tushanshu | [video]

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[ Rikki's in her suite, in her street clothes, toying with the long knife she took off that kedan and frowning to herself, not quite looking at the camera as it comes on. She glances up briefly, but she's too distracted to try and keep up the eye contact. ]

So... I guess a lot of us were at the thing at the festival. Obviously. I hope everyone came out of it okay and all.

But I've been thinking about what that guy said, before he was killed. About us saving them. Have any of you heard the kedan say anything about that before? Did I imagine that? And... maybe it's just me, but I don't see a whole lot to save anyone from, other than... y'know... the kedan.

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...thanks. When you put it like that, I feel much better about all of this. [ :| ]

... that hit a nerve, didn't it. What I meant was that there is nothing strange about being bothered by the idea. It'd be a rather unobservant person not to be.

Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't just me.

[ She pauses, and then smiles a little, looking down. ] I think I might be a little paranoid lately.

Definitely not just you.

I... am not sure that would be a very bad thing. But if you want to talk about why and why it's worrying you... [small smile back.] I've promised to give shifts making sure the tree... the place where I live is safe for all residents, but that's not all the time, we can meet somewhere.

[ A little nod. ] Thanks. I think talking it out... might be good, whenever you have the time. Not that I think the reason for the paranoia has anything to do with this, but... [ Shrug. ]

Of course.

[Not that it matters what exactly the paranoia has to do with. Not until he knows more. And what matters is what she thinks matters. Simple as that.]

Do you have a favorite rooftop, yet?

[ Grin. ] Well... there's mine.

Or I could drop by your... tree... if you don't want to come all the way across town. If you don't mind.

I don't mind, no. Just not sure I wouldn't be actually worse at climbing trees than at the rooftop thing. City boy, you know?

[ She laughs a little at that. ] Me too, actually. But you know I actually can meet you on ground level. Where do you live?

Yeah, we could do that.

1A in Wood. And... coffee, tea, or something else?

Coffee would be great. I'll be there soon.

[ And she's off to change into her costume and head out to meet him. She doesn't usually carry weapons - Cap didn't like her using them when nonlethal methods were usually just as effective - but after a moment of thought, she tucks the knife into one of the long pouches on her belt before ducking out the window. ]

[Bucky definitely approved of the knife. Then again... while lethal outcome was unfavorable, he (and the rest of the Commandos) had less problem with that than Steve generally did, and - well, his - Steve would also shoot and hit hard enough, when that was what could be done. What had to be done.

By the time she shows up, the coffee is ready, and he's set out nuts and cookies to go with it. Because this kind of thing? He seldom had a chance to offer to people, back before the war. Nor during the war. While here, he has a job. He can actually go out and buy things with money he has earned, as legitimately as the place has. Nobody's mercy offering. Nobody letting the orphan do an odd job and paying him in the alley behind.

So excuse him if he's going to be a tiny bit, well, domestic (in the guy-who's-never-done-this sort of way), despite the topic of the conversation.

There's a window open, if she prefers to drop in that way. Or he can open the door, if she knocks. Either way, she'll be welcomed with a smile.]

[ She does end up at the door, because Rikki is not actually great at trees. She's a child of cities, the bigger and louder and dirtier the better, and while she clambered around the highest points of the bridges of Manhattan like her own personal playground... she's not familiar enough with trees to run along the branches with quite as much certainty, so she settles for dropping to the ground once she hits the Wood Sector and knocking at the door like a normal person.

When he opens the door, she grins up at him. ] Hey. Nice treehouse.

[Bucky blinked. And then laughed, stepping back and motioning her inside.]

It counts as one, doesn't it? Didn't even think of that, those things were so out of my league that they didn't register as dreams, just one of those things rich kids with proper homes had that I didn't need.

[Rich kids with proper homes and living, caring parents. Not that his hadn't been caring, from what little he can remember.

Which is not a bad thing in his book, just not him - and he lets her know by smiling and leading her way to the coffee and couch and all.]

Did you use to have one?

It definitely counts. Actually, I think it's better than those rich kids' treehouses. Theirs probably weren't as comfy. [ As she follows him in and flops onto his couch. ]

No, I never did. Too much of a city kid for that. W- I grew up in Philly. Lived in the same house my whole life until I met Cap.

[His eyebrow quirks at her, as he's pouring the coffee, at the slip and the catch. But he won't ask directly.]

Philly always looked like a good place. Kind of far away [yes, this is amusing, in perspective!], but good.

Wanna talk about what happened? It's fine if you don't.

[But it's a starting point?]

[ She sort of folds into herself on the couch, pulling her legs up to cross them underneath her, shoulders a little hunched. ] Yeah. I guess... yeah.

[ Someone should know. ]

You know how I told you I died the first time? With the crazy psychic supervillain, and us both falling into the Negative Zone? The, uh... well, I guess you could call it the space between universes. But not like this place is, it's... Well, I never really understood it, so never mind.

Following you so far, yeah?

[He sits on the couch, not crowding her, but present and attentive. The coffee - and sugar and milk - is in front of her; but this? Her show.]

Okay, so... when I didn't die, and I ended up in Philly in this other universe, I kind of figured... I got lucky, y'know? The Negative Zone connects to all sorts of universes, so there's no reason I couldn't have ended up in one just by chance.

[ She grimaces a little and leans forward to fix her coffee, partially to give herself something else to focus on, something to do with her hands. ] I should've talked to someone. Especially after Steve came back. There're plenty of scientists in the Avengers, people who could've figured it out, but I just didn't...

I guess I was trying not to think about it much at all. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to.

[Bucky... frowns. Trying to figure out what she's not quite saying. And after a moment, he ventures a guess.]

You're not the only one who ended up in than other universe?

[Annnd then his mind catches up.] Steve came back from where?

[ She freezes at that second question. Oh... crap. She hadn't actually meant to mention that, she just sort of forgot Bucky didn't know already. ] It... Nowhere. It's just. When I first showed up in that universe, he was somewhere else, so I didn't get to talk to him for a while.

[ The most innocent shrug. ]

But basically... yeah. Sort of. Onslaught put me there on purpose. It couldn't bring itself back into the real world for whatever reason, but it could shove me there, and when it did, it made this... connection to me.

[Bucky's nostrils widen just a little. But he can respect her not wanting to go into it at this moment. Considering they're talking of something else already.] You've gotta tell me about that - sometime. I mean, not like I can do much about it.

[And he frowns.] Sounds like a legitimate concern - not seeing ghosts where none exist. Not making the same mistake twice is a good thing.

Mmm. This one might be tricky, but do you know how this Onslaught was dealt with? Either time?

And, as resident person probably savvy in shuffling people among realities... maybe the Emperor should be told about that.

[Call him overly trusting, if you will, but until proven otherwise, he'll loosely categorize the Emperor as an ally. For the moment. Because he won't acknowledge her as superior in the chain of command, not until her motivation comes completely clean.]

[ She swallows hard, fingers clenched so tightly around her coffee mug her knuckles are going white. ] Maybe. Maybe she already knows.

[ It makes a lot of sense. Too much. If the kedan picked the people they dragged here... If she picked Rikki specifically... Well, she's nothing special. Sure, she can handle herself in a simple fight, but when it comes to the big stuff... she's not worth the effort of bringing her here. Unless the emperor knew about the connection to Onslaught, thought they could control it...

It could be here inside of her, waiting, just like the last time. ]

Maybe she does. No loss in that case, right?

[Bucky... squints slightly at the way she's sitting, then leans closer, looking into her face steadily.]

Rikki... you know that whatever happened wasn't your fault, right? You couldn't have known, and there was nothing I can see that you could have done. And if it's still the situation, there is nothing you can do on your own.

[...yep. He'll reach for her hand, taking it in both of his.] Maybe somebody here can help. It sure ain't me, but... what I can do, I will. You're not alone.

[ She doesn't pull her hand away, but she tenses, and keeps staring at her coffee mug without looking up at him. ]

It took me over and it hurt my friends. It... [ Her voice catches in her throat a little. ] ...tortured them and it made them hurt each other and it would've killed them, and all they could do to stop it was kill me, and it was my fault. If I just asked someone who'd know, Dr. Pym or Dr. Richards or Beast or anyone... If I'd just listened to Steve when he tried to keep me safe it wouldn't have happened, and...

[ She hunches her shoulders even more, swallowing hard. ] What if it's still here? What if it's the reason I'm here, and it possesses me again, and...

[ Welp, so much for not freaking out over everything. She'd been doing so well so far, too. ]

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trainwrecked - 2012-09-10 19:50 (UTC) - Expand

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