January 13, 2019:
Darcy and Clark, Marcos and Lorna… plus Nate, as a 5th wheel, have a chance to catch up and talk.
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
Darcy sent a few texts. It'd been a while since she'd seen her bestie Lorna, and she'd asked for the day since she worked a back to back the day before. When Lorna mentioned her man was with her, Darcy grinned and replied with a simple: double date… and a YELP ping of a place that was near enough to Lorna's hood but within Darcy's tips from yesterday minus the light bill budget. Then, she called her own man, asking him out on a date with her bestie and her man, and giving him the address. He offered to drive her, which took Darcy a moment to sort out, but only because Clark lives and works in Metropolis and Darcy was still mentally calculating him using public transportation like everyone else.
But, in the end, Darcy agreed and Clark picked her from from her place in Queens. Likely, he was working on a story for work in the area or something. Whatever, Darcy wasn't going to argue a free ride and some chatter time with her own boyfriend. She asked how his day was, and when he asked about hers, she complained about diner work again with the air of 'but ya do what you got to in order to make ends meet' and not 'omg i'm such a damsel save me!'.
Arriving at the meet up place, Darcy gathers her oversized purse and moves to get herself out of the passenger seat, rebuttoning her coat in the process. Brrr… The winter is still cold!
*
+MEET: Nate Grey has arrived via +meet.
*
Well, Clark was texted and he smiled while he was at work. "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind." he did like going out with Darcy, so once he made sure nobody was in immediate or future danger, he got in his car and drove on over to pick up Darcy. Greeting her with a quick kiss and getting a destination, he chuckles. "Alright. Oh, you know, the day was good. Saved someone who got pushed off a building, stopped a bank robbery…thankfully no giant robots today."
Jinx.
He eventually gets out of the car and takes Darcy's hand in his, walking her on inside. "So…which friends of yours are we meeting?
*
When Nate found out Lorna was going to see Darcy, he decided to tag along. No one told him this was a double date thing until they were all almost there. Well, doh!
"I'll stay for a drink and then leave you to your dinner and whatever, it has been almost a year since I saw Darce," he decided. And for all he knows, it might be another year until he sees her again. She fell off the grid when she left the school. He has to wonder if Scott ever offered her an administrative position at Xaviers.
He never checked, and he should. But his life is chaotic at the best times.
*
Lorna had healed up, more or less, from the incident in Colombia. Her leg was more or less healed, there was still a scab, and she still kept most of her weight lifted up and into the air rather than walk fully on the ground. It had saved her from more than one spill on the icy New York side walks. The green haired mutant seemed to brim full of barely restrained nerves these days, however. She seemed more confrontational about going out, leaving her hair bright and green and fully on display. She scowled at people that glanced there way and her fingers itched to do something.
She had never been any good at sitting still and with the Professor's return, she was on edge to do something.
Nate's presence along with Marcos' distracted her at least, and she almost missed the sight of Darcy with a tall man holding hands outside the restaurant. "Darcy!" She blinked, and stepped forward quickly, steel toed boots clicking sharply on the side walk. She wore a thick, heavy, winter coat, but her hands were bare, likely from holding onto her husband's grip which always ran hot.
*
Marcos was getting used to his upgraded powers. It was wild for him. He didn't quite enjoy it as much as he thought he might when his powers grew, if only for the complete uncertainty of ALL he could do. But, nonetheless, he decides to go out with Lorna on a date, and apparently Nate is briefly tagging along!
Killjo-COUGH I mean, uh…you know, third wheel. yeah, that's a good one for that. Lorna might find that Marcos's hand is burning a bit hotter than usual, more akin to the warmth one would get from a furnace. which isn't bad. Oh, hey, it's Darc-
Marcos's trail of thought is completely disrupted by Lorna's tugging hand, he chuckles. "Good to see you Darcy. Who's your friend?"
*
"You're a dork, Clark," she quips of him stopping a bank robbery. It's like it's something amusing to her, and so that's all she mentions of it as she moves on to answering his question.
"Lorna and Marcos. She's tops and I love him. He's fucking adorbs," Darcy's saying, not aware Nate was joining them. Not that his presence would be a terrible thing. Sure, their last interaction had been… Darcy was tense and upset, frustrated by a lot of things, but… still. Friends were friends and Darcy never took any of them for granted, regardless of how long it was between interactions. Her hand in Clark's, Darcy is making her way toward teh eatery when her name is called. She looks over, smile beaming at the sight of the green hair. Joy bubbles through at the sight, and Darcy takes her hand from the much taller man's and strides forward to meet Lorna not quite half way; the mutant had a head-start.
"Lorn! Ah! it's great to see you. Fuck, it's great to see you." A pause. The warmth of that hand registers and Darcy collects it to press against her cheek.
"Was gonna ask how you were but you're still hot," she teases, giving a wink. She lets Lorna go to give a hug to Lorna's husband.
"Hiya, hotstuff! Whew! Really hot stuff. You are now my favorite. Lorna can sit next to-" Darcy's eyes fall on Nate and there's a heartbeat of silence before Darcy pulls away and moves over to give Nate a hug. It's silent, telling of the rush of just how much she had gone through with this group, what she'd given up for it all, and how Nate had done what he could. He's a telepathy. She knows that now, so she doesn't feel pressured to fill the void of words. She just takes that moment to sigh, let a few hot tears fill her eyes as her mind just feels thankful that he had done anything. It was more than some had done. Some who had said they'd back her but who had, in the end, gone silent and left her or condemned her. She wouldn't have changed any of it. She steps back and smiles up at him, before pressing her face dry, face turning back to Marcos with a much calmer and more open smile.
"Everyone, this is Clark. Clark: Lorna, her husband Marcos, and Nate." She makes introductions, keeping all the names casual and relaxed. Everyone here is important to Darcy somehow. Everyone here is a part of her Tribe and her Pack. Everyone here has their very own Darcy Lewis to call on when they need a plucky human side kick to mouth off at the least appropriate times. Her hand now slides from Nate's arm, taking with it the very substaintial weight of the loyalty of the woman, the same loyalty that had brought her to first SHIELD's radar, then the XMen; a weight chipped at the edges by betrayal and hurt that she's shouldered and just living and breathing past. Fuck them, says that solidarity. Life goes on.
"How is everyone?" she asks now ot the group mostly at large.
*
Clark doesn't mind that Darcy is clearly affectionate with these friends of hers. He seems to narrow his eyes though when she hugs Eclipse for so long, but other than that, he's back to a wide smile, and he gives a little wave, still holding onto Darcy's hand when all greetings are given. "Hi everyone. Darcy tends to talk about you guys a lot, so it's nice to see you all in the flesh." he takes a moment to adjust his glasses.
*
"Yo, Darce," Nate returns the hug fiercely and offers the woman and rare, genuine grin. He has changed a little in the past year. Still wearing his usual simple-looking clothes, which feel like armor when she hugs him. Still wearing a battered leather jacket that is a genuine battered leather jacket he pulls out for the coldest days.
The scars around his left eye are perhaps more noticeable. Said eye looks paler than the right one, too. Bluer, perhaps. Hard to say in the dismissing evening light. "You look good. I am here just for a drink. Don't want to be the third wheel."
Clark, uh? He seems too nice and clear-cut for Darcy. But Nate can feel the older man has some steel behind those dorky glasses and business suit. He will try not to scare him away. For now. Instead he offers him his hand. "Good to meet you, Clark. You from Metropolis?"
*
Lorna made a small sound at the back of her throat as she was suddenly Darcy tackled, but returned the hug with one of her own. "I'm glad you're in one piece too." She chuckled, watching as Darcy hopped from person to person for embraces. She flashed Marcos a grin as Darcy joked about her husband and his temperature, which currently was enough to melt the snow on the sidewalk if they lingered too long.
It was odd to witness, and even stranger to sleep next to, the usually cooler temperature'd woman had taken to leaving her bedroom window open for some relief.
Still, she turned her gaze critically toward Clark with a faint twist of her lips. Her arms crossed as she eyed the tall man up and down. Her own fashion sense seemed trapped between 'gothic and or punk' to 'high end fashion that didn't come with a price tag'.
Her green eyed gaze swept over him, judgemental in full. "Uh huh. Nice to meet you." She turned her gaze to Darcy, her gaze screaming, 'And how long has this man been a thing?'. Along with other assorted questions, but she at least smiled and nodded to the door of the place they'd meant to enter.
"Why don't we get inside? It's cold and I'm hungry." She grumbled.
*
"Nice to meet ya Clark." Marcos was punctual and simple, though he seemed to smile when Darcy gave him a big ole hug. His wasn't as fierce as Nate, nor comforting like Lorna's, instead he hugged Darcy like an older brother would. "It's good to see you back Darcy. How've you been?"
A look is given to his wife as he releases Darcy from his ultra-warm grasp, perhaps even giving her a little nudge as he takes her hand. A silent kind of 'be nice' maybe?
*
"Fifth, but that's the one that does all the work. You don't have to go, if you don't want to, but I get not wanting to feel awkward, but only because it's been said that me as a third wheel makes everyone ELSE feel awkward. So, you as a fifth hweel wouldn't feel awkward," Darcy tells Nate, grinning at that is it paler blue? eye. She moves back to the too clean-cut for her, happy to settle back at his side. Lorna's girl-glare earns a Darcy grin. It'd seem bright and boastful had Lorna (and Nate with his telepathy cheat codes) known better. The grin (and mental hack) reveals that the story isn't a long one but is likely not one the mutants would want chatted about on a sidewalk. So, instead of answering, Darcy smirks at Lorna's quip.
"How can you be cold when you've got like a literal solar furnace standing next to you?"
To said furance, Darcy smiles, moving now to the door and seeking to draw everyone else in with her. Like a social magnet she is.
"Fuck. Don't get me started, bro. Waitressing sucks balls, but at least I don't get called at random times of the day for bullshit," she replies, as if working in a diner in Queens was way better than a government job.
…maybe it is.
*
Clark suddenly looks a little nervous.
These guys - and gal - had some killer death stares going on right now. "Well, uhm." Clark begins as Lorna questions how long that particular relation has been going on, even as Darcy comes back to his side. "erm…a month and a half?" he looks to Darcy for confirmation.
Dear God, Clark hopes he didn't just seriously mess up when they started dating. It had been recently when they got really serious anyway. It counts, right? He follows Darcy into the shop, though he looks then to Nate "Good to meet you too, Nate. Nah, I'm from a small town in Kansas, but I do live in Metropolis." to Marcos, a nod of the head. "Likewise Marcos."
*
"Bah, who is counting?" Replies Nate, smirking at the idea of Darcy as a fifth wheel. Ah, the mayhem. But Lorna is trying to drag them all inside, as usual complaining of the cold. That girl has no resistance; it is probably Marcos' fault.
Kansas, really? Clark would be safe if he was from Metro. New York girls are already too mean for Metropolis boys, but Kansas? Poor Clark.
Once inside, he lets the others pick the table instead of following his usual 'paranoia choice' and getting one from where he can watch the whole place. He is going to be here only fifteen minutes or so, after all.
*
A slight frown continued to mar Lorna's expression as she entered the establishment and quickly shucked off her jacket. "A month and a half? Seriously Darcy?! Not even a text of 'Hey you'll never guess?' C'mon." She groaned, making a huff of her breath as she dragged her gaze from Darcy to Clark and back. The comment about Marcos being a solar furnace earned a grumble from the greenette.
"Because it's New York City in winter." She missed the tropical heat of Genosha whenever a frigid gust swept through her hair and stung her lungs. Marcos was warm, but he couldn't stop it all…
Questions lingered in her gaze, but she hadn't yet bombarded Darcy with them. She bit her tongue, shooting the other woman another look.
"So what do you do, uh.. Clark?"
*
Marcos just figures that Nate and Lorna can do the questioning. Give Clark at least SOME k ind of break. Marcos just smiled to Lorna, giving her a little smile as he's referenced as a furnace. It was true!
TRUE I TELL YOU.
though he notices the look on Nate's face when he discovers Clark is from Kansas…and honestly, Nate ain't wrong. Them New Yorkers can do a poor kansas kid some kind o' dirty.
either way, he's just walkin' along. "I really want to guess he works as a car salesman." HE HAS THE LOOK.
*
"Not me. I suck at math," Darcy replies to Nate, grinning at the telepath. As they all start questioning the poor farmboy, and then Lorna gets teh skinny on how 'quickly' Darcy moves on things, she rolls her eyes. Arm slipping into Lorna's, Darcy heads for the corner table. Not because of paranoia but because it is big and round and everyone fits!
"I just got my phone bill paid like two weeks ago, fuck! Give a broke girl a fucking break here," she protects herself, laughing the whole while.
"Wrong. Two more guesses left, and I aint helping," Darcy states and then starts singing The Song That Never Ends. Not just mentally, but outloud, eyes flicking to Nate as if to tell him: I know what you can do and I'm not letting you in, haxzor. After all, it goes on and on my friends. Somebody started signing it not knowing what it was…
*
"Oh come on..that's not it? Uhm…" Damnit Clark! He tries so hard to remember this stuff. He wrote it all down on a calendar too to make sure he would, in fact, remember….but, it's just one of those days. "No hint….man." Clark just shakes his head and smiles, "Oh well, it is what it is." though, just as he's about to take his seat, JUST as he's about to get relaxed.
He hears a scream. Darcy knows the look that shows up on his face.
He hides it from the others well, but he pulls out his phone. "Really, Perry?" he mutters to himself, before lookin' at Darcy. "Hey, I'm sorry, I have to go to work." something about the way he says 'work' implies that Superman is needed. "Everyone, it was so, so nice meeting all of you." to Lorna, Nate, and Marcos, Clark smiles. "Oh, I'm a prize-winning reporter for the Daily Planet. I'll share a story next time!" and then Clark is running out.
By the time he gets outside and around the corner, he rips open his suit, and flies into the sky!
*
Nate is not reading friend's minds. Although he always keeps a channel open for 'loud' thoughts and projected ones. It is not for music, Darcy! He is half in the mind to give the woman a telepathic poking when Clark gets 'that' look, which makes Nate get 'that' look.
But the Daily Planet. Damn. "Damn man. Buy you guys do good work. Hey, give my regards to Lois Lane," although he never managed to arrange that interview with Professor X. Hopefully Lois won't held it against him too much.
*
The green haired woman allowed Darcy to drag her along to the booth and slip into the seat with a creak of plastic beneath her.
Lorna grabbed a menu, flipping it over reading it with a critical eye. Green hair was pushed back as Lorna, huffed and muttered something that sound an awful lot like 'Convenient' as Clark dashed off with a cell phone in hand. Her other hand searched out Marcos' beneath the table as she ran her fingers over the twisted bit of metal that made up his wedding ring. The green haired woman looked vaguely grumpy as the server came up and asked what they wanted, but she ordered with at least less bite in her tone.
As soon as Clark was well and truly gone, Lorna turned her gaze back to Darcy. "So how did you meet some hot shot reporter from another city? And why didn't you tell me sooner? A month? Seriously?!" She huffed a breath, her eyebrows creased.
*
Marcos looks mildly impressed at Clark, apparently just like everyone else, before he does look a little suspicious as Clark makes his conveniently timed exit. Once he's gone, Marcos just looks amused at Lorna's reaction, his hand covering hers under the table to hold her hand.
"Well…maybe he had an emergency or something." trying to comfort poor Darcy now. but he looks to Nate. "Lois Lane?" clearly Marcos doesn't read a newspaper. but now he's silent. DRAMA IS AFOOT.
*
Clark's look just has Darcy nodding. He got called in. She understands and so gives him absolutely zero issue about it. Not even the 'secret not-a-wink Go Save the World' look back. Nope. It's exactly like there is not thing special about the tall man whatsoever, except that she's dating him.
"Have fun at the office. Tell Perry I'll kick his ass for ruining date night," is all she says as the reporter departs. She turns then, unconcerned, and collects a menu. Order placed, Darcy keeps looking at the desserts.
Three. Two. One. Lorna. Darcy lowers her menu.
"Probably longer, but it was casual. He was the media contact I mentioned that one time. I'd come back to get him some information, hoping he could leverage something to get some public sway for you. And then life sort of blew up and I lost track of everything. He met up again not long after I got out and…" Darcy stops, giving a little sigh. Her shoulders lower, her gaze softens.
"It's nice. He's nice." She pauses a moment, clearly thinking of someone before smiling and looking up again, eyes more clear. "I need nice. And… This -is- me tellling you? I… look. I sorta suck at being the girlfriend? So, fucking sue me so you can inherit all my debts," she says at Lorna before smiling at Marcos for trying to comfort her.
"Yeah. It's no biggie. Been there. Done that. He's is probably something news breaking where mine was more like people forgetting where the fucking toner was packed. It's cool. And Lois is like a reporter with him? Same place? Some chick thinking she tough shit and all. I don't know. Haven't met any of his co-workers yet, but whatever. I don't really want him meeting any of my current co-workers. No thank you." Drama needs to wear shoes or it will not be given service.
*
"Yeah, Lois was in Genosha," explains Nate. "Got caught by Sinister for some reason. Maybe he wanted an interview or something," yes, lets take it with a bit of humor. It is healthy. "We brought her to the school because she was injured. Interesting woman, her articles are pretty sharp."
And although it is a shame Clark left, it opens up an opportunity too. "Speaking of the school. I think it would be great if you get back. Xavier returned… uh, he is in bad shape now. But I think he would give you a position there. Place is understaffed. As usual."
The menu is only checked for drinks. He will have a Bloody Mary, thanks.
*
A grimace twisted Lorna's lips as she folded the menu and set it aside, her gaze lifting toward Darcy and she pursed her lips. "I'm happy he makes you happy. Really. But I wish you'd told me. I want to know everything about him, and you.. and Darcy.. You're one of the few people that I'd count as a good friend. I care.." She mumbled, looking down at the table and tapping her finger nails against the plastic laminated surface.
She fell silent as Nate spoke and she nodded, "The school needs more people. And if you're worried about me being there, or anything.. I don't know if I plan to stay. Once the Professor is up and things are working.. I dunno. I have other places that might be better for me to stay."
*
Marcos looks to Lorna and he nods very softly, looking then to Darcy. "Well, I think what we're coming down to is that if you need anything, let us know. If you need someplace to stay or just friends to count on, we're here." Marcos smiles, and he looks over the menu, ordering a vodka and the chicken.
He place sthe menu down, and falls into silence.
*
Offered a place, a position, in a home that she really had fallen in love with is what does it. Darcy's tears return, even as she's laughing at Nate.
"Sure! I'll teach sex-ed," she says as a complete joke. No one wants Darcy to teach anything. It's just not… No. Bad idea!
"I… I just… Thanks giys. It… It means alot.. and…" Words fail her and so she too falls silent, letting Nate and Lorna discuss Lorna's staying or going or whatever.
*
Nate has nothing to comment about Lorna staying or leaving. Four years and he drops by to steal the coffee, mostly. And late night Danger Room sessions he rarely books in advance. He is an X-Man (it took him years to admit he is) and never a teacher.
"Sure, you can teach whatever. As I said they need staff. Technicians, security, doctors, all kinds of admin people," and Darcy was good with the paperwork, he remembers. His driving license was hers and it looks genuine.
"Think about it. It is dangerous. It means dealing with kids, with powers. Registration will make all hellish. And there are usually armed zealots and giant robots trying to kill us all. But it is not boring," the sales pitch needs some work. But Darcy already knows where she is getting to.
*
A glance was spared toward Marcos and she squeezed his hand. A small smile tilting her lips upward as she looked from her husband back to Darcy. "You're our friend. If there's anything I can do, let me know. I've got a credit card with my name on it, and no real spending limit. If you want to go shopping and chat, or just chill out.. I'm your gal. Seriously, Darcy. I think I can speak for everyone here.. You were missed." She grimaced, looking down as Nate spoke about the dangers of the mansion and the issues that faced staff and faculty there.
*
Those dangers are things that Darcy is not a stranger to, and the look she levels on Nate tells everyone just that.
"If you're name dropping me to your jefe, then name drop me. You have a way to reach me. You can call me when he wants an interview. I'm not a stranger to your facility or how it works, and given that I'm now in an even shitter apartement with even less shit to my name since I was in long enough that the ass-hole of my old land-lord went in and pawned my shit, I have zero issues moving. Ya'll're gonna hafta be gravy with me dating a reporter, and having a sealed record," she tells the X-Man, gaze softening toward Lorna. Darcy hadn't been letting on just how hard pressed she'd been left until now, so the offer of a shopping spree has her smiling.
"I missed ya'll too. But I'm not going to mooch. I'll go hang out, when I've made enough to let me pay my own share. Just sitting back and hanging out is fine with me too. Love don't cost a thing. J.Lo's a smart bitch."
*
Marcos smiles just softly as everyone seems to agree with him, and Darcy looks thoroughly touched at the effort they are willing to go through to make sure she's happy and comfortable. "I don't mind that you're dating a journalist, reporter, whatever." Marcos smiles.
He does look at Lorna, and he leans forward to kiss her cheek. then he looks happy. relaxed. "Please, we have plenty of rooms. Come on down, stay a while. Even after you get back on your feet."
*
Drinks are brought and Nate has his. Food will arrive in a few minutes, so he should get going too. Hopefully Clark will return before they finish. What was his boss asking a Sunday evening, anyway?
"I'll tell Xavier. And Logan, since he is in charge while Scott and Jean are away," and wherever it is, maybe Nate should get looking at it. It has been a few months. "Whatever happens, try to stay in touch, hmm?"
*
A shrug followed and Lorna leaned against her husband's shoulder with her own, her gaze locked onto Darcy with intent. "I don't have to like his profession.. and I certainly don't have to give interviews, but beyond that.. I don't care what his job is. So long as he doesn't try to publish something outrageous." She teased, a faint smile twitching at the corners of her lips. Even if there was wariness in her gaze.
"You sure he's not like a pole dancer or something? Cause uh.. your boy doesn't look like a desk jock writing away for most of his life." She teased and wiggled her eyebrows.
*
Darcy chuckles, reaching up to press her eyes dry.
"I… work way too far away… righ tnow… I.. guys.. I just.." Darcy can't even anymore, and so Lorna's teasing has her laughing, the tears retruning.
"He's… I'll have to ask him… to dance for me now."
*
Marcos didn't mind Lorna leaning against him, and his arm swiftly wraps around her shoulders. SO WARM. but she ewas always the same temperature as the antarctic, so this works out, right? He laughs just a little bit. "Well, I don't really care if Clark's a reporter or a journalist. Though…I REALLY don't want to see him dance." nor does he want his WIFE to see him dance.
*
Nate finishes his drink and stands up. "Okay, time for me to go. You guys have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't. I am watching you, Darce," as if he needed to clarify. Darcy is the dangerous on a Sunday evening. "Oh, we need to talk with Sage later this week, Lorna. I think she is unto something." And probably nothing good. He leaves.