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[deaddrop]

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[krasnaya_smert]

[ Slowly she nods, fitting these new pieces into the bigger picture. Of course Barton was involved. If it's not him, it's Barnes, the latter acting like a literal guardian angel as of late (back home, though it's endearing how similar the two are, this Bucky and that James). ]

You mentioned Thanos before; did it involve him?

[deaddrop]

It did. It's a long story, but the short version is that he managed to do what he wanted to. Kill half of all living creatures.

Certain steps had to be taken to undo it.

[They only had the one change.]

[krasnaya_smert]

[ She pinches her fingers together and then taps the claws down thrice, clearly unnerved. And with good reason. ]

Yeah, he did something similar to us too. Nebula reversed it. It's only that...if something still haunts you, if you needed to talk to anyone else who wasn't there, I'm opening that door. We've been friends long enough that I would hope you already understand that, but on the same token, I won't always let you clam up. Because I do the same thing. Or...did.

[deaddrop]

I'm not sure I would characterize it as clamming up.

[Which isn't the same as saying it's an incorrect characterization.]

Just... not things that seem productive to air.

[krasnaya_smert]

I can be annoying and say it's also not unproductive. Mental health and all that, da?

[ She's not judging, having no room to do so, and so, is looking on her other self with kindness and understanding. ]

[deaddrop]

[Natasha does not say that she thinks that ship has sailed, even if it is on the tip of her tongue. That seems like a very unhealthy thing to say.]

At this point keeping it in might be the best thing I can do for my mental help.

[krasnaya_smert]

[ Natalia makes a soft sigh and hum. It's not as though she discusses her own deaths. At least, not much more beyond the facts; she's died, and more than once, and brought back by more than one means. Nevermind that it is largely due to the fact that the narrator doesn't remember said details. ]

What if I press you about something else?

[deaddrop]

I suppose it depends what you want to ask. I don't mind if you do ask though.

[krasnaya_smert]

How are you handling being without our little bird?

[ It's been a few weeks and she did promise, Tasha. ]

[deaddrop]

[A brief pause, then Natasha nods. She'll allow this line of prying.]

Mixed feelings, I suppose. It doesn't seem exactly right to want him here. He should be home with his family.

[Implied: she does miss him, and she does want him here.]

[krasnaya_smert]

It's understandable, even natural, to be selfish and want the comforts of home. I'm pretty sure that Altman, Kaplan, LeBeau, and Rogue are from my universe. They're the only ones who look exactly like themselves. So, while I am not, strictly speaking, alone, and I have my lovely little clones - ((she teases, referring to Tasha, Bucky, Wade, and so on)) - I can't honestly say that I don't want my Barton. My Barnes. Hell, I'd even take Hill. We aren't the only ones. Surely.

[deaddrop]

You know, there are worse people who could be here than Hill. Obviously I have no reason to start wishing I had more people from home, but... Could do worse.

[Another reason she's selfish. She has an embarrassment of people from home.]

But considering Tony and Carol, I really shouldn't get greedy.

[krasnaya_smert]

If someone holds that against you, then that's on them. And it isn't like we have any sway in the matter. Hmph, at least not yet, though I wouldn't be surprised if that's some new fucked feature in the future. Add a sin, get someone from home.

[ Nat falls silent momentarily. Softly asks -- ]

You think he'll come back for a third time? Has anyone ever been back more than once?

[deaddrop]

Another one for the suggestion box.

[They have to find a little humor where they can.]

Not that I'm aware of. Not with their memories intact, at least.

[krasnaya_smert]

[ Snorts. ]

Let's get Steve to make one out of wood. Have someone else laser into it.

[ And there's the catch. It's possible, but unlikely to be in their favor. ]

The last and only other time I saw him, he was looking a lot worse off than us.

[ More to Barbie's tastes, with the mess of horns. ]

cw: torture/penance punishments

[deaddrop]

Clint, you mean? No, I don't... I'm not sure he was doing all that well here.

The last time I saw him, he was on meat hooks, and I was being asked to punish him.

[Not the last time she wanted to see her friend.]

[krasnaya_smert]

[ Though her eyes grow wet, no tears fall, and Natalia is up without much time between hearing those words. She comes up behind Natasha to envelope her in a fierce hug, cheek to cheek. ]

[deaddrop]

[The hug comes as a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. There's a brief hesitation before she returns the embrace for a quick, firm hug.

One of many things Natasha hasn't let herself process.]

[krasnaya_smert]

[ Natalia stays in place a moment longer before stamping a kiss onto Tasha's cheek, atop her head. She doesn't go back to her seat, though, and instead takes up sentry in the one beside her other self. Only to jump back up with a finger held in a 'just a moment' position. Talia goes to the bar to order them strong alcohol and returns with both absinthe and rum & cola, which she places in front of them. ]

The rum and Coke is in case you don't have a taste for absinthe. But it was the strongest thing I could think of on a whim.

[deaddrop]

You know, those are very different choices.

[Mildly. Neither would be Natasha's first choice, but neither of them are are exactly a problem either.]

The absinthe would be stronger.

[krasnaya_smert]

Well, I thought vodka may not cut it, so. (quick shrug) Here we are.

[ Natalia has since retracted the claws, did so upon getting up, and she pushes the anise-flavored drink at her psuedo-twin. ]

Have you had to do that before? The involuntary torture of loved ones?

[deaddrop]

It's not the only time that's happened here. Just one of the worst.

[The worst, not to put too fine of a point on it.]

I think in general that was a very bad month.

[krasnaya_smert]

Do we ever have good months?

[ Mostly the inquiry is rhetorical, because she's been around long enough at this point to have an idea. And while it is meant to be a version of Hell and punishments, there are certainly periods that are far worse than others.

Natalia takes a drink of the alcohol then stares into the glass. ]

If Clint was your go-to person, who do you talk to now about things? (looks back at Tasha) Assuming you're not shoving everything into mental corners.

[deaddrop]

Oh... I'm much better at bottling things up than just sweeping them into the corners.

[That's a joke. It's definitely a joke. See, it's funny?

Probably because it's true.]

I have people. Maybe not a go-to person, but I have people.

[People like Natalia who she can go to for company, maybe a little comfort. But not people she talks to the same way she did Clint.]

[krasnaya_smert]

[ Alright, fine, it gets a air-pushed-through-nose laugh coupled with a smirk. ]

What about Steve? What are the cons with making him an interim Clint?