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[Have a rather angry looking young man on the screen folks, publicly broadcasting to the whole of the ship. His face is turned up in a little scowl, mostly because he got back from working his actual shift as a postman to find his bed decorated with the strangest blanket he'd ever seen... which seemed to be emanating some kind of purring noise. He'd never had a pet himself, so he didn't really get the appeal. Instead he pushed the thing to the side and sat down to find out whoever the hell put it there. Billy was out of the room, which means it either was his attempt to decorate or someone else entirely. Although there was a chance it was the other man they lived with, but considering Ade hadn't formally introduced himself or bothered his arse to stay in the room long enough to actually have a conversation he was hoping that this guy wasn't the type to go round throwing things on people's beds.]

Oi. Just got back to my bunk after doing bloody posty duties only to find something that wasn't here when I left?

[He glances at the blanket before reaching up to the desk for one of his cigarettes that he'd pre-rolled that morning. He was getting more and more thankful for his shady deal every day that shit like this happened. His shoulders hunched as he lit it and let out a forceful exhale. He hadn't actually asked the other guys whether he was allowed to smoke in there or not... but that was mostly because he went out of his way to make sure they were never in the same place at the same time.]

First thing. Which one of you wankers was in my room to begin with? [Another drag of the cigarette.] And second. Why does this bloody thing purr? What kind of sick bastard makes a blanket that purrs.

[Except then the damn thing was moving somehow, sliding up to settle around his shoulders and purr eagerly, trying to transfer some comfort onto those tense and angry shoulders. Which just has his face scrunch up into an expression of contempt as he tears the thing from his shoulders and throws it to the floor.]

Anyway. I want answers. Anyone who can give them to me and I'll trade you some smokes- or exuo. Whatever tickles your fancy as long as your informations good. [Except he wasn't going to reveal just how much exuo he had stashed away.

Even if this was a genuine mistake. It probably wouldn't be nice to be the intended recipient of the package right now. Especially with all the something in the water business going on right now. Tension is evidently rather high.]

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[ oh. well, now it's miles' turn to look wildly disconcerted, staring at the video feed. and he'd just been having a laugh at ivan for his misplaced delivery. miles didn't even know he was going to have a delivery.

but miles snaps his face into a blinding grin and raises a finger. ]

Ah, it seems you've come into possession of one of GalaTech's live furs. Specially engineered, self-sufficient -- totally humane. They're quite expensive, you know. Very, uh...cutting edge.

[The fact that a guy pops up on the screen and starts talking like he recognized these things was probably a bad sign. Ade sucks slowly on the end of the cigarette and narrows his eyes.]

So you know what the fuck this thing is. It yours? [Even his voice sounds a little like an unswung axe, too much of an edge to the words. .]

[ ah, so he's the volatile type. miles' grin widens. ]

Mine? No, no. [ that's half bullshit. technically it's his girlfriend's. ] It's a fine product you've come into possession of. I think it suits you.

[ considering how, uh, affectionate the blanket seems to be... ]

[His eyes narrow again. If he was an animal he'd be growling.] If it ain't yours how the fuck do you know so much about it? [Because he didn't believe that for half a second... oh and the blanket was moving again.]

Suit me? Fuck off.

[ miles doesn't have the good sense to feel threatened by someone on the other end of a video feed. miles doesn't have the good sense to be threatened by half the people he ought to, honestly. his strategy in these kinds of situations generally boils down to "be as obnoxious as possible and run with what results", and that's his tack now.

write what you know, and all that. ]

No, really! I mean, it certainly seems suited to you. And I know because I've visited GalaTech's shop on Earth! They're really very state-of-the-art when it comes to living in luxury. And when you're in a place like this, can you really afford not to?

[ just running his mouth at this point? you bet. ]

[He makes a noise not unlike a growl again.]

Right that's it mate. Tell me where the fuck you are on this bloody ship so I can come hand deliver you this- [He throws a hand out towards the blanket.] Piece of shit. I don't need your bloody GalaTech comfort. [Really Ade didn't need any comfort. He did spend a long time in a cell after all.]

Sorry, all sales are final.

[ miles grins because "quit while you're ahead" is not in his repertoire -- at least not in these situations. frankly, he's been bored. ]

Look, I'm not your waste disposal. [ says the waste disposal technician ] If you don't want it, get rid of it. You seem like, a, uh... smart enough man. [ that one's a little forced ] Surely you can dispose of it without my help.

[ he's not fool enough to tell adrien where his quarters are, though. ]

[At the all sales are final Ade visibly tenses, his shoulders hunching up behind him as he stares into the camera. His gaze becoming one of a man who's just spotted his target.]

Tell me where the fuck you are. [The words are cold now, not even heated. It was pretty clear this had something to do with Miles. There were too many coincidences in play for it to be anything else.] Or I'll go through every fucker in this ship 'til someone tells me.

[ miles senses he has made a mistake.

his intent had been to get adrian disgusted enough with the blanket to stop bothering miles and throw it away or something, but he seems to have overshot it a little. the last thing he needs right now is this musclebound terror taking out his impotent rage on him. ]

Well, that sounds like an awful lot of effort just to give me something that's not mine. I'm not the one who put it there. Why not just chuck it, eh?

[ just throw it away adrian don't mind him just throw it away ]

Like fuck I believe you now, mate. After you know so much about it.

[He stands, the camera rising with him and putting distance between himself and the blanket.] So yeah, maybe I will chuck it. But not 'til I've seen you, yeah? [Because interrogation just happened to be one of the things he was taught while he was being weaponised.] Maybe I've got a few more questions 'bout that thing and how it wound up in my room.

[ clearly miles is not talking fast enough. he starts babbling like mad to make up for it. ]

Just because I saw it in a shop on Earth once it's mine? Is that how that works now? I'm not even from Earth -- and I could tell you a hell of a lot more details about wares I've only seen in passing. You ever heard of a plasma arc? I could tell you a lot more about one of those. I've actually carried one!

[ and he is right now, in fact -- but miles wouldn't shoot at adrian because he isn't interested in killing the guy, or damaging any of the ship for that matter. shit, this isn't working. talk faster, miles. ]

Look, short of fast-penta I don't really know how to convince you I'm telling the truth, but I didn't put it there. This stuff just seems to be appearing on the ship and -- hell, someone else on this ship wound up with something else from our world and we didn't put it there. Have you considered talking to one of the captains, or maybe the ship's navigator? I'm sure they'd be able to answer your questions much more satisfactorily -- hell, one of them probably put it in your room.

I'm the postman. Anything what winds up here that needs delivered doesn't get into my room it goes to my bloody department up in Nav.

[Because he can be an actual logical wanker from time to time.] And that, mate, means that someone put the fucked up poncey blanket in here and it sure as fuck wasn't me.

[And he still hasn't gotten over the idea that he might go and hunt the other man down.]

[ of course. of course. it only follows that miles would have the misfortune of pissing off the ship's postal service in a contest of delivery. well, this gives new and fresh personal meaning to the phrase going postal. miles lets out a hysterical giggle of dismay before he snaps his mouth shut over it. ]

Then -- you should talk to your superiors in Nav! The ship's navigator could help you solve this mystery, eh? This could all be the result of some clerical error! Well -- maybe not clerical error, but some mix-up for sure --

Some bloody error, eh? [He picks up his cigarette that'd burnt out and relights it, letting the end of it hang out the end of his mouth.] You tryin'a say my department can't do its job or something mate? And who are you? The bloody bin man? [Because that was probably more insulting than post man.]

[ miles could cry. the longer this draws out the more absurd it gets. all this, over a blanket? and in trying to talk his way out of it miles has just managed to insult the man's work ethic, of all things. ]

No, no -- that isn't what I was saying at all! Just, you know, it happens sometimes -- human error! It's a fault we all share! I mean, even I mix a drink wrong every now and then!

[ at least he can skirt around having to admit he is the ship's equivalent of the bin man by virtue of also being the ship's bartender. ]

[He makes a clucking noise with his tongue the moment the other man mentions human error. Ade found it hard to believe he was strictly human... and a lot of the crew on the Moira certainly wouldn't be considered as such.]

Wait you're the bloody bar man? [He tilts his head to the side.] I ain't seen you in there mate. But maybe I won't have to come looking too far after all. [Because what Miles didn't know was that Ade was a bit of an alcoholic.] The bar happens to be 'bout seven minutes from my room.

[ well, he isn't even at the bar, so... would it make matters worse if he led adrian to believe he's at the bar, and hope he doesn't figure out miles' other job?

or perhaps he ought to lead adrian to believe he is at the bar and desperately trying to lie about it. yeah, let's go with that. ]

Wait -- no! [ the dismayed protest is pretty convincing, actually. ] No, you don't want to come here -- I mean there -- really, you could just throw the thing away and we'd all be done with it! I'd even throw in a drink for free, eh?

[ he puts on a desperately nervous grin. either this'll work and adrian will relent, in which case he wins, or it won't and adrian will go to the bar to find it empty, in which case...well, he'll figure that part out later. ]

Edited 2015-10-02 21:22 (UTC)

[Ade's features develop a cool smile as he stares into the screen, reaching out to stub out his cigarette.]

I've got better places to put this thing than just a bin mate. Guess I'll be seeing you soon, yeah? Might wanna practice your foetal position. [Which certainly was a threat that he wouldn't be too hard pressed in making good on as he cuts off the feed and heads in the direction of the bar.]

[ oh, don't worry, i've got years of practice on that one, miles nearly chirps, but he -- for once -- wisely keeps his mouth shut. on that one, anyway. the nervous grin he shoots back at his MID isn't too far from genuine. why does he have a feeling he knows where adrian wants to stuff that blanket? ]

Wh -- wait! Are you sure I can't change your mind? How about I throw in a whole bottle, then? Whatever you like -- your pick of the --

[ he makes sure he keeps talking until adrian hangs up on him, and then he gets his ass moving. he scoots right out of his cabin -- he's not hanging around there in case adrian comes knocking, and then if he wants to comb the entire ship looking for miles, that's his business. miles can make himself elsewhere if need be. eventually adrian will give up. he assumes.

so he goes straight to sanitation -- the one place adrian has no reason to suspect he would be. as far as he knows. ]

[He heads down to the bar, stopping only momentarily in a corridor to have a conversation about the man he was looking for on his phone even as he walked into the bar and found it deprived of the face he'd been watching in his camera not ten minutes before.

He had the purring monstrosity slung over one one shoulder and tried to ignore how it made his skin crawl. He walks up to the bar and bangs it a couple times to draw attention but no one ever comes. Instead he reaches over the damn thing and pulls out a bottle of that clear space liquor, cracking it open with his teeth before heading in the direction of sanitation.

Oh, because of course the person he'd been talking to was apparently the cousin of this guy and had pointed him in the right direction. It didn't take him long to make his way into the bowls of the ship, sipping away at the space liquor as he does so- after all, this guy had offered him a bottle.

When he arrives at the door brightly marked sanitation he gives it a kick with his foot, announcing his presence.] Alright mate, come on out. I know you're in there.

[And he knew the other man was in there, because there was a moving presence practically tangible in the aura of Ade's gravity field. He could crush the man from out here, should he choose to.]

[ miles just about pisses himself. that's adrian banging on his door down in sanitation -- there's no doubt about it. he presses himself flat against the back wall, his breathing automatically going shallow as his mind races. shit. shit, shit, shit. how did adrian find him down here? he shouldn't have known miles works here. someone's tipped him off. miles is going to find the son of a bitch who did and strangle him, assuming he survives the encounter.

no time for stalling. time to act fast. he doesn't even give a shit about the blanket at this point -- he just wants to avoid a beating. if you can't win by the rules, change the game...

miles draws in a few deep, deep breaths and strides toward the door. when he opens it, he's got a bright grin plastered on his face. this'll either work or he'll get the shit kicked out of him anyway, so really, he's got nothing left to lose. ]

There you are! I knew you'd catch on to the game. [ he eyes the live fur blanket clutched in adrian's hand. god, he hates that thing. ] Ah, good, you've brought it along, just as promised. I'll take that. Now it's your turn!

[He doesn't even give Miles the blanket immediately, holding the thing just out of reach as he takes a swig of the bottle even as his eyes narrow at the mention of a game. If there was one thing that Ade hated, it was mental manipulation and mind games. His jaw juts out, making his face the picture of anger, arrogance and a hint of disgust.]

So mate. Was talking to this cousin of yours. Said you've got a blanket just like this one. Says it might even be yours. [Which, yes, was revealing his sources. But did he care right now? Not particularly.]

[ miles hesitates. on reflection, he really doesn't like the way things are going for him today. he could really go for a change of weather here.

oh, but ivan. miles' outstretched hands twitch, shying away from actually reaching for the blanket. of course. ivan's the only one who could've buggered this so badly. i was so close, you idiot!

miles only lets his shock show for a fleeting second, and he closes his hands and draws them back, his posture a little more defensive, though he fights to keep it relaxed. he's not doing too terrible a job. keep talking, miles, and talking fast. ]

Ah, been talking to my idiot cousin, have you? Well, he wouldn't be wrong, I suppose. Semantic nuance. I've purchased one, yes, but technically I've never owned one myself. It was a gift for a lovely woman named Elli Quinn.

[ ah, elli. miles wishes she were here. she made an excellent bodyguard as well as lover. ]

Like I mentioned, they sell these things in droves back where Ivan and I are from. The odds of it being the one I purchased for my lady friend are rather astronomical. Anyway, your faith in Ivan's grasp on reality is commendable, but ultimately misplaced. He must have been confused seeing a similar object. He's a little, you know... [ miles pauses, pretending to grope for a polite way to phrase this. ] Simple.

[That second of shock was enough, more than enough. He'd been trained in interrogation after all and for all his lack of social etiquette he knew fine well when someone was being duplicitous. He nodded once, stiffly, as if that confirmed things for him.

That defensive position too, it was almost perfect. It meant that Miles was backtracking quickly but not quickly enough, so that when the other man started speaking Ade barely had to pay attention to him. He'd wanted a target tonight and he'd gotten himself one. There's a subtle pressure in the air from the moment Ade realizes it, it could be chalked down to tension, obviously, or some natural aura of violence and menace that the mutant projected rather than his powers.]

Find that one hard to believe mate, he seemed pretty sure. Why would he send me all the way down here if he didn't know what he was talking 'bout. [His voice has even taken on an edge the likes of which would make it hard to continue to perceive him as a normal twenty-three year old boy.] And it makes sense, don't it. You sent me all the way up to the bar for a reason. Trying to get away were we mate?

[Even when he calls Miles simple Ade just makes a tch noise. He'd been called simple himself, but simple people usually kept things straight and to the point, so if Miles was trying to rely on intelligence and cunning here he was working on the wrong person.]

[ no shit, miles almost bites out, but he just barely catches himself, sublimating it into a stifled giggle of hysteria. he could keep trying to talk his way out of and around that one -- deny, deny, deny -- but he's quickly losing ground and he knows it. damn it, how did he let this happen? oh, right. ivan. ]

And Ivan sent you down here because he thinks it's funny to screw with me! I wouldn't mistake that for philanthropy on his part, if I were you.

[ very slowly edging back away from adrian, though he is keenly and nauseatingly aware of the fact that he has nowhere else to go. ]

Edited 2015-10-15 02:45 (UTC)

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SORRY THIS IS SO FUCKIN LATE we can wrap this up though

No hdu miles deserves an extra kicking now.