16378/Long Time Since...

Long Time Since...
Date of Scene:	20 June 2024
Location:	Fred's Diner - Mutant Town
Synopsis:	Two friends meet up and have a long overdue discussion.
Cast of Characters:	Wolverine, Quake

---

Wolverine has posed:
Logan's bike rests outside of Fred's. It's easy to spot. IT's an Indian Bike, heavily modified to take his weight, roar like a lion, and not feel like a comet on wheels due to heat. It just stands out. Plus, not too many drive Indians, let alone modifies them so much. Logan likes Indian due to their place in the war. It's a nostalgic ping from a time long forgotten, but Logan can't shake it. He likes those bikes.

Sitting at a booth, he'll work on a beer and look over a menu those blue eys have seen dozens of times againa nd again. Dressed in the chocolate brown bomber jacket, the black button up shirt sticking out from the coa and he's wearing a pair of light blue jeans. Everything about him is pretty standard. Plus, he's not hiding. Everyone could find him, if they're looking for him. Someone could just be passing him by, noticing.

A slow start to a night does not mean it's a bad night. Those sky blue eyes just look over everything. His gaze will idly slip to look over everything. Just drinking in the coming evening. The sky's blus splashed with a small smattering of orange. Evening is coming.

Quake has posed:
The night is just beginning for Skye. Most of her days are spent trolling the dark webs for interesting tidbits that lead to bigger stuff. She was rarely in the 'office' before noon. But, then again, she was rarely out of there when the sun was still out. And when she got home, her favourite pastime was.. you guessed it, more trolling the dark webs. Afterall in the European contingent was just getting up for the day.

Today, though, she left early, and picked a special CPU that she was interested in, and found herself in Mutant Town.

She was an Inhuman, which really translated to mutant - Not that she advertised in either by costume or who she hung out with. But in essence? She was one.

Walking into Fred's Diner she caught a glimpse of Logan's bike. At least she /thought/ it was his. Smiling as she entered the diner, she did the requisite once over the inhabitants, exits, mirrors.. etc. Afterall, she WAS a spy! And found herself looking at Logan.

Walking into the diner properly, she headed to his table. "Well, well, well. Look what the cat has brought out to play with." Skye chuckles. "Hi, James. Can I?" She nodded to an open spot.

Wolverine has posed:
"No kiddin'. What brought you out?" Logan smirks and nods to the spot. "I'd be insulted if ya didn't ," Logan's happy to see Skye. A little shocked to see her to be honest. One, he thought it was too early for her. Two, Skye has been quiet for a long time. So, he presumed something ahppned or she had to go dark. And so, this is a good surprise. Those ocean blue eyes of his drift to her here and there.

"So, where ya been? How ya been? The stuff ya can tell me," he knows the spy game comes with a lot of secrets. Some of those questions are going to be vague, simple or similar. It's part of the game.

"It's on me if ya need the resources. Still on me if ya don't," he's going to pay for it.

Quake has posed:
"Me?" Skye breaks out into a grin. "Actually I was picking up some things I was curious about for my non-work computer.

That was a lie. *All* her computers were work related. Or to the point, not work related. There was an overlap between them that she couldn't say this one was, and that one wasn't. When your playtime was exactly the same as your work? Yeah..

Skye settled herself down where she had adequate views of the entrance, and a mirror view of the back door. You never knew when that might be important!!

"I know. I have been a hermit for.. oh god.. two years? Ew. It didn't seem that long. I've been looking at my life. And just when I thought I might be getting somewhere, a kink was thrown in the works. I'm working on it again."

None of that refers to her job though.

"And you know me? I could hole myself up in a room, and never see the light of actual day, and to my job! Everythings has been quiet for too long. I'm a little worried. But that's what the pay me for: Worry."

She shrugs. "What would you recommend, seeing that you are paying?"

Wolverine has posed:
Logan's gaze just levels on her as he knows a lot of that is a lie. Skye loves her computers. "Ya. It's been two years darlin'. What have ya done to survive?" he's very concerned with her there. "I mean people get worried 'bout me not having a life," he says honestly looking at Skye. There's obvious concern in that gaze.

"I like the burgers, sandwiches, prime ribe, that sorta thing," he looks at Skye. "Simple stuff. The classics," he looks back at his menu and nods. "It's a greasy spoon that ain't so greasy." He hopes that clarifies.

Quake has posed:
"A hamburger and fries, I think.. no, wait. Hamburger and *onion rings*. Mmmm Onion rings." She settles on that.

As for the other..

Skye sighs. "It's Clint. Things were going.. wonky? For a bit. He was trying to find out who his father really was, and I know this will sound funny given my way of dealing with things.." ie to shut everyone out. "..He found himself withdrawing. And then he disappeared. I've been moping all this time. And I was making my mind up to rejoin the living, and suddening he reappears, as though nothing more than a week had happened.

Of course, Skye doesn't tell Logan that for Clint it really only was a week. Time travel. And Skye still didn't know what to do. Even though they had slept together since he had been back. Yes, Skye was confused.

Wolverine has posed:
"Woman after my heart," Logan smirks and nods. Then he looks at her for a moment.

Talking about Clint then everything else. Just following along as best he can. His eyes slip back up to her. "So you and clint still? He hasn't put a ring on it yet?" he asks curiously looking at her. It's a serious question since they've been together for a while.

A brow goes up as he knows that's probably breaking a bunch of spy codes. Still, it does make him wonder which of them have cold feet. It's a curious thought so he will toss that question out there. See how it lands and goes from there.

Quake has posed:
"That's the thing." Skye wished she had her hamburger now, to give her something to focus on rather than this conversation. "It's always been Clint. Even when I tried to pretend he was just a fling."

Fat lot of good her lying to herself back then.

"He was gone two years, though. ANd I.. well, for the first year I closed myself off. The second year was almost the same, until recently. I mean, I wasn't ready to date, but I came out more? I mean, I frequented bars I wouldn't have gone to, so the odds of picking up men were nil." She laughed at that. "And then.. poof.. he was back."

"Can I tell something private and possibly top secret?" She scruches her nose at the ring question.

Wolverine has posed:
Logan nods listening to everything. He just smirks reading some of the agitation. His gaze stays on her until the wait staff comes. Logan will order a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings.

Then they go back to the story. Everything that happened. "Shame ya couldn't find me," he winks. Honestly, it's him just saying things could have been worse. "But yeah, it's good ya decided to crawl outta yer hole." Then he shakes his head a little bit about Clint showing up. His view is skewed due to lack of details, "Why didn't ya close the door in his face?"

Then that face scrunches, "What?" Logan doesn't think it's actually top secret given Clint is the center of the attention.

Quake has posed:
"I don't know? See.."

And here she lowers her voice. "He wasn't pretending. It had only been a week for him. They sent him on a mission without telling him all the parameters, and he was sent back in time. For him? He spent the week at a little town a hundred a fifty odd years ago. I'm not really certain if the researchers from R&D knew what they were doing with this machine. How could I blame Clint for something he wasn't aware of?"

"The ring is a whole 'nother thing. And he's not the only one who has balked at that." Marriage??? Was she ready for it? Wouldn't it ruin what they had worked together to build? Hell, wasn't this this a prime example of how things would go wrong?

Wolverine has posed:
Logan leans in and he asks, "And you believe that?" If Skye doubles down then he'll believe her. Right now, it's not so impossible because Gods are literal Avengers. So, Time Travel isn't out of the realm of possibility. Maybe not a bridge too far, but a bridge that he needs to cross still.

"Who's scared of it more?" Logan's amused. "I like that people like us can get scared of that," he shakes his head. "Reminds me no matter all the impossible crap we put up wit', we're still like everyone else." It's not humbling, but it's a good reminder that even if Monday they're fighting Giant Robots, Tuesday they're Time traveling and so forth, they're still afraid of the little things.

Quake has posed:
"Do I believe him?" Skye snorted under her breath. "Clint is fabulous at many things. But lying to me? No. He would have told me the truth, no matter if it hurt me. We have a deal."

Back when she went undercover to break up Hydra's current plan - which was the taking over the entire world's computers, they had promised that even if they couldn't say what, they would tell the other that they were on a mission. With this? Skye has eventually that he had run over because of his father. Which wasn't much better. But to lie? Never. He would have run without a reason, but never would he lie.

And, if he wasn't telling the truth? She could always hack into the data banks and find out the truth. Simpler to tell to truth from the start.

She shrugs about the wedding rings. "Besides, you aren't married."

Wolverine has posed:
"Alright," Logan believes it's time travel. He's not all in on it, but he believes in it because of Skye's faith. That'll be what carries him through this one.

Then he laughs as she points out the very obvious. "I came close, couple of times. Even recently, but someone else made sure it wasn't in the cards," he sighs and pushes past that one. His gaze slips to her. "Not fer lack of tryin'," even if that is completely unintentional on his part. It just sort of happened. Then it kept happening.

"Volunteerin' fer the job?" he knows that may kill any questioning on that subject and him. Well, any questions about him finding a wife. Past issues, those are still on the table.

Drinks will come long before what he says next, but he will say something. "So what are yer plans tonight, darlin'," he knows there's more than this. Logan will take his beer and take the first sip.

Quake has posed:
Skye chuckles underneath her breath. "Me? You aren't in love with me. And there isn't any reason to marry for political reasons. So.. no. I'm not volunteering. As for what? Taking my supper home and try out the new hardware."

Wolverine has posed:
"It could improve somethin'," Logan shakes his head. "I'm loveable, but it's clear ya got yer eye on a particular arrow," he says honestly. "Could be better than him," he teases. Dropping it a moment, he will nod about her plans. "Sahme ya ain't more social we could go somewhere after food. Don't know where, but could be fun," to him the day is still young and that could lead to more fun. He's just not sure where or what. Just knows there's potential. Plus, Skye would be out of the hole she calls home for more than a couple of hours.

Quake has posed:
"You do know what I do for a living, right? Holding up in my living room, playing on the computer is fun. We are moving into the European time zones crossed with the US waking up to do bad things.. trade mark." Skye laughed. "What were you thinking of? I could be convinced."

Wolverine has posed:
"I'd be a good husband first n' foremost. Second, diplomatic connection to a few organizations. So, there are those, darlin'," then he thinks on it for a moment. "Don't mess wit' time so I don't get lost too much. Good in a fight. Good in other places," Logan is trying to sell himself a little. However, he knows he may not be the best candidate. "I could be the best thing that happens to anyone," he shrugs and leans back.

Quake has posed:
Skye guffawed. "Almost everybody wants to believe they would make a good husband or wife. Very few of us admit the opposite."

She listens to the rest, though, and nods. "All good points. But maybe I would be the one who wouldn't be suitable, huh? Beyond my personal faults, my past is some kind of fucked up. My father is a rageaholic. Literally. He's living out in the country without his memory so that he doesn't turn back into one. Thanks to me. And my mother is a megalomaniac who believes the metahumans are the ultimate race meant to enslave humans. Periodically she tries to convince me to side with her. It's only a matter of when she will get tired and abduct me. So, there is that."

"Forget the things that I know about everyone who SHIELD keeps files on. If my mind was changed I would be on a hit list very fast. They can't afford me to spill my guts."

All the while she speaks calmly, as if she has made her peace with that.

Wolverine has posed:
"I know I would be because I have decades of practice," Logan says honestly. "I wouldn't be perfect, but I know a few things," to him it's just a mathematical. A matter of odds.

"And I could put ya down before they could," he smirks knowing that Logan could.

"Where do ya fall on the personal beliefs?" Skye's has to be better than the parents. However, they haven't had this talk really. Logan avoids things like politics and religion at the table and everywhere else, too. It always brings out the worse in people. Plus, sometimes he doesn't have a dog in every connected race.

Quake has posed:
"You probably know that at one time I was in the top five wanted criminals in the world." And it was true. She really was. For a reason, though. "After the Rising Tide, they brought me in. And if it weren't for SHIELD speaking up for me, and the fact I was being a counter spy at the time, I would have been locked up. Sort of when I joined SHIELD."

Skye shrugged.

"What you may not know is at the beginning I had the choice between working for SHIELD, or being holed up in a 4X8 maximum security cell for the rest of my life. And for the longest time I debated going to jail. It.." She sighed. "It was hard choosing. To join SHIELD. Even longer to let some of them slip past my barriers."

"Maybe that doesn't answer your question?"

Wolverine has posed:
"Yep. I remember," Logan did remember when she was on the wanted list. And he remembers how it is removed. His gaze slips back to the menu.

The food's brought out to them. "Nope. It doesn't Just tells me ya had a big life change, but not what ya believe," then he takes his burger and takes a big bite. Just savoring how it tastes as he takes another bite.

Logan will patiently wait for an answer.

Quake has posed:
"Do you mean god?" Skye pulled herorder closer to her. "It's kinda strange to believe in God when you have met others."

Again, she shrugs. "When I was forced into SHIELD, I was a hacker. A damn fine hacker, if I say so myself. I think that laws aren't the be all or end all. Sometimes laws are made to be broken - for the right reason. And I guess that's why SHIELD gave me the chance. Otherwise they would have turned me over to the authorities."

"Fury took a chance on me later, letting me pretend that I had switched sides to infiltrate HYDRA. I could have switched easily. And Fury knew what I had seen. So, where do I stand? On the side of justice. Not where the law pretends to be."

Now she allows herself to eat the onion rings. With pleasure!

Wolverine has posed:
"No. I meant wit' just world view. Mom wanted see humans overruled by mutants n' metas. Yer dad has messed up views on the world. What are yers. I ain't talkin' bout religion," that's a can of worms he wants to avoid.

"Ya been criminal n' S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. What's yer view?" he looks at her. That makes him curious about everything. His ocean blue eyes rest on her for a moment. "Curious what yer world view was."

Quake has posed:
"OH. That.." Skye shakes her head before answering him. "I want to believe that we can live together? Even before I was changed. Which seems counter intuitive, given that I don't parade it about. My mutancy.. But the ability to work with frequency I don't think of it as a bigger part of me. I think of myself as a hacker, first and foremost."

Not to mention, for a while she used her powers when HYDRA wasn't aware. NOW they knew of her powers. No more surprises! But she always considered herself as a specialist in computers - not in her powers.

"My dad? You have to understand, Hydra took my mother for her powers. And somewhere in there I was lost. SHIELD put me in an orphanage to hide me. And my father went a bit crazy trying to get my mother back. He isn't a true mutant. It's a concoction he took to amp up his strength, and rage was a side effect. Now my mother? She wants to rule the world."

Wolverine has posed:
"Yeah. That," Logan emphasizes. He wants to know this personal view. That's the part that interests him. Sometimes the SHIELD agents have a skewed view. Something very gray, and that's coming from Logan's perspective. His is not the bright light someone should chase.

Taking another bite of the burger, Logan savors how it tastes. His ocean blue eyes flicks back to her. Swallowing the bite, "That's what I wanted to know. Been gone fer a bit, and times can change people," that's the kicker. He wants to be sure Skye is how he remembers. OR if tshe's not, how Skye has changed. What the changes are.

Quake has posed:
"I could be lying." Skye picks up her burger, and gestures. "But, I'm not. I presume you are okay with that?"

Wolverine has posed:
A nod comes from him, "Seems to make sense. I hold a simialr view. X-Men are about co-existance. So any view that's about makin' it work is good in my view. I don't know how, but I'd like to think people better than me have a good idea," Logan looks back up, "It's why I run with that group. It's why I share their worldview," although he's a jaded form of that stance.

"Bother ya that I see the world that way," his look isn't the brightest, but he does have some form of hope.

Quake has posed:
"What? Because you run with the Xmen?" Skye laughs to herself. "It's why I run with SHIELD. Bigger hopes. Bigger views of how we could be. Stopping the bad guys. The usual. No." She shakes her head. "I'm not disappointed at all."

She swallows her bite of burger. "Damn this is good."

Wolverine has posed:
"Some people don't like that or get shocked wit' it," Logan admits and takes another bite of his burger. He'll nod in agreement. After swalloing his burger, he nods, "Why do you think I get beer here instead of the actual bar? Besides the nautical theme they got over there, the food ain't as good if ya ask me," Logan smirks and leans back in his chair.

"How long has it been since ya been outside this long?" he'll resume eating the burger while waiting for the answer.

Quake has posed:
She shoves onion rings in her mouth. No playing at polite gestures here.

"Well," Skye chews as she thinks. "Most of my job doesn't require me to see the light of day. When I lived at the Trisk our rooms didn't have windows, just a computer generated weather system. You know? So in the spring the light would be more watery, and the sounds of the birds were different, etc. I fixed that. Trust me. Sometimes I use my rooms."

She thinks. Counts on her fingers. "The past few months? I cheated in the past using the delivery places to bring me cat food, but I did try to go out for kibbles and treats. My home is secure. I don't have to go into the Trisk for my job if I don't want to. The archery setup still works from when Clint lived with me. I use it. Why would I want to go out? Everything I need is there at my fingertips."

Skye shrugs. "You seem surprised at my reaction to the X-Men. Why?"

Wolverine has posed:
A look goes to Skye when she says, "I fixed that. Trust me. Sometimes I use my rooms." He doesn't ask, but that eyebrow raise speaks volumes.

He doesn't seem to be bothered by those facts. His ocean blue eyes looking at her. "I know yer home is secure, but ya are just enjoyin' outside," he says honestly.

"I think you bein' outside is a good look on ya," he looks at her honestly. It's good change for her.

Quake has posed:
Skye grins. "I didn;t fix the programming for the other suites.Just mine." She really isn't sure if anyone knows about that after all these years. She was better than them. Maybe Natasha knew? But why would she be looking around at the code for the suites?

She levels a gaze at him as he talks about the outdoors and her. "Let's be frank. Why? I don't do any outdoor sports." Except archery, and that was better indoors. "I typically am not needed for most of our missions face to face. I don't really have any friends anymore." They had been assigned new missions away. "And I hate shopping. Augh.. bleck. What else would I want to go out for?"

Wolverine has posed:
Logan wants to defend her. He wants to defend every aspect, but he knows Skye's best place of action is turning the computer into a weapon. His gaze goes on her, "I ain't sayin' yer completely right, but you're deadlier in front of a computer screen."

Plus, she does have a point about shopping. Logan avoids it whenever he can, too. That part he understands. "Just sayin' it's good to see ya n' see yer not waisting away or gettin' weird."

Quake has posed:
"Well, I am now? I've been trying to rejoin the human race. Before Clint came back."

Skye noms her hamburger. "Though, some people think I am more dangerous with my powers. It's funny, I rarely use them. Even SHIELD doesn't push me. I mean, yes theY do use me, but not for the little stuff."

Wolverine has posed:
"You could still learn how to use em'," Logan points out and then can think of some scenarios where she would be useful. Takinga nother bite of his burger. He nods about ti all.

Swallowing the next bite. Just giving her time to take that in.

"I'm happy ya decided to come back. Means yer improvin'. Can't let things like that destroy ya," he has some first hand knowledge there. He'll offer his beer bottle. "To survivin'?" he offers ina toast.

Quake has posed:
"Trust me." Skye replies drolly. "I know how to use my powers. Shield had a whole team, just for me, to perfect them, and to be 'normal' again. I mean, I won't ever be normal, but now at least when use my powers, it is under my control."

Skye shows her bracers, and winks. "So I don't break my arms when I use them."

"I go for regular checks. Make certain that things are copacetic for day to day. I could listen to the conversation outside the door if I wanted to. But let me ask you, would that be okay? Listening to people as a day to day occurrence? Or to move them faster when I feel they are too slow? Sure, I could use them all the time. Do you? Really? Or do you evaluate your being in the world and let some things go?"