Negotiations (RP for tm_laurakinney)
Jean's conversation with Scott and Emma about the possibility of re-launching some X-men teams had gone surprisingly well. They hadn't found many areas of disagreement, but Scott and Emma had both balked when she suggested Laura Kinney -- the girl sometimes called X-23. Since the others weren't generally being difficult -- and since they knew Laura a lot better than Jean did, having only encountered her in the most superficial situations -- she tended to defer to their point of view. Even Hank, who seemed to like the girl, had said they should be cautious about using her whenever there might be a potential for lethal force. Still, Jean thought that she should see for herself. At the very least, after a rather embarrassing encounter on Jean's first night back from Europe, they ought to talk.
Still. The logistics were tricky. She couldn't exactly call X-23 into the principal's office, so to speak. The girl had been heavily programmed, Hank had warned, and the last thing Jean wanted was to replicate a command structure of any kind. She really wanted the encounter to seem as spontaneous as possible. Laura should think the interaction was her own idea. Get her to come after me, Jean thought. Like a cat. Like a wolverine. Weird as it was to contemplate, Laura apparently was Logan, in some way.
When Jean wanted Logan to chase her, she might steal his motorcycle. This wasn't going to be the same kind of pursuit, so it would have to be something more subtle. Early one morning, Jean walked into the yard and noticed Laura walking somewhere off on the perimeter. Stepping toward the basketball court, Jean picked up a ball that some kid had forgotten to put away and bounced it a couple times. She took it in her hands and hefted it toward the net. It bounced off, far wide. Damn. She'd never had much of a free-throw shot. As the ball rolled from the court, in Laura's general direction, Jean resisted the urge to use her TK, and went to retrieve it instead. She took another, bad, shot, then another. Never looking in Laura's direction. Hoping the girl would come to her.
Still. The logistics were tricky. She couldn't exactly call X-23 into the principal's office, so to speak. The girl had been heavily programmed, Hank had warned, and the last thing Jean wanted was to replicate a command structure of any kind. She really wanted the encounter to seem as spontaneous as possible. Laura should think the interaction was her own idea. Get her to come after me, Jean thought. Like a cat. Like a wolverine. Weird as it was to contemplate, Laura apparently was Logan, in some way.
When Jean wanted Logan to chase her, she might steal his motorcycle. This wasn't going to be the same kind of pursuit, so it would have to be something more subtle. Early one morning, Jean walked into the yard and noticed Laura walking somewhere off on the perimeter. Stepping toward the basketball court, Jean picked up a ball that some kid had forgotten to put away and bounced it a couple times. She took it in her hands and hefted it toward the net. It bounced off, far wide. Damn. She'd never had much of a free-throw shot. As the ball rolled from the court, in Laura's general direction, Jean resisted the urge to use her TK, and went to retrieve it instead. She took another, bad, shot, then another. Never looking in Laura's direction. Hoping the girl would come to her.