long road home [backdated to March 6]

[tothefly]

WHO: (Who is making the post)
WHERE: (Where the post takes place)
WHEN: March 6 - March 17
OPEN TO: all + message/spam for Bev
WARNINGS: nada

---

[network, open text]

[She'd message Bruce privately the day before to tell him about this very thing plus show him what she and Loki had brought back from their little surprise vacation, but it's taken a day before she'd felt up to anything else, and she's still not exactly feeling up to much.]

For those of you who didn't already know, Betty Ross is gone.

[network, voice, private to Beverly]

I think I might have done some damage while we were out in the woods. Mind stopping by to take a look? I don't want to tell Bruce until I know what's wrong, he'll make a bigger deal out of it than I want.

[video, open:]

[The map is a real find. She'd spent half the day before borrowing some of Bruce's precious paper to make her own copy before taking it out to the South Village Inn, but she's finally here, and the map is spread over one of the tables in the front room, one edge weighted down with the case and the other corners with empty glasses. The video opens on the carefully framed map itself, and Nat's voice narrates as she points out key locations.]

Think we're finally getting a birds-eye view of this place. We're here, and here's the ruins with the fever snakes; here's the shrine, and the southern beach I got to tour the last time this place decided to send me on an adventure. Loki and I were up here--there's ruins of an old settlement housed inside a bunch of scuttled ships on the rocks here, where we found this map.

But I think you'll all notice the biggest thing here: there's a second island to the northeast, here. [She taps the map, then turns the camera to face herself. She looks tired, but there's a glow to her green eyes that speaks to an inner purpose.]

Maybe we've been looking for our hosts in the wrong places. I'm leaving the map here in the South Village Inn front room, with the records. I've made a rough copy, but someone with a better hand should probably make a second.

[Spam, open:]

Nat remains in the front room of the Inn the rest of the day with the map, refining her smaller version and making some rough dimensional calculations. She's borrowed a spool of thread from the storeroom and roughly divided the map into a grid, trying to get a feel for the size of the space, and is available if anyone wants to come talk business.

Over the course of the next week and change, you can find her in the bunker, working away at the functioning consoles, trying to find answers with renewed purpose, or taking long soaks in the hot springs, where she'll be amenable to company of most kinds. Some nights might find her sitting out on the porch of #40 wrapped in a blanket, a tawny peacat draped over her lap and rumbling loud enough to be heard on the road. She won't be working out in the dojo for the next short while, doctor's orders, but she does stop by every few days to see if Nida needs a hand with anything, or if any of the regulars are there to chat.

Comments

[scathefires]

Natasha’s relative absence from the dojo has definitely been noted. It’s not like Jason’s worried about her - he knows she’s entirely capable of handling herself, better than most. But he does miss her presence, or maybe he just misses his regular rounds of getting thrown around, the routine of something familiar.

(OK, maybe he’s a little worried.)

Whatever the underlying reason, he ends up wandering by her house on an after-dark stroll through the village, something else he finds familiar and comforting. He spots her out on the porch and casually approaches with a nod of greeting.

“You takin’ a vacation?”

[tothefly]

The tall shape of Jason is a familiar one, even in the minimal light provided by the stars and moon. Not many other people it could be, with shoulders that broad, especially heading out this way after dark, which means that she doesn't bother to get up, or to pretend like she's startled by his presence.

"Just a short sabbatical. I'm down a housemate. You miss me?"

Her voice is amused, but there's a faint catch in her breath that speaks to maybe a little more pain than she's letting on, injuries maybe a touch more serious than she wants anyone to know about. She's pretty good at hiding those sorts of things, but it's always a little tougher after a long day.

[scathefires]

Jason’s probably spent more of his life in the dark than in the light, so walking through the shadows feels like the closest thing to home that he can find in this place. He’s not stalking criminals here, though - not even trying to be sneaky about approaching Natasha, either. This isn’t Gotham, and Jason’s had to work on readjusting his expectations about the village’s other residents.

And Natasha is ... something like a friend, maybe. Not that Jason’s likely to admit to it, because that would mean accepting that he has friends, and that’s an idea that’s fundamentally opposed to his perception of himself. But he’s also been taken in as part of an adopted family, so maybe there’s hope yet for Jason to remodel his sense of who he is.

“Yeah, I think I saw that,” he says, coming up to the stairs and leaning a broad shoulder into the support post. From what Jason’s seen, people here usually announce a disappearance if it’s someone important to them. “Betty Ross was your roommate?”

He asks gently, but not overly so. From what he’s seen of Natasha, he can imagine she wouldn’t appreciate too much sentiment, and Jason’s not very good at performing that role anyway.

“‘Course I miss you.” He grins crookedly in the moonlight. “Nobody throws me around like you do.”

Voice: UN: Malik

[loyalrebel]

I am a mapmaker, I can have a roughly table sized copy completed within a few days once I attend to a personal matter.

The trick is going to be finding out if it's on an accurate scale or not, but this does make navigating the island easier.

voice

[tothefly]

I'm working on that now, at least as best I can. I'm not a mapmaker, but I've walked a decent chunk of the southern part of the island after we were all taken to the shrine on the mountain back in January. From what I can tell so far, it seems to be pretty accurate, but I'd appreciate a second set of eyes, especially ones that know what they're doing. And a second copy would let us take notes and add in landmarks without ruining the original.

Re: voice

[loyalrebel]

So long as it does not involve stabbing a map, adding markers and notes is easy enough.

If part of it is accurate, it is reasonable to work on the assumption that the whole thing is mostly so as far as natural landmarks go.

[There's a shuffle in the background.]

And there is the personal matter. I will reconvene with you the day after tomorrow.

spam, springs

[ataashihunter]

Bull has been to see the map but he didn't say anything to Nat then, but later in the week, he goes to have a bit of a soak in the springs when he sees her. He smiles as he strips to slide into the water, waiting until most of him is submerged before he speaks up. "You were the one who found the map right? Natasha?"

[tothefly]

Bull gets a long, considering look as he approaches the springs, green eyes clearly assessing and then just as clearly deciding he's likely not a threat, unbothered by his appearance or his approach. She's seen stranger, and after all, they've both been here a while, long enough to pass on the streets on errands or patrols. The horns get a closer look, as does his muscular body, though she seems to be tallying scars more than appreciating any part in particular, and when he slides into the water she doesn't bother moving.

"That's me," she answers his question, shifting slightly to rest her head more firmly on the towel pillowing a rock at the edge. "And you're the Iron Bull, right? I've seen you on patrol."

[ataashihunter]

He seems to have plenty of them, cuts and scrapes and places where arrows pierced his skin. Most noticeable is the one over his face and the way his ankle seems to be bothering him a little when he doesn't wear his brace. But he certainly isn't a threat right now.

"Yeah, I seem to have gotten the responsibility there. Not that I mind. We need something like that, wild animals might attack and all that. You found the map right? Gotten any takers on the going to the other island"

#40

[notsoangry]

The loss of Betty is still a sting for him, although it is easier, in many ways, to think that going back to her real life might be the best thing for her. There is always the possibility she is one of the bad 50%, and he can only pray and beg that it's not true, but they plan on fixing it. They'll try to fix it. Either way, even if he is so glad they got their peace together again, he thinks it might be selfish to wish her back. So he tries to counter his sadness with rationality, and it's helping.

He's focused more on Nat at the moment, because she's doing a big project right then, and one he's interested in as well. He has to ask about a few of his own soon. Bruce often comes over for the obvious reasons, and he steps out onto the porch bringing tea for both of them. He hands her one and leans down to kiss the top of her head, having gloves on still considering the cat might decide to come over to say hi once he sits down next to Nat.

"How's the Nat the Adventurer plans going?"

[tothefly]

Natasha is no stranger to loss. Not after her life, and not after the months spent here. She has a perspective too practical to be swayed for long. But she does miss Betty. She'd been an understanding ear, before, and here she'd been a friend. She's probably better off back in DC, but Nat will miss her.

If anyone understands, it's the man handing her a mug of tea, and she reaches up carefully to brush fingers over his cheek as he kisses her head. No gloves for her; Ginger is a surprisingly good pain reliever, and she's been working on acclimating herself to those oils and their effects. Which means that she's not in too much pain right now, and can smile easily enough at Bruce.

"On hold, pending Doctor Crusher's clearance," she says, faint wry notes in her voice. "Apparently Charlotte wasn't happy having her web disturbed." The giant spider she and Loki had run into had cracked at least two of her ribs, not to mention all the assorted other bruises she's been soaking out. "Bright side, looks like the weather will be good for a trip by the time I'm all healed up. Still want to check out that other village?"

[notsoangry]

Bruce doesn't mind the occasional rush of endorphins from a peacat, but he does generally avoid it. It's leftover from his anxieties about being drugged when the Other Guy was still around. Bit by bit he's relaxing from that constant fear, but some things stick around. He is very glad that they're helpful for pain like hers or anxiety and bad moments for other people though.

He has been trying his best not to hover over Nat as she heals, since Beverly has it covered and he knows she's been through plenty of injuries without him. He still can't help the worry underneath it and trying to help out whenever possible so she doesn't strain herself. It could have been a lot worse. Bruce wasn't on one of these adventures, and spent much of it anxiously waiting word of the others. "I can't say I blame her on principle, but personally I'd wish for a giant boot to squash her with."

He nods and sips his tea, smiling over at her. "Absolutely. There's a Bruce the Adventurer here too, and he plans on following Nat wherever she goes." Bruce's tone is dry. "Not in the stalker-y way it sounds." Bruce considers relationships a partnership at heart, and the two of them he feels like is a good example of that. "It'll give me the time before then to do some blood testing. I'm not sure I'll find anything, but clinical trials are worth doing even if the answers reveal nothing." Sometimes nothing means something.

Inn front room

[championofsnark]

Hawke saw the video post, but true to form, she still is better at seeing things for herself than trusting in these screens. She likes occasionally replying to people, but it's simply not her natural response. So she'd much rather see it in person. She steps in to the front room and smiles when she sees Natasha's still there. Brilliant! She's liked the woman from the moment they met, and their little adventure only cemented her respect.

"So someone had a new adventure without me? I'm so crushed."

[tothefly]

The words get a genuine warm smile from Natasha as she turns to face the door, moving carefully. "Not willingly, I promise. I would rather have been stuck in the wilderness for another week with you," she says with a laugh, motioning for Hawke to come take a seat at her table, to look at the map with her.

"I'm glad you're here. I've been figuring out the route we took back from our own little sightseeing trip. Want to lend me a hand?"

[championofsnark]

"Of course you would, I'm a delight. The nice fellow who shared it with me was quite lovely though." Very competent, smart, and even tempered. She is never the latter, but she gets along swimmingly with people who are. Hawke likes getting things done and being around people who have that same mentality. She comes right over to the table and gets a good look at the map. She's fairly good with them, after all her adventures.

"Yes, absolutely. I remember the path we went direction-wise." She just needs to find the starting point. "You're moving a bit slow, did you get in a little trouble finding this map?"

voice; private; un: beverly

[ethnobotany]

Of course I'll come look at it. Where would you like me to meet you?

private

[tothefly]

Number 40, if you don't mind making a house call. Last house on the right on the road out towards the springs.

[ethnobotany]

I'll be right there.

And she does make her way over with a small supply of medical equipment to help with whatever Natasha needs of her. Small mostly because they don't have anything decent to help here, not what Beverly is used to at any rate. Still, it's something and that is much better than nothing at all.

She knocks when she arrives at the right house. "Natasha? It's Beverly. Can I come in?"

Voice - UN: Reeve T.

[plate_builder]

What a time for me to be mostly home-bound.

There are some things that we can use to process size issues. If at all possible, could I ask to see your rough copy? There are some rough calculations I can do based on that. It would be better to work with with another copy, but I think I shall wait until Malik has made his larger one first. I'm more skilled with city scale maps, not ones such as that.

Still, I've got the math and calculations to hopefully derive some valuable data if the map has anything resembling reality.

Voice, un: itsybitsy

[tothefly]

Home-bound? Did you get injured during your own surprise vacation?

I can manage to make my way over to yours sometime in the next day or so. From what rough estimates I've done it looks like it's to scale, but this isn't my area of expertise. I'd appreciate a second pair of eyes.

Re: Voice, un: itsybitsy

[plate_builder]

Indeed. Wendigo claws to the leg. Walking hasn't been the easiest thing.

Thank you very much. I am happy to be additional eyes. I hardly feel useful save for designing buildings and looking at maps.

Dojo - Sorry, the Boss is Out

[duel_wielding]

One of the times Natasha shows up at the dojo, it isn't Nida that is there watching over the place. Of course it isn't, the kid said he had something to do for the day, leaving North to manage the place on his own. And North looks up when Natasha enters. He spares her a brief nod, he's seen her sometimes with the kid, talking or training, while he kept himself occupied on the other side of the building, managing the first aid room and quieter space clearly meant for more meditative efforts. Clearly her focus was on something else, but for the last few days he's been watching, and he can't help the concern as he does.

She's hurting, and more than anything he wants to help with that.

Maybe we should ask if she's seen the doctor yet, Theta suggests this afternoon, picking up easily on North's tension.

I don't want to bother her, Theta.

[tothefly]

Natasha returns that offered nod, the look she gives North brief as she returns to her quick once-over of the main training room. No sign of Nida, and no sign of any wear bad enough to be immediately replaced, fortunately, so it's only a few moments before she comes back out of the room, pausing at the doorway for a moment to take a breath. She'd forgotten what cracked ribs felt like, and honestly considering their lack of medical facilities and the likelihood they could be catapulted into some new life-threatening situation at any moment, she definitely doesn't feel the need to push her recovery.

But she's not leaving just yet. Instead, she comes back over into the room North's currently occupying. She's seen him around a few times--he's moved in to the space above the dojo, she's fairly certain, and it does no harm to stay friendly. This time, she offers a smile, small but friendly enough.

"I just came by to check and see if the place needed any work. Anything you need over on this side?"

hot springs

[blacksky]

It's no fun when your dance partner is grounded. She catches Nat for a chat when she can. It's not the same by a long shot. She hadn't exactly planned to meet her here to make up for it. Elektra simply loves to soak here given her house's still less than ideal circumstances. This isn't an unwelcome surprise. Elektra smiles as the sight of her, making no effort to get undressed just yet. Teasing always takes priority with Elektra.

"You've been a busy bee lately. I'm surprised you found time for this."

[tothefly]

The familiar voice makes Nat smile, though her eyes stay closed as she soaks in the water. It's true, dancing is much less fun without one's partner, and while talking is nice, it's just not the same.

"Doctor's orders, actually," is her amused reply, and the reason becomes apparent enough as she stands to face Elektra, not shy about it in the least. It's just a body, and she's never been ashamed of hers. As she turns, the reason is evident enough--fading greenish bruises with hints of lingering purple across the right side of her ribs, spreading over to the back, a matching bruise covering her shoulder on the same side, and another that creeps above the water level covering her hips. Most of the rest of her injuries have healed, a few scabbed cuts all that remain on her hands and along one cheek, but honestly the bruises are impressive enough. The motion also reveals the scars that usually remain hidden under clothing: two bullet wounds, one in her left shoulder, the other in her side just above her left hip.

"Got into a fight with a tree. Thankfully, nothing too broken, but the water helps. Plenty of room for both of us, if you're coming in," she adds, sliding back down into the water again, gesturing towards the space next to her. Honestly, even without the healing vibes, the warmth is really nice.