[Video] Early Saturday

[cantcatchme]

[The screen flickers on to show an annoyed, ruffled, white-haired young man, clearly standing right outside the spaceship. The image is in focus and right-side up, even. Somebody knew what a video phone was. He brushes some hair back into place with quick fingers before speaking, his voice irritated instead of scared or worried.]

What the hell, man? Think you coulda warned me, huh?

[He scowls at the screen - clearly, a reply that's not instantaneous isn't quick enough]

Hellooo, Magneto? Cut the mysterious crap and get with the program! This another one of your tests? What more do I need to prove, huh?

Comments

Re: [Filtered Video]:

[pepperspray]

One of the local myths actually has it that we're here to bring freedom to a downtrodden people.

[Pepper's delivery is several strides beyond dry for that statement. It's not that she thinks the myth is without merit, just that there's a shortage of chisel-jawed heroes running around. (Captain America excluded.)]

Alternately, the ship just crashed accidentally, and our purpose is still unknown. In the mean time, you may as well help out while you're here, mm?

Re: [Filtered Video]:

[cantcatchme]

[The expression Pepper gets back is just about as disbelieving as her tone]

Uh-huh.

Well, the only person I need to help out is me, lady. And I don't particularly care why this ship's here unless it'll get me home.

Re: [Filtered Video]:

[pepperspray]

Fair enough. But...

[And there's always a 'but', isn't there? Pepper looks wry as she explains.]

The economy here is trade based, and it's pretty limited. There used to be some basic supplies provided to new arrivals, but after some recent events caused by one of us, I wouldn't count on them continuing as a sure thing.

Re: [Filtered Video]:

[cantcatchme]

Oh, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.

[No, Pietro isn't above taking what he needs to survive. Though he's not a total asshole. He'd be sure to steal from people who already had more than they needed.]

It's gonna take a lot more than that to convince me I should do the whole teamwork - buddy system - commune thing.

Ack, sorry about the slow! Science and travel ate my brain for Pepper.

[pepperspray]

Just be careful how you play them, then. This isn't a place that's forgiving of disruption, on either side of the barrier, and the locals are understandably unhappy with those of us from the ship right now.

[Her lips twist slightly as she replays her words to herself.]

And that sounded pretty cryptic. Sorry about that.

These are good things to eat your brain, no worries. Also, lol icon

[cantcatchme]

[He waves off her concerns with unmistakable arrogance]

Then maybe you'd better de-crypt it, hmm? So at least there's something you say that isn't completely useless to me.

Not wholly appropriate to the mood, but I do love her face in that scene, so it goes. :P

[pepperspray]

[Pepper rolls her eyes at the arrogance, but seems more dryly amused than aggravated. She's got a Tony Stark-shaped source of experience for dealing with it and building up a tolerance, after all.]

The condescending attitude will work better once you actually look old enough to rent a car. But what do you want to know? Give me specifics and I can give you a specific answer.

It's a fabulous face!

[cantcatchme]

How about you clue me in on the whole natives are restless bit? I sure haven't done anything to piss anyone off, here.

[Yet. That he knows of. But still, better to posture than to let on that he's as confused and unsure as everyone else.]

[pepperspray]

Not you, but when someone from the ship decides it's a smart idea to use this network to suggest people rise up against the Outer Authorities -- that's the military force for the dome -- it causes said Authorities to stage a punitive raid on the general population here, resulting in the risk of slow starvation due to the destruction of their cropland.

The Authorities monitor these broadcasts if they're unsecured, to the surprise of no-one.

[Her conclusion is rather dry, although she does offer a small assurance.]

I took the liberty of putting this one on a filter.

[cantcatchme]

[Huh, filtering the frequencies, huh? He'll have to figure that one out. Sounded useful.]

Well, isn't that nice? They lump all of us into one group just because we all came from that... ship thing. Still, that's a pretty low blow, messing with the crops.

[Yes, he does have limits. They're just a bit arbitrary.]

Why couldn't they just kick the ass of the bastard who started the whole thing?

[pepperspray]

That's where it gets interesting. I was away on a trade delegation at the time, but from what I can piece together, said bastard disappeared in the chaos, only to have someone who looks just like him but swears he isn't him wander off the ship a few days ago, claiming to have just awoken.

[Pepper's tone is so dry at this point that it can probably be packaged and sold as an industrial strength desiccant.]

Not being a telepath, I can't verify his claim myself. I believe I'll just work on doing what I can to repair the damage.

[cantcatchme]

Well now! That is interesting. Though that would be a really, really lame cover story, if they were the same person. I mean, how dumb do you have to be to come up with that?

[Though that mean he had to give this whole alternate realities theory more credit. Damn.]

Look, I'm just gonna figure some things out on my own. If I think I need help, I'll keep you in mind, mmkay?

[pepperspray]

Fair enough. If you need to contact me, my name is Pepper Potts.

[cantcatchme]

[He snorts a bit at the name, but can't talk, really. He knows plenty of people who are worse]

Yeah, sure. See ya 'round.