xp_logs | Nathan and Wanda, Wednesday afternoon

Nathan and Wanda cross paths while checking out the Excelsior's security arrangements. Wanda in action is a terribly impressive thing.

Wanda idly played with one of the slot machines near the rear entrance to the casino. She had been there, winning and losing, for over an hour, getting a good eyeful of the guards behind her. Laughing, she flirted with the gentleman next to her for a second before glancing through the machines.

The only reason she spotted Nathan was because he probably let her, she thought, smirking a little bit.

He was going to be so very, very glad to get back out of here again, Nathan thought, leaning back against the wall and sipping his drink. The buzz of the psi-suppressant gear was really beginning to wear on his nerves. He gave Wanda a faint smile, even as he let his gaze continue to drift around the gaming floor, noticing cameras.

Finishing off her drink, she glanced over her shoulder. Two guards were at this exit, both relatively young and inexperienced looking. But it would not do to misjudge them, she knew. Taking a deep breath, she handed her empty glass to a waiter passing near by and stood up, the cue for Nathan to be ready in case something when wrong when she went over to talk to the guards.

Nathan shook off the irritability and watched Wanda over the edge of his glass, trying not to be too obvious about it. She was definitely enjoying herself, he thought with a faint smile. She's going to make one hell of an X-Man, he reflected. Hopefully it will give her father a heart attack...

It was inevitable the guards would catch notice of her. Not only was she heading straight for them, the dress Wanda was wearing--red and cut down to places that left little just enough to the imagination--was hard to tear your eyes off of. "Hello," she purred, sidling up to the slightly older one. He gulped and glanced over at his friend.

"Uh, you're--um, not supposed to...hi."

Nathan was doing his best not to snicker. Definitely enjoying herself too much... He wished he could add some sort of telepathic comment to that effect, but if wishes were fishes, they'd all be having a lavish seafood dinner at the moment.

The shiny metal of the doors behind them showed her a glimpse of Nathan. Sighing, pretending she was tipiser than she was, she leaned against the one who had spoken. "You boys are cute," Wanda proclaimed, giggling, her accent thickening by just a hint. "Would you like to play later?" This was it, the reason they were doing this. They needed to find out the times the guards changed without Nathan poking around in someone's head. And, hopefully, how long the new set of guards would take to get there.

Nathan watched her talk the guards into an assignation at the bar lately, and smiled tightly as he heard one of the rather flushed-looking young men tell her that 'uh, we get off at six, and that'd be really... really nice, ma'am'.

Beaming, she leaned over and kissed both of them on the cheeks before wiggling her fingers as she walked away. "See you then, boys," she called, knowing they were too busy watching her move than to notice Nathan as he got up and headed towards a safe spot. A few minutes of making sure no one followed and she soon joined him. "Should I feel dirty?"

"Only if you really, really want to," Nathan said wryly. "Personally, I thought it was masterfully done." He handed her the drink he'd gotten her on his way over to their regrouping point.

"Ooo, you're a saint," she breathed, taking a deep drink. "Thank God it takes a lot to knock me off my feet, I had at least three drinks over there before they finally noticed me."

"Yeah, they were a little stubborn about that," Nathan mused, his eyes drifting back up to the ceiling. "I was counting cameras. They're fairly well-disguised, but not if you know what you're looking for."

"How many?" Wanda asked, eyes glancing up at Nathan.

"Fifteen on this side." Nathan frowned, setting his drink down and rubbing at his forehead. "At least I think I counted fifteen. Fucking buzz in my head..."

Touching his arm, she looked concerned. "Are you going to be okay? You have been through a lot recently and all of it centered on your powers."

"I seem to have an upper limit of a couple of hours in here," Nathan said with a faint smile. "I'll mind it... the effect starts fading as soon as I'm outside."

"You _are_ taking trips outside to clear your head, no? Do not give me that look, Nathan, I do not wish to have to carry your body from this casino. I think Dr. MacTaggart would kill Remy if that were to happen."

Nathan continued to give her that very meek look. "And that would be a terrible, terrible thing," he said with all apparent sincerity.

"_I_ would enjoy watching the scene unfold but, then again, I still do owe Remy for that crack in his journal. And you did not answer my question."

Nathan sighed. "I haven't," he said, raising a defensive hand at the look he got. "Seriously, I seem to be good for a couple of hours in here, like I said. So I might as well make full use of it."

"Mmm." Wanda gave him that look that said, politetly, that she thought he was full of crap but she let it slide. "I think we have hidden long enough in the quiet," she said, finishing off her drink. Last one for her, even if they did water them down. "We know when the guards go and come and that will be a big help. Anything else we can find out, like the cameras for one, will be even better."

Nathan took a deep breath. "One more circuit, then make our respective exits?" he suggested. He'd get some air, come back a little later for another look around. Information-gathering was one of the few real contributions he could make just now.

Grinning, to hid the tiredness that had begun to show, she gestured towards the crowd, lights and noise. "We were _born_ for this, Nathan. It's show time."