apaise

[apaise]

some mornings it's still a shock -- to wake up tucked against the ceiling of a caravan, surrounded by the last salvaged rolls of her clothing and few belongings. to suddenly remember how far her family had fallen from grace, from the royal court of windmere to the coffee caravan of le cirque des rêves. and yet, despite the complete transformation . . . charlie feels this life suits she and her fathers all the better. the fast pace, the travel, all the strangers they meet . . . this is where she belongs, not bumbling awkwardly amongst princess yerin and elinor.

for all her comfort in her new, humbler station, however -- it unfortunately doesn't grant her all the skills within the month. she still struggles to man the devices to brew every performer and customer's special ristretto and cappuccino and cortado; she simply doesn't possess the magic touch with the grinder and scales the way her father gabriel does. nor does charlie have the musical gift either, her other father austin always playing the lute beautifully to advertise their caravan to the guests.

it especially doesn't help when there's a pretty face at the window. charlie barely hears her order, distracted by her soft dark eyes and raven tresses. there's something familiar about her too, but whether she's come to the circus before or merely looks like one of enchanting arts on isobel's tarot cards, charlie can't be sure.

she goes to attend an order at the espresso machine, but before she can fill the cup -- the cup handle suddenly ejects, shattering the glass carafe. charlie's attempt to immediately turn the machine off results in the steam faintly burning her hand, charlie calling out curses and regretting not taking aisling up on her offer earlier. the tinkerer had said something looked off with their machine and volunteered to help, but gabriel was over-protective of his vintage contraption, half-joking that he feared aisling would end up making some kind of barista automaton if left too long to her own devices ( literally ).

charlie apologizes for the disruption and leaves her father to tend to the guests, ducking out of the caravan to rush to the water pump outside. the cool water flowing from the faucet swiftly soothes her skin, charlie letting out a sigh of relief -- only to be startled when a voice suddenly chimes in, asking if she's all right. she turns to find the pretty customer had followed to check on her, charlie immediately sheepish.

❝ oh -- yes! sorry about that, uh -- your coffee will be on the house, or -- caravan, no worries. sorry again, ❞ she sputters in reply . . . only for a second look in brighter lighting to bring the other's face to prompt recognition at last.

❝ . . . your majesty? ❞ it was none other than empress pippa wen. charlie had met her in passing at the windmere's lunar celebration the year before, though they hadn't spoken more than a few words. the empress had been dressed very differently from now, but the ordinary clothing did little to disguise her beauty. @fatescattered

[apaise]

"i’m trying to tell you, you are not alone here." whitney @ maddy

deep down maddy knew that her desperate wish to be the only one who felt that acute spark when whitney touched her hand had been too much to hope for. but it still catches her off-guard when herring harbor's newest savior gives her a look just a teensy, tiny bit too all-knowing. she feels like she can already predict what's coming next -- well aware whitney's not the type to mince words -- but . . . that last line manages to surprise her again.

it's so kind and understanding, in a way that no one has ever been able to talk to maddy before. for a second, it reminds her of how truly lonely it's been to keep this secret, even from her best friend. and how nice it would be to actually share the experience with someone who's been through the same thing. although having her powers be public knowledge doesn't necessarily seem easy for whitney . . . maddy does admire the fact that she is handling it. it's still ten times braver than anything maddy's done. and maybe it could be good to share with someone, just once --

-- and then maddy glances down, remembers the binders in her arms and all the intiatives she's still fighting for, and she remembers there's more at stake than just a secret revealed. herring harbor is one of the towns more apprehensive about the idea of super-powered humans, and although titania saving the day definitely changed some minds . . . maddy doubts it's enough to make them comfortable with one for a mayor. if she's recalled, she doesn't know if the next mayor would keep up her battles for school funding and job assistance and supporting the marginalized.

for that reason -- despite wanting to invite whitney into her office -- maddy keeps the door closed behind her, even bumps into the handle when she unconsciously backs up.

❝ that's so -- sweet of you, miss -- titania -- whitney, ❞ maddy flounders, in a manner she never has before. she could come up with whole hour-long speeches for advocacy on the fly, but now she's stumbling on each word. it's hard too, when she does really want to thank her.

❝ the people of herring harbor won't forget your bravery any time soon. ❞ she feels terrible brushing it aside, but she's also terrified. ❝ pleaes let me know if there's anything we could ever do in return, ❞ maddy at least manages to smile, after swallowing the lump in her throat.

[apaise]

"I NEED TO STOP AND REST" PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue for taking a break, adjust as necessary

give me a minute to catch my breath.

you go on without me.

i'll just be a minute.

we should camp here.

i don't think i can take another step.

you're falling asleep standing up.

i think we should stop for a while.

we can't fight them if we're exhausted.

it's time for a break.

we'll pick this up tomorrow.

you need to rest. that's an order.

you're going to fall over.

i don't think i can take much more of this.

sit down before you hurt yourself.

you're going to tear those stitches right open if you don't stop.

i need you to stop and listen to me.

you can't save anyone if you're exhausted.

you need your rest.

i'm not asking you to sleep, i'm telling you.

pushing it won't do you any good.

we'll take turns keeping watch.

tell them we'll make camp here.

i'm stopping to rest. you can keep going.

sit down before you hurt yourself.

you'll pull a muscle if you don't stop.

listen to me. you have to take a break.

i'm out of breath.

just give me five minutes to sit down.

i'll be fine with some rest.

let me sleep for a while and then we can go on.

i won't do any good if i'm exhausted.

you won't save anyone if you're like this.

slow down.

you're just making it worse by not stopping.

you'll work yourself half to death.

i'm not letting you do this.

when are you going to think of yourself?

break time's over.

you'll just make your injury worse.

i'll keep watch while you sleep.

you need your sleep just as much as i do.

we have to be at our best if we want to save them.

at least take a five minute break.

give yourself some time to collect yourself.

i insist you take a break.

i can't go on.

i'll pass out if i keep at it.

never thought i'd be the one saying this, but i need to stop.

sleep would be great.

i'll just close my eyes for a few minutes.

wake me when it's over.

tell me when we're getting ready to leave.

this looks like the perfect place to take a nap.

[apaise]

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010) PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue, adjust as necessary.

it snows nine months of the year, and hails the other three. any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. the people that grow here are even more so.

it's a mess.

that's for kidnapping me.

you must feel horrible. you've lost everything.

thank you for summing that up.

the rest of us would have done it. so why didn't you?

that's not an answer.

why is this so important to you all of a sudden?

i was a coward! i was weak!

i wouldn't kill him, because he looked frightened as i was. i looked at him... and i saw myself.

i really did hit one.

you're thinking about this all wrong. it's not so much what you look like, it's what's inside that he can't stand.

the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not.

i just wanna be one of you guys.

everything we know about you guys is wrong.

what are you gonna do about it?

i could get used to it.

most people would leave. not us. we have stubbornness issues.

i admit it. this is pretty cool. it's... amazing.

get me down from here!

you have to give me a chance to explain!

i am not listening to anything you have to say!

get me down.

see? nothing to be afraid of.

you don't have to go up there.

i'm really beginning to question your teaching methods.

watch out babe, i'll take care of this.

i can do that, but i don't have the time right now.

we're leaving. let's pack up.

looks like you and me are taking a little vacation. forever.

i want to know what's going on.

start talking!

you scared me!

stay out of my way! i'm winning this thing!

this time, for sure.

you brought him back alive!

oh, i'm hurt! i am very much hurt!

i don't want to fight dragons.

can you not hear me?

this is serious.

this conversation is feeling very one-sided.

i love this plan.

let me out, please?

i need to speak with you.

get your hands off my shield!

this one has blood on it!

nice of you to join the party!

i thought i was crazy!

remember, a dragon will always, always go for the kill.

i knew it. i'm dead.

i should have seen the signs.

it's not what you think. you don't know what you're up against.

careful with that dragon.

just... promise me it won't go wrong.

i can't miss.

your most important piece of equipment is your shield. if you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield.

get to the ships!

i think i'll stay, just in case you're thinking of doing something crazy.

so i guess it's just you and me, huh?

will you please stop that?

no turning back.

why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you about?

chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now.

there's one more thing you need to know.

their job is so much cooler.

don't worry, we got it covered.

just do what i told you!

i'll be back as soon as i can!

[apaise]

Historically speaking, the more I revealed of myself, the less interested people got, so…

[apaise]

"i wouldn’t have missed this for anything." (lydia @ mj)

she almost wishes she did. standing off to the side of the so-called stage, crunched next to the amplifier as the rest of the band continues to play on without her -- it's a far cry from mj's days in the theater. back then mj would have her own dressing room for lydia to visit, her name on the door . . . she was someone almost worthy of receiving so much help all the time. she had something to show for it. now, as someone who had to beg her manager to let her sing a few songs during her break . . . she feels embarrassed to have lydia witness it all.

❝ oh -- you didn't have to come all the way down. it's really not a big deal, ❞ she chuckles, trying her best to diminish it before it can diminish her. most people had kept talking throughout her song anyway, her music now simply ambience rather than something people actually buy tickets for. worrying that sounded ungrateful, however -- mj's swift to put on a bright smile, pushing aside the discomfort.

❝ but thanks for coming, ❞ she leans in for a quick hug, giving her arm a gentle squeeze after. ❝ you look really nice, lyd. ❞

she glances at the clock behind the bar, realizing her performance had been all of six tantalizingly boring minutes. ❝ i still have some time before my shift, ❞ mj starts, ushering lydia towards one of the empty tables. ❝ so tell me about your gig this weekend. are you playing the new song? ❞ that at least puts a genuine smile on her face, to think more about her friend's actual accomplishments.

[apaise]

( continued // @fatescattered . )

though time in the lab usually means diving into some limbo between consciousness & unconsciousness where everything becomes figures and variables . . . it's a completely different experience when lydia's here. maybe robin works a little slower, unable to calculate or design as fast, but -- it's well worth the exchange, just to hear lydia talk about her day. she's all the family she has left, and robin knows she needs this to keep her going just as much as any nanotech. lydia keeps her tethered to the present, and as painful as it can be at times . . . it's so much easier with her at her side.

that doesn't mean robin doesn't feel guilty when she sees lydia's head dropping slightly from sleepiness, however. or when she hears lydia's voice grow just a few decibels softer as she talks about her band's last gig. but it's guilt that robin can still smile in the face of, having already attempted to usher lydia to bed hours ago, and knowing all too well that she could never force lydia from her company anyway. the best she can do is offer coffee -- and then quirk a somewhat accusatory brow at her response. because that's certainly what a non-sleepy person would say, of course.

❝ right . . .❞ she only manages to hold the look for a moment before it warms to an almost-chuckle. before she can think of her next move--breakfast? lydia beats her to the punch. robin doesn't do half as well under the microscope, turning back to her project to avoid eye contact.

❝ i'm fine, ❞ she reassures as nonchalantly as she can muster with two hours of sleep. damn, she needs her goggles. but as soon as she puts down her tools, lydia goes on the offensive. ❝ ah -- ! ❞ she protests to the attack. ❝ i ate at dinner! ❞ robin can look lydia in the eyes at the one, because she's not specifying on which day.

but . . . a break might do both of them some good. she wouldn't choose it for her sake, but she'd choose it for lydia's. ❝ okay, i concede. a quick break. ❞ robin raises her hand in modest surrender . . . only into sneak in some negotiation last minute. ❝ if you go to bed after. ❞ before lydia can object, robin asserts again. ❝ you have work tomorrow. we can't have you sleepy at the mixing board. ❞ @fatescattered

[apaise]

the morning had started out a little rougher than usual, the humble offices of philip & young subjected to the chilly autumn weather due to some unpaid heating bills. they'd get to it soon enough, but for now . . . mittens and scarves had become their uniform ( generously accessorized with some thermoses of hot cocoa from one very kind mrs. philip ). luckily, just when robin starts to worry the day will pass without a single call, they get a ring on the landline.

cops and donuts -- it almost sounds like something from a comic strip. robin's a little entertained, but gideon less so; they had been hoping for something slightly more substantial than a private nuisance lawsuit. but it could be enough to turn the radiator on for the rest of the month, at least. maybe then robin could stop postponing tony's visits, not wanting to worry him about them working in a dilapidated building with maybe a bit too much asbestos.

they're about to discuss who would be the best for this particular case when gideon gets a text on his cellphone. his friends at the carnival had gotten into some trouble again, tiny picking a fight with some man pushing around his wife. that quickly settles the assignment, and the two lawyers break off for the day, hoping it'll end in an eventual dual victory.

the defendant makes her case as soon as robin arrives, explaining that the whole thing's a false incrimination. it wouldn't be the first time robin's dealt with a young woman subjected to a petty allegation, although . . . it is the first time she happens to be a cop's daughter. ❝ i see. that sounds like quite the tangled web . . . ❞ robin comments after hearing the whole story, and the odd conflict of interest.

she taps her pen at her notebook. ❝ would you happen to have any leads on who the perpetrator could have been? ❞ it'd be the quickest way to exonerate miss stacy, seeing that mr. cox appears adamant on accusing her. ❝ does mr. cox have a lot of enemies? or . . . do you think he did it himself, to pin the blame on you?❞

@apaise

even after the many times her father had "jokingly" told gwen she'd get arrested if she got out of line, she never expected to actually end up in a detention center. it hadn't been by officer stacy's hand, to his credit. gwen's certain he did all he could to prevent an arrest, but even his pull around the station had limits.

he tried to get her the best lawyer, but they didn't exactly have the necessary disposable income to afford one of the elites. they'd heard good things about ms. young - though gwen did worry over how, well, young she looked. surely she had finished her degree recently, unless she was some sort of prodigy. for her sake, gwen hoped she was.

"look, i'll save you some time, ms. young. i'm being framed," gwen said as soon as the other took a seat across from her, her tone nonchalant as ever. "mr. cox has hated me since i was a kid and he's been trying to get me in trouble ever since." was he warranted in some of that hate? maybe. gwen did have a knack for leaving her toys in his yard when she was a child, and playing with his dog when he repeatedly told her to stay away. most of all, he hated her father for dragging him to the station after driving drunk one night.

so if a certain masked vigilante swung by his house to throw donuts on his roof under the cover of night, gwen would say they had every right to do so ( stale donuts, of course - she's not a monster! ).

"he has no proof i did it. we're neighbors, so there's no way i'd actually be able to pull that off without being seen," she counters with a scoff, hoping ms. young will favor logic above all in her approach. "he called in a favor with one of my dad's coworkers - he's aiming for the captain spot, so me getting arrested is the best way to take my dad out of the running."

[apaise]

"not the brightest thing you could've done." (gid @ robin)

she knew this moment was coming, try as she could to avoid it like a deep, still fresh wound beating beneath a bandaid ( a feeling she's becoming all too familiar with ). but the knowing, the expectation doesn't make the reality hurt any less. because it means not only realizing she's no longer right for natalie, but also . . . facing everything she's put her through in the past months. when they first started dating, robin couldn't believe there could be someone so radiantly kind and sweet, always leading with her heart and helping others. there was nothing she wanted more than to return some of that goodness in natalie's life, to keep her smiling.

finally grasping how much she failed, and has continued to fail time after time again -- it aches in a spot robin thought numb to all pain by now, a spot untouched since she buried her father. she had been so focused on trying to continue his legacy -- trying to keep it together in front of lydia -- she couldn't see how much she was hurting natalie.

she's glad gideon saw. she hates to think it but she doesn't know if she has the strength right now to bring about the clean break they need. maybe she once did, but after weeks of memorial tributes, iron man exhibits, fighting bad guys and losing, losing, losing -- the endless mental and physical tolls have worn her down to a shadow of the girl who would once meet natalie at the donut shop and sneak her into backstage of the theater.

there's a moment of quiet after her surrender to her new charge. and in a moment of scotch-aided candor, robin confesses to the only person who could ever bear her honesty without injury. ❝ this wouldn't have happened if i never put on the suit, ❞ she murmurs, looking at her empty glass, thinking of all the loss that came after.

and instead of sympathy, instead of holding her hand -- gideon answers in the way only he could ever pull off.

"not the brightest thing you could've done."

that little comment comes like a quick punch to the nose. but it brings a breath of fresh air too, a minute of levity amidst all the heartbreak. robin laughs, the sting in her eyes dulled for just an instance. ❝ maybe you're right, ❞ she concedes, sniffles.

❝ not for the first time. ❞

her head feels heavy then; maybe everything she's downed in the past hour of acceptance after all the pleading and denial is finally catching up to her. but before her feelings all collapse in on each other, she has to make one thing known. ❝ thank you for looking out for her. ❞ when i was too weak to. ❝ i know -- ❞ robin interjects quickly before he can say anything. ❝-- you didn't do it for me. ❞ of course, as childhood best friends, his duty always remains with natalie and robin holds their relationship in higher regard for it.

❝ but i'm grateful anyway. ❞

[apaise]

"it was fun to goad you. you get this little knot between your eyebrows." (yelena @ robin)

she hadn't expected there to be an audience when attempting to break free of the wingless wizard's trap. unfortunately, an escape that would've been extremely simple with lydia's new tech is made all the more complicated when yelena shows up to the lab for her own unknown objective. as easy as it would be to fry the circuits and chemically-melt the stone of this makeshift prison . . . robin would prefer yelena not see all the new tricks up her sleeve. at least not as a spectator, rather than participant.

it does lead to a rather awkward situation as a result, however: with robin seeming to luxuriating and lounging around in her cell rather than anxiously seeking a way out. she's certain yelena's already figured something's suspicious with the way robin is idling, but . . . she graciously doesn't press her immediately, instead bringing up their last rendezvous at the concert ( just a slightly sore spot for robin ).

❝ well . . . i'm glad you enjoyed yourself. ❞ meanwhile, robin can still hear peters screaming in her sleep ( but at least it's some comfort to know he may have deserved that pain, with all he espouses in his politics against women ). ❝ you left me with quite the mess to clean up, ❞ she arches a brow, dropping back to lean against the wall. a mess both figuratively and literally.

❝ any more appendages on the docket today? ❞ robin asks for both genuine curiosity, and also in an attempt to get some of the attention off herself.

[apaise]

"drinks and insults later?" elinor @ charming

when king harold told her there would be visitors in court today, charming had never expected to see elinor frey of all people. when they're properly introduced and the king presents charming as his daughter-in-law to be, shrek -- she half-expects elinor to give her away, even with just a laugh. but true to her ever mysteriously-composed nature, elinor greets her sincerely as fiona's fiancée. and then, of course, whispers an invitation all too familiar to charming afterwards.

thank goodness. some things never change.

charming finds elinor in some sequestered corner of the garden afterwards, the servants having arranged a very nice canopy set-up for the visiting dignitary. charming shoos them away after they finish pouring their drinks, desperate to be herself with an old friend, enemy, frenemy at last.

once the servants are out of sight, she flops dramatically onto the cushioned divan. ❝ oh, elinor. you have no idea the trauma i've been through! ❞ of course, elinor, banished from harrenhal and betrayed by her best friends could never relate to such dire straits. ❝ pretending to be that disgusting creature is going to be the absolute end of me, i'm certain. ❞ she glances up at elinor to catch her hopeful sympathy, only to spy the tray of snacks the servants had left. ❝ ooo, are those merlot grapes? ❞ she reaches over to pluck a few, crunching merrily enough on them after. @fatescattered

[apaise]

"you are only slightly more attractive to me than a slime-filled pool of swamp water." (clara @ charming)

traipsing through miles of mud and battling swarms of moths and dragonflies is hardly charming's preferred way of spending an evening. and yet it had been mother's idea to visit the ogre's disgusting swamp and bring back some token to convince fiona of her identity --perhaps do a bit of a character study while she's there. while charming doesn't know what else she could do to persuade fiona ( she's been pouring on the seduction nonstop! ), she'd have to admit the princess has been strangely distant. hopefully bringing back some nasty little toadstool or slug will do the trick.

though charming believed going alone could be risky, the journey feels all the longer with clara's typical dissent. if anyone else ever spoke to charming the way clara does -- they would've been removed from court long ago. unfortunately, clara knows far too much for charming to risk any retaliation, so all she can do is huff and pout and maybe, try just a little to win her over. nothing demeaning of course, but it would be so much simpler if clara was actually on her side instead of implicitly threatening blackmail all the time.

that's what has charming gallantly offering her hand to help clara across the slippery, moss-covered log bridging over the swamp. when clara takes her hand and safely reaches the other side, however -- her little comment almost sends charming stumbling back into the pool. ❝ only slightly?! ❞ charming repeats with all baffled affront. she should honestly take it as a win that clara referred to her as attractive at all, considering her usual spurning, and yet . . . ❝ compared to that cesspool teeming with bacteria and flies and -- ugh! ❞ she has to take a moment to compose herself, taking a deep breath ( decidedly pointed away from said-pool ).

putting on one of her classic winning smiles after, charming attempts to reason with her. ❝ come now, clara . . . i know we're surrounded by the most disgusting creations nature could ever contrive to spit out, but -- we musn't lower ourselves to its level. ❞

she gestures at herself, attempting to prompt clara to recant her previous, dreadful words. ❝ 'only slightly.' really?❞ she dips her chin and gives another smile even more beguiling than the last, sure to convince clara this time. surely! @fatescattered

[apaise]

yelena's polite reply throws daisy for a loop for a second. she's used to close friends and family (and even fans) readily accepting her little gifts and trinkets with nary a resistance. but then she recovers just as quickly, wiggling the gift bag closer as if it could further entice yelena. ❝ well -- people get me gifts for doing my job too, ❞ daisy admits. ❝ but i've never rescued someone from falling off a bridge. ❞ she smiles. kind of embarrassing--and maybe yelena would just think neither of them deserve their gifts. but daisy's played giver more than receiver enough times in her life to know most of the fun comes from that side of the exchange.

unfortunately, the gift for saving her life looks more like a cursed green cube than a turtle when yelena finally takes it out of the bag. daisy wonders again if she should've just wheeled him in all his gigantic glory to the tower in a wagon, a big ol' bow on top as if she was gifting a car. but then she didn't want this visit to be any more ostentatious than it already is. as much as daisy's grown desensitized to living in the public eye herself . . . she still has enough sense to be more mindful of the conspicuous-yet-inconspicuous world of a superhero. maybe if yelena was more the iron man type, she would've went for the bow.

she gives an audible sigh of relief when yelena confirms they're her favorite. ❝ they're so cute! ❞ daisy immediately praises her preference. ❝ very good taste. my sister always says they're one of the more under-appreciated animals. ❞ it definitely took them a while to find a good turtle plush that wasn't too realistic or too cutesy for yelena. ❝ she works at the vet, so she's the animal expert. ❞ she can't help but boast a little about natalie at every chance, finding her work much more admirable than daisy's own.

she's delighted when the plushie's finally freed and united with his new owner. but before daisy can explain why she chose the largest one in stock, yelena turns to her and actually smiles, in a way daisy's never seen her smile before.

she looks different for a moment--not simply the badass avenger who could so easily carry daisy off the bridge, someone who could jump off buildings and break the legs of bad guys, but . . . also just a girl around daisy's age, doing her best in circumstances most people their age would never have to face.

daisy could relate to that, just a tiny bit.

❝ don't mention it, ❞ she gives a softened smile too, giving the turtle a small pet on the back. ❝ i got a big one so you can cuddle with him after work. he's a very good pillow. ❞ not like she and nat hadn't spent hours test-driving the cuddles with a few plushies at the store.

after working in the music industry for years now, daisy has visited her fair share of impressive estates: historical sites for charity events, palaces and museums for music videos, statues, cathedrals, memorials, you name it. and yet she can't remember ever feeling as nervous as she does in this instance -- standing right before the avengers tower. but maybe that's the natural result of being so indebted to one of its residents; she's never owed someone her life before, either. the giant gift bag she brought -- carefully wrapped in an array of colorful tissue and ribbons by daisy herself -- almost feels like a joke in comparison. but she felt like she had to bring something as a thank you, even if it's not particularly expensive or showy. she dutifully follows yelena's lead into the lounge, making a quick mental note of all the sleek furniture and tall glass windows and the neoteric bar to tell nate and the others later as promised ( just not gid ). she's about to ask yelena how her week's been so far when she speaks first. it feels a little funny to be standing in front of her so casually after their last encounter, fear and adrenaline no longer spiking the blood. but she looks nice out of her . . . uniform? and daisy can almost, almost pretend like they're just two college mates hanging out after lecture ( in just a particularly fancy dorm . . . ). also blissfully ignoring the fact that yelena's housemates are people who could snap bones like toothpicks.

❝ oh -- yeah! a tour sounds fun. ❞ she hadn't expected such a privilege at all, but she doesn't know if she'll ever be invited back here again. best make the most of it. ❝ i promise i'll be on my best behavior. ❞ daisy jokes, honestly slightly relieved if she can avoid a whole meet and greet ( she didn't bring enough gifts by far ). ❝ and uh -- maybe a can of coke? ❞ always helps with the nerves. ❝ but first -- ❞ daisy holds up her rainbow gift bag, presenting it at last. ❝ i just wanted to say thank you again. ❞ she and nat had spent forever at the store yesterday going through possible presents, and they probably would've still been there this morning if valentina hadn't mercifully given them some help. it doesn't make for a very pretty package when yelena takes it out of the bag -- vacuum-sealed to be compact. but there's no way she would've been able to fit it in the gift bag if she cut him loose, and daisy felt like seeing the plush spring to life is part of the fun. ❝ sorry, i left him in the packaging. ❞ she apologizes sheepishly. ❝ valentina told me you like turtles. ❞

[apaise]

( continued // @fatescattered . )

something about donning the suit always seems to cease robin's heart in stasis -- like she steps into the suit and simultaneously outside herself. it keeps her from feeling keener emotions like fear and panic, and yet she wonders if she loses a piece of herself each time she returns, finding it harder and harder to live like she did before.

her senses are still sharp about her, at least. enough to notice how much work her sister had put into her modifications. the way lydia handles tech with such intuitive invention never fails to amaze robin; she's thoroughly versed in the language of numbers and variables in a way robin could never conceive. and yet it's a thing of beauty to watch her work, to watch her compose. she balances modes of defense yet also offense in stunning measure, saving robin's life with her "little tweaks" more times than robin could count.

yet she can't say that part out loud. to acknowledge how many brushes with death she's had. instead, robin gives lydia a chiding smile, not too different from how tony would've if he heard lydia being so self-effacing about her incredible creations.

❝ lydia, you're too modest, ❞ she counters, shaking her head. ❝ it's pounds lighter and the articulation -- ❞ robin bends her fingers in imaginary scale ❝ -- i think i could play ten concerts without feeling sore in the slightest. ❞ she hadn't thought it possible, but lydia had improved the synchronized assistance tenfold, certain to reduce the manual exertion by a sizable margin. it would be like her sister physically helping her out on the field, with all the pros of lydia not having to be actually in the line of danger.

❝ thank you. ❞ her smile softens when lydia adjusts her gauntlet, and there's a beat in their closeness where robin almost wants to tell her everything without filter -- to thank her sister properly without fear of worrying her. she deserves to know how much she truly helps. and yet --whenever robin pictures lydia in the same situations, and what that imagery would do to herself in return -- panic wins out.

the moment passes, and lydia goes on to ask robin about the suit colors. stupidly, it hadn't even occurred to robin that would be an option. she assumed it was just a part of following in dad's place. now, presented with choices . . . she falters and falls back on what's easy, unsure of her own heart.

❝ oh -- no, ❞ she answers hurriedly, as if to confirm it feels weird would be to confirm all her feelings of inadequacy, her fears of failure. ❝ no, it's just right. it's good -- ❞ she puts on a quick smile, hoping it looks assuring. ❝ -- for people to remember dad. ❞

[apaise]

after working in the music industry for years now, daisy has visited her fair share of impressive estates: historical sites for charity events, palaces and museums for music videos, statues, cathedrals, memorials, you name it. and yet she can't remember ever feeling as nervous as she does in this instance -- standing right before the avengers tower. but maybe that's the natural result of being so indebted to one of its residents; she's never owed someone her life before, either. the giant gift bag she brought -- carefully wrapped in an array of colorful tissue and ribbons by daisy herself -- almost feels like a joke in comparison. but she felt like she had to bring something as a thank you, even if it's not particularly expensive or showy. she dutifully follows yelena's lead into the lounge, making a quick mental note of all the sleek furniture and tall glass windows and the neoteric bar to tell nate and the others later as promised ( just not gid ). she's about to ask yelena how her week's been so far when she speaks first. it feels a little funny to be standing in front of her so casually after their last encounter, fear and adrenaline no longer spiking the blood. but she looks nice out of her . . . uniform? and daisy can almost, almost pretend like they're just two college mates hanging out after lecture ( in just a particularly fancy dorm . . . ). also blissfully ignoring the fact that yelena's housemates are people who could snap bones like toothpicks.

❝ oh -- yeah! a tour sounds fun. ❞ she hadn't expected such a privilege at all, but she doesn't know if she'll ever be invited back here again. best make the most of it. ❝ i promise i'll be on my best behavior. ❞ daisy jokes, honestly slightly relieved if she can avoid a whole meet and greet ( she didn't bring enough gifts by far ). ❝ and uh -- maybe a can of coke? ❞ always helps with the nerves. ❝ but first -- ❞ daisy holds up her rainbow gift bag, presenting it at last. ❝ i just wanted to say thank you again. ❞ she and nat had spent forever at the store yesterday going through possible presents, and they probably would've still been there this morning if valentina hadn't mercifully given them some help. it doesn't make for a very pretty package when yelena takes it out of the bag -- vacuum-sealed to be compact. but there's no way she would've been able to fit it in the gift bag if she cut him loose, and daisy felt like seeing the plush spring to life is part of the fun. ❝ sorry, i left him in the packaging. ❞ she apologizes sheepishly. ❝ valentina told me you like turtles. ❞

@apaise liked for a yelena starter

it wasn't that yelena wasn't happy to see her. they hadn't managed to exchange more than a few words after she saved the girl from having her car thrown off a bridge - but she seemed nice enough, from the brief interaction in the aftermath. what she hated was that valentina orchestrated all this behind her back, a pr stunt as usual. had yelena rescued a nameless civilian, valentina wouldn't have given it a second thought. but because this was daisy bloom, suddenly she was getting invited to the avengers tower to meet her savior, tour included.

valentina will claim the paparazzi parked outside just appeared organically because of daisy, as if she didn't call each and every one of them herself. yelena only hopes there aren't any hidden cameras in the tower, otherwise she'll have words with her so-called boss.

she's wearing casual clothes against valentina's plan, loose and comfortable so she can actually relax on her free time. the suit helps sell the image, but yelena couldn't care less. she didn't sign up to be a brand ( or even an avenger, for that matter ), and she refused to play a part for the cameras.

none of it was daisy's fault, though. so yelena plays nice when she welcomes the other inside, walking her to the lounge as she thinks on what to say.

"so... do you want anything?" she motions vaguely for the kitchen, figuring that's what a good host would say. "or i can show you around - quarters are off-limits, though." that much should be a given, but better to set some ground rules right away. her teammates aren't exactly the people type - save for her dad, whom yelena kept busy for the day with some errands. her image and her pride may never recover if daisy meets him. "my housemates may scare you off."

[apaise]

it's a strangely out-of-body experience to don a black dress and join the orchestra after weeks of running in the underground and attempting to shut down a bioweapons lab. robin lingers at the mirror for much longer than reasonable; it doesn't feel like herself anymore, to rosin her bow and prepare her music sheets. that was another life before the days of iron woman.

and yet, she knows if she gives up music . . . lydia and gideon and pepper will only worry. they'd remind her there's more to life than simply her hero duties, and she wouldn't be able to refute that, no matter how she feels. but watching her father struggle with the ethics and principles of it all is different than having to constantly make the choices herself. like she's slowly tugging at a thread to unravel, only to have to hastily patch up the holes before her family can notice the difference.

for all the stress and heartache, however, robin wouldn't want it any other way. it's better than watching her sister wear the suit. and, imagining what lydia must feel too -- the least robin can do is put on a smile and pick up her instrument. even if it does feel a little guilty to sidle so quickly back into her spot as first chair, when giovanni had been doing an excellent job as her understudy.

something in the universe swiftly notices her pangs of conscience. because shortly after the first half of the concert, robin gets an alert on her watch from lydia. yet of all criminals and masterminds and hitmen of the world to contend with, she hadn't expected to collide with yelena belova. at least not so soon. robin and lydia had heard from clint about everything that transpired at christmas, and having lost their father in the war too, to sacrifice . . . they could understand her. robin wishes she could help her but she doesn't know anything about this part of being a hero, the delicacy of reform and rehabilitation; she's barely reformed to this new life herself.

so she rushes to the conference room without much of a plan, discussing with lydia on the whole journey upstairs. they don't have enough time to land on a strategy before she reaches the room -- for now, ensuring the councilman lives will have to do ( even if they don't exactly approve of his politics ). despite him entirely limp in yelena's arms, she quickly reassures robin that he's only unconscious.

talking with yelena face-to-face and actually knowing her identity this time -- and being tasked with apprehending her -- it's a large shift from their last meeting. yelena looks -- older, younger, stronger, weaker, more tired more free more everything all at once, and really, robin can relate. she can. it's why she doesn't immediately shift into the suit, wondering if there's any way she can simply talk yelena out of this.

❝ the concert will be fine. but -- thank you for that, ❞ robin looks to peters, speaking as if her cat had just brought in a dead pigeon for approval. but she is grateful; she knows that yelena could've killed him in a blink if she wanted.

negotiating openly with assassins isn't really her strong point, but in these moments she tries even harder to step into her dad's glib shoes. ❝ could i possibly persuade you to leave him to me -- ❞ she doubts it very much, but she has to try ❝ -- while you return to the concert? i'd hate for you miss the lovely tribute to camille saint-saëns. ❞ she attempts to buy time, hoping lydia's already contacted the others. if they could bring yelena in -- maybe they could help her. they owe at least the attempt to natasha.

@apaise liked for a yelena starter

after a full week of mind-numbingly tedious jobs, she hopes the concert hall will prove to be a more interesting venue. perhaps she can still catch part of the show after she's finished with her target - councilman peters, who made the mistake of crossing valentina's path and holding incriminating evidence. her boss wants him destroyed, but most importantly, a way to open his secret safe.

he's no match for a former widow, but he does put up a pesky fight, making use of the space and tossing whatever he can get his hands on - chairs, vases, even a water cooler he struggles to lift off the ground, resulting in more of an injury for him than her.

yelena has him in a chokehold now, straining to hold him down due to his large frame. "you're making this so difficult," she complains with a groan. "i just need your finger to use the print - it's one finger! are you really going to make me cut it off your dead body? that's stupid." she supposes it'll be easier without a struggle, at least.

she renders him unconscious for now, hitting him in the back of the head with a loud thump! valentina didn't say not to kill him, but she preferred him alive, to blackmail him with whatever information yelena was tasked with retrieving.

but just as she's about to lower him onto the carpeted floor to get to work, the doors to the conference room swing open. yelena half-expects security to come rushing in, probably having heard the commotion even with the loud music playing, but it's no such thing. perhaps calling her a civilian wouldn't be entirely correct - one would expect the daughter of tony stark to know a thing or two about fighting.

"ahh -- miss stark." busted. "you were supposed to be on stage." she sounds almost disappointed that robin isn't in her designated spot; just another thing gone wrong tonight. "won't the orchestra miss your... instrument that you play?" yelena gestures vaguely, trying to buy herself time to figure out what to do. she's still holding the congressman in what can only be described as an incriminating pose. "he's not dead," yelena quickly clarifies. "i just put him to sleep."

[apaise]

it's far windier on the roof than ellise had anticipated, less romantic summer breeze and more harsh summer lash as her billowing skirts make it difficult to find her footing. yet it's the only place she can think to escape her brother's incessant demands, knowing he'll mean to corner her tonight with a list of impossible duties. with the first of the ships to arrive tomorrow, he'll want her to spend every waking minute entertaining the emperor's sons in hopes of a proposal. instead, her dearest wish is to be passed over and forgotten, free for at least another season more.

unfortunately, the loose tiles above her balcony have no intention of making this an easy escape -- nor do the books she brought along for company. when ellise attempts to climb higher, the tile beneath her toe suddenly slips free, and panicked visions of it falling upon some poor unsuspecting guard have ellise shifting quickly to stop it. her foot does manage to catch it at the cost of her swiftly losing her balance after, ellise about to fall to the balcony when a gauntleted hand catches her by the waist at the very last second.

her heart thumps with adrenaline and then awe when her eyes lift to meet her savior; of course it's none other than jamie, her royal guard. she must've noticed ellise missing from her bedchambers and then gone around the other side of the roof to catch her ( and a very good thing she did ). she looks like something straight out of the pages of ellise's books as she's posed above her, stars hanging above her head as her chestnut hair tumbles in soft waves against her forehead, her cheeks; for once ellise is envious of the wind and what its fingers can so invariably touch.

❝ -- thank you, ser jamie, ❞ she murmurs at last after catching her breath, hoping that jamie's armored hand cannot feel the drumming in her blood. once she's released, she takes a seat at the tile with some embarrassment, shy hands going to pick at the embroidery of her dress.

❝ . . . were you following me? ❞ she asks without accusation -- more apology that she must be such a difficult charge. she wants her freedom, but not at the cost of troubling her knight. jamie's reply only deepens her blush, pointing out what happened the last time ellise climbed out the window: jamie had found her stumbling into her room shortly afterwards, ankle swollen after a sprain when ellise's skirt caught on a spire and tripped her.

❝ it wasn't so very bad, ❞ she insists with a sheepish chuckle. it allowed her to avoid a few turns at the ballroom floor with the sophomoric duke of navarre, at least. ❝ but i'm sorry. i didn't mean to make you climb after me. ❞ even if it is rather nice to be sitting here together, away from the rest of the tiresome court. ( @fatescattered )