(no subject)

[hackitude]

WHO: Skye, Nathaniel, anyone and everyone! Feel free to tag in with whatever your character is doing at the time of the earthquake, people can tag each other.
WHERE: Heropa
WHEN: Around noon
WHAT: EARTHQUAAAKKEE
WARNINGS: Possible spoilers for Agents of SHIELD and the Bartimaeus trilogy if you care about those.

SKYE

[She's back in Heropa.

She had been on the run from SHIELD. May had warned her. How could Coulson have let this happen? How could he let a man come after her with a gun? That man-- oh god. That man. Had she killed him? Was he dead?

She remembers Gordon coming to save her, but after that-- nothing. She tries to stifle the panic rising in her throat, but it doesn't work. The ground starts vibrating beneath her. Terrified, she starts running. She needs to get her things and go somewhere isolated. Somewhere far away. Or find someone who can stop this. She can't stop it herself. The vibrating turns to shakes as she goes, spreading through the whole city.

Stop. Stop stop stop stop stop.

Eventually, she finds her way back to her house and collapses on her bed out of sheer exhaustion from all the panic. And finally the shaking stops.]

NATHANIEL

[He's making his way home also, his thoughts a jumble when the shaking starts. He's never been in an earthquake before-- not even a small one. It freaks him out, and his first thought is-- Kitty!

He doesn't know how long he's been gone. But he doesn't care. If Kitty's still here, he has to make sure she's okay. So he runs, despite the ground vibrating beneath his feet. That's how he ends up in Kitty Jones' doorway unannounced, panting hard like he's run a marathon. Hey, fitness is not his strong suit.]

((I'll also be doing individual starters for people who want them so hit me up if you want that.))

Comments

FOR GIL

[hackitude]

[Sometime later, Skye finds her way to Gil's place. She's managed to calm down enough that things have stopped vibrating... for now. She feels it like an itch under her skin. Always bubbling under the surface.

If she's alone too long, her thoughts are definitely going to turn melancholy.

Back home, she was best when she was around people she liked, who supported her and made her happy. So that's what she has to do now. Just... surround herself with that. Distract herself so she can't think of anything terrifying.

She rings the doorbell, unannounced. She should've thought to call ahead... well, nothing for it now.]

[corviform]

[ It doesn't take Gil that long to answer the front door, having been seated in the living room reading the newspaper on the couch. Kenzi isn't home, the fairy dragon is curled up atop a pillow on the couch asleep, he's already finished cleaning and he doesn't need to put on dinner for a while, so he's been relaxing in the living room. He needs the quiet after the hustle and bustle of New York.

He's not expecting company, so Skye's presence catches him by complete surprise when he winds up greeting her at the door. ]

Skye. [ For a second, he had thought Kenzi forgot or lost her keys. ] I wasn't expecting anyone... unless Kenzi was?

[hackitude]

Hey. [She gives an awkward little wave.] Nope, it's... just me. Haha. Surprise.

Is... now a bad time? [She shifts from foot to foot, trying to keep her nervous energy in check.]

[corviform]

[ He notes her apprehension, wondering what's gotten her into this demeanor in the first place and how it's brought her to his doorstep of all the ones she could have gone to. Words are not exactly his forte and he's certain Skye's learned that by now.

But he moves back anyway to allow her inside the house. It's impolite otherwise to keep someone waiting. ]

No, no... not at all. I was only reading. You can come inside if you want.

[hackitude]

Thanks. [She steps inside, but she still seems awkward. She looks around the place, rather than at Gil.]

Um, I actually-- I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you remember the first time we met?

[corviform]

[ His eyes narrow for a second as he recalls the (rather awkward) first meeting and her disguise. He follows her with his eyes, shutting the door behind him and turning the lock before stepping forward into the living room. ]

I do. It's kind of hard to forget a first meeting like that.

[ He's starting to look mildly concerned himself. ]

What is it?

[hackitude]

[She does look at him, then-- she feels like it's important, somehow.]

You asked me if I knew Bobbi Morse.

[She needs to know. Was it the same one? Or a different one? What sort of person is she, really? Did she ever really know her?

Her last memory of home before waking up here again is Bobbi yelling "Skye, no!" at her.

She needs to know.]

[corviform]

[ Gil's folding back the newspaper he's left on the coffee table, his back turned to Skye just for that moment. Her answer has him come to a still and only a few seconds later he crane his neck to glance over his shoulder at her with widened eyes. ]

... you didn't know her. [ But then that means... ] Isn't that what you said?

[hackitude]

I didn't. Back then.

But I went back home recently. And I met her.

I thought I should tell you...

[Yes, that's the only reason why she came all the way over here. Just to tell Gil she met a friend of his.]

[corviform]

[ It brings him some relief to know Skye hadn't been deceiving him from the start about that. For a second there he had been worried she was going to admit she had been lying for some reason and he wasn't prepared at all to handle it.

Gil lets out a sigh and nods. ]

I didn't know her too well or that long, but I can imagine her work keeps her busy.

[ He turns to face Skye. For some reason, any time someone he's known has gone home they always come back with some kind of unfortunate news. ]

... Skye?

[hackitude]

Hm? [She snaps out of it, back to Gil.] Oh-- it's nothing. [She flashes him what she thinks is a reassuring smile.]

I just wanted to ask you about her, that's all. But I guess if you didn't know her that well, it's not important.

[corviform]

[ He's not sold, but he'll avoid pressing immediately. He should try to make her feel comfortable first. Something's off; it's not like Skye to be this jittery in his presence. ]

Well, we did work together for some time. Fury was definitely much more mysterious, though...

[ Even if they are from different worlds, some thing overlap, right? ]

Do you want something to drink or eat, by the way? Coffee or tea? I have some scones, too.

[hackitude]

[Skye genuinely perks up then, at the mention of food. Glad that Gil's not pressing the issue. She doesn't want to upset him. She just needs to figure out the right way to bring it up.]

Oh. Well, sure, if you're offering. I'll never turn down free food.

[corviform]

[ Somehow he's not too surprised by that.

He offers a smile and gestures to the couch. ]

You can have a seat and I'll get everything ready. Did you want tea or coffee?

[hackitude]

Co... tea?

Tea's good.

[If she sounds uncertain, it's because she's more of a coffee person than a tea person. But maybe coffee isn't the best idea when her nerves are already fried.]

[corviform]

... if you want coffee, I'll put on a pot.

[ He doesn't think he's imposing by offering tea. He honestly doesn't drink that much of it anyway, being more of a coffee person himself. ]

[hackitude]

Um-- you know what, I'm not fussy. I'll have whatever you're having.

[AWKWARD.

She sits herself down somewhere, trying to get comfortable and not really succeeding.]

[corviform]

... I'll get a pot going.

[ He disappears into the kitchen and gets the coffee maker going, also getting out some scones in the meantime. He reemerges into the living room with a plate of blueberry flavoured scones, leaving it on the table for Skye to grab. ]

Coffee will be ready in a couple of minutes. I hope blueberry is okay. They're not fresh, but I only made these last night so they should still be good.

[hackitude]

I'm no scone connoisseur, dude. I bet they're great.

[She reaches out for one and breaks it up, popping the broken off piece in her mouth without putting anything on it.]

Mmmmm. [It sounds like she says something in approval, but it's impossible to tell what when her mouth is full.]

[corviform]

[ He takes a seat in the smaller chair for the time being, sliding the newspaper on the table over so he can finish folding it and putting it aside. ]

Sorry I don't have much else to offer right now. If you do want anything, let me know. I'll be starting on dinner later.

[ If she wants to stay; he doesn't mind.

He tilts his head. ]

Anyway, I wanted to ask... is everything okay?

[hackitude]

[That makes her look down at the scone in her hands.]

Um. Sort of, I guess.

[Wow, that sounds weak, even to her ears. She sighs.]

No, not really. Everything's basically terrible.

[corviform]

[ He leans forward, brows knitting close together. ]

I thought something seemed off...

What happened?

[hackitude]

[Skye just shakes her head.]

No, it's-- we'd be here until morning if I explained it all. I just...

I thought maybe you might be able to offer some perspective on Bobbi. I thought she was my teammate, but...

Do you think she'd be the sort of person who'd betray a teammate if she thought it was for the greater good?

[corviform]

[ Before he can say anything Gil overhears the coffee pot gurgling back in the kitchen. The question she's posed alarms him, but there's a lull as Gil hurries back into the kitchen to tend to the pot and pour Skye a mug.

The whole time he rummages about the kitchen he has to wonder where this is leading. It makes the contents of his stomach flop over uncomfortably.

He returns with two mugs, one for him and one for Skye, leaving hers on the table. His sits there as well. He's not feeling thirsty yet. ]

... sorry, what do you mean? Did Miss Bobbi do something to you back home?

[hackitude]

No, I mean-- not to me, directly? I don't think. I don't know. The whole thing's a mess. [She tries to keep her voice level as possible, avoiding eye contact. Trying to not engage with what she's saying on an emotional level.]

You have to understand. My world, we don't really... we don't have powered people like this world does. We have Captain America and Thor and The Hulk, but that's it. Cap and the Hulk weren't born with their powers-- they came by them as the result of scientific experiments. Thor is literally an alien from another dimension.

But those three are meant to be the exception to the rule, you know? Normal people don't just wake up with dangerous powers one day. Our world isn't really equipped or... remotely ready for that.