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[deaddrop]

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[deaddrop]

[The fact he looks together doesn't escape her notice. It's probably not a bad sign. She hopes it's not a bad sign, at least. She doesn't know him well enough to know for sure.]

Hey. Didn't catch you at a bad time?

[hypoxic]

Not at all.

[He's not exactly smiling, but he's also not the type of person who does that often.]

And it can't hurt to get a bit of a walk in. Keeps the blood going. Like a good workout.

[Because he does so many of those, from the looks of him.]

[deaddrop]

No, I don't think a walk's going to hurt either of us.

[Natasha nods toward the door; true to her word, she's carrying an umbrella.]

So your girl showed up?

[Hard to be happy for them when they're here.]

[hypoxic]

She did.

[He starts toward the door, intending to hold it open for her]

I'm just not sure if she's actually my girl, if that makes sense. [He said it was going to be complicated.]

[deaddrop]

I hate that I have to ask this, but how do you mean?

[Different worlds, different versions of the same people, different timelines.

There's a lot of ways for things to get complicated.]

[hypoxic]

Could be a number of things. We've talked about alternate dimensions, yeah?

[deaddrop]

I remember. It's come up a few other times too. I'm familiar.

[hypoxic]

Does that mean you'd also believe me if I told you this wasn't my first time in a prison dimension?

[deaddrop]

At this point, I have plenty of reason to be open to the possibility. [She shrugs, then adds:] I've heard the same from Rogers.

[hypoxic]

[His head perks up at once.]

The Captain's come through from elsewhere? He hadn't approached me about it -- I'd not thought he remembered...

[deaddrop]

Oh, I doubt you two were at the same prison. Unless you were on some kind of sex island in space.

[hypoxic]

[That.

What.]

I. No, mine wasn't quite so... It wasn't that.

[deaddrop]

Somehow, I figured that. What I've heard is pretty strange though.

[hypoxic]

....In either case, I bring it up because I saw quite a few people come and go from what ought to have been the same home dimension. My girlfriend doesn't seem to remember it, even though she and I were there for years.

[deaddrop]

So you and her were only together in this prison dimension?

[hypoxic]

No. But it might've been simpler if I could count on her having the shared experience. at home, she and I weren't on the best of terms.

[deaddrop]

Wait, you were together but not doing great?

[hypoxic]

We were separated. By seventy years, give or take. I'd been in jail before that.

[He clears his throat.]

I'd also tried to murder her before that. It's. A lot to come back from.

[deaddrop]

This is getting more and more complicated by the word.

[hypoxic]

If it's too much, we don't have to.

[He bites the edge of his thumbnail.]

Never sure which type you're going to be.

[deaddrop]

Which type of what?

[hypoxic]

Of you. I've met at least four of you. You don't always seem the type who'll have a conversation with someone like me.

[deaddrop]

[That might be true. Natasha can't speak for those other versions of herself, when they might have been from and what they might have been dealing with. It's not implausible she wouldn't be in a place for it.

Today, she's not them.]

The fact I'm here doesn't answer that question for you?

[hypoxic]

Easy to overstep an invitation. A conversation doesn't necessarily mean you'll start checking on me over your morning coffee.

[deaddrop]

Which is a little beyond what I'm planning today, but I asked if you want to talk.

[Opening the umbrella and shaking it out as they walk outside.]

Sounds complicated. I'm still good if you want to talk about complicated.