| Return, Rebirth and Reconnections |
| Summary: | Illyana, Kurt, Kitty, Ray, Havok and Domino are around when a certain red-head (Jean Grey) makes her return. |
| Date: | 2016-06-24 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | N/A |
| Scene Runner: | N/A |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. |
Summer is now in full swing and while it has yet to become unbearable (with the heat) the signs are there that soon that won't always be the case, as the humidity begins to be felt. Still, that doesn't seem to stop anyone from enjoying or even going outside, as students and staff can be found milling about, or moving with purpose through the courtyard.
For Illyana, she's settled upon the lip of the fountain and while most people typically sit on the fountain, she's casually laying upon it. In her hands is a typical 'girly' magazine and the magazine is held suspended above her head as she reads the articles within.
Her dress for today is quite simple; dark black shorts paired with a bright pink razorback tank top. Embossed upon the tank top is the word 'Awesome' in glittery rhinestones.
For one Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde, the idea of 'summer' seems less exciting than the idea of 'belated spring cleaning'. It is this reason the mutant phaser can be seen stumbling out the door of the mansion piled high with colorful suits of clothing. Not just one or two items, but her arms are stacked full of pink.
Lockheed, her faithful purple dragon is even packed down with items, or an item at least. He's currently carting (in a not so careful manner) a hideous pink evening gown, which has been folded several times by his paws, the bottom of the dress appears to be caught on his tail, as the dragon turns slightly, only getting the fabric even more attached about it.
Kitty is oblivious as she talks to Lockheed, skirts, and blazers, bags full of odds and ends. "Pink. And pencil skirts. What the jam was I thinking!?"
The fuzzy elf is up early this morning, dressed in nice clothes, tie is now loosed, appearing on top of the water-fountain in a *bamf*, and Kurt looks all the world as if he's ready to keep going on his merry way until he sees…
Kurt leeeeeeans to attempt to obscure the sun from Illyana's moment in the sun, as it were, his tones light. "Did you put your sunscreen on, liebchen?" Nothing like a Nightcrawler-shaped shadow, tail and all! "Even an hour in the sun…"
Kurt looks up from his perch to see Kitty come from the Mansion, and he winces before a smile creeps, "That looks like you'll be shopping soon."
"…and if you'd guarded your thoughts like I taught you, you wouldn't HAVE detention. Or an F. Go and get some lunch, I'll talk to you later."
Rachel is, once again, showing why she's one of the students' very favourite teachers. Accompanying her instructions with an outstretched arm, finger pointed imperiously toward the dining room, Rachel finally manages to divest herself of the last of the sullen students who'd trailed after her all the way to the courtyard. As the student stomps off, muttering, Rachel closes her eyes and massages her temples until she's calm again. Opening her eyes, Rachel squints at the sun, decides it's not /quite/ bright enough to earn her ire, and walks across the courtyard, intent on flopping down on the fountain and enjoying a few moments relaxation.
Naturally, she walks right into Kurt's bamf-cloud. "Urgh. Thanks, Kurt. Just what I needed." Still, even as she fans the brimstone cloud away from her face, she's smiling. Her mood is lifting a bit. "I can't interest either of you in taking the rest of my classes?" She asks, a bit plaintively, before her eye is caught by Kitty. Or at least what she assumes is Kitty, under the mound of clothing.
"Pink isn't your colour, Lockheed!" She calls to the dragon, helpfully.
Emerging from the south admin residence building, Alex is dressed casually for the day. Kakki shorts, sneakers and a Hawaiian shirt with its black base and various colored flowers printed all about. He doesn't immediately approach the going's on around the fountain, but he watches and surveys the land since it's filled with memories that aren't as traumatic as those of recent months. He smiles to himself and is pleased with the /who/ and the /what/ he sees.
If the smell of brimstone doesn't alert her to the fact that she's no longer alone, that shadow that's now blotting out her sun definitely does.
The magazine held within her hands will be slowly lowered, so that just the top of her head and blue eyes can be seen above the edge. It's only when she realizes who is obscuring her warmth, that she'll offer a quirk of a smile. "Kurt." She says, the magazine now being closed with a rustle of paper as the blonde starts to rise up into a more seated position upon that fountain of hers. "And yes, I remembered the sunblock -" Begins the blonde, before her gaze is captured by all the PINK that seems to be slowly moving? Shuffling? Lurching forwards.
A noise of amusement can be heard from Illyana as she watches Kitty and Lockheed struggle with her wardrobe, for now though, she doesn't quite get up to help - instead saying aside to Kurt, "I never mind shopping trips with Pryde and really, she shouldn't go out on her own, otherwise she tends to buy stuff like /that/."
Not that pink is bad, but that amount of pink definitely is. When Ray makes her way over towards the duo, Illyana will offer a one handed wave. "Hey, Rachel." And then when she spies Havok, "Alex."
A distinct FEH! Echoes forth from the purple dragon to Rachel's taunt, as Lockheed is now entirely wrapped up in the pink evening gown. Only his wings are free of the silken, clinging fabric, and for all intents it appears Lockheed is wearing the dress.
Stomping, dragging, hefting, and mumbling, Kitty is still oblivious to Lockheed's plight, "I should just completely burn the … lot … of…" Kitty's voice trails off as she finally lifts her head up enough and around the armful of clothing to take in the scene before her.
Kitty's nose wrinkles upwards, her head tilted around the stack of clothing, while one foot kicks a bag of clothing forward - only to proceed to up end the entire contents - shoes galore go spilling forth at this point. Pumps. Heels. Matching shades at times.
"Oh good grief!" Is Kitty's response, "Burning the lot of it is sounding more and more appealing! And I heard that Illyana! I have a great sense of fashion!" Which she doesn't, really.
"And hello everyone! I'm back from space!" Which is obvious, but well, Kitty's still all grins
In the next second, Kurt teleports from his perch on the fountain to the concrete ground around it, his tail twitching lightly in the motion, the *bamf* a background sound, at least for him. The smell, well.. everyone is used to it. Right? "Shopping with you requires Piotr to attempt to carry all the bags," he nods sagely, that smile playing now full force. "I think it is all a ruse—"
Until Kurt gets a look at what it is that Kitty is carrying out, and he quickly amends with a nod, "Ja. It is real." He's not entirely sure how to help, however, and he takes a step, two, towards Kitty. "Is it going to charity, or the incinerator?" It's a real question!
Havok's emerging from the admin building wouldn't normally get attention, but Hawaiian Shirt! "Perhaps he can do the honors?"
Kurt shakes his head as Rachel finds what is probably one of the greater concentrations of his bamf and grins, straightening. "What time today, liebchen? I have the rest of the day free." Maybe. Though, yellow eyes narrow, "Which subject today?"
Since he's now WEARING the dress, there's really only one way Rachel can react to the little dragon's expression of displeasure. She raises her hands in a conciliatory gesture and smirks as she says, "Well, if you like it THAT much, who am I to judge?"
Space dragons and old friends are much better for her state of mind than students, apparently. Particularly when one old friend is offering himself up as a solution to that particular problem. "All of them. Forever." She tells Kurt, her tone deadly serious, although there might be a teasing light in her eyes. Or maybe that'd be wishful thinking.
"Hey, Illyana." Rachel belatedly returns the blonde's greeting, glancing down at her and then nodding to Kitty. "Any idea what's brought this on? Isn't she a bit young for a mid-life crisis?" Rachel still hasn't addressed Kitty directly, but once the brunette makes THAT particularly bold claim, Rachel just has to laugh.
"Sure you do, Kitty." Rachel says, walking toward her and lifting the mass of clothes out of her arms with her telekinesis so that she can pull Kitty into a hug. "And what was so important about spring cleaning that you couldn't say hi first?" She asks, mock-accusingly.
Not much will be said from Alex other than a smile of greeting to Illy and then his attention drawn to the clothing which should be incenerated. Something that if he did it would be strickly overkill. He continues his steps toward the fountain gathering and he offers a generic, "Morning." to all who may be paying him any attention. But they have their conversations already and he isn't one to interrupt (unless Scott was here). His destination will be the fountain, where he may take a seat on the rim and continue to watch the exchange. He has nothing better to do this morning other than to hang out. And what a better place to do such.
Idly, Illyana's gaze will follow after Kurt as he bamfs from the top of the fountain near to her and then away again, as he moves to help Kitty. It's only when Kitty calls out to her about fashion sense that Illyana will finally rise from her seated position upon that fountain. "Pretty sure you forgot one word there, Pryde. You definitely have a fashion sense, that's for /certain/, but I don't think I can really call it 'good'." Cracking a grin now, Yana will follow after Kurt and Rachel, as she likewise moves to help her former room mate.
"Glad to see you're back home too." She adds, even as she hears Ray's remark about a possible mid-life crisis for Kitty.
For the most part, Kurt, Ray and Illyana can be found around Lockheed and Kitty, with the phaser and her pet dragon enveloped by a HUGE amount of pink clothing. Dresses, skirts, shirts, shoes even, can be found scattered around the group. Havok is settled upon the fountain, watching the little group try to help free Kitty and Lockheed from the terrible pink wardrobe.
Glowering. Absolutely glowering at Rachel. Lockheed's FEH is even louder, as he works to unravel himself from the gown - and not tear it. Which would be bad. He guesses.
As for Kitty, first is to offer a, "Fuzzy, these deserve the incinerator, but I was going to offer them to charity. At least, if they don't give them back. At which point, then they're completely going into the inferno. Maybe I'll make a bonfire with them." A vicious gleeful grin crosses Kitty's expression at that.
As the items in her arms are lifted, Kitty's embracing Rachel in return, laughter in her gaze and voice. "You were flunking kids, and seemed so happy. I didn't want to intrude."
Stepping back, Kitty also raises her left hand, ring finger upwards to Rachel. "We've got a lot to talk about, Red." The tone is both filled with mirth and yet her gaze holds Rachel's. "Tons to talk about."
Rachel's tk more than takes care of the burden, and Kurt quickly steps forward to take them from the air. "I can deliver these quickly to town." Of course, so could a few other people. "Leave them with the promise they are not to return to us." He's only half-kidding there.
"Und, I don't think I could do teaching forever. My hair would fall out in patches," Kurt now is trying to be deathly serious, but there is just that gleam in those featureless yellow eyes, or the twitch of that tail to give off his humor. "Then they would make fun of me.
"Morning, Alex. Feel like some target practice before I leave to bring the clothes to the City?"
Listening, absorbing and watching the exchange, Alex's blue eyes seem entertained with the flow of things and the focus of the hideous clothing. Then when Kurt asks about target practice, Alex defers to charity, "Probably best to donate. They can be remade by some redhead girl into a very pretty pink prom dress, or something ducky."
Rachel's snort is almost an echo of Lockheed's. "That's what I look like when I'm happy, all right." Rachel's tone is sour, but she's still grinning. She lets Kitty break the embrace, glancing over at Kurt as he fields Kitty's surplus wardrobe from mid-air. She's careful to let him get a good grip before she lets go, since Kitty does seem to be throwing out rather a lot of clothes. She sighs, deliberately and heavily, when he reveals that he's not going to take on her teaching duties indefinitely. "Raise my hopes just to dash them, fuzzy? So cruel." She shakes her head, looking back at Kitty with a smirk.
And sees the raised hand, which makes her frown in puzzlement.
And then sees the ring, which makes her eyes go wide, and then snap up to meet Kitty's gaze.
"And you LEFT ME TEACHING CLASS instead of telling me this right away?!" She sounds accusing, and amazed, and excited, and several other things all at once. But then her eyes narrow suspiciously.
"…He's called Peter, isn't he?"
Sometimes things happen without any real good reason. One of these things involves a 'murdered out' Jaguar coupe pulling up to the gates of Xavier's. There's a moment of hesitation even once the gates start to open before the driver pulls in and parks off to the side. As soon as the driver steps out the sunlight hits patches of bleached skin with such intensity that it's like Neena has a spotlight shining down on her, mixed with more black clothes and blue sunglasses.
She's also looking a little lost. There's a lingering glance in Kurt's direction, then to Alex, then—
"Good God, man! It is either way too early or way too sober for that much pink!"
At the Xavier Mansion anything can happen at any given time, be it a pink wardrobe-palooza, visitors from infernal dimensions, or those of the cosmic variety. Heck, every few years it gets destroyed too, only to rise again. Today, someone else who made a habit of rising from the dead makes a long overdue return visit.
A brilliant white light, not quite unlike Magik's stepping discs, blindingly appears near the fountain. It comes and goes in mere seconds, but when it dissipates, Jean Grey is standing there, dressed in a pristine white and gold Phoenix uniform. Her eyes for a moment glow a brilliant white, before dimming down to their natural green color.
For a few moments Jean looks a bit unlike herself, standing still and looking around her, almost as if seeing the Xavier Mansion for the first time. Or is it first time in a few years? Either way, she soon notes the plenthora of pink garments and notes, "Why so much pink?" You know it's quite a feat when you're for donation wardrobe grabs the attention of someone just returned from the dead.
When Kitty raises that hand of hers to show Ray the ring upon it, Illyana can't help but say, "What's this?" She asks, even as she continues with, "I'm with Ray. I'm feeling a /little/ left out /now/." Her tone dips towards accusatory much like the red-head's, as the blonde now elbows her way closer to Pryde. "BFFs, she tells us, but you get a ring on your finger and nothing. Communication /silence/." She continues on with, even as she reaches out to try and snag Kitty's hand to get a closer look at the ring.
"And did you even ask for our advice? Noo. Now how are we supposed to make sure he's good enough?" Comes the demoness mutterings, as she gives a faint glower to Kitty, before her gaze moves to Domino, as she notes the arrival of the other woman as well.
It's only at that flash of bright white light, that Yana will pause in any further grumblings. Turning now, the demoness will look over her shoulder towards the source of that bright white light and when she sees Jean Grey standing there, Illyana immediately frowns.
It's not every day that Jean Grey returns from the dead and usually, when she does, bad things tend to happen or are happening. Either way, while Illyana doesn't necessarily leap into action, her soulsword does appear within her hands. The rather large sword, for now, is pointed downward as Yana says with some wariness. "You know how it is - spring cleaning. Gotta get rid of the stuff we no longer use, or want." And then there's a heartbeat of pause, before she adds, "Been a long time since we've seen you. You are really you, right? I'd hate for it not to be, especially since it's such a nice day out."
It has to be said that Kitty doesn't even blink at Rachel's sudden declaration of the -name-. Instead, Kitty's eyes remain bright and twinkle as she offers a drawn out. "Maaaaaybe. Though I do think he prefers to call himself Star-Lord." Ah, Rachel. She knows Kitty only too well. And for Illyana - Kitty's hand lowers after Yana lets it go, Kitty feels - somewhat guilty. "I know. I know. But it all happened so suddenly, and then there was Peter getting pulled back to Spartax and .. We'll talk. I promise. Soon!"
To Kurt, Kitty offers a grateful, "And thank you, Kurt. I really appreciate that. Tons and tons, totally owe you one." She, also, lets Kurt extract himself from Domino's comments, what are friends for?
All that - and then. Wham. Light. Bright. Incredible. And what comes out is none other than. "JEAN!?!" It isn't young Jean, either. Suspicion isn't part of Kitty's make-up, she wants to believe it to be true, so she believes it to be true. It is to Rachel that Kitty then draws her gaze, after all, Rachel would know the truth of what is going on.
Kurt's got his hold of the clothes, enlisting the aid of his tail to hang a few more shirts and shorts, the sunglasses now atop his head in a pile. The pink really does show off the deep indigo of fur, where it can be seen, that is. "Clothes or classes." There's his escape clause! It's when Rachel makes comment about.. what? Peter? "Was?" It's Illyana's addition that yellow eyes narrow, "Who is this und where does he live? I'll pay him a visit." Overprotective 'big brother'? Yes.
Domino's appearance is more noted under the pile of pink, and brows rise. "We are donating it. Some little girl will be very happy." Maybe, though he's a little dubious at Alex' assurances, such as they are. Assuming said little girl never goes out? "You could use some with the white und black?"
It's the appearance of Jean, however; that brilliant white light that causes Kurt to drop the clothes in a single heap on the ground, his gaze moving towards that beacon. It's a light he remembers, at least it reminds him fully of his own light, and loss. There isn't anything to consider right now, however, and it's instinct, instantaneous that the elf teleports out from under the clothing and up to give Jean a big hug, his tail getting into the action as well. It's that split second that not only is the fuzzy blue ready to hug, but
*bamf*
*bamf
*bamf
Three more little copies of Kurt, the bamfs, show up, clinging to the main teleporter, arms outstretched to give Jean that hug, all trailing that self-same brimstone smell. She may not know them, but they certainly seem to know her? So, at the moment, blue fuzzy body is interposed between Soul Sword and newly returned. Things are still a little overwhelming, but he believes in home, and Jean's a big part of that. Too large a part.
Alex had turned to see the arrival of Domino and was about to say something. However, interrupted by the flash. Alex initially shields his eyes from the flash of light with his raised right hand. Meanwhile, he drops back his left leg to brace for his pending attack as his original thoughts were that the flash was an attack from one of their many rogues (not to be confused with the skunk girl, no not Hepzibah). He's about to start giving tactical orders, his lips parted and breath taken.. but then he identifies the target. Somewhere in his mind there's a 'oh fuck' of knowing that trouble is about to follow in regards to the return of the Phoenix. But emotion takes over and he queries, "Jean?" quietly, more to himself than projecting across to Jean. His mind also races to wonder where his brother is at this very moment.. Emma too.
"/Star-Lord/? He's modest then. Or does he own an actual star?" Rachel's teasing, she can't help herself, but she does get out of the way so that Illyana can have her turn at scolding Kitty.
Rachel nods when Illyana says they've been left out. She nods again, more firmly, when Kitty's silence is mentioned. A third not, the most vehement yet, is given when the fact they weren't consulted is brought up. "We'll just have to vet him for her NOW." Rachel says, ominously, sharing a look with Illyana to make sure she's fully on board with this.
"We'd better." That cheerful threat to Kitty is the last thing that Rachel has chance to say before she feels something very familiar - and utterly impossible. Rachel spins around just in time to get near-blinded by the lightshow that accompanies Jean's arrival, and for a long few seconds she's struck dumb, standing absolutely stock still, her eyes even wider than they were the moment she saw Kitty's ring.
Rachel finally blinks, and anyone with any psi-sensitivity at all will feel a sudden heaviness in the air around Rachel. Her eyes going blank white are a dead giveaway that she's drawing heavily on her powers, too. But whatever she's looking for, whatever she's afraid of, she doesn't find it. She draws in a shaky breath, her eyes not moving from Jean.
"If this is an illusion, or mind control, or… or a dream, I'm going to be really, REALLY angry." Her tone is slightly brittle, but she finally takes a tentative step forward - even as Jean's suddenly assaulted by Nightcrawler and his little friends. "Mom?" Rachel says, quietly… while Kitty's clothes, abandoned by Kurt, fall to the ground in a heap. Rachel's a little distracted for a telekinetic save right now.
There's a sudden feeling of concern, as though so much pink in such a limited space just punched a hole in the space-time continuum. Domino is just starting to answer Kurt with "Black's always good—" when she reflexively ducks behind the open car door and shields the top of her head with a forearm when another red-haired woman flashes into existence. It's the pink..! It HAS to be the pink! "Glad I wasn't standing over there…" she mutters to herself.
Then there's a humongous sword coming out from..somewhere. Just like that Dom recognizes Magik, because who -else- runs around with a cleaver like that? "Is this a bad time?" she plainly asks whomever might happen to hear. Then to herself again, "And this is why we do not leave the guns in the -car.-" Oh great, and there's a bunch of smaller blue teleporter critters, too! "This is insane." It's followed by a nod, also to herself. "Yep. Bad time."
Jean levels her eyes with Magik, as the Russian Demon Queen materializes her soulsword. "No need," Jean says with a smile, pleased perhaps to see Illyana's willingness to protect her friends come what may. "I am pretty sure that I am me, who else would I be?" There's a slight suggestive mischievous lilt there, after all, it is not at all unclear why any X-Men would be wary of Jean returning to life once again. Is it her? Is it a clone? Is it the Dark Phoenix looking to bathe in Cyclops' optic blasts before eating a sun or two? There are many possibilities. If anything, the white costume Jean is wearing could be an indicator that no galaxies will be destroyed today. Hopefully.
"Kitty," Jean says warmly as she turns to look at the girl she first met as an awkward 13 year old, who had since grown to become one of the core of the X-Men. Her work with the young original X-Men certainly proved she learned well. Doing Xavier justice in a role of mentor for a young team. "Yes, it's realy me." She stops there when Kurt's reaction is to bamf next to her and embrace her, she returns that embrace warmly, not even stopping when little bamfs join in the embrace. "It's good to be back, Kurt," she whispers to him, seeming to relish this physical connection of a hug after years in the White Hot Room, it's what she's been longing for…feeling once again.
When Havok thinks to himself if it might be Jean, he can hear her in his mind «yes, it is.» But she soon breaks the embrace with Kurt and the little bamfs, "I'm sorry, can I have a moment, Kurt?" She asks, but already starts to pace towards Rachel, her eyes looking somewhat somberly, "yes…" she answers softly, "and I'm sorry. I really am sorry," while it may not be clear to anyone else what Jean has to be sorry about, no doubt, Rachel would know immediately what is being referred to.
While Jean states there's no need for her weaponry, the soulsword doesn't go away, not yet. Instead, the demoness will keep her gaze mostly focused on Jean.
The little bamfs will be given a look, as well as Havok and Domino, before Illyana's sweeping her gaze around to the whole group to see how everyone is handling Jean's arrival.
While she doesn't offer any further words, or even threats, it should be pretty clear that she's still feeling quite wary. It's only as seconds and minutes pass that the tension will begin to ease out of Illyana's form. Especially when Jean hugs Kurt (and his bamfs) before moving onto Rachel.
Illyana, at this point, is simply an observer.
Awestruck, even Lockheed has stopped fretting about what he's currently wearing to just stand in awe at the bright light, and vision that appears. The purple dragon flits over to land in Kitty's arms. The instant he does, Kitty's gently removing the evening gown from him, a quiet, 'tsk how'd you get tangled in this anyway', escaping softly as she does so. Soon the gown is deposited into the pile of clothing on the ground.
As Jean takes a moment with Rachel, Kitty's smile is bright, genuine. Even a flick of a tear echoes in Kitty's hazel gems. A curious glance towards the tiny bamfs, however, raises an eyebrow towards Kurt, inquiringly curious but doesn't say a word. Her gaze flickers towards Domino, and Alex, offering both the warmth of a smile, before she turns around.
Silently, Kitty drifts back into the mansion, she'll have (hopefully) plenty of time to talk with Jean later, but right now, she and Quill had a scheduled time to holo-talk, and Kitty really doesn't want to miss that moment.
It is her! Kurt hugs for a long moment before he takes a step back, his voice low, "You were missed." Very much. The little bamfs nod their heads quickly, "Bamf.. bamf.. bamf..", leaping and clinging back to the larger blue-fuzzy dude. One on a shoulder, one on his back, one riding the tail.
He turns about, and for courtesy's sake, takes another step before he teleports again with a *bamf* and lands back on the top of the fountain, out of the way enough, but can survey all that is going on, but his gaze keeps going back to the ladies. (He'll get back to the clothes in a moment.)
"It is a time like others, fraulein," Kurt finally chimes in to Domino. As if that's supposed to help the situation? "Here, you take good und bad." He sits back and cants his head as a bamf plays from his tail, danging over the water dangerously. "One always follows the other."
As Kitty heads back to the house, Kurt turns to watch her depart, and he looks up at the bamf on his shoulder. The two share a look, and in the next heartbeat, the little guy *bamf* away, leaving two. Time to do some research on this guy!
Alex relaxes, but not fully. Even if it's Jean, and everyone around believes it's Jean and she's not here to do harm to anyone, there's still the Phoenix and all the badness that comes with it. He knows in his head that if Jean's back, so is the birdy. Then the words in his mind, her words. He sighs and slips his hands into the pockets of his kakki shorts. He's reticent to approach her. He's more inclined on finding Xavier, Scott, and Emma. They're the authority on everything that is Jean and the devistation that follows.
Alex glances to Rachel, seeing her movements and he infers that she's accepting of Jean's presence. But then again, Rachel has always been a softie when it comes to long lost family. Instead, he holds his ground.
Rachel's sort of aware that Domino's arrived, and if she had a bit more presence of mind she might ask if her brother's about to put in an appearance as well - but that potentially awkward conversation has to wait, because Rachel's attention is solely on Jean as she approaches. Rachel doesn't move any closer than that single, abortive step, as if she's afraid that any action she takes might reveal that all this is, after all, an illusion.
But then Jean speaks directly to her, and… apologises? Rachel blinks again, surprised - but then finds herself grinning, and takes a couple of quick steps to cross the remaining distance between them. "Your timing was AWFUL." She tells the older redhead, trying to put on a stern tone and failing miserably, before impulsively stepping forward to envelop Jean in a quick hug. "But if you promise not to die on me again, I'll forgive you." Her voice is quieter, her throat tightening with emotion, but she just about keeps it under control and steps back, her eyes suspiciously moist. "I was an utter brat when you were gone." Rachel tells her, shaking her head and trying not to laugh - or, you know, the other thing. "Welcome home."
Between recognizing the Swordmaiden, knowing her from elsewhere..kinda..and recognizing that wary posture with an open display of weaponry, Domino decides to move in Magik's direction first. After making sure the car door is closed with a somewhat less than subtle *Whump!* "Business as usual around here, huh. On the upside I'm making some great progress on my weekly crazy quota." Case in point when Kurt speaks out to her.
(Don't ask where she kept the sword, don't ask where she kept the sword…)
"Hey, weren't you a chick the other day?" Maybe that's one of his powers. Dom doesn't know!
She's also getting a bit sidetracked with the unusual commotion. Havok is one of the ones she had been looking for, which is something of a change of pace with how elusive she had been when he wanted to find -her.- "We still need to catch up on a few things."
(Did..that one redhead just say 'not to die on me -again-' to that lady?)
"Y'know what, let me just give you my damn phone number," she offers to Havok.
Jean doesn't make any demands of Illyana to remove her soulsword, rather she said what she could to try and calm her down, but she's not going to force anything, letting everyone make up their own minds. She'll have her time to catch up with Kitty later, as Kitty departs, but for the time being her attention is set almost entirely on her daughter. Before she heads towards Rachel, she does tell Kurt, "I have missed too, it's good to be back, Kurt, we'll catch up later."
Just about any unsuspecting person would assume their thoughts are private, but in this company, with the level of uncertainty and mistrust, any X-Men would be wary. Jean, if she's listening on Havok's thoughts, shows no sign of it. She can understand the distrust, which is why Kurt's embrace was so apppreciated, and why she hopes Rachel will forgive her the very thing she's apologizing for. The very thing no other has any idea even happened.
But then Rachel seems to understand, and when she grins, Jean feels great relief, as she smiles bitterly at her daughter, "I didn't know at the time, I had to…coalesce," she puts it rather vaguely, before sighing, "I only found out when I actually got your fragment, do you forgive me?" Jean asks, looking hopefully at Rachel, parting her arms as if wishing to embrace her daughter, but not without Rachel agreeing to it. When Rachel walks up to her and hugs her first, Jean immediately returns the hug squeezing perhaps a bit too tight, pulling Rachel into her, "I'm not sure if I can make that promise, though, it seems I can promise to come back," there's a slight jovial subtext, a joke if you will, though for everything that happened? She may well mean it sincerely. "Let's settle for…I'll do my very best to stay alive this time around." There's more to talk about, but it will have to wait for a more private forum. "It's good to be home."