shitposting rave 3: Dawn of the third rave

<3333
You already said I would be okay, though!! So!

 

...okay. <33333
[She hides her face against his shoulder, but someone who looked close enough might notice the edge of a smile.]

...did we remember to pick up that thing you bought before everything happened too much?

 

...Oh!
-opens his right hand, previously clenched tight, to reveal the little turbofox figure-
I think I still have it! In my actual body!

 

Good. At least we got something out of this mess, then, even if it's just a courting gift. [She hums quietly, visor dimming a little as she settles against him.] ...we should go shopping somewhere not as dangerous next time. A planet, maybe, one we can have more escape routes from.

 

-wraps his arms around her and props his chin on her helm-
...Absolutely.

 

Valiska smiles. "Got it," she says; "it's the same thing with Tisselen, not that you know them. And sorry to have made you uncomfortable."

"Matriarchy doesn't seem to be as terrible as patriarchy, but that might just be because my species is the matriarchal species and we can't breed by force, so sexual coercion, including rape and forced marriages, is evolutionarily de-selected. It's annoying as fuck to me when people from patriarchal cultures think that Ford's the boss of me, but...it's also annoying to Ford when he goes to scientific conferences and people who don't recognise Stanford Fucking Pines think he's Qihanna's assistant or father or something like that."

Valiska shrugs. "Ford's kinks are no secret, and more importantly, he also likes knowing that I have the legal right to make decisions for both of us when his mental issues get out of hand, but I wouldn't ask Sev to make the same vows he made, because I feel that marriage rites that old fashioned are inappropriate unless the one who'd be submitting chooses them freely. Fortunately, all relationships in our society are sustained by mutual consent; if someone who made vows like Ford's felt they were being mistreated, the Queens' Council can and will declare the contract invalid, especially in the Confederacy itself where the matriarchy has a stronger hold than it does on Pennarion." She thinks for a minute.

"Pennarion has some advantages over the Talassani homeworlds; and I wasn't speaking of Pennarion proper when I was speaking of my culture. But Pennarion has the advantages it has because we're a multicultural Imperium, and because of that there's a certain undercurrent of social unrest that Tainell chooses to tolerate rather than become a complete tyrant, which is why we all invest in good security?"

 

"There are a lot of competent medics here. You have not my betrothed, have you?"

"I am impressed," Valiska says, smiling. "I thought my shopping trips were dangerous!"

 

Nope. Haven't met Ford either.

*curious* ... what vows did he make, anyway?

 

[She takes her face out of Jetski's shoulder specifically to stare at Valiska. The smile says attempted connection or maybe joke? ...or bared fangs, isn't Valiska's species carnivorous? What are social cues? With no decipherable clues as to what the least-aggressive response would be, she eventually settles on "blunt":]

...impressed by what, our ability to get violently run out of a station and have one person nearly killed by sheer stupidity in the space of a few hours?

 

*laughs* Going from a patriarchy to this matriarchy actually improved my status. Can't go any lower than genie-trapped-in-a-lamp, after all.

 

Aaaaugh, Stentato won't calm down!

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

 

[They cover their ears, wincing in pain] why is he upset?..

 

Just the whole shootout thing!

 

[they sign at lacuna, hunching their shoulders up to cover their ears]

can't offer juicebox...transformers don't ingest organic stuff well

does...does he want a hug...is there anything a tiny human...like me...can do to help?

[though they offer to help, they clearly do not handle loud noises very well, and are struggling to even stand in stentato's vicinity]

 

No, I have this.

-She loops an arm around Stentato's shoulder protectively.-

 

Juuust gotta distract him...

 

"Well," she says as she enters, "How is everyone today?"

Angela's looking happy, and is out of her suit this time. Very worn-out jeans, soft and full of holes. White T-shirt with the logo of some medical company, probably a promo freebie. Sneakers, once white, but it's been a while.

 

Hiding from my mother.

 

"Is she forcing tea and cakes on you and telling you that she'll make you an offer you can't refuse?"