There's nothing to apologize for. The missions are often messy, I'm just glad you weren't badly injured.
[ He hadn't had much time to react to the news about the infiltration team, because he's gotten hurt himself, but he was worried all the same. ]
Yeah, it will probably be better if you don't go to the first circles anytime soon. I still have my job at the bar, surprisingly, and I found a small apartment in the fourth circle. If you need a place to crash, you can come over.
[ Either to hide or to rest. The apartment might not be fancy, but it's safe. And the dodge is obvious, but he can't fault Natasha for not feeling like talking about what happened. ]
A friend of mine Blue, lost control of his psychic powers when we were trying to keep the guards from leaving the tower. That's what caused the explosion and the reason the tower collapsed. Let me tell you, a building falling on you is very inconvenient, it ruined my hairstyle. And my spleen, not to mention the broken fingers and ruptured ear....but someone healed me with magic, I'm okay now.
[ For a wide definition of okay. Peter knows he's lucky to be alive. ]
I might need a place, though if you're still staying with your fake husband I might have to pass. I sort of promised not to get arrested.
[Not that it's something you can ever completely promise, but there's still her pride to consider.
Natasha doesn't usually get arrested, and even more rarely when it's not intentional.]
I suppose it will depend on how long we end up sticking around.
[She doubts it'll be long. It doesn't look like any of them are going to be facing a warm stay.]
Glad to hear you got fixed up, though. Sitting around waiting for injuries like that to heal the old fashion way isn't much fun, and we're already a little short on fun.
[Not that she expected it to be, but she tries to play it light.]
Oh no, I'm sad to inform you that Jack and I broke our engagement. We're very heartbroken, but it's for the best. He's a pineapple on pizza kind of man, and I just can't stand that kind of betrayal towards pizza toppings.
[ As for Peter's other roommates, Yzak stays by Blue's side more often than not in the infirmary, and Clarke is also doing her own thing. They would be welcome in his apartment too if they needed a safe place, but for now, it is not crowded.
Sometimes arrests just happen, Natasha. It's a fact of life that Peter had long assumed as a fact of life. ]
I think we're already overstaying our welcome. [ But no one listens to him, he has no way to access the orb, and the rest of the orbers want to stay here. The only thing Peter can do is help as much as he can and wait. ]
Thanks, I do like being able to hear with both ears. It makes listening to music much more pleasant. [ Yes, the hearing is far more important to him than his spleen. Peter's priorities, ladies and gentlemen. ]
Sure thing. Just name a place and time and I'll be there.
[Regarding overstaying their welcome. Not that Natasha would pretend mistakes weren't made. She'd admit that. Hell, she'd made one of them herself.
At the same time, the orbers are a convenient scapegoat for a regime change that was always going to be messy. There's no way the Fables were going to liberate the prison camps bloodlessly—and all things considered, that's where the violence was isolated.
The bitter part of Natasha thinks they'd have been better off trying violence on the mayor, but they'd tried to be respectful.]
I doubt they'll get friendlier, either, though if we're here at least some of us can accomplish while we're here.
Let's see how it goes. I don't think that our popularity will increase anytime soon, no.
[ It is not going to end well, he just knows it. This time they have the chance to stay and help the people, and while that's not a bad thing, they are not meant to stay this long once they have retrieved the orb.
And yes, they made mistakes, but no revolution or big chance is safe from some collateral. The Mayor deserved a good punching, but the guys are no longer their problem. ]
There were other missions where we wanted to help but couldn't, and that also caused frustration and anger among us. I suppose it's a matter of time to see if this decision was for the better or now.
[ He is getting a bit sidetracked since what Peter wanted was to make sure Natasha was alright. ]
Remember those rations I mentioned when we met at the university? I still have some food if you want to eat something that doesn't come in the shape of a tablet. My medical supplies are all exhausted, though. I had to patch up some friends before the magic help came.
What it is a miracle is that we still have a stomach after drinking the alcohol here, but I can probably get you a bottle of something that doesn't taste like sewage.
[ It's the kind of medications Peter can get behind, for sure. They can nurse that ego with some alien whiskey. ]
Damn right. We need to celebrate the not-so-small victories.
[ Otherwise, they'll end up falling into a spiral of regret and anger that helps no one. Once he gets coordinated, he only has to organize a couple of things, and he will be on his way. ]
Oh gods, I'd do really embarrass things for a pizza right now. But no, sorry, nothing cheesy. I do have chocolate protein bars, though. Good enough?
I could do a lot worse than a chocolate protein bar. As long as it's not completely dried out. I don't want to be reduced to dipping a protein bar in vodka.
[Let's pretend she's never do that.
She'd like to believe she won't find herself in a situation where she'd be too tempted.]
I'll have to stock up on something like that myself when I get a chance. Return the favor.
Worry not, I kept them in good condition. Dipping a protein bar in the kind of alcohol they have here could improve the taste, so there's that silver lining.
[ Either way, he's already on the move and can meet with Natasha in about 10 minutes. ]
It never hurts to be extra prepared for the missions. We had to eat snakes once because there was no other food around. Snakes, Natasha. Ugh.
[ Guess who's afraid of them? This guy. It was really not a good time. ]
[Natasha leaves the conversation there for the moment. No point in saying she wouldn't turn up her nose at a snake right about now, as long as it was cooked well.
She's waiting for Peter when he shows up, standing on the street corner in a trench coat and looking more than a little tired.
It seems like getting gassed isn't the most restful sleep.
She gives him a nod when he approaches.]
You didn't have to go too far out of your way, was it?
[ Peter still ate a few, because he didn't want to starve himself and put the mission at risk, but he also got drunk beforehand because...ew, no. Just no. Fuck snakes. He wasn't taking that shit while sober.
Peter has his helmet on when he arrives, as well as his knapsack. The helmet makes him easier to blend in among the rest of the people here, and it saves him the trouble of people recognizing him. He taps the side as soon as he reaches Natasha, and the helmet retreats into a small metal device behind his right ear. Poor Natasha looks like she could use a decent break. ]
No, it was no problem. I brought you a couple things. Shall we go somewhere more private? Sitting down and away from prying eyes might do us good.
[ They spent too long in a place that's not their home, it's no wonder they're all tired. She more than anything, because being drugged unconscious is never a fun trip. He can only offer her a soft, understanding smile in return and a tilt of his head towards their right. ]
Can do, is that way.
[ The city is big, but the apartment he got is not a long way from here. Otherwise, he could have used a speeder to find Natasha. As they walk, he avoids making eye contact with other people and is generally careful not to draw too much attention to themselves as he looks into his bag for one of those chocolate protein bars he told Natasha about. He holds it out to Natasha, voice low. ]
There. You look a bit dead on your feet, no offense. Total quiet will be difficult to accomplish, it's a busy city, but once we got to the apartment I can lend you my Zune. I have some quiet songs that are good for relaxing.
[ Yes, he did say a Zune of all things. Peak modern technology right there. ]
[Natasha sighs in relief as she takes the protein bar, ripping into it package. She hasn't had the chance to eat since well before their mission, and some real food—even in bar form—is more than welcome.
She knows from experience that eating and drinking will help her work whatever's left of the drugged gas out of her system.
It takes her a moment to fully process what he said, honest. Which is why there's a pause before she lifts her head again—]
[ Peter still has one of two bottles of water, but that's about it, and he left them in his apartment for safety reasons. Their effort to clean the planet's water supply might yield good results in the future, but it's still scarce. Once they have privacy, he will insist she take the bottles. ]
Yeah, it's great. It can fit so many songs in it. Around 300! It was a present from my dad. Posthumous. [ Kraglin gave it to him, but it came from Yondu, and after what happened, it matters as much to Peter as the walkman he got from his mother. ] I mean, my adoptive alien dad. Not the one that was a planet. Although he was also an alien...
[ It's 'sharing weird family stories' hours, it seems. ]
[ Gotta take care of those, so you can later ruin them by drinking proper alcohol.
It's really sweet of her not to bring up Peter's lack of awareness when it comes to modern Earth technology. ]
Yeah, it is. I don't go anywhere without it. [ Peter looks into his bag for another protein bar and hands it to Natasha after seeing how quickly the first one disappeared. ] He was kind of an asshole, but that comes with being a space pirate. All my life Yondu kept threatening me with letting the crew eat me, and he could be a contradictory jackass. We fought a lot. But, still...he did the right thing when it mattered, and I owe him my life.
[ Natasha might know a thing or two about imperfect parents, alien or not. As they lead further into the fourth district, the number of neon signs and people gathering around the doors of different bars increases. Peter leads them to a quieter street, less well-lit or crowded, with commercial buildings left behind in favor of rows of small apartments. ]
[ He never got to see any memory of Natasha or Yelena's father, no. But if she ever feels like sharing, which is unlikely but who knows what the future might bring, he will listen. ]
It is not. I wish we had more time to talk about what happened, and part of me hates him just as much as I love him. It's just how things are.
[ It will always hurt in some way, and Peter is never going to get rid of his survivor guilt either, but he's made peace with it. More or less. ]
Better the Zune than just the scars. [ Yondu left him plenty of those as well. ] Anyway, as I said,..it's there on the table, if you want to give it a try. Do you like rock? I feel like you might enjoy Blue Oyster Cult .
[ Now that they have made it to his apartment, Peter feels more at ease. It's nowhere near as fancy as their places in the first and second circle have been, and it's fairly small, but it's clean and has a big window to let light in. ]
I was thinking about that one, yes. You can never go wrong with the classics. [ Either Natasha is good at reading him or Peter is just obvious in his music taste, but she nailed it in one go. He lets her have at it and checks the songs on the Zune, busying himself with taking off his jacket. ]
Yeah, he's got some pretty good taste in music too. [ Peter remembers how he used to play loud music when Stark was working on some project, back when he was in the station. ]
The couch is pretty comfy but there's an actual bed in there if you want to lie down and rest. [ The guardian points to a door to Natasha's left, then to another to the far end of the corridor. ] And that's the bathroom, with a sonic shower. These apartments have even more water restrictions, I'm afraid.
[ But that's how he could afford it, as an outsider. ]
I've spent enough time in the luxury accommodations around here as it is, especially knowing where all that comes from.
[Natasha hadn't been living in the first circle for the amenities or the view. Under other circumstances, she might have enjoyed them, but all things considered... not so much.
She gives him a very tired smile.]
I'm fine with the sonic shower. And the couch. But probably the shower first. Spending a night in a cell is never not gross.
Good point. I'd rather take a modest place afforded honestly than any of that corrupted shit.
[ Peter is not used to fancy places, but to living in a spaceship with limited space and metal walls. He has slept in the floor plenty of times before. The man can adapt to anything, except perhaps, Drax's snoring. ]
Nah, take the bed, really. I suggested the couch in case you wanted to watch something to distract yourself, but you look dead on your feet. [ He waves his hands at Natasha in a playful 'shoo shoo' motion. Peter has been in prison, he knows exactly how gross these sorts of places are. ]
Go take that shower. I don't think my pants will fit you, but I have some comfortable big sweaters if you want to change into clean clothes. Or I could go out and buy you a pair of sweatpants.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Voice; un: Star-Lord
Natasha? Are you all okay? Do you need help or to be picked up somewhere?
voice; un: romanoff
[Because that is clearly the most important thing right now.]
No one's hurt. I don't think we're going to be very welcome around here very soon, but otherwise...
[Obviously people know how that ended.]
How about you? It sounded like things got pretty heated.
[Smooth dodge, right?]
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[ He hadn't had much time to react to the news about the infiltration team, because he's gotten hurt himself, but he was worried all the same. ]
Yeah, it will probably be better if you don't go to the first circles anytime soon. I still have my job at the bar, surprisingly, and I found a small apartment in the fourth circle. If you need a place to crash, you can come over.
[ Either to hide or to rest. The apartment might not be fancy, but it's safe. And the dodge is obvious, but he can't fault Natasha for not feeling like talking about what happened. ]
A friend of mine Blue, lost control of his psychic powers when we were trying to keep the guards from leaving the tower. That's what caused the explosion and the reason the tower collapsed. Let me tell you, a building falling on you is very inconvenient, it ruined my hairstyle. And my spleen, not to mention the broken fingers and ruptured ear....but someone healed me with magic, I'm okay now.
[ For a wide definition of okay. Peter knows he's lucky to be alive. ]
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[Not that it's something you can ever completely promise, but there's still her pride to consider.
Natasha doesn't usually get arrested, and even more rarely when it's not intentional.]
I suppose it will depend on how long we end up sticking around.
[She doubts it'll be long. It doesn't look like any of them are going to be facing a warm stay.]
Glad to hear you got fixed up, though. Sitting around waiting for injuries like that to heal the old fashion way isn't much fun, and we're already a little short on fun.
[Not that she expected it to be, but she tries to play it light.]
Are you up to meeting somewhere?
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[ As for Peter's other roommates, Yzak stays by Blue's side more often than not in the infirmary, and Clarke is also doing her own thing. They would be welcome in his apartment too if they needed a safe place, but for now, it is not crowded.
Sometimes arrests just happen, Natasha. It's a fact of life that Peter had long assumed as a fact of life. ]
I think we're already overstaying our welcome. [ But no one listens to him, he has no way to access the orb, and the rest of the orbers want to stay here. The only thing Peter can do is help as much as he can and wait. ]
Thanks, I do like being able to hear with both ears. It makes listening to music much more pleasant. [ Yes, the hearing is far more important to him than his spleen. Peter's priorities, ladies and gentlemen. ]
Sure thing. Just name a place and time and I'll be there.
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[Regarding overstaying their welcome. Not that Natasha would pretend mistakes weren't made. She'd admit that. Hell, she'd made one of them herself.
At the same time, the orbers are a convenient scapegoat for a regime change that was always going to be messy. There's no way the Fables were going to liberate the prison camps bloodlessly—and all things considered, that's where the violence was isolated.
The bitter part of Natasha thinks they'd have been better off trying violence on the mayor, but they'd tried to be respectful.]
I doubt they'll get friendlier, either, though if we're here at least some of us can accomplish while we're here.
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[ It is not going to end well, he just knows it. This time they have the chance to stay and help the people, and while that's not a bad thing, they are not meant to stay this long once they have retrieved the orb.
And yes, they made mistakes, but no revolution or big chance is safe from some collateral. The Mayor deserved a good punching, but the guys are no longer their problem. ]
There were other missions where we wanted to help but couldn't, and that also caused frustration and anger among us. I suppose it's a matter of time to see if this decision was for the better or now.
[ He is getting a bit sidetracked since what Peter wanted was to make sure Natasha was alright. ]
Remember those rations I mentioned when we met at the university? I still have some food if you want to eat something that doesn't come in the shape of a tablet. My medical supplies are all exhausted, though. I had to patch up some friends before the magic help came.
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[It's a kind of medicating, right? But the only thing that needs help is her bruised ego.]
The prison camps are free and a lot of people have unexploded heads because we were here. So there's that much to say for us.
[Natasha sighs and nods, sending a set of coordinates Peter's way; somewhere to meet up, once she's out of the First Circle.]
I don't suppose any of that real food looks like pizza? You mentioned it, now I have a craving for something greasy and cheesy.
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[ It's the kind of medications Peter can get behind, for sure. They can nurse that ego with some alien whiskey. ]
Damn right. We need to celebrate the not-so-small victories.
[ Otherwise, they'll end up falling into a spiral of regret and anger that helps no one. Once he gets coordinated, he only has to organize a couple of things, and he will be on his way. ]
Oh gods, I'd do really embarrass things for a pizza right now. But no, sorry, nothing cheesy. I do have chocolate protein bars, though. Good enough?
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[Let's pretend she's never do that.
She'd like to believe she won't find herself in a situation where she'd be too tempted.]
I'll have to stock up on something like that myself when I get a chance. Return the favor.
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[ Either way, he's already on the move and can meet with Natasha in about 10 minutes. ]
It never hurts to be extra prepared for the missions. We had to eat snakes once because there was no other food around. Snakes, Natasha. Ugh.
[ Guess who's afraid of them? This guy. It was really not a good time. ]
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She's waiting for Peter when he shows up, standing on the street corner in a trench coat and looking more than a little tired.
It seems like getting gassed isn't the most restful sleep.
She gives him a nod when he approaches.]
You didn't have to go too far out of your way, was it?
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Peter has his helmet on when he arrives, as well as his knapsack. The helmet makes him easier to blend in among the rest of the people here, and it saves him the trouble of people recognizing him. He taps the side as soon as he reaches Natasha, and the helmet retreats into a small metal device behind his right ear. Poor Natasha looks like she could use a decent break. ]
No, it was no problem. I brought you a couple things. Shall we go somewhere more private? Sitting down and away from prying eyes might do us good.
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But looks like she won't have much to do until they head back to the station, so maybe that counts.]
Somewhere private sounds good. Private and quiet, if it's possible. I've seen enough of the news feeds to last me a while.
[With any luck they're about done making news for a while.
At least she's pretty confident she is.]
You know where we're headed. Lead the way.
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Can do, is that way.
[ The city is big, but the apartment he got is not a long way from here. Otherwise, he could have used a speeder to find Natasha. As they walk, he avoids making eye contact with other people and is generally careful not to draw too much attention to themselves as he looks into his bag for one of those chocolate protein bars he told Natasha about. He holds it out to Natasha, voice low. ]
There. You look a bit dead on your feet, no offense. Total quiet will be difficult to accomplish, it's a busy city, but once we got to the apartment I can lend you my Zune. I have some quiet songs that are good for relaxing.
[ Yes, he did say a Zune of all things. Peak modern technology right there. ]
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She knows from experience that eating and drinking will help her work whatever's left of the drugged gas out of her system.
It takes her a moment to fully process what he said, honest. Which is why there's a pause before she lifts her head again—]
A Zune? Like the music player?
[That's a blast from the past.]
Where did you get one of those?
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Yeah, it's great. It can fit so many songs in it. Around 300! It was a present from my dad. Posthumous. [ Kraglin gave it to him, but it came from Yondu, and after what happened, it matters as much to Peter as the walkman he got from his mother. ] I mean, my adoptive alien dad. Not the one that was a planet. Although he was also an alien...
[ It's 'sharing weird family stories' hours, it seems. ]
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For now, she eats the protein bar with more appetite than it probably deserves. They say that hunger is the best sauce.
And the fact is, Natasha's sense of taste hasn't been the same since she damaged her olfactory nerve.]
That explains some of it.
[Some. Not necessarily all. She doesn't tell him that his technology is dated. She's kinder than that.]
It must be nice to have something from home. Or to remember your dad by.
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It's really sweet of her not to bring up Peter's lack of awareness when it comes to modern Earth technology. ]
Yeah, it is. I don't go anywhere without it. [ Peter looks into his bag for another protein bar and hands it to Natasha after seeing how quickly the first one disappeared. ] He was kind of an asshole, but that comes with being a space pirate. All my life Yondu kept threatening me with letting the crew eat me, and he could be a contradictory jackass. We fought a lot. But, still...he did the right thing when it mattered, and I owe him my life.
[ Natasha might know a thing or two about imperfect parents, alien or not. As they lead further into the fourth district, the number of neon signs and people gathering around the doors of different bars increases. Peter leads them to a quieter street, less well-lit or crowded, with commercial buildings left behind in favor of rows of small apartments. ]
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She shrugs a little though.]
I won't say coming through in the end is the only thing that matters, but sometimes that's the best they can do, right?
[They can't change the past. But sometimes those parents can do better in the future.]
And apparently leave you something to remember them by.
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It is not. I wish we had more time to talk about what happened, and part of me hates him just as much as I love him. It's just how things are.
[ It will always hurt in some way, and Peter is never going to get rid of his survivor guilt either, but he's made peace with it. More or less. ]
Better the Zune than just the scars. [ Yondu left him plenty of those as well. ] Anyway, as I said,..it's there on the table, if you want to give it a try. Do you like rock? I feel like you might enjoy Blue Oyster Cult .
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[She manages a little humor for that, finishing off the protein bar. She opens a water bottle then, going to check on the music player.
She won't pretend she's not curious.
Or that she doesn't need the distraction.]
I suppose hanging out with Tony gave me a pretty good handle on classic rock.
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I was thinking about that one, yes. You can never go wrong with the classics. [ Either Natasha is good at reading him or Peter is just obvious in his music taste, but she nailed it in one go. He lets her have at it and checks the songs on the Zune, busying himself with taking off his jacket. ]
Yeah, he's got some pretty good taste in music too. [ Peter remembers how he used to play loud music when Stark was working on some project, back when he was in the station. ]
The couch is pretty comfy but there's an actual bed in there if you want to lie down and rest. [ The guardian points to a door to Natasha's left, then to another to the far end of the corridor. ] And that's the bathroom, with a sonic shower. These apartments have even more water restrictions, I'm afraid.
[ But that's how he could afford it, as an outsider. ]
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[Natasha hadn't been living in the first circle for the amenities or the view. Under other circumstances, she might have enjoyed them, but all things considered... not so much.
She gives him a very tired smile.]
I'm fine with the sonic shower. And the couch. But probably the shower first. Spending a night in a cell is never not gross.
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[ Peter is not used to fancy places, but to living in a spaceship with limited space and metal walls. He has slept in the floor plenty of times before. The man can adapt to anything, except perhaps, Drax's snoring. ]
Nah, take the bed, really. I suggested the couch in case you wanted to watch something to distract yourself, but you look dead on your feet. [ He waves his hands at Natasha in a playful 'shoo shoo' motion. Peter has been in prison, he knows exactly how gross these sorts of places are. ]
Go take that shower. I don't think my pants will fit you, but I have some comfortable big sweaters if you want to change into clean clothes. Or I could go out and buy you a pair of sweatpants.
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