Shenanigans!

[phaselocknroll]

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

Head errand boy, thanks very much.

[phaselocknroll]

Sorry, sorry. My bad.

... Oh man, I just realized I get to take you for a ride in one of Scooter's runners.

[nostalgiabomb]

... Suddenly, I feel afraid. Should I be?

[phaselocknroll]

They control like shit, honestly. I've flipped a few, but that's half the fun.

[ That's not very reassuring, Maya..... ]

[nostalgiabomb]

... Okay. Can I just walk? I think I'll just walk.

[phaselocknroll]

We can just use the Fast Travel if you'd rather. It'll teleport us right there.

[nostalgiabomb]

But not as flippy as you would prefer it to be, I would guess?

[phaselocknroll]

No, it's totally fine. I forget not everyone is used to this place.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter can't help but smirk. ] I mean, it's kinda weird. It's like we're on a completely different planet or something.

[phaselocknroll]

Yeah, go figure.

[ she smirks back ] Ready to head out?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He downs the last of his drink and stands, offering her a hand up. ]

For a fun-filled day of squishing bugs and killing lizard things? You don't even have to ask twice.

[phaselocknroll]

Are we considering this a date, then?

[nostalgiabomb]

Well, mercenary work as a second date sounds perfectly romantic to me.

[phaselocknroll]

... Wait, is this only our second date?

God, that's sad. We need to get out more.

[nostalgiabomb]

I mean, there was the first one on Xandar, and then we kept getting assignments, and then--

[ He interrupts himself, then shrugs a little helplessly. ]

We'll get better at this.

[phaselocknroll]

To be fair, it's not like we haven't spent time together. We just haven't been on dates.

[nostalgiabomb]

We're too married to our work, I guess. Just been job after complicated, fucked up job lately.

[phaselocknroll]

[ We're going to assume they've been walking during this conversation, and have now arrived at the Fast Travel in the center of town. Maya beings keying in the coordinates for the preserve. ]

Sounds like we need a vacation.

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah, we really do. Considering how-- [ and he selects his words carefully ] --rough it's been, lately.

I'm thinkin' beaches should be involved.

[phaselocknroll]

[ For a split second, she looks... surprisingly tired. She's been trying not to let the incident with the Order get to her, but even now she has nightmares about it. Her finger hovers over the last button, and she turns to give him a smile. ]

Yeah? I could get behind that.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He doesn't miss that look; in fact, he's been watching for something like it ever since Maya has regained her memories. He would never admit it aloud, but he's a little afraid that this newly regained normalcy will slip away from them.

And that's why he takes her hand -- the one hovering over the controls of the Fast Travel -- and he speaks softly. ]

Are you sure you're up to this? Say the word and we can head back to the Milano.

[phaselocknroll]

I'm fine, Peter.

[ She's not fine, not really. But the last thing she wants to do is worry him, not after all she put him through. So she puts on a brave face, giving his hand a little squeeze. ]

Promise.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His brows furrow momentarily, and his lips part briefly as an argument forms on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, though, he exhales slowly and releases her hand. ]

... Alright. If you're sure. But we're heading back the second you're feelin' too drained, okay?

[phaselocknroll]

Sounds fair.

[ she's just going to have to do her best not to be a burden!!

She punches the last key and the two of them are whisked away to the preserve. The Fast Travel lands them on a hill overlooking the preserve- lush green grass, interspersed with red-brown rock formations, and oddly, giant mushrooms. In some places the grass thins out to make way for varkid mounds (not unlike termite mounds), but the insects haven't moved into the preserve proper.

Instead the place is overrun with skags and stalkers- Hyperion stopped using the facilities there ages ago, and nature is slowly reclaiming the buildings. There might be a few Hyperion robots still around, doing god knows what. ]

You see those? Those are stalkers. Once we start shooting, they're going to start cloaking.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter takes a moment to appreciate the view from here before he grabs up his guns; he peers at the creatures Maya's pointed out, before humming thoughtfully. ]

They kinda look like dragons.

Any trick to this, or just wait for them to go "Boo!" and shoot like crazy?