Student kitchen, too damn late.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:43 am

Again, with the will shaking a little. "Stop," he said, more gently this time.

by **Nina Madaraki** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:49 am

Nina goes a little limp. Her hair falls over her face as she looks down and away from Ryan.

"I figured," she says in a quiet voice.

She pulls her hand away from Ryan and steps back.

"We're...this..." Nina doesn't look at Ryan.

"It's over."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:51 am

And now with the guilt. This is why you don't let your partners sleep with you, he supposed. "Nina, you just declared war on me."

by **Nina Madaraki** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 6:12 am

Nina looks small and her eyes are wild. For the first time in a long time, she looks as pathetic and crazy as when she first walked into XU.

"Yeah. I did," Nina says. "But you're the one who thinks that's more important than anything else. You're the one choosing SHIELD."

The probes in the room swirl around Nina and are reabsorbed into her body.

"I'm done trying to be your first priority," Nina says. Her voice cracks and threatens tears. "Just...just leave me alone. okay? Please?"

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:16 pm

"I... Nina, I'm picking me. It's not about SHIELD. If this was about SHIELD I'd have taken you down the minute I saw you were here. This is who I am, I protect people, and SHIELD lets me goddamn do that. Maybe some day I'll have to choose between that and SHIELD, but it's going to be because I know I have to, not because a bunch of AIM propaganda makes it seem like it makes sense!"

"And you can waltz back in here and tug at my heartstrings, and yeah, that's going to work, because I can't just throw out how important you've always been. But I'm not going to go hurting other people by just hopping into bed whenever someone tears up anymore."

by **Nina Madaraki** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:42 pm

"Of course you chose you," Nina says. She sounds bitter now, "You're good at that."

She turns her back on Ryan and walks to the door.

"If you have to take me down, do it," Nina says. "Otherwise?"

"I never want to see you again."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:48 pm

Ryan stared at the back of her head as she went. His hand glowed, and for a moment, he knew- knew that he could reach out and end this right then. She'd given up all hope at defense.

He watched her, power ready.

Then sighing, he sat back down. Fuck my life.

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:06 pm

Vivienne passed Nina on her way into the kitchen. She had several grocery bags. "Evening."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:16 pm

Ryan leaned his elbows against the table, rubbing his temples. Judging from how he'd already been doing it when she entered, her presence, at least, didn't seem to be his frustration. "Hi," he said, wearily. "Late shopping?"

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:21 pm

She was tempted to needle him about the very unhappy looking woman who had obviously just left his presence. "I am...homesick." She confessed instead and set her bags down. "I am going to attempt a familiar meal."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:27 pm

This caught Ryan's attention. "Are the ingredients the same where you're from?" he asked, honestly curious now. "I mean... I'm not going to take anything for granted anymore, I don't think."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:39 pm

"Some, most have changed names...a few extinct." She placed apples, honey and red wine on to the table. "Some are universal." She actually smiled as she placed the brown paper wrapped meat package on the table. "This is why I chose to come here at this time." She unwrapped four large eels.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:41 pm

He smirked a little. "No witnesses asking stupid questions? Sorry to ruin that one..."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:53 pm

"If you should make unwanted comments the I shall simply have to force you to share." She pulled a knife from a drawer and took to the eels. Cleaning quickly and with surprising little mess. She finished the prep and placed the dish in the oven and started on a what looked like a dessert with the apples and honey. "Are you hungry?"

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:05 pm

He considered it a moment. "I... probably could eat," he admitted. Then he gave her a suspicious look. "And would eating put me under any obligations?"

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:10 pm

"Ah, he can learn." She chuckled. "You are safe Ryan Gabriel. Mortal food made by mortal means, there is nothing magically binding." She paused cutting apples and smiled. "We do have a standing truce after all."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:26 pm

"Call me suspicious, but I've learned that it's not violating a truce to let me walk freely into my own mess," He rubbed his temples one more time, then stood up, walking toward the sink. "Anything I can chop up? Other 'can't be messed up' things?"

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:51 pm

She pulled out a bag of pears. "As I have done with the apples." She gently instructed him as she set a pot on the stove to make the honey sauce. "Perhaps not a true violation, but only fey enjoy dealing with such triviality. I choose not to."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:17 am

Ryan thankfully took instruction well, and set to getting the apples ready as she'd said. "How do the fey deal with traitors? Any room for shades of grey there?"

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:35 am

"Depends on the one betrayed and the betrayal. Fey are very literal, eye for an eye." She watched him a moment. "You intend to betray someone?"

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:45 am

He shook his head. "As little as possible. Trying to decide how I should be dealing with them. Really wishing it was a clear situation."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:56 am

"You have found a traitor then?" She asked as she finished the apples and pears. She added them to the oven and added wine to the eels. "Who has been betrayed? You, the school?"

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:00 am

"Shouldn't say anything... I can't prove a thing yet," he said. "But me at least. She'd probably say it's the other way around, though."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:16 am

"Ah, the young woman who left as I arrived." She nodded her head as she set two places st the table for them. "There are many things I do not yet understand, but I know this, you love this school and the students within it. If you stand for nothing but this place here and now, then I think that makes you a truly fine man." She served the remaining wine into two glasses.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:19 am

"I don't think she's betraying the school," he said, with the time of someone trying on the statement. He sighed. "Hard to tell what she's on about. Nina and sanity only have a passing acquaintance."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:26 am

"You are not alone. I do not know this woman, but I have stood beside you before, I am fond of this place, I shall stand beside you again." She moved to the oven again, checking things before pulling the meal out and setting it on the table between them. "Sit, eat."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:56 am

"I hope it didn't come to that," he admitted. "But thank you." He looked at the food, considered it a moment, then picked up a fork. "There has to be some problem going on, I suppose. We go soft if there isn't."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 9:45 am

"We are what we are by little choice of our own, but that is merely what we are, who we are is what we choose to do with our skills and knowledge. We were given much, much is expected of us." She served him then her. The eel was a firm white fish, mild and clean tasting.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:42 am

He nodded his thanks, though he was wary of actually saying it yet. He has never been one for seafood... But since that was a rather vocal preference of his, he'd learned to eat it in case he ever needed to be undercover siege. So, thankfully, he could appreciate it for what it was. "I've wondered about that," he admitted. If we didn't have this always looming over us, could I be different?". He took another bite, adding, "This is good."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 11:59 am

"Choice and change are the gifts of the humans. You can choose, you can change. You are given tools, they are not evil or good, it is up to you how you choose to use them. The sword is not dangerous, the one who wields it is." She smiled. "My mother would make this on the anniversary of my birth."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 7:56 pm

"Wait, is today your birthday?" Ryan asked sidetracked from the more existential questions.

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 7:21 pm

"No, I was born in the spring. I was...am simply homesick. It is difficult to be away from my mother." She smiled.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 8:22 pm

"What's she like? I don't think anyone's ever really told a story about the Lady of the Lake being a person and not some mysterious goddess-like creature."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:21 pm

"She is kind and beautiful. Gentle, most of the time, once very powerful and respected. Still so strong, a literal force of nature if she is focused." She chuckled softly. "Never a goddess in her own mind. Always just my mother. My first teacher and protector."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:23 pm

Ryan chuckled a little. "I'd half expect there to be a bad TV series about it if word got around about the Lady of the Lake having a young daughter."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:29 pm

"From what I have witnessed in passing, most television is bad." Her nose scrunched.

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:31 pm

"Probably a good... ninety percent of it," he said. "The rest only half the people will think is bad."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:49 pm

"Why do you bother? It is like those horrid morality plays or terrifying traveling puppet plays."

by **Ryan Gabriel** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:02 pm

Ryan shrugged. "Some people don't. Some people need an escape. And for every twenty shows that are crap you can't believe exist, one will actually speak to you or have a good story to tell."

by **Vivienne Chinnoir** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:40 pm

"What television do you enjoy?"

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