Richard Laine and Tony Stark
Stark Tower was filled with lavish drinks, and good aesthetics. Honestly, Richard thought perhaps he was a bit brazen to be raiding Tony Stark's bar, but he needed a stiff drink after the hell that had gone down with OMEN. That and Ayita... The ice clinked in the glass as he set it on the bar, staring at the drink absently. They had lost a good man. Perhaps that put him at ease a little bit, knowing the speedster had grown up well. Though that was a different time and the future? There was no telling what the future would hold.
Pulling out a second glass he dropped two cubes of ice in it and poured a shot of bourbon over the frozen water.
"You drink bourbon. Good taste too. Though honestly there's nothing quite like the flavors of New Orleans." The former assassin admitted as he felt another presence enter into the spacious room. The way Richard said New Orleans in the proper way spoke to the fact he had spent some time there. Looking over at the man, he smirked with a devilish smile.
"Tony Stark. Here I thought if ever we were to meet like this I'd be staring death in the face." He noted, sliding down the drink to the seat on the other side of the bar.
"Yeah, well, always have the best drinks here," Tony said simply, taking the empty seat at the bar.
"So much can be forgotten with just a few drinks you know." "If you were a woman I'd say you were after my heart." Richard mused toying with his own glass.
"How is Guin doing?" The girl was shut off to him and Richard was about ready to corner the speedster and wring him quite literally for answers. A slow, painful wringing if he had his way. Whether she liked it or not, he owned the younger Stark and for some strange reason she wound up in heaps of trouble. Must be in the family. Though his own seemed to have a few traits of their own.
"...She's coping... Ended up convincing her to at least go to a therapist once or twice to deal with seeing the future version of her boyfriend dead, so that's an improvement... More of the speedster did, she wasn't going to really listen to me when it comes to stuff like that." "He has an advantage of being the same age and of interest to her. While we are insufferable old fools who cannot possible understand her." The Adder points out with a chuckle.
"I have the advantage over you there. My sister is far more open with me. Though we both share the joy of young love that threatens our girls." Richard's tone darkened as he downed the bourbon and poured another glass. Offering the bottle to Tony.
"Might need to borrow a suit if things turn out badly for either of them. It sounds a good deal more satisfying than merely wringing the air form the lungs." "If things end badly for Guin I will be the one beating Maximoff to a pulp. Though if you feel the need to use the suit for basically a similar purpose for your sister, be my guest, trust me on that one. You are more than welcome to borrow a suit." There a dark chuckle from across the bar.
"Now, Stark... That's bad for publicity if you're supporting mutants. I knew there was a reason why I never agreed to those contracts to assassinate you, aside from not wanting to commit suicide. For a rich bastard you're incredibly astute, and probably have one hell of a poker face." "Yeah, well doubt many people would care if I beat up the son of Magneto too much. And he definitely would deserve that one... As for the poker face, well, it is interesting to say the least," he responded, chuckling slightly himself.
"Oh-ho! Stark you cannot simply say it's interesting and leave it there. I spent a solid half a year in Los Angles and no, I will not say how many strip clubs and casinos I was thrown out of. Get a damn deck and cut it. I doubt you trust me to." Tapping his own eyes with a smirk. Snake-eyes indeed.
"Well, I might take you up on that offer, though Las Vegas is the best place for casinos, I'll just say that," he said with a laugh, heading over to a cabinet.
"Fortunate for me then it's my home away from where ever I currently reside." Sipping form the brandy glass the assassin studied the Avenger with a careful eye.
"What do you make of OMEN's next move? I doubt that was the entire lot of them. Even if it was..." He was curious as to what the man thought of all of this. He knew what he would do, what they could do. However, he wanted to make sure he was covering all the bases he could.
"Last I heard, the entire organization was dissolved, their gone now, as is their government funding... But something tells me most of their agents aren't going to lie down all too quietly, though they are scattered, unable to do much of anything." "Makes me want to hunt those bastard down. There's a danger in leaving a enemy in your past." Richard considered the mostly melted ice.
"Cut the deck already, Tinhead, or I might be tempted go ride out and settle the score with some of those agents." Tony smirked slightly, shuffling the cards and cutting the deck, dealing them out.
"Even if you leave an enemy in your past, they won't necessarily come back, though they can, and will generally be a thorn in the side." "That coming from a man whose a thorn in so many sides." Richard chuckled in dry amusement. Studying his hand absently before setting them face down on the bar.
"She'll get through it, the brat's as hardheaded as your suit. I'll keep an eye on your girl when I can, though I'm sorely tempted to stick tracking chips in both of them." "Well, I already have a tracking system on Guin. Her watch, the AI she made PHIL? I added a few other things for him, so if she's ever in danger, he notifies me almost immediately. Makes things so much easier." "Guin doesn't shift from a bird to something with four legs then to something with fins and teeth." Richard retorts tossing in a raise.
"That is true... Maybe you could see about getting one in her body, though I doubt that she'd like that... So you can at least keep track of her." "I could convince her. Hell, she's too aware of the fact if she gives in to those instincts she'll swim off into the sunset or something. The problem is any tracker in her could be used against her, and I'll be damned if that will happen." "That is definitely an understandable way of thinking..." Richard shurgs with a dangerous glint in his eye.
"I did a lot to find her. Full house." The adder flips his cards to reveal three queens and two sevens.
"Though, you're trailing off is curious." The slitted eyes studied the man across from him.
"Don't get me wrong, that has crossed my mind. But luckily for me it is near impossible for them to actually hack into any sort of systems which would let them use it to put her in danger..." Tony said, before revealing his hand, 4 aces and a 3.
Richard pauses mid swallow and finishes off his drink with a sharp cough.
"Don't say something like that while I am drinking, Stark. It's viable then?" He sits back with a look of perplexed annoyance and humor.
"Damn... Damn." He mutters quietly with a chuckle.
"Well then! Mind talking business?" Stark was good with technology, Guin would be about to make sure things were good. They were always a foil when he was an assassin, and Richard was far from stupid.
"Oh? You thinking something like that for your sister or something? Guess we could see about maybe doing something like that..." Richard nods with a slight chuckle.
"I'd rather not have to comb the oceans for one fish." "I see... Well, first need to know how you'd want to go about this, since unlike Guin, doubt your sister is going to wear a watch just about everywhere she goes." "She doesn't wear a watch but she does have a number of trinkets. Though where they go when she changes back and forth is amystery I never wanted to learn the answer to. I'm not sure it would be able to work within that. To put it in her skin would be viable but it would have to remain in her skin and in the same approximate location while she shifts incase removal is needed." Richard seems to be running through a list of what Ayita wears and her different possible forms.
"...I think we could probably come up with something that could shift with her, but actually have a physical form or such so you can still see the tech maybe... But it would shift forms depending on what type of animal she is..." Richard nods slightly, seeming to consider what his sister would desire.
"Something that wouldn't be easy to pick out among a herd as abnormal. Perhaps a tag or something. Around the ankle of a bird, the ear or the neck of a beast and fin if she goes for something with those. She'd wear a earring or earrings. A stud or something she wouldn't have to think about." "That could work, shouldn't be too difficult, i'll see what I can do." Richard inclined his head slightly.
"Tell me what I owe you when your done." He slightly feared the price but for Ayita he would pay it.
"...You don't owe me a thing, just keep an eye on Guin for me."Richard salute the man with the bottle and pours them both another drink.
"Two eyes." He chuckles.
Richard Laine and Guin Stark
Of all the stupid, idiotic things Stark could have done! Of course he was cursing the younger Stark, Richard actually gave a damn about the older Tony, finding the man amusing and good company. But Guin... Slamming the door to the girl's open he roared in absolute fury.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD DID YOU GIVE MY SISTER?!" Also, what had his sister done? He wanted to drown his head in a tub of bleach for that thought even as it occurred to him. Taking a step into the room, he shut the door firmly behind him making sure the speedster was no where in the room. Silver Spoon was becoming another appendage for Guin, not that he disapproved, but it wasn't the time to test how well he could hold his temper with
that one.
Guin glanced up from her iPad. She had been drawing a sketch of a warrior Princess Peach. She did a final bit of shading on Peach's sword, the shining silver hilt stained with blood, before she gave Richard her full attention. Her heart rate was staying steady but P.H.I.L.'s emergency protocols were detecting a threat and were sending notes to Tony about the situation.
"Is this about my seemingly awesome ability at seeing the future?" Guin asked Richard.
Richard gives a frustrated groan.
"You. You are why Stark keeps that damned bar stocked so well." He muttered looking annoyed as he raked his hand through the growing black hair. He'd need to cut it soon.
"And what ability to see the future? Don't play games Guin. Not now, not with this." He narrowed his snake eyes, the only thing missing was the rattling of a tail. While Richard wasn't against fun, this was Ayita! His little sister and it just irked his scales that some man was-! Plus he needed to be sure exactly who to pound into oblivion when Ayita wasn't looking.
She shrugged.
"You're not wrong - I'm the source of my father's alcoholism because I'm just a disappointing bastard," Guin replied, turning her attention back to the iPad. She was giving battle Princess Peach some tattoos and scars, in order to look more realistic. No one was perfect enough to get away from every fight without scars - unless they had a healing factor on their side, of course.
"And I'm not messing with you. If I was, I'd be laughing." A hand plucked one of the sharpies off Guin's desk, the snap of a cap popping off and Guin found a swirl on her arm.
"I don't think disappointment's part of it, brat." He twirled the pen about his finger as he frowned at the picture, leaning against the desk.
"What do you know about the condoms I found in Ayita's bag. I wasn't snooping. I was getting a book." An innocent reason, it wasn't like he had been snooping- much.
"Did you ask her for permission to get a book from her bag first?" Guin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Since that's kind of not cool man if you didn't." "I value that I'm surrounded and outnumbered by women. I would never invade one's privacy with the rest of you ready to jump down my throat." Richard states firmly. It was true enough.
"You're dodging the question." He poked Guin's nose with the sharpie, squiggling it about a bit.
Guin snatched the sharpie from Richard and whacked him in between the eyes with it, smirking a bit but she was irritated. She used to use her body as essentially scratch paper, jotting down ideas and sketches all of the time. But she did
not like it when someone else did it at all.
"And you're being an asshole. But really, am I Ayita's keeper? Am I the source of condoms in this team?" Richard mocked being wounded as he winked at Guin.
"My dear, I am an asshole by trade. And no, you are not Ayita's keeper. But you are the one on the team with an active boyfriend." Thus where else could Ayita get the stuff?
"Plus you're clever enough to have an idea." Guin rolled her eyes at Richard.
"Yeah and I'm on birth control - your point?" She knew where Ayita was getting the stuff from but she didn't want to rat her out. It was Ayita's choice to participate in those activities with whoever she wanted - not Richard's choice. In fact, Guin felt strongly that in this area, Richard should stay out of it and mind his own business.
"Maybe she's getting them from the store." Richard shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't care where or how, so long as she protected, Guin." He ran a hand through his hair, a bad habit he was starting to get.
"I just want to know who." The assassin stated quietly.
"...Damon." Richard sat back looking bemused and oddly relieved.
"Oh, good." "Honestly I'm a bit surprised she isn't sleeping with Allison - Ayita seems really gay," Guin admitted.
The former assassin shook his head.
"While she seems gay, Allison isn't. I'm just glad it isn't Dean." The man muttered with open dislike.
"Dean is apparently into both Carolina and Allison, from what I've heard..." Richard shook his head, standing.
"That puppy's going to get himself into a hole. And you are not to tell Damon I know, or Ayita for that matter." The former assassin smirked as he withdrew a small flat box from his suit jacket. Laying over the Princess Peach drawing.
"Peace offering, bribe, a plea to not castrate me in my sleep." He tousseled Guin's hair as he stood. It was a thick chocolate fudge in the box. While he had gotten it for Ayita before his sister had declared fudge to be a bane and overly sweet. Which he could call himself stupid for. Living in the wilds did make sugar far from attractive in high amounts.
Guin rolled her eyes. She hated it when Richard tousled her hair - it reminded her of her mother. She was always so patronizing when she did it, too, though to be fair anything Maddie did was received as patronizing and irritating by the Stark heiress.
"Castration isn't my thing," Guin told Richard.
"Besides, if you wanted to do me a favor, you'd tell Pietro to leave me alone about the stupid musical..." She did, however, sniff at the fudge to see if it really was fudge before she nibbled it.
Music, dancing, the swirl of colors and people. Ayita shifted in the shadows out of the way of the crowd, perfectly content to watch. Walking in heels was frustrating, dancing in them was down right unnerving. Dressed in a dark green gown that would be racy and suggestive if the woman wearing it didn't have the eyes of a hunter and exclude an aura of the top predator in the room. It was her natural defense when she was on uncertain footing, quite literally.
A
torc of pale gold and two antlered deer sat about her neck, the only bit of jewelry she wore aside from a set of earrings. Richard had insisted on the later. She had insisted on the former. The entire thing was ridiculous, a party for the sake of what? Another year alive? She hadn't grasped the idea when it was explained to her, but some things the others did were just strange. Yet, Ayita was compelled to try to learn these things. To bridge that gap. Though she would admit it had been nice to let other fuss over her nails and hair, a little bit of luxury she would admit was well earned and worth the confusion she had gone through over these... 'salons'. Making a mental note to mark out good ones in her territory up north, she winced as one youth knocked over a chair while trying to look casual.
"Human, mutant or beast... The young posture and preen." Never mind she was doing the same thing in her own way.
Damon wasn't really one for dancing or proms - in fact, he was supposed to be leaving that evening. He had enough money in his pocket to get something to eat and pay for a bus ticket to wherever he wanted to go. It was the most Xavier could do for him and he didn't want to ask for a handout from Stark. He could survive on his own terms - and while he had been denying it for a while, there wasn't a place for him with the X-Men anymore. He needed to strike out on his own terms, do something that would actually have an impact, rather than waltz around battlefields as a glorified nurse.
His tattoos crawled over his chest with agitation. He hadn't wanted to go to this dance at all, but he knew he had to say goodbye to someone. His street clothes stood out like a sore thumb, just like her beauty did, as he went over to Ayita. The few possessions he had in his shirt pocket felt infinitely heavier as he gave her a nod in greeting.
Ayita stepped back further into the shadows, motioning Damon to join her as she nodded in return. It didn't take much to tell that Damon was not here for the party. He had a look about him like a rogue wolf striking out from the pack and she would know.
"Damon." She greeted with a slight smile, more than she gave most people. Damon was one of three to ever receive it. Her amber eyes studied the tattoos flicking across his skin.
"You are troubled." He would tell her why he had come in time. Laying a hand on his wolf tattoos she stroked the head of the creature as though it was a creature and not a swirl of ink beneath his skin.
The wolf moved happily across his skin, as something stirred inside of Damon and he quite willingly went into the shadows. He didn't want to risk Ayita's sibling noticing that primal need that was present. He was not scared of very many people but Richard was certainly a candidate. He gently cupped Ayita's face, looking at her wild eyes.
"I'm leaving - tonight...I wanted to say goodbye to you, my only friend," Damon told her softly. It was blunt and to the point. He didn't want to waste a single second.
Perhaps that why they got on well. They were both blunt, able to be smooth but not needing it. Ayita leaned her cheek into the mutant's hand, considering his words. She doubted he would change his mind and she wouldn't ask him to. Damon was capable and knew more of the world than her in some ways.
"Where are you going?" She wrapped an arm about his waist, continuing to amuse the wolf. Why didn't you say anything before was the unspoken question she wanted to ask. But it wasn't like that mattered right now. He hadn't, so she wouldn't dwell on it. Perhaps later.
The wolf yearned up against Ayita's hand, some of the fur becoming real as the tattoo strained to be freed from Damon's skin. He took in Ayita's scent - his favorite scent in the world - and he knew exactly what he wanted.
"North," Damon answered.
"Xavier gave me a contact with the Mutant Underground, if I want to help them...but I'm going into the woods for a while first." There was a question that he wanted to ask her as well and he was studying her face, trying to muster the courage.
Ayita's eyes flashed as her teeth bared almost in threat at Damon for daring to trespass on what she considered her territory. But it was Damon and the North was a vast expanse of hard land that had few humans. A good place for mutants to go. Drawing Damon further into the shadows she cast a furtive look at the swirling people beyond.
"Go North." Her mental powers swirled against Damon's mind. Speaking and showing him the way to lands untouched by humans for the most part. There were old traces but they were overgrown and forgotten. But the image was crisp and clear. Mountains soaring tall, forests and meadows. But the ocean, it ebbed and flowed. Bringing fish that could be caught but there was a silent warning that the fish must pass always in greater numbers than they were caught. That they fed more than mutant or human mouths. It was a offering and one Ayita would give no one else. Her territory, where she once roamed for those long years on her own.
"There is room enough, but do not ask of the land more than it can give. For it must give and you must be sated with that it can give. Do you understand?" She whispered into his ear. Her hand wrapped around to hold his head close to hers. In all honestly she didn't want him to go, or she wished to go North with him. But not yet. She still was needed here and needed to learn of the humans and how to be one. Still she relished the feel of him and his scent. Something she would easily be able to track in the vast region of her home if he took her offer.
He nodded, his lips within inches of her own. She had him positively enchanted and it didn't take much effort for him to commit those images to memory - but more than anything else, he had memorized how she looked in this moment. From his pocket, he pulled out a simple and old fashioned ring, offering it to her. His mind flashed with the question that he found could be felt better than could ever be spoken aloud.
Ayita blinked at the ring in blank confusion for a second. Rings... humans... There was some connection there. Piecing together after a second, she nearly jolted out of her skin into another. Looking from the ring to Damon and back again.
"Can you accept I'll never be fully human? That I will roam the land from time to time for days or months at a time?" Her quiet voice a hoarse whisper.
"I cannot come with you yet Damon. The humans- Richard, Allison... They still need me." Could he deal with the fact she wouldn't be with him yet. Not that she would not fly North on the wings of the fastest and greatest of birst and swiftest feet of beasts, but she would not remain. Not yet.
He nodded.
"Only if you can accept the same of me - that I'm just a host for these creatures," he said softly, not breaking eye contact with her. He continued to hold the ring out to her, waiting to see if she would take it.
"And I know they need you...I'll wait for you in the North."Ayita sighed and close the gap between their lips as her finger slide through the ring. Privately she hoped she managed to get the right finger through the damned ring, as humans seemed fussy about which finger rings were worn on. Pulling away too soon for her liking she studied the ring, it was plain and that suited her just fine.
"It is good you are going North." She raised her hands up to the torc about her neck and twisted the metal. She was a woman, but the torc was a bit large on most. Wrapping the metal about Damon's neck she let the torc rest against his skin. While she was sure this wasn't the human custom exactly, it was as ring like as she had and the most she could give Damon.
"My brother will kill us both." She noted with amusement. Stealing another passionate kiss before she pressed a finger to Damon's lips.
"You can leave in the morning, can you not?" Perhaps it was cruel of her to ask, but she loathed for him to leave. It made her chest hurt and her eyes prick with foolish tears.
Damon nodded, picking Ayita up with a bit of difficulty at first and he discretely took her from the prom, heading to her room at Stark's house. It wasn't just the wolves that were straining now - all of his tattoos were trying to come to the surface. The dragon seemed to be looking at the collar Ayita had given him with interest.
"Morning works," he told her plainly, entering her room and locking the door behind them.
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