xp_logs | The Gates: Quid Pro Quo

Medusa visits the boathouse with some information for Nathan - and a request. Nathan, in turn, makes a suggestion that Medusa finds somewhat surprising, but also rather intriguing.

Medusa knocked on the door to the boathouse. She was always dressed impeccably, but today her outfit had more of a business look to it. She had paired tailored black pants with a fitted, yet conservative, purple sweater and the only thing that ruined the image of your ordinary young fashion conscious New York woman was the tote held casually aloft by a strand of bright red hair.

Nathan looked up from his desk and caught the flash of red hair through the window. "Come in," he called, and managed a slightly startled smile as the door opened and he saw which redhead it was. "Hello, Medusa."

She strode into the room, setting the tote on empty desk. "Greetings Nathan. I hope this is not a bad time. I know you wished to speak with me about the situation in Prague. With the way things have been going, I presumed that sooner was better than later." She smoothed an imaginary wrinkle on the front of her sweater. After discussing the idea further with her sister, Medusa was quite set on the idea of being involved with doing something about the situation, official or otherwise.

"Anytime is a good time for more information," Nathan said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. Juliette kept working busily away, and he didn't spare her a glance. "Can I get you some of our substandard coffee?"

"As tempting as you have made that offer sound, I believe I will have to pass." Sitting in the chair, her hair extended to pull several files from her bag and shifted to offer them to Nathan. "What is the phrase? Let us get straight to the point. These files contain information gathered from interviews with some of the last mutants to make it out of Smichov before the ghetto was sealed." She knew it was generally considered risky to give information before an agreement to get information in return, but she had a gut feeling that the the general dance of negotiation and diplomacy could be left at the door to the boathouse.

Nathan straightened in his chair, raising an eyebrow as he reached out for the files. "Okay then. I... am not surprised, that you'd have access to these, but it's still something of a surprise to have them handed to me. Can I use them?" He shook his head slightly, then explained. "I'm not to the point of having enough information to draw up any kind of report at the moment, but some of the organizations who're interested, we're talking about pooling data."

"So long as you are able to be discrete about the source, it should not be a problem. The information would not be nearly as beneficial if you could not use it." Clasping her hands in her lap, Medusa looked across the desk, green eyes locking with gray ones. "I also have to admit that I am hoping to get something in exchange - beyond a request for whatever information you can provide."

"Quid pro quo - it's a long and honorable tradition," Nathan said with a hint of a smile. "I'll have that section of our database copied for you - Juliette?" The secretary waved absently from her desk and moved back to her computer to do just that. "What's 'beyond' that?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Keep me in the loop," she explained. "The official and the unofficial one. Attilan's hands are bound in ways that Elpis's won't be." She glanced down at her own hands, locked together in her lap, before looking back up at Nathan. "I cannot sit idly by while this happens."

Nathan opened his mouth, then closed it again, giving her a long, thoughtful look. Her interest in this made sense - really, he should have expected as much, given the nature of some of their conversations. "Well," he said more briskly, "officially speaking... you could always do a little volunteer work." His eyes twinkled briefly; he hadn't been expecting to put this into practice so soon. "Unofficially, we could continue our lunches."

"Volunteer work," she mused. "Yes, I suppose that could work. And you know I thoroughly enjoy our lunches, so I would want to continue those regardless." Setting one hand on the desk in front of her, Medusa strummed manicured nails against the surface as she turned several ideas over in her mind. "What exactly would be required of me? In the official capacity?"

Nathan hrmmed. "Let's say... six hours a week? Contingent on your schedule week by week, I mean. But that," he said with a crooked smile, "should cover the amount of work we're doing on Prague these days. I could make sure you're here for meetings, to help with contact reports and so forth..."

Medusa nodded. "I have done some volunteer work in my official capacity as a representative for Attilan, though I have to admit office work will be a new one." She smiled back at Nathan, a tinge of amusement entering her voice. "My parents encouraged me to have new experiences in America, but somehow I do not think this is what they had in mind."

"This is not your everyday office," Nathan said with a smile - that abruptly faded as Juliette let out what might have been a stifled snort at her desk. He proceeded to give his secretary an evil look, which she ignored completely. Grumbling under his breath, he turned his attention back to Medusa. "I'll try and make it interesting, in any case. And topical. No sending you to wrestle with the possessed photocopier."

Medusa arched an eyebrow after a glance at Juliette, thinking about some of the allusions Nathan had made to Elpis's activities. "I would be sorely disappointed if you assigned me such" mundane "simple tasks. You strike me as a better manager than that." She leaned back in her seat, her hair floating serenely around her face. "I would imagine you are quite adept at utilizing your team to the fullest extent of their abilities."

"I like to flatter myself that I do," Nathan said almost playfully, as he laid the folders down on his desk. He would want to go over those in detail, he knew. "Ever been to the UN, Medusa?"

Her eyes all but lit up at the thought. "No, I never had the opportunity. I was able to attend several diplomatic conferences in Europe, but nothing close to the United Nations in scope or importance." Medusa smiled somewhat wryly at him. "I had thought of arranging a tour, but at the time wondered if the possible publicity was worth a brief visit."

Nathan grinned. "The press isn't lurking in the halls, generally. I could probably sneak you in for one of the meetings I have scheduled next week regarding the situation in Prague... if you'd be willing to take notes for me." He gave her an innocent look.

"I believe I could manage that. I will even hold the pen in my hand," she replied with an equally innocent look, before her face resumed it's usual neutral expression. "It is not the press lurking that concerns me, rather the photographers that sometimes follow me. However, I have been quite boring lately and hopefully they have decided to move on to some more interesting and active socialite."

Nathan smiled, and this time there was something fairly alarming about the expression. "Photographers have a lot of trouble chasing someone if their pants are suddenly around their ankles," he said, almost kindly.

Medusa smiled at the older man, a calculating edge in her eyes. "I like they way you think." It is nice to see that not everyone here is so hesitant in the use of their abilities. Rising to her feet, she extended her right hand as her hair picked her bag up. "Nathan, I believe this is the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship."

It would probably not be the best course of action to ask her if she was adapting a quote from Casablanca - and either way, it tickled him. He leaned forward and shook her hand. "Let me know when you have gaps in your class schedule - we can fit your time here to them."