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

[dothelokimotion]

[ thor says that, but loki can feel it. the clawing noose of guilt around thor's neck, the weight of all those lives. how does one shift such a burden? loki isn't like thor. he's not particularly kind or giving. he's selfish and as such, despite such a great loss, loki knows he is glad. glad that thor lives, despite the abject despair.

recently, he has realized, it was cruel to thor. loki had regretted that much. but the rest?

if he was a better brother, loki would have better answers. ]

He made that choice. You made the choice to fight him. You'll do it right — by them and by — by me.

[rebuildyourruins]

[And that's the heart of the matter. Thor knows that to be true, without Loki saying the words. It's what drives him now really, the desire to tear Thanos down and right what was wronged. Failing in that smote him with a wound that hasn't healed. Maybe it never will. Some hurts shouldn't fade into the background. But it's not going to stop him. Thor isn't the kind of person who stops when things are left unfinished.

Thor nods once, something firmer in his expression. The guilt remains, a rock in his stomach. He doesn't intend to swallow any more of it though. For old actions or new.]

I will. No matter what.

[dothelokimotion]

[ that statement relaxes loki, boneless against thor's shoulder. he's not terribly surprised but it is good to hear such resolve without the crushing weight. thor has always managed the balance but this time . . . well, loki had his fears. especially after what he saw. ]

Of course you will.

[rebuildyourruins]

[With a deep exhale, Thor leans against Loki as well, tired beyond measure. It helps to not have that horrible failure be left unsaid between them anymore. It may amount to only one brick removed from the load on his shoulders, but it's better than none at all. There's little respite to be found while they're going through this invasive process in their minds, and sleep isn't truly restful. Not that Thor's been well rested since coming back to this place.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki runs his fingers down thor's neck, down his spine. he doubts he can do much, but he has to keep trying. this is what he pledged. undying loyalty. ]