8084/Take a Deep Breath

Take a Deep Breath
Date of Scene:	02 October 2021
Location:	Common Area - Milano
Synopsis:	As Ava struggles some with the nature of their close quarters on the ship, Finley tries to understand the nature of Ava's abilities more thoroughly. In the end, they decide they both need more practice -- on the battlefield and off. OOC WARNING: Some personal intimacy involved.
Cast of Characters:	Ava Starr, Finley Ellison

---

Ava Starr has posed:
The Milano continues on its way to Hala. Ava, as is her wont, has spent a lot of her time down in her QEC -- mainly because it's quiet and private and, even after all these weeks aboard, she is not used to having so many people around in such close quarters.

Even she has to venture out occasionally, though. For food, mainly. And other necessities. Thus, she can be found, gingerly sorting through ration packs in the galley, trying to find something that tastes vaguely familiar... if not actually good.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley, trying not to be a total limpet, has split her time between babysitting the cockpit, messing about in her makeshift laboratory, and, well, Ava. She doesn't want to overwhelm the other woman, not when there is literally no escape -- other than the vacuum of space. Which Ava could possibly conquer, with the help of the q-bands and her intangibility.

Finley chews her lip. It certainly is a puzzle. And one which Ava *should* figure out. Although perhaps not by attempting the most dangerous version of an experiment. Like agreeing to being slowly suffocated in an airlock. Though the necklace did at least yield some interesting data. The young scientist sighs and shakes her head.

After checking that nothing presents an immediate danger to the Milano, she leaves the cockpit for the gallery. She could use a snack. Or a drink.

Or an Ava. Finley smiles when she sees the older woman poking through the food rations. "Hiya," she says with a little wave.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava glances over her shoulder at Fin's approach. She smlies. "Hey." She lifts up a silvery bag. "I have no idea what this is, but Quill says it tastes like KD." A beat. "That does not recommend it to me in the slightest, but there's a mountain of it."

She lets out a rueful sigh, a small half-smile on her lips. "When we get back to Earth, I want to go to a proper pub. With proper pub food and alcohol made from a grain actually made for human digestion."

Yep. Priorities. This girl's got 'em.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"It's a date," Finley says lightly. "Toss me one of those packets? I guess we can find out what Quill sees in them. You know what I miss? Sushi. Which, I feel the need to clarify, does not mean that I want to consume space tentacles. Just for record." She smiles. And squinches her nose up. A beat. And then, "How are you feeling?"

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava flashes a brief smile at Fin's ready agreement and tosses her a ration pack. "There's some weird fruit in the cooler, but I'm not sure I trust it, either. I don't think Quill's stomach is a good guide of 'safe' or 'healthy'." A beat. "About anything."

Some risks, she can stomach. Quill's food is debatable. Rocket's is positively right off the menu.

She gives a mild shrug, though, rippoing open a package and starting to prepare it with the little cooker in the corner. "I'm actually feeling fine," she says. She knows Finley is fretting. She even knows why, though it's not like Fin ever had to intervene. Captain Wannabe is not in danger of immediate assassination. Even so... Ava does understand. "I just wish there was an easier way to figure things out than trial by fire."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley snatches the packet out of the air. "Sutrilac?" Finley says, taking a guess at the label. "What do you think this? Do I even want to know? Maybe I'll try the weird fruit," she sighs.

Then she looks up at Ava, "I wish there was too, you know. I wish there was something I could actually do instead of just watching..." There's that fretful expression again. "I know, I know," Finley says, "you were fine. I still had to watch the O2 levels dropping. It..wasn't fun."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava gives Finley a bit of a grimace laced half-smile. "I'm sorry about that. I never actually realize I don't always need to breathe before." It makes sense, of course. How else could she survive phasing through walls. It's just never been something she's much thought about.

"Maybe when we get to Hala this Yv'Kar person will help us both. You'll still probably understand the sicence faster than I will. Even if it's alien." Of course, it depends entirely on whether or not he can even help.

"Do you think the bands will interfere in that? I mean... I didn't have them on the last time Phyla scanned me."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley considers the problem of the q-bands. "They don't seem to be doing you any harm," she says finally. "They might even be helping. She used the bands to build the scanner and to do whatever it is she did to help you. So, I think they're okay. At least on a biological level." She shrugs, "Vance makes a big deal about them, so who knows how you'll be received on Hala."

And then in an abrupt change of subject, "Um, Ava, can I ask you something?"

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava grimaces. "I want to conceal them," she admits, "when we get to Hala. From what I've gathered, the Kree aren't so fond of Captain Marvel, and she had some weird connection to Phyla. So, I'm thinking the less attention I draw to them, the better." She looks down at them. "It's just hard to make them invisible like I do other things. I may need to actually physically disguise them, though I imagine they'll still give off an energy signature."

Then, however, Finley is changing the subject. Ava's head cants and a subtle wariness rises in her eyes. "Sure?" She doesn't promise to answer. Though... there isn't a lot she won't ultimately tell her.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"How often do you think you go intangible?" Finley asks her. It's a gentle question, posed lightly. But she's been worried ever since she'd been able to get at the data on the pendant. Still best to try to not make Ava defensive."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava blinks at the question, though that subtle wariness recedes. "Probably fairly often," she admits. "Staying tangible require a lot of concentration. A lot of energy. I actually have to concentrate on it." She smiles -- wryly of course. "At least, that's what I've always been told." At least, in this case, she actually trusts the man who told her. "Why?"

Finley Ellison has posed:
"Because," Finley says,"I wasn't sure if you were aware that you're pretty much intangible until you're forced to interact with your surroundings. So I was curious."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava leans back against the counter, as Finley explains. "Hmf." It's a thoughtful sound, but one followed by the suggestion of a shrug that doesn't actually manifest. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it," she admits. "I've been doing it for so long, now. I used to have to concentrate all the time to remain tangible. Then they started training me. Remaining intangible was safer. So, when I need to do something, it's a reflex, now, I expect."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley nods. "Thank you for telling me."

She's quiet for a moment. Then she crosses to Ava and gently slides her arms around the other woman's waist.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava's ears rise faintly as Fin embraces her. She smiles again, though her brows are a little creased, perhaps puzzled. Still, she loops her arms around Fin in return, head canting just a little. "You're welcome." The puzzled look clears, pushed away as the cooker makes a noise that suggests it's done. She glances back to it, but doesn't move toward it.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"And thank you for this," Finley whispers quietly in Ava's ear. She doesn't move either, just stands there, holding Ava almost reverently. She gently kisses a soft trail down Ava's neck.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava makes a soft noise, her eyes darting around the common area. The are alone, for now. But how long they're likely to remain that way...? Her hands tighten on Finley's hips. "The space pasta is getting cold while you're warming up," she murmurs, head tilting. "We shouldn't do this here."

See, this is another reason to return to Earth, in her mind. Incentive to learn that quantum jump.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley nuzzles her clavicle lightly before relenting. Giving Ava's waist another little squeeze, she murmurs, "Do you want me to stop?"

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava smiles at her, eyelids a little heavy. "No. But neither do I wish to have any of *them* walk in on us." She lets out a soft sigh. "I think they step up to do the right thing when it suits them. But they have no boundaries, no strategy, and no discipline. Half the time they're at each other's throats, but they'll drop everything the moment one of their own is threatened." She looks up at the ceiling briefly. "We're not part of them. Not yet. Maybe not ever. They'll take us to Hala, but it's a risk for them, and we don't have a lot to trade. The sooner I know how to use these bands to their full potential, the sooner I can protect both of us."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"That is a heavy burden that you're trying to shoulder, Ava," Finley says. And she kisses Ava's shoulder, more teasing than with any intentions of furthering her agenda in the ship's common room. "They said they'd help, and they will. Possibly more out of a debt to Phyla than anything we've done. Besides we can get out on any world they stop at, if you want. Become citizens of the universe, stick out our thumbs and hitch a ride back home. And you will figure out the bands. I know you will. Give yourself a little time." Finley smiles.

"Now go get your dinner. And we can eat somewhere a little more private."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava pulls away slowly, but turns to retrieve the alien looking food. She's not so sure she's hungry, now. Nevertheless, she pours the package out into a small bowl that works well enough for it. "That would be good," she agrees. She prefers private for most things. Probably years of scrutiny catching up with her. She waits, though, for Finley to decide what she's doing with regard to food before she retreats.

"We'll see," she says, with regard to becoming cosmic hitchhikers. "Let's just get there, first. Get your food."

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley selects a strange piece of fruit and refrains from any salacious remarks, but she does grin at Ava in such a way as to imply that the woman before her is the only feast that she's currently interested in.

She lets her free hand rest momentarily on Ava's shoulder as they exit for the lower decks, just to enjoy the feeling of her form beneath her fingertips. Finley's chest constricts with something like love and awe. Because she'd never realized before that Ava becomes tangible *for* her. She doesn't say thank you again, but she thinks it -- every second that Ava remains solid under her touch: *thank you; thank you; thank you; thank you; thank you...*

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava can't read Fin's mind, though she is quite conscious of how often Finley touches her, even casually. She waits until the engineer has found her fruit and then walks beside her as far as the corridors and ladders allow. As usual, she heads down to the tented QEC.

She waits by the door as Fin enters and then pushes it lightly closed. Once inside, she smiles, and moves to sit on the end of the bed with her bowl. "You look like the cat that swallowed the canary."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"I intend to if you let me, pretty bird," Finley says, lounging against a wall. And then she ruins whatever suavity she might have been attempting by blushing.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava's brows rise, but then she laughs at the blush appears. Some things are guaranteed. Finley's ability to blush is one of them. Still, the laughter is fond, not mocking. "You are very, very lucky I can phase us out of normal space so easily." She smiles as she says it. "Not that I'm under any illusions we're at all secret." That troubles her slightly. She hates that, in her mind, it makes Finley a target.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley crosses the small space to sit on the bed with Ava. "I'm very, very lucky," she murmurs as she slides around Ava to hold her, "that you phase into normal space for *me*."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava raises her brows again. But she sets her bowl aside and turns into the embrace. "Do I?" Her eyes dance a little. "Are you sure I don't just pull you into my space?" Truthfully, she actually doesn't know which is which. She imagines Fin is right. But she can't help but tease Fin just a little. Fair is fair. And the implications that Fin is right scare her just a little. It represents a greater vulnerability than she realized.

Finley Ellison has posed:
"You probably do. Sometimes," Finley admits, letting the breath that carries her words brush against Ava's skin. "We both know you can. Maybe," she grins, eyes sparkling with mischief, "maybe I should strip you down to nothing but that pendant and we can find out."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava actually blushes, the deep tan of her cheeks darkening. She kisses Finley's forehead to try to distract from that particular fact. "I do," she admits. "Whenever you start playing like this." Indeed, wrapped in Ava's arms, there's always a faint tingle just at the edge of awareness, pulling them out of sight and sound. "It's bad enough there's a trash panda rooting around my front stoop, without becoming his favourite spectator sport." A beat. "Though I suspect Quill's more inclined to that than the racoon."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"I didn't realize you were so shy," Finley teases. And she hadn't, not really. They haven't talked terribly much about things like that. Ava is a private person, which Finley respects. "Should I be more circumspect?" she asks seriously.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava pulls Finley close. "Finley," she says softly, "you may be used to teasing like this... I'm... not." She lays her head on Fin's shoulder. "I have spent all my life under scruitiny of one kind or another. How often do you think I've been able to sneak away, in a labratory complex designed to study the very energy I require just to keep existing?" She looks at the lensed, draped glass walls around her. "I don't want any more audiences. Not for things like this." Her eyes close. "I'm sorry..." It's not shame. But she doesn't know how to relax in public. Not when she doesn't fully trust the people they're with.

Finley Ellison has posed:
Finley runs her fingers through Ava's hair. "Hey, it's okay. Don't be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. I don't think I've properly given your situation enough thought. And this -- what's between us I mean -- isn't for anyone else. It's for us." She kisses the other woman, softly first, but then with building intensity. "I'm not upset," she whispers between kisses, "that you want" -- "to keep" -- "us safe."

Finley pauses, regaining her breath. She looks Ava in the eye. "Tell me what you need."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava returns the kisses, pulling Finley close and lacing her fingers through her hair. But when Finley pulls back, she inhales a deep breath and lets it go slowly. "I want to go home," she admits quietly. "I'm tired of these aliens, of people all around all the time. Walking trees and talking racoons. A man-child with delusions of grandeur." She grimaces and rolls her eyes. "That cybernetic smurfette would as soon space us as look at us. Her green-skinned sister isn't much better. And as for Astro.?" She shakes her head and then gives a faintly amused smile, leaning in to nuzzle her nose against Finley's. "*You* would as soon space him as look at him, so..." She trails off with a gentle shrug. She doesn't blame Finley in the least for that.

But, as she pulls back, her expression grows serious once more. "I've been on missions like this before. Running with a bunch of mercenaries because it's expedient. Because they'll take you where you want to go. It's dangerous." She shakes her head and curls onto her side. "About the only thing we have going for us here is that Quill doesn't have a killer's instinct and the others actually listen to him. He's... honest, in his own way." A snirk. "Greedy as sin, but I can deal with that."

She gestures to the draped glass around them. "We can't just get off anywhere and hitch a ride home. I need this damned box to go with us, and that's... a problem. So, we can't go home yet. We have to go to Hala. We have to find Yv'kar and learn if he can do anything at all to help fix me."

Her fingers wrap around Finley's. "The thing is... I don't remember the last time I felt so good physically. The pain is... not gone, but it's not so punishing all I want to do is hit things or curl up in a little ball and cry. It's more like... whitenoise in the background." She glances to her. "I don't constantly feel like I'm dying any more. That's the only reason I've been able to let you get so close."

She looks sad at that thought, but not apologetic. "I haven't been with many people -- usually my pain makes it too hard. But often, when I was, it was more about distracting myself physically from the pain than anything else." Male or female didn't matter to her. Still doesn't. She touches Finley's face again. "You're the first person I've cared about in a very long time. I need you to not be a target. If Astro's right -- and I'm not saying he is, but... *if* he is, then there are people who are going to think I'm like Phyla. Some great warrior that's supposed to protect the universe." She snirks roughly. "I mean, how does any one person even do that?" But that's mostly an aside. She looks back into Finley's eyes. "But it paints a really big target on anyone I've ever cared about. Right now, that boils down to two people. I can protect Bill by staying away from him. I can't possibly protect you that way."

Finley Ellison has posed:
"No," Finley says, just as seriously. "You can't just stay way. I wouldn't allow it." She rolls onto her side, propping her head up in her hand to look down at Ava. Finley's other palm rests on Ava's abdomen, their fingers still interlinked. "And I may be a lab rat, but SHIELD and SWORD both certified me for field work. I'm not utterly helpless. But,--" she brings Ava's hand up to kiss her palm-- "I can tell that's not enough for you. So. You should train me. Until I can protect myself." And Finley shifts slightly so that their legs become a tangle. "To your satisfaction."

She leans over and kisses the assassin again. "I don't want to be a liability for you, Ava. I'm not some fragile hanger on. I *want* to be your partner in this," she says. "In *all* of this." She presses into the woman below her momentarily.

But the inviting pressure is applied only briefly. And Finley rises up, looking back down at her. "So, you'll teach me that. And I'll teach you...*other things*," she declares as if it were already settled, touching only lightly on Ava's inexperience.

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava nods as Finley suggests she train her. She'd like that. She knows Fin has SHIELD and SWORD training, but she hasn't really seen her use it. She needs to see that. She needs to know that Finley has situational awareness, that she understands just how high stakes this game they're playing really is.

She doesn't remotely trust Nebula, not because of anything overt the cyborg has done but because it's apparently so easy for her father, the Mad Titan, to reset her brain. What happens if he does it remotely? No one on this ship, other than her, is likely willing to space the woman, if that happens. But Ava would do it in a heartbeat to protect Finley... And then she'd probably have to fight Gamora and the others.

It would be bad.

And those others? They each represent their own challenges. Their own threat. So, yes. Ava will quite willingly train Finley. "You may regret that later," she replies, a small smile on her lips. Not that she doesn't see a whole lot of potential in the deal... Especially when Finley rolls herself on top of her and teases her. Again.

A sparkle of light glitters in Ava's eyes -- about as close as she's come to the 'aura' Astro spoke to her about. The world shifts around them and the sounds of the engines, the sounds of the rest of the ship, fade away to nearly nothing. The glass of the QEC shimmers like broken motes of light across moving water, refracting and hiding the universe. Or, more accurately, hiding *them* from *it*. It's as close to a private getaway as the two will get on this tub.

So, Ava reaches up and drags Finley down on top of her. Her kiss is fierce and hungry... and just the start of something no one else ever needs to see.