Come in from the Cold [semi-open]

[redweb]

Who: Natasha Romanoff (redweb)
When: November/December
What: Catch-all
Warning(s): TBD

PM or hit me up on Plurk if you want a starter! Can't brain an open toplevel, but I'm totally here for plotting stuff with people.

Comments

For Dutch

[redweb]

[Natasha was in business mode, as it went. You combine people going missing with distress signals across various languages and a town that even surprised the locals, and it seemed like the closest thing to Avengers Business she'd encountered since she'd arrived here. She was even dressed for it too- black catsuit, silver bracers, that red hourglass on her belt.

The problem with a forest that takes you to what you need and not where you're trying to go, is that Natasha is a person that needs lots of things. A spa day, a good drink, friends, and that's just scratching the surface. But she's also not the sort to accept a magical forest trying to redirect her from finding out what happened to the missing people, even if she could use the break. And frankly, a convenient hot spring that she keeps coming back to seems pretty suspicious under the circumstances.

And truth is, she needs the challenge, too.

The main difference the third time she comes back to it is that there's someone else walking into the clearing just ahead of her. A woman, dark hair, athletic. She doesn't immediately set off any of Natasha's warning bells, so while the redhead's posture is definitely cautious, she's not pointing her weapons at her yet. Besides, Natasha is the type that prefers charm first, when she can afford it.]

This forest is something, isn't it?

[motivation]

Nice suit.

[ in some ways, dutch has an advantage: she knew another natasha - not well and not one that looked identical to this one, but one that looked similar enough. it's the same with the buckies. (it's weird and frustrating how there can be two versions of one man but no version of the ones dutch wants to be here most of all, but that's besides the point. johnny and d'avin are still in stasis and by now, dutch figures that won't change any time soon.)

it's not much of an advantage and not the kind dutch would want to rely on, but it's one degree of familiarity removed from being complete strangers, for her. ]

That's one way of putting it.

[ dutch's lips press together for a moment. ] I think I've passed that hot spring twice now. Pretty sure the forest's trying to tell me something.

[redweb]

Thanks.

[Natasha's smile is cool, but not disinterested. She's not the best sort of people-person unless it's for a performance, or someone she knows, but she's trying. More than she has in a while, at least. And since she's supposedly here to help, well. There's little reason to push the woman away.]

Same thing happened to me. So I figure it either thinks we need to relax, or it's trying to feed us to some creature at the bottom.

[Truth is that 'forest trying to feed people to a glowing monster at the bottom of a hot spring' isn't really that far out of her wheel-house. She's seen worse just from being around Doctor Strange, honestly. She lifts an eyebrow, looking at Dutch with just a slight touch of humor.]

Do you like our odds?

[motivation]

There's also option three, the hot springs are somehow hallucinogenic or something fun like that.

[ given her previous experiences on this planet, it's not all that unlikely. dutch takes a step closer to the water, studying it. ]

Out of the three, I'm hoping for the monster.

[ she's pretty sure that between the two of them, they could take the monster. hallucinogenics or other drugs or a forest that's got an actual mind of its own? she's not so sure about that. ]

[redweb]

Yeah, hopefully we can avoid that one. [A lift of an eyebrow, quiet amusement.] Personally, I like the monster option too.

[The fact that the woman's preference is something that they can hit, kill, something tangible is a sentiment that Natasha shares. And honestly it makes her like her a little bit more, too.

There's nothing about the water that looks out of the ordinary, no odd shimmers, no compulsions she can't ignore. So she reaches out, gingerly just touching the fingertips of her left hand to the surface of the water and waiting. Nothing happens; it's just pleasantly warm, inviting in a way that doesn't come with any uncomfortable urges.]

I don't trust it. [Maybe she's paranoid, but it comes with being a survivor.]

[motivation]

Smart.

[ not trusting it, dutch means. is it paranoia if the forest really is out to get them? who knows. (maybe it isn't out to get them, but something's definitely not right and this place has surprised dutch one too many times with something weird or even terrible.) ]

Been here long, or are those just regular survival instincts?

[redweb]

[There's a twitch of her lips, clear amusement in her smile. Maybe the forest isn't out to get them, but something's going on, and in Natasha's experience, possessed forest would be one of the not-so-weird options, really. And given the stories she's heard? Yeah, she's not exactly up for taking chances.

Even if the idea of a hot springs sounds really nice. If anything that just gives her more of a reason to be wary.]

Just regular survival instincts. Home wasn't always a welcoming place.

[There's something to the words that's almost a joke, even if Natasha doesn't say it like one.]

How about you?

[motivation]

Year and a half or so, now.

[ which means dutch has plenty of experience with this planet playing tricks on her, on others. she's managed to survive pretty well, but that's because she's good, not because this place is harmless.

the same probably holds for the springs. ]

Want to try and trace our steps back?