With evening setting in, Jean stopped by her suite to change into fresh jeans and a soft amber wrap sweater. Her shoulders were weary with all she'd done today, and there was still yet more to come in the next few days. Pausing to pet Tinkerbell gently, Jean caught sight of the orchid Ororo had given her and sighed heavily. She had saved speaking to her best friend for last because she knew without a doubt that parting with Ororo again was going to be as hard as leaving Scott was. Pushing off the bed, Jean wandered over to her coffeemaker and instead of java, brewed up two mugs of jasmine tea. Telekinetics made sure they didn't slosh on her way up to the attic, as Jean padded barefoot up the steps.

"Ro?" Jean inquired softly, her hands full.

This was getting exhausting, and with her third 'talk' of the day down, Jean was starting to feel emotional all over again. Luckily, she'd held it together with Wicked and Kate. There was still a good handful of people she needed to have her chat with, but luckily the rest were adults, and mostly X-Men, with whom she could be a little more frank regarding her feelings. Brushing off barn dust, Jean went about searching for Rogue.

Who: Kate and Jean
What: Guess.
Where: The barn.
When: Again, backdated, Thursday afternoon before Jean left.
Notes: Likewise, Tan, tag when you get a chance.

( But...but but... )

Who: Hank and Jean
What: More goodbyes.
Where: Hank's office.
When: Backdated, Thursday morning before Jean left.
Notes: Tag the thread when you get a chance, Sara. :)

( That would be shameless, flagrant abuse of my abilities, Henry. )

Who: Wicked and Jean
What: Goodbyes
Where: Wicked's room
When: Backdated, Thursday evening before Jean left.

( You mean even with you leaving, we've still got classes? )

She put it off as long as she could, but the message blinking in her voicemail and hanging over her head like a dark cloud couldn't wait any longer. Jean shrugged out of the black knit cardigan that was tied around her shoulders and flumped into the plush chair behind her desk. Her office was sparse and undecorated, but she hadn't had time to fully "move in" yet. Staring darkly at the phone for a moment, resenting its existance, Jean finally leaned forward and jabbed the speakerphone button, dialling in her password to retrieve her messages.

Please let it be dad. Please let it be dad. Please let it be--

"Jean, it's your mother."

Shit.

Exhaling heavily, Jean picked up the receiver and held it between her shoulder and her ear lest her mother have anything unpleasant to say that someone in earshot of Jean's office might not appreciate hearing.

There wasn't much in the message, as it turned out. Just a request to call her. Cryptic enough that Jean, despite her distaste for having to speak to her mother again so soon after the weekend fiasco, was curious. Deleting the message, she reached forward again and hung up the line, pressing the button that connected her to a line out.

Predictably, it was the maid that answered the phone. Jean found herself on hold for a good five minutes while the woman hunted dfown her mother, and then while Elaine took her sweet time getting to the phone.

The conversation was entirely, predictably, one-sided. Elaine did most of the talking and Jean's pale skin grew consistantly whiter as she listened. If it were anyone else but Elaine Grey on the other end of the line, Jean would have found herself unable to believe what she was hearing. As it stood, she was doing all she could to not slam the phone down.

"Your concern is heartwarming, Mother." Jean said, and the note of finality in her voice indicated the conversation was over.

Setting down the phone with exaggerated gentleness, Jean let her hands fall to the arms of her chair and she stared straight ahead of her for an undeterminate length of time until she could rouse herself to blink and settle back against the seat.

Scott?

She was gonna need moral support on this one...

Current Mood: distressed

OOC: Backdated like whoa.

( I'm smiling to hide the homicidal glint in my eyes. )

Current Mood: annoyed

( E-mail to Kate Copperfield, Scott Summers )

Current Mood: content

( Email to Scott )

Current Mood: bored
Current Music: Daytime Television

( Ouchie, my mind... )

Current Mood: curious
Current Music: Michael Buble - "Home"