driftfleet | (no subject)

Yay! I promise I'm good at keeping secrets as long as you tell me they're supposed to be secret.

You should! He's on the Heron. He's the best.

...well at least he has a different name? So that's less confusing.

[He twitches a grin at that.] Then if it is secret, I'll be certain to tell you that as well.

The Heron, thank you. I think I will speak with him--and with Wanda as well, if I should like what I hear.

Yes. She referred to several different "models". I wonder if I'm not more cybernetic there, akin to a true android rather than using it as a phrase of convenience. [And it would be quite interesting to meet another Vision, he thinks....]

It's always better to clearly define security levels so everyone understands their responsibilities and tasks.

Tell me what you think when you do talk to him okay? [She's starting to develop enough self preservation about things to know it's good to have people double check her assumptions and impressions. It's a way to calibrate, if nothing else. She's known Vision a lot longer than she's known Charles.]

There's probably no way of knowing unless one of them comes here. I hope the other yous are as nice as the actual you.

[Is his love life a matter of ship security now? Regardless, he nods solemnly.] As you say.

I shall. Helping others learn to use their abilities is a noble goal, especially when they come in such a great variety as one finds here.

[Aww, she's so sweet.] That's very kind of you to say. Thank you.

[...no, it's just better to clearly define if anything is secret or top secret or general knowledge. How are you supposed to know something is a secret if no one says so?]

Noble is a good word for it. It's a good mission for him to have.

Sometimes the truth is kind!

[Aside from broadly defined definitions, like trade secrets or sensitive political information--you don't, really. His judgment on that kind of subjectivity is little better than hers.]

I'd fully agree.

[He tilts his head to one side.] Did you end up with a date to the ball yourself? I remember you offered to take anyone without one.

Sort of? There were a few people that hung around a bit, but I mostly just went around by myself. I got to meet Charles, though, and he was really nice. And Kurt! Finally got to meet him and kissed and stuff him because he's a hottie. And...

[Okay, this is the part where she blushes.] And. Um. Winter asked me to dance. Which was really sweet of him. One of the slow dances. And said I looked nice.

[Well, that's amusing. Wrath is always good for a story. His expression sharpens at the mention of "Winter", though.]

Winter. From the Heron? I didn't know you were acquainted.

--Though I suppose I houldn't be surprised he knows how to dance well.

Yeah, we've been friends for...a while. He's nice. He says a lot without needing to talk, like Maine. And I taught him how to make snow angels.

I didn't know that you knew him but I think a lot of purple know him. He's a good guy. Why do you say he'd know how to dance well?

I...don't know him, actually. I knew Jim, however. [His clone-self from the alternate timeline, the Heron's former captain.]

I'm given to understand Winter exists in my timeline, though I've yet to encounter him there. He was one of those Captain Rogers spoke of as someone he would go out dancing with in his youth. I'm glad to hear he's retained that skill.

I knew Jim too. I miss him.

Aww, that's really cute. Yeah, he was good at it and was... Really careful with me. But like not in a bad way.

I trust him.

Perhaps we'll meet him again. [~~What if in that timeline, Ultron's the good guy and Vision is the bad guy??~~

Trust is a surprising admission from Wrath, though. It's not her usual friendliness at work here.]

Because you understand him, to an extent?

I hope so, though... I don't know if he's happier where he's at now.

[She pauses, thinking about how to put it.]

I think... our demons are nextdoor neighbors.

We can hope he is.

[He nods, expression serious. He remembers seeing her mindscape during Calibrations, and it wouldn't surprise him at all if Winter's was similar.]

Then I'm glad you have someone you can relate to, and that he does as well. I trust you know you're welcome to speak to me about anything?

Yeah... I know I can. It's just... some things you don't even really think about until there's someone else who has the same thing. Because it's just there, you know?

There weren't any counselors I could trust to talk to, in Proles. I know it's different here, but it takes getting used to.

There are certain things I take into consideration when I'm speaking with someone from my own timeline, so I suppose that's an equivalent? [He's not really sure about that, though.]

Mr. Stark often felt the same way regarding his experiences. [He'd talk to JARVIS, sometimes, but that wasn't the same at all.] It--becomes easy to believe others don't have your best interests at stake after a betrayal. If something of that nature happened to you, I'm very sorry to hear it.

Maybe? But Winter isn't from my timeline. It's more... they've been through the same shit as you. Your demons are neighbors. And it's... different. because of that.

It happened to everyone. You had to be careful.

Yes. Your experiences can be similar regardless of timeline.

[Though--while he has no doubt there were some horrific things in her past, and he's seen the inside of her mind to verify it--at least she had come out of it with an appreciation for fuzzy animals and the color pink. The Winter Soldier hadn't even had that much, as he understands it.]

You were all betrayed?

Yeah. I guess some shit is just universal even if the details are different.

[Or maybe she's just always liked pink and fluffy things and her personality is just that strong. No way of knowing.]

I think. Like. Anyone could get taken in, right?

[The government ripping holes in your brain shouldn't be that universal of an experience, he thinks crossly.]

Would you like to talk about it, Wrath? If you'd prefer not to, I understand.

[She shrugs.]

What, like people getting taken off to Compliance? I know that's not a thing that happens here.

No, it's not. What did it mean for you?

I don't know?

Like. There's still part of me that's waiting to go in. Because Compliance fixes you, and that's important. But I also didn't want my kids going in, because I knew it wasn't really great for them.

I guess it means wanting two different things that can't both be true.

[If she lets him, he'll reach over to cover her nearest hand with one of his.]

If you knew it wasn't great for them, perhaps it wasn't the right choice for you, either. Wrath, no matter what else this Fleet brings to you, I promise you I will not allow Compliance to take you as long as I am here.

[Of course she lets him. She likes touching, just in general. So she smiles at him and turns her hand to give his a squeeze.]

I know you won't. Even if they were here. [She doesn't know how to explain it. That she knows he's right, but at the same time cannot shake the urge to go in and report. ]