On a Bench

[Storm]

((Happens after "Drinks"))

Ororo had chosen to distance herself from the Mansion for an hour or two, even if it was only the grounds. After the fight the night before, she hadn't felt particularly social. Her feelings showed in the sky, wind and stormclouds brewing, and she was lost in thought enough to not notice.

[Pietro Maximoff]

((OOC: "This is set approximately three weeks before "The Diagnosis Is In" and all related threads.))

::Pietro's security sweep had been quicker than usual, due to the storm conditions around them. He had paid no mind to the weather report for the day, but was fairly certain they weren't due for the weather on the way. As he ran to complete the end of the sweep, he saw undoubtedly the cause. Ororo sat on a bench, and storm clouds brewed. That was never positive.

Coming to a halt beside her, he crossed his arms over his chest.:: "Do you need a drink?"

[Storm]

The voice pulled her out of thoughts. "What?....Oh. No." She gave a wan smile to Pietro.

[Pietro Maximoff]

"Cures what ails you," ::Pietro said. One could take him for an alcoholic if they didn't know of his metabolism.::

[Storm]

"I doubt that," she mused quietly, the comment half to herself as she cleared the clouds, her eyes changing briefly with the effort.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::That was not their usual pattern. Generally, Ororo would try to cure Pietro's foul moods with optimisim, and for her to let what passed as a joke with him simply evaporate into the air without so much as recognition...almost unheard of. He sat down beside her on the bench.:: "What happened?"

[Storm]

"You won't enjoy knowing," she said matter of factly.

[Pietro Maximoff]

"Do I ever?" ::Pietro shot back. He enjoyed hearing very little news, and likely this could set him off. But he cared about Ororo, and always would. Should this vex her, he wished to know.::

[Storm]

The retort gave her the ghost of a smile. "Ok, fair enough. I am sick, Pietro."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro's expression sobered at that news.:: "I'll get Hank or the Doctor."

[Storm]

"I've already been to see Hank, and I doubt the Doctor's powers can handle something this...complex," she replied, sounding defeated. It was like Pietro to think of the most straightforward solution he could.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::If she had seen Hank and he had done nothing for her, no reassurances, this was an extremely complex illness. The Doctor's powers he did not fully comprehend, then again, he had never asked. However, he knew the man could not cure everything. Particularly not anything that led to death...his sober expression turned into a deep frown, his brow furrowed.:: "What is it?"

[Storm]

Ororo gave herself a moment's quiet to think about what to say before she spoke, though the clouds multiplied as she did. "It's an illness of the nervous system," she said finally. "Each time I use my powers, more of my nervous system is affected. Hank promised to research it, but until then, I can't use my powers." She gave a smile that was half grimace. "Since most of my powers are used even unconsciously, that's a large order."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro was a particularly sympathetic audience, as his abilities functioned against him and subconsciously often as well, taking their toll on his entire body. He had never heard of this problem before, thought that it should have been diagnosed earlier, unless something had triggered it. Then again, he was not a physician for a reason.:: "Are you in pain? I can find medication."

[Storm]

"I'm fine for now," she replied. "There's not much that can be done, or so I'm told."