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

[necromanswers]

[Gods, it is so hard to keep a straight face- especially with the combination of Taako's Haggar impression and the sudden realization of oh no, not again falling upon the rest of the room. She lifts a hand to scratch idly at her nose while she wrestles with a wild grin. Some folks are already looking around for the mysteriously vanished elves, too.]

Oh, yes. Misery does love company, after all. Such a shame we appear to be nailed to the floor and incapable of leaving the room.

[abracafcku]

Perhaps this is what they call "hell." We are in a hell of their making.

[People are looking around for them now, but only seeing two disapproving parental figure where Taako and Lup once were. There's a few who stare a little longer, but the chaos of people going after the resilient sphere eventually distracts them.]

I have tried to discern the source of how we are cursed to remain here, but I am unable. We must suffer with the rest of these lot.

[necromanswers]

Whoever "they" might be. Those devious, mysterious geniuses who seem to have wandered off before the return of that terrible tormenting song...

[She goes back to staring at one of the dissenters, this time looking confused and disinterested instead of smug. Just who do you think you're staring at, stranger? She had nothing to do with this, of course...!]

[abracafcku]

Indeed. Whoever "they" might be, they must be magical geniuses beyond even our prowess.

[No one seems to be looking at Haggar, but it could be because Taako's managed to outfit his face with a pretty impressive scowl. It's close to how Haggar usually looks though, so most people only really give "her" a glance before looking away. The benefit of the space witch's reputation, he guesses.]

I wonder where they absconded to.

[necromanswers]

It's a mystery just begging to be solved, isn't it? But I have much better things to do, because I'm so very important.

[Lup feigns examining her nails (very busily) while keeping one eye on the crowd. They're back to poking at the sphere, getting rowdy again.]

Any guesses on how long that'll last?

[abracafcku]

Another nine minutes at the least.

[What a mystery! How could Haggar know such a thing? It's crazy!

He bites his lip to keep from laughing as he watches people bang on the sphere. He's glad he attached it to the panel itself so it can't get pushed around at all.]

But I have no vested interest in solving mysteries. I am a...lab assistant? Not a detective. I will leave that to the mob.

[And take his time watching them lose their collective minds.]

[necromanswers]

Of course, of course. And I'm a... captain.

[She literally has no idea what Loki's augment is, shit. Shaking it off with a casual shrug, she raises her voice, aiming it towards the rest of the room.]

Have you tried hitting it with a chair? That may yet work. Brute force is surely your best bet.

[abracafcku]

[Honestly? Taako lives on that ship and has no idea what anyone's augments are except his own and Haggar's. And he only knows Haggar's because she practically lives in the lab like a grouchier, less death crime-y Lucas.

Someone takes note of Loki's suggestion though and throws a chair at the sphere. The thing rebounds in an arc through the air, barely missing the head of the one who threw it, before skittering off across the floor. Meanwhile, the song keeps going on, not noticing a thing.

Pussycat, Pussycat, I love you
Yes, I do!
You and your pussycat nose!

Taako turns his laughter into a casual shrug as they look back at them again.]

Perhaps you need something bigger. You could try the couches or tables.

[necromanswers]

[ And Lup just... quickly sinks back down behind the couch for a moment, because it is a genuine struggle to collect herself and not just burst out laughing. That went about as well as expected.]

Ah- y-yes-

[NOPE STILL GIGGLING, TRY AGAIN]

Mm. Mm-hm. Please do try with a couch. ...Just not this one, if you please.

[abracafcku]

[People start arguing over how they're going to use a freaking couch when the chairs didn't do anything, and Taako slides on over to where Lup is sitting. He can't sit himself, that's not what Haggar does, but he can hover in the background close to her and subtly kick the back of the couch. No laughing! It'll blow their cover!

Even if watching people gesture wildly at the couches and tables and chairs is hi-lar-i-ous. Someone tries to beat the side of the sphere repeatedly with the earlier chair and-- nope, fuck he's going to lose his shit.

Taako bites his lip and looks down at Lup, lowering his voice so only she can hear.]

I can't fuckin' believe this is working.

[necromanswers]

[She lowers her voice in turn, half-muffled behind her hand as she still tries to conceal her smile. She can't see from her vantage point anymore, but she can hear the thunk sounds of various furniture smacking against the sphere.]

Right? Sure as hell didn't imagine it would last this long. I think this song has driven everyone batty.

[abracafcku]

I mean, I did put it in like...fourteen times? Twenty-one?

[He shrugs a little, careful not to lean against the back of the couch.]

And these people have the self-control of excitable puppies. I never thought I would see people lose their actual shit over music though, this is great. Holy shit.

[necromanswers]

No kidding. ....Oh shit, [Her voice drops to an abrupt hiss of horrified realization,] I should have been recording this!

[abracafcku]

A grave miscalculation there, homie.

[Taako hadn't thought to record it either though. Now he's kind of sad, but it's a fleeting thing as the people start to riot even louder. It feels so weird to be emoting right now, biting his lip and trying not to laugh, while wearing Haggar's face.]

I mean, you still could. They don't seem to settling any.

[necromanswers]

Eh, it's okay. I missed the big reveal, the rest is just icing on the cake.

[She pushes herself upright again, somewhat composed, and leans over the couch to continue watching the chaos.]

Thankfully I've got a good memory, so I think I can hold onto this one.

[abracafcku]

[Makes one of us, he wants to say, but bites his tongue back. Taako's memory is a sticking point of late and one that he doesn't like to actually think about for more than, oh, now amount of time. He quickly brushes that aside and steps around to the front of the couch, perching himself on the arm of it.

He's only seen Haggar sit a few times, but she usually "perches" rather than sits. Lingering at the edge of seats like she's afraid relaxing into them might swallow her whole.]

Man, didn't think people would be this mad over a little musical appreciation. It's got a catchy tune! They should lighten up.

[necromanswers]

We could always sing along. I'm sure that would wildly improve the reputation of the- ....us.

[Almost slipped, there. And while she's joking, even as she says it she's tempted. The mental image of Loki and Haggar doing karaoke in front of an angry mob is kind of spectacular.]

[abracafcku]

[Taako, other than his mannerisms, has all but dropped the rest of the act until Lup's slip reminds him. Right, he's supposed to be acting and speaking like Haggar.

He resumes his best attempt at her voice, getting a little closer to her doom and gloom inflection this time.]

I have been trying to learn new things since...talking to these people. Perhaps this could be one.

[necromanswers]

Ah, yes. An excellent exercise in socializing with the peons. At least we've heard the song enough to know the words well, yes?

[She gestures with a hand to materialize the illusion of a fancy cocktail in her hand and lifts it in salute, beginning to belt out the lyrics in a Griffin-esque mediocre English accent.]

[abracafcku]

I believe we have heard the song enough for it to haunt us even in death.

[But? If Lup is going to sing, then Taako in a falsetto is going to sing along, but he'll look appropriately gloomy about it because Haggar isn't allowed to have fun. Ever. Even when she's having fun, she can't have fun. It's against her DNA or something.

Meanwhile, people are staring because who the hell sings along to this cursed song??? Apparently they do.]

[necromanswers]

[Taako's deadpan imitation of Haggar singing is amazing, which is great, except that it's very quickly causing Lup to lose her shit. Her share of the singalong keeps trailing off as she pauses to take a sip of her cocktail, hiding a gigglesnort between each sip and wrestling to hold on to a straight face.

It's... not going well. Every time Taako's voice shifts an octave her own voice hitches with laughter. Deception's never been her thing as much as his - she's more of an up-front and in-your-face kind of threat - and she's rolling a critical fail on this one.

But hey, at least she's having a blast?]

[abracafcku]

[He's having the time of his life and Haggar is....well, looking like she's dead inside as she sings about loving all the different parts of a cat's face.

So all in all a good day?

Whenever someone looks their way too closely, he clams up, only to start singing again once their attention is elsewhere. It's surprisingly easy to intimidate people into not sparing him a second glance in this disguise.]

You know, I think they're going to kill us if they ever find out.

[necromanswers]

[She's doomed, she's out, she can't do it anymore. Lup has her face buried against one arm, draped over the couch, her shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. Taako's Haggar game is too good.]

We... haha... we probably should not let them find out, then. Naturally.

[abracafcku]

[Fucking win for Taako! He barely stops himself from grinning, the corners of Haggar's mouth twitching from the strain of it.]

Oh, natch, they're not going to hear it from me.

[And if the gods be willing, none of these numbskulls will tell either. He's fairly certain no one saw him actually sing, even if they'd heard his voice. Haggar's voice. Whichever.

As he watches, the people at the bubble are getting frustrated again, agitated enough to go at the sphere's shield one more time, when it suddenly bursts, the spell coming to an end.

There's a pause and then someone runs to the panel, slamming a hand against the stop button.]

Entertainment's over for the evening, I guess.

[necromanswers]

Mmmhm. It was pretty good while it lasted, though.

[Damn you, spell slots, ruining the fun. With a final giggling huff, she lifts her head to watch the room begin to wind down.]

...We... may wish to evacuate, before they think to ask us questions about what just happened here.