xp_logs | Nathan, Medusa, and Domino

Medusa comes down for a workout and happens upon Domino and Nathan engaging in their usual therapeutic violence. A rather thoughtful conversation about Smichov, what was done, and second-guessing one's self ensues. (Oh, and we also find out that Medusa thinks Nathan is old. She's just too polite to say it aloud.)

Medusa slipped into her purple yoga top, her hair wrapping itself into a condensed bun on top of her head. She hadn't gotten in a good workout since before Prague and she quickly made her way to the gym. She'd pretty much avoided everyone but Crystal since she'd returned, so she nodded courteously at the people she passed in the hall, though she continued walking past them. It wasn't as if she'd been particularly social with any of them prior to her absence and she had a feeling most of the curious looks were more related to where she'd been then about her actual absence or return.

As she approached the gym, she heard a loud crash followed by several smaller ones. She paused, listening to the noise inside for a few minutes as she debated what to do. Frowning slightly, she pushed open the door, hoping that she hadn't mistimed her workout to a particularly busy time.

She opened the door just in time to see Domino's fist land squarely on Nathan's jaw, knocking him to the mats. "Come on, old man!" Domino said mockingly as Nathan got back up slowly, shaking his head. "This is just pitiful. You're doing far too much sitting behind a desk."

"Oh, bite me."

"Moira told me no teeth when we do this. Apparently she reserves that privilege for herself." Domino gave Nathan a slow, thoroughly evil smile - and then yelped and ducked the kick that came at her.

When the brunette had punched Nathan, Medusa had taken a step forward automatically. She had then stopped herself when it was apparent that the two were sparring consensually, though there was still a wary look in her eyes. A bit of shock entered as she listened to the way the pair bickered with one another, making it apparent that the two had known each other for quite some time. She wasn't sure if Nathan and the strange woman had noticed her, but she decided to err on the side of caution and etiquette. "I did not mean to interrupt," she said. "I shall return later."

"Don't worry, Medusa," Nathan said, and spat blood on the mats. There was a fierce, combative light in his gray eyes as he focused on Domino. "Plenty of room in the gym. I promise not to throw her at you."

"Oh. Oh-ho. Tough talk," Domino taunted. Nathan growled and closed with her, the two of them turning into a blurred whirl of punches and kicks and blocks, hammering away at each other with cheerful abandon.

Medusa shuddered a little at the blood, then walked the long way around it. Walking over to the barre by the mirror, she pulled an antibacterial wipe out of her hair and wiped it down. Placing one hand gracefully on the metal rod, she began stretching, trying to ignore the clash going on with the pair on the mat.

So that was Medusa, Domino thought, amused by how calmly the younger woman was appearing to ignore the two of them. She had reason to be sorry for the momentary distraction, as she got a fist to the midsection and had to get back out of Nate's far longer reach very quickly as she struggled to catch her breath.

There was a flash of triumph in his eyes as he moved in, undoubtedly to finish her off. Domino ducked, dodged - and got inside his guard, aiming an elbow at his ribs. His reaction was instant and anticipated; his ribs were a weak point and he immediately overcorrected to protect them. You'd think he'd know Moira had threatened me with a painful death if I ever so much as breathed wrongly at his ribs...

He left himself open, though. This time, the punch to his jaw was even more perfectly placed than the last one, and Nathan went down like a sack of potatoes.

And didn't move.

"Oh, crap," Domino muttered in amusement, kneeling down beside him.

Medusa raised an eyebrow, yet continued her demi-plies. The only change was that she stopped hiding the fact that she was attending to both Nathan and Domino. There was no need to worry that Nathan was not rising - not until it was shown that this was because he couldn't.

"Nate, come-" Domino didn't have the chance to yelp this time. She was flat on her back with a hand on her throat and Nathan grinning evilly at her. "Oh, cute," she scoffed at him. "Aside from the fact that if I was a bad guy I'd have shot you in the head instead of leaning down to see if you were all right."

"But you're not a bad guy."

"You won't say that in a minute when I kick you in the-"

"Enough," Nathan said with a laugh - and hastily moved back out of range. "I think we're done for the day. Ow, by the way," he said, rubbing at his jaw as he gave her a hand up. "Medusa? This is Domino, you've probably heard me mention her name. She works at the Tel Aviv office?"

Nodding, Medusa made her way over to the brunette and held out her hand after an unnoticeable moment of hesitation. "Pleased to meet you, Domino. Will you be visiting with Nathan long?" I do not think he can handle too many days of this.

"Probably a few days at least," Domino said, shaking the offered hand and trying to hide her amusement. Well, Nate, there's nothing like giving her the worst possible first impression of me...

#There's nothing wrong with a little therapeutic violence.# "Domino just came back from Yemen," Nathan volunteered. "Looking into whether mutants there have their specialized medical needs met." He rubbed at his jaw again, reflectively. "I am going to have to eat something soft for dinner tonight."

"Learn to move faster," was Domino's completely unsympathetic retort.

Medusa raised an eyebrow, unobtrusively wiping her hand against her black shorts with a prayer that no blood had gotten on her. "How did things look in Yemen?" she asked, deciding to avoid the reply that Domino should probably begin taking it easy on poor Nathan.

"Depressing. The answer to Nathan's implicit question is a definite no. But I think," Domino said, heading over to get her water bottle, "that the next person who goes in should be male. Let's just say my inquisitiveness did not go over very well."

"I see," Medusa replied. "That is rather unfortunate. As is the fact that mutant needs are not being met in far too many countries." She allowed her hair to drop to her shoulders, seeing no need to keep it confined if she was no longer working out.

"I'm sure another woman could manage," Nathan said a bit wryly, rubbing at the arm that had been broken in San Diego. It was still sore from time to time. "Dom just has this bad effect on patriarchally-minded types..."

"One bad trip to Afghanistan and suddenly I'm a walking trouble magnet in traditional societies, is that it?"

"Pretty much." Nathan rubbed at the back of his neck, wincing, and Domino frowned as she saw his reaction. He raised his free hand defensively. "I'm fine."

"Like hell." Domino's eyes were very intent as she watched the way he was moving. "You know, Nate, it's all right to admit if you're getting a little too old for this..." she teased half-heartedly. Aware of Medusa's attention, she shrugged a bit. "He tell you that he broke his back about a year and a half ago?"

"I am not surprised, considering the stories I have heard of his...adventures," Medusa said, her expression not changing in the least. "And now that I have been on one, I am beginning to think that I should ascribe more truth to the rumors than I had before about him breaking his brain and other body parts." She looked at Nathan with a touch of concern in her eyes. "Perhaps we should allow you to sit? Or go to a steam room?"

"Are the two of you enjoying fussing? I'm not that old and decrepit." There was no edge to Nathan's voice, just a certain wry fondness. He went over and sat down on one of the benches with a sigh. "Therapeutic violence isn't what it used to be."

"Nathan tells me you kept your head about you in Prague," Domino said to Medusa, although her eyes kept flickering towards Nathan. "Sounds like a number of people in Smichov should be glad you were there."

Medusa shook her head and shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I did not do enough. I am sure there was something else, something more I could have done." Terry's words came back to her and she turned away to hide the expression she could not keep off her face. "You should probably take Nathan to find some ice for those bruises."

"No one's taking me anywhere," Nathan grumbled, then frowned at Medusa. "Why are you second-guessing yourself?" he asked very directly.

"It is nothing," she said. "Just an errant thought." Why I did not do more. Why people in the mansion always seem to judge me. Why, why, why, with no answers to come. Turning back to face him, she forced a convincingly genuine smile onto her face.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. Not convinced at all. "Has someone suggested to you that you should have done more?" Damn it. The post he'd made was supposed to have gotten people to come to him, if they'd felt that way.

Medusa shook her head in denial, then gave Nathan a slightly sheepish look. "Someone may have mentioned that I did not use my royal abilities to their full potential." Suddenly realizing that Domino was also watching and listening to her, she drew herself up to her full height and held her head high.

"What, in Smichov?" Nathan shook his head. "You know better," he said, and although his tone was chiding, it was gently so. "You were there when Barath told us that there were actually people in the Czech government who thought Hungary was planning to take direct-action. You should be able to imagine what the reaction would have been to someone of your social status from Attilan taking a public interest in the matter."

Domino smiled a bit. It wasn't a usual sort of smile, from her - there was no edge to it, just a certain amount of sympathy. "Hey, don't second-guess yourself. The old man's right. You did what you thought was right at the time - the only reason you're second-guessing now is that circumstances beyond your control made the situation turned out more badly than we all hoped."

Medusa nodded, but didn't look convinced. "I just wish there was a way that I could use my title for something more than what little I have done at home." She turned away again, her hair swaying in agitation. "It is too late to change things for Smichov, but perhaps the next time."

"We're always going to think that we could have done more, or should have done more. It's part of being involved in these situations in the first place, I think." Nathan ignored the slightly quizzical smile Domino was giving him. "Just... look at the next time, Medusa. If you do that, then the questioning is worth something, because it's applied to something that's still up in the air."

She nodded again, though this time it had more meaning. "I wish there would not be a next time, but I am afraid I know there will be. Perhaps I will be able to do things better then."

I see why you like her, Nathan, Domino thought at him. She's about as hard on herself as you are.

#Hush.# Nathan rose, stiffly. "Now," he said briskly, "I think a soak may indeed be in order. I'm old, after all." Domino laughed at him, and he shook his head at her.

Medusa turned back to face Nathan, her hair rewrapping atop her head. "I had almost thought you had forgotten." The only indication to her level of seriousness was the slight twinkle in her eye.

Oh, I really, really like her...

#Huuuuush.# Nathan grinned as he turned towards the men's locker room. "Medusa, you should come down and have dinner at the boathouse some night while Dom's here. She can tell you what sort of thing the Tel Aviv office does."

"I would like that very much," she said as she made her way back over to the barre.