversized box of Lucky Charms which he will walk back to the bowl to fill. He leaves all the other subjects along. He's just glad to be in her presence, back in the mansion; home.

*

Lorna paused, her gaze lifting over the rim of her mug to watch the blonde Summers move about the kitchen and pour himself some cereal. She snorted lightly, stifling a laugh as she watched him as the Lucky Charms came out. "I don't think Logan will be interested in having any of that. And he promised to bring some beer out too.." She drawled, and shook her head, sipping at her coffee, still hot.
Her humor bled from her gaze again, the smile failing briefly. Green eyes flickered back toward him, and she bit her lower lip. "Glad to see you alike and in one piece. Have you seen Scott yet?"

*

"Logan is a grown ass man. He can cook his own food. I've not had Lucky Charms in over 6 years. They didn't have this in the other reality." He pours the milk. Alex adds, "Plus, I'm sure I'd burn down the kitchen since I've pretty much forgotten how to cook." He smiles, picks up the bowl, and starts to consume one spoonful at a time.

*

A huff of a breath followed Alex's words and with a smirk, and a flick of her fingers the oven clicked on, beeped and was set to a fixed temperature. With a few more waves of her had this way and that, a cookie tray found its way to the counter. Followed by a pre-made bowl of cookie dough flying out of the fridge and spooned out into perfect shapes. Green eyes flickered toward Alex with a look of faint amusement.

"Well, good thing I just put the cookie mix together. I was going to save it for the kids that passed their midterms. I had a deal with a few that they couldn't do it. But cookies are disgustingly easy to make. So hell.. you and Logan can have 'em." She drawled, and continued to sip at her coffee.
"If you haven't had cereal in that long, you likely haven't had cookies either, yeah?"

*

Alex swallows to answer. "Cookies, oh totally. I've had those. It was just Lucky Charms. I always loved this cereal since I was a kid. The other reality had something called "Marshmello Shaped Sweet Treats". Kinda like it, but not really. Tasted like cardboard."

He offers no segue, instead he just jumps to the other subject that he wanted to touch upon, "Did you find your relatives?"

*

Lorna shrugged, "So you had generic as opposed to name brand, poor Alex. And here I thought you'd been suffering like Nate's home world. They didn't have doritros or anything there for years.. Nuclear winter and all that really put a damper on snack foods." She teased, her gaze half focused on Alex and half focused on spooning out the cookie dough and sliding the sheet into the oven with a flick of her wrist.

She fell silent though as Alex changed topics and asked after her relations. She pursed her lips, and reached for her mug again. To fill the void of silence, she sipped at her coffee. As if to put it off just a tad longer. "Yeah.. Pietro was found and everything is fine." Sort of. Kinda. Technically status quo had been returned, after a fashion. Just with more prickly disagreements than before.

*

"Sorry to hear that." States Alex based on her familial issues. "But heck, it's good to have him back, isn't it? Didn't you think he was dead or something? I mean, not that we really die. We just go through the revolving door of the afterlife and come back to the land of the living." He pauses a moment in reflection and then says softly, "I remember dying."

*

A shrug, "There's nothing to be sorry for? I mean.. Wand and Pietro are .. back to doing their thing." Running the Brotherhood. While she had only been a stand in. A symbol. Her father had pushed her again to become a political symbol for Genosha. To stand back from the action, and from doing anything that might tarnish whatever reputation she had in the eyes of the world's mutants.

After all, one member in their family had to seem 'reasonable' to the outside world. And Magneto planned to use his youngest daughter just as he was trying to use everyone else around him.

"We weren't sure what was going on.." She muttered with a grimace, and finished off her coffee. Green eyes flickered back toward Alex at his words, her eyebrows furrowed faintly and she frowned.

"Some of us are like that yeah.. I mean.. Jean and her kids at least. Sure.. I guess since you're Scott's brother you get a similar pass."

*

"If Xavier were smart, he'd take out insurance policies on all of us. He could bankroll on our deaths and then never report our Stefano DiMera like return from the dead." - Yes, Alex just made a reference to his favorite Soap Opera, 'Says of Our Lives'. "I'm sure it'd pay for the school for generations."

"But, back to dear ole dad… Your dad that is. I can't fault him. He loves his people and wants us to be successful. Like we talked about before. He's been pushed, and pushed, and pushed. He saw some really horrific stuff back in his day and, heck, he's probably got a lot of PTSD because of it. And the world… it's really out to get him. So paranoia isn't fake news. It's real stuff. I realize he's not perfect. And sometimes makes decisions that aren't always in certain people's best interest. But he is all that family first, mutants second, humans dead last. That 'dead last' part sometimes makes him do some questionable things."

*

Lorna slowly frowned, "Pretty sure that wouldn't work for very long, Alex. Besides its not like the school wants for funding as it is." She drawled, and shook her head as the oven's timer was set and she turned her focus more fully to her nearly empty coffee cup. Of course, then Alex was talking about her father. A topic she hadn't so much as hinted at out loud. She slowly set her mug down, her arms crossing as she fought the urge to scowl.
"Are you sure you didn't end up in Nate's homeworld where my father was a hero or something?" She drawled, her lips curling into a faint line. "Because no one talks about my dad that way here, Alex. Not unless you're an Acolyte. I don't hate him these days the same way I did before.. but most people don't share my sentiments."

*

It'd been a good chunk of time since Logan had made his departure, but it's his return that is perhaps less heralded as he descends those steps and makes his way through the foyer and on down the leg of the mansion that has that kitchen. That scent of cookies isn't entirely unwelcome and stands out against the backdrop of scents of the mansion itself, but when the elder X-Man steps through the swinging door into the kitchen his voice isn't exactly friendly.

"I had somethin' else in mind." His eyebrows lift as he looks first to Lorna, then to Alex. But with that he's heading towards the refrigerator and pulls it open, fishing around inside. He slides a few glass bottles out of the way, causing them to clank and clink as he moves things around until he's able to extract his hidden in the back six-pack of Molson that he yanks out with one finger through the plastic loop.

"Summers, Lorna." A re-greeting as he sets the six pack on the table and looks them over. "So the hell happened?" He asks about the demons, most likely annoying Lorna to no end.

*

Alex says, "Mornin, again." To Logan's return and his considerations. He keeps quiet while he takes a few bites of the Lucky Charms before refilling his bowl with the delicious goodness. He holds the bowl in his left hand, spoonfeeds himself with the right. Ensuring that the dribbles don't go on the counter or floor, but back in the bowl. Because it's so hard to eat crunchy lumpy cereal from a spoon full of milk.

Then when Logan gets to the meat of the matter, Alex is sure not to say anything. Instead, he crunches, loudly. Waiting for the room to blow up, or something.

*

A green eyed glance followed Logan's arrival, and Lorna downed the rest of her coffee as the older mutant grumped his way to the fridge and dug around for a while. "Cookies were easy and I didn't want to get up." She drawled, shrugging as she flashed Logan a faint smile. It had been too long since she'd last talked to him, and he had been someone that at least accepted her more hair-brained plans and didn't judge her too terribly when she lost her temper.

The question about the demon had her smile fading though, and she shot Alex a look at his crunching.

"I don't really want to get into it. Sorry.. you'll have to read the official reports. But my brother was saved and same with my sister. Uhm.. Mutant Town was well taken care of..things are clearing up?"

*

A grunt is given and then he replies as he looks between the two of them. "We still hatin' on Illyana?" He asks, perhaps rather tactlessly but then again he had only been involved in matters peripherally. Not even to mention when she said she didn't want to get in on it and /still/ he asked his question. But at the look in her eyes he waves it off and steps back with the dismissive, "Alright, whatever. I'll do the readin'." Since really probably best to get the official story that way.

That taken care of, however, he starts to pull off the beer cans from the plastic, cracking open one with a snap and a hiss then resting a hand on it. He shoves the five-pack now over towards Alex and then says, "So what's the next move? Or we got a bit of down time for now?"

*

Chomp, chomp, chomp. Alex can't look away. He watches the exchange and then swallows as he processes the various implications. He doesn't pursue the subject of Illyana hating nor will he talk of demons. Instead, given the out, Alex replies, "Dude.. That's not my call. I have a long list of people I need to check in with, get settled, get my assignment and hopefully play catchup with people I've not seen in 6 years. I hope there's down time. Because I really want to see my brother."

*

A slow shake of her head followed, "I didn't hate her, I still don't. I can't blame her for what was going on or anything.." She pursed her lips and exhaled a rough breath. Even though everything had happened was due in large part to the blonde, Lorna couldn't and wouldn't hold that against her. Not when she'd been mind controlled before, and had been manipulated in the past.

A lingering look was shot at Alex as he crunched away and spoke about down time. She shrugged, "Rebuilding mostly? People need homes. Otherwise, I think a lot of them will take up the offers to go to Genosha. It's not like the government will spend money on getting Mutant Town up and running again. I have plans to move out of the Mansion to help out there more. And uhm.. I have some political crap I have to get into when I've got the time. Without demons to distract people.. it won't be long 'till its back to good ol' fashion mutant hate.."

*

At Alex's mention of needing to see Scott, he responds with an incredulous sounding, "Why?" But there's a slight smirk to at least offer the hint that he might just be making light. He holds up a hand and then says, "You need a way ta get around there're a few vehicles in the garage. Keys up on the wall." Perhaps Alex already knows that, but then again it has been a chunk of time for the fella.

His attention slips back over towards Lorna and he takes a sip of beer, gaze level on hers. "I figure there needs ta be some idea of accounting for things. But if you think it wasn't entirely her hand at the wheel…" Then he lets those words drift off, as if saying that might well be enough for him.

He then gestures to the remaining beers and says, "So, I'm drinkin' alone here, or what?" Despite the fact it's the morning and people are eating cereal and making cookies. Logan's got an eye on what's important.

*

The bowl poured down the sink, disposal switched on for a few seconds while water is run. Alex isn't trying to interrupt, just trying to get rid of the remaining cereal that he's no longer hungry for. He ate quite a bit. He turns, starts to put up the stuff and put away the spoon/bowl into the washer. All the while he listens to their exchange and even the rhetorical snarky remark about seeing his brother from Logan. There's really no answer for it. Other than it's his brother and Alex has actually missed him. Although, his brother in the other reality was way cooler. But he won't mention that.

Alex heads for the door. "Yeah, sorry Logan. I can't drink this early and I really need to get on my list." Alex also regards Lorna in passing toward the exit. "We'll catch up. You two enjoy your day drinking." - finalized with a smirk. Then exit stage left.

*

A glance was spared for Logan and Lorna shrugged, "I don't even hate my father these days. I reserve my hatred for people that actively are trying to kill me personally.." She drawled, not that demons hadn't tried it. She sighed and as Alex got up to leave she fell silent for a beat, watching him depart with a small glance toward the oven where the cookies were just about done.

"Later.."

Her gaze swung back to Logan and she reached across the counter top to snag a beer. "Scott will bitch pretty hard about drinking around the students you know. He's pretty adamant about only allowing drinks in faculty or staff areas.." She sighed, snapping the top open and sipping away at its contents. Her coffee mug forgotten as she waved her hand and the cookie tray came floating out, the oven clicked off and the chocolate scents wafted through the kitchen.

*

A hand is lifted in the direction of Alex as he makes his way to the door and the departure, but he does look after the man for a few moments even after he's gone from view. One eyebrow twitches up but then he seems to forget whatever that thought was in the next instant as he swivels his attention back towards Lorna. "Thatta girl." He offers companionably as she takes one of the beers though now he leans to the side against the table.

Another drink of beer and he listens to her as she offers her point of view about Scott and the drinking and he says. "Well…" He looks up for a moment, perhaps in the general direction of where Scott's quarters are, then he tilts his head back towards the mistress of magnetism. "What he don't know… right?" That said he empties the last of that can and then crushes it in one hand before tossing it towards the garbage.

*

Lorna flashed Logan a faint grin as she sipped at her beer, and leaned back in her chair. "What else am I going to do at the moment? I've sort of run myself ragged the past few weeks. Living in Mutant Town and everything.." She flapped her hand as if to gesture to 'everything'. Demons. Family drama. Marriage drama. And so on. "I'm pretty sure I'm close to crashing from it." She sighed over the can in her grip. Her features twisting with a grimace.

The green haired woman shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts as she glanced around once and shrugged. "I'm not gonna tell Scott."

*

"Well then there we go," Logan says warmly even as he nods as if this settled so many of the world's problems. He opens the next beer with a crack and a hiss but doesn't take a sip quite yet. Instead he looks over at the cookies even as his nostrils flare subtly. So many things carry different sense memories for him than most folks, and so many things give him insight into other matters. Hard to figure out what his thoughts are even as he pulls over a chair with a scrape on the tile floor.

"Sounds like you need some down time too." He uncurls a hand in her direction. "But no rest for the wicked and all." The chair creaks as he leans back in it, complaining about the weight from the elder X-Man as he folds his arms over his chest. "Still. Good to feel like I have the option ta stand down a bit. After everythin'."

*

A brief flash of a smile appeared on Lorna's lips as she glanced back at Logan. He was always someone that sharing a beer with helped on some level. The man had been through far more than Lorna had, he'd lived longer than her father too. And yet, in some small ways, Logan filled the role better than her actual father did. It was in the little things, like in sneaking beers or fixing cars. In being grumpy and never offering an apology for it.
It faded though and she was left sipping her drink thoughtfully. It was too early for her to chug it. "I dunno. I both love and hate having down time. I prefer to be getting something done. It feels wrong to just.. sit down. Remy and I got into it a week or two ago when I was trying to take a break in Genosha.." She shook her head, dragging her hands through her hair as she set the beer down for a moment.

*

"Well there's yer first mistake," Logan says as he leans both elbows on the tabletop surface and looking sidelong with a quirked eyebrow, as if Remy might appear out of nowhere. "Listening ta anythin' the Cajun's got ta say." He holds up a finger as if to mark that first mistake. Then he uncurls a second, "The next one is in figurin' that it's your shoulders that have to hold up under everythin'." He waves a hand to the side, "Far be it for me, though, ta know your situation and what yer dealing with and all. Still."

A glance back is given after he ponders the distant for a time. "I know the feelin' though. This whole debacle with the creatures in Manhattan. I felt like every moment I took to recover I was stealing it from someone else. Everybody who lost their lives, everybody who lost their home, everythin' builds up until you're takin' responsibility for everything. Can't live like that. Can't save everyone."

Another pause as he looks away, then says, "Good though that you think you should try. Is all."

*

A rough exhale, and a faint twitch of a smile appeared on Lorna's lips as she propped her head up, her fingers still tangled in her messy, green curls. "It was just.. bad timing on my part. To invite anyone else with me. I hadn't seen the sunlight in weeks. I was just.." She'd wanted to be happy for a few short hours. To pretend that her life wasn't in shambles. To just pretend for a short, brief time, that it might be okay.

Logan's words though had the desired effect of releasing some of the tension that built up in her shoulders. Her hands falling away from her hair to curl around the beer can and take a deeper draught from it. "I didn't try to save everyone though.. I just sort of.. dug my heels in Mutant Town and refused to budge for a few weeks.."

*

"Everyone fights how they can, kid." Logan gives her a nod and leans over with his can in his hand, "At least it's over and I'll drink ta that." Then again he'll drink to most anything. Still he lightly 'clunks' his can against hers and then tilts the beer back to take a few swallows before he sets it down.

"A'right, I'm gonna go catch up with folk and see what trouble I can get into." He pushes himself to his feet, snagging the plastic loop of the remaining four-pack and slides it over to himself. "Save one or two of those cookies for me when they're finished." He slings the beer over his shoulder, arm lifted up so it can dangle there off of two fingers.

"And don't let Cyke give you any grief if he goes all puritan on you." That said he gives her a nod and a smirk then starts to stalk on over towards the door that leads outside to the backyard grounds.

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