Welcome to Spaceo Kart!

[geonomy]

Who: All aboard the SS Vanquish!
Broadcast: Neh (Maybe)
Action: All over the ship! Maybe beyond!
When: The last half of August.

[Racing, racing, racing! It seems like the nearly the entire crew is into this racing business, whether that means winning or losing some of these races. Clearly, they all have competitive streaks deep inside.

It's the middle of the week, so they're not expecting someone new to show up. But wouldn't you know it? Someone does. Time to break out the confetti and chocolate pudding ready, and welcome to the newest member of the Vanquish crew!]

Comments

[touchofrogue]

[...yeah. Pepper. She probably should have been more... tip-toeing when it came to that. But she'd been too happy to see him and now was distracted by the room that wasn't there and didn't notice.]

We don't get dressin' rooms. We barely get breathin' room--[He opened the door to reveal an office startlingly similar to Zessica's and every other counselor she'd seen and...]

Oh. My. Gawd.

[...just starts laughing. Helpfully. Obviously. This laughter is so helpful.

She would have thought for sure they'd make TONY STARK an engineer. But. Nope!

Still laughing.]

[alloys]

[ tony's expression of confusion slips into one of complete and utter horror. HE KNOWS WHAT THIS ROOM IS SUPPOSED TO BE. ]

...my god. I'm the ship's counselor.

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue is absolutely no help.

In fact, hearing him say it like that, out loud, just sets her off more.

She has to put a hand on the wall to support herself, she is laughing so hard.]

[alloys]

[ there's some tiny, objective part of his brain that does realize how hilariously mismatched he is with this job. but then there's the other, much louder and more subjective part of his brain that is just. reeling in horror. ]

Please tell me there's no "invisible hand" that's actually going to make me do this.

[ luceti had war and experiments and kidnappings BUT AT LEAST NO ONE FORCED HIM TO BE A COUNSELOR. ]

[touchofrogue]

[She straightened up, her laughter quieting just enough for her to be able to speak normally.]

An' just think, all those times before now when you wanted ta volunteer ta be my psychologist.

[...but, no, she wouldn't be so cruel as to leave him hanging like that.]

Nah. No real evil overlord. Bit of a mind wibbly-wobbly thing last month, but from what I heard that was the first time nearly since the beginnin' of this whole thing, about a year ago. Wasn't anythin' much. Get this - [a brief pause, a wry pained smirk] - we're on a reality TV show.

[alloys]

[ he does breathe a little easier knowing that luceti's experimental nature doesn't carry over here. he'd had enough of that to fill a lifetime, and then some.

however, he piques his eyebrow when she reveals just what is going on there. ]

Seriously? You're serious. [ he glances around, looking for cameras. ] A reality TV show. In space. And, let me guess - this is all Truman Show and they're recording everything.

[ he didn't exactly see any cameramen. ]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue's posture finally returned to normal, and the requisite 'and then we're all doomed' tone when discussing Luceti's events is missing from her voice because, really, awful as this place is the comparison is just so -- yeah.]

Haven't found the cameras. [Shrug.] But we get messages from our sponsor just about every week an' a fan letter. We get paid, too, based on our ratings, an' we can use it for stuff on planets or way stations. Heck, Clay just got a whole bunch of visors delivered for his birthday, so I guess sometimes we even get presents...

[alloys]

[ a devious glint appears in his eye at the mention of fan letters and ratings. ]

Not like my entire life hasn't been played out like a television drama before. [ remember how everyone watched a terrorist blow up his house on TV? GOOD TIMES. ] And if it's ratings they're looking for, I'll be the fan favorite in no time.

[ he does a half-turn and waves to a would-be camera in the corner of the room. ] I accept gifts of all kinds and sizes, though let's be honest - bigger is generally better.

[touchofrogue]

[...this was going to be a nightmare in a tin can, wasn't it.

Rogue raised one hand to her forehead, but the fact that he was here meant that she couldn't quite erase her smile.]

Don't talk ta the evil overlords in the wall, Tony.

[alloys]

[ he glances at her nonchalantly, like what he had just done was perfectly normal and to-be-expected. ]

What? this could benefit you, too, you know. Maybe instead of a whole bunch of visors, I'll get a whole bunch of gourmet coffee and I'll feel like sharing.

[touchofrogue]

[...]

Point.

[She saunters in further to have a seat on top of his desk.]

So... not sure where ta even start, Tony.

[alloys]

[ tony semi-flops into the reclining chair, sticking his feet up on the corner of the desk. well, if this is his office, he might as well get comfortable. ]

...Yeah. [ neither did he. ] I mean...what are the odds? Of all the alternate universes that kidnap people, in all the dimensions, in all the world, I had to walk into yours.

[ with all their memories in tact, too. it's remarkable. ]

[touchofrogue]

[ Rogue shifts around so she's facing him.

And if he's going to quote one of the movies they watched during their 'date nights,' then so is she.

A small smile:] Never tell me the odds.

[...but yeah, it's pretty weird. Her expression sobers.] ...think that means more'll come? From Luceti, I mean?

[Loki had been long gone before Tony had showed up the final time, but the ache in Rogue's heart still definitely, desperately longed for hope. She had a feeling Tony would feel the same way, if about some entirely different.]

[alloys]

[ her quotation sparks a fondness that feels both very close and very distant at the same time. it's so strange - realistically, it could have only have been a few hours since he was in luceti, tops. and yet, it felt like it had been years ago that he had been there.

...all this inter-dimensional time travel better not be making him older than he actually is.

he presses a finger against his lips, answering carefully. he doesn't want to give her false hope - and he doesn't want to give it to himself, either. ]

Are you hoping for a big old reunion in space? [ it's said flippantly, but the thought made his chest tight. the real shock of not having pepper here hasn't quite settled in yet. but how long before it did, and suffocated him? and there were others he wouldn't say no to seeing again. god. when had he gotten so sentimental? ]

[touchofrogue]

Not... hopin', exactly. [She looks at him and glances away.] Just... wouldn't mind it, is all.

[She glances back at him.] It's just - this place hasn't been so bad, so far. Food ain't so great, but... could be a lot worse.

[alloys]

[ a moment, and then: ] - Yeah, I wouldn't mind it either.

[ he stretches out his fingers, splaying then on the armrest of the recliner. it could be a lot worse.

it could be luceti. ]

But - god, just when we thought we had everything figured out? Here we are, shipped off to the next rodeo. It's - kind of wearying. I bet you're going to tell me this place doesn't have a decent burger joint, either.

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue made a face.]

The food's all synthesized protein. We've purchased a kitchen upgrade, an' we get the cook upgrade so there's some... rice flakey stuff an' other flavors, but it's mostly some kinda paste we just hafta manipulate into flavor.

[Pause a beat.] It's like Beast Boy's havin' his revenge for all the times I mocked his tofu burgers.

[alloys]

[ a legitimately pained expression settles on his features as he processes this. ]

Okay, so this is some kind of Survivor show, right? Because there's no way in hell they actually expect us to survive on flakes and paste. That's up there with Chinese water torture.

[ he will go forage on an alien planet for an in-and-out, hand to god. ]

[touchofrogue]

Well, we got rice - synthetic rice - an' potato flakes. Upgrade ta the protein machine, too. It gives meaty flavors now, an' strawberry... plus, there's the cook augment, which lets us know just how ta mix things so they're eatable. Some of it ain't bad.

[She speaks with some wryness and some pride.]

[alloys]

[ tony, however, remains unimpressed. ]

Please tell me there's some redemption in the beverage department. [ there has got to be a silver lining here. even luceti had gourmet cooks! the war and experiments are almost worth the better food prospects.

almost. ]

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue made another face.]

Gotta wait until update 3 ta get coffee. No alcohol, unless we get it planet side. I have some from the last trip.

[So obviously this expresses a willingness to share. Without actually expressing a willingness to share.]

...an' I'm gettin' pretty good at makin' the food taste like food. I will say that. It ain't great, but it's, well. It's better than it could be.

[Go on, Tony. Guess what her augment is. Guess.]

[alloys]

[ oh god. this news just keeps getting BETTER AND BETTER.

he runs a hand over his face. luceti's war and experiments and liquor and seventh heaven are sounding better and better. ]

I suppose you're the cook, then, since you seem to know so much about how terrible the food is.

[ he vaguely wonders if she's tried to make a gel mud pie yet. the thought makes him shudder. ]

[touchofrogue]

[Nooo, you don't mean that, Tony.]

Yeah.

[One hand goes up to rub at her augment.]

It's weird. Was thinkin' of switchin', since we've already got a cook, but...

[alloys]

But you're enjoying it more than you thought. [ not to mention, it could be a nice change of pace to play a different role than she's had to in other lives. he could sort of grasp that himself, even though counselor is much too far removed form his usual course to have even a slight appeal.

him? he'd rather get back to basics and work in the guts of the ship if he could. no heroing, no suiting, no avenging. just some wires and bolts and tools. ]

[touchofrogue]

Yeah. [A flicker of a smile.

It was... it was really nice to be doing something to give life instead of take it away.]

Doesn't seem ta be much call ta immediately need to switch, anyway. An' it makes for good trade between the ships.