( her head dips slightly as she sits on the couch, shoes toed off and her legs curled beside her, glass resting on her knee )
I want a job, this is what I'm trained to do... but at home I was trying to see what that was. It's... I haven't had a solid role in a while.
( she'd walked away from her specialism and had volunteered in what she could do, strengthening skills she hadn't used as much in a while. she didn't exactly know how she'd transfer it here. pathology or general care? )
[ He nods, thoughtful, laying an arm along the back of the couch as he sits next to her. He can understand that much, at least, though he doesn't know what her reasons are. ]
I suppose that does complicate things. I'm not exactly sure either. And it seems like you've got people there who can do things...magically, so that makes it all even harder to figure out.
[ Somehow he doesn't think that's the complicating factor for her, but he's not sure just how much to pry. ]
Back home, I'd only just gotten used to the superpowers. And now there's magic.
[ And he'd had a decade or so longer to get used to the superpowers than most. He'd even initially believed his dad about them, until he'd forced himself to stop out of spite. ]
[ The way she phrases that makes him tilt his head curiously and study her, wondering if she's speaking for herself, if she can do anything magical and simply hasn't mentioned it yet. It's both a fascinating idea and unnerving enough that he can understand why she might not have.
And not only because he's in the same position, though his reasons are less about fear or safety than they are about shame and guilt.]
( adrienne pauses and even pulls a little face, uncertain, not actually having the words. or a thought. her instinct is to pull away, to say nope and just deal in normal, human things. but she knows from experience that not everything (everyone) is terrible )
Weird? It's something.
( and then something hits her )
Was that what you were studying?
( he's a geneticist, if he knows about it he was involved, right? )
[ "Involved" is...one word for it, yeah! That face is already making him want to backtrack. Or shift the subject back to magic. Or...take a very long sip of the whiskey in his hand. The latter is the easiest, and so this is precisely what he does.
...damn, that's some booze right there. At least he manages not to cough. ]
Yes. It was my father's line of research, initially. I sort of...inherited it, after he died. It's a very long story.
[ And it involves mad science atrocities that he really should probably be upfront about, and yet, as with Peter, can't bring himself to be. Not yet. ]
--anyway, about the hospital. I can understand the hesitation, but I don't think the place is going anywhere. You could always try something different for a little while, something simple, and see if it helps you sort things out.
( where he takes it makes her pause and adrienne understands the shift away from the topic. she doesn't ask how long he's known, how long it's all been but there's (briefly) a little sympathy in her expression. she understands that shift )
Trying something different is what I've been doing for the last few years.
( she shifts slightly, drawing one knee up, resting her head back against the couch )
I'm a pathologist. I haven't stepped foot in a lab in... three years?
( the question comes at the length of time, not wanting to think exactly how long it's been to clarify it )
I've been working in a clinic lately, general healthcare, emergency care, whatever came in. Which I know is still needed here... or useful. Hands are useful.
[ The sympathy makes his conscience twinge violently, because it isn't like that at all, and he's the last person who deserves it--but if she doesn't want to know, and he doesn't want her to know, then maybe it's all right for now to let the subject change.
Naturally, he wants to know why she's avoided the pathology lab, but even someone as prone to social obliviousness as Mohinder can sense that the story lurking underneath that is probably not a fun one to tell. ]
They are useful. But all of that is still within the field of medicine. It's not necessarily going to give you distance, if distance is what you need to think.
Before I got here, I was driving a cab to make ends meet. It's a terrible job, just to be clear; I'm not actually recommending it, but--it was so different from everything I'd been doing that it sort of cleared my mind.
I don't know what happened in your pathology lab, or if a distraction from it is what you need, but it's a thought.
Well, I did consider becoming a bartender but that's an even worse decision.
( she'd done the job in college and she was very familiar with alcohol but it was not an avenue she needed to or should go down. she didn't need any more nudges )
I enjoy being a doctor, seeing patients, everything that I've been doing. I don't know if I can go back to the lab but... I'll figure it out. And still have something.
( something she enjoyed even if it wasn't perfect. adrienne did miss the lab and any lab here would have one bonus: it wasn't at her hospital. maybe this would help her get back to it )
Either way we'll probably end up seeing a lot of each other.
[ Or will be nice, rather, because she seems quite certain of it, and Mohinder likes that certainty. ]
I can't pretend I'm not hoping we'll be colleagues, but...regardless. You know where I live.
[ And apparently she now lives close enough to get here easily. He starts to ask about this development, thinks that this might not be the ideal moment, and opts instead to put his drink down and settle a little closer. ]
( a small smile had filtered into her expression when he'd told her it would be nice and the shift with it would be difficult to miss.
it has her straightening a little, sliding her legs down to physically open her up, quickly finishing her drink before also putting it down, resting her hand on his )
I now do. Though I could do with a better tour of the place.
[ He'd had a feeling this would go over better than continuing that line of conversation. Insatiable though he may be with scientific curiosity, he can rein himself in with more personal things, and tell himself there will be time to learn more later. ]
Oh, there's not much interesting about it, really.
[ He can tease, when he tries. She's more than welcome to a tour of anything she wants to see, whether than includes more than the direct route to the bedroom or not--but first, he just wants to kiss her without calculation for an audience. His hand slides into her hair again, cradling the back of her head without the blustering false confidence of last time as he pulls her to him. ]
( she's leaning into him as he moves, a hand grasping his shirt to hold him close as they kiss. it might have been more awkward the last time but really, for adrienne, it had given a glimpse of the future. a glimpse that she'd enjoyed.
and if he keeps kissing her like that she might forget about moving. location isn't an issue for her.
there's a lighter press of lips to his when they break, adrienne shifting slightly to make it a little easier, a little more comfortable as she leans back in to kiss him again )
[ The hand fisted in his shirt prompts a little noise of startled pleasure against her lips, a quiet but eager little hum and a gentle tightening of his grip in her hair.
He's not about to get too carried away on the couch, because damn it, he'd promised a bed (or...okay, she'd been the one to mention the bed, but the point of this exercise is still to have a bed in the equation.)
But that doesn't mean he can't move along with her, fingers caressing her jawline throughout that softer kiss and then slipping down to skim over her side and down her thigh as it deepens again, encouraging her closer still. ]
( he encourages her closer and yet adrienne does the opposite, slowing the kiss down as she pulls away.
another light kiss is dropped to him, second even lighter as she moves further back, fingers slowly working open the buttons of her blouse.
she shrugs it down her shoulders as she works, carefully guiding his attention, letting him focus on her breasts as she works on the lower part of her shirt, keeping that more closed until she's done and shrugs it fully off, letting it slide to the floor.
he only gets a little time to appreciate how she looks before she stands, grabbing his hands )
[ Mohinder is generally more than happy to have his attention directed toward breasts, and now is no exception. If Adrienne wants to make a little show of it, then he'll sit back and watch in precisely the way she wants him to, with bright appreciative eyes and a faint little smirk playing about his lips.
It doesn't occur to him, after the zoo, that there are places she wouldn't want his gaze to linger, or that she's curating things to keep his eyes where she wants them--the cat costume hadn't made her scar obvious to his quick embarrassed glances then, and he hasn't noticed it yet, but she's always seemed encouraging of his attention before, and never more so than right now. The way she keeps her shirt fastened at the bottom and moves away from his admiring gaze simply comes across as teasing, tantalizing, and it's a turn-on. ]
Well, if you really want one. There's the kitchen...
[ He's kidding. It may be difficult to continue making out and get down the hallway to the bedroom at the same time, but they can multitask. They're doctors. He lets go of her hands and lifts her instead, guiding her legs around his waist to put her on a level where he can kiss her again as he walks.
It's not a particularly unusual move, except perhaps for the way it seems to take him no effort at all, as if she's weightless. He might as well be carrying a hollow block of styrofoam, except that styrofoam isn't sexy. ]
( they're doctors, multitasking and deft movements are their skills. she's pulling him towards her when he lifts her and adrienne lets go of his shirt, looping her arms around his shoulders, slipping her legs around him.
she doesn't realise how easy it is for him, drawn into the moment, kissing him quickly, hungrily.
her hands tug at his tshirt even though with her body pressed against him she can't really do too much about it. yet )
[ Not yet, but her enthusiasm is so easy to build on like a feedback loop, letting those hungry kisses deepen enough to steal breath again as he carries her to the bedroom and definitely does not bother to point out any other rooms along the way. He does, however, unhook her bra with one hand while the other keeps holding her up, even if the same problem applies to it as to his shirt and he doesn't want to separate far enough to solve it yet.
He hasn't actually brought a lot of people to bed with him yet, though he's made quota handily enough to keep the authorities off his back. This city makes it easy--preferable, even--to do things quickly and sordidly elsewhere, in a way Mohinder's never liked. But this is more his speed. When they reach the bed, he deposits her on it with a gentle, playful little toss and takes care of that shirt problem for her without further ado. ]
( the bra's quickly discarded once she's down, adrienne propping herself up on her elbows to settle, watching his little show in return )
And your pants.
( slightly bossier, a little demanding, but there's a smile still on her. she'd rather her be back with her kissing her again but she also doesn't want to stop to deal with them later. which is why she'll push herself up a little more, starting to undo her jeans too )
[ His eyebrows arch at that bossiness, but hey, he ain't complaining. Not one bit. ]
Yes, ma'am.
[ It's the sort of thing he'd have said back home too, with the same cheeky little smile, but there's an extra little frisson of satisfaction now from the inherent take that to the city's stupid designations.
He leaves the boxer briefs on--of course his vivid wardrobe includes brightly-colored underwear, but these are at least a fairly inoffensive pale blue--after skimming his jeans off, not out of self-consciousness or anything, but simply because it seems more fun to help get rid of hers. ]
( she pulls him back closer once her jeans are off, a hand at the back of his neck, adrienne leaning up into the kiss.
rather than leaning back along the bed she tries to guide him, a hand at his hip, encouraging him to turn to lean him back instead, kissing him through. she'll move with him, if he does, only pausing in kissing him to sit across his lap before leaning into him again )
[ This is a familiar dynamic, for Mohinder, if more gentle than he's used to; he's not really a stranger to having women push and pull and manhandle him where they please. He's rarely been inclined to protest.
And he doesn't protest now, or not at first. He moves where she directs, sitting up in the middle of the bed--leaving himself room to lie back, but not doing it just yet--and gathering her into his lap as she straddles him. All of this is deeply welcome, but it's not quite the way he's fantasized about keeping his promise from the zoo.
There's just no reason to break those kisses yet. They're such very nice kisses. And he can still keep them up as he reclines, pulling her down on top of him and winding his arms around her, but it's not leaving him the easiest way to put his mouth where he'd really like to. Maybe she can indulge him if he rolls them over again, just for now, kissing a trail down her neck and between her breasts again with purpose. ]
( her hands press into his hair as they kiss, both of them keeping the other pressed close. it's comfortable, adrienne finding it easy to get lost in this moment, guided by kisses.
so she ends up on her back, a small laugh from her when he kisses down her neck, sliding her hands back over his shoulders, his arms, resting as he moves.
her back arches slightly into his touch, a soft approving hum at his touch, moving with him to press into his kisses )
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( her head dips slightly as she sits on the couch, shoes toed off and her legs curled beside her, glass resting on her knee )
I want a job, this is what I'm trained to do... but at home I was trying to see what that was. It's... I haven't had a solid role in a while.
( she'd walked away from her specialism and had volunteered in what she could do, strengthening skills she hadn't used as much in a while. she didn't exactly know how she'd transfer it here. pathology or general care? )
I don't also know what they need.
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I suppose that does complicate things. I'm not exactly sure either. And it seems like you've got people there who can do things...magically, so that makes it all even harder to figure out.
[ Somehow he doesn't think that's the complicating factor for her, but he's not sure just how much to pry. ]
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I... knew magic was a thing back home but I've never encountered so much of it. Or people being so open about it.
( she's also never really encountered it when she's tried to actively stay away from it. when it's not something openly talked about either )
There's a whole big learning curve here that isn't just getting used to sex city.
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[ And he'd had a decade or so longer to get used to the superpowers than most. He'd even initially believed his dad about them, until he'd forced himself to stop out of spite. ]
I didn't know it was a thing where you came from.
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( it's not the only reason she doesn't. this side of life she can't handle quite as easily. depending on the day and the nugget of information )
But superpowers? Like strength?
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[ The way she phrases that makes him tilt his head curiously and study her, wondering if she's speaking for herself, if she can do anything magical and simply hasn't mentioned it yet. It's both a fascinating idea and unnerving enough that he can understand why she might not have.
And not only because he's in the same position, though his reasons are less about fear or safety than they are about shame and guilt.]
But, uh, yes. Exactly like that, actually.
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( adrienne pauses and even pulls a little face, uncertain, not actually having the words. or a thought. her instinct is to pull away, to say nope and just deal in normal, human things. but she knows from experience that not everything (everyone) is terrible )
Weird? It's something.
( and then something hits her )
Was that what you were studying?
( he's a geneticist, if he knows about it he was involved, right? )
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...damn, that's some booze right there. At least he manages not to cough. ]
Yes. It was my father's line of research, initially. I sort of...inherited it, after he died. It's a very long story.
[ And it involves mad science atrocities that he really should probably be upfront about, and yet, as with Peter, can't bring himself to be. Not yet. ]
--anyway, about the hospital. I can understand the hesitation, but I don't think the place is going anywhere. You could always try something different for a little while, something simple, and see if it helps you sort things out.
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Trying something different is what I've been doing for the last few years.
( she shifts slightly, drawing one knee up, resting her head back against the couch )
I'm a pathologist. I haven't stepped foot in a lab in... three years?
( the question comes at the length of time, not wanting to think exactly how long it's been to clarify it )
I've been working in a clinic lately, general healthcare, emergency care, whatever came in. Which I know is still needed here... or useful. Hands are useful.
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Naturally, he wants to know why she's avoided the pathology lab, but even someone as prone to social obliviousness as Mohinder can sense that the story lurking underneath that is probably not a fun one to tell. ]
They are useful. But all of that is still within the field of medicine. It's not necessarily going to give you distance, if distance is what you need to think.
Before I got here, I was driving a cab to make ends meet. It's a terrible job, just to be clear; I'm not actually recommending it, but--it was so different from everything I'd been doing that it sort of cleared my mind.
I don't know what happened in your pathology lab, or if a distraction from it is what you need, but it's a thought.
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( she'd done the job in college and she was very familiar with alcohol but it was not an avenue she needed to or should go down. she didn't need any more nudges )
I enjoy being a doctor, seeing patients, everything that I've been doing. I don't know if I can go back to the lab but... I'll figure it out. And still have something.
( something she enjoyed even if it wasn't perfect. adrienne did miss the lab and any lab here would have one bonus: it wasn't at her hospital. maybe this would help her get back to it )
Either way we'll probably end up seeing a lot of each other.
( especially if he was in a lab )
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[ Or will be nice, rather, because she seems quite certain of it, and Mohinder likes that certainty. ]
I can't pretend I'm not hoping we'll be colleagues, but...regardless. You know where I live.
[ And apparently she now lives close enough to get here easily. He starts to ask about this development, thinks that this might not be the ideal moment, and opts instead to put his drink down and settle a little closer. ]
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it has her straightening a little, sliding her legs down to physically open her up, quickly finishing her drink before also putting it down, resting her hand on his )
I now do. Though I could do with a better tour of the place.
( to that bedroom )
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Oh, there's not much interesting about it, really.
[ He can tease, when he tries. She's more than welcome to a tour of anything she wants to see, whether than includes more than the direct route to the bedroom or not--but first, he just wants to kiss her without calculation for an audience. His hand slides into her hair again, cradling the back of her head without the blustering false confidence of last time as he pulls her to him. ]
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and if he keeps kissing her like that she might forget about moving. location isn't an issue for her.
there's a lighter press of lips to his when they break, adrienne shifting slightly to make it a little easier, a little more comfortable as she leans back in to kiss him again )
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He's not about to get too carried away on the couch, because damn it, he'd promised a bed (or...okay, she'd been the one to mention the bed, but the point of this exercise is still to have a bed in the equation.)
But that doesn't mean he can't move along with her, fingers caressing her jawline throughout that softer kiss and then slipping down to skim over her side and down her thigh as it deepens again, encouraging her closer still. ]
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another light kiss is dropped to him, second even lighter as she moves further back, fingers slowly working open the buttons of her blouse.
she shrugs it down her shoulders as she works, carefully guiding his attention, letting him focus on her breasts as she works on the lower part of her shirt, keeping that more closed until she's done and shrugs it fully off, letting it slide to the floor.
he only gets a little time to appreciate how she looks before she stands, grabbing his hands )
That tour?
( bedroom, sir )
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It doesn't occur to him, after the zoo, that there are places she wouldn't want his gaze to linger, or that she's curating things to keep his eyes where she wants them--the cat costume hadn't made her scar obvious to his quick embarrassed glances then, and he hasn't noticed it yet, but she's always seemed encouraging of his attention before, and never more so than right now. The way she keeps her shirt fastened at the bottom and moves away from his admiring gaze simply comes across as teasing, tantalizing, and it's a turn-on. ]
Well, if you really want one. There's the kitchen...
[ He's kidding. It may be difficult to continue making out and get down the hallway to the bedroom at the same time, but they can multitask. They're doctors. He lets go of her hands and lifts her instead, guiding her legs around his waist to put her on a level where he can kiss her again as he walks.
It's not a particularly unusual move, except perhaps for the way it seems to take him no effort at all, as if she's weightless. He might as well be carrying a hollow block of styrofoam, except that styrofoam isn't sexy. ]
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she doesn't realise how easy it is for him, drawn into the moment, kissing him quickly, hungrily.
her hands tug at his tshirt even though with her body pressed against him she can't really do too much about it. yet )
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He hasn't actually brought a lot of people to bed with him yet, though he's made quota handily enough to keep the authorities off his back. This city makes it easy--preferable, even--to do things quickly and sordidly elsewhere, in a way Mohinder's never liked. But this is more his speed. When they reach the bed, he deposits her on it with a gentle, playful little toss and takes care of that shirt problem for her without further ado. ]
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And your pants.
( slightly bossier, a little demanding, but there's a smile still on her. she'd rather her be back with her kissing her again but she also doesn't want to stop to deal with them later. which is why she'll push herself up a little more, starting to undo her jeans too )
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Yes, ma'am.
[ It's the sort of thing he'd have said back home too, with the same cheeky little smile, but there's an extra little frisson of satisfaction now from the inherent take that to the city's stupid designations.
He leaves the boxer briefs on--of course his vivid wardrobe includes brightly-colored underwear, but these are at least a fairly inoffensive pale blue--after skimming his jeans off, not out of self-consciousness or anything, but simply because it seems more fun to help get rid of hers. ]
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rather than leaning back along the bed she tries to guide him, a hand at his hip, encouraging him to turn to lean him back instead, kissing him through. she'll move with him, if he does, only pausing in kissing him to sit across his lap before leaning into him again )
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And he doesn't protest now, or not at first. He moves where she directs, sitting up in the middle of the bed--leaving himself room to lie back, but not doing it just yet--and gathering her into his lap as she straddles him. All of this is deeply welcome, but it's not quite the way he's fantasized about keeping his promise from the zoo.
There's just no reason to break those kisses yet. They're such very nice kisses. And he can still keep them up as he reclines, pulling her down on top of him and winding his arms around her, but it's not leaving him the easiest way to put his mouth where he'd really like to. Maybe she can indulge him if he rolls them over again, just for now, kissing a trail down her neck and between her breasts again with purpose. ]
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so she ends up on her back, a small laugh from her when he kisses down her neck, sliding her hands back over his shoulders, his arms, resting as he moves.
her back arches slightly into his touch, a soft approving hum at his touch, moving with him to press into his kisses )
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