003 ✫ Voice

[useofaswhat]

I've been on some pretty odd worlds in my time but I never saw one like that before. Somethin' new every day on this ship, huh? [On the whole, he sounds pretty pleased about it.] Anyone out there know how to patch up spike holes in leather?

[Private to Natasha]

Appreciate the expertise back in the wilds there. How'd you know how to deal with big cats?

Comments

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

You never think I'm being honest with you. Is that what I should expect for as long as I'm stuck with you? Distrust?

[Private]

[useofaswhat]

Yep. Right up until you start givin' me reason to trust you.

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

And how am I supposed to do that? Search my room. Search me if you need to. I don't have anything to hide.

[Because she can hide her knife with someone else, and...she really has nothing else to hide. She has barely been in that room. And she doesn't really want him in there, but she doubts he'll understand what it means to her, and she's good at pretending.]

[Private]

[useofaswhat]

No. Got no mind to search your cabin, keep that to yourself. [She needs a place of her own to go back to at the end of the day. He assumes she has it.]

You can have your Bite. I'll ask the Admiral and drop it off with you if he gives the go-ahead. [Just know that they'll be Having Words if she sees fit to use it.] Just – explain what it is this thing does.

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

[Well that is actually unexpected, not that she'll let him know. And the only place she is going back to, now, is Clint's room. It's only familiar in that it's a hotel room, and they have stayed in hundreds of those on a mission. She's fully okay with that.]

Think of it like a pair of pair of tasers strapped around your wrists.

[Private]

[useofaswhat]

That's all you're asking for? [After that line about going unarmed on a ship full of murderers mere tasers seem almost laughable, especially against some of the non-human people aboard. Now he's even more sure she's got other weapons, but doesn't push it.]

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

They're very powerful. [And pretty experimental, she's only practiced with them like...once. But it was a pretty impressive practice and they are potentially deadly so hey. She can't complain.

And maybe if she asks real nice, Tony will tinker with them for her.]

[Private]

[useofaswhat]

Expect they are. [That's an odd request for her to make in that case. But maybe they have sentimental value or something, and besides, she's right – they're never going to get anywhere if they don't have some measure of trust for each other. And while he doesn't trust Natasha, he does trust she won't go around tasing people at random. If she were going to, he's pretty sure he'd be first.]

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

When should I expect them?

[It's true. For all her incredibly bloody and violent history, she isn't the kind to kick up violence because she's bored. She isn't crazy, she was just...trained. really, really disconcertingly well.]

[Private]

[useofaswhat]

It's the Admiral, you really think I know the delivery time?

[He'd understand better if she did. mal completely gets starting up a fight out of boredom; it just shows you're alive, well, and red-blooded. But Natasha never fights, to the best of his knowledge – as far as he can tell, apart from her work on the dinner shift she doesn't do much of anything.

That's going to have to change.]

[Private]

[persuadeyou]

I think you've got more room to check up on him than I do.

[Yes. Yes it is. Force her to do a thousand and one things, please.]