Nina van Essenhout & Guinevere Stark
Location: The Mansion
Some time after the mission at the facility...
Bare feet padding quietly on the polished wooden floors of the mansion, Nina crept into the kitchen as silently as she could. It was late, but with most students in bed asleep, she wouldn't be disturbing anyone. As was common with her lately, Nina had spent most of the night awake, tinkering away on her personal project in the labs. It was likely not going to be finished, but it was something to keep her mind occupied. However, the night was growing late, and her hand had been reaching more for her bourbon than her screwdrivers. One needed ice with bourbon, and so here she was, quietly getting some from the fridge in the kitchen. She just hoped an older student that was still awake didn't bother her - she wasn't really in the mood for a midnight chat.
Unbeknownst to Nina, she wasn't alone in the kitchen. A member of the X-Men was inside Professor Xavier's gigantic pantry, looking for a fresh jar of peanut butter. Guin always enjoyed peanut butter dipped Oreos. Whenever she decided she had had enough and ran away from home, it was her go-to meal. And to anyone who ever dared to claim that it was unhealthy - there was
protein in peanut butter. Finding a jar on the top shelf, Guin jumped up slightly before managing to grab it. Peanut butter jar in hand, as well as a ziploc bag filled with Oreos, she opened pushed the pantry door to the side, only to see Nina grabbing ice from the fridge.
Fuck. I know I don't believe in you...but why do you punish me like this, god? Or whoever the fuck is out there? Nina had been ready to take a mouthful of the now frosty liquid in her hand before she caught something moving out of the corner of her eye, jumping lightly before realising it was just her number one fan grabbing a midnight snack. It didn't look too healthy, but Nina couldn't judge considering her own consisted of ethanol.
"Hello, Guinevere." She said quietly, closing the fridge with her foot and turning towards the counter behind her, regarding a fruit bowl as her own appetite reared it's head.
"Burning the midnight oil?" Grabbing a pear from the bowl, Nina looked back to Guin. The two didn't get along, but it would have just been rude to completely ignore the girl. As for why she too was awake, that was really none of Nina's business. She could only assume Pietro had something to do with it, but then again, Guinevere could just as likely be working on a project as Nina herself was.
Guin wanted to gag - why did Nina always
insist on calling her by her full name? It made no sense. In fact, it added to Guin's dislike of her. She was only called
Guinevere whenever she was in trouble - and no one enjoyed being in trouble. She opened up her ziploc bag, took out an Oreo, and then unscrewed the peanut butter jar without saying a word to Nina. She then unceremoniously dunked the Oreo into the peanut butter and then promptly put it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly, as if hoping that Nina would decide to burst into flames or leave the room if she just gave her a little more time to.
"None of your business if I am," Guin said moodily. A pair of safety glasses were clipped onto her shirt and a rag with some grease stains on it was hanging out of her back pocket.
"You getting ready to seduce someone else's father? Or did you decide to take the day off from that?" She then dipped another Oreo in peanut butter.
For the most part, Nina put up with Guinevere's petty comments about mistakes of the past without much retaliation. Both for the sake of making working together easier, and Nina painstakingly reminding herself that Guinevere was an immature brat for the most part, and didn't know how else to react. Tonight however, Nina's temper flickered. She was tired, stressed, and had a good few shorts of whiskey settling in her stomach that made it hard not to have the last word here.
Swallowing a mouthful of her whiskey, Nina regarded Guin with steely eyes.
"I really can't work you out, Guinevere. Most children would dislike thinking about their father's sexual partners, yet here you are, bringing it up at every possible avenue." She took another mouthful of her drink, the ice clinking against the glass.
"Maybe you should see a therapist of some kind. It's not healthy, obsessing over the women who've slept with your dad." The Oreo she bit into gave a resounding
snap. "I prefer to think of it as studying what not to do," Guin quipped.
"I suppose I should be thanking you, really. You're a terrific example of a fuck up," she snapped.
"Really, bravo. You want me to give you a review on Yelp? I'll do it. Hell, you can even quote me. Looking for someone who ruins lives? Look no further than Nina. Five stars. I bet you could even qualify to win a Darwin award one day - what an honor. You truly deserve it." "You're one to talk about fuck-ups." Nina snapped as soon as Guin had finished talking. She was really trying an already frayed temper.
"It didn't take much digging on you to discover your own mistakes of the past. Awful of your mother, really, to sell you out to the press during a rather trying time. How long were you in rehabilitation for? A week? A month? Didn't really matter how long it was, it just proved that you're prone to 'fuck-ups' just like that rest of us." Downing the remainder of her drink, Nina placed the glass on the counter, now empty apart from dregs and slowly melting ice-cubes.
"But of course, if we're talking about fuck-ups in the department of romance, you're not exactly innocent yourself. Pietro may be charismatic, but he's been partly response to assault and most likely murder thanks to the Brotherhood. At least when I slept with Tony I thought I was doing it for a good cause. You just opened your heart to a villain because he looked pretty." "If you did your research on me properly, you would have known how long I was in there for," Guin shot back. Was it a weird insult? Sure. Did Guin care? Not at all. While Nina's insult finally struck a nerve - or a deep emotional scar really - it was her callous treatment of Pietro that fueled Guin's anger even more. She had to consciously keep herself from throwing a punch at the woman with super strength. And who the hell was Nina to make broad statements about why Guin had decided to date Pietro?
"He's a better person than you," Guin said.
"I don't give a shit what he's done in the past. I don't care. He's a good man. And fuck yes he is pretty - but that just shows how shallow you are to think that's the only reason you date someone.""Of course he's better than me!!" The statement came out in a shout, and the glass in Nina's hand shattering accidentally. Thanks to her powers, the glass hadn't cut her, but it was another mess to clean up. Taking several deep breaths, Nina closed her eyes for a moment before looking back at Guin.
"He is. He hasn't made the mistakes I have. But my God, I've spent years trying to make up for it." She paused to brush the glass shards away from the side of the counter, hoping none had scattered on the floor for someone to stand on.
"Do you honestly think that I was happy with what I did? The outcome, the consequences of it? Nobody with good in their heart would." She knew that Guin likely didn't know the full story, but even if Lou had survived unscathed, she would have been guilty for her actions. Falling silent, she turned to one of the cabinets and pulled out a new glass, then filling it with ice, ready for more bourbon back at her workstation.
"Ignore what I just said. I just lost my temper. I shouldn't have." She added dully, the fire gone from her voice. There was no point in fighting. Not when everything Guin said was true.
Nina van Essenhout & Ayita Dyrkin
Location: The Mansion
Pacing quietly in a closed classroom at the institute, Nina began chewing at her lip nervously as the phone line rang, worrying the skin in anticipation. She equally dreaded and looked forward to these interactions over the phone, and if it weren't for the work she was currently doing, would be there in person instead. Talking on the phone was always more confusing for him.
"Hello Dad! It's Marina. How've you been?" It was always strange, saying her full name out loud. Nobody she had ever met barring her grandparents and Father had called her Marina, and for her dear old dad's sake, she kept it up. Chances were that he didn't remember her more used nickname.
"Marina! I'm fine, just fine... it's bloody boiling here, but I'm fine. How are you? It's been a while since I've seen you." He sounded chipper, which was nice - but he wasn't wrong about her last visit. After seeing him over Christmas, she'd only managed to see him again in January, for his birthday. She tried to visit him at least twice a month, but it was harder now. With working for S.H.I.E.L.D and still doing her own private investigations in Valkyrie, it had been hard to journey to another continent very often. She knew he was well looked after though; her money made sure of that.
"I'm doing alright.""Anything new?""Um... I.. got a new job." This wasn't technically untrue. She was working with the X-Men now.
"Oh! I hope it pays well. What is it you're doing?"Nina paused again.
"I'm working in... anti-terrorism. And volunteer with school kids now and again too." Again, not technically untrue. Just twisted a good deal.
"I hope you're staying safe, Marina. You're only little, and the world isn't as safe as it was when you were younger." She couldn't help but laugh at this, considering the context. For one, she was plenty capable of looking after herself, regardless of her size. Secondly, she'd lived in South Africa as a toddler, when terrorist attacks were bombing the hell out of the place, and for the rest of her childhood lived in England, when IRA terrorists were bombing the hell out of the place. The past may not be as dangerous, but it certainly wasn't any safer.
The two chatted idly for a good twenty minutes, and just as Nina was beginning to think it was a particularly lucid day for her father, her heart sank at his next question.
"When are you going to come and visit me then? It's been ages since I've seen you both. Is your mother there?" Closing her eyes slowly, Nina rubbed her forehead as it creased. This wasn't the first time she'd had to have this conversation.
"Mum isn't around anymore, remember? She died when I was three, back in South Africa." She replied softly, leaning against the door as if needing support. There was a moment of silence before he continued.
"Oh yes... of course! It had just slipped my mind, somehow..."Hearing the hesitation in his voice, she decided to move onto another topic swiftly. Nina forced a smile, just as she would if she were with him in person.
"How are you getting along with the nurses? Been chatting them up?" Her smile became slightly more genuine as her father barked out a laugh.
"Don't be so daft, Marina. I'll tell you what though - they still haven't discovered our little stash of whiskey." He chuckled, and Nina rolled her eyes. Of course. He remembers where he keeps his prohibited alcohol, but not that he'd been widowed for decades. She could almost imagine his conspiratorial grin and winking at her.
"Well, good! They'd have my head if they knew I was smuggling in banned goods just so you can have a nightcap." She replied with a grin, hoping that he could hear the smile in her voice. One of the first things that she'd been told after his diagnosis was that although people with his condition may not remember conversations, events, or people, the emotions nearly always stayed with them. She tried to keep their conversations happy and humorous, so that even if he forgot, he could think about it with a smile.
After another 20 minutes of talking about his various activities at the care home, Nina could tell he was beginning to get tired and more confused. They kept cycling back to the same conversations, and he'd asked for her mother three times now - and Lou once. It was hard, to keep breaking the news over and over again, and she couldn't imagine it was easy for him either. To keep forgetting and having to be reminded so often... it was awful. But he kept soldiering on, just as she would. For now though, it was best to give him a break.
"I've got to go now Dad - you make sure you rest up, all right? And don't do anything silly while I'm not there. I know what you're like." This got another warm chuckle from her father. He'd always been an adventurous spirit, breaking more bones from accidents than she could recall. She took after him - and would have in injuries if it hadn't been for her mutation.
"Look after yourself, love. And next time you visit, bring a fan with you! I'm bloody sweltering here.""Tell those nurses to get you one! I'm paying for a care home, not an oven." There was a pause on the other end as noise came over the phone - a door opening, and the familiar chatter of jovial care workers with a rattling trolley and clinking china.
"Ooh, tea time! Love you sweetheart - Mum loves you too."Nina closed her eyes again, not bearing to correct him this time.
"Love you both too." She whispered, before ending the call and slumping against the door.
Where was she? Ayita was tempted to slip into the form of wolf or cat to scent out her friend. Friend. There was a word she rarely used. Giving a slight twitch of her lips in a humored smile, the shifter blamed her less standoffishness to her brother. Dearly beloved Brother. Oh, she did love him, but that didn't mean she didn't give him the hardest time of his life for his crime. The abandonment at her mother's hands still stung but he had came back. He did not fear what the innocent child had become. He embraced the predator without fear- save the hawk or eagle which was understandable for a snake. Her feet were light upon the floor, her boots soft enough to cause little sound as she bound through the halls. Following routes Allison might have taken that day. Little as she would admit anything, Ayita would admit she enjoyed the hunt for the Seer. Pausing she noticed a door was not fully closed. It was closed enough she supposed for the general idea of a closed door. But not enough to secure it properly. Laying a hand upon the handle she paused as she heard noise. Sliding it open a bit. She peered into the dim interior. Only the door did not open all the way. Pausing she tilted her head at the door. Considering shifting and kicking it in.
Nina had took a deep breath while leaning against the door, steadying herself and clenching her fists. It was never easy to keep up that kind of conversation with her father, no matter how much she loved him.
Lost in her own thoughts, Nina gasped lightly as the door pushed beneath her. Skittering to one side, she looked through the gap in the door; paranoid thoughts littering through her mind as she wondered who exactly had just listened in her on very private and vulnerable conversation with her sick father. But then she remembered that she didn't have enemies in this building, and even those who disliked her wouldn't use such information against her. It wasn't in their nature.
Composing herself, Nina opened the door and saw who it was.
"Ayita? Is something wrong?" She asked, shoving her phone back in her pocket.
Ayita jumped back as the door opened. Her feet automatically moving to a fighting stance before she remembered that it was the Institute and this wasn't someone out to kill her. Though her thoughts flashed back to her brother and his constant worry. Always being on your guard was no bad thing. If you needed to be off your guard, then let another be on guard for you. Or so was Ayita's view on that. Something she suspected Brother agreed with. Eyeing Nina warily, the younger woman peered past her into the room and shook her head.
"Allison." Turning away from the woman, Ayita did not completely turn her back to Nina. She didn't trust the woman that much to show such a vulnerability. Only to pause as she noticed a figure pass further down the hall. A stranger. Ayita's eyes instantly narrowed.
"Who is he?" Her voice was barely a whisper but clearly directed to Nina.
Judging by the lack of haste in the young woman's voice, Nina guessed that Ayita was simply searching for Allison as opposed to something being wrong regarding her. Before Nina could reply in stating that didn't know where Allison was, her eyes followed the same stranger as Ayita's clearly did.
"I don't know." She murmured, stepping forward as she watched the man stride down the corridors. Too old to be a student, yet too lost to be an X-Men. He was new around here, and judging by the current climate of the world for mutants, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Eyes going back to Ayita, Nina stepped fully out of the classroom so that she was beside the younger mutant.
"How about we find out?" She suggested with her eyebrows raised suggestively, beginning to trail the man's footsteps. Ayita was already stalking through the halls. Her foot falls near silent.
The man was looking around him, though he hadn't noticed Nina or Ayita on his tail. Nina only paused as he entered the garden, beginning to yell at the others gathered there; Cassandra, Marygold, and Richard. Clearly the man was happy to be seen, and was looking for a certain individual. Professor Xavier, to be exact.
Stepping forward, Nina spoke before any of the others could.
"I can take you to the Professor - though I'm eager to know what your business here is." She asked in a clear voice - no intimidation present, but enough strength there for the stranger to know that she wasn't asking out of mere curiosity. Ayita leaned against the wall, her amber eyes narrowed at the man. Never wavering as she kept an impassive expression, a slight frown as she studied him like a predator looking at particularly plump prey.
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