Nebula (thanksdad) wrote in knowhereic, @ 2017-08-04 07:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | harry potter: canon: queenie goldstein, marvel (mcu): canon: nebula |
Characters: Queenie Goldstein and Nebula
Where/When: Space! And then Xandar for some shopping.
Ratings/Warnings: It’s very tame and sweet, though Nebula (as per usual) is constantly thinking about attack and bad things.
Status: Complete
Though Nebula knew that she wasn’t an expert on Terran behaviors, she thought Queenie Goldstein was one of the stranger ones she’d met. Serene and innocent in a way that made Nebula think of how she, herself, had behaved when turned back into a child, Nebula found her curious in a way that deserved more investigation. Or, at least, that’s what she told herself this excursion was about. If she were being honest, she’d admit that if her sister had disappeared, Nebula might have been fairly upset. But she wasn’t about to tell anyone that might have had something to do with the offer she’d made to Queenie. Nebula waited at the docks by her ship, standing outside of it and inspecting the hull. She’d messaged Queenie earlier about where and when to meet. Because she had enemies, Nebula tended to switch out ships from time to time and she had the feeling this one was nearing the end of its time in her possession. She checked the fueling spot and turned to lean against the ship, waiting. --- Queenie knew it was a bad idea to wallow in her own self pity over the fact Tina was gone. It was sad and completely different to what she was used to but Queenie knew there was nothing she could do to bring Tina back. She was glad there were people around her that seemed to care and that made her feel a lot less alone. Walking along the docks with a small bag in hand, which held a change of clothes should the space adventuring go longer than expected, Queenie looked at the various ships in passing curiosity before looking ahead to Nebula and her ship. Nebula was an interesting woman and Queenie believed if the circumstances had been different they probably wouldn’t associate with one another. But circumstances were different and Queenie appreciated the gesture Nebula made to offer to take her on her ship. “Hey,” Queenie greeted as she approached Nebula and the ship, her eyes darting up and taking in the size of it. “So this is your ship? It’s nothing like Groot had described to me.” Although, unbeknownst to Queenie, Groot probably told her about an old ship Nebula once had. --- “He hasn’t seen this one,” Nebula said in the same tone she always used, coming off as slightly gruff and unpleasant even when she didn’t mean to. She’d been improving since arriving at Knowhere, interacting with the humans had altered her social habits considerably, but there were some things, like her glare and the roughness around her edges that couldn’t quite be helped. Nebula found it amusing that Queenie understood Groot. Nebula didn’t really understand what he said most of the time and just inferred from context clues. Quill and Rocket tended to chide her about it, that she needed to listen to him more. But Nebula didn’t really know what they were talking about. She listened; he just only said one thing over and over. “It will not be a long flight to Xandar,” Nebula said, getting straight to the point of things as she slammed her hand into a panel and a door opened to let them inside. She had every intention of picking up some supplies on the way, and possibly checking in with a contact. Nebula was constantly vigilant for news and updates on Thanos. If she was to kill him, she needed more information. “You’ve never flown in a ship before?” she asked, turning back to Queenie. --- “Oh,” Queenie took in that new information, not put off by Nebula’s roughness at all. Queenie could tell the other woman wasn’t being malicious, it was just the way she was. The witch wasn’t going to pry as to why even though she probably could find out by using her abilities. It was quite rude to just go delving into other people’s mind, after all. “I had heard it was close.” Queenie nodded, letting Nebula lead the way onto the ship. She looked around at the new environment with an almost childlike curiosity. However she was very aware to not touch anything she wasn’t suppose to. Looking back at Nebula when she asked a question, Queenie smiled. “Not at all, honey. No-Maj’s have only just started flying in planes and airships in my time. We magic folk have broomsticks and magic carpets but nothing like this. Space travel is just a dream.” --- Nebula found it odd that Queenie would think flying through space sweet, but supposed that came from a place of ignorance. She’d never had to fight her way through an asteroid field while being pursued by a gang of aliens. Even Nebula could admit there was something to the stillness of spaceflight. Her ship was fairly bare, Nebula wasn’t typically one for decorating her spaces. She had belongings strewn about and plenty of weapons within reach, both hidden and not. The ship was small, nowhere as roomy as the Milano. It fit two comfortably and could squeeze in a few more. Nebula typically didn’t fly with a large company, so it wasn’t a problem. She led the way toward the front console. There were two seats and Nebula took hers. “Do you have questions before we begin?” she asked, pressing buttons and preparing the ship, which roared to life suddenly. --- Queenie put her bag down somewhere it would be safe and took note of how few personal touches the ship had. It seemed to match the impression Queenie got of Nebula’s personality - that she didn’t get attached to things easily or often. She took a seat after Nebula had taken hers, looking over all the buttons and not having a clue what any of them did. “Oh, not at the moment.” She jolted a little at the sudden roar of life the ship gave, not sure what she was expecting. “It’s a little like a train, quite rattling but not unpleasant. A lot louder though.” Queenie wasn’t sure if Nebula knew what a train was. She didn’t know if that was just an Earth thing or not. Perhaps in space they called trains something different. --- Nebula was in the habit of inferring the meaning of things just from the context of the sentence. She still couldn’t understand much about Terran culture, but she could understand more or less what a train was from what Queenie said. “The ship moves very quickly. You will feel a jolt.” She pressed some more buttons and the ship started to rise. It was fairly smooth in it’s movements, but Nebula was just getting it ready to go into space. “Do not be sick,” she instructed, because she could handle noise, but not vomiting on her ship. After a few moments of hovering and moving about, the ship pitched forward suddenly and took off like a shot into the darkness of space. --- At the instructions, Queenie sat back in her seat and waited for the expected jolt. Queenie was a good traveller and was never sick before but space was different. She was determined not to be, though, as Nebula was nice enough to take her on her ship and it wouldn’t do well to upset the host. “Whoa.” Queenie gasped at the sudden rush, it was a completely different sensation but not an entirely terrible one. Her hands gripped the armrests tightly, not out of fear because she trusted Nebula but more out of sheer excitement. Once in space, Queenie looked out in wonder at the stars. There were no recognisable constellations but that seemed logical given they were nowhere near Earth. “Do your people have names for different constellations?” Her question came out almost randomly. “Or is that just an Earth thing?” --- “I do not know what my people do,” Nebula said, and she stared straight ahead as she did. Her voice didn’t betray emotion, because she’d been used to the fact that she didn’t know her own culture for a long time. But it was still a sore subject. Instead of lingering, she turned the ship and drove, taking a slightly longer route so that Queenie could see a galaxy in the distance that was particularly interesting to look at. “Asgard is in that direction,” she said, as though Queenie might have heard of that place. “Xandar is an hour away,” she continued. “It is the home of the Nova Corps and because of that is very safe. It is a multicultural planet, but the Xandarians are pink skinned bipeds. They look vaguely terran.” She said this so that Queenie wouldn’t be too surprised when they arrived. --- “Oh, I’m sorry.” She didn’t mean to touch on a sore subject, not that Nebula seemed to betray any hurt that she may have felt. Queenie just guessed that it must be difficult to not know what their people did - to have no history to attach to. A little hum escaped her at the new knowledge she was given, although Nebula could have said anything was in that direction and Queenie would believe her. She had no knowledge of where things were or who lived there. “I have heard of the Nova Corps.” She seemed pleased that there was at least one thing she vaguely knew about. “Terran are Earth people, right? Are there other Terrans on Xandar?” --- Nebula didn’t respond to the apology. But she did think over Queenie’s questions. “Yes, Terrans are humans,” she nodded. “And there may be… Peter Quill is half human. There are a few in space, but not many.” She considered for a moment. “But there are a few races that appear human. Asgardians looks similar. Xandarians would be, if not for their coloring.” She fell silent for a moment. Then, “You should not trust anyone on the planet. And you should avoid talking about your situation. Or Knowhere. There are many dangers outside of Knowhere and it would be bad if we were to attract their attention.” --- As Nebula explained about the Terrans, Queenie watched her with interest. She felt like Nebula was smart and knew a lot about this universe. Queenie believed there was definitely a lot she could learn from the other woman. “I assume they don’t all act like humans either,” Queenie commented after Nebula finished telling her about the Xandarian coloring. “However, watching life on Knowhere, I am not even sure of the way humans do act anymore. The time differences has opened my eyes to a lot of diversity.” Queenie nodded, agreeing that she would try not to draw attention to herself. She actually managed to be quite good at being unnoticed at work - with a few minor exceptions, naturally. She remembered some of the bad instances that had occurred during her time there already and did not want another one to happen if she could help it. “Would it be more helpful if I used magic to change my appearance? I am pretty sure I could cast a glamour charm over myself that would turn me a lovely shade of blue like yourself. If that helps, at all.” --- “No,” Nebula said. “It is unnecessary. But I will disguise myself before we leave the ship.” She didn't go into the why, but was fairly certain that there were bounties on her head. If not that, she was known among certain circles. Some, she'd wronged, others who would seek her out just to say they'd bested a child of Thanos. She fell quiet, not unpleasantly so, but because she didn't have a lot to say, even on a good day. --- Queenie wondered why Nebula had to disguise herself but thought it best not to ask. It seemed like it was a personal issue and they weren’t exactly close so it was better left unsaid. It was probably a Guardian thing. They were kind of famous so perhaps she just didn’t want to be recognised. Queenie could understand that. The rest of the trip to Xandar was uneventful, Queenie just watched the stars go by. She even saw a few other ships coming and going as they drew closer to the planet. Some looked quite official so Queenie assumed they were owned by the Nova Corps, but she didn’t ask Nebula allowing the other woman a bit of quiet while they landed. --- Xandar was a nice planet and Nebula landed in a populated city where they could walk undisturbed and safe. The sky was bright, the city was clean, and Nebula wasn’t especially concerned for their safety. Once she shut her ship down completely, she reached into a drawer on the side of a console and placed a gadget on her neck. Her features softened suddenly and where she was blue, she turned pink. It extended, even, to her hands. The bits of her face that gave away the fact that she had augments disappeared and her skin was completely even. Her features were similar, but changed enough that no one would look at her and recognize Nebula. Nebula inspected herself a moment in a mirror before, satisfied, she nodded over to Queenie. “No one will recognize me. We can go now,” she said. --- There was a look of complete and utter fascination on Queenie’s face as she watched Nebula’s features transform with the gadget. It was amazing. Very similar to a charm but without any use of magic. No-Majs were so clever in Queenie’s opinion, especially the future alien kind. “That is one clever contraption,” the witch commented on the gadget as she stood and followed Nebula off the ship. “I do prefer your natural blue, though. It seems to suit you better.” Queenie then exited the ship and let the matter drop. She wouldn’t bring up the disguise again for Nebula’s sake. She didn’t want to ruin the trip for the other woman, especially given how nice she was being bringing her here in the first place. The area they were in was quite populated and while a few natives looked in their direction, none of them seemed too bothered by a ship landing and two women hopping out. It was probably an everyday occurrence to them. “So, where to first?” --- Nebula couldn't help the small twitch of her lips as Queenie complimented the device she'd used to disguise herself. It was quaint how the Terrans saw the world and Nebula realized, from time to time, that she took things for granted around them. “The market, perhaps,” Nebula said, leading the way. She looked around, guarded and cautious as she ever was in a space that might have been filled with enemies. Nebula didn't much care for the Novas, though they had given up the bounty on her head at the Guardian’s request. She glanced at Queenie, to whom all of this was new and interesting. A boy on a speeder raced down a street, friends laughing and chasing him. There were people walking about, doing daily chores. --- Queenie guessed they had landed in what qualified as a city. It was nothing like New York, where they buildings were taller and practically on top of each other. A lot brighter too as everything in the landscape on Xandar appeared to be made in white and it was open planned. “That sounds like a grand idea.” Queenie agreed with going to the market. She stuck close to Nebula, not wanting to lose track of the other woman on the strange but exciting planet. She bumped shoulders with Nebula as she stepped out of the way as the boy zoomed past on the scooter. “Sorry,” Queenie apologized for invading her personal space. “That was a rather interesting thing the boy had. Quite fast too.” Walking along, following beside Nebula, Queenie took in more sights. There were a variety people here, all kind of humanoid but different. The clothing was very different too. It truly was a multicultural hub. “Would it be offensive if I bought some of the clothes? The outfits are quite beautiful. A lot different to this old thing.” She gestured to the navy blue dress and pink robe she wore. While they were the height of fashion in the 1920s, Queenie did feel like she stood out at times for looking outdated. “Credits work here, correct?” --- Nebula didn't seem to mind being bumped into. And she had no intention of losing Queenie, so she kept close. “It was just a speeder,” Nebula said, like that was ordinary. “And yes, credits work here. Why would it be offensive?” Nebula knew how to blend in, but she didn't know as many cultural norms as much as Queenie probably assumed. She couldn't really understand why buying something might seem offensive. --- “Oh,” Queenie watched the speeder drive off, kids chasing and laughing after it. She looked back to Nebula at the question, glad she could finally answer something. “It’s a cultural thing. Some cultures have specialized garments that they only want their people to wear. If everyone were allowed to wear it, it would lose its special meaning.” She paused, biting her lip, unsure if she was explaining it right. “Does that make sense? I’m sorry I can’t explain it better.” Tina would have been able to, without a doubt but unfortunately she wasn’t here. “I suppose the best option would be to just ask.” --- “I do not think it matters, but yes, ask,” Nebula said. She'd never been raised to hold any sort of sensitivity for culture. The only things she knew were about survival. But she frowned, thinking about what Queenie said, mostly because she found such a concept strange. She didn't think clothing mattered like that. She continued to look thoughtful as they turned into a street market. The area was suddenly buzzing with activity, hot foods were steaming in one stall, filling the air with good smells. In another, a pink woman was selling dresses. In another, a man was talking up bottles of strange liquids. Nebula didn't like busy places like this; her training told her that danger lurked in such places, where anyone could come and attack at a moment’s notice. But it was also easy to hide here and she tried to reassure herself that way. “I think,” Nebula said, “this must be a small market. The big ones are indoors.” --- Asking seemed like the best policy so Queenie would do just that. As they rounded into the market, Queenie’s eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings. It was a delight to the senses. The sights, the smells, it was all just so brilliant to Queenie. “A small market?” Queenie asked even though Nebula had already confirmed it. “I think this one is just the perfect size to start off with. A bigger one may be a little overwhelming.” She walked toward the dresses and the woman in the stall greeted her in a kindly manner. Queenie didn’t see much in the colours she preferred - her favorite color being pink which would have looked odd on someone with pink skin. “This is pretty. Soft too,” she touched one that looked kind of silky. Whether it really was silk was anyone’s guess because Queenie wasn’t sure if silk was a material in space. --- Nebula remained beside Queenie, less interested in dresses than in making sure they were safe. She didn't look too vigilant, though, knowing that was a tell that someone might notice. “Where are you hailing from?” The woman behind the stall asked pleasantly. “Just traveling,” Nebula replied before Queenie could say the wrong thing, her tone not overly hostile. She glanced at Queenie, trying to let the human know that that was the safest and smartest answer. “Xandar is always a welcome sight.” The woman seemed pleased by this answer. --- Queenie opened her mouth to answer the woman but Nebula beat her too it. Her mouth closed again at the glance, realising why she answered in the vague way. It was about safety and Queenie could respect that. Tina was always the one to think of their safety back home and it appeared Nebula was taking over that role. Not that Queenie minded in the slightest. “These dresses are beautiful.” Queenie spoke to the woman in the stall. Her tone was genuine and friendly. “Do you make them?” The woman gave a slight nod as if to say thank you for the compliment but then that nod turned to a shake of the head in reply to Queenie’s question. The witch felt rather cheeky when she reached out with her Legilimens abilities. She wanted to see if she could read the local woman’s thoughts but like Mister Scamander the foreign accent had her stumped. That meant mind reading was out then. --- Nebula remained close and let Queenie chat, not really interrupting. She wasn’t one for pleasant conversation, anyway, not trained in how to exchange pleasantries. She instead looked out for the pair of them and watched Queenie and the ease with which she addressed strangers. It was interesting, if nothing else. And perhaps, Nebula thought, a skill that she might find useful to mimic in the future. The time in the market passed quickly, though they stopped at many stalls so that Queenie could see what was for sale. While Nebula couldn’t say she had fun mulling about, she also wasn’t as deeply uncomfortable as she might have been. This was, if nothing else, progress. |