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Post by Gummy on Nov 15, 2021 18:09:33 GMT -7
Ava nodded to Natasha, being slightly lighter yet possibly as strong and agile (hopefully) as Natasha she hoped her weight would be ok. Carefully she remembered her repelling and climbing knots securing her harness and also making sure her own backpack was in place. With a few other items attached to her belt and bag she made sure everything was attached and wouldn't shift as she climbed.
Taking the rope from Natasha she quickly looped it into her clip before making sure the rope had a cover on the sharp overhang. She looked over at the rescue team as she called out.
"BELOW."
Signalling her throwing the rope over. She was good at this and being top of her class was definitely worth it. With the added training she was starting to really enjoy beating Nat at several things but there was still that niggle. Getting the tension on the rope she started to head down the cavass. Making light work of going over the top and then descending. The bloody trail carried on down a little way. Looking over at the others on the opposite side they helped to guide her into her target.
The descent was getting harder and despite the grips her foot slipped sending a scatter of lose snow down. Adjusting her grip on the rope and steadying her feet she moved to one side. Looking down she saw the person, they did not look in a good way. The next few steps brought her to the end of an overhang and that only meant one thing.... free falling hero style! She loved it! It wasn't as far as she had gone in the gym but then she didn't know what the ground would be like. She spoke for Nat to hear.
"I have eyes. Don't look great. They are on a wide ledge but an overhang above which is why we didn't see them easily."
Going down the last few meters with nothing to rest her feet on was fun. She let the rope slide through her grip before pulling it tight and stopping herself close to the ground. She couldn't help but let out a little giggle! Putting her feet down she tested the snow. She didn't let the rope go completely, not until she knew the ground was solid enough to hold her and others. Her feet met the softness then it compacted underneath. Gently she started to put the rest of her weight onto the snow before kneeling down with her full weight. Looking around she let out a gasp as she found a cave entrance under the overhang and it looked amazing! It seemed to glow and sparkle from deep within. The beauty was something that made her pause. Then her attention was drawn back to the person.
Whilst using the rope as a safety line she made her way over to the person who was at a funny angle. Their eyes were closed and their torso was covered by pink snow. Only one leg was visible sticking out of the snow. Crouching down Ava checked for a pulse. There was something there but it was faint. Was it there?
A deep frown was on her forehead as she felt the person's temperature. Her tone spoke more than her words.
"Alive but cold."
She knew that was good as cold could preserve the brain. Moving the snow from the chest she discovered that the other leg was bent under the person. From the face and hair she could just make out that it was a man. As she removed the pink snow so she uncovered a branch that was bigger than a finger. Moving down she found it had gone through the skier's clothing and into his side just beneath his ribs. From looking at him there were other cuts and grazes. No doubt there were other injuries inside.
Finally she removed her backpack and started removing some of the other emergency pack. Her eyes moved back to the cave. There was something... No... nothing could be up here. Over the ear piece she spoke.
"The overhang looks bad to get him up. Will need ascenders just to get us up."
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Post by Super Chick on Nov 18, 2021 13:17:04 GMT -7
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Ava accepted her given responsibility with a nod and took action. Natasha watched as small swirls of snow followed Ava into the shadowed depth of the crevasse in little wisps that seemed to be a danse macabre. The elder spy watched silently with the seasoned understanding of such things. No one was immune to that dance no matter how strongly the outcome was resisted. Thus, Natasha hoped the skier would be alive and well but, when looking at the jagged rock of the crevasse, she did not expect it. Another rescuer followed Ava down, taking a path that was beside her, not above. The others secured the rescue stretcher to a bag filled with first aid supplies that would help the paramedic who descended to hopefully stabilize and secure the skier for transport. They, likewise, were preparing for the worst. Two people spiked pitons into the rock behind Natasha while another kept the second climber stable in their descent. Natasha worked alongside them seamlessly. Ava called up upon finding the avalanche victim noting he appeared alive but was cold. The rescuers worked quickly and diligently. They had attached two ascenders to the stretcher already noting that in her haste Ava had not worn one when she repelled down. They began lowering the caged transport for the injured person below with all the supplies that may be needed to secure them on it as well as to stabilize any injuries. "They're sending down supplies with the stretcher. Let the medic get them stabilized, then help secure the injured for transport," Natasha replied back to her. Her voice rang through the comm with the resolute command of a leader. This wasn't Nat's first rodeo to be sure and the rescue team around her appeared to recognize it. They lowered the gear swiftly close to where Ava had descended, a third climber going with it to help maneuver it around the jutting rocks. ________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Nov 18, 2021 14:56:44 GMT -7
Standing up again to help with the stretcher she felt something under her feet. Not good. Holding a hand up to the medic to stop them in their tracks. Ava crouched down and felt the ground beneath her feet, there was light snow then there was something hard. What she had first thought was compacting snow wasn't. Clearing the snow Ava suddenly felt as if the floor had been taken out from under her. She looked down WAY down! There were also faint lines coming from where her feet had been mere moments ago. Looking back up at the over hang and then into the cave one word barely escaped her lips as the lines started to spread.
"Der'mo!"
The medic waited on the line as Ava looked suddenly shocked and laid flat on the ground. There was just one loud crack but then it went quiet. Reaching carefully over to the injured person she touched his neck and found a very faint pulse. Clearing more of the snow carefully she found it got redder the closer she got to his outfit. She had gone into full cadet mode.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid I won't let the medic touch down. It is too dangerous! I'm on a mini pool of water... or rather at the top of a waterfall looking down! Beautiful view though."
The fact Ava was talking so much showed her fear. She checked the patient's pulse and then reached up to the stretcher and then at the medic.
"You are going to have to talk me through. I know the basics. He has a pulse, lost a lot of blood and is badly dislocated joints. If this ice cracks any more we will loose him."
The medic nodded and lowered himself down a little further. Then started to talk Ava through past the basics. They came up with a plan, stabalise as best as possible, scoop then ascend.
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Post by Super Chick on Nov 19, 2021 12:43:15 GMT -7
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Likely as not, no one but Natasha heard Ava's Russian curse as she discovered something below. It gave Natasha advanced notice of her bad news, that the ledge she thought she had been standing on was actually the frozen ice of a waterfall. Nat would have also considered this particularly dangerous if she did not feel that Ava and the medic were well suspended. It bade another ill omen for the survivor, though. "Neither of you should put your weight on it," warned Natasha. "Let the ropes hold you while you secure the survivor."The Widow relayed Ava's message to the medics who were with her above. They appeared concerned but merely continued their duties with slightly more urgency. It was to their credit that they remained calm and bespoke of their experience. One of the men from the mountain rescue team let Natasha know that he knew of the waterfall, but he didn't anticipate the survivor to be suspended by it. He had not thought the waterfall to have enough flow to produce such a shelf. Lucky for the skier, though, it had. Natasha listened through the earpiece to Ava as the medic aided her in securing the skier. The medic had come toward their location and maneuvered to the other side of the unconscious man, going above and using the rope and the spikes on his shoes to do so without endangering any of them. This wasn't his first rodeo, either. He helped Ava put the ascending harness on the man, putting his legs through one at a time, then secured him to a rope being held by others at the top. The medic then sawed off the tree limb where it poked through the ice, leaving it as untouched as possible and still within the survivor. "Removing it before we can properly control any bleeding would be a death sentence for him," the paramedic explained in English. He then instructed Ava to hold the man steady so that he didn't fall backward. "Any sudden movement could move the wood inside him. Right now, I think it not moving is the only thing keeping him alive," he said. The medic ran the back of his gloved hand over his face to remove the sweat that had gathered, then looked at Ava. "We have to try to get him secured in the stretcher without moving the wood. It'll take both of us moving very deliberately, but we also have to be fast." He left it unsaid that the man was dying and they didn't have a lot of time left. ________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Nov 19, 2021 13:35:08 GMT -7
Ava groaned at the instructions from Nat, her weight had already gone on it but that didn't matter. She had already moved up the rope a little further using the suspended stretcher for aid. Listening to the medic she nodded and assisted him in getting the man safely in the harness. Ava's hands moved dexterously for a moment she felt for his pulse, it was getting fainter. She could still feel it a flicker there.
Keeping quiet she let the medic take the lead on gingerly lifting a little at a time while sliding the stretcher in under him. As they turned the man into a recovery position on the stretcher Ava had a sudden flicker of shock as for a moment she thought it was her Boyfriend there as the man had dark hair like him. It wasn't the face was all wrong, still she couldn't help see him lying there as she had all those months ago.
She checked the pulse and found it so weakly that for a moment she thought he was gone. She couldn't let another person die! She couldn't let another person loose a life because she chose her Sister over them. The storm brewed and she quickly placed her foot onto the ground and one hand on the rope holding the stretcher with other hand still touching the neck. She sent a short sharp shock into the man hoping the pulse would become stronger. She hoped her own body was able to earth any of the excess she sent through the line but there were so many ifs. The shock wasn't that much... she hoped.
Her hand still holding onto the neck she felt the pulse falter then pick up stronger. Removing her fingers she saw two finger prints caught there. That was when her headache started and she looked back at the cave. A movement caught her attention as a crack under her feet was suddenly heard and a piece of ice cracked off. Luckily for them the patient and medic were both off the ice and it was just Ava that felt the jolt beneath her.
A movement within the cave caught her attention again. It wasn't what she expected, her normal image had shifted, her head was hurting then the image shifted again fading into nothing. She looked to the medic.
"Lets get out of here. I got a bad feeling about this place."
Not bothering with the ascenders she just simply climbed up the rope. Allowing the medic and stretcher to head up first. She needed time to process what she had seen. Time to think.
Pausing part the way up Ava looked back down and saw the ice building up further into the cave. The ice was on the move but it wasn't going anywhere fast. At least at that moment the three of them were safe. Once past the overhand it would be straight climbing, that would definitely be the annoying bit. The bit she would need to get back out of her head and concentrate on where she was actually going. As she reached it, she took one last look down, the snow was still pink but the spring weather or fresh snowfall would soon clear that away. Still, if the person survived then there was chances they were going to be spending the rest of their holidays in hospital. There and then she vowed that she would choose the next vacation they went on. This was supposed to be relaxing!
Others were helping the medic get up the rest of the way with the stretcher. That just left Ava, at least she could take her time and enjoy the views. What views it was! The horizon seemed to just stretch on forever, with mountains and deep valleys where some shone with green and others continued to be white. Sheltered and unsheltered. Reaching up she placed her hands carefully on the rocks knowing it was going to be sharp. Kicking her feet into the ice enabled her to get a purchase with her feet before continuing to push up.
Climbing 101... only move one limb at a time as three is much stronger than two. Yet, out of the five people she trusted and cared for, there were only three of them left. One whom she was never really that close, her and Nat.
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Post by Super Chick on Nov 26, 2021 12:55:56 GMT -7
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Natasha watched from above as Ava acknowledged her words and made herself secure with her ropes. There was no need for her to put her weight on anything since Nat was able to utilize the supports the mountain team had placed. In fact, Natasha had dug in, placing her feet against the spikes, wrapping the rope around another spike so she could put her back to the cliff, and utilizing a cam to keep the rope from sliding through her grasp. There was no way Ava could fall at this point unless the girl made a mistake on her end. The Widow couldn't put that thought from her mind entirely. Ava seemed distracted, though by what she did not know. Natasha had positioned herself in a way so as to watch over the edge as the medic worked with Ava to stabilize the skier. She saw Ava continue to look down into the darkness as if something were going to reach up for her. It was, perhaps, the nightmare they had shared that was haunting her at the moment. Whatever it was, Natasha could tell that something was wrong. Call it a gut feeling or their weird connection, but Nat just knew the hole was making Ava nervous. She continued to watch as she firmly gripped the rope. It felt like too long before she heard Ava say that she had a bad feeling about it and that they should come up. The medic with her called up to the rest of the team that they were ready to ascend. Four people were manning the ropes that were pulling up the dead weight of the avalanche victim while another was aiding the medic's ascent. All took their cues from the amount of resistance on the ropes since the stretcher needed to be navigated around the overhang. Once the stretcher was clear, the four from the rescue team were able to quickly pull the unconscious person up. The medic was on their heels, having continued to guide the stretcher and ensure it didn't get caught on any other rocks that it might get stuck on. Ava was mostly climbing on her own. Natasha was simply keeping the rope from having any slack to ensure that she didn't fall. The younger Widow arrived on the surface as the paramedics were taking the victim's vitals and beginning to usher him to the helicopter. Natasha stood up and began unwrapping herself from the ropes once Ava had good footing at the top. She looked her protege over, noting she looked pale. Natasha's eyes narrowed briefly in concern. "You look worse than I do. What happened down there?"________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Nov 26, 2021 13:13:52 GMT -7
Once up she looked back down. Her feet were firmly in place and there was no way of her going to be going back down there. At Nat's words she looked to her with the same frowned concern. Then shrugged.
"It was odd. We need to move, this ground isn't stable. The extra weight from the avalanche has triggered a change in the cavern. It is utterly stunning down there though. Would love to explore it!"
That was Ava changing the subject whilst moving further away from the edge and starting to remove her climbing equipment. Jerk was stood nearby as Ava looked over to him.
"Hay! Jerk? The other man picked up alright?"
The man nodded and laughed a little.
"Name's Jack not Jerk by the way."
Ava rolled her eyes and looked back at Nat.
"I told you, you made me fall!"
She said seriously with a rather annoyed expression. That was all she was going to say on the matter of her appearance. She was starting to usher others further away.
"The cavern is filling with ice and is about to burst like a damn. It reminded me of something plus... I thought..."
She shook her head.
"Later."
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Post by Super Chick on Nov 29, 2021 23:40:50 GMT -7
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Ava frowned while proving her report of what lay in the crevasse, belying her words of it being utterly stunning with a look of deeper concern. Natasha let it slide as Ava changed the subject, not wishing to linger too long on the further investigation of this little slice of the mountain at the moment. It did not escape her attention, however, that Ava kept looking backward into the darkness even as she tried to distance herself from it. She then address the young man who remained standing with them. Natasha noted the man had not left with the other medics and wore no insignia of anyone official. She took him in with an assessing glance and gave a small chortle when he corrected Ava's name-calling with his appropriate name. "Don't mind her. No one ever taught her manners," Natasha teased and began walking farther away from the edge. Ava responded by rolling her eyes at her and saying it was all Natasha's fault that she had fallen. Natasha merely shook her head and added, "Nor, apparently, did they teach her to take responsibility for her own mistakes."Natasha gave Jack a knowing look and a small smile. Ava continued on, saying something about the crevasse filling up with ice. Natasha ceased moving away and adjusted her SHIELD goggles. The 3D imaging with terrain x-ray technology showed nothing to her that caused her immediate concern (i.e. nothing appeared to be unnatural). She turned and kept walking with the two young people. "Later it is," Natasha agreed. Something bothered Ava about the darkness, but it was either memory or intuition. Both could wait for them to be alone. Natasha looked at Jack. "Thank you for coming to help," she said to him. "Perhaps we could go to the lodge and enjoy a hot lunch together. I'd enjoy getting to know you a little better." Nat smiled at Ava and back to Jack. "My treat to say thank you for joining my sister to look for me."________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Nov 30, 2021 16:40:24 GMT -7
Ava crossed her arms over glaring at Nat as she implied she had no manners. She unfolded them as she finished packing her backpack up. Jack smiled and laughed.
"To be fair I was the one who fell into her the first time but I was blown away by her skills!"
Ava let out a little noise that was either a cough, squeak or grunt. Even she wasn't sure but she did know that it was the feeling of falling BEFORE she lost her own balance. She really was not looking impressed at Nat for even offering to have lunch together. Then rolled her eyes.
"He's on your snowmobile. We have a little bit of walking to get to it."
With that she lifted her bag and put it onto her back. Securing the strap in place across her chest then making sure her gloves were secure. Checking her watch she scrolled back in the history. It showed the few blips she knew about and the latest reading from her powers. It was impressive, she was actually starting to control it a little better when she was quiet and calm. Looking around she made sure that everything was picked up then looked over to Nat.
"Lunch had better be more than just what we packed!"
She was not smiling but still shooting daggers at Nat. One could almost say a sisterly spat! Lifting her helmet a little she rubbed her aching forehead. That hurt! Not good. Adrenalin was starting to wear off. Now was her time for poker face even to Nat.
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Post by Super Chick on Dec 1, 2021 14:29:56 GMT -7
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Acting mildly off-put by Ava's remark about lunch, Natasha retorted, "Of course not! I said a 'hot meal!'" Not the cheese and crackers sin our backpacks!"Natasha was really not surprised when Ava appeared to be unhappy about her inviting Jack to join them for lunch. The truth was that discovering if the man was truly just a good citizen without ulterior motives was only one small part of her invitation. The remainder of her intention for her invitation was quite simply to both annoy Ava and, possibly, set her little sister up on a date later. They were, after all, on holiday! Meeting new people should be part of traveling, and meeting handsome young men to fill her free time should also be a standard. Any time they shared would unlikely be anything serious, but flirtatious play and simply having fun were things Ava could sorely use to learn. Natasha intended to be her teacher today. She smiled at Jack and talked to him as they trekked to her snowmobile. She "walked" on her skis which were remarkably intact after the avalanche, keeping pace with Jack. They arrived at the snowmobile in no time and Natasha graciously let Jack drive her down the mountain. The purpose of doing this had multiple reasons, as were most of the things she did. First, she'd see if he intended any foul play by taking her off course or if he'd drive her down to the lodge safely with care. Second, it was to show Ava how to flirt a little by allowing the man to feel he had some control even while wooing him with her other mannerisms. Natasha even giggled like a carefree girl on their way down. making a point to stare at Ava knowingly as she did. They reached the lodge without incident. Jack was nothing but a gentleman the entire way. Natasha disembarked first and took her skis off to leave with the snowmobile. She enterlaced her arm in Jack's once he was also prepared to walk to the lodge and led him to Ava. Natasha attempted to put her other arm through Ava's as they walked in, keeping a positive - maybe even giddy - attitude as she did. "I'm thinking some chicken tenders and fries. Maybe a pizza, too!" she remarked. The smile she wore easily reached her eyes. "Whatever you two want! Nothing but the best for my saviors!" She glanced at Jack, "Are you old enough to drink? They have a wonderful Rum and Bailey's hot cocoa that's to die for!"________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Dec 11, 2021 21:49:47 GMT -7
There was a little bit of a wicked smile come to Ava's lips as she was informed it was all on Nat for a hot dinner... but then she felt guilty spending her money. She looked ahead and focused on walking to the snowmobile. Wow Nat was really flirting. At least it gave her some entertainment. She probed Nats feelings a little to see if it was real and laughed a little to herself remembering she didn't need to. Oh Nat was NOT acting her age! Well if that was the case....
Sulking off ahead she rolled her eyes and then finally getting to the snowmobile she was relieved that she could get some space from Nat. Why was her Siesta embarrassing herself. The ride over didn't really make much of a difference. She allowed herself to hang back a little coming up with a strategy on how to knock Nat off her perch. She really didn't want to have a date it wasn't right. That feeling of hurt deep down the sudden drop in her body made it impossible to date. Although, she had had some training. Oh well. It wasn't real.
Pulling up next to the spot Nat parked her snowmobile in she didn't even look at Nat. Taking her helmet off finally was bliss. She knew she would need the restroom in order to clean herself up and that her head was hurting just a little. Quickly grabbing some loose snow she washed her face to make her look at least a little better.
It was while she was sorting her face out at least a little that Nat looped her arm up and dragged her in. Jack spoke with a slight chuckle.
"In this country yes. In others no. Is she always this quiet?"
Ava finally looked over and then smiled.
"No, apart from when I am thinking. I was contemplating between lobster thermidor or a sharing platter?"
Jack smiled back at Ava, he definitely seemed to be enjoying having the ladies company. One of the waitresses looked a little jealous another waved.
"The lobster isn't that great here. Has to be flown in. The sharing platter might be good. I'm an assistant coach here, that's why I know the place. I come up here at least once a year that is between studying. I got a good job here."
Ava nodded and peered over to him with a slightly softer smile and a little softness in her voice.
"Nice, any tips?"
Jack chuckled.
"Yeah, don't fall."
Ava laughed and looked down a little bashful.
"But to be fair you're not bad. Just a fairly new novice?"
Ava nodded as she sat down next to him knocking Nat out of the way with her hip very gently.
"Yeah, although I have skied when I was small so just needed reminding how."
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Post by Super Chick on Jan 13, 2022 17:43:47 GMT -7
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Ava's face was still damp when they entered the lodge and looked for a table. Nat was continued to be mildly amused that her protege thought washing her face in the snow was in any way appropriate when wooing a person - fake, forced, or otherwise! She tried to keep the smirk from her face but she allowed it to show when Ava spoke of a possible entree of Lobster Thermador. Way to reach for the sky, mladshaya sestra. It was then that Natasha noted Ava learning the game. She was making conversation and offering small smiles to Jack when they interacted. Nat felt good about the fact that not only did Ava finally catch on to her game but that she was making an effort to participate willingly! The elder Widow was glad for the reprieve. The unexpected avalanche after a night of wrestling on a demi-plane with a monster left a lot to be desired on a holiday, after all. If Natasha was able to entice Ava into some flirtatious fun with a stranger her age who (so far) seemed like a safe mark then she was one hundred and ten percent behind it. This little trip was, after all, supposed to be a little slice of normal in their otherwise extraordinary lives! Natasha took the opportunity to take off her outerwear and get comfortable while the kids (age being relative to her own) talked. She noted Ava knocking her with her hip and ignored it. She sat down and picked up the drink menu that was standing on the table. When they paused their banter, Natasha inserted her own quip. "That's why she wasn't supposed to be above the greens today," Natasha smirked at Ava. "But I guess that you can't keep a woman away from rescuing her big sister, eh?" Nat then looked at Jack. "So what are you studying in India, Jack? A benign question but the answer could be interesting. ________________________________________________________________________
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Post by Gummy on Jan 14, 2022 12:36:19 GMT -7
Ava grinned at the pair.
"Great you're both ganging up on me. Just because I was rusty on skiing doesn't mean I can't ski. It's just been a long time since I had the chance."
Yeah over ten years and the memory was ... fuzzy at best. Jack laughed and held his hands up in surrender.
"Climate change, Geography with a side of ecology. Heavy going but it is getting better. What are you doing with yourself Ava?"
Ava raised an eyebrow and smiled wide. She couldn't exactly say that she was studying to be a SHIELD agent. That wouldn't work. So she told the half truth.
"I'm in New York City studying politics, law with a side of gymnastics."
The rest of what she was studying she didn't say but he whistled in awe. Ava continued.
"I used to do outdoor classes that's how I learned a lot of life skills."
That was also true, the streets of NYC were no place for a kid to be yet she survived. Also most of the survival classes at SHIELD were also based outdoors and she had finished that for a few weeks now. No doubt there would be more coming in the following terms. She looked at him with a sideways glance as she removed her outerwear.
"It's been a long day. How bout we get something really good?"
Looking at the menu she discovered what she would like and looked to Natasha with a gentle smile. She wasn't going to give any clues away as to what she wanted just yet. It would start with a thick ice cream milk shake and go from there.
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Ava sat back with a full stomach a satisfied smile on her face. She hadn't eaten that much for a long time. Mainly because, full stomach plus shield would end in throwing up. However, the menu option of deruni (homeland food) with fish filling. It was a lovely change and made for some beautiful memories to arrive. Then her desert was a toffee, nut and amaretto trifle which was just fantastic with a great big mug of coffee.
Jack settled for a simple burger but with added curry sauce.
Ava was actually smiling genuinely, the past 24 hours just disappearing from her mind. However, her flirting had almost completely stopped. Jack continued to flirt which received mixed reactions from Ava. After the desert was finished she stood and excused herself to go to the toilet.
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Post by Super Chick on Mar 21, 2022 18:29:27 GMT -7
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It was interesting that Jack came to India to study climate change. Natasha was aware that the university in Delhi had recently opened a School of Climate Change and Sustainability, but that was some distance from the mountain where Jack said he worked. Perhaps a more local school offered such studies? Natasha's interest was piqued and she no longer regarded Jack as entirely safe. She watched him throughout dinner and conversed easily, letting Ava take the lead since the boy seemed most interested in her, though he never disregarded Natasha in the slightest. He divided his attention in the aptest manner, and the Widow again felt the stirring of suspicion because of it. Still, she only remained attentive while enjoying her Rogan josh which was always perfectly made here at the lodge. Natasha was still enjoying her dessert of Kashmiri Shufta when Ava excused herself to the ladies' room. Nat watched her go and considered her abrupt departure before looking to Jack. "You've genuinely made her smile," she told him. Nat looked toward the way Ava had gone and continued. "She's been pretty overwhelmed with her studies lately and this vacation was supposed to be a break from the stress. I'm afraid the avalanche today didn't do anything to help with that, but you did. So, thank you."The elder Widow didn't really care how Jack might respond and quickly followed up her comment with, "I'm going to check on her. Will you watch our things?" It was a test of his character and intent as much as to assuage her curiosity over Ava's emotional state. Natasha had not felt further conflicted by Jack's interactions throughout the meal, but it unnerved her a little enough she thought he was lying about being in India for school that she wanted to further test him. So, Nat excused herself and went to the ladies' room in search of her protege, all the while watching Jack in the reflection of windows and the mirrors behind the bar for any sign he was going to rifle through their things. He had not by the time Natasha arrived in the hall to the restroom. She turned and looked, gave a wistful smile to Jack, then disappeared into the ladies' room. Three stalls and two sinks were within a warmly lit room, but no people were obvious though two doors were closed as if occupied. Natasha didn't go looking into the other stall before simply speaking aloud into the room. "He seems nice, Ava. Perhaps you should see if he will give you a private lesson this afternoon?"________________________________________________________________________ Gummy
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Post by Gummy on Mar 29, 2022 11:46:05 GMT -7
Jack was true to his word, he looked after their things. He explained that he was up on the mountain collecting data on snow formation in that area with the plans of going into how to manage climate changes within the mountains whilst keeping the area safer for skiers and animals alike. He ordered a round of hot chocolates shortly after Nat left and looked back. He didn't even seem to notice her looking at him from across the room.
Meanwhile Ava was busy doing what she needed to do and didn't answer until she had pulled the flush and come out to wash her hands.
"You really want me to try and date him? He is alright for a Jerk but.... "
Ava let out a sigh, her hands pausing under the tap.
"... I can't. Not unless you pull work on me! Which as we are both on vacation won't work."
She said the last with a slight grin. Her hands carried on washing and she shook them under the tap but didn't move from the skin but look at Nat in the mirror. There was a profound sadness in her eyes as for that precious moment her mask was removed.
"I just can't."
She looked passed Nat in the mirror, it wasn't at the door but another section of wall. Then she closed her eyes and her neck bent forward as she tried to hold back all the raw emotions that had just swelled up in her.
"He... he should be here and Sana... I know they arn't fixing her, they arn't even going to wake her. They keep telling me they will but I know... I know they don't know how to cure her so they are just leaving her in that room. Is our lives going to be like this? Is everyone we love going to ... vanish?... With Dante working too... "
Opening her eyes she looked at her hands, there was an anger building, the storm starting to rage inside again.
"I'm not you. I'm... us. I used to ski with my parents I remember having an accident, I don't think I was very old... About a year or so before we met. I had almost forgotten. With you tumbling, I remembered. That's why I fell."
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