neverjoinyou | lastvoyages IC Inbox

MAYBE THEY'LL SHOOT HIM, I DON'T KNOW! I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO WAY WEIRDER THINGS FOR POWER! I THINK HE'S GOT EVERY REASON TO LIE, AND THE AUTHORITY HAS ALMOST NO REASON TO! HE NEEDS US COOPERATING AND THEY DON'T!

I would have said you have no reason to lie, either, given the kind of power you have. But you do it anyway.

WELL, YEAH, FOR FUN. DO THEY SOUND LIKE THE KIND OF GUYS WHO LIKE TO HAVE FUN? HERE, TALK TO THIS NERD.

You JUST said that we're here for their entertainment.

Which means they like fun. Honestly they sound a lot like you.

Hello, Luke. It's me.

TAG TEAM EVENT!

[Bill sounds further away than Ford. He's on speaker.]

DIDJA SEE THAT BIG PRETENTIOUS SETUP WITH THE CASTLE? I MEAN, A LITTLE LIKE ME, BUT NO SENSE OF HUMOR!

Uh, Ford?

What's going on?

What does it look like? I'm jumping ship!

I know it might seem strange, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but in this particular instance, I actually agree with Bill.

SEE? WE ALL AGREE. JUST WAITING ON YOU, WINGS.

You're... teaming up. You.

[In a way this is like a weird victory. In a way.]

Look. It's not that I don't think Bill has a point. But I don't think this is the answer. I don't know if we're any better off with them.

[Bless your rebellious little soul, Luke.]

In the loosest possible sense of the word, yes.

Look. Our Admiral's gone renegade. He's a fugitive. They're going to catch up with him sooner or later and anyone who went along with his knuckleheaded escape is going to be guilty by association!

I don't want to be there when they find us. At least on another ship we'd have a chance at graduating without the Admiral's warrant hanging over our heads. Besides, I want to keep an eye on Bill, and that'd be easier with you along. What do you say?

[That last bit is said more gently than the rest. It's the tone instead of the words that says that Ford genuinely wants Luke there, and not just as Bill's warden. He likes the guy, he's just garbage at actually using his friendship words.]

WOW, WHEN DID YOU GUYS GET ALL BUDDY BUDDY, HUH?

[He told you to do one thing, and that was not talk to each other. Not the time to complain, though. He'll take the advantage.]

When no one else would sit with me at lunch.

[Hi, you remember Wormie.]

I think you're both looking at this far too darkly. Or maybe it's just me who doesn't automatically trust overly-powerful overlords?

How do we know he's not right?

Come on, you saw his transmission! This isn't courageous against-the-odds freedom fighter behavior, Luke. You and I both know that! We told his bosses the truth, and now he's running from the consequences.

[You can hear the eyeroll.]

WHAT, LAST WEEK? HAHAHAH.

YOU KNOW SPEAKING OF COURAGEOUS AGAINST-THE-ODDS FREEDOM FIGHTERS, YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.

[I mean, bonding over how unpopular you are is still kinda sad, Wings, but let's keep it positive!]

LISTEN, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THESE GUYS. I WENT IN THERE AND ASKED THEM IF I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THEM, AND I GOT AN ANSWER THAT MAKES ME THINK I'M NOT JUST CLOSE, I'M TOO CLOSE.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ADMIRAL'S LESS IMPORTANT THAN WE ARE AND HE KNOWS IT, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW WE HAVE THAT KIND OF LEVERAGE.

And if we leave, we're running from consequences. We're running from the people who have stood by us. People, Bill, you've experienced relationships with. If we have leverage, let's use it--but together. As a large group.

[Oh man literally any other time Ford would be delighted by the comparison but there are so many bigger things to worry about.

...there is still a tiny moment of really? c: before he refocuses though, and...it's kind of sobering.

He's gonna let Bill reply first, here. The silence might be a little telling. Should he really leave the others there? Yara? Shiro? Surely they can't all be convinced to come along. They'll have people they're unwilling to leave behind, too.

Then again...Yara and Shiro lost him once, and they were fine. Everyone else...Ford gives them a month at most. They'll forget he was ever there, or at least, they won't have any feelings about it that matter long.]

Edited 2018-05-18 19:17 (UTC)

[Out of sight from the audio transmission, Bill absently pats Ford on whatever part is closest to hand. There there. Don't navel-gaze about loneliness right now, we're working.]

SURE! TELL 'EM ALL TO COME WITH US, I DON'T CARE!

Edited 2018-05-18 19:41 (UTC)

You know that's not what I mean.

[Whoa hey wtf why is a tiny hand patting his ribs, you stop that.]

The ideal solution would be to bring them with us, yes. Unfortunately, even if we could talk them into it, the odds of finding a Barge that would take us and all our friends is even less likely.

I don't like leaving them behind either, but it's not our fault! I mean, besides the fact that I did the things I did to land me on the Barge in the first place, and that we told the Authority about everything he's handled terribly, and...did anyone else get the feeling they were having their minds read, or was that just me?

WELL, I DON'T HAVE FRIENDS, BUT IF THE SITUATION'S BAD, WHY IS IT BETTER FOR ALL OF US TO GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP - LITERALLY, I'LL ADD! - INSTEAD OF GETTING AT LEAST SOME OUT?

THEY CAN'T READ MY MIND!

[they totally read his mind.]

Look, all I'm saying is that the idea of throwing ourselves on the mercy of even more powerful beings doesn't seem like an ideal solution. At least we outnumber the Admiral. We have no idea who or what the Authority is.

Why do you trust them?

It's not that I trust the Authority more. It's that I mistrust them less.

...wait a minute. Luke, are you saying your solution is to overpower the Admiral?

[He's surprised, but also...impressed? Like dang, Luke, that's also a viable solution and not one he expected to hear. It doesn't sound like Ford objects to the idea.]

I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, IT'S JUST HARD TO EXPLAIN WITHOUT UN-EXPLAINING EVERYONE'S ENTIRE EXISTENCE AND THE WAY THE FABRIC OF REALITY AND THE COMPLETELY FICTIONAL CONCEPT OF FREE WILL ARE COMMONLY ASSUMED TO OPERATE!

OOOH, I'D DO A MUTINY. WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS, A GOOD OL' MUTINY?

lastvoyages IC Inbox

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[Bill's communicator, voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice] 1/2, for icons

[voice] 2/2manyfeelings4onetag

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)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)