Marian Carlyle | Rogue (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} notmaidmarian) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} toboldlyrpg,@ 2017-11-19 16:45:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Entry tags: | gaby teller | man from uncle, rogue | marvel |
WHO: Rogue & Gaby Teller
WHERE: The Lounge
WHEN: 226411.19
WHAT: Facetwins meet
WARNINGS: None
STATUS: Closed, Complete
And the stars look very different today
The moment Rogue had seen Gaby’s name appear in the arrivals list, she had felt her throat drop into her stomach. This was going to be awkward for everyone involved, but she was determined to keep it from being too strange. Instead of reaching out to Illya and Napoleon, because of course they had probably seen the name too, the Southerner had headed straight towards sickbay with the hopes of catching the other woman before she headed out into the ship. Of course, there was always the chance she’d already missed her, but the conversation they should probably have was one that might have been done better in person, rather than over the PADDs. After all, Rogue herself wouldn’t believe it if she was in the other woman’s shoes and saw her face staring back at her from the thing. When the turbolift opened on the deck the infirmary was on, Rogue took a deep breath, then stepped out of the tube and headed down the hall, trying not to fidget with the bracelet she wore on her left wrist that, thanks to Bonnie and Magnus, helped her control her powers. She was nervous enough without doing anything that might make it stop working. Turning a corner, she stopped when she spotted a familiar figure ahead of her - familiar because it was practically her own - and she pushed the signature white streak in her own hair back from her eyes, then approached slowly. “Hey there,” she called out, her Mississippi accent heavy even in those two words. “You’re Gaby, right?” - Gaby's head was still spinning, a symptom of her abrupt journey that the medical doctor had assured her would soon pass. She was unable to recall just yet where she had been prior to awaking, but she was certain she had not been asleep. As inconceivable as all of this seemed, she was was very clearly not dreaming. Exercising caution appeared the wisest course of action, and so she had kept her answers brief and her own questions few, opting to get through the introductory process as quickly as possible. She would try to make sense of it later, perhaps after a drink or two to settle her nerves. Clutching the PADD she had been given to her chest, she exited the medical bay, glancing over her shoulder with interest at the door which whooshed shut behind her. The greeting drew her attention away from the door, the voice oddly familiar somehow. Surely there was no one she knew aboard this starship. In space. In the future. Gaby turned toward the sound of the voice, and let out an audible gasp in spite of herself. Alright, perhaps she was dreaming. She took a step toward her own spitting image and noticed the white streak in her hair. She found her own voice, her German accent scarcely perceptible. "I am. And who does that make you?" - The gasp had Rogue stopping several feet away, and her lips flashed a half smile full of irony. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of finding out you had a facetwin, particularly if you hadn’t been warned about it. She knew that Gaby was German and not British, thanks to the guys, but it was strange to hear the accent coming in her own voice that way. After a moment of hesitation, she finally answered the question. “I’m Rogue,” she replied, tilting her head as she studied Gaby. Different bearing, different hairstyles - the only real similarities right now were their features, and she was a little glad for that. “I know this is weird and all, but I figured I’d jump in to talk to you before you get ambushed by a certain American too pretty for his own good, and a giant Russian bear.” Her face softened just a little when she mentioned Solo and Illya, particularly the latter. “Do you drink?” - Rogue. It seemed a peculiar name, but that was par for the course, seeing as how she was standing in the middle of a ship in space staring at a woman who looked so very much like her. The name offered no real clues as to her identity or her relationship to Gaby, if there even was one. She merely nodded her head slightly in greeting while Rogue continued to speak. Gaby could be forgiven if it took her a moment to register the meaning behind Rogue's words. She had been through a rather trying ordeal, one she had not been prepared for--could anyone be prepared for such a thing? Nor had she any reason to expect the presence of either side of her own little Cold War. But she was nothing if not quick on her feet, both literally and figuratively, so she let her lips form into some semblance of a smile. "Well," she replied pleasantly, taking a few steps forward to close the distance between them, "that does explain one or two things." The knowledge that Solo and Illya were here, too, lent a bit of tangibility to this still very inconceivable situation. "The rest you can clear up over a drink." - She relaxed just a little when it seemed like Gaby was calmer and willing to at least here what she had to say, and took a step back to gesture back down the hall. “There’s a bar here - well, they call it a lounge. We just gotta take the turbolift to get there….which I get probably doesn’t mean a whole helluva lot, but basically - you landed yourself in the middle of a science fiction TV show.” Half turning, Rogue waited until Gaby reached her, then led the way back to the lift. “I know they explained the whole deal with coming here and the ship and that PADD they gave ya, but it’s a lot to take in. Most of us have been right where you are.” When the doors opened for the twins, Rogue stepped in and waited for Gaby. “This thing is pretty much like an elevator - ‘cept it’s voice activated.” After the doors had shut, she spoke clearly, “Deck 5,” and off they went, giving the two women a couple minutes to study one another. - In truth, the concept of “science fiction TV show” was about as foreign as the word “turbolift,” but Gaby grasped Rogue’s meaning well enough. In her own time, it would be a few years before television became inundated with sci-fi programmes, though many were not likely to have made it past Soviet censors and into East German homes. Emboldened by the promise of drink but still cautious, Gaby followed Rogue to the lift, her eyes eagerly taking in her new surroundings. Just a few months ago, she had never before left Berlin. To say that her life had taken a bit of a turn would be an understatement. “The events of my life have required that I learn how to adapt quickly to changes in circumstance,” she replied as the turbolift doors opened in front of them. She smiled again, a genuine one this time, as they stepped into the tube. “Though, this place might stretch my ability to its very limit.” Now that she was in closer proximity to Rogue, Gaby had the chance to observe her in the bright light of the elevator--no, the turbolift. She may as well get accustomed to the terminology. It was apparent that Rogue was several years younger than her. She had, of course, noted the microexpression of her lookalike when she spoke of Solo and Illya. There was an evident fondness there, and the implications of a relationship with the agents was intriguing, particularly given her unusual resemblance to Gaby. She was eager to know more about how their paths had crossed, but instead asked, “How long have you been on board?” Her age and demeanor suggested she was a traveler like herself, and not a member of the star fleet mentioned by the liaison that had briefed her in the medical bay. - “Eventually you get used to it - that’s what I’ve heard, at least.” Absently, Rogue leaned against the wall and tried not to squirm while Gaby studied her, especially since she was doing pretty much the same thing. She’d seen Lara, and Alicia when she had been there, but she hadn’t talked to them that much in person, so this was an interesting experience for her. She could tell that Gaby was older than her, and to Rogue’s eyes she seemed far more sophisticated - and hot. After a moment, her eyes shifted away to glance at the door as she did a quick calculation. “I showed up here…three - no, four months ago? Yeah, four.” Rogue gave a firm nod. “Sometimes the days run together and it’s a little easy to lose track.” Looking back to Gaby, she offered another smile as the doors opened. “This place is going to blow your mind, just to warn you. I mean - the ship in general, all the different people.” And she stepped out to lead the way down the hall towards the lounge. - The sophistication was very nearly an act, one she had been perfecting for most of her life. As a girl, she had studied ballet and learned to emulate the required poise and grace of her teachers. Yet at home with her foster father, she felt more at ease under his tutelage in his auto shop. Still, she bore herself with the confidence of a woman who was very sure of herself, even if, at that very moment, she was not quite. Gaby had become accustomed to falling under the scrutiny of others, particularly the aforementioned giant Russian bear who had taken an interest in her wardrobe ever since their first mission. She could hardly fault Rogue for exhibiting a curiosity which she herself shared. “You’re an American, yes?” She stepped out of the lift alongside Rogue, at the mercy of her knowledge of the ship. “I’d wager I’m not the first person to head immediately from the medical facilities to the bar.” As they approached the lounge and the hall grew more populated, a small part of her expected to see robots or little green men, but instead, she saw only people in an array of clothing and uniforms. - “Born and raised in a trailer park in Mississippi. Left when I was about thirteen, and ended up...not in the best situation.” Sure, she’d told Illya and Napoleon about it, but she wanted to know Gaby a little better before spilling out her whole life story. “Anyway, yeah, you’re right. I think most people end up there as soon as they hear about it. I know I did.” Roge shot her a small smile, even as she instinctively and automatically avoided brushing close to anyone they passed. She may have control now, thanks to that bracelet, but you couldn’t easily get rid of years of not touching someone else’s skin overnight. When they entered the lounge, Rogue beelined for the bar to get them some vodka, having developed a taste for it lately, then took the glasses to a table in a less-crowded corner, motioning for Gaby to join her as she sat and placed both drinks on the table. “Drink up, sugar.” - “Thirteen is a young age to be on your own,” she replied in a tone that conveyed admiration rather than judgment. “You must be resourceful,” she added, content to leave it at that, though she wondered if there was more that they shared than just their physical appearance. “I’ve never been to America.” She noticed the way that Rogue carried herself in the crowd. There was no hesitation to her walk, yet she visibly shied away from contact with passersby. Even had they not shared the same face, Gaby would have found her new drinking companion most interesting. While Rogue went to the bar, Gaby hung back to marvel at the design and decor of the lounge. She had only just noticed that what she had mistaken for black walls were in fact windows looking out into the vastness of space when Rogue returned with two glasses in her hand. “I think we are going to need the bottle,” she laughed in all seriousness, collapsing into the chair across the table from Rogue. “I’m in space.” She grabbed the glass, swirling the contents for a moment before raising it high in a toast. “Prost!” Gaby clinked her glass against Rogue’s before swallowing most of the contents down in a single gulp. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she licked her lips, savouring the taste of the liquor. “You have a taste for vodka, I see.” - "I had this friend I grew up with. Cain. We left together, actually. Couple of dumb kids running away from one hell straight into another." Rogue shook her head a bit, because they honestly hadn't known any better at the time, and not for the first time she wondered what would've happened if she'd made a different choice those few short years ago. They were a lot closer than she claimed to most people, but sometimes she didn't think she'd ever get back to being that person...and she wasn't sure she wanted to. While she had been getting the drinks, she had glanced over to notice how Gaby was reacting to the windows and bit back a grin after she was with her again. "We can get the bottle if you want," she said, and this time she did grin at the laugh and the toast, even if she didn't understand the word. "Yeah, cheers or whatever. Prost." Rogue drank her own a little slower, and signaled the bartender for the bottle even as she absently replied to Gaby’s comment. “You can blame Illya for that. I hadn’t had it too often before I came here, but it’s what he usually orders, so.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug. - “I can imagine the impulse to do such things,” she replied knowingly. Gaby had no way of knowing what sort of hell Rogue had experienced, but she had her own that she had worked to escape. Though, naturally, nothing ever works out the way you expect it to. “I have nothing to pay with, at least nothing of any value here,” Gaby confessed as the bottle was placed on the table before them. “Is there some form of currency here? They neglected to cover that in the welcome to outer space speech I was given.” Gaby raised her brow at that. She had shared many a drink with Solo during their months together, but Illya was more likely to refuse than accept an invitation. “Well, well, well. It would seem our mutual friend has learned to loosen up a bit.” She smiled into her drink as she took a small sip of the little that remained in her glass. - “Here on the ship, everything’s basically free. I mean, they won’t let you get so stupid drunk you end up with alcohol poisoning or anything like that, but you can earn a decent enough hangover.” Rogue sat back in her chair, lifting her glass again to finish off the contents. “They give us credits we can use when we go to different planets. It’s a pretty sweet deal, really. Speaking of, I don’t know if they mentioned it, but we’re actually hitting up this...pleasure planet at the end of the week. Apparently we get to spend two weeks there, so...should be fun, right?” Rogue set her glass on the table and picked up the bottle to refill both, even as she blinked at Gaby’s words. “Really? I didn’t realize he didn’t drink often back there...or, maybe it was because y’all were on a mission?” She continued on to explain, “Sorry, I just - they told me how y’all met. For a while, they were both hiding what they do, but last month they admitted it at large. The CIA and KGB thing.” - “Well, then.” Gaby finished her drink with haste. “Don’t mind if I do. I can’t pretend to even begin to understand the economics involved in a society without money.” She wondered at how Solo was coping with such a revelation. Knowing his penchant for the finer things, she was curious how that might be affected by the fact that nothing had any value in this place. Monetarily anyway. “Pleasure planet?” Gaby repeated, amused. “That has such a carnal ring to it.” If she was surprised by the fact that Rogue was well-informed about their peculiar brand of employment, Gaby did not let on. “Yes, he is ever the consummate professional,” she replied with the tiniest sliver of sarcasm, swirling the liquid in her newly refilled glass. “I suppose there isn’t much use in maintaining a cover that was laid out... 300 years ago.” She shook her head incredulously and tossed back her second glass. “What else did they tell you?” - “Yeah, that was the reaction most of us had who haven’t been there before.” She rested her elbows lightly on the table and pointed a finger at the PADD in front of Gaby. “You can look up info on there. It’s called Risa. It’s got beaches, some of them nude, steam pools, water sports, hiking and mountains and spas and all kinds of stuff. Just the other day, the main Traveler’s Liaison, Peggy Carter - she started asking us to pick what kind of places we wanted to stay in.” Now Rogue hesitated a moment, before continuing. “Me, and the guys - we’re gonna share a bungalow on the water. You can probably join us, if you want?” Not that it probably wouldn’t add to all of the awkwardness, but since Gaby didn’t know anyone else… She picked up her second glass for a smaller sip, smiling a little. “I’m not surprised at that,” the younger woman said, obvious fondness in her own voice. “That was kind of their reasoning, too. I’ve heard some stories about different missions, but not too much about their pasts in general.” And very little about Gaby, but Rogue didn’t want to push there. “I bet you’re wonderin’ how it is that you and I look so much alike?” - “I’ll add it to my reading list,” she motioned toward the PADD with a dramatic wave of her hand. She would likely be up half the night anyway--or what passed for night in the blackness of deep space. At least she would have something to occupy her time. A small “oh” was all Gaby could muster at first in reply to the bungalow revelation. Momentarily caught up in the complete and utter absurdity of the situation, she soon began to laugh in a way she had not for a depressingly long time, a laugh that could only be described as giggling. “I apologize,” she insisted, holding her hands up in front of her as she attempted to regain her composure. She cleared her throat and was suddenly the very picture of decorum. “Thank you for the invitation. I would be happy to join you, if it isn’t an inconvenience.” Gaby eyed her empty glass, thrumming her fingers on the tabletop for a moment before pouring herself another couple fingers of vodka. Instead of drinking from it, however, she ran her fingers around the rim of the glass. “Yes, they are a rather tight-lipped pair where personal details are concerned. It comes with the territory, I suppose.” She decided to be tight-lipped herself in that area as well. There would be plenty of time for divulgence later. “Well, yes, of course, but I did not want to pry,” Gaby replied, perhaps a bit foolishly. “Is it rude to ask someone what they are doing wearing your face?” - The laugh was a little surprising - and not just because it was different from her own (thank God), but because it wasn't quite the reaction she'd expected. When Gaby suddenly stopped and smoothed her face again, Rogue was actually both impressed and a tiny bit jealous. After all, she knew that her own face generally showed her thoughts and emotions all too easily, despite the aloofness she'd been forced to live with all her life. "Yeah, no problem. I don't think it will be. We'll all be enjoying the planet itself so we might not even see each other too much." She just hoped Illya and Solo would be okay with the invite. Nodding slowly in agreement, Rogue cupped her glass with both hands and smiled at Gaby. "I'm working on pulling them out slowly. I'll wear them down eventually." She had faith in that, at least. Her smile softened at the question, and she shook her head. "Not weird, but I get the awkward. See - they explained how people come from different times and worlds and dimensions, right? Well, sometimes people look alike. This isn't the first time - there's another girl here who looks like us. And Napoleon had a guy who looked like him. It's happened with a couple others, too." Rogue gave a shrug. "I don't know how or why exactly, but it happens. - “All the same, if you change your mind, speak out and I will find another arrangement.” It had become more than obvious to Gaby that there was some sort of budding romance between Rogue and the Soviet spy, though it was clear that the girl was doing her best to keep it hidden. Nevertheless, it was written, plain as day, across her face. Gaby’s face. Really, what else was there to do but laugh? She certainly would not allow herself to entertain such thoughts or feelings of her own. Most especially now. “I understand how my sudden appearance might be a bit of a disruption. It certainly is for me.” With both of her hands, she motioned towards the lounge at large. “Not how I was expecting to spend my day.” Gaby raised her glass towards Rogue as if to toast. “I wish you luck in that.” And it occurred to her that Rogue might succeed where Gaby would fail, should she ever make a similar effort. A great deal of trust had been developed between the three of them, but at the end of the day, it was still a working relationship. And for Gaby, the work was the very long means to end she ought to already have. She took a sip from her drink. “The universe is not as infinite as I thought,” she mused with a shrug that mirrored Rogue’s. “I appreciate the in-person introduction to the concept. It goes down smoother with vodka.” - “I’ll let you know if that happens,” Rogue replied lightly, still smiling as she glanced around the lounge herself, and the younger woman shook her head a bit. “Trust me - four months ago, I was living it up in Vegas...never thought I’d end up somewhere like this.” Let alone the whole time travel deal. “Like I said, it takes getting used to.” Taking a sip from her own glass, Rogue let her gaze fall to its contents as she lowered it, giving another half smile. “I figured it might. When I showed up and saw Lara and Alicia...it was weird. And I can’t say I was a huge fan. I didn’t really get to know Alicia before she disappeared again, and I know for a fact she didn’t want to know me. Lara, I haven’t really talked to her much but I might. But when I saw your name on the arrivals announcement...considering our mutual friends, I figured I’d step in and meet you. Otherwise we’d be running into each other at some point and it would be even weirder.” She lifted her glass again to finish off the vodka, then set it down and flashed Gaby a smile. “So the first thing most people do ‘round here is put up a message on the network with their PADD. Need a hand, or were you one of those who paid attention to the lesson in the middle of all the rest? Because I sure as hell wasn’t when I woke up.” - “I’ve always wanted to travel,” Gaby admitted, almost wistfully. “Be careful what you wish for, hm?” She was nodding her head in agreement, when one word gave her pause. “She disappeared?” Gaby thought back to her briefing, trying to recall if vanishing people had been mentioned at all. “It is strange, yes. But I suppose if I can come to terms with being in space, I can wrap my head around the idea of a twin or two from another dimension.” In truth, she was beginning to feel exceedingly grateful she had run into Rogue. The ability to talk through the shared weirdness of her experience with another person was helping her process better than if she had been left alone with her thoughts. She looked down at the PADD. She actually had been paying attention when the tablet had been covered during her briefing. Gaby was intensely interested in the technology that powered the device, and had been planning on exploring it further in her quarters before she had seen her own face staring back at her in the hallway outside of the sick bay. She turned back to Rogue. “What is the purpose of such a message?” - “Ha, yeah,” she replied with a small chuckle. “Now you’ll be traveling all over outer space.” When Gaby asked about Alicia disappearing, Rogue reached over to pick up the bottle and again poured a bit into her glass, then set it down. “Yup; sometimes people go back to wherever they come from - they think, at least - the same way we all show up here. It could happen to any of us at any time, really.” Again, she shrugged. “I try not to think about it too much.” Taking a sip from her glass, she waved a hand towards the PADD. “Go ahead and log in - people talk about all kinds of stuff. It’s like...okay, you’re from the 60s so you don’t have the internet. Um. It’s like a digital bulletin board? People post messages, say hi, ask questions, talk to one another, and then you can use the PADD to respond to what they post. You can also send direct messages to another person, which is kind of like...a phone call, only you’re typing instead of talking. Does that sorta make sense?” - Hearing the words they think was not particularly reassuring. “No one has returned here, after being sent back?” she asked. Perhaps it was just a one-time journey, whatever it was. She thought back to the hotel in Zürich and wondered if her absence had been noticed yet. Although there was nothing she could do about it from here, her mind wouldn’t leave it alone. She took a hearty drink from her glass. Gaby tilted her head to the side, considering Rogue’s description. “How impersonal,” she commented with a wry smile as she switched on the device like she had been shown. “And yet invasive. I enjoy the contradiction.” She scrolled through some of the most recent postings with a nod of her head. “I see what you mean. If you’re suggesting I ought to add a message of my own, I don’t know that my thoughts are coherent enough yet for such a public forum.” She glanced over at the half empty bottle of vodka beside them. “Although, that’s not likely to improve in the near future at this rate.” - “Oh, a couple have, I’m pretty sure. This one woman, Natasha? Hot redhead, you can’t miss her - anyway, she was here when I showed up, and then disappeared not long after. Then she came back like a week later and as far as I know, she didn’t remember being here, on the ship. And apparently since we all come from different times, we’re sent back to the same point, so no one ever really notices that we were gone back there. It’s kind of mind-blowing.” Sitting back, she watched Gaby turn on her PADD. “That’s a good thing to call it,” she replied with a grin, then nodded a bit. “You don’t have to right away, but most do so they can find their people, if they have any around. It’s nice to find them if they are here.” Her smile slipped a bit and she glanced away again. Sure, she had known Kitty when she showed up, but the Kitty Rogue knew wasn’t the same as the one she’d found on the Enterprise. Sometimes she wondered if she’d ever see anyone else she knew again - and other times, she honestly didn’t care. She was making friends here, and she was doing okay. That was enough. Letting out a laugh at Gaby’s words regarding the alcohol, Rogue gave her a shrug. “We could quit while we’re ahead, you know. Or you can post, the guys can freak out, and we can sit here and wait for them to track you down.” - Gaby had more questions on the matter, like what happens when you return to your own time and place having visibly aged, but she decided she had asked enough questions for the day--afternoon? evening? she had no clue what time of day it was. “Sure, I could quit, but what kind of first impression would that make?” She smiled playfully at Rogue. “I do find the idea of Illya and Solo discovering the pair of us sitting together enjoying a delightful bottle of space vodka to be incredibly appealing.” - Rogue returned Gaby’s smile with an almost mirror image. “I wonder which one’ll turn red first. My money’s on the Russian. Er - Soviet, I guess, from your point of view.” She shook her head a bit at how crazy all of this was in general, and lifted her glass to toast the other lightly. “I’m from somewhere around forty years after y’all’s time, so it’s a little hard to remember just what you do and don’t know about yet. But I can promise you this - being here is going to show you a lot of brand new stuff. Welcome to the Enterprise, Gaby.” |