Even if you do eat like a baby hippo
Who: Booker, Lina, Elizabeth, Clarice and Moira What: Lina sneaks Booker some booze When: the other day Where: Jean Grey Outreach Center Rating: PG-13 for language and some medical stuff Warnings: Discussing suicidalness
After satisfying the endless gluttony her stomach seemed to permanently hold, Lina prepared the goods for infiltration. She emptied out plastic bottles of tea, poured the liquor in them, and it seemed legit enough to not raise eyebrows. Unless someone got too close and smelled it, but hopefully that wasn’t likely.
Sporting the newly turned white hair whipped into a messy bun, she approached the hospital room with the drinks in her purse and gently knocked on the door.
The hospital room was really just an extension of the medical building at the Jean Grey Outreach Center. The entire property had been designed to look like a ranch, though the aesthetic on some of the buildings (especially the gym) was more modern. Everything had been rebuilt after a meteor strike nearly two years ago, and when Scott had taken over operations there had been a few other changes and additions, mostly in an effort to open the place up to more than just teens and children in need. The original purpose had been for children just short of being lost to the justice system, but with the coming of powers, it's missions had extended to help people learn and control the abilities that came with their dreams.
Booker was laying in bed, pretending he wasn't on his phone while Elizabeth was distracted. He thought things might have been better if the bullet had actually killed him. Occasionally he looked over at the other bed.
There was a Chinese woman with pink skin and pinker hair sitting next to a very pale woman with a dark spot over one eye. The pink woman was scribbling in a notebook and talking softly about a play she was writing. Her eyes glowed a bright green, and there was a set of purple markings on her face around her eyes.
The former PI sighed, and looked back at his phone.
Elizabeth had allowed Moira to distract her with science. The doctor had seen the powers that the dreams had given the young girl, and Elizabeth had decided to let her take some blood to run some tests. It was better than just sitting around, aimless.
She was the one who ended up getting the door for Lina, now that Moira was done with her. Her face brightened a bit when she saw the other woman, and she motioned towards Lina's hair, "It really does look good. It's very striking."
“Dream-me looks completely albino with it,” Lina said with a slightly tired grin as she entered the room. “Thanks, though.”
Her eyes scanned the room quickly, registering those she had yet to meet. The sleeping woman had stayed the same, and her eyes lingered on her for a moment in curiosity before the striking appearance of the other woman caught her attention. Must be the girlfriend, she thought to herself, and lowered her purse onto an empty chair.
“Hi.” It was a generic wave and greet to everyone else. Lina wasn’t all that certain it was time for pleasantries and forced smiles, and she wasn’t going to push it.
Moira waggled a vial of blood as she walked over to her scanner. It looked like something off of a starship or out of an alien base. She slid the vial into the machine. "If ye want me tae give ye a looksover jus' let me know. Ye wouldnae be the first person tae change after a dream and it's always interestin' tae see what it actually is."
The pink woman looked up from her notebook and smiled. "Hi..." She was starting to get hungry and considering getting something for everyone.
"Hey." Booker smiled at Lina. "Shoulda brought a shark to punch."
“You already have a shark to punch, it’s right there in the bed with you,” Elizabeth remarked, a bit dryly. Mostly she was amused at her father and how he cuddled the thing while he slept. Sometimes she’d heard him moan a name in his sleep, and she wondered if he thought he was cuddling a person instead of a stuffed shark.
One of those names had been Neena’s. Clarice probably chose to ignore it, if she heard him.
Remembering their conversation on the internet, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and started tapping around on it, trying to find her picture gallery, “I have proof! Somewhere… in here…”
“Yes, pictures, please. He loves the toy too much to punch it,” Lina snorted, the corner of her lips tugging into a smirk. She glanced over at Moira - she was doing some science shit, so she assumed it was the doc - and then eyed her purse briefly.
She then decided she was going to be casual about it. No point in acting weird about a bottle of “iced tea.” And if Booker suddenly expressed thirst, then she would just happen to conveniently have an extra bottle.
She pulled one from her purse - the label still on and everything - and twisted the top open to get a little sip in front of Booker. He’d know what it was. “Oh, I’m good, but thank you. If it becomes permanent old lady hair, I’ll be sure to get pissy enough about it to see what’s up.” But right now she rocked it, so it was alright.
Booker groaned, and wondered what it was with women and trying to embarrass him. That seemed to be a thing. It was a thing he was powerless against. But that? That was exactly what he needed. "Didn't bring enough to share? I'm a bit thirsty. And it looks good on you. It ain't grey, it's white, there's kinda difference."
"It's a pretty big difference, he's right. Silvery hair mixed in with your natural hair color would be more 'old lady' hair to me. White hair is... it reminds me of artwork I've seen. Very attractive. Especially if you have red eyes in your dream world?" Elizabeth was still tapping around on her phone, trying to figure out where the pictures she'd taken had gone.
She finally found her photo gallery, and pulled up a few adorable pictures of Booker cuddling a stuffed shark, "Here we go. Some of them are very blurry. I'm still not quite sure what I'm doing with this thing."
Lina’s face contorted into absolute amusement at the pictures. “Awwwwww, oh my god. You really are a big woobie!” To rub the salt in the wound just a wee bit more, Lina turned Elizabeth’s phone so Booker could see the picture and with her quivering lower lip sticking out. “So much for the punching. But I do have an extra bottle, actually.”
She fished it out and handed it to him. Part of her was almost a little paranoid the doc would wisen up, run some tests and use her science to figure out he’s been taking a shot or two. But that was a risk she was prepared to take for the better good of drinking your problems away.
Then her attention turned to Elizabeth. “You’ve been sleeping, right?”
Taking the bottle, Booker took a sip and let out a grateful sigh. He was a bit of an alcoholic (a bit?) and just the taste of the stuff set his mind at ease. There wasn’t much else for him to do right now, and he was asleep more than he was awake, but alcohol and painkillers were a nice combination. It made eveything numb.
Booker really wanted things to be numb. “She’s usually awake when I open my eyes.”
"I get enough sleep," Elizabeth protested. Her fingers started fidgeting, however - one hand worrying at the pinky on the other, and there were bags under her eyes that told a different story. Aramis came by every so often to take her home for a nap or to distract her, and D'artagnan had managed to get her to escape for lunch one time. But mainly, she spent all of her time right there.
And the bottles were suspicious. She squinted at the one Lina'd handed to Booker, and sniffed the air a bit. No way did her father like iced tea that much.
Lina gave a sage nod and took another gulp from her drink and swallowed immediately. Then her nose wrinkled a bit as she wiped her mouth - the taste still lingered strongly on her tongue. “Sure you do. Hope you’re not at that point where you’re pouring redbull into your coffee.”
She plopped down on an empty chair, crossed her legs and peeked over at the comatose Neena. “Quick question: who’re the assbags that did this, anyway? Sorry to bring this up, but something like this almost seems personal.”
Booker could sense Elizabeth’s suspicion, so he guzzled that ‘iced tea’ like it was the best thing in the history of ever, and in all honesty it was! “Buncha terrorists. Cerberus or somethin’. She used be involved in all of that but has been fuckin’ with them. She had a kid, an’ they wanted the kid or somethin’, but she’s safe out of their reach. Guess they got pissed.”
"It does seem a little excessive. If they'd wanted her dead, you would think they'd have simply shot her," Elizabeth admitted, sadly. She was, actually, at the point of drinking several cans of red bull. But pouring it into her coffee just tasted nasty.
Which was a clear sign that she'd tried it.
"Booker decided that if it wasn't already personal he'd run into one of their bases and try to blow it and himself up. Because he's stupid, and a thug."
She said it with love. Mostly.
Blowing up the base. Seemed reasonable enough. Lina thought about it, then shrugged, sipping her drink. She couldn’t really say anything in regards to the whole blowing up thing anyway. That’s what she would do. And so would her dream-self.
Ah, the parallels.
“Can’t say I’ve heard of the name,” she said out loud. Chewing her lip, she thought about her past ties with shady organizations. None of them were exactly terrorists. Just different brands of douche. “She’s a mutant, right? Besides the skin-changing, what can she do?”
Booker snapped his fingers, creating a small flame. He’d done a lot of damage, but it hadn’t really been enough.
“WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT LIGHTIN’ UP IN HERE!” Moira’s impressive bellow made Booker put the flame out.
“She’s lucky,” Clarice said, getting up and walking over. “Rather, it looks like luck. She can dodge bullets. Make shots that shouldn’t be possible. That kind of thing. Speaking of, is anyone hungry? I’m thinking Chinese food.”
It didn't really look like Neena was lucky. Elizabeth frowned, and decided not to say it that bluntly. But it didn't seem like the other woman was able to dodge anything at all, or wouldn't she have done it?
She chewed on her lip a bit, "Is her power not... here, yet? I know mine isn't functioning right."
But the subject of food was more important, and she turned her mind to that. Elizabeth wasn't sure when she had eaten in the last few days. Her stomach growled a bit, "I'd love something to eat. Anything you're getting is fine."
Lina’s eyes blinked wide at the sudden flame trick. She sent Booker sort of a shit-eating grin, not even bothering to hide the snicker caused by Moira’s apparently disapproval. She had no idea he could even do that. Damn. She was having more fun with this whole power thing than she should.
But seriously. Back to business.
“I’m good, thank you,” she waved. She’d just eaten a crapload of food thanks to Hal and to be honest, she could probably eat again. But then people would look at her funny. Right now the liquor was satisfying enough. And it was hitting her sooner than she thought. Lina let out a burp and covered her mouth with her fist. “Uh, s’cuse me. If luck’s her power, then it worked in her favor. I can’t see anyone else surviving something like that.”
“Somethin’ happened tae her powers,” Moira explained, her eyes still on her machine and its complex readouts. She had an idea exactly what was happening, but she was still trying to figure out how to stop it. “They’re basically telekinetic an’ somethin’ shorted her out, right around the time she was attacked. The problem with luck is there’s also bad luck. An’ aye, it was lucky help arrived when it did.”
Clarice nodded at them. “I’ll bring something small for you, Booker.” A portal opened up behind her in a flash of pink light. Visible, briefly, was the Beijing skyline. She stepped through it and was gone.
“Yay.” Booker twirled a finger like he was so excited to have something small. He shot a little spark on Moira’s direction when she wasn’t looking and grinned.
The spark hit one of Moira's other machines, and it sprang to life briefly, as if it had been turned on. Elizabeth smiled at that, and nodded at Lina, "No, you're right. It IS lucky she survived and I'm glad for that. But still, it was confusing. If she can dodge bullets, you know. It made me curious why she couldn't dodge whatever hit her."
She wrinkled her nose up a bit, "I shouldn't have asked, I was just curious. I know... for instance... what I should be capable of doing. But I can't make it work the way it should just yet."
Growing increasingly suspicious of the bottles Lina and Booker were drinking from, Elizabeth walked up to Booker and swiped his out of his hand. She sniffed at it, then leveled him with a look that could have killed someone. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she took a long swig off of it herself, then gave it back, "That really is refreshing. Maybe I'll go and get some tea of my own."
Lina was about to comment on Clarice’s amazingly spiffy portal-opening abilities (because, seriously, what? Awesome!), and then on Neena’s lucky streak, when Elizabeth went up to Booker and took a drink herself.
She fought a grin, and lost the battle.
Busted.
“You can have some of mine if he’s too parched to share,” she casually mentioned, awfully pleased by how they’d been discovered but not outed, and instead Elizabeth had joined them. “What’s your little trick, Elizabeth? Booker seems like a wizard menace with all the shit he’s doing.”
“One more use of yuir powers an’ I swear tae god,” Moira muttered, darkly. She shot them a dirty look.
Booker hugged his bottle to him, like he was a drowning man and it was his life line. “Ask next time. Did you learn your manners from me?” The man snerked at his own joke, and took a long guzzle of his ‘tea.’
"I won't actually use them in here, promise!" Elizabeth held up both of her hands in Moira's direction, like she was automatically surrendering, then took a seat next to Lina. So that Lina could share her bottle.
She hadn't been a drinker when she'd moved to Orange County, but the past few months had made her seriously reconsider her stance on it, "Share, please. And YOU, you're still a thug, so obviously I get it from you. My mother was a perfect lady, you said so yourself."
Back to the 'what do your powers do question', then, and Elizabeth spun a finger in the air while she tried to explain, "I make... portals. Kind of. Well, it's more like I can make tears in space and time, or open existing ones. I think."
It took a little bit for Lina to wrap her head around that one. “Crying is a super power? Sweet.” She handed Elizabeth the bottle and wagged her finger scoldingly at Booker. “And hey, she’s gonna extend your hospital sentence and then you’re gonna be stuck in that fabulous hospital gown even longer.”
"I might have exaggerated the lady bit," Booker said, under his breath. Annabelle had been a lady, but the kind of lady who could let out a ear burning curse if she wasn't getting her way. "And you..." He pointed at Lina. "Since you like starin' at my blindingly white ass I'm makin' sure you get more of a chance to."
Why on earth a “lady” would have a baby with him is anyone’s guess.
"Oh no, not crying, but ... I meant, like... rips. There are tiny holes where space and time are torn up and I can open portals to other places that are similar but... not..." Elizabeth just shook her head and took a swig off of her bottle. It was hard to explain and hard to understand. Even for HER, and she was the one that had the power.
She darted her eyes, then, between Lina and Booker, and smirked, "You two should go out and get... dinner or go punch sharks together when he gets out of here."
Once Elizabeth had her turn, Lina took the bottle for her next drink. “Good god. If I have to stare at his ‘blindingly white ass’ as he describes, I’m not sure if I want to go anywhere with this dude, even if it does involve punching sharks in the nose. But I’ll take dinner. I mean, I’m doing him a favor and all, getting him stuff to drink and bringing by something he can cuddle at night.”
Also because Lina would never turn down food. Even if she ate like an entire pizza pie and a box of breadsticks on her own like two hours ago. Magic burns energy hard and fast.
“Somethin’ tells me she’d bankrupt me,” Booker said, finishing his bottle. His precious. Then he hugged it against his chest like it was his baby. Yes. Cuddling his bottle.
That was just sad. So, So sad. Elizabeth shook her head at her father, "Maybe she would? But you two seem to get along pretty well. You can always make more money."
Or she could steal it. She had a small, growing collection of expensive things in her house already. Usually Elizabeth didn't 'fence' her goods, but she was open to the idea if they really needed the money. She darted her eyes off to the side, "I have some items at home we could probably sell. It's too bad you closed your shop."
Lina scratched her cheek sheepishly at the bankrupt statement. It was true. All her money usually went towards food. “I do have a generous appetite,” she said, although ‘generous’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it. “Elizabeth, you don’t need to sell anything just so Booker can watch me stuff my face like a baby hippo.”
“Hey,” Booker said, pointing his finger lazily at them. “I make money. Bounties, remember?” Not that he was in any condition to hunt down dangerous criminals in his condition. Maybe he should get back into the PI business. But he liked the whole bounty thing with Neena. Even if they were kind of on the outs. It was complicated. Complicated.
Moira’s eye was still watching them, so he pointed at her too. Just to be on the safe side.
"You're definitely not doing any bounty hunting in that condition, especially not alone," Elizabeth countered, pointing her finger right back at him. She was certain if she hadn't, Moira would have. The scottish woman meant well enough and Elizabeth had actually learned a bit from her while she'd been hanging around, but no one liked to hear her yell.
She turned back to Lina while grabbing for the 'iced tea' again, "I don't really mind. You're nice and you've done good things for us, I think kindness should always be rewarded. Even if you do eat like a baby hippo."
“Hey, it’s one thing if I call myself a baby hippo, it’s totally something else when someone actually agrees!” Lina gave her a playful jab with her elbow. Her voice was a little too excitedly raised, like the liquor was finally taking its course. She hiccuped and almost thought bubbles would float from her mouth. After awkwardly shifting her eyes, she held her fist against her mouth and cleared her throat.
Moira squinted.
Booker rolled his eyes. “Do I look like I’m going to run out and beat down some deadbeat’s door? Fuck’s sake, I aint that stupid!” He could admit he was a little stupid at least. He reached over and poked Lina’s knee then put his finger to his lips like ‘shh don’t give it away.’
"You didn't look like you were going to go on a suicide mission to a Cerberus base, either, but you DID, didn't you!? And you almost didn't come back in one piece. So now we have to be very clear with you, because you're kind of an idiot, Booker!" Elizabeth shouted.
It was actually a far more angry shout than she'd intended and she wasn't even sure she'd meant to say anything like that. She leveled an accusatory glance at the bottle in her hands and gave it back to Lina. Obviously, she couldn't hold her drink at all.
Oh my god, something about this was too hilarious for words. Booker’s poke caused her to grin like a moron, and she had herself bite her lower lip to stifle the giggle that was beginning to rumble on the surface. Lina honestly should sneak liquor in to hospitals more. Because this was amazing.
“She’s kind of got a point, Booker,” she finally forced out into words, the smile remaining but there were no giggles. Yet. “If you want revenge, make sure you’re alive afterwards to bathe in all its vengeance glory. And then you can fucking party.” She pointed the bottle at him. Emphasis on party.
The man shrunk back into his bed under the onslaught of the women. He was glad Moira was staying out of this and Neena was in a coma, because he didn’t think he could weather all four of them. Actually Moira was just letting them deal with it. Because it amused the hell out of her. He scowled. “Kinda wanted to die. Be easier that way.”
"Right. Leaving me all alone would be easier. After I only JUST found you." Elizabeth thought she might actually start crying, at this rate. She wasn't a giggly drunk like Lina seemed to be. She got up from where she'd been sitting and walked over to where Booker was laying there. Probably feeling sorry for himself, still.
She snorted, "If you ever do something stupid to get yourself killed again, I'll follow you, Booker. I'll follow you and then so help me. I'll find a way to bring you back so that I can kill you myself."
Liquid courage. It was a beautiful thing, really.
Lina’s eyes widened as big as plates and her gaze followed Elizabeth’s righteous path to Booker. Really, that was one way to lay it down on him. And it’s probably something he needed to hear, whether he liked it or not.
“Can’t help anyone when you’re dead,” she quipped afterwards, wagging her finger like she was punishing a child.
And then she took another drink. Because why not.
“Really, Booker. You’re argument is irrelevant!”
“Elizabeth just doesn’t understand yet. Doesn’t understand what me bein’ alive leads to.” Booker tried to get some more drops out of his bottle, but alas, it was empty and there was none to be had. He let out a plaintive sound. “Fucking..I have to die, you don’t know it yet but I have to, it’s better for everyone an’ doesn’t have anything to do with feelin’ sorry for myself. It ain’t even selfish..”
Elizabeth didn't want to hear it. She swiped the empty bottle out of his hands and crushed it in one of hers, which was a better way to express her anger than slapping him would have been.
And if he hadn't been injured, she probably would have slapped him.
"No one just HAS to die. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's the stupidest thing that's come out of your mouth yet! Don't you understand how much I love you? How much we ALL need you around!?" She waved her hand in the air, and electricity momentarily crackled around it. If she wasn't careful, she was going to open a tear right here in the hospital room.
She growled, and pointed at him, "I need some air, but YOU need to adjust your attitude." Then she stormed out, without even saying goodbye to Lina.
Ouch. Shit got real.
Lina winced at the sparks of electricity, and then even cringed when she stormed out. Well, she thought. Family quarrels. Like that’s not awkward.
She stood up after Elizabeth left and hovered over the hospital bed. “I get your bummed out, but that,” she said, pointing over towards the door. “Was not the best way to handle that. She’s already losing sleep and possibly her sanity making sure you’re breathing at night. So you’re wasting all her efforts by telling her you need to die.”
She didn’t mean to get up into their business or anything, but she made an attempt to be some sort of mediator. This was Lina’s “mom” tone. The kind that comes out when she’s drunk, because usually it does not exist sober.
One of Booker’s eyes twitched, and he slammed his head down on the pillow. None of them understood, but he didn’t know how to make them understand. His dreams made him think he was going insane. Like he was seeing through two men’s eyes. And he was, yet he wasn’t. He only knew that second man needed not to exist. And he knew Elizabeth would figure that out soon enough. But he didn’t say anything about that, and withered under Lina’s mom tone. “Fuck.”
Lina sighed.
“Here,” she said gently, offering him her bottle and whatever last few gulps were available. Which it wasn’t much, but it was something. “You need this more than I do.”