Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 4, 2011 5:35:10 GMT -5
Nina gives a very unladylike snort to his explanation, before bursting out laughing. It doesn't last for more than a few moments, however, before she can get ahold of herself well enough to say, "We both know that you'll call me first." The amused grin on her face after she says that does not make it completely clear whether or not that statement was meant to be taken seriously.
And it doesn't leave her face as he pulls her closer, and she responds by slipping the paper into her pocket so that she can hold him closer herself with both hands. "Then I'll have to convince you to change your policy," she murmurs back to his whisper before closing the distance between their lips. She actually is teasing; if he doesn't want to give her a direct number then she's perfectly okay with that. She's sure that he thinks that he has a good reason for it, and as long as she can contact him somehow that's good enough for her.
Still, it makes for a good premise to give him a very slow, tender kiss that's nevertheless much firmer than last time. Whenever she's this close to Edward, it's as if the rest of the world ceases to exist. Any stray thought about anything else vanishes before it half reaches the conscious level, and where she is and what's going on around her is of no importance whatsoever. Time becomes completely irrelevant, despite the fact that it's usually very important to her. No, the only thing that matters right now is him and her - especially their lips and wherever his hands happen to be.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2011 2:00:14 GMT -5
Normally being laughed at would make Edward angry, but watching Nina laugh in response to something he said made him fill with pride. He couldn't help his smirk softening to a smile. Her final remark that was said in too much of a seductive manner for him to think straight made him slightly confused. Was she teasing with him or did she really want that number?
He couldn't find himself caring for the answer because then she was kissing him. It was pathetic how easily he could forget a riddle because of her. She truly caused his logic to fall out the window of his mind. Pathetic. You are pathetic, Nigma. But his hand at her side dipped under her shirt. He felt her soft skin along his fingertips which caused him to pull her closer. If being pathetic meant had her he could deal with it for a period. But did he really have her if she constantly pushed against his decisions? His fingers pressed harder into her waist, probably causing a slight bruise as he continued to kiss her.
He wish he had more control, but her teasing words came back to the front of his mind. He pulled away with a smirk. "I believe you will have to do far better then that dear to convince me I'm wrong in any form or way. I personally don't think up for the challenge," he stared into her eyes, taunting her to prove him wrong.
He held her eye contact until he heard a loud cough from behind him and clunk sound of weight landing on the ground. He immediately let go of her instantly. He didn't mind flirtatious comments, but Edward was too much of a gentleman for full public display affections.
"Ya'll want me to move the bed next, boss?" Allen remarked with some humor.
Edward frowned. The disrespect, it was infuriating. He turned the frown into a joyful smile. "You know Allen, sometimes I forget to thank you for such a wonderful job you do for me each day," he said as he slowly walked over to the big man. Allen looked down at him with a slightly surprise expression that quickly turned just an edge of fearful.
Edward held out his hand to give Allen a thankful shake. Allen would have preferred to just ignore it, but knew if he did, punishment could be worst. He sighed and grabbed the hand. Edward's grip tightened as he hooked his cane around his wrist so he could use his other hand as well. "Thank you Allen, I just have one question," he stated as he brought his other hand on top of Allen's hand within his grip, "How many fingers do you have?"
Allen blinked at him with little interest. "Pretty sure ten, but you always try to trick me up," Allen remarked not liking where this was going.
Edward just continued to smile. His free hand gripped two of Allen's big fingers. "Ah unfortunately, you're wrong," he said as he forcefully ripped Allen's two fingers back, causing each bone within the finger to break, and one of them to start bleeding slightly as a tip of a broken bone poked out of the skin. Allen winced and let out only a slight groan in pain. He should have kept his mouth shut.
"You're thumbs are not considered fingers," Edward finally stated coldly. He turned away from him. "Now go get the bed since you're so willing," he continued knowing moving anything with broken fingers would be extremely painful, but as far as Edward was concern it was fair.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 7, 2011 2:51:22 GMT -5
The feel of his hand on her bare skin causes the strength of Nina's kiss to intensify as if by a reflex. She hardly notices when his grip becomes just a little too tight - not pulling away until he does and then only with some reluctance. His words then prompt a return of that teasing smile and she says, "Oh really?"
She looks like she's about to say more when they're interrupted. Which she's hardly bothered by until Edward lets her go completely - highly unnecessary in her book given that they're not in public but in her apartment. Well, maybe it's necessary to tone it down a bit, but stop? No.
Though when she sees the way Edward is reacting to Allen's remark, she purses her lips. Her understanding of why, exactly, Edward feels the need to torment the people who work for him is at most theoretical - she can see how given what she knows about his past he'd want to do it, but at the same time her own life experience comes in an gives her a dozen other good reasons why that shouldn't be the case.
However, despite her inner feelings, she simply waits for Edward to do whatever he thinks he needs to do. At least... to a point. When he turns away from Allen, he'd be just in time to see Nina disappearing through the door to the bedroom. But she doesn't stop there - instead she keeps going until she enters the bathroom, quietly shuts the door, and locks it behind her.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2011 3:22:30 GMT -5
He heard Allen grumbling as he turned out of the door. He also heard the sharp hiss as the man moved the bones of his fingers back in place. Edward knew he would heel. It wasn't a serious wound. It was more like a constant irritation. Hopefully that would teach Allen to keep quiet unless he has something intellectual to add to the conversation. He turned back to Nina expecting her to be in her same place, but instead of that location, he caught her walking into the bedroom.
He tilted his head to the side with only a glimpse of confusion on his face before it turned into a smirk. There wasn't a bed in there, but why else would a woman go to the bedroom? He felt confident as he walked towards the bedroom, but as soon as he glanced in seeing the room empty, the confidence dwindled. He noticed the bathroom door was closed and light was escaping.
Oh...
He sighed with inward frustration. She was teasing him without even knowing it. He turned back out of the bedroom and walked over to the couch, one of the few pieces of furniture in the apartment at the moment. He took a seat as he pulled out his phone. He felt slightly uncomfortable and had to keep adjusting his pants. Allen's interruption...he should have done more. Now, he was stuck with this annoyance. He glanced at his phone attempting to distract himself by thinking of his bank heist. Where would he place everything? How would he hack the system? But his mind kept dancing back to Nina and how long she was taking...
He frowned. Maybe, she wasn't handling business. Maybe, she had been upset with his treatment of Allen. He wouldn't be surprised if his actions had bothered her in some form, but usually Nina had a way of verbally explaining why it bothered her. She would have protested if it really bothered her, and even if it did bother her she should have accepted it by now. She agreed to accept him for him. He looked up from his phone to the bedroom door. What was she doing in there? She couldn't be moping. No, he was certain that if it had bothered her she would have mentioned something. She wouldn't have run away.
"Dear, I hope you realize that the first thing a so called criminal learns is to pick a lock. Something for you to keep in mind if you plan on making me wait any longer," he said from the couch hoping the partially joking remark would give him a clue into what she was really doing.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 7, 2011 4:08:56 GMT -5
There's nothing but silence coming from the bathroom - not the rustle of clothing, and not the subtle sounds of someone shifting around. The locked door is the one and only piece of proof that Nina must still be in there. There isn't even the sound of her breathing loudly.
Even his remark goes unanswered for several moments, before she finally can be heard to say, "If you want to come in here, then fine: come in here." But her tone seems to suggest that it might not be a good idea - it's practically flat, but with the smallest of edges to it; it's difficult to tell whether it's sadness or anger or something else but it's definitely not good.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2011 13:06:39 GMT -5
Edward waited for a response, but when he didn't receive one, he gave the bedroom a suspicious look. He pushed himself up with his cane and walked towards the bedroom. When he entered she finally gave him a response. He couldn't tell whether she was angry or not, but the mere fact that it held a different tone from her previous conversation with him meant she wasn't pleased. He glanced at the bottom of the door. He saw light, but he couldn't see any movement. He also didn't hear any shifting.
What if there was a bomb with voice activation meant to go off once he spoke to it? He shook his head. His paranoia was definitely getting the better of him. She was probably just angry...but no, she wouldn't have run to the bathroom like this. He frowned at the door. If she was mad at him she had no reason to be. The very thought made him angry. He almost wanted to leave and let her pout by herself, but what if something unexpected had happened. What if she was feeling guilty for betraying him? Had she betrayed him? And now she's trying to organize her feelings...
No, she said she wouldn't betray him.
Well there was an easy way to solve this riddle. He plucked his lock pick from the lapel of his jacket. "You know dear, unlocking the door would bring us to the same answer, but since you enjoy making my life difficult I'll handle it the old fashion way," he stated as he used the mini screw on his pick to undo the doorknob. He only needed to loosen one bolt. Bathroom doors were actually the easiest locks to pick. Just remove the doorknob and the lock is straight in view. You don't even need to use the pick. You're finger is enough. He saw the metal square that created the lock. He pulled it back and the door unlocked. With his finger still hooked to the lock he pulled it open to finally see what she was really doing.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 7, 2011 13:48:15 GMT -5
Nina is sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, legs pulled up in front of her. One arm rests across her knees, while her head bends over the other. That hand obscures most of her face, but her thumb rubs slowly across her forehead as if trying to soothe a very tiny headache. Her eyes are closed and the expression on her face is almost meditative, though there's also a hint of pain to it.
She doesn't look up or otherwise acknowledge his presence even though she couldn't have possibly missed the fact that he quite easily made it through the door. Obviously she wanted to be left alone, but she's not going to raise a fuss that he won't give that to her. But that also doesn't mean that she has to pay any attention to him.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2011 13:56:33 GMT -5
Seriously?
She was upset with his actions. He had thought they had gotten past this. He had thought that she had accepted him. It's not like he had shot Allen in the face. He had broken a few bones, hardly anything to feel bad about. And even though he knew he was right, he felt the guilt settling. His heart ache, and he almost felt the need to apologize.
No.
He frowned. If he hadn't just been in an argument where she stubbornly and stupidly went against him, he would have been more sympathetic to her sadness. No, at this point he had reached his last line for the day. He turned away from her. "I'm not going through this with you again, Nina," he stated and started walking out the door. Women were too annoying for him.
"Allen will move you in. I'll be working," he said with a bitter edge to his tone. She was pulling him on an emotional rollcoster. He was being teased and pulled. No. He was finished with it for the day.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 7, 2011 19:02:20 GMT -5
It's not as if Nina really wants to be upset. Not that she doesn't think that being upset right now isn't the perfectly natural thing to be at the moment - she just wishes that Edward hadn't done that, or at least had the good sense to not do it right in front of her. Especially not right then, just as things were feeling okay again after that argument... She's a bit tired of the roller coaster over the past while herself. She doesn't want to have to deal with this too - that's probably why her first instinct was to get out of it. She didn't want to have to be angry and argue again.
When his first statement expresses the same sort of feeling, her expression tenses just a little and she can feel a few tears escape from her closed eyes. But when she hears him leaving she has to ask a question that's plaguing her, "Edward... did you forget I was there, forget to think about how I would react, think that it wouldn't bother me, or did you not care if it did?" Perhaps surprisingly, her voice is steady: forced, but steady. This isn't something she won't get over - sooner or later.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2011 20:20:51 GMT -5
Edward was almost out the bedroom door when Nina made that comment. He couldn't believe they were having the exact same conversation again. Did she have short term memory lost? Had they not just spoken of this a few weeks ago? His grip tightened on his cane as he attempted to ignore the new feeling of pain on his leg. This was idiotic. This was a waste of his time.
"Please tell me when I ever told you that I would hide who I am from you," he stated coldly before turning his head and giving her an annoyed glare. This wasn't like their last argument. He had only been frustrated by her stubbornness. This argument he felt pure fury for how hypocritical she could be, how insensitive she could be, how forgetful! "If I remember correctly, I told you that I could not be with you if you are bothered or sad every time I do something that does not fit your moral guidelines," he said as he shifted his weight to face her. He felt no guilt for her sad expression. She was the one being selfish. "You said you would try not to let it bother you, and I understood. You would try, not always succeed, but try. I accepted. But the fact that you are now blaming me for your current situation is utterly ridiculous. I warned you multiple times that I will not change. I warned you that I will no longer hide who I am just because you are there. If you expect me to do that then you are extremely selfish. What I did, which mind you barely compares to most things I do on a daily basis, is who I am. My job is me, and it doesn't turn off when I am with you. I am working 24/7. But you signed up for this, dear," he said with a smirk that had a hint of taunting.
"Now please stop wasting my time with this conversation. If you want to go back on your decision to be with me, fine. But I will not get into this debate with you again," he stated firmly. He was not going to convince her that what he did was right. He was also not going to hide what he did from her. The reason he had become so frustrated with her in the past and even felt the need to shoot her was the very fact that he had to hide half of his life from her. He would not do it anymore, and he thought that she had accepted that fact.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 7, 2011 21:58:47 GMT -5
As she takes a deep breath, Nina's hand falls from her face and rests on her lap as she absorbs his words. Clearly he's taking her words well out of proportion, but she doesn't blame him for that. Instead she tries to focus on clarifying what she meant.
"Edward, you're reading too much into my question: I don't know that I'm blaming you for anything. I don't know that I'm asking you for anything, or expect anything from you. I just want to know what, if any, part my feelings had to play in your thinking. And that's all," she explains quietly, the calm of her voice a bit less forced this time. "Please just answer the question - it would help me with this," she adds, making a vague gesture at herself, "I'm not a robot; I just can't flip a switch - it's a process. But I'm trying, just like I promised."
The last thing she wants to do here is argue, and especially not on that subject again. And especially not when they're in their current respective moods - Edward is too defensive, and her emotions are just too raw in general.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 3:29:16 GMT -5
He brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose and tried to pinch away the pure frustration she was causing. Why was she asking him such a stupid question? Could she not use her own logical thought process to come to the right conclusion? It felt like he was talking to a five year old.
"I don't quite understand why I have to explain this like a computer program instruction guide," he stated, automatically being reminded of those annoying calls he had to take as a Geek Squad employee. He hated stupid questions like these. He hated that Nina had actually asked him one. She was intelligent, so why was she acting this way? "When it comes to my work, I do not and will not in the future take your feelings into consideration," he stated slowly and concisely so she understood. He thought this lesson was learned after the Ventriloquist, or his distance her first few weeks with him, or the very fact he did not regret the riddle he had given her, or maybe, just possibly he had told her that his work (who he is) is the most important thing to him! How could she not know this by now? Where had she been during their last conversation?
The riddles kept piling up and the answers to them only made him more angry. "As I just said, I will not hide who I am from you just because it hurts your feelings. I've told this to you what..." he paused for a moment as he went back, "22 times?"
"If I have to repeat this one more time, Nina, I would greatly suggest looking into hearing aides. They're not classy, but at least it would help you with this problem," he stated to her form on the ground. It was rude, but the Riddler wasn't holding himself back anymore. In all honesty, he couldn't care how Nina felt at that moment because she obviously cared little for how he felt. She had no idea how it felt for a person you love to look at you with disgust over who you are and what you do. It was the very reason he did not want to be with her if she could not handle it.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
~ Relationship Status: Single
~ Character Profile
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 8, 2011 5:50:48 GMT -5
Patiently listening to his answer for a moment, a frown appears on her face partway through and by the time he finishes his insult there's a frustrated wrinkle on her forehead. Pursing her lips for a moment she finally says, "Do I have to ask you the same question? I didn't ask you if you take my feelings into consideration - obviously you don't. I didn't say anything about you needing to hide anything. Will you please stop jumping to conclusions? Or can you not answer the question I actually asked?" It's actually a bit disturbing to her that he seems so eager to equate this as a revisit to an old argument when she's asking a question she never thought to ask before.
Perhaps if she spells it out for him. "Four options:" she says, using the fingers of her hand resting on her knees for emphasis and clarity, "One - you were so focused in the moment on your riddle that you momentarily lost track of the fact that I was present. Two - while you were aware that I was present, the thought of how I would feel about did not occur at all to you - not that you dismissed it, but it didn't even cross your mind. Three - the thought of how I would feel about it did occur to you, but you believed it wouldn't bother me, or perhaps that it wouldn't bother me very much. Four - the thought of how I would feel about it occurred to you, you knew it would upset me this much, and you continued regardless."
"And for pity's sake just pick one instead of beating on a dead horse that I'm not even asking about!" she adds, her ordinarily steady tone abruptly replaced by one that actually expresses just how frustrated she is: very. Why must Edward be so difficult in what's already an extremely difficult situation?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 8:45:40 GMT -5
His grip tightened around his cane. She has to have a listening problem. There is no possible way she could be this stupid. He felt like a cat had decided to make his leg a scratching post. His mind becoming completely aware to each shard it scraped away. Nina used to provide him a challenge, but this wasn't a challenge. This was pure idiocy.
Did he not just state that he did not take her feelings into consideration? If that is true, and it is because he doesn't lie, then option three and four are out. And she couldn't stupidly believe that he didn't realize she was there because the very reason he reacted that way was Allen's degrading insult about the two of them. Option One was obviously out.
How could she not determine this?! He had basically stated that he doesn't pay attention to her when he is working. Why does she selfishly believe that with every action he takes he stops and thinks, 'How would Nina react to what I do?' He doesn't have time to waste on such a silly thought, nor would he care about the answer if he took the time to answer it.
She was being stupid, and the one thing Edward couldn't stand was stupidity. What made it worst was the degrading tone in her voice. The way she spoke to him was as if he were the one not understand, as if he lacked the intelligence to answer a silly question. He knew how he would solve such a demeaning action if it were anyone else, but he couldn't because it was Nina. He had to swallow back his pride.
So with a forced smirk he said one thing, "You're a fucking idiot." He then turned and slammed the bathroom door in her face. He walked out of her bedroom and out of the apartment door. He wasn't going to answer her degrading tone. She didn't deserve an answer, especially if she was too dumb to figure it out. He was furious, and it could be proven by the simple fact that he cursed.
As he left the apartment he started mumbling out irritated and annoyed remarks in multiple different languages. His hand reached into his pocket and found a lollipop immediately. His leg felt like it was going to fall off.
He needed to speak with Allen again. He was certain he would run into the buffoon who managed to make his life miserable. He would have to repay Allen for such a talent probably with a shot to the brain.
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Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Player: Avalikia ~
Registered On: Nov 4, 2010 0:01:40 GMT -5 ~
Posts: 696
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Post by Nina Stenet on Aug 8, 2011 11:09:46 GMT -5
If Edward's thoughts, feelings, and motivations were as transparent as he thinks that they are, Nina wouldn't have asked the question. The fact that she did in the first place should be ample indication of that - why ask a question she can figure out the answer to herself? And that she was so insistent upon getting a clear answer should be ample indication of just how important knowing the answer is to her. Didn't he see that his answers and actions were pointing her to believe that he was saying it was the last one? Didn't he realize that if that's the case she'd have serious doubts that he really loves her after all? Or that it would actually make her feel better to know that he's simply thoughtless rather than actually uncaring?
But instead of an answer she gets an insult and a slammed door. And now she's left having to ask herself why he can't answer such a simple question. "You started it," she mutters after him, finding herself going back to rubbing her forehead with her thumb. Pondering the issues for several moments, she realizes that it's like trying to put together a puzzle without enough pieces to have any idea what the picture could be.
So she quickly gives up the hopeless exercise and simply concentrates on calming herself down. As upset as she is now, that takes a long time, but eventually she manages. Either that or she simply tires of sitting on the bathroom floor. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she turns to it and asks, "So what now?" That actually is a stupid question: she still loves the man. And unless she's somehow finally committed an unforgivable offense, sooner or later he'll calm down again too to return. She just has to wait for that. The better question is how will he act? Like it never even happened? Or will he still be upset enough that she'll have to figure out how to fix things again? She's so tired of having to fix things. But she will. The better question is just how long it will take.
Sighing to herself, she leaves the bathroom and decides that the best thing to do is to keep moving in. At least sorting through her stuff will distract her from her problems.
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