Original A/N April 2020: Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are so Absolutely Fabulous.
Welcome back to the "good" timeline. Remember, time is going slowly there. There is a reason, and it will be revealed soon.
Updated A/N September 2020: You're probably aware by this point that I write these chapters months in advance before posting, A/N and all. Especially right now because my beta reader is on vacation at the moment. I have everything written up to conversation 22 already and those chapters are in various stages of proofreading.
But we as a community had a very rough week. The loss of Chadwick Boseman hit the fandom hard as if it was a direct shot to our collective heart. He brought a character that we needed to life, but from all accounts, he was an amazing human being. It always hurts when we lose one more amazing human being, especially when cancer is involved.
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I lost two family members to cancer around Thanksgiving 2015. One right before and one right after. Boseman's death has brought back a lot of those memories. I do empathize with his family and loved ones. This is not an easy loss; it never is. It takes time to process grief, and then it's never truly processed. You just get better at dealing with it. Grief isn't linear. You move forward, but you don't really move on. Sometimes moving forward involves a zigzag pattern. But talking about grief helps us move forward, we have to.
Conversation 16: Level 3 Friendship
The new consultant: Hey, we just got here. We brought food. Just me and the Princess. Even Her Highness couldn't talk Ned's mom into letting him come back here.
Venom: I'm okay with that. What did you bring? The cafeteria mostly had cereal and other dry goods this morning. They weren't expecting an Avenger invasion. Not that I had much of an appetite anyway. We also wanted to avoid everything that is the Fitzsimmons family awkwardness.
The new consultant: That explains why we brought groceries in addition to pizza and bagels. Good pizza. Your favorite white pizza with sausage. You're going to have to explain the family awkwardness when I get there.
Venom: You are too perfect.
The new consultant: The Princess would like to know if you and the others want us to come to you, or do you guys want to come down to the Wakanda Embassy section to talk? We would have more space in the suites. I saw pictures of your room and its very dystopian chic, especially with the one bed perfect for cuddling.
Venom: Afia sent pictures, didn't she?
Venom: I deserve cuddling after finding out my boyfriend was sleeping with someone else and blaming it on me because I don't want to put out. After receiving a readout of last night's all Avenger's meeting, I think I understand why Benji was so amenable to cuddling.
The new consultant: How much do you know?
Venom: A lot. This morning I found out why Peter is not going to make a move on you this summer because our field trip is probably going to get called off on account of a giant purple alien that wants to wipe out half of the universe. Also, apparently, that already happened once. I was part of the 50% that was wiped out of existence.
The new consultant: Shit!
Venom: The standalone Stark pad that Afia gave me didn't have the training wheels protocol in place. So, I got to see everything.
Venom: Oh, my ex parents apparently didn't give a fuck about me being gone. Liz reported my dusting instead of my parents.
The new consultant: You know you're better off without them. If it makes you feel better, apparently, I'm also part of the 50% along with my mom and cousin. Although my dad apparently went on to remarry and have another kid.
Venom: Fuck him. So, you got your own Stark pad?
The new consultant: Wakanda Tech holo-pad. On the way here, the Princess asked me to start looking at the files that were transmitted from 2023. So, we could figure out how not to make the same mistakes.
The new consultant: The first thing I did was see what happened to Daisy there.
Venom: And the second thing you did was look for yourself?
The new consultant: Third, after my mom. I don't think they knew that they were related, which is kind of sad.
Venom: Peter and Afia have decided that we should go down to the Royal Embassy because there's more space down there and apparently better food. We consumed most of the ice cream and chocolate on base last night.
The new consultant: Okay, we are on our way there. It's for the best anyway. I don't think we can all squeeze on that one bed. Like you guessed, Afia did send us a picture of you guys in bed together this morning. I see working out together is paying off.
Venom: Of course, that's how you knew. Nothing happened.
The new consultant: Other than cuddling around each other without shirts on. You know I'm okay with it. You two are cute together.
Venom: Well, Benji was planning to make a move on you during our European trip, so it doesn't matter.
The new consultant: But he's not now because of the pending alien apocalypse?
Venom: Yes.
The new consultant: Or because you just broke up with your boyfriend yesterday and you now know who he really is, so he needs to reassess things. That's why he's not making a move now.
The new consultant: You know I don't see this as a competition between us. I never have.
Venom: I know that, but I'm not entirely sure Benji realizes he doesn't need to choose or if I'm even a possible choice.
The new consultant: I think he knows you are a choice.
Venom: Maybe. Benji has been reading the books that you have been giving him, and he considers himself demisexual when it comes to guys, so maybe there's progress.
The new consultant: Exactly. Now we just need to get him to read the books about polyandry.
Venom: Fine, I'm not entirely against this plan of yours. We just need to make sure Benji is on board.
The new consultant: Which is what I need. Honestly, I don't think I can take dating Benji without you. Just being the cousin of a superhero is hard. I'm already terrified of getting a message one day that she's gone. I'm worried that's what I'm gonna find out when I go to the compound because nobody's telling me anything except for the Princess.
Venom: What did she tell you?
The new consultant: That she's not on Asgard but another planet. Ana won't even let me have access to her last suit cam video. Stark himself blocked it, and the Princess won't override it.
Venom: That's not good.
The new consultant: I know, but I'm not going to push until I'm at least there at the compound because I don't want to find out alone.
Venom: I thought you consider the Princess a friend?
The new consultant: She is, but like a level one friend. However, you need a level three friend for this.
Venom: And I'm a Level 3 friend?
The new consultant: I wouldn't consider boyfriend sharing with somebody who wasn't at least a Level 3. Even Ned is just level 2.
Venom: So, when this is all over with, are we just going to lock Benji in a room with us until he gets a clue?
The new consultant: I was hoping for spring break, but other things are more pressing. Did you look up what happened to Benji?
Venom: No, I was too afraid to. But the end of the world is no excuse to rush things. Also, I'm still processing a breakup that happened less than 24 hours ago.
The new consultant: Because you don't want this to be a rebound? Also, let's be honest, the breakup really happened on Valentine's Day. Yesterday, was confirmation.
Venom: I do not want a rebound relationship. You know if the world wasn't ending, I wouldn't even be considering this right now at all. It's too soon.
The new consultant: It's not going to end if we can help it. This can be your motivation to make sure it doesn't happen. We will have a plan. That's why we're meeting up to come up with one after all the research.
Venom: Just us?
The new consultant: Well, most of the adults are in DC meeting with the president.
Venom: That is not a good sign.
The new consultant: Although they're supposed to have an all-hands meeting when everyone gets back. The Princess thinks we can put a plan together before then.
Venom: One can hope.
To be continued
New A/N: May we all be fortunate enough to have level 3 friends to help us get through the tough moments in life.