Avenger Assembled Posted October 9, 2015 Posted October 9, 2015 Talya found Dimitri in the car they'd brought, several blocks away, still in the alley where they'd left it. He was easy enough to find - even if she hadn't recognized her own sports car, there weren't many cars with the windows actually frosted over at this time of year! Inside, Dimitri was sitting in the drivers seat, his hood down, looking unhappily at himself in the mirror. Upon Talya's arrival. he waited until the door was closed before he began speaking. "Well. That is my half of evening gone and wasted. At least there was the espionage and the rooftops before." He turned to Talya. "I will let you pick remainder of evening out. Your times are better than mine."
alderwitch Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 Talya paused at the car, reaching out to open the door and slip into the seat, pulling the door shut behind her. She sighed and leaned back against the leather, her eyes briefly closing for a long moment. It was the only outward tell she allowed for her mood before reaching up to pull the seat belt down and fasten it. Talya made no efforts to reclaim the driver's side as despite her many other flaws - driving while impaired was not on her list of preferred activities when there were alternatives. If she missed a grapple line after a few drinks, it was only her neck on the line. That was different when one was behind the wheel of a vehicle and Talya was always less cavalier with lives that weren't her own. "I heard no punching. You two have softened in your old age," was Talya's laconic comment as she sat back in her seat. Despite her urbane calm as she crossed her legs, Talya was weary. "Do you think that they'll stop having these little memorials in another few years? I'm not certain how many more reunions I can endure. My parade wave is wearing around the edges."She paused for a moment and then added, her voice low, "Why don't you head towards the West End."
Avenger Assembled Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 "Five years, maybe ten," said Frost reflectively. "And twenty years after that, even the youngest among them will be gone, except for people like us." He started the car and headed off at Talya's direction, magnificently rising above the urge to succumb to such technological temptation as the car's GPS. "I considered violence," he admitted. "But to what end? She regrets those who died because of what she did - and we both knew they would have died anyway at Stalin's hands." He stared at his reflection in the car's grass. "In the end, to get what we wanted, we all had to make...sacrifices." He shook his head, then commented curiously, glad for a more cheerful topic, "You are spending much time in West End lately! Is there new apartment there?"
alderwitch Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 Talya paused as she mentally shuffled which lie to tell Dimitri which was a more taxing task when muddled. "No apartment, really, but a friend is letting me teach in his gym to help alleviate my boredom," Talya said as she didn't really want to delve into relationship discussions while she was less than at peak performance, "It's enjoyable. Good company and it makes me feel less at loose ends. Idle hands lead to the devil's work and all of that. Especially when its my idle hands. Besides that, its soothing to have a place where one can pummel punching bags without having to think beyond the next punch. I suppose I'm getting soft, I've kept the one apartment for full on five years now and that's the only one I have. Cloak and dagger in the modern age is a different beast than when we were young."
Avenger Assembled Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 "Friend, eh?" With literally any other woman in the world, and for that matter a great number of the men, Dimitri would have taken this opportunity to wink suggestively or waggle his eyebrows. Instead he nodded, glad to hear his friend was doing so well. "Good. You deserve good friend. And do not worry about doing devil's work,. you have spat in his great eye enough." He assumed they were already heading for this gym. "I would join you in punching bags - but you know me, cursed forever with the upper body strength of lazy, paper-pushing sod." He grinned cheerfully. "Remember when that fat Swede with Ax of Donar actually said that to my face? Ah, such eyes he made beneath the ice and snow. Good times, good times. Porheps I will simply enjoy delicious comforts of sauna. They do have one, yes? Any establishment with class would and you are class!"
alderwitch Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 Talya sighed, scrunching her nose in a way that she would not have if she'd been sober. "It's more than a friend, really," Talya admitted after a long, long pause and some internal squirming that never showed on her serene features. She paused and then offered Dimitri a brief, small smile at the memory, letting the topic briefly change to ones that were more comfortable, "I do remember that. It was a good day, it truly was. We've had some good times, haven't we? Many bad ones, for certain, but it's not all bad."She paused then, turning towards Dimitri. "Do you dread it? The next time war splits the globe in half to slaughter each other. There have been conflicts, some major and some minor. But another world war... do you dread the day that it comes calling?"The other half of the question was unspoken, of course. Talya didn't doubt that she'd see another in her lifetime. No, as she said, forever was a long time but sometimes Talya was afraid that part of her would be relieved. Anticipation was a dreadful thing.
Avenger Assembled Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 (edited) Dimitri clucked his tongue. "Scarab never did get off pot, eh? A shame." He knew about their on-again off-again relationship, but he also knew that an off-again relationship was indeed off. "War will come most likely before you and I are dead for final time," he agreed. "But look on bright side. With Cold War over, will most likely be war of superhumans rather than war of nuclear weapons, so we need not worry about shuffling through dead, irradiated city. And if it is with nuclear weapons, well, at least it will be over quickly, with no tiresome propaganda or rationining as in last war!" He smiled that smile that wasn't really a smile. "I dread many things. But this generation will do well enough - it is the ones that came before, the ones that linger in power that are the children of our days, that I worry about. But soon they will be gone." Silence lingered in the car.In a tone like an elder brother, he went on, "So, new lady...or is it fellow this time? Is it here?" He waved his hand about in the air. "Or here?" He put his hand over his own absent heart. Edited October 10, 2015 by Avenger Assembled
alderwitch Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 Talya gave a slight lift of her shoulders at the comment about Scarab. The fact of the matter was Elena was in a very different place when Talya had come back from an unintentional four year jaunt with Ace and while she'd always have a special place in her heart for Elena - no, the relationship was certainly off at the moment. "It's alright. It's how such things go," she said and gave a small shudder at Dimitri's very Russian take on the inevitableness of an unpleasant future, "I'm not sure if 'quick and brutal' is better than 'slow and brutal'. Perhaps. The lack of irradiated wasteland would be a plus. It's something I was nervous about in the fifties. I mean, I'll get better but will my body actually shed the radiation or do I just have to avoid people until I'm no longer toxic. A war between superheroes, though, we'd end up fighting long time friends this time. A different sort of terrible."She shifted in her seat then, smoothing her hands over her skirt as she'd run down things to say that weren't the relationships talk she wanted to avoid. "It's both - a husband and wife," Talya offered, since that was the easiest question. She turned slightly in her chair to give Dimitri a small little half smile, deliberately lightening her voice as she asked, "I don't suppose you'll believe the line I gave Klara's wife about loving nothing and no one, would you?"
Avenger Assembled Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 "Ach, Natalya..." Dimitri was impossible to offend, but the worry was briefly palpable in his voice. "Well, you are a grown woman - and we both know you are far more experienced in matters of the heart than a man with no heart at all." Speaking in Russian now, there was no trace of the comically broad accent he spread with a trowel when talking to Americans. "If you are happy, then I am happy for you. You deserve happiness. Though they had better not be trifling with you if they know what's good for them." He hesitated a moment, then broke out in a smile as he drew his thumb across his neck. "Otherwise, cold indeed their bed will grow!" The accent was back in full force. "You should build them a bunker," he commented, "to avoid nuclear weapons. Will be reassurance for all worries."
alderwitch Posted October 10, 2015 Posted October 10, 2015 "I'll be alright, Dimitri. I've always been tougher than I look," Talya pointed out with a jaunty sort of smile. Her hands fluttered in a small 'what can you do' gesture, quick to reassure one of her oldest friends of her well being, "When have you known me to not land on my feet? Besides," Talya hesitated for a long moment, her tongue loosened at least a little by the evening's libations. "... it does make me happy. Happier than I've been in a long time."She reached over, giving his parka covered arm a gentle pat, "No one is 'trifling' with anyone but I'm not sure we've reached the 'I built you a nuclear bunker' stage of the relationship. I could be wrong but I think one works up to that sort of thing. Besides, you were just pointing out that its less likely nuclear fallout and more likely to be fought with powerful titans in the next go-around. I am dubious as to the use of a bunker save for storing canned goods. Besides, the permits alone to get one built in the West End would take ages. A safe room would be easier and probably more useful in the long run and I think they might already have that."
Avenger Assembled Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 "Oh, permits," said Frost, rolling his eyes with an affectionate smile. "How the mighty have fallen! What would Set say if he knew the 'Princess of Plundering' was seeking to file forms with city planning commission." He hmmed as he drove. "If they are in, you know, trade, I could maybe get them discount old Freedom League gear. Can you believe they just give me keys to half, two-thirds of their lockers?" He waved a hand. "Such a change from old days, when any time I would show up in Freedom Hall it would be 'It's that Red bastard,' or 'Die, bloodsucking fiend''! He did a pretty good Bowman II and Eldritch impression, if he said so himself. "Is sometimes not as fun as it was back then," he admitted.
alderwitch Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 "It's better to not have to deal with angry city officials if one can avoid it," Talya pointed out dryly, turning her head to give the Russian a fond smile, "I am certain I could get a secret evil lair built under any part of the city I really wanted given the time and the willingness to track down old acquaintances but that seems to beg having said 'old acquaintances' rat out my newest hiding spots to any number of not-yet-dead enemies. Having something built perfectly legal and with good, normal folk who have no idea what its purposes is remains the better bet. And that, my darling, requires permits."Reaching up to flip the visor down, Talya took advantage of the mirror within to smooth her hair out and begin removing the red-as-sin lipstick and cat-eye make up that had been fitting for earlier in the day. The Talya that taught at the school, however, was different enough from Bombshell's public face that she'd need to make some changes before they reached the West End. Talya would have to be a good deal more inebriated than she currently was to not keep her identities straight. With quick fingertips, she unravelled the neatly maintained pin curls into something more contemporary. The tailored peplum jacket was quickly removed and discarded for the back seat and she began to adjust the blouse below, with quick and practiced gestures. "Having trouble establishing good friendly rivalries?" Talya asked with sympathy as she went to reapply a softer shade of makeup, "Its the post-eighties phenomena, I'm afraid. Super heroes grew serious and then it's hung around like a pall. When's the last time you saw a flying ape with a laser gun?"
Tiffany Korta Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 Klara offered a hand to help her love up off of the chair, all her anger evaporating as she looked into the face of her true love. “I’m afraid that the night been ruined, I’ve lost my appetite now.” Klara sound suitably upset at this fact.“So you two had a good chat then? Because out here we had an interesting conversation.”“It could have gone better, but I think we’ve cleared the air a little. Though we probably owe them for a new counter. What did you two talk about?”After counting out a suitable tip for the meal and damaged they began to stroll down the street.“What did you talk about then?”“Oh you know what did you call them? Honey lies and sweetened half truth.”Klara laughed at Tracy mangling of her words earlier.“You know I wouldn’t mind staying here for a little while, maybe I can find a team that would accept me.”Tracy seemed to consider that and accepted it though she cautiously asked.“What about the children, won’t you miss them so far away?”“Well there’s always Skype or the embassy has a teleporter, and they don’t want there’s mums hanging about looking over their shoulders.”
Tiffany Korta Posted October 27, 2015 Author Posted October 27, 2015 “Well aren't you the modern mum with all her technology and her mobiles phones.” Tracy gave a playful little nudge, than Klara didn’t feel at all.“You do know I come from a more advanced culture than you, we were watching you before the idea was even dreamed up.” there was a note of pride in Klara’s voice.“But only the real world, never fiction, I remember the trouble you caused when they showed Quatermass.”The two women had a good chuckle at the old memory of Klara’s unfortunate mistake.“We have very different idea’s about drama back home, at least I’d learnt by the time that other Science Fiction show started.”
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