Issue 1 Downtime

Since she had no classes that morning and nothing else to do, Lora had opted to go shopping for some newer, warmer clothes, considering how well they were into fall by now. And winter wouldn't be too far around the corner. She was looking through some of the gloves, though she eyed them with a bit of disdain.

Connor looked around, eyeing the prices of the clothes Morgan was looking through, mentally ticking off the money he'd saved in his mind. Enough winter clothes for her, and he'd get what he needed from the thrift store. He usually managed to find something that looked good that way. "See anything you like, love?" he asked.

Morgan looked up from the scarf she had been stroking dreamily, her eyes snapping back to reality quite visibly.

"Oh no, nothing. These just aren't really my style." Morgan was well aware of the money situation.

Lora had moved away from the gloves, and was eyeing the scarves herself. She noticed the other two next to her and looked up briefly, smiling. "So I guess waking up on the first of November made you realise it was time for some warmer clothes too, yes?"

"Frost on the bloody ground tends to imply that you need a coat," Connor answered. "I might be ready to look like a git shivering all the way to class, but I'm not going to let her do it," he added, shrugging.

"What Connor intends to reply is that we are making the most of getting a jump start on winter this year." Morgan smiled.

"The ground is not bloody...," said said, tilting her head to the side. "And what is a git?"

Thankfully, since Morgan translated, Lora got the gist. Her English was quite good, but her knowledge of local slang wasn't too hot.

"I am doing the same, you could say," she replied. "I got so tired of wearing gloves to hide my hands back in Moscow, but at some point, it always gets to damned cold not to wear them. Though it is supposed to be much milder here than back home, thank goodness."

"Don't know 'bout that, it gets cold enough here," Connor answered, looking over the clothes around them. "'Least this year we'll have something propper to wear in it."

"Its funny to think that there's placers colder than London in winter." Morgan smiled.

"Though I do like gloves, they are so pretty."

"One thing I will not miss about home are the winters," she said with a friendly smile. "And I guess they are pretty," she conceded, looking at the gloves. "And necessary. But now that I am at Xavier's, maybe I will no longer have to wear them in class to hide my hands from the humans." As she ran her fingers along a scarf to get an idea of its texture, Connor and Morgan could easily see the strange-looking palms of her hands; a dark, fleshy red-purple with a vascular system from it extending outwards, painfully obvious beneath her light skin.

"No need worrying what the idiot humans will think when you're there, is there?" Connor chuckled.

"They still have thoughts, vile unrepressed thoughts, about us. Even if they tolerate our school they do not embrace our people." Morgan shook her head in disgust, the thought of all those human minds leaking into hers appalling.

"God, I am glad I cannot hear the flatscans' thoughts." She rolled her eyes, obviously exhasperated. "Otherwise I would have lost my sanity by now. It is good to know that not everyone at the university sees everything between us the humans as being all rosy, though."

"Please, there's nothing rosy about it," Connor said, rolling his eyes. "How about this one, love?" he added, nodding toward another rack.

Morgan allowed Connor to distract her and she drifted over to look at the jackets he had pointed too, eyeing them speculatively and studying the price tags.

"No looking at the prices," Connor said, his voice taking on a familiar firm tone. "Find one that's warm enough and that you'll like. I'll worry about the rest."

Morgan ducked her head and dropped the tags in her hand that she was studying instead browsing at the jackets according to colour and style.

Connor Marshall wrote:"Please, there's nothing rosy about it," Connor said, rolling his eyes. "How about this one, love?" he added, nodding toward another rack.

"Thank you! Ugh, I wish people would stop crying moaning about Magneto being here. So many of us mutants have our priorities backwards." Her enjoyment of shopping was able to win out over her tirade for a moment, though. "Ooh, I like these. This would look good on you I think, erm...what is your name?," she asked Morgan with a smile.

"I'm Connor, and this is Morgan," Connor answered for the both of them. "And she's right, that one would look rather lovely on you, love," he added.

Morgan smiled girlishly at the compliment and picked up the jacket with excitement. The sky blue coat was similar to her eyes and she slipped it on with shaking hands not daring to look at the price tag with Connor watching but itching to know whether or not she should love it.

It fell to her knees and a big buckle tightened it around the waist, fitting like a dream.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly buy something like this. Its much to long, it just wouldn't be practical..." She dismissed the jacket near instantly though she couldn't help but run her hands over it and admire the way she looked in the nearby mirror.

Lora smiled at the two of them, still looking for a few peices for herself. She found a glossy-looking pleather jacket that seemed to fit her style, and the price wasn't too bad. Aside from that, she also relanted and picked up a pair of long gloves.

"Was it warm?" Connor asked pointedly.

"Warm, yes it was." Morgan answered truthfully though avoiding his eyes by turning too Lora.

"Those are beautiful, they would look so pretty on you!"

"Let us see." Lora slid both of the black gloves onto her hands, striking a pose or two with them on. "Yes, I do like them. I think they will give my look a little more drama, yes?," she ashed with a giggle.

"You are very pretty already, I don't think you need more 'drama'. " Morgan offered with a smile.

"Nonsense! We should all have a flair for the dramatic!," she said with a giggle, giving Morgan a friendly nudge. "So, where do you two live?"

"At the school, if that's what you mean. We've always been local, though."

She nodded softly. "That is good. I am living in Syndey Hall now," she stated as she peeked through a few more racks, in case there might be one more thing she'd want to bring to the counter.

"Anything that you want to get today other than the coat, love?" Connor asked.

Morgan smiled at Lora's nudge.

"I'm in Sydney but we mostly stay in Proudstar, Connor's room is more private than mine." Turning to Connor she wrinkled her face.

"Yes, you need a coat and some new trousers."

"Oh, can I offer some suggestions with picking them out?," she asked with a smile and twinkle in her eye.

Morgan nodded to Lora with a smile as they headed towards the men's wear.

See.. this will be fun, Sir.

Connor smirked. "All right. New clothes for me it is. Far be it from me to turn down advice from the fairer sex on clothing," he answered.

"You should trust the experts," she stated very matter-of-factly. "Coat and trousers, you say?," she inquired about Connor's clothing needs.

"At the very minimum, he needs everything really - not that he would ever admit it." Morgan smiled.

"Even better!," Lora piped up joyfully.

"We need to afford it, too," Connor pointed out. "Can always come back for not-quite-as-essentials after my next paycheck, you know."

I maybe, kinda, put away some of the cash you have been giving me...

"Thats cool, I've got this. You deserve nice things too." Morgan smiled shyly.