( OPEN ) mister blue sky, please tell us why.

[godslay]

Who: Gamora (godslay) & YOU
What: A catch-all for January.
When: Throughout the month.
Where: Mostly Wyver.
Warning(s): None so far?


1 ) That's Not a Horse

[ Gamora does not have experience with dragons. There were none on her planet, and even less in space, but in Wyver, that isn’t the case.

She’s also discovered that traveling can be a pain, and with the availability of mounts (which she hasn’t acquired for herself yet), she’s drawn to the wyverns she’s regularly seen. She’d prefer something that wasn’t, you know, alive, but given the options, she’s willing to take one for a test-drive, to see what she thinks.

The reins are handed off to her, and she leads a beautiful red wyvern towards the city gates. She runs a palm down the beast’s broad neck, feeling its scales with appreciation, and when it turns its head to meet her eyes, she stares right back into the reptilian slits.

A quiet hiss, and Gamora reaches out to set her hand on its snout. It doesn’t snap at her, and instead, slowly blinks in quiet acceptance.

She’s just about to climb aboard, because she’s going on an adventure.

Come along for a ride? ]

2 ) Stay The Night

[ It’s nearly nightfall out in the Undergrowth, and Gamora’s wyvern is getting fidgety. She remembers what she was told about sending the beast home if she wouldn’t return before sundown, so she pulls the reins taut to stop the mount, glancing over her shoulder at her companion. ]

We should find somewhere to stay out here. He needs to return to the city, and he won’t be willing to take us with him in a few minutes.

[ The wyvern hisses and shakes out its head, tugging against its bridle. ]

… The sooner we get off, the better.

3 ) Disturbing The Dead ( A )

[ Gamora has adjusted to making a living since joining the Guardians. Earning units where they could was normal, which is why picking up odd jobs for silver doesn’t bother her.

So here she is, wandering through this damned crypt with anyone unlucky enough to join her.

She has an excellent sense of her surroundings. She can usually detect traps with little trouble, but when ghosts come into the mix, it’s hard to focus on possible trip wires that will dump her and whoever’s joined her into a dark, unwelcoming pit.

An unholy howl fills the crypt’s passage, and as Gamora whirls around to search for the source, her ankle catches on—

Oh, damn it.

The ground drops out beneath her, and there’s going to be a lot of tumbling down to land in a tangle of limbs in the dark.

Gamora gives a short grunt of annoyance as she lands directly on top of someone.

Oops. ]

4 ) Disturbing the Dead ( B )

[ This has been a long, miserable haul through the dark, and Gamora is in no mood for shenanigans.

At the end of the maze is a stockpile of dusty odds and ends that look like they might be valuable.

Crouching down by the heirlooms, Gamora lifts one up to give it a once-over. ]

This had better be what they want.

5 ) Wildcard

( ooc: have something in mind? hit me up @ poprocks ! )

Comments

[godslay]

[ She gives a quiet hum of acknowledgment. ]

It's oddly undemanding here.

[ No pressing concerns, and getting by is easier – for the most part. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Another small, hesitant bite, and even if it tastes good, Peter is still half-expecting to end up barfing this all up in about an hour or so. ]

Yeah. It's boring.

[ Stated flatly again, as he's turning the fruit over. There's tension in the air, sure, but Peter doesn't have any intention of getting involved in whatever turf war is about to break out. He has no personal stake in it, regardless of whatever the Natha wants them to do with their time here.

And maybe the Guardians need boring. Maybe Peter should see the downtime as a blessing, but Peter needs something to do. Needs to stay occupied, or else his thoughts drift back to the bullshit he's been trying to forget. ]

[godslay]

You are not wrong.

[ It's mostly just day-to-day work, making silver where they can, but... there's a lot of downtime. ]

I've been investigating the fighting rings recently.

[ When she has a spare moment not spent babysitting helping the others. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He glances up from his fruit, eyebrows rising a little in surprise. ]

Really?

[ Well, he supposes that makes sense, but he hadn't pegged Gamora as the fight-for-sport type. ]

[godslay]

[ She gives a shrug. ]

They pay exceptionally well. We could probably move into a larger space if I spend some time there.

[ She's confident she would win her fights, after all, and bringing in the additional silver wouldn't be the worst plan. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He pauses, picking off another piece from his fruit. ]

I don't think we're hurting for space, honestly.

[ They lived pretty comfortably on the Milano for those couple of months without more than some mild complaints. ]

[godslay]

Just because we can exist like this, doesn't mean we would not benefit for more room individually.

[ Privacy. Personal space.

What a strange concept. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He falls quiet, chewing slowly. The issue of space hadn't been one for Peter, considering he's used to small spaces and close quarters. ]

I could take up jobs with Cree. It'd give me something to do, and if you really wanna move on...

[godslay]

[ She pauses, considering him over the fire for a moment. ]

What do you mean by "move on?"

[ Because that phrasing seems... odd, potentially different from what Gamora means. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He pauses again, uncertain, and he shrugs his shoulders, taking on an unconcerned tone. ]

I dunno. Like, move on to a bigger space, like you said. Or if— I mean—

[ Another pause, as he's trying to figure out a way to phrase this as noncommittally as possible. He stares down at the fruit in his hands, as if some answer might form in the bright red flesh. ]

I mean, nothing's obligating us to stay together, so...

[godslay]

[ Some of her usual levelness slips to be replaced by a disapproving frown. ]

Why wouldn't we stay together?

[ Said like the very idea of separating is absurd. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Well, I mean, it's...

[ He struggles with how to put this into words. ]

It's like, back home, we had work keeping us together. And lately, here, we're all kind of doing our own thing, right? So...

[ A vague wave of his hand, as if that might help his point. ]

[godslay]

And?

[ She prompts him insistently, like that isn't a good enough reason.

(Because it's not. They aren't together because of convenience.) ]

Do you think we would be better apart?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Wow, okay, Gamora seems like she's actually offended that they might need a breather from one another, and he lifts a hand in a placating manner. ]

I'm just saying, we have the option for some time apart, so I wouldn't be surprised if anyone took it.

[ Mantis apparently had, for instance, and he didn't blame her in the slightest. ]

[godslay]

[ Her lips press into a thin line of disapproval. ]

Are you going to?

[nostalgiabomb]

I dunno.

[ And the answer is a little defensive; he didn't expect Gamora to react the way she had, considering out of all of them, Peter figured she was the one most likely to want her privacy. ]

Just— the option is there. That's all I'm saying. Why are you making this such a big deal?

[godslay]

[ Gamora could shrug off the question. She could pretend that Peter was imagining her reaction, but—

What is the point in that?

She doesn't speak for a moment, considering her words. ]

Like you said, nothing is obligating us to stay together anymore.

[ No work, no "fight for the common good." Are they technically even the Guardians now? ]

I think it would be better to know if someone wasn't interested in continuing as we have.

[ Like if Peter wanted to find his own place to be. She's less concerned about Mantis making that decision, because she'd never existed with the other Guardians while they were together on the Milano, and she's more unfamiliar to them – not unwelcome, but an outside element. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He falls quiet at that, kicking at small rock with the toe of his boot. ]

... I haven't really thought about it.

[ The honest answer, at least. Sure, it was a thought that had come to the surface ever so briefly, like dust mote floating through, but otherwise, he hadn't given it a great deal of thought. ]

What about you?

[godslay]

[ Another opportunity where Gamora could hide her hand, shrug this off, but— ]

I thought about getting a bigger space. Not a separate one.

[ But, apparently, if the option is living alone or with the others in their little place, she'll take the latter. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He didn't realize he was holding his breath for her answer before he's slowly letting it out.

Still, he keeps his gaze averted, as if he really needs to concentrate on this piece of fruit in case it tries to escape his grip. ]

Well, okay then. It's a nonissue. Forget I said anything.

[godslay]

[ She considers him, seeming to debate whether or not to keep probing him, but this... this is good enough. She recognizes Peter's tells in the moment, and that's oddly reassuring, even if he was still dodging around being transparent. ]

All right.

[ A pause, and then— ]

But I still think we could live somewhere bigger.

[ "We" is the keyword, here. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He takes a bite, even if his appetite has currently skittered off somewhere. ]

We can talk it over more.

[ With a little more certainty, this time; he doesn't sound as though he's disagreeing. ]

Like I said, I can take up jobs with that Cree guy and hope it doesn't bite me in the ass.

[ This, though, is slightly less certain. Like, yeah, okay, he's not opposed to doing shady shit, and as the Guardians, they sometimes delved into grayer areas, but it seems weird, now, to fall back onto that after they've been heralded as heroes. ]

what the shit this has been sitting unposted since last night

[godslay]

[ She shakes her head as she finally withdraws her fruit from the fire. ]

You don't have to. That seems like an unnecessary risk.

[ And Cree, from what Gamora knows, is not... what she would call trustworthy. They may not have the most cut-and-dry morals, but she doesn't see a need to be wholly underhanded. ]

Are there other options for earning silver?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He finishes off the last of his fruit, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. ]

Random jobs, like we've been doing. There's jobs with the cities, I guess, but— I don't really wanna get caught up in this stupid faction war, you know?

It's not like this'd be my first time working for some shady folks, anyway.

[ He shrugs, brushing off his hands. ]

Besides – hopping into a fighting ring isn't exactly skipping through a field of daisies, either.

[godslay]

[ She nods along as he speaks, picking at her fruit and considering what he says.

And while he may have a good point about the fighting ring— ]

It pays better than what I have seen Cree offer.

[ But... money is money, at the end of the day, and she understands not wanting to be caught in the middle of the tension between the cities. ]

Just be... selective.