driftfleet | (no subject)

I knew Jim too. I miss him.

Aww, that's really cute. Yeah, he was good at it and was... Really careful with me. But like not in a bad way.

I trust him.

Perhaps we'll meet him again. [~~What if in that timeline, Ultron's the good guy and Vision is the bad guy??~~

Trust is a surprising admission from Wrath, though. It's not her usual friendliness at work here.]

Because you understand him, to an extent?

I hope so, though... I don't know if he's happier where he's at now.

[She pauses, thinking about how to put it.]

I think... our demons are nextdoor neighbors.

We can hope he is.

[He nods, expression serious. He remembers seeing her mindscape during Calibrations, and it wouldn't surprise him at all if Winter's was similar.]

Then I'm glad you have someone you can relate to, and that he does as well. I trust you know you're welcome to speak to me about anything?

Yeah... I know I can. It's just... some things you don't even really think about until there's someone else who has the same thing. Because it's just there, you know?

There weren't any counselors I could trust to talk to, in Proles. I know it's different here, but it takes getting used to.

There are certain things I take into consideration when I'm speaking with someone from my own timeline, so I suppose that's an equivalent? [He's not really sure about that, though.]

Mr. Stark often felt the same way regarding his experiences. [He'd talk to JARVIS, sometimes, but that wasn't the same at all.] It--becomes easy to believe others don't have your best interests at stake after a betrayal. If something of that nature happened to you, I'm very sorry to hear it.

Maybe? But Winter isn't from my timeline. It's more... they've been through the same shit as you. Your demons are neighbors. And it's... different. because of that.

It happened to everyone. You had to be careful.

Yes. Your experiences can be similar regardless of timeline.

[Though--while he has no doubt there were some horrific things in her past, and he's seen the inside of her mind to verify it--at least she had come out of it with an appreciation for fuzzy animals and the color pink. The Winter Soldier hadn't even had that much, as he understands it.]

You were all betrayed?

Yeah. I guess some shit is just universal even if the details are different.

[Or maybe she's just always liked pink and fluffy things and her personality is just that strong. No way of knowing.]

I think. Like. Anyone could get taken in, right?

[The government ripping holes in your brain shouldn't be that universal of an experience, he thinks crossly.]

Would you like to talk about it, Wrath? If you'd prefer not to, I understand.

[She shrugs.]

What, like people getting taken off to Compliance? I know that's not a thing that happens here.

No, it's not. What did it mean for you?

I don't know?

Like. There's still part of me that's waiting to go in. Because Compliance fixes you, and that's important. But I also didn't want my kids going in, because I knew it wasn't really great for them.

I guess it means wanting two different things that can't both be true.

[If she lets him, he'll reach over to cover her nearest hand with one of his.]

If you knew it wasn't great for them, perhaps it wasn't the right choice for you, either. Wrath, no matter what else this Fleet brings to you, I promise you I will not allow Compliance to take you as long as I am here.

[Of course she lets him. She likes touching, just in general. So she smiles at him and turns her hand to give his a squeeze.]

I know you won't. Even if they were here. [She doesn't know how to explain it. That she knows he's right, but at the same time cannot shake the urge to go in and report. ]

[It's hard to tell, and he's glad he made the right choice.]

There aren't many things that anger me, Wrath. Betraying one's own people is one of those.

[One corner of her lips quirk.] I think they'd say I was the traitor to my city now.

They would. That doesn't make what they say right.

How do I know that you're right and they're wrong? [There's no accusation to the question. It's one of those things where she's never quite sure. She thinks Vision is right, she trusts him more than anyone in Bifrons, but she can't really say why.]

[No, it's a fair question and he doesn't seem to be offended by it.]

You must gather all the information available to you and use your best judgment. All people judge differently, because what is right for one person may be wrong for another. You must trust yourself, but you must also try to make your decisions as informed as possible.

I don't trust myself about most things like that. [Shrug.]

It is a work in progress for everyone, Wrath. [Even him.] That does not mean it's not worthwhile to try.

I know.

But I trust what you say more than I trust myself. You know when things are real or not.

[That's...an interesting way to put it.]

You mistrust your own perceptions, then.

Yeah. I forget too much stuff.