1963-09-22 - Omission of Grace
Summary: Kitty and Piotr discuss life. Both keep things to themselves.
Related: N/A
Theme Song: None
kitty piotr 


Having a mission has focused Kitty Pryde's attention for the last few days. Knowing that something other worldly opened in Central Park has meant spending an excess of time in the gym, honing her rather 'rusty' martial arts skills. It's an oddity to practice her katas without a partner or a sword, but she's certainly made the most of it.

In the empty gym, she doesn't hesitate to just practice and feel what it is to move her body in this way. Irony being, of course, she feels oddly separated from he action. Feeling small had its effect. Months out of the facility, even with her memories intact, she can allow the roundhouse kick she delivers to be cathartic — even if she isn't kicking in command's head. But something else tugs on her mind.

In her hands she bears two large, rather weighty, staffs that she swings out quickly as would-be swords sans blades.

One then the other cuts through the air with undeniable skill.

Whatever happened in Japan, Kitty came back different. At least in her skill set.

Her expression, however, hinges on unsettled. And, since yesterday, she's been something of a ghost in the mansion — odd considering she should be gearing up to go see Mom and Dad Pryde to get Ogun's sword. Her sword.

*

Piotr has noticed her absence, but whenever he's glimpsed her in the halls, he hasn't pressed. He understands that sometimes, people have things that they need to work out on their own, and they need space in order to do that. It's normal. It's healthy. And, even though it's difficult to do with Kitty in particular, he's been doing his best to allow her the space to do that.

He doesn't mean to walk in on her in the gym. Piotr uses it when he needs to think, and that had been his only intention. Instead, he stopped just inside and found himself trying not to stare.

At least he catches himself before too much time can pass. And he isn't stupid enough to try and sneak back out. Piotr announces himself with a very quiet clearing of his throat and a very apologetic expression.

*

The sound announcing Piotr's presence prompts Kitty to turn around, and slowly lower her staffs. With an edge of a smile, tired, but undoubtedly glad to see him just the same, her cheeks flush slightly. "Hey Pete," she greets softly. "How long you been watching?" there's an edge of self-deprecation in her tone before she notes, "Needs work. I haven't been keeping up with it as I should," her tongue clucks. "I'll get better again, just need to spend more time in here, and less time running."

"I…" she treads towards the back wall and sets her staffs down. "…don't need to take up so much room if you need the space though." Her eyebrows draw together, "Or, I guess I could go if you need all of it — there's always other places I could practice my katas — "

*

"Only a few moments. And you had the space first," Piotr notes with a small smile to match, still lingering back near the door. He reaches up to rub the back of his neck and adds, "If you need the space, it is yours," in a tone that suggests he is very aware of the fact that it can be taken on more than one level. "I just did not want to pretend I had not come in, that is all."

*

The statement earns a flicker of a smile — ironic in a way as Kitty treads towards him and reaches out for his hand. "I know," she finally offers in return. "But," there's an unusual caution to her words — purposeful as she considers each — "I'll share with you." There's another tick of a smile punctuated by a shrug. "Besides, there's lots of room here. Tons of space! And everyone needs to use it sometimes."

Of course, they both know that's not quite what he meant. "I know I'm acting weird." It's almost an invitation. Almost.

*

Piotr tries not to look too relieved when he reaches out to take her hand, immediately giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I will try not to get in your way," he promises, smiling gaining some strength.

As for acting weird… well. He just shrugs a shoulder, looking down at her with a little twinkle in his eye. "Only a little more than normal," he teases gently. "But. Is everything alright?"

*

An overdramatic roll of Kitty's eyes and a large toothy grin follow the remark, "Because I'm so weird all the time, right?" But the merriment of her expression subdues at the question. She hums quietly. "Kind of?" her head tilts to the side with an unspoken weight. "Perplexed, I guess. Confused, maybe." Her eyebrows draw together lightly.

"I think," she starts to explain a bit, "every time I think the universe and world are one way, I get thrown a curve ball." She shrugs. "I have my faith, you know. It's pretty important to me. Not just something my parents believe, but increasingly — " she cringes. "Well, the universe isn't what I thought it was. And maybe I'm not really either." As she says this fact, her lips twist to the side and her head shakes, "Or maybe I am? I don't know."

*

Piotr hums softly at the explanation and nods slowly, his own expression subduing to match. "I see. Well, somewhat," he corrects with a slight wince, suddenly looking a little anxious as he drops his eyes down to their joined hands. "With demons and sorcery and Odin — " Yeah, he's still mentally tripping up over that one. " — things have been… confusing."

He tries to ignore whatever has him looking anxious and gives her hand another squeeze, glancing around for a likely spot to sit. A weightlifting bench will do, it's not as if they're getting in anyone's way right now. "It is easy to doubt your sense of self. That's one of the nice things about it, though," Piotr murmurs thoughtfully. "You get to define it."

*

The anxious expression is not easily ignored, and followed by a quiet, "Heeeey," as Kitty reaches up to brush her free fingertips against his cheek. "I…" her nose wrinkles and she ponders what really has her perplexed. "I'm not sure I understand the way things are." Her eyes narrow slightly. "I mean. Demons sure. Okay I can accept they exist. Odin," she rolls her eyes a bit, but it's almost fine. "There's a lot of strange things in the world, I can accept that. But — " her eyes narrow into slits. "Do you think it's possible for there to be multiple versions of you? I like physics," always have, "and there's a theory that suggests there are multiple universal versions of ourselves. But how that works and what that looks like…?" It's anyone's guess.

"Are you okay?" she finally asks.

*

He actually looks a bit apologetic, reaching up to cover the hand at his cheek. But Piotr stays quiet to listen, and his brow furrows as he takes the question in. "I have not given it much thought," he admits, slowly tilting his head to one side. Now she does have him thinking about it. "It… seems no less likely than anything else I've seen in the last month, I suppose," he says with an odd laugh. "Sure. Why not."

He nods once at the question. "I am. Really. Nervous to meet your family," Piotr murmurs, nodding his head from side to side. "Worried about… everything. But I am okay."

*

"Right. So if there are multiple versions of yourself, do they somehow reflect you? Like is there some essence to who you are?" Kitty's eyebrows lift. Her lips twist to the side and she lifts a single finger, "I think.. I think," she tries again, "I think there are versions of all of us. But somehow, I'm still me. So what if, it's just me, and I somehow travel through time, get stuck, and then — " of course, Piotr doesn't follow this line of thinking. It's just Kitty thinking aloud.

Piotr's unsettledness, however, has her dropping her problem and giving his hand a sharp, reassuring squeeze. "Hey. I'll be there. And the Prydes are… not going to change anything. You know that right?" The twinkle in her eye is unmissable. "I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I feel like you're more likely to run to the hills after that." The bit about being worried about everything also brings about a small nod, "I get it. But it's not helping. We're going to do what we have to. And we'll face it together. I'll get my swords, and we can go get those jerks that invaded the Park!"

*

At least Piotr doesn't seem lost or bored by the talk of multiverse theory. He actually seems quite curious about it, in fact, watching her work through her thoughts with an attentive cant of his head. But if she is going to set it aside, he is not about to insist on returning her attention to it.

"They are not going to chase me off," Piotr says with a quiet laugh, though some of that earlier unease does begin to creep back into his expression. "I am not dating them, after all. Your opinions are the ones that matter to me, not theirs."

*

"Good," Kitty states firmly. "As I've said before, I just want you to know each other without ever having met." A smirk follows this. "And you, my friend, are too good for the Katherine Pryde patrol." She manages a tight smile. "Mom and dad are weirdly normal. Aside from…" her eyebrows draw together. "Dad got taken last year which is why I left the first time. You know that right? I went to Japan to pursue him. Business in Deerfield was — " her head ticks to the side. "And he got wrapped up with the Yakuza. I left to find him. I feel like…" her lips purse lightly "…this might come up in dinner conversation. So you should probably know about it. I…" her teeth worry her bottom lip.

"…I experienced a demon for the first time when I was there. He was my master. Wanted to turn me into an assassin, and saw my ability to walk through things as a way to surprise my enemies." Her lips press together tightly. "I don't talk about it much," her eyes turn downwards, "because it was… awful. And sometimes I can still," she taps on her temple. "Sometimes. But only because there are pieces of ourselves that we let feed us or not feed us."

She swallows hard. "Which is why I've been so weird today." Her jaw tightens. "I need to help Yana."

*

It probably says something about the state of Piotr Rasputin's life of late that he seems less anxious when words like 'yakuza' and 'demon' and 'my master' come up in conversation. He blinks slowly at Kitty, unconsciously straightening his posture as he listens with a small, worried frown tugging at his lips.

"…ah." What else does one even say to all of that? Piotr doesn't have any bright ideas — so he settles for gently pulling Kitty's hand up to where he can kiss the back. "Did something happen with Illyana? Or is this just…" He gestures awkwardly. "…everything."

*

The kiss to her hand causes Kitty to smile slowly — a rueful expression that reflects both fatigue and appreciation. She inhales a slow measured breath, not entirely sure she should share events in their entirety. "It's just — " she sucks on the inside of her cheek " — you know how Yana calls me Cat?" her lips curve downwards. "It's because Katherine Pryde, or some version of her, helped raise Yana in Limbo." Kitty's eyebrows lift expectantly. "She knows things about me because she knows some version of me. And I… Cat lost everything trying to keep your sister safe."

Her jaw tightens. "And Yana. She's afraid. She's afraid of becoming whatever it is Belasco was shaping her to be. And I know that fear. I know it," her eyes lid tightly, "so well."

*

Piotr's brow furrows and his lips form a very small o. Suddenly, a great many things have begun to make a lot more sense to him… and that is, in its own way, very troubling. Once more, with feeling: "…ah."

Keeping hold of Kitty's hand, Piotr looks down towards the floor between his feet, quiet. "I am not sure what to say," he admits. "If… let me know if I can help?" That seems… inadequate. He frowns.

*

Kitty's eyes finally open and she watches Piotr for a few moments. And, in those moments, her brain works at a ridiculously quick pace. There's no question she could say more, but sometimes keeping things to yourself is grace for someone else. And so, instead of talking about Cat's death at Yana's hands, Illyana's inexplicable guilt and Kitty's absolution, she leans forward to peck a light kiss against Piotr's cheek. It might not be warranted with the situation or even necessarily appropriate, but she does it just the same.

"You," she begins with resolve, "are by far the single most considerate person I've ever met." There's a long pause. "You know you've been doing everything for her. You know that. And you've been my rock these last few months, I'm just… strategizing to help you share that burden. I get it now. And… I think I can help." There's a long pause. "There's a lot I know nothing about. Limbo," she cringes, "magic, alternate universes. But. I can be a pretty good friend when push comes to shove. And I'd like to think, an alright girlfriend now and then." Her lips purse lightly, "I'm not good at a lot of things. But loving people? I can do that."

*

Warranted or not, the kiss does get Piotr to look up from the floor to offer her a small, grateful smile. He doesn't seem to find it inappropriately timed.

"You can. You are a very good friend, Katya. And an excellent girlfriend," Piotr replies easily, giving her hand another warm squeeze. "I am very lucky to have you. So is Illyana. Do not let her take you for granted," he says with a slight raising of his eyebrows. "I mean, I do not expect that she would. Not on purpose."

*

The reply earns a large toothy grin, but then with a small lift of her eyebrows, Kitty observes, "Not lucky. I'm not with you because of some roll of the dice. Good people attract good people. And you are one of the good ones. I can tell. I happen to be an excellent judge of character." The getting taken for granted comment causes Kitty's smile to turn somewhat ironic, although it's hard to know why exactly.

So instead of explain it, Kitty lifts her hand to Piotr's cheek. "Yeaaaaah. I'm basically one of Yana's adopted mothers, except," her eyes turn upwards, "younger, I guess." She smirks. "So, now at least you know where to blame all the weird quirks." Pause. "And swordplay."

*

"And swordplay," Piotr echoes, his smile going lopsided. "Well. Considering how well she handled herself in the park, I suppose I owe that version of you my thanks," he says thoughtfully. After a short pause, his expression softens. "She would have been proud. I was."

He runs a hand over his face and casts a quick look around. "…now I feel silly. Look how badly I have derailed your practice. Should I let you..?" Piotr trails off, nodding towards the mats and briefly biting his lip.

*

A vague glance is given to the staffs on the floor and Kitty ambivalently considers the break. He can see her waffle on whether to pick up the would be weapons again or leave them to rest. Finally she tugs at his hand and slides off the bench. "I know you were coming here to do your thing, buuuuut," a glance is given to the door, "you could join me for lunch first~" She virtually sings the invitation. "I've heard this rumour that eating is important so I'm resolving not to forget to do it. Also!" She lifts a single finger, "it's like fuel. And sometimes it's delicious. Even if it's not kosher." There's a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

For whatever reason, Kitty has found her sparkle again. "We can eat, then you can do your thing," she glances at the room, "and then, then I will pack. To go. To see mom and dad." Grin.

*

With an odd smile, Piotr lets her tug fruitlessly at his hand a few times before letting himself be drawn up off of the bench. "I could be convinced to join you for lunch first," he agrees, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of her head. "If I am honest, I was coming in because I was bored. But if you would like company, we can come back. And… then pack." That little bit of nervous tension's creeping back into his face again. "To visit your family. Which… which will be fine."

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