tushanshu | [video]

[video]

[Hey folks, it's Nita! She's back and seems a little the worse for wear--her hair and skin are looking dry, and she's not nearly as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual.]

Uh, hi everyone. I'm out of jail. [Obviously. And she's displaying no awareness that leading with that might give new people the wrong impression.] I'm fine. Evandau just wanted someone to harass about the cloning facility. [She's checked the network and seen that Percy went public with that.]

I might be butting in here [and she clearly doesn't care] but has anyone taken any technological steps to remediate the ecological damage? [Nita does not usually break out words like "remediate."] I ran some numbers on carrying capacity, and it's not pretty. [She holds up a sheet of paper covered with equations in her handwriting and a truly terrible overhead drawing of the turtle labeled with various scribbled notes and arrows.] I want someone to check my math, though. Mister Stark? Or somebody. I made a lot of assumptions and I probably missed something.

[Accompanying the video transmission is a text file in English that has her math transcribed. It's a back-of-the-envelope solution based on a lot of conservative assumptions and oversimplified in places, but all the calculations are right, and Nita clearly knows a lot about ecology and the math behind specific problems like soil erosion and agricultural output. The file does not, sadly, include ASCII art of her turtle diagram.

Nita's conclusion is that Keeliai is in trouble unless Something Is Done.]

Anyway, I'd be interested in talking to the engineering and science types about this, 'cause I think we can at least buy some time even if we can't fix the underlying problem.

encrypted 30% to the water-type pokemon she knows about: Arthur, Mera, Kaldur, Percy, Septimus, Amon, Tarrlok, and Finnick.

Okay, this is gross. We've got to do something about the water quality or half of us are going to get real sick, real fast. If you're free tonight--who am I kidding, of course you're free--meeting at my place. I've got some ideas, and I want to hear yours.

encrypted 30% to Kon

Kon, can I ask a favor? Will you fly me out to the ocean? I was going to go for a swim here, but the water is all completely nasty and I'm not even sure I want to breathe it, but I really need to re-hydrate, and flying just dries me out more and I don't want this to take forever.

[OOC: Anyone capable of hacking the default encryption, go ahead! Nita just hits the button labeled ~~"Batman please read this"~~"private" and calls it good.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Nita doesn't do pity parties. It's time for a pep talk. She leans into the the camera, suddenly seeming much more mature than she has yet. The bubbly teenager isn't an act, but it's certainly not everything there is to her.]

Being a tragedy is different from being a villain. Dr. Banner, I've seen evil, on a human scale, and on a scale that almost destroyed the universe. You're not evil, and the Hulk's not evil.

You drew a bad hand, and that sucks. [That doesn't sound dismissive coming from Nita. She really means it.] But if you're anything like the Bruce Banner from my timeline--and you sure seem like it--you're strong enough to survive it. I can't tell you everything will be okay. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. But I do know you have it in you to do more good than harm. You'll find a way to play your hand, lousy cards and all.

That doesn't balance the scales, I know. It doesn't work like that, and I don't want to be in the same room with someone who thinks it does. But when all your choices are bad, you go with the one that's the least awful...and if you're smart, you let other people help you, 'cause no matter how terrible something is, it's way worse when you're alone. [That's the subtlest hint ever.]

[He denies the fact that he's having a pity party of any kind. ~~He totally is.~~

She's more on point than he'd like to admit, and he feels his throat tightening with emotion. It's one of the few physical reactions that he allows himself. He makes an automatic glance down at his wrist, off camera, to check his heart rate, but it's fine. A little elevated, but not dangerous. No excuse there.]

I'm... I'm trying. [Suddenly he's exhausted, visibly slumping in his chair and scrubbing a hand at his face.] I don't know what to say. You-- you shouldn't have to-- [He swallows, clears everything out of his mind forcibly.] Thank you, for your faith. Even if I can't agree.

I just don't want to hurt anyone anymore, no matter what I have to do for it. Except I'm. I'm bad at working with others. [He tries to play that off a little lighter, and partially succeeds. He doesn't say how much letting anyone close, or thinking he might be a good person, legitimately scares him. He barely admits that to himself.]

'Cause if someone gets close, they might get hurt. [It's not a question.]

...Also pretty much every supergenius I've ever met has been awful with people. It's like King T'Challa and Dr. McCoy are the only ones who showed up to the social skills class. [Believe it or not, that subject change was accidental. Nita is aware lots of people are bad in social situations, but it still baffles her.]

Not just might.

[He wants to object to the idea that he's a supergenius, but he can't, really. He knows it's true, it just never feels like a big deal to him. Honestly, though, he's grateful for the subject change. Talking about his issues has never been the idea of a fun time.]

I think I have okay social skills. Though you'd be a better judge than me. [Another hint of that self-mocking smile.] But I can't let anyone too close, like you said, and they... they take that personally.

Well, yeah. You're saying you don't trust their judgment and that you get to decide what kind of risks they run. No one likes that.

[She shrugs.] I mean, yeah, your desires are the ones that should ultimately win out, 'cause you're the one who has to live with the consequences if something goes wrong, but people are still gonna feel like you're freezing them out. [On account of he is...

Another shrug.] Emotions aren't rational.

I don't trust their judgement, [he counters sharply.]

How am I supposed to? Do you even know what it feels like when I-- when he takes over? It's like having acid poured directly into my brain. They think it's a reasonable risk, they make the assessment.

I'm freezing them out because they don't understand what they're saying. It's just-- just power to them.

People believe in you. [That's slightly sharp on Nita's end, too. She's well enough adjusted not to take other people's emotions personally, but even she has limits to how much she's willing to listen to, especially when she's just finished a bit of an ordeal of her own.] You're way too down on yourself to see it, but I think they're more right than you are.

And if you want to hang up and go mutter to yourself about how wrong I am, fine. [She says it mildly. Nita really knows how to take the fun out of storming out and slamming the door behind you.]

[He's not doing any storming or slamming. He's exasperated, maybe even a little irritated, but the effect on Bruce is still mild compared to anyone else. It's a strain in his voice, but it's not louder, just a difference in quality.]

I'm not going to... [He trails off into a sigh, settles.] No, I know what you're saying. And you're, you're not wrong, exactly. I just don't know what to think anymore.

It's been almost ten years, and suddenly everything's different because I'm here? I don't know how to believe that.

The difference is now you know there's a chance. That's scary, 'cause if you dare to hope, it'll hurt worse if something goes wrong.

[Nita: Being emotionally literate for other people since 1972. Also gettin' a little sick of Bruce's shit.]

[Sorry but he's pretty well established in his dumb stubborn shit.]

I get that. Just. Try to have a little patience for me. [Does this shy, self-deprecating smile help your patience any?]

[Oshit, finding Bruce Banner weirdly attractive send help.]

I'm stubborn. Will that do?

[There's a quiet ghost of a chuckle as he runs a hand through his hair.] Close enough.

... Thanks, Nita. [That's as close as he'll come to saying, you're the only person I've talked to about this and you were pretty great about it.]

[Subtext received.] You're welcome, Dr. Banner.

...After all, one version of you is an old family friend. [Actually, the Hulk's more like the old family friend, but that is not a distinction that particularly needs to be made right this second.]

[Yeah, good choice on not bringing that one up right now.]

[He hesitates for a moment, but no, she was right, he can't stay alone forever. He's really getting that message hammered home a lot lately, and Bruce can't deny that the difference between him and these other, more in control versions might be something as simple as having a support network.

So whether or not she appreciates what a step this simple joke is, he says, trying for light,] Maybe I can be a, a new one.

I'd like that.

[Nita smiles, because she's not embarrassed by sincere displays of emotion.]

[He's not embarrassed, exactly, he's just well trained not to have any. :( ]

Does this mean I have to meet the rest of the family? [he quips.]

Trust me, if Namor shows up here, you're not gonna be able to miss him.

[Sad implication that Nita doesn't realize is sad: one person constitutes "the rest of the family."]

[Like Bruce would realize that was sad, either.]

Why? What's he like? [If he gets along with the Hulk, for a given value of 'gets along with', he must be something.]

...Larger than life. [Nita obviously, obviously adores the person she's talking about.]

[He lets that sit for a few moments, taking in how much Namor must mean to her, not wanting to intrude on her reflection. Bruce knows better than anyone how much those moments can mean in the absence of who you're thinking of.]

I'm glad. That you have someone like that. I hope that you get to see him again, for what it's worth.

...Me, too.

[Nita has some Feelings about that, since she hasn't seen Namor since before she time traveled. A lot happened in the years she skipped, some of which was her future/past self's fault, at least from her perspective. How Namor feels about it is a different question, and she's not sure she could take some of the possible answers to it.]

[He so doesn't want to approach whatever complicated emotions are behind that pause.]

Well. Th-Thanks, again. For talking to me.

[Smooth, Bruce. Nita picks up that the conversation is hitting a convenient ending point, and gives him an excuse.]

No prob. I'll see you around, huh? I'm feeling pretty out of it after the last couple weeks, so I'm gonna let you go, unless there's something you need?

[He's a smooth guy. So smooth.]

No, no. You've been more than generous. Especially after... [Just getting out of prison.] Go rest. I'll see you.

[It's a lot more of a promise than most people get from him, to be honest.]

Later. [Nita smiles and waves at the camera before disconnecting.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[video]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption]

[video -- 60% encryption] END THREAD?? GASP

[video -- 60% encryption] ENDING INSTEAD OF PETERING OUT AND DROPPING IN EMBARRASSMENT? UNPOSSIBLE.

[video -- 60% encryption] I'VE HEARD TALES OF SUCH A THING

[video -- 60% encryption]