assassinat: (Default)
darkness is a lover when you live undercover ([personal profile] assassinat) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2014-05-10 10:48 pm

seemed easier than just waiting around to die; (OPEN)

Who| Nat and YOU!
What| Another newcomer and the fronts she puts on
Where| District 8 floor, shopping area, wherever else
When| With the rest of the newbies
Warnings/Notes| #comics (N/A)

Whoever her abductors were, they were good enough to capture the Black Widow without it being a part of her plan and therefore in doing so have earned themselves her temporary cooperation. It isn't that she wants to rebel (because she does), but there were more important matters to tend to other than pointlessly question those who will deny her significant answers. That and she's had decades of experience when it came to asking questions: these goons aren't going to tell her what she needs to know.

The next best thing is to experience it herself. The first chance she gets to peel away from the other tributes and those watching her, Natasha takes it and explores to her heart's content. If there's something or someone out there she needs to find, she'll be sure to do it before entering a death arena.

      (DISTRICT 8 FLOOR)
Natasha's time here is minimal. Just enough to memorize faces, to pick apart those who might seem familiar and those who aren't, and to identify who may be trouble later on. There's no hint to what her skill set may be when she's around others, choosing instead to feign ignorance and charm others with a smile that shows her discomfort. The role she plays today is that of a scared woman, who has just been ripped from an everyday life to participate in a bloodbath. A woman who is petrified of death, but attempts to face it with a brave face.

It's a flimsy mask and Natasha already fears something may slip through the cracks. Her thoughts are elsewhere, but she remains focused on her role until she leaves the Training Center building.

      (SHOPPING)
It isn't so out of character for a woman to take up retail therapy when something devastating happens to her, so Natasha lingers in this area for a good amount of time. There's a lot to take in, but more importantly the people are vocal with their conversations so there's plenty of information to be found. This is what she thrives on, the good honest speculation is more reliable than any book she can request at the Training Center.

There's also no harm in looking at what's for sale either. What better way to understand the culture than to look over the absurd things they value?

      (OPEN)
OOC | Have an idea or already coordinated something with me? Feel free to hit me up with anything.
soldieronwards: (help me out--yeah)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
A bit longer, yes; but not too much longer. He takes one more breath, and his head clears a little, and he can think again.

"You're right. Of course you're right. You always are." Another breath, deeper this time. "But you know we can't let them get what they want from us."

The reminder is as much to him as it is to her. The Gamemakers want to see both of them kill and be killed. They can't give into that. Not yet. Not till they know their true target and its weak spots.
soldieronwards: ((hold on))

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
His eyes flick to the side, following her line of sight, and he nods a little.

"You're not? Come on, Nat. We both know this kind of person. We know how they use human beings." The anger has drained out of him now, or at least drained down, down, down into the dark spaces inside him where he'll keep it for now. "And you must have seen it in their faces when they made you perform for them in that goddamn gym. They're used to this."

The doors start to open. He hits the button to close them, and then hits the button for the top floor.
soldieronwards: (is there room)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
"And I'm not letting any name use you." He hesitates a moment, then glances down, his eyes suddenly far away, in a bloodier place. "You know I'm done being used by people like that. That time's over. They can't make me go back."

If he repeats it enough, maybe he'll believe it. Maybe the metallic taste of guilt at the back of his mouth will go away.
soldieronwards: (is there room for one more son?)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
True to her word, her voice snaps him out of the past and grounds him in the present. Unfortunately, it's still a pretty awful present.

Bucky steps forward and puts his hands over hers on the bar. "Natasha. You're right. We're both going to get through this."
soldieronwards: (put me on the backburner)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
His hands linger on hers for only a few seconds, and then he steps back, glancing once again at the elevator buttons as they approach the top floor. "I told you. I'm not letting anyone do that to me ever again. The man who would have died the day I got my memories back."

For a moment, his eyes are clear. He's thinking of Steve Rogers and Remember who you are.

"I wasn't planning anything until I saw you here. I couldn't think. But we'll figure something out."
soldieronwards: (No--you don't)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
"There's always cracks in security systems. And we're the perfect people to find them." He relaxes, too, as she starts to show confidence. He doesn't mind that she briefly thought the worst of him; after all, he thinks the worst of himself almost every second. "We'll get out of these games."

The elevator reaches the top floor. He reaches out to hit the button to keep the doors closed for a few more seconds, but he doesn't push one for another floor. Instead, he just says, "Natasha." And he leans forward and quickly kisses her.
soldieronwards: (is there room for one more son?)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
He means to pull away, to leave her with just the lingering taste of his lips on hers as he walks out of the elevator. But when she holds onto him like that, he can't bring himself to. Not anymore. The man who could have slipped out the window to leave her alone is long gone along with those Moscow nights.

The elevator door slides open again with the two of them still kissing.
soldieronwards: (Help me out)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-11 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
He finally takes a step back, unable to keep the look of longing from his face. He doesn't want to walk away from her. He wants to be in her arms, where he finally belongs.

But they're going to have a mission here, and their work as partners comes before their play as lovers.

He steps out of the elevator, then turns to look back at her. "Natasha...if they do get us into the Arena--"