16546/Incident in the Foyer

Incident in the Foyer
Date of Scene:	24 September 2024
Location:	Main Foyer - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	There was almost a kerfuffle between the girls and Lorna. But Alex kept the peace. Oh, and the Cuckoos probed Lorna's mind. Saw some jacked up shit.
Cast of Characters:	Havok, Polaris, Stepford Cuckoos

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Havok has posed:
Alex emerges from the west wing (kitchen area) where he just made a sammich. He's currently wearing black sneakers, cargo shorts (faux pas) of a khaki hue, and a black tshirt that fits tightly over his muscular chest and back (unstable molecules). He's holding a bag of Lays plain potato chips, a paper towel wrapped bologna sandwich, and a Sprite in both of his hands as he rounds the corner heading toward the grand stairwell with the goals and intentions of ascending the stairs.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane leans against a window, just staring blankly out. Like she's confused or something. Green hair ruffled up, faded blue jeans a bit crinkled as is her loose fitting dark purple shirt. But hey, at least she's not doing something weird like talking to bats today.

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The Stepford Cuckoos sat in perfect symmetry along the grand stairwell, their legs neatly folded beneath them, pale hands poised with eerie precision over their phones. The soft glow of the screens illuminated their identical faces, each expression blank, focused, and entirely detached from the world around them. The tap-tap-tapping of their fingers moved at a speed that seemed almost unnatural, a relentless, ceaseless rhythm like rain against glass---rapid, methodical, unnervingly synchronized.

From a distance, the sound might pass as an ordinary clatter of fingers on keyboards, but to anyone nearby, there was something subtly wrong about it. The way their taps harmonized into one fluid cadence, almost like a code being transmitted, was unsettling. They never paused to look up, never exchanged a glance with each other. Instead, they moved as one, fingers flying over the screens in perfect unison, crafting silent messages that only they could decipher. The energy between them was thick, electric, suggesting a purpose far greater than the casual amusement of texting.

The sheer focus they exuded, each Cuckoo completely in tune with her sisters, raised a quiet tension in the air---leaving one to wonder what exactly they were doing, what they were communicating, and perhaps most unsettlingly, who or what might be on the receiving end of their typed conversations. It wasn't just idle texting.. it was a performance, a silent conspiracy carried out in full view yet veiled in mystery, with the unnerving sense that even though they weren't looking up, they were still keenly aware of everything happening around them.

Havok has posed:
Rounding the corner and seeing that there are others in the hallway, he spots Lorna first, then the 5 in 1. He doesn't let his mind play into the fears that there's something going on between the 6 of them but he does think that there was a time when he approached the Cuckoos about helping Lorna out. He's not even going to mention it now. He's simply excited to see Lorna back in the mansion. That she's not run off again. He starts walking her way instead of toward the stairs.

In route toward Lorna, he hears the patterns of the Cuckoos and glances their way while slowing his stride. He moves to position himself with his back to the adjacent wall nearest to Lorna where he might stare Cuckoo way. He says to Lorna quietly, leaning her way, "What the heck is going on over there? Wanna bite of my sammich?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane arches a brow and glances over her shoulder as she hears the Cuckoos tapping away. These days she's more paranoid than ever and she has to wonder what they're plotting this time..

Spying Alex however, her expression softens and she relaxes visibly as she moves swiftly towards him, quickly crossing the gap between them as she opens her arms to hug him.

"Alex!" she says simply, though the expression in her face suggests there is so much more to be said.

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The Stepford Cuckoos' tapping abruptly ceased, five sets of identical eyes rising in perfect unison to observe Alex and Lorna's reunion with raised brows. Their gaze was cold, calculating, and synchronized, observing the embrace with a mix of detached curiosity and mild disinterest. Then, just as smoothly as they had paused, they returned to their phones, fingers resuming their rapid fire tapping.

"Are you two going to start making out?" Phoebe's voice broke the silence, her tone flat and uninterested.

"Because if you are," Esme continued without missing a beat, her gaze flickering briefly toward Alex before settling back on her screen, "it might be a little disruptive."

"We're working," Sophie added, not even bothering to look up this time, her fingers flying across the screen.

"Updating our profiles and statuses," Irma chimed in, her voice laced with a trace of amusement.

"And responding to the endless comments from our followers," Celeste finished, her voice smooth, tinged with superiority. "It's a full-time job, really. So if you're going to start necking there," she glanced briefly at Lorna, "try not to get in the way." Their synchronized attention returned fully to their phones, the tapping resuming its unnerving rhythm.

Havok has posed:
Alex is embraced, he returns the hug and keeps his sandwich and chips from being squished. He looks over Lorna's shoulder to the queries and comments from the girls and he shakes his head with a slight grin. He's glad not to be addicted to cell phones and online lives.

When the embrace is broken, he says to Lorna, "Well, hello to you too." as he recognizes she's not consumed with biting the heads off bats, listening to emo vamp goth music, drinking blood, or whatever it is that she's been doing when she disappears for days to weeks on end. These last 9 months have been a strain on him and he's run out of energy trying to find her every time she runs off, trying to get someone to help her, and above all, help her himself. He's come to the point in his mind that it's going to either work out, or it won't. He wishes the best for her, of course. But it seems like he's the only one - including her, herself.

His eyes meet hers, looking into those green pools looking to see if Lorna is actually in there, or if she's the shell.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane arches a curious brow towards the cuckoos as they start fussing over social media accounts or something, and bites back a smile..Wait when is the last time she's smiled?

Still, she relaxes visibly but doesn't let go of Alex's arms. The sandwich and chips are given a slight sniff as if considering them..Wait, does she even eat regular food anymore? Lorna sure gas been acting weird lately. But today there is something different about her. Perhaps a brighter shine in her emerald eyes. Maybe a bit more exuberance in how she clings to Alex with renewed interest, maybe even desperation.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been..My self lately. But when we fought those demons the other day, I dunno, something clicked.." was it some sort of chaos magic interfering with whatever hold the unnamed vampires have over her mind..Seems to be slipping..

The cuckoos can decipher than much off the top. But there is still a mental hold on her mind, exhausting her even as she tries to fight back, regain control..

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The Stepford Cuckoos' tapping faltered once again, but this time, it wasn't from the mundane disruption of Alex and Lorna's reunion. No, something else caught their collective attention. The momentary lapse in Lorna's mind, that faint tug of chaos magic fighting against a lingering mental hold, piqued their interest far more than any profile update ever could.

With a single glance shared among them, the five blonde girls moved in unison, smoothly rising from their positions on the stairs. Their phones were set aside, forgotten as they gracefully dislodged themselves from their perches and strode over to where Alex and Lorna stood, their identical steps falling into perfect sync, their eyes fixed curiously on Lorna.

"What was that?" Sophie asked, her voice sharp with intrigue, stepping closer as she scanned Lorna's face.

"Something in your head," Esme noted, tilting her head slightly, eyes narrowing with focus.

"You fought demons?" Phoebe chimed in, almost impatiently, leaning in as though expecting Lorna to spill more details.

"What clicked?" Irma asked, her gaze intense as the five of them now surrounded the pair, their mental presence pressing in closer, telepathic tendrils extending to brush against Lorna's mind, seeking answers.

"Tell us everything," Celeste demanded, her tone almost coaxing, though the curiosity in her voice carried a razor-sharp edge. They bombarded Lorna with questions, prodding deeper into her thoughts, scanning for whatever answers might be hidden just beneath the surface. They sought to know what happened, what had caused that mental flicker, what she had experienced.

Their collective focus, for the moment, was entirely on her.

Havok has posed:
Alex heard the tone in Lorna's voice, the pitch and the natural - more Lorna flow to her words and tone. He was about to say something but then the girls walked up to where they stood. He glanced their way to hear their queries and demands. Then instead of trying to answer for Lorna, he looked back to Lorna to allow her to have her own words and descriptions of the current situation. Thus, giving Lorna the floor.

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane arches a surprised brow as the Cuckoos suddenly swarm them, causing her to clutch Alex's arm a bit more tightly. She does *not* like crowds, nor does she like to be swarmed.

"Uh..." she licks her lips, glancing around nervously, "Do you mind..? Seriously, leave us alone...!" she hisses, emerald eyes flashing a darker shade of green. Briefly there is a dangerous edge to her voice, and the subtlest feeling that one's hair is suddenly standing in end..

But perhaps it's Alex nearness or her own desire to fight back against the mysterious presence in her mind that eventually calms her down..

She sighs and shrugs, "Oh you know, just your average run of the mill demon attack outside the school a few weeks ago..."

She frowns at a thought, glancing questioningly at Alex, "Or was there dark magic involved? And some sort of portal? Magic is not my specialty unfortunately..But I could feel it curling around me..Affecting my mind..It felt..Familiar. Like Wanda's magic.."

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The Stepford Cuckoos showed no sign of fear in the face of Lorna's sharp retort. Instead, their expressions only sharpened with intrigue, like a flock of ravens circling something dangerous yet fascinating. Their identical eyes gleamed with curiosity, and instead of stepping back, they closed in tighter, their questions becoming more insistent, more invasive, as though they could extract the answers just by keeping her talking.

"Familiar, you say?" Phoebe asked, leaning in slightly, eyes alight with interest as her mind subtly prodded at Lorna's memories.

"Like Wanda's magic? Now, that's interesting," Esme remarked, her voice smooth, almost eager, as she mentally traced the threads of the hold they could feel within Lorna's mind.

"Demons, portals, dark magic..." Sophie's tone was thoughtful, as if she were checking off a mental list. "And it affected your mind?"

"Tell us more," Irma prompted, a coaxing lilt in her voice as she studied the subtle shifts in Lorna's demeanor. "What did it feel like? How did you know it was magic?"

"Did you see anything? Hear anything?" Celeste pressed, her voice sharp, cutting through the others' questions like a scalpel. "What exactly happened when it curled around you?"

As they spoke, the Cuckoos' telepathic presence dug deeper, subtle tendrils of their power brushing against Lorna's mental defenses, probing gently but persistently. They sifted through her memories, searching for any hint of what had changed, what influence still lingered. Each sister's voice layered over the other's, keeping Lorna distracted with their barrage of questions while they silently worked, eager to uncover the source of this dangerous, intriguing shift in her mind.

Havok has posed:
Alex remains in physical contact of Lorna while the girls talk and do their probing. He knows there's something going on; albeit to him it goes unseen as he has no mental awareness. Heck, he's barely even aware he has a mental part of his own. He only serves to reassure Lorna with soft spoken words, "It's okay, Lorna. They want to help."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna Dane blinks, glancing around the fluttering cuckoos, clearly bothered by their many questions and their probing. "What...? Huh...I...! Would you stop flitting around!" she snaps suddenly, emerald eyes suddenly taking on a darker, almost unnatural shade of deep blackish-green.

Her clutch on Alex tightens, clearly troubled, confused, perhaps even overwhelmed.."I told you all I know.." she retorts between gritted teeth, "And I've hung around my sister long enough to get a vague feel for magic, and it's effect on the earth.." what was it called again? "Ah, ley lines..I dunno much more than that.."

But what is unsaid may reveal even more. Sone dark, mystic presence, somehow weakened since last time the Cuckoos may have seen her, more vulnerable to psychic probing than when Emma last tried to prove her mind..A dark evil presence that attempts to push back, like a sharp sting against the cuckoos probes, an act that seems to confuse and daze Lorna even more, her grasp on Alex faltering just a bit.

"Alex, I'm not feeling the greatest, can't this wait..?"

Stepford Cuckoos has posed:
The Stepford Cuckoos, though slightly perturbed by the sharp sting pushing back against their probing, showed little more than the briefest flickers of discomfort. The sensation was unexpected, but not enough to dissuade them from their task. Their eyes narrowed in focus as they silently processed what they had uncovered.

Without a word, they exchanged a series of glances, their thoughts synchronized in that eerie way only the five of them shared. With an almost imperceptible nod, they reached a collective decision.

"Okay," Phoebe said simply, her voice devoid of emotion, her eyes shifting from Lorna to her sisters.

"See you later," Esme finished, offering a detached smile as they turned away from the scene.

In perfect unison, the five of them dispersed, gliding back to their original positions on the stairs. Their phones were waiting for them, and within moments, the rhythmic tap-tap-tapping resumed, as though nothing had happened. The subtle tension they had stirred lingered in the air, but their focus was already back on their previous task.

Havok has posed:
Alex is patient, he knows that Lorna is getting antsy about the probing. Though he suspects it's part of whatever has corrupted her mind - perhaps a self defense measure to keep people from purging the evil influence. So he simply holds onto her for the duration; offering a reassuring connection and also keeping her from fleeing.

Though only a few seconds may have passed, he's relieved that Phoebe agreed to the disconnect and the girls decided that they'd learned enough - or had enough. In either case, he's relieved and as they depart, he'll say, "Thank you..." and leave it at that. Letting them leave freely without further intervention.

Alex then turns back to Lorna and says, "How about we take a break; go upstairs. I'll draw you a bubble bath and let you soak..." and with that, he'll usher her toward the stairs.