driftfleet

Entry tags:

001

Who: Nami
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Nnnow-ish

[This is not happening. Nope. There were happy endings, and sunshine, and portals home, and she damn well walked through one. Not only does this quiet, sterile place bear no resemblance to, y'know, a brigantine sloop or a crazy ocean, but she's turned up here alone.

She was pretty sure the animus were on the level with the whole going home thing. The fact the Adstringendum communicator is giving her nothing but static when she tries to use it is, uh. Not comforting, to say the least. She explores the accessible area in due haste, looking for anyone she recognises. Or anyone at all. And then she sits cross-legged in the middle of the one hallway and tries to get the communicator working by prying at it with fingernails, hitting random buttons, and eventually just hitting the wall with it a few times before tossing it away from her with a huff.

Not happy doesn't really cover it.

She finds the broadcast system, staring down at the controls suspiciously. She shouldn't know how to use this. But, well. In the absence of being able to do anything else-- ]

----

This turning up in mysterious new places thing was old the first time it happened. Where the hell is this, and what hoops do I have to jump through to get home? [Sweet, sweet sarcasm. But at least she's holding onto her temper.] And where's my staff?

And-- and who fixed my shirt?

[Serious question, that one.]

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So far all I know is my weapon's been stolen, I'm suddenly a pilot, and I'm moving ships soon. Oh, and apparently my shirt might have been fixed by helpful space elves.

[So kidding on that last part.]

I'm still getting the rest.

[People haven't been particularly direct. Not that she blames the kid she's talking to, he's a kid.]

[Heh to the 'helpful space elves.']

Aw, ya got a bad lot, then. [And apparently... not going to immediately draw a better one with her. Rogue was terrible at this -- hated doing it and didn't really want to improve.] Guess folks are distracted by bein' planet side.

[Enter the zebra horse into the background of the video again.]

Yeah, uh-- you're not on a ship. We're not all stuck up here?

[That zebra, man. What the hell.]

[Hey, be nice to her zebra horse thing. He might look weird, but he's a sweetheart!

...okay, so yes, he looks really weird.]

Ah - no. [At least this was a topic Rogue felt comfortable discussing -- good news!] Seems like every month an' a half or so, we get dropped off on a planet ta increase the ratings. We get ta do odd jobs an' buy things.

[Shrug as if to say: It's a living.] ...breathin' the fresh air's awful nice after a while on those ships, though, gotta tell ya.

I bet. [She doesn't want to be here that long, but there's a sort of hopelessness that makes her think stubbornly declaring she won't be is a waste of time. She just came from Adstringendum. Hah.

Of course, I'm gonna zero in on the important word here.]

Ratings for what?

Oh. [Crap, how did it circle back to this?] We're on a TV show. That's this place's whole gimmick. So... smile or give 'em the finger or whatever. They'll probably love either one.

[....

Excuse me a second I am stunned speechless.]

.......

...what.

[Oh, there we go. Less shock and more I'm going to hit someone.]

[And Rogue... tones down the sarcasm for some genuine wryness.]

Yeah. It sucks.

[But it could be so much worse. So.]

Seriously. What's there to see? I--

Are we getting filmed all the time?

[Because now she's glancing around looking for cameras.]

That's what they say. Haven't seen any evidence of it, myself, but... the folks in charge make announcements every now an' again, read us letters from 'viwers' an' ask us ta respond... crap like that.

[She really HATES being the bearer of bad news like this. She really wishes there was Something to Be Done about This. She's got five years of experience that says the only thing to be done about it is to endure and wait. It sucks.]

[Ugh. Nami's only got six months or so of experience in that, but it's enough that she doesn't immediately cast around looking for solutions. From experience, everything has been tried already. She can find out the details later. Just-- ugh.]

Showers are gonna suck.

Tell me about it. Some of the ships only get ten minutes of hot water per hour, an' mine didn't even have curtains until I rigged some up with Pearl.

[JUST SAYING.]

Only ten minutes? [Her voice is rising. That's a travesty, Rogue. A travesty. Curtains doesn't bother her none, but--]

Hey, they take your weapons away. I don't suppose you can ever get them back?

[She wants it for more than hitting people now okay D|]

Some of the older ships have it better. [Her poor baby ship. They're working on it.

Definite bit of a mournful tone to what she had said, though. More than one reason why Rogue is glad to be planetside.

And she doesn't pay any particular attention to the change of topic.]

I haven't ever heard of it, but then I haven't been here that long.

[So... could happen?]

[Top priority, Rogue. She'll bring you steaming hot showers that way.]

Yeah? How long for you?

[Instant bff.]

Little more than two months now, I reckon. Don't much count the days. [It's depressing.]

{She gets you.]

You the only one here from your world?

[...difficult... question.]

Kinda? There's a bunch of different versions of my world back home, but... I'm the only one here from mine.

[Pause a beat.] Had someone show up from the place I was before this, though.

[Tony was gone now, but Pepper was still here. Rogue couldn't help but view that as a responsibility more than anything else. She was going to do her best to watch out for Pepper, not only for her own sake, but for the sake of her friendship with Tony.] Reckon if you were in a place like this before too, ya know you can never tell what'll happen.

...yeah. I guess I'll just expect more of the same and hope I magically wake up home tomorrow. [There's some flat sarcasm there, because like that'll happen.

After a beat, she continues on a little more warmly.] I'm Nami. Thanks for helping out.

Rogue.

[A flicker of a smile and a half shrug.] No problem.

[About to sign off but then--] Oh, word ta the wise? The food on the Marsiva's a sight better than what you'll get if you're on a ship without a cook or an advanced kitchen.

[So just... enjoy what you can.]

Yeah, I heard that. I'm thinking I'll take advantage where I can. Hey-- just one more question.

You're down on a planet, you said. What happens if you just kind of... take off? Don't go back to the ship?

[You know, Rogue had asked the same question.]

I dunno. Most of the places we stop aren't real big on travelers, so - best case if that ya get stuck in an alternate universe with all our clues about goin' home sailin' off into space. [That, she'd only thought of later. Along with:] Worst case I can think of? The augment in our brain explodes.

[Just saying.]

[Gk-- okay you know what, scratch that. She's attached to her head, it's pretty DX]

Guess that was kind of a long shot. Covering all bases, right?

[Rogue shrugs and smiles a little.]

Worth askin'. I did the same thing.

All right. Thanks, Rogue. [She lifts a hand, waves it helplessly.] I guess I'll probably be seeing you around.

[ video ]

touchofrogue - 2015-09-28 21:25 (UTC) - Expand

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