[ He lets out another light huff, but any amusement is mostly smothered by her next comment. ]
That's fair enough. [ A pause, then: ] I hope that everyone feels the same. It's hard to tell.
[ Those who came to Istredd's tower. He's always had to be good at reading people, but he understands his own limits - at least in this case. There might be those who slip through the cracks, and if there are, there's not much they could do to stop them from funneling any shared information to the Queen, or anyone else for that matter.
They clear the market street and begin to reach those older stone buildings. There are less panhandlers here and noticeably at least one pair of guards patrolling. ]
Sometimes it's hard to tell even with people you've known much longer than a few weeks or months.
[ Again, something she's all too well versed in. ]
I think, in this case, only time will tell. One would hope the Summoned would be clever enough to see where the wind is blowing, but... [ It's also human nature to look after your own ass and to hell with everyone else. ]
You've been here a while now, yeah? What are your impressions of the others we're here with?
[ He says nothing to that, aware in much the same way how true it can be. Not always so much the knowing, but the expectation. Wanting to believe someone you feel as though you're close to wouldn't turn you away -
These are not thoughts for here, though.
The second part makes him think of particular Summoned who some months ago he would not have guessed would be actively participating in that meeting, helping even... ]
It's a quiet group of us in the castle. Any would-be troublemakers have been smart enough to keep their heads down. [ For the most part. Or they have people covering for them. He glances over at her. ]
You mentioned Strange is from your world. Are there any others?
I think everyone is keeping their heads down, not just the troublemakers.
[ ...she definitely probably qualifies as a troublemaker. Oops?
She nods at his question, a hint of fondness flickering in her gaze. ] Strange is just the only one in Thorne. My friend Wanda is in Solvunn, and I have a few in Cadens. Sam, Steve, Tony. [ Matt, apparently? But she doesn't know him beyond this place so she doesn't volunteer him even though apparently he came from their New York as well. ]
[ She would be surprised. There's at least one or two people he's worried about putting a target on their backs more recently, and another who is basically a ticking time bomb they're attempting to shelter for as long as possible...
Thorne is a messy place beneath the veneer of introverts, scholars and - well, more spies than any one place should really have - he's starting to suspect, anyway. ]
I've met Wanda. [ She holds some of his secrets, and he's seen what she keeps within the heart of her domain. The ones in Cadens he's not very familiar with, maybe from floating text messages? Tony, he spoke to once, but he didn't give the strange man his name. ] The Singularity must favor your world, to bring so many of you.
[ It's an odd way of talking about the Summoning. Most would say, reasonably since there's no proof otherwise and is taken as fact, that Ambrose and the other leaders Summon them.
Kahlil believes that the Singularity is divine - connected to his own god, and therefore must have a hand in it. Otherwise, he would be dead.
[ She actually wouldn't be surprised by that at all. She's just relieved that none of them are hers. Although she wouldn't put it past Stephen to do something dumb on occasion either.
She hums thoughtfully at his observation, not finding it all that odd. Both Istredd and Stephen have spoken of the Singularity differently than most and she's still not sure what she thinks about it. Other than acknowledging their belief that it's connected to the magic in all their worlds and that's enough to make it a thing of interest to her. Unfortunately. ]
I'm not sure that should be counted as 'favor'. Although it has a wide variety to choose from, that's for sure. Our world... has faced some pretty big threats, and that just means there's a lot who have distinguished themselves in the aftermath.
[ She wouldn't exactly call that a good thing, either. ]
[ Maybe he would feel differently if it were his own world that the Singularity was choosing more people from. Though, honestly, it would probably irritate him. Kahlil is proud, he has based so much of his identity on being chosen, on being the Kahlil. There's a selfish part of him that clings to being the only one, not one of many. ]
[ She makes a face, then scoffs out a little laugh. ]
Oh, you name it, we probably fought it at one time or another. Started out with just your typical crazy humans and then gods got involved. Aliens. Killer robots. Evil societies trying to take over the world. [ She ticks them off on her fingers, hints of amusement in her gaze despite her words. ] Superpowered teenagers. One of my teammates still claims those were the worst.
[ She doesn't mention Thanos. She can't joke about that. ]
[ Oh. His eyebrows shoot up nearly to his hairline. ]
There's a man named Jack in Thorne. I think he'd love to hear about some of that, if you felt like sharing. [ He can't help smiling a little fondly when he mentions Jack's name.
I'll keep an eye out for him. [ She hasn't come across him yet, but she makes note of the name. ]
Unfortunately. [ She realizes how that sounds, even if she can't quite interpret the look that crossed his face when she first mentioned it. She dips into an explanation anyway. ] Loki, Norse god of mischief. Guess he got tired of being a joke back home and decided to strike out and find his own world to rule. Got himself an alien army and invaded, thinking that earth looked like it would be an easy conquest. We weren't. Although his brother did show up to help us send him back home.
[ And a brother? Nayeshi religions are a mystery to him, sometimes. He's never heard of Norse gods either, so it's hard to say whether it's particular to her version of Earth or not. Maybe he'll ask Jack sometime. He knows a little bit about everything from there.
At one of these large, official looking buildings Kahlil stops them. A pair of guards stand at the front, just out of hearing distance. ]
I have to go inside, and then I have one other delivery. If you don't want to wait, we can meet up elsewhere when I'm done - or at the portal when you're ready. Just let me know where you're headed. [ He taps his temple, indicating to just message him. ]
There's a quiet tea shop down this road, though you might find the taverns more interesting. [ If she wants to hear how the people really feel in Nott. He frowns. ] Just avoid the alleys behind the fish market, at least today. You might not have anything worth stealing on you, but that won't stop everyone.
[ That is an actual warning. She's still alone and in an unfamiliar place.
A beat, then he fishes out a couple of coins - enough to buy a drink and some food. He offers it to her. ]
You can pay me back. [ If she decides to get work. ]
[ Natasha just shrugs. ] That one, I guess. Although he probably should have brought a bigger one. He didn't even manage to conquer our city, let alone the rest of the world. [ She's really grateful he didn't though. They'd had their hands full as it was. Even with a Hulk.
They stop in front of one of the large buildings and she takes a moment to drink it in, eyes scanning the exterior, making note of things that probably only matter to her and she'll probably never use them anyway. Still. Old habits are hard to break.
She listens to him, eyes the coins he offers her before reaching out and accepting them. At the very least, they may help fill someone's stomach tonight, so she'll have less guilt about spending someone else's coin. And find a way to pay him back. ]
I'll wander a bit. See where my feet take me. And I'll steer clear of the fish market, it sounds smelly. [ She makes a face playfully, even though she's not entirely sure she'll keep that promise just yet. ] We can meet at that tea shop when you're done, just let me know when. Unless you'd rather find a tavern, I'm okay with that, too.
I'm in the mood for tea, so I'll let you know. [ He cocks his head to one side, raising an eyebrow again, though there's a hint of something maybe playful or knowing behind his second warning: ]
We came here together, it's best if we leave together.
[ Without causing any noticeable trouble, because he assumes it'll come down on him as the one who brought her along this time.
With that, he'll give her a little nod and head off to where he has to go. The tea shop is the one with the hanging sign in the shape of a kettle with a blossom painted on the inside. Like many places in Nott it's older, in need of renovations, cozy. ]
[ She gives him a playful salute before heading off into the town.
She doesn't head for the teahouse or any of the taverns right away. Instead, she walks the streets, exploring a bit of the old city and the new. While she keeps her cloak tucked around her and maintains a mostly anonymous presence as she passes through, she's still watchful for pickpockets - or worse - as she goes. It's a stark contrast, what daily life looks like here compared to the Castle and the surrounding city.
There's some things she sees that she finds curious but she tucks that away for the time being, here just to look today, and it's been an hour or two before she wanders back towards their arranged meeting place. She might be a few coins lighter, but she'd chosen a few opportune moments and targets for that in particular and still have enough for afternoon tea.
The teahouse is easy to find and slipping inside, she finds an empty table in a quiet corner, makes an order to bide her time, and settles in with a pot of tea to wait. And lets herself watch both the other occupants as well as anyone passing on the streets outside in the meanwhile. ]
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[ Her lips twitch faintly at the corners as she shoots him a crooked grin. ]
Besides, considering what it seems we might be caught in the middle of... I think hoping for boredom might be the best of our options.
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That's fair enough. [ A pause, then: ] I hope that everyone feels the same. It's hard to tell.
[ Those who came to Istredd's tower. He's always had to be good at reading people, but he understands his own limits - at least in this case. There might be those who slip through the cracks, and if there are, there's not much they could do to stop them from funneling any shared information to the Queen, or anyone else for that matter.
They clear the market street and begin to reach those older stone buildings. There are less panhandlers here and noticeably at least one pair of guards patrolling. ]
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[ Again, something she's all too well versed in. ]
I think, in this case, only time will tell. One would hope the Summoned would be clever enough to see where the wind is blowing, but... [ It's also human nature to look after your own ass and to hell with everyone else. ]
You've been here a while now, yeah? What are your impressions of the others we're here with?
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These are not thoughts for here, though.
The second part makes him think of particular Summoned who some months ago he would not have guessed would be actively participating in that meeting, helping even... ]
It's a quiet group of us in the castle. Any would-be troublemakers have been smart enough to keep their heads down. [ For the most part. Or they have people covering for them. He glances over at her. ]
You mentioned Strange is from your world. Are there any others?
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[ ...she definitely probably qualifies as a troublemaker. Oops?
She nods at his question, a hint of fondness flickering in her gaze. ] Strange is just the only one in Thorne. My friend Wanda is in Solvunn, and I have a few in Cadens. Sam, Steve, Tony. [ Matt, apparently? But she doesn't know him beyond this place so she doesn't volunteer him even though apparently he came from their New York as well. ]
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Thorne is a messy place beneath the veneer of introverts, scholars and - well, more spies than any one place should really have - he's starting to suspect, anyway. ]
I've met Wanda. [ She holds some of his secrets, and he's seen what she keeps within the heart of her domain. The ones in Cadens he's not very familiar with, maybe from floating text messages? Tony, he spoke to once, but he didn't give the strange man his name. ] The Singularity must favor your world, to bring so many of you.
[ It's an odd way of talking about the Summoning. Most would say, reasonably since there's no proof otherwise and is taken as fact, that Ambrose and the other leaders Summon them.
Kahlil believes that the Singularity is divine - connected to his own god, and therefore must have a hand in it. Otherwise, he would be dead.
Kahlil is also a fanatic. ]
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She hums thoughtfully at his observation, not finding it all that odd. Both Istredd and Stephen have spoken of the Singularity differently than most and she's still not sure what she thinks about it. Other than acknowledging their belief that it's connected to the magic in all their worlds and that's enough to make it a thing of interest to her. Unfortunately. ]
I'm not sure that should be counted as 'favor'. Although it has a wide variety to choose from, that's for sure. Our world... has faced some pretty big threats, and that just means there's a lot who have distinguished themselves in the aftermath.
[ She wouldn't exactly call that a good thing, either. ]
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Threats like what?
[ He hasn't asked Wanda this question yet. ]
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Oh, you name it, we probably fought it at one time or another. Started out with just your typical crazy humans and then gods got involved. Aliens. Killer robots. Evil societies trying to take over the world. [ She ticks them off on her fingers, hints of amusement in her gaze despite her words. ] Superpowered teenagers. One of my teammates still claims those were the worst.
[ She doesn't mention Thanos. She can't joke about that. ]
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There's a man named Jack in Thorne. I think he'd love to hear about some of that, if you felt like sharing. [ He can't help smiling a little fondly when he mentions Jack's name.
But also, a little more seriously - ]
You've fought gods?
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Unfortunately. [ She realizes how that sounds, even if she can't quite interpret the look that crossed his face when she first mentioned it. She dips into an explanation anyway. ] Loki, Norse god of mischief. Guess he got tired of being a joke back home and decided to strike out and find his own world to rule. Got himself an alien army and invaded, thinking that earth looked like it would be an easy conquest. We weren't. Although his brother did show up to help us send him back home.
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What god needs another's army to invade?
[ And a brother? Nayeshi religions are a mystery to him, sometimes. He's never heard of Norse gods either, so it's hard to say whether it's particular to her version of Earth or not. Maybe he'll ask Jack sometime. He knows a little bit about everything from there.
At one of these large, official looking buildings Kahlil stops them. A pair of guards stand at the front, just out of hearing distance. ]
I have to go inside, and then I have one other delivery. If you don't want to wait, we can meet up elsewhere when I'm done - or at the portal when you're ready. Just let me know where you're headed. [ He taps his temple, indicating to just message him. ]
There's a quiet tea shop down this road, though you might find the taverns more interesting. [ If she wants to hear how the people really feel in Nott. He frowns. ] Just avoid the alleys behind the fish market, at least today. You might not have anything worth stealing on you, but that won't stop everyone.
[ That is an actual warning. She's still alone and in an unfamiliar place.
A beat, then he fishes out a couple of coins - enough to buy a drink and some food. He offers it to her. ]
You can pay me back. [ If she decides to get work. ]
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They stop in front of one of the large buildings and she takes a moment to drink it in, eyes scanning the exterior, making note of things that probably only matter to her and she'll probably never use them anyway. Still. Old habits are hard to break.
She listens to him, eyes the coins he offers her before reaching out and accepting them. At the very least, they may help fill someone's stomach tonight, so she'll have less guilt about spending someone else's coin. And find a way to pay him back. ]
I'll wander a bit. See where my feet take me. And I'll steer clear of the fish market, it sounds smelly. [ She makes a face playfully, even though she's not entirely sure she'll keep that promise just yet. ] We can meet at that tea shop when you're done, just let me know when. Unless you'd rather find a tavern, I'm okay with that, too.
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I'm in the mood for tea, so I'll let you know. [ He cocks his head to one side, raising an eyebrow again, though there's a hint of something maybe playful or knowing behind his second warning: ]
We came here together, it's best if we leave together.
[ Without causing any noticeable trouble, because he assumes it'll come down on him as the one who brought her along this time.
With that, he'll give her a little nod and head off to where he has to go. The tea shop is the one with the hanging sign in the shape of a kettle with a blossom painted on the inside. Like many places in Nott it's older, in need of renovations, cozy. ]
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She doesn't head for the teahouse or any of the taverns right away. Instead, she walks the streets, exploring a bit of the old city and the new. While she keeps her cloak tucked around her and maintains a mostly anonymous presence as she passes through, she's still watchful for pickpockets - or worse - as she goes. It's a stark contrast, what daily life looks like here compared to the Castle and the surrounding city.
There's some things she sees that she finds curious but she tucks that away for the time being, here just to look today, and it's been an hour or two before she wanders back towards their arranged meeting place. She might be a few coins lighter, but she'd chosen a few opportune moments and targets for that in particular and still have enough for afternoon tea.
The teahouse is easy to find and slipping inside, she finds an empty table in a quiet corner, makes an order to bide her time, and settles in with a pot of tea to wait. And lets herself watch both the other occupants as well as anyone passing on the streets outside in the meanwhile. ]