Eyuzi System Mingle

[lord_wizard]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: If you like!
Action: The planet Lyuku, the Iskaulit, and anywhere else you want
When: Sept 1 to Sept 28

[After a rather short time adrift, the fleet is finally in range of another planet. Small, peaceful, and colorful, there is plenty to do and explore.

Maybe it's enough to forget that vague feeling of unease.

Or not.]

((SYSTEM INFO))

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

I'd let you know if I had anywhere I had to be. [She leads him confidently through the store, her awareness of her surroundings coming through in the subtle way she navigates both of them.] Unless that was a hint that you want to get rid of me?

[echovocation]

Just wondering if you had plans after this, or if you happened to be free. [Wow this store smells like 5 million kinds of incense. Gonna just. Try and block that out before he gets too obvious.]

[outstandingbalance]

Are you flirting with me, Matthew? [Natasha's response is light, arc—not quite a laugh. Not serious and not exactly charmed by his forwardness, but she's not pushing him away either.

She might tempted if not for whatever her current situation is with Barnes. He doesn't make a bad impression.] You're going to make me question where you were going with those silk sheets.

[echovocation]

[Matt smiles in response, and his laugh is a little more obvious.] Those, I promise, are solely for me. Unrelated to the current topic at hand.

[outstandingbalance]

Good. As long as we're on the same page. [And laughing about it. He does have a nice laugh.] I think I see bedding.

[A pause then, but she has to ask.]

Why silk sheets? Seems like a strange priority.

[echovocation]

I have to afford myself one luxury, so I can suffer anything else that might come my way in silence. Catholic. [Sticks his free hand out to feel around for bedsheets. Do they have a sample rack or anything...?]

[outstandingbalance]

I thought Catholics were supposed to go in for hair shirts. Things like that.

[She guides them to a shelf. Each set for sale has a swatch on display for people to judge; she'll direct his hand toward something that looks silk-like, at least.]

Far cry.

[echovocation]

I'm a Manhattan Catholic. [Tests the fabric between his fingers with a smirk, moving along the line of samples by touch to compare. Honestly, a lot of these are better than what's on the beds on the ships.] Once had a bacon cheeseburger on Good Friday. Had to do the whole rosary for that one. [no he didn't] On my knees, on tile. [matthew stop]

[outstandingbalance]

[Matthew.]

That sounds like a hard life. I hope that cheese burger was worth it, not just some fast food.

[echovocation]

It wasn't. Learned a good lesson. [He pauses at a particular swatch before groping for the bundle of bedsheets below it. These'll do.] What about you? Any vices? Virtues?

[outstandingbalance]

Oh, I was raised communist. I'm fairly sure virtues were for the decadent West.

[It's a dodge, avoiding revealing her vices or talking about why anyone should ignore them, but one that dangles a little personal information, tempting him in another direction.

Away from anything that smacks too much of morality.]

[echovocation]

[He kind of wants to get a second set just in case, but nah, better not. He doesn't know how far this money he's got is going to take him.

He reaches out a hand for Natasha's elbow again, bedsheets under his arm. Another direction, huh? How about they make for the checkout counter while he changes the topic?] Wouldn't happen to be from Russia, would you?

[outstandingbalance]

I was originally. [She doesn't question that he'd hear the register, heading that direction at his lead.] It's been a long time since I've been back. You been there?

[echovocation]

Nah. Barely even been out of Hell's Kitchen. [Flips the strap on his cane back and forth idly as they wait in line.] Maybe if I had more sense I'd move, especially after all that damage from the invasion, but I just can't bring myself to go.

[outstandingbalance]

The invasion? [Oh, she can guess where this is going. Interesting.] That happened in your world too—or was it something else?

[echovocation]

No, we're thinking of the same one. Sorry if I'm being too forward, but you were there, right? [He's almost positive, but if he's not right then he'll have accused a gorgeous woman of being an Avenger. He's done worse.]

[outstandingbalance]

Suppose I was. [It's no good playing coy now. Better to take that hit to avoid worse.] I take it you know who I am.

[She's been on the news more than once, interviews, answered to the senate. Much as she hates it, Natasha's a been pretty public the past few years.]

[echovocation]

You've got a distinctive voice. And I have a good ear. [Matt politely turns his face away, so it won't at least feel like he's staring at her.] I'm not out for an interview or a date; just curious.

[outstandingbalance]

Just curious. And what are you curious about? You know, there's a good chance I don't know the answer.

[echovocation]

It's a general state of being. I'm a lawyer, I tend to dig into business that isn't mine. [Sorry, Natasha. At least he lets her go when he steps up to the clerk to make his purchase?] I'm sure you've heard plenty of opinions already. No reason to add mine to the noise.

[outstandingbalance]

We've gone from curiosity to opinions and I haven't even answered anything yet. I hope that's not a bad sign.

[echovocation]

[Takes advantage of the transaction distraction to think about his actions for once. Should he get into it with an actual Avenger? Probably not. Is he even upset? Does he want to get into it? Sorta.

Even if the destruction on New York was hardly their fault, from everything Matt heard it was the result of their involvement in whatever alien wars and secret S.H.I.E.L.D. spy plans that caused it to happen there in the first place. Not that he knows much about those either, what with most information locked tight behind bold and glaring CLASSIFIED stamps.

He takes his purchase from the clerk and slings the bag handles over his arm, shuffling out of the way before regarding Natasha.]

Have you ever been down to Hell's Kitchen? I wouldn't blame you if you hadn't, it's not exactly a tourist spot.

[outstandingbalance]

I've been to Hell's Kitchen. I don't spend a whole lot of time there, all things considered, but I'm in New York on a regular basis and I get around.

[She saw the damage. She never tried to hide from that.]

[echovocation]

So you've seen the collapsed buildings. The downed subway lines, the scaffolding everywhere. It was about two years ago but they're only just now getting to repairs in Lower Manhattan. From what I understand, the city saw to the blocks surrounding Stark Tower first.

[outstandingbalance]

I have seen them. [And a lot more than that. If it's only been two years for him, then he might not even know about DC yet, and he definitely wouldn't have heard about Sokovia. Natasha shakes her head. She doesn't have any interest in mounting a defense.] The damage, and the repairs.