Substitute Plus-One [Helena]

[Nireva Hale]

I have wondered about you.
Where will you be when this is through?
If all goes as planned, will you redeem my life again?
______________________________Faunts - M4 (Part II)

When her phone had rung back home in LA, Nireva wasn't quite sure what to make of Helena's sudden party invitation. Being on the other side of the country to her mother and kid siblings, the youngest of the Rahal immortals knew rather little about the marital strife which had befallen two of the permanent adult residents of the Cazenovia estate. The fact that she didn't know was of no real concern to her, of course; she'd been out of her mother's life for four whole centuries before a haphazardly organised encounter had brought her back into the proverbial fold but, no matter how long - or how little - Helena was destined to live, she was part of the family. Her stepmother, no less, even if Felicia had been the one to give birth.

From what little Helena had said on the phone, revealing little else than it was a charity fundraiser of some kind with a tenuous connection to a business association, Nireva had come to the understandable assumption that her mother would have been the go-to plus-one but, for whatever reason, it wasn't the case. Electing not to press further, she'd accepted and, with the usual Intellitouch finagling, she and her packed belongings were ferried across the colossal landmass. The five hours she'd spent airborne hadn't been completely uneventful. As ever, the stewarding crew ensured she didn't go hungry and, while she was loathe to admit it to Jenna for fears of sounding like a hypocrite, the woman who'd brought her the order of smoked salmon had been quite the sight to behold.

The guy who'd been mixing cocktails for her was a close second, decked out in a smart-casual uniform complimenting his rugged looks. Tall, dark-haired, gently toned muscles prodding at the fabric of his shirt from the inside... damn right she'd been staring and, better yet, they weren't able to call her out on it. The perks of being the CEO's granddaughter. She'd made an effort to learn their names and, with the exception of her wayward gaze, had been the model passenger. By the time she touched down at JFK Airport in the mid-afternoon, she was slightly buzzed from the booze, but at least had no need to stop off for one of those shitty airport burgers she recalled from her last visit.

Getting down to the estate itself had been the usual fare. Someone, presumably Khalidah, had laid on an executive driver to meet her in the lobby and, to spare her the misery of hailing a taxi, he had taken her straight to her destination. The exterior of the palatial manor house was completely unchanged from how she remembered it, with the exception of some new curtains in some of the windows; the ones getting regular use. After insisting that the driver go on his way, Niri hauled her belongings up to the door and, after remembering that Helena had explained that someone would be home when she arrived, proceeded to let herself in.

"Hey, sis!!" Punctuated by an elated bark as Ragnarok sidled out into the hall, the silent air was rent asunder by a chorus of childrens' voices. Now five years of age, Tivodar and Ildiko had well and truly grown out of their toddler-ish looks and looked more like grade-schoolers; small-scale human beings who could run, jump and generally cause havoc unaided. Basically, a nightmare for their parents. Mounting a joint assault, the twins clung tightly to Nireva's legs; the best hug they could muster without asking that she crouch down. "Aaaghh!!" An amused, playful scream was her initial response. "You caught me trying to sneak in!"

"Yeah!" Ildiko responded triumphantly, her face brightened by a colossal grin. "Raggie's our sister dec... det... uhh..." Detector. It wasn't hard for Nireva to guess what her kid sister was trying to say. Though it was quite the complex word for a five-year-old, even if their mother was ensuring that multilingualism was part of their upbringing. "Raggie finds you, sis!"

"Does he?" With the twins relinquising their grip - and Ragnarok slinking back into the living room to lie down - Nireva picked up her large overnight bag and smiled. "I bet you trained him really hard, huh?" A series of rapid nods from both twins showed their agreement. "Nice. So, uh... you know where your mom is?" That was a good point. What did they call Helena? "Which one? Mama or moeder..?" A giggle from Ildiko showed how insufficient her inquiry had been. And was that Dutch she'd just used? Five years old and already getting lessons in as many languages as she knew. "Helena. She's invited me to a party."

The twins had heard something about that. Mostly about how only one of their parents was planning to go. "Moeder's painting upstairs!" Tivodar leapt in with the answer, causing his sister to look over her shoulder. "She paints pictures when she wants quiet time." Nireva nodded, shrugging the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder. "Thanks, guys. I'll go find her. You be careful now!" Taking the opportunity to head off for some more mischief, the twins gave her another brief hug before scurrying off into another room.

With the place being so huge, the explanation of upstairs was annoyingly vague and, before long, Nireva was left going door-to-door in order to find the woman who'd invited her over. As she wandered along the corridor, she could hear various noises as the residents went about their day. Rampant footsteps from the twins, barking from Ragnarok, food being boiled or fried downstairs in the kitchen. But when she heard what sounded like a chair toppling over, she found her attention drawn to a room about thirty feet ahead. It might have been Helena tossing a rejected easel into a trash pile or accidentally knocking over some paint. So, like any inquisitive soul, she headed over there and pushed open the door.

What it was....

"...oh, shit!!"

...was Devon Ridgeman. Bare from the waist down. With the "business end" of a relatively much darker-skinned - and similarly nude - woman coiled around his hips, her back pinned against a wardrobe with her head tilted towards the ceiling, allowing her jet black hair to slither down around her shoulders. It was the first time he'd ever been caught in the proverbial act and, rather understandably, the surprise made him freeze. Nireva, on the other hand? She just looked mortified. "Fuck, sorry!!" There was only one woman who Devon would have been inclined to have sex with and, with the realisation taking a split-second to sink in, she quickly pulled an about-face and slammed the door.

"Oh, c'mon, Devon... don't stop..."

Walking in on Devon having sex with her niece was definitely not the start to her visit she was hoping for. But, with this being a Rahal household, things could've been a hell of a lot weirder. With a calming sigh, she continued on her way and, after taking much more care with the rooms she visited, eventually found her stepmother, painting some kind of abstract art just as Tivodar had said. "Helena..?" With a smile she hoped would expel the blush from her cheeks, she leaned against the doorframe, overnight bag in tow. "Hey. How're you doin'..?"

[Helena Rahal]

So come, come with all that you've got
Come hell, come high water, never stop

Helena needed a change of pace from her daily routine as it was likely adding to her melancholy as of late. Maurelle had offered to take her partying through Vegas, the Johessmans offered a getaway to their piece of paradise in the Caribbean, and a surprise invitation to fish from Wesley Quatrevaux also arrived in her inbox. None of those really struck her fancy however, Helena had never really liked the scene in Vegas despite having lived there for two years, while being mopey while in Paradise or fishing seemed a bit counterproductive.

There was an unopened invitation in her e-mail box however, from an unknown sending who was merely listed as "a friend". Opening op the e-mail, she quickly skimmed through its contents to ascertain that a high level charity masquerade was being held for "The Special Equality Initiative". The details seemed to indicate that formal wear was not being required but costumes to go with the masks. If guests did not arrive in costume or with a mask, then they would be provided one by the hosts of the event, to the hosts discretion as to the attire that the guests would be provided.

Apparently someone had already paid for Helena's RSVP as the message was actually part of a chain thread, which had the receipt as part of the thread. Not only was Helena being sent to some silly charity event that she had not even heard of before, but she was expected to bring a plus one. Her normal choice would have been Felicia but going anywhere in public right now with her wife was likely to increase her melancholy as it was to decrease it and actually allow the Director to have a bit of fun.

Alice would have been the more natural second choice, but she and Claudia were apparently still in the honeymoon bliss stage of their wedding. It was then that Helena felt somewhat small and alone, for her best friend whom she had counted on for years was gone. Sparrow's death had been a hard thing for the whole of the Company but she had been Helena's partner and then friend. That realization certainly had not helped with the sullen feelings that the woman had, but it did serve a notice to her that she needed to extend a circle of friends.

The closest thing she had to that then was none other than one of her wife'surviving immortal children in Niri. A quick, vague text was all that was needed to get the woman on her way from across the country to come visit with her. Keeping herself contained to the study and her vivid thoughts and deep feelings was the best thing Helena thought to do for herself in the interim.

It came as no surprise then when the door to her study creaked open and the familiar voice of the younger immortal echoed through the room. Setting aside her paintbrush into a cup of water, she rushed the Italian woman and wrapped her up in tight hug. "It is so nice to see you again and thank you coming on such a short notice, you were the only person I really could think of joining me for this." Slowly she released her step daughter from her hug and then gave something resembling a smile. "Though maybe we don't tell your mother about this, okay?"

[Nireva Hale]

Yami wo azamuite setsune wo kawashite!
Yaiba surinuke yatsura no suki wo tsuke!
Tsuranuita omoi ga mirai wo hiraku!!

______________________________Coda - BLOODY STREAM

In all honesty, Nireva didn't really know the reasons for Helelna's melancholy; the various events that explained why she and Felicia had been somewhat at odds for the past few months. Marital strife was something she'd experienced in almost every life she'd lived up to this point, a bump in the road that couples either managed to work their way beyond... or didn't. The more she thought about it, especially on the flight over to New York, the more Nireva believed that things would eventually work out between her mother and stepmother and, in their own special ways, everyone around them was on hand to help; the twins, Khalidah, even Devon and Amalia.

That was why she'd accepted the sudden invitation. Helena was family and, after four hundred years of being away from her own, Nireva wasn't about to let her stand alone through what was obviously a troubling point in her life. To be accosted by a hugging family member for the second time today, however, was a little unexpected. "It is so nice to see you again," Helena began, abandoning her canvas for the moment before rushing over to the doorway to sweep her arms around her. "And thank you for coming on such short notice. You were the only person I really could think of joining me for this."

The twins were too young, Khalidah was elsewhere, Felicia was... Felicia and, as she'd discovered earlier, Devon and Amalia were well and truly indisposed for at least the next hour or two. Now that her stepmother had mentioned it, Nireva probably was the only eligible person in mind. "Of course." The overnight bag remained where it was, hanging from her shoulder as she made her best effort to return the hug with the other arm. "I might not be as much of a party animal as Jen, but..." A reassuring smile gently spread across her lips. If she could help it, neither of them would be dwelling on any touchy subjects. "...there's no way in hell I'm gonna leave you to go to a party without a date."

As the words spilled out, Nireva instantly realised how awkward they'd made the moment appear. From the way Helena responded, she surmised that the realisation had been both mutual and made in unison. "Though... maybe we don't tell your mother about this, okay?" It was clear that she was referring to the party, but she couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly in response. "About the party? Or about how awkward that just sounded?" She definitely hadn't meant to flirt - even slightly - with her stepmother. The moment Helena pulled away and relinquished her grip, Nireva languidly strode into the room. "Because, uh... I'm all for voting both on that one."

With nowhere in the study to conveniently leave her belongings for the moment, Nireva occasionally shrugged the shoulder strap of her overnight bag back into place as she moved. "Anyway!" The catalyst which had spurred her on a cross-country flight had been a vague text message; a proverbial drop of the hat that had told her startlingly little. There'd been nothing which had told her who was holding the party, why they were holding it or what was expected of the guests with regards to the "charity" part of proceedings. Helena had asked for her to come along to the party, and she'd said yes. "You didn't mention all that much about this party we're going to tonight."

Although she'd been to more than her fair share of parties over the years, formal dresses weren't something which were present in her wardrobe. Having only read the words charity fundraiser with regards to the type of party to which she was being brought along, Nireva and her overnight bag appeared to be woefully unprepared for what was expected of her. "Though, uh... I will warn you." Her gaze wandered over to the easel, seeing just what Helena had been working on when she arrived. It didn't look complete to her, but it was still a better effort than she would likely have managed. "I might have to go rent an outfit before we get going. Prom dresses... aren't really my thing."

"But, besides all that, I'm pretty much raring to go." With Helena decked out in decidedly normal clothing as well, Nireva silently surmised that, before any actual partygoing went on, an excursion was in order to make sure they both looked the part. "Obviously, I'd... really appreciate it if you did all the driving." Back when Helena had last visited Jen and her, Nireva's ineptitude behind the wheel had become legendary. Although she would have been able to survive most serious crashes with little issue, there was the nagging feeling that her passengers weren't so equally blessed. If she caused a car crash and got Helena or even Jen seriously hurt...

...it didn't bear thinking about. "In return, I'll carry all the bags around. Deal?"

[Helena Rahal]

From the old world's demise
See an empire rise
From the north reaching far
Here we are

Was... was her stepdaughter flirting with her? Oh this was absolutely too rich, it made Helena have a giggle right then and there. Given Niri's life though and how Helena had first come across the woman would become her stepdaughter, she knew she should not be surprised by the occasional flirt here and there. Come to think of it, she met both Niri and Felicia at provocative establishment's despite not really having desired to go there herself, perhaps there was something in all of that.

"Yeah, I do not think either of us would ever hear the end of it if your mother just heard that." There was no telling what Felicia would actually do or think, the woman was ever the enigmatic personality, even during the good times. However she was not the one that was here now and Niri was far more easier to understand and have a spot of fun with. Which was exactly what she was hoping that this evening's entertainment would provide for the both of them.

Niri seemed to want to know more about the engagement that had brought her cross country and on such short notice. It was fair, even if she had accepted unconditionally, it was only natural that someone would want to know more about just what they had been wrangled into it. For this, Helena smirked a little as she began to put away the paints and canvas that she had been using before Niri's arrival at the mansion. It was so refreshing to not have the weight of burden upon her chest and just to let things fly as they would be so apt to do when unchained.

"Well I am not sure if it was Ma or maybe one of my own family members, but we're to attend a charity gala, though you knew that part. However, you need not worry about not being the sort for the formal or "prom" attire, as the party is a little... different."

Helena walked over to where a small closet that normally housed blank canvases or extra paintbrushes was and flung the doors open. "See it is a bit of a masquerade with a twist. All guests are to show up in costume, with the invitation saying the more risque the better, though not to cross decency laws. It also mentioned that if you do not attend with either, then one will be provided for you."

Inside the closet was a handful of costumes of a variety of sizes, since the two women were not near as close in size as some. "I can imagine just what sort of weird and bizarre things they might have in store for those who choose the latter, which is why I went to the liberty of grabbing a few for ourselves. I think I will be donning one of the more modest Wonder Woman ones, though you are free to choose your own from the selection." Helena gestured towards the closet and waited to see what sort of outfit Niri would choose, as well as mask.

[Nireva Hale]

Free your mortal sight.
Arise through frozen alien skies!
Ascend beyond your will to infinity!
______________________________Luca Turilli's Rhapsody - Ascending To Infinity

Parties on short notice, like many things, weren't anything new for Nireva. Having lived for the better part of four-and-a-half centuries, the initial sheen of unfamiliarity that accompanied new experiences had all but worn off, leaving her retreading old ground startlingly often. However, like her forebears, despondence didn't really enter into the equation. A party in eighteenth century France had been vastly different to the Hallowe'en party her grandmother had organised the previous year. The actions might not have changed, but differences always arose from both the people around her and the era in which she was living.

Although her immortality made her a fixture in the world, the constantly shifting mortal populace meant that, if she wanted a technically new experience, all she really had to do was wait. "I don't think either of us would ever hear the end of it if your mother just heard that." Even if Felicia didn't learn of what she'd said, Nireva doubted she was going to live down her verbal misstep for a while. What had formed in her mind as an effort to reassure her stepmother had ended up sounding more like a flirtatious acceptance of her request to accompany her to the party.

Though, having already made a wrong turn and walked in on Devon and Amalia, her latest visit to the Rahal house had rapidly approached what all would have agreed was par for the proverbial course. Not a single visit had gone by without something odd happening. It was just what the Rahals were like. Any who were born - or married - into the family seemed to adopt the tendency to cause such occurrences as a matter of course. With her overnight bag slumped on the floor, her right hand still clutching the leather-clad middle point of the shoulder strap, Nireva watched as Helena, now with something more pertinent with which to pass the time, began to pack away her painting supplies.

The unfinished painting was set on a nearby table while she set about collapsing the wooden easel and returning the tubes of paint to where they belonged. "Well, I'm not sure if it was Ma or maybe one of my own family members..." Now that she thought about it, Nireva realised that she didn't know all that much about Helena's side of the family. The fact that Illy and Daro had used a Dutch moniker to refer to her suggested that, somewhere, her stepmother had ties to western Europe; though, clearly, not the ties which made the Dutch so tall. "...but we're to attend a charity gala. Though you knew that part. However, you need not worry about not being the sort for the formal or 'prom' attire as the party's a little... different."

"Different..?" When uttered by the Rahals, "different" was an ominous portent of embarrassing drunken antics. And that was when they were feeling merciful. "Dare I ask..?"

"See, it's a bit of a masquerade with a twist." With the painting paraphenalia all set to one side, Helena could finally reveal just why she'd enticed her stepdaughter across the country on a near six-hour flight. A short distance away from where she'd positioned the easel was a small cupboard, presumably used for storage. Although dwarfed by the expensive-looking room-height wardrobe beside it, it was still a good six or seven feet tall. More than enough to, for example, hide away all of Helena's painting supplies. The main cavity in the wooden construct would store the easel and canvases, while the drawers beneath would collect tubes of paint, gesso primer and palettes.

Today, however, it was being used for an altogether different purpose. Hanging from a wooden rail was a row of mostly brightly-coloured costumes. With the sheer number of them on display, Nireva surmised that a sizeable portion of the selection would have likely been sourced from some kind of costume store. It made the cosplayer in her recoil in horror but, on such short notice, it couldn't really be helped. And the way some of the skirts and leggings desended far lower than others suggested that her stepmother had covered her bases with regards to sizing. Although they were only an inch apart in terms of height, Nireva's own physique had been better endowed in certain areas. Suffice to say there was no way she could borrow her stepmother's clothes like she did with Jenna. "All guests are to show up in costume, with the invitation saying 'the more risque, the better', though not to cross any decency laws. It also mentioned that, if you don't attend with either, then one will be provided for you."

"Riiiight..." Finally abandoning her overnight bag, she strode over towards the diminutive closet and began to leaf through the costumes, tilting them aside with her finger as though perusing a book. It didn't take her long to spot a common theme between most of the outfits. Many of them she quickly recognised as being the garish attire of various superheroes. Arranged neatly on the floor of the closet, she could see that Helena had also bought a varied assortment of masks. Some were reminiscent of the styles exhibited in Venetian masquerades, while others were the more generic sort seen in stores across the country.

"I think I'll be donning one of the more modest Wonder Woman ones, though you're free to choose your own from the selection." No. As tempting as it was to remark that Helena was a "wonder woman" - even if only for putting up with Felicia and the twins - she wasn't about to put her foot in it a second time by sounding awkward. "I've gotta pick out a mask, too?", Nireva mused, glancing through the selection which faced her. Anticipating her arrival, some of the costumes were indeed more risque than the norm; shorter skirts here, the occasional boob window there.

But, when her eyes came across a pink-and-black masquerade mask in the shape of a butterfly, she found herself struck by inspiration. It took some rummaging - and a little bit of hope that she'd actually seen the costume she suddenly wanted - but, after a minute or two, both mask and costume were being plucked from the closet. A revealing, figure-hugging PVC leotard, a red fabric sash and some fingerless gloves and eight loops made in the same dark blue material. She was going to have to find some glossy knee-high boots to borrow, but her mind was made up. If Helena was going to be Wonder Woman, then she was going to have to one-up her as Psylocke.

"Shame Jen's not here. I bet she'd love to see me with purple hair and sexy boots." The remark put a grin on her face as she showed off her choice. It was a good thing that "risque" was permitted at this party. It was technically her job. "What do you think?"