Ava Anatalya Orlova (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
krasnaya_vdova) wrote2017-07-04 12:21 am
krasnaya_vdova) wrote2017-07-04 12:21 am
Open RP Post!
- Leave me a starter, an idea, a picture, whatever you like! Give me as much or as little detail as you like and I'll work something out!
- No brainwashing or related themes without prior discussion, but otherwise have at! I can work her into any canonpoint.
- M/F for shipping, open to anything for friendship.
- Open to anyone, whether or not we've played before, crosscanon, whatever. Give me things!
- Open to smut, but if you're gonna have sexy references in the top level label the subject line pls.
- Hit me up on Plurk (
natalia_vdova) or Dicord (natalia_vdova#0150) or PM if you want to plot something.
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When he says that they are good enough she can't help sighing, a twitch of her lips as she looks at him. Because he knows her story, knows where she comes from and what shaped her, and why she's so sharp, even when she tries not to be. To someone like her, nowhere was really safe, even if the Academy was better than most, she still missed her place in the basement of a forgotten YMCA.]
You're right, I guess. [She admits it quietly, and there's a tilt of her head when he mentions normal family being something both of them were missing. He'd never talked about it before, and it makes her wonder what his was like. He'd been one of the few people she trusted, that was good to her back when she was held in custody, back in 7B.] I hardly know what a family is, really.
[It's a quiet admittance, not one that she often talks about. That even what memories she has of her mother-- it wasn't really of a family. It was her mother's tea as she slaved over papers and glowing screens in the lab, being curled under her desk, the heavy sound of the soldiers' boots on the concrete floor. Dancing, but not for pleasure, so her mother could imprint a code into her muscle memory, something they couldn't take away from her. Even Sana's family-- her struggles with her father, his new wife, were more than that. More than she'd ever had. Ivan had never been a father, no matter how much he threw the terms around of family and legacy.
She goes to the closet, sorting through the clothes she finds, trying to find some things in her size. A pair of pants, a long sleeve shirt, some basics that are easy to move in.] I know it's not the most practical. But I wanted something that was different from her. Everyone-- Most people already just see me like I'm part of her. I wanted something I could be myself in.
[She catches herself, corrects herself, as she tosses the words over he shoulder, because she's never felt that way with Rumlow. Maybe it's because she knew him when she was younger, but she never felt like he was judging her against the shadow of Natasha Romanoff The Black Widow. She was starting to learn that she couldn't be her, starting to get to where she took what she had and tried to figure out who that made her, but she could still see it in peoples' eyes.
When she walks back, she has the pants on, pulling her shirt on over the sports bra she wears under her usual gear, her boots left on the floor for the moment. She walks over to the alcove with the first aid kits, and after a little digging around turns up a few of the SHIELD standard protein bars and a couple bottles of water, which is what she settles down with.
She waves one in his direction, though it's half joking. They're not known for their taste, and the consistency is rather like congealed sawdust. Yummy.]
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[He could lecture her all about it, but what was the point. She would learn that someday, and there was a part of him that thought she would do better trying to be a teenager with moodiness and quiet rebellion rather than striving for adulthood so quickly. She had never been a kid, so why not take a moment to be a teenager? What he wouldn't give to go back to those days where he had so much freedom and fear and uncertainty. It had been terrible and wonderful all at the same time.
He swung his legs off the side of the bed and set his rifle aside so that he could bring himself to his feet and stretch as she moved off to the closet. He knew that there was a connection between her and Romanoff, though the details weren't clear. For better or worst, she would never been Romanoff; she would always be Ava.]
From my experience, the more you try to distance yourself from the shadow you're forced to live under, the more people will make comparisons. And I'm not telling you to wear black to be her; I'm telling you because I need someone to run this operation with me. [He knew the difference between Romanoff and Ava; hell, he had taken her to a ballgame, had watched her slowly melt with the experience of just being normal and being treated as just another young girl. No one had seen her as the Soviet shipment there; cheering for universal, people were happy, families all together and no one had thought anything of another older man and young woman; he was old enough to pass as her father after all.
He lifted his hand to take a protein bar from her, only so he could playfully tap the top of her head with it a moment later.]
Stop worrying like all you'll ever be is Romanoff. You're not, and you never will be. It's this worrying that's holding you back because you do yourself a disservice fretting. You're Ava, she's Romanoff. [And then he resorted to obnoxious kissy lips and a high pitched proud daddy voice.] Always be my little sprout, soon to leave the nest and become a real agent.
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And there are mechanations behind the scenes that she doesn't see, of course. But there are also things that she doesn't quite know how to explain. That she's their leader, their teacher, they're not partners, not really. That when she tried to explain a little bit of who she was, she just felt more alone. They'd wanted some fantastical superhero story and all she had to offer was the darkness of the world they were stepping into. They couldn't see it yet. She could make them, of course, but she didn't want to be that person.
To be to them who Natasha had been for her, hurting her with that self-righteous belief it was for her own good.
The truth is that she doesn't really know how to be a teenager. She never feels like one, and her team, who aren't so much teenagers as young twenty-somethings, just make her feel older. Part of it is Natasha's memories, and learning to live with that, but the other part is just- she's been through so much. She was never the sort of people they were, and that's hard to connect to on a genuine level.]
Oh, I know. But you were bad-mouthing my white uniform. [She smiles, gives him a playful sort of look. This is easier for her. She feels less like a freak talking to Rumlow than she does back at the Academy, where she's the one with powers, the one that knows Natasha, somewhere between monster and idol.
He takes the protein bar and she can't help laughing as he taps her with it, a roll of her eyes. But even if she doesn't quite know how to say it, she appreciates that affirmation.] I know, but it's hard. I'm working on it. [And then she rolls her eyes, with a laugh, mimes throwing one of her protein bars at him as she sighs.]
I'm glad it's you here. [Even if the little sprout thing half frustrates her, it's no worse than how Sana used to call her myshka. Teasing, affectionate, something she allowed him because he mattered. Even years later, he still does, even if the dynamic between them feels different- more someone she understands, less an authority figure, even if he does outrank her.]
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[And yes, he knew for a fact that Ava was a special case, that she would always be a special case even in the Academy. She wasn't there because she needed more training, not really. She was there in order to be hidden in plain sight but to eventually allow her opportunity to get closer to Romanoff when the time was right. SHIELD needed to think they know what she could do, to think they had a leash on her for the time being. Soon enough, she was be let off leash and it would be HYDRA that would be in control of where she pointed those unique set of skills. For now, they all had to play soldier.
Maybe after this, he could bug Coulson in his own way to let him take her out on more 'adult' missions. This was an opportunity where he could justify saying that she needed more advanced field training because she wasn't getting it at the Academy. He figured Coulson wouldn't like that little dig and maybe even give him leave to make an ass of himself, but he never would. Ava was too good.]
It looked more grey than white when you walked in. [He moved to seat himself on the edge of the bed again, taking a little poke at her oddly fun mission with the noobs.] See, look at all this personal betterment that you're doing for yourself already. And you know you can just be you around me.
[He unwrapped his own protein bar and take a bite of it. He was so used to the taste by now that it was just mechanical for him.] I'm glad I'm here too. I am amazing company. And don't forget to take a piss before we go.
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It seems like a simple thing, but there are pieces wound up in it, of who she is versus the sort of person people like Coulson and Natasha want her to be. It's like they want to unwind the things that have been done to her, that she's gone through, while Ava already struggles to find ways to own it. She tries to be good with the team they've given her, but that has its own difficulties.
And so it's easier to not dig into it. At least not right now; not when there's another mission right at the door and more than anything she wants Rumlow to see her as someone other than the child she was before. Wants to be good enough. She doesn't know about HYDRA, not really. She thinks it's all the same, that SHIELD is SHIELD, that however much they dress it up as saving the world there's still a darkness, but it's one that she stepped into almost willingly.
So instead, she laughs a little when he talks about it looking more grey than white and shakes her head.] You're right, didn't really hold up to fire as well as I would have liked.
[There's not a burn on her, or so much as a slight redness to her skin, just the grey smudge of ashes.] I know. But you're one of the few. Everyone else has someone they want me to be, and I'm not.
[She unwraps her own protein bar, and much like Rumlow takes a few bites without complaint or reaction. It wasn't like she'd been raised on fine dining, so she's never had much issue with them. Not between the MREs and the soup kitchen fish sticks. There's a hint of amusement as he declares himself to be amazing company and Ava just shakes her head, giving him a look, quiet with weight.]
Don't worry- I'll be all cleaned up and ready for the mission when it's time to go.
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And her life would always be a struggle until she found her place. That was for her to settle into, and it would come with who knew what kind of factors, but he would be there to watch her. Depending on how this mission played out, he thought he might even request her being put on the team now and again for some real team chemistry and mission experience. He would go through the grape vine so that it would ruffle Coulson's feathers too much.
So it had been fire? Rumlow thought it had been, and it didn't surprise him with how much people in the streets were on the move to either look or add more security. At least she hadn't lost an agent. That was a headache he would have had to take care of immediately since they couldn't have an international incident.]
Then you have to show them who you are. Don't let anyone change who you are. [In this gig, that was a distinct possibility. However, she was special and there was no telling if some of the rougher types of brainwashing could effect the other aspects of her. He didn't think so, but he wasn't about to put that to the test either.] Remember, the only one you have anything to prove something to is yourself.
[He ate his protein bar and smirked at the look that he was given. He nodded his head and rose from his seat to move around the place, assessing the area beyond the safehouse as the dust was settling and the reality was spreading. It was going to be a tough mission, but they'd get it done.]
no subject
But Rumlow seems to. And that makes her breathe a little bit easier. She smiles at him, a little lopsided as he tells her not to let anyone change who she is. It's something she struggles with, fights against. Sometimes it seems like it would be better if she just tried to be Natasha instead of herself. If that's not what the people around her really want. But, she doesn't-- want to be that. She's been fighting for so many years against Natasha's shadow, and she's too stubborn to give in.]
I'm working on it. [She says it with a smile; small, but genuine, warm. Something just for him, for being different from everyone else. For thinking that who she was-- that it was worth it. She doesn't really know how to put that into words, so she just lets that hint of a smile be enough for now.] Thanks. And don't worry, I wasn't planning on showing off. Figure I've done enough of that for one night.
[A little self-deprecating, but it's easier to joke about it than admit that she does want to prove something to him. That sometimes that feels easier than trying to prove things to herself. So, she lets him assess the area, and in the mean time she gets ready after she finishes her bottle of water and her protein bar. Washes her face, brushes her hair and redoes her ponytail, and so on. When she slides up behind him, she actually looks normal again, doesn't stick out like she did when she'd walked in. Just the red hair and those blue eyes that makes her tend to catch peoples' eyes.]
Well, I'm ready when you are.
no subject
The smile was assurance enough that she understood her position. So, he waited and watched beyond their hide out, assessing how the situation was bound to go. He let her have all the time she needed to wash up and straighten herself out for the next mission that they would partake together. He was rising when it seemed she was almost ready and packed up his essentials.
By the time she was ready, so was he. He nodded his head and slung his pack on his back, hid his rifle in among his loose clothing and gestured to the door with his head.]
Mission is an infiltration of a guarded facility and assassination if the target hasn't been moved. We get in and get out as quickly and quietly as possible. If it can't be done because of increased security, we back off and SHIELD will put out feelings to have a second try.
[So he took her out into the streets, which had more people than it probably should this time of night. Some where minding their own business, but others were clearly looking for the source of previous trouble. He kept Ava close to him as if she were a relative, despite her red hair. It looked far less odd for a pair to be walking around and they made good progress down the streets as they weaved their way to the manor they were to infiltrate.
A few stops and starts, a few detours and they managed to arrive.] You think you can blow the electricity in this place? [He was looking up at a power pole as he said it, aware casting everything in darkness would give him a better edge for a shot.]
I can set up if you think you can do it.
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[Her voice is quiet, even, with none of the earlier snark. She could be all teasing and light when it was standing around a safehouse, but when it was mission time she was as businesslike as possible. Fewer chances for mistakes, less invitation for chatter, that something would be missed. She also didn't try to insist that they could definitely take it, no protestations or ego. Just following him quietly as they turned out into the streets.
She could spot the people that were too alert, the security from the place she'd hit earlier, but she was too good to make it obvious. Just silently counting, tracking them in her peripheral. He kept her close, and she leaned in a little toward him, a slight smile because it makes them seem more like a pair of civilians, and less like two agents casing the place.
The path they take isn't straight there, but they curl their ways through the streets. A few back paths, detours and the like as they made their way there. At the question she looks to the pole, hums thoughtfully. It's not an immediate yes, though whether she can or not isn't exactly in question. Still, she lets herself take it in, a flutter of her eyelashes as she gauges the amount of power it'll take, where she wants it to go.]
Yes. But I'll have to overload it, which means the lights are going to surge a bit before they go dark. But I can do it, probably a second or two and the whole place will go dark.
[She gives him the information and lets him make the call. Whether he thinks the cover is worth it, or not. She pauses, considers if there's any other way to do it, and the answer is that anything else would probably be messier. She could use her sidearm to literally shoot an EMP into the room, but it'd be sloppy. The blue glow of her powers made for a tracer to her location. Last thing they needed was more attention.]
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He pretended like he was looking around in the dirt as if he had dropped something while she considered the electricity situation. He kicked at it, but he watched her out of the corner of his eye at the same time. Situational awareness was a skill they all needed in the field.]
We are going to use the fuss your team made seem like a second attack on the electrical system. Do what you have to but don't make it obvious, alright?
[He looked up the wall that they would have to scale in order to enter the facility in question. There was security here, but it wasn't over the top like where they had come from. They would have to be quick about their business, but he waved at her to get the job done while he backed up against the far wall to settle into a shadow. It would allow him to both cover her and to have a straight shot at scaling the eight foot cement wall when the lights went down.]
Once you're done, follow me up and over the wall. Go.
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[Nothing too obvious from her end, at least. For the most part anything flashy would seem exactly like what they wanted it to look like: an attack on the electrical system. She watches him as he settles into a shadow, watching her. She eyes the wall, which shouldn't prove to be a problem. Ava might be short, but she's agile bordering on acrobatic. He waves at her, and she moves, focusing, her eyes mostly closed for a moment to try and hide the way that her eyes spark, but this close Rumlow can probably tell, that blue spark in the dark.
A moment later the lights go out, plunging everything into darkness. And she moves for the wall, following after him, tracking him by his movement, his shadow in the dark. She lands light and soft on her feet, and her eyes are dimmed by the time she's over the wall. By normal light they'd be a much more intense blue, but in the dark they don't glow and that's the main point.
She's on guard, looking around, trying to sensing for something off around them, but mostly she just follows after Rumlow, careful and quiet. Some of her instructors have complained that she's not always the best at following orders, but give her someone that she respects in a situation that's real and she'll sit down and shut up.
She follows Rumlow, the distance and angle intentional to give her the best chance at covering him if something happens.]