thisavrou | (no subject)

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[Niko has had a little bit of a confusing week. He didn't expect to be asked along on a diplomatic mission; usually not anything he's good at (in his mind). But he came along, figuring he was there as bodyguard more than anything else.]

[But now he's returned, and he wants to check in.]

Hey, ah.... So I just got back. I had to go with Thán for a mission and now he has a new boyfriend for peace purposes I guess. I am not really sure what happened there. Sort of like an arranged marriage? [He's actually kind of suspicious of this whole-matchmaking thing now. He's always disliked match-making on some level, but there is something deeply unsettling about it here. Just how mandatory and committing it seems.]

[He doesn't hate the match he was given, not at all. But he knows there might be people they're even better suited to.]

Look, I am a little nervous about this big business here. Capitalism is shit, government is shit, and is bad enough when taking advantage of lonely people. But I think we are going to have to be sure to be good to the new guy because we saw what happened the last time we fucked up diplomacy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not exactly.

On the previous planet, we were not very exceptional outside of the fact they say they enjoy visitors. Only it turns out that the captains had stolen supplies from them when they were the only crew, or so they are accused. Whether it is true or not, we were given four days to get off the planet. They did not leave within four days, so they attempted to remove us with what was actually reasonable force.

They happened to piss off a man, Bruce Banner, who can turn to a big green monster. This green monster attacks, some other guys on the crew are strong enough to stop him, but not in time to keep the ship from getting damaged which makes a reaction that destroys the core of the planet, and then the planet itself. The only ones who survive is those on our ship, and those on escape vessels.

Not even all of us survive. But the Medbay captain knows how to bring people back.

Here, the captains did not want to be put in the system, so instead of ignoring what is asked they negotiated. Because it is a business, it was easier to arrange things. The match-making is important to this culture, so was negotiation. So that is why Than agreed to this match, so the other two are not bound. And so that official channels are met, without ignoring what is asked of them.

If this makes sense.

Bruce Banner?

[ It does make sense. It really does. But she's momentarily distracted by this detail. ]

The Hulk? They brought the Hulk here?

[ Because anyone with sense could tell them that bringing the Hulk anywhere against his will is suicidal. Also that structural destruction to their spaceship was inevitable. ]

Ah...

Yeah, I guess.

[He supposes she knows him. The Hulk? That sounds like a weird name. Like what Brucie might call himself during a fit of roid rage.]

I think it is more the ship brought him here. It doesn't seem to pick and choose who it gets.

I see.

[ Knows of him, anyway. Everyone does. They're not friends. She's not entirely sure Bruce Banner truly has any friends after all he's gone through in his life.

Which is sad, but not the issue at hand here. And not her problem, except in how it speaks to dangerous randomization. What if it one day picks up somebody like Doctor Doom? ]

I am not entirely unfamiliar with the concept of the technology housed here, but it seems...perhaps somewhat archaic in many aspects, in comparison. Does anyone know who built this ship?

If they do, they have yet to tell us. [And he certainly wishes it were more clear. Especially after the last ship he was on.]

Unsurprising.

[ But she'd hoped. It would at least have been a clue. ]

If you have decided to involve yourself in the politics of others, you would take care not to be too obvious about who sanctioned it. Or how you came to have certain abilities.

[ Truthfully, if she had a device that kidnapped people at random from all-over-creation, she'd definitely keep it hidden from everyone who didn't need to know. ]

I don't think you have to worry about that. There are a lot of people here with special abilities. And even us normal people aren't half bad, either.

I am not worried about immediate survival. Even if this is a ship of haphazardly assembled people with little to no common training or experience, it is hardly the worst attempt I've seen at building a group.

[ That's reserved for the Guardians of the Galaxy. Though to give Peter Quill credit, he did a lot better job of assembling, and he was relentlessly and irritatingly proactive. ]

The people communicate better than half the bosses I have worked for.

[It's relatively peaceful for a hive of scum and villainy.]

[ They communicate better than her husband, she's sure. ]

Am I meant to assume that says much? In your opinion.

It is a pretty low bar, but honestly it is easy to meet.

[Even if he just recently got in a bad enough argument that he told someone not to talk to him.]

[ This would be quite a great moment of an "I'm not here to make friends" if anyone were inclined. ]

I suppose there is some consolation to be had from that.

[ Small. But infighting isn't something anyone needs. ]

Thank you for your honesty.