Sixth Iteration Logs

<div class="postheader">WHO: (Who is making the post)
WHERE: (Where the post takes place)
WHEN: (When the post takes place)
OPEN TO: (Who the post is open to tags from -- Specific characters, all, none, etc.)
WARNINGS: (Please warn for adult content or anything triggering) <hr></div>
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notyourrookie

WHO: Agent Washington
WHERE: A bit outside the South village
WHEN: April 5th
OPEN TO: Natasha Romanoff
WARNINGS: Violence and injuries

He's been keeping to himself since the fight. Well, even more than usual. Hasn't visited the South village in a few days. He wouldn't call it embarrassment exactly; it's hardly a grappling hook to the balls, but he hates the thought of having been vulnerable, that people might know more about him than he wants them to. He really hates that North had seen him like that. Strangers weren't as bad, but people he knew? What if they thought he was crazy?

But there's only so much time he can remain scarce for before he really needs to go to the South Village to pick some things up and remind the few people who care that isn't dead.

The weather is warming up a little, and he slows down as he approaches the village, dropping to a slow jog rather than a pace that makes it seem like he's got a drill sergeant after him, and taking time to pause and stretch out.

He sees it then - someone just approaching along the road from the other direction. Their clothes look torn and they're dirty, like they've been in a fight. He knows that look well. He thinks he recognises them. Not personally, but from spending time in the village - there's few enough people there that you become familiar with the sight of most of them.

"Are you okay?"

tothefly

WHO: Natasha Romanoff
WHERE: South Village outskirts
WHEN: April 5th, spam from 5th-8th
OPEN TO: all (Network first response goes to Reyes)
WARNINGS: Injuries

[network, video, OTA (first response goes to Reyes)]

[It looks like there's something smeared over the screen; it's just a jumble of color, blacks and browns and the faintest hint of sky peeking through here and there, a blur that implies faint motion. The voice is recognizable as Natasha's, but the words are slightly slurred and it sounds like she's having a hard time putting them together.]

They took...him. I think--

[A small sound of pain, and another brief pause of labored breathing.]

Don't...know his name. Tall. Blonde. Fighter. Teal wristband. More of those people--not us--

Think I--know which way they went. Someone needs to...

[And then there's the sound of someone falling, and the video ends.]

[action, south village inn, OTA]

A concussion means Natasha isn't going to sleep any time soon. She should still be resting, shouldn't be sitting up given the state of her injuries, but judging by the look on her face anyone who tells her that has a good chance of going through the window she's sitting by. The map she and Loki had found is unfurled on the table in front of her, and she's bent over it, marking distances and looking pretty intent, despite her pale, clammy skin and the rapidly purpling bruise emanating outward from her temple, a cut at its center.

She doesn't even bother looking up as she hears someone enter the room, instead holding out a hand towards them and motioning. "Come here. I need another pair of hands."

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.

notsoangry

WHO: Bruce Banner
WHERE: Everywhere
WHEN: February 7th-20th
OPEN TO: OTA, one locked to Nat and one to Peggy in comments
WARNINGS: Probably will be fine!

February 8-12th

Bruce may have been thrown off by the ordeal, but in general it was the trip back that really made him struggle. It reminds him of when he was on the run and even slightly younger, it was easier then, but now he's grown soft. It means that he can actually be seen attempting to jog although he's not very good at it. There's more stretching than running. Don't laugh at him (you can laugh at him). There's more silver in his hair for sure, but that's how these things go.

He seems to be very focused in the schoolhouse on making notes, specifically if the papers are seen it has speculation about blood and powers. He has a list of names of people he thinks wouldn't mind him asking for samples, and a list of supplies that will make it easier for him to run the tests in question. This is a project he and Sam have been thinking about for awhile, and he's pretty close to launching it officially.

Outside the dojo he will be attempting to purposely set off his powers, and it's his own hesitance keeping him from it.

February 13th-20th, color change!

Bruce did know that unexpectedly some wristbands were changing and people were reporting some other changes because of it. So it was always a possibility. It isn't until his own beeps and morphs into a shiny yellow band that he blinks and waits for the lasting effect. It comes pretty much immediately because he feels energetic and the opposite of his normal wary and hesitant behavior.

Instead he wanders the village with a smile and warmer greetings, and he voluntarily sits down to eat with people he doesn't ordinarily. Bruce walks farther than usual past the village boundary just to see what's out there. He also might grab someone to test out the yellow power.

tothefly

WHO: Natasha Romanoff
WHERE: South of Inari Shrine, Southern Coast, back up to South Village
WHEN: 25 January - 3 February
OPEN TO: Ezio, Hawke
WARNINGS: Probably just some minor violence of the hunting kind tbh, will adjust as necessary

It made sense for Natasha to be scouting ahead of their small party. For all that most of her work the last few years has been urban in nature, she's still been spending plenty of days out in the surrounding forests, and she knows how to stay alert, watch out for danger. And the others who might have normally taken this role, well--they'd had to witness things that opened wounds. That made things more difficult. Made distraction easier. And they couldn't afford that out here.

The rustling up ahead isn't big enough to be human, but Natasha stops moving anyway, borrowed knife already in her hand as she waits to see what it is. There are plenty of dangers out here that aren't human. When the fox steps out of the bushes, it's still not a reason to relax; she stays stationary, watching as it sniffs the ground, watching as it turns towards her, her breath held as she waits for it to decide if it's in danger or not. It's a beautiful creature, silky fur in shades of warm golden brown to orange, and its eyes as they meet hers are the most brilliant orange she's ever seen. It opens its mouth, and she's not fast enough to react.

It barks, and everything around her changes. She stumbles on uncertain footing, the ground below her having shifted suddenly, and she doesn't have time to readjust before there's another flash of a pair of bright amber eyes, another bark--and suddenly she's lying on damp grass, the sound of running water somewhere in the distance. As she takes a moment to get her breath and her bearings back, there are other sounds around her, human sounds. Natasha rolls to her feet, looking around to see who's ended up here with her, where they've wound up.

"Everyone all right?"

Whoever everyone is. Wherever they are.

((Rough plan for the trip back is here, with the Inari fox teleportation shown as a dotted line. Should take roughly 7-9 days to make it back to the South Village, if no disasters come up.))

sixthiteration

WHERE: Inari Shrine and elsewhere
WHEN: 25 January 2019 through ?
OPEN TO: All opted in characters
WARNINGS: Please warn in the subject line of your comment as needed, and remember to move anything turning adult to a new post.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Final reminders and informational links are here. Please label all top-levels clearly so that there is no confusion who they are open to and what they are for, and DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR TAG!
Have fun and ask questions here!

sixthiteration

WHERE: Simulation, door between the SV inn and police station
WHEN: Sunset Dec 31 through sunrise Jan 1
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn in your subject line as needed and move all adult content to a new post
NOTES: GENERAL PARTY DETAILS: Here & Here | PLANNING POST: Here | NEWBIES: You may arrive at the party, details here.

As the sun dips toward the horizon, another day in the village put to bed, those walking past the tiny piece of woodland between the South Village inn and police station next door may notice something out of place: A door, golden and shimmering, seeming to hover in space and go nowhere. Indeed, a quick step to its other side reveals nothing at all but more forest. Dare to grasp the knob and swing it open, however—

A party, wild and opulent and grand, set in the front halls and gardens of a sprawling Victorian mansion, all cream and black and glittering gold. Tables groaning with festive food and drink, a lively band, and enthusiastic occupants seemingly unaware of the strangeness through which our intrepid villagers have arrived.

Step through, and you shall be transformed: Vigorously healthy, impeccably coiffed, a glittering star in your own right. To exit the way you came will see all of this gone again, and do take care: While news travels fast in the village, if you don't indulge soon, you may miss this extravagant respite — The music, the frivolity, the fireworks at midnight... Or all of it altogether, for it will fade away with the dawn.

tothefly

WHO: Natasha Romanoff + Various
WHERE: House 6, House 57, House 54 (Danny's dojo), around the South Village and road to the north
WHEN: Dec 15-20
OPEN TO: Starters for Frank, Finnick, and Peggy, plus OTA
WARNINGS: None as of now, will update as needed

( [Frank, House 6] )

( [Finnick, House 57] )

( [Peggy, Dojo] )

[South Village roads + Dojo, OTA]

There's no question that Natasha's little walks every night are something more than that. One might even consider them something of a patrol. Yes, there's a group for that now, something that's been set up with a sign-up list at Town Hall and everything, but Natasha has always worked best out of the spotlight. People know where to find her if she needs to be found. Aside from that, she keeps her head down, occasionally inviting someone to join her for the quiet wanderings through the village streets in the late hours of the night. It isn't incredibly common that she runs into someone else out, especially as it continues to get colder, the damp and chill entirely uninviting, but on those rare occasions she does, maybe she can be convinced to stop and talk for a while, or to accept some company before she continues on.

Despite the late nights, she's also up early in the mornings, and if you're the sort to find yourself in Danny's dojo, you might also find her there, but what she's doing might not look so much like fighting as it does ballet warm-ups. Flexibility is just as important to maintain as the ability to punch someone, after all, and it's gotten her out of way more jams.

championofsnark

WHO: Marian Hawke
WHERE: Multiple places!
WHEN: Anywhere between December 10-19thish
OPEN TO: Filters to Iron Bull, Frank Castle, Finnick Odair, Elektra Natchios, and then OTA!
WARNINGS: Swearing. Updated: Sex in the Connor thread.

( POST FOR BULL, FINNICK, FRANK, ELEKTRA ) OPEN TO ALL

Hawke is someone easy to spot and meet around the village. She has lunch at the inn every day and will chatter at anyone there. She as usual can be found at the fountain here and there in case someone shows up, but she is now working on her sewing instead of creating arrows. She sometimes has some mischief and bathes nude in the hot springs. It gets cold out there! She's shameless. Finally she just generally scouts around the perimeter of the village, especially at night, with her knives and bow. She is very friendly. Just say hi. Or run while you can.

plate_builder

WHO: Reeve Tuesti
WHERE: South Village Fountain, Inn, Around Town
WHEN: 12/10 for Arrival and Inn, 12/11 - 12/13 for Around Town
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: None

Fountain Arrival - Can't Swim Well - OTA
They say that when one died they returned to the Lifestream. This was a story Reeve had even more reason to believe these days. That upon death one would float within the waters until their consciousness parted into it, melting like butter into water, flowing and mingling until it became new life. Reeve, himself, though he would like to be a cat if possible. Was it wrong to imagine that he could be a cat, Reeve thought as he felt himself weightless and rising in the water. Hope that as he scattered back into the Lifestream that he'd get to be a cat? Because he couldn't begin to imagine what else suddenly coming conscious in the water could be. Yes, it was colder than he'd imagined, and he felt like he was moving and heavy but... Well, none of Reeve's work or travel had any reason for him to be near water. He didn't swim because he was bad at it, he wasn't flying to Wutai until next week, and the last he remembered he was regarding the ruins of his Headquarters with some disappointment. So water didn't make any sense.
Which of course made this the perfect moment for the strain to really set in on his lungs, because whether his mind was willing to admit what was going on or not, Reeve's body at least handled being submerged in the right way. He was holding his breath and his lungs hurt and that more than anything got him kicking belatedly toward the surface as his eyes opened.

Too bad he was a terrible swimmer. The more he tried, the more it felt like he was just sinking back. Maybe he wasn't in the Lifestream yet, but as he flailed toward the surface with little real hope of making it on his own, it wasn't beyond reason to think he might be there soon anyway.

At The Inn - A Bit Like Home - OTA

It's beautiful, in its own way. In a way that some from Gaia might not appreciate. The structure is old fashioned by Midgar and even Edge's standards, but there was something about the exposed wood, the stone of the fireplace and the hearth, that made Reeve feel almost at home. Not in his suite at the WRO headquarters, or the apartment he had maintained for himself in Midgar, or even his mother's house in Sector Five. No, it was like his childhood, and even with all the strangeness of this place, Reeve felt oddly safe here. He could close his eyes and smell the rich stews his mother made when he was little and drew pictures of fairy cat kings and listened to his father tell the old tales about the spirits of the world and the will of the Lifestream. It was far simpler than the life he had afforded himself, but perhaps this inn made it more comfortable to be in this strange place.

"Now if only there was a hot cup of coffee," he mused as he stared into the fire he was sitting near. "Maybe a nice rasher with a side of beans and some stewed greens."

Or just company. That could work too.

Around Town - When All Else Fails: Plan - OTA

There was no point in letting himself stagnate. A bit of time spent in the Inn appreciating it for the shelter it provided and the warmth, and a lovely meal or two, had been more than enough. This, Reeve was given to understand, was the new way of things. Perhaps he had died in the final acts of Omega and Chaos, but he didn't think so. Perhaps he'd gone to Mideel and fallen into the Lifestream and come out somewhere completely different, though that seemed unlikely too. Or perhaps it was just another one of those strange things that seemed to scatter through life. Would lingering on the impossibility of it really serve any value end?

No. Never had and never would. So Reeve had pushed himself off of his rear and headed out into the village to walk the paths. He considered them as he went, carefully measuring each pace off in his mind, trying to create an image of the arrangement of the place. This many paces between the Inn and the fountain park. This far down the road to a house. A house of so many paces wide, calculated to actual scale in his head because really the math wasn't hard. At each house Reeve paused and allowed himself a bit of an arch of the front. Rude to truly traipse around his new neighbor's properties, but he wanted an idea of each house. And he marveled over how each had not only a distinctive look, but how well it all fit together.

"Interesting, an old fashioned style evocative of something along the lines of Kalm or Nibelheim, and yet with its own style. I wonder what sort of team they got in to build such structures. How did they transport in sufficient materials for construction, or was this all clear-cut for production?"

So many considerations, and he didn't know where to start!

debrains

WHO: Blaine DeBeers
WHERE: fountain, then around South Village
WHEN: 12/4, day and night
OPEN TO: OTA!
WARNINGS: potential talk of zombiedom, unless you've opted out

( 3 prompts and a wildcard )

notsoangry

WHO: Bruce Banner
WHERE: A walk to the greenhouse
WHEN: December 3rd
OPEN TO: Natasha Romanoff
WARNINGS: None, will update here if that changes, but it's probably warning for cute tbh

After everything they'd been through, and the fact he landed a first date successfully, Bruce was still full of nerves. He felt better with a plan, and Liv gave him a perfect plan. He'd pay it back in kind with a cure some day, he was determined. He couldn't find any purple to wear but she made it clear he shouldn't try too hard, but he still showed up in newly pressed clothes. No flowers to speak of, since they'd be walking to the greenhouse. He did have a packed picnic though as Liv promised, and he was beaming about that particular detail.

Bruce took her hand because they were doing that more often, scandalous for sure, and led her in the direction of the greenhouse with more confidence than usual. It was helpful when he had an exact vision in mind, and then he could execute it step by step. A little too logical for something as simple and personal as a date, but it was how he didn't end up a fit of nerves and anxieties all day.

"I wish I could take the credit, but someone may have helped significantly." It isn't like Bruce to take credit for anything that isn't his, but he did set up the nice picnic blanket at the greenhouse waiting for them, so he'll take credit for that part. If not the concept. He keeps shooting shy looks Natasha's way, giving his customary half-smile.

constructionzone

WHO: James Rhodes
WHERE: Fountain & Wandering Aimlessly in the Village
WHEN: Late November
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: N/A, but will update as needed.

The Fountain

They were all still in Wakanda.

It was frankly damned amazing that the Wakandan royal family hadn't immediately evicted them, but Rhodey thought that they were all too shell-shocked to object, and he and what was left of the rest sure as hell were too shell-shocked to go anywhere. They'd won, you see, they'd won the damn battle against a battalion of vicious aliens, and then it didn't matter at all. Thanos arrived, he'd killed the Vision (and Rhodey's immediate, immediate thought was he didn't know how he was going to tell Tony that, because of course they were going to find Tony, Tony definitely had not finally gotten his dumb ass killed) and then...

Well, Rhodey had been hoping he'd never have to explain the next part, because he was pretty sure it wouldn't make a lick of sense.

So, they were all still in Wakanda. He remembers getting up - it was early, before dawn - and he remembers going for a walk, and none of that computes with the here and now, which is being submerged in water when he definitely was nowhere near the river. But his lungs are burning, so now is maybe not the time to have deep thoughts about how he got here. Rhodey kicks instead, kicking hard until he drags himself to the surface.

He looks around, and he's definitely not in Kansas anymore. He doesn't even have a little dog named Toto to make that reference complete. More pertinently, Rhodey thinks as he swipes his hand over his head and pulls himself out of the fountain entirely, there's no way in hell this is Wakanda.

"If this is some hoodoo to pick a new Mr. Wakanda, I conscientiously object," he mutters.

Village Walkabout

A bit later, people might see a man in hunter green scrubs with a slight but distinct limp walking around the village. He might have a look about him like he's casing the joint; in reality, Rhodey's definitely looking for food, but also he's looking...he's looking to see if there's anyone he knows, or at least anyone who can explain to him what the hell ass is going on, and also, where's the exit.

On the latter points, he's almost definitely doomed to be disappointed.

Less so on the former points, but he's going to be super disappointed that there's no diner in sight, anywhere to be found. Doesn't every small village need one? Don't they all have his daily required black coffee and way more bacon than a man who has to pass military physicals should be eating?

You only wish, Rhodey.

quinientos

WHO: Vasquez
WHERE: The Woods
WHEN: November 27 - December 2
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Animal Transformation

What Great Fur You Have

After he'd healed from his illness, Vasquez probably should have been more thankful for his good health.

Instead, he's quickly remembered all the secrets about himself that he had given up. He remembered confessing about his fears, showing his weakness, and worse, he thinks he remembers telling Faraday things that he'd vowed to keep inside. For sure, he shouldn't have told him how Rose Creek had ended, because thinking about that gory conclusion wasn't good for anyone. When he'd healed, he'd marched himself down to that bunker where it had a machine for powers and he did what any cowardly man who never took responsibility for anything or anyone would do.

He turned himself into a wolf and went out into the wilderness, knowing that so long as he was an animal, he wouldn't have to talk about any feelings.

Unfortunately, it also means that you don't get to eat so easy and raw venison is not something Vasquez likes, which is why there's a wolf sitting outside of a house, making whining sounds and pawing at the window, pleading for whatever food is inside. He's not eating raw meat, not unless he absolutely has to, and he didn't even do that when he'd been half-starving in a dead man's cabin.

Human Skin

Eventually, he knows that this transformation won't last forever. When he'd gone to the machine, it had said a week, and counting the days, Vasquez knows that his time is quickly coming up. Of course, he didn't exactly plan it completely, because when the week is up, he's nowhere near the clothes he'd hidden, which leaves him standing near the outskirts of the south village (more in it than out), hands over his personal area, cheeks flush with red.

This is definitely not how he had intended to end this, and he knows that getting all the way back to the house isn't an option. Even stealing something isn't such a good idea, because he doesn't want to burst into anyone's house like this.

They might get the wrong idea.

So, it looks like a kind gesture is all that's going to save Vasquez, and a little humiliation until then. "Morning," he greets the nearest person with a smile, fucking freezing. "Maybe, I don't know, you have a jacket you can give me? I think it would be best for everyone if I could get some clothes."

sixthiteration

WHERE: Anywhere; multiple locations
WHEN: Apx. 19-27 November
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Serious illness and reactions to such, snakes, hallucinations

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is the second of two mingles. Please see the timing and general event details here.

Not putting any mod top-levels in this one — Just make sure you label your own top-level clearly as to whether it's Expedition or Recovery, and as always, whether it is OTA or not!

Please keep in mind the established plot details, but creative license is welcome and encouraged as long as it doesn't step on toes.

sixthiteration

WHERE: Anywhere; multiple locations
WHEN: Apx. 13-18 November
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Serious illness and reactions to such

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is the first of two mingles. Please see the timing and general event details here.

Illness Presents and Putting Heads Together will have their own top-levels in this post, but you may make separate top-levels for whatever you like! Anything is welcome, as long as it tangentially relates to the Worried/Sick plot.

Please keep in mind the established plot details, but creative license is welcome and encouraged as long as it doesn't step on toes.

thegreatexperiment

WHO: Samantha Moon
WHERE: The Tubes
WHEN: Spread out across early November
OPEN TO: YOU, YES, YOU (OTA)
WARNINGS: Standard warning for Sam's mouth, will update if needed

Sam liked to spend the occasional evening down in the tubes. She'd volunteered to watch for new arrivals, as was her 'civic duty,' or whatever. But it was more the peace she enjoyed. Living in the Inn came with a lot of dorm-y frustrations, between the single bathroom, the occasional neighbors punching her damn walls, and what she assumed were sex noises echoing through the halls.

But she had a new reason to go down there now: Stealing shit.

That was the idea, anyway. Although, so far, she hadn't found much worth taking. But all scientific endeavors, she knew, came with their fair share of setbacks. True, she and Bruce didn't have to worry about IRB approval or grand funding. No, they just had to deal with a serious lack of any equipment worth having. Not to mention anything that actually had the power to give her any kind of insight into the proteins swirling around the inmates' DNA. But Sam was nothing if not stubborn. So for a few nights, she crept down to the tubes, carrying a kitchen knife, a metal rod, and a canvas bag. Just in case she found something.

The biggest problem was the lists of names. No matter what Sam did, no matter what she told herself, she always and inevitably found herself reading them, again and again. The pain of seeing Avery on the list had dulled from a knife in her heart to an annoying ache. But the trouble with annoying aches was that they were fucking annoying.

Kind of like Avery, she supposed.

And if she wasn't scavenging through the equipment or reading the lists, she would sometimes take a small break, crouching down in a corner and sketching. At least now she wasn't obsessively drawing the sky. She had plans. Maybe unrealistic, irrational plans. But forward momentum wasn't something to sneer at. So she sketched all the equipment she wanted to build or have or make. Everything she and Bruce would need to conduct their work.

You know, in a perfect world.

imareporter

Who: Eddie Brock
Where: In order, the fountain, the woods, and then about the village.
When: November 1rst.
Open to: Peter Parker, Kamala Khan, and you??
Warnings: None Yet, but they're likely. Will update as needed.

No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes it's in front.

Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.

But that shadow has been serving you.
What hurts you blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest. - Rumi, The Big Red Book

YOUR SHADOW MORE THAN KEEPS UP (For Peter)

[It's disorienting. One minute Eddie is walking out of Mrs. Chen's bodega feeling sated listening to Venom try and tempt him with tiny tendrils of emotion, The way I see it, we can do whatever we want. did he walk? Run? It's been weeks since the life foundation and he's settled in with his roommate, his buddy and it's...comforting.

Except then everything was thrown off. It was a big wall of nothing, he lost touch with Venom, touch with himself, there was nothing.

Darkness.

Then he comes up sputtering, one hand through the water. His instincts are purely animal. He's wet, cold, sick, stomach rolling. Every nerve ending is alight with sensations but all the sees is darkness for a moment before light blazes into being and he lets out a snarl What the hell. He feels smacked, on edge. Where were they? What was happening? His body twitches and something swims across his skin and his chest before blinding pain makes him snarl. Flopping over, his hands out. Fight. Run. Flee. Kill. Fight run. flee-

...Venom?

cantcomeoutcantcomeoutcan

Venom!

Painwherepainwherearewekillkillkillthemall-

The body of Eddie Brock, completely out of his control, writhes on the ground for a moment and clenches his fists, twitching, muscles spasming.

Venom! It's me! Relax buddy!

WherearewewhereareweWherearewe...Eddie

Eddie. that's right big guy. It's me. I'm here.

He flops over onto his back, chest heaving. That's how anyone who comes upon him will find him. Trying to calm a terrified alien inside him down. One hand strokes his chest, trying to offer some sort of of comfort to the creature who is...stuck. So he speaks to it. Voice above a whisper. Just like his mother used to do to him.]

...It's okay love...It's okay.

It's okay love. I'm here.

BUT THAT SHADOW HAS BEEN SERVING YOU (For Kamala)

[I don't like this place Eddie. I do not. We are not at home. I have no sense of anything. I can't come out. I'm stuck in you. I want to come out. I'm hungry this isn't okay this isn't okay-

Eddie presses a hand over his chest, stumbling loosely through the forest looking for a road in and out of the village.]

I know. I know you're scared. But I'm here okay? And I'll protect you. I won't let anyone here hurt you. I've got us this time okay?

[I hate being helpless.

Something visibly shifts beneath his skin, but you'd have to be close to see it as Eddie continues his trek looking for a road.]

DARKNESS IS YOUR CANDLE. (OTA)

[This is what he knows. He is stuck. There's no way in or out, and there's a man in teal scrubs pacing through the village looking less and less lost. One pack over his shoulder, he's just...observing.

We're going to have to cross the bridge of feeding you when it comes to it, but for now. Just-let me help you okay? Like I said. I'm going to protect you.]

Everything's gonna be fine love. I've got us.

[The words are mumbled and eddie's back on his game, looking gradually more and more assured as the day passes.]

sixthiteration

WHERE: Corn field next to the inn
WHEN: 31 October, all day and night
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn as appropriate in your subject lines
NOTES: Please make sure you have read and understand the event details! If you have questions, drop them here. RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED: Put your SCRUBS COLOR in your OTA subject line for folks doing bingo. Time your OTA for the harvest feast, the masquerade, or both. Costume matches and details for folks who did not get matched are here.

This morning, our intrepid villagers awoke to a surprise of the nicer kind: A bundle of clothing left at the foot of their bed, tied with a bow. There is also a note: Put on your new outfit and join the festivities in the corn field next to the inn.

You may be thinking, what corn field next to the inn? The one that sprung up fully-mature overnight, of course.

In the middle of the field, villagers will find an autumn feast: Tables piled with harvest time food and drink, warm and rustic decorations, the day's sunshine fending off any chill in the air.

Tuck in and enjoy, villagers, but take note: Things often look different in the dark, and you might be one of them.

notsoangry

WHO: Bruce Banner
WHERE: The lady requested a tour. Starts at schoolhouse.
WHEN: Backdated to October 23rd
OPEN TO: Natasha Romanoff
WARNINGS: None, will update here if that changes

Bruce is out and about regularly, but outside of when he's with Tony at home or at the Forge, he spends his time in the schoolhouse. It reminds him of the libraries he used to spend all his time in when he was young. He feels at his best surrounded with books. He has a stack of them next to where he's currently sitting. The how-to section is an absolute delight for someone who loves learning. While his note taking is extensive, especially after having helpful conversations with people post the expo, at the moment he's taking a break to read.

The pick of the day involves survivalist skills for the outdoors. Bruce survived on the run for many years, so he has experience in aspects of this, but not the full picture. Supplementing his knowledge is the best chance for mastery. He's dressed casually, glasses on, and while he's aware that Natasha said she's stop by some time, he tries not to obsess over it. If he spends all his time waiting and trying to awkwardly wear something nicer, it'll come off as trying too hard for him. So he is determined to study and research and read and not dwell on a certain redhead. More than a few times a day.

Sixth Iteration

Logs

Entries tagged with marvel: natasha romanoff

Credits & Style Info

Ghost Stories

No Longer Ghosts [network+log]

long road home [backdated to March 6]

I see your true colors shining through

An Unexpected Detour

[MINGLE] One-Man Show

[MINGLE] Auld Lang Sim

Just a walk or three

you know the rules and so do I

[OTA] Better Than The Lifestream

OTA; turned a whiter shade of pale

it's not you i don't trust

wasn't it going to be fun and wasn't it going to be new?

The Fountain

Village Walkabout

howling in the hills

[MINGLE] Worried/Sick 2: Snake Expedition & Recovery!

[MINGLE] Worried/Sick 1: Symptoms Manifest & Reaction

I'll go where answers can be found/Kick the door and smash it down [OPEN]

How does a part of the world leave the world?

[MINGLE] Saints & Sinners Masquerade

It's just you and me (closed)