driftfleet | ( god help this ship )

[ okay so none of this was supposed to happen

tony kind of put in the application as a test, the computer accepted it, the other captain resigned, and now he is in charge of Actual Real Human Beings on a ship. luckily (maybe luckily?), sam is on the ship too, and has apparently decided to be first mate. steve probably told him to do it. asshole.

anyway -- ]

Hello, crewpeople.

[ fucking nailing it already ]

This is Tony Stark. Captain. New Captain. Other Tony. -- so it turns out, when you submit the application to the computer, it works. Weird, right? Fun little test that the Atroma seriously do not give one iota of a damn about qualifications.

[ this is probably a bad start -- anyway ]

I need to know who's here. What skills you have. Whether or not you're competent in what you do. Favorite color, blood type, what's your sign. And whether or not we have any gumballs on the ship.

[ pause ]

My captain wants to know if there are any gumballs on the ship, so direct all 'that's a stupid question' to Steve Rogers. Tony out.

[ and he severs the feed

but if you'd like to find him in person, he's totally poking around the captain's chair ]

[Suddenly the other Tony is here. It's weird seeing someone else in a chair Jove or Tek not long occupied, but so long as he isn't in it, he doesn't much care. He go lean on a wall casually.]

Well, if people are foolish enough to apply to be captain in the first place. Not that it matters that much. Unless they want to take our money, then they're only too happy to talk to the people in charge.

[Or murder them. He reckons that's likely, too. Fuck Atroma. ]

The gumballs went a while ago, I think. Didn't pay much attention to the cargo, I doubt anyone did. In case you haven't noticed, this ship is kind of a shittip.

[ ah, good. the illusive other tony. captain tony turns to face old captain tony, arching his eyebrows. ]

Yeah. I noticed. No guns or shields, but a jacuzzi?

[ tony can appreciate that priority list, anyway. ]

How do you people survive out here if someone attacks you? We can't be the only ones floating around here.

We don't have a security officer any more, so no. No guns or shields. The jacuzzi was due to the former captain spending our points well.

[He's flippant when talking about the guns. They're stupid mortal things. ]

Largely? Try to avoid being hit. Cole is an...erratic pilot but he manages to doge missiles and the like fairly well. Dunno how your buddy does behind the wheel. Time will tell.

He can fly. Ex-military.

[ which is about all he'll say about sam wilson -- no specifics, no details. just 'he can fly'. which is true enough. ]

Who was the former captain? Name, date, species, et cetera?

Well, that's something. Probably useful if we're attacked again.

Captains. Plural. One was Tek, he was a...dragon...probably, I don't fucking know. He could change shape. The other one was Jove, she was an elf.

If you want dates, you'll have to ask someone who cared enough to keep track of that kind of thing.

[ ah, good. someone who doesn't give a fuck. tony can relate (or used to, before he went and got a reality check in afghanistan). ]

A dragon, probably?

[ the fuck does that even mean ]

There are way more enhanced people lying around this weird reality TV show than I thought.

It's not like he looked like a dragon all the time. you know.

[Crowley has so few fucks to give, it's amazing. ]

Generally, they're all just people, but from different planes of existence. Advanced or not, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

[Cole doesn't like communicators.

So he moves himself to where Tony is, appearing in a curl of smoke, walking through the distance between his room and the bridge in a single step and a twist of thought.]
I didn't know we had different Tony at all. We never had anyone leave or join us, but now everyone keeps coming and going and I can't keep track of them all-

Oh.

[He presses a hand over his chest, wincing.]

It...doesn't hurt. Doesn't not hurt. Doesn't mask the everything that screams and drowns in whiskey smokiness...

[Welcome to conversation with Cole.]

[ ... oddly, the appearing out of nothing doesn't seem to phase him as much as it should, and tony focuses his attention on cole with a blink, twisting around in the chair and leaning forward. perceptive, trying to get a read on this person. instinctively tense -- you never know, and tony is woefully unprotected here --

and tony is about to introduce himself when cole touches his chest, and says that, and his eyes narrow. just a little. ]

...what?

[ cole you precious child i am so sorry ]

Where it was. The scar feels hollow.

[Cole hugs himself tightly, shaking his head as though he might untangle himself.]

You did bad things. You do good things. What matters is now. Mistakes can be forgiven by others, even if you haven't ever forgiven yourself. That's the hardest bit.

[ where it was. tony's breath catches at that, because there's really only one thing that that could mean. the arc reactor that used to pulsate in his chest is no longer there (finally rid of it, thank god), but how does he know?

someone who used to know him, obviously. but then cole keeps going, and tony opens his mouth slightly to talk, then closes it. then opens it again.

eventually finding words... ]

... how do you know the arc reactor is gone?

[ nevermind the fact that it's not glowing underneath his shirt, but tony could easily hide that before. he just chose not to, because what's the point. better to just air out his defect than pretend it isn't there. ]

I can feel it. It hurts you, so I know about it.

I'm Cole. Compassion. Cole. Sometimes I have trouble being me around others. Especially new people with lots of hurts, layered on hurts, an onion of half healed pain and toxic wounds.

[ this person is not human. or if he is, he has some weird ability to feel things. like wanda. knowing fears, whatever. a mutant, maybe? who knows. but tony is immediately on guard, noticeably more tense. ]

It doesn't hurt. On most days.

[ the scar and the wound will always be there, but tony feels healthier than he has in a long time. his own machine isn't poisoning him anymore. enemies can't literally rip out his heart. it's better, overall, that it's gone. ]

And I'm not on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, so you can cut the melodramatics. And stop poking around in my head.

[ that last bit is a little harsher. more pointed, curt. ]

Not physically.

[He flinches back, moving back a couple of metres in a single step and another curl of smoke.]

I don't mean to. I can't stop it. You hurt, so I hurt with you. I was, am, Compassion. I want to help.

[ great. an enhanced being that can't control his powers. awesome.

what does compassion even mean. ]

You said your name was Cole. -- Compassion, whatever. Cole is shorter.

[ so cole it is ]

I'm fine. In one piece. Don't really need help at the moment, and when I do, I have people that aren't total strangers to go to. For help.

[ sort of. ]

But you don't go to them.

[He moves in another flicker of smoke to the pilot's chair, curling up in it with obvious familiarity. He'd been the pilot here for a year or so and spends most of his time onboard either in his room or in this chair.]

You could. But you don't. You don't know how.

I do --

[ but being defensive isn't going to help matters, and tony cuts that statement off before it starts. staring at cole, testing the waters. minding his patience. biting his tongue. ]

... how are you doing that. Specifically. You said you were Compassion, but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Um... I know what hurts. I remember, I feel, I know so I can try and help. I understand.

I can't explain better without knowing more your world, so I use the right words.

So you're an empath.

[ great. like wanda, except worse. at least wanda stays out of his head when requested. ]

An empath that can shut off his powers.

{ tony is captaining the wrong goddamn ship ]

How long have you been able to do that? What radioactive nightmare did you walk into?

[Cole looks at Tony, seeing and living memories, learning words and terms he needs.]

Like Wanda, but it doesn't turn off. It's what I am. I am Compassion. A spirit of Compassion. And I am Cole. I was Compassion first. I live people's memories, pains, thoughts, empath, telepath, psychometrist, psychic construct. I exist because I willed myself to exist in this world. So I could help.

Cute.

[ hey tony so you know how you're in that captain's chair? turns out it is right in the same little bay as the pilot's seat. a seat that sam is in. a lot.

they are going to spend so much time together. ]

Did Cap actually mention the gum or was that your idea?

Are you calling me a liar, sir?

[ as tony neatly spins his chair

(he is going to say 'captain's log, stardate [enter stardate here]' at least three times a day) ]

Of course Cap asked me about gumballs. Why would I take responsibility for such a stupid question?

Nope.

[ sam is only going to be able to pretend he doesn't nerd out a whole lot at that for a short while. this is going to end badly. ]

You wouldn't, but neither would he. Just trying to figure out where the gum came in in the first place. [ he is also 100% watching him spin around in his chair with only a slight amount of judgement. only a little. ]

( god help this ship )

june 1st (broadcast + action)

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