[ She remembers that message... well. Most of it? It had been a desperate moment, in the aftermath of the fight against Ultron, when things had been coming down. A questionable victory, but Ultron had been dealt with and they were regrouping, licking their wounds - for there had been many, in that fight. She hadn't been sure she could reach him, or that he would listen, but she'd tried, pleading with him to turn around and come back...
It hadn't worked. And that's the last they'd heard from him in years, even though she'd searched. But Bruce was excellent at vanishing when he wanted to. And this time, she'd suspected, he'd been hiding from her.
To know that it was that same message that finally got through to him all that time later...
She ducks her head for a moment, lips twitching in a ghost of a smile before she leans forward and reaches for his hand, giving it a light tug before shifting to the side on his couch, making more room. ]
[Bruce is genuinely surprised about what the Hulk did. Not that he went into hiding, that is what they are used to and it's an instinct they share. Maybe some part of his other self recognized the pain, guilt, and devastation within him and felt they needed to go farther than usual. Going that far was a genuine mistake, from the video he saw of Hulk lost in space. Waking up to what he did felt like the worst possible outcome, the one that used to keep him up at night, that the Hulk would take over and hurt others. And he did. Bruce doesn't know how many he killed in the ring, but it was substantial.
He doesn't want to be lost in those thoughts, he wants to focus on her. He hesitates only a moment before setting his drink aside and moving down to sit next to her. This is the kind of affection he secretly wanted from her for long before he realized that there were feelings involved. He felt safe with her. Bruce isn't always aware of his own feelings, so it was startling the first time he thought about her as anything other than a friend. He then decided it didn't matter, as she would never return them, and he couldn't do anything about it.
They lost so much time and their chance together, or so he thought, and he still is uncertain. But if she wants to be close to him, that he is happy to provide. He tentatively puts an arm around her, like a shy teenager might in a movie theater.]
Nat, I want you to know .... [Bruce keeps her hand, lacing their fingers together. The moonlacing is strong between them at the moment.] If I did crash land somewhere on Earth, I would have contacted you. I wouldn't have let all of you stay in the dark, even if I didn't come back.
[ There's something in that statement that sends cold chills all the way down her spine and she stills for one tell-tale moment before shaking her head in confusion, pressing for more information here. ]
What are... is... the Buried? That's not a term I'm familiar with. Except in the normal sense.
[ She's got a feeling, all of a sudden, this isn't a conversation she wants to be having. ]
[ She inclines her head slightly at his answer, absorbing that and rolling with it. It's about what she expected from him. She falls into step with him again as he starts moving. ]
And what are our real goals here, exactly?
[ She didn't miss the fact that you avoided her question there, Steve. Nice evasion, but she's not going to give up on that so easily either. But approach from a different direction. As she works her way back around to it.
In the meantime, there's... all of that. Yeah.
She grimaces a moment, looking off to the side, losing herself a moment in examining their surroundings as she follows him. ]
No. A lot of people didn't. And those of us that did...
[ She trails off, her voice quiet, but there's something in her tone that she knows he'll be able to read, even without her saying the words. ]
[ Steve feels as if their goals should be obvious, but Natasha is still new to all this, and also coming in from what sounds like a difficult time. Even now, having heard as much as he has about the snap and its aftermath, it's hard to imagine that level of loss. To think about what it might do to a person. To him, to her. Natasha can't even put it into words.
She's at least implied that she's one of the ones who survived. Slowly but surely, Steve's getting a clearer picture of his future. ]
Weren't in good shape? Yeah, I wouldn't think so.
[ He keeps up a steady pace so that they can reach his apartment building. Thor, Tony, and Bruce also have rooms here, but Steve doesn't know if Natasha is going to want to join them. It's not always a good thing to be so close to your current or past teammates.
As he uses his wrist device to unlock the front door, he glances back to Natasha with a grim yet determined look on his face. ]
Our goal is to get back home. And to figure out how to stop Thanos either before the snap, or to undo what he did.
[ She's new here, but also she wanted to make sure, because this time... she's not sure her goals align fully with his. Not that that hasn't happened before but... it's been a while. Then again, while she can agree to helping the others get home - they're so very much needed there, after all - she's already had to start thinking about the possibilities of how long she can stay here. If that's even a possibility. It's not home, but...
It's somewhere.
She continues following him, glad he's taken charge with such a purposeful stride, focused on their goal and therefore missing the momentary flicker in her expression. When he glances back with his own determined look, her expression is completely composed and all business once more. ]
Well. I have... sort-of good news for you, then? Although it's going to sound completely ridiculous to you. Mostly because I've lived it, and it still sounds completely ridiculous to me.
That she knows about his family drama gives him pause. There's no break in his purposeful stride, but some of the energy seems to leave him none the less. Thor's gaze is more distant all at once, though he takes care in keeping his tone light. ]
So you know about Hela? That saves us some time. [ He must have gotten to Earth and told her as much, which puts her somewhere after the collection of the space stone. The timeline is still vague in that regard, at least for him. Even Tony only knows so much. ] How much do you know about Thanos?
[ She just shoots him a deadpan look, wry amusement flickering in her gaze. ]
You didn't. But even if you had, I'm not the one on the team that supposedly talks to birds.
[ She sees that shift in his demeanor at the mention of his family, takes note of it, and starts carefully watching her step - just in case.
A nod of her head, in response to his question. ] I do. [ A pause, before she huffs out a breath. ] More than I care to know. I'm... from quite a ways ahead of everyone here, I'm afraid.
His answer gets a curious look from her, though, and she pauses her hunting through the racks to glance over at him. ]
You're a photographer? Or is that just part of what you do here?
And yes, I'm rather new. Arrived this morning, in fact. here, at least. We had a bit of a... lengthy transport down, apparently. Space jellyfish seemed determined to interrupt our trip.
[ She hums as she thinks over the difference in terminology. ]
Mercenaries would be close, except that their services can be bought - and, following that logic, so could their loyalties - for however temporarily. That wouldn't fly with our group, however. Some of them are a pretty straightforward bunch. As for who we guard... those who need it, those who can't do it themselves. The planet as a whole, mostly. We came together as a group originally to... to tackle the problems no one else could, the dangers most people wouldn't be able to face on their own.
[ At the sound of his wistful tone, she slides her hand out beside her, along the rock ledge she'd found beneath the surface to perch on. ]
There's a length of rock here, just under the water. It's pretty wide and makes for a good bench. I can help you down to perch on it, if you'd like? It keeps the pool from being too deep.
[ Belias looks as if he considers it. The beach always felt good at home, and the few times the Commander could bring him there with his daughter, he actually felt like his worries were all but gone and that everything was peaceful again. He could use that right now. ]
... are you certain? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you.
[ Better to keep her tone light as she counters the question, glancing over to study Wanda's face. Sarcasm makes for a great evasion technique. ]
I'm in another dimension that has space jellyfish and hormonal rabbits and god knows what else. I feel like I'm going to be playing catch-up for a while.
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TDM - Bruce (cont)
Re: TDM - Bruce (cont)
It hadn't worked. And that's the last they'd heard from him in years, even though she'd searched. But Bruce was excellent at vanishing when he wanted to. And this time, she'd suspected, he'd been hiding from her.
To know that it was that same message that finally got through to him all that time later...
She ducks her head for a moment, lips twitching in a ghost of a smile before she leans forward and reaches for his hand, giving it a light tug before shifting to the side on his couch, making more room. ]
Come here.
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He doesn't want to be lost in those thoughts, he wants to focus on her. He hesitates only a moment before setting his drink aside and moving down to sit next to her. This is the kind of affection he secretly wanted from her for long before he realized that there were feelings involved. He felt safe with her. Bruce isn't always aware of his own feelings, so it was startling the first time he thought about her as anything other than a friend. He then decided it didn't matter, as she would never return them, and he couldn't do anything about it.
They lost so much time and their chance together, or so he thought, and he still is uncertain. But if she wants to be close to him, that he is happy to provide. He tentatively puts an arm around her, like a shy teenager might in a movie theater.]
Nat, I want you to know .... [Bruce keeps her hand, lacing their fingers together. The moonlacing is strong between them at the moment.] If I did crash land somewhere on Earth, I would have contacted you. I wouldn't have let all of you stay in the dark, even if I didn't come back.
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I know. I know you wouldn't have. I wouldn't have blamed you if that's what you needed to do, though.
[ She glances down at how their hands are locked together, fingers entwined. ]
I would have understood any steps you needed to take to be able to walk away. It gets harder, after a while, doesn't it?
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TDM - Jonathan (cont)
Re: TDM - Jonathan (cont)
What are... is... the Buried? That's not a term I'm familiar with. Except in the normal sense.
[ She's got a feeling, all of a sudden, this isn't a conversation she wants to be having. ]
Re: TDM - Jonathan (cont)
The Buried. It's and- an entity. The manifestation of the fear of Too-close-I-cannot-breathe.
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And she clearly doesn't like the sound of this entity. ]
Well, that sounds.... horrible. A walking claustrophobia monster, huh?
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TDM - Steve (cont)
Re: TDM - Steve (cont)
And what are our real goals here, exactly?
[ She didn't miss the fact that you avoided her question there, Steve. Nice evasion, but she's not going to give up on that so easily either. But approach from a different direction. As she works her way back around to it.
In the meantime, there's... all of that. Yeah.
She grimaces a moment, looking off to the side, losing herself a moment in examining their surroundings as she follows him. ]
No. A lot of people didn't. And those of us that did...
[ She trails off, her voice quiet, but there's something in her tone that she knows he'll be able to read, even without her saying the words. ]
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She's at least implied that she's one of the ones who survived. Slowly but surely, Steve's getting a clearer picture of his future. ]
Weren't in good shape? Yeah, I wouldn't think so.
[ He keeps up a steady pace so that they can reach his apartment building. Thor, Tony, and Bruce also have rooms here, but Steve doesn't know if Natasha is going to want to join them. It's not always a good thing to be so close to your current or past teammates.
As he uses his wrist device to unlock the front door, he glances back to Natasha with a grim yet determined look on his face. ]
Our goal is to get back home. And to figure out how to stop Thanos either before the snap, or to undo what he did.
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It's somewhere.
She continues following him, glad he's taken charge with such a purposeful stride, focused on their goal and therefore missing the momentary flicker in her expression. When he glances back with his own determined look, her expression is completely composed and all business once more. ]
Well. I have... sort-of good news for you, then? Although it's going to sound completely ridiculous to you. Mostly because I've lived it, and it still sounds completely ridiculous to me.
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TDM - Thor (cont)
Re: TDM - Thor (cont)
[ Her voice is dry as she follows him, slipping into a relaxed pose as she saunters half a step behind him, letting him lead. ]
Besides, I heard you had your hands a little full with your own family drama. You know Tony and Steve butt heads a lot.
[ Even though this had been worse. A lot worse. And then there was everything that had come after... ]
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That she knows about his family drama gives him pause. There's no break in his purposeful stride, but some of the energy seems to leave him none the less. Thor's gaze is more distant all at once, though he takes care in keeping his tone light. ]
So you know about Hela? That saves us some time. [ He must have gotten to Earth and told her as much, which puts her somewhere after the collection of the space stone. The timeline is still vague in that regard, at least for him. Even Tony only knows so much. ] How much do you know about Thanos?
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You didn't. But even if you had, I'm not the one on the team that supposedly talks to birds.
[ She sees that shift in his demeanor at the mention of his family, takes note of it, and starts carefully watching her step - just in case.
A nod of her head, in response to his question. ] I do. [ A pause, before she huffs out a breath. ] More than I care to know. I'm... from quite a ways ahead of everyone here, I'm afraid.
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TDM - Prompto (cont)
Re: TDM - Prompto (cont)
Six months is quite the length of time. You must be an expert on this place by now then, hmm?
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Blushing slightly, he chuckles, a hand moving to the back of his neck to scrub at it. ]
H-heh, somethin' like that! I know where all the best camera shops are, anyway. Does that mean you're new in town?
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His answer gets a curious look from her, though, and she pauses her hunting through the racks to glance over at him. ]
You're a photographer? Or is that just part of what you do here?
And yes, I'm rather new. Arrived this morning, in fact. here, at least. We had a bit of a... lengthy transport down, apparently. Space jellyfish seemed determined to interrupt our trip.
TDM - Belias (cont)
Re: TDM - Belias (cont)
Mercenaries would be close, except that their services can be bought - and, following that logic, so could their loyalties - for however temporarily. That wouldn't fly with our group, however. Some of them are a pretty straightforward bunch. As for who we guard... those who need it, those who can't do it themselves. The planet as a whole, mostly. We came together as a group originally to... to tackle the problems no one else could, the dangers most people wouldn't be able to face on their own.
[ At the sound of his wistful tone, she slides her hand out beside her, along the rock ledge she'd found beneath the surface to perch on. ]
There's a length of rock here, just under the water. It's pretty wide and makes for a good bench. I can help you down to perch on it, if you'd like? It keeps the pool from being too deep.
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... are you certain? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you.
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TDM - Wanda (cont)
Re: TDM - Wanda (cont)
Relatively.
[ Better to keep her tone light as she counters the question, glancing over to study Wanda's face. Sarcasm makes for a great evasion technique. ]
I'm in another dimension that has space jellyfish and hormonal rabbits and god knows what else. I feel like I'm going to be playing catch-up for a while.