Natalia (the_black_widow) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-06-12 22:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, natasha romanoff (black widow), t'challa (black panther) |
I feel like I must apologize that we are only doing this now.
Who: Nat and T'Challa
what: Chatting and hanging out and talking about things
When: Mid may
Where: A cafe
Status: complete
Rating: PG
T'Challa had been meaning to do this for some time, but always something came up. Either it was work, or spending time with Bast, or keeping his contacts fresh and himself well informed on any news arising from the Congo. He also had the unfortunate tendency to be anti social. Part of it was the nature he was born with here, and part of it had bled over from the dreams. What had also carried over was his respect for Natasha Romanoff, the woman he was planning to meet. She had been there for him right after his father had been killed before his eyes, offering wise counsel which he had foolishly tossed aside in his grief. They had ended up on somewhat the same side of the ensuing conflict between heroes, and the whole dream experience had him wishing to get to know her in this world as well.
And so he sat at a small round table in the familiar cafe that everyone on the network seemed to use, having arrived early.
Natasha Romanoff would be the last person to ask about being social. Oh she had the training for it, but in her line of work it was best to keep to herself. Still, a man she knew from two universes was certainly worth talking to, at least.
“Good morning.” she moved up behind him like a ghost, then pulled out a chair and took a seat across from him. “Or is it afternoon, now.?”
T'Challa did not spook, so he merely raised his eyebrows a few millimeters and then smiled. He expected her to be stealthy, and was not disappointed. “It is,” he glanced at his wrist and - forgetting until he saw them that he had the Wakandan beads on instead of a watch - waved a hand over them and the time illuminated in a holographic display. “Eleven fifteen. It's close to afternoon. How are you, miss Romanoff?”
“I’m fine. How about you?” She flagged someone over, in desperate need of pancakes and coffee. It had been a very late night, though any proof of that had been carefully covered up with appropriate levels of makeup.
“I am well. I feel like I must apologize that we are only doing this now.” A smiled tugged at his lips before he took a sip of the sparkling latte that sat between his hands. “Although I feel like we've known each other quite well for some time. These dreams.” He shook his head, still mystified as to how that even worked.
“I could have reached out to you too,” Nat pointed out. “We do kind of share the same dreams.” But sometimes, needing to separate dream life and real life was important. And other times, she simply hadn’t known what to say, or how to approach someone.
“What matters now is that we are here.” He leaned back in his chair a little, tilting his head to the side a fraction. She almost appeared a bit...tired? It was difficult to tell with her, he knew that. “So. May I ask, what line of work are you in here? Intelligence as well, or something completely different?” He found the parallels and divergences between people’s dreams and real life occupations fascinating, and often scrolled through the net posts to update himself on some of them.
“I work in HR,” Natasha replied, with a sort of glint in her eyes that hinted at “HR” being something completely different than what normal people would expect. “But with the dreams, I work with the Agency, managing dream events.”
And ever since Peggy left, she was pretty much in charge of the Agency, now.
“I see,” T’Challa said, a similar look in his own eyes. Somehow he and Natasha always seemed to speak, whether with words or silence, on the same wavelength. “So you help with the clean up? Making sure the populace outside of our community don’t get too worried about the occasional phenomena?” He sipped at his latte.
“Yes. Could you imagine what the government, any government would do if it found out what was happening here? We have enough problems with dream organizations running rampant as terrorist groups. First Cerberus, the Hydra. Though they were one and the same.” Natasha had it on good authority that ‘hydrabus’ or whatever they were calling themselves now was actively working on supernatural super soldiers.
And that good authority was herself.
T’Challa’s brow furrowed slightly. He was still dipping his toes into the superhero thing, and had been unaware of this Cerberus or that Hydra existed in the real world. So far he had managed to simply act as a sort of vigilante alongside Stark when things went sideways in the OC. “I beg your pardon? I did not know Hydra was here.”
“Its… complicated. There was one organization from another set of dreams entirely. They caused us some problems and then went quiet for awhile. We learned they’d reorganized as Hydra. Or something like them.” Natasha thought there wasn’t much difference between the two. They were both the products of bigotry.
“I see.” T’Challa said, frowning a little. His one set of dreams gave him some knowledge of Hydra, the other set absolutely none outside of news reports of how they’d infiltrated and dismantled S.H.I.E.L.D. “Does S.H.I.E.L.D. exist here as well, then? Or is that what the Agency is?”
“No, it doesn’t, and that’s not what the Agency is. Different structure, less about protection though there’s that aspect to it.” When aliens invaded from the sky, and with so many military people, there needed to be an outlet and a response. But Nat viewed it a lot differently from S.H.I.E.L.D or the Avengers.
“Hm,” T'Challa's look was nearly unreadable, though he was sure Nat probably saw dissatisfaction in his features. “Perhaps there should be an assembly similar to that of the Avengers, then.” Certainly there were a number of those from their dreams here that might be up to it. Or others here with similar powers from other dream worlds. He didn't like the idea that protection wasn't paramount on the Agency's list.
“I’m not sure that’s entirely necessary, though I know several people that have considered it, including one of the Phoenix hosts.” Not that she suspected Jean was hosting the Phoenix, but she did like to keep an eye on her, just in case.
“We have enough volunteers when aliens invade that I don’t think a permanent team would make a difference. Plenty of people respond when we need them. I work better alone, anyway.”
T’Challa’s eyebrows raised at the mention of the Phoenix. “Miss Romanoff, did I hear you correctly in mentioning the Phoenix?” Of all the damned things that could come from the dreams, a planet razing space entity was not something anyone needed here.
He nodded, acquiescing. “Well that is a comfort then, that so many are willing to help. And I don’t doubt you do work well alone. I know the feeling.” He smiled. “But if you should find you need my assistance in anything, I will always be at your service.”
The beads on his wrist chimed softly suddenly, glowing an almost ethereal blue. He frowned a bit at it. Waving a hand over the beads the holographic display showed a text message. “It appears Tony wishes to have lunch with me. Probably to discuss some new project.” He looked at Natasha apologetically. “You know how impatient he can get, especially with Miss Potts not in the picture to keep him in check.” It was part joke, but also with an element of truth to it. T’Challa was good friends with Stark in the dreams, and now here that friendship was starting and flourishing as it only could between two great scientific minds. “Please accept my humblest of apologies.” And he pressed a hand to his chest in a formal gesture.
“If and when I need your help,” Natasha replied. “I’ll ask. I know you’re reliable, unlike a certain Mr. Stark.”
She winked, then stood and repeated gesture back to him. “I’ll see you around.”
T’Challa smiled in kind and nodded, departing the cafe with his half finished latte in hand, grateful they’d made the time to speak.