Nina Stenet
"Great acts are made up of small deeds." - Lao Tzu
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Post by Nina Stenet on Mar 24, 2014 15:12:28 GMT -5
"Sometimes my opinion matters more than hers," Shawty replies, picking up one of the mozzarella sticks, "Sometimes hers matters more than mine." Which pretty much summarizes their entire relationship, really. She pops the entire stick into her mouth at once and smiles as she chews it.
When Marc addresses a question to her, Nina's quick to bring her attention right back to him. Setting her wineglass down, she answers first by saying, "Well, people who break into my apartment, for one." Because, yes, Edward is definitely the first thing to come to mind. "But most of the parts that I 'don't prefer' are true to some degree of any large city. Though for Gotham in particular, crime in general is a very large problem. The local government is... useless. The pollution is bad too," she lists off easily, as those are the things she personally hates the least about Gotham. Though clearly none of it is bad enough to convince her to move.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2014 17:01:58 GMT -5
Shawty's response gives him pause. And a hearty belly laugh as well. "That sounds like one of the best relationships between employer, and employee I have heard. Cheers to many more years together then!" He raises his glass to each woman in turn before taking a hearty drink. For as petite as the blonde is, she certainly enjoys her indulgences.
Nina's own responses cause him to raise a brow and set his glass down. "Is breaking and entering a common crime here? Hm." He's keenly curious on that topic. He's vested in her responses and acutely aware that in any metropolitan area, crime does happen. It's just there aren't usually caped and masked crusaders fixing the problems.
"Sadly I can find all of those complaints valid. And not new, either. But what about your caped heroes to fix said crime? How exactly is that endeavor going." It's not even a question. More a mocking statement that says in an instant his opinion of anyone that masks themselves to do whatever their fancy after darkness falls.
"But you seem to find more good than bad to keep you in this city. What are those traits, Dr. Stenet? And you as well, Shawty, as having lived here all your life?" She gives off grit that stems from living in the rougher neighborhoods, wears it like a badge of honor on her breast. Valor bred from experience.
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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 Mar 30, 2014 4:04:02 GMT -5
Smirking as she does so, Shawty silently lifts her water glass at Marc's words - underlining what she'd said even more than she already has. She takes a large sip, and then another - yeah, Dr. Stenet was probably right about the water...
And Nina, for her part, is simply glad to that the conversation has become less awkward now. "Oh, I agree!" she's quick to say as she raises her glass of white, taking a sip. There are many things that could take Shawty from her side, not all of them tragic, but she does hope to have the girl for as long as possible. It would be hard, though not impossible, to find a replacement for the girl - especially one that's so well suited. The skillset and traits required to be Nina's assistant is rather unique.
"Not in my building," she answers his question first with a frown, but then adds, "I believe it's more common in east Gotham."
However, that answer is quickly objected to by Shawty, "No, east Gotham is where the criminals live - you don't go breaking into places there, people don't have good stuff. You break into places in south Gotham - they have good stuff but don't make enough to get a good security system." At least in broad, general terms - there's some nicer places in east Gotham, just as there's terrible places and good security systems in south Gotham, but on average what she said is true.
Smiling a little at that answer, Nina replies by laughing and saying, "Well, you'd know." Her attention shifting back to Marc, she doesn't seem to be too bothered by the way he speaks about the 'caped heroes'. After all, Batman has been limited help to her and he's the only one she knows. Instead, she shrugs neutrally and comments, "Maybe it would be even worse without them - but I don't care to speculate." Her interest in that subject is generally limited to a few specific individuals.
His last question isn't very difficult for Nina to answer. "Gotham and the surrounding cities, especially Metropolis, are centers for all sorts of scientific research, so it's not very difficult to find someone in my own or a related field to consult with when I need to. And many of the labs and other businesses my lab works with are in the area as well. And it's not as difficult for my little lab to get all the equipment and supplies I need when all the suppliers are already sending things to the bigger labs in the area," she explains. There are many advantages in staying near similar facilities rather than trying to move her operation elsewhere.
Shawty, on the other hand, shrugs at the question and simply answers, "I'm used to Gotham, I guess."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2014 3:36:30 GMT -5
The water glass doesn't go unnoticed as he winks at her while toasting wine to water. The two women may not realize it, but his family's wine is fantastic. Potent without realizing the alcohol content. Not that he isn't shy about advertising that. It just depends on your clientele.
To Nina he smiles bright at, tipping his head lightly in her direction. Now that bit of unsavory discussion is over he hopes the next bit is taken into consideration. For he is curious. Otherwise he wouldn't be going about and speaking to relative strangers of Gotham on topics he could look up on the internet. It's always better to get it straight from those who live it. At least in his opinion. So he drinks his wine, and refills his glass, offering to refresh Nina's as well. Old habit.
"East Gotham. I will take note of that location." Not that he knows East Gotham from Versailles but still. His concentration is whisked to Shawty, where she extrapolates Nina's response with more detailed information. Nodding he smiles. "Even better information. It sounds like East Gotham is where I would not want to live, nor South Gotham based on who will be roaming at night and who my neighbors will be. I appreciate that, Shawty. To you." He raises his glass again in her direction. He may have declined to tell the women his tolerance for liquor; not just wine is rather high.
"Where I come from, citizens look out for their neighbors. And the police are skilled in doing what they do. If someone needs bread for a meal, they ask their neighbor, and repay when they can. It will be repaid, but crime is low. I have mentioned my small town, and my larger city experiences. So I have a rather skewed view of crime and criminal activity. But it baffles me that there are individuals that prefer dressing in spandex and masks with some sort of proclamation or theme and running around after sundown. I would prefer to be somewhere warm, with good company, and fine liquor. Or fine company, and good liquor. But that is me, and my preferences. Opinions, really." He sets down his glass as their meals are brought out to them. Women served their dishes first, before his own is set before him.
It is after the waitstaff have melted away does he encourage them to respond to his final inquiry. "So location, and location to other like-minded individuals. A noble reason, Nina." He turns to Shawty, and cracks a large smile. "It's home. I can understand both. Now, as I have kept you both busy, why not let us enjoy our meals while they are still warm!"
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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 Apr 4, 2014 15:32:21 GMT -5
Unfortunately for Marc, Nina and Shawty don't happen to be very good taste-testers for wine. Nina simply doesn't know enough about wine to appreciate the subtlety, while Shawty likes pretty much anything that's sweet and has alcohol in it - the exact way in which it's sweet is something she's never been too particular about.
When Marc offers to refill her wine glass - or top it off, really, since she's only managed to put a dent into the white wine and hasn't touched the red yet - she's quick to say, "Oh, I'm fine right now, thank you!" She's already troubled by the fact that she has at least twice as much wine in front of her than she normally has in an evening, so the last thing that she needs is more!
"Nobody wants to live in east Gotham," Shawty states easily as she works her way through her mozzarella sticks, though that naturally doesn't stop a lot of people from doing so anyway. If you want to live in Gotham but you don't have a lot of money then you don't have a lot of options.
Listening as Marc describes the kind of place that he's familiar with, Nina nods in understanding and says, "Gotham's more than a little bit different. You'll find some citizens who look out for others, some police who do their job properly, some who will loan you bread, but not nearly all. And often not a majority - this is a hard, cold city in a lot of ways. But it used to be worse and it's getting better. I think that for those who run around in costumes it's an act of desperation in a way - the vigilantes do it because working through the normal channels, with all the corruption, wouldn't work. And the criminals do it because they have to in order to keep up with the vigilantes." The frown that crosses her face after she says that indicates that she isn't pleased that's the way things are going, but that's the landscape that the city's criminal scene has turned into.
The food arrives, and Nina can't help but smile at her steak salad - it looks delicious and she doesn't wait a moment before she picks up her fork and uses it to gather a mouthful to try. And when she does, she's nodding to herself - yes, very good! She smiles as she continues to chew as he calls her reason for being in Gotham 'noble'. That's overstating it - it's merely practical, at least to her. She washes down the mouthful with a sip of red wine before she comments, "There's other large metropolitan areas in other parts of the country too that would be suitable, but I originally came to Gotham because I was accepted into medical school at the university. And by the time I graduated, I already knew the local research community, and they knew me - so because I went to school here it was easier to also get started here when I was finished."
Meanwhile, Shawty is content to remain silent as she enjoys her meal, though she's set down her water glass for the moment and now has the white wine in her hand, which she sips between bites of pasta.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 18:25:11 GMT -5
Nodding to her response, he goes to top off his own, and then refrains from offering anything to Shawty as she had ceased drinking several words ago. He is more than content to let her finish off the mozzarella sticks as he offers the last stuffed mushroom to Nina while listening to the blonde speak.
"I do believe, or at least like to; that variety and involvement is the spice of life. Some prefer the sidelines. Some prefer to be right in the thick of things. Others prefer neither. And these costumed sort are not my sort of thing. You are among others that have mentioned it. I don't care much for those who make the choice to dress up in subterfuge at night instead of allowing the police to do their job. And the criminals are just as bad. Hiding is what both sides are doing." His tone matches hers in dismissive understanding on the whole topic, his own words echoing with more disgust.
"Sometimes it is truly who you know. I do believe without my connections in Metropolis, which stem from my own years between my later formative years and University, that I never would have found myself here. Life is interesting, in how those little touches work out in the end." He too bites into his meal as he savors it. This is quite the establishment. Perhaps he will meet with the sommelier after their night has ended to speak with him, or her.
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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 Apr 22, 2014 19:04:00 GMT -5
Nina smiles in surprised gratitude as she accepts the last of the stuffed mushrooms. Even if she'd been trying to influence the conversation earlier with her praise of them, they really are quite good. Letting Marc say his piece about the city's costumed people while she eats it, she nods and waits until he's finished to simply say, "Well, there is more to the city's crime problem than just the vigilantes getting in the police's way. And complaining about criminals being bad is like complaining that cows moo." No, she doesn't like all the people running around in costumes, but on the other hand one can't simply fix the problem by telling them all to stop it either. Even if she knows for a fact that there's masked criminals that would stop if they vigilantes did, others certainly wouldn't. And lots of people would probably die if the police had to handle them alone.
Nodding easily to the rest of his words, Nina gathers pieces of her salad on her fork as she comments, "It's funny how you can sometimes look at some major shift your life took, and then realize that it all started because of one little decision you made a long time ago that didn't really seem to matter at the time." Like the day that she decided to go visit the museum on her day off instead of doing something at home...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2014 5:52:31 GMT -5
He sips at his wine and listens as he indulges in his own meal as Nina speaks. The cut of meat is fantastic, and the rest is cooked to perfection. "Crime is everywhere. It is just how it is handled which mostly influences those who tend to be most vocal about it. Here, you have not only the police, but these masked Vigilantes as well. You would think that the citizens would complain about other things. It is still an interesting concept to have to deal with, within a city."
He nods before glancing to Shawty as well. She is eating rather determined. "I agree. Sometimes certain choices snowball into something we'd never expected. Gateways they are called, or even a slippery slope. Some lead to good outcomes, others not as good." He nods this time to Nina as their eyes catch and he notes she is nearly lost in thought. Contemplation of a regret, perhaps? Or maybe a lost love like his own, even.
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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 May 3, 2014 1:22:18 GMT -5
Unable to help but give a slightly amused smile at the thought of the citizens complaining about other things, Nina comments, "Oh, there's plenty to complain about in Gotham. I think that the main reason why the masked population gets so much attention is that the media is so quick to report on it. Which they are because the masses will eat up the colorful stories and they're not difficult to make - one can easily pass the news hours in speculation about who the mysterious figure behind a mask is instead of something more important but also more difficult to research. It may bill itself as something different, but the media is in the business of entertainment, which they provide within the framework of 'as much as possible, as cheaply as possible' - just like any other business. And people, in turn, talk about whatever it was they saw on TV - the only difference between the news and a sitcom is that the former is supposedly real, all the stations can get away with broadcasting almost the same thing as each other, and therefore the odds of someone else knowing what you're talking about is much higher. Much like the weather, it's an extremely easy way to have a conversation when you have nothing more interesting to say." And having said all that, she has another sip of her wine and gives her salad a bit more of her attention.
When Marc glances at Shawty, the young woman notices his gaze and looks back at him with a vaguely questioning expression - yes, did he want something? She doesn't say anything, though, preferring to quietly listen, eat her pasta, and keep a subtle eye on her surroundings. The other two are far more interested in talking than she is, so she's letting them have at it.
Nodding slowly to Marc's words, Nina says, "Yes... a certain quote about boxes of chocolates comes to mind." She certainly didn't expect any of the recent twists in her life - that's for sure.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 17:01:00 GMT -5
"It is the unanswered. The mystery. I still believe the police force is the true hero, not some person who runs around in a mask doing harm, or harming others as it seems to happen more than actual heroic deeds," this is not a favorite topic of his even as he listened intently while she gave her opinions and views on the populace who indulged in such behaviors.
He was polite as he went about conversing and indulging in his meal and wine. He didn't care much for the media either. News yes but that had to be taken with a grain of salt and for some reason the crap that passed as 'news' in the United States was much different fare and of a variety he was not aware of that was not carried in his home.
As Shawty is attentive, yet not conversive he nods to her and goes back to his own meal. "Quite a good movie. I do prefer the French version. Tom Hanks is a man of quality skill, no? There must be a decent theatre or two in this city, correct, Nina, Shawty?" He addresses both women with a flick of his wrist.
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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 May 8, 2014 19:37:58 GMT -5
Shaking her head and looking just a little bit amused, Nina says, "The police force? Oh, it's better than it used to be, that's for sure, but I certainly would go around saying that they're heroes. Some yes, but certainly nowhere near all. And as a group, I don't think that it's so easy to say who is better for the city than who." After all, she still had a chip on her shoulder in the fact that neither party seems to have ever managed to show up when she needed them.
When asked about Tom Hanks, Nina seems to ponder that for a moment before simply shrugging. He's one of many actors she hasn't paid that much attention too - to her, he's just a man who happens to appear in some of the movies she's seen before. Which is reflected in the way she answers his question about theaters, "Oh, I'm the wrong person to ask - I don't see a lot of movies. And when I do, it's usually long after the theater release." She shrugs again, another indication of just how little she cares about that form of entertainment.
But since Shawty was addressed in the question too, she finishes the mouthful of pasta she's been chewing before commenting, "I usually go to the dollar theater. And Tom Hanks is old." And not in any of the sort of movies that she likes a lot, usually.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2014 8:06:30 GMT -5
"Old is a mindset. Mr. Hanks is a quality actor." He muses as he also takes note of this dollar theatre. As he turns back to Nina he rubs his hand along his chin. "That is always good to hear. Anything that does not improve upon itself is questionable. It seems that these vigilantes, heroes and the force all work together somehow to make it work to keep the streets somewhat safe. That is better than rampant crime and despair." Even though he could argue that last statement greatly.
As he goes about eating his meal between conversation he once again offers to refill Nina's wineglass, refreshing his own as well. After the generous pouring he holds the bottle in his palms and looks at the label for a while before returning it to it's stand. It's a good vintage.
"If you are not into movies, what do you engage in for pleasure, Ms. Stenet?" He inquires.
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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 Jun 1, 2014 23:34:10 GMT -5
"And he's old," Shawty insists, but that seems to be the extent to which she wants to argue the issue.
Nina, for her own part, simply nods as Marc speaks about the combined efforts of Gotham's various protectors. She herself doesn't really care that much about any of it, except where it has intersected her life - far too frequently, and probably nowhere near for the last time. As a doctor, isn't she supposed to not be a part of this kind of conflict? It's gotten to the point to where she has to get involved voluntarily in order to avoid getting caught so much in the crossfire between people who obviously don't care if she gets hurt.
Once again Nina politely declines the refill, preferring to focus more of her efforts on her steak salad. It would be an absolute waste to give her more wine when she already has more than she wants.
His question causes her to smile a little as she replies, "I'm one of those people who actually takes a lot of pleasure in my work." But, knowing that alone probably isn't an adequate answer, she adds, "But when I have a little free time I'm known to cook myself something special or watch a documentary at home. And when I have a lot of free time I'm known to patronize museums, theatres, operas, symphonies... things of that nature. Though it's not normal for me to have the time."
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