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.
[Natasha's a fan of stealing other people's clothes, too. Or maybe not a fan, exactly, but comfortable doing it. If she needs clothes and one of her friends has them?
Why shouldn't she borrow a sweater or a jacket?]
All right, all right, a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't worry too much about me, either.
I'd get you a comfy one. [ Peter is used to living with people who consider boundaries more like a concept than a rule, so he doesn't mind sharing all his stuff - except for his weapons, for obvious reasons. The main reason why the Guardians don't share more clothes is because they all have very different body types, rather than any sense of personal belongings. ]
I'd leave it by the bathroom door. And yeah, yeah, I'll be fine too.
[ He smiles and waves a hand at Natasha's own concern, then heads towards the bedroom to find the sweater. As promised, once she finishes the shower, she will find a light gray, big sweater on top of a small stool by the bathroom door, alongside a pair of clean, comfy socks to wear. ]
[The sweater is welcome. It's also enormous on Natasha, who's if anything smaller than she seems. She has to roll up the sleeves fairly significantly to make it almost fit.
Which means it's perfect.
Natash hugs herself later, when she finally rejoins him.]
[ She could keep the sweater, Peter wouldn't mind. He knows how much comfort simple objects can bring, more so if they are gifted to you.
Peter is sitting on the couch, long legs spread in front of him, having just finished checking the Network. He is quick to smile when he sees her with the bit sweater, it's kinda cute. ]
Nothing too bad that we need to worry about it. People talking on the net about the recent changes, it's all. [ Some complaining, some confused, many hopeful...either way, he doesn't want Natasha to think of it now. They can face the rest of the issues tomorrow. ]
Much. Cleaner is always a big step up, in my experience.
[Whether you've been drugged or thrown in prison. She offers a smile. It's still tired, and there's frustration lurking behind her eyes, but she has experience bottling that up.
A great deal of experience.]
I'll be even better when we get out of here, but that's out of my hands.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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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[Natasha's a fan of stealing other people's clothes, too. Or maybe not a fan, exactly, but comfortable doing it. If she needs clothes and one of her friends has them?
Why shouldn't she borrow a sweater or a jacket?]
All right, all right, a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't worry too much about me, either.
I'll be fine. You worry about yourself.
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I'd leave it by the bathroom door. And yeah, yeah, I'll be fine too.
[ He smiles and waves a hand at Natasha's own concern, then heads towards the bedroom to find the sweater. As promised, once she finishes the shower, she will find a light gray, big sweater on top of a small stool by the bathroom door, alongside a pair of clean, comfy socks to wear. ]
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Which means it's perfect.
Natash hugs herself later, when she finally rejoins him.]
Any news?
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Peter is sitting on the couch, long legs spread in front of him, having just finished checking the Network. He is quick to smile when he sees her with the bit sweater, it's kinda cute. ]
Nothing too bad that we need to worry about it. People talking on the net about the recent changes, it's all. [ Some complaining, some confused, many hopeful...either way, he doesn't want Natasha to think of it now. They can face the rest of the issues tomorrow. ]
Feeling a bit better?
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[Whether you've been drugged or thrown in prison. She offers a smile. It's still tired, and there's frustration lurking behind her eyes, but she has experience bottling that up.
A great deal of experience.]
I'll be even better when we get out of here, but that's out of my hands.
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[ He's been there as well, both in prison or knocked out for whatever reasons, and then all you need is a proper evening of rest. ]
Yeah, I agree. If any of the orber share any news about that, I'd let you know as well. In the meantime, bed's all yours.
[ Yes, Natasha said that the couch as fine but Peter would feel bad for not insisting on the bedroom when she needs it more. ]
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