video; optional action

[nulliverse]

Who: Celeste Blackwell and the fleet
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Can be found sulking around the SS Golden kitchen
When: Feb 6, evening

[The last time this girl appeared on the network, she was in quite a hot rage, so it might be odd to see her looking quiet and pensive now. Sad, despite a slight smile, to those who really look closely.]

I've been away for awhile - don't ask, I don't quite understand it myself - but apparently I've come back just in time for Valentine's Day to be around the corner. And normally I'd be the last person to bring up something like this, but...

[But what? She doesn't say, just asks her question.]

... have you ever been in love? What were they like? What really made you think "My god, this is the one" when there are so many other people out there who might've been just as good? And I mean, if you're in love right now and you still want to answer, it needn't be past tense. I suppose - I just don't quite understand this either, I never have, but that doesn't stop it from happening.

[She appears to be at a loss for a moment, before shaking her head and chuckling to herself.]

My mates would laugh themselves sick if they could hear me now.

[And that's all.]

Comments

[nulliverse]

Oh, I certainly wouldn't challenge you on the people. It's just that a city powered, as in the actual energy grid, by physical intimacy - it's set nearly everyone back a step, no matter how much they claim to be acclimatized to weird.

[goodjob]

Physical intimacy?

[nulliverse]

That's what I thought.

[It really never fails. She can't help but laugh.]

To be fair to them, though, they'd really accept anything. Hand holding, hugging, kissing, cuddling - it wasn't like being cast in a pornographic film. Or a pornographic life, as it were.

[goodjob]

But, still. If you didn't put out, they'd turn off the water. Jesus.

[nulliverse]

[Oh help, she can't stop laughing. It's not really funny in those words, not at all, but she still can't stop.]

It wasn't one of these places that kidnaps people either, if that helps at all. That seems to be the norm around here, but we came and went as we pleased. They just gave us an incentive to come and stay, so it was up to us how badly we wanted it, whatever it was.

1/? im sorry.

[goodjob]

[goodjob]

[goodjob]

4/5.

[goodjob]

[goodjob]

Yeah, right.

[nulliverse]

What? It's true! I saw loads of people leave and they all said goodbye beforehand. I even reached my incentive before I really wanted to leave, and they let me stay on for a bit to sort everything out.

[goodjob]

Your 'incentive'? You traded hugs for... what? What would be worth- that?

[nulliverse]

Let's just say I made a bigger mess of my life than most people could even imagine, and it was all for nothing in the end. I wanted to give that time some meaning instead of just having six years utterly lost to someone else's dream that never came true.

[goodjob]

So you signed up to make nice with strangers and met the love of your life. [She hopes she can keep the envy from her voice. She doesn't manage the anger.] What's your name again?

[nulliverse]

[Well. She's not 100% in love with this woman's tone right now.]

I can assure you, it wasn't specifically to make you bitter, as I didn't even know you yet. [So cool off. She's had her own struggles even in and since Eudio.] But yes, that's a very brief summary. And my name's Celeste Blackwell.

[goodjob]

Oh, believe me, I know it's not about me. [The judgement hasn't left her voice, though it's a little less icy, maybe.] Did it work? Did you get what you wanted?

[Fiona, aren't you forgetting something?]

Fiona Gallagher.

[nulliverse]

Well, I could hardly know that, could I, when I was brought here whilst on my way home?

[In contrast to Fiona's softening, Celeste snaps back quite fiercely, which - isn't entirely fair when Fiona couldn't possibly know the exact circumstances of her arrival. It's just a much sorer spot than Fiona must have realized when she prodded at it.

After a second of glaring with that same ferocity, her face crumbles completely, and she has to hide it while she gathers herself.]

I don't know. I - I don't know. I thought they'd sold me off when I first got here, that the entire thing was a front for some sort of intergalactic human trafficking. Apparently it's not that bad, or it may not be, but... I honestly don't know.

[goodjob]

Wait- they didn't give you any proof? No photos or bank statements? Nothing?

[For a half second, she catches herself thinking maybe I did get the better deal.]

[nulliverse]

No, there was no fucking proof, we didn't -

[Did anyone think that far ahead? Probably not.]

- leaps of faith are usually just as much leaps of desperation. People had to believe, so they did.

[goodjob]

Well, yeah, but... you got gypped, lady. [She realizes belatedly how that sounds, and decides even more belatedly that she doesn't care.] What kinda contract you enter into without getting proof of fulfillment?

[Of course, her contract had been entered into with perhaps an even higher level of naivete, but she doesn't think about that. She thinks about how she's right and the lucky girl is wrong, maybe even not so lucky.]

[nulliverse]

Look, I've acknowledged that, are you going to keep on at this forever for your own entertainment? Because I can think of far better ways to spend my own time than continuing to give you ammunition.

[This is usually where she'd go back on the attack, a classic situation for it, but - she just hasn't built her emotional strength back up to that level. And she's so aware of it that she nearly winces at the pained whine in her voice.]