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Test Drive Meme #2
You wake up in a closet. It's a nice enough one, clearly owned by someone with a large bedroom and too many clothes. There's a dim light on but no switch to make it brighter. As your eyes adjust and you come to the realization that this is probably not a dream, you notice you aren't alone. Locked in the closet with you is (at least) one other person who seems just as confused and disoriented as yourself.
On the door, you can both see a list with a possibly familiar title and a familiar set of rules; Seven Minutes In Heaven. The door will be locked for a probably very long seven minutes and it will not open no matter how much you try to force it. In the closet air is a hefty dose of aphrodisiacs that might be clouding your normal judgement. The longer you wait, the more you want to give in to the game.
Will they really let you out when the seven minutes are done? Or will the countdown start all over again until you consent? Only waiting will tell.
EDIT: Aphrodisiacs are OPTIONAL, not required. Also feel free to make your own scenarios, themes are merely for those wanting an idea.
no subject
If their focus is sex, I'm sure they're keeping an eye on who's cooperating and who's managed to fly under the radar here.
[Time for high stakes dating game. You ready Steve? Pulling out her tablet, she scans back through the network searching for something completely different.]
If you managed to miss their last experiment, I am just gonna go out on a limb here and say you haven't knocked boots with anyone yet. As much as I'd love to do what can to keep you off that radar... If they're serious about this, I don't want to see you go through whatever sick tricks they have up their sleeves.
[She looks up at him, expression focused. She'll start slightly more gently than she would with anyone else.] Has anyone here caught your eye?
no subject
[Well... that one made more sense than fondue had. Not that he'd ever admit that little slip to her. God, he could just imagine the fondue pots left outside his door. Invitations to dinner and oh, look, fondue. Natasha could be very unsubtle in her teasing.
But that was just who she was. Subtle didn't work for her, the real her. Not the Natasha on a mission playing version eight of herself.]
How about we go with 'no'. I haven't exactly been looking for Ms. Right. More like a way home.
no subject
[It's more for confirmation than anything- and here she'd been trying to keep it a little classy. He should really tell her about the fondue misunderstanding- she wouldn't make fun of him at all. /cough]
For practicality's sake, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone available on speed dial.
[She would volunteer herself, but suggesting it right now might be a little much.]
no subject
[She was normally so blunt. And no, that incident was staying where it belonged -- in the past.]
... I think there are other options.
[Like just toughing through it. Or so he thought. He may be a little deluded about it, but he wasn't exactly going to give up without a fight.]
no subject
And I think limiting yourself here when there's so much we don't know isn't all that smart. [Sure, it's noble, but she was guessing these people didn't play by the rules.] You've been here a month, do you really think it's gonna miss you every time? That you're invulnerable to what might happen? Say you don't have sex, say you carry on being you and toughing it out. Say... say it works for a few months.
[She takes a moment, her voice softening as she continues.]
What if that's their test for you? What if rather than going after you they go after everyone you've grown to care about as a punishment? The people you've fought so hard to protect here?
[Because she knows him and anyone in need of protection would be hard to resist given his nature.]
I'm not saying it would happen, but... [Considering she'd been pulled in by like-minded people once before? Yeah, she's not betting on a happy ending around here. Rather than continue, she draws the corners of her lips into a slight purse for a moment and gives a little shrug.]
no subject
[Like testing the dome. Searching the city. Breaking into the welcome facility and waking up back in his room after he'd been knocked out. Those sorts of things.]
The only person I know here now is you--
[Which just added a whole new little twist to his problem and he frowned, folding his arms and moving to step around her, trying to avoid looking at that look, like she knew more than him. Which she did.]
If I wasn't partaking back home of my own volition, what makes you think I'm going to just walk up to some random woman here and ask her to-- and expect things?
no subject
Because the situation has changed. Because it's not really something we can put off forever.
[She crosses in front of him, wrapping a hand around his arm and using her height to her advantage to catch his eyes. With a subject like this, she didn't want to give him too much of a chance to avoid her.]
Hey, we're in this together. I will help you however I can either with finding a way out or getting through an experiment.
[Because odds were one of them might accidentally kick the hornet's nest and wind up pumped with aphro.]
no subject
Then he sighed, this time with less annoyance, arms dropping and a hand coming up to rub over his eyes.]
I'm sorry. It's not you, Natasha. It's this... it's this.
[His hands gestured outward, trying to take in their entire location with a sweep.]
Tell me there's a bad guy. Point me at him and I'm fine. Recon is doable. But what am I supposed to do about experiments that might make me... that deal with that?
[Because one of the things he'd thought about since finding out the truth of the place was them putting him in a room with someone who, like him, didn't want to play along and them doing something to him. Making him Bucky, but with sex. The idea of him doing that to anyone made him sick to his stomach.]
no subject
[If anything, it's quite the opposite. She gets it, probably a little better than him which is why she needs him to get away from just trying to tough it out because everyone has a breaking point. It's just a matter of hunting for it until they find it. Exploiting weaknesses was something she was very good at doing, and something she's been on the receiving end of before.]
You do whatever's necessary to survive so you can live to fight another day. Even if it might go against your moral code. [Because sometimes life was easier without one. Sure, it wasn't always pretty, but it's more efficient. Granted, she wouldn't ever dream of doing to him what was done to her to make the hard choices easier.]
Which, in this case may be having sex for the sake of keeping a clear head. It doesn't have to be a one night stand, you can set up a specific person. And if you aren't ready to find someone or chat with someone I find for you...
[Because she so would if he asked her.]
We can be each other's go-to for that. Try to stay ahead of whatever they want to throw at us.
[Not her first choice, but this is the most logical and safest answer she can think of right now. It's not one she's particularly fond of since it would blur a few lines and could set her up for emotions and situations she'd been trained to avoid in her line of work, but this is a special circumstance for someone in her circle.]
no subject
God. If I didn't know better, I'd say this was all just a way for you to get me to actually date, Natasha. I don't want you to find someone for me. I don't... I don't want any of this. And I certainly don't want you... sacrificing your-- making you--
Look, just...
[He sighed. The worst part of this was that now he had her welfare to concern himself with. If she got taken, doped up, tossed in a pit... He was going to cause a lot of damage trying to get her out.]
You know I've got your back.
[The idea of what that meant here was slowly starting to sink in.]
no subject
[Stark maybe could pull it off if he was bored, but she couldn't create an entire world just for the sake of Steve's dating life. There were far more important things to spend her time on, especially since SHIELD was no more. The way I certainly don't want you hangs in the air for a moment gives her pause. She's still female, still victim of some of the same vulnerabilities not that she'd show it. There's so much more going on here, she can't let it get under her skin - just take a breath and press on.]
You wouldn't be making me do anything I wouldn't already be willing to do.
[She lets that hang in the air for him to take as he will before starting to dig through his fridge and cabinets to see if there was any booze. Just because he couldn't get drunk didn't mean she couldn't at least work towards a buzz. A nice, healthy non-doped buzz. Although the doping would probably be something she'd experience at some point, especially if she dug too far or struck a nerve. It was a gift she had.
If the people running this place knew what was good for them, there should be a welcome bottle in every apartment. Although something makes her pause, turning back to look at him as her brows knit. Don't mind the fact that she's currently bent over searching the lower half of the fridge.]
Sacrificing my what?
[Because if he was gonna say virginity, she might not be able to hold back a laugh.]
no subject
Of course, if he knew what she wanted, he'd go get it for her, but he was still musing over that very open implication. Which then made him think things he probably shouldn't, so he crammed them back in his mental vault before turning to her and answering her.]
Your choice.
[Simple and the truth. Being with him wouldn't be something she'd do by choice, otherwise she wouldn't be so hellbent on throwing name after name at him.]
What are you looking for?
no subject
He deserved a chance at happiness and a family. Someone who could give him a glimpse into normal. That girl wasn't her.
Raising up from her spot in the fridge, she gives a little sigh - closing the door before letting her hands move to rest on her hips.]
My ability to choose was pretty much taken away from me the moment I was dragged here. I'm not saying it needs to happen, I'm just saying it's an option. I'm willing to help out a friend when he's in need. Steve, I don't have the same reservations about sex as you and if it means I can bypass giving them a chance to experiment on me?
[A beat.]
I'm done being someone's puppet. [She doesn't dwell on it, rather breaking her gaze him with him and lightening her tone as she looks back in cabinets she'd already searched.] And I was looking for some form of booze. I know it's a longshot, but I figured it'd be worth a try. Where's the nearest store?
[Because if they were gonna keep chatting, she was gonna need a drink.]
no subject
But he knew her well enough to know she'd shoot it down. Put the blame anywhere but on him. She was a little blind in that regard.]
Natasha... you know if you need anything, I'll be there. Whether it's to find you someone you want, or... whatever you need.
[Because yes, Steve firmly believed she had no interest in him whatsoever. Which was probably for the best, but... he had an ego. Even if it was a small one.]
A couple blocks away, but how about we just order it?
[He gestured to the tablet he'd left on the table when he'd been out. What? There'd been no Avengers to assemble here.]
Sorry, I don't, ah... well. You know.
[Of course, now that she was here, he was going to have to stock up.]
no subject
They'll cross the sexual bridge when they get there. Honestly, she's spoken her piece and it sounds like they're finally in agreement. At least for now. She'll take it.
The suggestion of ordering the booze is more than enough to distract her, already moving over to the tablet on the table. She gives a little wave of her hand when he apologizes, the other already flying over the screen and getting the order in. If she was gonna be stuck here, she might as well have booze.
With a few extra clicks, she gives an almost happy sound as she turns back to face him.]
It should be here in about 7 minutes. Maybe sooner. Y'know, I can teach you a trick or two on this thing if you want?
no subject
Define 'trick'? I'm trying to avoid having AIs burst in here.
no subject
[Okay - maybe she'd skip a few thing on her first day. She'd already gotten into enough with the AIs for one day.] I'd rather not have another run in with them if I can avoid it.
no subject
no subject
Besides, they're like perfect training dummies. [No, Natasha. No they're not.]
no subject
Natasha... don't even think about it.
no subject
[A soft sigh escapes as she scrolls back through the tablet. Clearly Steve wasn't gonna be any fun. She had time.]
I think the groceries should be here soon.
[Ha, groceries... Liquid groceries that fully support healthy coping with awful situations.]
no subject
[He was wise to you, Nat. But he scoffed at the mention of groceries, almost afraid to ever look in her kitchen.]
no subject
[And her kitchen isn't in question right now. Honestly, it's mostly empty considering she was never home save for some non-perishables. Something told her her kitchen here would probably be close to the same.
Almost as if on cue, his tablet lights up. She doesn't miss a beat passing it over to him.]
no subject
But the tablet blipped and he gave her a stern look before going over to the door, opening it and paying for her 'groceries' before accepting them and closing and locking the door and lifting the bag at her.]
Your refreshments.