xp_logs | Cecilia and Moira (Reply)

Backdated to Wednesday night, after Kylun, Jane and Cecilia made the pilgrimage to Moira's office. Cecilia and Moira take some time out from fretting about those who have vanished and trying not to sleep to chat. Cecilia gains a new mission in life, in the process, but it's success is vastly more nebulous than her eventual graduation from medical school.

Moira pressed her hands tightly to her eyes as if in hope of relieving some of the pressure there. The time was passing but more slowly than normal, or so it seemed. She could relax a little bit, now that Jane was sleeping. Kylun had said he had needed to meditate, so she was leaving him alone until he was finished. Moira was not very religious but she respected it in others. Reaching over, she refilled her mug of coffee and took a gulp, trying to stay awake. "Bloody 'ell," she murmured, walking over to where Cecilia was sprawled on her couch, pretending to read through a book. "Cannae sleep, either?"

Cecilia looked up once she realized someone was standing nearby, and shortly thereafter, realized Moira had actually asked her something. "And not entirely sure I want to," she confirmed, laying the still-open book on her stomach and reaching up to pull off her reading glasses. "Which means laying down is probably a bad idea. If I sit, I'll split the couch with you?"

"Good enough deal." Wearily, Moira sunk into the couch when Cecilia moved her legs up. "An' trust me, I really understand 'bout nay wantin' ta sleep. Though I'm glad we convinced Jane tha' it would be safe enough ta get some rest. Poor thin'."

"Haven't met anybody that young in a long time," Cecilia mused, briefly considering just flopping her legs across Moira's lap before deciding that no, that wouldn't be very professional at all, and instead set about the process of sitting up properly. "Though I suppose if you don't really remember anything, it's easier to be."

She nodded and leaned her head against the wall. "Jane is...very 'eartenin' at times," Moira admitted. "But there's always a sadness. I'm nay sure if she'd be better off nay rememberin'. Times I think she wants ta, other times...nay so much." She glanced over. "Some first week, aye?"

Cecilia made a noise of wry amusement, glancing down to the book in her lap before giving up and closing it. "I always seem to draw the 'trial by fire' card. I suppose it could be worse." She made a face. "Could be a hell of a lot better, but it could be a hell of a lot worse."

"I 'ate ta agree wit' ye but, aye, it could be." She made a face. "Thin's 'appen all th' time around 'ere, I jus' 'ope they dinnae scare ye off." A look of legimate concern crossed her face at that.

"Bolting has crossed my mind more than once," Cecilia admitted, her own expression a bit sheepish when she noted the concern on Moira's. "But then I remember it's just a different kind of crazy out there, and neither is really any better than the other. I may as well stay here, where there's a bed and people willing to help me out, rather than throwing myself to the wolves out there again."

Reaching over, Moira patted her knee. "Like I said earlier, we take care o' our own. 'Tis verra easy ta get attached ta this place an' th' people in it." She gave her a half-amused look. "Even when ye try yer best nay ta."

"I've never really played well with others, so it's nothing personal," Cecilia grumbled, though her tone - despite the delivery - was light. "I'm not an easy woman to get along with, as I'm sure Clarice can attest. Though I think she technically already did." She smiled wryly as she recalled the girl's journal entry after their meeting in the kitchen, rolling her eyes and lifting a hand to her forehead.

"Ah, teenage dramatics. 'ave ta love them...sometimes." She thought about it and smiled softly. "When everyone gets back, ye really must met Paige Guthrie. Brilliant youn' woman, tha' one. Scary sometimes when ye think 'bout it. An' come on...if'n I like ye, ye mus' be doin' somethin' right. I dinnae tolerate fools verra lightly." Moira's smile grew. "I thought I'd never get close ta anyone 'ere...God's laughin' at me."

"God seems to spend a great deal of His time laughing at me," Cecilia observed wryly, casting a brief , vaguely annoyed look up towards the ceiling. "At least I'm in decent company.. and I think not tolerating fools lightly must be a common trait in the medical field. Kind of heartening. I'm cut out for my job." She looked to Moira again, flashing a grin, before her expression turned thoughtful. "Paige.. you mentioned another Guthrie, this morning, didn't you?"

Nodding, she smiled. "Aye, siblin's. Bot' o' them are good people. Interestin' when mutancy runs in th' family."

"I'm torn between finding it unusual that it would, and thinking it would almost be expected to," Cecilia mused, slouching back against the sofa and idly stretching her legs out. Been off her feet too long. "It's genetics, but it's a mutation, so it isn't necessarily hereditary.."

"But this 'tis an entirely different kind o' mutation," Moira responded, musing. "Th' x-gene is scattered across the genome an' it needs a x-gene activator. An' 'tis seems tha' in families, if it does manifest in more than one siblin', they'll be loosely tied. Nay always th' case, but close."

"Really?" Cecilia made a thoughtful noise, looking to Moira with a curious tilt of her head. "Sort of like hair color, I suppose."

"Kind o'." She grinned. "Mutancy takes th' cake on makin' scientist's lose their 'air in attemptin' ta fully understand it."

"I think every aspect of genetics has had dibs on that cake, at one time or another," Cecilia observed, mirroring the grin. "It'll be figured out eventually, just like everything else." Just another puzzle to solve.

"As 'elpful as tha' may be, once it 'appens ye'll 'ave a bunch o' people tryin' ta figure out 'wha' next'." Moira smiled. "Everyone loves a mystery an' some 'ate ta see it end."

"He won't let it," Cecilia smirked, pointing towards the ceiling. "Gets His rocks off seeing what new tricks he can cram into things. Mutation in humans is like overclocking a computer for the old bastard. Once that's halfway to solved, something new'll crop up."

A laugh escaped and she shook her head ruefully. "Och, good point, never thought o' tha'. Aye, 'e likes muckin' thin's up, tha's for sure." She took another sip of her coffee, grateful this was the kind of mug that would keep her drink warm for a while. "There's coffee an' more tea if ye need it."

"Coffee might be good.. not nearly fidgetty enough." Grinning, Cecilia shifted her book and glasses to a clear portion of the sofa before pushing herself up to her feet, stretching to work the stiffness from her limbs before moving to retrieve a fresh drink. "How's your stomach?"

"'angin' in there, I suppose," she admitted, grimacing. She and Barlet would get along a good deal and the thought frightened her. "Wish I could get away from th' amount o' stress but...well, everythin' seems ta 'appen in bunches around 'ere."

"I'm trying to look at it as practice," Cecilia said as she poured herself a glass of coffee, looking towards Moira with a wry grin. "The amount of stress is probably comparable to an ER. Just, you know, slightly weirder, and constant."

"Weird is an understatement around 'ere." Another sip of the coffee and she ignored the gurgling in her stomach. "We get some breathers an' God, do we cherish those."

Coffee acquired, Cecilia reclaimed her seat on the sofa, taking a quick sip before she replied. "You're switching to tea," she stated conversationally, settling back against the sofa comfortably.

Moira blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The stress isn't going to go away, from what you've said," Cecilia replied, looking over with a small grin. "And right now, your already complaining stomach is dealing with a particularly stressy landlady. So, until the kids are back, you're switching to tea, to make it easier on yourself. This sludge of yours can't possibly be helping."

She couldn't help but stare at the younger woman, half indignate, half incredibly amused. "'Tis nay sludge," she protested automatically, clutching the coffee mug to her chest protectively.

"It isn't exactly liquid, either," Cecilia countered, arching an eyebrow and eyeing her expectantly. "Just until the kids get back. But if your stomach doesn't stop demanding sacrifices from the Pepto Gods, we may have to renegotiate."

"Pushy, aren't ye?"

"Tea has been shown to have anti-cancer effects in many people," Cecilia observed, smiling innocently.

Moira decided to give into the three year old pouting in the back of her mind and stuck out her tongue briefly, much to Cecilia's obvious amusement. "I'll try," she admitted, still holding the coffee mug close. "...actually, I may want ta wait until after th' kids are back." She held up a hand. "I'm an alcholic, Cecilia." The admission wasn't as hard as it used to be, much to Moira's surprise. "I dinnae start drinkin' coffee 'eavily until I stopped drinkin'. So...weanin' off for a short while might be a good idea for my 'ealt'...but in a wee bit."

Cecilia smiled in understanding, nodding and reaching over to give Moira a light pat on the knee. "Once they're back, then," she agreed, inclining her head. "Really, though, coffee is quite acidic.. your stomach may have just decided it's not up to drinking it as strong as you tend to brew it anymore. Lighten it up a bit, for the moment, see if it helps?"

She relaxed slightly. Different people had different reactions to her announcement. However, she did stare down forelornly into her coffee mug. "LIghten up th' coffee? Ugh..."

"Your stomach will thank you. And Nathan won't steal your medicine if it isn't there to steal."

"'e'll find somethin' else ta steal, trust me," Moira remarked, dryly, but with a fond look on her face. "'e's stubborn like tha'."

"I'm noticing that most people in this house seem to be stubborn," Cecilia observed, smiling innocently.

She blinked at her, completely innocently. "An' I'm sure ye'll fit in jus' perfectly," she remarked, sweetly.

Cecilia nodded without hesitation. "In that respect, yes. I'll consider it an accomplishment if I successfully help wean you off coffee and onto tea. But I will be patient."

"Patience is good ta 'ave 'ere," Moira responded, cheerfully ignoring why Cecilia was willing to be patient. "Gets ye through th' day around 'ere. Sometimes th' only thin' tha' does."

"I'm sure the stubborness helps," she mused, eyeing her coffee a moment before bringing it up for another sip.

"God, does it ever," she muttered, finishing off the last of her coffee.