ic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner [IC]

[Fox]

Mara blushed, ducking her head down. "Child would require...a lot of science. Not really my field. Wouldn't be surprised if someone somewhere was working on it, though. Would be a major breakthrough." mental note - do research - see who is working on what

"Not sure you have good excuses," she pointed out, straightening a bit as she teased Erik. Being someone with a relatively full life was a novel experience and she was apparently determined to enjoy it. "Not without my...redeeming features, but am a socially maladjusted 'freaky techno genius type'. Somehow found a wonderful girlfriend. Can't be that hard."

[Gizmo]

"Great," Erik sighed, amusement pulling at the corner of his mouth despite his weary tone, "three point one surround sound."

With a broad grin, Ellie leaned over and gave Mara a brief kiss on the cheek, brushing her shin against her girlfriend's leg under the table. "Giving my brother a hard time and complimenting me all at once?" she observed, her smile growing even wider. "I think I'll keep you around after all."

[Fox]

Mara blushed, shifting in her seat as Ellie brushed her leg. "Have to earn my keep somehow," she agreed, sounding a little pleased. "Still. Will try not to tease you too much, Erik. Would offer advice if I had any. Suppose not getting killed is a good start; the rest...not sure." don't know what to look for in a man - don't want to think about it She reached out for her glass of water, raising an eyebrow. "Think the normal...cliché?...would be to set you up with a friend. But know very few people. Miss Americana, maybe."

She snorted, the corner of her mouth threatening to break her deadpan. Something about that idea was apparently very funny, for some reason.

[Gizmo]

"Well, considering the last time I got to meet one of his dates I was helping bail her out of jail..." Gina commented lightly, her expression exaggeratedly casual.

"Pfft, Talya and I weren't dating," Erik countered around a forkful of food. "We were just--" Stopping abruptly mid-sentence, the young man was suddenly very concerned with finishing his mouthful and washing it down with a gulp of orange juice. "Aheh... Way to ruin the bell curve, hermanita."

[Fox]

Mara raised an eyebrow at Erik over the edge of her glass of water. She wasn't entirely sure where that sentence had been going, but most of the things she could think of weren't anything she'd mention around her mother. in theory - hard to tell - wouldn't mention it around close friends anyway - mmh - still need to talk to Ellie about - later "Has to get used to that," she pointed out. With Ellie headed off to college soon she'd been doing some research to fill in the gaps in her school-related knowledge. "Will need to do well in her classes to be successful. Ruining your bell curve is practice for later ones."

[Gizmo]

Ellie brushed her fingers through her short, dyed hair with a sigh. "No pressure, huh?"

"Well, I'm glad to know that somebody else is going to be making sure she stays focused," Gina noted, with a stern look at her daughter. "They're not going to just hand you a doctorate for showing up."

"Right, because Ellie's problem has always been a lack of concentration and effort," Erik drawled with amused sarcasm, raising an eyebrow of his own and giving his sister a wink.

[Fox]

Mara shook her head, finishing off a bite of food. "Didn't mean to apply pressure. But have faith in her. I do, I mean. Too smart to fail," she added, with a hint of...almost pride. "Clever. And say that as a very smart person. Am certain that she'll succeed at anything she wants to."

There wasn't really encouragement in her voice so much as pure, honest faith and mostly-objective assessment. "Probably doesn't need my support, but promised to help however I could. Not really the...school type. Myself. But enjoy helping others succeed."

[Gizmo]

Ellie's cheeks darkened noticeably at the stream of matter-of-fact praise and the soft spoken affirmation of confidence and support, a shy smile playing across her lips even as she ducked her head to hide it. Gina gave Erik a knowing look which taking a sip of coffee from her mug did little to cover, while he son responded by raising his glass in a wry gesture somewhere between a salute and a shrug.

"Just in case it's still not clear," the elder Espadas told Mara, "you pass. Welcome to the family."

Erik lifted his hand in a forestalling gesture. "Before you ask, yes, it's too late to change your mind."

[Fox]

Mara choked, having frozen solid in the middle of drinking from her water; she coughed into her hand, putting the glass down before she spilled more than a couple of drops. More than anything else she looked like a deer caught in the headlights, dark blue eyes glancing between the assembled Espadas members like she really didn't know what to think about being welcomed by a family. Which she didn't. 'family'? - barely know what that means - don't - what - what - odd urge to - cry? - don't do that

Instead, she ducked her head so low one had to wonder that it was a small wonder she didn't sprain her neck, self-consciously pulling some hair back behind one ear. "I...mmh. That...thank...thank you?"

[Gizmo]

Ellie caught Mara's hand as she brushed her hair, intertwining their fingers before briefly leaning over to tap her forehead against the blonde's. "Told you it'd be fine," she grinned, subtly sliding her chair a little closer to her girlfriend.

"Don't worry about it too much," Erik reassured their guest with a faint smirk. "You only really have to deal with us for holidays, birthdays, that sort of thing."

"Just don't forget to eat," Gina cut in sternly, indicating the remain tamales on Mara's plate. "Honestly, I'm going to make sure the lot of you take care of yourselves if it kills you. You made some extras for her to take back with her?"

"Wrapped up in the fridge," Erik sighed with a slight snort, shrugging in defense as his mother brandished a fork at his own plate.

[Fox]

"Not that thin," Mara defended, recovering a bit. She was still a little red and she gave Ellie's hand a thankful squeeze, but otherwise the familiar ground of her questionable health habits brought her back to some level of comfort. "Don't miss that many meals. Just...sometimes. Too distracted or...used to have head hurt too much. Not a problem lately. Less stress, Ellie's help. Still." She snorted, defiantly eating a bite of tamale, and clearly not quite as put out as she was pretending. "Treated like I never eat at all. Half the Lab thinks I starve myself. Robot keeps sneaking meals into my office...don't know how. He's not allowed that high in the building. Santa Claus gave me an infinite burger," she added, gesturing helplessly.

[Gizmo]

"To be fair, that's not a guy who skips too many snacks, if you know what I mean," Erik pointed out, miming a rotund belly with both hands before giving a shrugging gesture indicate that he was simply putting that out there.

Gina looked between the three young people, both eyebrows raised. "My goodness, I thought you were making that one up."

"No, that was definitely one for the 'so strange it has to be true' column," Ellie noted with a shrug, squeezing Mara's hand back. "I think it turned out pretty well, though."

[Fox]

"Was a very strange night," Mara wryly agreed, shaking her head. "Santa Claus, superhero elves, peppermint technology...wouldn't even mention it if Erik and Ellie weren't here." She gestured at them with her free hand, shrugging. "The kind of story that makes people think you're crazy."

She paused, and tilted her head. "Crazier," she corrected, the corner of her mouth twitching. "But no. Really happened. Still have the gift - sack of infinite burgers and fries. Actually very good, but wouldn't want to eat it every day."

[Gizmo]

Before Gina could interject, Erik cut her off. "Magic burger and fries," he reminded her. "I'm sure they're perfectly healthy, and she already said she doesn't eat it every day."

"Hmph. 'Magic'," the elder Espadas scoffed. "You get that from your father, you know."

Ellie tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm. We should probably come up with an alternate 'how we met' story, just in case," she suggested to Mara.

[Fox]

Mara glanced at Gina, and gave her a quick and surprisingly emotive "Magic. I know!" shrug and roll of the eyes. Then it was gone, and she was back to her usual honest but under-expressive self. "Probably," she agreed, frowning. "Going to be awkward if we're asked. Hasn't come up much yet - mostly been vague - but better to be ready. At least hero work provides good...foundation. Technically true, and at least possible to have run into each other somewhere. Don't operate that far from each other."

She paused, realizing there might be context for that for one or two of the people present. "Greenbank," she provided, mostly to Gina. "Live over in Greenbank. Crime there, too, usually. Sometimes drawn elsewhere while...mmh. Following leads."

[Gizmo]

"Hmm, well that explains the refurbished warehouse, I suppose," Gina mused, pursing her lips slightly and looking from Mara to Ellie. "Certainly not the safest neighbourhood..."

"Magic!" Ellie imitated drolly, letting her free hand light up with shimmering blue light for a moment. "Nothing we can't handle. Besides, Mara's convince the local criminal element that the space around her place is haunted or something. They won't go near it." Turning to her girlfriend she continued, "I mean a civvie story, too, in case someone asks out of costume."

[Fox]

Something tugged at the corners of Mara's mouth; for a moment she had a grin with an awful lot of almost predatory satisfaction. "Local gangs avoid my warehouse. Three block radius, at least. Have without fail for...almost half a year. Or so. Very mysterious. Still," she continued, growing serious again, "best to be safe. Keep track of areas getting bad, put out fires - literal, figurative - and make sure major threats don't...phrase. 'Set up shop'. And working on something that may help. Too soon to tell. Hopeful, though."

"Civvie story...mmh." She sighed a little, frowning. "Don't spend much time as a 'civvie'. Didn't think of that. Good idea."

[Gizmo]

Gina looked a little surprised by Mara's expression, but not displeased. "Heh. Thugs are always a superstitious bunch, especially in Freedom. Good for you for taking a bit of the city back."

"You're always working on something to help," Ellie observed with a small, proud smile. "Anyway, we don't have to figure out a story this second, I was just thinking about it."

"You met at a Christmas party," Erik supplied airily, without looking up from his plate. "Bam, done."

[Fox]

"Not much of a story," Mara pointed out, gesturing at Erik with the fork. "Doesn't need details, I mean, but obvious question: what party? Not...exactly known for outgoing social tendencies. And would have to be somewhere to draw high school students and...reclusive freaky techno genius types." She blinked, adding, "Not...actually sure where Christmas parties are held. Don't think I've attended. Admit timing would be good, though. Not a bad idea there."

[Gizmo]

"I have my moments," Erik confirmed with exaggerated modesty. After a pause, he continued more seriously, "Hey, you know I meant the 'freaky genius' bit as a good thing, right?"

"It's true, his vocabulary is just severely limited," Ellie elaborated with a dry look. "Plus he considers the ability to do long division alone a staggering display of intellect."

Her brother raised his hands in amused surrender. "Alright, alright, I was asking for that."

[Fox]

Mara shrugged, apparently nonplussed. "Accurate enough. Crazy, engineer, intelligent. Freaky-techno-genius. Not sure I could claim to be none of them and keep a straight face. Phrase....'if the shoe fits'? But," she countered, pointing the fork at Erik again, "speaking of shoes. And fitting. Would think that of all people, swordsmen could do division." The fork made a tiny slash to underscore the point, and she raised an eyebrow. "Very sad."

[Gizmo]

Ellie laughed at the play on words, giving Mara a warm grin. "Esa es mi muñequita; can always count on you for a math pun."

"Mm, I can definitely see why you let her integer confidence," her brother quipped nonchalantly.

"I took it as a good sine, yeah," the younger sibling agreed primly, rising to the unspoken challenge, "though we seem to be getting off on a tangent."

"Dios, dame fuerza" Gina sighed, closing her eyes and taking a deep sip from her coffee mug.

[Fox]

"Calculus? Not as obtuse as he looks," Mara noted, the ghost of an impish smile threatening to ruin her deadpan. "Shouldn't hide your intelligence too often. Subtracts from your charm."

She glanced at Gina, grimacing apologetically. "S...sorry. Couldn't resist. Not usually very good at wordplay...hard to not do it when it occurs to me. Your daughter's influence, maybe." That turned her attention over to Ellie, for an approximation of an accusing look (somewhat undermined by a fond squeeze of her hand). "Full of bad habits. Contagious."

[Gizmo]

Ellie grinned mischievously and knocked her foot lightly into Mara's leg. "Oh, you know you love it."

"Huh, I'll bet," Erik snorted, leaning back in his chair. Off a look from his sister that could have peeled the paint from the kitchen walls, he responded with exaggerated innocence. "Whaaat?"

"It's alright dear," Gina promised Mara with a weary smile. "I've built up a tolerance over the years." She gave her children a flatter look. "The way you would with small, frequent doses of poison."

[Fox]

Mara glanced at Erik, replying with a flat and simple, "Yes," before turning back to Gina. "Still. Poison or not, seem to have done a good job. As a parent, I mean - single parent, two children, both talented, successful. Seem to like you a lot. Probably not always easy?"

It was partly conjecture on her part, of course, but Mara clearly had an appreciation for decent parenting, when she saw it. "Almost certainly could have done worse," she wryly added, sipping her water. "Believe me. Would know."