driftfleet | video/action

Entry tags:

video/action

Who: Pavel Chekov and anyone!
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: Sure!
When: Now!(!)

[A wild (and somewhat-awkward) video appears! There are no cats, unfortunately. It's just Chekov, his ridiculously thick Russian accent, and a sad announcement.]

Ah, hello. For those of you who knew her and have not checked ship rosters recently—and for everyone else, although probably this is less relevant to your interests—Kara Danvers is no longer in the Fleet. She has a sister and friends at home that she missed and I think that, if she was in a position to remember not being home, she would be happy to be back... but the Fleet will be a sadder place without her. She has been a good friend to me, and to other people as well.

In places like this—places where people come and go with no warning, and even when they return, they may not remember who they knew or be exactly the way that they were or feel the way that you may expect them to—it's difficult, you know, having friends. Wanting to make friends. An inevitable side effect of gaining something is having something to lose...

But the alternative is being sad and alone. Even if none of us remember this or each other once we leave, it's good to do something with the time that we have together, while we can still remember.

I have become more and more talented at not trying to talk to very many people, so: to anyone that I haven't met, hello, I'm Pavel Andreievich Chekov. I would be happy to meet you or, if you knew her, to remember Kara with you.

And if I know you already, of course you never need an excuse to talk to me... or to drink with me, if you were considering a visit to the Tourist.

Action

[It's probably bad form to invite the entire Fleet over for drinks when he's possibly-sort-of working for the Space Bar, but Pavel isn't in much of a mood to leave the Tourist and drinking alone is sad.

Really, he's sad enough without actively trying to be more pathetic. Kara was one of his closest friends. While he has lost more people than he cares to count in his years away from home (and at home, although that was always a more final sort of losing), this is the hardest loss in his fifteen months in the Fleet. Kara was clever, caring, and stubbornly optimistic even when she was at her worst. No one was as quick to give hugs or listen, and she never failed to make him feel like he mattered.

The Tourist won't be home without her.]

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[He lifts his drink.]

Yes, to good friends. Past and present, old and new, and to Kara especially.

[And they drink!]

To good friends! [Vash knocks back his drink. He sets it down with a content sigh when he's done.] I'm sorry to say I never had the pleasure to get to know Kara personally. Seen her around the fleet, but that was about it.

She's a good person--compassionate, brave, and one of the most recklessly heroic people I have ever known. Not that the last trait is always a good one, but it is admirable.

Now I'm even more disappointed that I didn't get to know her better. And I think I'd rather have a recklessly heroic friend than someone who would turn a blind eye on someone in need.

She would never have done that. But most of the people I have met here are like that. It becomes very stressful when we're all in terrible peril and everyone is busy nearly dying in heroic ways. [He smiles like he's joking. (He is not.)]

I wonder what would happen if we were all trying to throw ourselves in front of each other at the same time to avoid the speeding sandsteamer. [Asked out loud more as a rhetorical question then one he's looking for an answer for.]

A mess. Let's avoid such situations. [No question is rhetorical! He taps the table next to Vash's empty glass.] I insist on buying this one. Would you like the same thing as before?

Same is good with me. [Mixing is not always the smartest idea.]

Kara, she was a super hero back at her home, wasn't she? I think I remember hearing that about her.

[He nods and requests another whiskey for Vash (and one for himself because it's polite to keep up).]

She is, yes. She comes from the planet Krypton, and something about the light of a yellow sun--like Earth's sun--gives her powers. And of course she uses those powers to be a hero. As one does.

Good. Every world could use a couple good heroes. [Vash smiles and raises his glass again.] To the heroic women we know?

To heroic women. I would list them, but there are far too many for that. [Clink and drink! His smile takes a turn for the self-deprecating.] You know, I think that this is the closest to a date that I have had in a very long time.

Edited 2018-07-14 15:27 (UTC)

Well, I'm afraid to tell you that I'm not into men. [No, he doesn't think that's actually what Chekov meant. He just couldn't help himself with that bad joke.]

If it's any consolation? For the longest time the only date I got while being stuck on this fleet were the couple I got by literally asking out every girl on the fleet. At the same time. And I'm pretty sure they only showed up for the free food I offered in the broadcast.

And that's not even counting the time back home. [He sighs dramatically.] Although my luck I think might be turning around. So I don't think you should give up.

Fortunately, neither am I. [Or unfortunately. The dating pool would be a lot bigger. Also existent.]

I'm not certain that I find that encouraging, actually. [Kidding, it kind of is. He feels ever-so-slightly less pathetic for being single for well over a year.

But that last part is encouraging. He smiles.] I'm glad that your luck is changing. I doubt that mine will, however. The girl that I have been in love with has always had someone else to love.

Oh? Another lover? [Vash hum to himself.] Yeah, that is a bit of a pickle. [He's been self hating enough that he has never had to watch someone he cares for dating someone else. Mostly because he could easily tell himself they were better off if he did.] This someone else to love, do they also love her? Or is it one sided?

[One sided can be a little easier.]

The first someone, I'm not certain. The someone she loves now loved her back very much, but he isn't here. Everything is very complicated.

...Do you still think that I shouldn't give up? We were together once even though she doesn't remember, and even though she didn't love me then. [Be careful Vash, he sounds kind of hopeful.]

Oh boy, one of those hazy memory things? [This was getting even more complicated! Vash takes another sip of his drink as he thinks about it.] Well, I don't think you can give up your feelings. If there's one thing I've learned over the years is that the heart tends to do whatever it wants even if it's easier if it didn't.

[He taps at his chin.] Of course you can't force her to have feelings that may not be there right now. Especially if she's missing someone else.

Have you told her how you feel? Or that you two use to be a couple together?

I neglected to mention that the situation is unusually complicated, I think. [He becomes rather focused on his glass. Feelings are hard, and talking about them is even harder!]

I did tell her, yes, shortly after I came here. In regrettable detail. [A wince.] Things were very awkward, even after the person she loves left. They're better now. [Except for the part where he's still in love with her.]

Ouch. [Vash winces in sympathy.] Yeah, that's pretty rough.

I'm glad that things are better now between you two. She seems like a friend worth having even if it doesn't go any further than that. Still, I'm not sure you should give up. [They were a couple before, right? That means something was there before to bring them together like that.] I wouldn't see the person she cares for leaving as a good thing, but as long as you can respect that her heart may never be yours completely? I don't see why you need to give up. Take things slow. Let her fall in love with you again. Don't force it, but don't ignore her either.

[He taps the rim of his glass with his finger as he speaks.] Did that make any sense? I'm not sure if that made sense.

She is. I would never want to lose her as a friend, and I would never want to be happy about something that hurts her.

[He turns this advice over in his head for a moment before nodding.] No, you make sense. It makes sense. I'm not certain that she has room for more than one person in her heart at a time, but... I would be happy with a very small space.

[Anyway. His mood is a little lighter and he gives Vash a smile.] You mentioned that your own romantic luck is improving?

Heh, yeah, I think it might be. I never thought I'd have someone be interested in a mess like me, but for some reason someone is. Or, at least, I think they are? I'm still a bit surprised by the whole thing and that they apparently like me back too if I'm being honest.

Maybe we both just don't want to be alone and things won't go past that, but, I think I would like it if it does.

You don't seem so messy to me. [A comradely pat on the back.] Try not to question your good fortune too much, and also please try to not be surprised. Your hair is strange, but you're a kind person and she has good reasons to like you.

Why does no one like the hair? I think it makes me look dashing. [The way he speaks and grins should be obvious he's not the least bit insulted.] I think this time I won't question my good fortune. So long as you don't give up on love. Hopefully things will work out in the end with this girl, but even if they don't I'm sure there's someone out there.

It is a pretty big universe after all.

I don't dislike it, I'm only puzzled by it. [Yes, good. It would be tragic if the divisive matter that is Vash's hair destroyed all chance of being friends.]

I have been in love three times in at least eight years over four different universes, I have doubts. But okay, I won't give up if that is what it takes to encourage you to believe in your new romantic venture.

I've been in love only a couple times in hundred years. [He says it as a joke, but he's actually serious.]

They do say it's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all. But screw all that and let's put our hopes in good alcohol! I'll drink to your romantic happiness if you drink to mine.

I have no idea if that was a joke or not. [Either way, it sounds like a good way to be. Rock on, Vash.]

It would be my pleasure to drink to both of those. [He raises his glass again.] To success and luck in love, eventual romantic happiness for us both, and the good alcohol and good company that make the times between successes bearable.

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