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[outstandingbalance]

[The woman who appears on the feed might be familiar to a few people. She's sitting at a table or a desk and facing the camera, composed, but a little worse for wear. She looks tired.]

You sure know how to make a girl feel at home. [Not that she's faced frost giants or dark elves before, but dropped into the middle of a fight she wasn't expecting and wasn't prepared for? One that probably should be left to gods and super soldiers? That is familiar. The last two days haven't been boring] Is that normal?

[Natasha taps the table in front of her twice, drawing a slow breath as she considers how she's going to play this. If putting her face on the network is a mistake, then she's already made it.]

I think I'm ready for the welcoming committee now.

Comments

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[noble_son]

I doubt it's any comfort, but I'd hesitate before applying the word 'normal' to anything here. That... was not usual, but not unexpected.

[Nathaniel looks tired, too. At first it had seemed like it might be another pleasant diversion, but no, they certainly couldn't be given too many of those and it seemed they had already had their quota for the year.]

And I wouldn't count myself part of the usual welcoming committee... but, welcome, in any case.

[outstandingbalance]

Let's say it confirms my suspicions. [Which isn't a comfort at all, but at least she knows what she's dealing with. In as much as knowing that she might end up dealing with just about anything means knowing what she's dealing with.]

Thanks. For the welcome and the intel. It's about as warm as I'd hope for, either way.

[A brief pause before she adds:] Been here long?

[noble_son]

I think it's been... a year and a half, more or less.

[If not exactly. Just how long he has been here isn't something he often thinks about, because when he does it never fails to cause something like anger to start boiling up in the back of his throat.]

Many have been here longer. [And that is what no one wants to hear, but it's unfortunately true. Ehem.]

My name is Nathaniel, and I can try to answer any questions you have.

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[mucked]

Normal? [ now, there's a question. ] Yes and no.

[ she might have ignored the question altogether but something -- something -- in the earlier statement intrigues her. had the unknown face really felt at home in all that had happened?

because peggy hadn't felt even the slightest bit 'at home,' and yet the source of that event's dramatics is said to have originated from hers. bothersome, that. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[There's a hesitation. Nothing as overt as recognition or surprise, but something when she sees that face on the screen.

Then just the slightest smile, no less tired than her previous expression.]

For values of normal. [And values of at home, which Natasha doesn't rush to add. It seems implied well enough for people who know what she's talking about to get the message.

Natasha knows the face. Not the woman, but the face.] Am I right in guessing it's not giants all the time?

[mucked]

This is the first I've seen of them. [ peggy pauses. ] But I've only been here a handful of months. I've no doubt someone will follow up and inform you giants are no rare thing. You've found yourself in a rather impossible place.

[ and then, utterly sincere: ] I'm terribly sorry.

( video )

[shrinkage]

[ he nearly addresses her with a cheerful "you're back!" before he checks himself and maybe subsequently avoids wrecking himself? ]

Oh, crap. [ mock-guilt, go! ] I never had time to bake the welcome committee muffins...

[outstandingbalance]

[Probably a wise move, since there's no recognition on Natasha's side. The joke gets the kind of smile that acknowledges a joke was made without leaving any room for mistaking it for funny.]

That's too bad. I could have gone for a muffin.

[shrinkage]

And now I've made a terrible first impression.

[ ray you'd do that anyway, buddy. but unfortunately for natasha, he remains undaunted. ]

So, is major chaos standard where you come from? I'm sure you've heard all about its frequency by now.

[kryptomight]

Hi, welcome to Wonderland! I'm sorry you're stuck here, honestly I'm not sure why people say "welcome" when no one wants to be here really-- but at least we're all here together, right?

I'm Jon! It's nice to meet you. I just got here too. ( she asked for the welcoming committee, right? it's not as if he knows anything either, but he can. try his best. )

[outstandingbalance]

[That response is far more pure than Natasha expected. She hadn't calibrated her introduction for children. At least not for children who reacted like this.

He'll get a smile out of her, though a reserved one.]

Well. Nice to meet you too, Jon. [She leans toward the camera a little, her arm crossing on the table in front of you.] Seems safe to say you don't have anything to be sorry for in that.

Unless you're the mastermind behind this place?

[kryptomight]

No. I just got here the other day--there were ogres outside, swarming all over the place. But at least those ones stayed outside. .

( which were a lot easier to deal with, since they were all in one area and really easy to attack without worrying about hurting any innocent bystanders, since they were the only ones there-- ) Do you need any help? There're some superheroes trapped here, too.

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[divaricate]

You showed up during this last 'event', I take it? Yes, this place does things like that to us.

[finally, she offers Natasha a small smile. She... hopes Natasha remembers her.]

I guess I should be asking if you remember me. This place also likes to pull people in from different times.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha lets her recognition show, and she nods. She's not sure she follows the different times; she's still wrapping her head around different worlds.

Remember it, but file it away for later. She'll figure it out when she has time.]

I remember you. [And judging from the smile, the two of them aren't on bad terms as far as Wanda is concerned. Natasha's fine with that.] Unless you mean being here before. That part, not so much.

[She didn't get all the details, but she picked up that much.]

[divaricate]

Yeah, I meant at home. We only got a chance to speak once when you were here, so I'm afraid I can't fill you in much on your previous stay. [She wasn't here long.]

But if you're interested, I can meet you somewhere and we can catch up face to face?

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[hypoxic]

[There's actually no greeting here. It's just directions for how to work the filtering system. The Widow probably wants to know, and it shouldn't be her job to figure it out.

With love, from SHIELD.]

text, private

[outstandingbalance]

[It's one less thing to worry about, which Natasha appreciates. That doesn't mean he's off the hook for other questions.]

Thanks.

Available for a meeting? Face to face.

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[hypoxic]

Of course. Is discretion required? I can send the civilians away from our lab.

Fourth floor

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[plutonicideals]

Kind of normal but not really.

Hi, I'm Riley!

[outstandingbalance]

Hi. [That makes her the second response from someone younger than Natasha expected. Not as young as the last one, but still young enough to raise an eyebrow.] That's what I've been hearing. Giants are new, but monsters popping up... not so much.

[plutonicideals]

That happens... almost every event. So you'll see it a lot.

I wish it wouldn't happen so often, but the mansion is the mansion.

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[bravejemma]

Events are a periodic occurrence, so in that respect, I suppose they are "normal."

[outstandingbalance]

Just how periodic are we talking about?

[The way people talk about it, Natasha gets the feeling that they're more regular than Natasha is comfortable with.]

[morethan084]

[Is it bad that the sarcasm made Daisy smile?]

Yeah. It's a helluva way to be brought into this place. Not going to lie, probably one of the more severe events I've seen since being here.

[Yeah. That was totally helping too.]

Hey.

[Of course Daisy knows who she is, but she's not going to let her know that. This place can be overwhelming as it is.]

I'm Daisy.

[outstandingbalance]

[A woman after Natasha's own heart: one who appreciates sarcasm and secrecy.]

Hey. [Mirroring the greeting, alert despite her fatigue and a long list of surprises.] Natasha.

[A pause, letting the informal introduction stand a beat before she continues. But there are too many questions to leave it at that.]

Just how many of them have you seen? When you put it that way, it sounds like more fan a few.