ataraxion | [video]

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[ The camera is met with an angry-looking Kate, one angle of her jaw flexing as teeth clench. Her forearms are folded on the tabletop in front of her and she leans her weight onto them. The way she launches right in gives the impression she's been holding back this bad mood for a while before giving in. ]

Okay, so first of all, whoever stole my bow at the jump: bring it back. It's a cheap piece of crap anyway and it's not like we have arrows laying around but it's the only one I have here and there aren't any more in the armory and it's not exactly an inconspicuous weapon so what are you even going to do with it without me finding you?? Seriously, just bring it back before you damage it somehow and I promise I won't hit you with it no matter how tempted I am.

And speaking of people around here being total assholes [ Because whatever, she's started now and trying to make her no-hitting promise sincere just has the frustration shunting off into another topic, ], is someone turning people into animals seriously allowed now? That's just a thing we're cool with, going to let that slide on by, no brig time involved? [ She's not generally a very animated speaker but her hands twist off the table into the air into a 'seriously?' gesture. ] FYI never annoy this Gold guy because I guess he can just turn you into a cat if he feels like it and nobody will ever do anything. If I disappear after posting this be on the look-out for new pets wandering around or something. On second thought maybe that'd be a nice change from this place's bullshit for a while. Gold, if you're watching, just make it a dog or a bird or something, alright? Cool.

[ It's hard to make a dramatic exit on a touch-screen device but she pushes the STOP button as abruptly as she can anyway. Hawkeye out. Nope, wait, spoke too soon. It starts up again after a second just long enough for her to shout: ]

And bring me back my god damn bow!

[ Okay, now it's done. ]

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[ There's sympathy in her expression. Or empathy, maybe. For as much as she likes the thrill of something new and exciting, when she thinks about her family, Claire feels that tightening in her chest, misses them. So she tries not to. ]

I will admit that the bunks here aren't exactly the most comfortable sleeping arrangements. [ Her dorm bed might have been worse, and she's being facetious, besides. ] My father and uncle are here, so maybe it makes it easier, and having something to actively do is nice, yeah. But I get wanting to be back in your own life, too. No one signed up for this, anyway.

Wow, your father and your uncle? [ Kate looks almost shocked by that, at least partially because the idea of her actual family showing up here had never really occurred to her. Friends and associates, sure, but her dad or her sister? That'd be weird. ] I'm not sure whether that makes you lucky or unlucky, but I'm glad it's easier?

The only person here from my world is Bucky, who's going to be on our team. We've met a couple times, but he was taken from before that happened. [ So she's prettttty much alone. ]

[ You can be in her little circle, Kate. She likes you so much already it's stupid. ]

The whole being grabbed from different points in time thing is so weird. I mean, let's be real, here, everything is pretty much weird. It just makes... communicating on some level that much more difficult. What do you say and what do you not say? How do you tell someone something that happens to them down the road, good or bad? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. I know it's a complicated area.

[ :D ]

It is really weird, and I don't know. I'm kind of dealing with that with-- okay, I'm just going to tell you Bucky's deal since you're on the team so I'm sure it will come out anyway and it's really related to this. To sum up a very long story, basically he was brainwashed into being an assassin. When I met him, he'd escaped and gotten his memories back and was a good guy again, but he came here from a time when he doesn't really remember much of anything yet. Like he knows there are things he doesn't remember, he knows he was brainwashed, but--.

So I'm trying to help him, and obviously he's got some trust issues so I'm answering all of his questions and stuff but I have no idea if I'm just screwing him up worse telling him about things he hasn't done yet.

[ That's a puzzler. And Claire thinks that transmutes some of the tension in a funny way while still managing to be applicable so she just goes ahead and: ]

That's a puzzler. I don't - [ She stops, because she really doesn't want to say the wrong thing without disqualifying how she feels about it. ] I don't think you're - I don't know. Will you let me know how that goes when you figure it all out? [ An offered smile, self-consciously. ] I think you're safe in telling him, considering that he already knows he's missing chunks. It might be different if you just introduced this whole new concept to him and he wasn't even aware of it. There's no telling how it's going to work out in the end, but your intentions are in the right place, obviously, and that goes a long way.

[ Claire knows that she probably wasn't looking for advice or reassurance but the compulsion to offer is there and doesn't go away despite her fumbling. ]

[ Kate kind of chuckles lightly at 'puzzler' and then listens, clearly sort of glad to be getting any kind of second opinion on this, despite general misgivings about sharing it in the first place. There's a thoughtful crease between her brows, and she finally shrugs and nods. ]

Yeah, I hope so. I guess we'll see how it goes. His head hasn't exploded and he hasn't tried to kill anyone else yet, so that's something, right? [ She's being facetious but not about the half Claire might hope. ] I don't know him well enough to give him a lot of details, anyway.

[ Naturally, Claire is suspicious - and now very, very curious, thank you Kate - but not in any way that has any real bearing on the conversation or situation as a whole. She's anxious to meet this character, if anything. ]

Let someone else handle the responsibility of the head-exploding variety.

Yeah, there are other people working with him too, I think, I'm just the only one who actually knows him at all. I want to help. He's a good guy at heart, he's just had his brain really seriously messed with. We'll figure it out, assuming we live through the recon. This has kind of taken a downer turn now, hasn't it? Sorry.

I'm not even going to address the idea that someone might not live through the recon.

[ She doesn't mind. She's a pretty serious person when you get down to it, but maybe that's because she hasn't had much opportunity to be anything else in recent years. As far as Bucky goes, knowing all this going into the mission, Claire tucks it away for later reference. ]

We could talk some more about mustaches if you want.

Best not to jinx it. [ There's nothing wooden to knock on so Kate drops her fist back into her lap. She's actually a pretty serious person, too, she's just well-disguised, especially here, without anyone to look after but herself. ]

What is your opinion on mustaches? I'm not a fan. I'm trying to think up an exception to that rule, [ she lets her head tilt so an example can fall out ] but no, I got nothing.

[ In lieu of having anything wooden to tap herself, Claire taps her bent knuckles into the side of her head, knocking. ]

I don't think I have an opinion on mustaches but I can't say that I've ever been attracted to mustaches. The mustache would have to be appropriate for the face.

[ The gesture gets a quick quirk of a smile. ]

I just can't really get behind mustaches on their own. As part of a beard, maybe, hit or miss. My last boyfriend had a beard for a while. I wouldn't say I was a fan but it was okay.

I guess... I feel like a mustache on its own just reminds me of Mario, which then reminds me of plumbers, which then reminds me of plumbers crack. And I don't really want to be thinking about buttcracks when I'm trying to figure out what's going on with this whole area.

[ Claire makes a circular motion in front of her, indicating her face. ]

[ Kate will be pretty much laughing right through that, almost silently at first and then less so. ] I don't even-- I mean. Yeah. No. That's bad, I agree. Not a good association. There really aren't any good associations for mustaches, are there? Mario, plumbers, seventies porn stars, Snidely Whiplash. If he'd gone for just a 'stache I would've had to put my foot down. I will deal with beard-burn but I am not dating anyone who looks like someone on that list.

[ IN THAT CASE, it is equally difficult for Claire to get anything else out that isn't laughter. Even her words get broken up here and there. ]

This conversation is giving me Snidely Whiplash in the best way.

Beard-burn is totally a real thing! [ Kate grins, a wide slash of white teeth. ] But yeah, I am all over the place today. It's been a weird jump. This conversation is probably the weirdest part, but in a good way.

I agree one hundred percent, and I'm happy to have never have experienced beard burn. I think I'll stick to clean shaven just so I can avoid it.

That'd be my advice. He was going through a country phase, we'd been on the run for months, I didn't have the heart to outlaw it.

Did he wear flannel?

No, but if there had been any around I think he might have. We weren't exactly on Earth. But he was mildly allergic to shirts to begin with.

[ Claire is laughing, again. When will the madness stop?? ]

Where were you? Mars?

[ Kate's chuckle is sort of apologetic. Even coming from the universe she does she knows this is a lot of weird to spring on someone! But, honesty. ] Space for a while, and then a series of different universes. Some versions of Earth, some not. Or I think not; it wasn't always easy to tell.

You know, there was a time I would have thought that was ridiculous. And then I ended up on a spaceship with a bunch of people from different universes. At least you've had some very extensive and interesting field trips.

Field trips. [ Kate laughs, a little, and shrugs. ] Yeah, it's been. Interesting. Kind of a mixed bag, but it was definitely good prep for this place, that's true. Anyway. [ She smiles. ] I'll meet you in the gym on 028 tomorrow morning, if that's good for you?

That's great. Thank you again.

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what the fuck is that icon i just made a noise

cheerleader with a brid sign on her head! come on!

oh of course a bird sign silly me

... a brid sign. obviously it's time for me to go to bed

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sorry i disappeared :|

:|

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