Cohort Mingle

[complicatedliar]

WHO: Hux, Leonard, Keith, Natasha, Loki
WHERE: Whatever ship we're on
WHAT: Enforced in-person (UGH) mingling
WHEN: Event
WARNINGS: None thus far.

Seems like a good idea to have a post for mingling while everyone's trapped on the ship!

Comments

[complicatedliar]

Thor lives. That's the most important thing. The others that Natasha names are a fairly good team. If the humans have a chance at all, it will be because they're the ones who survived. "Then that is better than it could be," he finally says.

He does not ask what happens to him. Because that is not him in this Natasha's universe, and he tells himself that he does not care.

[outstandingbalance]

"It can always be worse," Natasha agrees. It's a strange thing to commiserate over with Loki, but in a way easier to tell him than it was Steve or James. There's less pins and needles to spare his feelings, which leaves her more access to her own.

Strange how that happens.

"Still, it could be a lot better too."

[complicatedliar]

That draws a laugh from him. "We go to battle with the warriors we have, not the warriors we wish we had." He rubs the bridge of his nose with one finger. "There are no absolutes in the universe, even if Thanos thinks himself one. Anything can be undone... for a sufficient price."

And that list of names are, for the most part, the sort of people willing to pay terribly.

[outstandingbalance]

"That's the idea." She sighs. It worked. She knows it worked. Clint's confirmed it, and Thor did before they left the Fleet. But this situation, all this rolling things back and bringing new people here has her feeling tense.

[complicatedliar]

Loki looks at her for a long moment, taking in the sigh and the expression on her face. Then he asks, very softly: "What price did you pay?"

[outstandingbalance]

This is the real test, isn't it. Of whether or not this Loki is different. She could lie, but the fact is she hasn't been hiding it for a while not. Now really. Hell, at first she half assumed he already knew...

"Someone had to die on Vormir so we could get the soul stone. I made the call."

[complicatedliar]

He'd begun to suspect that there'd be more death in the offing, but this hadn't been his vague prediction. Natasha had never struck him as the gleefully self-sacrificing sort; it was one thing that they really got on about.

But this wasn't ordinary circumstances. This wasn't about making a splashy, principled sacrifice like Thor or Steve might; of that, he felt certain. And the soul stone, he'd found vague rumors of in his research and hadn't liked any of them. But it meant that he felt no urge to question the necessity of such a sacrifice either, particularly not when it was coming from someone whose judgment was generally (annoyingly) sound. Natasha had always been an extremely reasonable sort, for a human.

"Oh."

There isn't a point to I'm sorry, because of course everyone is bloody sorry, and it's such a hollow thing to say even at the best of times. And he's never been the sort for that sucks. Even if it does, by the human colloquialism, 'suck big time.'

"You made good use of your death," he finally says. His lips quirk in a wry, sad little smile. "I will miss our little talks."

It's such a thin, useless thing to say as well. But genuine emotion is much more difficult to articulate than manufactured sympathy, and this hurts.

[outstandingbalance]

"Maybe you won't." Considering how things turn out for him in her own timeline... but if she's thinking of differences, she can't deny that the changes might be for the better. "Maybe we'll be luckier where you're from."

She follows it up with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"On the other hand, I'm feeling pretty lively for a corpse. If we're really stuck here together, you might not be able to get away so easy."

[complicatedliar]

"Such an optimist," he says teasingly. "Now I truly know you're not my Natasha. Though in my universe, you do have the excellent advantage of... Me."

It's half mocking, half serious. Loki knows he's very good at his job. But he also know more about Thanos than he is willing to look at straight on, and he's afraid. Bone deep terror is not something that adds to efficiency.

Loki grins at the mock threat. "I am very good at hiding."

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha shrugs, a multipurpose gesture that seems both noncommittal, as as though either way, she doesn't see much of a downside. It's the kind of posture that's useful in her line of work, saying everything and nothing.

"Guess we'll see."