MCA #9, and the hallway, and the lobby, and so on | Tuesday Afternoon

[defenderofdesmoines]

Given that it had been a little over a week since people had been thrown into the ground and through pillars and such, Annie felt like she'd probably rested up enough to be able to do a little heavy lifting.

Just a little. Like, a dresser or two.

She'd been making trips between her apartment and Diego's the past few days or so anyway, taking over smaller things, but today found her moving her heavier furniture (and sure, maybe it was a little bit to prove that she could -- it was so weird to take time off from training.)

She was at least sensible enough to use the elevator, of course, which meant that there was a small stack of Annie's furniture accumulating in the lobby next to the elevator. (Look, it made more sense to her to get it all together there, and then take it over to Diego's in trips once it was all on the first floor. Maybe she was wrong, but it was a system, at least.)

[totally open! feel free to catch her wherever!]

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[hatesparadise]

"Wow, if I ever need help moving, I'm asking you," Danny said, looking at the furniture pile accumulated in the lobby.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Super-strength has its occasional advantages," Annie noted lightly, setting a mirror that probably weighed seventy-odd pounds against a wall like it was nothing. "And like most movers, I can be bought in beer and pizza."

[hatesparadise]

Danny smiled faintly at her and nodded. "We, uh, I've got that money you loaned me."

Because he didn't want to hold onto it any longer than he needed to now.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That was fast," Annie noted, a little surprised.

This did not feel like a good thing.

[hatesparadise]

Weirdly enough, it wasn't!

"Yeah," Danny agreed, glancing away and making a face. "Busy week after we got back from your New York."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Just what I'm sure you wanted," Annie said softly, watching him. "It's not a good thing that you have the money, is it, Danny?"

She was perceptive enough to not need the whole explanation. Especially since she'd figured it was kind of absurdly optimistic to think they'd just give his brother back, fair and square.

[hatesparadise]

Danny had also been stupidly optimistic about it. Which had not even been his usual thing.

"We were able to have a funeral at least," he replied. And oh god, why was his voice doing that dumb, scratchy thing with emotions welling up again?

[defenderofdesmoines]

Because he'd been through a hell of a lot, and was getting hugged for it.

"Oh, Danny, I'm so sorry," Annie murmured, crossing over to wrap her arms around him.

[hatesparadise]

Danny hugged her back. "It was stupid to think we'd get him back alive, right?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Making your own obstacle course?" Steve teased. "Skywalker'll get jealous."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Oh, no, I know better than that," Annie assured him. "Needs more quicksand if I want to really compete."

Someone was never getting over the quicksand. Not ever.

[grenadesandohana]

"Quicksand?" Steve said, blinking.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I ran Rey's obstacle course -- which Skywalker designed," Annie explained, "and it has a quicksand pit. I totally fell in. Had to be levitated out."

Like, on the bright side, cool moment for Rey.

[grenadesandohana]

"Well," Steve said after a moment to process all of that. "Guess his Wednesdays aren't that nuts."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, Rey just let me wear the clothes I walked in wearing when I ran it," Annie noted with a little smile. "So Wednesdays might take the edge on attire alone."

[grenadesandohana]

"I have so many ugly shirts now," Steve said, grinning. "So many." He jerked his thumb at her furniture. "Are you taking them with you or accidentally leaving them behind?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm moving across town," Annie said with a light smile. "I'll still be in New York for part of the week, once I'm off sabbatical -- Vought was super willing to give me a bunch of time off, weirdly enough. But when I'm here, I'll be over at MHA."

With Diego. That was the part she kept leaving off, because it was super casual, you all. No big deal. Just moving in with her boyfriend. Annie felt super regular about it.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey could have taken the stairs but usually used the elevator out of habit, so the stack was hard to miss when she came back from training.

"Is it moving day or is this a Fandom thing?" she checked.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"First one," Annie assured her, though she looked a little alarmed as she thought more about it. "God, I hope the island doesn't take that as inspiration, though."

Annie went ahead and knocked on her wooden dresser, just for good measure.

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm not even sure what all the furniture would mean for this town, but it's better to check," Rey said. "Do you need help?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I will happily accept help," Annie assured her. Especially since Rey hadn't suffered a head injury recently, as far as Annie knew! "I'm trying to have everything in by the end of the week, just as kind of a goal." And honestly, she'd probably make it. It wasn't like she'd been keeping a lot of things here, still.

[thatwaslucky]

"How much more do you have after this?"

Rey really, really had no idea how much a normal person could accumulate.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I have a vanity and a couple boxes of books," Annie shared casually, like books weren't the absolute worst part of moving, every single time. "A lot of my stuff's in New York, like pictures and clothes and stuff. Kind of a relief to cut it down to living in just two places, instead of like, two and a half."

Because let's be real, she'd basically been living at Diego's for a couple of months, now.

[thatwaslucky]

"I can't imagine. Having one floor is strange enough sometimes," Rey admitted.

Like she didn't also have a ship, and official quarters, but that was different.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's so cute how you guys have like the whole floor to yourselves, though," Annie pointed out. "I mean, Diego and I still have to share our floor with Summer and Emily and Miguel."

That's right, someone here still thought Rosa's name was Emily. It was a miracle.