System Mingle!!

[appletart]

Who: EVERYONE!!
Broadcast: If you want?
Action: In the current system!
When: ALL MONTH!!!

It's a system mingle! What are you up to? Exploring the surface? Living the best nightlife ever? Fighting off your own allergies? Doing your best to ignore Fred.....?


System Info Here!

Comments

[rebuildyourruins]

[It's hard not to be suspicious these days, given where they are and how long they've been without answers. Thor doesn't usually look much askance at the locals of the worlds they visit. His scrutiny is mostly reserved for the Atroma themselves.

Heaving a sigh, he drums his fingers on the table.]

It could be anything. We'll probably never know, much like all the other worlds and their ills.

[outstandingbalance]

Probably not. That's how it usually goes.

[And she doubts that's coincidental. The Atroma sweeping them into planets with failing terrafroming or deadly diseases. Or cannibals. Hate to forget the cannibals.]

As long as it doesn't get worse, I think I can handle this one.

Easy for me to say, though. I'm not the one with allergies.

[rebuildyourruins]

[He laughs at that.]

You've been up there to test it, then? I had no trouble either.

[outstandingbalance]

For a bit. Didn't make an expedition of it, but I looked around. [Sometimes a girl just wants some fresh air and quiet.] No problems so far.

[rebuildyourruins]

I'm glad to hear it. Though it does seem as though most things happen underground here. Certainly that's where all the shops are.

[outstandingbalance]

That's the impression I get. Which makes sense, all things considered. [Even if it would be awful nice to see a little more of the sky, she's not going to complain about it. She wouldn't ask the locals to expose themselves to the environment more. Besides...] Still less claustrophobic than being stuck on a ship.

[rebuildyourruins]

Much less. I've taken a room here rather than stay on board.

[It's what he usually does, though his eagerness has faded somewhat in recent months. The end of half the universe will do that to you. Still, he goes through the motions.]

There's not so much I need to supply to the Blue Fish anymore either, given how few people remain.

[outstandingbalance]

So it's all fun and games then.

[There's a tightness to her voice as she says that, a wryness that makes it clear that she doesn't imagine he's shirking any of his duties.]

Are you staying by yourself?

[rebuildyourruins]

[There's a lingering strain in his returned smile. It's true that he's not abandoning his duties, but nor is he putting as much effort into them as he used to. He's come to realise that it doesn't make much difference.]

Yeah, I am. I catch up with others in the day though.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha's gaze slips back down to her drink and she shakes her head slightly.]

That's the important part. Especially with everyone showing up.

[rebuildyourruins]

[He's quiet for a moment, turning the glass in his hands, before he catches Natasha's eye with his unnatural amber one.]

It is important, but at the same time... whenever I see them I'm reminded of what I know, and they do not.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha draws a deep breath at that, slow and deliberate, nodding after a beat.]

Some of them know. Most of them don't.

[Most of them are years away from knowing, and probably better off that way.]

You know there's someone else who knows though.

[rebuildyourruins]

Yeah... I do.

[It's why he's saying anything at all. Other than Loki, and the few things he's told Lup and Taako, Thor's stayed silent on the subject with everyone else. Even Steve had to say first that he knew what happened before Thor relented. It's not a natural state for him... though every day that passes makes it moreso.]

And yet I don't even know what to say about it.

[outstandingbalance]

[She can understand that, and she reaches out and pats his shoulder. It's hardly demonstrative, but it offers comfort physically that he doesn't know how to say.]

We could get another instead.

[rebuildyourruins]

[That draws a laugh out of him.]

Sure. I'll buy.

[He thinks about what Natasha said though, as he finishes his current glass and orders them both another round.]

I did try to speak about it with some others. Not from our world. But there's so much to explain before it's even understood.

[outstandingbalance]

It gets to be more trouble than its worth.

[Because explaining turns into reliving the failure, admitting every bit of how things fell apart.

She shrugs.]

It's hard to understand, even going through it.

[rebuildyourruins]

I don't know if I ever will.

[It's attendant with that failure. How could it have gone so wrong? Why didn't they manage to stop it? Why didn't Thor manage to stop it?]

I'm trying to, though.

[outstandingbalance]

Might be that we just have to learn to deal with not understanding it.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor grimaces, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling.]

Maybe. But that feels ... incomplete.

[outstandingbalance]

It does. [Which is why learning to accept it is so difficult. She says the word to Thor, but it doesn't satisfy her either.]

[rebuildyourruins]

[He's silent for a long few moments, turning his thoughts around in his head. Natasha will know he's about to speak again when he gives himself a slight shake and turns to her.]

There is one thing we must understand though. What we intend to do next.

[outstandingbalance]

[Because they have to do something.]

You have any ideas? I'm all ears.

[rebuildyourruins]

Nothing solid yet. But Loki has said he can put an enchantment on my hammer that will let us track the Stones.

[It may not hold beyond this place, and their memories might not either. As always, though, Thor refuses to countenance the idea. He's leaving with everything intact.]

Because we must find Thanos.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha doesn't argue that. She doubts it'll be that easy, but if they don't remember this conversation at all, it's not like she'd get the chance to say I told you so.]

That's not a plan. It might be a start, if we had an idea what to do with him when we found him.

[rebuildyourruins]

I know what I intend to do with him.

[No prizes for guessing. After a moment, he relents.]

But it's what to do with the Stones that is of greater concern.