calmbeforethe | 04 . action

[ Storm returns from her week-and-a-half long mission midday on the 12th. Well, she hadn't known it was the 12th when she came back, just that she'd been gone a while. The first thing she'd done when she got back was return to the X-House, but since Rogue had claimed dibs on the only bath in House 16, Ororo decided to indulge herself in an outdoor shower. She needed to find a relatively secluded place for that, so quickly she decides to detour to somewhere high above the flatlands beyond the forests where (hopefully...!) she wouldn't be disturbing anyone.

It'd been a while since she had done such a thing, bathing in rainclouds of her own making, and the mission had been long and tedious despite having Rogue by her side for much of the fighting... So she uses up most of the afternoon for herself and takes the scenic route home.

It's only after she returned to the X-House refreshed and energized that she thought to check the journals and realize belatedly that it was the 12th of January, today. That... gives her pause.

So, thirty years old. Strange; most women gave that number quite a bit of significance. It was supposed to be a milestone (or at least, that's what her sister told her) where by now she should be thinking about whether or not she was ever going to get married, have children or what kind of career she was supposed to focus on. Food for thought, she figured.

In the end, she decides to celebrate it with little fanfare. Evening finds her stopping by Good Spirits for a drink or two, dressed with a little more care than she would have taken on a regular day. She's warm and friendly for the most part, even if towards the end of the night she seems more introspective than normal. Feel free to approach...! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You weren't? It looks like you might have been invited to dinner. Which, if you will pardon my opinion, would be insensitive to someone just returned from a hard mission.

I can't speak for everyone, but I would think that such a dinner could be a welcome way of unwinding, Mia. That, and whatever may follow afterwards, of course.

[She's teasing, mostly. And stepping towards the kitchen, motioning for the younger girl to follow.]

Mm, of course.

[She isn't always good about teasing - doing it or understanding it from the receiving end. Despite living with Kurt more than once. So she follows Ororo into the kitchen silently.]

[And so Ororo busies herself with preparing tea - they've got tea bags in the pantry still, don't they? Hopefully they haven't run out while Ororo was gone. The quiet doesn't really bother her much; Ororo didn't like filling companiable silences with empty words.]

[Of course they have tea bags! Despite the training regimen, Mia hasn't and doesn't plan to switch to coffee. Tea is just fine.

She had intended to prepare it, but now that Ororo is instead, she finds herself without much to do other than retrieve mugs and sit down.]

[Ororo puts the kettle on and takes a tin of tea bags down before inviting Mia to sit at the table with her.]

I do hope I haven't interrupted any of your own plans for the evening, Mia.

Oh, no. I didn't have any plans. I've been a little more tired than usual lately, so I was just going to stay here and read. What were your plans?

Nothing specific, as it happens. I merely wanted to spend the night out, perhaps do some social drinking.

[Ororo tilts her head in Mia's direction.] But, you should be resting, if you are tired. I'm sorry, am I keeping you up? I know Logan's sessions can be quite taxing...

If I went to bed this early I would be up at four in the morning. It's all right. I will get used to doing these things.

I suppose that's fair. But please, don't hesitate to tell us if it gets a bit much for you. The purpose is to improve, never to drive you to a point past what you are capable of.

[Mia smiles the tiniest bit, rubbing her temples.]

What would it look like if I gave up in the middle?

Now, I never said anything about giving up. Just a reminder to know your own limits.

[Mia falls silent. She knows her own limits. Why does it seem harder and harder to convince people of that?]

[Meanwhile, the kettle goes off and Ororo stands to continue preparing their tea.]

That said, how have you found training with Logan so far? Other than tiring, of course.

It's fine. [Don't act like a child, Mia.] More combative than I would like.

It'll be helpful, in the long run. [Ororo pours out a cup each for the two of them.]

It was Logan who taught me how to fight, did you know? I learned to defend myself as a child, but Logan refined my technique, taught me not to rely on my powers.

But he isn't very much older than you are. Did you meet when you were children?

[a mysterious smile. she has no answer for that first comment, but for the second...]

Well, we met when we were both grown adults. In a dark alley, with him on the run from some bad people...

Oh, dear. I hope both of you were all right.

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