![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
- !location: planetside,
- !location: sensoriums,
- !plot: steampunk cowboys,
- !status: open,
- aeryn sun,
- allenby beardsley,
- applejack,
- ashley j. williams,
- cazali,
- chell,
- daniel jackson,
- eleventh doctor,
- elisa maza,
- erhart,
- gaignun kukai jr./rubedo,
- ian chesterton,
- jamie mccrimmon,
- john crichton,
- kang,
- kanoe zouichi,
- maxine hunkel/cyclone,
- rachel berenson,
- red xiii (nanaki),
- tetsuwan atom/astro boy,
- the master,
- tim drake/red robin,
- vala mal doran,
- wakka,
- wheatley
Shore Leave: Geartopia [Open to All]
||Attention all crewmen, shore leave is now in progress, attention crewmen, shore leave is now in progress...||
Stacy's voiced called the entire crew, until all of them were gathered at the Obs Deck. Then, a dossier appeared on the screens, along with the image of a rotating planet.
Planet Designation: Geartopia
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Homo Sapiens, Homo Animalia, Machina Erectus.
Water: 20.6% of the planet's surface.
Climate: Earth-like, Arid desert
Landscape: 70% Desert..
Air: Normoxic concentration.
Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue
Sun: A class G2V, yellow star.
Warnings: Wildlife, humanoids and plant-life can be hazardous.
Nomalanga has given us a map with which areas to avoid.
Mission: Shore leave, and preparing for an attack in a few days, planet's time. Nomalanga has promised food, clothing and animals in exchange for your cooperation in aiding her.
Once, long ago, Geartopia was built by aliens visiting the planet and granting intelligence to some native species. Of course you wouldn't know this apart from the giant black obsidian monoliths humming precariously outside of town. They are formed in a circle formation that might remind those who come from earth of Stonehenge, only built out of a much more study device. This is what Nomalanga used to contact you. The rocks cannot be moved and any attacks on them will be useless. The Wild Ones will come out of the forest at night, leaving a trace of plants as they go back and fro their own forest. The technology the elder aliens left them allows for contact with Stacy but otherwise there is nothing futuristic going on on the planet - the aliens wanted it this way and for the most part the population respects this.
All except Snidley and his goons, of course. Thankfully most of them have gone into hiding once their plot was found out. In fact, Nomalanga and those still loyal to her are busy working on making this planned attack, and getting the townspeople ready for it.
You can also find a few remains of their culture scattered around the land in the form of large stone carvings around the town, in between a wooden tavern bar or used as a sort of tribute, covered in dry plants. Most of the area is dry and arid, with very tiny grass and shrubs growing over the hill, and, strangely enough, an area from town that is densely populated by forest. Few dare go in, due to it being the territory of the Wild Ones.
As you walk around, you notice that the technology is steampunk with a cowboy flare; there is one train that comes from the towns every morning at 6am and leaves at 9pm. Horses can be rented for a price (some normal, some like this), chariot rides as well. Gears and dark clothing seem to be the norm, possibly due that their source of leather. The inhabitants are mostly humans, humanoid animals, alien natives and steampunk robots.
But enough of that, let's see what you can do here:
- Saloon and bars of all sizes, most comically named with an object, and a color. You can find all sorts of them across town, but those on the western side are more sympathetic towards Snidley and hate strangers with a passion. Do not go there unless you're ready to fight a few of them.
They do, however, have the best drinks, and card games.
There are hotels with gear pianos playing wistful tunes as you drink hard liquor made from cactus juice, honey and barley. The honey wine is especially prized and costly.
There is also a small carnival with steampunk and old west fair, sugar and cactus fruit pies, whole animals roasted over open pits, musicians, and a single wooden coaster. It's not much, but the food is excellent.
Be careful, however. The cactus fruit does cause stomach aches for most people not native to this world. Think of it much like lactos intolerance. It's a chance you take eating it. However if you do, it tastes much like an orange, strawberry and a banana were put together in a blender.
As thanks for helping her out, anyone stepping into the city is given by the mayoress as part of her exchange bartering price, one cowboy hat (all brown), one pair of steampunk goggles, a steampunk vest, and, most importantly, one part of leathersnake steampunk boots. This is a gift for anyone who is just visiting to blend with the locals and to prove she's honest about her dealings. As if it wasn't obvious after the first mission, in any case. She'll need your strange and powerful manpower in the upcoming days.
And hey, if you're up to it, you can help with a little cleanup. After all most people here don't know your skills. However, it's also calm and quiet in the farms. You want to do some honest work for a day, they'll give you some of their seeds in exchange. The system seems to be based more on services and barter than any money.
There is still currency and Stacy has given you a few golden coins, spend them wisely. A few farms are opened up to sleep for free, if you don't mind being with the animals.
The General store has steampunk items for sale, but most of them are much too expensive for anyone on the ship to by. You can try to barter.
Oh and news travels fast. Cause problems, and Nomalanga won't be too happy about it.
[OKAY ALL DONE GO FOR IT. You are also free to create additional places, to post your own private logs involving the town! Contact me if you need extra information about Geartopia either via PM to things_go_boom's account or by AIM, I'll be happy to answer. NPC goons if you want to do a bunch of bar fights, just think typical cowboy stuff. Shore leave will last until the 31st and players can go to and from the ship to the city each day, so you can have your characters stay for a day or two and then come back.
People in the miniplots, the mini plots will start up in a few days! There will also be a general fight for anyone who wants to join in on the 29th. Thank you and enjoy yourselves!]
Stacy's voiced called the entire crew, until all of them were gathered at the Obs Deck. Then, a dossier appeared on the screens, along with the image of a rotating planet.
Planet Designation: Geartopia
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Homo Sapiens, Homo Animalia, Machina Erectus.
Water: 20.6% of the planet's surface.
Climate: Earth-like, Arid desert
Landscape: 70% Desert..
Air: Normoxic concentration.
Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue
Sun: A class G2V, yellow star.
Warnings: Wildlife, humanoids and plant-life can be hazardous.
Nomalanga has given us a map with which areas to avoid.
Mission: Shore leave, and preparing for an attack in a few days, planet's time. Nomalanga has promised food, clothing and animals in exchange for your cooperation in aiding her.
Once, long ago, Geartopia was built by aliens visiting the planet and granting intelligence to some native species. Of course you wouldn't know this apart from the giant black obsidian monoliths humming precariously outside of town. They are formed in a circle formation that might remind those who come from earth of Stonehenge, only built out of a much more study device. This is what Nomalanga used to contact you. The rocks cannot be moved and any attacks on them will be useless. The Wild Ones will come out of the forest at night, leaving a trace of plants as they go back and fro their own forest. The technology the elder aliens left them allows for contact with Stacy but otherwise there is nothing futuristic going on on the planet - the aliens wanted it this way and for the most part the population respects this.
All except Snidley and his goons, of course. Thankfully most of them have gone into hiding once their plot was found out. In fact, Nomalanga and those still loyal to her are busy working on making this planned attack, and getting the townspeople ready for it.
You can also find a few remains of their culture scattered around the land in the form of large stone carvings around the town, in between a wooden tavern bar or used as a sort of tribute, covered in dry plants. Most of the area is dry and arid, with very tiny grass and shrubs growing over the hill, and, strangely enough, an area from town that is densely populated by forest. Few dare go in, due to it being the territory of the Wild Ones.
As you walk around, you notice that the technology is steampunk with a cowboy flare; there is one train that comes from the towns every morning at 6am and leaves at 9pm. Horses can be rented for a price (some normal, some like this), chariot rides as well. Gears and dark clothing seem to be the norm, possibly due that their source of leather. The inhabitants are mostly humans, humanoid animals, alien natives and steampunk robots.
But enough of that, let's see what you can do here:
- Saloon and bars of all sizes, most comically named with an object, and a color. You can find all sorts of them across town, but those on the western side are more sympathetic towards Snidley and hate strangers with a passion. Do not go there unless you're ready to fight a few of them.
They do, however, have the best drinks, and card games.
There are hotels with gear pianos playing wistful tunes as you drink hard liquor made from cactus juice, honey and barley. The honey wine is especially prized and costly.
There is also a small carnival with steampunk and old west fair, sugar and cactus fruit pies, whole animals roasted over open pits, musicians, and a single wooden coaster. It's not much, but the food is excellent.
Be careful, however. The cactus fruit does cause stomach aches for most people not native to this world. Think of it much like lactos intolerance. It's a chance you take eating it. However if you do, it tastes much like an orange, strawberry and a banana were put together in a blender.
As thanks for helping her out, anyone stepping into the city is given by the mayoress as part of her exchange bartering price, one cowboy hat (all brown), one pair of steampunk goggles, a steampunk vest, and, most importantly, one part of leathersnake steampunk boots. This is a gift for anyone who is just visiting to blend with the locals and to prove she's honest about her dealings. As if it wasn't obvious after the first mission, in any case. She'll need your strange and powerful manpower in the upcoming days.
And hey, if you're up to it, you can help with a little cleanup. After all most people here don't know your skills. However, it's also calm and quiet in the farms. You want to do some honest work for a day, they'll give you some of their seeds in exchange. The system seems to be based more on services and barter than any money.
There is still currency and Stacy has given you a few golden coins, spend them wisely. A few farms are opened up to sleep for free, if you don't mind being with the animals.
The General store has steampunk items for sale, but most of them are much too expensive for anyone on the ship to by. You can try to barter.
Oh and news travels fast. Cause problems, and Nomalanga won't be too happy about it.
[OKAY ALL DONE GO FOR IT. You are also free to create additional places, to post your own private logs involving the town! Contact me if you need extra information about Geartopia either via PM to things_go_boom's account or by AIM, I'll be happy to answer. NPC goons if you want to do a bunch of bar fights, just think typical cowboy stuff. Shore leave will last until the 31st and players can go to and from the ship to the city each day, so you can have your characters stay for a day or two and then come back.
People in the miniplots, the mini plots will start up in a few days! There will also be a general fight for anyone who wants to join in on the 29th. Thank you and enjoy yourselves!]
no subject
Daniel fell silent for a minute, long enough to lull her into a false sense of security. It felt like someone had shaken the floor out from under him. "Jack moved on? He quit just like that?" But Jack said he'd get Sha're and Skaara back. Jack might be a lot of things, annoying, hard-assed, shoot first, don't bother with questions later, but when he said they'd find them, Daniel could trust him. Maybe, Daniel thought tentatively, that meant that where Vala came from, they'd been saved. No mention of his wife coming with him, but maybe she'd joined the program or something. Or settled on Earth. Daniel couldn't see himself leaving on a joy trip anywhere, even to Atlantis if they weren't saved. "What happened?"
Then again, he remembered with a trace of shame, he'd been ready to drop everything when he'd seen Heliopolis, and even to this day, some of him still felt like he should've stayed.
no subject
"Fine," Vala groaned concedingly, contemplating hiding her head underneath the pillow and drowning him out. But then he went quiet and she found herself opening her eyes and trying to look over her shoulder without actually moving. Was he done? He'd gone very quiet. Oh thank god for that. She settled back down again flipping onto her front with a humph and buried her face into the pillow, letting the mass of black hair serve as a cover - a cover that he wouldn't be able to see her making faces at him underneath if he did persist.
Maybe she shouldn't have had that thought process, because as soon as she thought it he piped up again. "Nothing happened, he's just a General now, spends most of his time in Washington."
no subject
"Jack. A general," Daniel couldn't help sounding extremely skeptical. It wasn't that Jack didn't make a good Colonel. Not that he had much experience with other Colonels in general, other than Makepeace, but he thought Jack did a good job most of the time, if a bit unorthodox in how he acted. But General... when Daniel thought of a General, he instantly thought of Hammond or West, one strict but fatherly once you got behind the hard ass exterior, intelligent and keen, the other, completely humorless, dull and short sighted, only able to see the immediate threat in a wonderful piece of technology rather than the big picture.
Thank God for Hammond.
But Jack was not someone Daniel thought of as a general. Actually, the thought of him commanding an entire base, having that much power, was a little bit scary. What was his first order of business? Mandatory Simpsons showings in the cafeteria, nothing else allowed, the entire base required to attend. Daniel tried to imagine Jack sitting at a desk. He couldn't do it. Jack would never be happy anywhere but the field.
"I can't believe he accepted the job." Daniel said to the ceiling. The ceiling didn't have much to say when it came to setting things straight. At least he hadn't been killed on a mission. Or wouldn't be. This looked promising though. Jack didn't get discharged and he'd taken a promotion. He'd only do that if they'd found their two missing. It came unbidden to his mouth, a tiny little smile in the darkness.
no subject
Still, she could rest now. Question time was over. Maybe in the morning she might realise what he was getting at, but for now she passed it off as nothing more than curiosity. Annoying curiosity that she'd be happy to discuss at length in the morning!
no subject
"So the only reason I stayed at the SGC is because I was effectively stuck there?" He asked. As much as he wanted to know what Sam and Teal'c were doing in the future, at least he knew they were working alongside him. Safe and sound. Sort of, but maybe they drifted apart, if he felt like he had to take off to Atlantis and leave everything he knew behind. Maybe they'd been with each other so long, it was just that time to go their separate ways. Not the most comforting thing to think of in the middle of the night. He didn't have family, and those two were the closest he got to one.
no subject
"I'm pretty sure this isn't what's meant by pillow talk you know Daniel. I mean I might not be an expert on Earth phrases but please shut up."
no subject
Daniel also rolled over to face her, got up on one elbow and glared myopically at Vala. She was close enough he didn't have to squint, which would've ruined the whole glaring thing if he had. This was his room! He wasn't going to get told to shut up, much less in his own bed here! Maybe it wasn't his bed per say, but for this shore leave, to all intents and purposes, it was all his. Assigned to one Doctor Daniel Jackson, Archaeologist. He didn't see any Vala Mal Doran, Miss Drunken Pain in the Ass, in there anywhere.
"Door's that way if you can't take it. I'm sure you remember where it is."
no subject
Her tongue fell into her cheek like it always does when she's thwarted and she considered her options with a frustrated humph.
"Fine," she finally offered sarcastically. "Ask away, just don't ask me about our nights of unbridled passion because I'm not sure you can take that."
no subject
Maybe he could just push her off. Then take over the rest before she even had time to realize what happened. Minimal effort on his part and just as satisfying.
Christ. He was usually more mature than this. Daniel bit his lip, the urge to say something incredibly rude and immature with it and snorted instead. He rolled onto his back and took her bluff. "Considering it never happened, I think I'll manage."
no subject
Ow she really shouldn't have done that, the sudden movement made her head literally throb like someone had set off a gong inside it, which only served to irritate her further. He caused that, if it hadn't been for his incessant questioning she'd have stayed lying down properly in the first place and wouldn't have thrown herself so abruptly.
"Well go on then. Carry on with your French Inquisition."
no subject
Not 'wouldn't', which was what he meant to say, but 'couldn't', as in 'something's stopping me', 'would if I could', on and on. Vala was, as he was learning, a lot of things, but unattractive wasn't one of them. If you put pain in the mikta and a bed hog in too. Daniel replayed the exchange. He definitely meant 'wouldn't'. It was a simple brain to mouth mistake. Anyone could've made it. He was tired, more so than he thought. Vala was confusing him. That was definitely it. Daniel wanted to roll over onto his stomach and bury his face in the pillow. Hopefully she was too drunk to pick up the slip or make anything of it.
"Spanish Inquisition," he sighed. "So what you're saying is, the only reason I stayed at the SGC is because I was effectively stuck there?"
no subject
"Spanish, right." Vala reiterated with a slow nod, any previous venom or biting sarcasm completely devoid from her voice now. "Thank you." She said quietly.
"You're still there Daniel because you believe in what we're doing and why we're doing it." It wasn't a lie, it wasn't the entire truth either, but it was a genuine heartfelt response. Vala didn't know if he should know or not, but she didn't think now was the time, regardless.
no subject
Not the most intelligent response ever, but Vala spelled it out enough. So Jack did move on, he'd stayed on because he felt like there was something beyond getting his wife and and revenge. Daniel relaxed in a way he hadn't in a long time. So there was hope. Not that he didn't trust Jack, but it was nice having confirmation. All he had to do was keep trying.
It would be nice if she were more specific, but there was that whole thing about beggars and choosing.
Daniel reveled in it anyway, enjoyed it for it was. It struck him belatedly that Vala had fallen quiet. Not exactly silent, as in ignoring him, but she felt subdued. Maybe she was drunk enough to miss the slip, but unless she was one of those drunks who had mood swings, something weird just happened. One moment she was doing everything short of leering at him, the next, she'd gone quiet and almost meek. It was kinda creeping him out. He barely knew her, but what he did know was Vala wasn't meek or quiet. He'd just started getting used to her being pushy and a little obnoxious.
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"You okay?
no subject
"Apart from being obscenely drunk, why wouldn't I be?" It was as flippant as she could muster, whether he believed her or not didn't matter, as long as he dropped it.
no subject
"I don't know. You just went weird there for a second." He suppressed the cringe. Like he knew what was normal for her. Daniel almost sounded like she did, except Vala at least had some story why she knew him, and from what he'd heard so far, there was some foundation to it. He, on the other hand,had as much rights to acting like he knew her as he did telling Sam her business as a Captain.
no subject
When it really mattered Vala lied easily, albeit there was an unmistakeable level of hurried dismissal to her reply. She rolled away from him and buried a hand under the pillow plumping it up into her face as she did, and stared off into the darkness of the room.
"Besides, you'll get used to me being weird and unpredictable. It's a talent of mine. I've practiced." She added with much more of her usual sass.
no subject
"What makes you think we're going to be attached to the hip?" Daniel didn't ask it to be malicious, he asked it out of pure curiosity. Everything she said up until now was another hint dropped about what their relationship was in his future, like sand left trailed into a house, leaving Daniel to pick at the pieces here and there. Good friends? Maybe. They must be close.
Daniel tried to imagine it. It wasn't easy. He didn't have that many good friends outside of SG-1, the kind you fought next to, died next to, or maybe-best friends like Jack, the kind who put up the worst of you sometimes and still wanted to hang out.
no subject
"Why the hell are you even from years ago anyway?" Vala spat out angrily as if it was all his fault. "How does that work, how is that fair, how is that even possible? You know what, Daniel... forget it. Forget the whole thing. I'll go."
no subject
The archaeologist mouth dropped, completely stunned by the diatribe that followed. Why aren't you the one I know?! Why couldn't you be him?! Underneath it was a faint current of, 'it's your fault you're not him and your fault you can't be him '.
"What the hell is this all about?" Daniel pulled himself up as well. He inched himself further along the bed, putting himself closer to the door if he needed to intercept her before they could talk. So it was his fault Stacy thought he was worth saving over most of his Earth. Heck, he'd be the first in line to say he didn't agree with the decision. He wasn't worth more than the average person, and the thought that he'd been chosen over other people, children especially, sickened him. There were better people out there. He wasn't one of them.
"You don't have to leave," Daniel scooted another inch. "I'll go. You shouldn't risk the stairs right now"
no subject
She was back to being the outsider again, all that work she'd put into making Daniel believe in her and trust her and now she was the equivalent of some woman he'd met years ago briefly and had forgotten completely. She knew he was just feeling obligated to her because of her story. Vala's emotions had been slowly mounting ever since she arrived, she'd ignored them and pushed them back til the only possible outlet was an explosive outburst like this. The drunkenness probably didn't help either.
"Oh stop being so nice, Daniel. I survived perfectly well on my own for years, I think I can negotiate a few stairs without killing myself." The way she said it wasn't half as hard as she'd have liked. She wanted to sound like she didn't care about him either way, that he was something she was tolerating, not vice versa.
"Do you want to know the truth about me?" Vala was barely holding the tears back, but she refused to give in to it. "I lied and cheated and stole, I lied my way into the SGC, and I've done nothing but cause problems ever since. That's the truth of it. So I really think I should go, it's best for everyone."
She got to her feet, stumbling round the end of the bed unsteadily in the dark. Vala just wanted to run.
no subject
Maybe she had survived on her own for years, but it only took one accident, one lapse and you suffered for it. Taleen had been something of an unpleasant reminder of the fact. Getting overconfident or even making assumptions at this stage wasn't a good idea, and Vala, whatever she claimed, was drunk. Dead drunk. She was taking this room. It wasn't up for debate as far as he saw it. There were plenty of places he could go if she wanted to be alone, but she was not risking the stairs. Or starting a bar fight or something. "Well you're not going to tonight. If you want me gone, I can do that."
Vala apparently didn't do things halfway and an emotional explosion, which he was the source of, was one of them. Even without his glasses, he could see the faint shimmer on her eyes that betrayed her. No matter how she tried to hide it, what he'd said had affected her more badly than he thought. His fingers dug furrows into the slightly scratchy sheets. Was she telling the truth? He'd seen hints of the lying and cheating back on previous shore leave, but she made it seem like a way of life.
Had the everything she said been a lie? She could be lying to him right now.
Daniel got up a split second after she did. His muscles, fooled into thinking they actually had some downtime, flinched in response at the abrupt rise. Either he'd worked harder than he thought or he didn't work hard enough recently and it was coming back to haunt him. It only proved he needed to work on his shape more. He'd gone on worse digs, worse missions certainty, than a day working with the locals.
"The SGC wouldn't have let you stay without a good reason. They're not stupid," Daniel didn't want to say it, but it was left up in the air between them; unless you lied about being there too. He stepped around the bed, not quite blocking the way. "Whatever you think about yourself, they obviously see something in you."
no subject
She was trying to find her boots that she'd kicked off but was just managing to trip and stumble clumsily in the way that only drunks can seem to pull off. Avoiding hitting her shin on the end of the bed just wasn't going to happen. This was stupid she thought as she cursed in her home language calling the bed something it didn't really deserve - it probably didn't even have a mother, never mind an unmarried one, nor was its lineage likely to be questionable - Why was she flailing around in the dark? Vala pulled the cord attached to the light fitting and tried to avoid eye contact with Daniel in the newly lit room. Aggravatedly she scooped a boot up hastily and tried to shove a foot into it while it was still laced, needless to say she wasn't having much luck. Why were the simplest of tasks such a challenge right now? Her body's timing in deciding to get wasted was as bad as the Universe's in transplanting her here.
"I'm a liar and a thief, Daniel." She hop stumbled towards where he'd put her gun, still trying to get the blasted boot on. "And the only person that ever believed in me beyond that, was you." She wanted to say that he wasn't that man yet, but that wasn't fair, it wasn't his fault. None of this was fair. Not for her and not for him. His wife was dead and she didn't think she could bear to be around him knowing that.
"I took you for a fool, and you swallowed it." She clenched her jaw, putting as much nasty weight into her words as she could, even letting out a small sardonic laugh to fight the glaze in her eyes. He needed to hate her, because she knew for the first time that she actually loved him and she just couldn't do this.
no subject
"I'm not him. But everyone deserves a chance until they prove otherwise." Daniel's patience wasn't infinite, nor was he a saint. The Goa'uld fell into the 'kill them all, no questions asked' category. Thievery and scamming might have come from a way to survive, but it didn't necessarily mean she should be written off as a bad person. There was much worse in the galaxy. Until she started murdering or torturing people, he was willing to wait first, get to know her more before he formed a solid opinion.
The very thing that pissed her off also saved Daniel from taking the personal digs, well, personally. He didn't know Vala as well as the future him apparently did, and what she meant as hurtful didn't quite hit home as strongly as it could have.
Besides, so far she hadn't said anything worse about him than the academic community already had.
"And what's happening now might've changed everything. I'm no expert in quantum physics or mechanics, but wouldn't the very fact we've been plucked out of our own timelines generate a new reality or future? Or branch off somehow? In a way, it might be a fresh start here."
no subject
"No." Vala glared at him, despite the fact that a tear had spilled over now. But she had decided that maybe standing still would work better, face him down without falling around the room like a stupid drunk. "See, you don't know me. I'll take that fresh start and I'll... I'll just use it to hurt you," Vala's voice croaked the words out, "I'll implicate you in something, let you take the blame, steal from you. I have no idea what, but there'll be something Daniel. Trust me."
Vala turned and looked at the wall beside her for a good few seconds wondering where to go from here, there was nothing of note on it, she just couldn't look at him. She had no truths she could share. Sha're was dead and he was still living in hope. A hope that could never match up to her own hopes, and one she couldn't take away from him. She closed her eyes briefly, pushing her jawline down in resignation as she shook her head hopelessly. This wasn't going to work, and somehow she knew she was just going to have to learn to deal with this.
no subject
But not like this. Underneath all her confidence and bluster earlier was a mass of self-loathing, and maybe she'd gotten in his way, put him in one of her scams, but he didn't think she deserved this. She wasn't as bad as she made herself sound. Vala had a choice too. It wasn't like she was forced to do any of those things. If she knew she was capable of lying and using people, and just as importantly, knew it wasn't the right thing to do, it was a first step. And if she was conscious of the tendency, even the possibility, she could choose whether to do it or not. She wasn't as hopeless a case as she thought she was. If she was this broken, then letting her wander alone, inhibitions down, was the worst thing anyone could let her do at the moment. If she wanted to yell at him the entire night, compare him to the future-him more, fine. He could sit there for it. But she was staying here the night where he could keep an eye on her.
Daniel licked his lips. Then he took another cautious step closer. "You didn't let me take the blame on the last shore leave. You had the chance to."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)