driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Natasha Romanoff & You
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: 6/24

Video

[Transmission starts at the same moment the woman laying in fram shifts from unconsciousness to tense stillness—her eyes open, darting, and she goes tense, but otherwise there's no movement from her for the first four or five seconds. That seems to be how long it takes her to process that she's in an unfamiliar space with no memory of how she came to be lying there. Then one hand balls consciously into a fist. Her eyes flutter. Jaw tightens.

Natasha takes a deep breath and forces her body to relax muscle by muscle.

Seems like spies don't make for great entertainment when they first wake up. Not unless you find tension and veiled suspicious looks riveting. The first minute or two isn't much more than that. She wakes up. She sits up. She swings her legs over the edge of her cot and stretches her back, trying to flex the adrenaline out of her muscles.

She looks directly into the camera at one point, her expression flat, lips tightening in a frown. She taps the edge of the lens experimentally.]

You know, if you're gonna kidnap a girl you could at least buy her dinner first.

[Her voice is just a touch to defiant to be neutral as she speaks.

Then she hauls herself to her feet. The last thing caught on camera before the broadcast ends is a shot of her catsuited figure walking away.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It really doesn't.

So, I assume someone's dropped the "you were here before" bomb already, right? [Who has time to stalk? Well, she does usually, but she hasn't yet.]

It's come up a time or two. [Enough that she puts on a good face, like it doesn't bother her that she doesn't remember any of it. Natasha's always put on a good front.] If you knew her... sorry. I'm disappointing a lot of people today.

I had joined the Windrose and met her shortly before she left, so you're not that behind. I'm Kitty Pryde. You're Natasha and you're an Avenger. These are the things I know. [And other than knowing she was important to the rest of the crew and some others in the fleet that really is all she knows and she didn't even find the last part out from Natasha. That came from Vision.]

Well, I know more about myself. But those are the things I know about you.

[The explanation gets a little smile out of her, not without a little rueful humor but real humor still.]

That clears that up. It's nice to meet you, Kitty.

So you're on Vision's crew?

[A nod.] I'm the pilot. You were too last time around. Okay, I knew one more thing. Not exactly personal though.

So that was something they switched up this time. [She murmurs it as though to herself, but if she'd really meant to keep it to herself she wouldn't have spoken aloud at all.]

Might as well let me know.

Oh, I just meant the augment thing. But I'm a pretty upfront sort of person, so no worries about me hiding things. [As if it's as easy to erase worries as that.]

Hm. Well, now I'm disappointed.

So how do you like being a pilot? Do they actually let you fly, or it just for show?

Sorry. I could make some things up? [She flashes a little smirk.]

Oh, they let me fly, but if I wasn't around it would fly without me too. And I can go off course, but not too far. Invisible boundaries and all that.

Don't let me hold you back if you were feeling creative.

Suppose I'm still trying to figure out what the point of these jobs is.

I could make up a torrid love affair for past you if you want.

And the jobs? I don't know. A sense of purpose? Hilarious work place comedy? Never really understood show biz or abductions.

I don't know. How torrid are we talking? I mean, I don't know. Might as well go for broke.

Mmm, you and Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the observatory?

Oh, now that would be a shocker.

I hope it got a ratings bump.

You could have alarming amounts of credits the very next day. Trust me. [That is the "trust me" of experience.]

Wait...

[Sorry, that gets a look out of her. Not exactly surprised and not skeptical, but that's news to Natasha and it implies things about the audience. And the show.]

Am I reading that wrong?

Um...if you're reading that we get more credits for being entertaining, you're not wrong. The manner of entertainment might vary among us. But I've noticed certain boosts to my funds at times. [And it is creepy, yes.]

That's concerning.

[And an opportunity, potentially, but not Natasha's favorite kind. She'd rather stay out of the spotlight.]

Tell me about it. Some things a girl just doesn't want to get paid for. [Like basically everything they pay her for.]

That she does not.

And now that really does add an extra layer of sketchiness to the whole thing.

On the plus side for others it makes me motivated to get money out of my account quickly. Upgrades and extra food for everyone. Well, sometimes that's just everyone on my ship which I guess you aren't on anymore. [It seems a little sad to her somehow even though she didn't really know her and it's not like she remembers the Windrose or its crew either. Except for Vision of course.]

You just turned out to be a fun shipmate, huh?

[Natasha doesn't really regret not being on Windose. She doesn't remember it, and what's more she wouldn't want to make thins awkward for Vision. He's the captain there now, and Natasha's only memories of the fleet are of just arriving.

But she can respect that it's strange, and she has nothing against Kitty.]

Looks like. I'm sure my former teammates would be surprised. [They probably wouldn't. Well, not about that anyway.

Kitty would understand if Natasha wasn't dying to get back to the ship. It's probably the most welcoming but also the most awkward place she could go.]