xp_logs | Great Rift: Where You Stand

Released from the medical clinic, Rahne settles in at the guest house, and is somewhat surprised to meet T'Challa's mother, who expresses interest in what Elpis does. (As she's the Wakandan Minister of Education, this may be more than just idle curiosity.) Later, T'Challa and Nathan indulge in some wary circling and moderate snark.

The doctor at the clinic had decided there was no need to keep her for more than one night, but had cautioned her to 'take things easily', before Nathan had shepherded her away to the house where T'Challa had found them a place to stay. As soon as he'd gotten her properly set up in a room, he'd vanished again, muttering something about planning needing to be done.

"You, nap!" he'd tossed back over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him. The knock on the door, strangely enough, came only a minute or so later.

"Miss Sinclair?" It was a female voice, an older voice, unfamiliar to Rahne but with the same musical accent as the staff at the clinic had had. "May I come in?"

Rahne sat up and blinked. Nap later. She suspected she might have more time to sleep than she really wanted. "Yes?" she called back. "Please do."

The woman who came in was tall and stately, somewhere in her late middle age. She wore clothing not unlike that of the women in the village that had been attacked, but of a finer cut and fabric. There was both keen intelligence and kindness in her dark eyes as she looked down at Rahne, and the smile she gave the young woman was warm and concerned.

"I was told that one of those who helped my son at the village was injured. I didn't expect you to be young, I must admit..."

"Nathan's willing to do quite a lot of on-the-job training, so I've been able to work with him before finishing at university," Rahne said, returning the smile. She found herself liking this woman immediately and wanting to please her. Noticing her own reaction gave her pause, if only briefly, and then she laughed at herself a little in the privacy of her own head. Alpha. Her more wolflike habits of thought were still at the fore, or she might have phrased it differently, but she was responding because the woman came across as a leader worth following. For some reason it hadn't occurred to her before that she might want to watch that instinct as carefully as the one to bristle up at people she didn't want taking charge of her. "Your son? --Are you T'Challa's mother then?"

The older woman sank gracefully into a chair, still smiling, although there was a wry edge to it now. "Yes, I am. My name is Nyami, Ms. Sinclair - I'm very pleased to meet you, and grateful that you and your friends were there." She sighed a bit, although the smile didn't fade. "I love my son for his persistence, but I could wish he was more careful about taking such risks. Especially so soon after being released from hospital."

"Please call me Rahne," Rahne said, her thoughts tumbling over this startling information. "I have to admit, he didna seem to be in any less than the best of health...." She smiled a bit ruefully herself. "Though I do know plenty of people who can never wait to get started again after an illness or injury."

"T'Challa has always been like this," Nyami said somewhat ruefully, "even as a boy. It is a very noble trait, of course, but also very foolish." She peered at Rahne, her attention on the girl's injured arm. "How are you feeling? Doctor Itobo is very skilled - you were fortunate to be close enough to be brought here." She smiled again, almost proudly. "He was one of my better students, at the school in Kanda. He went abroad to do his medical studies, of course."

"I think I feel much better than someone who has been shot can reasonably expect," Rahne said. She really had been fortunate, and in more than one way. "Dr. Itobo did excellent work. You teach, then?"

"Truthfully? I am what you would call the Minister of Education for Wakanda," Nyami said, her eyes twinkling. "Sadly, I see the inside of a classroom very rarely these days."

Rahne tilted her head. "Something tells me you do a lot of good for those who do." A tiny smile. "Even if what ye do is not always as much fun."

Nyami looked amused, but there was still kindness in the expression. "Ah, I see that you have some passing familiarity with bureaucracy, Rahne. I would expect that to be the case, working with an NGO as you do."

The smile grew. "Aye, just a bit."

"I must confess, I had never heard of your organization prior to this week," Nyami said, looking curious. "I tend to be preoccupied by local issues. But my son is a mutant, so I have a certain interest..."

"We're fairly new yet," Rahne said when the older woman trailed off invitingly. "But we've had very good advice and some very good opportunities. Ah, most of them a little quieter than this one...."

"It's so unfortunate, for you to have come this far, only to be caught up in something like this," Nyami said, a flash of honest regret in her eyes. Curiosity entered her voice as she went on, however. "What drew you to this work, if I may ask?"

"Wanting to help," Rahne said. "And Nathan. I suppose I'd not have thought of it, at least not so soon, but he teaches at the school I went to as well, and he gave me the chance. I like... being able to do something. Research, listen, persuade, even the very boring parts are -- are satisfying, because we can... sometimes we can help with an immediate crisis, but even where there's not one, we can set things up to become better."

Nyami's eyes were alight with interest, now. "A very practical approach," she complimented Rahne, nothing even in the slightest bit condescending about the comment. "I've met many in jobs similar to yours, Rahne. So often they have the best of intentions, but fall short when it comes to the... boring parts," she said, and the whimsical smile made her look ten years younger.

"I just try to keep in mind there's a reason." Rahne grinned suddenly. "And I suppose sometimes it's a bit relaxing to know for sure what to do next, even if the next thing is dull. Hard to be bored while figuring out the next step."

"We should speak more about this, when you've rested," Nyami said thoughtfully. "For now, however... is there anything you need?" She smiled kindly again. "Food, diversion, company...? If you'd like to rest, I can have something brought to eat later."

Rahne offered a slightly rueful smile of her own and suppressed a yawn. "You're very good company, but I'm afraid I might not be for much longer. I do seem to keep falling asleep."

"Then we'll speak later," Nyami said, rising from her chair. "I will come up to check on you from time to time, if that's all right. It's the least I can do." She laid her hand lightly on Rahne's uninjured shoulder, smiling. "Do sleep well."

--

"Nathan?"

Nathan didn't look around at the sound of T'Challa's voice, just waited for the man to join him on the verandah of the guest house. "You really think we're going to get lucky tonight?" he asked the Wakandan, not bothering to keep the doubt out of his voice. The planning session had gone well enough, he supposed, but it rested on one serious logical flaw, as far as he was concerned. "What happens if this convoy takes another route?"

He fancied he heard the other man's teeth grind, just a little. They had been over this a number of times inside, after all, and Nathan was fully aware that he'd made something of a pest of himself on the subject.

"I believe it is the best chance we have," T'Challa said, his voice very even. "I have stopped four convoys in the last two weeks, focusing on the other three major routes. It seems unlikely that they would not seek out the path of least resistance. The information I gathered in Tanzania suggests that a shipment is expected before the end of the week."

"But you're not certain," Nathan said, knowing he was being a bit of a bastard. T'Challa had actually done some pretty impressive work, gathering intelligence about the movements of these smugglers, and Wakanda was so mountainous that there were a limited number of routes. "We may just wind up going for a long midnight drive tonight."

"Of course," T'Challa said, no edge to his voice, although there was something slightly... sharp, about the way he looked at Nathan as he joined him at the edge of the verandah. "Surely you are no stranger to a lack of certainty, in situations like this."

Nathan raised an eyebrow right back at him. "Jumping to conclusions, aren't we?" he asked, and ignored his conscience pointing out that he was proceeding to be slightly more than just a 'bit' of a bastard. "You don't know me."

"Ororo said that both you and she were experienced in the field. I watched the two of you plan, as well, remember." T'Challa paused, and Nathan saw the not-quite-veiled amusement and curiosity in the other man's gaze. "Not to mention that back in the village, I saw something rather... impressive."

"Oh?" Nathan drawled, wondering what he was getting at.

"Yes. A bird of fire. Quite large. Very similar to one I saw in the footage from San Diego last year. From the tsunami."

Nathan bit his lip, then shrugged. "Mm."

"We do get satellite television here."

"Of course you do." His better nature got the better of him. "Look," Nathan said abruptly, "ignore me. Ororo and Angelo... and Rahne, and pretty much anyone else who knows me will tell you that I'm very often cranky for the sheer joy of being miserable." He met the other man's eyes, held them as levelly as he could. "We'll do what we can, here. I hope it's enough to help." And he did. He might be heartily pissed that Rahne had gotten caught in the crossfire, but it was hardly T'Challa's fault, and hearing about the details of these other attacks had him cranky in an entirely different, and hopefully more productive way.

T'Challa just nodded. Nathan muttered something about needing to take another look at the maps and turned to go, to be forestalled by the other man raising a hand, clearly on the verge of a question.

"Was she - was Ororo there, too?"

"In San Diego?" T'Challa nodded again, and Nathan returned the gesture. "Yes, she was."

"Mm," T'Challa said, in a hopefully unconscious echo of Nathan's earlier monosyllabic response. But the speculative look in his eyes was very interesting, Nathan thought, his own eyes narrowing.

"Quite the woman, isn't she?" he asked, the goading edge back in his tone.

"Quite," T'Challa said, almost blandly.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Very quick with the lightning, though."

"I find that a most admirable trait."