Natasha Romanoff (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
outstandingbalance) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
driftfleet2016-08-09 09:25 pm
outstandingbalance) wrote in driftfleet2016-08-09 09:25 pm
Entry tags:
catching up with friends
Who: Natasha + Wanda, Natasha + You
Broadcast: Nope
Action: SS Starstruck, SS Vanquish, Iskaulit
When: Now-ish?
Starstruck
[With Pietro showing up, it seemed like the thing to do to check in on Wanda. Natasha had kept an eye open for the girl, but unsurprisingly their paths hadn't crossed by accident since then. She could have sent a private message—maybe should have—but the kind of distance that talking to someone through a screen would hide clues to Wanda's emotional state that Natasha would rather not miss.
It made the most sense to drop in. Have surprise on her side. See Wanda face to face.
That's how Natasha found herself on the SS Starstruck, standing outside her younger teammate's door like she belonged there and knocking confidently. Will Wanda even be in? On the other hand, would Natasha be here if she weren't?]
Starstruck - later
[It's a less confident Natasha who slips off of the ship after her meeting with Wanda, a Natasha with new memories and nursing a stabbing headache. She'd just as soon sneak off the ship without running into anyone else at this point; she could use a little time to herself to recover and regroup.
Even a spy might have a hard escaping a spaceship unnoticed, though.]
Vanquish
[Back on her own ship, Natasha retreats to her bunk almost immediately. She lays down for a bit—but she doesn't stay down long. After enough time to push aside the worst of her nagging headache, she throws herself into activity. Nothing useful. Nothing that takes focus. But empty action, something to work off a little energy while her thoughts are elsewhere. Pushups. Sit ups. Lunges. Whatever she can do with the space she has.
Eventually, the workout might spill out into the corridor...]
Iskaulit
[But after that, her workout will take her to a real gym, somewhere she can actually open up. Anyone who finds her here might run into Natasha taping up her hands before laying into a heavy bag. Or they might run into her working her frustration off on the bag itself. Spectators might be impressed—if they don't know her, and if they don't know people with superpowers. She's stronger than most people take her for, though, and her form is more or less flawless, if you notice those things.
She stays in the gym for a long while, until she feels herself back on top of her emotions. All of her reactions have been identified, categorized and compartmentalized.
That's when she she finally wanders over to one of the bars.
She's earned a drink.]
Broadcast: Nope
Action: SS Starstruck, SS Vanquish, Iskaulit
When: Now-ish?
Starstruck
[With Pietro showing up, it seemed like the thing to do to check in on Wanda. Natasha had kept an eye open for the girl, but unsurprisingly their paths hadn't crossed by accident since then. She could have sent a private message—maybe should have—but the kind of distance that talking to someone through a screen would hide clues to Wanda's emotional state that Natasha would rather not miss.
It made the most sense to drop in. Have surprise on her side. See Wanda face to face.
That's how Natasha found herself on the SS Starstruck, standing outside her younger teammate's door like she belonged there and knocking confidently. Will Wanda even be in? On the other hand, would Natasha be here if she weren't?]
Starstruck - later
[It's a less confident Natasha who slips off of the ship after her meeting with Wanda, a Natasha with new memories and nursing a stabbing headache. She'd just as soon sneak off the ship without running into anyone else at this point; she could use a little time to herself to recover and regroup.
Even a spy might have a hard escaping a spaceship unnoticed, though.]
Vanquish
[Back on her own ship, Natasha retreats to her bunk almost immediately. She lays down for a bit—but she doesn't stay down long. After enough time to push aside the worst of her nagging headache, she throws herself into activity. Nothing useful. Nothing that takes focus. But empty action, something to work off a little energy while her thoughts are elsewhere. Pushups. Sit ups. Lunges. Whatever she can do with the space she has.
Eventually, the workout might spill out into the corridor...]
Iskaulit
[But after that, her workout will take her to a real gym, somewhere she can actually open up. Anyone who finds her here might run into Natasha taping up her hands before laying into a heavy bag. Or they might run into her working her frustration off on the bag itself. Spectators might be impressed—if they don't know her, and if they don't know people with superpowers. She's stronger than most people take her for, though, and her form is more or less flawless, if you notice those things.
She stays in the gym for a long while, until she feels herself back on top of her emotions. All of her reactions have been identified, categorized and compartmentalized.
That's when she she finally wanders over to one of the bars.
She's earned a drink.]
no subject
[ and then, with a concerned tilt of his head: ]
Hey - you ok?
no subject
Natasha always prides herself on being able to keep her perspective.]
When am I not? [She answers his question without actually answering it. Then adds, because this is Steve:] There was a thing, with the augment. I'm fine, but that will give you a splitting headache, won't it?
no subject
[ evidently worried now, he takes a step towards her. anything that has to do with augments has him on alert since the incident with Winter. ]
What happened?
no subject
[She will let him herd her into taking a seat, though. Both because she might have stood up too quickly when she left, and because she knows what he's thinking. She wouldn't have to know Steve to guess, but as it is? There's no question.]
No violent outbursts, no losing memories, and I was already female, so...
[It's a weak joke, and it sidesteps the fact that there were effects.]
no subject
[ he smiles and goes over to get her a glass of cold water. ]
Here.
[ he'll give her a minute before - ]
Think you'll be alright? want me to walk you?
no subject
Are you really that worried?
[She sighs after she says it. The cool glass does feel good. Maybe sitting a moment longer wouldn't be a terrible idea.]
no subject
[ honestly. Maybe it's because he's used to see Natasha the exact same way he sees Peggy, tough as nails or as the more modern folks say, badass ( steve still thinks it's a crude way to describe a person ) but seeing her like this does tug worry out of him. ]
You shouldn't go into the shuttle if you're feeling sick, you can stay a bit.
no subject
[Despite eveything—including the fact that he's not the first person she'd really like to see right now—Natasha manages a smile for him. Hard to stay mad when he was a friend and he was fussing.]
Space might be turning you into a worried grandma.
no subject
[ thank you very much. he does smile a bit at her comment. ]
You haven't been talking to Peggy, have you?
[ because she did call him a nursemaid. ]
no subject
She gives a little sigh.]
I could probably sit a minute longer, though. If it'll make you happy.
no subject
Well, if you don't mind the company.
[ he takes a seat next to her. ]
Did you see or hear anything when the augment went off?
no subject
[Which isn't exactly the same as saying she wants company, but she's not going to turn it down when she's the one visiting.
Her expression falls a little at his question.]
Yeah.
[For a moment then she wonders if she should lie, or hedge. It won't do anything to help them in the long run.]
Yeah, memories. Mine and Wanda's both.
no subject
after all, he was too, about certain matters. ]
Not good ones.
[ her expression says it all. ]
no subject
[There were times that she appreciated the fact Steve had got to know her well enough to see that. It was rare for her that people looked past the cultivated surface, and even more rare she trusted them with what they'd see there.
Today, she can't help but feel it would be easier if he didn't know her as well as he did.]
no subject
[ it's a gentle offer. he won't pry. the future is something they'll all have to deal with, either through memories or through going back home. he won't press Natasha when the memories are clearly enough to shake her otherwise calm front. ]
You know, I won't ever ask, but if you will ever wanna talk about it, you know where I live.
no subject
Natasha sighs.]
It's fine. Mostly this is the headache—and Wanda.
[That's a lie, but not so much of one that Natasha can't rationalize it. Especially when she'd rather deny that she's affected by the memories themselves.]
I figure I just caught up with Barnes now.
no subject
[ it seems as if it's more of a blessing than a curse. he can't bring himself to be sorry for all those absent memories. he shifts, puts a hand over her arm. ]
we're going to get through this. we always do.
no subject
[She doesn't shrug him off, though. The contact is comforting, whether or not she wants to admit it.]
It shouldn't matter much here, though. No reason to borrow trouble.
[That sounds very reasonable, right. The kind of thing that makes sense to a spy.]
no subject
[ it's easier for him, he's well aware, he doesn't know and hasn't lived through whatever it is that happened. ]
we've had bad before.
no subject
[Natasha sighs, considering how much to tell him, how much he knows. She'd rather not tell him more if she can avoid it. She'd rather not explain how when things really head south, it's on the heels of Peggy's funeral. She doesn't want to give him a psychological evaluation based on actions he doesn't remember.
She doesn't want to strain their friendship here.]
It's more like we can't handle each other. That's always been our weak spot, hasn't it? The Avengers together are volatile.
Even when we're on the same side.
no subject
[ he'll agree with her on that. there has always been strains. He'll admit he and Tony hasn't always seen eye to eye and the clashes have came and gone more often than not. ]
But when push comes to shove, when it'll go bad, we'll be able to put them aside for what really matters.
[ or at least that's what he hopes. whatever rift that has occurred, the world matters more. He just hopes they'll remember that. ]
no subject
[Natasha takes a deep breath and straightens, visibly pushing back the pain in her head and the emotions she'd rather not reveal. She's shown more than she's comfortable with already, even with Steve.]
Maybe that's just the way it's going to have to be.
no subject
[ he gives her shoulder a little squeeze ]
especially not on each other. Whatever it is that happened, I have your back. I'll always trust you to have mine.
no subject
[And it meant something that he trusted her. There was a time he wouldn't have, and with plenty of reason.
Too bad that wasn't the problem.]
I should go. I think that's about as much as either of us can take of me being morose.
no subject
[ and he means that. he looks at her for a moment before offering ]
Natasha - don't be a stranger.
[ no matter what it is that happened is not said but implied. ]
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