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]

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.]