( video | un: jaguar )

[scarcastically]

[ the feed starts with him lying in his bed, tossing a ball up and down nonchalantly. there's a restless energy to him, feline and listless. ]

Hey, so like what really happens when people leave? Do they just go "nah I'm out" and go home? Do they explode? Does the orb, like, look deep in their hearts and consider them not worthy?

Kind of interesting, right? What's the criteria here?

My money's on cloning, personally.

[ a beat. ]

So we're down a genius. The princess of Wakanda high-tailed it out of here. I managed to snag some stuff from our last mission so I have a few prototype sonic disruptors ready to go plus one magic bow. Finally got that battery workin'. First come, first serve.

Comments

text. un: barnes.

[starer]

The orb malfunctioned and sent them home. Supposedly.

[Because there's no way Natasha, Steve, or Shuri would go back without saying something first.]

[scarcastically]

""Supposedly""

not sure I buy into that.

[starer]

You telling me you don't trust what we're being told?

[Oh right, tone doesn't come across in text form. So that sarcasm may get a little lost in translation]

Ain't exactly like we've got a way to check.

[scarcastically]

Yet.

Anyway, that's why we're guessing. So, clones or explosion?

audio; un: renfri

[retributioning]

Princesses do that, sometimes.

[ high-tail it out of wherever they are, that is. ]

What's a sonic disruptor?

[scarcastically]

Wouldn't put it past her, to be honest.

[ it's unfair but erik's not in the mood to be fair. ]

It's kind of a sound weapon. It can disrupt metal weapons or make people's ears hurt.

[retributioning]

Was she important to you? If she was... I'm sorry she left you.

[ she does know a little something about people who are supposed to care about you really not doing their job at all... and being left behind sucks. ]

... huh. That sounds useful. But if I carry around a metal weapon and use one of those, would it disrupt my sword, too?

private text; un: s.wilson

[unclesam]

you doing okay? given that departure I mean.

[scarcastically]

I'm good. I never thought she'd stick around anyway.

[unclesam]

you think she chose to go home?

[ Not challenging or doubting - Sam's genuinely curious what Erik thinks, Viveca's company tag lines aside. ]

video | un: andy

[oiorpata]

What makes the bow magic?

[scarcastically]

I got 'em on our first mission. The bow doesn't need real arrows, they generate them with magic.

The thing is the magic tapers out, so I've been working on makin' a battery.

[oiorpata]

Sounds useful.

How's it coming along?

audio; @majimagoro

[hikae]

I see "they earned their reward and left" isn't even an option, huh?

[ The sudden disappearances are surely not good for morale. You'd think someone who "won" would get to celebrate a little ]

[scarcastically]

[ a low snort, though it's not really aimed at majima. ]

And just slinked off into the night? Nah.

[hikae]

Some would do that— but many are not the type. My condolences, for yer princess I mean.

[ A beat ]

Goin' straight for clonin' theory is creative, I give ya that.

video; un: stargirl

[bossily]

I was sent back home for a bit. I'm not really sure what the criteria is for being chosen to come and go. But I must've been seen as fit to come back. Otherwise, why bother having me give it another go?

[scarcastically]

[ sent home? how does that work? ]

So you left and came back? With your memories intact?

[bossily]

[She hesitates answering right away, because she has no idea what to say except the truth. And that isn't exactly a full answer.]

I don't think I remembered being here once I was back. But now that I'm here again? I'm starting to remember, just the same as any other memory that happened a few years ago.

video; un: rep.cya

[lionize]

[Well here's a scowl from a student ready to greet you, Erik.]

Why hop straight to cloning? That never ends well.

[scarcastically]

[ huh. ]

Was just an idea. Don't actually know much about clonin'. Why?

[lionize]

[It's a common enough expression from her, don't take it personally.]

I just told you why: it never ends well.

Audio; un: ratchet

[neveroutwrenched]

Hold up, the princess of what now?

[What happened to people who left was an important question. It merited time and consideration, even if maybe there weren’t any concrete answers available to them just yet. But all Ratchet could hear right now is the flurry of references to people and events come and gone that he’s somehow completely missed.]

One misstep in the transporter and you don’t know what’s going on anymore…

[scarcastically]

Wakanda. Secret, technologically advanced isolationist country.

[ erik waves it off. ]

What happened with the transporter?

[neveroutwrenched]

[Feels a little brushed off, but worth filing away.]

I mean that’s…a great question. [There’s some mild annoyance to his tone, general rather than targeted at anything in particular.] I never even made it on the last mission, thanks to a little technological hiccup.

Maybe people “leaving” is just the transporter sending them to the wrong place. Permanently.

[A potentially grim thought depending on where that wrong place might be.]