2013.04.25 - Payday

It's evening, the day after the night before. Amanda has turned the gas fireplace in her living room on against the chill of the evening -- even though it's not that cold. It's more that it suits her mood. She has just poured herself a cup of calming tea and settled into the corner of her sofa, hands wrapped around it. Her mood is pensive, even fretful. Maybe even a trifle skittish. She's not been able to find Kurt -- though she did find a crazy haunted house in the Bronx. That was new.
She's also under very little illusion about the chances the mobsters had against the metamorph she lured into that alley, last night. It weighs heavily on her conscience -- for all that she didn't really see another way around it. The hit had to be recinded. That could only happen if they had Mystique, instead. But that doesn't mean Amanda is happy about it. Mystique is as unforgiving as Margali, she has no doubt. She glances ceilingward. "Gods, don't let her get into this, too." That's the last thing she'd need. A confrontation with her own mother on top of it all. As it is... well, she doesn't expect to see Kurt, now, until he's good and ready. She takes some comfort in the fact he's not really one to hold a grudge. But, it's very small. If he saw the whole thing? It wasn't meant for his eyes. It was meant for a much harsher, far less sensitive and tender soul.
Letting out a string of Romani expletives, she sets her tea aside, shoves herself out of her seat, and moves to stare broodingly out the balcony window.
The first thing that Amanda may notice, assuming she's still wearing the bracelet, is that.. it is no longer responding. Dead? Doubtful. Pissed off?
*bamf*
Absolutely.
Everything that comes out of his mouth now is rapidfire German.. and it's sounding a little harsher than it would ordinarily- particularly now. He's cleaned up, and very much blue.. with a button down shirt, jeans.. and converse sneakers.
"You killed me!" Kurt doesn't even bother looking for Amanda; he knows she's here. "You killed me! Set me on fire, and killed me!" He apparently has been trying to wrap his head around that little bit all day. Well, that and,
"And you never told me? You used me to lure mother out.." Bait! But.. not really him, but.. him.. but..
It's all in the timing. Just outside of the door to Amanda's apartment a ghostly white hued hand hesitates, hearing the excited German words in a tone which is familiar. Even when it's upset. Perhaps -especially- when it's upset. But, Domino didn't make this trip for nothing. A timely intervention might turn out to be most beneficial to all involved.
And so, she knocks. Teleporters, no sense of personal space...
Of course, if Dom knew that the door would be unlocked she would let herself in, anyway.
"Hey, uh..if you kids can stop yelling for a minute?"
Domino Delivers.
Aaaaaaand, there he is. Amanda has the good grace to wince, even tucking her head down into hunched shoulders a bit as she sees his fuzzy blue -- and very pissed off -- face appear reflected in the window glass.
Inhaling a fortifying breath, she turns to face him. Her expression is distressed, though perhaps not as apologetic or contrite as Kurt might want to see. "I know," she says, holding up her hands to try to forestall the tirade. "And don't for a moment think I liked doing it. I didn't. But you weren't supposed to be there."
Uninclined to leave her door unlocked (because, let's face it, most people that just pop in literally just *pop* in), she strides across the room upon hearing Dom's voice and pulls the door open to let her in. She gives the pale mutant a wry, unhappy smile, before she thrusts the door closed behind the woman and locks it against any other visitors. "Nice timing, Domino. Glad you're here."
Now, Kurt can yell at both of them.
"You did an excellent job of it, however.. and.. and.." when the door is opened to reveal a certain albino, Kurt blinks from his spot in the middle of the living room. "You know each other now...?" Last he knew, he'd just mentioned it.. but no one since then has said a word!
There's no concern in the fact that two of his favourite girls know there other, no awkwardness in the least. It's..
"What do you mean I wasn't supposed to see that?" Kurt looks back at Amanda, those glowing yellow eyes locked on now. "So it would have been fine if I was not? And.. don't even get me started upon what sort of hell and fury you've unleashed.."
But, really, what was the alternative?
"Domino.. leibling.." It just has the merc all over it. "Tell me.." what? That she did? She didn't? "You two cooked this up?"
And now, in true Domino fashion...
"Hooolie shit last night was -awesome!- I don't know how you did it Am, but that was grade A illusionatory manipulation. We bagged ourselves a world-class metamorph! I--gees, maybe I should take this parade somewhere else for a while."
There the be-trenched woman stands, a black nylon bag perched upon each shoulder. Of course she heard the earlier yelling, but that doesn't change the fact that she's -still- tripping on adrenaline after that run!
"Joint effort, though it was my call to stage your death. Turns out it pays well, too," she declares while slinging one of those heavy bags over to Kurt. "Who knew?" The other bag, after a quick 'heads up' whistle, gets slung over to Amanda.
Each contains half a million dollars, cash.
"I lost track of how many birds we took out with that stone but it was worth the effort. A winner is us, thanks for playing."
Oh, for cryin' out-- Way to help the situation, Blackeye.
Amanda lets out a soft groan as Domino bounds in and starts congratulating everyone. That's just what she needed to help calm Kurt down. Really. (So very much not.)
The whistle catches her attention, however, and she throws up her hands in time to catch the bag that's slung at her. The hell? She tosses the bag down on the arm of the recliner standing nearby and unzips it. "Holy shit..." The words come out as a whisper. She didn't actually realize they were going to get paid for this.
She lets the handles of the bag go and throws up her hands, taking a step back. The bag slides down into the chair, a few bundles of cash sliding out across the seat cushion.
"Yeah, we also pissed off said metamorph and got a whole helluva lot of people killed in the process. Let's not lose sight of that. Mystique will want revenge." She pokes a thumb back into her own chest, "and I'm the one she's going to come after."
That's it. She's casting a permanent armour spell on herself tonight.
A beat. She frowns. "Which reminds me. I met another blue-skinned, yellow-eyed woman, today. Dark hair, three-fingered, goes by the name Kymri?" She glances between the two of them. "Ring bells for either of you?" She expects not.
But, that's off topic, so she shakes her head to bring herself back on topic. She turns back to Kurt. "Kurt. Liebende. I know you're unhappy." So's she. "I knew you would be unhappy. And I would have warned you if I could have found you before now. The one time I did, you bamfed away before I could get to you." And, okay, that was her fault, too. Though, seriously... He couldn't feel the cops were an illusion? One of her illusions?
"I did tell you I would find Domino and we would sort this out. And, for the record, what you saw? You know damn well that's what Margali would have said and done if I hadn't been there with you, the last time. I hate that you saw that, but anything less than the truth -- as my mother sees it -- wouldn't have worked."
A beat. Almost pleading: "You know that."
Domino is.. stared at for a long heartbeat as she comes in, the strut any other time would bring a smile to his face. But, this is personal! And, well.. he's mad. He switches to English, however, even though he may search for words, and it takes him a little longer to form the thoughts.
"You.. you suggested that..
"How?"
Kurt has to move quickly, shifting gears for only a moment as he catches a bag. And it's back to German briefly, "Was ist..." before glowing yellow eyes look in the bag. "Zum Teufel.. how much.." and his stare lingers, moving from one to the other..
Kurt teleports over to the couch, more the back of it, and his tail swishes. "You have pissed off my mother, ja.. und.." And the look she gave him.. "I can't imagine that she won't come after us.. after, of course, she slaughters everyone in her path." And when mother is angry, Kurt isn't sure that innocents won't get caught in the crossfire, as it were.
His anger, however, turns to something more akin to sadness. "Margali.. if she discovers that you used her, leibling.."
Now, it's for Domino's sake that Kurt is a little more.. forthcoming. "Margali ist Amanda's mother.. mein.. foster mother.. sort of. Und, she's not a very nice person." Particularly after... that unfortunate business. "It was her son, my brother.." and yellow eyes turn back to Amanda, his expression setting, "Ja.. I do.. und I don't like it."
Hey, money always helps to improve Dom's mood! To Amanda's words of surprise a toothy grin starts to take shape. "Pretty wicked, huh?"
Then the paranoia sets in. Yeah, she's had to deal with this sort of situation before. "You were under an illusion the entire time, Am. What makes you think she even knows who you are? She sure as hell won't know who I am unless she bothers to tear that info out of the mob kids, but I welcome the challenge." Who knows how a mind like that works, anyway?
Ehwait. Another..-Another- blue-skinned yellow-eyed woman? With Kurt's hands?! One sure-fire way to take the proverbial wind out of Dom's sails is to go and suggest that Kurt, after all of the trouble and all of the distance the two have covered over the months, -happened to be a father.- Because really, what are the odds that he has a twin sister he never knew about?
Dom stands there, looking back and forth between the two before stating "No, but it does make me think of something else." Not another word on the subject is said from her end as she goes to raid Amanda's stash of liquor. Nevermind that alcohol could very well have been the -cause- of this particular situation.
"Well, aside from the fact that Blue's got the world's worst luck when it comes to mothers..." Yeah, this bottle will do. "'How' was the easy part, now how's about we all chill the hell out, enjoy our well-earned riches, and be glad this mess is behind us. Seriously, I'm hanging out with Doom and Gloom here," she mutters more for her own benefit while opening up the booze. "We all dodged a major bullet. This is a time to take pride in how awesome we are, and maybe go a little crazy buying new cars or some shit," she finishes while -dropping- down into an open seat. Something with some cushion so she bounces a little upon re-entry.
"Yeah, I know. If mother catches wind of this, I'm toast," Amanda tells Kurt. She lets out a rueful sigh. "It's a calculated risk, Liebende. The last I heard, she returned to Paris." But, who knows if that's still true. She lets out a soft sight. "I knew you wouldn't like it and I'm sorry. I really am." She'd approach him, wanting to take his hands, even lean her forehead against his as she has done in the past, for mutual comfort. But, given the distance he's put between them by bamfing over the couch, she doesn't move. She stays by the window, by the chair, not looking at the blood money -- despite its staggering amount. Fact is, though, it's a lotta cheddar. And it will come in useful, if she needs to find a bolt hole somewhere. So, much as she hates it, Amanda won't be dismissing it. She's not quite as morally upstanding as her beloved foster brother in that regard. She's far, far too practical for that.
She looks at Dom, now. "I hope you're right," she tells her. "But, you're better at laying odds than I am. With my luck," never mind Kurt's, "Mystique will go after Margali, and then they'll both come after us."
She looks back at Kurt, wounded hope in her eyes. "Will you have my back?"
Heh.. actually, the odds could be pretty damned good.. but in this case?
As things quiet down just a little, he watches Dom's move to the liquour cabinet to take a bottle, and plop down on the couch, and his tail swings around to hang on her shoulder.
Contact.
"Wait.." and Kurt's gaze shifts back over to Amanda, his brows rising. "Blue skinned.. yellow eyes?" Shaking his head, he looks.. puzzled. "Nein.." and again, he looks.. puzzled. "I mean.. I know TJ.." and he explains quickly, "From another dimension, I am apparently happily married to Wanda Maximoff.. und have a daughter." But not in this lifetime.
The pain, however, the look on Amanda's face is too much for the soft-hearted blue elf, and he'd offered his 'hand of peace' in the form of his tail to Dom.. so there's no question that he'd not bamf across the room.
Reaching out to hold his sister, his ex-girlfriend, his.. any friend, he'll hug her close for a couple long moments. "Ja.. of course I would. There should never be a question of that."
Looking towards the couch again, Kurt exhales and chuckles softly, "I think Domino has the right idea.. I think we should drink.. und not worry for the time being, ja?"
*bamf*
Kurt appears on the back of the couch, right to the side of Domino again, and reaches out with his tail to take the bottle, the tip wrapping about it. "Give it, leibling. My turn. I wish to toast my death."
"Then be sure to pack some butter," Domino tells Amanda in a completely disconnected 'yeah, really not concerned about it' tone. It doesn't matter to her that the response had been directed at Kurt and not her. With the tail on her shoulder though she reaches up and pets the end of it, the gesture much like her verbal reply: automatic. "You know, your shapeshifting nightmare there might go after Margali instead of you. She seemed a little ticked off back there, clear thought probably never entered into the situation. Motherly rage, and all that."
There's also TJ, apparently. Sheesh! With as much as Dom ..gets around, she's hoping that any offspring of her own will have the nerve to stay in their own freaking dimensions and not come pester this girl in her own!
"'Course I've got the right idea," she says and, predicting the return bamf, already has the bottle held up toward the back of the couch to let it get pulled from her fingers without ever looking his way. "I'm sure the memorial will be wunderbar."
No, it's not Amanda's natural inclination to ask Dom to have her back. Though, truthfully, she does figure the woman owes her that much. So, she's not off the hook. But, really, the subtext of her question to Kurt was, 'Am I forgiven?' and, as he bamfs over to hug her, the answer is clearly, yes. She smiles as she returns the embrace, and the tension drains from her body. All is now right with her world again.
(Fact is, there's always some looming threat hanging like the sword of Damocles over her head. At least, this time, she knows what it might be.)
As her liquor gets shared out so freely, she extends a hand, wraps a couple of tumblers in magical energy, and spins them through the air to where Kurt pours himself a portion. "Me, too." she tells him. "Because, really. Domino's right. I put on one hell of a show back there. After she's done being pissed off, I think even my mother would be impressed."
A beat. She crosses to where the drinks are being doled out. "And, anyway. Wakes are far better than memorial services."
The tail-petting actually brings a soft rumble; automatic response is one done with comfort. It's a given!
"In some strange way," Kurt can't help but smile as Domino lets go of the bottle the moment he takes hold in synchronicity, though he continues, "The fact that mother came out in such a rage when she thought it was me is.. flattering. I know she cares, ja.. she's actually shown that a couple of times, but.." Should anything happen to him, truly happen to him, his mother will care. (Of course his friends will too!) "Even if it is 'no one can kill my son but me'.. I don't think Margali would care who did it.."
Still, it's not fair to speak of such things, and Kurt shakes his head, his smile returning to his face, his naturally blue, fuzzy face.. complete with pointed ears and glowing yellow eyes. No loafers anywhere! "Ja.. you did. I particularly liked the demon you turned in to. Almost reminded me of Belasco.."
Though now a toast is in order, "I am going to toast myself.. 'To the Amazing Nightcrawler.. gone.. but never forgotten'!" and he takes a swallow from the bottle before handing it back down to Dom.
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