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: (the cold-hearted boy)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-16 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
He lets out a long, slow breath, trying to stabilize himself enough to be the support she needs in her pain and concern. Already, he's berating himself for waking her. But what's done is done. "I know. I looked it up. We're celebrities here, so--"

And again, switching into Russian. 〈"I'm an eleven. Steve's a ten. Natasha, he was afraid I would attack him. He comes from a world where I'm still the Winter Soldier, and there's no cosmic cube to give me back my memories. I'm going to have to watch out for him here. It's the least I can do."〉

Even if it means not being able to watch her back when he should. His gaze falls to the stitches on her shoulder again. "I'm sorry. This isn't where we should be. This isn't where any of us should be."
soldieronwards: (I am so much older)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-16 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm not killing anyone who doesn't come at me first," he says flatly, quietly, without any hesitation. "But I know that if they do, I don't have much other choice."

It was one thing in the gulag, where he knew that not only were all his opponents miserable and nasty souls as bad as or worse than he himself, but they'd be patched up again after he beat them down. Here, if he leaves someone injured and disabled in the middle of the Arena, he'll be dooming them to a slow and painful death, either because of the elements or because of someone else who happens along next. He doesn't have any illusion that he's likely to escape doing some killing.

But he has another thing to worry about now. 〈"I've always protected him. I've always been the one who takes the shot he can't bring himself to make. Who puts the knife in the back of the guy trying to take advantage of his good nature. Natasha, he may never get his friend back. I don't think any version of me is strong enough to find myself again without the cosmic cube to see to it. So as long as I'm the one here, I'm going to be the knife in the dark for him again while he's the shield. That always probably suited both of us better anyway."〉

He's a mess, a haunted mess with fingers curling into fists and eyes heavy with old guilt that isn't his to bear in the first place.
soldieronwards: (is there room for one more son?)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-16 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
He realizes the implication of the words immediately, and he just looks at her for a long moment. Something stabilizes behind his eyes.

He lifts his right hand and touches her cheek. 〈"We will both fight, Natalia. Do you need me to fight with you?"〉 A question, an honest question. 〈"You don't have to tell me the truth, but do it anyway."〉

He leans forwards till his forehead almost touches hers and waits for a response.
soldieronwards: (No--you don't)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-16 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't flinch when she says that. He knows that when it comes to the knife in the dark and the shedding of blood, neither of them needs the other. They may complement each other well, but they can go it alone as well.

He just had to be sure, this time.

But there are ways in which they do need each other--

He grasps her uninjured shoulder with his left hand, takes hold of her chin with his right, and kisses her.
soldieronwards: (help me out--yeah)

[personal profile] soldieronwards 2014-05-16 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
Moments slide by with his lips eager against hers.

Finally, he murmurs with some regret, 〈"They're watching everything, you know."〉

He wants more. He wants to lose himself in her arms and forget that he's less than human to the people in command of him here, as he always has been to so many people who've commanded him. When he's with her he can forget things like that because he's never been anything less than human with her.

But he stops himself for the moment, his mouth still close enough to hers that she can feel his breath.