driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Natasha Romanoff + you (+ maybe some Bucky Barnes)
Broadcast: Video
Action: Mostly no, but we could work something out.
When: Now

[The video feed start, focusing tightly on Natasha's face, the only visible backdrop a rather generic portion of cabin wall.]

So checking the date, seems like it's been a while. Nice to see everyone's back in the air. Hopefully in one piece. I see a few people have left.

Anyone want to fill me in on the important details? Or should we let sleeping dogs—

[The sound of a door cuts her off the, and Natasha looks up. Whoever she sees, her expression softens. She smiles slightly, lifting her chin slightly and turning her head to catch a kiss from some loser tall enough that only the lower half of his face makes it in the frame. The stubble on his chin and the shape of his mouth might be enough to identify him though.]

A lot of catching up to d—

[Suddenly the feed cuts out.]

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Nope. I remember waking up. Don't remember falling asleep.

[She shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest in a vaguely protective manner. Her posture is comfortable enough otherwise, but she'd be lying if she pretended it didn't bother her.]

Considering they tell me this is another universe entirely, not surprising it'd be too far away. Just about everything is.

Mm. Given what I've heard so far about the people brought here, it's clear there's more than one universe at play.

[Which begs the question of how these beings are able to hijack people out of different universes for their own purposes. That's a lot of power. He doesn't think even Odin could muster the power to launch someone beyond their own universe. The dark energy needed to get Thor to Earth had nearly killed them both.

He drums his fingers on the counter.]

Such as, more than one universe where the Avengers exist.

There are. I've met them. Some of them. There's a different version of Clint here, or there was. And a girl who's his protege.

[That had been strange.]

A few others.

And both Vision and Wanda were here at some point. It's too many.

[From their universe and others like it. But Natasha's comment reminds him...]

You said it had been some time since you last saw me. Did you mean from being here, or at home?

I meant from home. You haven't been here, as far as I know.

[A pause, then she adds:]

Tony's been here too. You should know, if he comes back... things might not be great between him and Steve.

[Good, since he doesn't like to think about having been here before, though the fact of Loki having been here is perpetually on his mind. Thor's eyebrows go up at Natasha's comment.]

They aren't? It isn't because of what happened with Ultron, is it?

[That had certainly been a disagreement, though Thor had thought that situation was resolved between all of them when he was last on Earth.]

No. It's a long story, and I'm not sure I'm the one to explain it.

[The problem is, she's not sure thre's anyone better either. Steve would make it dramatic, and on some level Natasha still doubted he really understood why Tony was so hurt.

That was just her angle, though.]

I can give it a shot, if you want, but... honestly, probably for the best you missed the whole thing.

[That's a big statement, and he knows Natasha wouldn't make it lightly. Considering the kinds of things he's missed over the years, he has to wonder exactly what ranks that high among them.]

Then it must be a long tale indeed. Still, I would like to hear however much you're happy to tell.

[Somehow is going to have to catch him up. And maybe it's ego, but Natasha would rather it be her than Steve—Steve is in his own head over the whole thing, and not exactly unbiased.]

After the first round, then. It'll be better after we've warmed up.

All right.

[Thor's satisfied that it's coming, even if it's a few drinks away. He has a mouthful of drink, before setting his glass down and turning back to Natasha. Brightly:]

So! Who was that with you in the video?

[If they aren't starting on the other stuff, he's going back to a question he hasn't gotten around to asking yet.]

[That question isn't as irrelevant as one might hope—may even cause some problems if Tony does come back—but Natasha still smiles at it.

She clears her throat.]

Barnes.

[She figures Thor knows who she's talking about. At this point, the two of them might have even met down on the planet or during the aftermath.]

Believe me, we were as surprised as anyone.

[Thor does know the name, both from Steve and the news at home. As yet he hasn't met the man, so he had no suspicions when seeing Natasha's video. He still straightens up in surprise.]

Rogers' friend?

That is the polite way to describe it.

[Significantly better than his code name, or other more descriptive options.]

You should meet him, if you haven't.

[He knows there are issues between Steve and Barnes - which is a charitable way of putting it. Thor hadn't been involved in the Winter Soldier's reappearance but he'd certainly heard about the aftermath. But it does seem like things have improved, if this is anything to go by.]

I should, and I will. So, you and him...?

[That gets a smile out of Natasha. If she were anyone else, it might almost be coy. She doesn't really do coy, though.]

Me and him. For a few months now. It's been good. [Which is very true. It occurs to her that it might seem quick to Thor, after Bruce, but... it'd been a while for Natasha.] He's better here.

Got here way ahead of the rest of us.

A few months... right.

[Even when you rationally know people have been here longer, it's a tough thing to automatically assume. Especially if it hasn't been so long for you. Thor returns Natasha's smile though - it's clear she's happy.]

Well, I am glad to hear it, even if I wasn't expecting it. At least something good came from these months you've spent here.

Not the only thing. And while I'd rather it wasn't here... you have to take advantage of what you have while it lasts, right?

[Because they might go home at any moment too.]

That's what I told Steve when he had cold feet over Peggy, at least.

[And eventually she took her own advice.]

I agree. We don't know what the future holds.

[Thor's aware of that, both here and elsewhere. He grins a bit, Natasha's comment about Steve completing another puzzle piece.]

Hah. They were not very clear about that to me when I first spoke with them.

You met Agent Carter. [With some affectionate exasperation.] Steve is a little more willing to open up. I think she delights in being aggressively private about their relationship.

[Not that Natasha blame her, or doesn't understand where the impulse comes from. Or that she's never private. The real difference comes down to the particulars of execution.]

It's been a bright side.

["Something like that," Peggy had said, and it had taken a while for the actual fact of it to come out. As Steve had said, he's not as in tune with Earth allusions as they are.]<.small>

I can only imagine. She's from much farther back in time, isn't she.

[He knows what it means, of course. He knows Steve's story and how far removed he is from his original time.]

She is. Though for the most part she bears up under the changes well.

[For values of well. She complains about them often, an it's clear she's not entirely comfortable with them, but at the same time... Peggy's an adaptable woman. Natasha respects that.]

The Agent Carter in our time... died recently, actually. That's not entirely irrelevant to the rest of what you need to catch up on.

Oh.

[He's not sure what to say to that. It's sad, certainly, but Peggy would have been very old by now. It would have been her time. Again, though, the oddness that comes with knowing someone is dead but still walks this place gets a little under his skin.]

It sounds as though a lot has happened, in a short time.

That is about the shape of it. A lot of thing turned south on us all at once, and at about the worst time.

[Hence why it hasn't been discussed yet. Thor finishes off his drink, setting the glass back on the table.]

That tends to be the way of it, when things go wrong.

Doesn't it just. [She sighs. But that seems to be the right segue into what happened. Of just about anyone who could show up, Thor deserved to know where things stand.] So I guess it started with Nigeria. That's the part you wouldn't know about, at least.