Issue 1 Downtime

Since she wasn't technically faculty or a student, Nina was keeping an apartment in Downtown Maldon. It wasn't a palace, SHIELD stipend's only went so far, but it was a decent place for your average twenty-something to live.

Also, it had a roof garden. Which Nina loved. She was growing cherry tomatoes that she threw at pigeons when she was trying to think.

"This is a nice place." Rachel said to Ryan as they landed on the roof.

"It's deceptively homey," Ryan chuckled, the wings dissipating again as he set her down.

Nina comes out to greet, "Ryan! Person I don't know yet!"

"I'm so glad you could make it. I usually feed my leftovers to the rats in the alley," Nina says happily, "Oh, don't worry. I bought them their own dinner tonight."

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment, like he was counting to ten in his head, though his smile didn't fade. "Rachel, this is Nina. Nina, this is Rachel."

"Nice to meet you." Rachel said cheerfully "I've heard a lot about you."

"Really? Did he show you the photos?" Nina asks, "Because officially, that was a classified mission and you could be prosecuted for seeing those."

Nina laughs, "I'm just kidding. It's good to meet you. Ryan always has the nicest girlfriends."

"Come on in!"

Nina Madaraki wrote:Nina laughs, "I'm just kidding. It's good to meet you. Ryan always has the nicest girlfriends."

"She said, totally impartially," Ryan muttered, smirking as they followed Nina in.

Nina led them into the apartment where she had dinner already set up on the counter. The apartment was decorated..,well, oddly. There was a skull perched on her oven. Stacks of scientific journals and old medical books covered the floor. There was a table in the corner that had a truly impressive set of beakers and glassware.

It had all the touches of being lived in by a fairly whimsical tenant. Things had been left in odd and almost random places. There were notes Nina had written to herself in Sharpie on the wall, from grocery lists to "S. AMERICAN DOOMBOTS". A disassembled gun was in the sink.

Disorganized would be the best word for it.

"So, Rachel, tell me about yourself," Nina asks, "What are you doing at Xavier's?"

"...Besides Ryan. Duh. I meant, academically. I'll bet you knew that though. You're probably really, really smart and stuff."

"I'm in the nursing program." Rachel said "Its pretty cool."

"Really? I heard the university had a pretty amazing program," Nina says, "Which makes sense. With all the injuries and everything."

"They do, and its also a really good place to learn to combine mutations with conventional medicine."

"If you don't mind, what's your mutation?" Nina asks.

"The short explanation is that I'm a telepath."

"There's a long answer?" Nina asks, "That means it's extra-nifty, right?"

Ryan, meanwhile, let Rachel warm up to Nina as he looked around the place, idly starting to finish wiping down and assembling the gun in the sink. Just to keep in practice. Totally not out of nervousness.

"I think so anyway." Rachel said "Basically, what I'm best at is controlling the autonomic nervous system. Which is kind of the opposite of most telepaths, but its good for all kinds of fun things."

"Like shutting down someone's heart or breathing," Nina says, "Operations would drool over you."

"No, Nina, she means actually fun things. Although... yeah, I guess that too." He looked down at his work. "What did you do to this thing, feed it to a hungry wood chipper?"

"I've considered a career as a ninja, but I think I'd rather use it to patch people up." Rachel said "Or, for actual fun things."

Nina looks a bit confused.

"Fun things?" she asks.

"Think about it for a second." Rachel said.

Ryan coughed.

A good minute went by as Nina stared blankly into space. Ryan would know this was a normal response to being asked to "think about it".

"Oh!" Nina says suddenly, "You're talking about sexual arousal. Duh."

"Ok, its less funny when you come out and say it."

"Sorry. I tend to ruin jokes a little," Nina admits, giggling, "Does Ryan still make that annoyed and sulky face when you tease him?"

Nina tries to do an impression, managing to look pretty ridiculously sullen.

Ryan glared back at her, then scowled when he recognized the face she was making as the one he was using to glare at her. "Dammit..."

To her credit, Nina managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds. Then she nearly fell out of her chair in a fit of giggles.

Rachel giggled, although not as hard as Nina. "Sometimes." she allowed, trying to be slightly diplomatic.

"You know," Ryan said, "For some reason, I never see this crap coming."

"Oh, don't be mad," Nina says, "You're welcome to tell Rachel about some of the faces I make if you want."

"I'll pass." Rachel said "Because then you'll ask me if he still bites his lip when he.... and then it'll just get awkward."