thisavrou_ooc

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ABOARD THE MOIRA

Whether adjusting to space travel has been difficult or not, there is always something to be done. From working to leisure, the Moira offers a multitude of opportunities to get to know your crewmates a bit better. Exploration of the ship is highly encouraged, but as another planet grows closer to being docked, things start to get a little hectic. You'll notice a slight change in the artificial gravity as the Moira is pulled into a gravitational field; however, more noticeable changes can be found in the overall morale as you prepare to descend.

☄ on your own
There are plenty of other communal areas on the ship to explore! Pick a place, and see where it takes you. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. )

ERIS — 6578

Welcome to one of the sister Eris planets. This one, unlike many of its counterparts, is incredibly high dollar. For visiting individuals, it is mandatory to wear clothes befitting of such a status. For those aboard the Moira, it means discarding work attire for the formal wear they have been provided. Characters will find the temperature moderately cold, a late fall to early winter feel, and their outwear must reflect the prestige Eris—6578 is universally known for. Any sort of trading is strictly done through computers and electronic orders--nothing hands-on as it's considered beneath the inhabitants to indulge in such outdated means of interaction. Unlike most systems, money is needed to purchase things on Eris. The captains have given the crew unlimited credits; with each transaction, simply "pay" with the MID. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. )

☄ lavish living
Fine dining? The movies? Or perhaps gambling? Whatever your tastes, Eris caters to everyone and everything—the more expensive, the better. There is no limit to what can be done when one has the money to spend, and this lifestyle reflects in the people and surroundings. Even sex is a very ornate process held to the highest discretion. Feel free to indulge, but know that it isn't without its consequences.

☄ taken
In its underbelly, Eris—6578's main function is the trade and trafficking of bodies for one of two purposes: to be placed in a situation where you are made to kill for another's enjoyment or are tortured and killed based on the client's personal tastes. Each scenario is designed to fit the paying customer's predilections and is often carried out in places secured and private. Remember, money is no object. Therefore, the extent of what they do or make you do has no boundaries either.

OUT OF CHARACTER INFO

FAQ | LOCATIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION
For mature or graphic content, please label. For questions, please direct them to the FAQ. As always, be kind and have fun!

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[Between Pepper's experience translating Tony-speak and Bruce's efforts to put things in layman's terms, the concepts come across clear enough. As she listens her eyes once more turn to the planet, still so massive in front of her, and yet in comparison to what Bruce spells out also somehow...less.]

Wow. [She laughs, because honestly, what else can she do, her gaze dropping for a moment as she tries to take all that in. Not just Bruce's theory on time, but all the potential explanations for their presence there, the lack of memories, the undiscovered absences. They aren't comforting reasons by any means, but they are reasons, possibilities that still come across as entirely unreal--but less than a year ago there was limited proof at best that aliens ever existed.

Less than a few weeks ago, she never would have believed humans could be altered to regrow limbs.]

Right. Two months. [She finally looks at Bruce again, a faint smile on her lips. Also important to consider is the source; Tony's trust in Bruce, his willingness to accept and believe in the man had made Pepper more inclined to do so even before this bought of insanity. She highly doubts he'd lie to her about it, particularly not when they're both seemingly stuck here.] Just when I thought things were going to go back to normal again.

[Normal, for the record, has apparently skipped out with reality on an unannounced vacation.]

Edited 2015-12-09 02:07 (UTC)

[ He smiles a little and nods. Yes, two months has offered more than enough time for him to think about their situation, and to consider several hypotheses in his head. He's still far from exploring or proving any of them, but the theories are a good first step.

He's managed to rule out a few already, even, considering certain impossibilities he's come across. ]

Do things ever get back to normal? [ Because even without the portals and the aliens, even without the Avengers team, Pepper lives with Tony. Even having met him only recently, Bruce has a good feeling that there's no such thing as normal as far as the man is concerned. ]

I'm sorry, this is all... a lot. Believe me, I know. [ He's been there himself, they all have. ] If you have other questions, I can try to help.

I guess that depends on what you consider normal. [Pepper's learned that her definition needs to be a bit more flexible--not suddenly appearing on a spaceship flexible, but things have changed a lot from the days when she'd been the personal assistant to a playboy CEO.] Considering that no one was trying to blow up my house or kidnap the president in a mad bid to single-handedly control and profit from the war on terror, I think a day at the office qualifies.

[She favors Bruce with a grin, then. Yes, she lives with Tony, but that isn't just her normal. Most days, it's good.]

A lot is an understatement. [She reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the rest in a neat ponytail.] I guess the big one is why have we been brought here, and by whom? I'm already assuming we don't have any way to get home. [Because if they did, why would Bruce still be here?]

[ He tips his head in a nod, eyebrows arched. ] Yes... fair enough. That does seem like something out of the norm.

[ But basically, she is right. Normal is relative to everyone. Bruce's notion of normalcy, for instance, is very much different from literally everyone else around him - his condition alone is enough reason for that. Pepper's examples do leave Bruce feeling curious, though. Had those things really happened recently? Tony had only told him so much, and mostly of the more recent events, with which Bruce had been directly involved.

He saves questions for another time. Because she's the new arrival here, and naturally she has concerns more pressing than his curiosity. ]

You go straight to the toughest questions. [ Not that it surprises him. In fact, those are exactly the questions he was expecting her to ask. ] No, we can't go home. Supposedly the ship's taking us all back, but... I'm not sure I believe that. Especially with the way Steve left and came back, just like that. I can't tell you much about the rest, though. I figure the captains have access to some pretty advanced technology, and that's how they brought us here. As for the why? They might've needed people to keep the ship running. Although snatching people from multiple other universes seems like an unnecessary effort. [ Even with dubious intentions, they could probably get some people to join the crew willingly without going to such lengths. ]

[She knows he's curious; Bruce gets the same sort of look in his eye she'd expect to see in Tony when presented with some new scientific marvel to figure out, albeit less gleeful. Yet Bruce doesn't ask, and Pepper's thankful for it. What she's told him broaches on the personal, but not the worst of it. She's had some time to adjust to what had happened, what Killian had turned her into--but not so much that she's willing to expose the wound. Although on some level Pepper wonders if anyone could be more suited that Bruce to understand, she doesn't want to push that boundary. For him they've only just met, and even in their own world, she knows him more as Tony's friend whom she also happens to like rather than someone she'd share more intimate secrets with.

Instead he offers her answers, ones that leave her huffing out a breath as she considers the scope of it all. The confirmation is nothing different from what she expects, but certainly not what Pepper wants to hear.] Not to mention that you'd think they could just send us back the way they brought us here. [Considering that it had happened in the blink of an eye, seemingly with ease, shouldn't the reverse also be true? She leans against the railing, her lips pressed into a tight line as Bruce goes on.]

Well I don't know about you, but I'm planning on putting a call in to my union rep. [It's a bad joke, and Pepper's grin turns apologetic even as the words come out.] It really doesn't make sense. They can do something so incredible, but they can't keep the ship running without resorting to multi-dimensional kidnapping? I just can't see it--but since that seems to be the theme of the day, I guess I shouldn't be shocked.

[Not when everything else has already pushed her into feeling overwhelmed and numb.]

[ Well, he would be a little more gleeful if he hadn't been kidnapped and brought here, but he does see the wonder in all this. For someone like him, it's difficult not to be at least a little bit excited about everything here, the spaceship itself and every path they draw across all the vast and, to him, unknown space.

He tempers his excitement with some realism, though, with actual worries and concerns, especially with the tendency he's been noticing for something to happen every month. Sometimes, those events were manageable. Other times... things got out of control. Literally.

But he's only getting to know her, and even if not, telling her about all that happened in Caducus Primary can wait. One thing's for sure: she will eventually find out, and for that reason, he'd rather be the one to tell her about it. At least she'll understand how little control he had over what the Hulk did. He hopes so, anyway. ]

I tried, but you can't get through. Bad reception. [ Bad jokes? Bruce's territory. ] You're absolutely right, though. Makes me think there's something more to it... something we don't know yet. There's a bigger picture here, I'm sure - we're just grasping at the smaller pieces for now. [ And there's only so much he can figure out through those. ]

[All things in time. Pepper's read the files, watches the news footage, heard the stories from Tony. She has some idea of what the Hulk can do, although even in their own world she hasn't witnessed any of it first hand. Still, her own recent experience would give her a certain amount of empathy--but unlike Bruce, she isn't ready to broach the subject of what she's become just yet.]

Well then clearly they need to kidnap a telephone repairman next. If that's what spaceships use for communication. [She frowns, not having thought of what other bits of technology she might have to get used to before now.] Maybe it's a good thing Tony isn't here. He'd want to take the whole ship apart to see how everything worked.

[Not that he would do anything quite so insane--hopefully. Still, she can just see his utter excitement at it all, only mildly tempered by the notion of being taken hostage by whatever group ran this operation.]

Something we don't know yet is a pretty broad category, unfortunately. [One not likely to be filled in anytime soon, given Bruce's experience.] So what do we do in the meantime? You said we're brought here to keep the ship running, but how devoted are they to maintaining the façade?

Well, obviously. That's pretty much the same as a chief communications officer on the Enterprise. [ But oh, could they even bring someone from that universe? Bruce has been told about certain worlds being fictional in others after all, so who's to say what's possible or not? ]

He was here, for a little while. Two or three months, I think? Actually... [ He pauses, his expression tensing into a somewhat hesitant look. ] There were two of them, from two different universes. Yet somehow they managed to leave the ship in one piece, so I don't think they got around to causing too much trouble.

[ Bruce has no doubt it would have happened eventually, though, especially once things settled down for Tony, and he started feeling either bored, or like the captains were hiding things from him. Which is how Bruce is feeling right about now himself. ]

You've been given a job, right? That's one. Then there's the kitchen or mess hall duties. That's... about it. At least for now. I wouldn't advise anyone to get too comfortable, though, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. [ Pepper's smart and she's used to things going south. She knows a situation like this isn't safe, and people shouldn't feel safe. ]

True; in that case, maybe they already have one. [It might not hurt to try and find a personnel directory in that case. If whoever is in charge had any level of competence, they'd at least make assignments based on the individual's skills and talents. Assigning someone like Bruce to any sort of non-scientific post, for example, would be a waste of talent.

Or Tony. Pepper's carefully maintained mask slips at the mention that like Bruce and Steve, Tony had been a captive aboard this ship for a time. She'd assumed his present absence just based on the fact that Bruce hadn't pointed her in his direction, but knowing that it hasn't always been that way--

Well. Pepper doesn't really get much time to decide how she feels about that before Bruce drops another bombshell.]

There were two of them? [God, even on his best days Tony could be a handful, and Pepper's in love with the guy. Thinking of having two versions of him in a relatively confined space against his will leaves her a little surprised they didn't destroy the ship in some sort of contest to figure who was the superior Stark.

Thank goodness for small favors.]

Wow. That's---wow. [She laughs a bit, shaking her head before tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.] You know, I'm sure you're right about the whole alternate universe thing, but that's still pretty out there.

[She nods at the mention of the job, Pepper's smile lingering in the wake of a joke Bruce hasn't heard just yet. She does indeed have an assignment, one that, under the circumstances she can only look at with humor. Clearly someone has lost their mind.] Oh, I have a job. Chief Morale Officer.

[Aka the person in charge of making people were not only comfortable, but content aboard the spaceship where they were all being held prisoner for an indeterminate amount of time.]

Possibly. [ Bruce, surprisingly, hasn't given that a good look yet. He should probably try and get that information too. After all, learning all about the ship includes learning about the people currently in it, and having a list of everyone's names, jobs, among other useful information, will only help having a good grasp on their situation.

He's sure Pepper will do that, too. What little he knows about her, he knows she's organized and a hard worker, she'll know the entire crew back and forth before he knows it.

He nods, smiling a little lopsidedly at her. ]

You know, I like Tony a lot, but one's more than enough. So that was... special. [ Even though he never did have a lot of contact with the one from that alternate universe. Probably for the best, too. He imagines having the two of them around at the same time would test even his patience. ]

Oh, are you? [ His voice lilts in clear amusement, eyebrows arching as he nods slowly. ] Well, that's... I guess we do need a lot of morale boosting.

[ Well what they do need is to be back home, but he's obviously not serious with that remark. Sounds like an important job in just about any company, but seems like a slap to the face when aboard the ship who's pretty much holding them all captive. ]

[Bruce isn't wrong; the one way she knows how to handle all of this, an entire existence beyond her imagination, is to parse it into fragments she can manage. Things like researching the workers, the positions, the history she can do. Networking, getting in touch with those in charge, even negotiating should she somehow find a chance. Her experience as a businesswoman may not serve her well in every scenario, but hopefully the traits that have made her successful at it would work in her favor here.]

You really do like him. Most people wouldn't be so gentle. [Then she grins a bit more honestly, because often Pepper would be in that number. Maybe Bruce is trying to hold back because of who she is to Tony, what they meant to each other, but he doesn't need to. Pepper's bluntness had been one of the first things that impressed Tony, back in the days when they'd been employee and boss. She cares for Tony, but she isn't often blinded by him.

Pepper dips her head in confirmation, yes indeed, she's been given a truly terrible assignment.] It's pretty tempting to just laugh in their faces--but you might not be wrong. [Although it's clear he hadn't been serious, Pepper can only imagine how the time Bruce has spent here has already worn on him. There are likely others as well, people who have been here longer, who might be feeling the weight of being away from their homes and their loved ones.

Besides, Pepper's never been one to simply stay still.]

What about you? What's your assignment?

I'm not most people. [ It's surprising to everyone, how well he and Tony get along. No one would guess from looking at them both. Tony, always on the spotlight, loud, eccentric, with a clear disregard for people's personal space - and then Bruce, quiet and distanced, keeping always to himself, and with a distinct issue that often relates to people pushing a little too much, getting a little too close.

It's surprised even Bruce, honestly. But he doesn't question it, not when he enjoys having the man as a friend so much. And well, they do say that opposites attract. Maybe that's played a part in their friendship too. ]

Things tend to happen a lot here. You'll see. I'm not sure having a morale officer will help, but if it does work...

[ He shrugs. It won't really make them feel alright with being here, he doesn't think, but at least it might help some of them recover from some tougher times. ]

They put me as a weapons technician at first. [ It's obvious that he didn't like that one bit. ] I'm a cryo repair tech now.

Which goes a long way to explain why he likes you. [After all, the friendship runs both ways; Tony had been impressed with Bruce from the start, both as a man who could match him in genius, and as a superpowered potential hero. Bruce might not yet realize it, but Pepper's had the opportunity to see just how much Tony already trusts Bruce, which is a rare thing. For all the personal space he invades with such relish, Tony's careful to keep those around him at arm's length. The man in the spotlight is the public image, the playboy who acts without a care in the world, to guard the fact that Tony cares so deeply and so much.

Maybe more than anyone else Pepper has ever known.]

Well, the worst that happens is that I get ridiculed for attempting to take my job seriously. I'm not unfamiliar with that. [She knows it's an uphill battle, and that in the most traditional sense Pepper can't succeed. But she can try to make the office her own, to turn the joke of a job into something of value and merit.

She's got sympathy when he mentions being a weapons tech; considering the history of Stark Industries, Pepper's naturally inclined not to be a fan either, even as she can understand the need.] Cryo--as in cryogenics? Is that a real thing here?

[ He knows well what about him got Tony's attention from the start. His mind and knowledge, that much was clear, and the way they both immediately slipped into such a comfortable rhythm working together, despite having just met. And well, Tony never made much of a secret out of how fascinated he was by the Hulk. Bruce never took offense in that - he knew what kind of interest it was, and that it wasn't that Tony took pleasure out of seeing the monster going rampant and out of control. ]

It might not be the worst or toughest job on board. You might get a lot of people reluctant to cooperate, but I don't think you'll get ridiculed.

[ People here cope with their situation in whatever way they can, after all, and if Pepper's way is focusing on whatever job she's given, no one can really fault her for that. Sure it seems a little pointless now, but who knows? She might just come up with some changes on board to make this trip more bearable. ]

Oh, yes. There are cryostasis units in the medbay. Fully functional, capable of freezing and suspending a living human and bringing them back just as they were before. [ Not something Bruce has had any previous experience in, of course, but he's a fast learner, smart enough for the job, and it's far preferable to being a weapons technician. ]

Aren't you the optimist? [Pepper appreciates it, even as she teases him for the gentle encouragement. She's been through too much to be dissuaded by a bit of mockery or even stubbornness on the part of those who don't see the point. But Bruce's assessment about her is right; her way of getting through this is to break it up into pieces she can sort and control, to find her foundation before truly delving into things that are so much bigger.

It's just a difficult thing to manage when that bigger thing happens to be an approaching planet.]

It's almost a shame that we don't seem to remember what's here in that case--that sort of technology could help a lot of people. [Take the CEO out of the business, as they say, and Pepper's gaze goes distant as she naturally thinks of what might have to be altered or put into place to implement production of such things.] But there's probably quite a few things that could be said for here. Regardless, I'm glad they transferred you. I'm pretty sure all of the Avengers have had enough of weapons development.

[Particularly Tony; Pepper can only imagine the anger he would have felt had he been put in Bruce's position.]

Sometimes silver linings are all you've got. [ And he's lived a lot of his life without even those, so whenever he can, he will find what good he can take out of a situation. In this particular case, that her job here might actually do some good for all the other people who have been taken here against their will.

As for the approaching planet... well, Bruce is yet to get used to that, himself. He doesn't think he ever will, but who's to say. ]

I know. But then it might have been a little universe-shattering-- taking this kind of knowledge back with us. [ Kind of like traveling in time, just on a multiverse scale. No one can know for sure how something like that might affect their reality. Hell, their presence here alone might just do that too, in this place. ] But I'm glad too, yes. I really didn't want to work on weapons.

[ Even for "defense purposes" - or so they claimed. ]

Then I'll count you among mine. [Because as mind-blowing and terrible as all of this is, she's not here alone. Pepper would never wish for anyone to be stolen as they've been, or for their suffering, but she can't say she isn't on some level thankful that there are people she knows she can trust, and who share at least some of her experiences.

And who can remind her that science has laws. Pepper grins as Bruce brings up that small point about breaking the universe.] I suppose that would be a pretty big consequence. I'm not sure how the PR department could spin that one. [Tony makes their lives hard enough most days; she doesn't want to be responsible for stamping his name on something that might shatter existence itself.]

If they try and force you to do it again, let me know. We can stage a boycott. [Or hopefully something more effective, but that comes with time and trust. Pepper would like to come to a point where she can negotiate with whoever's in charge on behalf of the captives, but the sad truth is she's simply too new for that.] And thank you, Bruce. I'm glad I ran into you first.

Likewise. [ He really doesn't take it to heart; he's been here with people he knows, and he got a couple of weeks where, save for Wanda, he was on his own, and it's definitely different having someone around whom he knows, or knows of, back home. He might have not gotten the chance to meet Pepper before coming here but he does know more than enough about her to know she's someone good to have around. Even if he wouldn't wish this fate on anyone - at least not anyone he likes. ]

Hopefully you won't have to worry about that. [ Though let's be honest here, SHIELD would be all up on it. And they do have an extensive track record when it comes to keeping secrets. ]

You'll b the first to know. [ Said jokingly, because no one here is going to force Bruce into doing something he doesn't want to. And even the captains should know better than to try, at this point. 'Don't mess with the guy who can turn into an indestructible monster' is a pretty solid guideline to live by. ] It's no problem. If you need anything, just get in touch. Will you be alright on your own, or...

[ Leaving that open in case she wants or needs to know the way somewhere on the ship. Otherwise Bruce will go on his way. ]

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