driftfleet | the white noise is deafening silence

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the white noise is deafening silence

[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. ]

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[When Thor walks off, Taako takes the opportunity to cross his arms over his chest. That doesn't feel right though, so he moves one hand up to toy with the end of his braid slung over his shoulder. There isn't any good way to act casual about any of this, so he does what he can and listens, eyes darting to the exit just to ensure that he has a way out of this conversation the second it gets too uncomfortable. Taako might be an adult, but feelings? Fuck that.

When he settles on talking about the caravans, Taako shrugs. It isn't that big of a deal to him now that he's older, smarter, and a lot better at not dying on his own.]

Some of them I chose not to stay with because they were shitty. Life is what it is, my dude.

[But if that was all he saw? That was actually a relief. Knowing that Taako had grown up alone on the road was nothing. If he ever got around to writing up a best-selling memoir, that bit would be included after all.]

Is that it though? Because if so? I feel like maybe I got a waaaay better scoop than you did.

Yeah, I got that impression.

[There hadn't been much in the way of warmth or friendship in those memories. Thor shakes his head, expression growing more serious.]

No. I saw something else. From your cooking show. [He pauses, because there's not really a subtle way to put this.] When those people died.

[The way Taako stiffens the moment Thor mentions the cooking show is only compounded when he continues on to talk about the deaths. The one thing he'd still not even really told Magnus and Merle about. The one thing he only vaguely mentioned to Angus. The one reason why he still hadn't chosen to fully take over the Melting Pot despite practically being the only real owner the place had to speak of.

And now someone knew.

If Thor knew? Who else found out? Who else knew his food had killed people? That he was serving again? Using magic again?

Fuck

Fuck!

Taako suddenly finds himself wishing he'd kept that stupid towel if only so he had something to fling at Thor as he makes a quick exit. Sadly, with his hands empty, his one excuse for an escape is gone.]

...Uh...so... you saw... that, huh?

[He glances quickly toward the door out of the corner of his eye, wondering if it's within the radius of Blink or not.]

How- How much did you see?

[The rigid fear in Taako's body is impossible to miss. Thor doesn't make any other move as the elf's eyes flick to the door, and really... it's not too surprising, even if it's disheartening. What did Taako think Thor was going to do?

He finds himself holding up his hands to try and defuse whatever's going through Taako's head.]

There was a woman -- well, some sort of being who looked like one, who was showing you the truth of what happened. I know you don't recall but I spoke to you about all of this in the dream, Taako.

[And he could repeat himself, sure, but he doesn't know how well that would go down. Or if he can get his exact words again. This whole thing is so surreal it's no wonder Taako feels wrong-footed by it. Thor doesn't enjoy this at all but it has to be better than pretending he saw nothing.]

[Wait.

A woman?

Who--]

Oh thank fuck.

[All the tension drains from Taako's shoulders and he slumps against the side of the hot tub, running a hand over his face. It wasn't just Glamour Springs, but it was June - the Cup-June. June-Cup? Chalune? - the Grand Relic telling him it wasn't his fault. If Thor knew it wasn't Taako who had poisoned all those people, he didn't have to worry about people getting up in arms over him cooking again, or having to hide again, or just...anything really. If the truth was out, it still sucked because that was his godsdamned life and he should be able to keep it a secret if he wanted to, but it was better than having only the rumor out there.]

You could have led with that one first, Big n' Mighty. You almost gave me a heart attack.

You looked like you were having one anyway.

[Does that help? No, probably not.]

Yeah thanks for that. Just what I needed. Really.

[It really doesn't help, especially with how dramatic he's being. But at least Taako knows that Thor is aware he didn't intentionally poison 40 some odd people. Small blessings, but they're there.]

Well, that's what I saw. I thought it best that I tell you.

[Regardless of how poorly the conversation is going. He shrugs, picking up the last of his things.]

Now you know.

[He snorts and runs a hand over his face.]

Yeah, I guess now I know.

[And now Thor knows what Taako did. The way he'd driven someone to commit murder of all things and how Taako had fed all those people their death. He'd served it up all nice and neat, not even bothering to check the taste beforehand. If he had, they'd all still be alive. Sure, Sazed probably would have gotten away with it - that little shit weasel - but at least 40 people would still be alive. And maybe Taako would have survived it, somehow known it was wrong by the taste of it and spat it out in time. Who knew? He certainly doesn't. He never will either because he chose to leave the Chalice behind.

As his hand drops from his face, Taako glances away, chewing at the inside of his bottom lip.]

Does-- Uh, does it, y'know, change anything? Me and you knowing?

[It's a serious question, which means Thor's first answer may jar a little.]

Well, sure. [But he follows that immediately with:] It means I know more about you. Nothing more than that. I don't think you a villain, Taako. That wasn't your doing.

[He feels his heart plummet through the floor at Thor's answer. Of course it'd change things. How could it not? He'd killed people, whether it was 50% his fault or 100% his fault, he'd still fucked up and people ended up dead. Thor wasn't exactly the Lawful Good type, but he was still a lot more on the Good scale than Taako ever was so he shouldn't be--

Sur....prised....?

He blinks as Thor continues, staring at him with a barely concealed confused shock on his face. He hadn't thought anyone would accept him after hearing what happened at Glamour Springs. His fault or no, he was on the run and never looking back at what happened there and not even trying to take responsibility for it. It was easier to forget it happened, pretend he was just on a semi-permanent hiatus from the whole show biz thing, and up until now? He's been able to get away with it. Even those who knew him didn't know what happened there and it was fine with him that they never find out. The closest he'd gotten was telling Angus that he didn't cook for people he cared about anymore.

After a moment, Taako's usual facade slips back in and he gives a half-relieved, half-incredulous laugh.]

Guess in the grand scheme of things and the fact that your, oof, your own sister was basically a giant asshole, I guess I'm pretty small fry on the villain scale, huh? Makes sense. Uh...thanks.

I've met a great many assholes in my time - I've been one myself too.

[It's not for nothing that he'd told Taako about the day he attempted to start a war. That was a far more culpable act than whatever Taako had done, considering the consequences. Still, he knows this isn't a small thing. To be responsible for lives lost is a hard burden to bear.

One Thor knows all too well.]

But I'm not comparing it, Taako. I just don't think it changes my opinion of you now.

Natch, Taako's a rare commodity that you're privileged to partake of.

[He's flippant and waves his hand dismissively, but Thor's reassurance means a lot to him. Even if he knows it isn't his fault, that he wasn't the one who filled the chicken with poison, that most people wouldn't blame him, it's good to hear. It's nice to know that his biggest regret and the blackest mark on his record doesn't change how people feel about him.

Because as much as Taako likes to pretend everyone around him are simply NPCs to his life, he does...well, he cares what they think of him.

And that thought makes him uncomfortable in a way. He shouldn't care. They'll just leave eventually and getting attached? That's the fast track to getting his heart ripped out again.

After a moment of reflection, Taako blows a raspberry and pushes himself off the hot tub.]

Okay so - I'm done with talking about that because it's depressing as fuuu-uck and I came in here to see your bare chest. It's gone now, so Taako's gonna get gone, too.

I may as well leave too, before these cursed lights go out again.

[He dumps his towel on the floor for the last time, raising his eyebrows at Taako as if daring him to comment.]

And don't worry, I don't plan to speak any more of it.

[The darkvision spell he gave Thor should tide him over for another few hours, but that would preclude Thor wanting to sit in the dark like some creeper for a few hours. And there was no telling if the hottub would even stay warm for that long. This place's plumbing was as shitty as Lucas Miller's adherence to moral codes.

Thor drops his towel again and Taako has to bite back another remark, raising his eyebrow in kind.]

Good, 'cause I plan to pretend like it never even happened.

[He knows the towel thing is just to get a comment out of him, and...well, he can't not rise to the occasion.]

Oh, but you should know? Droppin' your towel like that and raising eyebrows? Sends veeeery mixed signals, my dude.

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