6462/Broken Streak

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Broken Streak
Date of Scene: 11 February 2019
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Captain Marvel (Danvers), Wasp (van Dyne)




Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
It's rare that Carol finds herself having to deal with a situation she truly considers tough. Her remarkable record of staying cool under fire, not breaking under torture in captivity, and downing enemy jets and targets have seen her career soar. Air Force Colonel, CIA agent, NASA Head of Security, hell, even Editor of the Bugle's WOMAN Magazine. Working with JJJ was probably the hardest thing she had to do, because she had to avoid killing him. Then there were the horrors with Rogue, with the Skrulls, with the Kree, with the Brood, all manner of space adventures that better fit in SciFi flicks rather than someone's life...but she survived it all. She stands an Avenger, the director of Alpha Flight. She's a paragon, she cannot fail, right?

Last night Carol experienced a rarity, a situation she couldn't solve. Alpha Flight took control of a Dark Elf prisoner, and with a mind to her teammate and friend, Thor Odinson, Carol took to investigating the prisoner herself. Unfortunately, all testable evidence pointed that the prisoner should be given refugee status, she went to discuss it over with Thor.

Needless to say, that didn't go well. They almost came to blows, or at least that was the sense Carol got. Thor refused her friendship, he refused her attempts to connect and reach an understanding, and he did it in an icy cold manner.

That night Carol did what she avoided doing on many nights, she turned to alcohol, and she's been drinking to make up on lost time, eventually collapsing in the dining room. Looking knocked out, she's still in her Captain Marvel uniform, her head and shoulders on the floor, while her waist and legs are haphazardly strewn on the couch. Look like she failed at lying down to sleep on the couch.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet dances into the dining room. It's an enthusiastic, arrhythmic, WASP-y sort of dance, with a lot of erratic hip and arm motions. Under one arm is a pink yoga mat and the subtle sheen to her skin indicates she's just finished a workout of some kind.

She's halfway to the kitchen on the other side of the dining area when she spots Carol haphazardly decorating the sofa with her self. Janet pauses the music tinnily reverberating from her earpods with a touch to her wristwatch. "Carol? Caroooool," she sings softly. "You awake, sleepy?" She moves closer to the bench and shakes the toe of Carol's boot. There are too many veterans on a hair-trigger in the Mansion to go around grabbing people by the arms while they're comatose. That's a lesson learned the hard way.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol doesn't seem to respond, at least not at first, but when Janet ever so cautiously moves the toe of her boot, Carol stirrs a bit. "I'm fine," she mutters on a reflex it seems, because her eyes are still close and she doesn't quite seem awake. It's quite an unusual state to find Carol in, at least for the last several years since she's been keeping sober.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"You look like someone hit you with a car, honey," Janet remarks with a wry tone. "Here, lemme help." She steps forward and takes Carol's hands in an x-cross. Slight as she is, there's only so much she can offer to someone of Carol's Amazonian stature. But she does what she can, the lean muscles in her arms and bare shoulders straining.

She sniffs, then sniffs the air quite close to Carol's face. "Ooof. You smell like a distillery," Janet advises Carol. Her nose wrinkles. "Let's get you some coffee. Maybe a couple coffees."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Finally Carol's eyes open when Janet speaks more directly to her, though her normally focused blue eyes appear somewhat bleary, as she doesn't quite focus on Janet, looking more to the side as she talks to her, "I'm fine, I promise...I just..." but then she starts to notice she's not in her room, or a comfortable position, "where am I?" She asks, the famous question that usually follow a distinct "I'm fine" claim, when one is not actually fine.

With Janet's help, Carol is eventually brought back on her feet, though she does balance a bit by holding on to Janet's shoulder for a moment or two, before finding her footing. She offers a weak smile at Janet's quip about how she smells, as she notes, "I may have drank a bit too much last night, possibly..." she nods at the offer of coffee, and turns her head as she tries to orient herself. Not currently sure if the kitchen is left, right, or up.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Ooh, is this the part where I lecture you?" Janet asks, wryly. She's short, but strong enough to give Carol something to balance against. And the low center of gravity lends a lot of stability to the duo and their staggering path towards the kitchen.

"Because I can, I can get on you for not /inviting/ me to go drinking with you, or I can sound like your therapist and remind you you're supposed to be on the wagon. But that'd be a little hypocrtical of me, wouldn't it?" Once they're in the kitchen she dumps Carol in a chair and turns on the coffee maker. Water burbles and the staccato scent of fresh ground coffee fills the air. "Scale of one to 'kill me', how bad is the hangover headache?"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Are you going to...?" Carol asks a sheepish grin on her lips, she knows she'd deserve a lecture if Janet would so choose to give it. The very fact she offered, despite knowing how much Carol would loathe, means she's a good friend. Carol can respect that much.

"Yeah, it was impromptu...not at all planned," Carol admits, laughing when Janet suggests lecturing her for not inviting a friend for binge drinking. "It's because I'm a friend too, Janet, and I know you need to work...and focus...on, well, work, that you do." Her brain is still running through the start-up routine it seems. "I have a fucking massive headache..." she groans, "I don't like it."

Set in a chair so she doesn't faceplant once Janet stops supporting her weight, Carol laughs at the question, "I'd rate it...a head on collusion with a class III Skrull bomber." Peering over at Janet, she realizes she may not be the best at that terminology, so shifts to, "one step under kill me now."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Been there. I find a couple of hits from the bong do a wonder for a migraine, but that's just me," Janet informs Carol. "Something about suppressing inflammation? I'd offer some hair of the dog, but it'll be mimosas if I do and I don't think that's quite your speed."

"Technically I don't *need* to work. I could turn the business keys over tomorrow and retire. I just like having something to do in the real world, I mean, as real as the fashion world is," she amends. "Gives me a little kick in the butt to be more creative in my personal life."

"Speaking of, what prompted--" she wiggles a finger in a circle at Carol. "-all this mess?"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Can you make me some orange juice, if it's no bother...?" Carol asks through wincing, leaning her elbows on the table, and her head in her hands, as she tries to clear her head. "Oh, what brought the early oktoberfest?" She trails into silence.

But not because she's not willing to share with Janet, heck, Janet is the best friend ever. She pushed her out of Mar-Vell's shadow. She made her the Ms. Marvel costume, gave her the confidence to actually wear it and go out there and make a name for herself in the superhero community in her own right. Janet did a lot to help build up Carol to be all that she could be. Even if retrospects on the Ms. Marvel costume would suggest it works better as a swimsuit, which is exactly how Carol been using it since shifting to the Captain Marvel costume. Janet was owed honesty in all things from Carol.

"It was Thor..." she grumbles, "you heard the reports about that Dark Elf bitch crashing on Earth and falling under Alpha Flight jurisdiction? That's the fucking bit of drama I'm in charge of...fun stuff."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Oh, god," Janet says. Her tone is agreeable and good natured all at once. Strong personalities tend to clash on a small team. Just the facts of life. And when people can cross galaxies and smash asteroids with their bare fists, those clashes can produce equally titanic emotions.

"Well, I'm having a mimosa then," Janet advises Carol. OJ is poured into crystal, long-stemmed glasses and then Janet floats a liberal amount of champagne into hers. This sends the flute fizzing and bubbling.

She sits down so she's sharing the table corner with Carol and sips through a long straw. Ever careful about smudging her makeup, is Janet. "So what's his take on it? It's not an Avengers thing? Not an Earth thing?" she inquires. "It seems like, I mean, if the elf crashed here, it's definitely a SHIELD issue. I'd think."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Perfect, mimosa is a good hangover cure, no?" Carol ponders if she should upgrade the orange juice request just because Jan is already making one mimosa. "No, she crashed in Canada and Alpha Flight has jurisdiction...she's our prisoner. She requested a refugee status...and following all protocol there was no reason to deny her request. I looked for one, for Thor's sake..." Carol groans and hits her forehead with an open palm, "silly me. I thought he could be reasoned with, or at least provide me with irrefutable evidence to deny the motion. He did neither."

Switching tactics into massaging her temples now, Carol leans her head back to look at the ceiling, "long story short, he's very disappointed I'm going to let her go, and he may try and kill her...and if he does, I am bound to protect her. I am so not looking forward to fighting him."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"You really think he'd do that?" Janet raises a brow at Carol. She transfers orange juice to her flute and pours Carol a couple fingers of champagne atop her juice.

"Thor respects the law. I mean, habits and customs, sure, he'll walk all over those. But he's basically an honorable guy and I can't imagine he's going to go against the entire team over this. We have laws for a reason!" she protests. "We're supposed to fight the bad guys, not each other." She rests her elbows on the table and dangles her glass between her fingertips.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Why else refuse the beer I gave him...? I think he was sending a message, we're not friends anymore..." at least that's how Carol read it, that's why when he parted, she didn't call him by name, but rather by title, as if there was suddenly a chasm between them. "Oh, right, you don't know any of it...I offered him to talk over drinks, to make it amicable, he refused to have me over in New Asgard...been dying to try some of their...whatever they call their alcohol...but then he also refused the beer I gave him as we sat down. He left without a word, cold, turned his back on me and didn't answer a friendly request. I think he hates me, Janet."

"Thanks," Carol says with a frown still lingering on her face as she takes the flute and drinks, looking much better at having some liquid. "Thor respects Asgardian Law," Carol reminds, "he'll accept Earth law here and there...but if according to Asgardian tradition, they slaughter Dark Elf on Thor'sday, he'll do just that."

"The entire team?" Carol looks up directly at Janet, "please...I wouldn't get the Avengers involved. If he chooses to attack me over a decision I made as Alpha Flight Director, it has nothing to do with the Avengers, besides, I would be embarrassed if you guys showed up to protect me. Remember, I'm the feminist with articles about 'Stand Up For Yourself', 'Protect Yourself Being A Woman Is No Excuse'...ring any bells? I'm no hypocrite, I'll do my own protecting."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Well, I was thinking, more, like, me and Jen, and Jessica, and maybe Wanda," Janet offers, helpfully. "If it's one of those things where it's just Thor being a dick, then yeah, I'm sure we've got your back. This is why I don't like doing these team-leading things and the inter social stuff with the other capes," she says with a wry expression. Janet sits back in her chair and crosses her calf-length black leggings at the knee, the diagonal mesh slats stretching with each bob of her flat workout shoes in the air in front of her.

"But, mostly, I mean, I don't like the idea of you being bullied. Thor's a sweetie when he wants to be but he can get all... boomy and swole chested when he gets irritated or grouchy."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"I'm not sure I'm being bullied...although, I would like to ask him one thing..." Carol notes, as if she suddenly realized something. "If I wasn't a woman, would he have fought me the other night? Because you know what? That WOULD piss me off." There's Carol for you, as she downs the rest of her drink, "I'm fine if Thor wants to fight me, because he'd fight anyone in the same position. But if he doesn't fight me because of something? That's when he'll offend me..." sometimes feminist take things too far, and Carol is the sort to do that. Nobody in their right minds should ever want to fight Thor.

"I think it's the opposite of bullying, he wasn't fighting me because he's discriminating against me..." Carol is just getting more pissed off the more she thinks it over. "Maybe I should have words with him just to find out, even though the smart thing would be to avoid him."

Carol notes how she's starting to lose control, and so turns to look sharply at Janet instead, "Janet, you have anything to distract me from this bullshit? It's bad for me."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Well, Thor /is/ a boy, and the way the men always treat each other-- maybe a sharp punch to the snoot will get his attention. I don't know, maybe it's a cultural thing. Like Asgardians get mad if there isn't a fight because they think they aren't being taken seriously."

She sips her mimosa. "Or he's being a boy, which apparently is a kind of immaturity that men across all species share."

She folds her ankles under her knees and wriggles to get comfy on the chair. "Well I'm busy as a bee with fitting suits for people. Bruce Wayne came by and asked if I'd make him some new business wear. T'challa wanted to pick my brain about a dress for Jessica. Oh and if I see Thor runnng around in a crappy hoodie again, /I'll/ kick his ass. Can't have the Avengers running around in soiled Old Navy clothing," she huffs.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Could be, I thought I was very pleasant with him, explained the situation...explained how I wanted to go his way but couldn't. Even equated it with his status as King, where he has to make some decisions he doesn't favor, just because they are right by his people..." Carol groans, "nothing, no matter what I tried, he didn't respond at all."

"Get out!" Carol blinks, turning to look at Janet with a big smile, eager to drop the subject of Thor and congratulate her friend on her business success. "Bruce Wayne is rich as fuck, that's incredible. Way to go Janet." She looks surprised at the news about T'Challa looking for dresses for Jessica, and just laughs at the mention of Thor's fashion faux pas. "Unforgivable, I'll let you help if he comes after me. You deserve that right."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Long as everyone does it wearing what'll be my 2020 Fall line. I'm going with 'Avenger's Wardrobe' as a working theme," Janet says with a sly smirk. "I could *give* Bruce's new suits away for free and make money on what free advertising I'll get out of it. Better than stuffing a gift bag at the Oscars."

"But that's all of, like, five business suits. Nothing crazy."

She drains her mimosa and pours another for herself. Carol's not offered more champagne, but being the terrible friend she is, Janet's not exactly moving it out of Carol's reach. "I'd not stress. It'll get better. The Thor thing," she amends. "He gets mad but you know there's a big heart there. I think if you just explain how you feel in really calm terms-- maybe bake him a cake or something!" she adds, brightly.

"Or buy one. I don't know how to bake."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol simply applauds Janet's genius as she explains what she's planning to do, "that's why you're a genius, Janet. I wish I had that kind of business acuemen, but you know, it's not for everyone."

"Bake? I was fired from the Bugle because of what I did when Jameson suggested I have an editorial about baking..." Carol rolls her eyes. "I'll think of something, I really don't want to fight him. He's a cool guy, and I like his company...he doesn't treat me the way other military types treat me. But I guess that's over with now..."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"I'm not a genius. Anyone can do that," Janet says, wrinkling her nose at Carol's effusive praise. "Business really isn't *hard*. You just look for obvious openings. Trade up the value of an hour of your work. As long as their time is worth more than my time, I'm winning. That's all there is to it, the rest is smiling and looking good for the cameras."

"If you think of something I can do to *help* with Thor, lemme know," Janet offers. "I don't have any brilliant ideas offhand. You might as Steve for advise. Or T'challa," she suggests. "Get the whole Pec Patrol in on the discussion, y'know?"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"See? This is where I'm more aligned with Thor's type of thinking, I see a problem, I like to punch it in the face," Carol laughs, and then laughs even more when Janet suggests consulting the Pec Patrol, "not a bad idea, I might have to do that...I mean, it's not fair how Thor is treating me. I was very cordial with him."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"I think you're overthinking it," Janet tells Carol, and brushes the blonde's concerns aside with an airy wave of her hand. "But I think you also hit it on the head right now. You and Thor are both very ... punch-y," she points out. Her nose wrinkles in distaste. "Me, I like to talk things out over cocktails." She hoists her flute at Carol in salute and takes a sip. Swallow. A few swallows.

"Just if you get in a fight, take it to a different star system. The last thing we need is a big to-do right here on the grounds," she advises Carol.

"Anyway. Forgetting about beating THAT particular dead dog for a while. Oh! I can dish on some gossip, that's always good for a little distraction!" she offers with a beaming smile. Janet was totally one of the Mean Girls in prep school.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Am I?" Carol asks with uncertainty, before grinning as Janet puts it in as simple a set of terms as possible. She and Thor are both punchy, maybe if they read eachother's dating profiles first, they'd get along better. "True."

As Janet takes another sip of her flute, Carol takes advantage of the close enough positioned champagne to pour herself some, and have another drink herself. "Like I said before, I do hope to avoid such a fight altogether. Maybe if Thor was less of a self focused oaf, I'd manage to get through to him with words."

Carol tilts her head at Janet's offer, she was never one of the mean girls, she was one of their targets actually, but hey, she'll take the distraction, "what juicy bit of gossip you got?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Steve's boyfriends," Janet whispers, holding a hand up to shield her mouth despite the theatrical sotto voce. "It's been crazy. Steve's with Bucky, I mean, he's spending a lot of time with him and pining for him and stuff-- I'm not all up on the details there, I'm not paying enough attention," she admits. "But they're super intense."

"But then that guy Wade shows up and he just moves into Steve's apartment one day. Using his toothbrush, crashing in his room..." One brow lifts pointedly, and she nods as if confirming her own words. "It's been crazy. He keeps like, sneaking up on Steve and tackle-hugging him. And he's super flirty with Steve, it's just the most precious thing /ever/," she sighs. "And Steve, you know, he acts all huffy and angry, but there's, uh..." She twiddles her index finger back and forth, "uhhhhh /some/thing going on with those two. I know it," she informs Carol.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol has to lean back in her seat at that, while she's Air Force rather than Army, she likely understand such bonds way better than any who didn't serve. "That's beyond just a friendship, never heard the term Brothers In Arms, Janet? I'm sad to inform whoever lucky lady will wind up with either Steve or Bucky, but she could never compete with that."

But then she brings up Wade, and Carol blinks in disbelief, "that so...?" She sounds highly skeptical, drinking more of her flute, "I somehow doubt it. I mean...it doesn't make any sense."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Hey, like-- you singer, me choir," Janet tells Carol. She turns her wrist unwards to touch her knuckles against her sternum. "Never fall in love with a gay boy, it always ends up in heartbreak, right?"

"But I mean, I tell you, I am the /last/ person who wants Steve off the market," she says, with an eyeroll. "A prime cut of beef like that? Hello, national resource, party of one?" she says, miming an overhead announcement. Then she laughs at her own humor.

"But I mean, you know, you look at like how he talks about Bucky, he gets this... sad little puppy-dog smile, and I'm like, 'okay, sure, trenches buddies'," she allows. Janet pauses to top off her drink with more champagne, making it officially no longer a mimosa-- just orange-flavored bubbly. "But the way Wade is always loving on him and in his personal space, I don't know, Carol, I just don't see that as 'good buddies'. Maybe it's me," she allows, holding her hands aloft and glancing away in mea culpa. "I might have broken my gaydar. The fashion industry is cruel that way. I'm just going off what my gut says."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol was trying to be serious, but she can't overpower the Janet affect, and pretty soon she's bursting in laughter, "my god, Janet, you're the worst," she chides with a big teasing smile on her lips. "Oh I'll give you that, Janet, Steve is quite a looker, and he has a good personality, and whoever winds up with him will win the dating lottery, that's for sure."

"I'll tell you this much, Wade is sure lucky to crash on Steve and not myself, I'm not sure if he can regenerate from what I'd do to him..." sounds like Carol isn't as much of a ball player as Steve, or at least she's not as nice.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet makes a squeamish face. "God, right? There's no accounting for taste. Each their own but... ugh." She shudders. "The /smell/ alone. Ghastly," she murmurs, and looks skywards in supplication.

"Ugh! Anyway, wow, that got gross," she laughs. "Uh, let's see. Wanda's back around, Pietro's pleased as punch about that as you can imagine. There's a new girl but I haven't really talked to her much yet, Minnie... Molly? M-something, she's one of those sentient robots like Vision," Janet says with a glaring lack of accuracy. "The new recruits just seem to come out of the woodwork don't they?"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol nods along Janet's words when she tells of those who returned, drinking her drink. It's good to have Wanda back, Pietro sure is happy, and then the M-something is mentioned. She saw the posting about it, and she puts down her drink, looking quite displeased. "Vision proved himself, but I'm definitely not a pro-machine type of person. I think Professor Hawking had a solid point about the dangers of A.I. That thing is no teammate of mine until it proves itself."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Carol, you sound like such a fuddy-duddy," Janet speaks in a tone of fond exasperation. "AI is everywhere. JARVIS runs the house, Vision is... an... alive thing? Heck I have semi-sentient AIs running the backbone of my offices. I think. Tony set it up for me," she says, brushing it off again.

"Remember, they used to say that about *us* back in the day," she points out. "If this was 1944, the best we could hope for would be... office secretaries." She wrinkles her nose. "And Eve Draper, I am not."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"JARVIS was made by Tony, that thing...for all I know the Skrulls could have made it," Carol notes, with a slight reminder that she's far more versed in such things that other think, having all of the cosmic experience in her time with the Guardians, and the Kree's Starforce. She's seen the worst that can happen with A.I. "Like I said, Vision proved himself, he is one of us. And what Tony makes...well, it's Tony." Carol seems to flare at the reminder of secretaries, "oh, Janet, don't make me dream about the time machine again, just so I can go back to sexist as fuck 50s and 60s and break some noses."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Preach, sister," Janet says, and clicks her glass against Carol's. "We should all aspire to more noble callings, like... being a seamstress." She titters at her own joke.

"And if Time Machines are a thing, I'm going /forward/ in time so I can get ahead of the curve on next year's fashion lines," she tells Carol. "A six week lead time on the hot summer tickets? I'd end up cornering the industry in three years," she says, with a feline satisfaction. "And I guess... something sports teams, right? Gambling's a thing still isn't it?"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol shrugs, "you know me, Janet, Air Force Integrity, I'm not off for false profits from knowing the future. That's cheating, hate to sound like Steve, but I'm with him on that much..." she drinks some more, and then murmurs, "thanks for distracting me Janet, I really appreciate it. I feel much calmer now."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"It's a good thing you two stick-in-the-muds have me around, then," Janet says, with a brilliant smile that's only a little smug. "I'll keep this place from getting too much on the straight and narrow. Jen's always down to party and I'm working on Jess, getting her out of her shell."

"If it was up to you, Rhodey, and Steve, we'd all be up at 5 AM doing ... Army ... running ... stuff. Five AM is for going to sleep, not waking up!"

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Carol listens quietly, showing no facial expression at all, if it was anyone but Janet, they might have been intimidated by that cold stare. But then she just downs the rest of her flute and quips, "guilty as charged."