America Chavez is the medic to the multiverse! (multiversemedic) wrote in ageofmarvels, @ 2016-02-12 00:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | arsenic, lucy in the sky, miss america |
[Log/Thread] I'm searching for something that I can't reach~
Characters: America Chavez & Gertrude Yorkes - Brief appearance: Karolina Dean
NPCs: Chase Stein
Location: Gert & Chase’s place.
Timeline: BACKDATED - November 16th, 2015
Description: Verbal bitch slaps are best.
Rating: PG-13 (For America's mouth)
Status: Incomplete (additional tags can be added in to log or threaded on)
America had never been fond of school. She'd ditched on it at age six and had never made any plans to continue or go back. Thankfully, when she'd landed at Stark's the teachers, and tutors and whatever the fuck else they had going on there - not to mention the knowledge the tank had picked up while popping around the multiverse - had served her well. Then came the after high school period in this universe, and America hadn't wanted to join up with any of the major organizations. She hated their rules, hated their diplomacy and bullshit. So, she'd opted that she couldn't really afford school and it wasn't worth the fight of explaining that was part of her reason for not going... Even as the bruiser watched many of her friends go. Instead, she'd opted to work, and work she had through various jobs, and positions, and with several different people needing high levels of protection America had come to find herself fairly well paid for someone who never got past high school, and enjoyed punching things in the face for a living. Was she going to be a buying an island or a mansion any time soon? Fuck no. However, it left her comfortable enough. And after her and Karolina got back together, a weird urge had driven her forward to consider school as a feasible possibility. The tank didn't have a lot in the way of expenses (housing, utilities, food, simple bills like her cellphone, when she was in this universe...), and her fashion senses were so.... Particular... That she often struggled to find things she wanted to spend money on in that regard. So... Since she'd put it off for so long - hilariously - America could afford to start taking classes here and there. Which.... It was hard to explain but... She found herself actually wanting to. America found herself wanting to know more about the world that Karolina had grown up on, more about the world and solar system that her girlfriend - and friends - called home. About how it worked, about how it continued to perpetuate and what people were doing to change it - for both good and bad. Not to mention that... Well... America wanted to be better. She wanted to be smarter, more educated, more.... The whole thing was a mess in her mind. It wasn't that she wasn't smart, or educated, it just... Wasn't the way most of the people Karolina seemed to hang out now-a-days seemed to be. They all had some sort of education, schooling... If technical, bachelor's, graduate or other. And America? Well, she had a high school diploma and a few training courses that allowed her to do bouncer or bodyguard work. Then there was this other, somewhat embarrassing, urge that made her.... Want to be better for her friends, for her (former?) lover. Karolina, Kate, Rogue, Abby, Jane... They all made her want to be a better person in one way or another. And on this planet, education seemed to be part of the key of being a better person. So, around the age of 22 America had passively started taking a few college classes. She'd largely tried to keep this off of Karolina's radar as she didn't want to be questioned about it, and have to get into a whole mess of a conversation that surrounded it. Besides, with how their relationship had been on the rocks when trying to start things up again, and then had quickly - a handful of months later - taken another nose dive when America had started to.... No. She didn't want to think about what seeing that had done to her. How the whole thing had broken some part inside of her and.... Anyway. For one of her classes she'd needed some books on sociology and who had books on sociology? Gert. Thus, America had borrowed a couple books from Gert, trying not to make a big deal of it as she did regularly read random shit to help her figure out how this world worked, and so that she wouldn't feel so out of the loop all the time. However, now she was done with the coursework - finishing it up while somewhat falling out with Karolina (even if it was just "some space") again had been challenging - and America had completely forgotten she'd had the books until... Well... Now. Now being seven months after classes had started, five months after borrowing the books, and almost three months after asking Karolina for space, and a month after classes had ended.... Fuck. She really needed to get these back, but... Would Gert even be willing to see her? After everything, and what a mess Karolina likely was - which was entirely America's fault - it wouldn't be surprising if Gert had some choice words that would make any interaction generally unpleasant. Really, America had brought this on herself. Sighing she'd sent a text a few days before to check in when she could drop the books off and - surprisingly - Gert had agreed to let America come drop them off which caused a pit of anxiety to build in the tank's stomach. Largely, she was able to shove it off. Fuck, she had worlds to save. Important things to do. Important things to not think about. However, finally the day came and America found herself standing in front of Gert's door - wasn't this Chase's place too? Fuck - waiting for the other woman to open it after she'd rung the bell with a messenger bag slung cross body. The tank knew she wouldn't die here, but fuck all, she might hope she was dead by the end of this depending on how Gert decided to go about all this... If she said anything about it at all.... By now Gert was used to the ups and downs of Karolina's relationship. Her loyalty belonged to Karolina but she also knew what America meant to the other girl. What they meant to each other. A lot had changed over the years and relationships came and went but the two of them sort of just found their way back to each other. Gert knew that the best of intentions were there but sometimes the best of intentions led to the stupidest decisions people could make. She knew that with her own relationship with Chase, things could get complicated for stupid reasons. Usually because the two people involved came with their baggage and that baggage was often filled with shit. She and Chase were still trying to make sense of what they had but for the most part it was getting a little easier with time. Gert sat on the couch with a book in front of her, eyes scanning over the page. She was interested in what it said but apparently not enough to tell Chase to get the door. When the doorbell rang she looked up, unsure of who it could be but figured it was probably Nico or Molly or Karolina or maybe even Amadeus. They all managed to stay friends over the years, though Amadeus wasn't there from the beginning. That was fine for Gert though because it didn't make him any less of a friend. It just meant he didn't have fucked up parents who were helping things try to destroy the world She closed the book and set it aside, rising to her feet and walking barefoot to the door. Her dark hair, no longer dyed purple, was left down and she pushed the bridge of her glasses upward. She could hear Chase in the other room playing games, and knew the volume was loud enough he would've missed the bell. Thankfully she was around to answer, it seemed. Her "I'm at home and don't expect me to go out today" outfit consisted of a plain T-shirt with loose-fitting jeans. The length of them bundled around her ankles and it was hard to determine if they were her pants or if they were Chase's. It didn't really matter all that much right then. When she opened the door, she found America standing there. Last she heard, Karolina and America's relationship status was "off" and that likely meant that America went somewhere to save people or something. Hard to say sometimes. She was used to the shifting back and forth well enough now that she just held the door open, allowing America room to walk in. Gert said nothing, feeling the gesture was enough for America to know that Gert wasn't going to slam the door in her face. If Gert didn't want to hear what America had to say, it would have been abundantly clear. "Welcome back from . . . " she finally said and raised an eyebrow, "You want something to drink? Chase can spare a beer. I also got water, juice, and a bunch of teas that Nico handed off to me for whatever reason." Well, not getting the door slammed in her face was undoubtedly a step in the right direction for... Not fucking things up with someone she did consider a friend... Even if America knew that Gert really was more of Karolina's friend than hers. After everything Gert and Karolina had been through together, if they weren't friends for the rest of their lives, America would be surprised. Besides, there was something or another she'd read about if your friendship could survive for seven years then you were stuck with the other person or some crap... The tank wasn't sure how she felt about that but... With the space offered America gave the other woman a nod before moving through the doorway. "The multiverse." The tank chimed in to finish the sentence Gert had started. It was so strange to be taller than most people she knew considering when she'd met them she'd been around the same height or shorter than many of her friends... Once in the apartment America seemed to not be sure where to go from there. Yet, Gert managed to take the lead, offering an easy point to at least start on. "Beer would be great." Man, when was the last time she could just sit down and have a drink? It'd been a while. Probably the last time she'd gone out with Kate somewhere which was... Probably a month or so ago. "If he gets upset, I'll get him a six pack next time I'm in town." There was an indifferent shrug offered as she adjusted the messenger bag that the books had been stored in. Really, she should just hand over the books and get out of here.... But she'd already agreed to a beer and... America did sincerely wonder how everyone was doing. She still did care about them, and felt dedicated to protect them even if they didn't feel the same in return. "How you been?" The multiverse. Said so casually as if it explained everything. Gert wanted to know more about what this multiverse was and why it kept pulling America away. Maybe some beer would help with that. Maybe not. Hard to say but America likely had a reason for being here and Gert knew that reason was Karolina Dean. Did Karolina even know she was back yet? She closed the door quietly and then moved to the small kitchen of the shared apartment. The kitchen was open with an island that served as a sort of serving-space barrier between the kitchen and the dining room. Gert reached into the fridge and plucked a can of beer. "Here you go," she said, tossing the can in America's direction before busying herself with filling a tumbler with water from the tap. She moved around to sit at the table that had a closed laptop on it and a small stack of papers that were mostly just notices of automatic billing that Gert would sort through later. "I'm fine," she said, "Just work and the usual. Life just trucks along as its usual pace." There was the occasional global threat that would call the Avengers or the X-Men to action, but otherwise life still managed to keep this very casual pace. People were getting rather comfortable with the fantastic sights of people who flew and the occasional dinosaur sighting. Times definitely changed over the years but a lot of the same problems existed. Go figure. "Thanks." The can was caught without a second thought and America took a look at it. Canned beer. Not her first choice, but... Chase. She'd have to try to get him to drink bottles some day. The quality just seemed.... Better. She'd wait a few minutes before opening so it wouldn't be too shaken. With Gert moving to sit down the tank paused for a moment. Should she follow suit? The answer from Gert wasn't particularly encouraging for additional conversation but.... America moved to sit down, tapping the unopened top of the can before pulling the tab. Fine. That word had gotten her in trouble with Karolina more than once.... But it was true. She was always fine. Fine or dead. Those were really her options. "Keeping busy." A nod accompanied the words - her commentary on Gert's life and confirmation that she was listening - before a sip of the beer was taken passively. "Nothing too crazy?" It was a vague question - weren't most of her statements? - but it might allow her to keep the conversation going at least. Though... She was with the Avengers so if anything too nuts had gone down, she likely would have heard about it since America hadn't been completely out of the this universe of the past two and a half months just.... Mostly... Not... Here. "Just enough to keep things from being a total drag," Gert said. She could only share so much about what she did. Working for S.H.I.E.L.D. meant disclosure agreements and the like, and she didn't need that organization breathing down her neck about anything. They had their troubles, as it were, but had formed a mutual understanding of how they did things. Gert drew the line and S.H.I.E.L.D. learned never to ask her to cross it. She would cross it on her own if she felt that there was a lot at risk. There was a moment of silence where all that could be heard was Chase's voice in the next room telling off what was likely a group of twelve-year-olds who were talking smack. Gert smirked and shook her head. Chase would grow up in a lot of ways but not every way. She didn't mind that though because it was part of his charm. "Have you gone to talk to Karolina yet?" she asked, hating to beat around the bush and figuring that they should talk about the person that connected the two of them. Another nod was given. That was good. They were keeping busy. It was probably safe to assume everyone was. Lives just carried on like that after all. Nothing ever stopped completely unless an entire world.... America cut off her own thoughts right there. This wasn't the time, nor place for that. "If anyone gives you any shit, I'll knock them to the moon." The sentence was definite. Firm. She didn't know a lot of what Gert did, or Chase now-a-days either but... If anyone she knew and cared about got threatened or fucked with the person who'd done it would have fucking hell to pay. The tank would make sure of it. Then the silence seeped in and... There went Chase yelling at some game another in another room and America couldn't help the faint smirk that crossed her face. Some things never changed. It was better that way. An odd sort of reassurance when the rest of her life was always complete chaos. However, the next thing out of Gert's mouth was a bomb of a question and - on one hand - America was glad to not have to be the one to breech the topic, but on the other hand... There was a brief moment where the slight smirk that had emerged disappeared and the can of beer was raised for another sip to buy her a split second of time to figure out how to approach this. Finally, sighing and lowering the beer can America gave a shrug of her shoulders, gaze dropping away from Gert's. "No." A pause. "Texted you when I popped in a couple days back, saw nothing was going down. Left again for another world. Just back this morning." There was a pause as she pulled around the messenger bag and fished out Gert's books, offering them up to the other woman. Was probably time to bite the bullet. "How is she?" A beat and she lifted the can for another sip. She might owe Chase more than a six pack if they were actually going to get into this. Here we go. Gert let her fingers wrap around the glass of slightly cold water. If she'd let the faucet run for a few seconds more it might have gotten a few degrees colder but water was water. America cut off eye contact and it left Gert to think about the water before America gave her an answer about Karolina. The last she heard from Karolina was that she and America were on a break because America needed space. This time wasn't quite so tear-filled as the first time the two girls separated. Karolina had come over to see Chase and Gert though, where a box of tissues, a bottle of wine, and two sets of open ears with different approaches to love and things served as sound boards to the starlet. "She's Karolina," Gert said, "And you could always talk to her yourself instead of using me to find out. She'll want to see you, but she doesn't know if you want to see her." That much Gert could share because when someone said "I need space" it made it pretty clear that one person would be left waiting until the other said they'd had enough space or never asked for that space to get any smaller again. Taking another drink of her water, she asked, "Do you want to see her?" That was the obvious answer, of course. For some reason America wondered why she'd ever thought Gert would give anything but that. Though at the next words any casual friendliness would fade as there was a serious moment of tongue biting required for America to make sure she didn't tell Gert to fuck herself. The defensive tension that automatically slipped into her posture would take a moment to will away, but the best way to get rid of it.... A controlled sigh was let out before America picked up the beer and finished putting the rest of it away in one slug before putting the empty can back on the table top. "You started this conversation." There was no anger in the words, but a pointed statement of facts, and a hint of defensiveness. "That's not the problem." The statement was vague, deflective. However, what the problem was.... That was..... Something that the tank had been trying to work out for the last several months and mostly what had caused the request for space in the first place. "I did," Gert said plainly because she had started the conversation. She wanted to know for Karolina's sake if America would be walking back into her life again. It'd been three months and Gert was the one who would have to hear about the fallout if something like that happened. She knew that the two cared about each other and while America wasn't the one crying in her living room, she did know enough about America to see the other girl cared about Karolina. But she kept going into the multiverse and Karolina was always in this one. She sighed and sat back in the chair, "It sort of is your problem, America. Because believe it or not, Karolina really does love you and—don't say you don't—you love her. I'm trying to figure out what is going on because I'm her friend and I'm yours too. And right now-" she cut off her words as Chase emerged from the room. He wore a pair of sweatpants and now shirt, stretching with a wireless headset hanging around his neck. "Oh, hey," he said upon seeing America and then looked at Gert, "Uh, I'll go. Lemme know when you're done." He returned to where he came from and Gert sighed. "America, what are you doing?" She'd walked right into this. On several levels. Meeting up with Gert, walking into this apartment, agreeing to have a drink when she could have just turned it down, and now.... This. At least Gert hadn't taken the obvious - and accidentally left open - gap in America's previous argument. America tried to hide the faint hint of pain that slipped across her features at Gert's words, but wouldn't be entirely successful despite herself. Fingers wrapped around the can idly, beginning to turn the metal in her grip as something to help distract from the tangled emotions that had wrapped themselves around her life right now. "I'd never say that." The words were low, obviously carefully controlled as Gert was hitting emotional buttons all over the place which was leaving America wondering if Gert was trying for an emotional outlash at this point. Obviously The tank would never claim not to love Karolina... Not unless saying that would cause Karolina hurt that was... Then America would say it all day long while dying inside. At the sudden interruption any words that might have been considered were loss and a nod of her head was offered to Chase, a brief "Hey" the only passive greeting he'd get before he disappeared again, and... The tank wasn't sure if that was for better or worse at this point. "Saving worlds." While the words were true enough, there'd be a hint of her voice cracking as they came out that would betray her well enough that Gert was likely to pick up on it and America internally cursed herself for it all the while. "I thought you two worked it out," Gert said, "the traveling thing. I know the first time was a mess, but you asked for space." She knew that. She also knew that yeah, sometimes Karolina could run with an idea and go with some assumptions, creating a big drama in her mind about it. But this time it wasn't Karolina that ended things. It was America. America going off and saving words and Karolina just . . . Gert didn't even know what. Chase probably had a much better idea as the two spoke more often. Gert sighed, "You’re saving worlds but are you gonna think about yourself at any point? America, there's only a very small percentage of the world that can boast immortality or an extended life. The world always needs saving and it's good to be noble and to do something about it. Hell, I only started working for the people I do because I knew it would let me do something. "So if you're not going to talk to Karolina, if you're just stopping by, then fine," Gert shrugged, "But I guess I'm worried you're going to miss out on your life." "We did." And it was true, they had worked out America's universe hopping. She went off and did it while trying to be conscientious about stuff going on in both their lives... Karolina mostly just dealt with it, but... Where the fuck was Gert going with this? This conversation was all over the goddamn place and America wasn't entirely sure why she was taking this verbal picking away anymore at this point. Maybe it was because she knew Karolina wouldn't, and... Somewhere deep inside she felt like she deserved at least some part of this. Or maybe it was... Just because she couldn't figure all this shit out herself and wasn't really sure how else to.... Though the verbal picking quickly turned into more of a verbal bitch slap before Gert was even done with everything she had to say and... It took everything within America not to stand up and punch Gert in the face right there. Eyes narrowed with a flash of anger floating across her features for a moment, before a very long, deep exhale was given. Gert had a point, but it put America on the defensive regardless. "You want a reason." The tank's voice came with an edge to it. "Because I'm the one who can. You can't do it, Karolina can't. You know anyone who can cross fucking universes and stop their collapse in your database, Gert?" A narrowing of her eyes elaborated on the challenge presented in the sentences before. "Because I sure as fuck don't." Though.... That all probably just played into Gert's entire opinion now didn't it? "My moms couldn't save the multiverse but they saved my universe, they saved countless lives and gave people a chance at happiness they wouldn't have had." Gert did and she could hear the tone America's voice took. She knew it well enough, but America had to know that coming here would lead to Gert talking about this. Gert didn't just sweep things under the rug or let the elephant in the room remain a silent third party. She placed it before everyone so that they could handle it. The longer they ignored it, the worse things would get. That was Gert's philosophy, at least, and it led to conflict but at least things were hanging around forever. "Do you think they wanted to save you so you'd be alone your whole life?" Gert returned, "That you keep anything that could keep you happy at arm's length. Yeah, you can save people, but you don't have to take space to do it. You either want to be with Karolina or you don't. Don't tell her you need space if you're aren't going to come back, America. So maybe I'm telling you, as her friend and as yours, that you need to start figuring out what to do about that. The world is constantly a fucking mess. We all know it. You really think we'd have people like Captain America if we didn't need them?" She sat back and shook her head, "When I asked what you were doing, I wasn't asking about what you were doing somewhere else. I'm asking about Karolina. She fucking loves you, okay? It's okay everyone once in awhile to be a little fucking selfish. To have some needs for yourself. She can handle you leaving constantly. She's strong. You know it. I know it. She's got this. I just wonder if you know what you're doing with this." Gert's response of course prompted a mix of both anger and disgruntlement as America could easily pick out how Gert was right in her statements about the situation at hand. Of course the tank knew she was right, but... It didn't mean the tank wanted to so quickly admit to such a thing. Though, Gert's words struck hard. Ultimately, she was right. In some twisted, fucked up way, she was right. Each sentence of truth was like a barb that stabbed into her, but.... Even if it made her bristle, she still couldn't deny each fact. "I told you my desire isn't the issue." The tank’s voice was firm in its resolve, yet clearly there was something within her meaning that was still left unsaid. Yet, Gert continued her assault and... America felt herself breaking down underneath the relentless attacks assault. Finally, she felt herself breaking down underneath her friend's concern and continuous strikes. "You love Chase a fucking lot, right?" There was only a brief pause given for Gert to respond within, and of course she did with positive results. "What if you could save him? What if you could protect him across every universe you knew he was in?" There was a clear breaking point that was starting to happen in America's defensiveness by the shake in her voice. A true crack she had yet to reveal that showed just how drastically the depths of her love for Karolina ran. Swallowing, there was a sort of vulnerable weakness presented in her demeanor. One that she hated. One that she tried to hide.... One that... Hinted at exactly what she was going through right fucking now. "Wouldn't you?" "I would do what I could," Gert said with a sense of understanding and then added, "But I'd remember that my Chase is still here waiting for me. The Chase I love. The stupid, immature, video-game addicted, smarter-than-he-realizes Chase is here. In this world. He's here waiting for me. And I can save every other Chase out there but that Chase has another Gert or whoever it is that loves them. And that's great. But Chase is home for me." Her voice lowered as she spoke, the words weighty, "This Chase? I want to be with him because neither of us are going to live forever. You can save every other Karolina in every possible universe, but what's going to happen to the one here?" Gert fixed her eyes directly on America's, "Whatever you decide, you decide to do it. You're always telling everyone else to step up to the plate, so maybe it's time you do that with this. I'm not saying you should love Lina the same way I love Chase, but is it really all that bad to spend time with the Lina you met first? The Lina you fell in love with?" TBC.... |