[muffled spooky scary skeletons playing in the distance]

[geonomy]

Who: You! Me! Everybody!
Broadcast: idk but we've sure got a pretty broad cast of folks eh, eh
Action: HECK YEAH PLANET MINGLE
When: 10/7 until plot update or recaptcha

It's a deep, deep forest filled to the brim with fungi, mysterious life forms, and pitch black darkness. Explore if you dare and discover all these things and more! Just don't get lost...

Comments

[mucked]

He did. [ peggy confirms -- archly. ] Only, when I gave it to him it was anything but busted. [ ... ] And he was late.

[ but he saved a lot of soldiers, that day. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Men, hm?

[As though this kind of thing were a hazard of dealing with them.

Which in their line of work, it might be.]

I bet he had the nerve to act like it was all to plan, too.

[uprightness]

[ do not feed the trolls, do not feed the tro - ]

Every plan requires some improvising -

[ so much nerve was involved. ]

So you might say it was.

[mucked]

[ men! she guffaws, and doesn't mind the way the thick leafy canopy seems to envelope the sound. softens it; almost muffles it. ]

I very nearly lost my rank over that caper, mind you. So it was damned fortunate that he had a...plan. [ she's too prim to use air-quotes, and yet her tone says it all. ]

I'm sorry you lot have to suffer him now, Ms. Romanoff. Truly.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha chuckles, barely audible though it shows in her posture and her eyes.]

Well, he makes up for it somehow.

[Natasha sounds less like she's complimenting Steve, more mock incredulous.]

[uprightness]

You know if you two want to stay alone for this at any time -

[ he knew these two meeting will eventually spell out a world of trouble for him one way or another but the complaint was hardly sincere and it showed; evidently, Steve Rogers was far too happy about the ladies in his life getting along than really minding them taking turns with this banter. ]

I'm sure we'll reach a clearing eventually.

[mucked]

How quickly he surrenders! [ a good-nature sort of chuckle. ] Though, as for clearings, I can't say I wouldn't mind some manner of...of landmark. We haven't ventured too far from the mesa, and yet the forest is growing rather thick.

[outstandingbalance]

I wouldn't put too much hope on finding a real clearing any time soon. From the air, openings looked few and far between.

[uprightness]

It's almost like a jungle in here.

[ enhanced eyesight or not, this will be a challenge for him, too if it keeps getting even more dense. ]

If we don't have a landmark, we might as well make one. We can mark one of these trees.

[mucked]

[ a nod to the captain's shield. ]

Are you volunteering? [ peggy took her gun, today, and not her knife. ] Unless you've got a blade, Natasha, then the shield might be our best tool.

[outstandingbalance]

Be my guest.

[Not confirming whether or not she's carrying a knife.

Though she is absolutely carrying a knife.]

[uprightness]

If I had to guess, I'd say she has four of them.

[ Years of having Natasha as a friend had taught him some things, it would seem. He does take a step back, however and throws the shield in the direction of the closest tree, enough to create a visible line in the bark without breaking it. ]

Right. That should do it.

[mucked]

[ there is a certain selfishness to requesting that steve be the one to mark the trees. she hasn't seen him legitimately wield his shield since the war -- things are either too peaceful in the fleet, or else she hasn't been present when conflict has broken out around him. ]

I'm put in mind of Hansel and Gretel, [ she comments -- wary. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Four you'd find.

[She says it as a joke, not serious enough to confirm or deny his statement.]

Sure beats leaving bread crumbs though.

[uprightness]

Four I'd dare to look for.

[ he counters even as he ducks beneath a lower branch as they go. if there is a truth universally acknowledged, it's that there is some thing about Natasha one is simply better off not knowing and Steve made peace with that. ]

I hope the difference would me that there wouldn't be a wicked witch in there -

[mucked]

My, my, all this talk of secret knives -- [ peggy smiles to herself, although her tone is quite dry. ] Shall I turn my back so you can frisk her, Captain?

[ -- once upon a time, peggy had been something of a jealous creature. but that's not the case today. if anything, she only finds immense amusement in the banter. and her commentary on it is nothing more than a twisting knife of her own. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha might flirt with Steve, but there's a very definite lack of intention behind it—it's clear she doesn't mean for it to go anyway. Just part of the game.

And anyway...]

If you want me frisked, you might have to do it yourself, Agent Carter. Steve might be too much of a gentleman to actually touch all four.

[It's hard to say which of them she's teasing in this case.]

[uprightness]

I am enough of a gentleman not to comment to any of that. I'm not hearing you. You know, there are birds the size of pigs just above our heads.

[ there are, in fact, brightly colored and quite big, too. harmless, but they make for a wonderful change of subject after the frisking and the - four. ]

[mucked]

[ her laughter is barkish -- but bright, and very genuinely meant. if she's being teased, then she doesn't much mind. after all, she wants to think it comes from a place of some respect. and if not respect, then at least good regard. ]

If I did, you wouldn't be the first Russian trained operative I've frisked. [ and turnabout is fair play.

to steve: ] She is, however, correct. If she's anything like the agents I've crossed paths with, you may be a bit too decent a person. Sorry.

[outstandingbalance]

Oh, so I won't have to be gentle.

[Not even sorry, Steve. Not even sorry. This is clearly the most important conversation.]

The birds aren't bothering us.

[uprightness]

Wait, what?

[ he actually turns his head at that, what do you mean frisked? ]

Have you two planned this before we left?

[ because this has to be a scheme of some sort. ]

[mucked]

Honestly, Steve. [ what do you think she does for a living? she'd frisk you, too, if she thought you might be an enemy agent. ]

[ mock-discretely, and to natasha: ] It's as if he would fault us for our professions. Planned it? How ridiculous.

[outstandingbalance]

You'd think he'd be used to it by now. I guess I can't blame him, though.

[She raises her voice archly.]

We are pretty suspicious, though.

[uprightness]

He is standing right here.

[ just as loudly ]

Just - change the subject. Anything would do.

[ stop talking about frisking people and just. nope. ]

[mucked]

[ he is standing right there -- and he's so impolitely asking for a change of subject that peggy decides she might as well oblige him: ]

Oh. I was once kissed by a Soviet spy. That was... [ unfortunate. ] Something. It was all very rude, actually. [ ... ] I realized she'd stolen my lipstick.

[ this is all addressed directly to natasha, of course. steve is free to plug his ears if he likes. ]