Windrose, where the wind blows

[tothefly]

Who: Windrose crew and you, distinguished visitors!
Broadcast: Naaah.
Action: Windrose, various points in the near vicinity
When: Until we get off this frozen rock

[On New Year's Day, the crew on board the Windrose and those nearby may notice the chill as the doors to the cargo bay are left open, and their captain making quite a bit of noise as she inspects their newly expanded home away from home. This is likely to go on for a while. Feel free to come investigate, chat among yourselves, complain about the cold, etc!]

Comments

[dancingmd]

[Beverly gives her A Look. Come on, Nat, you should know better.]

Ah yes, hurtling down a giant mountain at breakneck speed. Sounds exactly like my idea of fun.

[tothefly]

[What are you talking about, she is a saint. Just look at this face.]

It's plenty of fun, if you have the right teacher. Besides, a downhill slalom isn't the only kind of skiing there is.

You could always try cross-country.

[You know, if you want to be boring.]

[dancingmd]

[Please.]

I think I’ll stick to hiking.

[tothefly]

[She rolls her eyes just a little at the answer.]

Is this because of the beach planet?

[dancingmd]

No, of course not! [Said quite sincerely - she doesn't hold anything against Natasha for that. Beverly just assumed Nat would know better than anyone here how much she hates heights.

Then more softly:]

I've always been afraid of heights. It's nothing you did, I promise.

[tothefly]

It's not an uncommon fear.

[It's okay, that Beverly is afraid of something. They all have fears.]

I'm sorry, regardless. I didn't know, when I talked you into it. I wouldn't have, otherwise.

[dancingmd]

I know you wouldn’t. [Briefly, she rests a reassuring hand on Natasha’s shoulder.] If it hadn’t been for the augment glitch suppressing the fear, I would have refused. Besides, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, to face your fears every now and then.

[tothefly]

[For what it's worth, Natasha doesn't move away or tense at all at the contact, just tilts her head a little, ceding Bev's point.]

Not at all. As long as you've got the right company.

[The beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.]

Sure I can't tempt you into a skiing trip somehow? What about sledding? An ice luge?

[dancingmd]

[She hesitates, but a smile of her own threatens to peek out.]

Maybe sledding.

On a nice small hill. Or a mound.

[tothefly]

I think we can manage that.

[dancingmd]

Just let me know when. Have you been down on the planet much yourself?

[tothefly]

We've been parked most of the time the fleet's been in range. Everyone's needed the shore leave, and we've picked up some interesting new additions to the crew. Have you met Officer Snuggles yet?

[dancingmd]

[Brightly!] Oh, is that the name Wrath decided on for her fox? I met him, when she first got him, but she hadn't come up with a name yet.

[Honestly she's surprised it's just "Officer Snuggles" and not "Officer Snuggles Deathpaw Sparkles" or something more elaborate like that.]

[tothefly]

It is. I tried to convince her to go with something nice and innocuous like "Vicious" or "Bloodmaul," but she had her heart set on the truly terrifying.

[She actually wouldn't be surprised if his full name were something like "Officer Snuggles, Destroyer of Multitudes" or something equally vivid.]

[dancingmd]

She's doing you a favor, really. You must maintain your fearsome reputation you know.

[tothefly]

Oh, absolutely. They'll tell stories about us to their children one day. 'Don't stay up too late, or the Windrose's pet fox will cuddle you to sleep.'

[Even she can't help laughing at it, despite the dry tone of voice.]

[dancingmd]

A much less terrifying prospect than waking up with Alicia’s tail suffocating me at least.

[It’s okay cat, breathing is overrated anyway.]