quietmounds | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHAT 10/10 would post again
WHERE Everywhere
WHEN Day 144

[Today there are little bubbles popping up whenever you're near someone. They seem like . . . testimonials or reviews? Like "X is a great person, excellent listener. Only four and a half stars because they sing too loudly in the shower." If you've only just met, it's just your first impression. Or maybe you can check out the bubbles that are now attached to that person, so you can decide if you're interested.]

[whenever you jump someone in the post, include your character's, uh, honest mental review of them, at the top of the comment. also free to assume you can see other peoples' unless otherwise stated]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[shakes his head]

You seem to be managing it pretty well, all things considered.

It doesn't exactly feel like it. But if I am... a lot of that is honestly down to Bucky.

She's real good for that. I don't think I'd be where I am today if I hadn't had Buck.

It doesn't bother you that we're dating...?

No, not at all. Everything's kind of open here. And I think you're good for each other.

You do?

I do, yeah.

[kind of, shy or embarrassed or something]

Well, I'm glad.

I am too. I think it's good for her to have something that's a little more normal here.

...I think I may have disqualified myself from contributing to anyone's sense of normalcy.

Comparatively, I think you still do.

I am aware that your bar for normalcy is in some other realm, but—

But?

None of the stuff I just went through cleared my personal normalcy bar, and it's pretty low.

...and I sort of dumped it all on Bucky.

[and Loki but we're not talking about Loki]

How did she take it...?

With... the appropriate amount of horror?

[in kind of an ironic tone like, that was supposed to be a joke ok]

No, I mean... she was very supportive.

That's good.

I know I might not be able to help as much as Bucky, but is there anything else you want to talk about..?

Are you asking for my wild backstory?

If you think it'd help to tell me.

...it'd probably give you some context about what Bucky and I have in common, anyway.

It's up to you, Dana.

[just, blurts out,]

When I was in my thirties, I was abducted and used as a test subject in experiments to genetically modify humans using alien DNA.

[oh. oh...]

I'm sorry...

At least Bucky understands what it's like in that kind of situation.

[huffs]

Yeah.

I had no clear memory of the experience for the longest time. Even now it's just flashes. But it had a... a number of side effects. Brain cancer. Infertility, supposedly, but— one of the things I remembered recently was that I... I had a baby.

Except that was part of the experiment as well. I didn't know until... very recently.

That's terrible, Dana...

[he reaches out, putting a hand to her shoulder, trying for some kind of comfort]