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]

He is rather dense.

But sometimes it is important. To make sure the sentiment is heard in some way.

[shroudedsecrets]

Or to be... cognizant of the sentiment.

[Which was still occasionally an alarming thing, to be so present and aware of such emotions at all, even if she had her struggles.

Still, his words have her pause for another reason. Important, he said, but this was... hmm.]

...Are you aware that I carry... this sense of fondness for you as well?

[dothelokimotion]

[ wow don't turn this on him. loki shuts his mouth abruptly. ]

I — Of course.

[shroudedsecrets]

You were still... startled.

[ Which she supposes, was to be expected for the suddenness of it. Especially if he was not used to hearing it. ]

[dothelokimotion]

Sentiment is always . . . startling.

[ loki will never get fully used to it. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

... It is.

[ Sensing it, being able to express it... anything tied to it, really. ]

[dothelokimotion]

But all the more reason it should exist, in some form.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She's quiet for a moment. ]

Because it might be startling, but it is not... unwelcome?

[dothelokimotion]

Precisely.

Did you think it would be?

[shroudedsecrets]

I did not wish to... presume your response. You may have accepted my presence in your company, but that does not always extend to... affections.

[She feels clumsy with her lack of experience, but she had taken the chance anyway.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ his lips twitch slightly. ]

Then what would it pertain to?

[shroudedsecrets]

For you? [She blinks at the question.]

... I am not certain, but as I said, I did not want to assume either way. My company was not something that was sought after, without some purpose.

[Here on the fleet, it just sort of occurs, and the interactions are always ... different, than what she had been used to.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ and doesn't that sound like him, word for word. ]

Neither is mine. Still, assumptions are not completely unwelcome.

[shroudedsecrets]

[She's quiet, for a moment.]

What I considered... is that perhaps you do not wish to be alone. Even if you have... sequestered yourself.

[She's less certain of where fondness enters the picture.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ a beat of silence as loki takes it in. ]

You're not wrong. It is simply the discussions I wish to avoid.

[shroudedsecrets]

[She's also quiet for a moment, expression softening as she blinks. He'd stated as much before, but then they had continued to talk. Perhaps because it was not about his experiences, dealing with those personal matters.

A... distraction?]

But you do not mind... this discussion?

[dothelokimotion]

[ a huff that sounds a little like a pout because it means he has to confess a feeling. ]

I don't mind you.

[shroudedsecrets]

[She blinks slowly, surprised.

It was one thing to wonder, and not come quite close--and another to hear it.]

... it is as you have said. It does... make a difference, to hear it.

[Even if she knows saying it must have been difficult enough for him.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ there is faint bemusement in his voice. ]

As I said. I'm rarely wrong.