when it comes to letting go

[catalysmic]

WHO: Betty Ross and you!
WHERE: De Chima
WHEN: October 18th into the end of the month.
WHAT: Betty deals with Bruce's absence, for some value of 'deals'.
WARNINGS: None.



A. the imPort cities | establishments near the porters | extremely open

Betty had never really wondered about the logistics of the random teleportations. It had been unnerving enough that people vanished at all without seeking out specifics. For those that returned, if you had asked her, she might have assumed people would at least be deposited in their own homes, or, barring that, their original Porter. But she'd popped back into awareness—and presumably existence—in residential imPort Heropa, and had had to make her way back home on foot.

The mystery would occupy her for the coming weeks, serving as both a genuine puzzle and a semi-relevant distraction. Company, then, was the second layer of distraction on top of that. You can run into her during the day in any of the major imPort cities, and if they're acquainted, you can assume she called ahead.

B. De Chima | #008, for residents and visitors of.

There's a thin layer of dust on their unmade comforter, the bureau, the bathroom counter, and a slightly thicker layer in the extension, so Betty feels pretty safe in concluding Bruce had left around the time she had. Maybe exactly at the same time. Everything else about their time in this universe had synced - their arrival, the point in time they had left the real universe, and now this. Small mercies.

He didn't turn up or send word in the first few days, so Betty channeled her worry into increased activity in and out of the house. So much of her wants to curl up in their bed and never leave it, she's avoiding it out of spite. When she's home, there's an increase in food preparation in the common areas with a corresponding increase in unclaimed baked goods. She might also knock on people's doors (figuratively in one case) for company - come grocery shopping with her or something.

C. De Chima | StarkTech

Just like the last time the universes did some ridiculous that was a little to personal in scale, Betty doesn't even try to work her usual hours. Like her alternate had done all those months ago, she crams what needs to be done on-site into frenetic bursts and spends the compiling time with her mind on static. Unlike her alternate, she's coming in to see other people as much as she is to clear her head and to hold to a routine. Unsurprisingly, the office gossip is heavier than it used to be.

(ooc: These are pretty generic, so please feel free to request a more specific starter. No, please do that. I have a few in my queue already. You can reach me by PP or at wasoneofthem.)

Comments

B!

[ifhebeworthy]

[Don is on his way down the hallway, fumbling with the keys in his pocket, his other hand with his phone to his ear talking maybe a little too loudly.]

--no, no I do have a job, it's just... it's complicated.

[He pauses at his door and drops his keys, cursing to himself.]

No! No, I'm sorry. Not you... I-I dropped my keys--look I'm... I'm a surgeon, what am I going to do at a gym? I'm like 160 pounds soaking wet. So unless they have a children's section...

Hello? H-- [He hisses out of frustration and knocks his head against the door.]

Dammit, Don... what now...

[catalysmic]

[Amused and concerned, Betty wordlessly hands her new neighbor the keys she plucked from the ground by his feet while he was preoccupied with his dropped call, with the figurative rain and the figurative pour.]

Assigned job troubles?

[She steps back as she speaks, making space. There are a few plastic bags in her other hand, and their solid contents clack together dully when she moves.] Sorry, I was passing by and couldn't help but overhear.

[The rigmarole of settling in is like an unofficial orientation for imPorts; everyone has their story.]

[ifhebeworthy]

[He laughs, surprised, and takes the keys back from her.]

Oh! Ah... well, something like that, I guess. You uh... did you hear all of that? I'm actually much stronger, really. Probably even closer to 165, if I'm being honest.

[He holds his hand out, holding a walking stick, which is also an actual stick in his other hand with his keys now.]

Hey, I'm Don. We must be neighbors?

[catalysmic]

[The stick is incongruous but otherwise unremarkable. She's pretty much forgotten he was holding it since she first noticed him struggling with the door.]

Double-oh eight, [she confirms, gesturing with her shoulder and shaking his hand with a smile.] Betty. My boyfriend and I have been here just over half a year if you need some help sorting through your, mm, initial placement.

It's seems like it's always either something appropriate, or something wildly... not.

[ifhebeworthy]

Half a year. [He says with some amount of restrained awe.]

But, Betty. It's nice to meet you. You know, I guess it's no wonder they put us up like this, then. I'll try to keep the noise down. [What with all the thunder and all.]

I suppose I'll have to take my boards again, but I'm kind of hoping you'll tell me it wasn't too hard for you to find new work around here?

A | Nonah

[renamaer]

Perhaps understandably for someone who'd spent so much of her life cooped up in one place, Estelle has been taking full advantage of the easy transportation offered by the Porters to wander. She has friends to visit in every Porter city, but it's still nice to have a home base of sorts. She had her own place, however small, and a shared community garden, and a short commute to work. On this particular day, she's carrying a basket of just-harvested home-grown vegetables in a basket to the Porter to bring somewhere for a visit when she notices a familiar face.

"Oh! Dr. Ross! I haven't seen you in a while."

[catalysmic]

It takes her a moment to place the pink-haired girl, dressed as she is (or, well, isn't), but Betty covers for her memory with a quick wave.

Ristelle... no, it's— "Estelle, right?" She steps to the side of the path so as not to block any traffic to or from the Porter. "It has been. Where are you off to?"

[renamaer]

"I was thinking of heading to De Chima to see a friend," she chirps cheerily, waving back enthusiastically. "Do you have some business here in Nonah?"

[catalysmic]

"What a coincidence, that's where I'm coming from right now." She... lives there so it's not that much of a coincidence.

"I'm," loitering with intent, "visiting friends. I forgot you and Rita lived here too."

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl's own absence from the house (though not on the behalf of the Porter) made itself obvious in that he hadn't gone around and tried to clean anything up in Betty and Bruce's rooms. Normally he intruded only enough to make the beds if they weren't already done and drop laundry off since he'd learned what belonged to who. But his preoccupation with juggling the search for an adequate build site, helping out with security at Xavier's, and the whole having to change his diet up the last month had him sharing less of the responsibilities around the house.

It wasn't something he was apologetic over, of course. It wasn't like he didn't pull his weight normally. A change up just meant someone else was picking up the slack for a time. Betty doing so with her baking just ended up standing out more because she was over-doing it and even if he'd been able to chow down like he used to, there was no way he'd have been able to go through those meals the way they deserved.

There were still two boxes of homemade cookies uneaten and stored at the top of the pantry when he came in to find her digging through the fridge, writing down things to buy. Shit was starting to get weird.

"We outta milk again?"

[catalysmic]

As far as Betty was concerned, Daryl was an exemplary housemate, even if it seemed like no one living here could keep to a routine. The food thing could be a boon, too. It wasn't like their place tended to lack; Betty might not be able to make as mean a pie as Clark, but she could read a recipe.

Maybe it was her recent return, but she kept being reminded of the state of the house when she first arrived. At least their furniture tended to stay intact these days.

"We are?" She pulled her head out long enough to glance—almost—in Daryl's direction, distracted, mishearing. "No we're not, it's right here. I'm going out for a bit, so I thought I'd pick up some stuff along the way."

She closed the door, and shoved her list into her purse. "Can I grab you anything while I'm out?"

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl frowned and walked around the counter. He reached out to touch her arm lightly, hoping the signal to hold still would let her. He made sure to meet her eyes before looking down and letting his fingers drop to her purse. The other hand joined it and he very, very carefully reached in for the list to pull it out. Only the list.

If she let him.

threadjack calling...

[redshoerevenge]

It wasn't something she'd planned on doing, showing up at Daryl's place, it just happened that she breezed in through the front door and wound up in the kitchen.

And then wound up with a hand on Daryl's lower back as she peered around him. Mako completely forgot to introduce herself, forgetting that it was probably necessary.

"If you have the ingredients, I could make some onigiri. It's easy, good for snacks," she said and then hugged Daryl like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I was also thinking about fishing." For Daryl. Not fishing for Daryl because technically she'd caught him...no, that wasn't right either. With him?

That was better.

With him.

You know which one

[pretendtoneedme]

It wasn't quite an hour after Betty called that Clint stepped out of the Porter, toolkit in one hand and a paper bag in the other with the top rolled down to not show what was inside. Glancing around for his ...worldmate, he didn't spot her immediately and moved off to the side to not impede the flow of traffic (and give himself a better view of all the entrances and exits he could see). This was going to be kind of strange. He knew a lot about Betty - given his connection to Bruce and Fury's antipathy-bordering-on-hatred for Ross, it was just part of the job - but he didn't really know how Betty would be reacting to this situation and he kind of liked having an idea of what he was stepping into when he did the stepping. Still, too late to back out now, and he couldn't do that to Bruce anyway, and to anyone Bruce seriously cared about in turn.

The sniper stood against the wall and waited for his semi-native guide to appear.

Clint is his own option.

[catalysmic]

"Sorry, sorry." She's apologizing before she can really be in range, later than she means to be, having been caught up in some minor excitement back home. At least she has no trouble recognizing him, for all that he's dressed as a normal person this time (as far as her version of events go). Not a woodsman, not a costumed hero.

"I promise I'm usually much more timely," she adds as they turn back out to the streets. "You're still good with hitting a supermarket with me?"

Betty herself looks... typical. A little harried, but not like a woman who's on the brink of any kind of breakdown unless you would note the circles under her eyes and the tightness around her mouth. The way she scans the people they pass like she's looking for someone or planning something clandestine.

Awwww he feels special c:

[pretendtoneedme]

Clint hasn't activated his camouflage power this time, because there's no need to. He has plenty of regular clothes and just put some of them on for this little jaunt - worn khakis, t-shirt, flannel, and a jacket since it's getting colder. What doesn't show is that he's armed, with his gun at his back and his knife strapped to his leg beneath his pants, but that's something that's pretty much always true for him. He's still not entirely sure this place is safe and won't be taking any chances, especially not with Betty around. Yeah, she's got powers too, but she's Bruce's lady and Clint feels kind of compelled to take care of her, much the same way he would Pepper or Jane if something came up and Tony or Thor weren't around. But when he sees her he moves to intercept her so they can get out of there faster, and walks as he talks.

"Sure, but I thought you were gonna go to the store before I got here - something happen?"

That look in her eyes is unmistakable for Clint, that... wariness and anticipation she's doing a pretty good job at concealing, but he notices a lot more than he lets on. It could just be stress from Bruce vanishing, and that's definitely at least part of that, he knows, but if it's something else he can't be sure. He just doesn't know her well enough yet.

teleports past walking sequences

[catalysmic]

Did something happen? Just her time-sense skipping the planet like it's been doing lately, and she waves it off with a sense of embarrassment. "Just left a little later than planned. It's close; we should be right in and out."

Betty isn't really thinking about safety, although she wouldn't be surprised Clint is. Downtown De Chima is usually pretty nice when it's not boasting minor villains-to-be, and the walk to the store is unremarkable too. Nothing's different for anyone else. She and Bruce should have had Clint over sooner.

"We should have had you over sooner," she says after a bit, mind moving exactly at that speed while the rest percolates. "I didn't ask earlier; how have you been?" The supermarket doors are automatic, opening for them both with a whoosh.

[asoothingvoice]

Shortly after their conversation over the phone Bianca heads to the restaurant they agreed on. It's a nice place, with a decent selection as far as the menu goes, but more importantly, has a robust selection of drinks for a restaurant that's primarily open for the day and doesn't stay open that late at night.

When she goes inside, and the hostess asks her for how many, Bianca lets her know she's probably waiting for someone else, and scans the tables she can see, in the likelihood Betty's already there.

[catalysmic]

With the warm lighting and steady chatter floating through the space, it's cozy in the way of crowds. Betty is, in fact, already seated, tucked somewhere towards the back of the room, laptop taking up more than half the small table.

She clicks the case shut as Bianca settles into her seat and shoves it unceremoniously into the bag at her side while she passes across an oversized laminated menu.

"It really has been a while. I'm glad you could make it."

[asoothingvoice]

"I am, too. I'm a bit surprised you're down this way, actually," she says, taking the menu, settling her purse's strap over the top of her chair. Heropa is nice enough, but the other Porter cities are large enough that people don't really need to come to Heropa, outside of any swear-ins that take place there.

She glances at Betty, taking in how the other woman looks over the top of the menu, and instead of just wondering, decides to be upfront. "Is everything alright?"

[catalysmic]

"Everything's a mess," Betty admits without any real pressure. It's why she called Bianca in the first place, after all. Good company and a level-head, and it had been a while. She should have tried harder to stay in touch. Although now that she knows about Bianca's situation, she's less sure about piling more things on her plate.

Well. It's a little late not to be sure. They can swap stories. "I mean, it's not a total disaster but it's been better. I'll tell you all about it, but let's order first? Do you mind if we..." She taps the drinks menu.

Here we go~

[catalysmic]

"I'm home!"

Betty doesn't always make it a point to announce her comings and goings, but in light of the recent strangeness, she feels it's best all potential occupants are made aware well in advance. Ahem.

But when she passes the great room, Daryl and onigiri girl are just curled up together in a patch of afternoon sun. They look comfortable and absorbed in whatever it is they're reading, so she waves and continues into the kitchen, leaving Clint to follow her or look around in his own time.

Nestled at the edge of a wood like the other houses here, their home is fairly covered in windows and, during the day, mostly kept open to let in the natural light. The common areas are neat if a little sparse in furnishings and a little more wired up than is standard. It's not covered in robots. It's fine.

awwwwwww yeah

[pretendtoneedme]

He'd heard that Bruce and Betty had shared one of the government-provided houses with others, so it's not a surprise when they get to a house - a pretty nice one, from his initial one-over, big enough for multiple adults to cohabitate without too much conflict - and go straight in without waiting for an invitation. He still has his toolkit and his paper bag with the alcohol in it, along with some of Betty's shopping bags, so rather than linger he follows her through to the kitchen. There'll be time for a more thorough go-over later, in theory.

Still, it's simply a facet of his personality by now that every place he goes to, he marks every potential exit, including the windows (those that are open and those that aren't), as well as any other people within range of his senses. The kind of beat-up-looking Caucasian man and the younger Asian woman (Japanese, if his guess is right) on the couch get a nod as he passes by, following Betty, before dropping the bags and other stuff on the table in the kitchen and looking around. "Looks like someone's been busy."

Re: awwwwwww yeah

[redshoerevenge]

Mako catches their footsteps even before they enter the house, and with a tilt of her head as the door opens, she knows it's Betty and someone new. It's warm here, in the kind of way that makes and even if she closes her eyes, Daryl's still reading, the narrative in his voice running through her head as she tilts her head back against his shoulder. It's a unique kind of peace that's beyond any of the languages she knows. Human beings hadn't Drifted enough to find the language equivalent. The best she could find in Japanese was yūgen, perhaps. An awareness of the universe, of self, of another, of the fitting of lives and mind as experience within that is too deep to parse. It was close, but wholly inaccurate in the same moment.

Somewhere in her mind, it is something that she has been struggling to understand since her her Drift with Raleigh, but perhaps more so with Daryl. It is a striking thing that permeates these quiet moments where there is no disaster, no dead people, no knives and guns and running. If she had been offered all the luxury in the world, she would not trade it. Mako blinks a few times to reorient herself as the door opens.

Betty gets a lazy hello that follows through to her guest.

"There is more to do," Mako says, her accent definitely Japanese and very voice. "But the onigiri will be very good."

[dirtyredneck]

Betty passed into the house and Daryl's eyes lifted as her guest followed behind. His gaze was largely hidden by his heavy bangs, but he watched the man and how he held himself. How his eyes swept the room. Mako's contentment inside his head made him feel a little lethargic. And he was definitely with Betty so he probably wasn't a threat. He was just an unknown.

Zen he supplied as a word to describe it before dog-earring the page they were on and closed the book, slid it onto the coffee table. He stretched his legs and tucked Mako closer to him to lift her up as he pushed them both up. Then he let his arms spread to the side to stretch them as well. Encouraged her to stand up so they could get at the duck Betty had promised. Roasting that thing would take more time and better to start it as soon as possible.

Once they were both up, Daryl strode into the kitchen like he owned the place, pulling his skinning knife from the sheath at his side, "Alright, where's the bird? Daffy's got a date with the oven."