16120/Stabbed It All

Stabbed It All
Date of Scene:	19 October 2023
Location:	Recreation Lounge: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Two women talk about life, progress, and finding one's own path when one of them has forever ahead of her.
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, Rien D'Arqueness

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Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It's a quiet evening over in the Triskelion. A group had just returned from a strike mission and had been debriefed. Whatever the purpose of the mission was, it had been a relative success. The team even had enough energy left to come to the recreation room to use it for it's intended purpose rather than collapsing down in the barracks or going out to drink themselves to a stupor at the Swordfish.

Those aren't Natasha Romanova's style, however. She's currently reading various news reports coming up - related to the 'offer' that the reigning monarch of Latveria has made to Genosha.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Since there's no emergency being responded to, RIen doesn't try for the more invasive portal into the Triskelion, instead simply showing up at the front door, flashing her Consultant's badge and going through the usual process before wandeirng her way towards the rec lounge. Blinking as she enters the room, there's the faint appearance of a smile sketching briefly across her face at the sight of the team unwinding. She doesn't join them, however, instead drawn towards the tv and the report on Latveria and Genosha.

"That man really needs a better PR agent... he can be very eloquent when he wants to, but he has no patience for publicity." Rien gives a small shake of her head, then glances to Natasha, "What do you think?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance over at Rien, "I'd much rather not have to deal with them at all." Best to leave Doom to his own little corner of the world and let those that deal best with him handle it. Which means Richards. And Superman. "It's politics. I'm not sure for who's sake though." She would muse.

"I'd imagine that the Queen.." She means Lorna Dane. "Wants to keep safe the mutatns and is happy to give them a haven. I'm not sure who Doom's intended audience is however. It's nto enough of a broad political statement to garner a large amount of media attention, it's not aimed at things internally.." By that she means in Latveria - not that they would ever know. Doom kept a solid lid on the country.

"My best guess is some sort of separate negotiation with Genosha."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mmm.. I'm not sure Dane's motives are any better than Doom's. But then, I question anyone's motives that wants to be 'above' their own people." Rien shakes her head and lets out a breath, "Doom is trying to change the optics on his country, but I don't think he has the patience to keep up with it long enough for anyone's opinion to truly change." Lifting a shrug, she moves to settle into a chair, "But then, as long as the people in the country are happy, is it really anyone else's business?"

She glances towards Natasha, "I'm also quite certain that Doom will be getting something from the release that isn't being made public. Possibly something embarrassing for Dane.. perhaps something embarrasing to them both." Her eyes shift back to the tv and she quirks a faint smile, "Either way, I'm all for the release of anyone that doesn't want to be where they are."

"How are things around here? Quiet? I haven't heard any apocalyptic rumbles lately, I consider that a win..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Rien, "Essentially. That which is an internally handled situation.." That's more for the Xavier's crowd to have to deal with than SHIELD, unless it becomes a SHIELD problem. In which case there is an island nation with however many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of mutants there.

"But yes, the important things are that the individuals are free and in a better state." Though, having not seen the profiles of the ones that Doom was sending.. Not that necessarily they'd have access to them.

"From his profile, the man seems to care little about presentation and blackmail. But, if it becomes relevent then Pietro will let us know."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"It will be interesting to see if they remain 'free and in a better state' once they reach Genosha..." Rien cants her head to one side, curiosity in that blue gaze briefly. Her nose twitches and she glances towards the others in the room, then back to Natasha, "The one with the brown hair and bandage on his neck should see a medical team. He has a.. sickly-sweet scent to his sweat that usually indicates an imbalance somewhere. Sometimes diabetes, sometimes it's a kidney issue."

Clearing her nose with a small snort, she shakes her head, "He doesn't, not personally... but he cares what people are saying about his country as a leader. It reflects poorly on him, after all." Rien shrugs and smiles, "He's intriguing. I'm looking forward to conversing with him again."

Glancing to Nat, she adds, "I think I will try to be more involved in SHIELD, if that's alright. Consulting is nice and all, but I miss fieldwork."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to consider and nod, "And makes you wonder what exactly type that Doom is sending them. By reputation, at lesat, he makes up a pretense of treating his population fairly well and they're loyal to him. So if they were true dissidents, he wouldn't be releasing them so easily. So if he considers them troublemakers.." Well, this was making some rather large leaps of logic into a rather vague situation that they knew nothing on and wasn't their affair anyways, being an internal political matter of two countries recognized by the United Nations.

"Pass it along to whomever is in charge of his medical regimen and have them look into it." Before smirking ever so lightly. "Few call the man interesting, but I'll grant that he is. And you're talkinga bout wanting an official position wtih us or just some more consistent use of you?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Makes me wonder if Dane sent them in in the first place... and if so, what their purpose was once there. Were they spies? Saboteurs? All possibilities are interesting." Rien muses aloud before looking to Nat with a faint smile, "All pure speculation of course. But then, such vague announcements tend to breed speculation, don't you think? Might well work against his intended results." She's not truly associated with either country, or really any country, so she perhaps feels a level of safety in that anonymity.

"I'll do that, kidney damage is insidious... and potentially deadly. I'm sure he wants to live a healthy life." Rien glances over to Nat and shrugs, "He might not be a *good* man, but he's certainly interesting. And very well-spoken." She shakes her head slightly, "I'm not sure I'd be eligible for an official position, but I wouldn't mind being put to more use. I know you generally call on me for magical threats, but I'm my father's daughter, too."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would rub her temples, "I don't think that Dane has that level of subtlety. At least not by her file. She doesn't have the training to consider that sort of thing. Neither does Pietro have that particular inclination. That's more Mystique's style. Or Magnus'." They were spitballing at this point, but it lead to some brainstorming often.

"if you wanted it, you'd fit in quite well." It was SHIELD. They had Hellboy and Detective Chimp. "the position is there if you want it. However, that means dealing with bureaucracy, command, and regimentation."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Dane might not be, but she surely has advisors. People that offer insight.. that could suggest things like infiltration or the like. Besides, people are capable of coming up with idiot ideas all on their own. For all we know, she saw a spy movie and thought it would be a good idea. That would explain how the team got caught.. if they're just following a movie plot, Doom would sniff that out in a heartbeat." She lifts a shrug and quirks a faint smile, "If I had a nickel for every time I came across someone that was trying to do something complex and dangerous based on the plot of a show, movie, or some other pop culture medium..."

Offering a wry glance towards Nat, she murmurs, "Can you really see me sitting at a desk, typing up a report? Besides, if I were an actual agent, then I would have to watch my *every* action, and that could be problematic. Whatever I did would be vieweed through a government lense."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "Well, if they were spies, they'd have had something public done to them. At least from his profile, Doom isn't the type to stand for that sort of thing. There'd be no releasing them, just some sort of extravagant public statement." The man was rather grandiose, at least by reputation.

"And reports are a necessarily evil. Where else do you think people will find dusty tomes in the future telling them how to avert some menace from past history if not for them?" She would do a rare snark.

"It's not that bad. SHIELD's mandate is through NATO. Director Fury gives a.. Great deal of latitude so long as there are results that come in and most of the world tends to defer to him."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mmmmmmmmmm, not if they found something... and got it back to Dane before they were caught. In that case, Doom wouldn't denounce the infiltrators for fear of Dane's response. He might hold them, quietly, until negotiations between the two of them lead to the vague but benevolent announcement we got today. Extradition of 'minor criminals' to their homeland as a benevolent gesture towards mutant kind... not a bad way to curry some quick favor among a people. And in return, Dane gives Doom back whatever was found? Or at least doesn't reveal it." Rien smiles faintly, "Should be interesting to see how things unfold after this."

Startled into a lugh, she shakes her head and clears her throat, "Sorry.. just.. you've shed new light on how to view some of those 'dusty old tomes' that I have kicking around. Very nice, I'll have to read them through again with the eye of seeing them as mission reports."

Nodding, Rien looks at Nat and offers, "And some of those things occasionally need to be done on an 'unofficial' basis or before permission is given. That's easier to do with someone like me.. I have no official affiliations to any organization or country, I don't even officially exist... I can operate outside the boundaries of what NATO might allow."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would smile over ever so slightly. "There is a reasoning to the madness. We might not get all of it.. But, somewhere down the far, far future timelines where an ancient evil has conquered the world, someone will treasure the procedural form you filled out in triplicate, took several different signatures on to file, found you put it through the system wrong, an dhve to start over again a half dozen times or so. You'll never know it but the appreciation will be there."

She would nod and listen. "And that is the other beneift of remaining a consultant. To have that level of freedom adn not be obligated to respond to every circumstance that you may get called in for. There are benefits to it. However, there are also drawbacks as you do not necessarily have access, reinforcements, or the ability to effectively share information or alerts. There is only so far the unoffiical network can press."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Oh.. I'll know. I'll still be there. Probably using a different name, and snickering to myself over people deifying all the menial reports filed centuries ago on antiquated systems that are then akin to what stone tablets are to us now. I'll look forward to it." Rien lifts a small shrug and leans back, hooking an arm over the back of the chair, "Maybe I'll even try to be the one that keeps the files safe for future generations."

Chuckling softly, she gives a small nod and offers, "I'm less concerned about reinforcements or technology.. but I'd like to be a bit more.. involved. Time has a way of hanging heavy on one's hands when there's a lot of it. Finding useful ways of filling it gets increasingly difficult."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would lean back over, "Well, there are other benefits as well to going official. Your. . Extracurricular monitors are rather bureaucratic, and prefer extensive followups and checkins. They have a very.. Exhausting network for mechanics, followups, and procedural handling. They do not, however, have one thing that you can hopefully get if you do decide to go official in some capacity."

Then she smiles over ever so a little sadistically "Lawyers."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mmmmmm... I have to admit, I owe them, though. They didn't have to let me stay. Not sure if they could actually erase me, but I'd just as soon not find out. Maybe in a few more centuries, when I'm egregiously old and bored with everything." Rien blinks, then shrugs and offers a faint smile towards Natasha, giving out a small snort and brief grin, "Ah, yes. Lawyers. I don't know, there's something.. freeing.. about not existing in any official sense. I'm finally my own person." She chuckles and adds, "Besides, nobody can issue an extradition order for me if I don't exist."

Shaking her head, she looks to Nat, "I'd like to help out more, but I'm not sure I'm ready to... belong.. like that."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over and fold her hands together, "Of course. Ultimately, you are the one that decides for yourself what is best. You're the one that can decide what's the best way for you to pursue what is necessary. And you likely do have more leeway outside of the system rather than a part of it." There were ultimately advantages to being out of touch, not being beholden to anyone..

That was, perhpas, when the cell structure that made the Widow program break down so many had gone mercenary.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"It isn't just that... I mean.. I imagine you have more of an idea about this than most but... it's difficult to make connections with people. Especially when they live such short lives..." Rien lets out a breath and purses up her lips, then shakes her head. "I am.. functionally immortal. I don't know if I can die, I know I was made to live forever. It's going to be a very, *very* long life. That makes it difficult to form lasting bonds."

Looking towards the others, she murmurs, "I've been trying to find others that are.. long-lived. But we do tend to hide very well. It isn't easy."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to fold her hands together, "The largest issues are not with the way you live your life. It's about how you manage it. There are a great many beings who do not age, or do not on a scale that that for the rest of us is unfathomable. The issue is with the mind. For most sentients there is a limitation to how long they can live before they have too many memories, too many experiences and they psychologically break down. There is a reason why some races live on scales of eons and others but a few decades. IT is not in what they are but how they think and perceive."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lifts a shrug and offers, "And I don't know which I belong to at this point. As a mutant, I know my father has gone through that psychological breakdown before, many times. But I'm also homo magi.. and they.. they can do exactly that. Live on a longer, grander scale. But I'm still fairly young on that scale, so it may take time to adjust." She smiles faintly and lifts both hands, "I'm either an exceptionally old mutant with too many memories.. or an exceptionally young immortal still struggling to come to terms with it."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "It's all about psychological processing. I'm guessing as a.. Homo magi, your mind is well suited for an extended lifespan." She's somewhat blase on the concept of immortality. "And you adjust in your own way. The question is ahead of you.. What do you want to do with your life? It's one that you'll figure out as you go along."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Well, that's why I try to do more to help out. I want to help. But.. I'll outlive SHIELD just like I outlived the BPRD and WAND... it's strange." Rien lifts a shrug and shakes her head, "But. At least for now... I'll be more available to SHIELD. And if things go well, perhaps I'll request full time membership. I think we should make sure that I'll... fit in.. with the rest of the agents before I go leaping into a commitment, hm? Make sure that I can work well in a team." She smiles faintly, "I'm still my father's daughter, after all. And even he struggles with the various groups he's been part of."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "You have awhile before that's an issue. Decades, centuries.. And a large number of things ahead of you which may or may not factor into things." Rien might not even still be in this world that far ahead after all. "I think that you're overthinking it a bit. Everything looks so far ahead that you're focused and contemplative of what will be. And you've gone through an extended time and you're focused on what has happened and what will. And that makes everything coming ahead seem much more important than what is here now."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien pauses and looks at Natasha for a long moment before letting out a small 'heh' and quirking a faint half-smile, "So what you're saying is... I need to live in the present and let the future unfold a bit more before I start worrying about long-term plans?" Giving a nod, she lets out a breath, "You may have a point. I should let a few more centuries pass before I start making far-reaching plans." Straightening, she glances around, "I still think it would be prudent to make sure I won't rub too many people the wrong way before offering me a full job with SHIELD.. and it will give me time to adapt to tema tactics. I was bred and born to be a solo fighter, it will take a little time to adapt."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "Yes. You've only been around.. One century? Two? Your perspective will change as to what is necessary in the future. Don't presume to grasp the path you will have taken on by then or what your perspective will entail. There's a common thing amongst children in this time. They have tos tart planning thier lives far ahead. What education they want, what preparation they need, what vocation they will pursue.. Long, long before they're ready to figure it out. Why spend the first half of your life figuring out what you want to do for the rest of it? Vary your experiences. Attempt things to get things to help broaden your horizons and your perspective for wht will come ahead. have them before you're too settled in to your path and do not have that window to change it."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mmmmmmm... 124 years.. I should celebrate a milestone next year." Rien chuckles softly and gives a nod. She tips her head back and glances up to the ceiling, "The first part of my life... all I knew was training and fighting and magic. That was my purpose. I existed to fight and banish a particular demon.. forever. When we subverted that by caging the demon, my portal lead me here and my timeline collapsed behind me. When I got here... I had to be careful with what I did, the TVA watched me, making sure I wouldn't subvert this timeline's fate. I finally got okayed by them two years back. Since then it's just been figuring out what I'm going to do with my life."

Nodding, she tips her head back upright and offers, "Like I said... I'd like to be of more help. I think I could be a good asset for SHIELD. But I'm also going to see if there's others that could use me. And they may not be as.. scrupulous.. as SHIELD. So probably best to keep me as a consultant until I figure out which is going to be the best fit."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Rien, "It's not about help. Yuo will do it no matterw hat you do. But.. If you do for now choose to do things on your own and not ot work in groups.. Then that will be the only path you have, that you know, however many decades, centuries.. Or however far ahead it is. Because you do not know any other way. The TVA can be dealt with and managed. But the things you do now will chart not your course but the possibilities for it. Because your experience will help define the choices you make, the opportunities you have, and what you see."
She would fold them on her lap. "And we will accept your help inw hatever way you deem fit best. A consultant is quite effective for now. IT also saves you having to deal with some of the.. Eccentricities in WAND."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, Rien shakes her head, "Eccentricities don't worry me. Being able to function as a person... that worries me. I've never been one before." She lifts a shrug, "Maybe I should ask Logan for some pointers. He always seems to figure it out. Eventually. Besides, I think he'd get a kick out of dispensing advice to one of his." There's a faint smile and she gives a nod, "But yes, I think consultant for now. And just.. call on me when you need an extra pair of boots on the ground. I may not know people.. but fighting? I think it's safe to say I'm an expert there."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "He's the best. He's family to you. Him and his extended kin. They can give you a perspective the rest of us can't. And a level of experience and familiarity. And we'll be in touch when we need you or pass along something. What you do is important. But.. There's enough individuals looking to protect this planet and region of space that you can be allowed to put some time aside to figure out what you're like as a.. Person over other things for a bit."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mm, not sure how much time I'll spend around the school, but Logan I can do. I have no frame of reference for teenagers. Better to wait.. I got his temper along with his mutant abilities." Rien offers a quick half smile and chuckles softly. "Having one Logan there is more than enough, I'm sure." She shakes her head, "That's part of the problem. I have too MUCH time on my hands. It leads to things like this... where I spiral into the rabbit hole of my own thoughts and someone else has to break me out of them. I need something to help take some of the time OFF my hands."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance over at Rien, "There area number of things you could do. There's something that according to popular culture is called a Walkabout. W ander the world. Have no goal in mind. Go wherever your feet take you. Not quite that isolationist.. But as you said, you need things to do or you'll let yourself be consumed over by your contemplation."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"People go walkabout when they don't have time and decide to take it by choice. I have the time, and I've wandered the world. Natasha, I've been here since 1944. I've been all over this globe. I've been on walkabout since I arrived. I had to be, I wasn't allowed to be where Logan was, to ensure his future would unfold as it was meant to." She shakes her head and pushes up to her feet, "This is where I want to be. I just have to find something to *do*."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over and lean back, "Well, I can offer ideas, but they're ones that you've already tried and thought of. And the one ultimately that is best suited to figure things out is yourself, not what anyone else suggests." She would muse for a moment. "But perhaps you might try and find someone with a similar perspective and experiences to start with. That is.. Not your immediate family."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"You mean.. someone else long-lived? Or someone else that's from another version of Earth? I am looking. They aren't easy to find. We don't exactly tend to trumpet it about." She lifts a shrug, "As with everything... it will take time. And I have plenty of it to spend." Chuckling softly, she nods, "And.. I'd like to do this again. Perhaps without the existential discussion. I'll swing by again, let you know how things go with Doom. We can theorize more on his plans, or what's happening between Latveria and Genosha."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "Both. There are a few around. Some at.. The location that the one that you are familiar with stays.. Some with the Avengers.. Others spread throughout the world. That have the perspectives of long life and expeirence, and different origins. I might suggest if you're looking for those that are long lived and know peace to start with the Themyscirans."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Thank you, I'll do that. They have an Embassy, I think. I should probably start there..." Rien gives a nod and purses up her lips, "And they're female warriors familiar with magic... might not be a bad idea to make some friends." She chuckles, "If nothing else, they'll understand." Looking back to Natasha, she murmurs, "I've run into Asgardians.. well.. one of them anyways. He was.. interesting. I may seek out some of them as well. Not, mind, that I think of myself as a god. Big or little g."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over, "Well, I'm sure that if you go to the Asgardians they'll debate things iwth you, with a brawl and then some ale afterwords. Presuming you're still conscious after both, they'll engage you in a philosophical discussion. The Themyscirans will be more contemplative. All can give you guidance, but yu'll hvae to come up with your own answers."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, she nods, "Both sound good, actually. For different reasons, of course. But you'd be surprised how much a good brawl can help." She dips her head towards Natasha, "Thank you again. I'll be around, should you need me. For now, I'll let you get back to it." Turning, she starts off.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "But of course. Take care. And may your journey find you some things to distract you away from your pondering." That conversation done, Natasha is going back to news reports and data scanning. She's long past the point in her life where she had time to find new directions.