16503/Universal Remote(ly located)

Universal Remote(ly located)
Date of Scene:	06 December 2023
Location:	Carol Danver's Rural House
Synopsis:	Carol's a lumberjack and she's... got a living universe appearing out of thin air! Carol and Singularity reconnect. And someone teaches a living universe the joys of cocoa and marshmallows.
Cast of Characters:	Carol Danvers, Singularity

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Carol Danvers has posed:
It's not every day Carol Danvers gets out to her homestead. It's not even every second day. Or week. Honestly, she's been venmoing a neighbor like fifty bucks a month to drop by now and then and make sure the place hasn't collapsed, burnt down, or been occupied by HYDRA, and make sure the water pipes haven't frozen. But sometimes the call for solitude's just too much to ignore, and flying out into space is a little too dramatic.

Also, the firewood won't chop itself. And there's something comfortingly reassuring about rote and routine busywork. In a more introspective mood, Carol would be contemplating the rhythm and pace of military duty and its similarity to the rhythm of placing a log on the chopping block and then striking it with the woodsplitter. But that's the whole point of woodchopping, getting into the rhythm and ignoring those complicated thoughts and feelings.

Meditating. Getting intot he rhythm and meditating. Who's avoiding their emotional health? Shut up, that's who.

And so the rhythm continues. Place, aim, chop, toss. Over and over, Carol seemingly unbothered by the dropping mercury in the thermometer in a faded grey USAF t-shirt and jeans, huffing out a breath and pausing with the woodsplitter laid across her shoulders as she lets her gaze drift towards the lake, rhythm broken, thoughts worryingly close to becoming active, focused... the very opposite of the point of wood chopping. She definitely needs a distraction.

Singularity has posed:
Ever since Singularity arrived... or rather, sort of returned to the universe known as Heroes Assembled, the young universe has been on the look out for a few signals of those that were the nearest and dearest to her in the world she inhabited. A world that was disassembled. A world that was lost.

Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk - Give. Forgive. Bravery, strength, fairness. She was the first one she found and reconnected with and counts her dearly to this day.

Alison Blaire (Thor) - her smile. Taught her to laugh and question everything.
Queen Medusa - taught her what it was to lead. And to sacrifice. Probably the one she will cry about when she finally meets her.
Nico Minrou - Feel. She taught her what it is to love.

And Carol Danvers - Fight. Resilence. Never give up. When she feels her familiar pattern, the young universe /perks/ immediately. She tries to temper her excitement, reminding herself from Jennifer that they do NOT remember her as she remembers them. But, regardless. She has to try.

As Carol is chopping away at her feelings, above her, a small blue blip comes into existance. It starts to widen, swirling like a whirlpool of periwinkle as it expands and grows. As it becomes large enough to fit a person through -- she arrives.

All stars and smiles, the sentient universe giving a human form comes through the portal. "Friend! Carol!" comes her enthusiatic cry as she descends towards her. "You're safe!" For this, she seems exceedingly happy, but she stops herself short of throwing her arms around Carol's neck and greeting her with a hug. One, she's learned that she needs permission to do that. Two, Carol has an axe and she doesn't know how to react. "Hello! I am Singularity! I am a singularity! We knew each other. Once."

Carol Danvers has posed:
It takes a certain amount of... super heroic experience to know how to react to a living universe blipping into existence at your country home. Or at least, a certain amount of deadpan humor and willingness to accept that with Great Power comes Great Unusualness. And also responsibility.

Really, it's a bit of a moment of personal growth for Carol not to flare with cosmic energy in response to the figure approaching. Heck, she doesn't even keep a hold on the axe, letting it cut into the wood block with a solid THUNK and then doing a few slow stretches... that'd be that responsibility part. Just in case.

Still, Singularity's flying in with enthusiasm and speed that doesn't ring of hostility even before Carol registers that smile. Lips press into a thin, thoughtful line for a moment, cool gaze intent, measured... but that thin line of lips is really to fight back a grin at the sheer infectious cheer.

There's a slow breath as Carol nods her head slowly, "I... uh... reeeecently? I haven't got the best memory but I mean... I don't think it's so bad I'd forget..." She trails off, hand gesturing at the living universe vaguely.

Carol lets that uncertainty hang until she sighs out a low breath, "You look tense... were you going to hug me?" It's not really an /accusatory/ tone, but there's a /certainty/ in that tone. She sighs out and smiles lopsidedly, a brief crack in that serious demeanor, "I think you might need to explain some of this... like... you knew /me/ me? Alternate universe me? Future me?" Already her brow furrows, "...Do you like cocoa? I think we're going to need some cocoa."

Singularity has posed:
Carol is one of the few, very few people, that could actually HURT Singularity, so she is wary for a moment, but relaxes when she realizes that she is not going to have to start blipping away to dodge energy blasts.

"Six years ago. After I saw you fight Alien Alliance Invasion." comes the explanation. "But was not here." The young universe starts to play one of her hands in her hair, she always liked it when Nico played with her hair and she finds comfort in it now.

"I have had coffee but not cocoa!" comes the cheerful response to Carol's question on a drink. "Was going to hug. But Jennifer said I needed to ask permission to hug." With that explanation, she lets out a breath. "I am happy to see you. Even if you are not same Carol. You remind me of her. And I miss her. Can explain inside."

Carol Danvers has posed:
There's a brief pinch to Carol's lower lip of her teeth, a soft little tug as her eyes roll up, searching her memory, like she's sure she should /remember/ the Alien Alliance Invasion, but it's not quite ringing a bell and she's willing to bet it's her memory's fault, not this sparkling girl making up stories.

It at least lets her hide the reflexive urge to smile at the younger woman toying with her own hair. Yeah... this is definitely not a Kree trap, way too sugary adorable for that... probably. If anything, the admission she /hasn't/ had cocoa is a surprise to Carol. She really figured her hunch was right on her being a cocoa fan.

She nods her head once, not quite sharp, but... curt, simple. Right. Inside. "Well, you can explain while the water heats up and... hm, coffee's good too... just... they both have their charms. And yes, getting permission to hug is definitely important. Especially when you're dealing with... people who you know that don't know /they/ know you..." Her face twists a little thoughtfully, "At least I think that's something Kara said once when we were discussing the finer points of living in a universe with yourself from another universe."

And then Carol's crooking her finger to beckon Singularity along and heading into the house and directly to the kitchen to get the kettle going... and silently thanking her foresight in paying that neighbor to keep things tidied up, so there's not a layer of dust all over. Boy, wouldn't /that/ have been galling?

Singularity has posed:
To be fair, Singularity looks more than a little concerned when Carol doesn't seem to remember the big invasion she had bore witness to. It was the event that inspired her to find a world where she could be a heroine, after all.

But when Carol crooks her finger for her to follow, she gets closer to the ground, but doesn't touch, instead barely inches off the ground, she hoves forward, following Carol into the house. "Yes. It is a lesson I have learned. I now ask for hug after I explain. Or if they are new friend. I like making friends." she admits as she crosses the threshold, and her arms fold across her stomach as she looks around.

"Looks cozy. But not lived in." But then her eyes fall on the family pictures and she *blips* over, a lightning fast teleport. "This is you when you were little like me!" she announces happily. "Cute!"

It takes her a few moments to get back on task, but when she finally does, she comes over to join Carol in the kitchen. She takes a seat in one of the chairs and folds her hands in front of her as she crosses her legs, sitting in a rather feminine pose. Clearly observed that plenty! "I have existed. Since I do not know. Always known I existed. In what you call 2012, I discovered this universe. It was fascinating, watching heroes. Watching their struggles. Their victories. And the next year, the Aliens invaded and so many showed their courage, driving back the attack. Liberating this world. I wanted to be part of it. It took me two years to form as this..." a gesture over her human form. "And when I came to join. To be part of. It had changed. No longer this world." She pauses there to let Carol catch up.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol's fighting grins the entire time as she nods her head, "Well, that's a good lesson to pick up. I'm pretty sure once I've got my bearings here I'll let you get a hug. It's just... a lot to take in. I mean, already... for one thing, I don't hang out with many... walking starfields." She clicks her tongue and shakes her head slowly, "It's... definitely a look."

She looks around the house and lets out a little sigh, "Yeah, I'm mostly in space or I just grab some shuteye at the mansion in the city. I mean, complimentary breakfast is... a really tough deal to beat."

She tenses a little as the family photos are admired, only to exhale slowly and smile with a ghost of something a touch forlorn, "Awww, thanks. And look at me now! All grown up and tall and stuff."

But that brief moment of sadness is washed away by another routine, mugs, cocoa mix, mini marshmallows... all the requirements for a seasonal treat.

Eyebrows perk, furrow, Carol goes through a whole /range/ of expressions, from confusion to curiosity to understanding, giving a small nod and murmuring out, "Okay, so you were... watching our universe, and now you're /in/ our universe and..." She clears her throat and groans softly, "Well... wait, are you like, omniscient? Were you watching all of us /all/ the time at once?" There's a brief pause as Carol pours hot water into mugs and stirs, only to go wide-eyed, "Wait! No! Don't answer that. That's one of those... can't be unanswered questions. I'm just going to assume you didn't see everything everywhere all the time and... yeah. Yeah." She seems to consider the cocoa for a moment before adding five marshmallows to each mug and sliding Singularity's over with a wry grin. "Here. Cocoa. It's good." She pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment, "Okay, so you saw us up until 2012... oh! /The/ alien invasion... I didn't realize we had a name for it... and... yeah, you decided to come here but it took... time and... okay, I think I get it... kind of."

Singularity has posed:
"I am a singularity." Singularity reiterates. "You called me 'Blue'." And she was about to answer the question on her existance, when Carol stops her from answering. Though she does offer a little. "Only in broad view. Cannot do that now. Can sense those I have been close to. Friends." comes the explanation, as she tries to set Carol's mind at ease.

But then she turns back to the subject at hand. "The one known as the Beyonder had changed reality. You would not know of it. Has since been reversed. The world I arrived in was called 'Arcadia'. I was found by Nico. The world was watched over by Doom -- he was omnipotent there. Nico took me to her friends. Jennifer. Medusa. Alison. You. We went on adventures. We had fun. We were A-Force." Which may sound like 'a force' to Carol, but she means it as A-Force.

"Then war got worse. Loki invaded with Thors. Lots of Thors. Even Alison became a Thor. In the midsts of the invasion. They invaded. Zombies. Zombie shark. They were going to hurt everyone."

And for a girl that is usually very cheerful and peepy, she looks forlon and sad for a moment. "Nico had taught me to love. Medusa taught me to give. Alison taught me to smile. You taught me to fight." she says quietly. "And Jennifer taught me to forgive. She led. And. It is why I knew what to do." What looks like a star travels down her cheek, a shooting star, but the way it moves, one could swear it was a tear leaving her eye.

"I gathered all the undead. Took them away. Exploded. I moved to another dimension. Had to recover. Took time. When I came out? World gone. This world back. I came here. I wanted to see my friends again. And you are the second one I found." She sips from her cocoa and smiles. "This is good!" she offers, pepping back up -- even if she has a marshmallow and cocoa moustache!

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol exhales slowly and bobs her head, "Okay, so one of those... big /big/ change things." Her shoulders slump a little, like the idea that all of reality was reorganized instead of just /her/ memories is a relief. But hey, have people tinker with your memories enough and it really is a relief that no one did it again.

She smiles crookedly and shakes her head slowly, "Of /course/ I called you Blue. I mean, you're... quite blue. And I'm really creative."

Eyebrows lift and she hums out, "Alison? Like... Blaire? Alison 'Everyone's favorite pop star' Blaire? ...Did I make a crack about how now she was into heavy metal?"

And then that story goes on and Carol finds herself cupping her mug tightly, breathing slow, deep, eyes not /quite/ glowing. Because if she knew who to find for what this poor girl's gone through? Well, she'd put on another lesson in fighting. Well, maybe not fighting. Asskicking though.

Instead she slowly settles her mug down and bites her lower lip achingly tight, drawing another breath and exhaling sharply. "Well, you're here now Blue. And it's nice to... meet you. Remeet you." She can't hold back the smile at that moustache of cocoa and marshmallow fluff, "Yeah, it's the best part of winter. And... hey, if you want that hug, I think you've earned a few."

Singularity has posed:
"That Alison! Dazzler. Dazzler Thor. She was very heavy metal!" Singularity takes it literally, but when Carol calls her Blue, Singularity pauses. She takes several moments to settle back in. But the way the cosmos swirls around within her, Carol can tell that she struck something.

Fortunately, as far as anyone knows, there's no inhabited galaxies inside of her. There could be, but noone has gone exploring yet.

She uses her tongue, the light blue color of that to clean off her lip. And she was just about to take another drink. But... hug. She said it was okay for a hug! The girl sets down the mug and she is quickly moving to Carol. Her arms swing around Carol's neck and she presses herself to Captain Marvel, a soft sob escaping from her.

As close as she is, Carol can feel that she's cool to the touch. Not cold, but as Carol has been in space - she feels like that. No volume or mass - she's cool. And she smalls of space. Raspberries and rum.

"Thank you." she whispers.

Carol Danvers has posed:
There's a brief moment of uncertainty in Carol when she watches the poor girl swirl and tense and... oh boy. This is the part of... well, /life/ that she's never that certain on. Put a Kree battlecruiser in front of her. A Mad Titan. Goose staring that one particular stare out the window at a Corgie get together in the park outside Avengers mansion... those she can handle. (The Goose situation is the trickiest one).

And Carol's pretty sure she messed up there.. but... no! Whew. Heavy. That was heavy.

Which is a contrast to the girl who latches onto her and finds herself getting a hug back. So very light! ...Which is probably for the best. Carol's not doing the math in her head on the theoretical mass of a universe, but... 'not huggable' seems like the ballpark.

Carol exhales slowly again, eyes closing, lips quirking in a ghost of a smile. "No problem. Welcome home. ...I mean, uhh... like, in the universe. I don't mean you have to like... stay out here in the boondocks. ...Wait, where /are/ you living?"

Singularity has posed:
When Carol gives the signal to let go, Singularity bounces away and returns to the table and her cup because she wants some more of that sweet cocoa action. Carol may also realize that she's space. So yeah. No clothes. Not that she seems to be bothered by that.

As she retakes her seat and sips from her mug again, and her attention turns to the question presented to her.

"I live in myself?" she suggests, a press of her lips. "Can just turn in on myself and *blip* out." That's her explanation and she's sticking to it.

"Or I just show up and stay wherever. My friend. Gothic Lolita. She had me stay with her one night. Make sure I'm safe. I am safe." she explains. For the rest of the drink? She just kinda absorbs it all by osmosis through the membrane around her body.

"Cocoa!" she announces happily.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol's got a very galactic outlook. Or, at least, between journeying through space, and being on both of Earth's premiere super teams at different points, she's used to levels of attiring from nothing to Hulkbuster armor. Sometimes you just deal with figuring out how a living universe dresses by /not/ figuring it out. Go with the flow.

Plus, that task-oriented Air Force training lets her focus on more pressing issues, like sipping cocoa to snag another marshmallow before the heat and liquid reduces them to purely melted goo, while they're in the optimum soft-squishy zone.

Eyebrows perk and Carol deadpans. "Huh. That's gotta save on rent. I mean, as long as you're not sleeping on the subway or whatever. Yes! That! If you need to like..." Her lips twist and her free hand gestures, "Occupy space. Physically. Friends are good for that. Do that. Crash at a friend's place. Figuratively."

She grins again and shakes her head slowly, that cropped undercut fanning a bit. "Oh, this is /novice/ level cocoa. Trust me, you've got a lot more to experience. Peppermint cocoa. Mocha. Salted caramel. Cocoa with churros to dip in it."

Singularity has posed:
Plus, really, what is fashionable on a universe? Just put a plain white dress on her and let her shine? She doesn't have a clue where that comes from. Of course, she just knows humans wear clothes and she may want to try it someday. For the novelity of it!

"I want to try more things. And maybe have place. But when I try to get something new to eat or drink. Told I need money. Can only get money if have job."

She giggles. "Told I have no experience. No skills. I am a singularity."

Can you really imagine her taking your order at DOOM Coffee and bringing it to your table?

Though the maid outfits there /are/ cute and adorable.

Carol Danvers has posed:
Thoughtful noises are all Carol can offer for a moment... she hadn't considered that. Super powers without any sort of education or employment history. "Wellll... I'm sure we can work something out! Maybe I can shake a couch Tony's sat on at the mansion and see if any loose gems fall out..." She pauses for a moment, "That's a joke. But we can definitely get you some cash. Maybe you can be an intern for Jen. Or Janet. Hank. Tony. ...Damn, there are a lot of Avengers with their own businesses. I'm starting to think I'm slacking off."

She shakes her head sadly and then rolls her eyes, "Yeah, that's... well, I mean, not actually any different than most teenagers trying to get a job nowadays. Exprienced candidates wanted, but no one's willing to hire someone who isn't experienced to let them get the experience and..."

She groans softly and pinches the bridge of her nose, "You can't even get a paper route, it's all online nowadays. But don't worry. This is a fixable problem."

Singularity has posed:
"Was going to visit Reed. Met him before. He did some tests. Was going to offer to let him do more. In return for money?" Singularity offers up. Basically suggesting that she becomes Reed's lab rat in return for coffee money. She really does not have a concept of self-worth.

"Jen needs legal help. Not good for that. Have not met Janet. Or Hank. Met Tony once! Do not think he will remember me." she admits.

And then she reaches over and pats Carol hand. "No easy answer. I will learn. Figure out. Did not want charity. Wanted friend." comes her gentle retort and she offers a bright smile. "Not take advantage of. Fight for what I need."

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol frowns thoughtfully, "I mean, that's... probably some sort of ethical concern, maybe run it past Jen, she knows Reed /and/ the law, and can confirm if scientific testing for money is legal... I think it is, but I've mostly seen it as jokes in sitcoms so..." She shrugs helplessly. "I think maybe aim a little higher, kid. I bet you could /do/ the sciencing."

She takes that patting hand and gives it a little squeeze, "Darn right. And if you ever need help with anything, you just do your little... blippity bloop thing and pop up. Don't worry about texting first or anything."

Singularity has posed:
"I will!" Singularity promises. She hops down from her seat again and goes over to hug Carol one more time. "Thank you for being friend. Being friend again. I am happy." she says quietly.

"I still have much to learn. Glad you will help." The little universe smiles. "Will text first. Might have company. Not want me to show up." See, sense of privacy! As she steps into a clear section of the house, she smiles and waves. "See you later."

She refuses to say Goodbye. It was the last word she said in the former world.

And with that, she forms a periwinkle portal around herself and she disappears into it with an audible *POP!*.