video. username: ilikehorses

[shoplifter]

[There is a mildly anxious child on the feed, sitting on the edge of the community building roof as she munches down on some potato chips; this child's diet is 1000% on point. But more importantly, she flashes the video feed several stories below toward some of the trees. The little accent is full of confusion:]

They are dying. What are they sick with?

Shouldn't someone do something to save them? ¿Dónde está el jardinero?

[Seriously, nobody seems concerned about the leaves all falling off. Or them turning odd colors.]

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

[ e x c u s e don’t be judgey ]

Yeah, that’s true. No oxygen in space, so you have to wear special space suits and masks if you absolutely have to be out of a ship.

[shoplifter]

[YIKES I'M JUDGING]

It reminds me of home.

A place so big, and you are trapped in a small space.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That makes him fall quiet for a second.

And, yeah, Peter’s pretty sure that anyone who pilots a ship has a special brand of agoraphobia, where staring too long in the dark expanse of space makes a guy realize just how fucked he is if everything separating him from the void fails. When he first started piloting, Peter tried his best not to think about it.

These days, he has about a million other reasons he avoids that particular thought, very few of them he’s willing to speak aloud. ]

It’s like this. Space is dangerous, yeah, and it’s not really for the faint of heart, but it’s like— if you get over that hurdle, if you ignore the risks, you really can go anywhere.

[ A beat. ]

Assuming you have the means and the technology to get you where you wanna go, anyway.

[shoplifter]

... You can go where nobody can follow you?

Somewhere safe?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ A hesitation, then, ]

If that's what you wanted, yeah.

Like you said, space is a pretty big place.

[shoplifter]

... Then I guess it's not so bad. If you get your freedom.

What places do you like? Out in space.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He breathes out a laugh, and while his smile may not be visible, it's audible in his voice. ]

It's better than "not so bad," but you'll have to take my word for it.

There's this one planet, Xandar. It's got this big city kinda like this place, but huge. Like, if you took New York City and Los Angeles and London and all the biggest cities you can think of and crammed 'em all together.

There's this one restaurant, and they've got this stuff. It kinda tastes like hot chocolate, but, like, more cinnamony? Kinda.

It's really good.

[ Peter likes sweets okay. ]

[shoplifter]

[She has no comparison for city sizes dude, but good try.]

... I'd like to go there.

Are they nice people?

[nostalgiabomb]

Kinda?

I mean, most of them are cool.

... Or, well, maybe just some of them.

[ A hesitation, as Peter tries to establish a more concrete percentage of cool to uncool people. Then, ]

Some of the cops can be pricks.

[shoplifter]

Some cops can be pricks.

[She nods.]

Those are people who make others follow the law, yes?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oof. That's probably a bad lesson to teach a child, so Peter winces and adds, ]

Some. Some of them can be cool, but, yeah. Some of them can definitely be pricks.

[ ... no. This isn't much better. Maybe Peter isn't the best person to talk to about the law, considering he spent most of his life on the wrong side of it. ]

They're supposed to, you know. Protect and serve. Help people. Go after folks who break the law, that sorta thing.

[shoplifter]

[She looks unimpressed as all heck.]

They never helped me.

[Hardly fair considering she was a secret, but hey.

Then again, a lot of people don't seem to appreciate mutants, either...]

Do cops like you?

[........ Also, she sounds so skeptical that they do. Haha.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He lets out a scoffing sound. ]

God, no.

[ the very idea, Laura.

Then again, a handful of cops like him. Like, maybe a dozen on the Nova Corps, when he sweet-talked his way out of a ticket, or charmed them while they were tossing him into lock-up. Some of them treated him like a celebrity, for the frankly miraculous stunt he pulled on Xandar, and the rest treated him like a petty criminal in spite of the stunt on Xandar. ]

Then again, I try to deal with cops as little as I can.

[ as a rule. ]

[shoplifter]

That sounds like a good idea...

I'll avoid them, too. I can handle things on my own anyway.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Not for the first time, it occurs to him that maybe he's losing the reins on this conversation. ]

... Don't get me wrong. I mean, obviously you should still, you know, follow the law. Like, don't steal. Don't hurt anyone. Stuff like that.

[ A++++ job as a role model, Quill. Don't quit your day job. Jesus. ]

[shoplifter]

[When he says 'don't hurt anyone', she can't help but glance away, thinking of the hospital fiasco.

She tried her best, alright? She didn't want to be -- like that.]

I am working on it.

[It's not easy, following rules and laws.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oh.

That didn’t look good.

Peter frowns for a second, though it goes lost on the comm, thanks to his not being on camera.

Then, carefully, ]

Did something happen?

[shoplifter]

[She quiets, regretting this whole 'video' feed.]

No.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ It’s not often Peter trots out this particular tone of voice. He’s used it on rare occasions with certain members of his team, and even then, only when no other adults were present that Peter could gracefully bow out of that responsibility.

But here it is: slightly disapproving, slightly worried, strangely patient, but not ungentle. ]

Laura...

[ The Dad Voice. ]

[shoplifter]

[A dad voice which would have worked on anyone but Laura.

She glares, challenging.]

I said no.

[And it clearly isn't true, but. It's what she said. So.

There.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Let’s be real, it probably wouldn’t have worked on anyone. ]

Are you saying “no,” because you don’t wanna talk about it? Or are you saying “no,” because nothing happened?

[shoplifter]

It does not matter which.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He huffs out a disbelieving scoff. ] Uh, yeah. It kinda does.

Are you alright?

[shoplifter]

You can see -- I am always 'alright'.

[She motions a hand to herself. See? No injuries, no concern.

She still sounds a bit frustrated this is being talked about, though.

... Mostly because of the guilt involved.]

[nostalgiabomb]

There's a difference between being "alright" and, like, mentally "alright."

[ Peter should know.

He's got Issues. ]

Just 'cause you're not physically hurt doesn't mean you don't still feel messed up.

[ get a load of this asshole, Avoid-Every-Problem-Till-It-Goes-Away–Lord. ]