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old but unfamiliar faces
"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once."
The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay.
Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. Any questions you might have would be answered in a straightforward manner as well as an explanation about how the Ingress, the thing that has pulled you onto the Moira, is broken and bringing people here unintentionally. This process also consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand or wrist with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters.
At first, this month seems no more unusual than the previous one for those who have been aboard the Moira for any amount of time. The crew who had landed on the slaver outpost were rescued, and with everyone aboard, the ship has pushed forward into the darker parts of the Runoff. Anyone arriving through the Ingress follows the same routine—moving from the Ingress room into the Medbay for their physical and contract before being assisted by seasoned crew members and helped to their assigned decks. But all familiar things must eventually come to an end: two final travelers come through the Ingress. The first, and most noticeable difference between them and all the others, is their clothing. Both are dressed in standard Moira uniforms, though they bear the insignia of one sharing the same rank as Captains Cúrre and Thán. After a moment to take in all the people on the platform ahead of them, one of the two latest arrivals approaches one of the Ingress panels and begins to manipulate the controls. The Ingress completely shuts down. Unlike before, however, there isn’t an imbalance felt across the ship; everything remains normal and stable.
Utilizing the computer systems located in the Ingress room, they send out the following message to the crew via the MID:To all those aboard this vessel: I am Ira Phirun, assigned captain of the Moira. First Mate Egan and I will be commandeering all rights to the ship as soon as word is sent to those currently in charge. Expect a more detailed report as soon as all records and logs in Navigation have been reviewed by myself and the First Mate. All questions will be answered in a timely matter. For now, there will be no interruption of daily routine or reprimand if conduct among ranks is broken. Thanks for your time. Heading to Navigation, the Captain and First Mate, for seemingly unknown reasons, approach Navigator Manasseh and have her show them all records and logs of the Moira. Those working in Navigation when the Captain and First Mate arrive will see Mana greet them in a professional manner. Oddly, the Captain and First Mate act very familiar with the Navigator. They review all documents, but when they come upon news that the Ploiatos is on board, their mostly friendly demeanor shifts quickly. The Captain issues a sharp order, unintelligible to those who are close enough to overhear parts of their conversation, and without any warning at all, Mana loses consciousness and collapses right there on the bridge. Within minutes of this happening, the ship as a whole falls into a low power state with basic functions only. Mana’s MID alerts Medbay, and without hesitation, Captain Cúrre places her in cryo with strict orders to those who work there not to disturb the unit.
As promised, the Captain and First Mate soon address the crew.☄ lights down low The lighting has dimmed in all the rooms and halls, the normally crisp air that is pumped from the vents low, and all machines and tech are running at half-speed. These effects can be found throughout the ship. Water in the showers remain hot for only a few minutes before reverting to cold. Recreational equipment powers off not long after it has been turned on. The sanitation and water filtration systems require an hourly manual reboot, and all unused areas of the ship have no power allotted to them until a crew member steps inside. Even then, most functions are not optimal. It’s as if the Moira has been transformed into a dark house with only a candle flickering on the window sill. ☄ reuse & recycle The Captain and First Mate are quick to establish that this is a new regime and go about making the ship and its crew more efficient in the wake of their change in course and the low power state of the ship itself. This means they will systematically inspect each occupied barracks room and leave notes for what needs to be disposed of or stowed away. Unlike before, this is no longer a pleasure cruise, and each member of the crew is a guest on board; they will not tolerate useless clutter. Anything seen as unnecessary will be either placed into storage in the Cargo Bay or disposed of through the airlock. This new need for efficiency also extends to the need to conserve resources until they reach their destination. The showers are set to an automatic timer to minimize water waste. Those few minutes of hot water are all a crew member is now given. Meals are smaller, bordering on ration sizes, and luxuries are done away with entirely in order to preserve supplies so that the ship can go longer before needing to dock at a planet. ☄ new jobs, same faces The Captain and his First Mate, as expressed in their addressing of the Moira, explain that work efficiency is a priority. Applications for a head of the following departments will be accepted for a short period: Navigation, the Tower, Medbay, Defense, the Hold, Sanitation, Ingress work, and the Galley/Mess Hall. (Here.) After reviewing what they receive, one head of department will be chosen and tasked with helping crew find positions relevant to those departments and their own skillsets. They will be allowed to retain any positions that they held before that aren’t ship-functional jobs, but they will have to be done in leisure time. In two weeks time, they’ll be accepting department position applications which will be approved, and all those that do not apply will be assigned in accordance with their initial work application. They will also choose three individuals to act as guards of Ploiatos to ensure that there is a rotation available at all times. Will you choose to follow this new decision and promote yourself into a position of responsibility? Or will you simply wait for a reassignment?
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thisavrou_log2016-08-01 12:13 am
observation deck;
That's nothing he wants to think about. What he wants to think about, with the shoes of his uniform clacking on the metal corridor, is that vision is here. Vision has never bothered him. Perhaps he's too new--or perhaps he just likes Vision because he's brutally honest. ]
You are here, too. [ His words are still accented in Sokovian, and his demeanor and gait is still the same as he rounds on Vision, joining him looking out at the stars. It's the tiniest quirk of an almost-smile that gives away a subtle change in his personality from being here a while. Despite being in cryo, despite everything that happened during the Runoff, he's still a bit more relaxed. A bit. ]
Do you find this calming? [ Pietro finds himself asking this and not quite knowing what to expect. He finds Vision and and of itself--himself?--a little more comforting and calming than he'd ever admit. ] I do. Sometimes--other times I feel even more lost.
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Pietro. Pietro.
This changes quite a bit. It means the anomally that brought him here is infinitely more complex and cruel than he had imagined. Somehow, someway, from it's power here stands a dead man. Someone who by all logic should not be. And more than anything, more than working through the implications of this discovery, more than wading through philosophical questions of life and death, Vision wants to embrace him.
He doesn't, of course. What little he knows of Pietro tells him that may not be a welcome response. Still, he cannot help but look at him, to stare really, turning to face him completely.]
Pietro. It's very-- why are you...how are you...here?
[He is really going to have to work on interactions like this.]
no subject
--he'll leave that argument to Stark and Bruce. Even thinking about that, however briefly, just frustrates him.
The bottom line is that Vision is showing confusion, or something similar to it, and it's not the same confusion one gets if they haven't reviewed for a test. It's closer to something else, and it's about him. Or his presence, at least.
There's a bad feeling hanging over the room, suddenly, and Pietro isn't sure if that's his perception of things or if there really is a sudden change. ]
I walked in here.
[ And, cautiously: ] Why?
no subject
Vision takes several long strides forward, toward Pietro, and then around him, walking in a tight circle, looking the young man up and down. He isn't synthetic, nor is he a projection. Vision would have detected that in an instant. Pietro is real, and very much alive. His mind is racing with a thousand questions, a million potential explanations, but as he completes his circle he can feel the apprehension between them. He really should learn to be more forthright. This is a conversation, afterall.
He takes a step back, holding his hands up in front of him.]
I am sorry. It's only--after Sokovia, after...what happened, you are perhaps the last person I expected to see here.
no subject
Why?
[ It's the second time he's said it; and while he's technically repeating himself there's other things in his voice. It's the same reason Wanda panicked when they united. It has to be--it's the same reaction, just dimmed because he wasn't nearly as close with Vision. Or is he reading too much into it? Is this where he has to give benefit of the doubt?
No. No, in his gut, he knows that's not the case. He crosses his arms, partially to act unimpressed and annoyed but mostly to shield himself. ]
What happened after Sokovia?
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I'm sorry. It's only that, for me, it's been quite a while since you died, Pietro. The battle with Ultron seems so long ago, perhaps because the aftermath incorporates most of my existence thus far. I hadn't realized this ship would be capable of bringing you here...given the circumstances.
no subject
He doesn't react at first, gaze flicking from Vision's eyes to his infinite gem, like if Pietro grabbed it and cracked it open it would prove Vision is somehow lying. He Wants Vision to be lying. There's an irrational part of him that's praying to a God he doesn't think exists that Vision is wrong.
He knows, deep down, that vision wouldn't lie. Even if he was capable of doing so, he wouldn't lie about this. There's no reason.
Things make sense. Pietro realizes, after a split second, that he'd known for a while something like this probably happened. Steve. Wanda. No one giving him a straight answer. He wants to be furious with his sister, he wants to be furious with the so-called honest avenger, but he can't. They were protecting him, or they thought that he needed to be protected.
He's not angry at them, no, and he's not angry at Vision for telling him. Not really. What he is is furious, and he can't direct his anger towards one specific reason. What he can do is lash out, and what he can do is grab onto Vision. It doesn't occur to him that when he latches on that Vision is perfectly capable of phasing away but the synthetic chooses not to. Pietro's grip is strong, his knuckles white. ]
What. Happened. In Sokovia?
[ He's repeating himself again. That seems to be all he's capable of doing at the time--and he's dimly aware of a cold sweat, his blood turning to ice. ] When did I die, Vision? How long ago?
time between AOU and cap3 seems wonky but the wiki puts Vision at 1yr old...so I went with that :/
So, when Pietro lunges forward and grabs hold of him, he doesn't move or phase out of it. He looks Pietro in the eye and lets him cling. He deserves that much.]
I--[The words do not come easily. How does one tell someone they story of their death? He is ill-prepared and it likely has little to do with the brevity of his existence.] I was not there, at the exact moment of... I was told that you saved Clint, and a young boy. They would have been shot. One of Ultron's drones, I believe. You--you were fast enough to save them, but you were unable to get away.
[He cannot maintain eye contact any longer and instead stares down at the space between them.] It has been over a year. For me, at least. I get the impression that time is not precisely linear here.
[He gently places his hands around Pietro's wrists but makes no attempt to move away. He sighs.] I am so very sorry, Pietro. I thought...I don't know what I thought.
all good brosis
But it sets in, even if he doesn't want to. His grip slackens, hands feeling as numb as the rest of his system, suddenly, and he continues.
Fast enough to save them, but unable to get away.
He desperately wants to believe Vision is lying. His mind immediately goes back to that even though he's disproved it, and for once the speedster feels like time has slowed to a crawl. ]
Wanda knew.
[ That's the only thought that's breaking through. ]
Wanda knew and never told me.
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He knows he is not really very different than them, when one looks past all his synthetic components, but it doesn't mean he knows what to do.
He stays silent until Pietro speaks again and it's only his mention of Wanda that compells Vision to say something.]
Please, I wouldn't blame Wanda. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for her. Perhaps she simply couldn't bare to tell you. To say the words.
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Doesn't mean he listens to that part of him, though. Pietro at least lets go of Vision, though not without a touch of dramatic flair. He turns around, paces a few steps before whirling around again.
He's feeling more and more like a caged animal. ]
Who are you to know what she feels, hmm? Why should I listen to you, anyway? You're not even human.
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He knows, logically, that whatever he feels is easily dwarfed by how Pietro must feel. And that he deserves to feel this way. Still, Vision finds himself looking away as he speaks.]
I know I am not--[He stops. No, that would not be honest.] I am human enough, Pietro, to empathize with others, and I was there while Wanda worked to recover from losing you. That is how I know how she feels. Her choice not to tell you was...unfair to you, but it was her choice. Had I known her wishes I wouldn't have said anything.
[He sighs. That feels terrible to say, but it is still true. This isn't his fight, but he made a mistake, and now he has to live with it. He takes a small step forward, bringing his eyes back up to look at Pietro.]
Please believe that I am truly sorry you found out this way.
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He's mad. He's upset. He's furious, but not at Vision. he's taking most of it out on the synthetic, of course, because he doesn't know how else to deal with it: he took his parents death out on Tony Stark, not the people who bought the weapons from him. This is the same mentality.
Pietro isn't acting like Vision is the villian because he told him he died. Pietro's acting like this because his death means Wanda was alone. ]
I don't care how sorry you are. [ It's wolfish, almost a growl, and blue eyes fix themselves onto Visions, daring him to look away. ]
How long? How long as she been dealing with this, from where you're from?
no subject