A Rose by any other name...!

[thespaceopera]

Suddenly, the SS Three Twins and the SS Windrose begin to move on their own... slowly, calmly, they drift to into the same direction, away from the other ships of the fleet. Slowly, they move until they side by side.

Over the two ships' intercom, an old song begins to play. And that is all the warning there is before the engines engage -- full speed ahead.

Like a pair of rockets, the ships torpedo forward. As they move, they start circling around each other, like a synchronized dance. They move with incredible grace and skill, far more masterfully than the average pilot augment. Except, each time that they pass each other, they clearly get closer to one another.

And closer...

And closer...

No matter what buttons the crews press, no matter how much they might panic, nothing is going to stop the inevitable. On the final pass, it becomes clear there's not enough room between them to avoid a collision. Any impact alarms on the bridge are blaring at full blast. Any other ships watching will not have time to attempt any sort of interception.

CRASH!!

As if to shield spectators' eyes from the horrors of ships colliding in space, there's a blinding light upon impact -- and once it gradually fades, the results can be clearly seen by all: There is no wreckage. Nothing is broken. But where there were once two ships... now there's only one.

One ship that is looks completely new, but yet is reminiscent of both the SS Three Twins and the SS Windrose.

-----------

On the bridge, the crews of the SS Three Twins and the SS Windrose arrive, along with the usual pop! of Atroma confetti and ridiculous jingle music upon a successful shuffle. Sitting in the captain's chair is a round cake, just large enough for everyone to have one slice. There's a single candle, and the following message scribbled on top in yellow icing:

"Congratulations - SS Twin Roses!
Happy Fusion!"




... What, did you think you were going to die? Sorry about that.

Comments

[wolfehawke]

No, no engineer. I'm coms, Ravi's a cook, Anders and Lancer are both lab - though I really don't suggest asking Lancer for anything - and Vash is I think a pilot. He's our captain too, and possibly still in a coma. What've you got?

[Might as well start on logistics.]

[passingthrough]

I'm a pilot and captain and not in a coma. [So she wins!] Kurt is comms or maybe lab. He was in the process of switching so we'd have less redundancy. [So much for that.] Khadgar is comms. Misty... Misty isn't here. [Sorry, it's recent. She transferred.] Castle is maintenance and Makie is tactical.

So all and all we did terribly. Still no shields or weapons and Ravi isn't even a good cook. [At least that's what he keeps telling her.]

[wolfehawke]

[When she says Misty's name Adalwolfe's eyebrows shoot up, making him look a bit more eager. And then disappointed. He's practically adopted Misty so he was excited at the prospect of being on the same ship, but he'll live. It's not as if they can't hop around ship to ship to visit people.]

He's not actually that bad, it's more of a running joke. I think it's more that there's not a lot of familiar stuff to work with. Either way, what he makes is edible so that's all fine.

[He runs his fingers through his beard.]

If your Kurt is open to switching, maybe he could switch to security instead? If he's willing, and since we already have lab and coms covered.

[passingthrough]

Maybe. Something we should sort out and probably not today. [She isn't going to volunteer a new augment for anyone. They have to decide that for themselves though she's not above suggesting it. They need a little time to come together first though. He had mentioned engineering as a possibility too. That would be the one she'd be most comfortable transferring to if she did so herself, but with Vash in a coma she's not exactly eager to switch either.]

You know Misty? [She noticed the reaction.]

[wolfehawke]

No rush.

[Many of them can defend themselves without a security augment being present. He's not too bothered.]

I know Misty well. We're practically siblings. It would have been nice to be on the same ship, but that doesn't mean we can't visit each other as we see fit like this.

[passingthrough]

[She just worries about it meaning no weapons or shields for the ship itself. Fighting raiders hand-to-hand is one thing. Having your ship torn apart and being thrown into the vacuum of space is another.] She's on the Paisley now. She was with the Windrose since before I came to the fleet though. Strange to be without her. [But at least she was still around unlike Wrath and Vision.]

[wolfehawke]

[There is that. Don't say it aloud though or he'll get much more serious about it real quick. He's terrified of dying in space.]

We're still neighbors at least. Those teleporters make things quite convenient for visiting, if you can get over the disorientation from using them.

[passingthrough]

[If only she knew! But for the moment she doesn't say it at least.]

I've been used to teleporting for years though it's a little different than taking a ride with Kurt or Blink. No sulfur smell.

[wolfehawke]

The only thing I know of like it is Fade Step, but that's less teleporting and more stepping into another plane where the distance happens to be shorter and coming out the other side.

[That makes sense, right?]

[passingthrough]

Well, that's... Yeah. [Not so different from the way Kurt teleports actually, but that's not her story to tell.] Common where you're from?

[wolfehawke]

Not terribly. I can't imagine Circle mages would be allowed to learn it and it's not as if apostates have any sort of organization since that would make us easier to catch.

[He shrugs.]

I don't actually know how to do it, I just know it's a thing that can be done.

[passingthrough]

You're hunted at home? [She's not sure if she's interpreting that correctly, but it wouldn't shock her. There was definitely a big line between humans and mutants where's she's from.]

[wolfehawke]

Mages outside the Chantry are, yes.

[He tilts his head a bit, not missing the hint of understanding in her tone that comes only from experience.]

Is there something similar where you're from?

[passingthrough]

Mm... I'm a mutant. We're born with powers. [That don't usually set in until puberty, but he doesn't need a full lesson, right? Though there will be some grim highlights!] For a time we were hated and feared by humans. And then a particularly mad mutant with too much power tried to prove them right. Started a war of sorts. Murdering off humans and destroying just about everything in his path. He also tries to capture mutants he thinks would be of use to him. He tried to have me kidnapped when I was thirteen. I fight against him while still being feared and hated by the humans I'm helping so, not exactly, but also...kind of?

[wolfehawke]

That sounds pretty similar to me. Born with powers you didn't ask for, hunted and imprisoned or killed just for having them. Wars fought over the whole thing. Though, ah, we don't have a megalomaniacal mage overlord in the part of Thedas I'm from; the Chantry puts a stop to that even if its to the detriment of every other mage who just wants to live their lives in peace. There is Tevinter though, including the slavery part, so sadly it's a familiar sort of story.

[passingthrough]

What a terrible thing to bond over. [She gives him a little smile. She likes the bonding, just not the circumstances in both their homes.] The Chantry doesn't sound pleasant.

[wolfehawke]

It's not, which is why we sort of, um. Well there was a rebellion. It's complicated.

[He decides that maybe the story of Kirkwall should wait until they're at least a little better acquainted.]

Hopefully it'll turn out for the better, at any rate. I know for a fact it did in some versions of Thedas. I don't know about the one Anders and I are from yet, but I can hope.

[passingthrough]

Well, that's something. I know some of the other versions of my world had better turnouts too. [If only because they are ongoing and not collapsing.] It's nice to know someone else who's used to the multiple versions. [It's not exactly uncommon in these places, but some people seem pretty lucky about things being consistent even if they might come from different points along the timeline.]