01 . action

[calmbeforethe]

[ Her last memories of Luceti had been of snow. Looking around the forest and sensing the patterns of weather upon waking, however, told her it was now early autumn. Either she'd been gone several months or at least a year this time, she figured. Ororo wondered idly if there was a reason that she came and went like this. Something to ask the veterans of Luceti, she thought. ]

[ When she felt well enough, Storm took to the skies of Luceti: she knew her abiliities were dampened here in the enclosure, but she needed some time to reacquaint herself with Luceti's nature before looking for the village. She needed to calm herself, too; less powers also meant less control, and it would probably be better if she kept her emotions from starting an off-season monsoon. The random flashes of thunder and lightning from her annoyance at finding herself back in Luceti might attract unwanted attention, and how embarrassing would it be if someone noticed... ]

[ As soon as she centered herself, she changed course and headed for where she knew the village was. She remembered where the little house she'd stayed in previously was located as well, and checking the journal's callbox had let her know just who was still around and who from her world had arrived while she was "back at home." She figured there would be no harm in dropping by the house unannounced. Hopefully there was someone in House 16 to greet her! ]

[ Storm's first order of business after moving back into her old room at House 16 was to visit the stores for some essentials: the clothes shop being her first stop. As soon as she'd changed into and picked up some familiar clothes, she stepped back outside - and when it was safe, Ororo called down a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike the damned New Feather dress into ash. Subtle? Not in the least, but she had to vent somehow, right? Right. ]

[ Her next stops include the Item Store, and the grocery (to re-stock the house's food supply with some vaguely nutritious food), but her final stop of the day, despite the groceries and other items in her arms, would be Cloud Nine. Some of her clearer memories of Luceti were of the quaint little club, and Ororo rather hoped it would jog a few more of her memories... ]

[ Anyone in town is free to recognize or even bump into her as she makes her way around the village! Storm will be all over the place in general, seeking to re-familiarize herself with the town again. ]

Comments

action;

[alloys]

[Two things:

One, she sure did just incinerate that New Feather dress with a bolt of lightning.

Two, that is unmistakably Storm. Miss Ororo Munroe. And that is a person he hasn't seen in a long, long time.]

...Haven't changed a bit, have you, Orrie?

[Old habits die hard.]

[calmbeforethe]

[Please, it's only been months!]

[Ororo spares him a raised eyebrow (because that nickname will never not be horrid) before looking back at the ruined dress on the ground.]

Maybe a little. And you, Tony?

[alloys]

[Not for him. It's been years. But at least she remembers him. Maybe it hasn't been quite that long for her.

Have a cheeky grin.]

A little handsomer, a little more brilliant, more heroic, more lovable--all those things. But essentially the same. Haven't been back long, have you?

[calmbeforethe]

[She shakes her head.] Only a few hours, now. Nothing much has changed around here, has there? [She means you, by the way.]

[alloys]

On the whole? Not particularly. The usual. Drafts, pointless experiments, generally having the Malnosso mess with our minds, you know. Only the best.

[calmbeforethe]

[Dryly:] Of course. It's good to know that we can count on some things to stay blissfully constant here.

[Sighs briefly, but gives Tony a little smile.] I know it's a little odd to say or hear, but it is good to see you're at least still here, Mr. Stark. [Familiar face, and all that.]

[alloys]

Yeah. Right back at you. [And he actually sounds mildly sincere about that. He's been in Luceti a long time now. The value of a familiar face has increased exponentially for him.] Have you caught up with your happy little team, yet?

[calmbeforethe]

[Well, look at that. Tony referred to her friends as her team without sounding condescending. Someone's grown!]

Just Rogue, actually. I think I gave her quite a bit of a surprise when I dropped by the house earlier this morning. [She sighs, caught somewhere between sheepish (if Storm is even capable of such an emotion) and fond.]

[alloys]

[Aren't you so proud of him? Being a part of a team himself now helps.]

I hope you didn't make an entrance the same way you handled that dress.

[calmbeforethe]

[Oh Tony, you know her better than that.]

And if I did?

[alloys]

Then I feel bad for the smoldering pile of ash that was your house.

[calmbeforethe]

It is a good thing that Luceti's structures have a near-immediate reconstruction quality to them then, isn't it?

[alloys]

--Yeah, I'd say so. [He smirks.] I'm guessing she told you--Kurt when home. But Wolverine showed up. I'm guessing you know him, too. [Same team and all. Math isn't hard.]

[calmbeforethe]

[She nods.] Yes, on both counts. It's good that Kurt has returned; I know he made several friends here, but such a bright spirit should not have to be forced into the kind of life the Malnosso demand of us here... Though I suppose that is true for anyone.

... And yes, Logan is indeed a friend from home. You've met?

[alloys]

[He nods.] The curmudgeonly Canadian? Oh, sure. He clawed his way out of my closet when he arrived. The door never hung the same way again.

[calmbeforethe]

[Chuckles.] Ah, yes. That does sound like Logan. I'm sorry your closet had to go through that, though I do hope your clothing survived?

[alloys]

Luckily, it was the linens closet. Which I'm sure you'll be shocked to hear was pretty much devoid of linens.

[calmbeforethe]

Well, that's par for the course is it not? The course being a household belonging to Tony Stark, of course. [single, genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist that you are.]

[alloys]

Back in the day, sure. But my household is a bit more organized these days. Closets full of linens.

[And he's not so single anymore. His grin is pretty telling.]

[calmbeforethe]

Oh, is that so? What brought on this lifestyle shift? <small[Are you sure you're the Tony that she used to know??]

[alloys]

Well, I hate to break the news to you, but I'm a taken man now. [Look, he's monogamous and everything, aren't you impressed??] I'm sure your heart is breaking, but try not to lose too much sleep over it. She's got the house looking more like an actual house and less of a bachelor pad.

/sighs, flips htmlfail

[calmbeforethe]

[Oh, but that has Ororo laughing softly, and then smiling.]

Is that right? That's good, then. I'm happy for you, and her. Who is the lucky lady? Someone from your world?

there, there

[alloys]

Miss Pepper Potts. My personal assistant. Now a little more personal than before.

[Yeah, he knows how it sounds.]

[calmbeforethe]

[The name doesn't ring a bell, but that's okay.]

You'll have to introduce me to her. I should like to meet the woman who has inspired Tony Stark to have a halfway organized house and not a perpetual workshop.

[alloys]

As you should. I mean, just guessing, but I think the two of you would get along just fine.

[Badass ladies of Marvel and all.]