Interlude 3-3 – Chatting in a Corner

  New York City- Chosen Tavern- 5th day of the month of Niffle of the 6983 GR (Evening)

  Nath’aniel-

  Magneto then offered his friend a night of drinking and eating back in the Citadel, and while Nath'aniel could see that both of the women in the Enchanced's life were about to compin, it was the man himself that deyed it by saying. "I would love to Eric, but after a bit. I promised the gentleman that let us use this pce, Mike I believe his name is, a story or two from the war."

  So they returned to the establishment's main room. The owner had ordered something called 'pizza' and the other members of the Brotherhood were eating and drinking when they arrived. The four teens were drinking a variety of something called 'soda', yet it was the dark corner that drew the mage's attention.

  It was only a couple of seconds after he sat down, until Shanna materialized in the other seat that she had been floating over. She watched the kids and adults eating and talking for a minute or two before asking him. "Why are we still here? Shouldn't we be going back already?"

  Nath'aniel looked at her before answering her. "Weren't you listening in? Oh right, you can't really hear without ears, can you? Well, the pn is to take the Captain back home with us for a night, but first, he wanted to share some stories with this pce’s owner."

  He could feel her annoyance rise at his answer.

  Before they could continue the older himself in came over, and asked them. “Sorry, but to keep things secret I sent my wait staff home early, is there anything I can get you two?”

  "We are fine, thanks," Nath'aniel replied. When the older man opened his mouth to ask something else, the mage conjured a pair of gsses for him and his Servant, and then wrote the fanged mountain of Aelfhiem in the air, causing the gsses to fill with spring water.

  Shanna reached over and took a drink from her gss, as the confused man walked away. The mage could feel her annoyance lower a touch, and odd warmth as well. That he was unsure of its meaning.

  Once the man was far enough away, Nath’aniel reached into his robes and pulled out his emitter. When he thumbed it on the Citadel was spinning slowly above it.

  “Young master?”

  “Prepare a lighter dinner for the members that are out, but add an extra sitting. Oh, and open a keg or two of Rual’stock.” Nath told the spinning crystal.

  “Of course sir.”

  Then he turned it off, before taking a drink from his own water. As he did, Shanna spoke. “I hate this city, and those like it.”

  "'Hate' is a strong word, do you mind me asking why?" Nath'aniel asked as he pced his gss on the table between them.

  She sighed before answering. "There is nothing inherently bad about the city, but it's the falseness of it all. There are millions of people living in this city and I doubt any of them know anything about the people that live next door to them.'

  "And don't get me started about the noise, or the crime that are seemingly constant here."

  He frowned at the second part. Nath’aniel too disliked how loud everything seemed to be in the city, like it was a competition from everyone trying to be heard. He wasn’t sure about the crime side of things, other than the battle that they observed earlier.

  He was about to ask another question till she continued.

  "There is also the empty feeling that the concrete and steel of a city generates, after all, there are only pests and birds really that live here. Honestly, it is odd how alive your home feels to me, maybe because of all those Pterons and Shell-kin that you took in the Citadel doesn't feel as bleak to me." The Servant added before taking another drink from her water.

  "It could also be that material used. After all the walls of the Citadel are made from Fairy-Silver, which is a mystic metal from Aelfhiem, and their metals seem more attuned to nature than most metals. Either way, I am gd that you do not find my home distasteful to you." Nath told her.

  Shanna gave him a sidelong gnce, as he cast the spell to refill their gsses.

  “Thank you by the way.” She muttered out of nowhere.

  “For?” The mage asked confused.

  “You saved my life. I should have said something sooner, but… well, you know.” Shanna tried to expin.

  "But becoming a Servant can be a touch jarring," Nath'aniel admitted.

  They sat for a moment, while the others continued to eat and drink, and the Master and Servant sipped at their waters. Psylocke ran over, with a slice of the odd breaded cheese-covered food they were all ingesting.

  He could feel and see the happiness on her face as she stated. "It's Vinnie's pizza, you haven't had pizza till you have had a slice of Vinnie's." As the telepath spoke, she held the offered food item next to his mouth.

  He was about to remind her that there would be dinner waiting for them back in the Citadel.

  However, his other Servant told him. "You should try it. Pizza is one of the few things that the city gets right, although everyone has their own favorite pizzeria."

  So the mage opened his mouth and took a bite. He could taste not only several blends of cheese, but pieces of a pair of meats and as well as several types of peppers. That wasn't including the odd red sauce that held it all together. All told the bite was both quite fvorful and pleasant.

  As he chewed, he watched Psylocke take a bite of her own, from the same slice. After he swallowed he asked. “How many calories are in that?”

  The telepath was chewing her own massive bite, so she couldn’t answer, but Shanna could and did. “A lot.”

  With her mouth still mostly full his first lover hummed and mentally asked him “Well, what did you think?”

  “It’s rather fvorful and filling. I see why you Tribesmen like it so much.” Nath’aniel honestly answered. When she offered him another bit, he reminded her. “We have dinner back home waiting for us too.”

  "I am going to see if I can get one of the extra pies to take home with us?" Psylocke telepathically told him before taking another bite and running off.

  After he washed the fvor out with his water, Shanna told him. "While I like you and everything, don't expect me to be like her and Bass. I pn to monopolize my man." As he lowered his gss and looked at her. She was staring back at him and added. "I get it. What, given your circumstances, you need multiple partners to increase the chances for kids and all, but some traditions are what they are because they are for the best."

  “I would never assume or insist on our retionship being more than it is.” The mage admitted.

  She blushed and looked away as she made her own admission. “Although it would be nice to get a warning next time you three go on another sex marathon.”

  He chuckled before suggesting. "Put a barrier up." Shanna looked at him surprised and blinked twice, so he began giving her some instructions. "You can feel the bond in the back of your head, yes." When she nodded he added. "Imagine something in between it and you. A wall or a row of trees, whatever works for you. "

  She frowned for a time and then admitted. “It got fainter.” When he smiled she asked. “Did you learn that in the Thesis?”

  He shook his head and answered. “Psylocke’s training for Wolfsbane. I figure if it works to keep her bestial side at bay, I bet it also works on our bonds as well… Mind you I could always just cast a spell if it didn’t work.”

  She grumbled at that but nodded. "I will keep trying so you don't have to."

  He frowned when he saw Erik ordering his third drink, so he wrote and cast a Whisper Winds spell, before he reminded him. “Don’t get too drunk here. We still have stronger stuff back home.”

  “Last one.” The mutant leader assured him.

  The mage willed the spell away before saying to the Lancer. “Well, it is a good thing that Ka-zar is a Perpetual.”

  “What does he have to do with anything?” The Servant asked him, a bite in her tone said more than their bond did.

  “Well, I thought you two were together.” Nath started to expin.

  “No, I broke up with him when I got She-Devil’s memories.” She corrected.

  "Oh, I am sorry, I hadn't realized. Well, I was saying it is a good thing that he is immortal too." The mage finished his meaning with his comment. When she continued to give him that confused look from earlier he added. "Because as a Servant, you will live as long as your Master does. And no healthy mage has ever died of old age."

  Shanna’s eyes went wide when she realized what he was hinting at.

  Her mind reached towards the eventual long life that she was destined to live. "Shit. You mean…"

  "You will be in a twenty-five-year-old body, until either I or you die. That I did learn in the Thesis." The mage confirmed for her.

  AnnouncementJust a heads up, but I will be going on vacation in the middle of Aug, and i cant take my computer with me on the pne, so there will be a 2-3 week break after chapter 31.