driftfleet | Action | Bloodsport is such a violent name, gosh

...are we still in the cloud?

[She didn't think so, but to be fair she hasn't paid much attention to the outside world. Doesn't seem much point when she's not attuned to it.]

I think we're out of it now since we've been on this Planet. Unless it can move, er, float? around.

Well, if communications are down as a result of going through the cloud-- [Nebula? Someone called it that--] then that just comes under ships being damaged. I don't think it'd stop them now as a separate problem.

[Of course, what does she know? She slumps a little at the table, chin in her hands.] It'd be nice if I knew anything about space at all before I got here, of course.

[Nebula is a big word. Vash is trying to simplify things.] You're not the only one who had little to no space knowledge of space before showing up here if it helps.

No, I get the impression a lot of us don't.

So maybe you can answer a few more generic questions for me. I already know time doesn't pass at home. Is death permanent?

[Odd question, if she hadn't just come from some place that coincidentally seems to follow the same rules.]

[Wait. What? Vash stares at her for nearly a full minute before speaking.]

Yeah. Last I knew dead means dead. I've never met a dead-live person before.

And ah, sorry, think I miss heard you there for a second. I thought you said time stood still back on our home planets. Hahaha! How silly of me. [You crazy lady talking about death not leading to well... death. She must have been joking. Those two statements are just so ludicrous.

Yet, Nami looks completely serious. So, perhaps, she's not joking?]

[Nami's eyebrows raise to the heavens. She's not sure whether to be amused or kind of irritated.]

You've been here for such a long time and you've never heard that particular tidbit? Maybe it just never occurred to you to ask, I guess. I came from a cute little place like this. It follows the same rules.

My doctor's sister went home recently and he's at least relieved she won't miss him. So either he's mistaken, or this place has a few weird things going for it that you're not aware of.

What!? [Sorry, for someone who has never heard of something like that before. It's a lot to take in.] So- the whole planet? Time just stood still and people came back from the dead?

Wait, do you mean Zombies? I've read about zombies once.

[And he thinks he knows who you're talking about.] Do you mean, Simon? I didn't realize he knew for sure where she went. I really hope he's right. As I thought we had to win to get sent home. Although maybe she won?

[And then Nami looks unsure. She hadn't asked that, she'd just assumed. But the way he spoke sure sounded like it...]

It's not zombies! [Uncertainty makes her irritated, because seriously? Seriously?] People died, they woke up a few days later and didn't much like the experience. Up until the very end, anyway.

[Silly, Nami. Don't you remember how unbelievable it felt the first time you were told that death was just a temporary inconvenience?

And CAN skeletons poop? Did you ever answer that question?]

Sorry, I have to admit. That's a bit hard to wrap my mind around.

I mean, nothing changed? Even if someone died from injuries? Wouldn't say... lack of ahhh... a heart? [This is so weird. He can't really believe he's even suggesting this right now.] Stop them from coming back?

[No man she's an expert now THAT MEANS EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD BE NO EXCUSE--]

You have to remember something-- wait. [Nah I'm just kidding with that last bracket.] Look. The last place I was at, there were-- we were there accidentally because someone used a machine that kind of shattered their world, and we all fell in through the cracks. There were places we couldn't even travel because the landscape was so unstable. We were never sure whether the fact we didn't die permanently was a result of that, or the fact that some very powerful godlike spirits also got trapped with us and were bored.

I finally found a way home and ended up here instead-- in another little terrarium where you can't leave, and if it follows the same rule of thumb when it comes to time not moving at home because we've been shunted kind of sideways, then I'm having real difficulty believing this isn't the same place after all and probably with the same rules. Do you understand?

Remember something. [Vash stares quietly at Nami while she goes through her spiel. Mouth falling open slightly the further she goes.]

So... you think that you're here... because of that machine?

And time stands still, because we haven't really left where we are. More like, ah, we're in limbo with each other. If feels like time is moving but... it's not? Just around us? In like... a small pocket?

[He's trying so hard to understand.]

I don't know if I'm here because of the machine or where I was is just another place the Atroma run for kicks or whether they're entirely separate. I'm saying it's possible. And it's really unlikely that they're not connected in some way.

...but yeah. I guess you get the general idea.

That's good, because following that was nearly impossible.

And if I hadn't woken up suddenly and without warning on a space ship I probably would have called you crazy.

Edited 2015-11-08 21:42 (UTC)

I think that's the sane answer from just about anyone here.

[You look frazzled. Here, have another drink.]

So you thought you found a way home and showed up here. I'm assuming it was some other way then winning some unknown television show?

Yeah. Like... one of the residents had power enough to create a ritual that would send us all back to the places we were meant to be. The only thing stopping us was a pretty homicidal entity that was more powerful than he was.

We dealt with the entity, we did the ritual. Problem solved. Supposedly.

And then you wound up here. [Vash lets out a large sigh. Not really wanting to touch the idea of having enough "power" or what had to be done to "deal" with a powerful enemy.]

Well, at least there's alcohol here? [He raises his glass to toast against her's if she's willing.]

[He might be pleasantly surprised. It was an everyone lived scenario. Including the bad guy.

At that question, she grins immediately.] At least. Cheers. I'll look forward to enjoying the basic luxuries for a while, if nothing else.

[He would be! But for now he's assuming the worst.]

Good! Because basic luxuries is something this place has! And hey! You'll get to travel the galaxy while you enjoy them! Don't know about you, but that's not something people get to do back where I'm from.

Yeah, well... for me, an ocean was plenty big enough. It's vast and full of places barely visited if at all by anyone else-- I didn't need more than that. I wanted to map the world.

I'm pretty sure mapping a galaxy is a little far out of my league. Even if I wanted to.

While I hope you don't have long enough to map the whole thing, it might be a fun thing to do in your free times.

I'd have to learn an entirely new cartography system. I don't think a topographical map really works when you don't really have anything that qualifies as ocean level.

Or it's at least a very high ocean level compared to an ocean on a planet.

So, how would you map a planet if it didn't have a ocean? [As now he's just curious.]

It's a good question. See, most cartography I'm familiar with works with ocean level as a guide to elevation of various locations. Topography sure does. Even charting the ocean itself, you're just doing it in reverse. But out here in space, what would I use as my basis of reference for everything else? Planets move and so do moons. Suns don't, but which sun?

[...which is a hilarious thought, because up until recently the idea of more than one sun would never have crossed her mind. But it's all there in the info she's looked at already, and what's in her head as well-- ugh.]

Star charts are always done back home from the ground up. It's not like we can get out there ourselves to check.

There are people used to space out here, though. I guess I could ask them how it's done...

[Descending into geek mode, whoops.]

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