Bottle of red, bottle of white...

[Natalya Romanov]

"Ooo, Sam bites back. I'm impressed with what you've done with her, Nailah."

[Nailah Weaver]

"And curious as a cat."

[Samantha McManus]

"I think we got into more trouble than this lot, but the year's still young."

[Nailah Weaver]

"So..." she says, turning to Natalya. "What stories is she so desperately trying to avoid telling here."

[Natalya Romanov]

"There was that time that you, and I think it was Davis and Asters took on an astral parasite juiced Sabretooth. Over the express directions of the faculty I might add."

[Samantha McManus]

"That's one of the safer ones to tell her," she chuckled.

[Nailah Weaver]

"I can only assume you ended up thoroughly embarrassing him." she chuckles.

[Samantha McManus]

"I ended up in a wheelchair for weeks, actually."

[Natalya Romanov]

"And Davis made it through solely on his healing factor if memory serves. You guys were always pulling crap like that."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Well that's a little sobering."

[Samantha McManus]

"We weren't very smart about it."

[Natalya Romanov]

"We were teenagers. At least you didn't work for the bad guys," Natalya said quietly.

[Samantha McManus]

"It wasn't all bad times. Besides, the only one who hasn't forgiven you for that is Carter."

[Nailah Weaver]

"There are worse things you can do. And you don't have to be a teenager to do them." she says a bit wryly.

[Natalya Romanov]

"Well, I know what it's like to be on the other side of the Institute attack equation. It's not a pretty place to be. And I still haven't forgiven myself for it, even if everyone but Carter has."

[Samantha McManus]

"You always were too hard on yourself."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Not to sound like I'm spouting platitudes, but sometimes what you think are mistakes lead you down the right path."

[Natalya Romanov]

"That doesn't keep them from being mistakes," Natalya said with a shrug.

[Nailah Weaver]

"I guess that's a philosophical question, but it certainly doesn't keep it from hurting."

[Samantha McManus]

"...aye," she murmured.

[Natalya Romanov]

"Damn not being able to have alcohol," Natalya grimaced. <"Do you speak Russian?"> She asked Nailah in Russian.

[Nailah Weaver]

<"Only perfectly."> she says without the hint of an accent.

[Samantha McManus]

"She speaks everything embarrassingly perfectly."

[Natalya Romanov]

<"So I see. It is good to hear someone who doesn't speak it like a decadent Westerner,"> she says with a smirk.

[Nailah Weaver]

<"I'm afraid I am cheating at it a little, but thanks."> she chuckles.

[Samantha McManus]

"You see what I mean?" She smirked.

[Natalya Romanov]

"You're not a telepath, so how are you cheating exactly?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"It came with the wings and the clairvoyance."

[Natalya Romanov]

"Useful that. I just get to be the world's greatest ice sculptor. And Bobby can stuff it if he disagrees."

[Samantha McManus]

"You're easier to tolerate than Bobby, at the least."