xp_logs | Nathan and Marie-Ange, Wednesday (Odin's Day. Hee.)

Wednesday, before Alison and the group go to the spa, Nathan finds Marie-Ange sunning by the pool. They discuss Asgard, the changes to her power, religion, and ... Marie-Ange's sex life.

Running into Rahne had let him check one redhead off his list of people to be accosted and welcomed home properly, but he had to go in search of the other. Which didn't bother him particularly, Nathan thought cheerfully as he spotted Angie's familiar form on one of the lounge chairs by the pool.

"So do I get a proper hug, now that you're showered and all?" Not that she hadn't hugged him quite enthusiastically last night, but then she'd fallen all over herself apologizing for how she smelled.

Marie-Ange was up and halfway to the hug before Nathan was done speaking. "Two showers, actually, and an early-morning swim. I am never, ever taking running water for granted again."

Always a good idea," Nathan said softly, hugging her tightly. Probably projecting again, he told himself. Still not caring. "I'm so glad you're back, mi'savra," he murmured, and if his eyes were stinging a little, he didn't think Angie was about to point that out. "You mind if I keep hugging you for oh, the next half-hour or so?"

"Not at all." In fact, she had every intention to hug back for just as long. "It is good to be home, if a little strange. I was expecting November, not August." Marie-Ange shook her head. "Doug repeated some explanation from Dr. McCoy. I am trying not to think about it."

"I'm having some trouble wrapping my mind around it myself," Nathan said, not letting go of her but leading her over to one of the benches so they could sit down. He kept his arm around her as they did. "You'd think we'd be used to weird things happening with time around here, after Illyana." He was babbling a bit, he knew that, but it was more to buy him a moment to assess what he could sense of Angie's mental state than anything else. "Did you sleep all right?"

"Like the dead. I haven't had insomnia ... " Marie-Ange frowned a bit. "Actually, since we left. I.." Finding no way to really explain it easily, she decided blunt was probably easier. "I suspect exhaustion and then having my power ... adjusted... contributed to that. Three months of bruises might almost be worth it if I never get insomnia again."

It took every bit of self-control he had not to stiffen. "Your power... adjusted?" he asked, the strain coming out in his voice as the words came out uneven. He blinked down at her, the arm around her tightening slightly as if of his own accord. "Tell me what happened? Please?" That came out sounding almost like a plea. But he was the prime example of what could happen when precognition was fucked around with by an outside force, and the idea of anything at all similar happening to Angie...

"Odin decided it would be ... I don't know, more useful? if it was faster but a whole lot more painful." Marie-Ange shrugged matter-of-factly. "I cannot put it back the way I found it, and I am not even sure if he did the changing or not, though I have no other good explanation."

Painful? More painful? Nathan swallowed, and abruptly wrapped her in his arms again, not sure whether this hug was for her benefit or his. She didn't seem to be protesting, in any case. "We'll talk to Moira. And Charles," he said hoarsely. "And I'll wring every last thing the Askani know about precognition out of them if it's the last thing I do."

"More painful, but faster." Wiggling one arm free, Marie-Ange pointed to her left eye. "Norse gods have sick senses of humour. It is less of a giant headache and more of a big sharp stick in my eye." Frowning thoughtfully, she added. "Which explains why the mirror-me changed too, now that I think on it. I hadn't really given that much thought. I wonder if it will go back to normal now that I’m home?"

"We can meditate and see," Nathan said, trying not to let his worry show too visibly. He eased his grip on her. 'Frantic clutch' did not say 'I'm not worried'. He smiled, or tried to. It probably looked a little bitter. "Don't you just love having an ability that gods and would-be goddesses like to play with?"

"Oh yes. It is ever so much fun." The dry tone of Marie-Ange's voice said far more than the actual words. "At least the bird didn't come home with me. I'm sure Bella would have adored him. Really." The mental image of Memory and Nathan's pet interacting was too funny not to giggle at.

"Bird?" Nathan caught the image from her mind and shook his head, half-in-wonder, half-in-disbelief. "I'm not sure I would have coped as well flung into a world out of mythology," he admitted, then couldn't help a grin. "There probably would have been a whole lot of wandering around and 'What the fuck?'ing on my part."

"Oh, I did a lot of staring in awe and wondering "What the fuck?"." Marie-Ange grinned back. Her language hadn't gotten any better after coming home, and she made a mental note to work on that. "Mutant powers really don't prepare you for getting attacked by goblins or iguanas that turn into dragons."

He raised an eyebrow. "Frank? Oh, dear..." He was going to be hearing odd stories like that for quite some time, he suspected. "What did you mean by 'faster'?" he asked slowly, after a moment.

"Faster. It does not take as long to use, but at the same time, it is not long term any more. It was all very immediate, except just the once." Except, she wasn't entirely sure how she -knew- that, and wrinkled her nose in a puzzled expression. "And even that time, it was much less annoying vague." Huffing slightly, she pouted. "This has not gotten any easier, and now it makes even less sense."

"So he narrowed your focus, basically?" Nathan frowned, giving her another half-hug almost absently. "I think you ought to talk to the Professor," he said after another moment's thought. "To see if he can see any changes on the psionic level."

"I will, once the euphoria of being able to take a shower -every- day wears off. I had -fleas-. Actually, I think we all did except Miles, but ... " Marie-Ange shuddered briefly. "I cannot believe I stopped noticing how bad we all smelled."

"You get used to smelling bad when you spend enough time without showering," Nathan said with the voice of long experience. "Did I ever tell you about the year I spend pretending I was a Kazakh nomad? Not much in the way of showers out on the steppes..."

"You spent a -year- pretending to be a nomad? Why?" Marie-Ange snickered. Brushing some hair out of her face, she automatically pulled the greater part back and started plaiting it into the tight braids she had arrived with.

"Deep cover assignment," Nathan said easily. He certainly wasn't going to go into any detail on the specifics of the assignment, but the rest of it... "I was nineteen years old. First time I'd spent any length of time away from M... on my own." He smiled a bit nostalgically. "Loved it, actually," he confessed, his eyes warm as he looked down at her. "You should see what the stars look like in Kazakhstan. But I smelled terribly."

"Sleeping under the stars was one of the few -nice- things about Asgard." Remembering a few pleasant nights before the weather grew really cold spent curled up watching the stars with Doug, Marie-Ange smiled, then blushed just a bit. "Well, until it got cold. Sleeping outside in the cold is no kind of fun at all."

He managed not to grin at the blush, or the accompanying mental images that fluttered out at him. "So there was some good in the experience after all?" he asked lightly, wondering if she'd catch the double meaning.

She did, and blushed. Again. "Nathan, are you asking me what I think you are asking me?" Marie-Ange wasn't at all sure why that question was easier from a teacher than from her -father-, but it was at least less embarrassing.

Nathan gave her his best innocent look, the one that had never fooled any woman on earth and wasn't about to start now. "Would I go nosing into your personal business like that?" he asked, then gave her his best endearing grin. He didn't need to poke. Not when she was projecting.

Marie-Ange covered her face with both hands, giggling helplessly. Teachers should not look cute. It was a rule. Although, in the grand scheme of things, Nathan did break a lot of rules. "Doug -sang- to me. In front of an entire meadhall of cranky drunk Vikings, he sang, just for me." Peering our between her hands, she added. "I don't think he got that goofy smile off his face for nearly a week."

Oh. He was going to die of the cute, he really was. Nathan grinned at her. "Young love," he said with relish. "Makes me feel centuries younger." He hugged her again, quite abruptly, ignoring the small yelp. "Did I mention how glad I was to see you?" he asked fondly. "Or that your mother thinks I'm a priest?"

"Um. You did, and she thinks you're a what?" She couldn't possibly be hearing that correctly. Nathan was about the last person on earth anyone sane would think that about. Oh. Right. This -was- her mother they were talking about.

"Good, just checking," Nathan said, letting go of her again. "And yes. A priest. Although I think she expected me to look wise and grandfatherly and saintly, rather than... well, than this."

"A. Priest? " Marie-Ange shook her head in disbelief. "How.. why... do I even want to know?"

"Think of it from her point of view," Nathan suggested. "She does honestly believe that your precognition is a gift from God." He wasn't going to tell Angie how uncomfortable the conversation had made him. "She wants to believe that you're being guided for a higher purpose. So she wants to believe that the people guiding you are likewise guided by that purpose." He smirked a little. "Okay, so it's a bit of a jump, from that to me being a priest..."

"I suppose now would be a bad time to point out that technically I met a god, and he gave me gifts?" Marie-Ange gave a little half-grin, obviously amused by the idea. "Two gods, if I'm being technical. I think Sif was worshipped by the ancient Norse..."

"I think you should probably avoid mentioning that to your mother," Nathan said wryly. "Quite seriously; I don't know that she could handle it." He sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, advice-wise, when it comes to that. Religion and parents are not issues I cope very well with under the best of circumstances."

"I am fairly sure she will calm down in a day or so. She gets like this when she is under a lot of stress." The grin faded, though not entirely, as Marie-Ange had decided that it was far better to be amused by the entire situation than be upset - upset did her no good, and ruined the euphoric feeling of just being -home-. "She is not going to try to convert anyone, that I am certain of. Papa will not let her."

"They were very glad to see you back and in one piece," Nathan said with a smile, remembering witnessing Angie's reunion with her parents. "I suppose all of these other issues are side issues, in the end..." He laughed suddenly and then hugged her again. "Bear with me?" he asked as she gave a surprised squeak. "I'm just so glad you're all right..."

"I am not complaining. At all. I have gotten more hugs in the last day than I had in the last month, I think. Not counting Doug. Or Miles. or Jamie. " The hugs were definitely good, Marie-Ange thought. A little -odd-, but good. It was really kind of funny how easily a person could get used to not having any comforting human contact when they needed to.

"We'll sort it out, you know," Nathan murmured. "Your precognition... without getting you any mental houseguests in the process. I promise."