13035/Candygram.

Candygram.
Date of Scene:	15 April 2021
Location:	Eastchester, The Bronx, Safehouse
Synopsis:	Skye comes a calling on Alex and Natasha's safehouse.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Quake

---

Phobos has posed:
    Last night had been eventful on 4th and Vine in the Bronx. It's a quiet neighborhood, but mainly because most of the block has been bought up by developers and holding companies. Only a handful of people still lived in the area, just enough to give the nearby failing package store a lifeline of income. Yet the evening before this one, a loud crack rang out.
    Though it was unnoticed.
    Such sounds are not uncommon in the general area. Gunfire is heard, sometimes just errant clangs from the nearby junkyard as it tears apart old autos. Not enough neighbors to raise an alarm. Though that evening it had caused a few things to happen that likely caught the attention of a particularly nosey SHIELD agent.
    It likely started when a top level agent put in for several weeks of absence. Triggered perhaps by a phone call to one of Fury's secure lines. Also coupled with some investigation into that agent's recent past would likely lead... here.
    To the fourth house down the road on the right. One of the only buildings that looked at least passingly lived in. An old three story classic which had seen better days back in the 40s. Back when the area was thriving. Now it had a cement stair that crawled up to the front porch. And within that house no lights seemed to be on. But there was evidence of occupation. The mailbox was empty, the front door's hinges had been used and showed a lack of rust. Small things.
    Enough to give a nosey agent something to think about.

Quake has posed:
Skye was.. well curious. Nat had taken 4 weeks off with no excuse. A little digging and she ended up here, in run down neighborhood of something in the Bronx.

As she turned off Grendel (her VW van, which she had not so long ago called her home), Skye looked around, before getting out. She laughed to herself when she noticed the lack of mail. The new hinges. The usual amount of clutter wasn't there.

Someone was living there. The question was who: theirs or ours.

Phobos has posed:
    There was little activity to see, no visibility in front of the shaded windows. No illumination. Yet there are aspects of the second floor that might stand out to the discerning eye. Part of the wall looks as if there had been some large impact from the inside as there's a partially circular pattern where the old paint had chipped and flaked and fallen, as well as some masonry and dust that had fallen and smeared when last night's rain had fallen.
    There was also a semi-recent addition of an internet connection that looks like it was connected on its own without a contact through a cable company or the like. Pirate at the least. Yet suspicious if she looks at it from her angle toward the side of the building.
    Yet for now she's seen all she can from the outside. Though if she stays long enough an elderly woman will emerge from a home six houses down to give walkies to her tiny poodle.

Quake has posed:
Skye had ways of finding who or what was stealing the internet.. and she employed them. After all, no need to announce herself if she got the answers out the easy (read: hard unless you were Skye) way. She sat behind the steering of Grendel, and whipped out her laptop and began to work in it.

Phobos has posed:
    The data she found wasn't exactly forthcoming. No files had been transferred up nor down. The information on the connection was slim, no identifiers, no social media contacts, no hitting particular groups of ftp servers. There was some streaming of all things, with an account that... apparently was illicit or some kind of code account that technicians use when setting up data connections. Weird.
    Yet it gave ultimately little insight.
    Until...
    After a bit of time she'd see the front door emerge, and a tall blond man in gym shorts and a t-shirt steps onto the porch. Baggy clothes, and his features are hidden by a baseball cap and a pair of glasses... the t-shirt at least has an image of a pirate of some kind? But he's walking bare foot down the way until he reaches the mailbox...
    And then when he's pulling the box open Skye will realize it's Agent Aaron.

Quake has posed:
At least whoever as living there was savvy enough the use the codes.. and *perhaps* smart enough to leave nothing behind. Actually, a quick peek finds nothing of Nat's code behind..

Interesting.

Skye was going to try one more thing when Alex opened the front door, walked to the mailbox, and checked for the mail.. Bummer. After all that, he just walked right out? But Nat?

"You know," she rolled down her window. "I was wondering if you could tell me if a had the right address?" Oh yes, she did.

Phobos has posed:
    Looking up, the blond youth considers the voice, the van, then Mrs. Kravinowitz as she walked by with that little poodle. He lifted his hand, now holding a few fliers from the local falafel shop, to give a wave in her direction. "Heya."
    There's a moment when it seems like he's about to say something else, then he looks down the street one way, then up the other. Back to her with hose pale hazel eyes, he twists a small smile then adjusts his glasses. "You want some coffee?"
    Those four words offered as he steps back from the mailbox, still bare foot and likely a little uncomfortable considering the weather is about fifty degrees and he was wearing rather light fare. Though he gestures with one hand to the side, "I just made some."
    And with that he starts to head towards the door again.

Quake has posed:
Skye laughs as she rolls up her window, locks all her doors, and follows him inside. Waiting till she was inside to say, "Is she okay?" Still watching her proper name until the door is closed.

Phobos has posed:
    Once she steps up the walkway, up onto he porch, and then in through the front door she'll see that first floor of he safe house and likely recognizes it instantly for what it is.
    Disguise.
    There's furniture on the ground floor, old, not exactly lived in, but not exactly covered and ready for storage. The decor is all from the 70s, with deep browns and greens and yellows. No television, just a living space, and a kitchen visible through one hallway that has no utilities but otherwise looks like it was from the 50s, all blue and white and ceramic looking.
    But once she's inside, Alex holds the door for her then closes it behind her. For a moment he looks around the place, perhaps trying to find something or other, then turns back to her. "This place belonged to my father, I've sort of...taken it over." So it's his place. He says that as he begins walking up the steps heading to the second floor and letting her stroll along with him if she follows. Though as he walks he takes off those glasses and the baseball cap, which might not be too interesting...
    Until he reaches that second floor and turns to look at her, "She's ok, yah. Just out taking care of some errands." And should she look up into his eyes she'll see along the side of his head a rather serious looking scar-like mark, and an angry bruise along the side of his head that fades under his hair line.

Quake has posed:
Quietly she begins to climb the stairs. "Must have been newer then." Much newer. Looking around, she nods as if checking the place out, but really if Nat said felt it was safe, Skye felt much better. After all, she was better than Skye at securing things, unless they were talking about the net. Skye was hands down the best at shield with tbe net.

"So she's.." And Skye had to stop. "What happened to you.. oh.. Fury I bet knows. Are you okay?"

Phobos has posed:
    "Was an accident," Alexander says, smiling a little. Which is a weird reaction to an injury like that. He lifts his eyes across the way, then steps back from the stairs and lets her up onto that second floor if she chooses to continue the ascent.
    "I'm alright, looks worse than it is." Which might well be true. He turns and once she's up on the second floor she can see the place for what it must be. For the second floor is open almost entirely. A training floor with mats and workout equipment are present through a good half of the entire area, while another part is a kitchen area with some utilities needed. There are a lot of storage containers, crates, all stacked up neatly. Definitely all the supplies needed for a long stay. A safehouse. Or a bunk house to ride out a calamity. Then again he did say his dad was a bit of a prepper. Though there is one hallway that leads away to a pair of closed doors.
    "But," Alex says, "She's running around, getting some things taken care of. Think some old shadows reared their head and she's going to deal with them."

Quake has posed:
"I shot Clint when I was breaking out of the Trisk." Skye shrugs. He wasn't the only one during that undercover op she had to shoot. "Yes, I had to break out. He didn't take it so nicely. What, if you don't mind, happened?"

As for Nat..

"I know if I asked her, she'd tell me to FRO. So, what is it, between you and me, should we find a way to help her?"

Phobos has posed:
    There's a moment when Alexander looks to the side, and then toward that hallway, likely his gaze wandering to one of the rooms down the way. The stairs also go up to a third floor apparently, but the lights are off up there and it looks like that stairwell is used less.
    Then he looks back and says, "We've been staying here now and again. I think something happened that might have triggered a long dormant aspect of her training." He folds his arms over his chest and sits on the arm of the sofa that is situated near the largish television. "In the ensuing aftermath of that, I was injured, but she was able to overcome it. Right now..." A glance is given to one of the windows...
    He looks back to her, "She's going to find people to make sure she's clear of those old influences."

Quake has posed:
Skye looks down the hallway, peering at the few marks, wondering if they were because of this accident. "Damn." Sure, it all makes sense now. Up to the point where, presumably Fury left it to Nat's decision to get some backup. After all, Skye had full control of *her* past. Why should Fury treat Nat different?

Still, she felt helpless knowing a friend was in danger.

Phobos has posed:
    Leaning there on the sofa, Alexander gives a nod and murmurs, "She'll be back tonight most likely, I'll tell her you checked in." His lip curls a little, "In a way, this is... kinda a good thing? I think. It's hard to explain."
    He pushes up and off the sofa, then moves over toward the small kitchenette area where there is, indeed, a coffee maker with a freshly brewed pot. Over his shoulder he tilts his head and asks, "Now would you like a cuppa?" And ashe says that he starts to pull down some mugs.

Quake has posed:
Oh but she laughed a bitter sort of laugh. "Better? Or worse. She could be angry for sticking my nose into her business." And she didn't mean just the past rearing its ugly head. If she was right, and she generally was, Skye had stumbled upon Nat and Alex's having an affair. She nods. "Sure. With cream, no sugar."

Phobos has posed:
    A deep breath is taken as Alexander says quietly, "Well," He starts to pour a cup of coffee, the dark nectar steaming as it trickles. Then the pot is set down with a faint metal on plastic click. Then he's reaching for the half-fridge and pulling it open, getting the creamer out and pouring some into the mug until the color is nice and mocha.
    He grabs a small spoon from a drawer to stir it a few times, causing faint metal clinks on the ceramic before he tosses the spoon in the sink. Walking over toward her he extends it. "She'll probably be annoyed on some level, yes."
    No coffee for him, though he does wander back to lean against the counter, hands flat upon its surface. "Since she's not used to having to explain herself I imagine. But we did have an... incident, and it's better now. But it was rough enough that she wants to make sure it won't be an issue in the future."
    A small shrug is given as he looks toward the window, then back.

Quake has posed:
"Knowing her? Alot angry. Thanks." Skye accepts the mug, and holds it two handed. "Nat used to have a big huge hate on me. I may have said a few things about Clint when I first met him. In my defense I was thrown for a loop. I normally didn't let people in, and Clint came in regardless. I think she still wasn't sure of me until the six months where Clint just vanished."

Phobos has posed:
    "Well," Alexander says as he leans there against the counter, "First off, if she learns we sat here and had a chit chat about her, we're both dead." His lip twists up a little as he looks over at her, "Second, however, I think she just takes a bit of time to warm to anyone."
    A deep breath is taken, then he pushes a hand through his hair and frowns, "I think with us, we sort of realized there were aspects in both of us that were very similar."
    He crosses his legs at the ankles, "I think Fury may know, but that's a safe bet. But we're also not running around being... obvious."

Quake has posed:
Skye laughs then. "You think?" Then she sobers again. "It was, probably, 3 years? It took Clint leaving me to get us around the big hole in the road." Of course they we're back together again. She speaks softly, "For a time, I was paired up with him. So you see, I haven't got anything to say. May took up both aside and told us that if we hurt the other one, we'd have to deal with her. I really only know her, so don't make me have to have a little chat because you hurt her. Kapish? And yeah, Fury knows."

Phobos has posed:
    Scritching the tip of his nose, Alexander looks thoughtful for a time, his gaze distancing as he looks down at the ground about Skye's feet, the wooden floor likely a little bit dusty, but clean otherwise. He takes a deep breath, seeming contemplative before he looks up at her and tilts his head to the side curiously.
    "There are several reasons why I think I can tell you that I don't take this... lightly." His lip twists up a little as he pushes a hand through his hair while he looks to the window nearby, then back to her. Not out of nervousness, but perhaps a feeling or desire to consider the larger picture.
    "And the things I could relate to you wouldn't mean anything since they are experiences that need... to have been shared already to relate them. But I've known Agent Romanoff for a long time in one way or another. And I don't think this is a... conventional situation. But I think you can trust that we both are giving this..." He lifts a hand and gestures absently, "Whole thing, its due merit."
    Then he smiles a little, meeting her eyes. "Does that make sense to you?"

Quake has posed:
"Yes," Skye nods, taking her time to give the whole thing some serious thought. "As a matter I think I do."

And then she smirks, "I have to say that, or else it just occurs to me, that I have no clue what you are the god of, and I may be sorry for saying I'll come and beat you up."

Phobos has posed:
    A small scoffing exhalation of a breath is given, not quite a laugh but something akin to it. He tilts his head to the side with his arms folding over his chest, gaze dropping down as he considers an answer to a question like that. He shifts a little, slipping his weight off one foot and placing it on the other before he looks up and says, "That's the thing for my family. We're all known as God of This and God of That."
    He chews the inside of his cheek and smiles a bit, "I learned I was to be known as Phobos, God of Fear. And when I learned that, at my age at the time, I... wasn't very happy."
    His lip twists, "Every kid wants to be popular, to be liked, and Fear? Man that... that doesn't seem too good. But. My grandfather, the only time he actually seemed to... take his role seriously as patriarch of our family, he took me aside once."
    A breath is taken as he considers what he's about to say, then he goes on. "And he told me that my family and I, we weren't just one word. My father isn't just the God of War. By the other side of the coin he is also the God of Peace. That Dionysus is about revelry, enjoying camaraderie, but also... loneliness, desolation. So he told me I was the god of Fear, yes. But also courage, and bravery."
    He gives a small shrug, "I like to look at it like that. You know? Besides. It takes courage to ask the Black Widow out to dinner."
    Not that he's ever done that... to be fair. But she likely gets the point.

Quake has posed:
Skye listens to his tale, and at that she processes for a little while. "God of fear?" She nods, even as she frowns. "Fear.. and bravery, Courage. Hrm. I like that. After all in order to be afraid, you must also have courage. Without one, how can you understand either means? Besides, fear is something we all have inside of us. We either are stuck with our fears, or go beyond them, in spite of them." She actually smiles to herself.

And then Skye realizes she has company.

"If I were to give you one little piece of advice, make it a picnic. Perhaps midnight down by the river. Treat her like any girl. Reminds her that she is a woman, before a spy, if only for a couple of hours."

Phobos has posed:
    A twist of Alex's smile is given as he looks away again, another half-laugh as he shakes his head and he murmurs, "I'll give it some thought, but we've got other plans of late what with all the..." He waves a hand in the general direction of... somewhere outside, perhaps meaning the Triskelion. The world? Whichever.
    "But yeah, in any case." He tilts his head and half-smirks, "I'll tell her you popped in and will aim her your way, she probably will want to talk. Okay?"

Quake has posed:
Skye's coffee is set down, untouched. "I would be shocked if she didn't. As for me? I'm still working to find IcedLotus. I'll let myself out."