the water is rising ; ( closed )

[gamora]

Date & Time: after the zombies, before christmas?
Location: a/the swimming pool
Characters: gamora & collette
Summary: awesome ladies swimming and meeting each other for the first time
Warnings: none


[ She hadn't swam, actually swam in years. There hadn't been time recently, and beyond that there hadn't been an opportunity. Finding out that the Hold had a swimming pool had been a perfect opportunity to apply some of her restless energy that she couldn't spend in the training rooms or hadn't taken out on any unfortunate animated corpse. Five mile swims - back and forth and back and forth. It wasn't the same as swimming in the ocean, but it was good enough.

This morning found her in the water once again, steady strokes as the muscles remembered the proper forms required. Focused on the task at hand, and resolutely not thinking about the consequences of the disappearance of one metaphysical sorcerer from Exsilium. The problem was the fact that she couldn't tell if it was his own doing or simply something the Initiative did. Gamora considered the likelihood of him returning without letting her and Quill know how to do it themselves or bring them with to be a very slim one but he'd always been needlessly messianic. If he felt that returning to meet his fate was the better option, he would have done it. Still, Adam's absence meant they were down their best way to get out of this place in a timely manner.

D'ast him. With a grimace, Gamora pushed off from the edge again, falling into a backstroke that left her scowling at the ceiling. ]

Comments

<3 i do worse and never catch a thing

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette saves her response for when she pulls herself up on the side of the pool, calling a temporary break. She feels her hands pickling in the water. It's a better sign to get out than most others. )

More like slugs. Or blue centaurs with scythe tails. The Hork-Bajir are kind of bipedal! They use their tails like kangaroos, for extra support. Then there are the Taxxons... they have dozens and dozens of feet.

( She shivers. )

And hundreds of teeth. Eugh!

[gamora]

[ Gamora's knowledge of the universe and the races in it is pretty solid - trained in ways to recognize the major ones and more than a few of the minor ones. But those? She's never heard of them and the idea is strange. ]

And all of these tried to invade your planet?

[ She keeps swimming, but doesn't expect an answer until she comes back closer to Collette. The idea of Earth being important enough to have more than a few alien races fighting over it in any universe itches at her - but maybe something was different about the Earth for her. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette squeezes the water out of her braid. She holds off on answering until Gamora's back in range. )

The ones working with or controlled by the Yeerks, yeah. The Yeerks had the Hork-Bajir enslaved, and the Taxxons worked with them 'cause they thought at first the Yeerks could help them? It didn't work out like either of them planned.

[gamora]

It rarely does. You'd think people would stop making alliances after a while.

[ She pauses at the edge of the pool, standing instead of treading water. ]

[whatsupcroc]

Alliances aren't always bad ideas. You've got to hope that you're on mostly equal footing, or you can out-think the ones who've got more power than you do to make sure you're not messed over in the process.

( Thanks, Andalites. )

Not taking a chance on others at all can lead to failure sure as anything else.

[gamora]

And yet they fall apart as soon as someone gets power hungry.

[ A shrug, and Gamora pulls herself out of the water. She'd been swimming long enough before Collette came and could feel the ache beginning. ]

Not so bad in war, I'll give them that.

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette hums, feeling it's more complicated then that, but not caring to debate about it. They fall apart, and that's a simple truth. )

Kind of good to have a few that last through a war before falling apart. Even if they're not really there, thinking they might be one day can be pretty powerful.

( Illusions and beliefs being what they are. )

You've been at war before?

[gamora]

The Annihilation War.

[ It's, surprisingly enough, not the most terrible thing she's been involved with. But a good chunk of the universe decided to go and die so it's up there. ]

I ran special ops.

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette's eyes widen in curiosity and surprise. )

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<small>( Collette's eyes widen in curiosity and surprise. )<s/mall>

You're totally amazing, aren't you?

<small>( And she shakes her head. )</small>

Okay, an Annihilation War sounds pretty horrible. Annihilation of everything?

[gamora]

[ Compliments and Gamora don't really get along well if they're spur of the moment or don't really have anything to do with her ability to break people in half. ]

Near enough. Billions died, we were losing.

[ They'd taken down flarking Galactus. Losing was an understatement. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( Ouch! That makes Collette's head dip down, thinking about the weight of that many sentient creatures. People, really, even if -- well, apparently most of hers kind of had the bipedal thing going on, which was cool. )

When did that change? Or is that when you're from?

[gamora]

Few years back - one of the other leaders of the United Front tore the leader of the Annihilation Wave inside out.

[ She never did get to have 'congratulations on defeating Annihilus with your bare hands' sex with Rider. D'ast. ]

[whatsupcroc]

( She whistles. )

Talk about one way of putting a permanent end to things. Or at least that brand of thing. What've you been up to since then?

( More than asking idly, she looks and sounds sincerely curious. )

[gamora]

Saved the universe.

[ A shrug, and she says it like it's no big deal. A twist of her hair to get rid of the excess water before she lets that fall down around her shoulders. ]

[whatsupcroc]

Oh, only that?

( She laughs, shaking her head. )

You make it sound like it's no big deal.

[gamora]

Guardians of the Galaxy. It's what we did.

[ It's no big deal if it's practically your job. Until a good chunk of them died and they disbanded and Gamora was reminded of why she really hates the universe. ]

[whatsupcroc]

"Did?" What's the past tense for?

( Nothing says sticking together forever better than the breaking apart party. )

[gamora]

Don't do it anymore.

[ C'mon Collette she thought that was obvious. ]

[whatsupcroc]

Yeah, I get that, but was there any particular reason why?

( Come on Gamora it's not the obvious it's the explanation it's always the story! )

[gamora]

Hard to have a team when half of them are dead.

[ THAT'S ALL THE STORY SHE'S GETTING. ]

[whatsupcroc]

Yeah, it would be. Sorry to hear that.

( Such is the seriously sucky side of war. )

Definitely tosses a wrench into operations.

[gamora]

People die, it happens.

[ She's died once or twice. It was one of the best times of her entire life. ]

You get used to it.

[whatsupcroc]

I figure it's more you learn how to live on anyway, not spending all your time missing them. But sure! You get used to it.

[gamora]

Half the time they come back anyway.

[ Standing up, and tossing her towel in whatever publicly provided bin the Initiative has. ]

[whatsupcroc]

Now that's news to me...

( Collette lifts a hand to wave at Gamora. )

Hope to see you around again, swim partner!

[gamora]

It doesn't happen to everyone.

[ Just main characters unless you're Mar-Vell and then you're kind of forever dead. ]

Suspect I will if you're here in the mornings.

[whatsupcroc]

I'm a pretty good at being an early riser. Later!