[Semi-Closed] Event Aftermaths

[widows_kiss]

Who: Natasha Romanoff and various friends/teammates
Where: Around the Manor
When: The days following the Mirror Event and Hunt for the Sword
Rating: PG-13ish?
Summary: Catch-all post for Natasha touching base with the newly-returned people who got sucked to the Other Side
The Story:

With the sword handed over to the Queen of Hearts and the Mirrors now returning to their own side, Natasha's both a little relieved and more than a little worried about what this will mean for the returningReals who were trapped over there. The fact that she's one of the only few on her team that didn't end up transitioning over at some point is not lost on her, has her wondering why and for what purpose, but she suspect she knows all the same. Which is why she spends the immediate first few days once more combing the Manor, this time searching out her teammates and friends she knows were drawn to the Other Side and making sure they'd returned mostly unharmed.

And if she had to start composing apologies for what her Mirror might have done over there. At the very least, she wanted to know more, if they were willing to tell her.

[[OOC: This is a Semi-Closed log for some pre-arranged threads to deal with the fallout of encounters with her Mirror Side, or the visit to the Mirror Side in general. Interested in threading out something with her, feel free to ping me!]]

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[handing]

There had been far too much far too soon. Just moments after it felt like she could start to breathe again, when the ghosts of her trip home had just barely started to ease back, Pepper found herself in a world that lacked color but sparked so much fear. Familiar faces, faces of *friends* had come after her, and in the end she'd found herself relying on the one thing she hated most for her own survival.

Even with every vibrant shade around her, Pepper finds herself now constantly needing reminders that she's once again on the "real" side of things. Yet no matter how often she tells herself that truth, it only does so much to ease the memories, and the anxiety she's brought back with her. Her sleep has been broken at best, unobtainable at worst--although when the reasons for it are considered, perhaps it's better to stay up at night rather than let her mind construct dreams. During the day she spends as much time looking over her shoulder as she does walking down the halls, and though she tries her best to smile and be herself through it, Pepper feels far removed from anything that could be called normal.

Still, she makes the attempt. She sits in her office now, staring at part of a project left unfinished that dates to before she'd been pulled back to her own world. Yet as ready as she had been to continue then, now her efforts amount to staring at the page, ignorant of how her fingers tremble around the pen she holds. Her door is closed, not so unusual, but also locked, barring easy entry from the outside. Just within reach on the desk is a knife, laid out neatly in a spot Pepper's eyes fall too frequently, another reminder that she has a defense should she need to resort to it.

Yet the thought brings no comfort, only making her stomach twist, as so many things now do.

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[widows_kiss]

To find the door closed is not all that unusual, Natasha thinks when she swings by Pepper's office late in the morning. But finding it locked when she tries the handle is another matter entirely. She regards it with a small frown for a moment, debating on her next course of action, but she starts with a knock, to be polite.

If that doesn't get her what she wants, she can always resort to picking the lock, after all. She's not above breaking into rooms when necessary.

Re: action

[handing]

Even the small sound of the someone attempting to turn the handle has Pepper tensing, her eyes wide as she stares at the door. Of course the reason is likely innocent, someone used to being welcome and her office always being open. She tells herself this over and over, filling up the few seconds it takes for her to remember how to breathe. By then the attempt to enter has turned to knocking, and Pepper swallows, willing herself to cross the room.

The sharp snap of the deadbolt should tell Natasha that she doesn't have to resort to lockpicks, a moment later the door opening enough for Pepper to look out. Her mouth drawn into a tight line, she closes her eyes in mental self-reprimand when she sees the woman who stands on the other side.

"Natasha." One small sigh, and then Pepper steps back, opening the door fully so Natasha can come in. She doesn't move away from it, however. Instead Pepper merely waits until the other woman has walked past her, then closes and locks the door once more. Such abnormal action surely won't be missed, but Pepper still attempts a smile when she turns to face her guest. "Hey. Is there something you needed?"

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[widows_kiss]

Natasha's gaze is intent on the other woman the moment the door opens enough to give her a view. She slips past her into the room when invited and watches as Pepper goes through the motions of securing the door once more. Steps she's never done here.

For a moment, she pauses, considering how best to start this conversation. "I wanted to come see how you were doing. I take it being on the other side has you feeling a little... shaky."

perma-action »

[sorryitasedyou]

She was not okay. No, 'not okay' was generous. She was overwhelmed by what happened, not even sure where to start so she could begin to deal with it. Everything here had been pretty tame so far, nothing truly life threatening. Even the stupid eagle had been more dumb than terrifying. This was her first, true, taste of Wonderland's dark side and most of it had come at the hands of wicked doppelgangers of people she called friends - people she trusted. She didn't want to be around anyone - didn't really want to talk about it. She could survive in her room getting food from the closet whenever she had an appetite, which wasn't much lately. She had plenty of movies, and a ridiculously comfy bed she could hide in - a controlled environment in which she could pretend none of this happened. She'd covered all the mirrors, breaking them anytime she got up just to be safe. It was one thing to know the hypotheticals of what was listening on the other side, but something else entirely to experience it first hand.

She's kept a scarf on at all times, partly for people that might stop by but mostly for herself. Even with the mirrors covered, there were a few other reflective surfaces in the room and she didn't want to see the aftermath. She'd just settled on the couch, curtains drawn and lights off, when she hears the knock. It's a bit of an effort to get up, but she crosses to the door, preferring to keep people out rather than inviting them in. People coming in meant talking and talking meant saying it all out loud and she's not sure she's ready for that. If she'll ever be ready for that.

Peeking out the door, she gives a ghost of a smile to Natasha.

"Hey, what's up?"

She doesn't open the door up any further, like she normally would. Natasha was one of those people that could get info out of her and that was dangerous right now.

[widows_kiss]

Natasha's waiting there patiently in the hallway, being very careful about the presence she exudes. She knows from Bucky what had happened to the girl at just the start of the event, and then having run into the girl's mirror... Well. She just hopes that whatever might have come about on the Other Side might have let the girl go unscathed, but from the way Darcy opens the door, Natasha knows that's just wishful thinking.

"I could ask you the same thing," Natasha answers instead, her voice warm as she holds up a thermos. "I brought hot chocolate. It is spiked. Very very spiked. Thought maybe you could use some. May I come in?"

[sorryitasedyou]

She gives a small laugh at the spiked comment, though is comes out as more of a huff - not reaching her eyes. She gives a small nod, opening the door the rest of the way. She doesn't wait for Natasha to come in, figuring she was more than capable of closing the door behind her, instead returning to her spot on the couch. She adjusts it so there's space for two people, giving a small groan as she sits back down. Her body hated her right now, partly from exhaustion and partly from the pain it had gone through. She drapes a blanket over her lap, feet propped against the table in front of her.

"I have some mugs on the bookshelf. They're clean."

[notmymccalling]

He was fidgety and awkward. Being thrust back into his own side of the mirror was just as jarring as being chucked across the first time. Slightly less painful this time around, however. He was ever so grateful to be back, but he had a slight problem with which he wasn't sure how to deal. He tries again to wrestle it off through sheer strength and it still has a very shocking outcome. One that left him on the floor for quite a while. Honestly, he had no intention of running around for the duration of his stay in Wonderland with the menacing thing locked around his neck. It was embarrassing for starters and painful on top of that. It hindered his strength and left him fatigued even when he wasn't fighting to get it off.

After a few failed tries, he manages to get a decent looking turtle neck shirt from the closet and slips out of his room to find the one person he's pretty sure can help. She was also the very same person he had no intention of telling just how he came about his new fashionable accessory. He owes her a visit anyway and if he knows anything about his mirror, an apology somewhere along the line.

When Scott reaches her room, he hesitates for a good long count before knocking just as hesitantly on her door. He feels like such an idiot, and he really wishes he could just get the damn thing off himself without involving anyone else.

[widows_kiss]

Knocks on her doors these days were enough to put her on edge for a myriad of reasons because at this point, she had no idea what she could be opening up to. Still, she does so, an edge of wariness in her manner as she peeks out into the hall, her gaze narrowed. When she spots the teen hovering in the corridor outside her room, there an instantaneous moment of tension, increased caution that flickers through her before it smooths over once more and she gives him a worried look.

"Scott?" she asks carefully, cautiously.

[notmymccalling]

Normally, he would probably be able to sense the anxiety that his sight caused. He'd seen the tension in her form, but that was the extent of his perception. He'd been too busy from the moment he arrived on the other side to even find the right mirror to keep an eye on what his alternate had done, so he really had no clue what Natasha had put up with. Or Bucky, for that matter.

"Tasha, I need your help with something."

Any injuries he sustained on the other side were healing slowly thanks to the current. Still faster than humanly possible, but bruises would probably still leave some discolouration if one was looking closely enough. He could imagine, if she had just happened on his doorstep after he got back in, he would have been tense at first, too.

[assembles]

The transition back to the Real side may be even more disorienting than Steve's first trip, given everything that he's been through in the past week.

When he comes to in his room, it's just in time for the Queen of Hearts to broadcast her celebration. Steve watches the entire thing on one of the mirrors in his room, and it's enough to make him groan and shove his head under a pillow for a few seconds. All that effort, and it had all been for nothing.

He can't say what the Mirror side wants to do with that sword, but chances are that they'll all be caught in the crossfire of whatever happens. At least he's finally gotten a look at the Queen of Hearts, though he would have preferred to find her in person.

No, instead half of his team got terrorized, himself included. The stab would in his leg's already healed over, but that doesn't mean that he got out of this situation completely unscathed. Even so, Steve's far more concerned about people like Darcy and Pepper, those who weren't really trained to deal with this level of crisis.

He checks in with Bucky first, even if there's yet another can of worms he's got to tackle there, and finds out about Darcy's death. That's enough to send Steve into a quiet sort of rage, one that he'll stoke and use as fuel for a later fire. He'll need to go find her and make sure that she's all right (though he can already guess she most definitely isn't), but first...

Natasha. It's been a week since he's seen her, which is long for them on a good week, and this has been a very bad one. Steve crosses the hall to her room and knocks on the door, hoping that she's there and still in one piece. His Mirror had been on this side, after all, which is something he needs to learn more about.

[widows_kiss]

Natasha's starting to dread knocks on her door. Mostly because the last few have ended up less than pleasant for everyone involved and she really need to put in a peephole or something so at least she could prepare herself for whatever might be lurking on the other side of that door.

Now though, she merely swung the door open with only the faintest hint of her wariness visible, her gaze narrowed faintly when she spots Steve standing outside her door. It has her hesitating, because yes, the Queen's called everyone back, but she doesn't know how fast the Mirrors will be obeying that particular command. It's why she eyes him with more than a hint of caution until she can judge which one she's dealing with.

"Steve?"

She's getting really tired of playing this guessing game every time she runs into a familiar face.

[assembles]

Natasha has never looked at him quite like that before. Or maybe she had once, the very first time they met, but either way there's a lack of trust in her eyes and it takes a split second before the reason for that slides into place.

It's right of her to be cautious even now.

"Yeah, it's me." Steve searches for a simple way to prove that to her, and his lips curl up into a smile as an idea strikes him.

"You always thought I should try talking to Jenny in Accounting. I guess you're regretting that now, since she was probably HYDRA." That offers her a personal detail about their friendship and a more professional one about the state of SHIELD, which should be enough to convince her.

[hyperkinesia]

Bruce never does process a whole lot of what's happened after the mirrors return to their side, and he finds himself back where he was before. He's tired by then, exhausted, having kept up his transformation for so long on the other end to make sure his teammates and friends were safe, so that when he's back, he more or less goes straight up to his room, waving off any concerned looks or words to lock himself in there and collapse on the bed.

A while passes, he's not sure how long. These days, even with controlled transformations, he's used to sleeping for several hours afterwards, through whole days and nights and only waking up to eat - there's a lot of eating too. But this time he never actually gets around to that when he's first woken up by a knock on his door, and in the dark quiet of his room, he nearly jerks himself awake at that sound.

Though not quite sure that wasn't just a dream, Bruce crawls out of his bed, still far from completely awake just yet as he stumbles over to the door in nothing but his boxers, his curls in an upturned mess. He unlocks the door and opens it, squinting and lifting a hand up to his eyes to shield himself from the light in the hallway, until finally he can focus his eyes on who is standing right outside the door.

"Natasha," he mutters, voice a little spent. Clearing his throat, he steps aside thoughtlessly and gestures inside. "Come in."

[widows_kiss]

Her expression's concerned as she lets her gaze drift over the man in the doorway, taking in everything of note. When he invites her in, she goes, glancing around the dark room before looking back to him as her eyes adjust.

She gives him a tiny crooked smile. "You look like shit."

[hyperkinesia]

He saunters back into the room too, turning to look at her at the remark, an amused lopsided grin on his face as well. He has to look like shit right now, he has no doubt, and though he knows it won't do much, he rubs his eyes, then tries to fix his hair a little.

"Thanks. I feel like it too," he looks around and picks up a t-shirt lying at the feet of his bed so he can put it on. "How are you?"

[impalementarts]

Clint doesn't mince words. He's probably the only person who feels good about the mirror event - he knows that he's not some sort of monster. And that if he were really compromised he'd be...that guy.

It was hard watching that.

He wants to make reparations but first he needs to find out if she's okay. He's never been able to break into rooms, but there's an Archer playing with a puppy sitting outside her door. Lucky's picking up a rubber ball and bringing it back to Clint, wagging his tail all the while.

[widows_kiss]

"Just how long were you planning on lurking out here?"

Natasha saunters up the hallway with a faint smirk on her lips as she approaches, catching sight of her partner camping out beside her door.

[impalementarts]

Natasha look, Lucky's gonna come and sniff at your feet and wiggle his furry little butt.

"Not like I don't have time. Or we all don't have time." But the Clint that stands up and faces her looks clear headed, "...You have plans tonight? For at least...three hours?"

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[disassembles]

I think it's my turn to offer you a drink, if you're up for it.

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[widows_kiss]

At this rate, I might demand an entire keg. Or three.

text

[disassembles]

Three kegs? Careful, you might get a little tipsy this time.
Your place or mine?

Action

[actualwizard]

Finding himself on the Real side of the mirror was like a breath of fresh air. Billy never thought he'd actually be happy to find himself in his room in Wonderland, but he was. After a day of tracking down the people he was on the mirror side with to make sure they were back he figured it was time to find the people he had caught glimpses of his mirror talking to. He headed down to the training room figuring he would eventually run into Natasha there. He wanted to make sure his mirror hadn't done anything and to be honest he wanted to find out what he was like. Natasha might be the only one who would actually tell him.

Action

[widows_kiss]

Natasha's there, having just finished one of her own work-out sessions. Which have been a little more intense and ruthless than she normally indulges in, and she's parked on one of the benches, tripping and catching her breath as she downs a bottle of water. The room's quiet at the moment, which has suited her purposes, because there's been a lot of uncomfortable questions floating around lately that she'd prefer to avoid for a bit.

Still, when Billy steps inside, she glances up and greets him with a crooked smile. "Hey kiddo. What's up?"

Re: Action

[actualwizard]

Billy smiles at her immediately. "Hey," he greets taking a seat next to her on the bench turning sideways to face her. "I just wanted to check in after the last few crazy days."