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Mary Crawley (forgetwhatisay) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-09-10 10:25:00

Who: Mary Crawley and Integra Hellsing
What: A coffee break meet-up
Where: Cafe
When: A week or so ago
Rating: PG, Just more mild angst
Status: Complete




Mary knew that meeting people from the Internet was more of her sister’s thing, and not really hers. Not that she was paranoid about encountering a distasteful person, but the idea seemed so youthful, so idealistic, and neither of those words could really be used to describe her. She’d grown up quickly, she’d matured suddenly. But with Sybil away--and behaving rather recklessly--Mary had come to accept that she needed more than one outlet for her stress. She needed friends, or something like them.

So meeting Integra for coffee was really a grand experiment, of sorts.

Integra was a bit of a social butterfly. Although Alucard made sure she was careful about who she talked to, she figured a potential friend was better than anything and decided to take the risk. After all, those here can’t be all that bad. That was naive thinking, but she was hoping. Not that Integra couldn’t handle trouble. She arrived in a pair of jeans, a jacket and a button up white shirt, sneakers on her feet instead of heels and her long blonde hair in a ponytail. She looked around for the woman she was supposed to meet.

Mary was dressed for like she worked in a prestigious office, which she did, wearing an expensive blue dress and even more expensive-looking heels. Standing at the counter, paying for her coffee, she cut a svelte, fashionable figure.

She was able to find the woman. “Hello, Mary?” she asked as she walked up near the woman. Integra was tall and lithe and cut a striking figure, although it was no where near as fashionable as Mary’s was right now. Integra could dress the part but she prefered comfort. “How are you?” she asked, politely, with a slight British accent still clinging to her speech.

Mary had dressed the part for so long that she wasn’t entirely sure what was more comfortable now. She switched her coffee into her left hand, so that she could shake Integra’s. “Oh, hello. You must be Integra.” Her posh, northern accent was still very present. “I hope you don’t mind that I already bought some coffee. I really needed it right away.”

She took the woman’s hand, her own handshake firm and strong, her hands softened by lotion but calloused under it all. ”I can’t blame you there. Coffee is the thing that keeps me going half the time.” She grinned at her and ordered her own coffee before gesturing to a table. “I forgot to ask, where are you interning?” she asked curiously.

Mary sighed and she took a seat at the table. “My uncle owns an ink company. Pens.” She didn’t particularly like admitting that she’d gotten her job through nepotism, no matter how kind her uncle was.

”Always a good way to start - helping hands are how many people got going.” she said, noting the woman’s tone. She had a feeling this woman wasn’t a big fan of the fact she’d gotten help to get there. But Integra knew sometimes it had to happen and it meant you worked harder to prove it. “You sound less than thrilled?” she asked curiously

Mary lowered her eyes, looking away as she took a sip from her cup, leaving behind a blush of red lipstick. “Sometimes you have to take a step back to hope something better happens,” she replied, turning back to the other woman. “This job, right now, is sort of like settling.”

She understood completely, and she indicated so by nodding. “Yeah, no, sometimes that’s the way it has to be.” She took a sip of her coffee and sighed softly as she ran her nails through her hair and lifted her cup with her other one and taking a sip of her coffee.

“So what is it you do, Integra?” Mary asked, smiling politely. They’d established that they shared a major, but what the woman did--or planned to do--with it had not yet been much discussed.

”You’re going to find this so contrasting to my major.” she said with a soft laugh. “I’m actually a MMA fighter right now. My Father has his own business in England but I didn’t want to just jump in and be one of those without any qualifications faking it until I got it, so I struck out on my own.” she said with a shrug.

Maybe Mary would have found it more contrasting, if she knew what one was. “MMA?” she repeated, turning it into a question.

Integra smiled. “Mixed Martial Arts - ummm UFC is the biggest group out there that does it professionally.” She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and smiled.

Mary’s delicate eyelids fluttered. Integra didn’t know it, but she looked just like her grandmother when she was taken aback. “No, I don’t think I could have guessed that. How did that come about?”

Integra was used to a reaction like that, it was almost common now days when someone found out she was a fighter. “When I was younger my mother was killed by a mugger when she refused to give up her purse, and pretty much since then I’ve wanted to be strong enough to defend myself, then I kind of fell into MMA, and I have my first professional fight coming up.” she said with a shrug.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Really, what was there to say to a story like that, other than to admit one was impressed. Mary placed her coffee cup back on the cafe table. She was equally impressed that the woman was doing all this without family money. “So I imagine you have a trainer and… bankrollers… all that sort of thing.”

”Mm. It’s alright. I’m okay now.” she shrugged a bit. “I let my dad pay for my house because he insisted I let him do something, he was strangely respectful of my wishes” she shrugged again. “Mom left me money, I invested it wisely and have cultivated a few sponsors so far, probably get a few more after my first pro fight. We’ll see how it goes. It was supposed to be a hobby, really.” she never said she didn’t have family money, she did, she just didn’t want to walk into her dad’s business and automatically get a job because she’s the bosses daughter. Integra was hellbent on earning her place, not just getting handed to her.

“Well, I suppose with your major, you might be able to manage yourself,” Mary replied, picking up her cup again. “Do you know anything about the person you’re fighting or is that decided the day of? Are you scared?”

”If I can’t hold my own, I’m no good to my Father or the business.” she shrugged a bit. “Generally the match is decided weeks in advance, gives you time to learn about your opponent. Train to handle their style of fighting and so on. It’s a bit nerve wracking, to be honest.” she smiled sheepishly. “Fighting before a ton of people, knowing there is always a risk that you might get really hurt - it’s a little terrifying”

The hair on the back of Mary’s neck stood up. Whether or not Integra realized it, she was striking a nerve. Mary didn’t hold it against, her though. She’d gotten herself into her own mess. “But if you really enjoy it, I suppose that doesn’t matter.” Though she didn’t sound completely convinced about that.

Integra had no idea, she was usually observant but she didn’t know the woman well enough to pick out the problems. “It’s a good stress relief, and it’s not so bad, I suck at being a lazy person.” she smiled warmly. “I haven’t really decided what I want to do yet, though. I know I won’t stay fighting forever. It’s fun but it’s not a career.”

“How much school do you have left?” Mary asked. Thanks to her family’s wealth, she’d been able to put off starting a career. But that was also the reason why she was suffering now.

“Two semesters, not including this term.” she smiled a bit. “I am looking forward to being done, I guess at this point.” she laughed a bit.

“Well, perhaps the fighting will take off and you won’t have to be chained to a desk,” Mary replied. There was a time when she would have meant such a comment as a joke or even an insult, but right now, she sincerely meant it.

Integra tilted her head at the woman. “Perhaps. I don’t mind the idea of a desk job, per say, just I don’t know if it’s what I’m meant to do. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” she asked with a half smile.

Mary wasn’t so sure she believed anyone was meant for anything anymore, although she also was sure anything was within one’s own power. It seemed like they were all like leaves tossed about in the wind. “I do wish you the best of luck.” She meant that much.

Integra smiled. “If you ever want to step outside the box someday, let me know. Gym’s open to everyone, new, experienced and novice - sometimes it’s just what people need, five minutes out of their normal lives to try something new.” she smiled. “I’m sorry to have taken up a break of yours, though.”

“No, not at all,” said Mary. “The truth is, I’ve been here for several months and this is the first time I’ve ever sat down for a bite with anyone. This was very enjoyable. And quite educational, as well.”

She smiled. “Well then, at least it was a little different. Anytime you need to escape the real world, let me know. Between school and this, I’d enjoy a little time off too.” She smiled at her.

Mary smiled, too, as she lifted her cup to finish was was left inside it. Most of her lipstick had come off on the lid. “Well, like I said. The one benefit of working for family is that I can get way whenever I want.”

”True enough.” she smiled as she finished off her cup. “We’ll have to do this again, thank you for coming, though”