1/23 Instance: Shadows

[Svartfreja]

Timelined for after [Instance]Pushing Buttons.


<Hope> It was still icing. How was it still icing? She was never going to get home at this rate! Hope had given up trying to fix her cell phone and instead had perched herself in the window seat of her bedroom at the residence. Hopefully Shinobi wouldn't be too mad about this round of photos. He knew the last ones were faked after all.

<Carol> Having secured the continuation of the loan of the trailer for use as a temporary office, Carol was at something of a loose end but, a phone call or two later, saw her making a visit to one of her students. She hated wearing heels in the snow, or at all really, but there were certain things that were expected and the uniform was one of them.

<Hope> One thing was for sure: it was boring without a cell phone. She sighed and looked around the room. Maybe she should do her job or something since she was there.

<Carol> Carol knocked on the door and waited, hovering slightly because work heels were stupid.

<Hope> Knocking? Who the hell was brave enough to venture down there today besides Bobby, and that wasn't his knock? She sat up a bit, looking at the door. "It's open."

<Carol> Carol let herself in, letting her shoes drop off her feet before the door had even closed, "Hey!" She threw Hope a grin.

<Hope> "Carol!" Hope grinned, but stayed where she was. "Did you hear? I took after you. Attacked the press secretary with my phone."

<Carol> "I did hear, but that's not why I'm here." She set herself down on the ground again and headed over to Hope, "Nice going, by the way. What happened?"

<Hope> "Why are you here then? Oh, he said I deserved the pictures. The ones on the front page of the tabloids."

<Carol> "You should have punched him in the balls. He'd think twice next time." Carol plonked herself down beside her, "I'm here because I was in DC anyway and figured I might as well check up on you guys... where is Bobby anyway?"

<Hope> "Avoiding me I think. Well and service doesn't usually come into the residence. He's probably goofing off with the guys somewhere," she shrugged. "We're fine."

<Carol> "You sure? I figured you'd be bored by now... Weather and everything." She frowned out the window.

<Hope> "You have noooo idea. I was even considering... work." She looked up at Carol with a terrified look.

<Carol> "Ew...." Carol wrinkled her nose, "You poor thing." She patted her, "Can I help?"

<Hope> "Well.... I was told deicing the plane was not an option. Got anything fun to do while trapped at the White House?"

<Carol> "You know, you're not neccessarily trapped, right? It might not be practical to deice the plane but no one said anything about you flying yourself around - how do you think I got here? I hate driving."

<Hope> "You flew in the storm?" Hope asked, impressed.

<Carol> "Of course I did. I'll fly in anything," She laughed, "You never wonder why SHIELD assigned me to the school?"

<Hope> "Because they hate you?" She joked, grinning as she got to her feet.

<Carol> Laughing again, she gave Hope a small shove, "No, because I'm the best pilot they have... and, with the school's history, they figured you all needed one if they were going to give you another jet."

<Hope> "Well that's no lie, though is it really the pilots that have been the problem... or our circumstances?" She shoved Carol back, grinning.

<Carol> "The circumstances weren't great but a better pilot is never a bad thing - I can get people out of situations no one else could. You should ask to see my record sometime."

<Hope> "Glad you are there... How long are you saddled with us anyway?" Hope shoved her hair back as she moved to look for shoes.

<Carol> Carol shrugged, "I don't know... Guess it depends how good you guys get at staying out of trouble.... or whether or not I suck at my job. That part's not going so well what with the crazy ass Sentinels and the even crazier robot putting a crater in the building...."

<Hope> "Someday... you'll figure out that you just can't stop the chaos in that building," Hope told her, laughing.

<Carol> "Oh hey, I already know that. But you try telling my bosses that when the President's daughter studies there. Every time something happens they freak out at me - they interrupted my vacation over a photograph. Did you know that?"

<Hope> "Ouch... that really sucks. As much as I don't get a life, you guys have less of one than I do. And there they go again, upheaving my life with photographs."

<Carol> "Well at least this time I'm already not on vacation and conveniently in the city already so I'm actually in a good mood, despite the weather and the heels."

<Hope> "Can't you go throw a camera through a wall or something for me?" she pleaded, tying up her shoes.

<Carol> "If you're out with me and someone takes a photograph they shouldn't have, walls won't even be an issue," she promised.

<Hope> Hope paused.... and pulled Carol into a hug.

<Carol> Carol flailed a little, "Who are you and what have you done with Hope?" She returned the hug a little bit but it was awkward.

<Hope> "You should come with me always," she told her, releasing her. "Might save me a lot of trouble."

<Carol> "If I didn't already have another job that involved saving people a lot of trouble, I would totally take you up on that. This one would pay better..."

<Hope> "Damn. This one is better anyway. I don't even ditch security anymore," Hope grinned.

<Carol> "Oh I wouldn't worry about that anyway - who'd want to ditch me? I'm awesome."

<Hope> "Well that's true. Though Drake is too and I ran from him a couple of times. Whoops."

<Carol> "Yeah but he's slow," Carol pointed out. "I get bonus points because I can fly."

<Hope> "Yes you can... ready to fly!?" Hope tugged a hoodie down over her, putting the hood up over her head.

<Carol> "Yes... well... wait one sec." She got up and went to put her shoes back on then changed into her SHIELD uniform. "I don't want a dry cleaning bill."

<Hope> "So weird... anyway yeah I'm good. I could use some fresh air."

<Carol> "You should learn how to do that," Carol advised, "Then you can just ruin uniforms if we ever get shot at by Sentinels instead of your actual clothes. It's much better for your wallet." She looked between the door and the window questioningly.

<Hope> "I'm sure Tony will appreciate that," she pointed out, nodding to the door. "I don't even think these windows open. Someone might, like, crawl in."

<Carol> "Oh they'll open," Carol gave her a grin, "But I guess it'd be nicer to security if we told them we were leaving."

<Hope> "You can't destroy the White House, Carol. Tony will mind. Same reason I'm not allowed to throw darts at this picture. Oooo can we go somewhere and throw darts?"

<Carol> "Who said anything about destroying it?" Carol's tone was amused but slightly offended, "And we can totally go throw darts at things - there's a few bars around."

<Hope> "Yes! Tony's buying," Hope told her, grabbing her wallet.

<Carol> "I knew there was a reason I liked you." Carol opened the door for her, raising an eyebrow at the odd looks she was getting from the security personnel - she had not been wearing the same thing when she went in after all.

<Hope> "Because I buy the booze?" Hope asked, not even noticing the security anymore.

<Carol> "Noooo because Tony buys all the booze," Carol didn't feel the need to explain herself to the suits.

<Hope> "Hey that's not fair. It's technically my money too." She kept up with her, pouting slightly. Stupid Tony.

<Carol> "Technically, but not actually. But what's that face for? You get to drink it all with me - he doesn't get that luxury."

<Hope> "Yeah... it's just hard to be his... shadow." She sighed, tugging her hoodie tighter.

<Carol> Carol paused to stare at her for a moment, "You couldn't be anyone's shadow."

<Hope> "But I am though. I'm constantly compared to him, even when it isn't accurate. I'm compared to Duchess Kate. I'm compared to freaking Taylor Swift. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, I have an entire library to back them up. Pictures that shouldn't even exist."

<Carol> No matter how much she wanted to pick her up and shake her, Carol knew this was not allowed and restrained herself. Instead, she gripped Hope's shoulders and leaned down a little to look her in the eyes, "Okay. Listen close. You are nobody's shadow. You are a badass in your own right and all of those people out there that compare you are only doing it in an attempt to quantify your awesome. Don't let them."

<Hope> She took a moment, thinking through Carol's words before finally smiling and nodding. "Ok then. Let's go throw darts at this newspaper until the Speaker in the background isn't so ugly."