driftfleet | video/action

Entry tags:

video/action

Who: Pavel Chekov and anyone!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Tourist and/or Iskaulit
When: From the Great Shuffle through July

[video]

It was kind of our hosts to give us gifts after keeping us on the Marsiva and making us share far, far too much with each other, but...

[The Russian pulls his lovely gift basket into view. In addition to the candies and fudge and pickled herring (he is grateful for all of these things, thank you space hosts), there are a few additional items that he is less amused by.]

Did anyone else find their choice in gifts, er... slightly insulting?

Although it was thoughtful of them, I admit, to provide a shirt [it says "I <3 bad boys," for the Russian speakers out there] for my girlfriend to wear once I grow her.

[Sarcasm. That was definitely sarcasm.]

[action]

[If Pavel isn't poking around his quarters on the Tourist, then he's going for a run on the Iskaulit. In either case, he is making no real effort to be sociable. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to people, it's just that there are a lot of things that he doesn't want to talk about. Everyone knows that the only sure way to avoid certain topics of conversation is to avoid talking entirely.

Any attempts on his part to keep quiet will fail miserably if he's approached. Being a person who likes other people is so hard sometimes.]

[ooc: If you, like me, wanted to do ALL of the Calibration things but grossly overestimated your ability to do so, you're welcome to browse Chekov's memories and handwave your character seeing any of the unmarked ones.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I get the feeling you've experience with it, then?

[ She definitely gets that vibe from him. Well, maybe not that vibe, just that he has enough knowledge first or second-hand that he can be calm about it all with great ease. She's not sure she likes the idea of getting used to it, but what other option is there? ]

Kirk really doesn't lend itself to making cute nicknames from it. [ Hers had a few, but she didn't like any of them. ] Fair enough, my old partner was Italian, though his name was pretty easy-peasy. As... for that, well, it's typically a Jillian, sometimes with a G. People expect it, but my name's just Jill. Might be why I'm your first, huh?

[ She's clearly awkward about compliments, even if they're something like a name she didn't choose for herself. ]

Very. It is not something that I need to talk about, however.

[Even before Pavel started on his tour across multiple prison universes, he lived in a world where time travel was such a real possibility that rules and regulations regarding it (mostly banning it) had been put into place.]

Most people who know him well enough to not use his name prefer insults to cute names anyway. [Pavel excluded, of course.] Whatever the reason, you also have the honor of being my favorite Jill. [And okay, some of his compliments are about as awkward as her ability to receive them.] Are you new here? To the fleet?

Much appreciated, in that case.

[ It's not an unheard of theory, but it's something she doesn't follow. There's too much to focus on back home, let alone all over the world. Space seems just... counter-intuitive to what she does? Sure, she reads about it and catches little programs on television in her time off, but it's often background noise. ]

Hm, I see. Afraid I don't know the guy so I can only trust your word on it. [ She laughs slightly, hand to her neck. ] Okay, you're layin' it on a little thick now. Might come to hate me, you know. You've only known me all of an hour or so. Don't set yourself up for disappointment.

[Civil war does have a way of diminishing the importance of scientific discoveries that don't have a direct impact on life on Earth...

Her reaction makes him smile.]

Since you have not insulted me or threatened my life yet, I can say with some confidence that I haven't hated people who were considerably worse than you.

Ha ha, well, you haven't given me a reason to do either. Stay on my good side and you might never hear it!

[ Which is to suggest that she's not the sort of pushover that won't, if she has reason to. But she doesn't imagine that she will. ]

I will try to stay on your good side. I would rather make friends than enemies.

[Not that he has a talent for making enemies. Being threatened, yes; being hated, not so much.]

Good thing I'm in the same boat, then! Not too eager to rock the boat, so to speak.

This boat is difficult to rock, I think. Everyone I've met here has been kind.

...Mostly. Maybe there are some exceptions. At least one.

I guess it would really depend. We all are in a common situation, but after that whole memory thing, I wouldn't doubt tension will be raised.

[ She leans into her legs now, cheek pressed against her knee in an unflattering way. ]

Wouldn't really know, though. It's hard to say. Seems messy.

Maybe, maybe not. I have been through things like this before--not here, and not the same thing, but things that were similar enough.

[There will be no judgment about unflattering poses here! Pavel is only still in a fully upright position because he's used to having superiors on the other end of a video line.]

It can be. Usually for people who knew each other already and had something revealed that was better as a secret.

People don't like being violated, even if both parties have no control over it. Can't say I've ever experienced anything like that before but I'm honestly grateful that to my knowledge no one stepped into my subconscious.

[ She's still in a place that hangs in a very delicate balance. She's not unhappy or fearful of it, but sometimes she still wakes up covered in sweat holding onto her pillow like its the body she means to plunge to her death with. Other times, she can remember his arms around her and that feeling when Chris left to go after Wesker. She'd felt dizzy and collapsed and the last thing she'd recalled was him, which in the grand scheme of things, Jill didn't hate. If she had to go out, she'd want to go out for him.

She wipes at her face when briefly, it all crosses her mind. Just a flicker, then it's fading. ]

Hmmm, that's crap. I mean, I don't mean to be so blatant but it really does just suck. People look at you differently after those kinds of things -- sort of the way people make friends and approach others just based on appearances. People are quick to take in parts of the whole.

It does suck, yes, and no one likes it... but things like this happen when we are made a part of someone's game. I think you will find that most people here are more accepting and less inclined to judge than you would expect.

[He catches the movement and doesn't know what to make of it or if he should say anything. They did just meet. But...]

Is something wrong? ...Other than being trapped in a foreign universe and all of the other obvious things.

Oh, I don't have any issues with judging. I don't personally care what anyone thinks of me. It can make things frustrating or difficult, but I'm too set in my ways to go changing for anyone.

[ She feels shame for the acts she committed over the past few years against her will, but that's for her and her alone to deal with. Barry, Chris, Claire... none of them had to deal with that. They'd certainly try to get her to confide, but she's never been good with this sort of thing. She'd rather care about them than have them care for her.

Jill waves a hand, smile long, lopsided and thin. ]

Nah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. It's odd how doing nothing can exhaust you sometimes, right? I should probably get up and get moving, but it's just one of those days. Might get up and do some squat thrusts and a bit of lifting still. No excuse to slack off.

This is fair.

[And something that he, as someone who cares quite a lot about what other people think of him, can admire and respect.

Her answer is more than satisfactory. He returns the smile.]

I often find doing nothing to be more tiring than being busy--there is too much time to think, and thinking is exhausting. If you become bored with not slacking off alone, there are a number of people in the Fleet who would be willing to spar or train with you, probably.

I do try to be.

[ She had to get over it quickly, being a woman in her field. Although she made fast friends with people in the army and in STARS, after the losses they suffered close to two decades ago, she's kept people at arm's length while carefully cultivating an image of not doing that. Friendliness could be as much of a shield. True trust was rare and valuable. ]

Normally pick up some non-fiction or manuals to read through on my days off, but I have a lot of chores and errands to do. Not really the same here. [ Definitely less dusting, too. ] I suspect that's the case. I'm always open to a little company if I'm seen out and about or planning for it, so it's not bad to have someone who is willing to take an axe kick or work through a serious abdominal stretch or armbar-- the problem is just finding someone and knowing them well enough that they can manage the full brunt of the force without getting too beaten up. Spotter might work a little better.

The library has a... not good, exactly, but a decent selection of nonfiction.

I would be of no use to you training--kicking me would be unsporting and I have never heard of an armbar--but if you need company for running or would like to trade language lessons, I can do both of those things. You might also talk to James Kirk or Natasha Romanoff. Natasha is very tough and Kirk is accustomed to being beaten up.

I'll take "it exists" over nothing, so I'll have to give it a peek when I get the chance.

[ Although she gets the feeling it's nothing she'll devour with a voracious appetite, it's something to pass the time. ]

Ah, well, don't worry about it. I don't kick without warning or reason. Or punch, for that matter. Armbars are, you know -- [ She tries to take her pillow and demonstrate but realizes quickly it's quite awkward. ] -- well, forget it. It's a thing I sometimes do. Good for taking down guys bigger than me, if I'm able to. But I don't mind the others, of course. I'm not all about beating people up or keeping my muscle mass adequate.

[ She's had to rebuild after Kijuju. She'd been a little on the thinner side with the intake of less food and just necessary nutrients. She functioned, at least, so that's what mattered. It hasn't been too hard to get to the point she was. ]

I'll keep those names in mind if I ever feel the need to one-on-one or... well, beat someone up. Hoping I luck out like everyone else seems to and my friends pop up, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that.

It does exist. I have seen it myself.

I will do my best to not provoke you anyway. [He doesn't actually seem too worried about being kicked or punched for no reason at all. And her demonstration in no way enlightens him, but he'll trust that it's a useful sort of thing to practice.] There shouldn't be a need for you to take down anyone here, hopefully. Although I haven't found it necessary to fight here, I was told that it becomes necessary occasionally.

[A tilt of the head.] In some ways, it can be easier to not know anyone in these places when you first arrive.

Hey, I believe you.

[ She laughs a little, pulling back her half-fringe even though the length makes it bounce right back. She'd like to think that even with all the joking she doesn't seem like someone who loses her temper much or will come at someone without reason. ]

I'm hoping that's the case, though I've heard a bit about fighting, as well. At the very least I've heard work can be found on the planets with that kind of thing going on, though I'm not too confident or comfortable doing like, bodyguard work.

[ It could mean anything any she's not ready to put her life on the line for a stranger. Not like that. ]

Suppose so. Reinvent yourself, if you wanted to. In my case, though, I think my partner would agree. As much as I'd like for him to be safe and back home, I don't think he'd need to be asked twice to decide to be here. Guess I'd rather him be wherever is best for him, though. Always have.

[Pavel is not afraid in the least. Jill seems like a perfectly nice person who wouldn't go around beating up small Russians even if they were rude enough to provoke her.]

In the last system there was security work, I know that. It looked as though it primarily involved standing around and looking intimidating. A boring thing to do for a month, maybe, but not so bad.

[His expression saddens.]

I'm sorry that you were separated from him. You will be together again--either he will come here or you will return home. No one stays in places like this forever.

[ Everyone has their limitations, right? Who knows! Maybe she will beat up a small Russian or two in the future! ]

On the off-chance there's a fight, I guess it would still be more up my alley than other jobs. Don't think I could do customer service or retail or whatever.

[ She has to mull her answer over for a minute. It's honestly something she's tried to avoid thinking about since she's arrived here. Three years apart, three years that he didn't give up on her even when everyone else believed her to be dead. Of course he'd be there waiting for her whenever she got back, but they hadn't even had a moment to catch up. ]

Just sucks being apart from my best friend for so long. Circumstances kept us apart for a while before now, so... dunno. [ She sighs, waving it off. ] Don't know how much you miss a good high-five or fistbump until you're alone in a crappy bunk in the middle of outer space, I guess!

[Wow no let's not make that a habit.]

Are you certain? Customer service is very rewarding. [It's... it's hard to tell if he's joking since he always looks incredibly sincere.]

It won't be the same, of course, but until you see him again, you can find other people for a high-five or a fistbump. [...] What is a fistbump?

[ Hey, she's here if he wants a whoopin'. That's all. ]

You do it.

[ It's equally hard to say if she's kidding right now, but there's a certain note of seriousness to her tone about it all. ]

No, it definitely won't. Chris'll be fine on his own, though. [ That's not true. He's a mess without her around, at least when he isn't sure where he is. But she doesn't want that for him. Jill straightens up and holds both her arms lengthwise, creating fists -- and then, predictably, she bumps them together. ] Like that. Basically same intent behind it as a high-five.

I might. It does pay better than navigating starships.

[It's a joke. No one gets paid in Star Trek.]

Oh, I've seen this before! [He imitates her demonstrative fistbump.] I had no idea what it was called. In my head, I called it 'friendly punching.'

That's probably one of the most depressing things I've ever heard. Then again, I don't know much about navigating starships... just seems like it'd be a difficult job to me?

[ Jill isn't exactly rolling in money, but she doesn't have anything to do with it. No real hobbies aside from work and she's rarely home enough to enjoy any luxuries or comforts that it might provide, so it's just padding in her bank account.

To be used on guns, knives, and take-out for one. ]

Well, there you go. But, hm... I guess I'd consider friendly punching more like -- [ She gently punches her own arm, just a little below the curve of the shoulder. ] -- that? Although I guess it's kind of flirting, huh. When I'm not doing it to myself, I mean.

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