driftfleet | 'cause it's better than nothing

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'cause it's better than nothing

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ROOMS BY CHARACTER

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Otono-Tachibana Makie

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Sandalio "Biffy" de Rabiffano

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(last updated: 1/25/19)

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[A series of images of Remy from the Vision's perspective play on the nearby panels; the one where he has cat ears features prominently, as the Vision had found it far more amusing than he'd let on at the time.

The answer is clear: this is inside his head, but there's no avatar of the Vision just yet. The right conditions haven't been met.]

[The cat-earred picture got a chuckle from Remy, then a pause as he realized that had been more recent in their history, and he had also gone through something like it.] Oh yeah, that. [A shake of his head and a sigh as he turned to look at the other panels.]

Is it like a code? Gotta see the right ones first? Don't think ya normally that 'mpolite to ignore a visitor. [He was joking around, teasing mostly, acting as if he could be heard as Remy did as he said, looking over the other visions (haa, Vision/visions) to see what the others held, attention going to the image with the pink hair.] That one. [Lifting a hand to indicate to it as he stepped in closer towards it.]

[The image enlarges to show the cargo bay of the old Windrose again, though with far fewer plants than the image of Misty had shown. The kelp tank is there, though, and the owner of the memory is working on a projector device to broadcast one of the network video files onto the wall. Wrath is there, ridiculous pink hair and all; she's still carrying a cane, so this is before she got her back fixed. Castle is there as well, as are Natasha and Beverly Crusher.

Wrath has suggested a 'family movie night', and I can't say I'm opposed to the idea. As long as the Captain allows it, I don't see any reason we shouldn't all get together regularly and learn a little more about one another. Tonight, we seem to be about to learn what Wrath's favorite movie is, and it sounds patently ridiculous.

"And hell yeah there should be a drinking game," she says enthusiastically as she munches on some dried seaweed snacks. "Like. Every time you see boobs. And every time the explosions are dumb. And every time they misuse military terms. All kinds of stuff."

Hmm. In something called Demon Marines of Draconis-9, there will probably be a surplus of misused terminology to go around. "I should be able to identify the first and last. Do the explosions not properly follow the laws of physics, or is there another definition of 'dumb'?" And how drunk does one usually get with this movie, anyway? Maybe Wrath has a higher alcohol tolerance than a standard human.

"They don't look like real explosions or act like real explosions. And don't deafen people or anything even though they don't wear sound dampers. It's funny."

It's probably bad moviemaking, but if it amuses my friend - and it seems to, quite a lot - what's the harm in that? I smile at her as the projector finally begins working right and we take our seats.

[Remy stood there, not realizing he was holding his breath for awhile, before letting it out in a huff of a sigh.] Didn't come here plannin' to make me sad, Vision. [Not so much calling out this time, but not quite a mumble either, but still soft. So many lost friends, and once again, another Remy wish he had taken the time to get to know better. How many had he kind of known but was too caught up in his own thing to allow him to get closer to others? Wrath, and Beverly too.

Though despite it all, Wrath's energy did still bring a smile to Remy's face, as it always had. Seriously, what did she run on? Also, that game was a good way to kill a person's liver off. Fast.

Stepping back once more, Remy moved more into the middle of the room again.] Looked like had yaself a good bunch on that ship, mon ami. [He spoke to the room, taking a moment to just let his thoughts resettle, not really wanting to go to another panel to see yet another ghost.

So he was glad when he just caught the outline of that sphere out of the corner of his eye, glancing it over before heading to that. It had no images, so had to be safer, right? His hand went out for it.]

[It is safer, in many ways. Touching the sphere grants a shock of disjointed images - code that floats by, gibberish to most; security footage of Tony Stark's Malibu home; flashes of confidential files from Stark Enterprises, SHIELD, and other sources. Conversations, half audio and half text with dialogue trees, scroll by. Nascent emotions of relief and satisfaction accompany images of Tony himself slotting in more hardware to a massive cooling tower. And then, oddly, the disjointed images fade to be replaced by a grainy video clip of two small robots, dancing in space. If Remy's been taking advantage of the video selection in the lounge, or chooses to research it later, he'll recognize WALL-E.

The clip fades and the Vision's familiar voice comes from behind Remy; he's now manifested and floats serenely about a foot off the ground in the center of the room.]

That was my predecessor, JARVIS. He was on a slow path to sapience before being fragmented and destroyed by my father.

[Oh, wow, ok, a lot to take in, Remy blinking a few times before he tried to focus on bits and pieces. Then really focusing as the images flashed up, some of them seeming familiar; those SHIELD and Stark logos, some of the plans that he did recognize as Tony Stark's designs. Though, it was shoved aside as he gave a chuckle at the video that played. It was from after his time back home, but Remy made the most of access during calibrations and of course he caught up on Disney stuff.

He turned towards the voice, happy to no longer be alone here.] That so? [Then to clear up.] So Tony be ya father in this?

[He shakes his head.]

Ultron was the one who destroyed JARVIS. Mr. Stark created all three of us, at least in part. [Look, a helpful family tree appears on the wall behind the Vision: Tony to JARVIS, Tony and Bruce and the Mind Stone to Ultron, then Tony and Bruce and JARVIS and Ultron to the Vision. They're each in fonts of colors Remy may find familiar: they're exactly the same as four out of the five glowing fish that live in the kelp tank (and that the Vision likes to put into small bubble tanks as emergency lighting).]

[...a lot of those meant nothing to Remy, but he was happy enough to go along with the story, nodding as if he understood.

His brows went up at the color match ups.] That the fishes names? [Yes, because that was the important part in all of this, right?]

[His voice softens.]

Yes. My fathers. It's important to me to remember where I come from, so that I may better choose where to go.

[Which mostly means, he doesn't want to end up like Ultron.]

Cher, sometimes all we can do is try 'nd do better than our parents. [Remy's gaze lingering on that display, not quite willing to look to Vision as he spoke as it was a semi sore topic to him. His own responsibilities with the Guild, the fact he wasn't home to do them...]

'nd hope that those that come after us can do better than us. Otherwise, what's the point? [And it didn't have to be kids. Children were an idea Remy had given up a long time ago, but he could still influence the kids who were in the Guild, help them train to be better and smarter. And maybe, just maybe if he ever went home, and somehow remembered this all, maybe even with the X-Men. He... might go and look them up, see if he could help them too.]

To leave the world better than how we found it? I can agree with that much.

[He smiles. The idea of children doesn't exactly occur to him - it's a physical impossibility for him at home, and children are rare enough in the Fleet that finding one to claim is a laughable prospect.

But helping new people who come in, whether to the Avengers or to the Twin Roses? That he can, and does, pursue wholeheartedly.]

Though I will be the first to admit that it can be a heavy burden to bear.

Well, I wasn't quite meanin' it in the 'save the world' kinda way that sure ya use to, but I guess that goes for that too.

[Then Remy admitted,] Donno what this Ultron be, but then again don't have the Avengers back home either. [There seems to be bits and pieces that crossed over, stuff like SHIELD, but still a lot of differences.]

One of the new recruits has a saying about that, actually. [A young Peter Parker, different than the one in the Fleet, appears on a panel behind the Vision. "With great power comes great responsibility," he says.] I was created with great power. He's not wrong about the responsibility.

[He gestures to the upper section of the room, where a blue spark circles around.] When Mr. Stark first scanned the Mind Stone, he found within it a template for an extremely complex intelligence. He copied and modified it, with the help of Dr. Banner, but placed the project on hold before it was completed. However, it was complete enough to take control of itself and begin following its directive to keep the Earth safe - by destroying all the humans on it, as they were deemed a threat to the planet. That was Ultron.

Ya know, I was jokin' all 'bout that Terminator joke ages ago... [And Remy feels a little bad about it now, but not too bad since Vision seemed to take it in his stride.

He shook his head at the displays and all that information. Wow, his world just... felt so small after seeing stuff like this, and that was saying something with what mutants were battling back home. Remy shot a grin towards Vision.] Ya know, I appreciate 'nd love that ya talk like I will understand this all, real sweet of ya, makes me feel special. [Seriously, Mind Stone? What was that even?

Wait.] Is that what we're in? [Voicing his thought train and raising a hand to point up towards the structure.] That stone?

[He seems to be laughing silently.] No, I fully understand the reluctance. The media has been dreaming of killer robots for decades. It's very difficult to undo that sort of conditioning.

[As if to emphasize this, one of the panels behind him plays out a brief scene: it's the Vision looking into a mirror and shifting his skin over to look completely human. It seems he has the ability to do this, and subsequent flashes show him in that form in several different locations on Earth, but it's something he's never done on the Fleet, not for more than a few seconds at a time. Thanks in large part to the mutants on his own ship, he doesn't feel the need to. Kurt displays his otherness proudly, and that gives the Vision the courage to do the same.]

Ah, well, one can never be sure where exactly the overlap ends, or what will be given in knowledge in this place. I've been in rooms that give all the context one needs. [Not this one, but that may have more to do with his mostly-conscious control of the room than anything else.] But yes, this is a representation of the Stone. It's an Infinity Stone - one of six extremely powerful artifacts that have wandered the stars for ages untold. [He touches the stone in his forehead again, and it flares brightly - a flare echoed by the walls of the chamber surrounding them.] I'm still not certain which of my abilities come from it and which are innate. I don't understand it as well as one might think.

Ya shouldn't have to hide. [The answer was instant and firm as Remy viewed that memory, his face losing that warm and happy note for something much more serious, even a little dark as his jaw clenched.] I shouldn't have to hide m' eyes, Kurt shouldn't have to hide his fur 'nd tail, 'nd ya shouldn't have to hide yaself to fit in. [But they did. Or Remy and Vision did at least, he really didn't have a clue with Kurt. Maybe not back in his own world, it was so messed up it sounded like there was little time for anti-mutant hate going around. More mutant on mutant fighting.]

Ya know, almost lost m' eyes a few times 'cause how they look. Mostly from those who hate what I be, either a mutant or thinkin' 'm a demon. Once to a man who wanted them for a spell. [Remy's tone was still strained, but he seemed to be relaxing a bit more as he spoke, as if just being able to talk was helping to calm him. Even if it was revealing a bit about his past, but it felt fair considering what Vision was showing him.

Brushing it away with a shake of his head and a sigh, Remy pushed past that to focus on what Vision spoke about, gaze going up then to the stone on his forehead. He even managed a bit of a smile.] Know it's real bad, but the thief in me be thinkin' there would be lot of people out there willin' to pay a pretty penny for that, even without knowin' it be so powerful. [It then turned to a grin at the last part.] Well, that just kinda be bein' human. No one knows everything, even 'bout themselves, gotta learn it as ya go on, hein?

I shouldn't. None of us should. [But for various reasons, they had. Anonymity. Safety. A desire to be accepted, to belong. What the Vision had thought of, for a long time, as a yearning to be human - but that he knew, because of his experiences here in the Fleet, was only a surface desire. Having maroon skin here wasn't any more odd than Kurt's blue fur or the Galra and their purple or the occasional full-on alien or humanoid fox person or whatever that showed up here.] Would that I could bring the knowledge that I don't have to back home with me.

[Wait, they did what to your eyes? He looks at Remy, suddenly concerned.] Well, I'm certainly glad they didn't succeed. A spell? How ridiculous. [Hmmph.

But then he nods seriously.] And those who know its power may want it even more. I don't have a good answer for that, except that I keep my fighting skills as up-to-date as possible. [Whoops, and here's a panel showing Hawkeye shooting him with an electric arrow and then Wanda using her powers on him, sending him plummeting through the floor. Not a scene he revisits eagerly.] Those who know my weakest points are, of course, my allies. It wouldn't be difficult for someone who knows me to inflict great harm.

[Remy raised a brow at the new scene, teamed with a bit of a smile and a chuckle.] That tends to be how it goes mon ami, those ya train with the closest will always know how to deal with ya. [How many of his family or Guild members knew Remy's? Either with his powers or just the toll previous injuries had taken on his body.] All the more reason to keep trainin', hein?

Though do ya even get benefit out of trainin' physically? Do ya have muscles, or something like them that develop or can ya just plug in new 'nformation on a fightin' style 'nd do it?

Indeed. And to ensure you keep trust with those who know you so well.

[That's the thing: he does trust Wanda implicitly. As for Clint, the man wouldn't have done what he did without a good reason, and loyalty was a good enough reason at the time. Though hopefully they've all put the past behind themselves at this point. There's a conflict he'll be glad never to repeat.]

Oh, I can download information easily enough, but without practical haptic feedback it's nearly useless to me. Watching a kung fu movie might inspire me to try different types of kicks, for example, but until I know how my own body will perform the action, it's little more than inspiration.

See, times like these with ya sayin' that 'nd forget ya ain't human, or mutant really. [Due to Vision's coloration. He also means it as a good thing, considering from his time 'robots' are no where near the level Vision is.] Can't figure out if ya been short changed by not bein' able to do that or just a perfect balance. [A hint of a smirk aimed at Vision before he looked around the rest of the place.]

Ya know, this place be pretty nice, relaxin', ya know, if ya had a couch or something to sit on, [Then dropping the joking tone to something a touch more serious.] But don't feel right snoopin' 'round 'nd pullin' up memories that be painful, [A slight glance to the location the last one had been.] So I would hate to overstay m' welcome here. Be there a way out of here that makes sure don't end up shatterin' ya gem or 'nything?

[His expression twitches into a grin; humans and mutants are very different in Remy's world, or Kitty's, but to the Vision they're small variants on the same theme. Not that he ever shares that thought with the mutants, of course.] Thank you. I...do like to think that what we share is greater than the sum of our differences, but that is up for debate.

[And he nods, eyes focusing on something in the distance. After a moment, a door appears as one of the panels slides up.] It's no worry, though I understand your concern. My life is a matter of public record in many ways.

Still, I thank you for not prying too deeply into personal matters. You're free to go.

[Only because some forced them to be different... Remy couldn't care less really, it came down to the person, not the powers, but he wasn't stupid or blind enough to not see the hate that was back home for him and his kind.

Much like for Vision, the Fleet was a wonderful step away from being judged.] Even so cher, still nice to have secrets, non, keeps life 'nterestin'.

[Remy offered a bit of a wave in Vision's direction as he headed towards the door.] Take care of yaself here mon ami, never does 'nyone 'ny good if they get too lost in their memories. Will see ya back out there.

If only those who ran these Calibrations felt the same.

[But it's a tone of dry resignation, not anger or regret. Those will come later, when he's awake.

For now he nods in farewell.] We'll be back on our ship soon enough, my friend.

Hope so, hate to think what the cats have messed up. [A bit of a chuckle before Remy vanishes through that door.]

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