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[ Peter shakes his head, resting a hand on her shoulder compassionately. ]
You've got issues, Maya. Really, really deep issues.
You've got issues, Maya. Really, really deep issues.
[ He sighs with relief. ]
Okay, cool. Groot. [ He blinks, then what he says next comes out in a rush. ] Shit. I mean-- not Groot. I meant to say "great" but it kind of came out "good--"
-- Just. Just forget I said anything, right then.
[ Peter doesn't embarrass easily, but right now his cheeks color a little; he waves at their waiter for the check. Immediately after, the restaurant's owner comes by their table, tells them the meal was comped, and then proceeds to take away ten minutes of Peter and Maya's lives that they'll never get back.
So much for a quick getaway.
By the time the owner leaves, Peter just that much more sure that Xandar was a mistake. He sighs and scrubs his face with his hand. ]
Ready to go?
Okay, cool. Groot. [ He blinks, then what he says next comes out in a rush. ] Shit. I mean-- not Groot. I meant to say "great" but it kind of came out "good--"
-- Just. Just forget I said anything, right then.
[ Peter doesn't embarrass easily, but right now his cheeks color a little; he waves at their waiter for the check. Immediately after, the restaurant's owner comes by their table, tells them the meal was comped, and then proceeds to take away ten minutes of Peter and Maya's lives that they'll never get back.
So much for a quick getaway.
By the time the owner leaves, Peter just that much more sure that Xandar was a mistake. He sighs and scrubs his face with his hand. ]
Ready to go?
[ she heaves a dramatic sigh ] I know. It's a hard life.
[ in the time they've been talking, it's been easy enough to pick their way through the camp, and head out on the little trail leading to the blast site.
There are a pair of guards in front of the cave entrance, and Maya has no idea what Sarah told them, but they salute and let them pass without question.
The cave is lit by work lights plugged into generators, illuminating the shards of purple rock- raw Eridium- poking through the cave walls. It's hard to tell how long it goes on for. ]
Ready for some spelunking?
[ in the time they've been talking, it's been easy enough to pick their way through the camp, and head out on the little trail leading to the blast site.
There are a pair of guards in front of the cave entrance, and Maya has no idea what Sarah told them, but they salute and let them pass without question.
The cave is lit by work lights plugged into generators, illuminating the shards of purple rock- raw Eridium- poking through the cave walls. It's hard to tell how long it goes on for. ]
Ready for some spelunking?
[ she nods, though it's a distracted motion. She's not sure if Peter's annoyance is catching or if she's aggravated because she wants to know why the fuck he's acting so strangely, but there was a point when the restaurant owner was yammering on that she was about to say something very rude.
Or maybe phaselock him. Hard to tell which. ]
Let's get out of here. All these people are starting to give me a headache.
Or maybe phaselock him. Hard to tell which. ]
Let's get out of here. All these people are starting to give me a headache.
Yeah, okay.
[ They exit the restaurant, Peter keeping his head low to avoid drawing further attention -- last thing he wants is to be stopped at the door by a well-meaning citizen, wanting to tell them how thankful he is, about the family he and his team had saved. Normally he'd eat it up. It was nice to be reminded, every once in a while, that you aren't such a total fuck up. Today? It's wasting his time and fraying at his already worn nerves.
He keeps his hands in his pockets as they walk; he's leading them to one of the many nearby parks, and he's hoping that the late hour means it'll be far less populated. He toys with the small box in his coat pocket, twisting it and spinning it and just-- doing anything with it except actually pulling it out. Now's not the right time, he thinks. There hasn't been a good time all night, and it's been frustrating.
He should've had a better plan than, "Wait for the right moment." ]
Hey, um. [ He clears his throat when his voice comes out a little pinched, then rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. ] Sorry about back there. Didn't-- really think it'd be that bad. The people, I mean. Like, um. Maybe we should've gone to a bar.
[ Yeah, that would've been real romantic, Quill. ]
[ They exit the restaurant, Peter keeping his head low to avoid drawing further attention -- last thing he wants is to be stopped at the door by a well-meaning citizen, wanting to tell them how thankful he is, about the family he and his team had saved. Normally he'd eat it up. It was nice to be reminded, every once in a while, that you aren't such a total fuck up. Today? It's wasting his time and fraying at his already worn nerves.
He keeps his hands in his pockets as they walk; he's leading them to one of the many nearby parks, and he's hoping that the late hour means it'll be far less populated. He toys with the small box in his coat pocket, twisting it and spinning it and just-- doing anything with it except actually pulling it out. Now's not the right time, he thinks. There hasn't been a good time all night, and it's been frustrating.
He should've had a better plan than, "Wait for the right moment." ]
Hey, um. [ He clears his throat when his voice comes out a little pinched, then rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. ] Sorry about back there. Didn't-- really think it'd be that bad. The people, I mean. Like, um. Maybe we should've gone to a bar.
[ Yeah, that would've been real romantic, Quill. ]
[ Peter's only seen bits of Eridium up until now -- small chunks that were a little too similar to another glowing, purple stone he's seen before.
(The first time he saw Eridium he'd nearly had something like a war flashback. He shoved it down, though, and no one was the wiser.)
Now, though with the crystals jutting out of the walls -- he thinks it's kind of pretty. And to think, these stupidly valuable rocks have been on Earth all this time. He didn't have to get nabbed and smuggled into space to experience something alien. ]
I'm good if you are.
(The first time he saw Eridium he'd nearly had something like a war flashback. He shoved it down, though, and no one was the wiser.)
Now, though with the crystals jutting out of the walls -- he thinks it's kind of pretty. And to think, these stupidly valuable rocks have been on Earth all this time. He didn't have to get nabbed and smuggled into space to experience something alien. ]
I'm good if you are.
[ The park seems like a good idea, and Maya spots a bench in a relatively secluded area, lorded over by strange trees and behind a low garden wall that has plants she can’t even name spilling over the edge of it. She doesn’t really respond to what grabs Peter has to say about going elsewhere- she’s a bit preoccupied- and grabs him by the elbow, guiding him to the bench.
And without any preamble: ]
All right, what’s wrong?
And without any preamble: ]
All right, what’s wrong?
[ She notices him studying the Eridium, and flashes him a small smile as they head deeper into the cave. ]
That stuff’s pretty much useless when it’s unrefined, but some of the bandit clans on Pandora think you can get slag powers by swallowing it.
That stuff’s pretty much useless when it’s unrefined, but some of the bandit clans on Pandora think you can get slag powers by swallowing it.
[ He turns away from his examination of the wall to frown. ]
That's not true, right? That just sounds-- stupid.
That's not true, right? That just sounds-- stupid.
[ He was going for a nice, sedate pace, so when Maya grabs him, it catches him all the more off-guard, and he manages a quiet, "Hey!" before they're both seated.
Tonight is seriously not going as planned.
He puts up both of his hands as if in surrender (though he's careful to ensure the box doesn't slip out of his pocket, first). ]
Nothing's wrong, honest. Scout's Honor.
Tonight is seriously not going as planned.
He puts up both of his hands as if in surrender (though he's careful to ensure the box doesn't slip out of his pocket, first). ]
Nothing's wrong, honest. Scout's Honor.
Of course it’s not true. That would just be ridiculous. Also gross and probably deadly.
Who would even want slag powers?
Who would even want slag powers?
Hey, some folks'll probably just take what they can get, y'know? Maybe better to have any ability than none.
[ A beat, then, ]
Even if that ability is barfin' purple crap all over a dude.
[ A beat, then, ]
Even if that ability is barfin' purple crap all over a dude.
Bullshit. You've been acting weird all-- for a while now.
And now tonight you're distracted, you're annoyed. You don't even enjoy that fact that people keep calling you a hero.
So what is it?
And now tonight you're distracted, you're annoyed. You don't even enjoy that fact that people keep calling you a hero.
So what is it?
[ She gives him a looong look ]
Do you want slag powers, Peter?
Do you want slag powers, Peter?
[ He makes a derisive noise. ] No way in hell.
Just sayin', some dudes ain't as well-equipped as others, that's all.
'Sides, I'd want a way cooler power than slag. Like, I dunno, X-Ray vision or teleportation.
Just sayin', some dudes ain't as well-equipped as others, that's all.
'Sides, I'd want a way cooler power than slag. Like, I dunno, X-Ray vision or teleportation.
Maybe I just wanted to spend some private time with a gorgeous girl without anyone butting in? Ever think of that?
Just making sure.
[ Though she kind of has slag powers, doesn't she? That's fucking weird. ]
... What would you do with x-ray vision, exactly?
[ Though she kind of has slag powers, doesn't she? That's fucking weird. ]
... What would you do with x-ray vision, exactly?
[ She does not buy it for one second, and she wishes he would just tell her. It's really starting to bother her, and she crosses her arms over her chest ]
If that's the case then we should have stayed back on the ship.
If that's the case then we should have stayed back on the ship.
[ Okay, well. Shit. He's screwing this up and he sort of-- sinks into the bench. ]
I just, you know. Thought a change of scenery would be nice, is all.
I just, you know. Thought a change of scenery would be nice, is all.
I dunno. [ Idly his hand trails along the wall, though he lifts his fingers before they can touch the raw Eridium. Harmless, probably, but he avoids it all the same. (He'll always hate the color purple, he thinks.) ]
Like, peek at presents before my birthday or Christmas? [ Nevermind he hasn't celebrated a birthday or a Christmas since the last time he was on Earth. ] Check if shit is booby-trapped? Find goons hiding behind walls when we break in somewhere?
There're a lot of practical applications.
[ A beat. ]
You thought I was gonna say somethin' gross, weren't you.
Like, peek at presents before my birthday or Christmas? [ Nevermind he hasn't celebrated a birthday or a Christmas since the last time he was on Earth. ] Check if shit is booby-trapped? Find goons hiding behind walls when we break in somewhere?
There're a lot of practical applications.
[ A beat. ]
You thought I was gonna say somethin' gross, weren't you.
[ Something about the way he just... sinks down takes the fight right out of her, and she plops down next to him ]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
No, it's my fault. [ He pulls a hand down his face. ] I've been seriously lame all night.
Oh, ye of little faith.
'Sides. I don't need x-ray vision to see underneath your clothes.
[ Aaaand there it is. ]
'Sides. I don't need x-ray vision to see underneath your clothes.
[ Aaaand there it is. ]
Hey, so maybe things haven't gone quite like you wanted. It's okay. It doesn't mean I enjoyed this time with you any less.
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Page 66 of 98