2013.08.30 - Every Little Thing

Grey. Humid.
Not the best of weekends to close out the summer, but it is what it is. Tourists are still in the city, and they're still taking their strolls, looking at the sights and sounds of an oasis in a concrete jungle. And to be sure, a CASTLE is an oddity in a modern city. It's that touch of history, displaced history to say the least, but history all the same.
As for why in the world Nathan Dayspring would be in the area? Well, some of his associates would say 'Go out, get some air. You're working too hard'. After a fashion, it's true. If it were anyone BUT Cable.
Sleep? What's that?
Food? Eh. Pizza will do, when he thinks of it.
But, there is the instance of a text. One sent cryptically, and one sent very much like his own. There's a moment when Cable stares at the phone, at the lit screen, and work is abandoned for the time being.
Rising to the surface, Cable finds himself at the edge of the pond, his back against one of the more mature of trees in the area.
Funny how things work out sometimes. Back in the day Domino had felt like the man from the future had been stalking her, picking what moments to step out of the shadows and interrupt the flow of her everyday life.
Consider their positions officially reversed.
Over the last few days, ever since Cable stepped back into her life, she's been the one hunting him. The tunnels, the pizzeria, and her personal clandestine operation to trick the two Nate's into bumping into one another, simply so she can sit back and enjoy the fireworks.
Nate Grey would have received the message about an hour ago. The amount of time he had requested in advance. It also gave her the necessary window to arrive just a moment earlier, to set the proverbial stage.
The Gothamites might approve of her appearance, all shrouded in a black trench despite the humidity of the day. How else is she going to hide twenty pounds worth of military-grade ordnance about her person? Hands are tucked within deep pockets as she wanders up to the man known as Cable, making eye contact.
Saying nothing.
It's showtime, kiddies.
Nate got the message, yes, and so he is flying at high speed towards New York, slowing down as Manhattan draws close. Cable is likely to sense it coming, as the Astral Plane flares when this younger version of him approaches. It is somewhat weird, because the psychic signature is almost identical to his own.
It is not the first time Nate is going to meet someone who is 'kind of' a member of his family. Which is a bizarre family. So he keeps his psi-shields up and as solid as he can manage. And tries to spot Domino which is... trenchcoated? That woman is crazy. Or armed to the teeth. Okay, both.
It wasn't a normal day for Tabitha Smith. For one, she randomly decided mere seconds after she awoke that she would start referring to herself as 'Boom' and all of it's conceivable permutations. Speaking of mutations, she really was starting to take more pride in her status, recognizing that without cultural bias, being super was... uh, super. You can see where this train of logic is going, right? 'Boomy-Boom' was obnoxiously declaring herself extra-awesome, of course, again and again, in her mind. Outwardly, of course, this was expressed through an exuberant, loud and sarcastic performance of 'LIVING ON THE EDGE' by Aerosmith.
But was this what made it not normal? Hardly. What made today less 'normal', a freakishly subjective concept for Tabitha Smith mind you, was that she happened to be in a row boat out in the middle of some big pond, slowly pushing ahead with only one oar. She didn't remember getting into a boat last night--all she remembered was the two bottles of wine.... and the throw-up. Now the sun was in her eyes, she wanted her damn coffee, and she smelled like old danceclub farts. "This is balls," she muttered to herself, interrupting her fantastical acapella-metal rendition.
In a moment of unexpected silence, Boomity continued her train of thought regarding the path she was taking. Not in the boat, which seemed to be mostly towards the shore, but as a self-declared 'hero'. She had her frickin' time bombs, man. She was going to save the world, no doubt. To assumed the position, she thought, temporarily failing at euphemistic-awareness, she'd have to be ready for anything. Any random weird shit. Like that totally big dude over there with that trenchy, hecka pale lady. She paddled towards them.
Domino's approach is noticed, and there's an unconscious touch of the phone in his pocket. As she does so, quietly, Cable's expression is quizzical to say the least. He's been asked here, and---
It's the fact she's dressed to kill, after a fashion. And she's quiet. There's no greeting, no nothing. "Domin--"
Immediately, there's something of a buzzing in his head. It's familiar to him, but not so. There's something wrong, and Cable's immediately on the defensive, fully expecting something of an ambush. He e trusts Domino. He trusts her to do things that he doesn't expect. And with all that's been going on in recent days? Who knows what she's capable of, considering she knows what he's capable of.
Of everyone, she's the one person...
Nate's presence (the other Nate) is searched for, and a curse exits the man; he's unarmed, but not without means of defense. Not when--
But there's the signature, and the flash of the Astral.
"What is going on?!"
Then, there's Boom. On the pond. Rowing towards him. If there was a chance of being taken out, maybe this isn't it? The young woman looks a little worse for wear, and at a threat assessment level? Grumpiness and blinking against an unexpected sun would bring it to a 4.
"Answer me."
Part of Domino wants to grin, stand her ground in a proper show of defiance against Cable for all that he's put her through lately, and before when he had first left. Part of her even considers cluing him in, just enough. She can't feel Nate Grey on approach the same way but, needless to say, she has a pretty good feeling that he's inbound.
The girl out in the boat, that's unexpected. The sound of water against a lone oar is enough to cast her point of focus out toward the water, considering what she's seeing for a moment. In silence, of course.
(Musta been one hell of a bender. You go, girl.)
When she turns back to Cable it's with that 'chin inclined and head cocked at an angle' fashion, both an expression of 'I know something you don't know' and 'it sucks to be you right now, doesn't it?'
Finally, mercifully, she does say something to him. "I thought it was time to have a talk." Not between these two, mind. Just..a talk. Nate to Nate. With an albino playing referee. Of course, now there's this other gal making her way over.
"No idea who the flotsam is, though."
Yeah, it's still Neena in there somewhere. Same old dry wit and occasional urge to point out the stupidly obvious.
Nate feels Cable's mind about fifty yards from the castle. It is not the first time he feels another telepath like this, but the psychic 'resonance' is, if anything, even more intense than with Jean or Rachel. Very distracting, so landing is a bit rough, and almost on top of Cable, too. His left eye is glowing brightly and he looks rather tense, "you, you are Cable?" He starts, eyes on the larger Nate, and then looking at Domino. "You... didn't tell him."
It takes a good minute for Boom-Boom to pull herself out of the boat. While she's spent the better part of the last seventeen minutes anxious to get back on land, the thought of getting up seemed nauseating. Somehow she was sure, however, that she wouldn't be throwing up again--mostly based on the fact that last night heralded more vomit that she thought a human capable of. She followed this up with a consideration of how easily it would be to phone up "the Guiness people."
"Oof. Hnng. Frick," she said in her personal idiolect, which could roughly translate to an unnecessarily declaration of her moving her leg. And, yes, she was. She hunched over in a stunningly un-graceful maneuver, followed with a stumbled but successful effort to get on two feet *and* get out of a boat. Well, she was impressed, anyway, and totally ignoring that her right shoe was soaking wet. She brushed the hair out of her face and very slowly moved towards the three. Did she just see that one dude fly or is she delirious?
Or both.
It's that 'sucks to be you' expression that really sets Cable on edge. He knows that look, and all the potentials that surround it. No, belay that. He doesn't know all the potentials around it. All he truly knows is that things are okay, but how 'not okay' remains to be seen.
But, she speaks!
"A talk would be good," Cable begins slowly. Tentatively. WARILY.
Then?
INCOMING!
Cable ducks to the side, moving remarkably quickly for a man of his size. Swinging around the tree in order to put some cover between himself and Domino (Yes, she is still the more dangerous one here. So far. Until a new threat assessment is made!), Cable comes back around, his eye(s) narrowing.
Cable can -feel- Nate. It's like an all enveloping awareness that is both familiar and so very foreign to him. "Yeah.." comes first to answer the question before he stares at Domino. Tell him.
"Who the hell are you?"
Of course, when met with strange goings on in a park, it is like a magnet! Boom's discomfort is also more -felt- than anything else, and he takes a step towards her. Ever the hero? Perhaps it's to keep the girl from harm?
It's here when the observation is made by Grey that Domino's razor-honed expression breaks into a malicious grin. "Nope." (You kids play nice now or I'm gonna have to start shooting things.)
Batman has his utility belt. Spider-Man has his web slingers. Dom has her shootie stabbies. Which is also why she hates the Summer season.
All of the pieces seem to be lining up perfectly, ready for that simple, nonchalant flick which sends the first piece tumbling into another glorious chain reaction of events. There's just one unforseen problem.
That might be upgraded to several unforseen problems if she had any idea who's stumbling out of the boat.
A slow, subtle breath is released as her attention shifts from the Nates to Tabitha. She doesn't want to miss the show. She set this whole thing up, darnit! This is her moment! But..unknown other person on approach vector.
(Well, it'll be easier to keep an eye on her if she decides to stick around.)
This meeting-slash-confrontation is going to happen, one way or another. Dom can run interference on the interference if need be. Hell, she may even offer some running commentary to keep herself amused. Now, knowing her own vast and colorful history in the Wonderful World of Hellish Hangovers, she can take a guess as to which of the half dozen items that the Failboat Captain might appreciate at a time like this. She doesn't have coffee, but she does have a flask full of rum.
"Ye be lookin' a bit parched there, matey," she remarks while slinging the stainless container toward Tabitha.
Now, Nate (the younger one) is not used to Domino's way of... doing things. So he looks somewhat confused. "Why the hell didn't... bah, nevermind." He takes a step back, because Cable, just by being there, is getting into his head like a power drill. Headache coming, he can feel it. "Look, old man. My name is Nate Grey. We are probably related in some bizarre, time-jumping way. I have been hearing about you for almost a year. Oh, and your daughter is in town too, looking for you." Yes, because their family is complicated and he feels like sharing the confusion.
Tabitha Smith's eyes light up instantaneously as Domino presents the flask. Nightcrawler has his line-of-sight teleportation, and Spiderman has his spider sense--but Boom-Boom has imminent, line-of-sight rum detection. Somehow this prospect charges her with the necessary boost of energy that mildly converts her less from the wobbling-zombie locamotion to more of a puppy-spots-a-stick type of movement. "Heck to the yeah," she confirms the offer, moving towards. She took a moment to look this lady over, still undecided if she was a gangster or a goth. Or both. At least she seemed friendly enough.
Moving just a few steps closer, she starts, "Thanks. I did not want to get up this early." She takes a breath, half-sighing, and half-appreciating the scene, noticing the Castle for the first time (yes, really). "You guys tourists? I can show you the village."
'Nope.'
Cable swings out a hand in order to grab Domino. She's not going to get far away from him if he can help it. He doesn't -say- anything to her, however.
His attention is on Nate (the other one!).
"Nate. Grey." Cable can -feel- the younger man. It's disconcerting, to say the least. His own shields boast an ability to keep the likes of Phoenix out, but... what in the hell is going on here? "Grey." Which means, okay, what? What does it mean? Other than the fact the man looks so much like him? "You've been hearing about me? I've been gone," and he glances at Domino, "Back and forth." In the time line.
It's when he's told 'You're daughter is in town...' that Cable stops and stares. It's obvious from his manner, his mien, and the complete lack of understanding that he's got no idea what--
"My what?"
Now, for a long moment, Cable stares at the younger man before he takes a deep breath and steps forward, "Now, when was she born?" This might offer some enlightenment.
As for Boom? Glancing back, he makes a grab for the flask, ready to crush it before the younger could grab it. Attempts, anyway. "It's too early.. Domino, stop that."
Cable tries, he really does, but there's that -distraction-, the buzzing in his head that makes it a little difficult to communicate properly. "What? Show me...?" He doesn't recall a village?
"Who ever wants to get up," Domino rhetorically asks in response to Tabitha's comment, though she's staring down at the hand that's now latched onto her shoulder as she says it. "Not exactly. We've--"
Dom thought she knew a little something about how this meeting would go. She had as much information as she could manage to scrounge together prior to this moment. Turns out that something major might have been missed. Could she be blamed, though? It's not like people talk to her about these things.
"His What? she asks (demands) at the same instant that Cable asks the same question.
Daughter?!
That pale blue stare now latches back onto Cable, transformed into an uncomfortable mix of rage and accusation that would suggest to anyone within the area that things are about to go downright atomic.
(Is this why you shut me out, Nate? Is this the big secret you were trying to protect me from?!)
The guy skips timelines like New Yorkers skip red lights, there's no telling what might have happened while he was away!
Dayspring may have his own declaration that there aren't any children, expected or unexpected, in his life, but Dom's still glaring at him with arms folded across her chest. Poor guy just can't catch a break lately. Maybe he shouldn't have grabbed hold of her shoulder because now the albino and all of that anger is right there next to him.
"It's not going to kill her," she flatly replies in regard to the flask transferring hands. (Though something might end up taking you out before we're done here.)
Nate stares at Cable and Domino. Why is it he didn't know? Maybe more time travel weirdness. Domino's expression makes him blink and her angry reaction makes him realize he doesn't know who was Hope's mother.
Nooooo. He hopes not. Wait, wouldn't that be amusing? He smirks.
"Yeah. About this tall, late teens, redheaded, kinda skinny, really stubborn. Goes by Hope Summers," rings a bell? He glances at Domino, "and why do you care so much? You said you met this guy a couple times months ago. Now you are acting like a scorned girlfriend."
"Thuhhh Grrrennnitchhh Villll-aaage..." Tabitha enunciates extra slowly, speaking while at the same time as the gathered three are speaking, flippantly assuming that Cable is some kind of out-of-country foreigner, despite his lack of accent, simply because he didn't understand her question. Listening further to the conversation, she flings out her grabby-hand to clutch at the transferring bottle, somehow pseudo-psychicly preemptively aware that the bottle might be departing her rum detection power's range. She off-kilterly jokes, "I'm totally not your daughter, big poppa. Nice try."
Cable's fingers dig into the jacket that Domino has seen fit to wear on this warm and humid day in reaction to his own feelings on the matter. The fact that she's reacting exactly the same way actually gives him pause. There is that looooong moment as he takes things in- his reaction, her reaction and this Nate Grey's reaction before he grins.
Looking at Domino, Cable is practically crowing. "You didn't know!" For all the setting up that she apparently did, just to dig at him, to put him completely off his game, SHE DIDN'T KNOW.
Her stare is met with a shit-eating grin, and it's not from the news that he's GOT a daughter. No. It's PURELY the fact that Domino was caught flat-footed on a game she started.
So. Goddammed. Perfect.
And to add Nate's words, Cable looks from Domino to Nate, his brows rising. "She said -what-? We've known each other for years."
Until.
Okay. Fair cop.
"Of course she's acting like a spurned girlfriend. She is my girlfriend. Was. Will be." Even as he says those words, he's got the fervent wish held below.
"Hope Summers." Yup. His last name. "Is she here?" Now -that's- curiousity sounding. Still, he's not about to concede the point. Not yet. Stranger things HAVE happened.
Boom is given a stare, even as Cable keeps his fingers in that coat of Domino's. "The Gr.. Village? Is that in the city?" Cable takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, and that shit-eating grin reappears. "Totally not, no."
Summers..? Summers? But..Cable with the..and Hope with the red hair, and the...
Summers. Grey. Red. Jean..?! Jean Grey??
It's definitely no child of Domino's! Between her monochrome complexion and Cable's white hair it would be weird even for them to have a daughter with red hair! That, and Dom's not..exactly able to have kids of her own, thanks to some efforts from the program that created her. It's usually not a good thing when one's experimental soldier is multiplying unexpectedly. Tends to cause all sorts of interesting problems.
Cable and Dom seem to be doing this little dance of who's on the offense and who's on the defense lately. Like snapping fingers her little plan backfired in a big way, her look of defiance only reaffirming itself. "Neither did you, idiot."
When the whole girlfriend thing is brought up she's a sliver's edge away from turning a few degrees to plant an armored knee into Cable's stomach. She'd find a way to reach that far up. (Just look at the happy friggin' couple!) Point to him, she doesn't have a good retaliatory strike prepped for this ambush.
Tabitha's extended comment earns her a look of her very own, the albino not sure whether to laugh or tell her to stuff it. (On a normal day more likely a laugh.) However, when she mentions not being Cable's daughter Dom's forehead drops down into a half-gloved palm with an audible smack.
Nate is starting to get Domino's game. Using him to get back at Cable? Very nice. He glances at Tabitha, "you are not redheaded enough," he deadpans, "probably a good thing." He is usually nicer with good-looking blondes, but right now he is not feeling at his best. "Looks like you two," he addresses Cable and Dom again, "have lot to talk about. And someone," glare to Domino, "is playing some stupid game." He sighs, running his temples. "There are a thousand questions I want to ask you," this is to Cable. "But y'know? Probably not the best moment."
Tabitha takes the moment to reflect on the fact that these two dudes standing there look pretty frickin' similar. Twins! This must be a family, and judging by Domino's complexion, possibly from Transylvania. She always wanted to check that place out, you know, for the novelty. But plane tickets aren't cheap. Plus it was easy to get distracted by New York, what with all-the-things happening there and all. For instance, yesterday she saw one of her favorite genre-clusterfuck bands, _The Mad Thinker & The Crazy Quilts_, play for hours... most of which was the encore. She took a good 3.2 seconds to flashback to the show: damn those flashing lights were annoying. And being the only person in the audience except for the creepy sound guy was pretty weird. Then she remembered: oh, yeah, there were people standing in front of her.
Turning slightly, pretending to not be offended by the bait-and-switch, foiled move to get morning-drunk, she commented to Domino, predictably oblivious to the depth of a meeting such as this: "You guys check out the castle yet? I can't *FLY* there," she says, awkwardly winking at Nate, still not completely sure if seeing him fly minutes ago was just her imagination or not, "but I do make fantastic company. I'm the next big thing. And a good dancer. Also, a super-hero," she announces, fully expecting them to stop and gasp in awe of such a unarguably and incomprehensibly important thing as her saying those words must be.
From where Cable's hand is on the jacket, it's a quick and easy thing to do to yoink a single strand of hair from her head. Transferring it to his free hand, Cable reaches to take hold once more to keep Domino close. Besides, if she's going to make a move, he'll feel it, he'll feel her muscles.
"I didn't know about any of this. You're the one in the driver's seat."
Looking to Nate, Cable has the grace to look a little more understanding if not apologetic. "Could always be recessive. Genetic engineering is amazing these days." What 'these days' are, however, he's noought telling.
Though now, under Nate's accusing glare towards Domino, Cable stands forth to defend the albino. "I'm not holding it against her," he starts quietly now. "She's got us together, and we both found out a few things that we might not have otherwise known. Now, we can -both- move forward, and I hope I can locate you later?" He won't comment upon the fact that it probably would be a good thing to get things worked out with Domino. But that's on him. And her.
For the time being? Won't hurt to close ranks a little and appear unified at the least.
Letting go of Domino now, Cable digs into the back pocket of his pants and pulls out his wallet. Finding a sales slip from the pizza place the other night, scrawls his name and number on the paper. Nathan Summers.
Handing it over, he sets his wallet back, and doesn't reach to grab the albino merc again.
Now, for Boom, Nate turns and stares for a long moment. "Super hero, huh? Is waking up in a rowboat in the middle of a pond in the park part of it? Or an after effect that you managed to keep out of the papers?"
Here Dom's about to drop one of her own hands onto the much larger one still gripping her by the shoulder in an attempt to break free when a single strand of hair gets pulled from the top of her head.
"What--!"
She's got herself turned around with a fist cocked back and ready in an instant, his renewed hold of her shoulder only going to do so much to hold her back.
Then there's that glare from Nate Grey. Alright, hold the phone. She is not going to be seen as the bad guy here. There's a reason behind everything that she does. This Nate trap isn't because Cable just walked out the door without saying goodbye one day, she already punched him in the face once and held a gun to him at least three times during their first evening back together, already.
Oh hell no.
When Grey gives her the glare she glares back, an instant away from turning all Albino of Mass Destruction when Cable himself intervenes. So much more she could add to that... Info that would liberate her of the blame (at least in her own mind.) But, now... (Damn you, Nate.)
At least she can cling to her secrets for a while longer. Maybe these other two didn't need to know the truth behind her actions, after all.
Shoulder released. Lowered fist relaxed. Instead she reaches up and pinches the bridge of her nose, the heat and humidity of the day not helping her mood in the slightest.
Tabitha may be the most clueless one here as to what they're all yammering about, but still. Free entertainment for her. Betcha won't see this one on 'Reality TV' anytime soon.
"Does your super power help keep people from going postal on others, or is it more of a social awkwardness thing?" she mutters to the other gal before dropping her hand.
Yeah. They're done here. For now.
Nate picks the paper and nods grimly, "Nathan and not Nathaniel," interesting. Why is Domino glaring back? She is totally guilty! Not one to be outglared, he stares at her for a few seconds and then turns back. "I'll be in touch," he mentions. Tabitha gets a final glance and a smirk. "I bet you are, blondie. Maybe next time." Then he flies away.
"Dude, I don't even know what that's about," she says dismissively to Cable, pointing backwards to the row boat behind her. It's painted pink, with white stripes and bronze trim. She considered herself for a second, and how to respond to these questions, and says with a hint of triumph: "I'm da bomb. Literally. No, wait... figuratively. Or Both." A pause. "Neither?" While saying this, Tabitha was fidgeting her left hand in a pants pocket, pleased to feel a set of keys, a cellphone, a buncha tissue paper, a mint, and some bottlecaps. Maybe a few dollars? She was, of course, thinking about mundane things like if there was a hole in her sock, or if Miley and Beiber would ever hook up (also which would win in a fight), and definitely not aware or considering the prospect of the initial meeting of two cross-time, multidimenional dopplegangers. She'd need shrooms for that.
Enjoying all the unexplained glaring, grabbing, and feisty banter, she decided aloud, "I'm totally following you wiley rascals for a hot minute. I'm Tabs, but you can call me Boom. No, wait... Boom-BOOM," she says, raising her voice, adding the extra boom for emphasis. And a star was born.
Category:Log