MacKenzie Rider (fleetfootmac) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2011-02-22 20:48:00

Entry tags:

inactive - ben parker, inactive - kassia frost, mac rider, vincent vernard

Valentine's Night.
He'd headed to work as soon as he got up in the morning, barely stopped for lunch, and worked some more. Valentine's Day at a plant shop was kinda busy; go figure. Then there was the charity thing and a beautiful evening with Andrea. Mac had had an exhausting but excellent day.

And then he got home, and knocked on Kassi's door to check on her.

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	little_mermaid 2011-02-23 01:35 am UTC (link)
	Kassi was slow to open the door, her eyes and face still a little puffy when it appeared in the doorway. "Hi." She moved away from the door to let him in. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 01:42 am UTC (link)
	"Hi--" and the concern hits as soon as he looks at her face. "What's wrong?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	little_mermaid 2011-02-23 01:49 am UTC (link)
	"Valentine's Day is a horrible holiday and Vincent is the destroyer of my dating prospects and popularity in high school forever." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 01:52 am UTC (link)
	Crying cousin. Valentine's Day trouble. Vincent. Vincent. The biggest slut Mac's own small high school experience had ever encountered. "What Did He Do?" Mac asks very carefully. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	little_mermaid 2011-02-23 01:58 am UTC (link)
	"He exists?" She flopped down on the couch. "He was going to take me to breakfast, which was fine. Then Ben showed up. It didn't go well. See, Vincent brought roses...like that didn't imply something." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 02:13 am UTC (link)
	"Okay." Mac joins her on the couch and just sets his arm around her. After a few minutes to think and let her breath. "So... Ben sees an admittedly slutty college guy with flowers at your place on Valentine's Day. I can definitely see the problem, but Ben's a smart guy. Have you had a chance to really talk to him?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

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	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 02:34 am UTC (link)
	As it was late at night, basketball practice was long since over, and Mac had no other idea where Ben tended to be, so he headed for the Baxter Building. Vincent wasn't home quite yet. He told Roberta to please not disturb Andrea. Mac Waited. (Reply to this)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2011-02-23 03:28 am UTC (link)

Vincent returns a little after midnight. Asleif and he had gotten a few drinks and enjoyed the city atmosphere, but after the weight of their earlier talk, it didn't feel like the makings of too late a night.

Upon teleporting back to his room, he finds a notification from Roberta waiting for him. He curls up his face, as it doesn't come as much of a surprise, let alone a pleasant one.

"Send him up." He sends a reply down.

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	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 03:31 am UTC (link)
	And Mac comes up. "It was a good day until I came home to find my cousin crying." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-23 03:37 am UTC (link)
	The tension is more than palpable, motivating Vincent to shut the door behind Mac, sound-proofing his room. "One moment..." He unbuttons and puts aside his outer shirt. "If you're that angry, just go ahead and hit me once, if it'll make the discussion go more smoothly." He braces legs. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

fleetfootmac
2011-02-23 03:44 am UTC (link)

Congratulations, Vincent. You just accidentally patronized an Atlantean princeling. What's next?

Mac forces himself to smile. "Vincent. Dude. I'm going to try to take that in the spirit I hope it was given in, but if a hit needs to happen, it'll happen, and it won't need to be granted. I don't need your permission to go Imperius Princeps on you. But what the hell, man? At her place on Valentine's with roses? Guys like Ben think guys like you are chick magnets; talk about preying on insecurities."

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quitethecharmer
2011-02-23 03:49 am UTC (link)

Vincent nearly snorts at 'won't need to be granted', but the end of MacKenzie's statement smooths it over. He sits down at the end of his bed, drawing the chair out from his desk with a gesture, and nodding for MacKenzie to have a seat.

"I was just trying to be friendly with Kassia. The situation spiraled out of control when her would-be suitor showed up without forewarning."

He places his hands behind him on the bed, leaning back slightly and turning his gaze to the ceiling as he thinks. "What did Kassia tell you already, specifically?"

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	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 06:54 pm UTC (link)
	Mac prayed that Kassi would be asleep when he checked on her. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	little_mermaid 2011-02-23 09:46 pm UTC (link)
	But she wasn't. Kassia was very much still awake and still mopey, the idea of going back to school in the morning not particularly something that was appealing to her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 09:53 pm UTC (link)
	He sees her and tries to keep the sighs inward. "If you don't think you can sleep, are you hungry? I can fry some eggs, or we can go to that all-night diner down the street..." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	little_mermaid 2011-02-23 09:58 pm UTC (link)
	"I don't eat animal products, Mac," she says softly. "And I don't know if I really want to go anywhere other than home. Wherever the hell that is." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	fleetfootmac 2011-02-23 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	"Right, sorry, I get dumber when it's late. Toast and jam? I know life sucks right now, and you've got every right to be hurt, but this is going to get better. I don't want it affecting your health or anything." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

little_mermaid
2011-02-23 10:12 pm UTC (link)

"Know what the stupid thing is? I really want bacon. I haven't had it since I was a kid and Namor attempted to keep Tina and I happy while Mom was busy by ordering us breakfast."

She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest as she sat on the couch.

"You worry way too much about my health; I'm vegan, not anorexic Mac. I'll eat at some point. Right now I'm just irritated and really sad. I really thought Ben and I might date, you know? I thought I might to get to do something normal."

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fleetfootmac, 2011-02-25 01:01 am UTC

The Next Day

fleetfootmac
2011-02-25 02:45 am UTC (link)

So Mac had Kassi let stay home one more day in the hope that she'd get some actual rest ... and also because he didn't want her sitting in study hall next to someone who was going crazy or something.

But he's still standing there when school lets out. It's just not to walk Kassi home. And whichever way Ben Parker's going, Mac'll make sure to get in front of him.

"Hey. We need to talk."

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Re: The Next Day

the_other
2011-02-25 02:54 am UTC (link)

Ben Parker is worried. He hasn't seen Kassi in going-on two days and he's a little worried. He thought she might have been sick on Valentine's Day and he'd gotten busy later that night, but today was quite worrisome, especially after forgetting his phone at home, so he couldn't text her.

He'd had a pretty bad dream about having an argument with her, but he couldn't remember why they'd fight or most of the dream.

When he sees Mac, he's a little confused, but then Ben remembers that Mac works at a floral shop not far from here, so he might not know that Kassi didn't come to school.

"Hey, Mac. Is Kassi okay? She hasn't been at school and I've got her assignments for her. Were you coming to get them for her?" Ben asks.

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	Re: The Next Day fleetfootmac 2011-02-25 02:55 am UTC (link)
	"While her assignments would be great, Ben, you and I really gotta have a long conversation first." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: The Next Day

the_other
2011-02-25 03:15 am UTC (link)

Ben sighs. He knew this was coming.

"Okay, I know that her mom and dad travel a lot, and that they don't really have time for her, so they've appointed you to watch out for her. Her other sisters, likewise, don't have much time for her, but you're watching out for her. I get that.

But Kassi and I are really good friends, Mac. I'd...I'd like to be more than her friend if she's okay with that, but she's really guarded, like she's afraid of letting people in. I don't know what you tell her parents about the people she's hanging out with, but I really like her, and I'm not going to get scared off by you or her super-powerful business man dad or mom." Ben says.

"She's the first real girl-friend I've had since..." Ben stops, about to say since Sidonie died, but he can't. Thinking about Sidonie just now hurts for reasons he can't describe.

"...in a long time." Ben says, looking Mac in the eyes.

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Re: The Next Day

fleetfootmac
2011-02-25 03:20 am UTC (link)

"Okay, Ben, I appreciate your willing to do the more detailed version of the If You Know What's Good For You conversation, but that's not the one we need to have right now. I need to talk to you about why I let Kassi stay home from school today, but first I have to ask you a real personal question, so sorry." Mac looked at him intently. "Have you ever seen a psychiatrist?"

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Re: The Next Day

the_other
2011-02-25 03:25 am UTC (link)

"A psychiatrist?" Ben asks, his expression clearly confused. Why would Mac ask him that? Mom suggested that he "talk to someone" after Sidonie died, and Ben had refused then, too.

Did Kassi think something was wrong with him? Why wouldn't she just ask him instead of sending her cousin to try to shake him down?

"I don't need to see a shrink, Mac, so no, I haven't." Ben says.

"Where is this going?" he asks.

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fleetfootmac, 2011-02-25 03:29 am UTC

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the_other, 2011-02-25 03:44 am UTC

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