the white noise is deafening silence

[thespaceopera]

[In the very early hours of January 20th, as the Marsiva and her captives drift nonchalantly through the depths of the universe, there is a call. Every single personal communicator and console springs to life, spitting out a stream of indecipherable static and showing only gray snow on screen. It continues like this for a few seconds longer, going black and then going staticky, and then the signal switches to the encrypted channel generally used for speaking to the Interceptors when something big goes down.

This is a little more successful. The voice may be familiar to some, at least through the static.]

Zhade here! I trust I ███ your attention? I'm having some ██▓▓ble ██tting through. Some of the ░▓██▓█ are missing. I can't ░▓▓▓ read on their loc█████ns. [A particularly long burst of static.] ███stening. I'll s█▓▓█ more inf██▓▓▓▓▓█ I get it.

Stay sharp! [There's the sound of someone actually doing the fingerguns wink noise, and then static.

Any messages sent back won't get through, and Zhade isn't there to answer.]

[ A blip of lost time passes right after those words, before every passenger mysteriously wakes alone in their own unfamiliar room. The style of decor resembles that of the Marsiva's Hospitality Deck, if any passengers should remember what that's like. It sounds and smells the same as the host ship as well, all clean and chrome.

Welcome back to the Marsiva, dear passengers. It's time for round three of calibrations. ]

[ This mingle will cover all non-calibration room interactions. Please continue to come back to it for the duration of the plot! You are, of course, free to post any other mingles/posts/etc. that you'd like. ]

Comments

kaname buccaneer △ ota

[axi]

a. (nook nook, who's there?)

[A good portion of her time is spend in the main living area sorting through various media. Music, movies, books, whatever-- it's all fair game at this point. More often than not, she's tucked herself off to the side in one of the smaller areas (if one is available) to avoid disturbing anyone else. Headphones are only present when needed, so she's very much open for a conversation or question. Even a request for a book she might have. Giant beanbag chairs are her new friends.]

b. (wok. wok who?)

[Everyone needs to eat, no matter how... limited the selection. Luckily for Kaname, while she's not the best in the kitchen, she has some friends who are. That means regular meals are sure to happen, and if she can get someone else to join her, she will. She might even choose to sit next to someone and try her hand at some conversation, previous night permitting, of course.

Heck, if she offers a bite of what she's got, why not try that? Her friends are skilled.]

c. (walk it off!)

[Then there's the exercise area. Lack of privacy be damned, she's not letting this weird situation keep her from a sort of routine. Treadmill or punching bag or even sometimes the weights, Kaname does her best to vent any hindering emotions through something productive. If someone wants to bring up something they saw with her, this might not be the best place.]

d. (not even sorry)

[Or make your own. Come talk to her about memories~]

a. (orange)

[this_loser]

[There are things that need to be talked about. And where better than sunk into a big beanbag chair.]

I'm never getting up. I literally can't.

(no)

[axi]

Stop exaggerating. [Kaname's sitting on the cushion-chair next to him, legs laid across his lap with a blanket covering both of them.] You could get up if you really wanted to.

[Still, she chuckles, pretty comfortable herself.]

(aww)

[this_loser]

Nope. Trapped for eternity.

[He flops his head back.]

At least the company is good.

(banana)

[axi]

That's unfortunate if you ever get hungry. [Her head rests partially on his shoulder.]

It looks that way from my side, too. [Kaname falls silent for a few moments before addressing what they both know they need to.] I meant what I said, about what I saw not changing anything about how I feel.

(fana fo fana)

[this_loser]

[Ah. Time for serious stuff. He wiggles down to get his arms firmly around her.]

I know. I'm sorry you had to see it like that.

[axi]

Which part? [There were a few he could be referencing, and she's not entirely sure where to start, either.] There's a lot to address, but I want to talk about it with you.

[That goes for her own memories, too, if a few less than his. Her hand moves to rest on his shoulder, fingers loose and comfortable.]

[this_loser]

[His laugh is soundless and entirely humorless, but he sobers quickly.] All of it? All the bad stuff, anyway.

[His right arm is trapped behind her, but she can probably feel him wiggle his wrist. The clones, and Besithia - he'd already told her about them. What he did that night at the campfire, that was harder to explain.] I was in a really bad place. Mentally. ...Well, physically too. But ... mentally.

[axi]

I can't claim to fully understand what you were going through, not really, but... I know how you were feeling. Thanks to this, anyway.

[Kaname shifts closer to him, pressing her forehead into the crook of his neck.]

It... And it scared me a little, to realize that you felt like that before. That is was so real for you.

[this_loser]

[He breaths in deep. It shudders through his ribs and up his throat. He rests his head against hers.]

I'm sorry I scared you. Scared myself, too. [He tries a breath of a laugh, but it comes out as a sniffle.] I appreciate that I have you, and friends, who don't care where I'm from, but ... but, I really hate what I am.

[axi]

[The fact he's not using past tense for that statement is what gets to her. Kaname tugs the blanket up more so it's over their shoulders to give them a modicum of privacy.]

Before I say anything else, I want to ask: what do you think you are?

[this_loser]

You saw...

[He's not sure how to put it into words.]

I'm a copy. I'm one of a million copies. I'm a copy of that ... that.

[It was hard to tell if there were any similarities between himself and Besithia. The man was already half-eaten by scourge. And old. Gods, would he look like that?]

[axi]

[She shakes her head. Well, as much as she can anyway.]

That's wrong. A clone is not a copy-- not the way you're putting it. You are your own person. [Kaname keeps her voice low so only he can hear her.] Genetics don't define you, not in the ways that matter most. Your friends and I wouldn't care about you as much as we do if that was the case.

[Not in a good position to hug him, she simply presses into his hold instead.]

You're a good man who's come very far from your origins, and you should be proud of that. At least, don't diminish it, because I'm proud of you for it.

[this_loser]

[He ... doesn't actually know all that much about clones. Just what he saw in the facility. Pretty sure that Niflheim having an army of clones wasn't common knowledge.

He knows what's she's saying. He's heard it before. "Who cares where you were born?" "You're one of us, right?" It was enough to carry him forward. There wasn't much time to dwell on it, anyway.

He's had nothing but time here. He'd learned a long time ago how to push all the unpleasant things to the back, let them gather dust. And then something like this happens, and all those feelings bubble up and fill his head.

He's been silent for too long. But his throat is tight and it's hard to get the words out.]

Thank you. I'm ... Sometimes I think I'm okay with it. And then I'm not. I don't think I ever really will be.

[axi]

[Kaname's silent herself, trying to sort through what to say. It's difficult, but she's thankful he's opening up to her.] I can't fully understand, but I don't think you have to be okay with it, as long as you don't let it hold you back when it matters. I've never met someone who's completely at peace with every part of themselves, have you?

[She pulls her head back and gives him a soft smile.]

For what it's worth, it's never negatively affected how I feel about you.

[this_loser]

[He shakes his head a little. She has a point.]

I don't know what I'd do without you.

[He even tries to smile back, but it wavers uncertainly.

He doesn't doubt how she feels about him. But, he has some concerns.]

Can I ask you something?

a.

[customplates]

[Aaron can't shake the feeling of unease being here is causing even before calibrations start, and he's always all about exploration even on bad days, so he makes is way over to her corner at some point or another, looking interestedly at the collection she's made for herself.]

Anything good?

[axi]

[Kaname looks over from the screen she's watching and offers a smile after she pauses it.]

Interesting at the very least. Music videos from an alternate Earth are something different.

[She angles the screen to show him what's playing.]

I do like the song.

[customplates]

[As the music starts up, he smiles.]

Hey, Bonnie Tyler! She was always great. Do they have The Smiths?

[axi]

[Forgive her, Aaron. Earth music like this is a distant relic of the past for her. She looks at him curiously.]

I'm not sure. Should I look into them?

[customplates]

Yeah! [It's really too bad this band is a lot lamer than his enthusiasm would suggest.] See if you can find a song called this Charming Man by them.

[axi]

Hm, all right. [Given a few moments, she pulls up a track, then hits play.]

This one?

[customplates]

[Aaron begins to smile as he listens.]

Yeah, that's the one. I know they're not for everybody, but I live them.

[axi]

[She nods, listening for a little bit as well.]

They're not bad, but I'm not really the best judge for older Earth music,

[customplates]

And? [He laughs.] Music's about what you like. It doesn't really matter where it's from.