video

[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

[shrinkage]

[ no one will blame her for hitting that block button! but at least it seems maybe he's catching on a little. ]

I have perfect attendance. Then again, I'm the only one who shows...

[outstandingbalance]

No offense, but I think it's going to stay that way. At least if you can't do better than gluten free macaroni.

[shrinkage]

None taken! It tastes terrible and doesn't glue.

[ shrug. whatcha gonna do? ]

So, I have a confession to make.

[outstandingbalance]

Seems a little early in our relationship to start baring all.

[But she's not telling him not to make it.]

[shrinkage]

Maybe for you.

[ raymond palmer that is not how you tell someone you met another them. ]

...That came out wrong.

[outstandingbalance]

It may have. [It definitely is. But Natasha's been clued in, if only in the most general way. She can put two and two together.]

You knew me before.

[shrinkage]

[ he nods, nose crinkling with maybe a little embarrassment at how poorly he's handled this already. ]

Sorry. We weren't close or anything! Just ... a couple of run ins last year, usually during events.

[ he thinks they were friends, but-- gosh it's hard to tell. ray considers the dormouse his friend. he could hold a conversation with a paper bag. ]

I'm Ray.

[outstandingbalance]

Ray. [Natasha echoes him.] Nice to meet you, Ray. Anything else I should know?

[shrinkage]

[ he thinks for a moment, for something that her world's retinue might not offer up. ]

You can bribe Dormouse with treacle. But he eats it too fast, so be careful.

[outstandingbalance]

[He succeeded as far as that goes, at least. That's not what Natasha expected to hear at all.

But it raises another question.]

Bribe it to do what?

[shrinkage]

Not fall asleep, mostly. But he's friendly aside from being a tiny harbinger.

[outstandingbalance]

I'll have to remember that. I can't think of why I'd ever have to keep a dormouse awake, but considering that you're mentioning it, I have to assume it's come up before.

[shrinkage]

He's one of the beings that tells us when an event is coming. Most of them aren't all that forthcoming, but he was pretty chatty once I promised to bring him dessert.

[outstandingbalance]

Did he let you know about the giants? Or some other impending calamity?

[shrinkage]

He told us about the kindergarten, actually. This alien sort of world where creatures known as Gems were grown.

[ it wasn't too terrible, save for the time he blinded a girl while she was fighting one of the corrupt ones and nearly killed her... ]

[outstandingbalance]

[That gets a raised eyebrow and a skeptical look.]

I know what all of those words mean individually, but when you put them in that order they don't make any sense.

[shrinkage]

Oh, there are aliens in Wonderland! They're pretty cool.

[ literally and behaviorally. then again treating ray coolly is just smart ok. ]

[outstandingbalance]

I put together that much. [Natasha's not sure it would make a difference. He seems immune to at least gentle sarcasm.]

So he told you about an event that was relevant to those aliens. Am I parsing that right?

[Is everything here so much of a headache?]

[shrinkage]

[ a shove into a wall once in awhile, then. no, that's lie. it'll only make him think you like him. ]

Right, yes, sorry-- it was similar to the giants. A total world shift.

[outstandingbalance]

[Well, that could lead to some confusion in their relationship potentially. Or not. Who knows.]

Only this time alien "gems" grown in a kindergarten.

[Natasha hates her life just a little right now. She'll accept it. She can't really not accept it; Ray doesn't show any signs of lying. But she hates being somewhere she has to accept it when it's nonsense to her.]

So did having warning about it in advance help?

[shrinkage]

A little, actually. One of the gems recognized the riddle and talked to the network.

[ he shrugs, unhappy about having bad news and half-answers. but it's just an unfortunate side-effect of a dimension that consumes its people. and this part is always difficult: either ray finds himself infodumping new people into shutting down, or comes off like he's dragging it on.

he's yet to find a good middleground. ]

But it's hard to take action when you can't know the manner in which Wonderland will manifest a memory.

[outstandingbalance]

I've heard a little about that. [And she's still processing it. It seems that their memories can be more dangerous than they were even in life. Not only that, but they're proof of losing some part of their memory in the same fell swoop.

Natasha huffs, not quite a sigh, and lets her eyes slip nearly closed for a brief moment. If she stopped to think about it, really think about it, she would be very tired.

She pivots then.]

So just how well did you know me?

[Something else she should know, while she processes the rest.]

god i'm so sorry. lmk if you'd rather i retcon him to be less...... himself D:

[shrinkage]

[ disclaimer: ray palmer is an unreliable narrator. you've been warned. ]

Oh man, we were really good friends! When we met, you were version two-point-oh. Or at least two, anyway. You used to be an assassin and you're from Russia. You're crazy strong, and you were friends with my friends.

[ so, yknow. besties, obviously. ]

w/e it's all good. she needs this in her life

[outstandingbalance]

[From what he says, it's clear he knew of her at least. The rest, she takes with a healthy skepticism. They're on the same side here, which is a strong reason to tolerate him. And all things considered, his exuberance seems harmless. Perhaps not 100% sincere, but more like the kind of lie you tell yourself or put on for others' benefit than the kind calculated to create a particular impression.

Natasha is intimately familiar with the difference.]

Gee. That does sound close. [The sarcasm is evident, but not cruel.] Did we work together? You and me, and your friends.

o7 there's a post on his journal to request to stop/rewind if you ever change your mind <3

[shrinkage]

[ she's on track: ray is just an overgrown nerd who wants to be liked. who wants to help and be useful, and makes bad choices in those pursuits sometimes. harmless in intent, but not necessarily in execution... ]

If you want to think of it that way, sure. Freelance, though. You know-- the mansion turns upside and you team up with whoever's around.