>> "Depends on what day it is. If I piss her off on a Maya day, yeah. If I piss her off on a Gawain day, I get my ass kicked. Women."

Maya's girlfriend sounded like quite the character herself, which was probably a requirement for someone who intends to enjoy a serious relationship with a gender-hopping X-Man. "Yep, women." He raised his glass as a toast, enjoying the irony of toasting with a women to the insanity of womankind.

The joking now sinking into the past, Nate returned to a staring contest with his reflection in the beer. "But I'm really not expecting make-up sex right now. I lied about my past. I don't exactly blame her for her silence." And he once again returned to brooding.

>>"Yep, women.... But I'm really not expecting make-up sex right now. I lied about my past. I don't exactly blame her for her silence."

"What, about bein' a thief?" Maya sighed, tilting her head "Come on. She's a cop. She's gotta know that coulda been way worse. I mean, waaaaay."

Okay, so the shot and the beer did work in her blood. A little bit.

"I always run into that problem. Kinda hard to meet a girl and go 'oh, and by the way, I'm also female every other day'. And 'look, I spent four years off the streets just because I can mirrorwalk into houses that are not mine'." she chuckled "One does not come up with that stuff up front. But everyone has it. I bet she does too."

>> "What, about bein' a thief? Come on. She's a cop. She's gotta know that coulda been way worse. I mean, waaaaay."

As absurd as Maya's point probably was, it was reassuring to hear her perspective. There was truth to what she said; Nate was not a murderer or a rapist. He was a conman-- admittedly a prolific one, but a very non-violent one!

>> "I always run into that problem. Kinda hard to meet a girl and go 'oh, and by the way, I'm also female every other day'. And 'look, I spent four years off the streets just because I can mirrorwalk into houses that are not mine'."

Nate could have guessed that dating was not easy for someone in Maya's curious position, but he never had a clue about his homeless not-breaking and entering lifestyle, nor his mirrorwalking mutation. Maybe Maya and Gawain could understand Nate's position better than he gave him/her credit for.

>> "One does not come up with that stuff up front. But everyone has it. I bet she does too."

Nate chuckled at the idea of Quin's hypothetical dark past. "Naw, this girl is by the book. Good cop, good suburban childhood. Way too good for me," he joked.

"You know what?" He took one more swig from his glass and brought it down on the bar, (just lightly enough not to break it.) "You're right. My past ain't perfect, but it coulda been a whole lot worse! I can understand if she's holding my lie against me, but my past is my past, and I'm way better than that now." Maya gave him the gift of justification: he was a liar, and he had to deal with that. But dammit, he was not a thief anymore, and he would not have it held against him!

Yet another beer made its way to the list of fallen soldiers fighting the good fight against Nate's liver. There was still time before last call, and the bartender seemed to have no intention of cutting him off. She did ask, "Where was the other handsome guy I was serving here?"

Nate glanced at Maya and fought the urge to laugh. "He couldn't handle his drinks and had to head out. Before he ordered another round, he asked in a low voice. "Hey Maya, are you still a beer drinker, or is your taste more cocktails and fruit now? Because I can adapt," he joked.

>>"Naw, this girl is by the book. Good cop, good suburban childhood. Way too good for me. You know what? You're right. My past ain't perfect, but it coulda been a whole lot worse! I can understand if she's holding my lie against me, but my past is my past, and I'm way better than that now."

"It's always the nice ones" Maya commented sagely. Just becase the girl was by the book, good cop and all, that did not mean by a long shot that she did not have skeletons in her pretty suburban closet. There was the issue of almost running over a teenager, for starters.
Besides, Nate looked like a decent guy. Sure he lied about his past, but if it really was the past, Maya was all for giving him a second chance.

>>"Where was the other handsome guy I was serving here?"

>>"He couldn't handle his drinks and had to head out... Hey Maya, are you still a beer drinker, or is your taste more cocktails and fruit now? Because I can adapt,"

Maya made a face as the girl walked away, giving her a once over when she turned her back, before she looked back at Nate.

"I'm a lesbian. I'm fine with beer." she said matter-of-factly, drinking some more. The question did bring up memories that caused a sad little frown to shadow her face. Cinderella. Geez that was a long time ago.

>> "It's always the nice ones"

It was the nice ones that had a problem with people like Nate, that much was true. Quin was nice; she was sweet and noble and a paragon of virtue. To her, the world was black and white, and the grey like vigilantes and former thieves had no place in the white.

>> "I'm a lesbian. I'm fine with beer."

The reply was almost defensive, which Nate understood, since he was stereotyping, which was dangerous around someone who was multi-typed. "Hey hey, to each their own. I have nothing against the sweet stuff." There was no point in pressing the issue, so he requested two more beers from the bartender, handing one to Maya.

The topic of his love life was too negative, and they were spending too much time on it for Nate's taste. "But hey, at least you found a girl who gets your situation. At least someone's lovelife is working smoothly in that damn mansion."

>> "Hey hey, to each their own. I have nothing against the sweet stuff."

"Yeah. Me neither." Maya chuckled at Nate. They were way past the point of hurting feelings in this conversation. It was just amusing.

>>"But hey, at least you found a girl who gets your situation. At least someone's lovelife is working smoothly in that damn mansion."

"Yeah" she said shortly, drinking some more of her beer. She really felt lucky, especially when compared to others. She did deserve to catch a break at some point, didn't she.

"Ami's awesome. She's also on the X-team now, which is seriously distracting." she smirked "It did take me a while to tell her about the gender situation though. She took it really well. Almost too well, actually." she grinned

>> "Yeah. Me neither."

The brief moment of tension was already gone. Maya was pretty easy to hang out with, guy or girl. "Then next round, we're drinking something pink and fruity," he joked.

>> "Yeah. Ami's awesome. She's also on the X-team now, which is seriously distracting. It did take me a while to tell her about the gender situation though. She took it really well. Almost too well, actually."

So even her girlfriend was an X. Was everyone besides him an X-Man? He was starting to get jealous. Working with his girlfriend though, that Nate did not envy.

Apparently his girlfriend found her fun in Maya's dual identity, which Nate found amusing. "Hey, most guys would kill for a girlfriend like that, and they don't even have situations like yours." Honestly, how many men would say no to a girl who swings both ways? But how many benefited from it like Gawain and Maya? "Sounds like you found the perfect girl for ya."

>>"Then next round, we're drinking something pink and fruity,"

"And not virgin" Maya nodded in agreement. Pink and fruity she could handle, although the term 'girl drunk' did pop into her mind. She had been on her second beer which was nothing, but she was not sure pink and fruity would mix well with everything Nate had downed so far.

>>"Hey, most guys would kill for a girlfriend like that, and they don't even have situations like yours. Sounds like you found the perfect girl for ya."

Maya smirked again. Indeed.

"Most guys point that out" she grinned at him. It was a pretty obvious train oof thought, most people just did not point it out loud. "Yeah, I'm lucky she didn't flip out when she found out. She is... really hard to freak out. Takes everything in stride. But, if she knew I was out here drinkin' all this, she'd probably kick my ass anyhow."

True love.

>> "Most guys point that out. Yeah, I'm lucky she didn't flip out when she found out. She is... really hard to freak out. Takes everything in stride. But, if she knew I was out here drinkin' all this, she'd probably kick my ass anyhow."

It was hard to picture a girl who could handle her boyfriend being her girlfriend, but opposed her boy/girlfriend going out for a drink. Nate should probably stop pumping drinks into his drinking partner, lest it got back to Ami, but he was two drinks past being a good influence. "Apparently my ability to piss off girlfriends is contagious. Sorry, hun." A night of drinking did not add up to a fake identity, so he was sure Maya would be fine.

"So... not like I'm thinking about it, but what does a guy gotta do if he plans on being an X?"

>>"Apparently my ability to piss off girlfriends is contagious. Sorry, hun."

"Nah you're good" she waved a hand and smiled, Ami was not pissed off (yet), there was no need to apologize in advance.

>>"So... not like I'm thinking about it, but what does a guy gotta do if he plans on being an X?"

Maya smirked at him. Look there. Making the decision to join a superhero team, completely drunk off you *ss. How common.

"Well, first you gotta sign this contract that gives us your soul" she explained very seriously "Then, you gotta get your tights and cape custom made to match our colors."

God did it sound rediculous said out loud. Maya chuckled.

"No, honestly, it takes training with team members, and then some missions on the field, and a test in the Danger Room, custom made for your powers. It's a longer process but most people need time to get used to it. It's a pretty good team though."

>> "Well, first you gotta sign this contract that gives us your soul. Then, you gotta get your tights and cape custom made to match our colors."

Well, look at that. The girl had a sense of humor on her, which was not lost on Nate. "Sounds fine, but the colors better be neon green and pink or it's no dice." The very thought of himself in gaudy spandex was amusing to the drunk Nate.

>> "No, honestly, it takes training with team members, and then some missions on the field, and a test in the Danger Room, custom made for your powers. It's a longer process but most people need time to get used to it. It's a pretty good team though."

The offer sounded appealing. He would be able to train himself, get some experience, and even the backing of a team. He knew he was drunk, but even sober, he knew he would be giving the idea some thought.

For all the items in the pro-column, there still remained one big con for the former con. "Nah, if I enlist, I might as well put the last nail in my relationship's coffin," he joked almost lightheartedly. "Talk to me when I'm done screwing things up and maybe it'll be a different story."

>>"Nah, if I enlist, I might as well put the last nail in my relationship's coffin. Talk to me when I'm done screwing things up and maybe it'll be a different story."

Nate seemed to be seriously and drunkenly considering the offer. Not that there was an offer. Maya was just answering a question. But still, it was interesting to watch.

"Does she even know we work with the MRC?" she asked with an amused smirk "We have some of the collegues on the X team. It's not like we're masked vigilantes runnin' around killing people - that's what the Order does by the way - we actually do work with the police, we just do the stuff they can't. Like, fighting buildings. And monsters."

>> "Does she even know we work with the MRC? We have some of the collegues on the X team. It's not like we're masked vigilantes runnin' around killing people - that's what the Order does by the way - we actually do work with the police, we just do the stuff they can't. Like, fighting buildings. And monsters."

Nate quickly disliked the territory he accidentally pulled the conversation toward. If he was not careful, he was going to cause an X-Men/MRC War as a drunk third party. "No, no. I think she just doesn't feel as comfortable with the idea of vigilante justice. Hey, to each their own." Please let it be over, he thought with a grimace.

It was not long before the fruity drinks came out, and Nate decided on two Flamingos. He took a sweet sip, and the taste of the nectar brought back a memory. "Heh. I remember hiding away in the islands after a job four years back. I lived off these and piña coladas." It was not often he shared a story from his time as a thief, and despite alcohol playing an influential role in the decision, it felt refreshing to talk about it, knowing it was in the past.

>>"No, no. I think she just doesn't feel as comfortable with the idea of vigilante justice. Hey, to each their own."

The fact that Maya was trying to get through was exactly that the X-men were not doing vigilante justice, but at this level of drunkenness she realized it would have been wasted time and effort to try to convince Nate of that, so she gracefully dropped the subject.

And they were on to Flamingos.

>>"Heh. I remember hiding away in the islands after a job four years back. I lived off these and piña coladas."

"Sounds like a par-tay" she chuckled, sipping the sweet drink. Now seh was getting cheerful "I crasted at the New York palace first night I was in town. That's the life."

Nate was not the only one with a thief past.

>> "Sounds like a par-tay. I crashed at the New York palace first night I was in town. That's the life."

That little story was not something Nate was prepared for, but it certainly did intrigue him. Not that it was shocking for a teenager who was sneaking into bars, but apparently Maya was not a stranger to intruding on the rich and famous.

Nate was growing to like the kid. "Pretty good introduction to the city, I'd say. My first few days here, I charmed my way into a Penthouse Suite with a woman worth more than I'll ever have." Alright, Nate was not the type to recount conquests, but he had the "I am drunk" excuse to fall back on, and that woman (whose name he could not recall) was quite the welcome to NYC.

When the thought crossed his mind again, something did not add up. "Hey kid, what's your mutation? He asked in a hushed voice. "This kinda dump won't look twice at a fake ID, but the palace ain't light on the precautions." There might be more to Maya than meets the eye, and for a girl who spent half her time as a boy, that was an impressive statement.