catching up with friends

[outstandingbalance]

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.]

Comments

[unbearablynaive]

I rather think it does. That and, if I may be frank, the variety of other non-humans.

[Because at home, aside from Thor (who'd scarpered off shortly after the Vision was created), it's generally only him.]

[outstandingbalance]

Be frank. It won't hurt my feelings.

[It makes more sense now than it would have a few days ago, but even then, she wouldn't have blamed him.]

Does it really help?

[unbearablynaive]

[He raises his brow.]

Of course it does. I can offer comfort to Ordis, an AI trapped in a human body, because I understand what he's going through far more than a baseline human would. I understand how Kurt feels about his appearance, and why he takes pride in it rather than being ashamed as someone else might. Though we are all different, we at least share that difference.

[outstandingbalance]

I don't doubt it. Just call it curiosity. [She pauses, then tturns away from the punching bag to face him. There's a brief moment where she considers her words, considers what she's going to admit to, then she says:] I was just thinking, with more and more people at home who don't fit in... I bet there are a lot of them who don't have people who they can connect with that way.

[unbearablynaive]

[Wanda being the obvious reference there, though thinking of her does let his expression soften.]

All the more reason it's important to make them feel at home, I think, inasmuch as we're capable of doing so. Though I can't say I have as much success at it as I'd like.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha doesn't find it so difficult to follow his thoughts.]

You know, it's a new situation for all of us, but maybe you more than most.

[unbearablynaive]

Nearly everything is new to me in some way, Natasha. [Oh look, he didn't call her Agent Romanoff.] I'm still very young, by any standards.

[outstandingbalance]

I'd noticed. [Really, everyone noticed.]

All things considered, I don't know that you're doing too bad.

[unbearablynaive]

[At that he winces, memories from home saying otherwise.]

I've had a certain amount of luck with the Windrose crew, at least. Most are naturally friendly to one another, and they represent a wide variety of skillsets.

[outstandingbalance]

[Oh, she knows now. That's why all things considered.

She's spotting him a few points here.]

I've met a few of them.

[People who recognized her, even though she didn't know them.]

Very welcoming.

[unbearablynaive]

[He, of course, does not yet realize this. Thinking of his crew seems to calm him down a bit, though.]

I hope they haven't made things terribly awkward for you, but they mean well. I could do worse than to have friendly shipmates.

[outstandingbalance]

They've been fine. Friendly is definitely a word for it. [A pause, then.] Maybe ended up in one or two conversations I didn't plan on having.

[unbearablynaive]

[He nods.]

I hope you'll feel free to come to me if anything should get out of hand, but for the most part they should respect your boundaries. It's--very easy to be their captain, actually.

[Unlike, say, being Steve and having to wrangle the Avengers.]

[outstandingbalance]

They've been fine so far. [Reassuring, for the moment.] I'll let you know if that changes, but I don't really expect it to.

[Wrangling Avengers: herding cats.]

[unbearablynaive]

I'm glad to hear it.

[He hesitates a moment.]

In any case, I suppose I shouldn't keep you from your training any longer. Though if you'd like an opponent instead of a punching bag, I have learned a few new tricks.

[outstandingbalance]

[That offer takes her by surprise. The Vision, unlike the Black Widow, doesn't much need tricks to win a fight. But that doesn't mean she's not interested.]

What did you have in mind?

[unbearablynaive]

[He smiles a bit grimly and indicates some batons set against the wall for practice.]

If you could try to catch me with a hit while I'm substantial before I can disarm you?

[outstandingbalance]

Just one?

[She looks him over, then lifts her chin and her brows marginally.]

Sounds like a deal.

[unbearablynaive]

[The Vision nods and approaches the practice area with intent. This style of fighting is definitely something he'd learned during his year of home leave, and she's bound to recognize it as such. He is good at it - but he knows he has very much room for improvement and Natasha's fighting style is chaotic enough that he has a difficult time predicting it more than two moves in advance, if that.

So while he lasts fairly long, she gets a hit in on him well before he can disarm her. It bounces right off, but he holds up his hands to concede the point.]

[outstandingbalance]

[If this were a real fight, Natasha knows where they'd stand. I she could avoid it, she wouldn't even engage. But sparring, in practice, the difference in their experience levels is an advantage—he's come a long way, but there's only so much even Vision can learn in a year or two compared to a lifetime.

That doesn't mean she's not impressed.

Either way, it's a much better workout than punching a bag. He offers a challenge, something to think about and focus on rather than motions to go through while her mind chews on other things. She's grateful or the distraction.]

Better workout than the bag.

[Which is a compliment, if an understated one.]

[unbearablynaive]

[It's a good workout and good practice, and he acknowledges it with a nod when they're done. This is the kind of exercise he finds really useful and applicable to a variety of situations.]

Likewise, I find a bag to be no workout at all. [Do androids even need to work out? Who knows!] I'd be more than happy to do similarly any time you'd feel better to have an opponent.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha does have to wonder. She's not even sure if he has to practice, or if he just learns things and that's it. She's not too hurt that she's never had to fight Vision seriously.]

I'll keep that in mind. Might even take you up on it.

[unbearablynaive]

[What is practice but practical use of skill? He certainly doesn't have to muscle memory, but a live opponent always presents differently.]

I'll look forward to it.

[And he'll head out unless she stops him.]

[outstandingbalance]

[She does think about it. She also thinks of not. Neither really offers a satisfying answer. If she stops him, she'll have to talk to him about something—justify taking the action.

She's not sure she's ready to do that.

There's not much to add, anyway.]