Summary:Family is … messy. But Mikhail is home. So that's good right? Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Piotr had honestly considered buying all the ingredients to make Mikhail a 'welcome home' meal, and slaved in the kitchen all day - and probably, maybe had done a decent job. Then he thought better of it, contacted the local Russian market, and had them put together something. He arrives at the house with a large basket of pirozhkis, a container of sweet-and-sour cabbage soup, skewers, and Russian dumplins as he closes the door behind him.
He goes looking for Keiko first in the kitchen, hoping to get her first to explain that he plans to put together a meal for Mikhail, and to introduce her and Elena to the Russian cosmonaut.
All of the bedrooms are upstairs. And Mikhail got put in Piotr's room after having a doctor take a look at him and make sure he wasn't going to die in the house. He should probably still be in the hospital, but that might be tough to explain.
Illyana is at the dining room table with a heavy tome and a pen and a look of concentration as she writes. Or maybe draws? Whatever it is, it definitely isn't English. She's dressed in more casual clothes today, out of the packages WAND dropped off for everyone.
Sam Guthrie returns home from SHIELD, where he had yet another debriefing, a physical to make sure he didn't bring back any extradimensional germs or infections and a three hours refresher on protocol for encountering extradimensional or alien entities.
He hadn't told them about Mikhail. He kind of figured he was in enough trouble as it is.
Mikhail is bored. Sure, he was probably just a couple days away from dying. And he lost a lot of blood but knew enough not to remove the metal which was acting as a stopper. But he slept for almost an entire day and now he's awake, hungry, and bored. Climbing out of bed, he puts on a pair of Piotr's sweatpants that someone had the foresight to leave for him and makes his way downstairs. Shoulder bandaged, that arm is in a sling.
"Snezhinka, is Keiko with Elena?" Piotr asks as he sets down the food, taking out the gallon container of soup before opening the oven as he gets the pastries to reheat. "I thought our shaishy brat would appreciate a meal from home." he admits with a shrug of his shoulders. "After being in .. wherever that was, on canned foods and little else."
The smell of the heavy Russian food will toch Mikhail's nose as he comes downstairs, along with the siblings speaking in Russian, though whe Sam arrives, Piotr switches to English. "There is enough for all. We feed whole family." As much as Sam is part of it.
Illyana Rasputina makes an affirmative sound as Piotr asks after Keiko and Elena. "I thought they went to the back yard to chase squirrels or something." She says distractedly. Not that there's much of a back yard at the moment. It's sort of an overgrown jungle of weeds.
Hearing the door open, Illyana looks up and gives Sam a faint smile. "You're in luck. Russian food." She's being a little sarcastic. Not everyone *likes* traditional Russian food.
And then she notices Mikhail making his careful way down and she squints over at him. "Huh. I always thought he'd look older." She notes, tossing her pen on the table and leaning back in her chair.
Sam Guthrie would probably prefer a bucket of the Colonel's finest, given his druthers, but he isn't about to complain. He squeezes Illyana's shoulder as he goes by and gives a nod to Piotr at the hospitality, "Much appreciated," he says, shrugging off his jacket and holster, hanging up the former and dropping the latter, along with its contents, carefully into the gun safe.
Keiko and Elena are just getting in from the garden. The small peruvian dressed as she usually is. A cut off t-shirt and low slung leather pants. Her tattooes and brand are clearly visible. The mother has her gossamer quarterstaff, Elena a short practice staff. "You will practice more, Elena." Keiko is telling the child as she walks through the door.
"Of course I will, Mama. Papa! We've been practicing."
That should answer Piotrs question at least.
Mikhail stops about halfway down once he can see most of the people in the kitchen area. Then he looks around at the interior before descending the remainder of the stairs and walking in. English. He thought he remembered English. It's all so fuzzy. "Where am I?." Then "Who are you?"
"You have been practicing? Did you learn much?" Piotr asks, stooping down to pick up the child and lifts Elena up to nuzzle her nose, before lowering her, as Mikhail arrives.
His hand reaches, before Keiko can think about retreating, his hand touching the brand on her waist and keeps her near. So she can't go running away. He clears his throat. "I feel as though I should ask you same thing, brat. I thought you were dead." he admits quietly. "It's what the government told us." As he straightens up, the now-apparent oldest Rasputin draws in a breath. "You are among family. This is Sam, he is Agent. Not family. Just sweet on Illyana. Illyana.. this is your brother, Mikhail. Mikhail.. this is Illyana. She was baby when you.." he trails off. But there's two more. And he saved the most important for him for last.
"This is Elena." he says, with the child on his arm. "She is my daughter. And this is Keiko, she is.." lover? girlfriend? wife? demon-bounded mate? "…my solnyshko." He's not sure of how much of a traditionalist his brother is, and there's already enough issue with the fact that Keiko isn't Russian, much less not married to him.
Illyana Rasputina touches Sam's hand as he squeezes her shoulder, but her attention is mostly on Mikhail, pale blue eyes watching.
While Piotr answers the question, Illyana gives him a bit more detail on the 'where'. "New York City, United States, 2019." Hey, the year thing is apparently important with this family.
Sam Guthrie gets a beer out of the fridge and takes a seat next to Illyana. He's going to let the family handle the introductions and the adjustments. He's not even a fifth wheel in this scenario, more like a vestigial tail - he has no purpose and he probably shouldn't be there at all, but he's right on your butt all the same.
"She is learning her forms. She will practice and improve." The small asiatic looking woman, smooths her daughters hair before the child rushes to her father. She appears very severe despite her size and her stature and it seems hard on the girl.
Keiko had been going to withdrawm, to make her way through the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. She's stopped though. Whether that's by Piotr's touch or the man currently on the stairs isn't clear. When Piotr introduces her, her cat-slitted eyes turn to Mikhail and she nods. "I am the mother of Elena. It is good that you are moving." She doesn't add - His Consort or Illyana's Pet. She might be compromised but she's not stupid, it seems. "Hello Sam. Work went well."
They're getting used to that. The way she asks questions without asking them.
Brat? Brother? Mikhail looks from person to person as they're introduced then asks again "Who are you?", this time specifically to Piotr. "I have one brother who is 15." And if his mother was pregnant when he left home, he hadn't been told about it. New York City, United States barely gets acknowledged. Why shouldn't he be half a world away after the rift and another dimension. Being back on Earth is the important thing. But the year… In Russian so there's no confusion, he says "What is the year."
"It is June of 2019. I am Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin, our parents are Nicolai and Alexandra." Piotr explains, as he draws in a breath, trying to figure out how to explain things. But there's no way around it. "Our family has been touched by magic and manipulation." he offers to Mikhail. "It has changed us all. I would be 23 were it not for something that happened. Our sister would be twelve."
Probably the wrong thing to say, but he's laying the cards on the table. "There have been.. a lot of changes. I can get you whatever you need to look up what information you want." He takes out his phone and sets it on the counter for Mikhail. "It's already unlocked."
"Something he likes to trot out any time I talk to a boy." Illyana says dryly as Piotr mentions the whole twelve bit. Yes, it's a serious moment, but Illyana's getting her feet back under her after their ordeal, and part of that involves acting like most of life is a game or a joke.
When Sam comes back with a beer she gives him a pained look for his choice in alcohol. She'd help herself to some of it… if it wasn't beer. Instead she shifts so she can put her bare feet in his lap and return her attention to Mikhail. You never know if he might try to bolt.
Sam Guthrie is not going to think too much about that twelve thing. He really isn't.
"Uh, I'm Sam. No relation," he says, raising a hand. "Friend o' the family, I guess." he says. He smiles over at Elena and gives her a little wave, then nods to Keiko, "It did. I still have a job for one, which has to count for somethin', given how crazy things have been."
If he's massaging Illyana's feet, well, it's hard to see under the table.
"The year is 2019" Keiko answers as well in nearly flawless russian. Nearly flawless, depsite 7 years in limbo, she hadn't lost that mutts latin accent. "You were trapped in time and space until you were found. Your family rescued you." All in russian. There can be no mistake as to what she's saying.
Elena looks between the adults, shrugs and starts to braid her fathers beard. She's so much more relaxed with the man than the mother.
Illyana's pained look isn't missed as Keiko reaches for the Vodka and gets four glasses down. In short order, vodka is distributed - even to her. "SHIELD is used to strange and crazy." She tells Sam. "You will see a counsellor." It's a question, again.
"Mi Rey, that technology didn't exist when Mikhail went missing." Mi Rey. My King. To Piotr. Keiko is a tech luddite and she knows how mortifying it is to be under scrutiny.
Mikhail's attention is fully on Piotr, though it turns on Illyana when it's mentioned again that she's his sister and would be around twelve. The timeline would fit. Sitting at the table, he pulls the cell phone over. "We had phones in 2011." he says in response to Keiko. Just not this advanced. Still, he manages to find the internet and starts looking for things to put the lie to Piotr's words. "2007. I leave home to be cosmonaut. 2011. We go through rift. 4 days. Maybe 5. I lay there then cat girl comes. Then you come. How can it be 2019?" Looking up, he studies Piotr. "You look like Papa."
"I was in a different dimension for seven years. Illyana.. for a decade. We are touched, my brother." Piotr he says quietly and heaves a little sigh at the thought. "I remember mission. It broke papa and mama's hearts when they were brought official news." He sets down Elena for a second, and reaches for the phone. Taking it, he scrolls through until he finds what he's looking for.
It is the web version of the front page of the Moskovskij Komsomolets.
It takes a few swipes, but on a page six article, there is a small entry. 'Cosmonaut Dies in Training Accident'. A picture of Mikhail is there with the article.
Illyana Rasputina rolls her eyes a bit at Sam. "You also live here, and helped bring Mikhail out." She points out. And then scowls. "Also, that's two places that are a pain in the ass to try to get to." Her stepping disks didn't like opening to either realm.
Keiko gets a nod from Illyana which might have just been acknowledgement of the vodka, but the faint smile makes it into mute thanks. Looking over at Elena she tries to wave the child over as Piotr is busy with Mikhail. She looks at Keiko and nods to a seat at the table. If she gets a chance, she wants to talk to the Peruvian about the irritation around her throat, but she doesn't want to derail the current conversation.
Sam Guthrie grins at Illyana, "Kind of superfluous details. I figure your brother's got enough on his plate without tryin' to figure out how the flyin' hillbilly fits in. I ain't important. Y'all are," he says. At Keikos acknowledgement, he says, "Yup, every Tuesday and Thursday, until they decide I don't need it no more."
Elena protests as Piotr puts her down but look at her mother makes her quiet. Seeing Illyana's gestures the girl skips to her and clambers into the blondes lap "Tia, you should come and practice with me. Mama said I was getting good." Did Keiko really? She's terribly sparse on compliments.
Mikhails coments about technology gets a noncommital look "Then you know how to operate the phone." Seh says, sliding into a chair when Illyana gestures. The collar at her neck - it's part of it - the silvery pink lines are dull but the skin that is melded to the leather is red and lightly blistered.
"It will help, Sam. I think." The look she gives Sam is … understanding.
Mikhail frowns at the news story. "No, that is wrong. 2011 is mission to rift. 2008, I am training in Moskva. Training important, they say. High security so not allowed to get mail or use phone. But I write. Every week to start then every month til rift." He pushes away the phone, starting to visibly get angry as he looks at Illyana. "They should have told me." The phone's screen blanks as the battery suddenly gets drained and the power flickers.
Illyana Rasputina chuckles at Sam's assessment of the situation. "Yeah, dropping all of us on him is kinda trial by fire." She admits. Unlike her brothers, Illyana doesn't have a strong Russian accent. She doesn't really have an accent at all. Very Anywhere USA.
As Mikhail relates his timeline, Illyana frowns, her arms going around the child that climbs into her lap. "I don't recall Papa or Mama ever getting regular mail." As far out as they lived, mail was kind of a big deal.
Illyana can't see the phone flicker, so when the lights do she looks up and frowns. "Hopefully that's not the rift acting up…" She doesn't even think how her reference to the anomaly in the basement might make Mikhail react.
"Clearly they did not." Keiko answers "They lied to your family." It's probably good she's not empath the ways things are going here, it might break her some more. "They had reason to not tell you… why do think that is?" It's a question. One of the few she's started asking.
As the phone blanks, Keiko frowns, pushing the device to Sam to inspect "It is broken." She ask, looking at Mikhail thoughtful look. "You have a temper like your brother."
With Piotr going silent, Keiko glances back at him "Mi Rey. You have food."
Sam Guthrie frowns and pushes up from his chair, just in case, a hand braced on the back of Illyana's. Whatever's happening immediately puts him on edge and ready for action. He is a trained agent and all that. Well. Probationary agent.
"Think we oughtta bolt, Yana?"
Mikhail looks up as the power flickers and tries to rein in his anger. Reaching across the table, he grabs the bottle of vodka and takes a long swallow before setting it down. It's not quite a slam. "Da. Papa had a temper. It is not good to lose temper." Closing his eyes, he takes a couple deep breaths then looks at Keiko. "I do not care why. Why will not make it okay."
Illyana Rasputina watching Mikhail work on reigning in that temper she nods to Sam, getting to her bare feet. "Mmm. Yeah. Let's do that." Give Mikhail some time without being stared at by the lot of them. She looks over to Keiko. "We'll take Elena with us, if you like." Even if the rift in the basement is getting squirrely, she's pretty confident in being able to keep the kid safe.
The blonde can't help but smirk a bit as Mikhail says a version of what she and Piotr say so often. Must be because they're Russian.
It's not a rift. Piotr knows this, as he looks up to Mikhail. "It is you." he breathes. That was the confirmation that he was looking for. What happened to the phone. "It was on the farm, the tractor. The battery, it was dead. Papa had fussed over it all day long. You said you could fix it - papa, he didn't believe you, but you wanted to prove it - and you went out to the farm. You told me to come with you, and that you had a secret."
Piotr's blue eyes are bright, going moist with the memory. The food is forgotten about as he closes his eyes. "You just.. touched the tractor, and it started! Like the battery was fresh and new. I never understood. But you said that is what you could do, and you made me promise, swear on grandma Elena, not to tell anyone."
Illyana offering to take Elena likely doesn't get the response she expects. Keikos eyes turn yellow just for a moment as her jaw sets. With a deep breath she finally nods "Bring her back in an hour. We have more work to do." Do they? Possibly. But clearly Keiko has strong feelings about her daughter.
Piotr might wish they were for him.
"Maybe why doesn't matter." Is all she says. With Piotr and Mikhail talking, she's little to add. There are dishes to do though, so she'll do that.
Mikhail never told anyone that and he looks at the other man. "Piotr." It's acknowledgement that this is his brother, as strange as might feel. His younger brother, he who was eight years younger than him, now looks like he's the older. And is, in fact, now eight years older in some strange reversal. While the sister who wasn't even born when he left the farm is now older as well. Nodding to Piotr, he picks up the phone and after a few seconds, it comes back to life as he recharges the battery. "It is why they picked me." he explains. "I was to protect ship, control energy of rift." Setting the phone down, he adds simply "I failed."
Sam Guthrie heads for the door with Illyana, letting her take the lead with the kid and generally kind of getting them the hell out of there. At least he only does it on foot instead of blasting through the wall.
"Nyet. You cannot speak of that. Where you were - it was not what they expected. What noone could expect." Standing up, Piotr moves on his brother, crushing him in a hug. "Mikhail, you're alive!" he's so animated, full of life. He hasn't been that way in days - years, really. His soul was gone. There was nothing he could do about it. As Elena goes off with the others, and leaves him alone with Mikhail and Keiko, Piotr steps back.
"..you do not have to stay if you don't want to, Keiko. Mikhail can stay in my room. I will go to the Institute and stay there." Maybe he has a feeling on things.
One day Piotr will learn how to handle his … Consort. That day doesn't seem to be the day. "Stay, Piotr." Keiko sounds resigned as she puts the Vodka bottle on the table for the brothers. "Spend time with your brother. Maybe you will take me out later."
Hanging the dish cloth up, the woman nods to Mikhail. "It is good you are alive, da. Welcome home." It's a strange mix, the russian, the english and the latin accent.
With a final look for the man who might be as stubborn as she is "Or maybe you won't. I will be here with our daughter whatever happens." And with that she heads out the door.
He can't help it. Mikhail grunts in pain as he gets bear hugged. "Piotr. Shoulder." He looks between the two then says "Talk. I am tired and need more sleep." Which is probably true as well as being diplomatic. "Wake me when food is ready."