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Tweak says, "It'll warm up."

Monica Rambeau (lightbased) wrote in valloic,
@ 2024-10-02 20:20:00

Entry tags:

!: action/thread/log, marvel: carol danvers, marvel: monica rambeau, marvel: valkyrie

Monica, Carol & Valkyrie

WHAT: Monica is young and full of questions
WHERE: The Rambeau house,New Asgard
WHEN: September 26th
WARNINGS: References to parental death
STATUS: Complete

"But am I just dreaming? Because this is really weird, even by your standards."

To say Monica's day was weird would not even begin to do the events of the last hour justice. She'd seen her aunt fly in with another lady on a flying horse, and then a talking raccoon showed up with a dog and a tree to fight off scarecrows. This was even weirder than when Carol had shown up from space, not remembering who she was. Now they were back in the house, but Monica's mom wasn't there, and she was waiting for her aunt to tell her what was happening and where her mom was. She sat on the couch, hands folded in front of her, waiting for an explanation. "I like Rocket," she told Carol. “And your friend and her horse. But am I just dreaming? Because this is really weird, even by your standards." Carol was calm. Cool. She had this completely under control. This wasn’t the first time, nor was it likely to be the last time people’s ages, powers, and whatever else had gotten wonky thanks to Vallo. A young Monica—the kid she’d abandoned in every life but one—was easy to handle despite Carol’s guilt. She still looked up to Carol. She still believed in her. There was very little she could do wrong in this sweet eleven-year-old’s eyes. Under the surface, though, she was furious. She had lost her powers before in her time here, and the result had always been the same: grumpiness. If not outwardly, then certainly inwardly. She had been a cosmic force to be reckoned with so much longer than she’d been a regular human that losing them was a sharp pain. Having to ask Rocket, Groot, and Cosmo to join her and Valkyrie in taking down scarecrows—creatures she could usually burn out with essentially a wave of her hand—was less than ideal. Not knowing how long it would last was the part that really rubbed her the long way. But she was cool. Calm. Monica didn’t need to worry about those things, not when all of her concern was going to her mom. “No, this isn’t a dream,” Carol told her with a sigh, settling down next to her on the couch. An arm slung around her small shoulders instinctively. “This is another world called Vallo. We end up here by…magic, I guess? People and sometimes places, like this house.” "Aunt Carol, I'd say you were teasing me, but there was a talking raccoon, a tree named Groot? And Kamala lives here with me? Is she my aunt too?" She was all questions and curiosity, her young mind still trying to wrap itself around everything. Monica frowned. "And why isn't mom here? Is that why you have a girlfriend?" That was a lot of questions at once, but that was Monica. It wasn’t unexpected, and Carol was all set to fill her in on Kamala when that last one had her screeching to a halt. She furrowed her eyebrows at Monica, wondering for the briefest moment if this was the Monica she’d known in that first life of hers—the one who had considered her more mom than aunt. But she knew it couldn’t be. “What do you mean?” she asked. Monica raised a brow at Carol, almost disbelieving that Carol had to ask. "Well, you're back now, right? So I just thought you two would finally figure things out. I'm not blind, Aunt Carol. I mean, you have to remember everything, and Mom needs to realize you're not my aunt, which is kind of weird, but whatever. But you're with Valkyrie now, aren't you? She seems to think so, at least." She was young, but she wasn't clueless. This wasn’t the kind of conversation Carol had expected, so she was rapidly trying to readjust, trying to figure out the best way to explain things that didn’t give away that Maria wasn’t alive anymore. She didn’t want Monica having to deal with that right now; it wasn’t necessary or fun, and if she was going to be this age for a little while, she deserved some fun. “I love your mom, sweetie. So much. But we’re just…not meant to be like that,” she admitted softly. “I’m sorry if that’s disappointing, but I promise it doesn’t make you or her any less important to me. But yeah, Valkyrie is my girlfriend. She’s pretty great. I think you’ll like her.” "Oh," Monica said, admittedly looking disappointed but that was quickly replaced by more questions. "Is G'iah here? How about Goose? Is that your horse or Valkyrie's? Can I ride it? Can we go flying together?" Impulsively, she leaned in and hugged Carol. "I'm so glad you're home! Or wherever we are…" Carol hugged her tight. She had taken the news well—no surprise there. She was still at the age where she’d bounce back quickly from unwanted news. “No G’iah, but Goose is here,” she told her. “And a few other Flerken, some Goose spawn.” She smirked a little and kissed the top of Monica’s head before pulling back. “The horse is Val’s, and his name is Warsong. I’m sure we can go riding together, but you’ll have to ask her.” "Is Valkyrie one of the actual Valkyrie, or did her parents hate her? Is Kamala my aunt too? Is that why she lives here? What was up with those scarecrows?" The questions kept coming, including one Carol hadn't answered before. Monica had just one more left, at least for the moment. "When are we going to eat?" “Valkyrie is one of the actual Valkyrie,” Carol answered patiently. “She’s the last of them, so she goes by that name instead of her real name. Kamala is not your aunt.” If anything, Monica was more like Kamala’s aunt, in a strange, twisty, Marvels way, but she didn’t get into that. “But she’s my friend and teammate. And we can eat whenever you want. The fridge is full and I’ll cook.” "Do you think there's stuff for cheeseburgers and milkshakes?" Monica asked, trying to weasel her way into going out to eat if they could. "And I want to know about this place. And you! You didn't have a girlfriend before, did you? Or did you have one and you didn't remember her? That would sucked," Monica said. “Alright, we can do cheeseburgers and milkshakes,” Carol agreed with an easy chuckle. Showing Monica the city would be a fun experience for them all, and being a little removed from the house would probably keep her distracted for a good while. “Valkyrie and I can show you the city, and I’ll tell you as many stories as I can think of.” She smiled and squeezed her shoulders. “But don’t worry, there was no tragic girlfriend forgetting. She’s…sort of new. It’s been a while since I saw you last.” "Okay!" Monica agreed easily. And then she proceeded to pepper Carol and Valkyrie with questions over dinner, listening to their answers, which only brought up more questions. Then there was exploring the city, flying on Warsong, seeing New Asgard, seeing the bar Carol and Valkyrie worked in (because Monica begged to see it) and getting to know Kamala too. Finally, Monica was out of questions, worn out from the day. "She staying with us, or is Kamala going to look after her?" Valkyrie asked Carol quietly. She'd deliberately brought them to the cottage, but it wasn't like Monica's place was that far in Vallo. "Or is it easier if you stay there? Or we stay there? Not that Kamala can't watch her, but since she's your niece and all…" “I don’t want to keep her away from the house unless she wants to,” was Carol’s response. She was a little mentally drained, too. She’d forgotten how much energy kids could take up; she didn’t feel too physically tired, but she wouldn’t mind laying down and closing her eyes just to recalibrate for a little while. For now, she was leaning against Valkyrie, head on her shoulder. “I can crash on the couch there for as long as this lasts. You’re welcome, too, but you don’t have to. I can handle it.” "Marv, I'm staying with you. Not just because you're powered down, you're still a badass either way. But this is a lot. Besides, I told Monica she could go flying on Warsong first thing in the morning." She ran her hand soothingly over Carol's back, not sure if it was the fact that her niece was now a child, or she had no powers, or Vallo in general that had Carol worn out. "You good?" Maybe Carol was a little physically tired after all. Without her powers, she wouldn’t be pulling any all-nighters this week, that was for sure. She felt weak again. Normal. She hated feeling this way, but the hypocrisy wasn’t lost on her. She’d told more than one little girl—the one wandering around Val’s cottage now included—that they were powerful just as they were, and yet here she was ready to whine about being no different. “Yeah, I’ll manage,” she said, patting Val’s thigh. “Let me ask her what she wants to do. Hey, Monica!” She waited until her niece reappeared before continuing, “Wanna stay here tonight or go back to your house?” "Sleepover!" Monica replied, the excitement of staying somewhere new for the night winning over the idea of sleeping at her house without her mom there. "I don't suppose that Vallo updated her wardrobe?" Val asked Carol, figuring she might know more about how this worked. "For now, I'm sure there's a t-shirt she could wear to sleep in." Monica was already staking out the guestroom as if making her claim to it. "Can Goose sleep in here?" she asked, looking at the Flerken. "You'll stay with me, right?" Carol shook her head. Vallo wasn’t kind enough to give them warnings when things like this happened; it definitely wasn’t kind enough to provide them with an updated wardrobe from times when it went a little crazy. She’d put together an order at the local Target to go pick up some eleven-year-old appropriate clothes in the morning. Tonight, there would be as continual moving as possible for her. “Goose will stay with you,” she said, nodding at the orange Flerken beside Monica. “Nyx will stay with me and Val.” She reached out as Emmeline’s black cat hopped up onto the couch’s arm beside her and scratched between her ears. “Go ahead and dig out something for bed from my closet.” Monica darted off to Valkyrie and Carol's room to raid Carol's closet as Valkyrie arched an eyebrow at Carol. "That's brave," she said, before leaning in for a quick kiss. She could tell everything was affecting her girlfriend and wanted to be supportive, but there wasn't much she could think of to say. No readymade sentiment for sorry your niece is suddenly a kid again and you suddenly are back to who you were before you gained crazy powers. She did know, if roles were reversed, she'd probably be insufferable so she was impressed at how well Carol was handling everything. A couple minutes later Monica came back wearing Carol's leather jacket and one of her hats, along with Valkyrie's favorite sweatshirt. Val disentangled herself from Carol and stood. "I mean, I think you might get a bit warm in all of that," she told Monica. "Come on, let's go find you one of Carol's most comfortable t-shirts." They came back with Monica in a Red Sox shirt, and Monica looking rather sleepy. Carol grinned at Monica overdressed in a combination of hers and Valkyrie’s clothes. It wasn’t unexpected; she was eleven and had all sorts of cool adult wardrobe options to choose from. But she was glad when Val took the lead in getting her into something comfy and more appropriate to sleep in. She got a headstart on assembling a clothes order on the Target app while they were gone and looked up to give an approving nod when Monica came out in her Sox shirt. “Your mom would have my head for that shirt,” she teased, rising to scoop Monica up in her arms. She may not be cosmic-enhanced anymore, but she didn’t need her otherworldly strength to lift her niece into her arms. “Come on, kid. Say goodnight to Val and I’ll get you and Goosey tucked in.” "She's not here," Monica whispered conspiratorially, grinning at the idea that she was getting away with something because her mom wasn't there to stop them. And then waved a sleepy goodnight at Val before letting Carol carry her back to the guestroom, enjoying the closeness of her aunt. She had expected Carol to be gone at least a couple of weeks so this was a great surprise to have her there again already. "I'm not that tired," she protested as Carol set her down in the bed, maybe the slightest bit concerned that Carol might leave her again. “I know, kid,” Carol agreed, sitting beside Monica on the bed. Goose jumped up a second later, taking over a pillow to curl up on and beginning to wash her ears. “But it’s been a big day for you, and I think you’re probably more tired than you think. I’m pretty tired, too. I don’t get that kind of excitement around here much anymore.” “I’m glad you remembered me this time,” Monica said sleepily. “And that you and Valkyrie and Rocket and Groot took care of the creepy scarecrows.” Try as she might have to deny it, Monica couldn’t hold back a yawn, revealing just how tired she actually was. “I wish Mom was here, but I’m really glad you’re here, Aunt Carol.” A smile quivered across Carol’s lips until she pressed her lips together and nodded. “I’m really glad you’re here, sweetheart.” She smoothed a hand down the side of her face and just looked at her for a moment, watching that predictable sleepiness wash over her. “I love you. Holler if you need me, okay?” "Mmmhmmm," Monica managed, her eyes fluttering shut as she drifted off to sleep to dream of talking raccoons, talking trees, and flying horses, the scarier parts of the day forgotten. Valkyrie was waiting back in the living room, arm outstretched against the back of the couch, ready for Carol's return. "Wow," she said, meeting Carol's eyes. "Today was something." “I’ll say,” Carol agreed tiredly, running a hand through her hair. “I could stand to pass out myself. I forgot what it was like to really need to sleep.” She sighed, dropping down beside Valkyrie and leaning into her side. Valkyrie was the only partner she’d had who she allowed to hold her—to be the big spoon. She needed that now more than ever. “You were great today, by the way,” she said, reaching for Valkyrie’s hand and tipping her head up to look at her. “Thank you for helping me out with Monica. Kids are fucking tornadoes.” "Well, don't worry, Marv," Valkyrie said, arm draping naturally around Carol, especially as she felt more protective than usual. "If you fall asleep out here, I'll make sure you make it to bed." She leaned in to kiss Carol softly before agreeing, "Yeah, they are. So you're not in a rush to have any of your own then?" She was lightly teasing, as they'd never discussed the possibility and she wasn't in a hurry to have kids now or ever, really. “No.” The answer was shorter than Carol intended, and she took a minute to recalibrate. “Sorry, I love kids. I love Monica. But no, I don’t think I have it in me to be a full-time mom anymore.” She thought of Marley and quickly shoved that thought to the back of her mind. The possibility of her had been a nice thought that first year, when an eight-year-old that loved her had been dropped into her lap. She could have seen the rest of her life raising that little girl. But when she’d seen the seventeen-year-old Marley had become, she’d known it wasn’t meant to be. She’d tried to fight it, convince herself that it could all turn out okay if they did things differently, but then Vallo took Emmeline away. Now, there was no point deluding herself anymore. “Do you want any?” "Oh yeah," Val answered thoughtfully. “I forgot that in one of your lifetimes, you and Maria were actually together. So you've been there and done that." It wasn't so much that she forgot Carol was with Maria; she just didn't think through all of the implications until now. "And I don't want to say I never want kids, but I have made it an exceedingly long time without any. They're fun to play with and then hand back. And I'm assuming that this will be the way things are, right? Monica will be back to normal whenever Vallo decides to stop toying with us again?" She certainly hoped so, and it would be short enough for Carol to stave off any real talk of the future that awaited this kid. “More likely than not,” Carol agreed. “That’s the usual M.O. I don’t see why this time would be any different.” It would be cruel if Vallo wreaked this kind of havoc without turning it back. The adjustments so many people would have to make to their lives would be tremendous. And the last thing she ever wanted was to have to tell Monica that her mom was dead and see the devastation all over again. "I mean, you are amazing as a stand-in mom," Valkyrie said. "But I think we're on the same page here." They weren't. Valkyrie had no idea that Monica wasn't the reason Carol didn't want kids, but the conclusion was the same either way. "Besides, you're apparently too old for it now," she teased. “And you’re an ancient being, so if I’m too old, you’re downright geriatric,” Carol teased back. She fisted her hand in Valkyrie’s shirt and tugged her in close, leaning up to lock their lips together. She knew she owed Val more of an explanation than the vague ‘I’m too old’ version she’d given, but—did it matter? No matter how Valkyrie assumed Carol had made the decision, the decision remained the same. “I love you, you know,” she murmured. "Maybe," Valkyrie agreed, kind enough not to point out that she wasn't feeling it the same way Carol was right then. Really, more than she needed Monica to age back up, she needed Carol to have her powers back. The idea of her invincible girlfriend living normally — aging normally — was not anything Valkyrie wanted to entertain. "I'm glad you love me despite knowing I'm literally ancient," Valkyrie said, meeting Carol's lips again. "I love you too, no matter what this place throws at us." Carol smiled softly, nudging Val’s nose with hers when their lips parted again. “Don’t worry, baby. Everything will go back to normal soon. It always does.” Valkyrie nodded, trusting Carol. Like she said, there was no reason to believe this would be any different than normal. The only thing normal in Vallo was that things became abnormal and then returned to their usual state. "Will Monica remember any of this?" she asked. "If I ever age down, somehow…" She was going to say she'd want to remember, but then considered how far she'd have to age back for it to show. "Honestly would you even know?" “I think she’ll remember,” Carol said. She didn’t know for sure, and these things tended to vary, different from one occurrence to next and from one person to the next. But Carol hoped Monica would remember, and she planned to give her a damn good experience either way. “If you forget about me again, I’ll know you’ve aged down. But I guess you were never really a kid, were you?” Valkyrie shook her head. "So it would be even weirder if this place made me one. Terrifying, really." That probably factored into why she was never pressed to have kids, now that she thought about it. She had no point of reference for the experience. Observing other people's children hadn't really taught her much, especially since the kids she got to know tended to have weird experiences to start with. LIke Love, which still took a moment for her to wrap her head around—Thor raising a daughter out there, somewhere. "And technically, I didn't really forget you, did I?" “Technically,” Carol agreed because it was true. Valkyrie hadn’t arrived here having forgotten specifically Carol and remembering the rest of their shared timeline; she had been plucked out of it before any of it really happened, only flooded with the memories later on. “But this time, you would.” "Yeah, and I never want to forget you," Valkyrie said. "So Vallo better not mess with me or I'll fight it." She grinned. This place was damn near impossible to predict, and she knew that the chances of her being able to fight Vallo for messing with her was damn near impossible too, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. "Has anyone ever looked into how the hell this place even exists or works?" she asked curiously and then dismissed it. "You know what, that's a question for another time. I think I should probably get you to bed. I can tuck you in," she teased, giving Carol a soft kiss. Carol remembered that energy. She’d said the same thing countless times. These days, there was no point in even making the joke for her. There was no person or thing to fight that would make any difference. She wasn’t sure anything would. They were stuck in an endless cycle of calm, then nonsense, maybe with a few big bad villains mixed in. It was cyclical, and she was tired. “Yeah,” she agreed, looping her arms around Valkyrie’s neck. “Let’s go to bed.”