[ Nebula's time in Nocwich has been far more limited than others. She'd gone the first month she'd arrived and been immediately fluster by the Doctor (and friendship) and decided it wasn't worthwhile shortly after when the masquerade happened. Too much annoying trauma she didn't want to deal with - okay, calling it trauma was dramatic especially for someone who lived so much of it... But, listen, she simply doesn't want to go there after all of that. It helped that it had been promptly closed for months after that she didn't feel the need to go. ]
[ So it should go without saying that her going to Nocwich is a little unprecedented. She wouldn't go if she hadn't said she would. Nebula always keeps her word and this is — different. Although they'd all gone their separate ways several years ago now, Nebula still respects Steve. She still trusts him - even if she was more-or-less a member of Natasha's Avengers more than his. ]
[ Despite the way her memory tries to falter here, it's not a fact she forgets. And it's more than enough to get her out of her comfort zone. ]
[ Which is how and why she can be found in the corner partitioned table in Bad Sisters Tavern. It's not as discrete as Full Moon, but it's not exactly like she has money. And the quiet hum is more comforting than some place rowdy - she doubts either of them are interested in speaking there. She's early and, because of that, she spins a dagger in her hand to keep hands busy. ]
[ It's only when she sees his approach does she stop, placing the blade back away. ]
Well, you don't look like complete shit.
[ ... She means he doesn't look like he got sick, but look. It's a greeting? ]
[ They'd made an agreement to check in with each other after they were out of emergency situations, and this has been the first real chance to do so. Steve's not at all surprised that Nebula has kept to her word. For all that she might grumble about most things, she also isn't one to flake if she agreed to something, especially if she can label it "Avengers-slash-Guardians business" or something along those lines.
It's not often Steve gets to see some of his fellow Avengers in person, so he takes the chance when he can get it. And while the state of things in the Free Cities is still precarious, he does find the breathing room to step away for at least one of the days that Nocwich is open.
He steps into the Bad Sisters Tavern and is relieved to find that it's a fairly quiet space, especially for a spot where people come to get drinks. It has more of lounge or fine dining feel to it, and most of the areas are partitioned off from others from a calm and peaceful experience.
Yeah, it's no big surprise that Nebula picked this place.
He's surprised to see Nebula has a dagger out, knowing that weapons aren't exactly welcome here, but it seems like smaller handheld options are fine. His shield he can thankfully bring in without much more than a glance.
He huffs out at laugh at her greeting and shrugs as he moves to sit across from her. ]
I'd say I have the serum to thank for that, but none of the Summoned seemed to catch anything.
[ Which is the only reason he's here at all. He wouldn't have risked spreading the illness if he'd come down with something.
He nods to Nebula. ] How are things in Solvunn? [ He knows better than to ask her how she's doing. ]
[ Nebula breathes the remark out through her nostrils, clearly not thinking the fact much of a coincidence at all. It's easy enough to assume that whatever the illness was it couldn't account for the various races the Summoned were - and maybe their humans were just different enough. Or maybe, and she tries not to let herself think about it, they were changing just as that stupid - what? - dream said. ]
[ She swallows it away, physically and mentally. Her mouth twitches, as if she's wagering what to say. ]
Their sheep are possessed and they continue to let them wander around.
[ Nailed it. Why is she so aggressive towards sheep? IDK It's funny. She rolls her eyes, a much easier to display gesture now. ]
Recovering. After they let us out they performed a ritual they hope will protect. The woman died and now there's a giant stormwall.
Guess thanks to it, they've got a steady fish supply.
[ Since the tornadoes had damaged so much of their crops and fish, it was going to be rough if they hadn't gotten something. Soon. ]
[ Steve has wondered about it too. What differentiates the Summoned to the point that they couldn't contract Heartwood? Was it the fact that they were from other worlds, or did it have more to do with their connection to the Singularity? Like it or not, he had to admit that the latter option was more likely.
Sheep... possessed? Steve blinks at that, head tilting to one side, but he realizes that this is just one of those weird Solvunn things and he can't question it too much. With how Nebula moves on, he assumes it's not all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Just weird. ]
... Wait, sorry, what? What woman died?
[ A protective wall is all well and good, and it sounds like they're taking precautions against Thorne, which is fair given how things have been progressing over there. But this is the first he's heard of a death. ]
[ Solvunn is weird and goats are stupid. It's just something to embrace. ]
[ Her brows snap together in surprise. The fact it hadn't gotten around that there was such a weirdness going on... Feels strange. She doesn't think it's intentional, but much of the Summoned act like the nosy busybody types. ]
The center of their ritual, Winfred Bordeaux, sacrificed herself to finish the ritual.
[ A second passes before she adds crossly, as if she doesn't agree with the mere fact: ]
At least. Not one of them looked surprised when it happened.
[ Winifred. The name sounds familiar. Steve's brow furrows and he glances off for a moment as he tries to place it. ]
That's one of the elders, right?
[ He's pretty sure Wanda has mentioned her before.
And, well, he can't blame Nebula for that look. The idea of someone willingly sacrificing themselves to the gods' ritual (he assumes that's what it had been) doesn't sit well with him. Sure, he'd tried to sacrifice himself for the cause, and he's witnessed others succeed at it. Still...
This feels different. He gives a slow shake of his head. ]
Seems pretty extreme. If the gods start demanding lives to do what they do, seems like it could be a slippery slope, even if the people who do it are willing.
[ Nebula agrees half-heartedly. She knows the names now, but lacks true knowledge of the Elders. A past self would be annoyed at her lack of information on a potential enemy and - mostly - she is. But she has no interest in getting closer to cult-followers than she already has. And the Elders, without a doubt, were those worst off. ]
They're willing. If they were told to abandon their homes because their sacred deity said so they would without a second thought.
[ It chews at her in a way she doesn't want to describe - but then... She lacked agency in so much of her life maybe it shouldn't be that unexpected. ]
If you ask me, they act like their lives are foreit to servitude of their master.
[ which... yeah, she certainly doesn't hide her distate to that concept. because she lived it, probably ]
Yeah, faith can easily become zealotry when you're not looking.
[ Steve averts his gaze for a few beats as he remembers what Josselyn and her cult did to them. It stopped being okay when others were hurt in the process, but the idea of people not acting in their own best interests for the sake of the gods also bothers him.
Even more so now that he has memories of being one of those gods. He'd never demanded sacrifices, he'd really only ever wanted to help, but he had also cast down judgments. His brow furrows as he glances back to Nebula. ]
And I'm guessing that as much as the Summoned are liked over there, they're not about to dial back on that faith just because you say so.
[ Life in Solvunn sounds so different from what Steve's everyday is like. It is nice to get a perspective from someone other than Wanda, too. ]
This storm wall, it's protecting you all from Thorne?
At least they're not spouting it's for their divine purpose yet.
[ Said with all the fierceness that she wouldn't doubt it would happen - that she feels it closer by the day. That itch remains. The circumstances are different, but she knows too well how little a life can mean if the thing you so desperately followed yielded it. Her sister died for such a thing. ]
[ She considers the knife - a cursory thing - and goes for the drink at hand instead. Taking a long gulp before answering. ]
We're like some sort of goddamned idols to them. Respected. Cared for. They might listen to us. Sometimes. But if their leaders say something - especially if their Gods - [ She mocks their words ] are the impetus behind it. That's all that matters.
[ And. She hates that, but those are the details in the words. She hasn't seen them do nearly enough to think the gods were all with their people in mind or worth as much as they're given. ]
[ The explanation tracks with what Steve understands about Solvunn. The Summoned are treated well there, but that doesn't mean that they're going to circumvent the will of the gods. Even now, with the added context that they might one day ascend to their own kind of godhood.
Steve isn't willing to just accept that future as some sort of guarantee, though. ]
It might still mean you all have some sort of bargaining power when push comes to shove. In the Cities, I'm pretty sure we're all pretty low on the pecking order, even those who are pretty well-known now.
[ Like Sam or Jaskier. Is Reiner really going to care what they have to say when it comes to her military decisions? Unlikely.
As for the wall that Solvunn sacrificed so much for, it remains to be seen what it might be able to do for them. Steve takes a sip from his own mug and sighs. ]
Hopefully Thorne has enough on their plate right now that they're not gonna bother trying.
[ Nebula considers, thoughtfully. It's true they're treated with a certain amount of respect. A certain reverence where the children treat them better than their parents but for the all of it... She shakes her head. ]
Dunno. I haven't been here long enough. I do know that those who don't fall in line with the ideals have a habit of... disappearing. They might just not want to find out what will happen to a Summoned.
[ Because at the end of the day, it's just the same. They may have some weird sacredity to them in Solvunn, but they're outsiders. Look how quickly they were all thrown and forced into that hole just a couple of months ago. If something happens, they'll be the first to be on the other end of it. ]
[ A metal finger taps the side of the cup as she muses. ]
We'll find out. One way or another. We need to prepare.
[ Which is a lot easier said than done when you're specifically in a place that promotes fake pacifism (in her opinion) and lacks in weapons. She doesn't think she has equipment there to change anything but even so she considers and before taking a drink offers her own means of preparation: ]
... I became one of Solvunn's representatives for the Summoned.
[ Disappearing? Steve frowns at that, because while he'd known that there were some strange vanishings in Solvunn, he thought that had all been solved. At least to some degree. ]
Even now? I know that Josselyn's cult was behind some of those disappearances, but has it still been happening?
[ Or maybe Nebula means it a different way. Steve does know that there's a tertiary settlement where those who don't quite fit in with the commune's ways of life are sent. It hadn't surprised him to hear that Wanda had a soft spot for it, if it was a place for outcasts.
He does wonder at how Nebula intends to prepare when Solvunn has no real military force and is about to ask as much, but then she adds something, causing both his eyebrows to hike up. He takes a sip of his drink to process. ]
Didn't take you for the type. Did Rocket put you up to it? [ A beat, and then he adds: ] I've done it for the Free Cities Summoned before. It doesn't demand too much.
[ The cult, she means. Sure, there was a pamphlet, but it's not even things really spoken about. It was only recently that she had really begun to hear about it. Her mouth twitches in thought. ]
It might not be the same, but there's definitely a sense you do the wrong thing and you'll be sent away. They're not as friendly to their own as they'd want you to believe if you step off their path.
[ Which... She can get why Wanda spends time there as well. Even she prefers the other settlement, though it does not remind her of their home. Speaking of that, her brows narrow at the look he gives her. Like he's skeptical of her claim - or of why she would. She might laugh about it, if she tried, but instead she snorts with a roll of her eyes. ]
Rocket can't put me up to shit.
[ Yes he can, but not about this. ]
On Knowhere. [ A beat. Does he even know what Knowhere is? Probably not, but it doesn't matter. ] Back home, we'd just rescued several thousand creatures. Most of them were children.
[ She chews on it, before adding: ] You're right. I'm not - wasn't the type, but someone's got to make a home for those children.
Let's just call this practice.
[ Because, as her tone says, she won't rest until she gets back. And it's the first time she's uttered this particular conviction. Not to return, but to ensure she could do what she could for Knowhere. She didn't want to be a leader, but what she wanted to do was protect those children. ]
[ So it is the Tertiary Settlement that Nebula's referring to, then. Steve nods, understanding that it's proof that not everything is as perfect and peaceful in Solvunn as they want to make it seem at first glance. ]
Still gotta stay in line, huh. Guess every territory has its downsides.
[ He wonders if Nebula would have preferred the Cities, but she would have earned a lot more attention for her robotic form there, so maybe not.
He doesn't make a comment either way about the Rocket statement, just hides his smile behind another sip of his drink. Soon after that, though, Nebula starts to explain the state of things back home, prior to her unexpected summoning, and Steve lowers his drink, his expression sobering.
Several thousand kids? ]
Rescued from where? [ His shoulders tense and his back straightens. He doesn't like the sound of this at all, though there is some relief in knowing the Guardians got these kids to safety. ] Must have been frustrating, getting dragged here in the middle of that.
Not really a surprise. Not many planets are as picture perfect as they want others to believe.
[ Startling few. She would never admit it, but in this way her father could be right. Half of the Guardians job is intervening in forces that troubled whole planets. They'd destroy themselves and it'd be too late. She thinks Solvunn would destroy itself if their gods demanded it and that's not a statement she's going to say now - here. ]
[ She drinks absently before shrugging a shoulder. ]
The High Evolutionary's ship. [ She knows, this too, isn't a full answer and her breath is more of a sigh than it's not (not at Steve, but at the statement she'd make next - her mouth a scowl): ] A maniac who thought himself a god because he claimed the creation of multiple civilizations and planets throughout the universe. He destroyed Counter-Earth in a show of power, because he could. Because it displeased him.
The children were his latest venture.
[ If Steve wanted to ask about Counter-Earth he could, but she doesn't think the Earth clone is all that relevant... Probably because she's not from Earth, but those are the details. Now that she's said it, her concentration is elsewhere. At the reminder of what she should be doing versus being trapped in this godsforesaken place. She swallows, voice low and quiet: ]
The longer I'm here the longer those children are without the help they need.
[ And really that's all that matters to her. Her being stuck isn't a problem. She'd deal with this stupid body. What she doesn't want to think about - doesn't want to deal with - is not knowing what will happen to them. ]
[ "The High Evolutionary" is a title that doesn't mean much to Steve at all, but that isn't surprising when there's an entire galaxy out there of problems that have to be solved. While he trusts that people like the Guardians and Carol will do their best to keep an eye on things, he also worries that the galaxy is simply too big to be managed by such a small group.
Not that there's much he can do about that, either here or back home. He'd chosen a different path for himself, one that still doesn't sit right with him, but he doesn't need to get into all that now.
"A maniac who thought himself a god" is so typical to the same rants that Steve has heard time and time again (from Loki, from Ultron, from Thanos) that he can't help but make a face, his mouth twisting with disdain. It's just a different flavor of the same old thing, although the mention of "Counter-Earth" does draw a confused look out of him. He wants to ask, of course, but then Nebula admits to her concern about the kids she left behind and he has to address that first. ]
From everything we've been able to learn from people going home and coming back, you at least don't have to worry about them being without you. Time basically stops back home, and if you make it back there you should be able to pick up where you left off. So... there's that.
[ He's also concerned about what she means by "latest venture," but forcing her to recount whatever this High Evolutionary tried to do to these kids seemed unnecessary. What mattered is that they'd been rescued. ]
[ Really, it's so par for the course of all of their lives... It really is no wonder she wants so little to do with the gods here. She tries not to think on it and is successful when Steve continues. Her mouth twitches, like she's trying to assess what she wants to say. ]
Even if that's the case -
[ And in some ways it sounds way too convenient to be true. ] We both had the same visions.
I do not want to be trapped living my life here when there is something else I must be doing.
[ Because, she does not fault those who have no home to get back to for being attached. She blames her own soft heart for caring for a small number of people. She knows - has the feeling - that even Rocket has come to peace with being here. She can't, because there was one thing she'd promised Gamora. There was one task she had decided to do in her heart, had spoken now, and she doesn't want to accept a life where she can't do that. ]
[ It's true that the point Steve just made doesn't really apply if they end up staying here into eternity, for centuries upon centuries. He has no idea what that would mean for the timeline they came from, or how it might fracture with their absence.
And just thinking too hard on that is bound to break his brain a little. ]
I'm with you there, believe me.
[ He still has those memories, as much as he's tried to push them to the side. And while Nebula had become a more carefree person in her godhood, there's no changing the fact that it hadn't been her, not really. ]
If there's something that stopping Thanos taught us, it's that nothing is set in stone, right? [ Not even the present. He eyes Nebula across the table and nods firmly. ] So, let's agree here and now we're not going to let any of that happen.
[ WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST A LITTLE - No. None of that. She can't relax, not really. She knows there are people who might want to live out their lives here. Who have their second chances - She'd found hers. She found a home she could do something for, wanted to do something for. She might not be able to turn her back on the people here as long as she was here - the children here - but that did not mean for a second she was letting herself relax, take it easy. ]
[ She twirls the dagger in hand and moves to replace it at her side - in her boot, really. For want of something to do to keep changed eyes away from him. A permanent change from what might as well feel like a permanent happening (no amount of confident words stop that dread). ]
[ She swallows something down. ]
We won't.
[ She agrees mildly, not lacking conviction, even if she adds: ] But I remember you being a hell of a lot better at speeches.
[ Steve's noted the change in Nebula's eyes, but he doesn't see a point in mentioning it and drawing attention to something that she finds uncomfortable. He's experienced a change too, though it's not something that's immediately obvious in most cases.
Her little tease does shock a laugh out of him, though. ]
Didn't think you'd be the kinda person who'd need a rousing speech, Nebula.
[ He smirks at her, then stands from the seat, sensing that it's time for them to move on. He does give her a pat on the shoulder as he stands, hopeful that little bit of camaraderie will be tolerated. ]
I'll try to make sure I have a good one prepped for next time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
— august nocwich
[ So it should go without saying that her going to Nocwich is a little unprecedented. She wouldn't go if she hadn't said she would. Nebula always keeps her word and this is — different. Although they'd all gone their separate ways several years ago now, Nebula still respects Steve. She still trusts him - even if she was more-or-less a member of Natasha's Avengers more than his. ]
[ Despite the way her memory tries to falter here, it's not a fact she forgets. And it's more than enough to get her out of her comfort zone. ]
[ Which is how and why she can be found in the corner partitioned table in Bad Sisters Tavern. It's not as discrete as Full Moon, but it's not exactly like she has money. And the quiet hum is more comforting than some place rowdy - she doubts either of them are interested in speaking there. She's early and, because of that, she spins a dagger in her hand to keep hands busy. ]
[ It's only when she sees his approach does she stop, placing the blade back away. ]
Well, you don't look like complete shit.
[ ... She means he doesn't look like he got sick, but look. It's a greeting? ]
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It's not often Steve gets to see some of his fellow Avengers in person, so he takes the chance when he can get it. And while the state of things in the Free Cities is still precarious, he does find the breathing room to step away for at least one of the days that Nocwich is open.
He steps into the Bad Sisters Tavern and is relieved to find that it's a fairly quiet space, especially for a spot where people come to get drinks. It has more of lounge or fine dining feel to it, and most of the areas are partitioned off from others from a calm and peaceful experience.
Yeah, it's no big surprise that Nebula picked this place.
He's surprised to see Nebula has a dagger out, knowing that weapons aren't exactly welcome here, but it seems like smaller handheld options are fine. His shield he can thankfully bring in without much more than a glance.
He huffs out at laugh at her greeting and shrugs as he moves to sit across from her. ]
I'd say I have the serum to thank for that, but none of the Summoned seemed to catch anything.
[ Which is the only reason he's here at all. He wouldn't have risked spreading the illness if he'd come down with something.
He nods to Nebula. ] How are things in Solvunn? [ He knows better than to ask her how she's doing. ]
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[ Nebula breathes the remark out through her nostrils, clearly not thinking the fact much of a coincidence at all. It's easy enough to assume that whatever the illness was it couldn't account for the various races the Summoned were - and maybe their humans were just different enough. Or maybe, and she tries not to let herself think about it, they were changing just as that stupid - what? - dream said. ]
[ She swallows it away, physically and mentally. Her mouth twitches, as if she's wagering what to say. ]
Their sheep are possessed and they continue to let them wander around.
[ Nailed it. Why is she so aggressive towards sheep?
IDK It's funny. She rolls her eyes, a much easier to display gesture now. ]Recovering. After they let us out they performed a ritual they hope will protect. The woman died and now there's a giant stormwall.
Guess thanks to it, they've got a steady fish supply.
[ Since the tornadoes had damaged so much of their crops and fish, it was going to be rough if they hadn't gotten something. Soon. ]
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Sheep... possessed? Steve blinks at that, head tilting to one side, but he realizes that this is just one of those weird Solvunn things and he can't question it too much. With how Nebula moves on, he assumes it's not all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Just weird. ]
... Wait, sorry, what? What woman died?
[ A protective wall is all well and good, and it sounds like they're taking precautions against Thorne, which is fair given how things have been progressing over there. But this is the first he's heard of a death. ]
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[ Her brows snap together in surprise. The fact it hadn't gotten around that there was such a weirdness going on... Feels strange. She doesn't think it's intentional, but much of the Summoned act like the nosy busybody types. ]
The center of their ritual, Winfred Bordeaux, sacrificed herself to finish the ritual.
[ A second passes before she adds crossly, as if she doesn't agree with the mere fact: ]
At least. Not one of them looked surprised when it happened.
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That's one of the elders, right?
[ He's pretty sure Wanda has mentioned her before.
And, well, he can't blame Nebula for that look. The idea of someone willingly sacrificing themselves to the gods' ritual (he assumes that's what it had been) doesn't sit well with him. Sure, he'd tried to sacrifice himself for the cause, and he's witnessed others succeed at it. Still...
This feels different. He gives a slow shake of his head. ]
Seems pretty extreme. If the gods start demanding lives to do what they do, seems like it could be a slippery slope, even if the people who do it are willing.
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[ Nebula agrees half-heartedly. She knows the names now, but lacks true knowledge of the Elders. A past self would be annoyed at her lack of information on a potential enemy and - mostly - she is. But she has no interest in getting closer to cult-followers than she already has. And the Elders, without a doubt, were those worst off. ]
They're willing. If they were told to abandon their homes because their sacred deity said so they would without a second thought.
[ It chews at her in a way she doesn't want to describe - but then... She lacked agency in so much of her life maybe it shouldn't be that unexpected. ]
If you ask me, they act like their lives are foreit to servitude of their master.
[ which... yeah, she certainly doesn't hide her distate to that concept. because she lived it, probably ]
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[ Steve averts his gaze for a few beats as he remembers what Josselyn and her cult did to them. It stopped being okay when others were hurt in the process, but the idea of people not acting in their own best interests for the sake of the gods also bothers him.
Even more so now that he has memories of being one of those gods. He'd never demanded sacrifices, he'd really only ever wanted to help, but he had also cast down judgments. His brow furrows as he glances back to Nebula. ]
And I'm guessing that as much as the Summoned are liked over there, they're not about to dial back on that faith just because you say so.
[ Life in Solvunn sounds so different from what Steve's everyday is like. It is nice to get a perspective from someone other than Wanda, too. ]
This storm wall, it's protecting you all from Thorne?
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[ Said with all the fierceness that she wouldn't doubt it would happen - that she feels it closer by the day. That itch remains. The circumstances are different, but she knows too well how little a life can mean if the thing you so desperately followed yielded it. Her sister died for such a thing. ]
[ She considers the knife - a cursory thing - and goes for the drink at hand instead. Taking a long gulp before answering. ]
We're like some sort of goddamned idols to them. Respected. Cared for. They might listen to us. Sometimes. But if their leaders say something - especially if their Gods - [ She mocks their words ] are the impetus behind it. That's all that matters.
[ And. She hates that, but those are the details in the words. She hasn't seen them do nearly enough to think the gods were all with their people in mind or worth as much as they're given. ]
... Supposedly. It's unlikely it's been tested.
[ She does not add the 'yet'. ]
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Steve isn't willing to just accept that future as some sort of guarantee, though. ]
It might still mean you all have some sort of bargaining power when push comes to shove. In the Cities, I'm pretty sure we're all pretty low on the pecking order, even those who are pretty well-known now.
[ Like Sam or Jaskier. Is Reiner really going to care what they have to say when it comes to her military decisions? Unlikely.
As for the wall that Solvunn sacrificed so much for, it remains to be seen what it might be able to do for them. Steve takes a sip from his own mug and sighs. ]
Hopefully Thorne has enough on their plate right now that they're not gonna bother trying.
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Dunno. I haven't been here long enough. I do know that those who don't fall in line with the ideals have a habit of... disappearing. They might just not want to find out what will happen to a Summoned.
[ Because at the end of the day, it's just the same. They may have some weird sacredity to them in Solvunn, but they're outsiders. Look how quickly they were all thrown and forced into that hole just a couple of months ago. If something happens, they'll be the first to be on the other end of it. ]
[ A metal finger taps the side of the cup as she muses. ]
We'll find out. One way or another. We need to prepare.
[ Which is a lot easier said than done when you're specifically in a place that promotes fake pacifism (in her opinion) and lacks in weapons. She doesn't think she has equipment there to change anything but even so she considers and before taking a drink offers her own means of preparation: ]
... I became one of Solvunn's representatives for the Summoned.
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Even now? I know that Josselyn's cult was behind some of those disappearances, but has it still been happening?
[ Or maybe Nebula means it a different way. Steve does know that there's a tertiary settlement where those who don't quite fit in with the commune's ways of life are sent. It hadn't surprised him to hear that Wanda had a soft spot for it, if it was a place for outcasts.
He does wonder at how Nebula intends to prepare when Solvunn has no real military force and is about to ask as much, but then she adds something, causing both his eyebrows to hike up. He takes a sip of his drink to process. ]
Didn't take you for the type. Did Rocket put you up to it? [ A beat, and then he adds: ] I've done it for the Free Cities Summoned before. It doesn't demand too much.
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[ The cult, she means. Sure, there was a pamphlet, but it's not even things really spoken about. It was only recently that she had really begun to hear about it. Her mouth twitches in thought. ]
It might not be the same, but there's definitely a sense you do the wrong thing and you'll be sent away. They're not as friendly to their own as they'd want you to believe if you step off their path.
[ Which... She can get why Wanda spends time there as well. Even she prefers the other settlement, though it does not remind her of their home. Speaking of that, her brows narrow at the look he gives her. Like he's skeptical of her claim - or of why she would. She might laugh about it, if she tried, but instead she snorts with a roll of her eyes. ]
Rocket can't put me up to shit.
[ Yes he can, but not about this. ]
On Knowhere. [ A beat. Does he even know what Knowhere is? Probably not, but it doesn't matter. ] Back home, we'd just rescued several thousand creatures. Most of them were children.
[ She chews on it, before adding: ] You're right. I'm not - wasn't the type, but someone's got to make a home for those children.
Let's just call this practice.
[ Because, as her tone says, she won't rest until she gets back. And it's the first time she's uttered this particular conviction. Not to return, but to ensure she could do what she could for Knowhere. She didn't want to be a leader, but what she wanted to do was protect those children. ]
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Still gotta stay in line, huh. Guess every territory has its downsides.
[ He wonders if Nebula would have preferred the Cities, but she would have earned a lot more attention for her robotic form there, so maybe not.
He doesn't make a comment either way about the Rocket statement, just hides his smile behind another sip of his drink. Soon after that, though, Nebula starts to explain the state of things back home, prior to her unexpected summoning, and Steve lowers his drink, his expression sobering.
Several thousand kids? ]
Rescued from where? [ His shoulders tense and his back straightens. He doesn't like the sound of this at all, though there is some relief in knowing the Guardians got these kids to safety. ] Must have been frustrating, getting dragged here in the middle of that.
[ Not that there's ever a good time. ]
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[ Startling few. She would never admit it, but in this way her father could be right. Half of the Guardians job is intervening in forces that troubled whole planets. They'd destroy themselves and it'd be too late. She thinks Solvunn would destroy itself if their gods demanded it and that's not a statement she's going to say now - here. ]
[ She drinks absently before shrugging a shoulder. ]
The High Evolutionary's ship. [ She knows, this too, isn't a full answer and her breath is more of a sigh than it's not (not at Steve, but at the statement she'd make next - her mouth a scowl): ] A maniac who thought himself a god because he claimed the creation of multiple civilizations and planets throughout the universe. He destroyed Counter-Earth in a show of power, because he could. Because it displeased him.
The children were his latest venture.
[ If Steve wanted to ask about Counter-Earth he could, but she doesn't think the Earth clone is all that relevant... Probably because she's not from Earth, but those are the details. Now that she's said it, her concentration is elsewhere. At the reminder of what she should be doing versus being trapped in this godsforesaken place. She swallows, voice low and quiet: ]
The longer I'm here the longer those children are without the help they need.
[ And really that's all that matters to her. Her being stuck isn't a problem. She'd deal with this stupid body. What she doesn't want to think about - doesn't want to deal with - is not knowing what will happen to them. ]
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Not that there's much he can do about that, either here or back home. He'd chosen a different path for himself, one that still doesn't sit right with him, but he doesn't need to get into all that now.
"A maniac who thought himself a god" is so typical to the same rants that Steve has heard time and time again (from Loki, from Ultron, from Thanos) that he can't help but make a face, his mouth twisting with disdain. It's just a different flavor of the same old thing, although the mention of "Counter-Earth" does draw a confused look out of him. He wants to ask, of course, but then Nebula admits to her concern about the kids she left behind and he has to address that first. ]
From everything we've been able to learn from people going home and coming back, you at least don't have to worry about them being without you. Time basically stops back home, and if you make it back there you should be able to pick up where you left off. So... there's that.
[ He's also concerned about what she means by "latest venture," but forcing her to recount whatever this High Evolutionary tried to do to these kids seemed unnecessary. What mattered is that they'd been rescued. ]
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Even if that's the case -
[ And in some ways it sounds way too convenient to be true. ] We both had the same visions.
I do not want to be trapped living my life here when there is something else I must be doing.
[ Because, she does not fault those who have no home to get back to for being attached. She blames her own soft heart for caring for a small number of people. She knows - has the feeling - that even Rocket has come to peace with being here. She can't, because there was one thing she'd promised Gamora. There was one task she had decided to do in her heart, had spoken now, and she doesn't want to accept a life where she can't do that. ]
I won't become the person they envisioned.
wrap this soon?
And just thinking too hard on that is bound to break his brain a little. ]
I'm with you there, believe me.
[ He still has those memories, as much as he's tried to push them to the side. And while Nebula had become a more carefree person in her godhood, there's no changing the fact that it hadn't been her, not really. ]
If there's something that stopping Thanos taught us, it's that nothing is set in stone, right? [ Not even the present. He eyes Nebula across the table and nods firmly. ] So, let's agree here and now we're not going to let any of that happen.
wrap it!!
[ She twirls the dagger in hand and moves to replace it at her side - in her boot, really. For want of something to do to keep changed eyes away from him. A permanent change from what might as well feel like a permanent happening (no amount of confident words stop that dread). ]
[ She swallows something down. ]
We won't.
[ She agrees mildly, not lacking conviction, even if she adds: ] But I remember you being a hell of a lot better at speeches.
[ (This is teasing) ]
🎀
Her little tease does shock a laugh out of him, though. ]
Didn't think you'd be the kinda person who'd need a rousing speech, Nebula.
[ He smirks at her, then stands from the seat, sensing that it's time for them to move on. He does give her a pat on the shoulder as he stands, hopeful that little bit of camaraderie will be tolerated. ]
I'll try to make sure I have a good one prepped for next time.