application.
Player Information ;
Your Nickname: eppy
OOC Journal: old-blueeyes
Under 18? nope!
Email/IM: hangingoffthings(at)gmail(dot)com/eppypeninc@plurk
Characters Played at Singularity: n/a!
Character Information ;
Name: Natasha Romanoff
Name of Canon: Marvel-movieverse, specifically Iron Man 2.
Canon/AU/Other Game CR: Canon
Reference: http://marvel-movies.wikia.com/wiki/Natasha_Romanoff
Canon Point: post Iron Man 2.
Setting:
-This section has been entirely revised.
The only difference between our world right now and the world of the Marvel Movieverse? Superheroes. Apart from their presence, all is basically the same. Same major world events, same rate of technological development, so on and so forth. If we appeared there, we wouldn’t even realize the difference until an actual superhero made their appearance.
I’ll start with the beginning, or rather, where the Movieverse diverges from historical events. Basically, right up until World War 2, the Marvel Movieverse runs the exact same historical course that we are familiar with. During the war, the American government, with the help of scientist Abraham Erskine, successfully created a serum that gifted Steve Rogers with enhanced strength and reflexes. He became the first costumed hero, taking the name Captain America. The course of history diverges from there, as Steve and his band of merry men fought the Red Skull, his Nazi counterpart, and became a national symbol of hope for the American country, as well as a pop culture icon, appearing in comic books, war bonds and even in moving pictures. Although he allegedly did not survive the war, he was the very first of the superheroes, and left his mark behind, whether he had intended to or not.
Steve Rogers is, in part, the reason why S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, abbreviated because that name is a serious mouthful) is created. His presence, and the possibility that there may be more men like him in the world one day, spurs the founding and expansion of S.H.I.E.L.D. While the vast majority of the world is unaware of their existence, S.H.I.E.L.D. operates covertly to deal with the extraordinary, whether that means Norse gods or billionaires flying around in high tech homemade armor. If anything bizarre or unexplainable happens, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the first on the scene to contain and assess the situation, and S.H.I.E.L.D. makes the call as to how that situation is dealt with.
S.H.I.E.L.D. itself is headed by Colonel Nick Fury, certified badass in an eye-patch. He calls the shots. When he says jump, people ask him how high. Natasha herself works in direct collaboration. Most of what she does is under Nick’s orders, and in conjunction with agent Coulson, who is equal parts recruiter and baby-sitter, and the person who was assigned to Tony Stark and Thor’s cases respectively.
Remember that thing I said about Norse gods? Well, that’s where Thor comes in. At the point I pulled Natasha from, Thor himself hasn’t made an appearance, but his hammer certainly has. Coulson is reassigned to New Mexico to deal with the mysterious hammer no one can lift, while Natasha stays behind to baby-sit Tony Stark. Thor and his hammer’s presence lead to the discovery of the nine realms. Earth is only one of nine different realms. Thor himself comes from Asgard, where the Asgardians predictably dwell. They are a race of warriors gifted with a wide variety of different abilities, who war with the Frost Giants, who dwell on the ice-coated planet of Johtunheim. The conversations between Thor and his friends, Sif and the Warriors Three, implies that the Asgardians have visited Earth before, in the distant past, and Jane Foster theorizes that their presence inspired Norse mythology as we know it.
However, S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently unaware of this connection, as is Natasha herself, as she was undercover observing Tony Stark. Tony himself is unremarkable-he’s just your average playboy billionaire. However, his creation of the Iron Man suit put him on the map in a big way, and Natasha was dispatched to evaluate him and decide whether or not Tony should be recommended for the Avengers Initiative.
What is the Avengers Initiative you might ask? Well, it’s Nick Fury’s attempt to organize a team of superheroes into an attack force to be utilized in the event something attacks the earth. As Nick states in the trailer, “it was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, so when we need them, they can fight the battles we never could.” The obvious candidates are the ones I’ve mentioned above, despite Natasha’s recommendation that Tony Stark only be brought on in an advisory capacity, with two additions. The first is Doctor Bruce Banner, whose experiments with gamma radiation misfired and transformed Banner himself into the Hulk. Hulk is, as Tony Stark so eloquently puts it, “a giant green rage monster.” Hulk is practically unstoppable when unleashed, and is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, albeit a very dangerous and utterly uncontrollable one. And then we have Clint Barton, codename Hawkeye, a fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has an unparalleled talent with the bow and arrow. His marksmanship is unmatched by any in the Marvel Universe, as far as we know.
To sum this up, hopefully in a more eloquent fashion, the Marvel Movieverse contains all the things we encounter everyday, and then adds in a bunch of superheroes and Norse gods. The scientific discoveries border on magic; sometimes the two even mix, in Thor’s case. S.H.I.E.L.D. and by extension, Natasha’s role in this, is to keep all of the above as far out of the public eye as possible. The majority of the people in the Marvel Universe are untouched by all this superhero drama, and S.H.I.E.L.D. works very hard to keep it that way. Natasha has access to all of the above information, as per her position and demands of her work within S.H.I.E.L.D. but due to her canon point she is unfamiliar with Thor and the consequences his presence on Earth will bring, as well as Steve Rogers, who she presumes to be dead, as all S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files on him indicate that Steve died in a plane crash before the war ended.
Personality:
Whatever else she may be, Natasha is an absolute professional. She is dedicated to her job, utterly and completely. She is the job, through and through. She’s very good at setting her personal life aside in favor of the mission, and it’s the reason she’s one of SHIELD’s most effective agents. Natasha is about results and the achieving of them. Get in her way and she’ll bulldoze you, no questions asked.
Everything about Natasha is some form of deception. The image she projects to the world and the reality of who she is are two very different things. In her mind, there is a very clear line between what people are allowed to know of her and what they are not, and very few ever cross over it. When she shares information about herself, it is always a very deliberate thing, and always very, very carefully chosen facts. Her altar ego, Natalie Rushman, bore only a few things in common with the real Natasha Romanova, minor details when you consider the full picture. And that’s the way Natasha likes it. She prefers people kept at arm’s length. The distance makes it all the easier to scrutinize them and decide whether or not they pose a threat to her.
Her appearance is deliberately misleading. Natasha plays the innocent very well, but the truth of the matter is that she is far from it. Natasha is an extremely strong, ruthless woman. She will fuck your shit up if necessary and she will not hesitate, in the right situation, to let people know what she is capable of. People are absolutely free to judge her based on appearance, but in just about every instance they will greatly regret that.
Something to note about Natasha is that even when she’s undercover, she dislikes being underestimated. She recognizes the usefulness and necessity of it, but it’s a part of her job that she does not enjoy. Of course, she can never outright voice her displeasure, but she isn’t above often making an example out of someone who laughs or belittles her potential, hence the scene with Happy in the boxing ring, where she flat out demolishes him without even breaking a sweat.
Perception and observations are key with her. Natasha’s made a business of sussing out the weaknesses and strengths of those around her, in addition of her owns. She is able to read people, to reach out and put her finger on exactly the part of them makes them weak, or what makes them strong. Part of what makes her so good at what she does is playing to the way people perceive her. She is a consummate actress, able to hide who and what she is when necessary.
Her word is her bond. It’s possibly unexpected, considering the Black Widow is notorious for her defection from Russia and the uncertainty of her loyalties, but it’s true. If Natasha gives her word on something, it’s as good as done. She makes good on the things she says, whether it’s a threat or a promise. She doesn’t make either lightly, and she makes certain she never offers either if they are beyond her means.
Loyalty is a hot button issue. There are people who have earned her respect and her loyalty, and once gained, they’ll have it until they give her reason to take it away. It’s not an easy road to get to that place with her. Natasha is a very highly guarded woman. She doesn’t trust easily, and not in all in many cases. It’s a precious commodity, since once Natasha counts someone as a loyal friend; she’ll move heaven and earth to help them, in the event they ever need it. It’s not something to be taken lightly with her, and she expects that gravity to be understood by those around her.
Abilities, Weaknesses, and Power Limitation Suggestions:
As far as we know now, Natasha’s just your average human being with no special enhancements whatsoever. She is stronger and faster than she looks, but not supernaturally so. All her abilities are the result of rigorous and repeated training sessions and study. It has been stated that she speaks a variety of languages, in addition to possessing high level hacking skills and a wide knowledge of various martial arts techniques. In addition, she is an extremely capable SHIELD operative, with specialized training in infiltration and disguise.
Inventory:
Judging from her fight scene in canon, Natasha carries on her person two small handguns of unspecified make and model, smoke bombs, EMPs, pepper spray and a length of wire with which she uses to choke or strangle any assailants. All of the latter items are small and easily stored in the various pouches of her belt she wears around her waist. Natasha’s uniform is a one-piece suit with the SHIELD insignia on the shoulders and a long zipper running down the front.
Lastly, she wears her signature wristlets. Their use is never specified in the movie, but in the comics they emit a high voltage of electricity which knocks out her opponent. I realize since the movie never states their use either way, this may be a stretch, and I would be happy to rule them out, but they appear on her person in her fight scene, so I figured I would include them regardless.
Appearance:
Natasha is about 5’4”, and deceptively slender. She has the strength and muscle tone of someone who works out regularly. Her hair is dark red, and her eyes are green. During the Iron Man movie her hair fell past her shoulders, but in all the Avengers previews it is cut into a chin-length bob, leading one to believe she cut it short once her mission of infiltrating Tony’s life was complete.
She was portrayed in the movies by Scarlett Johansson. (source images one, two, and three.)
Age:
Natasha’s specific age is never specifically stated in movie canon, but I imagine she’s at leastt in her early thirties, given how high she’s risen in SHIELD and how much work she would have had to put in to reach said position.
OC/AU Justification ;
If AU, How is Your Version Different From Canon, and How Will That Come Across?
If OC, Did You Run Your Character Through a Mary-Sue Litmus Test?
And What Did You Score?
Samples ;
Log Sample:
Sometimes, when she’s feeling particularly nostalgic, Natasha takes a private SHIELD transport to a particular ballet studio in Queens in the middle of the night.
She does not dance every time. There are nights when she simply visits for a few minutes, stands in the center of the floor and looks round at the mirrors, seeing herself reflected from every angle, flawless and unbreakable in her SHIELD uniform. Only a few minutes of silence and remembrance, and then she leaves. Back to her job, back to her assignments, back to guns and conspiracies and the harsh bark of Nick Fury’s laugh.
And other nights, she dances.
On those nights, she carefully ties up the ribbons on her ballet slippers, rolls back the fabric of her sweatpants to bare her calves. It has been so long since she has worn anything other than SHIELD-issued sweat suits to dance in. It makes her miss tutus, the old fashioned formal kind, the ones with feathers. Sometimes she thinks of them, of the delicate rustle of muslin, of the press of a bodice against her rib cage, of ribbons cutting into her skin as she danced.
The small hop up onto her tip-toes is so much easier now than it had been then. It is effortless now, just endless grace and tireless muscles and the swell of music from days long since past. Back then she had only been a ballerina, but now she’s pushed her body to the point of perfection and beyond. She is an agent of SHIELD; she is made to kill, not to dance. But still, she wraps her fingers tight around the barre, going through the warm up before launching into steps she would never, ever forget.
The room is silent except for the sound of her slippers striking the mats. This is never what anyone ever pictures when they think of her. The Black Widow is carefully controlled violence, all precise sting and perfect execution. But she is also this, a ballerina, with her body arching elegantly, perfect control in the air as she pirouettes.
She is so much stronger now, years and years later. She can leap higher, and it’s like flying. This dance is weighted with nostalgia, the sweet harmony of her limbs forming shapes to the remembered music in her head, the imagined swell of orchestral notes as she performed the old positions, all movement and elegant twist of her head as she spun back into the air. Once, she had done this on a high stage. She had danced for all of Russia in a feathered tutu and bodice laced with gold, hair piled high on her head and strong hand catching her as she descended.
Her lips move soundlessly as she dances, naming the forms, naming the positions, all in Russian and French, words flowing out in time to the movements of her body. There were positions she could not do on her own, so she danced solo parts, dances of women mourning lost loves, and who better to dance these parts than she, the Black Widow? She had been gifted with that name for a reason, after all.
Her arms curve over her head as she drew breath. A fine sheen of sweat covers her skin. Her muscles were burning. How long has it been? She’s lost track, except for the impression that it hasn’t been long enough. There is not often time for her to dance, not anymore. She dips forward, fingertips brushing the hardwood floor as she extends one leg high into the air. She flipped, and that is not ballet. There isn’t a ballerina alive who could do that and land perfectly en pointe.
But Natasha is not exactly a ballerina. Not anymore.
And she stops, sinking easily down to settle on the mats. Her legs burn, but they do not shake, not the way they had when she was young and beautiful and danced for hours before the most powerful members of Russian society. In those days she'd tumble down to the stage laughing the moment the curtain closed, her hair tumbling down her back and she clapped, cheeks flushed and happy.
Those days are over now. These days, she unlaces her slippers with steady fingers, wiping sweat from her forehead on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She smiles, but does not laugh.
When she leaves the room, it is in silence, and all those memories stay behind.
Network Sample:
[ There is a quiet, irritated huff, the tap of fingers on the side of the device, then a resigned sigh before the speaker begins. ]
I suppose everyone comments upon the location, so I’ll pass over that. I doubt anyone wants to hear another exclamation over space, or how strange it is to find myself here. Suffice to say this is not where I should be, and that there are far more important locations that I should be headed for at the moment.
[ She pauses. The slight click that follows may or may not be the removal of a safety from a handgun. ]
A sit-rep would be appreciated. Or the name of the party responsible for my presence here. Or an estimation of how accurate the information the AI was peddling might be.
Any SHIELD agents, make contact at your earliest convenience.
[ The sharp tone of her voice suggests that had better be now. ]
Thank you.
Your Nickname: eppy
OOC Journal: old-blueeyes
Under 18? nope!
Email/IM: hangingoffthings(at)gmail(dot)com/eppypeninc@plurk
Characters Played at Singularity: n/a!
Character Information ;
Name: Natasha Romanoff
Name of Canon: Marvel-movieverse, specifically Iron Man 2.
Canon/AU/Other Game CR: Canon
Reference: http://marvel-movies.wikia.com/wiki/Natasha_Romanoff
Canon Point: post Iron Man 2.
Setting:
-This section has been entirely revised.
The only difference between our world right now and the world of the Marvel Movieverse? Superheroes. Apart from their presence, all is basically the same. Same major world events, same rate of technological development, so on and so forth. If we appeared there, we wouldn’t even realize the difference until an actual superhero made their appearance.
I’ll start with the beginning, or rather, where the Movieverse diverges from historical events. Basically, right up until World War 2, the Marvel Movieverse runs the exact same historical course that we are familiar with. During the war, the American government, with the help of scientist Abraham Erskine, successfully created a serum that gifted Steve Rogers with enhanced strength and reflexes. He became the first costumed hero, taking the name Captain America. The course of history diverges from there, as Steve and his band of merry men fought the Red Skull, his Nazi counterpart, and became a national symbol of hope for the American country, as well as a pop culture icon, appearing in comic books, war bonds and even in moving pictures. Although he allegedly did not survive the war, he was the very first of the superheroes, and left his mark behind, whether he had intended to or not.
Steve Rogers is, in part, the reason why S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, abbreviated because that name is a serious mouthful) is created. His presence, and the possibility that there may be more men like him in the world one day, spurs the founding and expansion of S.H.I.E.L.D. While the vast majority of the world is unaware of their existence, S.H.I.E.L.D. operates covertly to deal with the extraordinary, whether that means Norse gods or billionaires flying around in high tech homemade armor. If anything bizarre or unexplainable happens, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the first on the scene to contain and assess the situation, and S.H.I.E.L.D. makes the call as to how that situation is dealt with.
S.H.I.E.L.D. itself is headed by Colonel Nick Fury, certified badass in an eye-patch. He calls the shots. When he says jump, people ask him how high. Natasha herself works in direct collaboration. Most of what she does is under Nick’s orders, and in conjunction with agent Coulson, who is equal parts recruiter and baby-sitter, and the person who was assigned to Tony Stark and Thor’s cases respectively.
Remember that thing I said about Norse gods? Well, that’s where Thor comes in. At the point I pulled Natasha from, Thor himself hasn’t made an appearance, but his hammer certainly has. Coulson is reassigned to New Mexico to deal with the mysterious hammer no one can lift, while Natasha stays behind to baby-sit Tony Stark. Thor and his hammer’s presence lead to the discovery of the nine realms. Earth is only one of nine different realms. Thor himself comes from Asgard, where the Asgardians predictably dwell. They are a race of warriors gifted with a wide variety of different abilities, who war with the Frost Giants, who dwell on the ice-coated planet of Johtunheim. The conversations between Thor and his friends, Sif and the Warriors Three, implies that the Asgardians have visited Earth before, in the distant past, and Jane Foster theorizes that their presence inspired Norse mythology as we know it.
However, S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently unaware of this connection, as is Natasha herself, as she was undercover observing Tony Stark. Tony himself is unremarkable-he’s just your average playboy billionaire. However, his creation of the Iron Man suit put him on the map in a big way, and Natasha was dispatched to evaluate him and decide whether or not Tony should be recommended for the Avengers Initiative.
What is the Avengers Initiative you might ask? Well, it’s Nick Fury’s attempt to organize a team of superheroes into an attack force to be utilized in the event something attacks the earth. As Nick states in the trailer, “it was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, so when we need them, they can fight the battles we never could.” The obvious candidates are the ones I’ve mentioned above, despite Natasha’s recommendation that Tony Stark only be brought on in an advisory capacity, with two additions. The first is Doctor Bruce Banner, whose experiments with gamma radiation misfired and transformed Banner himself into the Hulk. Hulk is, as Tony Stark so eloquently puts it, “a giant green rage monster.” Hulk is practically unstoppable when unleashed, and is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, albeit a very dangerous and utterly uncontrollable one. And then we have Clint Barton, codename Hawkeye, a fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has an unparalleled talent with the bow and arrow. His marksmanship is unmatched by any in the Marvel Universe, as far as we know.
To sum this up, hopefully in a more eloquent fashion, the Marvel Movieverse contains all the things we encounter everyday, and then adds in a bunch of superheroes and Norse gods. The scientific discoveries border on magic; sometimes the two even mix, in Thor’s case. S.H.I.E.L.D. and by extension, Natasha’s role in this, is to keep all of the above as far out of the public eye as possible. The majority of the people in the Marvel Universe are untouched by all this superhero drama, and S.H.I.E.L.D. works very hard to keep it that way. Natasha has access to all of the above information, as per her position and demands of her work within S.H.I.E.L.D. but due to her canon point she is unfamiliar with Thor and the consequences his presence on Earth will bring, as well as Steve Rogers, who she presumes to be dead, as all S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files on him indicate that Steve died in a plane crash before the war ended.
Personality:
Whatever else she may be, Natasha is an absolute professional. She is dedicated to her job, utterly and completely. She is the job, through and through. She’s very good at setting her personal life aside in favor of the mission, and it’s the reason she’s one of SHIELD’s most effective agents. Natasha is about results and the achieving of them. Get in her way and she’ll bulldoze you, no questions asked.
Everything about Natasha is some form of deception. The image she projects to the world and the reality of who she is are two very different things. In her mind, there is a very clear line between what people are allowed to know of her and what they are not, and very few ever cross over it. When she shares information about herself, it is always a very deliberate thing, and always very, very carefully chosen facts. Her altar ego, Natalie Rushman, bore only a few things in common with the real Natasha Romanova, minor details when you consider the full picture. And that’s the way Natasha likes it. She prefers people kept at arm’s length. The distance makes it all the easier to scrutinize them and decide whether or not they pose a threat to her.
Her appearance is deliberately misleading. Natasha plays the innocent very well, but the truth of the matter is that she is far from it. Natasha is an extremely strong, ruthless woman. She will fuck your shit up if necessary and she will not hesitate, in the right situation, to let people know what she is capable of. People are absolutely free to judge her based on appearance, but in just about every instance they will greatly regret that.
Something to note about Natasha is that even when she’s undercover, she dislikes being underestimated. She recognizes the usefulness and necessity of it, but it’s a part of her job that she does not enjoy. Of course, she can never outright voice her displeasure, but she isn’t above often making an example out of someone who laughs or belittles her potential, hence the scene with Happy in the boxing ring, where she flat out demolishes him without even breaking a sweat.
Perception and observations are key with her. Natasha’s made a business of sussing out the weaknesses and strengths of those around her, in addition of her owns. She is able to read people, to reach out and put her finger on exactly the part of them makes them weak, or what makes them strong. Part of what makes her so good at what she does is playing to the way people perceive her. She is a consummate actress, able to hide who and what she is when necessary.
Her word is her bond. It’s possibly unexpected, considering the Black Widow is notorious for her defection from Russia and the uncertainty of her loyalties, but it’s true. If Natasha gives her word on something, it’s as good as done. She makes good on the things she says, whether it’s a threat or a promise. She doesn’t make either lightly, and she makes certain she never offers either if they are beyond her means.
Loyalty is a hot button issue. There are people who have earned her respect and her loyalty, and once gained, they’ll have it until they give her reason to take it away. It’s not an easy road to get to that place with her. Natasha is a very highly guarded woman. She doesn’t trust easily, and not in all in many cases. It’s a precious commodity, since once Natasha counts someone as a loyal friend; she’ll move heaven and earth to help them, in the event they ever need it. It’s not something to be taken lightly with her, and she expects that gravity to be understood by those around her.
Abilities, Weaknesses, and Power Limitation Suggestions:
As far as we know now, Natasha’s just your average human being with no special enhancements whatsoever. She is stronger and faster than she looks, but not supernaturally so. All her abilities are the result of rigorous and repeated training sessions and study. It has been stated that she speaks a variety of languages, in addition to possessing high level hacking skills and a wide knowledge of various martial arts techniques. In addition, she is an extremely capable SHIELD operative, with specialized training in infiltration and disguise.
Inventory:
Judging from her fight scene in canon, Natasha carries on her person two small handguns of unspecified make and model, smoke bombs, EMPs, pepper spray and a length of wire with which she uses to choke or strangle any assailants. All of the latter items are small and easily stored in the various pouches of her belt she wears around her waist. Natasha’s uniform is a one-piece suit with the SHIELD insignia on the shoulders and a long zipper running down the front.
Lastly, she wears her signature wristlets. Their use is never specified in the movie, but in the comics they emit a high voltage of electricity which knocks out her opponent. I realize since the movie never states their use either way, this may be a stretch, and I would be happy to rule them out, but they appear on her person in her fight scene, so I figured I would include them regardless.
Appearance:
Natasha is about 5’4”, and deceptively slender. She has the strength and muscle tone of someone who works out regularly. Her hair is dark red, and her eyes are green. During the Iron Man movie her hair fell past her shoulders, but in all the Avengers previews it is cut into a chin-length bob, leading one to believe she cut it short once her mission of infiltrating Tony’s life was complete.
She was portrayed in the movies by Scarlett Johansson. (source images one, two, and three.)
Age:
Natasha’s specific age is never specifically stated in movie canon, but I imagine she’s at leastt in her early thirties, given how high she’s risen in SHIELD and how much work she would have had to put in to reach said position.
OC/AU Justification ;
If AU, How is Your Version Different From Canon, and How Will That Come Across?
If OC, Did You Run Your Character Through a Mary-Sue Litmus Test?
And What Did You Score?
Samples ;
Log Sample:
Sometimes, when she’s feeling particularly nostalgic, Natasha takes a private SHIELD transport to a particular ballet studio in Queens in the middle of the night.
She does not dance every time. There are nights when she simply visits for a few minutes, stands in the center of the floor and looks round at the mirrors, seeing herself reflected from every angle, flawless and unbreakable in her SHIELD uniform. Only a few minutes of silence and remembrance, and then she leaves. Back to her job, back to her assignments, back to guns and conspiracies and the harsh bark of Nick Fury’s laugh.
And other nights, she dances.
On those nights, she carefully ties up the ribbons on her ballet slippers, rolls back the fabric of her sweatpants to bare her calves. It has been so long since she has worn anything other than SHIELD-issued sweat suits to dance in. It makes her miss tutus, the old fashioned formal kind, the ones with feathers. Sometimes she thinks of them, of the delicate rustle of muslin, of the press of a bodice against her rib cage, of ribbons cutting into her skin as she danced.
The small hop up onto her tip-toes is so much easier now than it had been then. It is effortless now, just endless grace and tireless muscles and the swell of music from days long since past. Back then she had only been a ballerina, but now she’s pushed her body to the point of perfection and beyond. She is an agent of SHIELD; she is made to kill, not to dance. But still, she wraps her fingers tight around the barre, going through the warm up before launching into steps she would never, ever forget.
The room is silent except for the sound of her slippers striking the mats. This is never what anyone ever pictures when they think of her. The Black Widow is carefully controlled violence, all precise sting and perfect execution. But she is also this, a ballerina, with her body arching elegantly, perfect control in the air as she pirouettes.
She is so much stronger now, years and years later. She can leap higher, and it’s like flying. This dance is weighted with nostalgia, the sweet harmony of her limbs forming shapes to the remembered music in her head, the imagined swell of orchestral notes as she performed the old positions, all movement and elegant twist of her head as she spun back into the air. Once, she had done this on a high stage. She had danced for all of Russia in a feathered tutu and bodice laced with gold, hair piled high on her head and strong hand catching her as she descended.
Her lips move soundlessly as she dances, naming the forms, naming the positions, all in Russian and French, words flowing out in time to the movements of her body. There were positions she could not do on her own, so she danced solo parts, dances of women mourning lost loves, and who better to dance these parts than she, the Black Widow? She had been gifted with that name for a reason, after all.
Her arms curve over her head as she drew breath. A fine sheen of sweat covers her skin. Her muscles were burning. How long has it been? She’s lost track, except for the impression that it hasn’t been long enough. There is not often time for her to dance, not anymore. She dips forward, fingertips brushing the hardwood floor as she extends one leg high into the air. She flipped, and that is not ballet. There isn’t a ballerina alive who could do that and land perfectly en pointe.
But Natasha is not exactly a ballerina. Not anymore.
And she stops, sinking easily down to settle on the mats. Her legs burn, but they do not shake, not the way they had when she was young and beautiful and danced for hours before the most powerful members of Russian society. In those days she'd tumble down to the stage laughing the moment the curtain closed, her hair tumbling down her back and she clapped, cheeks flushed and happy.
Those days are over now. These days, she unlaces her slippers with steady fingers, wiping sweat from her forehead on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She smiles, but does not laugh.
When she leaves the room, it is in silence, and all those memories stay behind.
Network Sample:
[ There is a quiet, irritated huff, the tap of fingers on the side of the device, then a resigned sigh before the speaker begins. ]
I suppose everyone comments upon the location, so I’ll pass over that. I doubt anyone wants to hear another exclamation over space, or how strange it is to find myself here. Suffice to say this is not where I should be, and that there are far more important locations that I should be headed for at the moment.
[ She pauses. The slight click that follows may or may not be the removal of a safety from a handgun. ]
A sit-rep would be appreciated. Or the name of the party responsible for my presence here. Or an estimation of how accurate the information the AI was peddling might be.
Any SHIELD agents, make contact at your earliest convenience.
[ The sharp tone of her voice suggests that had better be now. ]
Thank you.