112DT - Surprise Visit!

[Narrator]

Some time after lunch the next time Sam would be coming back to her office she'd notice the presence of a mind inside despite the locked door.

[Samantha McManus]

She quirked a brow, casting the flock about to find it.

[Narrator]

It wasn't hard to find. It was right there, sitting in one of the visitor chairs from the feel of things. It feels vaguely familiar but hard to place.

[Samantha McManus]

Warily, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, casting her gaze towards the chairs.

[Aria Nyx]

"Surprise?" Aria grins at her from the chair.

[Samantha McManus]

"...you could call," she said, shutting the door to the office behind her.

[Aria Nyx]

"But then it wouldn't be a surprise? Besides, do you know how hard it is to find a phone booth?"

[Samantha McManus]

"So to what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you were going home." She went to sit down at her desk.

[Aria Nyx]

"Funny thing that. I tried, but someone must have messed something up because when I got there it was all out of whack."

"And it wasn't my fault!" she quickly adds.

[Samantha McManus]

"Is this something I ought to know about?"

[Aria Nyx]

"You probably don't. All I know is one moment everything's fine, then suddenly it's not and everyone's gone stupid over Mutant Rights back here. But nothing was changed, it just kinda happened."

[Samantha McManus]

"But obviously, you still exist."

[Aria Nyx]

"Well yeah that's because the flux state of... you know what, forget it. Nailah never managed to explain it to you, I'm not even gonna try. My future still exists. I just can't get there from here."

[Samantha McManus]

"So you came back to us."

[Aria Nyx]

"Pretty much! It's not that bad here in the meantime." she grins.

[Samantha McManus]

"It's not that I don't appreciate having you around, I just recall how wary you were of us."

[Aria Nyx]

"Hey, you go meet your parents way before you were born and tell me it isn't weird. Like, I don't think I've ever seen you in a pants suit. Then again I've never seen a pants suit on anybody before I came here so there's that."

[Samantha McManus]

"So I take it I'm usually a bit more informal, since you knew me," she said in an amused tone.

[Aria Nyx]

"That's one way to put it. Look, don't tell Nailah right now, but that's almost a hundred years from now one way or the other."

[Samantha McManus]

"...you know, I think that gives me some hope."

[Aria Nyx]

"Just don't let her get too crazy about that, okay? I remember asking you two about that once and, well I have no idea what happened but it must have been pretty fracked."

[Samantha McManus]

"It's just... something I worry about, aye?"

[Aria Nyx]

"I'm just gonna go ahead and change the topic to something less awkward now if you don't mind..."

[Samantha McManus]

"Considering who you are, and who I am, do we have less awkward topics?" She smirked ruefully.

[Aria Nyx]

"Maybe? Why isn't anybody doing anything about this mutant registration crap?"

[Samantha McManus]

"We have to pick our battles, aye? We're already on rather good terms with the British government. It's different here than it is in America."

[Aria Nyx]

"Damn right it's different, but who cares, you're fine here." she frowns, seeming almost disappointed.

[Samantha McManus]

"We got as many children as we could out. We had lobbyists pressing the matter where we could, but we couldn't change their minds."

[Aria Nyx]

"Because they don't want to change their minds!"

[Samantha McManus]

"And it's still their decision, their process, even if the result is wrong. We have to work within the system if we want lasting change, aye?"

[Aria Nyx]

"God, you sound like Nailah."

[Samantha McManus]

"Well I'm a bit fond of her, aye?"

[Aria Nyx]

"Yeah but... Nevermind. I'm sure eventually things will work themselves out." she rolls her eyes. "If you do things right people won't be sure you've done anything at all." she apes what must be the Nailah she knows.

[Samantha McManus]

"And what's wrong with that?"

[Aria Nyx]

"Gah! Who are you?" she frowns and for a moment Sam's office seems to fold in on itself as an angry Aria gets a little too eager with her power as she teleports herself out.

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha sighed into her hand at the departure.

"...parenting."