[ wanda should feel some sense of relief by the the time they've all returned here, but in truth, she feels none of it, instead mostly irritated and anxious about the frequent back-and-forth that has her trying to sort through a multitude of memories that she can't even place her entire trust into.
she doesn't have much trust in the safehouse either, but right now, it's the only place she even has to go, no home or any sense of direction guiding her towards the next step, not when she simply wants to get back to something more familiar (even if the world she came from originally is just as empty and lonely as this one, still lost of those she loved).
coming to the kitchen to make herself another batch of tea, she finds an old face there, one that she takes a moment to try and recall — had it been in the aerie? no, it was here, in this same exact place — and she sighs, with just a partial smile as she gives a tilt of her head. ]
So, I see you're still here? I figured the moment we were free to leave, you'd be running to the furthest place you could get.
[ look, the safehouse isn't kai's first choice either. too many people, too little privacy.
sure, this reality is better than the aerie, but it has set him back by a lot. he is still hard at work lining up all of his ducks in a row, reaching out to his extensive network from back in that now defunct dimension. some of them have responded back to him already; others seem to be taking their sweet ol' time, so it might require a more personal visit in the future.
he has at least temporarily resolved his little blood supply issue. (thank you, hospitals.) his hoard will suffice until he finds a more long-term solution, but until then, at least he won't be in any danger of getting overtaken by his vampiric urges.
currently treating himself to another glass of vodka, kai looks over at the brunette who's joined him in the tiny kitchen area. his eyes light up at the sight of her, recognition dawning immediately. she was one of the first people he met here. a fellow newbie just like him.
chuckling, he turns to face her, resting his hip against the counter. ]
I'm working on it. As much as I love this place, [ he makes a sweeping gesture at their general vicinity. ] I think I might want to find somewhere a little less crowded. It's good to see you again though, Miss Herbal Tea.
Where I came from, I was living in a facility with a number of people, so I've grown used to the extra company.
[ evidently, it'd been a while since she had actually lived in the avengers compound, but in her memory, it was possibly the last place she'd stayed long enough to call it anything like a "home". then again, it had eventually become more of an imprisonment than anything, confined within its wall for protection — not her own but for everyone else against what she might do to hurt them.
in some ways, this safehouse brings those dreadful memories back; she hates it. ]
It ... wasn't my favorite, but sometimes we don't get to choose, I suppose.
[ stepping further into the kitchen, she chuckles at his name for her, raising her empty mug before setting it down on the counter, seeking out a kettle to begin heating up water. ]
[ he raises his glass to his lips, taking a slow sip. ]
I get it though. [ he looks out at the people milling about. ] I grew up in a big family, so I'm used to company and I actually enjoy it. It's just... [ he lifts his shoulder up into a shrug. ] I'm more used to being alone, I guess.
[ his smile takes on a more playful edge as he presses his right hand over his heart. ] Oh, you didn't know? You're known throughout this safehouse for your love of herbal tea. You could be an actual magical tea fairy for all any of us really know. It's still up for debate right now.
[ which is probably too vague of an answer, but it'd be hard to get into talking about the avengers without talking about ... everything else. right now, it's less about trying to hide it and simply more about not wanting to relive it. not when the battles with thanos are still so fresh in her mind, some of the loudest memories that don't bury away, even with all the ones carried over by the aerie.
one she sets up the kettle to begin heating up, she leans against the counter, arms crossing together in front of her. ]
Growing up, it was just me and ... my brother. Small, but sometimes small is all you need.
[ even after what they'd lost, she and pietro made it work together. he was always enough to make her smile, with playfulness that often contrasted her more serious nature.
a bit like what her current company does now, easing out a light chuckle from her lips. ]
Well, I wouldn't dare ruin a good mystery, so I'll just have to keep my lips closed about that secret. Still — definitely the best reputation I've received, so I'll do my best not to disappoint.
[ fortunately for her, kai has no interest in prying deeper than what she has given him. ]
A brother, huh? [ he takes another sip of his drink before cradling it against his chest. ] I had a bunch of siblings growing up, but... we were never very close. [ he sounds humorful as he continues: ] It probably had to do with all of us being crammed into one house. Sometimes I think we would have gotten along better if there were fewer of us around. [ he motions with his hand as he clarifies— ] More distance between us.
[ he tries to bite back his smile, but it's obvious that he likes her answer. ]
Then, I'll try my best not to solve that mystery, but I'll have you know that I'm a good 90, 95% sure you're a magical tea fairy based on my observation and... [ he gestures at the kettle pointedly. ] I'm Kai, by the way.
You all didn't have to share one bed too, I hope? Just with my brother, he'd kick so much. Anyone more than that, it'd have to be intolerable.
[ she manages a light laugh, something actually honest as she recalls the old memory of sharing that small apartment, she and pietro always shoved together in a small bed because it was all they could ever afford. ]
Only 90 or 95? Not a very good deal of confidence if you've lost up to ten percent.
[ she purses her lips with a thoughtful hum, almost like she's disappointed before her smile returns. ]
( the planet has been pulling itself together, over the last several days. weeks? aidan hasn't been around too long, but he has been catching up on the damage. the aerie, an interdimensional trip taken without consent from the travelers shoved out into it. aidan hasn't been participating in the clean up, part because he's just barely been released from the safehouse himself and partially because he doesn't give a shit. his own neighborhood's always looked worse than new amsterdam does currently. it's a little shoddy, but the rent is cheap where the plants have hit extra hard, and aidan's dirt poor still so it's appreciated.
he's very specifically avoiding red wings, due to jai's recommendation to not associated with any of the displaced. their face is out there, now. they're also fucking idiots with an infighting issue, so. but there's shit aidan wants to figure out too, so he--listens. doesn't go to redwings, but instead follows the asshole who tried to swipe a medkit off of him to another shoddy bar. waits ten, fifteen minutes after kai walks in before he's trailing in after him and sits down on a barstool up towards the front. waves down the bartender for something cheap but strong while he settles in. )
unlike how he was in the aerie, he doesn't have a very charitable heart here. plus, he has been busy getting all of his affairs in order, reconnecting with the extensive network he had built for himself in that unpleasant, little alternate reality. a few of them have turned out to be normal citizens, but the rest? the rest have opened up a lot of doors for him.
one of these doors have landed him a job (or, well, a front) at an obscure dive bar called the buzzed outlaw club, which is where he's now headed while being followed. he sort of sensed him some time ago. if he wasn't so experienced in tailing (and being tailed), he might have completely missed him.
stepping into the establishment, he disappears into the staff room for a couple of minutes before he returns to the main area. it doesn't take long for him to pinpoint who his little stalker is. seems like he attracted a nosy, little raccoon, didn't he? sliding into the seat next to him, kai rests his arms on top of the bar counter, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the cool surface. ]
( following people is a skill aidan has mastered. worked hard on. he's good at it. but also: he's rusty as hell and expects kai to pull him out of a crowd regardless, after that scene he'd made before. the bartender comes back out with a glass full of amber alcohol, and aidan nods a polite thanks to him before he's tipping it back over his mouth and downing a good bit of it.
he's been sober since he arrived. getting something hard down his throat feels pretty fucking fabulous even if the taste is shit. )
Honestly? I'd say this is a nice improvement.
( eyes back to the staff area kai had come out of, curious. )
[ he motions for his coworker of the day to pour him a glass of the hard stuff. ]
Yep. [ he makes a sweeping gesture at their general vicinity. ] I'm surrounded by things I love here, so it feels like I'm right at home. [ he smiles at him pleasantly. ] So, [ he reaches for the drink the bartender sets in front of him. ] did you follow me out of boredom or did you actually need me for something?
I didn't need you for anything. ( he probably needed the bar more than he needed kai. a good drink. something to try and wash away all the bullshit of the last several days, which he's gotten now, thanks kai. not his original intention but one he's definitely going with now that he's got it. )
Well, that's disappointing. [ lifting the glass to his lips, he takes a hearty drink of it as he slowly starts to rise from his seat. ] And thanks, I like the ambiance here too. We prefer to call it discreet rather than shady though. Sounds more... neighborly, you know?
[ he moves around him, slipping behind the bar. instead of taking anyone's orders though, he stops in front of the kid, much more interested in talking to him for the time being. ]
( just like kai, deciding that behind the counter is a better place to chat from than outside of it. aidan takes another drink from his glass, before he's leaning forward and resting his chin on the knuckles of a hand. pressing into kai's space without actually invading it. )
I've got a place. A little run down, definitely cheap. But away from how fucking crazy it is inside their little crept.
[ also, he's technically supposed to be working. what kind of example would he be setting if he just sat next to a patron and chatted with them the entire time?
resting his arms on top of the countertop, he leans forward in turn, definitely breaching into the raccoon's bubble. ]
Yeah, I wasn't a big fan of it either. Did you see that post where someone was threatening to stab people? Wild, right?
I ran into a couple guys who said they'd quit coming in unless you stopped your marathon karaoke sessions. Especially the ones where you force me to participate.
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aerie au; @don.quixote
I read the news today, oh boy]So I saw a few interesting warbs today
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yeah?
anything good?
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it was a pretty decent intro too
people have already started betting on me (:
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Now I know this wasn't an accident
What's your play here?
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i got careless and slipped up [ bullshit. ]
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[ total bullshit ]
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we still have a week left
plenty of time
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action; post-aerie life
she doesn't have much trust in the safehouse either, but right now, it's the only place she even has to go, no home or any sense of direction guiding her towards the next step, not when she simply wants to get back to something more familiar (even if the world she came from originally is just as empty and lonely as this one, still lost of those she loved).
coming to the kitchen to make herself another batch of tea, she finds an old face there, one that she takes a moment to try and recall — had it been in the aerie? no, it was here, in this same exact place — and she sighs, with just a partial smile as she gives a tilt of her head. ]
So, I see you're still here? I figured the moment we were free to leave, you'd be running to the furthest place you could get.
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sure, this reality is better than the aerie, but it has set him back by a lot. he is still hard at work lining up all of his ducks in a row, reaching out to his extensive network from back in that now defunct dimension. some of them have responded back to him already; others seem to be taking their sweet ol' time, so it might require a more personal visit in the future.
he has at least temporarily resolved his little blood supply issue. (thank you, hospitals.) his hoard will suffice until he finds a more long-term solution, but until then, at least he won't be in any danger of getting overtaken by his vampiric urges.
currently treating himself to another glass of vodka, kai looks over at the brunette who's joined him in the tiny kitchen area. his eyes light up at the sight of her, recognition dawning immediately. she was one of the first people he met here. a fellow newbie just like him.
chuckling, he turns to face her, resting his hip against the counter. ]
I'm working on it. As much as I love this place, [ he makes a sweeping gesture at their general vicinity. ] I think I might want to find somewhere a little less crowded. It's good to see you again though, Miss Herbal Tea.
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[ evidently, it'd been a while since she had actually lived in the avengers compound, but in her memory, it was possibly the last place she'd stayed long enough to call it anything like a "home". then again, it had eventually become more of an imprisonment than anything, confined within its wall for protection — not her own but for everyone else against what she might do to hurt them.
in some ways, this safehouse brings those dreadful memories back; she hates it. ]
It ... wasn't my favorite, but sometimes we don't get to choose, I suppose.
[ stepping further into the kitchen, she chuckles at his name for her, raising her empty mug before setting it down on the counter, seeking out a kettle to begin heating up water. ]
Sounds as if I've built a reputation for myself.
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[ he raises his glass to his lips, taking a slow sip. ]
I get it though. [ he looks out at the people milling about. ] I grew up in a big family, so I'm used to company and I actually enjoy it. It's just... [ he lifts his shoulder up into a shrug. ] I'm more used to being alone, I guess.
[ his smile takes on a more playful edge as he presses his right hand over his heart. ] Oh, you didn't know? You're known throughout this safehouse for your love of herbal tea. You could be an actual magical tea fairy for all any of us really know. It's still up for debate right now.
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[ which is probably too vague of an answer, but it'd be hard to get into talking about the avengers without talking about ... everything else. right now, it's less about trying to hide it and simply more about not wanting to relive it. not when the battles with thanos are still so fresh in her mind, some of the loudest memories that don't bury away, even with all the ones carried over by the aerie.
one she sets up the kettle to begin heating up, she leans against the counter, arms crossing together in front of her. ]
Growing up, it was just me and ... my brother. Small, but sometimes small is all you need.
[ even after what they'd lost, she and pietro made it work together. he was always enough to make her smile, with playfulness that often contrasted her more serious nature.
a bit like what her current company does now, easing out a light chuckle from her lips. ]
Well, I wouldn't dare ruin a good mystery, so I'll just have to keep my lips closed about that secret. Still — definitely the best reputation I've received, so I'll do my best not to disappoint.
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A brother, huh? [ he takes another sip of his drink before cradling it against his chest. ] I had a bunch of siblings growing up, but... we were never very close. [ he sounds humorful as he continues: ] It probably had to do with all of us being crammed into one house. Sometimes I think we would have gotten along better if there were fewer of us around. [ he motions with his hand as he clarifies— ] More distance between us.
[ he tries to bite back his smile, but it's obvious that he likes her answer. ]
Then, I'll try my best not to solve that mystery, but I'll have you know that I'm a good 90, 95% sure you're a magical tea fairy based on my observation and... [ he gestures at the kettle pointedly. ] I'm Kai, by the way.
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[ she manages a light laugh, something actually honest as she recalls the old memory of sharing that small apartment, she and pietro always shoved together in a small bed because it was all they could ever afford. ]
Only 90 or 95? Not a very good deal of confidence if you've lost up to ten percent.
[ she purses her lips with a thoughtful hum, almost like she's disappointed before her smile returns. ]
But it's nice to meet you, Kai. I'm —
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action;
he's very specifically avoiding red wings, due to jai's recommendation to not associated with any of the displaced. their face is out there, now. they're also fucking idiots with an infighting issue, so. but there's shit aidan wants to figure out too, so he--listens. doesn't go to redwings, but instead follows the asshole who tried to swipe a medkit off of him to another shoddy bar. waits ten, fifteen minutes after kai walks in before he's trailing in after him and sits down on a barstool up towards the front. waves down the bartender for something cheap but strong while he settles in. )
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unlike how he was in the aerie, he doesn't have a very charitable heart here. plus, he has been busy getting all of his affairs in order, reconnecting with the extensive network he had built for himself in that unpleasant, little alternate reality. a few of them have turned out to be normal citizens, but the rest? the rest have opened up a lot of doors for him.
one of these doors have landed him a job (or, well, a front) at an obscure dive bar called the buzzed outlaw club, which is where he's now headed while being followed. he sort of sensed him some time ago. if he wasn't so experienced in tailing (and being tailed), he might have completely missed him.
stepping into the establishment, he disappears into the staff room for a couple of minutes before he returns to the main area. it doesn't take long for him to pinpoint who his little stalker is. seems like he attracted a nosy, little raccoon, didn't he? sliding into the seat next to him, kai rests his arms on top of the bar counter, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the cool surface. ]
So, was this what you were expecting?
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he's been sober since he arrived. getting something hard down his throat feels pretty fucking fabulous even if the taste is shit. )
Honestly? I'd say this is a nice improvement.
( eyes back to the staff area kai had come out of, curious. )
You work here?
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Yep. [ he makes a sweeping gesture at their general vicinity. ] I'm surrounded by things I love here, so it feels like I'm right at home. [ he smiles at him pleasantly. ] So, [ he reaches for the drink the bartender sets in front of him. ] did you follow me out of boredom or did you actually need me for something?
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Nice place you've got here. Shady, unattached. .
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[ he moves around him, slipping behind the bar. instead of taking anyone's orders though, he stops in front of the kid, much more interested in talking to him for the time being. ]
Have you settled in yet?
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( just like kai, deciding that behind the counter is a better place to chat from than outside of it. aidan takes another drink from his glass, before he's leaning forward and resting his chin on the knuckles of a hand. pressing into kai's space without actually invading it. )
I've got a place. A little run down, definitely cheap. But away from how fucking crazy it is inside their little crept.
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resting his arms on top of the countertop, he leans forward in turn, definitely breaching into the raccoon's bubble. ]
Yeah, I wasn't a big fan of it either. Did you see that post where someone was threatening to stab people? Wild, right?
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@jimmy.page