musicdied: (Default)
Yelena Belova ([personal profile] musicdied) wrote2023-01-01 12:00 am
Entry tags:

IC Inbox - Apocalypse How

This is Yelena. Leave a message.
henchgal: (monologue)

text; un: looselystrung

[personal profile] henchgal 2022-03-30 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Did you want to talk about the kissing during ladies night or is that something we never acknowledge happened ever again?
henchgal: (clever girl)

[personal profile] henchgal 2022-03-30 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Coffee sounds good. Starbucks or something nicer?
henchgal: (screentime)

[personal profile] henchgal 2022-03-30 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Deal. I can be there by 5:30.

And true to her word, around 5:27, Mere shows up at the cafe--still in her work clothes, though she's taken time to touch up her makeup. Because she has to look right to feel right, and also because who knows? It might matter to Yelena (though she doesn't think so...).
henchgal: (a bullshitter)

[personal profile] henchgal 2022-04-01 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Mere meanders over, sitting across from Yelena and leaning her cane against the window.

"Hey, you. How was your day?"
worthallthis: (Default)

Backdated to before the current event sometime

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
So Winter has something to tell Yelena. He has been putting it off and putting it off, uncharacteristically shy and unsure, but here he is, at long last, spurred into it by a recent conversation. He walks her back from the gym, but walks off the usual path to the apartments, instead heading for a cafe they've been to before. This requires fancy coffee.

"You remember Meredith," he starts, perhaps unexpectedly. "Right?"
worthallthis: (thinkingsad)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
"No, not that." Valid question, though, because that is also unsettling. "I just. I was jealous when you two started stepping out. I know the word for it, now," Winter says. "I didn't then. I just kind of wanted to punch you both. I didn't," he adds. "Obviously. But part of me wanted to."
worthallthis: (sheepish)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
"I didn't, either. So how could you." He shrugs a little. He isn't upset about it, beyond being kind of sad he realized this now when it's a year too late. He wouldn't have gotten in their way, if she'd stayed, because he loves Yelena, too.

"But," he continues, "I wanted you to know. Because it helped me figure out about Steve." Even if Yelena might have already guessed considering how much time he spends with the guy, and his slightly altered behavior around him, in the "maybe a little more natural" but also "kind of baffled and gruff" kinds of ways. "We're not exactly stepping out. I don't know if I can. But we talked about it."
worthallthis: (thinking)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm happy," he protests. "I was before, I mean. I got you and Kate and Cortana, and Steve was always gonna be my team even without. That." He pauses, but adds, "It's good, though. Yeah." He sounds kind of confused by that, but not in a bad way. Like he can't quite believe it still, even though it's been weeks now since their talk.
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
This time he bumps her back, wrinkling his nose as intentionally as he can. "Please don't. I will make sad faces at you. Or the best sad faces my stupid face can make." He's aware he isn't great at doing anything but a blank stare or a grimace. Expressions are hard and his face doesn't always do what he wants it to.
worthallthis: (frowny face)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
There is that. And it drains the last of the levity out of Winter, too.

Because there's always entity shit. It's entity shit that finally got Winter to make this confession, nervous though he was about it. For no good reason, really, since it went fine, but there'd been something in his head that made it hard to say out loud.

"Yeah. And Steve keeps grumbling about wanting the serum back," he says heavily.
worthallthis: (puppy eyes)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-17 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
Winter nods unhappily. If it were anyone but Steve, he would have punched or shot or be stalking him right now to make sure he didn't get any ideas.

But it is Steve and the idea of punching or shooting him makes Winter feel sick. "You told me. That I helped you. That if it weren't for me you might have gone to the entities," he says. "How."

If he did it for Yelena maybe he can do it for Steve, too.
worthallthis: (skeptical)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-21 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
"And you did," he says solemnly, maybe a little closer to warm than he can usually manage. "You did do all that. You do seem to understand. And no one has used me besides ADI itself." And he'd agreed to that one so he doesn't think it counts.

He pauses at the corner opposite the coffee shop he's aiming for, not wanting to bring this conversation inside just yet for anyone to hear. "So I just need to be there. For him," he guesses, trying to compare the situations. He's not sure if understanding is going to the same thing, there, because he doesn't understand Steve sometimes. And he's sure Steve doesn't understand him a lot of the time.
worthallthis: (thinkingsad)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-27 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Winter considers that, chewing on the inside of his cheek a moment. "And I never wanted to be powerful," he says, half-realizing it as he says it. He never wanted the thing he turned into. That's why they had to put those words into his head, had to wipe him, had to hurt him. He didn't want it. So now that he can only have it by hurting people, it's not as hard to turn his back.

Except: "Steve. He always did. He wanted to be. To be useful. To be strong enough to protect people. Except that strength isn't going to protect people here."
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-05-29 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
"I might need your help," Winter admits, though he starts walking again, moving to open the cafe house door for her. "With that. I can try to show him all day long, but I don't know if he'll believe me." Because, paradoxically, Steve knows him better. And has more expectations. (Though he's been good about keeping those expectations to himself, at least, and not laying them at Winter's feet.)
worthallthis: (told you so)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2023-06-01 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
He gives her a flat look, and then a very gentle punch to the shoulder, so slow it can only be his brand of humor.

Then he follows her inside, feeling a little bit better about things. "Order whatever you want. Fanciest coffee they've got. I'm paying."