Damaged. (closed)

[Shadowcat]

((OOC: Set right after Turning Point.))

After parting ways with John and his associates, Kitty was overcome by panic and ducked into an alley to vomit. Her earlier excitement seemed more than ridiculous now. She thought about the Professor and Storm and how disappointed they would be. Her eyes filled with tears as she leaned against the damp, cold alley wall.

There was no justifying what she had done, and she felt her situation completely hopeless. Stupid girl. she thought to herself, allowing the tears to stream down her face.

For a brief moment, she had felt important, needed, and now that moment was gone. She pushed away from the wall and walked along the street, not caring what she looked like. Finding herself in front of a closed liquor store, she phased through the wall and grabbed a large bottle of whiskey, then phased back onto the street.

She walked through the park, feeling sorry for herself and drinking. At one point, in the obscene hours of early morning, she stumbled drunkenly, fell face-first into a bench, blacking her own eye. She pulled herself up and touched her face gingerly. Figures she thought, and then promptly fell again, scraping her knees and tearing her jeans.

It was still dark when Kitty left the last swig of whiskey in its bottle on a seat at the train station and headed back to the mansion. She fell asleep on the train and when she woke up, she felt like something had crawled into her mouth and died. She was back in Salem and felt like crap. Every part of her hurt, most of all her head. She made her way slowly from the train station to the bus stop and soon found herself staring at the gates in front of the mansion. She looked down at herself, noting that she looked pretty much how she felt. Weakness, pain, and self pity overcame her and she slumped to a sitting position in the snow.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro had commenced his late-night security sweep, although he expected, as usual, to find nothing. It was partially stubbornness which led him to sweep so often, partially a need to prove himself useful, partially boredom, and partially paranoia - for what would happen the one night he neglected to sweep.

As he ran through the property, he saw nothing in the stables, or the swimming pool, by the lake or in the cemetery or gardens. However, as he crossed the snow-covered grounds, he saw what looked to be a lump, and not one of snow. He came closer, prepared to attack if necessary.::

[Shadowcat]

Kitty heard someone's footsteps crunch in the snow. She looked up and squinted into the dark, her head still pounding, her vision swimming, not able to make out much of anything. She realized that she was simultaneously still drunk and already hung over.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::The lump moved, which told Pietro he had been noticed. Coming to a halt, hands raised in self-defense, he realized several things about this lump: first, it wasn't a man, second, it was one of the students, and third, it wasn't moving beyond the small motion a moment ago.

He knelt in the snow, barely feeling the cold through his trousers, as he tried to get a better look. The darkness made it difficult, as did her flushed skin and hair in her face. Her identity dawned upon him after the briefest of moments. Kitty, the girl from the gardens a few days ago.:: "What are you doing out here this late?"

[Shadowcat]

Kitty heard the voice, but took a moment to process what he had said. "I'm..." She squinted into the dark again, saw the outline of a person a few paces away. "I'm just resting." She said, the alcohol preventing her from realizing how ridiculous she sounded.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::A frown crossed Pietro's features; nobody had reason to rest in the snow. It was damp, cold, and uninhabitable. Her words had been somewhat slurred, and she sounded drunk, which caused him to frown more. He came closer, knelt again, and offered his hand.:: "Come inside."

[Shadowcat]

Despite her many layered misery, Kitty smiled a little when she recognized Pietro. "Hey, Pietro!" She exclaimed, taking his hand and adding in a loudly conspiratorial tone, "Oh, I can't go in there." She shook her head and frowned.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::The moral implications of her words were, for the moment, lost on Pietro. Her hand in his, he rose, and began to help her to her feet.:: "The door is unlocked, and I have seen your power. You can come in."

[Shadowcat]

Kitty winced in pain as she stood. "No, you don't understand, Pietro." She held on to him, trying to balance. Memories of the night washed over her like a wave and she let out a sudden, ragged sob. "I can't live here anymore" she said through new tears.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro instinctively moved closer to held her regain her balance. His frown deepened with her sob. She was going to cry, for a reason he had yet to understand, but she thought she wasn't allowed to live here. Here, Uncle's mansion where he let murderers teach.:: "But you can drink on the grass? Don't be foolish."

[Shadowcat]

Kitty ran a dirty coat sleeve across her face and gasped, having forgotten the black eye. "I didn't drink here, silly. I drank in the city." She wobbled a little and then let go of him. Sniffing loudly she looked toward the mansion and said, "The Professor will never forgive me, I don't blame him, I would never forgive me, either." She looked back at Pietro and said, "I did something so awful. I can't..." the sentence dissolved into tears.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Although she let go, Pietro remained close by, should she stumble. The frown was to become a permanent fixture on his lips, as several thoughts popped into his head, one after the other of what she might have done. Then again, Uncle was a foolish old man who would forgive anyone anything, as long as they used the words "I'm sorry," heartfelt or not. She seemed genuinely remorseful.:: "I doubt it was that bad."

[Shadowcat]

Kitty felt the world warp and she leaned over, bracing herself with her hands on her knees. For a moment she thought she would vomit, but the feeling passed. Facing the ground, she said, "I'm supposed to be the good girl." as much to herself or the ground as to Pietro. She looked back up at him, wide-eyed. "I don't feel good."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::That shed no light on what she had done, but for a brief moment, Pietro felt it. That same feeling of identification he had the afternoon on the grounds. How often had he nearly buckled under the weight of trying to do what was expected of him?

He gave her arm a light tug, careful to not jostle her as she looked far drunker than he'd first thought.:: "We can talk about it inside."

[Shadowcat]

Kitty let Pietro guide her toward the mansion. She sniffed again, but had momentarily stopped crying. She thought about John and his cold blooded abuse. "Did you ever hate anybody, Pietro? I mean, like, really hate somebody?" the second sentence came through clenched teeth. She stumbled a little and cried out, "Ow!"